Isaiah 57:19-21 – “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the LORD, “And I will heal him.” 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” NKJV
Jesus said in John 14:27-28 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” NASB Paul later wrote in Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NASB
The Lord, through Isaiah, declared that He creates the fruit of the lips and grants peace to the one who is near and the one who is far off. God promises to bring healing to those, and I believe that means physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and economically. Then He says something that should catch our attention if the first part did not.
God identified that there is something that the wicked cannot have or possess– PEACE! The wicked will toss and turn on their bed at night, troubled by shadows of things they fear, whether real or imagined. The wicked will always be looking over his shoulder because of the vileness of his heart and the corruption that proceeds from it. He will never trust anyone because he cannot be trusted. He is like a troubled sea that dredges filth and pollution and has no Peace.
If the absence of peace marks your life, you might want to examine your relationship with our Lord. I am not saying you are wicked. Rather I am suggesting that if you allow the Holy Spirit to develop your relationship with Jesus, Peace will become a natural product of your life.
It is the continual absence of Peace that is a definite sign of a problem. On the other hand, if you are engaged in wickedness, you cannot expect to experience true peace or continual peace. It is not something that God will allow you to have.
I know the Peace of God that goes far beyond what the human mind can comprehend or imagine. I know what it is to be completely calm, collected, and restful amid a situation that would cause any heart to be downright hysterical. I know what the infusion of God’s Peace can bring to any situation and nature in the most challenging times. That place of peace is a place that I desire as my permanent residence.
Matthew 4:8-11 – “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, ” All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” NASB
It would be impossible in a short devotional to fully exegete this subject, but I want to say a few things to give you comfort and hope in your daily walk, work, and spiritual warfare. This is a fascinating passage in that the devil insinuates to our LORD that he, the devil, has authority over the kingdoms of this world.
Jesus did not dispute that; therefore, I conclude it was the truth. The Bible refers to the devil as being the “god of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, Jesus called him the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31, and Paul addressed him as “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2.
Therefore, when Jesus walked the earth, the devil had “legal authority” in the world and with man. How did that happen? It happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in their rebellion and the Fall of Man.
In Genesis 1:26-28 we find God gave Adam “dominion” over the earth and everything that lived in and on it. Adam and Eve were to “subdue” and “have dominion” over the earth. Man was to “live forever” and “fill” or “replenish” the earth. In the Garden, God walked and talked with him, and man was in a perfect state of peace and purity, living in harmony with and in total obedience to God. In that state, they were not only made in the image of God; but they also represented and manifested Him in all that He was.
There was a problem coming that God knew about. Adam and Eve would be tested to determine man’s future on Earth. Lucifer, described by Ezekiel and Isaiah as a cherub angel created by God, began to be filled with Pride and a thirst for power and position. He wanted to be “like the most high” and in his heart began to desire to be “possessor of heaven and earth.”
He did not just want to be “like” God; he wanted to “be” God. His Pride and Rebellion resulted in one-third of the angels following him in that rebellion, and God evicted him from heaven. At that point, Lucifer or Satan became God’s chief enemy. He had polluted heaven with sin and rebellion requiring purging, and now he was roaming the earth seeking to do the same and bring God’s creation into a state of rebellion. The devil knew that to control the Earth, he would, of necessity, have to control the human race.
In Genesis 3,we read the record of Eve’s deception and her role in the deception and seduction of Adam in this rebellion against God. The devil presented them with a lie, or better, THE LIE, and used their reason against them. His suggestion that God was keeping something good from them and that they deserved more prominence, position, control, and power produced an infection that resulted in Rebellion.
The command of God to NOT EAT the fruit could have been a command NOT to CROSS a stream or anything. The object is not the fruit but the act; it was Rebellion and Disobedience. Adam and Eve were co-regents of the Earth, and in their act of rebellion, they legally relinquished their crown to the devil and separated themselves from God’s care, keeping, and covering. This gave the devil legal ownership or rulership on the Earth.
Jesus came as the last Adam and legally took back the rulership from the devil through his sinless life and sacrificial death. Jesus has stripped the devil of his legal authority, and since we are IN CHRIST, we are not subject to the lordship of the “god of this world.”
Therefore, the devil has No Legal Authority in our lives. When we allow him to operate, we allow criminals to take our possessions openly and without confrontation. We have been given weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
We are more than conquerors through Jesus. Do not accept the idea that the devil has any authority on this earth except those who are not “blood-bought.” The Blood of Jesus is our badge of authority over the power and authority of the devil. You are IN Christ; in that condition and position, you have authority over all the devil’s power. The Bible says that if we “resist the devil,” he will flee because he has no choice.
You Have Legal Authority through Christ, and your authority frees you from the devil’s power! So, as you enjoy this day, refuse to be intimidated by the devil and embrace your condition and position as a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We serve the Living God; in Him, we live, move, and have our being!
I pray the LORD will enable you to walk in peace on this day!
Daniel 3:15-18 – “Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” Amplified.
Let me begin by asking, “Have you experienced a situation in your life where the answer did not come or did not come in the way you desired or expected?” Let me phrase that a little differently and say that I am convinced each of us has prayed for someone that did not get healed; mothers have prayed for their sons in times of war who did not come, and children or loved one’s lives have been snuffed out in a tragic accident even though we prayed for God’s protection and deliverance. I realize that is slightly different from what these three young men faced, but the question is still valid – “What If God Doesn’t?”
I fully believe that God can! His ability to perform the miraculous is not in question for me. I don’t even question His willingness and refer to numerous passages in the New Testament when someone said, “If you are willing?” Each time Jesus said, “I am willing.” One even said, “If you can,” and Jesus said, “IF I CAN?” Of course, He can, but What If?
I’ve ministered to people in tragedy, disappointment, and loss who waited until the event to decide how they would respond. Some wait until matters are critical to pray, seek God’s face and help, and then find themselves incredibly perplexed and troubled if things do not go as they desire. You do not wait until the shooting starts to prepare for war. You do not wait until the well runs dry to prepare for water. You do not wait until the pantry is empty to begin searching for food. You must plan, prepare, and decide before the crisis to survive the crisis.
These young men had determined in their hearts that they would serve God and not participate in worshipping anyone or anything other than Him. Before the Giant Statue and Edict came into existence, they and Daniel had determined in their hearts to serve God Regardless! No wonder the Bible says that Daniel had an “excellent spirit” in him. No wonder these young men find their way into the scriptural record. They had decided, settled the issue, and were confident God was trustworthy.
The King’s edict was, “Bow or burn.” Their answer to the King is powerful and continually encourages me in times of ease or difficulty. The place they had arrived and the position and condition of their hearts are where I strive to be and long to stand. They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you to this point.” Fascinating! “Hey, king, there is nothing to discuss the decision is already made.”
Hear what they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire….” There is no vacillation in their hearts or minds – GOD CAN! They continued, “…and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.” HALLELUJAH! Hear their commitment, confidence, and faith in this. God can; that is not a question or concern.
God will! That is amazing because it expresses their confidence that one way or another, God will rescue us from you, Mr. King. Notice the following statement, “But even if He Does Not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” In East Texas vernacular, “Bring it on, king! Bring it on! We ain’t gonna bow down!”
The key is commitment and confidence! The key is to trust so completely that even if death in the natural is the result, there will be no other gods before the Living God of Heaven. Even if God does not do what we ask or expect, we won’t bend even if we burn because We Trust God!
In our Christian Walk, it is critical to reach a place where we are so confident in God and completely committed to Him that we have no other thought than serving Him. That’s where the disciples were when imprisoned by the Sanhedrin, and Peter said, “Whom shall we obey, God or man?”
If we reach the place where the issue of bowing or burning is decided, we can face all the What ifs of life with complete peace. We live knowing that God Can and are confident that He Will, but IF HE DOESN’T, that changes nothing because, in the end, He still rescues us, and the reward is eternal. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul, and what is the benefit of gaining the whole world and losing our souls?
If you decide in advance that you will not bow even if you burn, your confidence will cause hell to tremble, and your peace will guide you safely through all the troubled waters of life.
I pray that God will richly bless you and enable you to abide under the shelter of His arms. Have a Great Day!
Ephesians 6:14-20 – “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” NKJV
The morning began a bit later than usual, and things look vastly different when that happens. The quietness and solitude are not so quiet, and many of God’s creatures are scurrying about. Yet, I still enjoyed my coffee, bible reading, and conversation with the Lord. He told me to “Get Dressed…”
I was praying for this country, her state, and what we can and should do to right the ship. He let me ramble for a while and heard my rants, fears, concerns, and complaints, and then finally, when I took a breath, I heard in my spirit, “Get dressed to go out to Battle. Get dressed to take a stand and not be moved. Get ready for the battle after the battle. Be prepared not just for the battle but for the war.” That stopped me in my tracks and caused me to think for a while, and after about an hour, I went inside to the computer.
We are to stand “wrapped” in truth, God’s truth. The truth that shall make us free! The truth that leads us to life! The truth is impeachable and impeccable! The Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Righteous! Wrapped in that truth is step one! Then, we are to have on the breastplate of righteousness. Our hearts must be covered with righteousness, not ours but His. Our righteousness is but filthy rags, but His righteousness is whiter than the driven snow. It is pure without human imperfections. Seek first the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!
That is when things happen, not before! Take the shield of faith. We must exhibit faith, trust, and confidence, settled assurance in Him, His word, His will, and His way. We are to walk in Total Confidence in Him and His promises without wavering. We must not be double-minded but steadfast in our confidence. We are to take the helmet of salvation.
It is most interesting that Salvation would be a helmet (head covering) because we must get our minds and thoughts right. We are to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We must immerse ourselves in God’s word and become so saturated with that word that if you cut us, we would bleed the word. So, we are always ready to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within us.
Finally, we are to Pray, which is the vital portion of this attire. We are to pray Always! Praying with ALL prayer and supplication in the spirit – watching with perseverance for all the saints, and then we can stand and stand boldly! It is then we can become unmovable, steadfast. Dressed up and ready to go to war and ready to go home if the need be but unmovable! Prepared for Battle!
We must fight the good fight of faith to see revival come to this world. We must continue to pray for our leaders and our land. We must continue to be clothed with God’s prescribed attire for battle and use the weapons of our warfare, which are mighty through God, to pull down strongholds. The battle is before us, and the Lord is with us; the only questions are – – Will we endure to the end? Will we, having done all to stand, stand? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
May the rich and bountiful blessing of the LORD be upon you as you go through your day. May the Lord of Hosts grant you peace and wisdom to do all that you have been commissioned to do on this beautiful day, He has made!
Proverbs 4:25-27 – “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.” NKJV
It is another beautiful morning with a refreshing breeze. It is going to be a scorcher, but right now, it is pleasant. The sun has not yet risen over the horizon, and the creatures have not begun to stir, so I sit in solitude, thinking of the things of God. I sit drinking my morning cup of coffee, reading my bible by the light of the book lamp and converse with the Lord. The thought that arose in my heart was, “Ponder the path of your feet….”
When we consider parental instructions, we almost always think in the natural realm, but we need to elevate our thinking to that of our Heavenly Father’s advice and counsel to us, His children. These three verses are filled with incredibly valuable counsel and should be heeded daily.
FOCUS – – The writer directs our thoughts to the need to focus on the journey and not become sidetracked by peripheral issues. We are to keep our eyes on the Cross, the empty tomb, and turn heavenward looking for the soon appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ the Righteous. We must “seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Our focus must be maintained lest our journey takes unnecessary detours and delays in reaching our destination.
PONDER – An Interesting word that, among other things, means to “roll flat,” “revolve,” or “weigh mentally.” It is a word that could be used to describe the road-building techniques of the Romans. They would grind to a powder and pulverize the rocks to make them into sand-like material that could be placed where they wanted the road or ramp and then roll them flat to compact them together and smooth. We need to ponder our path or make a smooth road out of life through the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
ESTABLISHED – We must ensure that our life course is fixed, settled, determined, and prepared. We do this through our relationship with Him, through our deep, settled commitment to Him and His purposes. We cover every plan, desire, and purpose with prayer, seeking His face for our every move, and walk in the quiet confidence of His guidance. We fix our eyes on Jesus, stay on the course, and run the race to its conclusion.
REMOVE – – We turn back from the past and press toward the prize of God’s High Calling in Christ Jesus. We remove our foot from evil by our complete surrender to Him. We resign as the captain of our fate and the master of our soul, allowing Him to be the Lord of All in our lives. We shun the very appearance of evil and cling to Him, the author and finisher of our faith.
We cannot walk this walk, run this race, and finish the course in victory without Him leading the way and being the Lord of all. The road is too rough, the race too long, and the path too uncertain to do it in our own strength. We must have Him to pilot our ship through the troubled waters of life. Jesus, you are my Captain and Lord of All to me! Guide my life! Guard my heart! Give me the grace to walk before you in all things!
May the Lord bless you as you go through your day in Him. Have a spectacular day on this wonderful day that the Lord has created for us!
Lamentations 3:22-24 –“The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.”
1 Corinthians 3:21-23 –“The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.”21 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”
As I read these two passages, my heart leaped for joy, and excitement welled up inside as I contemplated God’s goodness. I was immediately reminded of God’s incredible love and mercy! They NEVER end! The love, mercy, goodness, compassion, and provisions of God are new every morning. He is faithful, and He is our portion!
In Lamentations 3:49, the prophet expressed his remorse over the failure of Israel and said, “My eyes pour down unceasingly without stopping.” Then he set a time on the condition, “UNTIL Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees.” The idea is that if He sees it, He will act on our behalf.
There are many things to be gleaned from 1 Corinthians, but the indispensable catalyst to right thinking and victory, which produces right living, is found in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. “For ALL THINGS belongs to you.” (v.21). What can I say but Wow? He repeated that revelation at the end of v.22 and, in v.23, declared, “And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” That puts it all in perspective and is incredibly comforting.
Most of us worry over stuff! We fret over many things. We view our troubles, trials, difficulties, needs, lack, powerlessness, and inadequacy through the lens of our own ability. But, if we read what the apostle says and what the prophet declared, we realize that Everything Belongs to Us! Hallelujah!
I contend that the problem is that we do not believe it experientially, only theoretically. It is in our heads, not our hearts. The truth of that revelation has not become who we are. We see it out there somewhere and hope that it will be ours someday. We do not see ourselves as adequate or worthy of this promise. We are not spiritual enough and allow the devil to steal our hope and faith, relegating that truth to what super saints can expect and enjoy. We see it as maybe something in the sweet by and by but not for the here and now.
Hear me, please: If this revelation is true that ALL Things belong to us because we belong to Christ and He belongs to God, why do we struggle with this promise? The problem is that we need our minds reprogrammed to think God’s thoughts. One of the most effective ways to do that is to guard our lips. We must protect our ears and our eyes (what we listen to and watch). We must be careful how and what we allow to enter our consciousness.
Additionally, we need to change how we talk! We must train ourselves to say what God says, not what we see or hear from the devil or anyone. We need to agree with God and say what God says through the Word and the Spirit of God. The truth is that whatever we agree with, we give power to.
Abraham believed God and acted in hope! He hoped for what he believed. His was a hopeless situation. It was impossible in the natural, BUT GOD Said, and he chose to believe what God said.
Therefore, today would be a marvelous time to refuse to let negative and defeatist attitudes, words, or thoughts live in us. We must determine in our hearts that if God said it, no matter how things appear, we will agree with God, even to death. In that mindset, NOTHING will shake us from our confidence in God, His Promises, and His word! This is a new day of victory, so rejoice!
Have a fantastic day in Jesus! This is His day, and you are His, so it is your day!
Malachi 1:6-8 – “A son honors his father, and a servant his master; if then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. And if you say, in what have we despised thy name?7 In that you offer polluted bread upon my altar; and if you say, in what have we polluted it? In that you say, the table of the LORD is contemptible.8 And when you offer a blind animal to the altar, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick animals, is it not evil? Offer it now to your governor; will he be pleased with you or accept your person? says the LORD of hosts.”
As I read this passage, I was forced to ask myself some questions connected to the questions God asked these people. In it, I am forced to reexamine my personal relationship, commitment, and actions toward God and His Word.
As I prayed over this, it was as if the veil over my understanding was lifted, and my heart was challenged and drawn to the Lord. Here, God asked some challenging and even chastening questions. I have had people tell me that God does not chasten us because He loves us too much. That is diametrically opposite of love, and that is not God. He even declares that the one He loves He chastens. Chastening is a sign of being a daughter or a son.
His questions are germane to us today. His first question was, “IF,” and that is the big issue “IF, as you declare, I your Father, where is the honor you should be giving Me?” It is easy to say words that we do not mean in our hearts. God was not looking for affirmation via words but an affirmation of that truth via actions and the condition of the heart. These people said the right words but kept their hearts back. God was only Father in their verbiage, not their lives.
Then, God said, “IF” that pesky little word reappears. “You call me LORD (master); IF I am, then why don’t you have reverential fear and respect for Me?” They were dumbfounded. After all, they attended synagogue and went to the temple. They prayed their prayers and offered their offerings. Yet, God revealed that something was missing. It is not enough to attend church or even be actively involved. God is after the heart, not words or busyness.
They evidenced their lack of honor, fear, respect, and commitment in their offerings. God revealed that they were offering defiled food on the altar. What is that? In the simplest terms, it was giving God the second best or leftovers. It was the spare change in money and heart. It was what I call “Tipping Living.”
They were allowing the profane to thrive. They were feasting at the tables; they should have been overturning. God will accept no offering that is not pure (whole-heart commitment).
Malachi 2:17 – “You have wearied Me with your words.” Wow! That alone would be devastating, but He did not stop there. He said, “You say evil is good, and everybody and everything is okay.” Calling evil good and good evil incurs God’s disfavor, not His blessing.
Chapter Three deals with the tithe, which is far more than a percentage. It is about commitment, love, faith, and revelation. God invites us to put Him to the test and allow Him to prove to us His faithfulness. It is also a means to prove to the world God’s faithfulness. It becomes a light shining into the darkness.
I have learned that obedience, like nothing else, opens heaven to us. The promised blessings that He would bless UNTIL “it was beyond enough.” Are you experiencing God’s blessings, provisions, peace, and power UNTIL “it is beyond enough?” That indicated lavishness and abundance beyond human ability to comprehend. It is talking about far more than the material things of life.
Then, the promise is that God will rebuke and restrain the devourer. That sounds good to me! Having protection from corruption is inviting and appealing. That means we must ensure that our offerings to God (self and other things) are pure, not just our spare change or tips. God’s promise is a perpetual cycle of blessing and protection for His Glory! Money is not the focus; God is. God’s purpose is. The harvest is. Functioning in the fullness of God is.
We have a commission and a mission, and God, through Malachi, reveals a pathway to a greater measure of God’s presence, person, provision, and power. Therefore, we need to determine that we will give God nothing less than our best and our whole selves. Then, the promise kicks in that God, in return, gives us Himself, all that He is and has. Nothing, absolutely nothing, will be impossible for us.
What is our part? Faith and obedience. We need to train ourselves to expect God to do what He says He will do. We need to expect God’s promises to be realities NOW! We need to address our problems with God’s Word and give God our best – His Best is seen at the Cross.
Romans 6:1-7 – “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also being the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.” NASB
A preacher recently told me, “I’m dead to sin.” That is wonderful, and it should be our ambition, spiritually. However, during the conversation, he began complaining about how some situation was troubling him with the temptation to sin. He related how another problem was causing him grief and offense.
I waited until the conversation had continued a bit more and said to him, “You said you are dead to sin, right?” He very piously said, “ABSOLUTELY!” I asked, “How many dead people have you seen tempted, offended, or grieved?” He looked stunned, and I continued, “If you are truly dead to sin, then temptation should have no impact on you, nor should things offend.”
The problem is that this is a goal or prize we should aim for and attain, but it is often just that for most of us. We are pressing toward the mark but have not arrived. My experience in my own life and what I see in others is that we aim for it, strive for it, and work toward it, but too often, we find that it is not a fulfilled reality in our lives, at least on some level.
Maybe we need to rethink our understanding of salvation. Perhaps we need to ask the Holy Spirit for discipline and determination to walk out in life what the Bible declares about us. Once we come to Christ and have our sins forgiven, we enter into the newness of life. At that point, we are not perfect but find that our spiritual life is a progression and growth experience. We mature, develop, encounter, overcome, fail, succeed, and become more like Christ as we move through this dimension called time.
We should not now or in the future be slaves to sin because we have been set free from its bondage and chains through the Blood of Jesus. When we find that we are not quite as dead as we professed, it is time to head to the prayer closet, shut the door, and cry out to God for His help. It is time to allow the Holy Spirit to identify areas of our life that need radical spiritual surgery and those areas in which we are anything but dead so we can rise to the newness of life in Jesus through death to sin.
John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” NASB
Psalm 119:160 – “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” NASB
Several years ago, a dear child of God declared to me, “Jesus said it, I believe it, and that makes it so.” I did not challenge the individual then, but I have often thought about that statement. Is something true because Jesus said it, and we believe it?
I contend that a word is not true because God says it but that God says it because it is True! I also maintain that because we believe something has little to do with its veracity. Many people believe things that are quite wrong, so this person’s statement may comfort us, but it is erroneous in its beginning and, therefore, would end up in an erroneous destination.
The Bible tells usto be capable of giving a reason for the Hope within us and to be able to do so with calmness and reason and do so grounded in truth. Jesus’ declaration to the Father that Your Word is Truth is the basis and foundation for us.
Paul instructed Timothy to ‘rightly handle the Word of Truth’ in his ministry and life. We have an unshakable foundation to build our lives and faith when we conclude that God’s Word is Truth! It is not just because something is in the Bible that we depend on, but we depend on the truth that it is in the Bible because it is Truth that we anchor our hope and faith upon.
I have complete confidence in God and His Word and believe God only speaks what is True! I realize that some will say that I’m splitting hairs here, and maybe so, but in dealing with unbelievers, atheists, and agnostics, my approach has had more impact on them than the declaration I was told years ago.
When I approach it from the point of fact that God only speaks what is right and true, there has been a greater openness to my argument than when I declare, “It is in the Bible!” If a person does not believe the Bible, that declaration has little value. Still, when you begin to present your argument using the factual, scientific reason that what God has said is True and then rise to the point that God only speaks what is True, there is more ground to reason with them.
When I came to this way of thinking, my faith grew stronger, and my confidence in God became more pronounced. It has helped in some challenging times and times when everything around me was designed and directed at shipwrecking my confidence in God. The foundational conviction that God Only Speaks What is True gives me a foundational rock that life’s events cannot shake.
This may help you, and if it does, fantastic. Please consider this point of view as you face the many events of life and reach out to those who do not believe.
John 13:5-20 – “Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, ” If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason, He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 ” I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ 19 “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” NASB
The account of Jesus “washing the feet” of the disciples is incredibly powerful and meaningful both then and now. I can easily understand their reaction and wonder at what he was doing. They were still in a mindset of Jesus setting up an “Earthly Kingdom” and becoming “King.”
They envisioned positions of importance in that Kingdom he would establish as he threw off the yoke of the Sanhedrin and Rome, and here The King was assuming the role of a servant. That was more than their human nature could grasp. It tells me also that they had lost some of their understanding or had not yet achieved the level of understanding that in this Christian Walk, we are to “serve others,” not just be the lead and out front. We are not just to be “receivers” or “takers” but “givers” in every dimension.
I look around the church today, and too often, I hear the Lead Pastor saying, “My Church.” When I hear that, I cringe a little on the inside because it is not his church, my church, your church, their church, or any human’s church. It is God’s Church! Jesus said, “I will build MY CHURCH!”
Servant Leadership was his method and should be ours. There was never a question about his position or authority. Still, He refused to be placed on a pedestal and develop some kind of religious hierarchy that has invaded the church world of our time. It appears that we have lost some of the vision of the Church being The Body of Christ, and a body has many parts, with each part playing a particular role and having importance for the body to function to perfection.
When I see men of God appearing to lord, their position over people, I run the other way from that group. I have never felt that I had to demand people recognize my position because I knew and know that whatever gift I have from God will bring me before whomever I need to be brought before. That gift will be recognized and as I walk humbly before the Lord respected.
I do not like “titles” because they tend to separate or inflate. If you want them, that is between you and God; I will not trouble you with my personal belief. If Christ is exhibited in my life and the gift, He has placed in me is exercised under the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will be recognized and given what place of respect God deems appropriate.
Does that gift make me better than anyone else? Absolutely Not! It makes me unique only because it is my niche in God’s program, and you are unique in yours, and together we sow, water, nurture, and God gives the increase. We are a Body connected by every joint and sinew spiritually, with the Blood of Jesus flowing to every individual cell bringing life and health! That is the Glorious Church that Jesus is Building!
I pray that God will bless you as you go through your day, and I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to rekindle the “Spirit of Serving” in your heart in a new measure today.
Blessings abundantly as you go through the remainder of your week in Him!
Roy's Covenant Corner 