The Bible is like a radar system, use it properly.

The Bible is like a radar system, use it properly.

     The Word of God, the Bible, is the only source of absolute truth. As such, we should use it as our radar. If something you hear or learn doesn’t line up with the Word of God—throw it out! The Bible is meant to be a gift from God to us that serves as a radar (2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:4, ). The Scriptures we’ve studied in the past are brought to mind by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26) and He sounds an alarm of warning when we come into contact with imaginations and false ideas. Truth (Jesus came to testify to the Truth and is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life) is what we are after; it is what the Word declares; and it is what will guard us from deceptions and clever sounding false ideals. Use the Word of God!

Forgive as Christ FORGAVE

Forgive as Christ FORGAVE

     As Christians, we are clearly commanded by Christ to forgive (Matt. 6:14-15), but many times, those who claim to follow Christ hold on to grudges. We simply cannot do this. For one, we cannot follow Christ if we will not forgive. Jesus Christ died to forgive all OUR sins and EVERBODY ELSE’S too. He died for the murder just like He died for the prideful person. He died for the homosexual just as much as He died for the liar. If our hearts have truly been changed by Christ, why do we so often let them grow cold and calloused toward others? We need to forgive as Christ FORGAVE.

     For many of you, the Holy Spirit is convicting your heart right now. Take a moment and confess your sin to the Lord; ask others to forgive you that you need to; and ask the Lord to help you truly live a life keeping with repentance from this moment forward: a changed life with an attitude of forgiveness—working through feelings of anger, hatred, and unforgiveness so that you can pray for the blessing, salvation, and a personal relationship with the Lord for your offender.

Driving them out Slowly, Part 4

Driving them out Slowly, Part 4

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

 

       The Lord will drive them out. It is not our strength or willpower that breaks down our strongholds or saves a nation, it is the LORD! Make no covenant, don’t enter into peace treaties and contracts with those who serve the kingdom of darkness. For Israel, this was any Gentile nation, for us it is the unbeliever, the culture, the world, the flesh, and the other evil and sinful forces of our day. Don’t make a covenant with their gods! Stay free from entanglements with the World. Live as a stranger here, a citizen of a heavenly kingdom. Live and walk in a manner worthy of the calling that you have received in the Lord Jesus Christ. They (the evils and wickedness of the day) shall not dwell in thy land. What land do you have? Is it physical land? Don’t rent it out to a billboard company promoting gambling or “adult entertainment.” I believe that the Holy Spirit has shown me that your land can be your home, your household (your family), your possessions (books, movies, music), your car (do you have any inappropriate bumper stickers?), and your mind and heart. Keep it all free from the pollution of your enemies! We are called to love our enemies, pray for them, and share the Gospel, but we are to have no part in their sin! There isn’t supposed to be even one hint of sexual immorality (or name your others sin) among us! Don’t let them dwell in your land, for they will work their way into your heart just like they did in the ancient people of Israel and cause you to stop serving your Lord, make your children pagans, and hinder your communication with the Lord. Don’t compromise! Don’t push the envelope! Their gods are your snare!

Driving them out Slowly, Part 3

Driving them out Slowly, Part 3

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. 28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

 

     The Lord will send His Fear before us as we serve Him. There are missionaries who literally have tribes afraid of them because they know that the Christian God is real and powerful. Read stories about faithful missionaries; you will find that pagan, cannibalistic tribes have turned their backs to some of them and literally ran away afraid of our Almighty God.

28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

       God will send the hornets—some small, annoying thing—before use to drive out the demonic forces of evil that are holding people in bondage examples are witchdoctors, psychics, new age spiritualists, and oculists (this is largely seen on the mission field) as well as false worldviews and mindsets, strongholds, and satanic intimidation in our own lives.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

         The Lord will drive them out little, by little. Not 1 year—not fast, because we can’t handle that much conquered territory yet. But as we are able to take care of more and more, the Lord will add it to us. Think of this in regard to your sanctification (lifelong transformation) as you follow the Lord. Little by little, the Lord breaks down stronghold and teaches us how to maintain personal freedom on that conquered spiritual land; otherwise, we would give the devil a foothold and he would just begin to build his fortress right back up again.

Driving them out Slowly, Part 2

Driving them out Slowly, Part 2

Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

       Do not serve the gods of this world: TV, music, pop culture, violence, video games, selfishness. But serve the Lord! It is He who blesses your Bread! It is He who gives you the mind and ability to earn wealth! It is He who provides your water! It is He who protects you, not all your insurance policies (I’m not saying don’t have insurance, just that we need to reevaluate where Source of trust lies). And this passage also gives some incredible blessings for the Jewish people in this passage. While God still heals, I believe that this passage is referring to a nation seeking after God. If we once again are that nation, I believe these blessings will be given to us again: The Lord will take away our sickness, there will be no more barrenness in our crops or our cattle or our people!

          Look back up at verse 24 and note the second half of the verse. We are to overthrow—we are to stand against—the sinful, pagan culture around us. We are to proclaim the truth in love, yet stand for the perfect law of God; uncompromisingly denouncing homosexuality, entitlement, debt, feminism, effeminate manhood, evolution, secular humanism, etc…. We are to tear down the idols of our age (sex, greed, pride, selfishness, tyranny) with the message of God’s Word—the true and living Gospel of Jesus Christ which will transform people’s lives.

Driving them out Slowly, Part 1

Driving them out Slowly, Part 1

Text: 

Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. 24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil. 27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. 28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Ex 23:20-33 (KJV)

 

     There is an important principle that I want to share with you from this passage. There will be several subpoints, but the overall message is that God drives out our enemies slowly. I want you think about this in regard to your own life. The transformation of the Lord is usually a gradual, over-time process. Theologians call this sanctification. With that in mind, let’s dive into the passage!

Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

     The Lord sent an Angel before Israel and He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. While Angels still protect us and serve as God’s messengers, it is the Holy Spirit that we primarily have fellowship with, not Angels, as Christians. So when you think about the Angel here, think about the Holy Spirit. He knows the way you need to go. He will keep you on track if you will only listen to Him and obey His voice. He will bring you and present you ready in the place that the Lord wills for you to be if you will only surrender your will and humbly follow Him.

       And if you obey the Lord, and walk in close communion with His Spirit, guess what? God will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries! He will defend you! Vengeance is the Lord’s, let Him repay! The Lord will fight our battles. We are in a war, but our job is to trust in His Word as our Sword and wear His gifts as our armor (Eph. 6).

Psalm 119 Part 7

 

 

Psalm 119 Part 7

 

The Psalm 119 Series is a 22 Part series, dealing with 8 verses of Psalms 119 at a time. If you are learning from this chapter, we encourage you to continue to follow Ryan's series on our weekly Podcast.

Psalm 119 Part 6: Standing on the Word

 

 

 

Psalm 119 Part 6: Standing on the Word

Psalm 119 Part 5

 

 

Psalm 119 Part 5

Psalm 119 Part 4

 

 

Psalm 119 Part 4

Psalm 119 Part 3

Psalm 119 Part 3

Psalm 119 Part 2

 

 

Psalm 119 Part 2

Psalm 119

Psalm 119 is an amazing chapter of the Bible. Today, a link has been provided to Ryan Marks' Focusing on the Mark Ministries Podcast where he first began a series on this topic:

Psalm 119 Part 1

 

Note: for the next several days, links to audio messages and videos will be posted instead of text. God bless!

Hosea 14

Hosea 14

 

14 O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
² Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices^[a] of our lips.
³ Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

⁴ “I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily,
And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
⁶ His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
⁷ Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And grow like a vine.
Their scent^[b] shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me.”

⁹ Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them. (NKJV)

Questions to Ask Yourself

1.      Are you trusting in an “Assyria” or “horses” instead of God? Get still and ask the Holy Spirit what areas you are not trusting in the Lord, but in other things.

2.      Contemplate verses 4-8…God will heal your backsliding; He will love you freely; He will be like the dew to you—reviving life; your fruit will be found in Him

3.      Take some time to be still and meditate on verse 9. What is the Lord saying to you?

Scripture to Contemplate

“For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded.” Ezekiel 36:9-10 KJV

Contemplate this Scripture.

God’s Word

God’s Word

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6 KJV

  Let that Scripture sink in. . . . God’s Word is pure! He is a SHIELD unto them that put their TRUST in Him! Add not unto His Words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar!!

 

Prideful Promotions

Prideful Promotions

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.  But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

 Psalm 75:6-10 KJV

       Don’t spend your energies trying to exalt yourself. Proverbs 29:23 says, “man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit (KJV).” God’s way to honor is humility, but the World’s way to success is promote yourself, sell yourself, DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO GET FAME AND A NAME FOR YOURSELF! God’s way to honor flies right in the face of that hollow philosophy: Be humble, the Lord is the Judge; He Rules and He Reigns over all! Trust in Him, humble yourself, do your best and faithfully follow the Lord in little and in abundance and let God take care of promoting you.

 

The Wrong Type of Woman

The Wrong Type of Woman

 “The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a

 wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother

 shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

 She also lieth in wait as for a prey,

and increaseth the transgressors among men.”

Proverbs 23:24-28 (KJV)

 

  Take heed to these verses young men.

 

It’s better to do the Hard Stuff

It’s better to do the Hard Stuff

“It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

Eccl 7:2-4 (KJV)

     This Scripture presents a mindset that is a polar opposite of what we often hear in America. We hear the message of just live and enjoy life! Smile more and don’t think too hard. The Word declares a different message right here, though. Read the verses above again slowly.

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting.” That Scripture has impacted me big time as a young Christian man. I have seen two applications which I’d like to share with you. 1) Is it really better to just feast on life or to consider and contemplate some of its hardships like death. If death comes so quickly, how should I live my life? Should I really just not stress about the small stuff, or is the small stuff what determines whether I’ll ever make it to the big stuff (faithfulness principle, Luke 16:10)? While almost everyone young seems to cheer, “just have fun and experience life!” think about your actions. Look at what Ecclesiastes 11:9, 12:1(KJV) say:

  “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. . . . Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them”

  2) Going to a funeral may actually be for your benefit. Preachers know that at a funeral many more people are open to Christ that may be very stubborn at other times; the reason is because the people are considering death and its reality right then. Eternity seems much closer.

   Another point on funerals: even as a Christian, I was impacted by going to a couple of funerals. This verse was in my mind around those times and the tragedies that had occurred also brought many to the side of the family and sharing of the impact that the deceased had made. I was speechless and struck to the heart—life is so fleeting and next to accepting Christ, reaching and touching others lives with Him is very important.

   What we have looked at today is probably not the most encouraging, but it is the Word. Let’s pray:

      Lord Jesus, may You speak to us by Your Holy Spirit who You said will lead us into all truth (John 16:13) and give us insight into what we should do with what we have read. Lord, may every heart be receptive and moldable to Your small, still voice speaking to them. In Jesus Christ’s Mighty Name, may these things be done. Amen.

 

The Spirit of God knows which way to go. . . .will you trust him?

The Spirit of God knows which way to go. . . .will you trust him?

“Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

Isaiah 48:17 (KJV)

 

Who are You?

Who are You?

“Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.”

Psalms 101:6-8 (KJV)

     

                     What is the condition of your heart?

 

Exploitation and the Danger Associated with Debt

Exploitation and the Danger Associated with Debt

 

Read Proverbs 22:22-27 and consider the Lord’s truth on these matters. He’s right in all that He says, but you may be wrong or have been taught a doctrine of men that is false. Take the time to really examine this passage and act on what you learn.

 

Counsel

 

 

Counsel

Read Proverbs 22:17-21 and consider them thoughtfully.

 

Habits

Habits

    At my GMA ceremony a man preached a devotion on character and its relationship to habits. It is true that our character is formed by our habits. For example, if I always lie when my Mother asks me why I didn’t take out the trash, it will in turn create a bad character habit of lying when I want to “get out of” a tough situation. Likewise, if I invest time each day in mental, physical, and spiritual exercise I reap the rewards of clarity of mind, extra energy to get through my day, and spiritual peace.

 

    Your habits are important. Take a moment to consider what habits you need to get rid of or maybe some that you need to form.

 

Lord, give us the desire to form habits that will build the life that You desire us to have. Amen.

 

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

   What if 12 men, each having two 2X4 boards and four nails, came together to create something? They could frame a small building. It is the same way with the Lord. Paul uses the illustration that we are God’s building. When we unite together for the sake of our Faith in Christ, we can do amazing things for the Kingdom. One man with two 2X4’s and four nails probably won’t be able to build very much, but when they come together—WOW!

·        Pause and think about the power of teamwork with other Christians. Unity is important.

 

Generosity

 

 

Generosity

 “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.”

Proverbs 11:24- 25 (NKJV)

  Read those verses again slowly.

  The man who gives freely, gains even more. The one that withholds unduly, well, he comes to poverty. This proverb is not just talking about money; in reality it is talking about how you live. If you are a generous man or woman and give freely allowing your time, talents and resources (contacts, money, machinery, etc…) to flow freely through you, you will gain a blessing. You will experience an abundant life. One of joy, hope, expectation and excitement (passion): The joy of what the Lord is doing will be your energy, your strength.

   I think we’ve all been there at one point in our walk. I can recall times when everything I freely gave to people, largely in the form of my time and ability, was flooding back to me in excitement, energy, great deals, spiritual blessings, contentment, passion, and personal growth. However, many think of this proverb as being related to money, but I heard a great illustration about money one time. A man said that “money is simply like a brick.” I can build something useful to the Lord, by yielding the bricks to Him or I can take them and use them solely for myself. God is interested in you and your lifestyle, way more than just the money you have; He wants all of us: our time, our focus, our resources, and our very lives to be at His disposal. But here’s the catch, He only wants us to do it willingly. God wants us to choose to freely flow in Him by being generous.

  Those who so do will reap a blessing.

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

 

 Lord, may we understand generosity.

 

A Quote to Consider

“If you have to say you’re something, you’re not”

--Pastor Patrick Ringler

Contemplate this quote.

Devo Blast Issue

Devo Blast: Empowerment and Anointing: Living a Daily Walk with the Holy Spirit