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Tag: #bebold
LETTING GO
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The title of today’s episode is: LETTING GO
I am going to share something with you. It is possible to carry things in our lives that we do not even know we are carrying. Over time we experience things that we are not sure how to process or are too painful to deal with at the time. We bury them deep in our hearts.
I felt like I had suffered an offense over thirty years ago. I didn’t really think about it, until something happened, and my feelings came flooding out of my mouth. I was shocked that I had been carrying that bitterness for over thirty years.
Recently, I have been asking God to really search me and get rid of everything that is not of him. I want to be free of bitterness, offense and anything else that will get in my way of doing what God wants me to do.
The word bitterness means: disappointment and resentment at being treated unfairly.
Jesus was treated more unfairly than anyone, yet he had enough love to say, father forgive them they know not what they do. We need to ask God to remove our weights and fill the space with his love.
I often say that we are only capable of carrying so much. For example: If you were only capable of carrying ten pounds. You carry five pounds of bitterness. Three pounds of hurt and offense. Two pounds of all of your responsibilities of life. There is not any room left for anything that God wants to give you to carry. We need to empty our life of unnecessary weight. Then we will be down to the two pounds of responsibilities of everyday life. That leaves eight pounds of room for the things God wants to give to us to carry.
We have to empty our hands so we can lift them up for him to fill. In the days in which we are living, we have to be free to run the race that he needs for us to run. If everyone was bogged down with things that cause offense, bitterness none of us would have room to do the will of God.
Eph 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Striving to forgive others sometimes is not easy. In the case of my situation from yesterday. I feel like I have been able to release it to God. I have asked him to cleanse me of the bitterness and offence.
In some cases, the weight of hurt and offense can even cause us to have physical sickness in our bodies. Unforgiveness and bitterness can be like venom or poison to our souls. This has been scientifically proven. Feelings and emotions can show up in physical ways. We cannot show God’s love if we are bitter. To truly walk in God’s love, we have to be fully free.
I am so grateful that God revealed this resentment and bitterness so that I could get rid of it. If someone would have told me that I was carrying that much bitterness and resentment. I would have had to give it serious thought, then would have probably said, No I am fine. These things are buried deep most of the time. It takes God to bring them to light.
Ask yourself, do I have any unforgiveness or bitterness? Is there anything in me that I need to ask God to remove. He can and will set us free, we just have to be willing to ask him for his help to forgive and let go.
We all have a race to run; time is short. We cannot be held back by these emotions; we need to be able to carry what God has for us; souls depend on us running our race well.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WALKING IN LOVE
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The title of today’s episode is: WALKING IN LOVE
Jesus said, John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
As we try to walk out our faith walk, we are to walk in Love. But what does that mean? The church today is full of misconceptions about what it means to walk in love. Many believe that if we are Christians that we are supposed to let others walk all over us and we are to take it. We are supposed to let them trample all over the word of God in the name of love and compassion. Others believe that we are supposed to be door mats and keep quiet about politics and current events because we don’t want to appear difficult and God forbid we offend someone, by telling them the truth. God is a god of justice. It is because of his tender mercies that lightening didn’t strike them all dead in Paris the other evening.
It is ok to be angry over an injustice or people misusing the house of God for evil. Even Jesus ran the money changers out of the temple. We just cannot allow ourselves to be consumed with anger.
Many were going sideways this week over the opening of the Olympics. Some said it wasn’t supposed to be the last supper. Others said it was supposed to be something else. Although those people have souls and we are to have compassion for them, we must tell them the truth. The truth is showing them love. They may not get it, but we are showing them love by telling them the truth.
However, before you think I am being weak minded, Jesus is my life, and it hurts deeply that people would mock him. He endured enough of that when he was on his way to crucifixion. We do not need to allow people to openly mock him and not stand for him.
Gal 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
God sees all and allows people to only go so far before he steps in and allows people to reap what they sow. When we sow to our flesh, we will reap in many ways hard things that are painful. We will eventually reap an eternity in hell.
If we sow to the spirit and walk in the ways of God, we will reap many blessings and eternal life. Notice it says, God is not mocked. We cannot stand by and allow evil to control our world without at least saying something against it.
But we cannot fall into bitterness, anger, rage, unforgiveness and fear. We have to stand strong and always rebuke with love and compassion. Like I said, those people need God. We have all been guilty of idolatry and sin.
Are you walking in hatred? I am walking in the hatred of the sin. But I do not walk in the hatred of those people. They need prayer that God speaks to them. The very thing they need they are afraid of and mock.
As you get ready for your weekend, think about where you stand. Think about your choices, are you walking in God’s love? Are you walking in bitterness and anger? Do you believe God wants you to be a doormat?
If God didn’t expect us to fight the good fight of faith, why did he give us a sword of his word? It is what we have to use to judge how we react to every situation of life. We are to live godly and walk in love toward all mankind. This is written in the word.
Every verse gives us understanding to be more like God. As we come to the crossroads of God doing something huge in the world, we all have decisions to make about our lives. God is drawing lines and asking which side we are all on, today is the day to chose to be on the Lord’s side. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late. So hold your head high, stand strong, keep fighting the good fight of faith, and always walk in love, telling people the truth.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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NO FAMINE IN GOD
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The title of today’s episode is: NO FAMINE IN GOD
Our world is in the middle of a time of spiritual starvation, but not for lack of food. There are plenty of Bibles. Many people that are not willing to accept the word of God as a source for their soul. There are too few people trying to share the amazing word of God. The word that has the power to strengthen, enlighten, encourage and transform even the hungriest soul.
We find a story in the fourth chapter of 2Kings about a poor widow. She approached Elisha and told him that her husband was gone and that they were going to take her sons for bondmen to pay off her debt. Now there was famine in the land. People lacked a lot of the basic necessities of life.
The prophet said to her, what do you have in your house? She started to say nothing, then she said, except a pot of oil. He told her to go borrow vessels from all her neighbors, and he told her not to borrow a few but many. When she had them all, she was to go into her house and shut the door.
2 Kings 4:4-7 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Because there was a famine, people were lacking oil also. She was able to sell all the oil and become debt free.
I was thinking about how we have a spiritual famine in the world today. It is not because God is lacking. We are not using what we have in our house. The Holy Ghost is often referred to as being oil or the anointing of God. There is not a shortage of oil. But there is a shortage of willing vessels.
In order for us to complete the harvest so that Christ can come and get his bride, we need to go gather vessels. We need to gather as many as we can. People need to be filled with the power of God or the oil of his anointing.
The widow poured and poured until she ran out of vessels. God will do the same, he will pour out his Spirit until there are no more vessels (willing vessels). Then he will call his children home.
Just as her children were almost sold into slavery. The whole world is a slave to sin unless they have let God fill them full of his precious oil. This story is often used to reflect the nature of how God provides and takes care of his people, even in famine.
He sent the children of Israel to Egypt to get away from a famine. When Joseph was second in command of the land of Egypt. They were not meant to stay 400 years. Sometimes we move in and take up residence in the places that God only meant to be a temporary situation. A place to ride out the famine.
It is time that we help those around us to get out of the place they have set up residence. We need to help them get back to the place God has for them to dwell. We are to dwell in the secret place of the almighty, not be traveling in the sinful world. It is easier to dwell in the secret place of the almighty if we have oil in our vessel.
The next time your spiritual life feels like you are in a famine, remember the Lord will give strength to his people. There is nothing that we face today or will face tomorrow that he cannot handle. He tells us to not walk in fear, but to trust him. God is with us and will provide for us. He will fill our vessel or refill our vessel and give us a refreshing of his power and strength, if we trust in Him.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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MURDER BY WORDS
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The title of today’s episode is: MURDER BY WORDS
I often say that our words have power. If you don’t believe me, you have never been on the receiving end of unkind words that crush your heart and spirit. It leaves you feeling less than human, like you don’t deserve to live.
This is why God tells us to not gossip. People spread rumors about others that they do not know if there is any truth in them or not. Those lies can do harm. This is why Jesus tells us to not judge one another. If the rumors are true, then they need prayer and understanding not talked about behind their back. They need encouraged and lifted up, not slaughtered by judgment of others.
I John 3:15-17 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
It is easier to believe a lie. It is easier to listen to the lie and share it. Gossip is spread to hurt and destroy. It is not called character assignation for no reason. The false words chip away at the perceived reputation and character of the person. Gossip is often spread in hate; therefore it is murder.
Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
We as children of God are only to speak words that build up and encourage one another. Ephesians says to not let corrupt communication come out of your mouth. Many think it is cursing, but that is only part of it. It is speaking gossip and lies about others. One passage of the scripture says that the liar will have his place in the lake of fire.
Prov 16:27-30 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. 28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. 29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. 30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
Godly people, who walk in the spirit do not delight in seeing people fall. Many are being exposed for their evil. These things are true and are not gossip. Many more will fall before the shaking is finished. We need to thank God for our freedom from evil. But we should not delight in seeing anyone fall. But for the grace of God, it could be any of us.
Prov 11: 13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
If we learn something about someone that could be considered gossip. We need to take it to the Lord. Then keep it to ourselves, sharing it will only cause more damage. Most things that are spread as rumors and gossip end up being lies. Remember God considers hate to be murder.
Now in light of what I have said about gossip and how it hurts people. I want to share the other side of gossip. If you are the recipient of lies and rumors. What are you supposed to do about the situation? Let us see what God’s word says about being the victim of false witness and gossip.
I Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Our good conduct will turn back on them and make them ashamed that they ever spread rumors or gossip. If we can learn to hold our peace, God will fight our battles. The phrase “hold my peace” means to grasp on to peace, carry peace, or keep my peace. Jesus is our peace. As long as we can walk with him.
We can never allow ourselves to fall into hate. I understand the emotion may show up, but we have to pray and overcome the emotion. Emotions are temporary, it is how we respond to them that will make or break us. We can take our pain and hurt that causes anger and hate and do something positive with the pain. Some choose to retaliate to do other things that are not a part of God’s will for their lives. Choose to walk in your integrity before God, he will bless you for putting aside the hate.
Peter 4:14-16 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Often people gossip because we are Christians. The devil in them wants to see us fall because he doesn’t like for a Christian to be happy or prosper. If we suffer for the cause of Christ, God will undertake. If we walk in the fruit of the Spirit and hold our peace God will receive the glory. Jesus didn’t defend himself, we shouldn’t either. We cannot control what people think. The ones that matter will not believe it anyway. The ones that will believe it, don’t matter anyway.
We do not have time to waste on people who would not give us a drink of water in the desert. The world is full of people that need us to be the light. They need to see us being a light and holding onto our peace. The Lord will fight for us, we just need to sit back and watch.
People do not realize how serious our words are and how powerful. Make sure your words are ones that edify yourself and others. There is no room for negativity, degrading or gossip. Now is the time to be strong and not allow the enemy to get us into a place that we sit in judgment of another or walk in half-truths of gossip. Now is the time to walk in faith and God’s love.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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EPISODE 140 RESPECT GOD’S PRESENCE
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The title of today’s episode is: RESPECT GOD’S PRESENCE
The Lord had Moses to build a tabernacle for him to come down and be in the middle of his people. Many places speak of God’s glory as being a cloud of God’s presence. In bible times his presence dwelled in the holy of holies. In this place was the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat on the top. The Old Testament is full of types and shadows of what will be in the New Testament Church. Like the tabernacle is a type of temple.
I Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
We are now where God comes and dwells. God also comes down with power and authority. Make no mistake, he is in control of what is going on. There are times his glory shows up in the form of a cloud. His presence manifests in different ways but it is still God.
In the New Testament, people in positions of authority in the body of Christ (the ministry) have a responsibility to live holy and clean lives. When people in ministry commit sin and continue to live in that sin, he will remove them from their position of influence.
If we respect God’s presence in our lives, we will live like we honor him. We will not intentionally sin or walk in immorality. Does it mean we are perfect? No. But we need to do all we can with our daily choices to honor God with our lives.
The example of the Old Testament disrespect of the temple of the Lord in I Samuel. Eli was starting to be blind. When the ministry starts to become blind to sin, it only goes downhill from there. I think about the sons of Eli, they committed sin right in the temple of God. Hophni and Phinehas were given chances to change but they were arrogant about their sin. They felt entitled, like they were special and could do what they wanted. (Pride goeth before the fall). When the Philistines and Israel went to war, they were both killed. When Eli heard the news, he fell off of his seat and broke his neck. God raised up Samuel and he became God’s prophet to Israel. God is weary with the Eli’s and the entitled second and third generations of corrupt ministry.
God’s glory can bless or destroy. Sin cannot stand in the presence of God. This is why we have to approach the throne of God through the blood of Jesus. It is the cleansing of the blood that gets rid of our sin.
In Chapter 4 of 1st Samuel is the story of the Philistines and Israel went to battle. Just as God told Eli that both of his sons would die the same day, they were killed. The Philistines stole the ark of the covenant.
Chapter 5 The ark was taken back to the camp of the Philistines. The placed the ark of the covenant in the temple of Dagon their god. The next day they went in to find the statue Dagon on it’s face, on the ground. Fake gods will not stand before the presence of God.
The Philistines set the statue back up in his place.
I Samuel 5:4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
God showed them that their god was not anything. The statue didn’t just fall over by accident. It head and hands were cut off. God showed them that without a head it cannot function. Without hands it cannot work.
The hand of the Lord was heavy and they realized that they made a mistake by taking the Ark. The Philistines understood when God smote some of them with hemorrhoids. Others he struck down with death. Their leaders came together and returned the presence of God.
The arks stayed in the house of Abinadab for twenty years. There was much prosperity there, because they respected the presence of God.
Skipping ahead twenty years later, David 2 Sam. 6:3-7
2 SAM 6:3-7 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
Uzzah put his hand on the ark and he died, because he was not authorized to touch the ark. Jerusalem prospered once the ark was returned.
God’s presence will either be a blessing or a curse, depending on how we treat his presence. Eli’s sons disregarded God’s presence and God killed them. Uzzah died for his mistake.
Those who respected the presence of God are blessed and prosperous. God’s glory fills our temple if we are obedient and walk in his ways. He will take care of his people. God’s people are not arrogant and prideful that we are blessed. We use our blessings to be of service and help to others.
If we choose to walk in arrogance and feel that we are better than everyone else because we have received God’s Spirit, then we’re headed for a fall, very quickly. Because pride goeth before the fall. I beg you to get right with God if you’re not right with God. And to respect his presence. You will be blessed all of your days.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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EPISODE 139 — PEOPLE OF UNDERSTANDING
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The title of today’s episode is: PEOPLE OF UNDERSTANDING
I have always prided myself on being a good multi-tasker. The trouble with multi-tasking is that the attention is so divided that deep understanding is often missed. If the tasks are only partly important, then multi-tasking is the way to go to get that to-do list checked off. But to be a person of understanding, it takes a singular focus.
I often listen to preaching, worship music, or my audio Bible while doing my household chores. This multi-tasking is ok, but there are times when I have to sit quietly with my Bible and speak the word out loud. While listening for that still small voice to give me understanding.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hearing has two definitions. For our ears to pickup on sounds. The other definition is to understand. This verse is saying faith comes by understanding and understanding by the word of God. It is helpful to audibly hear the word. It helps with understand. Our faith will increase as we understand what God is trying to say in the Bible. This is why it is so important to make the word a part of everyday.
When it comes to the things of God, we need to learn to slow down. Discernment and hearing the voice of God is crucial in the times we are living. It is time for us to have a singular focus on God. The enemy is trying to distract in every way. He is trying to destroy our country. America will be responsible for sending many missionaries to the world. God will not allow us to be fully destroyed. He is allowing a shaking to get his people’s attention. Many blame a political party or a politician. But the true enemy is satan, and he is controlling these evil people.
But our fight is the fight we have on our knees. As children of God, it is time to not be double-minded but to focus on declaring and decreeing that the enemy will fall. God’s will be done. It is our job to pray for America to be restored to its foundational roots.
James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
We have to fight the good fight of faith. Standing strong in the name of the Lord. Now is not the time to get into fear or be double-minded. Now is the time for a single focus; God’s will be done. Being people of understanding puts us in the perfect position to discern God’s perfect will.
God doesn’t expect us to fight the battle at hand. He doesn’t want protests of violence. He wants us to battle with our words in prayer. We need to decree that the enemy will fall. Declare that God is going to move mightily and set his people free. We need to be singularly focused on him and pray.
There is not one example in the word that someone depended fully on God, and He let them down. He has put forth much effort to prove his love for us. He died for us, how much more proof do we need? He made a way for us to escape sin and hell. Speaking of hell, many have the misconception that satan will be in charge of hell. Movies and cartoons have shown us that he is planning parties and it will be one big sinfest. But my bible, which is the ultimate authority of what is to come, says he will be bound and tossed into the pit of hell. Does that sound like he is in charge?
1 John 3:7-8 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. Satan tries to make us believe that he has power. He tempts us to sin but cannot make us surrender our free will. We will be controlled by something. The choice is ours, will we choose life or death, whole or broken, purity or sin, Jesus or satan?
Our enemy may seem big and scary. But our God is bigger than anything the enemy can use to bring us down as long as we resist the enemy. The word doesn’t say to play with the devil-like Samson did Delilah. He knew the enemy was trying to get his secret. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. Instead, he was snared by his words. He allowed the cunningness of an attractive woman to get him to tell the enemy what would defeat him.
Our words have power, we have to guard our words. The things we speak in negativity and complaint give the enemy tools to use against us. He will turn our words into weapons against us.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Whatever is in our hearts will come out. This is why we need to renew our minds and our hearts with God’s presence and his word. Reading the word out loud will help us to get it into our spirit.
Now is not the time to be slacking or to be asleep while on guard duty. We have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters and the lost to stay alert. Satan is on the move, it is up to us to be people of understanding and not allow him an inch of space to form a stronghold. Stay strong my friends, fight the good fight of faith. It is all going to be worth it in the near future.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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EPISODE 103–LESSONS OF A SPIDER
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The title of today’s episode is: “LESSONS FROM A SPIDER”
I want to start with a question today? How many of you if you found a spider in a loaf of bread would eat the bread? I don’t think many would say yes. But some that are really hungry would say yes. Often satan is compared to a spider. He has placed webs of deceit in the bread of the word. Some of the new translations cannot be trusted. They are missing verses and meanings of others have been changed to support the new all roads lead to heaven lie.
We would say that the loaf of bread is going to be tossed out with the garbage. What if the spider had spread venom on the bread? Well, satan’s lies is poison to our spirit. Some of the translations need to be tossed out with the trash. I say this to warn you to be careful. I always compare everything to the King James Version. If I feel it means the same thing then I feel like that verse is acceptable. I compare on a verse by verse basis.
Satan is the father of lies and we often compare a liar to one that spins a web. The poor insect that gets caught in the web has no idea what is coming its way. The spider doesn’t kill its prey all at once. It will kill it slowly over time. Satan doesn’t come at us full force, he comes at us a little at a time. Maybe with a watered-down bible. Then he will make you think that this little thing or that little thing won’t matter. Afterall, God’s grace is sufficient. Don’t think the enemy doesn’t know the word of God. He will keep coming at us a little at a time until he has us in a desperate situation.
We have to be on guard constantly for his small attacks. The word says it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. We are looking for him to come at us as a roaring lion with a big attack. When he is working on the little things. Like getting us to say we will pray tomorrow and go on to bed. We may decide to skip our bible reading today because we are so busy. The next thing you know it has been a week since we picked up the bible or prayed with any real enthusiasm and devotion. It’s the little things that add up.
Prov 30:24-28 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
From these five verses we could do a study that would give us a lot of wisdom. After all Proverbs is the book of wisdom. I want to briefly touch on each but keep mostly to my original topic of the spider.
Ants are colonies of many, they communicate well with each other and work as one. They prepare for winter in the summer. Just as we are to prepare in this life for our eternity. Will it be eternal life or eternal death. As ants work together, we are to band together and try to help others prepare for eternal life.
Conies are rabbit-like creatures with shorter ears than rabbits. They build their dens in rock for protection. It is their fortress, like God is our rock and fortress. They are protected from predators and storms. Just as God protects us from the enemy and storms of life.
The Locust goes in bands. There is evidence of where they have been because the leaves are dead and brown. We as Christian’s need to stick together. There needs to be evidence that we have been somewhere. Unlike the locust that leaves behind death, we can bring life to people.
Prov 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
Spiders can be anywhere from a pitiful shack of a house to a king’s palace. They are so small that most don’t even notice them. Until the evidence of cobwebs starts to show up. Then we know a spider has been in our house.
One time for about two weeks I would sweep down all the webs on my porch. Every morning when I went out to go to work, I would walk through new webs spread across the opening of the porch. I would look around and not see any spiders. Because they go back in a crevice and hide until they feel the vibrations of something being caught in the web. I went out in the dark and found it spinning a web. I killed the spider and didn’t have any more webs.
We need to be like the spider in the sense that it is determined to keep building even if someone tears down what we have built. It travels by swinging on it’s web. It is safe to say that what comes out of the spider gets it where it wants to go. Can we be like that and be determined to keep working on building the kingdom of God even if someone else is trying to undo all that we have done.
Spiders know when something is caught by the vibrations of it’s web. We need to be in tune to the Holy Ghost inside of us and have enough discernment to know when the enemy has entered the room. Have you ever met someone that you could feel evil around them, so much so that it smother you?
People don’t wake up one day and say, “I think I am going to be evil.” It is a process of being bit by the poison of satan over and over again. As a spider kills its prey in the web little by little, satan slowly kills the persons desire for good. He slowly posses them with evil until in some cases they are too far gone to ever yield to God calling them to be saved. It is so very sad when people allow their evil to overtake them to the point that they think they are God and will not yield.
In summary, we need to be like these four little creatures. Prepare like the ant. Work now because there will come a day when the work ceases. As the conies hide in the rock we need to hide in Jesus. Make sure that we make Jesus who is our fortress our dwelling place. He is our rock and foundation. We need to band together, we can do more if we work toward a common goal together. People will be able to see where we have been.
When we think of the spider, we remember that even though satan is often compared to the spider, it has good qualities too. It is determined to keep building even in the face of adversity. It is what is in the spider that gets it where it wants to go. Just like God’s spirit in us will get us where we want to go. We need to have more discernment in the body of Christ. We need to be so in tune with the Holy Ghost that we can sense the enemy. Because he will not only let us sense the evil but tell us what to do in every situation.
I hope the next time you see a spider that you think about how they are determined. I hope it reminds you to pray for discernment. I definitely hope it is not in your loaf of bread.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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EPISODE 26 — GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS
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Hello my friends
TODAY’S EPISODE IS TITLED “GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS”
Prov 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
This is a message for parents: if you love your children, you want them to have a good start in life. The best thing you can do is to love God first. Get yourself right with God. Because the things you do will train your children to do the same.
Have you ever watched a little boy sitting on the couch with his dad? The dad may be reading the paper and so the little boy picks up a piece of the newspaper and pretends to read. If the dad crosses his legs the little boy crosses his leg. They learn early on to imitate their parents. They may be watching a football game and the dad yells that his team got a touchdown. The little boy will jump up and down in excitement, even if he doesn’t even understand what a touchdown is in context.
Just as Issac and Jacob were blessed because of Abraham, we, too, are blessed if our parents serve the Lord. But that doesn’t give anyone a free pass. God doesn’t have grandchildren. We all must serve the Lord for ourselves. Issac and Jacob had to learn to live for God themselves. But it was easier to make that transition because Abraham had equipped Issac, and Issac did Jacob.
Good or bad, children often end up living like their parents. This is a good thing if they serve the Lord. But if they spent their whole lives not wanting anything to do with Jesus, that would make it harder for their children to follow him. But not impossible. We all must learn to love and serve the Lord for ourselves. We must teach the next generation to love and serve the Lord. If we don’t, the world will teach them to deny He even exists.
There are generational curses that stay with families, as well as generational blessings. For example, Many people end up being alcoholics because they watched their parents run to a bottle of liquor every time something went wrong and every time they needed to celebrate. Although alcoholism is a spirit, few get free from its grip unless they give it to God; it is not impossible to be set free.
Sin is not the only generational curse. Judgmental attitudes and self-righteous religion can be as harmful as any sin. The spirit of religion can also stay with families. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came to save the lost, the broken and the sinner. If a parent is overly religious, it can go one of two ways. The child will grow up to be just like them, religious and full of rules. Judging others for their mistakes when their judgment is just as harmful as any sin. Their children will be miserable in their own self-righteousness. Or they will run because the judgmental attitudes they grew up with will give them the lesson that they cannot ever do enough to please God. They will see him as an overlord waiting to zap them when they step out of line. They will feel like there is not a reason to try, so they run to the world. They run toward satan because he seems like the only option. They feel it is too hard for anyone to be a Christian.
I have not always walked perfectly, but I have had a blessed life because of my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Has everything always been perfect? No. I have had hard circumstances, but I have learned by example that we walk by faith and not by sight. The things I know is because I was given a solid foundation.
If you were not blessed to have that foundation, you could be the first person to start it in your bloodline. Your children and future generations will be blessed because of the choices you make today.
2 Tim 1:4-5 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that the unfeigned faith he had was because of his mother and grandmother. Don’t let the enemy keep the next generation bound. Teach them about the God of the Bible, the one true God, and how much he loves each and every one of us.
Today is a new day, a blank page in your story. If you are not fully dedicated to following Jesus. Let today be the day you choose to step out on faith and receive all he has for you. Accept your generational blessings or be the generation that starts generational blessings in your family. Being a Christian is not a bunch of legalistic rules. It is about a relationship with Jesus Christ. Be blessed all of your days.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
GOD FOCUS--Psalm 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me.... 