Periscope: Satan’s Newest Weapon of Mass Destruction

Posted on October 5, 2015 by HolyJustLove

In 1 Samuel 2:16 it says “Let them burn the fat first.” What does this mean? Some speculate it had to do with the fat being what gives us our strength. God wants us to get our strength from Him and Him alone. To boast only in Him. He asked us to give the best to Him first. Do you see what happened in this verse?

And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 1 Samuel 2:16 ESV

Who is talking? A random man who was sacrificing and a priest’s servant who was demanding the man give to the priest what the Lord commanded should be given to Him alone. What is the significance here? Even the common man knew this was wrong. What was going on here was very very wrong.

Today we think nothing of skipping breakfast let alone prayer time and Bible study. It breaks my heart that I too am responsible for not loving the LORD my God with ALL my heart, soul, strength, and mind. I am guilty of waking up and giving the first part of my mind to Facebook, or Instagram, or text messages, or emails. My flesh is weak. New worldly distractions are being pushed out daily. Periscope can now be added to my list of distractions and sin. We all have trigger points. Things that will take us out of the game from time to time.

Satan is on the continual prowl seeking new and innovative ways to keep the lost from finding God and the saved from doing their work. You may find me a bit over-the-top by calling Periscope a weapon of mass destruction, but if you think about it for just a second, if it is taking someone away from God’s work then most certainly it could be. Just like anything else in this world could also be considered the same. Again, it goes back to knowing what is taking you away from the work of God. Food, TV, people, worldly praise and recognition, your kids, relationships, careers, sports, etc. Really the list is endless.

We all have our weaknesses. What is taking you out of the game? What is causing your eyes to dim from the light of the Kingdom? What are you doing that is not allowing you to give God your first? Are you even aware that you are not giving Him your best?

Father, I ask for more of you. More of your Holy Spirit. Jesus teach me. Holy Spirit guide me. Father give me wisdom to do your will. Take away my selfish ambition and help me to have Kingdom eyes and Kingdom flesh. Humble my pride. Sharpen my mind. Train me and discipline me. Give me mercy and grace and love for your people, and above all give me Jesus.

Are You Teachable?

Posted on June 30, 2015 by HolyJustLove

I used to think I was teachable. But in all honesty I wasn’t. My way was the best way. My opinion was the right opinion. It never occurred to me that I could actually be wrong! But oh how utterly wrong I was. After I gave my life fully and completely to Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I mean FULLY, it was then that I realized I became teachable. The Holy Spirit inside me began to become my one True North. He humbled me. Showed me where I was wrong. Allowed others to teach me. Areas that in the past I would have fought hard to maintain, I was now able to submit.

Submitting to authority was not something I would do. Ever. I was what you would call a “system buster.” Always finding a better way. Never wanting to do it the way others did it. Or as I now call it, I was entitled. I was the epitome of the entitled American. How sad that I could not see it. But, looking back if someone had told me I was not teachable I would have told them they were crazy. I love learning, always have. But that is not what being teachable means. Being teachable means looking at hard truths and really looking at them and finding out the root cause of your distaste.

Our flesh wants so badly to be on our own. Our flesh wants so badly to embrace ourselves as the true authority in our lives. Everywhere I look I see people demanding rights. Rights to marry whom they want to marry. Rights to abort whom they want to abort. Rights to change their bodies from one sex to another. The sad reality is that when I see people groping for happiness in these rights, somehow, someday, their happiness always fail. Depression sets in deeper and their upheld desires of “if only I could (have, be, do) … I would be happy” become a lesson in emptiness. The gaping hole in their life can never be filled by the things of this world. The gaping hole has a very specific shape that only One thing can fit and satisfy.

It comes back to being teachable. Taking ourselves off the thrown of self rights and seeing who the True North is. Stop shaking your fist at the Potter because you wanted to be made into something else. Look at who you are. Be teachable. Look at God. Look. Really look at who He is. Not who you want Him to be or who you think He is. Look at what He has chosen to reveal about himself in the Bible. Study it. Meditated on it. Honor it. It will change everything.

Be Content To Be Set Apart

Posted on October 8, 2014 by HolyJustLove

Consider the number of marketing messages each day you come in contact with through what you read, listen to, hear through conversations, see through advertisements in the grocery store, on the road, on labels and tags. They estimate the average person sees or hears anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 marketing messages per day. How well do you resist these influences or do you see yourself succumbing to these messages easily? At Compass Bible Church Women’s Bible Study we recently heard a great message from Pastor Lucas Pace’s wife, Heather Pace on the Book of Judges. She says “Actively resist worldly influence.” All of the things we are told to buy or be involved in, consider first if it promotes godliness. Always think through the foundation of every message you see. Ask yourself if it brings glory to God. Often the answer will be no, sometimes yes. Remember we are not meant for this world so don’t try to fit in all the time. So many things come at us that we become desensitized to the things of this world. It has seeped into who we are. How can you be holy and set apart? Heather says to “Be content to be set apart.”

Original post on Linked Cycling Women’s Edition

Thursday Theology ~ Dr. Mike Fabarez on Discernment

Posted on September 12, 2013 by HolyJustLove

With the dumbing down of Christianity and the rise of bumper-sticker theology, perhaps now more than ever Christians need wisdom, insight, and discernment. Thankfully there is much of it to be found in Luke 5 and 6. Sandwiched between the calling of the first disciples (Luke 5:1-11) and their commissioning as apostles (Luke 6:12-16), we encounter several concise episodes in the life of Christ that clearly provide the kind of godly discernment every Christian needs. Don’t miss this important eight-part series as Pastor Mike walks us through this instructive section of the Gospel of Luke. – Compass Bible Church

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Title	Passage	Date
Curiosity & Real Conversions (Part 1)	Luke 5:1-11	June 23, 2013
Wants & Genuine Needs (Part 2)	Luke 5:12-16	June 30, 2013
Urgency & True Importance (Part 3)	Luke 5:17-26	July 14, 2013
Reputations & Vital Responsibilities (Part 4)	Luke 5:27-32	July 21, 2013
Sorrow & Profound Celebrations (Part 5)	Luke 5:33-35	July 28, 2013