Relationships Strengthen

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

My relationships (or lack thereof) show me where I am spiritually! The two great commandments according to Jesus are to love God and love people (Matthew 22:38-40).While we’re seeking to walk in the Word and walk with God we must also relate well to our friends and associates in the family of God.

There’s just no way that I can really be spiritually healthy and not non-relational. The Monk in the monastery is not a true example of godliness. That is a picture of a person doing in the flesh only what God can do by the Holy Spirit through the Word. God never planned that we isolate ourselves from each other. Isolation is the fleshly way to deal with the problems and pressures that life brings.

Let me be really frank here and bare my heart. In the circles where the Word is strongly preached, we’ve not done a great job of fostering close, intimate relationships with others. We’ve been involved in functions that bring us together, but we haven’t in a large way sought to become close friends in church settings. I’m seeking to change that here at Victory!

We need the Word, we need the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirit, but we also need one another! There’s nothing that can replace the help provided by another caring believer when you’re going through a tough time. Sometimes when pressured you just need a safe environment of faith where you can honestly bare your heart without fear of being stigmatized or rejected. And that’s the kind of atmosphere we need to be involved in with each other.

When Peter and John were threatened by the religious leaders to no longer preach in the name of Jesus, they went back to their own company. There they had a place of safety and solace in the storm, and there they could pour out their heart to others and receive strength. They ended up having such a tremendous prayer meeting that the building they were in started to shake with the power of God!

I’m going to begin to emphasize getting closer to others in the days to come. Hardship is coming to this planet, and before the rapture it’s probably going to get tougher than it already is! We will need the closeness of relationships with other members of the family of God to keep each other inspired in faith and confidence in God.

There are presently two great ways to get involved in closer relationships at Victory. Firstly, by being a very involved volunteer. We have people who are giving many hours of volunteer time in various areas of ministry. In that context, I would encourage those folk to also develop close relationships with those who work with them in the helps ministry. These people will become their support group.

Then secondly, we have lifegroups which meet basically two times per month. Let me say that I’m going to be urging the lifegroups to become closer, and to open up for people to really begin to bare their hearts to one another. For these groups to be effective there should be openness and heart talk. We’re going to need this in the days to come. And we need it right now.

The human tendency is to substitute rules for relationships. Rules are clean and tidy. Relationships blur the lines at times and can be messy! But we are not robots, and life is fluid. Life is constantly changing and we are evolving into who we are in Christ! We need to learn to love each other through thick and thin, when things are going great, and when things are just plain lousy. God never changes in His love for us. His Word is forever settled in heaven. But we are ever adjusting ourselves as we experience personal change and as life flings towards us its challenges.

Get involved in close relationships. Invite others over to your home for a meal and a time of getting to know them. Go to lunch together when you can. Involve yourself in a lifegroup. Open yourself to be loved and love others. Watch the Father change you as you risk being involved in close relationships.

We Need Each Other

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

God never intended that we live our lives in isolation. We are at our best when we live in relationship. We live in a culture that values individual rights and thank God we have those rights. But we take these rights to the extreme when we take them to mean that we can live the way we want without regard for our fellow man. And that is where our culture as a whole is heading. We must resist this tendency.

It’s easy to be alone in a crowd these days, whether it’s in a shopping mall, at a ball game, or in a church service. The easiest thing to do is keep the walls up and hold others away at arm’s length. Let’s face it, relationships are risky. And if you’ve been burned by one a time or two it’s easier to keep the distance from others than to risk emotional pain again.

But we do best when we learn to relate to the family of God and allow others to come close. One of the ingredients in spiritual growth is close relationships. God did not place his love in our hearts for us to spend on ourselves. Love isn’t love until you give it away to someone else. All spiritual growth revolves around learning to love others unconditionally as well as learning to open yourself up to be loved as well.

Most of us are raised in an environment of conditional love, where expressed love from others is dependent on behavior. But the love of God is unconditional and self-sacrificial! And that’s the kind of love we believers have been given by the Father. And that’s the kind of love we’re called to express in our close relationships.

The first time I was shown this unconditional love by another believer, I didn’t know how to respond. It was almost too good for me. I felt as though I needed to earn it some way. It was awkward to receive. I went to a Saturday “field day” a local Bible college was having after having been invited by a new acquaintance. People came up to me and showed genuine interest in me. They seemed caring and real. That was the beginning of my being set free from years of emotional pain that I kept hidden behind a façade of activity.

The strength of my life as a new believer was in relating to new found friends weekly. The world, the flesh, and the devil would gang up on me daily. But as I spent time with my buddies, I found that I was not alone in my struggles to leave the old man behind. I found the strength of friendships refreshing. I found that the enemy was seeking to isolate me and make me think that I was alone in my difficulties. I also gained a sense of fulfillment as the Father used me to encourage others as a related how I dealt with my daily challenges.

Iron sharpens iron. We need each other. When I was in the sixth grade I sang in a school choir. The lyrics of one of the songs we sang was No man is an island. No man stands alone. Each man’s joy is joy to me. Each man’s grief is my own. We need one another, so I will defend each man as my brother, each man as my friend.

When I was born again, that song came back to me in a fresh was. Now, years later, I can see that I am what I am by the grace of God, and by the help of loving friends. Open yourself up to close relationships, and you’ll find a dimension of freedom mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Persistent Prayer

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1 – NIV). Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18). The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working] (James 5:16 – Amplified).

Prayer brings the power of the kingdom of God into the earth where you live! The key is persistence and tenacity. Just as Jacob who wrestled with the angel and would not let go of him until he blessed him, so we must press through for prayer to be effective.

The powers of darkness resent any intrusion into their kingdom. That’s why persistence is such a necessary ingredient. Notice that James tells us that the continual, heartfelt prayer of the believer makes tremendous power available.

Make sure that you pray in faith when praying for circumstances of some kind to change or when you’re praying for another person. But be persistent and remind the Lord daily of what you believe. Thank Him for what you believe He is doing in the circumstance or individual. Remind the devil that according to the Word of God he is bound from hindering the situation. Like a taunting, barking dog, he will not leave unless you persist and demand that he does. If you pray and then ignore the situation, he won’t budge.

Remember that it isn’t the Father that is withholding answered prayer, but it is the enemy refusing to let go of the situation. You must enforce his defeat with your faith and prayers. In Daniel 10, God sent Daniel’s answer the first day that he prayed but the demonic forces tried the keep the angels from getting the message to Daniel. His persistent prayer paid off.

God answers the first day that you pray. Stand your ground in faith and persistent prayer and demonstrate Satan’s defeat!

The Word

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

All scripture is God breathed. It’s as much the Word of God as if you could feel His breath on your face as He spoke! The was given to me by my Father to introduce me to Him; to impart faith to me; to work as a seed in my life that grows into a tree of righteousness. All that I know about my Father comes through the Word. Jesus’ Lordship in my life is the Lordship of the Word.

Without the Word, I know nothing of my redemption in Christ; I know nothing about how the Father sees me now; I know nothing of my being seated with Him in a place of authority; I know nothing of my authority over the adversary; I know nothing about faith and what it does; I know nothing of my authority in prayer; I know nothing about the healing and health He has provided for me. Without the Word, I am unaware of the love that He planted in my bosom at the New Birth and of how that love should rule me and dominate me.

To live in the consciousness of His presence, I must elevate the Word above my own reasoning, above the loud voice of circumstance, and above the voice of the senses and of the enemy that taunts me daily.

The Word is to my spirit what food is to my body. It builds me up in faith. It connects me to the Father and His will for me today. The Father and His Word are one!

I must be sure that I elevate nothing above the Word in my life. My attitude towards the Word determines the place that God holds in my daily life.

Put God’s Word first place in your life, give the Holy Spirit second place, and give your thoughts and feelings last place, and you’ll walk with the Father victoriously today.

He's Looking for Your Faith

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you (Matthew 9:27-29).

Faith is the hand that receives from God. Jesus’ response to these blind men is also His response to us today. We receive exactly what we believe. Everything that the Father does in our lives is in response to our faith and confidence in Him.

You may ask, why does he look for faith before He acts? Everything that we need for our natural and spiritual life has already been provided by the Father. His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19), every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3), all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4) are already laid up for us in heaven by Jesus.

Since God shows no favoritism and treat everyone equally, He has made faith the pipeline, the conduit that His blessings flow down from heaven to our needs. Faith is the connection to the spiritual realm where the Father’s supply for our needs already exists. Healing, financial provision, answered prayer, and whatever you need has already been provided by Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary.

Don’t just hope things will get better. Don’t just wander aimlessly through life. Exercise your faith today by asking for the things you need, and then expecting the Father to answer your request. Act on the Word. Believe you receive. And then live in expectation.

It pleases the Father for you to walk by faith. It pleases Him for you to believe you receive when you pray. It pleases Him for you to call those things that be not as though they were. It pleases Him today for you to act like His Word is true even when all the circumstances say that it isn’t working! It pleases Him for you to walk in praise and thanksgiving when the easier thing to do would be to gripe and complain and wonder why nothing is going the way you prayed!

Jesus is looking at your faith today, and is saying to you, According to your faith let it be to you!

Subduing the Will

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your member as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:12-13).

After Adam sinned, mankind turned selfish and self-centered. Before the fall, Adam lived for the glory of God, but after he sinned, he lived to please himself without considering God and His plans for him.

The new birth transforms our spiritual lives. The nature of sin is replaced by the nature of God. But the residue of sin remains buried within the soul and must be rooted out! Paul made the appeal to the believers in Rome to dedicate their bodies to God, and to renovate their minds so they wouldn’t be pressured by the world to conform to its ways.

The soul is composed of the mind, the emotions, and the will. The spirit wants to interact with the soul for the glory of God. The body wants to interact with the soul to fulfill its cravings. The soul is in the middle of a battle, and is the deciding factor between spirituality and carnality. If the mind is set on fleshly things, then the flesh dominates. If the mind is set on spiritual things, then the spirit rules through the soul.

The battle of your life every day is to continually make the choice to walk in the spirit. To do this, you must guard the ears and the eyes from exposure to the lusts of the flesh. A decision for the flesh gives the residue of the old man in the soul permission to conquer the spirit! A decision to act on the Word gives the Holy Spirit through your human spirit control.

The will is the king of the soul. Your will determines what you think about and what emotions you allow to run free. Your will determines whether you yield to the Spirit of God in your spirit by yielding to the Word, or whether you yield to the lusts of the flesh by allowing thoughts from past or from the outside world through the eye and ear gate to rule your life. Again, your will is the deciding factor!

Jesus addresses the will in every gospel. If any man desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me (Matt. 16:24). Jesus emphasizes this truth. It’s mentioned in every gospel. To deny yourself, you must be willing to lay every thought, every emotion, and every desire at His feet by comparing each of these to the Word. Does some thought, action, or emotion violate the Word? If it does, then you must choose to say NO to it.

We must die daily. That is, we must choose daily to yield our will to the Father through the Word. And then carefully choose what we give attention to in our minds and emotions. To do this, our wills must be wholly recommitted to the Father through the Word every day!

Perhaps we should make David’s prayer in Psalm 19 ours each day: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer!

God is Good

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:8-9). The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:14-16).

Years ago the Lord used these verses to renew my mind to His true disposition towards me. Being raised in a denominational church, I had the idea that God was harsh, vindictive, angry, and demanding. Who wants to have an intimate relationship with someone who doesn’t like them?

This word gracious means ready to show favors. Instead of being angry and harsh I found that the Father wants to help me in life. He’s not looking for a way to harm me, He’s actively looking for ways to bless. God is our refuge and fortress; s very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

He is full of compassion. According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion is sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. The Father understands what I’m dealing with in life, and has a desire to alleviate that which produces pain in me. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus comes to bring us life to the fullest.

The Father is slow to anger. He wants us to make it! He does not want us to be judged, so He allows us to take advantage of opportunities to repent and reconcile when we sin. When judgment does come, it is only after much delay.

The Lord is great in mercy. Webster says that mercy is compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power. Mercy is when I don’t get what I do deserve. The Father’s mercy is great!

The Father’s disposition towards you today is that He desire to help you, favor you, forgive you when you sin, and to act in forbearance when you slip up and sin.

Getting to know the Father is the greatest privilege anyone could have. Don’t allow you personal bias to keep you away from Him. He loves you and is right now reaching out in benevolence and love to be a very present help in time of trouble!

Grace and Works

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21). For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17).For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (James 2:26).

We’re not saved by what we do, but by what we believe! And we’ve not been saved by grace to live by works. We’re saved by the grace of God. We stand righteous, able to please the Father by faith. We’re not right with God because of what we do; we’re right with God because of who Jesus is!

Bible reading, church attendance, prayer, and helping others are wonderful things to do as long as they are not done to make us right with God! With the right motive, they bless us. With the wrong motive, they hinder the grace of God and make life a religious set of rules void of joy and peace.

A person working to please God is never at peace and finds no inward rest. A person who comes to understand grace has ceased from his owns works, is comfortable in his own skin, and has settled down into a love relationship with the Father that produces supernatural peace and joy. It’s really quite incredible!

The other side of the coin is the works that follow grace. If the grace of God is working in me, then my lifestyle will prove it! Works don’t precede salvation, they follow it. James was practical. His statements show that grace through faith produces tangible results in a believer’s life. If I say that I have faith, then that faith will be realized in how I live my life. Works follow grace through faith! If my lifestyle doesn’t change as a result of what I believe, then I really don’t believe!

If a person professes to be saved by grace then change is sure to follow. That’s what James emphasizes. The works don’t save us, they merely point to what we already believe and are the byproduct of believing!

Rest in the grace of God today. Enjoy your free gift of righteousness. Bask in the peace that grace through faith provides. Then let the byproduct of your faith called works (salt and light) be seen by others so they can join you!

The Boomerang Effect

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:37-38).

The law of sowing and reaping is working constantly in our lives. The attitudes I sow in others I reap back from them. The kindness I sow comes back to me. If I condemn others in my heart, then I will find that judgment coming back to me. If I want mercy from God, I must sow mercy to others. If I want the benefits of forgiveness then I must for give those who offend me. It’s just like a boomerang.

See every act today as a seed that you’re sowing. See every thought you think as a mirror of what you will have in your future. This reciprocal effect works 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Remember that seeds you plant take time to grow. And once they grow, the harvest is assured. Make sure that the seeds you sow are the ones you don’t mind living with in the future!

Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. (Galatians 6:7-9).

Capacity to Change

One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves." (2) "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied. (3) And Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. (4) Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled." (5) So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. (6) Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons. "There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. (2 Kings 4:1-6-NLT).

In this passage, Elisha, through working of miracles, multiplied oil for a needy lady. As long as she brought pots, oil kept coming from a jar to fill each one. As soon as she brought the last jar, the oil ceased.

The idea here is that as long as we have capacity, the Lord gives to us from His rich resources. Our receiving from the Lord is directly related to our capacity to receive. And our capacity to receive is directly related to our soul.

We receive our beliefs and values for all of life from our family of origin by observation, association, and influence. We become what we learn at home!

Our outside life is a mirror image of our inside world. The only way to permanently alter our outward behavior is to alter the internal thoughts and motivations that cause it!

That’s where mind renewal comes into the picture. By looking into the perfect law of liberty and by associating with other believers who can speak truth to us we can see where our belief system needs changing. And we change by identifying, challenging, and acting contrary to wrong beliefs.

We all come from flawed families and it’s so important to renew our minds with truth every day! The process of change is a lifelong adventure in walking out the will of God.

Commit today to receiving God’s best by challenging wrong beliefs and by acting to overcome them. It’s a one step at a time, one day at a time deal. And if you’re doing it right, the farther and longer you go, the freer you become. It really is change from glory to glory!

The Love Gauge

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.

The Love Solution

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 love 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:

I John 4: 7-21

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.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

By This All Will Know

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…

Words

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.

Grace for the Journey

For a choleric person like me that enjoys accomplishments and checking off my to-do list, days that don’t follow some sort of schedule have been miserable in my past.

Now I’m learning that off schedule days often show me that God is up to something in me. I’ve learned not to be “moved” by these kinds of days! 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.

Remember that we’ve not been saved by grace to live by works! Rest in the Father’s care today, and if things don’t go according to schedule, remember that this is a great opportunity to see God’s sovereign hand work in your life.

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 the rule of emotions, and from the domination of circumstances!

Condemnation Free

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.

Some time ago, I read about a conversation a person had with Oral Robert 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 made mistakes, he walked 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).

How to Increase Your God Hunger

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 Motivates

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.

Sin and Guilt Removed!

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 cancelled, 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 theirs today for the taking!

His Good Pleasure

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’d like to share with you something that happened some time ago. 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!

Light Afflictions

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 seven 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!

A Positive Attitude

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!

Kenosis

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!

Obey the Word

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).