Tag: Bible

Do not let what you see around you discourage you.

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Do not let what you see around you discourage you from answering God’s call. When King Cyrus issued a proclamation and called the remnant to rebuild the temple, only those whose hearts were moved responded to the call.  Ezra chapter 1 says, “In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: 2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!” Not everyone went to rebuild the temple.

There will be times when an invitation to do something for God is issued. Or perhaps an unexpected opportunity to bring God glory interrupts your day. Not all will heed the call or accept the invitation, including believers in Jesus. If you are burdened to do something for God, do it. If you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to say something, say it. Do not compare your actions and words with what others are saying or doing, compare your actions and words only to Jesus.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, help us not to be discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm or willingness from those around us to show love to all people. Help us to walk by faith in You and Your Word instead of being beat down by all that we see going on around us. Help us to trust in Your plan and pray for those who are not showing love or compassion. Lord, help us to grow in You and to be aware of the evil in this earth so we may stand firm in Your love. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Did you know demons attend church?

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Yes, it is true. Demons attend church, know Scriptures, know Jesus and they know you. Demons also fear God and believe there is only one God. Are you able to quote Scriptures and do you attend church regularly? Do you study about and know Jesus? Do you have the fear of the Lord?

How do we know demons hang out in religious places? Read Mark 1:23 as an example, “Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out”. The demon who was in the man was in the synagogue. How do we know demons know Scriptures? Satan quoted Scriptures to Jesus during the time of temptation in the desert. Read Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”

How do we know demons know who Jesus is, read Mark 1:34, “So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak”. James 2:19 says, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” Demons believe in one God and have the fear of the Lord.

Let’s pray. Lord, please help us to know You, hold You in reverent awe, to learn and know Scriptures, and to attend church regularly. Lord, help us to grow in You and to be aware of the evil in this earth so we may stand firm. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Living in Times of Chaos

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There are many situations occurring all around us each and every day that cause chaos. Chaos is defined as complete disorder or confusion. God is not a God of confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. . .” Yet we find ourselves unsure of what will occur day by day and how our lives will be impacted from one minute to the next. How should we behave in chaotic times such as these?

Stand in the truth, God’s word is the only source of truth. In it, we discover the steps on how to live in times of chaos.

  1. Trust in God, not what is going on around us. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Submit to Him and he will guide you in the path that you should walk. Focus on what you are doing, saying and how you are behaving. . . we are to show the world Jesus.
  2. Shine His light into a dark and dying world for all to see. “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Matthew 5:11-16

3. Anchor to the peace of Jesus. Jesus promises us that we will have trouble in this world, but we are not to fall into the chaos and confusion like all those around us. We are to anchor to His peace and be courageous, take heart in standing firm in the truth Jesus gave us. “I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

4. Recall Genesis chapter 1. “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3. God brings order to chaos, that is what He does…in His time and in His way. When you feel impatient or confused, refer back to step #1.

Let’s pray. Father- Help us not to be confused or discouraged by the current times, or what will occur in the future. Instead, let us trust in Your plan and stand firm in Your word. Give us strength. Help us to pray for those who think differently and stand for things that are contradictory to Your word. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Pursuit of Bad Wisdom

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Ever since humans were created, we desire to know things. We want wisdom. Eve wanted wisdom, so she took a bite of the fruit. Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

Proverbs 8:22 describes who Wisdom is, where she spends her time and how she was created.  “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23 I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. 24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; 25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth 26 before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.30Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.”

Wisdom was there as God created the earth, and before He created humanity, He created her. In God’s word, we are told to pursue Wisdom at all costs and cherish her. Proverbs 4:7 says. “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” And in Proverbs 8:10, “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

What is wisdom as God’s word defines it? Proverbs 9:10 explains wisdom and understanding as, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Fear of the Lord is described in Proverbs 8:13, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I (Wisdom) hate pride and arrogance,  evil behavior and perverse speech.”

If God’s word says to pursue wisdom at all costs, than why did Eve’s pursuit of wisdom turn out so poorly? Two reasons, the first is what humans think will give wisdom does not always align with God’s word. The second reason is that Eve was pursuing something God told her not to. There are times in life when what we are pursuing is not for us – whether it is intended for someone else or God has told us in His word it is not good for us.

As we choose to invest time, treasure and talent into the pursuit of what we think is wisdom or good for us, we need to pray to God and first seek His Will. All that we have is His and we need to ensure that we are following His purpose and intended use for those gifts.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for the gifts You give us – time, treasure and talent. Thank You for the gift of wisdom, Lord help us to know what is the good and true wisdom You would have us pursue. Help us to reject what the enemy may tell us is good for us or wisdom-giving. Give us the wisdom and discernment we need to follow Your path for our lives. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Why We Need Our Own Relationship With God

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There are many wonderful spiritual leaders in the world. If we are blessed, we have amazing Pastors, mentors, husbands, Deacons, Elders and others in our lives. Regardless of how wonderful and smart and close to God those around us are, we must have our own personal relationship with God. We must pray to Him daily and read His Word daily. We cannot and should not solely rely on the spiritual leaders or people in our life to guide us in the same way that God would. I was reading a very familiar set of verses that highlighted this topic for me.

“As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.” Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the last few verses, Moses tells the people to stand still. But then God tells the people to get moving. While there are many ways we can look at these verses, the point to focus on is that Moses had an incredibly close relationship with God. Yet, perhaps he told the people his opinion or he was just wrong – this is why we need to have our own personal relationship with God. We cannot and should not rely on anyone to have a relationship with God for us, we need to be in daily contact with God. Reading His word, praying to Him, and learning Him to know what He would and would not want us to do as His children.

Let’s pray. Lord, thank You for those in our life that lead us, please give them wisdom and discernment. Help us to not rely on their relationship with You but to build our own relationship with You. Help us to hear You, see You and feel You as we seek You in our daily walk. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray, amen.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

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As believers in Jesus Christ, we know that the ultimate sacrifice of all of history is the act of Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus chose to lay down His life so that we may be forgiven by His precious blood and able to live with Him in heaven forever. One may wonder as we walk this earth, what is an ultimate scarifice that we can offer to Jesus?

When you lose a loved one, it hurts. I have discovered that somehow it hurts deeper when the loved one is younger or the death is unexpected, tragic. During those times of hurt and pain, may we remember that God is the Comforter. 2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

What if somehow, in those moments of pain, we pray over God’s Word as a source of strength. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus promises, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” May we be able to say to God, I understand that I am going through this pain and You will comfort me so that I can comfort others.

At some point in the future, we will find a new way to move through life without our loved one. This may mean that we are never the same again or that we feel like we are missing a vital organ as we continue our journey on earth. But, we keep going. As we keep going, there will come a time when we will know someone that experiences the unspeakable hurt of losing a loved one. In that moment as we move to comfort another who is grieving, may we be able to put our pain on the altar of sacrifice. Isaiah 40:1 says, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”

I believe that an example of an ultimate sacrifice that we can offer is fruit for others from our pain. If you are in the midst of pain, know that Jesus will bring you comfort so that you will reach the point of being able to walk with someone else who is in pain.

Let’s pray. May we see that You comfort us so that we can then be a comforter to someone else. Please let us see that our pain has a purpose Lord. Please let our suffering become fruit for someone else and an offering to You. Help us to trust You in the midst of pain and suffering. Bring us comfort so that we may then comfort others. Help us to see Your plan to use our pain. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray, amen.

Hospice – What You Should Know

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Hospice is a term that means a person has reached a point in their health journey when the medical world focuses on making the patient comfortable versus trying to heal the person’s body. The goal of hospice is to manage the person’s pain and to make their end of life period as dignified as possible. I worked in hospice for years, and learned some things about death and life in that environment.

From a practical perspective, the patient’s toes and fingers may start to turn blue or gray as they near the end of their life. They may also see loved ones who have died and start talking to them or about them. This is the beginning of their transition from the earthly realm to the spiritual realm. This can be upsetting to some families as they hear the names of deceased loves ones being called out, just know that the patient is not hallucinating. Families should not tell the patient they do not see the person that has already passed away. No one can possibly know what the dying person sees and does not see. This transition between the earth and eternity has occurred at almost every single death I have witnessed. It is as if the patient’s loved ones who have passed away are coming to comfort the one leaving earth behind.

There may come a time during the patient’s end of life journey when their breathing becomes labored or delayed, feeling very spaced out between breaths. Some medical folks call this the ‘death rattle’. Once a patient enters this labored breathing phase, there is not too much time left. If you have not already said everything that you want to say to the patient, time grows short.

One of the most difficult things for someone to say to a loved one who is departing this life is the following, “It is ok to let go, I will be ok.” These words are incredibly painful to say to someone that you actually do not want to let go. But, out of deep love for them and to give them peace as they transition to eternity, try to tell them it is ok to let go and that you or whomever they are concerned about are going to be ok. I have had to say those words to someone that I love deeply. It felt like my heart was being ripped out. But I knew she was fighting to stay because she was worried about me and that I would not be ok without her. I knew there was no path to recovery and I knew that she was in terrible pain. Within 15 minutes of me telling her it was ok to let go and I would be fine and that I loved her and would see her again one day, she drew her last breath. I held her hand as she slipped into eternity and I prayed out loud for Jesus to come take her home.

While death is a very difficult topic, the opportunity to choose where you will spend eternity is now, during life. For my loved one, she knew Jesus as her Lord, so it was easy for me to tell her that I would see her again. It was easy for me to ask Jesus to come gather her into His arms and take her home because that is how believers transition from earthly life to eternity – Jesus holds us in His loving arms. But the choice must be made now, this is in Scriptures. John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” And Romans 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Of course, a more familiar verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Choose life. And help your loved one choose eternal life with Jesus if they have not already made the choice. When a loved one is dying, that is not the time to be embarrassed or ashamed – that is THE time to talk about Jesus.

Let’s pray. Lord, I lift up all of those who have loved ones that are in hospice. Please be with them and strengthen them for the season they are in. Please touch the situation with Your peace, light and love. Please bring those that do not know You to You. For we know that precious in Your sight is the death of Your saint as You bring us home (Psalm 116:15). Thank You for the promise of eternity with You. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.