Saturday, February 15, 2025

Test the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

The Lord has given us sound minds and faculties, and most importantly, He has given us His Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are responsible for what we believe and who we receive. The Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom and discernment to know what is and what is not from the Father, and we can never be fooled if we harken to the Spirit and the Word of God. If we test them, every spirit that is not of God will fail that test — every time.

 

Far too often, we harken to voices that entertain us and appeal to us, that tell us what we want to hear, that agree with us and our sense of right and wrong. Yet, the Spirit of the Lord will never witness of anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ. The men and women God speaks through will never draw attention to themselves or their cause, but to Jesus and Him crucified. That is the standard by which we must judge every spirit who speaks to the church. May the Lord give us more discernment, wisdom, and courage in these matters.

 

Let's Pray – Heavenly Father, I will never be deceived or misguided if I’m found in You. I desire to be in Your will, Your house, and with Your people. Thank You for the gift of discernment, that I might KNOW what is pleasing in Your sight. Amen.


Friday, February 14, 2025

Ordered by God

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. (Psalms 37:23)

Does the Lord delight in you and the life you live? Do your speech and behavior glorify Him? Would the people who know you best call you godly and Christ-like? Your steps (character) must be shaped and ordered by God, and if He is ordering your steps, you are a picture of what it means to be pleasing to God. If anyone wants to know what God’s will is, they should be able to look at you and your “steps.” Think and pray about this for a moment.

 

I often hear teachers speaking about God's plan, the will of God, or the purpose of God. They sometimes speak this way as it pertains to some destiny or preferred outcome in our earthly lives. The Bible never speaks that way. God is not preparing us for anything to come on earth — He's preparing us for heaven! If we are prepared for heaven, we need not be overly concerned about anything else. The Lord will care for those things, and we are to set our hearts and minds on eternal matters, not temporary ones.

 

Some believers are bogged down with so many worldly concerns (politics, success, prosperity, healing, legacy, etc.), that they long ago ceased to point men and women to heaven. Yet, our Lord desires that we be one with Him in Spirit and purpose — just like Jesus, whose only concern was pleasing His Father. So must it be with us. That is what it means to walk with God. That is what it means for God to delight in our way.

 

Let's Pray – Abba, teach me to consider my steps and to always walk in the light of Your Word. I want to live in such a manner that You are glorified in me. Thank You for ordering my every step. In Jesus Christ, Amen.


Thursday, February 13, 2025

Lift Your Hands

Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psalm 63:4)

The lifting of our hands is an act of acknowledging someone greater than ourselves. It is a surrender to a superior person or power, and a sign that we offer our very selves to that person in respect and worship. Witness the scenes of worship to God in the Book of Revelation — the numerous references of lifted hands and voices praising the King. True worshipers are a people with their hands lifted to God, and we too, must be sure to lift our hands — today.

 

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. (James 1:17)

 

Everything good on earth comes down to us from God. Therefore, the only good thing that rises to God from us is our praise and our worship — our lifted hands. We will find that every time we lift our hands and glorify our Lord, He responds with an outpouring of lovingkindness and provision. He is our Father, and we will lack no good thing, as we acknowledge Him and His goodness — as we lift our hands.

 

May the Lord touch the hands we lift to Him, and may we use those same hands to bless everyone we touch. Amen.

 

Let’s Pray – Father, forgive us for cold and expressionless worship. May our praise be worthy of the great and mighty God we serve. Holy Spirit, relieve us from our fear, and teach us to offer an acceptable praise to our God. In Jesus Christ, Amen.


Wednesday, February 12, 2025

If You Believe

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

The glory of God is all around us, but it can only be seen with the eyes of faith — eyes fixed on Jesus. God's glory works on a level beyond our natural senses, and we will never truly appreciate all He is and all He does until we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. This belief is far beyond some intellectual assent to the historical or religious Jesus presented by men, but a complete surrender to the King of kings and Lord of lords revealed by the Father. Then, and only then, will we see the glory of God!

 

We can only see God's glory if we believe fully in the One He sent, and when we believe, He establishes His rule in our hearts. When we come to Him with every care, fear and doubt will be as far from us as east from west. The Lord is glorified when we take Him at His Word, and He rewards every step we take toward Him in faith. Herein is the fierce and unyielding simplicity of the Gospel; God's glory belongs to those who believe.

 

. . . the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11)

 

Let's Pray - Father, my faith is centered on Jesus. He is the Word of God, and He is the only door to Your throne and Your glory. Please increase my faith, that I may see Your Glory, Your Son. Amen.


Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Believe and Receive

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)

Never divorce Jesus’ words from His person. He is not saying all things are possible if we believe they are, but all things are possible if we believe in Him! We are not to believe in the power of our faith, our words, or our most sincere convictions (as some erroneously teach), but in the love and power of our God. The meaning of the Christian life is found in our relationship to God in Christ and nowhere else. When our faith is rooted and grounded in Him, we will ask, expect, and receive according to that faith. Then, Jesus says, “All things are possible.”

 

The saint placing all his cares on Jesus is the rarest thing, but the most precious thing to God — and Jesus would have us put everything aside but faith! That is the work we are called to do — to believe, especially when believing is difficult.

 

We sometimes find believing hard, because we are seeking things from God, and not God Himself. We must not believe for great things, but we believe in the One who does great things. Once we believe that way, the abundant life begins, and that life is one in which all things are possible. That is how the Kingdom works, and that is how true believers live.

 

Remember, with God, nothing is impossible, and the impossible is nothing.

 

Let’s Pray – Dear Father, may I keep my eyes on Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, and I will keep my mind stayed on Christ, who loved me and gave His all for me. Amen.


Monday, February 10, 2025

Do Not Be Surprised

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14)

We tend to think we are doing well spiritually when things are going well, but that may not be true. God often employs hard lessons to get what He's after in us. Trouble has a way of bringing our attention to things lying just beneath the surface of our complacency, so He uses them to get our attention and retrain our focus. Material blessings never draw us closer to God; but we learn to walk with Christ through the hardships He allows, and we enter into true fellowship with Him through the things we suffer. Even Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), and if we desire to walk closely with God, so will we.

 

The world will always speak highly of you when you are successful in their eyes; but success in God's eyes looks like Jesus, and He desires we all come into the fullness of Christ and bear spiritual fruit. That fruit is especially pleasing to Him when it is borne in difficult and dry seasons, and that is when we give the Lord the greatest glory. Christ was willing to suffer for us, and we must learn to do the same for Him without whine or complaint — therein is true joy.

 

So, rejoice in the Lord always! Be glad in Him even when times are hard, and don't be surprised by your fiery trial. God is in control, and He is doing a mighty work in you. Let Him have His way.

 

Let's Pray - Heavenly Father, teach me to count it all joy when my faith is being tested by the difficulties of life. May I see those times as an opportunity to grow and give You the glory You deserve. Thank You for Your amazing grace in my toughest times. Amen.


Sunday, February 9, 2025

Turn from Anger

Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go. (Proverbs 22:24)

An angry man stirs up strife,

and a furious man abounds in

transgression.

(Proverbs 29:22)

 

Experiencing anger and being an angry person are two different things. We all get angry at times — sometimes righteously angry. On the other hand, the demonic spirit of anger seeks to take up residence in our heart and seeks to distort our thoughts and actions in hurtful and destructive ways. Ask God to reveal the places anger has taken root in you; and when He does, uproot it with confession and repentance. Then ask Him to reveal and remove the influence of angry folks and spirits in your life. The Lord wants to set you free from the power of anger, angry people, and angry spirits — today.

 

Nothing good or redemptive comes from our anger, and we must not allow our testimony to be affected by the bitterness that consumes so many. Our Lord invites us to bring Him those angry feelings that steal our joy and lay them at His feet. When we do so, He comforts our hearts, and assures us He will make all things right in due time. Remember that the next time you are tempted to act or speak angrily.

 

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger,

clamor, and evil speaking be put

away from you, with all malice. 

(Ephesians 4:31)

 

We do well to take heed.

 

Let’s Pray – Father, I will take up the spade of Your Word and dig up every root of bitterness the enemy has sought to plant in my heart. I receive Your invitation to be liberated from the evil spirit of anger. In the name of Jesus, Amen.