1 Samuel 13:11-12 – “ But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “When I saw that the army had started to abandon me, and that you didn’t come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash, ¹² I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was challenged on several fronts.  The stories of Saul and David depict human reason vs. obedience.   Paul’s words in Romans reflect the power of the flesh and the evidence of true total transformation.

Samuel came to Saul in 1 Samuel 13:11-12 and challenged him over his presumptuous act of disobedience.  Saul did what we tend to do; he justified himself.

Saul said, “But, I saw the desertion of the army.  You, Samuel, were late (it’s your fault).  I didn’t have a clear word from God.  The enemy had gathered against me, so I THOUGHT I was obligated to do something.”  Human reason vs. Obedience brought about his destruction.   God is on time even if it’s not on our timetable.   Trust is to be maintained even in delay.   Saul’s reason opened the door to greed and self-serving, which resulted in his rejection by God.

David’s simplistic faith, developed through the events of his life, enabled him to look beyond Goliath, reject fear, and rely on God’s promises.  He was a covenant person.

His view was that the giant had defied God.   If God could enable him to overcome stronger and faster enemies in the form of hungry lions and bears, Goliath would be just another problem God would dispose of.   His confidence was in God.   David rejected everything but what God had equipped him with.   

His confidence was in God, his sling, and a few selected stones.  David demonstrated life in calm confidence, the confidence expressed by the three Hebrew children.   God can; that’s not up for debate.   We believe God will, and that is confidence.  But regardless, we are still totally committed to Him.

In Romans, Paul addresses this faith and life, revealing that the transformed are transformed.  In Romans 6:8 – “Now IF we died with Christ, we believe we will live with Him.” That’s not just someday in heaven but here!

In Romans 6:12, he instructs us to do something rather than have it done for us.   Too many backhandedly blame God for their weaknesses of the flesh.   We say, “I’ve asked God to help me (whatever it is that we want to be free from).”   Verse 12 declares, “THEREFORE, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness.”

If we are in Christ, we are made new on the inside.   Springs do not issue forth sweet and bitter water.   What comes out is what is inside.  What manifests in us is what we yield to.   Dying to self is not a forced thing by God but a willing cooperation with Him.   

God presents the way of transformation, but we have to go through that door and practice righteousness.   Righteousness is not an arbitrary act of God forcing a change in us.   We are gifted with the grace and strength to resist, but we have to resist.   Yielding to the flesh is easy, and resisting requires trust and determination.

When I got saved, God removed some desires, but for me to enjoy that freedom, I had to resist any temptation or opportunity to revert to them.   Giving it to Jesus means rejecting it when it tries to come back.   If we dabble in sin, sin will rule us.   If we resist sin, grace will empower us.

Let’s be the people Paul speaks of as dead to sin and a person like David who is totally confident in God.   Victory or defeat is before us, awaiting our decision.

May your day be filled with awareness of God’s person, power, and provision!

Acts 26:19-20 – “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.” 

What a day that will be when my Jesus we shall see.   When we look upon His face, the one who saved us by His Grace.  A glorious day is just around the corner. Know this, God loves you forever!

As I read in Acts 26, Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa, one statement in verse 20 refused to allow me to move on.   I heard, “Not fluff, but proof by change.”   Paul said, “I declared to those in Damascus first, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.”

Repentance means changing your mind and changing directions.  It means making a 180-degree turn.  You were going south now, and you turned and went north.  You were serving yourself; now, you serve God.

Two factors or dimensions of this transformation are Repentance and turning to God, not just feeling guilty, weeping, and saying the sinner’s prayer.  We have erroneously been taught that’s all that is required.

You may turn in the other direction by your willpower, but not be changed on the inside.   If we repent and turn to God, we produce fruit in our lives that reveals that character change.  We begin to live redeemed.  Voltaire said, “If you want me to believe in your redeemer, you need to appear redeemed.”

What is the evidence that we are redeemed?   Our lives, flowing out of a changed character, produce evidence of change.   When I got saved, I was changed.   I repented and surrendered my entire being to God.  It was an inside job, not simply praying a rote prayer.  My attitude changed.  My manner of speaking changed.  My habits changed.  My desires changed.  My purpose and focus changed.

Nothing was as important as God’s presence and purpose.  My hunger for Him was insatiable, and I devoured the Word.  That Word became alive and chipped away the rough edges of my life and still does.

Just saying, “I’m a Christian, and going to church doesn’t make you one.”   The external is inconsequential if the internal is not transformed. You must be born again. Being born again means becoming a different person.

It is instantaneous and progressive. Inside, we are immediately changed; then, through diligence, we are transformed. Our hearts are changed, and we then begin to manifest the deeds consistent with repentance and redemption.

Not fluff but proof, though change!   If the tree is good, the fruit will be good.  If the fruit is mixed or bad, we need to go back to the beginning. Repent (do an about-face) AND turn to God. Recommit our entire being to God. Bring every thought captive and give God our whole heart.

Out of our instantaneous change, we grow in grace and become transformed from glory to glory.   The Spirit of God challenged me to examine my fruit and deeds, measure them against the Word, and compare them to Jesus without excuse.   Repent where repentance is needed, and after doing an about-face to set my heart on the pursuit of God!

Have a great day, reject fluff, and seek the real stuff in your life!

Acts 22:6-10 – “As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷ Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ So I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.’”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was filled with the importance and life-changing impact of personal encounters. Through a personal encounter with God, we are given strength, courage, wisdom, and ability beyond human capacity to understand.

Samson looked like an ordinary man but was supernaturally strong. The Philistines enticed Delilah with 1100 silver coins to discover the secret to his supernatural strength. Samson’s physical passion betrayed him, and he lost his power.   Only in repentance did he regain his strength.

In Acts 22, Paul recounts his personal encounter on the Damascus Road that eternally transformed him.   He saw the light!   He saw the blinding light of the Spirit of God, and that light (personal experience) caused him to face his condition and paved the way to complete deliverance and total transformation.

One minute in God’s presence can change us forever!   One minute in His presence strips religiosity from us supernaturally.  One minute in His presence enables us to see into the kingdom realm and move to that higher plane of life that only those who have been transformed can see.

Paul saw the light AND heard the voice!   Just having our sin exposed is insufficient. Unless we hear His voice, we will remain blind, bitter, brittle, and unchanged.   Once we hear Him, IF we obey Him, the world loses a member of the army of flesh, and Heaven gains a new inductee into the Army of Heaven.

A personal encounter shifts our desires from vengeance, avarice, greed, lust, and self to restoration, forgiveness, and purity, and empowers us supernaturally!   Personal encounters are eternal, but since the flesh is still present, we need frequent, if not daily, personal encounters with Jesus.

Lord, open our eyes to see, our ears to hear.  Open our hearts to obey. Make us champions in the Spirit with strength that causes people to ask, “Where do you get that strength?”   Help us to have the commitment of total surrender that says, “I’m Yours, LORD! What should I do?”

The promise is Life, the provision is Grace, and the Anointing breaks every yoke!  You are not a might be or could be, but you are more than a conqueror. Exercise that authority and keep it fresh by seeking personal encounters with Jesus!

I pray that God sends divine encounters and divine appointments your way today!

Joshua 21:45 – “Not one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; every one was realized.”

Remember this eternal truth: God never fails!    Two thoughts are exploding in my spirit today.  God never fails, and He honors even imperfect prayers.   Our text emphasizes that reality.

That is an ironclad promise of God that He will keep His Promises. He never fails.  A second reality revealed in Scripture is that God works through the prayers of His people.  However, we sometimes mistakenly believe that our prayers have to be perfect.  Two specific incidents reveal that God answers sincere but flawed prayers.

Consider this fact: Joshua asked that the sun and moon stand still.   We know that the sun’s standing still would not increase the length of the day because the Earth revolves around the sun.   Therefore, Joshua needed the earth to stand still.   God saw his heart and honored his sincere, faith-filled request.   God is not pulling out a checklist when we pray to ensure every word is precise.   He honors imperfect prayers when they are prayed earnestly and sincerely.

A second is in Acts 12, where Peter was in jail awaiting execution. The church was earnestly praying for him. The events reveal that it was sincere and earnest, not filled with expectation. However, God demonstrated His willingness to operate in His prescribed way through the prayers of believers. Peter was set free, and when they saw him, they were amazed.

2 Chronicles 7-14-15 reminds us to pray. Even if our prayers are imperfect, God promises that if we pray and seek His face in humility and repentance, He will answer, save, and heal us.

The focus must be on believing in God’s faithfulness and praying earnestly. God is unmoved by casual, nonchalant, lackadaisical praying and touched by sincere, earnest intercession. Knowing all the right words is not important. It’s not a formula; it is a petition.

What do you need today?   What is needed in the world and the church today?  PRAY!  Pray sincerely and earnestly; God hears and never fails.

Have a fantastic day, and treasure the promise of God to keep all His promises!