Genesis 18:20-21 –  “So the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ²¹ that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.”

The question came from Genesis 19, in the account of Lot.  The New Testament says that Lot’s righteous spirit was vexed by what was transpiring in Sodom, yet he chose to stay there.   The possible whys are numerous.

Lot knew the promise to Abraham from Abraham’s testimony.    Second-hand knowledge is not transformational revelation; it is information (head knowledge). 

• Abraham had an encounter with God that was transformational.  
• Abraham believed God and God’s promise.  
• Lot believed in God; Abraham believed God.   
• Lot believed theoretically, and Abraham believed experientially.

The question was, “Why was Lot in Sodom?”   That is akin to the question God asked Elijah, “Why are you here?”  Elijah was hiding from Jezebel; Lot was enjoying the material prosperity of the land.

As the angels led Lot and his family out of Sodom, Lot lingered (hesitated).  That suggests a divided heart.   His wife looked back.    The implication is that she looked back longingly or favorably at what she had.  It seems her confidence was in what she had, rather than in God.

I sense the Holy Spirit asking, “What is your reason for being where you are and doing what you are doing. “

Paul prayed for the Colossians to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.  (Their why).  He prayed for their spiritual understanding.  (Revelation and motivation)

In Colossians 2:6, he says something intriguing and revealing.   “Just as you have therefore accepted Jesus Christ our Lord, so you must be led by Him.”  That is a clear revelation that He must become LORD after He has become Savior.

Then Paul gives a valuable revelation in the next verse.  “Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith…”   Rooted is being born again (planted).  You can’t be built up until you have been planted or rooted.  Then, established, grow in Grace into spiritual maturity.

The process moves us from believing theoretically to experiential knowledge and faith.  That faith builds up and establishes.   When we embrace what Jesus did as depicted in Colossians 2:13-15, we enter a new realm of freedom and faith.

In Colossians 3, Paul makes it practical.  “IF,” that’s the key.  If we are saved, we must and will shift our focus from self, things, etc., to Christ and His Kingdom.  We put off the things of the flesh and replace them with the things of God.

Colossians 3:16 – “Let (permit by participation) His Word dwell in you ABUNDANTLY in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.”

• Why are we where we are doing what we are doing? 
• What is our motivation? 

If God leads us out, do we linger or hesitate, looking back?  What truly holds our hearts?  What holds our hearts defines and determines our lives and fruit.  It is the foundation upon which our legacy is built. 

Lord, help us to be filled with the knowledge of Your will and believe You!  Help us see the temporariness of this life and the eternality of forever!

Have a Victorious Day in Jesus!   Be Where He Has Planted You and You Will Realize Your Purpose Fulfilled!

Genesis 2:16-17 – “Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”

As I began another journey through the Word of God, something in Genesis 3 prompted me to reflect on the encounter between Eve and the crafty serpent.

In Genesis 2:16-17, God instructed Adam (before Eve’s creation) about the trees in the Garden.  The only prohibition was regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He said, “You shall not eat its fruit. On the day you eat it, you will surely die.” Simple and clear.

Adam had never seen death, so I can only speculate what that prohibition meant to him.  He knew unconditional love, and in that knowing, he knew that God’s prohibition was for his best good.

Eve had heard from Adam the prohibition.  The subtle, sneaky snake used her ability to reason against her.   He came with a question to cause Eve to question God—not overtly question Him, but use the human ability (gift) of reason to crave something prohibited without holding to the confidence that God’s decree was for her best good.

Eve’s response revealed a flaw in second-hand information.   God said to Adam, “Do not eat.” Eve said God’s decree was, “Do not eat or touch.”  Maybe Adam expanded it to that, and perhaps he didn’t, but it was the first crack in the wall of trust. The snake used it.

Eve rightly related God’s warning, “Disobey and die.”   The snake used the Words of God filtered through human reason to sway or entice her to disobey. He said, “You will not surely die.”  Two thoughts enter my mind. What is death to Eve? Doubt opens the door to disobedience, which leads to separation and death.

The moment Adam and Eve disobeyed, death entered the human family. Death was not God’s plan for humans, but now the seed is sown and bears fruit in humans.   Death is twofold: Spiritual and Physical.

The thought in my heart was not so much about the event in the Garden of Eden and when death occurred, but in the subtlety of deception leading to disobedience, which produces rebellion.    If we viewed our disobedience as rebellion, we would be extremely cautious about how we live our lives.

The snake deceived Eve and, ultimately, Adam, motivating them to shift their focus from God, God’s directive, unconditional love, and complete trustworthiness.  It became “What Do I Desire?”   If we question God’s truthfulness in any area, we will question it in other areas.  If we allow what we want to supersede His protective guidance, rebellion is at the door.

Sin is disobedience and rebellion.  The serpent beguiled Eve and got her to fill her mind with self. Paul’s plea to the Philippians in 4:4-8 is our safeguard. Focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness.  Be grateful for His love and grace.  Trust Him completely, even in what He prohibits.

Then, fill your heart with (v.8) – truth, honesty, justice, purity, beauty, good report, virtue, and reasons to praise Him.   That was the cause of his confidence in (v.13) – “I can do all things through Christ…” That includes obedience. And His confidence in (v.19) – God’s total care!

We must guard against deception because the sneaky snake will bring partial truths to entice us to rely on human reason, leading to rebellion. It is deception to think that sin (disobedience) is not rebellion against God.

I tremble when I realize that my disobedience is not only a slap in the face of God’s goodness and love but also open rebellion. It is amazing that He would be merciful to us and forgive our blatant disregard for His careful provisions and prohibitions, which are designed to keep us safe.

Jesus said, “It is My Father’s desire to give you the kingdom.” He cannot give it to the disobedient rebels we have been.  In repentance and obedience, He can entrust us with the stewardship of the kingdom.  It is grace through faith. Obedience is better than sacrifice.   Lord, help us to recognize that disobedience is a form of rebellion. Help us to trust you enough to obey you completely all the time.

May the Lord help us to hear Him for ourselves rather than rely on secondhand information!

Ephesians 2:4-9 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— ⁶ and he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ it is not from works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.”

As I read, prayed, and contemplated the Word of God, the Power of Covenant and the Strength of Unity were impressed upon me.   God’s covenant is not remotely similar to man’s contract.   Covenant is a blood bond that is only breakable in death.   Contracts are negotiated and often broken without severe consequences. Unity provides strength, enabling those unified to enjoy strong defense and have a measure of rest, knowing each has the other’s back.

In Ephesians 2, Paul draws attention to our former life before we came to know Christ.   He reminds us that those outside Christ are still motivated by the dark forces in this world.   Those cravings in them energize and embolden them.   If that were all we saw, depression would be the normal and expected condition.

In verse 4, he says, “But God…”   God’s response is Grace and Mercy.   In His unfathomable love, He saves, transforms, and elevates us to a position in Christ that exercises authority over the darkness.   Yet, many live subservient to the lies of the darkness rather than as Victors in Christ.

He urges us to remember where we were and where we are now. In verse 13, he says, “But now…”   Now, in Christ, we are no longer alienated from God. We are no longer subservient to the darkness but are one with Jesus.

If we are to impact this world as God desires, we must embrace God’s Covenant and have Unity in the Body of Christ.   In Ephesians 4, Paul reveals God’s method and plan to produce that condition, understanding, and ability.

The five-fold ministry is not a hierarchy, but rather a group of professors in God’s university.   They are Gifts given to us for a specific purpose: to equip, develop, educate, and train believers for ministry, service, and grace growth, and to have a spiritual foundation that enables the believer to stand and serve.

This is to be UNTIL- until the church is unified in the faith.   Until the church develops a functional and transformational knowledge of Jesus, His work, and purpose.   Until the church matures and grows into the measure of Christ’s full stature.

Jesus said that we would do the works He did unless we are developed into the measure of Christ’s full stature, which is not only unlikely but virtually impossible.   Christ in us is our hope and provides the ability to pull down strongholds.

We have a commission and a mission. But to fulfill our purpose on this Earth, we must know and embrace God’s Covenant and become one in Christ as a Body (His Body).

God says we are more than conquerors, but becoming that in practical reality requires development, commitment, and action. We grow in grace and need the equipping (training), which includes information and application. Church is not a place; it is a people. Gatherings are not for entertainment, but rather for information that carries with it the opportunity for application.   God has done His part, and now we must do ours. We set aside the old (sin and flesh) and embrace the new (grace and life).

I hear in my heart the word“Choices.”   I hear, “What is your choice?”   I hear, “What God has given us, we are accountable for the stewardship of.”   We are being fitly framed together!  God’s covenant provisions are only manifested in unity.   We have the provision to fulfill the vision.   I hear the Spirit of God asking, “Why not Now?”   Victory is ours!  Victory is not a gift but a developed condition. Press in! It’s yours.

I pray that the Lord will help each of us embrace the Promise of the Spirit and the Promised Spirit.

Galatians 3:13-14 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, this thought kept reverberating in my spirit: the promise of the Spirit and the promise by the Spirit.

Let me explain what was stirring within me.   The Promise by the Spirit refers to things or events, whereas the Promise of the Spirit pertains to a person, specifically the third member of the triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:14, speaking of redemption by faith and grace, says about the crucifixion, “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing (singular) of Abraham would come to the Gentiles so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.”

The Promise of the Spirit brings us into the fullness of the New Covenant.  He empowers us to become and be the manifestation of Jesus on earth. He makes the New Covenant a living reality in us. It is heartbreaking to encounter believers who only know about Jesus rather than experiencing Him.

The heart of God is for us to “know” Him.   I do not go to school, church, conferences, etc., to “know” God.  We can only truly “know” God by encountering and experiencing Him.   We “know” God by what He does because what He does is an extension of who He is.   It is His Revelation of Himself.   That Revelation is personal and intimate.   It is not learned in books alone!

People are perishing and living as paupers in the palace because they are taught how to know about God rather than being led into an encounter with Him.

We hear theory preached, not Revelation.  Theory will not transform – Revelation will.  By that, I mean experiencing Jesus.  One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to teach us the heart and mind of God.

The word translated as ” know” is “Yada,” which conveys the idea of deep intimacy.   It is intercourse.   Not sexual activity, but encountering God in the deepest level of intimacy and becoming one with Him.   That is a part of the promise of the Spirit.

Once that ‘Knowing’ becomes such a part of me, I become one with it. It is in me, and it is me. I live it because I am it.

That’s the New Covenant Life!   James said, “Don’t tell me you believe. Devils believe but are not transformed.”    Too many believe about and even believe in God but have not experienced God in knowing Him transformationally.

Once we have seen Him and received Him, we move from knowing about to knowing and becoming one with Him.  At that point, it is impossible not to live Him!   We become what He manifested on Earth.   In John 17, Jesus said, “This is eternal life…”   What Is?  “That they may KNOW Thee, the only true God.”

By Jesus’ definition, eternal life is not a possession but a relationship. It is becoming one with Him, who is life! 

Let us move from theory to experience.  Let us move from knowing about to knowing.    Let us move from striving to be to being.   We have the promise!  The only thing holding us back from being manifestations of God in this present world is us.

Have a victorious day being who Jesus says you are!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call on me in prayer, and I will answer you.  I will show you great and mysterious things that you still do not know about.”

Once again, I was stirred in my spirit during the night.  I believe I heard an extremely urgent warning and call to prayer.   I hesitate to announce what I believe I heard for several reasons.

• I am sure I would be treated like Jeremiah because it goes against the flow of what many are prophesying.
• Another is that I want to be sure I heard God.   If I did, He will confirm it, and I will declare it without regard to people’s opinion of me (that is unimportant).

Once again, as I was awakened, the clock was 3:33, and this time, I had zero doubt that it was God’s call to prayer and sensed that it was a call for ALL TO PRAY, not just me.

Today, the Book of Jonah was part of my reading.   No, I’m not running away from declaring a word from God, but it reminded me of God’s compassion and intense love for mankind.  When Jonah delivered the message of impending judgment, they repented, and God relented.

In Micah, I was reminded of God’s desires.  Micah 6:6 asks a question we should be asking: “With what should I enter the LORD’S presence?”  Then, in verse 8, we are informed of God’s desires.  “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to carry our justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.”

A storm is brewing in this world, but there is hope!   If we diligently pray, repent, and return to God wholeheartedly, I believe there is HOPE!

We must have the faith, confidence, and commitment of the 3 Hebrew children.  They did not bow, and they did not burn.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 reveals that Hope is the source of our strength.  “But we have this treasure in clay jars so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  We are experiencing trouble on every side but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed…” He reveals the secret to this confidence in verse 18.  “because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.  For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

Regardless of the circumstances, our focus must be on God.   Pray for God’s justice to prevail.   Seek to have and manifest God’s love, love others, and live obediently to His precepts.  In that position and condition, we will experience the Psalm 91 provision and be able to declare, as Paul did in 2 Corinthians 4: We are survivors, thrivers, who live confidently, knowing that no matter what, we stand because He can!

Our part is effectual fervent prayer, total commitment, and complete obedience.  His part is to shield us and carry us through.  Don’t fear the storm!

Have a fantastic day in the presence of the LORD!   Call upon Him, and He promises to answer you!