Do not be mocked!!!

Be Genuine by Phil

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22, NIV) 

The other day I had the opportunity to observe a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are known for their ability to mimic the sounds of not only other birds, but also the sounds of insects. 

The call of a mockingbird can be deceiving. Scripture warns us not to be deceived spiritually, but to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).

Jesus spoke harshly of the Pharisees, referring to them as hypocrites, people who pretended to be something they were not. There are people who wear the label “Christian,” but their “walk” is inconsistent with their “talk.” 

Scripture says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7–8, NIV) 

Those who sincerely practice the principles of KingdomNomics protect themselves against the dangers of being a mocker of God. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13, NIV) 

In order to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we must avoid, at all cost, pretending to be something we are not. We want our lives to echo properly into eternity. 

If we are careful to heed what the Scripture says, then we have the prospect of seeing God tangibly work in our lives while we are still in this world.

“Great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 32:19, NIV) 

We want to be sure we are not “mockingbird Christians” who only hear the Word and do not practice the Word in our everyday life.

A Prayer for Today:

Lord, help me to be a genuine reflection of what you want me to be in the world today, and forever. I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

source:  http://www.kingdomnomics.com/

Where is your Treasure?

How to Focus on Things With Eternal Value  by Rick Warren

Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21 MSG).

The real secret to becoming content is to focus on the things that have eternal value. It may be a familiar teaching to you, but Jesus said we should store up our treasures in heaven, not on earth, “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV). 

Think about the things in your life:

• What will last forever?
• What will last at least for your lifetime?
• What will last a few short years, months, or days?

Based on eternal value, what things are most important in your life? Where — and with whom — should you put most of your time and energy?

By reorganizing your life around eternal priorities, you’ll find yourself growing in contentment as you live according to God’s design and purpose. 

In conclusion, let us seek to focus on what matters most, that is the "Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added".

Stay blessed!
Shalom

How to Stand Guard as a Christian

From the previous post, we are continuing with our series on the “Watchman”. Let us look at what we should do as watchmen. As watchman in our homes we are encouraged to:

To hear from God

Fine tuning ones' spiritual insight is birth through a disciplined, daily communion with our Father in heaven motivated by genuine love for him. If you truly love the Lord, your ears will be set against his heart and his heartbeat will leave impressions in your spirit. He, who has ears, let him hear what the spirit of the Lord has to say. You will only know the voice of the shepherd if you spend time in the presence of the shepherd. You cannot instruct if you have no instruction. Every family member holds the keys to kingdom living by being hearers and doers of God's word. The throne room of God is accessible that we may enter boldly and confidently. Entering into the secret place of the most high is not only for us but also for those innocent lives we are entrusted with. Once we hear the voice of God, we are certain of his promises and confident of his decree.

To warn our families

Nobody wants to warn another. It's always easier to be bearers of good news rather than correction. Yet the latter leads many to the narrow path of salvation and eternal life. The itchy ear syndrome wants soothing words and pats on the back. The truth brings freedom and liberty. A warning is a lifeline for those who need it. Be steadfast and immovable because a word seasoned with the Holy Spirit brings forth a fountain of new life in Christ. Do not allow the weapon of fear to hold your words captive. After you have heard of the Lord, release the warning that will alter lives and bring it into alignment with God's plan and purposes.

Whenever the trumpet of warning is sounded, repentance follows and restoration begins. Damaged walls are rebuilt and the latter glory will be greater than the former. When the prophets and watchmen of the kingdom remain in silence, darkness prevails. Release the word that you have and the Shekinah glory of God will manifest and hover over lives. God's word will never return void. It accomplishes that which it is sent out to do.
"But I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood." (Ezekiel 33 vs 6)

Before God set Ezekiel as a watchman, he gave him accountability of the peoples' blood. You are your family's keeper. As a watchman, you will be held accountable for not correcting and altering the lives of your family that are perishing in these perilous times. Silence is not an option for you. Staying quiet will be detrimental to yourself and those reaching a Christ-less eternity. By your words you will be judged and by your words you will be acquitted. If you warn them and they do not listen, their blood is not on your hands. If you know the truth and leave them to die in their sin, you will give an account of their demise in sin.

Son of man - prophesy that the way of the Lord is now. 
Read more on how to stand watch to protect our families. 

Let God Guide You in your Decision-Making

“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 23:3b (NIV)

Sometime we are afraid of making the wrong decision and that creates stress.

God says there is an antidote to our indecision. Psalm 23:3 tells us, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The way we handle the stress of decision-making is by letting God guide us. 

You may be thinking, ‘But I have tried this!’ You asked God to guide you but then you became more confused than before. You still could not figure it out. You wonder, ‘Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?’ 

Does God play games with us? Of course not! God wants to guide us. He wants us to know His will more than we want to know it. Our problem is we often look for the wrong thing when we are trying to find God’s will.  

Some of us look for a feeling. Some of us want a formulaic approach to God’s will, some recipe to apply when we are making decisions. Some of us take a magical approach and hope God will give us some fantastic sign or wonder to follow.  

All of these lead to frustration and can cause us to miss God’s will. 

God does not want you confused and he does not want you stressed over making a decision. God wants you to know that he is there, guiding you every step of the way.

This is his promise, so you can believe this to be true: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 NIV).  

In our quest to know God’s will for our lives, you can also read this post to see how God protects us. 

This devotional entitle "God's Antidote to Indecision" is written by Rick Warren and I hope it has helped you to look up to God in every decision you make. God Bless You.

How Generous Are You?

“A generous man will prosper and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) 

Get more materials on Faith and religion here. 

When you share with others, God shares with you.

The world says, “Get everything you can and you will be financially secure.” The Bible says share with others in need and you will sow what you reap: “Give and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV) 

God says that when you give to somebody else, you are not throwing it away. It is an investment in the lives of others. God says the one who gives will gain even more: “He who is kind to the poor, lends to the Lord and He will reward him for what he has done.” (Proverbs 19:17 NIV) 

When you see people in need and you give to them, God looks at this as if it were a loan to Him. He says, “I will reward back.” 

God is always going to take care of you and your needs. Do you believe that is true? Generosity is a matter of faith. Will you take God at his Word?

Try and give today and see what God will do in your life. 
God bless you. 

Shalom.