Galatians 3:6-9 – “Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”  NASB

God told Abram, I will make you a Great Nation, and All Nations will be blessed in you.  The Promises and Covenant made to Abraham, according to the New Testament, especially Galatians belong to the Believer in the New Testament Church. 

I believe that we have missed a great truth in our view of things natural and spiritual.  The issue for many today is natural and national Israel and while that is important that is not the primary focus of the Abrahamic Blessing.  God’s focus is on Who We Are and Whose We Are.  We have a heritage, position, provision, power, and authority in Him and when we discover His Promise to the Church, I believe we will turn the world upside down.

We tend to be divisive.  We divide everything in the Bible into two distinctly separate areas.  We have the Old Testament and the New Testament. We have Natural Israel and the Church.  We have one Covenant for them and one Covenant for the Church.  What do you do with the declaration of God in Ephesians 2:14-15 where we are told that God pulled down the dividing wall between the Jew and the Believer and made of them One New Man? 

If we keep everything separate how do, we get to the Unified?  What do we do with Galatians 3:7, “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are OF FAITH that are the sons of Abraham.”?  Paul even quotes the Abrahamic covenant in the next verse, “…the scriptures foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, ALL NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”  

Then, in the last verse, He makes it even clearer that it is Faith not Race that makes one a child of Abraham and an heir to the Promise.  It is the One New Man!  I find that glorious and encouraging for both Israel and the Church.  We are the One New Man in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Abrahamic Covenant belongs to Believers! 

Let me remind you of three things that hopefully will encourage your hearts: 

1. We have a defeated devil we are dealing with. 
2. We have been restored to relationship and sonship through the blood of Jesus. 
3. Everything God Promised to Abraham is Ours.

Secondly, God said, “I will BLESS YOU.”  There is too much there to address in a short devotional.  Third, God told Abram, “I will MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT.”  Just briefly, I remind you that according to Galatians we are Abraham’s seed, and we are in Christ, joined to Jesus, one with Him.  Remember? 

We read in Philippians 2:9-11, “A For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Also, inActs 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  We are Joined to that Name! 

Fourth, God said, “I will MAKE YOU A BLESSING.”  He would not just be blessed, but he would be a blessing.  You can only give what you have not what you hope you will have.  We Have Been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.  If we receive the full meaning of Isaiah 61, we will Be a Blessing! 

Fifth, He said, “I will BLESS those who BLESS YOU and I will CURSE those who CURSE you.”  That is incredible.  If Abraham’s Blessing and Covenant belong to the Believer that belongs to us today just as much as it did to them then.  Then, God said,” In You, all the families of the earth will Be Blessed!”

I hope you see the Progression of the Promise and Purpose.  God moved from the Person of Abraham and his natural descendants to the Entire World. The objective of God is a manifestation of His Glory in this present world through the Faith Children of Abraham – BELIEVERS!  The declaration of Romans 4:13 is incredible, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants is that he would be Heir of the World was Not through the Law, but through the Righteousness of Faith.”  God’s focus is the Entire World and all the People of that world.

In Jesus’ Finished Work we have Total Victory over the devil.  We are in Christ, Joined to Him as one.  When the devil, meets you, he meets Jesus.  We have been given rule and authority over all the power and authority of the devil.  We are the people through which God’s desire of Blessing the World is to be fulfilled and realized.  We have a Covenant with God that Promises Us Blessing, Authority, and Power to accomplish the task He has set before us which is to Manifest His Glory! 

Jesus is Coming Back!  He is coming back for a people, a body, a bride, a church that is Glorious!  He is coming back for people who are walking in the fullness of Covenant.  He is coming back for those who are Overwhelmingly Conquerors through Him and His Finished World.  We need to focus on the Vision of God, plan and prepare for that Mission, and place our total dependence on God.  We are engaged in a Won War and we need to learn to enforce the victory of Calvary.  IT IS FINISHED!  That is His promise and provision to enable us to complete our assignment!

God, bless you richly as you enjoy this day of victorious living.

Isaiah 40:12-18 – “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. 16 All Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon’s sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes, they are less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom, then, can we compare God?” NLT

Recently, as I was doing my morning reading of God’s Word, this passage seemed to leap off the page at me, so I choose it to pen my brief remarks.  We all face the many uncertainties of life and none of us truly know what is around the next corner or the next encounter we will face.  We truly live from moment to moment, in Him.  He is our rock and our strength in the time of trouble, and our strong tower in the time of safety.

In reading this I was particularly encouraged when I began to think of the “awesomeness of God” and His “immenseness”.  Read this passage slowly and allow it to sink in and you realize that the “Creator of the Universe” has no comparison, is immeasurable, and is absolutely reliable and trustworthy.  That one has extended to each of us the “hand of fellowship” allowing us to become “adopted” into the family of God through the Blood of Jesus. 

What a comfort to know that nothing escapes His view, nothing is too large for Him to handle, and nothing is more immense than He.  While we may be small and insignificant in comparison to Him, he takes careful pains to ensure that each of us is cared for individually and collectively.  He is so concerned about each of us that He knows the very number of the hairs on our heads and pays attention to every detail of our lives, needs, struggles, and victories.  What a Mighty God We Serve!

With this in mind, I head out into this new day and the unknown.  With all the uncertainty of this hour in which we live, I go in peace knowing that my God is an Awesome God!  I rest in His care and trust the prayers of my many friends going up continually for me.  As an old preacher once said, “God can pull you through anything if you can stand the pull.”  I don’t know what the process will be, but I know that I will not go through it alone – He will be there every step of the way, so I go in Peace!

Thanks for your prayers, and may you have a blessed day. My love and deep appreciation for your love, expressions, and prayers!

Lamentations 3:22-24 – “The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”  NLT

We’ve all heard the sales pitch from one salesman or another about the guarantee or warranty of their product and how it is so much better than any other product like it on the market.  Sometimes that claim is true and sometimes it is just sales talk. 

In this particular passage, we find the Ultimate Guarantee that is Absolute, Unshakable, and will Never Fail!  Now I don’t know about you, but those words excite me.

Consider it with me:

• It begins with the Unfailing Infinite Love of God! 

A love that Never Ends, a love that Cannot Be Shaken, and a love that is Completely Unearned.  It is Unconditional and Total.  It is a love that is far beyond anything that we humans can use to compare it.

• Then, the focus becomes His Mercies! 

Through them, we are Kept from Complete Destruction.  Not just kept safe for a time or a little but Complete Safety!  Can you really fathom that?  Nothing can touch you when you are under the “shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91).

• Next, we see that His Faithfulness and Mercies are Fresh every day! 

They are being continually renewed so that they are an inexhaustible supply of Love, Grace, Tenderness, Faithfulness, and Mercy from the Throne Room of Heaven.  It is a River flowing to us from Him, the same river Jesus spoke of in the Gospels that would flow out of our innermost being when we came to Him and drank of His Grace.

• That leads us to the Confidence that we can say without fear or hesitation, “The LORD is my inheritance therefore, I will hope in him!”  

We are people of Hope!  Not wishful thinking but Hope that is anchored in Promise backed up by the Person who is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Creator of the Universe – GOD!

Therefore, Today I urge you to make the decision that you will no longer walk in despair but will walk in hope that is assured, builds faith, emboldens with courage, and empowers with confidence because you are a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  You and I have been given the Ultimate Guarantee! 

A love that will never fail!  Mercies that will never end!  Faithfulness that will never be shaken!  We have an immovable Inheritance that cannot be taken from us by the powers of Hell.  We have God’s Promise and I choose to rest in that Place of Peace through the Power of His Promise under the Shadow of the Cross. 

May God grant you a most beautiful day of worship and celebration today!

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  NASB

Each of us has experienced a time or times of a troubled spirit and been anxious or worried about something.  I find it most comforting and challenging that the Bible teaches that we can have peace in all things, all the time, in all circumstances.  That does not mean it is necessarily easy but possible and a promise from the Lord.  There is a key to this level of living that cannot be practiced on an intermittent basis but must become a lifestyle if we are to walk on this plane continually.

Here Paul gives us some keys to Peace:

• Be Anxious for Nothing.

(Don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t fear, don’t become overcome, or overrun by what is happening around you.)  That can be a Tall Order but then he tells us how to accomplish this.

• In Everything by prayer and supplication with “thanksgiving” let your requests be made known to God.

Prayer – – Communication with God.  (Talking to Him. Telling Him how you feel, what you are thinking, and acknowledging His person, power, and presence)

Supplication – – Here is the petition part of prayer.  This is where you are presenting your needs, desires, and requests before the throne in light of Who He Is!

Thanksgiving – – Without a grateful heart little is accomplished in the Kingdom. 

Without a grateful heart, we will forget To Whom we owe all that we are, have, and will be.  We forget that Without Him we can do nothing.  We forget that our Human Frailty will never overcome the Circumstances of life and the Evil Powers that come against us.  We will never learn to live in a state of Contentment!

It is in this condition that Paul tells us that the Peace of God that is beyond human ability to comprehend or understand floods our hearts, guards our hearts, and covers our minds so that every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  It is here that we walk Free of Worry and Live in a Continual State of Peace!

We are secure in our relationship, or position, or potential, our promise, and our place in Him.  We then can say with Paul, “To die is gain but to live profitable for you.”  We walk in total confidence in Him In Everything!  This is where the Love of God that banishes all fear fills our hearts and lives and we become so At One with Jesus that when people see us, hear us, and encounter us they encounter Him.  We are then ruled by peace and it is a peace that the world did not give, and the world cannot steal.

May God bless you as you continue your Walk in Him!  Blessings in the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

Ephesians 6:13-20 – “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” NASB

This is a lengthy passage for a short morning devotional, but I want to pull out a few key elements and focus on them briefly.  We live in troubled times and the world around us is in chaos and crumbling from the reality that we have known most of our lives. 

The prophecies of the Bible seem more relevant and imminent than at any time in our lifetime so what do we do?  How do we respond?  What do we think?  How do we live?  We basically have two choices we can live in fear or faith.  We can live in a survival mode mentality or an overcoming mentality.  I believe that is what Paul is addressing here for those hearing him.

It is important to know what the Full Armor of God is, how to put it on and when we are missing an element of it.  That is critical to our survival as well as our success in our labors for His Kingdom. 

Yet he says something that signifies the determination we must have, the commitment we must possess, and the faith/confidence we must embody in these last days.  “…having done everything to stand.  Stand firm….”  Once you’ve done all you know, in Him to do, plant yourself like a granite boulder and refuse to be shaken from your position in Him.  Don’t run in fear, death is not to be feared.  Don’t run in fear, He is more than a conqueror.  Don’t run in fear, His promises will not fail, and He will never leave us Nor forsake us.

We need to focus first and foremost on Him, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He must become the central figure of our universe. 

• Everything must revolve around Him, His will, His desire, His word, His way, His character, and His Love. 

• We must invest ourselves in Truth and make it a covering for our lives (for out of it we reproduce). 
• Our hearts must be anchored in Righteousness because if our hearts condemn us and wickedness is found in our hearts, we are easy targets for the evil one.

• Our feet (Walk, Way of Life) must be shod with the Gospel for that is our driving force.  He is the truth, the way, and the life and no other way to God but through Him.

• We must carry the Shield of Faith for without faith it is impossible to please Him much less face the struggles of life that we have now and will have on an even greater scale in the days to come.

• We must have our minds covered with the Helmet of Salvation.  We too frequently discount the thought processes but in a great measure, salvation begins in the mind.  “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  We are not what we think we are, but we are a product of what we think.

• We must be committed to Prayer! 

It is not only for survival that we need this but for taking the battle to the enemy and claiming the land for Christ.  We are triumphant in as much as we do these things.  So, do all that you know to do to stand then determine in your heart to keep on standing No Matter What!  He will give you the grace, strength, encouragement, and power to come through the Fire and the Flood victorious. 

Blessings as you go through your weekend victorious in Christ!

Psalms 23:1-6 – “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” NKJV

I was troubled in my spirit most of the night, not just from physical pain but the pain in my spirit and could not sleep so I arose and spent several hours praying and studying before going for my morning walk.  As I walked the Lord began to speak to me about Psalm 23 and this is what I heard in my spirit:

• THE LORD IS…   Not has but “is”.  Not does but “is’.  Not might be but “is”.  The Lord IS “my” shepherd.  He is the one watching over my soul and caring for me.  No other person, power, or entity – THE LORD!  I’ve heard people say for all my life, “Well you’ve got to look out for old number one, meaning themselves.”  My take, since becoming a Christian is that “old number one” is THE LORD and He is to be sought above and before everything else including self, family, church, job, relationship, etc.  HE IS!

• BECAUSE HE IS…  I shall not be in Lack!  He is my provider and as David declared in Psalms 37:25-26 – “I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful and lends, And his descendants are blessed.” NKJV

Paul echoed that sentiment in Philippians 4:19-20 – “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” NKJV

Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 7:7-9 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” NKJV Therefore, if He Is then among the things He Is, is “my supply.”

THE PROCESS OF HIS CARE AND KEEPING…

• Causes me to rest in Green (plenteous) Pastures.
• Directs me to Still (refreshing) waters for nourishment to quench my thirst, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
• Guides me in Righteous Paths.
• Guards Me against all enemies (Foreign and Domestic or External and Internal).
• Even in the Face of Death, He gives a Calm Assurance.
• He provides not only Grace but the Anointing to accomplish His purposes.
• I walk the Abundant Life filled with His Goodness & His Mercy.
• I spend my entire days with my Permanent Residence in His Presence!

That is the picture of what it is like to serve The God Who Is!  It is the picture of the Normal Christian Life!  Most think it is the abnormal and unusual Christian Life that I have described but according to the Bible, it is the Norman Christian Life serving The God Who Is!  Therefore, I urge you to allow the Holy Spirit to immerse you into that life today and learn to live in His Abundant Life and Presence on a daily basis.

Blessings as you enter this day following His footsteps and living under His protective Care! 

Galatians 2:20-21 – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” NASB

I can go back through my memory banks and recall a number of things that dramatically impacted my life, my thinking, my attitude, and my way of living but I can think of none that have impacted me more than THE CROSS! 

The Cross is more than a symbol to me it is the beginning point of my “spiritual walk” with Christ.  It is the beginning point of Life for me.  When Jesus hung on the cross and cried “It is finished” in John 19:30 that signified that He had done all that was, required to satisfy “Divine Justice” and had reclaimed the birthright of humanity from the devil. 

He had paid the Full Penalty for Sin and now through His shed blood on the Cross would open the door for “whosoever will” to come from darkness into the light, from sin to salvation, from bondage to freedom.  He paid a debt He did not owe so that I could go free, pardoned of my sin!  The Cross is a treasure!  Paul identified its value in 1 Corinthians 1:18 when he declared: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  NKJV

The writer of Hebrews tells us:  Hebrews 9:22 – “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” NKJV At the Cross the debt was paid in full by the precious blood of the Lamb of God.  At the altar, we gain access to the pardon that was purchased there.  As we allow Christ to live in our hearts and live His life through us, we walk in liberty and freedom that the world cannot comprehend nor imagine.  No wonder Hebrews declares: “A how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”  Hebrews 2:3 NASB

It is the cry of my heart to walk in the fullness of Him who loved me and learn to live as Paul described:  Philippians 3:10-11 – “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” NASB Nothing less will suffice.  Nothing less will satisfy.  Nothing less will enable us to see this world transformed by His Grace!  Truly, the Old Rugged Cross made the difference in my life and for it, I am eternally grateful.

May God bless you richly as you continue your week.  Blessings abundantly, be safe!

Isaiah 26:3-4 – “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. 4 ” Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” NASB

In considering this passage I find it interesting to look at the Hebrew “in perfect peace” [Shaalowm] = “peace, peace” i.e. – {peace upon peace -all kinds of prosperity-happiness in this world and the world to come.” 

It depicts the ultimate of peace, calmness of the mind, body, soul, and spirit.  It is an absolute steadfast assurance.  It is a rock-solid ability to stand in the face of anything and everything.  It is more than being “steadfast” it is being “concreted” in with a sure foundation.  It is something that will weather all the storms of life.  PERFECT PEACE!  How many have known this type of peace for more than brief moments in their lives?

Of course, there is a key to having this peace:

1. You must have a STEADFAST MIND. 

Your mind cannot be fixed on the Lord, seeking Him first at one moment and in “fret-land” and “worry city” the next.  You must be consistent, constant, continual, committed, and consecrated.  You must become like Jesus when His face was set like a flint determined that He would move on to the next point of mission and ministry.  There must be a fixation of the heart and mind upon the Lord.  “Seek first the Kingdom…. Seek second the Kingdom… Seek third the Kingdom…. But seek the Kingdom of God.

• You must TRUST HIM. 

That is not a mental assent and a verbal assertion that you trust Him but a demonstrated life that says, “God is my source, my strength, my sustenance, my life, my foundation, my core.”  Without Him, I can do nothing, but through Him, I can do all things.  If He says it, I believe it and it is forever settled in my heart, mind, spirit, and soul.  He does not, cannot, and will not lie, therefore CASE CLOSED!

• Remember that our God is an EVERLASTING ROCK. 

Nothing can move Him, overcome Him, defeat Him, change Him, or usurp His authority or power.  HE IS GOD!  He is “I AM, THAT I AM!”

In considering this passage last night and this morning as I walked my heart began to cry out and say, “Lord, I’ve known that place and I want to make my permanent dwelling in that place in you.”  I don’t know what it will take but it is the passion of my heart.  I want to be a living epistle, known and read among men demonstrating you!  Therefore, I set my heart to attaining PERFECT PEACE all the time!

May the Lord bless you as you see your week wind down and the weekend looming on the horizon! 

May the richest and best of the blessings of the Lord overflow into your lives on this and every day!

Psalms 27:4-6 – “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent, He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” NASB

The longer I live, the more things I encounter in life, and the more experiences I have with the Lord and life, the more I recognize the need for God to occasionally take me from the front lines of battle and hide me in His Pavilion Tent.  In the battle, the King would have a tent in the midst of the soldiers to which he could retire, and he would take the weary there for strategy.  God does that in our lives spiritually. 

There are times, we are so battle fatigued, weak, discouraged, disillusioned, and even depressed that we need an infusion of fresh vision and that’s where we find it.  He takes us from the “heat of the battle” into his Pavilion Tent and “refreshes us”.  We are concealed from the enemy, untouchable by the powers of hell and from there we receive the infusion of strength, power, courage, and anointing to go back out into the battle and win the victory. 

Sadly, sometimes we don’t hear the call to come aside for rest and try to be martyrs and push ourselves beyond the limit when He is calling for us to come inside and “rest”.  Some feel guilty, saying – “There is too much to be done,” and “I must work while it is yet day for the night comes when no man can work.” And press on until exhaustion takes over and we lose our strength and are overcome by the forces of hell.  That’s not God’s way and never has been.  Burning out for Jesus is a good-sounding statement but not very productive.

Learn to listen to your body, your mind, your spirit, your heart, and hear the voice of the Spirit of God inviting you to come into His Pavilion Tent and be refreshed.  The time spent there if it is an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year will prove to be far more valuable than staying in the battle when you are no longer at your optimum.  Don’t let the devil shame you into thinking that you are somehow being lazy or sloughtful but realize that it is the Lord’s design to “refresh” you to make you “better than ever” for the battle. 

I have learned that we need to enter the rest wherein the weary are made to rest and when we come out, we are not only refreshed we are emboldened and empowered in a new way.  That is part of learning to lean on Jesus.  As you go into this weekend it just might be that this is a time you need to “rest in the Lord” and allow the battle to rage without you in it.  You will have the opportunity to reenter and to do so with renewed vision, strength, grace, anointing, and power. 

Blessings in your labors for the Kingdom!  Have a spectacular week!

James 1:12-18 – “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”  NASB

Through the years I’ve seen new believers take off like gangbusters and charge headlong into the battle with hell with a dagger when they needed a sword.  Their zeal was inspiring if not humorous at times.  Then I would see them encounter the full-scale battle fizzling and withering under the pressures of the intense warfare.  They had zeal, but not wisdom.  They had the desire but no experience.  They had superficial knowledge but were not deeply established in the truth. 

James tells us that it is the “blessed” man that perseveres under trial and that once he has completed the test the prize is great.  He warns us regarding temptation, to not attribute it to God because God tempts no person.  Instead, temptation comes from within as much as from without.  It comes from the condition of heart, immaturity, and undeveloped character.  It springs forth from the unseen and often unknown lust within the heart and when it is given birth to it brings forth sin and when sin grows to its full maturity brings forth death. 

If we recognize that temptation is an identification of an inside problem, we are better equipped to handle it because we know to run as fast as we can to the Cross and cry out for mercy and grace.  He tells us that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above who never changes but is consistent, steady, and steadfast. 

We find that God will guide us into real truth, and it will not be wishy-washy but solid and stable.  Then as we become established in His truth, we are able to walk out His will in our daily lives, facing and resisting temptation, enduring the tests and trials, and overcoming the onslaught of the enemy, and become fruits (examples) of righteousness for all to see, thus point to Christ by our lives not just our words.

Growing up is not instant in the natural or spiritual.  Wisdom is not gained by taking a pill or reading a book.  Experience is not achieved by hearing stories of victories.  Life is a matter of living and living is to be done hand in hand with the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Cross and under the covering of the blood of Jesus. 

By His Grace!  Remember, this trial, test, temptation, trouble, or tribulation is only momentary in the eternal scheme of things.  Hold on to what you have learned in Christ and you will walk out the other side in victory!  Blessings as you continue your week in the Lord. 

May God guide you, give you grace, and protect you in your pursuit of His purposes!