07/01/14
GUARD YOUR HEART

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

We all have material things that we treasure and try to protect. Even though our personal belongings may be sparse and worthless in the eyes of others, we still lock them up when we leave our homes. We would never allow an intruder to come into our presence and take our possessions from us or allow our acquaintances to abuse them. As meager as our "stuff" is, it is important to our livelihood, so we guard it, maintain it, and try to preserve it as much as possible. Even though we trust God, we try to be cautious.

Likewise, in the spiritual, we are to trust God but we are also supposed to guard our own hearts. There are two sides to guarding and protecting your heart. First, it is very important to be careful about the things that you allow to come into your heart. You are to guard your heart against any intruding thoughts that the devil would plan against you. The things you hear, see, read, or think about in your mind eventually make their way to your heart and begin to fashion your inner spirit. Romans 12:2 confirms this. It says that you either conform to this world, or you are transformed by the renewing of your mind through God's Word. You make the choice. Solomon said, "Pay attention and listen closely to the words of God's wisdom" (Proverbs 20:4).

Second, it is important to be careful to protect the things that God imparts to you. You must not allow the devil to steal them out of your heart. Solomon said, "Don't let God's Word out of your sight. Keep it in your heart." You keep it by guarding it. Just as you would hide your valuables or lock them up in a safe place, you must do the same with God's Word, so that it will be there when you need it. God's Word is a precious treasure that needs to be protected, for He declared that His Words are a wellspring of life and health.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full." You must understand the strategies and motives of the devil, for he will attempt to force God's Word out of your heart. No wonder Solomon, the wisest man of his time, said, "Guard your heart." Solomon understood that the heart is the center of everything that you are and everything you hope to be. It is your wellspring of life. +++

07/02/14
LITTLE FOXES

Scripture: Song of Solomon 2:15 "Take up the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards of our love, for our vineyards are in blossom."

In this love story, Solomon speaks to the Shulamite girl and says, "Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." When two people are in love their primary interest is to be together. They long to see each other and cherish each moment that they have together. They listen intently to every word that is exchanged between them and nothing escapes their notice, for their communion with one another is special. There is a genuine sweetness between them and there is no other face or voice that can fill the longing in the heart of the one that is in love.

Solomon's Song speaks to us today concerning the relationship that we should have with the Lord. It should like two souls that are in love with one another. God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for us so that our lives could be redeemed. He desires for us to respond to that love and commune with Him on the basis of His love for us. Yet, we often fail to realize just how much God really desires to hear our voices and to see our faces turned towards Him. The Lord waits for us to seek out His presence. Yet like the Shulamite's situation, many times we allow the little foxes to distract us from communing with the Lord, as He desires. We get so busy with the small interruptions and problems of life that we fail to meet with God each day and to spend quality time in His presence. When we do find a moment to pray and study God's Word, the phone rings or someone comes to the door. It's almost guaranteed that some minor distraction will hinder us from experiencing the awesome presence of the almighty Lord. These are the small foxes that spoil the vine and keep our relationship with the Lord from growing and becoming intimate.

During disasters or the rough seasons of our lives, we somehow find time to pray and we make sure that we are in church drawing support and strength from the other saints. However, God doesn't want us to just run to Him in times of trouble. Instead, He desires that we seek Him daily. He wants to see our face and hear our voice before the troubles and hardships come. God loves us that much and He doesn't want to be without our love being consistently shone towards Him. We must pray and ask God to help us discern the little foxes that are stealing our time and devotion. Then, as God calls our attention to them, we must submit them to God and ask Him to take away anything that would hinder and spoil our intimate relationship with Him. Like Solomon said, we must take up the little foxes and guard the vineyards of our love. +++

07/03/14
SOURCE OF OUR FAITH

Scripture: Romans 10:17 "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Faith is simple, but most of the time we try to make it hard. Faith is simply hearing the Word of God and resting in that word that He speaks to us. A word of faith doesn't have to be a long complicated discourse. It can be just one word. When the Holy Spirit breathes upon that word, faith is conceived in our heart. As we rest and trust in that word, God brings it to pass and accomplishes His purposes. This is why Jesus said, "Be careful what you hear" (Mark 4:24). Faith comes by hearing what God says, but doubt enters our hearts when we listen to the negative voices of others or look at the adverse circumstances that challenge us.

Look at the example of Peter in Matthew 14:24-34. Peter was in a ship in the middle of the sea in the early morning hours. The wind was contrary and the ship was being tossed by the waves. Suddenly, Jesus appeared, walking on the water. In his excitement, Peter asked Jesus to bid him to come to Him. Peter did not step out of the boat in presumption but waited for the word from his Master. Jesus spoke one word to Peter. He said, "Come." Peter then stepped out of the boat on that one word. For a moment, he forgot the turmoil around him. His entire faith was based on that one word and the person who spoke it. Peter was not walking on the water, but on the word that Jesus spoke. Jesus' word, "Come" was supporting Peter's actions. As Peter began to walk on the water towards Jesus, he turned his eyes to the circumstances around him and when he saw the winds, he became afraid. For a moment, Peter allowed the situation and fear to speak louder than the voice of faith that was in his heart. As fear entered his heart, his faith began to fail and he began to sink. However, Peter never lost confidence in the One who had issued the word. When his faith was challenged by the circumstances, he looked to the source of the word and cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me."

What is your primary need today? Faith is not an uncertain element. It is based upon a word from God. Like Peter, ask for a specific word that will meet your need, and then rest in that word. The word you receive may be challenged, but remember that faith doesn't struggle. Faith keeps its eyes upon Jesus and allows His Word to support it. When the winds of adversity come and circumstances seek to steal, kill, and destroy the word that's in your heart, just cry out to Jesus, "Lord, save me." Even in your doubt and fear, Jesus will be there for you like He was for Peter. He will stretch forth His hand, take you from the winds and the waves, and bring you to safety. The Word of the Lord is the source of your faith. What God has spoken will come to pass and what He begins, He will finish (Hebrews 12:2). +++

07/04/14
BLESSED NATION

Scripture: Psalms 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

The fifty-six men who signed our Declaration of Independence, which was approved on July 4, 1776, committed an act of treason against the British Crown. As they signed this incredible Declaration, they mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Of those who signed, two became Presidents of the United States, three became Vice Presidents, and several others became either State Governors or U. S. Senators. However, there were many signers who suffered greatly. Four died of wounds from the war and five were imprisoned. Several lost their wives and children as their homes were attacked.

The oldest signer of the Declaration was 70 year old Benjamin Franklin, whose faith was strong in God. Speaking of God, He said:

"Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend?
Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?
I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live,
the more convincing proofs I see of this truth --
that God governs in the affairs of men.
And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice,
is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?
We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings,
that 'except the Lord build the house,
they labor in vain that build it.'
I firmly believe this."

Benjamin Franklin was convinced that all was vain unless the Lord was God and Builder of this nation. The freedom we enjoy has been purchased with tears and blood. We have reaped the noble sacrifice of these brave men, and every American life has been touched by the document they signed. Because of their sacrifice, we have experienced a "Blessed nation whose God is the Lord ... And we are STILL one nation, under God. +++

07/07/14
VOICE OF THE CONSCIENCE

Scripture: John 8:9 "... being convicted by their own conscience."

Our conscience is the voice of our spirit and it bears witness with our decisions (Romans 2:15). It will speak out, either condemning or approving our thoughts and actions, depending upon our sense of right and wrong. The old saying, "Let your conscience be your guide" sounds good, but if you plan to follow your conscience, you must make sure that it is not seared, desensitized, and defiled. To be a worthy guide, your conscience must be yielded to the Holy Spirit and trained according to God's laws and moral standards.

I Timothy 4:2 speaks of those who have had their "conscience seared with a hot iron." When something has been seared or cauterized, there is no feeling. A seared conscience doesn't happen suddenly, but is the result of a gradual process like the effects that occur to your tongue when you drink very hot coffee. The first time you drink it, your tongue is burned because of the extreme heat, and it loses some of its feeling. The second time you feel even less of a burn. As this process continues, eventually you don't feel the heat at all when you drink the hot liquid. Without your realization, your tongue has become totally desensitized to the heat.

This same situation happens within our spirit when we disregard the voice of our conscience. The first time we rebel against God's Word and Spirit, we feel much guilt and shame and cry out for mercy and forgiveness. The second time, we feel less remorse. When the next opportunity comes, if we haven't totally repented and surrendered our lives and hearts to follow after God, we will allow ourselves to fall back and give into the same temptation. Ephesians 4:18-19 tells us that our moral understanding becomes darkened and our reasoning becomes clouded. This happens because of ignorance and willful blindness due to the hardness of our heart and the insensitiveness of our moral nature. In our spiritual apathy, we allow our spirits to become seared. We become callous and past feeling towards the issues of sin. None of us want to get to this place, but it happens gradually, one step at a time.

As we think about this word, we must make a daily and deliberate decision not to engage in any actions that would sear our conscience towards the things of God. We must walk in God's truth and light. We must keep ourselves tender before God so that we will be sensitive to Him and be able us to respond to the conviction of His Holy Spirit in all things. +++

07/08/14
MORE THAN CONQUERORS

Scripture: Romans 8:37 "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."

The Apostle Paul declared that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus who loves us. Jesus fought a battle that we could not fight for ourselves. When Jesus died on the cross, He went into the depths of Hell and took the keys of death, Hell, and the grave from Satan. Jesus overcame and conquered Satan by His own blood and manifested His victory by His resurrection. Because of His victory we are redeemed from the curse of the law, and all that we have to do is simply reap the reward that He has already won.

Jesus fights our battles because of His great love for us just like we would fight the battles for those whom we love. We would never allow others to attack our children with unkind words or actions. Love causes us to defend them in every situation and fight for them. Our children become more than conquerors because of our love. Often when a child faces conflict, you will hear them say, "My daddy can beat up your daddy!" This is a child who is being more than a conqueror. He sees his battle won without him ever engaging in any warfare, as he plans to reap the benefits of his father's strength.

Paul said that you too could be more than conquerors in the midst of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword. He also said that nothing would be able to separate you from the love of God, not even death (Verses 35-39). Death has no power over you. It simply ushers you into the presence of God. Regardless of any situation that you may find yourself in, God's love remains and His mercy endures forever. He is a faithful God and He is sovereign. You must remember that God is still on His throne and still in control of every area of your life that you yield to Him. You must see God as greater than the enemy and believe His Word, which declares that greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world. God's grace will be sufficient to meet every challenge. As you look to Him, He will cause you to be an overcomer through the "blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony" (Revelation 12:11). Be persuaded that in all things, you are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you and gave Himself for you. +++

07/09/14
TRUSTING YOUR LIFE TO GOD'S HANDS

Scripture: Psalms 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 barely know. We bring our lives to the doctor in simple trust. We allow him to prescribe medication for us and to do whatever he feels that he needs to do. If necessary, we even allow him to put us to sleep for several hours so that he can perform an operation on our bodies. Because we know so little about the subject, we rely on the doctor's training, education, and skill. We assume that his diagnosis is correct and that what he tells us is the truth. We rarely question his efforts unless he proves himself wrong. Our lives are literally in the physician's hands

When it comes to putting our trust in the Lord, however, it is hard for us to let go and let God have His way. We tend to cringe at the thought of not having total control over our own lives. We sense God's 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 has set before us. If God prescribes something, we question Him. We also find it difficult to rest while God is working His plan in our lives.

David said the most precious thing he had was his own 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 upon 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 found and then be able to surrender our lives to God and declare to Him, "Unto You, O Lord, I bring my life." +++

07/10/14
AS A LITTLE CHILD

Scripture: Mark 10:15 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

My grandson, who was three years old at the time, sat at home and enjoyed life while his mother went out and shopped for groceries. She had done all of the work. She made the grocery list, clipped the coupons, and then went to store and selected the food. She purchased the food with money that she had helped earn, carried the bags to the car, and then carried the bags from the car into the house. She did all of this in the summer heat. There was no effort whatsoever on the part of my grandson while he waited in comfort for his mother to return. Yet, she said that when she put the bags of food on the table, he began to go through them and asked, "What did we buy at the store for me?"

A simple faith for provisions and self worth had been instilled in my grandson's heart by his loving father and mother. He knew that his parents had always provided for every need so he had no shyness about receiving from their gracious hands. He recognized that what belonged to his parents also belonged to him so he declared his ownership in the blessings of the house. The bounty of the provisions belonged to him even though he was free from all labor and responsibility.

Jesus said that in order for us to receive the kingdom of God, we must come to Christ with the same childlike faith. God is always so faithful and He brings blessings to our table every day. In Psalms 103:1-10, David lists some of those benefits and instructs us not to forget about them. They are ours for the taking. He says that God forgives all of our iniquities and heals all of our diseases. He redeems our life from destruction and crowns us with loving-kindness. His provisions are never stale, for He brings us tender mercies that are new every morning. God satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed as the eagles. He executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed. He is slow to anger and does not punish us for our iniquities in the fashion that we deserve.

These are just of few of our Heavenly Father's provisions that are available to His children. The good news is that the Lord has done all of the work and paid the full price. Jesus sacrificed His life so that we could inherit the kingdom of God. He lays the blessings out before us and assures us that what belongs to Him also belongs to us. We must listen to His Words and understand that He delights in blessing us but that His blessings will only come to us as we humbly receive them with faith as a little child. +++

07/11/14
DISCREET AND WISE

Scripture: Genesis 41:39 "There is none so discreet and wise as you are."

Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, spoke these words about Joseph who was called from the prison to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. This is interesting because we very rarely think of a person in prison as being discreet and wise. We normally think of prisoners as having made unwise decisions and bad choices. But Joseph was discreet and wise because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He was also discreet and wise because he used everything negative about his prison experience to push himself to success. His tremendous faith in God manifested itself in every trial and test of his life. Joseph held on to God despite the abuse and rejection of his brothers, his own feelings of loneliness in a foreign land, the test with Potiphar's wife, unfair treatment, and being forgotten by his prison friends, the baker and the butler. Instead of allowing adversity to separate him from God, Joseph allowed the hard places of his life to draw him closer to God.

As Joseph submitted himself to God's Spirit, he lived a lifestyle of forgiveness, refusing to fall into bitterness, anger, and resentment. He kept a good attitude and worked hard at whatever came his way. His faithfulness in the small things proved to God that he was a man that could be trusted. Joseph simply fulfilled the will of God one day at a time. His true strength came because he permitted the Spirit of God to dominate his life. He leaned upon God's ability and not his own and was a testimony to those about him.

When Joseph was in Potiphar's house, Potiphar noticed that "the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper." And even though Joseph was a servant, he found grace and favor in the eyes of the man whom he served and Potiphar made him overseer of all that he had (Genesis 39:2-4). Joseph was endowed with a great gift from God. Yet, he didn't act presumptuously when he was called to interpret Pharaoh's dream. Instead, he acknowledged that the interpretation of dreams belonged to God and that the Spirit of the Lord was the one who imparted discretion and wisdom. Pharaoh recognized Joseph's gift and declared, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of the Lord is?" (Genesis 41:38)

Exchange is the process of life. What you put in to it is what you will get out of it. What you sow is what you will reap. Joseph exchanged all the bad that came his direction and allowed God to make it into something good. He refused to give into the negative forces. Instead, Joseph used them as a tool to learn and allowed God to impart to him wisdom and discretion. This principle will also work in your life if you allow the Spirit of the Lord to work in every situation that presents itself to you. You can be assured that if you love God and are called according to His purpose, all things are going to work together for your good. If you sow to the Spirit and stay focused on God during the process of adversity, there will be a great exchange and you will reap discretion and wisdom. +++

07/14/14
GOD VALUES YOU

Scripture: Luke 12:7 "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: You are of more value than many sparrows.

Throughout the scriptures God has endeavored to let you know just how much He loves you. God loves you so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that He might gain you as one of His own dear children. He longs for you to rest in the security of that love and to understand that if you had been the only person on Earth, God and His Son, Jesus, would have still made this awesome sacrifice.

As your Heavenly Father, His presence surrounds you and there is nothing that can get to you unless it first passes through His loving heart. You are such a precious treasure to the Lord that He keeps an inventory of the very hairs of your head. Each one is numbered and each time you lose one, He takes notice and records the incident. Therefore, you are not to fear, for God is in control of your every situation and is on top of every circumstance. You must leave distrust behind and proceed in faith, believing the words that Jesus spoke. He said that God takes notice of each sparrow that falls to the ground (Matthew 10:29). 

Flight takes faith and to leave the comfort of the nest takes courage. Like the sparrows, God is watching your every move and His love is there to sustain you and carry you to the place that you need to be. Remember that you are of more value to Him than many sparrows. This knowledge of God will give you a new meaning to the desperate seasons that you may face. There may be mountains of joy for sure, but there may also be valleys of loneliness, days without the sun, and nights without the moon. The storms may come and the winds may blow, but your trust in God must remain absolute in all situations. God is sovereign, He is concerned, and He is in control. Nothing will happen to you that the Lord does not notice, for you are of extreme value to Him and the very hairs of your head are numbered. +++

07/15/14
FORGIVE US AS WE FORGIVE

Scripture: Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Forgiveness is one of God's laws and it works. Jesus told us to ask God the Father for forgiveness but He also said that our forgiveness will only come to us as we forgive others (Mark 11:25-26). Even our gifts are unacceptable before God when unforgiveness is lingering in our hearts. Matthew 5:23-24 tells us that if we go to the altar and remember that our brother has anything against us, then we are to leave our gift at the altar and seek reconciliation with our brother.

Do you ever wonder why there is no anointing on your gift or why your tithes and offerings are not returned to you as the Word promised? Could it be because of a matter of unforgiveness in the heart? It is only after we've reconciled with our brother that we can return to the altar and lay our gifts before God. There are times, however, that our brother will not accept our apologies or allow reconciliation. If we have covered every base by confessing our own wrongdoing against them, offered restitution if necessary, told them we are sorry, and asked for their forgiveness, then our responsibility is complete. Reconciliation is left in their court and we are free to continue on with God. After we have done all that we could do, we must not harbor ill feelings, but release them and the situation to Jesus.

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells of a man whose master had forgiven him of a very large debt. There was another man who owed a small debt to the man who had been forgiven of the large debt. The man who owed the large debt refused to forgive the man with the small debt, and turned him over to the tormentors because he could not pay. The master, who had forgiven the man with the large debt heard about the situation. When the master heard that the man he had forgiven of much would not, in turn, forgive someone who owed little, the master gave him over to the tormentors. The master could not find it in his heart to forgive someone who would not forgive.

As we acknowledge that God has forgiven us many times for so much, we must in turn forgive others for the small offenses against us. This word clearly shows that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven and that we, ourselves, will suffer. The unforgiveness in our hearts will open a door, which will allow the tormentors to attack our soul. The tormenting spirits of bitterness, hatred, jealousy, anxiety, and a number of other negative emotions, all of which cause physical diseases, will seek to destroy us. Proverbs 19:11 says that it is the glory of a man to overlook a transgression or an offense. Let us determine to put forgiveness into practice and to remember Jesus' principle of life, which is "forgive and be forgiven". +++

07/16/14
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Scripture: Psalms 18:28 (Living Bible) "You have turned on my light! The Lord my God has made my darkness turn to light."

Seasons of darkness come into all of our lives at some point. It may come through grief, disappointment, lack of direction, or any number of other situations. We've all had these times when it seems like we were under a cloud or walking in darkness. We just slowly grope around with no sense of direction, not knowing whether to go to the left or to the right. We stretch forth our spiritual arms hoping to feel for something that is familiar, but we end up stumbling over things and often injure ourselves in the process. These times are frustrating and fearful in the natural as well as in our spiritual life, especially if we find ourselves in a new place where everything is unfamiliar.

David was facing a dark season just like this, but God turned David's darkness into light. God came into his darkness and simply turned the light on. The Lord showed David the way out of the situation, delivered him from his enemies, and gave him victory. Your circumstances are no greater than David's. Just as God rescued David, He is able to intervene in the midst of your situation, turn His light on, and give you direction. God is your deliverance and your light, and His light has a way of driving out all darkness. Like natural light, His light provides comfort and shows clear direction.

Darkness does not have the ability to overcome or put out the light. Light is very powerful. The difference that one small light or candle can make in a room full of darkness is amazing. One small and seemingly insignificant light, like a flashlight or match, can be the means that will help you get to the main power source that can produce more light for your situation. In your darkest hour, you may only see a small glimmer of light. Perhaps that light is a scripture, a song, a message, or a friend with a good word. It may not seem like much at first, but if you will receive it, that small light will get you to the main power supply. As you reach towards God, He will turn the light on in your situation and drive out all of the darkness and confusion that is in your life. +++

07/15/14
STRENGTH FOR THE INNER MAN

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16 "That God 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 was in prison when he wrote these words, but he was not concerned with his own problems or his personal discontent. His concern was for the needs of the body of Christ. So he bowed his knee and prayed this prayer for the Church that their inner man may be strengthened or reinforced with might or power and ability. This transition can only come about by the work of the Holy Spirit as He comes to dwell in our innermost being.

Paul also prayed that Christ would actually dwell in our hearts by our faith. When Jesus dwells in our heart, He settles down, abides, and makes His permanent home there. He doesn't enter our life as just an overnight guest. He comes with the intention of staying eternally. And like any natural relationship, the longer we live with Him and the more that we 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 because He is love, we become rooted and grounded in love.

Love strengthens our inner being and 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 breath, length, height, and depth of God's love. He also prayed that we would bond with God and be filled with His being. God's love comes and grows within us as we live with Him and experience Him on a daily basis. 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 experience proved the truth. You were either bonded in love or separated in disharmony depending upon the strength of your love. So it is in your relationship with God. You will only be strengthened in your inner man as you come to know and experience the fullness of the divine Presence of God Himself. As you begin to experience God, He will do far more for you than you could ever ask or think because it will be according to the riches of His glory. +++

07/18/14
RESPONDING TO GOD

Scripture: Exodus 3:4 "And when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God call unto him out of the midst of the bush, Moses, Moses..."

Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock on the far side of the desert. As he carried on his normal duties, the Lord appeared to him in the midst of a burning bush, yet the bush was not consumed by the flames that engulfed it. When Moses saw that the bush was on fire, he said, "I will turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned up." Moses made a decision to forfeit his normal duties and schedule so that he could give full attention to what was happening. He laid aside every distraction in order to investigate this phenomenon. When God saw Moses' response, He began to talk with him and even called Moses by his name.

Like Moses' experience, many times God intervenes in our life and tries to draw us close to Him. God may not set a literal bush on fire to get our attention or speak audibly from a flame, but He is there just the same, expending His energy as He makes an effort to communicate with us. He wants to share His sovereign plan, but doesn't speak until He knows that He has our full attention. He waits to see our response and watches to see if we will turn aside and come into His presence. God loves us so much and has so much to say. Yet, even though we sense His tender wooing, we very often neglect it. We allow other things to take precedence like a television program we want to see, a friend we need to visit, or some project we need to finish. Life is too busy and we fail to give attention to God as we should.

The most significant encounters with God are those when He chooses to intervene in our lives in an effort to reveal Himself to us in a personal way. He comes to us because He has something to say. For a brief moment, God gives us the opportunity to approach Him and to stand in His presence on Holy ground. All we have to do is respond to His simple wooing, and when we do, His voice shakes the very mountains of our life. Yet, many times we miss this awesome opportunity to commune with the Lord because our hearts postpone His plans. We seek for a more opportune time and make plans to go to our prayer closet when it is more convenient for our schedules. We fail to realize that it's not the power of the closet, but the power of God when He reveals Himself in the closet.

For Moses, it was never the bush; it was God in the bush. It wasn't the flames of fire that engulfed the bush, it was God's Holy Spirit burning, yet never consuming. The ground around the bush was not holy in itself. It was sanctified and made holy by God's holy presence. If you want to hear from God, you must not only seek for Him, you must respond to Him on His terms. Turn aside at the Lord's bidding whenever and wherever it may be and allow Him to be God over your life. He will speak when He sees you turn toward Him, and He will sanctify and make holy the place and the moment. +++

07/21/14
UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

Scripture: Luke 24:45 "Then He (Jesus) opened their minds to understand the scriptures."

It is most important when we read or study the scriptures that we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and help us understand what God is saying, for only the Holy Spirit can give us revelation. God's Word is spirit and life and can only be understood when the eyes of our understanding are opened supernaturally. Without spiritual revelation we will have "eyes that see not and ears that hear not" as spoken of in Romans 11:8. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to hear with a heart of understanding.

Psalms 119 is entirely focused on the Word of God and the psalmist's desire to understand it. Nearly every verse is directed to God as the psalmist talks very plainly to God about His Word. The psalmist recognized his responsibilities to God's Word, and then made commitments concerning it. His great plea was that he might understand and have insight into the precepts and commandments of God. He totally depended upon God for help. Look at just a few things in Psalms 119 that the psalmist said to God concerning His Word.

"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of Your Law." - Vs.18
"Hide not Your commandments from me." - Vs.19
"Quicken me according to Your Word." - Vs.25
"Teach me Your statutes." - Vs. 26
"Make me to understand the way of Your precepts." - Vs.27
"Strengthen me according to Your Word." - Vs.28
"Give me understanding." - Vs.34
"Incline my heart unto Your testimonies." - Vs.36
"Establish Your Word in me." - Vs.38

If you have a sincere desire to understand God's Word, refer to this psalm when you begin to read and study the scriptures. Read the words of this psalm aloud as a prayer to God like the psalmist did, and ask God to open your understanding of the scriptures. You will see a difference in your study as God's Spirit enlightens you and gives you fresh revelation. +++

07/22/14
GOD WILL KEEP YOU

Scripture: Joshua 1:7 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land."

It must have been very overwhelming for Joshua when God began to enlarge his territory and bring him to a new level of responsibility. Can you imagine how he must have felt when God called him to take the place of Moses? He had seen God use Moses to part the Red Sea and had witnessed many other mighty miracles in the life of Moses. Now God was calling Joshua to that same place of leadership. How frightening this new place must have seemed to Joshua, for he would not have Moses to lean upon as his friend or counselor because Moses was now dead.

Joshua's grand promotion from God came only with these encouraging words, "Be strong and very courageous." God then gave him instructions and a promise. He told Joshua to mediate on God's Words day and night and to obey all that He said. God promised Joshua that if he maintained his courage and obeyed God's laws, his way would be prosperous and successful. Even though God called him, encouraged him, and gave him promises to stand upon, it still must have been very difficult for Joshua to step into this awesome place of leadership. Moving out of the familiar and into a place of uncertainty always brings fear. However, Joshua realized that his destiny depended upon his own decision, and so he chose to follow God. He meditated on God's Words and allowed those words to cultivate his faith. He remained strong in the Lord and very courageous and ultimately inherited the land that God had promised. 

Like Joshua's situation, the devil also attempts to stop God's plan in your life and his main tool against you is fear and intimidation. He does everything in his power to make you feel insignificant. As your adversary, he tells you that your hopes and dreams of doing anything significant for God are impossible. The devil also points out your faults and continually reminds you of your failures. He uses your past mistakes in a desperate attempt to keep you from having faith for the future.

God, on the other hand, has a good plan and a destiny for your life and He wants to fulfill His purposes through you. God imparts His Spirit and endows you with His power so that you can inherit His promises and find your destiny. He then speaks the same words to you that He spoke to Joshua, "Don't fear. Be strong and courageous." You must remember that if God calls you to do a work, He will keep you. +++

07/23/14
PAUSE AND CALMLY THINK ABOUT GOD

Scripture: Psalm 46:6-7 "The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved ... The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Selah.

Selah at the end of this verse means to pause and think calmly about these words! When the heathen rage, we are to pause and calmly focus on the fact that "the Lord of hosts is with us" and that He is our refuge in the midst of trouble. The Lord is here right now and He is not overwhelmed by the evil threats that are being made against us. Verse nine that follows says that God can "make the wars to cease, break the bow into pieces, snap the spear in two pieces, and burn the chariots with fire." Nothing is impossible with God and no enemy is too great for Him to handle, whether it be physical or spiritual, national or personal. He is almighty God and He reigns forever.

When kingdoms are falling and are removed, we are to pause and calmly remember that "the Lord of hosts is with us" and He is our refuge. Verse one says God is "our very present help in the time of trouble." He doesn't show up late for the battle but is present from the beginning. God is in the midst of our situation and is ready to help us in any kind of trouble. He will not run and hide even though the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the sea. God is with us in the midst of our problems and He will never be moved. Even in the tumult of wars that surround us and the devastation that covers the earth, God will sustain and make good His promise to keep those who put their trust in Him. 

Throughout this entire psalm, there is a call to remain calm. Verse ten says, "Be still and know that I am God." Even though God has power to sustain you, you must cooperate and allow His peace to keep your heart. You must choose to be still and stop considering all of the possibilities. Stop calculating the solutions and discard your own designs. Recognize that God is God and give Him space to work. God is about to do a great thing in your life and in this earth. Take time to be still and recognize what He is doing. Verse ten continues to say, "God will be exalted among the nations!" This great God who is exalted in the earth is the one who is always present with us and He is our refuge. So when times tend to be confusing and the world seems to be falling apart, just pause and calmly reflect on God's words; He is present and He is our refuge. +++

07/24/14
NOW MY EYES SEE YOU

Scripture: Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see You."

If you are in the midst of a trial, you should be encouraged because you are a candidate for a fresh revelation of God. Look at the account of Job. He was a very prosperous man. In fact, Job 1:3 says that he was the greatest man in all of the East. He was honored amongst the young and the old and even among the nobles and the princes. Job knew God, worshipped God, and offered up sacrifices to God for his own children. He even helped the poor, the fatherless, and the widows. Job was a good man and God was pleased with him. God spoke of Job, saying, "There is none like him in all the earth. He is a perfect and upright man, one that fears God and hates evil" (Job 1:8).

All of Job's fame and fortune came to a sudden end, however, when God lifted the hedge of protection that was about him. God allowed Satan to take Job through a season of great trials and tribulations. Job lost his servants, his material possessions, and all of his children. He was afflicted with boils and sores on his body and looked so pitiful that his friends could not recognize him. Instead of comforting Job, his wife encouraged him to curse God and die, and his closest friends judged him and accused him of sin. He had no one to turn to and no one to lean upon. Finally, in the midst of his conflict, God intervened and revealed Himself to Job. In Job's distress, he came to know God in a way that he could have never known Him if he had remained in prosperity. Job said, "I heard about God, but now I see Him." God then restored to Job twice what he had lost.

We've heard about God and His miracle power, but revelation comes when we experience Him. Conflict and adversity force us to seek God. In the scriptures, we read about Jesus healing the sick, but revelation of Him as The Healer only comes when we see a supernatural healing. We know the Word says that "God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus" but understanding comes when we receive a miracle of provision. It is only when we are heartbroken and alone that God's presence reveals the truth of His Word that says, "I will be near those who have a broken heart" (Psalms 34:18). In our darkest hour, He shows Himself to be our greatest light. In our sin, He is our saving grace. In grief, He is our Comforter and in the season of desperation, He is our hope. When we are undecided, He shows us the right path and gives direction. 

Like Job, we've heard about God and all that He can do, but now we need to see Him and experience Him in a new way. Our prayer should be that we may not only know the Lord by the hearing of the ear, but that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes and reveal Him to us as never before. +++

07/25/14
DEALING WITH INSECURITIES

Scripture: Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

We have challenges every day that cause us to recognize the inadequacies in our own lives, and with each challenge we realize more and more how dependent we are upon God. We come to the sure knowledge that without Him we can do nothing; without Him we will surely fail. We are not alone in our plight, for Moses also faced these same feelings of insecurity and inadequacies and tried five times to excuse himself from God's plan for his life. Yet as Moses questioned God, God met every challenge that was presented and turned Moses' eyes from his own human frailty back to God. God's plan for our lives may not be as enormous as the one that He had for Moses. Yet we can use these same principles to help us deal with the insecurities that rise up and seek to hinder God's purpose for our life.

Moses first response was to question who he was. He asked God, "Who am I?" (Exodus 3:11-14). God answered this question and told Moses that it did not matter who he was but that it was important who God was. God changed Moses' question, "Who am I" into God's declaration of Himself, "I AM that I AM" and then He said, "Certainly, I will be with you." In other words He told Moses, "I'm calling you to do this great thing and whatever you will need Me to be 'I AM.'" God speaks to us in the same manner and says, "I will be with you always and I will be all that you need ME to be in every situation."

Moses' second question was, "What shall I say?" (Exodus 3:13). He didn't know the words to say, but God said, "Tell the people that 'I AM' sent you to deliver them." Jesus told us nearly the same thing. He said to go into all of the world, not in your own name, but in the Name and in the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Moses' third challenge was the fear that he had that people would not believe him (Exodus 4:1). However, God did not leave him with just words alone. In the next verse God asked Moses, "What is in your hands?" He then granted Moses a gift to do signs and miracles with the rod that he held. Jesus has promised the same for us. In the Great Commission, Jesus told us to "Go" and that He would "confirm the Word with signs following" (Mark 16:20).

Moses' fourth area of inadequacy was in his speech. He said, "I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Exodus 4:10-12). God said, "Who made man's mouth? Now therefore go and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you should say." Isn't it a great comfort to know that God Himself will be with our mouths? We don't have to worry about what we are to say for He promised to teach us and give us the words to say in the time that we need them.

Finally Moses pleaded with God and said, "Send someone else" (Exodus 4:13). God had equipped Moses in the natural for forty years. He allowed him to be trained in Pharaoh's court. Yet, Moses still felt inadequate to speak and he allowed his insecurities to steal his blessing. God's anger was kindled against Moses and He appointed Aaron to be Moses' spokesman, thus the office of the priesthood was passed to Aaron and his sons rather than to Moses and his sons.

How many blessings have we missed because of our insecurities? We fail to consider that God is aware of our lack before He ever calls us to do anything for Him. When God calls, we should obey and be blessed. We must reject the feelings of insecurity and remember that Christ in us is the hope of God's glory. We should feel secure knowing that with God all things are possible and that He will strengthen us to do whatever He asked us to do. +++

07/28/14
THE JOY OF THE LORD IS STRENGTH

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:10 "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

The joy of the Lord within your heart gives you the strength that you need to face every situation, for it provides hope in every hardship. The joy of the Lord is a mysterious quality that enables you to endure temptations and it enables you to complete the God ordained course for your life. Without the joy that comes from a steady relationship with the Lord, you will likely become weary in your journey and give up. The battle will become too hard to fight and the burden will be too great to bear. Even Jesus required joy to finish the work that God sent Him to do. Hebrew 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Isaiah 12:3 says, "Therefore, with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation." Joy is an instrument in your hands and is like a bucket that you would use to draw needed water from a well. You may stand by the well and know that the water is there, but you can't draw the water up without joy in your spirit. You may know the promises of God's Word and recognize that the answer to your situation is available. Yet the answer is deep in the well and you will only be able to exercise the faith needed to receive the promise if you have the strength that joy gives.

Joy is not magical and doesn't come automatically. It is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the scriptures teach us that there are things that we can do to develop joy in our life. First, we must study God's Word. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Thy Word was unto me the JOY and rejoicing of my heart." Without knowing the truth of God's Word, we cannot be free, and we certainly can't experience joy when we are in bondage. Second, we must also seek out the presence of the Lord. David faced many difficult and adverse situations in his life, yet, he understood the source of his joy. In Psalms 16:11 he said, "In Thy presence is fullness of JOY; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The third ingredient for joy is purity. David knew that he had to stay pure before the Lord if he wanted true joy in his life. In his prayer of repentance, David pleaded with God, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me ... Restore unto me the JOY of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit" (Psalms 51:10,12). He recognized that he had lost the joy of salvation when he had entered into sin.

Jesus taught on another area of joy. He said that you must be faithful with your talents. He told a story of a steward who had been careful and faithful over his talents. His master said, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the JOY of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21). Let your mind dwell on these four things that will create joy in your life; God's Word, God's presence, purity in the sight of God, and faithfulness in your stewardship. Begin to concentrate on developing these areas. As you do, the joy of the Lord will begin to grow in your heart and the fruit of it will produce new zeal and strength in your life. +++

07/29/14
FRET NOT

Scripture: Psalms 37:1 "Fret not yourself because of evil doers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity."

When we were young and another child did something wrong to us, we threatened to retaliate and get revenge. We ran to our parents and told them about the situation. Usually their response was similar to David's words, "Don't fret, everything is going to be okay." They would encourage us not to carry out our threats. Even as adults, it's often hard to yield to these wise words and not do unto others as they have done unto us. Yet, this is the teaching throughout the scriptures. Jesus said, "Resist not evil, if someone hits you on the cheek, turn your other cheek to him." Paul also said, "If it be possible, in as much as lies within you, live peaceably with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath." In other words, we are to let wrath have plenty of room, for it's not our job to avenge ourselves. Our Father God makes it His business to fight for us and will avenge us of any wrong that we have suffered.

When David said, "fret not yourself," he was in essence saying that we are the ones who make a choice whether to allow ourselves to fret or not fret. Yet, instead of making a conscious decision not to be disturbed by evil men and their deeds, we keep rethinking the matter and the more we think about it, the bigger the offense gets. After David said "fret not," he gave us further instructions that would help guide our thoughts in the right direction so that God would be able to deal with our situation. In verses three through eight David said:

1) Trust in the Lord, and do good.
2) Delight yourself in the Lord.
3) Commit your way unto the Lord.
4) Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
5) Cease from anger.

When you are challenged with a fretful situation, think on these special steps. They are very simple but they were written by a man who had faced some of the same and even worse injustices that you are facing. King Saul, whom David served faithfully tried to kill him. David's father neglected to count him among the other brothers when they were presented to the prophet. David's brothers rejected him and spoke disrespectfully to him. His wife mocked him because he worshiped God. Absalom, David's son, rebelled against him and tried to take the kingdom from him. His life was full of evil men who worked against him, yet David never had to avenge himself. He allowed God to avenge him. Like David, if you find yourself in a similar place where it seems that evil is working against you, take courage. If you can simply hold your peace in the midst of the battle, God will fight for you. +++

07/30/14
WAY TO ESCAPE

Scripture: I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the temptation He will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

Temptation is common and normal to the natural man. Regardless of how spiritual we may become, we will always face temptation. Each day situations will come that will make demands upon us and we will have to make a deliberate choice between right and wrong. Sometimes, it's easy because our choices have been established in our spirits long ago and there's no contest. Yet, the things that hold no sway over us may be a great temptation to someone else. And likewise those things that are the greatest temptation for us may seem trivial to those around us. We each have our own lust to face and battles to fight but the scriptures assure us that with each and every temptation, there is a way to escape. We just have to be watching for it and respond to it when it presents itself.

Temptation needs to be dealt with at the very beginning. Mark Twain speaking of trouble and temptation once said, "It is easier to stay out, than to get out." It is the difference between walking around a mud hole and getting knee deep in one. Once you're in the mud, it's a struggle to get out. The mud seems to fight against you, as you slip and slide each time you try to leave, getting dirtier with each attempt. Many times you end up having to get help, and all those involved in your release are affected by the mud. So why don't we just stay out of the mud hole of temptation? James 1:14 says, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Our own lust draws and lures us into temptation. We get just a little too close to the mud hole, and before we know it, we've slipped in. It's never our intention to fall into the temptation, but the devil presents himself as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14) and we are deceived by his brightness.

The temptation that you may face is not significant in itself - your response to the temptation is! James 1:2 says that your response to temptation should be joy, knowing that the trying of faith works patience. When you are tempted, you can rest assured that even though the devil thought that you were a good target, God has great faith in you and He trusts you to find the way of escape. When facing the mud hole, don't linger near it or try to go through it. The mud hole is common to everyone but you must make an immediate and deliberate choice to go around it. When you choose to go around the temptation, you will escape its consequences and also experience joy in the Lord. +++

07/31/14
AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS

Scripture: Luke 24:32 "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?"

On the day of Jesus' resurrection, two men traveled toward a village called Emmaus, which was near Jerusalem. As they journeyed, they discussed the crucifixion of Jesus and their disappointments in His death. Their hopes had been shattered at Jesus' death because they had believed that He was the one that would redeem Israel. That day, reports began to come saying that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was alive and the two men didn't know what to think.

As they walked and communed together concerning these facts, Jesus drew near to them. He began to explain the scriptures to them, but kept Himself hidden from them. He started with the words of Moses and went through the prophets. He explained that the reason for the necessity of Christ's suffering was so that He could enter into His glory. Later, as Jesus broke bread with the two men, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus just before He vanished out of their sights. They then realized why their hearts burned within them as the scriptures were being opened to them. Jesus had been in their midst and the anointing that rested upon Him had ministered to their wounded hearts and souls as He opened the Word to them.

Jesus is no less concerned about your thoughts, confusion, and disappointments. He will draw just as near to you as He did to the two men who traveled the Emmaus Road that day so that He may commune with you and give you counsel. He wants to help you with the things that you do not understand and to remove your anxieties. He wants to light your path and give you clear direction. He makes Himself available so that you too will encounter Him in a fresh way and have the opportunity to come to know Him more intimately. As you seek the Lord, He opens your spiritual eyes and reveals Himself to you. When He does, you will experience the very depths of His love, the heights of His joy, and the richness of His grace in a fashion that you have never known before. A moment with Jesus is eternal and something that you will never forget. When Jesus has finished ministering to you personally, you realize that all the while that He was speaking to you, your heart was burning within you and that His presence was imparting revelation. +++