Category Archives: 2021

2021, Christianity, Discipleship

Where is Your Treasure?

We are living in a day in age in which it is easy for us to become so busy with the cares of this world. We get so caught up in staying current with what is trendy that we often forget about the true meaning and purpose of life. Many people think that the mark of success in life is becoming a millionaire, being elected to office, curing a disease, and many other things. However, what truly matters is after you pass from this life, is hearing “Well done my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).  

So often people are worried about building their own kingdoms on this earth. You will see some people chasing money all their life, which the Bible warns us about the love of money being the root of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). It amazes me that people will chase so many things in this life to realize that one day they will physically die, and someone else is going to get all their stuff. But we will spend so much time worrying about how to pay for this and that all the time. Now I am not saying we should not practice financial stewardship, I am all for Biblical financial stewardship, and honoring God in the area of finances.  

Check out this parable Jesus gave in Luke 12:16-21 (NLT), “Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’  Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”.  

This rich man had so many crops that he did not have enough room, and he decided to build bigger barns so he could expand his own kingdom. This rich man thought that he had it all figured out, however when his life came to an end, he soon came to realize that all his earthly treasure meant nothing in the end.   

We get so consumed with deadlines whether for school or work, along with the many other obligations of life that we neglect to put our priorities in line. We have a great tragedy today and that is so many people in the church are worldly-minded. Some of these people may be genuine believers while others may be false converts. However, the point is that worldliness is more sophisticated now than what it was when the Apostle Paul wrote “do not be conformed to this world” (Romans. 12:2).  

We need to set our minds on the things of God and cultivate a deep desire to know His Word and spend time in prayer, and personal worship, and communion with Him. We need to shift our mindset from worldly things to the things of the Kingdom of God.  2 Peter 3:8 (NLT) says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A Day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”. That is so powerful, our lives are like a drop of water in the Pacific Ocean when compared to how long eternity is.  

Brothers and sisters in Christ I urge you to examine yourself, are you rich in your life in this world, or are you rich in your relationship with Jesus Christ?  

2021, Christianity, Word from God, Word's of Wisdom

Worshiping into His Presence

It is without a doubt that there are many Spirit-filled believers who are pressing in for greater manifestations of God’s Glory in their lives this year. The time spent pressing in towards God will never be in vain, in fact, we should be at a place where we can never get enough of His Glory. Just as things appear dark and uncertain in a nation, there are those in the church who have seen and witnessed the Glory of God manifested in both their personal lives and collectively as believers. . 

For too long the church at large has been placated by a seeker-friendly movement. This has directly impacted how God is worshiped. People sadly become more captured by the flashy lights and smokey machines, rather than worshiping God and experiencing His Glory. I am not implying that people in churches with flashy lights are not hearing the Gospel, I am simply saying we need to ensure our focus and motives are in line with Scripture, and that we are not conformed to the spirit of the age (Romans 12:2).

With the coming Harvest Revival, there is going to be a shift in many churches to enter into a new season of worship. Some churches may already be doing this, but the Lord is calling us all to do this as His Spirit leads us. We are entering into a time where there will be more spontaneous worship and more prophetic worship. We will see a day when there will be a shift from singing songs written by other people to a blend of that along with our own spiritual songs from our hearts. 

Ephesians 5:18-19 (NLT) says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”. 

It will be during these worship services that fully yield to the Holy Spirit that we will see some of the greatest moves of God that this generation will witness. Done will be the days when people are attracted by the craftiness of man’s methods during worship, but coming are the days when the world will see the new thing the Lord is doing with spiritual songs that have never been sung before are being played and chains will be broken off people. 

Remember the church should be attractive to people because it offers something that this world cannot offer and that is Jesus Christ! While God uses each of us in this coming Harvest I pray that we all keep pure hearts and motives. I pray that not only are we yielding to the Holy Spirit to use our Spiritual Gifts but that there will also be an overflow of the Fruits of the Spirit in every believer’s life and in the churches. Let us always be reminded that we are not called to satisfy our selfish desires, but we are called to Glorify the King of Kings. 

Psalm 100:4-5 (AMP)

Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness [endures] to all generations.

2021, Christianity, Discipleship, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin

The Holiness of God

In a world where there is so much wickedness of man, we can often become blinded to the full truth of how Holy God is. Isaiah 6:3 (ESV) says, “And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!””. Not only does this verse describe God as holy, but it uses the word three times in a row. When the Bible says anything three times in a row we ought to take it seriously. 

Too often many of us have become so earthbound that we may not even realize it. Romans 12:2 (NKJV) instructs us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. Other translations may say “do not be conformed to this age”. We are living in a day in age in which men of this world call evil good. Simply turn on mainstream television and you will see our entertainment system promote things that go against God’s Word. 

Psalm 96:9 (ESV) says, “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”. We ought to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), we ought to approach God with reverence. This is something that is sadly missing in the modern church at large in the wake of the seeker-friendly movement, or as David Wilkerson rightly called it “the Gospel of accommodation”. The true church and the world operate out of two different kingdoms. The church should not be attractive because it offers things similar to the world, but because it offers something you cannot find anywhere else in the world and that is Jesus Christ. 

We have ought to have a right view of God, when we have a proper view of God everything else will fall into place. We need to realize that as born-again believers we are saved from the curse of the Law. We have been set free from sin, while at the same time we will fall short. This is why we develop a lifestyle of being submitted to the Holy Spirit and He will convict us when we need to repent. 

As we grow in our walk with the Lord we will develop in higher levels of holiness and sanctification. This is something not too many people want to talk about in the church, but yet the Bible gives clear instructions for us to be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 (NASB) says, “because it is written: “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.””. We are to be a holy people, this is not done through our own strength, but because of the power of God operating in our lives. 

Often when a believer falls short they might get bent out of shape for a long time, please don’t fall into that trap. When you do sin, repent and move on, continue pressing in towards God. Ask God for strength, and resist the devil. Don’t entertain the lies of the devil. The devil would love to torment your mind over one mistake and rob you of the joy of the Lord. There is a promise that you can take to the bank regarding this in Phillipians 1:6 (ESV), “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”. If you are genuinely saved, God will do a work in your life and you will see a change in your life that glorifies Him! 

2021, Word's of Wisdom

Americanized Gospel?

Leonard Ravenhill Quote

It is a tragedy when the Gospel gets mixed with the American dream. You don’t have to look too far to see the modern message has become distorted. Mainstream Christianity has sadly become preaching about a false Jesus who will give you an easy life. Did the Apostle Paul have it easy? No, however, he was once a driving force for persecuting Christians, then God grabbed a hold of him and changed the desires of his heart. The Apostle Paul trusted God despite numerous difficulties and circumstances. At the same time, God provided for His needs.

Being a Christian isn’t about living a life of no problems. Being a Christian is about recognizing you are dead in sin and cannot save yourself from the judgment to come. A Christian’s joy is rooted in Christ, not their material possessions or bank account. Being a Christian means your heart’s desires have been changed because you are born again, and live a life for the Glory of God.

Jesus did not preach a ”your best life now” message. I strongly oppose this out of love, because if we believe in the wrong Jesus, then we are in deep trouble.

2021, Wisdom, Word from God, Word's of Wisdom

Halloween and Christinaity

As a born-again believer, I am thankful for the work of Christ in my life. I am thankful that Jesus Christ has delivered me from the kingdom of darkness and birthed me into His Kingdom.

With that being said, I can never comprehend how people who call themselves Christians and maybe genuine with what they believe, can at the same time forfeit a day or weekend of the year to celebrate the devil’s holiday. You can call it what you want, but take any study at the roots of Halloween and you will see it is full of nothing but pagan and occultism. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”. I grant many Christians have been deceived due to powerless Christianity. This is due to us forfeiting the power behind the Gospel and the full working of the Holy Spirit for our own traditions and man-made Theological constructs.

At large many have settled for a type of Christianity that will make the outside look pretty one day a week, and the remaining days of the week blend in with the rest of the world. I don’t write this out of hate, my heart truly goes to those who are deceived. I’ve seen how the devil works to destroy people, families, and churches. It is time we bear the Light of the World every day of the week and don’t give ourselves over to the workings of the devil. Jesus said in Mark 16 that those who believe would cast out demons and the Kingdom of darkness, therefore we are not to entertain them for one season of the year! Don’t get distracted with the devil’s holiday, focus on the Kingdom of God!

2021, Bible Study, Christianity, Faith, Inspiration

1 John 1:6 Devotional

May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we le and do not live out the truth. 1 John 1:6'

As believers we are to walk in the Light we receive from Jesus Christ. When one is truly born again they become a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). As children of God, we are children of Light! Walking in the Light means living a sanctified life that produces fruit (1 Thes 4:3, Matt 7:16, Gal. 5:22-23). Too often people think that all it means to be a Christian is to repeat a prayer and receive your hell insurance card. It is not possible to say you had an encounter with God and remain unchanged. When one becomes truly saved, they are changed, because they are no longer a child of darkness, but a child of Light!

2021, Bible Study, Christianity

Not Far from the Kingdom of God

I’d like to draw your attention to Mark 12 where Jesus answers questions from the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes. Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of all is, in Mark 12:29-31 (NASB), He responds, “Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”. Jesus right here is talking about the Law. I’d like you to take note of how the scribe responds to Jesus and what Jesus then says next to this scribe. 

One of the scribes responds in verses 32-33 with “Well said, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no other besides Him;  and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”. A scribe was a teacher of the Law, this was an expert on the Ten Commandments, and he agreed with what answer Jesus gave him. 

In verse 34 we see, “When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And then, no one dared any longer to question Him.”. What did Jesus mean when He said “you are not far from the Kingdom of God”? In these few verses if we pay attention we will gain an understanding of a critical key when it comes to evangelizing the way Jesus has called us to. 

The scribe in this passage understood what Jesus was saying about the Law. When we evangelize people do we bring up the Law at all? Do we tell people that they are dead in their sins and need a Savior? Do we take the time to show people that no matter how good they think they are, they still have sinned against God? We can simply just show the unsaved people how lying makes them a liar, and according to God’s Word, liars inherit the Lake of Fire for eternity (Revelation 21:8). 

It is with sadness, but with the truth that I have to say the church at large in the modern movement does not evangelize people the way Jesus set before us. At large the idea of evangelism is getting a crowd of people in a large room, talk to them about how God has a wonderful plan for their life and will make them happy, healthy, and prosperous, and then dim down the lights and get people to repeat some prayer. Then we have the nerve to tell them they are good to go for eternity. Then these same people will go out and live their lives unchanged thinking they are on their way to Heaven when they pass on, but will soon realize they have been deceived. I say this with absolute certainty because I have witnessed this first hand, and I must speak out against this type of false evangelism because I care about people’s eternity! 

If there is no realization of how bankrupt we are that it took the death of God’s own Son to pay the price for our sins, then you have not even come across the basics of the Gospel. But sadly the modern churches have dumbed down the Gospel to just be about self-worth and self-esteem. Let me make something clear, it is still true God will bless His children in accordance with His Will which is founded in His Word. However, because of the prosperity gospel, we have placed the earthly blessings above Jesus meeting our greatest need, which is having our sins covered with His blood sacrifice. 

So why did Jesus say to this scribe “you are not far from the Kingdom of God”. Because the Law is our schoolmaster to Salvation through faith alone. The Apostle Paul tells us this in Galatians 3:24 (NKJV), “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”. So let me say something, Biblical evangelism involves using the Law as a schoolmaster. People must realize how bankrupt they will be when they stand before a Holy God on Judgement Day. People need to clearly see their need for a Savior. 

Let us examine ourselves, are we presenting the Gospel Biblically to the unsaved, or are we compromising the message for sake of numbers? 

2021, Christianity, Faith

True Faith Over Mental Ascent

Faith is something that is so vital to the believer, in fact, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God without faith. On the other hand, it is common for people to get wrapped up in mental ascent. When someone only applies mental ascent to the Word of God all they do is mentally agree with the Word of God. However, the Bible makes it clear that we must mix faith with the Word of God. Mental ascent will come out of a place of academia, where all one will do is just familiarize themselves with the facts of Scripture, but the Word of God never truly soaks into their heart. 

Many Christians think that in order to be in a ministry you must go to seminary or Bible college, however, none of the Apostles of the early church went to seminary. Let me be clear I believe educational training has its place, however, many think that is the only way to be qualified. In Acts 4:13 (NLT) it says, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”. Notice it says the Apostles Peter and John were ordinary men with no special training according to Jewish tradition. The Jewish leaders at that time were well trained in the Old Testament Scriptures. However, Peter and John had everything they needed. Of course, they were alongside Jesus during His earthly ministry, but they also received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the believer’s power source for every good work. The Holy Spirit will help us understand the Word of God so that our faith can be built.

Every believer regardless of their educational background can walk in a great level of faith. Hebrews 4:2 (NASB) tells us, “For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith.”. This is talking about the people in the wilderness in the Old Testament, they heard the promises of God regarding the promised land, but the message did them no good because they had no faith. They only mentally agreed with it which resulted in them being moved by their circumstances. This is why we need to be full of faith so that when circumstances tell us otherwise we are not moved. 

Hebrews 11:1 (NET) tells us, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.”. We must be fully convinced of what God’s Word says. Jesus made a bold statement about faith in Mark 11:23 (ESV), “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”. Please take note He says we must “not doubt in our heart”. You can have doubts mentally, but you cannot have doubts in your heart. Human standards might tell you it is impossible, but you must take heart to the Word of God like it is so. 

I pray this encourages you and stirs your faith. Continue to seek God daily and meditate upon His Word. Ask God to give you a greater measure of faith and to help your unbelief. Every time you get into the Word ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your understanding. God is faithful! 

2021, BLogger, Christianity, Discernment

Worship Matters

How we worship God matters. Too often we do not give much thought to how we worship the King of Kings. This not only applies to the music we use during worship but our attitude during worship. We live in a society that has rapidly progressed towards more towards evil and all the devil’s narcotics and we need to be aware of the tactics of the devil. Given what we read in Ezekiel 28 we can conclude one of Satans roles before he fell was to led worship at the throne of God. One of Satan’s ways of reaching people is through music. You can’t really argue with that statement when you look at the average secular song. Furthermore, Satan has also infiltrated the arena of what is labeled as Christian music. 

When I was young in the faith I would just about listen to anything that had the label Christian on it. As I grew in faith and became more mature in the Word of God my eyes were opened to how Satan is deceiving people through what is considered popular Christian music. Too often many deem a good worship song based on how it makes us feel, just like we would a secular song. This is a very dangerous way to approach worship, and worship is something God takes very seriously. 

There is a very clear Biblical example of unauthorized worship in the Bible. We have the account of Nadab and Abihu, who brought strange incense before God and were burned to death with the fire of God. Leviticus 10:1-2 (ESV) says, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them.  And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”. 

Nadab and Abihu brought strange fire before God, they used incense He had not authorized to the altar. Nadab and Abihu brought their own innovation before the altar instead of bringing in what God had already ordained. How often has the church at large today brought in innovation that is not based in the Bible for the sake of increasing numbers? Far too often is the answer, just look at the seeker-friendly movement. 

Some people might argue, “well I don’t see the big deal that was in the Old Testament”. Hebrews 12:29 (AMP) tells us, “for our God is [indeed] a consuming fire.”. This is in a New Testament context, under the New Covenant. I am convicted that this is even more serious under the better covenant we are in. The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament, and that is something we need to set straight in the church. If we are under a better covenant then worship ought to be taken even more seriously than in the Old Testament. 

I see so many Christians who follow worship bands that might sound like they have good music but if you look at the people in these bands singing the music, their lifestyle and even what they believe about major issues do not line up with the Word of God. I don’t even need to mention names, because you do not have to look too far. I am not saying every one of them is bad, however, a large sum of what is popular today have fallen to worldly things and are approving of things that go against the Word of God. When we sing their songs, we are essentially endorsing them. I don’t want to go with worship songs just because they are trendy or make me feel good, I want to go with songs that glorify God according to His Word. 

Jesus told us in John 4:24 (ESV), “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”. Additionally, 1 Chronicles 16:29 (ESV) says, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;”. We need to realize how Holy our God is and how righteous He is. At the same time, we need to realize how all of us are totally deprived and have fallen short to sin. The cross of Jesus Christ does not reveal to us how valuable we are to Him, but it reveals to us how wicked our original sin nature is that it took the death of God’s only Son to pay the price. That ought to make us serious about praising, worshiping, and glorifying His name. 

2021, BLogger, Christianity, Faith, Healing, Inspiration

Faith In God

Many people today are living in fear over the circumstances of the world. From health concerns to problems in the Middle East and inflation, many people are asking questions. People who are even Christians have fear over these circumstances, it is not just unbelievers who are living in fear. It seems many Christians need to get re-rooted in the Word of God and come into alignment with God’s Word for every aspect of our lives. 

We can spend a good amount of time worrying about our current and future circumstances. However, I believe we should reconsider where we devote our time in our minds. Can you imagine how much different each of our walks of faith could be if we spent more time in prayer and in God’s Word than worrying? The Word of God is our spiritual food. When tempted by the devil, Jesus responded in Matthew 4:4 (ESV), ““It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””. 

While the Word of God may not satisfy our physical hunger, the Word of God is our sufficient spiritual food. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV), “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”. We need to realize that the Word of God is what equips us and trains us for everything God has called us to in our lives. We should not just turn to the Word of God when we are spiritually depleted, but we should turn to the Word of God and feast upon it daily. 

An important aspect of being filled with the Holy Spirit is being filled with the Word of God. Jesus tells us in John 6:63 (ESV), “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”. The two go hand in hand. We need to cultivate a prayer life that is in line with God’s Word. Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) says, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”. We are to pray at all times under the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to seek out God’s Will in our prayer life, and we can know God’s Will by getting into the Word. 

There will be others in our lives that we will come across who are unbelievers who will appear to be distraught over what circumstances are taking place in this world or even in their own personal lives. This gives us the perfect opportunity to share with them how we walk in the peace the Lord has given us. Romans 15:13 (ESV) tells us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”.