"Being Pushed"

"Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me." Psalm 118:13

In the New King James version this verse reads- "You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me." Do you ever feel like you are being "pushed around"? Life in general has a way of doing that. The day to day cares, obligations and responsibilities often "push" on us. They push on our time, our resources, our strength. They push us for answers. They push us for attention. They push us to go beyond our abilities and means.

Then there is the "push" from other people. They push us to perform in certain ways-- mostly according to their ways. They will try to push us to get on board with their plans. They try to push us into situations that cause us to compromise our beliefs. They will push us to make decisions that best suit them whether they are in our best interest or not.

Then, of course, there is the enemy of our soul- he is always pushing us. Pushing us to yield to our wants and desires and satisfy the lusts of our flesh. He pushes us to bow down and serve him. He pushes us to lean to our own understanding instead of acknowledging God so that we make the wrong choices. He pushes us to get ahead of God's plan and timing. He tries to push us further and further away from God by pushing us in the opposite direction from God. He uses lies, manipulation, deceitful tactics and subdual persuasion to try to push us.

If you are alive, then chances are that you are going to be "pushed" by something or someone today. When you are, bear in mind and don't forget that the Lord has promised to "help" you. He will protect you from falling when you are being pushed as you look to and lean upon Him. We can't always hold ourselves up when pushed, often we will fall to the ground. But the Lord knows how to keep us from falling even if our foot slips when we are being pushed.

Have a great day. When you are being "pushed", call upon the Lord for help... He will keep you from falling.

For further reading:
Psalm 56:13; 94:18; 116:8
Jude 1:24

Moved

"Moved"

"And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.  And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean." Mark 1:40,41

In the first part of this chapter we see a revelation of the authority of Jesus.  He taught as one who had authority.  He called His disciples to follow Him, and they obeyed.  He healed all those who were sick with diseases, and the disease left.  The unclean spirits recognized who He was.  He commanded them to leave and they did.  The people were all amazed at the authority He possessed.  Then we get down to the verses above.  A leper comes to Jesus asking Him to heal him.  Did you see Jesus response?  He was MOVED with compassion.  This great authority figure is moved with compassion over the plight and condition of this poor leper.  This man was an outcast.  He was ostracized from society.  He was detached from his family and friends.  He was a miserable human being.  Yet, Jesus was moved with compassion on him.  

The depths of the compassion and love that Jesus has is incomprehensible.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is All-Powerful.  At His Name every knee bows.  All power in heaven and earth is given unto Him.  The demons tremble in fear at His presence.  He is worshipped by angels.  He created all that is with only the words of His mouth.  In light of the authority that Jesus possess, who is this leper that Jesus would take note of him.  But He did more than take note of him-- He had compassion on him and touched him and healed him.  

Who are we that Jesus would take note of us?  We are poor and retched, unclean, outcast, unworthy, rejected, sinful, yet Jesus had compassion on us and gave His life for us.  I don't believe we can truly fathom the full depth of what was meant when it said, "He was moved with compassion".  The heart of Jesus was touched in such a way, in such a degree that He reached out to the man and touched what was "unclean".  This is the same Jesus that is moved with compassion toward you.  He loves you more than you can imagine.  More than you are able to comprehend.  He is moved with compassion for you in your time of need.  He wants to draw close and touch you like He did that leper.  The leper was not worthy of Jesus' time or touch by man's opinion.  But the compassion of Jesus overruled man's opinion.  Jesus' compassion for you also overrules man's opinion and your own opinion of yourself.  

Have a great day.  Jesus is The Authority of the universe, yet He is moved with compassion for His people.    

"The Missing Word"

"The Missing Word"

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11

When I was growing up, we used to hear talk about the time when our Bibles would be taken away from us in this country.  It seemed so far-fetched given the fact that we are America, a Christian nation and land of freedom.  With the passing of each day, it doesn't seem so far-fetched any more-- it actually looks like it may become reality, and not in the so distant future.  Our religious-- rather, our Christian-- freedoms are being taken from us little by little.  It will continue until we no longer have this freedom and are persecuted to greater degrees like some of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted around the world. So, what about the possibility of our Bibles being taken away from us? A friend and I were talking about this the other week.  She made a statement that has stuck with me and I want to address.

She said that if our Bibles were taken away, how many people really even know what it says.  She wasn't talking about people who don't know Jesus, but those who profess to be Christians.  If your Bible was taken from you today, how many scriptures do you know?  Would you be able to make it if you did not have it to read and refer back to for strength, comfort, peace and hope?  

The Bible is the Christian's road map for navigating through this life.  Without it, do you know enough of it to get you through?  It tells us what the plan of God is for us personally and for all of humanity.  It reveals the will of God.  It shows us how to live godly lives even in the midst of hatred, confusion, chaos and persecution.  It tells us how to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. It tells us what the Lord requires of us.  It shows us how to walk in victory.  It shows us how to be saved and stay in the faith. 

Let me ask you personally-- What would you do if you no longer had a Bible?  Would you still know how to live for the Lord?  Would you be able to make it?  Some would say that they would fight before letting someone take it.  Some of these people are the very ones who don't even bother to pick it up everyday and read it.  Why would you fight to keep it if you ignore it while you have the chance to read it? 

I said earlier that our Bibles being taken from us is looking more and more like a possibility.  That being the case, you better make sure you know what it says now while you still have it and hide it in your heart so you can draw from it then.

Have a great day.  Is your Bible hidden in your heart in case it is removed from your hands?

"Obeying Sin"

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." Romans 6:12

Some think that they have no control over sin in their lives. They believe that they have no choice but to sin. Sin will try to rule and reign in your life- it wants to be king and make you its servant. It will try to lord over you. It will pressure you into obeying it. It will try to dictate your life. But it does not have to have reign- you do not have to obey it.

The verse above is not a suggestion or a recommendation concerning our relationship with sin. It is a command ("Do not let it reign in your mortal body."), but along with this command comes empowerment to fulfill it.

Those who are in Christ are no longer subjects/servants of sin who have no choice but to obey it. Jesus dealt with the sin issue once and for all at the cross. He redeemed us from the curse of the sin. He delivered us from the controlling power of sin in our lives. He empowered us to overcome sin. Jesus already dealt with it, now He tells us to take "authority" over it - "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body".

How do we do that?
1) Stop surrendering to sin. Stand against it, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. He has made you more than a conqueror in all things. (Romans 6:16)
2) Yield yourself to God and offer yourself daily as a living sacrifice. (Romans 6:13)
3) Remember the grace of God that freed you from the bondage of sin and don't take it for granted. (Romans 6:14,15)
4) Obey the Word of God from the heart. (Romans 6:17)
5) Live by faith. It is not about what you see or feel. Jesus has already delivered you from the ruling power of sin, so walk in that liberty. (Romans 6:9-11,18)
6) Remember you are no longer sin's slave, you are servants of God. (Romans 6:22)

Have a great day. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body- you are no longer its servant.

For further reading:
Romans 6

"A Dream- January 24,2021"

A couple of nights ago I had a dream.  Like some of my dreams there were a lot of oddities in it.  But there were parts that made me believe that this dream was spiritual in nature and the Lord is saying something through it that I am to share. 

The dream began with me and a few others in a house.  Among the others was a child.  While I was there in the sky there appeared two very large figures that were black and had form but no distinct features.  It was obvious that they were demons and they were talking about chaos.  They disappeared and in their place was a huge black swirling cloud-- like a tornado without the funnel.  It was directly overhead and not very high in the sky.  I told the person with me that we had to leave because there were demonic things happening that looked like a dragon. At that point, over our heads, fairly close overhead, appeared a dragon that was big and black and made up of thousand of pieces of things that could not be made out but gave it its form.  From there, I was going to take the child to someplace safe-- didn't know where that was but we were going-- because I knew the child was in danger. As we started to leave there was a man with me and I told him to take the child because he was stronger and would have a better grip on her. As we were heading out of the house, a car pulled up over on our left side.  I sensed that the people in it were demonic.  I went to the car and began to say, "In the Name of Jesus", to them.  I kept repeating-- "In the Name of Jesus".  The next scene we-- the child, man and myself-- were in another place.  Like a house with a hallway.  Coming down the hall toward me was someone that I knew who had died years ago.  I sensed the presence of a demon again.  I went to this "person" and said, "In the Name of Jesus".  I drew a line on the floor right in front of them indicating that in the Name of Jesus they better not come any closer. I kept repeating, "In the Name of Jesus", over and over. The rest of the dream was sketchy, and like I said full of oddities, so I won't share any more.  

What I believe the Lord is saying through this dream is that we are in a time where demonic forces of darkness are everywhere.  We have to be on guard.  But also, as children of the Most High God, He wants us to know that we don't have to be afraid.  Although the demons were plotting, they were very large, the sky was stormy, the dragon was flying directly overhead, demons were on one side of me, they were out in plain sight, and everywhere I went, I was not afraid.  I wanted to get the child to safety, but there was no fear in me.  The Lord does not want us to be afraid.  We must remember that we have not been given a spirit of fear.  We have been given the Holy Spirit and He is not afraid of ANYTHING!!!! So we don't have to be either.  Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. In each encounter with the demons in my dream, I went to confront them.  I didn't wait for them to come to me.  Just as David went out to meet Goliath and took the battle to the enemy, we too have to take the battle to the enemy.  We can't stand in fear on the sidelines like the army of Israel did.  They stood back because of fear.  David had no fear because his trust was in God.  Our trust has to be rooted in the Lord as well.  When it is, the enemy can't make us fearful or intimidate us. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.  

The second thing I believe He is saying is-- ALL power in heaven and earth is given unto Him/Jesus.  We are in a time of spiritual warfare, use His authority that you have been given.  There is power in the Name of Jesus!  In His Name demons are cast out.  At His Name every knee shall bow!  In the dream my only response to the demons was to say, "In the Name of Jesus".  I kept saying it.  As I kept saying it, the demons didn't react the way I expected them to.  I thought they would flee, turn tail and run, or melt like wax.  They didn't, but I kept saying it anyway.  I didn't let up.  What did happen was that they didn't come any closer or proceed any further.  So, the message in this is-- don't think that just because you don't see what you expected, it doesn't mean that Jesus is not powerful!! He is Omnipotent!!  Keep trusting in the power of His Name.  The demons have to bow at the Name of Jesus.  Keep standing upon and speaking and using His Name.  The demons tremble in fear when Jesus comes near!!!    

Have a great day.  Don't be afraid.  The Greater One is in you if you have made Him your Savior and Lord.  Stand firm upon the power that is in His Name.  

"Victory Every Time"

"Victory Every Time"

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6

I woke up this morning with the oddest thought going through my mind. It is a line from a writing by Robert Burns- "The best laid plan of mice and men often go astray". Mr. Burns was a farmer and one day while plowing up his field he ploughed up a mouse's nest. This prompted him to write the poem.

No matter who you are, or what you are, no matter how great you are, how little, how rich, poor, well educated, uneducated or how famous, when we make our own plans, they often get interrupted or come to failure.

We are not designed to make our own plans. Our plans are based on human wisdom (which in the Book of James we are told that it is sensual and devilish- James 3:15). When we make our own plans, they are destined for failure. Each time Israel made their own plans they failed. They planned to go to the city of Ai and destroy it. We know that did not happen. Why? They failed because they failed to acknowledge God and followed their own plans. Once they acknowledged Him though, and followed His directions, they destroyed the city. (There are many other stories, but we don't have time to talk about them.)

The bottom line is this: God has a plan for you and me. As long as we will seek His plan, and basically determine to forsake making our own plans, we will succeed in whatever it is we are doing. I have never read of anyone in the Bible who failed when they acknowledged God first and followed His plan and His direction for carrying it out. The failures only came when they pursued their own plans.

We have accepted a teaching that says--you have to fail before you succeed. I don't read that anywhere in the Bible. As I said, you will not find one person who was truly led by the Lord and His Spirit that ever failed in what "HE" directed them to do. Again, the problem lies when we make our own plans, when we assume this is the plan of God, or we move out and do things our own way. Then we are assured of failure. But when we acknowledge Him, listen to His instructions, obey by following what He says, then we are promised victory every time.

Have a great day. Our plans will easily fail, but when we follow God's plans we will have true success.

For further reading:
Jeremiah 10:23; 29:11
2 Chronicles 26:5

"Justified By Faith"

"Justified By Faith"

"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11

Living by the Law, making sure we dot all the "I's" and cross all the "T's" and keep all the commandments, is not what makes us right with God. The Book of James says that we can keep the whole law, yet if we break only one law we are guilty of breaking them all. Who can keep them all? The law was too weak to save us, instead it was like as a "schoolmaster" to show us our sin, our lack of ability to save ourselves and our need for a Savior.

We are justified in the sight of God by our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in what Jesus did on the cross- that it was the avenue of forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption and justification- is all we can do to become right with God. David even put it this way, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required." (Psalm 40:6)

All your good deeds, all your good works, all your moral behavior, all your acts of kindness, they are not what justifies you before God. They are not what makes you right with Him. No matter how "good" you are by man's standards, there is only one thing that makes you "good enough" by God's-- faith in Jesus Christ.

As clearly as I can say it-- you can't join enough churches, you can't give enough offerings, you can't be baptized enough, you can't feed enough hungry people, you can't do enough humanitarian deeds, you can't fast and pray enough, you can't do enough religious deeds to be justified before God. If that were possible then Jesus died in vain, His death was unnecessary and He suffered needlessly. But it isn't possible. Try if you may, but in the end when you stand before God there is only one thing that He will accept-- was your faith in His Son Jesus as your Savior.

Have a great day. Obeying the Law is not what makes us right with God, having faith in His Son Jesus is.

For Further Reading:
Romans 8:3,4
James 2:10
Hebrews 10:4,5
Galatians 3
Ephesians 2:8,9

"The Promise Keeper"

"Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one." Galatians 3:20

When God made promises to Abraham, He didn't use a mediator to do it. He alone made and fulfilled the promises. He didn't call upon a man or some law firm to draw up a contract, He officiated over it all. God Himself gave the promises, listed the conditions and set it all in motion. When it came time to bring mankind into the new covenant, He sent His own Son to be the mediator of it.

When God makes a promise, when He makes a covenant with someone, He knows how to establish it, enforce it and keep it to the end. If you are a child of God then you are in a covenant relationship with God. He has made promises to you and He is faithful to keep those promises. He is not a man that He should lie. He does not change His mind. He does not change what He has said. He Himself watches over it to fulfill it. He doesn't need anyone else to help keep Him accountable- He keeps Himself accountable-- always has and always will. So trust God's word, trust His promises. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His word will remain true forever.

Have a great day. God holds Himself accountable to the promises He has made, so you can trust Him.

For further reading:
1 Timothy 2:5
Hebrews 9:15; 6:13
Numbers 23:19
Luke 21:33
Isaiah 55:11
Psalm 89:34

He Is There

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

We stepped into a new year a few weeks ago.  None of us know what the new year holds in store. It may be filled with nothing but blessings, or it may be filled with nothing but grief and heartache. Regardless of what lies ahead, there is one thing that we can rest assured of and it is what we said yesterday- Jesus will still be the same. The ups and downs, highs and lows of life don't affect Him. He will be as faithful to us in the coming year as He was in the previous one, and the one before that, and the year before that, and every other year. He will still love us, be with us, guide us and meet our needs.

So as you look ahead, you have no reason to fear or be anxious about what might lie ahead. You aren't facing it alone. Keep your eyes fixed and your heart stayed upon the Lord. He is the Beginning and the End (the Alpha and Omega). That means that He will not only be there at the beginning and end, but He will also be right there in the middle (everyday), so we have nothing to be anxious about. Trust Him, keep close to Him. Walk with Him.

Have a great day. Do not be anxious about the coming new year, you won't be facing it alone.

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:8
Psalm 23:4
Matthew 28:20
Philippians 4:6,7

"He's The Same"

"He's The Same"

"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

The verse above is one we usually quote during Christmas and Christmas is now past. But I want to remind you that just because the "holiday" has pasted, it does not change or minimize the One whose birth we were celebrating. His name is still called Wonderful- He is wonderful beyond description.

He is still the great Counselor today, as He has always been. He is your Counselor today to guide and direct you in the way you should go.

He is still God-- the Mighty God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. There is nothing too difficult or impossible for Him. He is not that helpless baby that was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. He is the victorious, conquering King. He conquered death, hell and the grave. He conquered sin's dominion over us. And He reigns forever, there is no end to Him- He is from everlasting to everlasting.

And today He is still the Prince of Peace. He not only has peace but He is peace and all peace originates in Him. If you need peace He will give it to you. And it won't be a fleeting peace, but an establishing peace that will settle your heart and mind.

So don't stop singing your Christmas carols that exalt and magnify who He is. Don't reserve your reading of certain passages of scripture to only on certain occasions. Lift Him up and exalt Him everyday!

Have a great day. He still is who He has always been!

For further reading:
John 14:27
Ephesians 3:20
Hebrews 13:8
Malachi 3:6
Psalm 90:2

"Stop Struggling"

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

Are you burdened? Loaded down with cares? Struggling under the weight of some situation? Why? You have an invitation from the Creator of the Universe, the God of glory, the Lord of lords to come to Him and exchange your heavy burden for His light one.

We live in a world that is full of trials and difficulties, things don't always go the way we would like for them to. There are hardships that come into our lives. But we aren't left alone to struggle with them on our own. We aren't left to try to solve our own problems and find our own solutions. The Lord is our helper. He is our strength. He is our problem solver. He has and is our answer.

Today, stop struggling. Accept His invitation. Go to Him. Cast your care upon Him. Let Him give you peace. Let Him give you rest. I am speaking to someone specifically right now-- it is time you stop carrying that burden; it is only weighing you down. All your struggling over it hasn't helped; all your plans to solve it haven't worked; all your tears haven't relieved it or changed it. It is time to give it to the Lord and let Him give you His rest.

Have a great day. Why are you struggling with that heavy burden? The Lord wants to give you rest from your struggle.

For further reading:
Matthew 11:28-30
1 Peter 5:7
John 14:27; 16:33

"Watching"

"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Mark 13:33

Sometimes we aren't watching where we should be watching because we are preoccupied watching other things. I remember watching some of the western movies on television when the enemy would surround the house and shoot at the ones inside the house. Those in the house would be stationed at every window- not just the ones in the front. They kept a watch on the back and both sides of the house to make sure the enemy did not gain access any where. Each person was appointed their post to watch. Had they been preoccupied with something else besides guarding the window they were stationed at, the enemy would have slipped through an unguarded window opening.

I believe the Lord is saying to us this morning that we are too preoccupied looking in the wrong directions and not focusing on the one that is really important. We have become busy watching so much that is unimportant that we are not watching for the things that are most important. The shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night when they received word from the angels of the Messiah's birth. They were watching where they should have been watching and received the invitation. If the watchman on the wall is watching what he should be watching, the enemy will be spotted before he can make it into the city. If the owner of the house is watching out for the safety of his household and not preoccupied watching other things the thief cannot come in. If the five foolish virgins had been watching the oil in their lamps they would not have missed the wedding fest. If Peter had been watching in prayer instead of sleeping, he would not have fallen into the temptation to deny Christ.

Are you watching in the right direction this morning? Are you watching the important things- eternal things? Are you preoccupied watching those things that only pull you further away from Christ? Are you watching for the enemy? Are you watching for the Lord's return? Are you watching your life to make sure it is pleasing to the Lord? Just where and what are you watching?

Have a great day. Are you watching for the things that are eternal, or preoccupied with watching the things that are only the cares of this life?

For further reading:
Ephesians 6:18
Luke 12:37; 2:8
Matthew 24:43; 25:1-3

"Add A Conjunction"

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

One of the things I like most about David was his faith. In the Psalms when he would express his need or his concern about a situation, he would not stop there, he would always come back with a "statement of faith"- as in the verse above. For example, he didn't say, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous (period)." and just stop there. He knew that wasn't the end of it. He knew that there was hope even in a bad situation. Therefore, he added the conjunction "but" and then made what I call a "statement of faith". "BUT the Lord delivers him out of them all."

So many times we look at a situation and are temped to put a "period" on it- "I lost my job (period)"; "My children are rebelling (period)"; "The doctor's report was bad (period)"; etc. Instead we need to remove the "period" and add a conjunction. "I lost my job, BUT the Lord is my Provider, my God shall supply all of my need"."; "My children are rebelling, BUT the Lord will keep that which I have committed to Him."; "The doctor's report was bad, BUT all things work together for my good and I will not fear for the Lord is with me, the Lord is my Healer".

Often we have hopeless situations that come into our lives, but we don't need to place a "period" on them, we need to add a conjunction and a "statement of faith" because there is hope with the Lord. We are not at the mercy of our bad reports. When Jesus was crucified, the disciples saw Him die on the cross and placed a "period" on what had just happened. They looked at the situation and lost hope, gave up and became fearful. They shouldn't have placed a "period" on it, they should have placed a conjunction there instead because the cross was not the end of it, there was a resurrection day coming. "And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him." (Mark 16:6)

You may be in a "hopeless" place today. It may look like there is a "period" on the situation, BUT don't stop there, add your "statement of faith", trust the Lord, get His word on the situation, it isn't over until He says it is over, look to the One who gives hope and supplies all your need.

Have a great day. Don't put a "period" on the situation, step out in faith and add a "conjunction" and "statement of faith".

For further reading:
Psalm 18:18; 37:17; 118:13
Philippians 4:19

"Open The Doors"

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." Psalm 24:7

When I define what a gate is and what a door is, I define them both the same way and also differently. The same in that they both are entrances. When they are opened they are the means in which to enter into some place. But when they are locked, access is denied. The difference comes in where they are positioned. A gate will get you into the yard and closer to the house, but a door will get you into the house and also into individual rooms within the house.

This morning is your life like a gate or a door? Is it closed or opened? I am referring primarily to giving Jesus access. Do you only open the "gate" to your life to Him? In other words, do you allow Him to come "close" but not come in? Is your life like a "door"? If it is then the question arises- is it shut or opened so that He can come in and dwell on the "inside". Let's go a step further. Inside a house are many doors to other rooms. Does He have the liberty to move freely from room to room, or does He find "locked doors" and denied access into certain areas of your life?

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20) Jesus doesn't want access only through the "gate". He doesn't want to come close but still be at a distance. He wants access into the "house". He wants to be "in" your life- not on the "outside". And He wants to come in and make your life His dwelling place- not a vacation home, not just a place of retreat, and not just as a visitor. Does He have that kind of access into your life? Is the door wide open or shut to Him? Or is He perhaps in the house, but not allowed liberty throughout the whole house? Open the "gate" and open the "door" and the King of glory shall come in.

Have a great day. Are all the "doors" of your life opened to Jesus?

For further reading:
Psalm 24

"Who's Teaching You?"

"Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies." Psalm 27:11

Who better to teach you His ways but the Lord Himself. We run from meeting to meeting seeking out those who will teach us the word of God and often neglect to let Him be our teacher. One of the reasons why we have been blessed with the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives is so that He can teach us, lead us in the truth, reveal Jesus to us and show us God's will. Yet, we seek out "people" to teach us and won't seek His instruction.

Don't misunderstand, the Lord has given us ministers in the body of Christ to help us and teach us. But even so, when we have listened to the teachings of men we still need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth of the word we have heard. Paul, the greatest apostle to preach the gospel, commended the men of Berea because they listened to his teaching but then went to God's word for themselves to confirm that what Paul taught them was the truth.

We are living in the time that the Bible calls the "last days". We have been warned that in those last days there would arise teachers who would teach false doctrine in order to deceive us. They will preach messages that the people want to hear. They will compromise and water down the gospel. They will preach after their own wisdom and intellect. They will preach messages that appeal to the flesh and neglect the spirit. Am I saying that you can't listen to anyone? No, but I am saying that we can't "believe" and "receive" everything we hear and not check it out for ourselves. There are a lot of true ministers preaching the uncompromised truth of God's word, but at the same time there are those who aren't. We need to know the difference. We are at a time when we don't need to receive everything we hear, every time we hear it, from every person we hear it from. We need to take what we hear (especially when in doubt) before the Lord and ask for the Holy Spirit to show us what is right and what is wrong, what is truth and what isn't.

Have a great day. Is man alone the one who is teaching you God's word or does the Lord teach you by His Spirit also?

For further reading:
John 16:13
1 Peter 2:1-3
Acts 17:10,11
Ephesians 4:11-13
2 Timothy 3

"What Are We Teaching?"

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Psalm 34:11

What are we "teaching" in Christendom? What are we teaching to our children concerning our faith? What are we teaching to those who sit in our churches, read our books or watch us on television? What are we teaching them about the "person" of God? About who Jesus is? About our relationship with Him? About our responsibility toward that relationship?

Are we teaching the whole truth, compromise or a watered down gospel? Are we teaching them that the Lord is a "Santa Claus" who lives to fulfill our every desire? Are we teaching that it is about worshipping Him and not about the fulfillment of self-centered desires? Do we teach that we are here to do His bidding and will, not Him to do ours? Do we preach grace and mercy without accountability? Do we teach about the blessings only and neglect to talk about the consequences of disobedience? Are we teaching about holiness, purity or the fear of the Lord? Does our teaching revolve around material blessings or eternal life? Are we preaching a gospel of comfort and ease which allows people to neglect keeping their lamps full and wicks trimmed? Does what we teach provoke anyone to have the desire to be hot and on fire for the Lord instead of cold or lukewarm?

It looks like I have spent the whole time just asking questions this morning. But it is so important that we examine "what" we are teaching. The right teaching tends to life, the wrong tends to death. This is not a light thing. There is more to it than this temporary life here on earth. There is an eternity that awaits us all, and if the instructions on how to have life in eternity aren't clear then those receiving the "instructions" are going to become lost and not reach that destination. So, again, let us examine what we are teaching because eternity is at stake.

Have a great day. What are we teaching? Is it the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

For further reading:
Revelation 3:16
Matthew 25:6-8; 15:9
2 Timothy 4:2-4; 3:1-7
John 6:63
Titus 2:1

"Not For Me"

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

There is one thing I have noticed when talking with people about healing, deliverance and even salvation. Most believe that God can heal them, many believe that He has the power to deliver them, and others know that it is not too hard for God. But, while they believe that God can do it, they don't believe that He will do it for them. It reminds me of the leper who came to Jesus, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." (Matthew 8:2)

The problem does not lie in God's ability, it often lies in our belief that He really wants to do it. Perhaps it is because we don't believe that we are good enough or worthy of the Lord's blessings. Perhaps we feel that what we are going through is God's will so we won't step forward to receive more from Him. There are as many different reasons as there are people.

What was Jesus' reply to the leper? "And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matthew 8:3) The Lord is always willing to do good to us. He desires to give us good and perfect gifts. He won't withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly before Him.

Am I saying that every one who is not healed or delivered or is in need doesn't believe that He can and wants to? No, but I am saying that in many cases we just simply don't believe that He wants to do it for us. We have to get past the idea that God does it for others but it is not meant for Him to do it for me. God loves you and cares deeply for you. He desires to give you abundant life. He desires to show you His wonderful compassion and great power. Why wouldn't the goodness and mercy of God be for you? You are His child. And if He sent His Son and gave Him up for you, then why won't He bless you in your need as well?

Have a great day. Whatever the need is that is in our lives, we should stop thinking that God can do it... but not for me.

For further reading:
Psalm 84:11
John 10:10
James 1:17
Luke 12:32; 11:13

"Overcome Evil"

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Evil is always present and it is constantly trying to overcome you and destroy you. And when it comes to your life it will either conquer you or you will conquer it. But it is up to you as to who wins- you or evil.

The verse above gives us a choice: either overcome it or be overcome by it. When you read this verse in context it is dealing with those who are our "enemies"- those who come against us, those who sin against us, those who mistreat us, those who take advantage of us, those who abuse us. How do we overcome evil and not allow it to overcome us? The answer is found in the second half of the verse- "overcome evil with good". What does that mean? It means that if someone sins against you, forgive them and give no place to revenge, malice or bitterness. It means if your if your enemy is hungry give him something to eat, if he is thirsty give him something to drink. It means to treat others the same way you would want them to treat you, and in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. It means applying the teachings of God's word to the situation you are faced with. By doing so, you will heap "coals of fire" upon their heads. In other words, you will be allowing the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to have room to work in their lives and you will be freeing yourself up from allowing anger, guilt and hate to consume you.

If you are living on planet earth you will face "evil". Are you going to let it conquer and destroy you, or are you going to conquer it? There is only one way to overcome it- by doing good. And doing "good" translates into: doing what the word of God commands you to do when faced with the evil.

Have a great day. There is only one way to overcome evil and it is with good.

For further reading:
Romans 12
Proverbs 25:21,22
Matthew 5:44

"Seven Times"

"Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." Psalm 119:164

When I read this verse, my fist thought was-- that's a lot of times a day to praise the Lord. Then my next thought was-- do I praise Him seven times a day? The more I thought about it and broke it down, praising Him seven times a day would mean (based on the number of hours I am up in a day) that I praise Him at least once every other hour. So, when you look at it that way, seven times a day is really not hard to do.

When you stop and praise the Lord each and every time He does something for you, you can well exceed seven times a day. As a matter of fact, instead of walking out the verse above ("I will praise Thee seven times a day") you start walking in this verse instead- "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

The truth of the matter is, when it comes to praising the Lord, that it is not about the number of times we praise Him. There is no "acceptable" or "non-acceptable" number, and there is no "required" number of times we should praise Him. The number of times we praise Him doesn't make us more or less spiritual. It is not about keeping count. It is just about "praising Him". We praise Him because He is worthy. We praise Him when things are good and when they are bad. We praise Him in the daylight and in the night time. It is about having a heart that is filled with praise and gratitude-- and ours should always be.

Have a great day. It is not about the number of times we praise Him- there is no keep score card. Our lives should be a "living praise" to Him.

For further reading:
Psalm 109:30; 135:1;103:1; 115:18

"Privilege of Relationship"

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6

"Seek the Lord"-- when? "While He may be found". "Call upon Him"-- when? "While He is near". Have you ever thought about just how truly amazing it is that God allows Himself to be "found" by us, or that He brings Himself "near" to us as well? When you really stop and think about it, it is in-comprehensible that He desires to have anything to do with us, or that He desires to have a relationship with us. The Psalmist had this to say about it. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalm 8:3-5)

Seeking the Lord, drawing near to Him, having a relationship with Him is nothing to be taken lightly. Yet, so many Christians seem to be so casual in their relationship with Him. We take for granted that He is always going to be there so we don't commune with Him until we are in trouble and need His help.

It is only because of His great love, mercy and grace that we can even have any dealings with Him, much less a personal relationship. The point is, we don't deserve, and are so undeserving, to have any interaction with the Lord, yet it is a privilege that He has afforded us. So the question then is, what will we/you do with this privilege. Will you take it for granted? Will you neglect it? Or will you embrace it and take advantage of every opportunity to seek Him and draw near to Him?

Have a great day. A relationship with the Lord is a privilege that He affords us, not one that we deserve... so what are you doing with this privilege?

For further reading:
James 4:8
John 15:15; 1:12