Be Wary of the Spiritual Hobble

My son told me a story today of a basketball player who refused a cazillion $ Nike shoe deal because he couldn’t use the verse, “I can do all things…” He did eventually secure a super successful deal with Under Armor, however, who let him use the phrase!

When my son finished the story with, “And EVERY time he makes a shot, he taps his chest & points to God”, tears immediately began to fall.

What if we all worshipped God like that, letting the gifts OF God glorify Him instead of USING His gifts as self-serving gods?

I’d just finished reading about the Israelites’ wandering hearts. Aside from a few prophets, the entire nation turns from God to worship other gods.

The prophet Elijah rebukes them, saying,

“How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions?

If the Lord is God, follow Him.

But if Baal is God, then follow Him!”

But the people remain completely silent.

When he challenges them to prove who the true God is, however, they suddenly find their voices & begin shouting & “hobbling” before their gods, begging them to set their altar afire!  But in the same way they stood deaf, dumb & silent before God’s prophet, “there’s no sound or response of any kind.”

The word “hobble” means to leap. The prophet asks how long they’ll continue to spiritually hobble, leaping back & forth between their gods & the One True God, yet they remain silent JUST LIKE the gods they serve! Then they PHYSICALLY hobble before their silent saviors!

Psalm 135 tells us that those who make idols are just like them, as are ALL who trust in them! They have mouths but can’t speak, eyes but can’t see & ears but can’t hear!

Y’all, Steph Curry could’ve gone with the Nike shoe deal, but he would’ve missed out on the much more God had in store! Today he’s the leading NBA 3-point shooter of all time! His team is currently in the playoffs & he just became the ONLY player in NBA history to make 500 career playoff threes! Come on!

Oh, God, may we be like Steph & use our gifts to glorify You ONLY! Make us deaf, dumb & blind to the temptation to let those gifts become gods! We call on You to use our gifts for your glory, even when it doesn’t make sense!  

#OneYearBible

June 17th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 18:1-46

ACTS 11:1-30

PSALM 135:1-21

PROVERBS 17:12-13

Getting Rid of Generational Junk

I read this quote the other day that captured my attention for days to follow:

“It’s up to us to break generational curses.

When they say, ‘It runs in the family’,

you tell them, ‘And this is where it runs out!’”👊🏽

Powerful, right? I don’t want the junk of my past to impact the generations to come, so I’ve begun praying through various things to make sure they “run out” with me!

This wasn’t the case, however, with King Jeroboam. He’s a servant who becomes Israel’s king by the mighty hand of God. The position God grants is like winning a lottery ticket, but he doesn't act like it. His crimes against God are so great that they impact his entire family!

When Jeroboam dies, his son Nadab becomes king. 1 Kings 15 tells us, that he’s openly evil before God, “following in the footsteps of his father who both sinned AND made Israel sin”!

After a mere two years into his reign, he ‘s brutally assassinated by a fellow Israelite who also kills Jeroboam’s ENTIRE family! “There wasn’t a living soul left to the name of Jeroboam!”

Talk about a generational curse!😳

So if you’re like me, you might be asking, how DO I make generational junk stop with me?

I learned a prayer at a marriage conference recently that’s super helpful.

First ask the Lord to reveal anything from the generations (even if it started with you) that is coming against your or your family:

Maybe it’s a spirit of anger, lust, greed, pride…

Once He reveals an unhealthy pattern, declare,

“I place the cross of Christ in my family line & sever all ties with _______.

I lay claim to the power of the cross, breaking the power of all demonic spirits assigned to my family line in Jesus’s name.

By the power of the cross & in the name of Jesus, I command all demonic spirits & lies out of my life AND my descendants lives👉🏽from our thoughts, emotions, relationships, marriages, finances, calling & our futures completely!

I seal this in my spirit in Jesus’s name!”

Father, break all agreements we’ve made with the ungodly parts of our natural heritage. Nail our generational junk to the cross, & reveal to us what you’d like to give us in its place!

#OneYearBible

June 16th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 15:25-17:24

ACTS 10:24-48

PSALM 134:1-3

PROVERBS 17:9-11

We Need Vertical Unity with God BEFORE We Can Have Horizontal Unity with Humans

“Behold” is a wonder seldom seen, so when it is spoken, behold it! When written in Scripture, it gives cause for pause & invites the reader to ponder what follows.

Psalm 133 begins with the word & is followed by Truth & a promise:

“Behold! How good & how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity…For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

I think it’s notable that the writer uses the word “how” twice. It places equal importance on the adjectives that follow.

There are many things in life that are good, but not pleasant & conversely, there are many things pleasant that are not good! For a thing to be good AND pleasant is doubly good!

But what happens when we simply don’t see eye to eye? Is it still better to dwell together in DISunity? A lack of unity usually indicates a lack of Holy Spirit Lordship on one side, the other or maybe even both?

We cannot make anyone do anything OR see the way we see. What we CAN do is place our mind, will & emotions under our spirit & allow our spirit to lead BEHIND the Holy Spirit.

It’s there, when we individually choose to dwell in unity with the HOLY Spirit, that the Lord pronounces blessing!

That’s what to behold about this verse! Even amidst DISunity, we can experience how good & how pleasant it is to live in unity with God, praying that unity with our brothers will follow!

We must have vertical unity with God BEFORE we can experience horizontal unity with humans!

Once He is properly positioned as Lord over every area of our lives, we can walk in the Spirit & respond in the Spirit, rather than defensively reacting in the flesh.

Father, Your Word says it is “there [that] the Lord has pronounced His blessing.” Where? In unity, & we must first be unified with You before we can unify with anyone else. We want to be anointed with the oil of Your Presence so that ours might be as refreshing as the morning dew - BECAUSE of You!

Oh how good & how pleasant YOU are! May we behold You so we may be held by You! Unite our hearts vertically so we may unite with others in Truth & love horizontally. Reside within & preside over our lives for when Love dwells, unity follows!

#OneYearBible

June 15th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 14:1-15:24

ACTS 10:1-23

PSALM 133:1-3

PROVERBS 17:7-8