Reboot

Reboot

It is never a good thing to start out your shift by having to reboot the computer multiple times.  It adds stress to the day that is often hard to shake for the rest of your shift.  Yet, those reboots can often fix the simplest of issues. A new coworker was working her very first day all by herself.  As if that wasn’t stressful enough for a newbie, she found her computer mouse wasn’t working.  I suggested she do a hard reboot of her computer.  Thankfully, it worked, and she was ready to go when it was time to open the doors.

I wish I could tell you that the rest of her shift went smoothly. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.  She had so many issues go wrong, rude people who added undue stress, and a phone that wouldn’t stop ringing.  By the time she left, I could see in her face the stress, frustration, and exhaustion.

I just returned from vacation.  After having worked so much overtime in recent months, I needed a “reboot” to my entire system.  In fact, the first thing on my agenda to help with that reboot was a deep tissue massage to loosen all of that tension in my shoulders.

I have discovered many things in the physical realm have spiritual lessons to teach us.  This is no exception.  When I refuse to take care of my spirit, nurturing it, and feeding on the meat of the Word, I notice an immediate difference. I get very short-fused, angry, frustrated, stressed, and even weepy.  Obviously, when I neglect my spirit, it affects many things besides my spirit.  I have even noticed I fall prey to exhaustion if I fail to stay in the Word.  

Sometimes we need a spiritual reboot.  What I mean by that is there are times we need to refocus.  If we have neglected the Word, we need to adjust and get back to it.  Other times, we need to change how we read the Word. While I haven’t neglected the Word while working all of this overtime during the pandemic, I have needed to change the process in which I study.  For example, I used to read 5 chapters in the Old Testament every day.  Now I am reading slowly, only a chapter at a time.  I am doing this because I am currently in the prophecy section. With all that is transpiring in our world, it leads me to believe we are living in the end times.  Because of that, I feel compelled to dig deeper to get a better understanding.  Doing so will help me navigate these unchartered waters.  

After I read a chapter in Jeremiah, I read a commentary on it.  I have added so many notes to my Bible with what I have learned from the commentary!  I will never read Jeremiah the same again!  There is a pastor I watch on You Tube, who is also doing a series on Jeremiah.  I listen to him, in hopes of gaining more insight.  I even have a close friend who is also reading Jeremiah.  We meet a few times a month to compare notes and insights.  It is so refreshing!

Though Jeremiah is a very tough book to read when our world is filled with so many disturbing things, I come away, infused and refreshed because I have gained insight that I didn’t previously have.

If you have been reading my devotions for a while, you can sense the Word is my passion.  When I read something new and insightful, I simply cannot keep it to myself!  After spending time in the Word, I often send an email to a few close friends — whether what I read was new and insightful, or difficult and challenging. Doing so not only helps seal that Word in my heart, but it is often Living Water to my closest friends.  It engages us, and we share other insights with each other.

How is your spirit?  Has it become dry and parched during all of the trials we have faced in the last eighteen months?  It is weary and worn with worry?  Is it overwhelmed with grief?  Try a spiritual reboot!  It may be just what you need to have Living Water flowing through you again!

© 2021, Stacy R. Miller

Comparing Catholicism to the Bible

Comparing Catholicism to the Bible

Has the question ever crossed your mind, “Why do they call priests father?” Have you ever wondered why priests and nuns aren’t allowed to be married? Have you questioned why Catholics pray to Mary?  Is it because God is too busy to listen? Have questions plagued your mind as to why the widespread pedophilia was allowed to be a secret for so long among the priests? I have a secret that the Pope is hiding from you. That is why they don’t want you to read the Bible. This knowledge will turn your stomach.

As a child, I was I was raised in the Catholic church, and I saw some very disturbing things that plagued my mind.  This was during an era when children were seen but not heard, so you didn’t dare ask a question about these disturbing things, as it would have been seen as rude.  For instance, the whole idea of communion and how the priest was supposedly turning the elements into the body and blood of Christ.  Such torturous thoughts entered my mind every time I partook of communion — that I was actually eating the body of Jesus Christ.  That thought made me want to vomit.

In eighth grade, it was a really big deal to go through confirmation.  It was like a ritual for becoming an adult.  They brought in some guy from higher up within the church.  I remember how you had to bow and kiss his ring if you wanted to speak to him.  Even then, I knew in my gut there was something very wrong with this, but I didn’t understand it.  I stayed as far away from that man as possible because there was absolutely no way I was going to bow to him, nor kiss the ring on his hand.

Once I got saved, and started reading my Bible, I discovered many things about the Catholic church that don’t line up with scripture.  Nearly 40 years later, I continue to see things that contradict the teachings of the Catholic church.

1. Repentance — I don’t ever remember hearing a gospel of repentance while attending the Catholic church.  In Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist tells the people to repent.  In verse 8, he tells them to bear fruits worthy of repentance. When Jesus began to preach, His first word was “Repent.” (Matthew 4:17)  
2. Father — This is a title given to the priest.  Yet, Jesus said in Matthew 23:9 that we are not to call any man on earth Father because we have one Father, and He is in heaven.
3. Celibacy — Priests are not allowed to be married.  1 Timothy 4:1-3 says in the end times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.  One of the things they will embrace is that of forbidding to marry.  Hmm….That sounds a lot like what the Catholic church does.
4. Worship of Mary — The Catholic church teaches that Mary was sinless, and they actually pray to her and worship her.  Yet, Mary said in Luke 1:47 that she rejoiced in God her Savior.  If she was sinless, then why did she need a savior?  Their Mary is not the Mary of the Bible.
5. Confessional — The Catholic church teaches that one must confess their sins to a priest, and the priest is the one who can forgive their sin.  1 Timothy 2:5 says there is one mediator between man and God, and that is Jesus Christ.  Evidently, the Jesus of Catholicism wasn’t good enough to forgive sins, so a priest must do it.
6. Purgatory — Catholics believe in purgatory, which is a place people go to finish paying for their sins.  Once full payment has been made, they can gain entrance into heaven.  I still remember seeing the candles and the money box at the front of the church — it was nothing but selling God’s grace and forgiveness.  However, Psalm 49:7 says that we cannot redeem a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him because the redemption of their soul is costly.  This begs the question, if the Bible is correct, then why is the Catholic church taking money to get people out of purgatory?  Also, when Jesus was on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished.”  If it was finished, then we do not need a purgatory because Jesus paid the price on the cross for us.  Once again, we see that the Catholic Jesus is different from the Jesus of the Bible because the Catholic Jesus didn’t pay the full price.    
7. Communion — The Catholic doctrine teaches transubstantiation, which means the bread and wine are actually changed into the body and blood of Jesus.  As the priest gives you communion, he says, “The body of Christ,” to which, you are to reply, “Amen.”  That means “so be it.”  So you declare that you actually believe the substances have turned into the actual body of Jesus.  This is spiritual cannibalism.  1 Corinthians 11:23-25 tells us that when we take communion, we are to do it in remembrance of Jesus.  The Jesus of Catholic communion is a false Christ.
8. Communion continued — The way in which the Catholics celebrate communion is basically like crucifying Jesus over and over and over again.  Yet, Hebrews 9:28 tells us that Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many.  Hebrews 10:10 tells us we have been sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.  1 Peter 3:18 says that Christ suffered ONCE for sins that He might bring us to God.  The Catholic Jesus must be sacrificed over and over through transubstantiation.  
9. Holy Father — The pope is called Holy Father.  In John 17:11, Jesus is praying to the Father, and He says, “Holy Father.”  For a human being to use that term is nothing short of blasphemy.  
10. Vicar — This is another term for the pope.  It means “in place of.”  So the pope is “in place of Christ.”  Jesus told us clearly in John 16:7-14 that when He left, He would send a comforter to us — the Spirit of Truth, who would lead us in all truth.  So the “in place of” is the Holy Spirit, not the pope.  This is a clear indication that there is a big difference between the Jesus of the Bible and the Catholic Jesus.
11. Praying to the saints — Catholics often pray to the saints, which is nothing more than the sin of necromancy (communicating with the dead.)  Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says that those who did this are an abomination to the Lord.  In Isaiah 8:19, the Lord gave a strong word to Isaiah to address people who were partaking in this sin, asking them, should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
12. Pope’s headdress — It looks like a priest of Dagon, who was a god the Philistines worshiped.  Why would any church want to bring into their practices something that is clearly from pagan religions?
13. Pedophilia among the priests — This link gives some excellent information on how the Catholic church not only allows pedophilia, but works to cover it up.

https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-hard-to-hold-priests-accountable-for-sex-abuse-101947

These quotes are directly from the above link, and speak volumes of the atrocious sexual abuse that is still being tolerated in this false church:

“From 1922 onward, investigations of clergy suspected of sexually abusing children were to be cloaked in secrecy. This limited bishops from reporting cases to the police, or even to parishioners…

There was more. A canon about avoiding “scandal” compounded the secrecy issue. It was a sin, and a violation of canon law, to do anything that would cause “scandal” to the faithful by leading them to sin or question their faith…

If a bishop, for example, were to make known that a priest had sexually abused children in his diocese, the bishop, and not just the priest, would be guilty under canon law of causing scandal – because information about the abuse might cause Catholics to question their faith – as indeed, it often has.”

Here are some videos that give more information on Catholicism, and how it is truly a different doctrine.  In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it mentions multiple places about mysteries:  mystery of the Eucharist (paragraph 1402), the mystery of salvation (1332), the sacraments as holy mysteries (2014), mystery of forgiveness (1482), mystery of redemption (494), and contemplative prayer (which is actually pagan, Middle Eastern mysticism) as the mystery of prayer (2713), just to name a few.  The first video goes into more detail about this and how it fits Mystery Babylon of Revelation in so many ways.

I share this because as we are quickly moving towards a one world government and religion, many are pushing for “Christians” to unite and just love one another.  Yet, Jesus said He came to bring a sword.  He tells us to come out from among them and be separate, and to not touch the unclean thing.  (Matthew 10:34-36; 2 Corinthians 6:17).  In these days when deception abounds, it is important to speak the truth in love, in hopes of saving the deceived from the fires of hell.

Daniel’s Excellent Spirit

Daniel’s Excellent Spirit

I have been fascinated with the integrity and fortitude Daniel exuded when he was taken into captivity as a young man.  In this pagan land, it would have been so easy to give into fear and anger.  However, Daniel was determined to honor the Lord by not defiling himself with the king’s delicacies.

The wisdom of Daniel also intrigues me.  He was so young, but he used great discretion in approaching the chief of the eunuchs regarding their diet.  Rather than just back down when the eunuch had fears about granting Daniel’s request, he gave a wise and insightful solution, which was granted.  Even the king was greatly impressed by the wisdom and understanding of Daniel.

The king had a dream he expected the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to interpret. There was just one problem – he refused to tell them what the dream was!  When they told the king that no one would be able to do what he asked, he was furious.  In his anger, he issued an order to have all of the wise men killed.  This order included Daniel.

Daniel 2:14 tells us that Daniel spoke to Arioch, captain of the king’s guard, and he did so with counsel and wisdom. Next, we find Daniel standing before the king, asking for some time to get the interpretation.  Once his request was granted, Daniel wisely involved his three close friends, asking them to pray for God’s mercy in this. God gave Daniel the interpretation, which saved them from a cruel death.

Moving to chapter 6, we find that Daniel had an excellent spirit.  Sadly, there are those who are intimidated by people who have this quality. In these times, when persecution is on the rise, we shouldn’t be surprised to find ourselves in the same type of situation.  But I digress…

Back to the topic at hand.  The governors and satraps wanted to find a way to trap Daniel and get him in trouble. They knew the only way to do so was to develop a scheme that involved the law of his God.  This sinister plan even involved appealing to the king’s pride.  The decree was made – no one could petition any god or man, other than the king, for thirty days.  Violating this rule would land you in the lion’s den. What a terrifying thought!

Now the waiting began.  Daniel’s enemies carefully watched to see what he would do.  Daniel wasn’t swayed by fear.  Rather, he continued his normal pattern – kneeling and praying, giving thanks to the Lord. When Daniel’s enemies saw him praying, they probably yelled, “Busted!”  Well not really.  However, in today’s language, that could have easily been what they said.  

Now Daniel finds himself thrown into the lion’s den.  Scripture gives no indication that he was terrified.  However, I don’t think the same could be said of me if found in the same situation.  Having been attacked by a pit bull over twenty years ago, terror still strikes me when I see a pit bull running loose.  I can still remember the deep gashes in my leg, and accompanying pain.  Trying to imagine being in a den with lions, whose teeth are much larger than a pit bull, is beyond terrifying for me.

However, instead of being faced with ferocious, hungry lions, Daniel had a heavenly visitation.  An angel of the Lord showed up and shut the mouths of those lions.    

Faced with some precarious situations, Daniel never faltered.  He remained faithful to the Lord, regardless of the cost.  Yet there is something that shook Daniel to the core of his being.  

In Daniel 8, Daniel saw several visions of things to come upon the earth in the last days.  These visions were so horrifying to him that he fainted and was sick for several days.

Think about this – Daniel never faltered when facing the lion’s den. Yet these visions actually made him faint!  He became ill from the appalling images he saw.

What can we learn from this?  We need to gain the same type of excellent spirit in us that Daniel had.  How?  Daniel prayed to the Lord three times a day – not just when his back was against the wall.  It was a habit, part of who he was.  He had a deep, intimate relationship with the Lord.  That confident trust in God made him exude those amazing qualities in the midst of strong opposition.  

Daniel shows us that it is crucial for us to be deeply rooted in the Word, for that is what will build our spiritual muscles, helping us to develop an excellent spirit in this compromised culture.

© 2021, Stacy R. Miller

The Stench of Rotten Doctrine

The Stench of Rotten Doctrine

Let’s talk about rotten food for a moment.  It has an odor than can roll your stomach.  Most of us will go through our refrigerators at least once a week, cleaning out food that has been there for several days.  Once something goes rotten, it is no easy task to get that nasty smell out of the fridge!  

Even though my daughter is nearly twenty-five years old, I can still remember that heightened sense of smell I had while pregnant.  Even with the door closed, I could tell when there were deviled eggs in the refrigerator.  

There are some wonderful spiritual applications we can learn from both of these scenarios.

Hebrews 5:14 says that solid food is for mature believers, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  When we constantly feed on the Word of God, it heightens our spiritual sense of smell so we notice rotten doctrine.

In our society, when we stand on biblical truth, there are those who will tell us we are just being judgmental. Others will tout the idea that “we just need to love everybody.”  Philippians 1:9 tells us that our love should overflow.  So yes, love is important. But the rest of the verse speaks volumes:  That love most grow in real knowledge and discernment, both of which we only gain by training with the constant use of the Word.  

In the above verse, “discernment” means critique or critical.  Over the years, I have heard the term “critical spirit,” and it is never in a good way.  However, based on the truths in Philippians 1:9, it is imperative for us to have a critical spirit when it comes to doctrine.  In these times when false teaching abounds, we would be foolish to accept any message as being “gospel truth” without first comparing it to the Word.  And we cannot do that unless we have trained ourselves with solid food from the Word.

Something else I have heard is that we shouldn’t name those who are teaching error.  Yet Romans 16:17-18 tells us to mark those who teach things that are contrary to scripture.  One way I have learned to “mark” them, is by reading books by some of the popular false teachers.  Whenever I find error, I highlight it, then write the bible verse in the margin that proves the error.  When done, I will often post what I have learned on my blog, then I usually donate the books to Goodwill.  Recently, I found an even better option.  I pass them on to someone I am mentoring so they can see the error, how slick false teachers are at passing it off as truth, and what the truth actually is.  It is a great lesson on learning to rightly divide the Word of truth! (2 Timothy 2:15)

Jesus told us in Matthew 10:16 that He is sending us out as sheep among many wolves.  If we aren’t careful to build up our spiritual armory, and sharpen our sword, we won’t be able to smell their rotten doctrine.  In contrast, those savage wolves can quickly discern when their prey is weak from not training on the solid food of the Word.  The tragic result is they will devour that prey with their rotten doctrine, exploiting them with their greed and false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  (Ephesians 5:6 NKJV)

How is your spiritual sense of smell?

© 2021, Stacy R. Miller

Trusting in the Lord

Trusting in the Lord

I have often heard it said that the true test of man is when things are going well.  When things go bad, our tendency is to run to the Lord, crying out to Him.  In sharp contrast, quite the opposite is true when things are going smoothly.  We humans tend to be self-sufficient in so many ways, trusting in man and making flesh our strength.  During those days of smooth sailing, we can often find our hearts departing from the Lord and His Word. (Jeremiah 17:5)  Oh, those deceitful hearts of ours!  How easily they can lead us astray!  (Jeremiah 17:9)  

There are some wise words in Proverbs 22:17-19. “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise; you shall apply your heart to my teaching.   For it is pleasant if you guard them within you; together they will be ready upon your lips. In order for your trust to be in Yahweh, I have made them known to you today — even you.” (LEB)  The implication here is that we won’t trust God if we aren’t in His Word.  These verses magnify the foolishness I mentioned above about how we tend to disregard our Lord when things are going well.

Let’s be honest.  When life is pleasant, do we really incline our ear to the Lord?  Do we really think about guarding our hearts when life is grand?  Are we as diligent in applying our hearts to the teachings in scripture as we would for a final exam?

Psalm 5:3 speaks of praying in the morning, placing our requests before the Lord, and waiting in expectation.  For years when I read this, I would think of specific prayer requests I had for myself, my family, friends, etc.  Yet, I recently saw a new insight into it.  Jesus commanded us to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)  What better way to do this than to turn Psalm 5:3 into a prayer!  Besides asking the Lord to speak to me through His Word, I will even tell Him that I can’t wait to see what He has to teach me today.  It shows Him that I anticipate hearing from Him – that I desire to hear from Him.  Seeing Him speak something specific to the needs He already knows I have can bring such comfort.  Other times, it may simply be confirmation for a difficult decision.  In those times when I have a new insight into a familiar passage of scripture, it permeates my soul with joy.  I love learning new things in scripture and gaining fresh insights!

As amazing as it is to hear from the Lord through His Word, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that there are times when He chastens me through His Word.  It can be a painful process to allow Him to mold my stubborn will into His.  It reminds me of the verse that says weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)  Those seasons of discipline can lead to some long, dark nights.  Yet, the result will bring honor and glory to the Lord.  We will find that our path is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter. (Proverbs 4:18)  

I have noticed something in this pursuit to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, (2 Peter 3:18) His Word has become my passion.  His voice is clearer, even when the noise of this world grows louder and scarier.

A few months ago, I was so frustrated with a situation.  As I was praying, I began to quote what I knew to be true about the Lord, and how He knows what is best for me.  In a gesture of faith, I threw my hands up, like I was lifting a large basket.  I declared, “Lord, I give you this mess because You alone know how to take it and work it for Your glory and for my good.”

While nothing changed in my circumstances for several weeks, I continued to delight myself in the Lord, thanking Him for whatever the outcome of that situation would be.  My soul was at rest because I had no doubt He would answer in His time.  

How did He answer?  Well, that is a story for another devotion!  I will leave you with this thought though.  He made Psalm 37:4-5 come alive in a very real, fresh, and amazing way!  “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (NASB)

He did it for me, and He is willing to do it for you!  Will you trust Him?

© 2021, Stacy R. Miller

Undivided

Undivided

For several years now, we have been hearing that our nation is divided in politics and religion.  There is even a division taking place in churches – churches who stand on truth versus churches who preach a water downed, social gospel, which is no gospel at all.

In the rare times that I watch the news, I find anger rising up in me at much of the stupidity and violence I see happening in our world.  I find myself feeling anger toward those with whom I disagree.  However, it is better if I remember the true enemy at work here – Satan.  It is even more appropriate when I watch the news in light of the Word because Jesus warns us that these things must happen before He returns.  Jesus warned us that nation will rise against nation. (Matthew 24:6-7)  In the original text, it refers to ethnos against ethnos, meaning ethnic groups.  We are certainly seeing this played out on a daily basis – not only in our country, but around the world!  While it can be very disturbing to watch all of this unfold, I have found comfort in knowing that Jesus told us this would happen, and He is still in control!

Scripture warns us that a colossal division is coming where families will turn on each other.  This betrayal will lead to death for many who bear the Name of Christ. (Mark 13:12-13)

Jesus warns us in Matthew 24 not to be deceived.  When I read this, my mind tends to go toward the many false teachings that are popular today.  However, I can see how even politics could lead us into deception.  In fact, many Christians are jumping on the bandwagon of nationalism, holding that in higher regard than the Word of God.  However, when we choose to put on the armor of nationalism, we fail to put on the armor of God.  When we do so, we hinder the Lord in being able to work through us.  Think about it in terms of what we see in scripture when many in the early church faced persecution.  There isn’t one example where they jumped on their “nationalism bandwagon” when brought before the rulers of that time.  Rather, they stood firmly on the Word of God.  

Luke 21:14-19 gives an excellent example for how we should respond when the division we see hits home with us.  “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will provide you eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute. But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all people because of My name. And yet not a hair of your head will perish.  By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (NASB)

There is a time coming when those who kill us will think they are actually offering a service to God. (John 16:2)  That is why it is imperative that we learn to trust in the Lord, rather than in horses and chariots. (Psalm 20:7)

So what can help us navigate through these turbulent waters in a world that is so divided?  One thing I have implemented is to pray Psalm 86:11, asking the Lord to teach me His Way so I will follow His truth (not the world’s).  I ask Him to give me an undivided heart so that when trouble comes my way, I will always fear His Name, rather than those who oppose me.

In a world divided, may we always seek to have an undivided heart where our Lord is concerned!

© 2021, Stacy R. Miller

Mind Your Mind

Mind Your Mind

In all the craziness that is our world today, do you ever feel as if you are losing your mind?  Does fear constantly pierce your thoughts?  Does your stomach feel as if it is constantly in knots?  Does turmoil feel as if it is your constant friend?

We don’t have to give into all of these unhealthy emotions.  We all know constant feasting on junk food can cause us to be physically sick.  At some point, our body is going to revolt against us.  It’s the same with a constant diet of unhealthy thoughts.  Those thoughts not only cause us mental duress, but they can also cause us physical ailments. We must learn to control them!

We are commanded to love the Lord will all of our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)  We can only do that if we are feeding our spirit a constant diet of the Word.  When we feast on the Word of God, it will change the direction our mind goes because we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind. (Romans 12:2)  Rather than having a mind that runs amuck with negative thoughts, we will know the mind of the Lord, having developed the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)  We will learn to set our mind on things above, rather than on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2)

After filling up on succulent food at a holiday feast, most of us will soon be complaining about eating too much. However, after feasting on the Word of God, the result is just the opposite!  We will find that we want even more! We will soon see the promise of Isaiah 26:3 coming true in our lives.  No matter what transpires around us, we will be in perfect peace because we keep our mind fixed on our Lord – the Prince of Peace.

© 2020, Stacy R. Miller