religion

From the Quiet Place…

Posted on 8 Nov 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

God wants to live among His people. He wants to protect them. That has always been His desire since the beginning of time. He desires to commune and have that fellowship with His children. However, His people have rejected Him as their Lord and their God. Those who have claimed God as their own have defiled their own bodies and have exchanged the Most High God for other gods, the creation created by God Himself and the things created by man.

The Church has exchanged what is holy for what is evil and exchanged the truth of God for lies. Rather than seeking the God Who Provides her with all her needs, she seeks after that which is temporal such as power, prestige, wealth, popularity, and the like.

God is not welcomed in most places of worship, and His Word has been dissected and chopped up to the point it is unrecognizable. The Word has been made to suit the lifestyles of the people instead of the people seeing themselves in light of the Word of God, repenting, turning from their evil ways, and humbling themselves before God.

God desires a relationship with His people, but they have kicked Him out of their lives and their hearts. They have kicked God out of their homes and places of worship.

The consequences of their sin are falling on their own heads, and they are blaming God for their suffering. Their choices have them on the broad road to destruction. They are headed to Hell. Their consciences are seared and their hearts calloused.

The anger of God is set against all sinful and wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. The creation clearly shows the invisible qualities of God and so they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Everything is exposed before the eyes of God. He sees all and yet His children don’t believe He sees all they do and hears all they say. They are clever at doing wrong, but they are stupid when it comes to doing what is right. They have chosen death instead of life. They have chosen to be cursed rather than blessed.

To all those who have believed Him and accepted Him, to them, He gave the right to become children of God. Those who do His will and walk uprightly before Him, they belong to Him.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor has sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who see Your face.”

One Act of Revenge

Posted on 7 Nov 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said, ‘I’m going into my wife’s room to sleep with her,’ but her father wouldn’t let him in. ‘I truly thought you must hate her,’ her father explained, ‘so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead.’ Samson said, ‘This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines.’ Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves. ‘Who did this?’ the Philistines demanded. ‘Samson,’ was the reply, ‘because his father-in-law from Timnah gave Samson’s wife to be married to his best man.’ So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death. ‘Because you did this,’ Samson vowed, ‘I won’t rest until I take my revenge on you!’ So he attacked the Philistines with great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Etam. The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi. The men of Judah asked the Philistines, ‘Why are you attacking us?’ The Philistines replied, ‘We’ve come to capture Samson. We’ve come to pay him back for what he did to us.'” –Judges 15:1-11(NLT)

Don’t be like Samson. He began with one act of revenge and one act of revenge after another occurred. Letting any emotion control you is dangerous, but in Ephesians 4:26-27(NLT), the Scripture states, “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

Anger, when left unchecked, will play on every other emotion.

One act of revenge done out of anger, spite, and jealousy can cause a ripple effect. If you get revenge, then the person may retaliate against you due to that person being angry. Then you will want to seek revenge again if you don’t deal with issues of anger, spite, and jealousy that had the best of you when you initiated the first act of revenge. Be careful not to sin in your anger.

First, those who have a short fuse make for bad company. Second, jealousy’s apparel doesn’t look good on anyone, and thirdly, why are you acting like you are a child on the playground misbehaving and hurting others out of spite?

Stop the nonsense, and grow up.

Linda A. Knowles

Peace With God

Posted on 5 Nov 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7(NLT)

Peace with God is so important that the ceremonial law for peace offerings is detailed in Leviticus 3. The peace offering was an expression of gratitude, and it was a way for the people to maintain fellowship with God. Part of the offering could be eaten by the one who was presenting the offering because it was symbolic of peace with God.

Peace is a fruit produced in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Peace with God comes by having faith in God and His promises. Peace with God is not cheap, but it comes through a sacrifice of praise and joying in the God of your salvation. Because of the peace of God, you are able to drink deeply from the well of salvation. Peace comes from knowing that your enemies cannot prevail against you and that God upholds you with His victorious right hand. Peace of God comes from waiting upon the Lord, fully trusting in Him. As you wait on Him, He will renew your strength, and you will mount up with wings like eagles. This is the kind of peace you can experience and should be experiencing as a child of God. Remember no matter what circumstances you find yourself in, no matter how many enemies you have surrounding you, you must know fully that God has established His relationship with you. Because God has fully established His relationship with you, you have peace with God.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God of All Peace and You are the Peace That Surpasses All Understanding. Father, thank You for establishing my relationship with You. You are the Peace-Giver. Let me always remember to cast all my cares on You because You care for me, and help me to always remember You, O God, are my Protector. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

Are You Weak or Strong In Obedience?

Posted on 26 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ‘Look,’ they told him, ‘you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have,'” (1 Samuel 8:4-5NLT).

Israel was never meant to be like the other nations. Israel had a set of laws from the hands of God and God had chosen them as His very own, specifically set aside to do the work had for them to do, set apart as a holy nation. Israel was not to be like the other nations, and we can see this throughout the entirety of the Old Testament.

In this passage, Samuel is getting counsel from the Lord. The Lord God was to be their King, but they pushed God aside and wanted a mortal man as their king so they could be like all the other nations. So God had this to say (1 Samuel 8:7-9NLT), “‘Do everything they say to you,’ the Lord replied, ‘for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.'”

Israel’s sin can be put into one word: DISOBEDIENCE.

Understand Saul had already been chosen by God to be their king. God knew what they were going to do, that they were going to insist on getting their way, and Samuel did tell them what having a human king would be like. Saul ended up being their king. However, their problems still continued just under a human king. What was Israel’s sin that the problems still continued only under another administration? DISOBEDIENCE. They were defiant towards God. They continually disobeyed, and they had no regard for God or His laws. Because of their disobedience, their problem worsened, and they ended up getting paid the wages of the sins they had committed.

Who is your king? Are you serving God or yourself?

If you are not obeying God and you are defiant towards God continually, you are weak because you are relying on self and dependent on your own will. God will not force Himself on you. If you love God, you will obey Him.

REFLECTION: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him,” (John 14:23KJV).

As a child of God, you are made holy, set apart, and to live by the standards God has set. As a child of God, you do not live as the world does, and you are not to live as the world dictates. Remember there is hope for those who choose to repent and turn from their wicked ways. When you are obeying God and truly loving Him, blessings will follow as you enjoy a right relationship with the Father. If you want God to rule and reign in your life and you want God to guide your family and your personal life but are living by the world’s standards, then you are not truly obeying God nor are you honoring Him. Honoring and obeying God must be a part of every area of your life, not just in the areas you want. Are you truly obeying God, honoring Him in all you do? If you are not truly obeying God and honoring Him in all you do, what is holding you back?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God of faithfulness, and You expect no less from those who are Your children. Father, help me not to be like Israel. I am sorry for disobeying You. Please forgive me, and renew a right spirit within me. I surrender myself into Your hands. I ask that You teach me how to honor You and ask You to instruct me in Your ways. Discipline me, O Lord, when I sin. Lead me on Your paths of righteousness that I may become more like You. Show me Your ways, and reveal Yourself to me that I might know You more and more. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4(ESV)

Don’t Forfeit Your Blessing By Grudgingly Obeying God.

Posted on 25 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Having God’s favor upon your life is priceless. You cannot put a price on His favor because it is so costly, and yet God lavishes His favor upon His true children because He is the God of Goodness. He gives good things to His children, but did you know that if you grudgingly obey you can forfeit the blessings/rewards He has for you? Let me explain this way: The Word of God states, in Deuteronomy 6:7, “Love the LORD Your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.” Note the words ALL of your heart and ALL of your soul, and ALL of your strength. ALL of your being must desire to do the task you are doing for God. ALL of your being must be upright and pure before God while you are obeying Him.

IT REALLY IS A MATTER OF THE HEART.

“Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not wholeheartedly.”

2 Chronicles 25:2(NLT)

Amaziah did what was pleasing to God, but he did so reluctantly. He had paid for troops to come from Israel to help him go up against Edom when a man of God came to Amaziah and told him God would not give him victory if Amaziah used the troops from Israel no matter how well he did at fighting. Amaziah’s heart attitude was not blameless. He complained about the money he had paid, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?” God had sent him a warning through the man of God in order to let Amaziah know God was not with the troops of Israel, and instead of giving thanks to God for the warning or thanking the man of God for giving him the message God had for him, Amaziah complained and said, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?” The man of God told him, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.” He reluctantly obeyed God, taking the warning the man of God had just given him, and he discharged the Israeli troops

Amaziah may have done what was right and obeyed, but in his heart, he was grudgingly compliant. By the way, Amaziah did go into battle and win. After having the victory in the battle, he had taken the idols of the people of Seir and he set the idols up as his own gods and bowed down before them, offering sacrifices to them. By worshiping these idols, Amaziah angered God. When you are obeying God halfheartedly, you are opening the door to other sins. Amaziah may have done what was right, but in obeying God halfheartedly, it was a slippery slope and his heart led him right into idolatry.

Are you obeying God with ALL your heart? Have you ever done something God told you to do and you did it reluctantly simply because God told you to? When we do not put our whole heart into obeying God and doing His Will, then we will find ourselves exhibiting ungodly behavior such as complaining about having to do His Will or complaining about His perfect timing. We can find ourselves exhibiting anger because when we do God’s will halfheartedly, we resent having to obey Him.

Obeying God is not just about doing what is right. It’s about loving God. How you obey God and how you do what He tells you to do matters. Do you truly love Him with your WHOLE heart? Will you love Him with your WHOLE heart as you obey Him and do His will?

Don’t Forfeit Your Blessing By Grudgingly Obeying God.

PRAYER: Sovereign LORD and KING, You are worthy of my best, not my leftovers. You, O God, have been very good to me. Thank You for all You have done in my life, for providing for me, and for being my protection. I’m sorry for obeying You halfheartedly and for being reluctant in carrying out the tasks You have set before me. Forgive me for these sinful attitudes of the heart. Forgive me, Father, for offending You, and I ask that You cleanse me of these sins as only You can do. I bow my heart in surrender to You and ask that You take control, giving me new desires and attitudes pleasing to You. I ask that You, O God, rule and reign in me. Show me what I need to change in my life and what I need to get rid of. Take me along Your paths of righteous because what You approve of and have to say is the only thing that matters. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Love the LORD Your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.” -Deuteronomy 6:7(NLT)

For His Glory, Not Your Own.

Posted on 21 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

ELDERLY WOMAN

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 6:1(NLT)

This Bible verse is very clear: We are to do good for His glory, not our own.

What we do in the way of good deeds, we do out of our love for God and out of our lives lived out in faith to God. “Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others” simply means we are not to do good deeds to receive the applause and approval of men. If we do good deeds to be seen, to receive the applause and approval of men, that is the only reward we will receive, and then, we lose the reward from God. Knowing this, let us resolve to do everything for the glory of God to be seen of Him, to seek His approval. In pleasing God and bringing glory to Him, you will receive the blessing He has for you.

The Word of God, in Galatians 6:14(NLT), states, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” If our boast is to be in anything, then our boast should be in the cross, not in what we do.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are my God, and I will put my hope and my trust in You. My faith is in You alone. You are the only One whose approval I need to seek and the only One I need to please. Father, help me to always remember that my boast is to be in the cross of Jesus Christ, not in anything I do, and when I do good deeds, I am to do those good works for Your glory. I ask that You let me be a blessing to others and to continue using me for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

Exalting Him…

Posted on 16 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

psalm 3

“…I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together” -Psalm 34:1-3BSB

You, O GOD, are the Lord of all Creation.

You are worthy of all glory, of all honor, and of all praise.

You are my Redeemer, my Deliverer, and Friend.

You are my God, and there is no one else like You.

You alone are the Rock Upon Which I Can Stand.

You are the Sure Foundation,

and You are my Savior.

May Your name, O GOD, be magnified in all the Earth.

May Your children proclaim Your goodness

and testify of Your enduring faithfulness.

LORD, I can look to no other,

for You are the One Who Set Me free

through Your redemptive blood

that You shed at Calvary.

Thank You for giving me life

that I might live for You,

to commune with You,

to worship You.

May I bring glory to You for You are great

and greatly to be praised.

I exalt You, O LORD, for You are

the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Above You, there is no other.

You are the Alpha and the Omega,

the Beginning and the End

the First and the Last.

You are my Strong Refuge,

my Strength,

my Hope,

my Joy.

My spirit rejoices in You,

GOD MY SAVIOR,

and my soul delights in You Who Calls Me By Name,

The One who is my Portion forever,

The Faithful and True GOD.

I praise You, O LORD,

for You are the Shield around me,

and You are my glory;

You are the Lifter of my Head.

Let me always sing of Your lovingkindness,

of Your compassion, mercy, and truth.

To God be all the glory!

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Hope Always

Posted on 4 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

There is hope for the believer and for the sinner who has just repented and turned from their wicked ways. Does the Lord reject the wicked? Yes, He does as show to us in Psalm 1:4-5, “But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.” For the sinner who responds to the call of God, who is truly remorseful for their transgressions, that comes humbly before God and calls on the name of the Lord, he/she is saved, and that one is now a believer and can have full assurance he/she belongs to God and will have eternal life. “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved,'” (Romans 10:13NLT).

If you want to be more fruitful, then delight yourself in the Lord. The more you take delight in God, the more you will produce the fruit of the Spirit. To delight yourself in the Lord is to take joy in the presence of God and taking pleasure in obeying God and walking in His ways.

The purpose of studying and knowing the Word of God is to be able to follow God closely. When you read His Word and study His Word, you will learn the nature and character of God as well as being able to know the attributes of God. One cannot know the commands and expectations of God unless they are steadfast in their studying of the Word of God.

REFLECTION: “Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires,” (2 Peter 3:3ESV). To follow the counsel of the wicked is foolish. Never join in with scoffers and mockers because, in the end, God will have the last say. God will not be mocked. True friends will help you grow closer to God, and they will not hold you back. Mockers and scoffers do NOT love God, and do NOT care about the things of God and will have their place in Hell. However, You, Children of the Most High God, have been given eternal life and will be with Your Heavenly Father in Heaven for all eternity.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the Giver of Eternal Life, and You, O God, are the God of Salvation. There is no one who compares to You for You are the Everlasting God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. Thank You for choosing me, for saving me. Lord, teach me and show me what I need to do to gain eternal life. Teach me Your commands and how to continually delight myself in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Do not fret over doers of evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm. For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land,” (Psalm 37:1-9BSB)

It Will Cost You Everything

Posted on 2 Oct 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“‘I have not troubled Israel,’ Elijah replied, ‘but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.'” 1 Kings 18:18(BSB)

Will serving and loving God cost you anything? Yes, it will cost you everything (Luke 14:25-34), but the results are so worth it. It is not enough to call yourself a believer. It is not enough to be exposed to the Word of God. You must be loving the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. You must be applying His Word to your life and obeying God and His Word out of that love for Him. It really does come down to choosing whom you will serve.

When leaders choose to worship other gods, it causes problems for the nation or church or organization or households. Why? Because whatever the leader’s spirit is will be what the leader will be ministering with. Don’t get me wrong. God used a donkey to get His point across to Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22:28. After all, nothing is too difficult for God.

Either a leader will lead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit or a leader will be leading by the flesh. When one leads with his/her flesh, there will always be major issues and problems.

With that being said…

There is one God, but Ahab and Jezebel worshiped Baal (most popular of the Canaanite gods). However, Elijah was in the midst of the people, and eventually, Elijah challenged the people to take a stand. Either they would choose God or remain Baal worshipers.

When people have to give up their sinful pleasures in order to serve God, you can see their reluctance and walking away because they are not willing to surrender to God. Their actions will make it quite clear whether they served God or not. If you take a stand for God, you cannot live the way you want to.

You may be thinking, “I’m not a leader.” Yes, you are. All of us lead someone at some point. Even if you think you are not a leader, you are being watched by someone (children, spouse, professors, teachers, supervisors, co-workers, list goes on). How you act, what you say, and whether or not you stand for truth matters to whoever watches how you are living your life. There are those who will watch to see if your walk and your talk line up with each other. Make sure you keep yourself in right relationship with God, keeping Him first in all things.

Just like Elijah had challenged the people so did Joshua. The Word of God gives this account in Joshua 24:24-27(BSB):

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

The people replied, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!’

But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.’

‘No!’ replied the people. ‘We will serve the LORD!’

Then Joshua told them, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.’

‘We are witnesses!’ they said.

‘Now, therefore,’ he said, ‘get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.’

So the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.’

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem, he established for them a statute and ordinance. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.'”

Taking a stand is never easy. However, either you will choose to serve God and live for Him, or you will reject Him. When it comes to living for God, there is NO neutral ground. This is not the time to be backing down. It is time to rise up and move forward doing whatever task God has called you to do. You may be in this world, but you are not of this world. Be a godly influence in this world, but do NOT let the world influence you.

Linda A. Knowles

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” –Isaiah 50:7(NLT)

Truth Will Protect You

Posted on 27 Sep 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“May integrity and honesty protect me,

for I put my hope in you.”

Psalm 25:21(NLT)

Since God is the God of Truth, He expects His children to be truthful. If you lie and you get caught in that lie, you lose your integrity. Integrity once lost is very difficult to get back and that’s if you get it back at all. How would anyone trust you again if you choose to lie instead of telling the truth? Since God says in His Word, “Do not lie,” why would you deliberately disobey what God says in His Word? The truth will always protect you because the truth will stand the test of time. The problem is when one chooses to lie. Lies are always exposed. When you do your part in telling the truth, God sees your faithful obedience to Him and His Word, and God will protect you.

REFLECTION: “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others,” (Psalm 25:3NLT). Disgrace will always come to those who choose to practice sin. Maintain your integrity by preserving truth, by speaking truth. Don’t set out to lie or deceive others. Prove yourself to be a trustworthy person. Lies and deceit will always destroy unity and cause division amongst the children of God.

Integrity and honesty are your friends. When you are honest, you will say that the Lord is right and that you shall walk in His ways. When you have integrity, you shall consistently walk in His ways and set your face like stone determined to do His will and obey Him. Those who lie and deceive are disgraced because their sins of lying and deceit have brought them disgrace. Those who trust in the Lord and put their hope in Him will not be disgraced. God will preserve those who are faithful and live in truth.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God who expects faithful obedience to You and to Your Word. You expect Your children to speak the truth. Lord, help me to walk upright before You with a spirit of humility and to always walk in truth. Teach me how to maintain my integrity, and show me how to walk in holiness as You are holy. May Your truth be my shield and my guard. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Don’t lie to each other,

for you have stripped off

your old sinful nature

and all its wicked deeds.”

-Colossians 3:9(NLT)

BEFORE You Turn Your Life Into A Mess

Posted on 25 Sep 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

King

King David was very old, unable to keep warm, and Abishag was taking care of him. It was also around this time, Adonijah had taken it upon himself to begin boasting, “I will make myself king!” Making a claim to the throne was an act of treason and was never taken lightly. Adonijah got greedy, craving the power and wealth, and Kingship, and he made himself king when it was not his place to do so nor did he have the authority to do so. Adonijah gathered together chariots, charioteers, and recruited 50 men to run in front of him (1 Kings 1:5). Adonijah then went further by having the best animals sacrificed, inviting his brothers, the other sons of King David, and all of the royal officials throughout Judah. Adonijah had two people helping him become king as shown in 1 Kings 1:7-8(NLT), “Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.”

Adonijah did things HIS way, not God’s way.

Can you understand the magnitude of the disaster Adonijah’s life was about to become? He commits an act of treason by claiming the throne which did not belong to him, betraying his own father. He then proclaims and declares himself as king, going against King David who was still on the throne, appointing himself. Then he finalizes it with a celebration. However, Adonijah’s evil schemes were exposed, and it would cost him his life unless the King decided to have mercy on him.

Nathan the Prophet went before King David when Bathsheba told him what was going on. Adonijah’s act of treason had been found out and reported to King David who then immediately made his decree (1 Kings 1:33-35), “the king said to them, ‘Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

Treason was punishable by death. Simply put, by Adonijah’s foolishness in having to do things his way because his heart was not pure before God, he could now be put to death for treason. He may have been King David’s son, but being King David’s son did not exempt him from the death penalty for the act of treason.

Had Adonijah sought God’s counsel before acting out and speaking prematurely, he could have avoided the disaster he made out of his life.

REFLECTION: We, at times, do things that we think we will not be caught doing, but that’s not the case. God sees everything we do and hears everything we say. There is no escaping His presence. Eventually, what is done in the dark comes into the light. He is the God who sees all, and everything is exposed before Him.

“Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, ‘Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!’ Solomon replied, ‘If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.’ So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, ‘Go on home,'” (1 Kings 1:49-53NLT).

Solomon had granted mercy by allowing Adonijah, giving him a reprieve by saying, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.” Adonijah was given a chance to make things right. Unfortunately, Adonijah fashioned another evil plot. He committed another act of treason by requesting to have Abishag as his wife. To ask for the King’s concubine was the equivalent to making claims to the throne (1 Kings 2:19-22).

Adonijah had not learned his lesson the first time, and his sin made him pay far more than he ever expected to pay, “Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: ‘May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!’ So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death,” (1 Kings 2:23-25).

Grab on to the horns of the altar before going forward with your plans before you turn your life into a mess. Seek God and consult God first. Get His counsel. Take a lesson from Adonijah’s evil scheme. He didn’t grab on to the horns of the altar UNTIL he knew he had been caught. Sometimes, a person has to get caught in the act before he/she gives up his/her sin. Sometimes, a person has to get caught before he/she comes clean. Just go before God and seek His face where you can find mercy. Seek out God’s perfect will, His ways, and His counsel. Consider what God wants rather than what you want. When you do things your way, you will not succeed. When you do things God’s way, you will be blessed, successful in your ways, and you will have peace of mind. Before you go off on your own and do things your way, ask God what He wants you to do and how to do it. Do not wait until after you’ve done things your way and created a disaster.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God of All Wisdom and the God of All Truth. I ask that You always help me to think before I act and speak. Give me the understanding and insight to always look at the long-term consequences of my actions. Empower me with the Spirit of the Living God to walk uprightly before You with a pure heart that I might bring honor to Your name. Let me seek You out for Your counsel and give me your words to devour, guiding me in Your righteousness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” –Proverbs 4:23

Living Sacrifice Before The LORD

Posted on 21 Sep 201825 Oct 2019 by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Do not present an animal with defects because the LORD will not accept it on your behalf.” -Leviticus 22:20(NLT)

The Levitical Laws, more specifically in this case the ceremonial laws, were a foreshadow of what was acceptable worship and what was unacceptable worship. In order for an animal sacrifice to be made, the animal had to have NO blemishes, NO defects, NO sickness. The animal had to be perfect. If there was the slightest flaw or imperfection in the animal being presented, the animal sacrifice would be rejected by God as shown in this verse, “…the LORD will not accept it on your behalf.”

As I found myself reflecting on this passage of Scripture this morning, I was reminded of another passage in Romans 12:1(NLT), which states, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

We’re told in the Word of God to be perfect as He is perfect, to be holy as He is holy. When we keep that in mind, we will be careful how we live our lives because ALL that we do is worship to God. Our sacrifices must flow out of hearts consecrated, wholly devoted to God.

REFLECTION: The LORD will not accept less than the best. We cannot present the sacrifices of our talent, time, praise, effort and the like to the LORD if we are living lives defiled by pretense and hypocrisy. We cannot present ourselves in worship to the LORD if we are half-hearted in our obedience to Him. When our sacrifice to the LORD is blemished and defective, like the animal sacrifice spoken of in Leviticus 22:20, then we will be the kind of sacrifice He rejects.

Our LORD is the King of kings. For all of Who God is and for all that He has done, how can we present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices if we are defiled with sin? Sin cuts us off from God, and therefore, when we recognize our sin, we must come before God with humility to repent and turn from our wicked ways, aligning our thoughts with His, so that we will be the kind of living and holy sacrifice He will find acceptable.

Our God will forgive us and restore us when we come before Him with the spirit of humility, bowing before Him. His Word tells us in 1 John 1:9(KJV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are worthy of my very best, and I’m sorry for giving you leftovers rather than giving You my very best. I humbly ask for You to forgive me, and remind me always that I am to be holy as You are holy. Father, before You, I have no excuses, and I am asking that You cast me not away from Your Presence but renew a right spirit within me. I give myself into Your hands, committing myself to You and to Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

“No, O people,

the LORD has told you

what is good,

and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right,

to love mercy,

and to walk humbly

with your God.”

Micah 6:8(NLT)

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