1 John 3:18 – “My children, let us not love one another in word and in tongue (talk), but in deeds and truth (walk).”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, a thought kept echoing in my head and heart.  “Talk or walk.”   1 John 1:6 – “He who says (talk) he abides in Him (Jesus) ought himself to walk (live) even as walked (lived).”

The Book of 1 John is filled with references and examples of this thought: “talking or walking.”   It is easy to profess something.  It is easy to claim allegiance and self-identify.  But, if the life (walk) is not consistent with the talk, the talk becomes foam and fluff and not genuine.

Our attitude toward others reveals our heart.  We can say we love others, but if we cringe at the mention of their name, do we really love them?  We talk, but our hearts reveal the truth, and it manifests in our walk.

We can profess to love God (talk), but if our motivation is to gain possession or position, our walk belies that profession.   1 John 3:18 – “My children, let us not love one another in word and in tongue (talk), but in deeds and truth (walk).”

If our walk and our talk are consistent with the Word, we have peace, and out of that peace, we have confidence in God.  If we truly love God, we reject hate and walk in obedience to God’s Word.  Love conquers the world, the flesh, and the devil.  When the walk and the talk are consistent, we are Victorious!

1 John 1:9-11 capsulizes it – If we claim (talk) to love God but harbor animosity toward a brother (walk), we deceive ourselves.  John calls it living a lie.

Lord, help our talk be confirmed by our walk.  Help us to purify ourselves so that we can manifest You in what we say and what we do.  Please help us be lights shining in the darkness.  Let the words of our mouths, the meditation of our hearts, and how we live please You.  Please help us to talk the talk and walk the walk!

May the LORD help us to Walk what we Talk and Live as Examples of His Love, Mercy, and Grace!

2 Peter 1:4 – “Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises that BY THESE you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, my heart was drawn to the epistle of 2 Peter.   Peter makes several interesting declarations, which could be considered challenges and are revelatory.

In 2 Peter 1:4, we read about Great and Precious Promises or ‘Exceeding Great and Precious Promises.  In vv.  2-3, we discover that the Promises include grace, peace, and knowledge of Jesus, as well as empowerment for life and worship.  Those promises and provisions are doorways to transformation.

Then he says, “Don’t stop there, do something more…”   In vv 5-8, we see the pathway to God’s fullness that we are to pursue diligently: faith, virtue, spiritual knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, kindness, and love.

Verse 8 – “For when (not if, when) these things are found among you and abound, you are not empty nor untruthful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Found or present and manifested.  In abundance or continually, are exhibited.)

Verses 10-11 speak of ‘good deeds’, making our calling and election sure.  Works?  No, the things identified in verses 5-8.  He says, “If those are characteristics of your life, you won’t fall.” He then reveals that practicing those things provides a portal into God’s everlasting kingdom.   This is part of Matthew 6:33, where we are instructed to seek God above all else.

He gives us the foundations of life and, from that platform, reveals that the coming trauma the world will experience won’t shake us.  As we consider what is happening and what is to come, we realize the answer to Peter’s question in 2 Peter 3:11 – “What manner of persons ought you to be in your holy conduct and godliness…”

In verse 14, he says something powerful: “Therefore, my beloved, while you look for these things (last days events), be diligent that you may be found by Him in peace, without spot and blemish.”

The focus is not on eschatological events and predictions but on Jesus.  It is on character.  It is on the presentation of Him to the world by our lives.  It is pulling down strongholds and setting the captives free.

2 Peter 2:9 is a verse to embrace as our personal promise and guarantee.  “The LORD knows how to deliver from distress those who revere Him, and He will reserve the wicked to be punished at the judgment day.” He knows how, and He does!

We have exceeding great and precious promises through which we have access to the Divine Nature and escape from the world’s corruption!

Focus on Jesus and diligently allow the Holy Spirit to shape your life, making your life full and fruitful.   Victory is ours!  Live full, live free, and live expectantly.  Do the deeds of righteousness!

Have a wonderful day and remember that we have Great and Precious Promises to Guide, Guard, and Gird us!

1 Peter 1:13 –“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be wide awake and hope for the joy that is coming to you at the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the value of the mind spiritually occupied my consciousness.  We tend to discount the mind and rightly distinguish between head and heart knowledge.  However, to totally discount the mind (thoughts and reason) is to rob ourselves of our spiritual well-being.

There are repeated references to the mind with encouragement to THINK.    Isaiah said, “Come now, let us reason together.”   That involves the mind.

The mind, unguided by the Spirit, leads to the pursuit of the purposes of the flesh.   The mind submitted to God and led by the Holy Spirit opens the heart to the wonders of God. Christianity is not mindlessness, but minds filled with and led by God.   God gave us the ability to THINK, so why not use that cognitive ability for spiritual development?

A mind led by the Spirit of God comprehends the incomprehensible.  Inventions burst forth, and sound doctrine was established and taught. In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter urges, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be wide awake and hope for the joy that is coming to you at the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The loins of the mind are a fascinating and quite revealing statement.  Reproduction is initiated in the loins naturally.  Could it be that Reproduction spiritually is initiated in the loins of the mind?

Philippians 4:4-8 is filled with the mind.   Especially vv 6-8.  Worry involves the mind, and understanding involves the mind.   Verse 7, “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and MINDS through Jesus Christ.  8 Finally, my brethren, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, THINK on these things.”

Ephesians 5:19 enjoins us to be saturated with the Holy Spirit, and out of that fullness, our hearts, minds, and souls are linked to God and find expression and release in Psalms, Hymns, and songs of the Spirit.

Mindlessness is the way of the world.  Mindfulness is the way of the Spirit.  THINK, reason, meditate, and examine the Word of God.   Romans 12:1-2 speaks of submission to God and the transformation of the MIND.  The mind enables us to differentiate between good and evil.

Don’t fear the MIND; fear mindlessness.  A mind led by the Spirit (Sanctified) is a mighty tool for the kingdom.   The mind helps keep the emotions in check.

Yield all to Jesus, including your thoughts.  Bring every thought (mind) into captivity to Christ, making it obey Jesus.  Truly, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.  In God’s hands, it becomes a doorway to discovery and spiritual development.

We have the MIND of Christ!

Have a wonderful day, and may the Holy Spirit guide your mind to right thoughts and paths.

Jeremiah 23:9-10 – “Here is what the LORD says concerning the false prophets: My heart and My mind are deeply disturbed…”

The Question: “What would it take for God to say that?  What would it take for God to be disturbed?  Are we as disturbed as God and Jeremiah over the conditions of today?  Does it keep us awake at night, weeping over the lost?  

He continues, “I am like a drunk person, like a person who has had too much wine, because of the way the LORD and His Holy Word are being mistreated.  10 For the land is full of people unfaithful to Him.  They live wicked lives, and they misuse their power.  So, the land is dried up because it is under His curse.  The pastures of the wilderness are withered.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, my heart began to break.   The emotions Jeremiah must have felt welled up inside of me.

In Jeremiah 23, we see the condition of the nation and how Jeremiah’s repeated warnings were being rejected.   The people were consumed with self.    I see that condition today in virtually every sector of society.  False prophets and false doctrines that deny judgment and holiness are becoming more prevalent.  Words, dreams, and visions that promote personal preference are abundant.  God’s abundant grace is being turned into a license to live for self.

When the church becomes like the world, evil prevails.  Darkness becomes the only light people see.  Hope becomes a distant fantasy, and self-preservation becomes the driving motivation behind people’s motives.

Today, believers everywhere are lamenting the conditions of the world!   Many churches have modified their message, trying to be like the world so as not to offend them and hopefully attract followers.   We want God to move, but often forget what is required to have it.   It is not friendship with the world, gimmicks, or focusing on self; it is Jesus.   It is total commitment to Him.  It is abandoning sin and pursuing God.   It is abiding in Jesus and His Word abiding in us.

God’s power will not consistently flow outside an environment of purity of heart.   If Hebrews 13:8 is true, Jesus is the same today as He was and will be.    If He’s the same, He still does what He did and still requires what He required.

In Acts 3, the healing of the lame man reveals a glaring deficiency today.   Peter’s faith in the promises and provisions of God’s Word became a catalyst for healing and redemption.  The miracle served as the catalyst for the message, resulting in the salvation of 5,000 souls.

I’m not following two themes, but I’m saying that the stream of self-centeredness plugs the pipeline of God’s miracles and robs people of the blessing of Salvation.  Are we more aware of and concerned about what we want and need than the lostness of our world?  Do we see the condition and remain unaffected by it, making the pursuit of our interests our paramount concern?

Our world has abandoned God’s Word and elevated self to the throne of life.  We can see revival if we are willing to truly make self secondary to God.

God’s power, working through pure hearts, will provide a platform to introduce Jesus to the lost.   Eternity is far more important than the present.   Yet, the now holds more sway over our hearts than Eternity.    No wonder the prophet was reeling in despair over what he saw.

Today’s world and lackadaisical living (including any complacency in me) torment me.   I weep, knowing the damage and danger.   God, help me to die to myself and surrender 100% of my heart to You.   Cause me to be consumed with Your purposes and incessantly intercede for the lost.  Eternity is eternal.   How can the temporal have such a hold on us that we willingly live for now and lose sight of the eternal?

Revival is flowing, and all hungry hearts will swim in that river.   When self is king, God cannot reign.   I’m Yours, LORD, use me to change my world.   May God use you to make a powerful impact on your world.  You are a weapon in His hands!

LORD, help us shift our focus from Self to Son and receive the Healing that Comes!

Jeremiah 12:1 – “Lord, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you.  However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice.  Why are wicked people successful?  Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, Jeremiah 12 commanded my attention.   The chapters preceding this one explore themes of obedience, righteousness, and right living.  The way Jeremiah began Chapter 12 gave me pause.  Jeremiah, like us, complained to God about what he saw and his evaluation of fairness.

He began right but quickly gave way to human thinking.   “LORD, You have always been fair whenever I complained to You.  However, (here it comes, the but), I would like to speak with You about the disposition of justice…”   

Imagine coming to God and saying, “God, you’ve always been fair, BUT You missed something, so let me make You aware of the problem.  You don’t see it, but I do so that I will apprise You of the problem.  Then he continued, “Why are wicked people successful?  Why do all (not some but all) dishonest people have such easy lives?” Yes, God, I’m struggling, and I’m limiting myself, doing all the right things, and yet they are not, but life’s a party for them.  What’s up with that?”

In Jeremiah 12:5, God answered, “If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out, how will you compete with horses?  And if you feel secure, only safe, and open country, how will you manage the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River?”

God’s sense of humor is on full display here.  He was saying, “Jeremiah, if you keep comparing yourself to others when it really doesn’t impact you, and things are relatively easy, what will you do if it becomes life or death?  You are looking at the wrong thing, being self-centered rather than trusting Me.“

• If we look to God and give everything to Him, we know He is always just. 
• If we are distracted by other people when things are easy, how distracted will we be when it gets really bad? 
• If our faith is stretched to the limit in ease, will we have any faith at all when it gets really bad?

John 14:1-2 and John 15 are my go-to passages for comfort and prevention when I’m tempted to look at others, seeming ease in their rebellion.     Why me, Lord?     There, I see the eternal destiny of everyone and know that no matter what, I’m loved, cared for, protected, and preserved.    In Him, I have hope.    Psalm 91 reminds me that I have angelic protection.

 So, never use human logic to rationalize how you think God should be acting.  Surrender everything to Him and rest in His perfection.  Ultimately, you get to abide in His house in heaven forever!    The Present, with its problems, is minuscule compared to the presence of His there.

May your day be filled with His goodness and your focus on His mercy, not the unfairness of life!