Reveration: First Cause Weekly Devotional

“The post-apostolic fathers took the realm of the demonic so seriously that they automatically took new converts from paganism through rites of deliverance from evil supernaturalism, a practice we have lost to our own detriment.”—Dr. Ed Murphy in The Handbook of Spiritual Warfare, p. 7. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Linguists tell us that languages get more and more complex the farther back they trace them.  The older (“more primitive”) a language is, the more complex it appears to be.  This is powerful evidence against evolution.  If evolution is true and man gradually evolved from more primitive creatures, language should get more and more simple the older it is said to be.—Jobe Martin in The Evolution Of A Creationist Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

“God does not begin by asking our ability, only our availability, and if we prove our dependability, He will increase our capability.”—Neal A. Maxwell Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Dad sits at the small kitchen table with his Marine ball cap covering his scattered gray hair.  His brow is furrowed, and his piercing blue eyes appear deep in thought. Slowly he adds words to a journal that increasingly makes little sense.  I asked what he was writing, and he shared that he was composing thoughts on how God likes eggs cooked.  I had just asked him how he wanted his eggs that morning; that thought was fixed in his mind. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

When there is a death in the family, it is so encouraging to see people rally around and step up to provide support and comfort through meals, cards, flowers, phone calls, and just being present to listen, console, and encourage. The sting of death is not erased; the pain is real and sometimes overwhelming, but a caring community can and does make a difference. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

The earth is tilting? What?  Pumping groundwater appears to have a greater consequence than ever previously thought. But now—thanks to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters—we can see that, in less than two decades, Earth has tilted 31.5 inches as a result of pumping groundwater. This equates to .24 inches of sea level rise.[1] [1] https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a44287896/why-did-earth-tilt/ Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Adriano made a mistake. The Uruguayan was given $500 in pesos from his uncle to help pay for his tuition. Instead of paying the University of Montevideo, he loaned it to a friend who claimed his mother was sick and unable to pay her hospital bills.  Later, Adriano found out he had lied to him and used the money to gamble. When the school bill was due, the friend couldn't pay him back, so he had to explain to his uncle why he dropped a class.  Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

What is grumptitude, you ask?  Essentially, it is the quality or feeling of being grumpy or unthankful. Whereas people with gratitude look for things for which to be thankful, those with grumptitude prefer to live in a prickly state of dissatisfaction.  Their lousy attitude has several consequences . . .  Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Edina Community Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Edina, Minnesota, celebrated Pride Sunday led by their female pastor in reciting the sparkle creed whose words state . . . Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Beware of making sensitivity a tool for the weak-minded or belittling leaders who find kindness to repair those whose woundedness hides behind bluster. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Klaus Schwab, a German engineer, founded the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 24, 1971.[1] About 1000 companies fund this international non-governmental lobbying organization. They are somewhat famous for their annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Switzerland. It is a dangerous organization committed to an ideology that the globalized world should be managed by a “self-selected coalition of multinational corporations, governments and civil society organizations (CSOs)” through initiatives like the “Great Reset” or the “Global Redesign.” Visit us at First Cause. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Economic_Forum --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Mike and Robbie boarded the light rail on their way to a Seattle Mariners game. A few feet from their seats sat a dirty, smelly man suffering from an addiction, mental health challenge, or both . . . Visit Us at First Cause --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

. . . Ralph's act of heroism resulted in the de-escalation of a dangerous situation. As a result, no one ended up getting harmed, and imagine the impression of courage he left on all who served with him.  Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

A Russian proverb says, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” Zig Ziglar noted, “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”  Great leaders are masters of repetition and recognize it as a tool for more effective leading. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

What do you want?  How you answer the question will speak volumes about your walk with your Creator. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

How do we avoid sinning?  It's a fundamental question that has many implications for our lives.  Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

When we are mentored, several powerful things should occur. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Have you heard the expression, “Her life is an open book?” That phrase means that a person is not hiding secrets—their life is transparent so that attitudes, behavior, character, and thoughts are easily understood . . . Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Do you feel like a caring Creator guards your life, or are you feeling incredibly vulnerable and unsafe?  When we know Jesus, at least three important facts should kick into gear.  Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Herodotus, a Greek historian from Halicarnassus, wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars that modern historians and archeologists have largely validated.[1] The Roman orator Cicero called him “The Father of History.” Herodotus wrote, “It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.” Visit us at First Cause. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Do you know what the fastest-growing sport in America is? Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Lack of generosity is a symptom of greed. A bad gift may be a sign of a twisted heart. To give “like nothing” sends a revealing message. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Hannah suffered from three places. First was the place of torment. She had a rival—a woman who taunted her severely to provoke her, often reducing her to tears and enflamed resentment. Second was the place of pain. She could not bear a child, which ate at her soul as she felt God's withholding hand. Not even the encouragement of her loving husband could ease the ache she carried. Third was the place of misunderstanding. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Five women work for an organization that helps relocate children who have illegally crossed the border to reputed family members living in the States. They take great pride in their work and ensure the safety of the kids they accompany. But then they began to notice a pattern—children they were asked to escort were sent to locations where there was suspected child trafficking and sexual abuse. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

The unhindered way to spiritual intimacy begins when we cease enshrining our circumstances and focus on . . . Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

Around 2010, David was having his quiet time on his outside patio when the Lord said, “I want you to give me everything.” He responded, “Lord, You have everything . . . we served You on the mission field . . . ” Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reveration/support

The old Mary would have freaked out but not the new Mary. The old Mary was extremely insecure with finances and struggled with worry. The new Mary was all about trusting God, and now she faced one of the biggest tests in her life. One of her clients owed her over $60,000 and had missed several deadlines in paying their debt. She had leveraged her credit card to keep her business afloat, and if ever there was a time for panic, it was now. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Schlep naches is a Yiddish phrase that means “deriving pleasure from the achievement of others.” In her book, The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky wrote . . . Visit Us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Grief is a day shrouded in fog and icy rain fed by a howling wind. It is spoiled fruit no longer fit to be savored. Grief makes its exhausted bed in a hidden cave on a barren mountain ridge called Sorrow. It rests in rare moments of silence and grows weary amidst mindless laughter. Its tears leave furrows unfilled by platitudes. When its memories are roused, new rivers flow, and expectation is uprooted, torn, and damaged. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

First Sergeant Eric Johnson was tired of spending Saturdays inspecting the 98 dorm rooms occupied by his airmen. Most of the rooms were a mess, and it did not seem like inspecting was making a difference in improving standards. So the innovative senior master sergeant went out and bought coins. After the next inspection, he arranged with a warrant officer to have a female airman show up at the company headquarters without explaining why. Everyone thought she was in trouble . . . Visit Us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

“The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”—Jim Collins Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

“I am safer in the middle of a battlefield when I'm in the will of God than I am in my own bedroom when I'm outside the will of God.”—Michael Youssef in The Barbarians Are Here Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

“It is altogether doubtful whether any man can be saved who comes to Christ for His help, but with no intention to obey Him.”—A.W. Tozer Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

“No enemy is worse than bad advice.”—Sophocles Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of parenting is knowing when to speak into the lives of our children and when to refrain from doing so. Talking to closed ears is like pouring water on the sidewalk and not on the soil—it does no good. Or consider the coworker who, when corrected, is appreciative—to be silent on this occasion could be harmful. Some people, when frustrated, cannot hold back toxic words. Still, others withhold thoughts and in quiet feed chaos. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

In 336 B.C., Alexander III of Macedon succeeded his father, Philip II, in becoming king of Greece at the age of twenty.[1] Alexander was not content to rule Greece. By age thirty, he had conquered so many nations that his rule extended from Greece to northwestern India. Alexander was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. No wonder he was called Alexander the Great. But did you know that Alexander was tutored until the age of 16 by the Greek philosopher Aristotle? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Suzanne Simard is the tree professor at the University of British Columbia.[1] She discovered through her research that yew trees communicate chemically through fungi with their neighboring trees for mutual defense. Trees are connected below ground through a fungi network that resembles the human brain's neural networks. For example, Simard observed a Douglas fir injured by insects that seemingly passed chemical warning messages to a nearby ponderosa. The pine tree produced defense enzymes that protected it against insects. Similarly, birch trees protected fir from Armillaria root disease. When trees are dying, they pass off as much as 40% of their carbon to their neighboring trees. [1] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Hurricane Ian unleashed its rain and winds upon Florida, and conservative estimates think the cost of damages could exceed $55 billion.[1] That is a horrific blow to the lives of all affected. Ian did not catch Florida by surprise because sophisticated satellite tracking and imaging allowed meteorologists to be pretty accurate in tracking the storm's course and speed. That is a good thing because it allowed people to prepare for the storm and, if necessary, escape to safety. But imagine if you were on a boat with your smartphone and a mobile weather app that called for clear skies and warm weather when suddenly a furious squall came out of nowhere and threatened everyone's lives? Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Gerry got back from Afghanistan, and he is not in good shape. Half his squad was on a mounted patrol when their vehicles were hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), killing four and badly wounding two. Unfortunately, he had to identify the bodies and could not get the images out of his head. Now between alcohol and too many medications, his life has lost meaning, and he has frequent thoughts of ending it. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

News flash—there was an attack by a Demon Assault Team (DAT) in heaven today, which wiped out an entire wing of the Central Automation Records Division (CARD) that contained the Book of Life (BoL) and the computerized records of those who are to receive a heavenly inheritance. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Pastor Brad at Impact Church asks, “Does your view of God determine your view of life, or does your view of life determine your view of God?” How one answers that question is profoundly revealing. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

"No time is more profitably spent than that used to heighten the quality of an intimate walk with God."—Dallas Willard in The Great Omission Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

"The counsel of Jesus is to abstain from judging."--Oswald Chambers in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Beware of sensible requests. Lurking beneath what seems natural is often unnatural. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

We teach what we believe, but we reproduce what we are.—Unknown Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Mary Geegh is one of my heroes. Visit us to learn why at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Vines and thorns represent worries, misplaced priorities, and unhealthy desires that kill the word of God, leaving people spiritually unfruitful. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

People of grace leave others better off than how they found them, even when they were getting nothing in return.—Dr. Henry Cloud in integrity Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Ron and Joyce, shortly after getting married, hosted a prayer breakfast at their home. A British Major General visiting Fort Benning was to be the speaker at the prayer breakfast. Joyce baked a coffee cake for breakfast that morning. While cleaning up the kitchen, she realized the spatula handle was missing. After looking everywhere, she concluded it must have fallen into the coffee cake. Visit us at First Cause! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

Spiritual blindness causes people to pick up stones instead of seeing the Rock. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support

I hope this is an encouraging word for someone—discouraged by delays, by the hiccups of life that seem insidious; by the time that goes too fast when you want it to be slow and too slow when you want it to be fast. Visit us at First Cause. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reveration/support