Matthew 12:25-27

Matthew 12:25-27

The Message (MSG)

 ^25-27Jesus confronted their slander. "A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that's in a constant squabble disintegrates; if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left? If you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil kicking out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists?

Many of us have heard of the saying “a kingdom divided against itself will fall” well that is true in many ways.

The enemy tries to get a hold of family member to cause a distraction or bring strife to the family, all in order to separate the family from each other. This leads to several other issues that can and will develop amongst each family member, it can start with a disagreement over an issue which leads to anger, that leads to unforgiveness, to isolation and hearts becoming hardened. Beware of the issues that may pop up in your families, know that the enemy is/was trying to infiltrate and destroy you and your family dynamic.

Satan knows that a house divided against itself will fall and thus fall away from the church or prevent them from even finding their faith.

Instead we have to folly Satan’s plan and make him and his demons fail at all their attempts to bring down God’s people. It would be hard for him to succeed if his demons are casted out of people’s lives.

Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:20

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

We have all access through Christ.

Sometimes I forget that I have the ultimate hook up when it comes to….well… ANYTHING!

I believe that many people forget the same, we all have access to anything we want through Christ. Of course there may be seasons when the Lord does not give you what you want when you want it because He knows that you are not ready for it.

We all need a reminder of just how magnificent our God is; we serve a God that can literally move mountains! We all start out with a fire in our hearts to be the “best Christian” as possible only to burn out or simply have that fire dim and we get use to our routines and daily lives, the natural ups and downs that everyone else deals with forgetting that we aren’t like everybody else. We are not meant to be living mediocre lives, we are supposed to have fulfilling blessed lives.

The world tries to conform God to what we think He can do and who He is. When anyone thinks of God as they do man they immediately cut off the flow of abundance, because now they limited their scope of what good can come to them. For example, you can’t receive a opportunity that would take you where you have always wanted to go, if you are expecting a small pay increase at your job…

Expect the unexpected! Expect to be blessed and not limited! Know that you have an all access pass to the one and only who can take you or give you the things you couldn’t even imagine!

“Bible Scholars”

There are many people out there that will tell you that they have read the bible or studied the bible, yet they decided to go another direction in life. Usually, but not always, these people who say that they have studied religion or the bible in particular tend to have a prideful spirit that keeps them from becoming enlightened to the word of God. Unfortunately the bible is used a lot as a textbook to study about along with many other religious books which already messes with the idea of seeking knowledge to enrich the spirit but instead focuses on the seeking of knowledge in order to say that they already know what they need know to be considered “cultured”.

I have heard someone on television say that they have read the bible and it didn’t change their life or seemed enriching….of course it can be that way if you:

A Don’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling

B Are not open spiritually, emotionally and intellectually

C Not in a desperate situation where you can yield yourself.

It can be hard for someone to read the word of God and be indifferent about it or think of it as a story book when they don’t have any idea of where to begin or how to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide them to where they need to go in the word that will be an answer to something that they have been looking for.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

New International Version (NIV)

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”^[a]

Generosity is ironically a trait that most women and some men look for in a partner, however we do not often look at ourselves and see how can we be more generous if at all.

It’s become a given to donate or give handouts to the poor during the holiday months for Thanksgiving and Christmas, however we poor don’t stop being poor after the holidays are over. Generosity is a trait that the Lord wants us all to have, because we are blessed to have a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs regardless of any other stresses we may have. It’s not only what we are supposed to do but it makes us feel good inside.

There are so many people that are divided in their thoughts about how the poor and homeless should be treated. Some people say “Get a job” others say “Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes”. We all need to help those who can’t help themselves and show the love of God through us and hopefully save a soul.

The next time you go through your closet or have some extra cash or even spare time, donate it to those who you see every day on the streets and under the bridges who are living with no hope. If you’re not the type of person to just go up to people you don’t know, find a church that has an outreach ministry and donate there. 

Proverbs 8:10-12

Proverbs 8:10-12

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹ for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.

We often think that as long as we have money or valuable things that we have the tools to get what we want when we want it…that’s true if you only operate by the rules of the world, but if you are a Christian and believe in the word of God, you could have nothing to your name and have all the power and wealth above all in the world.

Having the word of God is like having the power to shape shift any bad situation into a better one. In times where many are now living in lack financially the word of God will give you instructions on how to open the windows of heaven to pour out opportunities and favor that will lead to wealth. Not to say that you will become a filthy rich person, but you will have the keys to having more than enough without having to follow the world’s instructions to get wealth.

The Lord’s instruction is better than any amount of money that anyone in the world could ever offer. When you have the creator of the universe on your side it’s safe to say that you won’t lack for anything as long as you follow His lead.

Lately people are more concerned with how to get money fast, unlike how in the past people were more concerned with how to get the right degrees and experiences. Wisdom and instruction from the Lord are more valuable than any get rich quick scheme, the wisdom that the Holy Spirit can “download” into your spirit when you want it or need it is like having the professor whisper all the answers to His exam in your ear as you are taking it.

Don’t underestimate the power of the word and the instruction it can give you to get you out of any kind of lack, especially financially. 

Trespass Versus Sin

There is some confusion as to what a trespass is as well as what exactly is considered a sin and if they are essentially the same thing.

tres·pass/ˈtrespəs/

Verb:	Enter the owner's land or property without permission.
Noun:	A voluntary wrongful act against the person or property of another, esp. unlawful entry to a person's land or property without their...
Synonyms:	verb.  transgress - infringe - sin - offend noun.  transgression - offence - offense - sin - wrongdoing

Above is the internet definition of “Trespass” which uses sin as one of the synonyms. No wonder people are confused as to what the difference is, when the definition uses sin to help describe it.

Trespass in biblical terms refers to something such as being wronged by another person, saying or doing something rude to another and other minor offenses that would not constitute as something that God would deem a sin.

A sin would follow under those that are the opposites of the commandments and are those that God names directly as something He abhors.

sin/sin/

Noun:	An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.
Verb:	Commit a sin.
Abbreviation:	Sine.
Synonyms:	noun.  trespass - guilt - offense - transgression - offence verb.  transgress - err - trespass - offend

It’s interesting how small of a definition “sin” is given. A sin could also be described as something that requires a major turnaround in lifestyle or behavior. A sin is something that is done intentionally, a lifestyle choice or choice of behavior such as lying, extramarital affairs, murder and so on. A sin can be as “small” as having a sexual thought about someone other than your partner or as “big” as murder. Of course God does not see any sin as being big or small, they are all the same and treated as the same, however for the sake of explanation I use “big” and “small” to relate to what we as humans think about things.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7

1 Corinthians 13:3-7

New International Version (NIV)

³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The love of God is like no other.

Love in general can eliminate pain from any past, love will reaffirm that you are here for a reason and love can make even the low times seem insignificant. 

The love of God is so real and present that no one could ever deny that there is love. People naturally crave love from those around them because we are in the world were everything revolves around the physical things-the things that we can see and touch. If only more people knew that before anyone has ever told them “I love you”, God said it first.

I understand how it can hard to feel loved by someone who you can’t see or audibly hear, “I love you” from, but if you’re mother couldn’t audibly say “I love you” to you and embrace you in their arms, yet she gives birth to you, feeds you, wakes you up in the morning and watches you from a distance while you play in the yard, she still loves you. The love of God is like that of a mother times infinity because he loves us so much that if we did not fulfill what we were supposed to do because the enemy took us out, He could bring us back to life and complete what we were set out to do for His glory.