Tag: fingers crossed

Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

Years ago, there was a commercial for senior adults about a medical alert system. In the commercial, an old lady (Edith Fore) has fallen and hit her head. She presses the button on her medical alert system and says, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Emergency responders are then dispatched to her home. Do you ever feel as a Christian that you’ve fallen and you can’t get up? Do you ever feel that our enemy named Satan has attacked one time to many and we’ve no strength left to get up again? Wouldn’t it be great if we had a button we could push and get God on the other end and say “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”? We have something even better – we have prayer!

Who exactly is Satan?

Satan is often pictured as a man in a red suit with a pitchfork and tail, but that’s not who he is. If you do a google search for a png of Satan, you’ll see everything from dark, scary images to cute little cartoon images. But that isn’t who he is either. Although, he is something very dark, scary and even terrifying. The transliteration of the Hebrew word “Satan” means “adversary” or “accuser.” He is also known as the Devil. But he wasn’t always the devil. In fact, when first created, he was an angel in heaven, whose name was Lucifer. But Lucifer started a rebellion in Heaven and one-third of the angels sided with him. He was then cast out of heaven along with all of his followers who we call demons.

A Shining Star Fallen from Heaven

In Isaiah 14:12-15, Satan is described as a shining star that has fallen from the heavens and a destroyer of nations. Out of pride he decided that being an angel wasn’t good enough. He was so enamored with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that decided the honor and glory that belonged to God alone should be his. We often say that Adam and Even were the first sinners, but Satan’s pride was the actual beginning of sin.

A Very Tempting Serpent

In the Bible, Satan’s first appearance is at the Garden of Eden where he takes on the form of a talking serpent and tempts Eve to eat the fruit God commanded her not to eat. From that moment until the resurrection of Christ, Satan has worked and continues to work to thwart God’s plan of redemption. From the resurrection to today, Satan knows he is doomed to Hell that God created for him and his demons, but he plans on taking as many people with him as he can. For this reason, Satan is a real enemy, our adversary, and he roams the earth looking for whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). In the book of Job, we find him doing just that.

A Cast-out, rebellious angel visits Heaven’s Throne Room

In the opening of the book of Job, we are given a glimpse into Heaven. We find that the “Sons of God” come to present themselves to God. These “Sons of God” are angels surrounding the throne who serve as God’s messengers. But we also see that Satan tagged along with them, most likely as an uninvited guest. 

The Lord asks him where he came from and he replied, “from going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” From this we know that Satan has the ability to not only move back and forth across the earth, but he can also travel between earth and heaven. It wasn’t that God didn’t already know why Satan was there. God is omniscient and therefore it is impossible to do anything without God knowing about it. Just as in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned, God called out to them and asked where they were, but He already knew exactly where they were.

Satan – Job’s Accuser

So why would Satan crash in on the scene in heaven? Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is our accuser and he accuses us before God day and night, relentlessly. And this is what we find him doing in the book of Job. Satan roamed the earth, looking for his next target to accuse before God and he found him in a righteous man named Job. So as the angels come to God, Satan arrives and stands before God accusing Job and saying that the only reason Job is so faithful is because God had blessed him abundantly. He tells God that if God allows Satan to test Job, that Job would eventually turn his back on God and curse Him. But God already knows that Job will remain faithful and God allows Satan to test Job.

Satan – Our Accuser

Satan still goes before the throne of God and brings every accusation he can against us. For every sin, he proudly stands before God, wagging his finger and saying, “Did you see what she (or he) did? Did you hear what they said?” Then Jesus steps in and says, “Father, she’s your child. I paid the price for her sin and she has believed in me. I’ve washed her sins away with my own blood.”

Our accuser wants us to remember every sin and he wants us to know just how unworthy we are and that we do not deserve a place in God’s family. He wants to sow doubts in our minds and make us forget Christ’s love for us. Satan wants us to focus on our sin. God wants us to focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Satan wants us to focus on our sin. God wants us to focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)

Tweet

Satan’s coming fate

Satan already knows his fate. Revelation 20:10 tell us that he will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur and tormented day and night for all eternity. The one-third of the angels that rebelled with him will face the same fate. But in the mean time, while he still roams the earth, he will do all he can to make us live defeated lives.

His goal is to get us to live in the midst of doubt, insecurity, and fear. He would have us live in anxiety, caught up in the problems of this world. Anything he can do to divide families and churches, he will do. Anything he can do to keep us from telling others about God, he will do. Whatever he can do to make us feel shamed and guilty, he will do. If he can stir up racial division, he will. Because the more Christians live defeated, doubtful, insecure, fearful, shamed, guilty, and divided, the less the witness of Christ is spread and the more of God’s created people Satan will take to hell with him.

The more Christians live defeated, doubtful, insecure, fearful, shamed, guilty, and divided, the less of a witness of Christ is spread and the more of God’s created people Satan will take to hell with him.

Tweet

A very real enemy

Yes, Satan is real and he is a very real enemy. And you can count on the fact that the more of a witness you are for Christ, the more he will attack you. This is why Paul tells us about our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Don’t leave home without your spiritual armor!

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world power of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Stand therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

Prayer: Our Spiritual Life Alert System

We do have a spiritual life alert system to which we can get God directly – it’s called prayer. The good thing is we don’t even have to wait until we’ve fallen to use it. Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer that we can pray for us to not be led into temptation. We can pray when we feel the temptation and ask God to strengthen us to withstand it.

However, when we do fall, we can pray and say, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! Please forgive me.” God stands ready to forgive. Ready to strengthen. Ready to empower us to withstand all the wiles of the devil. Of Job, God said, “there is none like him on the earth a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). Even after he was tested the Bible tells us in Job 2:10, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” If we were tested like Job was, would we be found as faithful?

We have an alert system to which we can get God directly – it’s called prayer and we don’t have to wait until we’ve fallen to use it. God stands ready to forgive. Ready to strengthen. Ready to empower us to withstand all the wiles of the devil.

Tweet

#Satanisreal #adversary #enemy #accuser

Prayer for Revival in America

Will you pray and fast with us and lead your
church to pray for God to send a revival to America?

This week, we are preparing for a day of fasting and prayer by focusing on seeking God’s face.

#revival #America #seekingGod #prayandfast

Do you have a daily Bible Reading plan?

If not, come join us as we read the Bible through in one year. Each day we post the scripture reading along with links to read it online.

Have you learned this week’s memory verse?

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Do you serve in ministry? Great! The self-care blogs are here for you.

In this series of blogs, we breakdown why people in ministry need to practice self care. We explain the differences between stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Drawing from both psychology and Biblical principles, we teach self-care to keep ministry servants living out God’s call. These self-care principles are for any ministry staff, volunteer, or lay-leader. Regardless of the ministry service God called you to, self-care is crucial to continuing God’s work.

If you can relate to this, then take some time to read our self care blogs.

Test your Bible smarts and see if you can answer our trivia questions.

We post a trivia question every other day and the correct answer on the next day. Stop by the trivia page and grab a question and see if your friends and family can answer it.

You can check out our Christian t-shirts for men, women, kids and infants in our Teespring and Spreadshop stores. Also available on mugs, bags, aprons, hats, and more. We also have some Christian themed canvas art available at Teespring. Browse the stores with the links below:

This week’s new designs available at spreadshop:

Click here for Raise a Hallelujah (male version)

Click here for Raise a Hallelujah. (female version)

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage. As you work through the various activities, you will strengthen your relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on
• Conversation Starters
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
• Romance Builders
• Relationship Builders
• Personal reflections
• Date ideas
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 Join the community of couples on Facebook who are intentionally growing their marriage. Discover together how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

Need a speaker for your next church or ministry event? We’re booking!

(Due to COVID-19, we are only tentatively booking speaking engagements for events after September 2020. We will continue to follow the recommendations as issued by the CDC and our government officials.)

Regardless of size, we are eager to be part of your next church or ministry event. We can bring one of our ministry programs to your church, or we can tailor a message to your event theme. To request more information or schedule a booking, fill out the online form at the link below. Or call us at 904.239.8937.

Check out this week’s featured affiliate products from Christianbook Distributors. We receive 8% commission (without any increase cost to you) for every item you purchase through our affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on:

Have you ever wondered what your purpose here on earth was for? God, in His divine knowledge had a specific plan for Esther….one that was specific to that moment in time and one that would save the Jews from being slaughtered. God ordered her steps so that every minute was in the exact place and time for His purpose. In Esther, we find a courageous young woman who recognized God had a plan for her and that her ordered steps had a divine purpose. He has a specific plan for you too and its for this exact moment in time.

Ordered Steps means Just in the nick of time

Esther was born at just the right moment in time to be the right age to be entered into a Bible-day beauty pageant and became the next Queen. Not Queen of Israel. Esther was born during the years of captivity. Her ordered steps would make her queen to King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes). The opening verse of the book of Esther that tells us her story informs us that this is the Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia and his palace was in Shushan the citadel. He was a Persian king and Shushan is located in what is today southwestern Iran. The events of Esther’s life take place around 486-465 B.C. The previous queen, Vashti, defied the king’s summons and she lost her position as queen. Before long the king was looking for a new queen and a nation-wide beauty pageant was scheduled.

Ordered Steps means being Knitted Together for a Purpose

Psalm 139:13 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb”. As God laid out his plan to save the Jews from genocide, he knitted Esther together in her mother’s womb. He created her so that she would have every single feature that would appeal to the king. And since he knitted him together too, He knew exactly what would catch the king’s eye. It wasn’t chance that Esther was in the beauty pageant. And it wasn’t good luck that had her chosen as the next queen. It was God’s divine plan who had very detailed and ordered steps for Esther.

Ordered Steps is providence at work

Our human minds have difficulty understanding the mystery of God’s providence, but Esther’s story is exactly that. God often uses the most “unlikely” of people (at least by our standards) to help accomplish His plans. Who would ever guess that a young Jewish woman named Hadassah (Esther), an orphan, would end up the queen of the greatest empire of the 5th century B.C.? God orchestrated the lives of that day to reverse the King’s decree. And He chose to work through the “weakness” of a young, orphaned, Jewish woman who was willing to be obedient to God’s plan for her life. Even if it cost her, her life.

So hold on to your seats and let’s take a ride in the fast lane. Here’s a summary the story of Esther’s life. As we tell her story, look for God’s ordered steps in Esther’s life that places her in the exact spot and time to save her people from extinction.

An Evil Plot

Mordecai, Esther’s uncle who raised her after her parents death, was sitting at the king’s gate listening for news about his niece. At this point, Esther had been chosen to participate in a nation-wide beauty pageant and taken off to the palace. Two of the king’s eunuchs became angry at the king and devise a plan to kill him. As Mordecai sat in the king’s gate he overhears their plot to kill the king. He sends a message to Esther, who then informs the king in Mordecai’s name. His good deed is recorded in the king’s record, but the king is negligent at this point to reward Mordecai. But don’t worry. The king may be late, but he does get around to honoring Mordecai. If you’re new to Esther’s story, you’re gonna love how it unfolds.

The Plot Thickens

Not long after, the king promotes Haman, placing him over all the other officials. Everyone begins to bow to him by order of the king, showing respect for his new position. Haman likes everyone bowing to him, only Mordecai refuses. So Haman plans to have Mordecai hung and he begins to build the gallows. But he wasn’t brave enough to single handedly execute him. Rather, he devises a plan to trick the king to ordering the extinction of all Jews.

Ordered steps are for “Such a Time as This”

Timing has everything to do with ordered steps – and God’s timing is always perfectly on time. Mordecai had previously instructed Esther not to reveal to anyone that she was a Jew. But when the decree from the king was read, Mordecai hurries to Esther and tells her about the plan. Now he wants her to go to the king, identify her heritage and tell the king what Haman had planned.

Her wise uncle, seems to recognize the hand of God in her life. He says to her, “who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this”? However, for Esther to approach the king, he either had to summon her or risk her life. If she came without a summons he would have to extend his staff to her, granting her permission to come. If she approached him and he did not extend his staff, she would be killed.

Esther to the Rescue

Esther tells her uncle to have the Jews fast and pray for her. She and her maid will do the same. She decides that she will do as her uncle has instructed. If the king doesn’t not extend his staff, she will die. However, by the king’s order that Haman had tricked him into, she would die anyway. She tells her uncle, “I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

So she approaches the king and he extends his staff and asks her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you — up to half the kingdom”! She could have right then told the king what Haman was plotting. Instead, we see wisdom in this young woman and she invites the king and Haman to a banquet. Rather than backing the king into a corner in front of everyone at court, she invites the king to a private banquet. And she includes an invitation to the man who wants to kill all the Jews.

Ordered Steps include a King who can’t sleep

One night the king can’t sleep so he has the records of the chronicles brought in and read to him. Nothing like some boring chronicles to help one fall asleep! The reader comes across the record where Mordecai informed Esther, who informed the king of the eunuchs’ plot to kill the king. The king asks what was done to reward Mordecai and he learns nothing was done. He asks servants, “who is standing in the king’s court?” – Who else, of course, but Haman.

Time for a Plot Twist

So Haman is called in. The king asks, him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor”? Haman has such a high opinion of himself and he thinks the king is talking about him. He thinks up this elaborate plan for himself and says “Let a royal robe worn by the king be brought and a horse which the king has ridden which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!'”

Imagine Haman face when the king tells him to do exactly as he has said to Mordecai, the Jew! Now, Haman must put a royal robe on Mordecai and set him on a royal horse. Then he has to parade Mordecai around in the city square.

Plot Twist #2

The King and Haman go to the banquet Esther invited them to. The King says, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you”. Esther drops her bombshell of info to the king. She says, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.”

In Esther 2: 17, we find that the king loved Esther more than all the other women. So he learns that life of the woman he loves has been threatened. He says, “Who is he, and where is he? Who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?” (Can you imagine ol’ Haman trying to slide under the table at this point? Or maybe he’s looking around the room about now for his best exit strategy.)

Esther than informs the king that it is Haman who would dare plot such a thing.

What goes around, comes around

So Esther’s story wraps up with Haman being hung on the same gallows he had built for Mordecai. The king gave the house of Haman to Esther. As for Mordecai, the king gave him his signet ring that was once given to Haman. Esther then appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. And the story closes by telling us that Mordecai was second to the king and was great among the Jews.

God is in Control

Not one part of Esther’s life or her story is “by chance”. God knew long before Esther, King Ahasuerus, Mordecai, or Haman were born what each one of them would do. He knew about Haman’s plots. He knew the Jews would be in captivity. God knew who would be on the throne at that time. He knew that Queen Vashti would lose her position as Queen. He knew the throne would be conveniently open for Esther to step up to her moment in time. God knew Esther would follow His ordered steps for her life. And so God ordered Esther’s steps so that in that moment of time Esther would win a beauty pageant. Her ordered steps didn’t just make her the crowned winner, it would make her queen. And God knitted together a wise and courageous young woman to go before the king, uninvited, to save her people.

Our Steps are Ordered

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And He delights in his way.” There is not one day of our lives that takes God by surprise. He is always at work to bring about His plan for each one of us. The people that come and go from our lives are there for a reason.

I think about a specific pastor at a church where I once played piano. A best friend in high school. Another pastor. A co-worker who became more like a sister. My beautiful sister-in-law who I will love into eternity. My son and my daughter, my mom and my dad, my grandmother, and my husband. Each one has played a specific role and part in my life.

Some of these people are still in my life and some are not. Some have gone to heaven and some keep up with me through social media. One spent endless nights on the phone as I talked through and healed from one of the worst experiences in my life. One lets me call to discuss my “hair-brained” ideas so I can develop a plan to turn ideas into ministry. And my two young adult children are my biggest fans, encouragers, and protectors. But my mom — she’s always there. No matter how challenging I am – she’s there. Her knees have gotten to where they bother her now. Mostly likely from the countless prayers she’s prayed over me.

Ordered Steps include some “Hamans”

I’ve also had some “Hamans” in my life and they make up my story too. God wasn’t surprised by a one of them and He was with me in the midst of them. And even in those times, God used them to shape me and mold me for His plan for me. Without those events in my life I would not have gone back to college. I would not have dreamed a God-sized dream and allow God to use it however He so desires. There are certainly those who don’t believe in this dream God put in my heart. But God uses even that to teach me to look to Him.

Trace Your Ordered Steps

Take some time today to think back through your life. Who are the people who have come and gone that have had the biggest impact on who you are today? Who are the “Hamans” in your life and how have they contributed to who you are? Take a moment and thank God for each one of them – even the “Hamans”. If you’re trying to figure out what God has for you, consider how these people have shaped and molded you. How have they made you who you are? How can that person you are today be used to expand and impact God’s kingdom? Your steps have been ordered and God is bringing you into His perfect plan for you.

#orderedsteps #forsuchatimesasthis

Will you pray and fast with us and lead your
church to pray for God to send a revival to America?

This week, we are preparing for a day of fasting and prayer by focusing on seeking God’s face.

#revival #America #seekingGod #prayandfast

Do you have a daily Bible Reading plan?

If not, come join us as we read the Bible through in one year. Each day we post the scripture reading along with links to read it online.

Have you learned this week’s memory verse?

Psalm 63:1

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Do you serve in ministry? Great! The self-care blogs are here for you.

In this series of blogs, we breakdown why people in ministry need to practice self care. We explain the differences between stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Drawing from both psychology and Biblical principles, we teach self-care to keep ministry servants living out God’s call. These self-care principles are for any ministry staff, volunteer, or lay-leader. Regardless of the ministry service God called you to, self-care is crucial to continuing God’s work.

If you can relate to this, then take some time to read our self care blogs.

Test your Bible smarts and see if you can answer our trivia questions. We post a trivia question every other day and the correct answer on the next day. Stop by the trivia page and grab a question and see if your friends and family can answer it.

You can check out our Christian t-shirts for men, women, kids and infants in our Teespring and Spreadshop stores. Also available on mugs, bags, aprons, hats, and more. We also have some Christian themed canvas art available at Teespring. Browse the stores with the links below:

This week’s new designs available at spreadshop:

Click here for Raise a Hallelujah (male version)

Click here for Raise a Hallelujah. (female version)

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage. As you work through the various activities, you will strengthen your relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on
• Conversation Starters
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
• Romance Builders
• Relationship Builders
• Personal reflections
• Date ideas
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 Join the community of couples on Facebook who are intentionally growing their marriage. Discover together how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

Need a speaker for your next church or ministry event? We’re booking!

(Due to COVID-19, we are only tentatively booking speaking engagements for events after September 2020. We will continue to follow the recommendations as issued by the CDC and our government officials.)

Regardless of size, we are eager to be part of your next church or ministry event. We can bring one of our ministry programs to your church, or we can tailor a message to your event theme. To request more information or schedule a booking, fill out the online form at the link below. Or call us at 904.239.8937.

Check out this week’s featured affiliate products from Christianbook Distributors. We receive 8% commission (without any increase cost to you) for every item you purchase through our affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on:

Have you ever seen kids having a conversation and one of them puts their hand behind their back and crosses their fingers so that the lie they are telling isn’t a lie? Or maybe they say, “Cross my heart, hope to die” as a means of saying I’m telling you the truth? Ananais and Sapphira found out that lying to the Holy Spirit is no small sin – fingers crossed or not.

A Guilty Couple

At the end of Acts 4, believers were selling their possessions and bringing the money to the apostles who then distributed it evenly so that everyone’s needs were being met. Chapter 4 closes out telling us about Barnabas who sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. Chapter 5 opens up with telling us about a husband and wife, Ananais and Sapphira, who sold a possession and kept part of the proceeds for themselves. However, when they brought the rest of it to the apostles, they told the apostles they were giving the entire selling price.

Sin #1: Lying to the Holy Spirit

There was nothing wrong with them keeping part of it. The sin came when they told the disciples they were giving the entire amount of the selling price to the work of God when in fact, they were only giving a portion of it. They may not have actually slipped their hand behind their backs with fingers crossed, but it was the same principle. They knew they were lying to men and they probably also knew they were lying to the Holy Spirit. While they could have fooled the apostles, they couldn’t fool God. They just thought they could get away with it.

The sin was in the deception and their desire to win the praise of men. The couple noticed that Barnabas was much respected for his generosity and they wanted the same recognition for themselves. Maybe they were even a little be envious because Peter specifically tells Ananias that Satan had filled his heart.

Are we guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit in church today?

Do Christians today lie to the Holy Spirit? Are we guilty of wanting the praise of men? Do we try to “look the part” on the outside, but our heart is far from it? Consider just a few examples.

Perhaps your church called its members to fast and pray and you agree to it, but then half way through the fast, you break your commitment. Then the next Sunday comes around and someone asks you how you did. You smile and with fingers crossed, you tell them it was great experience and you kept the whole fast. You not only lied to the church members, but you are also guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit.

Or what about when your church holds it’s annual tithe pledge and you pledge to give a certain dollar amount weekly, but don’t give as much as you pledge or don’t give at all. You know that when you put that amount down that you have no intention of giving that much, but you write it down anyway. You’ve not only lied to the church who builds its budget off the anticipated tithes as indicated by the pledges, you’re also guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit.

Ananais and Sapphira’s Consequences

The Holy Spirit revealed to Peter that Ananais and Sapphira had lied and Peter called them out for it. As soon as Ananais heard Peter say, “You have not lied to men but to God,” Ananais fell down, dead. About three hours later, his wife came in, unknowing what had happened to her husband. Peter asked her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” and she indicated that they had sold it for that price. This confirms the couple conspired together to “dupe” the apostles, making her just as guilty as her husband. When Peter called her out on the lie, she too fell down and died.

We Can’t Fool God

We can slip a hand behind our backs and have our fingers crossed and everyone around us will believe we are Godly people, but we can’t fool God.

Psalm 139 says: “Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up, You understand my thoughts from far away, You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me…Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there, if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me;

God is omniscient. He knows everything. You cannot lie to Him and Him not know it. He even knows the intentions of our heart and what motivates us. There is simply no fooling God.

Sin #2 Hypocrisy

Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was not just lying. It was also a sin of hypocrisy. They wanted to make the other church members believe they were something they were not. They wanted the church to think they had done something they had no intention of doing. Their actions were intentional deception while pretending to be motivated by the love of God, all for the sake of attempting to promote themselves.

Christians everywhere, in every congregation, commit the same sin Sunday after Sunday. We sing “Here I am to Worship” while checking our watch to see how much longer church will last. Or we sing, “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God” when we truly seek to fill our own desires. We hang wall decorations in our home that say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” when our homes are full of bickering, fighting, and cussing. We sing with our hand lifted high, “I Surrender All,” but in truth, we surrender nothing. Yes. We too are guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit.

Do Christian today lie to the Holy Spirit? We sing “Here I am to Worship” or “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”, or “I Surrender All when our heart is far from worship, all we seek is our own desires, and we surrender nothing.

Tweet

How Would Church be Different If we refused to lie to the Holy Spirit?

How would our lives and our churches be different if we refused to sing or pray or worship until we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and reveal the ways we have been lying to Him? Would the way we worship be different? Would anyone open their mouth to sing? Let’s stop worshiping with our mouth while one hand is behind our back with our fingers crossed. Let’s stop lying to the Holy Spirit. Confess the lies you’ve been telling Him and allow him to renew a right spirit within you.

How would our lives, churches, and worship be different if we refused to sing, pray, or worship until we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and reveal the ways we have been lying to Him? Would our worship be different?

Tweet

#dontlietotheHolySpirit #fingerscrossed

Will you pray and fast with us and lead your
church to pray for God to send a revival to America?

This week, we are preparing for a day of fasting and prayer by focusing on humbling ourselves before a holy God.

#revival #America #leadershipresponsibility #prayandfast

Do you have a daily Bible Reading plan?

If not, come join us as we read the Bible through in one year. Each day we post the scripture reading along with links to read it online.

Have you learned this week’s memory verse?

Isaiah 57:15

For the High and Exalted One
who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.

Do you serve in ministry? Great! The self-care blogs are here for you.

In this series of blogs, we breakdown why people in ministry need to practice self care. We explain the differences between stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Drawing from both psychology and Biblical principles, we teach self-care to keep ministry servants living out God’s call as a missionary, small group leader, worship pastor, nursery worker, facility/maintenance staff, religious non-profit staff, or any other ministry staff, volunteer, or lay-leader. Regardless of the ministry service God called you to, self-care is crucial to continuing God’s work.

If you can relate to this, then take some time to read our self care blogs.

Test your Bible smarts and see if you can answer our trivia questions. We post a trivia question every other day and the correct answer on the next day. Stop by the trivia page and grab a question or two and see if your friends and family can answer it.

You can check out our Christian t-shirts for men, women, kids and infants in our Teespring and Spreadshop stores. Also available on mugs, bags, aprons, hats, and more. We also have some Christian themed canvas art available at Teespring. Browse the stores with the links below:

This week’s new designs available at spreadshop:

Click here for Face My Giants in black print. (also available in white print)

Click here for Face My Giants in black script. (also available in white script)

Click here for Unstoppable God in black print.

Click here for Unstoppable God in white script. (also available in black script)

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage. As you work through the various activities, you will strengthen your relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on
• Conversation Starters
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages
• Romance Builders
• Relationship Builders
• Personal reflections
• Date ideas
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

 Join the community of couples on Facebook who are intentionally growing their marriage. Discover together how to have a marriage that honors God. Here you can post photos of the different activities as you do them, ask questions of other couples, share how God is using this book to strengthen your marriage, and grow with other Christian couples. We’ll see you in the community.

Need a speaker for your next church or ministry event? We’re booking!

(Due to COVID-19, we are only tentatively booking speaking engagements for events after September 2020 based on the recommendations as issued by the CDC and our government officials.)

We are eager to be a part of your next church or ministry event – regardless of size. We can bring one of our ministry programs to your church, or we can tailor a message to your event theme. To request more information or schedule a booking, fill out the online form at the link below. Or call us at 904.239.8937.

Check out this week’s featured affiliate products from Christianbook Distributors. We receive 8% commission (without any increase cost to you) for every item you purchase through our affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 
Follow us on: