1 John 4:16 – “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  NASB

I have discovered something perplexing about the Christian walk many seem to have with God.  Many of us, seem to move from mountaintop to long and lonely valleys frequently.  We have momentary flashes of God’s Glory in which we are elevated into His presence, then we fall back into our valleys until the next burst of His glory. 

That pattern does not seem to fit the pattern of Jesus or His disciples in the New Testament.  If David, with all his mistakes, sins, shortcomings, and problems could attain the abiding presence of God, why can’t we?  We have a better covenant established upon better promises, so why do we fall prey to this predicament?  We have the fullness of the Holy Spirit, Unlimited Grace, and the fullness of God’s two covenants. So why do we suffer this plight?

Another question in my mind is, “Is it possible to break this erratic crisis-oriented approach to God’s presence and learn to Abide Continually in Him?”  Can we make that kind of spiritual turnaround and have, as the norm of our lives, Praise and Presence rather than Petition and Work? 

I don’t know about you, but I am Hungry!  I am Thirsty and tired of living for momentary flashes of God’s Glory and Presence and desire to have Permanent Residence in His Presence.  I want His Kingdom to Come, the atmosphere of heaven to be present, and learn to live in a culture that is His Kingdom and His Purpose.  I want more!  If anyone in human history has moved and operated and lived in His presence, I want to!

With that thought in mind, I am reminded of two parallel verses in the Psalms. One is in Psalms 15 and the other in Psalms 24.  There is a distinct and clear contrast, yet both Psalms asks essentially the same question, “What does a man have to do to enter the presence of God.”  That is a question worthy of asking and one for which I want an answer.

Psalm 24:3 – “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?  Or who shall stand in His Holy place?”

Psalm 15:1 – “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy Holy hill?”

One speaks of ascending into God’s presence and the other of abiding in His presence.  One desires to stand in God’s presence even if momentarily and the other wants to live there!  I want the latter while enjoying the former.  I have tasted God’s Glory in my life. 

Mankind has as is recorded in various outpourings of His Spirit in spiritual awakenings in human history.  On the Day of Pentecost in Acts, we find the first wide-scale outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon mankind.  We have recordings of people in many different denominations having an incredible spiritual awakening and the presence of God.  Men and women met God and would never be the same again. 

We cannot box it, package it, or bottle it we must receive it personally.  The Psalmists see the problem and express it with the cry of their souls.  They desire to come into the presence of God and ask, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?”  The answer was: “He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”  (Psalm 24:4).  Actions, attitudes, motives, and inward cleansing are part of the process.

I have only scratched the surface but will pause here and pick this up again next time or in another devotional. Until then, let us all pursue His Presence as a place of Permanent Residence.  

God bless you as you seek Him with a whole heart!

Psalms 22:1-3 – “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but Thou dost not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”  NASB

Isaiah 29:13 – “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me…” KJV 

Ezekiel 33:31 – “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.”  KJV

The clear picture and truth from God’s word are that “God desires truth in the inward parts.”  Flattering lips are and have always been an abomination to Him.  We should never forget that God is Omniscient, He knows our hearts.  He is Omnipresent, He sees, hears, and knows.  Remember David’s declaration, “If I make my bed in hell or ascend into heaven, God is there.”  He knows when we sit down and when we stand up.  He knows what we do, why we do it, and who we are.  There is no hidden from Him!

God desires our lives not insincere praise.  Romans 12 reminds us that the desire of God is “Living Sacrifices.”  James 2:17 reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” And in 4:17 we are reminded that “knowing to do good and not doing it is sin.” 

God has Expectations!  That is an understatement but true.  Omission is as great a sin as commission.  I’ve heard some say, “But I didn’t do anything, and I sometimes say, ‘That’s the problem!”  If a medical doctor refused to treat a patient, he/she is just as bad as the person who shot them.  Why, because, he did nothing.  Remember the Bible story where one son said, “I will, but did not” and the other said, “I will not, but did” what their father requested.  God praised the doer, not the other son.

Moses delivered Israel by actions, not simply by words or promises.  Gideon delivered Israel by actions, not words of praise.  David slew Goliath by actions, not pompous declarations.  The Early Church reached its world by actions, not simply words of praise or adulation.  They Worked!  A bird with one wing does not fly well.  We need Praise & Thanksgiving, but we also need Action.  If you tell your wife that you love her cooking but always find an excuse to eat elsewhere, she won’t believe you.  Christian Living involves action as well as testifying and declaration.

Exodus 20:3 warns that we are to have “no other Gods before our God.”  That is sometimes done without realizing it.  Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21, “not everyone who professes will make it to heaven.”  In Matthew 6:33 our LORD taught that God’s Kingdom and God Himself are to be pursued before and above any other pursuit in life.  Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me do My Words.”  In Luke 6:46 our LORD warns, why bother calling Him LORD if we are not going to do what He says?  1 John 5:3 declares, “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous.” 

Our lives make our testimonies powerful or pitiful!  Our actions are the vehicles through which things get done.  God wants committed lives, not flowery words.  God wants the total man, not a small allotment that we can’t use elsewhere.  God wants lives filled with love for Him, not love for everything else under the sun.  God wants lives to be used as vessels to carry his glorious truths, not broken cisterns or bags with holes.

God is looking for men and women who will totally commit to Him, “Can he find that person in you?”  I ask that you make this declaration: “Father, I choose You above everything.  I am willing to remove all that takes Your rightful place and position in my life.  Father, I give myself to you totally and completely.  I am Yours, do with me as You choose.”

God bless you as you continue your journey in His Grace!

Psalms 8:1 – “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!”  NASB

Psalms 8:4 – “What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?”  NASB

The entire Book of Psalms is loaded with glorious truths which excite the heart exploding in a new sense of spiritual power and purpose.  When we read the Psalms, we can, or we should come away with a new awareness of God’s majesty and His incredible love for his creation including man. Here in Psalm 8, David gives us a new infusion of Hope and a sense of security in God.

The first verse begins with the revelation of the declaration of God as the Sovereign of the Universe.  In verse three he draws our attention to God’s Glory, God’s Work, and God’s Power.  Then in verse four, he draws a clear contrast between God and man. 

In comparison to God, man is utterly insignificant.  He is incredibly helpless, insignificant, frail, and useless.  In contrast to God’s Glory, Majesty, Power, and Perfection, man seems totally and hopelessly imperfect.  In contrast to God’s Creation the question must be asked, “What is man?” 

It is easy for us to feel the unworthiness of mankind and allow that to develop to the point that we begin to feel completely unwanted and unnecessary.  Tragically, many have a sense of worthlessness to the point that they believe the lie of hell that they are without value to God or anyone.  That leaves them in a condition of hopelessness and in that state, they drift farther and farther from their purpose and God’s presence.  However, in the eyes of God, as revealed in this Psalm, you are important to God and far more important than you may have imagined.

One thing every person needs to embrace in the face of trial, tribulation, or persecution is: “You are important to God!”  You are important enough for Him to care and provide for you.  Consider the Cross and the myriad of Promises and Provisions the Gospels alone details.  If God did not love us and if we had no value to Him, He would have abandoned us long ago and mashed us like unwanted bugs. 

I would like to remind you of several things and hope they bring comfort and inspire hope in your hearts and minds.Man is More Valuable Than All the Creatures on Earth.  Consider Genesis 1:26 where we find that God gave man dominion over all His creatures.  Realize that none but man has a living soul.  In fact, the animals became a source of food and clothing for man, indicating that man is of a higher order in God’s creation.

Man is More Valuable Than All the Creatures on Earth.  

Consider Genesis 1:26 where we find that God gave man dominion over all His creatures.  Realize that none but man has a living soul.  In fact, the animals became a source of food and clothing for man, indicating that man is of a higher order in God’s creation.

Man Was Created in the Image and Likeness of God.  He is the reflection of God.

The Soul of Man is Worth More Than the Earth Itself. 

Matthew 16:26 makes that truth a clear reality.  God, in the Bible, ascribes unparalleled worth to man’s soul.  The amazing thing is that the God who knows everything about us still loves us.

Man is Important Enough for God to Be Willing to See Christ’s Blood Shed in the Ultimate Sacrifice for Man. 

John 3:16 reveals the incredible love of God for us and Romans 5:8 identifies that it is not because of our goodness but His grace that He extends to us the Grace and Mercy of God in salvation.

Man is Important Enough for Jesus To Return for Us.  

John 14 should calm all our fears and keep us focused on the reality that Jesus is coming for those who wait for Him, walk after Him, and watch for Him. 

When we consider the provisions, He has made we can feel the clutches of darkness that creates a sense of unworthiness and unlove in us bring us peace.  We can know and should realize that no matter how inferior we may feel, how unimportant we may believe we are, or any thoughts of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness we may feel – God Values Us Highly!

Never Forget that God considers you worth the Blood of Christ!   May your day be spectacular and the Peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds on this beautiful day!

Blessings Abundantly Today!

Psalm 1

The Holy Spirit quickened my heart with that question a great many years ago.  It was in my meditation and reading time and I was reading Palms 1.  It was not an audible voice but a voice that was unmistakable.  It was in a time, the church I was leading was prospering and growing.  Things were good on virtually every front, so the question seemed to be out of place but having learned to carefully listen and evaluate what the Spirit of God asked, I waited for Him.

The first Psalm is an incredible opening to the Book of Psalms.  It is a book of worship and praise but the perfect epitome of the entire book.  I a few words it gives us a beautiful overview of the message of the Psalms in a neat small package. 

It begins like the Sermon on the Mount with the word “Blessed.”  The word is a plural word, and hast to be rendered, “O the happiness of the man…”  He is not only blessed but blessed with all spiritual blessings.  That is powerful and revealing.

The truly Happy Man must be considered in a two-fold manner.  He has a Negative Character and a Positive Character.  I would like to briefly break them down for your consideration and then you can answer the title question, “Are You Happy?”

His Negative Character reveals that there are some things he will not do.  I call it negative but truly it is positive.  I call it negative because of those do not or will not’s imposed on each character or quality.  He will not do those things not because he cannot do them, but he chooses not to do them. He has something much better to enjoy than those things.  He has something much more fulfilling and rewarding to enjoy and pursue.

He Does Not Walk in The Counsel of the Ungodly.  He knows the way of the wicked will perish and he avoids their pathway and pattern of life.  He knows the wicked walk in the broad way of destruction and avoids it.  His manner of life is not directed or determined by the wisdom of this world but the Word of God.

He Does Not Stand in the Way of Sinners.  In the word sinners, I mean, those who purposefully transgress God’s laws.  If he were to abide in their way or participate in their lifestyles, he would be evidencing that he is more at home in that world than in the counsel of God, and he rejects it.  He shuns the very appearance of evil.

He Does Not Sit in the Seat of the Scoffer.  If one walks in the counsel of the ungodly it will not be long before they sit in the seat of the scoffer and become negative, doubtful, and question God.  This is to walk after one’s own lusts and allow the eyes of the flesh to rule the life rather than the Spirit of God.

His Positive Character is revealed in some wonderful attributes.  He is Joyful.  He has many blessings, but his delight is the Law or the Word of God.  I have often told people that the Christian life is not what we give up but what we get. 

He is Thoughtful.  He meditates on the Word of God continually.  That is consistent whether he is enjoying prosperity or the night of adversity.  He knows that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  As the disciples told our LORD, “Where would we go, You have the words of life?”

He is Hopeful.  He is always filled with expectation.  He is like the tree that spreads its root out by the river, it does not wither or fade.  It is always nourished by the Word of God.  He is not living by success or bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 

He is Faithful.  The fruit of his life is visible to all and provides nourishment and encouragement to others.  He is filled with the Spirit of God and the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in his life daily.  He is always ready to give an answer for the reason of hope that is in him.  He is instant in season and out of season.  He is faithful because He knows that God is faithful.

He is Beautiful.  You may scratch your head at that one, but consider the words, “whose leave also doth not wither.”  There is a vital connection between the root and the leaf.  No one can see your roots, but they see your fruit and that fruit brings beauty to a very ugly world.

He is Successful.  “Whatsoever he does shall prosper.”  That is incredible.  Whatsoever?  Imagine living a life where you virtually have the Midas touch and whatever you do prospers.  Do you imagine that others might want to discover your secret?  It is Jesus!

The Contrast is that the Happy Man or Woman is other than or opposite of the World.  The ungodly are lawless and are like chaff, not fruit-bearing trees.  The Happy Man is not blown about by situations, circumstances, moods, or opinions.  1 John 2:17 declares, “Only he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”  Matthew 5:13, the words of Jesus, “Every plant that My heavenly Father hath not planted will be rooted up.”

So my question is “Are You Happy?”  If not, turn to Jesus and He will bring complete peace and contentment to your soul.  In that state and as you “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” you will find the state of Happiness you desire.

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

John 10:1-18

I will refer to this text passage without listing it verbatim.  I encourage you to read it as we examine the principle of defeating the devil and stopping the thief in our lives, spiritually.  We can live higher than what we do, most of the time, because of what Jesus has done and done in us, for us, and does through us.

God has made provision for us to defeat the devil.  Jesus declared that He came, according to 1 John 3:8, to “destroy the works of the devil.”  In 1 John 4:7 we are informed that “as He is, so are we in this world.”  Also, in John 14:12, our LORD declared, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.”  Then in Luke 10:19 Jesus declared, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”  That is part of our Promise and Provision “in this world!”  We won’t need that power in heaven, there won’t be in devils there.

We need, no we must become what I call Word Conditioned.  In John 15:7 we read, “If you abide in Me (Jesus), and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  If we make that a reality in our lives and become saturated with God’s Word and His Spirit, we will cease being deceived by the thief.  We will begin to exercise authority and dominion over the devil and utilize our weapons of warfare that are mighty in God.

We need the Eyes of our Understanding opened.  We also need to grasp the principle of The Law of Retribution as described and detailed in Exodus 22:1-9.  The thief had to restore in multiples.  Today’s laws do not make that requirement, but they should.  The retribution was from double to 7 times, depending on the item and the situation.  No need for jail time, because the thief virtually had to go to work for the person from whom they stole until the debt was paid. 

In human courts, there are times when it is unlawful for a person to defend their own property.  In some states, in America, if a thief is injured in your home, you must pay for his medical expenses.  That is ludicrous!  Usually, there is no recourse for you in recovering the loss you suffered.  That is tragic!

But, in God’s Court, there is a place for retribution and recovery.  That makes knowing the Laws of God incredibly important, especially in spiritual matters.  We have been armed with weapons of warfare that are Mighty through God to the Pulling Down of Strongholds.  Two factors are vital:  We must know the Law and we must catch the thief.

The devil’s strategy is what I call Perception Deception.  He wants us to perceive that he is all-powerful and thereby deceive us into believing that there is nothing we can do about his lawlessness.  The only power that the devil truly has is deception!  You may not agree, but if you examine scripture you will find I am right.  I am not suggesting that you taunt him, turn you back on him, or say something as foolish as, “Take your best shot!”  If you study, you will find that what began as a snake in the garden is a dragon in Revelation.

I have a question: “How did he grow so much?”  Let me oversimplify it by saying, We did it!  How? Through deception.  I remember in testimony services in church people would stand and virtually praise the devil by talking about what all he was doing to them.  He sounded as if he was all-powerful, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  He is not! 

The LORD quickened me years ago, to stop preaching about the devil’s power and talk about his defeat. I was challenged to begin exposing the deception.  The church has been giving illegitimate power to the devil for decades if not centuries.  Instead of preaching about our power over the devil we have heard about the devil’s power.  If you believe the devil has the authority and power to kill you, he will.  If you believe that he has the power and authority to rob you, he will.  If you believe he has the power and authority to destroy you, he will.  He will do to us whatever we allow him to do.  It is time for us to believe God not the devil and defeat fear.

Hebrews 1:14-15 reveals a truth that too often we seem to miss.  Read it and note this truth: the devil had the power of death, but Jesus came and defeated him, now he has no power and is not one to be feared.  I suggest that the only thing the devil can steal from you in his own power is “The Word of God.”  However, if he achieves that goal, then he takes everything else too.  The real battle is in our minds and that is why we need for Jesus to be the LORD of our Minds.

I hope this has challenged you to find out what God says, believe what God says, and begin to practice what God says!  We are more than conquerors through Jesus!  We overwhelmingly conquer through Jesus.  We are the head, not the tail.  We are victorious not defeated.  Live victoriously, as He is in his present world!

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

John 10:1-18

I am not going to insert all eighteen verses in the short devotional but urge you to read those words of our LORD regarding the criminality of the devil toward the Body of Christ.  There are several things that bother me greatly in this life.  I become angry each time I witness the ravages of the devil on mankind, both in the natural and in the spiritual.  It produces incredible angst in my heart that, too often, we in the Body of Christ, are either unable or unwilling to assume and appropriate our Rightful Inheritance in Christ.  It bothers me that, too frequently, we live beneath the Promises and become battered by the works of darkness.

In the natural, it is a great irritant to see theft.  It is doubly disturbing when I see God’s people having their heritage and promises stolen from them.  But what bothers me, even more, is the blasé attitude, deception, and willingness of God’s people to accept that as the norm.  It is not, and we should never be willing to passively allow the enemy of our souls to steal from us without a fight.

I want to address several things in this devotional.  We have been ‘lied to.’  That’s right, lied to! Tragically, sometimes that deception has come at the hands of well-meaning preachers who have relegated the Promises and the Power of God to bygone eras.  We have too frequently been ‘ripped off’ spiritually, physically, and economically.  The devil, in various ways, has ‘lied to’ the Church and we have, like Adam & Eve bought into his deception.  I’m here to exposes those lies!

The Devil has launched a two-pronged attack on the Body of Christ.  One arm of that attack has been Deception.  I am convinced that the devil loves it when we adopt the victim mentality.  He rejoices when we blame our circumstances, environment, the times, the system we live in, our gender, or our race or ethnicity.  If he can manipulate us into turning our focus in the wrong direction, he has achieved a major victory, because he makes us impotent spiritually.  When we focus wrongly we act wrongly and fail to detect and identify the real thief and appropriate God’s Promises.

Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness.  It is high time that God’s people realized that they have been stolen from.  It is time that we recognize who the real thief is and begin to reclaim all our lost possessions.  Finally, it is imperative that we press the case to the reception of Full Restoration. 

The second prong of the attack of the enemy is Fear.  That is one of the major tools used by the deceiver.  Tragically, too often the church has played into his hands.  How?  One of the most prolific examples is in our Preaching and Testimonies.  We have publicized and proclaimed that the devil is strong, mighty, and at times, it appears that some give him a spiritual power equal to God.  THAT IS A LIE OF HELL!  He is not, never has been, and never will be.  He is a Created Being not Omnipotent.

He does have power and is not to be taken lightly, but his power is limited, and Jesus stripped him of all authority at the Cross and in the Resurrection.  Jesus has given us authority over all the power the devil has.  We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  That is either true totally or not at all.

The devil must operate through deception to have any success.  If he can plant a seed of fear in our hearts he gains an edge.  An edge that we give him through our deception and fear.  God has provided for us to ‘defeat’ the devil.  But, for that to happen we must become Word Conditioned and we must allow Jesus to be the Lord of our Minds.  We have incredibly mighty weapons of warfare and we have the assured promise of the Bible that Jesus is the Same past, present, and future.  Therefore, why do we not exercise the power and authority the Bible declares we have? 

I encourage you to turn to the Bible and whatever it declares that Jesus did, know that if He did it then, He is still doing it and still capable of doing it now!  He said, that the works He did we would do and even greater works because He has gone to the Father.  We have the Power of the Holy Spirit so let’s pull down strongholds and resist the devil. 

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

Psalm 103:1-5 – “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;  3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;  4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” NASB

Often when I am around other believers the topic will turn to Praise and how important and valuable it is. Unfortunately, too often we make it an option rather than an essential in our walk.  For some, it is a part of the Sunday morning ritual rather than a cornerstone of our daily life.  It is relegated to a brief time during the Sunday service rather than a fixture in life.  That strips it of much of its power and benefit and robs the individual of an endeavor that God has offered to lift us into His presence in a more pronounced and powerful manner.

Praise is a natural and normal part of life.  In fact, it is only considered abnormal or in need of restriction when it is associated with Religious Gatherings.  Manufacturers praise their products.  Parents praise their children.  Men praise their automobiles.  Women praise their hairdressers or wardrobes.  Children praise, sportswriters and coaches praise.  Politicians praise, preachers praise.  If you think about it, life is filled with praise of one kind or another.  It is normal and natural.  It is ingrained into our nature to spontaneously give praise to whatever or whomever we value.  Therefore, if God is among the things we value it is normal and natural to release our inner being in praise to Him!

It is not because God needs our praise but because we need to offer Him praise.  We need to hear our selves praise Him. There is a release in our spirits that is incredibly powerful as we do.  Something happens inside of our innermost being in the activity of praise!

Let me give you an example in the natural.  The crowd at a football game would, virtually if not literally, go crazy were they not allowed to express themselves when their team scored a touchdown.  The team did not need the praise to score they scored before the crowd began praising.  It was the spectators who benefited by clapping, yelling, standing, waving their hands, hats, and/or banners.  Yet, when it comes to religious gatherings that is sometimes forbidden and frowned upon as being inappropriate!  Did you ever question how a touchdown is more deserving of an outward demonstration of appreciation than God?

I’ve noticed that it is the humblest of souls, the most balanced and open-minded that praise the most and the cranky, malcontented praise the least.  Praise seems to be inner health made audible.  The very word Hallelujah demands an outward demonstration of praise.  Hallel – praise.  Oou – Our.  Jah – God.  Praise is an expression of inner health, but it wasn’t inner health that caused the crowd to praise at the ballgame.  There was an outward stimulus!  The praise was in direct proportion to the stimuli.  That is another reason why the more we talk about Jesus, focus on Him, His person and work the easier it is to Praise Him!

Praise,for most people much of the time, does not flow easily.  It is something that has to be pressed into because most people begin in the outer court.  The temporal is so large in our thinking and living that Praise and entering into the inner court requires an act of our will.  It is when we instruct our flesh to come to attention and determine that we will praise the Lord!  We make the choice to rejoice and enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  We have to allow the Holy Spirit to help us bridge the gap between the heavenly and the earthly realms and this is accomplished through Praise!

If we could grasp the truth that Praise brings pleasure to the heart of God, it would dramatically affect how we view it.  We read in Psalm 149:41 – “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people.”  Psalm 104:1 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”  In Revelation 4:11 – “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive Glory and Honor, and Power: For thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Then in Ephesians 1:12 we read that we are to be the Praise of God’s Glory!  I want you to understand that God literally derives pleasure, gratification, and enjoyment out of our praise.  Imagine that, we can do something that brings pleasure to God not to mention what it produces within our inner being.

I urge you to allow Praise to become a normal natural part of your daily relationship with God!   Blessings as you go through your day!

Proverbs 12:25-28 – “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. 26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. 27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession. 28 In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.” NKJV

Proverbs offer a plethora of wisdom that too often we read for quantity rather than quality and skim over some incredibly powerful words of wisdom.  I have been guilty and I’m reasonably sure that most of you have as well.  The Spirit of the Lord has been challenging me more and more to cease doing that and carefully muse upon each word, sentence, and paragraph as I read and study the scripture.  It has proven to be a dynamic endeavor and I’ve gleaned more from passages that I formerly only gave a cursory reading to.

The words of wisdom, found in these four verses, are an example of the wealth of pearls to be found in the Book of Proverbs.  Each could be examined solitarily but I will highlight them and allow you to do further study and examination to find that which the Lord would speak to your heart from these treasures.

• Anxiety in the heart produces depression contrasted to a good word bringing a vivacious spirit.

When we allow anxiety, fear, or worry to take a dominant place in our thinking the result will be depression but if we give or receive a ‘good word’ from God’s word we will find that our spirits soar and become alive with excitement and anticipation.  Depression arises from an ‘inward focus’ or a ‘focus on self’ but the spirit soars when the focus is on God.

• Careful selection of friends or those you come into an alliance with is critical because those of ill repute and walk in wickedness will bring you down.

The old saying ‘birds of a feather flock together, and a little leaven leavens the entire lump’ is surely applicable and factual.  I’ve known young people who became so infatuated with a member of the opposite sex that they wanted to immediately marry them.  They thought and declared that they could and would affect a positive and godly change in the other person only to find that the reverse was true and endured a miserable relationship.  It is important to surround yourself with people who demonstrate a positive faith and character.

• The contrast between laziness and diligence.

The translation of this word to ‘roast’, in verse 27 is a most interesting one.  The Hebrew word is ‘charak’ and comes from the primitive root – ‘to braid, entangle, snare, or catch in a net.’  Some translations render it as ‘the slothful man will not secure (keep in his net) what he takes in hunting’.  He will let whatever he gains slip from his hands through a lack of effort and attention.  Laziness produces lack and diligence produces abundance or adequate provision at the minimum.

• Righteousness leads to life whereas unrighteousness leads to death.

No wonder Jesus said, ‘Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few will find it.’  The path of least resistance is almost never the best way to go.  The pathway to destruction is broad and wide with few visible obstacles but the pathway to life is filled with obstructions placed there by the evil one in an attempt to discourage and shipwreck our journey.

I am quite sure that as you read these and give them thought the Holy Spirit will highlight some areas for you to delve deeper into and embark on a journey to implement them into your life. 

Therefore, as you immerse yourself in God’s truth I bid you a good day and pray God’s blessings upon you!

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  NASB

I had a person tell me, some years ago, that they didn’t let their co-workers know they were Christians because they feared discrimination in the workplace.  I’ve known a number of people in my Christian walk who are what I call Secret Christians because they don’t want the people they work with or do business with to know about their faith.  I am concerned that is more prevalent than most think.

The problem I have with that is it falls dangerously close to what Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 regarding denying Him before men.  While those individuals I allude to did not actually deny Jesus they demonstrated a certain shame and fear of others knowing about their belief in Him. 

That puts them in the position and condition that prevents them from fulfilling the Lord’s Commission to “Go into all the world…”  In their minds, it frees them from the watchful eye of those observing their behavior and words.  It creates an environment where they could easily lapse into activity or conversation that would not be becoming for a believer without those around them questioning their relationship or Christianity. 

Some have even told me that by doing this they escaped the possibility of becoming a stumbling block to others.  My response was, Really?  They do fall into the category that Jesus described in Mark 8:38 where He said that if we are ashamed of him in this wicked generation, He will be ashamed of us in the Day of Judgment.

If I am ashamed of Jesus and hide my faith, that causes me to wonder if I have faith!  I am not trying to be the judge of others and will leave that to God, but can anyone be comfortable being a Secret Christian?  Jesus told us not to fear those who could destroy the body and in that destroy our livelihood on earth but to fear Him that could destroy the soul.  He also asked pointedly, “What would a man give in exchange for his soul? What would be the profit of gaining the whole world and losing the soul?”  Obviously, there would only be earthly and temporary gain but eternal loss.

I am not suggesting that you must be out on the streets, knocking on every door you see and giving a specific witness verbally to everyone you meet. That might not be God’s desire, but you can and should always give a silent visual witness by your life, words, and deeds.  You can be and should be ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within you.  You do not have to and should not wear your Christianity on your sleeve and become obnoxious in trying to convert and witness to everyone. 

Some you meet are not ready, will not receive the Gospel message and your aggressive evangelism might only push them further away rather than bring them near.  Listen to the voice inside and follow your heart but Always manifest the ‘Life of Christ’ and the ‘Character of Jesus’ in your life.  You will be surprised how many people ask about what it is that makes you different.  Some will ridicule but many will come inquiringly and hungrily wanting more than what they have and have seen in others and even churches.  You are letters known and read of men!

As you go through life, go with pride that you are a follower of Jesus!  I did not say being proud, but being proud of your relationship with Jesus!   Know that as you manifest Him others will see, and some will respond favorably to His nudging and tugging of their heartstrings.  

May God’s richest blessings be upon you as you go through your day!