Sleeping With The Enemy - Jeremiah 3:9

Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.

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Family,

     The seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14 & Deuteronomy  5:18) tells us not to commit adultery.  Many times, this is preached as a warning to the married couples not to be unfaithful to one another.  When it comes to the single folks the word is “fornication.”  But when GOD gave this commandment, HE was not speaking in reference to a husband and wife, or single folks fornicating before marriage!  HE was talking about the practice of worshiping false gods, who are not gods at all.  Israel was committing adultery against GOD by worshiping the false idols they built with stone and wood!  In other words they were sleeping with the enemy!  If we worship false gods or idols, we too are committing adultery against GOD.  

     We will commit adultery with our car, house, spouse, mega superstars, and more by putting them before GOD. We commit adultery all day long, then go to bed with these idols in our heart!  If you go to bed with anything other than the LORD in your heart . . . You may be . . . Sleeping With The Enemy!  What’s on your heart when you go to sleep!

When we sleep with the enemy (adultery), we are robbing GOD (steal) of HIS praise.  By giving glory to false idols for the things GOD has done (false witnessing), and we are saying we want what the world has (covet) instead of what the LORD has already given!

Possession is 9/10 Of The Lie - 1 Kings 3:21-22

And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was dead.  But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.”  Then the other woman said, “No!  But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.”  And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.”  Thus they spoke before the king.

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     The eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15), tells us not to steal.  Pretty straight forward!  GOD said “You shall not steal.”  The woman in the wrong has possession of a child that does not belong to her, which makes her a thief.  Plain and simple . . . she stole someone else’s baby.  Now she stands before the king and claims “possession is 9/10 of the law.”  She wants them to believe that since she is holding the child, the baby belongs to her!  A thief will lie to keep that which belongs to someone else (covet).  Every thief will lie to convince themselves  and others that they deserve what does not belong to them! Satan is a thief, and he will always lie to try and take what belongs to GOD! 

     Even if you only have 1/10 of faith (the size of a mustard seed), you belong to the Holy Father of Salvation!  Don’t let the devil steal your joy!! Don’t even give him possession!

False Witnessing - 1 Kings 3:21-22 (NKJV)

And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was dead.  But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.”  Then the other woman said, “No!  But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.”  And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.”  Thus they spoke before the king.

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     The ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16), tells us not to bear false witnessing against our neighbor.  Both women were standing before the king and both women were claiming that the living son was theirs.  Of course both of these women could not have given birth to the same son, therefore one of them was bearing false witness against the other.  The woman in the wrong had a wrongful desire (covet) to have the living child and she was willing to falsely accuse the first woman who is the real mother.  Some folks will go to the extreme to have what others have . . . even if they have to bear false witnessing against them. 

If I Can't; No One Can - 1 Kings 3:25-27

And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”  Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” but the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”  So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

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     The tenth commandment (Exodus 20:17), tells us not to covet.  The definition of covet is: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others.  In most cases, just as this woman did, we covet when there is something missing from our own lives.  When we lose what was dear to us, we initially began to look for someone who has what we want, and our hearts will covet what they have.  The woman in the wrong was willing to see the baby killed, just to keep the other woman from having her own child!  She had an attitude of “If I can’t have him; no one can have him”  We see this type of attitude today!  People will try to destroy someone else’s relationship, because they can’t have one of their own!  Just know that what GOD has for you is yours!  Stop spending precious time trying to take what is others, and focus on what GOD has for you!  Understand . . . there is a difference between admiring and coveting!  Admiring will edify others and coveting will attempt to destroy others!

Iron Man - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

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Iron sharpens iron . . . butter cannot sharpen iron!  Therefore a friend cannot be “soft”.  Be compassionate . . . but not soft!  Be an Iron Man when your friend is in need of the truth!  A friend can’t be soft about the truth, yet a friend can be compassionate with the truth!  We should thank GOD for the Iron Men & Women in our lives! 

Sifted Indeed - Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

And the LORD said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

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     Here is a message to every Christian!  Indeed, satan has asked for you, just as he has asked for those before you!  Job was a righteous man before the LORD and satan asked for him!  I’m sure you know of someone in your family who has had to go through some sifting! And if it has not happened to you yet . . . keep on living!  Because satan will indeed ask for you too!  JESUS is praying that our faith should not fail!  NOTICE:  You can fall without failing.  Nothing and no one can pull us from the Master’s hand!  So be faithful and don’t give up.  When you fall, get back up in the name of JESUS.  As I have said many times before,  it is not an “IF”, but a “WHEN” you are sifted . . . know that the Lord is on your side!  What satan means to harm you with, GOD will turn it for the good!  Read the book of Job! Then thank GOD that you are considered wheat to the enemy and not a tare!

Chaft In The Wind - Luke 22:31-32

And the LORD said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

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     When we become a part of GOD’s Kingdom, satan wants to sift us as wheat.  I’m sure most of us never had to sift wheat like they did in the old days, but during the time of satan asking for Simon, sifting wheat was done in a two-step process by farmers. 1) Threshing and 2) Winnowing.  To loosen the chaff from the grain, the wheat would be spread out on the floor and beat.  This threshing would cause the edible part of the wheat to be loosen.  Then the wheat would be tossed in the air to allow the chaff to blow away in the wind.  The slightest wind would blow the chaff away during the winnowing process.  Notice, it didn’t take a strong wind to blow the chaff, simply a breeze would blow it away!

     We are wheat! Satan wants to sift us!  Don’t focus on the chaff blowing in the wind . . . but be reminded of the edible grain that stays in place!  Our situations will blow in the breeze, but our faith should be like the grain of wheat . . . or . . . the size of a mustard seed!  Every farmer should say Amen!