John 15:5 and John 2:1-22

We have considered what it looks like when Jesus takes over and addressed the fact that Jesus always addresses Himself to our human needs.  The miracle begins at the need and salvation comes at the point of recognizing and acknowledging our failure.

I want to take this another step and consider another of the three results when Jesus takes over.

JESUS INVITES HUMAN COOPERATION

This may come as a shock to some, but God uses human instruments. Whenever there was a human instrument available Jesus used it in every miracle.  In the account, at the wedding feast, He used water pots and people to fulfill the miracle.  Therefore, any old pot that is available to Him could be used in the performance of His miracles.  Are you ready?  Please, don’t take offense at me saying, “any old pot” neither I nor God views you as an old pot, but the saying elicits our embracing the truth.

I also call your attention to the fact that Jesus used what was on hand.  Just because something is old does not mean it has lost its value or usefulness.  It may be an old waterpot, but He can still use it in the miraculous.

It is also important to note that those present and involved did what He said.  He told them to fill the pots with water and they complied.  We tend to debate it and argue with God, but they obeyed.  They filled the pots to the brim with water.  There was no deliberation, no debate, no questioning, they simply did what He said to do!

Then, He told them to draw some of the liquid out of the pots and take it to the head waiter.  I can only imagine what might have gone through their minds, but they obeyed. That is incredibly important.  That is what is required for a miracle!  That is true in every situation of your life.  Jesus is ready to take over, but we must be obedient and do whatever He says. They did what He said, and He did the rest!

JESUS REVERSES HUMAN INCLINATION

When Jesus takes over, He reverses human inclination.  What do I mean by that?  Human inclination is to start with the best and then serve the inferior. The flow of humanity in this world is downward not upward.  That mentality carries over into our ideas and philosophies of Christianity. 

Everything in this world is temporarily new.  It begins to age and deteriorate immediately.  The car depreciates, and the clothes grow old.  Everything in life is progressing from being new to being old and useless.  Everything is in a state of decay.

The process of death is at work in our world.  This is the work of the devil. When sin set in, decay began.  The nature of humanity is to enjoy the best first and then settle for whatever is left. 

The custom at Jewish wedding feasts was to serve the good wine first then when people had imbibed the lesser quality would be served.  Serve the expensive first then the cheap.  That is the method of the devil.  If the devil offered his worst to humanity, he could deceive no one.  He dares not show his true colors until he has his prey trapped and deceived.

John 2:10 – “…Every man at first brings the best wine; and when they have drunk, then that which is weak; but you have kept the best wine until now.”  You have kept the best until the end.  That is the nature and manner of operation by God.  He does the opposite of the world.  He just keeps getting better and better. 

Even in the pollution of this world and the reality that this world is on a downward spiral, there is another direction – THAT IS GOD!  If we will let Jesus take over, we will move with the flow of getting better as the days go by.

Jesus manifested His Glory in the miracle, and He stands ready to take over and work a miracle in your life.  A miracle is the unveiling of the True Nature of Jesus.  It is time that we surrender our lives and Let Jesus Take Over!

God bless you as you embark on this journey of victory in Jesus!

John 15:5 and John 2:1-22

In our last session, we presented the idea that the most important thing regarding the wedding feast where the miracle of turning the water into wine occurred was the fact that Jesus was present.  We also opened the door for consideration of what it looks like when Jesus takes over.

Jesus was both guest and host in a very real sense.  He was first in attendance as one of the guests.  He later assumed the role of a host through the prompting of His mother as she informed Him of the crisis the couple faced in running out of wine. 

I cannot ignore the reality that Mary knew that He was more than simply her son and she brought a problem to Him that only a miracle could resolve.  Mary said something that if we would heed in our daily lives, it would be revolutionary.  She said, “Whatever He says to you, DO IT!”

It seems that Jesus did not delay very long and took over the situation and as John 2:11 declares, “This is the first miracle which Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and he showed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

I urge you to call to mind the words of Colossians 1:17, “in Him all things consist.”  He is the answer to every problem in the universe.  He is the glue that holds everything together.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and He is the Door to the Father.  When Jesus is in a situation, in any situation, He has the power to move that situation into its proper perspective.  When He takes over at least three things transpire.

HE ALWAYS ADDRESSES HUMAN NEED

His mother Mary presented the need to Him.  She informed him that the couple was facing disastrous embarrassment by running out of wine.  Could this be a reminder that our world is filled with things that are exhaustible in their supply?  Can you name anything in this earthly realm that we cannot run out of?  Some run out of hope, others joy, patience, and even love.  Their supply becomes glaringly diminished.  Marriages run out of fulfilling purpose, churches run out of expectant enthusiasm and people run out of reason to live. 

Wherever the need is, is where Jesus beings.  He is the answer to failure.  Sin is a failure and when man realizes that He is a sinner, he realizes that he has failed and come short of the glory of God.  Jesus stands ready to do His work, but He does not being His work until there is an admitted need.

Miracles are performed on the basis of positive need or realized failure.  Can we enumerate a few from the Bible?

• Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes in the midst of man’s failure to provide adequate food for the multitude.  The need was the launching pad for the miraculous supply.
• Jesus calmed the storm when the disciples ran out of confidence and faith.  The need was made visible in the presence of their fear.
• He touched the man who was blind.  He brought light to that man’s night, but it all started with a need.
• He calmed the tormented soul of the demoniac of Gadara.
• He forgave the woman who had failed to keep herself pure.  She had run out of purity, yet, when she came to Jesus and admitted her need, He forgave her.
• He spoke to the paralytic who had been crippled for 38 years and had run out of hope.
• He raised the widow’s son who had run out of life.

Jesus came into this world to address to the fact of human failure and the need and to bring healing to us.  In Luke 19:10 we read, “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

He is the Positive Supply of Man’s Needs!  He is the answer to the dilemma you now face.  He is the answer to that broken marriage, that broken relationship, that life of addiction.  He is ready to provide whatever it is that you have run out of.  That is His business. 

Therefore, please do not be afraid to address the fact of your need.  Remember that what Jesus gives does not run out or become exhausted.  The wine He gives does not numb the brain and sicken the soul.  It gladdens the heart and lifts the soul into the presence of God.  It secures the heart against fear, and it is in Unlimited Supply.

The failure of man is readily apparent. We are full of fear, disease, hate, confusion, ignorance, depression, and discouragement.  Have you run out of something?  Have you failed?  Jesus is the answer.  No matter your need He is your supply.  He is ready to address Himself to your need. 

Remember the words of Mary, “Whatever He says to you, DO IT!”  If you are ready to place it all in His hands, He is ready to respond to your need.

I want to take this another step in the next session but will pause here and ask you to examine your life, your heart, and your situation.  If you have realized failure and need, then take it to Jesus, He is ready to address your need.

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

John 15:5 –“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains with me and I with him will bear abundant fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

John 2:1-11 – “On the third day there was a marriage feast in Cana, a city of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.² And Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the marriage feast.³ And when the wine decreased, his mother said to Jesus, They have no wine.⁴ Jesus said to her, What is it to me and to you, woman? my turn has not yet come.⁵ His mother said to the helpers, Whatever he tells you, do it.⁶ And there were six stone jars placed there for the purification of the Jews, which could hold several gallons each.⁷ Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water; and they filled them up to the brim.⁸ Then he said to them, Draw out now, and bring it to the chief guest of the feast. And they brought it.⁹ And when the chief guest tasted the water that had become wine, he did not know whence it had come; but the helpers knew, who had drawn the water. Then the chief guest called the bridegroom¹⁰ And said to him, Every man at first brings the best wine; and when they have drunk, then that which is weak; but you have kept the best wine until now.¹¹ This is the first miracle which Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and he showed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

Jesus Christ came to be and wants to be our LORD and Savior!  He wants to be the LORD of our marriages, homes, families, jobs, businesses, churches, etc.  He wants to be LORD OF ALL.  If He is, then there is the open door for lasting peace and blessing.  If He is not the spiritual head then try as we may, we will never experience all the blessings He desires to bring.  He said, “Without Me, you can do nothing.”

The First Miracle that Jesus did was performed at a wedding feast.  It was the first link in a chain of irrefutable evidence of the Deity of Jesus and the manifest Power of God.  The miracle addresses the Power of God in the area of human need.  We must remember that Jesus not only came to be our LORD but our example and “as He is, so are we in this world.”

I do not know who was getting married, but I know that Jesus, His mother, and His disciples were all present.  It could have been a relative and the fact that His mother appeared to have some responsibility in the festivities suggests it could have been.  This account is found in the first eleven verses of John Chapter Two. 

The presence of Jesus at the wedding feast indicates at least three things.

• He Was Invited.
• He accepted the Invitation.
• He was sociable and enjoyed visiting with the guests.

The presence of Jesus was the most important fact of that gathering.  That is true of any gathering.  However, until the crisis, His presence was relatively unnoticed, and he was able to intermingle in obscurity.  His presence there is the reason we know about the story.  We do not know the names of the people being married.  The miracle affords us a clear opportunity to observe what happens when Jesus takes over.

Does that interest you?  I hope so because I am going to pause here and pick this up in the next devotional.  I hope you will think about what happens when Jesus takes over until we come together again on the morrow.

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

John 14:26 – “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything, and remind you of everything which I tell you.”

We have considered the ministry of the Holy Spirit and reflected on the truth that He reminds us of Jesus Himself and that He reminds us of the Teachings of Christ.  Today I would like for us to take a step deeper into this understanding and hopefully, it will minister to our hearts.

HE REMINDS US OF THE MIRACLES OF JESUS

Jesus repeatedly demonstrated power over nature or the natural.  He brought the supernatural into the natural world.  We see that He turned the water into wine, walked on the sea, stilled the storm, and caused the catch of a net full of fish.  He has power over all the power of the enemy and has all power in heaven and on earth.  He is LORD of All.

Jesus repeatedly demonstrated power over sickness and brought the power of God into the bodies of people driving out disease.  He healed Peter‘s mother-in-law of a fever.  He healed lepers, those paralyzed, maimed, crippled, deaf, and blind.  Sickness could not stand in His presence.

Jesus repeatedly demonstrated power over the devil.  He cast out demons, delivered the demoniac who had the legion of demons, healed demon-possessed, and set them free.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus did and that we have been given the authority over all the power of the devil. We have the Promise of the Father in the Person of the Holy Spirit to empower us.

HE REMINDS US OF THE SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH OF JESUS

Isaiah prophesied that He would suffer pain for us in Isaiah 53:5 and Paul told us in Galatians 3 that Jesus became a curse for us on the Cross.  Then John brings to light in 1 John 2 that Jesus died for the sin of everyone if we will receive His mercy and grace.  We dare not forget the Cross and the importance of the Blood of Jesus.

HE REMINDS US OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

In Matthew 28 we discover that the stone was rolled away, and He was no longer in the grave.  In Revelation 1:18, John informs us that Jesus conquered death and hell, and in 1 Corinthians 15 we are called to remember that His victory over death is the Hope of all believers. We too shall rise from the dead.

HE REMINDS US OF THE PROMISE TO RETURN FOR US

In John 14:1-3 we have the incredible promise of Jesus to come back for us and take us to His Father’s house where our bridegroom has prepared a place for us.  In Revelation 22:12, Jesus declared to John in the vision, “Behold I come quickly, and My reward is with Me.”  Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4 to comfort each other with those words.  The Holy Spirit keeps that promise fresh in our hearts.

Therefore, if we listen to the voice and nudging of the Holy Spirit, He will remind us of ALL that Jesus did and spoke.  He will make the scriptures real to us and enable us to apply them to our lives.  He comes to encourage us, strengthen our faith, and make us effective witnesses in this world.

The Comforter Has Come!

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

John 14:26 – “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything, and remind you of everything which I tell you.”

I love reading and studying the life of Jesus while He was here on earth.  He devoted His time to the redemption of mankind.  Before He went back to heaven, He promised us Another Comforter who would enable us to stand in the present world victoriously.  He was and is our example in everything!

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, ministers to us and reminds us, so that we do not forget what Jesus did and what our purpose, provision, and power are.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is vital to the church and to the believer as we can see in this passage in John 14:26, that He (Holy Spirit) will teach us and remind us of everything Jesus taught.

As mortal finite beings, we discover that we forget things.  Maybe you don’t, but most of us do.  If we dwell on our earthly circumstances, we will lose sight of the Vision of Christ’s Glory and Power.  The Comforter (Holy Spirit) is given to both empower and remind us of our LORD.  He keeps the heavenly vision fresh in our minds and hearts.

Jesus spoke of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:15, “Everything that my Father has is mine; this is the reason why I told you that he will take of my own and show to you.”  He will take of Mine and reveal it to you.  In John 15:26, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would testify of Him.  That is important and powerful.

Therefore, in light of that reality, I would like for us to consider some of the things that the Holy Spirit comes to remind us of.

HE REMINDS US OF JESUS

The Holy Spirit keeps the spotlessness of Jesus before us and in the forefront of our minds.  Even Pilate told the Jews, “I find no fault in Him.” (Luke 23:4).  Jesus came, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death on the Cross, rose again on the third day, and is now ascended to the Right Hand of the Throne of the Father.

The Holy Spirit also reminds us of the humanity of Jesus.  He was fully God and fully man otherwise He could not have qualified to buy us back from the dominion of the devil and reclaim what Adam gave up in rebellion.  Jesus needed food, water, and rest just like we do.  According to Hebrews 4:15, He faced temptation.” For we do not have a high priest who cannot share our infirmities, but we have one who was tempted with everything as we are, and yet without sin.”

HE REMINDS US OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

If we went no further than Matthew 5, we would have a lifetime of knowledge that is powerfully liberating.  The Holy Spirit takes those beatitudes real and brings them to life in practical application.  If you go through that list, you see a life that is never lacking in victory.  In Matthew 6, He reminds us of the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer and its life-changing power and revelation.  In Matthew 6:25-34, He helps us to understand God’s cure for anxiety and worry.  Then in Matthew 7, He teaches us how to receive answers to prayer and the power of persistence.  Ask, Seek, Knock!

I want to pause there and take this up again in the next devotional.  We need to be reminded of what the Holy Spirit comes to remind us of.  We need to embrace those truths and exercise the authority we have been given and pull down strongholds and take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus.

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

John 10:1-10 – “TRULY, truly, I say to you, He who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from another place, is a thief and a bandit.² But he who enters by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep.³ To him the door-keeper opens the door; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by their names and brings them out.⁴ And when he has brought out his sheep, he goes before them; and his own sheep * follow him, because they know his voice.⁵ The sheep do not follow a stranger, but they run away from him; because they do not know the voice of a stranger.⁶ Jesus spoke this parable to them; but they did not understand what he was telling them.⁷ Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.⁸ All who have come are thieves and bandits, if the sheep did not hear them.⁹ I am the door; if any man enter by me, he shall live, and he shall come in and go out and find pasture.¹⁰ A thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”

Last time we focused on the mission of the thief to steal.  Today I want us to consider additional insights into the mission and purpose of the thief.

THE THIEF COMES TO KILL

I believe that the devil would obliterate us from the planet if he could.  He would kill us physically hoping to kill us spiritually and separate us from God eternally.  He comes to kill in many ways and to kill many things.

He comes to Kill our Faith in God.  A priority of hell is to create doubt raise questions that we cannot answer and distort God’s truth to the point that we are unable to embrace the Truth of the Bible.  If we cannot trust God’s Word, we cannot exhibit faith in God and His word.  The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God so if the thief can kill our faith in God, he can separate us from God.

He seeks to Kill our Hunger for God.  Jesus said, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness…”  In Luke 12:15 we find the warning to beware of covetousness and are reminded that life is not what we possess but God.  The thief attempts to kill our faith in and hunger for God in many ways.

He seeks to develop in us a hunger for carnal things and to become so busy with busyness that we are unable to hear God or fellowship with Him.  He inspires us to focus on riches, advancement, power, possessions, status, and prestige.  As he cultivates those appetites, he turns our hearts from God and kills our faith.

THE THIEF COMES TO DESTROY

That is the ultimate desire of the devil.  He wants to destroy our ability to hear that inner voice of our conscience and sear it.  We then live with no guilt, no remorse, no fear of God, and no shame.  He tells us everyone is going to get in so no worries, just enjoy life and do your thing.

He has, in many ways, been successful in developing a generation or two of people who believe they can live in any manner and do anything, and all is okay.  Conviction has been stripped from their hearts and they no longer fear God.  Hebrews 3:13 exhorted, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy.  The contrast is the purpose of Jesus, He came to give life and that life is abundant.  He came to destroy the works of the devil.  He came so that we could be eternally free.

We need to be aware of the devil’s works and tactics but not fearful of him.  We are more than conquerors so let’s being to live like God is telling the truth.

God bless you today and every day!

John 8:21 – “Jesus again said to them, I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins; and where I am going you cannot come.”

We covered two of the great tragedies in our last devotional.  We considered the reality that People Die and that People Die In Their Sins.  Today, I want us to move forward as we consider the other tragedy to which I referred at the beginning and God’s Hope!  Now, let us move to the next two.

PEOPLE WHO DIE IN THEIR SINS WILL BE SEPARATED FROM GOD ETERNALLY

The reality is that if a person dies in their sins they cannot go where Jesus is.  He is in heaven and no sin can enter that city.  Tragically, I know many who know about Christ, can quote passages of scripture, and have heard more sermons than they can remember and yet are lost.  Hearing about Jesus or even knowing about Jesus is not enough, action is required.  We must repent and confess our sins and receive His forgiveness and experience the new birth.

In America, a person can hear preaching every day of the week.  You can turn on your radio, or television, or use the internet and hear gospel preaching 24/7/365.  You can have all the Christian books and periodicals you desire.  But if you do not hear His voice and repent (do a 180-degree turn and go the opposite direction) it, does you no good to hear.  Without Jesus, people die in their sins and those who die lost will remain lost for eternity.  Jesus said, “where I go you cannot come.”

I realize that is a morbid, bleak, and dark picture filled with gloom.  But thanks be to God it does not have to be because there is a solution.  Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and is knocking and if we open the door He will come in and transform us through salvation.

PEOPLE WHO DIE IN CHRIST ARE GOING WHERE HE IS

In John 8:31-32 we have the awesome words of our LORD, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, If you abide by my word, you are truly my disciples.³² And you will know the truth, and that very truth will make you free.”

God has looked down from heaven and provided a way of escape from the fires of hell providing a pathway for us to live in Him and enjoy the abundance of life here and hereafter.  Romans 5:9 declares, “Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be delivered from wrath through Him.”

We have the inspiring hope found in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to my Father except by Me.”  In John 14:1-3, He promised to prepare an eternal place for us and return to take us home to be with Him forever. 

The way of salvation is personal.  In John 1:12 we discover, “But those who received him, to them he gave power to become sons of God, especially to those who believed in his name;”  In 1 John 1:9 we find the path made clear, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Paul declared in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace that you are saved through faith; not of your doing: it is the gift of God:” God’s way to salvation is through the Door (Jesus) that we must walk through in accordance with His word.

Our lives could be pictured as boats adrift in a stream that flows over a huge waterfall.  We are nearing the edge of the falls, and someone throws us a lifeline from the shore, and another offers a line from below the falls.  Which do we choose?

The line from the shore is a sure answer to salvation but the line below the falls is a guarantee of eternal doom and destruction.  Life without Jesus is doom, but Life in Jesus is Eternal.  I pray that if you do not know Him, you will choose the lifeline He offers today.

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

John 8:21 – “Jesus again said to them, I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins; and where I am going you cannot come.”

The man Job said that man, born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble or sorrows.  It is a sad reality that tragedies are a part of life and come to everyone.  I believe that the most disturbing statement in the Bible may well be this verse in John 8.  Jesus said, “…you will die in your sins; and where I am going you cannot come.”  What could be more horrifying that that?  I cannot fathom hearing those words and not falling on my face, repenting of every sin, and pleading for God’s mercy and grace. 

This passage brings four thoughts to my mind as I read it.  I would like to share my thoughts with you.

PEOPLE DIE

That is an unavoidable fact.  When we are born, in a very real sense, we begin to die.  We begin the journey from the cradle to the grave and our eternal destiny.  The writer of Hebrews declares that staggering reality, “…it is appointed for men to die once, and after their death the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27).  We will one day end this journey on earth and stand before God giving an account of our lives to Him who knows everything from beginning to the end.

I told someone, “If you can guarantee me that you will not die, none of your loved ones will die, and none of your neighbors will die, I will not mention death to you again.”  But we know that God has spoken through the Word of God (Bible) that each of us faces this unavoidable appointment.  We will die.  I am not trying to be morbid, but it is a reality that we must face and should face.

PEOPLE DIE IN THEIR SINS

I know some discount and deny the reality of sin.  They insist that everyone will go to heaven regardless.  They insist that a loving God could not and would not allow His children to go to eternal hell.  But we only become His children through the new birth. We are all His creations but not all born again into the family of God. Sadly, they transform the Bible to satisfy their desire to not have to be accountable for their lives.  They seem to forget that God is Love, but He is also Holy, Just, Pure, Righteous, and Merciful.  He will judge sin!  He has to.  Failure to do so would transform Him into something other than the Eternal Righteous God that He is – Totally Without Sin!

That should prompt us to think about family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone we meet could one day die in their sins without Jesus.  Jesus addressed the importance and value of the soul when He asked, in Mark 8:37, “what could a man give in exchange for his life (soul)?”  Dying without God’s forgiveness and the new birth is at the top of the list of most tragic things.  It has eternal ramifications.

Revelation 22:11 declares, that people often die the way they have lived.  “He who is unjust will continue to be unjust: and he who is filthy will continue to be filthy: and he who is righteous will continue to do righteousness: and he who is holy will continue to be holy.”

Everyone, no exception, will face eternity in the condition in which they died and based on their lives.  If a person lives without Christ and dies without Christ, they will die in their sins and face the judgment of God and the eternal reward of that rejection of His Grace!

I want to deal with this one more time but will pause here.  I pray that the LORD will rain His mercy upon you and enable you to live free of sin and guilt. 

Have a Great Day!

John 4:35 – “Do you not say that after four months comes the harvest? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, which have turned white and have long been ready for the harvest.”

We have considered the first two parts of the Los Angeles slogan – “Vision to See, Faith to Believe, Courage to Do.”  Now let us move to the last part and mine the gold that is there.

COURAGE TO DO.

It is beyond tragic that sometimes we see and believe that something can be done but lose heart before we even attempt the task.  Courage is absent and we are defeated by our trepidation before we dare to do what we see and believe possible.

James 2:17 – ^“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”  It is beyond tragic if we allow fear to defeat us.  We do not have to fear because the devil is a defeated foe, and we are more than conquerors through Jesus!  We have been given authority over all the devil’s power, so Why Not Use It?

Joshua 1:7 – “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”  Then in verse nine, we read, “God is with you wherever you go.”  That is powerful.

We have no need or cause to fear man because the work before us belongs to God and He is going before us.  We do not have to fear the devil because Jesus completely defeated him at the Cross and in the Resurrection.  We do not have to fear difficulties because nothing is too difficult for God and no mountain can resist faith.

Philippians 4:13 declares, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  How many things?  ALL THINGS! 

A brief snapshot of this is in the Old Testament in the man named Shamgar.  The Bible says that he slew six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.  An ox goad was a wooden tool, about eight feet in length with an iron spike or point on one end, and was used to spur the oxen along and could be used as a scraper to remove the clods of earth from the plowshare when it became encumbered.  He certainly did not have a weapon of war but a farming tool and achieved this feat by the power of God.

King Asa had these qualities as we see in 2 Chronicles 14-15 that he went out against two-to-one odds.  Asa cried out to the LORD, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us. O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name, we go against this multitude, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”  In brief, His prayer was, “It’s All You God, so Help Us, Please!”  If we place ourselves in the hands of God, we have placed ourselves in a position of Unlimited Possibilities.

I heard years ago about a lady in Church describing faith, obedience, and responsibility.  She said, “If God tells me to jump through a hole in the wall, it’s my responsibility to jump and His to make a hole in the wall.”  What if we lived that way with Vision to See, Faith to Believe, and Courage to Do?

Believers, we have the message and the commission. We have been given Power and authority through the Holy Spirit.  The only thing that is waiting is for us to respond to God’s call and say yes!  He is calling now, what is your answer?

God bless you!

John 4:35 – “Do you not say that after four months comes the harvest? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, which have turned white and have long been ready for the harvest.”

We addressed the first part of the slogan from Los Angeles – “Vision to See, Faith to Believe, Courage to Do” now let us move to the next part and uncover the treasure hidden therein.

FAITH TO BELIEVE.

I am convinced that we sometimes see the need but fail to do what is needed because we have no faith for the task.  Sometimes the task before us or the need seems impossible or beyond the reach of our ability.  It is like having a $100 need and only $40 in the bank.  It would require faith to step out when the resources do not seem present.  However, if we are resigned to waiting until we have everything in hand to dare to step out, we may never step out.  Sometimes it requires an Act of Faith to break through the obstacles and turn loose the blessings.

Mark 9:23 declares, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Mark 11:22 declares, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Faith in Who or Whom?  God, not what you have in your hand or what you know you can do.  God is the God of the Impossible and if we believe Him, He said, “Nothing is impossible to us because nothing is impossible with Him.”

Our faith must be in God!  That is first and foremost and we must trust His ability to do what he said He would.  Our confidence must be in His integrity and honesty that He will do what He said He would.  We must see ourselves as instruments in God’s hand.  Our faith is in God, not us. 

Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “…if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you shall say to this mountain, remove from here to there and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”  That is incredible but completely credible!  We must develop the ability and willingness to Believe God!  We must learn to rely on His faithfulness and His character to do exactly what He has declared in His word.

Someone said concerning the Revivals of the Church that revival came to the Early Church because – They heard and believed His report.  They obeyed His word.  They prayed and trusted Him totally.  Revival continued in the Early Church because – They made His kingdom the focus of their lives.  They applied His Word to their every situation.  They prayed and trusted Him totally.

I believe that pattern can continue or be reproduced in today’s world and church if we will do what they did and become what they were we will have what they had.  God has not changed!  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We need Faith to believe Him and need to begin living as if He were telling the truth!

I will take this one more step in the next devotional but for now, I will pause.

God bless you as you allow Him to instill Faith in your heart to believe and obey His Word!