Tag: Daily Bread

“Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.’ Then he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?’” Genesis 27:36

Isn’t this interesting? Esau, two chapters earlier sold his birthright for some stew, and the bible says he despised his birthright, but now suddenly he was cheated out of it? Doesn’t that sound like us today? We say the Devil stole this from us and that from us when the majority of the time we sold it to him at a weak point in our life. But what we sell to him isn’t the full birthright and blessing at once; instead, we sell not only the keys to the door, but we also sell the rights to the room which enables him to not only claim but take whatever he wants.

See, when we do something (considered a small thing), we’re now making a contract with the devil. For instance, if we allow horror movies filled with demonic activity and spells and witchcraft, we are now making a contract with those things in the spiritual, so that they have the right to be in our house. They have the right to torture us. To take away our sleep. Our peace of mind. Our shalom, that was promised to us by Jesus.

What many of us don’t understand is that everything we do has either a consequence or a reward, no matter how big or small it may seem. Now we know this to be true, but the majority of us don’t fully understand what that means. And because we don’t understand, we don’t take heed to this.

For instance, we will allow movies/books filled with sexually explicit jokes, scenes, etc. and then get shocked and wonder why we are struggling with lust. See just like Esau, we unknowingly sell our birthright not realizing that it also takes away the blessings that Jesus promised us. That God promised us. Instead of making side contracts with the devil, why don’t you try to stay true to the contract you have with Christ. I know this is easier said than done, but it isn’t impossible. Jesus promised that we would be able to overcome because he overcame. And if you think that there is any sin Jesus was not tempted by, you are wrong. Because the writer of Hebrews ensures us that “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

There isn’t a sin that Jesus hasn’t overcome or hasn’t dealt with himself, so there is no need to feel too dirty to bring your struggles before Him because He understands and empathizes with us.
Now, just because He has empathy, does not mean He will give any of us a free pass. He expects us to strive for perfection. To strive for excellence not just settle for mediocrity. Which is what the majority of us strive for. The majority of us will overlook the sin, close their eyes and sign the contract, so that they feel better. That’s what we do when we make excuses for our sins, we close our eyes then sign the contract as if that makes everything okay.

Our goal shouldn’t be a mediocre or less life, where we are slaves to Lust of the Eyes, Lust of the Flesh, and Pride of Life, but instead where conquer each and every sin that falls under these categories. Ensuring us not only happiness but joy. For happiness is affected by our situation, but joy nothing can steal and nothing can shake.

But how do we get past the mediocre lifestyle we’ve come to enjoy and feel comfortable in?
We have to start with cleaning our inside. We have to read our bibles daily, we have to pray more than just bedtime prayers, or before meals, we have to seek God during quiet time, we have to spend time in worship, and we have to take every thought captive. Once we have strengthened ourselves, we can start to break every sinful contract we have made. We can lock and close doors we should have never opened. We can cast out every evil spirit that torments us.

But we have to first start with cleaning ourselves from the inside. Because as Christ followers, we have to do better. We have to deny our flesh so that we can overcome. Because once we overcome, we can help another person overcome, and so on. Just remember to keep God first, deny your flesh, and take every thought captive.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Break Contracts.

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“I’m not perfect, but at least I try.”

Probably one of the most deceitful things we allow ourselves to believe. We’re saying as long as I try to get some things right I’m good, I don’t have to get everything right. But that’s not biblical at all. At this point, you actually begin to reach a state of lukewarm-ness because you’re trying to hold on to a piece of the world and still hold on to God. But who cares right? Like, at least you’re trying. At least you’re going to church. And you read along in your bible at church. You even know where the books of The Bible are, you don’t have to ask where the Psalms are, you just know. I mean you are on your ‘A’ game. You can name like 7 of the 12 disciples. You’re a good Christian. That should be enough, right? I mean at least you acknowledge God on Sundays, some people don’t even go to church. So you’re better than them, right? I think this is a good time to explain the picture for this devotion. It’s a girl underwater, who’s drowning. What’s significant about this? This is after she tried to swim but now has given up. She tried, but she in the end failed, which will cost her, her life. That is exactly what we are doing when we say “at least we try.” Because unless we actually succeed to keep afloat and swim, we will drown. And when we drown, we will die.

Revelation 3:15-16 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’” So, in reality, you’re no better than anyone. Actually, you’re worse because you refuse to choose a side. You live in sin yet still call yourself saved and a Christian. Which many think is okay and just fine and dandy, but in reality, it is quite dangerous. But why? Why is it so dangerous? Proverbs 21:27 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.” Many will say they are not wicked, which is understandable according to our cultural definition of wicked. We have defined a wicked person as being a murderer, a rapist, a pedophile, etc., certainly not someone who is lukewarm. But the problem is this isn’t going based on our cultural definition, but God’s definition. Let’s just go through this verse and try to understand what it means according to God’s definition.

First is sacrifice. What is sacrifice? It is not bringing a lamb and killing it on a stone table. And no sacrifice is not done away with. Though Jesus was the final and ultimate sacrifice we still bring forth a sacrifice. A spiritual sacrifice. Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” So we do still bring sacrifices, we just do them a little differently. You bring yourself as a sacrifice. By fasting. By worshipping instead of doing what you want to do. By giving up false idols that have taken the place of God. By praying. These are acts of sacrifice. Therefore anyone who calls themselves saved brings forth a sacrifice. Some feel that this is enough. That all they have to do is bring a sacrifice every once in a while and then just keep on sinning. That’s not at all how it works. Hebrews 1:26-27 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” When you continue to deliberately live in sin, but still continue to bring a sacrifice, that sacrifice loses meaning but instead becomes a judgment.

Second is the wicked. Who are the wicked? According to God, every man and woman’s heart is wicked from a young age. Genesis 8:21 “And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.’” So, every man and woman are evil without Jesus. Genesis 13:13 “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.” So we can see that God defines someone who sins are great before Him as being wicked. We have all committed sin worthy of hell’s fire. 1 Corinthians 9-10 “⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Therefore, we are all wicked for we are all, at some point in time, great sinners before the LORD. Matthew 7:9-11 “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” They were evil because they were without Jesus. They were hypocrites without salvation.

And last is Abomination. What is an abomination? According to the Oxford Dictionary, an abomination is “a thing that causes disgust or hatred.” According to the Bible, the word abomination means “something abominable, something detestable, something despicable. Here’s an example of what an abomination is to the LORD. Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” Proverbs 3:32 “For the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence.” Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but He loves him who pursues righteousness.” Those are just three of the countless verses that define an abomination before the LORD, and every one of us has committed or still commit at least one of them. So where do you think that those who commit abominations go? To the ghettos of Heaven? To a small little shack right outside the gates? No. They go to Hell. They are thrown into the eternal flame. Many will say “But I love Jesus,” but Jesus’ definition of love and our definition of love are two very different things. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Matthew 7:21 “‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Don’t allow your sin to have power over you and cause you to give up your salvation. Instead, take control of your sin, deny your flesh daily. I’m not going to lie to you it will be difficult. It will be painful. There may be tears, but each day slowly but surely it will become easier. And you will have dominion over it. Mark 9:43“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.” Let me clarify, Jesus does NOT want you to cut off your hand, but he is speaking about cutting off things that cause you to sin. That can be anything from a TV show to a person. Don’t allow anything to stop you from the glory and blessings of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stop Just Trying.

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Next Steps

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” ~ John 3:19

All our lives we’ve been taught that if we see a bright light, run the opposite direction. Maybe we should run towards it instead…. here’s something to think about… When we sin, do we do it in the light or in the dark? When we cheat, sleep around, steal, lie, do drugs, etc. we do these things in the dark (in secret). The only time we share we did these things with others, is when they are in the dark right there with us. We don’t go willingly into the light and boast about these things, we feel uncomfortable, it feels wrong. We even refer to some things that are wrong as “coming out of the closet.”

Why? Because the closet is dark. We hide what we know as being wrong in the dark. We get easily offended, and we’re constantly on guard when we are living half in the dark and half in the light. It’s like we become vampires… vampires thrive in darkness, they can’t live without it. That’s what our flesh is, a vampire. If you want to kill a vampire you have to put it in the light. When you do it starts to burn, you act out irrationally, you’re in pain, it feels like you’re dying. When you bring your flesh into the light long enough, it will sooner or later die, just as the vampires would. But what is the light? Jesus said that we are the light of the world. But what does that have to do with anything?

James chapter 5 tells us to confess our sins to one another. In doing this, we become each other’s light. When your flesh is hiding in the dark, you have someone to shine in that darkness and help you kill your flesh. Proverbs tells us that iron sharpens iron. We are one body, and no one nerve, no organ, no single drop of blood can survive on its own. Find someone who will be your light when you are dark, and who you can be their light when they are dark.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go into the Light.

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