Good monday morning everyone!

I’m having laptop “issues” today, forcing me to post from my iphone. Hope it turns out ok!

Yesterday was another great Sunday… And I’m ready for another great week. Since it’s thanksgiving week… I’m cranking up my jubilation level and I’m going to celebrate my blessings all week! Want to join me?

Yeah, let’s try to live out the most THANKFUL week of our lives. I’m gonna be fanatical… giving thanks to God, my wife, my kids, my church, my pets, my family and friends…

All week I’m going to try to COUNT my blessings. I plan to tell everone I spend time with why I am thankful for them. I’m gonna be thankful for the weather, our nation, my life calling, my house and cars and things… Thankful for my health, my book being almost finished, our twelve Christmas trees and decorations… and for Emily making our house so beautiful!

Before the week is over… I will have said the words THANK YOU a thousand times! That’s the goal… 167 times a day for six more days, and I’m there. Won’t that be FUN?

1Thesselonians 5:18a (Amplified Version) “Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks]…“

Happy Sunday World,

I woke up today at 4am, came into my family room, put on my earphones with some old Kent Henry Worship… and started my reading for today. I began in 1Chronicles… and when I hit chapter 5, my eyes were watering up at a sobering illumination.

I’m going to make this short and simple… so read with careful focus and you will be able to see what I saw. Ok… so, what I read in 2 Chronicles 5 simply explains something that happened in Genesis 35:22. In the background of this story, we have the legendary patriarchs of Israel… Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. One night, in an all night prayer session, God changes Jacobs name to “Israel” and he becomes the start up of the Israelite nation. 

Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons… and these twelve sons were to become the historical “twelve tribes of Israel.” So the list of the 12 tribes should read as follows: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 

Reuben would have been listed FIRST because he was Israel’s oldest son! Reuben and his descednants were destined unprecedented renown… and it would have been so, except for what took place in Genesis 35:22. 

At the end of Jacobs life, he gathered his 12 sons so that he could give each one of them a prophecy and a blessing. Each of the 12 would receive their “blessing” except for Reuben. Let’s hear the reason straight from Jacob himself, “Come and listen, you sons of Jacob; listen to Israel, your father… Reuben, you are my oldest son, the child of my vigorous youth. You are first on the list of RANK and HONOR. But you are as unruly as the waves of the sea, and you will be first no longer. For you slept with one of my wives; you dishonored me in my own bed.” (Genesis 49:2-4NLT)

As history plays out, Reuben was taken off the list… and Joseph also bowed out, so his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh could fill these two openings. 

Don’t every forget the message of Reuben! If this man were a preacher in today’s world, he would be speaking one message: Don’t forfeit your inheritance! Not for anyone or anything… its not worth it! Guard your heart and watch your steps… for you are all destined for greatness, as long as you don’t fall prey to the spirit of “disinheritance!”    

Esau was disinherited over a bowl of stew… Judas Iscariot, over thirty pieces of silver! What’s your price? Everyone has a price. And hey, if you’ve already done a few stupid things with your life… repent and move on… we are living in the age of grace and God is merciful. I can’t promise you that every rippling effect will fade away… but I can assure you that God is a REDEEMER. He can help you make up for lost time and recover lost dreams!

I hope to see you guys today at www.DestinyFamilyCenter.com either in person or online… I’m praying for you often! Have a super Sunday!