"Large And Small Victories"

"And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few." Joshua 7:3 

When the Israelites entered into the promised land, they had to drive out the inhabitants and take back the land. The second city they encountered was Ai. Ai was a very small city. So after having defeated the much larger city of Jericho they felt that overtaking this city would be easy. But they were sadly mistaken. 

 

Why were they unable to defeat such a small city? Why had they easily defeated a much larger one but were being defeated by this small one? The reason is simple, they tried to defeat it on their own. They did not bother to consult God about it. They thought they could do it without Him. 

 

It doesn't matter what size your enemy is. We, in and of ourselves, don't have the power to defeat them. The Bible warns us about "small" things that they are just as dangerous as the large ones. (The little foxes spoil the vine; a little leaven leavens the whole lump.) When we win "large" victories, we must be careful to always remember that it was not us, it was the Lord fighting the battle for us. When we face smaller battles, we must also remember that it is the Lord fighting the battle for us that wins the victory. Without Him we can do nothing. But with Him we can do all things. With Him we are more than conquerors--- over the Jerichos and the Ais. 

 

Never let the victories you have already won (especially if they are victories over larger enemies) make you think that you can win the next one by yourself. Every victory we win- large and small- is because the Lord has caused us to triumph, we didn't do it on our own. 

 

Have a great day. Every battle we win is won through the Lord, not on our own. 

 

For further reading:

Joshua 7

Song of Solomon 2:15

Galatians 5:9

1 Samuel 17:47

Romans 8:37

 

"The Key Is To Come"

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 

When we are tired and weary, when we are overwhelmed, when we are burdened down, when we are laboring under a heavy load, we have one desire--- get out from under it. We want rest; we want to be free; we want peace. Well, it is possible to have it. The key is found in these three words-- "Come unto Me".

 

"Come" is the condition to receiving the rest and peace that we need. Many lack it because they won't come. The word come is an action verb. It means there is something you have to do. It means you can't just sit there and expect the burden to be lifted. The woman with the issue of blood didn't stay seated in her sickness, she got up and went to Jesus. When she did, she was healed. The disciples didn't keep bailing water in the storm, they went to Jesus and cried out for His help. When they did, the storm stopped. Blind Bartimaeus got up from where he was seated and went to Jesus. When he did, he received his sight. 

 

The Lord has given you the answer, He has given you the key, He has given you the condition and the solution to finding the rest from the heavy burden you are bearing. But you can't just keep sitting there and do nothing. You can't just sit still and hope it will change. You have to make a move toward Jesus. You have to accept His invitation to "come" to Him. When you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. And as you do, He will give you rest.

 

Have a great day. The key to finding rest and peace is to get up and come to Jesus, not continue to sit there and hope it will change.

 

For further reading:

Mark 10:46-62

Matthew 8:25,26

Luke 8:43-47

James 4:8

"Singing To Please Who?"

"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." Psalm 95:1 

It seems as though one of the biggest complaints I hear from Christians about church services is in regard to the songs that are sung. Some people like the choruses. Some like the hymns. I have noticed some churches only sing choruses and leave off the hymns because they feel they are "outdated". On the other hand, there are churches that sing nothing but hymns. A few sing both. 

 

I personally love both. The hymns give us doctrine, the choruses are more praise oriented. Naturally, we aren't all going to like the same style of music. (We are all different and unique individuals.)

 

Like I said earlier, we hear people say that they wish we would sing a certain style of music during church services. But when was the last time you heard anyone say, "What do You, Lord, want to hear?" When was the last time we asked Him what song would bring a smile to His face? Or what can we sing that will touch Your heart today? 

 

In our church services we call the "song time" worship. Well, who are we worshipping? Who is our worship to be directed toward? The congregation and what they want to hear? The worship leader and what they want to sing? The pastor and what his/her particular style is? Our worship is first and foremost to the Lord. It is about opening our mouth in song and what comes out should bless Him. The songs that come from our lips (the fruit of our lips) should be like the incense of a sacrifice that rises up before His throne. And as it does it should be a sweet-smelling fragrance in His nostrils. 

 

The song that God desires is one that comes from the spirit whether it is a chorus, a hymn or a spiritual song. God doesn't like one style over another. The words of our mouth-- even words that are sung-- should be pleasing to Him first above everything else or anyone else-- ourselves included. When choosing what to sing, we need to remember that it isn't for ourselves, or for one another, we are singing our worship for an audience of One-- the Lord God Himself. 

 

Have a great day. In our church services, when is the style of music that we sing going to stop being about us, and start being about the Lord and what He wants to hear? After all, isn't our worship supposed to be directed to Him?

 

For further reading:

Psalm 19:14; 96:1

Jeremiah 33:11

Hebrews 13:15

"Enabler"

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

Are you fearful this morning? Fearful of the unknown? Of the outcome of the situation you are going through? Are you weak? Are you growing tired and weary from the battle you have been in? Are you feeling like you won't make it? Are you ready to "throw in the towel"? Do you feel like you are being swallowed up by the pain and grief of events that have happened in your life? Then read the verse above again.

 

You do not have to be fearful; the Lord is with you- you aren't alone. He is your strength- you can make it. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. He will give you strength for the battle and strength for the journey. He will give you His strength. Whatever you are struggling with, He will help you not only make it through it but overcome it. If you feel like giving up, He will hold you up so that you can continue on.

 

The word "enable" means: To give (someone or something) the authority or means to do something; make possible; empower; allow; permit. We hear that word used a lot in our society, but usually in a negative way. It is mostly used of a person who "enables" another to continue in some addiction or habit they should be letting go of. 

 

But there is a positive side of the meaning of an enabler. The Lord enables us, not to do what is bad or wrong, but He enables us to stand and withstand during the times we have been talking about. He enables us to stand against fear, against despair, in spite of our weakness, regardless of what is coming against us. He empowers us to be victorious over the enemy and besetting sins. He enables us to continue to run the race that is set before us. 

 

Whatever you may be going through today, remember that the Lord is your enabler--- enabling you to go through it, enabling you to stand and be victorious in the midst of it and He does it through His presence and power.

 

Have a great day. The Lord is our Enabler. He enables us to make it through any situation of life we are going through.

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 12:9

Philippians 4:13

 

"One God For All Your Needs"

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:" Deuteronomy 6:4 

There is only one true and living God. He is the Lord God, the Divine Trinity. Because He is Infinite, you can't put a limit on Him. When He reveals Himself, He reveals Himself through His many attributes and character. When He revealed Himself to Abraham on the mountain, He revealed Himself as not only God, but Jehovah Jireh; God who provides. He revealed Himself to Ezekiel as Jehovah-Shammah; God who is here. He is still revealing who He is to us today, and daily. Today He desires to reveal Himself to you.

 

He is the God who provides and meets your need. ("But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19) 

 

He is the God who heals. ("Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Psalm 103:2,3)

 

He is God who delivers-- delivers from sin, from addiction, for temptations, from the pit of despair, from anger and bitterness, etc. ("But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." Psalm 40:17) 

 

He is the God who saves us from all our sins and gives us eternal life. ("For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11)

 

He is the God who gives us peace. ("For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6) 

 

What do you need today? Don't limit God. He is not like the false gods we have read about in literature, or in the Bible that the heathen worshipped, or that many are still worshipping today. They had/have one separate god for each thing-- a sun god, a moon god, a god for peace, a god for fertility, a god for strength, and so on. They had/have hundreds of gods. Well, the Lord God is not like that. He is One God- the Almighty. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent. He is not limited. He is One God and He can do it all. With Him nothing is too hard, too difficult or impossible. You don't have to seek after many gods to provide whatever it is you need, no matter how many different needs you have- He can handle them all. 

 

Have a great day. There is only One True and Living God and He is able to do whatever you need... and He desires to.

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 44:8

Matthew 19:26

Jeremiah 32:17,27

"High Life Or Low Life"

"...Come up hither..." Revelation 4:1

For far too long God's people have been living in the "low life". I believe He is calling us to come up higher. 

 

What is the "low life"? It is that place where we are held captive to besetting sins. It is that place of carnal thinking. It is the place of conformity to this world. It is the place where our affections are set on things below-- materialism, fame, fortune, approval of men. It is the place where that which is temporary is the pursuit. It is the place of fleshly, human desire. This "low living" is the lifestyle of too many of those who call themselves Christians. We forget that this is what the Lord delivered us out of, yet we continue to live in it.

 

It is time for us to change the level on which we live. The Bible says that we are going from "glory to glory"-- there is no staying the same and there is only one direction that our lives should be going: Up! It is time that we rise up and move up-- up to this "higher plain" that He is calling us up to. God never calls us to move down, He always calls us to move up. 

 

The "higher life" is the place where His presence resides. When we come "up hither", we come into the very presence of God. When God called John to "come up hither", John saw a greater revelation of Jesus Christ. Remember, John was one of Jesus' disciples. He saw the miracles Jesus did, heard His teachings, was on the Mount of Transfiguration, placed his head on Jesus' chest and heard His heartbeat, he was called the disciple whom Jesus loved. But he had not seen it all-- he only saw such a small part, just a glimpse, of who Jesus was. Now that he has "come up hither" he sees Jesus as He truly is-- Almighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, Conquering King of glory to Whom every knee bows. 

 

When John went up higher, not only did he see Jesus in His glory and majesty. He saw the Kingdom, he saw God's plan, he saw things from God's perspective, and he saw what was in the mind of heart of God. As we come up higher, it is God's desire to show us great and mighty things. It is His desire to make His ways known to you. It is His desire to reveal Himself to you in a greater way than you have seen Him before. It is His desire that you abide in His presence as you walk throughout this world-- that is why He is calling you to "come up higher".

 

Which level will you live on? The low one? Or the high one that is filled with God Himself?

 

Have a great day. God is calling you to come up to a higher place--- a place of abiding in the presence of God.

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 3:18

"Storms Come"

"And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep." Matthew 8:24 

This particular day that our scripture text is taken from started out for the disciples like any other day. They woke up in the presence of Jesus, heard His teachings, watched Him perform miracles, and communed with Him. But before the day was over, they found themselves in the middle of a storm afraid for their lives.

 

Your day can start off as it usually does-- you can wake up with your heart and mind on the Lord, you can seek Him in prayer, you can read His word, study His teachings and have a wonderful time of communion with Him in worship. Then before the day is over you can find yourself in the same place the disciples did. 

 

Just because you are communing with Jesus, just because you are listening to His teachings, just because you are obeying Him, just because you are His disciple/Christian, just because you have "left all" for Him, and just because He is "in the boat" with you doesn't mean that storms won't arise in your life. It doesn't mean that the winds and waves of adversity won't strike. It doesn't mean that situations won't develop to try to capsize and turn your life upside down. The tempest, the destroyer, problems, trials and afflictions come even to those who are in close relationship to the Lord-- those who are walking with Him daily (just as the disciples did).

 

But remember this, while you are not exempt from the storms of life you are not in them alone either. Jesus is in them with you. 

 

Have a great day. Storms even come to the lives of those who are following Jesus closely. But when they come, you are not going through them alone, He is with you.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 8:23-27

Psalm 34:19

John 16:33

"Against That Day"

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 

When we read this verse, we usually think of "against that day" as being the day in which we stand before the Lord, and that He is able to keep what we have committed to Him, including ourselves, then. But "against that day" has a broader meaning as well. 

 

The Lord isn't limited to being able to keep what and who I commit to Him at the Judgment Day only. He is able to keep whatever is committed to Him now. There are other "days" that come into our lives-- days of temptations, days of trials, days of testing, days of problems, days of hardships, days of attacks, days of discouragement, days of turmoil, etc. When those days come, the Lord is able to keep what we have committed to Him, again, including ourselves. 

 

He is able to keep me safe on the days when the winds of adversity blow. He is able to keep me secure on those days when the enemy attacks. He is able to keep my mind in peace during the days when confusion settles around me. He is able to keep me comforted on the days when my body is racked with pain. He is able to keep me strong in His power and might on the days when my strength fails. He is able to keep me from falling on the days when the tempter is enticing me to sin. 

 

The Lord is the Keeper. He is your and my Keeper. He knows how to keep us. We can't keep ourselves. He will keep us as we look to Him, trust in Him, keep our mind on Him, surrender to Him, and commit ourselves to Him. 

 

Have a great day. The Lord knows how to keep us against that day... and every day, regardless of what it may bring.

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 26:3

Psalm 121:5; 91:11

2 Corinthians 12:9

 

"By Himself"

"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:" Hebrews 1:3 

"...when he had by himself purged our sins..." Jesus by Himself purged our sins. This has a two-fold meaning.

 

1) He did it by Himself. What He did took care of the sin issue in our lives. He didn't need anything else to "help" Him. He doesn't need your good works, your religious deeds or anything else to make what He did adequate enough. There is nothing else that you can add to what He did that will make you good enough to be saved. All your church attendance, all your giving of offerings, all your religious service, none of these things have a place in "purging" your sins. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) Jesus took care of our salvation by Himself without any outside help.

 

2) He did it by Himself. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was by Himself- He was alone. No one else joined in His suffering. No one else was able to die with Him. His disciples had abandoned Him. There were only three that stayed with Him- His mother, Mary Magdalene, and John. But they were only onlookers. They were not partakers with Him. Even His Heavenly Father forsook Him. He totally turned His back upon Jesus. "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) Jesus was alone carrying the sins of the world upon Himself. Yet He did not let that stop Him. (I wonder how many of us would go on alone in our service for the Lord when no one else will go with us? We always want someone else to do the work with us. Even when it comes to our personal relationship with the Lord, many a husband or wife has given up because their spouse would not walk the walk with them. Jesus accomplished the will of the Father alone. Jesus died alone.) 

 

If you are adding anything to the finished work of the cross, you are missing the whole point of Jesus' sacrifice. What He did by Himself was enough. If you are refraining from following Him because you feel alone and by yourself, remember Jesus was alone yet He thought you were worth it, so He was willing to suffer and die alone. Can't you do the same for Him?

 

Have a great day. Jesus died alone for your sins, and what He did alone was enough- He didn't need any help to secure your salvation.

 

For further reading:

Titus 3:5

Psalm 22:1

Matthew 27:46

"The Lord Hears Your Cries"

*NOTE: There won't be a Coffee Break devotion Friday. 

"In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears." 2 Samuel 22:7

 

"I cried to my God. He did hear my voice; my cry did enter into His ears." When you cry, God hears. It says He did hear. It didn't say He will hear, He might hear, maybe He will hear, but He did hear. Past tense- He already heard. 

 

God hears your cries when you call to Him. Sometimes it seems as if He has a deaf ear. You wonder if He hears-- you wonder if He even cares. God Himself through His Word reassures us over and over again that He does hear us. Even when you can't put your cry into words, He still hears it. "For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." (Psalm 139:4) He knows every word you will say before you even say it, and He never gets tired of hearing your cries. "...neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." (Isaiah 59:1b) 

 

Are you "crying" this morning? Are your cries the cries of deep grief? Are they cries of confusion, loneliness, heartbreak? Are they cries of pain- emotional and physical? Are they cries of anguish of heart and repentant in spirit? Are they cries for His help? Rest assured that it doesn't matter what the cry is, what the cause of the cry is, what has made you cry out to Him, He hears those cries. 

 

Have a great day. God loves you and hears your cries to Him. 

 

For further reading:

1 Chronicles 5:20

Psalm 30:8

 

"Seeking The Kingdom First- part 2"

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

Earlier in the chapter Jesus gives us the model prayer and begins it with-- "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (verses 9, 10) Then He tells us how manifesting the will of God in our lives is possible. He tells us it is possible through "not" doing some things: Don't hold on to unforgiveness; don't be a hypocrite; don't layup earthly treasures; don't try to serve God and mammon; don't be anxious about the necessities of life; don't put your heart on material things. Then He sums up for us what He just told us not to do and tells us what to do-- "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." 

 

When we seek first God's kingdom, then all the material necessities that we tend to seek after will be provided for us. And among those things that are added is the manifestation/accomplishment of the will of God being done through our lives. 

 

In order for the will of God to be accomplished in our lives, we have to make seeking Him our priority and not seeking after material things. We have to put Him first above everything else. How can His will be done if we aren't placing our attention, affection and focus on the kingdom? How will it be done if we have a divided heart- divided between God and mammon? How will God's will be accomplished through us if we are seeking our own desires and not His? It won't. Jesus told us and showed us by example how to accomplish the will of God in our lives. "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) He sought first the kingdom and not His own will or desire. 

 

Have a great day. The key to God's will being accomplished is your and my life is that we are seeking Him and not seeking after our own desires, wants and lusts.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6

"Seeking The Kingdom First"

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

The other day we talked about how we should seek/acknowledge God first in all we do. We should seek Him first before we make any decision-- not last after we have already decided what to do. While this is true and Biblical, seeking first the kingdom of God is more than just praying about a matter before you make any decision about it.

 

If you go back and read the whole chapter of Matthew 6, you will discover that in context Jesus is talking about your "affections"-- those things that you seek after, those things that you desire, those things that capture your attention, those things that you set your heart upon. 

 

In that chapter Jesus gives us the model prayer and concludes it by saying, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Then He makes a statement-- "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." From there He begins to expound on and warn us about where we place the desires of our hearts and what we place them on.

 

Jesus warns us not to seek after material things-- food, clothing, money, etc. But encourages us to seek after the things of the kingdom. The heathen seeks after these things (wealth, fame, prestige, material things) but we are to seek God. Our first priority should be to seek God and what pleases Him-- not what pleases us. We are to seek His kingdom-- His will, His plan, His purposes. We are to seek to live righteous, holy, surrendered, obedient lives. We are to seek to glorify Him, make Him known to others, fulfill His commission, do what He has called us to do and live to honor Him. When we will seek God and His will first, when we put His kingdom first and place ourselves last, we won't have to seek after the necessities of life, He will provide for our needs. 

 

So, are you seeking God and asking Him what His will is before you make a decision? And are you seeking God's kingdom or seeking your own fleshly desires? Do they have your heart? Or does He have your heart? Are you setting your heart on material things that perish with time, that moths eat up and rust corrodes? Or are you setting your heart on eternal things that never pass away?

 

Have a great day. Are you seeking your own desires? Or are you seeking the kingdom-- God's desires? 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6

"How Great Thou Art"

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." Psalm 145:3 

This morning our devotional is mainly going to be a song that has been on my heart and I have heard sung several different times this week. It is a "classic". Many of you are familiar with it, can sing each word of it and love it. 

 

As you read the words of the song, I want to ask you a question. Do you ever take time to just tell the Lord how great He is? Do you ever just meditate on His greatness, His power, His love? Or does your relationship with Him primarily consist of your needs and wants? By that I mean is the only time you acknowledge Him is when you have a need or are in trouble. The Lord is Great, He is Awesome, He is Omnipotent, He is indescribable, and He is worthy of more than just your requests.... He is worthy of your praise.

 

Take some time today to "sing" His praises. Tell Him how great He is and don't ask for anything. Spend the time giving Him something (praise) instead of always asking Him for something.

 

Have a great day. God is worthy of more than just your prayer requests. He is worthy of your praise.

 

"How Great Thou Art"

 

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

"Seek God First"

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

Many people tend to think that "seeking God first" means they are to pray first thing in the morning, when they first get up. But that is only part of what it means. You should start your day seeking the Lord-- you should not start it before you have. But seeking the Lord first is something we do continually throughout the whole day--- actually it is something that we should do 24/7.

 

We should seek Him first when faced with a decision, and not make any decision without having first sought Him about it. We should seek Him first when we need wisdom concerning a matter that we are faced with. We should seek Him first and find out what His will is before we undertake to do anything. We should seek Him first before we make the choice to go in a certain direction. 

 

Abraham did not seek God first about whether or not he should take Sarah's handmaid Hagar, the result was that he wound up with an Ishmael and a lot problems because of it. David did seek God first when he and his men got to Ziklag, and the result was that they defeated the enemy and regained their families and possessions. 

 

It is not in our ability to direct our own steps. We don't have heavenly wisdom to always know what the right thing to do is, we have earthly wisdom which is flawed. We don't have the insight to see into the future and know what the outcome of a decision we make will be. But God possess all wisdom, all knowledge, He is able to see ahead, He knows the outcome before the beginning of the matter.  Seeking Him first-- in everything-- will save us a lot of grief and heartache. It will give us the wisdom, the grace, the understanding, the strength, (everything we need) to make the right decisions at all times. 

 

Have a great day. Seeking God is more than just praying to Him when you first get up in the morning. It means you seek and acknowledge Him first before you do anything or make any decision. 

 

For further reading:

Genesis 16:1-4

1 Samuel 30

Jeremiah 10:23

"His Promises"

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

We can rejoice and be glad today because we have wonderful and precious promises that have been made to us by our loving Lord. (2 Peter 1:4)

 

We can rejoice today because He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

We can rejoice today because He has promised to meet and supply all our need. (Philippians 4:19)

We can rejoice today because He has promised to fight our battles for us. (Exodus 14:14)

We can rejoice today because He has promised to direct our steps as we acknowledge Him in all we do. (Proverbs 3:6)

We can rejoice today because He has promised to go before us and make the way straight. (Isaiah 45:2)

We can rejoice today because He has promised to give us everything we need that pertains to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

We can rejoice today because He has promised us abundant life. (John 10:10)

We can rejoice today because He loves us and we are His children. (John 3:16; 1 John 3:1)

We can rejoice today because He will not withhold any good thing from us. (Psalm 84:11)

We can rejoice today because He has a plan for our lives and knows how to bring that plan to pass as we yield and surrender our lives to Him. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

We can rejoice today because the Lord has made hundreds of more promises to us because He loves us and cares about us. He cares about everything in your life. He cares about what you are going through. He cares about those things that affect you. He cares about even the smallest thing-- such as the number of hairs on your head. He has made you promises that pertain to every area of your life because He does love you. Trust Him. Trust His promises. He would not have made them if He had not meant them and had not meant to fulfill them in your life.

 

Have a great day. We can rejoice today because of the promises of God, and His faithfulness to keep them. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 10:30

"God Speaks"

"And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth." 1 Samuel 3:10 

I have heard many people question that God actually speaks to someone. The idea is so foreign to so many-- including professing Christians. 

 

I don't understand why we would think that God wouldn't, or couldn't, speak to us. He is God; therefore, He can speak if He wants to. He has always spoken to His people. He would walk and talk with Adam in the cool of the day. He spoke to Noah to build an ark. He spoke to Abraham and told him He would make him a great nation. He spoke to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments. He spoke to the kings. He spoke to the prophets. He spoke to the disciples. 

 

How does He speak to us? He can speak to us audibly if He desires to. But He mostly speaks to us by His Holy Spirit. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith". (Revelation 2:7) He speaks to us through a small still voice. "And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12) He speaks to us through others. "Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." (Matthew 28:10) He speaks to us through the Bible. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." (Joshua 1:8)   He speaks to us through His Son Jesus. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." (Hebrews 1:1,2)

 

He hasn't changed. If He ever did speak to mankind, He still does. He can speak to us in any fashion that He desires. He even spoke through a donkey once to warn a disobedient prophet. So, the question isn't, "Does God speak to us or not?". The question should be, "Are we listening when He does?"

 

Have a great day. God always has and always will speak to His people. Is He speaking to you? Are you listening?

 

For further reading:

Genesis 3:8

Numbers 22:28

Psalm 50:1

"No Lack In God"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1 

The word for want in this verse is translated lack. Let's talk about "lack" this morning. We do not have to lack in any area of our lives. The Lord provides for all our needs and will give us what we lack. "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." Psalm 34:10

 

What are you lacking today? Are you lacking strength? The Lord will give you strength. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." Isaiah 40:20

 

Are you lacking wisdom? The Lord is the giver of wisdom, understanding, insight and guidance. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5 

 

Are you lacking peace? He is the giver of peace. He gives a peace that passes our understanding because it is so great. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

 

Are you lacking some material thing necessary to life? "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

 

When God created the world, He didn't leave anything out. He provided everything that would be needed-- there was no lack. When God sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins through His death on the cross, there was nothing lacking. It was all bought and paid for there was nothing left to do, it was finished-- there was no lack. There is no lack in God's love for you. There is no lack in His compassion. There is no lack of His mercy and grace. There is no lack in His provisions. There is no lack in God period. Therefore, we can trust Him to provide those things that we lack and have need of. 

 

Have a great day. What are you lacking? There is no lack in God, therefore, He will give you what you need.

 

For further reading:

John 19:30

2 Peter 1:3

"He Is The Lifter"

"The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." 1 Samuel 2:7 

The word lift means to: rise up, to lift up. There are times when we are "down"-- down and out; down on the bottom; down as low as we can get; cast down. Actually, we were born "down" because of sin. But there is good news for us in those times when we are feeling down--- the Lord is the Lifter.

 

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Psalm 40:2 The Lord reached down into the pit of sin and death and lifted us up through His loving-kindness, tender mercy and all sufficient grace. He did this through His Son Jesus who paid the ransom for our sins when He died on the cross. 

 

"But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head." Psalm 3:3 When your head is hung down in shame, laden with guilt, when you are under condemnation because of a besetting sin, then He is the Lifter of your head. He can cause you to "hold your head up" again through His forgiveness, grace and peace.

 

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;" Psalm 113:7 When you are down and feel you can't go on. When your need is so great that it looks hopeless. The Lord is the Lifter that brings you up over the situation by meeting and supplying all your need.

 

"Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:" Psalm 9:13 Troubles come to all of us. They come in various forms-- through circumstances, through physical problems, through material lack, through other people. But when they do, the Lord is there and takes note of what you are going through. He will lift you out and put you in a place of life-- abundant life.

 

"He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man." Psalm 18:48 He lifts us up and places us in His own loving care when enemies rise up against us. He lifts us up by fighting the battle for us.

 

Are you "down and out" today? Is your head hanging in shame? Are your hands hanging down in weakness? Are you down in a pit of despair, grief, confusion or turmoil? I have good news. There is a Lifter. There is One who can lift you up. It doesn't matter how deep down you are, there is no pit too deep, no problem too big, no enemy too fierce and no situation that is impossible for the Lord, the Lifter, to handle.

 

Have a great day. The Lord is the Lifter. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 42:5

Philippians 4:19

Deuteronomy 3:22

"Bone To Bone"

"So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone." Ezekiel 37:7 

"...the bones came together, bone to his bone." In the vision that Ezekiel saw of the valley that was full of dry disconnected bones, God had him prophesy over them and the bones began to come together. Each bone though disconnected and scattered came together perfectly. Each bone reconnected into its original and proper place. The thigh bone reconnected to the hip bone-- it didn't connect to the arm bone The collar bone reconnected to the arm bone- it did not connect to the toe bone. The rib bones reconnected to one another- they did not connect to the ankle bones. 

 

When God does something, He does it perfectly. "Bone to his bone". He puts everything in place exactly as it should be. He makes no mistakes. He doesn't leave anything to chance. He does it and He does it right. Therefore, we can trust Him.

 

Does your life feel like everything is "scattered"? Does your life feel "disconnected"? Does it seem as though it is all out of place? Ezekiel spoke to the bones what God told him to speak. You need to talk to God and hear what He is saying about your "valley of bones". Then do what He tells you to do, just like the prophet did. 

 

Earlier the Lord asked Ezekiel a question, "And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord." (v.3,4) Can your "dry bones" live? Can things "come together" in your life? Through God they can. He proved it to Ezekiel, and the situation he saw was as bad as it could get. 

 

Trust the Lord. Speak His word of life into your situation (verse 4). Watch Him move and work in your life. What He does, He does perfectly. He never makes a mistake. He knows how to put things together in their proper place.

 

Have a great day. The Lord knows how to put things together and in their proper place, no matter how impossible it may seem.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 19:26

Ephesians 4:20

Ezekiel 37:1-10

"Sexual Immorality"

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 

Yesterday when we talked about the falling away, one of the most prominent areas we see this in is the area of sexual immorality-- homosexuality, adultery, fornication. It has become common place. It has also become accepted by and within the church. It seems like there is more of it inside the church (among those who profess to be Christians) than there is out in the world. We see it in the pastors, worship leaders, youth pastors and among the congregation. 

 

Who would have ever believed that whole congregations would be organized around homosexuality. Who would have ever dared to think that a pastor would have an affair with someone in the church. Who would have thought that deacons and church leaders would be living with someone they weren't married to. And countless others sit week after week in church, even holding offices, that are living in adultery.

 

When I grew up, it wasn't heard of. I also grew up knowing that it was wrong to have sex with someone you weren't married to. I knew it was wrong to be intimately involved with someone of the same sex. But now days it doesn't seem to be a big deal. The belief that I grew up with was not just an old-fashioned belief, it was based on the Word of God. God said in His Word this was wrong. He even went so far as to call it sin and an abomination to Him. He said that those who do such would not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. 

 

You may think it is an old-fashioned belief. You may think that it is time Christians come into the Twenty-first century. You may think that things have changed and it is acceptable, but you would be wrong. God has not changed His mind about the subject. He has not recanted on what He once said. He doesn't condone it. He doesn't accept it. And neither will He excuse it. He will judge it along with all sin. And those who practice it will be judged.

 

God is clear about what His will is-- your sanctification and that you abstain from all sexual immorality. If you are involved in sexual immorality, then start seeing it as God sees it--- sin. Confess it to Him. Repent and turn from it. Then begin to walk in His will-- abstaining from sexual immorality.

 

Have a great day. Sexual immorality is still sin in God's eyes. 

 

For further reading:

Malachi 3:6

Galatians 5:19-21

1 Corinthians 6:9

Revelation 21:8

John 8:11

"Narrow Or Wide Way?"

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." 2 Thessalonians 2:3

"... a falling away..." Sadly, we are seeing this very thing happen in our churches. There is a falling away of those who profess to be Christians. They are falling away from the truth of God's Word. They are falling away from the foundations of the gospel and following with itching ears those who tell them what they want to hear and what appeals to their flesh.

 

Many are going the way of Balaam following the lust of their flesh, materialism, riches and fame. Many have moved from the foundation of righteousness and holiness and are living in adultery and homosexuality. They are following after the gods of entertainment. They live by a code-- tickle my ears, tell me what makes me feel good, make everything appealing to me. Entire "churches" are going in this direction. More people are embracing it than those who aren't. 

 

But didn't the Bible also say that strait was the gate and narrow was the way that leads to life, and few will find it. It also says that wide is gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many will find it. Leaving the foundations that God has established through His Word will put you on a broad way. Following your own fleshly desires will put you on a broad way. Embracing carnality as opposed to God's way of righteousness will put you on a broad way. The only narrow way- which is the only safe way- is Jesus. (He is THE Way-- the way that leads to eternal life.) Following Him keeps you on the straight and narrow way-- following Him in holiness, righteousness, purity of heart, morality and obedience. Loving what He loves, hating what He hates, seeking Him and His way keeps you from falling away and on the narrow path of life.

 

Which group are you in this morning? Are you one of the many on the broad way that leads to destruction? Are you falling away from the foundation in which God has laid by following after that which appeases your flesh? Or are you one of the few on the narrow way who are wholeheartedly following Jesus and His Way?

 

Have a great day. Are you among the few that are following Jesus on the narrow way? Or among the many that are following their flesh on the broad way?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 7:13,14,15

2 Timothy 4:3

2 Peter 2:15

John 14:6

 

"The Cause And The Result"

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

The Bible is full of promises but each of those promises have a condition. It is full of results and each result has a cause. For example-- you reap what you sow; you believe in Jesus and you receive eternal life. The scripture above is no different. When we have an established heart (cause), we do not have to be in fear (effect/result). While having an established heart will remove fear there is a condition again to that-- having your heart established in the right place.

 

The word for "established" means to lean upon; rest on; to uphold; sustain. The key then is in "what" you are resting in and leaning upon. A building that is resting upon a cotton foundation instead of cement will not stand-so the structure will fall. If I stop during an activity and lean upon a curtain I will fall over. What I am trying to lean on and have hold me up will not because of what it is made of. It is not strong enough, substantial enough, firm enough and it was not designed to hold my weight up. 

 

Often, we look to something that cannot hold us up. Earthly things don't have the ability to uphold us. Many are trying to find peace (which is the opposite of fear) in numerous sources that cannot establish (hold them up). They try to find it in education, position, relationships, fortune, etc. These will never establish your heart because they are not designed to do so. They are temporal, they are faulty, they are flawed, and they are subject to change.

 

There is only one place in which our hearts can be established if we want freedom from fear and live in inner peace. That place is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is strong enough to uphold us. He is the place of rest. We can lean upon Him and trust that He will not waver or fall. He is well able to uphold us and keep us securely established. 

 

When our hearts are established in Him, we do not have to fear. We do not have to fear man. We do not have to fear the enemy of our soul. We do not have to fear an evil report. We do not have to fear the threats of others. We do not have to fear problems and trying circumstances. We do not have to fear sickness or disease or even death itself. 

 

The result of a fear-free life is found in having our hearts established. But it is important that you have it established in the right place-- in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Have a great day. When our hearts are established in Jesus, the end result will be peace.

 

For further reading:

John 14:27

Ephesians 3:17