Presence

On January 15, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 13: 5                  Passion Translation

Don’t be obsessed with money but live content with what you have, for you always have God’s presence. For hasn’t he promised you, “I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!”

I was listening to some old music the other day when Desperado by the Eagles played. I was only half listening, but this line grabbed my attention, “Your prison is walking through this world all alone.” I reacted, “How true but we need never be alone.” Our Father has promised to be with us always, and He is.

The Amplified Bible is even more effusive on this point, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” How do you like that? By no means, will He ever leave you or forsake you, not even for a moment. Now you might say privately, “I don’t think God is always with me. I don’t feel Him or see Him.” Many people would agree with you. We seldom have a consciousness of “God with us.” Here is where your theology comes to a test and you have to make a decision. In what do you place your trust, what you feel or what the Word says. You are not alone if you do not feel that God is always with you. Many people believe this Bible promise intellectually but their hearts are unconvinced. You may believe it but you still feel alone at times.

Living the Bible is very different from believing it. Further, there are levels of what we call belief. At the first level, we mentally accept or agree. In other words, there is no conflict in your mind about what the Word says. That is not to say, however, that your heart holds these to be absolute truths. At this first level your mind engages in simple acceptance and that is all. The second level is when your mind is convinced. You become intellectually, mentally persuaded that the Word is true on a given point. That’s great! Your mind begins to become a strong tool for you. At this level, though, your heart may still call you a liar. A good example of this is when you believe what the Word says about healing. Your mind is intellectually persuaded that “by his stripes you are healed.” You know the scriptures on healing and feel very strong about them. However, your heart is still calling you a liar. It says, “Sure you believe that but I am still sick.” You will find an internal conflict if you pay attention to it.

That is where you may be with this idea that God is always with you. If you believe that in your heart, you will never be lonely. In fact, you will begin to develop a very strong sense of God with you. For example, even when you are “alone” you may excuse yourself for a rudeness. This is where your consciousness of “God with you” has trumped all other information. Another example of your God consciousness is when you find yourself speaking to Him, not praying mind you, just speaking as if He is walking along with you.

Ultimately, the test of this scripture is whether or not it will prevail in your life. Will you come to KNOW God is with you all the time or will these be words that you accept without debate but do not live. I pray you know God with you. I hope you increasingly have the sense that He is with you every moment. And, I pray you derive much comfort from that truth.

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Desert Dweller

On September 16, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 68: 6

God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

It is easy for us to get “religious” and when we do, we create a whole bunch of sayings, expressions, doctrine and habits that are not Biblical. Today’s verse points out one of those religious ideas that is completely foreign to God.

It has become rather common for Christians to talk about being in a desert period. This is a religious idea, meaning more about man-made conception that Spirit led reality. There was the time our Lord was led out into the desert. That may be where we got the idea that people should have desert experiences. God, however, said that only the rebellious live in the parched land. So what are we doing out in the desert?

I have had my desert experiences too. As a matter of fact, there was a two-year period when I was parched and thirsty. Then I discovered something. My Father didn’t intend me to be out in the desert alone. For that is what the desert experience is – a time of being alone when it seems as though the presence of God has withdrawn. God did not name His son Immanuel (God is with us) so that we could go dwell in the desert by ourselves. He didn’t send the Holy Spirit to “be with you forever,” (John 14: 16) just so we could go live in the desert alone.

Jesus went into the desert for a short period of time. He was led there by the Spirit and he most definitely was not without God or the Spirit one moment of that time. His “desert” experience was vastly different from ours. It was a time with God; a time of reflection, introspection and conviction. It was not a time apart from God. His soul was not deserted. In fact, Father sent angels to minister to Jesus’ needs and Jesus emerged from the wilderness victorious.

Most Christians put on sackcloth and weary faces as they talk about their desert experience. They don’t describe a time of revelation or of communion with God. They describe a time of dwelling in a parched land. They act like God has abandoned them to the desert and that, my friends, is a grand deception. Jesus promised that he would never leave us, the Spirit is our constant “go along”, and God promised He would never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 5).

Therefore, we can now recognize that the “desert experience” is a misconception. It is not God inspired. He is not and never will leave you stranded in the desert. He is with you day and night to support and protect you. If you’ve got a tent pitched out in the desert, jerk up its stakes and go pitch it by the stream. That is where the Father leads us (Psalm 23). Anything else is a lie.

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The Prophet Speaks

On July 12, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 15: 2

Listen to me . . . the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

The backstory here is that Asa, the king of Judah, called upon the Lord when Judah was confronted by a million man Ethiopian army. Judah had only 300,00 soldiers. God hearkened to the voice of Asa and routed Ethiopia. It was after this event that the prophet Azariah spoke to Asa.

Azariah knew the history of the people. When they sought God, they prevailed, but time and time again, the people turned away from God. When they did, disaster resulted. Azariah went to Asa with a word from the Lord. In effect, this was a heads-up. Asa had just experienced the victory that belongs to those who continually seek the Lord. The word of warning to him, and ultimately to us, is to maintain that which made you successful. Do not cease to seek the Lord daily.

When things are bad, most of us find it easy to call upon God. We are in deep need, that need drives us to His throne room. After the battle is over, we need to heed this word of caution because sometimes we slip away a little. We begin to enjoy the peace and forget who it is who is still at work providing that peace. After awhile we can even begin to think we had something to do with our success. That is when things really go badly for us, so we must continue to search God’s heart and mind for daily life.

Another thing that is note worthy in this verse is the idea that God will forsake you if you forsake Him. Isn’t that contrary to what you have heard before. Hebrews 13: 5 reads, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” I also love these words from Nehemiah 9: 31, “In Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.” So, what gives?

It really turns out to be quite simple. You are in command of your relationship with God. The Almighty God whom we think of as sovereign in everything has actually relinquished His power to you in this regard. Therefore, you can think of these verses as saying, He will not forsake you as long as you don’t kick Him out. Of His own volition, God will never leave you nor forsake you, but you have the power to turn Him out. Then, He has no choice.

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