"Under The Blood"

"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:13

A few weeks ago I kept hearing a noise. I finally discovered the source. It was a bird that kept flying into the windows in the sunroom. I watched as it repeatedly flew into the windows- I suppose it was trying to get in. The next day it was back- at the sunroom windows, my office and the living room windows. The next day you could hear him flying into the windows again. This went on several times a day for almost two weeks. I wondered what was wrong with that "crazy" bird. You would have thought that it would have finally discovered that it could not get in through those windows, but it would not let up.

Being a person who knows that God sometimes reveals things to us through natural things and often uses illustrated sermons, I even asked the Lord about this, if it meant anything. After all, it was not natural for this bird to act this way and continue to act this way. One day about a week and a half after this started I was praying as I was walking through my house- through the sunroom- and I got an understanding of something concerning that bird. Now, I don't know if this was the reason that kept happening, but it did turn out to be a very good illustrated sermon.

I was praying for the Lord's protection over my home and began to say, "Father, thank You for Your protection. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that protects us and keeps us safe from the enemy, just like these windows are a protection to keep things from coming into my home that don't belong in here. Father, thank You that just as these windows were a barrier to keep that bird from coming in, Jesus' blood keeps the enemy from coming in to harm me." I finally got it. What a great illustration!

The blood of Jesus saves us and covers us. It is a protection for us from the enemy. When we are "hid" under the blood, the enemy cannot find us. When we are under the blood death has no sting, the enemy cannot destroy us, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. That bird tried and tried to get through those windows but they were too strong for him to penetrate. The enemy is persistent in his attacks against us. He will try and try to find a weak spot to get in through. He is relentless and will not give up. But as long as we stay "under the blood" he will not be able to "get in". The blood is stronger, it is more powerful, it is too powerful for him. It is what destroyed him when it was shed at the cross!!!

By the way, the bird finally quit and has not been back. I guess he finally realized he couldn't get past those windows. The enemy may come for a season trying to get in to destroy us, but he too realizes that he can't get past the blood!

Have a great day. Stay under the blood!

"He Never Lets Go"

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. " Psalm 23:4 
This morning, as so many mornings, I awoke with a song going over and over in my heart and mind. Often I have shared them with you, this morning I am doing the same. The words of this song speak a tremendous message to us all. It doesn't matter where you are this morning- on a mountain top, in the deepest pit of grief, in the darkest place of your life, walking through the valley of the shadow of death, hemmed in at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army pressing in behind, facing the fiery furnace- you are not alone. Your God is with you and He is for you. You have no reason to fear, even evil. Our great and mighty God conquered the powers of evil at the cross. He gained the victory for you in every area of your life. Don't fear and don't give up. He is with you and He never lets go of you.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
Your perfect love is casting out fear.
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn backI know you are near.
And I will fear no evil for my God is with me, and if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?  Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)

Oh no, You never let go through the calm and through the storm.
Oh no, You never let go In every high and every low.
Oh no, You never let go, Lord, You never let go of me.

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on.
A glorious light beyond all compare.
And there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes we'll live to know You here on the earth.
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on and there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes, still I will praise You, still I will praise You!"

Have a great day. Don't let go because He never lets go!

"Stay Connected"

"...and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper." 2 Chronicles 26:5b

When you are going through the fire, what do you do? When you are going through the valley, what do you do? When you are in the wilderness, what do you do? When you are facing difficulties, what do you do? When you are facing times of affliction and distress, what do you do? When the problems are mounting, what do you do?

In these times we tend to draw back, become reserved, stop praying, stop reading the Bible. We stop praising, we don't seek the Lord, we begin to forsake our church attendance, we just seem to go through the motions of life. Let me give you a word of caution/warning this morning, the last thing you should do is "pull away" from the Lord. You need to draw near to Him more than ever. His strength will be made perfect in your weakness but if you don't draw near to Him you will remain weak. In His presence is peace, outside of His presence is confusion, anxiety and worry. In His presence is grace-- grace to empower you to walk through these times.

If a light bulb is not connected to the electrical socket it will not shine. If a car is not connected to the battery it will not run. If a baby in the womb is not connected to its mother it will die. If a person is put on life support, they will die if they are disconnected. You must stay connected to the source of your strength, the source of your peace, the source of your help, the source of your power and the source of your provision. The Lord is that source.  He is our source of life.

Have a great day. When trying, difficult, fearful and discouraging times come, don't let them disconnect you from your source!

"Change Of Plans"

"Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]." Ephesians 5:1 (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever had your plans change? Have you gone to bed with plans of doing certain things and accomplishing certain tasks the next day? When you wake up in the morning, do you already have your plans laid out for the day? Why is it that things don't always go as "planned"? Our plans often get changed or are changed for us.

My plan is to get the newsletter in the mail, but a printer that isn't working properly changes those plans. I plan to go to the nursing home to have a service, but wind up sitting in the hospital emergency room all day with a family member. I plan on spending a quiet day reading the Bible, meditating on God's word and communing with Him and instead the phone rings "off the hook". You know what I mean about plans changing, and they aren't always changed by us.

When they get changed, how do you react? Do you get aggravated, upset, impatient, angry, anxious? Do you take it out on other people? Do you make the one who was the cause of changed plans feel guilty? Does every one know how unhappy you are that you did not get to do what you had intended to do? Let me ask you a question- How would Jesus react? Would He get mad? Would He get upset and impatient? Would His temper show? Would He make others feel bad? Would He have a sour attitude?

We are to be imitators of God- children who copy what they see their Father do. We need to copy His reactions, His attitude, His speech- not only when our plans get changed, but all the time, in every situation, in just the everyday dealings of life. The way we act is a reflection on our Father. It sends to those around us either a good message or bad one of who the Father is and what He is like.

Whatever you encounter today- changed plans, unpleasant situations, unkind people- watch the way you respond to them to see if you are imitating your Heavenly Father.

Have a great day. We are to imitate our Heavenly Father- do what He does, say what He says, handle situations the way He handles them, react the way He would react and have the same attitude He would have.

"Living Memorial"

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:14

In a few days we will be celebrating Memorial Day in America. The word memorial is defined: something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc. The day was set aside to remember the sacrifices of those who have served, and are serving, to protect our country in the military arena. I believe it is a good thing to recognize, remember and express gratitude to those who made/make sacrifices for us/me in order that I might enjoy the freedoms that I have. If you are among those who I am talking about this morning--- thank you!

There is a personal memorial that each born again Christian should have set up in their lives. The memorial that I am talking about is not a once a year event or observance, it's not a stone monument or a speech that is made. Of course, the memorial that I am talking about is the one we make to God in recognition of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us in order that we might walk in freedom and have life.

The memorial to Him is not just a verbal recognition that we do in our prayer closet, it's a "monument" that is placed where all can see it. The memorial that I am talking about is the one that is reflected in our lifestyles. Our lives are a living memorial to honor Jesus. If, as the definition says, a memorial is something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., then that is what we do in word and deed- we preserve the memory of Jesus, the sacrifice He made, who He is and what He has done.

Is your lifestyle preserving His memory? Does your conduct speak of freedom or bondage? Are you living the life of joy, peace and victory that Jesus died for to give you? Are you making Him known by telling others? Do you only honor Him once a year, only on Sundays or daily? Take time today to not only remember what Jesus did for you and thank Him for the sacrifice He made, but also examine yourself and see just how much gratitude you are exhibiting through your lifestyle.

Have a great day. Your life is a living memorial to what Christ has done for you.

"Hand And Face"

"This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." Psalm 24:6

When it comes to seeking God, you can either seek His face or seek His hand. To seek His hand means to seek His provisions, to seek His blessings, to seek His answers, to seek Him for that which He can give you. To seek His face means to seek to know Him- what He looks like, what He desires, what pleases and displeases Him, to know His heart. So, seeking His hands has to do with that which He can give, and seeking His face has to do with who He is.

Most people seek God's hands more than they seek His face. They think it's all about what God can do for them, what He can give them and about His meeting their need. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek." (Psalm 27:8) It's His face that He tells us to seek- not His hand. I am of the very strong belief that if we would spend more time seeking His face, we would not have to spend as much time seeking His hands. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) To seek the kingdom means to seek Him- the King of the kingdom. Seek Him, not His provisions. As we seek Him, He promises that our need will be met, the provisions will come our way and His hand will move on our behalf.

Does this mean that we should never ask God to provide for a need we have? Of course not, but if that's the only time you are seeking Him, then something is wrong. You have it all backwards. It's His face we want to seek. It's His face that He wants us to seek. He wants us to know Him, not just what He provides. So which are you seeking this morning? His provisions or Him?

Have a great day. Seek His face then you will find His hand.

"Today I Know"

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Well, it's another new day. Who but God knows what it holds in store. I certainly don't. I don't know what will happen.  Will today be a happy day or a sad one?  Will my needs be overwhelming? What new challenges will I face?  Will today be filled with sunshine or rain, blue skies or clouds, good news or bad news?  Will I even live to see the end of it?

I may not know a lot about this day, but ask me what I do know about it... I know that today God will be faithful to me. He will not leave me nor forsake me. He will show me mercy and forgiveness when I fail. He will pick me up if I fall. He will uphold me with His strong right arm. He will be my present help in time of trouble. His name will be a strong tower to me. He will supply all my need. He will load me with benefits. He will give me strength in my weakness and peace in confusion. He will not stop loving me. He has given me everything I need to be victorious. His word will be a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. He will answer my prayers. He will keep what I commit to Him. He will make a way even when it looks like there isn't any. He will be a shield of protection for me. He will not withhold any good thing from me. He will lead me and guide me as I acknowledge Him and don't lean to my own understanding. He will make a way of escape when I am tempted. He will hear me when I call to Him.

That's just a little of what I do know about today. I know that no matter what I face, what the day may bring or what may happen, my God will be with me and will give me everything I need to get through it.  There is one more thing I know-- I know I can trust Him to take care of me and this new day.

Have a great day. I don't know about this day, but I do know about my God and His promises to me for today.

"Wearing Grave Clothes"

"And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." John 11:44

Lazarus was dead- no doubt about it, he had been dead for four days. When Jesus went to his tomb, He called Lazarus back to life. Lazarus came out of the tomb wrapped in grave clothes.

Let me point out a few things here. 1) This man who was dead came alive. Jesus put life back in him. He was no longer dead. 2) Lazarus came out of the tomb on his own, no one had to go in there and get him. He came out under his own power and strength. 3) He was still in grave clothes.

We were like Lazarus- dead in trespasses and sins but Jesus "called us forth"- at the time of our salvation He put "life" in us. Now, praise God, we are no longer dead men. But did you know we can still be like Lazarus in points two and three?  We are alive but walking around bound up by grave clothes. I don't know if Lazarus hopped, walked, or scooted out of the tomb, but because of the grave clothes he was limited in his mobility. He could move around to some degree but he did not have full or free range of motion.

So many of God's children who have received life- eternal life are "walking around" serving God, giving Him praise, living for Him but are hindered because they still have on some grave clothes- therefore, they are limited.  They are only able to go so far, only able to accomplish a certain amount and unable to do it all.

These grave clothes may be past hurts, bitterness, insecurities stemming from past treatments by others, illness that keeps hanging on, fears, torments in your mind, or any number of things. If you are "alive" but still have the grave clothes on- it's time to take them off. Jesus told the people to loose him. I am doing that this morning through this word. Allow God's healing power, His delivering power and His peace to flow into you that will cause those things to come off. Remember this- if Jesus can put life into someone who was dead, the "grave clothes issues" are not too big for Him to handle.

Have a great day. Do you still have on grave clothes? They will always hinder you from having the freedom you need to live an abundant life.

"How Do You Smell?"

"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish." 2 Corinthians 2:15

There are odors all around us. Some smell nice and others stink. People have odors. When a man has done physical labor all day in the heat, he has a sweaty odor about him. Babies smell sweet. Some people have the aroma of food on them if they have been cooking. We are often identified by these odors. I always knew when my aunt walked into the room, even if I didn't see her, because I could smell her perfume.

While there are physical odors that we acquire, there are also spiritual odors. Christians are suppose to have a "smell" about them. God not only hears our prayers, is touched by our infirmities and looks at our lives but He smells us too. When He smells your life, what scent does He detect? What should it be? The fragrance that comes from our lives should be that of Christ. When God smells us, He should be able to smell the same thing He smells in Christ- a sweet smelling savor, the fragrance of an acceptable sacrifice. The Bible says that we are living sacrifices. When a sacrifice is on the altar, there is an odor that rises up from it. As living sacrifices there is an odor that goes up from our lives to God. Is that odor a sweet smelling savor or a stench in His nostrils?

Not only should God be able to smell Christ in our lives, but everyone else should be able to also. Do they? What do they smell? Your life either has a sweet aroma about it or it stinks. Have you heard the phrase- "I can smell myself"? When I do a lot of physical work outdoors, I can detect an odor on me that is not very pleasant. When I put on perfume, I can smell myself- I smell nice. We should be able to detect what type of odor we are emitting-- even spiritually.

Take time daily to see what you smell like- what you smell like to God and to others. Do you smell nice or do you stink? Is the fragrance that God smells one that smells like His dear Son? Is it a smell of sweetness because it smells like love, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, etc? Or does it smell like flesh- a smell of bitterness, anger, fear, hate, revenge, unforgiveness and so on? Do others smell Jesus on you? Are they able to detect the difference or does your life smell the same as the world?

Have a great day. What do you smell like?

"More Than Enough God"

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Many mornings I awake with a song playing in my heart and mind. Sometimes I know that the message in that song is what I am suppose to share with you.  The song for this morning is, "More Than Enough". Here are the words.

Jehovah Jireh, My Provider. You are more than enough for me.
Jehovah Raepha, You're my healer.  By your stripes I've been set free.
Jehovah Shammah, You are with me to Supply All My Needs.
You are more than enough. More than enough. You are more than enough for me.

In this song some of the names of God are mentioned- God who provides, God who heals, God who is with us. But He is still so much more. You can't put Him in a box and limit Him to one area only. He is the God who supplies all your needs in every area of life- spirit, soul, body, relationships, emotions, finances, etc.

This morning, this limitless God is not just enough, or almost enough, or hopefully enough. He is enough! And He is abundantly enough and has plenty to spare. Remember how Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish? Everyone was fed, everyone had plenty and there were twelve baskets of leftovers after each one had eaten their fill. That's because He is the God of more than enough- the God who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all you can ask or think.

Have a great day. He is more than enough with plenty to spare.

"Praise Him"

"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

I don't know what you may be going through today. Everything may be wonderful in your world or it may not be. You may be facing tremendous difficulties, mountain size problems, a deep pit, or dark times. If this describes your life the word this morning is directed at you. It is this: Do not withhold your praise from the Lord. Don't let your circumstances stop you from bringing your sacrifice of praise to the Lord.

Praise is powerful. It will bring you out of the pit, it will bring God into the midst of your situation. It will bring victory. It's no wonder that the Lord sent the praisers out first when Israel was facing a battle. There's a lesson that we can learn from that. And not only learn but apply that same strategy that the Lord gave to them.

This morning pick up your praise. Open your mouth. Lift up your hands and your voice and bring to God a sacrifice of praise. He is worthy of it. Don't let the things you are going through steal from Him what He deserves. If you will make the step, even by faith, to give Him what He deserves, He will do something in your midst in return.

Have a great day. DO NOT withhold your praise... He is worthy!

"Tell It"

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14

The Bible tells us that we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. But when Jesus made those statements He never intended for us to do nothing more than just "shine" and be a "silent witness" for Him. So much of the preaching we hear encourages us to- just live it before them, just let your light shine, just let them see Jesus through the things you do. That is not the whole gospel. If that's what we believe "witnessing" for Christ means, then we are not rightly dividing the Word. As one writer puts it, "The only time words are not necessary is when action speaks more loudly and throwing caution to the wind allows faith to become public by action." (Diane Hale)

There has been too much "shining" and not enough "preaching"- perhaps that's why we haven't won our world for Christ. Never are we to neglect to "preach" the word. There is more teaching in the Bible on the subject of opening our mouths and telling them than there is just living it before them. We are told that God uses the "foolishness of preaching" to save the lost. The Great Commission given to us by Jesus Himself tells us to go into all the world and "preach" the gospel. The Holy Spirit was sent to us to give us boldness to witness. How? Verbally. Remember, after the Spirit was poured out in the Upper Room how Peter got up and "preached' salvation.

Jesus sent the disciples out to preach to those who were lost. All the apostles went about preaching Christ and Him crucified. The martyrs in Revelation overcame by the "word" of their testimony. Even the dictionary defines the word witness to mean testify- to declare. No doubt Jesus did tell us to let our lights shine and do good works, but that's not all He told us to do. He went everywhere preaching the Kingdom of heaven and taught His disciples- even present day ones- to do the same. If a verbal witness of the gospel wasn't important, then why has the world always tried to silence Christians?

Have a great day. If you aren't telling it, you aren't testifying. Stop "just" shining and start opening your mouth and telling them about this wonderful Savior.

"Hearers And Doers"

"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7

There is no way that any of us can say that "we didn't know" what the Bible says. We can't say this- in this nation anyway- because we have twenty-four hour preaching on television and radio, churches on every corner, book stores with every translation of the Bible that's been printed, conferences, seminars, and revival meetings happening daily. We have the internet with its recorded sermons on audio and video, devotionals, eBooks- you name it, the gospel is at our fingertips.

So why aren't we living the Word out in our lives? Why do we see less demonstration of the power of God? Why are we not more conformed and being transformed in our conduct to the image of Christ? Why aren't we more fruitful? It's one thing to gain knowledge and it's another thing to apply that knowledge. We hear lots of preaching but do we take it to heart? Do we realize that what we are hearing was meant for application? James told us to be "doers of the word and not hearers only". Jesus said that the truly wise man is the one who does the word when he hears it.

Listening and doing are two different things. Learning and applying are two different things. God intended for us to do both. When we do, it will make a difference in who we are, what we do, how we conduct ourselves, in our attitudes, in the way we view things, in the way we treat people, and in every area of our lives. This morning which group are you in-- the group who only hears the word, or the group who hears it and does it?

Have a great day. Keep listening to the word, but do what it says as well.

"He's Still Working"

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided." Exodus 14:21

There is a song that says, "God is working, He's still working. God is working even now. Though we often don't know just how. God is working, He's still working. God is working even now." God is working on our behalf even in the times when we do not see it. Even when it feels like He isn't. Even when we don't see any evidence that He is. Yet, He is still working.

When the Israelites were coming out of Egypt, the first obstacle they encountered was the Red Sea- pretty big obstacle, don't you think. Their first thoughts were those of fear, doubt and discouragement. What were they to do? Why did God do this to them? Where was He? Moses' reply to their fears was,"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." (verse 13) That's our word today too. Don't fear because of your situation. God is still working in the situation. Just because what He is doing may be hid from your sight, doesn't mean He has forgotten about you or the situation. He often works "behind the scene". God sent a strong east wind all "night" to blow back the sea. He worked behind the veil of night's darkness, out of their view, where they could not see what He was doing. But He was still working. He is still working in your situation even though you may not see it, even though you may not understand it, even though it may look otherwise. Just because you can't see it or figure out how and what He is doing doesn't mean that He isn't working.

Have a great day. "Though we often don't know just how. God is working, He's still working. God is working even now."

"Malnutrition"

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." 2 Timothy 4:3

The word malnutrition is defined as: "lack of proper nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced nutrition." When we think of malnutrition, a vision of those precious little children overseas that are nothing but skin and bones and bloated bellies pops into our minds. But did you know you can be over weight and still be malnourished? The size of your body or the amount of fat it has on it is not necessary an indication that you are receiving the proper nutrients to keep from being malnourished. You've heard the term "wasted calories". Wasted calories are what you get from eating foods that have no nutritional value-- they're called "junk food".

To maintain a healthy body you must give it a well balanced diet of the proper nutrients. It's true of the spirit man as well. There are many Christians who are malnourished because they are lacking proper spiritual nutrition. These are the ones who don't read their Bibles, pray or spend time in praise and worship. They are not receiving spiritual nutrition, therefore, they are not spiritually healthy.

There is another group who are malnourished because they are not getting the proper balance of spiritual nutrients. They look spiritually fat- but remember fat does not always mean well nourished- even spiritually. They are the ones who go from one seminar to another, one conference to another, one meeting to another always looking for something that will make them feel good for the moment. They are "conference junkies". They don't take what they received back with them and apply it to their lives. They don't have any personal devotion time. They don't pray or read the Bible for themselves. Once the meeting is over, they begin to look for another one so they can "fill up". Let me stop for a moment and say this so that you won't misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with going to meetings and conferences, etc., but when that's all your life consist of, then you are not receiving the proper combination of nutrients you need to be spiritually healthy.

My body has to have Vitamin C in order to be healthy, but at the same time I can't live on Vitamin C only, I have to have other vitamins and minerals along with it. To be spiritually healthy you have to have a well balanced spiritual diet that consist of all the spiritual elements.

Have a great day. Are you spiritually healthy or malnourished?

"Nature And Conduct"

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Psalm 34:14

We are commanded to "depart from evil". So what is "evil", what does it mean? We are also commanded to "do good". So what is "good", what does it mean? When we think about good and evil, we often define them as it relates to conduct- the way someone acts, what is produced. But they are more correctly defined as nature- the nature of something. Conduct is the behavior that is produced as a result of that nature.

For example, Jesus said that a good tree cannot produce evil fruit, and vice versa. Why is that? Because of the nature of the tree. It produces after its nature. Apple trees produce apples, orange trees produce oranges, poison ivy produces toxic oils.

Before Christ became our Savior and Lord we were an "evil" tree. We produced evil fruit. Why? Because of our sinful nature. We had the same nature of our father the devil- even his name defines his nature: d-evil. (John 8:44) We had an evil nature and behaved in a wicked manner producing evil deeds.

Once we come to Christ we should then begin to produce good fruit because we have become a good tree. When we are born again, our nature changes, we get a new nature-- it's the nature of our Heavenly Father who is all good and all righteous. (John 3:7; 2 Cor. 5:17)

A tree is known by the fruit it produces. Likewise we are known by what we produce. Our conduct is the fruit that reveals what type of tree we are. If you have the nature of Christ in you you should do good because He is good. If you have the nature of the devil/sin in you you will do evil because he is evil. What you do, reveals which you are: a good tree or an evil tree. If you have the nature of Christ, then you should "depart from evil and do good".

Have a great day. If the nature of a person is evil, that person will conduct themselves in an evil manner. If the nature of a person is good because they have Christ's nature in them, that person will conduct themselves in a manner that is good.

"He Called"

"And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again." 1 Samuel 3:6

This morning the Lord woke me up quiet a bit earlier than usual. I laid there and prayed, and prayed in the Spirit, and offered up praise and did some meditating, but I felt like something was "missing"- I had not touched His "hem", felt the joy of His presence or felt as if I had accomplished anything in prayer. Then it "dawned" on me-- He called me. He woke me up. That meant that there was something He wanted to say, not that He was necessarily waking me up so that I could talk to Him, but that He wanted to talk to me.

When a friend calls me on the phone, it's because they have something they want to say to me or ask me. They initiated the call so they could tell me something, not just because they wanted to hear the sound of my voice. We tend to think that when God wakes us up it is so that we can pray, and that it is all about us doing all the talking and making our requests. Yes, that is part of it, but sometimes it's because He wants to start the conversation. As was the case with Samuel. God woke Samuel up so that HE could say something to Samuel, not vice versa.  After God spoke, Samuel responded. 

I learned a lesson this morning. From now on, when the Lord wakes me up, instead of immediately going into prayer and praise, the first thing I will do is ask Him what He wants; why He called; is there something He wants to say before I pray.  Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Otherwise, I might miss something that He is wanting to say to me-- after all, He called me.

Have a great day. He called me, He woke me up for a reason, is it because He has something He wants to say to me?

"Baggage"

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

It's not my intention to criticize the church this morning, but make an honest observation. As a whole we have gotten away from what Christ intended for us to be. We have become a religious organization that looks more like a social club than a living organism that reflects Christ and demonstrates His power to the world. For the most part is it hard to tell the difference between us and the world.

I want to share one reason that I believe has caused this. When people come into the church- either through salvation or through joining the organization- they bring a lot of "baggage" with them. (We all have baggage- ideologies, experiences, culture, upbringing, etc.) Often, when people bring in their "worldly, old life baggage" they are allowed to keep it. If they are allowed to keep any baggage that is contrary to Jesus' teachings and will, they will continue in its influence, and not only will they continue in it, pretty soon it will begin to influence others and become engrafted into the church.

This is what happened in our church history. The Emperor Constantine became a Christian and ordered everyone else to become one or face death; so everyone for fear of death joined the church, but they brought in all their "baggage" from false religions and so on with them. (This is why we have a mixture of Christ's teachings and other things today.)

We do people an injustice when we don't help them get rid of the baggage. It's one thing to bring the baggage in with you, it's another thing to keep it. Jesus is in the business of taking that old baggage away and replacing it with His peace, righteousness, purity and holiness. We should be in that same business- the business of seeing them free from carrying around any weight that would beset them- and not in the business of letting them hang on to that which will only pull them and others down. "

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Have a great day. We must help people get rid of the baggage that they bring with them instead of assimilating it into the church.

"Our God Is Mighty"

"The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." Psalm 50:1

This morning I woke up with a song going over and over in my spirit.  Here are the words:  "Savior He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever author of salvation. He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave." Got any mountains in your life? Got any situations that seem impossible? Got any giant-size problems? Well, if Jesus can conquer the grave, don't you think He can move a mountain! He is a mighty God. He is still able to remove mountains, quench fires, shut lions' mouths, part a sea, bring down a giant, put money in a fish's mouth, multiply the loaves, call dead things back to life. With Him nothing is impossible!

Our Jesus is not a "wimpy" God. He is not a powerless God, or limited in power. He is not a weak God. He is not feeble. He is not elderly. He is not a little "Casper milk toast". He is the conquering King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Mighty Warrior, All-sufficient God, True and Faithful One, Redeemer, Deliverer, Healer, Provider, the One who was and is and is to come, the One to whom every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord, the Bright and Morning Star, the One who was wounded for our transgressions, the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has prevailed!!!!!! (Hallelujah!)

Don't forget who He is this morning! Don't let your mountain make you believe that it has more power than your God. Don't let its size intimidate you, don't let it make you afraid, don't allow your heart to fail because of it. The Bible says that the earth is His footstool- the mountains are on the earth. I used to have a footstool and anytime I got ready to move it to another spot all I had to do was give it a little push and it was in the new location. God can do the same with His "footstool"- move that mountain out of the way.

Have a great day. Our God is mighty to save-- He conquered the grave, He can certainly conquer a mountain.

"Above The Problems"

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1,2

When the Psalmist was in trouble and needed help, where did he say that his help came from? It came from the Lord. Where did he find the Lord in the times he needed help? He found Him by looking up- up to the hills. Think about it. He didn't say that he had to look for the Lord on the other side of the universe. And he didn't say he had to look down into a valley, a craven or a pit.

He looked "up" to find the Lord his helper. Looking to the hills to find the Lord is significant. It means that God is in a place that is higher than our problems, not in a place that is lower. How could a God who is to be found beneath my problems be able to solve my problems? How could He solve them or be of any help to me if they are above Him- if they are higher than He is, if they are over His head?

Your problem, your situation, what you are going through is not above your God this morning. He is above them. They are under His feet, not above His head. So stop looking down, look up, up to the Lord who is on the "Hills", who is highly exalted above your problems.

Have a great day. Your God is above your problems, looking down on them- they are not higher than He is.

"Battling Thoughts"

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind." Ephesians 4:23

It's been said that the mind is the battleground- and it is. Every temptation starts in the mind. Every bondage first started as a thought. Let me give you some examples of how it all starts in the mind with our thoughts: "Just one more piece of cake won't hurt you." "If they really loved you they would not have acted like that". "If you take this drink you'll be popular with your friends". "Nobody cares about you, you might as well end your life". "Everyone else is losing their job, you will too".

Have you ever had these thoughts? Even worse? The enemy uses "thoughts" as a weapon against us. That is why it is important that we discern where the thoughts are coming from and do something about them. What we do with the thoughts that come to mind determines how far those thoughts take us.

God gives us all we need to be victorious and unyielding to the thoughts that the enemy uses to tempt us with in order to steal, kill and destroy us. We have been given weapons that are not carnal/physical but are mighty enough to pull down even strongholds.

The three things that God has provided as our weapons of defense and victory are: the helmet of salvation- to protect our mind; the Word of God- to renew our mind; and the power of His Holy Spirit- to cast down those thoughts when they come.

You don't automatically defeat those thoughts just because you have been given the weapons to do so with. Just because a soldier has a gun doesn't mean he has defeated his enemy- he has to use his gun in order to do that. A soldier can't just ignore his enemy and think that he has victory over him, neither can we. Just ignoring the thoughts don't defeat them. We have to use what God has made available to us as well and combat them.

Have a great day. There may be a battle raging in our thoughts but we have been given the weapons we need to be victorious and win the battle.

"Garments"

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:24

Every morning I pull off my clothes that I slept in and put on my clothes that I plan to wear that day. I do this each and every day. I have to do this spiritually each day also. There are some things I need to put off and some things I need to put on. Each day I have to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, I have to put on the armor that I have been given to fight the battles that come my way. I have to put on the garment of praise. I have to be clothed in God's grace and mercy, His strength and peace. I have to put on the mind of Christ so that I can think like He thinks. I have to put eye salve on my eyes so that I can see clearly as I walk through this world.

In the morning I pull off the clothes I slept in before I put on the clothes that I am going to wear around the house or out in public because I can't wear both. This morning you can't wear unforgiveness and forgiveness. You can't wear heaviness and praise. You can't wear gladness and mourning. You can't wear joy and grief. You can't wear hate and love; peace and confusion; weakness and strength all at the same time. You can't wear righteousness and unrighteousness; filthiness and holiness. You have to pull off one of them. Which garments will you chose to wear? Garments of the flesh or of the spirit?

Have a great day. As you get dressed for the day, don't forgot to put on and pull off those spiritual garments as well.