Tag: Spiritual

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Throw Away The Frivolous

23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the LORD’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. ~ 2 Timothy 2:23-26

I recently met a couple who wouldn’t come to church because they didn’t like something the pastor said online a few years ago. To my surprise, it wasn’t false doctrine that upset them, or sinful speech, or anything of the sort. It was one video he did on aliens and the Bible. The pastor said online that there isn’t evidence for aliens in the Bible. He didn’t say there is no such thing as aliens. Or you’ll go to hell if you believe in aliens. Or anything of that nature. He said you can’t prove aliens exist using the Bible, which is a true statement. There are no planets in the Bible. There is no other intelligent design in the Bible. In the Bible, according to Genesis 1, everything was created around Earth. Heaven directly above. The sun, the moon, and the stars in between. There is no room for other planets, intelligent life forms, etc. in the Bible. None.

Think about how silly it is to keep your children from church, from learning about God, because the pastor said there aren’t aliens in the Bible. Paul warned against frivolous arguments causing division such as this. The moment we put science above Scripture and demand others do the same is the moment we replace God with Science. God is our source of Truth. His Word is how we know Him and His Truth. If we demand the Bible fit science, it’s no longer about God and His Truth. It’s now about man and what man has decided is truth.

Something as simple as whether or not the pastor believes in aliens should never keep us away from church. Ever. Is he teaching Truth? Is he using Scripture? Is it sound doctrine? Are you growing from his teachings? These are things that matter. These are the things that make going to church worth it. If the shepherd of the flock is blind, deaf, or mute, then the entire flock is in danger. The pastor is the shepherd of the flock in his church. His congregation. He is responsible for feeding them the Word of God, leading them into the presence of God, and teaching them sound doctrine. We use any and every little excuse to not come to church, when there are those in the underground Church willing to risk their lives just to hear someone talk about God. Talk about Jesus.

We let the simplest things separate us from God. Who cares whether aliens exist or not? What does that matter in the grand scheme of things? Nothing. It matters not. What matters is “Do you know the LORD?” “Do your children know the LORD?” Imagine standing before the LORD on Judgment Day and having to explain to Him that you refused to go to church because of your strong belief in aliens. Where is your strong belief in the LORD? Where is your strong desire to learn about the LORD and all that He has done for you?

Our time left on this earth is very short. We don’t have much time left here to sacrifice our time of worship and gathering together as one body to learn about our God. We don’t have that much time left. So, what are you doing with that time? Are you making time for God? Are you making time to go to church and learn of Him? Are you making time to fast and pray? Are you making time to grow spiritually in Him and with Him? Don’t waste what little time you have left dividing yourselves with frivolous arguments and beliefs. The Church should never be divided unless one teaches another Gospel than Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Throw Away The Frivolous.

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Feed Their Curiosity

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-7

5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. ~ Psalms 78:5-8

As a child, I always thought it was strange and quite funny that our God was the only God referred to as God in the Bible. I thought it was strange that everyone else referred to their god by a name, whether Baal, Molech, Asherah, Dagon, etc., but when referring to our God, it was simply God. As I got older, I realized it’s not that our God has no name, or isn’t called by a name, or even that His Name is God, but that the name of God wasn’t emphasized or clearly translated in the Bibles we read. That my teachers at school, when I brought it up, were either ignorant of why or simply didn’t see it as important for me or my classmates to know or understand. We’re forced to take Bible class, learn random Bible verses, the kings of Israel and Judah in order, random Bible stories they deemed important, but we’re not actually pushed to understand the Bible. Not actually taught to study the Bible. Not actually raised to love the Bible.

Proverbs warns us that we have to raise up a child in the way they should go. How can we do that when we don’t take the time to even learn the Bible ourselves? We want our children to learn, study, and love the Bible, when we, adults in the Church, don’t do any of those things. How can we want and expect our children to do something that we ourselves don’t do? We lead our children by example. If we tell them the Bible is important. It’s holy. It’s key to our lives, but if we won’t take time to learn it or, at the very least, search for answers to their questions, then our children will see that we say it’s important, but our actions say otherwise. They’ll see we say one thing but do another.

This life is filled with so many distractions and temptations; the world doesn’t need any help with that. We only have a short time to influence our children. We only have a few short years where we can teach them and raise them in the ways of righteousness, so don’t waste them. Don’t waste those years; take advantage of each moment. Encourage them in their walk with the LORD, lead by example, and answer questions. Don’t just brush off their curiosity; fuel it. Stir it up within. There is nothing on this earth better for them to be curious about than the LORD and His Word. And if they ask a question you don’t know the answer to, research it. Pray about it. And be honest; it’s okay to not know every single thing, but it’s not okay to just give up and shut them down. God doesn’t ever demand blind faith. He always makes Himself known first. He sends prophets, teachers, apostles, etc., for the building of the Church so that we might know, understand, and grow in His Word. So, how can we do any less?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Feed Their Curiosity.

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD (YHWH, Yahweh, Jehovah), the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

Exodus 3:15

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Be Proud Of Your God

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18

The oldest known depiction of Jesus on the cross isn’t in a Cathedral or sanctuary. It’s not a memorial place or Church. It’s graffiti on Rome’s Palatine Hill dating back to around 200 AD, mocking both a Christian and our LORD Jesus. The depiction is known as the Alexamenos Graffito with an ancient Greek inscription translating to “Alexamenos worships [his] God.’ It depicts a man worshipping one on the cross. The person on the cross? A man with a donkey’s head.

The artist attempted mockery. The goal to mock a Christian for worshipping a God who was crucified. Something they couldn’t fathom, something they saw as foolishness. So, they mocked him and his God. See, to the world, a God being crucified by His creation was absolute foolishness. How great could a God truly be if He allowed His own creation to crucify Him, the most gruesome, disparaging, humiliating, and shameful way to die? Today is no different. They can’t understand because it’s not of the World. It’s of the Spirit. God humbled Himself to save mankind. To save the creation He loves.

He took away the sting of death, the hold of the grave, and the power of Sin. Then He rose on the third day so that one day we will rise with Him. See, on that cross, the LORD cancelled every debt we had along with their legal demands. He did what no one else could. No human. No angel. No spiritual being in Heaven, on the Earth, or under the Earth. No one could accomplish what Christ did on the cross.

So, when you are mocked for your faith in Christ and your love for that old rugged cross, that is so shameful and despised, don’t feel any type of way because not only are you not alone, but the only feeling that you should be feeling is sadness for the one whose heart is hardened to God. Because regardless of what they believe, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will profess that Jesus Christ is LORD. Therefore, we don’t feel embarrassment, shame, or even anger or offense towards those who mock the cross; instead, we should feel sorry for them. We should pray that they won’t wait til’ that day comes to bow their knee and confess with their lips. Because that day there will be no more hope for them.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Proud Of Your God.

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Sacrifice The Flesh Through Christ

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. ~ Colossians 2:20-23

Paul writes to the people of Colossae not to fall into the trap of self-made religion that has an appearance of wisdom, but they don’t actually build the spirit-man in order to stop the indulgence of the flesh. Just because you are able to stop eating a certain food doesn’t mean you can overcome the flesh in your own power. I’ve seen many different people convince themselves that if they give up a certain food, especially pork, they’ll be good with God at the end of the day. They’ll somehow be better off than others.

I know someone personally who hasn’t eaten pork in a decade and thinks that will help him when he stands before God. He’s able to restrict himself in this one way but in nothing else. He gives in to his alcoholism, gambling, rage, and allows any and everything to fly out of his mouth, especially when he is angry. He’ll use the name of the LORD as profanity and His essence to curse, and not even bat an eye; but because he doesn’t eat pork, he thinks he is somehow more justified with God than a Christian who does eat pork.

Here’s the problem: he has no relationship with the LORD. It sounds good because he’ll point out that he’s keeping the Law, yet there is no other Law that he keeps. Not the Sabbath, the feasts, or even the other dietary laws. Nothing. Here’s the thing: we can’t redeem, fix, or change ourselves based solely on not doing something in the physical without Christ. Not eating pork isn’t going to get you brownie points with God. Afflicting your flesh without Christ is useless. There is nothing you can do to achieve Salvation. Nothing you can give or change to earn it. Salvation is a free gift from God given to those who have faith. That is the only way to the Father: faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Sacrifice The Flesh Through Christ.

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Look Back & Look Forward

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. ~ Nehemiah 8:1-3, 9-12

Nehemiah went from being the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia to the governor of Judah. Let me just explain how significant this is. They had been in captivity for over 100 years. Nebuchadnezzar tried to take away their very own identity and culture by teaching them Babylonian culture, literature, language, and even changed the names of the most promising of them. They went from Babylonian captivity to Persian captivity. By the time they returned and they read the Law of Moses, they wept. They mourned. It was a big deal. For the first time in over 100 years, they returned to the land of their fathers. To the land God had promised them. Men and women born into captivity in a foreign land who had no understanding of the Law of Moses until now. It’s the first time they’re hearing it read out loud publicly in the streets.

Now, let this sink in for a minute: they returned to their promised land on the first Day of Tishrei. The Feast of Trumpets. A feast that foreshadows the Messiah returning and bringing His Bride to be with Him forever. Now, let’s even add another layer to this: the Bride of the Lamb is described as the New Jerusalem. We are going up to Heaven to enjoy the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem that will one day be on this Earth. Nehemiah and his people returned to their Promised Land on the first day of Tishrei, the Feast of Trumpets, and one day we will be taken up to our Promised Land when our Savior returns.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look Back & Look Forward.

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Give up The Reins

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. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23

This is one of the most half-quoted and half-focused verses in the Church today. We hear and quote the words, “not everyone who says to me LORD, LORD will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” but that’s usually where we stop. We often quote this in terms of believing in Christ but living in sin. While I do believe those two things are incompatible, it’s a little more nuanced than that. It’s not just believing but fully submitting to God. To the Spirit for change, the Son for Salvation and redemption, and the Father for our path in life.

The will of the Father is so important that Christ submitted fully and completely to it, even when He could’ve said no. Even when He could’ve walked away, the Son submitted to the will of the Father. It’s not just about saying, ‘I believe ’; it’s about living ‘I believe.’ Fully and wholeheartedly submitting to God. In full humility. Submission to the Son for redemption and Salvation, to the Father for His will and plan, and to the Spirit for change and transformation. We have to fully give up our rights to ourselves and what we think is best. We have to give up the reins and allow God to lead us.

Faith isn’t just about what you believe to be true but how you live your life in regard to the Truth. Faith alone has never been enough. Abraham had faith in God, so he took his son to the mountain to fulfill any command God had given him. He didn’t fully understand, but he had faith. Faith in the God in whom he believed. We, the Church, are the Spiritual children of Abraham, and we are to follow in his footsteps by fully giving up our ownership of ourselves and all we have, just as he did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Give up The Reins.

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Reject The Rejection

10 … I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ~ John 10:10b

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

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

I recently saw a post the other day of one of my childhood movies. It was comparing two scenes from The Incredibles. The scene where Mr. Incredible tells Buddy to fly home and the flashback of Buddy remembering the event. The original event was Mr. Incredible in the middle of fighting a bad guy, while trying to send Buddy, who was a young child not knowing what he was doing, home to his parents. Buddy ultimately compromised the entire mission, allowing the bad guy to get away and putting several people’s lives at risk. Buddy’s flashback was Mr. Incredible coldly telling him to fly home. No bad guy. No danger. Nothing. Just a cold, heartless adult walking away from a child seeking his attention.

See, the Spirit of Rejection had gotten a hold of Buddy. He didn’t see the danger he was putting himself and others in. He didn’t see that he was just too young to be out there fighting crime. All he saw was no. That’s what rejection will do to you. It’ll dig itself deep inside of you, twisting events and conversations in order to make you feel alone. Make you feel like no one cares. Make you feel rejected.

Rejection will blind you from the Truth in order to keep control over you. In order to keep you bound so that other spirits like anger, rage, depression, anxiety, fear, trust issues, etc. So, what do we do? We have to first identify the root cause of the rejection, and then give it to God. We have to pray for discernment to see what has opened this door in us and then seek the LORD to close that door.

We don’t have to live our lives in pain. Angry. Depressed. Anxious. Fearful. We aren’t meant for that life. We are meant for so much more. We are meant for life and life more abundantly. A life in Christ Jesus with love, hope, and peace. A life where we know who we are and who we are in Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Reject The Rejection.

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We Need Your Fire LORD Pt. 2: Useless Fire

No longer do we bring physical sacrifices on a physical altar before the LORD. We no longer slay the lamb and sprinkle its blood on the altar. Now, each of us must bring a spiritual sacrifice on a spiritual altar. So, what does that mean for us today? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he reminds us of the dangers of corrupted sacrifices in his message, We Need Your Fire, LORD Pt. 2: Useless Fire.

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Look Past The Cute Unicorn

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” ~ Matthew 13:24-30

Parents are currently taking their young children to see a new movie without even checking to see what it’s about first. Now, you may be wondering: what’s the big deal if they don’t research every single movie before taking their kids to see it? The film they’re taking their young children to see is a horror film. It’s a dark what-if spin on Barney. How is this happening?

Parents see a cute unicorn in a show with some smiling kids that gives the same feels as Barney did, and so they take them to see it. No checking first. No reading what the film’s about. Nothing. Just looking at a cover image of the film and thinking it looks cute. Christians are a lot like this. Having the appearance of goodness doesn’t make something good. Having the appearance of innocence doesn’t make it innocent. It’s not about the outside alone, but about the inside.

We are spiritual beings living in both a physical and spiritual world. We can’t just live our lives by, it looks safe, so it must be safe. No. We have to research. We have to pay attention. We are in a spiritual war right now. It doesn’t matter how good the beat sounds or how catchy the song is; what do the words say? What are the people singing that song saying? We, as Christians, have to be like the LORD, especially when it comes to discernment. We don’t just look at outward appearance, but we look at the heart.

We don’t just take someone’s word for it, we look at their fruit. We pay attention to what is being sold to us, and we don’t always have to buy everything they try to sell to us. Our enemy disguises himself as an angel of light; why would his followers not do the same? We have to stay awake. We have to stay vigilant. We have to pay attention and be watchful, for evil is sown while good men sleep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look Past The Cute Unicorn.

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Identify Then Guard

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! ~ Psalms 139:23-24

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same LORD; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

David was the prophesied king who was a man after God’s own heart. A man who was to lead Israel in the ways of righteousness, but he fell over and over again. He looked out at Israel and sinned by numbering them. He didn’t go to war with his men, as their king and leader, and ended up not only impregnating one of his men’s wives, but having that same man carry his own death note. David had a gift of leadership. A gift of worship. A gift of knowing how to come in and how to go out, but the enemy tried to corrupt that. He tried to take that away from him.

See, each of us is given a gift from God. A gift that will propel you into your God-given call. Because of that, your gift can often be the inspiration for Satan’s attacks. Here’s what I mean. I know someone who has a gift of encouragement, but every now and then, words just fall out of their mouth that tear others down. I know another who can see the spiritual battle we’re in with their own eyes but struggled so badly with fear that they didn’t sleep at night well into adulthood. See, if the enemy can keep you from using your gift, then He can keep you from fulfilling your God-given call.

So, what do we do? Identify, then guard. First, identify your gift, then guard it with all your heart. See, your enemy knows you better than you even know yourself. He will try to corrupt, distort, and stop all of the good the LORD has in store for you to do by attacking who you are. Your gifts help make up who you are. Who you are in Christ and who you are to the world. Your testimony is precious; it’s a weapon to fight darkness. Don’t ever allow the enemy to take it away from you.

11 And they have conquered [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Revelation 12:11

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Identify Then Guard.

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