“Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” Luke 17:37 The vultures gather together around dead bodies. Theirs is to devour the decaying flesh and ruin. They have a victory party before their feast with every intention to consume everything that is left unattended. Where Jesus died is the gathering place of demons and devils. Without His presence and power at work, each one can do as he pleases and have its way against the Way of God. A crowd alone is not the determinant of blessings and prosperity. Funerals draw larger crowds than prayer meetings. Some gather to devour the flesh of the dead and wounded on the battlefield of faith. Their stand, though unpopular, was consistent even to resist the temptations of compromise. While some may pursue optional methods of approaching God, they have stood with Him even to their own injury and ruin. His sufferings have become their own sufferings because His business was their business. But Jesus arose from the dead and His Body did not see corruption. There was nothing for vultures to consume. He is the Living Bread freely given to all who will partake of Him. The vultures gather in their…
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“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Revelations 1:19 The revelation of Jesus Christ gave John the insight to write His testimony describing the past, the present, and the future. Time and space no longer exist as divided in His presence. He takes us beyond the moment and brings all things into an eternal perspective. When we are facing current challenges, it is impossible for us to see into the future. It appears as if the bulls of Bashan had encircles around us awaiting their moment to attack and destroy us. He tells us to write what we have seen. Those moments when viewed from eternity were not there for our defeat but rather for our deliverance and future victory. “God Provides” became our testimony. He showed up in the midst of our deepest woe in order to prove Himself strong on our behalf when were at our weakest point. It was His strength made perfect when all that we attempted had failed. He said to John, “Write it down!” In other words, He asked him to mark the spot where he is standing today and watch…
- July 12, 2017
“Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” Ps 68:1 The very presence of the Lord confounds the enemy. The light of His glory shines so brightly that anything that is contrary to His nature melts and fades away. We are drawn to His light. We are perfected in order to reflect the beauty of holiness. The defects as result of sin are first exposed, and then vanquished. It was the gravitational pull of sin that kept us earthbound and creatures with no desire other than the things of this world. The only sense of beauty was the aesthetics of His creation. Nature provided beauty but only as a reflection of true beauty. It is only when our sights are set on things above where Christ is will we be enabled to see that God alone creates in beauty, but makes all things beautiful in its own time. In the light of His glory all things give full expression of their being. What they attempt to express is fully expressed without any hindrances or reservations. We will then understand the beauty of holiness and the beauty of worshiping the One who is…
- July 11, 2017
“But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.” Job 23:13 God is complete in and of Himself. He is not like us with needs that may cause our focus to shift from one thing to another. Those are the limits placed upon the human experience. We navigate through time not knowing the things that lie ahead of us. But God knows the end before the beginning. He is light and in Him are no shifting shadows. Why would He change His mind for such things that may be a fleeting thought within our minds? Instead of His mind being changed by us, our minds are to be renewed by Him. True humility is exercised when we are willing to forgo our will what another wills. When we trust Him in areas not completely understood, He will give us the will and desire to please Him. We will experience His goodness and grow in our understanding of dimensions of His love. What a blessing it is to find pleasure in what pleases Him! His uniqueness can then be celebrated rather than loathed. Some may wish to wrestle out of His hands what…
- July 10, 2017
“It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 The grace of God has been freely given to us but it is not cheap. Love requires sacrifice. And the more we love the greater the sacrifice. Since God is able to see the depth of our sinful state, only He would be able to convey to us what we needed in order to be set free. The naïve may think that a moderate adjustment is sufficient to stop the free-fall to destruction. But who independent of God is able to know the affect of even apparent innocent acts upon the character? This is the environment in which all were raised. No one knows any other life than this. But God knew of our need for help. And He supplied it before we had the sense to desire it. Jesus Christ, God’s Son redeemed us with His blood while we were yet sinners. Now all must apply what has been appropriated for us if any is ever to benefit from such great a sacrifice.
- July 9, 2017
“If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’?” Numbers 24:13 Hearing and obeying the Word of the Lord is more important than the benefits of hard work and labor that would take us beyond it. There are those who ignore the standard established by God and wish to justify their position thinking that they are too busy or have risen above the instructions given. Their price is met through the fame, fortune, and acceptance of others who would reward them with tangible benefits or accolades affirming their significance to a particular cause. Yet if we are not speaking what God has spoken or doing what He has ordained, it is either blessing what God has cursed or cursing what God has blessed. We must not judge the Word of God has being optional but absolutely necessary in every endeavor. A transgression is going beyond the word whether it is for good or for bad. As ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must speak what God is saying…
- July 8, 2017
“How you have advised the one without wisdom, and abundantly revealed your insight!” Job 26:3 (NET) God’s advice to those who are void of wisdom can be translated as those who lack the ability to plan ahead. Those who lack foresight to make plans for the future are advised by God in things only known to Him. Forward thinking is the key to spiritual progress. Our sights must be set on things above as we journey from here to there. Each situation and every message must be weighed on the basis of their spiritual content. Are we growing in grace and the knowledge of God, or becoming content in our current state? The Holy Spirit guides us beyond the level of wisdom known to the world to insights revealed to us from heaven. Only then will we feel the sense of estrangement in an environment that is not our home and seek those things pertaining to life in the Spirit. Sound advice is required in order to have good success. Spiritual things are compared with the spiritual once we have been made aware of God’s Presence and humbly submit to His will as knowing nothing on our own.
- July 7, 2017
“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10 The posture of the follower of Jesus Christ is anticipation for what lies ahead. The word of God received has lifted his sights above the persecution of trials and the tests that come against him. It has the ability to stabilize us even when the circumstances remain the same. It is word upon word that increases faith and raises the level of expectation for the return of our Lord. Nothing could be more valuable than this. Jesus, whom He raised from the dead provide for us a model of what awaits our future. He was delivered from death through death. The wrath of man measured against us in this world is nothing in comparison to the wrath of God. We must endure the intermediate in order to experience the ultimate. He has delivered us from the wrath to come against all unrighteousness and now we are a part of His kingdom where righteousness reigns. Our deliverance is as result of hearing and obeying the message delivered to us from heaven. It was delivered to…
- July 6, 2017
“Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthews 7:14 The way that leads to life remains as the road less traveled. There are rabbit-trails along the way often taken by wayward travelers who get sidetracked by some petty issue. Then there are dazzling streetlights with flashing signposts captivating the attention of those who follow after crowds. Without thought it would be much easier to flow with the traffic. But who are the ones who pause long enough to ask the question, “Where are we headed?” The way which leads to life must be deliberately chosen. It does not just happen by chance. With eyes wide open one is enabled to see from a distance a sight that heals blindness and is a sight for sore eyes. The life of God through Jesus Christ our Lord awakens one from the deadliness of a zombie-like state to a clear discernment of all things. We have entered through the narrow gate, not as a thief but as a welcomed traveler. Then the Holy Spirit can continuously guide us throughout the journey from new life to eternal life.
- July 5, 2017
“The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.” Proverbs 12:24 (MSG) There is a freedom that allows us to fully cooperate with God in what He is doing. There is a bondage that can hold one back so that they are never able to accomplish or complete anything. It is the mental bondage of procrastination. It is when one thinks too intensely one the amount of work ahead rather than applying the effort necessary to take steps in completing it. The Holy Spirit will assist us but not force us to do anything. He awaits the decision on our part to move in the right direction. Then He supplies the energy and power for us to gain the impetus to continue moving forward. We have been graced to make a difference. Things we not intended to remain as they are. That is why God has allowed us to be born in this generation. What our forefathers completed was foundational for the task lying ahead of us. We must not allow the oppression of laziness to cripple our progress. Speak the truth even when nobody’s listening! Live the life and be the person God has called you to…
- July 4, 2017