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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The Imitation of Christ

On March 26, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

From The Word of the Day Archives on Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Philippians 2: 3-5


Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

There is an entire sermon in just the first phrase of this passage but I want to focus on the theme contained in the remainder of today’s selection. It is a very important topic and one that does not get a lot of coverage. That is probably because none of us really want to hear it much less teach it or have to submit to it.

The first phrase calls us to never once act out of selfishness nor to ever act on conceit. The rest of the passage takes us just a bit further. It expands on the theme. Not only are we not to be selfish, we are actually supposed to put other people ahead of ourselves; their interests ahead of our own interests. How many people accomplish this directive? Importantly, how many are even trying? Are we, as the church, even aware that we are supposed to be putting other people, their interests, their needs ahead of ourselves?

Most of us say that we want to be like Christ. We pray to the Father and to Jesus to help us to become more like him every day. Our churches teach us that we should follow his example and his path and yet how many are clearly telling us that we need to put others before ourselves in all things? And yet verse five says explicitly that this is the attitude which has always been in Christ Jesus.

First we have to learn that this scriptural imperative exists. As of today, at least you are on notice as to its biblical existence. Now we can do something about it. Most of us will need plenty of help in accomplishing this edict. Fortunately there is a Father, a Son and a Holy Spirit who can and will help us. Begin by humbling yourself before the throne. Repent before the Almighty for those times when you have acted out of self-interest. Humility and repentance are cleansing forces. They clear your heart and mind making it easier for you to connect with the Father on a deep level. Then you can ask him for help with an open heart.

I know some people don’t like repenting or asking for forgiveness. We don’t like admitting that we were wrong or have behaved in a way that is not pleasing to the Father. We can make a million excuses why it is not necessary to repent but they are all just wasted breath. Repentance is good for the soul. We are not directed to repent and ask forgiveness for God’s sake. It is for our sake. In order to walk in this kind of obedience, you will need a lot of God’s help. When you need a lot of help from God, you need to connect with him at a very deep level. The way to do that is to start with a clean slate.

I encourage you, even as I admonish myself, that you make this a goal of your heart that you walk in the same attitude as Christ. That we all learn to put other’s needs and interests before our own. I heartily implore you to embrace this way of life. I pray that we would all learn to move ourselves out of our minds and let the ego have a vacation. Dedicate this day to putting yourself out of your mind and out of your motivation. Mark others as more important than yourself and let the Holy Spirit move through you to bless you and others.

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Let Me In

On March 25, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

From The Word of the Day Archives on Thursday, September 4, 2008

Psalm 37: 25

I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken.

What wonderful news to hear this morning. In times past, in times present, God has never forsaken his righteous. He is not going to begin now and he is not going to begin with you. I know that it sometimes seems he has left you and forgotten you but it is not true. He is there with you. If you are suffering, he is suffering with you. It is we who have perception problems. And sometimes we have reception problems. You might be praying until you feel blue in your face but cannot seem to find God. Don’t you waiver. Although you cannot feel him, He is there. Sometimes, no matter how desperately we pray, we can at the very same time have a very difficult time letting God in. Even though we want him, our pain and our fear block reception of all that he wants to bring to us.

It is like this. God is knocking on your door. You keep shouting, “Come in!” This goes on and on. You get frustrated and maybe even a little angry at God. Then sometime later you realize that the door was locked all along. What a faithful God we have to keep standing there and to keep knocking at a locked door. What a loving father to persist even when he knows you are getting angry at him. He knows it is not His fault and that your anger at Him is not justified and yet He keeps standing there, knocking at your door with His arms full of all of the presents he has brought you.

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