We Serve a Jealous God

Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit to be welcome with a jealous love? - James 4:5

The original Greek word and meaning for yearns is, epipotheo (ep-ee-poth-eh'-o): intensely crave possession, earnestly desire.

We can be certain that we serve a jealous God. He calls Himself a jealous God in Exodus 34:14 - For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, Whose Name is Jealous, is a jealous impassioned God.

He longs for us to put Him first. His greatest desire is for us to love Him and pursue a friendship with Him. He wants to be our delight. When we put people, hobbies, entertainment, or anything before Him in our lives we are creating idols. Idols are not just golden statues. They can be anything and anyone.

Instead of writing a passionate speech on putting God first, I am giving you an assignment...

I want you to make, yes make some time to sit down and really examine how you are spending your time and where you find your most joy.

If you find that you have little time with Daddy God or that hobbies...work...friendships...or even your children bring you the most joy, then you need to make an adjustment in your life. Don't get me wrong, our children and loved ones should be a joy to us. However, nothing should be more important to us than our Daddy in Heaven.

We need to make sure that God is our top priority. When we do this we will be the wife, friend, Mother, woman, and child of God that He created us to be. And we will find a joy and fulfillment that is incomparable!

We really MUST make this a priority in our lives...especially in the days to come. This world is getting more and more wicked and our morality is going down hill...FAST. We NEED to personally KNOW the One Who is in control and be in a consistent daily relationship with Him, so that when the trouble comes, we can be assured and firmly set in all that we believe and know.

Be alert, dear sisters....put your Jealous and loving God FIRST!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, help me today. Help me to examine my priorities and how I spend my time. Show me where I have self made idols in my life and help me to knock them down. I want nothing more that to live my life for You. Help me to put everything in its proper place and to set an example for my children and those who know me. I love You Daddy, and I want You to be my All and All! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Being the World's Friend is being God's Enemy

You are like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God. - James 4:4

Sometimes I feel like I say the same things over and over. I guess God is trying to get this information to penetrate the thick sculls that make up His Church. LOL!

The Church as a whole is a pitiful example of what Jesus died for us to be. Jesus died for so much more than our Salvation. He also died so that we may have peace, joy, and a sound mind. He left us with a mission. A mission to tell others about His great love through our words, life and deeds. He left us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and His Mighty Name to give us power.

He did not intend for us to let the devil make the rules. He did not intend for us to become friends of this world through indifference. In many ways, you cannot even tell the difference between the world and the Church...

The Body of Christ seems to be asleep, while our very cunning adversary swoops in for the kill. Does that sound like a dramatic statement? I think it is an understatement! Why? To answer this we must ask several questions.

If the Church was awake and active would there even be a hint of legalizing gay marriages in the air?

No. If the Church were awake and STANDING for Truth, there would have been a march on Washington like there has never been seen before. We would not let such a thing slip by.

Would there be pornography displayed at every turn?

No. Christian men would rise up and not tolerate such an attack on their minds. The Church as a whole would push for better laws to prevent our children from having to see these disgusting displays when walking into a convenience store to get a Slurpee.

Would prayer be illegal in schools that we pay taxes in?

No. Honestly, I don't know how we ever let such a thing happen. I mean WHERE was the Church???

Would the divorce rate in the Church be the same and even higher than the world's?

No. We would align ourselves together and help marriages. We would prepare our young people for marriage. We would teach our children that a happy marriage isn't about "feelings" and getting your own way. It is about giving, loving and forgiving for a lifetime. We would LIVE it out before them and forget about our ridiculous "needs."

If the church were awake would the world have such a powerful hold on our entertainment?

No. Unfortunately, the Church has become desensitized. We watch things that I don't believe we would ever watch if Jesus came for dinner and a movie. We watch movies with language that we would never use in front of our pastors. We watch movies with sexually explicit scenes and then wonder why there is a pornography problem in the Church. Yes, the Church! Think about it...honestly, that is how I judge what I should watch. If we could see Jesus in the flesh and have Him over for a movie...would we watch the same things?? Hmmmm. Funny though, He LIVES in us, so He IS there!

Need I go on?

I don't think so.

I hope and pray that somehow the Church will arise from its slumber, grab their weapons, and put the devil back in his slimy evil place. If we do not, what kind of world will our children be left with? What are we teaching them with our apathetic reaction to the chaos that is whirling all around us?

If we do nothing, it is like leaving them alone in a dark room filled with venomous vipers. Can you live with that? I can't.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, I pray that You open my eyes. Help me to see and to recognize the enemy and his ways to sneak into my mind and life. Help me to not become desensitized, but to remain on fire for Truth and Holiness. Help me to train my children up to be all that You created them to be. Help me to show them this through my living example. Lord, please forgive me if I have become a friend of this world. Thank You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Wrong Motives

...You do not have, because you do not ask.

Or you do ask and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is to spend it in sensual pleasures. - James 4:2b-3

God is all about the heart of a person. He could care less how many of our self made faces we put on in life. He looks at the "why" not the "do." He looks deep in our hearts to find our hidden agendas and motives that we even hide from ourselves. He looks beyond the fronts we put up for others.

You have not because you ask not.

This tells me if I ask, I can receive. However...The next verse is the key to the deal.

When we ask with the wrong motives. When we ask for selfish reasons. When we ask out of discontentment. When we ask for things that have no good purpose for our lives. I think that God is like any good parent. He must do what is best for us. Even when WE do not like it or think it is unfair. He would love to give all of His children prosperity. Unfortunately, with prosperity comes the temptation to forget Him, and He knows this, so I believe that is one of His motives for keeping too much abundance from us at times.

We may want something, ask for it, and never receive it. Not because God does not love us, but because He does love us. And He knows us better than we do. He knows what is good for us.

When we are walking closely with God on a regular basis, we gain more and more of His character and we begin to want what He wants . Then when we ask for things, it is not out of selfish motives. It is from a true and faithful heart. Knowing that all things are His and we are not complete in "things." We are complete in Him. And if we lose everything, it is OK, because we know this and understand it! We know that our eternity is what really matters, not the fluff we can get here on earth for a season.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for loving me and only wanting the best for me. Thank You for protecting me from my self. I love You Lord, and YOU are enough. You are ALL that I ever need. Thank You for all that You do and the MANY blessings that You have given me. I pray that You continue to show me Your Will for my life and help me to fulfill it. I love You, Lord. I want more than anything in this world to live a life that pleases You. Thank You for Your love, kindness, and mercy. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Strife and Conflict

What leads to strife and how do conflicts, quarrels, and fighting originate among you? Do they not arise from sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?

You are jealous and covet what others have and your desires go unfulfilled; so you become murderers. To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned. You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain the gratification, contentment, and happiness that you seek, so you fight and war.... - James 4:1-2a

Strife and conflicts usually begin because someone either does not get their way or people do not agree about something. Conflict is a natural part of life. They do not need to be sinful or escalate. However, when we allow conflicts to escalate to arguments and strife, it is most likely rooted in pride. We don't want to be wrong, we don't want to let things go, we don't want to give something up, or we are just plain stubborn. When the Church allows quarrels and conflict to go unchecked it weakens us as a whole. This is why our adversary, the devil, works overtime and relentlessly trying to generate discord in the Body fo Christ.

The only way we can overcome this is to recognize it, and then not allow it to manifest itself and disable the Church. Until we get over ourselves and start loving each other and being peacemaking obedient children of the Most High God, we will continue to see the Church become more and more powerless. And, sin more and more rampant.

James goes so far as to say that when we hate it is like we are committing murder in our hearts. That statement sounds a lot like when Jesus said when He informed us that simply looking at another with lust we have already committed adultery. These are HUGE statements...and somewhat hard to swallow...

We do not allow ourselves to really ALLOW God's Word in our hearts enough to see it for what it is. If we did, would we hate? Would we hate so easily knowing we would be considered a murderer?

It is an issue that begins on the inside. It is a heart matter. And where does it all begin? The mind. Our minds are the first line of attack. The enemy sends all of his demons to the mind, because he knows that if he can get our minds to receive his lies, he will get our hearts.

The only way to protect our minds from becoming the devil's playground is to consistently and daily study...not just read...study God's Word. Most Christians go to church, but few have an active and consistent life in the Word. Most of us are too busy making sure we don't miss the next Survivor or American Idol episode. Most of us hardly ever feed our spirits outside of our weekly church visits. And that my friends is why we have gay marriages and no prayers in school. The Church is overcome with the mind of the world instead of the Mind of Christ.

The more of the Word we have in us, the more peace, the more forgiveness, and the more love we will have pouring out of us. There will be less room...if any for discord, strife, and sinful conflict.

If we would just set our hearts and minds on God and HIS Will, HIS Word, and HIS ways, we would have less discord and more productivity in the Church. And the devil would not have so much control over our entertainment, government, society, and the Body of Christ as a whole.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for loving me and making a way through your Word for me to live the life You created me to live. Please forgive me for any strife or sinful conflict that I have caused, encouraged, or have been involved in. Your Word says that blessed are the peacemakers. Well, I want to be blessed. I want my life to please You. Help me to recognize when the enemy is trying to bring any strife into my life. Help me to show Your love and mercy to others and not need to always be right. I ask that You remove any hate or animosity from my heart and replace it with Your love and compassion. Thank You, Daddy God. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez