Author: rbeaird

OBEDIENCE and RIGHTEOUSNESS HAVE BENEFIT…


Deuteronomy 7:12-16 – “Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers. 13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle. 15 And the LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you. 16 And you shall consume all the peoples whom the LORD your God will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.”  NASB

There is a progression in this passage that is worthy of note.  I love the way verse 12 begins, “Then it shall come about, because you listen…”  Wow!  Imagine that, listening has benefit.  Tragically too frequently we want God to listen to us give Him our list of requests, requirements, needs, and desires.  He virtually becomes the supermarket, shopping center, or candy store for many believers.  Prayer to them is telling God what they want then without commitment, investment, or involvement having Him provide. 

Here we discover that God says, “There are some benefits to listening to my judgment, requirements, and commandments.”  But if we only make it hearing the words, we miss what listening is all about.  To Listen is to not only hear and understand but to obey or do what is being instructed.  It is following through on the directions given.  It is fulfilling the desire of the one speaking.  No wonder some wives say to their husbands, “You never listen to me.” 

I told a couple once, “When the wife speaks and you hear her words but fail to respond positively to them, you are not listening, and she is justified in her complaint that you do not listen.”  Of course, the converse of that is also true, if the wife treats the husband as we treat God, the doer of our deeds she is not deserving of him listening.  Balance must be achieved in that both parties in the relationship have the best interest of the other at heart.  God always has our best interest at heart, and if we are to complete the cycle, we must have His in our hearts.  We are to ‘seek first’ the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We are to pray for His Kingdom to come to and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

He says, in this passage, that true listening produces some incredible benefits.  He will keep His covenant and demonstrate His longsuffering and lovingkindness.  He will bless us, multiplying us and that is more than simply giving us a house full of kids.  It is our seed, our produce, and our protection.  It is to have Him become our healer and protector against infectious disease and other harmful things attempting to attack.  It is to become empowered by the Spirit of God to enable us to ‘pull down strongholds’ and ‘overcome the enemy.’ 

Although we cannot earn God’s Grace, we can have His favor and should never forget the declaration of Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22 that “Obedience is better than sacrifice…”  God wants His children to “come out from among them and be separate.”  No, He is not asking us to isolate and insulate from the world but to infect the world with our faith and demonstrate His favor as we walk in obedience. 

The Psalmist informs us that the Psalms 33:18-19 – “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”  My encouragement is to seek to please the LORD in all things and at all times, making Him first in your life.

God bless you as you enjoy His benefits of obedience!  Have a Great Day in Jesus!

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WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?


Luke 12:34 – “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  NASB

It would be beneficial to read from verse 22 through verse 40 to see the big picture, but the words of verse 34 are powerful and revealing.  One of the major things Jesus emphasized to his disciples was Living or Real Life.  He stressed living not living stressed!  He said, in John 10:10 – “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  Jesus taught that the seat of human emotions was the heart and we see that in Proverbs 23:7 – “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  In Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”  Jesus also taught that until the heart is tuned into the right wavelength there can be no real spiritual life – Luke 12:34.

Whatever takes top position or priority on our list of values, wants, desires, and goals is where our heart will be.  That is where our loyalty will be placed, and our love and devotion will be centered.  Our lips may cry out expressions of love for God and the things of God, but unless our lives demonstrate the same it is not real.  The reality will be that we are expressing, by our actions a devotion to the carnal not heavenly.  Luke 12:34.

Jesus brought several things to light in His exhortation found in these verses that are extremely valuable and important for Life and discovering Real Life.  The Life that He came to bring – Abundant Life!

Jesus Reveals the Foolishness and Futility of Being Bound by the Emotion of Worry.  In verse 22 He said, “Don’t worry about, life, food, clothing, etc.”  Rather than fretting over what you do not have or what you perceive you need, focus on God’s Promised Provisions and His Provisions.  He reminded us of this in the parable of the Rich Young Ruler and the incredible loss that young man endured because of his love for possessions.

Jesus reminded them and us, that God has everything in control.  His person brings comfort that He is able.  His power demonstrates He is able.  His plan reveals the depth of His love and concern for man.  His promise is incredible.  If God is not in control, then we are far worse shape than we thought.  He is in Control.

Jesus Emphasized the Call to Pursue Holy Things.  The natural man is concerned with the natural things and takes great pains to care for the natural needs or perceived needs.  Why?  The simplest reason is, that is all he knows.  1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 

The call of God is for us to pursue Spiritual Things.  The apostle John said it beautifully in 3 John 2 – “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”  Our work, education, family, etc. are all important and things we should take care of but our relationship with God is the most important of all.  If we get that right, the other things will also become right.  Colossians 3:1 advises, “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” 

We focus on Holy Things because Eternity depends on it.  John 3:3 warns, “…except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  Matthew 10:28 comforts us saying, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  We are told to “come out from among them and be separate” and to “be holy because God is holy.”

The Father has commanded us to live holy lives and pursue Him first above everything else.  The Bible declares that God has bound Himself by His word to give us “abundant life.”  That life comes through obedience.  Everything must become secondary to Christ.  (Matthew 10:37-39).

God will not tolerate divided affections (Matthew 12:24-25, 30).  Whatever keeps us from serving God with a whole heart will keep us out of fellowship with Him. Heaven is too valuable a prize to miss due to divided loyalties and affections.  Loving the world and attempt to love God at the same time.

Where is our treasure?  If it is earth and earthly things then this is our reward, but if it is in God, then we have the reward of Abundant Life here and Eternity with Him!  Worry screams that we do not truly believe what God has promised.  Failure to pursue God and holy things testifies of a life of divided loyalties and affections.  Where is our Treasure?  2 Corinthians 13:5-6, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?”  Where is your treasure?  It is where your heart is.

May the Lord richly bless you and give you peace.  May this day overflow with the joy of the Lord!

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HOW TO TRUST GOD – (Part 2) …


Mark 9:23 – “And Jesus said to him, “If You can! All things are possible to him who believes.” NASB

As we continue in our pursuit of learning to Fully Trust God in All Things and at All Times, we remember that we saw the Position of God that He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent.  He is The Living God!

We also need to consider the Success of God.  He has a record that is without error or failure. He never fails.   He did not fail Abraham on Mt. Moriah but provided a lamb to take Isaac’s place.  He did not fail the Three Hebrew Children in the Furnace but stepped in and protected them.  He did not fail the Woman with the Issue of Blood but Healed her as she touched the hem of his garment. 

The Gospel of Mark records 19 miracles that show the Supernatural Power exercised by Jesus.  Eight of them demonstrate the Power over Disease.  Five of them demonstrate the Power over Nature.  Four of them reveal the Authority over demons.  Two of them exemplify the Power over Death.  Jesus Never Fails and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  We can and should Trust Him!

The very Nature, Being, and Character of God denies the possibility of failure.  There is no disease He cannot conquer. There is no task He cannot accomplish.  Death cannot hold Him and cannot hold us, who are In Him!  He has not and will not fail.

The Ministry and Focus of Jesus are ‘You and Me.’  He said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to them that believe.”  The incredible declaration of Isaiah 53 should be a constant reminder of our promise and provision in Him.  He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes, we are healed.  This blessing comes to us from Him our of His incredible Love and Grace.

He has paved the way for our needs to be supplied.  He died so that we could survive and thrive.  When we see Who He is, His Success, and His inability to Fail we can have confidence that Whatever He Promised He Will Provide.

He invites us to “ask what we will.”  He invites us to “come unto Him and receive.”  His is The Living God and we can Trust Him!

May the LORD bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Him!

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HOW TO TRUST GOD…


Mark 9:23 – “And Jesus said to him, “If You can! All things are possible to him who believes.” NASB

Trusting God is not automatic.  Many do not seem to automatically begin to trust God for their needs, guidance, and life.  Accepting Jesus as Savior does not automatically make a person a person of ‘Trust’ or ‘Faith’.  I am not saying they are not ‘Saved’ or ‘Born Again’ but that they have not learned to exercise their faith to the fullest.

I believe there are Four Areas of Understanding, if we can grasp their relevance, we will make it easier to ‘Trust God’ in all things and at all times.  God desires that we walk by Faith.

It is important that we understand the Position of God.  He is the Creator. He is not a god but The Living God!  In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”  In John 1:1-3 we discover, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  And all things were made by Him: without Him was not anything made that was made.”  God, not evolution, created this world and all that is in it.

There are Three Things we must consider regarding our Creator God.  He is Omnipotent (All-Powerful).  He does not have Power, He is Power.  In Genesis 17:1 He is the “Almighty God.”  In Genesis 18:14 we discover that there is nothing too hard for Him.  In Deuteronomy 32:39 we discover that none can overpower Him.  In Isaiah 40:15 we are reminded that the nations are a mere drop in His bucket.  Jeremiah 32:17 reminds us that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.  In Matthew 19:26 we are told that with God, “all things are possible.”   All of life is sustained by God.  He has the power to give life or take it away.  He is The Living God and Omnipotent!

He is Omnipresent (Unlimited by Time or Space).  In Genesis 28:15 He declares, “I am with you and will keep you in all places where you go.”  In Joshua 2:11 we read, “For the LORD your God, He is God in the heaven above and in the earth beneath.”  He is God everywhere!  In Psalms 137:7, the Psalmists asks, “Where shall I flee from His presence?”  Proverbs 15:3 reminds us that His eyes are in every place and in Jeremiah 23:24 we are asked, “Can any hide himself in secret places that God does not see?”  He fills the heaven and the earth.  He has no limitations and is everywhere at once.  He is The Living God and Omnipresent!

He is Omniscient (Knows Everything).  He knows and is never caught off guard or taken by surprise.  In 1 Chronicles 28:9, we find, “for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts.”  In Psalm 139:1-2, we read, “O LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me. 2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar.”  In Luke 16:15 we are informed, “But God knows your hearts.”  His knowledge is perfect.  He knows all things.  He knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient.  He is THE LIVING GOD!  If we know Him, we can Trust Him because of Who He Is!  I want to address this one more time and take it another step in the pursuit of learning how to Trust God but will pause here today.

May the LORD Bless you richly is my prayer. Have a Fantastic Day!

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CHRIST IN THE HOUSE…


Mark 2:1-3 – “And when He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.”  NASB

I find it incredibly encouraging and comforting to know that Jesus always does everything at just the right moment and in the right way.  He does not come when the impatient think He should, but when His wisdom determines it to be right.  He is never late nor is He early.  He comes where He is desired and visits every willing and open heart.  His presence in the House cannot be concealed, nor can His absence.  His presence improves every occasion.  When Jesus is in the house, whatever the need the supply is present in Him.  Our lives, our homes, our churches, and our world need Him to indwell us.

I want to mention some interesting things I see in this passage and hopefully, it will encourage and inspire you.  The fact that Christ was in the House was an Attraction.  “many were gathered together.”  We need to remember the words of our LORD, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.”  His presence draws people to Him and those serving Him.

The fact that Christ was in the House provided a teaching moment and a time of instruction.  “He preached the word unto them.”  We need to remember His words, that man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

The fact that Christ was in the House was a Benediction.  A benediction of Healing.  It was a benediction of pardon and forgiveness.  I use the word benediction, not as an ending for prayer but a Blessings and a provision of Hope.  It was a declaration that the Healer was in the House and Healing was not a blessing all could enjoy and hope for.

The most important question any of us can respond to is, “Is Christ in our House?”  Is He the Lord of our life?  If we need healing, He is the Healer.  If we need forgiveness, He is the Savior.  If we need direction, He is our Guide.  He brings Joy and Happiness.  He brings Peace and Contentment.  He brings Solutions and the provision needed in our lives.  He improves every occasion, every situation, and every person. 

So, I ask, “Is Christ in Your House?”  By that I mean is He in your heart and your life as LORD?  Is he theoretical or real to you? Do you know about Him or do you know Him? If He is not Lord to you, please do not delay but invite Him to come in today.  He is truly standing at the door of your heart knocking!

God bless you as you enjoy this beautiful day in Him!

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THE BREAD OF LIFE…


John 6:30-35 – “They said therefore to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31 “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.'” 32 Jesus therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  34 They said therefore to Him, “Lord, evermore give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”  NASB

In this passage, Jesus had just performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes taking 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish and feeding 5,000.  Those people had followed Him from Capernaum hoping to see more miracles and signs.  I am convinced that, at this juncture, most were curiosity seekers not necessarily true believers.  They were following for the loaves and fishes and not because they believed He was the Son of the Living God. 

Why do I say that?  Note verse 30, they asked what sign He would show them, and then in verse 31, they referred to the miracle of the manna in the wilderness.  Jesus’ answer to their question and statement is powerful.  He said, “Moses did not give you that bread, it was from My Father.”  The Father is the source of the bread or the miracle. 

He then moved to the point of it all in verse 33 and said, “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  That resulted in their crying out, “Give us this bread!”  In verse 35, Jesus drives the truth home even more powerfully saying, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” 

In that short encounter, our Lord declared Himself to be the “Bread of Life” and while that might not seem significant to us here in America and the West, it was to them.  There are some incredibly interesting facts that I feel compelled to unpackage regarding bread in the view of much of the world.

Bread is the Principle Food of much of the world.  It is estimated that as much as 75% of the world’s population lives entirely on bread or the food that is derived from wheat or barley flour.  It is the chief food in the East.  In the Bible “Eating or Breaking Bread” is what we would say, “Have a meal.”

In much of the world, there is a Sacredness of Bread.  Those in that region were brought up and many still are, to view bread as having some mystic meaning.  In some places, they have such a reverence from bread that they will not arise or salute a guest if they are in the midst of breaking bread together.  They wait until they are finished.

The attitude of people in much of the Eastern World is essentially religious.  Everything about bread from the sowing of the seed to the baking of the loaves is done in the name of God.  These Easterners grasped the power of the injunction in the Lord’s Prayer – “Give us this day our daily bread.”  It was to these people that Jesus first said, “I am the Bread of Life.”

The Bread was never Sliced but always Broken.  Bread to these people was a principle source of life, for without bread they could not live very long.  That makes being the Bread of Life incredibly powerful and the message is clear. 

I ask that you consider three things about this bread from heaven and expand on it as the Holy Spirit directs you.

Jesus is the Bread of God – (v.33).   He meets the need of the Father on our behalf.

Jesus is the Living Bread – (v.33).  He meets the need of the world dying for us.

Jesus is the Bread of Life – (v.35).  He meets and sustains the needs of His People.

He gave Himself for us.  He has given and gives us His Love and His Life.  We are, likewise, to receive His life and give freely to others in their need.  He came to us in compassion, we are to be compassionate.  He gives generously, we are to be generous.  He gives regularly, we are to give regularly that which we have. 

We have, through the Blood of Jesus and the Work of the Holy Spirit, received the Bread of Life and that Bread becomes our Life.  Through Him, we are Born Again!  He is our total supply!

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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IN OUR SILENCE, HE EXHIBITS HIS POWER…


Exodus 14:14 – “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”  NASB

I love this passage because of what it implies to each of us in our daily encounters.  I take this passage and some experiences I have had, where God instructed me to ‘keep quiet’ and let Him work and am encouraged. 

I served as Senior Pastor in several churches and watched as difficulties between members of the local congregation would break out.  In one such time of turmoil, the Holy Spirit asked, “Why does this infighting exist?”  I attempted to detail why I thought the various factions were at odds with each other.  After I had given my reasons, I felt drawn to James 4 and discovered the real reason for the difficulties. 

It was spiritual, in nature, and sprang out of problems in the flesh.  It was, as are all problems, rooted in things like envy, greed, and pride.  It was wounded feelings because of a perception that a right, position, or authority had been usurped. It was because someone felt disrespected and the wound incurred had driven them to seek revenge or as is often called, justice. 

In Proverbs 13:10 we find the result of pride is strife.  Paul addressed the matter in 2 Corinthians 12:20 and the writer of Proverbs brings revelation in 17:14 telling us, “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore, stop contention before a quarrel starts.”  When we take matters into our own hands and demand a pound of flesh and Justice, we create needless division and strife.

The Psalmist declared in 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…”  Moses told Israel as they were fretting over the impending doom they perceived was coming at the hands of the angry Egyptians, “Keep Silent and God will Fight this Fight.”  I have discovered that if we persist in handling it ourselves, God will let us and we almost always find the matter growing worse, not better.  We discover wounds become gaping not simply flesh wounds.  I have seen friends irrevocably estranged because of that very thing.

There have been times when I heard in my heart the Spirit of God saying, “Keep your mouth shut and watch what I do.”  In those times that I heeded that directive and truly practiced silence when everything in me said, “Don’t let them get away with this” I saw amazing results.  I let a man steam for an hour once and never uttered a sound.  He first became angry at my silence, and after he had vented his anger to the max, my refusal to participate opened the door for the Lord to touch his heart.  He stopped suddenly with a perplexed look on his face and said, “I’m sorry, this was about me not you.”  Had I engaged tit for tat, word for word, insult for insult, accusation for accusation we would have seen the church split apart.  He became a staunch defender of me and the work of God rather than an antagonist.

I have had people tell me, “I don’t get mad, I get even” and justified their retaliation.  I have had people tell me, “I just speak my mind, and tell it like it is” as justification or excuse for being harsh and cruel.  I said to a person who said that as they were wondering why people did not like them, “You don’t tell it like it is, you tell it like you think it ought to be.”  As the anger begin to rise in them, I said, “But God loves you so much, He gave His Son for you.”  They paused and with a look of almost panic said, “Preacher that hurts, because that means God loves them too and I guess none of us are perfect, are we?”

The Bible in Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh, words stir up anger.”  If you feel yourself being tempted to ‘speak your mind harshly’ or in a time of strife where you are under attack, take the biblical prescription for peace.  Stop, allow the moment to cool, and either hit the mute button on your mouth or offer a gentle response.  Yes, there might be some who will consider that weakness and increase the attack, but over time, you will watch God do His work in their hearts and bring peace.

God bless you as you enjoy the Power of God demonstrated as you stay out of the way and keep silent. 

Have a great day in Him!

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LET JESUS GET IN THE BOAT…


Mark 6:45-52 – “And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the multitude away. 46 And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 And when it was evening, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 And seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were frightened. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”  51 And He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” NASB

I ask that we focus on the words of verse 51 – “And He (Jesus) got into the boat with them…”  In life we have two choices, we can attempt to be the captain of our fate and the master of our life ship or we can allow the Lord Jesus Christ to be our Rock and Foundation.  We can live in fear or faith.  It is a choice and often a daily choice.

In this account, Jesus had just completed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 small fish.  After the crowd had eaten, the scraps amounted to 12 baskets full.  Some have a difficult time believing this miracle because they are locked into a natural mindset where the miraculous is impossible and impermissible.

Once He had completed His teaching and feeding the multitude, He directed the disciples to get into a boat and depart for Bethsaida.  The text is more emphatic than directed it says, “He made them…”  Jesus then went up the mountain for a season of prayer.  They probably did not expect to see Him until the next day when they likely assumed, He would take another boat and come.  As the night began to fall on them, there arose a very commonplace storm.  They were struggling with difficult rowing conditions and probably were praying.

Jesus was watching from the mountain.  I don’t know if He could see them in the natural of if He was observing through the eyes of the Spirit of God, but He saw them.  He began to head to where they were, and another miracle transpired.  He was walking on the water!  The Bible says that He intended to pass them by and go to the other side, but they saw Him.  Of course, seeing Him walking on the water, they assumed that it was a ghost or a spirit, not Jesus Himself. 

In their fear and panic, they began to scream in fear.  I do not doubt that, in their minds, this vision or appearance was an indication they were doomed.  Jesus spoke to them through the noise of the storm and said, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”  The account in Matthew lists an event that Mark omits.  That was Peter’s response to Jesus. I believe it was the verbalization of the wonder of the others in the boat.  He said, “Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 

Peter did not say, “Invite me but Command me.”  In East Texas vernacular it would be, “I ain’t gettin’ out of this boat unless you order me to do so, but if you are not a ghost and this is really you – Give the Order!”  Jesus did and Peter did, but Peter got his eyes off Jesus and began to sink.  Jesus lifted him up and brought both of them to the boat.

Jesus got in the boat and once He got in the boat the storm stopped.  The message for us should be, “Let Jesus in the Boat.”  If you are in the midst of storms in your life and struggling to make it through the day, Let Jesus in the Boat.  If you are faced with obstacles you know are about to overcome you, Let Jesus in the Boat. 

What we need to do every day is to invite Jesus into the Boat of our Lives and allow Him to take us through to safety.  He has promised to do just that, so why not embrace His Promises and enjoy His Provisions? 

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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ENJOYING GOD’S CREATION…


Genesis 8:21-22 – “And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. 

22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night Shall not cease.”  NASB

In today’s world, people are worried about so many things that should be left in the hands of God.  When I am asked about man destroying the planet, I usually refer to this passage.  I believe in being a good steward of everything that God has placed under our care, but I also believe that God is God and is still in control.

We have a powerful promise of God regarding this planet and it is one that gives me peace and prevents me from engaging in the hysteria that many now enamored.  God promised, after the flood that He would NEVER again destroy every living thing.  If man is bringing about cataclysmic destruction of the planet, this promise is not valid.  If that were the truth, then God is not valid, the Bible is invalid, and our Hope is a farce.  I do not and will not accept that.  God is God and will always be God!

God declared that as long as there is a planet and man on that planet, there will be the seasons.  He said we would have the springtime for planting, the summer for harvesting, the winter to enable the earth to recuperate from the stress of producing the crops.  He said there would be day and night and none of this would cease. 

When God created the planet, He knew that we would have volcanic eruptions, violent weather, extreme heat, and cold in a cyclical fashion.  I contend that if we focus on what might be regarding the planet and adopt a view that makes man the decider of the fate of the planet, we strip God of His Deity and Almightiness.  Who would serve a God that is inferior to man?  He would be no God but a religious crutch with no value.

What we should do is enjoy God’s creation and be wise stewards caring for it prudently but not making the care of it more important than living.  We should never treat animals with cruelty, but we must never elevate them to a superior position over the needs of man.  God gave them for us to use, enjoy, and even as food, therefore, we not they are the primary focus of God.

The beauty of God’s world is so incredible we could spend our entire lives simply drinking in that beauty and never fully appreciate the intricateness of His design and creation.  He knew how many people would inhabit the planet.  He knew how many geological disruptions there would be.  He knew how many periods of drought and extreme cold or flooding would occur.  Nothing, was beyond His knowledge, therefore what He would have us do is ENJOY His creation.  It reflects His nature and His character.  The beauty in the earth enables us to understand the depth of God’s love for man. 

So, today, take some time to stop and smell the roses, drink in the beauty, watch a sunset or sunrise and relax.  God is still in control and this planet is going to remain until He says enough.  When that time comes it will be replaced with the New Jerusalem and we will be in our final eternal state with Him. 

God bless you and have a great day!

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SPIRITUAL WEAPONS OF WARFARE – – (Part 4) …


2 Corinthians 10:2-6a – “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” NASB

As we continue down this path of understanding the Weapon and Power of the Word of God, we entertain the question of the last devotional – How can we hear the Word of God?

Proverbs 4:20-22 gives some pertinent information.  We are told that we must ‘attend’ to the Word of God.  We must ‘incline our ear’ to the Word of God. We ‘must not’ let it depart from before our eyes.  We must ‘meditate’ on it or keep it in the midst of our hearts. 

The relationship of the Rhema to speaking is impossible to miss.  It always has something to do with the mouth or the voice.  Remember Matthew 4:4?  We do not live by bread alone but by the Word (Rhema) of God.  We live by the Word that proceeds (present tense) from the mouth of God to us, right now!  It is a now word!

Therefore, God speaks a Rhema to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  As we meditate upon that Word, faith begins to arise in our hearts, and then we are able to express our faith by the Word of our mouth.  That is how the Word becomes a Weapon of Warfare!  This is what Paul is speaking of in 2 Corinthians 10:4 when he says that “the weapons of our warfare are mighty.”  It is the Rhema that God has spoken to us, converted into faith, and transformed out of our mouths that brings the Power of God against the temptation and strongholds of the devil. 

It is important that we never underestimate the power of the spoken word.  You can be a hearer of the Word of God and never become a doer.  It is when we do the Word that it becomes a weapon of spiritual warfare and pulls down strongholds. 

When we resist the devil, I suggest, that he does not flee from the Word in our minds, but in our mouths.  He does not flee simply because we read the Bible, he only flees when we Resist.  How Do We Resist?  The same way Jesus resisted.  He repeatedly said, “It is written…”  There comes a time when we have to make a deliberate choice to use the Word of God against the strongholds of the devil and expect him to flee.  It will not happen automatically.

Let me illustrate it this way.  Just because there is a motor in your car that does not mean the car is going to go anywhere.  You have to activate the power in the engine by turning on the key.  We have within us the Power of God Almighty.  There is a spiritual motor inside every believer, but we must turn on the key.  The Word of God is spoken from the lips of the believer and that causes the devil to flee.  It will pull down strongholds. 

Psalms 119:130 declares, “The entrance of Thy Word gives light.”  When we speak God’s Word with our lips, the light of God will shine in the midst of the darkness.  When we begin to take God at His Word and turn it on the devil, the strongman must yield.  That’s what the Bible says.

When the devil tells you that you are no good, remind him of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that you are a new creation in Jesus.  When he suggests that you should worry, reminds him that God says we are not to worry about anything.  When he attempts to bring sickness, remind him that the Bible declares that by the stripes of Jesus we have healing.  When he says we are defeated, remind him that we are more than conquerors through God who loves us.

It is exciting to realize that the devil has to flee when the Weapon of the Word of God is fired at him from a believing heart, mind, and mouth.  Believe me, he knows if you believe what you are saying or not.  He will always attack you in the areas of your weakness.  We all have weak spots.  You have to evict him; he won’t automatically leave.

Take the words of David as yours and Bless the Lord.  David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  Let’s learn to use the weapon of the Word of God against the enemy and pull-down strongholds.

God bless you as you enjoy this victorious day in Jesus!

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