“Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Daniel 7:27 The rising of kings that will attempt to change times and laws will appear to have prevailed against God. The saints will be persecuted and the enemy will prevail against the saints. It will be a day when God’s Word will be among the minority who are willing to give their lives for what does not appear to be working. As it is today, persecutions are surmounting and Christians are being persecuted in various parts of the world. Their story is not being told and their experiences are often isolated from the whole experience of the Body of Christ in the eyes of many who profess to be believers. Leaders are rising who are void of any knowledge or experience thus not agitating the powers that are currently rising. They coexist with the enemy; therefore, they do not pose any threat. Times and seasons are being altered by the opposing forces. Ultimately, God will arise to judge…
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“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26 Our flesh is limited and strains to give expression of our gratitude towards God for what we have come to know of Him. The reality of the necessity of the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf can only gain in significance when we are enlightened to the sinfulness of our sin. The depravity of mind and conscience and the eternal damnation of the soul and spirit were real. We were doomed to forever be separated from God who is both life and love. Now that we are forgiven, our hearts are filled with more gratitude than our words are able to articulate. What frustration we would experience if our world feels such love but having no outlet to express it? The Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us, both in gratitude and in passion to further connect with God in deeper and more profound ways. Our sounds may be groans or babble, but there is a spiritual union of heart to heart…
- May 18, 2017
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord extends to each individual the opportunity to be saved. It is the road that leads to life. The destination may not be clearly defined or easily understood, but the path to the destination is introduced to each one. It may be a subtle approach from a stranger, or an eye awakening experience. Each situation, when viewed from eternity’s perspective, was the extended hand of God releasing mercy. The objective is to provide an abundance of opportunities for the wayward to be drawn to Him. His desire is that none should perish. Those who perish are usually stubbornly justifying their rebellious ways and never seeing the need for a Savior. Oh, the wonders of His grace! When we understand the need for both mercy and grace, we will view our self-righteousness as sin, our abilities to love as hatred, and every effort on our part to boast as shame. What preserves us from destruction is the awareness of our absolute need for Him in all things….
- May 17, 2017
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17 To understand by faith that the worlds were framed by the Word of God is the basis for the settled confidence necessary to trust Him for all things. Faith progresses from the observable to the invisible. We are able to observe creation with the mysteries contained within all things created. The complexity of nature may be explored but the knowledge contained within each creature is inexhaustible. The delicate balance synergized into a whole unit reflects the genius of a Creator whose thoughts gave consideration to every detail. What amazing wisdom and power must be present to both thinks so explicitly and yet to hold all things together. Since God is able to create both the heavens above which expand to the highest dimensions of man’s comprehension and the earth, the lowest depth of man’s comprehension, then nothing is too hard for Him. We can believe Him for what would otherwise be impossibilities. No longer are they impossible, but merely require a faith that goes deeper than the surface. Nothing is impossible to…
- May 16, 2017
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Tim 2:1-3 There is a need to maintain the consistency of effort in fulfilling a shared vision. The instructions of Paul were received because he both trained and taught his disciples in the ways of Jesus Christ. If his life contradicted his message, it would have been hypocritical for him to expect more from others than he was willing to do. Not only did they observe his manner of life, his reputation was widespread among many witnesses. It is good to be able to say that your life is a life committed to Christ, but it is far more significant for others to bear witness of your commitment. Therefore he was able to exhort his disciples to commit to others what they collectively were committed to. This is a day where true commitment is needed desperately. The world needs to see examples of committed saints of God modeling before them faithfulness to the Lord and His Word. At that…
- May 15, 2017
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:16 The contrast between light and darkness is becoming more apparent and on different fronts. There are those who stand outside of what now is now considered to be the norm because they continue to uphold a standard that appears archaic. The tried and proven truths are constantly being challenged and tested. Yet they are able to withstand all the shifting currents of modernity. If we did not know that we were of God, even those who may be in places where worship is accepted would be in doubt. Those who know that they are of God have His Spirit as their guarantee and confirmation. He makes it known to them to whom they belong. We are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. He shakes all things that can be shaken in order for only the truth and children of wisdom to remain. Doctrines that appeal to the vanity of the mind have become widespread and flourishing. When all who could be deceived would have gone their own way, the Son…
- May 14, 2017
“Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.” Exodus 40:36 The glory cloud would settle the potential disputes among the children of Israel as to whether or not it was time to proceed on their journey. Otherwise there would have been unsettled arguments in interpreting the right season to advance, and even who had the authority to give the orders to move on. Moses alone was able to approach Mt. Sinai where the smoke ascended from the fire with the lightning, thunder, and earthquakes because the Lord had descended upon it. He had ascended into the very cloud that covered them and guided them along the way. Now the instructions given to them by Moses were received as instructions from Almighty God. The power of God has not diminished over time. Rather it was wrapped in human flesh. The unapproachable became approachable in Christ Jesus. Now it is His Word that must guide and govern our lives. When His Word is spoken, the glory cloud is lifted that we may go onward in all our journeys. Without His grace, we are exposed to the enemy of our…
- May 13, 2017
“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17 The mind of the ungodly is perplexed by what exists beyond lie his reach. He has rested upon his opinions of life and love, as the result never knowing either. His restlessness drives him in dual directions thus condemning him to a divided life. The evidence of God cannot be completely ignored, but an admission of God’s existence would contradict the natural passions that demand attention. But to the believer, he knows that God’s mind is constantly focused upon him. Therefore he is aware that his life is lived under the scrutiny of the only One who will give special attention to details. He knows our frame and frailties, but intensely works upon and within us to produce what He wills. He never gives up but fixed His attention upon His beloved. We learn to trust Him for the outcome of yielding everything to Him. The knowledge of God stabilizes us and prevents us from the inner wars of the ungodly but rather produce the peace that passes all understanding.
- May 12, 2017
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 God’s love obligates us without force. We are rather persuaded by His love if it is authentic. As we grow in knowledge of the dimensions of the love released from the Father through the Son to us, our confidence in Him increases. To know His love is to know that He has our best interest at heart. We are secure in Him with a positive expectation of the future. The present challenges are but temporary and momentary while God is working behind the scene for our good. The challenge to love others is usually stifled by our own insecurities. When there is a question regarding our own acceptance, we would have the tendency to hoard whatever we may have the opportunity to either possess or even manage. The knowledge of His love liberates us to love others. If we know that God so loved us, our response that His love is working in us ought to be translated into loving one another. If we cannot love one another, the question is not in relation to them but in relation to Him. To know His…
- May 11, 2017
“Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:3 It was customary for sicknesses and diseases to be directly associated with an act of sin. A blind man who was born that way was in question as to whether it was his sin or his parent’s sin. The disciples looked backwards into the man’s past, while Jesus was looking forward. Many things may have contributed to situations being as they are. Sin is the root cause of all sicknesses and diseases, but the sin debt has been paid once for all. It is not just the act of sin but sin itself. In a fallen world, conditions exist among many without a direct cause. But the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. As we look unto Jesus and allow His Spirit to work in us without fleshly interference, the works of God will be revealed in us that Christ may be glorified in our flesh. Look forward on behalf of the lost and the informed. Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
- May 10, 2017