If he's in the desert then that's where I'm going.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.  The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone.' "  The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours."  Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' "  The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "  Jesus answered, "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "  When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.  Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

Luke 4:1‭-‬14 NIV

[Jesus healed the leper and told him not to tell anyone] However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Mark 1:45 NKJV

des·ert²

/ˈdezərt/

noun

noun: desert; plural noun: deserts

1. 1.

   a dry, barren area of land, especially one covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless, and without vegetation.

   synonyms:

   wasteland, waste, wilderness, wilds, dust bowl, barren land "the desert of the Sinai peninsula"

   • a situation or area considered dull and uninteresting.

     "a cultural desert"

     synonyms:

     uninteresting place/period, unproductive place/period, wasteland "a cultural desert"

Desert life: 

While the desert climate is ideal for active lifestyles, with 300 days of sunshine per year and a healthy mean temperature of 66 degrees, there are summer days where the temperature exceeds 115 degrees. It is important to note the dangers of this extreme heat we often experience. The desert winds also pose hazards to health and property.Dust clouds are common in wind storms and the dust is easily inhaled, so if you have respiratory problems stay inside on windy days. Due to the few rainy days we experience, the desert ground isn't absorbent. When it rains, the water runs off the ground and flash floods are common, and happen in just seconds.

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 5:16 NKJV 

Ewart Scott Grogan (1874–1967) was an English explorer, politician, and entrepreneur. In 1898 the dashing British adventurer Ewart Grogan was head-over-heels in love—but he needed the approval of his beloved's skeptical, aristocratic stepfather. To prove his worth, Grogan set out on an epic quest to become the first person to walk the length of Africa. He was the first person in recorded history to walk the length of Africa, following a path from Cape Town to Cairo.

-Jeanicia R. Elder

Daylight Savings Time

Pastor John Gray

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. (Some people can see but they have no vision. Many times we look at the outward appearance of a person but we can't see the work God is doing on the inside).  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.   As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

John 9:1‭-‬7 KJV

The practice of springing the clocks forward started in March of 1918 during World War I as a way to conserve coal. But, it became federal law in 1966 for 48 out of 50 states. Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that do not observe daylight savings time.

Maximizing the window of opportunity we have been given to do what God calls us to do. 

Jesus made it a point to maximize time even though he is not bound by time.

You are here because God needs you to do something right now. 

Don't be so conscious of time that you miss your moment. Jesus was always deliberate in getting to where he needed to go but he was never in a rush...he always had time for people.

It's ok to get rest so you can have the strength to keep going.

What's my assignment?

Jesus never discounted the humanity of people.

First ministry is the house you live in.

How will people know there's another way if you stay too busy for people who aren't like you. 

Jesus was a man of Prayer Pouring and Preparing

Schedule time with God. 

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

Luke 6:12‭-‬13 KJV

Pray in season and out of season.

Be wise as to who you pour yourself into. There's a difference between an assignment and a leech...if you feel drained after pouring into someone, then you probably didn't have grace for that person.

But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:9‭-‬10 MSG

What to do with the time you have left:

Sow. Serve. Seek.

Sow: Invest in your family and local church

Serve: Everyone can add value to someone else's life.

Seek: The wisdom of the holy spirit

As I move in the direction of my assignment there will be people who receive residual blessings.

Coming Out Better

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood 

We all go through disappointments but when God restores no one will know it. He will restore us to our original condition.

Beauty For Ashes (book)

What a challenge took out of you, God is about to restore.

Instead of your shame you  shall  have double honor, And instead  of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

Isaiah 61:7 NKJV

The king's satraps, governors, mayors, and advisers gathered around the three men. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies. The hair on their heads wasn't singed, their clothes weren't burned, and they didn't smell of smoke.

Daniel 3:27 GW

Those boys came out with no sign that they'd been through a fire. They didn't even smell like smoke.

When you pass through the waters, I will  be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

What was meant for harm will be an advantage.

And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what  they  requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:36 NKJV

Israelites didn't leave looking like slaves.

You may have been a slave to some things and the same will be for me. 

Tyler Perry doesn't look like the poverty and dysfunction that he grew up in. 

You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.

Psalms 71:21 NKJV

Joseph

Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, he rose to become vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh, where his presence and office caused Israel to leave Canaan and settle in Egypt.

Joseph was running the country and there was no sign of the pit or the prison he'd gone through.

I'm not coming out bedraggled!

Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who  had  been  demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

Mark 5:15 NKJV

Prodigal Son

In the story, a father has two sons, a younger and an older. The younger son asks the father for his inheritance, and the father grants his son's request. However, the younger son is prodigal (i.e., wasteful and extravagant) and squanders his fortune, eventually becoming destitute. The younger son is forced to return home empty-handed and intends to beg his father to accept him back as a servant. To the son's surprise, he is not scorned by his father but is welcomed back with celebration and fanfare. Envious, the older son refuses to participate in the festivities. The father reminds the older son that one day he will inherit everything, and that they should still celebrate the return of the younger son because he was lost and is now found.

"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

Luke 15:22 NKJV

He was made to look nothing like what he'd been through.

Protecting Your Peace

If you're only going to enjoy your day if everything works out then you are setting yourself up to lose your peace. In your car you have a spare tire; even though you are expecting to arrive at your final destination with no incident you are prepared just in case. You've decided ahead if time to not sit on the side of the road and sulk just because you hit a pothole. Unexpected things pop up and you have to be prepared to deal with it so that you can move forward.

Give people room to be human. Your happiness is not someone else's responsibility. You have to be prepared.

When we go around offended and upset we are dishonoring God.

You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.

Psalms 94:13 NLT

Make up your mind to not let another person ruin your day. Don't get stuck arguing or being rude. You're in control, no one can make you unhappy without you allowing it.

Sometimes people have become poisoned and that poison naturally comes out. You overcome evil with good.

Be an eagle.

Joel promised to be on a morning show very early. He parked where he was told but the security guard made him move. She didn't realize her mistake until after the interview.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!

Luke 17:1 NLT

Strong's Concordance

skandalon: a stick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare, a stumbling block, an offense

Original Word: σκάνδαλον, ου, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: skandalon
Phonetic Spelling: (skan'-dal-on)
Definition: a stick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare, a stumbling block, an offense
Usage: a snare, stumbling-block, cause for error

Decide if the battle is worth fighting.

So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from  taxes in Israel."

I Samuel 17:25 NKJV

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle." And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?" Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

I Samuel 17:25‭-‬30 NKJV

The battle with Goliath was worth fighting but battle with Eliab was not. 

It  is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel.

Proverbs 20:3 NKJV

When you're in agreement with people you are able to conquer more. This is especially true in marriage.

David prayed in advance that he'd be able to hold his toung when Eliab tried to bait him. David killed a lion and a bear so he was definitely able to take on his brother, but that wasn't his battle.

Set a guard, O Lord , over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalms 141:3 NKJV

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Psalms 23:5 NKJV

Are you fighting where you should be sitting?

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.

II Timothy 4:14 NKJV

https://bible.com/bible/114/2ti.4.14.NKJV

The battle is not mine,  it's the Lord's. 2 Chronicles 20:15

You have to be good at ignoring people.

But some rebels said, "How can this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

I Samuel 10:27 NKJV

Choose to stay in peace.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:11‭, ‬15 NKJV

Declaring Favor

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

We release favor through our words. Things begin to change in the unseen realms.

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Luke 2:52 NLT

It's about more than being positive but releasing your faith.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Psalms 23:6 NKJV

When you know that you have favor you will approach even tough tasks with boldness. In Nehemiah 2 we see this where the prophet asked for everything he'd need. 

And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work.

Nehemiah 2:18 NKJV

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:6 NKJV

In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

PROVERBS 3:6 AMP

Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone.

Zechariah 10:1 NKJV

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

I Peter 1:13 NKJV

The Messenger-Angel said, "Can't you tell?" "No, sir," I said. Then he said, "This is God 's Message to Zerubbabel: 'You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,' says God -of-the-Angel-Armies. 'So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you're nothing but a molehill. He'll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'"

Zechariah 4:5‭-‬7 MSG

Will you donate to my revolution?

Dear A;Philosophy, This year I've put my weight behind Augie’s Quest® and STRONG by Zumba® for their #STRONGER4ALS Challenge to raise $150,000 for research to find a cure for ALS. I've been sweating and fundraising throughout the month and have committed to raise at least $250 while participating in the 30-Day workout challenge. Today, I’m asking you to please help me reach my goal for this amazing cause. Every dollar counts, every amount helps, and your support will benefit those losing muscle functionality. You can DONATE HERE: link to page. ALS is a disorder that paralyzes the body but leaves the mind intact. On average, patients live between two to five years. An ALS diagnosis is a death sentence, but it’s not an incurable disease. It’s just underfunded. Together with your support, we can change that. Any contribution that you make would be most gratefully appreciated. If you can't give, you can still support the cause by sharing this (http://cure.augiesquest.org/goto/TheJRochelle) page with your friends, family members and coworkers. With more people aware, we will be lunging closer to finding a cure. If you want to make a bigger impact, you can join my team and let's KICK SOME ALS! Kindly yours Click here to visit my personal page. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://cure.augiesquest.org/site/TR?px=1003718&pg=personal&fr_id=1070&s_locale=en_US&et=iKISYp2My8u-ccCaykMX0A If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://cure.augiesquest.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=b6e8cbb3cb65e2549dabb38da9a8aecf93ea6e0ab5304f839f4ae40619ef762a Don't want to receive these emails anymore? Unsubscribe strongbyZumba.com Augiesquest.org Copyright© 2018 Zumba Fitness, LLC Zumba®, Zumba Fitness® and the Zumba Fitness logos are trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC. 800 Silks Run, Suite 2310, Hallandale, FL 33009

nonprofit software

Will you donate to my revolution?

Dear A;Philosophy, This year I've put my weight behind Augie’s Quest® and STRONG by Zumba® for their #STRONGER4ALS Challenge to raise $150,000 for research to find a cure for ALS. I've been sweating and fundraising throughout the month and have committed to raise at least $250 while participating in the 30-Day workout challenge. Today, I’m asking you to please help me reach my goal for this amazing cause. Every dollar counts, every amount helps, and your support will benefit those losing muscle functionality. You can DONATE HERE: link to page. ALS is a disorder that paralyzes the body but leaves the mind intact. On average, patients live between two to five years. An ALS diagnosis is a death sentence, but it’s not an incurable disease. It’s just underfunded. Together with your support, we can change that. Any contribution that you make would be most gratefully appreciated. If you can't give, you can still support the cause by sharing this (http://cure.augiesquest.org/goto/TheJRochelle) page with your friends, family members and coworkers. With more people aware, we will be lunging closer to finding a cure. If you want to make a bigger impact, you can join my team and let's KICK SOME ALS! Kindly yours Click here to visit my personal page. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://cure.augiesquest.org/site/TR?px=1003718&pg=personal&fr_id=1070&s_locale=en_US&et=89am7aPI-H3Bca2y3vGgaQ If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://cure.augiesquest.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=b6e8cbb3cb65e2549dabb38da9a8aecf93ea6e0ab5304f839f4ae40619ef762a Don't want to receive these emails anymore? Unsubscribe strongbyZumba.com Augiesquest.org Copyright© 2018 Zumba Fitness, LLC Zumba®, Zumba Fitness® and the Zumba Fitness logos are trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC. 800 Silks Run, Suite 2310, Hallandale, FL 33009

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