Tag: Spiritual

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ~ Colossians 3:12-13

We are each required to forgive one another without being asked. It says if you have a complaint against another person. In other words, they don’t even need to ask. You just need to forgive. Jesus Himself said that we need to forgive as His Heavenly Father has forgiven us. This isn’t a new revelation from Brother Paul. No, Paul was only echoing what Jesus had already taught.

²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:25

From the way it’s translated, it seems to me that God is patiently waiting for us to forgive others so that He can now forgive us. Jesus said forgive so that our Father in heaven may forgive you.

What is hindering our forgiveness? Our lack of forgiveness to others.

Now watch this. Jesus is inferring that unforgiveness is not only a precursor to your own forgiveness, but it seems to be a hindrance to answered prayers.

See what Jesus said?

WHEN YOU STAND PRAYING …

That word stand is a strong word meaning: Continue to be.

In other words, when you continue to be in prayer, not just some 3-minute prayer, but a continuous petition, and nothing is happening, check your forgiveness gauge. The Holy Spirit will bring it to your mind. Why? Because God is not going to answer your prayers if you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart. To whom much is given, much is required.

Dear LORD, please help to forgive those who have wronged me. Help me to let go of the pain and hurt that have gripped my heart. I know that I have been forgiven much, so help me to also forgive much. Help me to never hold someone accountable to their debt when You haven’t held me accountable to mine. As You have canceled my debt on the cross, help me to also cancel their debt on my cross, for I died with You in baptism, and I will rise with You on that Last Day. Thank You, LORD, for Your forgiveness, LORD God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— ⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ⁶ Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6^NLT

Paul tells us that God has an overall will for each and every one of us, and it’s not just to believe and be saved. It’s that we change and set off our filthy rags and seek Holiness. How do we do this?

By keeping away from sexual sin. Remember that every other sin is committed outside the body, but the sin of sexual immorality is a sin against the offender’s own body. So, keep away from it.

God wants us to be in control of our own bodies. Therefore, any addiction that you may have, from pornography to alcohol to cigarettes, are to be avoided at all cost if you want your relationship with God to grow and produce fruit.

If you’re diligent to do these things, God will hear you and answer your prayers.

Dear LORD, please give me self-control that I may overcome all sexual immorality in all of its forms and deceit. Teach me Your ways that I might grow in You. Help me to crucify my flesh daily that I might never be a slave to sin again. Teach me how to overcome through You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen

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¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. ¹⁵ During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people. ~ Genesis 14:14-16^NIV

Abram wasn’t in any danger. He was safe. His people were safe. His belongings were safe. He was flourishing. All was going well with him, but Lot had found himself taken by the enemy. See, Lot settled in a wicked land. Sodom constantly did what was evil before the eyes of the LORD, but Lot, according to 2 Peter 2:7, was righteous, and his soul, tormented by the wickedness surrounding him, became a victim of that wickedness. So, when Abram heard his nephew was taken, he gathered trained men to go with him to deliver Lot and all that was taken from him.

See, sometimes, as Christians, we go places that we really shouldn’t go. We go to places that have nothing for us. Places that only torment our souls. Places that we don’t belong. We aren’t influencing the community, but the community is affecting us. It’s spiritually attacking us. It’s spiritually oppressing us. It’s bringing us deeper and deeper into spiritual bondage that sometimes we aren’t even aware of.

When Abram, his uncle, saw this happen, he didn’t say Lot should’ve known better than to stay there. He didn’t say Lot got himself into this mess so he can get himself out of this mess. No. Abram not only went after Lot to rescue him Abram got 318 men that he knew were well-trained and that he trusted to help him rescue his nephew.

This is how we should be today. We need to be so prayed up, so in tune with the Spirit of God, that when He tells us someone we love has been spiritually captured by the enemy, we’ll go after them. We’ll do anything it takes to get them, and all the enemy took back from the enemy. We have to be willing to admit that this isn’t something we can do alone, so we reach out for help. Not help from people who don’t know how to spiritually fight but trained seasoned warriors of God. People who have spiritually trained for battle with the enemy through continuous praying, fasting, and worship.

Oftentimes, it’s easier to just say, “They should’ve known better,” and move on, but this isn’t the will of God. We all fall at some point in time. We all make mistakes. We all go places that we shouldn’t go. And when we do, wouldn’t you want someone to come to your rescue? Jesus said to treat others how you want to be treated. Solomon said cast your bread upon the water, and it will return to you in many days. How we treat others and judge others will be how we are treated and judged. Therefore, always act from a place of love, for the entire Law is founded on loving God and loving your neighbor.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Your Neighbor.

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⁷ Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. ⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. ~ Exodus 30:7-8^NIV

Throughout his letters to the different churches, Paul references fragrant offerings and pleasing aromas to God. Except, in these cases, he’s not talking about burning physical incense but spiritual incense. How do we do that? Paul explains that we achieve this through our actions.

One instance in particular, Paul says that we are to love others in the same way Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. This one caught my eye because this isn’t an easy task Paul is calling us to. It’s a difficult task when we really put it into perspective. See, Jesus took verbal abuse and accusations constantly by the very ones He came to save. He didn’t just condemn them to Hell and turn His back on them, though He’d be justified if He had. Instead, Jesus loved them. He taught them. He answered their questions and accusations with wisdom from His Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit. Even while on the cross, having just been beaten almost to death and now being mocked and berated, Jesus still chose love by praying for their forgiveness.

I want you to remember that while on earth, Jesus was still God but didn’t use that to His advantage (Philippians 2:5-8). So, He had to fight the fleshly desire to return evil with evil (Hebrews 4:15). Because Jesus overcame His earthly desires, we can overcome them as well when we go through Him (John 16:33, Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:13).

See, every act of love is a sacrifice to God because you have to crucify your flesh in order to succeed. You have to deny your own feelings, emotions, and pain in order to truly love people. Why? Because people aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. We lash out. We ridicule and mock. Hurt people, hurt people. And we’re all hurt in some form or another. But through Jesus, we can overcome evil with good.

From morning to morning and from night to night, let go of any hurt or pain you have from someone in your past doing you wrong. Let it go as it happens. Don’t hold on to it. Let a pleasing aroma of love be sacrificed on the altar of incense before the LORD, burning always through your actions of love. Because the more we love, the more God can use us. Therefore, let Him use you to be a pleasing aroma to the world. To be a light in this here present darkness. For they will know us by our love.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to be a pleasing aroma to You. Help me to let go of the past and the hurts and pains of yesterday so that I might walk in love. So that I might be a reflection of You to the world. Help me not to be held down and tormented within my own soul by another’s actions. Help me to only be affected by You and Your love towards me, for I am perfected in Your perfect love. Please fill me with Your peace and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Help me to follow You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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