Tag: blogs

Posted on

God is on that Mountain, Where are you?

1Samuel 14  King Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree. The king’s son, Jonathan was ready to go and engage the enemy. Jonathan knew where the enemy was but he also knew that he could not face them without the Lord. “Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us” was his prayer. What is your prayer as you face the enemies of God?

When God has a plan, He not only instills it in our heart but brings along an encourager willing to lay down their life like Jonathan’s armor bearer was willing to do. Remember this; the battle is the Lord’s and He has given us His armor bearer, the Holy Spirit to go with us. We can be like Saul who feared the enemy or like Jonathan who feared/revered God. God used the example of Jonathan and his armor bearer to expose the weakness of Saul’s spiritual strength. Saul was in it for himself, Jonathan was in it for God.

Jesus willingly laid down his life for you that you might engage the enemies of His and He can show Himself powerful. Jonathan said God is on that mountain, let’s go, and trust God and that is what we need to do.1sam 14 god on that mt2

Are you under the pomegranate tree where it is safe or are you ready to climb that mountain?

Posted on

What do you think of sin?

Do you casually dismiss what God says about sin? Learn from this sad interlude in the life of Joshua.

Joshua 7  Joshua 7 john-mark-smith-2aJoshua may have been the ‘never.look.back’ man, but even he faced trials and like us, he too sometimes fell flat on his face seeking answers. Take the case of the sin of Achan. The victory at Jericho spurred Israel on and after scouting out the territory of the next city, felt a small force could take it. How wrong they were; 36 men died in that battle and the residents of Ai had a victory party.

Joshua fell on his face before God and his prayer is an echo of what the Israelites had said to Moses over a 40 yr period as they wailed and complained to God. But God was less than happy with his chosen leader and responded “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?” Sometimes God has to do that with us as well. It isn’t God’s fault that we are in this pickle, but our own sin. Unbeknown to Joshua, there was sin in the camp. God challenged Joshua to take steps to eradicate the sin and the sinner and we must do likewise. Even though the Israelites had heard of God’s directive of the ban on all things in Jericho, Achan had casually dismissed it. How like us. We know what God desires but we fail to think ahead to the consequences of disobedience. Do you dismiss sin? Do you think “God will understand.”  Unlike us, God does not dismiss sin but demands purity and righteousness. We foolishly think our sin only affects us. Be forewarned; “be sure your sin will find you out.” [Num 32:23]

Learn from this sad interlude. Allow the Holy Spirit to prick your heart of any sin that lurks there so that God can bless us.

Photo courtesy of: John-Mark Smith/Unsplash + caption

Posted on

When Was The Last Time You Talked to God and…

Deut 2-4 “When Was the Last Time You Heard God Speak to You?”

Deut 2 to 4 God is God2a

Have you ever asked the people on the street what they think of the God of the OT? Many think that there are two “God’s.” There is the God of the OT as a cruel and harsh taskmaster but the God of the NT as loving and kind. However, a close study of both testaments reveals that God is God; and He is immutable, He does not change. He blesses and like a loving parent, He disciplines.

We only come to know those principles if we spend time in His Word reading from the beginning to the end so that we realize and carefully consider that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below – there is no other!” Moses reminded the children of Israel “He spoke to you from the middle of the fire, you heard speech but you could not see anything—only a voice was heard.” The children of Israel only heard his voice but now His voice speaks to us across the written page. It reminds us that the God we have chosen to follow is faithful and blesses those who obey Him. Those He calls hear his powerful shout that is majestic. He thunders with his voice in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. [Job 37:5]

Have you taken time today to hear His voice?

 

Posted on

Prayer and Gorilla Glue

family-prayer2a1 John 2  “Family Prayer is like Gorilla Glue—stuck for a Life Time”

[I just got a text from a friend. Heading out to be with family; can’t wait! We can pray together! Does that resonate with you? Does your family pray together? If not, then this blog is for you! I must admit I was a bit jealous; few of my family members pray together. So this is my heart speaking to you; please listen….]

So what does that conversation have to do with Gorilla Glue and Prayer? Stay tuned! Gorilla glue is a strong substance which, if used properly, bonds two surfaces and keeps them bonded. Prayer is like the family’s Gorilla Glue bonding each family member to one another.

The Apostle John wanted his flock to know the truth that “families that pray together stay together!”  It was true then and it is true now because prayer awakens our hearts to carry one another’s burdens and/or to rejoice with them. Unfortunately, today we are seeing more and more families that are dysfunctional or fractured; their glue has lost its “stick-to-i-tive-ness.” Some members remain aloof or protective behind their self-imposed cloak of privacy. Perhaps that is why John, like a father, uses this term of endearment, “my little children.” He is encouraging them to be a fully functional family because he is aware that they will face the adversary who roams about seeking whom he can devour.

If you are still reading, know this: Prayer is our “Gorilla Glue” protection against the adversary, Satan. Our Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous One, reminds us that prayer is our weapon, our “Gorilla Glue,” against him. Beloved, know this; the adversary knows that a family that practices righteous praying together is able to thwart his advances.

So let me ask you, are you praying together as a family? If not, why not start today?

 

Optimized by Optimole