Be Blessed

On August 16, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 112: 1 – 3

Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on the earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

Every now and again we need to hear and be reminded of the blessing of the Lord for those who love Him. We can soak in these words; breathe them in and let them fill the tired and weary parts of our soul, rejuvenating the very marrow of our bones.

The Lord is great and full of love and compassion for His kids. His lovingkindness plays throughout our lives and even dances on the cells of our bodies. His words, His expressions of kindness are salve to the spirit. All the words and all the thoughts of the Lord are for your well-being. God Almighty is a blessing to you and longs to fill your life with the power, joy and glory of His might. He fills your soul with blessing and empowers your success and your peace.

All things, in the Lord, are peace and joy. We need to learn to breathe Him in with every inhalation. He is more than enough and yet we never seem to have enough of Him. We always want more of Him. And so, we seek Him and yearn for Him and for the day when we will be saturated with Him.

For those who love the Lord, there is wealth, riches and enduring righteousness. He has poured Himself out so that we may be full of His goodness. The glory of His kindness to we, His children, shall shine through the ages. Eventually, all the world will see and know the greatness of our God through the lovingkindness which He demonstrates in our lives.

I pray the blessing of the Lord chases you down in the street today, overtakes you and overflows to you. As you are blessed, you can bless the nations. I pray the blessing of your life shines brightly and brings praise to our Father and Lord. Amen.

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Hold Fast

On August 15, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 10: 23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

The book of Hebrews is known for its sound teachings on faith and this is one of the resounding statements which reveals faith, what it looks like and how it behaves. It is easiest to build your faith paradigm by beginning at the end, “He who promised is faithful.” Our first step is to resolve, in our hearts, that God is faithful. Along this line you may remind your heart that God is unable to lie. If He said it, He will do it. What has He said though?

This is the second point of assurance. We can speak to God directly. He will speak with you personally. He also often speaks through another person. However, there is an anchor for these means of communication which will give you greater confidence. It is His Word. If God tells me something that contradicts His Word, then I know immediately it was not Him speaking. It was probably my flesh wanting Him to say what I wanted to hear. If, however, what I hear Him speaks is consistent with Biblical principles, then I may have confidence in what I heard.

You need to be convinced that the Bible is for you. It is a personal letter from Him to you. If you find a promise in the Bible, then it is yours for the taking. This is a point in our faith walk which can really make us strong. If you have convinced your heart that the Word is true and that God is speaking to you, then it becomes easier for you to hold fast to the confession of whatever it is that you are hoping for. So, as an example, say you are confessing healing when you find this verse from Deuteronomy, “And the Lord will remove from you all sickness,” (7: 15). If you accept that this verse pertains you and you have trust in the one in whom the promise resides, the Lord, then it becomes easier and easier for you to hold on to your confession.

It is easy, though, for us to skim right over these passages and not believe God meant them for us. In the back of our minds we think they were only meant for some person who lived thousands of years ago in the Middle East. If we are going to see God’s will fulfilled in our lives we have to first have a promise, and second, believe the one who promised is faithful. If you don’t have a direct word from God, then you have to rely on what He has said before.

So, there is a good tenet of the faith walk. Believe in the one who promised and hold on to the promise without wavering. Do not go back and forth between believing and not believing. Okay, easier said than done, but convince your heart that God promised it and that settles it. Then be like a bulldog and don’t let go of your positive confession.

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See the Light

On August 14, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 4: 3 – 4

If our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

There is a lot going on in these two verses. Let us take the latter point first.

When one reads this passage, thoughts of the unsaved come to mind, and that is a valid perspective. However, there are many unbelieving believers. People accept Christ as their savior but it is only then that we embark upon the journey of discovery of what it means to be in him and in his glorious victory. Therefore, we must understand that this verse is referring to each of us in certain capacities. You may absolutely believe God for physical healing and yet have small or no faith for emotional deliverance. Some people have not yet learned how to believe God for finances and others can’t seem to embrace the relationship aspects. The point is that even though we believe in Jesus, we are not always believers in everything he has accomplished for us. This is a growing and learning process, a journey.

Some of us have been blinded to certain aspects of Jesus’ overcoming victory for our lives. Who, though, has blinded us? The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian believers, says that the “god of this world” is the culprit. Now here is where we sometimes run into difficulty. Paul was referring to Satan as the god of this world. Jesus is victorious; Jesus has defeated the devil but to the degree that we are blinded, Satan is still able to steal from us.

The body of Christ has really struggled with this idea. We know that Jesus overcame all the works of the devil and yet look around, do you see Jesus’ victory displayed everywhere in your life or everywhere in the world? Of course not. You see the devil’s influence very pervasively in the world. He is able to deceive and influence people. He has an army of fallen angels whose doom is assured, but who still contrive to bring destruction to the heirs of the Kingdom.

The real key to this verse is that it was written on this side of the cross. Jesus had already been taken up in glory when Paul wrote these words. He knew of the victorious Christ and yet he called Satan the god of this world. God gave the world to Adam and Eve but they gave their authority to Satan and he has been doing his best to disrupt humanity ever since. So, he is still a viable character out there. He is still influencing people, lying and blinding as much as he can. You, however, can overcome him in the name, authority and blood of Jesus. Satan can be defeated in every area of life. He has no absolute power, only stolen authority. He continues to “blind the minds,” but Jesus has come that we might have life.

Do not be afraid of the devil. Do not think you cannot overcome every trick he throws at you. However, do not be naïve. If you pretend he does not exist, has no power and no influence you will be vulnerable to every stupid little blinding lie he attempts to deceive you with. I do not want you to be afraid but I don’t want you to be blind-sided either. There is no cause for fear but do not discount the devil’s machinations. Many Christians allow themselves to be targets for Satan and his horde because they pretend he doesn’t exist or is completely without influence. Jesus has won our victory but it is we who must step into it. Satan has only the power we allow but naivety allows him freedom to roam and to interfere. The study of God’s Word will always open your eyes and the eye which God has opened the devil cannot blind. It is really that simple. God will show us all revelation and wisdom when we allow Him. He unveils the devil’s lies. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the devil tell you otherwise.

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Page Two

On August 11, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Lamentations 3: 22 – 25

The Lord’s lovingkindesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.

I didn’t want to leave you with the woe of Israel. Some of you remember Paul Harvey and his radio broadcasts. He used to say, “Page Two” as he moved on with his story telling. There is often a page two in life. As you see in these verses, Jeremiah knows, and tells, “the rest of the story.” He knows from where salvation comes. And let us not only think of salvation as the divider between heaven and hell. God wishes to save us from every unfavorable situation. In these verses, God’s saving grace is exposed and proclaimed.

There is trouble in life. Jesus told us that. Read David’s psalms and it becomes clear. Of course, there is an entire book of lamentations. However, at the end of the day, at the end of the book, behind every worry there is the faithfulness of God. He is always there to scoop us up and carry us away from the turmoil and tribulation. He is our shield and our fortress. We really can hide in Him while the world spins away.

In the Old Testament, specifically the Psalms, we read about our Father as the stronghold, the fortress, our refuge. These are all places into which a person can retreat and find security. In the New Testament, Jesus calls this being “in Him.” In Christ and in the Father, is fullness of compassion and hope. We have a promise here in Lamentations that God shows His goodness to those who wait for Him, to those who seek Him. So, the way I hear this is that God has little choice. I have power in this situation. If I seek Him, if I wait for Him, He will pour out His good upon me. I mean, the formula is already there, just plug in the variable over which you have control and it has to produce its equivalent counter-part which is the goodness of God.

Our father waits on high to pour His goodness out upon us. He longs to show us His tender mercies and benevolence. He is so overflowing with lovingkindness that it is without end or limitation. Each day He begins with goodness to give to us. So, though there is trouble in the world, there is goodness, salvation and kindness is our Father. We do not have to reside in the trouble, we can choose to move into God’s loving nature.

Let Him pour Himself out to you. He is without end. Everything you need or want in this hour is in Him. Seek His face, even right now in this moment. Let Him hear your voice and let Him be a loving Father.

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Woe is Me

On August 10, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Lamentations 1: 12

Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain which was severely dealt out to me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of His fierce anger.

Have you spent any time in Lamentations recently? Whoa! It is a veritable gold mine for Country-Western writers who need some good “cry in your beer” songs. Whew! It is good to read it every now and then but I certainly can’t take a steady diet of it.

I thought this verse might pique a few of you though. Read all of chapter one if you want the real low down on the situation. Still, there are few things that repulse and irritate me more than a person blaming my beloved Father for the ills they suffer. Truthfully, half, at least, of our troubles, we bring on ourselves. There is this principle of the seed and the harvest and unfortunately for us, the seed will produce a harvest regardless of the character of the seed. In other words, bad seeds will produce an unfavorable harvest just like good seed yields a desired crop.

Did you know this book was written by Jeremiah? He knew a few things even if you don’t get that from reading this verse alone. He is an important prophet and you can see that he totally gets it when you get to verse 22. He is speaking here, not for himself but for the entire nation, a nation which struggled in their devotion to following God’s ways, not unlike us, right? Verse 22 reads, “Let all their wickedness come before Thee; and deal with them as Thou has dealt with me for all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint.” You see, Jeremiah spends 21 verses pouring out the lamentation of the nation. He articulates their woes in vibrant, expressive language. In the end, the prophet, the mouthpiece of God comes out. He knows that it is their own transgressions which have brought them to their point of suffering. God doesn’t have to punish us for our stupidity, those ill-advised seeds which we, ourselves, have strewn far and wide are going to do all the damage we can bear.

When we finally are bowed down under the weight of the repercussions of our acts, then we cry out to the Lord and He is there to rescue us. Lamentations 3: 19 – 20 expresses this tragedy so clearly, “Remember my affliction and the wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down with me.” What tragic language, worthy even of Shakespeare. Hopefully, this is when we turn to the Lord and allow Him to save us from ourselves. He is always there for us, even when we have crucified ourselves.

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Stocked Refrigerator

On August 9, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 1: 14

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

This comes from the very early days of Jesus’ ministry. This is one of those cases where reading the footnotes is as enlightening as the verse. The notes reveal that what Jesus was communicating to the people there was that the Kingdom of God had come near them. It is at hand, or maybe better said, it is here. Jesus told them that the time they had look forward to was fulfilled and the kingdom was no longer a promise but rather, a reality. Well, if it had come to pass 2000 years ago then we certainly are not waiting for it today.

There is another interesting footnote. Jesus said to repent and believe in the gospel. The fullness of what he was saying about belief is in the word “trust”. Jesus told them to trust in the gospel. What does that mean? How does he intend that we “trust” in the gospel? Is this something our heart does? Or, does it perhaps involve our actions as well? Either way, I think Jesus is telling us, even as he spoke to those saints 2000 years ago, there is something we are supposed to do now that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Jesus told people several times that the Kingdom of God had come near them. It was right within their grasp. The same is true for us. Everything Jesus is has come within our reach. There is an action involved, however, and that is the part which so often trips us up. We must reach out and grasp all that Jesus won for us. I wish it would just rain down on me and I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. I don’t want to do the emotional and spiritual work necessary to receive his Kingdom victories but I guess that is just laziness. It is like someone has stocked the refrigerator. I want a drink. I want the benefit that drink will give me but I don’t want to get out of my chair and go get it.

Some of us just didn’t realize Jesus has stocked the refrigerator for us. We are dying of thirst when there is every kind of drink waiting for us. We have to learn to trust this gospel and expect the refrigerator to be loaded. We should begin to expect that the coming of the Kingdom brought with it life-altering properties. Certainly, this would be a great subject for our walks with Jesus. You can ask him to tell you exactly what he meant by, “repent and trust in this gospel.” I don’t want any of us to miss out on the Kingdom or its resources. The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is here. Repent and trust in the gospel.

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Musings

On August 8, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 30: 18

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.

One of the jobs of any minister is to bring you the Word of God. I also share with you what God is telling me, but in delivering passages of scripture, there is an impartation of the Word to you. What I write will, hopefully, bring enlightenment to the scripture and inspire you. The most important part of this, or any devotional, though, is what comes to you through your meditation on the Word.

Today’s verse seems very powerful to me. I wonder, though, what you hear as you read and reread it. Why does the Lord long to be gracious to you? He is waiting to show you the depth of His compassion. Why does He long to show you His compassion and upon what, or whom, is He waiting.

Isaiah seems to suggest that our longing for God is a key to unlocking these blessings and perhaps even others. Is God awaiting us? What does He need from you and from me in order to rain down His love, compassion and blessings upon us.

While you are pondering today, let me give you one more question to consider. If God longs to be gracious to us, what is stopping Him? If He awaits on high to show His compassion, for what is He waiting? If God can do anything, at anytime, then what is restricting Him from showering us with His graciousness and compassion? This passage makes it clear that God is limited in this realm. How can that be, except that He limited Himself? For those who stand on God’s absolute sovereignty this verse should give pause.

I hope you will take a walk with Jesus today and talk with him about all these musings.

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