2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was reminded again of something that I had let slip.  I was reminded of the incredibleness of God as revealed in the compilation of the Bible.  The Bible, although not compiled chronologically, is a purposeful progression.   We do not read or study it that way to our loss.   We pick and choose isolated passages for particular purposes or proofs of our position.  God compiled it for our total enlightenment.

I do not have time, and you do not have the patience to let me detail what I am saying and what I am seeing.  So, a snippet will have to suffice.

Haggai 1:6-8 reveals both a condition and a cure for the heart.  Zechariah 1:3 builds on that, giving the pathway to restoration.  That is followed by Zechariah 2:5.  The revelation and promise of the restored heart being the demonstration of God as a Wall of Fire to protect us.

Another progression is seen in Matthew 11 when John’s disciples asked, “Are you the One?” Jesus responded with, “Pay attention to what I am doing, and you will know.”

In that condition, we realize God’s peace, power, provision, and protection.  Building from that revelation, we get verse 25.  Then, in that condition and position, we hear the incredible words of verses 28-30.  His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.   Not ours, but His.  Our burdens and yokes are anything but easy and light.  Total surrender brings total rest.

Then Matthew 12:10 surfaces, and it blows my mind.  Why was the question even a question?  “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”   If they had been in the position and condition of Haggai and Zechariah, as described in Matthew 11, it would not have been asked.  The focus was not God, not good, and not people; it was RULES!

That led to the revelation of divided kingdoms and the picture of the heart as a house or kingdom.  Then it sounded the alarm about failure to return to and keep returning to God, as seen in Matthew 12:43-45.  Being set free requires filling the house with God to stay free!

In Matthew 13:29-30, we realize that in the restored condition, we are enabled to nurture the wheat.  Our job is not to root out the tares but to nurture the wheat.  God will sort it out at the harvest.

We move along in the development of the heart and come to the realization that the external is secondary.  The heart is the mainspring.  If there is no filter on the tongue, it reveals the true condition of the heart.

The Bible progressively moves our focus from self to service and from self to God.  God has given us a road map to victory, but we don’t follow the GPS.  We ignore turns and map out our own pathways.

The Bible is inspired and profitable as a road map.  Using it the way God designed it produces the benefits God planned.  We rob ourselves if we don’t use the guide.

LORD, help us to have a renewed appreciation of the purposeful progression of your Word!

Habakkuk 1:1-5 – “This is the oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw:  ² How long, Lord, must I cry for help?  But you do not listen!  I call out to you, “Violence!”  But you do not deliver!  ³ Why do you force me to witness injustice?  Why do you put up with wrongdoing?  Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife.  ⁴ For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out.  Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent.  For this reason justice is perverted.  ⁵ “Look at the nations and pay attention!  You will be shocked and amazed!  For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned.”

Is this the morning the trumpet will sound?  No one knows, and few truly think it is.  But one day, the trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will rise, and we will gather in the clouds with Jesus.  Ready or not, here He comes!

Our world is in a mess!  It is not getting better.  There is no deliverer to bring us into the promised land.  The depravity of the human heart is growing increasingly darker.

Sometimes, we are like the prophet Habakkuk crying,“How long, O Yahweh?”   I see it, you see it, but God, You are not doing anything about it.   Actually, He is, just not the way we thought He would or should.

God said, “Just look and be astounded!  I am doing something right now.  Something you would not believe if I detailed it to you.” We stop there, but the next verse reveals what God is doing.  He is unleashing judgment through human agency!

The prophet Nahum offers a stark contrast in God’s response and attitude toward His enemies and His friends.   Nahum 1:2-3, He is fearful and ferocious toward His enemies.  Nahum 1:7-8, He is gracious to His friends.

Jesus told the disciples, as He looked at the hungry lost crowd, “The Harvest is massive, but the harvesters are too few.  Harvesters not only reap the souls (evangelists) but also store the grain(disciple them).

Hate disguises itself as a defender of truth and rails against others.  Jesus said that TRUTH makes or sets free, not the exposure of error.  Jesus said that those who will enter His kingdom are those who do the will of God —not by earning it, but by living His words.

Do we love!  Have we learned to love!  Do we love God, people, and ourselves enough to DO His Will?  We have a Commission.  That should be our focus.  The devil laughs at us to scorn when we focus on differences rather than God’s Commission.  Thy Kingdom come is not ensuring every Jot and Tittle of doctrine is right, it is entering the narrow gate and embracing Him!  It is living in the nowness of Jesus.

We have a harvest before us.  We don’t have time to squabble and quibble over differences.  Truth will dispel error.  We are called to be harvesters; let’s harvest!

LORD, help us to become so moved by what is happening that we totally surrender to You and become!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “EVERY SCRIPTURE (not some but ALL) is INSPIRED by God AND is useful for teaching, for reproof (exposing sin to bring correction), and for training in righteousness, THAT the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

What a day to be alive; difficulties, distractions, time constraints, and demands are ever-present.  The world is growing crazier by the hour.  Yet, God is still God and is incredibly long-suffering!  His love never diminishes!

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was drawn to two realities.  The world is going to hell in a handbasket, and God is long-suffering.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 motivated me again.  The reality and the Bible’s declaration that God inspires every Scripture (not some, but ALL) are incredible.  We add to that the declaration that it is useful for teaching, reproof(exposing sin to bring correction), and training in righteousness to bring us to maturity and equip us, which is doubly powerful.

Get this in your spirit –“The Word of God reveals the character and heart of God.”

Job 23:23-24 –“If a man have an angel to whom one would listen once in a thousand times, the angel would show him the way of uprightness 24 AND be gracious to him and say, deliver this man lest he go down to corruption; he has found salvation…”

God’s presence is permeating the air today!  His plans are unfolding in brilliance as we embrace His presence and allow His heart and ours to become entwined.

Job 23:23-24 exploded in my heart.  If one in a thousand warnings is heeded, God’s graciousness extends mercy.  That is long-suffering!  That is God!

Psalm 121:3b – “God IS my keeper; He will Never forget or ignore me…”

Psalm 124:1-2 asks, “What if God had not been there for us?”   It would have been a total disaster and destruction, by the Was and Is…

Psalm 125:1 reminds us that we are Unshakable in any shaking “if” we trust God!  We are as Steadfast as God Himself because He is in us, and we are totally dependent upon Him. That is the deposit of God in us, our foundation, our hope.

Psalm 127:2 should be read, memorized, meditated upon, and the focus of every day.  “It is really senseless to work so hard from early morning till late at night, toiling to make a living for fear of not having enough.  GOD can provide for His lovers even while they sleep.”   That is not an invitation to laziness nor an encouragement to abandon ambition, but reveals the benefit and peace of trusting God, not our own ability.

Psalm 130:3-4 reveals God’s incredible mercy, grace, and love.  “LORD, if You measured us and marked us with our sins, who would ever have their prayers answered?  4 BUT Your forgiving love is what makes You so wonderful.  No wonder You are loved and worshipped.”

God’s incomparable love, incredible mercy, and patience are astounding.  We deserve none of it, but He gives it anyway!  Therefore, search the Word, let it reveal the heart of God, correct, instruct, and inspire you.  Treasure the Promises!  Be transformed by His grace and become one well-equipped to manifest Him.

God is our victory.  God is ever-present, and He invites us to enter in and Become!  Seize the victory, and in your victory, lead others to freedom!

2 Kings 5:11-12  – “But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, two distinct words flooded my consciousness. Pride and Repentance.   Biblical repentance is so much more than emotion or even a sense of guilt and shame.    Biblical repentance is to do a 180-degree turn and go in the other direction. It is to change the mind.   It involves demonstrable righteousness.

In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, the Syrian’s pride, almost kept him from healing. But he repented [changed his mind] and acted on the Word of the prophet. Healing came!

Many are crying out for a move or outpouring of the Holy Spirit in revival. That’s good, but no revival ever comes unless it is preceded by deep repentance.

Revival only comes when repentance is prevalent.  Matthew 3:2 – “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In verse 8, John said, “Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance.”    A changed life always accompanies repentance.  No change, no repentance.

Matthew 3:10-11 reveals that repentance is also accompanied by the purging fire of the Holy Spirit.   True repentance leads us to God.  Pride drives us from God.  When the heart is set to seek God, two doors become visible. It is either the door of Pride or the door of Repentance.

Remember James’s words: “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.”  Notice the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, as described in Matthew 4. He fasted and prayed for 40 days (Submitted to God). Then the devil came, and in each temptation, Jesus resisted with the Word of God. He resisted, and the devil departed from him.    Then, something else happened. The angels came and began to minister to Him.

The message of John, Jesus, and the Acts Church was repentance.  The message of every revival has been repentance.   Repentance involves demonstrated righteousness.  Repentance is to abandon self and seek God.  Repentance is to put pride aside and surrender to God. Repentance is the door to revival, renewal, and restoration.

The call of the Holy Spirit is “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   Matthew 6:33 provides the pathway to God’s fullness!   If we will set ourselves to seek and submit to God, three things will happen. The enemy will come to attack. If we resist, he will flee, and then the angels will come to strengthen us.

One more thought is from 2 Kings 4:1-7.  The widow with the bottle of oil and Elisha.  She prepared (borrowed containers for the oil).  She poured (utilized what she had prepared).  She exhausted her capacity (ran out of containers). The oil stopped flowing. She set her limit of blessing.

If we pursue God and repent with a transformed heart, we give God a vessel in which to pour His oil. The only limitation is the depth of our repentance and surrender. We set the limit of our revival. How much do you want?

May 180 Degrees from the Old Path, your targeted New Path!

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  NASB

The question to ask on this New Year’s Day – “What Are You Living For?”  That may sound strange when connected to the text I have chosen for this topic, but if you will permit, I believe you will understand.  I want to address the last words of that sentence, “to those who are called according to His purpose.”  The focus is His Purpose, and that begs the question for each of us: “What Are We Living For?”

I heard a preacher reveal his technique for sharing his faith in witnessing using two straightforward questions.  He would first ask, “What do you do for a living?”  The responses are always the typical Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, etc.  We all do something or aspire to do something in life as a vocation.  That opens the door, and then he asks, “What are you living for?”  That is an entirely different world, and there is usually silence because most do not truly have a clear picture in their minds of what they are living for. 

We are living for something, even if we do not know what it is or how to articulate it — what?  Some people invest their entire lives pursuing wealth, some fame, some approval, some seeking love and to be loved.  The question is valid: “What are you living for?”  What is your purpose in life?  What is it that keeps you moving from day to day, project to project, and venture to venture? 

You are investing your life in something – what?  The additional question is: will it be of eternal value or of temporal value?  Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do men say that I am?  What are people saying about me?”  They gave a list of what they were hearing, and then He asked the pointed question, “But what about you?  What do you believe about Me?”  Peter gave the timeless answer of eternal value, “You are the Christ!”

That reality allowed Jesus to direct their thinking and lay before them His Purposes and the various paths they could choose.  In a very real sense, He was saying, “Now that you know who I am, are you ready and willing to take up your cross and follow me?”  He cautioned that the world would never understand what they were doing or why.  He reminded them that they could turn to this world; it was an option.  It was not a good one and would prove fatal, but they had the choice.

I heard a powerful sermon about Jesus’ life, and the list given would be considered a failure by most in this world.  He was born in obscurity, never went to college, never owned property, never held public office, never wrote a book, and had neither a wife nor children.  He made powerful enemies.  He was crucified as a common criminal on a cruel cross.  That is not a picture of the pathway to success in the eyes of the world and much of the church.

If you are pursuing a career, your reward is that career.  However, if your life is the pursuit of a mission, you are laying up eternal treasures.  Someone said, “A career is something you choose for yourself, but a mission is chosen for you by another.”  The life pursuit called for in the Bible is never about careers but missions.  The Bible is not opposed to careers; thank God, some have invested themselves in various occupations.  The Bible is not against wealth; thank God for those who have amassed fortunes and invest them in people and God’s kingdom.

If we make our lives a Mission, we do not waste time as we do if we are only pursuing a career.  Benjamin E. Mays offered some valuable insight:  He wrote, “I have just one minute, only sixty seconds in it.  Forced upon me – can’t refuse it, didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it, but it’s up to me to use it.  I must suffer if I lose it, give an account if I abuse it.  Just a tiny minute – but eternity is in it.”

C.T. Studd eloquently declared: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only, what’s done for Christ will last.”  On this New Year’s Day, you may or may not make Resolutions, but I ask that you consider the eternal question – “What am I Living For?”  I also pray that your response will become – “For the Purposes of God.”  I also pray that your declaration will be more than an offering of piousness without purpose, but that you will become a Matthew 6:33 person and you will ‘seek first, Him and His purposes.’

I pray that 2026 will be the greatest year you have ever lived, and you will see more accomplished than your wildest dreams, hopes, and aspirations.  Remember, “Only one life to live, ‘twill soon be past, Only, what’s done for Christ will last.”

 Have a fantastic day and a fantastic year!