BRANDON J. SUTTON
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The Long Goodbye

1/27/2020

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“Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” – James 4:14

Life is one long goodbye. Meaning, as we live and grow older, we will eventually have to say goodbye to the people we love and things we once enjoyed doing. In the Life of Pi, Yann Martel wrote, “I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”

So, how do you say goodbye? Do you take offense easily and hold on to petty grudges? Do you tear people down with your words and actions or place your value into superficial things? Do you say goodbye by telling those close to you that you love them? Do you build others up? Do you forgive those who hurt you? Do you spend time with your loved ones? Do you give back and help others in need? Our everyday behaviors, words, and actions throughout our lives is how we say goodbye.

As Christians, we say goodbye in three distinctive ways: by serving, loving, and forgiving.

Serving:

"Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” - Mark 9:35

As I have previously shared, my father died at the age of 37, when I was two years old. His passing has always stayed with me, and because of it, I sometimes suffer from death anxiety. I fear dying prematurely. That fear is based on the belief that one must live a long life in order to have lived a significant one. A long life does not equate to significance; our service does. We oftentimes think that we must be rich, famous, or have a certain number of followers in order to serve and have influence. God has given each of us a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever (1 Peter 4:11)! Your service matters! When you serve others, do it with a pure heart, seeking effectiveness and not fame.

Loving:

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8

When we love and express that love to others, it is as close as we can get to God here on earth. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8). Do not withhold your love from others. Do not let a day go by where you do not express your love to those God has placed in your life. Invest the time, send the text message, make the phone call, take the trip, and yes, give the money – do not take this current moment for granted because tomorrow is promised to none of us.

Forgiving:

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” - Mark 11:25

How unfortunate it is to live a life of unforgiveness and offense when God in His love has forgiven you for your sins, mistakes, and trespasses against Him. Forgiving is not about staying in a toxic relationship or letting people hurt you. It is about not holding onto that hurt to the point where it disconnects you from God’s blessings.

Martel also wrote, “It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise, you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse.” Life is short and fragile, filled with many highs and lows, but by serving, loving, and forgiving others, we make it meaningful and purpose-filled.
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How do you say goodbye?
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                                                                               RIP Anthony Alphonso Thompson 
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Foreign and Domestic

1/21/2020

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“When you make a promise to God, do not delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to Him.” – Ecclesiastes 5:4 NLT
 
The Oath of Allegiance of the United States (U.S.) is the official oath that must be taken by every permanent resident who wishes to become a U.S. citizen. Those who take this oath, promise to disavow all prior allegiances and to defend the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic.  
 
As Christians, we made an oath with Heaven when we confessed with our mouth and believed in our heart that Jesus is Lord, who died for our sins at Calvary and arose three days later. As now citizens of Heaven, it is our responsibility to renounce our old way of living and defend the promises we made before God against foreign (external) and domestic (internal) attacks.  
 
Foreign Attacks:
 
“Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 GNT
 
Foreign attacks are those negative people, hurtful and difficult situations and setbacks we all encounter. The betrayal, separation, layoff and death have a way of making us feel like God has abandoned us. God never said that we would not face adversity and hardships, but He did promise that no attack of the enemy shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Be open to the many ways God delivers you from the enemy’s attacks. Answered prayers do not always come how we imagined. Therefore, when you find yourself under a foreign attack, facing a situation that you never expected, remember that God has already supplied you with the strength, intellect and courage you need to be victorious.
 
Domestic Attacks:
 
“To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.” – Romans 8:6 GNT
 
Domestic attacks are our own negative beliefs and behaviors. Our negative thoughts produce negative words and negative actions. The enemy takes delight when we do his job for him. He wants us to quit, to feel unloved and condemned but there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God knows you, not who you pretend to be but the real you. The you who lacks confidence. The you who feels like quitting. The you who hides your pain behind a smile. The you who curses, drinks and passes judgement on others. He knows you and still chooses to love you. He still has a plan specifically for you. So, when the internal attacks bring you down and makes you feel like giving up, seek God and place your faith in Him.
 
“Those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31
 
When you feel yourself under external and internal attacks, fall back on God’s word and remember, though many are against you, God will redeem you from the enemy’s attacks unharmed (Psalm 55:18).

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Workout Plan

1/7/2020

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​“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
 
It took ten months of intermittent fasting and exercise for me to start seeing a notable change in my physical appearance. While I was excited with my weight loss, after months of training I reached a weight-loss plateau. My routine of fasting and exercising was no longer effective because my body adjusted. The only way I could continue my physical progression was to change my routine. The same is true spiritually, when we get stuck in a routine, the enemy can adjust how he attacks us, therefore limiting our spiritual effectiveness.
 
Every year, millions of Americans pledge themselves to a diet and/or exercise routine in order to lose weight and improve their outward appearance. While dieting and exercising is important for a variety of health reasons, it is equally important for us to improve our inner self. From His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. When we feed our flesh and starve our spirit, we become spiritually unhealthy. Fortunately, God has developed a plan for those who trust and believe in Him. To make spiritual gains with God, we are going to have to diversify, diet and rest.
 
Diversify: An effective fitness routine will incorporate cardio, upper body and lower body training. If you just focus and train one area of your body, you will gain strength in that area, but you will become weak in others. Diversifying your spiritual routine is equally as important. Routine makes us an easy target for the enemy’s attack. If he knows our routine, he will send distractions to interrupt the time we allocate towards God. If you pray but do not walk in faith, attend church but do not tithe or read your Bible but do not praise and worship God, then you will be strengthening some areas in your spiritual life while remaining weak in others. Pledge to spend more time with God and try some new things spiritually. Read a daily devotional, subscribe to a spiritual podcast, partake in Holy communion, join a prayer/church group, start a Bible study or read a spiritual book. Seek God on a level like you never have before, and you will begin to see changes throughout your life.
 
Dieting: When we ingest more calories than we burn we gain weight. Similarly, when we consume negative and destructive images, speech, and people and don’t offset that with God’s word, we gain stress, fear, anxiety, doubt and hopelessness. Learn to eliminate these things and people in your life that add weight but do not make you a healthier person. The more you seek and pursue God and His Kingdom and burn off the excess things and people keeping you away from God, the healthier you will become in your Spirit.
 
Rest: Resting is just as important as working out because it’s an equal part of the total process required to build strength, endurance, and muscle. No matter what you may be going through, find the time to rest. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” So, cast your cares unto Him and find your rest. Let God rebuild and restore you as you grow your faith into Him.
 
God wants to do some amazing things for you this year and fulfill the plans He has for you. Plans to forgive, restore and prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future. To receive all God has for you, diversify how you seek Him, eliminate unhealthy habits and people,  and find rest in the Almighty. 
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