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| Daily Devotional Thought | Challenge of the Month | Articles |
| Free Gift Blog | The Store | My Testimony | Short Inspirational Stories |
"Daily Devotional Thought"
My Utmost For His Highest
Updated in today's Language | Edited by Jim Reimann.
What is posted below the Title/Bible Verse is my commentary.
June
Top of Page
Top of Page
BEEN SUPER BUSY WILL UPDATE THIS WHEN I GET A CHANCE!
Keep Recognizing Jesus - June 18
"...Peter...walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid..." (Matthew 14:29-30)
Not available yet.
Beware of Criticing Others - June 17
"Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1)
In the process.
Will You Lay Down Your Life? - June 16
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends...I have called you friends..." (John 15:13.15)
In the process.
Get Moving! - June 15
"Also...add to your faith..." (2 Peter 1:5)
In the process.
Get Moving! - June 14
"Abide in Me..." (John 15:4)
In the process.
Getting There - June 13
"...come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22)
In the process.
Getting There - June 12
"They said to Him, 'Rabbi...where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see'" (John 1:38-39)
In the process.
Getting There - June 11
"Come to Me..." (Matthew 11:28)
All the questions in life that truly matter can be answered by what Christ says, "Come to Me". Jesus doesn't say "Do this or don't do that" here, but "Come to me". Would you rather do other activities than going to Christ? That is complete stubbornness. The determining factor of your genuineness is Jesus Christ Himself. The determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit to Him is the necessary attitude you must have to go to Christ. By doing this He penetrates you with the spirit of life and gives you magnificent vitality.
And After That What's Next to Do - June 10
"...seek, and you will find..." (Luke 11:9)
Asking for things from life instead of from God is asking from a desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. Instead of seeking God only during emotional experiences, try seeking Him with your whole heart all the time. Beware of building your faith on experience and becoming satisfied with your own experience or you will only have a critical, judgmental spirit. Remember what you have spiritually found can be desired by others, but can't be given to them.
Knock and keep knocking at God's door as you cleanse your hands and as your heart becomes purified. As you express your sorrow before God you see the heart-redning difficulty and amazement of seeing who you really are. "...to him who knocks it will be opened" (Luke 11:10).
Then What's Next to Do? - June 9
"Everyone who asks receives..." (Luke 11:10)
The next thing to do is asking God to fill you with the Holy Spirit (See Luke 11:13). The filling (baptism) of the Holy Spirit will make everything Jesus did for you very real in your life. "Everyone who asks receives...", to be able to receive you must comprehend and appreciate mentally, morally and with spiritual understanding. All of this comes from God. Throw out your human reasoning and stop asking with a certain result in mind because it means you are asking out of your own lust. Don't be ashamed to spiritually beg and remember that "God blesses those who realize their need for him..." (Matthew 5:3).
Whats Next to Do? - June 8
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17)
Believing in Jesus doesn't allow you to spend all your time in calm waters near the dock. If you don't cute the line that ties you to the dock, God will use a storm to break the line and send you out to sea. This is where your spiritual discernment will grow. Examine where you lost interest at spiritually and you will find out that the reason is for disobedience to something you know you should have done. It is dangerous to refuse and continue to learn and know more spiritually. Being disobedient is a state in which you create your own opportunities instead of fulfilling your spiritual destiny. Beware that you don't go back to a point you were once at because God wants you to continue to be something you have never been.
The Greatest Source of Power - June 7
"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do..." (John 14:13)
Bringing everything to one central point and staying focused will fulfill a ministry of intercession deep within the hidden spaces of your life. The central point is Jesus Christ and allowing Him to dominate more and more in every interest in your life. This will beat fruit for Him in all aspects of your life. When you abide in Christ and continue to act, think, and work from that central point "you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). Become determined to concentrate your desires and interests on the atonement of the Cross of Christ. People who abide in Christ are in God's will and their free choices become God's foreordained decrees.
"Work Out" What God "Works in" You - June 6
"...work out your own salvation... for it is God who works in you..." (Philippians 2:12-13)
Upon salvation, your will is awakened and it always agrees with God. Your will is the most profound thing in you, not sin. When you decide to disobey your will it is perversity and/or stubbornness in you. These are less deep and penetrating than your will and and they never agree with God. Your will is God's essential element in your creation, while sin is perversion that entered into humans. You have to work out what God works in you, not work to accomplish or earn your own salvation. Work it out with determination so your faith in the Lord will be unshakable. Stubbornness is a barrier to unshakable faith and you must use obedience to the Holy Spirit as "dynamite" to blow up this barrier. God not only expects you to do His will, but He is in you to do it.
God's Assurance - June 5
"He Himself has said... So we may boldly say..."
Build your assurance on God's assurance that He will never leave you so you can say "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear" (Hebrews 13:6). This doesn't mean you will never be tempted to fear, but remember His assurance. Be full of courage like the Lord wants, like a child trying to impress their parents. Take a deep spiritual breath and your replace your fear with God's assurance. Listen to God and tell yourself "The Lord is my helper" when you seem helpless. Regardless of what evil may be in your path remember what God said Himself "I will never leave you...". Are you yielding to fear or continually filled with the courage to say "The Lord is my helper!"
The Never-forsaking God - June 4
"He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Hebrews 13:5)
God's statements are always true. You have to stop turning to your worries and fears and turn to the truth of God. Never means never in Hebrews 13:5, not for any reason, not for sin, selfishness, stubbornness, or waywardness. Have you really allowed God to assure you that He won't ever leave you? You must learn to hear this assurance in everyday life, not just when you have some major difficulty in life. Stop looking for God to do some exceptional thing and realize to glorify God at this very moment. The most amazing strength is yours at all times with God's assurance behind you. Learn to sing to and glorify God in even the ordinary days and ways of life.
The Secret of the Lord - June 3
"The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him..." (Psalm 25:14)
The sign of a true friend is when a person tells you their secret joys, not just their secret sorrows. Do you allow God to tell you His secret joys or are you continually telling God your secrets therefore leaving Him no time to talk to you. Become united to the prayer of Jesus saying to the Father "Your will be done..." (Matthew 6:10). This permits you to catch the secrets of God because He wants to be amazingly intimate with you. The Lord knows and wants involved with every detail in your life because He cares so much about you. You notice you grow spiritually when you begin to be more obedient to the Lord. Whenever you have doubt or restraint over a situation, take heed and stop at once. Be obedient to God's instructions over each situation you have had doubt or restraint over instead of reasoning why it is ok to do something.
Are You Obsessed by Something - June 2
"Who is the man that fears the Lord?" (Psalm 25:12)
Are you obsessed by God or something else, which includes your own Christian experiences. Just as a child always has their mother in mind even when they aren't consciously aware of her we are to always have our mind on God. Allow the obsession with God to be pushed to the forefront of your life. Being obsessed with God allows an impenetrable barrier against all attacks of the enemy. Why rob yourself of being at ease in everything in life and always being protected by his impenetrable barrier? Remember that "God is our refuge..." (Psalm 46:1).
The Staggering Question - June 1
"He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'" (Ezekiel 37:3)
Can the worst of the worst human be made right? We find it is much easier to do something than to patiently await on the Lord. We would rather work for Him than believe in Him and put our trust in His timing. God works in us in ways we can't. Sometimes we must wait patiently and pray for people until we see Him working. God is the only true deliverer out of hopelessness so we must follow His lead. By true belief in God's power, there will never be any question about the worst of the worst human being able to be brought to the Lord. Apart from God's grace in your flesh, nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18). Ezekiel 37:12 states "Behold, O My People, I will open your graves..." This verse shows us that anyone can be brought out of the grave and be saved from eternal damnation. You must look at God how He deserves where nothing is impossible and no one is out of reach.
Keep Recognizing Jesus - June 18
"...Peter...walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid..." (Matthew 14:29-30)
Not available yet.
Beware of Criticing Others - June 17
"Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1)
In the process.
Will You Lay Down Your Life? - June 16
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends...I have called you friends..." (John 15:13.15)
In the process.
Get Moving! - June 15
"Also...add to your faith..." (2 Peter 1:5)
In the process.
Get Moving! - June 14
"Abide in Me..." (John 15:4)
In the process.
Getting There - June 13
"...come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22)
In the process.
Getting There - June 12
"They said to Him, 'Rabbi...where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see'" (John 1:38-39)
In the process.
Getting There - June 11
"Come to Me..." (Matthew 11:28)
All the questions in life that truly matter can be answered by what Christ says, "Come to Me". Jesus doesn't say "Do this or don't do that" here, but "Come to me". Would you rather do other activities than going to Christ? That is complete stubbornness. The determining factor of your genuineness is Jesus Christ Himself. The determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit to Him is the necessary attitude you must have to go to Christ. By doing this He penetrates you with the spirit of life and gives you magnificent vitality.
And After That What's Next to Do - June 10
"...seek, and you will find..." (Luke 11:9)
Asking for things from life instead of from God is asking from a desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. Instead of seeking God only during emotional experiences, try seeking Him with your whole heart all the time. Beware of building your faith on experience and becoming satisfied with your own experience or you will only have a critical, judgmental spirit. Remember what you have spiritually found can be desired by others, but can't be given to them.
Knock and keep knocking at God's door as you cleanse your hands and as your heart becomes purified. As you express your sorrow before God you see the heart-redning difficulty and amazement of seeing who you really are. "...to him who knocks it will be opened" (Luke 11:10).
Then What's Next to Do? - June 9
"Everyone who asks receives..." (Luke 11:10)
The next thing to do is asking God to fill you with the Holy Spirit (See Luke 11:13). The filling (baptism) of the Holy Spirit will make everything Jesus did for you very real in your life. "Everyone who asks receives...", to be able to receive you must comprehend and appreciate mentally, morally and with spiritual understanding. All of this comes from God. Throw out your human reasoning and stop asking with a certain result in mind because it means you are asking out of your own lust. Don't be ashamed to spiritually beg and remember that "God blesses those who realize their need for him..." (Matthew 5:3).
Whats Next to Do? - June 8
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:17)
Believing in Jesus doesn't allow you to spend all your time in calm waters near the dock. If you don't cute the line that ties you to the dock, God will use a storm to break the line and send you out to sea. This is where your spiritual discernment will grow. Examine where you lost interest at spiritually and you will find out that the reason is for disobedience to something you know you should have done. It is dangerous to refuse and continue to learn and know more spiritually. Being disobedient is a state in which you create your own opportunities instead of fulfilling your spiritual destiny. Beware that you don't go back to a point you were once at because God wants you to continue to be something you have never been.
The Greatest Source of Power - June 7
"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do..." (John 14:13)
Bringing everything to one central point and staying focused will fulfill a ministry of intercession deep within the hidden spaces of your life. The central point is Jesus Christ and allowing Him to dominate more and more in every interest in your life. This will beat fruit for Him in all aspects of your life. When you abide in Christ and continue to act, think, and work from that central point "you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). Become determined to concentrate your desires and interests on the atonement of the Cross of Christ. People who abide in Christ are in God's will and their free choices become God's foreordained decrees.
"Work Out" What God "Works in" You - June 6
"...work out your own salvation... for it is God who works in you..." (Philippians 2:12-13)
Upon salvation, your will is awakened and it always agrees with God. Your will is the most profound thing in you, not sin. When you decide to disobey your will it is perversity and/or stubbornness in you. These are less deep and penetrating than your will and and they never agree with God. Your will is God's essential element in your creation, while sin is perversion that entered into humans. You have to work out what God works in you, not work to accomplish or earn your own salvation. Work it out with determination so your faith in the Lord will be unshakable. Stubbornness is a barrier to unshakable faith and you must use obedience to the Holy Spirit as "dynamite" to blow up this barrier. God not only expects you to do His will, but He is in you to do it.
God's Assurance - June 5
"He Himself has said... So we may boldly say..."
Build your assurance on God's assurance that He will never leave you so you can say "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear" (Hebrews 13:6). This doesn't mean you will never be tempted to fear, but remember His assurance. Be full of courage like the Lord wants, like a child trying to impress their parents. Take a deep spiritual breath and your replace your fear with God's assurance. Listen to God and tell yourself "The Lord is my helper" when you seem helpless. Regardless of what evil may be in your path remember what God said Himself "I will never leave you...". Are you yielding to fear or continually filled with the courage to say "The Lord is my helper!"
The Never-forsaking God - June 4
"He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Hebrews 13:5)
God's statements are always true. You have to stop turning to your worries and fears and turn to the truth of God. Never means never in Hebrews 13:5, not for any reason, not for sin, selfishness, stubbornness, or waywardness. Have you really allowed God to assure you that He won't ever leave you? You must learn to hear this assurance in everyday life, not just when you have some major difficulty in life. Stop looking for God to do some exceptional thing and realize to glorify God at this very moment. The most amazing strength is yours at all times with God's assurance behind you. Learn to sing to and glorify God in even the ordinary days and ways of life.
The Secret of the Lord - June 3
"The Secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him..." (Psalm 25:14)
The sign of a true friend is when a person tells you their secret joys, not just their secret sorrows. Do you allow God to tell you His secret joys or are you continually telling God your secrets therefore leaving Him no time to talk to you. Become united to the prayer of Jesus saying to the Father "Your will be done..." (Matthew 6:10). This permits you to catch the secrets of God because He wants to be amazingly intimate with you. The Lord knows and wants involved with every detail in your life because He cares so much about you. You notice you grow spiritually when you begin to be more obedient to the Lord. Whenever you have doubt or restraint over a situation, take heed and stop at once. Be obedient to God's instructions over each situation you have had doubt or restraint over instead of reasoning why it is ok to do something.
Are You Obsessed by Something - June 2
"Who is the man that fears the Lord?" (Psalm 25:12)
Are you obsessed by God or something else, which includes your own Christian experiences. Just as a child always has their mother in mind even when they aren't consciously aware of her we are to always have our mind on God. Allow the obsession with God to be pushed to the forefront of your life. Being obsessed with God allows an impenetrable barrier against all attacks of the enemy. Why rob yourself of being at ease in everything in life and always being protected by his impenetrable barrier? Remember that "God is our refuge..." (Psalm 46:1).
The Staggering Question - June 1
"He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'" (Ezekiel 37:3)
Can the worst of the worst human be made right? We find it is much easier to do something than to patiently await on the Lord. We would rather work for Him than believe in Him and put our trust in His timing. God works in us in ways we can't. Sometimes we must wait patiently and pray for people until we see Him working. God is the only true deliverer out of hopelessness so we must follow His lead. By true belief in God's power, there will never be any question about the worst of the worst human being able to be brought to the Lord. Apart from God's grace in your flesh, nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18). Ezekiel 37:12 states "Behold, O My People, I will open your graves..." This verse shows us that anyone can be brought out of the grave and be saved from eternal damnation. You must look at God how He deserves where nothing is impossible and no one is out of reach.
May
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Put God First - May 31
"Jesus did not commit Himself to them...for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25)
Put trust in God and His grace first and foremost. This will take away bitterness and hopelessness to protect yourself from despair. It will also help you realize no person can be perfect so stop pointing your finger. Put God's will first and be obedient. Make sure God's will and needs are met in you first before rallying the unsaved for God. Put Christ first and allow your life to be transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God. God's main and ultimate purpose is for His Son to be exhibited in you.
Yes--But...! - May 30
"Lord I will follow You, but..." (Luke 9:61)
You must overcome any spiritual habit you have with absolute determination. Stop turning back at the point of testing and stop putting the word 'but' into any reply to God when He asks you to do something. Leaping into the dark when Christ asks is the only way to do anything worthwhile for Him. Leap by faith into anything He says, and throw your common sense completely out the door. Everythingt Christ says is more consistent and solid than common sense. Jesus' statements are the words of God and when a new adventure is offered by Him take it!
Untroubled Relationship - May 29
"In that day you will ask in My name. . for the Father himself loves you..." ("John 16:26-27)
Christ's name is not a magic word. The day talked about in this verse is when you become so intimitate with Christ you become one with Him. This doesn't exclude you from difficulties and hardship, but it does allow the teachings of God to be revealed to you. This is a day of peace. The baptism of the Holy Spirit allows you to be lifted into a relationship "that they may be one just as we are one..." (John 17:22). Jesus' name allows God to recognize and respond to your prayer. It is such a wonderful challenge and invitation to pray in His name!
Unquestioned Revelation - May 28
"In that day you will ask Me nothing" (John 16:23)
When is "that day"? This day comes when the resurrected life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you. Your questions are gone even when you may have things you don't understand. Once you reach this point the unanswered never comes between you and God. Are you living that life now? Look for the explanations to any life mysteries in your spirit, not your mind. Your understanding becomes perfectly clear when your spiritual nature submits to the life of Christ. There will be no distance between the Father and you and in that day you will ask Him nothing.
The Life to Know Him - May 27
"...tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49)
The disciples patiently waited and the Holy spirit was poured out on them once Christ was glorified. Our waiting is dependent on our own spiritual fitness. Recieving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into your life must be your continual attitude. The baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn't change people, the power of the ascended Christ coming into their life through the Holy Spirit does. The baptism is the evidence of the ascended Christ. This experience takes away your thought of time and eternity, it becomes one amazing glorious now. "This is eternal life, that they may know you..." (John 17:3). Begin to know Him now, and never finish!
Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught - May 26
"Pray without ceasing..." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Prayer must be just like breathing, it must never stop. By obeying Christ you stay in perfect oneness with God, even when you aren't conscious of it. Christians like to make prayer out as an exercise when it is to be the life of the saint. You must learn to maintain a childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart at all times.
Jesus never mentions unanswered prayer, prayer is always answered. Jesus says "...everyone who asks receives..." (Matthew 7:8). There is no 'sometimes' to prayer being answered, but God answers prayer in the best way although it might not be in the area you want it. You must not align your common sense with what Jesus says, if it were common sense it wouldn't have been worthwhile to say. Jesus' prayer teachings are supernatural truths, let them be revealed in your heart.
The Good or the Best? - May 25
"If you take the left, then I will go to the right, or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left" (Genesis 13:9)
When you live by faith and let God make all your choices, amazing and wonderful possibilities will open up in your life right before you. When the Lord begins to test you, stay obedient through the rough times without losing faith and you will become spiritually transformed. Beware of making just good choices instead of making the best choices because good choices are the greatest enemy of a life of faith. Do you make your life choices, or do you let God make the choices for you? During your walk, always keep your eyes focused on the Lord!
The Delight of Despair - May 24
"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead" (Revelation 1:17)
Sometimes God can only reveal himself in His majesty. The awesomeness of the vision brings you to the delight of despair because nothing good dwells in you and you realize you must be raised up by the hand of God. God can only help when you realize that is is only Him that can do the impossible and only so much is humanly possible. When His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace, comfort, support, provision, and strength. His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do you know Him like that.
Our Careful Unbelief - May 23
"...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on" (Matthew 6:25)
The most important word of Jesus to His disciples was abandon. Upon receiving the Spirit of God we are asked, "Where do I fit in your relationships? Where do I fit in your vacations? In these books you want to read? During all your tv and internet time?" He must be your first consideration, this allows no confusion. We have to stop worrying, it is unbelief and shows that you think God can't look after your life in all it's aspects. Did you notice what Jesus said would choke the Word he puts in you? It isn't the devil, it is "the cares of this world" (Matthew 13:22). Worrying causes unbelief and the only cure is obedience of His Spirit.
The Explanation for Our Difficulties - May 22
"...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us..."
(John 17:21)
Once you accept salvation, you lose part of your independence. If you are going through a period of isolation an almost guaranteed reason is to draw you closer to the Lord so you may be one with Him. Are you as close to Christ as He was with the Father? God is concerned with His plan using His widom for what is the best for us. The things that happen either make you evil or more saintly, which all depends on your relationship with God. Upon understanding His purpose, you won't become small-minded or doubtful. Being a Christian means God won't leave you alone until you are one with Him.
(What is salvation?)
Having God's "Unreasonable" Faith - May 21
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus reverses the order of things most people have in their life and tells them to get the right relationship with God first and make it the primary concern throughout the entirety of life. To many people disobey the Lord saying "I must live, I must make a certain amount of money, I must wear a certain type of clothes, eat a certain type of food, etc." This places you and your families as the great concern in your life over God. This doesn't mean you don't need to put thought into your life and life's situations, it simply means to make God the dominating focus in your life. People who are careless about what they do and how they act will be held responsible. Make the greatest concern your relationship with God and put everything else second. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring you into absolute harmony with the Lord!
Taking Possession of Our Own Soul - May 20
"By your patience possess your souls" (Luke 21:19)
Being born again gives you a new vitality into your thinking and reasoning. Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had." Taking possession of your own soul takes patience and discipline. May Christians choose to stay at the entrance of the Christian life, instead of building their soul with the new life Christ placed in them. They than blame the devil and others when they should blame their own undisciplined nature.
Certain things n life do not need any prayer, just kicking out of your life. Moods are an example, they are almost always rooted in a physical circumstance. Never submit to moods for even a second. The problem with most Christians is they simply wait to do it. We must learn the Christian life is one of spiritual courage, determination and obedience.
Out of the Wreck I Rise - May 19
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
(Romans 8:35)
As a Christian you are not immune from trouble, but no matter how real or intense a situation you are in becomes God is always with you (Psalm 91:15). In Romans 8:37 Paul talks about life situations that are dangerously real that you are more than a conqueror over. You are victorious because none of these situations can affect your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for any Christian who doesn't have some circumstance in their life they wish was gone. Through triblation, distress, famine and other situations extraordinary things happen to those who hold onto the love of God. Logic becomes silenced which is accounted by the love of God in Christ Jesus and allows you will rise out of the wreck!
Living Simply--Yet Focuses - May 18
"Look at the birds of the air... Consider the lilies of the field..." (Matthew 6:26,28)
Think of the simplicity of stuff that ministers for you: lilies in a field, the sea, air, sun, stars and moon. We must go back to the simplicity where there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, which is focusing and concentrating on the Lord. The most influential people live simple and unaffected lives like the lilies of the field. Stay focused on Christ and He will use you every second of your life!
His Ascension and Our Access - May 17
"It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven" (Luke 24:51)
Until the transfiguration ( A complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.) of Christ, He had exhibited a normal, perfect life of a man. From the transfiguration and forward-- Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection-- everything is unfamiliar to us. His cross is the only door to the life of God, His resurrection is the only door to eternal life, and His ascension is the only thing that keeps the door open for any who wish to enter by faith and belief. Christ turned His back on glory and came down from the Mount of Transfiguration to identify Himself with the fallen humanity. His ascension to Heaven completely fulfilled the transfiguration. Jesus had limited his unlimited power, infinite knowledge and ability to be everywhere at once, but now He has all the power at the throne of God. He is King of kings and Lord of Lords!
The Habit of Recognizing God's Provision - May 16
"...you may be partakers of the diviner nature..."
(2 Peter 1:4)
You share God's own nature and the first habit you should develop is the recognition of God's provision for you. You have to stop acting like God cut's you off without a penny left, and you are barely getting by. All of Almighty God is yours in Lord Jesus. He will go to the farthest end of the universe, the remotest star and reach to the last grain of sand to bless you if you are obedient to Him. You have to stop giving into self-pity and your own interests; this removes God from the throne of your life and you always become unsatisfied. God wants you to learn that He is the Source of your wealth and wants you to give generously. When you are marked and identified with His nature, His blessing will flow through you at all times.
The Habit of Rising to the Occasion - May 15
"...that you may know what is the hope of His calling..." (Ephesians 1:18)
You didn't do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must work it out (Philippians 2:12). Does your speech, actions, emotions and thoughts prove you are working out your salvation? If you haven't changed, it's impossible to say God has saved you and sanctified you. Being a Christian was never meant to be easy; God doesn't shield you from the requirements of being His child. Rise to the occasion-- do whatever is asked of you regardless of how you feel. Replace your complaints with spiritual vitality so you can face anything. When you manifest Christ in you, you will become like the Lord and you won't attempt to dictate your relationship with Him. Upon salvation, your life on Earth is to submit to Him so He can work through you and pour you out to feed and nourish others.
(What is salvation?)
The Habit of Enjoying Adversity - May 14
"...that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10)
Does your life exhibit the essence of the sweetness of Jesus Christ? You must learn to develop godly habits that become part of your life and eventually you won't even be aware of them but they will be apart of you. The only thing allowing you to enjoy adversity is the sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in you. Use this to help you to obey the Lord, regardless of a task's difficulty. When you debate and disobey Him you grieve His spirit (Ephesians 4:30). When God puts you into adversity, don't have self-pity, instead become excited and remember He will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19). Live by the Word of God and let it be active in you, not your negative past memories and experiences.
The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience - May 13
"...strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men" (Acts 24:16)
God commands you to the life of His Son in you. His commands may seem difficult to follow but they become divinely easy once you begin to obey them. Your conscience either looks at God's standard or your own highest standard; this is why everyone has a different conscience and values. Placing God's standard on your conscious at all times allows Him to indicate everything He wants you to do. Do you obey? Work so that your conscience will become so sensitive that no one will offend you. Than begin to live in perfect harmony with God's standard so you can renew yourself in all of life's circumstances (Ephesians 4:23). Learn to listen for the Lord's gently and calming voice; don't ignore His voice. Once the Lord speaks to you don't debate with Him or His command, obey Him and keep a clear conscience before our Lord God.
The Habit of Having No Habits - May 12
"If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful..." (2 Peter 1:8)
You are aware when you begin to form a habit in your life. If you stop at a stage of awareness of being virtuous and godly, you will develop a habit and a sense of spiritual pride. Immerse godly habits in your life until you become unaware of them. Don't turn your godly habit, your prayer time or Bible reading time, etc. into your god. Do you worship your habit instead of what it symbolizes, God Himself. "I can't do this right now, it's my alone time with God." No, it's alone time with your habit. Love means your habits are so immersed in the Lord you practice them without realizing it. God isn't restricting you from certain things when you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you are. Become at home with God everywhere so His qualities can be added to you and your life will become as simple as a child.
Love One Another - May 11
"...add to your...brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5, 7)
Love is something most of us don't understand. Luke 14:26 shows us that Christ is to always be number one in our lives. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit it becomes easy to put Jesus Christ first in your life (Romans 5:5). Adding what 2 Peter 1 says, knowledge of God and Jesus among other things to your life, will allow this love to be worked out in your life. God loves you because of His nature, not because you deserve it or are even lovable. John 15:12 tells you to love one another as He loves us. Look within and always remember how wonderfully and patiently He dealt with you especially when you have an unusually difficult person you deal with in your life. God's divine love and your natural love in you only grow if you nurture it. You must discipline yourself so you can identify closely with Jesus so that His life and His sweetness are continually poured out through you.
Take the Initiative - May 10
"...add to your faith virtue..." (2 Peter 1:5)
Add means action; to do something. God never forces you to do something, you must work out your own salvation as stated in Philippians 2:12. Although when starting the process of working out your salvation it can be difficult, add means you begin to form habits of doing certain things regardless of emotion. Don't ask or question the way you are to go about something when the Lord has told you prior. Take the initiative and do it and stop the hesitation. Create a habit to immediately act in faith when the Lord speaks, never reconsider or change your initial decisions. Take the initiative right now and make a decision and make it impossible to go back on. When you claim you will do something do it and make it irreversible. Learn to carefully listen to God about everything in your life and when a crisis comes you will instantly turn to God.
(What is salvation?)
Reaching Beyond Our Grasp - May 9
"Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint..." (Proverbs 29:18)
A principle and a vision are completely different; a vision comes from moral inspiration and people with principles rarely step out and do anything. Having the right idea of God may be the reason you do nothing, telling God how loving and kind He is and how He relents from doing harm. Jonah also had this principle for a time. Vision has moral incentive and comes with honesty and integrity. Examine yourself for a vision to find out if you only have principles. Your reach should always exceed your grasp, or what's a heaven for? Keep focus on God so you don't become reckless. Do you cast certain restraints off activites you know are wrong? Do you set prayer aside and God's vision in the little things of life? Are you expecting greatness from God? Keep vitality and a freshness in your spiritual outlook and expect God to come in, if you don't you will be on a downward path.
The Faith to Persevere - May 8
"Because you have kept My command to persevere..."
Become a bow and arrow in God's hands. He will aim at something you might not see and He will stretch and strain you until His purpose is in sight, even if you complain. God will than let the arrow fly. Entrust your life into the hands of God and you will never be disappointed. Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Strengthen your faith by the confidence in God's holy love. Allow faith to work in all reas of your life, allow God to touch all area's. When you realize eternal life is a life that faces anything without wavering, your life will become a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time.
Building for Eternity - May 7
"Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it..." (Luke 14:28)
God has already counted the cost, which was the life of Jesus and everything He experienced. The people the Lord plans to use for His building purpose are those who love Him personally and have a close relationship with Him that goes beyond any earthly relationship. You may think the conditions are harsh or strict that a verse like Matthew 14:26 may suggest, but the result is gloriously unimaginable. Have you built your foundation on Jesus Christ or built it on your own desires? God will be the inspector. Let the Lord work through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, inside you so He can direct and control you completely. Remember to allow Him to place you where He wants you and never demand where you should be put to work.
Liberty and the Standards of Jesus - May 6
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free..." (Galatians 5:1)
Tell people they should align their lives with Jesus' standards, never demand people to believe "this and that". Present liberty for the conscience of others, the only true liberty being Jesus Christ working in you enabling you to do what is right. You must submit only to Christ's yoke and remember never to place another yoke on a person besides His yoke! God's view isn't for everyone to see things exactly as you do. Keep patient with others and remember how God dealt with you, with patience and gentleness. Never water down Gods truth, but remember that you are to "Go... and make disciples..." (Matthew 28:19) instead of making converts to your own thoughts and opinions.
Judgement and the Love of God - May 5
"The time has come for judgement to being at the house of God..." (1 Peter 4:17)
Salvation is a wonderful experience, but something much deeper happens. You must preach the great thought of God behind the experience instead of the experience itself. Preaching salvation is more than telling people they are being saved from hell, it's informing them of God's good news! When people feel like they are unable to connect with God, He is not to blame, we must present the truth of God so His Spirit can reveal what is wrong. The quality of your preaching is good when it brings each person face to face with the Lord Himself. Claiming inability or using an excuse to avoid being obedient to God is also telling Him that He has yet to take something into account. You must put your self-reliance to death and completely put your dependence upon God!
(What is salvation?)
Vicarious Intercession - May 4
"...having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus..." (Hebrews 10:19)
Don't expect God to do whatever you ask. You have to stop bringing your personal sympathy and your own concerns into intercession. By the blood of Jesus is the only way you can enter the Holiest. His death on the cross paid everything for us. If you have the idea that your own good and virtuous thoughts don't need the atonement of the Cross of Christ you are unable to intercede. When you identify with Jesus, a radical change will take place in your sympathies and interests. Vicarious intercession means you only want God's interests for people; it means you deliberately substitute your own sympathy with God's interests. Are you determined to have your own way or determined to be identified with Jesus Christ?
Vital Intecession - May 3
"...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." (Ephesians 6:18)
When interceding, you can't allow your sympathy towards the people that God are changing due to your prayers to get in the way. This sympathy and your concern for God's way of change remove a vital connection with God. Being perfectly and completely sure of God is the only possible way for vital intercession. Bias, concern of His way to change, and sympathy for the people because of the way He might use to change them become the greatest destroyers of your confidence in your relationship with God. You must have complete trust in God's will and path for the people. Identification with God is the key to intercession. Vital intercession also keeps yourself out of your thoughts because of your identification with God's interests and concerns for other lives. God gives us discernment in others to intercede, not to judge.
The Patience to Wait for the Vision - May 2
"Though it tarries, wait for it..." (Habakkuk 2:3)
Don't relax spiritually even when you are patiently awaiting the vision of God. Patience gives you God's true and proper inspiration. Moses endured because his vision of God, not because his devotion to his principles or his sense of duty to God. When you have the vision of God you are devoted to God Himself, not any particular cause or issue. You know when the vision of God comes to you because of the inspiration it brings. When you feel God isn't with you, endure because your vision of God. Jesus had to endure during His time of temptation. When your vision from God comes you will constantly reach our for more and you will never be able to be spiritually satisfied. Spiritual satisfaction is the road to ruin. Paul says "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on..." (Phillippians 3:12) The vision of God creates more in our lives than we can ever experience.
Faith--Not Emotion - May 1
"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Do you get upset and find yourself talking about your trials and difficulties when God starts to use you? You have to stop wanting the spotlight when doing the Lord's work; you must be able to work hidden. When you only want spotlight, you become unfit for God's work because you are completely unlike God. Make your work your standard, not the exceptional moments with Christ for those are His surprises and gifts. Those moments are only given when the danger of being lead away from them is gone. You must walk by faith everyday and not only in the exceptional moments because that means you are only walking by emotion. You will begin to realize God is always with you even when your not having exceptional moments.
"Jesus did not commit Himself to them...for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25)
Put trust in God and His grace first and foremost. This will take away bitterness and hopelessness to protect yourself from despair. It will also help you realize no person can be perfect so stop pointing your finger. Put God's will first and be obedient. Make sure God's will and needs are met in you first before rallying the unsaved for God. Put Christ first and allow your life to be transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God. God's main and ultimate purpose is for His Son to be exhibited in you.
Yes--But...! - May 30
"Lord I will follow You, but..." (Luke 9:61)
You must overcome any spiritual habit you have with absolute determination. Stop turning back at the point of testing and stop putting the word 'but' into any reply to God when He asks you to do something. Leaping into the dark when Christ asks is the only way to do anything worthwhile for Him. Leap by faith into anything He says, and throw your common sense completely out the door. Everythingt Christ says is more consistent and solid than common sense. Jesus' statements are the words of God and when a new adventure is offered by Him take it!
Untroubled Relationship - May 29
"In that day you will ask in My name. . for the Father himself loves you..." ("John 16:26-27)
Christ's name is not a magic word. The day talked about in this verse is when you become so intimitate with Christ you become one with Him. This doesn't exclude you from difficulties and hardship, but it does allow the teachings of God to be revealed to you. This is a day of peace. The baptism of the Holy Spirit allows you to be lifted into a relationship "that they may be one just as we are one..." (John 17:22). Jesus' name allows God to recognize and respond to your prayer. It is such a wonderful challenge and invitation to pray in His name!
Unquestioned Revelation - May 28
"In that day you will ask Me nothing" (John 16:23)
When is "that day"? This day comes when the resurrected life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you. Your questions are gone even when you may have things you don't understand. Once you reach this point the unanswered never comes between you and God. Are you living that life now? Look for the explanations to any life mysteries in your spirit, not your mind. Your understanding becomes perfectly clear when your spiritual nature submits to the life of Christ. There will be no distance between the Father and you and in that day you will ask Him nothing.
The Life to Know Him - May 27
"...tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49)
The disciples patiently waited and the Holy spirit was poured out on them once Christ was glorified. Our waiting is dependent on our own spiritual fitness. Recieving and welcoming the Holy Spirit into your life must be your continual attitude. The baptism of the Holy Spirit doesn't change people, the power of the ascended Christ coming into their life through the Holy Spirit does. The baptism is the evidence of the ascended Christ. This experience takes away your thought of time and eternity, it becomes one amazing glorious now. "This is eternal life, that they may know you..." (John 17:3). Begin to know Him now, and never finish!
Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught - May 26
"Pray without ceasing..." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Prayer must be just like breathing, it must never stop. By obeying Christ you stay in perfect oneness with God, even when you aren't conscious of it. Christians like to make prayer out as an exercise when it is to be the life of the saint. You must learn to maintain a childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart at all times.
Jesus never mentions unanswered prayer, prayer is always answered. Jesus says "...everyone who asks receives..." (Matthew 7:8). There is no 'sometimes' to prayer being answered, but God answers prayer in the best way although it might not be in the area you want it. You must not align your common sense with what Jesus says, if it were common sense it wouldn't have been worthwhile to say. Jesus' prayer teachings are supernatural truths, let them be revealed in your heart.
The Good or the Best? - May 25
"If you take the left, then I will go to the right, or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left" (Genesis 13:9)
When you live by faith and let God make all your choices, amazing and wonderful possibilities will open up in your life right before you. When the Lord begins to test you, stay obedient through the rough times without losing faith and you will become spiritually transformed. Beware of making just good choices instead of making the best choices because good choices are the greatest enemy of a life of faith. Do you make your life choices, or do you let God make the choices for you? During your walk, always keep your eyes focused on the Lord!
The Delight of Despair - May 24
"When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead" (Revelation 1:17)
Sometimes God can only reveal himself in His majesty. The awesomeness of the vision brings you to the delight of despair because nothing good dwells in you and you realize you must be raised up by the hand of God. God can only help when you realize that is is only Him that can do the impossible and only so much is humanly possible. When His hand is laid upon you, it gives inexpressible peace, comfort, support, provision, and strength. His tenderness is inexpressibly sweet. Do you know Him like that.
Our Careful Unbelief - May 23
"...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on" (Matthew 6:25)
The most important word of Jesus to His disciples was abandon. Upon receiving the Spirit of God we are asked, "Where do I fit in your relationships? Where do I fit in your vacations? In these books you want to read? During all your tv and internet time?" He must be your first consideration, this allows no confusion. We have to stop worrying, it is unbelief and shows that you think God can't look after your life in all it's aspects. Did you notice what Jesus said would choke the Word he puts in you? It isn't the devil, it is "the cares of this world" (Matthew 13:22). Worrying causes unbelief and the only cure is obedience of His Spirit.
The Explanation for Our Difficulties - May 22
"...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us..."
(John 17:21)
Once you accept salvation, you lose part of your independence. If you are going through a period of isolation an almost guaranteed reason is to draw you closer to the Lord so you may be one with Him. Are you as close to Christ as He was with the Father? God is concerned with His plan using His widom for what is the best for us. The things that happen either make you evil or more saintly, which all depends on your relationship with God. Upon understanding His purpose, you won't become small-minded or doubtful. Being a Christian means God won't leave you alone until you are one with Him.
(What is salvation?)
Having God's "Unreasonable" Faith - May 21
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus reverses the order of things most people have in their life and tells them to get the right relationship with God first and make it the primary concern throughout the entirety of life. To many people disobey the Lord saying "I must live, I must make a certain amount of money, I must wear a certain type of clothes, eat a certain type of food, etc." This places you and your families as the great concern in your life over God. This doesn't mean you don't need to put thought into your life and life's situations, it simply means to make God the dominating focus in your life. People who are careless about what they do and how they act will be held responsible. Make the greatest concern your relationship with God and put everything else second. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring you into absolute harmony with the Lord!
Taking Possession of Our Own Soul - May 20
"By your patience possess your souls" (Luke 21:19)
Being born again gives you a new vitality into your thinking and reasoning. Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had." Taking possession of your own soul takes patience and discipline. May Christians choose to stay at the entrance of the Christian life, instead of building their soul with the new life Christ placed in them. They than blame the devil and others when they should blame their own undisciplined nature.
Certain things n life do not need any prayer, just kicking out of your life. Moods are an example, they are almost always rooted in a physical circumstance. Never submit to moods for even a second. The problem with most Christians is they simply wait to do it. We must learn the Christian life is one of spiritual courage, determination and obedience.
Out of the Wreck I Rise - May 19
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
(Romans 8:35)
As a Christian you are not immune from trouble, but no matter how real or intense a situation you are in becomes God is always with you (Psalm 91:15). In Romans 8:37 Paul talks about life situations that are dangerously real that you are more than a conqueror over. You are victorious because none of these situations can affect your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for any Christian who doesn't have some circumstance in their life they wish was gone. Through triblation, distress, famine and other situations extraordinary things happen to those who hold onto the love of God. Logic becomes silenced which is accounted by the love of God in Christ Jesus and allows you will rise out of the wreck!
Living Simply--Yet Focuses - May 18
"Look at the birds of the air... Consider the lilies of the field..." (Matthew 6:26,28)
Think of the simplicity of stuff that ministers for you: lilies in a field, the sea, air, sun, stars and moon. We must go back to the simplicity where there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, which is focusing and concentrating on the Lord. The most influential people live simple and unaffected lives like the lilies of the field. Stay focused on Christ and He will use you every second of your life!
His Ascension and Our Access - May 17
"It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven" (Luke 24:51)
Until the transfiguration ( A complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.) of Christ, He had exhibited a normal, perfect life of a man. From the transfiguration and forward-- Gethsemane, the Cross, the resurrection-- everything is unfamiliar to us. His cross is the only door to the life of God, His resurrection is the only door to eternal life, and His ascension is the only thing that keeps the door open for any who wish to enter by faith and belief. Christ turned His back on glory and came down from the Mount of Transfiguration to identify Himself with the fallen humanity. His ascension to Heaven completely fulfilled the transfiguration. Jesus had limited his unlimited power, infinite knowledge and ability to be everywhere at once, but now He has all the power at the throne of God. He is King of kings and Lord of Lords!
The Habit of Recognizing God's Provision - May 16
"...you may be partakers of the diviner nature..."
(2 Peter 1:4)
You share God's own nature and the first habit you should develop is the recognition of God's provision for you. You have to stop acting like God cut's you off without a penny left, and you are barely getting by. All of Almighty God is yours in Lord Jesus. He will go to the farthest end of the universe, the remotest star and reach to the last grain of sand to bless you if you are obedient to Him. You have to stop giving into self-pity and your own interests; this removes God from the throne of your life and you always become unsatisfied. God wants you to learn that He is the Source of your wealth and wants you to give generously. When you are marked and identified with His nature, His blessing will flow through you at all times.
The Habit of Rising to the Occasion - May 15
"...that you may know what is the hope of His calling..." (Ephesians 1:18)
You didn't do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must work it out (Philippians 2:12). Does your speech, actions, emotions and thoughts prove you are working out your salvation? If you haven't changed, it's impossible to say God has saved you and sanctified you. Being a Christian was never meant to be easy; God doesn't shield you from the requirements of being His child. Rise to the occasion-- do whatever is asked of you regardless of how you feel. Replace your complaints with spiritual vitality so you can face anything. When you manifest Christ in you, you will become like the Lord and you won't attempt to dictate your relationship with Him. Upon salvation, your life on Earth is to submit to Him so He can work through you and pour you out to feed and nourish others.
(What is salvation?)
The Habit of Enjoying Adversity - May 14
"...that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10)
Does your life exhibit the essence of the sweetness of Jesus Christ? You must learn to develop godly habits that become part of your life and eventually you won't even be aware of them but they will be apart of you. The only thing allowing you to enjoy adversity is the sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in you. Use this to help you to obey the Lord, regardless of a task's difficulty. When you debate and disobey Him you grieve His spirit (Ephesians 4:30). When God puts you into adversity, don't have self-pity, instead become excited and remember He will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19). Live by the Word of God and let it be active in you, not your negative past memories and experiences.
The Habit of Keeping a Clear Conscience - May 13
"...strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men" (Acts 24:16)
God commands you to the life of His Son in you. His commands may seem difficult to follow but they become divinely easy once you begin to obey them. Your conscience either looks at God's standard or your own highest standard; this is why everyone has a different conscience and values. Placing God's standard on your conscious at all times allows Him to indicate everything He wants you to do. Do you obey? Work so that your conscience will become so sensitive that no one will offend you. Than begin to live in perfect harmony with God's standard so you can renew yourself in all of life's circumstances (Ephesians 4:23). Learn to listen for the Lord's gently and calming voice; don't ignore His voice. Once the Lord speaks to you don't debate with Him or His command, obey Him and keep a clear conscience before our Lord God.
The Habit of Having No Habits - May 12
"If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful..." (2 Peter 1:8)
You are aware when you begin to form a habit in your life. If you stop at a stage of awareness of being virtuous and godly, you will develop a habit and a sense of spiritual pride. Immerse godly habits in your life until you become unaware of them. Don't turn your godly habit, your prayer time or Bible reading time, etc. into your god. Do you worship your habit instead of what it symbolizes, God Himself. "I can't do this right now, it's my alone time with God." No, it's alone time with your habit. Love means your habits are so immersed in the Lord you practice them without realizing it. God isn't restricting you from certain things when you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you are. Become at home with God everywhere so His qualities can be added to you and your life will become as simple as a child.
Love One Another - May 11
"...add to your...brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5, 7)
Love is something most of us don't understand. Luke 14:26 shows us that Christ is to always be number one in our lives. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit it becomes easy to put Jesus Christ first in your life (Romans 5:5). Adding what 2 Peter 1 says, knowledge of God and Jesus among other things to your life, will allow this love to be worked out in your life. God loves you because of His nature, not because you deserve it or are even lovable. John 15:12 tells you to love one another as He loves us. Look within and always remember how wonderfully and patiently He dealt with you especially when you have an unusually difficult person you deal with in your life. God's divine love and your natural love in you only grow if you nurture it. You must discipline yourself so you can identify closely with Jesus so that His life and His sweetness are continually poured out through you.
Take the Initiative - May 10
"...add to your faith virtue..." (2 Peter 1:5)
Add means action; to do something. God never forces you to do something, you must work out your own salvation as stated in Philippians 2:12. Although when starting the process of working out your salvation it can be difficult, add means you begin to form habits of doing certain things regardless of emotion. Don't ask or question the way you are to go about something when the Lord has told you prior. Take the initiative and do it and stop the hesitation. Create a habit to immediately act in faith when the Lord speaks, never reconsider or change your initial decisions. Take the initiative right now and make a decision and make it impossible to go back on. When you claim you will do something do it and make it irreversible. Learn to carefully listen to God about everything in your life and when a crisis comes you will instantly turn to God.
(What is salvation?)
Reaching Beyond Our Grasp - May 9
"Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint..." (Proverbs 29:18)
A principle and a vision are completely different; a vision comes from moral inspiration and people with principles rarely step out and do anything. Having the right idea of God may be the reason you do nothing, telling God how loving and kind He is and how He relents from doing harm. Jonah also had this principle for a time. Vision has moral incentive and comes with honesty and integrity. Examine yourself for a vision to find out if you only have principles. Your reach should always exceed your grasp, or what's a heaven for? Keep focus on God so you don't become reckless. Do you cast certain restraints off activites you know are wrong? Do you set prayer aside and God's vision in the little things of life? Are you expecting greatness from God? Keep vitality and a freshness in your spiritual outlook and expect God to come in, if you don't you will be on a downward path.
The Faith to Persevere - May 8
"Because you have kept My command to persevere..."
Become a bow and arrow in God's hands. He will aim at something you might not see and He will stretch and strain you until His purpose is in sight, even if you complain. God will than let the arrow fly. Entrust your life into the hands of God and you will never be disappointed. Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Strengthen your faith by the confidence in God's holy love. Allow faith to work in all reas of your life, allow God to touch all area's. When you realize eternal life is a life that faces anything without wavering, your life will become a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time.
Building for Eternity - May 7
"Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it..." (Luke 14:28)
God has already counted the cost, which was the life of Jesus and everything He experienced. The people the Lord plans to use for His building purpose are those who love Him personally and have a close relationship with Him that goes beyond any earthly relationship. You may think the conditions are harsh or strict that a verse like Matthew 14:26 may suggest, but the result is gloriously unimaginable. Have you built your foundation on Jesus Christ or built it on your own desires? God will be the inspector. Let the Lord work through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, inside you so He can direct and control you completely. Remember to allow Him to place you where He wants you and never demand where you should be put to work.
Liberty and the Standards of Jesus - May 6
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free..." (Galatians 5:1)
Tell people they should align their lives with Jesus' standards, never demand people to believe "this and that". Present liberty for the conscience of others, the only true liberty being Jesus Christ working in you enabling you to do what is right. You must submit only to Christ's yoke and remember never to place another yoke on a person besides His yoke! God's view isn't for everyone to see things exactly as you do. Keep patient with others and remember how God dealt with you, with patience and gentleness. Never water down Gods truth, but remember that you are to "Go... and make disciples..." (Matthew 28:19) instead of making converts to your own thoughts and opinions.
Judgement and the Love of God - May 5
"The time has come for judgement to being at the house of God..." (1 Peter 4:17)
Salvation is a wonderful experience, but something much deeper happens. You must preach the great thought of God behind the experience instead of the experience itself. Preaching salvation is more than telling people they are being saved from hell, it's informing them of God's good news! When people feel like they are unable to connect with God, He is not to blame, we must present the truth of God so His Spirit can reveal what is wrong. The quality of your preaching is good when it brings each person face to face with the Lord Himself. Claiming inability or using an excuse to avoid being obedient to God is also telling Him that He has yet to take something into account. You must put your self-reliance to death and completely put your dependence upon God!
(What is salvation?)
Vicarious Intercession - May 4
"...having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus..." (Hebrews 10:19)
Don't expect God to do whatever you ask. You have to stop bringing your personal sympathy and your own concerns into intercession. By the blood of Jesus is the only way you can enter the Holiest. His death on the cross paid everything for us. If you have the idea that your own good and virtuous thoughts don't need the atonement of the Cross of Christ you are unable to intercede. When you identify with Jesus, a radical change will take place in your sympathies and interests. Vicarious intercession means you only want God's interests for people; it means you deliberately substitute your own sympathy with God's interests. Are you determined to have your own way or determined to be identified with Jesus Christ?
Vital Intecession - May 3
"...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..." (Ephesians 6:18)
When interceding, you can't allow your sympathy towards the people that God are changing due to your prayers to get in the way. This sympathy and your concern for God's way of change remove a vital connection with God. Being perfectly and completely sure of God is the only possible way for vital intercession. Bias, concern of His way to change, and sympathy for the people because of the way He might use to change them become the greatest destroyers of your confidence in your relationship with God. You must have complete trust in God's will and path for the people. Identification with God is the key to intercession. Vital intercession also keeps yourself out of your thoughts because of your identification with God's interests and concerns for other lives. God gives us discernment in others to intercede, not to judge.
The Patience to Wait for the Vision - May 2
"Though it tarries, wait for it..." (Habakkuk 2:3)
Don't relax spiritually even when you are patiently awaiting the vision of God. Patience gives you God's true and proper inspiration. Moses endured because his vision of God, not because his devotion to his principles or his sense of duty to God. When you have the vision of God you are devoted to God Himself, not any particular cause or issue. You know when the vision of God comes to you because of the inspiration it brings. When you feel God isn't with you, endure because your vision of God. Jesus had to endure during His time of temptation. When your vision from God comes you will constantly reach our for more and you will never be able to be spiritually satisfied. Spiritual satisfaction is the road to ruin. Paul says "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on..." (Phillippians 3:12) The vision of God creates more in our lives than we can ever experience.
Faith--Not Emotion - May 1
"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Do you get upset and find yourself talking about your trials and difficulties when God starts to use you? You have to stop wanting the spotlight when doing the Lord's work; you must be able to work hidden. When you only want spotlight, you become unfit for God's work because you are completely unlike God. Make your work your standard, not the exceptional moments with Christ for those are His surprises and gifts. Those moments are only given when the danger of being lead away from them is gone. You must walk by faith everyday and not only in the exceptional moments because that means you are only walking by emotion. You will begin to realize God is always with you even when your not having exceptional moments.
April
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Spontaneous Love - April 30
"Love suffers long and is kind..." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
Love is spontaneous and bursts out in extraordinary ways. Don't start thinking you will never have an evil thought or you will believe everything Jesus says. When you allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in you, you will live according to the standard of Christ and won't even realize it. When you look back you will be amazed at the proof of spontaneous love. God's Love doesn't flow through your body, it's not by your own power, but by the fountains that flow in God through you. Romans 5:5 states that love "has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit...", so thinking your love for God came from your own heart is completely incorrect. You can't prove your love to God, it shows by His flowing nature through you that is absolutely spontaneous.
Gracious Uncertainty - April 29
"...it has not yet been revealed what we shall be..."
(1 John 3:2)
Stop assuming that uncertainty is a bad thing when it is an expression of breathless expectation with God. There should never be a predetermined goal in your spiritual walk. Gracious uncertainty is the mark of the commonsense life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3 "...unless you... become as little children...", this allows you to believe Him and not your own particular beliefs about Him. The spiritual life is becoming a child. When your certainty is only in your beliefs and you become unwilling to change them you will become self-righteous and overly-critical. Jesus tells you "...believe also in Me" (John 14:1) and not "believe certain things about Me." Leave everything to Him and remain faithful to the Lord and even though it will be graciously uncertain how He will come in-- be certain He will come.
What You Will Get - April 28
"I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go" (Jeremiah 45:5)
Trusting the Lord completely gives you the best gift you could ever receive, your life to the point that no one can take it from you. You are not called to show off you material riches, nor should you show off your spiritual blessings. Anything you proudly show has to go. Asking the Lord "What about this?" when He tells you something is not being totally and truly surrendered to Him. Once you become surrendered fully and in total abandonment, you will never have to worry about His plan for you and you get your life as a prize. When you achieve being fully surrendered you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth! When God has you without any limitations, you have achieved this ultimate, but simple goal.
What Do You Want - April 27
"Do you seek great things for yourself?" (Jeremiah 45:5)
Are you longing for God's gifts or do you want to get to know Him? It is easy to get in a right relationship with God, seeking God Himself and not seeking what God can give or do for you. You have no idea what surrendering to the Lord is if you only ask Him for stuff. Let go of your human expectations of the Lord and seek the expectations the Lord spoke of in the Bible. Are you seeking something for yourself or the Lord? When you draw close to God you will being to cease asking Him for anything. "Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8). The reason for asking at first is to get to know God. What do you want from your Lord and Savior and why? God is concerned about your ultimate future completeness more than your present level; He's continually working out His ultimate perfection for you! "...that they may be one just as We are one..." (John 17:22).
The Supreme Climb - April 26
"Take now your son... and offer him... as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you"
(Genesis 22:2)
Are you being fully obedient to God? Abraham was so faithful that he was willing to sacrifice his son to God when He asked. Just as God purified Abraham's faith He wants to purify ours, you must be obedient to your most sincere belief. We have to throw out our traditional beliefs of God that misrepresent Him so we can make the supreme climb. Prepare yourself to do anything God asks. Remain true to God so there won't be any barrier between you and the inner chamber of God. You have to give up your own convictions and traditional beliefs that Satan uses to hinder you from achieving true obedience. Never declare that you are willing to do anything for the Lord as Peter did (Luke 22:33). Remain true to God just as Abraham did and be obedient when He asks anything of you.
Ready in Season - April 25
"Be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2)
We are called to preach and spread the Word of God whether we feel like it or not. When you come to the point where you do your best for God whether you are inspired to or not is when you know your relationship with God is right. When you experience God in a very spiritual manner it is a gift of God. You become a burden to God when you can only be inspired to do His work during these experiences. If you continue to be ready only during these times, God will fade out of your life until you aren't obsessed with only the exceptional encounters.
The Warning Against Desiring Spiritual Success - April 24
"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you..."
(Luke 10:20)
We live in a religious age whose foundation is not set on Jesus Christ. Seeking God's approval is all you should look after! We have such a commercialized view of what the Christian standards are in today's society. Each person should work by the leading of the Spirit to witness for Christ to save souls, but our primary goal has to be to disciple our baby Christian brethren. We are responsible for reproducing God's standard of life through His grace. This isn't by dictating other people with our own desires, but by being an active, living disciple. Lovingly holding your brothers and sisters in Christ is something we are called to do, but never condemn them. Jesus prefaced His words with an "if" never with the forceful "you must". Be a living life and you will draw others to salvation and sanctification by your way of life!
(What is salvation?)
Do You Worship the Work - April 23
"We are God's fellow workers..." (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Is your work causing you to avoiding devotion with God? If this is ever the case you should avoid it. Devotion with God allows you to be completely free so you can become a worshiping child instead of a wayward child. Lacking this devotion will cause you to become overburdened and worship your work. Allow nothing in life to hinder your relationship with the Lord. When sanctified you get the freedom of a child and nothing in life can hold you down. Don't have any preconceived ideas as to where or what God is preparing. Wherever he places you pour out your wholehearted devotion to Him.
The Light That Never Fails - April 22
"We all, with unveiled face, beholding... the glory of the Lord..."
(2 Corinthians 3:18)
During your early life as a Christian, people will turn away from you because the change the Lord made in you. Paul tells us that everyone had forsaken him, but the Lord stood with him and strengthed him (2 Timothy 4:16-17). You must build your faith on the light that never fails and realize Jesus Christ is always with you. Never allow anything to hinder you from looking towards God about your life and doctrine. Always look to God before preaching so that His abiding glory will speak through you and you will be totally unaware. Moses was totally unaware that his face was glowing after he spoke with the Lord face to face. (Exodus 34:29). The secret to living a servant's life is always being tuned with God.
Don't Hurt the Lord - April 21
"Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?" (John 14:9)
The Lord must be astounded at how "un-simple" we are. There is no opinion on the matter, the mystery of God is now! Stop looking for it in some future overwhelming event. We don't want to fully obey Jesus and He has to be hurt by what we ask. There is only two options, He is always right here with you or He is no where to be found. We can't expect one amazing revelational experience after another because they block the way to a true relationship with our Lord God. Our questions are not the questions of a child of God, therefore they hurt Him. God always guides us and you have to get your spiritual walk to the point you take everything exactly as it comes from Him.
Can A Saind Falsely Accuse God? - April 20
"All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen..."
(2 Corinthians 1:20)
Your earthly intellect and education are not at all comparable to your spiritual capacity. Spiritual capacity is based solely on the promises of God. Do you find yourself falsely accusing God saying, "You expect more of me than you gave me power to do!" When God's Almighty Spirit is involved the words "I can't" do not exist. The Bible clearly states "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33). Being lazy in your spiritual walk will cause you to be critical of God. God fulfills every promise that He makes! What you put into your spiritual walk with the Lord is what you get out of it so stop falsely blaming God.
Beware of the Least Likely Temptation - April 19
"Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom" (1 Kings 2:28)
Joab didn't turn to follow the fascinating and ambitious Absalom, yet in his latter life he turned to follow the weak and cowardly Adonijah. You have to watch your strong points as well as your weak points. Don't become arrogant after a great victory in your spiritual life, stay alert to even the smallest of temptations! When you look through the Bible, people stumbled over their strong points, not their weak ones. Don't allow your strong points to trip you, for they are the real danger. Beware of the undercurrent coming at your spiritual life.
Readiness - April 18
"God called to him....And he said, 'Here I am'" (Exodus 3-4)
It is essential to respond to God when He calls and stop giving Him your voice mail. Do you find yourself to busy drawing out your own path before God, or are you letting Him direct you down the path He created for you? Every time God calls, you must respond, even when it takes you out of your comfort zone. Your love for Christ should allow you to be ready for any task Christ calls you for. Your union with Jesus should mirror His relationship with the Father. "... that they may be one just as We are one..." (John 17:22). Stay in readiness for God so your not caught off guard when He comes with a surprise visit.
All or Nothing - April 17
"When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment...and plunged into the sea" (John 21:7)
When we surrender to Christ it must be total surrender. This means both externally and internally. We will notice when we totally surrender internally it makes us totally surrendered externally. When we only surrender externally, it may indicate that we are actually in total bondage. Total surrender doesn't give us a promise against negative emotions or situations, it means regardless of the good or bad our focus remains on Jesus Christ. This happens when we have an intimate relationship with Him.
Can You Come Down From the Mountain? - April 16
"While you have the light, believe in the light..." (John 12:36)
The mountaintop experiences (being super close to God, no worries in life, etc.) we have with God are amazing. These are moments to teach us and even if we aren't on the mountaintop we need to take the revealed standard and insight and remember it. The worst mistake we can make is letting what we have learned on the mountaintop to evaporate. This means when God asks us to do something we must do it and not procrastinate. We must stay committed to God as an act of our own wills. Taking the mountaintop experiences and applying them to our ordinary and "mountainbottom" experiences is essential. Never, ever, give up, when you are down and get confused go after your mountaintop again!
The Failure to Pay Close Attention - April 15
"The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days" (2 Chronicles 15:17)
There is no detail in our life that is insignificant to God. Asa was only obedient to what he considered the most important areas of his spiritual life. It is dangerous to think that God considers some matters in our lives trivial. Thankfully for us, God is patient even when the "high places" of disobedience remain in our life. We have to keep our focus and concentrate properly in all areas of our life. Just as we can't take a day off morally and remain moral, we can't take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants us entirely! How can we rise above all your problems with only a few minutes of effort? We can't; we have to put in the time and effort into our relationship with God!
Inner Invincibility - April 14
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me..." (Matthew 11:29)
"Whom the Lord loves he chastens..." (Hebrews 12:6). We complain about the littlest of things. Just as Jesus brings us to the point to fellowship with Him, we moan and groan. We tell Him to let us be just like other people. Jesus wants us to take one end of His yoke so He can help us thus allowing us to pull together. That's the reason Christ tells us "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Taking a hold of Jesus' yoke takes us out of our emotional state allowing our complaining to turn into praise to Him. This also shows us the strength of God.
Some Christians might look as if they don't have a burden, but if we lift the veil from our eyes we see this isn't true. The proof of a burden is God's joy, peace, and light in them. The burden in them squeezes the grapes of there life into wine, but most people just see the wine. If your life only produces a whine, instead of wine, kick it out! No power on earth or in hell can conquer our inner invincibility, which is the Spirit of God in us.
What to Do When Your Burden is Overwhelming - April 13
"Cast your burden on the Lord..." (Psalm 55:22)
There are wrong burdens to bear --sin or doubt-- and burdens places on us by God. We need to cast these burdens on the Lord. Attempting to take care of these ourselves will overwhelm and defeat us. By putting these burdens before God, we replace being overwhelmed and defeated with an awareness and understanding of God and His presence. If we don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus, we will continually be defeated by the burdens of the world and the enemy. Remember to cast your burdens on the Lord and stay with your burden because your companionship with Christ will lighten it.
Complete and Effective Dominion - April 12
"Death no longer has dominion over Him... the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God..." (Romans 6:9-11)
When we are born again and gain eternal life --the life Christ exhibited on a human level-- it is made evident in our mortal flesh. Eternal life is not a gift from God; it is the gift of God! When we receive eternal life we receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Once we decide to get right with God and make a moral decision about sin, God's full life immediately comes in us. Even the weakest saints can experience the power of Jesus when they are willing to let go. Attempting to hang on to our own power only diminished the life of Jesus in us. When we let go of our own power we allow the full life of God to invade and penetrate every part of us. When Jesus has complete dominion in our lives, people will take notice that we have been with Him and will want this joy in their own life.
Complete and Effective Divinity - April 11
"If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection..."
(Romans 6:5)
We know we have experienced the crucifixion with Jesus Christ when we have a definite likeness to Him. Jesus comes in and rearranges our personal lives. Our lives must be built on the foundation of Christ's life. Jesus' Resurrection should be penetrating every bit of our human nature. The Holy Spirit isn't just a guest in one room in our lives, He invades our lives and our whole house. The Holy Spirit takes charge of everything. The part we play is to walk in the light and be obedient to everything He reveals to us. We belong to a new spiritual order when we accept the holiness of Jesus, which is the only kind of holiness!
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin - April 10
"...our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6).
Eventually we come to the decision that sin must be killed in us. Upon deciding this, we make one of the greatest decisions in our lives. No one other than you and Christ can bring yourself to make this decision. Making it and acting on it are completely different from being mentally and spiritually convinced of it. Take some alone time with our Savior and when you are ready to make this important decision say "Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me." Prepare to let the Spirit of God search you until you know all your sinful nature. Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)?
Have you Seen Jesus? - April 9
"After that, He appeared in another form to two of them..." (Mark 16:12)
You can have salvation and have yet to see Jesus. Once you see our Lord Jesus you will never be the same person. Worldly things will all being losing their appeal. If you only look at the good things God has done for you, He will never be big enough. Seeing Him as He really is allows good and bad experiences to come and go, but your focus will always be on Christ. In John 9 a blind man from birth didn't know who Jesus was until Christ appeared and revealed Himself to him. Jesus can appear at any time to you like in John 9:25. Jesus appears to everyone separately and you can only see Him when He appears to you. Only God can bring someone to seeing Him fully. Make sure to let people know when you experience and see Jesus!
(What is salvation?)
His Resurrection Destiny - April 8
"Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26)
We are allowed in Christ's life by the Cross; He conveys His life to us by His Resurrection. Jesus' purpose was to bring many to glory (Hebrews 2:10). Our Lord rose to a new life that had never been before. The power and effectiveness of His resurrection allows us to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4). We should follow Paul's determined purpose to "know Him and the power of His Resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). The Holy Spirit is another name for experiencing eternal life that works in humans here and now. The Holy Spirit continues applying the power of the atonement by the Cross of Christ to our lives. We should thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that the Holy Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us.
Why We Lack Understanding - April 7
"He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead" (Mark 9:9)
Has the Son of Man risen in you so that you understand His earthly teachings? God can't reveal anything to you until you receive the Holy Spirit. Like the disciples you shouldn't say anything until He has risen in you. Like in John 16:12 you can only hear and understand the Word of God when you are in the right condition spiritually. Unyielding and strong opinions prevent God from revealing anything to us. Many people tell their vision but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don't add up because Jesus has yet to rise up in them.
The Collision of God and Sin - April 6
"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree..."
(1 Peter 2:24)
This is the actual devotion because it was all just so awesome!
The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God's judgement on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross--He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.
The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus--He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating "God was manifested in the flesh..." from "...He made Him..to be sin for us..." (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.
The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.
The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.
(What is salvation?)
His Agony and Our Acess - April 5
"Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples.... 'Stay here and watch with Me' "
(Matthew 26:36,38)
The Garden of Gethsemane is where the agony of God and man in one Person, Jesus, coming face to face with sin. Gethsemane and Calvary represent the gateways to life for everyone today. Jesus knew he would die and His confidence in getting through it was as the Son of God, not the Son of Man. If Satan convinced Jesus that He could do it solely as the Son of Man, Christ would not have been our Savior. The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as Savior of the world. This allows salvation to be simple for us. Jesus triumphed which allows us to have a way of access to the very presence of God. Thank you Jesus!!!
(What is salvation?)
The Way to Permanent Faith - April 4
"Indeed the hour is coming...that you will be scattered" (John 16:32)
Jesus was telling the disciples their faith was real but not at work in the important realities of life. They had interests apart from Jesus. Today we will also be scattered so our faith can be sustained by more than feelings and blessings. This allows us to always be able to praise God that all is well, even in troubled times. This is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life. Have we been scattered and left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Our sovereign God allows dark times to occur in our lives so Jesus can truly become our Lord. If we are willing to wait we will be able to see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, not in God Himself. We need to achieve unyielding spiritual fortitude.
If You Had Known! - April 3
"If you had known... in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42)
The pride of the Pharisees, which was a strange god, was in Jerusalem as Jesus triumphantly entered. Jesus compared it to "whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are filled with dead men's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). Do you have an unholy nature controlling your life that blinds you to the peace of God in your life? We can be blind to the very things that make for our own peace which can increase our blame in God's eyes. God still holds us accountable for the things we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. Are you completely yielded to Him? Don't be afraid if God brings up your past; He will turn what might have been to a wonderful lesson of growth for the future!
The Glory That's Unsurpassed - April 2
"...the Lord Jesus...has sent me that you may receive your sight..." (Acts 9:17)
Paul received the Lord's sight and from that point his life was totally consumed by Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2). Nothing held his attention but the face of Jesus. Maintaining a strong character in our own lives to the point the Lord has revealed to us is very important! Being able to explain God's purpose to others and understanding Christ in your own life are lasting characteristics in our spiritual lives. Are you truly after God's heart? A true test of being spiritual is whether or not you allow anything to divert you from Christ's insight.
Helpful or Heartless Toward Others? - April 1
"It is Christ... who also makes intercession for us...the Spirit...makes intercession for the saints..." (Romans 8:34, 27)
Jesus always lives to make intercession for us. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints. Intercession for others should result from being taught by the Holy Spirit because we are God' children. Are we to busy for God and His presence because our own lives? We have to put a stop to such distractions so we can have a living relationship with God so we can intercede. This is where God works His miracles! Don't get ahead of God with all your activities or you will become so burdened that you won't be worshiping God or be able to intercede. God will place people in your life that you might have no interest for; if you aren't worshiping God you might end up being heartless to them tossing them a quick Scripture or hurriedly leaving them (like tossing a spear at them). Care for them like Jesus cares for you!
"Love suffers long and is kind..." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
Love is spontaneous and bursts out in extraordinary ways. Don't start thinking you will never have an evil thought or you will believe everything Jesus says. When you allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in you, you will live according to the standard of Christ and won't even realize it. When you look back you will be amazed at the proof of spontaneous love. God's Love doesn't flow through your body, it's not by your own power, but by the fountains that flow in God through you. Romans 5:5 states that love "has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit...", so thinking your love for God came from your own heart is completely incorrect. You can't prove your love to God, it shows by His flowing nature through you that is absolutely spontaneous.
Gracious Uncertainty - April 29
"...it has not yet been revealed what we shall be..."
(1 John 3:2)
Stop assuming that uncertainty is a bad thing when it is an expression of breathless expectation with God. There should never be a predetermined goal in your spiritual walk. Gracious uncertainty is the mark of the commonsense life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:3 "...unless you... become as little children...", this allows you to believe Him and not your own particular beliefs about Him. The spiritual life is becoming a child. When your certainty is only in your beliefs and you become unwilling to change them you will become self-righteous and overly-critical. Jesus tells you "...believe also in Me" (John 14:1) and not "believe certain things about Me." Leave everything to Him and remain faithful to the Lord and even though it will be graciously uncertain how He will come in-- be certain He will come.
What You Will Get - April 28
"I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go" (Jeremiah 45:5)
Trusting the Lord completely gives you the best gift you could ever receive, your life to the point that no one can take it from you. You are not called to show off you material riches, nor should you show off your spiritual blessings. Anything you proudly show has to go. Asking the Lord "What about this?" when He tells you something is not being totally and truly surrendered to Him. Once you become surrendered fully and in total abandonment, you will never have to worry about His plan for you and you get your life as a prize. When you achieve being fully surrendered you will be the most surprised and delighted person on earth! When God has you without any limitations, you have achieved this ultimate, but simple goal.
What Do You Want - April 27
"Do you seek great things for yourself?" (Jeremiah 45:5)
Are you longing for God's gifts or do you want to get to know Him? It is easy to get in a right relationship with God, seeking God Himself and not seeking what God can give or do for you. You have no idea what surrendering to the Lord is if you only ask Him for stuff. Let go of your human expectations of the Lord and seek the expectations the Lord spoke of in the Bible. Are you seeking something for yourself or the Lord? When you draw close to God you will being to cease asking Him for anything. "Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8). The reason for asking at first is to get to know God. What do you want from your Lord and Savior and why? God is concerned about your ultimate future completeness more than your present level; He's continually working out His ultimate perfection for you! "...that they may be one just as We are one..." (John 17:22).
The Supreme Climb - April 26
"Take now your son... and offer him... as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you"
(Genesis 22:2)
Are you being fully obedient to God? Abraham was so faithful that he was willing to sacrifice his son to God when He asked. Just as God purified Abraham's faith He wants to purify ours, you must be obedient to your most sincere belief. We have to throw out our traditional beliefs of God that misrepresent Him so we can make the supreme climb. Prepare yourself to do anything God asks. Remain true to God so there won't be any barrier between you and the inner chamber of God. You have to give up your own convictions and traditional beliefs that Satan uses to hinder you from achieving true obedience. Never declare that you are willing to do anything for the Lord as Peter did (Luke 22:33). Remain true to God just as Abraham did and be obedient when He asks anything of you.
Ready in Season - April 25
"Be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2)
We are called to preach and spread the Word of God whether we feel like it or not. When you come to the point where you do your best for God whether you are inspired to or not is when you know your relationship with God is right. When you experience God in a very spiritual manner it is a gift of God. You become a burden to God when you can only be inspired to do His work during these experiences. If you continue to be ready only during these times, God will fade out of your life until you aren't obsessed with only the exceptional encounters.
The Warning Against Desiring Spiritual Success - April 24
"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you..."
(Luke 10:20)
We live in a religious age whose foundation is not set on Jesus Christ. Seeking God's approval is all you should look after! We have such a commercialized view of what the Christian standards are in today's society. Each person should work by the leading of the Spirit to witness for Christ to save souls, but our primary goal has to be to disciple our baby Christian brethren. We are responsible for reproducing God's standard of life through His grace. This isn't by dictating other people with our own desires, but by being an active, living disciple. Lovingly holding your brothers and sisters in Christ is something we are called to do, but never condemn them. Jesus prefaced His words with an "if" never with the forceful "you must". Be a living life and you will draw others to salvation and sanctification by your way of life!
(What is salvation?)
Do You Worship the Work - April 23
"We are God's fellow workers..." (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Is your work causing you to avoiding devotion with God? If this is ever the case you should avoid it. Devotion with God allows you to be completely free so you can become a worshiping child instead of a wayward child. Lacking this devotion will cause you to become overburdened and worship your work. Allow nothing in life to hinder your relationship with the Lord. When sanctified you get the freedom of a child and nothing in life can hold you down. Don't have any preconceived ideas as to where or what God is preparing. Wherever he places you pour out your wholehearted devotion to Him.
The Light That Never Fails - April 22
"We all, with unveiled face, beholding... the glory of the Lord..."
(2 Corinthians 3:18)
During your early life as a Christian, people will turn away from you because the change the Lord made in you. Paul tells us that everyone had forsaken him, but the Lord stood with him and strengthed him (2 Timothy 4:16-17). You must build your faith on the light that never fails and realize Jesus Christ is always with you. Never allow anything to hinder you from looking towards God about your life and doctrine. Always look to God before preaching so that His abiding glory will speak through you and you will be totally unaware. Moses was totally unaware that his face was glowing after he spoke with the Lord face to face. (Exodus 34:29). The secret to living a servant's life is always being tuned with God.
Don't Hurt the Lord - April 21
"Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?" (John 14:9)
The Lord must be astounded at how "un-simple" we are. There is no opinion on the matter, the mystery of God is now! Stop looking for it in some future overwhelming event. We don't want to fully obey Jesus and He has to be hurt by what we ask. There is only two options, He is always right here with you or He is no where to be found. We can't expect one amazing revelational experience after another because they block the way to a true relationship with our Lord God. Our questions are not the questions of a child of God, therefore they hurt Him. God always guides us and you have to get your spiritual walk to the point you take everything exactly as it comes from Him.
Can A Saind Falsely Accuse God? - April 20
"All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen..."
(2 Corinthians 1:20)
Your earthly intellect and education are not at all comparable to your spiritual capacity. Spiritual capacity is based solely on the promises of God. Do you find yourself falsely accusing God saying, "You expect more of me than you gave me power to do!" When God's Almighty Spirit is involved the words "I can't" do not exist. The Bible clearly states "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33). Being lazy in your spiritual walk will cause you to be critical of God. God fulfills every promise that He makes! What you put into your spiritual walk with the Lord is what you get out of it so stop falsely blaming God.
Beware of the Least Likely Temptation - April 19
"Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom" (1 Kings 2:28)
Joab didn't turn to follow the fascinating and ambitious Absalom, yet in his latter life he turned to follow the weak and cowardly Adonijah. You have to watch your strong points as well as your weak points. Don't become arrogant after a great victory in your spiritual life, stay alert to even the smallest of temptations! When you look through the Bible, people stumbled over their strong points, not their weak ones. Don't allow your strong points to trip you, for they are the real danger. Beware of the undercurrent coming at your spiritual life.
Readiness - April 18
"God called to him....And he said, 'Here I am'" (Exodus 3-4)
It is essential to respond to God when He calls and stop giving Him your voice mail. Do you find yourself to busy drawing out your own path before God, or are you letting Him direct you down the path He created for you? Every time God calls, you must respond, even when it takes you out of your comfort zone. Your love for Christ should allow you to be ready for any task Christ calls you for. Your union with Jesus should mirror His relationship with the Father. "... that they may be one just as We are one..." (John 17:22). Stay in readiness for God so your not caught off guard when He comes with a surprise visit.
All or Nothing - April 17
"When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment...and plunged into the sea" (John 21:7)
When we surrender to Christ it must be total surrender. This means both externally and internally. We will notice when we totally surrender internally it makes us totally surrendered externally. When we only surrender externally, it may indicate that we are actually in total bondage. Total surrender doesn't give us a promise against negative emotions or situations, it means regardless of the good or bad our focus remains on Jesus Christ. This happens when we have an intimate relationship with Him.
Can You Come Down From the Mountain? - April 16
"While you have the light, believe in the light..." (John 12:36)
The mountaintop experiences (being super close to God, no worries in life, etc.) we have with God are amazing. These are moments to teach us and even if we aren't on the mountaintop we need to take the revealed standard and insight and remember it. The worst mistake we can make is letting what we have learned on the mountaintop to evaporate. This means when God asks us to do something we must do it and not procrastinate. We must stay committed to God as an act of our own wills. Taking the mountaintop experiences and applying them to our ordinary and "mountainbottom" experiences is essential. Never, ever, give up, when you are down and get confused go after your mountaintop again!
The Failure to Pay Close Attention - April 15
"The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days" (2 Chronicles 15:17)
There is no detail in our life that is insignificant to God. Asa was only obedient to what he considered the most important areas of his spiritual life. It is dangerous to think that God considers some matters in our lives trivial. Thankfully for us, God is patient even when the "high places" of disobedience remain in our life. We have to keep our focus and concentrate properly in all areas of our life. Just as we can't take a day off morally and remain moral, we can't take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants us entirely! How can we rise above all your problems with only a few minutes of effort? We can't; we have to put in the time and effort into our relationship with God!
Inner Invincibility - April 14
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me..." (Matthew 11:29)
"Whom the Lord loves he chastens..." (Hebrews 12:6). We complain about the littlest of things. Just as Jesus brings us to the point to fellowship with Him, we moan and groan. We tell Him to let us be just like other people. Jesus wants us to take one end of His yoke so He can help us thus allowing us to pull together. That's the reason Christ tells us "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Taking a hold of Jesus' yoke takes us out of our emotional state allowing our complaining to turn into praise to Him. This also shows us the strength of God.
Some Christians might look as if they don't have a burden, but if we lift the veil from our eyes we see this isn't true. The proof of a burden is God's joy, peace, and light in them. The burden in them squeezes the grapes of there life into wine, but most people just see the wine. If your life only produces a whine, instead of wine, kick it out! No power on earth or in hell can conquer our inner invincibility, which is the Spirit of God in us.
What to Do When Your Burden is Overwhelming - April 13
"Cast your burden on the Lord..." (Psalm 55:22)
There are wrong burdens to bear --sin or doubt-- and burdens places on us by God. We need to cast these burdens on the Lord. Attempting to take care of these ourselves will overwhelm and defeat us. By putting these burdens before God, we replace being overwhelmed and defeated with an awareness and understanding of God and His presence. If we don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus, we will continually be defeated by the burdens of the world and the enemy. Remember to cast your burdens on the Lord and stay with your burden because your companionship with Christ will lighten it.
Complete and Effective Dominion - April 12
"Death no longer has dominion over Him... the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God..." (Romans 6:9-11)
When we are born again and gain eternal life --the life Christ exhibited on a human level-- it is made evident in our mortal flesh. Eternal life is not a gift from God; it is the gift of God! When we receive eternal life we receive the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Once we decide to get right with God and make a moral decision about sin, God's full life immediately comes in us. Even the weakest saints can experience the power of Jesus when they are willing to let go. Attempting to hang on to our own power only diminished the life of Jesus in us. When we let go of our own power we allow the full life of God to invade and penetrate every part of us. When Jesus has complete dominion in our lives, people will take notice that we have been with Him and will want this joy in their own life.
Complete and Effective Divinity - April 11
"If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection..."
(Romans 6:5)
We know we have experienced the crucifixion with Jesus Christ when we have a definite likeness to Him. Jesus comes in and rearranges our personal lives. Our lives must be built on the foundation of Christ's life. Jesus' Resurrection should be penetrating every bit of our human nature. The Holy Spirit isn't just a guest in one room in our lives, He invades our lives and our whole house. The Holy Spirit takes charge of everything. The part we play is to walk in the light and be obedient to everything He reveals to us. We belong to a new spiritual order when we accept the holiness of Jesus, which is the only kind of holiness!
Complete and Effective Decision About Sin - April 10
"...our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6).
Eventually we come to the decision that sin must be killed in us. Upon deciding this, we make one of the greatest decisions in our lives. No one other than you and Christ can bring yourself to make this decision. Making it and acting on it are completely different from being mentally and spiritually convinced of it. Take some alone time with our Savior and when you are ready to make this important decision say "Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me." Prepare to let the Spirit of God search you until you know all your sinful nature. Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)?
Have you Seen Jesus? - April 9
"After that, He appeared in another form to two of them..." (Mark 16:12)
You can have salvation and have yet to see Jesus. Once you see our Lord Jesus you will never be the same person. Worldly things will all being losing their appeal. If you only look at the good things God has done for you, He will never be big enough. Seeing Him as He really is allows good and bad experiences to come and go, but your focus will always be on Christ. In John 9 a blind man from birth didn't know who Jesus was until Christ appeared and revealed Himself to him. Jesus can appear at any time to you like in John 9:25. Jesus appears to everyone separately and you can only see Him when He appears to you. Only God can bring someone to seeing Him fully. Make sure to let people know when you experience and see Jesus!
(What is salvation?)
His Resurrection Destiny - April 8
"Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26)
We are allowed in Christ's life by the Cross; He conveys His life to us by His Resurrection. Jesus' purpose was to bring many to glory (Hebrews 2:10). Our Lord rose to a new life that had never been before. The power and effectiveness of His resurrection allows us to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4). We should follow Paul's determined purpose to "know Him and the power of His Resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). The Holy Spirit is another name for experiencing eternal life that works in humans here and now. The Holy Spirit continues applying the power of the atonement by the Cross of Christ to our lives. We should thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that the Holy Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us.
Why We Lack Understanding - April 7
"He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead" (Mark 9:9)
Has the Son of Man risen in you so that you understand His earthly teachings? God can't reveal anything to you until you receive the Holy Spirit. Like the disciples you shouldn't say anything until He has risen in you. Like in John 16:12 you can only hear and understand the Word of God when you are in the right condition spiritually. Unyielding and strong opinions prevent God from revealing anything to us. Many people tell their vision but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don't add up because Jesus has yet to rise up in them.
The Collision of God and Sin - April 6
"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree..."
(1 Peter 2:24)
This is the actual devotion because it was all just so awesome!
The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God's judgement on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross--He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.
The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus--He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating "God was manifested in the flesh..." from "...He made Him..to be sin for us..." (1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.
The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.
The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.
(What is salvation?)
His Agony and Our Acess - April 5
"Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples.... 'Stay here and watch with Me' "
(Matthew 26:36,38)
The Garden of Gethsemane is where the agony of God and man in one Person, Jesus, coming face to face with sin. Gethsemane and Calvary represent the gateways to life for everyone today. Jesus knew he would die and His confidence in getting through it was as the Son of God, not the Son of Man. If Satan convinced Jesus that He could do it solely as the Son of Man, Christ would not have been our Savior. The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as Savior of the world. This allows salvation to be simple for us. Jesus triumphed which allows us to have a way of access to the very presence of God. Thank you Jesus!!!
(What is salvation?)
The Way to Permanent Faith - April 4
"Indeed the hour is coming...that you will be scattered" (John 16:32)
Jesus was telling the disciples their faith was real but not at work in the important realities of life. They had interests apart from Jesus. Today we will also be scattered so our faith can be sustained by more than feelings and blessings. This allows us to always be able to praise God that all is well, even in troubled times. This is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life. Have we been scattered and left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Our sovereign God allows dark times to occur in our lives so Jesus can truly become our Lord. If we are willing to wait we will be able to see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, not in God Himself. We need to achieve unyielding spiritual fortitude.
If You Had Known! - April 3
"If you had known... in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes" (Luke 19:42)
The pride of the Pharisees, which was a strange god, was in Jerusalem as Jesus triumphantly entered. Jesus compared it to "whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are filled with dead men's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). Do you have an unholy nature controlling your life that blinds you to the peace of God in your life? We can be blind to the very things that make for our own peace which can increase our blame in God's eyes. God still holds us accountable for the things we refuse to see or are unable to see because of our sin. Are you completely yielded to Him? Don't be afraid if God brings up your past; He will turn what might have been to a wonderful lesson of growth for the future!
The Glory That's Unsurpassed - April 2
"...the Lord Jesus...has sent me that you may receive your sight..." (Acts 9:17)
Paul received the Lord's sight and from that point his life was totally consumed by Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2). Nothing held his attention but the face of Jesus. Maintaining a strong character in our own lives to the point the Lord has revealed to us is very important! Being able to explain God's purpose to others and understanding Christ in your own life are lasting characteristics in our spiritual lives. Are you truly after God's heart? A true test of being spiritual is whether or not you allow anything to divert you from Christ's insight.
Helpful or Heartless Toward Others? - April 1
"It is Christ... who also makes intercession for us...the Spirit...makes intercession for the saints..." (Romans 8:34, 27)
Jesus always lives to make intercession for us. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints. Intercession for others should result from being taught by the Holy Spirit because we are God' children. Are we to busy for God and His presence because our own lives? We have to put a stop to such distractions so we can have a living relationship with God so we can intercede. This is where God works His miracles! Don't get ahead of God with all your activities or you will become so burdened that you won't be worshiping God or be able to intercede. God will place people in your life that you might have no interest for; if you aren't worshiping God you might end up being heartless to them tossing them a quick Scripture or hurriedly leaving them (like tossing a spear at them). Care for them like Jesus cares for you!
March
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Heedfulness or Hypocrisy in Ourselves? - March 31
"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death" (1 John 5:16)
We have to pay attention to the way God works in us so we don't become spiritual hypocrites. Don't ridicule and criticize others on their sin, intercede for them. Use God's discernment instead of immediately becomming critical of others. Don't spend all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself. Discernment concerning others is subtle and illusive which God gives us to accept the responsibility for them to form Christ's mind about them. God will convey His mind to us regarding the people we intercede for. Learn to intercede wholeheartedly so Jesus will be satisfied with you as an intercessor.
Holiness or Hardness Toward God? March 30
"He... wondered that there was no intercessor..." (Isiah 59:16)
Do we really know what prayer is? Do we just pray for emotional interest? Worship and intercession must go together, one is impossible without the other. Reciting speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work is not worshiping God. Questioning God isn't worshiping. Losing sight makes our spirit hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at God telling Him what we want and what He has to do. This makes our spirit hard and dogmatic towards other people as well. Worshiping allows us to know His mind for the ones that we pray for. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Intercession is work, it demands all your energy, but it has no hidden pitfalls!
Our Lord's Surprise Visits - March 29
"You also be ready..." (Luke 12:40)
Our greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at every turn. Don't be so absorbed in your service to Jesus Christ that your not ready to face Him at every turn. Jesus comes when we least expect Him. The only way to remain true is to always be ready for His suprise visits. This gives the attitude of childlike wonder that He wants us to have in our life. We have to stop being religious, some lofty lifestyle, and be spiritually real with Him. The world will call you impractical and a daydreamer, but you will be ready for Him. Don't let ANYONE block your sight of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Isn't There Some Misunderstanding? - March 28
" 'Let us go to Judea again.' The disciples said to Him, '...are You going there again?' " (John 11:7-8)
Be obedient to Jesus no matter what! Considering the pros and cons as well as having doubt are not of God. We know God's instructions because of their quiet persistence. Are we faithful to our ideas of Jesus Christ or to Jesus Christ Himself? Faith is a deliberate commitment to Jesus Christ even when we can't see the way ahead. Obey Him with unrestrained joy! Don't debate Him, be faithful to Him. Don't compromise His thoughts and words with thoughts and words that never came from Him.
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Character - March 27
"Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place..." (Revelation 4:1)
Living up to the highest and best in the outer level of your life will allow God to invite you up higher. You will get other temptations and character traits. Satan fastens your idea of elevated holiness which is far beyond what flesh and blood could ever achieve. Satan elevates you up to a certain place so your life becomes a spiritual acrobatic performance that is impossible to keep. God however, elevates you to a plateau where you can move about freely and with ease. NEVER allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to and apply to your life. God has to hide what He does until our personal character grows and we are ready for it to be revealed.
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity - March 26
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
(Matthew 5:8)
Purity is much more than innocence. It is continued spiritual harmony with God. We become spotted and stained so we recognize the necessity of personal purity. If our spiritual life with God becomes spotted or strained we must put everything aside until we make it right. Contact with people who have other points of view is how our purity tends to become tarnished. Refusing to do or think certain things is how we maintain intimacy with Jesus Christ. Begin to see people how God does to keep your purity unblemished, perfect in Jesus Christ.
Maintaining the Proper Relationship - March 25
"..the friend of the bridegroom..." (John 3:29)
Goodness and purity should only draw attention to Jesus Christ (like magnets), they should not draw attention to themselves. If your holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence, which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Jesus Christ has done for them, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Instead of working for Him, we can work against Him while using His weapons.
Decreasing for His Purpose - March 24
"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30)
Always put God first and never become a necessity in someone's life. When someone is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, don't try to prevent a painful struggle they are having, pray it grows ten times stronger, so no power can hold them away from Jesus Christ. Don't let your sympathy get in the way. Rejoice when they hear His voice! You may have to watch a life wrecked before Jesus saves it!
Am I Carnally Minded? - March 23
"Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal...?" (1 Corinthians 3:3)
People who don't believe in Jesus Christ know nothing about carnality. Carnality happens at salvation and is the flesh warring against the Spirit and the Spirit warring against the flesh. Walking in the spirit allows the lust of the flesh to not be able to be fulfilled (Galatians 5:16). If you are sinning, all you have to do is be honest to God and He will help you. Being open with God allows you to be a child of light, where children of darkness always try justifying their sin. You will know when carnality is gone because it is the most real thing you can imagine. You will be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you!
(What is salvation?)
The Burning Heart - March 22
"Did not our heart burn within us...?" (Luke 24:32)
The secret of a burning heart for Jesus Christ is putting into action the light we received there. We must maintain our burning heart for Him every day. A simple dreary day with our normal duties and interaction with people is what can smother our burning heart, unless we put the light into action. Whether or not we allow a particular emotion to run its course in our life is examining the outcome of the emotion. If God would condemn the outcome, put a stop to it immediately. If it kindled by God, let the emotion run its course so you get the reaction God intended. Make as many decisions as you can when the Spirit of God has stirred you. No matter what the cost, be obedient to God's will for you.
Identified or Simply Interested? - March 21
"I have been crucified with Christ..." (Galatians 2:20)
We are crucified with Christ. Upon reaching the moral decision of signing our death certificate, what Christ accomplished on the cross is accomplished in us. Our commitment to God gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to grant us the holiness of Jesus Christ. Same human body, but Satan's right to us is destroyed. Our reason for living, our motivation, and our nature radically change. Our faith now transcends all imaginable limits, which only comes from the Son of God.
Friendship with God - March 20
"Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing...?" (Genesis 18:17)
Genesis 18 shows how delightful our true friendship is with God. Having a right standing relationship with Jesus Christ is to have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight! DO NOT stop short in your prayers with our mighty Lord God. He knows what you need before you ask Him. He knows your situation better than you or anyone you know ever will. God wants us to be as intimately acquainted with Him just as Jesus was. Pray for a perfect understanding of God Himself!
Abraham's Life of Faith - March 19
"He went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8)
In the Old Testament, the degree of separation people had was the degree of that person's relationship with God. Abraham is a great example because of his separation from his country and family. Mentally and morally separate yourself with your family who have different viewpoints, as in Luke 14:26. Faith is not of understanding and reason but a life of knowing God. Having faith in God does NOT mean worldly success. Faith is a life a Christian walks without fainting, not a bunch of "amazing experiences" one after the other. Abraham's faith was built on the true God.
Will I bring Myself Up to This Level? - March 18
"...perfecting holiness in the fera of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1)
God is the owner of our body. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so we should not condone in habits that clearly can't withstand the light of God. By being obedient to Him, we transform our natural life into a spiritual life. When you are convicted of a sin by the Holy Spirit and God, repent immediately! Allow the mind of Christ to be formed in you. Make sure your spirit is always in agreement with the Holy Spirit. Your commitment to God needs to be serious and you should be willing to leave everything else alone. God needs to be number ONE in your life!
The Servant's Primary Goal - March 17
"We make it our aim...to be well pleasing to Him"
(2 Corinthians 5:9)
Our first priority, which requires a conscious decision and effort, needs to be making sure we are well pleasing to God. This should be a priority above redeeming souls, establishing churches, or even having revivals. Constantly examine to see if you are seeking Jesus and following His will. Be obedient to Him and discipline your body to be obedient. The only approval we should seek is that of our Lord Jesus Christ's. Maintain this approval without interruption, no matter if it sounds lofty or not.
The Master Will Judge - March 16
"We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ"
(2 Corinthians 5:10)
Everyone appears before the judgement seat of Christ, like Paul says. Living under Christ's light and having salvation means this judgement will only bring delight in seeing the work God has done in you. Remember this judgement at all times, and walk in His holiness. Judging another person causes you to follow the spirit of the devil, serving Hell's purpose. Repent and admit you have been guilty to the Lord when you judge someone so your heart doesn't harden. Sin's penalty is our acceptance of it. Only the Holy Spirit is able to change and prevent sin's consequences. Because of this the Pharisees had a deadly attitude, which isn't hypocrisy, but unconsciously living a lie.
(What is salvation?)
The Discipline of Dismay - March 15
"As they followed they were afraid" (Mark 10:32)
When we first accept salvation through Jesus Christ, it was a delight to forsake everything for Jesus Christ. This was our statement of love to Him. Jesus Christ had to fully understand every sin and sorrow that we could experience, this is what makes Him seem so unfamiliar. All we can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson for any follower of Christ to learn. Don't look back on your past experiences and times of obedience to keep yourself strong during these times. Endure these times until they are over, allowing the ability to truly follow Christ Jesus. This will bring the most inexpressibly wonderful joy!
(What is salvation?)
Yielding - March 14
"...you are that one's slaves whom you obey..." (Romans 6:16)
We, alone, are responsible for yielding ourselves to things that control and dominate our lives. Likewise, obeying God is because we yield to Him. Even though you may hate that you are enslaved in some things, it is because you at some point yielded yourself to them. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only person who can break you of these things, and sometimes in can take utter humiliation. Yielding to Jesus breaks every kind of slavery in our lives. (He broke my addictions of cigarettes, drugs, porn, etc. Thank you Jesus!!!)
God's Total Surrender to Us - March 13
"For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16)
After salvation we should strive to be completely delivered from ourselves. We should strive to be in perfect union with God. Salvation means the Spirit of God brought us into intimate contact with God Himself's true Person, who is infinitely greater than we are. We are called to proclaim about Jesus Christ, not just about holiness or sanctification! Giving ourselves daily just as He gives Himself to us (John 3:16) allows Him to consume our lives!
(What is salvation?)
Total Surrender - March 12
"Peter began to say to Him. 'See, we have left all and followed You' " (Marck 10:28)
Attempting to surrender to Christ for personal gain or anything other than a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Himself isn't total surrender. Only going to God for something from Him, and not God Himself, is not the life God has called us for. Being obedient in whatever God asks of us is a total surrender. Don't stop short of totally surrounding your life to our Lord!
Obedience to the "Heavenly Vision" - March 11
"I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" (Acts 26:19)
Losing God's heavenly vision for us happens because of our own lack of spiritual growth. Remember God's vision for you at all times, not just times of prayer or church meetings. Don't be so practical that you forget His vision for you! The true test of our faithfulness is waiting for the vision to be fulfilled that may be delayed. Be on the lookout for God's storms. Be faithful and patient and ready at any time to do His work! Let Christ guide you and follow His path and vision for you not your own!
"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death" (1 John 5:16)
We have to pay attention to the way God works in us so we don't become spiritual hypocrites. Don't ridicule and criticize others on their sin, intercede for them. Use God's discernment instead of immediately becomming critical of others. Don't spend all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself. Discernment concerning others is subtle and illusive which God gives us to accept the responsibility for them to form Christ's mind about them. God will convey His mind to us regarding the people we intercede for. Learn to intercede wholeheartedly so Jesus will be satisfied with you as an intercessor.
Holiness or Hardness Toward God? March 30
"He... wondered that there was no intercessor..." (Isiah 59:16)
Do we really know what prayer is? Do we just pray for emotional interest? Worship and intercession must go together, one is impossible without the other. Reciting speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work is not worshiping God. Questioning God isn't worshiping. Losing sight makes our spirit hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at God telling Him what we want and what He has to do. This makes our spirit hard and dogmatic towards other people as well. Worshiping allows us to know His mind for the ones that we pray for. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Intercession is work, it demands all your energy, but it has no hidden pitfalls!
Our Lord's Surprise Visits - March 29
"You also be ready..." (Luke 12:40)
Our greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at every turn. Don't be so absorbed in your service to Jesus Christ that your not ready to face Him at every turn. Jesus comes when we least expect Him. The only way to remain true is to always be ready for His suprise visits. This gives the attitude of childlike wonder that He wants us to have in our life. We have to stop being religious, some lofty lifestyle, and be spiritually real with Him. The world will call you impractical and a daydreamer, but you will be ready for Him. Don't let ANYONE block your sight of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Isn't There Some Misunderstanding? - March 28
" 'Let us go to Judea again.' The disciples said to Him, '...are You going there again?' " (John 11:7-8)
Be obedient to Jesus no matter what! Considering the pros and cons as well as having doubt are not of God. We know God's instructions because of their quiet persistence. Are we faithful to our ideas of Jesus Christ or to Jesus Christ Himself? Faith is a deliberate commitment to Jesus Christ even when we can't see the way ahead. Obey Him with unrestrained joy! Don't debate Him, be faithful to Him. Don't compromise His thoughts and words with thoughts and words that never came from Him.
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Character - March 27
"Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place..." (Revelation 4:1)
Living up to the highest and best in the outer level of your life will allow God to invite you up higher. You will get other temptations and character traits. Satan fastens your idea of elevated holiness which is far beyond what flesh and blood could ever achieve. Satan elevates you up to a certain place so your life becomes a spiritual acrobatic performance that is impossible to keep. God however, elevates you to a plateau where you can move about freely and with ease. NEVER allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to and apply to your life. God has to hide what He does until our personal character grows and we are ready for it to be revealed.
Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity - March 26
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"
(Matthew 5:8)
Purity is much more than innocence. It is continued spiritual harmony with God. We become spotted and stained so we recognize the necessity of personal purity. If our spiritual life with God becomes spotted or strained we must put everything aside until we make it right. Contact with people who have other points of view is how our purity tends to become tarnished. Refusing to do or think certain things is how we maintain intimacy with Jesus Christ. Begin to see people how God does to keep your purity unblemished, perfect in Jesus Christ.
Maintaining the Proper Relationship - March 25
"..the friend of the bridegroom..." (John 3:29)
Goodness and purity should only draw attention to Jesus Christ (like magnets), they should not draw attention to themselves. If your holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence, which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Jesus Christ has done for them, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Instead of working for Him, we can work against Him while using His weapons.
Decreasing for His Purpose - March 24
"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30)
Always put God first and never become a necessity in someone's life. When someone is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, don't try to prevent a painful struggle they are having, pray it grows ten times stronger, so no power can hold them away from Jesus Christ. Don't let your sympathy get in the way. Rejoice when they hear His voice! You may have to watch a life wrecked before Jesus saves it!
Am I Carnally Minded? - March 23
"Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal...?" (1 Corinthians 3:3)
People who don't believe in Jesus Christ know nothing about carnality. Carnality happens at salvation and is the flesh warring against the Spirit and the Spirit warring against the flesh. Walking in the spirit allows the lust of the flesh to not be able to be fulfilled (Galatians 5:16). If you are sinning, all you have to do is be honest to God and He will help you. Being open with God allows you to be a child of light, where children of darkness always try justifying their sin. You will know when carnality is gone because it is the most real thing you can imagine. You will be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you!
(What is salvation?)
The Burning Heart - March 22
"Did not our heart burn within us...?" (Luke 24:32)
The secret of a burning heart for Jesus Christ is putting into action the light we received there. We must maintain our burning heart for Him every day. A simple dreary day with our normal duties and interaction with people is what can smother our burning heart, unless we put the light into action. Whether or not we allow a particular emotion to run its course in our life is examining the outcome of the emotion. If God would condemn the outcome, put a stop to it immediately. If it kindled by God, let the emotion run its course so you get the reaction God intended. Make as many decisions as you can when the Spirit of God has stirred you. No matter what the cost, be obedient to God's will for you.
Identified or Simply Interested? - March 21
"I have been crucified with Christ..." (Galatians 2:20)
We are crucified with Christ. Upon reaching the moral decision of signing our death certificate, what Christ accomplished on the cross is accomplished in us. Our commitment to God gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to grant us the holiness of Jesus Christ. Same human body, but Satan's right to us is destroyed. Our reason for living, our motivation, and our nature radically change. Our faith now transcends all imaginable limits, which only comes from the Son of God.
Friendship with God - March 20
"Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing...?" (Genesis 18:17)
Genesis 18 shows how delightful our true friendship is with God. Having a right standing relationship with Jesus Christ is to have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight! DO NOT stop short in your prayers with our mighty Lord God. He knows what you need before you ask Him. He knows your situation better than you or anyone you know ever will. God wants us to be as intimately acquainted with Him just as Jesus was. Pray for a perfect understanding of God Himself!
Abraham's Life of Faith - March 19
"He went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8)
In the Old Testament, the degree of separation people had was the degree of that person's relationship with God. Abraham is a great example because of his separation from his country and family. Mentally and morally separate yourself with your family who have different viewpoints, as in Luke 14:26. Faith is not of understanding and reason but a life of knowing God. Having faith in God does NOT mean worldly success. Faith is a life a Christian walks without fainting, not a bunch of "amazing experiences" one after the other. Abraham's faith was built on the true God.
Will I bring Myself Up to This Level? - March 18
"...perfecting holiness in the fera of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1)
God is the owner of our body. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, so we should not condone in habits that clearly can't withstand the light of God. By being obedient to Him, we transform our natural life into a spiritual life. When you are convicted of a sin by the Holy Spirit and God, repent immediately! Allow the mind of Christ to be formed in you. Make sure your spirit is always in agreement with the Holy Spirit. Your commitment to God needs to be serious and you should be willing to leave everything else alone. God needs to be number ONE in your life!
The Servant's Primary Goal - March 17
"We make it our aim...to be well pleasing to Him"
(2 Corinthians 5:9)
Our first priority, which requires a conscious decision and effort, needs to be making sure we are well pleasing to God. This should be a priority above redeeming souls, establishing churches, or even having revivals. Constantly examine to see if you are seeking Jesus and following His will. Be obedient to Him and discipline your body to be obedient. The only approval we should seek is that of our Lord Jesus Christ's. Maintain this approval without interruption, no matter if it sounds lofty or not.
The Master Will Judge - March 16
"We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ"
(2 Corinthians 5:10)
Everyone appears before the judgement seat of Christ, like Paul says. Living under Christ's light and having salvation means this judgement will only bring delight in seeing the work God has done in you. Remember this judgement at all times, and walk in His holiness. Judging another person causes you to follow the spirit of the devil, serving Hell's purpose. Repent and admit you have been guilty to the Lord when you judge someone so your heart doesn't harden. Sin's penalty is our acceptance of it. Only the Holy Spirit is able to change and prevent sin's consequences. Because of this the Pharisees had a deadly attitude, which isn't hypocrisy, but unconsciously living a lie.
(What is salvation?)
The Discipline of Dismay - March 15
"As they followed they were afraid" (Mark 10:32)
When we first accept salvation through Jesus Christ, it was a delight to forsake everything for Jesus Christ. This was our statement of love to Him. Jesus Christ had to fully understand every sin and sorrow that we could experience, this is what makes Him seem so unfamiliar. All we can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson for any follower of Christ to learn. Don't look back on your past experiences and times of obedience to keep yourself strong during these times. Endure these times until they are over, allowing the ability to truly follow Christ Jesus. This will bring the most inexpressibly wonderful joy!
(What is salvation?)
Yielding - March 14
"...you are that one's slaves whom you obey..." (Romans 6:16)
We, alone, are responsible for yielding ourselves to things that control and dominate our lives. Likewise, obeying God is because we yield to Him. Even though you may hate that you are enslaved in some things, it is because you at some point yielded yourself to them. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only person who can break you of these things, and sometimes in can take utter humiliation. Yielding to Jesus breaks every kind of slavery in our lives. (He broke my addictions of cigarettes, drugs, porn, etc. Thank you Jesus!!!)
God's Total Surrender to Us - March 13
"For God so loved the world that He gave..." (John 3:16)
After salvation we should strive to be completely delivered from ourselves. We should strive to be in perfect union with God. Salvation means the Spirit of God brought us into intimate contact with God Himself's true Person, who is infinitely greater than we are. We are called to proclaim about Jesus Christ, not just about holiness or sanctification! Giving ourselves daily just as He gives Himself to us (John 3:16) allows Him to consume our lives!
(What is salvation?)
Total Surrender - March 12
"Peter began to say to Him. 'See, we have left all and followed You' " (Marck 10:28)
Attempting to surrender to Christ for personal gain or anything other than a personal sovereign preference for Jesus Himself isn't total surrender. Only going to God for something from Him, and not God Himself, is not the life God has called us for. Being obedient in whatever God asks of us is a total surrender. Don't stop short of totally surrounding your life to our Lord!
Obedience to the "Heavenly Vision" - March 11
"I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" (Acts 26:19)
Losing God's heavenly vision for us happens because of our own lack of spiritual growth. Remember God's vision for you at all times, not just times of prayer or church meetings. Don't be so practical that you forget His vision for you! The true test of our faithfulness is waiting for the vision to be fulfilled that may be delayed. Be on the lookout for God's storms. Be faithful and patient and ready at any time to do His work! Let Christ guide you and follow His path and vision for you not your own!
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To contact me for any reason please email me at:
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