Tag: Spiritual

Consecrate Them

¹⁵When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. ¹⁶Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. ¹⁷And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” ¹⁹Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. ²⁰And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. ²¹He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ~ Genesis 21:15-21

Hagar and Ishmael were just thrown out of the house of Abraham. They were trekking through the wilderness when they couldn’t go anymore. So, Hagar set her son down and went far enough where she didn’t have to watch him die, but God heard the cries of the boy. Though Hagar was older and no doubt wiser, God didn’t hear her cries. He heard the cries of the boy.

God honored the boy and was with the boy because of his father, Abraham. It could be because Abraham circumcised him under God’s covenant. It could just be because God promised Abraham he would be a great nation. What we know for sure is that God was with Ishmael because of Abraham.

How many of us today can say that God shows mercy to our children because we are a friend of God? Or that God hears the cries of our children because we are so close to God? We have to build a relationship so strong with the LORD that when our children are out of our sight and in physical or spiritual danger, their cries can be heard from God. That even if they don’t know they are in danger, the Holy Spirit cries out to the Father on their behalf.

We have to raise our children with the love and the fear of God, that they understand what it means to dwell in His presence and seek His face. So they understand right from wrong. So that God may dwell with them even when they are grown. Now is the time to teach them how to pray, worship, and fast. We have to teach the ways of righteousness them before the world can corrupt them and then wonder where it all went wrong. Make a stand to consecrate your children in the LORD, that even when they are old, they will still abide in His love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Consecrate Them.

Prepare Your Household

¹ God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ²So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. ³Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” ~ Genesis 35:1-3

When Jacob was preparing to go before the LORD, he didn’t just have himself spiritually prepared. He made sure his entire household was spiritually prepared. He told them to get rid of their pagan gods and purify themselves because Jacob understood that even if everybody may not be there because they were under his roof, they were under him. So, he had to make sure that they weren’t bringing a curse on Jacob or his household.

Today, we are fooled by the lie that our actions only affect us, but that’s not true. One man’s actions brought a curse on all of Israel. One man’s actions caused his entire family to be swallowed up into the earth. Our actions affect those around us, and other people’s actions affect us. When we invite someone into our home, we have to be careful that they aren’t bringing anything that could but a chasm between God and us.

We have to separate our household and our spiritual lives from the world and its darkness. We have to make sure we have nothing in our lives that can give the Devil legal right in our lives or keep our prayers from being heard by God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare Your Household.

Refresh Your Memory

Jacob knew who God was. God had called him. God was with Jacob the full twenty years he was with Laban. Jacob even physically wrestled with God. Yet, God reminded Jacob of who He is and what He had done for him.

Even though we know who God is, we still need a reminder. We need a refresher, lest we forget His goodness and mercy. Lest we forget all that He has done for us. Lest we face an enemy that seems too great for God to handle.

We all need reminding of who God is, not just for us, but for spirits around us that try to separate us from Him. When God went before Moses, He didn’t just silently go before him. God shouted His own name and all He had done for Moses and the people of Israel. When we refresh our minds and the atmosphere of who God is, there is a shift in the air. Fear turns to courage. Grief turns to joy. Weakness turns to strength. And faith abounds richly.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Refresh Your Memory.

Where Is Paradise?

Throughout Scripture, we see that the afterlife plays a huge role in our theology. Where we go when we die isn’t left up to every person’s individual imagination or even interpretation, the Bible sets out a clear description of what happens when we die. So, then what or where was the man Paul speaks about being caught up to paradise go? What is paradise exactly? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture for the answer to these questions and more in her video, Where is Paradise?

Luke 23:40-43
Matthew 12:39-40
Psalms 16:9-10
Ephesians 4:8-10
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
Luke 16
Matthew 11:12
John 10:7-30
Revelation 2:7
Genesis 3:22-24
Ezekiel 31:15-17
Genesis 3:19
Psalms 139:7-8

Where is Paradise?

⁴²And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:42-43

²I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. ³And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4

⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Revelation 2:7

Back to Too Deep?

Back to Theology?

Keep an Eye on the Future

¹⁷Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” ¹⁸So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” ¹⁹But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.” ~ Genesis 17:17-19

The LORD told Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a son, but Abraham laughed to himself in disbelief. Immediately after, God tells Abraham the name of his son, Isaac. Isaac apparently means ‘He laughs.’ And if we think about it, Isaac didn’t really seem to do much… sure, he’s one of the forefathers of the faith, but he didn’t do all that Abraham did or even what Jacob did. Isaac almost feels like a blur… I wonder if Abraham hadn’t have laughed but believed wholeheartedly, Isaac would have received a different name with a more purposeful role as a forefather of the faith.

The sins of the father may not rest on the children, meaning that the child will not die on behalf of the father’s sins, but the father’s sins will, without doubt, affect the children. This is why we have so many generational curses because what we do today affects those who live tomorrow.

Let’s take a quick look at Isaac again. He made the same exact mistakes of his father, Abraham, in regards to lying about his wife. He didn’t learn from his father’s mistakes. Isaac loved Esau most, and he didn’t see that the call was for Jacob. Even in his old age, Isaac was easily tricked by his wife and son, Jacob. A lot of what he did, or what he is remembered for, seems to be laughable, but even in all of that, you can still the mighty hand of God upon him.

God was with him when he had a problem with Abimelech and his people. God was with him when he married Rebekah and when he needed comforting after his mother’s death. God was without a doubt with Isaac, and this is because of Abraham’s relationship with God. Abraham’s relationship with God was so close and true that God continued that relationship with Isaac.

What we do and how we react to our circumstances will impact and affect our children, even if we don’t think it will. So, make a conscious effort to always have the future in mind as we live in the present.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep an Eye on the Future.

Listen to His Nudge

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ~ Galatians 4:4-5

God didn’t wait until the last minute to send His Son into the world. He didn’t wait until it was almost too late. It was at the fullness of time that God gave the entire world hope. And we celebrate God’s gift of hope every Christmas.

Imagine if God waited. Imagine the lives that could’ve been lost. Imagine the people that wouldn’t’ve heard the good news. We all have a call on our lives, but if we aren’t awake and alert, paying attention to the times and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we could miss our opportunity to share that hope with someone. The hope of eternal life. The hope of salvation. The hope of Jesus.

Don’t let all the bright shiny lights of the world null you to sleep. Wake up and pay attention to the subtle nudge of the Holy Spirit. He’s our guide, and if He could lead the wise men and the shepherds to be in the right place at the right time, then He can nudge and lead you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Listen to His Nudge.

Follow in God’s Footsteps

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

In today’s world, so many young people are growing up without true role models. Their role models are celebrities, athletes, and other people who are far off and don’t know their names. I challenge you this Christmas to take the time out and mentor someone as God took the time to mentor you.

God could’ve left us on our own. He could’ve left us in our own filth and ignorance, but out of His own love for us, He set aside everything and became man. He took the form of an innocent baby, and every year at Christmas, we take the time to remember and celebrate His first sacrifice. We celebrate Him becoming our greatest mentor.

None of us were born knowing Christ; we all had to learn. We all had to be taught. We all had to be mentored.

Statics say that:

- 55% of young adults with a mentor are less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
- 78% – more likely to volunteer regularly
- 90% – are interested in becoming a mentor themselves
- 130% – are more likely to hold leadership positions

So many of us have become spiritually lazy and spiritually asleep that we don’t even see the impact that we could make in our own community. This Christmas, think about becoming a mentor. Don’t just give a physical gift and call it a day. Give something that is priceless, your time and knowledge of Christ. Let the tradition of self-sacrificing for the sake of another continue.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow in God’s Footsteps.

Pay Attention

¹⁷I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ ~ Jeremiah 6:17

Those who will not pay attention will meet a dreadful end. The trumpet has sounded. The clarion call is announced. Repent and believe. Jesus is coming back real soon. We must keep watching and praying. We must have our house in order that when Jesus comes back, He will find us doing what we are supposed to be doing.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention.

Pay Attention To The Times

⁷The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. ~ 1 Peter 4:7

We must be vigilant. We are to keep our eyes open. We are commanded to watch and pray for the end of all things is at hand. We are living in a time of darkness. Christianity, Christians, and Jesus are under attack. Our beliefs are rendered antiquated and politically incorrect at best. If you notice, Christianity is the only religion whose beliefs and practices are belittled and whose deity is blasphemed daily.

It is a time of darkness with the whole world battling an unseen elusive enemy. Shutdowns and shut-ups. Shortages and scarcities. Lack and needs are going unfulfilled. Panic everywhere. We have to wake up. We can’t stay asleep any longer, the night is coming to an end, and the Son will soon break the Eastern sky to carry His bride away. When He comes, we can’t be asleep with the rest of the world, numb to the trials and tribulations surrounding His people. He’s coming soon; watchman, do you know what time of night it is?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Attention To The Times.