Jesus, Your Brother

On April 4, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 8: 21                  NIV

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Jesus taught how we can be one of his relations, or part of his family.  It is a two-step process.  First we must hear God’s word.  Second, we must put it into practice.  His brother James was listening.  James later wrote, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers, who delude themselves” (James 1: 22).  He said we are supposed to “receive the word implanted” (v. 21).

First we must each ask ourselves, “Do we want to be close with Jesus, even as close as a brother?”  Secondly, “What are we willing to do in order to achieve that personal closeness with him?”  Frankly, not everyone is willing to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.  That’s okay, it is a personal choice but for those who do crave intimacy with the Lord Jesus he has shown the way. 

Jesus put an emphasis on God’s word.  He told us we must put ourselves in a position to hear God’s word.  Bear in mind they didn’t have the written word in abundance like we do today.  We can “hear” the word in many ways.  One of those ways, I would suggest, is in reading it for ourselves.  Furthermore, there is an incredible amount of free teaching available on television, radio and the internet.  Many ministers even allow people to download this content to their own device.  I find that remarkable.  What other profession gives away their work product for free?  We can hear great messages every single day. 

Brother James teaches us that we are to receive this word implanted.  When you hear the word, you must then receive it.  Just hearing someone speak the Word of the God won’t do a thing for you if you don’t receive it.  I believe James is telling us to plant the Word of God in our hearts.  This principle is well taught by Jesus in Luke 8: 15 where the sower sows the word to our hearts.  There are quite a few scriptures that speak about the relationship between God’s Word and our hearts.  Look at Deuteronomy 6:6 for example, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”  This is our starting place then.  We can’t do God’s Word if we do not first hear it and in that hearing receive it into our hearts.  This is not a brain game.  It is a matter of the heart.  What, then, is the condition of your heart?  Is it the good soil that Jesus speaks about in Luke 8 or is it hard like the stony ground?

Fellowship with Jesus begins with God’s Word.  Perhaps hearing that thrills you.  I hope so.  Maybe, though, you are one of those who does not want to give time and place to the Word of God.  I am very sorry because there is no getting around this one.  No amount of intellectualization, even, is going to provide an argument that supports that position.  We must all come to a place in our lives where we are willing to let Jesus be the absolute Lord of our lives and do, therefore, what he says.  Either he is Lord of our lives or he is not but if he is then we should follow his instructions and his teachings.  He came to give us abundant life.  That is all he is trying to do with his instruction.  He is trying to bless us but in order for us to receive the greatest of gifts we are going to have to taste humility.

As you turn your face to Jesus, soften your heart and receive his word implanted therein.  Then we can talk about putting it into practice.  Then we probably won’t have to.

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Your Divine Reputation

On April 3, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 1: 34 – 36                            NIV

When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore; “Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh.  He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

God spoke audibly from heaven about Jesus saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased (Matthew 3: 16). We are told of David that he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14) and we know that Enoch walked with God (Genesis 6: 24). You can think of other great heroes of the Bible and their remarkable tales. We see how these Biblical giants are remembered. Do you remember the woman who poured the costly perfume on Jesus? She was criticized for her act but Jesus said that as long as the gospel is preached she will be remembered (Matthew 26: 13). Of Caleb it was said that “he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” The question is, how do we wish to be remembered?

Most of us want to please the Lord and we sometimes talk about what God will say of us when we meet Him face to face. Perhaps we do not individually have the faith of Abraham or the bravado of Peter. Maybe we are not great leaders as was Moses or as trusting as David but I believe we can all attain the reputation of Caleb, that we serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

It is hard in this modern society not to be divided in attention and loyalty but I suppose every generation has had that challenge. Somehow Caleb was able to fix his heart on God and follow Him with all his heart. He was allowed to go into the Promised Land when many, many others were not. Caleb chose to believe God and to follow Him in a time when it was not popular. He was, in fact, part of a small minority. He chose, though, who he would follow and didn’t let anything dissuade him, not even the giants that were living in the Promised Land.

We too can be Calebs in our generation. We can live to God and follow wherever He leads. Is it easy? No. If it was easy the other 83% of the Israelite spies would have articulated their trust in God and followed Him into the land of promise. But just because it isn’t easy does not mean it isn’t attainable. It is a decision. Are we going to believe the 6:00 news or the Word of God? Are we going to allow the appearance of things in the earth determine in whom we believe and what we believe? Truly, the facts don’t count. What counts is our decision about who we put our trust and belief in. That’s it. Caleb chose to believe God despite all kinds of obstacles that he could see in the landscape. He believed that God would overcome every obstacle. We too, then, can be spiritual giants. We must only decide. We can give our whole heart to God and follow Him relentlessly. Abandon all your worldly beliefs and fill your heart with God’s Word until it is overflowing. Then you too will follow God wholeheartedly and be a champion residing in the Promised Land.

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God is Calling Out Your Name

On April 2, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 43: 1

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”

The voice of the Lord can be heard in the streets and the marketplace. He is calling you.

“For I have called the church. I have called every single person. You are all members and vital to the body. Do not overlook your call. I have called you by name. I have called you to myself. Arise O mighty church of the living God. I am coming soon. Arise to meet me.” The Lord God is calling out to His people. “Arise! Hearken to me as never before. Turn your heart to me and hear me for I am calling to you.”

God has called you and He is crying out to His people and to the church as a body of believers. He is sending people throughout to awaken the body. Awaken. Rub the sleep from your eyes because we are being called to greater glory in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the Lord. These are the days that the prophets of old longed to see. The church fell asleep; the people lost their zeal, their hunger for the Lord, but there is a great awakening. People will again yearn for their heavenly Father with a deep, almost insatiable hunger. They will be filled though. Just like Jesus fed the 5000, God will give the bread of life to all who hunger.

There is not one believer who is not known to God. No matter where you are or what you are doing God is there with you. He constantly watches over you. There is no concern that is too small for Him nor any problem that is too large for Him. He knows your name and is calling out that name. Individually and collectively you are the people of His hand. You may seem small in your own eyes but you are precious in the sight of the Lord. You think you are invisible but your God is passionately aware of every minute of your day. And you are a part of this great awakening. Your zeal for the Lord will inspire others. God will do great things in your life and others will see the hand of the Lord on you. You and your life will be a testimony to the saved and the unsaved so that all may come to a full knowledge of the Lord our Christ.  Listen, God is calling you.

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He Cares For You

On April 1, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 55: 22                NIV


Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

In all of these thousands of years God has not changed.  He wanted to carry the cares of Adam but Adam wanted to be his own God.  He wanted to bear the burden of the Israelites out in the desert but they would not walk in faith and trust.  In today’s passage the Holy Spirit spoke through David to tell the people of that age to cast all of their care upon the Lord.  God didn’t even stop there.  In 1 Peter 5: 7 God instructs New Testament believers to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 

God’s desire to care for His kids has never waned.  Since the beginning of time He has been challenging His children to lean on Him and allow Him to carry those cares and worries.  Even in this age He wants to take the worry and concerns from our shoulders.

We are suppose to not only read the Word but also do the Word.  Today’s verse, especially in conjunction with 1 Peter 5: 7, is a good example of what it means to “do the Word”.  We have been given something specific to do, cast all of our care upon the Lord.  Therefore, in order to walk as a disciple of the Lord Jesus we must give him all of our worries and concerns.  To do less is to be in disobedience.  That may sound harsh but it is for your freedom that Jesus came and his purpose was to free us all from bondage.  Every day you should consciously give the Lord every problem and every anxious thought.  Your job is to trust the Lord; all the problems are his.  Don’t take care.  Don’t be careful.  Be carefree in the love of Jesus and His Father.  This is your right and inheritance.  It is also the command of the Lord.  In Jesus’ name, cast all your care.

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Receiving the Promises of God

On March 31, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Numbers 32: 5 NIV

“If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

May I give you the Ivey translation of this verse? “Oh Lord, don’t make us go into the Promised Land.” The land of promise, the land that God had already given to the Israelites and about which he had repeatedly told them ever since they left Egypt was that which lay across the river Jordan. How incredibly sad this is. God had already given them the Promised Land but two of the tribes of Jacob wanted to stop just short of the prize. How many of us also give up in sight of the reward? Lord, let us not fall short of all that you want to do in us!

The legacy of Reuben and Gad is that their line lacked the intestinal fortitude and faith to receive the promises of God. How tragic! But let us note that these two tribes made a choice. They chose not to receive the promise of the Lord. The American Heritage Dictionary defines intestinal fortitude as courage and endurance. It is not courage alone but that kind of courage that perseveres. He who perseveres will win the prize. Of course it takes courage to persist in a quest. Everyone encounters seasons of wanting to quit, to give in the challenges and struggles but the winners, the ones’ who will attain that high goal in Christ and the overflowing blessings are those who endure, who stick with it.

It is really enlightening to read the entire story including Moses’ response to their petition but this I will tell you, never in the entire dialogue was there ever any mention made or doubt expressed that the land across the Jordan was not the land of promise. Neither was there any argument that the land was, in fact, flowing with milk and honey. In fact, time and time again the land was referred to as the land flowing with milk and honey.

God has made us some promises too but receiving is a choice. Often we wonder why God’s people are not living in the fullness of the promises. In this recital of Israel’s flight from Egypt and journey to the land of promise we find our own answer. I often analogize receiving God’s promises to a refrigerator. Suppose that God promised to give you an endless supply of orange juice. Today you pray to the Lord for the orange juice He promised you but you never hear a reply nor does the orange juice materialize next to your recliner. So, tomorrow you again pray for the promised orange juice. Still, no reply, no orange juice. You keep reading in His word that He has already met all your needs and that He fulfills the desires of your heart, so where is the orange juice? Of course it turns out that God had already filled the refrigerator with orange juice. You only had to take what He had already provided. So it is with us in every area of life. God has already given you the Promised Land. He has already run the giants off and preserved the land for you. You, though, have a part to play. You must receive what God has done. You can have everything your heart desires but you have to cross the river; you have to actually get up and go to the refrigerator and receive the blessing of orange juice. The two tribes of Israel stopped short of the victory that God had already planned and provided before they ever left Egypt. Don’t do the same thing. Get your feet wet. Find the promises of God in your Bible and then walk boldly in the promise of the Lord. Invest your trust in God and His word. Believe with all your heart that God is not a liar and that He is well able to provide what He has promised. If you will do this, you will see His glory and the blessing of the Lord. Dare to believe!

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The Faith of Abraham

On March 28, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

From The Word of the Day Archives on Friday, December 05, 2008

Genesis 11: 31 – Genesis 12: 1, 4

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

1The Lord said to Abram, “leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 4[A]nd they set out for the land of Canaan and they arrived there.

Have you ever wondered what made Abraham so special? Why did God choose to bless all the nations through him? We often attribute it to his faith. After all, he is called the father of faith. I would suggest the answer is even more basic though.

At this point in Abram’s (Abraham) life he has not demonstrated any faith that has been recorded in the scriptures. In fact, within paragraphs of the passage above, we find Abram not filled with faith at all but rather acting out of fear. When he went into Egypt he was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him over Sarai because of her beauty. So out of fear he lied to Pharaoh and entreated Sarai to lie as well and tell Pharaoh that she was Abram’s sister. Which she did. Instead of killing Abram, the Egyptians courted him and Pharaoh took Sarai as his wife. Abram does not seem a man of faith or virtue at this point.

So how did Abram become the father of us all? The answer seems to be in verse 4 of chapter 12. These words appear, “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him.”  It seems obedience was Abram’s great gift and through that he grew to have incredible faith. He obeyed long enough to learn faith and trust.

We cannot know as a certainty from these passages but it appears that God may have told Abram’s father Terah to take his family and go to Canaan. Terah got tired though. He ran out of obedience perhaps. He started out for Canaan but then found a desirable land along the way so he stopped and made his abode there. So then, when he died, God spoke to Abram and told him to pack his family and belongings and leave the home his father had chosen and go to the land God had chosen.

What would have happened if Terah had continued on to the land of Canaan? Might we all be talking about Father Terah instead of Father Abraham? Maybe God would have made a great nation of Terah.

Is there anything the Lord has told you to do that you have not done yet? He wants to pour out the richness of his blessings but he must find obedience to work with. Will you let him put you in the position to be blessed super abundantly? Think back. Search your heart and mind. Pray and ask your Father. Is there anything that you have missed? Every day is a do over in God’s kingdom. If you missed it yesterday, no problem. You have today to fix it.

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Divine Increase

On March 27, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

From The Word of the Day archives on Monday, November 24, 2008

Proverb 11: 24


There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want.

What does it mean to scatter? This is a “seed” verse. God always taught sowing and harvesting. It is not just a New Testament principle. You scatter seed. That is a term for sowing your seed. We also talk about broadcasting seed which means we cast our seed out broadly, not narrowly.

God is teaching an important economic lesson here. He is telling us that the person who scatters his seed, or gives, is the one who will receives the most back. The person who is generous, who gives to others, who gives to charities, you makes other people’s needs a concern of their own, will reap all the more. They give out of a kindness in their hearts and a genuine concern for others. God is teaching us that those people will not be in want because more than their seed will come back to them.

Then there is the person who does not give freely. Sometimes he even withholds what is due others. That person will not be able to make enough money because he is violating spiritual law. He will always be in want and need. God set up the universe to work in a certain way. If you work within the system, the system will work for you. If you do not then it will always feel like pedaling uphill.

God’s financial law is the law of sowing and reaping. It is just like gravity. Gravity is a physical law and whether we like it or not, that physical law is in operation. It works all of the time. We live our lives in accordance to the law of gravity because, whether we understand it or not, we understand its application. God’s spiritual laws work the same way. They are in operation all of the time. They are impacting us all of the time. The difference in application of the law of gravity and the law of sowing and reaping as applied in each of our lives, is that we know more about gravity. We learn at a young age the effect of gravity on us. Few people are taught the law of sowing and reaping though. Also, it is opposite of people’s way of thinking. But people didn’t make the universe, God did. So the sooner we learn to think like he thinks, the better off we will be.

In these challenging economic times, it is good to get strong financial advice from God. We should not limit our giving but rather scatter our seed broadly. To the giver go the spoils. I celebrate all of you who are givers and encourage you to keep to your ways. Don’t let what you hear on the news channels frighten you off from being like God. Don’t cut off his giving by cutting off yours.

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