Spiritual

“IF” – – MY PART and HIS PART…


Colossians 3:1-11 – “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” NKJV

It is always important to note any sentence, thought, topic, or paragraph that begins with “if.”  Without the “if” the remainder of the thought has no application for the reader especially if it is a participatory subject as we find in this passage.  The apostle Paul is telling the Church a Colossae and to all who will read in the generations to follow that if they have been raised in the “New Birth – Salvation” through Jesus then there are some important things to note.

  1. IF – THEN “seek” those things which are above where Christ is.
  2. IF – THEN “set your mind” on things above and not on earth.

Because if you have died to sin your life is now “hidden” with Christ in God and the world no longer recognizes you because you are no longer part of it.

Verse five begins a process that is not possible without the divine work of Grace and the Holy Spirit.  Verse eight identifies some things that it is our responsibility to do.  Obviously this is not without the work of the Spirit of God but these are things that are our responsibilities as “born-again believers” who have been transferred out of darkness into the newness of life and light in Christ.

Notice the things he tells us to put away “ourselves.”

  1. Anger
  2. Wrath
  3. Malice
  4. Blasphemy
  5. Filthy language
  6. Lies

Because we have put off (by the work of the Holy Spirit) the Old Man with his deeds and have put on the New Man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him and it is universally applicable to everyone regardless of race, creed, or national origin.

In this NEW LIFE in Christ there is a part that God does sovereignly by the work of the Holy Spirit and a part that we cooperate and participate in through our knowledge and even personal determination which some would call will-power.  We know they are not right and if we are IN CHRIST we have no justification for continued participation in them.  You do not have to lie. You do not have to allow anger or wrath to rule.  You do not have to allow malice in your heart.  You do not have to blaspheme or use filthy language.  Those are things you can decide not to do and immediately the Holy Spirit will become your Helper.  Of course you will be attacked by the devil but “Greater is He that is in us that he that is in the world.”  We are victors in Christ!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

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THE CURSES OF THE FALL IN THE GARDEN…


Genesis 3:14-19 – “So the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

16 To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”  NKJV

It is clear that there is so much more here than can be covered in a short devotional regarding the multiple curses regarding Adam & Eve’s DISOBEDIENCE and CHOICE in the Garden as well as the Serpent’s involvement.  God was specific and yet we seem to miss much of what He said and the impact of what He said.

  1. The Serpent was Cursed and informed that the “Seed of the Woman” – CHRIST would crush him in time to come.
  • The Woman received a three-fold curse.
  1. Multiplied sorrow.

This may well include the anxiety of the mother over her offspring not just in birth but as they develop and grow and seems to be a life-long situation.

  • Pain in Child-bearing.

Since there were not births before this it seems to be that God never intended for a woman to have pain in bearing children but because of disobedience this came into being.

  • Subjection to her husband.

Adam and Eve by all accounts were co-regents ruling the Earth but because she took the lead in this disobedience she was not relegated to a position of subjection to her husband.  Not his slave but subordinate in the structure of God’s plan for the family.

  • The Man received more than just a curse for himself.
  • Adam caused the very ground in which he grew produce to be cursed and it would no longer produce at the magnitude it had before.
  • He would have to labor to produce the food he would eat and that was passed on to all successive generations.
  • This condition would be a life-long condition.

Disobedience brought pain, trouble, and a conflict of the genders.  It also brought about a struggle for mankind in producing food and his livelihood.  None of which was necessary but “SIN” brought it into play.  The Garden of Eden was truly a land flowing with “milk and honey”. The productivity of the earth was something that successive generations would never know again.  The physical labor of a degree that would take a significant toll on the human body and initiated the process of physical death was brought into the picture.

The Garden of Eden was a Heaven on Earth and the Choice of Adam & Eve to disobey God’s directive and follow the deception of the serpent penalized all of mankind into perpetuity.   Sin has consequences!  That is a subject not often talked about in many churches today but it is a valid Biblical principle.  We do not have to succumb to temptation but if we do there is a consequence.  We can walk in obedience to God’s Word and if we do there is a benefit.  It truly is our choice!

Adam & Eve brought pain and suffering on mankind that has led to the wars and strife we see today in our world and have seen generation after generation.  The earth does not produce as it did in the Garden because of their disobedience.  Had it not been for the mercy of God and the coming of Christ to the Cross we would be of all men and women most miserable.  But, Jesus reversed the curse of sin!  Some of the elements of the curses stay with us but we are no longer under the dominion of the devil and have moved from dominance by the god of this world to the Kingdom of God’s Dear Son.  We have moved from darkness into light.  We have moved from hopelessness to abundant life.

So as you go through your day realize that although you may find some things difficult the ultimate promise of God found in the curse is that Jesus would and has crushed the head of the devil and WE ARE FREE!  So live free!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

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MY PRAYER FOR EACH OF YOU…


Ephesians 1:15-23 – “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,  21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” NKJV

I feel like declaring this morning how much each of you mean to me. I treasure each of you more than I can express. As I travel across this land I think of my friends and those who I am trying to reach with the message of Hope. Each morning as I rise and pray, read, and meditate on the things of the Lord, this passage keeps coming to my mind and I, like the apostle Paul, pray it for each of you.

Many of you have expressed your faith and love for the Lord so profoundly and it has deeply touched my heart.  I dare not cease giving thanks for you each day because you are so important to the Kingdom of God and to me personally.  I have begun anew to pray:

  1. Father, give my dear friends the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of You.
  2. Open the eyes of their understanding so that they are always enlightened.
  3. Make the hope of Your calling so rich and real to them that they are propelled into your desired labor with fervency.
  4. Make them know, in a new measure, their inheritance in You!
  5. Cause each of them to know the exceeding greatness of your power to each of us who believe and give them power, protection, authority, and dominion in the Spirit realm.

I pray, “Father, it is my genuine prayer that you protect each of my friends, their families, and those to whom they minister and associate.  May you grant them the overflowing riches of your grace and love in all things and at all times.  You know how valuable they are to me and if they are valuable to me then how much more are they to you?”

      May the Lord bless you richly as you go through your day!

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WISE COUNSEL OR EGO DRIVEN???


Today as I sat before the Lord my prayer time before anyone else was awake, my heart overflowed with gladness knowing the right path and having chosen it for myself and my family.  That was on a personal level, however, on a national level there are many who have not made that choice and it is disconcerting and troubling but something that continues to be a matter of prayer.  God asked me, “Is it better to listen to the wise counsel of the old men or the ego and ideology of the new people in power?”  While there is no clear cut answer to that in many cases, in some it is crystal clear as in this biblical account.

1 Kings 12:1-5 – “Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). 3 Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 ” Your father made our yoke hard; now, therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 Then he said to them, ” Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed.”

CONSULTATION IS A GOOD PLAN, IF YOU PLAN TO LISTEN…

Notice verse 6, King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” 7 Then they spoke to him, saying, ” If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. 9 So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11’Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'”

WRONG CHOICES DIVIDE KINGDOMS AND BRING RUIN…

Now move on to verse 12 and read the disturbing response he made.  “Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, ” Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, ” My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”

WE HAVE DIVISIONS AMONG US THAT ARE MAN MADE…

As we continue reading this chapter and account we find in verse 16 the root cause of many of our problems individually and nationally. “The Kingdom Divided; Jeroboam Rules Israel When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel departed to their tents. 17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David. 21 Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 24’Thus says the LORD, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.”‘” So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way according to the word of the LORD.”  NASU

My deepest desire is for my family and me to serve the Lord in fullness with total surrender at all times and in all things.  Additionally, I want to see as many brought in to the Kingdom of God as is possible to share in this joyous life in Christ.  Likewise, I want to see our government brought back to the point where we can truthfully and proudly say that we are, “One Nation Under God” again.  In the months to come we will be bombarded with politics and political diatribe and spin.  We must pray for the mind of God or we will be deceived by the politics of politicians.  I want God’s will to be done in America in every aspect of our lives, politically, socially, economically, and spiritually. 

May the Lord Bless you as you go through your day!

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LET’S TALK ABOUT CHARITY…


Leviticus 19:9-10 – “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10’Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.”  NASU

Unfortunately, in today’s world, the word charity has taken on a somewhat negative meaning, at times and has been maligned and morphed from its origination and intent.  Many of us are bombarded with pleas from Charities or Charitable Organizations for donations or volunteerism.  Some Charities are in such administrative imbalance that little of the monies donated reach the intended cause.  Some are fraudulent scams making an appeal for something with no intention of ever fulfilling the declared purpose.  Some are incredibly upright and worthy of consideration.  But, by and large, when we hear the word charity it does not always produce a compassionate thought in our minds. 

I’ve had people that I or the church wanted to help become angry and declare, “I don’t accept charity.”  Biblical Charity is more than benevolence it is rooted in love.  Love for people and love for God.  It is also rooted in faith and trust.  Charity not to be confused with a Charitable organization but the act of charity is to bestow gratuitously to the needy or suffering to bring about a measure of relief.  It can be far more than money because it is by definition an act of kindness. 

Those of us that have been burned by Charitable Organizations and discovered that little, if any of what we gave, actually reached its intended target have an automatic red flag when we are petitioned to give.  That is, unless.  Unless what?  Unless we adopt some principles and practices in our giving.  First, we should always pray about giving, where we give, and what we give.  I treat giving to a charitable cause the same as I do business deals.  I have found that if it is deemed too pressing to allow me time to pray about it, I probably do not need to do the deal.  God has prevented me from makings some colossal mistakes following that prescription both in business and in giving. 

Here in Leviticus and throughout the Scriptures, we find God’s heart and attitude toward Charity.  This principle can be applied to every business venture and endeavor in our lives.  We are to plan for giving to the poor and needy.  We can be conscious of the needy or we can be greedy, but we cannot be both. 

I had someone tell me that this principle was an Old Testament principle and not applicable in the New Testament.  I quoted them a seldom quoted passage from Hebrews 13:6, “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  In Proverbs 19:17 we are reminded that “Whoever is generous with the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.”  Of course, we would be remiss if we did not cite Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:6 regarding giving.  Giving is God’s idea and plan for demonstrating His heart.

I preached on charity and had someone come to me afterward to challenge me and tell me that because I espoused conservative political views my message and my politics were a contradiction.  This person, as many have, insisted that if I truly believed in caring for the poor I would want the government to implement programs of benevolence and welfare. 

Not to become political in a devotional let me say, “It is our individual responsibility and the church’s responsibility to care for the poor, not human government.”  If we as families, caring individuals, churches, and even communities followed the directives of Scripture, there would be no need for the government to become people’s source of sustenance. 

There is a truth that is missed in most arguments on either side of that equation but was practiced in the New Testament Church and visible in the Old Testament.  That truth was expressed by the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 where he instructed the church about giving and personal responsibility.  It was a message of tough love.  He said, “…if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat…” 

We are not responsible or required to feed laziness.  In fact, the idea is that if you do you are violating God’s basic principles of life and responsibility.  Remember it was this same apostle who said, in his instructions to his son in the faith, in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever or infidel.”  That is pointed, isn’t it?

Giving to the needy touches the heart of God like few other things we do.  I have developed a practice in giving to have the attitude that I am not giving to a particular person or cause but to God.  I give as directed by the Spirit of God and once I have given I release it to God and if the person or organization I have given to misuses it, that is God’s responsibility.  I almost said, God’s Problem but God doesn’t have problems, He only has problem children.

I’ve heard it said virtually all of my Christian life that you cannot out give God and that is an absolute truth.  However, trying to can be fun and is certainly an interesting journey.  I could relate many incidences where my giving resulted in something so far beyond my expectation I was astounded.  I have experienced God engineering situations and people to not only supply my needs but also my wants. 

I am not suggesting that you make the reason for your charity what you will receive but I also do not want to remove it from the equation because God doesn’t.  I had a man who was generous beyond words and an incredibly successful businessman tell me that his philosophy was, “I give to get to get to give.”  His view was that God owns it all and he is simply a steward of what does not belong to him so when he gives he is not giving away his money but God’s money.  He would laugh and say, “It’s easy to give away other people’s money.

What is your need?  Is there an area of lack in your life?  Have you grown complacent in your walk and relationship with God?  Do you want the fires of revival and the presence of God restored and renewed in your life?  Let me suggest that one of the ways to press into those promises is through Generosity!  Stop eating your seed and plant them.  Read Luke 6:38 again and again until one word leaps off the page and explodes in your spirit.  What is that word?  IT.  Give and IT shall be given to you.  Read on and you discover that it is a multiplication of the IT you gave. 

            God bless you as you embark on a new journey in Christ!

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AS HE IS…


Spiritual Blog - As he Is

1 John 4:17 – “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”  NASU

The more I study the Scriptures and the more I examine the message and ministry of our Lord, the more convinced I am that we are missing something essential in today’s religious and church world.  I don’t mean that to be a railing indictment but a plea to determine in our hearts that we will not be satisfied with less than being “As He Is!”

Let me add the second part of that plea and make it “As He is, in this world.”  Simply, in the here and now not the sweet by and by.  If the Bible is true, and I believe it is the Inspired and Infallible Word of God, then we can examine “How Jesus Is” and chart our course to becoming “As He Is” and become that “In this World!”  I realize that sounds somewhat Utopian and might cause some to offer cautions and suggestions that we will only be like Jesus when we get to heaven.  In light of the many passages of the Bible about God, the Purposes of God, the Love of God, the Power of God, and the People of God I cannot accept that premise.  I believe there is more.

If we cannot manifest Him and be like Him in this present world we can eliminate numerous passages from the Bible.  Jesus instructed the disciples and everyone who would follow, you and I included, to pray an incredible prayer.  In Matthew 6:9-15 we find what is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer” but it was not a prayer Jesus prayed for Himself it was a prayer for His followers to pray with expectation.  God never instructs us to say or do anything that is not a genuine possibility.  That would be contrary to everything inherent in His nature, character, and teaching.

In fact, it would be somewhat sadistic for Him to tell His followers to pray for the Kingdom of God to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven if we cannot expect it now.  If we can no longer expect miracles in this day it is somewhat confusing that the Bible tells us to seek the Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit which includes the miraculous.  Jesus defeated the devil and the powers of darkness at the Cross and in the Resurrection, so I go back to my title for this devotional and ask, “How Is He, Right Now?”

Can God do anything?  Virtually everyone would say, Yes, but some would counter that He could, but He no longer does some things.  I know that they have some passage of scripture they have been told validates that position, but I believe that All Scripture must be interpreted in light of All Scripture.  Simply, any individual passage must be consistent, in harmony with, and interpreted within the context of the Entire Bible.  I refer you to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  ALL Scripture, every jot and tittle, every line and verse, every adjective and phrase have value and must be used to shape our doctrinal views and our patterns of life.

How is He?  He is Victorious over the devil and 1 John 5:4 tells us that “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”  In John 16:33 Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  How is He?  He is Victorious!

Romans 8:34 declares that He is raised from the dead and is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.  Colossians 3:1 instructs us that if and that is the key, “if” we have been born again and thereby raised from the death and bondage of sin then we are to “seek” the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  That sounds a lot like seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and expecting His miraculous presence and power to pervade our world.  That sounds a lot like expecting the Kingdom of God to come and the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  That sounds a lot like “As He Is, So Are We in This World.”

Romans 8:31-39 addresses questions that must be asked and answered in our Christian walk and in 8:37 we find the incredible declaration, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  How much of a conqueror does it take to be more than a conqueror?  The New American Standard Bible translated that passage as “overwhelmingly conquer.”  Hallelujah!  That cocks my pistol and puts wind in my sails.

How is He?  He is victorious!  He has all authority!  He has opened the door to full restoration and invited us to come boldly before the throne of grace and ask whatever we will. He has instructed us that we have authority over the power of hell.  He never takes a back seat to the devil and is never overwhelmed by circumstances.  He is Victory and His declaration to us was that, if we believe in Him and receive Him into our hearts, then something incredible is available to us.  What is that something?

He said, in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and…”  AND?  That statement needs no and but Jesus puts one in so what is the And?  “…And greater works than these he will do; because…”  BECAUSE?  “…because I go to the Father.”  Has He gone to the Father?  Is He seated at the right hand of the Father?  Then, everything He declared is available to us NOW!

Tragically, too much of the Christian world has enough faith to be saved but not enough faith to believe in and believe for the Kingdom of God to Come and the Will of God to be done on or in Earth as in Heaven.  We have not sought to develop our faith to believe for the miraculous and the demonstration of Him as He is.  We allow the enemy of our souls to put characterizations and definitions of who we are in our heads and hearts that are diametrically opposite of what God says.  We allow our failure to press in to formulate new doctrines that justify our lack rather than praying and fasting and investing ourselves in the pursuit of Him to find out where the blockage is.

As He Is!  That’s the objective, being like Him, manifesting Him, and embracing all the promises of God IN THIS WORLD!   We will reign with Him but if we don’t reign now, where is the training for reigning?  I pray that God will expand your faith and enlarge your borders.  I pray that He will stretch you and move you out of your comfort zone.  I pray that He will do that with me as well.

God bless you as you enjoy this new day walking in His Victory!

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OUR GOD IS GOOD…


Spiritual Blog - God is Good

Psalm 37:13 – “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.” NASB

We say, “God is Good” and often the other person will respond, “All the time!”  We say it, but how much do we truly believe in the Goodness of God?  There are those that push His mercy and goodness beyond measure and declare that everyone will ultimately go to heaven.  They argue that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels and man will not go there.  That requires them to ignore many of the teachings of Jesus, teaching in both Testaments, and the inspired declarations of those men used to write the words we have in the Bible.  To press God’s Goodness and Mercy to that extent removes the need of the Cross, the requirement of repentance, and makes much of the Bible unnecessary.  Others make God an Angry Overload waiting for us to slip up so he can punish us.  If punishment was God’s desire, we would have been snuffed out long ago.

One of the things I have discovered about David was that he was a man who learned the value of Praise & Worship!  He praised God out of His Love for God!  He learned that early in his life and I am convinced and find sufficient indication in scripture to suggest that he praised God while tending his father’s flocks as a youth.  His attitude toward God was shaped by his adoration of God and developed through his praise of God.  Thus, this passage in Psalm 37 comes from his lips and from his pen.  It offers hope to everyone who has, is, or will struggle in life.  It offers encouragement to all who encounter forces that want to destroy them.  It focuses not on the problem but the Person of God and that aspect of His character that brings us Grace and Mercy – His Goodness!

I have people tell me from time to time that they are encountering some evil because God is trying to teach them a lesson.  That is disturbing to me.  Blaming God for the difficulties in your life is a dangerous position.  You are suggesting that God is so incapable of teaching us Life Lessons that He must rely on the devil to achieve His purposes.  The Bible says that the Promises of God are “Yes and Amen”.  The Bible tells us that it is our Heavenly Father’s Good Pleasure to give us the Kingdom.  The Bible tells us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires they turn from their wickedness.  (Ezekiel 18:23).

We tend to relegate something we cannot understand or that we fail to believe for or realize in our lives as an “act of God” to teach us something.  Some of God’s promises are so incredible we are unable to fully embrace them and rather than seeing our lack a cause to press into His presence we excuse ourselves by saying, “This is our Cross to bear.” 

God is our Father and He is a Father!  No earthly father, who has any sense of decency, compassion, and love for his children would break their arms to teach them a life lesson.  No earthly father would put snakes in the crib of their baby.  God is our Father!  In Psalm 103:13, we read, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” 

In 1 John 3:1 we find the incredible revelation, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”  In Matthew 6:26 the amazing declaration that should be taken to heart daily is, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” In Luke 6:36 we find the mandate, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

God is Loving, Kind, Merciful, Gracious, Longsuffering, and GOOD!  I truly believe that He is more willing to show us His Goodness than we are to discover it.  We are somehow, it seems, terrified of discovering the Goodness of God and living in that Goodness daily.  That place, in His Presence, would require us to dismantle some of our flawed theology and kill some sacred cows of religion. That place, in His Presence, would require us to Live Supernaturally while living in the natural.  It would cause us to press into His Presence and not only pray but believe that He meant it to be a reality when He challenged us to pray in Matthew 6, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy Name.  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” 

It is my prayer and desire to believe more in the Goodness of God and experience more of His Presence in my personal life and carry that Light and Life to the world around me.  I want to be more than a representative of Jesus, I want to manifest Him and through the power of the Holy Spirit, destroy the works of the devil.

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

 

 

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YOU ARE A POSSIBILITY – Part Two…


 

Psalm 90:1Spiritual Blog - Possibilities2 – “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”  NASU

Last time we talked about the requirement for Perception to become all that God has declared we are and can be.  Today I want to move to the next requirement.

PREPARATION. 

It is a natural requirement to prepare to get where you want to go.  Clearly, it is a requirement if you are going to do so with any semblance of efficiency and timeliness.  Spiritually it is vital that we learn and discover the Promises and Provisions of the Bible.  What does God say we can have?  How can we become what He has said we are to be?  How can we function in and enjoy the Promises and Provisions?

Once we understand what our inheritance is in Him it is important and even a requirement that we make preparations for the journey.  I call to your remembrance 2 Kings 3 where Elisha instructed the king of Israel to dig ditches in the valley before them.  That might have sounded ludicrous to the soldiers and even the king, but they realized that it was the word of the Lord and obeyed.  They prepared for the victory that God had promised.  Once they had dug the ditches, the next morning water filled those ditches.  Israel looked at them and saw water, but the enemy saw blood and assumed that Israel and their allies had turned on each other it rushed to their own destruction.  Preparation always precedes blessings!  There is preparation to be made mentally, physically, and spiritually!

PROCEED. 

Once we Perceive who we are, what we have been promised, and whose we are we must Prepare.  Once we have Prepared it is then time to take the next step and Proceed on the Planned and Prepared way.  Action is required.  We must believe what God says and in that understand our potential, the go!

Let me challenge you with a few questions.

Why Can’t You Be a Moses, Elijah, Paul, John, Peter, Daniel, etc.?

The major reason is your own perception. Another reason is the lack of preparation. A third reason is a failure to step out in faith and dare to do what God said we could do.  (Jesus said that the works He did we would do and greater works because He has gone to the Father.)   Who do we believe, what we see, what the enemy says, or what the Bible declares?

Why Can’t You Be an Overcomer?

God says we already are!  Those three reasons listed above apply here as well.

Why Can’t Miracles Be a Part of Your Life and the Church Today? 

I contend that if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever there is nothing impossible with God or us in God.  I would ask that you consider that You are a Miracle through the New Birth.

What each of us needs to do is Stop and evaluate our own lives.  Are we allowing procrastination and failure to perceive, prepare, and proceed hinder our progress and enjoyment of God’s Victory in our lives?  Do we feel that there is no significant accomplishment in our lives?

It is my prayer that each of us will discover Who we are in Christ?  That we will realize Where we are going and Where we want to go spiritually.  That we will allow and ask for God’s help in getting there.  Dare to believe that you can be all that the Bible says a believer is in Christ!  Today is a wonderful opportunity to turn it all around and make every day count for the rest of our days on earth.

I don’t often ask people to repeat after me, but I will here:

“Father, I confess that I have wasted time.  I declare that I want to be the most effective I can be for your kingdom.  I believe that I am more than a conqueror through Jesus.  I believe that I am an untapped dynamo for God and I will refuse to be average.  The rest of my days will be invested in becoming and being all that You have declared I am, and I will participate with You in Enforcing the Victory You won at Calvary!”

Now that you confessed it and declared it – DO IT!  Begin to be Who God says You are, and Enjoy the Victory He declares you have.  You are a Possibility and it is time to become a Reality or Demonstration of God in this world!

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

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YOU ARE A POSSIBILITY…


Spiritual Blog - Possibility

Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”  NASU 

I am reminded of a country song, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”  People want to live forever and have more than enough tomorrows to take care of the things we didn’t get done today.  Many live as if there is no reason to be concerned because there will be plenty of time to do all that we desire, later.  We know that philosophy is both flawed and dangerous but tragically many live as if there will always be another tomorrow here on earth.

There are many Promises of God revealed in the Bible that are seldom claimed and stood on.  In verse 10, we read that our days are to be 70 -80 years. No, I do not consider that a definitive set time for everybody.  Obviously, experience tells us that some live much longer and some much shorter, but it is a target minimum.  The Ten Commandments tell us to “honor our father and mother” and the result is length of days on this earth.  If we took the 80 years literally and broke it down in 5-year segments we would discover we have 16 in which to do what we desire.  I believe that we can live much longer but if that were the time allotted to us, “How many 5-year segments do you have left?”   That alone should motivate us to stop procrastinating.

Time is either the greatest asset or the greatest enemy we have.  Paul instructs us in Ephesians 5:16 to “Redeem the time.”  We should be time conscious due to the assignment set before us and the condition of the world.  Time is one thing we desperately need to learn to use effectively if we are to attain our fullest expression in God and achieve our fullest effectiveness in this life.  How much time do we waste?

In order to tap into the resources, ability, and power available there are three things that must take place or come into focus for each of us.

PERCEPTION

  • It is imperative that we truly perceive who and whose we are.

We need to go to God’s Word and rehearse in our consciousness, what God says about us and who He deems us to be.

Genesis 1:26 – We are created in the Image and Likeness of God.

John 1:12 – We are the sons and daughters of God.

Romans 8:17 – We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus.

Galatians 3:29 – We are heirs according to the Promise or the Covenant of God.

Considering those passages, we need to remind ourselves of the Promises of Deuteronomy 28 and remember that we are informed in Galatians that the Blessings of Abraham are ours.  In Hebrews 8:6 we discover that the New Covenant is a better covenant based on better promises.  I suggest that the Promises of the Old Covenant were not shabby but incredible!

  • It is imperative that we recognize and acknowledge where we are spiritually.
  • It is imperative that we identify where we are going spiritually. 

Perception is required for us to know both Who we are and Whose we are.  If we do not know who we are in Christ, we will never venture into the uncharted waters of life and reach for the Prize of the High Calling of God and dare to dream beyond our own abilities.

If we reflections of God, sons, and daughters of God, and heirs of God then why not seek to become all that God says we can be!

I want to address this more but will pause here and pick this up in the next devotional and consider the Preparation needed.  It is my prayer and desire that God bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him.  

Have a fantastic day and remember God is Good and Good all the Time!

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WHAT A PROMISE…


Spiritual Blog - Promises

ISAIAH 49:8-9 – “Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.”  KJV

Sometimes, passages just leap off the page when we read them, and this is one of those occasions.  As I read these two verses my heart exploded with anticipation, appreciation, and awareness of God!  There are three things said in this passage that ignite something inside of me that makes me want to launch into the Deep in God and pursue His Purposes with Passion and Abandon.

I HEARD YOU… 

The words of Isaiah’s prophecy, “In an acceptable time have I heard thee” stir deep cords in my heart.  As I read those words I called to mind the many trials of the nation of Israel.  I remembered their bondage in Egypt, them being captives in Babylon, and many other events. Each time, they called upon the Lord, and He heard them and answered them.

In 1 Peter 3:12, the apostle reminds us that the eyes of the LORD are always toward His children and His ears are listening for our prayers.  He cares!  In Proverbs 15:29 we are reminded that God is far from the wicked but is listening to and for the prayers of the righteous.  God desires to bless us and provide for us more than we want Him to.  I know that sounds strange, but I believe it is His desire as Jesus said, “to give us the kingdom.”

The prophet Micah prayed in 7:7, “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation.”  That is confidence and determination and needed today!  Romans 10:13 encourages us saying, “Whosoever will call upon the name of the LORD will be saved.”  Jesus said in John 6:37 that whoever comes to Him would not be rejected.  That is incredible!

It is important that we keep in the forefront of our minds and in our hearts that God Sees our situation and hears our cries.  He also has a plan to deliver us!  The cries for mercy always reach the Throne of God and the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous will prevail.  Take the Promise to heart that “God Hears Us.”

I HAVE HELPED YOU… 

love this, it is not future tense but past tense with present tense reality.  Remember that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  That means what He did, He is doing.  What He was, He is and will continue to be.  He does not change!  He is the Eternal God the Creator of All Things!  He has heard us and is helping us!  What a Promise!

With regard to the Nation of Israel, God never let them down.  He always sent His word to help and bring them to deliverance and victory.  He is no respecter of persons and what He did for them, He will do for you and me.  What a Promise!

Sadly, too many are not lost enough for Him to rescue them.  They are still trusting their own strength and ability, but once we get lost enough for Him to save us, in an acceptable time He shows up and delivers!

I WILL PRESERVE YOU… 

He has heard us, helped us, and now we have the promise of preservation!  The repeated promise of God is that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  The Promise of Jesus is that He will go with us to the end of the age.  The declaration of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1 is that God is able to keep us to the end!

We have the promise of preservation in the now and for eternity.  We are God’s people, the sheep of His pasture, His sons and daughters through the new birth.  Our heritage and assignment are to establish the earth for God and inherit the desolate heritages.  We are transformers, in Him and through Him.  We are to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I was told once, “You should not take small things to God, only take the big stuff to Him.”  That is not the God of my Bible for He tells me to “cast ALL my care on Him because He cares.”

We have great and precious promises in God and if we can realize that He Hears, He Helps, and is Preserving us we can become more than conquerors and be those that ‘fear not.’  We have two choices in our walk through this world. We can be those who are fearful and fret or those who are fearless and faithful.  David told Goliath, “You come against me with the strength of man, but I come against you in the name of the Lord.” 

May the Lord fill your day with joy and victory!  God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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