Hold Back The Applause

We Want To Hear From YOU!Some of our greatest accomplishments have God's fingerprints all over them, yet somehow, we keep putting our own names on the marquee!That brings me to a man named Nehemiah.Nehemiah wasn't a prophet, a priest, or a king. He was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. His responsibility was serving the king wine, but God had another assignment for him: rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.And what I appreciate about Nehemiah is that he didn't leave us some polished, picture-perfect account of his life. He let us see the man behind the mission.Closing Song: Don't Make Me The Main Character - written & produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Yes: Christianity has been whitewashed. Somewhere along the way, a Palestinian Jewish carpenter from Nazareth became a blue-eyed man with feathered hair who looks like he does shampoo commercials. The distortion is real. But let me ask you something - does a counterfeit $100 bill prove that money as a whole is fake? No, but it does prove real money is worth faking. Only what is real, genuine, and valuable is worth distorting. Think about it, nobody counterfeits Monopoly money. Why? Because it's not worth anything.But here's where I want us to exercise some discernment.Misrepresenting something does not automatically invalidate the authenticity of what's being misrepresented.And somewhere along the way, we've allowed the people who distorted the message of Christianity to become the measuring rod for whether the message was ever true.Now, let’s set aside our pride and admit that doesn't make good biblical sense, historical sense, or plain old common sense.Closing Song: Whitewashed - Not Washed Out - written & produced by Deborah Ocasio Support the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Today I want to introduce you to a prophet named Habakkuk. And let me tell you, Habakkuk had some questions for God! Not those polite, Sunday-morning, church-appropriate questions. No, Habakkuk wanted some explanations!He looked around Judah and saw corruption, violence, injustice, and people doing wrong like righteousness had gone out of style.So he went to God and essentially said, “Lord, how long am I going to keep praying about this before You do something?”Now, don't get all holy on me. Some of us have prayed that same prayer! Different circumstances, same frustration.Closing Song: At Your Throne - Written & Produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU! Today I want you to meet a woman who got exactly one verse in the Bible, she’s seems to be strategically tucked inside scripture. Yes, her name is mentioned in that part of the Bible you read past so you can say you finished the chapter.Her name is Sheerah. She was from the tribe of Ephraim, and here’s her whole résumé outlined in 1 Chronicles 7:24Closing Song: Keep Building - Written & Produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!This morning I am introducing Felix  I’m sure some of you never knew there was a Felix in the Bible. Well, there is, and his story teaches us a very valuable lesson.Closing Song: The Price of Approval - Written & Produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Today I am beginning a series called Know Your Folk, and in it God is leading me to tell you the stories and testimonies of those in the Bible who are rarely talked about, for they are our folks. Today I want you to meet a woman whose name we don't even know; her name was never mentioned.The story is in 2 Samuel chapter 20Closing Song: One Wise Voice -Written & Produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Some of us seem to believe that because we attend church every Sunday, tune in to a livestream, click on a devotional, or listen to someone preach on a regular basis, we have fulfilled our spiritual responsibility.But let me give you a little public service announcement.The devil has a perfect church attendance record, and he knows the Word of God.Closing Song: Hold Back The Applause written and produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Alright, let me lovingly disrupt a popular slogan.Everybody loves to say, “We’re all God’s children.”It sounds warm. It sounds inclusive. It sounds like something you’d put on a coffee mug with a sunset behind it.And some of you are already ready to say Amen—not because it’s biblical, but because we tend to think that being a child of God is automatic because He created us all, and on top of that, because He created us all with purpose.All true, however, biblically speaking, we are not automatically God’s children. That may make some of you cringe, but it is absolutely Scripture.God’s divine plan was never for humanity to be born into forced allegiance with HimClosing Song: God's Legitimate Children - produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Follow the music:  Deborah Ocasio / No Additives Sound on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, YouTube Music and moreSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org

We Want To Hear From YOU!Today, before blaming the devil, blaming people, blaming circumstances, or blaming yesterday, ask yourself:"What part of this belongs to me?"  That question may sting for a moment, but it will also set you free. Because accountability is not punishment.  Accountability is the doorway to transformation. The devil may present his plate with candles, pie, and fancy decorations. But God's table always serves something the enemy can never provide: Truth, peace, purpose, and life.Choose wisely. The plate may look simpler, but the outcome is infinitely better. Have a blessed day, and remember: Mature believers don't spend their lives explaining their behavior. They spend their lives examining their behavior and owning their missteps. And that examination is often where God releases the next level of anointing. Again, be blessed.Closing Song:  This One's On Me written and produced by Deborah OcasioSupport the showwww.BibleDeliverance.org