Blessed "in the Presence of My Enemies"

Blessed "in the Presence of My Enemies":

Some people have found unexpected and surprising individuals trying to connect with them, in person and/or on social media: unexpected phone calls and text messages; surprising social media followers, friend requests, subscribers, inboxes, and so on. Also, some people have surprising individuals who have lingered around their life, but the reason is not clear. You have no idea why these surprising individuals would even want to connect with you or be near your life in any way—given their KNOWN negative feelings and behaviors toward you (past or present), or their close relationships or connections with your enemies. Well, do not be surprised. This is to be expected.

Remember what God's Word says will happen:

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

-Psalm 23:5

Remember that prophetic Bible verse when you find yourself surrounded by people, whether in person or online:

—Who you KNOW do not like you.

—Who you KNOW are at least not very fond of you.

—Who you are AWARE are jealous or envious of you.

—Who you KNOW have tried (or still try) to compete with you.

—Who you KNOW have a history of gossiping about you.

—Who you KNOW have let other people talk badly about you, and they stood there and said or did nothing to demonstrate their friendship or their love or respect for you, or they even participated in the bad-mouthing against you.

—Who have said mean, hurtful, or hateful things to you.

—Who you KNOW have SOMETHING against you.

—Who you KNOW are [not-so-] secretly working for someone who does not like you (spying on your life and acting as "carrier pigeons" for someone who has something against you).

—Whom you celebrate and congratulate during their special occasion and achievements, but they rarely or just never celebrate or congratulate you.

—Who have never been welcoming toward you, and/or have treated you unkindly.

—Who have KNOWINGLY hurt your feelings, broken your heart, harmed you, or sinned against you—in ANY way—but have never apologized to you and act as if their wrongdoings never happened.

When you find this "strange" phenomenon occurring in your life, and God is leading you to allow these surprising individuals to be present in some way (typically in a non-personal way)—find it NOT strange! Rather, GET READY FOR YOUR BLESSINGS TO UNFOLD! Some of those "enemies" who have surprisingly shown up or have lingered in or around your life: GOD has those individuals present for HIS reasons.

This is NOT justification for gloating or about rejoicing when our enemies fall! We should not do either (please refer to Proverbs 24:17)!

Forgive all (even without apology). Be kind to all (God is watching your actions and responses and listening to your words as well). Love all, and demonstrate that love to all (Jesus is our greatest example of how to love). Move onward with your life and—with a HUMBLE heart—enjoy God's blessings in your life.

God's reasons for wanting us to be blessed before the presence of our enemies will vary. Our enemies might somehow be reaping what they have sown in our lives. God might even be teaching our enemies some kind of valuable life lesson by blessing whom they have treated so badly. No matter what God's reasons are, God knows what He is doing, and either way, God is LOVE—and our Heavenly Father disciplines and chastises us as HIS CHILDREN WHOM HE LOVES (please read Hebrews 12:5-11).

So, also consider the following: Your forgiveness, kindness, love, and humble heart and behavior, could also bring your enemies closer to Jesus Christ (we should desire this). Remember what Jesus Christ says:

44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

-Matthew 5:44-47

Yes, some surprising and unlikely individuals who show up and try to reconnect or connect with you genuinely desire to apologize to you, make things right, befriend you, or be in your life in a loving way. However, the Holy Spirit is guiding me to only deliver the message above because: A SHIFT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED (in Jesus mighty name, amen).

These are the words the Holy Spirit suddenly poured into my spirit this morning, and I am to share them now.

All glory belongs to God.

I love you all, but God love you BEST of all! May God bless you all.

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,

Charrese Monique

Boldness & Virtue Ministries

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

The Principles of Love

The Principles of Love:

Love is sometimes self-sacrificial.

Love requires selflessness.

Love calls for patience.

This is the kind of love that Jesus showed us when He gave up His own life to die for our sins. This is the kind of love Jesus demonstrates daily. Jesus provides our example of how we should love one another: with self-sacrifice when necessary, selflessness, and patience. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 goes more in depth. (Please closely examine those vital verses about sincere love.)

In demonstration of our love for someone, there will be times when we will have to have and even maintain the following mindsets:

—"I love your soul, more than I love the desires of my flesh."

—"I care about your spirit, more than I care about what my flesh desires."

—"I care more about God's purpose for me in your life than I care about what I desire according to my own knowledge, emotions, and ideas."

—"I care more about your life and about the negative effects my disobedience could have on your life, more than I care about what I desire."

Jesus said the following:

41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

-Luke 22:41-43

Although Jesus knew He had quite a road ahead: Jesus chose God's will. He chose obedience to our Heavenly Father. He chose God's perfect bigger picture. Jesus chose His LOVE for US . . . over any other emotion, desire, or outcome. It is a beautiful thing that He did so. Jesus chose US and His LOVE for us, over SELF: Jesus provides our greatest example and best demonstrates the principles of love.

Sometimes, God will ask us to do something for love or in light of love that our flesh will not agree with, but we will have to step forward in faith, and above all, in obedience to our all-knowing, loving, perfect, Heavenly Father. God sees the bigger picture. God knows what He is doing. If you need strength, just like how Jesus was provided with strength, God can provide you with strength as well, in whatever ways He sees best.

Whatever God is asking you to do in order to demonstrate sincere love, however God is asking you to love someone or those people, whatever instructions God gives to you: Just do YOUR part, and TRUST GOD to provide the BEST outcomes. WE MUST TRUST GOD'S LOVE.

These are the words the Holy Spirit poured into my spirit, beginning right upon awakening. He is guiding me to share at this time.

Amen. All glory to God.

I love you all, but God loves you BEST of all. May God bless you all.

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,

Charrese Monique

Boldness & Virtue Ministries

True Love Defined:

What is true love according to God's Holy Word? Here is the awesome, wonderful, beautiful truth:

4 Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. 7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

-1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Amplified Bible)

If ever you need a reminder of what true love is—how to express true love, how you should be treated, how true love should feel—always refer back to these insightful, vital verses about true love.

May God bless you always.

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

God's Intentional Connections

God's Intentional Connections:

Along my personal journey in this life, humbly said, not everyone has understood my brand of kindness, my capacity for forgiveness, my willingness to be welcoming in the aftermath of forgiveness, my gift to be extensively patient, the various ways that I show love (generally speaking). The (typically hurtful) results of that have varied . . . .

What God has taught me in the midst of and in hindsight of it all, is the following:

—Not everyone is SUPPOSED to understand.

—Not everyone DESERVES to understand.

—Not everyone CARES to understand.

—Not everyone is DESIGNED (BY GOD) to understand.

All of that is because . . . ACCORDING TO GOD’S PERFECT WILL:

—Not just ANYBODY belongs in your personal life.

—Not just ANYONE should have a special place in your heart.

—Not just ANYONE is meant to share with you your heart.

—Not just ANYBODY should have access to God's gifts in your life, natural and spiritual.

—Not just ANYONE should be connected to you and God's calling(s) over your life.

Again, ACCORDING TO GOD’S PERFECT WILL.

Furthermore, when you have been blessed with someone (or people) who not only "understands", but also appreciates and embraces who God has created YOU to be, what all God has created YOU to offer, and the special ways God has created YOU to love, and who reciprocates appreciation—and that person or those people align with God's will for your life:

—Thank God for them always.

—Pray for them daily.

—Love on them sincerely.

—Show them your love in extra special ways.

—Do not take them for granted.

—Be as patient with them as God needs for you to be.

—Seek God about them continually, to be a gift to them in every way God desires, in every way that person (or those people) needs (according to God’s will).

—Remember, they are a gift to you . . . appreciate them, however you can, whenever you can.

The Holy Spirit poured these beautiful words into my spirit to share. All Glory to God. Amen.

I love you all, but God loves you BEST of all. May God bless you all.

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

Always FORGIVE, no matter what.

Matthew 6:14. (However, forgiveness does not require intimate presence; we must be wise, and we must seek God. Proverbs Chapter 2.)

Always LOVE, no matter what.

1 Corinthians Chapter 13. Matthew 22:37-40. Matthew 5:43-48. John 13:34.

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,

Charrese Monique

Boldness & Virtue Ministries

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

Pray First

Before you overreact—pray.

Before you jump to conclusions—pray.

Before you make a serious and even a life-changing decision based off of emotions, your own wisdom, or fears—pray.

Before you give up . . . on God's promises, on that person, on that important thing, on yourself—pray.

Before you move in fear—pray.

Before you consult your past to make a decision about your future, instead of consulting God about your future, when it is God who lovingly holds our futures—pray.

Before you sabotage a good thing—pray.

For some, the finish line is RIGHT THERE, CLOSELY APPROACHING . . . and the enemy would LOVE nothing more than to see God's precious daughter/son give up now: RIGHT BEFORE the beautiful changes. RIGHT BEFORE the new beginnings. RIGHT BEFORE the breakthrough. RIGHT BEFORE that second chance. RIGHT BEFORE God's promises, and even long awaited promises, are finally fulfilled. Some are ALREADY IN "THE PROMISED LAND", even if it doesn't feel like it . . . ALREADY THERE . . . but the enemy DOES NOT want that to be understood or realized. KEEP GOING! We must keep trusting God and in His perfect timing, love, plans, ways, and will.

These are the words the Holy Spirit is pouring into my spirit right now [May 12, 2021].

Glory to God.

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,

Charrese Monique

Boldness & Virtue Ministries

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

When God Tests Us

When God Tests Us:

God tests us all. Please understand: When God tests us, it is not for HIM, it is for YOU and for ME—as GOD ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING:

God already knows how you will react.

God already knows that you will judge that person or those people.

God already knows that you will gossip, or that you will go tell something that was not your place to tell.

God already knows that you will fall.

God already knows that you will succeed.

God already knows that you will be kind; just as well as He knows that you will be unkind.

God already knows that you will be patient; just as well as He knows that you will be or become impatient.

God already knows that you will jump to the wrong conclusion(s) about a person or their words (even twisting their words), or about a situation.

God already knows that you will take advantage of that person’s kindness or in contrast, that you will appreciate that person’s kindness.

God already knows how you will treat that person or that animal—with love, recklessly, with patience or impatience, kindly or maliciously.

God already knows what you are capable of—both good and bad.

God already knows when you will pass His tests, and when you will fail His tests. Here is the thing: God needs YOU to know all of this as well. Here is why:

God needs YOU to see where you have grown—congratulations!

God needs YOU to see where you still need to grow—with God, you can do it!

God needs YOU to KNOW YOURSELF, to KNOW YOUR CAPABILITIES (both good and bad), and to LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFE.

With all of that knowledge, God needs you to do what needs to be done, with His guidance, to live according to His perfect will and live out your awesome purpose in life. All that we learn in God's tests are meant to HELP us; we can apply all that we learn to our present and to our future. Also, what we learn and how we act on this knowledge can affect those around us, as we, essentially, are all connected.

Be thankful for each test, no matter how that testing feels, as everything God does is done out of His abundant, immense, and unconditional LOVE for us.

God is patient. God is kind. God is loving. TESTS are actually gifts, while TEMPTATION is not. SO, PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE TEMPTATION OR YOUR FLESH WITH GOD'S TESTING. GOD DOES NOT TEMPT US:

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

-James 1:13-17

Lastly, keep this in mind:

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

-Romans 5:3-5

Let us all continue to grow, and to grow in the LORD! In Jesus mighty name, amen! Hallelujah!

I love you all, but God loves you BEST of all! May God bless you all!

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,

Charrese Monique

Boldness & Virtue Ministries

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

God's Surprises

 

God's Surprises:

 
 

I share this, without shame, as led by the LORD.

 

 

When I was a child, I "dumpster dived" a few times. Some of you probably seen me wearing a treasure or two and thought it was cute, not knowing that I had picked it out . . . of a dumpster.

Was I really struggling badly? No. However, the extra help was surely appreciated . . . and God seen that.

Did I feel humiliated? No. In fact, I was excited about this treasure we had: There was a local thrift shop that was throwing away good clothing and more. It seems they just could not sell the clothes, so they would throw away what they could not sell into the dumpster. Unbelievable! Or was it?

You see, God had this to be noticed ON PURPOSE. This was an opportunity to be blessed! I was excited to sneak out there at night with a flash light and grab a few things (even for my life-size Barbie)! Understandably, I was asked not to tell, as not everyone would see those moments as moments of "blessing," and some people can be cruel and say mean and hurtful things, and I was only a child—so that was for my protection. With my being an adult now, the LORD is leading me to share this story to express the following message:

Some of you are missing your blessings, that are right before your eyes, right in your grasp, right within your reach:

—because of your perception being wrong.

—because you are too ashamed of the avenue you will have to travel in order to obtain what you have been waiting for.

—because you are too concerned with what other people might think.

—because you are expecting that blessing, that person, that opportunity, that job, to come to you appearing a certain way, as well as in a very particular manner . . . according to YOUR flesh, according to how YOU think things should go and be, according to YOUR understanding, according to how YOU think a person should look.

—because you have expectations, but you have not sought after God and His will for your life.

Stop looking at things only surface-level. God's blessings and opportunities do not always come in the forms and ways that we expect them to. This is part of why we should REMAIN prayerful. Pray, trust God, lean not on your own understanding, and wait for God patiently. God's Holy Spirit can guide you along the way, helping you to recognize His blessings when they have arrived. Be thankful. Worry not about what others will say. Only YOU will have to live with the decisions YOU make, not them. Enjoy what God has for YOU, humbly and with gratitude.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

-Proverbs 3:5-6

Glory to God.

I love you all, but God loves you BEST of all. May God bless you all.

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,
All Glory to God,
Charrese Monique
Boldness & Virtue Ministries

P.S. The outfit in the picture is not one I got from the dumpster. I used that picture as led by my Heavenly Father. It is reflective, same smile . . . . Humbly said, God is my Provider. 

 
 
 
 
 

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.

Our Feelings DO Matter to God!

 

Our Feelings DO Matter to God!

Stop telling people things like, "When it comes to God's Word, YOUR FEELINGS DON'T MATTER." Why? Because to our Heavenly Father, our feelings DO matter:

If our feelings did not matter to God, He would NOT offer us His Holy Spirit, who is also referred to as our "COMFORTER"—and comforting addresses our FEELINGS.

If God did not care about our feelings, He would not offer HEALING—for our HURT FEELINGS.

If our feelings did not matter to God, He would not offer us His TRUTHS—for our CONFUSED FEELINGS.

You hear people say, "It's not about WHAT you say, it's about HOW you say it." While that is true for a lot of situations, that is not true for ALL situations. Sometimes, no matter how "kindly" you say a thing, your words can still hurt (doing more harm than actual good)—and telling someone that their "feelings do not matter," can really hurt.

For some, your true (humble and faith-filled) intentions are recognized: What you are trying to convey is that God's truth is God's truth, no matter what. That is righteous and true. However, God DOES care about our feelings, even those feelings that do not align with God's Word or His will . . . and that is part of WHY He provided for us His Holy Word in the first place—to provide correction to what we might FEEL is "right" and provide for us His TRUTHS, and to then provide comfort and healing regarding any FEELINGS that often times follow after we are corrected or are trying to turn our lives around to align with God's Word.

Instead of saying, "Your feelings don't matter," try saying the following: "How you feel matters to God and to me. However, how we feel does not justify our sins. How we feel does not change God's truths." Then, LOVINGLY, refer them to God's Word about whatever the matter is. Do all of this led by the Holy Spirit, of course.

Be careful how you speak to people. While one should never take how PEOPLE have treated them out on GOD, the reality is that people WILL and sometimes DO take how you—a proclaimed Christian and "representative of Jesus Christ" in their eyes—have treated them, out on God; sometimes, this pushes them away from Christ. So, be patient. Be loving. Be honest, but without being insensitive. Again, be loving. GOD cares about everyone's feelings, and so should we.

This is what God's Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks to share. Glory to God.

I love you all, but God loves you BEST of all! May God bless you all!

In Obedience to My Heavenly Father,

All Glory to God,
Charrese Monique
Boldness & Virtue Ministries

 

Copyright 2021, Charrese Monique. All Rights Reserved.