"Road of Departure"

"For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God." Psalm 18:21

Not only was the verse above the testimony of the Psalmist, it's the key to not departing from the Lord. Sadly, some have departed from the Lord going back to their old ways- Paul even addressed this in his letters to the churches. "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:" (Philippians 3:18) He also gave a warning that in the last days some would depart from the faith. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (1 Timothy 4:1)

So what is this key? How do we keep from departing from the Lord? How do we continue to stay close to Him? By "keeping the ways of the Lord". His "ways" literally means- to go in His direction and follow His path. We do this through keeping His commandments and submitting to His will.

You can't obey and disobey the Lord's commandments at the same time. You can't keep His ways and your own ways at the same time. You can't follow His will and your own will both at once. His will will always take you in a different direction than the will of your own flesh. So you will either have to go in one direction or the other. Physically speaking, I can't go to the left and right at the same time. When I get in my car and start driving, I can't go north and south at the same time. I either have to drive in the direction of north or south, but not both. It's the same in dealing with our spiritual life. We can't do both- we can't go in God's direction and our own at the same time.

If you feel yourself getting further away from the Lord it is because you are not keeping His ways- you are going in another direction and that direction, since it is not His direction, is leading you away from Him. The solution is to repent, turn around, then start following His direction. You will find that when you do, you will be getting closer to Him and off the road of departure from Him.

Have a great day. Following the Lord's direction will keep us from departing from Him.

For further reading:
Proverbs 4:4; 3:1; 7:2; 5:7

"Equipped With Strength"

"It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." Psalm 18:32

Stop saying you are weak! Stop saying that you can't do it- that you are just too weak and don't have the strength! "Let the weak say, I am strong; strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Joel 3:10; Ephesians 6:10) Yes, in and of yourself you are weak and can do nothing, but as a born again child of God you are no longer too weak to do any task that He sets before you. You are no longer too weak to stand before the enemy. Why? Because He "girdeth" you with strength. (Translated- He equips you with strength.) He equips you with the strength that you need to "run through a troop", to "stand and face your Goliath"; to "preach the gospel", to "lay aside every weight of sin that would beset you". This means that you can now do "all things through Christ which strengthens you".

We have been equipped with everything we need to live victoriously- including strength. The strength that He has equipped us with is His very own strength. It is the same strength that was in Jesus when He stood against the devil's temptations in the wilderness; when He went about doing good; when He was daily confronted by His accusers; when He humbled Himself in Gethsemane and surrendered to the will of the Father. It is the same strength that caused Him to endure the shame and the pain in order to pay the price for our sins on the cross.

We do not have to cave in to weakness because not only is His strength available to us, it is part of what He has equipped us with in order to live the life that He has called us to live. Do we have moments when we feel weak? Yes, we do. But in those times we can't give into the weakness and just stop or give up. We have to look to the One who "infuses" us with His strength and get our strength renewed. "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]." (Philippians 4:13- Amplified Bible) And when we go to Him for renewed strength, He promises us that we will receive it. "For my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

If this describes you this morning, you do not have to be weak, the Lord has equipped you with His strength. And you won't be weak if you will "put on" the strength that He has equipped you with.

Have a great day. We have been equipped with the Lord's strength so we aren't weaklings.

For further reading:
Psalm 18:29; 39; 138:3
Hebrews 12:1
2 Timothy 4:17

"Noticeable Difference"

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" 1 Peter 2:2

If you have ever watched a baby grow you have noticed that there is a transformation that takes place in them. As you watch the baby day after day you will soon see that it goes through many changes. You'll notice it putting on weight, its little legs start getting longer, its head gets bigger, its features start developing, and so on. How does this transformation take place in its little body? Does it happen by leaving the baby alone in its crib every day? Does it happen because you sit and rock it for hours at a time? Does it just automatically happen through the course of nature? No, to all of the above.

What causes the transformation in the baby's physical appearance is the milk/formula it takes in. When a baby drinks its "food', it takes in certain nutrients from that food. The nutrients that are in it are what causes the change. As those nutrients get into the muscles, organs, cells and tissues in that baby's body those nutrients start bringing about a change in its body. The more nutrients it takes in the more noticeable the change, until it no longer resembles a baby and eventually changes into an adult.

Our spiritual growth happens the same way- it comes through the "nutrients" we receive from God's word. When we take His word in, it is like taking "spiritual growth hormones". But I am not talking about just casually reading it and then being a "forgetful hearer" of what you read. I am talking about letting His word get down into your spirit and putting it into practice in your life. The putting it into practice and letting it govern your life is what brings about transformation in us. As we read the word and apply the word a transformation takes place in our spirits and there begins to be a noticeable difference in us. If we continue daily to read God's word and live our lives by it the more noticeable that difference will be. So noticeable that we will eventually come into the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13) In other words, we will come to spiritual maturity and look like Christ.

Have a great day. Our spiritual growth comes from the nutrients we receive from God's word.

For further reading:
James 1:22,25
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Hebrews 5:14

"You Are Not Too Bad"

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15

In sharing the good news of Jesus' love, salvation and forgiveness of sin, there is one attitude/belief that I encounter from people more often then others. It is the belief that they are "too bad" for God to forgive them. They hear what you are saying and they want to believe it but they can't get past something they have done. Their own heart condemns them and will not allow them to believe it. To them the message is just "too good to be true".

I remember going through this same thing. When I was a young girl, I was in a store one day and saw something that caught my attention. I didn't even know what it was, it was very tiny and didn't cost a quarter but I stuck it in my pocket. I knew I had done wrong. A few years later, the Lord began to deal with my heart to come to salvation. I went to the altar to pray and receive Jesus into my life but I could not get past the fact that I had stolen that item years before. I wanted God's forgiveness. I wanted to be saved. I wanted to give my life to Him, but that "wasn't" possible- I thought- because of what I had done. Thankfully, my cousin came to the altar, who was a Christian and older than I was, to pray with me. I could not get past the guilt of what I had done. I just knew I could never be forgiven. I shared what I had done years before with her. I remember saying these exact words to her, "But I stole something, I can't be forgiven." Again, thankfully, she knew the truth of God's word. I don't even remember what she told me, but before I got up from the altar I was convinced that God's love for me was greater than anything, or any sin that I had committed, and that Jesus died for my sins so I could be forgiven. I left the altar a brand new person- forgiven of my sins.... ALL of them.

Our own hearts will condemn us and tell us we are too bad for God's forgiveness. The devil will condemn us and tell us that we are too bad for God to forgive. But neither is true. The truth is that we are all "too bad" to be forgiven- even at our very "best". We are all sinners- no matter what we have done. Whatever you have done- you may have stolen something, you may have committed adultery, you may be a drug addict, you may be addicted to something else, you may have murdered someone. What you think is too big or too bad for God to forgive is not. The love of God covers a multitude of sins. The shed blood of Jesus at the cross can wash away every sin regardless of what it is.

Don't believe the lie that your sin is too big or you are too bad for God to forgive. Believe His word, which is- He loves you, He wants to forgive your sins, nothing you have done is too big or horrible for His forgiveness, and He is waiting for you to come to Him and receive His love and forgiveness.

Have a great day. You are not too bad for God to love, and your sin is not too big for Him to forgive.

For further reading:
John 3:16,17
Romans 5:8
1 John 3:20
Romans 3:23

"Sure Foundation"

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:11

Everyone is building their lives on some sort of foundation. It may be ambition, dreams, hopes or a wide variety of many other things. But there is only one sure foundation upon which we can build. There is only one foundation that offers lasting "support" for our lives. There is only one foundation that can stand the test of time, withstand the storms of life and remains solid. The foundation that I am talking about is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

When Jesus is the foundation of our life, that foundation is not a temporary one, it is an eternal one. It isn't a weak support, it is a strong one- we don't have to worry whether it is going to support our lives or not. This foundation will stay firm through all the storms- even tsunami size ones- that come our way. It will stand firm when "earthquakes"- those things that try to shake us to our very core- hit our lives.

If you are building your life on any foundation other than Jesus, you are building it on the wrong foundation. One day that foundation will give away and you will be left without a foundation under you. So are you going to build your life upon the one and only sure foundation, or build it on something that is faulty and temporary and hope that it will be able to support you?

Have a great day. There is only one solid foundation upon which we can build our lives-- Jesus!

For further reading:
1 Corinthians 3:10-12
Matthew 7:24-27
Isaiah 28:16
Ephesians 2:19-21

"You Have To Do It"

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Corinthians 9:27

So you won't misunderstand what I am about to say, let me say this first- only the Lord can truly save us, heal us and deliver us, we can't do it ourselves. I do not have the power to set myself free from the bondage of sin. I cannot give myself eternal life. I cannot bring myself out of the pit of destruction. I can't heal my body when it is consumed with sickness. Only the Lord can set the captive free and open the prison door to those who are bound. I can't do it, but He can. He is able and with Him nothing is impossible or too difficult.

Now, having said that, let me say this- when we have a besetting sin in our lives, when we are going through a time of temptation, when we are wrestling with some lust of the flesh, we often think that the Lord is going to just "miraculously; magically" come down and take it away from us, slap it out of our hands or snatch it from us. We think that all we have to do is sit back and let Him just do it all for us. That is not the case.

Although He can do that there are some things that He expects us to do and He will empower us by giving us the grace and strength to do it. Paul, in the verse above, said that "he" kept his body under subjection. That meant that he was the one who disciplined it, he was the one who did not allow it to have everything it desired. He took control of his flesh and would not let it give into every desire and craving.

There are some things that you are waiting for God to do for you but He has told you to do it. You are waiting for Him to come and "take it out of your hands" but He is not going to. You have to do it. You have to lay it aside. You have to stop it. You have to turn from it. You have to decide not to do it. You have to discipline yourself. But when you do, like I said earlier, He will empower you with everything you need to do it.

Have a great day. You are waiting on God to do it, and you are the one who has to do it, then He will come to your aid.

For further reading:
Hebrews 12:1
Galatians 5:1
Philippians 4:13
James 4:7

"The Living Sacrifice"

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

When a sacrifice was brought to the priest, it was placed in his hands for him to do whatever he pleased with it. It no longer belonged to the person who was bringing it. The Bible says that Jesus is our "High Priest" and those who come to Him (have put their faith and trust in Him as Savior and Lord) are compared to "living sacrifices". As a "living sacrifice" when we present ourselves to Jesus, our High Priest, we are placing ourselves in His hands for Him to do with us whatever He pleases. It is no longer about what we want because this "sacrifice" (ourselves) no longer belongs to us. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19) The priest would take the sacrifice and do with it as God had commanded him to do- he was following God's will and plan for the sacrifice. Not only was Jesus the Sacrifice for our sins carrying out the will of the Father in His own life, but as the High Priest, He too- like the priests of old- carries out the will of the Father with the living sacrifices that are presented to Him. "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) Therefore, when we present ourselves to Him, He is working in our lives to bring about the will of God for us living sacrifices.

Are you being a living sacrifice? Have you presented yourself to Him for Him to do what He desires to do with your life? Are you in the hands of the High Priest- Jesus? Are you letting His will consume you- your desires, your goals, your plans, your ambition, your will? Or are you resisting His plan and will for your life? Are you being an unwilling sacrifice? There is only one acceptable sacrifice- a willing sacrifice totally surrendered to the hands of the High Priest.

Have a great day. If you are truly a living sacrifice, then it is no longer about you the sacrifice, but about the High Priest's (Jesus) plan for you. You are surrendered into His hands.

For further reading:
Hebrews 3:1; 9:11
1 Peter 2:5

"The Weeping Will Stop"

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b

When we are going through times of pain and sorrow, we can't see past that moment. What we are going through feels like it will last forever- we see no end to our hurt. This verse gives us so much hope. It lets us know that our weeping, pain, sorrow, grief and hurt won't last forever. It will come to an end.

The verse says that "weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning". Just as surely as night time gives way to the morning, just as surely as day follows night and has since the beginning of creation, weeping will give way to joy. Joy will follow weeping. It will come. Your weeping will stop. You will have joy again.

Who causes the night to give place to the morning? Who creates the morning? Who sets each new day in place? Who tells night when it is ended and a new day when to begin? The Lord does. And He is the One who gives and restores your joy and brings your weeping to an end.

"Weeping endures for a night." Night time is a specific amount of time- it's a season. Your weeping only last for a season and then it comes to an end. The morning is the start of a new day- a new season, a new beginning. God will wipe away your tears after a season, and you will see the dawn of a new day. At the present all you can see is a "night of weeping", but it won't last forever, the morning will come.

Have a great day. Weeping only lasts for the night, but then joy will come.

For further reading:
Isaiah 51:11; 61:3
Psalm 30:11; 126:6

"Eating A Lie"

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Genesis 3:1

When the enemy comes to tempt us, he does it through trying to plant thoughts in our minds. Those thoughts will almost always be an attack against the Word of God by putting it in question. He has done that from the very beginning- he did it with Eve way back in the Garden of Eden.

If you entertain those thoughts and believe what he says, then you are believing a lie. When you believe his lies, you will be deceived, just like Eve. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." (1 Timothy 2:14) When you are deceived, you are heading down a dark path that leads to death. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17b)

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6) That day Eve didn't just eat the physical fruit that the Lord had commanded them not to eat, she "ate" the lie that the devil was "feeding" her.

Not only did the enemy put God's word in question ("hath God said?), he also tempted Eve to distrust the truthful, trustworthy character of God-."God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (verse 5) He tried to get Eve to believe that God was a liar and that she could not trust Him. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." (verse 4)

When he comes to tempt you it is not always just to get you to "sin", it is to get you to doubt God. It is an attack on your faith in God and in His word. It is an attack to steal, kill and destroy your faith and confidence in God. He knows that without faith it is impossible to please God and he knows that when you aren't trusting God's word you are not going to follow or stay close to Him.

This morning are you "eating" his lies? Are you being deceived by what the enemy says? Are you questioning the truthful word of God? Is your faith in God's trustworthiness being put to the test? Eve found out too late that she had believed a lie and that it wasn't God who was lying to her. Don't be deceived by the lies of the enemy. Believe God's Word and trust that what He says is the truth.

Have a great day. If you are going to "eat" anything, "eat" the truth- God's Word.

For further reading:
John 10:10; 17:17
Hebrews 11:6; 10:23
Psalm 119:103

"Hold On To What Matters"

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Revelation 3:11

"That no man take thy crown." Is that possible? Evidently, it is or there wouldn't be this warning in the verse. The next question then is, "How is it possible?". There are two ways that come to mind: carelessness and distraction.

When you forget the value of something, you can become careless with it. This happens with material possessions, it happens with relationships and it can happen with spiritual things in our lives. When we forget just how valuable what we have is, we often begin to take it for granted. When it is taken for granted, we don't show it the same care that we once did and we often begin to neglect it. Are you neglecting so great a salvation this morning? Have you forgotten just how precious your salvation is? Have you become "careless" with it forgetting how much it cost for you to be able to have it?

The second way is through distractions. I remember when my daughter was a little girl, not three years old yet. I took her to the local fair to ride the rides. I stopped by the concession stand to get us something to drink. She was standing beside me and I turned to place my order, in that brief second while I was putting my attention on making the order, she walked off from my side. That brief moment of "distraction" from her could have caused me to lose the most valuable thing to me on earth. What temporary thing is distracting you from that which is eternal? What is captivating your attention so that it is placed on something besides eternal riches? Where is your focus- on things above or things below?

I am so thankful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me- especially the eternal ones. And I am thankful that He loves me enough to warn me to hold on to those blessings. Hold on to what you have, don't be careless with it by forgetting just how precious and valuable it is. Hold on to what you have, don't allow anything to distract you to the point where it is taken away from you.

Have a great day. Don't let anything distract you to the point where you are careless with the things that matter most.

For further reading:
Matthew 16:26; 6:19,20
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Peter 1:18,19
Hebrews 2:3

"Fragrant Encounter"

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

While I was at the store one day buying groceries, I picked up a bottle of oil that you use to make your home smell good. When I picked up the bottle, some of the oil had been spilled on the outside of the bottle. It was a cinnamon fragrance and was now on my hands. I got out a tissue and tried to wipe it off my hands. The fragrance was so strong that it got on everything I touched- the tissue, the shopping cart, my purse, etc. I made my way to the restroom and washed my hands- but the fragrance was still lingering.

After I finished getting my items I went to the checkout. I placed the items one by one on the register. When the lady who was checking me out got to my bag of potatoes, she told me, "For some reason your potatoes smell good. I have never smelled potatoes like that before". I wasn't sure what she was talking about. They didn't smell any different to me. Then it dawned on me, so I asked her, "Do they smell like cinnamon?" She said, "Yes, they do." So I explained to her about my encounter with the bottle of fragrant oil.

Did you know that Jesus has a fragrance? It is the fragrance of love, joy, peace, etc. (He smells like the Fruit of the Spirit). When we spend time in His presence, we will have an encounter with Him. During that encounter, His "fragrance" will rub off on us. So that when we leave our prayer and worship time, others should be able to "smell" His fragrance on us. They should be able to detect an "aroma" on us that "smells" like Him and causes them to "take note that we have been with Jesus". (Acts 4:13)

Do others "smell" something different from your life? The checkout lady noticed that the bag of potatoes didn't smell like potatoes. Others should notice in our lives that we don't "smell" like "sinful, self-centered flesh" (which is what we are without Jesus). They should say that there is something "different" about us, and that difference is the sweet smell of Jesus. Not only should we have His fragrance on us, but it should rub off on the lives of those that we come in contact with so that they will no longer smell like "flesh" but like Him instead?

Have a great day. Our lives should have the fragrance of Jesus on them.

For further reading:
Galatians 5:22,23
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Ephesians 5:2

"It Was A VIRGIN Birth"

"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" Luke 1:34

I am totally shocked at the number of "Christians" who don't believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. And what shocks me even more are the preachers who are preaching that Jesus was not born of a virgin. I want to clarify something this morning-- He was born of a VIRGIN! His mother knew no man! There was no man involved in Jesus' birth! The Spirit of God overshadowed Mary and she conceived Jesus. Do I understand this? No, but I believe it because the Bible- God's Word- says it was so. The verse above tells us that this was the case. The "teaching" that Jesus was not born of a virgin is straight from the "pit of hell"!!

Let's look at the importance of the virgin birth to the Christian faith. First, if we don't believe these verses about Jesus conception, how can we believe any verse in the Bible? How can we believe anything that God says? He is the One who inspired the words that are written in its pages. To say that the virgin birth is false when God said it was the truth is to call God a liar. Also, we can't "pick and choose" which scriptures we want and don't want to believe.

Second, if there was no virgin birth, there can be no salvation and we are still lost without any hope of eternal life. Our whole belief is in the fact that Jesus, because He was sinless, was the only acceptable sacrifice to take away our sins. Had He not been born of a virgin, had there been a man in the conception process, Jesus would not have been sinless- He would have been like the rest of us-- sinners. Sin came through man. Because of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, sin was passed on to all mankind- thus, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) A sinful man cannot take away sin- or else we could have all saved ourselves. It took a "spotless lamb"- one without sin.

There are some strange beliefs emerging throughout "Christianity" that are trying to tear down the very foundation of our faith. If the foundations are removed, the "structure" is weak and will fall. "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3)

If ever there was a time when you must be solid in your conviction it is now. Know for yourself what the word of God says. Don't be swayed from the truth. Don't remove the foundation. Don't believe everything you hear- regardless of who you hear it from. If you don't believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, then you don't know the true Jesus. If you are preaching that Jesus was not born of a virgin, then you are preaching "another" Jesus.

Have a great day. Let me say it again, "Jesus was born of a virgin"!!! If you don't believe that, you have no foundation to your faith.

For further reading:
Hebrews 4:15
2 Corinthians 11:3,4
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23
Luke 1:26-35
1 Peter 1:18,19
1 John 4:1

"He Is Not Out To Get You"

"She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." John 8:11

Many have a misconception about God. They see Him as some being who sits high upon a throne in heaven looking down upon them just waiting for them to mess up or make a mistake so that He can "get them". They think that He is always looking for opportunities to "let them have it". (How far that is from a true picture of God.)

When Jesus was on earth, He showed us what Father God was like, and what He was like in His dealings with mankind. When the woman was caught in the act of adultery, Jesus did not condemn her, He did not pick up a stone and throw it at her. Though under the Law He could have legally put her to death, instead He forgave her. When the woman came and anointed His feet with the oil in the alabaster box and wiped them with her tears, Jesus did not rebuke her, He did not turn her away, He did not belittle and ridicule her, He did not condemn her, instead He allowed her to do it. He also defended her before her accusers and affirmed her in their sight.

Let me ask you a question. Do either of those encounters with these sinful women sound like God was "out to get them"? If He just waits for the opportunity to let us have it, then there was His opportunity. He could have taken it then but He didn't. As little children one of the first verses we learned was John 3:16- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I think we should also learn John 3:17- "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Again, I ask you, "Does this sound like God is out to "get us"?

If God was out to "get us", if He sits up in heaven and waits for us to make a mistake so that He can punish us or condemn us then why would He send His Son to earth to save us? Why would He provide a way for us to have forgiveness from our sins? Why would He go to such great lengths as to shed His blood and die upon the cross? If that is how God really feels toward us, why would He do anything for us, He had us where He "wanted" us if that were the case? (Because we were already "messed up" and making mistakes is all we could do.)

But that is not a true picture of who He is. Jesus corrected that by demonstrating the love, grace, patience and mercy of God to those He encountered while upon earth. I hope that you don't have this misconception of who He is. He is not out to "get you". He is not out to destroy you. He isn't looking for opportunities to "let you have it". Instead He is looking for opportunities to express and lavish His love on you. He proved that by sending His Son Jesus to earth to tell you and ultimately show you that He loves you.

Have a great day. God is not out to get you. He proved that through Jesus.

For further reading:
John 8:1-11
Luke 7:36-50
Romans 5:8

"Stand In Faith"

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

There are times in my walk with the Lord where I am constantly aware of His presence with me. I feel His tremendous peace. Every where I look I am seeing His power being revealed. I am hearing His voice clearly and continually. The lines of communication between me and Him are wide open. The refreshing rain of His Spirit is falling on me in abundance. The insights into His word just keep coming. My praises for Him can't be contained. I am on the mountaintop and it is a wonderful time. But then, for apparently no reason, everything seems to change. I don't "feel" His presence like I did. The revelations aren't coming. I am hearing "nothing" from Him. I can't see His hand moving and working in my life. I feel so dry. It feels as if He has left me and I am alone in a desert place. (Where are you, Lord?)

Am I the only one who experiences this? So, what do we do during these times? We stand in faith. The Bible says that we walk by faith not by sight. We don't live in our relationship with the Lord by feelings. I may not feel His presence sometimes like I do at other times, but He is still there. He hasn't left me; He hasn't forsaken me; I am not alone. Therefore, I don't need to stop doing what I am doing. I need to continue and persevere. I need to continue to press in into His presence. I don't quit and give up because I am not "feeling" Him. My faith is being put to the test. My faith muscles are being exercised. My hunger for the sense of His presence is growing. I am learning what it means to truly seek after the Lord. My desire and hunger for Him is becoming greater and being strengthened. I am getting more desperate from Him- not just for His blessings.

If you are in this "dry" place unable to sense that His presence is with you, don't give into those feelings. Don't quit doing what you are doing-- continue on in your relationship with Him. Keep seeking Him, keep praising Him, keep talking to Him, keep studying His word, keep fellowshipping with other believers, don't go by your feelings, but stand in faith.

Have a great day. When we don't feel His presence, we have to continue by faith to live as if we do.

For further reading:
Matthew 28:20
Hebrews 10:38
1 Peter 1:7-9
Hebrews 11

"I've Got A Mansion"

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. " John 14:2

I woke up this morning with the old hymn, "Mansion Over The Hilltop", repeating over and over in my mind. In case you aren't familiar with it, the chorus says: "I've got a mansion just over the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old; and someday yonder we will never more wander, but walk the streets that are purest gold."

What a wonderful thought- a mansion in heaven, forever in the presence of the Lord, living and dwelling with Him, never growing old, never in darkness, never wandering around in confusion seeking for direction, and walking on streets of pure gold. How glorious! I can't comprehend just how wonderful it will be. But this kind of eternal existence is only promised to those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and have their sins washed away by faith in His blood that was shed at the cross. For the rest it will not be so wonderful. Instead, it will be an eternal existence that is too horrible to even imagine.

In talking to people about the state of their eternal soul, I find that so many are too "busy" making a life for themselves that they don't have time to think about what will happen to them after they die. Some are more interested in their material status now instead of what awaits them then. There are those who don't want to acknowledge Jesus, much less have a relationship with Him, because they are more desirous of enjoying the "pleasures" of this present life. They are trading the eternal treasures for temporary pleasures.

This life is not all there is. There is something that awaits us once we leave planet earth through death. And what awaits us last forever and forever. Are you ready for the forever? There are only two places where the eternal soul can go- and just because you don't believe in the existence of one or either, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

The desire of the Lord God is that you live with Him forever in one of those mansions. He loves you and desires to prepare a place for you in His eternal presence. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus to provide the way and "pay" for the privilege of living with Him forever. Will you take time from this temporary life to enter into a relationship with the Lord God through His Son Jesus so that one day you can occupy a mansion forever?

Have a great day. Don't exchange eternal treasures for temporary pleasures.

For further reading:
Hebrews 11:25; 9:22
Romans 6:23
John 14:1-3; 3:16
Matthew 6:19-21
2 Corinthians 6:2

"Not Ashamed - Part 2"

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

Yesterday we talked about how our conversations contain a wide variety of subjects but for many Christians sharing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not one of them. Many believe they don't have to be public or open with it because, like we said yesterday, the Lord knows their hearts. That is true He knows your heart, but that is not why we share our faith. We share it so that others will know about Him.

The Bible says, "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) In other words, how are the lost going to hear the good news that Jesus saves if no one tells them? Someone told you, and someone told me.

When something good happens to us, we can't help telling others about it. If you were to win ten million dollars today, I have no doubt that you would be on the telephone today telling everyone you knew. You couldn't wait to tell someone. So why aren't you telling others about this as well? Receiving the gift of eternal life is better than winning money, or anything else. The security of your eternal soul is priceless. It is the greatest treasure and it is the most valuable thing you have.

People need the salvation that only Jesus Christ can give. They need to have peace with God. They need to have their sins forgiven and washed away from their lives. They need to have a heart transformation. They need to be born again. But if someone doesn't tell them how will they know? You can't depend on the church to tell them- they may never enter a church. You can't depend of the television preachers to tell them- they may never watch them. You can't depend on anything else. As a matter of fact, God is depending on us to reach them with the good news of salvation. This is why Jesus' last instructions before leaving earth were to, "Go and tell".

Have a great day. Are you going and telling others about the good news that Jesus saves?

For further reading:
Mark 16:15
Matthew 28:19; 10:7
Romans 10:15
1 Corinthians 4:3
Isaiah 52:7

"Not Ashamed "

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

It is amazing the variety of conversations that people (Christian people) will carry on. They will talk about everything from the weather to politics, from sports to what they saw on television. They will talk about what others are doing, the latest trends, what is going on at their jobs, how their children are doing, and so on. Yet when it comes to talking about their faith in Jesus Christ, they seem to get silent.

Oh, you will have many that say something like, "The Lord has been good to me", but that is pretty much the extent of it. Very seldom do they share their faith in Jesus, very seldom do they witness of His saving grace and what He has done in their lives by saving their soul. Some believe that they don't have to be public and open with it because the Lord knows their hearts.

Sure He knows your heart, you aren't being open with it just for the sake of being open with it. There is a reason why we testify and witness. First, when it is in your heart- truly in your heart- sometimes you can't help it "coming out". The Bible tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". Whatever is going on in your life and has filled your heart, automatically comes out of your mouth. I know people who are expecting a child, or have just had a baby, or just got married, or going through a job change, or involved in some sort of activity and that is what the topic of their conversation revolves around. It just comes out of their mouth before they know it.

So, when you are filled with the love of Jesus, and the love for Jesus, when you are filled with His word and He is your life, it just can't stay "bottled up" within you. If it does, perhaps you need to "check" your heart and see what is filling it. Yes, I know there are times to speak and not to speak, but when you do speak, if He is never your topic of conversation, then something is not right. And it is not right in your heart because that is where your conversation originates.

Have a great day. Whatever fills your heart comes out of your mouth- does Jesus' wonderful love and saving grace ever come out of your mouth?

For further reading:
Matthew 12:34
Jeremiah 20:9
Psalm 34:1; 69:1; 109:30

"Are You A Follower?"

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

So many people have their opinion and interpretation of what it means to be a "Christian". Most think that if they repeat some sort of "sinner's prayer", or join a church membership roll, or do some other religious work that it automatically makes them a Christian and now they are "saved" Many talk about being saved, but what Jesus talked about was- following. If we are truly saved, if we are His sheep, if we have salvation and eternal life, if we have been born again, then we are to "follow" Him.

I often wonder how people- I am talking about those who say they are "saved"- have such a hard time understanding what the word "follow" means. It seems pretty plain and elementary. But should you be having a hard time defining what it means, I thought I would help you out this morning.

It means: if you are living the "party life"- going to the bars and getting drunk- you are not following Jesus. If you are having sex with someone who you are not married to, you are not following Jesus. If you never go to church, you are not following Jesus (He always went to His Father's house) (Unless you have some inability that keeps you out). If you are sitting at your computer looking at pornography, you are not following Jesus. If you are abusive to your spouse or children, then you are not following Jesus. If you are quick tempered and continually curse people out, you are not following Jesus. If you are selfish, self-centered, covetous, greedy, love your money, cheat and lie, and are full of hate... then you are not following Jesus.

When you are following someone, it means two things: you are in that person's presence and you are doing the same things they are doing. That's what it means when we say we are saved... or at least it should. That is what Jesus meant when He said, "Follow Me".

Have a great day. Can you really be saved and not follow Jesus?

For further reading:
Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 16:24;19:21
John 12:26

"God Given Ability"

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

The Lord has truly blessed mankind with the ability to do so much. Look at the world around us. We have the ability to plant and harvest our food sources. We have invented devices that have made life easier. We know how to drill oil from out of the ground to produce energy. We know how to build enormous boats that can stay afloat on water and not sink. We have learned how to fly, and even stepped foot on the moon. When you think about all that we have accomplished, it is truly amazing. Yet, in all our accomplishments, we must never forget that we did not do it on our own.

We can never take full credit for anything that we accomplish. It wasn't our own might that has created anything, it was the blessing and goodness of the Lord that allowed it. He is the One who gave us the wisdom, the skill, the ability, the understanding, the strength and creativity. If we accomplish anything the credit and glory must go to God.

I am reminded of the tabernacle in the wilderness. I am sure it was a sight to behold. The vessels were ornamental gold and silver, the tapestries were of fine linen, there was carved woodwork, and so forth. The part that I am reminded of was the fact that the Lord had given the men who built it wisdom and understanding in how to do the work.

We have been blessed with the ability to do so much. Whatever you have the ability to do- whether it is the ability to paint, to write, to invent gadgets, to sing, to carve wood, computer programming, teaching, etc.- that ability comes from the Lord. And we must always remember to use it for His purposes and never forget to give Him the glory through it.

Have a great day. Any ability we have has been graciously given to us by the Lord and we should always use it in a way that will honor and glorify Him.

For further reading:
Exodus 36:1,2
1 Corinthians 10:31
Colossians 3:23

"Run To Him"

"When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God..." Deuteronomy 4:30a

What do you do when you are facing difficulties? Do you stand and fight with the weapons the Lord has made available to you? Do you sit down and feel sorry for yourself? Do you try to hide from the situation? Do you look for some form of escape? Do you pretend that it isn't happening? Do you run? Perhaps you try to run from it? Or perhaps you run to some sort of pill, or other substance, to ease the way you are feeling in the situation?

When facing trials, problems and difficulties, you actually should run. You should run straight into the arms of Jesus. You should run to that place of prayer where you will meet with Him. Often that is the last place that we run to. Usually we wait to run to Him after we have exhausted everywhere else. He should be the first place.

If, and when, you are going through these times, your answer lies in the Lord. He should be the first place you turn. Why? Because He loves you, He cares about you, He has the answer and solution, and He alone can give you everything you need to make it through what you are facing. So don't run here and there and everywhere else... run straight into His loving arms.

Have a great day. Where will you run when you are facing difficulties?

For further reading:
James 4:8
Psalm 120:1
2 Samuel 22:7
1 Peter 5:7

"Where He Leads"

"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." Luke 9:57

There is an old familiar hymn that says- "Where He leads me I will follow... I'll go with Him, with Him all the way". The plan of Jesus for all Christians is that they "follow Him". When we come to Jesus for salvation it means we not only acknowledge our sins and need for a Savior, and that He alone is that Savior, but that we will follow Him the rest of our lives. We all talk about the "call of God" on our lives and wonder what He has called us to do. It is simple, the call of God is, "follow Me". This was the grounds on which He called, and still calls, His disciples.

When He calls us to follow Him, we don't always know what that looks like. We have our own ideas and opinions of what we think "following" means. We often think that it means blessings, blessings and more blessings. We think it means no more pain, no more sorrow, no more suffering or trials. We tend to think that following Jesus is an "escape" from the cares and problems of this life. On the contrary!

Jesus never promised those who followed Him that they would have a life of ease and be problem-free. He said that following Him involved taking up a "cross" (and we all know what the cross represents- a place of death; death to self and self-will). He said we would have tribulation, be hated by all men for His sake and be counted like sheep headed to the slaughter.

Jesus' call to follow Him is two-fold. It is an invitation to put your trust and faith in Him as Savior, and after you do it then becomes a command. The twelve disciples accepted His invitation and it placed them in a boat in the middle of a storm, in the desert, on a mountaintop, among demons, in the midst of angry religious leaders and beside the seashore. When we accept His invitation to follow Him, it may place us in many of the same places as well. But if we follow Him on earth, even if it is through places of pain and suffering, we will have a reward in heaven that far out weighs the difficulties of following Him here. And we will get to "follow" Him in heaven throughout all eternity.

Have a great day. Following Jesus will often lead you into some difficult places, but it will also lead you to heaven where you will enjoy eternal life.

For further reading:
Mark 8:34
Matthew 5:10,11
Romans 8:36
Luke 9:57-65
2 Timothy 3:12
John 16:33

"Thirst Quencher"

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1

When you are hot and thirsty, you want something to drink. There is an assortment of drinks to choose from- coffee, soda, tea, lemonade, juice, sports drinks, etc. But none of these quench your thirst, they still leave you thirsty and needing something else. When you are really hot and thirsty, the only true thirst quencher is water.

Our souls are thirsty too and we look for something to quench that thirst. We will take a "drink" of a variety of things- drugs, alcohol, relationships, entertainment, etc.- to try to find something that will satisfy that thirst that is within us. Like in the natural, all the things that look promising, that look like they will quench the thirst don't. Like in the natural again, there is only one thing that can truly quench the deep thirst that is within our souls.... water!

There is "water" that only the Lord can give and it will quench the thirsty soul once and for all. Jesus offered it to a woman one day that He met at a well. She had a deep thirst. She was trying to satisfy it through relationships but to no avail. He told her that if she would drink of the water that He has to give she would never thirst again. Nothing else and no one else can make that claim. Everything else leaves us unsatisfied and continuing our search for something else that will.

Are you thirsty this morning? Are you trying to find something that will quench that longing in your soul? Are you drinking from sources that are not satisfying? Then come and drink of the water that the Lord has to give. It will quench your thirst and you will never thirst again.

Have a great day. Only the water of life that Jesus has to give can quench your thirst once and for all.

For further reading:
John 4:1-29