Form Precedes Functionality

One must understand that form precedes functionality. God said let there be light. He formed light from the darkness. He wanted man to understand His FUNCTION and His purpose for creating Mankind. When a man doesn't understand the purpose of a thing such as the institution of marriage and family he will eventually lose them based on his lack of knowledge.

It's what makes things visible. I'm not impressed with a man (society) that can only form an opinion after a man's transgression (sin) has been committed or publicly seen. That's operating with a second-strike capacity mindset. Nor am I focused on actors and the outcomes of people in the entertainment business. It's a waste of time for me because it's not my assignment. 

Therefore without fully understanding the intentionality of the decision being made at the Oscars, it's not wise to formulate a conclusive opinion. Deceptions and distractions can lead one away from pursuing their purpose. This event will have long-term grave consequences if the focus is continuously misguided and exploited by the media. 

I must remain cautious and poised in my opinion of Will Smith and Chris Rock. Given I am the mother of two African American males, whose living directly in an environment where George Floyd's murder and several others continue to occur in their backyard due to corruption. There is a deeper spiritual ramification of Will Smith publicly slapping another man for his wife's private indiscretions. I told my sons the character of their future wives will either bring a blessing or a curse. Make sure she knows our God. The God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, and she doesn't surrender to other gods. 

As for Jada Pinkett-Smith, the key is to study the scriptures. I told them to look at Isaiah 3:17 concerning her (alopecia) bald head. Ask the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom on what demonic doors she opened by committing adultery. What does God say about marrying certain types of women? Understand fully before getting yourself in a deadly situation over a verbal assault or false accusation. I told them to study Proverbs 19:11 with regards to Chris Rock before making a character assassination on his masculinity or the assessment of his manhood. 

The question becomes what was Will Smith actually defending by slapping Chris Rock? Again what did Jada expose her husband and their household too? Her Redtable FB public defilement is not repentance to Christ privately but could be socially deemed as shenanigans for likes and followers. God is not obligated to protect a woman that has violated her marriage bed and the institution of her marriage covenant. Just because Jada Pinkett-Smith talks about her sins openly doesn't grant her immunity. Our confessions must never be greater than our true repentance to Christ. I am leery of people always wanting to tell the world details about what's going on in their marriage, especially in their bedroom. 

Without God's grace and mercy, Jada would be dead. Believe me, I am not judging. I made some of the same egregious mistakes. The sin of pride, idolatry, and legalism previously occupied my doorstep and took up residency in my household; due to sitting under leadership that authorized the spirit of adultery. It destroyed countless marriages and families in the body of Christ, including mine. 

If Christ is not their center they cannot expect an outcome that's rooted in (truth) covenant. My only prayer at this particular moment is healing our nation (men), especially black men. So they can govern their families. I don't want my sons defending me or their future wives by means of violence as their first response. They need to learn the rules of engagement to fight spiritual battles accordingly. What happened at the Oscars wasn't protection it was a representation of what a dying black family looks like without a God-fearing man surrendering to the will of God ... IJS

I pray for the healing of our men so they can restore the family back to Jesus the Christ our Lord and Savior. #neverdobusinesshungry

Removing The Shame of Financial Loss

Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. When shame is not dealt with properly it can lead to paralysis; the inability to move past the incident or experience. Shame is often masked by the feeling of insecurity, unworthiness, and inadequacy. It causes one to feel undeserving and self-critical. I want to talk about shame from a different perspective. What does shame feel or look like when you lose all your possessions after you’ve done the ethical and unimpeachable thing?  

The impact of shame endured due to a financial loss is quite different than the shame suffered because of other circumstances. I am not here to negate or marginalize any form of shame. I only want to help people from a place of financial loss when one's situation is made public.   

These Never Do Business Hungry teachable courses are designed to gain the tools necessary to become resilience and make proper financial decisions. Each season requires different strategies. The first course dealt with Living Through See-Nothing Days. The course and lectures will walk you through the various challenges encountered in each season. Learn how to develop resilience, the value of haste versus urgency, remove distractions, the challenges of wolves, and how to survive a wilderness season. There are different approaches taken in the winter versus the springtime. 

The upcoming course Blindsided by Expenses deals with Taking Responsibility, Budget versus Audit and dealing with various fiduciary requirements.  As a backdrop, you need to know the courses are uniquely designed to include three types of learning styles.  The Kinesthetic Learner a hands-on learner those who learn by doing. The Auditory Learner those who learn by listening through sound. The Visual Learner those who memorize things by seeing them on paper and would rather watch, than talk or do.  

Just know, what was meant to destroy me by unwarranted false accusations and public shame has become the platform for recovery. The courses in teachable will provide the tools necessary for spiritual and financial recovery. The objective is to disclose information only certain people are made privy to in order to help disenfranchised clients meet mandatory auditing requirements. 

The purpose of the course(s) is to meet the necessary guidelines to sustain what one has created. The course(s) will help those who are struggling, afraid, scared, blackballed, or shamed to NEVER experience the unjustifiable loss by others because of failure to build and protect what one has created in the marketplace.

INFLUENCE VERSUS FAME

Let me address the dangers of confusing influence with the insignificance of fame. For those who don’t understand what fame is rooted in and how it can and will eventually destroy your life.  “Fame is an outward representation of distorted fallacies driven by seeking recognition, whereas influence is governed by authority and established with one’s character.” Lori M.

Here is my acronym for F.A.M.E.

§  F = False and fictitious statements to hide your motives

§  A = Accolades and acclamations for those seeking special honor or acknowledgments

§  M = Mindless agenda — done without justification, concern, or consequences. Its primary focus is oneself no one else— it’s all about me.

§  E = It’s being governed by external factors. Everyone comes after your needs. 

  

The fact of the matter is that you have a heart issue. You do not have the reverence of the Lord in your heart. Your behavior is determined solely by your preference, that is, to prefer one alternative over the other. Preferences allow you to select or modify your preferences, while beliefs remain unaltered. Without character, you will compromise by justifying your decisions. This deception will eventually cause one to operate in situational ethics and compromise truth for a temporary circumstance. I am guilty as charged for going after things God never permitted me to have. I had to let go of pride and idolatry.

God doesn’t need to be famous, nor does he need you to help him become famous, nor is it your job to make him famous. Jesus never sought praise or adoration. Study the gospels, Jesus removed himself from people who tried to praise him. Being Famous is being well-known or popular. It’s appalling that we have reduced the name of Jesus to fame, a word that signifies popularity. The present-day church consists of ‘well-known’ preachers, teachers, and prophets who have been glorified and praised, yet lack character, substance, depth, and reverential 

fear of the Lord.

Whether you know my God, serve my God, or believe in my God, it will never negate his authority and the power of his (Might) influence. We must learn fame does not equate to power. We have assumed having fame means being an authority. Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience. Your title, position, or wealth will not grant you Godly influence when you have a platform rooted in fame. 

People are seeking fame, thinking it automatically comes with authority. “Fame is entrenched in approval trapped in social media outlets.” Society has confused followers and likes on FB, Instagram, and Twitter with the power of influence. Just because you are famous doesn’t mean you have authority. Study (1 Samuel 15:10-35) King Saul had many followers, yet his kingdom was stripped and given to David. He also committed suicide because fame was more important than obeying God’s word. Don’t let your drivenness for fame cause you to commit spiritual suicide.  

People have ignorantly trusted false teachers, false preachers, and false prophets. The issue with this kind of immature behavior is that we enter into contracts, relationships, or contractual spiritual relationships with people who have failed to tell the truth. It causes one to enter into a fraudulent misrepresentation. It’s when one (your pastor) knowingly makes an untrue statement of the facts; that induces or denies the other party to enter into a proper (integral) agreement.

Over time these unscrupulous dishonest, crooked, deceitful, and corrupt teachings will lead to negligent misrepresentations. There is a duty to ensure that reasonable care is taken into consideration as regards the accuracy of any dissemination of God’s word. There are numerous unsubstantiated claims made by individuals who lack the necessary qualifications to serve in leadership positions. The late Dr. Myles Munroe taught our church firsthand to stay out of the pulpit if; you can't control your food, drink, or sexual behavior stay out of the pulpit. It's the bible, not the man’s opinion. Study the book of Titus for ministry qualifications.

The Bible clearly states many are called, and a few are chosen. A warning to those who teach grace as a substitute for responsibility. My idolatry cost me years of stripping away brokenness and putting my flesh on the altar daily. The blood of Jesus removed my sin because Jesus Christ paid the price. Grace is the power to become whole and walk in integrity after we have repented from sin. Being sorry or getting caught is not repentance. Repentance is a behavior change. Grace does not give one permission to keep sinning, nor does it remove the consequences of deliberate disobedience. It does take away the condemnation for the sin committed. Grace allows one to become empowered to overcome our sinful nature.

Make no mistake; for every seed sown, there is a harvest. You don’t get to write a tithing check for your sin and think God will bless your mess. God does not co-sign sin. The real deception is failing to remove sin from one's heart. It’s not the outward appearance that matters. You must learn to live through the consequences of wrong behavior, or you will never appreciate the power of grace. You will confuse fame, popularity, and likes with authority as well as the power and purpose of Influence. 

Peace and Love, Lori M.

Living Through See-Nothing Days Course

Why Never Do Business Hungry Teachable?

​
Never Do Business Hungry Teachable courses and lectures are designed for online students, start-ups, small business owners, and individuals who want to learn the principles of stewardship.

In this featured 'Living through See-Nothing Days' course, one will understand how to navigate the seasons in the marketplace. How to develop resilience. Learn the value of haste versus urgency. How to remove distractions. The challenges of wolves and how to survive a wilderness.

Which will accommodate three primary learning styles. The Kinesthetic Learner is a hands-on learner who learns by doing. Auditory Learners are those who learn by listening through sound. Visual Learners memorize things by seeing them on paper and would rather watch, than talk or do.

All are done online at your own pace, with unlimited access to course materials, no restrictions or prerequisites, no deadlines, compatibility on any mobile device, and complete privacy.

https://never-do-business-hungry.teachable.com/p/living-through-see-nothing-days

Execution Comes With A Price

Execution comes with a price. You can’t obtain a victory or success without putting into effect the course of action necessary for the desired result.

If discipline and consistency allowed you to obtain the victory in the first place don’t ever become naïve and think that inconsistency after the victory will automatically sustain its original place. Today I was reminded of that life’s lesson. I unintentionally took seven days off from my 20k and lost a ½ hour in momentum. What normally takes me 1.5 hours took me 2 hours to complete only because I failed to stay consistent. I allowed distractions to cause me to focus on others things. I didn’t stick to the plan.                         

The moral of the story is don’t allow your current victories to be lost or lose significant ground based on you failing to stay committed to the daily disciplines. Always remember it was your daily routines that got you the victory. I repent for every place in my prayer life study time where I lost momentum for failing to seek you daily Lord. 

The Root of All Evil Is Financial Chaos Ebook

Living Through See-Nothing Days is when you recognize your current season. It’s knowing there will be times in your life when your current circumstances are fixed, unchangeable, and non-negotiable. This chapter will reveal what it takes to become resilient. It’s my real life transparent inconspicuous journey from financial chaos to spiritual healing.

The courses are designed with distinctive lectures available online at https://never-do-business-hungry.teachable.com to walk you through the steps for “using opposition as a platform for recovery.” Lori M

Living Through See-Nothing Days: 1 Kings 17: 8-16 (Ambush of the Mouth)

God dispatched his prophet Elijah to a place called Zarephath, which also meant ‘Ambush of the Mouth’ the smelting place. A location where the enemy set an ambush against the widow woman of God. It is a place of concealment because one may not be aware of the impending spiritual onslaught.

Why is this crucial?

It's important to comprehend the importance of widows. Women of God who are widows often lack financial and spiritual protection. When a woman's husband passes away, she is left defenseless and open to the devil's schemes. The loss of her marriage covenant exposes a widow or divorced woman to spiritual vulnerability.

A woman was never designed to operate in headship regardless of her insurmountable gifts. The man is to provide leadership and protection for his family. Men of God are considered the spiritual head of the household. His direction must come from Christ. Without their spiritual protection women who are left to handle things on their own during a crisis may be more vulnerable to a Girgashite spirit.

According to the book of Genesis, God created both males and females from the dust of the ground. The woman came out of Adam. Eve was operating through her physical senses. That’s why Lucifer didn’t come to Adam in the garden. The devil came to Eve because he knew he had no spiritual jurisdiction or power to deceive Adam. Lucifer’s objective was to deceive Eve. 

A spirit can't manifest legally on earth without a body. Lucifer needed a body to infiltrate a snake. Study Ezekiel 28:12-15, where it states, Lucifer decided to illegally operate outside his assignment as a ministering angel to guard the Garden of Eden. Eve was eventually deceived into eating the fruit from the garden. Adam and Eve forfeited their authority to have dominion over the earth; as a result of Adam's disobedience in eating from the forbidden tree.

What was operating in the garden is operating in this story; Ambush of the Mouth. Eve should have gone directly to Adam for discernment and protection in order to bring her thoughts under subjection to God. Adam had the power of attorney to rebuke Lucifer by declaring the word of God. The enemy traps us daily when we make decisions without seeking God. Elijah in this story represents the nature of Jesus Christ. Elijah had the power to declare the word of God to the widow. Whether we are women at the well, women with issues of blood, women who are barren, women who are widows, or women who endure death in their marriages; God is so mindful of his daughters. God still looks out for us.

It’s impossible to keep moving at that level of lack without faith. The widow was gathering sticks which demonstrated she was operating in faith. I believe Jesus sent a prophet to speak a word to manifest provision because of her faith. Her discernment was limited based on her perspective. She failed to look up for help. She lacked a spiritual vision. The flour represented her external circumstances. The oil represented her ability to produce while being in a dark place. She needed spiritual enlightenment from the Holy Spirit to comprehend her anointing. The oil was more than enough when put in the hands of God. Her brokenness caused her to be in a place called stuck. Brokenness can condition a person to do it alone.

The man was given dominion over the earth. The woman was created to be in reverence to his spiritual authority. Man must stay fully submitted to Christ. Satan uses a woman’s ear-gate to bring her into speculation, accusation, and gossip. Satan operated through Eve's emotions and her thoughts. Eve tried to use reasoning to make sense of what God had commanded them to do in the garden while listening to the wrong voice. Since men have the ability to easily bamboozle naïve women with their cunning and crafty words, she is more prone to be deceived by words. A man on the other hand is ruled by his flesh when he fails to seek God. The man’s deception comes through his eye-gate, his flesh, a big butt, and a smile.

What Christ desires of us when it is time to trust and obey Him is analogous to the magnificent elements of this biblical story. Many false prophets manipulate men and women of God in their season of lack. They try to persuade Believers that money is the main prerequisite to receiving a miracle through greed or ignorance of God's word.

A woman unable to cook or clean may think she has no choice but to financially contribute to the church. God never asks you for more than you are willing to sacrifice. There is no doubt God wants the thing you're clinging to. He wants what you are putting before Him. God desires a sacrifice from your heart. The miracle will come with obedience.

Most saints don’t recognize what God wants from us because of our immature walk with him. We never go deep enough to chew the cud. We won’t read, study, pray, fast, and worship without needing someone to prompt us into intimacy with God. I am guilty of this too. I was just like that widow. I failed to pour out my soul and heart to God. 

We often fail to go deeper into the things of God and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what’s hindering our spiritual blindness. It may be money, a relationship, a job, or a business deal. It’s anything we have put before God. The key to spiritual growth is allowing God to determine what we need to remove from our lives. Without constant fellowship with God, it is impossible to understand what He expects of us. One’s intimacy requires consistency, discipline, commitment, and unconditional love. Miracles in the present society frequently lack the essence of faith, much like the flour the widow would have needed to bake a cake for Elijah.

Elijah represents Jesus in this passage of scripture. He can take the impossible and make it possible. Jesus took the five loaves and two fishes and fed the multitude. Give God your best and put it on the altar. Make it a sacrifice of praise by giving it to Him first. Lay it all down at His feet in faith and watch Him fulfill your need. He wants you to let go of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

The deception of women occurs in those who never experienced a healthy relationship with their father or a man. Have you ever wondered why the widow in this passage never called or sought anyone for help? Maybe she never received genuine support from others. In her hour of greatest need, God sent Elijah to comfort her without her asking for a man's assistance. A man may have failed us, but God will never let us be forsaken.

God said, "I will cover everything missing in your life, daughter," as I surrendered to His will. Although the physical Adam is no longer here, I AM. Give it all to me, my daughter, and allow me to increase you. I know you lost all of your material possessions. Nevertheless, those have no value in God’s kingdom. Despite one's brokenness, He wants what is unrepairable and is without a cure.

 Render it and watch God replace those external losses with His internal riches in glory. “Don’t sell your heritage for the sake of your inheritance.” That is what Esau did with Jacob when he sold his birthright. God will release the anointing of the Holy Spirit as you enter the four chambers of His heart, enabling you to fulfill your dreams and desire. — Lori M. (NDBH) 

#neverdobusinesshungry  (Revised published on 6/24/18  1:58 AM)