Some of the most solemn words in all of Scripture are discovered in Mark 6: “…and he could there do no mighty work…and he was amazed at their unbelief.”

Jesus had gone home to Nazareth after a season of healing many people in other parts of the region. He’d met with much success in preaching the good news of the gospel and transforming lives. Until he came home. There he encounters stiff resistance. Ultimately, Jesus leaves Nazareth the same way he found it.

Who were these people at the precipice of promise and change but who ultimately missed out on many blessings that the Master was giving? If we’re aren’t careful, it’s you and I!

Jesus went home. In the end, it’s not the people ‘out there’ who block our blessings, it’s usually those closest to us who most often talk us out of our dreams and convince us of what we can’t do.

They took offense. Some versions translate it ” they stumbled”. Group think causes one to focus on the here and now versus the not yet – to focus on current problems, bills, bad relationships etc to the extent that the spiritual is never revealed due to the overwhelming sense of the natural.

He was “amazed at their unbelief”. So pummeled were they by group think that their belief had morphed into a “callus”, such as the thickened and hardened part of one’s skin. This usually happens on the foot but in this case it was the heart that hardened.

So Jesus passes through his hometown; his hommies, his friends, his family. And nothing changes.

Friends, Jesus is passing through today, right now, right in the middle of COVID-19!

God’s spirit is with us right now. God wants to heal relationships. God wants to resurrect dreams. God wants to restore broken promises. God wants to usher you into your brand-new future. Today!

Don’t let this season of uncertainty and a fixation on the natural make you miss your blessings. Stay in confidence. Step up to the challenge.

Jesus is passing through!

Often, when faced with a set of constricting circumstances which limit what we can do and places we can go, the tendency is to just resign ourselves to fate. Complacency settles in. Before we know it, we have lost our conviction about life and what’s really important. Do not be the person who blithely says, “I’ll be glad when this is over so I can get back to doing what I used to do!” Friends, this is an unusual period in our lives; it’s uncharted waters, but it is also a time filled with swift transition. Opportunity is here today gone today! This is not business as usual; this is a era in which God is moving you into greater possibilities! Don’t just wait this out. Rise and shine and open yourself to the God-given,

brand-new future that is yours through Jesus Christ!

Here are some questions for the ladies: Who ultimately is the right man for you? Which qualities must this man be in possession of in order to satisfy your deepest longing?  What man among many will harness the power of the ‘keeper’?

Proverbs 24:16 gives us an excellent hint: For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again…”

A keeper is a man whose inside-out qualities make him an attractive and viable mate for the opposite sex.

Finding a good man is not rocket science; it’s actually quite simple.

In finding the right mate you only have to begin within yourself. When you discover what it is you really desire in a man, you will then align yourself with those innate qualities of a keeper.

Yes, it’s important for a keeper to have a financial plan, to have good credit and maybe even be a good handyman around the house. But in the end, it’s what’s inside of him that will determine his – and by extension your – success!

There are many signs that a man is a ‘keeper’. Here are three.

Number One:

He Worships a Higher Power

Simply put, a keeper understands it’s bigger than him. The writer Lawren Leo opines, Purpose creates a belief in a higher power, directing you toward your goal on the best path possible.

This is more than determining if a man attends church. If so, that’s great.

The man you give your heart and soul to, though, should give his heart and soul to a greater power than himself. Then – and only then – will he give his best to you.

He gives to causes not only his money, but his time and effort.

So ask yourself:  What does he give to? What’s his passion? What’s important to him? His family comes first but a keeper knows he must reach beyond and contribute to the village.

Number Two:

He is Strong When He Needs to Be Strong

Unresolved anger dominates relationships. It’s important to recognize this trait early. A keeper is in touch with his emotions and knows when to activate his leadership skills. He is able to share his opinions democratically in the interests of all. A keeper will value the opinion of his mate.

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go, writes Hermann Hesse.

This ‘letting go’ means relinquishing the need for control; to trust one’s position as a man and always seek greater clarity and meaning. It also means giving place to one’s emotions; to see crying not as a weakness but rather as channel for strength.

Number Three:

He is Self-Motivated

The late great Zig Ziglar used to muse, People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.

What does it take to get to the top? Desire. A keeper does not wait for his ship to come in, he sets out to meet it!  When relationships become challenging, he doesn’t always take the easy way out. He learns from his mistakes. He is not trapped in his HIS-STORY, but emerges from struggle with a can-do attitude.

This man creates the effect by becoming the cause and studies this relationship assiduously. A keeper knows that he was not born to merely pay bills and raise children; he was born to unfold to his personal best.

Finding a good man is not rocket science when you ascertain what’s within.

Pastor Croomes can be reached at PastorCroomes@Outlook.com or on Facebook at Pastor W. Eric Croomes