Whitaker House https://www.whitakerhouse.com Advancing God's Kingdom by Publishing Biblically Based Books that Proclaim the Power of the Gospel Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:54:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.2 https://whitaker-house-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20190828135042/Favicon_WH-100x100.png Whitaker House https://www.whitakerhouse.com 32 32 There Is No God https://www.whitakerhouse.com/there-is-no-god/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/there-is-no-god/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:22:20 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=42016 —Psalm 14:1 NLT Do you know this verse? Actually it’s just part of a verse. And when taken by itself, it is totally out of context. If you tried to pass it off as a complete quote from the Bible, most people would instantly recognize the absurdity of such a blatant untruth. After all, the Bible is God’s autobiography. The ...

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—Psalm 14:1 NLT

Do you know this verse? Actually it’s just part of a verse. And
when taken by itself, it is totally out of context.

If you tried to pass it off as a complete quote from the Bible,
most people would instantly recognize the absurdity of such a
blatant untruth. After all, the Bible is God’s autobiography. The
book’s entire purpose is to proclaim His eternal existence and
extraordinary attributes.

For the record, the full verse reads, “Only fools say in their
hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!” (NLT).

Even an atheist who read the entire verse would discern that
the four-word phrase, “There is no God,” does not reflect the mean-
ing or intent of the author.

While that statement is easily recognized as misleading, the
danger of taking biblical passages out of context is very real. Too
many Christians know or recognize small snippets of the Bible
but fail to see the big picture. They embrace a biblical concept but
neglect to read the surrounding verses and other references that
would help them understand the entire scriptural and historical
context.

We Christians love to display our favorite verses on plaques,
bumper stickers, posters, and framed needlepoint pictures:
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
“Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.”
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy bur-
dens, and I will give you rest.”

But what about the surrounding verses? What does the entire
chapter—not just the single verse—reveal about the nature of
God, His purpose for our lives, and all that other good stuff? Let’s
not be afraid to sweat the details.

Often, right on the same page where we are reading, we can
find supporting arguments, corollaries, and deeper truths. On the
other hand, sometimes the very next verse seems to say the exact
opposite, and that’s something that we shouldn’t take lightly.

Even worse, it’s tempting to elevate the meaning of a short
passage that makes us feel good about ourselves or even seems to
condone errant behavior. The challenge is to move beyond pithy
quotes and easy answers to arrive at solid biblical truth.

So, please: Keep memorizing your favorite verses. Jot them on
notecards. Do sword drills with your kids. Write them on your
doorposts. But always, always, always take your favorite passage in context. Together, that’s what we’ll be doing in the pages ahead with
60 well-known, well-loved verses and passages.

Prepare to be a little surprised. You’ll smile and nod your head
in recognition of the passage that begins each chapter, but then
we’ll look at the verses that come next or even before, as well as
other nearby and related passages that explain, expand, seemingly
contradict, or just make you say, “Wow. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Our goal is to go deeper into the Scriptures and arrive at the
ultimate purpose—being transformed into the image of Jesus
Christ.

Will you promise yourself this? Before you quote it, cross-
stitch it, or leave it on your voicemail, commit to reading the next verse.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Jay Payleitner’s devotional Next Verse: What You Never Knew About 60 of Your Favorite Bible Passages.

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May Their Teachers be Wise https://www.whitakerhouse.com/may-their-teachers-be-wise/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/may-their-teachers-be-wise/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2022 06:33:58 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=39803 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people? —1 Kings 3:8–9 Teaching is ...

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And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people? —1 Kings 3:8–9

Teaching is a hard job. In recent years, our teachers have had it harder than ever. With the onset of a global pandemic, teaching has been forever changed. For many, distance and online learning are here to stay.

Because of this situation, teachers must not only know how to prepare a lesson and teach it to children who are in the classroom, they also must become skilled in presenting those same lessons in a distance or online environment.

As a college instructor, I pray 1 Kings 3:8–9 every year over myself and my sons’ teachers. In our strength, we don’t have a prayer of teaching our students well. They come into our classrooms to learn, but they are often carrying buckets of baggage from hurting homes, overwhelming situations, and other struggles. Not only do we need to adapt to different learning struggles, but technology and emotional struggles are also par for the course.

Solomon, too, found himself overwhelmed by what was required of him when he became king of Israel. In our verse today, he’s telling God that he’s not equipped to lead Israel well and asking, almost beg­ging, for God to grant him the wisdom he needs to do the job. As we know, God answered that prayer abundantly!

God wants to do the same for our children’s teachers. Whether your children are homeschooled, online distance learners, or face-to-face in a school environment, your child’s teacher needs wisdom from God to do the job well. His Word tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). What an amazing promise!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

This school year, let’s ask God to give our children’s teachers wisdom and insight.

We should also be our children’s best advocates to help their teachers love and appreciate them. I know one mother of a special needs child who used to write a letter that she entitled “The World According to Zachary” for her son’s teachers. We might not have a special needs child, but sending our child’s teacher a message that tells them how much we appreciate them and gives them a few insights into how our child learns can be helpful.

This can be especially beneficial if your family is experiencing a struggle that might affect your child’s learning. I’m always telling my students, “I want to work with you if you’re struggling, but you have to let me know what’s going on.”

When we join hands with our child’s teachers and pray for them, God can “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) by granting the wisdom they need this school year.

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Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Tara Cole’s devotional Everyday Prayers for the School Year!

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The Timeless Tabernacle Pattern of Creation https://www.whitakerhouse.com/timeless-tabernacle-pattern-of-creation/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/timeless-tabernacle-pattern-of-creation/#comments Tue, 28 Sep 2021 13:00:23 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=33958 As the church, we are facing a time of prolific change, and our ability to evolve is essential for an effective future. We have simply reached the end of a wineskin. The sound of its tearing reverberates through church culture, imploring us to preserve the rich vintage of ages past while urgently making space for the vigor of fresh wine ...

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As the church, we are facing a time of prolific change, and our ability to evolve is essential for an effective future. We have simply reached the end of a wineskin. The sound of its tearing reverberates through church culture, imploring us to preserve the rich vintage of ages past while urgently making space for the vigor of fresh wine for a fresh era. It’s time for us to reach into culture with the kingdom strategies and solutions of our time. Our familiar formulas and comfortable Christianity must give way to the creative energy of God.

In this technological age, the rate of change is prolific, winding the world in a tightly coiled tension that craves breakthrough answers. God planned for His people to carry the most creatively ingenious and powerfully innovative solutions to every area of society, modeling the multifaceted character of the Creator who crafted them and bringing answers that will turn the heads of millions to see and accept the Savior they have been seeking.

This creative power is one of the first things that God revealed to us, then gifted us with. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The opening line of the Bible unveils God as a creative Creator. Later on in the same chapter, we read, “Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’…So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26–27).

Up to this point in Genesis 1, God reveals little else about Himself besides His capacity for powerful, world-changing creativity—and His decision to make us just like Him. The act of creativity was not limited to professional artists’ expression. On the contrary, all people would be made in His image—and, therefore, all people would be called to create, just as He did. Yet countless Christians seem to embrace the rest of the Bible and its wisdom on what is needed for a life well lived in Christ, meanwhile missing or dismissing the importance of Genesis 1, as if creativity was an optional endeavor, an extra bonus reserved for “artistic individuals.” How could this misunderstanding have happened, when it is clear that the first revelation given about our nature as humans is our creativity?

The enemy has a plan. Well aware of God’s intentions for co-creation with humankind and the battle-winning potential of such collaboration, he will stop at nothing to make sure we remain unaware of our creative possibilities. We live in a world jam-packed with creativity and the arts; it seeps into most areas of daily life through the media, music, design, television, sports, and many other arenas, with the enemy regularly using it to shout out his message with a megaphone and influence millions of minds. When it dawned on me that, according to Genesis 1, every one of God’s children is meant to be creative, I began to recognize just how distorted our definition of “creativity” has become.

A powerful divine pattern runs through the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, inception to completion. My new book Creative Fusion travels a mysterious path full of answers for modern times. It searches the seven linking stages of the tabernacle pattern that reveal the building layers of this creative power God intended for His church. The church marks stage six, succeeded only by the restoration of all things and the return of the King. We have been commissioned to call in an immense harvest of souls. We will need all the weaponry and innovation the pattern contains.

I believe we are reaching the end of an era. It has taught us much and its riches are to be treasured always, but something new has been set in motion that will catalyze the restoration of dynamic creativity to the church. As we prepare for the dawn of a new epoch, we are called to courageously fine-tune our valuable craft, surging past mainstream monotony and into the Spirit’s slipstream for the time shift upon us. Investigation and innovation will lead us into ever-broadening options when we shake loose the “safe,” faithless formulas and unleash a new age of creative movement.

The pieces of the tabernacle pattern lie disconnected in the minds of many believers. Like the mechanisms of a clock, they will not activate power in perfect timing without connection to each other and the master clockmaker. This is exactly where the enemy wants them to be, knowing that if we grasp their synthesis, we will become an unstoppable force. It’s time to pick up the pieces highlighting their value and connective powerhouse. We must redress many misconceptions surrounding their purpose. Enlightened, we can see a generous landscape of new possibilities for our workplaces, communities, and commissions.

The ancient pattern contains everything that we need for a modern army in modern times, building from Eden through the tabernacles of Moses and David, Solomon’s Temple, Jesus, the church, and magnificence of the new Jerusalem. There is treasure beyond counting. Wisdom will empower us to reach back into the ancient storehouse of tabernacle stages and then run forward, influencing every area of society: government, business, education, science, family, the arts, media, and more. The new wineskin needs space—to explore God, to dream, to create, and to shake free of the musty repetitions of yesteryear and become an army on its feet in the mountains of culture.

We can find Him standing in the dusty desert, waiting for us to see His form, or in the outer courts, watching as we grasp the sanctity of atonement. We can find Him in the holy place, brooding over us, brightening our path deeper in with the light of menorah wisdom. He awaits us in the holy of holies, its entrance framed with the tatters of a torn veil hanging scarlet with sacrifice. It is here we will find a face-to-face friendship that will reveal the mysteries of our future.

Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34–35)

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Charity Bowman Webb’s book Creative Fusion!

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The Foundation of Prayer https://www.whitakerhouse.com/foundation-of-prayer/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/foundation-of-prayer/#respond Wed, 20 Jan 2021 17:00:55 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=32214 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. (Luke 11:2) The disciples knew Jesus went away alone to pray, sometimes for entire nights, and they witnessed His supernatural miracles and healings daily. It must have had a tremendous impact on them! Luke 11:1–4 tells us that right after the disciples watched Jesus finish another one of His prayer times, they ...

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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. (Luke 11:2)

The disciples knew Jesus went away alone to pray, sometimes for entire nights, and they witnessed His supernatural miracles and healings daily. It must have had a tremendous impact on them! Luke 11:1–4 tells us that right after the disciples watched Jesus finish another one of His prayer times, they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Do you think they recognized where Jesus’s strength and power came from? Of course, they did! They realized that it came from His prayer time with the Father! Of all the things they could have asked Jesus that day, they asked Him, “Teach us to do what you just did, to pray the way you just prayed.”

It reminds me of one of my sons coming to me when they were just kids after they watched me do something that they wanted to emulate. “Dad, would you show me how to do that?” What would you do with that question from your child? Would you give them the wrong answer to frustrate them? If they wanted to learn how to drive, would you just throw them the car keys without any instructions? I don’t think so. I think you would give them very specific answers.

Was Jesus serious when He gave the disciples this prayer or was it just a suggestion for them to consider? Jesus was serious! He wanted the disciples to pray to the Father just as He did. And He wants us to do the same—to pray the way that He prayed—what we call The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus wants us to look at the steps that He followed as He went to His Father. This is the very foundation of prayer. Jesus wanted His disciples and the church to understand how we should speak to the Father, how we should approach almighty God in order to enter into His holy presence.

“Our Father in Heaven…”

The first words Jesus spoke were “Our Father.” He wanted to ensure that He truly is our Father and that we have surrendered our life to the God who loves us. When Jesus said “Our Father” to His disciples, He was not talking to those who did not have God as their Father. God wants to be certain that He is our Father as well; His desire to show us His love is the reason He sent Jesus into the world.

Of course, God still hears the cry of a sinner. He hears the cry of those who are lost when they call out to Him for help. Thank God, He heard my cry when I was not saved. But He knew that my heart’s true desire was to have Him as my Father. I just didn’t know how to get there.

Take a moment to ask yourself, “Is God my Father today?” If He is not, then now is the time to make Him your Father. If you have never bowed your heart to Jesus Christ and personally asked Him to forgive you and cleanse you of your sin, we can start right here. Say this prayer with me:

Almighty God, in the holy name of Jesus, I come to You, and I ask You to forgive me and to cleanse me of all of my sin. Lord Jesus, I bow before You and I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please forgive me and come to live in my life; please be the Lord of my life. I want to be in Your family. Jesus, I give You my heart today; help me to serve You and to worship You. I surrender everything to You.

“Hallowed Be Your Name…”

We acknowledge that God is our Father. Then Jesus tells us we are to hallow the God of the universe and His name—that means to reverence, worship, honor, and adore Him. Jesus reverenced His Father, and we need to do the same!

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. (Hebrews 5:7)

I don’t want you to miss this: God heard Jesus’s prayers because Jesus had a deep reverence for His Father.

My desire during these prayer days is for you to learn the powerful secrets of praying to our heavenly Father. We want God to answer our prayers, but we should also want to know why God will answer our prayers. Giving Him reverence as Jesus did is a big part of receiving those answers. It’s a foundational truth that you should not approach God casually without the reverence He deserves. Casual prayer is a mistake. I want to repeat that. Casual prayer is a mistake! I’m not saying we should be too afraid of God to approach Him. I am saying that we need to have the biblical fear that is defined as reverence for the God of the universe. Jesus gave His Father reverence and because Jesus did so, “God heard his prayers.”

How often do you take sixty or even thirty minutes just to minister to almighty God? How do you hallow or honor Him? What does this look like? You can open your heart and mind to the Almighty and bow in His presence. Confess His Holiness. Honor Him, worship Him, and magnify Him. Confess your sin to Him. Place Him on the throne of your life and humble yourself in His presence. He alone is the Most High God, and He alone is worthy. Worship Him with the words of your mouth, bless Him, and bow before Him. This is hallowing, honoring, and extolling God Almighty.

Did you enjoy this blog post?
Then you will love Jim Maxim’s book 21 Days of Deeper Prayer!

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Awaken Your Connection to the Spirit Realm https://www.whitakerhouse.com/awaken-your-connection-to-the-spirit-realm/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/awaken-your-connection-to-the-spirit-realm/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2020 19:00:57 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=31684 All over the world, God is showing people visions of new doors being opened. Some see these entrances as golden gates, while others see them as large and imposing doors fashioned from ancient wood or burnished bronze. Many people have told me they see them as openings of brilliant, swirling light, and they come with an invitation to step in. ...

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All over the world, God is showing people visions of new doors being opened. Some see these entrances as golden gates, while others see them as large and imposing doors fashioned from ancient wood or burnished bronze. Many people have told me they see them as openings of brilliant, swirling light, and they come with an invitation to step in. In all these cases, what people are seeing are spiritual power portals.

The word portal isn’t used in the Scriptures, but the idea is certainly there. I think “portal” is just a more modern way of saying “gateway,” and it also conveys much more accurately the sense, feeling, and idea of what people are seeing in the Spirit realm. Today, God is giving us a heavenly vocabulary to articulate the divine, supernatural realms of glory we are experiencing.

Power portals enable us to make a transition from one place in our lives to another. I pray that God will allow you to begin seeing portals in a noticeable way so that you can enter in and receive the healing, provision, and blessing He has for your life. The apostle Paul said we would go “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18 KJVER), and that’s exactly what is happening. God is opening doors of transition to take us from the limitations we have known into the fullness of all that He has promised.

God’s end-time purposes are moving toward their culmination. He has given us this particular access to the supernatural for our spiritual and physical survival. He is our Waymaker. God opened up the Red Sea to make a way of escape for the Israelites and to bring them through the wilderness to the promised land. Similarly, today, He is opening up power portals for His people to give us a way of escape and to secure our promised deliverance through unusual means.

Portals in Scripture

Paul had firsthand experience with power portals. The first encounter was on the road to Damascus. A blinding light came directly from heaven, shining upon him and knocking him to the ground. In this portal, God’s voice spoke to Paul with clarity, giving him specific direction for his life. (See Acts 9:3–9.)

Not only did Paul hear God’s voice, but he was actually blinded by the light of His presence. God surely got his attention! Whenever and wherever a portal opens, a great surge of spiritual power is released into the atmosphere and upon the people who are present there. In such a moment, heaven touches earth. Paul’s supernatural encounter led him to receive personal ministry from a believer named Ananias, and this connection launched Paul into his preaching ministry. What a drastic change for someone who had formerly spent all his time persecuting Christians! When a portal opens over someone’s life, there is an immediate spiritual shift.

Yet power portals are not just a New Testament phenomenon. In the Scriptures, we find descriptions of portals as far back as the days of Jacob, who had a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. (See Genesis 28:10–17.)

What an amazing revelation! Jacob ultimately came to the conclusion that what he had experienced was not just a dream. It was an actual manifestation of heaven touching earth. This caused him to exclaim, “This is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17 KJVER). Jacob was declaring that a power portal had opened over his life in that moment.

“The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6 KJVER). This was the blessed lineage that God spoke to Jacob about when He addressed him from the open portal. The remarkable fact to realize is that, if you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you have been placed into this same godly lineage. The promised blessing of God flows from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Jesus Christ and to you and me as believers.

The portal depicted in Genesis 28 reveals the following spiritual truths:

  • There is a connection between heaven and earth (verse 12).
  • Angels are actively involved in the lives of God’s people (verse 12).
  • God desires that you hear His voice (verse 13).
  • God wants to remind you of your spiritual inheritance (verse 13).
  • A generational blessing is available for you and your descendants (verses 13–14).
  • Divine protection surrounds you (verse 15).

Great power is released through an open portal, and it comes with insight, wisdom, blessing, and supernatural favor.

What Happens in a Portal?

There are specific ways you can accurately discern that a power portal is being opened in your presence. Here are several indications:

A Sudden, Awesome Realization Comes

Just like stepping into a blast of fresh air, you have a sudden realization that God is moving. After Jacob encountered the portal in his dream, he suddenly became aware of its significance, and he said, “This is no other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17 KJVER).

An Abundance of Healing Manifests

In New Testament times, the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem was a specific place where healing overflowed in abundance. (See John 5:2–4.) Similarly, today, the places where power portals open will often manifest healing.

Spontaneous Joy Erupts

Psalm 16:11 says, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (KJVER). Sometimes, when a joy portal opens, you won’t be able to stop laughing. The laugh­ter may even feel uncontrollable, like currents or waves continually rolling over you. That was one of my encounters when I first became connected to the Spirit realm.

Signs and Wonders Manifest

Signs and wonders are common in an open portal. They can take a variety of forms, but one thing is sure: they come to get our attention and direct us toward what God is doing. When signs and wonders manifest, keep a watchful eye, becoming aware of changes taking place in the atmosphere. For instance, you might feel a drastic difference in temperature. Some people describe feeling a holy fire of inner purification. Often, people will talk about a “heavenly weight” or a sense of oil being poured upon them.

Angelic Activity Intensifies

Much more than we realize, the work of the Holy Spirit is accompanied by the ministry of angels. Where there are portals, there will also be angels in abundance.

Jacob saw angels moving up and down on heaven’s ladder (see Genesis 28:12), and the Israelites in the wilderness received “the food of angels,or manna, from an open portal six days a week:

But [God] commanded the skies to open; he opened the doors of heaven. He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them bread from heaven. They ate the food of angels! God gave them all they could hold. (Psalm 78:23–25 NLT)

The primary ministry of angels is to worship the Lord, and one of the ways they do this is by turning mankind’s attention toward Him. In an open portal, you might see or feel angels, or sense them in another way. Angels stand beside us, helping us to align with heaven’s purposes so that we might not only see the Lord but also surrender our lives fully to Him in holy devotion.

Spiritual Dreams and Visions Increase

Within any portal, including spiritual dreams, we receive greater vision from God. Remember that Jacob experienced the opening of a heavenly portal through a dream. I believe God wants to invade our lives with a deluge of spiritual dreams and visions. In my own experience, I can sense when I’m in an open portal because my thoughts become clear and I begin to see pictures and capture ideas that I’ve never thought about before. At first, these pictures and ideas are faint, but as I choose to focus on them, the concepts become much more obvious. A number of the ideas for my books, messages, and ministry have come to me in this way.

Extravagant Provision Appears

Another way to recognize an open portal is when unexpected, extravagant provision appears. This can take the form of divine connections or opportunities, or even an inexplicable multiplication of money. In the Bible, we read how Jesus multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish. To this day, the site where that happened in Galilee has been a portal for many people to extend their faith, believing God for the miraculous multiplication of provision. There is always extravagant provision in an open portal, enough blessing for everyone.

Although God is sovereign and can independently act on our behalf, He desires that His people walk by faith. God has a plan to bless His people in spiritual, emotional, and physical ways. He will open power portals on earth to those who are willing to engage with heaven.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Joshua Mills’ book Power Portals!

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Shared Destination: A Time for Change https://www.whitakerhouse.com/shared-destination/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/shared-destination/#respond Thu, 01 Oct 2020 14:00:55 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=30146 Old habits die hard. As most folks know, that old axiom is painfully true. How many times have you tried to change a thought, a behavior, or a routine of some kind and found out that unless you really focus on it and work at it, you just keep doing the same old things over and over? I suspect everybody ...

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Old habits die hard. As most folks know, that old axiom is painfully true. How many times have you tried to change a thought, a behavior, or a routine of some kind and found out that unless you really focus on it and work at it, you just keep doing the same old things over and over? I suspect everybody over the age of twenty-one knows exactly what I’m talking about. We want to change, but there are plenty of us who keep on doing things we’d rather not do, even when we realize that certain habits can be counterproductive or even destructive. The apostle Paul certainly understood this problem:

‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

For more than seventy years, the Democratic Party has been the party of choice in the African American community. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, galvanized millions of black voters into an engaged and outspoken community of socially and politically active citizens, and the party was there to welcome us aboard.

Johnson’s deeper motivations, his vulgarity, and his racist attitude were generally overlooked because our people had finally achieved a measure of recognition for the abuses and indignities we had endured for so long. We now had strong legislation on our side, and we believed we were standing at the threshold of a social and political revolution.

Suddenly, our voices and our values mattered. Democratic politicians were eager to gain our trust, and they came by the dozens. White candidates knew almost nothing about our community, but they pledged undying devotion and promised us the moon. Even though African Americans made up fewer than 13 percent of the population and a much lower percentage of the voting public, our votes mattered. Our votes could determine the outcome of a close election—and they still can. So the die was cast; before long, the whole world knew that African Americans would cast their votes for anybody with a “D” after their name, without really thinking about what that person really stood for, or had ever done for the black community.

Before long, pulling the Democrat lever on Election Day was an ingrained habit. Anyone who dared to question the loyalty or truthfulness of the Democratic candidates or, heaven forbid, actually vote for a Republican, was suddenly an outcast…or worse. We had learned the importance of a unified voice in the presidential elections of the 1950s, along with the risks of betting on unpopular candidates. In 1952, 76 percent of the black vote went for the Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson. In the rematch four years later, Stevenson got 61 percent of the black vote. In both cases, Stevenson lost to the popular war hero and Republican rival, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Even with those large percentages, there were simply too few black votes to affect the outcome.

Today’s black voters are paying attention to what the candidates are saying—and they’re not satisfied with what they’re being offered by the party of record. This shows up most notably in the discoveries of three of America’s leading pollsters. Apparently Kanye West, Clint Eastwood, Jon Voight, Mike Tyson, Isaiah Washington, Kid Rock, Stacey Dash, Terrell Owens, Dennis Rodman, and other celebrities aren’t the only ones on the Trump bandwagon anymore. The polls show that President Trump is gaining the support of black voters above what any Republican president has ever received.

Why? In addition to a strong economy and historically low black unemployment prior to the fallout from COVID-19, Trump has supported minority small businesses, historically black colleges and universities, and passage of criminal justice reform. Additionally, troubling signs of the nation’s moral and spiritual decline have led many African Americans to reconsider their options.

As I have been saying for more than two decades, the moral values of black Christians are no longer compatible with the policies and practices of the Democratic Party, which prefers secularism over our traditional Christian faith. In August 2019, the Democratic National Committee unanimously passed a resolution that embraced religiously unaffiliated voters, proclaiming that 70 percent of such people vote for Democrats and share their values, such as supporting same-sex marriage. What a damning statement.

Rightfully, no greater issue separates black Americans from the questionable faith and values of the Democratic Party than the issue of abortion, which is a national tragedy. Of the more than 63 million infants who have been aborted since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, more than 19 million were the children of African American parents. Today, the abortion rate among blacks is more than three times higher than that of whites. To illustrate just how false the cry for reproductive freedom has been, abortion deaths today far exceed those from cancer, violent crime, heart disease, AIDS, and accidents.

All these factors, taken together, paint a very somber picture and argue for a much deeper level of thought, prayer, and dialogue than we have pursued in the past. They present a formidable challenge to the black church and an even greater challenge to the black community as a whole. What better motivation could we have to change our old allegiances and lift up the banner of a new and imminently worthy cause?

It’s time for African Americans to stand up and speak up for what we truly believe to be true. The black church today is the truest expression of what Christ called His church to be, and this is our hour to proclaim our faith in our homes, in the street, and especially at the polls.

Unfortunately, black activism alone cannot transform the nation quickly enough to avert further traumatic damage to our culture. Blacks must link hands with Hispanics, Asians, and next generation whites to redefine our destination.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Harry R. Jackson, Jr.’s book A Manifesto!

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Is This the End? https://www.whitakerhouse.com/is-this-the-end/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/is-this-the-end/#respond Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:00:58 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=30075 As I studied the stranger in the mirror, a surge of what I can only describe as pure self-hatred ran through my body. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” I screamed at the teary-eyed reflection staring back at me. I watched the pain darken my eyes as I felt the words jab like a knife; a feeling ...

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As I studied the stranger in the mirror, a surge of what I can only describe as pure self-hatred ran through my body. “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” I screamed at the teary-eyed reflection staring back at me.

I watched the pain darken my eyes as I felt the words jab like a knife; a feeling of worthlessness crept into every inch of my body. I was angry. I was tired of not being good enough. I was done competing with everyone. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I worked, it was never enough.

I was never enough.

Every day, I was trying so hard underneath my tough act—to win people’s approval, to be loved, to feel like I had finally done enough to be worth something. There was nothing I could do to erase my flaws, but my achievements felt like a bandage I could put over them. As a result, I was constantly trying to achieve more. In high school, my classmates voted me “Most Likely to Succeed” and class president. If there was a group I could excel in, I was there. I was in a special honor student class and prided myself on being the best of the best.

But I knew I was running…from my hurt, from people, from rejection.

I was a different sort of addict. I kept medicating the pain I felt with accomplishments, but when it was just me, the fear and feelings of worthlessness always came rushing back.

I remember making a pact with myself as a young girl. “You’re not pretty, so you’re going to be smart,” I promised. “You’ll work harder than everyone else so people can see that you’re worth something.”

In my late teens, I found myself having a severe emotional breakdown from the intense stress I put on myself. When boys began to show an interest in me, that same insecurity led to heartbreak, and I hardened my heart more and more toward the male species.

Soon, I had developed a very unhealthy approach to life: Hurt people, namely men, before they hurt me.

I sat crying in an abortion clinic one day, making a decision I never imagined making in my wildest dreams. When I found out I was pregnant, the fear, guilt, and disappointment that welled up in me were unbearable. I had plans. I had goals. I didn’t want to be a mother ever, let alone as a teenager.

The counselor told me that my decision would make everything better, that it would give me my old life back, that it was just an inconvenient blob of tissue—but it didn’t, it didn’t, and it wasn’t!

Things got worse.

So much worse.

That’s when I realized I had been sold a lie. Actually, a pack of lies—lies about what it meant to be a woman, what it meant to be happy, and what it meant to be successful. Lies from our culture, from my teachers, and, worst of all, from myself…

But I couldn’t lie anymore.

My excuses had been ripped away and everything I had spent years fighting for was suddenly laid bare before me in all of its brokenness.

I sat on my bed, wrecked, contemplating the two decisions that had been rolling around in my head for days….

I could kill myself.

Or I could pick myself up, dust myself off, and try to find the truth about happiness, about men and women, and about life.

I was in Washington, D.C., for a political dinner a few years ago and there happened to be a large, very heated women’s march going on at the same time. Women were crowding into the streets, shouting that they were nasty women and waving pro-abortion signs. Some even wore hats shaped like…well, vaginas. They were a sight to behold.

I couldn’t help but reflect on my own journey out of the feminist movement and how far God had brought me from the broken, suicidal young girl who swore she would never get married or have children. I now walked hand-in-hand with my husband, who was and is one of the greatest joys in my life. I smiled up at him as I thought about my five other joys back home in Ohio—our children.

Praise God for the incredible work He has done in my life!

As my husband, Gary, and I walked to lunch during our stay in Washington, I passed three women who were a part of the protest. They wore shirts that read “NASTY WOMEN” in large letters.

I stopped for a moment, unable to resist starting a conversation with them. “Why do you want to call yourselves nasty women?” I asked.

Their answers were dripping with bitterness toward men—a sentiment I couldn’t judge because I was once in their shoes. In fact, I have no doubt I would have been leading the way at that very march, proclaiming abortion and man-hating were the answers…

If not for the fact that those lies almost destroyed my life. There, but for the grace of God…           

After listening politely to them, I commented, “Some would say that demanding the right to take the lives of our own children, including fellow women, by the hundreds of thousands is a nasty business. What would you say to them?”

It must have struck a chord. The women stuttered to answer and almost seemed to soften before turning cold again. Then they claimed that birth control had decreased the abortion rate.

Less murder is still murder.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Drenda Keesee’s book Nasty Gets Us Nowhere!

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How to Apologize in the Right Way https://www.whitakerhouse.com/how-to-apologize-in-the-right-way/ https://www.whitakerhouse.com/how-to-apologize-in-the-right-way/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2020 15:00:02 +0000 https://www.whitakerhouse.com/?p=29804 Offering an apology after you have wronged another person does not come easy to everyone. Some people really struggle with the art of apologizing. However, you can learn how to apologize in the right way and with the best chance of restoring your relationship. Why Should We Apologize? Apologizing is your way of telling someone they are important in your ...

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Offering an apology after you have wronged another person does not come easy to everyone. Some people really struggle with the art of apologizing. However, you can learn how to apologize in the right way and with the best chance of restoring your relationship.

Why Should We Apologize?

Apologizing is your way of telling someone they are important in your life and you want to heal the relationship by acknowledging your wrongdoing. When you don’t offer an apology and show no remorse for your actions, it conveys to the other person that they don’t mean much to you. The Scriptures tell us:

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
(Hebrews 12:14 NIV)

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
(Matthew 5:23-24 NIV)

Guidelines for Apologizing

Express Genuine Remorse

If you are truly sincere in your apology, that message will come through. If you are not, that message will be obvious as well. Most people can tell whether others are being genuine. Therefore, when you offer an apology, remember that your loved ones are probably going to pick up on any disingenuousness. Family members can usually spot our dishonesty cues more easily than other people can because they know us best. If your promises to change are hollow, they will know it. In contrast, if your promises are sincere, they will sense it. So, be honest and genuine. That is the only way you can build good relationships with your family members and others.

Check Your Tone of Voice and Body Language

Sincerity comes across not only in the words we use but also in the tone of voice and body language we employ. What you aren’t saying can communicate even more than your words. For example, when you apologize, do you look at the floor, or even worse, your phone? You need to look the wronged individual in the eyes to communicate your sincerity. If you can’t meet with them in person because you live too far away, then the next best thing is a video chat or phone call.

Texting an apology does not convey sincerity. I have been guilty of that in the past. It is so easy to text, and texting has become a primary mode of communication for many people. However, in a situation where you are asking for forgiveness, what texting can communicate to the other person is that they aren’t worth the time and energy of a phone call to apologize.

Focus on the Hurt You Caused, Not the Other
Person’s Faults

Be honest when you apologize, but do so with love and kindness. Honesty does not mean being blunt in expressing what you did or reminding the other person of their own failings. Imagine you borrowed your sister’s dress for an event and stained it, but instead of having it cleaned, you gave it back in that spoiled condition. You should apologize and make things right.

This is how not to make the apology: “I’m sorry I stained your dress and returned it that way, but you borrowed my earrings a few months back and I never saw them again, so we can call it even.” You may feel justified in this approach. However, will such a declaration heal your relationship, or will it simply make you feel on an equal level or even superior to your sister for a fleeting moment? We say things like this to try to create an even playing field, wanting the other person to know they aren’t so innocent either. We probably take this approach more often than we realize.

Yet the other person is already feeling hurt by us for the current situation. Then we bring up offenses they have committed against us. Their reaction is likely to be defensive. Once their self-protective walls go up, the apology process is greatly hindered. Arguing, blaming, and bringing up past transgressions have no place in an apology. They will only detract from it and make you seem insincere.

Here is a more appropriate response that can bring restoration and harmony once again: “I’m sorry I stained your dress and returned it that way. It was wrong of me. I want to make things right. I will pay for the dry-cleaning bill, so please let me take it to the cleaners or let me know how much I owe you.” When you make things right, it will create a better relationship in the long run.

Acknowledge Your Wrong

When you ask for forgiveness, you should fully admit you have wronged the other person as you acknowledge the feelings of hurt this has caused them. This discussion is about them, their feelings, and the restoration of your relationship. For instance, if you are apologizing for neglecting to invite a family member to a recent family gathering, you need to acknowledge how your actions injured them. Don’t try to justify your behavior.

This is an example of what not to say: “I’m sorry we didn’t include you at our family dinner, but we just assumed you wouldn’t want to come because you are always so busy and can’t make most gatherings.” Such a response makes it seem like you are trying to excuse your conduct and even place the blame on the other person. Even if they have declined every other dinner invitation, don’t bring up that fact. If your desire is a good family relationship, then just say you are sorry without any excuses or blame.

Here is a suggestion for a better way to apologize in such a situation: “I am sorry I didn’t invite you to the family dinner. It was a terrible mistake. I know you are hurt that you weren’t included and I am sorry I caused you that hurt. I promise it won’t happen again. You are a part of this family and will be invited to all family dinners in the future.” Acknowledging their feelings helps them see that you truly understand their perspective. They want to know that you comprehend their point of view and the hurt they are experiencing.

Explain How You Will Put Things Right

Your apology should incorporate your intention to restore trust in the relationship. Include the specifics of how you will make things right between you. For example, if you borrowed money from a family member and neglected to repay it, you need to express heartfelt regret to the person, along with a realistic plan to pay back the money. If you know that paying it back completely within a short period of time would likely be impossible, then let the person know your finances have become tight or you misjudged the income you would have available. Be sure to tell them your circumstances and reasons so they can understand your perspective.

Instead of promising that all the money will be paid back within a short time, you need to be truthful and realistic. People are more likely to be understanding when you are honest and making your very best effort to correct the situation. For instance, you might offer to make installment payments every week for the next four weeks until the debt is paid in full.

Putting things right says a great deal about your integrity. Making reparations following an apology is what keeps your reputation in good standing and may improve the way others perceive your character.

Apologizing also means that you are making a commitment to not offend the person in that way ever again. In most instances, the person needs to hear you say those words. It can have a tremendous effect on healing the relationship. Bring up the issue in a nonconfrontational manner and express your interest in making the relationship better. If the other person reacts poorly to what you are saying, then let it go.

There are some situations where making things right has more to do with your behavior moving forward than making reparations. For example, if you have been unfaithful in your marriage, you can’t go back and undo the sin you committed. However, you can make a promise to never be unfaithful again. You can commit to going to counseling with your spouse to work through the hurt and brokenness. You can also change other behavioral patterns as part of your sincere apology. If you cheated with someone whom you met on social media, your reparations for the infidelity might include deleting your social media accounts or providing your spouse with all passwords and full transparency regarding your online activity.

It is not always easy to make a commitment to change and then follow through with that decision. Often, we can’t make lasting changes without help from outside sources. If you are in a situation similar to the ones just described, do yourself and your relationships a favor by seeking out resources that can help you. Do an online search or obtain recommendations from trusted individuals to identify support groups that can assist you with your efforts to alter your behavior. Going to a counselor or therapist can also help you make real transformation happen. A book, magazine article, or blog about the topic might also enable you to better understand your own behavior and learn how to begin to make changes.

If you don’t know how to make the changes happen in your behavior and life, then you will not be successful. Understanding the steps involved and the kind of commitment necessary will enable you to start on a positive path toward transformation. Turn the situation over to God for His guidance and strength and find the professional assistance you need. All things are possible when you seek God’s help in your situation.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4:13 NLT)

A commitment to change is a wonderful decision when it leads you to improve yourself and heal and strengthen your relationships. What is most important is to follow through with your efforts to make those changes happen. The preservation of your relationships may depend on it.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Then you will love Magdalena Battles’ book 6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families!

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