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Sometimes it seems as if faith and wisdom belong to two different groups of people. They appear to be mutually exclusive of each other but they are not. In order to operate in faith we need wisdom and for us to operate in Godly wisdom, faith is required. To be truly effective in the Kingdom of God, one needs both wisdom and faith to navigate through life successfully.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. James 3:13

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

One of the meanings of the word wisdom is “Skill”. God has given us many gifts and abilities, and we have a responsibility to use those gifts with skill. Faith allows us to go beyond what is seen with natural eyes and allows us to set our eyes in the sprit realm. Faith gives us the courage to believe the impossible!

The gift of faith has to tap into the mind of God and His wisdom, so the individual can be in step with God’s timing and strategy. Wisdom gives us the humility to acknowledge that we don’t know everything, and we need to learn and grow. If wisdom is absent one may experience the danger of “name it and claim it” mentality. Just because God made someone a promise, it doesn’t mean they can run with it and expect God to bless it.

A friend who is in her 60s told me that in 1970s when there was a great move of God in the church, she along with so many young people came to salvation during that time. These individuals got on fire for God and experienced a great touch from God, but then they got off balanced. Some were selling everything and quitting jobs because they were in love with God. They were ready to go into ministry or the mission field without much planning, training, or backing. This eventually led them to discouragement  and disillusionment until they found their equilibrium. They had to start facing the reality of finding a job, paying bills, and doing what other people do while loving Jesus. The wisdom of God gives us the skill to patiently administer God’s will into the earth realm apart from the emotionalism of the moment.

On the other hand, if we try to operate in wisdom without tapping into faith and hearing God on a matter, we may operate only on what is possible in the natural realm. We may get too cautious or wait too long to take a step because we don’t see or understand all the pieces yet. One may rely on his own logic and understanding and not leave room for God to be God and for Him to manifest His will in the natural realm.

A man or a woman of God who is able to hear God and believe what He says and at the same time applies the knowledge of the Word rightly, can have great success and longevity in their spiritual walk. We need to grow and develop in both to have a strong and life giving walk with God.

 “He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.” Proverbs 2:7b

One of the roles of parents is to protect their children from the day they are born. Children are vulnerable and are in need of their parents’ protection for many years. However, there comes a time when children grow up and in order for a parent to protect a child, more is required from the child. This is the time the children need to be picking the right friends and be sure not to get involved with shady ones. They are now responsible for not abusing their bodies with harmful activities or substances. They are expected not to cheat on their tests. They need to follow the driving rules when they are in the driving stage.  If the children do what’s right, any parent would willingly and gladly support and defend their child in case of trouble or misunderstanding.

Our heavenly father does the same for us. The above scripture shows us that when we are right with God and walk uprightly, the Lord obligates himself to be our protection and our defense. If anyone accuses us of wrongdoing, they are coming against God’s child. This is a serious business!

The Lord is our protector and our shield. Isn’t it amazing that the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings chooses to be our defense attorney!? The most powerful person in heaven and on earth is backing us up!! People of affluence spend millions of dollars to find the best attorney to present their case and to be their advocate. We have a God in heaven who is our advocate.

As the children of God, we have the privilege of calling upon our Abba Father for our defense. He will contend with those who contend with us. We don’t need to run. It’s not necessary to get discouraged or fearful. We don’t need to allow the enemy to beat us down. Just as Joseph continued to stay faithful to God and live uprightly, we are called to do the same thing regardless of circumstances knowing that He will fight our battles and will keep us from harm. If He is taking care of the lilies of the field so well, how much more will he take care of us!? Praise Him!

Doing it our way while it is very luring and desirous can have great long term consequences that we did not bargain for!

Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?  Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.” Genesis 31:14-16

In Genesis 31, the Bible tell us that Jacob decided to flee from his father-in-law Laban. He explained to his wives why he was running from his father-in-law. Rachel and Leah had their share of disappointment and frustration towards their father. They considered themselves a stranger in their fathers’ eyes. They didn’t see themselves valuable in his eyes but only a commodity to be sold to others. Their only value was the profit he was receiving from them. Jacob worked for Laban for 14 years as free labor for the compensation of marrying Leah and Rachel.

Those kinds of feelings are hurtful in any close relationship. Sometimes the questions of, “Why do you love me?” or “Why do you want me around?” crosses our minds when it appears that one person in the relationship is there for the benefit they derive from the other person.

Rachel decided to take it upon herself and do something about them not getting their fathers’ inheritance. She stole her father’s idols to maintain an inheritance for herself. Rachel’s decision had a few problems. First of all, one who owns the goods should allocate an inheritance. The owner of the goods decides who should be the benefactor of their inheritance. Stealing something that we think we deserve doesn’t make it an inheritance. Two wrongs don’t make a right.  Secondly, she was trying to manipulate the blessing of an inheritance by holding on to Dad’s “Good Luck” charms or heirlooms. She entered witchcraft by relying on objects for blessing rather than on the Lord. Thirdly, she had to lie and deceive her husband and her father about those idols, so they won’t find out about them.

Can we ever twist God’s hand to bless us? Is there any level of irresponsibility or cruelty on other people’s part that justifies our actions to manipulate a situation for our benefit?

With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. Genesis 31:32

Jacob would have never made that vow/statement if he knew Rachel his loving wife stole the idols. Laban did not find those idols. However, by Rachel deceiving her husband, she opened the door for Jacob unknowingly to give permission for her life to be taken away. By her deception, she placed herself under a curse of death! Since she wasn’t caught with those idols, her life wasn’t taken right away. However, she lost her life when she gave birth to her youngest son Benjamin! Was it really worth it for Rachel to do it her way to get the father’s inheritance!?

Doing it our way, may give us temporary relief and pleasure, but doing it His way, gives us the inheritance of joy, peace, and contentment!

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

Integrity defends the truth

Integrity is an integral element of being a defender of truth. We give our best in every situation because it is the right thing to do. We are honoring God by living a single-minded devotion to Him. We are not doing it to be seen by men.

Jesus criticized the Jewish leaders because they sought man’s honor but didn’t care about God’s honor.  Their hearts were set to do right only to be seen by the right people!

You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:16

A talebearer has duplicity of character. That kind of behavior is called hypocrisy. A person of integrity cannot be a hypocrite because they are willing to walk and live in truth regardless of the cost. The old saying, “What you see is what you get!” describes a person of integrity. Their desire is for God to build their reputation. They don’t concern themselves with: “Am I accepted? Will this buy me a position or relationship? What will it take for me to be part of the “inner circle?”

When someone looks to an individual with integrity they see truth lived out in their personal lives. Truth is not defended just with words but with a lifestyle of integrity!

Defenders of truth judge righteously

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30

‘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

Jesus is our model of righteous judgment. If we are placed in a position to judge, then we follow the standard that Jesus has set for us in the above scripture (John 5:30).

We need to be willing to put aside our own personal preferences and prejudices and listen to God in a given situation. We must learn to be objective in our judgment. Objectivity is when we don’t allow our own emotions or thoughts to add or take away from the facts.

Defenders of truth are careful with their judgment. To be truly a defender of truth, there are going to be moments that we have to excuse ourselves from judging a situation because we are too close to one of the parties. As defenders of truth, our hearts’ desire is not to run the risk of being partial in our judgment.

If we live a life of righteous judgment, over time we gain the respect of others because people know our desire is to do what is right, to be fair, and be mindful of the will of God.

Defending the truth is much harder than it appears! It takes a lot of courage, stamina, and fortitude to live a life that continually defends the truth and exemplifies the truth of Christ lived out in a person’s life. Defending the truth doesn’t always win friendships, but it pleases God and gains His favor!

Lord give us the courage, the strength, and the stamina to be defenders of truth and resemble you well on the earth.

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

If we are going to be defenders and preservers of truth, we have a two-fold responsibility towards the gospel. First and foremost we have to ensure that the Bible is not altered in anyway to serve man’s agenda. Our second responsibility is to live a truth that testifies to the authenticity of the faith we proclaim!

Live in truth

Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 1 Samuel 12:23-25

To be defenders of truth, we must live in truth!  When we live a life of truth, it causes others to respect and desire what they see. Truth is a priceless commodity, and those who live in it without religious pomp and circumstance will shine as lights in a dark world.

A person who lives in truth is not afraid of truth even if it hurts them.  They can face the truth and accept what God says about them whether it is good, bad, or ugly. They don’t shy away in sharing truth with others, but they are also open and willing to receive it from whomever God chooses to send their way.

Do we make it safe enough for others to tell us the truth? If we don’t like or agree with what they say, do we kindly and gently disagree with them or do we emotionally punish others to ensure they will not be confronting us again?

As defenders of truth, we are to live in truth, speak the truth, think truth, and encourage truth in others!

Defenders of truth are honest

To be defenders of truth, we are like a witness at a witness stand. We tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We don’t highlight the positive and minimize the negative for our own personal gain. To share partial information intentionally in order to skew someone’s perception of the truth is dishonest! Defenders of truth always want to paint the correct picture of a situation even if it puts them in a negative light.

If someone that we highly love or respect makes a wrong evaluation of an individual, we are willing to disagree with the estimation of that person. Defenders of truth don’t cave in to pressure of agreement in order to be accepted. Sometimes we have to take a risk with the comfort of a relationship and do what is necessary to speak truth into a situation. This may rock the boat of unity momentarily, but it is worth it; because the unity that is not based on truth, is not unity at all! It is just a mob mentality. Truth should always have preeminence in our relationships. If we do it right, God will allow a healthy unity to grow with those who are willing to walk in truth.

Lord, help us to be defenders of truth by living a lifestyle of truthfulness!

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

Preserving the truth has cost the people of God greatly over the centuries, and we are called to follow the pattern and defend the truth in our generation!

Various authors have written the Bible over a period of 1600 years. It has taken centuries to compile it to its current structure. Countless number of people have faced persecution or execution in order to read the Bible, share it with someone else, or translate it to another language, so others can read it.

 “Therefore love truth and peace.’” Zechariah 8:19b

We are called to love the truth; if we love the truth, we will be compelled to defend it.

What does it mean to defend the truth? How do we protect and defend the truth we love? There are a few factors that contribute to defending the truth.

Truth cannot be altered

As protectors of truth, we cannot change the truth, sugarcoat it, or dumb it down to ensure people like us or approve of the message. In the same manner, we must not exaggerate one portion of the Bible to make our point or create a niche for our ministry!

Recently I was in a gathering with a group of writers. The group leader suggested that in our writings we should avoid stating “God commands.” because  people have a hard time with those kinds of statements. It’s better to use words such as “God urges, or God desires.”

The problem is that if God commands something, and I say, “God is urging us”, I just toned down His requirement and diminished the weight of His rule and the urgency of the subject. As a result, I become guilty of reinterpreting God’s word to fit my needs or other people’s needs.

We as writers, teachers, and pastors will be pressured to tone down our message to gain more popularity or more members for our churches. However, the priority of a man or woman of God  is to bring truth to the people. We are called to defend the truth by keeping it pure and unadulterated!

On the other hand, we cannot use God’s commandments to pressure or manipulate people in a certain direction. God’s truth is so powerful that we need to apply it with great care, skill, and sensitivity to ensure it accomplishes God’s work not our agenda.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

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

In the last devotional, I shared about the importance of eating a balanced meal from the word of God to ensure we eat everything we need to grow healthy and strong. I also wrote about the fact that generally in the body of Christ we have two camps. We have the camp of performance-driven people and the “love” oriented individuals.

I shared in the last devotional about the performance-oriented individuals and the type of food they like to eat, and in this devotional I’ll share about the “love” camp and what they enjoy.

The “love” oriented group likes to concentrate on the grace and mercy of God, but they really don’t see His statutes as top priority for an intimate relationship with Christ. The focus is on forgiveness, grace, turning the other cheek, & the love of God. The “love” group can pick and choose the rules they deem necessary or important to follow. Love is more important than following the rules in their world because obedience is not the foundation of the faith.

The “love” camp has great expectations of God and others. There is a feeling that we are so special to God that He makes exceptions for us. We also feel the freedom to say anything we like in the name of being “real”. We are more concerned with the presence and a touch of God than developing our character and allowing God to change us through obedience!

Jesus stated that if we love Him, we will obey Him. Our love cannot be just an emotional experience towards God or others, but it has to be based on the truth of the relationship established through our covenant with Christ. That gives us stability in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord and others.

The performance oriented and the “love” group can offend each other. The “love” group will criticize the performance-oriented people by saying they are harsh, insensitive, and judgmental. The performance-oriented camp will accuse the “love” group as irresponsible, presumptuous, and non-repentant. Both groups can be demanding and critical of each other for their own specific reasons. Those criticisms and accusations keep us bound in carnality because both groups would claim they love and follow Jesus! Both groups need the balanced word of God.

The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Psalm 119:160

God desires to feed us with the entire word. His word is sweet to our soul and spirit. He gives us a balanced meal to grow us in a healthy way. If we concentrate on one part of the Bible at the expense of other parts of the scripture, It is inevitable that we will become unhealthy and imbalanced!

Some scriptures are going to be hard to swallow, but they are still good for us to take in and allow God to do His work in our lives. We don’t have to like everything, but we know everything in the Word of God is good for us. If we eat a healthy and balanced meal, we grow in health and vibrancy, and in the process we can feed others with a balanced meal as well.

Lord, help us to take in and receive the entirety of your word. Surround us with people who are like us and those who are opposite of us. Give us the grace not to get offended by others but to learn from them what we lack. We desire to be full of truth and grace!

For comments please contact me at Karlinefischer@yahoo.com

But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:8

And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. Ezekiel 3:3

As a good parent, the Lord gives us good food for our nourishment and growth. Everything He gives us is good for us. He knows what we need to strengthen our spirit and to protect us from spiritual germs and diseases!

In the natural, good parents provide wholesome and balanced meals for their children. A healthy meal can include protein, vegetables, carbs, and other good nutritious food sources. Loving parents may have their children take vitamins as extra supplement to fortify their defense system. From time to time, if necessary they may give the children some antibiotics to help fight an infection. Most parents know what is good for their children, and they decide what their children should eat.

I found my kids ate healthier when they were younger because I made what was good for the family. However,  the older they became, the more they developed an opinion about their likes and dislikes. Over time, I caved in to their demands and made dishes that they enjoyed but weren’t necessarily balanced in nutrition. They even stopped taking vitamins because I didn’t want to battle their resistance!

When it comes to taking in spiritual food, as children of God we have a tendency to do the same with the Word of God. We enjoy taking in what we like but neglect or ignore what we don’t like. We generally have two camps in the church. There are those who are performance-oriented in their walk with God and others who are “love” oriented. Each group has a tendency to highlight certain scriptures and minimize the other ones.

Those who are performance-oriented like to focus on the scriptures that tell us to repent, be diligent, be faithful and warn us about God’s judgment. Somehow that gives us something to do and keeps us on the treadmill of improvement! Performance-oriented people usually  have the right answer to everything but can’t understand how others struggle so much. This camp has a mindset that there is an obligation to obey God and His commandments. However, when it comes to His words of life and encouragement, there is a concern that by believing them too much we could become presumptuous and self-serving!

The truth is that the Lord doesn’t use flattery; if we don’t believe His encouraging words, we are operating in unbelief and rebellion! His words of life are the source of our hope and empowerment. We are called to rest in His presence and abide in His love. For performance-oriented individuals, God’s love is a nice intellectual idea, but they have a hard time settling down and stop striving to really be touched by God’s acceptance and mercy. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and took in everything He said. Staying in His presence can help one gain security in Him rather than in one’s ministry or accomplishment.

I’ll continue with this subject in the next devotional and share about the “love” camp.

In the last devotional, I explained what it means to be born again. In this devotional, I’m going to share the journey after one has become a born again Christian.

A healthy baby will be hungry

Becoming born again is the beginning of an adventurous and close walk with God. We get to know him through the Bible and through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Just as new babies need milk, a born again baby will crave food. The new believer has a desire to grow and mature in truth and in God’s ways.

A born again baby is growing

If there is a healthy birth, then there will be healthy growth in a new believer’s life. As cute as the baby stage is, a parent would not desire for their children to stay in that stage for too long. They would want their children to grow according to their age and stage. A two-year old should be much more capable than a baby. He/she can walk, talk, ask for food, and drink from a cup. Just as a parent doesn’t want their baby to stay stuck in baby stage, it is God’s desire for us to grow and mature in our walk and relationship with Him.

A born again believer gets to know their heavenly Father

One of the major changes that happens after we are born again is that we get to know God personally. Up to this point, our knowledge and understanding of God has been very shallow and limited. It is like knowing someone famous from a distance. Most of us don’t have a personal relationship with the President of the United States. In some ways, we may think we know him because of all the information that is available about him. However, we really don’t know him until we meet him and start interacting with him at a personal level. In a much profound level, we get to know the Lord and have a personal relationship with Him rather than just admire Him from a distance or depend on other people’s knowledge of Him.

A born again believer is changing

Those things that used to be hard for us to change, now God gives us the ability and the desire to alter. A new believer starts to lose taste for the things of the world and its passions and starts developing an appetite for the things of God. The Lord begins to infuse a new believer with His character qualities: joy, peace, patience, kindness, and other fruit of the Spirit.

Obedience is an integral part of growth

Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments…” John 14:15

Just as a parent teaches their children boundaries and obedience, God begins that process in a new believer’s life. Those who come from permissive environments, learn that they can’t be a spoiled child anymore! They now need to accept correction and stop looking to have their way all the time. They start learning humility and submission towards God and others.

Those who come from difficult or mean environments realize that they are not an orphan anymore. They learn to put their swords down and stop fighting. They grow in trust and receiving love from God and others. They learn gentleness and compassion. Change can be very painful but it is necessary for our spiritual growth.

Being a born again Christian starts with an event but it doesn’t end there. The day we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord is the beginning of the rest of our lives. We get to know the Lord as our Father, counselor, comforter, and friend. It is a journey of change from carnal existence to a Christ-centered life.

As we continue to read the word of God, pray, obey, and be in fellowship with other believers, we strengthen the spirit man and weaken the old nature. Over time, we are looking more and more like Jesus. We are now on our way to becoming a true strong Christian!

Christianity is not about a tradition, a religion, or a family heritage. Christianity has to do with realizing that we are a sinner in need of a savior. Through the fall of Adam & Eve, sin entered the world and it separated us from a holy God.  Jesus the perfect one paid the penalty of sin to reconcile us back to God. Jesus expects us to become born again!

Human beings are tri-part beings who have spirit, soul, and body. Our soul is made up of mind, emotions, and will. As natural people, our spirit man is doormat. As a result it does not have the ability to communicate with God. To a natural man, God is an idea or a distant person. They hope God hears their prayers, but they have no understanding of what He is speaking to them or what He desires of them.

A true Christian has a new nature

having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 1Peter 1:23

In John 3, the Bible tells us about a religious Jewish person named Nicodemus and his encounter with Jesus. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he was intrigued with Jesus’ ability to teach, but Jesus wasn’t impressed by that complement because there was more to Him than being a teacher. Jesus had come to save Nicodemus and other religious Jewish people from the bondage of sin and the law. Jesus told Nicodemus unless one is born again he could not see the kingdom of heaven. Then He explained it by saying that one must be born of  water and spirit.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and savior and believe that He died for our sins, the seed of life enters into our hearts. Our spirit man comes alive for the first time, and we become born again. We are transformed from the corruptible seed of Adam into the incorruptible seed of Christ. We now are a new creation. The new creation is pure, holy, and righteous because we have the seed of Christ in us.

Our new nature comes alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since our spirit man has come alive through salvation, we  now can communicate with God through the Holy Spirit,  and we learn to hear His voice in our inner parts.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. In the meantime, please read Chapter 3 from the book of John. If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you can pray that prayer today. At the top of this page there is an option called Salvation Prayer. You can click on that option and pray that life-changing prayer!

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