Submission And Obedience - part 2

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:" Colossians 3:5,6

Yesterday we talked about submission to the Lord. If we submit to His will and obey His commands, there will be a blessing attached to it. It might not always feel like, seem like or look like a blessing because it may land you in the middle of a storm, or other calamity, but there's a blessing attached to it nevertheless. 

If there is a blessing attached to obedience, there is a consequence attached to disobedience. We can trace that fact all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam disobeyed God and it broke his fellowship with the Lord, got him kicked out of the garden, brought a curse upon the earth and brought sin into the world-- for which you and I are still suffering today. King Saul disobeyed, and the kingdom was taken from him and his descendants. Lot's wife looked back upon the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and was turned into a pillar of salt. King David numbered the children of Israel after the Lord had told him not to and was faced with the consequences-- a plague came upon the children of Israel for three days. Even Moses disobeyed by striking the rock instead of speaking to it to produce water for the thirsty. It resulted in him not being able to enter into the promise land. And the list goes on and on.  

Disobeying God’s commandments is never a good idea because it brings God’s judgment and punishment to a person who dares to live a life of disobedience to His word. You may think you can live in disobedience because you aren't "suffering" any consequences, all is well. But don't be deceived, it may not come today, but it will come-- if not here and now, when you stand before the Lord on Judgment Day.  You may also believe that because we are under grace that grace takes care of any disobedience, so you have nothing to worry about, again don't be deceived.  Grace is not a license to sin; it is a deterrent to sin.  It enables and empowers us to resist sin, not accommodate it. 

Are you living in obedience or disobedience? If you are being disobedience, you may feel like you are being blessed, but you aren't, there are consequences. Those consequences will catch up with you one day. So, go to God and confess your sin of rebellion and disobedience, ask Him to forgive you and then turn to a life of obedience. 

Have a great day. Disobedience is sin, and sin has consequences-- not blessings. 

1 John 1:9; Romans 6:15; 1 John 3:7-9; Galatians 5:19-21

"Submission And Blessings"

"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Psalm 2:12 

The word kiss here means submit. Submitting to the Lord demonstrates your trust in Him. The disciples submitted to Him when He told them to get into the boat and go to the other side. If you will remember, while they were in the boat headed to the other side a great storm came up. It was so great that they feared for their lives. They finally woke Jesus up- who was asleep in the back of the boat- to help them and save them from drowning. Jesus rebuked the storm, and the seas became calm again.

 

The disciples obeyed Jesus- they got in the boat. They trusted Him- they set sail for the other side. But it doesn't seem that they were very blessed by doing so because they got into a storm. Submitting to Him may seem like the wrong move in some cases. It may seem as if it only takes you into a storm. It may seem to take you into difficult situations. Often it will take you into the wilderness, into the furnace, into the lion's den and into the storm. But remember this also, there are blessings attached when we trust Him by submitting to Him. 

 

Those blessings are: He will be with you in every place submission to His will and word takes you. He will be in control of the situation even if it looks like He is "asleep". He already sees the whole situation and makes provision accordingly. Submitting to Him may not always be the easiest route. It may not be the most comfortable one. It may not be the most desired way. But it will be the way that is blessed-- blessed with His presence, with His power and with His provision.

 

Have a great day.  Submitting to the Lord may seem to take you in the wrong direction, but it will be the direction that has blessings attached to it. 

 

For further reading:

Mark 4:35-40

"He Is Thinking About You"

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" Psalm 139:17 

Who can understand how God thinks? Especially when it comes to people. You have to wonder why He would think about us at all? Mankind rebelled against Him. We have sinned, and continually do sin, against Him. We caused the suffering and sacrifice of His Son. We are always bent on going our own way and doing our own thing. He blesses us in so many ways and then we forget about what He has done and go back to doing what we want ignoring Him. Nevertheless, in spite of how we are He still thinks about us. 

 

His thoughts toward us are thoughts of love. They are thoughts of good and not thoughts of evil. They are thoughts of mercy and grace. They are not thoughts to harm us, hurt us or destroy us. They are thoughts to give us a hope and a future. They are thoughts of loving-kindness. 

 

You are always on the Lord's mind. He always thinks about you. There is not a moment that He doesn't, or hasn't, thought about you. Even before you were born, He was thinking about you. He is thinking about you now. You may think He has forgotten you, but He hasn't. How can you forget something that you are always thinking about? 

 

Have a great day. You are always on the Lord's mind. He is always thinking about you. And the thoughts that He is thinking about you are good thoughts.

 

For further reading:

Jeremiah 29:11

Isaiah 55:8

"Private Relationship"

"And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti." Esther 2:17 

Esther had been chosen to be queen. She had responsibilities that came along with her title and position. She now had a public reputation. She served alongside of her husband the king in ruling the people, making decrees and enforcing laws. But at the end of the day, when the crown was removed, when the royal robe was taken off, when the work of ruling was finished, she was the king's wife. She was in an intimate relationship with him. 

 

This is a spiritual parallel of our relationship with our heavenly King Jesus. As His people we have a public responsibility-- go into all the world and preach the gospel. We serve in doing the work of the Kingdom with Him-- laborers together with Christ. We have a responsibility that comes along with our "title" (Christian) and "position" (seated together with Him in heavenly places). We are a royal priesthood that shows forth the praises of our God. But like Esther, at the end of the day when the work of the Kingdom is finished, when the ministry is over, when the preaching is finished, when we have taken off the robe of service to the needy, we are still His "wife"-- we are still in an intimate relationship with Him.

 

Are you wearing your "robe" and "crown" to "bed"? Is all your Christianity about is work, service or ministry? Is there any intimacy with the Lord? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? Or is it just a public show? Jesus died to save us from our sins, but He also died to reconcile, and heal, our broken relationship with the Father. When He speaks about us, it is with terms of endearment-- Father, Son, children, husband, widows, friends. His greatest desire is that we "know Him"-- that we have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. When we stand before Him one day, that will be the determining factor as to whether we enter into heaven or not-- not how much work we have done. "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:23) 

 

The king was searching for a new queen- not just to rule and reign with him- but to be his wife. Our King Jesus is searching for someone not only to work with Him, or for Him, but to have a relationship with. Is that you?

 

Have a great day.  Do you have a public relationship with the Lord only-- one of work and service? Or do you have a private relationship with Him as well-- one of intimacy and worship? 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 2:6,16

2 Corinthians 6:1

Mark 16:15

1 Peter 2:9

Colossians 1:20

"Look At Jesus"

"Looking unto Jesus..." Hebrews 12:2a

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace".

 

Some of you have been looking for an answer to a situation you are facing. The answer is found in the words of the chorus above. You are looking in the wrong place. You are looking to man to help solve the situation. You are looking to natural resources to bail you out. You are looking to others to meet the need. You are looking at the problem itself. You keep staring at the situation. You keep looking at the mountain, the storm, the fire, and the devourer. You keep looking at the lack. You keep looking at the impossibility. You are looking everywhere, and to everyone, except the right place.

 

The chorus above carries a simple message-- "Turn your eyes upon Jesus". Perhaps that is why we find it hard to do... it is too "simple". We always feel like we have to be doing something. We feel like we have to worry about it. We feel like we have to be struggling. We feel like we have to be in control. Is it easier to worry? Is it easier to fear? Is it easier to try to devise a plan of our own?

 

Look at Jesus. The more you do, the smaller the problem will seem. The more you do, you will soon discover that He is bigger than the problem. The more you look at Him, the less important everything else becomes. 

 

Have a great day. The answer to your problem is simple-- "Turn your eyes upon Jesus", and turn them off of the problem. 

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 45:22

2 Chronicles 26:5

"Fight For The Prize"

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12 

The scripture above calls faith a fight, and it says we have to fight this fight. A fight is also a battle. When fighting a battle, you cannot be passive. It involves action. You have to exert yourself, especially if you are going to win. 

 

Once we have received salvation from that moment on we are involved in a battle. A battle to hold fast to our profession of faith and lay hold of eternal life. The word "fight" also refers to a contest of athletes. Athletes have one goal in mind-- to win. If you have ever participated in an athletic event, you know that in order to win, and receive a prize, you have to endure to the end. That means you have to press past the hindrances that would try to stop you from winning. Some of those hindrances are fatigue, heat, aching muscles and thoughts of quitting.

 

In this spiritual fight of faith, we have to keep our eyes on the prize and keep pressing toward it. We have to press our way past the hindrances that would try to stop us. Some of those hindrances are fear, the accusations of the enemy, temptations, our own thoughts, weariness and discouragement. 

 

When we are tempted to stop running, when we are tempted to stop fighting, when we are tempted to give up, we must get our "second wind" and keep going. Our second wind comes through God's word-- it gives us strength to keep going by reinforcing our faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the word of God". Our second wind also comes through prayer. Prayer puts us in communion with God-- our "Coach" who is right there with us giving us the encouragement we need to go on. Our second wind comes through praise. Praise is like that "rest" period that takes us out of the throngs of the battle and gives us a fresh, clear vision of the prize. 

 

We are fighting a fight. We are in a battle. We are like contestants in an athletic event. We must not grow weary. We must keep pressing. We must keep our eyes on the prize. And we must not give up and quit.

 

Have a great day. We are in a fight to win. There is a prize that awaits us. Don't fall short, keep fighting until you get to the end.

 

For further reading:

Philippians 3:14

1 Corinthians 9:24,25

Galatians 6:9

Romans 10:17

"Powerful Name"

"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:18 

The religious leaders commanded the apostles not to speak the name of Jesus. It hasn't changed today; our society threatens us not to speak the name of Jesus. You can use the word God, you can talk about any other "deity" or religious figure that people worship, just don't talk about Jesus. There was and still is a battle going on over the name of Jesus. 

 

Why? The devil knows the power that Jesus has and if he can keep us from calling on Jesus and speaking His name he can continue to steal, kill and destroy without hindrance. 

 

Don't stop testifying about Jesus. Don't stop boldly proclaiming who He is. Don't fear the threats of man. Don't fear what they can do to you. Don't keep quiet because people need Jesus in their lives. He is the only one that can save the souls of mankind. "None other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." He is the Healer- none can heal but Him. "Why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus." It is Jesus who brings deliverance to those who are held captive to sin, to bitterness, to unforgiveness, to addictions and anything else that would try to make you a prisoner. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; to preach deliverance to the captives."

 

The world needs Jesus. He is their/our only answer. Therefore, we must not keep quiet but let them know there is hope, there is help, there is peace, there is salvation, there is healing, there is deliverance, there is grace and strength. And we must let them know it is found in Jesus alone.

 

Have a great day. The enemy doesn't want us to speak the name of Jesus because he knows that there is power in His name. But we must speak it so that others can experience His life changing power for themselves.

 

For further reading:

Acts 4:12; 3:6,12,13

Luke 4:18

 

"This Same Jesus"

"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11 

"This same Jesus". As Jesus ascended into heaven, the angels told His disciples that He was coming back in the same way in which they saw Him leave. But they made it a point to remind them that it would be the "same Jesus"- not an angel, not another man, not some false Christ, not some new religious figure. It would be Jesus Himself who would come again. 

 

Today we are still looking for this "same Jesus" to return. Or are we? Do you ever give much thought about His return? Are you living your life as if He will not return, or that you have plenty of time to think about that later? 

 

"This same Jesus". It is this same Jesus who still is the only way to the Father. It is this "same Jesus" that we must put our faith and trust in if we are to receive eternal life. It is this "same Jesus" that still sets captives free and opens prison doors to those who are bound. It is the "same Jesus" who makes intercession for us. It is the "same Jesus" who gives us healing. It is this "same Jesus" who still answers prayers. 

 

Although He is not walking around on earth among us like He did with the disciples, He is still ever present in the affairs of mankind. He is still the head of His church. He is still watching over us. He has not left and forgotten us, stopped loving us, or neglected us. This same Jesus- not another one- loves you and cares about you still today.

 

Have a great day. The same Jesus who walked the earth, is still very active in the lives of those who place their trust in Him. 

 

For further reading:

1 Thessalonians 4:16

John 14:6

Hebrews 7:25

 

"Water Of Life"

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:" Isaiah 44:3 

Everything that is living needs water. Plants, animals and people all need water to survive. Without water we would become dehydrated and die. Not only does our physical bodies need water, but our spiritual man needs water also so that we can be spiritually healthy.

 

The water that our spirit man needs is God's word. It brings refreshing to those dry and parched places in our souls. It quenches our spiritual thirst and puts life in us. 

 

Are you thirsty? Have you become spiritually dehydrated? Are you drying up? Then you need to rehydrate through God's water- His word. It is amazing what it will do, and even just a drop is powerful enough to begin to bring back life into that which is dry. The rich man in hell asked for just one drop of water to be placed on his parched tongue. Had he not denied the water, (living water) that Jesus gives, for worldly wealth while he was on earth, he wouldn't be desiring water now to quench his torment. Don't refuse the word of God that gives you life. Drink from it and come alive. Drink from it and stay alive.

 

Have a great day. God's word is water to the dry and thirsty and will refresh and give life.

 

For further reading:

John 4:14; 6:35

Luke 16:20-24

"Just Three Words"

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3 

Never underestimate the power of God's word. It is powerful-- more powerful than anything else. There is power in just one word. At the beginning of creation God spoke three words-- "Let there be".

 

Let's examine the power behind just those words. At the beginning of creation there was nothing-- "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." When God said, "Let there be", He spoke into nothing and created everything. When He said, "Let there be", He spoke into the darkness, and it became light. When He said, "Let there be", He spoke into the chaos and brought order.

 

In those three words what was nothing became something, darkness became light, and chaos became order. Does your life seem lacking? Lacking what you need, lacking in ability? By the power of His word, He can bring forth something- fruitfulness, provision, abundance. Is darkness clouding your heart and mind? His word is light and it can illuminate your situation and give you clarity and understanding. Are you living in chaos and confusion? His word can establish order and bring peace and wisdom. 

 

There is power in God's word, this is why the Centurion said to Jesus, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed". He knew there was power in His word. Do you? Again, never underestimate the power of God's word. 

 

Have a great day. God's word is so powerful it can bring something from nothing, light from darkness, and order from chaos.

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 4:12

Psalm 119:105

Matthew 8:8

"Weaponless"

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" 2 Corinthians 10:4 

What soldier would go to battle without a weapon? Would he stand in combat before the enemy unequipped? Of course not, yet daily many Christians are standing before the enemy totally unequipped with the weapons that have been provided for them. 

 

Daily we face battles with the enemy of our soul-- it's called spiritual warfare. You may not recognize that what you are going through is an attack of the enemy, but more times than not it is. The attacks come in the form of temptation-- temptation to indulge in something that is immoral, unethical or unrighteous. You are under attack when you are tempted to hold a grudge, wallow in self-pity, seek revenge, lose your temper, hold on to bitterness, blame God for what is going on and so on. 

 

We don't always recognize the attacks because of the form in which they come. "Turn these stones to bread." When Jesus was in the wilderness and had fasted forty days the enemy came to tempt Him. He was hungry and the enemy tempted Him to turn the stones to bread so He could eat. Most wouldn't see that as an attack. They would see it as fulfilling a need. But it was a temptation to get Him to use His power to gratify His own flesh and prove something to the enemy. 

 

We also don't recognize the attacks because we tend to think it is the person who is coming against us that is the enemy-- "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood"-- but it is not. 

 

The point is, we are in a spiritual battle even if we don't recognize it as such and we can't go out before the enemy without a weapon. The weapon we have been issued is God's Word. Jesus used this weapon against the enemy in the wilderness. We have to also. 

 

If you aren't reading the Bible; if you aren't applying it to memory; if you aren't hiding it in your heart; if you aren't putting it in your spirit, then you are like a soldier who is going to battle without a weapon. The result will be that you will be wounded by his weapons. 

 

Have a great day. You are involved in spiritual warfare. Are you going before your enemy without a weapon?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 4:1-11

Ephesians 6:10-18

"Bruised"

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Luke 4:18 

"... them that are bruised." A bruise on the body is an indication of an injury that has taken place on the inside of our bodies. Jesus came to bring liberty to those who are bruised. He is not talking about those who are physically bruised but those who are spiritually bruised. Sin has bruised us spiritually. It has injured us on the inside. It has brought a fatal injury to us-- death. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." "The wages of sin is death". 

 

Are you bruised and beaten up by sin? Have you ever come to Jesus to be "healed" (set free) from your sin? Are you bruised or beaten in your heart from hurts inflicted on you by others? Are you bruised by hurts from the past? Whatever has injured you on the inside, Jesus will heal you and set you free from it. He will heal the "bruise" and take it away. 

 

When Jesus works in our lives, He does it from the inside out. He goes straight to the root cause and heals it. He doesn't just deal with external symptoms. That's why when He heals, or sets us free, it is complete. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.".

 

Let Him heal you from the injury of sin that was inflicted on you through Adam's disobedience in the garden- if you haven't already. If you are injured inside from hurts, pain, remorse, regret, grief, rejection-- anything that has bruised you-- let Him heal that too.

 

Have a great day. Jesus wants to free you from, and heal, the injuries that have left you bruised on the inside.

 

For further reading:

Genesis 2:17

Romans 6:23

John 8:36

"He Is Always Right"

".....great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23 

This verse is talking about God. The word here for faithfulness means steadiness, steadfastness, firmness. God is steadfast- He is unchanging. You never have to wonder about Him. He never changes His mind, or opinion, from day to day. He doesn't change His thoughts about the issues. For example, if He ever said something was sin, it is still sin. If He ever said something was acceptable, it is still acceptable.

 

Whatever God has said, He still says- He never changes His mind about it. He is faithful- firm in nature, firm in His word. He doesn't change just because society changes. He doesn't discover that He was wrong about something and retract it. He doesn't rewrite the "manual" to stay current-- He has been current forever. Therefore, we can trust Him, and we can trust His word. We don't have to wonder if it still means what it says or has it changed.

 

Have a great day. God is always right. He doesn't discover that He was wrong about something and has to change what He said. 

 

For further reading:

Malachi 3:6

Psalm 119:89

Matthew 24:35

 

"Going Home"

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3 

One day we will all leave this earth- either through death or the catching up in the air (the rapture). Those of us who have made peace with God through Jesus Christ will go home to heaven. I have to wonder how eager are we for that day. Do we look for it with great anticipation? Are we excited about it and can hardly wait? Do we even have any thoughts about it?

 

Again, we are all going to leave this earth one day-- no one is a permanent resident. When that time comes, we won't just cease to exist. We will go to our eternal destination- either a home in heaven, or the torment of an eternity in hell. Do you know that you have a home awaiting you in heaven when you leave this earth? If not, you need to make that the priority of your life. Receive Jesus as your Savior and follow Him the rest of your life as your Lord.

 

If you have made that preparation, do you ever think about it? Are you so earth bound that you don't want to leave, and you never think about "going home"? I am not talking about having a "death wish". I want to stay here as long as the Lord had planned for me to be here, but I am looking forward to the day when I can go home. Are you?

 

Have a great day. Do your thoughts ever go toward going home to heaven one day, or are you so earth bound that you don't give it a thought?

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

John 14:1-3

"Sin Is Real"

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:20a 

"That sinneth." What is sin? We don't hear much about it anymore. What has always been sin has been downgraded by society until it is perfectly acceptable. It is acceptable for men to marry men, and women to marry women- homosexuality. It is acceptable to have a sexual relationship with someone who you aren't married to and live together like husband and wife- adultery. It is acceptable to take the life of an unborn child-- abortion/murder. It is acceptable to lie, cheat and steal. Drinking, looking at pornography, doing drugs, is acceptable. Not only has our society accepted it, but most churches have accepted it as well. 

 

No matter how much acceptance society, the church, or anyone else gives it, it is still not acceptable to God-- it never has been, never will be because He does not change. He does not change in His faithfulness and love, and neither does He change in the way He views sin. If He called it "sin", it is sin and always will be sin. 

 

When He said that the soul who sins will die, He meant it- no matter what you think about it. Your, and my, opinion doesn't matter about it, He has the final say so. 

 

Sin is a big deal to God because He is a Holy and Righteous God who cannot even look upon sin, much less dwell in its presence. It is also a big deal to Him because if we think sin doesn't "exist", then we have nothing to worry about. If we don't think there is any such thing as sin, then we will never understand what the cross was about. We will never see our need for a Savior- after all, why do I need to be saved from something that isn't real. If we don't believe we are sinning, then we won't fear the punishment that will come when we stand before God- "the wages of sin is death". If there is no sin, then there is no reason to be forgiven and what Jesus did was in vain.

 

Yes, sin is a big deal to God because when we deny that we have sinned, we also deny our remedy-- Jesus' death on the cross. If we deny His death on the cross, we will remain in our sins and shall "die" (spiritually die)- be in eternal torment when we leave this earth. Acknowledge sin, don't accept it, then turn to Jesus and receive the remedy so that you won't die. 

 

Have a great day. Jesus is the remedy for our sins. But if we don't think that sin is real, then why do we need a remedy. If we don't think we need a remedy, we will die in our sins and spend eternity in torment. 

 

For further reading;

1 John 1:8

Romans 6:23

2 Peter 2:1

Habakkuk 1:13

"All Sufficient"

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

I just want to remind you this morning that the Lord God is an all-sufficient God. He is sufficient for whatever you need. If you need strength, if you need grace, if you need mercy, if you need peace, if you need joy, if you need healing, if you need deliverance, if you need comfort, if you need wisdom, if you need guidance, whatever it is you need He is well able to meet it. You will never have a need that He is unable to meet. 

 

There is nothing too big for God, there is nothing too small for Him to take care of. There is nothing that He is unable to handle. Remember that. Whatever you are going through you are not going through it alone. The Lord is with you, and He is more than enough for the situation.

 

Have a great day. The Lord is El-Shaddai... the All-Sufficient God.... He is more than enough for whatever you need. 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 3:20

Matthew 19:26

Jeremiah 32:27 

"Unlimited Power"

"Wherefore also God highly exalted him and gave unto him the name which is above every name." Philippians 2:9 

The Lord spoke a word to me yesterday; I feel impressed that I am to share it with you this morning.

 

"It was prophesied that when I (Jesus) came, I would arise with healing in My wings. When I walked the earth, I did just that- went about healing those who were oppressed of the devil and healing all manner of diseases. If I did that while I was clothed in flesh, would I not do the same now that I am at the right hand of the Father- clothed in deity and the glory and majesty that I had with Him before the foundation of the world? Do you think my power has diminished? Do you think that I have become powerless now? Do you think that I am any less, and that as a man I would do more than I can do now?"

 

(My thoughts) Why do we look at Jesus as "less" now than He was while on earth? While on earth He was clothed in flesh. He was limited as a man to what He could do. He was limited by time and space. Although He exercised power over natural elements and law, He was still limited in all that He could do. Now He sits in heaven on the throne of majesty unlimited- with all power in heaven and earth. All things are in subjection to Him. At His name every knee shall bow. He is the Omnipotent God-- All powerful. 

 

If He demonstrated such power (healing the sick, casting out devils, raising the dead) on earth as a limited man, how much more- not less- now that He is "re-clothed" with His majesty, glory and honor as the only true and living God to whom all things bow.

 

Have great day. If Jesus demonstrated such great power while He was on earth confined to flesh and limited as a man, why would that power be any less now that He is seated on the throne of God.

 

For further reading:

Malachi 4:2

Philippians 2:6-11

Luke 22:69

1 Peter 3:22

John 17:5

"The Reward Of Occupying"

"And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." Luke 19:13

Have you noticed how fast time is going? The days are turning into weeks and it is the end of the month before the month has barely begun. It does seem as though time is speeding up. Whether it is speeding up or not, there are only so many hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month and months in a year. And we aren't promised any more time. We aren't promised our next breath, much less another day. 

 

The Bible tells us to "occupy" while we are here-- tend to business. How are you occupying? What are you doing with your time? How are you spending it? Are you spending it on foolish things that only waste it? Are you spending it on something productive? Are you spending it totally on self? Are you spending it coveting after more? Are you spending it on temporal things? Are you spending it on eternal things? 

 

Some follow the world's motto, "Grab all the gusto you can. You only go around once". They believe that life is intended solely to be spent on self and selfish pleasure-- they think to do otherwise would be a waste. Spending it on eternal things is never a waste. It is a waste not to. (Don't misunderstand. The Lord wants us to enjoy life but enjoy it in Him.) 

 

When we spend it all on self, we will get a temporary reward. The reward is the pleasure it brings us at the moment, the applaud of men for a time, the joy and thrill of it for a season. But when we spend it on eternal things, the reward may not always be evident here, but we will have an eternal reward. It is the rewards of hearing the Heavenly Father tell us, "Well done.", of living in heaven forever, of eternal joy and peace, of seeing others there because of your work of occupying yourself with eternal things. So, occupying ourselves more with eternal things than temporary pleasures is never wasted, it actually brings a greater reward.

 

Have a great day. When you occupy yourself with temporary pleasures, you gain a temporary reward. When you occupy yourself with eternal things, you will receive an eternal reward.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:20

Luke 19:17

2 John 1:8

Revelation 22:12

 

"Seeking Or Suffering?"

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 

When we are seeking first the kingdom of God, we don't have to "worry" ourselves with seeking after the material things that we need. What we need will be added to us. In context the verse is talking about the material needs of our physical man-- food, clothing and shelter. But there are other things that we need-- things that the spiritual and emotional part of us needs.

 

We need peace. We need strength. We need wisdom, guidance, clarity, joy, etc. If our priority is to seek God's kingdom and it causes all the things that we need to be added to us physically, then the same is true where our spiritual needs are concerned. If we seek first the kingdom, then spiritual needs will be added to us as well. But by the same token, if we don't seek His kingdom then we will lack and suffer in this area.

 

Where does real peace come from? It comes from the Prince of Peace-- My peace I give unto you. Where does strength come from to face trying times? It comes from the Lord-- My strength is perfected in your weakness. Where does real joy come from? It comes from the Lord- the joy of the Lord is my strength. As we seek the Lord and press into His presence the things that we need spiritually are imparted/added to us. If we aren't seeking, then we won't have. If we don't have, then we are suffering and in lack-- we have no peace, no joy, no strength, etc.

 

Are these missing from your life? Are you seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? If not, you may have discovered the source of your problem-- and your answer. 

 

Have a great day. When we seek first the kingdom of God, all we need is added to us. On the other hand, when we don't seek first the kingdom of God, we suffer the lack of the things we need. 

 

For further reading:

John 14:27

Acts 3:19

Galatians 5:22,23

2 Corinthians 12:9

Luke 12:31

"Know Truth, No Fear"

"His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies." Psalm 112:8 

As I sought the Lord for His word to us this morning, He gave me the scripture above. I knew we had just talked about it recently. But He let me know that He wanted us to talk about it again. He wants us to be reassured that we do not have to be afraid for the terror by night, the arrow that flies by day, or for the destruction that comes at noonday. We do not have to be afraid when we see evil arising, violence around us, hear discouraging reports, or wars and rumors of war.

 

How is it possible not to be fearful? It is possible when we have our hearts established in God's Word. His Word is truth. When our hearts are established in the truth we don't have to fear because we know the truth about what is happening. 

 

When my daughter was a little girl, she was afraid of thunder. When she would hear a loud clap, she would run to the couch, her dad or to me. I wasn't afraid of thunder because I knew what it was and that it could not hurt you. She didn't know what it was. All she knew was it was a loud, frightening noise that might get her. Now that she is older and knows the truth about thunder and what it is, she is no longer afraid of its noise.

 

Many are fearful because they don't know the truth. They hear the "sound" and don't know the truth about what they are hearing. When they hear the sound that says God has abandoned them, they are fearful because they don't know the truth that says He will never leave them. When they are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, they are fearful because they don't know the truth that says He will walk with them and His rod and staff will comfort them. When they are in lack, they are fearful because they don't know the truth that says God shall supply all their need. 

 

We go through situations personally that try to make us fearful. The earth/world is coming into a time of events that will try to make us fearful. They will succeed if we are not established (rooted and grounded) in God's Word-- the Truth. If we are established we will not fear because we know the truth about what we are hearing and the truth will make us free-- free from fear.

 

Have a great day. When we are rooted and grounded in God's Word, we know the truth. Knowing the truth will keep us from being fearful when fearful times come. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 91:5,6; 23:4

John 8:32; 17:17

 

"Unquenchable Fire"

"Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." Jeremiah 20:9 

God's word was so strong in the prophet that when he tried to keep quiet, he could not-- it was like a burning fire in his bones that could not be quenched. Is the Word of God so strong and alive in you that you can't help but speak it and live it? 

 

We need the fire of God's word burning in us again, if it is not. We need it burning so strongly that it comes out of us in our speech, our attitude, our reactions and our deeds. The devil tried to quench the word in Jesus (Who is The Living Word- John 1:1,14). He tried by tempting Him to yield to a "false word"- ("And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Mathew 4:6) He tried to quench it in the disciples through threats. ("But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." Acts 4:17,18)

 

We must never cease to proclaim God's word. It is powerful. It sets captives free and opens prison doors to those who are bond. It is eternal. It is the Truth. We must read it, study it, meditate upon it and hide it in our hearts. We need to pray that it will burn so brightly and strongly in us that it cannot be quenched by threats, by lies, by fear, by intimidation, by reproach, by persecution, by opposition or any other thing the enemy throws at us. 

 

It has been reported repeatedly of Christians in the past that when they faced persecutions and even martyrdom that with their last breath they were proclaiming the gospel and speaking the Word of God. Even death could not quench the fire of God's Word that was in them. May the same be said of us today.

 

Have a great day. Is God's Word shut up in your heart like a fire that nothing can quench?

 

For further reading:

John 17:17

Hebrews 4:12

Isaiah 55:11

Romans 10:8

"Kicking"

"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Acts 9:5 

To kick against something means to place your will, wants and desire ahead of that which you are in opposition against. It is a lack of conformity. It is also an act of rebellion. Kicking against something also implies the digging in of one's heels in an act of determination not to move.

 

Paul kicked against the Lord's will by refusing to change his direction from religious adherence to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jonah kicked against going to Nineveh. 

 

Are you a kicker? Kicking against the will of the Lord? Kicking against His call? Are you kicking against the conviction that you are under to give your life to Christ? Are you kicking against doing what He has told you to do? Has He told you to go but you are determined to stay? Has He told you to stay but you are determined to go? Has He told you to speak but you refuse to? Is He leading you in one direction, but you are still heading in the opposite one? 

 

There are times when we all have the urge to "kick" against the Lord because our flesh doesn't always want to surrender and give up control. But we can't kick forever. We need to surrender. When we kick, the road is much harder, and it won't go well for us. But when we stop kicking, we will find an inward peace and joy that makes life easier.

 

Have a great day. Are you kicking against God? If so, you need to stop and just surrender.

 

For further reading:

1 Samuel 2:28-30; 15:22

Jonah 1:3

"Rejoice"

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4 

When are we to rejoice? Always. Always means always-- in good times and in bad times; in difficult times, in trying times, in times of rest and in times of peace. 

 

How are we to rejoice? In the Lord. He didn't say to rejoice that tragedy has struck your life, or that you got a bad report. He said to rejoice in "Him". 

 

How do we rejoice in the Lord? We rejoice in His goodness. We rejoice in His faithfulness. We rejoice in the fact that He is constantly there with us. We rejoice that He is our Provider- that He does provide, and He will provide. We rejoice in who He is-- our loving Father who cares about us and will not abandon or forsake us. So, while our lives may be shaking, we can rejoice that He is the solid Rock that is unmovable and unshaken. While all hope seems lost in our situation, we rejoice that He is our hope- with Him nothing is impossible and nothing is too difficult. While our situation seems dark and fearful, we rejoice that the Lord is our light, our wisdom and our peace in the situation. 

 

We don't rejoice over the bad that comes to our lives, we rejoice in the Lord that He is more than able to take care of it. And when we start "feeling" the situation, we start rejoicing again. "And again, I say, Rejoice". 

 

Have a great day. Rejoicing in the Lord is the key to victory in every situation we face.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 34:2; 70:4; 89:16; 97:12

1 Thessalonians 5:16