God Ideas

On February 13, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 16: 13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

God has promised that the Holy Spirit will guide us but how do you know something is a God idea? How do you know that He is guiding you with that thought? Well, recently I got a good taste of a God idea and thought I would share the revelation of it while it is fresh in my mind.

One of the clearest signs that the idea that popped into my head was God’s thinking rather than mine was that it made me uncomfortable. I wanted to argue with the idea. The idea may be bigger than your level of comfort so of course, you would instantly experience discomfort.

Here is another good sign. In this case, Father wanted me to give something away. If the thought is about giving, it is likely your Dad. Maybe you are a giver. In this case I had already decided to make a donation but the idea that came to me was, literally, a hundred times what I was thinking. That has to be God because: a) I don’t think that big, and b) it was quite generous. When Father wants us to make a gift, it is often out of our comfort zone. And, since He is a giver, God ideas routinely involve giving.

Another way you can know that you are having a God idea is that the thought is different from the way you think. It may be an idea that you would say about, “I would never have thought of that.” It’s just a different pattern of thought or way of thinking.

When I had this idea, whether it was because I recognized God’s hand or because it was bigger than my thoughts, I had a physiological reaction. I knew this was God in so many ways, but my pounding heart and quickened respiration told me something was happening too.

God ideas are often challenging but always fun and rewarding. I hope you have one today.

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Divine Wisdom

On September 18, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 2: 32 – 33

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

This verse unites many of the themes we have seen in the scriptures we have looked at regarding the Holy Spirit. God, multiple times, made a promise to pour out the Holy Spirit upon all mankind. Jesus, then, told us that it was imperative for Him to leave so that He could send that which the Father had promised. Receiving the promise unto Himself from the Father, He then poured the Holy Spirit out to all.

It is done. God has done His part. Jesus has done His. The prophecies and the promises have been fulfilled. These are the days of glory that the Lord spoke about. So why aren’t we living in more victory and in more of that glory?

Just like it took some people a long time to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, even when He walked among them and they witnessed His miracles, we are only just beginning to recognize the Holy Spirit and His role. It is much easier to be wise when one can look back into history and see what others missed. It is quite a bit more difficult to be wise in the days of your own history. That is why we need the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14: 26). Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit would take what He hears from the Father and will disclose it to you (John 16: 13). So, the Holy Spirit’s job is to lead us into this wisdom of the Father. We have been given the scriptures to help us learn about the Spirit. We have the wisdom to seek Him and to learn to work with him because the Holy Scriptures first taught us to expect Him and then informed us as to role in our lives. The Holy Spirit has the Word as one of His tools. He uses the Word to remind us of the things Jesus said and also to lead us in the way that we should go. The Holy Spirit also has the very thoughts of God to minister to us. What we must do is recognize Him. We must be wiser than those who did not recognize Jesus in His day. Then, having recognized the Spirit of God, we invite Him to take an active role in our lives. We invite him to indwell us, teach us and guide us all day every day. He can have as large a role in your life as you want but you must first ask Him into your life. Then let Him fill you up to overflowing.

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Whom Shall I Serve?

On February 21, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Habakkuk 1: 11

But they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their God.

The prophet Habakkuk wrote this sometime around 607 B.C. That means this passage is over 2600 years old. It might have been written yesterday for how appropriate it is to our everyday existence.

I have been writing over the last couple of years about partnership with God. This is the singular message of our time. God sent Jesus to save us from destruction. Having accomplished his task, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our constant companion and helper. We are supposed to learn to work with Him the way the Father did when He created the earth, and indeed, the whole universe. We are called to walk with him the way Jesus did when he worked miracles in the earth. These two persons of the Trinity that we know well, did everything through and by the Holy Spirit. This was God’s plan for us, that the third person of the Trinity would come live with us, actually be in us and that we would rely on His strength rather than our own.

How many of us have learned this way of living though? Don’t most of us look to our “God given” abilities rather than to the Holy Spirit? Don’t we strive and labor? You would be shocked to learn how much of the Bible speaks specifically against our strength, our labor and striving to succeed. Here is just one little taste, straight from the lips of Father God on knowing Him, “Cease striving and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46: 10). Maybe you will like this one, “It is the Lord’s blessing that makes a person rich, and hard work adds nothing to it,” (Proverb 10: 22 GW). Hey, that’s Bible guys and I don’t mean the Bible according to Ivey. That’s the gospel. And don’t look at me like I am any better at this than anyone else but at least I know where the bull’s eye is painted these days. The target is: complete, 100% cooperation with the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus said the Spirit is to be the leader (John 16: 13), so not only are we to partner with the Spirit, but we are to listen to him and get our directions, our plans from him.

I think of it this way, imagine every morning that you have a partner meeting (and in truth I advise you to actually do this). In that meeting you lay out what you perceive as the day’s priorities and tasks. You and the Spirit can look at the schedule for the day, the appointments, etc. but then comes the critical piece. Let him show you which are the really important items. He may add some tasks that he identifies as more important than those on your list. He does that with me. Sometimes what he thinks is most important is for me to read or to journal. Sometimes he will move one project in front of another. That’s good. That is what you want him to do because he knows the future and which actions get us to our goals. Talk through everything for that day but, and here is a key, when you leave the conference room table or the kitchen table, don’t forget to keep him right beside you. Listen to him all day.

Another key part of this is that it is his strength, his power that works for us. Look to him. Tell him he has mail. Let him be the miracle worker. You will be surprised what he can accomplish while you are having your lunch, that is, if you will give him the reins.

Look, this takes practice, I grant you. It also takes intentionality. In other words, you have to intend to live and work this way. You must purpose in your heart and in your mind to pay attention to the voice of the Spirit which is speaking within you. You will need to prioritize spending quiet, contemplative time with him. I know you don’t want to. You think you are too busy to sit and meditate but as I pointed out, this is God speaking. This is what the Bible tells us to do.

Sooner or later we have to decide if we are truly disciples of Christ. If so, then it is about doing what he says and following in his footsteps. Sooner or later, you have to decide if you are foremost a Christian or a lawyer, a Christian or a school teacher, a Christian or a banker. I kept making the wrong choice. I was a lawyer first and a Christian second. Don’t be like I was. Learn and practice making God supreme. Don’t let your strength, intelligence, or hard work be your God. Don’t serve your calendar but serve God and humble yourself before Him and His wisdom. Be a great success in Christ, your Lord.

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Relieved

On April 13, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 81: 6 & 10

I relieved his shoulder of the burden, his hands were freed from the basket. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

I am always amused by people who say that the Old Testament does not speak to us today. Today’s verse is modern day theology. It is Jesus’ message about the Holy Spirit. This is the place, spiritually speaking, where we are all supposed to live.

God has relieved us from the labor of work. Am I saying that we no longer set our hands to the plow? No. What God is revealing is that He is the labor behind the work. He supplies the wisdom and the power. We are to abide in Him and rest in Him while He provides for us. Hebrews 4: 11 says, “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” The King James version says that our labor is in entering into this rest. In other words, our job is to enter into the rest of God. We are to be diligent in our pursuit of a Sabbath relationship with the Father and Sabbath, by the way, is every day. Our labor, our task is to abide in Jesus every moment of every day. That is sometimes a challenge and that is why it requires diligence. It is quite easy for us to become stimulated by some “emergency” or even some “to do” and begin to operate in our own strength and wisdom. The calling upon our lives is to learn to let go of our ways and our strength and embrace Jesus’ ways and the strength of God. Our challenge is to live in His abiding grace where He does all the heavy lifting. This is the challenge of the New Covenant. Endeavor, labor even, to live in Jesus’ peace while the Holy Spirit provides the power.

Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14: 26). He also promised us that the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth (John 16: 13). So, the strength, power and wisdom are in the Divine Trinity. God has taken the kneading bowl from our hands and put it into the hands of the Holy Spirit. Our part is to abide in Him and allow Him to abide in us. We take the time to quiet ourselves down and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and follow him. It is harder than it sounds because we learned to do everything in our power: by our education, personality, charm, hard-work and all of the other worldly methods. God is trying to redeem us from all of that though. Just like a relief pitcher in the 9th inning, God has sent the Holy Spirit to win all of your games for you. Let’s be diligent to enter God’s rest and the peace Jesus left for us while the Holy Spirit does his job.

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Revealer

On December 12, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 2: 12

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God.

One of the things I have done in my Bible is to underline in blue every place that teaches about the Holy Spirit. Why? Because I want to know and understand this third person of the trinity.

John 16: 13 teaches us that the Holy Spirit will lead us in all truth. He will reveal to us the things of God. Whatever he hears God speak, he will reveal to us. He is a revealer. His role is, in part, to show us all that God has already prepared for us. God, our Father, does not wish that we would be ignorant of all the good things He has already made available to us. God has freely given us good things to enjoy. The Holy Spirit shows us this abundant provision. He is tasked with leading us to all things which God had created just for us. Now, don’t you want to know, personally, the guy whose job is to point you towards provision?

We should be clear, however. This is not the spirit of the world. The Holy Spirit is, himself, a gift of God. He was promised to the children of God and poured out at the Pentecost. This pouring out was foretold and we are the blessed generation. Paul indicates in today’s verse that this Spirit from God is a gift we receive. Why is that important? The reason we need to recognize the word “receive” is that one can just as easily refuse a gift.

God has freely given us many things. We can easily be unaware of these gifts and never receive all that God has already done for us. This is not the will of God. Therefore, He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we will always have a guide and teacher. You can talk to the Holy Spirit just as you would Jesus or the Father. Get to know him. Allow him to lead you in truth and revelation. Expect him to show you the Father. There is a universe of truth he longs to share with you. You are going to enjoy the show.

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The Spirit

On December 9, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 2: 10

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

We are only beginning to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This powerful scripture shows us part of the function of the Holy Spirit. He reveals knowledge, wisdom and insight to us from God the Father. There is nothing hidden from the Holy Spirit. Since God knows all things, the Holy Spirit knows all things. He searches the deepest parts of God’s being so nothing is barred from Him. Then He discloses to us these deep things.

John 16: 13 tells us that the Spirit will disclose to us those things which He hears from the Father. The Spirit was sent here to guide us into all truth. He is the Spirit of Truth. So you have a very present helper who can bring you help from the very heart of God.

You can talk with the Holy Spirit just as you talk with the Father or the Son. Invite Him to be in your life. Ask Him to lead you and teach you. He will be a mentor and a friend to you.

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Parked Car

On October 20, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 16: 13

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.

There used to be an expression, “God can’t steer a parked car.” The point of it was that the Holy Spirit has been sent here to steer and direct you but you have to get the car off of the curb first. You must start the car and put it in gear and then the Holy Spirit can direct you. What does this mean in practical terms? It means that you cannot just sit around and wait for God to drop something in your lap and have great success. The reason is that He directs your steps not jump starts you. You’ve got to get involved in your own success. Talk to the Lord about the things you want. You can still tell Him that it is most important to you that you follow His directions. You’ve got to start heading somewhere, then He can tell you which turns to make and which paths to take. But don’t just sit in your car waiting for him to start the car and drive too. It is not going to happen. Start doing something. Head in some direction and He will let you know if a course correction is called for. But first, get out of park.

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