Tag: Spiritual

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Move God

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ~ 2 Chronicles 20:20-22

Before King Jehoshaphat appointed men to go before the army singing to and praising the LORD there was a meeting in Judah. All the people of Judah stood before the LORD. Fathers with their wives, children, and little ones. They presented themselves as one people to the LORD in submission to His will. They didn’t just gather lackadaisical. No. They came together as one nation, one body, fasting before the LORD and presenting themselves to the LORD. And who led them? Their king.

The king led the nation in fasting and prayer. And the king, Jehoshaphat, reminded God of all of His promises and asked for His mercy. During this worship the LORD came down and gave the people an answer through Jahaziel. And what were they to do? Praise.

The presence of the LORD rests upon the praises of Israel. The people of God. Praise shakes the prison walls and breaks chains. When we praise, God goes before us and destroys our enemies. Is it easy? No. Praising when we’re afraid, defeated, discouraged, distressed, etc. isn’t easy. It’s difficult. But when we praise, God moves.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Move God.

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Pray To The Chain Breaking God

Acts of the Apostles 12:6-12 NLT

[6] The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. [7] Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. [8] Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. [9] So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. [10] They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. [11] Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” [12] When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

Peter was in prison—chained between soldiers, guarded on every side. But while the church prayed, an angel of the Lord came to his aid. The chains fell off. The doors opened. Peter walked out—free.

Not by his own strength. Not by clever plans. But by the power of God.

That’s the freedom Jesus offers us—not just from prisons with bars, but from fear, sin, shame, and anything that keeps us stuck.

This Independence Day, celebrate the freedom Christ gives—a freedom no chain can hold and no prison can keep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray To The Chain Breaking God.

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Turn Back To Christ

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ~ John 15:4-5

Last year a group of fifth-grade students in Arizona were arrested for “allegedly” plotting to murder a fellow student and make the incident appear as a suicide. This group of 10–11-year-old girls were planning to murder a fellow student because he cheated on one of the girls in the group. Let that sink in for a second. When I was 10 and 11 years old, I didn’t think about stabbing anyone because they were mean to me or did something that upset me. This isn’t normal 10- and 11-year-old behavior. So, what’s going on?

I believe it boils down to one answer, we’ve removed God from our schools and homes. We’ve removed the source of morality and our conscience. We’ve removed the source of good. What have we replaced God with? Instant gratification. Overindulgence. Secular humanism. An evermoving standard of morality.

When we remove the very source of good from our lives, the little bit of good that we are born with is strained from us and we are more susceptible to evil. Jesus warns us that we cannot bear good fruit apart from Him. Why? Because He is the source of good.

If we want to see a change in our country. A change in our people. A change in our children, we have to invite Christ back into our country. Back into our society. Back into our lives because without Christ we have no morality. We’re hopeless.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Turn Back To Christ.

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Do Good

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. ~ Galatians 6:10

Doors of opportunity are always opening and closing. We must seize the God-given moment before the chance is gone. If God has given you a blessing to give to someone else, you do not want to be caught in possession of someone else’s blessings. So, you had better give it to them.

Then it says, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. … do good … is a broad command that includes:

  • Acts of kindness
  • Performance of service
  • Generosity
  • And love

To whom? Unto all men. Christian love or charity is not exclusive, but it reaches beyond church walls and into the community that we serve. But the thing is, it must be prioritized to place your spiritual family, or the Church, first in your good works, as Paul indicated when he wrote, … especially to those who are of the household of faith …

We must understand that this is the outward expression of Spirit-led living: We sow good deeds consistently, not just inwardly or spiritually, but practically and relationally. Christian love is universal. We are called to bless all people, fellow believers first, but also to those not of the Church. Therefore, we should be a lighthouse, a model of generosity, encouragement, and service.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do Good.

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Strive For Perfection Every Day

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ~ Galatians 5:24

I recently saw a video of a well known gospel artist explaining that he wasn’t a perfect man. That he wasn’t God, even though he loves God. That he wasn’t Jesus, even though he follows Jesus, so when he gets upset, he’s gonna cuss. When he gets angry, he’s gonna throw hands (throw a punch) because he isn’t perfect and the overly religious people judge him for it. All I could think was, how sad of a statement is this.

Now, this isn’t a new Christian. This isn’t a baby Christian. This is a Gospel artist that has been making Gospel music for over 3 decades. This is a man that is supposed to be leading the others into the presence of God with his music yet doesn’t have any self-control. I think what made me the saddest about this, is that this is the very temperature of the Church. The Church today doesn’t want to be corrected. They don’t want to have to correct or crucify their flesh. Why? Because it’s hard and they don’t want hard.

We are called to a higher standard than the world. We aren’t called to give into every emotion. Yes, we will trip up. Yes, we will have slips. Yes, we will make mistakes but we strive for perfection, we don’t hide behind excuses.

If we would simply get back to spending time with the LORD and less time in the world and the things of the world, our flesh wouldn’t be so difficult to overcome. Our spirit man would be much stronger. We would be able to follow Jesus. Jesus said if we love Him, we would keep His commands. Jesus said we would know the Church by the fruit. What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit. Jesus even went as far as to say that if we don’t bear the fruit of the Spirit, we would be cut off and thrown into Hell.

Just because we are not Jesus, doesn’t mean that we are not called to a higher standard because we represent Jesus to the world. It’s no longer us who live but Christ who lives through us. Therefore, let us stop making excuses and start making moves forward towards the perfect we are called to.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Strive For Perfection Every Day.

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Build The Temple of God

3 Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” ~ Haggai 1:3-4

In the days of Haggai there was no longer a Temple in Jerusalem to go up to to offer sacrifices and to meet with God. They weren’t focused on rebuilding the Temple, instead they were focused on building homes and lives for themselves. Today’s Church is not much different. We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit yet building the Temple isn’t a big part of our lives.

See, Jesus explained that an hour was coming when there would be no need to worship the Father on their mountain nor in Jerusalem, but the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:21-24). Paul further explains this in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Paul makes it abundantly clear that we are now God’s temple, therefore, we must glorify God in our bodies. So, if Haggai was in our day, he would prophesy the same thing to us. Because we schedule other activities in place of our worship time. Our quiet time with the LORD is sacrificed for things that could actually wait. We are distracted when we are at church with life’s demands. Even our time of prayer and fasting is not honored. We prioritize other things less important. We give little attention to God when it is His time. Our prayers are rushed. We cut our worship short to accommodate things we deem more important.

God wants us to succeed and be prosperous, but not at the expense of building His temple, which is our body. God expects us to build His temple as a priority, not treat it as an inconvenience. We are His Temple, therefore, build His Temple that His presence my dwell in your life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build The Temple of God.

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Be Present

15 And when he [Jehu] departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. And he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart true to my heart as mine is to yours?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16 And he said, “Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD that He spoke to Elijah. ~ 2 Kings 10:15-17

Rechab left behind a legacy of honor and obedience. One that today’s world rarely sees. He wasn’t out there using his money or influence to incite riots … and fund violent protests to further an agenda that only hurts our nation and enriches the already wealthy and powerful. That kind of behavior only weakens our nation rather than strengthens it. It serves only to divide instead of unite.

And that’s why today’s culture is reaping the consequences of fatherlessness with:

  • Rising crime
  • Depression and anxiety in youth
  • Broken families
  • Moral confusion
  • Lack of direction or discipline in children
  • Because those who should be protecting us are not!

Look, these are not random problems. They are consequences of planned foundational breakdowns, especially the absence of godly fathers, strong moral leadership, and firm spiritual conviction in the home and society… We lack those things.

With weak leadership and moral compromise in the highest places, it is our children who suffer the most.

Their whole environment is working against them; in fact, the whole system is stacked against them from the get-go. Children today are growing up in a world that’s working against them, rather than for them. It’s not neutral.

The music, the movies, the education system, the legislation—it’s all pushing them away from God and into confusion. They have no idea of true morality, and truth, period.

That’s why fathers matter now more than ever.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Present.

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Rise From The Dead

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2

I saw a video that said, “a neuro-parasite can take control of an insect’s brain and make it walk, even after it’s dead.” The video itself showed a bug whose body had been completely eaten out and yet it was still moving. It was like watching a zombie walk. This is what happens when the Church becomes spiritually dead.

We’re still walking, just going through the motions like a zombie, but we’re not spiritually awake. We have no self-awareness. We’re apathetic. We have no discernment, wisdom, or understanding. This is the importance of Paul’s command to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.

So many in the Church are just going through the motions. They’re in church every Sunday, pray and read the bibles regularly, but have no relationship with Christ. They have no fruit, and they don’t even realize they’re spiritually dead. So, what are we to do?

We humble ourselves before God and ask Him to show us where we are spiritually. We must honestly search ourselves and seek God’s wisdom and discernment to see the Truth of our spiritual state of being.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for being spiritually lukewarm. Please open my eyes that I might awaken from my spiritual slumber. That I might rise from my spiritual death. Please show me my spiritual temperature. Please show me where I am spiritually. Thank You for never leaving me, nor forsaking me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Sense The Aroma

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV

[14] But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. [15] For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, [16] to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

Paul, the greatest apostle who ever lived, equated the Church to an aroma or fragrance to others. To God, we are the aroma of Christ, among those who are being saved and perishing. Then Paul goes on to say to one a fragrance from life to life and to the other a fragrance of death to death. Did you notice that Paul changes the words he uses depending on who he’s speaking in regards to?

First, he starts with “aroma” (euōdia) to God, then when he talks about how we are to other people he changes to “fragrance” (osmē). Now, aroma (euōdia) means a sweet smell, appeasement, incense offering, or offering, but fragrance (osmē) only means smell, scent, odor, fragrance, or perfume. Why does it matter?

To God, we give the aroma of an appeasing, sweet-smelling incense offering. Throughout the Law of Moses, the Israelites were commanded to bring a sacrifice to the LORD to appease His commanded to bring a sacrifice to the LORD to appease His wrath because of their sin. When Jesus died He took the sin of the world upon him and killed sin in Himself. Then He took that sin far far away to Hell and when He rose on the third day, He gave us the hope of our resurrection to come.

When we are baptized, we are baptized into His death and given the aroma of Jesus’ sacrifice to the LORD God. And just as some perfumes are sweet to some and stink to others so are we who are in Christ. We carry that aroma with us wherever we go. So, to others who have that same aroma smell a sweet fragrance while others do not.

This is why the world hates us. This is why before we even meet people, some despise us. This smell dwells and communicates in the spiritual realm. Our spirit can sense and even communicate with other people’s spirit. Its not you, yourself, the world hates but the aroma of the one dwelling inside of you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Sense The Aroma.

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Turning A Cheek

38 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. ~ Matthew 5:38-42

Turning the other cheek is one of the hardest teachings in the commands of Jesus. It forces you to completely deny and crucify your flesh. Your flesh wants to defend itself. It wants to get revenge. We can see this from the very beginning. Repaying evil for evil, with no restraint. This was the purpose of the Law of Moses.

God began reigning in the flesh by confining revenge to “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth,” so that no one would take a life for an eye without facing punishment again. God was preparing us for His final Law “turn the other cheek.”

See, we are called to be the Light of the World. The World hates us, because it hates Christ whom we represent. Therefore, in order to reach the world, we must not act like the world. The world doesn’t fight fair. It’s manipulative, deceptive, and wicked. If we give into our natural urges to slap back and get revenge the world will respond. It will call us out. It will hold us to a standard it dare not hold itself to.

So, what are we to do? Turn the other cheek. Fight your natural instinct. How? Remind yourself that no revenge can compare to the vengeance of the LORD God Almighty. So, be different. Be Christ to the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Turn A Cheek.

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