Tag: Spiritual

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The Three-Strand Sacrifice

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened ~ Luke 11:9-10

Jesus had just finished telling “The Parable of the Persistent Friend.” In the parable, a man goes to his friend’s house at midnight and bangs on his door. When no one comes to the door, he yells, “Friend, lend me three loaves.” But the friend, probably a little annoyed at the late-night interruption of his sleep, yells back, “Go away, I’m sleeping, my children are sleeping, my family is sleeping, I’m not opening my door for you!”

But instead of taking no for an answer, he continues banging and asking, probably even begging, because he is a desperate man in need. He needs his three loaves. Jesus concludes His parable by saying that the friend of the man will not get up and open his door and give him what he needs or asks for, just because he is his friend, but because of his persistent, continuous banging on the door, and his relentless asking to borrow the three loaves. He will not leave until he gets what he came for.

Here is the thing. Far too often, we Christians miss out on a blessing or on an answered prayer because there is no answer, and we drop our heads, turn around, and walk away, leaving the answer behind.

Now, I want you to notice that the man had a friend but asked for three loaves. If it is one friend, why not one loaf? But he asks for three loaves. Why? It’s a parable about our consistency in prayer and our doggedness in asking. We are offered a three-strand cord according to Isaiah 53:5.

5            But He was pierced for our transgressions;

He was crushed for our iniquities;

                         upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with His wounds we are healed.

Here we see that because of His redemptive and atoning work, Jesus offers us Salvation, Peace of Mind, and Healing for our bodies.

This is Jesus’ three-strand sacrifice that we can have; all we have to do is ask. We don’t need to be sick and harassed in our minds. We don’t need to be condemned to eternal punishment. We have salvation, peace, and healing.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for us, and then raising Him from the dead as a sign. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for being willing to suffer and die so that we might have life and life more abundantly. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

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Don’t Create A New Religion

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ~ 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Jerome is often revered as an important early Church father. I used to feel that way as well, until I began to actually read what it was that he wrote. See, Jerome argued for the perpetual virginity of Mary, abstinence over marriage, shrines to the saints, as well as a few other controversial beliefs. Now, controversy isn’t really the problem. Jesus was more than controversial, and He is the founder, perfector, and forerunner of our faith. So, that’s not the issue. I think my biggest issue with Jerome is that he is known for saying, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

See, when we begin to push ideologies that are contrary to the Word of God, regardless of how insignificant they seem, we are sprinting down a very slippery slope. As soon as we begin to compromise with one thing, no matter how small, it will grow to larger and larger compromises.

These teachings helped define the Roman Catholic Church doctrine that has led many astray. They have separated mankind and God once again. They’ve forced all leaders in their church to remain 100% celibate and forbid them from marriage, only to have the majority fall into some form of sexual sin. They’ve not only welcomed idolatry or even condoned it, they push and force it upon anyone that would be a part of their church through the rosery (praying to Mary) as well as praying to the saints.

When we allow ourselves to make what seems like insignificant changing of Scripture, we open ourselves up to spiritual blindness that will keep us from seeing the Truth.

So, when you read your Bible, pray first. Seek the LORD and ask Him to open your eyes that He might show you His Truth and that you might see it. Do your best to read His Word unbiasedly. Allow Him to guide you and not yourself or another. Scripture will always defend and explain Scripture. Therefore, let Scripture speak and not what you want it to say. When you read and come to a conclusion, question yourself. How did I come to this conclusion? Is there anything wrong with that belief? Is there any verse that contradicts this belief?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Create A New Religion.

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Begin To Uproot It

Matthew 5:43-48,

[43]  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Hatred is a dangerous root. It blinds you from the Truth, allows you to stumble over obstacles, holds you back, and eventually, hatred consumes you. See, hatred doesn’t always come in a form we expect. Sometimes, it’s subtle. A slight annoyance whenever someone’s name is mentioned or you see them. Overly harsh towards them. Falsely accusing them and refusing to acknowledge evidence.

We, as Christians, are held to a higher standard. It’s not always easy. In fact, most of the time it’s hard. It’s an uphill battle. It’s having overcome the world while you also have to fight your flesh. See, the enemy will subtly plant seeds of hatred within you by sending you excuses that don’t sound and at all. He’ll tell you, “You don’t hate them. You just don’t like them.” “Even God hated Esau.” When we begin to make excuses and try to justify our hate, roots of anger, bitterness, rage, defensiveness, and pride begin to dig into us.

So, what are we to do? Start with the determination to change. The determination to love my brother and my enemy. To love all people. And remind oneself that we are to be Christ to the world. That we are now the light of the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Begin To Uproot It.

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Acknowledge The LORD Your God

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. ~ Revelation 5:13-14

This is a beautiful scenery of all creation, every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in all the sea acknowledging Jesus as the LORD of Lords, and the Father as God Almighty who is glorified forever and ever. We know that there is a day coming when every tongue will be required to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD, that God is real, and He is Almighty, but the greater blessing is for us who now acknowledge this fact out of love and adoration for our God.

For now, God is being patient with His creation, waiting and beckoning, not willing that any should perish, but that we all would acknowledge the LORD our God as Savior. His Name is the only name given by which we must be saved, for it was only He, the LORD Jesus, who left the splendor of heaven to bear it to dark Calvary to suffer and die on a Roman cross.

He was dead and buried for three days and three nights, no one stood with Him during His betrayal or His suffering, but He was forsaken by all. Even in death, He was numbered with the transgressors, though He Himself had done no wrong, nor was there any deceit found in His mouth or upon His lips. Because of His steadfast obedience, He was raised to life in power and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is coming back in all of His glory to administer justice to all evil doers, and to hand out rewards to the righteous.

Have you acknowledged Jesus as LORD? Don’t wait for His return to be forced to acknowledge Him, but submit yourselves now to the One who can and will save you. It was His shed blood that has set us free from the power of sin and the grave and given us the privilege of inheriting eternal life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love in sending Your only begotten Son to die so that we might live. Grant me the grace to live for You as I pursue Your kingdom and Your righteousness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Oh Fan The Flame

Revelation 3:15-22,

[15]  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

I’ve been doing a little early Church research and in my research I found that the first theological sound use of the term Trinity was by a man named Tertullian. In c. 213 AD he wrote:

“The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and each is God. But there is one God, by unity of substance, not number of persons. They are **three**, not in status, but in relation; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in manifestation. They are **one** in essence, but distinguished as **Trinity** by their roles.”

**”Trinitas unius Divinitatis”** — “a Trinity of one Divinity”

Tertullian was arguing against Praxeas, who taught modalism— the idea that God is one person who merely appears in different “modes” (Father, Son, Spirit). Tertullian strongly opposed this, emphasizing that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons, yet one in essence.

This word Trinity gave us a way to easier express our God. For our God is three, yet one. Three distinct persons yet one God. As I continued my research, I found that Tertullian came from North Africa, specifically, Carthage, modern-day Tunisia. This very much so caught my attention.

Out of Tunisia came the explanation of the foundational and fundamental belief for Christianity, The Trinity. Today, Tunisia is an Islamic nation. The national religion of Tunisia is Islam. The belief that is taught throughout the country is that there is no Trinity. That the teachings of the Trinity are either false teachings and that Allah is god and Allah has no son.

Imagine, the nation that gave us the word Trinity to explain the intrinsic identity of God recorded throughout Scripture, has now become a nation where you will be persecuted if you proclaim that you believe in the Trinity. In the 7th century Tunisia went from a Christian nation to a Islamic nation. How? The Islamic Conquests.

Throughout Scripture, we are told that under persecution we grow. In tribulation our endurance is strengthened. So, what happened? I believe that when we take our religion, our faith, and our freedoms for granted they are taken from us. Tunisia gave us great early Church leaders in the faith, and yet today, that history is often forgotten. When we allow the flame to die, it gives way to enemy to take control.

The enemy can conquer our physical bodies but our spirits, our souls, our eternal beings he cannot. We have to give it to him. We do that not by saying a spell, performing a ritual, or signing our name in blood, but by becoming lukewarm. By becoming comfortable in our walk with God.

When we stop fanning the flame, the fire dies and the coals begin to cool. And what’s left? A lukewarm pile of ash. We are called by God to be on fire for Him. His Word, His call on our lives should be like a fire shut up in our bones that we cannot do anything but follow Him. We should be clinging to our Bible that aren’t illegal. Excited for church in Sundays that we don’t have to fear being arrested for attending.

When we have an abundance of freedoms, we begin to take them for granted and when we do we begin to drift into a heavy slumber. It’s when we slumber that the enemy makes his move. He isn’t an impatient enemy. He’ll wait us out, just as he’s done for millennias. The question is, are you going to allow him the opportunity or are you going to fight for your soul, your faith, and your nation?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fan The Flame.

 

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Pray For Your Nation’s Leaders

1 Samuel 4:10-11 NIV

[10] So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. [11] The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

During this time, Israel had no king. Israel was ruled by a judge. Eli judged the nation of Israel for forty years. During his time, his sons openly lived in sin (which he did not put a stop to) and Israel did not hear from God. Now towards the end of his life when he hears that the LORD has had enough of his lukewarmness and his sons’ evil acts, Israel goes to battle.

But the LORD wasn’t with them in battle, so they tried to force God’s hand by getting the Ark of the Covenant (where the presence of God rested) and went back to battle. What happened? God’s presence did not remain with them and the Ark of the Covenant was taken by their enemies. Eli’s two sons were killed. And Eli himself died when he heard the Ark was taken.

I want you to notice something. Just because they had the Ark didn’t mean that the LORD was with them. When the leader of a nation does not have God with them, the nation does not have God with them either. Does that mean that God abandons individuals within those nations that have leaders like this? No. God was still with Samuel, but as a nation, God was not with them.

Now, get this, the Ark did not return to Israel until a leader came forth who the LORD was with. It wasn’t until Eli was dead and Samuel became the new leader that the presence of the LORD returned to Israel. This is why we are to pray for our leaders.

We may not agree with everything they say or do, but as a nation, they are our head. And if the head of the nation is corrupt, then the entire nation is corrupt. The LORD will only dwell where He is wanted and pursued. Therefore, pray for your leaders. Pray for their salvation. Pray that the LORD Himself will guide them, keep them, and lead them as He did Samuel, so that His presence may always remain in our nation.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Your Nation’s Leaders.

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Do More Than Welcome

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ. ~ Acts 2:36

Peter said, “You crucified Jesus!” He didn’t deliberately soften his words or his message in order to spare their feelings. He didn’t ease them into it to give them something to relate to or make them feel good. He didn’t water down the Gospel. No.

He let that “arrow of truth” fly and let it pierce whomever it hit, and that’s why they were cut to the heart, which caused them to yell in panic, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). You know how many were saved at that event? Three thousand souls.

Why do we, as Christians, try to continuously reinvent the wheel? Why do we feel we need to change the Word of God for the sake of not comfort? Any church that sinners (those actively living and indulging in sin) feel comfortable in and never feel any form of conviction isn’t housing the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit should move the hearts of the people through the words of the pastor.

We should be seeing growth in our Christians. Repentance in our sinners. Conviction in our heathens. There should be signs that the Holy Spirit is dwelling and meeting with us.

The church is to do more than just welcome people in. Yes, people should feel welcome to come to any church. Yes, they should be greeted with love. But the message should come from God and pierce their hearts.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do More Than Welcome.

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Start Today

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ~ Matthew 5:6

Have you ever been hungry? I mean, really, really hungry. It starts with a subtle, nagging sensation in your stomach—like an empty, hollow ache or a faint gnawing. It’s your body whispering, “I need fuel.”

Beyond the physical— hunger can tug at your mind. You might find yourself daydreaming about food, with the sight or smell of it becoming almost irresistible.

Cravings set in, hitting hard, as images of a nice, warm slice of pizza dance just outside your mental periphery, or whatever your choice of comfort food is.

We call it having “Food Horrors.”

Then, when you mix hunger with that primal, urgent sensation that screams, “Water…! I need water!”

The experience intensifies exponentially.

Thirst may start with a dry, sticky feeling in your mouth and throat, like your tongue is clinging to the roof of your mouth.

Your lips feel parched and cracked. Swallowing can become uncomfortable, almost scratchy. As the thirst intensifies, a slight headache, tiredness, and trouble concentrating set in as your body signals, “I’m dehydrating here.”

Now, think about all that I just described, and apply it spiritually. That is what Jesus is talking about. … those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Have you ever hungered and thirsted for righteousness like that? Where your soul, your whole being, cries out for more of Jesus?

“LORD, I will die, without You!” You want to be righteous before Him. You want to walk holy before Him. You want to please Him in every way.

If you haven’t felt what I’ve just described, spiritually, then you haven’t hungered and thirsted for righteousness. Everything within you yearns to walk righteously before your God. The mere thought of failing in any one part will make you sick to your stomach.

That is what we are striving for. To hunger and thirst for righteousness. How do we get there? By starting with reading and studying your Bible, spending time with God in prayer and worship, and putting your flesh into subjection through fasting. So, don’t wait to start seeking the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Start Today.

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Seek Out His Mercy

Ezekiel 9:3-11 NIV
[3] Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side [4] and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” [5] As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. [6] Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple. [7] Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. [8] While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?” [9] He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’ [10] So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.” [11] Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

In Ezekiel 9:4, God marked those who grieved over sin, sparing them from judgment. But those who defiled the temple and indulged in their sin weren’t spared. In fact they were slaughtered without mercy.

God told Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy’ (Exodus 33:19, Romans 9:15). In other words, God doesn’t have mercy on every single mercy because not every single person asks for mercy. Instead, many only seek to indulge in their flesh. They refuse to repent, so mercy and grace is withheld from them.

Just as the LORD had a day of judgment for those in Israel and Judah, so will there be a coming day of judgment for the entire world. A day that can only be escaped by those who seek the mercy of the LORD and deny their flesh. But for a world that has rejected His goodness and His grace and has trampled underfoot the blood of His One and Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, there will be no mercy. For God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy.

Therefore, spread His Word. Share the Gospel with anyone willing to listen, for who knows if the seed you plant may one day grow into a tree of life—rooted in salvation through Christ. And most importantly, pray for your own salvation and work it out with fear and trembling, lest you miss the mercy of God as well.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Out His Mercy.

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Fight In His Name

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness…

It’s really easy to feel genuine dislike or even hatred towards those who wrong you or mistreat you. It’s easy to hold a grudge. But this isn’t the love of God, this is the flesh of the world. See, your enemy isn’t a person. It’s not your boss, your ex, your critic, or even your circumstances. It’s darkness. Organized. Strategic. Relentless. Darkness.

We’re in a war. Not a physical one against other people. But a spiritual one. In this war, you’re either armed or the target. Awake or the victim. Your enemy? The Devil.

If we want to actually see a change in our lives we have to stop fighting people and start fighting darkness. How?  Through prayer. Standing for Truth, righteousness, and goodness. Putting on the full armor of God. And fasting. The armor is there—but you have to wear it. You have to put it on. You have to apply it. And you have to use.

Passive Christians lose ground. Armed Christians take it. Jesus has already won us the victory, all we have to do is fight in His name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight In His Name.

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