Everything You Want

On July 17, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 1: 3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

We do not exist only in this physical realm. We actually are living in the spiritual realm at the same time and that is why this verse is so important. Everything that has ever come into being had to first exist in the spiritual sphere. Think about that for a moment. Everything that you have ever seen, every single thing in this world first existed in the world of the Spirit. So, every time you pray for anything the answer already exists in the spiritual sphere and then it manifests in the physical. In today’s verse we learn that God, our Father, has already blessed us with everything in the spiritual realm. Now I know that the verse says that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and you might think that means that physical blessings are not included but when you appreciate that everything begins in the spiritual realm and that to God everything is spiritual then you conceive that all blessings of God are, in fact, spiritual blessings. So when we see the fullness of this verse we perceive that God has already blessed us with everything. And that makes sense because we know that God has rested from His work. He has already provided everything we could ever want or need. There is no lack of anything in heaven. God has already created utopia. Once we grasp with our hearts that God has already made full provision for us, that it is all in the spiritual warehouse awaiting our requisitions then we are able to receive everything in full. 

This can radically change your prayer life if you can shift your perspective to embrace the idea that the Lord, our God, has already provided every single thing we could ever think or ask. The point of Paul writing this passage is to let us know that God has already blessed us and provided for us. The verse would have so little meaning if it was only about having blessings in heaven. It is here that we need the blessings of God. When we get to heaven there is no need. They are walking on streets of gold up there. Paul is writing to say that God has already provided for the people who are living on the earth now. He is trying to convey the enormity of the blessing and he seems to run out of words. Paul also lets us know that our blessing is in Christ which expresses the extent of the blessing as well as our access. Paul is encouraging us to bless God because he had a revelation of the fullness of the blessing which has come on us because of Jesus. We must move our chairs to Paul’s place so that we can see from his perspective. When we look from his perspective instead of from ours the horizon broadens. We can read the same words we have read many times before but now we see much more and Paul’s perspective always leads us into closer unity with God.

Celebrate today the reality that God has already blessed you with the fullness of who He is. Pray to receive all that He has provided for you and bless the Lord.

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Digging Holes

On July 16, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 7: 15 – 16

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his on his own head.

At this time of the year every year you can find me watching the Tour de France. In the first stage of this year’s race one of the best sprinters in the world crashed towards the end of the race and unfortunately was injured and is out of the race. It was particularly sad because this rider is British and they were racing on British soil. Moreover, the stage ended that day in his mother’s home town. It was a potential fairy tale ending that concluded in disaster. On the slow motion replay one could see that the rider who crashed out had caused the accident by leaning on and pushing another racer.

So often we are the victims of our own malfeasance. That is how the universe works. In Galatians 6: 7 we are told, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, the he will also reap.” Paul writes, God is not mocked. He told us thousands of years ago that if we dig a pit for others, we are the ones who will be ensnared. Whatever we sow, that shall we reap. This is a universal principle that cannot be avoided.

The good news is that it works in a positive direction as well. When you sow peace you reap peace. When you sow kindness, you reap kindness. Now you can put this principle to work in your life. Whatever you need, sow towards it. Plant a tomato in order to get a tomato.

What you see in your life is a result of the seeds you have sown in the past. The future is completely predictable. Your life will reflect the seeds you sow and the words of your mouth because words are also seeds. So, determine what you want your future to look like and plant those seeds then keep your language consistent with your goals. God is not mocked. What He said years ago still holds, whatever you sow, you shall reap so get out there and plant some good seeds.

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Trust in the Name

On July 15, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 9: 10             NIV

For those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Well, there are two pretty loud messages in this one short passage. The first one is about knowing the name of God and the confidence that builds in the hearts of His people. There are several aspects to this first idea. You know by now that “God” is not our father’s name. It is only a title. When you know His real name then naturally your relationship grows with Him as you use that name instead of the antiseptic title which has no familiarity attached to it nor any personal attachment to Him. People throughout the ages have called every kind of thing “God”.

There is some confusion regarding the accurate name of God but don’t get hung up on that. The name was hidden for eons and there are language issues but that is just puff and stuff. You can ask Father what name He wants you to use in your private discussions. I use the name Yahweh and I am quite comfortable with it though you may learn that YHWH (without the vowels) is certainly accurate if not more so. Some people use the name Jehovah and that works too. They are all derivatives of one another. We do not want to get caught up in Semantics although the study of all of these ancient words is awesome. I go back to Exodus where Moses asked the Lord who he should say sent him and the Almighty said, “I AM WHO I AM”; “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3: 14). The Lord’s declaration of I AM is where the name of Yahweh comes from. It is that idea of He who is, who was, and who always will be. So that is the first name I use for our Father and using it instead of a title brings me into closer unity with Him.

Secondly, we know that beyond his personal name, the Lord had many descriptive names that He shared with the Israelites. I cannot go over all of them in this format but there are several books that list and describe the many descriptive names of God. I personally enjoyed Marilyn Hickey’s book on the names but there are plenty out there to choose from. One such name is Jehovah –Jireh which means “Our Provider”. Each of these descriptive names of God provides a greater insight into who He is and His relational positioning with us. Therefore, each one brings greater confidence and comfort to our hearts.

Lastly, He, our God and Father, has never forsaken any who have sought Him. I can testify loudly to this. When I sought Him, He reached out to me and took hold of me. When you seek Him, you find Him. I flew out to California and in typical lawyer fashion I put Him on notice that I was going to that conference to get Him. He must have laughed out loud but I was serious. I earnestly sought Him and my life has never been the same. 

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On July 14, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 17: 3

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Do you want eternal life? Well, here Jesus gives us the recipe for life eternal. It is knowing God and knowing Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not in knowing about God, it is knowing Him personally. Think about that for a moment. There are many people who know a lot about God who will not get to enjoy eternity with Him. There are people who have studied the Bible thoroughly just so they can argue against Him and Christianity. Those people know a lot about God but they will not attain to eternal life. Eternal life comes through a relationship with God and with His son, Jesus Christ. 

Those who do not know God will endure eternal death. What do suppose eternal death to be? It is separation from God. God is love and all life is in Jesus so those who are separated from them will endure eternity without love or life. And did you know that Jesus endured this death for us so that we would never have to taste it? This is the real price that Jesus paid for us. For some period of time he was actually separated from God and that was hell. Do you remember when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15: 34)  God separated Himself from Jesus when the sin of the world came to rest on Jesus. Look at the Amplified Version’s rendition of this verse, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?—which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]?” How horrific that must have been for Jesus. Never in his entire life had he spent a single moment outside of God’s presence. I am sure it was the most horrible kind of suffering and death that one could ever be put to.

We think of Jesus’ beatings and crucifixion as the high price that he paid but those were trivial in comparison to the real price of being separated from his father. Jesus was not afraid of anything anyone could do to his body. He gave us that insight in Matthew 10: 28 when he said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” This was a foretelling of the death he would die. He knew he would go to hell in our place and he knew that to be the true death. He was taken out of his relationship with his father and made to stand in our place where sin separated us from the love of God. But Jesus suffered that hell for us and came out with victory over death and the keys to hell in his hand.

To know God is to know love but it is also the source of eternal life. We are to seek a personal relationship with our father and through that intimate association we gain abundant life and eternity with God. Get to know God and reap great rewards.

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A Friend of God

On July 11, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 2: 4

I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.

King David kept God busy. He was at God’s throne day and night. He was constantly before the Lord. And he needed to be. David was always in one need or another but through his need and reliance on God, they developed one terrific relationship. David knew that he could go right to God’s holy mountain and get help in a time of need. He knew that God heard his voice when he talked to Him from his bed. Every morning and every night, David went before God. He showed up demanding God’s attention. That one man could have kept God busy all by himself. You and I might feel a little pestered by someone like David but do you know what happened between God and David. They became friends. Yeah, friends. Not just God and disciple but close friends and God loved him. Dare you pester God like David did? All you have to gain from it is everything, including God’s friendship. Determine that you are going to pursue God just as relentlessly as David did and soon, in less than a month I would say, you will find yourself starting to express the same confidence in God that David did. God will answer you every time even if it is just for the two of you to chat. You will develop such a confidence in God that everything in your life will change.

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The Well Rooted Tree

On July 10, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 1: 4 – 6

4 The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

This is the second half of the first Psalm which we read yesterday and it contrasts the consequences for the wicked with the results of the righteous.  Rather than being a living, strong, regal tree firmly planted in good soil, the wicked will have no root.  Any little wind will blow them this way and that and they will have no staying power.  Any success they find will blow away because it is not rooted and grounded.  There will be no substance and they will not be able to stand on the last day. 

The unrighteous spend their time foolishly and they greatly suffer as a consequence.  Let us spend our time in pursuit of the lovely one and let our life find deeper meaning and purpose.  Let us shine before men because the “son” shines on us.  Pursue the Lord with all your might, forsaking not your relationship with the Father and His Holy Spirit.  All heaven and earth shall be your prize.  Do not forsake the God of your youth.  Call upon Him now while he is near.  He will answer.  Draw closer to Him than ever before.  Riches and glory are in Him and most importantly so are peace and love.  Find that for which your heart seeks.  It is all in Him.

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The Blessing Plan

On July 9, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 1: 1-3

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

We all want to be blessed of God and that is what God wants also. That is why he gave us this passage, so that we would know how to be blessed. The first verse tells us three things to avoid if we want to be blessed. The second verse tells us one affirmative thing to do and the third verse illustrates the effect of the blessing on us which results from obedience to the first two verses.

In a nutshell, this passage tells us to turn away from the ways of the world and turn towards God. In plain language it means we should spend more time pursuing God than pursuing the world. Turn off the TV every now and again and spend that hour reading your Bible. Don’t take your advice (counsel) from the world, look to the word and mature Christians. Don’t do the things the people of the world do. That is what is meant by do not “stand in the path of sinners.” God is telling us not to be on their path. Choose a different path. That does not just mean don’t sin. That is a given. But this passage is not talking about salvation it is teaching living in the blessing. So God is telling you not to do the things the world does because it is not leading to blessing. The blessing is in God and in his word. Spend some time reading the word or reading a book by a Christian. Listen to a TV preacher right in the middle of the week. Delight yourself in His word and you will be that tree that is planted near the stream. It is taller and stronger than other trees. It bears more fruit and its fruit is sweeter. Moreover, this tree does not lose its health and vitality. All it takes is to start spending more time actively pursuing Jesus and less time in the world.

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