The cause

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The Cause of Sibling Rivalry

Genesis 30:8

"And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali."

Sibling rivalry is a problem that goes back to the beginning of time. You would think because it has been around for so long that we would have figured out a way to stop the cause. Yet, in households all over the world are siblings who are causing turmoil in their homes because of their rivalry with each other.

The first sibling rivalry in the Scriptures is found between Cain and Abel. The unveiling of this rivalry is found when both men gave their sacrifices to God. Though this is the first time we see this rivalry, I suspect that this went on for years because sibling rivalries mostly start as children. The sad part about the rivalry between Cain and Abel is that it led to murder.

Jacob and Esau's rivalry started in the womb. The rivalry became so fierce that they had to part ways so that Esau would not kill Jacob. However, you will notice that this rivalry continued on in Jacob's children. Joseph's brethren hated him so much because of how he was treated by his father. This rivalry between Joseph and his brethren led to a plan to sell Joseph into slavery hoping that he would be killed. The rivalry in this family seemed to affect every generation.

In the verse above, we find there was a sibling rivalry between Rachel and Leah. This no doubt was something that went on for years before Jacob ever came into their lives. Yet, this rivalry reached a fevered pitch when both of these ladies became the wives of Jacob. Now you have two sisters who are married to the same man and their rivalry escalated to another level. Rachel admitted that their was a sibling rivalry when she said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister,..." She thought she finally prevailed in this rivalry, but there are no winners in sibling rivalries.

So, you wonder what is the cause of sibling rivalry? When you study each of these stories, you will find that the parents were definitely the cause in three of the four rivalries. Though we don't know much about Cain and Abel, I would imagine the parents were the cause as well. In each of these cases the parents played favorites with one of the children, which left the children fighting with each other trying to reach that favored point in their parent's eyes.

Another danger in sibling rivalry that is also found in these stories is that it leads to evil. In a few cases, murder was contemplated or carried out, and in the others the rivalry led to marital problems. Sibling rivalries will carry on into the adult years if parents don't stop them.

The best way to stop sibling rivalry is for parents to love and treat each child the same. God placed in every child the desire to please their parents. When parents treat one child differently than the other, then the one who is not treated as well will feel that they need to tear down their sibling so they can be elevated in the eyes of their parents. I believe that most sibling rivalry can be stopped simply by parents making every child feel special. When parents make every child feel like they are as loved as the others, then you will stop the sibling rivalries.

Parents, don't allow sibling rivalry in your home. It is unhealthy for the future relationship of your children, and it can lead to sin. When you see it rearing its ugly head, immediately stop it. Love each of your children with a special love and don't allow yourself to play favorites with any of your children. You will find if you can stop the sibling rivalry then you can have peace in your home.

Choosing

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Choosing a Spouse

Genesis 24:3

"And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:"

Matchmaking seems to be one of the oldest traditions that many people try to do for single people. Because I didn't get married until my mid twenties, I had several people try to set me up with someone whom they thought I should marry. However, when God sent the right person my way it was evident that I was to marry her.

Choosing a spouse should never be taken lightly. One of the two things that will impact your life the greatest is the person whom you marry. It will ultimately determine many things for the rest of your life. I could never give this subject the proper emphasis in a short devotional, but I do want to give you some things to look for when choosing a spouse. The story of Abraham's servant finding a wife for Isaac gives us great insight on what anyone should look for in a spouse. If you are a parent, you should teach your child these principles. If you are a single person, you should be sure to follow these principles in choosing a spouse.

First, ask God to guide you to the right person. In verse 12, you will see that before the servant started looking, he asked God to guide his path to the right young lady. God's guidance in finding a spouse will greatly help you in finding the right person. When I was single, I constantly asked God to guide me to the right lady. When I was dating a young lady, I would ask God to end the relationship if she were not the right one for me. This prayer saved me from marrying the wrong person. God literally guided my path to my wife, and he will guide your path to your future spouse if you will ask Him. You must allow God to guide you to the right person at the right time.

Second, choose someone who is a worker. In verse 16, you will notice that Rebekah wasn't afraid to work. This principle is important, for if a lady marries a man who doesn't like to work, then she will have to pay the bills herself. Likewise if a lady is not a worker, then she will be a poor housekeeper.

Third, choose someone who is concerned with their appearance. Verse 16 says, "And the damsel was very fair to look upon,..." A sloppy person is not one who will be "fair to look upon,..."  A person's appearance will show if they treat everything with importance. This is important for the purpose that you want your spouse to be one who treats everything in your marriage and life with importance. A sloppy appearance will most likely display someone who does not have great potential.

Fourth, choose someone who has a good relationship with their parents. In verse 29, you can see that Rebekah's relationship with her parents was good for she was excited to tell them about her experience. Likewise, she would not have listened to her dad if she had a poor relationship with him. A person's relationship with their parents will reveal what kind of relationship they will have with you if you marry them. If a young lady is close to her father, then she will most likely be close to her husband. The same can be said about a young man and his mother.

Last, choose someone who wants to do God's will. In verse 58, Rebekah wanted God's will for she heard how God led this servant to her and her family. Never marry someone who is not concerned with God's will for their life. Your marriage has a greater chance of being successful and happy if both desire God's will.

Never take the choosing of a spouse lightly. Though these are a few principles to guide you, I believe these are some of the most important principles to guide you. Finding the right person to marry is not done by accident, but it is done by following the principles mentioned above.

Destroy

How to Destroy Your Home

Genesis 19:1
"And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;"

The home is the foundational institution of a church and nation. The very first institution that God chose to start was the home. He knew that the strength of everything else would be determined by the strength of the home. The strength of an individual will be determined by the strength of their home. The strength of a church will be determined by the strength of the home. The strength of a nation will be determined by the strength of the home. It is imperative that the home stay strong.

Lot made many mistakes that led to the destruction of his home. When you study Lot's life, you will find that he lost his home, children and wife because of his lack of effort in keeping his home strong. There are five things that Lot lacked that led to the destruction of his home.

First, a lack of backbone led to the destruction of his home. In verse 8, when the wicked men of Sodom came to Lot's home to commit wickedness, instead of standing against their wickedness he tried to bargain with them. In order for a home to be strong, there must be parents who have the backbone to stand against sin. Notice, I said there must be parents. One parent alone having the backbone to stand is not enough. Both parents must have backbone to stand against this sinful society. You must not allow sin into the home.

Second, a lack of spiritual judgment led to the destruction of Lot's home. Again in verse 8, instead of telling the wicked men of Sodom to leave, he told them that he would let them have his daughters and cause them to lose their purity. Can you imagine a father being willing to let wicked men take the purity of his daughters? Lot lacked spiritual judgment. Your home will never be strong if you don't develop spiritual judgment. You will only develop spiritual judgment by daily walking with God. Too many homes lack spiritual judgment because of parents who don't find time to walk with God.

Third, a lack of spiritual leadership led to the destruction of Lot's home. In verse 14, when Lot went to bring his sons-in-laws and daughters with him out of Sodom, they look at him and mocked him because he never led them spiritually. You will destroy your home if there is no spiritual leadership. Each parent must lead their children in spiritual actions. Lead your children to being faithful and active in your church. Lead your children to pray and read the Scriptures. Spiritually lead your children by serving God with them.

Fourth, a lack of initiative led to the destruction of Lot's home. In verse 16, Lot lingered instead of leaving. Don't be a person who procrastinates, but be a person who has the initiative to stir yourself to do what you are supposed to do. A home needs parents who have the initiative to do what is right without someone always having to push them.

Last, a lack of morals led to the destruction of Lot's home. In verses 33-38, you will see that Lot had no morals. A home that has no morals is a home that is headed for heartache and destruction. This is why you need to have standards, for standards keep you living a moral life. Spiritual standards will keep a family from sin. Don't be one who lowers the standards because you don't want to fight the battle to keep them, but stand strong so that your children will live moral lives when they leave your home.

Does your home lack in any of these areas? If it does, then repair these areas so that you won't suffer the heartache of Lot's home in yours.

Inheritance

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Enjoying Your Inheritance

Psalm 16:5

"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot."

If I told you that you have a great inheritance coming to you, then you probably would be thrilled. Often we think of an inheritance as something that has been left to us after someone has passed away. However, the inheritance in the verse above is given to us while we are alive. Yet, the inheritance that this verse is talking about is the plight of life that God gives to us. Some would call it the heartaches of life, but God calls it your inheritance. All of us will have struggles that come our way, and when they come we must realize that this is our inheritance in life. When this inheritance comes our way, Psalm 16 shows us how to accept and enjoy it.

First, God tells us to accept its boundaries. Verse 6 says, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;..." The "lines" in this verse is talking about the property lines of your land. God is teaching us that we must accept the hardships that He has given to us. You must accept that your sickness, heartache and plight of life is your inheritance that you must endure. Fighting the boundaries of your life will not help it to become what it is supposed to be. Christian, stop fighting what God has sent your way and accept it as your inheritance.

Second, find the good in your inheritance. Verse 6 calls this inheritance a "goodly heritage." There is good in whatever you are currently facing. Sometimes all you can see in your inheritance is what you don't have, when what you need to look for is what your inheritance does have. There is value in your inheritance of life. Your inheritance of life makes you more valuable to help others.

Third, thank the LORD for your inheritance. Verse 7 says, "I will bless the LORD,..." Christian, when is the last time you thanked God for what you are going through? Too many times we complain to God about what we are going through when He commands us to thank Him for it. Yes, it may be hard to thank God for it, but you must trust God that He is looking out for your best interest. Therefore, thank Him for what you are enduring.

Fourth, don't try to move the lines of your inheritance. Verse 8 says, "I shall not be moved." Determine not to let your inheritance of life change you. What I mean is you must decide that you will not quit on God because of the difficulty of your inheritance. Far too often people quit when the times get tough, when what they should have done is decided they were not going to be moved. Decide right now that you will not allow your hardship to move you away from what God has called you to do.

Fifth, realize it will end someday. Verse 10 says, "For thou will not leave my soul in hell;..." Yes, one day what you are going through will end. I know, sometimes it seems that there is no end in sight, but you must understand that one day the heartaches you face will end. It may be that it will end when we get to Heaven, but realize that Heaven is for an eternity, and this life is only for a few years. If anything, your inheritance can make you look forward to an eternity in Heaven.

Last, stay close to God. Verse 11 says, "...in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." You will never see the good in your life's inheritance if you don't stay close to God. Notice that the Psalmist found joy and pleasures close to God. Likewise, you will only find joy and pleasures in your heartaches if you stay close to God. His presence is what helps you to accept the lines of your inheritance.

About the Throne

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About the Throne

Revelation 4:4

"And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold."

Years ago I had the privilege of traveling to England to preach a week of revival meetings. While I was there, the pastor took me on a tour to see the crown jewels and the throne of England. My perception of crowns, jewels and the throne were changed forever because of this trip. The western culture cannot grasp the uniqueness and mystique of the throne because of our form of government. However, after I could see with my eyes the beauty of the throne, I better understood the throne and why God set one up in Heaven.

Revelation 4 is a description of the throne of Heaven and what is about the throne. Certainly, the beauty of the throne that God sits upon cannot be imagined by the human mind. Yet, God tried to describe what it would be like. We find about the throne in Heaven are twenty-four elders who have their own seats and crowns upon their heads. Yet, when God entered the room, we find three things happened because of His presence.

First, God's holiness was seen and proclaimed. Verse 8 says that the beasts about the throne cried day and night, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." It is interesting that God's presence was what was proclaimed and not what the elders about the throne had done. One of the greatest needs of this day is the need to see the holiness of God again. When people see God's holiness, then it will cause others to live holy. I fear that one of the reasons that Christians are filled with sin is because they have not seen God's holiness. No, we cannot go to Heaven to see His holiness, but we can see His holiness by studying the Scriptures.

Second, the focus of Heaven was proper. You will notice that the focus of Heaven was not upon the elders, but it was upon God. When people spend time with God, then their focus will be proper. Too many Christians are focused on man and not upon God. Let me make this very clear to you, we do not serve man, but we serve God. It does not matter what some man whom God has used in a great way says, it only matters what God says. Until you get your focus right, you will always struggle in your Christian life.

Third, Heaven's attitude towards themselves was proper. When the holiness of God was proclaimed, then the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped God. What is amazing to me is how people justify not using the altar. When these elders saw God's holiness, they had no problem coming off their seats and falling on their face before God. Likewise, when you get in God's presence and see His holiness, you will have no problem leaving your seat in church and going to an altar to worship God by getting rid of your sin.

You may wonder how this can help your Christian life. Though we cannot physically be at the throne of Heaven, we can go into God's presence daily through the Scriptures and prayer. When you spend time with God, you will find that your focus will be proper and your attitude towards yourself and sin will be right. Whatever you do, don't let your time with God slip, but be sure to daily set time aside to spend with God so that you can keep your focus and perspective right.

Enthusiasm

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You Need to Get Enthusiastic

2 Corinthians 9:2

"For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many."

When Paul talked about the church of Corinth, he pointed out the zeal of this church. He pointed out that the zeal, or enthusiasm, of this church excited others when he said, "...your zeal hath provoked very many." If you attended a service at this church, you would have noticed their excitement during the services. The services of this church were not like a funeral service, but they were exciting. Their services were so exciting that when people came to church it caused them to get excited as well.

One of the weaknesses I have noticed about our present day churches is the lack of enthusiasm during the services. The average church service has no fervor during the congregational singing. The average church service has no "Amen's" during the preaching time. When you attend the average church today, there is no excitement.

However, you can go to any college sports game and see the enthusiasm in their stadiums. When you watch sporting events on television, you will see the fans are very enthusiastic about a ballgame that has no impact anyone's life. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching sporting events, but it is a crying shame when people are more enthusiastic about sporting events than they are about the work of the LORD.

Christian, there is nothing spiritual about being a dead Christian. There are Christian colleges that discourage their students from being enthusiastic during the preaching services. When Paul was speaking to this church at Corinth, he commended them for their zeal. When you read about Heaven, you will find that there is excitement about God and His truths. For anyone to think that no "Amen's" or excitement in the church services is a sign of Christian maturity is simply false. If anything, not having enthusiasm is a sign of a backslidden heart.

Moreover, when you are enthusiastic about the LORD's work, it will cause others to become enthusiastic. Notice that the zeal of this church "provoked very many." Likewise, if you would get enthusiastic about the LORD's work, you would be surprised how others will want to be involved with that work. One of the reasons we are losing the youth in Christianity is because of the lack of enthusiasm in church services. Youth want no part of something that is dead. Now, this is no excuse to leave the church, but it is a fact that youth want to be part of something enthusiastic. If you will start becoming enthusiastic about serving the LORD and the preaching of the Word of God, you will find that it will begin to spread to others.

If you are going to get an infectious zeal for God, then you must believe in what you are doing. You will never be enthusiastic about the LORD's work if you don't wholeheartedly believe in what you are doing. You must believe that the LORD's way of life is the best way of life. You must believe that the truths of the Word of God will change lives. You must also get rid of sin if you want to have a true zeal for the LORD. Sin and worldliness will always dampen your excitement for the LORD.

Let me ask you, does anybody want to serve the LORD because of your zeal? Has your zeal provoked anyone else? When you fall in love with the LORD and His work, you will find enthusiasm will come with it. I beg you, don't let others curb your enthusiasm for God. Don't let their dead Christianity kill yours. Get enthusiastic about the preaching of God's Word and what you are doing for the LORD, and you will find that your enthusiasm will spread to others.