Month: March 2019

Are you down with diversity? In other words, are you a fan or okay with diversity? Sadly, many people have given in to the notion that their race is the superior race and should reign supreme over all others.

This way of thinking gives birth to a very dangerous weapon used by the devil – racism. Racism is built on the foundation of hatred and contempt for others. When fully developed and embraced, it separates us as a nation and fosters an “Us versus Them” mentality. At its core, murder results.

Racism seeks to destroy God’s command mentioned in Matthew 22:38, “…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  It is in direct violation of this command. Is that really what we want?

Note 2 self: God is the author of diversity. He created everything. Everywhere we look we see  His fondness for diversity.  So clearly, God endorses it. For those who believe in God and yet hates his brother because he looks different, I have one question for you. Do you really think there is a separation in heaven for the various races of people? Everything that is in me says NO! We are all God’s people. He loves us all. In heaven, we will all be one big happy family.

So to the question, are you down with diversity? I am, what about you?

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

Perhaps many of us have uttered the words, “I hate you.”  Was it said out of anger and frustration, or did we really mean it?

Hate is a strong word and a powerful emotion. It will take its owners down a road that they will regret.

What does God have to say about hating others? In 1 John 3:15, it states the following: “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.”

 

Note 2 self: So, God equates the hatred of others with murder. Wow! This is in stark contrast with how our society views the hatred of others. Until reading this scripture, I would have never come up with the equation HATE = MURDER.  Time to let that hate “thang” go!  Unforgiven hatred is an express elevator ride to hell!

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy

The devil has many weapons at his disposal, but few are more effective than lust.  Lust is an equal opportunity offender. It affects people from all walks of life. It cares nothing about our social or economic status. Lust seeks to lure us into other sins that further deepen the devil’s hold on our lives.  Lust leads to fornication, adultery, pornography, prostitution and the like.

Like the professional marketer that he is, the devil markets lust in a variety of ways.  Go to the grocery store, and you will find magazines at the checkout counter with seductively clothed women on the cover. This theme continues but with greater intensity and openness in television, movies, social media, emails, texts and other forms of communications.

God gives us several scriptures to help us combat lust. Here are a few.

^” So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18

“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.” Proverbs 6:25

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:14

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Romans 6:12

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28

Note 2 self: Yes, I am a Christian man, but I am still a man. Like anyone else, I too am susceptible to lust.  James 4:7 states the following: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  As a result, I have developed the two-second rule. If I find myself staring at a woman for longer than two seconds, I turn away and begin thinking about Jesus on the cross.  Staring longer than two seconds starts to generate unhealthy and sinful thoughts. To be clear, I don’t believe God has a problem with us admiring the beauty of others. It becomes a problem when our thoughts begin to take us places we should not be. Remember, prolonged thoughts usually turn into actions.

So, to the question, is LUST your middle name? I try very hard for it not to be.

Blessings to you all, my friends.

Daniel

The Note 2 Self Guy