Acts 16:29-30

Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

When Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten, and chained for driving a demon out of a slave girl in Philippi, God sent a great earthquake to free them. The jailer, thinking he’d be held responsible for their escape, drew his sword to kill himself. Paul, however, stopped him and assured him they were all still there. The jailer knew the hand of God was on these men, and he immediately asked to be saved. The officials heard and attempted to release them quietly, but Paul demanded a public release and apology because they were Roman citizens who were punished without a trial. They would be free – truly free – to leave that prison without fear of being captured for illegal escape.

God wants us to be truly free of the things that imprison us, too. When He moves in our lives, those who hold us captive must submit to His authority. We’ve all faced unfair situations, and God has taken notice. Expect Him to act on your behalf in a way that frees you and gives Him glory.

The jailer came to know Christ as a result of Paul’s and Silas’s unfair treatment. God led them straight to the jailer and moved in a way that drew the man into His kingdom. Who knows where your unfair situations may lead you? God is capable of an earthquake, if necessary, to free you from bondage. Pay attention and watch to see who needs Jesus. God is always giving us opportunity to share the gospel. Take advantage of your opportunities and walk free.

Have a blessed day!

The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.

Horses were born to run. The greatest horses are those who are fast and strong. They make great race horses, are in high demand, and are considered to be very valuable. According to this verse, the horse is a false hope for safety. You cannot run from your problems. Sooner or later, they will catch up with you, and you will need the courage to face them down. The enemy will try to get you to run, but he is a coward when you resist him.

If a horse is not fast enough to be a race horse, his job is usually to work on a ranch or farm. This type of horse requires great strength and endurance. Works, however, will not provide a way of escape. No amount of self-effort can save us, bless us, or deliver us. Jesus has already paid the price for our sins, and His grace and forgiveness are what we need to live a life of purpose and reign with Him eternally.

You will not escape your problems or your enemy by running away or by working to pay something back. God has provided a way of escape, and it requires faith in His Son. Jesus faced death and the enemy on the cross, so there is no need to run. He paid the price for our sin, and all we have to do is receive. God has equipped us for good works through the Holy Spirit. We simply need to use what He has placed in our hands, and He will do the rest. Don’t place your bets on horses; you will surely lose. Cast all your cares upon the One who cares for you, and trust Him to work in your life by His great power.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 31:14-16

Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father’s household? Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? For he has sold us and has certainly spent our money. In fact, all the wealth that God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you.

Laban had changed Jacob’s wages 10 times. Every time he changed his wages, God blessed Jacob in the order of the change. When Laban and Jacob were dividing speckled and non-speckled goats, God blessed Jacob’s portion. God’s hand was clearly on Jacob, and his flocks grew. Laban eventually became disturbed with Jacob’s wealth and treated him differently. Rachel and Leah saw it and realized they no longer had an inheritance with their father. They felt as if he had sold them for his own gain, and God’s blessing clearly resided with their husband. For once, the two quarreling, competing sisters were in agreement with themselves and with their husband. 

Rachel and Leah were ready to move away from their father. They wanted a new life with Jacob and encouraged him to do what God had told him to do. There is nothing that will bring unity to a household quicker than fighting a common cause together and recognizing the true enemy. Silly competition ends when you gain perspective of the big picture and begin to move in God’s direction. Finally, Rachel and Leah got a greater glimpse of God’s plan when they took their eyes off their own petty circumstances.

God has a big plan for your life. You will never find it by concentrating on the petty circumstances of your own insecurities. We can do remarkable things and realize big dreams when we turn away from our smallness and look to God’s greatness. Where has God blessed you? Stop focusing on the places where He isn’t working, and move in the direction of your blessing. Your destiny and the filling of your emptiness await in the place where He is directing you. If God isn’t moving there, you shouldn’t, either.  Move with Him, and He will take care of those minute details that derail you. Stop mumbling and start moving!

Have a blessed day!

Revelation 2:20

But I have this against you: you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

Jesus issued this rebuke in the letter to the church in Thyatira. While He praised them for their many works of love, faithfulness, and endurance, He had one thing against them: their tolerance of the woman, Jezebel. In order to fully understand this rebuke, one needs to understand both the story of Jezebel in the Old Testament and a history of the city of Thyatira.

Jezebel was the wicked wife of King Ahab of Israel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, where Baal worship was prevalent. When she married Ahab, she exalted Baal worship in the land alongside the worship of Yaweh. She did not try to exclude Yaweh; she merely added alternatives to worship, which she heavily endorsed. Religious rituals of Baal worship often included temple prostitution and child sacrifice. Baal was believed to be a god of rain, fertility, and prosperity, all of which attracted Jezebel. She was evil and deceitful and even killed their neighbor, Naboth, because Ahab wanted his vineyard, which Naboth refused to sell to him. She was self-centered and loyal to no one but herself. In the end, her own subjects threw her out a window when Jehu came to take over as king. Upon God’s judgment of her, the dogs ate her flesh so there would be nothing to bury and no memorial left to her.

Thyatira was a city along the Asian trade route and centered to the East between Pergamum and Smyrna. Paul established a church there in his missionary journeys. Thyatira was known for their many artisans, including coppersmiths and dyers. Lydia was a woman convert who worked as a dyer and seller of purple cloth. These artisans of various industries established guilds – much like a labor union – where they met regularly and engaged in Asian pagan practices. The guilds were much like a religion themselves, and they would gather in temples to eat meals together that were sacrificed to idols. As a Christian, the pagan practices of the guilds were strictly prohibited. As a business owner, however, it was practically impossible to make a living if you were not a member of a guild.

Archaeological excavations of the city of Thyatira, found in modern day Turkey, revealed a shrine to the prophetess Sambatha or Sambethe. This “prophetess” was believed to have supported participation in the guilds within the Christian church. In Revelation, Jesus refers to the woman, “Jezebel,” probably as a reference to this ungodly “prophetess.” He exposes her as a false teacher and is angry the church has tolerated her, indicating she should have been thrown out. Bible scholars seem to agree this Jezebel taught that participation in the guilds was acceptable in God’s eyes because He understood the need to make a living and that He condoned sexual immorality. Her teaching certainly caused many in the church to compromise their beliefs in godly character, and God would judge those who participated with her.

Whenever Baal worship or the name, Jezebel, are mentioned, you can count on three things to exist: a love of money or wealth, sexual immorality, and deceit. God’s word clearly teaches against all three, and we have become increasingly tolerant of them in the church. They are all signs of compromise, which God calls idolatry. We must come to a place where we hate evil and banish it from our lives. Grace does not cover sins we befriend and choose to keep; grace is designed to help us overcome sin. We can either let them go, or God will judge us, as He warns in the letter to the church at Thyatira. Since “Jezebel” seemed to like beds, Jesus pronounced judgment for her of a permanent sick bed, where she could no longer teach or practice her evil.

I challenge you today to search your hearts, as I am mine, and rid yourself of any signs of compromise. If the world has influenced you in any area more than the standard of the word of God, repent and turn it over to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Walk free from the things that hinder your relationship with God and your destiny. God gives grace, but He also wants us to be holy. He gives grace to us so we can become holy – not as an excuse to remain in sin. Resist the teaching of Jezebel and kick her out of your life! God is pleased with your works of love, faithfulness, and endurance. Continue in Him, and hold on to the truth you have. Compromise is not an option of holy living; compromise is an invitation for judgment.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 74:18-19

Remember this: the enemy has mocked the LORD, and a foolish people has insulted Your name. Do not give the life of your dove to beasts.

Galatians 6:7 warns us sternly that God is not mocked. A man will reap what he sows. While we certainly live in a day of grace, we are not living under grace if we insist upon staying in our sin. Grace does not condone sin; it enables us to overcome it.

When we insist upon remaining in sin, knowing full well what we are doing, we are mocking God. We, in effect, relay the message that we know better and are going to do what we want. To try to claim that grace covers such outright rebellion is mockery and insults both God and men. As this Scripture reveals, foolish people insult God’s name.

Asaph is the writer of this Psalm, and he asks God not to give the life of His dove to beasts. The dove is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. When Jesus was baptized, we see the Holy Spirit descending upon Him as a dove. Rest assured that God will not anoint those who mock Him.

Romans 6:12-14

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Notice carefully when sin will not rule over you – when you do not allow sin to reign in your body. While we all sin, we are not called to stay there. God calls us to live righteously through Christ, and we are to put away unrighteousness. If we insist upon keeping our sin, we cannot claim grace over it. You really cannot have your cake and eat it, too! God will not anoint that which mocks His name. If you think you will succeed in anything without the grace of God, you are fooling only yourself.

Don’t be an enemy of God. Let go of anything that hinders your relationship with Him. It just isn’t worth it in the long run. You don’t have to let sin ruin what God has in store for you. He promises that sin will not rule over you, but you have to be willing to lay it down. Determine to reign over sin, and don’t allow it to reign over you. There you will find grace to cover the damage it has caused.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 31:22-24

On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount Gilead. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” 

Laban went after Jacob with a vengeance, but God restrained him. Although Laban caught up with Jacob, God did not allow him to harm Jacob in any way. When we set out to do what God has told us to do, He will not allow the Devil to harm us, either. While he may chase us and pose a threat, God will restrain him from doing any actual harm. 

I’m sure Jacob was nervous when he saw Laban and his relatives. He knew he had done the wrong thing by not telling Laban he was leaving. At this point, Jacob’s biggest battle ensued in his own mind. What would Laban do? Would he try to take his daughters and grandchildren? Jacob may even have been trying to devise schemes to outsmart Laban. There was no need, however, for worry or strategizing.  God had already taken care of the matter. 

Realize that when you move in the direction God is leading you, He will restrain the enemy from devouring you. While he may threaten you, he will not overcome you. Many of your worst battles are fought in your own mind from your own guilt. Turn to God with complete abandon, and rely upon His grace. He has your back!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 95:4-5

The depths of the earth are in His hand, and the mountain peaks are His.  The sea is His; He made it. His hands formed the dry land.

There is no place too deep nor mountain too high for God’s hand to reach and intervene. Regardless of how hopeless you think your situation may be, it is all in His hands. God created the sea and everything in it. He formed the dry land, and all its barren places are within His care. While you may be overwhelmed with the size or deadness of your problem, God still has the power to touch it and create life.

We often look at the situations around us and give up hope things could ever change. If the matter were left entirely up to us, that would be true. God, however, created the depth of the oceans and the heights of our mountains. Our own strength can do only so much, but God’s power is limitless. He extends grace to us to overcome whatever obstacle lies in front of us. Don’t give up; just give it to Him.

Isaiah 40:4-5

Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will appear, and all humanity will see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, who would level every mountain and hill and smooth the rough paths of life. God will reveal His glory in His Son, and all will see it. This is a promise He makes to us! Never lose hope by looking at the depth of the valley or the height of a mountain before you. God has ordained a way for you in Jesus Christ, and His intent is to reveal His glory in Him. Trust Him to provide a way where there seems to be no way so God’s greater glory may be revealed. He made the mountain; He can certainly level it for you! Just keep taking one step forward at a time, and trust Him to lift you up or tear down your obstacle until you reach your destiny in Him. You will see God’s glory in the matter. God has already spoken! Amen.

Have a blessed day!

2 Peter 1:3

For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is ours in Christ to live a godly and productive life. We obtain that power through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. What we need to fulfill the needs and longings of our soul is a greater revelation of Christ and our relationship to Him.

God sent His Son into this earth with all authority to do His will. Christ, in turn, gave us His authority to spread the gospel and increase the kingdom of God. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, and He works everything for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He called us, knowing our weaknesses and everything that would happen to us. For some reason – despite all of our failures, inabilities, mistakes, defiance, and even rebellion – Christ chose to call us by His own glory and goodness. He didn’t look at where we were; He considered where He planned to take us and called us anyway. He looked at us with the end in mind and gave us purpose.

You are not lacking today. You are woman enough to be what God has called you to be and to do what He has destined for you to do. You are woman enough to rise above your current situation and live the abundant life in Christ. You are woman enough to overcome that mountain in front of you that sits between where you are and your God-given destiny. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. You don’t have to know everything; you need only to know Him. He is working it all out, and you can trust Him.

Have a blessed day!

He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him.

God created the world, yet when He came to the world in the form of His Son, the world did not recognize Him for who He was. In fact, the world was hostile to Him and rejected Him. As His children through Christ, the world won’t treat us any better. How sad it is that the world does not recognize the divine. It cannot because the world acknowledges nothing greater than itself. To recognize the divine, the world would have to admit something was wrong. Fallen nature does not want to admit it is fallen. It chooses to hide and act like everything is okay, just like Adam and Eve did in the garden. Instead of receiving God’s sacrifice as Adam and Eve did when they accepted the garments from animals, man chose to rebel and keep their fig leaves. The world has rejected the only thing that can save them from eternal damnation and destruction – Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

We should not be surprised when the world rejects us because they did the same thing to Christ. While they may recognize a void or a need in some area, they don’t recognize their need for a Savior. As long as people enjoy their fallen nature and determine to pursue it, they will rebel against the divinity of Christ. In fact, many scholars believe Jesus came and died, but they reject the fact that He was anything more than a man. If they accept His divinity, they must bow to it. This is where the world has a problem. They are not willing to serve anything or anyone greater than themselves.

We will all serve someone because we were created for worship. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but until then, the world will continue to look for its own answers and seek its own selfish means. The only way to overcome the dangers of this world is to recognize the divinity of Christ. Nothing is secure outside of Him. What I find truly amazing, however, is that the Divine wants to have relationship with us, despite our sin and rejection of Him. He offers grace for every situation. All we have to do is acknowledge His divinity and bow in surrender to Him.

We are in this world but not of this world. The world will hate us, just as it hated Christ. This world, however, is temporary in its present form, and Christ is eternal. Dare to recognize Someone greater than yourself, and humble yourself before Him. Allow Him to establish you in His love through faith. Trust the One who created you to reveal His glory in you and lift you above the cares this world thrusts upon you. We all suffer from a lack of recognition at times, but our answers are found by recognizing Jesus for who He really is – the divine Son of God, King of Kings, and Lord of all.

Have a blessed day!

Amos 5:4

For the LORD says to the house of Israel:  Seek Me and live!

This is such a timely word for us today. Too many people, including Christians, are seeking things that cannot satisfy. I see single people seeking to be married, and married people seeking to be single. I see some people trying to find a job and others trying to retire. Many are seeking wealth or pleasure, which are here today and gone tomorrow. The seeking cycle never ends. You find what you are seeking, enjoy it temporarily, become empty again, then start seeking all over. The things of this world consume us but never fill us.

What everyone needs is God’s divine favor in life. There is no blessing like the one God gives because when He blesses us, He adds no struggle to it, according to Proverbs 10:22. When God grants it to us, we don’t have to manipulate, cheat, or sin to get it. Our ultimate goal, however, should never be in the blessing. God, Himself, is the blessing we should seek. If He is in it, it is all worthwhile. If He is not in it, you don’t want it! Seek God, and truly live the life He has given you.

Jesus came to give life and to give it more abundantly, according to John 10:10. We find that abundant life by seeking Him. When we have Him and are in the center of His will, He will bring everything to pass that we need to be victorious in this life. We can truly live because we are in Him. That is what the late, great Adrian Rogers called a “life worth finding.”

God’s word to us has always been, “Seek Me and live!”  Stop chasing the thing you want to make you happy, and seek God’s will for your life. Every true blessing is found in His presence, and our greatest goal should be to find Him in everything we do. When we find Him, we find life, and He wants to be found. Ask Him to open your eyes today so you may seek Him and discover a life worth finding.

Have a blessed day!