What Do You Want People to Admire Most About You?

Upon my daily devotion, a question made me pause and think.  The question was "What do you want people to admire most about you?"  Makes you think, right?

Jeremiah 9:23,24

Thus said the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glory glory in this, that he understand and know me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight says the Lord.

Look at these two verse again...marinate.

In the society we live in today, knowing God is not honored nor fruits of loving-kindness. It is so easy to get caught up in concentrating too much on worldly goals. Let me explain, do we want people to admire the level of education we have?  Do we want people to admire that prestige position that we may be in? Do we want people to admire that fancy car, house, or designer clothes?  Here's the biggie-will any of that profit us in the Kingdom of God?  Selah

God is not against any of those things, but when they become more important to us than the kingdom in our hearts, then it can be a problem.  See flesh is never satisfied.  Flesh will have going for that higher degree, that bigger house, that fancy car, or the next designer thing.  See flesh will keep you wanting to feel "special", having one up on another person.  Hmmm..sounds like it can open the door to pride.

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

There is a spiritual nugget right there.  Our hearts need to be set on the Kingdom first, not worldly goals first, the kingdom.  Do you want people to admire the fruit they see you producing more or that degree?  Do you want people to admire your commitment to God or to that job?   Saints our hearts should be towards HIM, towards kingdom first, then all the things will be added.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

God is watching our heart in ALL matters!  Even the matters we think are not important.  That question convicted my spirit man and I hope it convicts yours as well.  Saints, lets keep seeking the Kingdom of God first!

LLP

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes. and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world...1 John 2:16

I call this LLP: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.  This scripture is a spiritual nugget for us kingdom minded saints!  It's warning us what can be our down fall.  It can be so subtle yet so destructive to our spiritual man. Yet it bombards us every single day.

You're sitting at work minding your business.  The next thing you know Mr. tall, dark, and handsome with a lovely smile comes your way.  You find yourself starring just a little too long.  Your mind can even go wondering picturing you two as a couple.  What is really this act, lust of the eye.

You know God's word is pretty clear about forgiveness and loving our neighbors as ourselves.  Yet back in 1985, SalleMae did you real dirty and you even find yourself saying things like "but God, I know you saw what SalleMae did".  Then you try to justify why you haven't forgiven her.  What is really this act, lust of the flesh.

You have accomplished something wonderful like earning a degree.  Vanilla tells you he only has a high school diploma.  You find yourself feeling better yourself as you have an advantage over him. You may even look down upon him without realizing it.  What is really this act, pride of life.

I know lately I have been on guarding our hearts, staying humble, and crucify the flesh. No, these subjects are not popular and yes they even cut.  Nevertheless, what do we desire more of? Do we want to experience the fullness of joy in His presence?  Do we want to grow from glory to glory?  OR do we want to cling to the world, cling to our flesh?  The choice is truly up to us!

Saints, we are more within the last days then we realize.  Lets guard ourselves from LLP and stay worshiping in spirit and in truth.  Selah

Be Humble

We all have been there at one point or another in our spiritual walk where we hear someone who we all well respected committed a sin they should have known better on.  We all gasp upon it.  Then thoughts of how they he/she have done that, or I don't understand, or even worse the thoughts of backsliding come in as you feel what's the point after hearing such news. Let's face it, it's not a nice feeling watching someone ministry get effected by the ugliness of sins disguises.

Yet before we are so quick to put our mouths on such issues, here is something that Paul states:

1 Corinthians 11:31

For if we judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Hmmmmm...if we judge ourselves!!!  We are so quick to tell others not to judge us, but are we really judging ourselves.  I don't know about you but this scripture is humbling to me.  See once you start to judge yourself, the Holy Spirit starts to show you things you may not want to see.  For example, He showed me at times how I express weak faith. This was me -_-

The truth is if God was to come in our homes tonight, what would He see in our spiritual closet?  Would He see complaining, hidden anger, bitterness, lying, or self-gratification?  Hmmmmm.  Would He really see us walking after the spirit so we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh? Hmmmmm.  Like I said, judging yourself makes you humble.

Mark 14:38

Keep wake and watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.  The spirit is truly ready, but the flesh is weak.

See if we are not careful flesh could cause us to go straight to hell.  Saints, we got to have relationship from our hearts...not our minds...our hearts.  Let us remember to pray one for another! As Paul also reminds us:

1 Corinthians 9:27

But I keep my body and bring it under subjection: lest by any means when I  have preached to others, I myself become a castaway.

Stay humble!

A Thin Line

Many of us love talking about how God give second chances.  If I was to be honest, I am a witness to that as well.  Yet we tend to stop there as if we are giving an impression of as long as we repent, He will continue to forgive and give chances.   Just like there's a thin line in the natural where we become weary of someone doing us wrong over and over again, why would we think there isn't such a line with God?

The book of Lamentations is a short but serious book, as it shows how disobedience opens up the door to disaster in our lives.  O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause-3:59.  what does that tell you, that God yet judges for the wrong we do.  But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth (anger) against us-5:22.  What does that tell you, God can reject us in his anger.

We all love focusing on God's love, but we don't like to mention God's anger.  Yes, our God can be a angry God.   We can play with sin so much til the point we can be like Samson and don't even know that the Lord departed from us...Judges 16:20.   What causes that anger-sin.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God-Hebrews 10:31.

Saints I urge you don't cross that line with God because of the illusion of "all I have to do is repent" syndrome.  Is it true repentance if you keep doing it over and over?  Do not frustrate the grace of God!  Our Messiah is coming back!  Our hearts need to be ready for His return.  If we are having an issue, He tells us to come boldly to His throne-Hebrews 4:16.

Think about it, what do we do to a person that keeps doing us wrong over and over again, we eventually cut them off.  Continued sin will cut you off from God.  Don't get cut off saints.  Draw nigh unto Him while He maybe found!

selah

A Broken Heart

Years ago as a child watched their dad leave home to never come back.  He/ she can grow up either with the mindset of I will never do that, or it was done to me so I will do to you. That act set a course of a broken heart.

That boy/girlfriend we adored so much that we just knew they would be “the one”. Yet they cheated, an act one would think would never happen and it did.  The relationship once adored has ended, and now that action has set a course of a broken heart.

A parent has died and the grief can be at times unbearable.  It is a time where you think siblings will unite the most.  Yet that one sibling caused so much chaos at a time of vulnerability.  Their actions caused a separation and set a course of a broken heart.

That son/daughter that went on to fight for our country and their parents were filled with honor and pride over their child.  Yet that parent found their child never came back home, or they returned not to be the same.  Once what was looked upon as an honor has now turned into anger and dismay.  That act set a course of a broken heart.

How many of us is fine looking on the outside, but walking around with a broken heart?

A broken heart can make you say statements like “never again”, I’m done, or “I just give up”.

A broken heart can open up the door to depression, bitterness, anger, and defeat.

A broken heart can be a silent killer from within.

Psalm 147:3

He heals the broken in heart, and bind up their wounds.

Guess what, God is concern about our broken hearts.  He wants to heal them.  He wants to release that person that has never forgiven that dad for leaving.  He wants to heal that person that got damage by a relationship.  He wants to heal that person that may have experience a sexual assault.   He wants to heal all broken hearts.

See there is a freedom that comes upon our lives when we allow God to heal the deep wounds we have hidden from the outside.  It’s those deep wounds that can cause a hindrance in our growth with God.  He wants our hearts.  So I encourage you to give him your broken heart and let him heal in Jesus name.

I’ve come to the Realization

Our Christian journey is similar to our national journey.  In the natural, we all start off as babies, then grow to toddlers, then innocent children, then them terrible teens, to finally adulthood.   We have the same process in our Christian experience.  We all start out as babes, then the carnal minded stage, to eventually spiritual maturity.  We are to go from level to level, from glory to glory.

At the Tabernacle, there was the outer court, the inner court, and then the Holy of Holies.  The outer court is where we sometimes can get too comfortable staying.  Yet there is so much more to it our experience than that!  See once you know who you REALLY ARE IN CHRIST, you can go from begging God, to asking God, to decreeing in Jesus name.  See once we start growing in our walk with God, there are levels to reach that goes beyond what the carnal mind can see.

There is a place in God where you no longer ask what you need, you decree what you need.  There is a place in God where the angels are awaiting for your request so they can minister.  There is a place in God where the eternal become more real than the external eye can see. There is a place in God where you will even look at your trials as a learning tool and not a moment of defeat.  Do we truly believe Jesus died so that we can have eternal life? Do we truly believe we are to have life more abundantly?

Yet here’s the secret: holiness.

I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

We are set apart. We are peculiar people.  We are to be different.  No, we can’t do anything, wear anything, or be a part of anything. We have to develop relationship with our God.  Not from our mind, but from our hearts. Let’s strive for more spiritually things and less material things.  Oh how I encourage you saints to get to know God from your heart. Whew, He will blow your mind!

Can't Get Enough

We all can relate to that feeling of being in love.  You remember:  how you could stare at that person all night, how you would laugh at that person jokes, how you couldn’t wait them to call or in today world video call.  The point is you just couldn’t get enough of their presence.  You longed to be around them when they weren’t around, and you hated leaving them when you had to go.  Oh the joys of being in love. 

Yet if we can feel like this in the natural, how much more it is to be in HIS presence! Selah

Psalm 139 is an interesting psalm of David….

7-10 Whither shall I go from the spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall they hand lead me, and they right hand shall hold me.

Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is present

I was feeling a pit down about some things, but instead of staying in misery I decided to go into HIS presence.

In HIS presence there is a peace that passes all understanding

In HIS presence there is a joy unspeakable

In HIS presence there is healing

In HIS presence there is strength

In HIS presence there is correction

In His presence there is guidance

There is something about being in HIS presence that words just can’t explain!  Saints, if you are feeling overwhelm, need direction, or simply some strength; I encourage you to get into HIS presence.  Be in love with our God.    Let’s can’t get enough of HIS presence.  It is a privilege and such an honor to have Jehovah Shammah-amen