Faith Matters Podcast

Who is Jezebel?

DAY 2: The Spirit of JezebelThe spirit of Jezebel seeks to seduce and often works through teaching and prophecy. This spirit seduces the saints into idolatry and immorality. This spirit may use control and manipulation to do it, but ultimately that’s not the end game. Jezebel’s end game is murder. The wages of sin is death, and Jezebel leads people into sin.Pastors—or anyone, for that matter—who fall into sexual sin are among Jezebel’s trophies. If you are doing anything at all for God, Jezebel wants to cut off your voice. If Jezebel can’t cut off your voice, it will try to pervert your voice by seducing you to defile yourself by tolerating its activity.Jezebel is not something you can tear down once and for all, but you can break agreement with it and refuse to tolerate it.Father, I repent for tolerating Jezebel and ask Your forgiveness, in Jesus’s name. I ask You to heal my heart of any detected or undetected hurts, wounds, offenses, pains, pride, rejection, rebellion, or any other open door that may have let or could let Jezebel into my life.I break Jezebel’s witchcraft, controlling powers, flatteries, deception, word curses, fearful assaults, false accusations, polluted prophetic utterances, subtle seductions, sorceries, intimidations, and other foul operations, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

War is Coming!

DAY 1: The Battle Against EvilWhen I got saved, I thought I’d spend my life walking beside still waters and lying down in green pastures. I had no idea embracing Jesus as the captain of my salvation meant I was enlisting as a soldier in the army of God.I’ve since learned that believers are soldiers and Jesus did not come to bring peace but a sword. I’ve discovered that I’m more than a conqueror in Christ, which also tells me ungodly and unseen forces are trying to conquer me.Keep this truth in mind: the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Every demon has the same mission. How they go about it—their strategies and tactics—are different. A spirit of fear attacks your faith, for example, while a spirit of rejection attacks your identity. Satan is strategic. His army is highly organized, and he is sending specific spirits against believers to derail them from their kingdom purpose.My prayer is that you will gain discernment to identify spirits opposing your life—and the lives of those you love—and develop spiritual skills to battle back. Spiritual bondage can manifest in many ways, but the good news is that victory can be ours. By walking in our God-given authority, we can effectively do battle and win in warfare.

What is Sin?

What is sin?Think back to a decision you made recently that didn’t honor God. Maybe in the moment, the choice felt fun, or maybe you didn’t know how to say “no.” Maybe you just felt stuck or tired, and you didn’t see any alternative. We’ve all done things that weigh us down and make us wonder, “Why do I seem to do what I know is wrong?”The world encourages us to “follow our hearts,” but our feelings can easily trick us into doing things that don’t align with God’s will. In Scripture, sin is often used to describe actions that miss the target God has asked us to aim for: living a life centered around loving God and others. While there are universal actions that dishonor God, small acts of disobedience also pull us away from Him. The apostle James wrote that “it is a sin to know what the right thing to do is, and then not do it.”In other words, if you know what God is asking you to do, yet you still decide to disobey Him—then you’re undermining God’s authority in your life. Sin entices us because it is self-gratifying, but it results in eternal separation from God and others. How do we change? Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice and separation from God led to our reconciliation with Him. None of this is because we deserved it, but because God always desired it. God wants to help us change because He knew we couldn’t overcome sin on our own.So if you don’t know Jesus, the first step you can take to overcome sin is to invite Him to transform your life.But if you already belong to Jesus—He has given you the grace, strength, and forgiveness you need to live a life that honors Him. So when you make choices you later regret, here are three practical action steps you can take:1. Keep drawing near to God every day.The more time you spend with God, the more you will want to honor Him and do His will. Over time, God will transform your mind and change the way you think.2. Get connected to community.The people who surround you will influence the choices you make. Consider asking some people you know and admire to draw near to God with you.3. Ask God to search your heart.We can only change when we allow God to change us. Consider praying the following prayer each day, and ask God to transform you: God, I don’t want to take part in bad habits or poor decisions that don’t lead to an abundant life. So please search me, and know my heart. Test my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Renew my mind so that I can know what Your will is, and walk in it. Here I am, Lord. I surrender—I am Yours.In Jesus’ name,Amen.

What is Baptism?

What’s baptism and why does it matter?When you think of “baptism,” what comes to mind? If you said “dunking someone in water”—you’re not wrong! Many churches have different approaches to baptism, but the ultimate purpose of baptism is to outwardly express an inward change. It is both a symbolic expression of faith and an act of obedient surrender and repentance, which is why it’s the natural next step someone takes after they make a decision to believe in and follow Christ.This public act allows us to identify with Christ’s death and resurrection, repent from the way we used to live, and celebrate the new, eternal life we have because of Jesus’ sacrifice.But even before Jesus came to earth, God symbolizes His ability to redeem people and make them new by having them pass through water. It happened to the Israelites as they crossed the Red Sea, and again when they crossed the Jordan River. It occurs to Naaman the leprous commander in 2 Kings who is healed once he dips in the Jordan River seven times. (And these are just a few examples!) In each of these instances, God prophetically showcases His power and glory by using water to illustrate His ability to cleanse, heal, restore, and redeem.When Jesus comes, He publicly confirms His commitment to God through baptism. And by doing so, He also foreshadows what will happen when He dies for humanity and arises from the dead three days later. So when we take part in baptism, we are choosing to live like Jesus by following His example. We are choosing to let God redeem and heal us by dying to our old selves and allowing Him to raise us up to a new life.Baptism matters because it’s something that Jesus exemplified, and commanded His disciples to do. So as you process what baptism means to you, look for opportunities to bring others along with you. Talk to them about what it means to follow Jesus, and consider inviting them to take part in the act of baptism.Here are some questions you might want to ask…Do you believe you need Jesus? What does believing in Jesus mean to you?Do you believe that Jesus died for you and rose again?What does following Jesus look like?How have you asked God to forgive you for your past mistakes?Have you invited Jesus into your life?Action Step:Take a few moments today to cultivate discussions about faith with other people who are in different places in their walk with God. Then, reflect on it.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Foundations of FaithDay 3Who is the Holy Spirit?Imagine God’s Spirit hovering over the face of the earth. Everything is dark and without form until God breathes out the words, “Let there be light.” In an instant, everything changes. The light pierces the darkness, and what was once invisible is now seen clearly. This is what God’s Spirit does. He is always close, always near, always bringing to light what was once covered in darkness. There’s evidence throughout Scripture that the Holy Spirit empowered particular people to take part in His plans and to remind others of His purpose. But Jesus’ sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection changed everything. For the first time in history, anyone who chose to believe in Jesus could receive His Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is still available. No matter your situation or background, when you belong to Christ, His Holy Spirit is with you at all times, empowering and strengthening you, and praying on your behalf. He understands your needs because He understands you.And because God understands you, He is always working on your behalf for your good and His glory. This doesn’t mean you won’t endure suffering or encounter hardships. But even in the midst of those trials, God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, will continue to draw you closer to Himself. But having access to the Holy Spirit and going through life with the Holy Spirit are completely different things. Living a Spirit-filled life requires intentionally seeking God every day. It’s through intentional time with God that you discover how to love Him, love others, and make disciples. It’s through getting to know God’s character that you become familiar with His Spirit’s power, presence, and authority. And it’s through the power of the Holy Spirit that you become aware of how your actions and choices affect your relationship with God and other people.Ultimately, the Holy Spirit is available to everyone who becomes a follower of Christ, and He wants to empower you to live in a manner worthy of the calling God has placed on you.Action Step:Spend some time meditating on today’s verses. Repeat them slowly and pay attention to any words or phrases about the Holy Spirit that stand out to you. Ask God to show you how He has equipped you with His Spirit, and allow Him to reveal any areas of your life that still need to be transformed by Him.

Who is God?

Who is God?All of Scripture is an intricate mosaic that reveals a God who is deeply involved in creation and who cares intimately for humanity. And if we believe the Bible to be true, then we have to believe that the God it describes is true in His intentions and unified in His character.So what does God’s Word tell us about who God is and what He cares about? While the following list is nowhere near exhaustive, let’s take a closer look at four foundational truths about God:God is Creator and He actively creates.The word God uses to describe Himself—“Yhwh”— essentially means, “I am who I am” or “I absolutely am.” In other words, He is timeless. He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things. Nothing can exist apart from Him, because all life was created by Him and only exists through Him. God is righteous and just. In Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the One who practices “justice and righteousness.” In Scripture, those words often go together. The word “justice” describes a legal decision made by God that results in right actions that honor God’s decrees. God is able to perfectly practice justice and righteousness because He is just and righteous. His decrees and actions are based on His own truthful character.God is relational.God created us so that we could experience the joy and love that Heis and then spread that joy and love to others. He does not need us to complete Him, but He wants us to enjoy His presence and partner with Him in caring for His creation.God is love.God creates humans with love. He establishes and keeps His covenant with Israel throughout Scripture because of His faithful love. And He sends His only Son to rescue humanity because of His everlasting love. God is able to do all these things because He is love. And so when we delight in God, we get to experience the love that’s beyond our ability to generate.How do we delight in God?In John 14, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” To delight in God, we must first come to know Him. And to know Him, we must know Jesus who created the way through His death and resurrection for us to spend eternity with Him.Because Jesus became “God with us,” we can have a personal understanding of who God is. We can boldly draw close to Him and experience His love for ourselves. And in drawing close to Him, He makes us righteous and shows us what His justice truly looks like.Action Step:Ask God to reveal who He is to you as you study today’s Scripture passages. Create highlights and notes on any words about God’s character and nature that stand out to you, and then reflect on that list throughout the day.