In the last devotional, I wrote about “True Honor”, one that is established on what the Lord deems important. In this devotional, I’m going to address “False Honor”, the kind of honor that doesn’t please God!

Empty words are a lip service to honor

These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:8

Many act like they honor God because they have the right words, but their actions don’t follow suit. They have been around church long enough that they have the perfect language. Unfortunately, people can get so good at saying the right things that they start believing their own report. We can’t get distracted with all the religious pump and circumstance. Some think that if they are teaching and preaching the word of God, then they are living it. Sadly, some deceive themselves as to the true condition of their heart!

The above scripture is very revealing because it tells us that we can speak and act right but not necessarily be right with God or with each other. While we can’t change others or try to determine their motives, we have a responsibility to keep our hearts in congruence with our mouths. Otherwise we are in the danger of just growing in religious hypocrisy rather than being transformed by His power! That’s false honor to God.

Being partial to certain people is false honor

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. Leviticus 19:15

When we are drawn to honor those who seem powerful, we become partial in our judgment! We build them up as more important in our minds. We perceive the weak and the poor as less significant and their lives not as important. One can deem the actions and the words of the mighty as more weighty than others and miss out on the great blessing of getting acquainted with someone who doesn’t have the worldly accolades.

God is not pleased with the kind of honor that is based on worldly value system. That’s false honor.  God’s heart for us is to look after the orphans and the widows and be a voice for the voiceless. He commands us not to be partial towards the poor. The poor are those who have very little or no protection/provision.

If we are too busy to fit in with the popular/powerful, we will intentionally or unintentionally dismiss those who are important to the Lord. Potentially, we may have the power to assist in their situation if we gave our ears to listen to their predicament. They may also bless us by their testimony and their ability to overcome hardship.

The media is saturated by the news of the popular and powerful. The world honors the superstars who are perceived to be the heroes and examples to the rest of the population. At the same time, the Lord is not on their list of honor and neither are the elderly (parents) nor the marriage unit. As people of God, we are called to set the example of what truly is worthy of honor and give honor where honor is due according to God’s priority!

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com.

The word of God speaks much about honor to prepare and equip us for giving the right kind of honor to God and others. The Bible also makes us aware and watchful of wrong type of honor and misuse of honor that is all around us.

God Deserves honor above all others

“You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory, honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

All honor, glory, and power belong to the heavenly Father. It is only in honoring God and esteeming Him that we find our bearing in life and have a healthy perspective of ourselves.

At the end of the age, the true magnificence of God will be revealed. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. The culmination and exposure of true honor and glory that He has deserved from the beginning of the age will come to fruition. Praise God!

Honor Parents

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

The Lord very much cares about the established order in the family, and He is the one who chose our parents for us. By us honoring them, we honor God and recognize His sovereignty for choosing them to be our parents. We also respect the sacrifice they have made to protect, provide, and nurture us over the years. For the cases when the parents have been absent/unhealthy, we still choose to honor them as an act of declaration of our trust in God and His redemptive power over our lives.

Honor Marriage

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4

The covenant of marriage was instituted by God, and it is to be honored and respected among all people. For believers, marriage has a greater meaning because it displays Jesus’ relationship to His bride (the Church). This principal of marriage comes directly against our cultural and fantasy-oriented definition of marrying the prince/princess charming or the knight and shining armor.

The scriptures calls the men to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. The wives are called to honor, respect, and submit to their own husbands (Ephesians 5:22). This means we are not called to honor and submit to another man in the same way that we are called to submit ourselves to our own husbands. That’s because our relationship with our husbands reflect our relationship with Christ more than any other relationship!

Both men and women have responsibilities that can be challenging. However, by obeying God, He shapes us and breaks down the inherent selfishness in us! He uses the circumstances/situations of our lives to make us more humble, gentle, loving, & forgiving.

How are you doing with honoring those that God has placed in your life?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com.

In the last devotional, I wrote about Freeing up the mind by tearing down strongholds and doing a major house cleaning. While the spiritual house cleaning is a foundational work in a believer’s life, the more difficult part of the recovery is the disciplined and hard work of thinking differently from now on.

Our thoughts affect our emotions and how we feel about our circumstances, those around us, and even ourselves. The scripture in Romans 12:2  tells us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind..”. It doesn’t tell us to renew our emotions but our minds. What we think, does affect our mood and emotions. If we think right, our emotions will follow suit. It is very important not to allow thoughts to passively enter our minds and start controlling us. Our mind needs to come under the control of the Holy Spirit and His truth. How can we love God with all our mind if it is occupied with thoughts that are not from Him?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

The word “think”:  Greek (G 3056 lo-g?’-zo-m?) to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over, to take into account, …., to impute, a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight to number among, reckon with.

The word “think” in the above scripture is not an opinion, or “mind over matter”. It is a reckoning whereby it is so tangible that you can count on it like money in your bank account. You can cash it in. It is not wishful thinking nor is it a fantasy.

According to the above scripture and the definition associated with the word “think”, we are exhorted to see what is true, praiseworthy, and of good report as the real thing. That means if we are entertaining a lie, a presumption, a self-defeating thought, or a critical thought about someone else, we need to hold them captive. Then, we find a better thought to think about.

Because the negative thoughts have given us false security in protecting us, letting go of them will challenge us to a higher place of trusting God. If protection or defense is required, He’s got our back, and we don’t have to do it in by entertaining negative thoughts, arguments, or strongholds.

There are times that the situations or circumstances don’t look or feel good, so it is hard to think good, noble, and praiseworthy thoughts. In those situations, we look to the Lord and think of His goodness, nobility, and praiseworthiness. We press into faith and declare God’s character and His purpose over our situation. He is lovely, and what He does in our lives will produce good.

We remind ourselves that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so He will come through again. We worship him in the beauty of His holiness even when our vision is clouded with darkness, and we can’t see anything beautiful. The more we focus on Him and His goodness, the higher we rise above our circumstances. Those negative thoughts can’t control us any longer because we have brought everything to the obedience of Christ. Praise God!

Catch your thoughts today, and put the above scripture to practice when the negative ones cross your mind.

For most of us, our minds is a highway of thoughts and imaginations that run to and fro buzzing around causing havoc to our soul and bodies.

Each of us comes with a certain preconceived ideas of what life, relationships, marriage, and a whole host of other things look like. We have built protection mechanisms against those things that have harmed us in the past to ensure we won’t get hurt again. We have learned to fight certain issues, run from others, and oblige to certain situations/people. Some of these are strongholds, and the Bible has a clear solution to them.

Living life as orphans in a sinful world and having our own sinful nature, has caused all of us to develop strongholds along the way that will challenge a believer. In order for a Christian to live a victorious life, he/she must confront the strongholds in his/her life, and free the mind from anything that causes disobedience to the will of the Father.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2Corinthians 10:3-5

The Bible tells us that we must hold every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In order to hold something captive, we need to catch it first! Our thoughts and especially the strongholds are tricky to catch because they have become habitual to us. We have certain patterns of thinking that are very familiar and comfortable to us. These can be either miserable or arrogant thoughts such as: “Nobody likes me.” “Everybody hates me.” I’m never heard.” “I’m not important.”  “Why is she always the popular one?” “I don’t like him.”  I’m the best.” “I should be the special one!” “I have to go first.” “I will prove that I’m right.”, etc.

The best way to catch familiar thoughts is to recognize them in two ways. The first one is the frequency of which we have them. Some of those strongholds may not look as damaging until we see the fruit of them in our lives because we keep thinking the same thing over and over again. The second way we can catch them is when we feel fearful or proud. This is when we pay attention to the thoughts that crossed our minds. Those are the thoughts that seem to protect us, but in reality hold us captive in our fortress with a certain way of viewing life and other people.

Once we recognize them, we need to repent. Forgive those that have caused pain in our lives. Forgive ourselves for the sins/mistakes we committed and uproot the strongholds. A spiritual house cleaning is a necessity for every believer. Strongholds, arguments,  and vain imaginations need to be identified and cast  down. The spirits associated with these strongholds have to be bound and cast out as well.  Any thought or attitude that has controlled our lives and held us in bondage from obeying Christ must go!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

If you have any questions about spiritual house cleaning, removing strongholds, and associated ungodly spirits please contact me for more information at karlinefischer@knowhisways.com.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. John 5:5-9

The paralyzed man was focused on scarcity of the situation. Scarcity is bound to produce competition because there is so much available resources. People are motivated to jump on the opportunity and elbow those around them to make sure they get there first. However, since the paralyzed man couldn’t compete, he just felt victimized by it.

God is not the God of scarcity while He allows lack in certain seasons for His purpose. It is in the place of scarcity that we must press into faith and look to God who owns ” the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). His resources never come to an end. He is able to come through for us via natural and supernatural resources. He can overrule any scarcity in our lives! Thank you Jesus!

Jesus asked the paralytic man a simple but profound question. ‘Do you want to get well?” This question is important in two respects. First of all, this man had created a lifestyle out of being paralyzed. He had new routines and new friends at the pool that he could commiserate with. He could even possibly get some monetary assistance from others. If he really desired to get well, he had to put all these things behind him and start fresh. The society, his family, and his friends would start expecting more from him.

The second factor with Jesus’ question is that He never addressed the people or the lack of opportunity to get into the pool. That was not His focus. The man’s healing was connected to God’s will and timing rather than the pool and the people!

If we desire to see change in our lives, we need to be willing to say good-bye to victim mentality and come out of the mindset of being stuck because of people or circumstances. No one can make us feel stuck unless we give them power to do it. Instead of focusing on the problem or the person, we keep looking to God to help us overcome the situation. He will give us the grace and the wisdom to help us rise above it. We hope for His deliverance, His way, and His timing!

Jesus finally told the paralyzed man to take up his mat and start walking. The mat was a representation of everything he leaned on and depended on up to that point. No longer was he going to need the mat. He was now free to walk, move away from the pool, and start living life fully. Scarcity overruled! Praise God!

Are there certain situations or people who make you feel victimized? Do you have any “mat” that you have learned to depend on? What will you do about it today?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

The fallen world offers a lens of scarcity that drives people to competition, envy, discouragement, or depression. Jesus met a paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda who was stuck in scarcity.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” John 5:1-7

This man had been paralyzed physically for thirty-eight years, but he was also paralyzed in his soul this entire time! He saw a place that offered him freedom from his condition but seemed unreachable to him. The pool was a place of healing for those who could be the first to jump in, but because he was paralyzed, he wasn’t able to move in quickly and get himself in the pool. He was stuck in his situation!

I wonder how resentful he felt towards others who didn’t help him. He must have felt alone and unloved because he didn’t have anyone to help him. He probably expected his own family to help him or maybe some of his friends who were healthier or stronger than him. I wonder if he even considered those other sick people whose ailment or disability wasn’t as bad as his. He could have even been angry at God and discouraged with the entire unfair arrangement  because it didn’t give an opportunity for a paralyzed man a chance of healing. In his mind, there was scarcity and the odds were against him for the restoration he longed for.

Sometimes we have the paralyzed man’s attitude in life. The scarcity attitude could be in matters such as finding a mate, a tough marriage, finances, doing a specific ministry, opportunities in education, finding employment, etc. If we are to look at the situation naturally, it can look hopeless, difficult, and unending.

The problem with scarcity is that it makes us focus on people and circumstances, and it shuts off  the faith valve in our lives! We either don’t see the Lord as part of the equation, or He hasn’t come through for us in the way we hoped and expected Him to. We now have become the victim of our circumstances, and we can spend years being stuck because we are focused on a seemingly impossible situation!

What area in you life do you feel stuck or a victim of your circumstances? It’s good to have a conversation with Jesus about it and ask Him to give you His perspective on it.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

For comments, please email at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

In the last two devotionals, I wrote about Jesus breaking down the wall of hostility. In this devotional, I’d like to share about Jesus taking us to a higher ground than just letting go of our hostility towards God and others.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.? 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Through the work of Jesus on the cross, it is God’s heart that every person would have an opportunity to be reconciled to his or her God. Jesus through His blood bought us from the hands of the enemy and darkness, so we can now legally be adopted as children of God. We no longer have to remain orphans floating in a sea of indifference, but we’re called by God and for God to get to know Him and walk with Him. He reconciled us to himself and in turn, he has given us the amazing and life giving assignment of reconciliation!

In order for us to take on such a mantle and be ministers of reconciliation, we cannot partake from the well of offense or allow the yeast of pride to grow in our hearts. Just as a Nazirite (Judges 13:7) was to abstain from fermented drinks, in the same manner, we are to remain sanctified to God by not allowing ourselves to get hardened by wall of hostility between us and others. That makes us available for the holy work of reconciliation that God has given us. It allows us to be ready at any moment or time to reach people, love on them, and share Christ with them.

The ministry of reconciliation also extends to helping people get reconciled to each other.  To operate as ministers of reconciliation between people, we have to lay aside our own preferences and issues to be able to bring people together. There are going to be times that we are tempted to be a talebearer because we want to protect a friend, but we have to refrain from reporting things that can cause division in relationships (See Proverbs 6:19b). Our job is to strengthen and restore relationships between others. Additionally, we can’t allow our own insecurities make us territorial by pushing others away from those we love. We should be happy and excited when we see people in good and healthy relationships with one other and do our part to help promote it in any circle.

The ministry of reconciliation is a tough job because much of the work is done behind the scenes helping individuals to see their part in the problem. Generally, people would like for you to sympathize with their pain and not have you point out any of their issues. As a result whomever you are talking to, may feel that you are taking the side of the other person. Unfortunately, neither party may necessarily appreciate your work. This can initiate rejection towards us. This is when we have to turn to the Lord and ask him, “Are you pleased with what I’ve done?” Many times, when people eventually reconcile, they would like to think that it was their idea not someone else’s help, so don’t expect a letter of appreciation or a pat on the back from anyone! As long as God is pleased, that’s all that should matter. Reconciling people can be a messy and hard task, but we can do our part by His grace.

How are you doing as a minister of reconciliation? Are there things that hinder you from being effective in reconciling others to God or to each other? Have you been discouraged in your past attempts in reconciling people to each other?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

In the last devotional, I wrote about Jesus taking down the wall of hostility between us and God and between us and others according to Ephesians  2:14-18. Paul who penned this scripture had lived in hostility, and he knew how it was like to have a wall of enmity between him and the new believers.

Prior to his conversion, Saul who became Paul was a perfect example of one who had a hostile separation between him and the new Christians. He saw them as a threat to his system and his world of religiosity, and he did everything he could to kill the Christians and annihilate them. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, He asked him “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  Acts 9:4b

I wonder if Paul ever thought of his activities as persecuting his God. Paul must have thought of himself as a loyal follower of his religion who for the sake of the faith was willing to zealously put to death Christians. After all he was a good solider for his God!

If we are going to be sensitive and authentic people of God, we should from time to time ask the question, “Lord, are you pleased by the way I interact/minister to other believers or unbelievers?” Is it possible that we could be persecuting others by how we react to their choices in life?

Sometimes in our zeal and passion against certain sins, we could push people away or act very judgmental. At other times, we may have our conviction on how someone should manage their marriage, parenting, or relationships, and if people don’t aqueous to our viewpoint, we shun them. As a result, we can cause rejection in their hearts.

If we believe that Christianity is a relationship with a holy and living God, then we are to give  room for people to interact with their God . Our job as the people of God is be a catalyst for change by leading people to scripture, sharing with them from our experiences, and praying for them that they will trust and obey God. However, we can’t force people into the kingdom or strong arm them into obedience because then we have turned our beautiful and delicate relationship with Christ into a religious dogma!

Just as Paul had a wall against him and the new believers, the early Christians had a wall erected against Paul because of his behavior. They had no confidence in him. They thought of him as a man who was cruel and was out to get them. When they heard about Saul’s conversion, they didn’t have a party, because they didn’t trust him nor had a desire to  get close to him. It was Barnabas who became an endorsement to Paul that led the early church to give him a chance.  It takes time for people to regain trust in a previously unsafe person even after the hostility is removed.

People may continue to make bad choices inside and outside of the church. However, our responsibility as a believer is to conduct ourselves in such a way that creates a safe, non-hostile environment for people. The Lord calls us to do our part to lovingly, gently, and firmly present the truth. Nevertheless, in humility we recognize that each person is ultimately responsible before God for the choices they make, and we don’t get to make those choices for them!

At the end of the day, Jesus’ heart is to see a restored man or woman who is reconciled to His God and to the people around him/her.  Are we the catalysts for this change? Is Jesus pleased with how we interact His sheep?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

As natural people, we have a tendency to be hostile to God and to each other. There is a self-preservation innately in us that we have to take care of number one at all costs and anyone who rocks our boat is a threat to us. Jesus came to change that completely.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14-18

Jesus broke down the wall of hostility to bring us back to God and to each other. While Paul specifically was speaking about the Jews and the Gentiles, this also applies to any group of people or individuals. The Jewish people would only allow the Gentiles to come so far when it came to their entry to the temple. They were also considered the children of the promise which meant that the Gentiles were not children of the promise. Jesus came to change all of that and open the door to whoever calls upon His name to be considered a child of God.

Christ showed us that we have more in common than we have differences. First and foremost our common ground is that we are all sinners in need of forgiveness. No one has a corner on holiness regardless of his or her heritage or family line. When Jesus spoke to a Pharisee or a Samaritan, His message was the same: repentance and being born-again.

Secondly, everyone one of us can be saved by putting our faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ. There is not caste system in the Kingdom. There is no special access to God for a certain few. Everyone one of us can enter the Holy of holies and approach the throne of grace whether we were born again yesterday or have served God for decades. His joy, peace, and abundant life are available for whosoever believes in Him and walks with Him.

Jesus came to take the sting of hostility that originated in the Garden of Eden causing man to sin against his/her God. He also came to take the enmity of pointing fingers at each other by blaming others for our sins.

The cross did away with enmity. His good news is that you don’t have to be fearful of others, feel threatened by them, or be compelled to control/manipulate them. They don’t have the power over your life that they used to. Trusting God neutralizes and dismantles every negative affect of another man’s sin because we know God is on our side, and He will help us face whatever comes our way with His power, love, and wisdom. Thank you Jesus!

Is there a person that you have hostility towards? Ask the Lord to show you why you feel hostile towards them. What lie have you believed about yourself or about the other person that keeps you bound in enmity? This could be an opportunity for God to deliver you from a stronghold or a faulty mindset in your life.

Repent from hostility. Forgive the person for any sin committed against you. Make a commitment that you are not going to feel hostile towards this person anymore. Jesus is your peace and call upon His name to neutralize the poisoned feelings that come and declare the truth of above scripture in your situation.

Jesus has broken down the wall of enmity, and He has come to be our peace for every threat, intimidation, or anxiety that we experience.  Living in the truth of the above scripture will change our surroundings!

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

Jesus delayed His arrival despite others’ expectations

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” John 11:5-7

The scripture tells us that Jesus loved the sisters and Lazarus, but He didn’t drop everything to rush to Judea. As a matter of fact, Jesus decided to stay two more days.

Can you imagine what might be going on in Martha and Mary’s minds? What goes on in your mind when there is a delay that looks like a denial? I wonder if these were some of Mary and Martha’s thoughts: “I thought He loved us. I thought He had a special relationship with Lazarus. Is ministering to people more important than taking care of a friend? Why is He silent? Does he not care anymore?”

The above scripture is important for all of us to take to heart because in one verse, it tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus but at the same time he delayed his arrival two more days. His delay was not a denial of Lazarus or his sisters. That delay did not signify His lack of love for them. The delay didn’t mean that He didn’t care. However, it did mean that He didn’t see the situation like they saw it. He was not intimidated by the sickness nor was He challenged by Lazarus’ death. As a matter of fact, he knew that God was about to do something miraculous in this situation to bring glory to Himself. Jesus was led by His spirit rather than by His emotions.

There will always be the demands of people around us or the urgency of the moment that will try to push us to fix something right away or have an answer for someone. Jesus models being led by the Spirit and not allowing the pressure of the situation to move us in a certain direction. That means sometimes people will be disappointed or may think we don’t care, but man’s opinion of us can’t change God’s leading.

The delay caused a greater miracle

Praise God for His miracle working power that raised Lazarus from the dead by Jesus calling him out of the grave. This was a prelude to what God was going to do in and through Jesus’ life.

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. John 12:9-11

The news of Lazarus being raised from the dead was a such a great news that many were curious to see this man and hear his testimony. As result of this, many believed in Jesus and God was truly glorified.

Lord, help us to handle delay periods well and continue to remember your unchanging goodness in the midst of it all.

For comments, please email me karlinefischer@yahoo.com