Saturday, July 31, 2010

"But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek." " You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate." Luke 6:27-28, 36


Can we really talk about our enemies without talking about the amazing grace of the one who displayed the ultimate expression of love towards His enemies.

From the time Mary delivered Jesus He was hated. And guys His enemies were very open about their hate towards Him. They questioned His intentions, integrity, and who He was. They even tried to kill Him several times. And the worst part is they did it straight to His face. Now imagine that for a moment.

I am just going to tell you straight up, it is hard enough when you know there is animosity between you and someone else and it is even harder when that person deliberately goes out of their way to be ugly to your face. 

But can I just tell you, when you start putting things in perspective according to the cross and the persecution, accusations, and name calling that Christ endured, it will make you realize that what you are going through does not even come close to what Jesus had to go through.

And if the Son of God could endure through such hatefulness and still show unfailing love to His enemies, so can we, because we are the children of the Most High, who are filled with His spirit.

Doesn't that excite you? Oh, it does me! So much that I am running full force towards Satan with the word of God yelling, game over serpent, the victory is in Jesus!

 I was once told by my best friend that at the time made no sense what so ever, but now makes absolutley perfect sense. She said,  it is up to us to do what is right and it is up to Christ to deal with the consequences of our obedience.

In other words, if you have done what the Lord has told you to do and done it with the right heart then step back and let the Lord deal with the rest. Let Him deal with the consequences of our obedience by dealing with the actions of our enemies. Make sense?

My precious friends remember showing acts of kindness and love towards others is a daily process. You can't just pick certain days you want to show love to your enemy. Jesus didn't!

It is all about imitating Christ in every aspect of our lives.

Prayer: Lord today we ask that You clothe us with peace that is loving, gentleness at all times, mercy, and the willingness to yield to others. Thank You Jesus for being the perfect demonstration of love. Amen

Friday, July 30, 2010

Just Do It!!

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

Over the next four days I have an activity I want you to try. It pertains to your enemies. Before you bail on me just think about, pray about it, and please, whatever you do let the Holy Spirit guide you. Because if you don't you could end up doing it out of spite which will only make things worse. 

We are people of feelings and being that we base our actions off of our feelings (which we should NOT) there are a lot of times we don't "feel" like showing love, compassion, or even being forgiving, especially towards someone who has hurt us, or our enemies.

So for today if you are a big "feeling" person, you need to shed that and put on your action outfit, because you are going to literally show a kind, loving action toward your enemy. Today we are going to Just do it by DOING GOOD to those who hate us.

I have done this and you will be so amazed how much your heart begins to change. All I can say is it is a God thing and the peace you receive in doing it is indescribable. 

Here is a pick list for you.

1. Call and tell the person you were thinking of them and you want to mend the relationship.
2. If they are in need, help them.
3. Send them a gift
4. If you see them say hi and smile (genuine, my friends)
5. If you know their email send them a quick note
6. Send them a text asking them if you can do anything for them.
7.Call and leave a prayer on their answering machine
8. Write down all the positive things about them (and yes there are positive things about everyone)
9. Send them a letter telling them what you admire about them.
10. Pray for them everyday for 30 days.

Will their be awkwardness at first-absolutely. Will you doubt yourself-YES. Will you make an excuse of why you can't-of course. But just remember to put on the mind of Christ, who never felt awkward to show love, who never doubted His purpose, and who never made an excuse when He was placed upon the cross.

"Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." Romans 12:21

Prayer: Lord as we put on our action outfits we ask that You examine our hearts and our motives. Align them with Your heart and Your motives which are based off of unconditional love. Lord convict us if we do any of these out of spite. Amen

Thursday, July 29, 2010

“Action” packed

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other check.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

Having enemies is probably just as inevitable as the sun coming up. There unfortunately will always be people who oppose the Lord and oppose those who serve the Lord. But that does not mean we should oppose those who oppose us, and we should NOT allow Satan the opportunity to wound us.

As “true” believers of Christ we need to put on the same characteristics of Christ and pursue Satan and our enemies with love and the word of God. So put on your armor, grab your shield and sword and make sure you have good shoes because we are headed into a battle that is “action” packed.

Here is a list from the Commander Himself that is required.

Leviticus 19:18
1.       Do not seek revenge
2.       Do not bear a grudge
3.       Love your neighbor as yourself

Proverbs 25:9-10

1.       Discuss the matter with your enemy privately
2.       Don’t tell anyone else, or others will accuse you of gossip.

Proverbs 25:21

1.       Give them food
2.       Give them water

Matthew 5:25

1.       Come to terms quickly with them
2.       Be reconciled to them

Matthew 5:43, 44, 48

1.       Love your enemies
2.       Pray for those who persecute you
3.       Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6: 14

1.       Forgive them

Luke 6:27-36

1.       Love your enemies
2.       Do good to those who hate you.
3.       Pray for the happiness of those who curse you.
4.       Pray for those who hurt you.
5.       Love your enemies
6.       Do good to them
7.       Lend to them
8.       Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate

**Do you think the Lord is trying to get His point across-look at how many times he repeated Himself? It’s important my friends!

Romans 12:9-10

1.       Don’t pretend to love, really love
2.       Hate what is wrong
3.       Stand on the side of good
4.       Love with genuine affection
5.       Take delight in honoring each other

Romans 12:14-18, 20

1.       Don’t curse them
2.       Pray that God will bless them
3.       Be happy with them
4.       Share their sorrow
5.       Live in harmony
6.       Don’t act important
7.       Don’t act like you know it all
8.       Never pay back evil for evil
9.       Live in peace with everyone-as much as possible
10.   Feed them
11.   Give them a drink
12.   Do good

Don’t let the list overwhelm you, put your eyes on Christ, let the Holy Spirit do the leading, remember it is about the glory of God, obeying His commands and showing our enemies the same love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace we receive every day.

Prayer: Lord we ask that You clothe us with compassion, peace that is loving, gentleness at all times, the willingness to yield to others, mercy, and forgiveness. Lord clothe us with strength and the endurance and as we go into battle and defeat the ultimate enemy. Amen

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Oyebh…one who hates!

 “But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-29, 36

An enemy is one who entertains personal hatred, grudge, or malice against another.  Enemy translated in the Hebrew is oyebh, which means “one who hates.”

One who hates is one who dislikes, detests, persecutes and has strong emotional aversion.

Do any of these describe how you feel towards another person?

Why do we have enemies? I can understand an enemy that opposes Christ, but an enemy that is a brother or sister in Christ?

Our biggest adversary –Satan walks around with a loaded gun full of temptation, greed, jealousy, insecurity, anger, and dissension. His target is US. He has no greater motive than to cause dissension and discord among believers and non-believers.

I am sure I have a few enemies throughout this life of mine, but I can guarantee you that I have never set out to make them my enemies. And to be honest yes I have had my share of disliking some people, but I have never considered them to be an enemy. So I thought. Until I read the biblical definition of an enemy.

If “enemy” means one who hates and the definition of hate is dislike or detests, than do I have people who I have made my enemy.  What is the real reason to “hate” someone, especially when that someone is created in the image of God?

 Is it because we have taken the armor of Christ off, acted off our feelings, therefore becoming open targets?

I understand that we will have disagreements, but that should never cause us to have or be made an enemy. We must still make the choice to love in spite of our disagreements and differences, just as Christ did when He died on the cross. Hate and love are like oil and water they don’t mix.

The biggest lesson I have learned from studying “enemies” is that if we say with our mouths that we love the Lord, yet “hate” a brother or sister in Christ than we are liars. Let me back that up with scripture. “If someone says, I love God, but hates a Christian Brother or sister, that person is a liar for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God whom we have not seen? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters too.” 1 John 4:20-21

We can’t let the bullets of Satan wound us, we have to go straight to the healer, allow Him to remove the bullets and bandage the wounds before they begin to poison us with selfishness, jealousy, and insecurity thus causing us to harbor anger and hate towards one of God’s creations. We must put on our armor covering every inch of ourselves with Christ's love and word.

Prayer: Lord reveal to us today any hate that we may have in our hearts towards others. Forgive us Father if we have held on to this hate because of our own selfishness, jealousy and or insecurities. Lord help us to live in confident dependence upon You. May we see all people through the eyes of Your Son who displayed the ultimate expression of love on the cross.  Amen












Tuesday, July 27, 2010

People get ready, Jesus is coming soon we''ll be going home.

"Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed." Revelation 16:15

This is not at all what we are going to be studying this week, but I can't ignore the urgency the Lord has placed upon me to ask you this question.

Are your preparing for His return?

As I looked up in the sky today and saw the clouds hovering over our town, I thought to myself, "Kristi prepare for rain whether it comes or not." So I got home and put out the plants. That is when the Lord began to speak.

You wake up and prepare yourself and your family for the day. You prepare for all sorts of things throughout this life, but are you preparing for the most important thing, my return?

I do not want to be so busy tending to this worldly life that my family, friends, and myself  miss out or become scattered and ashamed because we didn't tend or prepare for the arrival of the King.

My morning should begin by preparing my family and myself through the word of God and prayer. My mind should be on Christ all throughout the day and I should be in a constant state of readiness.

Growing up my daddy would always say to me and my sisters before we left the house, "Girls remember Christ could come back any time, so make sure He finds you in a place where you would not be ashamed or have to hide."  And for me I hope it is when I am right in the middle of worshiping Him and reading His word.


What a man of wisdom my dad is, and as a result of His faithfulness, commitment to the Lord and His constant comment, I am always sure to ask myself  if Christ came right now what would I want to be doing, holding, saying, or surrounded by when I saw Him face to face for the first time.

What about you, do you have Christ's return on your mind?

Prayer: Lord we do not know the hour nor the day of Your arrival, but we do know that You will come. So I pray that we will all begin preparing others and ourselves for the return of our King. I pray that we will keep You on our mind at all times and that the Holy Spirit will speak to us when we are in places or situations where Your sudden arrival would leave us feeling ashamed and wanting to hide. Lord Jesus hasten the day, hasten the day. Amen

Monday, July 26, 2010

Throwing off...Putting on

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2


My sweet friends as we bring this week's S.S.A.L.S (study, store, apply, live and share) to an end, I pray that you have found yourselves throwing off some more of the old ways of living just as I have, and putting on some new.

Here are some things I am  throwing out that have been surrounding me;

My short fuse
Laziness
Bitterness
Selfishness
Disrespect

Here are some things I am putting on;

Self control- even if my tongue bleeds from biting it and even if my nerves are bulging out of my skin.
Respect with my words and body language
Self-LESS-ness
The attitude to serve!

It has been a tough week that has been full of God's love through some major disciplining, and lot's of exposure, it fills me with joy as I look back at this week because I know through each phase of this journey, God's love lies, along with growth and wisdom.

Prayer: Lord continue to shine Your searchlight upon me, exposing any and all sinfulness that might surround me. Forgive me Father, I ask this in Your name. Amen

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Just a few questions...

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2

How can we encourage one another to remove the sinfulness from our lives?

Why is it that we become defensive when we are held accountable for our sins?

How has the Lord been disciplining you lately?

Are there hidden areas of sin in your life that you have been overlooking, but that have become foul smelling to the Lord?

Is it really love if we allow our brothers and sisters to continue living in sin?

How is your obedience today and I mean obedience in your quiet time, your prayer time, your actions, thoughts, and service?

Just a few questions that I pray will light a fire within.

I do love all my sweet blog readers and followers, you will never know how much joy I have being able to share God's amazing word with you!  I hope you will spread the gossip!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

People watching

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2


I love to people watch, and I got plenty of people watching at the water park today with my family. I am always astonished at how unique and different each person is. More so, I am amazed at the fact that each person was hand crafted by the Lord and that there is no other person like them. It is just amazing and I absolutely love it!

The best part of my day, of course besides watching my babies swim and go down water slides, was seeing thousands of people who were being "watched" by the Lord. Including us. God is so big that He can watch 7 billion people individually! He is such a personal God, interested God, and loving God.

He spends intimate one on one time with me, listening, speaking, teaching and loving me, all while doing the same thing with and for 6 billion other people. WOW. Just let that sink in for a minute.

Prayer: Lord thank You for never taking Your eyes off of me. Amen

Friday, July 23, 2010

Sinful deeds-Deeds sinful

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2


Their sinful deeds are all around them. Two words-Sinful and deeds. What exactly does a person look like who is surrounded by sinful deeds, I asked the Lord, and boy did I get an eye and ear full.

Sinful- the root word of Sinful is sin, which means moral evil; transgression of or rebellion against God's laws; perversion of the heart; missing the mark. Add the ending ful and this is what you get. Full of moral evil, full of transgression and rebellion against God's laws, and full of perversion in and of the heart.

Deeds-means feat or exploit, action or act.

After I became more familiar with the definitions of these words the Lord showed me something that opened my eyes to see what we might look like when surrounded by sinful deeds. He took the words and switched them . Their deeds sinful are all around them.

Their actions are full of evil, rebellion, and their hearts are perverse. In David's terms, "Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God to restrain them. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do what is good. They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their course of action is never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil." Psalm 36:1-4


We might think this does not apply to us, but it does in so many ways because we are sinners. Thinking the Lord was finished He led me to another example of what a person might look like surrounded by sinful deeds. It is found in Romans 13:13, "...Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy."  Then we flipped over to Colossians 3:5 "Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires." 


And just in case I wasn't getting it, my amazing Father of whom I truly love broke it down even farther word by word.

Galatians 5:19-21 A person surrounded by sinful deeds produces this, "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin." 


It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all.

I see all of that the Lord said to me, I see it ALL!

Prayer; Lord thank You for bringing Your word alive within me. Forgive me for having surrounded myself with sinful deeds. I praise You that non go unnoticed and as a result of that they are brought to light before You and You bring them to light before me so that I might turn from them and walk blamelessly before You my mighty God. Amen

Thursday, July 22, 2010

I want a distaste

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2

There are very few times throughout my day that I am not asking the Lord to search me, test me, and examine my thoughts, my motives, intentions, and actions. I have this sense of fear and desperation to never be seperated from the Lord, to never hinder His purpose, His message, or be that fruitless fig tree.

I never want to be a complacent child of God, nor do I ever want my Heavenly Father to look down upon me and see me surrounded in sinfulness. The mere thought of any of that leaves me paralyzed. Along with the thought of those who willfully choose to live in sn.

I pray that God will give us such a distaste for sin that it leaves us sick. I pray that He will daily reveal to us all areas in our lives that offend Him and that we will listen, confess and turn from them (literally). I pray that we will wake up, smartin up, straighten up, and wise up when it comes to God and sin. I pray that we will stop trying to straddle both God and the world. And most of all I pray that we will make Psalm 32:5 apart of our every day lives.

"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the Lord. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." Psalm 32:5

Remember God is watching you and He sees everything, He also goes everywhere you go so take that into consideration the next time you walk in somewhere you know is not pleasing to Him.

Prayer: Lord search us and know our hearts, test us and know our thoughts, point out anything in us that offends You and lead us along the path of everlasting life. Show us any and all sins that are lurking within us and keep us from deliberate sin. Amen

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Indeed, I am watched

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2

As I searched deeper and deeper into the word of God trying to find any and all occasions where the word "watched" has been used, I found something very interesting and yet so refreshing, especially at a time such as this.

Over the last year I have been placed under a series of tests, faith tests that is. These tests have come in all different and very challenging ways. They have come through people, surroundings, and circumstance.

This latest test, and I should say the one I am still in, hit me smack dab in the gut and has left me with an even greater determination to charge back at Satan with every ounce of God's word and power within me.

Therefore it is the very reason Hosea 7:2 is our S.S.A.L.S (study, store, apply, live, and share) for the week. And it is the very reason I began searching for the word "watched" throughout the Old and New testament.

I would give anything to be able to put my heart and my emotions on this blog just so you could have a glimpse of how I feel and felt as I came across these verses and what the Lord spoke to me during such an emotional and very personal moment. But since I can't I will just pray that as you read them yourselves that the Lord will fill your heart with an overwhelming since of peace, joy, and deeper understanding of what it means to be "watched" by the Lord.

"For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." Psalm 1:6 - The Lord is watching over this path I am on, He has not led me down a path of testing alone. He is right beside me every step I take. Not only is He watching, but He is directing me and holding me by the hand.  "The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."  Psalm 37:23-24

"You watched me as I was being formed in utter seculsion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb." Psalm 139:15- God has watched you and me from the very beginning. Not a second has gone by that our amazing Father has not been "watching" us. Which leads me to our final passage.

"...My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." Psalm 121:2-8

I want to close by writing this Psalm out the way the Lord spoke it to me. It is this very passage that has brought more hope, joy, peace of mind and reassurance that no matter the test, no matter the people Satan is trying to use, my God, my Father, my hero, my protector, and my defender is watching over me. Therefore I will come through this time being refined and wiser than before.

Kristi your help comes from me, the Lord, the one who made the heavens and the earth! I WILL NOT let you stumble and fall; I , the one who watches over you will never fall asleep. Indeed, I, the one whom watches over Israel never tires or never sleeps. I myself watch over you! I stand beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night. I will keep you from all evil and preserve your life. I the Lord your Father keep watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

There is no hiding!

"It's people don't realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them; I see them all." Hosea 7:2

If we ever think for a minute that we can get away with things we need to re think that thought. God sees all, knows all, and hears all.

I love and hate all at the same time knowing that our God's eyes are always on us every second. They were on me through my stupid moments, my heartbreaking moments, my joyful moments, and all my future moments.

If you are ever searching for accountability then store Hosea 7:2 in your heart. Remembering at all times God sees all.

Lord as You look down upon us may Your be filled with joy. Forgive us for thinking we can hide from you. Amen

Monday, July 19, 2010

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, live according to his will, love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good." Deuteronomy 10:12-13

What is your motive for worshiping God?

How are you living out the requirements God has given you?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Jesus Is

Featured Writer-Ryan Burchett

I was reading over Hebrews 3:1-6 today and I noticed the 'title' of this section...."Jesus Greater than Moses." As I read on through verses 1-6, I came to a particular verse, v. 3, which really stuck out.

Having just graduated from Texas Tech with my Architecture degree, this verse stuck out because it most clearly illustrates the true supremacy of Christ. Well, what do I mean by that? Jesus was always teaching and preaching to the Pharisees, as well as the people of that time, that He was the one and only way. His ways were right and true. His teachings were it. But so many people still worshiped other gods, or they still manipulated Christ's very teachings to fit what THEY BELIEVED or what THEY FELT was right. Then as we look a little closer into that picture, we realize it’s not just a painting illustrating an image of attitudes and beliefs from times past, but rather it is a mirror of how our society is today.

We live in a society that believes in so many things which are foreign to the solid truths which Jesus taught. Society has abandoned what Jesus taught because it doesn't feel or believe that Jesus' teachings are either correct, logical, or relevant today. So how does society, better yet the world, handle this situation? Why, just like they did in Biblical times of course.....my forming a new 'truth' which goes against Christ and His teachings and which states that Christ is NOT the authority and Christ is NOT the truth.

This idea, over time, has slowly begun to creep into our very own churches. Churches which once stood for Christ's teachings are now implementing their own feelings and beliefs because they feel that theirs are right and/or better than the original.

Hebrews 3:3, particularly, suggests otherwise: "Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself."

What does this mean? How does this apply to us today? The answer to that is simple.

Think of famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. He is one of the most famous and well-known architects of ALL time and for good reason. His architecture revolutionized the field, no doubt. When we see an old project of Mr. Wright's, even if it's falling apart, we don't call it by a certain name or title, but rather, we identify it and hold it in high regard because it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Or think of Leonardo da Vinci. Archaeologists could uncover some of my old writings and drawings from past architecture studios and simply toss them aside, never to look at them again, because I am the one who did them. However, if those same writings and drawings were done by Leonardo da Vinci, they'd be worth millions. Why? Not because of the content, but simply because they were done by da Vinci.

The point being for this evening, we can try billions of different ways to re-invent Jesus' teachings. We can re-word them; we can remove things to fit our own agendas, beliefs, or feelings. We can do whatever we please....and God will let us, to a point. But who are we to say that OUR way, OUR feelings, and OUR beliefs are superior to Christ's? We're NOT!

Jesus Christ is the originator and His Word is the original truth and authority. Let's be sure we stick with it.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Believers vs. Professors

Featured Writer-Ryan Burchett
I just recently began reading a small book entitled “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth” by Dr. C.I. Scofield. In this book, the primary focus is on the passage 2 Timothy 2 which illustrates the traits of believers through 7 different characters. These characters, although diverse in occupation and function, all form together to create the image of what a true believer is supposed to be.

Far too often in our world today, Christians are thought about in a negative light more times than not. Many people refer to Christians as hypocrites, racists, legalists, ‘Bible-thumpers’, and formalists and for the most part, sadly, these accusations could very well be correct, in most cases. Matthew 7:21-23 is quite clear on the subject of people mistakenly thinking they were ‘believers’ but never truly were. They will cry out “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles”, and God will answer them plainly and definitively, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Scripture is very clear on the fact that there are many people who have been, who are, and who will be sadly mistaken on Judgment Day. So, how can we tell the difference between a true believer and a mere professor? We need not look any further than the Scripture.

First of all, here is a list of example Scriptures which I encourage you to read before moving forward. Each passage helps us to establish the proper image of a ‘true believer.’

Matthew 25:10

Luke 7:50

John 6:37,39, 47

John 10:14

John 10:27-29

John 17:24

Acts 2:42

Philippians 1:6

2 Timothy 2:19

Hebrews 10:39

Revelation 19:7-8

What does each verse mean in terms of ‘believers?’

Matthew 25:10 – ‘Parable of the 10 Virgins’ – illustrates Christ’s 2nd coming – when Christ comes back, believers will join Him in heaven and it will be closed off from ALL unbelievers forever

Luke 7:50 – true believers are saved by true faith; not by obligation, nor by tradition, nor by emotional experience

John 6:37,39, 47 – true believers are guaranteed eternal security and eternal life

John 10:14 – true believers get the pleasure and privilege to have a true relationship with God

John 10:27-29 – true believers have true security

John 17:24 – true believers have a true Savior who truly intercedes on their behalf

Acts 2:42 – true believers will have true devotion

Philippians 1:6 – a true believers’ life is a personal project of Christ’s

2 Timothy 2:19 – true believers are truly known by the one true God

Hebrews 10:39 – true believers are truly apart from the world

Revelation 19:7-8 – true believers are truly blessed

The characteristics and benefits of a believer are clearly stated in Scripture and should not only be what we as believers are striving for, but we should already see evidence of these things in our lives.

What about the other side of the equation? What does Scripture have to say about ‘professors’ and/or unbelievers? In a word….plenty!

Matthew 7:22-23

Matthew 22:11-13

Matthew 22:28,33

Matthew 25:11-12

John 6:64-66

Acts 8:13,21

Hebrews 6:4-6

Hebrews 10:38

James2:14

1 John 2:19

What does each verse mean in reference to ‘professors?’

Matthew 7:22-23 – professors mistakenly believe they are saved

Matthew 22:11-13 – professors will be cast out of God’s presence

Matthew 22:28,33 – professors will have no 2nd chance to come to Christ in the End

Matthew 25:11-12 – professors are not known personally by Christ

John 6:65-66 – professors, when confronted and questioned, disown Christ altogether

Acts 8:13,21 – professors, at times, only seek the blessings and/or ‘fire insurance’ and not a true, saving relationship with Christ

Hebrews 6:4-6 – professors will truly fall away from Christ on ALL fronts, which is contrary and “impossible” (6:4) to what Scripture teaches about true believers

James 2:14 – professors live 2 different lives

1 John 2:19 – again, professors live 2 different lives – they put on an act in church but will live contrary outside the church

The case and point for this study is simple:

Believers – 1. Live like it

2. Are rewarded

Professors - 1. Have no substance to their ‘faith’

2. Are condemned

It is not our job as believers to bring judgment on the ‘professors’ but rather to help bring them to the light. Ultimately, they will answer for their lives like the rest of us and Christ will be the ultimate judge of that. As it says in Matthew 13:28-29, “’An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “’No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.”

We are called to be the light in this world. If we try and bring condemnation down to try to ‘help God out’, we could do more harm than good. Let us stick to our beliefs, live like it, and show the light to others.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Inactive and unfaithful Christians

Featured Writer-Ryan Burchett

Luke 13:6-9

This parable tells a story about inactive & unfaithful Christians.

Let’s identify the characters:

The man who owns the vineyard: God

The man who takes care of the vineyard: Jesus

The vineyard: the world

The fig tree: a Christian

Now let’s take it verse by verse:

v.6 – A man plants a fig tree in the vineyard, he goes to check on it, and finds no fruit.

(Now this man owns a vineyard and he has hired help so he’s probably very rich. The only way for a vineyard owner to make money is if fruit grows so that he can sell it and make a profit. To make his vineyard the most productive and to make sure that all of his crops can be used to take to the market to sell, he has to give all his efforts to work and he has to give all of his time. Without giving his all, the vineyard would be worthless. So, after giving all that he has to the vineyard, he plants a fig tree. He has given everything he had so that this fig tree can grow up big & strong & produce lots of fruit for him. But, when he goes out to check on his precious fig tree, he is disappointed. The fig tree that he worked so hard preparing for, has produced no fruit. As Christians, how does this apply to us? Think of it like this, God created us this wonderful world to live and to worship Him in. Once we sinned, He had to give us the ultimate sacrifice, all He had, His “only begotten Son.” Once He did that, we accepted it and became Christians, thus making us God’s ‘fig tree.’ But sometimes, when God comes out to ‘check on us’, we are fruitless. We lack spiritual maturity. This is very disappointing to God.)

v.7 – The owner tells his servant to cut the fig tree down– all it was doing was wasting soil.

(The owner is very upset when he sees that the fig tree has produced nothing after 3 years of watering it, trimming the weeds, and taking care of it. He feels like his efforts, as well as his servants’ efforts, have been wasted and he finally tells his servant to “cut the fig tree down because it is just using up soil.” The owner has been very generous here, I mean he gave the fig tree 3 whole years with the greatest of care to do something and it did nothing. Imagine trying to grow a plant yourself. You’ve worked your tail off and eventually develop a love for that plant, because you’ve worked so hard on it. You go outside day after day, week by week, month by month, year by year. Every time it’s the same, you see no change and no growth. What emotions would you feel after 3 years of that? Disappointment?.. Tiredness? Anger? Shame? Disgust? Or better yet, how do you think God feels when He’s done all He can for us and has given us chance after chance after chance through His great mercy, and we still bear Him no fruit for His efforts? Just something to think about.)

v.8 – The servant begs the owner to give him just one more year to work with it, so that just maybe it might finally grow some fruit.

(The owner is fed up and he just told the worker to cut down the fig tree. But the worker has developed a bond and a love for the plant that he’s been working on the past 3 years. He has given his life for the fig tree so that if would grow and produce fruit. All of his efforts have been given to get this thing to grow. So, the worker begs the owner to give him just one more year. He promises that he will work even harder and do even more to get the fig tree to grow and produce fruit. Now, let’s flip this back on us. God is a God of love and mercy, but at the same time He is a God of wrath. Jesus constantly works with us and when we anger God, He is right there to plead with God, on our behalf, asking Him to give us one more chance. Jesus asks God if He can have a little more time with us out of the great love that He has for us.)

v.9 – The servant tells the owner that if the fig tree still has no fruit after one more year thencut it down.

(The worker is begging for the owner to give him that extra year. But he sees that the owner is tired of having an unfruitful fig tree. So, the servant makes a deal with the owner. He tells him that if after that extra year, the fig tree still has produced no fruit and still hasn’t grown, then the owner can have it cut down.

Jesus will work with us and love us and guide us forever. But eventually, God’s patience wears thin. God only gives all of us so much time on this earth and as a Christian, if we waste that time by ruining our lives with bad choices or by breaking promises to God or by just doing nothing in your Christian walk, God will eventually call us home. This is why calling yourself a Christian and saying that you love and believe in Christ is not a joke or just something you do. God loves you more than you can imagine and He gives us more chances than we will ever know. But if you waste your Christian life, He eventually will cut you off from this earth, the vineyard, and He will bring you home. God cannot stand fruitless Christians.)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

How committed are You?

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lords commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.”Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Today we finish up with our final requirement, to obey.

God tells us very specifically what we are to obey, and that is all of His commands and laws. The ultimate example of obedience was shown by Abraham when he was told to offer his son Isaac as a living sacrifice.

Listen to how James puts it in chapter 2:21-22 “Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did-by his actions.”

He was 100 percent obedient to the Lord even when faced with the choice to sacrifice his son. Are you that willing? Are you that obedient?

Are you fulfilling all of your responsibilities as a child of God no matter what the Lord asks of you? It is one thing for us to know what is required of us, and it is another thing to do it. Just like Abraham we too need to be 100 percent committed and obedient. It is a sin to know and not do anything about it.

Ask the Lord to help you listen to His instruction and then to guide you as you fulfill your responsibility.

Prayer: Lord thank you for the example of true obedience that Abraham, Noah, and Moses set for us. Help us to be completely committed and obedient to Your word, no matter the calling, no matter the sacrifice. For we know that when we do whatever You tell us our faith too will be made complete. In Jesus name, Amen.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Real or Routine?

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

I have always thought that singers were so lucky, especially Christian singers; because they could lift their voices up in harmony with the angels and worship the Lord, and how sweet to His ears it must be.

It was not until just recently that the Lord shared with me that it is not about how good their voices are it is what is in the heart that is so sweet to His ear. It does not matter how off key I sing or if I even sing at all. It is the worship of my heart lifted up to Him that matters.

One of my favorite passages in the bible was written by David when He was worshipping the Lord.

Psalm 145:1-3 “I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. I will bless you every day, and I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! His greatness is beyond discovery.”

I encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 145 it is full of God’s love and I know as you read it you will begin to fill the same joy David felt. Use this passage to guide you in your time of worship.

Remember true worship comes from a pure heart. It is real and not routine, and it is our response to who Jesus is.

Prayer: Jesus each day we rise may we lift our hearts to You in worship. Jesus may our worship never become routine. You are more than worthy and one day we will all worship You in one accord. In Jesus name Amen

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

We love because He first loved us!

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Today we look at our third requirement our third “get to” it is an honor to be able to fear Him, live according to His will and today Love Him.

What is Love-it is the ultimate expression of God’s loyalty, purity, and mercy extended toward His people. God is love-it is what He did for us on the cross.

What are ways we can show God we love Him? Accept His son as our personal Lord and Savior. Spend one on one time with Him in prayer. Read His Word, apply His Word. Go out and share the Great News of Jesus with others.

Loving God is giving Him all of you each and every day. It is dying to yourself daily shouldering your cross and following Him.

Let today be the day you start showing Christ how much you love Him. Accept Him as your Savior, get into His word, and let His word get into you, talk to Him, and share it with the world!

Prayer: Jesus You are the ultimate description of love. May all that we say and all that we do bring glory to Your name. Jesus today we give all of ourselves to You. In Jesus name, Amen

Monday, July 12, 2010

All the proof you need!

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

How is it that you know you are in the Lord’s will? I want to share with you an incredible story of how the Israelites knew they were in the Lord’s will.

It is found in the book of Numbers 9:15-23. I encourage you to go back and read the whole passage, today I am just going to paraphrase.

It was visible for all to see, it was a cloud that covered the Tabernacle. It was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It was what would guide them through the wilderness with the help of Moses.
Here is how it worked. “But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and followed. Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.” Numbers 9:21-23

Now, that is following the will of the Lord. How many of us would love to have such guidance? Man I would and I know that when I seek the Lord and His word He will be that evident in my life.

Guys we serve an unbelievably big God!

Prayer: Jesus we seek Your will for our lives today and ask that you be as evident for us as You were for the Israelites. In Jesus name, Amen

Sunday, July 11, 2010

In the midst of His deepest agony!




“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Come with me as we take a look at the example Jesus set for us during His time here on earth. I pray that today the Lord will open the eyes of our hearts and teach us how to live according to His will and not our own.

I want to share a passage that became very real, sensitive, and absolutely humbling. It shows just how much Jesus loves us but how much more He loves His Father.

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” Luke 22:42

Jesus knew the time was coming when He would be betrayed. He knew the suffering He was about to endure and the separation from God that would have to take place as He took on all of our sin’s. And yet in the midst of His deepest agony, He cried out for it to be the Lord’s will and not His.

There is, and will never be, another greater example of how to live according to the Lord’s will, than what Jesus did for you and me!

Today it is our turn, it is our turn to die to ourselves and live according to His will. Today no matter how bad we think we are suffering we remember the suffering Christ did for us.

Prayer: Jesus no words can express the gratitude we have for what You did for us. Lord we are foolish to think our will is better than Yours. Let Luke 22:42 be a reminder of what it means to truly what our Father’s will. In Your amazing Name Jesus, Amen

Saturday, July 10, 2010

It is so not about You!

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Our second requirement today is to live according to His will.

What is the Lord’s will? It is doing what He wants and NOT what we want. Isn’t it so easy to get caught up in our own desires that we lose sight of God’s? Thankfully we have someone who set the example and showed us that it can and should be done. Jesus!
I want to take you to a couple of places the next few days and show you just how much of an example Christ was.

Let’s start in the book of John-John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”

Guess what? We were created in the image of God called to serve Him so we too are here to do the will of God and not what we want to do. It is about fulfilling His desires and not our own. Man I hope you are getting this. How do we do that, you ask, by putting our eyes on Him every second of everyday. By letting the Word of God take root within us.

Today as you go about your day I want you to ask yourself, is this going to bring glory to God or to myself. Will it bring honor to His name or to me?

It is not easy, but I know it will put things into perspective for you and me, and it will show us just how successful and perfect God’s will is.

Prayer; Jesus help us to remove ourselves and truly comprehend that we are here for You and You alone, help us to live according to Your will and not our own. In Jesus name Amen

Friday, July 9, 2010

Stop making it harder than it is!

If I may be completley honest with you today, this weeks devos I had written in December. And as the Lord brought this passage back to my mind, I at first thought perfect, I will be able to catch up on some writing. Well the amazing Father that I serve and love more and more every day had different plans for why He wanted me to use this particular devotional today.

I have been dealing with some struggles and frustrations over  this last month and it just seems to have all began when I committed to my S.S.A.L.S (study, store, apply, learn and share). My friends, Satan has delcared a straight up war with me and it has been brutual. And if I could just say if this was a real life war, there would be alot of blood, clawing, hair-pulling, words flying, etc. Of course not to mention alot of tears on my end and alot of laughter on his.

My point to sharing this with you is because I want you to see and hear how amazing our God is. Just this morning as I am writing out this verse on my index card, my mind was full of so much frustration, desperation, and confusion. By the time I finished writing it, it was as though the Lord swooped down, stuck out both arms, and scooped me up. Right then and there God made it all become so clear. Kristi re-read what you just wrote. I make all things simple, "My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those who want to learn." Proverbs 8:9 Let my Son live through you, let the Holy Spirit direct and guide you, and In my name stop making my word so complicating and stop trying so hard to please me. Just concentrate on the requirement I have given you in Deuteronomy let it fill you with peace, and let my Son who is in you give you freedom. "So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. " John 8:36

There is nothing sweeter or more satisfying than being set free! Thank You Jesus! "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

All He asks is that we repect Hiim (fear), follow Him, (live according to His will), love Him, worship Him, and obey Him. Anything done outside of that can become and is probably man-made laws and regulations.

Are you being held slavery to something? Let Christ and His truth set you free today in Jesus name.

What more could you want?

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

The last two days we have looked at what it means to fear the Lord, how we fear the Lord and today we finish with what do we gain from fearing the Lord.

I want to look back at the four scriptures we used over the last two days, because in each of them God shows us exactly what we gain from fearing Him.

Job 28:28 “The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.”

Psalm 34:9 “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and understanding.”

Psalm 34:9 “Let the Lord’s people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need.”

Psalm 34:11-14“Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others.”

So what do we gain from fearing the Lord?

Job 28:28 - We gain wisdom

Proverbs 1:7- We gain knowledge

Psalm 34:9- We will have all we need

Psalm 34:12- We will have a long good life

Now I don’t know about you but for me that is enough! That is exactly what we all wish for, and our God is saying I will give all of this to you if you just fear Me.

Prayer; Jesus as we begin each new day I pray that we will start it with a whole new understanding of what it means to fear you. And that we will actually apply it to our lives and let it pour out onto those around us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Five ingredients for fear!

“Let the Lord’s people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need.” Psalm 34:9

Yesterday we looked at what it means to fear the Lord; today we are going to look at how we fear the Lord.

How do we fear the Lord; by showing Him true genuine reverence. Let me put it this way, by showing Him true respect and honor with a humble attitude and genuine worship.
Okay not that hard right; “Umm no, no” as my three year old says. It is hard especially when we are never in the word of God, especially when we have conformed to the ways of the world and our surrounding environment.

Oh, but God is so good and He gives us five very specific ways to fear Him in the book of Psalm 34:11-14 “Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good? Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others.”

1. Listen

2. Watch your tongue

3. Keep your lips from telling lies!

4. Turn away from evil and do good.

5. Work hard at living in peace with others.

Specific enough! Isn’t that great! Store this verse in your heart and ask the Lord to keep it fresh on your mind. The more and more you apply it the more knowledge and wisdom you will gain. Isn’t it just so exciting? What an amazing God we serve!

Prayer; Jesus thank you thank you for making Your word plain to all who want to hear and clear to all who seek to understand. May we write these words deep in our hearts and apply all that we learn. In Jesus name Amen

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Have we lost all fear?

“The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.” Job 28:28

Yesterday we learned of five requirements God expects from us. To fear Him, live according to His will, love Him, worship Him and obey Him.

Our first requirement given is to fear the Lord. It is the beginning of all things and I believe it is what is missing in our world today. Here are three questions I want us to look at over the next couple of days.

1. What does it mean to fear the Lord?

2. How do you fear the Lord?

3. What do you gain from fearing the Lord?

When we hear the word fear we immediately think of being afraid. But that is a completely different type of fear. When God says He wants us to fear Him, He is not saying be afraid of Me. He is saying be in awe of Me and My power. Show Me respect with a tender conscience. For when we truly fear the Lord, it will pour over onto others.

Have you ever heard the saying “Someone needs to put the fear of God in that child?” Well guess what, we all need to put the fear of God in ourselves. If we are to be living and breathing examples of Christ then we have to set the first example and fear the Lord. Be in awe of His name, power, and authority. We have to show Him complete respect in our thoughts, words, actions, and motives.

We begin by getting into the word of God and spending one on one time with Jesus. How can we ever truly learn to fear Him if we never read His word?

We need to be seeking wisdom from His word and not from the world. If we want our children to show us and others true respect, then we have to teach them to fear the Lord first. We have to share the word of God with them daily.

Look at what Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7 “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

We gain knowledge from reading His word! We are foolish to look elsewhere.

Prayer: Jesus teach us through Your word to fear You more. Open our minds to realize that we can not gain wisdom on our own and that the wisdom the world offers is fleeting. In Your Mighty name Jesus, Amen.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Requirements

“And now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, and to obey the Lord’s commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

There is so much that is required of us now days that it can become very overwhelming. We even require so many things for ourselves that when not fulfilled we are left disappointed.

I believe it even gets to a point where we try to live up to the world’s requirements and others standards that we lose sight of who we are.

There is only one person whose requirements should matter and that is God! He is the only one who will and can show us exactly who we are to be. And in all His awesomeness He has made it very simple and clear for us to live up to and achieve.

The greatest part about doing what He asks is His promises hold true and are everlasting. And He is there helping us, guiding us and teaching us. He never fails us or deserts us. He gives us all that we need to be successful.

So what exactly does God require of us? He wants us to fear Him, live according to His will, love Him, worship Him, and obey Him. He wants it to be ALL about Him!

Week 6 I hope you will join me as we dig deeper into what God requires of us and let His word transform us.

Prayer: Jesus today we confess that we have tried to live up to the requirements of man. Forgive us and teach us, instruct us and guide us as we seek to live up to Your requirements. Thank you that you have made them available to each of us. In Jesus name, Amen

Monday, July 5, 2010

Hindered

“God says we must not eat it or even touch it or we will die.” Genesis 3:3

In the midst of my deepest agony I rushed to the place I knew would bring healing to the brokenness and aching that flooded my heart. As I approached the inner temple I cried out, “Father, please may I come in?” I reached out to pull back the curtain and enter the Most Holy Place where my Father dwelled. All to find that there was curtain after curtain each one thicker and heavier than the last. The aching and longing in my heart only became more intense, so intense I began gasping for air and wondering why I could not get into meet with the only one I so desperately needed.

It was then in there the Holy Spirit stopped me. These curtains, they are hindrances. Until they are removed you will continue to pull curtain after curtain. My heart cried out, “how do I remove them, don’t you understand? Can’t you see the brokenness within me?”

Confess, go and make right what has been made wrong. Make peace, turn from your sins, and then when you call upon me I will hear you and make clear the curtain for you to enter the place where I your heavenly Father dwells.

Do you have hindrances; UN confessed sin standing between you and God? Don’t wait until it’s too late or until your sin has driven a wedge that has become so hardened in your heart. Call out to the living God and let Him show you any and all sin that is keeping you from a personal and intimate relationship with Him.

Yes we have unlimited access to the Most Holy Place because of what the Son of God did for us, but before we enter we must daily confess our sins, and understand our true need for God.

Prayer: In Jesus name I ask Lord that You will daily reveal any sin lurking within me, for then I will confess my sins and be able to enter the place I desire to be, the place right where You dwell. Thank You that as I remove my sins you are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness. Amen

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Satan we are on to you.

“God says we must not eat from it or even touch it or we will die.” Genesis 3:3

How often have we, like Eve, been standing before our forbidden trees and listened to the voice of Satan convince us that it is okay to reach out and touch it, take it, listen to it, or eat it?

Let me give you some examples that have taken place in my own life. Maybe you can relate, but if not, I hope these examples will help keep you from falling into one of Satan’s traps and believing the lies like I have.

Join in on the conversation Kristi, it won’t hurt anything to throw in a few comments about others.


You know Kristi she is right you are a hypocrite; I mean who are you to hold a sister accountable?


You really think God wants to use you, look at your past.


You will never be good enough or smart enough.


You are better off following in the shadow than standing out on your own.


Don’t you want to know everything God knows about your husband and others?


It’s okay to laugh or smile at others sin; I mean you’re not participating are you?

Whether he has convinced me to compare myself to others, join in on the gossip, fill my thoughts with more doubt than a human could hold, ignite my anger, plant the root of bitterness, or even convince me that I will never be good enough, or able to be used by the Lord, I have at some point listened, grabbed the fruit and ate it.

But the closer I walk with the Lord, the more I seek His word, the more I run to Him when the thoughts arise within me, the more my gracious, loving Father comes to my rescue. The more He opens my eyes to His unending love, mercy and grace, and the more He sets me free from the traps and chains of Satan.

I am free, free in Christ Jesus, I have the living Son of God dwelling within me, who is fighting the battle between good and evil. He fills my thoughts with truth, He reminds me that I am His and He is mine. He shows me His love and tells me of the wonderful gifts that await me. He reassures me daily that I am worthy, wonderful, beautiful, and capable of all things through Him.

“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.” James 1:17-18

The next time you are tempted to grab the fruit from the forbidden tree, run to God, lay the nagging lies of Satan at His feet and remember that if it is not true, honorable, or right, pure, lovely or admirable, excellent and/or worthy of praise than it is not from God.

Prayer: Lord thank You for filling with the Holy Spirit who never rests, never lies, and never tries to convince me of anything but living in the truth and the promises of God. Amen

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Freedom of Choice

“God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.” Genesis 3:3

I believe one of God’s deepest longings, besides for us to be covered in the blood of His Son, is the longing of true obedience and choice.

There is nothing greater than when love is expressed through a person’s choosing to do so. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden He could have very easily left the tree of knowledge of good and evil out, but He didn’t. He placed it there and even made them aware of its presence and the importance of not eating from it-death.

I believe the Lord did not do it to set up Adam and Eve for failure but simply for the longing that His first, most precious, valued creations would willfully choose to obey Him. He still to this day gives us the choice to serve Him, to obey Him, to love Him, and to choose the most precious gift- life, through Jesus Christ. Yet even in the midst of His deepest longing, He has given us the choice, the freedom to choose opposite of Him.

How often I wish that God would make the choices for me, for then I would be sure not to fail, or sin, but in doing that I would miss out on the importance of His mercy, grace, and love. I would be less dependent upon my deepest need for a Savior, and I would be stunted in my knowledge and wisdom of the most amazing Creator.

When I willfully choose to obey God, I am choosing to meet the deepest longing of my Father. I am choosing to not eat from the sin and enticement of the world, or even touch what it puts in front of me.

Oh, what great rewards await all those who choose to obey God and what sad consequences maybe even death await those who choose to disobey.

Prayer: Lord forgive me for all the times I have chosen to disobey You. Thank You for bringing Your word to life within me and for daily removing the veil as I search deeper into knowing, pleasing and become more like You. Amen

Friday, July 2, 2010

Ready or Not here we come

“God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.” Genesis 3:3


Lord reveal to each of us any sins that are lurking in our hearts. Cleanse us from these hidden faults. Keep us from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control us. Then we will be free from guilt and innocent of great sin.


Lord set our eyes to Your vision so that we might see all things as You see. Lord help those today who are lost and in need of Your Son. I pray that through each of Your children who have called on You by name that we Lord will have the opportunity to be a light within the life of one of those who are lost. Lord give us the courage the desire to set out and look for those who are in such need of You. Help us to go beyond our comfort zones today with a boldness that can only come from You and speak in Your name. May we sit back no longer and allow those living in sin to continue.


Lord I praise You for those all over the world who are standing up for You and sharing the Good News. Ignite a fire within each of us to not wait any longer, O Lord You are coming, may we all be in a foot race with You to save as many as we can.


Lord clothe us in Your armor as we set out today, may we stick within our boundaries, and use every piece of armor to combat the enemy. Lord today we come a blazin’ ready for battle.

Satan be prepared because today we will no longer let you win, we come clothed in the armor of Jesus Christ covered in His blood, and you, Satan are our prey!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Knowing your boundaries

“God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.” Genesis 3:3

A dog on a leash knows his boundaries, a basketball player knows the boundaries, a football player knows his boundaries. Do Christians know their boundaries?

In the book of Exodus the Lord calls Moses to prepare his people for the Lord’s arrival and instructs him on all He wants ready for when He comes.

“Be sure they are ready on the third day, for I will come down upon Mount Sinai as all the people watch. Set boundary lines that the people may not pass. Warn them. Be careful! Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries. Those who do will certainly die!” Exodus 19:11-12

The Israelites had real visual set boundaries and so do we. We have the whole word of God that lays out, defines, and teaches us our boundaries.

We can either dance around and over our God given boundaries or we can stay within in them where there is life, love, comfort, peace, unity, and God’s amazing holiness right in the center.

Even Satan has boundaries, there is nothing that monster can do that doesn’t go through the Lord first! Halleluiah!

I truly believe that if we will study our boundary, which means reading God’s word, and if we know that outside of our boundary Satan awaits we will be able to live and experience freedom in Christ. Let me explain;

Imagine a football field; it has a white line that goes all the way around it, that is the boundary line. If the athletes pass that line they are considered out of bounds.

As Christians (true Christians filled with the Holy fire) we have a spiritual field that has been set up for us and is marked in red, Christ’s blood. As long as we live within the read lines, live in Christ we will live in the place where the milk and honey of God’s love flows. If we step outside of that red line than we are walking on Satan’s turf (out of bounds) and if we have never stepped inside of the red lines, meaning have never received Christ, than we are living prey to Satan.

It is important to know your boundaries. Open God’s word and let Him draw your boundaries out for you. Yes His boundaries require giving up of the flesh and the things of this world but believe me it is worth it.

Prayer: Lord thank You for giving us boundaries, boundaries that only make us better, boundaries that keep us close to You and away from the death trap of Satan. Amen