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.