I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8)
The Word is filled with creative power. It has the power to change your desires, to move you to change your behavior and life focus. David went from being an adulterous murderer to a person who delighted in God and in doing His will. What made the drastic change? The Word!
The word contains in it the very power of God! Jesus said the words that I speak are spirit and life. Paul was preaching in Ephesus and a revival broke out. People were saved and Spirit-Filled. Many were set free from occult practices, burning their witchcraft wares. Paul remained there in Ephesus a good while and notice what caused the great change in the city: So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed (Acts 19:20). The Word affected change a whole city!
The Word dwelling in you can change any area of your life from being flesh dominated to being spirit dominated! The catalyst is you and your will. Time spent ingesting the word will produce dividends of great change in your life and lifestyle. You could begin your own personal revival just by becoming involved with the Word! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!
Notice the change the Word will bring as noted by these verses: How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word (Psalm 119:9).Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide (Psalm 37:31). Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17).That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). And we also especially thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of mere men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe, exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it (1 Thessalonians 2:13-Amplified).
Nothing has the power to change you like the Word. The enemy knows this and seeks to keep you occupied with other things so the Word is choked and doesn’t bear fruit. Out smart him today! Get in the Word when you first awaken, then meditate on it throughout the day. You’ll find its superhuman power creating in you strength, ability, wisdom, love, and godliness. Loose the power of God in your life today by being a person of the Word!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (Acts 9:3-5).
The way we treat other members of the body of Christ is the way we treat Jesus Himself. This is quite a statement. If I’m angry and resentful towards a fellow believer, I’m that way towards Jesus! The way I treat my wife Susan is the way I’m treating Jesus!
If we want the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we must treat other members of the body of Christ with the same respect we would give to Jesus Himself.
According to Jesus, when we see the stranger and give him shelter, when we go minister to the sick person, or the person in prison, we are ministering to Jesus Himself!
We create an environment that either attracts or detracts from the presence of God by what we do with our attitudes, words, and actions towards fellow believers.
Be careful today with how you treat others. It will directly affect your relationship with the Lord! If we say we love Jesus, and pay no attention to others needs, how can we really say we love Him?
Our age is quickly becoming numb and loveless. This is our time to shine! Treat others the way you want to be treated. Pray for those you come in contact with daily. Ask the Lord to make you a blessing to them. Ask Him what you can do to show care and compassion to them.
If I don’t care for the person I can see, there’s no way I can really love the God I can’t see.
Let’s be sensitive to others today. What we do to them, the attitudes we portray, and what we say to them or about them to others is how we’re treating the Lord Jesus!
The way we treat other members of the body of Christ is the way we treat Jesus Himself. This is quite a statement. If I’m angry and resentful towards a fellow believer, I’m that way towards Jesus! The way I treat my wife Susan is the way I’m treating Jesus!
If we want the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we must treat other members of the body of Christ with the same respect we would give to Jesus Himself.
According to Jesus, when we see the stranger and give him shelter, when we go minister to the sick person, or the person in prison, we are ministering to Jesus Himself!
We create an environment that either attracts or detracts from the presence of God by what we do with our attitudes, words, and actions towards fellow believers.
Be careful today with how you treat others. It will directly affect your relationship with the Lord! If we say we love Jesus, and pay no attention to others needs, how can we really say we love Him?
Our age is quickly becoming numb and loveless. This is our time to shine! Treat others the way you want to be treated. Pray for those you come in contact with daily. Ask the Lord to make you a blessing to them. Ask Him what you can do to show care and compassion to them.
If I don’t care for the person I can see, there’s no way I can really love the God I can’t see.
Let’s be sensitive to others today. What we do to them, the attitudes we portray, and what we say to them or about them to others is how we’re treating the Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I spoke to someone a while back about presumption and answered prayer. Some people have the idea that we can just ask for anything we want, and, because God promises to answer prayer, we can get whatever we desire. While that could be true in a technical sense, it is very unwise. And this kind of attitude reeks with spiritual immaturity.
God has promised to answer our requests. I could cite here numerous scriptures to the affirmative. But we are called, not to do as we please, and just selfishly spout out requests to the Lord off the cuff, but to be branches of the vine. We are called to allow Him to live His life in us. We are extensions of Jesus and His ministry. Jesus came not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him.
Here’s a case in point. God wanted Israel to be a nation of kings and priests. But Israel wanted a king like other nations. God told Israel that a king would make life very hard for them and that He had a better way for them. But Israel persisted in their request, and God granted them a king even though it wasn’t His highest and best for them.
I’ve learned to be very careful as to what I ask for in prayer. It takes me longer to wait on God in prayer and find out how He wants me to pray and exercise my faith about a matter than it does to actually pray. The prayer of faith doesn’t take a lot of time to pray.
Don’t just run into personal prayer and ask for something off the top of your head. The major key to effective personal prayer is to spend the time necessary to feel the Father’s heart before you pray. Jesus said it best: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). Abiding, living, fellowshipping, and being intimate with Jesus is the key to prayer without being presumptuous.
David said it this way: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). When you put God first place in your life, He will place in you a desire to do what He wants you to do. You see, we’re not calling the shots, He is! And He knows what’s best for us.
I’m discussing here the “gray” areas of life that the Bible doesn’t have a specific answer to give. I know how to pray for healing or finances, or for some thing that is clearly revealed in scripture. But it’s the in between areas, like where you should work, or who you should marry, or whether or not to buy that house, or some other thing that is really up to you to make a decision. These things must be prayerfully pondered or you could end up with a result you weren’t looking for! That’s what happened to Israel.
Pray before you exercise your faith, and make sure that what you’re asking for in these gray areas of life are God’s highest and best for you!
God has promised to answer our requests. I could cite here numerous scriptures to the affirmative. But we are called, not to do as we please, and just selfishly spout out requests to the Lord off the cuff, but to be branches of the vine. We are called to allow Him to live His life in us. We are extensions of Jesus and His ministry. Jesus came not to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him.
Here’s a case in point. God wanted Israel to be a nation of kings and priests. But Israel wanted a king like other nations. God told Israel that a king would make life very hard for them and that He had a better way for them. But Israel persisted in their request, and God granted them a king even though it wasn’t His highest and best for them.
I’ve learned to be very careful as to what I ask for in prayer. It takes me longer to wait on God in prayer and find out how He wants me to pray and exercise my faith about a matter than it does to actually pray. The prayer of faith doesn’t take a lot of time to pray.
Don’t just run into personal prayer and ask for something off the top of your head. The major key to effective personal prayer is to spend the time necessary to feel the Father’s heart before you pray. Jesus said it best: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). Abiding, living, fellowshipping, and being intimate with Jesus is the key to prayer without being presumptuous.
David said it this way: Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). When you put God first place in your life, He will place in you a desire to do what He wants you to do. You see, we’re not calling the shots, He is! And He knows what’s best for us.
I’m discussing here the “gray” areas of life that the Bible doesn’t have a specific answer to give. I know how to pray for healing or finances, or for some thing that is clearly revealed in scripture. But it’s the in between areas, like where you should work, or who you should marry, or whether or not to buy that house, or some other thing that is really up to you to make a decision. These things must be prayerfully pondered or you could end up with a result you weren’t looking for! That’s what happened to Israel.
Pray before you exercise your faith, and make sure that what you’re asking for in these gray areas of life are God’s highest and best for you!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (James 1:2-4 –The Message)
Tests and difficulties are part of life on this planet. None of us are immune from hardship. Walking by faith doesn’t promise freedom from life challenges. But it does promise that the Father will help your through every circumstance to victory!
Determine to get the most out of the hard places life brings you by keeping a good attitude and expecting the Father to give you wisdom and to bring you through the ordeal.
And you can really milk all you can get out of a test or trial by counting it all joy. Decide to walk in praise and thanksgiving when you feel like griping and complaining. Active praise and worship in the midst of a test will open your life to the power of God. He will begin to put in motion the answer as you stand in faith by praising God and giving thanks.
And then what Satan meant for evil, God will actually work out for your good. As the outward pressure reveals areas of personal weakness in you, acknowledge those weaknesses to the Father and ask Him to work them out of your life.
Some of the greatest workings of the Father in my personal life have been during seasons of great hardship where I really wanted to quit. I just set my jaw and praised God and gave thanks for Him working the situation out.
My personal freedom from perfectionism, workaholic tendencies, and deep seated feelings of rejection came out of one of the greatest trials of my life many years ago. Believe me, I don’t want to go through that time in my life again. But on the other hand, no amount of money could purchase the life change that going through that tough time produced in me!
If you’ve been whining and complaining about what’s happening in your life right now, I urge you to read the above verse again. Make a decision right now to adjust your attitude and being to stand in praise, worship, and thanksgiving for the victory the Father is providing you in this test! When you come out on the other side of this challenge, you’ll be strong, wiser, and more patient and Christ like. But only if you choose to count it all joy!
Tests and difficulties are part of life on this planet. None of us are immune from hardship. Walking by faith doesn’t promise freedom from life challenges. But it does promise that the Father will help your through every circumstance to victory!
Determine to get the most out of the hard places life brings you by keeping a good attitude and expecting the Father to give you wisdom and to bring you through the ordeal.
And you can really milk all you can get out of a test or trial by counting it all joy. Decide to walk in praise and thanksgiving when you feel like griping and complaining. Active praise and worship in the midst of a test will open your life to the power of God. He will begin to put in motion the answer as you stand in faith by praising God and giving thanks.
And then what Satan meant for evil, God will actually work out for your good. As the outward pressure reveals areas of personal weakness in you, acknowledge those weaknesses to the Father and ask Him to work them out of your life.
Some of the greatest workings of the Father in my personal life have been during seasons of great hardship where I really wanted to quit. I just set my jaw and praised God and gave thanks for Him working the situation out.
My personal freedom from perfectionism, workaholic tendencies, and deep seated feelings of rejection came out of one of the greatest trials of my life many years ago. Believe me, I don’t want to go through that time in my life again. But on the other hand, no amount of money could purchase the life change that going through that tough time produced in me!
If you’ve been whining and complaining about what’s happening in your life right now, I urge you to read the above verse again. Make a decision right now to adjust your attitude and being to stand in praise, worship, and thanksgiving for the victory the Father is providing you in this test! When you come out on the other side of this challenge, you’ll be strong, wiser, and more patient and Christ like. But only if you choose to count it all joy!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Today is Memorial Day and we as a nation are honoring those who have served our country in the military and have given the ultimate sacrifice. As we take a day to relax from work and spend time with family and friends, let’s also take some time today to pray for the families of those who have had family members killed while serving in the armed services. Let’s also take some time to pray for our President and national and local leaders. Their decisions largely determine our continued freedom as a nation.
Many Christians do not understand how to balance what the Ten Commandments say about murder with serving in the military and facing the need to kill an enemy endangering national security. As a result, many are pacifists and believe that national peace can be secured by diplomacy alone.
Let’s first of all look at some fundamental facts. Thou shalt not kill should actually be translated Thou shalt do no murder. The prohibition is against premeditated murder. Understand that the same God that said Thou shalt not murder also told the Israelites to go to battle and kill their enemy during the conquests of Canaan their promised land. And God told them that He would empower them in battle and help them defeat their enemy. This is the killing of an enemy to spare a nation from annihilation by an enemy set on their destruction and this kind of killing for the defense of a nation is allowed by God.
A strong national defense is a deterrent to an enemy that is set on a nation’s downfall. A strong national defense actually encourages peace because it sends a strong message to those seeking to undermine a nation’s security. Because of the wicked fallen human condition, a nation must defend itself against attack. As Paul said in Romans 12 we should seek, as much as lies within us, to live peaceably with all men. That’s not always the easiest thing to do in the light of the depravity and wickedness of man.
As you enjoy your peaceful holiday today, please pray for our nation. Our international enemies would love for our nation to fall into ruin. Many are seeking to steal the liberties that we as a people enjoy. We are hated by extremist that are actively seeking ways to destroy America. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray that our nation would continue to be a friend of Israel. Our national survival hinges on how we as a nation deal with Israel.
And remember the sacrifices made for your freedom. Peace through military strength will be necessary until the millennial reign of Christ when the nations will beat their swords into plowshares!
Many Christians do not understand how to balance what the Ten Commandments say about murder with serving in the military and facing the need to kill an enemy endangering national security. As a result, many are pacifists and believe that national peace can be secured by diplomacy alone.
Let’s first of all look at some fundamental facts. Thou shalt not kill should actually be translated Thou shalt do no murder. The prohibition is against premeditated murder. Understand that the same God that said Thou shalt not murder also told the Israelites to go to battle and kill their enemy during the conquests of Canaan their promised land. And God told them that He would empower them in battle and help them defeat their enemy. This is the killing of an enemy to spare a nation from annihilation by an enemy set on their destruction and this kind of killing for the defense of a nation is allowed by God.
A strong national defense is a deterrent to an enemy that is set on a nation’s downfall. A strong national defense actually encourages peace because it sends a strong message to those seeking to undermine a nation’s security. Because of the wicked fallen human condition, a nation must defend itself against attack. As Paul said in Romans 12 we should seek, as much as lies within us, to live peaceably with all men. That’s not always the easiest thing to do in the light of the depravity and wickedness of man.
As you enjoy your peaceful holiday today, please pray for our nation. Our international enemies would love for our nation to fall into ruin. Many are seeking to steal the liberties that we as a people enjoy. We are hated by extremist that are actively seeking ways to destroy America. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray that our nation would continue to be a friend of Israel. Our national survival hinges on how we as a nation deal with Israel.
And remember the sacrifices made for your freedom. Peace through military strength will be necessary until the millennial reign of Christ when the nations will beat their swords into plowshares!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The love of God is our spiritual barometer, the gauge of progress as we move away from being dominated by the flesh. As we become spiritually attuned to God, we exude His love.
Use love as the benchmark of your spiritual progress. Ask the Father to help you develop this precious gift that He’s placed in your spirit. The following is a compilation of several translations of 1 Corinthians 13:408. This will help you plot your progress. Use it daily as a guide:
Let me describe love. It is slow to lose patience; love stays in difficult relationships with kindness, and it always looks for ways to be constructive. There is no envy in love. It is not possessive and never boils over with jealousy. Love makes no parade of itself; it never boasts, nor does it puff up with pride. Love is never arrogant and never puts itself on display, because it is neither anxious to impress, nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love never gets irritated and is never resentful.
Love holds no grudges, and it keeps no record of evil done to it. Love refuses to be provoked and never harbors evil thoughts.
Love is not rude or grasping or overly sensitive, nor does love search for imperfections and faults in others. Love does not compile statistics of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. Love celebrates what is real and not what is perverse or incomplete.
Love never does the graceless thing. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. Love never insists on its own rights, never irritably loses its temper, and never nurses its wrath to keep it warm. Love is not touchy.
Love can stand any kind of treatment because there are no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust. Love bears up under anything; it perseveres in all circumstances. Love’s first instinct is to believe in people. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best in him, and always stand your ground in defending him. Love never regards anyone or anything as hopeless. Love keeps up hope in everything. Love’s hope never fades.
Love keeps on keeping on! It trusts in God in every situation and expects God to act in all circumstances. Love goes on forever. Nothing can destroy love. Nothing can happen that can break love’s spirit. In fact, it is the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.
Use love as the benchmark of your spiritual progress. Ask the Father to help you develop this precious gift that He’s placed in your spirit. The following is a compilation of several translations of 1 Corinthians 13:408. This will help you plot your progress. Use it daily as a guide:
Let me describe love. It is slow to lose patience; love stays in difficult relationships with kindness, and it always looks for ways to be constructive. There is no envy in love. It is not possessive and never boils over with jealousy. Love makes no parade of itself; it never boasts, nor does it puff up with pride. Love is never arrogant and never puts itself on display, because it is neither anxious to impress, nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love never gets irritated and is never resentful.
Love holds no grudges, and it keeps no record of evil done to it. Love refuses to be provoked and never harbors evil thoughts.
Love is not rude or grasping or overly sensitive, nor does love search for imperfections and faults in others. Love does not compile statistics of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. Love celebrates what is real and not what is perverse or incomplete.
Love never does the graceless thing. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. Love never insists on its own rights, never irritably loses its temper, and never nurses its wrath to keep it warm. Love is not touchy.
Love can stand any kind of treatment because there are no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust. Love bears up under anything; it perseveres in all circumstances. Love’s first instinct is to believe in people. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best in him, and always stand your ground in defending him. Love never regards anyone or anything as hopeless. Love keeps up hope in everything. Love’s hope never fades.
Love keeps on keeping on! It trusts in God in every situation and expects God to act in all circumstances. Love goes on forever. Nothing can destroy love. Nothing can happen that can break love’s spirit. In fact, it is the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
Love is the solution to every relationship problem known to man. We’re to love God with our entire being. We’re to love others the way we love ourselves. Then Jesus added that we are to love others the way He loves us!
Romans 13:10 reads, Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. So for every relational challenge I encounter I must see love as the cure.
Here’s the best part. The Father has already placed inside of us as believers the answers to our issues with others. This love that He has placed in our hearts must be nurtured until it is absorbed into all of our mental processes. The Father’s plan is that this love worm its way into every nook and cranny of our thought life; into our every response in each relationship. He wants it to totally replace our ingrained selfish patterns of thinking and response.
Our mind fights love’s control. The mind of the flesh is the enemy of God (Romans 8:7). Our natural mind automatically repels thoughts that come from our spirit to act and react in love. That’s the reason we must take much time to meditate in love until it is absorbed into our mental processes. Without this meditation, our mind will pull us away from love and force us to live a self-centered life.
We must see that this love is so powerful, so potentially life altering, that we give it room to change us. Every thought and action within us that has become an ingrained habit can be changed by yielding to love’s sway. There are no exceptions. Love is the most powerful force known to man.
Our goal must be to yield ourselves to this love moment by moment. Compare every thought, every word, and every action to this love. Change anything in you that disagrees with the love of God. This is our high calling, to be love men and love women. To be so totally absorbed in this love that it’s the first thing people notice about us!
John was known as the apostle of love. I’ll leave you with his words on the subject from the Message Paraphrase:
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about — not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us — perfect love! This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day — our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love — love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
(I John 4: 7-21 - from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Love is the solution to every relationship problem known to man. We’re to love God with our entire being. We’re to love others the way we love ourselves. Then Jesus added that we are to love others the way He loves us!
Romans 13:10 reads, Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. So for every relational challenge I encounter I must see love as the cure.
Here’s the best part. The Father has already placed inside of us as believers the answers to our issues with others. This love that He has placed in our hearts must be nurtured until it is absorbed into all of our mental processes. The Father’s plan is that this love worm its way into every nook and cranny of our thought life; into our every response in each relationship. He wants it to totally replace our ingrained selfish patterns of thinking and response.
Our mind fights love’s control. The mind of the flesh is the enemy of God (Romans 8:7). Our natural mind automatically repels thoughts that come from our spirit to act and react in love. That’s the reason we must take much time to meditate in love until it is absorbed into our mental processes. Without this meditation, our mind will pull us away from love and force us to live a self-centered life.
We must see that this love is so powerful, so potentially life altering, that we give it room to change us. Every thought and action within us that has become an ingrained habit can be changed by yielding to love’s sway. There are no exceptions. Love is the most powerful force known to man.
Our goal must be to yield ourselves to this love moment by moment. Compare every thought, every word, and every action to this love. Change anything in you that disagrees with the love of God. This is our high calling, to be love men and love women. To be so totally absorbed in this love that it’s the first thing people notice about us!
John was known as the apostle of love. I’ll leave you with his words on the subject from the Message Paraphrase:
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love — so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about — not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us — perfect love! This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day — our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love — love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
(I John 4: 7-21 - from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Friday, May 23, 2008
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another . By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35).
If I strip away all the Christian speak that I use; if I remove all religious symbols from my person, my car, my home, my office, etc.; if I use no references to God, Jesus, the Bible, church, etc., would others know that I am a disciple of Jesus? Jesus said by this all men will know.
This love is to be the main advertisement for God in my life. It’s to make me attractive to others. I must ask myself, is love attracting others to the God who lives in me? If I say no, then there is still too much of me ruling me!
Until we make love the main thing, we’re not going to be effective in moving our culture towards God. His plan is that this love be the advertisement, the display that draws attention to Him.
Think about it this way. When I was born again, He deposited this love in me, actually poured it out inside of me, in my spirit. This love is designed to be to power supply for my spiritual life. If I renew my mind to it, if I think and meditate on it, it rises up from my spirit and begins its process of taking me over. Little by little, like honey, it oozes into every crack and crevice of my personality. It’s a slow process. Some parts of me are hard and unyielding to it, but it is so powerful, that even the hardest areas break under its force.
This love has nothing to do with feeling or emotion. Most often it moves me to act against reason and feeling. It urges me to do the loving thing when harsh words threaten me, when human impulse urges me to retaliate.
My mind sometimes rebels against this new boss that has moved into me. My mind often thinks it knows how best to protect me from the hurts others may bring. But this love stands up within me, telling my mind to sit down and be quiet.
It is constantly speaking. Father knows best. Love your enemies. Do good to those who mistreat you. Pray for those who use you for their advantage. Return good for evil. Do to others what you want them to do to you. Be kind. be gentle. Calm down and be patient. Overlook that fault you see in that person. Forgive and act as though that word was never spoken to you. Act toward that person as though they had never done you wrong. Don’t reveal that fault you see in this person to anyone else. Don’t brag about your skills or accomplishments.
Open yourself to this boss that’s moved inside of you. This love only wants your success. If you let it lead you today, it will lead you out of every relationship problem that arises. Love never fails. It’s a good boss. By this all will know…
If I strip away all the Christian speak that I use; if I remove all religious symbols from my person, my car, my home, my office, etc.; if I use no references to God, Jesus, the Bible, church, etc., would others know that I am a disciple of Jesus? Jesus said by this all men will know.
This love is to be the main advertisement for God in my life. It’s to make me attractive to others. I must ask myself, is love attracting others to the God who lives in me? If I say no, then there is still too much of me ruling me!
Until we make love the main thing, we’re not going to be effective in moving our culture towards God. His plan is that this love be the advertisement, the display that draws attention to Him.
Think about it this way. When I was born again, He deposited this love in me, actually poured it out inside of me, in my spirit. This love is designed to be to power supply for my spiritual life. If I renew my mind to it, if I think and meditate on it, it rises up from my spirit and begins its process of taking me over. Little by little, like honey, it oozes into every crack and crevice of my personality. It’s a slow process. Some parts of me are hard and unyielding to it, but it is so powerful, that even the hardest areas break under its force.
This love has nothing to do with feeling or emotion. Most often it moves me to act against reason and feeling. It urges me to do the loving thing when harsh words threaten me, when human impulse urges me to retaliate.
My mind sometimes rebels against this new boss that has moved into me. My mind often thinks it knows how best to protect me from the hurts others may bring. But this love stands up within me, telling my mind to sit down and be quiet.
It is constantly speaking. Father knows best. Love your enemies. Do good to those who mistreat you. Pray for those who use you for their advantage. Return good for evil. Do to others what you want them to do to you. Be kind. be gentle. Calm down and be patient. Overlook that fault you see in that person. Forgive and act as though that word was never spoken to you. Act toward that person as though they had never done you wrong. Don’t reveal that fault you see in this person to anyone else. Don’t brag about your skills or accomplishments.
Open yourself to this boss that’s moved inside of you. This love only wants your success. If you let it lead you today, it will lead you out of every relationship problem that arises. Love never fails. It’s a good boss. By this all will know…
Thursday, May 22, 2008
So he (Samson) went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife (Judges 14:2).
Marrying a Philistine was forbidden by God for the Israelites. The Philistines worshipped idols, and intermarrying with the Philistines would bring the curses associated with idolatry to Israel.
Samson was dedicated to God from his birth. His mother had taken a Nazarite vow before his birth. Samson was dedicated to do the will of God. The anointing of a judge and deliverer for Israel came upon Samson when he was a young man. Supernatural strength rose up within him, and God used him to deliver Israel from her enemies.
But Samson had flesh problems. He liked forbidden Philistine women. This became his downfall. He became so numb to God that he was not aware when the anointing left him. His flesh cost him his life.
Years ago Lester Sumrall mentioned three hindrances those in ministry should guard against. They were the girls, the gold, and the glory. Take measures in your own life to guard against these potential pitfalls.
The Girls. If you’re married, decide to remain with your spouse for life. Nurture your relationship with your mate. Refuse any personal friendship with the opposite sex that does not include your spouse. Refuse to eat meals alone with the opposite sex and refuse to get into your car alone with someone of the opposite sex unless your spouse is with you. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re single, refuse to be alone with the opposite sex. Keep yourself pure.
The Gold. Be careful when God blesses you financially. We are to shun covetousness and are to be content with what we have. The spirit of our age is covetousness. The love of money is rampant, even in the church. Yes, God wants to bless, but we should be very careful not to manipulate or use money as the motivation for what we do.
The Glory. Pride is a deep human problem. It was transferred to us in the fall from Satan. Pride was found in him while he served before the throne of God in heaven. We all have the tendency to self glory. We must constantly humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, and give all the glory to Jesus when others are blessed by our efforts. God will not share His glory with another.
Perhaps the Apostle Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 9:27- Amplified:
But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
Marrying a Philistine was forbidden by God for the Israelites. The Philistines worshipped idols, and intermarrying with the Philistines would bring the curses associated with idolatry to Israel.
Samson was dedicated to God from his birth. His mother had taken a Nazarite vow before his birth. Samson was dedicated to do the will of God. The anointing of a judge and deliverer for Israel came upon Samson when he was a young man. Supernatural strength rose up within him, and God used him to deliver Israel from her enemies.
But Samson had flesh problems. He liked forbidden Philistine women. This became his downfall. He became so numb to God that he was not aware when the anointing left him. His flesh cost him his life.
Years ago Lester Sumrall mentioned three hindrances those in ministry should guard against. They were the girls, the gold, and the glory. Take measures in your own life to guard against these potential pitfalls.
The Girls. If you’re married, decide to remain with your spouse for life. Nurture your relationship with your mate. Refuse any personal friendship with the opposite sex that does not include your spouse. Refuse to eat meals alone with the opposite sex and refuse to get into your car alone with someone of the opposite sex unless your spouse is with you. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you’re single, refuse to be alone with the opposite sex. Keep yourself pure.
The Gold. Be careful when God blesses you financially. We are to shun covetousness and are to be content with what we have. The spirit of our age is covetousness. The love of money is rampant, even in the church. Yes, God wants to bless, but we should be very careful not to manipulate or use money as the motivation for what we do.
The Glory. Pride is a deep human problem. It was transferred to us in the fall from Satan. Pride was found in him while he served before the throne of God in heaven. We all have the tendency to self glory. We must constantly humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, and give all the glory to Jesus when others are blessed by our efforts. God will not share His glory with another.
Perhaps the Apostle Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 9:27- Amplified:
But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Even so the tongue also is a small member [of the human body] and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire sets ablaze. And the tongue is a fire, the sum total of iniquity. The tongue is so constituted in our members that it defiles the entire body and sets on fire the round of existence and is constantly being set on fire by Gehenna [hell] ((James 3:5 – Wuest)
Thoughts are constantly bombarding our minds. But thoughts that are not put into word or action die unborn! Words are the most powerful force in our lives! Your tongue really is the strongest muscle in your body.
The round of existence mentioned in the above verse is referring to the whole of human activity from the time a person is born until the time they die. A rudder determines the course the ship takes in the ocean. A bit and bridle determine the direction of the horse. And what you do with your mouth determines the direction of your life. What are you speaking? Are you focused on life or death? Are you positive or negative? Do you speak every thought that comes into your mind?
Satan longs for you to put his negative mind interjections into words. Don’t play his game! I frequently have negative thoughts bombard my mind. But I just don’t speak them and they die! Instead, I say what God says out loud. That counteracts the thought and releases faith from my heart to the Father.
Faith must be put into words to be effective. You may think you are believing God. But take the next step and speak and act your faith. Faith must have corresponding actions to be effective according to James 2.
Words affect your demeanor and emotions. Words have the ability to move you. They can move you from doubt and fear to faith. Use words that register on your heart and that contain faith. Words really can move mountains. Use your words wisely today.
Thoughts are constantly bombarding our minds. But thoughts that are not put into word or action die unborn! Words are the most powerful force in our lives! Your tongue really is the strongest muscle in your body.
The round of existence mentioned in the above verse is referring to the whole of human activity from the time a person is born until the time they die. A rudder determines the course the ship takes in the ocean. A bit and bridle determine the direction of the horse. And what you do with your mouth determines the direction of your life. What are you speaking? Are you focused on life or death? Are you positive or negative? Do you speak every thought that comes into your mind?
Satan longs for you to put his negative mind interjections into words. Don’t play his game! I frequently have negative thoughts bombard my mind. But I just don’t speak them and they die! Instead, I say what God says out loud. That counteracts the thought and releases faith from my heart to the Father.
Faith must be put into words to be effective. You may think you are believing God. But take the next step and speak and act your faith. Faith must have corresponding actions to be effective according to James 2.
Words affect your demeanor and emotions. Words have the ability to move you. They can move you from doubt and fear to faith. Use words that register on your heart and that contain faith. Words really can move mountains. Use your words wisely today.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
For a choleric person like me that enjoys accomplishments and checking off my to-do list, days like today are usually miserable! I’m late posting my blog because today did not follow the pattern “I” had planned!
The great thing about a day like today is that it shows me that God is up to something in me. I’m not “moved” by my day! I’m learning to be flexible with my life and my thoughts. I’m learning that Jesus is my Sovereign Lord and He knows ahead of time what’s coming down the pike for each day of my life. My days are not about “my plans” but about loving Him and honoring Him in all things and loving and honoring others in all things.
We’ve not been saved by grace to live by works! I’m resting in my Father’s care today. Come with me on the journey!
No, I have learned in whatever condition I am, to be independent of circumstances. I am schooled to bear the depths of poverty and I am schooled to bear abundance. In life as a whole and all its circumstances, I have mastered the secret of living – how to be the same amidst repletion and starvation, against abundance and privation. I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength. (Philippians 4: 11-13 – A.S. Way)
Come with me on the journey to freedom from the flesh, from emotions, and from circumstances!
The great thing about a day like today is that it shows me that God is up to something in me. I’m not “moved” by my day! I’m learning to be flexible with my life and my thoughts. I’m learning that Jesus is my Sovereign Lord and He knows ahead of time what’s coming down the pike for each day of my life. My days are not about “my plans” but about loving Him and honoring Him in all things and loving and honoring others in all things.
We’ve not been saved by grace to live by works! I’m resting in my Father’s care today. Come with me on the journey!
No, I have learned in whatever condition I am, to be independent of circumstances. I am schooled to bear the depths of poverty and I am schooled to bear abundance. In life as a whole and all its circumstances, I have mastered the secret of living – how to be the same amidst repletion and starvation, against abundance and privation. I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength. (Philippians 4: 11-13 – A.S. Way)
Come with me on the journey to freedom from the flesh, from emotions, and from circumstances!
Monday, May 19, 2008
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared (Psalm 130:3-4).
The greatest hindrance to faith is condemnation and inferiority. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He is skilled at reminding you of what you’ve done and how you don’t qualify for the blessings of God.
In the latest issue of Believer’s Voice of Victory, Kenneth Copeland relates a conversation he had with Oral Roberts in the 1960’s. In the conversation, Oral made the comment that I’ve never made a mistake! He was commenting on how he keeps his faith strong and said that though he makes mistakes, he walks in the forgiveness God offers!
As far as God is concerned, you have never done wrong! That’s a reality that you need to meditate on to allow it to soak in! Don’t brood over wrongs you have done. If you miss it, confess your sin. Keep short accounts with the Father.
When you confess your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse the sin. And when God forgives, He forgets. Most of us are hard on ourselves when we do wrong. God and others forgive us long before we usually forgive ourselves. And that kind of condemnation will hinder your faith life.
Take plenty of time to meditate on the forgiveness the Father offers you. I’ll leave you with the scriptures I meditate on regularly to arm me against the accusations of Satan. Be free from condemnation and inferiority. Your Father thinks you’re perfect!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). Then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17). Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:3). As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25). He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
The greatest hindrance to faith is condemnation and inferiority. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He is skilled at reminding you of what you’ve done and how you don’t qualify for the blessings of God.
In the latest issue of Believer’s Voice of Victory, Kenneth Copeland relates a conversation he had with Oral Roberts in the 1960’s. In the conversation, Oral made the comment that I’ve never made a mistake! He was commenting on how he keeps his faith strong and said that though he makes mistakes, he walks in the forgiveness God offers!
As far as God is concerned, you have never done wrong! That’s a reality that you need to meditate on to allow it to soak in! Don’t brood over wrongs you have done. If you miss it, confess your sin. Keep short accounts with the Father.
When you confess your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse the sin. And when God forgives, He forgets. Most of us are hard on ourselves when we do wrong. God and others forgive us long before we usually forgive ourselves. And that kind of condemnation will hinder your faith life.
Take plenty of time to meditate on the forgiveness the Father offers you. I’ll leave you with the scriptures I meditate on regularly to arm me against the accusations of Satan. Be free from condemnation and inferiority. Your Father thinks you’re perfect!
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). Then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17). Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:3). As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25). He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Sunday, May 18, 2008
For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness (Psalm 107:9).
Hunger is a sign of physical heath. And spiritual health is strong when we’re hungry for God. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
Smith Wigglesworth said, Spiritual hunger is when nothing satisfies us so much as being near to God. As I’ve read about the life of Smith Wigglesworth, I’ve been stirred to fresh hunger for Jesus. In his book Ever Increasing Faith, he said, I’d rather have a man on my platform that is not Spirit Filled but hungry, than a man who is Spirit Filled and satisfied. Smith Wigglesworth’s passion for God is seen in a letter he wrote to a friend, Pleased to receive the news of much blessing in your ministry, especially in souls being saved and God keeping you in a very hungry and needy place. W. Hacking wrote a book about Smith’s life and summed up his work by saying, Wisdom, brokenness, purity, and spiritual hunger characterized his ministry.
If you’ve lost your hunger for God, you can get it back. Here are four things you can do. First, fast time stealers. Turn off the TV, the computer game, or whatever and take time to feed on the Word and to pray. The Lord ministered to me years ago during a time of personal disappointment that quenched my spiritual zeal. A guest speaker in our church said Your desires always follow your attention. When I heard that I knew that I must turn my attention to the Lord. I made myself listen to tapes and take notes word for word as my pastor preached just to force myself into the Word. I had no desire to do it, but I put my attention there every day. A couple of weeks later I woke up one morning with a desire to fellowship with my Father. Desire follows attention.
Secondly, feast on spiritual things. You desire what you give your time to. James 4:8 says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. We have to take the first step!
Thirdly, become desperate! Make lifestyle changes. If you want to see something you’ve never seen before, you must do something you’ve never done before. Make time in your day for God. Read your Bible and have a season of prayer during lunch. Take a walk in the evening and pray. Read the Word just before you go to sleep at night. Take time with the Lord throughout your day!
Fourthly, Ask the Lord to make you hungry. I’ll leave you with these verses:
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44). And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father (John 6:65).
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you (Jeremiah 31:3). When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).
Hunger is a sign of physical heath. And spiritual health is strong when we’re hungry for God. As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).
Smith Wigglesworth said, Spiritual hunger is when nothing satisfies us so much as being near to God. As I’ve read about the life of Smith Wigglesworth, I’ve been stirred to fresh hunger for Jesus. In his book Ever Increasing Faith, he said, I’d rather have a man on my platform that is not Spirit Filled but hungry, than a man who is Spirit Filled and satisfied. Smith Wigglesworth’s passion for God is seen in a letter he wrote to a friend, Pleased to receive the news of much blessing in your ministry, especially in souls being saved and God keeping you in a very hungry and needy place. W. Hacking wrote a book about Smith’s life and summed up his work by saying, Wisdom, brokenness, purity, and spiritual hunger characterized his ministry.
If you’ve lost your hunger for God, you can get it back. Here are four things you can do. First, fast time stealers. Turn off the TV, the computer game, or whatever and take time to feed on the Word and to pray. The Lord ministered to me years ago during a time of personal disappointment that quenched my spiritual zeal. A guest speaker in our church said Your desires always follow your attention. When I heard that I knew that I must turn my attention to the Lord. I made myself listen to tapes and take notes word for word as my pastor preached just to force myself into the Word. I had no desire to do it, but I put my attention there every day. A couple of weeks later I woke up one morning with a desire to fellowship with my Father. Desire follows attention.
Secondly, feast on spiritual things. You desire what you give your time to. James 4:8 says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. We have to take the first step!
Thirdly, become desperate! Make lifestyle changes. If you want to see something you’ve never seen before, you must do something you’ve never done before. Make time in your day for God. Read your Bible and have a season of prayer during lunch. Take a walk in the evening and pray. Read the Word just before you go to sleep at night. Take time with the Lord throughout your day!
Fourthly, Ask the Lord to make you hungry. I’ll leave you with these verses:
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44). And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father (John 6:65).
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you (Jeremiah 31:3). When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).
Some years ago the Lord spoke to my spirit and said, You are filled with what you are hungry for. Our hunger draws us. Hunger is a tremendous motivator. Susan and I were walking in downtown Raleigh a few months ago, and I watched in shock as a man reached into a trash can on the street and retrieved some partially eaten food for himself.
You may have read accounts of single mothers who become prostitutes so they can earn money for their hungry children. Hunger motivates. I confess that there have been times that I’ve gotten so hungry (was just too busy to stop to eat) that my health conscious brain was tempting me to eat some McDonald’s fast food! For me that’s pretty radical. Hunger is a powerful force.
The word hunger here in Matthew 5:6 is in the present durative tense in the Greek. That means that the action continues on and on without ceasing. The hunger continues even after you’ve been fed. The longing is not satisfied.
In so many ways in life our appetite drives us. How we spend our time, what we value, what we spend our money on, what kind of occupation we are involved in all have to do with our appetite on various levels.
Since our spiritual life is really the hub of our existence and determines our life values, it would benefit us to remain spiritually hungry! The word here in Matthew 5:6 could be translated starving. Starving people are desperate people. To be starving spiritually would alter daily life! A starving person would do anything to eat. Are you starving spiritually? Are you desperate for God? If not, work on increasing your spiritual appetite.
Three things that hinder spiritual appetite are excessive entertainment, excessive activity, and anger and disappointment.
Globally people spend 1.8 trillion dollars annually on entertainment! Here in the US it has been estimated that we will spend 67 billion dollars a year on entertainment by 2010. So do you wonder why so many lack spiritual zeal? The many entertainment distractions inhibit hunger. Movies, video and computer games, all sorts of technology can just eat up your time. Don’t let it happen!
Excessive activity can also crowd out time for God. Recreation is important for high stress lifestyles. But too much can damage your spiritual life. Put recreation in its place. Going to the beach or to the lake, or involvement in a sports activity or working out has great benefit. A hobby is a great diversion from normal routine. But make sure these things don’t crowd out attending your local church or spending time in the word and in prayer each day. For me, I take care of my spiritual life first, and then I involve myself in some form of recreation to relax. Seek first the kingdom of God!
Anger and disappointment at God or yourself when life doesn’t go the way you thought it should or would go can quench spiritual hunger. An I don’t care attitude can do some real damage to you spiritually. I’ve been at the place where I was so disillusioned that my natural person just wanted to throw in the towel. That’s a dangerous place to be. And the enemy of your soul will take advantage of this kind of demeanor. It can totally quench your hunger for God.
Tomorrow I will talk about how to develop your God hunger if you’ve lost it. Don’t let the candy of the word quench your hunger for Jesus. You become what you’re hungry for.
Some years ago the Lord spoke to my spirit and said, You are filled with what you are hungry for. Our hunger draws us. Hunger is a tremendous motivator. Susan and I were walking in downtown Raleigh a few months ago, and I watched in shock as a man reached into a trash can on the street and retrieved some partially eaten food for himself.
You may have read accounts of single mothers who become prostitutes so they can earn money for their hungry children. Hunger motivates. I confess that there have been times that I’ve gotten so hungry (was just too busy to stop to eat) that my health conscious brain was tempting me to eat some McDonald’s fast food! For me that’s pretty radical. Hunger is a powerful force.
The word hunger here in Matthew 5:6 is in the present durative tense in the Greek. That means that the action continues on and on without ceasing. The hunger continues even after you’ve been fed. The longing is not satisfied.
In so many ways in life our appetite drives us. How we spend our time, what we value, what we spend our money on, what kind of occupation we are involved in all have to do with our appetite on various levels.
Since our spiritual life is really the hub of our existence and determines our life values, it would benefit us to remain spiritually hungry! The word here in Matthew 5:6 could be translated starving. Starving people are desperate people. To be starving spiritually would alter daily life! A starving person would do anything to eat. Are you starving spiritually? Are you desperate for God? If not, work on increasing your spiritual appetite.
Three things that hinder spiritual appetite are excessive entertainment, excessive activity, and anger and disappointment.
Globally people spend 1.8 trillion dollars annually on entertainment! Here in the US it has been estimated that we will spend 67 billion dollars a year on entertainment by 2010. So do you wonder why so many lack spiritual zeal? The many entertainment distractions inhibit hunger. Movies, video and computer games, all sorts of technology can just eat up your time. Don’t let it happen!
Excessive activity can also crowd out time for God. Recreation is important for high stress lifestyles. But too much can damage your spiritual life. Put recreation in its place. Going to the beach or to the lake, or involvement in a sports activity or working out has great benefit. A hobby is a great diversion from normal routine. But make sure these things don’t crowd out attending your local church or spending time in the word and in prayer each day. For me, I take care of my spiritual life first, and then I involve myself in some form of recreation to relax. Seek first the kingdom of God!
Anger and disappointment at God or yourself when life doesn’t go the way you thought it should or would go can quench spiritual hunger. An I don’t care attitude can do some real damage to you spiritually. I’ve been at the place where I was so disillusioned that my natural person just wanted to throw in the towel. That’s a dangerous place to be. And the enemy of your soul will take advantage of this kind of demeanor. It can totally quench your hunger for God.
Tomorrow I will talk about how to develop your God hunger if you’ve lost it. Don’t let the candy of the word quench your hunger for Jesus. You become what you’re hungry for.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Every person you meet today is equally loved by the Father. He has no favorite children. We are His ambassadors to share the good news with them. The good news is that He’s not mad at them and doesn’t hate them. Though they are sinners, their sin debt has been canceled. All they need to do is to bow their knee in repentance acknowledging their sin. The blood of Jesus will then remove their personal sin debt, and they go free.
This is the truth that brought me into the family of God years ago. I had the idea that the Father was mad at me, and that all He did was brood over my sin when He thought of me. When I found out that He did not hold my sin against me, hope sprang up! I saw that if I acknowledged my wrong, forgiveness for all my past deeds was immediately available.
A guy said to me, did you know that God is not holding your sin against you, that He loves you? The only thing holding you back from His love is your lack of relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ, your sin debt is canceled, and you are free!
No one had ever put it to me in those terms. My sin debt is canceled. For a person consumed with guilt, that’s a big deal! Finding out that the Father had already dealt with the sin issue freed me to come to Him, confess my sin, and embrace His free offer of grace.
Don’t beat the unsaved person over the head with angry words and tones. They have enough condemnation to deal with. Show them the love of the Father. Be a good ambassador as you represent the Father today. Let others know that in Christ their sin debt is settled. The only thing that stands between them and God the Father is their lack of relationship with Jesus!
It’s a great thing to be forgiven all your past sins! Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit (Psalm 32:1-2). There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
Be a beacon of light to those you meet today! A free gift is their today for the taking!
Every person you meet today is equally loved by the Father. He has no favorite children. We are His ambassadors to share the good news with them. The good news is that He’s not mad at them and doesn’t hate them. Though they are sinners, their sin debt has been canceled. All they need to do is to bow their knee in repentance acknowledging their sin. The blood of Jesus will then remove their personal sin debt, and they go free.
This is the truth that brought me into the family of God years ago. I had the idea that the Father was mad at me, and that all He did was brood over my sin when He thought of me. When I found out that He did not hold my sin against me, hope sprang up! I saw that if I acknowledged my wrong, forgiveness for all my past deeds was immediately available.
A guy said to me, did you know that God is not holding your sin against you, that He loves you? The only thing holding you back from His love is your lack of relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ, your sin debt is canceled, and you are free!
No one had ever put it to me in those terms. My sin debt is canceled. For a person consumed with guilt, that’s a big deal! Finding out that the Father had already dealt with the sin issue freed me to come to Him, confess my sin, and embrace His free offer of grace.
Don’t beat the unsaved person over the head with angry words and tones. They have enough condemnation to deal with. Show them the love of the Father. Be a good ambassador as you represent the Father today. Let others know that in Christ their sin debt is settled. The only thing that stands between them and God the Father is their lack of relationship with Jesus!
It’s a great thing to be forgiven all your past sins! Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit (Psalm 32:1-2). There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).
Be a beacon of light to those you meet today! A free gift is their today for the taking!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:12-15).
I had an amazing thing happen yesterday. I had a real challenging situation in my personal life to deal with and the Lord just simply showed Himself strong! He’s just the best! Due to the nature of the situation I can’t be specific. But I can say that when something comes up in life that makes you want to pull your hair out, don’t do it! Instead, cast your cares and lean on the Father to work out the details and to give you wisdom in the process.
In this instance my natural man wanted to get in a person’s face and have some pretty bold and hard discussion. I was angry. And I had a right to be. But I decided to give up my rights for a higher cause. The cause is God working in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure! He wants to work out of me the edge I get when I’ve been wronged in a legal way and I deserve to be right! And the Lord wants to work in the other person too. My response determines what God can do!
So, going into this situation to confront it, I prayed and asked the Father to breathe His life on this situation and to help me respond in Christ instead of in my flesh. I decided to put my rights last and God’s kingdom in my life first. It wasn’t easy, because the law and legal matters were on my side. But I prayed, asking the Lord to open my heart and the heart of the other person, who is not saved. I bound Satan from interfering, and cast all my worries about it on the Lord.
To my surprise, the person’s demeanor changed. The situation took a u-turn, and I think really worked out for the good of all involved. I’m believing for the person’s salvation, and this turn in the situation I believe will open the door for that!
I encourage you to refuse to act suddenly and rashly as you deal with other. Bathe your life in prayer. Talk to the Father about all your thoughts and feelings, casting every fear and worry on Him by faith. Expect Him to work on your behalf. He wants to use every situation that you face for your good and for His glory! You attitude is the deciding factor!
I had an amazing thing happen yesterday. I had a real challenging situation in my personal life to deal with and the Lord just simply showed Himself strong! He’s just the best! Due to the nature of the situation I can’t be specific. But I can say that when something comes up in life that makes you want to pull your hair out, don’t do it! Instead, cast your cares and lean on the Father to work out the details and to give you wisdom in the process.
In this instance my natural man wanted to get in a person’s face and have some pretty bold and hard discussion. I was angry. And I had a right to be. But I decided to give up my rights for a higher cause. The cause is God working in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure! He wants to work out of me the edge I get when I’ve been wronged in a legal way and I deserve to be right! And the Lord wants to work in the other person too. My response determines what God can do!
So, going into this situation to confront it, I prayed and asked the Father to breathe His life on this situation and to help me respond in Christ instead of in my flesh. I decided to put my rights last and God’s kingdom in my life first. It wasn’t easy, because the law and legal matters were on my side. But I prayed, asking the Lord to open my heart and the heart of the other person, who is not saved. I bound Satan from interfering, and cast all my worries about it on the Lord.
To my surprise, the person’s demeanor changed. The situation took a u-turn, and I think really worked out for the good of all involved. I’m believing for the person’s salvation, and this turn in the situation I believe will open the door for that!
I encourage you to refuse to act suddenly and rashly as you deal with other. Bathe your life in prayer. Talk to the Father about all your thoughts and feelings, casting every fear and worry on Him by faith. Expect Him to work on your behalf. He wants to use every situation that you face for your good and for His glory! You attitude is the deciding factor!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
When you’re going through a rough place in life, these verses contain some wisdom for the fight. Realize that the tough place is only temporary, and if you’ll keep your eyes on the finish line the tough place will just make you stronger.
I’ve been jogging as a means of exercise for over twenty years now. When you’ve planned to run a distance of several miles, you sort of “hit the wall” somewhere in mid course. That means that you get very fatigued and you feel like quitting. But if you press through this time you get a “second wind” and you actually feel stronger and a peace settles over your entire being. To get through this “wall” I usually make my mind think about pleasant things and I keep my vision adjusted way ahead of me. If I only focus my eyes on the ground right in front of me I exacerbate the feelings of tiredness.
I think about this when I’m facing the pressures that life brings. The current problem is only a stepping stone to better days ahead. And the pressure of the moment will only prove to undergird my resolve and make me stronger in the days ahead.
We look at things not seen by keeping our focus on the Word during difficult times. The need will be met. The answer to prayer will come. The healing will manifest. The circumstance will eventually yield. Our job is to keep our eyes, our ears, and our mouth on the Word and the problem will eventually be swallowed by the peace of God! So the problem , which was meant to defeat us, actually makes us stronger!
When you’re going through a rough place in life, these verses contain some wisdom for the fight. Realize that the tough place is only temporary, and if you’ll keep your eyes on the finish line the tough place will just make you stronger.
I’ve been jogging as a means of exercise for over twenty years now. When you’ve planned to run a distance of several miles, you sort of “hit the wall” somewhere in mid course. That means that you get very fatigued and you feel like quitting. But if you press through this time you get a “second wind” and you actually feel stronger and a peace settles over your entire being. To get through this “wall” I usually make my mind think about pleasant things and I keep my vision adjusted way ahead of me. If I only focus my eyes on the ground right in front of me I exacerbate the feelings of tiredness.
I think about this when I’m facing the pressures that life brings. The current problem is only a stepping stone to better days ahead. And the pressure of the moment will only prove to undergird my resolve and make me stronger in the days ahead.
We look at things not seen by keeping our focus on the Word during difficult times. The need will be met. The answer to prayer will come. The healing will manifest. The circumstance will eventually yield. Our job is to keep our eyes, our ears, and our mouth on the Word and the problem will eventually be swallowed by the peace of God! So the problem , which was meant to defeat us, actually makes us stronger!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2 Corinthians 1:20). Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Do you see the cup half full or half empty? Our attitude in life determines our perspective and our success in God. The Apostle Paul kept a positive attitude in spite of the negative circumstances he encountered. Difficult circumstances are part of living in a fallen world and must be faced until we leave this planet for heaven. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
During times of great struggle, I remind myself of the promises of God. His Word is forever settled in heaven. He watches over His Word to make it good. During one particularly grueling test years ago, I found scripture that proved to help in keeping my attitude positive. Take these scriptures that follow and make them yours. If God be for you, then who can be successful against you? You and God make a majority!
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5). Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:19) But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him (Psalm 37:39-40).Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me (Psalm 50:15). God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea (Psalm 46:1-2). Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him (Psalm 91:14-15). What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
See the cup half full today!
Do you see the cup half full or half empty? Our attitude in life determines our perspective and our success in God. The Apostle Paul kept a positive attitude in spite of the negative circumstances he encountered. Difficult circumstances are part of living in a fallen world and must be faced until we leave this planet for heaven. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
During times of great struggle, I remind myself of the promises of God. His Word is forever settled in heaven. He watches over His Word to make it good. During one particularly grueling test years ago, I found scripture that proved to help in keeping my attitude positive. Take these scriptures that follow and make them yours. If God be for you, then who can be successful against you? You and God make a majority!
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5). Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:19) But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him (Psalm 37:39-40).Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me (Psalm 50:15). God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea (Psalm 46:1-2). Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him (Psalm 91:14-15). What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
See the cup half full today!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [ possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:5-9 –Amplified).
This is called the kenosis of Christ, from the Greek word for emptied. Jesus was a king, but laid down His kingly position momentarily for 33 years. As God, He wrapped Himself in a body that He Himself created for man. Having dominion, power, authority, majesty, and control of the universe; He laid it all aside for you and me. He emptied Himself of all positional privilege as the Son of God and lived just like us. He faced every temptation known to man without yielding. He fully submitted His human will to the will of His Father.
Resultantly, He now holds the highest position in the universe. Every being will one day bow to His kingship in hell, on earth, and in heaven! He is the representative new creation man.
We are to have the same purpose, mind and attitude that Jesus exemplified. We are likewise called to empty ourselves of the desire for our own way, to be seen and heard, of pride, self-centeredness, and self-will. Jesus gave each of us the call to take up our cross daily. A cross is a place where flesh dies; where the will of God meets my selfish desires and I choose to lay them down out of love for Him.
The seed that dies bears fruit. The barren becomes fruitful. The un-surrendered life is barren and cold. The surrendered, self-emptied life is filled with joy, peace, and the fruits of right standing with God.
Each day we must make a choice to have the same attitude, purpose, and mind that Jesus had. We must be willing to empty ourselves the way He did. Our own personal kenosis. Taking up our cross. Purposing to please the Father rather than gratify the flesh.
A glass that is not emptied cannot be refilled. Running water gravitates to the lowest places. Rivers of living water are waiting for the self-emptied cup; for the lowest spots to fill. Kenosis. Let it be your mindset today!
This is called the kenosis of Christ, from the Greek word for emptied. Jesus was a king, but laid down His kingly position momentarily for 33 years. As God, He wrapped Himself in a body that He Himself created for man. Having dominion, power, authority, majesty, and control of the universe; He laid it all aside for you and me. He emptied Himself of all positional privilege as the Son of God and lived just like us. He faced every temptation known to man without yielding. He fully submitted His human will to the will of His Father.
Resultantly, He now holds the highest position in the universe. Every being will one day bow to His kingship in hell, on earth, and in heaven! He is the representative new creation man.
We are to have the same purpose, mind and attitude that Jesus exemplified. We are likewise called to empty ourselves of the desire for our own way, to be seen and heard, of pride, self-centeredness, and self-will. Jesus gave each of us the call to take up our cross daily. A cross is a place where flesh dies; where the will of God meets my selfish desires and I choose to lay them down out of love for Him.
The seed that dies bears fruit. The barren becomes fruitful. The un-surrendered life is barren and cold. The surrendered, self-emptied life is filled with joy, peace, and the fruits of right standing with God.
Each day we must make a choice to have the same attitude, purpose, and mind that Jesus had. We must be willing to empty ourselves the way He did. Our own personal kenosis. Taking up our cross. Purposing to please the Father rather than gratify the flesh.
A glass that is not emptied cannot be refilled. Running water gravitates to the lowest places. Rivers of living water are waiting for the self-emptied cup; for the lowest spots to fill. Kenosis. Let it be your mindset today!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97).
Our relationship with Jesus revolves around the Word. Obedience to the Word is obedience to Him. My love for Him is demonstrated by my obedience to His Word! He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21). Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me (John 14:23-24).
If I say I love Him and do nothing with His Word, I’m self-deceived. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:3-5).
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). The Word is a lamp. It lightens my immediate life and shows me what to do moment by moment. I should ask myself throughout the day, what does the Word says about this decision, this thing I’m doing, about my attitude or this action.
The Word is a light to my path. He shows me the way He wants me to go in life. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8). When you practice the Word and delight yourself in the Word, the Father places His desires in you for His plan for your life. The inward desires from Him rise up when you obey His Word. In this way He shows you the path for your life or you could say He shows you His will for your life. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
The Word will sweeten your life. It will renew your mind. It will make you wise and enlighten your eyes in practical ways. The Word will bring great reward to your life. Fall in love with the Word every day. I’ll leave you with this:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:7-14).
Our relationship with Jesus revolves around the Word. Obedience to the Word is obedience to Him. My love for Him is demonstrated by my obedience to His Word! He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14:21). Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me (John 14:23-24).
If I say I love Him and do nothing with His Word, I’m self-deceived. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:3-5).
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). The Word is a lamp. It lightens my immediate life and shows me what to do moment by moment. I should ask myself throughout the day, what does the Word says about this decision, this thing I’m doing, about my attitude or this action.
The Word is a light to my path. He shows me the way He wants me to go in life. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye (Psalm 32:8). When you practice the Word and delight yourself in the Word, the Father places His desires in you for His plan for your life. The inward desires from Him rise up when you obey His Word. In this way He shows you the path for your life or you could say He shows you His will for your life. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
The Word will sweeten your life. It will renew your mind. It will make you wise and enlighten your eyes in practical ways. The Word will bring great reward to your life. Fall in love with the Word every day. I’ll leave you with this:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:7-14).
Friday, May 9, 2008
But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him, and he blew a trumpet, and [the clan of] Abiezer was gathered to him (Judg 6:34 - Amplified).
When you first see Gideon in Judges, he is hiding behind a piece of farm equipment as he threshed wheat to hide it from the Midianite army. The Midianites would attack Israel during their harvest season and steal their food. It was a great oppression to Israel. And an angel appeared to Gideon and called him a mighty man of valor while he was in hiding!
Gideon’s response was to remind the angel that he born on the “wrong side of the tracks” and that he was the smallest in his father’s household. The bottom line was that God saw Gideon differently than he saw himself. Gideon focused on his weakness while the Father focused on his strengths. God saw in Gideon the leader that he was, even though the circumstances showed his personal cowardice! Your opinion of yourself may not agree with God’s! He knows you better than you know yourself and he sees the latent abilities that you can’t see in you!
Then to top it off, God told Gideon that he would defeat the Midianites. So Gideon amassed an army of 32,000 men for the task. When God was finished telling Gideon the criteria the men must fulfill to fight this battle, the army dwindled to 300 men! What looked impossible from natural human thinking was so easy from God’s perspective. The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself, and took possession of him. You see, God and one man make a majority! God has the ability and wisdom. All He needs is yielded flesh and blood. Not Charisma! Not Wit! Not raw human power! God only needs a human emptied of self-ability who is willing to be clothed with power from on High!
You may face impossible circumstances today. Failure may seem inevitable. On your own, it may be. Take the time to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He sees what you can’t see. What seems impossible to you is so easy to Him! Take His word into your mouth today and begin to say what the Father says about you, your circumstances, your life, and your future. Call those things that be not as though they were. Confess that you have God’s strength, power, wisdom, and ability, and that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. The Father working in you makes the impossible possible. What He did for Gideon He will do for you.
When you first see Gideon in Judges, he is hiding behind a piece of farm equipment as he threshed wheat to hide it from the Midianite army. The Midianites would attack Israel during their harvest season and steal their food. It was a great oppression to Israel. And an angel appeared to Gideon and called him a mighty man of valor while he was in hiding!
Gideon’s response was to remind the angel that he born on the “wrong side of the tracks” and that he was the smallest in his father’s household. The bottom line was that God saw Gideon differently than he saw himself. Gideon focused on his weakness while the Father focused on his strengths. God saw in Gideon the leader that he was, even though the circumstances showed his personal cowardice! Your opinion of yourself may not agree with God’s! He knows you better than you know yourself and he sees the latent abilities that you can’t see in you!
Then to top it off, God told Gideon that he would defeat the Midianites. So Gideon amassed an army of 32,000 men for the task. When God was finished telling Gideon the criteria the men must fulfill to fight this battle, the army dwindled to 300 men! What looked impossible from natural human thinking was so easy from God’s perspective. The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself, and took possession of him. You see, God and one man make a majority! God has the ability and wisdom. All He needs is yielded flesh and blood. Not Charisma! Not Wit! Not raw human power! God only needs a human emptied of self-ability who is willing to be clothed with power from on High!
You may face impossible circumstances today. Failure may seem inevitable. On your own, it may be. Take the time to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. He sees what you can’t see. What seems impossible to you is so easy to Him! Take His word into your mouth today and begin to say what the Father says about you, your circumstances, your life, and your future. Call those things that be not as though they were. Confess that you have God’s strength, power, wisdom, and ability, and that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. The Father working in you makes the impossible possible. What He did for Gideon He will do for you.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We broadcast the Lakeland Revival in our service last night via the internet and the Holy Spirit met us all in a powerful way! As the worship continued and the exhortation flowed, waves of the Holy Spirit’s Presence swept over us. This is happening now all over the world. It seems that God has begun a fresh manifestation of His Presence among His people.
Many years ago I heard an elderly man of God who had been friends with Smith Wigglesworth say, The next move of God will not be through human personality, but will be the ministry of His Presence among His people. I saw this fulfilled in the Brownsville Revival and in Toronto, and now here it is again in the meetings in Lakeland.
Never in History has something God is doing been broadcast worldwide like this via the internet. The fire of God, His purity and holiness, is falling upon His people once again. I want to encourage you to get involved!
We’re opening our building tonight at 7:00 PM to show the meetings in Lakeland live in our auditorium. Come and be with us tonight! When we get together like this, God shows up in a powerful way! Tell your friends about this, and come and join us!
I’ll leave you today with this:
Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone (Zechariah 10:1). Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you (Isaiah 60:1-2). And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-31).
Many years ago I heard an elderly man of God who had been friends with Smith Wigglesworth say, The next move of God will not be through human personality, but will be the ministry of His Presence among His people. I saw this fulfilled in the Brownsville Revival and in Toronto, and now here it is again in the meetings in Lakeland.
Never in History has something God is doing been broadcast worldwide like this via the internet. The fire of God, His purity and holiness, is falling upon His people once again. I want to encourage you to get involved!
We’re opening our building tonight at 7:00 PM to show the meetings in Lakeland live in our auditorium. Come and be with us tonight! When we get together like this, God shows up in a powerful way! Tell your friends about this, and come and join us!
I’ll leave you today with this:
Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone (Zechariah 10:1). Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you (Isaiah 60:1-2). And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-31).
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I’ve been asked about the Lakeland revival, so let me take a moment here to speak about it. For those who are not aware, there has been a “move of the Spirit” in Lakeland, Florida that has grown from a local church to a local convention center there and is bring broadcast around the world on God.TV via the internet. Todd Bently is the evangelist that ministers. The meetings have been going on for over a month now each night at 7:00 PM. The meetings begin with praise and worship, and they continue to worship until the presence of God manifests. Then the Word of Knowledge and Gifts of Healings manifest and people are healed!
I’ve watched it and it seems genuine. I always look to make sure that Jesus is the center of things when special meetings break out. And I look to see if the Word of God is central to what’s going on. Does what’s happening glorify Jesus and draw believers to Him and holiness and away from the world? Who gets the attention, man or God? From what I’ve seen and heard, this seems to be a wonderful move of the Spirit. It’s certainly “out of the box” for religious folk! I encourage you to check it out on www.God.TV . Once you go there, you’ll be asked to register a user name and password, and you’re on! Then go to the Lakeland Revival link. Let me know what you think!
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).
I’ve watched it and it seems genuine. I always look to make sure that Jesus is the center of things when special meetings break out. And I look to see if the Word of God is central to what’s going on. Does what’s happening glorify Jesus and draw believers to Him and holiness and away from the world? Who gets the attention, man or God? From what I’ve seen and heard, this seems to be a wonderful move of the Spirit. It’s certainly “out of the box” for religious folk! I encourage you to check it out on www.God.TV . Once you go there, you’ll be asked to register a user name and password, and you’re on! Then go to the Lakeland Revival link. Let me know what you think!
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19).
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18).
A question was asked of me about my blog from yesterday where I mentioned the importance of choosing close associations wisely. The question was what do you do if the ones who challenge you to do wrong things are family members?
I live by the above verse. We have so many varied relationships in life and our responsibilities vary from relationship to relationship. Here is the bottom line. I cannot make choices for other people. I must make choices for myself and live by them. I am not responsible for the actions of another, but I am responsible for how I deal with their actions and choices.
When it comes to family members or relatives, I must learn to relate to them and be as real as possible, understanding that others’ choices may prohibit closeness in the relationship. It’s just like our relationship with the Lord. He loves us all the same, but our choices can leave Him at arm’s distance. And with family, I must learn not to be pushy and demanding. I must learn how to sense what kind of relationship the individual will allow me to have with them and start there without pressuring them. That’s easier said than done, but let love be the guiding factor.
If the family member seeks to entice me into doing, saying, or acting in a way that for me as a believer is wrong, I must then take my stand, and agree to disagree with them. I must be clear with others when they try to violate my personal boundaries and let them know that I won’t be involved in that particular thing. And if necessary, I put physical distance between me and the person. Those that seek to push their wants and desires on you are wrong, and it is fair and loving to gently yet firmly let them know that you just won’t go there.
Here’s a great word from Romans 15:1-3 – Amplified:
We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]. For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.
A question was asked of me about my blog from yesterday where I mentioned the importance of choosing close associations wisely. The question was what do you do if the ones who challenge you to do wrong things are family members?
I live by the above verse. We have so many varied relationships in life and our responsibilities vary from relationship to relationship. Here is the bottom line. I cannot make choices for other people. I must make choices for myself and live by them. I am not responsible for the actions of another, but I am responsible for how I deal with their actions and choices.
When it comes to family members or relatives, I must learn to relate to them and be as real as possible, understanding that others’ choices may prohibit closeness in the relationship. It’s just like our relationship with the Lord. He loves us all the same, but our choices can leave Him at arm’s distance. And with family, I must learn not to be pushy and demanding. I must learn how to sense what kind of relationship the individual will allow me to have with them and start there without pressuring them. That’s easier said than done, but let love be the guiding factor.
If the family member seeks to entice me into doing, saying, or acting in a way that for me as a believer is wrong, I must then take my stand, and agree to disagree with them. I must be clear with others when they try to violate my personal boundaries and let them know that I won’t be involved in that particular thing. And if necessary, I put physical distance between me and the person. Those that seek to push their wants and desires on you are wrong, and it is fair and loving to gently yet firmly let them know that you just won’t go there.
Here’s a great word from Romans 15:1-3 – Amplified:
We who are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]. For Christ did not please Himself [gave no thought to His own interests]; but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached and abused you fell on Me.
Monday, May 5, 2008
But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). (James 1:14 – Amplified)
The most dangerous person in my life is me! Self deception hinders more people in God than perhaps any other one thing. We all must ruthlessly deal with ourselves, honestly admitting our areas of weakness to the Lord, to ourselves, and if necessary, to another trusted friend.
The verse above is written to believers. Every believer has a built in Achilles heel. Notice that every believer is tempted when he or she is drawn away by his own evil desire. What is this? This refers to what you allowed in your life before Christ. And it may be different for each person.
The seeds of the sins of the flesh committed before Jesus came into your life are still in the recesses of your soul. They lay there latent, dormant, waiting for you to feed them. They are fed by giving them attention in your thought life. You allowed your mind, emotions, will, and flesh to do certain things before Christ that, if you do them now may break your fellowship with the Father. This is your personal strong desire mentioned in the above verse. And these things must be guarded against for the rest of your life. It may be anger, a tendency towards holding a grudge, fears of any sort, gossip, jealously, envy, self-centeredness, or any of the sins of the flesh like adultery, fornication, or lust. It may over eating, drug or alcohol use.
The key is to know yourself and be aware of what tempts you. Here are three keys to keep you free from your past. The first one is to maintain a close, regular, and daily intimate fellowship with the Father in the Word and in prayer. Our spiritual life should be the energy center of life. And the spiritual resources of sincere prayer and quality time in the Word give us a tune up spiritually and help keep our flesh under. If you don’t keep your spirit fed, your flesh will rise.
Secondly, watch your close friendships carefully. 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Amplified reads: Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. Close association and friendship with those who have no spiritual values will dampen your spiritual life and lessen your spiritual fervor. Their values and ideals will rub off on you. I am friendly with unbelievers and with believers who are carnal and refuse to discipline their flesh. But I refuse to “hang out” with them in a close way. It wouldn’t work anyway, because I would challenge the wrong behavior! At some point, you either make a decision to step away from those who compromise or you may become like them.
Lastly, draw the line of demarcation in your life. That is, refuse to go places or do things that will stir up past sins in your life. Don’t hang around the person that gossips if that was a previous problem. Don’t look at the risqué movie or TV program; it will only entice the problem you had before. Don’t hang out with those who are casual drinkers if that was in your past. Apply this rule to whatever you were involved in pre-Christ!
Daily fellowship with the Father, godly associations, and drawing the line of demarcation in your life will help shield you from falling into previous patterns of living!
The most dangerous person in my life is me! Self deception hinders more people in God than perhaps any other one thing. We all must ruthlessly deal with ourselves, honestly admitting our areas of weakness to the Lord, to ourselves, and if necessary, to another trusted friend.
The verse above is written to believers. Every believer has a built in Achilles heel. Notice that every believer is tempted when he or she is drawn away by his own evil desire. What is this? This refers to what you allowed in your life before Christ. And it may be different for each person.
The seeds of the sins of the flesh committed before Jesus came into your life are still in the recesses of your soul. They lay there latent, dormant, waiting for you to feed them. They are fed by giving them attention in your thought life. You allowed your mind, emotions, will, and flesh to do certain things before Christ that, if you do them now may break your fellowship with the Father. This is your personal strong desire mentioned in the above verse. And these things must be guarded against for the rest of your life. It may be anger, a tendency towards holding a grudge, fears of any sort, gossip, jealously, envy, self-centeredness, or any of the sins of the flesh like adultery, fornication, or lust. It may over eating, drug or alcohol use.
The key is to know yourself and be aware of what tempts you. Here are three keys to keep you free from your past. The first one is to maintain a close, regular, and daily intimate fellowship with the Father in the Word and in prayer. Our spiritual life should be the energy center of life. And the spiritual resources of sincere prayer and quality time in the Word give us a tune up spiritually and help keep our flesh under. If you don’t keep your spirit fed, your flesh will rise.
Secondly, watch your close friendships carefully. 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Amplified reads: Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character. Close association and friendship with those who have no spiritual values will dampen your spiritual life and lessen your spiritual fervor. Their values and ideals will rub off on you. I am friendly with unbelievers and with believers who are carnal and refuse to discipline their flesh. But I refuse to “hang out” with them in a close way. It wouldn’t work anyway, because I would challenge the wrong behavior! At some point, you either make a decision to step away from those who compromise or you may become like them.
Lastly, draw the line of demarcation in your life. That is, refuse to go places or do things that will stir up past sins in your life. Don’t hang around the person that gossips if that was a previous problem. Don’t look at the risqué movie or TV program; it will only entice the problem you had before. Don’t hang out with those who are casual drinkers if that was in your past. Apply this rule to whatever you were involved in pre-Christ!
Daily fellowship with the Father, godly associations, and drawing the line of demarcation in your life will help shield you from falling into previous patterns of living!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).
The “world” is one of the enemies of the believer. Theologian Kenneth Wuest defines the “world” as all the floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, beliefs, and values that are current in the world. Smith Wigglesworth defined the world in his simple way as “that which cools my affection towards God.”
We’re admonished not to be friends with the world (James 4:4). Friendship with the world leads to being “spotted” by the world (James 1:27); which leads to “loving” the world (1 John 2:15); which leads to “conforming” to the world (Romans 12:2); which leads to being “condemned” with the world (1 Corinthians 11:32).
Demas was a companion of the Apostle Paul in ministry and left Paul and the ministry because he was overcome by the world. We all must examine ourselves regularly, confessing our faults to one another and our sins to the Father can cleanse us and help us. Shun the world. Snuggle up to Jesus and to the Word. Fellowship with Him. Pour your heart out to Him. Ask Him to help you overcome temptations that come your way. His throne is full of grace and mercy for your time of need.
The “world” is one of the enemies of the believer. Theologian Kenneth Wuest defines the “world” as all the floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, beliefs, and values that are current in the world. Smith Wigglesworth defined the world in his simple way as “that which cools my affection towards God.”
We’re admonished not to be friends with the world (James 4:4). Friendship with the world leads to being “spotted” by the world (James 1:27); which leads to “loving” the world (1 John 2:15); which leads to “conforming” to the world (Romans 12:2); which leads to being “condemned” with the world (1 Corinthians 11:32).
Demas was a companion of the Apostle Paul in ministry and left Paul and the ministry because he was overcome by the world. We all must examine ourselves regularly, confessing our faults to one another and our sins to the Father can cleanse us and help us. Shun the world. Snuggle up to Jesus and to the Word. Fellowship with Him. Pour your heart out to Him. Ask Him to help you overcome temptations that come your way. His throne is full of grace and mercy for your time of need.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Little children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:20).
I travel to India annually to minister and there I notice idols on just about every street corner. We don’t have those kinds of idols in the US, but we still probably have just as much idolatry here.
An idol is an extravagant admiration of the heart; anything that is the supreme object of our affection; any object of ardent or excessive admiration or affection. In that light, I think you can see there are quite as few idols around.
An idol could be a child, a spouse, a car, a house, a hobby, or anything on which we depend in the place of relying on God.
Abraham made an idol out of his promised son Isaac, and God asked him to slay him as a sacrifice. When Abraham released him to God, his life was spared.
Years ago I had an idol of personal pride and of ministry that the Lord asked me to surrender to Him. During a season of transition in ministry I was praying and looking for a supplemental source of income, and the Lord spoke to me that I was to “paint,” that is, start a painting company. After much persuasion I finally began painting houses while not on the road in ministry. The first idol to fall was my personal pride.
I had always dressed to perfection and prided myself in dressing nicely and in keeping myself well groomed. I loathed the idea of painting because it seemed so messy and it lacked the prestige of “ministry.”
I was painting the stippled “popcorn” ceilings in a house one day and the white paint and stipple fell all over me; in my hair, down my face, all over my clothes. I was a complete mess! I got a call at the same time to give a contractor an estimate on some work on a new house. I arrived with this white stipple and paint all over me. The contractor looked me up and down and asked if I always looked like this. Well, that just knocked my “pride in my looks idol” right to the ground. I was humiliated. Somehow I knew that the Lord placed me in a position to face this kind of circumstance and sacrifice my “well groomed idol” to the Lord. I was set free of the need to look perfect that day!
Some time later, I was grinding old paint off the exterior of a house, and feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t busy in ministry. And the Father began to deal with me about yet another idol that I had erected in my heart. It was the idol of ministry. I had been in full time ministry almost my entire adult life and felt that I just had to be in ministry. With flecks of paint and sweat covering me as I grinded away at old paint wearing a face mask, I came face to face with the ministry idol in my heart. The Father showed me that I could be satisfied in any circumstance as long as I had Him with Me. He showed me that I did not need ministry to be fulfilled as a believer. I only needed Him.
I cried out to the Lord in that moment and told Him that I would paint the rest of my life if that was His will for me. I felt immediate relief from the burden of having to be in ministry to be fulfilled. The release from the weight of my “ministry heart idol” was incredible. For the first time in my life I was content to do whatever and be happy in it. Not long afterward, the Lord opened up full-time ministry in my life again.
I no longer serve the idol of personal pride or the idol of needing to be in ministry. And I’ve never been freer as a child of God. Ministry is a joy, not a burden. I don’t have t be in ministry. I am privileged to be called by the Father to serve His people. Jesus meets my personal needs. And now I’m free to commit my life to serve the Father as I serve others.
Allow the Father access in your life today to deal with any heart idols that may be in the way of His best for you!
I travel to India annually to minister and there I notice idols on just about every street corner. We don’t have those kinds of idols in the US, but we still probably have just as much idolatry here.
An idol is an extravagant admiration of the heart; anything that is the supreme object of our affection; any object of ardent or excessive admiration or affection. In that light, I think you can see there are quite as few idols around.
An idol could be a child, a spouse, a car, a house, a hobby, or anything on which we depend in the place of relying on God.
Abraham made an idol out of his promised son Isaac, and God asked him to slay him as a sacrifice. When Abraham released him to God, his life was spared.
Years ago I had an idol of personal pride and of ministry that the Lord asked me to surrender to Him. During a season of transition in ministry I was praying and looking for a supplemental source of income, and the Lord spoke to me that I was to “paint,” that is, start a painting company. After much persuasion I finally began painting houses while not on the road in ministry. The first idol to fall was my personal pride.
I had always dressed to perfection and prided myself in dressing nicely and in keeping myself well groomed. I loathed the idea of painting because it seemed so messy and it lacked the prestige of “ministry.”
I was painting the stippled “popcorn” ceilings in a house one day and the white paint and stipple fell all over me; in my hair, down my face, all over my clothes. I was a complete mess! I got a call at the same time to give a contractor an estimate on some work on a new house. I arrived with this white stipple and paint all over me. The contractor looked me up and down and asked if I always looked like this. Well, that just knocked my “pride in my looks idol” right to the ground. I was humiliated. Somehow I knew that the Lord placed me in a position to face this kind of circumstance and sacrifice my “well groomed idol” to the Lord. I was set free of the need to look perfect that day!
Some time later, I was grinding old paint off the exterior of a house, and feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t busy in ministry. And the Father began to deal with me about yet another idol that I had erected in my heart. It was the idol of ministry. I had been in full time ministry almost my entire adult life and felt that I just had to be in ministry. With flecks of paint and sweat covering me as I grinded away at old paint wearing a face mask, I came face to face with the ministry idol in my heart. The Father showed me that I could be satisfied in any circumstance as long as I had Him with Me. He showed me that I did not need ministry to be fulfilled as a believer. I only needed Him.
I cried out to the Lord in that moment and told Him that I would paint the rest of my life if that was His will for me. I felt immediate relief from the burden of having to be in ministry to be fulfilled. The release from the weight of my “ministry heart idol” was incredible. For the first time in my life I was content to do whatever and be happy in it. Not long afterward, the Lord opened up full-time ministry in my life again.
I no longer serve the idol of personal pride or the idol of needing to be in ministry. And I’ve never been freer as a child of God. Ministry is a joy, not a burden. I don’t have t be in ministry. I am privileged to be called by the Father to serve His people. Jesus meets my personal needs. And now I’m free to commit my life to serve the Father as I serve others.
Allow the Father access in your life today to deal with any heart idols that may be in the way of His best for you!
Friday, May 2, 2008
I was awakened early Thursday morning quite suddenly. The Lord impressed upon me the need to be fervent in this hour. I had just dreamed about the time period just before Jesus’ return in the rapture. Life was strained and dangerous. I seemed to have the impression in my spirit that these are times to be cautious and careful, and times to really live as if we were going to heaven today.
What comes to mind is Revelation 12:12: Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." And Romans 13:11-14 comes to mind: And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Demonic forces are stepping up their efforts to blind people from the truth of the Word, and are seeking to instill strife and discord in every possible way where allowed. And there is an un-holy spirit that is loose in this age that snubs its nose at God and His standards. Refuse to yield to it!
Here are three things of importance to embrace in this day. First of all, embrace the Word. The Word is designed by the Father to build the nature of Jesus into our spirits. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It speaks to us in the immediate need and shows us what to do, how to respond. And the Word gives us guidance as we make long range plans! Ask yourself, what does God’s Word say about this situation I’m in right now? Live your life in the light of what the Word says.
Secondly, walk in love. Refuse to allow strife and discord. Don’t take account of the wrong committed towards you. Refuse to talk about the negative things in other’s lives. Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, positive, and worthy of praise. Strife and envy are Satan’s playground. Don’t play his games.
Thirdly, walk in holiness. There is a looseness in our age that is seeking to bring compromise into the body of Christ. Our Father is Holy and He wants us to live separated lives for His glory. Samson refused to walk in holiness, and the spirit of his age came upon him. He was not aware that the Spirit of God had departed from him! Don’t compromise your closeness to Jesus with the attitude of this age! It’s time to walk with God!
What comes to mind is Revelation 12:12: Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." And Romans 13:11-14 comes to mind: And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Demonic forces are stepping up their efforts to blind people from the truth of the Word, and are seeking to instill strife and discord in every possible way where allowed. And there is an un-holy spirit that is loose in this age that snubs its nose at God and His standards. Refuse to yield to it!
Here are three things of importance to embrace in this day. First of all, embrace the Word. The Word is designed by the Father to build the nature of Jesus into our spirits. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It speaks to us in the immediate need and shows us what to do, how to respond. And the Word gives us guidance as we make long range plans! Ask yourself, what does God’s Word say about this situation I’m in right now? Live your life in the light of what the Word says.
Secondly, walk in love. Refuse to allow strife and discord. Don’t take account of the wrong committed towards you. Refuse to talk about the negative things in other’s lives. Think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, positive, and worthy of praise. Strife and envy are Satan’s playground. Don’t play his games.
Thirdly, walk in holiness. There is a looseness in our age that is seeking to bring compromise into the body of Christ. Our Father is Holy and He wants us to live separated lives for His glory. Samson refused to walk in holiness, and the spirit of his age came upon him. He was not aware that the Spirit of God had departed from him! Don’t compromise your closeness to Jesus with the attitude of this age! It’s time to walk with God!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
I arrived home yesterday after being in the air a little over 19 hours! It’s always wonderful to see my family again. I miss my church family too. Thanks to Pastor Mike for overseeing things while I was away. And thanks to he and Rick Beddingfield for ministering on Wednesday nights!
The ministry in Ethiopia was fruitful. As I mentioned a few days ago, the pastors need teaching and training and were so hungry for the word! These times of teaching them are so important! The evangelistic ministry was also fruitful, with around 100 repenting of sin and embracing Jesus as Lord. And after I ministered on the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it was awesome to see 150 or so come to receive this wonderful experience with the Holy Spirit. I’ll let the pictures say the rest!
People receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit
The preaching platform
An animal skin drum
A choir singing
On their faces repenting and declaring Jesus as Lord!
This is a crowd picture during the evangelistic crusade
A shelter is built as a platform for preaching. This is at the evangelistic crusade
This is a picture of the pastors in the conference last Friday
I'm ministering to the pastors in the conference
The ministry in Ethiopia was fruitful. As I mentioned a few days ago, the pastors need teaching and training and were so hungry for the word! These times of teaching them are so important! The evangelistic ministry was also fruitful, with around 100 repenting of sin and embracing Jesus as Lord. And after I ministered on the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it was awesome to see 150 or so come to receive this wonderful experience with the Holy Spirit. I’ll let the pictures say the rest!
People receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit
The preaching platform
An animal skin drum
A choir singing
On their faces repenting and declaring Jesus as Lord!
This is a crowd picture during the evangelistic crusade
A shelter is built as a platform for preaching. This is at the evangelistic crusade
This is a picture of the pastors in the conference last Friday
I'm ministering to the pastors in the conference
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