A Life Laid Down

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)

I meet so many folks who believe there is a God, that God is good, that it would be best and right for them to follow God with their whole heart, that the Bible is true, etc. But I meet few who get these beliefs out of their heads and into their hearts – too few who are truly converted and changed, who pick up their cross, and walk in repentance. I see so much ministry born out of the goodness of men's hearts instead of the brokenness and weakness that God honors. Successful ministry is never a matter of what men say or do, or how many are in attendance; but it is the fruit of a life laid down, so that Christ may rise and be glorified.

 

Jesus has a value system that is quite different from many of those in the church. For instance, it is taught that prosperity and physical health are the signs of a robust faith. Others teach that our words are containers of faith, and we can have what we confess. They also teach that the Bible's promises are ours to claim, and we can have what it says we can have. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and Jesus is still seeking those who will die to themselves, sell what they have, boast in their weakness, and accept the chastening of a holy Father.

 

We have nothing, and we can do nothing apart from Jesus. In Him, we have everything, and all things are possible. The Christian life is a matter of focusing on Christ and coming to Him on His terms. 

 

" . . .  sell what you have . . . and come, follow Me."

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, I lay down my life, so that Jesus Christ may rise and glorify You through my sacrifice. I will be sure to give You all the glory and honor You deserve. I consider that an honor and my life's work. Amen.

Strengthen Your Brothers

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”(Luke 22:31-34)

Satan constantly works to hurt and hinder the children of God, and pride is his favorite tool. He uses pride so effectively, because we almost never detect it in ourselves until it is too late. Every time we claim to be good, to be right, or to be better than anyone else, we give Satan the right to claim that ground on which we choose to stand. That is why the devil asked for access to Peter; he was speaking pridefully, and that is Satan's territory. Peter was about to learn the most painful lesson of his life — pride comes before a fall.

 

Jesus never ceases to pray for us, and He prayed for Peter. The power of His love and His prayers is infinitely greater than hell's hateful schemes. Satan's attempt to destroy Peter would fail, and the Lord would soon restore his disciple. Peter would be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and that baptism would be his armor against the pride that was nearly his undoing. He would never again give Satan the right to claim any dominion in his life, and he would intercede for others the way Christ did for him. 

 

"Strengthen your brethren."

 

Let's Pray - Precious King, please forgive me for my arrogance and pride. I want to see and hear the words You speak to me, so I humble myself in Your sight. Thank You, Jesus, for always interceding on my behalf. Amen.

Repentance and Conversion

And when Simon saw that the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! (Acts 8:18-20)

Simon believed, but it was not enough. He was amazed by the power and glory of God, but his heart remained hard and unrepentant; therefore, he saw the Holy Spirit as a commodity to buy and sell. This entrepreneurial spirit is present in the church to this very day, and much that masquerades as ministry is the peddling of the Gospel derived from the same counterfeit spirit.

 

It is so much easier to preach power than repentance, because many men want the power of God, but few want to die to themselves and pick up their cross. You see, men must not just believe in God but repent and be converted. That is true belief.

 

We suppose we are saved because we made a confession of faith and prayed the "sinner's prayer." Then we were baptized in water and joined a Bible-believing church. We may have also stopped doing certain things, stopped going certain places, or stopped keeping company with certain folks. Yet, that alone is not true conversion. Salvation is a sovereign work of the Lord, and nothing we do can bring about the new birth found in Jesus alone — He did it all! Eternal life is a most precious gift of God, and the only true measure of salvation is the indwelling Holy Spirit, given to each of us who truly receives life from God. 

 

Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (Romans 8:9)

 

May the Lord Himself sanctify you, may your endurance and your good works prove that you really are God's child, and may there be no doubt that you are truly saved by grace and through faith. Amen.

 

Let's Pray - Father, may I not fall short of repentance. Forgive me for coming to You on any other basis than the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You and Amen.

The Will of God

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

We suppose the Lord is preparing us for things here on earth; things like success, breakthroughs, the fulfillment of hope and dreams, financial prosperity, marriage, careers, ministry, etc. But that is not true. God is preparing His children for one thing only — heaven. If we are prepared for heaven, we will do well with everything that pertains to this world; but we can gain the whole world and lose our own souls! Those who seek to fit into this world make themselves unfit for eternity; and in spiritual terms, eternity is all that matters.

 

The scriptures call for us to develop a Christ-centered perspective on all things, and to realize all the world has to offer is fading away. Those things are temporal and superficial, but we are spiritual, and the Lord has saved us for His eternal purpose. When we reckon ourselves to be citizens of heaven first, our value system changes dramatically, and our eyes focus on that which matters to God, not men. This new outlook makes us strange and ill-fitted for the world, but precious and useful to Christ, who teaches us to glorify His Father — our Father. So, let the world pass away in all its futility, while we turn our hearts to God. May the Eternal King of Glory receive our worship now and forever. Amen.

 

But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.  (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

 

Let's Pray - Father God, give me the perspective of heaven, so I might see what You see and love what You love. I lay down my wisdom to receive Yours. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me in the way I should go. In Jesus, Amen.

 

Jesus is Alive

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” (John 20:24)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ was not given to angels to communicate and spread. The Lord chose the apostles and the power of their testimony to carry the message all of creation longs to hear — "Jesus is alive!" These are the most significant words ever spoken — spoken by those who were there, who saw Him, touched Him, spoke with Him after His resurrection, and declared it to us. By faith and faith alone, we believe and receive their witness some 2000 years later.

 

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

 

No effort to discredit the resurrection (and there have been many a furious effort) has succeeded in dampening the fervor of the faithful, even those who have not seen, yet believed. We are that people, a holy nation of believers 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. So, we serve Him who we cannot see as though we do. While today we see as in a poorly-lit room, one day we will see Him clearly, face to face — and this we know, because we have received the testimony of the fathers of our faith, even the scriptures. By faith we stand, we believe, and one day we'll see. Amen.

 

Let's Pray - Father God, I am looking forward to the day when I will see You face-to-face. May the reality of the Resurrection be the source of my strength and determination to live a holy and acceptable life before You. Jesus is alive, and He is alive in me! Amen.

Faith and Experience

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  (John 20:26-27)

While it some say a wise person learns from experience, it is better said that a wise person learns best from the experience of others! So it was for Thomas, and so it is for us. Thomas would not believe in the Resurrection simply because he was unwilling to accept the testimony of his fellow disciples. Yet, that is exactly how the Lord intended the truth be communicated; not simply by seeing for ourselves, but by the word of faith from those who came before us. Thanks be to God for the powerful testimony of those who have seen the risen Christ. That is how the truth about God’s Kingdom is shared and how the Kingdom works.

 

Most of us come to believe in God through the ministry and testimony of others. God uses their words and their witness to point us to heaven. When we hearken to them, we become part of something greater than we could ever be on our own — His church. Satan will do everything he can to get us to believe on an independent line, to disdain the words of our brothers and sisters, and to refuse the encouragement and wisdom they offer. But we do well to listen to those who have gone before us — those who have seen Jesus.

 

The Lord teaches us many things through seasoned believers. May we not be afraid to hear and follow those who have seen Christ before us, and perhaps, more clearly than us!

 

 . . . do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)

 

Let's Pray - Lord, thank You for my fathers and mothers in the faith, whose testimony has strengthened and encouraged me in my walk. May I be an effective witness of the Living Christ to the generations to come. Amen.

Seeing Is Not Believing

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:24-25)

“Unless I see . . . I will not believe.”

This is the test of every man and woman as it pertains to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thomas had eyes, but he could not see, because he would not see. We may have sight, but spiritually speaking, we will never see until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart. Even then, we must be willing to receive his sight according to what God reveals, and He always reveals His Son.

 

Nothing else that matters, except we see Jesus — not miracles, victories, prosperity, healings, etc. None of those things matter to one who has seen the Lord, for all those things and more are ours in Him. That is the simplicity and joy of faith; that nothing and no one else matters any longer, only Jesus.

 

Yes, the Lord clothes Himself in mystery and invisibility. He has hidden Himself from the learned and the wise, and the most intelligent are not able to understand Him or His ways. That is because He has chosen simplicity and humility over worldly wisdom. 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. Those are the ones who truly see God. The only ones.

 

Then He (Jesus) said, ". . . Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, may I receive the truth in all its glory and simplicity -- in Christ and Him alone. Thank you for revealing the truth in Jesus, and for enabling me to believe it. Amen.

With You In Weakness

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (2 Corinthians 2:1-5)

The Lord does not respect what we throw up at Him, but what we lay down before Him. He is not impressed by our talents and gifts, because they are not ours in the first place, but His. Paul understood this, and he refused to minister in a way that left any impression of himself, only that of Jesus.

 

The Lord allowed the type of suffering and shame in Paul’s life that would have left most men in abject discouragement. But he humbled himself under the mighty hand of the Lord, and his weakness and humility became the platform for the quintessential apostolic ministry in the New Testament.

 

May the Lord give us understanding in the foundational place of humility in the use of our gifts. If we humble ourselves, put God first, love our brothers and sisters, and treat others well, the Lord will honor us with the opportunities to glorify Him on a scale we never imagined.

 

Remember, blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers, and the pure in heart, for theirs is the kingdom and the King. It is not how much, how many, how high, or how great, but how humble and how low. God has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit; and in the Spirit, humility wins!

 

Let’s Pray – Dear Lord, thank You for the opportunity to serve You. I want to see Your name lifted high above every other name, so I gladly humble myself and exalt the name of Jesus. Amen.

Come Follow Me

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:21-22)

God's criteria for living well is 180 degrees from ours. We most often judge our success by earthly possession, fame, influence, and comfort. But the Lord judges the heart! The worldly man is owned by his possessions, and a man filled with the pleasures and bounty of the world has little or no place for a God who asks us to lay down our lives. Jesus saved us that He might help Himself to our bodies, our minds, and our days! So, we must be sure not to crowd Him out with busy schedules and hearts set on self; and let us not frustrate the life of the Spirit with a pre-occupation with worldly pleasures.

 

We are all rich in one way or another, because we all have free will. What will we do when Jesus brings us to the point of decision, like He did for the rich young ruler? Will we take the road to the left — the road to my dreams, my hopes, and my way? Or, will we trust the Lord to lead us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake, and will we empty ourselves so that we might be filled with the Holy Spirit? This is life's essential question, my Christian friend — will you lay down your life? Whose life is this, anyway?

 

Let's Pray - Dear Father, it is my deepest desire to be found in Jesus, following His every command. May I find value in my relationship to Him and nothing else. Amen.

Words of Life

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21) 

Jesus tells us His words are spirit and life – much more than syllables and sounds, but they are alive, living, and able to carry out God’s purpose. There are no idle words spoken from the mouth of our Lord, and as we mature, there will be fewer from us.

. . . For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

 

When our hearts are right with God, gossip, slander, cursing, harshness, crassness, lying, and cynicism will no longer be found in our words; but the Holy Spirit will speak encouragement and grace through us that blesses and edifies the hearer.

 

So, listen closely to your words today, and they will reveal the condition of your heart. Then, take your heart, give it to Jesus anew, and ask Him to purify it like only He can. He will do as you ask, and from that point forward, you will hear it in your speech; words of life that pour out of a pure heart. Amen.

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, if You purify my heart, I will set a guard at my mouth, so I might speak in an acceptable way. Teach me to speak words of life as my Savior does. Amen. 

Your Kingdom Come

In this manner, therefore, pray: our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)

 

These words are the baseline for every prayer the disciple prays. God is our Heavenly Father who loves us, gives us every good and perfect gift, and whose name is to be revered and praised both now and forevermore. The very mention of His name evokes power and fuels the forces of the universe in both the spiritual and natural realm. His kingdom is a present reality for His children, not just an after-death experience. He rules in the hearts of His children, and we recognize His sovereignty over all things. God is King, the universe is His territory, and we are His people. It is our deepest desire to see His will unopposed in our lives and in our world. We establish the superiority of His will over ours, and we work and pray to that end. So, we pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in this world as it is in heaven."

 

The Lord's Kingdom is coming, and it has already come, manifest in the victorious lives we live and the praises we lift to heaven. One day we will see the Kingdom established and His will done here on earth; and until then, we wait and walk by faith which sees and embraces that which is promised as if it was already here. That is not living in some fantasy world, but simply believing that God is good, and He is able make all things work together for good. That is the blessed assurance of every believer; that His Kingdom will come, and it has come — in us.

 

Let's Pray - Lord, I exalt You as God and King, sovereign and mighty, holy and true. There is no one who compares with You, nor shall there ever be. I am honored to be called Your child and Your servant. Amen.

When We Surrender

“O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42)

When we say yes to the Lord’s call, the life we enter into is nothing like we thought. No one can predict what the Lord is going to do with or through them. No one knows where our obedience will take us, and we would be wise to count the personal cost. That is because devotion to Christ is an exquisite thing, and it will test every fiber of our being; but in return, it will gain us more than we can imagine, if we endure to the end. Our journey only begins when we pick up our cross and follow Him. This is much more than a "decision" for Christ (remember, you did not choose Him, He chose you); but a daily commitment to laying down our lives, and a refusal to ever take them up again. There is no other way to live for Christ and to serve Him acceptably. 

 

"Lord, Your will be done."

 

We begin a new and profoundly beautiful life as we learn to trust and obey, especially when all prevailing wisdom tempts us to take the common-sense path; that road is littered with many unfulfilled lives. Jesus is teaching us to trust Him completely, to wait with Him, to stand with Him, to suffer with Him, and to reign with Him. His will, not ours, makes us a sweet-smelling sacrifice that pleases the Father, and that is the life that enjoys His favor and intimacy. 

 

So, let the Lord have His way and surrender to His will. You can be sure the end of your surrender will be glorious, just like our Lord's.

 

. . . looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

 

Let's Pray - Lord, may I always surrender my will and desire to Yours. Lead me by Your loving Spirit, and I will follow. Amen.

Preach the Gospel

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.  (Jonah 3:10)

The Lord sent Jonah to do what he did not want to do – to preach repentance to the hated Assyrians. It was a ministry of mercy, and so is the message God sends us to preach today. He will send us where we would not go, to speak to a people we naturally care nothing about, and to do what can only be accomplished by our strict obedience to His commands. And when people are saved, we will marvel at God's mercy and the powerful simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – not our gifting, or programs, or presentations – but the Gospel alone!

 

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. (John 4:9)

 

Jesus came to preach the Good News, and He was not going to be held back by any restrictions imposed by men and religion. Likewise, His arms are still outstretched to save, and He will leap over every boundary to reach souls others have rejected or ignored. 

 

For the love of Christ compels us . . . (2 Corinthians 5:14)

 

Let us not suppose that the preaching of the Gospel will be limited by our prejudices; but let those who are called to preach do so according to the leading of the Spirit. The light that shines in us will lead many to Christ, if we will not debate, but go when and where we are sent.

 

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)

 

Let's Pray - Father, may Your servants preach the good news of Jesus Christ, and that alone. There is no other message with the power to save the lost. May we preach Your word and see many sons and daughters come to glory. Amen.

Just Go

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.  (Jonah 1:3)

Many of us heard the story of "Jonah and the Whale" as children, and we never forgot the image of a man in the belly of a big fish. But this is not a tale about an ancient prophet gone astray; it is our story, because there is at least a little "Jonah" in each of us. Who among us has not done the opposite of what we knew was right? Who has not rebelled against the Lord's clearly expressed will and run the other way? Who is without sin? Yes, the Book of Jonah is about us; and it is a gift to us, if we will receive it.

 

We may see Jonah’s disobedience as an extreme case of rebellion, but is it really that rare among Christians? No, it is not! We must obey at once, or we too will experience the firm hand of God's discipline as Jonah did. Many saints today are in the "belly of the fish,” so to speak. Even small degrees of disobedience are drastic in the Lord’s sight, especially if we follow them to their conclusion — death.

 

Remember, God's commands are not suggestions, but a revelation of His sovereign will. His words are “spirit and life,” and they must be received and obeyed as such. Let our response to Him always be, "Lord, Thy will be done — starting in me!"

 

Let's Pray - Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I have been slow or unwilling to obey your commands. Teach me to say, "Yes," every time You call or send me. In Jesus, Amen.