Posted on

Poor Man’s Proverb #21: You’ll Pay For That!

Often the mind is a negotiating chamber. What do you mean? It is a breeding ground for justifying sin. It gives life to the following thoughts:

Look what she did to me. It is only right that I do it to her.

You hurt me; I’m going to hurt you more.

I’ll show you; you will never hurt me again.

Two can play that game.

Tick for tack – watch your back!

I can’t believe they did this to me; I want revenge!

Payback is a _____!

Note 2 self: It is in the nature of man to want to get even. We tell ourselves that getting revenge is the right thing to do.   However, Proverbs 2:12 warns us of the following, “A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.” In other words, just because we think something is right – doesn’t make it right. God will judge our hearts and examine what is in them. Deuteronomy 32:35 gives us a directive.  “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near, and their doom rushes upon them.” God is pretty clear here; it is His job to pay back those who have wronged us. Do we really think we can do a better job than God? Just take a moment and reflect upon how God has repaid us for our wrongdoings – exactly! God does not need our help.  When we seek revenge, we often hurt ourselves in the process.  The bottom line is this – stay in our lane and let God do His job.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

 

Posted on

Poor Man’s Proverb #20: You still have time to make it to the Hall of Fame.

Many of you may be thinking, I am on the north side of forty and well past my prime. While others may be thinking,  I am still pretty young, but I do not have the physical or athletic ability required to make it to anybody’s Hall of Fame.

The Hall to which I speak is the Faith Hall of Fame.  One’s physical or athletic ability has nothing to do with gaining entrance into this illustrious club.

To understand what the Faith Hall of Fame is, we must first define faith.  God defines faith in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The rest of Hebrews 11 goes on to give us several examples of people who demonstrated faith. This chapter is known as the Faith Hall of Fame.

So, you might be thinking – these were great people of the Bible, and I am just an ordinary Joe. News flash – many of them were incredibly flawed. It was their consistent and sustained faith that made them great people of God.

Note 2 self: Until we take our last breath, we all have an opportunity to earn our place in the Faith Hall of Fame. Jesus tells us in Luke 17:6, “… If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Even with just a little faith, we can accomplish great things.

So, who wants to join me in my effort to earn my way into the Faith Hall of Fame?

We can do this!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

Posted on

Poor Man’s Proverb #19: Avoid The Spotlight!

Many people really believe that they will never be called out on sin that no one or few people know about.  They are convinced that sin done in secret has no consequences.  Such a sin has a Teflon like quality – nothing sticks to it.

The Bible warns us in 1 Corinthians 4:5 that what is done in darkness will be brought to light. But what it doesn’t say is that the light will be a SPOTLIGHT! We are not getting away with ANYTHING. Jesus will expose all secrets. I believe our actions are being recorded and the tape will be shown to us; how embarrassing will that be?

 

Note 2 self: Watching ourselves taking a cookie from the cookie jar when we thought no one was watching in the presence of the Creator will not be one of our fondest moments. Avoid the SPOTLIGHT and do the right thing!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

Posted on

Poor Man’s Proverb #18: Are All Sins Created Equal?

Are all sins created equal? This has been a topic of debate for years.  Many people have uttered the words, “A sin is a sin, one is just as bad as another.” I have never subscribed to that philosophy simply because there is evidence to the contrary.

The Bible gives us the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) as the gold standard of sin to stay away from.

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
  2. You shall not make idols.
  3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother.
  6. You shall not murder.
  7. You shall not commit adultery.
  8. You shall not steal.
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  10. You shall not covet.

God doesn’t stop there, in Proverbs 6:16-19, He describes sin that He hates. As hate is a pretty strong word, it warrants great consideration when evaluating one sin over another.

16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17       haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18       a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19       a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

And then, of course, there is the unforgivable sin found in Mark 3:28-29.

28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Note 2 self: God has different standards than man, but I believe there are some similarities in one regard.  Consider this, the person who robs a convenience store may receive five years or more in prison, but the person who kills another person in cold blood can expect a life prison term if not execution. To the question, are all sins created equal? I believe the answer is a resounding NO! Clearly, some sins are worst than others, and I believe the punishment is commensurate with the sin.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

Posted on

Poor Man’s Proverbs #17: Keep 2019 In Its Proper Perspective

Happy New Year everyone and congratulations on making it through 2018. As we continue in 2019, it is crucial that we keep our time on earth in its proper perspective. It’s temporary, but we have an excellent opportunity to positively influence others as we share our love of Jesus with them.  Remember, it’s all about Him and truthfully very little about us.  The time spent on Earth affords us the opportunity to earn rewards on the other side of life (The Incorruptible Crown – 1 Corinthians 9:14-27, the Crown of Rejoicing – 1 Thessalonians 2:19, the Crown of Life – James 1:12 & Revelation 2:10, the Crown of Righteousness -2 Timothy 4:8 and the Crown of Glory – 1 Peter 5:2-4; all of which are far greater than we could ever imagine.) while experiencing a few earthly treasures along the way.

Note 2 self: Always remember who you are working for and the path to your destiny will illuminate itself.  The challenge –  make 2019 your most excellent service year to the Lord thus far.

Are you all in?

I shared some thoughts on our New Year resolutions on this video.

 

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy