12/02/13
ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD

Scripture: Romans 8:27-28 "... the Spirit makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good ..."

Life offers surprises to all of us and many times we do not know what to think or say in the middle of the ordeals that come our way. We believe that God will come to our rescue so we definitely want to keep our faith and not complain or make negative confessions about our situation. Yet, we don't want to have false hope and offer untrue statements either. So how can we express our faith and trust in God until our promise of hope is fulfilled?

We must understand that God is never taken by surprise. He not only knows the beginning to the end, He also has a plan to bring all things together for our good. He is able to take the lemons in our lives, add some sweetness, and make lemonade. When things seem impossible, He is able to take the crooked circumstances and make them straight for our benefit. Even when people work against us, they can't stop the plan and blessings of God that are upon our lives. Our hope is no different than that of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery. Everything worked together for Joseph's good because he loved God and was called according to God's purposes. Joseph told his brothers, "You thought evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

God's Word doesn't say that all things are good, but it declares that all things will work together and turn out for our good in the end. We must realize that maturity is developed in the midst of adversity, strength is gained in pain, and a spirit of hope and faith is birthed in the midst of desperation. Every trial of faith that we endure deepens our trust in the Lord. Every experience that we go through causes us to grow and teaches us that all things are working together for our good. Therefore, when others question us about the disease that is attacking our body, our confession should be, "According to Romans 8:27-28, The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." When we are financially challenged, we can boldly declare, "The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." When our relationships are strained, we should find refuge in this same thought, "The Spirit is making intercession for me according to the will of God and all things will work together for good." This confession also holds true when we are facing any of the other storms of life. It is God's Word for us and we can trust Him to bring it about in His time. +++

12/03/13
SEED TIME AND HARVEST

Scripture: Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

From the very beginning of time, God set irrevocable laws into motion. One of those laws is that there would always be seed time and harvest. God has established a season to plant seed and also a season of harvest for us to enjoy the fruits of all of our labors. The law of seed time and harvest is as sure as the night that follows the day or the promise of summer and winter. Another part of that law is that we will reap what we sow. We can't plant a bean seed and hope for a corn crop any more than we can plant an orange seed and expect to produce an apple tree. Seeds are limited to the laws of nature and respond to the commands of God. In the beginning, when God created the Earth and everything in it, He spoke to every plant and told them to bring forth after their own kind, and that law is still in force today. God's eternal Word still controls the harvest. 

The law of seed time and harvest sounds so simple, but many times we fail to remember that it works just as well in the spiritual realm as it does in the physical realm. The Apostle Paul spoke to the church in Galatia and said, "Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap." The Amplified Bible makes a firmer statement saying, "that and that only is what he will reap." When we think about Paul's words, we must consider more carefully what we sow, for every deed that we do and every word that we speak is going to bring forth a harvest after its own kind. Even the thoughts that we allow ourselves to think will eventually bear some kind of fruit, for every kind action starts with a kind thought and every evil action starts with an evil thought.

Another law of seed time and harvest is that there is a space of time before the seeds begin to produce a harvest. Seeds are placed in the ground and hidden from view and for several weeks it looks as though nothing is happening. And then suddenly, life springs forth from the ground and whatever has been planted will make its way through the soil and expose itself. Sometimes the seeds lay dormant and the crop is slow in coming. Three years ago, I planted some yellow iris seeds in my flowerbed. I was very disappointed the first year because they did not come up. I thought they were totally lost so I just forgot about them. The next year, to my surprise, a few of them came up and bloomed. Finally, the third year, I had a large harvest of yellow irises. It was slow but the promised harvest did come.

The same is true with the spiritual seeds that we sow. We may not see immediate results for the good or bad seed that we have sown, but we can be sure that ultimately there will be a harvest. We may even think that we are getting away with sowing bad seed, but when we least expect it, our seed will yield fruit and it will be according to the kind of seed that we have planted. Our good deeds will produce rewards and our sins will surely find us out. Let us keep these thoughts in our minds and remember that every choice is a seed. For that reason, we must be careful to sow only what we want to reap, for a harvest will surely follow our seed time. +++

12/04/13
GOD IS FOR ME

Scripture: Psalms 56:9 "This I know; God is for me."

The psalmist who wrote these words also made a plea to God for help for he had been taken captive by the enemy. He felt as though he was being swallowed up because of their oppression. Yet, even in this place of danger and despair, he declared that his trust was in the Lord. He said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in You" (Verse 3). He felt certain that when he cried out to the Lord that his enemies would turn back in retreat, for he had come to this conclusion, "God is for me."

We can have great confidence in knowing that God is on our side and that He is for us at all times. He is there as a loving Father who believes the best about His children and He is never against us in any situation. Even when we are in the wrong, God is working to bring us back to a place of repentance and will show us the way of escape. He is the Good Shepherd who draws us by His Spirit back to the fold. He is the Father of the prodigal who waits patiently to restore His son to his rightful position in life. He is the faithful Friend who sticks closer than a brother when we are in trouble and is our Comforter when sorrow and grief strike at us. He is the Redeemer to the lost and the Great Physician to sick. He is the Provider who supplies for all of our needs according to His riches in glory. He is the Lord of Hosts who fights our battles for us, our Shelter in the storms and our Refuge in the time of trouble. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but will be there when all else fails because He is for us.

The revelation of who God is in our life and the knowledge that He is for us should give us peace for every situation that challenges us. Romans 8:31 says, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" If God loved us enough to give His Son for us, He surely loves us enough to keep us safe and to care for us in the threat of danger. He is our confidence for today and our hope for tomorrow. No enemy can stand against the presence of God in our life or suppress His plans for our future. We must lean upon the Lord with all of our understanding and trust His judgment because like the psalmist said, "We know that God is for us and not against us." +++

12/05/13
GOD VALUES YOU

Scripture: Matthew 6:26 (NIV) "Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

I stood at the edge of the seawall near the beach one day and held up a piece of bread in my hand. There was not a single bird in sight, but within a few seconds they began to flock around me. I was amazed when I realized that these birds were able to find the unexpected provisions that were being offered to them. I wondered at the event, as they were too far away to smell the bread in the midst of the ocean breeze and were not close enough to see it. Yet, God had led them to their provisions. To me, this was a natural occurrence, but for the birds it may have seemed a miracle. This incident was not the norm for them as they usually found their food along the beaches or in the ocean itself. In reality, this was God fulfilling His promise, for He said that He would always provide for them, and on this particular day He chose to surprise them with something different. 

God's provisions for us are no less natural and no less miraculous than that of His provisions for the birds. Everything that we have or will ever have comes from His gracious hand, and like the birds of the air God causes us to reap where we have not sown. When we put our trust in the Lord and seek His kingdom first, He promises that all that we need will be added to us. We are not to be anxious or worried about anything for He said that we are much more valuable than the birds. When we consider this fact, we have to conclude that God is watching over us continually and knows our every need. Most of the time He will use the earth and our natural faculties to meet our needs, but we must not put God in a box and forget that He is the creator. Often He will cause our blessings to come to us in uncertain and unfamiliar ways to let us know that He is God and that He is not limited by our usual circumstances. He is full of surprises and can do new things! 

In Psalms 50:11 God says, "I know all the birds of the mountains." He doesn't just know some of them; He declared that He knows all of them. Even a small sparrow doesn't fall to the ground without His knowledge (Matthew 10:27). If God knows all the birds, He also knows you and cares for you. As you face today, seek God's kingdom in all that you do and rest in His promise of provision. His provisions will always reflect His glory, for His Word says that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). God will cause someone to stand on the seawall of your life, if necessary, to manifest His power and to give you something new and fresh. God desires to feed you and clothe you in radiant colors as He does the birds because He values you and He delights when you are able to soar in the beauty that He has ordained for you. +++

12/06/13
PRAYER FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Scripture: Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him."

We seldom need to be reminded to pray for our own personal needs or for those close to us. Yet we often need to be reminded to pray for our nation and for the people of the other nations of the world. The reality is that we all need each other and we all need to pray for each other because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of our nationality. Our world works together and although we are of many different cultures, we are still one in God's family and in His Kingdom. Let us remember that God is no respecter of persons and that His promises are meant for all people. The Lord is faithful and He will honor you and your nation as you honor Him in prayer.

In the scripture above, the prophet Nahum made three declarations:

1.) The Lord is good.
2.) The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble.
3.) The Lord knows those who trust in Him.

All three of these declarations are a great encouragement as we face today's many challenges. There are floods, earthquakes, wars, and other disasters occurring in all nations. The whole earth is in turmoil. With everything that is happening, we would have to agree that today is a day of trouble for many. However, it is comforting to know that even though everything around us is not good, the Lord is always good. God's character is good and His reputation is just. We never have to wonder if the Lord is going to do the right thing, for He is faithful in His righteousness.

It is also wonderful to have the assurance that we have a safe place in the day of trouble, for the Lord is our stronghold and we are perfectly safe in His presence. We do not have to depend upon our own abilities or strength, for God is there to protect us from harm. We have nothing to fear because He will lead us through the valleys of the shadow of death. And finally, we can rest in the fact that God knows that we have invested our security in Him. The Lord knows our heart and He knows in whom we have placed our trust. He sees that our faith is in Him and in Him alone. God is a loving Father and He will not allow our trust and faith to be disappointed. He has called us to His Kingdom for such a time as this. Let us join together and give ourselves to prayer, for the Lord is our only hope and prayer is our only answer. +++

12/09/13
IN THE HANDS OF A SOVEREIGN GOD

Scripture: Genesis 39:2 "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man ..."

When Joseph was seventeen years old, his whole life changed in a very short time. His father had favored Joseph above his brothers and had given him a coat of many colors. As Joseph began to flaunt his robe before his brothers and tell them of his dreams, he provoked them to mischief. Because of their total disdain for Joseph and his dreams, they stripped him of his coat and threw him into a pit. Their intentions were to kill him, but God's hand was upon Joseph and He prevented his brothers from their evil actions. God sovereignly caused a band of traders who were on their way to Egypt to pass near the pit where Joseph was being held captive. Instead of killing Joseph, his brothers decided to sell him to the traders. 

Little did Joseph know that even in these early stages of his life God was working a divine plan. The execution of God's plan may have seemed cruel at the time, but God needed Joseph in Egypt so that He could fulfill His purpose in Joseph's life and provide for His people. In every detail, God had sovereignly worked to get Joseph to his appointed place so that He could groom him and get him ready to govern the land during the season of abundance and during the great famine of seven years.

Joseph had very little control over his life and circumstances. God was guiding every footstep and setting him up to save a multitude of people. All Joseph could do was go with the flow and cooperate with the circumstances that God sovereignly set before him. He learned to endure the hardships and disappointments gracefully and found favor with those about him. God was with Joseph every step of the way and caused all that he did to prosper. He allowed Joseph to be placed in charge of his master's household and even blessed his master's house for Joseph's sake. Every small step that he took was a part of God's great plan and Joseph eventually recognized this. He told his brothers, "You thought evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

God works no less sovereignly in our own lives. We may face cruel bondage and painful disappointments, but we must remember that God is in control. Like Joseph, our friends may forget us and our family members may reject us, but God will always be there. Our dreams may falter and our plans may fail but God says that all things will work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). If you have prayed, "Not my will but Thine be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" then get ready for God to direct your life. His ways may seem mysterious at times, but if you trust the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean to your own understanding, He will lead you down a path that brings blessings to others and prosperity and favor in your own life. +++

12/10/13
TEMPTATION

Scripture: Matthew 6:13 "And lead us not into temptation."

Jesus taught us to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to keep us from being led into temptation. James 1:13 says two things about God and temptation; God, Himself, is incapable of being tempted by evil, and God does not tempt anyone else to do evil. Satan is the tempter and as long as we are in this body of flesh, he will try to draw us into places of temptation.

A farmer saw a young boy standing in his watermelon patch and asked, "Son, are you trying to steal one of my watermelons?" The young boy responded by saying, "No. I'm trying NOT to steal one of your watermelons!" The boy was standing in the midst of his weakness and was trying to resist its temptation. Like this young boy, how often do we allow ourselves to be put into compromising positions that cause us to have to deal with temptation? Look at the pattern of temptation according to James 1:14-15. "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Temptation starts with a thought in the mind, and as we dwell on that thought, we begin to justify it until it is conceived in our hearts. It then becomes an evil desire of lust and passion that entices and baits our carnal appetites into action.

God deals with us a very long time before we get into these situations and He faithfully warns us that we are heading in the wrong direction. He stops us right in the midst of the field of watermelons and encourages us to turn from our evil ways. He says don't eat of the fruit, for sin has consequences. When it is finished, it brings forth death. The Holy Spirit convicts us and attempts to lead us away from temptation and even in the midst of temptation, He makes a way of escape. God does all that He can do to keep us from falling, but many times we fail because of the hardness of our heart and because we choose the liberty that God gives us to follow our own will.

When Jesus instructed us to pray for ourselves that God would not lead us into temptation, He was telling us not to wait until we needed deliverance from evil. On a daily basis, the Lord wants us to ask God to keep us from getting into compromising situations in the first place. We are to tell God that we want Him to intervene and keep us out of the place of temptation and trouble because even though our spirit is willing and wants to do right, our flesh is weak. Then as temptations present themselves, we must submit ourselves to God and immediately resist the enticing thoughts of the devil (James 4:7). As we express our desires to God, He will come to our rescue and will lead us away from the temptation. +++

12/11/13
THE LORD IS

Scripture: Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd."

David had reached a point of great security in his personal relationship with the Lord. He had come to realize that the Lord was present right then and there to take care of him in any situation. He said, "the Lord is." David did not put the Lord off into the future somewhere and hope that He would come through some way or somehow. David trusted the Lord's presence to restore his soul, provide for him, and to lead him to green pastures and beside still waters. Even in the deep sunless valley of the shadow of death, David had no fear of evil, for he knew the Lord was with him right then and he declared to the Lord, "You are with me." The Lord's rod was there to protect David and His staff was there to guide and comfort David. The Lord's presence in David's life was bigger than any problem or personal need that he faced.

Feeling alone in any situation can be overwhelming. We all need someone that we trust and feel that we can lean upon when the enemy is trying to conquer our souls and drag us under. Recognizing that the presence of the Lord is with us will sustain us during these times of crises and bring us victoriously through the conflict. Psalms 46:9-10 tells us that "God makes the war to cease ... breaks the bow into pieces, and snaps the spear in two." He is able to make an end to all of the division and conflict in our lives if we allow Him to. We need only to "Be still and know that He is God."

God is a very present help in the time of trouble. Hebrews 13:5 says, "He will never leave you, forsake you, or leave you helpless. He will never leave you without support or let you down." Your Shepherd cares for you and will never leave you at the mercy of your environment or enemies. He is your refuge and strength in the time of trouble. The knowledge that "He is" and that "He is present" will bring restoration and strength into your life. Acts 3:19 says that the time of refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. Let your day be filled with this promise, "Jesus said that He would be with you always even unto the end of the world." What a blessed thought, wherever you are, God is! +++

12/12/13
SEEKING GOD WITH INTENSITY

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29 "If you seek the Lord your God, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul."

We often search for a misplaced item, but give up after a few moments because of its insignificance. Yet when it's something important like our keys, we search with intensity. We become desperate in our search because we know that we can't leave until we find them. It is as though our lives depend upon finding the keys and very often we will call upon others to help us in our search. Once, I lost my keys and searched diligently but the keys were not to be found. After much panic and frustration, I decided that I had to leave without them and to my surprise I found that my keys were in the lock on the outside of door.

We can all relate to losing something that is important and feeling the urgency in our spirits to find it. We try to recall our journey just prior to the loss and track all of the steps that we made. We put everything aside and focus on finding the lost object. We search with all of our heart and soul and we're not satisfied until we find what we are looking for. This is the same way that God wants us to search for Him. He wants us to search with intensity and anticipation in our spirits. He wants us to seek for Him as if we were searching for a lost treasure. We are to search for Him as though our very lives depend upon it. We are not to wait until we are in stress and calamity and our lives actually do depend upon finding Him. We are to seek Him early while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). And like the keys in the door, "God is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27). We just need to search for Him until we find Him.

When you search for God with all of your heart and soul, I Chronicles 28:9 says that He will be found of you or He will allow you to find Him. When God unveils Himself to you, you will be forever changed for you will not only see His acts, but you will experience Him as a person. In His presence, you will get a view of His power and you will sense His strength. When your heart and soul makes contact with the Lord, you will know without a doubt that you have been in the presence of the King, and the moment will be eternally written upon your heart. God wants to minister to you and He desires to be found by you. God's Word says that if you seek Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul, you will find Him. When you find Him, He will wash your sins away with His blood, touch your pain with His love, and bring light into the darkness that troubles and clouds your soul. +++

12/13/13
WASTING TIME

Scripture: Luke 10:42 "But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke tells the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was like many of us in that she wanted everything to be perfect because Jesus was visiting in her home. I'm sure that if Jesus were to come to our home in person, our excitement would cause us to act the same way that she acted. We would want everything to be perfect. We might even neglect our personal prayer time and Bible study just to get ready for Jesus, the crowds of people, and the news media. Our time would be spent cleaning, cooking, and shopping for the right clothes to wear for the occasion. Our focus would be on the "visit", not the "visitor"

The scripture says that Martha was "cumbered about with much serving, full of care, and troubled about many things." Cumbered means "distracted with care, overdosed with everything, and dragging a cumbersome burden." This joyous occasion had become quiet a burden to Martha. She was not only cumbered down with all of the responsibility and work, but she had taken the burden of trying to control everyone else and involve them in her needs. She even tried to manipulate Jesus with her self-pity by saying, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone." Martha may have become jealous of Mary's spiritual interest and felt that Mary was just wasting time. She wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help her.

John 11:5 records that Jesus loved Martha just as much as He loved Mary. However, He did not respond to Martha's self-pity, control, and manipulation. He spoke three things to Martha concerning Mary and He speaks these same things to us today. First, He said, "There is one thing needful." That one thing is to sit at Jesus' feet and be still. There is a time that we must let everything go so that we can focus on developing a relationship with Jesus by being in His presence and hearing His Word. Second, Jesus said, "Mary has chosen that needful and good thing." Mary chose to rise above the criticism and control of others so that she could sit at Jesus' feet. People may not always understand when you put Jesus first in your life. So when you decide to choose the needful thing, you must set aside the world's opinions. Finally, Jesus said, "It shall not be taken away from her." Because Mary didn't allow herself to be distracted with the natural duties, Jesus didn't allow her blessing to be taken from her. There is always something eternal gained when we close ourselves in with Jesus, and whatever we experience in His presence cannot be taken from us.

We will always have to take care of the natural duties because we can't be so "heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good." Yet, we can't become so busy in the natural that we have no time for the Lord. If we are too busy to spend time with the Lord, then we are too busy. When the Lord decides to pay us a visit, we must put aside our own agendas and choose that needful and most important thing for the moment. We must stop and give attention to Him and simply be in His presence. The writer, Jamie Buckingham, said, "There's nothing more important than wasting time with God!" +++

12/16/13
WAITING FOR THE SEASON

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:17 "There is a time for every purpose and for every work."

Our lives and destinies are much like a beautiful rose. We start as a small bud covered with protective green leaves and we are hidden from view for a length of time. Like a natural rosebud, those viewing our lives can only guess what the colors of our life may turn out to be. Eventually, a little color begins to show itself and the promise of a beautiful future is envisioned. This process continues until the whole bud is in view. The rosebud, just as it is, is beautiful and even has a wonderful fragrance. Yet, it holds so much more promise within itself. If left to God's timing, it will become a glory to behold. The difficult part is waiting for the bud to open and for the petals to unfold, one by one. It is such a slow and delicate process, but there is nothing that we can do to hasten the work that nature is designed to do.

God holds our lives in His sovereign hands like He the rosebud. He plans each moment and arranges every experience that will enhance our brilliance, beauty, and fragrance. There are joys and sorrows, and there are also days of sunshine and days of rain. But God uses all of our life experiences, good and bad, to add depth and passion to our souls. Only God knows what is best for our lives, and like the precious rosebud, we must submit to His timing and wait for His divine season to come to pass. As we allow God to unfold the petals of our lives at His discretion, He will complete His work in our lives and fulfill His purposes.

Many times it is hard to wait on God's promise, but just as we cannot unfold the rosebud and keep the petals intact, we cannot unfold the seasons of our lives. They are too tightly mingled together and cannot be forced into being. God has an appointed time for all things in our life, but His promise takes time and we must wait for Him to unfold our destiny. If we attempt to pull the petals away before their time, we will spoil the beauty and crush the fragrance that He has designed, not only for our enjoyment, but also for His kingdom purposes. The life of the promise is within us, but we must trust God's timing, for our hands are too clumsy to handle our own destiny. We must anticipate the blessing, seek the Lord, and expect to receive, but more importantly, we must wait for God to fulfill His promise at His appointed time and in His chosen season. +++

12/17/13
FORGIVENESS AND FAITH

Scripture: Matthew 6:34 (NRV) "Today's trouble is enough for today."

"I laid down my worries and looked at them.
Part of them, I noticed, belonged to the past
and another part to the future." - Corrie ten Boom

Take a look at what you are truly concerned about right now. Many of us are experiencing Corrie ten Boom's words. We are living in the present day but are allowing the guilt of the past and the fears of the future to haunt us. We have become mentally indebted and we can't seem to let go. It is said that guilt is the interest paid for past mistakes - and worry is the interest paid for the future. In the natural, you may have experienced a debt situation where the interest, penalty, and late charges that were added were quite a bit more than the original debt. If you examine your entire situation, you may find that the interest you are paying for your worries, in terms of stress, is adding up to be more than the actual debt. Debt, whether it be natural or mental, can be costly and stressful.

We must trust God concerning the failures of our past. When we live in guilt and fear, we are actually questioning God in His forgiveness and His ability to fulfill the promises that He has made to us. He wants to forgive us and is waiting to hear our confession. All that we have to do is simply confess our sins and God will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Forgiveness for the past comes by confession. This means we must confess our sins to God, calling them by their name. He doesn't want a general prayer that vaguely confesses, "If I have sinned, forgive me." God wants us to take responsibility and own-up to our sins and failures, naming them one by one. When we do this, He has promised to cleanse us, erase the debt, and remove all guilt and shame. 

God also wants us to know that we can trust Him for the future. He will provide for us and fulfill all of the promises that He has made to us. Mathew 6:28 says, "Don't even take thought for the food, water, and clothes that you will need. Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." If you just trust Him, He will provide daily food for you just like He does for the birds because you are more valuable to Him than they are. You are His special creation and He has even numbered the hairs on your head.

Jesus said, "Just look at the beautiful lilies of the field. They don't toil, spin, or worry." They just look toward the heavens and draw their strength from God's daily provision of rain and sun. Because of their simple trust, God clothes them in a glory that exceeds the glory of King Solomon. Like the lilies and the birds, God will also take care of you and clothe you in the same splendor. Jesus said it so plainly. "You have enough to worry about for today. So forget the past and all of its failures and trust Me for your future." +++

12/18/13
WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

Scripture: Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said to Moses, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod."

All that Moses had in his hand was a rod, or a shepherd's staff. It didn't seem like much to Moses, but God told Moses that He would use that rod to do signs and wonders. As Moses led God's people out of Egypt, his rod became a serpent and swallowed the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. His rod was also used to turn the river into blood and bring the plagues of frogs, lice, locust, thunder, and hail on the land Moses' rod was even used to divide the waters of the Red Sea. God used the most insignificant thing in Moses' life to accomplish His will. He used a simple man with a simple rod. All that He asked of Moses was faith and obedience to use what he had in his hand. There was no power in the rod itself, or even in Moses. The signs and wonders came directly from the Almighty God who was manifesting His supernatural power through both of them.

Sometimes we cringe when God asks us to do something for Him. We feel so insignificant and our abilities seem so lacking, especially when we compare them to the abilities of those around us. How could God be calling on us when others are more capable? Like Moses, we think, "What is our strength compared to the challenge that is set before us?" Yet, we must remember that God always equips and empowers those whom He calls.

What small gift has God imparted to you that is unused? Do you have a smile that could turn someone's day around, a loving heart that you could share with the lonely and rejected, or a comforting word for the distressed? God wants to use your simple words of encouragement to minister to those around you. He is anxious for you to pray for the sick, visit those in prison, or minister to the widow, fatherless, and the poor. There are always needs. In comparison, your resources may look like a simple rod, but you must remember that it is not what you have that really matters, but it is what God can do with what you have when you yield it to Him. If God can multiply oil for a widow so that she can pay her debts (II Kings 4:6), and multiply five loaves and two fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children, He can also take what little you have to offer and multiply it so that it blesses a multitude of people. Little becomes much when God reaches out and touches it. So allow Him to anoint whatever is in your hand. +++

12/19/13
ONE ACCORD - ONE MIND

Scripture: Philippians 2:2 "... being of one accord, of one mind."

It makes the Lord very happy when His children can work together and live in harmony with one another. He rejoices that those of His own household are dwelling in peace and unity. King David declared that when the brethren dwell together in unity, it brings God's anointing and blessings upon their lives (Psalms 133:1-3). Unity is a pleasant experience, not only for the Father, but also for His children. It is like precious oil that flows down upon us and is as refreshing to us as the dew upon the mountains.

There is nothing that can be accomplished or gained by being in discord. Even nature itself shows the benefits when efforts are made in a spirit of unity. We see the flight of the geese as they travel from the north to the south and marvel at their conduct. They fly in a near perfect "V" formation with one goose in the lead. This pattern reduces the wind drag and gives lift to the geese that have lesser strength. It is estimated that flying in this pattern increases their performance by up to 70 percent. You have to wonder how they came to choose their leader. Did they have a committee to elect this particular goose or did they have some sort of try outs to determine which goose had the greatest ability, strength, and endurance? Did they argue amongst themselves as to who was going to be the front goose? We have never had a report of anyone seeing them hold an election on the ground before their flight. Yet, they all seem to be at peace with their leader and they all work together to get to where they are going. The lead goose even shares his position and will relinquish it to another goose in the midst of the flight.

The goal for the geese is their destination and not their own place of self-importance. This same unity is what we need to strive for in our walk with the Lord. Like the geese, so much more can be accomplished in our lives if we all work together to get to where we are going. King Solomon said that two are better than one; for they can keep each other warm in the cold and lift each other up if one of them should fall. Even our prayers are strengthened when we are in unity with other believers, for Matthew 18:19 says, "If two agree as touching anything on Earth, it will done of the Father in Heaven." The Lord even waited until the believers had come into one accord before He sent the promise of the Holy Spirit into their midst (Acts 1:14). Reaching our destination in life may require that we let some things go or that we do not try to be the head goose. Our destiny choice is very clear and simple. We need the Lord and we need each other to help us get to where we need to be. Yet, we can never expect the Spirit of God to move within our lives until we are not only in one accord and one mind with Him, but also with each other. +++

12/20/13
QUICKENED BY THE WORD

Scripture: Psalm 119:49-50 "Remember the word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for Your word has quickened me."

Seasons of affliction and distress come to all of us, but our victory during these times of trial and testing depends upon our response. The harder the test, the easier it is to give up and accept the defeat of the devil. However, the right response to times of affliction is found in this psalm. The psalmist responded by holding on to the Word of God that had been quickened, or made alive, in his heart and he allowed that Word to be his comfort. He did not become embittered about his circumstances or curse God. He simply reminded God of His Word and trusted God to honor it.

Many times in the midst of our affliction, we try to hold on to a word from God that hasn't been made alive to us. We've heard someone else quote it and have seen them receive their answer, so we assume that it will work for us. We act in superficial faith, believing for the same results. But acting on someone else's miracle is not faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith comes when we hear God speak the Word to us. When He speaks, His words are full of power and the miracle comes because the Holy Spirit brings life to that word or scripture. Notice that God caused the psalmist to hope in His Word. Because God was connected with the Word that had been given, it was a comfort to the psalmist. God had breathed on His Word and infused it with power, causing it to come alive within the psalmist's spirit. God was the source of the psalmist's hope.

If you need a scripture to come alive in your heart that will bring comfort, it is only a prayer away. The psalmist showed us how he was quickened by the Word. He prayed in Psalms 119:107, "I am afflicted very much. Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your Word." He purposely asked God to quicken Him and bring him life. There are scriptures that are written to meet every need that you may have and bring deliverance for every bondage that is holding you captive. You must search the scriptures and find those that pertain to your situation, and then remind God of what He has said. Meditate on those scriptures and read them aloud. As you do, ask God to quicken you with those words. Do this again and again until your spirit is made alive by those words from God. It is sort of like striking a match repeatedly until it finally ignites. Faith will come but it will come by hearing. When the Word of God ignites within your spirit, faith will arise to bring comfort in the time of affliction, for "God's words are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). +++

12/23/13
DON'T ABANDON YOUR DESTINY

Scripture: Matthew 1:20 " ... Fear not to take unto thee Mary as thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

Mary and Joseph were espoused to be married. 'Espoused' among the Hebrews was the legal part of the marriage, meaning that the legal documents had been completed and signed, and that the marriage date had been set. Even though Mary and Joseph had not come together as man and wife, this legal binding could only be broken by a bill of divorcement. In the midst of the season of their espousal, Joseph learned that Mary was with child. His first thoughts were to put her away privately so as not to expose her to public shame. While he thought upon these things, the angel of the Lord spoke to him. The angel told Joseph not to fear to take Mary as his wife because the child in Mary's womb had been conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Without fully realizing what was happening in his life, Joseph was in the perfect will of God. God had chosen Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to act as the natural father who was to care for the Messiah child, Jesus. For the next few years, Joseph was to protect and provide for the beloved Son of God. Joseph was also destined to be the instrument that God would use to fulfill many of the prophecies of old as he followed the leading of the Lord and obeyed the visitations of the angels. But now because of the purpose of God and the divine conception of the Holy Ghost, Joseph was facing public shame and misunderstanding. In the midst of this conflict, Joseph almost abandoned his destiny by putting Mary away privately, but God faithfully intervened and kept him on course.

Like Joseph's walk with the Lord, God leads us in our natural paths to fulfill His supernatural purposes. Often we have no idea that God has set before us divine appointments. We just proceed in the natural toward our goals and plans, thinking that we are only pursuing our dreams and visions, when in reality God has caused us to conceive those desires by planting them in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. God then opens and closes doors by His wisdom and leads us unknowingly down His paths that He has designed. Suddenly, the season comes for His perfect plan to be accomplished in our life and great conflicts may accompany it. We may face many challenges, yet we must never give in to fear or abandon the destiny that God has for us. We must continue to hold on to the things that have been conceived in our hearts by the Holy Spirit and allow God to complete His work and His plan. When we allow God to work in our lives, we will stand in wonder as we find ourselves in the right place at the right time, accomplishing something for His kingdom that we never thought possible. +++

12/24/13
NO ROOM

Scripture: Luke 2:7 "There was no room for them in the inn."

Joseph and Mary did not just happen to be in Bethlehem at the time that Jesus was born. Instead, it was planned and ordained by God, as He fulfilled the prophecy that was spoken in Micah 5:2, which declared that the Messiah would come from the City of David, Bethlehem of Judea. To make sure that Mary and Joseph were in the right place at the right time to fulfill this prophecy, God caused Caesar Augustus to make a decree that required all of the people to go to their own country to be taxed.

God does not do things randomly. He has purpose for all things and it seems to be very fitting for Joseph and Mary to be found in Bethlehem when it was the time for Jesus to be born because the name Bethlehem means "house of bread." God was making provision for all mankind, for Jesus is the Bread of God (John 6:33). He is also called the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the Living Bread (John 6:51). Yet when Joseph and Mary arrived at this special place that God had ordained, there was no room for them. Jesus was the King of Kings but instead of being birthed in His own castle, He was born in a borrowed stable where animals were kept. Instead of having a royal bed, His mother gave birth to the Son of God on the ground amongst the animal's straw. Instead of having royal subjects to assist her, Mary and Joseph, alone, took care of the Anointed Christ. Instead of being given royal robes, the Messiah was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And instead of being laid in a beautiful crib, the Savior of the world was laid in a manger where the animals were fed.

It is no wonder that as all mankind neglected the birth of His Son, that God, Himself, showed up to honor Jesus and to celebrate this wonderful event. God created a great star to light up the sky and then He instructed the angels to sing as the glory of God shone all around them. They pronounced, "Peace on Earth and good will towards men" and sang, "Good tidings of great joy." God brought the shepherd's of the field to worship the Christ Child and moved upon the kings and wise men of the East to bring gifts that were fit for this King of King and Lord of Lords.

As we think about this story, we must examine our own lives. Jesus stands at the door of our heart every day and knocks. Will we tell the Lord of Lords that there is no room today because our schedule is full or will we invite Him to come in so that we can commune with Him? Will we give Him the lesser place in our lives or will we treat Him as King and allow Him to be the ruler of our heart? Will we allow other idols to dominate our lives or will we worship and bow before His throne? Will we be reluctant to share our means with Him or will we give the best gifts that we have to offer? These are all personal questions that each of us must answer. The Lord is seeking for an open heart. Do not allow the moment to pass. Do not allow your heart to be so full of the world that you have no room for Him. Instead, give Jesus the best chamber of your heart. +++

12/25/13
ONE SOLITARY LIFE

Scriptures: Luke 2:10 - 11 & 1:31 - 33 "Fear not: I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Thou shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest ... And He shall reign forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end."

"He was born in an obscure village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
He then became an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college.
He had no credentials but Himself.
While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinion
turned against Him and His friends ran away.
He went through a trial that was a mockery.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only
piece of property He had on earth, and that was His coat.
When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today
He is the central figure of the human race.
All the armies that have ever marched,
All the navies that have ever sailed,
All the parliaments that have ever sat,
And all the kings that have ever reigned have not affected
the life of man on this earth as much as that ..."
ONE SOLITARY LIFE ... Copied - From Unknown Author

May your Christmas be blessed as you celebrate the Birth of this One Solitary Life. +++

12/26/13
CHRISTMAS

Scripture: Luke 2:10 " ... good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people."

One night the shepherds were going about their normal duties. It probably seemed that it was going to be a typical night as they watched over their sheep in the fields. Little did they realize that they were destined for a divine and supernatural appointment with the angels of the Lord and that centuries later this encounter would be re-enacted time and again as one of the most prominent events in history. Images of angels and lowly shepherds would stand along side the nativity scenes and pictures of shepherds would appear on thousands of Christmas cards. It is interesting that the angels did not go to the religious leaders of the synagogue, the Sadducees, or the Pharisees. Neither did they go to the wealthy or the prominent. Instead, God chose to send them to the lowly shepherds whose testimony would be one of the confirmations that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, had been born.

Can you imagine the surprise it was to the shepherds when the glory of the Lord shone about them and the angels began to speak to them? The shepherds' first reaction was fear, but the angels reassured them that they were bringing good news and these good tidings of great joy were for all people. Christmas actually means "Christ for the masses." God never excludes anyone from salvation. His Word says that whosoever will, may come. It also declares that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Christ Jesus gave His life on the cross for the masses of the world. He died for the pure and the prostitute, for the rich and the poor, and for the educated and the unlearned. He died for those who habitually obey the laws of the land and also for the lawless. He died for the saint and the sinner, for the kind and the unkind, the good and the bad, and the beautiful and the unlovely.

Jesus died between two men. One man received Him and the other rejected Him. We have the same choice, for He does not force anyone into His kingdom. He gives us an invitation but we must respond. We can choose to believe the good tidings of great joy or we can reject them. We can receive the good news of His salvation, healing, peace, and love or we can allow it to pass us by. The good tidings of His mercy, grace, longsuffering, and forgiveness are available to us and will bring us great joy, but we must receive them. God has offered you much in His Word so give some serious thought to your life during this special season. Reflect on the angel's message of good tidings of great joy and be assured that Christ came for the masses, and that includes you. +++

12/27/13
NO NEED FOR FEAR

Scripture: Luke 2:9-10 (NIV) "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'"

The shepherds were in the fields keeping watch over their flock of sheep and minding their own business when the angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to them. As the glory of the Lord shone around them in the darkness of the night, the shepherds were terrified. But the angel immediately told them not to fear and began to tell them the good news of the Savior's birth. Many times, in the scriptures, we have accounts where people experienced fear when God sent a message to them through an angel. When the angel, Gabriel, approached the Virgin Mary, he said, "Do not fear." The angel also told Joseph, the man whom Mary was going to wed, not to fear. The same words were spoken to Zacharias, who was to be the father of John the Baptist.

As we look at these lives, we wonder why these glorious events evoked so much fear. And yet, we must admit that when God gets involved in our own lives we too have fear because we have created boundaries by our senses. We are afraid that God will put us into the unknown and unfamiliar. We fear that we won't be in control of our own lives or that He may tell us to do something that we don't want to do, maybe even call us as a missionary to a foreign land. Yet, the only way to exercise faith and trust is by going through the unfamiliar and the unknown. When God calls, He doesn't show us a complete blueprint of the future or guarantee our security. His voice just moves us into the unknown. It is darkness to our natural senses, but a glorious light to our spirit because God always gives peace to the one that He speaks to. Others may question our decisions, but God says, "The way that you will know this is from Me is that I will give you perfect peace. There is no need for you to fear."

God speaks to individuals, not to groups. Even if He is directing or leading a group, each heart will hear His voice personally. Each shepherd witnessed the glory of the Lord and heard the angel speak. God spoke peace to each one individually. Have you ever had to instruct your own child to do something new or foreign? The first words out of your mouth were probably, "Don't be afraid." Your words and the security of your intimate relationship that you had developed with your child created peace in their heart. We must have the same emotional bond with Jesus and know that God is a God of His Word. We must trust them and surrender our lives to their bidding. When they speak, it will be good news, so there will be no need to fear. +++

12/30/13
FOLLOWING GOD'S PLAN

Scripture: Proverbs 16:9 "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure."

We can't envision the destiny that God has planned for us or compare our plans for the future with the Lord's plan for our life because His plans are much higher than ours. His plan is as far away as the heavens are from the earth. We know the Word tells us that He wants to give us a future and a hope, but that future is often hidden from our eyes. Yet, this ignorance concerning our destiny doesn't mean that we don't have one. God is continually working behind the scenes in our life and He will reveal His plan to us at the appropriate time if we stay in unity with Him. His strategy to fulfill His plan is very simple. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). To fulfill God's plan, all we need to do is to hear His voice and then follow where He leads. We don't have to know the plan from A to Z. All we need to do is just take one step at a time, and each step of obedience will give light to the next.

The shepherd knows so much more than the sheep. He may be forced to lead his flock from the open green pastures and cool waters to a safer place because he knows that a storm is coming or impending danger is near. Even though the sheep are being led away from the water and provision, they never question their shepherd; they just follow with a trusting heart. They hear his voice and they follow. Like the shepherd, many times God leaves us with no choices. He just orchestrates our life as He did Joseph's. God's sovereign hand was leading Joseph from the pit to the prison, and from the prison to the palace. At the time, it probably didn't seem like a very good plan to Joseph because the end was very obscure. All he could do in the midst of his adversity was hold on to his dream. Joseph had his own thoughts about how his dream would come to pass but his plan, which included his family bowing before him, was all about self-ego. God, however, had a greater plan and sovereignly directed Joseph's steps in order to bring deliverance to a multitude of people.

Do you sense a divine dissatisfaction in your spirit concerning your destiny and God's plan for your life? Possibly, you are not satisfied with where you are now and know that there is a greater call on your life. You must surrender the plans you are making in your own mind, and yield to God. Everything may seem obscure right now and nothing may make sense. But if you will take one day at a time, listen to God's voice, and follow Him, He will cause you to be in the right place at the right time and bring you into contact with the right people. The Lord will direct your steps and make each step sure. +++

12/31/13
INCREASE AND BLESSINGS

Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:11 (NIV) "May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised!"

Moses spoke these words over the children of Israel as he encouraged them to go in and possess the land that God had promised to them. God had such good plans for them and wanted to give them a thousand times more than what they had. It was God's intent to give them a land that flowed with milk and honey. This Promised Land was theirs for the taking, but they refused to believe His words, and because they limited God through their unbelief, they never entered into His promise. Except for Joshua and Caleb and the younger generation, they all died in the wilderness of defeat.

God still wants His children blessed beyond measure. This doesn't necessarily mean that we will have everything that we want or that we will all be rich and famous, for prosperity and fame doesn't guarantee blessings. Blessings go beyond the material and capture the true riches of life, which is happiness, joy, and peace. Robert Louis Stevenson said:

"The best things are nearest;
Breath in your nostrils,
Light in your eyes,
Flowers at your feet,
Duties at your hand,
The path of God just before you."

As you journey through this next year, I pray God's blessings upon you in a new and fresh way. I pray that you will recognize that blessings come from God's hands and that you will realize that life's greatest blessings are the simple things of life. True blessings and prosperity have nothing to do with the stuff that you can gather around yourself. Instead, true blessings is life, itself, and the relationships that you are able to establish with God and others. May the Lord increase you a thousand times and bless you as He has promised! May you truly have a Blessed and Prosperous New Year!  +++