True Prosperity….

These are the very words of Jesus, God incarnate. He calls a person a fool who puts things above God. There’s a purpose in creating savings, to help us in later years. But when we put our faith, security, and satisfaction in our wealth, we neglect our relationship with God. It’s a deception. “Wealth gives us the false notion that we can say ‘NO’ to God”. That’s foolish. Money won’t save anyone, it can’t. Imagine all those who pursue wealth. How many people they’ve trampled over in their pursuits? How many things they missed out on? How much they neglected their families? All for what? A bigger bank account? When they die, where is that wealth going? Not with them. It won’t make their destination any better. True prosperity is pursuing God. It’s knowing what really matters in life. It’s spending your time and efforts on investing in what will out last this life, what you will take with you after your time on this earth is up. Eternal things are worth our investment.

21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:21

These Are Jesus’ Words….

I’ve never understood the purpose of holding Mary, the mother of Jesus, above all other Saints. She does not need to be held in higher esteem than those who hear God’s word and obey it. These are Jesus’ words. How can you argue against them?

27 As He was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless Your mother–the womb from which You came, and the breasts that nursed You!”28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Luke 11:27-28

ASK…..

ASK, seek, knock….. these are the words of Jesus. If we continually ASK, because of our persistence, God will meet our needs. I’m not talking about asking for things like a pay raise at work (unless of course you need it to happen). What I’m saying is aligning your will with God’s will (Matthew 6:33). When we align our will with God’s will, we find our wants and desires to be His wants and desires. God’s will is always done. Instead of having a “me” mentality, we should have a “we” mentality. We should always be looking out for each other. How do we know God’s will? It starts with asking. God speaks to us mainly through His word. Get into God’s word, and His word will get into you. God is a God of mercy and grace. If we seek Him whole-heartedly, we will find Him. We just have to ASK.

8 But I tell you this–though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.11 “You fathers–if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Luke 11:8-13

If God Is Truth…..

Is it possible to walk in truth and despise the Lord? Is it possible to follow truth but not listen to the Lord? If God is truth, then it isn’t possible to walk in something you despise. Maybe for a short period of time, but it won’t last. You’ll end up hating it more. It is possible to follow truth, but not listen to God, again, for a short period of time. You’ll either be convicted and repent or the truth you believe you’re following really isn’t of God, it’s your own made up truth. God is truth, so if you love truth, you love God. If you love God, you love truth. If you love truth, then you’ll live truth out. God and truth are the same. You can’t love one and despise the other. If you try you’ll discover the misery you’re living in was self-inflicted. Pretending, acting out your false truth, leads you down the wrong path, you’ll not only despise God, but you’ll end up despising yourself in the process.

2 Those who follow the right path fear the Lord; those who take the wrong path despise Him. Proverbs 14:2

The Practice Of Acceptance…

There’s a huge difference between parents that love their children and those who don’t. A big misconception these days is the practice of acceptance, and the lack of discipline. People think by accepting a person it equals loving that person. This is far from the truth. A loving parent disciplines their children because of that love. If a child starts behaving in a manner contrary to the Truth, opposing God’s ways, a parent must show the child that this pattern will eventually lead to their demise. Not only that, it may also hurt others in the process. A parent who doesn’t discipline their children, shows contempt towards them because they are not showing them that certain behaviors are bad. These consequences only grow in intensity as we age. Not showing our children, is like lying to them. When they get on their own, and consequences happen, they’ll hate their parents for not teaching them the truth about it. Love always gives us a choice, but it also warns us when we are in the wrong. Discipline is the process in which this concept takes place. Just as a parent disciplines a child, God disciplines us as well. When society tries to tell us to accept certain behaviors, and if we don’t, it tries to call us names and even punish us; we know it’s not out of its love for us, rather straight from Satan himself. Love does the hard things. It’s hard to speak the truth when someone is walking a path towards destruction, but love helps us warn them, and in the case of parenting, discipline our children, in order to show them true love cares enough to point you back to the right path. So the next time someone tries to tell you that acceptance is “love”, tell them “real love cares enough to tell you the truth”. And the truth is you’re walking away from God not towards Him. Lack of discipline tells us there’s a lack of love. Society today lacks true love. It’s our job to show the world where true love comes from, point them to Jesus, that way they at least are aware of their problem.

24 Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24

Decisions That We Don’t End Up Regretting….

The only way to know truth is to ask God. Even if we are believers, we can still be deceived. Unless we ask God to guide us and protect us, deception can still play a role in our lives. This is exactly what happened to the Israelites when they entered into the Promised land. They were told to destroy all the people there. The Gibeonites feared for their lives, so they concocted a plan to deceive Israel into making a peace treaty with them. And it worked. The reason it worked was due to Israel’s lack of consulting with God. They didn’t ask Him for guidance in the matter, and thus ended up making a peace treaty with an oath. When they found out they had been lied to, they were furious. However, since they swore an oath, they couldn’t break it. They ended up making the Gibeonites wood cutters and water carriers for them. This is just a reminder that we should go to God in all of our decision-making, especially with people we don’t know. God is omniscient, so going to Him with these matters gives us exactly what we need to make confident decisions that we don’t end up regretting.

14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. 15 Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. 16 Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! 17 The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. 19 But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. 20 This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath. 21 Let them live.” So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.22 Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land when you live right here among us? 23 May you be cursed! From now on you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God.”24 They replied, “We did it because we–your servants–were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this. 25 Now we are at your mercy–do to us whatever you think is right.”26 So Joshua did not allow the people of Israel to kill them. 27 But that day he made the Gibeonites the woodcutters and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the Lord–wherever the Lord would choose to build it. And that is what they do to this day. Joshua 9:14-27

When We Speak Truth…..

Why do we tell the truth? Because it honors God. When we speak honest accounts of what happened, we show God to be right. We imitate His character, for God cannot lie. We bring God Glory when we speak truth.

19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Joshua 7:19