Spiritual Archives

December 28, 2023December 27, 2023

Be Prepared For War

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. ~ Exodus 13:17-18

The people of Israel had just been freed from Egypt. Their spirits were joyful but still fragile. So, what does God do? He leads them in the way that is best for them. When God frees us from our sins, He doesn’t always send us straight into battle. Why?

Because not everyone can take battle immediately. God equipped them for battle, but knowing the weak faith of the people of Israel after 400 years of slavery, God gave them time to grow before they saw war. God promised that He wouldn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand but always gives us an escape route so that we can overcome. But I want you to understand that just because you may not see war immediately doesn’t mean you won’t ever see war.

Before Israel was able to settle in the Promised Land, they had to defeat their enemies. We will all face battles; some will be bigger than others, but one thing is for certain we will be able to overcome anything through Christ who gives us strength.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Prepared For War.

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Watch, Pray, And Wait

⁸And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ~ Luke 2:8-12

I’ve often heard shepherds were liars, looked down on, poor, and of low estate; they were just poor, humble men, and that is who Jesus came to save; besides, the people could identify with them. But have you ever read where an angel of God appeared to a man or a woman who was wicked and unreliable, especially to bring them good news of great joy? No. Not once.

What I have read, though, was that angels appeared to devout men, men who were looking for and waiting on the redemption of Israel. Godly men who were serving the LORD. Abraham, Lot, Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Mary, Zachariah, Joseph, the apostles, Cornelius, the women who went to the tomb after Jesus rose from the dead, Peter, John, Paul, and countless others. There is not one unworthy man or woman that an angel appeared to. Matter of fact, Jesus wouldn’t even talk to King Herod just before His crucifixion.

So, I would venture to say that the reason the angels appeared to the shepherds is because they were watching, and praying, and hoping, and not because they were unworthy, or poor and humble, or any of the list of things they said. There has to be another reason, and that reason has to do with their job.

These men were not just ordinary shepherds. They were highly trained Levitical shepherds who specialized in recognizing and caring for sacrificial lambs. They were the shepherds who kept watch over the sacrificial lambs that would be used in Temple sacrifices, such as the two daily lambs: one for the morning sacrifice and one for the evening sacrifice.

Then there was the special feast and ceremonies like the New Moon sacrifice and the Feast of Passover. So, these knew the prophecies. They knew the Scriptures. They knew that the Feast of Passover was a shadow of things to come. They knew that one day, the Promised Messiah would come and redeem Israel. They were watching and waiting. If you want to hear from God, you have to watch and pray. You have to be waiting for God if you want to hear from God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Watch, Pray, And Wait.

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Dethrone The Elites

⁷Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” ~ Matthew 2:7-8

Lies and deception came forth from Herod because of the fear of the news he had heard. Today, the elites haven’t changed. They tell us lies and try to deceive us. People in power will lie and steal and deceive to hold on to the power and wealth that they have.

It was no different back then from how it is today. Herod claimed He, too, wanted to go and worship the infant king of the Jews as well. When secretly, he wanted to murder Him and remove all threat of a king coming to dethrone him.

Jesus is still a threat to people today. They still want Him dead. They still try to kill even the memory of Him. They still say they will not have this Messiah rule over them. They still refuse to make from in their hearts for Him. Their no vacancy sign shines brightly that there is no room in this inn. Why? Because in Jesus, there is freedom. The power and authority that the elites think they have on this earth is threatened by the true power and authority that Christ Jesus has.

So, they will lie and try to deceive those who come to worship the King, just as Herod tried to deceive the wisemen that came to worship baby Jesus. They say that they are for worshipping the Christ, but they know a better way. They begin changing the way Christ demanded to be worshipped. They lie to the believers and followers of Christ and try to lead them astray so that they won’t be dethroned. So that the people never find the true Messiah.

This Christmas season, don’t allow anyone to separate you from the King of kings and LORD of lords. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you in any way. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart, hoping that you will let Him in so that He might dwell in You and through You. Do you have room for him tonight?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Dethrone The Elites.

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Wise Men Still Seek Him

¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, ²saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” ~ Matthew 2:1-2

These wise men, also known as the magi, were watching and waiting for the promised Messiah. The king of the Jews, which would be the hope of Christmas for the whole world. They were probably scanning the night skies for generations, if not for centuries, waiting and hoping that it would be them who discovered the sign of the birth of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. The One who will save the whole world.

As soon as these men saw His star rising on the western horizon, they, with joyful hearts, packed their bags and belongings and prepared for travel. Then, they set out to find this promised Messiah they had been so patiently waiting for.

As the Christmas yard sign says:

Wise Men Still Seek Him

How many of us can say we are seeking the Messiah like these wise men did 2000 years ago? They traveled long distances just so that they could worship the Messiah and give Him gifts. Today, we won’t even travel 10 minutes down the street for a Church service. We won’t turn off the TV or put the game or book down long enough to have quiet time. There is no longer a desire to encounter God in the Church today. This Christmas season, let’s make the conscious decision to end the year better than we started it by spending more time with the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Still Seek Him.

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Give God All

¹⁵Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, ¹⁶and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—¹⁷blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. ¹⁸In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” ¹⁹So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. ~ Genesis 22:15-19^NKJV

Abraham was formerly Abram, and God had given Abram a promise that he would be the father of a multitude of nations. Not only would Abraham be the father of a multitude of nations, but in his seed, the nations of the world would be blessed. This seed is Jesus.

God promised the coming of the Messiah to Abraham. He promised that He would save the world and use Abraham’s seed to do it. Why? Because Abraham didn’t withhold anything from God. All that Abraham had, he willingly gave to God with faith and trust that it would be for his good. How many of us can honestly say that this is us?

Very few of us have the faith it takes to be used by God the way Abraham was used by God. Why? Because how many of us rush to meet God when He comes to meet us as Abraham did? In other words, how many of us set up a time every day to worship, pray, and spend time with God? Very few of us.

To be labeled a devout Christian in today’s world, all we have to do is pray before our meals and bed. Isn’t that sad? We don’t have to be on fire for God or even seek Him daily to be labeled a devout Christian. If we want to be used by God, we have to give Him everything.

Peace. Love. Go For and Give God All.

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Change You, Not God

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a woman, it’s very easy to buy into the so-called struggle women have. Self-oppression is one of the most detrimental things we can do to ourselves. Why? Because it causes us to be our own worst enemy. When we are self-oppressed, we see oppression and hatred everywhere we look. We create obstacles that hold us back and keep us from fulfilling the call God has for our lives. We also begin to twist the world around us, even the Scriptures, in order to make ourselves feel better. To ease the wound that we’ve created in ourselves.

I’ve seen many women and feminist men who’ve bought into female oppression proclaim loudly that God is either both male and female or only female. I don’t understand this. I can’t relate. Are there times I feel like men look down on me because I’m a woman? Sure, but those times are few and far between. There’s always going to be people who don’t like us because of something that we can’t change about ourselves, whether it’s our race, sex, height, nationality. There’s always going to be haters, but their opinion doesn’t matter. We don’t try to change God in order to ease the wounds that we create or that others create in us. We allow God to change us. We invite God into our lives so that He can show us who we are in Him. God’s desire for us is for our good. Therefore, He’s the only voice that we can trust and believe when it comes to defining who we are and what our worth is.

Dear LORD, thank You for saving my soul. Thank You that You see a creation worthy of Your time in me. Thank You that my worth and identity aren’t found in the world or even in my own opinions of myself, but that my worth and identity are found in You. Because in You I’m a new creation, the old has passed away, and the new has come. Please help me to never lose sight of who I am in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Introduction of Darkness

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And 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 3:16-19

I recently watched a clip of a cathedral hosting what they called a ‘Beyonce Mass.’ During this mass, they sang Beyonce songs as if they were worship songs to God. The woman who brought the sermon for the mass also teaches a class at seminary entitled ‘Beyonce and the Bible.’ Today’s Church is full of celebrity worship. We know more about Beyonce than we do about God.

The Church loves John 3:16 but refuses to read past that verse. Because the moment that we do, we see the Truth. Yes, Christ came to save the world and not condemn it, but the world already stands condemned. Why? Because the world doesn’t accept the Light (Jesus) because of the love of darkness. The Church today loves darkness. We try to incorporate it every chance we get. We see it as freeing and progression, but sin isn’t freedom. Sin is a harsh slave master. It demands absolute and total submission. And one day, it will collect on the soul that it has imprisoned with shackles and chains.

The only freedom is in Christ Jesus. There is no freedom outside of Christ. Why? Because outside of Christ is just darkness. Christ is Light. Christ is freedom. Christ is life. To choose anything else would be to willingly choose death.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the times I chose the world over You. Please forgive me for all the times that I darkness over light. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I might have a spirit of discernment to discern between light and darkness. Good and evil. Truth and lies. Thank You for not leaving me in darkness but for leaving the 99 to find me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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He’s Worth More

¹⁰And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ~ Matthew 24:10-11

Throughout the Scripture, there are prophecies after prophecies about how many will fall away and betray one another. Not only will they betray one another, but they will hate one another. This isn’t the world that these prophecies are about; this is the Church. Because these prophecies also tell us that many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Is that the world they are leading astray? No, of course not. The world is already astray; it’s the Church that will be led astray.

And do you know why they are led astray? Because they don’t read the Bible for themselves. Christians have no clue what is in the Bible. Some have never ever read the Bible for themselves. This is why so many of us will be so easily led astray.

And as we are seeing even now, the false prophets who speak on behalf of God tell the Church that they can live any old way they want, and God will still accept them. Why will God accept whatever they give Him? Because they say that God is desperate for followers, so He has no choice but to take what He gets. He’s just a pushover who just loves and accepts everyone.

That is not the case at all. God demands that His Great Name be feared and respected. He is not a desperate housewife. He is Almighty God—a Mighty Warrior. God is a great King. He is God of all gods. He will not accept half-hearted worship and halfway sacrifices. Therefore, God will not accept our lukewarm worship.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for not spending time reading Your Word as I should. Please forgive me for not giving You the reverence, worship, honor, and glory that You deserve. Please teach me to love You the way that You deserve. Help me to dwell in Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Freedom Through Love

⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

I remember being a kid and watching the movie, Penelope. The movie was all about a rich family who had brought a curse on themselves because of how they mistreated a poor servant girl. The curse could only be broken if one of their own accepted the next daughter who was born into the family. The catch was that the daughter would be born with a face like a pig. Throughout the movie, the mother tries to find a high-society man to marry her daughter. Failure after failure, the movie finally ends with the girl accepting and loving herself and breaking the curse. The mother then comes to the realization that if she had just loved her daughter, the curse would’ve been broken from the moment she was born.

Many of us have generational curses that can be broken with the simple act of either forgiveness or love. So many of us are living our lives bound and in pain because of something that we ourselves didn’t even do. It’s true that where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom, but not every single curse is broken at the moment of repentance and acceptance of Christ. Sometimes, there are things we have to deal with and address. Sometimes, there are spirits that we have to remove from our lives. When we start breaking down strongholds and tearing down words spoken over us in the name of Jesus, that’s when we begin to see a change in our lives, and we have freedom.

Dear LORD, please help me to tear down all of the strongholds in my life. Help me to break every generational curse that has kept me down. Tear down every evil word spoken about me and to me. Help me to find complete and total freedom in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Not Another Sacrifice

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. ~ Galatians 2:20-21

One of my favorite childhood shows was Avatar: The Last Airbender. In it, a young boy must save the world by taking the life of the antagonist of the show. This was difficult for him as he was a monk and was taught that all life was sacred, even the life of the enemy. Everyone told him he had to put those teachings aside. Even another monk told him that as avatar he had to sacrifice his spiritual well-being for the sake of the world. This teaching didn’t sit well with him, and as the show met its climatic end, he found another way to defeat his enemy.

There isn’t a time that two wrongs will make a right. There isn’t a time when you have to break the commands of God in order to bring people to Christ. God will never cause you to have to sacrifice your own soul for the soul of others. Why? Because Christ already made the ultimate sacrifice for all people. We don’t sacrifice our own souls and our own spiritual growth in order to save others. We live our lives to Christ, and it is His Light shining through us that saves others.

Dear LORD, help me to never sacrifice my own spiritual health for anything. I know that You made the ultimate sacrifice, and there is no other sacrifice needed from me. Help me to let Your light shine through me so that I might show as many people as possible the way to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Tag: Spiritual

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