I believe

Two of the most important words in the whole of the Kingdom of God are, “I believe.”  As believers, all authority has been given us to see people saved, healed and delivered.  Receiving Jesus as Lord and living by the principles that God put in place for us to have releases His blessings and positions us to walk in His authority.  How do we learn about His principles, promises and our position of authority?  All of the answers to this question and countless others are found in one place, the Word of God.  What is the Bible?  As God planned, it is a practical handbook, Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Every thing necessary for our moment-by-moment existence is right there for the asking.  Men, inspired by the Spirit of the living God, have shared the events from which we will best learn.  Every word is to inspire us, prepare us, protect and equip us.  God knows the obstacles we will face long before we ever encounter them.  As we study the Word of God and grow to know Him intimately, He will direct our path as how to best handle any adversity that may come our way.  The Word encourages us to study to show ourselves approved and to be ready to give an answer as to why we believe, to be ready in season and out.  Be encouraged today to read the Word of God because it is life itself.

God has a Plan

God has a very specific plan for our lives.  Romans 8:29 confirms that plan, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover, whom He predestined these He also called, these He also justified and whom He justified, He glorified.”  Does that mean that everyone that God has a plan for their lives is actually living that plan? Unfortunately, it does not.  When God created us, His desire was to have fellowship and relationships.  We have the free will to choose to follow the plan and destiny that God has designed especially for us.  What is destiny?  It is getting to our final destination in the Kingdom and accomplishing all that God had planned for us from the very beginning of time.  That means that we have to make the choice to serve our heavenly Father with all of our hearts and to be obedient to the directions He gives us.  It is Jesus Whom is the author and finisher of our faith.  When we choose to adhere to His plans for us, it makes our job as believers so much easier.  It is God in heaven who has begun this good work in us, and it is He Who will complete it.

Get wisdom

“Get wisdom, get understanding.  Do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.  Do not forsake her and she will preserve you; love her and she will keep you.  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.  And in all of your getting, get understanding.  Exalt her and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her.  She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.  Hear…and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many.  I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in the right paths, when you walk your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble, take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her for she is your life…give attention to my words; incline your heart to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it will spring the issues of life.  Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.  Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.  Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.  Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4).

It is God

“…It is…God who commanded light to shine out of darkness Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed; we are perplexed yet not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed…that grace having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:6-11, 15).  By the Holy Spirit, the manifest glory and power of God lives inside of us.  Power to act in the authority Jesus died for us to have, comes from the word “exousia.”  It means the authority or right to act, ability, privilege, capacity, and delegated authority.  Jesus gave believers all authority to preach, teach, heal and deliver.  That authority is still very much in power today and is just as able and willing to accomplish all of these things through the power of the Blood and the Name of Jesus Christ.   “Exousia” power is yours to take authority over whatever has risen up against you today.  Through the name of Jesus, you can speak to problems and they will be removed.  Whatever it is that is trying to crush you will be crushed as you release the mighty power that has been placed inside of you by the shed Blood of Jesus.  When you release your authority as a believer, that power becomes “dunamis,” energy, power, might, great force, great ability and strength.  It is for His glory and His honor that we, earthly vessels can contain such power and be the instruments that He would use to bring the light of God to a world lost in darkness.

Trust and Obey

There is a wonderful old hymn entitled “Trust and Obey.”  The words sum up everything that the entire Old Testament was trying to tell us.  “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”  Throughout the Bible, God is speaking to us with such encouragement.  Even when we fall short and make mistakes, He lovingly reminds us that trusting Him by being obedient will continue to open the door for His blessings to be poured out on our lives.  It is when we try to make decisions without His clear direction that we tend to yoke ourselves with all of the cares of the world.  Psalm 37:3 assures us that our future is secure when we let God handle even the smallest details of our lives, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  The word “heart” comes from the Hebrew word “leb.”  Just like in the English language, it is representative of not only our natural heart but also of our intellect, awareness, mind, inner person, inner feelings deepest thoughts and inner self.  God is able to discern what is in our heart and to meet our needs and meet our heart’s desires when we are able to trust in Him to do it and we are obedient to His Word.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

What is grace?

What is grace?  It is Goodness Released At Christ’s Expense.  How amazing is that?  At some point in our lives we have all experienced grace in one form or the other.  However, when you understand what was exacted from Christ for us to have that grace, it becomes overwhelming.  There are so many times during the course of a day that we need an extra measure of grace just to make it through day-to-day living experiences.  Many times we are the ones that are called on to extend grace to someone that may not really deserve it.    Those are EGN situations, Extra Grace Needed.  But are any of us really deserving of what Christ did on the cross for us?  Of course we aren’t.  We all, at some point fall into the Extra Grace Needed category.  We are all sinners and there is not one person that deserved that kind of grace.  God knew that then and He knows it now.  Grace is God’s way of giving us what we don’t deserve and His mercy is not giving us what we do.

God’s rejection of Saul

In the Bible, the story of God’s rejection of Saul in 1 Samuel 15 is one of the hardest stories to read.  From the advantage point of all these many years later it is easy to see where Saul started to get off track.  God had made him king and the adoration of the people convinced him that God had definitely made the correct choice.  He was royalty.  He had a few victories under his belt and the power to make decisions.  He knew God was with him because he had been the least in his family, his family had been the least of the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Benjamin was the least of all of the tribes of Israel (1 Samuel 9:21).  Surely God had not made a mistake when He picked Saul. Even Samuel, the man of God had confirmed that he was God’s choice to be king of the nation of Israel and anointed his head with oil before the people.  Not surprisingly, Saul maintained as long as he remembered from where God had brought him.  In the early days of being king, he listened diligently to hear God’s voice and he obeyed when God spoke.  However, there came a time when Saul made the fateful choice to listen to his own leading and to what the people wanted him to do.  Each incident involved disobedience concerning the sacrifice.  Twice Saul offered a sacrifice that was not pleasing to God.  First, his impatience caused him to unlawfully offer up what only Samuel has been instructed to do.  Secondly, his pride got the better of him when he made the decision to keep what God had instructed him to destroy.  First Samuel 15:3 indicates the directives were clear to totally destroy the Amalekites and everything they owned.  The spoil was to be a sacrifice to God and was not for Saul or the people to touch.  Instead of obeying the Word of the Lord they kept the best for themselves and decided to give a portion to God as a sacrifice.  Had Saul been obedient his kingdom would have been established forever.  Clearly, as stated in 1 Samuel 15:22, “obedience is better than sacrifice.”  Impatience, peer pressure and pride will cause us to make foolish mistakes, just as they did Saul, if we let them.  When we obey, we choose to give our best and that is what God asks of us.

Decision to forgive

When we make the decision to forgive, we have to trust God for the grace to extend it.  It truly is God’s expectation that we will share the forgiveness that we ourselves have been given.  As difficult as it may be to release someone who has hurt us it is part of God’s plan to restore us.  As we forgive and begin to pray for those who have despitefully used us, we see a change in ourselves that can only come from the power of the Holy Spirit.  As we make the choice to be obedient to the Word and forgive, we begin to overcome the injustice we have suffered and begin to be victorious over the plans the enemy had to keep us bound.  Matthew 5:43-44 gives us insight into this  painful issue.  “You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven.”  When we intercede for those that have hurt us, we become victorious.  Overcoming unforgiveness with forgiveness is the ultimate deliverance.

Teaching our children to love

Teaching our children to love the Lord is one of the first commandments from Father God.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul and with all of your strength.  And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).  Imparting a godly heritage has more competition now than ever.  In the age of technology that we live in, everything is broken down into sound bytes.  The average child has already spent hundreds of hours in front of televisions, computers and video games.  Our best way of communicating the love of God to our children is to do just that, love them.  As we demonstrate the love of God in our own lives, we are sowing into our children’s lives.  This scripture gives just the right instruction to accomplish this.  We are to teach them, talk about what God has done in our lives, share the Word of God and be consistent.  Every day there are wondrous things to share about the Kingdom of God.  Don’t be intimidated by the world of technology, just plug your children into the Creator of the World.

Learn from Me

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest in your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).  The word “learn” comes from the Hebrew root word “lamad.”  Its meaning is to goad, to teach, become accustomed, seek diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skillful, teach.  Jesus instructions are for us to learn of Him and to exchange our all too heavy loads of day-to-day living for His burden that is light and easy.  “Easy” comes from the Hebrew verb “chraomai” and denotes that which is useful, pleasant, good, comfortable, suitable and serviceable.  Serving Jesus is meant to lift the weight of the world off of our shoulders as we learn His ways.  When we exchange our strength for that of the Lord Jesus, we will truly find rest in our souls.  As we learn from Him, He will continue to teach us to diligently seek His will for our lives.

Plenteous in goods

“And the Lord shall make you plenteous in goods, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers to give you.  The Lord shall open unto you His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto your land in His season, and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend unto many nations, and you shall not borrow.  And the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you hearken unto the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day to observe and to do them” (Deuteronomy 28:11-13).  Even though we do not see our material needs in quite the same way that Israel did, the promises of God are just as relevant today as they were then.  Once we make the choice to serve God with all of our hearts and with all of our substance, He will bless everything that we put our hands to.

We serve a good God who desires above all things for us to be blessed and walking in the fulfilled promises He has given us in His Word.  As we walk in obedience we are laying a spiritual foundation for our children and children’s children.  Preparing the way for a godly heritage insures that not only will we receive good treasure but we will become His good treasure.

His mighty power

“Therefore also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints do not cease to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of His glory of His inheritance of the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only to this age but also in that which is to come.  And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:15-23).

God’s Presence

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).  The words that come from our mouths really come from what is in our hearts.  If there are hidden hurts that are causing bitterness then our words are often filtered through that hurt, spilling out onto those we love.  As we daily renew our minds, dwelling on the things Jesus encourages us to think about, things that are good and pure and not of evil; we see a transformation taking place in our hearts.  The Word is correct when it tells us that out of the abundance of the heart will come either good or evil.  It is by daily spending time in God’s Presence that this transformation takes place.  As we exchange our thoughts for His, the things that come out of our hearts will be good treasure indeed.

The days are coming

“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of the grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it.  I will bring back the captives of my people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.  I will plant them in their land and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God’” (Amos 9:13-15).  The fulfillment of this promise is based on the unconditional mercy and grace of God’s blessing.  Security and stability for the heirs of our heavenly Father are not only for His future Kingdom but also for those serving Him in obedience right now.  God is planting His people.  The harvest we have been sowing for will be so great and come so quickly that we will enter into another season of reaping before the first is completed.  We are supposed to enjoy the fruit of our labor.  The Word of God confirms it again in Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit…”  Financial provision is only one aspect of the blessings of God.  Our harvest will come as we see sons and daughters saved for the glory of God.  We will reap blessings in our physical bodies as we are healed and made whole.  As captives are set free from years of emotional bondage, deliverance will become their portion and season of reaping.  “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He, who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing His sheaves (His harvest) with Him…weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 126:5-6, Psalm 30:5).

He is risen

“He is risen, He is risen indeed” (Luke 24:34).  The resurrection of Christ Jesus is our hope in glory and our inspiration to answer the call to the great commission.  In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  As Jesus reveals God’s great plan to those ordinary men who were called to do extraordinary things, the disciples asked the question in Luke 24:32, “Did not our heart burn within us…while He opened the Scripture to us?”  Resurrection Day is traditionally celebrated once a year.  Prayerfully, the hope of its promise burns within our hearts daily.  Now is the time to go, make disciples and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.  “…Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” (John 4:35).

Show me Your ways

“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5).  The word “truth” means certainty, stability, truth, rightness, and trustworthiness.  Truth originates from the Hebrew word “emet” which is derived from the verb “aman” meaning, “to be firm, permanent and established.”  Emet conveys a sense of dependability, reliability and firmness.  When truth is in evidence, it is something that can wholeheartedly be depended upon.  Remarkably, the word “emet” is spelled with the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  Hence, it has been concluded that truth upholds the first and last of God’s creation and everything in between.    

• “The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King…” (Jeremiah 10:10). 

• “I am the way, the truth, and the life...” (John 14:6)” 

• “Everyone who is of truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). 

• “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

• “Gird your waist with truth...” (Ephesians 6:14). 

• “Truth will be your shield...” (Psalm 91:4). 

• “It is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6). 

• “I have no greater joy than to hear that My children walk in truth” (3 John 4). 

As we abide in God’s Word, we truly become disciples of Christ, seeking His truth.  Because God is Spirit, we must commune with Him through intimacy with Him.  As we sincerely seek Him, bringing our spirit, soul and body into the spiritual reality of God’s Presence, it becomes much easier to trust that His Word is true and that He is truly Who He says He is.  Truth in this context literally means to be hidden or to escape notice.  The Hebrew form of this word is “aletheia” and is the opposite of fictitious, feigned, or false.  It denotes veracity, reality, sincerity, accuracy, integrity, truthfulness, dependability, and propriety. Never doubt that God is Certain, Right, Permanent, Sincere, Stable, Trustworthy, Accurate, Full of Integrity, Firm, Truthful, Real, Reliable, Established, and Dependable.

Light of the World

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world….”  (Psalm 19:1-4).  These verses vividly unite the revelation of God to man, through creation and through His Word.   “…In them, (His Word) He has set a tabernacle for the sun which is like a bridegroom coming out of His chamber and rejoices like a strongman to run its race.  Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat” (Psalm 19:4-6).  As the earth rotates around the sun, darkness is dispelled and even the moon, which has no light source of its own, begins to reflect light, almost as brightly as the sun.  Matthew 5:14-16 declares, “You are the light of the world…let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  As strongmen who are set to run the race, we have no light of our own, but only the reflected light of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  The light of God that refracts in us and through us is the reflection of the light of Christ in us.  Genesis 1:16-18 tells us “…the greater light is made to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.”  Jesus, the greater light, rules the church, the children of the day.  He has given authority to the church to rule over darkness.  As we let the reflection of Jesus’ light shine, we begin to penetrate darkness, impacting and influencing those in our sphere of influence and we truly become the “light of the world.”

Jesus is Always Ready

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).   Jesus is always ready and waiting to support our faith when we prove Him through His Word.  He will sustain His promises and reward our faith.  James 1:17 states, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, what are these gifts that come down from our heavenly Father?  Romans 14:17 tell us, “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.”  Psalm 84:11 confirms, “…the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  God is unchangeable.  He always keeps His promises.  Rest in the promises of God; yet pursue Him aggressively to build faith.  Numbers 23:19-20 says, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent, has He said and will He not do?  Or has He spoken and will He not make it good?  Behold I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.”  When we trust in God we learn that:

1. He is immutable. 
2. He never changes. 
3. His character remains the same. 
4. He always does what He says He will do.  

Hebrews 1:12 declare that Christ is the immutable one.  “…You are the same and your years will not fail.”   In Psalm 102:27-28 we are assured that Christ remains the same and promises, “But You are the same and Your years will have no end, the children of Your servants will continue, and their descendents will be established before You.” Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises of God.  “For all of the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).  Though the things of this world are constantly changing, we have a changeless and matchless King who is standing on His immutable promise to bless us.  Remember, His promises and His Word are the same yesterday, today and forever.

Be strong

Isaiah 9:6-7 prophesies the reign of heavenly and earthly Kingdoms through the birth of the promised Messiah: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His Kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”  Our confidence in Jesus can be sure that there will be only increase of His government and peace.  Haggai 2:4-7 states, “Yet now be strong…be strong…be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of Hosts.  According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear.  For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai prophesies that we will be filled with the Spirit of God to keep us strong.   Paul then confirms this word in Hebrews 12:26-29.  “…Now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”  Now this, yet once more, indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  For our God is a consuming fire. Be strong, be strong, be strong and know that God is still God!

Be Strong

“…Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God,  that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12).   Paul clearly outlines the enemy’s strategy for battles, rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.  Even though it often seems as though these strategies are prevailing, God has given believers powerful weapons to counter the attacks of the enemy.  “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”  (Ephesians 6:13-18).  It is no mistake that our spiritual weapons are described as battle dress.  We are in an ongoing battle standing against and engaging in one-on-one contact with a very real enemy.  Paul states emphatically that we are to put on the full armor of God and stand.  “To stand” means to remain standing after engaging in warfare and “stand” means to prepare and take your stand for the next battle.  These weapons are for aggressive resistance to satanic forces.  Paul’s final instruction focuses on prayer.  Putting on the armor of God is preparation for the battle.  Prayer is the battle.  God’s Word is the most powerful weapon we have to defeat the attacks of the enemy. If you are in the heat of a personal battle, be encouraged.  God’s Word is stronger than any weapon in Satan’s arsenal and will ultimately destroy every tactic he has launched at you.  The rulers of darkness of this age that are manifesting all around us, can - and will - be defeated by aggressive prayer and believers being prepared to withstand (vigorously oppose) and having done all, to stand (prepare for the next battle).  When your faith is in Jesus, you know the victory is yours.

Teach me

“I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.  I cling to Your testimonies; O, Lord, do not put me to shame.  I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart.  Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.  Give me understanding that I shall keep Your law; indeed I shall observe it with my whole heart.  Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.  Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.  Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things.  And revive me in Your way.  Establish Your Word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You.  Turn away my reproach, which I dread, for your judgments are good.  Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness”
(Psalm 119:30-40).

The entrance of Your Word

“The entrance of Your Word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.  I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.  Look upon me and be merciful to me.  As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.  Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.  Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts.  Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes, rivers of water run down my eyes, because men do not keep Your law Righteous are You, O Lord and upright are Your judgments.  Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful.  My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your Words.  Your Word is very pure; therefore your servant loves it.  I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts.  Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.  Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, yet Your commandments are my delights.  The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live” (Psalm 119:130-144).

Love of God

Do you remember your first love?  In the natural, you experienced a rush that came just from knowing the recipient of your affection was near and that soon you would spend time together.  Do you still experience that same exhilaration when you think of time alone with Jesus?  Is He still your first love?  Is He still the source of your strength that you draw from in the good times and the bad?  In Revelations 2:4, God admonishes the church at Ephesus for getting away from its first love as they had apparently lost their zeal for being Disciples of Christ.  “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”  If that describes where you are, give your love for Jesus the place it deserves.  Come back to your first love wholeheartedly and commit yourself to being a devoted Disciple of Christ.  Put Jesus first in every area of your life and let the love of God be shed abroad in your heart (Romans 5:5).

Being shaped

Matthew 16:18 declares, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”  The Lord is doing something fresh and new in fulfilling the prophetic words of Matthew 16:18.  The church that God is building is exactly the opposite of what man has built.   As honorable as man’s efforts have been in trying to establish the Kingdom of God, they have been in vain.  The Word clearly states in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”  The church that God is building is a spiritual church.  First Peter 2:5 states, “We as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house…”  As living stones, we experience many pressures of life.  There are sorrows, pains and tribulations, but through them all, we are continuously being shaped into stones that can be fit and joined with others in the spiritual house that God is building.  In Acts 2:42-47, we have an example from the early church as they were becoming living stones and developing into a covenant community.    

•Verse 42:  They continued in fellowship (Koinonia).

•Koinonia means sharing, unity, close association, partnership, participation, a society, a communion, a fellowship, contributory help, and the brotherhood, a unity brought about by the Holy Spirit.  Literally, each person becomes a stone, set 

in proper position and held in place by this Koinonia (Holy Ghost cement).

•Verse 43:  There was a fear (respect) for God.

•Verse 44:  They had all things in common.  There was no competition, only the desire for completion of the Gospel being presented.

•Verse 45:  There was a spirit of generosity.

•Verse 46:  There was a simple joy of life that God had given them through Christ. Verse 47:  They had great favor with God and the church multiplied.  We can count on God to accomplish His promise that He will build His church.  As we continue to be shaped into His spiritual house, becoming living stones as a covenant community, we will see the Kingdom established and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

We believe

“…Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it…” (Psalms 127:1).  In Isaiah 56, God makes mighty promises to Sabbath-keepers.  Verse 4 and 5 tells us that the eunuch who loves and keeps the Sabbath is promised a place in His house and a name better than that of sons and daughters.  Eunuchs do not have the natural ability to reproduce or pro-create, so these verses speak of supernatural blessings.  In other words, what the eunuch can’t do for himself, God will do for him.  The same chapter gives a great promise to the foreigner (or Gentile) that chooses to identify with the God of Israel.   As he keeps the Sabbath, God will bring him to the holy mountain, make him joyful in the house of prayer, accept his offerings, and make the house a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:6-8).   Isaiah 56 continues in verse 8 by saying, “The Lord, God Who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, ‘Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him.’”   It’s all about pointing men to Jesus.  As He is lifted up, all men will be gathered to Him.  We believe that is exactly what will happen for us, as a body, as we embark upon a rediscovery of the Sabbath.  Ask the Lord to reveal a new and dynamic way for you and your family to embrace the Sabbath.  We believe God’s Word that the benefits will be great.

Provoke

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works” (Hebrews 10:2).  Recently, the word “provoke” was revealed through God’s Word as an incentive to rouse His people to good works.  We are to “provoke” others to seek God’s Presence and plans to fulfill His purpose for their destinies.  The scripture clarifies what we as believers are to provoke others to, that being love and good works.  All too often, provocation has a totally different connotation.  What does provoke really mean?  To provoke means exactly this: incitement to good, to dispute in anger; contention; provoke unto good; to cause to stir; to rouse; to awaken; to arouse to action, to open ones eyes.  Throughout scripture, we are reminded not to provoke God to anger, meaning that we are not to dispute His Word and therefore cause contention within the Body.  We instead are to speak the truth in love, provoking others to continue to develop and mature in the Kingdom.  As we grow in love for one another, we will then effectively be doing the good works that we as believers are called to accomplish.  In the Word of God, we see many examples of God’s people being provoked to manifest His Kingdom.  In Isaiah 50:4 the Lord “awakens” the prophet (our physical bodies) each morning and “awakens” his ear (our spirit-man) to hear God’s message.  We, too, should awaken each morning ready to hear and act upon the directions given us through His Word.  Isaiah 51:19 speaks of the arm of the Lord being “awakened” or “roused” to action.  We see this demonstrated in Haggai 1:12-14 as Haggai, the prophet, provoked Zerubbabel and the people to rebuild the Kingdom.  Haggai’s message stirred up cold hearts and ignited a fresh fire for doing His will.  The result was that the people began building again with renewed energy and purpose.  They had been provoked and roused to action, ready to restore, rebuild and renew.  That is God’s plan for us today as He effectively continues the good works He has called us to accomplish for His Kingdom, His glory and His honor.

His compassions

“It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-24).  Praise God for His great mercy.  Tradition and religion have perverted our understanding of God’s mercy.  The Bible declares He is great in mercy.  We have been made to think that God’s mercy has a limit, but the Bible teaches that there are no limitations.  Psalms 103:11 states, “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.”   “…My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).  God is saying, “I am much wiser than you, I am much greater in understanding than you.  You think on a much lower level than I do.”  That is all true, but He did not say it in a judgmental context.  In verse 7 of Isaiah 55, God says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”  Verse 8 goes on to tell us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.”  God is saying, “I am merciful, I think mercifully, I act mercifully, but you do not.  You think and act judgingly and vengefully.”  God’s thoughts are much higher because of His great mercy.  Next we see God’s thoughts toward us.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  Psalm 139:17-18 reassures us, “How precious also are Your thoughts toward me, O God, how great is the sum of them?  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with You.”  Then God shows in Isaiah 55:10-11 the sureness of His mercy, promising His Word will not return void.  One translation of Lamentations 3:22 for mercy is covenant love or steadfast love.  God’s mercies are sure and steadfast.  You can count on them.  His ways and thoughts of mercy toward us are great and high above our comprehension or understanding.  God is thinking these thoughts toward us today and wants to demonstrate His ways of mercy in our lives.  Hope in His mercy today.  The Psalmist says, “Although my feet slipped, Your mercy held me up.”  Trust in God’s mercy today.  It will not fail.

Who is God?

In Genesis 17:1, the Lord speaks to His servant Abraham and tells him this: “Walk before Me and be thou perfect.”  From that time to this, that scripture has been a question in men’s hearts.  What exactly was Father God asking of His man, Abraham?  Was He asking him to be absolutely flawless, never making a mistake, never losing control and to always get everything right?  To answer these intriguing questions, it is important to do a little research.  Let’s start with the definition of the word “perfect”.  It helps if you have a Strong’s Concordance.  The Hebrew word for perfect is “tel-eye-oss” and it refers to that which has reached a perfect end, that is, finished, complete, perfect.  When applied to persons, it includes the concept of being whole.  When applied to Christians, it denotes maturity.  We have to start with a revelation of Who God is so we can begin to understand how to get to a perfect end.  If we do not comprehend His concept of perfection, which is maturity in our relationship with Him, we will continually set ourselves up to be disappointed by our failures, our expectations of others and ultimately by God Himself.  In reality, He is asking us to know more about Him so that when we do fall short of the glory, and we all do, that we are working from an established relationship, knowing firsthand that His mercies truly are new every morning.  As we continue to mature in Him, we are growing         increasingly more aware that what He is really asking from us, just as He did Abraham, is to grow in Him, trusting that no matter what else happens, He is Who He says He is, El Shaddai, God Who is more than enough.

Seek God’s face

“Seek God’s face, not His hand,” is something that has been taught in Christian circles recently.  Wanting to know God for who He is, not only for what He can do is admirable.  However, God’s hand is just as important as His face.  God wants to move us by His mighty hand.  Isaiah 59:1 declares, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save…”  God asked Moses in Numbers 11:23, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?”  In Isaiah 50:2 the Lord asked, “Is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?  Or have I no power to deliver…”  As important as seeking God’s face is, to be intimate with Him, you cannot separate Him from His arm and hand.  If not careful, we can fall into false humility, which is a form of pride.  When Moses faced the Red Sea in front and the Egyptians behind, He was between a rock and a hard place.  He began to cry to the Lord and the Lord said, “Stop crying and stretch forth your rod.”  Supernaturally the Lord’s hand split the Red Sea.  In Isaiah 50:2, God said, “…with My rebuke I dry up the sea…”  God wants to move supernaturally by His Spirit in our lives. Isaiah 53:1 declares, “Who has believed And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  The word “revealed” means to uncover or expose.  God is rolling up His sleeve, exposing His arm and hand to move powerfully on our behalf. He reveals His hand to those who believe His report.  John 11:40 states, “…If you would believe you would see the glory of God.”  We need to believe God to stretch forth His hand, which is not short, to do miracles in our lives.  In Acts 4:29-30, the church prayed, “Lord…grant to Your servants that with all boldness we may speak Your Word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  Isaiah 45:11 says, “…Ask Me of things to come…concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.”  God wants us to COMMAND Him to use His hands. We are the work of His hands and when the world sees the job God, the potter, has done on us, the clay, they will turn toward Him.  Isaiah 29:23-24 declares, “But when He sees His children, the work of My hands, in His midst, they will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel.  These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, and those who complained will learn doctrine.”  All this will be accomplished by the work of His hands.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is speaking to the church about prayer and God’s people are heeding the call to pray like never before.  Jeremiah 33:3 declares, “Call upon Me and I will show you great and mighty things which you know not of.”  Through prayer, the Lord is going to release of souls ever. In Acts 4:24-25; we find three key principles of prayer from the early Church.

1.They prayed with purpose and unity.  “…They raised their voices to God with one accord…”
2.They magnified God.  “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is    in them…”  They prayed looking at the magnitude of God, not at the magnitude of their problems.
3.They confessed the Word of God.  “…By the mouth of your servant David has said…”  They reminded God of His promises.

The results in verses 31-34 are amazing.  After they had prayed, these things happened:

•Verse 31: “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, AND they spoke the Word of God with boldness.” 

•Verse 32: “…those who believed were of one heart and one soul…and they had all things in common.” 

•Verse 33: “And with GREAT POWER the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  And GREAT GRACE was upon them all.” 

•Verse 34: “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked…” 

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldness, possessed great unity, great power, great grace and had no lack because they were a praying church.  May we all take our place and do our part in the prayer army of God.

Lift up my Voice

“I will lift up my voice to the hills - from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold He Who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time and even for evermore” (Psalm 121: 1-8).  These powerful promises are ours for the asking.  God’s keeping power is meant to sustain us until the return of our mighty King, Lord Jesus.  God cares for us and is not only the Creator of the universe He is also our guardian and caretaker.  This keeping power is twenty-four hours a day and we are reminded in this Psalm that it is God Who sustains us.

Praise God

Praise God for His wonderful works toward men.  In Luke 4:18, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Himself as the Anointed One.  “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.’  Jesus went on to say, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”  Jesus was stating, “I am the Anointing.  I am here,” but as we continue to read, we see that they rejected Him.  In Luke 4:25, “many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”  Even though there were many widows, there was only one that adhered to the Word.  She did not reject the prophet.  By her obedience, she attracted the blessings of God to her.  We see that obedience plays a crucial role in attracting the anointing.  Jesus continues by saying, “many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”  Jesus is saying that the anointing is sent to those who attract or draw upon it.  The widow was willing to give her last meal at the word of Elijah.  This act drew upon the anointing of God to sustain her.  Naaman the leper was willing to lay down his pride and obey the word of Elisha to wash in the Jordan River and be cleansed.  The more willing we are to obey God, the more anointing (the power of the Holy Spirit) we will attract.  Acts 5:32 states, “The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him.”  God is not moved by need.  He is moved by faith.  As we obey His Word and step out in faith, we attract His anointing to our lives.  Second Chronicles 16:9 declares, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”  Take a step of faith in obedience to God and by faith, expect the power of God to be sent your way.

The Lord is revealing

The Lord is revealing in these last days that the Church is going to rise up with an Apostolic thrust, as in the book of Acts, that will literally shake the world.  Through massive explosions of evangelism, believers with the gifts of the spirit operating in their lives will be an army of soul winners for the Kingdom.  The local Church is moving outside of its four walls and invading communities with mission efforts as never before, literally changing the community by ministering not only in word, but also in deed.  The Church is coming into a greater understanding of the role she will have in the restoration of natural Israel as a nation.  The admonition to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” comes with the promise, “May they prosper who love you” (Psalm 122:6).  As you pursue the direction of the Lord for His Church and your part in it, continue to reach out through evangelism and equipping God’s saints for the harvest.  The Body of Christ is going to be the most powerful force on the face of the earth before Jesus returns.  The glory of the latter house is going to be greater than the former house.  Jesus saved the best wine for last. Get ready, the Church is breaking out of her cocoon and she is about to soar to her place of destiny.  What a mighty God we serve.  It is truly a great time to be living on the earth.  God is moving powerfully by His Spirit, fulfilling Joel’s prophecy, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh.”  His Word is being fulfilled that declares in Revelations 11:15, “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord”

Hear the Spirit

“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelations 2:7).  The Holy Spirit is speaking and working in the Church like never before.  The Church is going through a metamorphosis.  It seems as though the struggles and trials that she has experienced have occurred for the purpose of bringing her into the majesty and glory that God has purposed for the Church from the beginning of time.  Jesus Christ is not coming back to earth for a beaten down, broken apart, defeated Church.  He is coming back for a powerful, overcoming, glorious, victorious Church.  It is time to rise up and show forth the glory of God, “Arise, shine; for your light has come.  And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but  the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1-2).  In these last days, there are and will be days of great darkness.  However, the Church of Jesus Christ is going to shine as never before with the glory of God.

God’s Timing

At the marriage feast of Cana, Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to Him saying, “‘They have no wine.’  Jesus’ response was, ‘My hour has not yet come’” (John 2).  However, Mary’s faith put into action the first miracle in Jesus’ ministry.  This sequence of events is important to us as believers because we see that God’s timing in our lives is just as important as it was in Jesus’ life.  Timing makes all of the difference in fulfilling our destiny in Him.  First, we have to realize what season we are in.  God is continually preparing us for His promises to be fulfilled.  Mary’s instructions to the servants filling the wine pots were, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  Secondly, we have to be obedient to the will of God and walk in His way.  Jesus told the servants “Fill the water pots with water.”  This speaks to us of being filled with the Word and with the Holy Spirit.  As we study God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, we will recognize the season of training and preparation we are in.  When we know His voice and follow His instructions, we will know when to step out in faith to see our destiny fulfilled.  Galatians 6:8-9 tells us how to develop in our faith, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  Just as this was the beginning of miracles in Jesus’ ministry, as He stepped out, by faith, as we are obedient and activate our faith, our destinies are being fulfilled and God’s due season for our lives as believers is coming to pass.  Activate your faith and just like the servants at the wedding feast, “whatever He says to you, do it.”

His finished work

As Jesus prepared to go to the cross He spoke aloud to His heavenly Father, but also in front of His disciples, and said, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name’” (John 12:27-28).  As Jesus prophesied His own death, He questioned His disciples by asking, “What shall I say?  Save me, when My death is the very purpose that I came to accomplish?”  “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).  We know that Jesus accomplished this purpose by His finished work on the cross.  The question that many Christians seem to struggle with is not what Jesus died for, but rather what is their purpose.  Ephesians 3:8-12 gives us the answer to this mystery.  “This grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.”  We are the church and our purpose is to receive the manifold wisdom of God so we can walk in authority, no matter what principalities and powers with which we have to deal.  Jesus’ completed work on the cross gave us boldness and access so we, by faith, can confidently fulfill our purpose and destiny.  We know that it is “Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesians 3:20-21).  It is up to us to receive what He has already done.  To realize our purpose we must:

· Be intimate with Him.

· Seek Him through His Word.

· Pray diligently.

· Trust Him to accomplish His will in us.

“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  “For as a man thinks (purposes) in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

No Vision

Proverbs 29:18 declares, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”  This passage of scripture could just as easily read, “Where there is no prophetic revelation of destiny, the people perish.”  The word “vision” literally means exactly that, revelation of prophetic destiny.  As we continue to read, we see that without revelation of our destiny, we perish.  By translating the word “perish” from the Hebrew language, we discover that it means, “to be uncovered.”  It is easy to become caught in the trap of being so focused on our present circumstances that we lose sight of where we are going.  We then begin to think that we will never move beyond our day-to-day trials.  Through the Word of God and prayer, we must continually encourage ourselves that God does indeed have a destiny for us and that we are moving past where we are.  Genesis 15:1-6 is a perfect example of being stuck in your present circumstance with no vision for the future.  Even though God had already promised Abram that he would be the Father of many nations, all Abram could see was that he still went childless.  “Seeing” is the same issue that we fall victim to.  If we cannot see it, how can it be?  When God took Abram outside of his tent, He told him to look up at the multitude of stars.  This speaks to us of going outside of our circumstances and looking up to God.  Verse 6 tells us that when Abram looked up, he believed.  From that moment on, his focus was redirected and he believed that God had a destiny for him.  When we lose the focus of our destiny, we become uncovered and become victims of the enemy.  Israel was destined for the Promised Land, but instead of focusing on where they were going they could only see where they were.  It is time as overcoming, victorious Christians that we take our eyes off of our present circumstances and look ahead to our future.  We have a destiny in God. It is time to forget where we are and focus on where we are going.  Psalm 121:1-2 shows us the way to start: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?  My help cometh from the Lord…”  Look up and believe. As we take the step of faith to press on to our destiny, we must start, “…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).  Jesus fulfilled His destiny so we could fulfill ours.

God Provides

As the children of Israel continued their sojourn, God supernaturally provided for them at every turn.  The Red Sea was parted for them just in time to save them from Pharaoh’s pursuing armies.  They walked across the sea on dry land, and every single one of their enemies perished trying to do the same (Exodus 14:19-31).  A cloud led them by day, and a fire appeared at night to protect them (Exodus 13:21).  God provided manna from Heaven to feed them (Exodus 16:4).  Water poured forth from a rock so that they could have plenty to drink (Exodus 17:2-6).  They were on their way to the Promise Land, and everything was looking good.  The deliverance of God’s people from Egypt was a result of answered prayer.  It was also a shadow, or type, of our personal relationship with God.  For us there is deliverance from darkness (Egypt).  We will go the waters of baptism (the Red Sea).  The wonderful Holy Spirit will meet us (God’s supernatural sustenance and provision in the wilderness).  And even so, we may still find ourselves in a wilderness. Egypt will be behind us, and the desert will be ahead.  There are only two choices: go back or push forward.

Excuses

When God spoke to Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go, Moses immediately began to make excuses, explaining to God why he wasn’t the man for the job.  He had a whole list of excuses, and he started with the question: “Who am I to go?” (Exodus 3:11).  Although he saw himself as inadequate, that was a good question and became the turning point of Moses’ life.  Moses’ next question was: “Who should I say sent me?” (Exodus 3:13).  God’s response was, “I AM has sent you” (v. 14).  Unbelievably, Moses persisted: “They will not believe You have appeared to me!” (Exodus 4:1).  The miracles God then demonstrated (Exodus 4:1-9) were for the benefit of Moses, to prove to him that God was indeed with him.  After God had supernaturally shown Moses that He would take care of all the details, Moses still had one more excuse: “I am not eloquent?  I am slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10).  God took care of this final series of excuses by telling Moses, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say” (Exodus 4:12).  Moses did go before Pharaoh, and the Israelites were freed, but not before Egypt was struck with all manner of plagues.  The miracles that God performed to sovereignly protect the people of Israel were for their own benefit, to build their faith in Him.  Once Moses and Aaron had declared all of the words God had spoken to them and had displayed all the signs He had shown them, the people then believed (Exodus 5:30-31).  The psalmist recalled that great day of deliverance from Egypt: “He brought them forth also with silver and gold [the wealth of the Egyptians] and there was not one feeble person among their tribes” (Psalm 105:37).

By Faith

It is by faith that we understand the mysteries of the Kingdom.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”   Faith is the established conviction that we have a settled expectation of a future reward.  It is trusting that what God has told us in His Word is true.  During our Christian walk there are times that our faith is tried or tested.  There are so many different ways for that to happen, and if we do not understand why it is easy to give up and lose sight of the end result of our faith being tried.  To remind ourselves that it is our heavenly Father teaching and guiding us through various trials, it helps if we look at faith with this perspective: Faith is Fantastic Adventures in Trusting Him.  God never tries our faith just to try it.   He tries our faith to prove His faithfulness.  As we learn from each life lesson exactly what He is teaching us our faith is strengthened to withstand whatever winds of adversity blow our way.  It is our trust in Him that will sustain us so we finally reach the things for which we hoped.

In the wilderness

Why did Moses have to experience a time of solitude in the wilderness?  He would never have been able to take the people of Israel through the wilderness if he had not first experienced it himself.  You cannot lead someone to or out of something you have not gone through yourself.  More importantly, it was in the wilderness that Moses’ mentality was changed.  He had started out with the faith to deliver a single Israelite, when God’s plan was to use him to deliver the entire nation, numbering as many as three million, including men, women and children, “in one night” (Exodus 12:37).  Be encouraged.  Our wilderness experiences will work in us the capacity to accomplish God’s plan for our lives.  He wants to do above and beyond what we could ask or even imagine.  Paul wrote: “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).  God’s desire is to equip us for the many challenges that await us, and He does it day by day while we are living this life He has given us.