Epic Quote (2014) Part 5 of 7

 

Quotes, quotes and even more divinely inspired quotes. Thank you Jesus

 

 

First and foremost, this is all the Lord’s doing. All things good come from God above, and He is faithful and exceedingly generous in His kindness to share with me a sinful man, such wonderful things too great for me to know. Praise you Lord God for your exceeding kindness and great mercy to those who cry out to you in desperation to come to their aid and save them. You are good and I know it all too well! Blessed be your holy name forever and ever. Amen.

 

Oh Lord, may purpose that is found in you alone, be found actively at work in me and through me. Let your will be done always. For yours is the glory, the honor, the power and the praise forever. Amen.

 

Here are all the words I recorded down for the year of 2014 as I was divinely inspired by God to write, whether through reading, reflection, interactions with others, struggles of mine, triumphs God had given me, prayers of mine and observing life all around me. I have listed them as quotes and this is the continuation of the 7-part series. May they inspire us all to seek God first, to faithfully love and follow the Lord Jesus and remind us of why we first rejoiced over our Savior and great God and King. With that said, I now invite you into my HEART...

201. “The high standards of men are laughable compare to the holiness of God.” - F. Lugo 9/8/14

 

202. “Women. Better to be homeless than to give yourself physically and lawfully to a man who does not have the peace of God ruling in his heart.” - F. Lugo 9/8/14

 

Take it from a man who got married in 2007 for all the wrong reasons and in not having the peace of God ruling in my heart, I made my then wife’s life extremely unpleasant.

 

All things come to an end, but Jesus Christ is forever. Only He can establish a marriage on this earth between a man and a woman to last the duration of their mortal lives in peace, love and harmony. Otherwise, you too, will know what it is to walk around with the knowledge of divorce. My True Story.

 

203. “When people become uncomfortable with what you are doing for the sake of Christ, you will know you are following Jesus.” - F. Lugo 9/8/14 (Acts 9:1-2, 20-22, 26-29 inspires!)

 

When people are comfortable with your choices you make regardless if they go against God, you will know you have yet to follow Jesus.

 

Take a lesson from the life of Saul. A man who was the greatest persecutor and antagonist of the Church and the followers of the Way, became as if over night, one of the biggest defenders and protagonists of the Church and of the Way maybe in all of Church history.

 

Even those of the Church show themselves to be comfortable with whom this Saul was, however fretful and horrified they were of his persecuting them. How so? When they heard of and experienced this new convert to The Way, declaring that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, rather than rejoicing in his conversion and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, they were uncomfortable with his new speech and new ways of living that were no longer against the Church but for the Church.

 

We may very well think we are doing the Lord’s work, but if we and everyone else around us are comfortable with our choices and not uncomfortable with our choices, we have yet to know this Jesus and His call to uncharted territory where comfort and reliability in yourself is removed and absolute reliability in Him is the necessity.

 

204. “In Jesus Christ, there is no going back and why would you? You must become dissatisfied with becoming satisfied. You must become unfamiliar with becoming familiar. You must become uncomfortable with becoming comfortable. This is the surefire way of knowing Jesus more. Anyone who clearly is born again from above and not merely below, having received the Holy Spirit, is no longer a stranger to God, but they are constantly in the know. Jesus is not a secret, He is no mystery and experiencing silence from God or the ever perpetrated “God doesn’t answer me” is compared to an oxymoron– it can never be associated with God and His people!” - F. Lugo 9/9/14

 

Beloved, the grace and peace of God be with you in Jesus Christ the Lord. May the wisdom of God set into you, giving you spiritual eyes, and above all else, may you and Jesus no longer be strangers to one another, but the love of God that is in Him in full measure, will be in you. Amen.

 

Our daily bread for Tuesday, September 9, 2014. Jesus is that ever present experience of God in our lives in a personal, intimate and powerful way. He is a tangible force, not a myth, not a fairy tale, and He is most certainly not a mere man. This Jesus is indeed God. To know Jesus is to know God very personally.

 

Jesus will always call out to us to follow Him into that great unknown where we will meet with God. Jesus is the very “Mountain of God” in the flesh, and when we follow Jesus, God and us meet eye-to-eye and He speaks to us like a friend. To know Jesus personally, intimately, powerfully and intentionally, is to never want to return to what you once knew before apart from Him.

 

How I pray, that Jesus who is God in the flesh, will no longer be a stranger to you, but will become everything that He is (Lord, God, Savior and Friend), to you. Amen.

As always...YOU ARE LOVED.
 

 

Sowing & Reaping:

205. “There is a thing to be sowed and there is a harvest to be reaped. What is this thing to be sowed? That we would draw near to the throne of God. And what is this harvest to be reaped? That we would experience the holy presence of God!” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

Prosperity:

206. “Our businesses as well as our marital relationships will not experience increase unless God blesses it, as God is increase!” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

Marriage:

207. “In marriage there isn’t he said or she said. There is, his voice is her voice and her voice is his voice. A united front revealing grace, honor, truth, love, order and harmony— like one voice revealing the magnificent temple of multiple tones. That glorious work of God; ‘the two become one flesh,’ is never more prevalent than when a husband and wife become to God’s glory and praise a father and mother. For even in parenthood, the two are one.” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

Tithing:

208. “The point of tithing is not to give to God whenever your paycheck meets your demands. It’s to return back to God for all the good He has done. For even in a recession, if you are blessed to produce wealth by the work you are blessed to have, even if your paycheck were to contain one zero in it, you would return back to God as your priority acknowledging that God is still good to you.” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

Attitude:

209. “Beloved, let us not point out the shortcomings of others or look at them and say ‘what pigs these people are!’ Whether or not the upkeep of one’s household is poor, this can be remedied quickly, but if you speak ugliness from your heart, great is the cleansing process to clean that out!” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

PRAYER:
This body O Lord, you have wonderfully made for your glory and praise. I am ashamed that I have been a part of that shameful thing, living outside of your will. Let it never again be so, for myself or my seed. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

 

Sexuality?

210. “What is this statement, ‘this place is a meat market,’ that man should shame themselves by even speaking it?! How tragic it is to know that God created both male and female to be that reflection of His glory here on earth and yet, we traded in the truth for a lie. May we all, I pray, turn back to the Lord God that we may once again, be in the image of God— both holy and glorious. Amen.” – F. Lugo 9/10/14

 

211. “It takes less to please God. It takes much more to please men. You’re better off pleasing God.” - F. Lugo 9/11/14

 

Food For Thought:

212. “If you do not have a sense of urgency to pay those who do a service for you or work for you, others will not have a sense of urgency to pay you. If you do not have a sense of urgency to honor others, others will not have a sense of urgency to honor you.” - F. Lugo 9/12/14

JESUS SPEAKS

 

213. “When did God ever say to us, ‘I’m sending good thoughts your way and many blessings?’ God is very specific in His prayers and in His blessings towards us. Therefore, let us be specific and not generalize the power of prayer and the grace of blessing others in the name of Jesus. Amen.” - F. Lugo 9/12/14 (Inspired by John 17 and the many times I’ve heard and read others say we’re or I’m sending many good thoughts your way and many blessings to you. This is weakness, Christ is strength. Yes!)

 

You have to read John chapter 17. It reveals the heart of God and the One He sent, Jesus Christ. Very detailed and very specific. In other words, God is quite personal and intimate in His revealing of Himself to us the human race. Let us all, I pray, except the invitation in which is quite exquisite, to know the God of heaven and earth and the One in whom He sent. Amen.

 

214. “This world is desperately in need of God. Without Him, this world will continue on in desperation.” - F. Lugo 9/12/14

 

215. “Real worship costs. To worship the Worshipper of worshippers, it will cost us. It cost Jesus everything and if this was His lot, so shall the righteous pay a cost, that they will have the privilege and honor to experience their Lord’s joy and passion for His God and His people.” – F. Lugo 9/14/14 (inspired by 2 Samuel 24:24; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 2:5-11; Philippians 3:3-12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18 and the Purpose Driven Life pg. 107)

 

216. “No longer think because you’re an introvert, that there’s something wrong with you. In actuality, there's something quite extraordinary about you. You have a God-given ability to know great depths and insights into God’s heart.” - F. Lugo 9/15/14 (written by a proud introvert)

 

There is none more greater than Jesus and none more in tune with the heart of God than Jesus and it was His practice to go away from the crowds (a big introvert manner of doing things) to pray to the Father in heaven.

 

Now, a shout out to the extroverts. After Jesus came down from much needed quality time with God His Father, He was filled with all He needed to embrace great multitudes with joy, strength and power (a big extrovert manner of doing things).

 

Without the extroverts in the world to embrace the many with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this world would be in utter darkness and without the introverts in this world, a people would not know the revelation of intimacy with God.

 

Extroverts...YOU ARE LOVED and appreciated. You do the exhausting thing that we introverts cannot do.

 

217. “Take a lesson from Moses who was called by God up a mountain and spent 40 days and 40 nights in God’s presence. You cannot know God if you do not invest the time that God knows it will take for you to know Him. God isn’t a fly by opportunity!” - F. Lugo 9/16/14 (inspired by Exodus 3)

 

Holiness:
218. “It takes holiness to know God intimately.” - F. Lugo 9/16/14 Inspired by (Leviticus 20:8; Leviticus 20:26; Psalm 47:8; John 17:19; Romans 7:12; 1 Peter 1:15-16).

 

A people of God are being called to holiness. This is to be set apart from the world to uphold the glorious things of God. Whatever things of this world remain in you, you can be certain of this: You're missing out on experiencing the most wonderful relationship there is to be in. 
 

Landscaping Inspiration (God Speaks):

219. “In landscaping dimension is key. You need to have height and width and length and depth for it to be eye catching and for someone so exclaim, “Wow, that’s beautiful!” So it is, with the Lord Jesus. In knowing Him personally, intimately and powerfully, you will come to know ‘and may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.’ Amen!” – F. Lugo 9/17/14 (inspired by a conversation I had with George Leonard on landscaping and Ephesians 3:14-20)

 

All of God’s Creation reveals His invisible qualities, therefore, none of us are with an excuse not to know Him and acknowledge Him as Lord. 

 

“For that which is known about God is evident to them [mankind] and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification].” (Romans 1:19-20)

 

220. “Now the fall of man in the garden of Eden was no mere trip and fall to the ground. So great was man’s position with God, one could compare it to a position as high as heaven, and when Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God's command, their fall was of epic proportion, that when they landed, the wake of death that ensued from being apart from God and excommunicated from paradise, death came to all of Creation. Not only was the human race affected by this terribly and fatally, but every other creature continues to experience the wake of the fall.” - F. Lugo 9/17/14

 

221. “In landscaping and lawn care, just as in pregnancy, labor and the rearing [raising up] of a child, the man is never more closer to what God has created Him for— to tend to and cultivate the land.”  – F. Lugo 9/17/14

 

In the garden after God formed the man and breathed the breath of life into him making him a living being, He placed him in the garden to tend to it. This fertile ground yielded plant and fruit for all.

The womb of a man’s wife is an image of that garden, in that, she bears the fruit of his seed. It produces something wonderful and necessary that God has blessed to yield abundant life.

 

When a husband is attentative to his wife’s needs while she carries his seed, he is directly living out God’s purposes for him–to tend to that fertile soil [that glorious garden containing that seed of life].

When the husband’s wife has given birth to their child [the garden yielding its fruit at the appointed time], the husband like the wife, is transformed into a father and a mother.

 

The two are one, creating another one. This child is the harvest of God’s purposes– a man tending to the garden and a woman bearing fruit from her garden [womb].

 

The husband now also a father continues in God’s purposes, in that, he is now cultivating the growth from the land.

 

Both the mother and child are that glorious gift from God; an image of His garden and the fruit He has blessed to be produced from the seed.

 

And so it continues as God has purposed. That child [fruit from the seed] has the God-given ability to produce more fruit of its kind, that is, other children.

 

God’s invisible qualities are surely made visible before the eyes of man. Let no one say ‘God has not made Himself known,’ for He blesses the human race and the rest of His Creation; nature as we know it and all the creatures of the sea, to express His invisible attributes visibly, and by that, we as a people are without an excuse, towards our knowing Him as the God who graciously creates all living things. And for that, we ought to praise and worship Him as the Lord our God. Amen.
 

 

222. “I long to stand with a people who will say first and not last, “‘Let us see what the Lord wants us to do.’” - F. Lugo 9/18/14

 

223. “We will always be in need as a people, but let the wise and humble rise up and inquire of the Lord, what He has to say on the matter.” - F. Lugo 9/18/14

 

224. “Need a job? Desperate to work? Don’t merely go about applying to all the ads. Inquire of the Lord, and see what direction He has for you to go in.” - F. Lugo 9/18/14

 

225. “Two men who are in need go about finding work two entirely different ways. One does it in his own strength and the other in the strength of the Lord. Both receive their hearts desire—a job. The one in his own strength quickly loses the joy of his blessing while the other, experiences his joy increasing. He who waits on the Lord shall increase!” - F. Lugo 9/18/14 My True Story.

 

226. “This is the truth I speak. If Jesus isn’t enough for you, no other person will ever be enough for you. Think about this before you head towards marriage.” - F. Lugo 9/21/14 (inspired by the movie Cool Runnings. The coach said, “If you’re not enough without a gold medal, you’ll never be enough with one.”)

 

Marriage isn’t two people completing each other and the saying, “They’re my better half” is false. The purpose of marriage is two whole people becoming one, revealing the glory of God and expressing the love of Christ to this world, while enjoying, helping and honoring one another, all the while upholding the command of God, to be “fruitful and multiply.”

 

If you get married or are looking to get married for the sake of finding fulfillment or completion or any other corrupted ulterior motive, your marriage will fail, love will become lost and divorce will be the final destination.

 

However, thanks be to God in Christ, that those who are made whole, complete and fulfilled in Him and head into marriage, they will most certainly reveal the glory of God. May God, in Christ, bless all those who are thinking of marriage, heading towards marriage and are already married to be bless by His grace, love and peace. Amen. YOU ARE LOVED.

 

Inspired by the movie Cool Runnings. In the movie, the Jamaican Bobsled coach said to the leader and driver of the Jamaican Bobsled, concerning his cheating in the Olympics costing him his gold medals, 227. “If you’re not enough without a gold medal, you’ll never be enough with one.”

“Marriage isn’t for the hopeLESS. It’s for the hopeful.” - F. Lugo 9/21/14

 

228. “Regardless of one’s emotions towards others, the proper response when brought before the Cross of Christ and it’s timeless message, is to serve them unconditionally and sacrificially, having removed all bias and prejudice ways of thinking, speaking and doing— This is Jesus!” - F. Lugo 9/22/14 (inspired by my lack of desire and conviction to serve someone I do not like and how I see them as undeserving. Also inspired by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and these verses in scripture: John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:16-24)

 

Encourage and be Encouraged

 

229. “We as a people of God need to get excited over what He is doing in our lives. Otherwise, what’s the point?!” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

230. “I’m not here to do life for you. I’m here to do life with you.” - F. Lugo 9/22/14 Take Ownership.

 

Most of my adolescent life and some years into my adulthood, I would not take ownership of my actions and the results of them. I’m done with that! Heed these words: You can either look to Jesus who is the wisdom of God now, especially if you’re in an early stage in your life, or after living a crazy, hectic, regretful life, look to Him later. Either way, you will face Him.

Choose now and with Him, experience a course set to success and achievement.

231. “There are those who think the world revolves around them, and then, there are those who make the world revolve around.” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

232. “To be a servant is glorious. To demand others be your servant is shameful.” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

233. “Success and prosperity comes to the business that has been established the longest and proved to be the most reliable even with the signs of the times. Therefore, let us all be a part of the work of God, as He was in business since before the world was.” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

234. “The work of God is the business to be in as its the business that has been establish from everlasting to everlasting.” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

235. “Christ is the Builder as God is the Owner. He who is in the business of God shall always prosper!” - F. Lugo 9/22/14

 

236. “Like the earth that orbits around the Sun and all of Creation that has been made by the Lord, so shall the blessings that come from Him, flow through me, to provide for my family all that they need.” - F. Lugo 9/23/14

 

237. “It’s not enough to say God is good. You must know why God is good and you must express His goodness.” - F. Lugo 9/23/14 (inspired by the weak at faith and the results of such weak faith seen in their very own children).

 

Common Sense:
238. “The more you reject Jesus, the harder it will be to accept Him.” - F. Lugo 9/23/14

 

239. “‘Everything in moderation’ we are told will not harm us or kill us. However, like cancer that spreads throughout the body, it happens in moderation. Before you know it, you’re told you have stage four Cancer and months to live without any other alternative. Heed these words, everything may be permissible but not everything is profitable.” - F. Lugo 9/23/14

 

240. “Shifting your mindset, this is the foundation of repentance [rethinking your thinking]. This causes man to experience the grace and love of God. Repentance is not easy, but it’s necessary and it’s powerful!” - F. Lugo 9/28/14. (Inspired by Ron Carpenter’s quote on shifting mindsets and 2 Samuel 7:14; Jeremiah 29:12; 1 John 1:9)

 

241. “On July 3, 2009, the Word of God spoke into me and it became my beginning.” - F. Lugo 10/1/14

242. “Rejoice in what you do, and do what you rejoice in. That’s the key to success. However, the key to happiness is not in what you do, but in Whom you know and know personally. This is Jesus.” - F. Lugo 10/2/14

 

243. “How desperate we are for God even though we may not acknowledge it, and how gracious God is to reveal Himself to us although we are not deserving of it.” - F. Lugo 10/3/14

 

244. “Clearly if the sheep scatter they never knew their Shepherd.” - F. Lugo 10/3/14

 

245. “I don’t speak about God as one who read about Him in a book. I speak of Him as one who speaks to a man face-to-face. As one who has grown up with Him, spent time with Him, lived with Him. He is the initiator of all things and in all things, He has graced me with His glorious presence!” - F. Lugo 10/4/14 1:34 am

 

246. “You must live the life and produce the good fruit [undeniable evidence] for your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, to be proved real and actual fact. A world is watching.” - F. Lugo 10/4/14 10:28am

 

247. “If not for the testimony and witness of a great many, how can history be brought into the present while effectively building up the future? Be that witness; be that living testimony. A world is watching.” - F. Lugo 10/4/14

 

248. “I don’t speak about God as one who read about Him in a book. I speak of Him as one who speaks to a man face-to-face. As one who has grown up with Him, spent time with Him, lived with Him. He is the initiator of all things and in all things, He has graced me with His glorious presence!” - F. Lugo 10/4/14?
 

 

249. “In accepting and declaring that Jesus is Lord, many may say it is a gamble, but the dividends received from such a gamble, are beautiful and everlasting.” - F. Lugo 10/5/14 (inspired by the show “Call the Midwife”). 

 

250. “Truth and lies cannot coexist. Truth is freeing. Lies are imprisoning. You will feed one and starve the other. Which one will you choose?” - F. Lugo 10/6/14

 

I usually speak on the things I was once in the habit of doing. You could go so far as to say, I was compelled by my nature to do so. I was a liar and excelled at it! My life consisted of multiple lies operating consistently. It was a proverbial hell for me, and yet, I could not stop. I walked around in a prison. Always trying to cover my tracks. Trust was shattered and ruined. Relationships were torn and ended. I had nothing but my lies to keep me company and they were bad company. It is written, ‘bad company corrupts good character.’ My character was not good and all I had was bad company. I couldn’t stop lying no matter the destruction it was causing me and others. What would I do? Who would I turn to? Who would save me from such a wretched life?! At the height of my lowest low, when I couldn’t take my wretchedness any longer. With what little strength I had, I cried out to God and said these very words, “God please help me. I can’t do this anymore.” Just then, the One I turned to, was the very One that would save me from all my wretchedness that was surely leading me to a certain doom. Christ came, Jesus drew near to me and spoke into me, and on that glorious day, July 3, 2009, everything changed. Thank you Jesus!

 

When I cried out to God without any specific name attributed to Him other than God, Allah did not answer. The Buddha did not answer. None of the gods of mythology or the gods of the many religions of the world answered. The prophet Muhammad did not answer. An angel did not answer. Satan did not answer. Jesus answered. Jesus drew near. Jesus cared. Where were all these other gods? They are all false. They are insignificant. They are not the Savior of the world. One made Himself known and He is Jesus Christ the Lord and He alone is my Lord and my God, in whom I trust and worship forever and ever. Amen.