Building the Foundation

On June 29, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 40: 8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
What is your life and your faith based upon? As I observe people and religions I find it interesting to notice what underpins people’s lives and faith systems. When we construct buildings we certainly want the under girding to be very strong indeed. Yet with our lives we do not always give the same consideration. Surely, we all want our lives to be founded on that which is strong and true. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians 6: 14 to gird ourselves with truth. John 17: 17 says “Thy word is truth.” So, putting those together would direct us to under gird ourselves with God’s word. In other words, if we build our houses, our lives, on the firm foundation of God’s word, then we are building our lives on a platform of strength and stability. This is the foundation which stands forever, the Word of God. We need something of strength and durability to stand on and that is the Word of God.

I know there are many people who criticize the Bible or question its validity but this is what I have noticed. Many who make those comments have not spent much time with it. They have read very little of it and are really just commenting on what they have heard about it from someone else. Secondly, those who actually have spent time with the Word yet who do not revere it, rarely have anything substantial to supplant its use. They seem to have nebulous philosophies to which they loosely refer. That is fine. We all have to choose our own path in life but I say build your house on the rock and you will fare well in the storm (Luke 6: 48). The Bible works. It has been working for thousands of years. Its truths are infallible and the word of our God stands forever.

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Adoption

On June 28, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 1: 5

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

Just because some are adopted into the family does not make them any less a part of the family than those born into it. We, of course, know this. Yet, have we applied it to our relationship with our heavenly father? Have we really come to know that we are children of the King because he chose us? Adoption is a powerful law which gives the same rights to the adopted children as those who were born into the family. Also, there is a covenant relationship involved in this adoption of gentiles into the family of God because although Jesus was the first born, he was also adopted.

When we read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 we find that the genealogy that is listed is through Joseph, the husband of Mary. “And to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” Matthew 1: 16. Later in the scriptures Jesus is referred to as the son of Joseph. Man adopted the son of God into a human family and God reciprocated by adopting the children of men into his family. We are absolutely entitled to all of the benefits that belong to an heir because our heritage was guaranteed to us by the promises of generations. We did not earn these benefits but just receive them because we have been adopted into the family of God, but as children of the father, let us try to do all things which are pleasing to him.

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Healed to Help

On June 27, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 5: 44                         (King James Version)

But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. 

These are the words of Jesus from early in his ministry. We see him taking his own advice at the cross when he prayed to his father from the cross to forgive those who crucified him. Jesus knew something that we are hopefully all learning. When people act out, they are really revealing their own brokenness. When we are healed and walking in our office and authority, then these people’s offenses become an opportunity for ministry rather than a time for us to be offended. I am learning that people can do things that are prime stimuli for me to lose my peace but that it is really my decision to allow them to steal my peace or not. The stronger and more complete my healing, the less their stuff gets on me and the less it offends me. You begin to see that the people who strike out at you or attempt to hurt you are really only exhibiting their own emotional damage. As God heals their wounds, they will not feel the need to strike out at others or hurt others. Their language will correct itself and they will be able to become others centered instead of being so selfish and self-centered. We can help these people. First, physician, heal thyself. Allow God to do a work in you so that you are not susceptible to other people’s problems. Then, learn to sincerely pray for these people. Help them. Also, as you grow and people do not so easily offend you, when someone does something that once had the power to upset you, you will find that you can meet them at their point of need right then and there and minister to their need.
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All Paths

On June 24, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 10


All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. 
You may notice that many of God’s promises have a condition precedent or a prerequisite. Let me help you understand this. God isn’t really conditioning His promises. He is actually explaining to you how the Kingdom of God works. If I wanted to teach a person how to do something I might say something like, “If you do this, you will get this result.” That is what God is attempting to explain to us; He is teaching us how to operate Kingdom Principles in order to get everything we need and want. 
 
When you apply this insight to today’s verse you perhaps come away with a deeper understanding of how to work with God to find your way to His paths of truth and lovingkindness. And think of it, for those who keep His covenant, all paths lead to truth and lovingkindness. Isn’t that exciting?
Now you may be asking yourself what His covenant and testimonies are so that you can be sure you are walking in them. Well, here is some good news. That is what I give you daily. My job is to show you God’s principles, His ways and even His covenant. You just apply them and reap the rewards.
One small caveat though, don’t try to do any of this on your own. As you see a principle, immediately go to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to walk you through it. That is His job. We all have our part to do. You are not on your own.
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Humbly Led

On June 23, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 9

He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
You can hang out in the twenty-fifth psalm for a long time. There is much nourishment for the soul here. So how did I choose verse nine? I am often attracted to the verses that promise God will lead me in His paths. I want to know His ways and walk according to His instruction. One of my very favorite verses, in fact, is in this psalm. Verse 4 is a prayer, “Make me know Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths.” This is a psalm of David. By the time, he reaches verse 9 he has switched into teaching mode. He has gone from request to assurance. David knew that prayer to our benevolent Father results in answers. Therefore, he confidently assures us that our God and Father will lead us onto the divine pathway.

There is a stumbling block here, though, and that is what caused me to stop on this verse. There is a humility requirement. Perhaps, Father does not lead me as much as He might because I am so impressed with my own wisdom. Maybe, just maybe, my arrogance and independence prevents me from walking in His ways as well as I could. I wonder.

As you continue through this psalm, you discover that God’s instruction and guidance is for those who revere Him. Perhaps some of us get so caught up in trying to come up with answers that we never actually humble ourselves before the Lord and ask for His wisdom. And you know something else? Sometimes you don’t even have to ask. I find that if I will quiet myself down, He will offer His guidance free of charge. Maybe it doesn’t seem like arrogance for me to work so hard searching for answers but if we are truly humble and we revere the Lord won’t we allow Him to speak to our needs and questions? What is it, if not pride, when we are so caught up in our thinking that we do not appeal to His wisdom? Is this not putting our own intellect and problem solving skills on the throne?

We have a promise from the Lord that He will lead us and teach us His way. Let’s make ourselves available for Him to fulfil that promise in us.

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Seventy Times Seven

On June 22, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 18: 21 – 22

The Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

We all know that we are supposed to forgive all who act against us. This passage reflects one of the really difficult situations in which we find ourselves sometimes. This is the case that the same nut head keeps on sinning against us. I can well feel Peter’s pain here. It was really hard to forgive the guy the first time and now he has gone and done something heinous again. How many times, Lord, must I turn my guts inside out for this guy who just abuses me at every single opportunity? Well, Jesus’ point here was not only seventy times seven. His real point is that you should forgive him every single time he does something against you. Jesus must have thought that by the time we have forgiven someone 490 times, we might have the idea. Sometimes you have someone who is just a thorn in your flesh. Keep on forgiving. Don’t get discouraged. You are becoming more like your Dad every time you struggle through that forgiveness battle. Soon, way before you go through it 490 times, you will have a revelation on how you can keep your peace even when that person is around. And pray for him. God can change him and the more you pray for him, hopefully the sooner he will change.

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Splendor and Majesty

On June 21, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Job 37: 22

Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.

I have just returned from fifteen days in the great northern expanse of Alaska. For the life of me I just don’t understand how anyone can experience the majesty of Father’s creation and not acknowledge the creator. I don’t know how they don’t feel Him tugging at their heart strings or singing in their spirits. The majesty and awesomeness of our beloved Father is beyond words and I have found that it is beyond photography. I would send you a hundred photographs and still fall far short of capturing the grace and power of our Father’s creation. 

I was overwhelmed with one simple thought, “My Dad created all of this!” Wow! And the quiet whisper I hear in my soul is, “Yes, and I knew when I created it that you would be here today enjoying this rare beauty.” How precious we are in the sight of the Lord.  The mountains and the sea, the glaciers and the wildlife cannot hold His attention. He is more gratified and engrossed by the wonder reflected in our eyes. 

Truly awesome majesty follows in the wake of our Father and God but the greatest wonder of all is that He loves us so much. In His eyes, there is nothing on this earth which compares with us. Is that not amazing? David said it this way, “What is man that You take thought of him?” (Psalm 8: 4). In the shadow of the of the imposing mountains such as this one, Denali, which means, The Great One, who is man that God even notices us? And yet, not a hair falls from our head that He does not notice (Matthew 10: 30). Surrounded by the majesty of Denali, the splendor of the fjords, and the power of the glaciers one feels instantly like an ant amongst the landscape … and yet, the grasp of insignificance never quite takes hold for in that moment our oneness with the Holy One, God the Almighty and Creator of all we behold becomes bigger in our hearts than the Great One herself, Denali. Greater by far is our God and Father and greater still is His devotion to us, deeper than the fjords is His love. The greatest wonder, the majesty of the age is God’s love for us. 

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