MY MEDITATION and MY FOCUS – Part Three…

Spiritual Blog - Kingdom

Matthew 6:9-15 – “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10′ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11′ Give us this day our daily bread. 12’And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13’And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

14 ” For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” NASU

What is the will of God, in heaven? What are the conditions existing in heaven? God does not want to make robots out of His children. We are not pawns of His purpose but co-laborers together with Him. He has given us the ability to choose, and in that choice, we demonstrate obedience, trust, and faith. The Original sin is and was Disobedience or Rebellion. We focus on the acts we call sin and develop a mentality of performance rather than relationship. I am not suggesting that the things we call ‘sin’ are to be overlooked, excused, or justified, they are not. They should break our hearts and we should avoid them and resist them. However, far more impactful is our disobedience and distrust that we demonstrate when we turn to the arm of flesh, our ability, our knowledge, our talents, etc.

When we relegate God’s Promises to some other era and deny both His Power and Willingness to be, “the same yesterday, today, and forever” we hurt God’s heart. I am sure He is grieved when we fail to trust Him, take Him at His word, and seek to implement His promises and purposes in our lives. Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “…but with God all things are possible.” Then in Mark 9:23 He declared, “All things are possible to him who believes.” He gave His disciples and all believers, as is revealed in what we call the Great Commission, both Authority and Power over all the power of the devil. If the directive or command to take the Gospel to the entire world in every generation is true, then the entire directive is valid and applicable today. Refuse to be short-changed and refuse to allow the devil to steal a part of God’s Covenant, Promise, and Kingdom, from you today!

If we learn to live in a conscious state of awareness of Who God Is and learn to pray without ceasing and to maintain a praise in our hearts toward Him our world will be altered dramatically. If we recognize and come to believe that it is both possible and the desire of the Father for His Kingdom (rule and reign) to be manifest and experience on earth we will view life, people, prayer, and even God differently. No challenge will be insurmountable, and we will begin to view problems as possibilities and opportunities for God to demonstrate Who He Is to the world. What an evangelism tool!

In that atmosphere when we ask, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We ask more than just our food and financial blessings but WHATEVER WE NEED to pursue the purposes of God. Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Jesus told the disciples in John 4:34, “My meat (food) is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” Lord, what do I need today to fulfill your purpose for my life today? That’s what I ask for. I don’t ask for riches to consume upon myself. I don’t ask for ease so I will have no opposition. I ask for faith to believe, boldness to do, the courage to dare, and the ability to bring your presence into the lives of those I meet.

Then He addresses what many would put at the top of the list, FORGIVENESS. I believe that one of the reasons He placed this toward the end of the prayer not at the beginning is that God wants us to learn to live with the mindset of “Being Forgiven.” His pardon is complete, and you do not have to keep begging God to forgive what He has forgiven. If we, believers, could learn to live with the Peace that comes with Pardon so completely that we view ourselves as He views us we would have a far greater impact on our world. We cannot see others through God’s eyes until we see ourselves through His eyes and the grid of forgiveness.

Forgiveness, as is revealed in this prayer, is two-fold. It is forgiveness from God, something we receive and forgiveness from us, something we give. Give and you shall receive. Forgiveness and the awareness of that condition make the next request even more powerful to me. “And do not lead us into temptation…” First, God does not tempt us, but He may allow temptation to tempt us. However, if temptation is overpowering then He provides an avenue to escape that and an open door to run to Him. That’s where “deliver us from evil” comes into focus. We live with a confidence that God has provided a way of deliverance and a life of victory “In His Kingdom” for us. Don’t make that heaven or you will live a miserable life on earth. Heaven will be victorious but the victory that we are to win and enforce is lived out here on earth, manifesting Him and doing “the works that He did.” It is being who He says we are!

The sentence in brackets ties it all together, [For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen] Then in verse 14, He reminds us of the power of forgiveness and the danger of unforgiveness.

I am on a quest for “More of God!” I am learning after fifty years of serving and loving Him just how Good He Is and How much He wants to bless His children. I am learning that He not only desires but expects us to Trust and Obey Him and seek Him first and pray for His Kingdom and the manifestation of Heaven’s Atmosphere to be realized here on earth. God is the God of the miraculous and miracles are not only benefit and blessing they are powerful tools of evangelism and weapons to ‘destroy the works of the devil.’ I want all of the devil’s works destroyed!

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

0 Comments Leave a comment

MY MEDITATION and MY FOCUS – Part Two…

Spiritual Blog - Prayer.jpg

Matthew 6:9-15 – “Pray, then, in this way:

Yesterday we began to dive into the waters of God’s Life and I shared some of those things that have been birthed in my heart as I study this prayer. I want to state, up front, I do not know it all, and the more I learn the more I realize I don’t know much at all. However, I have a heart to Know Him and the more I pursue Him, the more He reveals Himself to me. I’m sure you have realized the same thing and therefore, it is my desire to learn to live in His presence and to encourage you to do the same.

Having opened my heart to the first sentence of the prayer, “Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” I am brought to a sense of humility. How could this God, the One True and Living God, the Creator of all things, care enough about me to invite me to come into His presence? How could He be willing to give us His Son to redeem us? How could He be so loving, compassionate, kind, longsuffering, forgiving, and good that He would invite us to ‘Call Upon Him?’ That is Amazing, to me! That’s who our God Is!

Once we have recognized and revered Who He is in our prayers and engaged in the directive and patter of David and Israel in Psalm 100:4-5 we can move to petition. I dare not just mention that Psalm without quoting it in its entirety. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.” As I type I am in Awe of His Goodness and His Infinite Love, Mercy, and Grace! He is Mighty, Sovereign and yet He loves us and enjoys our Praise! The Bible says in Psalm 22:3 that God “Inhabits or is enthroned on the Praises of His People.” What can I say but Hallelujah?

The petition begins both a recognition and a request. “Your kingdom come.” Three words linked together that reveal something incredible for mankind. Jesus is instructing those who heard Him and all who read His directive and pattern to both recognize there is a reality called “God’s Kingdom” and that reality can be realized on earth. Some will reject that and insist that the Kingdom is future and when we get to heaven. If that is the case, then why would Jesus offer the next sentence?

I believe He was instructing us to pray for God’s Kingdom to come to help us understand the Will of God on earth and heaven. I believe it is the desire of the LORD that we walk in the fullness of God’s will and purpose and that would also include His power on earth. Jesus came, according to I John 3 to “destroy the works of the devil.” Destroy the works of the devil regarding sin, sickness, bondage, etc. He can to destroy the works of the devil and set man free!

What is the atmosphere of heaven? We have sung ‘Camping in Canaan’s Land’ for decades and many have made Canaan a type of heaven, but I have long contended that is inaccurate or incomplete. In Canaan, they had to dispossess the enemies that were occupying the Land or the Place of Promise. In heaven, there are no enemies possessing anything. I believe that crossing the Jordan was not talking about physical death but death to the flesh and entering Canaan was not heaven but entering into the Place of Promise. It represents life on earth for the believer. It represents a land flowing with milk and honey now. It represents victorious life on earth. It represents manifesting God’s presence in our present world. It represents bringing the atmosphere of heaven into our surroundings and enjoying the fullness of God’s Life, Love, and Purpose.

He said, following the directive to pray for God’s Kingdom to come to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” That means involvement and co-laboring with God as well as discovering His will individually and collectively and obeying. God’s will is not mysterious and something He hides from us and makes difficult for us to discover or discern. What purpose would that serve Him or us? If you tell your children or a subordinate, “I have a plan and desire for you, but I will not tell you what it is and I’m going to make it a mystery but if you don’t discover it and do it, I will punish you” what purpose would that serve? No, you want them to know what you want and even want to share in their fulfillment of that will. So, does the Father!

I want to stop here and discuss this more tomorrow. I pray that the Holy Spirit will begin to give life to the seed that I’m trying to sow into your lives and in mine. “LORD, help us to see and believe that You truly want us to experience your Kingdom on earth and want us to both know and fulfill your will and plan for our lives.”

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

0 Comments Leave a comment

MY MEDITATION and MY FOCUS…

Spiritual Blog - Meditation

Matthew 6:9-15 – “Pray, then, in this way:

My heart has been drawn to this prayer repeatedly over the past few months and I will share my musing, mediation, and focus with you. If it is a blessing to you I am thrilled, if not it may give you some idea how to pray for me. Either way, good will be done and hopefully the Kingdom and you will benefit.

Jesus said, “Pray, then, in this way…” I am fully convinced that our LORD was not offering a formula or a rigid step by step prayer but a direction of prayer with certain key elements of focus. If Jesus is our pattern, and I believe He is, then for me to grasp the fullness of this directive I must examine His prayer life. I won’t go into what I have seen there, in detail but suggest that His focus was always on the Father and His Will. His focus was always on the Kingdom and its manifestation. His focus was always on man and his need. In short, the prayers of Jesus were seldom focused on Him, even in the Garden when He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) His prayer was on the desire and objective of the Father which was on man, the creation of God and our redemption.

When I read, meditate on, and consider the first line of the prayer I am overwhelmed. We are told to pray “Our Father…” Not my Father but our Father. This, I believe is a subtle reminder that we are not islands to ourselves but part of the Family of God and members of the Body of Christ. We are ‘living stones’ being fitted and framed together into the Building or House of God. We are His manifestations to the world and we work together and need each other. We are not to be exclusionist, isolationist, or individualists but Body Parts each needing something from and offering something to the other parts. In a sense, it is Body Life.

‘Our Father’ also brings to mind the sovereignty of God. He is our Father! A father sires’ children, else he would not be a father. He is God and we are His creatures. His creation. His offspring. I love what I heard another preacher say, “God has no grandchildren, only children.” He is Our Father which speaks to a personal relationship available to us and enjoyed by us. No wonder the Bible in Romans 8:14-16 reveals the picture and gives the reality of our relationship in which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Holy Spirit births in our hearts that we are Children of God, heirs of God, and joint or fellow heirs with Jesus! He is Father! He is God! He is Creator! He is Almighty!

Then, I am melted even more when I consider the next phrase, “…who art or who is in heaven.” God reigns in heaven! That speaks of His sovereignty and His domain or Kingdom. Heaven is far more than simply a place we go when we die, it is the center of God’s Domain and the Capitol of His Kingdom. It is not a place of escape from the cares, trials, and tribulations of this life and a place where we are shielded from the devil’s evil works. It is the Abode of God and where His Kingdom and Authority are fully and completely manifest and demonstrated. He identifies that He has a Kingdom before He directs us to pray regarding that Kingdom. What is the atmosphere of heaven? What is present and absent in heaven? Let that get deep into your spirits and I believe it will explode into a revelation and impart a dream that will totally transform your thinking, ministry, life, and view of the present and eternity.

‘Hallowed by Your name.’ The word hallowed in virtually any dictionary and with any definition will use words like, “made or make holy, concentrated, greatly revered, and honored.” It is giving honor to God and it is an expression of our recognition of Who He Is! We cannot make Him Holy, He is Holy. We can, however, revere Him and express our reverence to Him. It is far more about doing something in us that in Him when we “Hallow His Name!” Worship brings about a sense and state of humility that can be experienced in no other way. Praise ignites a fire inside our hearts, minds, and spirits that causes all impurities to rise to the surface and allows the Holy Spirit to skim them off and purify us. This beginning recognition of Who God is and our active investment in Praising and Worshiping Him sets the stage for the prayer and what ensues in the answer to that prayer.

For the sake of time and space, I will pause and hope you will join me again tomorrow as I share my meditation and focus through studying the prayer listed in Matthew 6. I pray that the Holy Spirit will being to birth something new in you and create a hunger that can only be satisfied by pressing in and crying “More LORD! More of You!”

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

0 Comments Leave a comment

WHY NOT NOW? WHY NOT TODAY?

Spiritual Blog - Why Not

Mark 16:14-20 – “Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, ” Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 ” He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” NASU

Why do we live, as one preacher said, “Unbelieving Believers?” That might sound a bit confusing but what he was talking about was people, in Church, and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, sometimes believe for salvation but not any of the other promises of God, especially miracles, signs, and wonders. Most Christians that I talk to pray for God’s miraculous but many of them do not really expect it to happen and if God does something supernatural they are surprised. I’m not trying to elevate myself or put down any other believer, we are all living in the understanding we have and have developed our belief systems largely by the influence of whatever doctrinal views to which we have been taught or exposed. I am simply asking, IF and that is the issue that must be settled in our hearts. If Hebrews 13:8 is true and Jesus is the same, past, present, and future then “Why not now? Why not today?”

I always ask people to hear the conclusion of the whole matter before throwing away a presentation or dismissing a position. I encourage people to be like the Bereans and ‘search the scriptures’ to see if the position or presentation is true. I also encourage you to be completely open and honest with scripture rather than filtering everything through your present doctrinal dogma. You may be right, and you may be wrong. You may have complete understanding and there might be something in which your understanding is incomplete. That’s not easy for most to acknowledge but is a path that I’ve been on for several decades. I want Truth and I want God. I want to live in His Presence now and experience as much of His fullness as I can stand.

If Hebrews 8:6 is true and Jesus is truly the mediator of a Better Covenant, which has been enacted and established on Better Promises I ask, “Why Not Now?” If Isaiah 55:11 is true and the Word which goes forth from God’s mouth, and I believe the Bible is just that, God’s word; and that word does not return to Him empty but accomplishes He desire, then “Why Not Today?” If what Jesus declared in Matthew 19 is true and All Things Are Possible with God and His declaration in Mark 9:23 that All Things are Possible to those who Believe, then “Why Not Now?”

If the commission of Matthew 10 can be carried forth and applied to All Believers that our commission is to go and take the Gospel to the world, heal the sick, and even raise the dead, then “Why Not Today?” I believe that according to Matthew 28 and Mark 16 the commission is to each of us who believe. How do we contend that it is only to preach the Gospel but not the rest of the provisions and promises of God? If in the Old Covenant there was healing, economic blessing, deliverance, guidance, protection, etc. how is it a Better Covenant with Better Promises if we do not enjoy the full benefits of His New Covenant. Consider Isaiah 53’s description of the Atonement and 1 Peter 2:24’s reflection to that occurrence. Look at the directive of Praying for the Sick in James 5, and the report of Mark 16 that God confirmed the Word, not the individuals, with ‘signs and wonders following’.

If John 15:7 is to be deemed true and applicable for believers in all generations, and I believe it is, then we have the promise that if we abide in Him we can ask regarding anything and expect to receive the petition. We dare not ignore the warning of James 4:3 that if we are asking but not receiving the cause could be because of wrong motives and a wrong heart. Not because God does not desire to bless His children and provide for them whatever they need and even grant their desires. Desires that reach for Him and seek to advance His Kingdom on this earth.

We should not forget the words of our Lord in Matthew 6:33 to “Seek First the Kingdom and Righteousness of God.” We should not forget the directive of what is called the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 seeking for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Our hearts should be God first, God second, and God third and when we seek Him with a whole heart, he will guide our paths and all the things we need in life are part of His covenantal provision in the New Covenant.

I totally agree that the greatest need of any person is JESUS! It is Salvation, the forgiveness of our sins. It is being born again and being adopted into the family of God. However, I also believe that God is concerned about every detail of our lives and that His repeated directives to seek Him, pray for the miraculous, and seek His Kingdom and will on earth are not pie in the sky for the sweet by and by carrots dangled in front of our faces. God is not that kind of God. If He tells us to pray for something, He wants to grant it. If He says we have authority over all the power of the enemy, we have it and need to learn to live in it. If He says, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us, we can. If Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever then whatever He once did, He can and wants to do today. He has not changed and His desire to provide for us has not changed.

I conclude with Ephesians 4:11-13. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Why? To equip us for service and to build us up in Him. How Long? UNTIL. Until we all attain the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God and spiritual maturity (Fullness in Christ Jesus). Have we achieved those? Then I suggest they are still available for today and God wants to confirm His word with signs and wonders in our lives and equip us to reach the lost, minister to the hurting and set the captives free as Jesus declared when He quoted Isaiah in Luke 4:18-19.

For me personally, the cry of my heart is “More Lord! More of You Lord! Help me to take up residence in Your Presence and learn to fully trust You and live fully obedient to you!” I am not seeking to stir up controversy or cause anyone to feel that I’m questioning your love for, or relationship with Jesus, simply I hope to encourage us to seek All That He Is and Receive All That He Has TODAY!

God bless you as you enjoy your journey in Him!

0 Comments Leave a comment

ACCORDING TO HIS WILL…

Spiritual Blog - His Will

1 John 5:13-15 – “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 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.” NASU

There have been many times in my life and in ministry that I have prayed for something that did not happen. I wish I could say, there have been a few times, but many is a far more honest and factual statement. I cannot explain how God works in all things, but the bedrock conviction of my heart is that “God is Good and Good All the Time!” It is also my conviction that God’s Promises are absolute and His desire to bless His children is immeasurable. His Love is Unconditional and Everlasting! He is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to eternal life. However, I cannot ignore the fact that there are those who perish and do not enter into eternal life through Salvation.

That brings me to the point of this devotional, “according to His will…” This passage is a promise and a directive for believers in our prayer lives and in our expectation. One of the stated objectives is to give us confidence before Him. It also expresses that we are not to come before Him with doubt, fear, trepidation, and simply human hope that maybe, just maybe He will do what we desire. It is designed to give us confidence and, if you will, a boldness. The writer of Hebrews addressed this in 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” The KJV translated the word “boldly.”

Grace to help in the time of need is not simply offering us comfort so we can manage our difficulty and cope with the problem. Grace, as used in most places in Scripture, is not just favor and that unmerited, but ‘divine enablement’ to do. Isaiah 61:1 informs us that the Spirit of the Lord God is upon Jesus (us too because we are one with Him and in Him) BECAUSE of the anointing. The Anointing was for a purpose, not a feeling or even to endorse the person but for purpose or ministry. God has purposed for us and given us both authority (exousia) and power (dunamis) over all the power, authority, and ability of the devil.

When Jesus sent out the twelve one of the commands He gave them was in Matthew 10:8, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” He did not say, “Go pray for them but heal them.” In our text passage, John reminds us of the Promises of God and the extent of those promises. John 14:13-14 are powerful planks in our belief platform for it is there that we find the words of our Lord, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask ANYTHING in My name, I will do it.” (emphasis mine).

How do we know the will of God? The first and foremost source of discovery is the Word of God. What did He say? What did He promise? What did He do while on earth? What did He direct His followers to do? Those will give exposure to His Purposes and His Will. If we construct all our prayers with “if it be thy will” we will open the door to defeat, doubt, and disappointment. Of course, we want His will to be done, but if His word indicates something is His will to pray that is to cast doubt on His Goodness, Faithfulness, Truthfulness, and Power. I am not suggesting presumptuousness but simple Confidence in His Promises and His Pattern.

When we pray according to the will of God, this promises says that no matter what we request, we know that we know that we know the prayer is heard. If the prayer is heard, this promise is that the request is granted. There is no maybe there! There is no attempt to be humble and pious, there is simple confidence that is expressed in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” This is anchored in Isaiah 55:11, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

Virtually all Christians believe God can. Unfortunately, too many believe that He has stopped doing some things. Some believe that God could if He wanted to but for some reason, He does not want to do what He promised and fulfill His covenant. If Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, and He is. Then, I would contend that if He identified something in His word, His work, His walk as being His will why would we not expect Him to do the same today?

If the Promises of Jesus in Luke 12:22-32 are true, and if verse 32 can be deemed valid then it is God’s desire and pleasure to “Give us the kingdom.” That makes me want to shout and I say AMEN! So be it, LORD! Let it happen. Connect that to the Prayer of Matthew 6, the Lord’s Prayer where He instructs us to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and your expectation level should rise and thereby your faith level and your confidence in Him and His Promises soar to new heights!

I am hungry for God! I have served Him for 50 years and have seen His hand move powerfully in many situations including my own life in miracles and yet today, I cry “More, Lord! More of You!” Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. Get Hungry my friends, get hungry!

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

0 Comments Leave a comment

ARE YOU HUNGRY, THIRSTY & DISSATISFIED?

Spiritual Blog - Hungry

Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” NASU

In my prayer time and musing on God, the things of God, and His word throughout the day recently, I developed a sense of deep dissatisfaction and intense hunger. My dissatisfaction was not that I was displeased with my home, family, friends, etc. My dissatisfaction was that I was dissatisfied in the condition of complacency or status quo spiritually. I did not think I was complacent or had embraced the mindset of status quo but as that dissatisfaction has grown I realized that is exactly where I was.

I believe that God can do anything, but I am not seeming Him do many things. I believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but have a sense that, there are times when my life suggests that He has ceased the miraculous. I have grown tired of going to hospitals and into homes and praying for people to get better and for God to guide the physicians and surgeons and wanted to see the manifestation of God’s Power and Glory in this present hour. Some believe that is for bygone eras but if Jesus is the same and His word is the same and His commandments and covenants are true, I cannot relegate His miraculous to another time. I believe it is for today!

I have experienced divine healing in my own body. I saw the X-rays of a broken radial head in my right arm completely normal after ten days. I saw the two X-rays compared side by side and on the first, the bone was broken and depressed enough that normally surgery would have resulted and the second there was no break and no separation of bone. I had parathyroid cancer and underwent surgery. The doctors told me that they were not sure they got it all and since the parathyroid hormone levels did not drop as expected, remaining high, it was likely they did not. We scheduled a second surgery and began to pray. I would sit in my vehicle every day at lunch and pray, quoting God’s promises, meditating on His Promised, and rejoicing in His goodness and about ten days before the surgery I felt a warmth flow through me. I believed I was healed and the blood tests, a day or two later, required before surgery revealed that the PTH levels had dropped to the low side of normal. The doctor said, “This does not happen. God did this!” I have been cancer free now for 14 years and rejoice in His healing.

I have witnessed healings of different conditions, situations, and relationships both physical, spiritual, emotional, and financial. My experience does not determine my doctrine but when my experience and the Bible align, I develop a conviction that is unshakable. My conviction is that Jesus still does what He did and still wants to today. Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming LORD revealed that in His work of atonement He also bore the stripes for our healing and that, I believe, covers far more than the spiritual. He did not need stripes for our spiritual healing He shed His blood.

Jesus told the disciples to pray, “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed by Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” Notice several things, please. Notice the periods in the verse. We sometimes quote it with little thought as to the import and impact of the passage. Oh, Father, You Name is Hallowed! We worship God the Father who is in heaven. Your Kingdom come! We are to ask for the Kingdom of God, the Presence of God, the Rule and Reign of God to be manifest on Earth. Father, Your will be done… There is no period there but a comma because the punctuation reveals where and if you will when we are to expect both His Kingdom to be manifest and His will to be done. Where is On Earth ‘just as’ or ‘as it is’ done in Heaven. When, I would contend is Now! We do not need to pray for the Kingdom of God to come when we get to Heaven, IT IS! We do not need to pray for the will of God to be done in Heaven, IT IS!

Jesus said, in Matthew 28 that ALL Authority has been given to Him both in heaven and on earth. He operates in both dimensions or worlds. His commission was to those there and us now to “Go, therefore…” Go and do what and with what authority and with what power? We are to not only take the Gospel witness to the world but once we reach them we are to disciple them. That is far more than simply catching the fish or planting the harvest it is development, preparation, and requires a huge investment of ourselves in their lives. We are to baptize them and Teach them. Teach them what? To observe ALL things, I have commanded you.

The word translated “observe” is ‘tereo’ which means to guard, protect, keep an eye upon and to keep unmarred. Remember Jesus’ words in John 14:12? What did He say? He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do will he do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to My Father.” There is no greater work than Salvation so if His statement conveyed the idea beyond or other than Salvation how do we relegate His miraculous to the past? Notice verses 15-18, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” That is nothing short of amazing!

Was His instruction to go into all the world and preach that included ‘signs and wonders’ following the preaching not one of His Commandments? My friends, I am dissatisfied with feeling impotent when faced with the need of the miraculous and with the assaults of the devil against the lives of people who are hurting in this world. I am hungry for More of God and the words of John the Baptist ring in my ears, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Also, the cry of the Psalmist in 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You O God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” Read the remainder of that chapter for encouragement and get a sense of his dissatisfaction, desperation, and hunger.

I leave you with the words of Jesus which is an incredible promise and should be an inspiration to motivate us to press into His presence. Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Is that the current condition of our lives and our prayers? Are we receiving, finding, and seeing His doors opened including the miraculous? Get thirsty and stay thirsty, my friends. Until we become dissatisfied enough to create a longing and hunger in our hearts for more of God will we remain in the status quo. That is unacceptable or should be!

May God bless you and may you develop an insatiable hunger for God and His presence!

0 Comments Leave a comment

KINGDOM CULTURE and ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN…

Spiritual Blog - Kingdom

Matthew 6:5-15 – “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 ” Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10′ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11′ Give us this day our daily bread. 12’And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13’And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

The more I read and study what we call the “Lord’s Prayer” I realize that was not a prayer for Him, but it could rightly be called the “Disciple’s Prayer” because it is a guide for us in this present world. It touches on vital aspects of life and is a guiding light for us to follow as we pursue Him and His purposes here on Earth.

I don’t want to get into sectarian or cliquish phraseology and identifications, so I must walk softly in this presentation. Why? Because I want to talk about Kingdom Culture and the Atmosphere of Heaven here and now on Earth. I feed the need to ask a question that may lose readers at the outset, but it is pertinent. If Jesus told us to pray to the Father for the Kingdom to come and His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven and that is not for now, when is it for? A follower up question must be, “What is God’s Kingdom that we are praying will come?”

I will state adamantly that it is not some sectarian or cliquish grouping of people as was found in the Corinthian church when some were identifying themselves as Paul-ites or Apollos-ites or Jesus people. It is, in my humble opinion and belief, the embracing of God in His fullness, His sovereignty, and rule completely. It is allowing the culture of His Kingdom and the atmosphere of Heaven to be manifest in our lives and in our present world. What does that mean? It is not some cliché it is demonstrated through the manifestation of the Power of God.

It is Expectation not, Resignation. The expectation that God’s promises, all of them, will be realized, received and embraced in our lives. It is not a theoretical but an experiential relationship with Him. It is not being satisfied or resigned to whatever will be will be but taking the Promises of God and the Directives of God in the Bible as Present Promises and Current Assignments and pursuing them. Too often we justify our failures in prayer and the fact that we ask and do not receive some things. We say, “the will of God be done.” Amen! But if that is more an expression of lack of confidence that we can have what He has said and justifying it with, “it must have been the will of God.”

I remember the words spoken to Daniel when he had been praying and fasting for three weeks and then he had a vision, which answered his prayers. The angel said, “Daniel, the first day you prayed your prayer came before God, and I have come in response to that prayer. However, for 21 days the prince of the kingdom of Persia has withstood me. Michael, came to help me break through and here is the answer.” Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.” Persistence, not resignation to offering a prayer, genuine and sincere, and saying, “The Lord’s will be done.” We all want the Will of God to be done and to be submissive to that will but too often that statement becomes our escape hatch for not receiving what we were praying for even when what we have asked is identifiable as being in the promises of God.

In Heaven, there is no defeat! In Heaven, there is no sickness. In Heaven, there is no poverty. In Heaven, there is no uncertainty. If we are truly asking God to send His Kingdom to our present world then we are asking for the Culture of the Kingdom and the Atmosphere of Heaven to come in the here and now. The Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is a convenient escape hatch to relegate some things to then and not now because if we live in His Kingdom and the atmosphere of Heaven now we are not satisfied unless we see the manifestation of His Glory and the fulfillment of His Purposes. Mark 16:15-18 becomes real and realized in our lives.

I am not suggesting that I have fully attained that place. The battles I am facing are evidence I have not, but I am pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God and want to Live in the Atmosphere of Heaven in the here and now. To do that, I know that I must change my Perspective, Perception, and Expectation. I must make Him my objective and pursuit. His Promise is that if we seek Him first and foremost the other things of life will come with that pursuit. It is a Place that is Desired in my heart, not just for me but so that I could be a vessel He can and does use to bring in the harvest of souls and break the lingering hold of the evil one in our present world.

God bless you as you allow Him to take full control of your lives and enjoy this wonderful day He has made!

0 Comments Leave a comment

PEACE AND STRENGTH THROUGH TRIAL…

Spiritual Blog - Hang On

Romans 5:1-5 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” NASU

I love the beginning of this chapter. Paul highlights the foundational truth that we are Justified by Faith. He then reminds us that because of that reality we have Peace with God through Jesus Christ. His work of Grace ushers us into the presence of the Father and in that relationship, we have a Peace that the world is unable to supply and incapable of taking from us. It is the Peace of God and Isaiah referred to it as Perfect Peace.

Paul reminds us that we were introduced into the Grace of God, through faith and the finished work of Jesus Christ. In that condition and position, we rise to a place of exultation in which we experience extreme joy and happiness. This is sheer ecstasy in the realm of the Spirit. It is jubilation that is as the Bible describes it, “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.” It could be described as walking on air, jumping for joy, or being on cloud nine.

Then he adds, “And not this only…” As if that was not enough we discover there is more but, in this condition, state, relationship, and peace we can ‘exult in our tribulations.’ Doesn’t that sound a little like what James said in his writings? He tells us to ‘count it all joy when we fall into different kinds of temptation.’ That makes no sense to the natural man, but the Spiritual man recognizes that in every trial there is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His Incredible Agape Love and Grace.

Paul gives us an insight into trials that most reject or do not wish to discuss. He did not advance a doctrine that we are to seek for, look for, or hope for difficulties, but that when they come, and they will, we can ‘exult’ in them. Why? Because we know that through the tribulation or trial we learn perseverance. We learn to ‘having done all to stand and keep on standing’. We learn to ‘never quit.’ He then reminds us the perseverance produces proven character. I have said for a long time that I do not want to go to war with anyone without a limp. I want them to be proven and tested. I want to know they will stand with me to the end. God wants that from us and for us. When we know that we will stand and resolve to stand, the anointing of the Holy Spirit becomes even more powerful in our lives.

He continues that proven character produces Hope! What is biblical hope? It, I would argue, is elevated faith. Remember Hebrews reminds us that Abraham held on to his hope and “in hope against hope believed.” Hoping to the patriarchs in the Bible was not wishful thinking it was rock solid. It was assurance and confidence in the unshakable and infallible promises and character of God. They lived in the Hope of the Resurrection and in the Hope of the promises of Covenant.

Paul reminds us that this kind of Hope does not disappoint. Why? Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit. That is one of the ministries of the Comforter. He brings us into the presence of the Father and pours the love of God in our hearts so that we are filled with His fullness.

Therefore, when you face trials rather than lamenting and complaining realize that in this difficulty there is Hope and, in our Perseverance, we grow stronger and more confident in God. In that confidence, we can pull down strongholds and withstand the fiery darts of the wicked one. We are able, as David, to “serve the purposes of God in our generation.” That should be the inscription on each of our headstones when we depart this life.

I want you to take courage and know that you are not forsaken, and God has not unleashed the devil to torment you, but if trials come, in your hope and confidence you can develop perseverance, proven character, and hope as you bask in His love, grace, peace, and power.

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

0 Comments Leave a comment

A BETTER PLACE IN OUR TOMORROW…

spiritualblog-better

John 14:1-6 – “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 “And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” NASU

In troubled times like these, we need something to inspire and comfort our hearts. Many are facing situations and problems to a degree they have never experienced. Some are living in fear of what is coming or about to come on the earth. Many are troubled by the direction of the nation over the past few decades. They are troubled by the direction of the organized religious community, and our society as a whole. Things do not look good on so many fronts that it would be easy to become discouraged, despondent, depressed, and draw into a shell and try to pull the covers in over our heads to hide. That is not possible so we need something that gives us reason to get up in the morning and face the new day with a smile rather than trepidation. That is found in this passage for me.

The one thing I know for certain is that there is a better place in our tomorrow because Jesus said so. I trust Him and His affirmation that if it were not true He would have been honest with us. You may prefer the word “mansion” or “room” to the words in this version “dwelling places” and that is fine but the fact that I want you to focus on is that There is a Place in the presence of God in Heaven for us in our tomorrow. Jesus departed this earth to prepare that place for us and has promised to come again and receive us unto Himself so that where He is there we may also be. Access to this place is through Him and there is no other access.

So if you are facing difficulties today that are almost beyond your ability to bear, look toward the future (eternity) in which there will be a better tomorrow! We have the absolute assurance of our precious LORD that there is a place and He is coming for us to take us to that place. It is a place that the world did not provide, the government did not create, and the devil cannot prevent. It is our Eternal Home! So as you go through each day go through it with the confidence that no matter how bad or bleak things may appear here there is a “Better Place in Our Tomorrow.”

May God be with you as you go through your day!

0 Comments Leave a comment

LIGHT SHINING IN DARKNESS…

spiritual blog - light

John 12:44-50 – “And Jesus cried out and said, ” He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 ” He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 ” I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 ” He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” NASU

I realize that there are at least ten devotionals I could give from this passage but I want to pull out one particular statement and focus on it. Jesus said: “I have come as the LIGHT of the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” What a powerful and comforting statement!

In this world of darkness, corruption, wickedness, evil, and depravity there is a Light shining as a beacon and that Light is Jesus! If we come to Him, we come to that Light and darkness is dispelled and we are able to walk in the Light seeing clearly not only the dangers and pitfalls but the beauty of what God has wrought. We are able to live in the Light and be free of the torment of darkness. We are able to live Forgiven free of the pain of hidden sin and separation from God.

If you have ever been in a storm and the darkness was so black that you could almost touch it and feel it then the clouds rolled back and the sun began to peak through you know the feeling of calm that comes when darkness is driven out. That is what Jesus offers spiritually. His Light in the midst of darkness and when He comes into the room the situation or life’s darkness flees. We see with new eyes and new hearts and the sweetness of life becomes fresh and new. Fear is banished and peace floods the soul bringing a calm and confidence that cannot be experienced anywhere else or in any other way.

If you do not know Jesus the Light of the World I encourage you to call upon Him today and allow Him to become Light in your darkened world. If you do know Jesus then refuse to allow the darkness to invade your light, resist the devil and he will flee.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

0 Comments Leave a comment

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: