The_Paperjam300 :  Thank you. We should strive to Honor God in all that we do.  We are not worthy of His love, and I weep for those who miss out on it....

Davideo7 :  This devotional has reached 20 posts now.

Singelli : I'm assuming I said I'd sticky it if it did? I'll go ahead and do that now.

Singelli : Awesome, just awesome. Keep it up (when you have the set aside time of course) and you will continue to touch lives and influence many brothers and sisters. I wish I could write as much as you do. Take care. Thanks again.

Brother in Christ,
Jak.

ruesen :
mrfe :
play4fun :
And anyone else I might be missing:

I know it's been awhile since I first expressed an interest in covering a topic our world seems to be absolutely fascinated with.  For my delay, I apologize.  I spent a great deal of time gathering scripture and reading articles, and even started typing my ideas into a passage, which I lost thanks to accidentally hitting the refresh button.  It took me awhile to compose myself and start again.  However, putting this off for a few weeks was longer than I ever would have liked to wait.  Thankfully, I know that you are all understanding people.

I would also like to state, before I begin, that this thread is not intended for debates.  Trust me when I realize that 99.9% of people will disagree with me on this one issue.  I'm not foolish enough to believe that most people will fly right in with statements of affirmation. Does this mean we can't discuss the issue?  Absolutely not. Instead, what I ask is that you create another thread if you want to discuss the issue further or debate the topic.  I know it's a heavy one that others might want to discuss in great detail, and I'd rather not do that here.  This is not a debate thread, but one intended to express my exploration of scripture and hopefully lend to the edification of fellow believers.

Keep what I have requested in mind when reading this devotional in the case that you wish to bring up points as references for a new thread.

So what about magic?
In a world saturated with fanciful imaginations, it seems almost impossible to come across a game or movie or show which doesn't in some way include magical creatures, actions, and concepts.  Due to the popularity of such ideas, it's important for us to know how God feels on the issue.  What does He say about it?  How should we treat this genre of media, and how could it affect us?  To answer any of these questions, we first must have a definition of 'magic' and understand all that it implies.  I offer the following:  magic is an art which invokes supernatural powers to influence events in the physical realm.  This art is often unexplainable to the general public, leaving people with a sense of awe, wonder, and confusion..... the art includes fortune telling, possessions, and contact with the dead.  It includes chantings and charms/tools, and it never has a visibly physical explanation.

So where do we see examples of it in the scripture?  There are too many examples to go through them all.  However, I'd like to study a few pieces of scripture in which these supernatural abilities are used, and what God's actions or opinions were in the matters.

First, let's look at Acts:1-20  In this scripture, Paul came to Ephesus to preach the word and spread the gospel.  While he was there, he couldn't help but notice the sinful lifestyles of the people living there.  Citizens had no true idea of salvation, they fell into the hands of evil spirits, and they practiced witchcraft.  After interacting with a few of the men that abode there at the time, Paul inquired as to whether these men had received the Holy Spirit.  Their answer was that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit or did not know if it truly existed, to which Paul explained they had not truly been baptized in Christ.  He took it upon himself to baptize these men properly, and the 12 men spoke in tongues and prophesied upon receiving the Spirit.  For two years and three months after that, the men and Paul witnessed to the people of Ephesus, trying to get them to turn from their evil ways.  God even allowed Paul to work special miracles with his hands, ridding people of diseases and casting the evil spirits from their bodies. This inspired some vagabond Jews to attempt the same acts, and in one particular case, they tried to perform an exorcism on a demonic spirit who did not know them.  The spirit left the man's body which he possessed, but only to leap upon the Jews.  After this ordeal, they ran from the house naked and wounded.  The Jews and Greeks of Ephesus heard of this happening, and it filled them with fear.  Insomuch as they feared this evil thing that had been done, the name of the Lord was magnified greatly.  They sought to correct their lives and be right with God.  What was one of their first actions?  Let's take a look at the last two verses of this passage: "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed."

As a frightened people that sought to correct their lives with God, what was their choice in action?  They chose to rid themselves of their books containing magical spells and enchantments.  What happened as a result?  God was magnified and glorified in Ephesus, and the people grew stronger in their relationships with God.  Paul was then able to move on so that he might preach elsewhere.

Of course, this isn't the only time in which many people within a nation relied on sorcery and witchcraft.  The Israelites often made the mistake, turning from God although God warned them of the dangers of magic time and time again.  In Deuteronomy 18: 10-14, the author writes: "There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.  Or a charmer, or a consulter with  familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.  For all that do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God doth drive them out from before you. You shall be perfect with the LORD your God.  For these nations, which you shall possess, hearkened to observers of times, and to diviners: but as for you, the LORD your God has not suffered you so to do."  Here in this very scripture, we see that God was opposed to magic even in the Old Testament.  Notice that this is not a listing of one form of supernatural endeavors unrelated to God; there are many forms of magic which God abhors.  He doesn't dislike it or hate it... he -abhors- it.  The strength in that word alone should cause Christians concern.  In fact, God finds these things to be so abominable, that he will allow the nations who practiced magic to be owned by those who have walked steadfast in God.  God even commands us to not practice magic so that we may be perfect.  Since magic is not a part of God's plan, it keeps up from the image of perfection he wants us to strive towards.

Many people want to claim that these commandments came from the old testament and thus don't apply to this day's world.  What they fail to realize is that we are still under the biblical law as established by Moses. Jesus did not come to this world to do away with the Law, but to free us from the practices and traditions of old.  There is a distinction between law and tradition.... a line that Christians have got to understand in order to realize that God is not suggesting we avoid magic.. He is -commanding- it.

For those that might have issue with my belief that avoiding magic is a command from God, my point still stands.  Let me put it to you in another light. Let's say your father hated blue socks.  No matter who was wearing them or where they were located, blue socks made him feel nauseous and gave him headaches.  The sight of them caused his blood pressure to rise, and the idea of people wearing blue socks bothered him greatly.  In other words, for some reason, the act of wearing blue socks was abhorrent to him.  Now, let's also say that your father lived in your household, and he was always around.  He lived in your house with your own blessing, you loved him and respected him, and you two had a great relationship.  One of your only concerns was that you did not understand why he had an issue with blue socks.

One day, your father was standing over your shoulder, watching you surf the net.  Would you go to Amazon and search blue socks?  Would you play a game and create a character which wore blue socks?  If your father was reading a book with you, would you choose one in which the topic was blue socks?  How about wearing blue socks yourself.... would you do it?  More than likely, if you truly loved your father, you'd have the respect to avoid blue socks.... at least whenever your father was around.

The same is true with our heavenly father and his dislike of magic.  The difference between my very silly analogy, and the truth of God's Word, is that once we invite God to be housed in the temple of our bodies, there is no -hiding- things he does not like.  Whenever you read a book, watch a movie, or play a game, God is astutely aware of your actions and thoughts. How can you possibly find entertainment in the very thing you know God so strongly hates?  Magic is an offense to the very nature of God.  It demeans the significance of miracles performed in his name, and involved reliance on supernatural forces other than his own.

Try this one task:  Name one 'good guy' who God praised in the bible for using or being involved with the occult.  I myself can not think of a single one, but I can think of numerous situations in which practicers of magic were rebuked, cursed, or killed.  There are at least 3 in the book of Acts alone: Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8), Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13), and the little girl with a spirit of divination (Acts 16).  I'm not going to delve into those examples, but read those chapters for yourself.  Nothing good was spoken of these people and their acts.  Think about the Pharaoh and his magicians in Genesis.  Did God approve of their charades?  Did he allow them to triumph over Moses and Israel?  Were the magicians allowed to outperform the miracles of God?  Even Saul, Israel's first king and a prominent biblical figure, fell to the wayside.  He started out in strong faith, expelling mediums and spiritists from the land.  God was happy with him and considered him a man seeking after God and walking on the holy path.  However, Saul eventually violated God's Word, consulting a medium and falling away from God  His end was quite tragic due to his choices (see 1 Samuel 31:1-6).

The truth of the matter is that magic is NEVER portrayed as a good thing in our bible.  Practicing it or being involved with it in any way opens the door for demonic influences.  It's evil and dangerous.  Sorcery and divination is forbidden in the sacred scripture for a reason; it's contrary to the Christian ideals of obedience and piety.  No matter how you look upon magical ideals and acts, magic involves deceit of a great nature.  Any attempt to interact with such supernatural forces leaves a person susceptible to deception and harm. Part of the issue with society today is that they don't view magic as being a possibility and believe it to be fully fantasy.  Nothing could be further from the truth and it grieves me that so many people take the issue so lightly.  Even in Deuteronomy 7:36, we find an applicable verse: "Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing."  Here you can see that we don't have to partake in the -act- of magic itself to be cursed by God.  You only have to bring it into your home.  Such things that are cursed by God, we are -commanded- by Him to utterly detest and utterly abhor.  He does not ask us to detest them or say that it is optional, but he says that 'thou shalt'.... a clear commandment.

I think we've come so wrapped up in entertaining our flesh, that we've forgotten to make sure our desires and dislikes are approved by God.  The bible tells us that sins are pleasurable, and that we will be tempted by them.  In today's society, magic seems to be a common kryptonite amongst most believers... something that has certainly swept our generation away.  The results of such actions are grim, but many Christians don't see any immediate effects of their decisions and deem that they are safe in their actions.  They forget that God very clearly tells us how practicers of magic should be handled.
In the old testament, consequences were most severe:
Exodus 22:18 You shall not suffer a witch to live.
Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 19:31 even states that we will be defiled by practicers of magic: "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them:  I am the LORD your God."  If being in the company of magic practicers damages our spirits, how can Christians think that books and games containing the same material is safe?  Leviticus 20:6-7 goes on to say that "And the soul that turns after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy: for I am the LORD your God."  This last verse clearly insinuates that magic is not a holy thing... that we can sanctify ourselves by avoiding it at all costs.  Malachi 3:5-6 makes the same affirmation, while adding that God does not change.  If God abhorred magic in the days of the old testament, he certainly still hates it today.

In Isaiah 47:9-15, a letter is even written to a set of people in which a nation of people is told they will suffer the loss of their children, and widowhood due to their involvement in sorcery and enchantments.  These people being addressed are reminded that their foundation is weak, and like stubble easily burned down.... there is no chance of salvation for them, and no one will be able to save them.  Again, this is how much God hates magic.

I'll refer to one more verse on the issue of magic: Revelations 22:14-15 states that "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie."  How powerful of a statement is that?  God expressly comments that he loves the followers of his commandments, and mentions that those without the tree of life include sorcerers.  Remember that one of those commandments we are to follow is not to bring into our houses and lives, the things which God abhors.  And God thoroughly detests magic of any form. To utterly abhor something/someone is probably one of the strongest statements of hate possible in any human language, and as followers of Christ, we should hate that which God hates.

Finally, I also have some points to make for those Christians who want to go the line of thought that "Magic in games and books and movies isn't real, so it's okay and safe."  First, Philippians 4:8 tells us the following: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  God abhors magic.  Obviously, it is not something that is true, honest, pure, holy, or any of the things God enjoys.
Witchcraft is not safe in the spiritual or physical sense.  Therefore, media containing magic is not true/honest.
Anything containing or promoting witchcraft is cursed.  Therefore, media containing magic is not pure.
Witchcraft is utterly detested and abhorred by God.  Therefore, media containing magic is not of good report/virtue.
Media containing magic does not praise God...it promotes that which God abhors.  God despises it and considers it cursed and those who do it/possess it are cursed.  Therefore it is not lovely.  Even participating in magical fantasies therefore, is something God does not want us to do.

From the verses in this passage, it is clear we are not to engage in witchcraft, to have in our possession anything containing or promoting witchcraft, and that we are to utterly detest and abhor such things.  If God feels so strongly about it, is it really respectful of us to ignore His feelings?  Deuteronomy 8:6 also says the following: "Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him." To fear the Lord here is a two-fold word.  It means to fear His judgement and walk in His ways.  Not actually to fear Him the person, but to fear the judgement that follows disobedience.  It also means to respect Him.  Are we really fearing the judgement for disobeying Him when we do it anyways?  He has threatened to cut us off for it.  He has stated we will be cursed for it.  When we partake or own such things anyways, we are not fearing being cut away from God.  We are not fearing being cursed of God.  We are not fearing the judgement and we are not respecting Him.

In case anyone reading this thread still does not believe that 'imaginary' magic is just as unsafe as actual magic, the verse of Matthew 5:28 can also be considered. "But I say to you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."   Although this verse is referring to one specific sin, a careful reading of the scripture that surrounds it will show that this one sin is given as an example.  Considering the fact that we should keep our thoughts pure, and magic is not a pure thing in God's eyes, it should be evident that allowing our minds to be entertained with the idea of magic is not something God would approve of.

God -does- change our hearts when we accept him.  I'm going to step away from 'devotional' mode for just a moment, to reveal a small part of my testimony.  I posted about this elsewhere, but I'm sure it's easily lost in the novels I've written on the site, so I'll just briefly stray....  Before I came into a saving relationship with Christ, I was totally enthralled by the same things society is enthralled by today.  Every book on my shelf and every game or movie that caught my attention was saturated in magic.  You couldn't have paid me to consider any other genre of entertainment.  One of my first acts after becoming saved was to get rid of all my items exhibiting this feature that God abhors.  The books, the games, and the movies were disposed of.  Hours later, my mother called me and apologized for the way our relationship had gone downhill.  We had done nothing but fight and go at each other's throats for years, and there was nothing on this planet that could have fixed our relationship.... not a thing.  However, the moment I heeded God's Word, He rewarded me.  My mother and I have not had a bad word swapped between us since I got rid of those things.  We have a -great- relationship which I never thought would be possible.  There was no 'easing' into this fix either.. it was immediate.  Coincidence?  It might have been I'll admit, but I'm also not willing to deny that God was blessing me for obeying.

In addition to my mother finally accepting me as a person, my desires began to change.  I developed completely new tastes in entertainment, and through this I grew as a person. I have not once been tempted to look into any form of media containing magic, and actually am completely put off by the idea.  For 19 years of my life, I was hooked on the fantasy of magic being a fun and good thing.... 19 years of habits is almost impossible to break in a mere matter of months.  That is a miracle that can only be done by God.  The bible does tell us that if we accept and obey Him, He will heal our hearts and align our desires to match His own. Even if you feel no conviction over being involved with something God abhors, perhaps you should try putting it away for just a few weeks.  Doing so can't possibly harm you, and I think you'd be surprised to see how God blesses your life and changes your likes.  I am quite happy with the way God changed my heart, and I wouldn't go back for any reason!  God is good, powerful, and awesome.  There are none like Him, and in Him shall I always abide.  Thank You God, for being there for me and for humanity.  Thank you for reaching out to us and forgiving us when we stumble.

Mark 3:22. "And no man puts new wine into old bottles: else the new wine does burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles."

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to write about today, but I know that I've been aching to write about the Word lately.  I feel a bit badly that I've let my devotional slide so much recently, as it's intention is to glorify God and I haven't been keeping this updated.  Recently, I've felt a heavy conviction about witnessing.  It seems like so many of us wander around each day.. surrounded by the unsaved.... and we simply glance at them and walk on by.  How cruel is this?  We have the keys to eternal happiness, and we aren't willing to share them?  I myself even let an opportunity slip about a week ago, and it caused me to do some serious thinking.

Due to some issues going on in our household, my husband and I were up late at night.  We decided we might as well do something productive, and so we set out to buy some groceries at Wal-Mart.  It was actually around 11pm when we arrived and the store was pretty empty.  As we walked between the clothing and food areas, our ears were suddenly onslaught with a slew of curse words and a bitter tone.  A woman appearing to be around 30 years old rushed past us with her fowl language, insulting whoever was to come after her.  She carried a young toddler on her hip, and greasy blond hair and baggy brown eyes adorned her angry face.  She was telling the person behind her how idiotic and stupid he/she was, and this young mother wasn't being discreet about her feelings.

Struck and dumbfounded, my husband and I turned our heads to see who she was treating so horribly.  Trailing behind her and looking absolutely miserable was an older woman with fading hair who appeared to have spent a long life time of smoking.  She pushed her cart and waddled by, silent at the charade and they disappeared into the back of the store.  Since the store was so empty, it was quite easy to hear the continued insults even as they rounded a corner, and the feeling of sympathy for the older woman was gut wrenching.

My husband and I didn't know what to do.  Should we confront the young mother?  Should we stay out of it?  Was the situation going to explode into something even worse?  Undecided, my husband decided to go towards the back of the store to get milk, figuring that if God wanted us to intervene, we'd know.  Well, we didn't see them until we were heading back up to the registers.  The young blond was nowhere to be seen, but the frail lady brushed shoulders with my husband quite literally, rounding a corner in a hurry with her head bowed. My husband twisted to reach out and touch her shoulder, which caught her attention and caused her to stop.  She looked a little frazzled an confused as my husband addressed her.

"Ma'am," he said softly.  "I just want to let you know that the way that woman was treating you is wrong, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry you had to go through that.  It's not right and you shouldn't put up with it.  It's abusive.  There's no reason she should be treating you like that and I believe that we should respect our elders.  It really bothers me in my spirit to see you suffering with that kind of treatment.  I'm very sorry for whatever is going on between you."  It must have taken the poor woman a few moment to digest what he said, because she stood there for a few moments and then turned to give her full attention, breaking down into a full sob.

She started to tell us a little about herself and her life, her eyes darting away every now and then as though terrified she would be caught talking to us.  The first thing she started off with saying was that the woman in question was her daughter, and that her daughter wanted her to sell her house and give her all the money.  As she continued to cry and say she would never do it, she told us about her daughter's boyfriend.... how he had moved in with the 30 year old blond and stolen all of her own belongings.  This man had supposedly stolen all of her appliances and even taken out some of the piping out of the house in order to sell it.  They had taken personal possessions like her favorite red sweater, and thrown it out.

As she continued to cry and pour her heart out to us, her daughter suddenly rounded the corner.  "Mom, get your butt over here and push this car!  You're such a freaking idiot!" she demanded in not so nice words that I won't repeat.  The mother tore away from us with terror in her eyes, and my husband and I were left a bit speechless.  We held a quiet conversation for a bit and then turned to head once more to the registers, but we were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Hey you two!  Hey you!  Hey wait! Stop, hold on!  Hey you two!"  We stopped and turned around to witness the older woman rushing towards us, bouncing the toddler on her own hip now.  She reached us and leaned in to talk to us once more.  Whispering and still glancing around in fear, she told us "This is my grand baby.  Isn't she cute?  She's just the sweetest thing.  She's nothing like her mother. No... not at all.  She's just the sweetest little thing and since I'm going to die soon, I'm going to put all my money in a trust fund for this little doll here. I don't care what she goes to college for, but my daughter isn't getting that money. No, it's for this precious bundle here...."  Tears still falling from her eyes, I was impressed upon my soul to pray.  I felt the urge nagging at my heart, and I was trying with great difficulty to be brave.  I parted my lips a little.   Don't pray for her..... pray with her.  Now.  At this moment.  I felt that nagging within my very spirit... God telling me what I needed to do.  But I was scared.  I'm not one to speak openly about my beliefs, and I was scared that the daughter might round a corner and witness us huddled in prayer.  Even as the woman spoke a little more about God, and how God was her Savior and God was in control of all..... even with that opening I remained silent.

I let that opportunity slip from me.

Her daughter rounded the corner and once again the older woman was ripped away by insulting demands.  I stood there with my mouth figuratively agape and I wondered:  How could I let that opportunity slip away? How could I not have prayed with her?  Why did I let my fear hold me back?  Even now, I am filled with so much regret that I am fighting tears.  That woman needed nothing more other than to know she was loved and cared about.  The pain on her face resonated in my heart and spirit, but you know what's even more painful? The fact that we face these situations every day and allow fear to shut us up.  I know that we don't face scenes like this every day, but how many opportunities do we have which we ignore?  As followers of Christ, we are -burdened- with the knowledge of salvation.  We are burdened with having that knowledge while watching other people deny it or refuse it.  How cruel are we, that we cant tell those who are damned how they might be saved?  How can we love them and not tell them?

My pastor once said something that really spoke true:  How can someone be saved, lest they first realize they are lost? Romans 6:14 says "For sin hall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." and Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Hallelujah!  How could we not share that good news?!  How could we not desire to spread it through all the nations and sing it on the edges of our lips all day long?

God is so... so good to us.

Thinking back on my failure to react to God's bidding, another disturbing concept pulls through for me.  As we drove home and reflected upon the encounter, I was flabbergasted at what we had witnessed.  No matter how hard I tried, I could not justify a child ever treating a parent in such a manner.  I know there are bad parents, but when a parent brings you into the world, feeds you and provides you with shelter, and raises you up to the best of their abilities....?  It dumbfounds me that any child with good parents can treat their parents with so much disdain.  Although I don't have children myself, I imagine it's quite the slap in the face to love and nurture, and then to be ground in the dirt under your child's foot.

But isn't this what we do to God?  God gave birth to mankind.... He gave him food, shelter, health, and a great abundance of joy.  He made things beautiful for mankind and established an order of peace and love.  But man... God's creation.... chose not to trust in the divinity and righteousness of God.  Man chose to rebel against the wishes of his creator, and as a result, that perfection was stripped away.  God decided to forgive His creation though, and so He sent man out into the rest of the world, where man continued to rebel.  God sent messengers upon messengers to warn men about their trespasses, but what did men do? They beat, hung, sawed in half, and tortured God's chosen.  They demeaned and belittled and scoffed at the messages that were sent.  And yet God kept forgiving. All throughout the told testament, men rebelled and spat upon the face of God.  God pleaded with man to change their ways... His own creation laughed at God's pain.

Did God turn His back and hold a grudge?  No.  Part of God's greatness is not that He distances Himself from us, but in that He brings Himself near to us.  He is in every facet of our lives if we allow Him to be.  And so God came to earth Himself, in the form of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Again, Christ begged the world to change.  Christ told the men....  His creation.. how much He loved them and wanted them to have eternal life.  Did the world listen?  No. They mocked, beat, and killed God in the flesh.  They hung Him on a cross as means of humiliation and shame.  They laughed at Him and said that He was defeated.

Did God turn His back on us then?
No.... No He didn't.

.....
God is so good.....
How do people have the -audacity- to ask God why there is only one way?  Why do they think that they are entitled to more?  Why don't they stop to wonder, instead...... why there's any way at all?

Why was God so loving and forgiving to give us any way to salvation at all?

Does that fill you with gratitude and praise?  I know it moves me personally, and it brings tears of appreciation to my eyes. By minimizing sin, we minimize the cross... and that cost is not something so small that we should turn our back to it and demand more opportunities.  Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, and I am so .... so thankful that.  Thank You God, for loving us first.

John 14: 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(Sorry for the lack of scripture, but I was moved to speak from the heart.....)

I am passing the baton on to Eirinn.

Thanks for agreeing to this.  I couldn't imagine much of anyone better suited!

Eirinn :
Davideo7 :

Just letting you know, and reminding that there was a permission to double post here without a buffer.... as long as the posts were substantial enough.  I'm not sure how that will work until Eirinn can be hired as a staff member, but perhaps he will be hired as a reviewer soon.  He has the skills, after all.  

God bless both of you!

Alright, so this is my first entry in the Hallelujah devotional. I would like to start off by saying, I am NOT replacing or trying to replace Singelli. That simply cannot be done. I am however, helping carry on her vision of sharing God's word. Also, I do plan to post more frequently in here than I have so far. I apologize for this first entry taking so long, but I have finally finished.

Today's topic is a very important one, and I hope everyone, Christian or not, will take the time to read it.

(KJV)Psalm 139:1-18
O Lord , thou hast searched me, and known me . [2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. [3] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. [4] For there is not a word in my tongue, but , lo, O Lord , thou knowest it altogether. [5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. [6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. [7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? [8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there . [9] If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; [10] Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. [11] If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. [12] Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee . [13] For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. [14] I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. [15] My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. [16] Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. [17] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [18] If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Behold, how great the love of God toward us is. So great that the Psalmist said that we could never escape God's presence. Though we went to the highest of heights, or the deepest of depths, though we travelled the world over, though we run for all of our days, we could never get away from God. So great is His love for us, that He faithfully loves and reaches for even the one who is most determined to avoid Him. God cannot be avoided. His love is always outstretched. Indeed, though we deny His very existence, He will not cease to offer His love.
It has been said "We took God out of schools etc." I beg to differ. We did not, nor can we, take God out of anything. He never leaves, He always loves. Though He may allow us to pursue the works of our own hands, denying Him, and embracing another, yet He never stops loving us. Even in the whale's belly, He still loved Jonah. Even in the arms of Delilah, He still loved Samson. Even as he worshipped other gods with his idolatrous wives, He still loved Solomon. Even as he denied ever knowing Him, He loved Peter. Even as he had those that worshipped Him killed, He loved Saul (Paul). And even as we ran from His love, and fought coming to Him, He loved us. This, this is undying, unwavering, unlimited, never ending love. Love is not what Hollywood has fantasized and romanticized it to be. God IS love. To deny the existence of God, is to deny the existence of love, and vice versa.

"O Lord , thou hast searched me, and known me . Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but , lo, O Lord , thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me."
He knows us inside and out. He watches our every moment, knows our every thought, and hears our every word. He's that in love with us.

"Whither shall I go from thy 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 thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."
Ever felt like God surely must have gotten mad at you for a huge mistake you made, and now He'd left you? You couldn't be more wrong. Ever wanted to run from His love? Two words: No Escape. As this passage so elloquently puts it, there is no escaping His love. Though you run as far as you can, and though you hide as good as you can, you cannot escape it. You cannot drink it away, drug it away, run away, or sin it away, no matter how hard you try. There is no way to accidently push God away, nor is there a way to do so purposely. He loves you too much. He will never give up, or leave your side. Even if you feel like He did, I can assure you, He did not, and He will not. It's like a broken leg: the doctor can give you medicine so strong that you don't feel it anymore, but trust me, it's still there. If you don't believe me, just try standing on it. Once you hit the floor, you'll believe. And so, God is there and so is His love for you, whether you can feel Him or not.

"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
When did He decide He loved you? From the moment you were conceived. He loved you and knew all of your members, before any of them had even began forming. He loved you before anyone knew you existed. Literally. He's been there with you since the beginning, and He always will be. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Has God forgotten me? Hardly. You fill His every thought. Even when you sleep, He stands by your side and watches you. He can't take His eyes off of you. He loves you that much. This love never ends.

(KJV) John 13:1
"Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

This passage beautifully depicts Jesus love for us. "He loved them unto the end". His sacrifice gave a whole new meaning to the term "I love you to death". He loved them from the start, and even as they drove the nails, mocked, and humilliated Him, He still loved them. He loves you that much too. He will always love you unto the end. The words "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" still ring true. I must second John when he said
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us..." The love of God is measureless. It is greater than we can possibly imagine, and no matter what you've done, you can never lose it.

The next time you feel.alone, remember He is with you, and will never leave, regardless. Now that is love.




This concludes today's devotional. I apologize for the inappropriate background. I forgot to switch to my devotional layout. Anyway, next time we will be talking about the Christian's job to love others and share the love of God.

Today we'll talk about the love of God, that is to abide within the believers, and be manifested to all. So let's get started.






(KJV) John 13:34-35


A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.




We've all thought it at one time or another. That we want God to do great things like heal cancer, or work some other miracle when we pray for an unbeliever, so that they will see that God is real and with us. And that they can have this God in their life, if they want Him. But that isn't what Jesus said. Jesus said all men would know this, by our LOVE one to another. Not our great theological understanding, our great sermons, our amazing lessons, or our awesome music. He didn't even say they would know by the way we lived our lives, seperate from sinful pleasures. No, all of these things are great, but these aren't how people will know, rather, they will know by (and only by) our love one to another. Love. It's so simple a concept that we imagine it to be too easy. Surely we could be an even better witness if we had fourteen degrees from Bible colleges, and dressed in nice suits while using big greek or Hebrew words. Surely this would bring more people to Him, and better show that we must know Him. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They could see these things from anyone. All this proves is that you have money, intelligence, and time to devote to study. While that's all good and well, and yes, impressive, it doesn't show them anything about your God. What we are to strive to show is love.




What does it mean to love? As I've said before, Hollywood, and sadly, even books and movies written by "Christian" writers, have taught us that love is a selfish thing that makes us feel good when we're around certain people, and hurt others to be with that person, sometimes even hurting the one we "love". That is simply not true. No, real love is not just a feeling, and it is selfless. What is love? Well, it only makes sense to ask love itself what it is.




(KJV) I John 4:8


He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.




God is love, love is God. Simple enough, right? So let's see what God has to say about this manifestation of Him that we call love.




(KJV) I Corinthians 13:4-8


Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.




Yes, it is true that "Charity" in the KJV means love (feel free to look it up), and so here we have love's answer, as to what it (or He) really is. let's break this passage down into segments, that we may better understand it.




"Charity suffereth long, and is kind;"




'suffereth long'. Love is exceptionally patient. It's tolerant.




"charity envieth not"


Whoa. How many of those "love story" authors have actually read this verse? And yet we still get depictions of an envious love. According to love, it doesn't envy. You want something, and someone else got it? Love doesn't become envious, but rather, it would be happy for said person.




"charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,"




Again, according to love, it doesn't boast. I'm reminded of the Apostle Paul's words in II Corinthians 12:5


"Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities." Love is humble. It isn't proud, and it does not brag.




"Doth not behave itself unseemly,"




Love says it doesn't behave itself improperly. Yet we see so many Hollywood depictions that say otherwise. Love behaves appropriately.




"seeketh not her own,"




This one completely destroys everything Hollywood, and again, "Christian" writers, say. Love doesn't seek for what it wants, or to fulfill itself. Rather, it seeks the bettering of others.




"is not easily provoked,"




Love doesn't lose it's cool easily. It isn't short tempered.




"thinketh no evil;"




I admit, I had to look up the meaning of this in my Strong's, to clarify what evil thinking meant. Turns out it means that Love doesn't think or wish ill fortune on anyone. Been wronged? Lied on? Harmed in some other way? Love dictates that you won't wish evil on them. So contrary to human nature. Love is a higher realm.




"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"




Love doesn't find pleasure or happiness in injustice, or wrongdoing. It finds it's happiness, and pleasure in the truth.




"Beareth all things,"




Love endures all things patiently.




"believeth all things,"




This literally means love believes in, and keeps faith through, all things.




"hopeth all things,"




Love expects, and abides through all things. These two words both apply, but in different senses. I'll assume the applications are obvious without my needing to go into detail here. I'll gladly explain if there are any questions.




"endureth all things."




According to love, it endures all things. It cannot be shaken by anything.




"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."




Finally, Love says that it never fails, even when everyone and everything else does. Meaning a few things: Love never goes away, it never leaves, and it never loses. Love is triumphant, and dedicated.




This is love. Love is often the opposite of human instinct. This is what we are to show one to another, and others will know.




Want to see souls saved? Begin showing this love. This is what we all long for deep inside. This is the love that Jesus put into us. Now let's show it to the world.

Yay! Another devo! I can't believe I haven't favorited it yet... lol.

I'm really enjoying them! Please keep updating! XD

I apologize for the late update here. I have been rather busy, and as a result, haven't had much time to put this together, until now.

This time our topic is the tongue. So much power resides in this member that we tend to think so little about. In fact, it could easily be argued that this member of our bodies is the the single strongest part of us, and perhaps, the strongest physical power in the world. Unfortunately it's also the most difficult thing to control about ourselves. The power that lies in the tongue is so great in fact, that God Himself thought He should address the issue in His written word to us. If God sees fit for this to be addressed on multiple occassions in His word, then who am I to dismiss it as unimportant?

So what do the scriptures have to say about it? I suppose the book of wisdom is as good a place to start as any.
(KJV) Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" That's a pretty strong statement, and it means just what it sounds like it means. The tongue can give life, and the tongue can take it. How is this possible? Ever spoken sharply to someone and seen them wilt? Or ever had someone snap at you, speak sharply, or belittle you? If you're a passive person, you probably felt crushed or at the very least discouraged by such treatment. This is one way that the tongue can kill, emotionally, and spiritually. These things can even kill one's drive to succeed or achieve some sort of goal. However the tongue is to some extent, capable of causing physical death as well. One Biblical example is found in I Samuel 4:16-18:
"And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? [17] And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. [18] And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years."
Obviously, the tongue did not directly kill Eli, but it was the power of the words that caused the accident. The messenger spoke powerful words, words that caused a man to fall from his seat, to his death. This was an emotional death, that lead to an immediate physical death.
We also have a Biblical example of a tongue directly causing a physical death.

(KJV)Acts 5:3-5
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? [4] Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. [5] And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

gave up the ghost literally means died . Peter spoke a sharp rebuke, under the authority of the Holy Ghost, and his words literally killed a man. But there's more to the story. Verses 7-10 say:

And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. [8] And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. [9] Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. [10] Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Not once, but twice this happened within a matter of only three hours. The tongue indeed, is a powerful thing.

Now for the power of life . One simple word: praise. Perhaps you've been there; you did something, and felt like you were getting nowhere, but someone came up out of nowhere, and praised you for the great job you did. You felt encouraged, happy, refreshed, alive . And how was life, and the very existence of everything created? The spoken word of God. The right words at the right time, can save lives. And by what does the Bible teach us, God has chosen to save them that believe? Preaching (I Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe). Speaking under the direct influence of God.

And the words in Proverbs 18:21 mean more than this. It also applies on a figurative level, in that we have the ability to quite literally bring things into being by merely speaking. I'm not talking about items or situations materializing, but rather the altering of outcomes by words and attitude. Speak negatively long enough, and you'll see the effects of it in your life. Your health will deteriorate, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. One example of this is a story I was told by a nursing home employee. There was a lady in the nursing home, whose daughter was set to inherit her money, house, etc. The daughter showed up one day, decorated the woman's room in black, turned the light off, and dressed all in black with a widow's vail over her face (such as one might wear at her husband's funeral), she sat in silence by her mother's bedside, in candle light. Three days of this, and her mother died.
Sadly, this is a true story, and illustrates to us, the power of suggestion. In simillar manner, the tongue can literally bring about life and death. This verse is far deeper than I could fully cover in a single devotional entry, and I will not attempt to do so. Instead, let's move on to our final point of study.

(KJV) James 3:4-5
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. [5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

As we have already covered, our tongue has the power to control the very path we take, much like the helm controls the course of the entire ship. Want to see change for the better? Try changing how you talk and look at the world. Not everything will be changed miraculously by "positive thinking" and speaking, but if you tend to be negative, you will see a dramatic change if you become posititive and speak good things, and life.

So let us go out into our world, and think and speak positive things, and speak life. Go one week without entertaining negative thoughts, or uttering negative words, and see how your life, and the lives of those around you, changes.

(KJV) I Samuel 3:1-11
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. [2] And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; [3] And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord , where the ark of God was , and Samuel was laid down to sleep ; [4] That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. [5] And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. [6] And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. [7] Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord , neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. [8] And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. [9] Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord ; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. [10] And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. [11] And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

The voice of God. What do you think of when you hear those words? A loud booming voice filling a pitch black void, speaking the worlds into existence? A majestic voice calling to the prophets from heaven? A man standing on the Mount of olives, teaching a lesson to the multitudes? While many stories may come to mind of how the voice of God spoke in times past, what do these words mean to you personally? How does that voice apply to your life? The voice of God is still speaking to us today, of that we can be certain. To say otherwise is a direct contradiction of the scriptures. The question is, do we realize how God speaks to us? While I do believe God can still speak audibly just as easily as ever, I wouldn't hold my breath on hearing it personally. The reason why? Think about it: we see a handful of times in the scriptures in which it is plainly shown that God literally spoke audibly, most of the time when He spoke, it was in prayer, dreams, and visions. Rarely did the scriptures indicate an audible voice outside of visions and dreams (with the exception of Eden). And now consider that all of the recorded instances were gathered over literally thousands of years. If we were to average it out, that would probably be less than once every 250 years that it was recorded. While this is by no means to be considered an all inclusive list, it does give us a good idea of how often it happens, compared to other means of communication used by God. This scripture is one instance in which God spoke audibly outside of dreams and visions however. It also shows us that Samuel still had trouble knowing it was the voice of God. Doesn't quite sound like some booming voice from heaven, does it? Finally, after three tries, Samuel managed to figure out that it was God, not Eli, but only with Eli's help did he figure it out. Now if Samuel actually heard the audible voice of God, and was unable to tell what it was, we can easily conclude that it would be possible, if not easy, to be unaware that God is speaking to us.

So what are some other ways that God may speak to us?

Dreams:
(KJV) Genesis 28:10-15
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13] And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; [14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

This is one instance of God speaking in a dream, but we also find God speaking in a dream without an actual voice and words. For example: (KJV) Genesis 37:5-7
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. [6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: [7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

In this dream, God was giving Joseph a message, without actually speaking words.

And often, God works in our lives, without us knowing it. For example, read first and second kings, then first and second chronicles. You'll see stories repeated, with one saying that a king did something, and this was what happened as a result. The next time, it'll say that the seeming result of the king's action, was God blessing or punishing them. Sometimes God moves in our lives, and influences things in certain ways. And sometimes in ways that would simply be termed "cause and effect". It is far easier to see God doing things in scriptural accounts than it is to see Him doing them in our current times, or even in history, but the only difference is we don't have a book telling us these things were literal acts of God.

Another way God speaks, is directly to our hearts, not with words. Instead He "puts it into our heart" to do something.
(KJV) Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord , as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

This is probably the most common way that God speaks to believers, according to Psalm 37:4-5
"Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. [5] Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

While this passage is often quoted as meaning God will give you what you want, if you read it a little more carefully, you'll see it differently. If "Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." means He'll give us what we want, then what is He promising to bring to pass, in verse 5? No, here the words "he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." literally translate "He will appoint the desires of your heart". Translation? If you truly delight yourself in Him, He will cause your heart to desire the things He wants you to desire. And then verse five comes into play: "Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Bring what to pass? The desires He put in your heart. this is how He most often speaks to us. Pretty much takes all of the guess work out of making those decisions that we fret so much over them being the will of God or not. This is one of the greatest sources of the believers joy and peace, knowing that their God is guiding their life, and seeing their new will being brought to pass. The true believer can live in complete feeedom and joy, with peace.

Let's talk about one more way the voice of God speaks to us: through His Prophets.
It would be fitting to note at this point, that the word "prophesy" in the Bible most often (if not always) literally means "to speak under divine inspiration, whether foretelling the future, or by mere discourse", with the latter being more commonly known as Preaching today. But let's not sell the body of Christ short, no, God can speak to us by any true believer, not just preachers. And what is preaching anyway? Is it standing in front of a congregation and talking about God? Hardly. No, according to the Bible, preaching is declaring the message of Jesus Christ "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10), and anytime someone brings you the true word of God. And we are saved by this very thing according to the Apostle Paul "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God... For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (I Corinthians 1:18,21).

Yes, the voice of God speaks to us in many ways, and often we don't even realize it. Let us listen carefully, and appreciate the the voice of the True God, that would guide us all of our lives, and to Him one blissful day.

As Christians, one of the commandments is to consistently edify ourselves in God's Word... to examine our walk of faith and ensure that we are doing as we ought and displaying the love of Christ.  Being human though, reflecting upon our own actions can often be a difficult thing.  Doubt, confusion, and an eagerness to justify often become hurdles in our self evaluations.  Those of use who are truly saved have this inherent desire to do well... to please God and follow His statutes and wants.  Because of this, it's hard to admit fault and recognize that we perhaps didn't do something right.  Humanity, flawed by the nature of sin, naturally strives towards perfection. The reasons behind that goal are different depending on the person's condition of the heart and soul.

Some of the unsaved want to be perfect in their desire to have power over others. Some want to have power over their own lives and thus seek to re-define perfection.  Others simply want the joy that perfect provides.  Whatever the case, our desire to be right often causes us not to examine ourselves honestly.

2 Corinthians 13:5 says this: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"  What better of a reason, as Christians desiring for the salvation of all people, to examine our daily walks?  What better a reason to reflect upon the actions we shouldn't have taken, and the ones that we missed?  One great example of this self-reflection was David, himself.  A short trip through Psalms should display the amount of thought that David made about his life and his relationship with God.  And what perhaps is equally interesting, is that David used these reflections as a reason to worship God.

Isn't this what biblical scholars advise us to do? Isn't this what God Himself asked of us? Hebrews 13:15 reads "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."  Continually. Do you see that?  Not today, not the last hour, not only during Sunday service.  Continually.

What a world we have lived in that has attempted to re-define the word!  Ask any one person on the street, and they're bound to tell you the names of various songs when you ask them about worship.  Lyrics leap to our lips when we're asked about it or think about it, but this is not how God intended it to be!!!  Nothing is wrong with using music to worship God, but worship is so much more than that!  It's a state of spirit, an expression of love, a feeling that compels us to do amazing things! Worship is obeying God's words, giving credence to His blessings, bowing our heads when in His presence!

Take a look at the book of Nehemiah, chapter 8.  In this book, Ezra brings the book of the law before the congregation, intent to preach it to the people on the streets.  These people were so interested, that they stayed there from morning until midday, curious and attentive to all they heard.  They didn't want Ezra's opinions or thoughts, but the actual WORD of God.  They wanted to understand it, hold it close to their hearts, and act upon it.  They even built a small pulpit for Ezra to stand on, and when Ezra began to read, they were excited!  Verse 6 reads "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.  And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground."

There was no music or dancing or partying going on here!  There was simply... the Word of God. These people recognized that the Word of God IS God... that by hearing His words read, they were in the presence of a great and might force.  So appreciative were they to hear and understand, that they opened their hearts and ears, even weeping as they listened.  How many times, Oh Christian, have you read the Word and openly wept?  This...is worship.

God calls us all to worship in different ways.  Some are called to play instruments, to sing, to dance, or even to work with our hands. Some are called to preach, and some are called to serve. Each and every one of these: an act of worship.  It seems much of the Christian community has been bounds with these ideas given to them by society: to worship God, turn on some music.  Sing.  Lift up your hands.  However, let me tell you this:  there is NO formula for worship. There are no rules about how to act or what to say, or even in which direction to turn your steps.  There's no time of day or location where worship is un-biblical.

What does this mean?  STOP thinking of worship as a one way road.  Realize that most of what you do in Christ's name... when you glorify Christ, you are worshiping a great and mighty God!  You are giving reverence to the one that holds your salvation... the one that offered you grace and forgiveness and love.  A God who lifted you up from even the darkest place, and gave you a new life to live.  One who cares to know you personally and wants to provide for your physical and emotional needs.  A God who can split seas and raise the dead to life.

Constant worship.  When you witness, remember that you are worshiping God through your words. When you clean your house or work to provide for your family, remember that you are worshiping God through your actions and obedience.  When you receive a blessing, remember that you are worshiping God in how you accept that blessing.  There is no reason we should not feel touched by the love God gives us with everything we do.  God is wonderful, and mighty, and He deserves our praise.  

The bible also says this: "But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness; But to them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."  (1 Corinthians 1:23-25) and "And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, has God chosen,yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord."  

Is God then foolish?  Is the method of relaying his Word, preaching a foolish thing to do?  Absolutely not!  These words here depict another meaning:  God chose us..... chose His methods... so that we could not take the glory.  God works miracles in people's lives, not so that they can sit back and say "Oh man!  Look at what that pastor did!" or "Oh man, look how that sermon worked that amazing thing!"  No.  God chose us to preach and witness in the manner that we do, so that when God works, there is no denying it.  When God moves in someone's life, it's impossible for them to not know God deserves the glory.

This is just one of the ways that preaching and witnessing are a form of worship.  If you haven't gone out into the world, I implore you: start now.  We are commanded to urge the unsaved towards salvation... to bring His Word into the world and share it abundantly, and clearly.  Pray to God, seek His wisdom, and use His words.  Worship God in multiple ways, and make it a lifestyle.

And now, here's a small confession on my part.  I've been silent on vizzed for about a month now. I post every now and then, I work almost daily, but I've cut down my interactions with other people.  Among work keeping me very busy and other reasons, this stemmed from a series of events which I will not discuss here. The events left me confused, feeling downtrodden, and doubtful of my right to speak up when it comes to presenting my faith.  As I sit here and reflect on the meaning of worship, I realize that I have done God a great disservice.  I have become shut up about the glories He works in my life, the spiritual sustenance He feeds me, and the love which He puts in my heart.  In short, I have stopped worshiping God through means of vizzed.  I've worshiped in private and in church, but I let the worst get the best of me. I allowed the opinions of men and women to throw a curve ball in my walk.

And you know the great thing?  It's not their fault.  As Christians, we can't expect the unsaved to always react in the nicest of ways.  We can't expect them to hold the forgiveness that Christ has shown us.  Allowing myself to be discouraged was my fault, and my fault alone.  I'm taking ownership of that, and though I'm still busy with work, I will not allow my feelings to keep me from worshiping God.  God is so much bigger, and so much more important, than that.  God is able to handle what I feel I can not, and God will still work miracles no matter what things are said or done.  I honor that, and all that God has done for me.

If there are any of you Christians on vizzed who have felt pressured into muting your faith, don't.  Take pride in knowing that God is God, and praise Him through your testimonies, your discussions, and your interactions with others.  Never, ever feel like God is something you should hide; after all, why should you hide what is most beautiful about you?  Let it shine and let others see it.  Glorify God by being open on the topic of your faith.

"But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 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: 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."  1 Peter 3: 14-16

 Thou shalt not judge?

In a world where people are too easily offended or not offended enough, I hear phrases like this all the time.  "Who are you to judge?"  "As Christians, we aren't to judge others."  "Judge not, lest you be judged."  Is there any truth or validity to these statements?  One look at Matthew 7:1 would convince any Christian that there is.  Judge not, that you be not judged.  But does anyone ever read past that?  Let's take a look at the next few verses, going through verse 5. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.  3 And why behold the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and behold, a beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye. Although these verses by themselves might not be enough to show the error in such thought, we can get a more complete perspective by looking at more scripture. 

Namely, much of what I'm looking at today comes from 1 Corinthians 5.  In this portion of Paul's letter to Corinth, he addresses the congregation over a matter of tolerance, and rebukes them for their lack of action. There was a member in the church well-known to be sleeping with his father's wife. Instead of mourning over the sin taking place, they allowed the man to keep attending the church, without addressing the issue of his relationship with God.  Paul goes on to explain through parable that even a little sin in the church taints the entire body of followers.  He writes, at the end of his letter (verses 11-13):  "But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one do not eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do you not judge them that are within?  But them that are without, God judges.  Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

This passage makes the issue of 'judgment' pretty clear.  As Christians, we ARE to judge those within the church.. namely, those we call brothers and sisters in faith.  I even italicized the phrase in case you missed it.  Paul makes it very clear that God will judge those without faith, as it certainly isn't our place to do so.  What exactly does this mean for us as Christians?  Well, the concept of church discipline and accountability come to mind.  Jesus Himself actually explains the process for approaching someone when they step away from God in Matthew 18: 15 - 17.  In verse 15, Jesus explains that we as Christians should approach a person privately about the sin in their life.  We shouldn't chastise them in public, tell all their friends about their wrong-doing, or go to their loved ones and seek help.  Instead, we should talk with them one on one and let them know that what they have done is not right with God.  If (and only if!) they refuse to listen, verse 16 then dictates that we should try again, but with 1 or 2 more people.  In this way, there will be witnesses to the person's refusal, and hopefully conviction will come when the person is confronted by more people.  Step 3?  Well, if the sinner -continues- to refute that he has sinned, the church should be told next.  Any spiritual leaders at the church he attends should know about the unrepentant sin, and the church should approach him next.  If the person's heart is still hard, that person should thenceforth be treated as a 'heathen man'... in other words, no longer seen as a brother or sister in Christ.

Verse 17 states this very clearly.  "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be to you as an heathen man and a publican." Does this sound a little harsh?  How many churches do we know of today, that keep this practice and level of accountability?  Notice also, that another key word is unrepentant.  Everyone slips and falls at some point, and everyone faces temptation... and yields to that temptation.  Like the man sleeping with his father's wife, however, there is a point when 'stumbling' can no longer be viewed as a mistake.  When sin becomes a lifestyle and no remorse is felt, a person no longer demonstrates a love for God's commandments, and it is tough to determine that person as truly having a relationship with Christ.

So why do most churches shy from the very thing we are commanded to do?  Approaching someone who is straying from God may seem like a confrontational thing, but it's definitely an action which displays love.  Christ's commands are all good for us in some way or another, so if a follower of Christ displays signs of stepping away from that, wouldn't we want him to know what's in his best interest?  If brothers or sisters in Christ face a stumbling blocks, shouldn't we be even more concerned for those that continually sin and thus might not have truly accepted Christ to begin with?

The good news is this:  God loves sinners enough to pursue them in their sin, to call them away from their sin, save them from that sin, and empower them to obey Him.  Isn't that a wonderful word.... empower?  1 Corinthians 10:13 says "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."  To be a disciple of Christ is to invite discipline from Christ, since we should trust God's love and trust that God always has our best interests at heart.

So why does the bible advise the exclusion of unrepentant sinners from the church? 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 tells us not to keep company with these people, and there are other bible passages which instruct us not to eat with them or even associate with them.  Verse 5 in our passage actually states "To deliver such an one to satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of Lord Jesus", and verse 7 states "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened.  For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us."  Many Christians struggle to understand these verses.  Deliver someone to satan?  Be rid of them from the church?  Whatever happened to love and tolerance?

This is where pride steps in.  The church at Corinth, for example, was filled with pride.  In more modern terms, they allowed the sinning man to stay within their congregation because they wanted to boast their open-mindedness... to say that they loved and accepted anyone.  Sound familiar?  The truth of the matter is that today's world often swaps the concepts of pride and humility.  Pride is the toleration of unrepentant sinners in the church, while humility is the exclusion of them from the church.  God wants us to keep our churches pure.  Church members are held accountable for mourning over unrepentant sin in the church, and accountable for removing it.  The act of keeping our churches pure is also for the ultimate glory of God.  God is the ultimate Judge of all sinners, and he's the supreme Savior from sin.

When Paul advised us to deliver such people to satan, he wasn't saying that out of spite and hatred.  God can use satan to draw people back to Christ through experiencing the consequence of sin.  In fact, He's done it many times.  Consider the story of Job, or Paul's thorn in his side (2 Corinthians 12: 7).  Our personal concerns should always be with the salvation of individuals, and if some people may only be reached this way, then we have to step back and let God make that decision.  Although church is a great place to witness, churches are designed to edify the sheep... to help followers of Christ grow in their relationship with Him.  If we allow an unrepentant sinner to taint the whole church, then we are tainting the church's objective.  God commanded us to go out into the world to witness... not to look within our very church doors.

Within the church, continual training should take place which allows believers to receive God's Word as their lives are transformed into Christlikeness.  Don't get caught up in the lie of 'thou shalt not judge'.  This is only a partial truth, as we need to be watchdogs in our faith.  If we truly love our fellow human beings, we will ensure that brothers and sisters in Christ are who they claim to be.  If someone claims to be a part of our spiritual family, then we should love them enough to rebuke them when they step away from God.  Just make sure, as Matthew 18 warns, that you check yourself first.  Take care of the beam in your own eye before reproving another.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.

Local Mods : Please ignore my word count for this post. I posted this elsewhere, but want to post it here for those that aren't participating in the bible study and might not see it.

What does the Bible Say about Addiction?

I think there's a lot to be said about addictions and the adverse effects they can have on a Christian's life. I myself learned something about an addiction or two this very week. See.... satan isn't always obvious. If he was, people wouldn't get caught up so easily, and they'd likely run away screaming. No.... most of the time... satan is subtle. He's like a gentle breeze that tickles your ears and makes suggestions which seem to have little to no consequence.

However.... we as Christians should know how wrong he is. While it is true that addictions can bring a sense of happiness..... that happiness is fleeting, faulty, and insecure. Even though we might not witness it... it harms us spiritually, and sometimes even physically and emotionally. This is how an addiction works.

As mentioned earlier, an addiction doesn't have to be what mainstream society has taught us that it is. It's just as easy to be addicted to alcohol, as it is to television or even... an emotion. Look at the story of David and his addiction to lust. (2 Samuel 11:1-26) David was so enthralled by a woman named Bathsheba, that he had her taken into his home so that he could have intimate relations with her. When she had a child as a result of this, David couldn't possibly let the matter go. Afraid of the consequences for his actions, he had Bathsheba's husband sent into the front lines of the battlefield so that he would be killed. He only did so after preventing Uriah from seeing his wife by getting him drunk at a feast. Once news of Uriah's death came back to him, he fetched Bathsheba into his home once more, and made her his wife.

Talk about an addiction! This was certainly a more obvious instance, and one that led to unfaithfulness, theft (of a wife), and murder. Samson was another example of a victim of this addiction. He himself was so addicted to a woman who hated God, that he lost the blessing God had given him. He knew his lust for Delilah was wrong, and yet he could not tear himself away from her despite her hatred for God.

So how does one combat addiction? The obvious answer is to seek God, seek to obey His law, and accept His strength in our lives. Although the chapter of Titus does not directly approach the topic of addiction, it does give us some pretty sound advice on how to 'fight the good fight'. In the first chapter of this letter, Paul writes to Titus with the intent of giving advice for picking strong leaders. Among his advice is verse 16, which says "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." When we get involved in something , we need to carefully examine our actions. Would God be pleased? Is this something God would encourage us to do? Does it take away from our time with God or prevent us from seeing to our daily obligations? Do we find ourselves setting something down in order to participate in this activity? If so, there's a good chance that this activity will bring harm into our lives. While it's great to have fun, and God certainly does not tell us to avoid entertaining things.... we need to make sure our 'fun' has God's stamp or approval. As verse 10 says about deceivers, there will be many who will tell us that our addictions are acceptable. We need to have a mind so focused on God, that we are not fooled by the sayings of men.

Perhaps my favorite chapter with sound advice on this topic, however, has to be 1 Thessalonians 5. If I could advise someone with an addiction to read just one chapter.... it would be this one. The chapter talks about how we as Christians are children of the light. Comparing how we -should- behave without we shouldn't, Paul discusses those who revel in the night and commit foul deeds. I do not believe he is literally talking about daytime and night time, but about those who live for pleasing God, and those who live for pleasing themselves. It's all too easy to go out and do things which bring our minds and bodies pleasure. We may even lie to ourselves and say that we are harming no one, and so our fun activities are okay with (or perhaps even sanctioned by) God. After all... God wants us to enjoy our lives here on earth, right? Rushing out of church to catch the latest football game is just a one time thing a year, so surely God would understand? Work obligations have accumulated, so skipping out on that morning prayer will bring no harm, correct? And what about that one last beer when we already know we're over our limit? Worth the risk of getting drunk?

The truth is, we make WAY too many compromises, and we take too many risks in the wrong areas of our lives. This is what creates an addiction.  If I need something so badly that I am willing to compromise my spirituality or risk any form of health... I am addicted to something. Addictions can be SO subtle, too! I, for one, thing nearly everyone is addicted to 'instant gratification'. When was the last time you sat for a few hours and happily waited on something without complaint? We always need to be somewhere, do something, or talk to somebody.

"Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." The bible here is not telling us to refrain from sleeping. It is telling us to keep a vigilant eye. We must keep a distance from those things that would 'hook' us into a sinful lifestyle. God doesn't want to watch us destroy ourselves. We are, after all, His creations and He creates all things beautiful.

Another good piece of advice that stems from this chapter is the advice to edify each other and ourselves. (verse 11) As brothers and sisters in Christ, it is our obligation (and should be an honor), to watch each other's backs. Sometimes an addiction can have such a grip on us, that we might fail to see it, or refuse to. It is at that time that we need someone to step in and care about us enough.... that they are willing to admit our faults to us. I would never want a friend to see me fall into an addiction and say nothing about it. One of the pinnacles of Christianly love, is to keep each other in tune with God. "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."

We should love those that help us keep on this path. I can't say it better than Paul did. Verse 12 and 13 read "And we beseech you brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And to be at peace among yourselves." Helping each other stay in tune with God can be a very trying task. It takes patience.

Although the last few verses of this chapter don't directly talk about addictions, they make a powerful and happy ending to the topic. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit.. Despite not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (verses 16 -21)

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Thank you for these posts Singelli! They're very motivational. :3

jasonkelli :
Awesome keep up the good work. I enjoy these