03/03/14
FORGIVENESS

Scripture: Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to preach deliverance to the captives."

Satan's battlefield is your mind and one of his primary weapons is deception. If he can get you to believe his lies, he can hold you captive by your own thoughts. He doesn't approach you with giant lies that are the size of trees for he knows that you would recognize and reject those thoughts. So, he starts with tiny seeds of doubt. He then feeds and nourishes those small seeds of doubt until, little by little, he is able to work his plan of deception in your life. John 10:10 says the devil is a thief that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When the devil's work is left unchallenged and unchecked strongholds are established in your life, which enables him to hold you in bondage with his tormenting thoughts.

The good news is that Jesus came to the earth and was anointed to preach the gospel of truth. John 8:32 says, when you know the truth, the truth will make you free. One of Jesus' messages was about a man who had been forgiven of much. Yet, this same man refused to forgive another man that owed him little. Because the man who had received much forgiveness refused to forgive the man who owed little, he, himself, was turned over to the tormentors (Matthew 18:21-35). Jesus was showing us that we reap what we sow. If we want forgiveness for our sins and transgressions, we must likewise forgive others for their transgressions against us. When we fail to forgive, we place ourselves in a position to be tormented just like the unforgiving servant.

Jesus is anointed to set you free, but you must act on the truth which He speaks to you. He says, "Forgive, if you want to be forgiven. Forgive, if you want peace in your life." Forgiveness is a choice. You have the power and authority to cast down imaginations and every thought in your life that exalts itself against the Spirit of Christ. This includes the thoughts of unforgiveness that rage in your mind. As you take those thoughts and submit them to Christ, they will have to bow in obedience to His command. It may be hard for you to forgive because of the circumstances that you have endured, but Jesus will help you. The choice is yours. You can be set free or you can stay chained in bondage by the devil's deception.

The devil tries to hold you in deception by telling you that you can't release the past. He knows that if you refuse to forgive, he will own a portion of your heart. That portion of your heart that he owns will remain in the torments of unforgiveness and will inflict great emotional pain. Bitterness will also move in and hold you captive. Jesus is preaching deliverance to your captive spirit. You can't go on with life until you forgive and let go of the pains that are in your heart. You can't keep revisiting those hurts. You must let go. When you do, Jesus will be able to set you free by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and your victory will be sweet. +++

03/04/14
REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1 "Remember now your Creator ...."

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and spoke light into existence. He hung the sun and the moon in the heavens that He had created and He also put the stars and the galaxies in place. On Earth, He formed every valley and every mountain with His mighty hands. He also dug out the enormous oceans, the beautiful lakes, and the magnificent rivers and filled them all with water. The heavens and the earth that He created are complete and beautiful and He continues to hold all that He created together by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

When God finished the heavens and the earth, He proceeded to create living beings. Life in any form is awesome, and from the smallest creature of the sea to the mightiest beast of the forest, God created them all. He continues to create by placing within them a miracle, which is the power to be able to multiply and bring forth life after their own kind. God then went to another level of creation and created mankind.

The creation of man was different than the previous creations because man was made in God's likeness. You have been created in God's own image and He desires that you manifest His character. God is holy and He wants you to be holy as He is holy. God is love so He created you with the capacity to love as He loves. He also created you to be His temple and to share the attributes of His Spirit. You can possess the supernatural fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. You can also be empowered with His supernatural gifts. Your Creator makes all things possible.

You have been fearfully and wonderfully made by the personal hands of the Almighty God. God knew you before you were conceived and He knows when you will take your final breath. Your life should not be a disappointment to you because your Creator knew exactly what He wanted you to be when He created you. Now Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived has encouraged you to remember your Creator. Remember the One who designed you and then formed you when you were in your mother's womb. Remember the One who breathed life into you. Remember that the Creator knows his creation and understands you better than anyone else does.

God is the Author of your life. He created you for a purpose and He knows the plans that He has for you. He knows where you are today and He is aware of the challenges that you are facing and the victories and disappointments that you are experiencing. He has not left you helpless or hopeless in any situation. The Creator is present to maintain His creation, so remember to include Him in all of your needs because He is ready to rescue you. He is your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, your Prince of Peace, your Redeemer, your Healer, your Shepherd, your Deliverer, your Comforter, your Helper, your Fortress, your Rock, and your Friend who will stick closer to you than a brother. These are just a few of the names of the One who created you and the One who will love you at all times. So remember Him and above all remember that the Creator cares for you, His special creation. +++

03/05/14
TALKING TO GOD

Scripture: Acts 4:24 & 31 "... they lifted up their voice to God ... and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together ... "

We make prayer very complicated at times, when in reality it is simple communication with someone who loves and cares about our needs and desires. Communion with God is better than talking to our best friend about our problems and heartaches, for God understands and He never judges. Besides that, He always has the right answer to every question. We never have to be fearful about going to Him because He told us that we could come boldly before His throne of grace in the time of our need. Even when we fall down, make a mistake, and sin, God said that He would be faithful and just to forgive us and would cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is a loving and faithful God, yet many times we fail to exercise our privilege to talk with Him. Instead, we run to everyone else for help when trouble comes and our world is falling apart.

In this scripture setting, the religious leaders, or the Sadducees, were persecuting the church of God because the believers were preaching in the Name of Jesus and teaching about His resurrection. Supernatural power always brings persecution. So in the midst of the persecution, the disciples went to God in prayer and reminded God of who He was. They said, "Lord, You are the God which made Heaven, Earth, the sea, and all that is in them." The disciples believed that God was still in control and that there was nothing too hard for Him. They reminded God of what He had said through David, His servant. "The heathen rage and imagine vain things." This was the same situation the church was in. The religious leaders were raging against them because they were doing great things for God. The disciples asked God to look at their problem and grant them boldness to speak His Word. They not only asked God for boldness to speak, but also to confirm His Word with signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. Their mighty prayer caused the place where they were assembled to be shaken by the power of God, and God granted their request.

God wants you to know that when you pray, you are talking to the same God that the disciples talked to. He is a God of the 'Now.' He wants to help you, comfort you, and meet your needs. If you can just see this truth, it will make you free. It will give you confidence in your spirit to approach God and ask for the help that you need regardless of your situation. God gave you permission to do this and even invited you to do it. In Jeremiah 33:3 He said, "Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things that you have not known or recognized before." Trust God with all of your problems and lift up your voice to Him. Talk is cheap, but talking to God is priceless, for He listens and He will respond. +++

03/06/14
SECRETS OF THE HEART

Scripture: Psalms 44:21 "For He knows the secrets of the heart."

God knows the secrets of our hearts and He understands our daily struggles. He knows that we share the same feelings that the Apostle Paul had. Paul said that the things that he didn't want to do, he did, and the things that he wanted to do, he didn't do. It was a constant battle between Paul's spiritual desires and his carnal nature and fleshly lust. There were times when Paul was frustrated and disappointed in his own self because he just could not get things together and it right. Yet, God graciously used Paul in a mighty way despite his various weaknesses. Paul made several missionary journeys and brought many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He also wrote about three fourths of the New Testament to encourage and strengthen the saints for centuries to come. 

The Apostle Paul was just one man but where would we be today, almost two thousand years later, without his powerful witness? How could we make it without his instructions for daily living and godly righteousness? I am glad that Paul did not allow the devil to condemn him to the point that he felt unworthy to complete God's call on his life. Even though Paul felt that he was the chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:5), he allowed no one to judge him or to hinder God's purposes for his life. He left all criticism in the hands of God and was confident that the Lord who had begun a good work in his life would finish what He had started (Philippians 1:6). Paul allowed God's call on his life to overshadow all of his human weakness and failures.

You may be struggling in your life today with your own desires and temptations of the flesh. The enemy would like for you to believe that you stand alone in your battle, but you must understand that is simply not the case. We all have struggles, for the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We must be vigilant because he never gives up on trying to deceive us and when we do fall prey to his devices, he is very quick to condemn. I finally had to come to the conclusion that I was not perfect and life was not perfect. There was failure written all over the path that I had taken, yet, God understood my weaknesses and loved me anyway. God knows all of the secrets of our hearts and we must believe that His mercy and grace is greater than the work of the devil. I encourage you to rest in this thought and not to allow your secret weaknesses to keep you from reaching your God ordained destiny. +++

03/10/14
RESCUE ME

Scripture: Psalms 25:20 (Amplified) " ... Deliver me; let me not be ashamed or disappointed, for my trust and my refuge are in You."

David trusted in the Lord and called out to Him in his distress. He said that the troubles of his heart were multiplied as he was suffering great affliction and pain. Yet, David believed that the Lord would pluck his feet out of the net and rescue him from his many enemies who hated him. He asked the Lord to be gracious to him when he was lonely and to forgive him for all of his sins. He knew the Lord was concerned about every detail of his life, whether it was physical, mental, or emotional, so he asked to be rescued and spared from all shame and disappointment. 

You ask, "Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to be rescued?" Well, let me count the ways! In my life, there have been extreme financial difficulties, life-threatening sicknesses, physical injuries that left temporary disabilities, stressful difficulties with people on the job, and painful conflicts with close friends and family. This list is not even inclusive, for there have been many other situations which have caused me to call upon God. Each and every time that I turned to Him, I found that He was there all of the time patiently waiting in line with a solution for my problems. Yet sadly, there were times that I was so wrapped up in how I thought He was going to work out the problem that I failed to recognize His deliverance when it came my direction.

I am reminded of the story of a man that faced a flood. As the storm approached, the authorities warned him to evacuate, but he did not heed the warning. When the waters began to cover his yard and left the streets impassable, he asked God to deliver him. While he was praying, his neighbor showed up in a small rowboat, but he refused to be rescued. Soon the waters were coming into his house. As he prayed again for God to deliver him, the police patrol boat came to rescue him, but again he refused the help. The floodwaters continued to rise and before long he found himself stranded on the roof of his house. Once again as he pleaded for God's help, a helicopter came to his rescue. They lowered the rescue rope, but he still refused to leave. Finally, he drowned and found himself before the throne of God. In a state of confusion, he asked, "Lord, I prayed three times for deliverance. Why didn't You come and rescue me?" God responded to his question by saying, "I answered your prayers and came to rescue you each time that you prayed, but you failed to recognize My answer and refused to receive My help."

God is always there to rescue us in every situation, for He promised that He would never put more upon us than we could bear. In every adverse circumstance, He offers His help and His way of escape. Amidst the turmoil and confusion of life, God offers His supernatural peace that passes all understanding, but we must choose to allow His peace to reign within our hearts. He offers us salvation for our souls, but we must choose to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He seeks to rescue us from disease and suffering by offering us healing through the stripes that were laid upon Jesus, yet we must choose to believe in order to receive. When sorrow comes our way, the Lord sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us, but we must be ready to give up our grief in order to accept His loving offer. In temptation, the Lord promises a way of escape, but we must look for the way out and then flee from the enemy who is after our soul.

Whatever the challenge, there is an answer, but we must do our part. God's ways are higher than our ways and we must allow Him to rescue us in the way that He chooses. If we ask God to rescue us and He sends a boat, we must not miss our opportunity for His way of deliverance. +++

03/11/14
RESCUE ME

SHAKE IT OFF

Scripture: Acts 28:3 & 5 "As Paul gathered an armful of sticks to lay on the fire, a poisonous snake fastened itself onto his hand ... But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed."

I recently killed a poisonous snake in my yard and when I chopped its head off, the body and tail continued to move. This reminded me of an article that I had read in a magazine. It said that 85% of the snake related incidents that are treated at the hospital are from exposure to snakes that had already been killed. Although the snakes themselves were dead, the poison in their fangs was still very much alive and potent.

Like the snake that attached itself to Paul, there are harmful things that will seek to attach themselves to us. We will have many experiences in our lives and face many disappointments that can poison our souls and spirits if we allow them. The poison may come through abuse, divorce, grief because of the death of a loved one, lost relationships, or unfair financial situations. In our minds, we may think that we have destroyed the things that would harm us. We put the memories in the past, shut the door, and do not visit those rooms. We make every effort to forgive and let go. Yet in the farthest reaches of our being, there lingers a hurt, a grief, and a shame that will not allow us to move beyond that point into a place of absolute and total freedom. It is like a dead snake whose poison is still potent. From time to time, it shoots out its venom of pain and bitterness and disallows our heart to trust others or believe for a better future. In so doing, many times we stifle God's plan for our life.

God's desire is that we shake off the past hurts and disappointments. He wants us to go on with life, unharmed as Paul did, and live life at its fullest. The Lord doesn't want us to handle the memories that are alive with venom, lest it poison and destroy our souls. He doesn't want us to pine away our life in sorrow and grief, for He has a better plan. He sent His only begotten son, Jesus, so that we could have an abundant life. God anointed Jesus to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). However, to receive the abundant life that Jesus provides, we must choose to shake off anything that would poison us. We must choose to come out of the ashes, receive His joy, and put on His garment of praise. +++

03/12/14
SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Scripture: Hebrews 13:15 "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name."

Our praise and thanksgiving becomes a sweet incense to the Lord just like the sacrifices that were placed on the altar in the Old Testament. Many times our praise and thanksgiving is a true sacrifice from our heart because it can be difficult to praise God in the midst of trouble, heartache, and hard times. Yet, the sweet aroma of worship and adoration that we give to God in the times of adversity and pain reaches to His very throne and touches His heart. He notices the scent very quickly and then seeks to discover the one who is giving praise to Him. It is a natural curiosity just like we would have if we heard that someone had said something kind about us. We would want to know immediately what was said and who said it. We may even want it repeated to us several times.

I picked some roses from my yard and enjoyed their beautiful velvet petals of various colors. I left the room for a while and when I returned, the whole room was full of the fragrance of those roses. It is true that they were born and nurtured among the thorns and there were still thorns attached to their stems. Yet, they did not complain about where they had been or the thorns that remained. They just graced the room with their beauty and filled the atmosphere around them with a wonderful fragrance. I was the only one around so it seemed that their beauty and fragrance was intended just for me to enjoy.

I thought this must be how God feels when we offer up our praise and thanksgiving to Him, for He is the only who can hear our heart. He must turn our direction and look at us when He passes by just as I stopped to admire the roses. He must stop and take in the sweet fragrance when He hears our praise. For sure, God hears us when we cry and He listens when we express our pain because He loves us. He will not turn away from us when we are in hard times, but if our words are putrid because our hearts are filled with anger, our aroma cannot be pleasing to Him. He will turn away just as we would turn away from a foul odor. God is not attracted to us when we are murmuring and complaining or verbalizing our doubt and unbelief. Regardless of the thorns that we have experienced in the past or the thorns that are currently pricking our sides, we are to bless the Lord at all times and His praise is to continually be in our mouths.

Psalms 74:21 says, "Let the poor and needy praise Thy Name." Even when we have a lack or need, we must offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Our praise will manifest our trust in God. Our worship will change the atmosphere and create a wonderful fragrance. That fragrance will cause the Lord to turn our direction and He will then take notice of our needs and reward our trust. +++

03/13/14
JOY THAT GIVES STRENGTH TO ENDURE

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2 "... Because of the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross."

The Apostle Paul spoke of the race that is set before each of us and then instructed us to gain strength and courage by keeping our eyes upon Jesus. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and He set a great example for us when He endured the pain of the cross and all of its shame. Jesus could have called ten thousand angels to come to His aid and deliver Him, but He chose not to give up in the middle of His race. Instead, He kept His mind on His ministry to mankind and His eyes upon the goal that was set before Him. The joy of that goal brought Him enduring strength.

Most of us have short-term goals and long-term goals. Yet many times, right in the middle of the race, hopelessness tries to overwhelm us. The race may seem too long and too hard and you may feel the urge to give up and let it all go. There might be a financial goal that you have established. You may be desperately trying to work yourself out of debt, yet disappointments come when emergencies delay this plan. There may be goals in your relationships that are diverted by situations that you cannot control. Your ministry goals may be challenged by circumstances and setbacks. Your zeal and endurance may wane with every hurdle that you face. Yet Paul said, "Run to obtain ... and press towards the prize." You should never allow outside distractions to cause you to drop out of the race. You must finish your course and endure to the end.

Jesus was able to endure the cross because of His joy, and this is the same ingredient that you will need in your life to find the same enduring strength that He had. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." To make it to the finish line, you must have joy. Like Jesus, you cannot allow the pain of the moment to steal your joy. If you do, it will also steal your dreams and visions. When you allow the enemy to come in the door, he takes what is in your house. You must protect yourself by not lingering on the non-essential distractions. You must look to the future that God has planned for you and not at place where you are right now. Keep your eyes on Jesus, for He is the only one who can impart true joy into your spirit. The joy of the Lord will shine as a light in your darkness. His joy will comfort you in your grief and disappointments and drive away the confusion of the conflict. Joy will give you great peace in the midst of the storms and strength to endure your personal cross just as it did for Jesus. +++

03/14/14
GIVING YOUR FUTURE TO GOD

Scripture: Luke 5:9 (NIV) "Peter and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken."

Jesus told Peter to launch out into the water and let down his nets, but Peter was skeptical because he had fished all night in those same waters and had caught nothing. Yet, he obeyed the words of Jesus and caught so many fish that his boat began to sink. Jesus performed a special miracle for Peter in the field that Peter was familiar with. There was no doubt in Peter's mind that this was a supernatural act because of his many years of fishing experience. He didn't even try to take the glory for it by telling a "big fish story" to all of his buddies. Instead, he was astonished and stood there in wonder and amazement. This miracle brought Peter to repentance and he confessed his own sinful nature. When he realized that he was standing in the presence of righteousness, he fell at Jesus' feet and worshipped Him. 

After this, Jesus spoke to Peter and said, "Fear not; from now on you shall catch men." He was telling Peter that just as Peter had caught a multitude of fish in the natural realm, that it was also possible in the spiritual realm. Jesus challenged Peter to bring men into the kingdom of God and Peter responded by forsaking all that he had in order to follow Jesus. He laid down his life's work and his future source of income. He left it all in the Lord's hands so that he could do the Lord's work. Peter could have made many excuses and said, "I don't think that I'm very qualified. I haven't been to great schools and I haven't been trained for the ministry." In fact, Acts 4:13 tells us what the educated people thought about Peter and John. It says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men ..." Those qualifications of being unlearned and ignorant are not very impressive. But, the scripture goes on to say, "these same people marveled, and they took knowledge of Peter and John, because they had been with Jesus." The presence of the Lord in the lives of Peter and John overrode all of their inadequacies.

God wants to move in your life in a supernatural way and when He ministers to you, you will know that it could only be God that brought the blessing or the deliverance. He will cause you to stand there in wonder and amazement, knowing that without Him you could have never completed the task with your own skills. The Lord's awesome presence will be the secret that will give you the boldness that you need to accomplish His will. When He deals with you to do something for Him, whether it is to thrust out a little from the shore or go out into the deep, just trust Him and submit to His words.

God is not foolish. If He speaks, He surely has a plan for that word to be fulfilled. It will demand faith on your part just as it took faith for Peter and John to launch out into the deep water again. God's call may not be easy. It will take deliberate action on your part like it did for Peter and John to put the heavy nets back into the water. Their efforts showed Jesus that they believed His promise. They eventually forsook all and followed Jesus and became His disciples. The Lord's plan for their lives was far more astonishing than it was that day on the lake when they had the miracle catch of fish. They became fishers of men. Likewise, God has a plan and a hope for you, and if you give your future to Him, you will be astonished at what He will do with your life. +++

03/17/14
WALKING IN GOD'S LIGHT

Scripture: Isaiah 50:11 "Walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled ... (and) you shall lay down in sorrow."

God gives us a solemn warning against trying to walk in our own light because our light is incapable of dispelling the darkness of evil. Yet, when we are walking in a dark place, it's very tempting to try to solve our problems by ourselves instead of putting our trust in God and allowing Him to shed light on our situation. We become impatient and kindle our own fire to create our own light. We make decisions based on our feelings and often disregard the will of God for our lives. We turn a deaf ear to His voice because God's instructions make no sense at all to our natural mind because His ways are never like our ways.

Although we know that God's thoughts and plans are higher and far greater than we can comprehend with our finite mind, our darkness still drives us to seek a light of some sort and find deliverance somewhere. Premature deliverance, however, frustrates God's work of grace and diminishes the beauty of the work He is trying to accomplish in our lives. We are like the caterpillar, which must wait for the timing of God. The caterpillar must patiently endure the darkness of the cocoon until its appointed time comes for it to reach for the light and become a butterfly. Its premature deliverance will destroy the grandeur of its destiny, and its lack of patience will thwart its intended purpose and disable it from being able to fly in majestic beauty.

Jesus said, "The man that walks in darkness doesn't know where he is going" (John 12:35). A man in darkness just stumbles about, feeling his way around. It's a frightening place, but Jesus said that if we follow Him, we will not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). In this story, Jesus revealed Himself as The Light to the woman who was found living in the darkness of adultery. As The Light, Jesus did not condemn her but showed her the truth and gave her the light to walk in. He said, "Go and sin no more." His light was designed not only to dispel all the darkness of evil that threatened her but also to give her a new life.

Jesus is the light of life. God intends for us to walk in His light, for only His light can conquer darkness. We must wait for His light to dawn as we do the rising of the sun, for our own light apart from God will only bring sorrow. Be assured that God is sovereign and His timing cannot be hastened. It is better to walk in the darkness with God than to walk alone in our own light. +++

03/18/14
COMFORTING OTHERS

Scripture: II Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) "(God) Who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Life is not as simple as it seemed to be a few decades ago. Trials and tribulations are multiplying for most of us and the enemy of our soul is seeking to wear us out with his challenging situations. Problems come and doubts try to overshadow our faith and destroy our trust in God. With everything that is happening in the world today, our security is dwindling and confusion is moving in and attempting to drive away our peace. As personal heartaches and disappointments occur, our joy vanishes. Many times, we can't understand what is happening and eventually we find ourselves at a loss and overwhelmed with even life itself. Recently, a friend asked me, "Where do you go to give up?" His trust was in the Lord and he was a strong believer in God's Word. He had a high level of faith and was not truly serious about quitting life. But like many of us, the immediate frustrations were making a grand toll on his patience and endurance.

Sometimes giving up is an enticing remedy, but the Word lets us know that there are purposes for our trials and tribulations. James said that the trying of our faith works or produces patience. It is in the hard places of life that we learn to wait upon God and trust in His promises. It is in the valleys that we come to know that the Lord truly is our Shepherd and that He will keep us safe, restore our soul, and supply our every need. The Apostle Paul made another interesting statement. He said that the things that we have gone through help us to be able to comfort others who are in any kind of trouble. Our experiences, good and bad, help us to relate to others. Our pains create a place within our heart so that we can understand the hurts that others harbor within their souls and our failures enable us to recognize the disappointments that torment their minds. Even Jesus was tempted in all points of life like we are so that He could be touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is able to comfort and lead us out of our dark valleys because of His own experience. And it is through the comfort that we receive from Him that our hearts expand enough so that God can use us to draw others out of their valleys of despair.

As you see others walking the path of trouble, I encourage you to allow God to minister through you just as He has ministered to you. It is not a complicated task. Just be a strong voice in the silence that surrounds the hurting soul who is listening for a word in due season. Be a shoulder to lean upon for those who are going through hard times. Be a helping hand to the weary. Let the light that God shared with you be the sunshine in their darkness. Let the salt that He has placed in your life give spiritual flavor to the hopeless. Share the Bread of Life that you have received with the hungry and the Living Water with the thirsty. Jesus promised that He would never leave you or forsake you, so never turn the hurting away. They need the gift that God has placed within you. Show compassion and simply be a comfort to those who are in any trouble as the Lord has been a comfort to you. +++

03/19/14
DOUBLE PORTION

II Kings 2:9 "Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken away from you? And Elisha said ... Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."

Elijah was a prophet and a miracle worker. He had done mighty things in the midst of the people and was now preparing to leave this earth. In just a few hours, a chariot of fire and a whirlwind was going to usher him into Heaven. Before he left, he offered to grant the desire of Elisha, a man who had been chosen by God to replace Elijah as prophet. Elisha had faithfully followed Elijah and had humbly ministered to his needs. Elisha was a man who hungered for the power of God, and he desired not only the spirit which was upon Elijah, but also a double portion of that same spirit.

When the servant, Elisha, made his request to the prophet, Elijah, for a double portion of the Spirit, Elijah said, "You have asked for a hard thing, but if you see me when I am taken up, it shall be granted to you ... but if you do not see me, it shall not be so." When the time came for Elijah to be taken, Elisha acted in determination to receive the promised gift. He kept his eyes on Elijah in the midst of the splendor of the whirlwind and chariot, and he did not allow himself to be distracted. When Elijah went up, Elisha saw it. Elijah's mantle fell from the heavens, and when Elisha took it up, the spirit of Elijah rested upon him.

Elisha had courage and boldness to make an awesome request for what his heart desired, which was a double portion of the Spirit of God! What if we were to make this same request? It would be awesome, for sure, to do the miracles that Elijah and Elisha did, but to ask for that kind of power may seem too enormous for us at this time in our lives. However, instead of asking for a double portion of the miracle gifts of the Spirit, what if we started by asking for a double portion of the fruit of the Spirit, which is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Can you imagine the effects of having a double anointing of the fruit of God's Holy Spirit in our lives? We would begin to manifest twice as much love in the midst of hateful and bitter situations. We would have twice as much peace when confronted with the storms of life and a double amount of patience and self-control in the midst of conflict. We would be bubbling over with joy, and kindness and goodness would continually be flowing from us to others. Supernatural faith would prevail in every situation. God has called us to be able ministers to a hurting world. What better way to fulfill His calling than to boldly ask Him for a double anointing of His Spirit in our lives? +++

03/20/14
FEAR VS. GODLY FEAR

Scripture: Psalms 27:1 "... whom shall I fear? ... of whom shall I be afraid?" 

Fear is a strong emotion and is also a great influence upon our lives. Our fears may be justified or just imagined, yet, when we are experiencing fear of any kind, it is very real. A simple symptom in our lives can cause fear even though the symptom may not be an indication of the true facts. Fear will tell us that our children are on the road to failure or that we may face the dreaded layoff that is rumored in the office, but these words may not be true. Fear tells us that we are on the edge of financial ruin because of what our investment records dictate, but it disregards the truth that God is our financial source. We may fear that we have a deadly disease because the pains in our body are speaking so loudly to us that we are unable to consider the voice of God, our Healer.

Fear is fear and it comes to us in all stages of life and we will be forced to deal with it. The question that we face is the same as David posed, "Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?" We have a choice, for there are two entirely different kinds of fear that are presented to us. One is a fear that is to be shunned because it gives in to the torments of the devil and the other is a fear that we should embrace because it wraps itself around the awesomeness of a holy God. Unholy fear is provoked by the evil that surrounds us, but reverential fear is cultivated by receiving a revelation of the wonder of God. There is a fear that brings bondage and hinders our good decisions but there is also a fear that brings wisdom and causes us to act in freedom and discretion. There is a fear that is clouded by darkness and there is a fear that illuminates our spirits with eternal light.

The fear that is healthy and holy is the reverential fear of the Lord. It is not a tormenting fear, but a fear that causes us to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. This fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It is to be embraced because the more we reverently fear God the more likely we are to obey His commandments. When we obey God, we gain confidence because we know that our hearts are right before Him. This strong confidence creates a place of refuge for us (Proverbs 14:26). It hides us in the presence of the Lord and regenerates our spiritual strength, which gives us boldness to stand in the midst of adversity and false fear. We must always remember that fear has two positions. There is a battle that rages within us and we must personally decide whether we will take flight and run from evil or bow and give reverence to the Lord who is greater than any evil that pursues us. It is fear verses Godly fear and our decision will govern our destiny. +++

03/21/14
HEART OF REPENTANCE

Scripture: Luke 15:22 "The father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet."

The story of the prodigal son is one of the greatest stories of forgiveness and repentance. We know that forgiveness was always in the heart of the father because he watched intently, day after day, for his son to return. I feel certain that this loving father forgave his son at the onset of his son's rebellion when he asked to receive an early inheritance. I believe the father forgave his son when his son left home and foolishly squandered all of his father's hard earned money on riotous living. I think the father looked beyond the financial loss because his main concern was for his son's safety and that their relationship be restored.

Yet even with his heart of love and forgiveness, the father could not bring his son back home where he belonged. He had to wait for his son to make that decision in his own heart and repent. While the father waited, he probably imagined what he would do when his son returned. In time, his hopes were fulfilled. The father saw his son coming from a long way off and ran to meet him. He embraced his son with a heart of compassion and restored him to his position in the family. He also gave his son the best robe that he had and put a ring on his finger. He prepared a great feast for him and commanded everyone to rejoice with him because his son had come back to him.

Asking for God's forgiveness and returning to Him with a heart of repentance are two totally different things. Both demand a sorrowful heart, but repentance goes beyond the confession of sin that is made in order to receive forgiveness. Our guilt and shame will cause us to ask God for forgiveness, but often we fall right back into the old sin that we have been forgiven of many times. How many times have we lost our temper and asked God to forgive us, only to lose it again? We allow ungodly words or gossip to pass from our lips and we ask God to forgive us, but we continue to speak inappropriately. We give in to compromising situations and we ask God to forgive us, but when temptations come we fall back into the same trap. The list goes on and on. Yes, we are sorry, and yes, we want forgiveness. Yet, repentance requires more than a confession that is motivated by guilt. Instead, it is a strong determination never to repeat the sin again. It is leaving ungodly things behind and returning to God our Father with a whole heart.

God has promised that if we confess our sins that He would be faithful to forgive us for them. Yet, He is watching for much more. He waits for our hearts to approach Him in true repentance. When we are in sin we cannot focus our eyes upon God because our backs are to Him. However, when we repent we turn towards Him with a vow in our heart to leave the sin behind. We don't try to drag our sin into God's presence, make excuses for it, or hide it somewhere with the intent of going back to it. We are completely finished with it and we seek to do the Lord's will and to fulfill His desires. When our Heavenly Father sees our true heart of repentance, His mercy and grace welcome us back to the place where we belong. +++

03/24/14
FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH

Scripture: Matthew 14:19 "Jesus ... took the five loaves, and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples gave them to the multitude."

Jesus and His disciples faced an impossible situation. They had a big need and almost nothing available to meet that need. Five thousand men, plus women and children, had followed them into a deserted place. Now, this vast multitude of people was tired and hungry and the only provisions that were available to meet their need were five loaves of bread and two fish. A mother had prepared this lunch for her young son. This meager supply would not have been enough for Jesus and His twelve disciples much less the multitude that was before them, but God is a miracle worker and He never fails. Jesus took the loaves and fish into His own hands, looked to His Father in Heaven as He blessed them, broke them, and gave them to disciples to distribute to the people. All were fed in abundance and there were even baskets of leftovers that remained. 

I know God's provision and multiplication all too well. Many years ago my husband was out of work and finances really became very lean, but we never shared our personal needs with others. We simply believed God to meet them and He was always faithful. We had finished our last meal and had in fact divided one potato and a few vegetables between my husband, our three children, and myself. The surprising thing was that this meager provision was enough for all of us and the children never realized our lack. We had no idea what was going to happen next, but we were called to minister in a small church that evening. At the end of the service, the minister apologized for the small offering of seventeen dollars that had been received. We weren't even expecting a gift, and in the eyes of the congregation, we probably didn't look like we needed an offering. Besides that, we were usually the ones that helped to meet the needs of others in the congregation. Yet this small offering was a godsend to us and we were thrilled because we didn't even have lunch money for our children's school the next day. Our pastor had no idea of our need, but this small gift helped us make it through the next few days until work came in. The church had sown a small seed into our lives, yet, their small seed was our big miracle and the answer to our prayer of faith.

Sometimes the gifts that we hold in our hands seem so small compared to the need that is present. It is almost as though we have five loaves and two fish, which needs to be spread in five thousand directions. Yet we must understand that it doesn't matter how small our gift is, it matters what we do with it. God can take the little that we hold in our hands and cause it to become a blessing to a multitude of people. No gift is too small for Him to use. When we give all that we have and all that we are to Jesus, He will hold our gift in His hands and present it to the Father. The Lord Himself will then bless what we have offered to Him and before presenting it to the people, He will break it like He did the loaves and the fish. He will bring us to nothing so that God might be glorified in our lives. In this place of brokenness and humility, He will multiply our gifts and use our lives among the people.

Mother Theresa said, "We must do little things with great love." We must be willing to give whatever we have because our smallest offering of five loaves and two fish may become the miracle that someone else needs to sustain their life for a season. +++

03/25/14
WISDOM

Scripture: Proverbs 2:6 "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding."

Someone once said, "Worldly wisdom is a futile attempt to know more and more about less and less until one finally learns everything about nothing." This may be true about worldly wisdom, but there is a higher wisdom that God gives. God's divine wisdom, knowledge, and understanding cannot be bought with money or obtained by mere human effort or ability. Instead, it is gained by hearing the words that come from the mouth of the Almighty God who is full of wisdom.

True wisdom begins with having a reverent fear of the Lord. Proverbs 2:1-5 tell us that there are several things we must do to gain wisdom and emphasizes that "if" we do these things, "then" we will understand the fear of the Lord. We must search for wisdom as we would search for a hidden treasure, leaving nothing unturned. We must seek for it as silver, making every effort to obtain it just as we would do to earn a paycheck. This means putting pleasures aside and showing up at God's throne daily to seek His wisdom with diligence and energy. Our voice must cry out to God, expressing our desire for knowledge and insight. As God begins to share His wisdom and understanding, we need to incline our ears and pay close attention. We must receive His Words into our hearts and not become like those whom Jesus spoke about in the scriptures who have ears, but do not hear. God's Words must also go beyond hearing and receiving. We must apply our hearts to understand and allow God to direct our thoughts and minds so that we can make effective use of the wisdom that He shares with us. Finally, we must hide God's Words and wisdom in our heart so that they are there when we need them. 

Proverbs chapter four promises that wisdom and understanding will preserve, promote, and bring honor to you. Others will notice wisdom in your life because it will be like an ornament of grace and a crown of glory upon you. Wisdom will also be life and health to all of your flesh. This is God's desire for you. So, listen to His Words so that you may obtain His wisdom and then all that God's wisdom promises will come to you. +++

03/26/14
FULLNESS OF GOD

Scripture: Ephesians 3:19 "That you might be filled with the fullness of God."

It is an awesome revelation when we come to understand that we are vessels whom God has chosen to live in. He could have chosen anything on Earth to abide in, but He chose mankind and made us temples of His Holy Spirit. Yet, we forget sometimes that the Holy Spirit is living inside of us. We listen to abrasive music and language that the Holy Spirit would rather not hear, and look at things that He would rather not see. We are insensitive to His presence as we do things that He would rather not do and we take Him places that He prefers not to go. We can sense His grieving deep within our being. Yet, we fail to walk in the straight and narrow and we totally quench His promptings.

The Apostle Paul encouraged us to be filled throughout our being with the fullness of God. When we are filled to this measure with the presence of God, there is no room for other things that will quench His Spirit and grieve His heart. In I Corinthians 5:6, Paul said, "A little leaven will leaven the whole lump of dough." He was telling us that if we allow the devil the smallest space in our heart, he will move in and fill it with every evil thing that he can. The space we yield to the devil becomes like an empty and unused room in our house, which little by little, gathers all sorts of junk. Finally, the area becomes so crammed with clutter that it can't be used. We shut the door, try to ignore it, and hope to hide it from others.

The Scriptures say that the Holy Spirit uses whom He wills. He knows whether or not He has filled every room of our heart. Sometimes, He finds that there is just too much self, and other times He finds unconfessed sin. Luke chapter four tells us that Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led into a season of temptation in the wilderness and was tested to see if He would give in and satisfy His own desires. Jesus did not give any space of His heart to the devil. He stayed full of the Holy Ghost. And when the season of temptation was complete, He came forth in the power of the Spirit. His ministry was launched as His fame spread throughout the region. What would have happened if He had given the devil just a small portion of His heart?

Christ came to settle down, abide, and make His permanent home in your heart. He doesn't want a roommate. He wants you for His total possession so that He can work on the inside of you at His will. When you surrender your all to Him, He will thoroughly fill your being according to His design so that He can carry out His purposes and do supernatural things in your life. May you grasp the meaning of Paul's words, "Be filled with the fullness of God. That is, may you experience His divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!" +++

03/27/14
ACCEPTABLE WORDS

Scripture: Psalms 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer."

How many times have we wanted to take back our words after we had spoken them? The moment they left our mouth we knew that we had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. David also identified with this problem so he prayed and asked God to help him with his thoughts and his words. He wanted his words and meditations to be acceptable in the sight of God. However, David did not leave all the work and responsibility to God. He made a decision to do his part. In Psalms 17:3 he said, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." In Psalm 39:1, he also said, "I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle." In other words He was saying, "Whatever I have to do to keep my mouth shut I will do it, even if I have to put a muzzle over it."

God knew that we would have problems with our tongue so He provided a gate (our teeth) and a door (our mouth) to help us guard our words. Yet sometimes we are not wise enough to use either one of these safeguards, and "out of the abundance of whatever is in our heart our mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). If we want our words and meditations to be acceptable to God, we must work at it. Solomon said, "You have to teach your mouth and add learning to your lips" (Proverbs 16:23). He also said that if you keep your mouth and tongue, you would keep your soul from trouble (Proverbs 21:23). This is so true, for just a few words are capable of stirring up a lot of trouble.

Our words have power and we must be very careful how we use them. Scriptures declare that David was a man after God's own heart, yet he found it necessary to ask God to help him with his words and with the meditations of his heart. He drew from the One who was his strength and his Redeemer, and we must do the same. We must ask God to help us with our thoughts and our words, for when God intervenes, our mouth will become a well of life and minister grace to those around us. +++

03/27/14
THE POWER OF TWO

Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:30 "How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight?"

God ordained a strength and a power to be manifested when two people join together in unity. This stands true for husbands and wives, parents and children, friends, warriors, and even nations. Ecclesiastes 4:9 tells us that "Two are better than one; because they have a better reward for their labor." Two can lift a larger load and carry a heavier burden when they join their strength together. Just think about how difficult it is to move a piece of furniture by yourself and how much easier it is when someone helps share the load. Also when there are problems to be solved, the old saying stands true that "Two heads are better than one." And Solomon told us that two are better than one because if one falls, the other can lift the fallen partner up. And if they become cold, the two can give warmth to each other.

Unity ushers in the presence of the Lord, for Jesus has promised that when two come together in His Name that He would be there in their midst. Unity brings answers to prayers, for Jesus also said that if two will agree as touching anything on earth that it will be done of the Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 18:19-20). Jesus divided His own twelve disciples and sent them out in twos and later sent another seventy followers out, two by two. Unity produced supernatural power, for both of these groups preformed great miracles and witnessed deliverances amongst the people. Multiplication also happens when there is unity. When God created Adam, it was good, but Adam could not multiply in the earth as a single unit because multiplication can only come when there are two. One multiplied against any number remains the same. The whole does not increase. Adam needed a mate so God created Eve. God blessed Adam and Eve, told them to multiply, and gave them dominion in the Earth. Their union brought dominion and multiplication. 

Is it any wonder that Satan hates for men to be in unity with each other? Is it a mystery why he wants to destroy marriages, separate parents from their children, break up friendships, or cause confusion in relationships? Satan works against unity in any form because he knows that it will deplete his strength and ability. He is fearful of the dominion that will result when men join together in one accord so he sows discord. He creates misunderstanding and offense. He plants seeds of distrust so as to divide. He rejoices in broken relationships. He has even tried to annul the unity in the church of the Living God, but his goal was not accomplished. Regardless of our differences or denominations, we have remained One Body in Christ. Let us determine today to be discerning of the enemy's tactics. The devil's intentions are never good. He roams about as roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His purpose is steal, kill, and destroy.

Over and over we have seen in the scriptures that there is a power of two, for where there is unity, there is dominion, power, progress, added strength, and multiplication. For that reason, we must protect all of our relationships. We must count them as sacred gifts and make every effort to keep them intact. In Moses' writing, he told us that if one can chase a thousand, then two can put ten thousand to flight. Let us join together in the power of two so that we can put ten thousand enemies to flight. +++

03/31/14
FFAITH AS A SEED

Scripture: Luke 17:6 "The Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed ..."

Things that are impossible with man are possible with God. The Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could speak to the tree to be plucked up by the root, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." He was telling us that nature itself is commanded by God to obey our words of faith. Even the storms are subject to our words. When the disciples were being tossed about on the raging sea, Jesus asked, "Where is your faith?" He asked this question because He knew that faith in God had power over the storms. Jesus then spoke the word of peace directly to the storm to show us that faith had to be acted upon or expressed verbally in order to accomplish God's work.

God loves us, and like any loving father, He wants his children to experience success and enjoy victory in every area of life. So it only takes a little faith on our part to get Him involved in our circumstances. When we reach out to the Lord, He meets us at our point of faith and scripture verifies that He will even help us with our unbelief. When He sees that our faith is weak He sends His faith building words to strengthen the little faith that we have. 

Faith "as a seed" is an interesting concept. Seeds are the origin of life and produce fruit after their own kind. They are always planted in the darkness of the Earth and regardless of how strong the life is within them, they cannot germinate until they are watered. A seed can be alive but remain dormant for years as long as it is kept dry. A few years ago, there were some seeds that were discovered that had been hidden in the pyramids of Egypt centuries ago. These seeds still had life. They were secure within themselves but they were designed by God to be productive outside of themselves. They needed to be planted and watered for their hopes to be fulfilled. Like a seed, faith is also the origin of things hoped for. Faith comes alive when a Word from God is planted in the darkness of our heart and it is nourished when His Spirit showers it. Yet our faith will remain dormant like a dry seed and there will be no fruit until there is action.

A seed also stands alone in its struggle. No one can actually make it grow, not even the other seeds. It is totally dependant upon the sovereignty of God. The seed roots itself downward into the depths of the soil as it begins to reach for the light that is above. It doesn't stagger to the left or right but continues in a straight path upward towards God. It grows one micro-inch at a time. Faith is the same. It is a personal experience that reaches up with trust towards a faithful God. Faith embraces God's promise one moment at time.

For one hundred and twenty years, Noah built the ark, one board at a time. Abraham, the father of many nations, searched for a city whose builder and maker was God, one step at a time. Moses led the people to the Promised Land and believed for manna from Heaven, one day at a time. The Apostle Paul fought the good fight of faith, one season at a time. Jesus endured the agony of the cross, one breath at a time. Seeds do not reach their destiny suddenly and neither does our faith. Faith is a continual exercise in believing the promises that God has given. So let us remember that if we have faith as a seed, we will eventually break through to the light and the fruit of our patience and struggle will be rewarded. +++