Luke 18:40-41 – “Suddenly Jesus stopped and directed those nearby, “Bring the man over to me.” When they brought him before Jesus, he asked the man, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” “Master,” he said, “please, I want to see.”

The question Jesus asked Bartimaeus is ringing in my heart.  The account found in Luke 18:35- 43 is powerful and revelatory.   

• The blind man heard that Jesus was near.   
• He acted upon what he heard and cried out to Jesus for mercy. 
• He did not specify what he desired, only mercy. 

Sometimes, we are so focused on what we want that we fail to focus on Him.  In His presence is fullness of Joy!

Those around Bartimaeus tried to silence him, but he persisted. Jesus heard him and stood still. Imagine that! Our prayers got Jesus’ attention and caused Him to stand still. Wow, think about that! Jesus was moved by our cries for help!

Jesus called him over and asked a question that He is asking us today.   (V.41) – “What do you wish Me to do for you?”

Specificity is needed.  What did He want?  What was the most important to him at that moment?  Jesus saw he was blind but ignored the obvious and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”  That is the question for each of us today, “What do you truly want from Jesus?”    Do not break out a shopping list; just the most important thing right now.   The blind man said, “That I may see.”  The request was simple and specific!

Consider the progression of things with him:

• He heard that Jesus was passing by.
• He took action and prayed.
• He responded to the Lord’s call.
• He received.  

He asked with specificity and expectancy, and he received.

Today, Jesus asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?”   Do you believe?  All things are possible to those who believe.

• It is necessary that we answer His question.  
• It is essential for us to be specific and expectant. 

He does not ask rhetorically but with the intent and desire to answer.

Can you Hear Him?  Then, ask for what you truly desire or need.  Receive from Him that which He offers.   Remember that Jesus said that all He has is ours and wants us to have what we need.

Be specific and bold.  He has invited us to come and call upon Him!

Luke 22:31-32 – “And Jesus said to Simon, Simon, behold, Satan wants to sift all of you like wheat; But I have made supplication for you that your faith may not weaken; and even  you in time will repent and strengthen your brethren.”

As Jesus prepared to go to the Cross, He reminded the disciples of His intent to give them a kingdom, His Father’s kingdom.  He told them what was about to happen.   Then, almost as an aside, He said to Peter something we need to remember.

The devil wants to sift us as wheat, but God wants to make us unsiftable.

There are three dimensions I want to mention for your consideration:

• The War – Satan’s desire to destroy us.
• The Provision – Jesus has prayed for us.
• The Protection – the Indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

What is Jesus praying for us?  It is not that we will not be attacked by the devil and the powers of darkness.  It is not that we will face no difficulties, disappointments, or defeats.   He is praying that our faith (confidence in God) will not weaken.

We need to embrace what He told Peter. In time, we will return and strengthen others through repentance and recommitment. We will have the ministry of reconciliation and pull down strongholds. God’s promise to save us and our house was not idle talk.  That promise is guaranteed if we believe it.

Proverbs’ declaration that we should train our children in the way of God and that they will return is not a fantasy if we believe.

• We have the Word, the Name, and the Holy Spirit.  
• We have the Authority.  
• We have ALL Spiritual Blessings given to us.
• We are Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Jesus. 
• We are IN Him, and He is IN us.

What do we do?  Pray and believe that He is telling the truth.  HE IS!  Do not fear the War because you have the Provision and Protection. This is your victory, even your faith.   See it, believe it, pray for it, and proclaim it.  Seize the day and the promise.   IT IS YOURS!

May God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!

2 Samuel 12:7 – “Nathan then said to David, “You are the man!“

The matter of self-deception must be addressed if we are to be victorious in Jesus!  In 2 Samuel 12, we have the after story of David’s tryst with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband.

Nathan, the prophet, brought him a story of abuse.   David became furious and demanded justice for the abuse.  Nathan took his life in his hands and said, “YOU ARE THE MAN!” Where was the self-deception?  David was at ease with his actions until that moment.   We sometimes hear the voices we want to hear.   It is what we want!  It elevates and gratifies us.  Many factors are interlaced, such as pride, self-evaluation, faux piousness, and blindness.

David saw what enticed him: a beautiful naked woman.  He was king, and nobody would refuse his requests.   He was installed by God.   He walked in God’s anointing.  He was well respected.  Self-deception produced an entitlement mentality.  He had the power and ability to do whatever he wanted, and nobody would challenge him.  God did!  David repented, but there was a price to pay.  The child died.

We deceive ourselves by listening to voices that say what we want to hear.   We then twist what we want to hear into being decrees and promises from God.  Deception destroys.  Once it takes root in one area, unless checked, it will spread. 

God never removes choice from the mix.  He did not, even with Jesus.  Jesus chose to obey.   Obedience may mean swallowing our pride and walking away from the hope we created.   But, unless we deal with all deception, we will be destroyed.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Light, and the Life! We need to examine our hearts, and maybe we will say, “LORD, THAT’S ME. FORGIVE ME!”   God wants to set us free.  Beware of deception, and pray that you will not become self-deceived.   Examine what you are pursuing and ask for revelation about and deception.   Confession brings freedom, and I believe God will give you more legitimately.

If we walk in total openness and honesty before Him, He will give us the Kingdom and, in doing that, the desires of our hearts.   Beware deception.   Deceivers can appear good and righteous.  Deception does not wear a warning sign.

Allow the Holy Spirit to give you discernment and the courage to own your sin, give it to Jesus, and become free!

Exodus 15:26 – “IF you will EARNESTLY listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, AND do what is right in His sight, AND give ear to His commandments, AND keep His statutes, I WILL put none of the diseases on you which I put on the Egyptians; FOR I, Yahweh am your healer.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, my heart cried out for revelation and refreshing.  My heart cried, “More, LORD, MORE!”  I am sensing a nudge in my heart to consider the Covenantal Blessings of Israel and the reality of the declaration of the writer of Hebrews that our Covenant is Better and comprised of Greater Promises.

As I prayed and mused on the world, I was immediately drawn to Exodus 15:26, and my heart exploded.  God promised Divine Health to them IF… The “if” is the problem for us, and it was for them. Paul’s words in Acts 26:20b resonate deeply – “repent and turn to God AND demonstrate it with a changed life!’”  This is not about mindless adherence to a set of human rules. It’s about a profound transformation of the heart, a sincere desire to obey and please God.

Exodus 19:5-6 is another promise from God’s Covenant to them. Remember, we have a Better Covenant containing Better Promises.  This promise is off the charts.   1 Peter 2:9 reveals that our destiny is to spiritually be God’s Royal Priesthood and His Holy Nation. We inherit the promises through salvation, and the Blessing of Abraham becomes ours!

Envision a life of divine health and abundant provision, not as a distant dream but as a present reality.  How do we reach this state?  Is it through physical death?  No, it’s about dying to our selfish desires and being resurrected in Him spiritually.  It’s about transformation and living in complete obedience to Him, with a hopeful expectation of His blessings!

That’s where we tend to hit the potholes of life.   We find it difficult to believe we (you and me) could have such a blessed life.  The Early Church lived in a state of provision that we only dream about.  Why? One key reason was that they believed the promise was theirs and Expected it to be their reality.  We dream of one day!  They lived in a consciousness that today was that day!

If we have a Better Covenant with Better Promises, it is time to press in and receive.  Yes, I’m speaking of a realm of Kingdom Living that few believe is truly possible. But if God does not lie, then it is an obtainable destination. Why Not Now?   Why Not Us?

Have a fantastic day, and keep looking to the hills of God for the promised help.  He will never fail us and never forsake us!   Rejoice and be glad, for your light has come!  

Have a Great Day!

Romans 6:6 – “Could it be any clearer that our former identity is NOW and FOREVER deprived of power? FOR we WERE co-crucified with Him TO dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, SO THAT we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sins power.”

What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His Grace. He will take me by the hand and lead me through the promised land. What a day, glorious day that will be! That old hymn is ringing in my heart, and as I sang, thought, and considered it, I heard, “Seeing Him does not require you to depart this life. You can SEE Him, truly SEE Him every day here!”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word, I read Romans. Unpacking what I saw and heard would take two lifetimes. Romans 6, one of, if not the most revelatory Chapter in the Bible, opens the floodgates to understanding our NEW LIFE in Jesus.

Sin (by inference), the devil, was our master. It held power over us and motivated us to do and be wrong. When Jesus became our Savior, we DIED. If we truly realized that in Salvation, the first result was DEATH, we could live free without the constant condemnation of weakness.

Romans 6:6 – “Could it be any clearer that our former identity is NOW and FOREVER deprived of power? FOR we WERE co-crucified with Him TO dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, SO THAT we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sins power.”

Romans 6:11 – “…Since (because or as a result) you are NOW joined with Him (Jesus), you MUST CONTINUALLY view yourself as dead and unresponsive to sin’s appeal WHILE living daily for God’s pleasure in union with Jesus, the Anointed One.”

Romans 6:12-13 – “Sin is a dethroned monarch; SO you must no longer give it an opportunity to RULE over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey its desires and cravings. 13 SO THEN REFUSE to answer its call to surrender your body as a tool of wickedness.”

We resist through the power of Grace. Verse 14 reminds us that sin won’t conquer us because God already has! Grace frees us to choose our master (v.16). Dead people don’t respond, and we are dead to sin because of Grace.  Does that mean we are perfect? Not in the flesh, but we are infused into Grace Power that enables us to resist. If we stumble, we have a lifeline of Grace to bring us to freedom.

The key is Romans 8:10 – “NOW Christ lives His life in you!”

In Grace, we are free from the past.   Romans 8:38 gives an astounding revelation. “There is NOTHING in our present or future circumstances that can weaken His Love.” Did you notice something missing? The past!   We need to remember that there is nothing in our past that can weaken God’s love! As far as God is concerned, our past does exist. We have no past if it is under the Blood of Jesus. We need to deal with the present and live our future, but the past has been erased.

WE ARE FREE FROM THE GUILT OF THE PAST!

• We are not perfect, but we are forgiven. Therefore, we make no excuses. 
• We justify nothing of the flesh. 
• We demand it bow to Jesus.  We are graced to be free. 
• We are empowered to live free! 
• We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus. 
• We have the power to live in God’s presence and fullness.

Sin is an unwelcome intruder that Jesus conquered, and we are in Him, so we are more than conquerors! There is no future in the past!  We are free to be free!

Have a fantastic day, and remember that there is Victory in Jesus, and as we fully surrender to Him, we are transformed into His image!   Rejoice today is a great day to be alive!