John 8:31-32 – “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” NKJV

The NASU lists it as “… if you continue in My word….”  NIV – “…If you hold to My teachings…”  NLT – “…if you keep obeying my teachings….”

It is sometimes surprising how often we fail to notice simple little phrases in what the Bible teaches and either ignore them to fit our doctrine or miss them because we are reading with a preconceived notion of what it should say or should mean.  Here is a most powerful statement by our Lord that contains an “if” or a Conditional Phrase.

Jesus said to His followers regarding their relationship with Him that IF you “abide,” “continue,” “obey,” or “continue obeying” my word, my doctrine, my teachings, my truth, you are or shall be “My Disciples Indeed.”  Then He adds an addendum without price in its value – – “You shall “know” the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

Spiritual freedom comes through relationship, and relationship comes through obedience to Him and His word.  That is inescapable!  The idea is “continued obedience,” not one-time “acceptance.”  It is a “maintained relationship,” not signing a membership card and paying regular dues like a club membership. 

It is a personal relationship maintained through communication, communion, and commitment.  In too many ways and too many situations, we seem to have lost that, and it is time for the church and God’s people to return to their “First Love” and restore that relationship and commitment to the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

May God bless you as you continue your new week of opportunity in His service and Kingdom!  Blessings!

Luke 14:11- “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  NASB

In this passage, Jesus gave a parable as He noticed the guests picking out places of honor for themselves.  He used the occasion to highlight the fatal flaw in that tendency and thinking. 

Sadly, many today are so driven to be recognized and esteemed that they exalt themselves.  Jesus reminded His audience of this by using the scenario of the guests being invited to a wedding feast.  He warned them not to take the place of honor because someone more distinguished and recognized than they might arrive, and the host would embarrass them by asking them to move down to a lesser position.  The result would be such embarrassment that they would assume the lowest place in shame.  Public humiliation and self-pity would be the by-products of this. 

He suggested that when invited, go, and recline at the lowest place, and the host would come and ask them to move it, and the result would be recognition by everyone in the room rather than embarrassment and shame. 

Jesus told them in verse 11 that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, which is painful. I know I have tasted it.  He declared that the one who humbles himself will be exalted, and I have tasted that as well.  I like the feeling of the latter far better than the former.  We have all, at times, felt more important than we are or should feel about ourselves, which is a dangerous mindset and attitude. 

I am not suggesting self-flagellation but humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord and allowing Him to cause us to be elevated or lifted up to the place He desires.  You are not the focus of all things, nor is it required that you be the center of attention.  You do not have to lead in every situation unless you lead by example; demonstrating humility is the leadership that you demonstrate. 

If God wants you to be the head, He will cause you to be promoted to that position.  If God wants you to develop humility, He may allow you to be given a lesser position without fanfare and notice.  Since it is His Church that is being built, the position is not what is important but obedience.  It is allowing God to place the gift required for the situation in the lead spot and placing you in the mix where you can best lend to the advancement of the Kingdom.

May God be with you as you go through this day!

James 4:1-10 – “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” NASB

In our spiritual walk, we are either moving upward toward godliness or downward toward wickedness.  This pathway is not a level plane but an incline.  If we stop, we begin to move backward, so there must always be forward progress.  Forward progress requires involvement and action on our part.  I am not suggesting in any way that we can or should try to “earn” our salvation, but I am suggesting that our faith needs our works added to it to complete our spiritual growth and spiritual development.

James identifies the reasons for conflict in the church: “carnality” and “self.”  He powerfully identifies the root problem in numerous areas, which leads him to identify why we are not getting our prayers answered, as seen in verse three. 

He further informs us that if we are friends of this world that is hostile to God, we are joining in that hostility.  He pointedly tells us that pride is destructive and divisive and a characteristic that God rejects implicitly, but to the humble, God extends grace.   He then makes an impassioned plea that we submit to God and, in doing so, resist the devil, and as a result, the closer we get to God, the further the devil flees because He knows the Power of God and fears Him. 

He calls on us to purify our hearts, cleanse our hands, and stop being double-minded.  James declares that if we submit ourselves to God in true humility, He will exalt us. 

So, the way to the top or the bottom is found in this short passage.  We can continue to allow our own selfish desires to dominate, or we can resign as the center of our universe and allow God to occupy that spot.  If we allow God top billing in our lives, we will ascend to the Holy Hill of the Lord and be exalted.  If we continue to be the center of our universe, we will descend to the bottom. The choice is truly ours.

So, as you go through this day, go through it with the realization that ascending or descending is your choice.  Choose to ascend by emptying yourself of self and allow God to be Number One in your heart, mind, soul, and spirit.  

God bless you abundantly as you go through this day!

John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  NASB

In His discourse on being the Vine and the Father, the vinedresser Jesus informed those hearing that He expected His followers to “bear fruit,” and if there were no “fruit-bearing,” that branch would be taken away.  He talked about cleansing the vine by pruning and told those listening that they were clean already because of His Word. 

He identified that there could be no fruit except from the life of the Vine and that since we are branches and He is the vine, our fruit is the result of the life that exudes from the vine.  Then, in verse seven, He makes a statement that far too often is taken as a stand-alone passage but must be viewed in the context of the whole – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask WHATEVER you wish, and it will be done for you.”  (Emphasis mine).

This door to the miraculous is conditioned not only upon the context of the whole but hinges on the tiny word – IF.  The two facets of the “if” are abiding in Him and His words abiding in us.  In light of drawing life from the Vine and producing fruit, He identifies that we are recipients of life, and as living branches, we produce fruit because we are Abiding IN Him, and His Words are Abiding in us! 

That is the flow to us and from us. We receive of His life, and as a result of that reception, we produce fruit, which produces seed, which produces more fruit, and the cycle is endless.  In that context, we can “Ask what we wish and receive answers to our prayers.”

Unfortunately, it would seem that too often, we either are not abiding in Him, and His words are not abiding in us to the level that He is our All-in-All.  We are living in a relatively casual relationship rather than a totally committed life in which we “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.”  

In that life, we neither expect that whatever we wish or pray to come to pass nor are we in a condition of heart to attain faith to receive.  Contrarily, if we are abiding in Him and His words are abiding in us, His life will prod us to the level of life that we live in expectancy. We will become the fulfillment of His promise that “the Works that He did we will do and greater works because He has gone to the Father.”  We will exhibit in this life the life of Jesus, and through the fruit of that relationship, others will be positively impacted for the Kingdom. 

The operative word is IF.  If we abide in Him.  If His words abide in us.  IF is the condition and the conduit through which the life that brings the faith for the miraculous.  Lord, help me change the IF to I DO!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Revelation 4:1 – “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven…” NASB

While there are many paths I could take with this text, I only want to pursue one: “Heaven’s Open Door.”  Just the other day, I was listening to some old Gospel Music.  One song, “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before,” made its way into the rotation of songs, and this scripture came to mind. 

The song says, “I can see the Father standing at the door.”  That reminded me of the parable of the Prodigal Son and how the father saw the returning wayward son at a great distance and ran to meet him.  That suggests that he was always “looking” for the return of his wayward child and possibly standing in the doorway of his house looking out the window, hoping against hope that his lost son would return. 

I can imagine our Heavenly Father looking over His creation at the doorway of Heaven and longing for us to “return to Him with a whole heart.”  At times, I can almost hear the sobs of the Father and my Lord Jesus as they weep over the condition of mankind in this day that we live.

When I think of a “Door Open in Heaven,” several things come to mind.  That tells me that there is “open access” to God’s throne through prayer and how we need to take advantage of that invitation and opportunity.  It suggests that God eagerly awaits us to petition Him and is willing to dispatch help to us at a moment’s notice.

The picture that comes to my heart’s mind is that of a loving parent watching over their children and ready to protect and nurture them if there is the need and willing to let them spread their wings to learn to fly.  I sense that there is a “Door Open in Heaven,” and that God is extending a personal invitation for us to “enter in” through the vehicle of prayer, commune with Him, and receive from Him His supply.

Whatever you do as you go through this day, hold in the reality in your heart and mind that there is an “Open Door in Heaven” for you right now!  

May God be with you and bless you richly!

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 – “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” NKJV

Our personal liberty and the conscience of a weaker brother or sister has always been and will always be an issue in the Church.  How far do we press our liberty before we become a stumbling block for a “weaker brother”?  Is there a time to say, “Grow up and realize that different people have different convictions”?  Is exercising our liberty worth causing another to stumble?  How you answer those questions will determine how you relate to those around you.

There was a time in my Christian walk when I felt that everyone should hold the same convictions (often only opinions) that I did, and if they did not, they were “carnal” at best and “backslidden” at worst.  Most of the time, I considered that the same and was a Pharisee of Pharisees! 

It took God rattling my cage significantly to cause me to rethink my way of thinking and to understand that I am not God’s Fruit Inspector. He can handle that job just fine.  Likewise, I learned, although in my heart I knew it, that most of what I called “convictions” were simply “opinions” and did not have the weight of Scripture.  An opinion is just that and may and should change if new light is brought. 

If God “convicts” your heart over an action, belief, or anything, you should follow what God says implicitly and explicitly.  Yet you must always remember that what God “convicts” you of, He may not convict another.  The roots of that conviction often stem from something within you or the geographic region in which you live and the mindset of those around you.  God will bring conviction to your heart for your benefit, not so you can attempt to impose it on everyone else, which would be what a Pharisee does.

There have been times when I could have done something but knew that those around me would be hindered in their Christian walk if they saw me.  So, in the interest of another, I choose to abstain.  In traveling to other parts of the country and world, I have found many differing views on various things that Christians do or do not do, and sometimes, the dogmatism is so strong that no amount of reason or biblical teaching can break it. 

Unless God brings light to the heart, that person or persons will remain as they are.  Attempting to legislate a particular mindset or lifestyle to them would be futile and brings to mind the old saying: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”  They may yield to your insistence, but their hearts and minds have not truly changed.  You are not God, so why try to be? 

As you go through your day, realize that what you do and say will impact others, so choose your words and deeds carefully; considering another for your liberty is not worth hindering another in their pursuit of GOD and His Grace!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Matthew 4:8-11 – “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, ” All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”  11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”  NASB

It would be impossible in a short devotional to fully exegete this subject, but I want to say a few things with the hope of giving you comfort and hope in your daily walk, work, and spiritual warfare. 

This is a fascinating passage. Here the devil insinuates to Jesus that he, the devil, has authority over the kingdoms of this world.  Jesus did not dispute that; therefore, I conclude it was true.  The Bible refers to the devil as being the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, and Paul addressed him as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. 

Therefore, before the Cross and Resurrection, when Jesus walked the earth, the devil had “legal authority” in the world and with man.  How did that happen?  It happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in their rebellion and the Fall of Man.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we find God gave Adam “dominion” over the earth and everything that lived in and on it. 

Adam and Eve were to “subdue” and “have dominion” over the earth.  Man was to “live forever” and “fill” or “replenish” the earth.  In the Garden, God walked and talked with him, and man was in a perfect state of peace and purity, living in harmony with and in total obedience to God.  In that state, they were not only made in the image of God; they represented and manifested Him in all that He was.

There was a problem coming through which Adam and Eve would be tested to determine the future of man on earth.  Lucifer, as described by Ezekiel and Isaiah, a cherub angel created by God, began to be filled with Pride and a thirst for power and position.  He wanted to be “like the most high,” and in his heart, he began to desire to be a “possessor of heaven and earth.”  

I suggest that he didn’t just want to be “like” God; he wanted to “be” God.  His Pride and Rebellion resulted in one-third of the angels following him in that rebellion, and God evicted him from heaven.  At that point, Lucifer or Satan became God’s chief enemy.  He had polluted heaven with sin and rebellion requiring purging, and now he was roaming the earth seeking to do the same and bring God’s creation into a state of rebellion.  The devil knew that in order to control the Earth, he would, of necessity, have to control the human race. 

In Genesis 3, we read the record of Eve’s deception and her role in the deception and seduction of Adam in this rebellion against God.  The devil presented them with a lie, or better, The Lie, and used their reason against them.  His suggestion that God was keeping something good from them and they deserved more prominence, position, control, and power produced an infection that resulted in Rebellion. 

The command of God to not eat the fruit could have been a command not to cross a stream or anything.  The object is not the fruit but the act, it was Rebellion and Disobedience!  Adam and Eve were co-regents of the Earth. In their action of rebellion, they legally relinquished their crown to the devil and separated themselves from God’s care, keeping, and covering.  This gave the devil legal ownership or rulership in the Earth.

Jesus came as the Last Adam and legally took back the rulership from the devil through his sinless life and sacrificial death.  Jesus has stripped the devil of his legal authority, and since we are in Christ, we are not subject to the lordship of the “god of this world.”  

If we are born-again, the devil has no Legal Authority in our lives. When we allow him to operate, we are allowing a criminal to openly and without confrontation take our possessions.  We have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 

We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  Do not accept the idea that the devil has any authority on this earth except in those who are not “blood-bought.”  The Blood of Jesus is our badge of authority over the power and authority of the devil.  You are IN Christ; in that condition and position, you have authority over all the devil’s power.  The Bible says that if we “resist the devil,” he will flee because he has no choice.

You have Legal Authority through Christ, and your authority frees you from the power of the devil!   So, as you enjoy this day, refuse to be intimidated by the devil and embrace your condition and position as a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We serve the Living God, and in Him, we live, move, and have our being!  

My prayer and encouragement is that you will be enabled to walk in peace today and every day!

Daniel 3:15-18 – “Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?”  ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. ¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”  Amplified.

Let me begin by asking, “Have you experienced a situation in your life where the answer did not come or did not come in the way you desired or expected?”  

Let me pose that a little differently and say that I am convinced each of us has prayed for someone who did not get healed; mothers have prayed for their sons in times of war who did not come, and children or loved one’s lives have been snuffed out in a tragic accident even though we prayed for God’s protection and deliverance.  I realize that is a bit different from what these three young men were facing, but the question is still valid – “What If God Doesn’t?” 

I fully believe that God can!  His ability to perform the miraculous is not in question for me.  I do not question His willingness and refer to numerous passages in the New Testament when someone said, “If you are willing?”  Each time Jesus said, “I am willing.” 

One even said, “If you can,” and Jesus said, “If I Can!”  Of course, He can, but What if… I have ministered to people in tragedy, disappointment, and loss who waited until the event to decide how they would respond.  Some wait until matters are critical to pray, seek God’s face and help, and then find themselves incredibly perplexed and troubled if things do not go as they desire. 

You do not wait until the shooting starts to prepare for war.  You do not wait until the well runs dry to prepare for water.  You do not wait until the pantry is empty to begin searching for food.  You must plan, prepare, and decide Before the crisis to survive the crisis.

These young men had determined in their hearts that they were going to serve God and not participate in the worship of anyone or anything other than Him.  Before the giant statue and edict existed, they and Daniel had determined in their hearts to serve God Regardless!  No wonder the Bible says that Daniel had an “excellent spirit” in him.  No wonder these young men find their way into the scriptural record. They had settled the issue, and they were confident God was trustworthy.

The King’s edict was, “bow down or burn.”  Their answer to the King is powerful and continually encourages me in times of ease or difficulty.  The place they had arrived and the position and condition of their hearts are where I strive to be and long to stand. 

They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you to this point.”  That is Fascinating!  “Hey, king, there is nothing to discuss; the decision has already been made.”  Hear what they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire…”  

There was no vacillation in their hearts or minds – God Can!  They continued, “…and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.”   Hallelujah!  Hear their commitment, confidence, and faith in this.  God, Can that is not a question or concern.  God Will…

That is amazing because it expresses their confidence that one way or another, God will rescue us from you, Mr. King.  Notice the following statement, “But even if He Does Not, let it be known to you, O king, that We are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”   In East Texas vernacular, “Bring it on, king!  Bring it on! We ain’t gonna bow down!”

The key is Commitment and Confidence!  The key is Trust that is so complete that even if death in the natural is the result, there will be no other gods before the Living God of Heaven.  Even if God does not do what we ask or expect, we won’t bend even if we burn because We Trust God!

In our Christian Walk, it is critical to reach a place where we are so confident in God and wholly committed to Him that we have no other thought than serving Him.  That is where the disciples were when imprisoned by the Sanhedrin, and Peter said, “Whom shall we obey, God or man?”  

If we reach the place where the issue of bowing or burning is decided, we can face all the “What ifs of life” with complete peace.  We live knowing that God Can, and we are confident that He will, but if He does not, that changes nothing because He still rescues us in the end, and the reward is eternal.  What shall a man give in exchange for his soul, and what is the benefit of gaining the whole world and losing our souls? 

If you decide in advance that you will not bow even if you burn, your confidence will cause hell to tremble, and your peace will guide you safely through all the troubled waters of life. 

I pray that God will richly bless you and enable you to abide under the shelter of His arms.  Have a Great Day!

Acts 19:11-15 – “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also, there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”   NKJV

As the darkness covers the backyard, stillness, and quietness allow the mind to reflect on the things of the heart without interruption from external sources.  Reading passages from the Bible and listening to the Lord refreshes the soul.  This morning, I sat thinking about the question above from the scripture text passage. 

This account in Acts applies to us today as it is any day.  Some diminish the power of the forces of hell to the point that they mock and taunt those forces, while others are so fearful that they live life with such timidity that they cannot accomplish anything for the Lord.  We have authority, weapons of warfare that are mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10), and a commission to go into all the world with the “Good News.” (Mark 16)

Luke 10:18-20 – “And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  19 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.  20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” NKJV

Having been born again, we have the privilege of carrying the “Good News” to the ends of the world and to every person.  In so doing, we will be invading territory currently occupied by the forces of darkness.  They will not give up that territory without a fight, so it is imperative that we know who we are and whose we are.  Our faith and confidence are not in our ability, spirituality, gifts, or talents but in Him; otherwise, we will find the evil forces saying to us what was said to the sons of Sceva in Acts 19, “Jesus, I know, and Paul I know but who are you?”   May that never be!

Our rejoicing is not that the powers of darkness are subject to us through Christ but that our names are written in heaven.  Our rejoicing is not in our ability to cast out demons and see signs and wonders but in souls coming into the Kingdom of God. 

Seeking the demonstrations of power is to focus wrongly.  Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is the proper focus, and the other (power) will be a by-product of that relationship, as needed and where needed.  It is not important that anyone know our name or recall any exploits that we may have done or been used to accomplish in Christ, but that they know Him!

The objective is reaching those who are lost, dying, hurting, bound, wounded, bruised, battered, or defeated and bring them out of the darkness into His marvelous light!  There will be demonstrations of power when God moves!  The purpose of those demonstrations is not to call attention to us but to turn hearts to our Lord! 

My desire is to see the captive free, not have attention called to me.  My purpose is to lead so that others can follow Him, not that I have a following.  So, for my name to be feared in hell, it must be written in heaven, and my heart must be completely submitted to Christ!  We are children of the Most High God and have authority over all the enemy’s power!  We do not walk in fear but in confidence in Him!

Therefore, as you work, war, and witness for our Lord, know that you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves us!  Perfect love casts out fear!  Walk in His love and allow Him to demonstrate the power of that love through us. 

May the rich and bountiful Blessings of the LORD accompany you as you go through your day!