Forget Your Failures and Press On!

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14-NIV).
 
None of us will arrive at Christian perfection in this life, but it should be our goal! We should be changing from glory to glory as the years pass. If we’re not changing, we’re not growing, for growth demands change.

Paul mentions in verse 13 that he did one thing. Too many times we have so many life pursuits that we become a “jack of all trades and master of none.” If my one life ambition is to become like Jesus, it will temper my hour, my day, my week, and my year! Some things should be left undone if they do not add to my growth in Christ. Growing in Christ in a healthy way includes daily time meditating in the Word, in prayer, with spouse and children, in service to others, and in personal rest and leisure. Burnout is not progress.
  
As we enter a new year we should follow Paul’s admonition to forget those things which are behind. If you look back, you may stumble. Satan is master of bringing to remembrance our misdeeds and failures. The Father never reminds of past confessed sins; I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more (Isaiah 43:25 – NIV). His Spirit urges us on toward the mark of becoming like Jesus. He lifts us up and faces us forward, not backwards! For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).

Likewise, we can’t live on yesterday’s or last year’s experience with God. We must choose each day to remain in close fellowship with Him by abiding in the Word and letting the Word abide in us.

Paul mentions pressing on in verse 14.  This denotes great exertion. I’ve been running for almost 30 years now, and when you run long distances, you hit the wall, or reach a point where you feel like you just can’t go any further. But if you just press on a little more, you find a second wind, or a new strength, and the run becomes much easier. Salvation is a free gift to us. But each level of spirituality reach will cost you self-denial in a thousand ways. We must press on more than average if we want to give our best to the Father.
 
As we approach 2012, let’s forget the past and decide to give the Father our all. The prizes awaiting us are eternal!

Stuff You Really Want to Avoid!

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
 
Everyday, we have the choice to walk in the spirit with our human spirit ruling us, or to walk in the flesh with our un-renewed mind, emotions, will, and body ruling us. Walking in the flesh brings sin and death. Walking in the spirit produces righteousness and life!
 
Walking in the spirit is not automatic, but your humanity is set by default to walk in the flesh! You only walk in the spirit on purpose! As you walk in the spirit, the flesh habits fall off!

Here’s a basic overview of the works of the flesh that we must resist. The sobering thought is that if you stop walking in the spirit with your human spirit in charge, you will revert back to these fleshly traits found in Galatians 5:19-21:
 
Adultery in the Greek is moicheia. It means unlawful sexual relations with someone besides a marriage partner. Fornication is porneia. Porneia is any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage. Uncleanness is akatharsia . Akatharsia means impurity of all kinds; homosexuality, lesbianism, and all forms of deviant sexual behavior that corrupts society. Lewdness is aselgeia. Aselgeia is being involved in anything that stirs up sexual desire and lust. This could be manner of dress, body language, looks, words, or actions. Idolatry is eidoloatreia.

Eidoloatreia means the worship of an image and includes any activity that is used to meet a need that only God can meet. It is an extravagant admiration of the heart. Sorcery is pharmakeia. Pharmakeia is demonic activity that is fostered by the use of drugs, alcohol, etc. of various kinds. It is the opening up of the human personality to the realm of the demonic through the sedation of the central nervous system. Hatred is echthra. Echthra is bitterness, anger, the tendency to hold grudges, and the desire for bad things to happen to others. Contentions is eris. Eris is strong disagreements, discord, quarreling, disputing and debating constantly. A person involved in eris enjoys contention and disagreement!

Jealousies is zeloi. Zeloi is the strong desire to outdo others, striving to excel and surpass others by any means. Outbursts of wrath is thumos. Thumos is strong, angry, heated emotions, or rage. Selfish ambitions is eritheia. Eritheia is the striving to outdo others in word or action, the desire that bad things happen to others who wrong you, or to have the bad things happen to others that they perform against you.

Dissensions is dichostasia. Dichostasia is the desire to stir up disorder, rioting, rebellion, and strife in government, religion, or community. Heresies is hairesis. Hairesis is purposely disagreeing with commonly accepted tenets and beliefs in religion or civic policy. Here it means clinging to opinions that oppose the Word of God. Envy is phthonoi. Phthonoi is jealousy, dislike and anger when others are blessed and receive more than you. One scholar says that this is the most base and degrading of all human emotions. Murders is phonoi. Phonoi means the desire to harm others, the desire to ruin another’s life, to kill, and to hate.

Drunkenness is methai. Methai is being enslaved by alcohol, living in debauchery and intoxication on a regular basis. Revelries is komoi. Komoi  is being involved in drunken parties where all kinds of illicit sexual activity is engaged in with no limits.

The sobering fact for us all is that we all have the potential to live in the lusts of the flesh! And these lusts of the flesh to nothing but destroy. Let’s pursue with passion our relationship with Jesus and allow the Spirit of God to keep us free from these things by obedience to the Word!

Your Choice: Flesh or Spirit

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, (21) envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:16-23-NKJV).
 
Walking in the spirit is allowing your human spirit to govern your life. Walking in the flesh is giving in to your natural appetites and desires.  Galatians 5: 19-21 gives a list of the lusts of the flesh and Galatians 5: 22-23 gives a list of the nine fruit of the recreated human spirit.
 
The lusts of the flesh can be broken down into two categories, inward sins and outward sins. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, drunkenness, and revelries are outward sins of the flesh. Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, and murders are inward sins of the mind, emotions, and motives.
 
The fruit of the spirit are the byproducts of the love of God being placed in us by the Holy Spirit when we’re born again. They are all connected much like the segments of a tangerine. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control are placed in your spirit at the new birth.
 
Our daily choices determine which fruit our tree of life bears. If we with our will choose to focus on the daily happenings around us then we will probably walk in the flesh and the flesh works will surface in our lives. What occupies our minds will eventually fill our lives.

If we keep our minds on things above, and filter out the flesh things that the world and the enemy dangles at us each day, then we will walk in the spirit. The mind is the doorway to spirituality or carnality. Protect your mind. Allow nothing in it that would tarnish your spirit life. Carefully watch what you allow yourself to read, look at, hear, and dwell upon.

Flesh lusts never satisfy. They demand more and more of your time and attention and then leave you empty. Spirit fruit gives total satisfaction to life from the inside out. If you find yourself ill-at-ease, ask yourself what you have had your mental and emotional attention and outward actions focused upon.

At any time during your day today, you are either exhibiting the lusts of the flesh or the fruit of the spirit. The fruit you bear determines what you’re focusing on today. If you don’t like the fruit, then change your focus!

Spending time daily in the Word and in prayer are spiritual exercises that will allow the fruit of the spirit to surface in your life. Spiritual fruit generated by your human spirit through the Word and through being prayerful will challenge every wrong thought, word, action, and motive of your life.

Your bearing flesh lusts or spirit fruit today will be determined by what you giver your attention to with you mind. Keep it clean!
    

No More Curse

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14).
 
The curse of the broken law is three-fold: spiritual death, poverty, and sickness. Jesus bore the results of the curse of the broken law in Himself on the cross. Since He has legally borne our penalty for sin, we are released from the results of the broken law.
 
In the place of spiritual death, we receive spiritual life. The very life and nature of God (Greek- Zoe) enters our spirit when we are born again! The wall that separated us from the Father has been removed, and intimacy with Him becomes possible if we will pursue it! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
 
In the place of poverty, we receive prosperity. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Some people think this verse refers to Jesus becoming spiritually poor. But the spiritually poor can’t heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, or preach and teach the gospel! Jesus became physically poor as He bore our poverty. In the place of poverty we have abundance and the blessings of God. The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22).
 
In the place of sickness we have His health! Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). We have a legal right before God to walk free from sick and disease.
 
Satan does not give up territory easily, and you must be diligent in the Word and stand in faith for the blessings of God to be yours. Don’t stand for low level fellowship with the Father when Jesus has opened the door wide for intimacy! Don’t walk in poverty when Jesus has secured your blessing! Act and speak like you believe God’s Word is true! Don’t permit sickness and disease to reign in your body. Command Satan to keep His hands off of you in the name of Jesus! With His stripes you are healed.

Don’t settle for less than God’s best! Jesus has endured the curse for your freedom. Honor Him by receiving the best He has for you today. You’re free from the curse and an heir of blessing!

Merry Christmas!

Today we celebrate the love of God for us all. Without the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, we would have no hope for now, no solution to life’s challenges, and a bleak future. With Jesus Christ, the God man, comes hope, forgiveness, restoration, life, peace, joy, favor, blessing, light, grace, healing, resurrection, heaven, freedom, and life purpose.

The Father desires to minister to each one of us today. Some have life and family changes that bring heavy emotions during holidays. I pray that the Father would enable them to let go of the past, and reach out to him for comfort and help. He’s always available and present.

Others have lots of family and fellowship they will enjoy today, Don’t take that for granted! All we are and have is by grace. We are what we are and have what we have by the grace of God!

I’ll leave you with the passage from Matthew about Jesus’ birth. The Sovereignty of God was at work in Jesus birth. His Sovereignty is at work today, bringing to pass His ultimate purposes. Let’s open ourselves to God’s Sovereignty in our personal lives. Every day, God has a plan and a mission for each one of us. May we have the grace to open ourselves to what the Father has for us each day. See the hand of God is at work in your life and family.

From my family to yours – Merry Christmas!

Matthew 1:18-2:23 – New Living Translation
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him. "King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote: 'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel. '"Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too! " After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.  After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt." Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men's report of the star's first appearance. Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: "A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead. "When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead. "So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Jesus Christ in the Gospels: Lion, Ox, Man, Eagle

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)

Matthew 1 begins with the genealogy of Jesus. The book of Matthew presents Jesus as the king of the Jews. It shows Him through this genealogy as the legal heir of the throne of David through Joseph.

All of the gospels depict Jesus differently. And here is the background. In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple stood the figure of the Cherubim. There were four faces on these Cherubim; the face of a lion; the face of an ox; the face of a man; and the face of an eagle. The early church fathers applied these four symbols to the four Gospels as they reveal different perspectives of Jesus’ life.

The Lion represents Jesus, the King of the Jews. The kingship of Jesus is the theme of the book of Matthew.
 
The ox represents Jesus as the suffering servant, and this is typified in the book of Mark. Mark represents Jesus as the worker, serving mankind by preaching, teaching, healing, and delivering form satanic bondage.
 
The human face represents Jesus the son of man and He is typified in the book of Luke. In Luke we have a display of the humanity of Jesus and He is represented as the Son of man. Details of his birth are given in Luke, showing that He was both God and man. Mary clothed Jesus with a body of flesh so that He could identify with our weakness, show His strength, and set us free.

The face of the eagle on the cherubim represents Jesus’ Divinity. The gospel of John reveals Jesus as the Son of God. John looks at Jesus from the aspect of his Divine nature. In John we see Jesus as the Living Word, pre-existing the body that Mary gave Him. We see Him as the Son from eternity past who came to give us light and to set us free!

In the genealogy of Matthew 1, four women are mentioned that had nothing to do with God’s covenant with Abraham. Tamar and Rahab are mentioned and they were both prostitutes. Ruth is mentioned, and she is from the cursed race of the Moabites. Bathsheba is mentioned, and of course she is the woman who committed adultery with David.

Why did God add these women to the genealogy? I believe that He wanted us to know that we are accepted into the family of God regardless of our background. Jesus was a friend of sinners, and when He cleanses from sin, it is so thorough that He is glad to include us in His family tree!
 
Neither race, gender, social place, nor political persuasion can keep us from the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers if we will simply humble ourselves. He will be to us everything we need. The face of the lion, the ox, the man, and the eagle all represent the fact that Jesus came as the king; not too mighty or proud to work; willing to identify with our humanness; yet being Sovereign Deity who reigns over all.

As member of His body, let’s identify with Jesus and see every person through His eyes. Every person is precious to Him. He love and forgives if we simply yield and accept His freely given grace and mercy. Let’s look beyond the flesh when we see others, and place on them the value that God places on them. For God so loved the world!

Jesus' Deity and the Problems in the USA

The following quote is from probably over 70 years ago from a man who had unique understanding of our rights and privileges in Christ. He died in 1948. What He says here so clearly frames the problems in America today. Now more than ever, we need these simple truths.

This is taken from the book,  The wonderful Name of Jesus by E. W. Kenyon:

The deity of the Man of Galilee is the crux of Christianity. If this can be successfully challenged, then Christianity has lost its heart and it will cease to function; it will become a dead religion.

There is no denial that the challenge of His Deity has already had it reactionary effect upon society.

If Jesus is not Deity, He is not Lord. If He is not Lord, then He cannot interfere with our moral activities. If He is not Lord, then the laws that have been founded upon His teaching have lost their force. The morals that surround marriage with its lofty ideals have no basis of fact. If Jesus of Nazareth is not a revelation from God with Divine authority, then He is but a man. If He is but a man, all we have built around Him must be destroyed, and we have built around this Man our modern civilization.

He has been the inspiration of young men: they have kept themselves clean and pure as they have looked upon His wonderful life and sought to win His smile. Young women in the secret of their chamber have looked upon the face of the Man of Galilee and have pledged to preserve the purity of their womanhood that they might be found worthy of the love and confidence of the Man Who died two thousand years ago for humanity. 

Children have been incited to obedience and purity by the example and teachings of this man. Business men have been deterred from crooked dealings by the consciousness that one day they would meet that Man and give account of the deeds done in their office.

Men of all walks of life have felt a strange kinship with this man Who walked the shores of Galilee, solitary among a multitude. To say He was but a good man is an insult. To say that He was the highest expression of Deity in humanity is to throw the lie into His face. Jesus is or He is not what He said He was. We have no record of His sayings nor of His doings outside the four gospels, and if we repudiate them, then we have but a mythical picture of the Man. If we challenge one of them, we have a right to challenge all of them: either He stands or falls on these four biographical sketches. If He is not the Son of God, who is He?

I want to believe that He is an incarnation. I want to believe that He dealt with the sin problem. I want to believe that He died for my sins and that He rose again for my justification.  I want to believe that He is seated at God's right hand today as the Intercessor and Mediator of the human race. I want to believe that what He said about heaven is true: In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself.

Skepticism holds no guaranty for my future. Civilization has not only been builded around their man, but He has been builded into civilization. If you destroy His character, His standing, His place, then civilization must disintegrate. The wave of crime and lawlessness that is sweeping over the land is but a byproduct of the modernists' challenge of His integrity.

Taken from The Wonderful Name of Jesus by E. W. Kenyon (Lynnwood, Washington: Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society, 1964), pages 13-14.

We're Not Saved By Grace to Live By Works

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified (Galatians 2:16).
 
We are right with God, not because of what we do, but because of what He did for us! We are not saved by grace to live by works.
 
Early in my Christian experience I learned a valuable lesson about trusting the grace of God in my life. Being a hard worker, I had a subtle belief buried deep within my soul that I must work to be accepted. As a young boy, I received affirmation mainly when I accomplished something. I carried this habit into my adult life.
 
Righteousness is the ability to stand before a Holy God as though you had never sinned; to stand before Him without sin, condemnation, or inferiority.

As I began to walk with God, the familiar call of guilt and inferiority pulled me back into a works righteousness instead of a faith righteousness. I begin to read my Bible to be right with God instead of for spiritual nourishment. I would pray, not for fellowship, but to calm a overbearing conscience. I would fast a few meals, not to wait on God as much as to please Him.
 
The Lord graciously revealed to me during that season that He loved me, and that Jesus had already done everything necessary to make me right with Him. He showed me that I must take all of my inferiority to Him, and that there was nothing more I could do to become righteous. Jesus paid my sin debt. Jesus cancelled my past, and gave me His standing before the Father.
 
The Lord showed me that my righteousness was like filthy rags and that I could never do enough to be right with Him. I must accept by faith that He loves me, that He has forgiven and forgotten my past, and that I am now secure in Christ. My human efforts could never match what Jesus has already done to make me right with Him.
 
Stop struggling in self-effort to be right with God! Accept the fact that the blood of Jesus gives you a righteousness that makes close fellowship possible. When you sin, confess what you did before the Father and ask for His grace to enable you to overcome the weakness of the flesh. We’re not saved by grace to live by works!

Your Life Thermostat

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).
 
The thermostat on the wall in your home is set to continually monitor the temperature. The thermostat constantly calls for a certain temperature and works ceaselessly toward that goal.

You also have a built in thermostat. It’s your mouth! And right now it is bringing into your life what you’ve set it on! You and I are calling things into our lives with the words of our mouth every day! Whatever you allow yourself to verbalize and believe is what is coming into your future. Don’t confess what you don’t want because one day it may show up!

Words are powerful. God creates with them. And in a large way, you create in your world what you have with your words. Don’t use them lightly. Fill your words with faith and confidence in God.  Rid yourself of the habit of talking about negative and unseemly things.

Fill your words each day with healing, blessing, favor, abundance, success, boldness, compassion, love, and courage. You may feel none of these things, but if you’ll set your thermostat there, and keep it working, little by little your personal life temperature will begin to agree with your thermostat. It’s a never ending principle from the time you’re born until the day you go to be with Jesus (See James 3:1-6).

Words can move mountains, heal disease, mend relationships, produce abundance, cancel fear and doubt, bring the presence of the Father, and soothe the spirit and soul. Fill your words today with what know the Father wants in your life. Let your words agree with God’s word.

Start today where you are. Don’t brood over the past. Get up and fight the fight of faith! You’re a winner! A conqueror! You are the Father’s favored one! Talk the way you believe, not the way you feel. Speak the answer, not the problem today. Keep your thermostat set on victory!

Use What's Been Given to You!

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).
 
As a believer, you are a person with authority and the devil knows it! The original authority to care for the earth that God gave Adam has been handed back to you! Jesus came back from death with the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:18). Keys represent authority.

Just before Jesus left the earth to be seated at the right hand of the Father, He gave His authority as the New Creation man back to the church (Matthew 28: 18-19). You now have the same authority that Jesus had when He walked the earth! You are seated in a place of authority called heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Your position of authority is far above all principality, power, might, and dominion (Ephesians 1: 21). Satanic power is under your feet!

Satan’s knows that you have authority. He plays a game of bluff with you. He tells you that you’re defeated; that you’ll never amount to anything; that nothing that God has promised will ever come to pass in your life; that you’ll be sick and broke all your life; that God doesn’t care; and that you should go ahead and throw in the towel and give up. He’s an accuser. And He’s a liar (John 8:44).

Many believers buy into Satan’s lies and quit fighting the fight of faith. They perish for refusing to act on the Word! Make a decision today to resist the devil and his lies. Throw off from yourself the blanket of unbelief that keeps you down. Act on the Word today! Take the sword of the Spirit and go to work. Speak God’s Word over your life, your family, your body, your finances, and your circumstances. Declare that your past sins had been removed, your present is blessed, and your future is bright. Use your Jesus given authority today and command Satan to take his hands off of you and those around you. You have the authority to bind and loose (Matthew 18:18).

The Father is waiting today for you to act. He has done all He will ever do about blessing your life. All things are yours (1 Corinthians 3: 21-22). But all is lost if you fail to act. The Father has faith in you, that you’ll rise to the position that He’s placed you in; a position of favor, of blessing, of honor, and of responsibility.

Make the Father’s heart glad today by using the authority He’s given you. He’s counting on you to carry out His plans!

Let the Word of God Be Your Guide

And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys (Exodus 40:35-38).

Old Testament saints did not have the Holy Spirit living in them and guiding them as we do today. They had a cloud over the tabernacle that they followed by day and a fire over it by night. The tabernacle was where the presence of God remained. The cloud and the fire reminded them that they were not to go alone or just go as they pleased. They must wait and follow God’s direction by day with the cloud and at night by the fire.

Today, we are the tabernacle! We are where the Presence dwells. In our spirit dwells the Spirit of God. And we are to be led by the Spirit from the inside. The Holy Spirit guides us first of all through the Word and them through the witness of our human spirit as the Holy Spirit bears witness with the Word.

I see so many today that are making choices to do thing that directly contradict the Word! And then they say that the Lord led them to go that direction. It is absolute deception to do something that contradicts the Word. Some say, well, I have peace about it, and I going to do this way anyway!  Any peace that you have to do something that contradicts the Word is a false peace!  It’s a deception! This kind of peace is an emotional satisfaction that is separate from the peace that comes through obedience to the Word. To be led by the Holy Spirit means first of all to obey God’s Word. Obedience to the Word produces peace in our spirit. The moment we disobey the Word, we leave the Holy Spirit behind and follow our own way and lose the peace of God within.

Colossians 3:15 tells us to let the peace of God rule us as we make decisions. But the peace of God must be preceded by obedience to the Word or the peace is a false peace!    
 
Our cloud by day and fire by night is the witness of our human spirit to the Word and to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in obedience to the Word! Let’s determine today to be people of the Word!

The Center of Everything

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:15-20).
 
Jesus Christ is the center of all that God has and is on earth and universe wide. He is before all things and in Him all things consist and are held together. History is really His Story!
 
Jesus looms larger than any problem you face today. In relationship with Him is the answer to every difficulty. He is to us the wisdom of God; He gives us the ability to stand before the Father boldly without sin; He removes bad habits from our souls and bodies by His Spirit through the Word; He has made provision for the healing of our bodies when we are physically attacked; He has completely bought us back from Satan’s legal dominion and has given us authority over Satan and his demons in The Name!
 
Begin and end your day with the Son of God. He is the Alpha and Omega. He will give you wisdom to face every obligation as a conqueror if you’ll submit moment by moment to His Lordship. Confess your failures if you sin today. His blood will cleanse you and bring back into sweet fellowship with the Father. Being separated from Him brings weakness. Walking with Him brings strength and vitality to spirit, soul, and body.

Remember that the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) lives inside of you. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is Mine; this is why I said, The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me ( John 16:13-15- NLT).
 
Let Jesus be the center of all that you think, say, and do today. In Him we live and move and have our being!

Our Attitude Towards the Word

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

The Word is God speaking to us. Spending time in the Word is spending time with the Father. In his book, New Creation Realities E.W. Kenyon writes: Our attitude towards the Word determines the place that God holds in our daily life. Treating the Word as though it were a common book is the reason for much spiritual failure.

Many people have more confidence in the word of man than they do in the Word of God. But God’s Word is more sure and steadfast than the rising of the sun tomorrow morning.
 
Our world is constantly changing day after day. Cultural standards change like the wind. The emphasis of the masses changes from season to season. But the Word is fixed, established and stable. Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89).The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
 
Obedience to the Word is obedience to the Father. Disobedience to the Word is disobedience to the Father. Ignoring the Word and refusing to make daily decisions that are in line with it is pride. And pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall!

God’s Word will be fulfilled in your life today, either in obedience, or in disobedience! A life built on sand (a person who hears the word and refuses to live by it) will be destroyed by the difficulties life brings (See Matthew 7). But for a person who puts the flesh under and obeys the Word when it not convenient, the blessings of God will sooner or later manifest:
 
My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones (Proverbs 3:1-8)

Act in Faith!

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) 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 4:18). Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:24).

As we get closer to the end of the age, it’s more important than ever to walk by faith. Our faith will catapult us over the gloom, depression and fear that is slowly creeping into the fabric of our culture. Faith overcomes the world!

Walking by faith is believing, acting, and speaking like the Word of God is true right now, even though nothing seems like it’s working.  Remember that God always sees the end from the beginning. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham. Though childless and old, God saw him with more kids than he could count!

Your faith will put you over today. In the face of contradiction, act on the Word. Thank God for the healing while the pain racks your body and the negative report remains unchanged. Believe that you receive before there is any physical change whatsoever.
 
Thank God for the money you need in the face of lack. God will always honor His Word when acted upon. Praise and worship the Father now, before there is any evidence of the answer! Thank Him just the way you would if the money were already in your hand!
  
In whatever circumstance you find yourself today, cooperate with God by walking by faith! Don’t just exist. Live life to the fullest with faith! God will not fail you. You’re already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). You faith is pulling into your life the answer to your need. Expect God to do what He said! He always watches over His Word to make it good (Jeremiah 1:12).
 
When we get to heaven, we’ll have eternity to talk about all the things the Father did for us in answer to our faith! Walk by faith today! Expect God’s best. Walk in joy and peace! He never fails!

Praying for the Fallen Believer

We all know believers who have for some reason fallen away in their walk with God. They have become as Paul said “shipwrecked” in the faith. In some way the world, the flesh, and the devil have made inroads into their faith life, and they are away from God and out of fellowship.

I have found James 4:5 to be a real key in praying for these prodigal sons and daughters of God. Listen to it in these various translations: Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?” (NKJV) Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? (NIV) Or, do you think that the scripture says in an empty manner and to no purpose, The Spirit [Holy Spirit] who has been caused to make His permanent home in us has a passionate desire [to control us] to the point of envy [of any control indwelling sin may have over us]? (Wuest) Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, "The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for Himself alone"? (New Century Version)
 
When we are born again, the Holy Spirit becomes a jealous lover! He wants no person or thing to take our focus off of Jesus and the Father. He becomes intensely jealous whenever Jesus and the Father’s place are taken by another.
 
Notice James 4:4 in the Amplified: You are like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.
 
The most miserable people on earth are not happy go lucky sinners. The most miserable people are those who have walked with God and have fallen into sin. Their every action is a grief to the Holy Spirit. He is jealous to win them back to the Father.

In praying for a wayward believer, pray for the jealous yearning of the Holy Spirit to rise up within them every day. Pray for God’s jealous love to draw them back to the Father every waking moment. Pray that they will have no rest or peace until they are back in fellowship.
 
Years ago I had a friend who attended the same Bible school as I did, and attended my church. In fact, we worked together for a while on the church staff as custodians.  After he completed school, he found another job and I lost contact with him. I saw him one day while running some errands, and there was my friend, cursing, blowing cigarette smoke in my face, and telling me of his sinful escapades. I affirmed my care for him and encouraged him to come back to the Lord.

I had such a burden for him after I left his presence. I cried out to God for my friend to come back to Jesus, and I prayed for this jealous lover to draw him back to the Father. I prayed that he would find no rest or comfort until he came back to the Father in repentance. I prayed for the jealous lover to draw him every day, and I prayed that the Father would send believers across his path of life daily to encourage him to come back to Jesus.

Some time later I received a phone call from my wayward friend. He had come back to God and had cleaned his life up. He had been set free from the deception of the enemy.

Take some time today to pray for the jealous lover to rise up in those that you know who have fallen away from God. He will draw them back to Himself as you give yourself to praying in faith for them.

Scriptural Prayer for Fellow Believers

I have three specific prayers from the Apostle Paul that I use as I pray for fellow believers. You may sometimes hear a person pray, Lord bless so and so. And the truth is that God has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ! What we really need is to become aware of what has already been provided for us in Christ!

Here’s the first prayer in Ephesians: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1: 17-23).

This is a prayer that the Father will open our spiritual eyes to truth, and that we will see who we are and what we have in Christ.
 
Here’s the second prayer Paul prayed for believers: For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).

This is a prayer for the love of God to be stirred up in a believer’s life. This produces spiritual strength! There is no real spiritual growth without growth in love.

Here’s the third prayer Paul prayed for believers: For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light (Colossians 1:9-12).
 
This is a prayer for the believer to filled with the wisdom of God through the Word. Walking worthy of the Lord from the Greek literally means that a person’s life carries the same weight as Jesus’ life. That is, they have the same impact on others as Jesus has on us! That’s powerful!


Let me encourage you to start praying these prayers for your fellow believer and for yourself! As you pray them in faith, you’ll see results!