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Scripture: Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus answered them saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and your neighbor as yourself ... on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

God has set two commands in motion for us so that we could find peace and happiness in this earth. With these two laws working together, our lives will be like a well-woven fabric that is not easily rent into pieces. One law is to love God and the other is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are simple commands, but just as the forces of nature hold the universe together, if obeyed, the law of love working within us will hold our hearts intact and we will discover a better life because of our obedience to God's words.

This law of love that God set forth is like the builder's tools, the straight measure of a plumb line and the bubble in the level. When these two devises are in correct alignment, the item being constructed is fitly joined and able to hold together. For when both the vertical and horizontal members are squared, they are in alignment with the forces that hold the entire universe together. These forces allow a house to be able to stand and a chair to bear weight. This is the mystery of the strength of right angles. Likewise, our spiritual plumb line represents our vertical relationship with God and the bubble represents horizontal relationships with others. We cannot be right with God and wrong with people any more that we can be wrong with God and right with people. The two must be squared off and in unity if we want our lives to be in right alignment and functioning properly. If our relationship to God is not straight or our relationship to others is not level, our lives will be out of balance and headed towards destruction. In time, our lives will fall apart just like an ill constructed house that does not adhere to the laws of nature.

Consider God's word as you think about your relationship with God and others. The principles that Jesus taught indicate that we must be right with man to receive from God. He said, "Ask God to forgive your debts as your forgive your debtors." Forgiveness only comes as we forgive. We must also give to others if we want God's blessings of prosperity upon us. Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given to you ... with the measure that you give, it will be given back to you" (Luke 6:38). The prophet Isaiah tells us to deal our bread to the hungry, house the homeless, and clothe the naked, then our light will break forth and our needs will be met (Isaiah 58). Keeping our relationship straight with those about us opens the windows of Heaven for God to minister to us. And likewise, there must be a receiving relationship from God before we can reach out and minister to others.

06/04/07
LED BY THE SPIRIT

Scripture: Romans 8:14 " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Our loving heavenly Father is just like any earthly father and continually deals with us and tries to lead us in the right paths. He is concerned with every aspect of our lives and always has our best interest in mind. His Holy Spirit speaks to our spirits, giving us a sense of direction and reminding us to stay in the bounds of God's commandments. We can rest assured that His continual dealings with us are for our benefit, as He desires to fulfill His promises to us and complete His purposes within us. Jeremiah 29:11 says "I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you ... to give you a future and a hope in your final outcome." Yet, it is altogether possible to miss the destiny that God has planned for us if we do not follow Him.

Psalms 32:8 says, "I, the Lord, will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel or guide you with my eye." This brings to memory my own parents who instructed me and taught me the proper way to act. When I disobeyed, I felt grieved knowing that I had failed their expectations. It took only one glance in my direction, and the expression in their eyes would call me to repentance very quickly. I had a choice to either change my behavior or continue in rebellion and reap the consequences.

David continued in this psalm to tell us that we are not to be stubborn as horses or mules that have to be forced in the right direction with bits and bridles because they have no understanding.  We are given a choice. We can choose to be led by the Holy Spirit and follow God's instructions and gentle reminders or we can be restricted by God as He attempts to keep us on the right path. God feels the same towards us as we feel toward our own children. He takes no pleasure in having to restrict us as though we have no spiritual direction. His will is that we seek Him and be sensitive to His voice and that we behave as mature sons and daughters. Consider these questions as you endeavor to follow God and be led by His Spirit.

    1)  Do my thoughts line up with the Word of God?
    2) Does the Spirit of God bear witness with my spirit?
    3) Will my decision lead me closer to God or away from Him?
    4) Am I following after peace?
    5) Is God providing for me to go in this direction?
    6) Am I listening to God's voice or being influenced by the opinions of others?
    7) Has my decision been confirmed by godly counsel? +++

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06/05/07
PUTTING YOUR LIFE IN GOD'S HANDS

Scripture: Psalm 25:1 (Amplified) "Unto You, O Lord, do I bring my life."

Sometimes it seems harder for us to trust in God than it does for us to trust in others. For instance, when we are sick and hurting, we don't find it hard at all to give ourselves completely to a doctor that we hardly know. We bring our lives to him in simple trust. We allow him to prescribe medication for us and to do whatever he feels he needs to do. If necessary, we even allow him to put us to sleep for several hours and operate on our bodies. Because we don't know enough about the subject, we rely on his training, education, and skill. We assume that what he tells us is the truth and rarely do we question his efforts unless he proves himself wrong.

However, when it comes to putting our trust in the Lord, we tend to cringe at the thought of not having total control over our own lives. We sense His Holy Spirit leading us, but our minds and emotions take us in the opposite direction because we fear disappointment and failure. We don't have the confidence that we need to walk the path of faith that God sets before us. If God prescribes something, we question Him. We find it difficult to rest while God is working His plan in our lives.

David said the most precious thing he had was his life, but he brought it and placed it in the hands of the Lord. He could trust no other, but was confident that his tender loving God would not disappoint him. David depended on the Lord to show him the right way to go and trusted God to guide him down the path of truth. He leaned on God's covenant of grace to comfort him when he was lonely and afflicted. God became David's secret companion because David reverently feared and worshiped Him. How great it would be if we would come to this wonderful place of trust that David had found and be able to totally surrender our lives to God and declare to Him, "Unto You, O Lord, I bring my life." +++

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06/06/07
PRAYER MOVES GOD

Scripture: Genesis 19:29 (Living Bible) "So God heeded Abraham's plea and kept Lot safe, removing him from the maelstrom of death that engulfed the cities."

We serve an awesome God who, even though He holds all power and authority in His hands, still listens to our voices and responds to our intercessions. It's an incredible thought that we can change the heart of the almighty God by our simple words.

In the eighteenth chapter of Genesis, Abraham conversed with God concerning the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah who were utterly evil. God was planning to destroy the entire city, but Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the godly with the wicked. He even challenged God by saying, "Far be it from You to do such a thing - to kill the righteous with the wicked."  Abraham then reminded God that as the Judge of all the earth, He must remain fair and do right. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He remembered Abraham's words and yielded to his intercessions. God spared the lives of Lot and Lot's daughters by sending them out of the city.

Abraham's intercession was simple but effective. He simply reminded God of who God was and then asked Him to regard the righteous that were in the wicked city. There are many people in our lives who need our prayers. For one reason or another, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are walking in darkness and don't even realize that they are being deceived. Even though we feel that they are on the edge of impending danger, there is nothing that we can say in the natural to change their minds. Our counsel is of no effect and our only recourse is to follow Abraham's example and intercede for them. Our prayers may be their only hope. Who knows, but that God would heed our prayers and keep them safe by removing them from their present danger. Ezekiel 22:30 tells us that God seeks for a man to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for the land. We have a responsibility and God is depending upon us to pray and intercede for His people and the unsaved world. God heeded Abraham's plea and He has made a promise to do the same for you. God moves the mountains, but prayer moves God. +++

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06/07/07
STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14 & 16 "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ... that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."

The Apostle Paul wrote these words while he was in prison. Yet he was not concerned with his own problems and discontent. Instead, he was concerned for the needs of the body of Christ. Because of these concerns, he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man would be strengthened with might, power, and ability. This can only happen by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell in our innermost being and personality.

Paul continued to pray in the next few verses that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our hearts, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He is not just an overnight guest, but is there to stay. And like any natural situation, the longer we live with Him and are exposed to His person, the more like Him we become. We gradually begin to take on His attributes and characteristics. His strength becomes our strength and we become rooted and grounded in His love because He is love. The deeper our roots grow in His love, the more secure we become in Him. Paul prayed that we would have the power to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of this love. The love of Jesus comes as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. It passes mere knowledge that has no experience. You may have had an experience in your life where you just knew that you could live with a particular individual, but as you began to live with that close friend or relative, the relationship proved the truth. You either bonded in love or separated in disharmony.

Scripture: Acts 17:27 "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, though He be not far from every one of us."

The Apostle Paul told us that we should seek the Lord and feel after Him though He is not far from us. Other translations of this verse tell us that we must "reach out for Him," "feel our way towards Him," or "grope for Him." It is like finding the light switch in the darkness. The switch is there, but we must make an effort to find it if we want to experience the light. Once, I got up in the middle of the night and headed towards the light switch that was on the wall near the door to the closet. The closet door had been left open, and in the darkness I was misdirected. Instead of finding the light switch, I walked into the open closet. I knew that I had gone astray because the wall upon which the switch was mounted was not that far from my bed. Confusion set in and I could not figure out where I was. The only alternative was to keep groping in the darkness and carefully feel around until I touched something familiar. When my hands touched the clothes, I realized where I had made my mistake. I then reversed my steps and made my way back to the light switch outside of the closet.

God is not playing hide and seek. He is not remote but is very near. Like the light switch on the wall, He doesn't change. He remains stable. We are the ones who go past His presence and are led away into the darkness. Paul said in verse twenty-nine that we are not to think of the Godhead as being an idol of silver or gold, for this is ignorance. He is not the Jesus that hangs on a cross around our necks. He is our resurrected Lord and Savior who sits at the right hand of God, and this is the Lord that we should seek. If we are groping around in the darkness with no joy of victory, we must repent and find the source of our light.

Joseph's angry and jealous brothers sought to stop Joseph's dreams from coming to pass. They stripped Joseph of the special coat of many colors that his father had given him and cast him into a pit. They later sold him into slavery. Their first choice would have been to kill Joseph, but their evil devices could only go so far because a sovereign God was still in control. God spared Joseph's life by using his older brother, Reuben, to rescue him from greater harm. When Joseph finally found himself in Egypt, he may have thought that God had forsaken him all together. Yet all the while, God was moving in Joseph's life and leading him to the place that he needed to be so that God could fulfill Joseph's dreams and God's plan.

When God thinks of you, He thinks of someone that He loved so much that He sacrificed His only Son. He allowed Jesus to become a curse for you so that you could spend eternity with Him. You mean something to God and are special in His eyes and He has thoughts and plans for you that include a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). God has spoken good words over you. Like Joseph, you may presently be limited by circumstances beyond your control. Life may have dealt you a poor hand, and as you view the future, it may seem that time is running out for your hopes and dreams to come to pass. For whatever reason, the future seems to only hold a few years and you may wonder how God can finish His work in your life in such a short period of time.

Regardless of how you view your situation, you must not become discouraged for God is still in control and He can do a quick work. Joseph was raised from the pit to the palace in one day. His grand work lasted only a short time, seven years of plenty and seven years of lack. In this short time, however, Joseph saved a nation from destruction and his dreams came to pass just as God had promised. Also consider Jesus. His ministry on Earth was only for three years, but look at what He accomplished in that short length of time. Like these men, it is time for you to make every moment in your own life count. You may have only three short years as Jesus did to fulfill your life's call. No one knows for sure what the future holds. You must work as though God is going to keep His promises to you and you must pray expecting Him to actually answer you. You must continue to express your thanksgiving and worship God in anticipation of His manifestation. Remember that even though you are human, God is divine. Stretch your faith and your thinking, and see what becomes of your dreams. God can bring them into reality. +++

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06/12/07
FATHER OF GLORY

Scripture: Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork."

You have only to look at a majestic sunset to appreciate the splendor and glory of God. He has to be the greatest artist of all. I once saw one of His masterpieces as it spanned the entire sky. In the east were clouds of pinks and blues that were indescribable. In the west, the sun was setting behind clouds of gold, silver, and purple. This was a magnificent creation, and yet, as great as it was, it was destined never to be duplicated. All of heaven was declaring the glory of God in those brief moments as God revealed Himself in nature. However, to experience this glory, you would have had to see it. I could try to paint a picture with words for you, yet regardless of my detailed description and explanations, your appreciation would be limited because of your lack of experience.

How often do we miss God's glory in nature by not being in the right place at the right time in order to see it? Likewise, how often do we miss God's glory in the spiritual because we are not spiritually discerning? Paul expressed his concern for the church not being able to experience the glory of God because their eyes were not open to God's calling in their life (Ephesians 1:17-18). As Paul prayed for the church, he addressed his prayer to the Father of Glory, the God of the Lord Jesus Christ. His first request was that the church would have a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that the eyes of their understanding would be opened. The Amplified Bible says that he prayed that God would give them "insights into mysteries and secrets by having their eyes of their heart flooded with light."

Paul was calling out to the Father of Glory. A father is one that creates or originates something and then remains responsible for it. God was the creator and the Father of the glory of the sunset. He was solely responsible for its majestic beauty, and just as He manifests His glory in that sunset, He desires to manifest His glory in your life. What an awesome thought! In Colossians 1:27 Paul says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." God's hope of being able to declare His glory to this lost and needy world will only be revealed when His presence and anointing is abiding in you. You are His hope and He wants to display Himself through your life. Yet just as the heavens and the earth are not able to produce their own glory, neither can you. You must trust God to paint your life as He sees fit and use the colors that He chooses. As you do, the Spirit of Christ will live big within you and your life will declare God's glory and proclaim His handiwork. +++

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06/13/07
HE KNOWS YOUR NEEDS

Scripture: Matthew 6:8 (Living Bible) "Remember, your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him."

Do you remember some of the prayers that you prayed in the past concerning things that you thought you needed or just had to have? You later rejoiced and thanked God that those particular prayers were not answered. How many hardships have we brought on ourselves by taking less than God's best or acting out of His perfect timing? God is full of wisdom and much smarter than you and I will ever be. He loves us enough to protect us from ourselves, and yet we struggle and get depressed when we don't get the things that we want.

God encourages us not to fret about those desires that go unmet. We are instructed to trust the Lord with all of our heart and told not to lean upon our own understanding, for He is an omniscient God, and He knows exactly what we need. Just as a wise earthly father rations sweets or caffeine to their children, God refuses to give us the things that He deems harmful to our body, soul, and spirit. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He will provide everything that we need.

God says in Isaiah 65:25, "I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking to Me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers." God's thoughts toward you are good, and His plans far exceed anything that you could ask or think. He is like a loving father and mother who are expecting a child. The child is unaware of any of its needs at present, and in reality could do with a lot less than the provisions that are in the making. But the loving father and mother rearrange their whole life and sacrifice their time and space to make room for the child to come. Months before the baby is born, they begin to decorate the nursery and acquire items for the baby. They are taking care of the needs before the baby ever knows the need exists or knows how to ask. If we can be so loving towards our own children, how much more can God, who is love, be loving towards us? Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about your needs; not even about what you are going to eat or wear." God knows your situation. Trust Him. You are His child, He loves you, and He knows exactly what your needs are and is making provisions before you even ask. +++

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06/14/07
FROM DAWN TO FULL LIGHT

Helen Keller said, "To have eyes and no vision is worse than being blind." Helen Keller was blind and had to grope around in a dark world because she had no sight. She was also deaf so she lived in silence with no audible sounds or voices to lead her. Yet, she felt that to lack spiritual vision was a worse disability than having blindness. Even though she could not see the first gleam of dawn or watch the light grow brighter through the day, it is apparent that she understood the concept of progressive vision.

God has set a path before each of us. At the dawning, there is little light and it's often hard to get a clear picture of what He desires to do in our life. God may even purposely hold back part of the plan at the beginning because He knows the whole picture will overwhelm us. There may be shadows or early morning fog that distorts the vision, but as the light shines upon our path they disappear and the vision of God's plan becomes precise and impassions our soul. When God's vision begins to dawn upon our soul, responsibilities come that require commitment and discipline and that also demand change. So, God takes ample time to deal with us in His love. As time passes, His Spirit prepares our heart by shining a little more light as we proceed down the path of our destiny. It is much like waking up in the morning to the bright sun that is too much for our eyes to handle. As we wake, we comfort our eyes by squinting and rubbing them until we can handle the light and our vision becomes clear. Spiritual sight is much the same. God knows us and will not put more upon us than we can bear. He starts with the light of dawn and we often can't believe the new word that He is imparting to our spirits. Yet, He begins to shine His light upon that word and His plan and purposes become more definite and defined in our hearts. His light gets brighter and brighter like the sun that rises at dawn and it confirms our path and gives direction. As the Lord leads us one step at a time, we sense our desires changing and coming in line with His great purpose for our lives. Finally, we get a glimpse of how it will all work out and can say, "God's will has dawned upon me and is getting brighter like the full light of day." +++

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06/15/07
GUIDANCE

Scripture: Proverbs 4:1 "Listen, children, to the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding."

We have all learned from our fathers in one way or another. A good father teaches us the principles of life and guides us into truth by their pure examples. They may never say a word concerning a certain matter, yet, their actions alone will cause us to understand the difference between right and wrong. Their heartbeat will be the drum that we learn to follow. A father who is not so good also teaches us, but in a different way. With a father of this sort, we learn the things that we shouldn't do if we want to live a good and blessed life. It is a matter of choice, for many good sons and daughters have come from less desirable parents.

Earthly fathers are meant to be a type and shadow of our Heavenly Father. They are to love us unconditionally but also be there to discipline us when needed. They are to be our comfort, protector, and provider, but more importantly they are to be our guide through life as they lead us down paths of righteousness. Solomon said, "Hear the instruction of your father, and give attention to understand what they are saying." He then follows these words by saying that if we listened to our fathers and gave attention to their guidance, that their wisdom would preserve and keep us (Vs. 6), promote us and bring honor to us (Vs. 8), be an ornament of grace and a crown of glory to us (Vs. 9), give us life (Vs. 13), and bring health to our flesh (Vs. 22). It is one thing to hear, but it is another thing to follow. Being told that the stove is hot and not to touch it is good instruction and guidance, but understanding and giving attention and obedience to those words is wisdom.

I had a wonderful earthly father who served God faithfully. Was he perfect by Heaven's standards? No, but his heart was perfected by God's love. He made many mistakes for sure, but I knew that he loved and cherished me and that he always had my best interest at heart. He went to be with the Lord many years ago, but I still honor his life. The Apostle Paul tells us to honor our father and mother, and then reminded us that this is the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). In all of the other commandments, God just said, "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not" and never gave a stated promise with the command. When He gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother, He promised that our obedience to that command would give us long life on this earth. Solomon reiterated the promise by saying that honoring the wisdom of our fathers would preserve us, keep us out of danger, and give us life.

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There are many deceptions in life for us to watch for and to be aware of. Circumstances will lie to us, symptoms in our bodies will alarm us, and people will consciously or unconsciously deceive us. Yet, the greatest deception that we will ever encounter is that of our own heart, for God said through the prophet that the heart is deceitful above all things. Jeremiah declared that the heart was not only deceitful above all things, but that it was also desperately wicked. He then asked the question, "Who can know it?"

It is a sobering thought to know that our heart is desperately wicked and that we cannot know it or discern its motives. We want to think that we are in control and have it all together. We want to believe that we are right and are doing right. Yet, experience has taught us that our lust will draw us down a path of darkness that we never intended to go down. Then our desire to gratify ourselves will cause us to justify the path that we are traveling and we will believe every lie that supports our feelings. The sad truth is that this road of deception leads to heartache and pain, and if unchecked, it will eventually lead to death. James 1:14-15 tells us, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust is conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished brings forth death." Briefly said, lust leads to temptation, temptation leads to sin, and sin leads to death. The enticement to sin is a deceitful and subtle trick of the devil. Lust that leads to sin may seem inconsequential for a moment, but sin is like conception. Once sin is conceived, there will be results. At the beginning the fruit may be hidden, but eventually the results will be evident and final.

The great healing evangelist, Kathryn Kuhlman, said, "We don't live on yesterday's glories, nor tomorrow's hopes - But on today's experience." Her words are simple but they stir our hearts with new revelation. Too often we miss the joys of today because we are weighed down by the memories of yesterday or we're too busy looking for a brighter tomorrow. We say, "I will be happy when ..." and we fill in the blank, but as soon as that particular need or desire is met, we insert something else in the blank space. Our hearts are never complete because we are searching for something that cannot satisfy our souls. True joy only comes as God ministers to us.

We must learn to appreciate the wonders of each new day that God so graciously gives to us. Very often we take our lives for granted and fail to consider that each breath that we take and each moment that we have is given because of God's loving kindness, mercy, and grace. We tend to waste the day that God made for us because we don't treasure or understand its value. We just try to make it through the individual hours. At the end of the day we've lost something that we cannot redeem, which is not just a block of time but also a portion of our life.

Scripture: Job 22:29-30 (NLT) "If people are in trouble and you say, 'Help them,' God will save them. Even sinners will be rescued: they will be rescued because your hands are pure."

God created man in His own image and by His great design and He intended that all men should follow Him and honor all of His laws. God planned a future for all of His creation, yet He is a God who gives men a free choice and He allows them to make their own decisions even though their choices may be against His will. Many times we have friends, family, sons, and daughters who go astray. They may even know God's word and understand the difference in right and wrong, but they have allowed their desires to overpower the truth that is in their heart. And sadly, they have chosen to follow a path into darkness.

As much as we love and care for them, we are helpless in trying to rescue them because it can't be done in the natural. They will not listen to any of our persuasions and our words of warning fall to the ground as if they were never spoken. We cry out to God in our distress, saying, "How can this be and where will it end"? We suffer grief over the situation and even wonder if we are at fault in some way. We would do anything to change the circumstances. Yet, we realize that it will take a miracle of God to turn them around and set them on the right path again. Our heart aches for them, for we know they will suffer physically because of the path that they have taken, but more importantly, we want to spare them from the spiritual and eternal consequences of their choices.

Our prayers become desperate. We pray, pray, and pray until finally, we have no more words to say and don't know what else to do. God understands where we are and His words are always there to comfort and instruct us. This simple prayer that is mentioned in the book of Job is mighty. It simply says, when our loved ones are in trouble, all we need to say is "God, help them." And then, somehow "God will rescue them because of the pureness of our hands." God is faithful and when we seek to serve Him with all of our heart, He is attentive to our words. James 5:16 says, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." We can depend upon God to honor His word. We must continue to stand in the gap for those we love. God sees our heart and He is not looking for long prayers and a lot of words. When we can find no other words to say, we can call their name out to God and pray this simple prayer, "God, Help them!" +++

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06/21/07
FORSAKEN BUT NEVER ALONE

II Timothy 4:16-17 "All men forsook me ... but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me."

Knowing and serving God is not a group effort. Instead, it is a one-on-one personal relationship and a life of obedience to the Father. Very often it requires standing alone in our convictions and following the Holy Spirit when no one understands. Like the Apostle Paul, many voices may rise against us and our closest friends may forsake us when God begins to deal with us. As we follow God, the reasons for our actions may be questioned and our motives scrutinized. Simply standing in the midst of this adversity will become a test of our faith. Then, as we choose to follow God instead of giving in to other opinions, we usually find ourselves rejected and standing alone. This is the price of servanthood and the cost of freedom.

Oswald Chambers wrote, "A servant of God must stand so much alone that he never knows he is alone." We must become so accustomed to this place of solitude that we do not think of it as being strange. Like the eagle that soars alone, it must become our comfortable place. We must know that God is with us, for He has made a commitment to never forsake us or leave us alone. Paul knew very well how it felt to experience this place when he was beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. Yet, he never allowed these places to disillusion him or cause him to give up. When all men forsook him, Paul knew that God was standing with him and he found renewed strength in that belief.

When this question was posed to Peter, he immediately knew the answer. Some thought that Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah who had come back from the dead. Others believed that Jesus was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. But Peter knew the truth and Jesus told Peter that this revelation did not come to him by flesh and blood. Instead, the Father in Heaven had revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Before His earthly birth, Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and now sits there again as our intercessor. Jesus was with the Father when the world was framed and man was created. He witnessed Lucifer's rebellion when Lucifer declared that he would be like the most high God and then Jesus watched as God cast Lucifer out of Heaven along with one third of the angels. Jesus Christ was the baby who was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger (Luke 2:12). He was the One that the angels herald and the shepherds came to worship. A few years later, He was the Christ child that the wise men who journeyed from the East came to honor. They recognized Him as the King of the Jews and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. At the age of twelve, Jesus was the young boy who stunned those in the temple with his knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. He was the obedient son who returned home with His earthly mother and father even though He knew that He was called to do the business of His Heavenly Father. At the wedding feast in Canaan, He was the respectful son who changed the water into wine in obedience to His mother even though He declared that He was performing this miracle before His set time.

Jesus was the multiplier of the fish and bread to the hungry thousands who had followed Him into the desert to hear His teaching. He was the healer of the blind, deaf, and diseased and He was the deliverer of those who were oppressed and held in demonic bondage. He was the compassionate Messiah to the woman at the well who was living with a man that was not her husband and the forgiving Lord to the woman who was caught in the sin of adultery. Jesus was life to Lazarus and the others who had died as He miraculously raised them from the dead. He was the miracle worker who taught His disciples about faith. He showed them that it is possible to walk on water and calm the raging seas with just a simple command. He spoke to His disciples of vision. He first told them to go out into the deep waters to fish for their provisions, and then later, He told them to go to the entire world to preach the gospel and be fishers of men. The last thing the Apostle John wrote in his book was these words, "Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25 - NLT).

Our family recently spent a few days at the beach. To get from our living accommodations to the beach area we had to use a footbridge to cross over the sand dunes. Over time the sand dunes had turned into grassy knolls and were really not very inviting, but some people must have been drawn to them because signs were posted on both sides of the bridge. One sign simply said, "Walk on the bridge and stay off of the sand dunes." The other sign said, "Do not walk on the sand dunes. They are a natural habitat for sea turtles, crabs, spiders, rats, and rattlesnakes." The first sign was a simple instruction, which contained no reasons or warnings why we should stay off of the dunes, but the second sign really caught our attention. It listed the serious hazards and consequences of not staying on the bridge. Disturbing the habitat would be not only destructive to the life that lived there, but was also a possible danger to the life of the intruder.

In our lives, we too are given instructions and told not to go to the left or to the right. We are told to stay on the narrow bridge of life, so to speak, and not to allow ourselves to enter into the temptations of sin. The command is simple, "Thou shalt not", but the consequences may not be listed there with the command. Like the hazards of the sand dunes, unless we study God's word thoroughly, we may not understand the results of straying outside the borders that God has set for us. Yet, disobedience to His commands is a matter of life and death. We must pay close attention to God's words, commands, and His gentle voice because He is trying to keep us away from real danger. He may say a simple, "Do not sin" or "Stay on the bridge" but we should trust Him. All of His words should get our full attention regardless of how simple they may sound.

The prime signpost in our lives is Jesus Christ and in order to have a complete and blessed life, we cannot allow ourselves to stray from His laws. We must acknowledge Him in all of our ways and follow the leading of His Holy Spirit. We need to continually ask for His direction before we lose our way on the journey through life. If we rely upon the Lord, He will open the doors that we should go through and close those that we should not enter. If we yield to His sovereign will, He will be a solid foundation for us and will open our eyes to the evils that lurk outside of His boundaries. He will keep us from the unknown dangers and snares that are between us and our destiny. The Lord's signs are simple. He tells us that there is set before us the blessing or the curse and life or death. We need to listen and obey as He warns of the consequences of the broad way that leads to destruction and as He encourages us to choose the narrow path that leads to life. +++

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Others may be able to counsel you, pray for you, and teach or instruct you, but only you can wait upon the Lord.  The time you spend alone in God's presence is the thing that gives you the strength to mount up with spiritual wings and soar above the storms that come into your life. This scripture doesn't say that there is a 50-50 chance that you will be stronger if you wait on the Lord. It declares that you WILL definitely be stronger, for strength is conceived in solitude. As you wait in God's presence, you exchange your weakness and lack of might for His power and renewed strength. Isaiah 40:30 tells us that even the young men who don't wait upon the Lord will faint, be weary, and fall. This is because true strength doesn't come by natural might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:6).

The eagle stands on the edge of the cliff, spreads its wings, and then waits for the wind. It stands there alone for as long as the season demands. The eagle isn't pressed by time or the circumstances that surround it. It doesn't jump off the cliff ahead of the wind, for the eagle knows that its strength is not in itself but in the wind. The eagle waits on this unseen force and depends upon it to lift it above its circumstances. When the wind comes, a mysterious thing happens.  As the eagle yields to the wind, it exchanges its weakness for the power to soar. So it is in your life with the Spirit of the Living God. You don't have to understand how the wind of the Spirit works, just be still and wait upon the Lord.  When you sense His presence, yield yourself to Him. As you do, He will replace your weariness with strength and cause you to mount up with wings as the eagle.

Be encouraged by these words from Roy Lessin.

    "As you wait on the Lord,
          You learn to see things from His perspective,
          You move at His pace, and function under His directives.
     Waiting times are growing times and learning times.
     As you quiet your heart, you enter His peace;
     As you sense your weakness, you receive His strength;
     As you lay down your will, you hear His calling.
     When you mount up, you are lifted by the wind of His Spirit.
     When you move ahead, you are sensitive to His timing.
     When you act, you give yourself only to those things
          He has asked you to do." +++

Jesus instructed his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. As they obeyed His words, they found themselves in a terrible dilemma, for there arose a great storm. Winds beat against their ship and the waves began to fill it with water. Fear gripped the disciples' hearts and doubt filled their minds. Yet, somewhere in the midst of all this turmoil and confusion, they remembered that Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. When they finally called upon Him, He brought all things back to normal by rebuking the wind and speaking peace to the sea. It took only a few words from the lips of Jesus and suddenly there was a great calm.

In the midst of this great storm, the disciples found that they had no reason to fear. Jesus was still in control of the ship, the wind, the seas, and even their hearts. And even though Jesus saw their hearts were filled with fear and unbelief, He still worked a miracle on their behalf. When the storm ceased and the ordeal was finished, the disciples marveled, saying, "What manner of man is this?" They experienced a new depth of reverence for the One who had caused the winds and sea to obey Him.

A legacy is a possession that we either receive from our ancestors or that we leave to those we love. It is an inheritance that may be valuable or simply cherished because it belonged to someone significant in our lives. Some of these gifts are tangible but the most important legacies that are imparted to us or that we can impart to others are intangible. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." To some guidance and correction are common. Yet in reality, they are positive and priceless legacies. We cannot discount their value because they form the individual and set them on the path of life. It is like the old saying goes, "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree." Whatever we want our children to become, we must gently guide them in that direction.

Unless my life changes and I become rich and famous, I will have no great riches to pass to my family. Yet, there are things that are important to me that I would hope that my children and grandchildren would receive from my influence upon their lives. If I could, I would pass to them the awareness of the presence of the Lord in their lives that I have experienced in my own life. I would also want them to love God and know the love of God as I do. These are my greatest personal assets and are more important to me than any material possession that I own. My desire is that my children and grandchildren would have the same commitment to God's kingdom purposes that I have. I would like to pass to them my standard of life, which is to do all things with excellence and integrity. These are priceless legacies and some of these values were passed to me from my father, mother, and other spiritual leaders decades ago as they nurtured me in the things of God.

Jesus spoke of the relationship that He had with God the Father. He said that they were "one", meaning that they were in perfect unity with one another and undivided in their natures. You can know someone from afar or know about them through study, but to become "one" requires time and effort, and Jesus made this effort. He did not rest in the relationship that He had with the Father before He came from Heaven to accomplish His mission on Earth. While Jesus was here on Earth, the word declares that He spent much time alone in communion with the Father. Regardless of how tired or busy He may have been, Jesus still arose a great while before the day began and went to a solitary place to pray. He also didn't worry about the demands of the next day or the negative results that He may experience if He lost His rest and sleep, but continued in prayer throughout the night. Everything that He did was preceded in prayer. Prayer was a priority for His life and the most important part of His agenda. Through communion with the Father, a bond was created and this bond was so strong and so definite that He and the Father were one.

In John 17:21, Jesus desired that we would find this same place of unity that He and the Father shared. He prayed, "Father, just as You are in Me, and I am in You, let them also be one in Us." Prayer is not meant to be just words and petitions for needs. Prayer is meant to be communion where we bond with the one that we are spending time with. This personal time allows us to learn about one another. In this time of communion, God shares Himself with us and we share ourselves with Him. He listens to our hearts and we listen to His heartbeat. He opens our eyes to see His plans and purposes for our lives and then gives us faith to grasp His vision in the spirit. We share our doubts and fears and He dispels them one by one until our hearts become one. We confess our sins and He cleanses us with His forgiveness and draws us back into unity with Him.