Light

On July 21, 2025   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 John 1: 3

And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

John 17: 22 – 23

“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

John 14: 23

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

Last Monday I sent you a verse and message about our being the light of the world now. While Jesus was in the world, he was the light of the world but when he left, we became the light in the darkness. This miracle is accomplished in us having become the temple of God. Jesus’ death and resurrection, his redemption and restoration of us, has made us God’s temple and abode.

I like these scriptures in conjunction for showing that God is light and that He has come to live inside us. I just love that the God of the universe, the one who actually made the sun is living inside of us. He is the light that is inside. He is light and there is no darkness in Him. That is how we have become the light shining through the darkness.

How glorious is it that the light of the universe (and beyond) is living inside of you? That is why it is pointless to try to be a bright shining light. We have only to let the light that is already inside of us out. We are one with God and Jesus; unified in them. Therefore, when we let that nature show, our new nature, we bring glory to the kingdom of God. God’s nature is alive in us. We live and breathe in the light and by the light. The light of the world has become our very essence.

You are the light of the world. You have the source of light living right inside of you. Fellowship with God and enjoy His magnificence inside you.

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Goal Achieved

On January 20, 2025   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 31: 33

“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

This is the crux of the new covenant. I am especially moved by the latter part where God says that He will be our God, and we will be His people. This is where we are today. God wishes to be your personal God and you and me to be His people. There is a very personal, intimate anticipation in this. It is about the relationship that we are to enter into. No longer is God to be a distant and removed God, who can only be approached by a few select people, but rather a personal God with whom we have direct contact.

Jesus told us in John 14: 23 that He and His father would come and make their abode with us. He also told us in the 17th verse,  of that same chapter, that the Holy Spirit abides with us and in us. You see, this is a shift from the Old Testament relationship. In the new covenant, God wants to be a very personal God to us all. He no longer has His presence in an ark but rather in us as we have become the temple of the new covenant.

His Word is now a part of our hearts by the Holy Spirit and by the son himself. We have been told that Jesus is the word (John 1: 1-14). Here we see that the Word, Jesus, has come to live in our hearts. Additionally, the Holy Spirit who has been charged with teaching us and guiding us into all the truth (John 14: 26, 16:13) has made His home in our hearts. So, the Word has now been written to our hearts and is in our hearts.

The God of all creation, the God who made the sun, all the planets and every star, who made the trees, all animals and us, has come to live inside of you. He has chosen you as His temple. You are His chosen people. This is what God has been looking forward to for millennia, that we should be His people, and He should be our own God. You are the realization of His ambition.

These are the days. We are the prophesied people. You are no lowly worm of the dirt. You are the chosen people of Almighty God. You are the culmination of all of His desires and plans for thousands of years. That should make an impression on you and hopefully make you feel differently about yourself. Maybe it makes you consider your relationship with the Father a bit differently. Collectively we are the body of Christ. Individually you are a member of the body. You are important to God, immensely important. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

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Prayer Temple

On February 20, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Chronicles 7: 15

My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

After Solomon built and sanctified the temple, God made him the above promise. God’s omnipresence and attention would always be in the temple. At the time, that promise would have meant a great deal to the people of Israel. However, we don’t live in Israel. What has it to do with any of us?

The answer for that question is in John 14, verse 23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.” The apostle Paul made it clear, “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3: 16 GW). These verses bring 2 Chronicles into sharp focus for our lives today. God’s eyes and ear are always attentive to the prayers offered in His temple and you are His temple.

Do you ever feel like you are praying into a void? Me too! Sometimes it seems like our prayers are cast into a vast silence of brooding space. However, now we know that is not true so how we feel can be overwritten with truth. Last week’s Word of the Day told us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The point I tried to get across was that we should not let our feelings be the final authority. The same applies here. Though it does not always feel like God is listening, the truth is that He has no choice. He tied Himself to His temple thousands of years ago. Besides that, He loves you and is always attentive to your voice because He loves to hear from you. Still, I like having scripture to stand upon when I am not feeling my strongest. Scripture is solid and reliable.

So, what would you like to pray for today? Father is waiting and listening. Let Him know the desires of your heart.

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In and Through

On December 16, 2021   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 4: 6      TPT

And he is the perfect Father who leads us all, works through us all, and lives in us all!

Jesus rattled the world when he told people that he and the Father would live in us and through us (John 14: 23). He spoke of the Father with a familiarity that rankled the Jews. Truly, the familiarity with which we speak of the Father today still unsettles some. Interestingly, only the Apostle John leaned into this revelation of Immanuel, God with us. John understood that the name applied to more than Jesus spending a short time walking the earth. It is, in fact, the New Covenant in a word. Man, that is a big revelation, one we are still grappling with.

Paul came along behind the twelve disciples. Except for John, the gospel writers mostly gave an account of the life of Jesus. Paul took those accounts and Jesus’ teachings and explained them. I said last week, he seemed to understand the Apostle John well and he continued John’s teachings. This revelation that God lives in us is so big that even after both John and Paul unveiled this great mystery, it still remains cloaked for many people.

I hope you revel in the idea that God is not only with you, but in you, even if your mind cannot comprehend it. Honestly, I cannot fully grasp it either, but I do glory in the truth of it. We don’t need to pray to a far-removed deity, God in heaven. We can turn inward and find the creator right there. Isn’t that amazing?

Perhaps I am just in the Christmas Spirit, but this seems like a good Christmas message. Perhaps it is Christmas and Easter rolled up together. This “God with us” thing is central to Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth. Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father and what a job he did. He so thoroughly accomplished his task that the Father packed up and moved in with us. Can you even grasp the enormity of that? It is mind boggling!

I hope that this Christmas season, you will enjoy Emmanuel, God with us. Every time you hear a Christmas carol, I hope you are reminded of the King who came to make his abode with you. Merry Christmas!

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Fear, Faith and Wisdom

On October 6, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

1 Corinthians 1: 30

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God.

My friend, Ann, brought up a really good point recently. She expressed concern over whether we are walking in faith or fear. This is always a good question but especially now during the corona virus situation. The virus is a real thing and has impacted every life. However, we must stand in faith if we are to eradicate it. Fear will undermine our fight. So, are you praying in faith or fear?

Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word,“ (John 14: 23). If this means anything it means we walk in a way which is consistent with his teaching. This necessarily means we must walk in faith. This is where Ann’s concern lies. Are we praying about our health, the virus, etc. and feel that we are praying in faith but then cowering in fear in our daily walk? Do we expect God to protect us and our families or are our actions colored by fear? Jesus teaches us faith and wisdom and that is the model which will get us through.

No one is suggesting that any of us go expose ourselves to the corona virus intentionally and dare it to infect us. That is not faith. It is foolishness. We are to be led by God in Godly wisdom. When you walk in God’s wisdom there is no reason to fear. Fear contaminates faith. We are either in faith or fear but not both. If we pray in faith and then succumb to fear, it will contaminate our faith. So, we must build ourselves up on our most holy faith (Jude 1: 20), but how do we do build ourselves up in holy faith? Jude says it come by praying in the Holy Spirit (ibid). If you feel fear arising in your heart, pray in the Holy Spirit. Allow the Spirit of God to fill you.

Let’s be smart. Let’s walk in wisdom. Take your vitamins, eat a healthy diet of whole foods, drink plenty of water, wash your hands, wear your mask, etc. but don’t let those things be an excuse for failing to feed your spirit with the faith it needs. Then stand in your most holy faith knowing that your God is for you and with you. Let faith and wisdom speak to your heart and guide your prayers. Sing in faith and let not fear have a root in your heart. Your faith overcomes mountains. Let God guide your prayers and devotional time. Let Him speak to your heart and build you up. And, bless the Lord.

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Immanuel

On December 19, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 73: 23 – 24

Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.

When Isaiah prophesied about the coming Messiah, he said the savior would be called Immanuel. Immanuel means God is with us. That is one of the most important pieces of prophecy in the entire Bible. It is a key piece of theology. God is with us.

Jesus’ coming to earth, his sacrifice and subsequent resurrection change the entire dynamic between God and people. The temple moved. Instead of being an edifice made of stone and mortar, the new temple is you. God has come to live in us and to be with us continually. He is now intertwined with us and us with Him. There is no separation other than that which we create. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him,” (John 14: 23). Jesus and the Father intend to make their abode with us. Jesus also promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit who would come and be with us forever (John 14: 16). So there you have it, all three persons of the Trinity coming to earth to live in and with you always.

This is the dream and hope of the psalmist. He recognized God with him. He also hints at an important aspect. As long as we are with God, He is with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us, but it is important that we are “continually” with Him also, as the psalmist wrote. He made a decision to be continually with God and then acknowledged that God had taken hold of his right hand to lead and counsel him all the days of his earthly life. Then, at the end of his days, he knew and expected that God would receive him into glory. In other words, their partnership will never end. God was with him all the days of his earthly existence and then the Lord received him into the heavenly abode of God. That is the promise we have, God with us. Grab hold of His right hand and enjoy life with Immanuel.

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Show Me

On April 24, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 14: 23

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.

I don’t know where I first heard it said but this statement has always stayed with me, “Don’t just tell me you love me, show me.” That is what I hear when I read today’s verse from Jesus. Don’t just tell me you love me, show me by keeping my word.

Many people identify themselves as Christians but then there are some who are actually trying to live the Word. Now, that is an entirely different matter. Keeping Jesus’ Word means that first you need to read it. Okay, we lost a few there. You guys read the WORD of the Day every day. You are doing something that we can’t get a lot of “Christians” to do. That is to partake of the Word every day. This is a first step. One cannot keep Christ’s Word if they don’t first take it.

By “keeping” his Word, Jesus meant that we should do what his Word says. If he says, “Fear not” then we must learn to trust in him. When the Word says, “Pray without ceasing,” we have to become people who pray, and often. We are told to roll our cares over to Him which must mean that we should not “take” care. Do not judge and forgive your enemies aren’t suggestions but rather requirements of love.

“If you love me, he says, “you will keep my word.” So, we must challenge ourselves to learn what his word says and then do it. I am not trying to convince you it is easy to follow the word but we have him to help us and all things are possible with him.

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