Tag: Spiritual

Revelation 3:15-22,

[15]  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

I’ve been doing a little early Church research and in my research I found that the first theological sound use of the term Trinity was by a man named Tertullian. In c. 213 AD he wrote:

“The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and each is God. But there is one God, by unity of substance, not number of persons. They are **three**, not in status, but in relation; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in manifestation. They are **one** in essence, but distinguished as **Trinity** by their roles.”

**”Trinitas unius Divinitatis”** — “a Trinity of one Divinity”

Tertullian was arguing against Praxeas, who taught modalism— the idea that God is one person who merely appears in different “modes” (Father, Son, Spirit). Tertullian strongly opposed this, emphasizing that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons, yet one in essence.

This word Trinity gave us a way to easier express our God. For our God is three, yet one. Three distinct persons yet one God. As I continued my research, I found that Tertullian came from North Africa, specifically, Carthage, modern-day Tunisia. This very much so caught my attention.

Out of Tunisia came the explanation of the foundational and fundamental belief for Christianity, The Trinity. Today, Tunisia is an Islamic nation. The national religion of Tunisia is Islam. The belief that is taught throughout the country is that there is no Trinity. That the teachings of the Trinity are either false teachings and that Allah is god and Allah has no son.

Imagine, the nation that gave us the word Trinity to explain the intrinsic identity of God recorded throughout Scripture, has now become a nation where you will be persecuted if you proclaim that you believe in the Trinity. In the 7^th century Tunisia went from a Christian nation to a Islamic nation. How? The Islamic Conquests.

Throughout Scripture, we are told that under persecution we grow. In tribulation our endurance is strengthened. So, what happened? I believe that when we take our religion, our faith, and our freedoms for granted they are taken from us. Tunisia gave us great early Church leaders in the faith, and yet today, that history is often forgotten. When we allow the flame to die, it gives way to enemy to take control.

The enemy can conquer our physical bodies but our spirits, our souls, our eternal beings he cannot. We have to give it to him. We do that not by saying a spell, performing a ritual, or signing our name in blood, but by becoming lukewarm. By becoming comfortable in our walk with God.

When we stop fanning the flame, the fire dies and the coals begin to cool. And what’s left? A lukewarm pile of ash. We are called by God to be on fire for Him. His Word, His call on our lives should be like a fire shut up in our bones that we cannot do anything but follow Him. We should be clinging to our Bible that aren’t illegal. Excited for church in Sundays that we don’t have to fear being arrested for attending.

When we have an abundance of freedoms, we begin to take them for granted and when we do we begin to drift into a heavy slumber. It’s when we slumber that the enemy makes his move. He isn’t an impatient enemy. He’ll wait us out, just as he’s done for millennias. The question is, are you going to allow him the opportunity or are you going to fight for your soul, your faith, and your nation?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fan The Flame.

 

1 Samuel 4:10-11 NIV

[10] So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. [11] The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

During this time, Israel had no king. Israel was ruled by a judge. Eli judged the nation of Israel for forty years. During his time, his sons openly lived in sin (which he did not put a stop to) and Israel did not hear from God. Now towards the end of his life when he hears that the LORD has had enough of his lukewarmness and his sons’ evil acts, Israel goes to battle.

But the LORD wasn’t with them in battle, so they tried to force God’s hand by getting the Ark of the Covenant (where the presence of God rested) and went back to battle. What happened? God’s presence did not remain with them and the Ark of the Covenant was taken by their enemies. Eli’s two sons were killed. And Eli himself died when he heard the Ark was taken.

I want you to notice something. Just because they had the Ark didn’t mean that the LORD was with them. When the leader of a nation does not have God with them, the nation does not have God with them either. Does that mean that God abandons individuals within those nations that have leaders like this? No. God was still with Samuel, but as a nation, God was not with them.

Now, get this, the Ark did not return to Israel until a leader came forth who the LORD was with. It wasn’t until Eli was dead and Samuel became the new leader that the presence of the LORD returned to Israel. This is why we are to pray for our leaders.

We may not agree with everything they say or do, but as a nation, they are our head. And if the head of the nation is corrupt, then the entire nation is corrupt. The LORD will only dwell where He is wanted and pursued. Therefore, pray for your leaders. Pray for their salvation. Pray that the LORD Himself will guide them, keep them, and lead them as He did Samuel, so that His presence may always remain in our nation.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Your Nation’s Leaders.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness…

It’s really easy to feel genuine dislike or even hatred towards those who wrong you or mistreat you. It’s easy to hold a grudge. But this isn’t the love of God, this is the flesh of the world. See, your enemy isn’t a person. It’s not your boss, your ex, your critic, or even your circumstances. It’s darkness. Organized. Strategic. Relentless. Darkness.

We’re in a war. Not a physical one against other people. But a spiritual one. In this war, you’re either armed or the target. Awake or the victim. Your enemy? The Devil.

If we want to actually see a change in our lives we have to stop fighting people and start fighting darkness. How?  Through prayer. Standing for Truth, righteousness, and goodness. Putting on the full armor of God. And fasting. The armor is there—but you have to wear it. You have to put it on. You have to apply it. And you have to use.

Passive Christians lose ground. Armed Christians take it. Jesus has already won us the victory, all we have to do is fight in His name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight In His Name.

Acts of the Apostles 12:6-12 NLT

[6] The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. [7] Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. [8] Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. [9] So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. [10] They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. [11] Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” [12] When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

Peter was in prison—chained between soldiers, guarded on every side. But while the church prayed, an angel of the Lord came to his aid. The chains fell off. The doors opened. Peter walked out—free.

Not by his own strength. Not by clever plans. But by the power of God.

That’s the freedom Jesus offers us—not just from prisons with bars, but from fear, sin, shame, and anything that keeps us stuck.

This Independence Day, celebrate the freedom Christ gives—a freedom no chain can hold and no prison can keep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray To The Chain Breaking God.