Tag: Devotional

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Watch What You Consume

Genesis 30:37-43

[37] Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. [38] He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, [39] the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. [40] And Jacob separated the lambs and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them with Laban’s flock. [41] Whenever the stronger of the flock were breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, [42] but for the feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. [43] Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

I’ve read the story of Jacob and Laban many many times before, but it wasn’t until tonight when reading that I saw something more. I never realized the sticks were physically in the water the animals were drinking from. I always just thought it was placed in front of them, but it was actually IN their drinking supply.

So, when Jacob was carving those sticks, he was carving the image or type of animal he wanted into the sticks and then placed them into their water supply because they drank when they mated. So, they were literally drinking stripes into their bodies and filling their system with stripes so that they could give birth to stripes. I never noticed that before that they were literally drinking stripes to produce striped.

So, really what you put into yourself will be what you become. If you water yourself and feed yourself with movies, music, people filled with strong language and crudity, you will find your mind, your thoughts, your mouth thinking, pondering, and saying those things. You’ll find yourself being filled with what you put into you and what you are filled with, will be what comes from you as well.

Dear LORD, thank You that You never stop teaching us. That Your Word never becomes stagnant but is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. LORD, please continue to show me Your Truth. Show me things in Your Word that I missed before. Things that I overlooked. Teach me, LORD, I want to learn. I want to grow in You. I want to know You and Your heart. I want to grow in understanding and wisdom. Thank You, LORD for giving wisdom and understanding freely to anyone who asks. Thank You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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A Disruptive Enemy

[10] Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, [11] in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:10-11NIV

Oftentimes, when you’re close to a breakthrough or you’re right by the entrance to the next level or season God has for you, the Devil will come in to try to disrupt your life. He’ll attack anything and everything he can. Your job. Your church attendance. Your worship time. Your family. Your finances. Anything he can get his hands on. Anything he can use to keep you from growing, from moving forward, he will use.

So, we have to be on our guard. We have to encourage ourselves in the LORD. We have to be sure that we don’t allow the enemy to take away what the LORD has for us.

Dear LORD, thank You for giving me another day. Thank You that You work on me night and day. That You never just throw me aside and say You give up, but You keep working on me. You keep molding and remolding. LORD, please open my eyes to the works of the enemy. Help me to see the Devil’s schemes trying to destroy my life. Give me discernment that I might not be destroyed by the attacks, but that I might recognize them and know how to defeat them and defend myself. Teach me to watch and pray that I might not fall into temptation, but that I might overcome all the temptation sent my way. Help me to overcome and walk into the promises You have for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray,

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Pray With Intent

[11] And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. ~ Genesis 1:11

When God spoke to create, He was specific and intentional with His speech. He made it clear so that nothing could be taken out of context or misunderstood. He over-explained “fruit trees bringing forth fruit that is from its seed and kind.” When we speak, we have to be intentional with our words. We have to speak intentionally and pray intentionally. God created almost every single thing just by speaking. Therefore, words are powerful.

When we pray, are we praying specifics or generalities? When we ask God for something, are we specific in our prayers or are we more general? LORD bless me. What do you mean by that? What do you want the LORD to do for you? How do you want Him to bless you? When we pray, we often times don’t see results because our prayers are too vague. Too general. If we want to see our prayers being answered and God moving in our lives, we have to be more specific and intentional with our prayers. We have to put more effort and thought into our prayers.

Dear LORD, thank You that You are a loving and patient God. That You don’t just write me off when I mess up, but that You show me and guide me to the Truth. LORD, please help me to become specific in my prayers. Teach me  how to pray prayers that will move You on my behalf, oh LORD God. Give me the words that I might get Your attention. Help me to not just be general in my prayers but to pray bold, specific, intentional prayers that moves You, oh LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Bel’s Destruction

2 “Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’” ~ Jeremiah 50:2

God wasn’t just saying that He was destroying Babylon, but the source of its power, its god. Not just its main god but the title of their god, so that none might take it up again and raise Babylon to its heights, it once was. See, the name Bel was a title. A title that wasn’t unique to Marduk or Merodach. It was originally used by the Sumerians as a title for their chief god, Enki, but when Babylon displaced Sumer and became the most powerful kingdom of its time under King Nebuchadnezzar, his god became Bel. His god took over the title and became the chief god.

God, when He crushes Babylon, will crush the chief god of Babylon and its title. He will destroy it so that none can rise in its place. So that none could rise up and restore Babylon.

Yes, there are other gods. Yes, there are other powers. Yes, they do indeed have power, but they cannot compare to our God. For our God is the God of gods. He is the King of kings. And LORD of lords. He is the Great I Am who puts all into submission under Him. It’s at His feet that all in Heaven, on Earth, and under the earth will bow. He is the LORD God from everlasting to everlasting. He is the Almighty.

Thank You, LORD, that You are a good, good God. For if You were malevolent, who could stand against You? If you were unjust, who could right Your wrongs? But You, oh LORD, are a good God. You are just. You are loving. You are kind. You, oh LORD, keep order in the heavens. You, oh LORD, sit on Your throne prepared to judge the gods for their unjust judgment on the earth, coming against Your people. Attacking Your children. You, oh LORD, rule with justice. Thank You, LORD, for always coming to our aid. Always defending us when we call on Your name. Thank You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Let The Potter Reshape His Clay

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” ~ Jeremiah 18:1-6

I was just sitting here trying to fix a console I had bought a few months ago that wasn’t working. I had taken it apart. Cleaned it up. Bought a replacement part for it. Still nothing. And so I decided to give it another go tonight, and when I tested it, it flashed on the screen and then the screen went black, and I got really excited. It wasn’t fixed, but it was closer than it was before.

And as that excitement became more and more noticeable to me, it hit me, this is how God feels about us. See, I didn’t make that system. It’s not even one I had as a child. It’s not even a system I had growing up, but I can’t help but try to fix it. We aren’t just some random system God bought from someone who didn’t want us anymore, and now He’s trying to see if He can fix us up and sell us to make a profit.

No, God created us. He formed us in our mother’s womb. He knitted us together. He knows the number of each hair on our head. And when we fail. When we run from Him and make ourselves dirty, it seems unfixable. It seems like we’re too far gone, but God is still chasing us down. He leaves the 99 for the 1. He looks for His sheep, and when He finds us, He rejoices. I felt such excitement and joy when I saw that screen flash because I knew I was on the right track. I knew it was getting close. I can only imagine how much joy the LORD feels when we come home to Him. When we fall at His feet and say, here I am, LORD, have me. Use me. I am Yours.

Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, we are just dust. But to God, we are clay worth saving. To God, we are His people, and He loves us. Just as a father will always love his wayward child, so does our Heavenly Father always love us. He wants us to come home to Him, and when we do, He reshapes us. He renews us. He forgets our sin, our transgressions, for His own sake. He remembers not our past, but instead, He focuses on now and tomorrow. So, let us do the same.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let The Potter Reshape His Clay.

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Learn To Defend

2 Timothy 3:16-17

[16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The Bible is composed of 66 books, written by about 40 writers, over a time period of about 1500 years, yet there is no contradiction. Let that sink in for a second. 66 different books written by approximately 40 different writers over a time period of about 1500 years, and there are no contradictions. That is evidence that it is God-breathed alone. Think about it. A TV show written by a handful of writers in a room together will contradict themselves on the show in later seasons. Movie sequels will contradict the prequels. Yet, the Bible has no contradictions and has been preserved for over 3500 years.

People will deny these facts saying the Bible is full of contradictions, but when you read the context of those so-called contradictions, you will find that there actually is none. They believed their hypothesis was true before they sought out to prove it true, this tainting their search and clouding their judgment.

Peter tells us that we need to be prepared to give a reason we believe the things we do. In other words, we need to know our Bible and be able to defend our beliefs when they are attacked or questioned by the unbeliever. We need to know the reason one says Judas hung himself and another says his insides spilled out. We need to know why one says Mary went to the tomb and another says Mary and others went to tomb. Why one says one genealogy and the other says another. We need to know our Bible and we need to always seek the LORD for understanding of His Word, so that we might be prepared for any questions to our faith.

The Bible is without flaw or contradiction, as it is the Word of God. Why? Because it has but one author, the LORD God Himself who gave man the words to write. If the LORD God gave us His Word, the least we can do is learn it and defend it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Learn To Defend.

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Ovid’s Hate

Matthew 23:13, 15

[13]  But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. [15] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Luke 11:52

[52] Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.

Myths, religions, beliefs, etc., all interest me. What people believe and why they believe it always piques my interest. One ancient story that I find interesting is the ancient Greek story of Medusa. Medusa was one of three monstrous sisters with wings, scaly bodies, fangs, and brass or bronze hands. Hideous and frightening to look at, whose gaze turned its victims to stone. And most notably, snakes for hair. In the original Greek myth, they were always monstrous beasts. Hideous. Ferocious. Terrifying. But 700-800 years later, a Roman author changed Medusa’s story.

Ovid, an ancient Roman poet, wrote in his Narrative Poem “Metamorphoses” that Medusa was once a beautiful woman desired even by the gods. One day, Poseidon (Neptune), the god of the sea, raped Medusa in the temple of Athena (Minerva). Instead of finding comfort, peace, or empathy from the goddess, being that it took place in her temple, Medusa was cursed by Athena (Minerva). She turned the locks of her hair into snakes and turned her gaze into a petrifying gaze that turned those who looked upon her into stone. So, why the change?

Ovid was exiled by Emperor Augustus around 8 AD. Because of this, he took gods who were originally just, wise, and trying to do good by the people, and turned them into the villains of the story. His anger and chip on his shoulder, stemming from his exile by the emperor, led him to distort the gods’ very depiction, character, and desires. His story is the one portrayed today, not the original. It’s the one used by women in the feminist movement. It’s the one society knows, yet it’s not the original. To this day, it is used to show why gods are all evil at their root and/or even the idea of a loving god is folly.

One man changed the legacy of the gods for millennias. Today, in the church, this happens as well. People who have been hurt push their ideologies into the Word of God. They distort characters, peoples, the gods of old, and the LORD God Himself. They allow their own thoughts, opinions, and feelings to influence their judgment. To influence their understanding. So, they lean not on God or His intention of His Word. They lean solely on their own understanding, desires, hurts, and hearts.

When we do this, we corrupt the Truth. We distort God’s Word for ourselves and others. We become a hindrance to those seeking the Truth and a pitfall to those who hate the same way.

Dear LORD, thank You that You are a forgiving and merciful God. A God that loves and gives Himself for His people. One of patience, mercy, and grace. Please forgive me for distorting Your Word. For allowing my feelings, pain, hurt, heart’s desires, and hate to confuse and distort my understanding of Your Word. Please forgive me. If I have led others away with any false belief, please forgive me and show them the Truth of Your Word. Teach me Your Truth and not my own. Hear my plea for understanding and wisdom, for You give to anyone who will ask and seek diligently. Teach me, oh LORD. Hear me from Heaven. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Pray For Your Persecutors

23  A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly. ~ Proverbs 12:23

Posting videos online comes with people hating you for absolutely no reason other than they ultimately hate God but can’t get to Him, so you’re the next best thing. We recently got a span of sixteen hateful comments from two random people (hiding behind fake names) having a conversation about how much they hate “Christ-tards” and our God. One explained that God had to be evil to create something as cruel as winter because only the rich can enjoy it, and the poor homeless people suffer. The absurdity of the messages just kind of blew my mind. How silly they sounded while thinking they were wise and enlightened beyond their years. The other made claims of how evil God is and how God Himself claims to create evil in the Bible.

These kinds of comments no longer anger me but genuinely confuse me. If you hate a religion or group of people that much, why are you watching their videos and going out of your way to let them know you hate them and their God (which, by the way, they claim they don’t believe in)? It makes no sense. There’s no reasoning in it. But that’s what happens when you allow hatred and ignorance to consume you.

Hatred is blinding and numbing. It blinds you to the Truth so that you can dwell in the lies that stir and flame the hatred within you, so you never truly realize you are even ignorant in the first place. When hatred gets a hold of you, there’s little wisdom and understanding can do to help. Now, it’s up to the LORD to change your heart. It’s up to the LORD to soften your heart, but He’ll never do it against your will. He will never do it unless you want to know the Truth and not your own twisted version of it.

What a slippery slope hatred is. One that leads to death. One that few are able to return from. Debate and Truth cannot help alone, but coupled with prayer and faith, anything is possible. That is why we love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us, and we bless those who curse us. We do not return railing for railing, but instead we turn the other cheek, and we love, even when it’s difficult and feels impossible, we love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Your Persecutors.

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Don’t Burn The Harvest

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:37-38

35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. ~ John 4:35

There’s a term Christians use that I’m really not a fan of, and it’s the term abomination. It’s like it’s an arsenal for attack to make sure that one sinner knows how much more of a sinner they are than all other sinners. Like, look how much God hates this sin above all other sins. When in reality, the word abomination is used to describe multiple sins in the Bible, not just same-sex relations.

When we try to isolate sin and rate it as more evil than another based on our own opinions and feelings, that is when we begin to misuse Scripture to cause hurt or harm to another. When we do this, shame and self-hatred begin to consume others. Identity begins to be destroyed, and a lot of times it causes great division between them, God, and the Church. Our goal is to change lives for the better. Our mission is to win souls for Christ. Not to burn the fields, but to harvest them.

The fields are white onto harvest. Their hearts are yearning for the Truth. So many are seeking and never finding because we, as the Church, as the body of Christ, do not do our job as followers of Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Burn The Harvest.

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Prepare Today For Tomorrow

[33] I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

When I was a child, one of my favorite movies was Matilda. As I get older, the more I liked the musical version of Matilda, as well. In it is a song called, “When I Grow up.” In the song, all the children sing about how easier life will be when they grow up.

They’ll be tall enough to reach the branches you can’t as children. Smart enough to answer questions you need to know the answers to before you’re grown up. Strong enough to carry all the heavy things. Brave enough to fight the creatures that you have to fight beneath the bed each night to be a grown up.

This to such a sad song when I think about it. The world only gets harder as time goes on, as you get older. There’s never a point in time that we suddenly have no more cares of worries in the world. These children’s outlook on adulthood is very much like One new Christian’s ideas of Christianity, like somehow being saved will stop and end all troubles. An unrealistic and unbiblical outlook of life.

Just like adulthood, a Christian, especially a seasoned Christian, faces challenges that are difficult. That don’t necessarily have a clear answer. That take a lot of hard work and effort. That you don’t just wake up and know one day. Challenges and obstacles that take practice and preparation, time and building in order to overcome.

You’ll never just wake up are day and be good enough. You have to work at it duly Grow Train up yourself. Prepare before the obstacle comes.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare Today For Tomorrow.

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