Faith Builders Devotional

John 13:3-4

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Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. NKJV Power, revenge, strong words, these are things that the world thinks are something that is so glorious. However they get it all wrong. It is not strength through being peaceful, it is peace through strength. The Creator of the universe came to die on our behalf. King Jesus is the Creator of our world. Jesus had the power and authority so only he could lay it down for us. John 1:10 says, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. NKJV King Jesus the Messiah, had all authority, all power, had everything, but He loved us. He loved you, His creation. Before his death and resurrection, He didn’t ask to be served, He set the example showing that He would serve and washed the feet of His friends. Can you believe that? Was that the world’s sign of power to serve people less powerful than you? Absolutely not. We’ve had cycles of different peoples and their empire building. We’ve had the Vikings, the Roman empire, the Portuguese explorers, the Spanish conquerors, and even of recent, the British and now the American empires. There has been good and bad throughout the ages, but much of the expansion has been built on ruling over others. As believers, we will rule and reign with Him. However, God’s Kingdom is about serving others even though He has given us all authority. That is why Jesus gave this example to His disciples, His friends. If we love others then we care for and serve them. Watching an action movie, you see the same story line repeatedly. Some retired military guy is just trying to retire from the fighting. He settles down in some small town somewhere and has a few years of quiet. Then out of the blue, one of his family members is kidnapped or captured by the bad guys from his past. He then has to pull out his ‘big guns’ and go after the bad guys to save his family. Although it might work in a movie, in real life it is really malarkey and meaningless. This must contribute to the vengeful and violent people in our generation, you hear about people committing ‘random acts of violence’ in the news. God’s kingdom is not about violence. We are to commit ‘random acts of goodness’. It is built into our nature. When you do good and show love to others you feel so good. When you see someone at your church who has been away for awhile, just talking them and giving them an encouraging word can bring them back from the brink. When a friend needs a job, helping them to get their resume together and find those opportunities is so good. Invest in the orphans by volunteering some time regularly at a local orphanage. Remember, if you don’t do it who will? If you want to be a good leader, you need to be a good follower first. As we will reign with Him, we need to learn to be good servants. Are you serving others? Start today!

Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. NKJV
When God created Adam, it was only one human in that gorgeous garden. It was a tropical place (they weren’t concerned about wearing clothes) and they did not need to worry about working to grow any crops. God’s plan was to take care of us. There was no need to go through what we are living in now, had our ancestor Adam just followed the directions God gave him in the garden (I am sure any one of us would have probably messed up like Adam did). It was not God’s plan for the world to be the way it is now. However, by looking at the condition of things around us, you can see what happens when man, and in many cases, the demons are trying to control things.
A great way to understand God’s plan for us is to look back at what they had in the garden. For example, is sickness and disease God’s plan for anyone at anytime? Let’s look back at the garden. There was no sickness. Was having multiple wives God’s plan for man? God created one man and one female for each other.
The world takes a very loose view on sexual intercourse (abbreviated as sex), promoting the idea that it is somehow part of some dating process. This year, one scientific study pointed to the fact that there is an emotional bonding created between people and whomever they first have sexual intercourse with. It cannot be replicated with others later on. Very interesting! Maybe that is why there are so many confused people on the subject. Sex is sacred, and according to God’s plan it is only something to be between a wife and her husband.
Well, what is it about sex that makes it so sacred? Why do we want to avoid having relationship with multiple people? What is the purpose of this ultimate act of affection and deep love between a wife and a husband?
You remember that the Word says we are a three part being. The Word says in 1 Thess 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are a spirit, we have a soul (our mind, will, and emotions), and we live in a body. When two people have sexual intercourse not only are two bodies coming together, but two spirits are coming together. This is the one flesh that Genesis is talking about. When they become one flesh, a new spirit-being (baby) can be conceived. Sex is sacred.
If you want to have a great marriage, one other thing you must remember about Genesis here is that the husband and the wife leave the parents. If you or your spouse get your parents involved in your marriage, you are likely to have unnecessary tension in that marriage. We are supposed to leave our family and cleave to our husband or wife. I got married at 21 years old and early on, I let the opinions of my extended family cloud the discussions with my wife. Big mistake to do that, as your spouse is going to feel like they are second-string to anything “the family” has to say. Men seem more susceptible to this than women, as we always hear about the infamous tension between the wife and the “mother in law”. Don’t let yourself be distracted from your spouse by extended family.
If you are married today, I encourage you to make every effort to focus on pleasing your spouse by what you say and what you do. If you are single but having sex outside of marriage, you need to realize the Bible is strong about that and calls it fornication. If you love someone then marriage is the precursor to sex. If you are not going to marry that person, cease that activity, repent and get God’s forgiveness, and save yourself for your spouse to be.
Finally, if you are single and looking forward to getting married, pray for that spouse that is coming. I prayed for my wife before I knew her. I asked God for someone who knew Him, someone with a bright and bubbly personality, and most importantly someone who looked good without makeup.

Eph 6:2-3

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"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." NKJV I have described, as a pastor, how we have many people come to us with marital issues. Many misunderstandings happen between a husband and a wife due to the fact that one of the spouses listens too much to their extended family (father, mother, sisters, brothers, etc.). However, this should not be mistaken to say that you should just throw your extended family away once you get married and start your own family. The way that you act and react, the way you look, and even sometimes your feelings can be a direct reflection of that of your parents. This is why some people have major issues when adopting children. There are traits and even generational curses on people due to the action of the parents that can go to the third or fourth generation (Ex 34:6-7). These hindrances must be broken for those children to be free. Looking from the other side here, our children are a reflection of us. Of course, we must raise up our children in God’s ways, as once they become adults they will be responsible for their own actions. Once adults, we should never forget all that our parents did for us. The Word is clear that we need to honor our father and mother. Why? Most importantly we should honor our parents, because they deserve the honor. In most cases, parents have given their all to raise us, feed us, get us to school, and help us become a contributor to society. My goal for my children is to given them a better life than I have. I pray that I can impart them with more wisdom for life, more knowledge of things, more financial wellness, more insights on the Word, and a better place to live. This list could go on and on for me. Although we did not talk about it, my parents gave me something better than they had. They deserve the honor for that. They put a lot in to me. What about your parents? I am sure, like you and I, they were not perfect, but they should have done the very best they could have. I am so proud of my father and mother because of all they have done for me. Not only for my blood family, but they also adopted three girls from Asia into our family to give them a chance at life. More so, my father made every effort to be involved in my life. He was at the various events in my life from sports events to animal shows. He was always there. My mother was consistently around when I needed advice. That motherly wisdom when dad was off at work was invaluable. Maybe you are not so proud of your family. That is okay. Remember first and foremost, if you have repented and turned to Jesus, you are a child of God. Even if you had the worst parents in the world, you know it is okay to love them. They may have abused you, not cared for you, or even abandoned you. As a believer, you could be the one who starts the heritage of faith for your family. Break the generational curses on your family and make an effort to show the love of God to your parents. How can you honor your parents as adults? Call them and tell them that you love them. Remember them on special days like Father’s Day, and Mother’s Day. Make an effort to spend time with them. When you have children, Proverbs tells us the pride of grandparents are their grandchildren. If physically and economically possible, take the grandkids to see their grandparents as much as you can. Praise God for great parents. If you have come from a broken family or have parents that didn’t do their part, have grace for them, love them, and let the good parenting start with you. If you don’t know how to be a good parent, get some good books from Spirit-filled authors that you can learn from. There is no point trying to learn everything about parenting from zero. Learn from others. Be a part of a heritage of faith for your family!

Ex 34:6-7

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And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." NKJV God is so gracious. The whole reason that Jesus came us to cleanse of from sin (from the wrongs that keep us from God). Becoming a believer is not like paying an initiation fee and become the member of a club. Being a committed Christian is a lifestyle. That’s right, it’s something you do every day. If you want to have a fruitful life, you have got to be God-centered. What God-centered means is that you; 1) Value and know the Word, 2) Value and know the leading of the Holy Spirit. Things come up in our lives each day that we have to learn how to deal with. I have seen pastors pray healing for demon possessed people. If they are led by the Spirit they will know that they are dealing with an evil spirit and need to cast it out. Sometimes we open ourselves up to these evil spirits (through sex outside of marriage, substance abuse, and the occult). Other times it is something that our parents, or our ancestors have opened us up to. In Asia, when a person in Japan has repented, turned to Jesus, and confessed Him over themselves, there is still some stuff to deal with. I have met many Japanese who have had a similar experience. This includes my wife. In the middle of the night, when they are on their bed, they have felt something evil in the room with them. They cannot move anything except their eyes. What happens from there varies. In the case of my wife, she was in California at Bible school. She said it was great fear. She couldn’t move but finally, she was able to call out the Name of Jesus. When she did that it immediately disappeared and has never been back. I have heard this same type of story many times. What is it? It is a generational curse. The enemy has a foothold on some of the people of Japan because of ancestral worship. These ties have to be broken and the only way to do it is through the power of Jesus and His Name. We have to let the enemy know they have no right to try to hold on to us when we are a child of the King. You have to let them know who we serve. Who do you serve? When you repent and turn to Jesus you are not just starting your relationship with the Creator of the Universe, you are telling the physical and spiritual worlds that you serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Ex 34:6-7

6

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." NKJV God is so gracious. The whole reason that Jesus came us to cleanse of from sin (from the wrongs that keep us from God). Becoming a believer is not like paying an initiation fee and become the member of a club. Being a committed Christian is a lifestyle. That’s right, it’s something you do every day. If you want to have a fruitful life, you have got to be God-centered. What God-centered means is that you; 1) Value and know the Word, 2) Value and know the leading of the Holy Spirit. Things come up in our lives each day that we have to learn how to deal with. I have seen pastors pray healing for demon possessed people. If they are led by the Spirit they will know that they are dealing with an evil spirit and need to cast it out. Sometimes we open ourselves up to these evil spirits (through sex outside of marriage, substance abuse, and the occult). Other times it is something that our parents, or our ancestors have opened us up to. In Asia, when a person in Japan has repented, turned to Jesus, and confessed Him over themselves, there is still some stuff to deal with. I have met many Japanese who have had a similar experience. This includes my wife. In the middle of the night, when they are on their bed, they have felt something evil in the room with them. They cannot move anything except their eyes. What happens from there varies. In the case of my wife, she was in California at Bible school. She said it was great fear. She couldn’t move but finally, she was able to call out the Name of Jesus. When she did that it immediately disappeared and has never been back. I have heard this same type of story many times. What is it? It is a generational curse. The enemy has a foothold on some of the people of Japan because of ancestral worship. These ties have to be broken and the only way to do it is through the power of Jesus and His Name. We have to let the enemy know they have no right to try to hold on to us when we are a child of the King. You have to let them know who we serve. Who do you serve? When you repent and turn to Jesus you are not just starting your relationship with the Creator of the Universe, you are telling the physical and spiritual worlds that you serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Ps 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? NKJV
If you want to be a strong believer, you have to realize how to employ faith in your life. Maybe a better word for ‘employ’ would be ‘implement’. When you implement something, you are building something. To implement the building plans for a house or building, you are making it happen. That’s right. Implementation is making it happen. Believers, we have to implement our faith. We’ve got to put it into action and make it happen. Start by doing, start by saying. Start walking by faith, and start speaking by faith.
The opposite force to faith is fear. If you are not in faith as a believer, then there is a good chance that you are in fear. What is fear? Fear is uncertainty about the future. If you don’t know if the rough economy will kill your job, and if you are worried about that, then you are fearing that. Worry opens the door to fear. Fear is what opened the door to the enemies attack on Job (Job 3:25). He said, what he feared had come upon him. If you have fears, you need to replace them with faith.
Fear is dark. It will paralyze you and make you inept. It will take from you. Have you ever watched a scary movie? It is amazing how those images can get burned onto the tapestry of your soul (mind and emotional area). You go to bed that night afraid to look under the bed thinking there might be something there. Not a good feeling.
These days the cameras are all digital, taking pictures and recording them on solid-state disks (memory cards). Some people still use film. I once heard someone relate our spirits to film and cameras saying, “Our spirits are like film, whatever we expose them to will develop there”. It is really your soul that you are exposing, but your soul and your spirits are very close (Hebrews 4:12). Our exposure starts through our soul where we are exposing our mind, will, and emotions to those things around us. After experiencing the Brownsville revival, I decided I would never again see an “R” rated movie. (In America, r-rated means “restricted” to adults. I decided if it was “R”, that was for a good reason. I don’t need to expose myself to trash or questionable material). Proverbs 4:22 tells us to protect our hearts with all we’ve got. Our eyes and ears our the entrances to our hearts (souls). Recently, I decided if I can’t comfortably watch a movie with teenagers, then it is better to do something else. There is no reason to pay to put fear, violence, sensuality, or any other trash in your soul. That is tommyrot!
If fear is uncertainly about the future and the unknown, what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us what it is. If you summarize it, faith is certainty about the future. If you are filled with faith, it is because you are talking with certainty about what God has planned for you. There is no reason to fear anything. Faith grabs those promises from the Word and applies them to their life.
You don’t have to fear harm, because Psalm 91 promises that God’s angels will protect those who love Him. You don’t have to fear financial difficulty, because Deuteronomy 28 promises blessings for those who serve Him. You don’t have to fear sickness and disease, because 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus took the curse of sickness and disease on our behalf. You don’t have to fear the dark, because our Lord Jesus promised He would be with us to the end of the age. Hallelujah!
If you have fearful images in your mind or emotional scars, start to confess the Word over yourself. Every time you think of them, start to replace those images of worry or fear with images of yourself victorious, filled with faith, and overcoming every and any thing that comes along.
Yahweh is your strength, and He is your protector. If you have a heart after Him, you have absolutely nothing to fear. His angels will surround you and protect you from physical harm as well as spiritual harm. I have seen it in my life, and you will see it in yours too as you go for God with all you’ve got.