Strength

     For every task, we need the strength that is required to complete that task.  Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, without strength we are unable to fulfil our responsibilities and desires.  The Bible has a lot to say about walking in strength.  Isaiah tells us in chapter 40:28-31 that even the youths will faint and become weary, and the young men will fall.  But Isaiah gives us an answer for weariness.  "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  The Lord promises strength to those who wait on Him.  When we look to Him, and put our hope and trust in the Lord, we will be strengthened to do what we need to do. 
     Here's a beautiful promise found in Matt. 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  Coming to Jesus and bringing our heavy loads to Him brings rest and peace to our souls.  We are able to go on with our lives without the heavy loads of care and worry holding us down. 
     Jeremiah had become discouraged as he continued to preach and no one was listening.  But the Lord challenged him to rise up with more strength.  "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?  And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?"  Jer. 12:5.  In other words, things will get worse.  The trials can become more intense.  If you are already weary in a time of peace, what will you do when you engage the enemy?  We need additional strength to go through more trials that will be coming in our lives.  We need to strengthen ourselves in the Lord now. 
     Here are a couple of Paul's prayers for strength for the church; Eph. 3:16 "...strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man..."  and Col. 1:11 "...strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience with longsuffering with joy."  Paul's prayers for the church show us that we need supernatural strength in our lives.  Paul reveals the secret to his life in Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Paul never relied on his own strength, but found an inner strength from Christ to which he attributed all his achievements.  "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me, (I am ready for anything, and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self sufficient in Christ's sufficiency." Amplified version.
     David talked about finding God as the strength of his life.  Ps. 18:1 "I will love You, O Lord, my strength."  Vs. 2 "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation , my stronghold."  David felt so strong in God that he says in vs. 29, "For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall."  May you be infused with supernatural strength today, to rise up and do all that God has put in your heart.

Reset

     "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind."  Eph. 4:23.  We are continually needing a renewal of our minds.  Many times improper thoughts, corrupt attitudes and wrong perspectives get added into our thinking that need to be cleaned out.  Our minds are somewhat like a computer.  The computer has a reset button that can restore the computer back to its default settings.  This reset button is used when you want to clean out your computer from added information you don't want anymore, and from corrupt files that destroy the computer's ability to function properly.  We are now in a time where it seems like God is wanting to reset His church.  He is dealing with our perspectives and priorities, and showing us once again what is important in life.  We have been dealing with the coronavirus, which has required people all over the world to stay home, and to maintain physical distance.  This is a time when people's perspectives are changing, and we are reevaluating our lives.  The heroes of our world have changed from sports celebrities and Hollywood, to the people who are caring for us and providing the essential services we need.
     How do I reset my life before God?  I want to suggest 4 ways.  First, there needs to be repentance in our hearts.  Repentance is a change of direction, a change in thinking.  "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" were the first words from John the Baptist and from Jesus.  Matt. 3:3; 4:17.  True change can only come through repentance.  It is the acknowledgement that I need forgiveness, and that I have been going to wrong direction.  It is David's prayer of Ps. 139:23,24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  It is the forgiveness of 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
     This leads to the second thing, which is humility.  Humility cries out for help.  The humble heart realizes he cannot do it on his own, that he needs God's help in his life.  The prophet Joel called the people to return to the Lord.  They had gone after their own ways, and were now being overcome by their enemy.  Humility says to God, "I need you, and I will follow You and trust You."
   The third thing for a reset in our lives is love.  To love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is the first and greatest commandment.  To truly love our neighbor is the next commandment that we must follow.  Only God can give us a heart of love for our neighbors that really cares and reaches out to those around us.  This heart of love is one that is being cleansed of all bitterness, and anger, and unforgiveness toward others. 
      These things lead us to a place of unity.  "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Ps. 133:1.  Unity expresses a real appreciation of others. It cares about others, and walks together.  "How can two walk together unless they are agreed?"  Even for two people to take a walk it requires unity.  God wants us to walk together in unity with one another. 
     We can have a reset of our spiritual life through repentance, humility, love and unity. 

Overcoming Deception

As Joshua and the children of Israel began to enter into the Promised Land, they soon were met with deception!  The people of the town of Gibeon had heard how Israel had conquered Jericho and Ai, and were coming to conquer all the land.  The Gibeonites worked craftily to appear as though they had come from a far country.  They had old sacks on their donkeys, and old wineskins, old sandals, old garments and bread that was dry and moldy.  They came asking to make a covenant with Joshua and Israel. Josh. 9:14 is a key verse, "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord."  Joshua made peace with them and entered into a covenant with them to let them live.  Then about 3 days later it was discovered that none of what was told them was true, but that they were their neighbors.  Even the great leader Joshua was deceived by them.  Jesus said that in the last days there will be false Christs and false prophets showing great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect, Matt. 24:24.  Deception will be the mark of the last days.  Rev. 12:9 says the devil who deceives the whole world was cast to the earth.  From the beginning, satan relied on deception to do his work.  He deceived Eve in Gen. 3, lying to her about what God had said.  Then Paul referred to this in 2 Cor. 11:3, "But I fear, lest somehow, as he serpent deceived Eve, by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."  How can we walk without being deceived?  God has given us His word to free us from deception!  "...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.  There are many scams and fraudulent schemes going around today.  When you get a phone call from someone threatening you, and you know it's a scam, you don't have to be afraid.  The truth sets you free from fear and from being deceived.  God has given us the Spirit of Truth, to lead us and guide us into all truth.  The truth is the belt of our armor, which Paul tells us to put on in Eph. 6.  Jesus always leads us into truth, for He is the way, the truth and the life.  His voice always leads us into truth.  We can trust Him completely.  John 10 tells us that the sheep do not follow a stranger, for they do not know the voice of strangers.  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."  In a world full of voices, it is essential that we hear the Father's voice, and keep our minds from being filled with the voice of strangers.  Today, take some time to meditate on the Scriptures, and pray that you may be guided by the Father's voice, and not the voice of a stranger. 

Finding Purpose

Many people find difficulty in finding their purpose in life.  It is often difficult for people to put into words what they feel God's purpose is for their lives.  The life of Moses gives us an amazing example of God working out His purpose.  The life of Moses can be roughly divided into 3 parts.  His first 40 years were spent in Pharoah's palace, being taught by his mother and the Pharoah.  His next 40 years were spent out in the desert herding flocks.  He was married there and had 2 children.  He is most well known for his last 40 years which started when he was 80 years old!  Had we been able to ask him what God's purpose for his life was during his first 80 years, he would not have known the answer.  God's purpose took time to unfold and be revealed.  It is very encouraging that God called him to deliver the children of Israel at 80 years old!  May the last third of our lives be the most fruitful!  God may call you to do surprising and wonderful things in the last years of your life.  This is not a time to sit back and do nothing, but to stay attentive to the voice of God, and hear a fresh word from God for the purpose of your life.  As long as you are here on planet earth, there is a purpose for your life. 
In 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Paul likens the Christian life to a race.  In a race there is a goal you are trying to reach.  If there is no goal you don't have a race.  The goal brings focus to the runners.  They know what they are trying to achieve.  The goal brings motivation, because they have something to strive towards.  The goal brings discipline, because the runners know they cannot win without disciplining their lives.  The Christian life needs to have goals.  It needs to find purpose which will bring focus and motivation and discipline.  Purpose determines your course and directs you away from distractions.  It keeps you on course through the hard times, and times when you feel like quitting.  Purpose motivates you to get up each day and work toward achieving the goal. 
I made a list of goals for my own life that have brought purpose and motivation for me:
1. To have eternal life.  More than anything, I want my name to be written in the Book of Life.  This happened the day I accepted Jesus into my life as Lord and Savior.
2. To follow Jesus.  Jesus said that if anyone will come after Him, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him.  It is my purpose to follow Jesus for my entire life.
3. To love my wife.  "Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved the church."  It is my purpose to love my wife and be a godly husband.
4. To bring up my children (and now grandchildren) in the Lord.  It has been my purpose to bring up my children in the Lord, and live a life that is a good example for them to follow.
5. To be in fellowship with the church.  As a part of the body of Christ, I cannot fulfill my purpose alone.  It is my purpose to always be in fellowship with the body of Christ.
6. To provide for my family.  "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."  Both spiritually and physically I want to be a good provider for my family.
7. To use my gifts and abilities.  "Having then gifts differing...let us use them."  I want to use every ability I have to glorify God and to reach out for the kingdom of God.
May you find God's purpose for your life as you seek to follow Jesus every day!

Overcoming Fear Again

     "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  2 Tim. 1:7.  Fear will try to stop you, paralyze you, make you choose another route, make you quiet, and stop you from moving ahead.  We are told there are 365 "Fear Nots" in the Bible, one for every day, because fear will try to rise up against you every day.  One day when I was starting to preach, fear came over me.  Fear told me I couldn't do it.  Fear had almost convinced me that it was impossible for me.  But I remembered 2 Tim. 1:7, and I began to quote that verse over and over.  I told the devil to go, because God had not given me a spirit of fear.  After I stood on that verse, fear left me, and I was encouraged to go ahead and preach the gospel.
     Fear will come up against you again and again.  The fear of public speaking is said to be the #1 fear.  It is the fear of rejection, and the fear of failure.  It is being concerned about self, and what people will think of me.  Pro. 29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."  Fear is a snare, a trap, to keep you from stepping forward into what God has for you.  When the 12 leaders were sent to spy out the promised land, 10 came back with a report that made the children of Israel afraid.  Their report of doubt made the people cry and wish they could return back to Egypt.  Joshua and Caleb encouraged them and told them not to fear the people, for God would give them the land.  But fear stopped them, and those who feared never did enter the promised land.  We must not make our decisions based out of fear, but we must move in faith, believing what God has said to us.  It wasn't the giants that stopped the people from entering the land, it was their fear.
     In Matt. 14 we read that Jesus made the disciples get into a boat to go to the other side of the lake.  In the middle of the night a storm came up that made the disciples think they would die in the storm. Jesus knew they would encounter this storm, and still He invited them to come.  There are things that Jesus will call you to do, knowing that those things will cause fear to rise up in your heart.  But these experiences are meant to teach us to trust God, and lean more closely into Him.  When anxiety tries to grip your mind, it is time for your trust in God to rise up to a new level.  Recognize the fear, and begin to take steps against it.  Read the Word, and pray, and don't shrink back in fear.  Rise up in faith and move forward toward that fear.  You recognize the fear, and say, "Oh, it's you again."  Now you know that God has something good ahead for you.  FEAR stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real."  Faith has no power when you rise up with faith in God, and take a step toward the fear.   Faith is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to trust God and step forward.  "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."  Ps. 23.

Care For One Another

     "That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another."  1 Cor. 12:25.  Paul uses the human body as an analogy of the body of Christ.  Just as the body has many parts, so the body of Christ is made up of many different parts, with many various gifts and abilities.  The members of Christ's body, though very different, are all part of the same body, and all belong to Christ, who is the head. 
     The human body looks after itself, and protects itself.  It cares about every part and does not want any part to be hurt or injured.  Pain that is felt in one part of the body affects the overall function of the whole body.  There are no parts that the body is willing to do without.  It does not want to sacrifice any part.  It will protect itself and fight to survive and save every part.  If you've ever been in some kind of a shooting game, like paint ball, you know that getting hit can really sting.  You don't want to get hit anywhere!  It is not okay with you to get hit in any place on your body.  The whole body looks after itself, and cares for itself.  It is like stubbing your toe, or hitting the wrong nail with a hammer, the pain of that moment goes through your whole body, and you are unable to function for awhile until you get some relief from that pain.  It is the care for the body that makes the body function. 
     We are connected as the body of Christ by the care that we have for one another.  We are connected when we feel valued, when we feel seen, when we feel heard, and when we feel understood.  Our true value comes from Christ, as we come to know Him, and what He has done for us.  The body of Christ is to have the same care one for another.  This love is what connects us, and is a testimony to the world that we are Christ's.  Sometimes things happen that cause a disconnection in our relationships.  When this happens in marriage, we must fight for our marriages by reconnecting.  We cannot allow something to disconnect us, and cause feelings of hurt and pain to grow.  We need  life giving relationships that flow one to another for healthy and growing marriages.  In the body of Christ we must be committed to one another to grow together, and give the time, attention, and understanding needed for our relationships to flourish. 
     There has to be a connection for our phones to work, and for our electrical devices to work.  When our furnace wasn't working, and we got it fixed, the sound of that furnace was so good to hear.  The connection had been restored!  So it is in our relationships with one another.  The connection we have through Christ is a precious gift that we protect and value, just as the human body values every part, and is unwilling to do without any one part.  The gift of salvation is free, but maturity will cost you something!  Maturing in Christ and growing into everything God wants you to be will take commitment, time, attention, and being connected to other people.  God uses people to form people!  I need people in my life in order to grow and become all God wants me to be. 

Changing With The Seasons

        Moses had come through the Red Sea with the children of Israel and was now in the wilderness.  He was in the place God wanted him to be, and was now surrounded with the responsibilities of leading the children in Israel in the desert.  His father in law Jethro came out to met him to see how he was doing.  After observing Moses serving Israel, he had some things to say.  Moses had been helping the people from morning to night.  Jethro saw the long line of people waiting to talk to Moses, waiting for Moses to judge their situations and help with their problems.  Jethro said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people?  Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?  The thing that you do is not good.  Both you and these people will surely wear yourselves out.  For this thing is too much for you.  You are not able to perform it by yourself." 
        Sometimes when God blesses you and you experience growth in your life, your work, your business, your family, and in your responsibilities, you find yourself in a situation where you can not adequately look after everything.  You find the demands of life are pulling you in so many directions that you can no longer look after your family properly, nor are you managing the responsibilities you have.  Your life starts to go out of balance, and things start getting neglected.  Your family feels it, and things are not working out at home like they should, because you are too busy, and don't have the time and patience.  This is a crucial time to make changes in your life.  Your family needs you, and you need your family.  It is a time to pray for wisdom to know how to manage all the blessings that you are experiencing. 
        Jethro's advice to Moses was that he appoint people to help him, good men who would be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  Moses would still oversee the people and deal with the great matters, but others would look after the small matters, and make it easier for Moses, bearing the burden with him.  This is such good advice, for Moses to let go of some of his responsibilities, and trust others to lead instead.  We need to ask God for wisdom in our lives, knowing what we should leave for others to do, and letting go of things.  This advice would both save Moses' life, and also the people.  When seasons change in our lives, we need to recognize it, and change with the seasons.  It would be very frustrating to continue to dress like it's winter time when it is spring, because we didn't recognize the change of season.  So it is in our lives that we must recognize the changes we go through in life, and adjust ourselves to the new season.  Otherwise, we may lose the blessings that God has provided for us.  Ask God for wisdom for your new season!

Hunger and Thirst - Part 2
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Matt.5:6.
        The beatitudes are attitudes for a blessed life.  Jesus wants each of us to live a blessed life, and He has shown us the way to experience blessing everyday.  To be blessed is to be happy, fortunate, and to be envied.  This life is the life that everyone longs for, and admires in others.  It is a life to be envied, because it seems that through every circumstance, these attitudes carry you through and continue to reflect the life of Christ.  They bring satisfaction and fulfillment in life, and freedom from anxiety and fear and hopelessness. 
        The attitude of hunger and thirst for righteousness is essential for a believer.  In every day and in every circumstance the believer is calling out for God to bless, and guide, and strengthen.  It is continually leaning on God and trusting for God's provision.  It is living out of a living relationship with God, that gets ever stronger, because of hunger and thirst.  The more of God you experience, the more you want!  The more you experience the goodness of God, the more you want of it, and are unwilling to live without. 
        Our hunger and thirst for God is our most precious attitude, as it causes us to cry out to God for more.  To lose our hunger and thirst is a very serious problem that must be remedied.  What are the things that take away hunger from the body?  Usually sickness is the main thing that takes away hunger.  You know something is wrong when there is no hunger.  Spiritually, there are some things that can dampen our spiritual hunger, such as bitterness, anger, quarrelling, evil speaking, and malice, Eph. 4:31.  Getting angry at others, and upset with what someone else has done can cause you to lose your hunger for God, and you become so focused on what happened to you.  The answer for this is found in the next verse: "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." 
        Poison will take away hunger.  Spiritually, our hearts get poisoned by gossip and complaining.  "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another."  Gal. 5:15.  I must protect my own hunger and thirst by not entering into gossip and talking negatively about my brothers and sisters.  Food poisoning will destroy hunger.  When we bring into our life teaching that is false and not based on the Word of God, it brings deception and causes disillusionment.  I have promised the Lord that I will not listen to teaching that is focused on bringing down another ministry.  Our ministry should always build up and lead others closer to Jesus. 
        "As new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."  1 Pet. 2:2.  Nurture your hunger and thirst for God and let it grow.  Cry out to God for His fullness, and He will fill you until you are satisfied.
        "He who is satiated (with sensual pleasures) loathes and treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet."  Pro. 27:7  AMPC

Hunger and Thirst

Hunger and Thirst
        "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Matt. 5:6.  The beatitudes are attitudes we need for everyday life.  It is not that we learn them once, and never have to return to them.  They are needed for each new situation and circumstance we encounter.  They are attitudes that reflect the character of Christ.  They are attitudes that take us through life with wisdom and understanding.  They build strong relationships with others, because they are not self centered, but rather they bring a blessing to those you encounter.
        To hunger and thirst is a natural part of life.  Hunger and thirst is essential for life and growth.  Your life is dependent upon your hunger and thirst.  To not be hungry or thirsty is a sign that something has gone seriously wrong.  Without hunger and thirst, a person is suffering from sickness, or some serious condition, that if not remedied, will ultimately lead to death.  But we must be careful how we fulfill our hunger and thirst.  If I consume the wrong things to satisfy my hunger, I will do damage to my body.  If I fill myself with junk food and pop, I may get the feeling that I am full, but I have not taken in the nutrition I need for health.  And so spiritually, my heart is hungry for the presence of God in my life.  But if I reach for other things, and don't reach out to God to satisfy my hunger, I may feel full, but this will not satisfy the hunger of my heart.  I must protect my hunger for God, and not allow my hunger to be fed with other things.
        "Ho!  Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat.  Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance."  Isa. 55:1,2.  Why would a person spend their paycheck on all kinds of things, but have no food to eat?  This is like a child of God who spends all their time and effort on other things, and have not called out to God to satisfy the longings of their soul.  We need to listen carefully to God.  God is speaking to every child of God, and desiring to lead them into a life of abundance and satisfaction.  But we must listen carefully to God's voice.  He has set a table before us, so we can come and dine with Him, and taste and see of His goodness.
        Life offers us a table to eat from.  Some things are good, some things are rotten, and some things are poisonous.  If you were invited to eat at a table which had some good things, some rotten things, and some poisonous things, you would become very careful about which things you ate.  And so as believers, we must be very careful about what we consume into our lives from this world.  There are many good things that God has provided, but the rotten things will make us spiritually sick, and the poisonous things will bring death. 
        Satisfy your hunger and thirst with the things of God.  Call out to God in prayer and worship, read the Word of God, and take time to fellowship with others who will build you up and encourage your life. 

What To Do On Your Way To A Miracle

     The prophet Elisha used to pass by a certain village where there lived a woman and her husband.  As often as he passed by, he would stop there and eat food.  The woman said to her husband that they should build a small room, and put in a bed, a table and a chair, and a lampstand for the man of God.  So one day when Elisha came, he turned in there and stayed in the room prepared for him.  Elisha wanted to do something for the kindness that this woman had shown to him, so he asked what he could do for her.  But she was content with what she had.  Gehazi, Elisha's servant said, "Actually she has no son, and her husband is old."  Upon hearing this, Elisha told the woman, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son."  At the appointed time given by the prophet, the woman gave birth to a son.
     A few years later, the son was out with his father in the field, and complained about his head.  The father had him brought to his mother, and he sat on her lap until noon and then died.  Can you imagine what the mother felt when her son died.  But the mother did something very unusual.  She laid the boy on the bed prepared for the man of God, and closed the door, and went to see her husband.  She asked for a donkey and a young man to go see the man of God.  Upon asking her why she wanted to go, she answered, "It is well."
     As they approached the place where the man of God was, he sent out his servant Gehazi to inquire what was wrong.  He asked her, "Is it well with you?  Is it well with your husband?  Is it well with the child?"  And she answered, "It is well." 
     When she finally arrived where Elisha was, she held onto his feet, and Elisha realized she was in deep distress.  He soon realized there was something wrong with the child, and ordered Gehazi to go on ahead and lay his staff on the child.  Gehazi went ahead and did this, and returned with bad news saying, "The child has not awakened."  This was another setback for the woman.  Elisha finally arrived at the house, and stretched himself out on the child, and the child became warm.  Then again he stretched himself on the child, and the child revived, and was given to his mother. 
     The woman knew there was a miracle for her, if she could get to the man of God.  Her faith said, "It is well", while she was in deep distress.  She trusted God while she was on her way to a miracle.  This is one of the toughest places to be in the Christian life.  You know God can do anything, and you believe that nothing is impossible, yet you have not yet experienced your miracle.  The attitude of the heart needs to be like this Shunammite woman, who refused to be denied her miracle.  Even after the setbacks that she faced, she was unwavering in her faith in God.  She would not talk about her need except to the one who could do something about it.  She was persistant and wouldn't give up in the face of adversity.  She knew God had the answer.  She showed us what to do on the way to a miracle. 

Integrity

     David revealed both the blessing he experienced, as well as the suffering he went through.  In Ps. 41 the demonic realm was attacking him.  His enemies said, "When will he die, and his name perish?"  The enemy's desire is to kill, steal, and destroy.  David says that if the enemy comes to see him, he speaks lies, and then goes out and tells it.  They whisper against him and devise ways to hurt him.  "An evil disease" they say, "clings to him, and now that he lies down, he will rise up no more."  And above all this, David's own familiar friend in whom he trusted, who are bread together, lifted up his heel against David.  This was most likely Ahithophel, who betrayed David and went to help Saul.  There are times of attack in the Christian life, where we experience what Peter talked about in 1 Peter 5:8, "...your adversary the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  David's answer in Ps. 41:12 is this, "As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever."  Because of the integrity of David's heart, the enemy was not able to get ahold of David.  Integrity upheld and saved David's life.
     The word integrity comes from the word integer, which means a whole number.  To have integrity means to be in a state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.  It is adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character, honesty.  It is a heart that stays devoted to God through times of pressure that try to force you to do something out of character.  In Ps. 25:21 David said, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on You."  Integrity will preserve you and keep you.  King Abimelech took Sarah when Abraham journeyed to the south.  The Lord appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and told him, "Indeed you are a dead man..."  But Abimelech thought Sarah was Abraham's sister, and said, "In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."  And the Lord said, "Yes I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart.  For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her."  Though Abimelech did the wrong thing, he was preserved because of the integrity of his heart. 
     "Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity..."  Ps. 26:1.  David was kept and protected by God because he walked in integrity of heart.  Vs. 8, "Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells."  This was David's first love, even during times of temptation and pressure to conform to what the people around him were doing.  He desired for the Lord to examine him, and try his mind and his heart.  Ps. 26:11, "But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me." 
     Satan is out to destroy your integrity.  Job had gone through trials that destroyed everything he had, and finally even his health, as he sat scraping his boils with a piece of potsherd.  His wife had long passed the point of holding onto integrity of heart.  Her words to Job were, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die."  Job 2:9.  The battle was over Job's integrity, and whether he would hold onto God through the loss of everything.  We have heard of the patience of Job, but have you heard of the patience of Job's wife?  Her advice was to curse God and die.  Integrity will preserve you even through the harshest of trials.  Hold onto your integrity!

The Gates of Hell

My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Israel.  One of the places I was looking forward to seeing was Caesarea Philippi.  We drove up the 35 miles or so from the Sea of Galilee to the place that is today called Banias.  There we saw a large rock face with a cave in it.  Our tour guide told us this cave was known as the gate of hell.  Previously it had a stream running out of it.  Why did Jesus walk up to this place with His disciples?  We read in Matt 16:13-18, "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man am?'  So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'  He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'  Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'  Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.'"  The name Peter was petros in Greek, meaning a little stone.  The word rock was petra in Greek, meaning a huge boulder.  Jesus was standing in front of this huge rock face, with the gate of hell in the background, and here He revealed Himself as the Christ, the Son of God.  On this rock of revelation Jesus will build His church.  Peter, as a stone, will be a part of this building, just as every believer is a living stone, being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2:5.  This church, this huge rock, will never be overcome by the gates of hell.  The kingdom of darkness will never be victorious over, or prevail against the church.  He gave us the keys of the kingdom of heaven with the power to bind and to loose.  He holds the keys of hell and of death, and is alive forevermore, Rev. 1:18.  You are victorious over all the power of hell through the revelation of who Jesus is.  In Him, and through Him, we overcome every power of darkness.  The church will be victorious until Jesus comes!

You Owe Me

"You owe me."  How often have you had the feeling toward someone that they owe you something?  Maybe you loaned them some money, and they have avoided paying you back.  The feeling of "You owe me" usually leads to anger.  We have an unmet expectation, and we are dealing with anger about the situation.  Jesus told the story of a man in Matt. 18 who owed a debt of about $10,000,000.  Unable to pay, he cried out to his master saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you all."  The master was moved with compassion, and forgave the debt.  However, that servant went out and found a man who owed him a small debt of about $20.  He took him by the throat and required the debt to be paid.  The man cried out and said, "Have patience with me, and I will pay you all."  But he would not forgive, nor have patience with the man.  His heart cry was, "You owe me", which produced great anger and impatience.  It may not be only money that makes us feel that someone owes us.  We may feel that someone owes us an apology, or an explanation.  We may feel hurt by someone's words, or actions, and feel they should make it right with us.  Eph. 4:26 says, "Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath."  Anger is an emotion that we will all experience, however Paul says to deal with it quickly in a way that is not sinful.  We may never receive the apology, or the money may never be paid back.  Perhaps the person who owes us has passed away, or is indifferent to the situation.  What do we do with our anger?  How do we deal with the unmet expectations?  Malice will be the reoccurring attitude where there is unresolved anger.  Malice is ill will, spite, and a desire to inflict injury, harm or suffering on another.  1 Pet. 2:1 says, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking."  We must find God's grace to forgive, lest a root of bitterness rises up and causes trouble.  We must realize that an unpayable debt was forgiven in our lives, and therefore we can turn to our neighbour and forgive the small debts that occur in this life.  Col. 3:8 says, "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth."  This is only possible as we let God fill our hearts with His mercy and love.  Then from a heart of mercy we can extend forgiveness to those who owe us.

Let Us Keep The Feast

"Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."  1 Cor. 5:8.  There were 7 feasts that Israel was to celebrate each year.  The first feast was Passover, the celebration of their deliverance from death in Egypt.  Because they applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts, death passed over them.  The Passover pointed to the coming of Christ as 1 Cor. 5:7 says, "...For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us."  Following the Passover, they were to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 days.  For 7 days they were to have no leaven in their bread.  They would eat only flat unleavened bread.  Jesus also spoke of leaven when He warned His disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  He said the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy.  A hypocrite was one who acted in a play, and pretended to be someone else.  The Pharisees acted as though they were holy and without fault, but Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and knew the true motives of their heart.  Jesus also spoke of the leaven of Herod in Mark 8:15.  Herod bowed to peer pressure when he ordered the execution of John the Baptist.  He did not act out of sincerity of heart, but was swayed by the opinions of others.  He did what was wrong in order to gain the approval of others.  Paul tells us we should keep the feast, but not with the old leaven.  He doesn't want us to literally remove the yeast from our homes, but he wants us to remove the leaven from our hearts.  The leaven of malice and wickedness needs to be cleaned out of our hearts.  Malice is ill will and spite, the desire to inflict injury and harm on another.  It is mentioned in Eph. 4:31 along with bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and evil speaking.  From the word malice we get the word malignant.  Something that is malignant has the ability to bring harm and damage, and malice will bring damage into our lives.  Paul says to clean out the old leaven, and don't leave any of it, because a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  Even a little bitterness and resentment can poison our life and keep us from bearing the fruit God desires for us.  "Therefore let us keep the feast....with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."  

Ravens and Doves

     "Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.  He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground.  But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth.  So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself."  Gen. 8:7-9. 
     The dove has been a symbol of the Holy Spirit since the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.  When Jesus was baptized, He saw the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove, and a voice spoke out of heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Matt. 3:16,17.  The dove is a symbol of rest, purity, innocence, fellowship and peace.  The dove with an olive branch in its beak has long been a symbol of peace.  The dove seeks a quiet place to rest, and is easily alarmed by sudden movements.  The diet of a dove is seeds, which he can store up in his crop.  Doves mate for a lifetime, and the mourning dove is known for its mournful cooing, when a mate is missing or has died.  Jesus said we were to be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves, Matt. 10:16.  Isa. 38:14 says, "...I mourned like a dove..."  The Holy Spirit also seeks a place to rest.  Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever."  John 14:16.  The Spirit of God wants to find a dwelling place in our hearts.  He wants to be our partner for life, and promised He would abide with us forever.  The Spirit brings purity into our lives, and seeks fellowship with us.  He brings the peace of God into our hearts, and guides us into His truth and peace.  Noah's dove was seeking a resting place.  Let our hearts be the resting place for the Spirit of God to dwell.  Let us feed on the seeds of God's Word.
     But what about the raven?  Ravens are common here at our home.  They are meat eating scavengers who will eat your garbage and anything else they can find.  They have often been seen flying away with groceries left in the back of trucks in the grocery store parking lot.  They are very smart birds that scavenge dead animals, or whatever they can find.  They are a symbol of our flesh nature.  Noah's raven kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up.  The flesh is never settled and never satisfied, but keeps going to and fro in search of something more.  The flesh appetite can never be satisfied for long, as it keeps lusting for more and more, and cares little about where it gets its meat.  It's nature is self seeking, and self centered, and always lusting.
     We have been called to walk in freedom from our flesh.  "For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."  Gal. 5:13. 
     Make this your prayer today:  "God, dwell in me by Your Holy Spirit, and give me freedom to walk above the lusts of the flesh."     

7 Steps To Fulfil Your Calling

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, now knowing where he was going."  Heb. 11:8.
There are 7 parts to this verse that show us how to fulfil the calling on our lives.
1.  By faith -  We must watch over our faith so that it continues to grow.  Jesus spoke of those who had great faith, little faith, and no faith.  The parable of the sower and the seed shows how faith grows from a seed to bearing fruit.  The seed must overcome many challenges in order to bear fruit.  We face satanic attack, afflictions and persecutions, worries of life, deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things entering in.  We must continually feed our faith with the Word so it can grow and overcome the challenges. We will need to live by faith to fulfil our call.
2.  Abraham obeyed - It is not enough to have faith, and to know the Word, we must put it into action.  We must have corresponding actions with our faith.  When we look into the mirror of God's Word, we need to adjust our lives according to the mirror.  Faith without works is dead.  Faith requires us to act out in obedience what God has said in our hearts. 
3.  When he was called - God called Abraham for a specific purpose, and God calls each of us for a specific purpose.  Jesus called the disciples, and they left their nets and their old life to follow Him.  The Spirit of God is now calling people to follow.  The Spirit and the bride say "Come".  There is a calling on every one of our lives.  We must acknowledge that call, and give attention to that call.
4.  To go out - Our calling will require us to go out - out of our comfort zone, out of the familiar and known.  Jesus said that we must lose our lives in order to find new life.  We must go out from our old lives and leave them behind in order to move into the new things God has for us.
5.  To the place - God has a new place for you to live - a new way of living, a new attitude, a new love, a new way of thinking.  Rom. 12:2 says we are transformed by the renewing of our minds.  To renew is to renovate.  Renovating means out with the old, and in with the new.  To be renewed we must let go of the past, and be filled with all the new things God wants to pour into our lives.
6.  Which he would receive as an inheritance - To this day we benefit from the inheritance that Abraham received.  When we move out into our calling, we will move into our inheritance that God has already planned for us.  This inheritance will bring great benefit to our lives and those around us.
7.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going - God will not show us everything about where we are going, but He will show us enough for today.  His Word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.  As we are obedient in what He wants us to do today, He will show us the way into the future.  The Amplified Version says, "he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go."  Don't trouble your mind about the future.  Rest in knowing that God will show you the next step.

You can fulfil your calling! 

How To Slay A Giant

We are familiar with the story of David and Goliath.  We know the story ends with a slingshot, and David cutting off the giant's head with the giant's sword.  But what led up to this event, and what can we learn about how to slay our own giants?  There is a process involved in slaying a giant.  I found four steps to slaying a giant, and each one starts with the letter P.
1. Preparation:  David's time as a shepherd boy was not wasted time.  David spent his time developing his relationship with God.  When Saul's servants looked for someone to come play the harp and minister to Saul, they found David.  1 Sam. 16:18, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him."  David was courageous, wise in his speech, and had developed such a relationship with God that others could see it.  He was respectful and obedient to his father when asked to go see his brothers.  God was preparing David for great things, and David was preparing himself.  (He was also getting very skilled with the slingshot.)
2. Practice:  David was putting into practice the things he was learning.  He slew a lion and a bear that came to attack the sheep.  It is practice that makes the difference.  The distance between knowing and doing determines results.  Practice is necessary to accomplish anything worthwhile.  "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22.  Practice is the bridge between knowing and accomplishing. 
3. Proving:  After seeing David's persistence to go against the giant, Saul dressed David in his armor.  With Saul's armor on, David couldn't even walk.  David said, "...I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them."  1 Sam. 17:39.  We can only walk with what we have proved.  Each one of us has to prove for ourselves the will of God.  Rom. 12:1,2 says we are to have a transformed mind, so we can prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.  We can not walk with another person's revelation, we each need our own revelation from God in our lives. 
4. POW:  After preparation, practice, and proving, David's time had come to slay the giant.  He took out of his shepherd's bag one stone, put it in his sling, and ran toward the giant.  His confidence was not in his own ability, but in God.  The giant was dressed in armor from head to foot.  There was only a small spot exposed, and David knew that stone would hit its mark. With skill he slung that stone so hard that it sank into the giant's forehead, and the giant hit the ground.  There is power available to those who are prepared, practiced, and proven God in the small things.  We can slay our giants as we walk with God through the process.

At what place am I at today in the process of slaying a giant?

The Elder Son

The story of the prodigal son contains three main characters: the younger son, the father, and the older son.  The younger son has taken his portion of the inheritance and gone to a far country to waste his substance.  After awhile, he returns to his father with a repentant heart.  The father is so happy to receive him back that he orders the best robe to be put on him, a ring to be put on his finger, sandals for his feet, and the fatted calf to be killed.  They will celebrate the return of the son who was lost and is found, who was dead and is now alive.  But there is an older son  who comes home from working in the field.  In fact, he has been working faithfully in the field for many years.  He comes home to the sound of music and dancing, and inquires what is going on.  Then he finds out that his younger son has returned, and the father has put on a party, and killed the fatted calf.  He is angry and would not go in, so the father came out to talk to him.  He said to his father, "..these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends."  Luke 15:29.  The older son has reduced his place in the family to "serving" and "not transgressing".  He was not living out of the joy of relationship with his father, but instead he was living to not transgress against his father.  His mindset had become one of works, and performance to earn a blessing from his father.  The father said, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours."  The older son did not realize that he always had the father with him, and anything that belonged to the father, belonged to the son.  Sometimes we as God's children can fall into the thinking that we will earn God's blessing if we serve Him, and not transgress His commandments.  But the Father says that because we are His children, we are always with Him, and everything He has is ours!  What do you need today?  The Father is with you always, and all that is His is yours.  You can come to Him anytime for whatever you need.  Sometimes the younger son who has just repented understands grace more than the older son, who has been serving for many years.  Come to the  Father out of love, and grace, and receive of His blessings today.

Do I realize that I am always with the Father, and all He has is mine? 

Moving Up In Wisdom

James 3:13-18 tells us there are two kinds of wisdom.  First, there is the wisdom that is of this world.  "This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic."  Living by this wisdom comes from a heart of bitterness, envy, and self-seeking.  It is a wisdom that springs out of comparison with others.  Comparison leads to bitterness, envy, and dissatisfaction.  It leads to strife, where every evil thing is possible.  "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."  God does not want us to live by this kind of wisdom.  This wisdom is ruled by the senses, our lusts, and gives the demonic realm a place in our lives.  We need to move away from this earthly wisdom to God's wisdom.  There is a wisdom that comes from heaven.  "But the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."  This wisdom is first of all pure.  It has pure motives and pure actions.  There is nothing dishonest or deceitful about this wisdom.  This wisdom is peaceable.  It does not produce turmoil or a troubled heart.  It brings peace into your situation.  It is gentle, not forceful or imposing itself on another.  It is willing to yield.  It is easily intreated, that is, it is easy to enter into a treaty with.  It is willing to listen so as to understand another person's point of view.  It seeks to see things from the other person's perspective.  It will move around to the other side of the table to view a problem from another viewpoint.  It is full of mercy and good fruits.  It is full of compassion and acts with tenderness and sensitivity to another.  It is without partiality, that is, it does not deal with favoritism or unfairly.  It has no hypocrisy, no hidden agendas, no ulterior motives, but is only transparent.  "Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."  NIV.  Sow peace into difficult relationships.  This wisdom makes us peacemakers, who sow in peace, and reap a harvest of righteousness.  This wisdom will make us into peacemakers, who will be called the children of God.

How can I move into God's wisdom today? 

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  Matt. 5:9.  God wants us to live in peace with ourselves, and with others.  God has come to make peace with us.  2 Cor. 5:17-21 tells us that God has reconciled us to Himself.  He has given us a message of reconciliation, so that we can say to others, "Be reconciled to God."  Col. 1:20 tells us He has made peace with us through the blood of His cross.  Eph. 2:14 says that He Himself is our peace, and has made both Jew and Gentile one, breaking down the middle wall of partition that was between us.  Jesus came as the Prince of Peace.  Jesus was the greatest peacemaker!  He came to give us peace.  In the world we will have tribulation, but He has overcome the world!  He has come that we might know peace with God, and the peace of God.  First, we must come into peace with God.  God has already reconciled us to Himself, having paid the price for our sin.  Now we must simply receive by faith what has already been done.  Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  Through Christ we are no longer enemies of God.  We are at peace with God.  Now God wants us to learn to walk in that peace.  Phil. 4:6,7 tells us that we are to bring all our anxieties to God, and then the peace of God, which surpasses our understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Peace will act like a soldier, guarding and keeping our minds from all the worries and cares of life.  Col. 3:15 tells us to let the peace of God rule in our hearts.  The Amplified Version says, "And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts (deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state) to which as (members of Christ's) one body you were also called (to live)..."  So many things want to rule in our hearts, but we are to let God's peace rule and reign over us, and be the deciding factor in the questions that arise in our minds.  Today, let peace rule in your heart.

How am I letting peace rule in my heart today?