"Behold Jesus"

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" John 19:5 

When Pilate brought Jesus forth to stand before the crowds, he said to them, "Behold the man!" In other words, "Look at this man!" As we look more closely at what Pilate said, there is a question that arises in his statement. The question being, "Look at Him, what do you see?" 

 

Pilate saw a man who was hated to the point that the religious leaders wanted Him dead. He also saw a man who was innocent of any crime. The soldiers that beat Him saw another criminal upon which to inflict their cruelty. The religious leaders saw Him as one who was a threat to their power and influence over the people. Some saw Him as a king who would deliver them from Roman oppression. Some in the crowd saw Him as a dreamer. Some saw Him as a teacher. Others saw Him as a miracle worker who had healed them of their disease. There were those who saw Him as a rebel bringing in a new philosophy and going against the old established ways. Some saw Him as the Messiah. Some saw Him as just another man, while others saw Him as God.

 

There were many different views of who He was among those in the crowd that day, but what others believe about Jesus isn't what is the most important thing. The most important for you is-- what do you believe about "this man". It brings us back to a question that Jesus asked His disciples earlier in His ministry-- "who do you say that I am?".

 

It is not about what the crowds say, other individuals say, the religious leaders say, your parents say, or the political leaders of the day say... it is about what you say. Pilate missed who Jesus was. The religious leaders missed who Jesus was. Many in the crowd missed who Jesus was. If we miss who Jesus is then we lose out on everything-- eternal life. When the culmination of the end of this world as we know it comes, there is only going to be one answer that will be the right answer to the question of, "Behold, Jesus, who is He?" That answer will be the same one that Peter gave-- "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God". "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10,11)

 

Many in the crowd the day of His crucifixion may not have recognized who He was, for them their opportunity is gone. But you and I still have the opportunity today to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Will you? Have you? When the question is asked, what will you say? Who will you say that He is? 

 

Have a great day. What do you see when you "behold Jesus"? 

 

For further reading:

Mark 8:25-29

 

"Spring Cleaning - Part 2"

"For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." Numbers 32:29 

Yesterday we talked about how a lot of ladies do a once-a-year spring cleaning to give their houses a thorough, deep cleaning, de-cluttering and reorganizing. We also talked about the fact that we should do the same with our "spiritual houses"-- give them a cleaning, de-clutter them from all the unnecessary things, and reorganize by placing our priorities in order. I probably should clarify that while we should do this, it is not a "once a year" thing we should do. 

 

Even if my house gets a good once a year cleaning, the task isn't finished for a year. I have to clean it on a regular basis. Each week, sometimes each day, I have to dust the furniture, wash the clothes, sweep the floors, etc. The same thing should happen with my spiritual house. Daily when I see the "dust" collecting- bad attitudes, wrong behavior, unkind words, and so on- I need to clean it up. We don't wait until we are in church, and a specific altar call is given. We don't wait until revival services to take care of it. We have to take care of anything that comes into our lives and threatens to steal our joy, rob us of abundant life, weigh us down with cares, or pulls us away from our Savior... and we have to take care of it then. Don't wait. 

 

Although, when I see the dust on my furniture, I would like to put off dusting it until a later date, the dust is a sign I need to do it then. If you see "dust" collecting in your heart, that is a sign you need to take care of it now and not put it off. The longer you put it off, the dustier it becomes. The dustier it is the more problems it turns into. The time is always now to deal with whatever is going on in your life. 

 

Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to take care of besetting sins. Today is the day to come clean and repent. Take care of it now. Don't put it off. Don't leave it for another day. When you see the problem, is when you deal with the problem. When you see the issues arising, when you recognize the hindrances, when you know things are not right between you and God, that is the time to do some "house cleaning"... then, not later.

Have a great day. Spiritual house cleaning should not only be done once a year, but it should also be done whenever you notice the "dust".

 

For further reading:

2 Corinthians 6:2

"Spring Cleaning"

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1 

Each year at this time many women do a spring cleaning of their homes. It is a time when they give their house a deep and thorough cleaning. Three things are accomplished when you spring clean-- 1) everything gets a good washing removing the dust, dirt and buildup; 2) things get re-organized and put back in their proper place; 3) it is a time to re-prioritize what is important and valuable and discard what is unnecessary.

 

Perhaps we should do a "spiritual spring cleaning" from time to time as well. Doing a spiritual spring cleaning would accomplish the same three things for our spirits as a physical spring cleaning does for our homes. 

 

1) Our spirit man needs a good "cleaning" to remove the "build up" of worldliness that attaches itself to our hearts and minds. We need to wash away fleshly mindsets that have formed by exposing ourselves to the philosophies and opinions of this world. We need to wash away the influences that we have picked up from the ungodly. We need to wash away the conformity to this world that has settled on us and renew our minds so that our thoughts are transformed into what is clean and clear. "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:26) "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2a)

 

2) We need to get "re-organized" by putting things back in their proper place. If we aren't careful, we can allow spiritual things to begin to take a "backseat" to the natural things. Bitterness can get in the place where love should be. Anger can get put where gentleness and meekness should occupy. Unforgiveness can be found where grace and forgiveness ought to be. If we are careless with our spiritual well-being, then things in our lives become out of order and chaos and confusion set in. But when we put everything in its proper place- spiritual things first- then we live in peace. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33) 

 

3) We also need to take time to re-prioritize our lives. Have you let what once was the most important things- prayer, fasting, Bible reading, worship, communion with the Lord- be replaced by entertainment, socialization, busyness, the cares of this life? Spring cleaning is a time to make some changes and decide what is really important and what is not and discard what isn't. When was the last time you examined your life to see if your priorities are still intact or have they been misplaced or replaced by something else? "..let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.." (Hebrews 12:1)

 

Has it been a while since you have "spring cleaned" your spiritual life? Have you noticed a "build up" of worldliness in your life? Do things seem to be out of order and not in their proper place? Do your priorities need to be rearranged? 

 

Have a great day. There are those who are doing a spring cleaning of their houses, perhaps we should also do a "spring cleaning" of our "spiritual house". 

 

"Equipped For The Storm"

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." Mark 4:37 

The disciples were in a boat in the middle of a storm. The majority of them were well trained and experienced fishermen. They had lived their lives on the sea. They were used to storms. They were well educated about boats, seas and storms. Being outdoors men, they were also physically fit. Yet they were afraid in this storm for their lives. 

 

There are situations in life that hit us hard and threaten to destroy us. No matter how well equipped we are, no matter how well educated we are, we are no match for these situations. The disciples should have been able to navigate through this storm based on their knowledge and experience, but they couldn't. They had to wake Jesus up to come to their rescue. 

 

Are you going through a storm of threatening proportion? You may have all the knowledge in the world on the subject. You may have lots of experience in dealing with it. You may have physical abilities but that is not enough. The only way to get through it is to bring Jesus into the situation. But you may say... when they woke Jesus up and brought Him into the situation, He rebuked them for not having faith. He didn't rebuke them for waking Him up. He rebuked them because they did not trust His word. He had already told them when they got in the boat that they were going to the other side. He never said anything to them about drowning or not making it to their appointed destination. Jesus never rebukes us for calling on Him. He even gives us an invitation to call upon Him when we are in trouble. He rebuked them because they did not trust Him. 

 

They brought Jesus into their situation physically. We bring Jesus into our situation by calling upon Him in prayer, by trusting in His word; by standing on His promises; by remembering what He said to us and holding fast to it. While we are no match against the storms by ourselves, if we will remember that Jesus is with us in the storm, He has power over all things, His word is more powerful than anything, He has given us power and authority over the winds and waves, then because Jesus is with us and in us the storms then become no match against us. 

 

Have a great day. No matter how well equipped we are we are no match for some of life's storms. But those same storms are no match for Jesus so don't try to handle them alone. Put your faith in Jesus and the storm will not destroy you. 

 

For further reading:

Mark 4

 

"Overcoming Life"

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 

Life throws a lot at us-- pain, misery, heartache, trials, accusations, discomfort, broken relationships, tests, difficulties, and so on. One moment things are going in our favor, the next minute it seems as everything is against us. One-minute things couldn't be better for us, then all of a sudden, things couldn't get any worse. One day the sun is shining, the next day all we can see are gray storm clouds. Yes, life throws a lot at us that we have to overcome and steer our way through. 

 

Life threw a lot at Jesus too while He walked on earth. It threw all the above at Him-- plus more. He was loved by many, but there were those who hated Him, who tried to kill Him, who falsely accused Him, who lied about Him, mocked Him and finally crucified Him. He was confronted by demons. He dealt with hurting humanity. He faced physical tiredness, hunger, thirst, attacks against His mind and body. But in everything life threw at Him, it did not overcome Him, it did not get the best of Him, it did not defeat Him. Instead, He was victorious over it. 

 

When He says to us to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world, He is telling us that because of His victory over everything life threw at Him, we can be victorious too. Our lives now belong to Him. They are hidden in Him. We are crucified with Him and His life is living through us. Therefore, our trials don't have to destroy us. Our storms don't have to drown us. Our problems don't have to defeat us. Because our lives are hidden with Jesus and He overcame everything life threw at Him, we are now more than conquerors over everything life throws at us. Because He was victorious, we are victorious. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:14a)

 

Don't throw in the towel. Don't give up in defeat. Don't get discouraged. Don't give into the enemy's lies against you. Don't let whatever you are facing get you down and cause you to give up. You are not defeated. You are not the loser. Jesus overcame and gave you the victory and His own trophy to display in your life. Get up and go forward, strong in Him and the power of His might... and victorious in Him.

 

Have a great day. Jesus overcame everything life threw at Him. And because He did, you can too.

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:37

Galatians 2:20

Colossians 3:3

 

"Real Or False God"

"Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it." Habakkuk 2:18

When we are in pain, we always look for someone or something to comfort us. When we are facing a problem, the same it true. We begin to search out a source of help. Some seek the comfort and help that they need through gaining more knowledge. Some seek it through drugs and alcohol. Others seek it through the philosophies of famous teachers.

 

When Israel was in rebellion against the Lord God, Elijah and the prophets of Baal met on Mt. Carmel to put an end to the question once and for all-- who is the real God? The prophets of Baal called and called, pleaded and pleaded with Baal but he never answered. They even became so desperate that they cut themselves hoping to get his attention. Baal never answered. When Elijah called upon the Lord God and asked that He would send fire upon the altar, God sent fire-- He answered. 

 

Why didn't Baal answer? After all, he was a "god"? Multitudes prayed to him daily, yet he refused to answer. The reason he didn't answer was because he was not real. He was not a god. He was a statue that some man took his own two hands and made. He was a figurine that was lifeless. 

 

The same thing is happening today. Multitudes are "calling" upon "gods" of false hope. They don't answer. They don't give guidance. They don't give any direction. They don't comfort the hurting, bind up the broken hearted, heal the sick, or save a soul. The reason why is simple-- they are not real. They may have carved out arms, but they can't embrace anything. They may have carved out eyes, but they can't see. Ears but can't hear and legs but can't walk. Some of these "gods" they are putting their hope in aren't carvings but are worshipped as real. Multitudes call upon them every day hoping for an answer, but never hear a reply because they are as false as the idols made of wood or stone. 

 

I have good news though. There is a true God who gives hope. He has eyes that see, ears that hear, hands that reach out, a heart that embraces. He is touched by the feelings of your weakness. He cares when you are hurting. He comforts, He provides, He heals, He saves. His name is the Lord God, the Almighty, Heavenly Father, Jehovah-God, Jesus, Holy Spirit. He loves you and He cares about you this morning. When you call, He will answer... because He is real, and He is alive.

 

Have a great day. Don't place your hope in some false god that can't see, hear, feel, care about you or answer when you call. Put your hope in the One True and Living God-- He is the Real God.

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 44:8

1 Kings 18

 

"Run"

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10 

There is a time for everything. There is a time when we are to "stand". But there is a time to "run". We don't run from the enemy and neither do we run from the battle. The battle is the Lord's, and it has already been won. The enemy that we would run from has already been defeated. Jesus defeated the enemy and has given us the victory. David didn't run from Goliath; he knew the Lord would deliver him into his hand. We don't run from our "Goliaths" either, the Lord has already delivered them into our hands.

 

While we don't run from the enemy, we do run when in times of trouble, times of grief, times of pain, times of confusion, and times of heartache, but we are not running "from" something but instead "to" someone. "The righteous run into". What are you going through this morning? What is happening in your life? Are you running to the Lord because of it? Or are you standing still hoping things will change? Are you doing nothing because you don't think it will do any good? Are you sitting down waiting for something better to "fall into your lap"? In this case, if you are standing, sitting or leisurely strolling, you are assuming the wrong position. You should be running and kneeling. 

 

When in trouble, we run to the Lord. We run into His presence. He is that very present help in time of trouble. Once we run into His presence, we then kneel before Him. We kneel before Him acknowledging that we need Him. We need His help. We need His strength. We need His wisdom. We need His love and mercy. We need His truth to guide us. We need His embrace to comfort us. We need His word to give us clarity. We need Him. So, we need to run into Him.

 

Have a great day. When you are in need, assume the right position-- running and kneeling. 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 6:13

Ecclesiastes 3:1

1 Samuel 17:47

"Faithfully Walking With You"

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4 

Walking through this life takes us down many paths-- some are joyful, some are painful, some are difficult, some are easy, some are exhausting, and some are peaceful.

 

He was faithful to walk with the children of Israel when they left Egypt. He was faithful to walk Joseph through each and every new place he encountered from the pit to the palace. He was faithful to walk in the fire with the three Hebrews. He was faithful to walk with Daniel in the lion's den. He was faithful to walk with Joshua as he took the Israelites into the promised land. 

 

He hasn't changed, He still faithfully walks with His children through this life. Where you are walking this morning may not be the same place where I am walking but rest assured, He is walking with you too. You may be walking through a wilderness, a sickness, a job loss, a broken relationship, heartache, an addiction, or any one of the many numerous places we can find ourselves in. But remember this-- you are not walking alone. The Lord Jesus is walking with you. He is even carrying you through most of it-- like the poem "Footprints" reminds us. So, take heart, He is faithful, He is not going to leave you to walk through this by yourself. When you feel that you are walking it alone, remind yourself-- "Thou art with me".

 

Have a great day. The Lord is faithful to walk with us through the many paths of life we find ourselves on.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 23; 48:14

Lamentations 3:23

 

"The Real Need"

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight." Mark 10:51 

Why did Jesus ask the blind man what he wanted Him to do for him? Wasn't it obvious? He was blind! Of course his need was to see and be healed of his blindness. 

 

Often the real need is not the obvious one. He may have been blind, but there may have been a deeper issue that he had that outweighed the blindness of his physical eyes. When people look at us, what they see is the exterior need-- which may not be our greatest need at all. When the woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and hair entered the house and approached Jesus, one could have judged that she needed deliverance from her ill-reputed lifestyle. I believe her need was deeper than that. She needed to be loved and accepted. She needed compassion. She needed the inner most longing of her heart fulfilled. When that was taken care of, the other (her deliverance) was taken care of.

 

People tend to act certain ways sometimes because of an issue that may not be seen. It is like the young child who misbehaves and is always getting in trouble. A rebellious, overactive character is not always his problem. He may act like he does seeking attention-- and even negative attention is better than no attention at all.

 

It would do us good not to judge others according to appearance. It would be wise if we did not assume we knew what others needed based on what we see. We should seek the Lord and the discernment of the Holy Spirit when looking at and praying for others. We should come "clean" in our own lives and be open and honest with the Lord about what the real issue we are dealing with is-- not just the surface, physical and most obvious one.

 

Have a great day. Our real need is not always the one that is most obvious in our own lives and in the lives of others.

 

For further reading:

Philippians 4:19

John 7:24

"When Is Always?"

"... lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20 

Jesus said He would always be with us. The word always means: each, every, any, all, the whole, all things, everything. Surely, He didn't really mean always- always encompasses a lot. It includes every place we are and each situation we go through. Would He be with us always when "always" includes times of pain, heartache and lack? Is He going to stay with us each time we hurt, each time we are suffering or each time we face adversity? Will He still remain there when we are in a pit of despair, the valley of the shadow of death, times of struggle, or fiery furnace trials? Is He with us in the times when others walk out on us? When we are betrayed by those closest to us? When grief overwhelms us? When sickness consumes our bodies? When poverty becomes our companion? 

 

Or does "always" just mean in the good times, prosperous times and happy times? Is He more like a "fair-weather friend"? Will His "always" include only the times of peace we enjoy? Or the times when we have the world "by the tail"? The promise He has made to always be with us includes it all. It includes everywhere and anything you find yourself going through-- good or bad. 

 

The word always also means: individually. While He is a God who loves "all the world"- no exclusions- He is a God who loves and cares for each and every individual. Jesus told us that He sees when just one sparrow falls to the ground and went on to say that we are of much more value-- individually, each of us-- than the sparrows. He cares about you so much so that He knows the exact number of hairs on your head. Do you? Are you that "well acquainted" with your own self? Amazingly, He cares about even one single hair on our head. 

 

Don't let the enemy make you think that the Lord is not with you. Don't let Him convince you that He has left you. Don't believe the lie that the Lord cares about everyone else but not you. Know that He is with you-- always, everywhere, each time, in all places wherever those places are. 

 

Have a great day. The Lord is with you always... and always means always.

 

For further reading:

Luke 12:6,7

Matthew 10:29,30

"Listen To The Warning"

"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." Jeremiah 7:23

Years ago, I learned a very valuable, and painful lesson, about listening.  I was outside working on something in the yard. I had to stretch and bend my body in order to reach what I was doing. I was in a very awkward position and put a strain on my back. The longer I was there, the more I could feel the pressure and pulling in my back. I could hear my back "talking" to me. It was saying, "Ouch, stop, stop doing that, this is hurting, quit!" Well, I continued. I didn't want to stop until I got the task finished-- after all, it was only going to take another minute or two to complete. I should have listened to my body because it didn't end well.

 

My body was warning me not to do what I was doing. I did not heed the warning, so I faced the consequences. The worse pain hit my back, and I wound up sending the rest of that beautiful day inside on the couch unable to do anything else.

 

Not only did I learn a valuable lesson about listening to my body when it is trying to tell me something, but it also reminded me of how many times we don't listen to the warnings that God's Word gives us. God created our bodies in such a way that if we will pay attention to them, we can save ourselves from a lot of pain and hurt. God has also given us His Word to give us warnings, guidance, help, wisdom and instruction and if we will pay attention and heed those warnings, we can save ourselves a lot of grief, heartache and misery. Listening to and obeying God's Word keeps us from sin. It keeps us from destruction. It keeps us from going the wrong direction and living a less than abundant life. Obeying God's Word gives us peace, keeps us in the center of His will, and makes us productive. 

 

I did not listen to the warning my body was giving me because I wanted to get what I was doing finished. We also come up with "good reasons" why we don't listen to God's Word. Some are: we think we know better than God does; we think that just a little disobedience won't hurt anything; we think that we are in control, so the consequences won't happen to us. Don't kid yourself-- whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. 

 

I thought I had a good reason not to listen to my body, so I never expected that to happen and that I would be facing those consequences. When we disobey God's Word, sin enters. It has been said that sin will take you where you don't want to go and keep you there longer than you wanted to stay. A lot of people never dreamed they would end up where they did-- but it happened. I never dreamed while I was working on what I was doing that the day would end with me on the couch-- but it did. Therefore, give heed, pay attention and obey the warnings of God's Word and you won't wind up where you don't want to be-- facing the consequences.

 

Have a great day. If you ignore the warnings of God's Word you will face the consequences for it. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 119:11

James 1:22

2 Timothy 3:16,17

Galatians 6:7

"Stop Wondering"

"Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!" Psalm 113:6 

Are you wondering if God knows where you are today? Though the Lord sits high, He looks low. He may be high and lifted up, but yet He takes notice of what is going on down here below. Never think for one moment that God doesn't know what you are going through. Don't think that He isn't watching you. Don't think that He doesn't care or that He is too busy to pay attention to you. He keeps His eyes on you. There is never a time when He is not watching you. He sees you wherever you are and whatever you are going through. The eyes of the Lord are in every place. 

 

The eyes of the Lord see in darkness-- darkness cannot even hide you from Him. Storms can't conceal you from Him. A deep pit cannot pluck you from His sight. Grief doesn't hide you from His view. Neither does pain, sickness or disease. Poverty nor prosperity stops Him from seeing you. Even when you are abandoned by people, even if you are an outcast among men, even though no one on earth cares about you, even when you have been left to yourself all alone, you are not alone. God has not left you, abandoned you or cast you aside. 

 

If you are wondering if God knows where you are and sees what you are going through... stop wondering. Take time to read Psalm 139. He sees--- there is no place where He doesn't see you. And He cares about you.

 

Have a great day. Are you wondering if God even sees where you are? Well, stop wondering because He does.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 139

"What Do You Have?"

"And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Exodus 4:10 

When the Lord appeared to Moses out of the burning bush and called him to deliver His people from Egyptian bondage, all Moses could focus on was what he did not have, his inabilities and the negative. He gave excuse after excuse because of what he did not have as to why he could not do what God called him to do-- I am not eloquent, I am not a good speaker, I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. 

 

God wasn't interested in what Moses didn't have. He was interested in what he did have-- "And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod." (verse 2) God wasn't focused on Moses' inabilities-- He already knew them. God already knew Moses could not do what He was calling him to do. He knew Moses was not a deliverer. He knew Moses had weaknesses. He knew Moses couldn't speak. But He also knew what HE had placed in Moses' hand. He knew what HE had given him to accomplish the task. The Lord was looking for a willing vessel that He could exhibit HIS great delivering power through. 

 

If God is calling you to a particular task, don't focus on the negative. Don't focus on what you can't do. Don't focus on your inability. Whatever God calls us to do is not within our ability to do anyway. These things are impossible with men. Look at what GOD has placed in your hand-- look at what HE has given you. Then "throw it down"--"And he said, Cast it on the ground." In other words, surrender it and put it at the feet of Jesus and watch what HE will do through it. Moses never realized there was a snake in that rod, or all the great and wondrous miracles God performed through it. You and I don't realize what is in what God has placed in our hands either. And we never will if we keep focusing on what we can't do instead of focusing on what HE can do if we will stop making excuses and surrender what we do have to Him.

 

Have a great day. Don't focus on what you don't have and can't do. Focus on what God can do with what HE has given you.

 

For further reading:

Exodus 4

"You Have His Power"

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19 

Sadly, we (Christians) don't realize the power that we have-- if we do, we don't act like it. We have been given power by the Lord Jesus Himself. He has delegated to us His power and authority to use in this world to do great and mighty works for His glory. He has given us power to do what He did, plus greater works. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." (John 14:12) 

He has given us power to finish the works that He started. "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach." (Acts 1:1) 

He has given us power to be witnesses to proclaim the truth of the gospel that Jesus is Lord. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) 

He has given us power to back up the preaching with signs that will confirm what we say. "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:20) 

He has given us power over all the powers of the enemy. He has given us power to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, preach the gospel and set the captives free. "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:17,18)

 

If you are a born-again child of God, you are not powerless over temptation. You are not powerless over our flesh. You are not powerless over sin. You are not powerless over the enemy. You are not powerless at all. You have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead living in you. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11) You have the Spirit of God living in you. You have the nature of God living in you. You have the power of God residing in you. You have His ability dwelling in you. You don't need to cave in, back down, fall down, run away, roll over or give up. You need to stand strong and firm in the power that you have been given through Christ. 

 

Have a great day. You are more powerful than you think you are, because of the One who lives inside of you (Jesus). 

"Joy Stealer"

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 

When Jesus taught His disciples the manner in which to pray, He taught them to pray that they would have what they needed that day. He didn't teach them to pray for tomorrow, or the next day, or for next year. He taught them to pray for their need that day. Just a few verses later He told them not to "take thought for tomorrow". Let me clarify something. Jesus was not telling them that they should not plan for the future. The scriptures tell us to "occupy" while we are on earth and take care of business- including investing for the future. Proverbs gives us wisdom that is found in observing and following the practice of the ant-- how it prepares in the time of harvest for the summer. Even Jesus had a goal in mind and was carrying out a future plan while He walked the earth-- the cross. 

 

The verse in the prayer has more to do with being content with what you have today, and learning to trust God each and every day. The fact is that no matter how much planning and preparation we may do for the future, we still aren't promised tomorrow. There was a certain rich man who learned this lesson. He decided to build bigger barns to hold his wealth and sit back and enjoy the rest of his life. But his life was taken that same night.

 

Many people live their lives in the future. They are always thinking about tomorrow. They are always focusing on a time to come. They are looking toward another day-- when I get married, when my children are grown, when I finish college, when I am financially secure, when I can retire, etc. When we do that, we never enjoy "this day". We miss the wonderful blessings that await us. We miss out on the benefits that we are loaded with today. Also living in the future is just as harmful as always living in the past. They are both joy-stealers. Living in the past steals our joy by keeping us in regret. Living in the future steals our joy by keeping us preoccupied with what may or may not happen, and too busy to enjoy today. Either way we lose. Jesus wants us to have abundant life. Abundant life today. Pray as He taught us to pray-- "give us this day"-- and then enjoy it, and use it for His glory.

 

Have a great day. Always living in the past or the future will steal your joy. Enjoy this day that the Lord has given you.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:34

Luke 19:13; 12:19-21

Proverbs 6:5-7

1 Timothy 6:6

Psalm 68:19

"Borrowed Time"

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:6

 

Have you ever heard the term "borrowed time"? It is said of someone who has lived passed their life expectancy. The truth is, we are all living on "borrowed time". Every person on the face of the earth is living on borrowed time-- the young, the old, the sick, the healthy. What do I mean? 

 

The Bible says that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Time, like everything else, belongs to God. If it belongs to Him, not us, then He is "lending" it to us-- we are borrowing it from Him. 

 

When something is borrowed, it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the lender. To borrow something is a temporary arrangement, not a permanent one. At some point it has to be either given back or paid back. The time that we are borrowing here on earth is not a permanent gift either. One day we will have to "give it up" and give it back. That time comes when death knocks on our door and our lives are taken from earth. That being the case, what kind of plans are you making for that time? What will happen to you when you step out of "time" and into eternity? Have you made arrangements for then? 

 

Also what are you doing with the time that you are borrowing? Are you wasting it? Are you making the best use of it? Are you using it up on self-- selfish desires, selfish ambitions, self-centered wants? Are you using it wisely and carefully? Are you using it for the One who is lending it to you? 

 

Jesus told a story of a man who went on a journey, but before he left he gave money to his servants to invest for him. One day he returned and they had to give an account of what they did with what they were given. One day the "loan period" of time we were given will be up. We will then have to stand before God and give an account of how we used the time we were given. What will you be able to answer? Did you make the best use of it by doing all you could to glorify the One who loaned it to you? Did you use the time that you were given to make preparation for the day when your time on earth is over?

 

Have a great day. We are all living on "borrowed time". What are you doing with it? 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 25:14-30

Psalm 24:1

"A Simple Answer"

"And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Matthew 11:3-5

John the Baptist was in prison, and he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He was the one to come (the Messiah) or should they look for another. The verses above are Jesus' reply to John's question. Have you ever noticed that Jesus rarely answered enquiring questions with a simple "yes" or "no"? All He had to do was tell John, "Yes, I am."

 

Why does He do that? God does what He wants to do, when He wants to do it, and how He wants to do it including the way He answers our questions. When He does though, it is always in the best way-- whether we think so or not. In John's case, he already knew the answer. The Father had already spoken to him from heaven at the Jordan River. Jesus' answer was one that would reinforce and reaffirm what John already knew. 

 

There have been times when I have asked the Lord something, wanting a simple "yes" or "no" but that is not how He answered me either. Like John, it is easy for us to question what we already know when things get tough, when they aren't going according to plan, or when they aren't happening the way we thought they would or in the time frame in which we thought they would. By giving us His answer in such a way, it is meant to reaffirm, reinforce, encourage, help fortify our faith and give clarity to the situation. I can remember as a child traveling in the car and asking my parents, "Are we there yet?". When they answered, "no", I felt like we would never get there. But when they answered with an explanation, it gave me a reference point to look for and would let me know that the journey was almost over. When the Lord answers us in this fashion, it too gives us a reference point and helps bring us back in focus-- focus on what He has already said instead of the situation-- and reinforces our faith. 

 

Don't get discouraged or angry if the Lord doesn't give you a simple "yes" or "no" answer. He is answering you in a way that is for your best and it will give you an anchor of faith to hold on to in the midst of your situation.

 

Have a great day. God doesn't always answer us with a simple "yes" or "no", but His answer is far better for us. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 3:16,17

Hebrews 10:23

 

"Almost Missed It"

"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." John 4:35

One day Jesus told His disciples that He needed to go to Samaria. When they got there, the disciples went into the city to buy meat. While they were gone Jesus sat at a well and had a conversation with a woman of Samaria. As a result of their conversation this woman accepted Jesus as the Messiah who was to come. She then left her water pots and went to the city to tell others. The disciples came back with the food. Upon encouraging Him to eat, He replied that He had meat to eat that they knew not of. They began to question and wonder if someone had brought Him something to eat already. He corrected them and told them that His meat was to do the will of the Father and finish His work. Then Jesus said to them, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." 

 

What was this meat? To do the will of the Father and finish His work. What was the will and work? To seek and to save that which was lost. His meat was spiritual in nature and He was fulfilling it. The disciples were taking care of natural things-- buying food. Jesus said to them to lift up their eyes because the harvest is already white and needs picking. When they physically looked around them, they saw a whole city coming to Jesus. The harvest was right there in front of them but they didn't see it. They almost missed it because they were focused on natural things- food. They were focused on trying to figure out where Jesus had already gotten food. They were in the middle of the harvest field and didn't even realize it. They were blinded spiritually by the physical.

 

I wonder if we aren't like those disciples? There is a harvest field around us, there are souls that are "ripe" waiting to be "picked", God is moving in our midst and we are focused on natural things. Are we more concerned with trying to figure out natural events that are occurring around us than we are with seeing what is happening spiritually? Are we missing what is spiritually taking place because we are more concerned with physical things? Has the physical blinded us to the spiritual? 

 

The disciples almost missed one of the greatest works of God-- the salvation of a whole city-- because they were concerned about natural things. Are we missing what the Lord is doing in our midst because we are more concerned as well with natural things?

 

Have a great day. Are natural things blinding us from seeing what is happening spiritually right in front of our eyes?

 

For further reading:

John 4

"Jephthah's Daughter"

"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." Judges 11:30,31

We have heard many sermons preached about Jephthah mostly because of the vow he made to the Lord. In my opinion, it was a very "stupid" vow. What did he expect to come out of his house to meet him after the battle? Did he keep cows, goats, sheep or horses in his house? Naturally, it would have been either his wife or daughter. This story has been preached on numerous occasions because there is so much that we can learn from the foolishness of Jephthah. But this morning I don't want to focus on him. I want to focus on his less familiar daughter. 

 

We don't know much about her-- just a couple of verses. She isn't even named in the scriptures. She is simply "Jephthah's daughter". In my opinion, again, she- not her father- is the main character of the story. We have this young girl who was placed in a situation because of someone else. Her father made a vow that would affect her entire life. She would never marry because of it. She would spend the rest of her life childless. She would miss out on the opportunity of perhaps being the one chosen to bear the Messiah, all because of her father's foolish vow. 

 

The most remarkable thing we see from her story is the fact that she could have become bitter and angry. She could have rebelled. She could have chosen not to honor her father's vow and do what her own heart desired. She could have turned on her father and hated him. But she didn't. Yes, she cried over what was happening to her, but she did not get in self-pity. In those couple of verses, we see her gratitude and praise to the Lord for His delivering power. We see her love for her nation. We see her honor for her father. We see her surrender to the Lord. We see her humility. We see her dedicated relationship with the Lord. 

 

Do any of us see ourselves in her life? How would we react had it been us instead of her? What would our reaction say about our relationship with the Lord? Are we as willing as she was to honor God even when something is done against us? Even when someone else's actions change our lives? How many of us even keep the vows we make to the Lord personally, much less one that we have been unwillingly brought into by someone else? There is a lot we can learn from this unnamed young girl about humility, Christ-like attitude and surrender to the service of the Lord. Will we learn it?

 

Have a great day. How do you react when something that someone else does affects your entire life? What does that reaction say about your relationship with the Lord? 

 

For further reading:

Judges 11

"Recognizing His Voice"

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

Have you ever been somewhere and heard a voice and immediately knew who it was even without seeing their face because you recognized the voice? I have. When my phone rings and the name of the person calling doesn't show up on the ID, once they say something I know who it is. There are people that I have become acquainted with because they come into our ministry store, and though we were once strangers I will recognize their voice when I hear it in another store. 

 

Out of all the voices that we recognize is the Lord's one of them? If we are His "sheep"- if we are His followers- we should have no trouble recognizing His voice. Being able to recognize a person's voice comes as a result of spending time not only talking to them but listening to them. It is the same way with being able to recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd. We are only able to recognize His voice if we are spending time with Him. 

 

We learn His voice through talking with Him in prayer-- or should I say, by listening to Him when we pray. Most of our prayers consist of us doing all the talking. We give God our "to do" list; we tell Him what we want; we give Him our "wish" list; we spend the whole time talking and rarely do any listening. You learn another person's voice by hearing it. When your voice is the only one you hear, that is the only voice you become acquainted with. 

 

We also learn His voice through His Word. The Bible isn't just a book of facts and figures about God, it is God speaking to us through its pages. The Bible is the Living Word- Jesus- written down on paper. Through it we know what He likes, dislikes, what He requires, what His will is, what His is like, how gracious, kind, loving and how just He is. 

 

How familiar are you with His voice? It should be the most important voice for us to know. It should be the voice that we desire to know above all other voices. We should be more acquainted with His than we are with anyone else's. We should recognize it more readily than any other voice. And we will if we will spend time with Him learning it.

 

Have a great day. How acquainted are you with the voice of God?

 

For further reading:

John 1:1

Genesis 3:8

Song of Solomon 2:14

 

"Behold Jesus"

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" John 19:5 

When Pilate brought Jesus forth to stand before the crowds, he said to them, "Behold the man!" In other words, "Look at this man!" As we look more closely at what Pilate said, there is a question that arises in his statement. The question being, "Look at Him, what do you see?" 

 

Pilate saw a man who was hated to the point that the religious leaders wanted Him dead. He also saw a man who was innocent of any crime. The soldiers that beat Him saw another criminal upon which to inflict their cruelty. The religious leaders saw Him as one who was a threat to their power and influence over the people. Some saw Him as a king who would deliver them from Roman oppression. Some in the crowd saw Him as a dreamer. Some saw Him as a teacher. Others saw Him as a miracle worker who had healed them of their disease. There were those who saw Him as a rebel bringing in a new philosophy and going against the old established ways. Some saw Him as the Messiah. Some saw Him as just another man, while others saw Him as God.

 

There were many different views of who He was among those in the crowd that day, but what others believe about Jesus isn't what is the most important thing. The most important for you is-- what do you believe about "this man". It brings us back to a question that Jesus asked His disciples earlier in His ministry-- "who do you say that I am?".

 

It is not about what the crowds say, other individuals say, the religious leaders say, your parents say or the political leaders of the day say... it is about what you say. Pilate missed who Jesus was. The religious leaders missed who Jesus was. Many in the crowd missed who Jesus was. If we miss who Jesus is then we lose out on everything-- eternal life. When the culmination of the end of this world as we know it comes, their is only going to be one answer that will be the right answer to the question of, "Behold, Jesus, who is He?" That answer will be the same one that Peter gave-- "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God". "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10,11)

 

Many in the crowd the day of His crucifixion may not have recognized who He was, for them their opportunity is gone. But you and I still have the opportunity today to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Will you? Have you? When the question is asked, what will you say? Who will you say that He is? 

 

Have a great day. What do you see when you "behold Jesus"? 

 

For further reading:

Mark 8:25-29

"He Is Still The Same"

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

 As I sought the Lord for the word this morning, I knew He laid this verse on my heart. My first thought was... but I have already written numerous devotions on this verse. He replied back ... it is still the day that I have made. 

 

No matter how many times we may write about it, no matter how many times we may preach from this verse, today is still the day that He has made. That being said, He is still the maker of the day. He is still watching over the day. He is still meeting each need we have today. He is still with us today. He is still fulfilling His promises to us today. He is still providing us with strength, grace, peace, assurance, wisdom, instruction, healing, deliverance-- or whatever we need to make it through the day. He is still loving us today. He still desires to walk and talk with us today. 

 

With the passing of each day, comes a brand-new day. And in each new day the Lord still remains the same. Each day when it arrives is "this" day. It is this present day, not a past day, nor a future day. Therefore, He is a present God today. He is still faithful this day as He has been every day. So, look to Him this day. Walk with Him this day. Lean upon Him this day. Trust Him this day. Because He remains the same, and is the same yesterday, today and forever.

 

Have a great day. This is still the day that the Lord has made, and He is still the same today as He has always been.

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 13:8

Malachi 3:6

"No Mystery To Him"

"O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me." Psalm 139:1

Years ago, my dad and I were exploring my grandfather's shed-- this was many years after my grandfather had passed away.  In the shed, hid against a wall I found an old portrait of a lady. You could tell the portrait was very old by the way she was dressed and the kind of paint that was used. I assumed it had to be a relative but didn't know who. The frame was so far gone that it was unsalvageable, but I rescued the picture and hung it in a bedroom. 

Recently, my cousin and I were talking about the picture, wondering who she was. In the past I had asked all of the older family members-- aunts, uncles, cousins-- and no one knew. My dad didn't know. My mom didn't know. No one on either side of the family could identify the lady in the portrait. So, my cousin and I have decided to name her, The Mystery Lady! 

As I thought about this "Mystery Lady", wondering that no one knew who she was, I started thinking about the Lord. We may not know who she was, but He does. He knows not only who she is, but everything there is to know about her-- when she was born, when she died, if she was married, had children, or had a job. Then it made me think about how that God knows us. He knows us, we are no "mystery" person to Him. He knows our name, the number of hairs on our heads, the thoughts we have before we think them. He knows what we will be doing tomorrow, what we will be doing ten years from now. 

The more I thought about this, the more grateful I became because I am not a "mystery" to the Lord. Others may not know me. But He does. Like the song says, "He knows my name". I am known by Him personally. What joy, peace and comfort that brings to my heart. It can yours too to think that the God of the universe, the Creator of all, knows you. 

Have a great day. You are no mystery to God. He knows just who you are.  

"Trust His Leading"

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 

You all have heard the phrase- "Be led by (follow) your heart". It's a sweet thought and popular one, but a wrong one. It is dangerous, in most cases, to be led by your heart. The Bible says that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. They will often lead us astray, because they lead us toward their own wants and desires. 

 

There is only one sure way to be led-- by the Spirit of God. The Spirit will never lead us in the wrong direction. He will never lead us in a way that is destructive or hurtful. He will always lead us on the path of life. Whereas our own hearts see something they want and will pursue it often without regard to whether it is best for us and will actually convince us that it is the best. How many people have pursued "pipedreams" because their hearts wanted to do it. How many have been in relationships with the wrong person because their heart wanted it. Even Christian people- they convinced themselves that it was the right thing to do because it "felt" right in their hearts. 

 

The only time we can trust our hearts in leading us in the right direction is when our hearts are totally surrendered to the Lord and have been sanctified to His will. It is only when He creates in us a clean heart-- removing the deceit and wicked desires-- that we can trust that the motives of our hearts are pure. It is only when we love the Lord with all our heart that there is no room for any of our own desires to lead us.

 

No, we can't be led by our hearts. But God Himself promises to lead us as we seek Him. We can't trust our hearts, but we can trust that as we surrender them more and more to the Lord, He will put His desires within them. When He does, we can trust that though we can't be led by them, they will not be able to lead us astray as they once did.

 

Have a great day. We can't be led by our hearts, but we can be led by the Spirit of God. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:14

Mark 12:30; 7:21,22

Psalm 51:10

Jeremiah 24:7

"Praise-Worthy"

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord." Psalm 113:1 

We are all quick to call upon the Lord for help when we are in trouble, but when was the last time you spent some time just praising Him. Time not asking Him for anything but instead thanking Him for all that He has done for you. The ten lepers were quick to ask Jesus for healing, but only one came back and gave Jesus praise for it. 

There are numerous verses that admonish us to praise Him, and for various reasons.

 

He is praised for His avenging power. (Judges 5:2) Have you praised Him for avenging you before someone who was working against you? 

 

He is praised for His goodness. (Psalm 106:1) Has He been good to you? 

 

He is praised for His merciful kindness and truth. (Psalm 117:2) Has He showed you kindness? Has He been merciful to you when He should not have been, because you deserved punishment? He has given you truth through His word to guide and direct you through life. Should you praise Him for that? 

 

He is praised for His delivering power. (Jeremiah 20:13) Has He delivered you-- from sin, for a bondage, from a near fatal accident, from those who were trying to destroy you, from an illness? 

 

Just what has He done for you that is praise-worthy? The greatest thing He did for me was to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the price for my sins and take my punishment so that I could have eternal life. Personally, if He never did anything else for me that would be plenty enough reason for me to never stop praising Him. How about you? 

 

He is worthy to be praised, and if He has done anything for you, you should give Him praise every day. 

 

Have a great day. What has the Lord done for you? Isn't that cause to praise Him?