I'm In Love

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I'm in Love

Genesis 29:18

"And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter."

The love that Jacob had for Rachel was certainly a love to copy. Often when you hear someone say, "I'm in love," you wonder if they truly understand what love is all about. Many times teenagers will think they are in love with someone, but they found out after a few months that the one whom they thought they loved is not the true love of their life. In this love story between Jacob and Rachel, you find some attributes of true love.

First, love works for it's object. Jacob worked fourteen years for the opportunity to marry Rachel, and you don't see him complaining at all about what he had to do. The reason being is because love doesn't expect something for nothing. True love is willing to work and do whatever it takes to please the one whom their love is placed upon.

Second, love serves others and not itself. It is interesting that Jacob was willing to serve others because he loved Rachel. I find that many times people who say they love someone only have their own agenda in mind. True love is never interested in itself and what it gets. In fact, true love is satisfied if it gets nothing, as long as the needs of the one whom it is placed upon has their needs met. The marriage that is filled with love is a marriage where both husband and wife live to meet the needs of each other. They are not selfish, but rather they live to serve the other.

Third, love is willing to wait. Jacob was willing to wait a total of fourteen years to marry Rachel. Love doesn't quit because it doesn't get what it wants immediately. Love will wait for what is right because it doesn't want to hurt the one whom it is placed upon. If a young person truly loves someone, then they will wait for marriage to enjoy the pleasures of marriage. If a person is not willing to wait, then they don't truly love the one whom they say they love.

Fourth, love won't stop when it is spurned. In verse 28, you find that Jacob was deceived by Laban, and yet he still kept loving Rachel. Anytime you love someone, you will find at times that your love will seem to be spurned. However, if you truly love them, then your love won't give up on them. How many times have we spurned God, and yet He still loves us. Yes, love will be spurned, but when it is it won't stop loving.

Finally, love is flexible. Jacob was willing to be flexible for the one whom he loved. When you love someone, you will be flexible in order to get along. I'm not saying you will compromise, but you will be willing to give up your wishes for each other. Love is rigid on truth, but it is flexible on preference.

Christian, these attributes of love will be evident with whomever it is you love. Whether it is a parent/child relationship, pastor/church member relationship, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, husband/wife relationship, etc., love will always hold these attributes. Work on these areas with the ones you love. You will find that your love will grow as you improve in each of these areas.

No child

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She Had No Child

Genesis 11:30

"But Sarai was barren; she had no child."

One of my relatives who had a great influence on my life was my uncle and aunt, L.J. and Bessie Parr. They are some of the greatest Christians you could ever meet. One of the blessings they had in life was they had no children. That's right, I called it a blessing! Though they wanted children, God blessed them with no children so that they could become a parent to many others. I never one time heard them complain about not having children. Though they wanted a child, they understood that it was not God's will for their lives. So, they took it as an opportunity to invest in the lives of other children, and in doing so, I became one of the beneficiaries of their influence. Just like Sarai had no children, they likewise had no children and used it as a ministry to help others.

Let me briefly address how to talk to those who have no children. Be careful about asking people who are childless when they are going to have children. First of all, this is not your business. Second, this can be very hurtful to some who have tried to have children and can't. Pray for them, and ask God to open their womb. Support them, but don't be judgmental of their situation for you don't know the whole story.

However, for those who have no children and would like to but for some reason God has not opened your womb, let me advise you to accept your situation as God's will for your life. Don't let your situation of not having any children cause you to become bitter. God cannot use you to your fullest potential in your current situation until you accept it as His will.

Second, take your situation as an opportunity to help other children. My uncle and aunt helped so many children, that in some sense they were able to help more children than if they had their own. Maybe the reason God has not blessed you with your own child is so that you can influence more children. Invest your life in children on a bus route. Get involved in ministries where you can help children. Treat other children as you would treat yours if God gave you a child of your own.

Third, do right! Don't become like Sarai who wanted a child so badly that she pushed her husband to commit adultery. Doing wrong to get a child is never right. Adultery is always wrong! Maybe God is testing your faith to see if you will do right even if He doesn't give you a child. Don't let your desire for a child be so great that it moves you to sin.

Fourth, pray, pray and pray! You may have prayed for a long time, but don't give up on God. Yes, you must accept your situation and not complain about it, but it does not mean that you can't continue to ask God for a child. Unless God has plainly told you not to ask for a child anymore, then continue to pray that He will give you one.

Fifth, ask your pastor to anoint you with oil. James 5:14 applies to your situation. Maybe God is wanting to see if you will humble yourself enough to ask your pastor to pray for you. I have seen God give many people a child because they went to their pastor and asked him to anoint them with oil and pray for them.

Last, consider adopting a child. We preach against abortion, but we don't adopt. Though I believe you need to be careful, young girls who get pregnant out of wedlock need to know there is someone who will adopt and love that child. Maybe the reason God gave you no children is so that you can adopt one.

Use your situation of having no children of your own as a ministry to help their children. Remember, God does everything on purpose. So take your situation to bless others, and maybe God will bless you with your own child.

Running?

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Why Are You Running?

Genesis 3:9

"And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?"

God asked Adam and Eve a disturbing question when He asked, "Where are thou?" What would cause anyone to hide from God? Why would anyone ever run from the presence of the God Who made them? However, this happens over and over again. Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God, yet through a series of actions they found themselves running and hiding from Him. The same things that caused Adam and Eve to run from God are the same things that cause people to run from God today.

First, wrong associations will cause people to run from God. Adam and Eve associated with Satan. This wrong association caused them to run from the presence of the One Who wanted to help them. Wrong associations will often cause people to run from those who love them and want to help them. People will run from their preacher when they have wrong associations. People will run from their parents when they have wrong associations. People will run from the very ones who want to help them, and all because of wrong associations.

Second, disobedience will cause people to run from God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden tree. You will always know when someone has disobeyed because they will run from their authority. When you obey your authority, you will want to be in their presence. One of the reasons why people run from authority is because they have been disobedient.

Third, indecency will cause people to run from God. When Adam and Eve sinned, they knew they were naked. Their indecency brought shame when God's presence came. It is amazing how soon people will become indecent when they are running from God. I have watched people have good dress standards become indecent when they started running from God. If you would be ashamed to be dressed a certain way in the presence of God, then most likely you are running from God. If the preacher caught you dressed in a way that would embarrass you, then let me kindly say that you are running from God.

Fourth, compromise will cause people to run from God. When Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to dress themselves, they were compromising. Compromise always leads to wrong actions. Instead of trying to change God to meet your standards, you need to change your standards to meet God. A sure sign of compromise is when people start attacking the Word of God, which is the King James Bible for the English speaking people. Their attempt to change the power and authority of the Word of God is a sign they are running from God.

Last, improper roles of authority will cause people to run from God. In verse 17, God showed that Adam and Eve disobeyed His roles for authority. You can tell when a society is running from God by how they try to say that God's roles for authority are antiquated. The roles of authority never change. Whenever a person is running from God, they won't mind changing the roles of authority in their life.

Do you see any of the signs of running from God in your life? I challenge you to be sure to stay close to God by avoiding the areas that would cause you to run from Him. When you are right with God, you won't run from Him. When you are right with God, you will want to be wherever He may be. Be careful that you don't run from the One Who wants to help you. Stay close, for in His presence you will find life's richest blessings.

How?

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How Do You See God?

Revelation 19:11

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."

Our perception of a person or a situation is often determined or influenced by the current situation of our life. This way of perceiving things will often determine how we see God. In the verse above, John saw God coming to fight the last battle, the Battle of Armageddon. You must realize that John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos when He described how he saw God. Though John was going through a rough time in his life, he still gave us a good description of God.

He first described God as faithful. Though John could have looked at God and thought that God had forsaken him, He did not say this, but he said He was faithful. In other words, John was saying that God could be depended upon. It doesn't matter what you are going through, you can rest assured that God is still faithful today. God will always be there for you in your time of need, for faithfulness is part of the character of God.

John then described God as true. How thankful you ought to be that God is still a God of His Word. Whatever God says He is going to do, He will do. When trying to determine truth, look no further than God. Whatever you read in God's Word is true, for God is truth. Man may lie to you, but God is always true. Man may skew a story, but what God says is absolutely true. Man may exaggerate illustrations, but whatever God says is exactly how something happened. Not only can God be depended upon to be there for you in your time of need, but His Word can be depended upon to guide you through life.

The third way that John described God is righteous. Every Christian can be thankful for this. If it were not for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, then every person would be destined to Hell. However, John was saying that everything that God allowed to happen to him was something that he deserved. Likewise, you must stop griping to God about how He treats you and realize that you deserve everything that God allows to come your way. God's treatment of His people is always righteous treatment. Nothing will come your way that you don't deserve. I can say this because we are all sinners, and the best that any of us deserves is Hell. Therefore, stop complaining about what you don't deserve and accept God's treatment of you as righteous.

John then described God as determined and passionate. In verse 12 John saw the eyes of God "were as a flame of fire,..."  God's determination and passion should be exemplified in every Christian. Don't be a Christian who is passive and dead, but be like your Saviour Who is determined and passionate about everything that He does.

In verse 13, John finally saw Jesus as his sacrifice. Jesus is the sacrifice for salvation. He is the only way that anyone can be saved. If you will focus upon Jesus as the sacrifice for your salvation, then you will find that you will see Him properly.

Let me ask you, how do you see God? John was right when he described God in these ways. Yet, how he saw God didn't even scratch the surface of the goodness of God. Take some time today and write down how you see God. Then take your list and thank God for everything that He is to you.

Keys

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Three Keys to Overcoming Satan

Revelation 12:11

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

I believe that the story in Revelation 12:11 was the battle that was fought when Jesus was in the grave. Revelation 12:7 says, "And there was war in heaven:..." Notice that this is a past tense statement. Then in verse 9 it says that the Devil was cast out of Heaven. However, verse 10 tells us why the Devil was cast out when it says, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:..." It was through the salvation of Christ that ultimately caused the Devil to be cast down. The angels of Heaven fought with the Devil until Jesus rose from the dead. When He rose from the dead, then they had the power to overcome Him "...by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

That same power that the angels used to overcome the Devil is available to us. When you see this war in Heaven, you see in verse 9 that every personage of Satan was used. Satan used all of his power to win this war, but was still overcome by the blood, their testimony, and a willingness to fight unto death. Christian, no matter what power Satan may use to fight against you, you have the power to overcome Him with these same three keys.

First, you must be saved if you want to overcome the power of Satan. Only through the blood of Jesus Christ can anyone overcome the power of Satan. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us from our sins. Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." If you are not saved, you have no power to overcome Satan and his destructive forces. The blood of the Lamb is the foundational key to overcoming Satan. You must be born again if you want to overcome Satan.

Second, you must have a good testimony if you want to overcome Satan. In verse 10, Satan is called, "the accuser of our brethren." You are going to have to live right if you want to overcome Satan. If you give Satan ammunition to accuse you through living a life of sin, then you have no power to overcome him. Yes, you still have to deal with your flesh when you get saved, but you can overcome the flesh through the help of God's Holy Spirit. You must have a good testimony if you want to overcome Satan.

Last, you must be willing to die for the sake of Christ if you want to overcome Satan. If you are more concerned with the affairs of this world than you are with winning the battle over Satan, then you will never overcome him. When you're more interested in television, money, careers, promotions and the world's approval than you are with serving God, then you will never have the power to overcome Satan. When you come to the point when serving the LORD is the only thing that matters to you, then you will have the power to overcome Satan.

Do you really want to overcome the power of Satan in your life? Then you must first be saved. Has there been a time in your life when you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins? If not, then you need to do that right now. If you can point to that time, then you need to be sure to live your life in a holy manner and not care about the world, but care about pleasing God, even if it means you must die. This type of living will give you a good testimony, and it will give you power to overcome the powers of Satan.

God Knows

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God Knows

Revelation 3:15

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."

Seven times in the first two chapters of Revelation God says the words, "I know." Though each time God said it was not always good for the church, it can be encouraging to know that God knows. God says in these chapters that He knows our works, our labor, our patience, our stand, our endurance, our tribulation, our poverty, our surroundings, our love, our service to Him, our faith, our heart's condition, our strength and our walk with Him. This is quite a list and God knows all of these things. When you read this list, several things should come to your attention.

First, you can't hide from God. Too many times Christians treat God as if He were a human who only knows what can be seen. You must realize that God knows the heart. What you may be able to hide from others you cannot hide from Him. You can't hide your sin from God. Yes, you may be able to hide your sin from your spouse, parents or pastor, but God knows when you sin the very first time you do it. He also knows your heart. You can't hide a cold heart from God. You may be able to put on a good show for those who watch you, but God knows if your heart is on fire for Him. Always remember that you can't hide anything from God. That is why you must be up front with God regarding your sin. He already knows, so be honest with Him and you will find that He will be more longsuffering with you.

Second, God knows every detail of your life. It encourages me that there is nothing in my life that God doesn't notice. The little things you do in life are noticed by God. Man may not see the things you do in private for God and others, but God sees every little detail and will reward you accordingly. He also knows your fears and worries about tomorrow. He knows your concerns with what the future holds. Though we should never worry or be concerned about our future, it is encouraging that God does know these little details about you, and He will help you through them if you will let Him. Tell God in prayer about the details of your life. Be honest with God, for He already knows these details. Likewise, don't think that your private works go unnoticed. God sees them and will reward you.

Third, God knows what we go through for Him. Nobody quite knows every heartache that you face. However, let me encourage you that God knows. To some this may not be comforting, but you must understand that God knows what you go through for Him. He sees your stand on the job and what you go through for your Christian testimony. He sees your stand in the public schools and the ridicule you receive for that stand. He sees your stand in the public square and the persecution you receive. He sees your stand among compromising Christians. God knows what you go through for Him. Don't give up! God is there to help you, and He will reward you if you will just hang in there.

Seven times in two chapters God reminds us that He knows. Christian, if you will daily remind yourself that God knows and sees all things, you will find that this knowledge will help you to live a cleaner life and will encourage you to keep going when you feel like giving up. Every day, before you leave your house, simply remind yourself that He knows.