Tag: deceit

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The Wow Factor in God’s Plan!

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Today is the first day of school for the children in our community, so for the purpose of encouraging their little souls last night at Wednesday Bible Study, I taught at lesson on Esau (Who had a poor choice on chow and chicks) – Jacob (Who pursued power and position at great cost) – Leah (Who Labored for Love) and Rachel (Who was a diva of discontent). It was fun lesson but my favorite part was wrap up. I’ll leave you to go back and read Genesis 25-29 if you’d like to catch the full story.

The wrap up…

My goal in choosing these characters was to remind the teens that life doesn’t always go as planned. We sometimes think something is so extremely important that we’ll surely die without it. When in reality it’s merely temporal, like a bowl of soup, and certainly not worthy of trading the magnificent things that God has in store for us.

Relationships with friends and family are complicated, but of those that we have a choice in we need to choose wisely, else God’s plan for our lives could be jeopardized. Esau was firstborn and entitled to the birthright, but I can’t help but believe that Jacob was God’s chosen all along to continue the lineage of Christ. The Momma’s boy Jacob was far from perfect, but he wasn’t as wishy washy as Esau (a man’s man hunter) who gave his birthright away because his tummy was growling and married idol worshipping women who I’m sure took his focus off of the things of God. Jacob’s wrestling for position began at birth (Genesis 25:22), Jacob mentally wrestled, although sometime deceitfully with his brother through life, and he wrestled with God (Genesis 32:24) and got a new name. Jacob was a fighter! interesting side note (Jacob and Esau were likely in their late 60’s when that went down). They were far from the boys that we often see depicted in story books.

Jacob leaves home and gets snookered into marrying two women, one he loves, and one he tolerates. Now this is where the story gets the wow factor! Rachel, who was all that and a bag chips, was the choice bride of Jacob and yet he wasn’t enough, she wanted children. He loved her from the day he laid eyes on her having worked 14 years for her and they felt like but a day. I’m sure the evidence of his love for Rachel was on his face lit up like glory and a knife in the heart of Leah who knew she was wife by default. Jacob worked seven years prior to their marriage, but not for her. So she gave him four children, thinking that surely with each one he would love her more, but it was not so. Genesis 29:31 says “ And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.”

The lesson for my girls was this, – God is the only one that will satisfy your soul. Being the prettiest or the most loved won’t do it. And all those times that you feel you’re the plain Jane, not the most popular, not the most attractive and Satan has you convinced there is not greatness in your life… hang on to the story of Leah.

Here’s the wow factor?

Matthew 1:2 –  Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

It was Leah’s great x 19ish grandbaby that was the Redeemer of the world. Not the pretty girl Rachel’s. God used Leah to bring salvation into the world through the lineage of Jacob. That thought just blew me away! I was that plain Jane gal, okay, but not great. Never the most popular, talented or beautiful… and yet today I feel like a million dollars because God is using me in such an awesome way.

I urged my teens to hang onto that thought on the days that Satan had convinced them that they didn’t measure up… GOD’S GOT A PLAN!

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The Color of Deception – A survival plan for America

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dinghy

Acts 27:30-32 ~ And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

Paul, a prisoner among others on board a ship sailing to Crete had warned the shipmen about their impending fate should they move forward. But who is he but a tent maker and a preacher? And so they sail on, and as was expected by Paul they hit rough seas. Fearing certain destruction of the boat, the crew of the ship let down the dinghy pretending to cast out anchors with a plan of leaving Paul, the guards and other prisoners on board to surely perish. Forget the captain goes down with the ship,it’s every man for himself. But Paul, the same who had warned them of the storm, warns them again of their demise if they don’t stay on the ship, so the soldiers cut off the dinghy’s rope and let it fall and all were saved in the ship.

This story rings true of our country to me this morning. They’ve heard the word of God, and yet our leadership continues to sail on in the direction of certain destruction. They’ve thrown out the dinghy’s, their plan to “move America forward” as the MSNBC commercial (which I loathe) says, and they don’t care who’s left in the ship to perish. It’s my prayer this morning that some of the soldiers of the cross will cut the lines of their escape plan and let if fall away from us. Yes there will still likely be rough seas ahead, but we’ll survive. Enough is enough.

The color of deception is motion sickness green. It’s America being tossed to and from, away from the traditions and moral convictions our nation was founded on and the acceptance of lies for lies. We don’t even believe it’s the truth, we’re just willing (as a whole) to follow liars, because they’re in charge. They’ve got the dinghy. We need people to stand up against these knot heads and cut the strings by making them follow the same care plan we’re on. They may be captain of this ship but they don’t control the tide. Hello?

I realize that’s a lot of metaphorical speaking. But I figure the resemblance to the shape of America is so obvious it won’t be an issue of understanding. Why is it that we allow them to say the Word of God is void? Why is it that there is reportedly 83% of Americans claiming the Christian faith and yet so few standing up for it against the 500ish men and women Senators and Representatives in Congress. Somebody needs to cut the dinghy ropes from these dingbats in Washington.

I know why I don’t, it’s probably the same reason you don’t. How?

To begin we have to one by one start cutting the ropes locally and then nationally until all the dingbats fall in the water. 2014 will be another election year. If Christians don’t do something to keep their people in the ship, we’re going to perish.

I, for one, have not given up on God in our nation. I’ve had no angel speak to me as Paul did. I’ve had no divine revelation from God. Only the Word of God that tells me if I continue on with Him, I’ll be safe. I believe God can still turn our nation around. But He’s not going to do it alone. We’re the ones in the ship.

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The Worst Lies

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Trending on Twitter this morning “#WorstLies.” And many, if not most of the posts were relationship oriented. Relationships are important to us; a loss of trust in someone we love because of betrayal is one of the worst feelings in the world. I’ve been there, on both sides. But probably the worst lie I ever bought into was that true happiness could be found in anything outside of Jesus. Advertisements are full of promises that buying their product will “end your search” for the latest and greatest, and before it arrives in the mail someone else has claimed the right to that proclamation and you’re buying their product too. We are a society of blissful buyers, knowing full well in the back of our minds this won’t complete our lives, yet we constantly looking for things that will enhance our relationships: self-help books, new date night ideas, a nice outfit, vehicles, trips, etc. And there, laying on a shelf, dust covered and neglected is leather bound happiness.

The worst lies:

It’s just another book. Ha! Indeed a lie, and why does Satan use it? Because he knows that when you crack it open and begin to read it you’ll discover it’s not just a book. I vaguely remember a movie when my kids were little titled “Jumanji” where two children find and play a magical board game that transports them into a world of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game. It had nothin’ on the Bible!

Revelation 6:9 says ~ And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

The Bible is still the number one selling book of all times. A book that countless people have died for because it’s more than a book, it’s the indisputable truth for the betrayed, hope for the hurting, guidance for the lost, love stories for the heartsick, adventure for the courageous, tales of treason and victory for every aspect of life! It’s the best weapon against Satan. So of course he lies and tells you that you don’t need to read “that” book. Or he encourages men to water it down and change the meaning of the words until they’re more palatable to man and won’t convict their hearts that they’re living wrong. Get you a good ol’ King James Version Bible and open it anew. What you’ll discover as you read it, is that it’s a living story that speaks to you along the pages.

Another worst lie: There is another way.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

When Thomas questioned Jesus about the place he was preparing for us to go, he didn’t understand that the Lord spoke not of an earthly location but of eternity. An eternity that we’ll all be in some day, but unfortunately we’ll not all be in Heaven. Thomas was labeled “Doubting Thomas,” because he questioned the Lord’s resurrection, but he did “get it.” Tradition tells us that Thomas may have labored for the Gospel in Parthia (including modern Iraq and Iran), but stronger traditions link him with southern India. Indian Christians from the west coast Kerala area claim they were evangelized by Thomas, who was later speared to death near Madras on the east coast. That doesn’t sound like the death of a doubter. Thomas new what Christ said was true. He is the only way to an eternity in Heaven. The only One worth dying for.

There are countless other #WorstLies. But that’s two of the biggest. Don’t buy into it. Read the book. Learn about the Savior who give you more than you can ever dream possible. #GreatestTruth!