Category Archives: Identity
True North
Job 22:21 [KJV] “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.”
The next thing that the spiritual leaders did, particularly Ezra, was to teach the people the Word of God. Why teach the Word? Ezra taught the people the Word because he needed to show them who they were. These people did not know the nation of Israel or anything about God. He needed to teach them so that they could see the world and see themselves. As a child of God, there are many things that attempt to influence your identity. Things are constantly trying to make you succumb and tell you who you are. Situations Read the rest of this entry
Vision
Ruth 1:16 “But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”
Our next lesson is from the life of Ruth. Ruth moved forward after she encountered God. Scripture introduces Ruth as a single woman, though she had been married but was now widowed and single again. As if that was not enough, this same Ruth was in the company of bitterness. Imagine someone trusting God for a life partner or someone waiting on God for anything, hanging around bitter people. The company of bitterness has a way of amplifying an already bad situation. But God came through for her.
Activate & Benefit
Gen.22:17 “I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.”
Jesus became a curse so that we can be engrafted into the blessings of Abraham. However, to have access to something is one thing, to activate that thing is another matter. There are many of Abraham’s children that are spiritually depressed. Even in the nation of Israel, there are a lot of people that are not saved. Jesus is telling us that it is possible to have access to something and not to use it or benefit from it.
Happenings II
Gen.32:4 …“Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban 6 …the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “…Esau …is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!”
It is not enough to leave Laban’s house, you have to deal with “Esau”. We established yesterday that we all have “Esau” in our lives. “Esau” is that part of us that will sell the birthright in exchange for pleasure. “Esau” wants instant gratification and seeks to satisfy the longing of the flesh. It wants to eat the porridge and still keep the birthright. The “Esau” in us wants to feed habits that are leading us down the drain. Like Jacob, you need to face up to “Esau” and deal with it.
Are You?
1 Cor.15:9 “For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.”
If anyone understood the privilege and favor that comes with grace, it was Paul. Paul never lost sight of the fact that he was a man, unworthy outside of Christ. Even though Paul embraced his new identity in Christ, he did not lose sight of where he was coming from. So Paul was able to stay grateful to God and that is where God wants us to be.
God has saved us through the Blood of Jesus and we stand blameless before Him. But God is not done yet; He wants to make us like Read the rest of this entry
Stay On Track
“Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work done well, and won’t need to compare himself with someone else” Gal. 6:4 [LB]
The first way to reduce the stress of competition is to Stop Comparing. Comparing is a foolish thing to do because you are unique. God designed you uniquely. In fact, God designed your genes uniquely. No two human beings have the same genes. You have designer genes. Why is it a bad thing to compare? It is because it causes envy and bitterness. It makes you miserable, do not do it. “Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work done well, and won’t need to compare himself with someone else” Gal.6:4[LB, emphasis added]. Read the rest of this entry
Be You
“You are the light of the world…” Matt.5:14 [emphasis added]
God has created you an original. The reason people are afraid of being authentic is because they see themselves as inferior [lower quality]. They do not believe that they are in the image of God or that there is something in them that the world needs so inferiority complex creeps in. But the truth is God has made us all unique. Inferiority complex is the lack of self-worth and the feeling of not measuring up to standard. Admire great people, learn from great people but be yourself! Read the rest of this entry
No More!
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Rom.8:31
A lot of people are struggling with statements made over them. Interestingly, it is not even a statement from the Most High they are struggling with. They are struggling with a statement made over them perhaps by their parents or someone in authority over them. For other people, their struggle is with a statement made or a curse spoken by their spouse. I am here to Read the rest of this entry
Pray!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” Matt.11:28 [NIV]
Regardless of where you are in your life you need to get up and pray. Like I said, I am the first to admit that I do not fully know how prayer works but I know it works. But then again I really do not need to understand how prayer works I just need to know that if I pray it will work! My grandmother would say, “If something is good, it needs prayers! If something is not good, it also Read the rest of this entry
Imitate God
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Rom.2:4
Some people feel they need to be controlled and brought under submission. Such people do not respond to kindness, goodness, and to benevolence, they only respond to terror. Before I met my wife, I was dating another lady that I thought I was going to get married to but the relationship went south. And some Pastor’s wife approached me, she was of the impression that I had broken off the relationship. She said she Read the rest of this entry
