Spiritual

THE VALUE OF VISION…


Spiritual Blog - Vision

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” NASU

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” NKJV

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law” NIV

Proverbs 29:18 – “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy.” NLT

In the early transcripts, this was “no prophetic vision”, not just “vision” and that is a significant difference.  There are multiple directions to take this and through the years I’ve taken many different approaches to this verse.  This morning I have a thought and purpose that I hope will be a blessing and of benefit.

First, I believe that a church must have a “corporate vision” unto which it rallies around and that vision should come from the leader or leaders of the church.  It should be their passion and reflect what “God is saying to that body of believers”.  If there is no “singular vision” there is chaos with everyone running after “their vision” and wanting to make it the “vision of the whole”.  The lack of effectiveness and life in that congregation would be easily discernable and people would “run wild”.  There would be no “pulling together” or “being fitly framed” into a dynamic unit for the cause of the Kingdom.  It would be just a bunch of isolated and disjointed parts, not a body.

Second, I believe that it is important for individual believers to have “vision” not just have, “a vision”.  We need to be able to SEE SPIRITUALLY!  Absence, of “spiritual vision” also brings chaos and disorder not only in the congregation but the individual life.  It makes us easy targets for the devil because if “natural vision” is all we have to rely on we will fail to comprehend and apprehend what God has in store for and desires for us!  In this case, you will:

  1. Be overwhelmed rather than propelled to victory.
  2. Defeatism will become prevalent rather than Spiritual Optimism.
  3. The prism through which you view life will be “circumstantial” rather than “promise driven”.
  4. Fear will prevail and faith will wither and die.

An example of what I’m talking about is found in the Book of Numbers where Moses sent out 12 men to spy out the Land of Canaan and report back so they could develop a battle plan for obtaining the promise of God.  Ten came back reporting what they say in their “natural vision”.  Two came back reporting what they say with their “spiritual vision.”

Notice the difference:

  1. They all saw the bountiful land.
  2. They all saw it as being all God had described.
  3. They say it as truly a Land of Promise.
  4. Ten saw the “problem” but two saw the “potential through the prism of the promise.”

If you live your life through “natural vision” you will NEVER fulfill the Purpose nor achieve the Promise or Potential God has for you.  BUT, if you live your life with “spiritual vision” you will find that “fear” has no place to take root, the devil’s attempts to “intimidate” will become laughable, and “confidence” will soar because YOU SEE WHAT GOD SEES not just what is there in the natural.

I’m told that an Eagle has eight times as many visual cells per cubic centimeter as a human.  Thus, an eagle flying at 600 feet can spot an object the size of a dime in six inches of grass.  It can see a three-inch fish jumping in a lake five miles away.  It can see from above with almost “supernatural eyesight”.  When we see with “spiritual vision” we are seeing things from God’s perspective – – Above and with supernatural eyesight as well as with an assured confidence that if God sees it and said it WE CAN HAVE IT!

So, our desire and prayer should be for “spiritual vision”.  It’s what God wants for us and if we seek Him and cry out to Him for it HE WILL GIVE IT!  We can learn to “see” through the Eyes of God!  Life will never be the same again!

May God bless you richly as you go through your day with your new vision!

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SUFFICIENT GRACE – PERFECTED POWER…


Spiritual Blog - Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” NASU

Many have been the times I have gone to this passage and reminded the Lord of His statement and promise.  There have been occasions in my life when my human inabilities were so apparent that barring a miracle from God I would go under.  It is not in the times that I recognize my human weakness that I get in trouble it is in those times when I do not.  It is not when I am relying on His Grace that I find myself sinking it is in those times when I try to do it in my own strength, wisdom, knowledge, and power.  It is not when I’m vulnerable that I get in trouble it is when I think I’m invincible.  Truly, I have learned in life that His Grace and Power is demonstrated to the full in those times when we have come to the end of ourselves and fully realize and acknowledge that “without Him, we can do nothing.”

When trials come they do not always just go away because we claim a Bible promise, pray, or make a confession.  Sometimes they persist!  That does not mean we succumb to them or allow them to crush us, it is in those times that we need to recognize that He is “I AM, THAT I AM.”  He does not just have power, HE IS POWER!  He does not just have grace, HE IS GRACE!  He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent so nothing going on in our lives is a surprise to Him not beyond His wisdom or power to handle.  Our trials are opportunities for Him to demonstrate HIS GREATNESS!  I’m not suggesting that we pray for trials rather that when we are encompassed about by a host of hellish devices we RUN TO HIM and RELY ON HIM!  It is in those times that His strength and grace has a complete manifestation in our lives and situation.

THEREFORE, when the storms of life are raging know that Heaven’s Grace will never fail.  That is why James could say with confidence in James 1:2-4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” NKJV  It’s not the trial that is to be the focus but HIM.  Focusing on the Problem perpetuates the potential for disaster but focusing on Him provides perfected peace!  The choice is ours, the provision is His.

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

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TRUTH IS INVALUABLE…


Spiritual Blog - Truthg

John 16:13-15 – “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”  NKJV

 

It is my desire to “speak only those things I hear the Lord saying” and “do only those things I see Him doing”.  I’ve been asked for Chapter and Verse and usually refer them to this passage as an example of what I am talking about.  Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit our Advocate, Comforter, and Teacher will “teach” and “guide” us into ALL TRUTH.  We were told that He will not speak on His own initiative but say ONLY what He hears from Heaven and will “open our eyes to what is coming”.  He will GLORIFY the Lord Jesus Christ and take what Jesus is “saying” and “doing” and share it with us, “imparting” to us “gifts” and “abilities” to accomplish GOD’S PURPOSES in this life.  Jesus said, “All things that the Father has are Mine…”  He assured us that the Holy Spirit would take of those things and declare them to us so that we too could know the MIND OF THE FATHER!

Therefore, we can fully expect to walk through this maze called “life” with a calm assurance in our hearts because we “know” the “mind of the Father” through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  We don’t have to become flustered and frustrated with the events of life, we can rest in the PEACE OF GOD because we have a “Comforter” who will “guide” us into ALL TRUTH!  I have been through both ends of that spectrum.  I have experienced that dilemma sitting in a doctor’s office awaiting a report that caused great trepidation.  But with the prayers of many friends, the Holy Spirit came in and calmed my spirit and assured me that “God was in control” and observed how quickly things went from trepidation to rejoicing and God’s Peace flooded my heart.  The devil tries to shipwreck our lives but the Holy Spirit brings the PEACE OF GOD into the matter powerfully.  It is there that Holy Spirit speaks into our hearts what He is “hearing” in the Throne Room of Heaven we can walk out of that situation in total victory!  To God be the Glory!

That is why the apostle Paul told us in Romans 8:26-30 – “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”  NKJV

 If I can recommend anything to you it is learn to “trust” the voice of the Spirit of God.  He will not guide you astray and He will ALWAYS guide you according to the Word and Will of God.  If what you are hearing does not line up with God’s Word “it is not the Spirit of God speaking” so discard it.  If it lines up with the Word of God and brings the Peace of God “rest in it” and be at peace.  God is working on your behalf and will guide you into all truth!

May the Lord’s blessings be richly upon you as you go through your day!

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THE IMMEASURABLE GOD WE SERVE…


Spiritual Blog - Awesome

Isaiah 40:12-18 – “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. 16 All Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon’s sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes they are less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom, then, can we compare God?” NLT

This morning, as I was reading this passage, seemed to leap off the page at me so I wish to pen a few brief remarks.  We all face the many uncertainties of life and none of us truly know what is around the next corner or the next encounter we will face.  We truly live from moment to moment, in Him.  He is our rock and our strength in the time of trouble, and our strong tower in the time of safety.

In reading this I was particularly encouraged when I began to think of the “awesomeness of God” and His “immenseness”.  Read this passage slowly and allow it to sink in and you realize that the “Creator of the Universe” has no comparison.  He is immeasurable and absolutely reliable and trustworthy.  He has extended to each of us the “hand of fellowship” allowing us to be “adopted” into the family of God through the Blood of Jesus.  What a comfort to know that nothing escapes His view, nothing is too large for Him to handle, and nothing is more immense than He.  While we may be small and insignificant in comparison to Him, He takes careful pains to ensure that each of us is cared for individually and collectively.  He is so concerned about each of us that He knows the very number of the hairs on our heads and pays attention to every detail of our lives, needs, struggles, and victories.  WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!

So, I plan my day not knowing what a day may bring forth.  I recall, a few years ago, when I was referred to a surgeon because of an issue with my parathyroid gland.  There was trepidation because the tests indicated a tumor.  As I researched parathyroid tumors I discovered that they were rarely malignant.  The surgeon assured me that it was benign because of the rareness of malignancies in this gland.  I had PEACE that God was in control but there was a gnawing thought in my mind that this was not routine.  When I underwent surgery and the doctor visited me in my hospital room he informed me that he had been wrong and it was, in fact, malignant and quite large.  Numerous things transpired to cause me further concern and trepidation and a second surgery was scheduled for a few months down the road.  One day, sitting in my truck during my lunch break and doing what I did daily, praying and reading the Word of God, I felt a warmth cover my body and sensed that I had been healed.  I had a sweet and powerful PEACE settle over me and in my heart and I begin to sing of our AWESOME GOD!  I rested in His care and trusted the prayers of my many friends that were going up continually for me.  As an old preacher once said, “God can pull you through anything if you can stand the pull.”  Just before the second surgery, all my PTH levels went to the low side of normal and the surgery proved to be a total success.  NO TRACE OF CANCER was found in my body.  I walked and now walk in complete PEACE knowing I am in His hands.  I live in confidence that HE WILL BE THERE every step of the way, so I GO IN PEACE!

Thanks for your prayers, and may you have a blessed day.  God bless you, have a fantastic day serving our AWESOME GOD!

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THE ULTIMATE GUARANTEE…


Spiritual Blog - Guarantee

Lamentations 3:22-24 – “The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”  NLT

We’ve all heard the sales pitch from one salesman or another about the “guarantee” or “warranty” of their product and how it is so much better than any other product like it on the market.  Sometimes that claim is true and sometimes it is just “sales talk”.  In this particular passage, we find the ULTIMATE GUARANTEE that is ABSOLUTE, UNSHAKABLE, and WILL NEVER FAIL!  Now I don’t know about you but those words excite me.

Consider it with me:

  1. It begins with the UNFAILING LOVE OF GOD.  A love that NEVER ENDS, a love that CANNOT BE SHAKEN, and a love that is COMPLETELY UNEARNED.  It is UNCONDITIONAL and  It is a love that is far beyond anything that we humans can use to compare it.
  2. Then, the focus becomes HIS MERCIES. Through them, we are KEPT from COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.  Not just kept safe for a time or a little but COMPLETE SAFETY.  Can you really fathom that?  NOTHING can touch you when you are under the “shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91).
  3. Next, we see that HIS FAITHFULNESS AND MERCIES are FRESH every day!  They are being continually renewed so that they are an inexhaustible supply of LOVE, GRACE, TENDERNESS, FAITHFULNESS, and MERCY from the Throne Room of Heaven.  It is a River flowing to us from Him, the same river Jesus spoke of in the Gospels that would flow out of our “innermost being” when we came to Him and drank of His Grace.
  4. That leads us to the CONFIDENCE that we can say without fear or hesitation, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” We are people of HOPE!  Not wishful thinking but HOPE that is anchored in PROMISE backed up by the PERSON who is the OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT CREATOR of the Universe – GOD!

Therefore, TODAY make the decision that you will no longer walk in despair but will walk in hope that is assured, builds faith, emboldens with courage, and empowers with confidence because you are a Child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  You and I have been given the ULTIMATE GUARANTEE!  A love that will never fail!  Mercies that will never end!  Faithfulness that will never be shaken!  We have an immovable Inheritance that cannot be taken from us by the powers of Hell.  We have God’s Promise and I choose to “rest” in that Place of Peace through the Power of His Promise under the Shadow of the Cross.

May God grant you a most beautiful day of worship and celebration today!

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SOMETIMES QUITTING WOULD BE SO EASY…


Spiritual Blog - Quit

Galatians 6:9-10 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” NIV

Have you ever reached the place that quitting would be so easy that it seems the only logical thing to do?  Yet, in your heart of hearts, you know that “quitting” will ensure defeat and you will be in worse shape than if you keep “fighting the good fight of faith”?  I have!  I have had times when I wanted to just crawl under the Juniper tree and say, “Lord, just take me home.  I’m tired, nothing is happening, and nobody cares.”  Pity party, oh yeah but it is more than that, sometimes it is “battle fatigue.”  Sometimes you have struggled with the same issues so long that and seen virtually no results that discouragement sets in and clouds your ability to see the bigger picture, the promises of God, and hear the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to KEEP GOING!  Sometimes you feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is a train coming straight at you not an answer but certain destruction.  It seems more than you can bear and “quitting would be so easy.”

However, Paul gives us some counsel in this passage that can and should move us from pity, discouragement, despair, and certain defeat to an “assured victory” in the Lord and Life!  The scripture tells us in James 4:17 – “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” NIV.  Of course, we don’t want to fall into sin and we do not want to displease the Lord so we struggle to keep the faith because we know as Hebrews 11:6 tell us – “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” NIV.  We, want to as Paul urged in Philippians 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” NASU.  Therefore, it is imperative that we KEEP PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK and KEEP REACHING FOR THE PRIZE, the ultimate victory in Christ.

God has promised a “harvest” if we do not “give up”.  He has promised to come through for us if we “refuse to quit”.  He has promised that in HIS TIMING He will send the abundance of the harvest into our lives.  Our problem is we want to dictate the timing but God will NEVER play that game.  He is the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He knows the end from the beginning and all in between.  He knows, when, where, how, and how much needs to be done and that is exactly what He will do and it is for our “best good” that He does it.  Our part is to DO NOT GIVE UP!  I’ve told people for years – “The devil cannot win UNLESS we quit!”  If we refuse to quit the devil is already a defeated foe.  He hasn’t stopped fighting, deceiving, and striving to shipwreck lives but ULTIMATELY, He was defeated at the Cross and Resurrection by our precious Lord Jesus Christ!  We are NOW more than conquerors through Him who loves us.  So, when you feel like quitting, call someone who will kick you in the seat of the pants and tell you NO!  Fall on your faces before God and repent and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you and give you “grace for the time of need”.  BUT above all DO NOT QUIT!  The only way you fail is IF YOU QUIT! 

May you have a blessed Saturday and a wonderful weekend in the Lord!  Blessings abundantly!

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THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD…..


Spiritual Blog - Faithful

Deuteronomy 7:9 – “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” NKJV

There are many uncertainties in life and some of them trouble us greatly, especially when we are living in “our own strength” and “abilities.”  Trusting the “Arm of Flesh” is a recipe for trouble every time and in every situation.  I realize that Athletes reach a place that they do not think about what they are doing, they react because they have practiced, trained, have talent, and trust their abilities; however, in life, we face things that are “beyond our abilities” and MUST or NEED TO rely on God.

I trust the chair I sit on to hold my weight so I sit on it without concern that it is going to crumble under me and cause me injury or embarrassment.  I trust the wiring in my house that when I flip the switch I will have a light come on and be able to see.  I trust many things in life in the natural but sometimes I face things in life that is beyond what is “seen” and “known” and I need the help of someone who “Sees the End from the Beginning”.  I need the OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNIPRESENT GOD to come to my defense, lead me down the right path, help me make the right decisions, and provide supernaturally for me.

This passage emphasizes the “trustworthiness” of God.  If we make Him first in our lives and “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness….”  HE WILL provide!  His promises are sure!  His character without flaw!  His Word TOTALLY RELIABLE!  Of all the things in life that we trust, but might fail us, God is not one of those.  In fact, He is the only one on whom we can COMPLETELY RELY to ALWAYS be FAITHFUL.  People will fail us, the ability will fail us, technology will fail us, other people will fail us, finances will fail us, but GOD will NEVER FAIL us!

Therefore, as I have faced a previous surgery, as in all times when I have faced something like that there was a bit of trepidation but I had PEACE because I knew God is faithful.  I had less concern about the procedure of replacing the hip joint than the fact that that there is a tumor in existence, yet through the Holy Spirit, I was able to take that thought captive to the obedience of Christ and put my COMPLETE TRUST in Him and have PEACE that all would be well, and it was.  The thing that gave me this confidence was, I had been through a battle with cancer and God healed me.  I had been through multiple surgeries and God always brought me through with excellence.  He has continually provided not only competent doctors but godly ones and for that I am grateful.  But, the greatest of all things that give me confidence is that my Eternal Destiny is settled and I have a home in that Eternal Abode with Him at the end of my days, so I don’t allow worry to overcome me because of the PEACE OF GOD that passes all understanding dwelling and residing in my heart.  I expected to come through that with great results and live a long and full life.  I TRUST GOD with my life!  He is TRUSTWORTHY!

May the Lord be the Peace of your Heart and the Anchor of your Life in all that you are and do as you spend this Lord’s Day in His Presence!  May His blessings overtake you and His love cover you in a new and special way on this day!

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WHY ME LORD or WHY NOT ME LORD?


Spiritual Blog - Why

Isaiah 6:8-9 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  NASU

Through the years I’ve had personal battles and listened to the stories of people who have faced incredible difficulties in life and frequently the question is “Why me Lord?”  I’ve had people say things like, “What did I do to deserve this?” or “Man I must have really made God mad.”  I believe those are the wrong questions and statements based on the wrong focus.  Life is not necessarily “fair” nor is it “predictable”.  Bad things happen to good people and often without explanation or apparent reason.  When I consider Job in the Bible, the description of Job certainly did not warrant the dilemma and devastation he encountered.  He didn’t earn it but God allowed him to be tested, and as a result is an example to each of us on the importance of “maintaining our integrity” and not “wrongfully blaming God” for the difficulties in life.  Scripture tells us that “all things WORK TOGETHER for good.”  It does not say that “ALL THINGS ARE GOOD.”  There is a vast difference and it serves us well to recognize the difference.

When Jonah was directed by God to go preach destruction to the city of Nineveh he resisted and in a sense was saying, “Why me Lord?”  When Elijah was sitting under the Juniper tree after a great victory over Jezebel and her prophets of Baal he was effectively saying, “Why me Lord?” But here God asks for a volunteer and Isaiah says, “Here am I.  Send Me!”  The difference is in attitude and focus.  I believe in the case of both Jonah and Elijah they were turning the focus inward and “self” was the center rather than God.  Isaiah, on the other hand, was turning the focus “upward” and God was the center, not self.  It was not “what will it cost me?”  It was “what can I do?”  It was the reflection of a “complete commitment” to the purposes of God.  Therefore when faced with a problem, potential, need, or opportunity there are two questions we can ask:

  1. Why me Lord?
  2. Why not me Lord?

One leads to service although the cost may be high.  In fact, it could mean the end of your life on earth.  One leads to wrong focus which usually results in having a pity party, ineffective service, and often rebellion against the will and plan of God.  It does not produce the fruit of righteousness and others are not touched by the incredible Grace, Love, and Mercy of the Father.  So instead of looking at whatever the situation we are facing and saying, “Why me Lord?” why not say, “Why not me Lord?”  I know you will see me through and if it is a dire circumstance you will enable me to walk through it in such a way that it will become a testimony for you in a powerful way.  It will speak of your Grace, your Love, your Power, and Provision.  It will become a beacon of hope for others who encounter various trials in life and enable them to say, “With God’s help, I too can walk through this.”

The Grace of God is an amazing thing and it NEVER FAILS!  The Love of God is more than the human mind can comprehend and it KNOWS NO BOUNDS!  The Power of God is inexhaustible and it CANNOT BE MATCHED!  How can I not trust him?  Therefore, I have chosen to make my question in each situation, “Why not me Lord?” rather than “Why me Lord?” and I find that it brings a peace that is more comforting than words can describe!

May God bless you as you begin to bring your week to a conclusion in your labors for the Kingdom of God!  Have a blessed day and enjoy your life in His presence!

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HOW TO HAVE PEACE IN ALL THINGS…


Spiritual Blog - Peace

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  NASU

Each of us has experienced a time or times of a troubled spirit and been anxious or worried about something.  I find it most comforting and challenging that the Bible teaches that we can have “peace” in all things, all the time, in all circumstances.  That does not mean it is necessarily easy but possible and a promise from the Lord.  There is a “key” to this level of living that cannot be practiced on an intermittent basis but must become a lifestyle if we are to walk on this plane continually.

Here Paul gives us some keys to “Peace”:

  1. Be ANXIOUS for Nothing. (Don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t fear, don’t become overcome, or overrun by what is happening around you.)  That is a TALL ORDER but then he tells us how to accomplish this.
  2. IN EVERYTHING by “prayer” and “supplication” with “thanksgiving” let your requests be made known to God.
  3. Prayer – – Communication with God. (Talking to Him. Telling Him how you feel, what you are thinking, and acknowledging His person, power, and presence)
  4. Supplication – – Here is the petition part of prayer. This is where you are presenting your needs, desires, and requests before the throne in light of WHO HE IS.
  5. Thanksgiving – – Without a grateful heart little is accomplished in the Kingdom. Without a grateful heart, we will forget TO WHOM we owe all that we are, have and will be.  We forget that WITHOUT HIM we can do nothing.  We forget that our HUMAN FRAILTY will never overcome the CIRCUMSTANCES of life and the EVIL POWERS that come against us.  We will never learn to live in a STATE OF CONTENTMENT.

THEN it is in this condition that Paul tells us that the PEACE OF GOD that is beyond human ability to comprehend or understand floods our hearts, guards our hearts, and covers our minds so that every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  It is here that we walk FREE OF WORRY and LIVE IN A CONTINUAL STATE OF PEACE.  We are secure in our relationship, or position, or potential, our promise, and our place in Him.  We then can say with Paul, “To die is gain but to live profitable for you.”  We walk in total confidence in Him IN EVERYTHING!  This is where the LOVE OF GOD that banishes all fear fills our hearts and lives and we become so AT ONE with Jesus that when people see us, hear us, and encounter us they encounter Him.  We are then “ruled by peace” and it is a peace that the world did not give and the world cannot steal.

May God bless you as you continue your week in Him!  Blessings in the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

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CHRIST’S WORK ON EARTH THROUGH HIS SPIRITUAL GIFTS…


Spiritual Blog - Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:27-31- “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.” NASU

Ephesians 4:11-16 – “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. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” NASU

I personally cannot fathom life, in any dimension in which there was the absence of the direction of the Lord.  That life would not be effective or effectual.  Jesus and the writers of the New Testament continually referred to the Great Body of Believers as “The Body of Christ” and thereby identified particular functions for each of the many members or organs within that body (as in the human body).  Jesus established and identified a plan to function through His Body (made up of multitudes of believers) in numerous passages, the two above or just examples.

We have A LIFE and that LIFE involves the spiritual, mental, physical, relational, political, and practical.  We are not cats we do not have “nine lives” nor “compartmentalized lives” we have A LIFE!  It is the sum total of what we are and who we are.  It is the expression of our relationship with Him and the world around us.  He is the basis, the foundation, and the guide for all our decisions, moral foundation, political ideology, and spiritual relationship.  To assume anything else flies in the face of Scripture.

Not to address every individual gift ministry in this short devotion but suffice it to say that His purpose in giving those gifts, functions, and/or ministries was to “equip”, “train”, “unify”, and “mature” the Church to become a fully functional manifestation of Him in this present world.  These gifts/ministries were to last UNTIL we all come to the UNITY OF THE FAITH.  Since it is quite clear we are not there, then one can conclude without fear of contradiction that they are valid today.  Are there abuses?  Of course!  Are there misunderstanding and misinterpretations of their role, authority, and function?  Of course!  Does that invalidate them?  Absolutely not!

The ministry of the New Testament Prophet is one largely of being a confirming or correcting voice.  The prophet is not the rudder of the Ship of Zion, Jesus and His Word are.  He/She are not the psychic to eliminate the need to seek God’s face for ourselves they are directional – pointing us to Him who is our foundation.  The prophet “warns” us when we are making wrong decisions.  He/she “encourages” us when we are under stress and duress and need to be encouraged to stay the course.  Likewise, this ministry/function is vital to keep us on course identifying spirits at work, help develop plans of action and empower the Church to “fight the good fight of faith” with foreknowledge and even revelation.  He is called a “seer” in the Old Testament for good reason – – He/she “SEES” into the Realm of the Spirit and comprehends things that the human mind misses or ignores.  We need the Prophet today and the prophet must be held accountable to the strict guidelines and parameters of Scripture.  He/she MUST be men/women of impeccable integrity.  They do not speak of their own but declare the very Words of the Lord to the situation, at the time, for the purpose at hand.

I have no idea why anyone would desire that be eliminated from daily life, the church body as a whole and the oversight of the nation?  We need to hear God in every aspect and dimension of life not as a State Run or State Controlled Religion but as a fresh unrestricted expression of the mind of God I all matters.  The “true prophet’s” ministry is often a lonely one and often he is the source of ridicule and scorn but to dares declare “thus says the Lord” and places himself directly between God and man and face the most severe consequences of God if spoken out of personal bias, prejudice, doctrinal interpretation, or preference rather than the actual speaking of God to that situation.  A history of accuracy lends authenticity to the voice of the prophet and will demonstrate a growing humility in the speaker, knowing that God has spoken through them not because they were special but because they were a willing vessel and obedient to Him.

EVERYTHING is to be “tested” through the Word of God!   EVERYTHING!  When confirmed it is the Word of God for the moment it is to be heeded implicitly with gladness as well as “fear and trembling”.  We need each member, gift, function, and ministry as we need EVERY ORGAN in the natural body to function to perfection as is God’s expressed desire for His Church!  Treasure the gifts and allow God to cultivate them and demonstrate them in your lives and local congregations.

May God bless you as you reach an even higher plane in the Kingdom in your pursuit of excellence in the Spirit!

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