Members of His Body

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

The Lord loves His Church so deeply that He calls us His "body." We are the manifest presence of the Lord on earth, for He abides in and with us in Spirit. Therefore, He says we are the light of the world, just as He is that Light. He is returning for a perfect church, and we must be found walking in the perfection of the Spirit and the bond of peace. We must be perfect (complete, healthy, and holy), just as He is; and the church must stand as one, just as the Father, Son, and Spirit stand as one.

Membership in the church is not a matter of agreement to a certain set of rules and regulations, attendance at meetings, or participation in religious enterprises, no matter how noble. Membership in the body of Christ is the spiritual position given to every believer, whereby he or she receives the everlasting life God pours out on those He calls. We are now members of the heavenly family, not an earthly one; we no longer go to church, we are the church. As members of His body, we are the expression, the hands and feet of the Lord. Our witness is founded on the assurance that our God is a God of love, and He is still reaching out to the lost and broken. The Gospel is to be preached by every member of His body -- not some special set of believers, but every one of us. Our message is this -- God is ready, willing, and mighty to save! That is what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Welcome to the family.

Let's Pray - Father, lead us into oneness with You and with one another, as You are one with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Help us to value every relationship with our spiritual family greatly. May we love one another as You love us. Amen.

Keep it Simple

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. (Colossians 2:4)

There will never be an end to teachers and their teachings that they claim are based on a deeper understanding of spiritual things than others have received. This brand of "revelation" always runs counter to the Gospel both in substance and simplicity. It claims a unique and superior perspective and sets itself beyond the reach of "average" saints. This type of teaching is rooted in skepticism, unbelief, and pride. We are called to reject such nonsense, as it is an age-old trick of Satan, who understands the temptations of the flesh and man's tendency toward high-mindedness. God gives and honors the simplicity of faith in Jesus Christ, for in Him alone is the counsel of God.

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

Beware of those who boast of their knowledge of mysteries and hidden things that only a superior class of "teachers" possess. These are men and women who seek to turn the preaching of the Gospel into enterprises and empires, and they have fallen headlong into the snare of Satan. Christ is the revelation of God, and He speaks so clearly that even a child can understand -- and when we are like children, we will hear Him every time. May the Lord protect us from false teachers, and may He give us greater discernment and the ear to hear what the Spirit says to the church.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, I will cling to the simplicity of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Help me to walk in the assurance that He is all I need. Amen.

Jesus on the Throne

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell . . . (Colossians 1:19)

Perhaps you have been searching for meaning, enlightenment, and fulfillment -- and you cannot truly say you have found it. Could it be the Lord's message to you is simpler than you expected? Could it be you have set yourself and others, your goals, your wants, even your leisure in the central chamber of your heart? God has promised to give you more than you could ever ask or think, and He kept that promise in Jesus. When you received the Savior, you received everything you will ever need. So, go ahead, focus on Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Put Him in the center. God has put Him on the throne up in heaven. Put Him on the throne of your heart.

Let's Pray - Lord, I have placed You on the throne and in the center of my life. You will find me in Your house, in Your word, and in the closet of prayer as a lifestyle. That is my desire and my choice. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Whatever He Says

His mother (Mary) said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5)

Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew) . . . (John 2:7-9)

The work God has given us to do is to believe and obey every word He says. This is where a servant's faith is most severely tested. It was not enough for these servants to fill the water pots with water, but then to serve it to the guests who were expecting wine! Do you believe God can turn your water into wine? Is your faith childlike enough to obey and trust Him for His miraculous provision? We are not true servants of Jesus Christ until we trust Him like that. Water is turned into wine only when we believe Him and obey His commands – even the absurd ones! 

. . . but the servants who had drawn the water knew.

There are things about God that no one knows except those who serve. A servant is someone who sets his or her own concerns aside to receive and obey the Word of the Lord. A servant realizes God's ways are superior, and obedience is the key to every door in the Kingdom. Have you made up your mind to serve God? It will never happen until you stop serving yourself, stop worrying about yourself, stop promotion and defending yourself. Jesus can only rise up through the life you lay down. Remember, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, help me to grow in obedience, and to trust You with the results. My answer will be, "Yes, Lord. Have Your way with me." Amen.

These Last Days

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son . . . (Hebrews 1:4)

Jesus occupies the center of every believer's heart, just as He does the Father's. His relationship to God is that of the Firstborn Son, and He enjoys a favored status that He is gracious enough to share with us. By His supreme sacrifice, He has welcomed us into the family of God, and He is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. We deserve none of this, but Jesus paid the price on Calvary, and we only need to believe and confess that He is Lord in order to enter in and receive all the blessings of sonship. This is the word God has spoken to us by His Son, and no other word can be allowed to compete with the truth, that Christ is the only way to God.

When the writer of Hebrews speaks of "these last days . . .," he is not speaking in historical terms, but spiritual. Once Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to take His place at the right hand of God, He ushered in the "last days" as it pertains to God's redemptive calendar. In Christ, the plan of God is clear and complete, and there can be no question as to the finished work of Calvary and the position of the Church, now seated firmly in the heavens with Jesus. It is this writer's firm determination to warn you against turning back to any system or understanding that diminishes the superiority of Jesus, for nothing that preceded Him compares to His majesty, and there will certainly be no one after Him! Jesus is the Word of God; and truly, there is nothing else that needs to be said. God . . . has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. 

Let's Pray - Thank You, Father, for speaking to us and welcoming us into the Kingdom through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He alone is the way, the truth, and the life for us. He is all we need. Amen.

The Narrow Gate

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:21-23)

It is hard for those with great possessions, great talents or skills, great appeal, or great influence to walk through the narrow gate that only the "poor in spirit" can enter. The words of Jesus cut through every good intention, every ounce of human goodness, and every effort at self-justification, and they point of need in each of us -- He is everything we need. In order to receive Jesus, there must first be the realization that we can do nothing apart from Him -- nothing spiritual, nothing of any eternal consequence, and nothing holy. We can only serve God acceptably on His terms and by the power of His Spirit. Then, we can focus on Jesus, pick up our cross, enter into the life He alone offers, and follow Him.

We suppose God is sympathetic to us and His love is unconditional, but that is an egregious error. God's love is very much conditional, and Jesus is God's condition. No one comes to the Father but by Jesus and the terms He lays down. "Go your way, sell whatever you have . . ." This is where our devotion lives or dies, because the Lord's terms are strict and unchanging. His Word is clear and binding -- all or nothing. Remember, Jesus gave all, and so must we.

Let's Pray - Father, Jesus is the only way to heaven. May I turn away from every effort to please You and simply look to Jesus. He is the beginning and end of my faith. Amen.

Confess Your Trespasses

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)

There is life-saving and life-changing power in confession. Confession unleashes the dynamic power of the truth, as we agree with God about our words and actions. When we confess, we bring light and freedom to bear on things that would otherwise remain in the dark. Our faults and sins wield power over us as long as we keep silent about them. That is why James encourages us to release those things and receive God's forgiveness and comfort in exchange. 

The sins we commit are not our greatest problem, but the sins we hide. Millions are in pain and bondage today, and their entire outlook on life is affected by the fact that they carry sins they should have confessed long ago; and once we’ve hidden sins longer than we should, we become blind and numb to their corroding effects. This is why every Christians must be on guard against the devastating effects of unconfessed sin. Find a trustworthy Christian friend today and confess your faults. Be whole and healed, in Jesus' name.

Let's Pray - Father, I will confess my faults and failures today, that I might experience the blessings that come with being clean. Thank You for Your church and my brothers and sisters, to whom I will be accountable, and to whom I will confess. Amen.

Kingdom, Power, and Glory

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever . . . (Matthew 6:13)

Let us not be distressed over the difficult times in which we live. Jesus has prepared and encouraged us, and we do not panic or respond fearfully when things are hard. He has taught us to respond to trouble and tragedy with prayer and to pray without ceasing; that is spiritual wisdom and understanding. Therefore, we enjoy an unshakeable peace, because we have placed every care at His feet. That is our lifestyle; prayer, worship, and the confidence that God has the whole world in His hands. Remember, Jesus is not going to overcome the world -- He already has.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, teach me to walk faithfully, even in very difficult times. I have the deepest confidence that You see all and know all, and You will make all things good in time. Thank you, Father. Amen.

Just Look Up

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Be instructed - Jesus quickly forgave and forgot when men offended Him. He found no need to be right or defend Himself when He was accused or attacked. He reconciled all things good in the light of His Father’s sovereign will. Therefore, Paul encourages us to do what Jesus modeled for us – forgetting, letting go, and pressing forward toward the vision of glory the Father places in our hearts. There is no time in our fleeting lives for lamenting and mourning missed opportunities, old relationships, mistakes, and misunderstandings. While we all experience hardships and disappointments, the Lord offers us a new day and season, if we will just look up!

What we see has everything to do with our focus and our perspective. If we wait on the Lord, we will mount up on eagles' wings and see everything from a heavenly perspective. But if we get bogged down with earthly concerns and pursuits, we will frustrate every effort of the Spirit to take us higher and deeper in heavenly things. The danger most Christians face is not overt sin, but a divided soul, stuck in neutral and never able to get free from the chains of earthly matters. May the Lord remind us daily that we have been set apart for Himself; and may we agree, and wholeheartedly commit to our heavenly citizenship.

Let's Pray - Father, I am ready and willing to move forward in my life. I refuse to be held back by anyone or anything in my past. The best for me is yet to come. In Jesus alone, Amen.

Every Good Gift

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:17-18)

Every good and perfect gift comes to believers from above. This is a recurring theme in the Book of James. He wants us to be able to differentiate between that which is of God and that which is not. In James' mind, nothing good rises up to God from us; but if it is good, it is of God and from God, and there are no exceptions.

Everything in the service of God must be born of Jesus within us, or it is not spiritual in essence but something less. James speaks of this as "the meekness of wisdom," which is quite different from the forceful and strident spirit of some Christians. He calls worldly wisdom earthly, sensual, and demonic. The tell-tale signs of this type of spirit are envy, selfishness, confusion, and every other evil thing. God has called us to something much better. He has called us to Himself in Jesus, and He has given us the Holy Spirit who will never relent until we are perfected in Him. The Lord is producing good fruit in us, and that fruit is evidence of the holy seed He has planted in our hearts -- purity, gentleness, humility, mercy, productivity, and impartiality.

James teaches us this lesson, so we might have the greatest of clarity, and we might know and understand what is spiritual and what is not. There will always be evidence and fruit from the wisdom in which we choose to walk. So, let us be sure our wisdom is from above and our fruit is good.

Let's Pray - Dear Father, we gladly receive everything You pour out upon us. We look to You daily, for all good things come down from heaven. We love You. Amen.

Present Your Bodies

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

We need not become experts in religion or ministry, but in exclusivity –- that is, taking ourselves back from the world and from ourselves, that we might be able to offer our lives to God exclusively, which is the only reasonable thing for us to do. Therefore, we must first deny ourselves and lay down our rights before we have anything to offer the Lord at all. Truth is, most Christians have so little to give, for our hearts and our time are divided and parceled out to a myriad of folks, causes, activities, affinities, and the like. And even so, we convince ourselves that we are living for God. Help us, Lord!

God has called us to live consecrated lives. A consecrated life is not an isolated life or a petted life; but a life set apart for the Lord's purpose only. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to teach us the focus and discipline that makes us useful and pleasing to the Father. He is bringing us into the full measure and stature of sonship, where we bear a remarkable likeness to Christ, not the world. Each day, we are to present God the lives Jesus came and died for -- lives that are no longer ours, but His! The Lord doesn't want anything from us; He wants everything!

Let's Pray - Father God, I take my life back from myself and offer it to You once again. I am willing to lose my life and gain eternal life, and to serve You without reserve. That is what any reasonable saint will do. In Jesus, Amen. 

Shine the Light

So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. (Exodus 34:30)

Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. (Numbers 12:7)

You know a man who has seen the Lord, because he is different than he was before, and he is distinct from other men. His face shines, as it were, and most men stand apart from him, because the light he radiates exposes their darkness. He is separated unto God, and the things of this world do not interest him any longer. Christians who have seen the Lord are like this, and they are not very common. The Lord has drawn them into His confidence more so than most, and He is able to invest Himself in them more deeply. God shares His heart and thoughts with them, and like Moses, He can trust them to minister holy things to His children without selfishness or agenda. The light they've seen makes them humble, not haughty or proud. The Lord will never reveal Himself to a proud man or woman, for pride is of the devil, and there is no fellowship between God and Satan. 

May the Lord find that you and I are trustworthy stewards of revelation; and like Moses, may our faces shine brightly for all men to see Jesus clearly.

Let's Pray - Father, may I live and speak in a way that Your love shines brightly for everyone to see. May Jesus be magnified in me today. Amen.

Woe is Me

So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King,

The Lord of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)

No one can truly know himself until he knows God, for only God can show him who he really is. After all, the Lord created us, and only He possesses the intimate knowledge of every facet of our humanity -– our essence, our origin, our present, and our destiny. Isaiah discovered this truth when saw the Lord, and he immediately confessed his low moral estate in the presence of a holy God -- "I am a man of unclean lips." He saw God, then realized the helpless sinner he was. Open our eyes like You opened Isaiah's, Lord!

Isaiah saw the truth about God and himself, and now he was ready to see others in the light of that truth. The world around him became clear, and now he was able to judge all things as God judges them. That is the true meaning of "revelation" -- seeing all things as God sees them. May every preacher of the Gospel see like Isaiah saw and wait on God before preaching a single word! "Woe is me, for I am undone!"

Let's Pray - Dear Father, I am nothing apart from You, and I find nothing good in me unless it has been imparted to me by Jesus. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. I will worship You in Spirit and in truth! Amen.

If We Confess

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Our Lord is determined to set His children be free from the bondage of sin and death, and He has prescribed the Blood of Jesus as the only power able to accomplish His desire. The weight of sin on humanity was so awful and pervasive, that the Father had to send His Son to pay the price and lift the burden of judgment and damnation off the shoulders of every man, woman, and child who would simply believe. You see, there is nothing unholy or unclean in heaven, nor shall there ever be. So, the Lord made provision for us in His Son, imputing His righteousness and holiness to us in exchange for our sin and sadness. Now, we can stand before a Heavenly Father who sees us wrapped in the grace and glory of His Son. This is the thought of God as it pertains to men, and there is no other thought, no other way, no other Gospel. Thank God for the profound, yet simple path to Life -- Jesus Christ.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, thank You for every provision made for us by the shed blood and broken body of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we never turn away from the powerful simplicity of the truth in Christ. There is truly no other way. Amen.

Patience and Perfection

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4)

Before the Lord can use us to change things around us, He must first change us. God is doing a new thing in you, and “new” means something that has never been done before. The life of this new creature is not learned overnight. It is a beautiful and difficult work that only the Lord can accomplish, and He does that work according to His will, His Spirit, and His timing. So, be still and trust Him. Let Him have His way with you. He knows what He is doing.

The saint who "lacks nothing" is one who is filled with the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that prepares him for every situation and conversation. This preparation is a sovereign work of God that cannot and will not be done according to our efforts or desire; but the Lord employs times and seasons to accomplish His work, and His ends are never ours. We suppose God will move according to our prayers and desires, but that is not so. He will move according to His will, and by patience He will perfect our prayers and desires to agree with His. So, empty yourself today, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is what it means to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  

Let's Pray - Father, have Your way in me. You are sovereign, and that means Your will is superior to mine. I humble myself in Your sight. Amen.

Discerning and Wise

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1)

We live in a day where many Christians have taken it upon themselves to speak in the name of the Lord. Many follow these voices, and far too often end up damaged and shipwrecked due to their lack of discernment and discipline. The Bible warns us to be very careful and to judge these teachers by their fruit. If we are filled with the Word, we will recognize the presence or absence of the Word in their teaching. If we are full of good works, we will recognize and rightly discern theirs. Every Christian must endeavor to be well equipped to wisely discern what we see and hear. Thank God for His Holy Spirit!

"Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:22-23)

It is a dangerous thing to read the warnings in Scripture and imagine they are spoken to others and not to us. Notice, the Lord says "many" who engage in ministry will be judged for deceiving themselves and their hearers. It is far too common a thing to witness men and women ministering in the flesh and offering strange fire before the Lord. God is not fooled or mocked, and the heart and works of every minister will be revealed on that Day for all to see. Those of us who preach the Gospel do well to heed these words and judge ourselves, so that we might not be judged.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, we are saved by grace through faith, and we must minister by grace through faith. May every minister who calls on Your name examine himself or herself today. Wash us clean and set us free from all ambition and agenda. In Jesus, Amen.

Change Me, Lord

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Romans 14:10)

The first thing God must change in us is a judgmental attitude. Are we more interested in being right than glorifying God? Are our words harsh and judgmental, or are they kind and gracious? We can easily convince ourselves we are glorifying Him, when we are actually grieving Him by demanding our rights and defending our point of view. Truthfully, we only hear God clearly when we humble ourselves and stop insisting on winning the argument and having things our way. Forgive us, Lord, and teach us to show others the grace You have shown us.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, please forgive me for judging others and misrepresenting You. Give me Your heart for my fellow man and help me to see them as You see them. Amen.

A Hard Place

So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead . . . (Genesis 31:25)

Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. (Genesis 32:6-7)

Have you ever felt like Jacob, trapped between a rock and a hard place? And when you looked honestly at the situation, did you realize this was a bed of your own making? You can’t go back, because you’ve burned that bridge –- and you cannot go forward, because you burned that bridge, too. This is the time when God’s man or woman finally comes to realize the folly of meddling with the steps ordained for him or her, and that our agenda has brought so much more difficulty into our lives than there had to be. Yet, here you are, once again – between that rock and hard place. This is when we realize how much the Lord loves us, in spite of ourselves, how His calling on our lives is irrevocable, and His Word and His promises are true. Jacob would come to realize these things as the Lord delivered Him time and again, and he would eventually learn to trust, wait, and worship. Thanks be to God that His love and His mercy are greater than our folly. 

Let's Pray - Dear Father, please do not leave Your servants to their own devices. Deliver us from our own foolishness, and we will turn back to You, never to turn away again. Amen

Are You Ready?

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)

It has been taught that the Lord is preparing us for our breakthrough, our destiny, and some blessed or exalted place on this earth - - but that is not true. The Lord is preparing you for His return, and He is preparing you for heaven! Heaven is the prize, not anything we can achieve in this world. The success we seek on earth may very well distract and deter us from the real prize; and that prize is the crown we will receive for our faithfulness to God in the midst of a sinful world.

The Bible consistently teaches us the necessity of spiritual preparedness; because we will not have time to get ourselves ready when Christ returns -- we must be ready. In other words, preparedness is a state of being for the Christian. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not simply preparing us for that Day, He is that preparation, and Spirit-filled believers are prepared. Are you abiding in Him? In His house, in His Word, and in the secret place of prayer? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you prepared for Christ’s return? He may very well return today. Don't get ready -- be ready.

Let's Pray - Heavenly Father, thank You for clothing me in Your righteousness and preparing me to spend eternity with You. May my life be a signpost pointing to heaven, and may I be a minister of the Gospel that saved my wretched soul. Humbly I pray, Amen.

Send Me Lord

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

The holy pattern for God’s ministers is seen here. We must not simply go but be sent – for we cannot reveal the true and living God to others until we ourselves have seen Him and been sent by Him. We must not send ourselves, for it is not our interest we are representing, but His. Isaiah understood this, and he responded with a sincere purpose to go and to glorify the God he’d just seen. May it be the same for every one of us who wish to be known as servants of God. May we wait until we have seen, heard, and been sent by the Lord before we go.

There are three witnesses regarding every man or woman called to the ministry - the Lord Himself, the minster himself (or herself), and the elders of the church. This is the pattern set forth in the New Testament, and it is the third requirement that is most likely to be neglected. Many are convinced that God has called them to go out, and they go out on the strength of that conviction. However, there must also be a "laying on of hands," as men and women of stature in the church agree and consent to the minister's call and commission. That is a more complete picture of God's thought for those who seek to go into vocational ministry today; and it is very important to heed and honor each step. Remember, it is much better to be sent than to just go!

Let's Pray - Lord, I am not only willing to go, but willing to wait until You send me. Give me the patience and wisdom necessary for Spirit-filled ministry. I desire to glorify You alone. Amen.

Do Not Grumble

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. (James 5:9-11)

Certainly, we live in difficult times. But times have always been difficult, and they always will be, as long as we are pilgrims and strangers on earth. The Lord would have us to be examples and instruments of His grace and mercy in the midst of our circumstances, whatever they may be. That is what it means to be His witnesses. Can He trust you to represent Him well in the hard and dry season?

Endurance and perseverance are very precious attributes for the believer. They are so much more than the will to outlast our difficult seasons; they are a display of God's grace and mercy through those times. The saint who endures does so with a sweetness that defies the temptation to grouse and complain. Perseverance brings us through hardship with a joy we could not know otherwise, because we discover God is good and gracious, even when no one else is.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Let's Pray - Father, I thank you for the sweet grace of patience and endurance. Your compassion and mercy are gifts to Your children, and we praise You for them. In Christ Jesus alone, Amen.

I Must Decrease

He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)

But you, do not be called “Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. (Matthew 23:8)

The Holy Spirit is the only Teacher in the Church of Jesus Christ. The ONLY Teacher. We may teach (and well we should), but the Spirit is the only Person with the authority from above to teach and reveal the Father and the Son in our hearts. We do well to remember and receive this truth. This affords us the freedom to leave the results of our service to God, because we have been obedient to share the Word as He has directed. We are not responsible to make men understand or love the Lord, nor are we responsible for their growth and maturity in spiritual things. We do not have any lordship whatever over another saint's faith; that is between them and the Lord. The more we decrease, the sooner we decrease, the more purposeful we are about decreasing, the better. Many teachers have stumbled over the stumbling block of self-importance, and that never ends well. Never. Take heed to yourselves, teachers.

Let's Pray - Father, may each of us who teach Your Word do so according to the leading of Your Spirit and according to Your truth. May we remember we will be judged on a stricter basis. We will approach our calling with fear and trembling. In Jesus Christ, Amen.

Give Us Understanding

 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

The Lord will never use a man operating in his own strength or sense of righteousness, and no man makes a difference in the world until he stops trying to make a difference. A man can expect to receive nothing from the Lord, until he realizes the only thing he has to offer God is emptiness. It is doubtful the Lord will fill any man who is not empty, or that he will help any man who is not helpless. The Lord does not come alongside us to make our dreams come true or give us victory or breakthrough. He is after something much more profound – emptiness and brokenness. He laid down the prerogatives of His deity, became broken bread and poured-out wine for us, and we must do the same for Him.

All our efforts to save our cities and communities, to "give back," and to do good to others are a waste of God’s time and energy. We can do all those things without Jesus -- and many do just that. As long as we are trying to be successful, to be known, to be good, or be seen, all our works amount to nothing in God's eyes, because the Kingdom of God comes without observation. Our Lord tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him to a place where only the meek and lowly can go. Remember, God cannot have His way in us until we are no longer determined to have our way. May the Lord give us understanding and ears to hear His Word anew.

Let's Pray - Forgive us, Lord, for going our own way and walking according to our own righteousness. We humbly ask for the knowledge of Your will, wisdom, and spiritual understanding today. In Jesus alone, Amen.

Our Heavenly Supply

 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches.

Feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You,

and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or lest I be poor and steal,

and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Some of us have a way of distorting the value of money, and we are tempted to depend on it more than we depend on God. There is a dangerous tendency to look to our resources before we look to heaven, and that brings all manner of unnecessary stress and hardships. Every lesson God teaches us has this in mind -- that we no longer depend on ourselves or anything other than Him, especially our money.

We must remember the church is a supernatural enterprise, and every resource she needs is found in Jesus Christ and nowhere else. As the Word tells us, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and all our springs are found in Christ. The church and the Christian life are heavenly things, and their supply must be heavenly also, lest they become something God never intended. May we be more and more careful to remember this and trust in our God, not our money.

Let's Pray - Father, You are all I need, and that will never change. I look to You first and last, for You are my inheritance, my portion, and my lot. I will be satisfied in You always. Amen.

The Greater Principle

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

If people are going to see the beauty of the Lord, they are going to see it in us. Therefore, we must choose to be true to the One who redeemed us by shedding His own blood, and remember we do not belong to ourselves, but to Him exclusively. Christ has given us His Spirit to dwell in our hearts -- not as a guest, but as Master of the house; and that house must be well kept, if we want Him to abide.

The life given by Holy Spirit is the only distinction between the children of God and all other religious people. Only He can impart and reveal the things of God and Christ to us. He provides the power for victorious living, bringing spiritual vitality, health, holiness, and wholeness to every saint He fills. We must never grieve Him by continuing to sin, or by ignoring or limiting Him in our lives or our fellowship. May we love in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, sing in the Spirit, and worship in the Spirit. Finally, may we walk in the Holy Spirit, who was given to us by God as a guarantee of the inheritance reserved for those He loves! Hallelujah and Amen. 

Let's Pray - Lord, give me eyes, ears, and a heart for the abiding presence and power of the Holy Spirit. May my heart and home be worthy of Your Spirit. Thank You, Amen.

The Temple of God

“O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Jesus won the ultimate victory over sin and Satan by His life, death, and resurrection; and we are the recipients of all the benefits of our Lord's triumph. Yet, sin remains the primary enemy of the heaven-bound saint, and we must not be foolish enough to ignore that fact. The very principle of sin (not just the act) is an affront to everything the Lord is, says, and does; therefore, that sin principle must be rooted out with a superior principle -- “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”   

Even before sin entered into the DNA of mankind, the Lord had a plan for our redemption, and that good plan was manifested in time and in Jesus Christ. Sin was exposed and defeated by His death on the cross; and by His resurrection from the dead, death itself lost its terrifying power. Therefore, we are able to emphatically ask, “O, death, where is your sting?” The fear of death has given way to resurrection power and the joy of everlasting life. Yes, death has lost its sting, and Christ has won the battle for our souls. Let's give all the glory and honor to Him! He deserves it.

Let's Pray - Precious Lord, Your power to cleanse and save me is greater than sin's power to condemn me. Thank You for the eternal life I entered into when I believed in Jesus Christ. Amen

Not By Sight

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:30)

Yes, the Lord has cloaked Himself in invisibility, He has hidden Himself from the learned and the wise, and the most intelligent are overwhelmed by the thought of comprehending Him or His ways. He has chosen simplicity and humility over haughtiness and pride. He is meek and lowly, and we must come to Him as children or He will not receive us. Therefore, the world and its obsession with itself and its pleasures will never enjoy the fellowship available to those who simply hear and believe; those who embrace the profound and indispensable joy of faith.

No effort to discredit Christ (and there have been many a furious effort) has succeeded in dampening the fervor of the faithful, those of us who have not seen, yet believed. We are that people, a holy nation whom the Lord has drawn by His Spirit, and we stand out as bright and shining stars against a backdrop of unbelief and darkness. We have not seen Jesus face to face, but we know we will -- and we serve Him who we cannot see as though we do. Today we see as in a mirror in a poorly-lit room, but one day we will see Him face to face. This we know, because we have received the testimony of the faithful and of the Scriptures. By faith we stand, we believe, and one day we will see.

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, thank You for the faith given to me by the Holy Spirit. I see You clearly with the eyes of faith, and I will follow You wherever You lead. In Jesus, Amen.

I Saw the Lord

“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord . . .”  (Isaiah 6:1)

It is sometimes necessary that people be moved out of the way, so we might see the Lord more clearly. As long as there is any competing personality or interest, we can never see God as we should, and an unimpeded view of the Lord is something He desires for all His children. Thus, there is the necessity of removing every other point of focus, if we are to receive spiritual sight. No one sees God until He sets all others aside, purifies our hearts, and reveals Himself.

We must be careful not to hinder the Lord's hand when He brings and removes people and circumstances in our lives. He is sovereign and knows all things, and His timing and insight are inscrutable. If we resist His hand, we are liable to be out-of-step with Him, and we close the windows of heaven and hinder the Holy Spirit. But, if we are obedient and in step with Him, He will show us things greater than we ever imagined. He will show us Jesus, and there is nothing greater than seeing Christ. For my eyes have seen Your salvation. (Luke 2:30)

Let's Pray - Lord, open the eyes of my heart, and remove everything that stands between us. I want to see Jesus. Amen.

Victory and Wisdom

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,

Possessor of heaven and earth;

And blessed be God Most High,

Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. 

(Genesis 14:18-20)

We all desire blessings from the Lord, and well we should. Our Father owns everything, and all that is His is also ours! He is determined to bless us, and He ushers his children into those blessings with the most intimate and tender care. But the Lord is not satisfied just to bless His children. He wants to use us for His glory. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will teach us to walk wisely, shrewdly, and circumspect in our days -- to be victorious and wise. Isn’t that the earmark of every good father? Doesn’t he help us by patiently teaching, testing, correcting, and directing us until he can trust us? Abram had learned well, so he took the opportunity to worship God after his great victory. And he gave him a tithe of all. If we are wise, we will do the same.

Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich’— (Genesis 14:21-23)

God's blessings come with great responsibility, because those times can be both wonderful and precarious. Be sure that Satan is ever lurking, hoping to catch us in a weak moment, and to get a foothold in the midst of God's work in us -- so we must not let our guards down after great victories. If we are not careful and prayerful, the enemy will quietly infiltrate our ranks and use our preoccupation with the trappings of success against us. Like our father, Abram, we must seek out and pursue the privilege of worship, receive God’s blessings only, and reject and expose the schemes of that wily snake, Satan. Are you prepared to pass this test? Are you prepared to be blessed?

Let's Pray - Dear Father, please give us the wisdom necessary to steward Your blessings. May we, like our father Abraham, receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion, and may we worship You acceptably. In Jesus, Amen.

Flesh and Spirit

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:17-18)

I wish I could tell you that spiritual things get easier as you grow older, but that is not true. In fact, the closer and longer we walk with Christ, the hotter the battle between the devil, the world, our flesh, and our spirit -- and it is quite the battle for those who are living godly lives. This life is not hard for Christians who are enamored with the wonders of salvation and all its benefits. They never actually show up for Christian duty, and they never experience the rigors of a growing relationship with a holy God. The sufferings of Christ remain a mystery to them, because they follow Jesus at a distance, and they would rather enjoy an unruffled life of blessings and favor. Yet, the Lord would have His sons and daughters gladly engage the rough and tumble of spiritual maturity and vitality, and He desires we enter through the narrow and difficult gate of discipleship.

None of us can please God by the sheer force of our will or our most sincere effort. There are contradictions in our souls that only the indwelling Spirit can reveal and overcome. The principle of sin is a reality we were born with, and it will remain with us as long as we are on this earth. However, the New Covenant is the supreme reality under which we live when we are born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Our victorious lives are not lived apart from our weaknesses and struggles, but in the midst of them. The freedom Christ gives us operates in the thick of life's battles, and we rise out of bondage and sin to sit with Him in the heavenly places. That is what it means to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. We win battles that could never be won without Him, and we are led by the Spirit into abundance and life; not by the law into condemnation, but by grace in to the glorious liberty that is ours in Him. May we come to articulate and appreciate these things more and more.

Let’s Pray – Dear God, may I wake up every day with a readiness and willingness to fight the good fight of faith. I will put on the whole armor of God, which is Christ, and I will be victorious in Him. To God be the glory! Amen.

Begotten of Him

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (1 John 5:1)

Believing God's Word is the most important thing we will ever do. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and the faithful saint is filled with the joy and Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will overcome the world, all its temptations and lusts, and all preoccupation with that which is perishing, because we are settled and focused on our new life in Jesus. Faith points us upward and forward, and the life God gives us is evidenced in the power to live victoriously, to love our brothers and sisters, and to rejoice in the goodness of our God.

Jesus is the only obsession a saint can afford to have. We must not be overtaken by a passion for ministry or souls, and we must be careful lest we are overwhelmed by the desperate plight and needs of men. Remember, "The poor you have with you always . . ." Our faces must be set like flint toward the Savior, unless we are sure to get lost in the controversies and stark realities of the world around us. We must remember that Jesus has not only set us free from sin, but from the pervasive powers of darkness that exercise sway in the world system of things. Ours is a new and better world, and a new and better focus; that is, the Kingdom of God which has come and taken residence within us. We are the ones "born of God," who set our minds on things above, not things below. We are the ones who believe.

Let's Pray - Dear Father, I believe! Help me to believe even more. I want all the benefits of trusting in Christ. Amen.

They Forsook All

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11)

Jesus was not after fish, He was after Simon. Simon thought his life was about catching fish, but from this point on, it was about Jesus and catching men in the net of the Gospel. Just like Simon, we will only find true purpose for our lives when we are overmastered by the Lord and His calling. So, don’t be afraid. Leave the boat, the net, the fish, everything and everyone else behind. Respond to the Lord’s calling. Your life is ahead of you, not behind, and it’s found in Christ Jesus. The choice is yours . . . they forsook all and followed Him.

Let's Pray - Lord, thank You for showing me what is truly important. I agree with Your word, and I will follow Your plan for my life. Amen.