TRUE WORSHIP…


Spiritual Blog - Worship

John 4:23-24 – “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  NASU

            I love reading about the encounters Jesus had with people especially those who had a stereotypical attitude or a preconceived religious bias about Him or anything.  He had a way of cutting through the layers of man-made limitations and getting to the heart of the matter and bringing light and life to the situation.

            Here he encounters a woman of Samaria who had a skewed view of the Jews.  Jesus went outside the norm in speaking to her and in so doing completely dismantled all her preconceptions and brought her face to face with the Light of Life in the Son of God.  He addressed “false worship” which is still prevalent today in many people and may religious circles.  He tore down the man-made rules and regulations and ideas of what “worship is” and “how it is performed.”  He came to the ultimate truth that each of us needs, that truth is that TRUE WORSHIP is “in Spirit and Truth.”  It is not in some religious catechism, methodology, or lists.  It is allowing the heart to fully and completely respond to God.  The only possible way to worship God, who is a Spirit, is by the Spirit!  It is a heart function!

            When the heart connects with God there is transformation.  We may connect with just the mind and have a different attitude but our hearts are not changed and there is no transformation in our inner beings, nature, or character.  But, when the heart connects we become NEW CREATIONS and are translated from Darkness into His Marvelous Light and Love.  We become NEW PEOPLE because there is a change in us from the innermost part of our being to the outworking of our daily lives.  The change does not come in actions first but the heart.  Out of the heart flows life and change in actions and attitude.

            Therefore, if you are struggling to be at peace with God and live the Christian life, stop trying to “turn over a new leaf” or “transform yourself” instead allow your heart to reach out to His love and the change will be done IN YOU not BY YOU!

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

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HOLDING FAST OUR CONFESSION…..


Spiritual Blog - Confession

Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  NASU

            Those of us who have “confessed” or “professed” Jesus as our Lord and Savior need to hear this passage in the deep recesses of our spirits!  We dare not waver in our commitment to that “confession” or “profession.”  The devil would bring doubt, question, vain discussions about the Bible’s validity, supposed errors, and interpretations but IS JESUS THE SON OF GOD?  If you believe that He is you have settled the most important question in life and have an anchor upon which you can hold in good times and bad!  

            We should seek to “stimulate” or “encourage” each other in that commitment and profession or declaration of our faith.  We do so through LOVE and GOOD DEEDS.  We do so by becoming a part of a “local assembly” where we can unite with other believers and use the “strength in numbers” truth to help us make it through both good and bad times.  We are part of each other.  None of us are islands to ourselves and need each other.

            It is more than just getting together for “fellowship” and “mutual sharing” it is a time when the “Master Builders” those whom God has chosen for that Body are able to do the work of “fitly framing us” into a Spiritual House through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is a time when we as “living stones” are assembled into a fully functioning arm of the Lord to accomplish His purposes.  Does that mean you will agree with everything that the leadership does or the church as a whole does – I doubt it!  I doubt that they will agree with all you think, do or say either.  We all are still human in case you have forgotten. 

           When I find people who cannot or will not submit to legitimate Spiritual Authority I find people that are easy targets for the devil in deception and are easily swayed into wrong and even false doctrine.  Do I think that any local congregation has everything totally right?  NO!  Do I think the local assembly is needed and serves a ministry?  YES!  Do I think there is room for improvement in becoming more in harmony with the pattern of the New Testament Church?  ABSOLUTELY!  So how do we accomplish that?  We work together we encourage each other and we refuse to allow schisms and divisions to be among us.

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

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I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE…..


Spiritual Blog - Bread of Life

John 6:33-35 – “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” NASU

 

            Jesus was addressing the crowd and informed them that he was fully aware that they were following Him based on the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish.  He used that moment as a classic teaching opportunity to bring them to the ultimate spiritual truth regarding who He was.  He went back in their history to the “Manna” from heaven in the wilderness as well as the miracle He performed in their midst and advised them that the bread from heaven did not come from Moses or any man but from The Father.

            That Bread brings life not just momentary sustenance and satisfaction.  It gives Eternal Life and they crowd was so moved that they cried out for Him to give them that bread and Jesus stepped forward saying: “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”  He brought them to a moment in time when they had to make a decision regarding who He was and what He had to offer.  It was like when He asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter’s immortal response is the only acceptable on – “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

            We live in difficult times materially, socially, emotionally, politically, and even spiritually but our concerns and even fears about what we will eat, wear, drive, or where we will live pale in comparison to the ultimate question – – WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?  Will you receive Him as the Lord and Savior of your life or will you list Him in the category of a prophet, a good man, or some figure from history?  It is an old cliché but true – – Jesus is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all! 

            Today I encourage you to come to Him and receive the Bread of Life and never hunger spiritually and believe in Him and never thirst.  You will find complete and total satisfaction in your heart of hearts when you receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  Make that day of acceptance today!

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

 

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APPLES OF GOLD IN PICTURES OF SILVER…..


Spiritual Blog - Word

Proverbs 25:11-12 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. 12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.”  NKJV

 

A well-timed and well-advised word can diffuse a volatile situation, bring comfort to a heavy heart, and bring peace in the midst of turmoil.  It can turn a life completely around and save it from the path of destruction.  It can save marriages, repair broken relationships, and prevent war.  On the other hand, an ill-timed and ill-advised word can have the opposite effect!

Through the years I’ve known people who like to say, “Well I just tell it like it is,” which was nothing more than a justification to be rude, crude, callous or vindictive.  Sometimes quoting a passage from the Bible which is true at the wrong time and in the wrong spirit can turn a heart from God rather than draw them to God.  I’m not suggesting that we “sugar-coat” the Gospel or the Word of God but we need to be “workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing and handling the Word of Truth.”  It is a “two-edged sword” and in that sense, if it cuts them it very well may come back to cut us as well.

The Bible says “a soft answer turns away wrath.”  We know that there are times that no matter what you say the person has made up their mind to be angry and even violent and anything you say will prove to be like pouring gasoline onto a flame.  That does not negate the truth of what God says about “soft answers” it just means that the timing has to be considered as well.  Sometimes the right answer is no answer at all.

I’ve known what it is to have someone speak a word to me that was the right word, at the right time, with the right spirit and it was TOTALLY TRANSFORMING.  It brought me back into focus and turned my attention and heart to the Lord so that I could hear what He was saying to me in that situation.  I will be ever grateful to those faithful friends and servants of the Lord for their willingness to speak what God was saying.  In more than one of those times, the word was a stern rebuke but it was done in such a way that it arrested me immediately and I knew quickly and clearly that it was coming from the Throne Room of Heaven and was something that I needed to hear and heed.

I encourage each of you to be sensitive to the Spirit of the Lord and as He gives you something to speak, speak it with all the love that you can muster and have the ultimate desire of your heart redemption and restoration.

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

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YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS…


Spiritual Blog - Two Masters

Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”  NKJV

 

            In John 8:34, Jesus told us that everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  We cannot serve God and the flesh or the devil at the same time.  You do not get bitter and sweet water out of the same spring.  You do not gather grapes from apple trees.  We either serve God or we do not and it really is that simple.  I do not mean that the Christian walk is without problems or always easy, it is not!  But it is simple, either God is our Lord as well as Savior or He is not.  Either God is our ultimate King or He is not.  Either God holds our ultimate allegiance or He does not.  Does that mean we will never stumble, fall, make mistakes or commit an act of sin?  NO!  It means that we do not have that as a lifestyle and when we do sin, stumble, fall, or make mistakes we turn to God for forgiveness.

        There is coming a time when we are going to be called on to make a choice between personal comfort and our faith.  There may well be a time when we have to choose between our faith and being able to buy food, shelter, or other provisions.  There may come a time when we have to make a conscious decision to obey God or man and that time may not be as far in the future as many would hope.  It could be very soon.  I base that on what I sense in my spirit, what I read in the Bible, see in current events and the policies I am aware of in our government and governments of this world.  We are, in my view, living in THE END TIMES!

            I am going to keep this very short and simple and urge you to turn your eyes fully upon God and make sure that your heart is right with Him.  You do not want to be caught without oil for your lamp when the Bridegroom comes.  God is never to be your means of escape, He is your life!   You want to live daily in such a way that if that day were your last there would be no apprehension or regrets.  Live today as if there will never be a tomorrow.  Make God the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in your life.

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

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WHAT A PROMISE AND COMFORT…..


Spiritual Blog - Promise

Isaiah 65:24 – “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”  NASU

            I never cease to be amazed at God and His incredible love and desire to provide for His people that which they need.  Imagine, as a parent, being able to respond to the needs and even desires of your children before they could ask or make you aware of their need.  It is likely that each of us has been able to do that on a few rare occasions but our God is fully aware of everything that is, was, and will be.

            Here He speaks of a time when before we even pray He will answer and while we are forming the words on our lips He will hear our cries.  He knows the spoken and unspoken desires and cries of the heart and He is truly touched by that which touches us.  He is not uncaring or unaware.  I readily acknowledge that I do not truly comprehend why bad things happen to good people at times, I know that God’s Promises are sure and the He will take whatever transpires in our lives and use it to mold and shape us into that which He desires and ultimately use it for our good.  In His Divine Righteousness and following Divine Justice He must allow people to follow their own will otherwise He would make us robots and not responsible for our actions!  That is one reason why God does not always intervene in conflicts between men and therefore bad things happen such as has been the case in some of the national incidents or late.

            Yet, the one thing certain is that God is willing to not only come to our aid but to keep us under the shelter of His arms.  He is willing to respond to our cries for mercy and help.  He is willing to wrap His arms around us and comfort us as only a loving Father or parent could do.  His promises are sure!

            Therefore, if you are facing difficulties right now turn to God and call upon Him.  I fully believe that He is already aware and cares and only awaits our invitation for Him to come into our situation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

            May God be with you as you go through this day!  BLESSINGS!

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REAL PRAYER – Praying God’s Way….


Spiritual Blog - Prayer

Matthew 6:5-7 – “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”  NKJV

 

The Pharisees loved to appear religious and reveled in being noticed when they prayed. I’ve seen it in church when someone would pray and eternal prayer and cover everything they could in doing so.  I’ve endured that when someone would pray over the food before we ate and once I learned who those were if I were in a position to choose who prayed it would not be them.  Some seem to believe that by their multiplicity of words that God is somehow impressed or maybe they just like to hear themselves talk or believe that others are impressed.  Honestly, I know God is not impressed, I certainly am not, and do not believe that very many other people are either.  Hopefully, I am not sounding ant-prayer, but expressing that the prayer God desires is not based on the volume or length of the prayer but the heart.

Jesus directed us that when we go to prayer to go into our “prayer closet” wherever that might be we are to shut out the world and every distraction.  It is there that we have a private and open conversation with God.  He advised against using vain repetitions which would suggest that He is saying, “Get down to it, say it what is in your heart, then listen for Me to speak.”  God doesn’t have to be convinced to do what He has declared He wants to do. He only has to find open and willing vessels through which to do it.

Real prayer is not how long the prayer is or how many times you say “Oh God,” or whatever it is you say.  REAL PRAYER is when the heart is totally open to the Spirit of God and you express to God what is on and in your heart and listen for His response.  He is a “speaking God”.  We find that in Genesis and find that He is still speaking in Revelation.  What would make us think that He does not want to speak to us today?  I’m not telling you that you will always hear an audible voice, it might only be an impression or a particular scripture coming to mind and into view but He is speaking nevertheless.  He will speak and guide us if we will allow Him to do so.  REAL PRAYER is a conversation, not a monologue where we place before God our laundry or a shopping list of wants, wishes, and desires.  It is where we present our hearts to Him and allow Him to present His to us.  We just might find that what we are seeking is not what He desires to give or have us do and we need to modify our focus.

Therefore, instead of just petitioning God with a continual requests allow Him opportunity and give Him some time to enter the conversation.  You just might find that it is transformational in your life.

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

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THE ONE THING THAT IS CERTAIN in a World of Uncertainty…..


Spiritual Blog - God Is Certain

Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  NKJV

            There is not much certainty in this world in which we live.  We do not know what a day holds or what the morrow will bring.  We have only the ability to look through a glass darkly and can only see the beginning from the end.  We know in hindsight but do not have the absolute foresight to know the certainties of the future or even the uncertainties.  We are limited creatures living in a temporal world that is passing away.  From the moment we are born we begin the process of dying and everything between the cradle and the grave is a veiled mystery for the most part.  People change, circumstances change, conditions change and we are left wondering what happened as often as we walk in the certainty of how something will turn out.

            Yet in the midst of all the uncertainty, we have a declaration and promise from our Lord here in Matthew 24 that is ROCK SOLID and ABSOLUTE.  He declared that the one absolute certainty is that HIS WORDS WILL NOT FAIL.  If He has declared it you can take it to the bank, set your watch by it, and stake your life on it – – IT IS ABSOLUTE!  Oh, I know that there are those who would argue that but argue as you may I believe it to be the ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

            I have in my heart promises that I know God has made to me in times of prayer and meditation upon Him and His Word and I know that He will move Heaven and Earth if necessary to bring them about.  He gave me some promises when my children were born that looked for the longest as though they would not be realities and today they are.  When I was diagnosed with parathyroid cancer the Holy Spirit whispered to my inner man that God was not through with me yet and I would recover fully and completely and I have.  The medical doctor who did the surgery acknowledged that what took place was not his doing but came from a source higher than he.  His words were, “God did this.”

            I don’t know what is going to happen to this nation.  I don’t know what is going to happen, the rest of today or the rest of my life.  I don’t know what is going to take place in the next ten minutes but I know that God is still on the throne and still in control and will WHATEVER HE DECLARES AND HAS DECLARED IS ABSOLUTE!  I trust His Word implicitly and completely.  So as you face the uncertainties of life face them with the certainty that God’s Word is ABSOLUTELY DEPENDABLE.  

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

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GRIEVING WITH HOPE…..


Spiritual Blog - Grieving

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” NKJV

 

            I am not sure why I feel promoted to post this devotional today, but sense that there are some grieving that need encouragement.  I have no doubt that each person who reads this has lost a loved one and has known the unpleasantness of GRIEF.  I’ve seen people I cared very much for pass over to the other side and was terribly uncertain about the condition of their soul.  Oh, I’d talked to them about the Lord and some of them had assured me that Jesus was their Lord but their lives seemed to contradict that assertion and thus the cause for concern.  I make no attempt to judge them for that is God’s business and I will continue to hope that they were, in fact, sheltered beneath His wings as they departed this life and entered that eternal state.

            I know the emptiness of having a loved one or a family member depart this life and the realization that I will never, in this life, get to hear them speak or to tell them the things that are in my heart concerning them again.  I know the pain of the loneliness and at the same time the joy of knowing that they passed from a troubled world into one that knows no trouble.  They passed from a world filled with sorrow to one that knows no sorrow.  I know that they are in a far better world than those of us left behind but missing them and grieving that loss is still natural and even healthy when done biblically.

            I’ve been in memorial services where there was such a spirit or morbidity that one could hardly stand and in others where there was such a spirit of peace and joy that one could hardly keep from leaping to one’s feet and shouting “Hallelujah.”  In one there was HOPE and in the other only GRIEF. 

            I really like the way Paul concluded his statement concerning this eventuality and reality of death.  He said in verse 18 – “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  What words? 

  1. That we do not sorry as those who have no hope.
  2. That our loved ones who have died in the Lord are with the Lord.
  3. That those of us who remain will one day also be with the Lord.
  4. That Jesus is coming back for us all.
  5. That we will one day leave this world behind giving it a permanent wave and entering into the eternal presence of the Lord.

          Those wonderful words of comfort!  Losing a loved one when there is HOPE is a GRIEVING that can be endured and even be a source of rejoicing as well as giving us a purpose and determination to live in such a way as to see them again.

           May God be with you as you go through this day!  May He turn your mourning into dancing and your sorrow into joy in all things and at all times!  BLESSINGS!

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HAVING EVERYTHING BUT HAVING NOTHING…..


Spiritual Blog - Everything

Mark 8:34-38 – “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.  36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him, the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” NKJV

 

I find the words of our Lord so penetrating and thought-provoking it is beyond words.  Jesus has the ability to speak a few words that would require volumes to fully dissect and digest and yet are so clearly understood and simple.  Here is one of those passages that contains so much that one could spend a lengthy amount of time meditating upon each line and sentence and yet not exhaust what is said.

We spend much of our lives trying to “get ahead” and “carve out a niche” for ourselves and yet Jesus said that if we are to follow Him we have to “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.”  Our ambitions must become secondary to His desires, goals, and plans for our lives.  We spend a significant amount of our time trying to “preserve life” or give ourselves a platform, condition, and cushion upon which to live the “good life.”  Yet, the Master said that if we “seek to save our life we will lose it.”  If our singular drive is “storing up for ourselves” we will find that we are putting money in bags with holes and in the end, our lives will come to naught.  Most people want to reach the place where they “have arrived”, their “ship has come in,” or some other description of success materially and monetarily but Jesus said, “So what if you manage to gain all the wealth of the world and its power and prestige but lose your soul what have you accomplished?”   What will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Our LORD makes it clear that it is possible to have EVERYTHING in this life and yet have NOTHING of eternal value.  I’m not suggesting that having money, possessions, or even position is in itself a bad or evil thing I am suggesting that if that comes between you and God it is.  The Scripture makes it clear that we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness” and in so doing He will provide whatever we need when we need it and in the amount and timing that we need it.

I don’t know about you but it is my desire to have ETERNAL WORTH, not just EARTHLY  WORTH.  If I can have both and use that wealth for the cause of the Kingdom I will rejoice but if I have to choose one or the other I will choose GOD!  I would rather have Jesus than any wealth or fame.  I’d rather have Jesus than be the king of a vast domain.  I rather have Jesus that anything that this world can offer and in having Him I have everything that this world can afford.

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

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