Produced by Simukai Whande

Produced by Simukai Whande

Black tax is a term that originated in South Africa for money that Black workers, especially professionals and others with higher income than, give their parents, siblings, or other family members, often out of obligation or a deeply ingrained sense of family responsibility. 1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. First fruits is a biblical principle. 2 Chronicles 31:5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And when you give, you need to give the very best. Genesis 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. You can’t compete with someone who pays their tithes diligently. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” When you give a portion of your money to God, all your finances are sanctified Romans 11:16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. Won’t he do it beloved? Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. I have a theory about why you aren’t seeing the benefits of you tithing. In Exodus 11:5–6, God declared through Moses, “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.” At the square root of all 3 of these financial principles lies the common denominator of giving. Deutoronomy 14: 28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. There are repercussions to squandering the blessings for your selfish needs. Jeremiah 2:3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them,” declares the Lord. Where have you been stingy? To whom have you not been faithful in giving? PRODUCER: Simukai Whande

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/straight-chillin⁠ License code: O0KUKBCAJCFKVAQO

I struggled a lot with my mental health these past couple of years. I finally gave up trying to breathe and journal through it and went for therapy. I did one session and I completely fell apart. In that one session, it felt like the therapist knew exactly where the pain was and which buttons to push to retrieve files in my mind that I had stashed away for years. I was so broken by that session that I decided I wouldn’t be going back. Quick disclaimer, this is a personal experience and by no means a medical diagnosis. I’m not a medical professional. Sometimes God will save your life and you’ll ruin it by revisiting old wounds. Genesis 19:17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. You need to forget the former things. Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Holy Spirit is our counsellor John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— Am I saying getting therapy is wrong? By no means. But trying to heal in your own strength is futile. Who in the Bible had counselling? Many people needed it, definitely but what was their secret to overcoming? They had the Holy Spirit. God is specialises in the new, he is obsessed with the new Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Let’s talk old wine skins Mark 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” - The issues you are facing you shall see them no more Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Put down the pride and admit that you can’t handle it by yourself in your own strength. He will absolutely heal you. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. What are some of the old things that you need to surrender to God today? Thank you Father God for our helper who is the Holy Spirit. Thank you that he knows what we ought to pray for even when we don’t. Thank you that you are the God that heals us. We could never do it by our own strength Lord. Father, please search deep within our hearts and reveal issues that we need to address and hidden hurts we need to heal from. Curse the tree of bitterness at the root Lord and sprout a new thing in our lives. PRODUCER: ⁠Simukai Whande⁠ Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/straight-chillin⁠ License code: O0KUKBCAJCFKVAQO

Where are the greater works? Jesus said we would do greater works than his but to be honest we are clocking ordinary at best. We aren’t striving for excellence and the extraordinary. For us to be set apart, we need to be more than just ordinary. And when we go to God with our plans he puts extra on our ordinary and makes us extraordinary. I had to record this message because I found myself saying “at least” a lot. If I can at least work out once a week, If I can at least cook supper 4 times a week, if I can at least read one chapter of the Bible a day. I got caught up in the bare minimum and God wasn’t having it! Be faithful in the little In Luke 16:10 Jesus says, “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones” Do everything unto God not man Colossians 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Work As Unto The Lord. You complain about everything Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God's children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. Your talents will make room for you Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. You have no discipline Proverbs 6:10-11 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. Proverbs 5:23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray. You procrastinate Proverbs 3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. Psalms 119:60 I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. You have no plan. 1 Corinthians 4:40 But all things should be done decently and in order. Proverbs 24:27 says Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. Luke 14:28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? You are confused James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. You are distracted Galatians 5:7-10 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. You give up too quickly 2 Kings 13:18-19 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Aram until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” If Jesus sat down next to you today and said I will prosper anything in your life that you are doing at 100% heart and soul, what would you tell him to prosper in your life?

PRODUCER: ⁠Simukai Whande⁠

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/straight-chillin⁠

License code: O0KUKBCAJCFKVAQO

Have you ever had something cooking and you told someone about it and the deal went belly up? Do you know anyone who silently relocated overseas without any word or a goodbye party? Now you know how King Herod felt when the wise men did not return! Things revealed in the secret place should stay in the secret place Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. The tongue can change the direction of your life James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. Not everyone can come. Jonah 1:15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. Not everyone around you is happy for you. They will try to put you in your place. 1 Samuel 17:28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? The devil doesn’t know what God is doing. 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Proverbs 13:3 The one who guards his mouth preserves his life. The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. If you struggle with being an oversharer, ask yourself this? Why do you like to announce yourself? Is it an attention seeking issue? Is it vain ambition? Is it a pride issue? Look at me, look at me? And we all know pride comes before a fall. Matthew 12:34, 'Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. People’s opinions will make you wanna shrink Matthew 5:15-16 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. What we should be spreading is the good news. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” There are several times in the Bible where Jesus performed miracles and asked the people to keep it hush hush. 1 Chronicles 16:8 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Dear Lord, we come before you today to repent for being loose lipped. Holy Spirit please train us on how to hold our tongues. Convict us when we are about to overshare. We ask that everything we lost due to our big mouths be restored to us. Please give us the wisdom on what to say in every conversation. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen

PRODUCER: ⁠Simukai Whande⁠

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/straight-chillin⁠

License code: O0KUKBCAJCFKVAQO

The thing about gossip is that it’s so addictive! It gives you such a rush when have the tea! The moment something feels good on the flesh, just know it’s probably a sin. As we grow on this podcast you’ll come to understand that almost everything I loved, was nonsense.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Leviticus 19:16

“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.

Proverbs 11:9

With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

Venting is gossip. When I received this revelation I was shocked!

Exodus 23:1

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.

Proverbs 26:20-22 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Gossip is speaking careless words over a person.

Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

The definition I found for careless words is words that are spoken rashly. They lack wise consideration and are often impulsive, thoughtless, and insensitive. In short, careless words are those that happen when we just don't think.

Proverbs 17:9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Gossip is a lesson in discipline.

James 1:26

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

1 Timothy 3:11

In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. We are instructed to confess our sins to one another but how can we when there are gossips everywhere!

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

How you handle other people’s matters, matters. That’s how I know you’ll be able to handle my matter with care and discretion. We are struggling in our interpersonal relationships because we can’t be vulnerable without a fear of being screetshotted.

How has gossip made you feel?

Proverbs 18:8

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.

Where there is gossip and slander there is idleness. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop but apparently so is the tongue. There is power in the tongue, use it to speak life into every situation.

Proverbs 10:18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.

Lord, we come to you today to repent for gossip, slander and a lying tongue. Father help us to heal from the wounds of talebearers and may the ones we hurt be healed from our words. We cancel every careless word we uttered foolishly. Please forgive us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen

PRODUCER: ⁠Simukai Whande⁠

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/braden-deal/straight-chillin⁠

License code: O0KUKBCAJCFKVAQO