It's OK to Hate your Family?

 

In Luke 14:26-27Jesus says if you don’t hate your family, you can’t be a disciple of his. What does that mean? It means that unless you look first to Jesus and learn his ways, you won’t know how to love yourself or others, even family. Jesus’ life teaches what love is. 

Luke 14:26-27 (NIV) 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 

9/27/2020

Walls and Gates

 

Everyone have walls that protect personal boundaries. Innately you know to build towers to watch for what is coming, create gates that open and close as you choose and there are some things you simply bar from your life. Ask God to show you where to place them.

2 Chronicles 14:7 (NIV) 7 “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

9/23/2020

Self Respect and Honoring Parents

In honoring your mother and father - even if they were not the best parents - you give respect for all that came before you, up to and including your creator, God. Self-respect is developed out of respect for others and is necessary for spiritual and psychological health.

Leviticus 20:9 (TLB) 9 “Anyone who curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death—for he has cursed his own flesh and blood.

9/20/2020

...I Looked up to Heaven and my Sanity Returned

Nebuchadnezzar was proud of the kingdom “he” created. With that, he fell into into a dark night of the soul. When he realized all the people of the earth are nothing when compared to God, he looked up to heaven and was reestablished in right mind and with God. 

Daniel 4:30-37 (TLB) 30 ...“I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence and as the capital of my empire.” 31 While he was still speaking these words, a voice called down from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you: You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. 32 You will be forced out of the palace to live with the animals in the fields and to eat grass like the cows for seven years, until you finally realize that God parcels out the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he chooses.” 33 That very same hour this prophecy was fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar was chased from his palace and ate grass like the cows, and his body was wet with dew; his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. 34 “At the end of seven years I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High God and honored him who lives forever, whose rule is everlasting, his kingdom evermore. 35 All the people of the earth are nothing when compared to him; he does whatever he thinks best among the angels of heaven, as well as here on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ 36 When my mind returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My counselors and officers came back to me, and I was reestablished as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before. 37 “Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of Heaven, the Judge of all, whose every act is right and good; for he is able to take those who walk proudly and push them into the dust!”

9/16/2020

Best Effort vs. Less Effort

God looks for trust in him and quality of effort. Abel trusted God and brought his best work to him. Cain put forth less effort. When God called him on it, he became angry at God and his brother, believing he was entitled to the same blessings while not giving his best.

Genesis 4:3-7 (NLT)  3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

9/13/2020

Day 4

 

Genesis 1 says God created land, seas and all the vegetation before he created the sun. Plants must have sun to grow so this is an important distinction. God made, and still makes, what he desires out of his power. This is how he makes a way when there seems to be no way.

Genesis 1:9-19 (TLB) 9-10 Then God said, “Let the water beneath the sky be gathered into oceans so that the dry land will emerge.” And so it was. Then God named the dry land “earth,” and the water “seas.” And God was pleased. 11-12 And he said, “Let the earth burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant, and fruit trees with seeds inside the fruit, so that these seeds will produce the kinds of plants and fruits they came from.” And so it was, and God was pleased. 13 This all occurred on the third day.14-15 Then God said, “Let bright lights appear in the sky to give light to the earth and to identify the day and the night; they shall bring about the seasons on the earth, and mark the days and years.” And so it was. 16 For God had made two huge lights, the sun and moon, to shine down upon the earth—the larger one, the sun, to preside over the day and the smaller one, the moon, to preside through the night; he had also made the stars. 17 And God set them in the sky to light the earth, 18 and to preside over the day and night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God was pleased. 19 This all happened on the fourth day.

9/6/2020