Exodus 3:13-14 – “Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” NASB

Some time back, I heard in my spirit the Lord saying, “Just Tell Them Who I Am!”  I heard it over and over again, day after day for weeks and when something like that will not lessen in its tug at my heart, I know it is something that I need to pay careful attention to.  As I prayed and meditated on God, the things of God, and the Purposes of God I realized that this was the cry of the Father that His children would come to a greater awareness of “Who He Is” and “Know Him.”

As I prayed, I sensed in my spirit the Lord saying, “When My people know me, fear will be gone.  They will be able to wait on Me, trusting My provision, love, and timing.  They will be able to take dominion, establish My Covenant, set the captives free, and walk victoriously in this life!  So, Tell Them Who I Am!”  That was an incredibly humbling experience and the pressure of that directive was staggering.  How could I do that in the way I felt God wanted and deserved?  I knew the deficiency in my own ability and my sense of weakness and incapability soared.  I understood how Moses must have felt as he stood at the burning bush. 

God’s motivation is always out of a heart of love.  His motivation and purpose are always demonstrated in His Covenant.  His Love ‘Hesed’ (Hebrew) and ‘Agape’ (Greek) is His heart and binds Him to His Covenant opening the door for us to become one with Him.  It is through God’s Love and His Covenant that He totally commits Himself to us. In Chapter 3 of the Book of Exodus, we discover several important realities about God and in His dealings with Moses that help us to “know” Him and relate to Him.

I want to begin considering some of those realities and will allow the Bible to do its own commentary.  I pray this will be an inspiration and beneficial for you and inspire you to Know Him beyond anything you have ever experienced and move deeper into Him and His Purposes.

HE IS – – In verse 6 we realize that He is not ‘a’ god but THE GOD of all creation. In Abraham, we see His Covenant, in Isaac we see His Provision and in Jacob we see the Transformation that occurs.  He is!  He is whatever the need is!  He is eternal, past, present, and future.  I AM is Who He is!

HE SEES – – In verse 7 we discover that He sees ALL.  “for I have surely seen…”  The Bible tells us that the eyes of God run to and fro through the whole earth looking for opportunities to show Himself strong on behalf of His people. (2 Chronicles 16:9).  In Psalms 34:15 – “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous.”  Psalms 33:18 – “The eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.”  Job 36:7 – “He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous.”  Psalm 139:12 – Darkness and light do not prevent Him from seeing.  Nothing escapes His notice.  He is the Seeing God!

HE HEARS – – In verse 7 we discover that He hears, “and have given heed to their cry…I am aware of their suffering.”  He is not an inanimate and unconcerned being, He hears, He sees, and He knows.  David said in Psalms 34:4 – “I sought the Lord and He heard me.”  In 34:15 – “His eyes are open to their cry.”  Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto Me and I will answer.”  John 14:3-14 – In that word of comfort from our Lord He reminds us that He Hears our prayers.  In 1 John 5:14-15 – “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”  That is powerful! 

God IS and never changes. God SEES and misses nothing.  God HEARS and is aware of everything.  I have just begun to scratch the surface of Who He is but will pause here and pick up more realities and declarations of Who He is in the next devotional.  God bless you as you make it your objective to discover Him more fully and Know Him completely. 

Have a Great Day!

1 Corinthians 8:1b – “…Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”  NIV

Romans 12:5 – “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”  NASB

It is incredibly clear in studying the Scriptures that “Disunity” is one of the most disruptive things that the New Testament Church faces.  It is also, clear that “Unity” is high on the list of the most needed and most powerful force the Church can have.  “Unity” can only be realized through the work of the Holy Spirit in the manifestation of “Agape Love.”

I believe it would be impossible to casually read the New Testament without realizing that God has a unique plan for every believer.  God desires that every believer become a functioning member of the church.  I believe that is revealed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.  He tells us in Ephesians 4:15-16 that as Christians we are to “Speak the truth in love.”  As we do, we will “in all things grow up into Him who is the head, that is Christ.  From Him, the whole body is joined and held together by every supporting ligament, and grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Repeatedly, the writers of the New Testament exhorted believers to engage in specific activities that would enable the Body of Christ to function effectively and grow spiritually.  Frequently they used a unique word to describe this mutual and reciprocal process, it was “Allelon” or one another.  It is used 58 times in the New Testament and Paul used in 40 times.

Some of these concepts are repeated from letter to letter, but when all the “one another” exhortations are studied carefully and grouped together according to specific meaning, they can be reproduced in twelve significant actions that Christians are to take toward “one another.”

The greatest of these is LOVE.  This Agape Love is the ‘more excellent way’ of 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 13:13. The exhortation to “Love one another” appears more frequently than all the rest.  Of the 48 references to what we are to do for “one another”, as believers, 11 times we are told to “Love one another.”  Then, if we add the commands of our LORD to “Love one another” the list grows to 16 times.  That reveals the importance and significance of us Loving one another.

It goes without saying that “Love” is the most important issue for the believer in the New Testament.  To love fellow believers is a basic injunction of the New Testament and is evidence of a Spirit-filled Life and Salvation.  In Colossians 3:14 we read, “And over all these virtues put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”  Then in 1 Peter 4:8, we discover, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

When we consider the directives of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples it comes as no surprise that the New Testament would place such an emphasis on Love.  In John 14:34-35, He declared, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must Love on Another.  All men will know that you are My disciples if you Love on Another.”  How’s that for emphasis?

The truth is that all the actions that we are enjoined to take toward “one another” are wrapped up in the singular directive of “Love in Action.”  The apostle Paul sensed that truth as he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Philippians 1:9-11 saying, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so that you are able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Chris, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

We could solve most of the problems of the church and the world if we received and demonstrated God’s, Agape Love!  I believe that would produce one of the greatest revivals and awakenings the Church has ever seen.  We will address this again in the next devotional but until then may the rich and bountiful blessings of our Lord be upon you.

Have a great day!

2 Timothy 2:26 – “and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” NASB

We begin today’s discussion with the question we ended the last devotional with, “How can the devil take anyone captive, especially a Christian against his will?”  We noted that in 2 Timothy 2:26 it is made clear that is a possibility but how?

If you look closely you will see the connection between strife, disharmony and the devil’s ability to take people captive.  If you will take note, you will also see that the absence of strife is connected to the ability to remain free from the devil’s bondage.  Sadly, too often, people in Church excuse their disharmony and strive with others insisting that there was no real harm done only disagreement.  However, we find here that the devil gains a foothold and is enabled to come in and operate at his will and against ours.  He affects us and those we are in disharmony with and thereby the church and the world.  It is no wonder that we are instructed to STOP THE STRIFE!

This is powerfully amplified in James 3:14-16 – “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” 

In this passage we discover that if we have bitter envying and strife, we have confusion and every evil work.  A reality that cannot be overlooked is that ‘strife’ opens the door to ‘confusion’ and every evil work.  Strife allows the devil to come in where he has no authority and operate freely.  It is essentially his welcome mat.  It gives him an opportunity and he is always opportunistic.  Therefore, the key is to STOP STIFE and STOP THE DEVIL!

In James Chapters 3-5 we have detailed instructions and revelations on how to keep strife at a minimum or eradicate it completely.  Two pertinent facts leap off the page for me:  It is always a matter of the heart and it is always a matter of our will.

James 3 deals with the Tongue.  The description of the tongue being an ignition switch for fires of all kinds is apropos and germane.  The tongue can either bless or curse, bring peace or discord.  The choice of how we use it is up to us.  We can through the work of the Holy Spirit TAME THE TONGUE!  James 4 informs us how and why Strife comes and issues the exhortation to ‘submit’ to God and ‘resist’ the devil.  He adds, that we are not to speak evil one to another.

What is Strife?  I ask that you take a brief journey through Proverbs for a clear understanding of what it is, how it comes, and how to prevent it.

Proverbs 15:18 – “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger pacifies contention.”

Proverbs 16:28 – “A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends.” 

Proverbs 17:1 – “Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting with strife.” 

Proverbs 20:3 – “Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel.” 

Proverbs 22:10 – “Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease.” 

Proverbs 26:17, 20-21 – “Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him… 20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. 21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.”

Proverbs 28:25 – “An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.”

Proverbs 29:22 – “An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.” 

Proverbs 30:33 – “For the churning of milk produces butter, and pressing the nose brings forth blood; so, the churning of anger produces strife.”

If you will read Philippians 2:1-5 you will discover a powerful way to keep strife at bay. My point is that we have the choice of whether we allow strife to enter and abide.  Therefore, we have the choice of whether we become captives of the devil. 

Let me conclude in this manner, if the presence of strife, envying and self-seeking produce confusion and every evil work then the converse is also true.  If we eliminate those things from our midst and lives, we bring harmony, love, peace, and a God-centered environment and the devil loses his base of operation.  No wonder Paul contended in Romans 13:13-14 that we are to make no provisions for the flesh.

We need to make a conscious decision to resist strife, envy, and disharmony.  If it comes, we must immediately repent and stop it on the spot.  We are God’s instruments and we have His commission, His love, and His Spirit.  We can Stop the Devil, so Let’s Do It!

God bless you as you enjoy this day!

Deuteronomy 12:1-3 – “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 And you shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods, and you shall obliterate their name from that place.”  NASB

In the considering the idea of Dispossessing in order to Possess our Promises in God, we must consider several elements involved in this process.  None of them can be omitted and each of them leads to the next action.  In order to Dispossess the enemy, we must:

DISCERN or Mark the Enemy.  It is imperative that we develop an understanding of that enemy or know them and base our conclusions on the revealed Word and Will of God.  We must understand our legal claim and the enemy’s legal defeat.  It took place at the Cross and in the Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus.  He Won and through Him we Win. 

DISDAIN or Despise our Enemy.  No, not hate the individual humans but the devil and his hordes and what he has and is doing to people.  We must reject all claims of the enemy and even learn to belittle them through the Word of God.  What I mean is remind them repeatedly of their past, present, and future through the work of our Lord Jesus on the Cross. 

DISCLOSE or Uncover and Expose the Enemy.  We must bring them to the Light of God’s Word and Truth.  When they are exposed, we realize they are not the all-powerful force they pretend, and many have believed.  They are defeated!

DISCOMFORT or Bring Terror to their hearts and minds through the Word of God and the Victory of Jesus.  Remember the words of the harlot in Jericho?  She said to the spies, “When we heard, our hearts melted.”  The demonstration of God’s Power and Authority brings terror to the hearts of the enemy of our souls.

DISINHERIT the enemies and Seize Possession of the Promise.  We evict the illegal squatters on our promise.  We then occupy the place of promise and we set up defenses to resist the devil and keep them out. 

I am fully convinced that when and if the Body of Christ truly understands what Jesus has accomplished, we will live differently.  I believe that when we know that Jesus, as us and for us, totally defeated the devil and has given us power and authority over them, we will think and live differently.  Therefore, if He did it as me and for me, then the authority He has, I have!  He is the head and we are the body.

We need to let embrace this truth and allow it to become anchored in our thinking. We must never forget that ever demon we face has already been defeated at the Cross.  They experienced defeat!  There are no new demons being born, demons don’t have babies.  You are not battling some new demonic army of reinforcements.  Jesus defeated the ALL at the Cross and they are defeated!

He has made it perfectly clear that when we speak His Word and go in His Power and Name, they have to obey us, just as they have to obey Him, because “greater is He  that is in us than he that is in the world.”

What do we do?  We Identify the Enemy and our Inheritance.  We reject their deceit, lies, deception, and intimidation and begin to intimidate them through the Word of God.  We bring them to the Light of Truth and expose them.  We move them out of their fortified positions through the Word of God and unsettle them.  We take from them the territory they have illegally occupied and move onto and into our inheritance.

How do we do that?  By Faith!  I ask that you read Colossians 2:9-17 and I believe it will help us understand what Jesus did and what we can do in and through Him.  It is time to Dispossess the squatters and illegals from our Place of Promise and Possess the Promises and live the Abundant Life He Promised and Won for us at the Cross.

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