The Spiritually Malnourished Need Real Food

Sometimes we dumb down God’s word when we evangelize.  But I submit to you that the spiritually malnourished need real food. They need to be fed the truth of God’s word.  But how can we feed them if we ourselves have not gone to Him for our daily bread?  How can I offer food that I myself have not tasted in a long time?

The world is in a crisis but this should not make the church afraid.  This is our time to let our lights shine, this is the time to invite the broken to come and feast on the Lord, the only one that is able to bring peace in the midst of chaos.  This is our time to put love on display.

Let us resist the temptation to water down the truth of God’s word with preservatives to keep our churches filled with malnourished souls.  Jesus has never been caught up in numbers.  He has always been about quality…life more abundantly.  Abundant life can only be achieved when we receive all that Jesus has to offer (the blessings, the correction, the humility and the suffering).  It is a package deal with an eternal yield.

I am all for dancing and praising God in service, but we must be careful that our church doesn’t become a full-fledged FLESH production.  The preacher saying things to satisfy the itching ears, having everyone whooping and hollering over false promises…filling them up for the moment but leaving them empty and spiritually sick after the “sweet high”  has rubbed off and they are left with the reality that they are still hungry.

Today’s “updated gospel” seem to have a lot of artificial sweeteners; things that Jesus simply did not promise.  Because truth is when the people don’t get all the new cars and big houses that the preacher promised, and when their sin is not challenged the souls are left with spiritual decay.  Take away the artificial fillers and stop making them promises that are not in His word.  No, not every believer will have a mansion and a fancy car. The Christian walk is not about how much we can accumulate now on this earth. True love is not about embracing every sin.  Forgiveness is not an option.  True believers aren’t always on mute in an effort to demonstrate the “love of Christ.”   And no you are not insulated from trouble just because you serve Jesus.

Simply put, the malnourished need to be fed JESUS.

Eating His flesh and drinking His blood, that which brings true nourishment

Come and taste and see that the Lord is good!

Come and feast on His word.

He is the only one that satisfies!

Isaiah 55:1-2 (NLT)

“Is anyone thirsty?

Come and drink—
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?

Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.

 

 

photo by:

VICTORY!

 

I was driving the other day and began to reflect on my past and the tears began to flow.  Tears of regret.   I began to think about some poor choices that I made and the consequences that followed; some of which had an impact on me even after I came to Christ.  I began to play out different scenes in my head and the more I thought on them the more depressed I became. The enemy began to accuse and mock me.  He reminded me that I should have known better and how could I?  I allowed myself to receive the accusations.

Now mind you, I had long repented of these sins.  However, in that moment I began to relive them.  I allowed the enemy to trick me into feeling condemned. I had to make a choice to SNAP out of this and claim the victory I had in Christ.  The Anika that played out in those scenes in my head was dead.   I no longer knew this person and by the grace of God, that old Anika will never be resurrected!  I have the victory but I had to claim it at that moment of condemnation, it wasn’t an automatic thing.   I am in a war and I had no choice but to engage and fight the devil with the truth of God’s word.

I had to remind myself of the NEW & IMPROVED ME!  The New blood bought, sanctified, forgiven, victorious, swimming in God’s grace me!  I am all for telling others about what God has done in me, but sometimes I have to testify to myself. The more I stood on who I now am, the devil had to get off my back.  He had to.  I am sure he will revisit again but I thank God that I have the ammunition to fight and to rebuke.

Do you find yourself living in condemnation?  What triggers these moment of condemnation?  Do you wallow in self-pity or do you stand on the truth of God’s word and fight?  If you have repented, don’t hold on to shame that is no longer yours. Don’t let the devil take you back, move forward in who you now are in Christ!

If any man is in Christ He is a new creation.  Old things are passed away and behold all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Below are two links to remind you of the new you.  Be blessed!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQfc7iQecw8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gods Truth Isn’t Accommodating

“I’m glad it’s going to warm up in the next few days,” said the librarian. Are you kidding me? Did she just say warm up? It’s amazing how after dealing with temperatures below zero, the mid 20s can be referred to as warming up. Her experience with the bitter cold caused her definition of warm to be redefined. As I was sweeping my kitchen floor later on that day I began to reflect on the comment made by the librarian. That’s exactly what has happened to a lot of “Christians” today. We live in a culture where sin is rampant and we have become desensitized to truth. We give in to the temptation to redefine Gods standards, something we have no business or authority to do. Contrary to popular belief, truth is not relative. God has not called us to be versatile Christians, willing to redefine his truth to be more “accommodating.” He has called us to be holy , standing for truth even if it’s not embraced (1 Peter 1:16 ). His truth doesn’t change like the weather. It’s constant.

Greed, lying, homosexuality, fornicating, stealing, cheating is NEVER ok (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). As my pastor previously mentioned, God created marriage so try as we might, we can’t redefine it. it’s so easy for us to give a nod of approval to the very nice gay couple or the well educated boyfriend and girlfriend who are living together and fornicating. Or say it’s ok for the poor person to tell a “white lie,” because they are struggling and the system has robbed them anyway. I mean after all we are seeing worse sins happen around us so that ain’t too bad. WRONG! It is that bad, not because that’s my opinion but because God said it. Believe me, I am not trying to act as if I have never sinned or that I am perfect. I have displeased God many times and have not always lived out or loved HIS truth. But hear me when I say, I thank God for mercy and grace and Him giving me a chance to repent and get it right. Cause Lord knows I haven’t always done right and was a very nice sinner. The good news is, that opportunity for repentance was not only extended to me, but to all (John 3:16). How awesome!

Truth is God will never change his mind about his truth(Hebrews 13:8) no matter how extreme sin gets, and it will continue to get worse. The manual for holiness will not be rewritten, sorry no updated copies of the bible where that extreme holiness is edited out. He wants us hot or cold (Revelation 3:16), not lukewarm, not straddling the fence, not somewhere in the middle, not a versatile Christian. By his grace I want to remain hot and live out and speak His truth…and you?