Tag: Spiritual

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The Power To Hurt

38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ~ Matthew 5:38-48NIV

The quote

“There’s no such thing as safe love. Real love means giving someone the power to hurt you.”

has been living rent free in my head for a few weeks now. It’s been just replaying through my head over and over and over again. Such a difficult concept to grasp. Such a difficult pill to swallow. True love is giving someone the power to hurt you. That’s not an easy standard to live by.

This isn’t just a good sounding quote either, Christ confirms this belief. Paul told us:

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; 7 rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8NIV

Let that sink. Christ gave up His Godly form, set it aside and took on the form of man. Then, died for the sins of the whole world, knowing fully well that the majority of humanity would refuse to believe. He loved even though He knew that He would be hated. His love was, is, and always will be unconditional. This is the kind of love we are to walk in.

The kind of love that allows others to hurt us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should get involved or remain in abusive relationships. What I’m saying is when we love, we shouldn’t love with the expectancy of that love being returned or reciprocated. We should love, even when someone hurts us. We should love, even when we are the victim. We should love, even when they are deemed undeserving.

If your enemy is hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. If they are naked, clothe them. Our actions should never be to return hate with hate. It should always be to return hate with love. It should always be turn the other cheek.

Dear LORD, thank You for loving me, even when I was a sinner. Thank You for never taking away the opportunity to love You. Please forgive me for all of the times I have not loved others as You have loved me. Please uproot any root of bitterness that has been planted and is growing inside of me. Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to be Christ to others and share Your Light with all I come across. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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A Yoke Of Slavery

13 Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ~ Numbers 11:13NIV

Moses had just delivered the people out of Egypt. They had been slaves for 400 years. When the burden of slavery became too hard for them, they cried out to the LORD, and the LORD answered them. He sent a deliverer and delivered them.

Now, they are free. No longer enslaved. No longer with a heavy burden that weighs them down. They thankful hearts didn’t last long. They soon began to grumble and complain. First it was hunger. Then it was that they were tired of the food they were given to eat and wanted meat. They commissioned and complained to the point where Moses had had enough, and could no longer take it.

Imagine being enslaved to the point where your baby boys are murdered in front of you. You and your family are worked tirelessly. Beaten and whipped. So you pray for intervention and when God intervenes, you’re only thankful for a short while because you don’t have the same foods as you did in slavery.

So many times God intervenes on our behalf, and we are thankful in the moment but we forget too quickly. We willingly return to slavery in order to have a snack. We trade freedom from our stomachs. Let that sink in. We trade our freedom to return to slavery.

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1NIV

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

2 Peter 2:19 NIV

Sometimes, we trade freedom for tradition and legalism. We trade God’s freedom for manmade doctrines. Other times we trade freedom for desires. The Israelites of Moses’ day knowingly said they would rather be slaves in Egypt than follow God in the wilderness, today we do the same. We say we would rather be bound by tradition, legalism, and manmade doctrine than to be free in Christ Jesus.

Dear LORD, thank You for saving my soul. Thank You for redeeming me from my sins and giving me freedom in You. Please forgive me for each and every time I chose slavery over freedom. Please forgive each and every time I have fallen back into sin and given into my fleshly desires instead of remaining in Your perfect and holy will. I ask that You would please strengthen me and teach me. That You would uphold me when I fall, so that I might not remain down, but that I might get up and keep going. Please guide me and lead me in the path You have for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Live In Abundance

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. ~ John 10:10CSB

I can honestly say, I’m not really sure what to say. The last couple days I’ve felt extremely defeated, discouraged, and alone, but this morning I woke up and all of the burdens were just gone. The craziest part is, as I was embracing this pure joy and peace of mind, I could feel something tugging at me wanting me to pick the burden back up and carry it longer because after all, the feelings were justified.

It’s crazy how the flesh and the enemy work together in order to defeat you. Satan doesn’t want you free and neither does your flesh. Your flesh has been corrupted. It’s filled with wickedness, bitterness, lust, anger, unforgiveness, etc. This is the importance of crucifying the flesh daily. We must put our flesh in check, or we’ll be defeated inside and out.

The enemy’s desire is for our destruction, whether spiritually or physically, he desires to destroy us. So, when we come to Christ and He picks up our burdens and takes them from us, the enemy tries to lie to us and use our flesh to tell us we need to carry those burdens. That we need to be broken and hurt, angry and bitter, because of what has been done. Christ says, give that to me and I’ll carry it for you. Give it to me and I’ll give you love, joy, and peace. I’ll give you everlasting life.

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ comes to bring life and life more abundantly.

Did I do everything right? Absolutely not. I never do. Nor does any other human. Did I pass the test? I believe this love, joy, and peace I feel right now is proof that I did. You don’t have to get every single thing right. That’s impossible. You do, however, have to pass the test. You have to not give the Devil room to accuse and destroy. You have to learn to kneel down at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to take your burdens from you. Give them to Him, and He will give you peace.

LORD, I’m sorry for all of the times I refused to come to You and lay my burdens down at Your feet. Thank You for never giving up on me. For never leaving me. For never forsaking me. Thank You for loving me. For giving me peace. For giving me hope and a future. Search me, oh LORD, and show me the unforgiveness in my heart. Help me to let it go, LORD. Here is my hurt, shame, and pain. I lay it at Your feet. Help me to lay it at Your feet and to never pick it up again. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Call To Lean

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV

Have you ever felt just emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted? Like, no matter what you say or do, it’s never good enough? Like no matter how many times you get up, someone or something pushes you right back to the floor? That’s where I’m at…

Recently I’ve just been struggling to do basic everyday things. My drive has been drained and my body is just screaming we can’t go any longer. One minute I’m starving, the next I’ve completely lost my appetite. The more I analyze what goes before these feelings, the more I realize it’s the words and actions of others around me that are draining me. Yepp, I’m right back to where I began again.

It’s the little things that really get me. Someone says or does something that causes you discouragement and then instead of trying to encourage you and help you, they tell you not to listen to the voices in your head as if you made the whole thing up. As if you’re crazy. Or if you say something someone doesn’t like, they just begin to lecture you, and it becomes a daily occurrence. When they point out they didn’t do it the previous day or two, it’s because you had stopped talking, so there was nothing to lecture on.

When the Devil wants to go in for the kill, he uses those around you. Those you trust. Those he knows can crush you the most. When Jesus was arrested, who was it because of? One of His own close friends, Judas. When He was being mocked and slapped before the High Priest, and they were spitting on Him laughing in His face, who was it that denied Him in those moments? His best friend, Peter.

The Devil will use those closest to you, to try to destroy you. To try to finish you. But each day you have to get back up again. You have to keep going forward. You have to overcome. It isn’t easy. It’s quite exhausting. It isn’t a quick walk around the park. It’s quite discouraging. But that’s when you lean on the LORD. That’s when you fall at His feet and call out His name, for when we humble ourselves before Him and seek Him with all of our heart. He hears us. We find Him. And He picks us up.

Even when the whole world feels like it’s against, the LORD God is for you. Even when it feels like you don’t even have a friend to call on for help, Jesus is that friend. He will never leave you, nor forsake you, but it’s on you to call His name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Call To Lean.

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Be A Sam

17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. ~ Proverbs 17:17NIV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12NIV

Every one of us has burdens that weigh us down. Burdens that cause us stress, pain, heartache, or oppression. The book of Proverbs says:

17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17NIV

We are to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11), help each other when one stumbles (Luke 22:32). We are to be a Samwise Gamgee to our friends.

In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins is given a powerful ring that he must carry across the earth to destroy it. No one else can carry this burden for him. Despite this, his gardener, Samwise Gamgee, goes with him and refuses to leave his side. He constantly saves and protects Frodo throughout his journey. Even when Frodo, essentially, betrays him, Sam comes to Frodo’s rescue. At the end of their journey when Frodo is so overwhelmed and worn out from his burden, he can no longer walk. So Sam, scoops him up in his arms and says:

I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.

And he carries Frodo the rest of the way so that he could fulfill his purpose. Sam didn’t care about the power the ring could give him. He didn’t care about the fact that Frodo had betrayed him, or that he himself was tired and exhausted. Sam was there for Frodo whenever he needed a friend. That is the kind of friendship God is calling us to.

A friendship that isn’t selfish and self-serving, but one of selflessness and love. One of carrying someone when you can’t carry their burden for them. Being a shoulder to lean on or a hand to hold. We are called to be more than just a good friend, we are called to be Christ to the world.

The only way we can do that, is to start by building our lives on the Rock. And building up our spirit man. We have to spend time in the Word of God. We have to pray, fast, and worship. We have to make God our main priority, so that when we have the opportunity to be a Samwise Gamgee, we’ll be strong enough to do so.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be A Sam.

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The Root Obstacle

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ~ John 15:1-4NIV

I’ve been really focusing on growing this year, and I’ve seen definite growth, but sometimes it just feels exhausting. I’ve been focusing on one fleshly obstacle at a time; right now, it’s turning the other cheek, and keep going forward. In other words, not allowing other people’s actions or words to negatively affect me. To be honest, it’s difficult. It feels like every time I take a step forward and I begin to see these things no longer bother me, the Devil hits me with multiple combinations, and I just seem to fall and fail to get up for a while.

Our enemy studies us nonstop. While it may not physically be the Devil himself, it’s his kingdom that we have to face daily in battle. And it’s his kingdom that watches us daily. They study us to know our limitations and weaknesses better than we ourselves know. So, what then? Is it a losing battle against an enemy that we can’t see, that knows us better than we know ourselves? It is when we try to do it in our own strength.

When Christ came to earth, the Psalmist and the author of the book of Hebrews wrote that when He took on human flesh, He became a little lower than the angels. Therefore, all humans are lower than angels. If demons and evil spirits can’t be cast out by our own power, then we’d be lower than them as well. Therefore, when we try to fight the enemy in our own strength we’re going to lose each and every time. We may see a win here and a win there, but ultimately, we’ll lose every time because those wins and gains aren’t real wins. Those wins are like little punches that landed against our opponent but didn’t do anything else. They got us on the scoreboard but we failed to actually be any competition for him.

This is my biggest downfall. Every time I begin to thrive and move forward and see a change in my life, one thing holds me back from reaching that goal. Consistency. I find consistency to be my biggest struggle. God promises that if we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. He promises that when we enter behind the curtain, He will meet with us in the cloud. But I, to my own downfall and destruction, don’t meet with Him daily. Yes, I pray every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed, but I don’t consistently spend time with Him outside of those two meetings.

I’ll be consistent for a week or even a month or two at a time, and then I just fall off the wagon. Life gets in the way. Or I get sick, and my schedule is completely thrown off, and then I can never get it back again. The enemy knows our weaknesses, and he uses it against us. So, what’s the solution? I guess the solution would be to get to the root of the issue. If my biggest issue that stops my growth in every other area of my life is consistency, then my focus has to shift to that.

Unless I learn to be consistent in my walk with the LORD, nothing will permanently change in my life. Paul, the greatest apostle who ever lived, put it this way:

25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27NIV

I don’t believe Paul was saying he was afraid of giving up or turning his back on the faith. I believe Paul was saying that he puts his body into subjection so that he doesn’t become lazy in his faith. So that his relationship with Christ doesn’t become stagnant. So that he never stops bearing good fruit.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the time I have wasted not being consistent in with You. Please forgive me for every time I’ve taken You for granted and tried to grow in my own strength and in my own power. Please help me to crucify my flesh daily so that I might take up my cross and follow You. Thank You for Your many blessings and Your unfailing love and mercy. Help me to make meeting with You my biggest priority in my, and not an inconvenience. Show me how to walk in righteousness and in Your Truth. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Spiritual Blindness

The LORD told Isaiah that He would cause the people of Israel to hear but not understand, to see but not perceive. If God is good, why would He cause them to not be able to understand in their hearts so that they would not be healed? Why would God cause His own people to not understand Him or His ways if He is a good and just God? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth of God’s seemingly harsh actions in his message, Spiritual Blindness.

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PDS

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13  But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” ~ Luke 18:9-14NIV

When we’re raised in the church, it’s very easy for us to get Pharisee Disorder Syndrome. Here’s what I mean. It’s easy for us to think ourselves better than other people. We may not like the way they carry themselves or their past. We may feel they shouldn’t even be allowed in any church because of who they are and their sin. Church isn’t meant to be a place where self-righteous people go in order to make themselves feel good or superior to others. Church is meant to be a hospital. A place of learning. A place of growth. A place to meet with and meet God.

If you go to church every Sunday and feel you’re good where you’re at and have nothing that needs to be worked on or fixed in your life, then you need a new church. When we gather together, we should see growth. We should learn something new. We should see change. Church should be like a current helping the water flow through you, the stream. If you’re remaining stagnant and you go to church every Sunday, you and your church are spiritually asleep, maybe even spiritually dead.

When Jesus comes back, He’s not looking for self-righteous, churchgoing people. He’s looking for branches that have borne good fruit. He’s looking for faith, even as small as a mustard seed. He’s looking for evangelists who went into their areas (at the very least) and shared His Gospel. He’s looking for prayer warriors who spent time on their knees, not just seeking the kingdom for themselves but praying for the underground church. He’s looking for more than just a churchgoer. He’s looking for more than just a Pharisaical believer.

Belief alone will never get you into heaven. Faith will save your soul, but once you’re saved you have to begin to run the race set before you. Faith without action is dead.

So, I ask you, “What are you doing with your faith?”

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the times I thought more of myself than I ought. Please forgive me for being an unjust judge and believing some aren’t worthy of even hearing about You. Please help me to love the world as You love the world. Help me to no longer hide my light under a basket. Instead, help me to shine it brightly so that all who come in contact with me see Your Light shining through me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Consider The Afterlife

19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21

Religion has been around from the very beginning. From Adam to Noah to Abraham, there has always been religion. One thing that each of these religions agreed on was that there was indeed life after death. They all agreed that this life didn’t end here and then we cease to exist. Each ancient religion believed in some form of an afterlife. The ancient Egyptians would bury their Pharaohs with their worldly possessions so that they could enjoy them in the afterlife. They’d even bury them with golden tongues so that they could speak with the deities in the afterlife. The Greeks would bury their dead with gold coins so that they could pay the ferryman to give them safe passage to the other side. Each afterlife was rooted in works, and most believed in the ability to take what you’ve made on earth with you. Then came Christianity.

See, all of these ancient religions, including Judaism, were based on works, whereas Christianity blatantly says salvation cannot be obtained by works because mankind is too flawed to ever reach perfection.

In the song Elijah, Rich Mullins sings:

But the Jordan is waiting
Though I ain’t never seen the other side
Still they say you can’t take in the things you have here
So on the road to salvation
I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride
And His music is already falling on my ears

True salvation can only be obtained through faith by grace. It is the grace of God coupled with our faith in Him that saves our soul from eternal damnation. So, on the road to salvation, we have nothing. We can’t buy our way in. We can’t bribe the doors when we get there. So what is there left to do but stick out our thumb and catch a ride from God?

We spend a lot of time building up treasures on this earth, which isn’t in itself a bad thing, but it should never be our main focus. Christ said seek the Kingdom of Heaven first and then all of those things will be added to you. As Christians, we should be storing up treasure in Heaven.

One day, this life will come to an end, and each one of us will have to stand before the throne of the living God. We will have to then give an account of our lives. We’ll be judged by our words and our actions. All things that we have built up in this life will be tested by fire. If our focus is just building up earthly treasure, it won’t pass the fire test but instead will be burned up. Why? Because this earth will not last forever. On that day, it will flee from the presence of God and will pass away, and with it, all of its treasures. But the Kingdom of God is an Everlasting kingdom and its treasures are eternal ones.

It’s easy to get caught up with the things of this world, but we must put our flesh in subjection to Christ. We must live to Christ and seek Him and His kingdom above all else, lest our treasures be burned up in the fire.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Consider The Afterlife.

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Get To Know Them

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” ~ Acts 17:22-23 NIV

I want you to notice that before Paul spoke to the people of Athens he first walked around carefully looking at their objects of worship. Paul was literally studying their religion in order to explain the Gospel to them. He didn’t just randomly walk up to them and start preaching. He first learned about who their god(s) were and what their culture was. Why? So that he could better explain Christ to them.

Today, the majority of Christians don’t take the time to actually learn what other people believe so when they encounter others, they’re arrogant in their speech and usually misrepresent or misquote their beliefs. As Christians we have to be ready to give a defense for each of our beliefs. And as Christians, we have to go out into all the world and share the Gospel. When all we do is say this is the way. This is the way, but never explaining why this is the way and their way is not, then we fail to see people converting to the Truth.

Each letter Paul wrote was specific to that Church and the culture they were in. Paul didn’t do a “one-size-fits-all” kind of evangelism. No. Paul wrote specific things to specific people. He never changed the Gospel, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying Paul personalized his evangelism.

Jesus did the same thing, as did Peter. Jesus used the Law of Moses and the Prophets in order to show He was teaching Truth and that He really was (is) the Messiah. Peter did the same. As did James, John, and Jude. They tailored their writings to their audience. They knew whom they were speaking to. They knew the beliefs and culture they were talking to.

Why today do we just write off others’ beliefs and then tell them they’re wrong? How does this save souls? It doesn’t. When we get to know someone else’s beliefs and we don’t just discount them as fables and lies, but instead show them that there is error in these beliefs and then show them the Truth (Jesus, Peter, James, Jude, and Paul all did), we’ll begin to see a change. We’ll begin to see a revival in the world.

Dear LORD, please help me crucify my flesh and build my spirit daily so that I might grow in Your Word and in wisdom and understanding. Help me to have patience with the world so that I might be able to be the light of the world, as You called me to be. Teach me, LORD, to not just dismiss other people’s beliefs, but instead to be able to show them the error of those beliefs and the Truth of Your Word. I pray that You would be me with boldness and confidence. I pray that You would lead me, guide me, and watch over me. That I might not keep Your light hidden away in me, but that I might let it shine brightly for the world to see. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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