The Way, Truth, and Life
John 6:29 – “This is the work of God, that you should believe in Him whom He has sent.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was moved by the thought of what it means that Christ is in us. Many seek many things, but what we need most is Christ in us! If He is IN us, He will be manifested through us. If He is IN us, He will transform us. If He is IN us, we will know Him, hear His voice, and follow Him.
We tend to place the emphasis wrong. What we need most is JESUS! He is THE way, THE truth, and THE LIFE! He is the Word of God! It begins with being born again and then the transformation. This walk, call, and commission is a progression.
Jesus said something interesting and revelatory in John 6:29 – “This is the work of God, that you should believe in Him whom He has sent.” How we complicate this life. We seek deep revelations, gifts, abilities, exploits, and the like. God’s desire is for us to be one with Him through Jesus. The new birth is not the whole enchilada, but without it, there is no enchilada.
John 8:31-32 is powerful. “IF” That’s the key, “If you abide in MY WORD, you are truly My disciples. AND you will KNOW the truth and that very truth will make you free.” It is Christ IN us that enables us to live. It is Christ IN us that enables us to have the River of the Spirit flowing from our core being. It is Christ IN us that opens the door to LIFE!
A house is not built from the roof down, but from the floor up. What we need is more Jesus IN us! Christ IN us will bring us into EVERYTHING God desires! But He has to be IN us before He can be through us. The Holy Spirit comes to Christ IN us! Matthew 6:33 is the key!
If we have Jesus, we have everything that we need!
Coincidence?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the mind was my first thought as I read Isaiah and Luke. Was that a coincidence? I do not believe in coincidences, so my answer is no! It was purposeful and important. How? That is the question.
Isaiah 5:13-14 speaks of captivity because of a lack of knowledge. In vv 20-21, we see a dangerous condition of the mind, which mirrors the heart, calling evil good and good evil (confusion and deception). In verse 21, a time when there is a prevalence of pseudo-intellectualism and self-righteousness. (Our day).
Luke 21 begins with an offering. It identifies how God views our giving and lives. It is based on proportionality. All give some, but some give all. In Luke 21:5-12, the Last Days are the focus. The key characteristic will be deception. That speaks of the mind, the thoughts, and the beliefs.
Jesus, according to Luke 22:42-44, in the Garden, was fearful and prayed earnestly (in desperation). In that state of mind and heart, the angel ministered to Him. After Gethsemane, on the Cross, seeing the big picture, Jesus could look beyond the perpetrators to the purpose and say, “Father, forgive them.” He knew!
In Luke 24:45, when Jesus appeared to the disciples, “He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” Don’t diminish the importance or power of the mind. It is the gateway to the heart. A blinded mind has a dark heart. An enlightened mind has a liberated heart.
The mind is not the end or most important, but we will never have His fullness unless we have His mind. LORD enlightened our minds so we can understand. Read Luke 24:45-49. Notice the elements and progression.
Lord, help us to never relegate events of life to circumstances, but realize that You are God in heaven and LORD of All.
The Power of Wisdom
Proverbs 1:20, 31 – “Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas…31 Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel.”
As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of wisdom, its purpose, and power filled my consciousness. Proverbs 1 begins with the declaration of the power and purpose of wisdom. To “know” is to become one with. We are to become one with wisdom, then, just as we become one with Jesus. It is transformational!
Proverbs 1:24-31 reveals the result of pursuing fleshly purposes and desires, thereby rejecting God’s purposes and correction. No answer to prayer and v 31, “Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices.”
Proverbs 3 reminds us of the benefits of keeping God’s commandments in our hearts (not just acts). We will enjoy peace, mercy, truth, favor, grace, and understanding, as well as length of days. In v 35, we discover that one of the fruits of pursuing God’s wisdom is perpetual calmness. “You shall not fear sudden tumult, neither the violence of the wicked, when it comes.”
The beginning or initiation, or launching of wisdom, is having reverential awe of God. You can’t be in awe of what you do not believe in. The fool (unwise) says there is no God. Wisdom calls for total surrender to Him. How much? Heart, mind, emotions, and strength – TOTAL!
Wisdom guards against deception. Wisdom corrects and disciplines. Wisdom guides and enlightens. Wisdom brings all of God to us and reveals how we get all of God in us. Wisdom pursues the pathway of peace. Wisdom trusts God.
Wisdom understands that the purpose of God is to bring whosoever will into the kingdom. Wisdom understands that the directive of Mark 16:15-20 is a life pattern that costs everything but provides everything. There is no ambiguity in it. The “will be” and “will follow” do not include “maybe.” Wisdom reveals that God is, and in that “isness,” we hope!
May the wisdom of God guard and guide us daily!
The Heart is the Key
Mark 7:21-23 – “ For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 23 All these evils come from within and defile a person.”
As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the importance of the heart filled my consciousness. The heart I am referring to is not the blood-pumping organ, but the mainspring of the being. That’s the key. The content of the heart produces the fruit that is visible. The content of the heart is revealed in our words, thoughts, pursuits, passions, and actions. (Psalm 141:3-4).
Jesus addressed the heart in Mark 7:21-23. The content of the heart defines the character of a person’s life! What is our call? We are to Love God with all our heart and soul and our neighbor as ourselves. We are to be witnesses for Jesus through demonstrated godliness. We are to meditate on the LORD and to testify of Him.
My assignment and yours is not to be the corrector of everyone, nor the critic finding everyone’s flaws. We all have them. Our commission is to “lift up Jesus,” proclaiming the“Good News.”
If our hearts are filled with religious pride and we look for everyone’s flaws, it becomes hard to love as Jesus loved. His ultimate purpose was reconciliation and restoration, not exposure and rejection. If our heart overflows with love, we will always seek to restore. If our heart is filled with religious pride, we will seek to expose thinking it somehow elevates us and honors God. Jesus died for them, too!
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Remember Galatians 6:1-2 – “My brethren, if anyone be found at fault, you who are spiritual, restore him in a spirit of meekness; and be careful lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
What’s in our hearts? Out of the overflow of the heart come words, attitudes, and actions. Our hearts are easily read by our words, attitudes, and actions.
May our hearts overflow with Love for God and our Fellow man!
The Power of Unity
Psalm 133:1-3 – “Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers truly live in unity. 2 It is like fine oil poured on the head, which flows down the beard—Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which flows down upon the hills of Zion. Indeed, that is where the Lord has decreed a blessing will be available—eternal life.”
As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was awed by the awesomeness of God. As I read in the Psalms, several things were linked in my mind. Psalm 127 reveals the futility of life without God. Psalms 128 reveals that the fear of God brings blessing. Psalm 133 testifies to the power of unity.
Psalm 139:1-7 puts the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God on display. He sees all, knows all, and is everywhere. In vv. 15-16, we realize that He planned our path before we were conceived. That path will be fulfilled unless we rebel. This God is trustworthy! This God is the God of the New Covenant.
In Mark 4, we have the parable of the Sower. The Roadside Seed is a picture of superficial hearing of the Gospel. It is theoretical or mythological. It is just another story and has no impact.
The Rocky Soil Seed is a picture of an emotional response. Even acting emotionally out of being convicted of sin. But emotions do not maintain their intensity, so when life happens, and emotions fade, so does faith and commitment.
The Thistle Soil is those who maintain a double mind and a divided heart. The tug of things, popularity, position, and possession, tarnish the experience. The mind becomes corrupted and draws back. It has a form but no spirit or power.
The good Soil is total surrender, those who die to self and live to Him. We err when we fail to grasp that maturity and productivity are a process. Mark 4:28 – First, the sprout, then the ear, then the mature fruit. The key is time! The key is persistence! The key is patience!
Babies don’t care for themselves immediately. Life has many negative moments, but IF we are good soil seed and yield to God fully, we will become that mature head in the ear He desires. We need to touch Jesus, not just be touched by Jesus.
Touching Jesus requires effort on our part. Being touched by Him, none! For us to become what He created us to be, we have to TOUCH Him! Will we be His Fully Mature Fruit that fulfills our preconceived destiny? It depends on us.
LORD, help us strive for Unity in the Body of Christ and die to self.
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