give – Page 6 – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: October 21

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

The living Spirit of God frees us to give a fuller expression of His will. We are no longer bound to obey His Law as heavy restrictions levied against us, but rather freed inwardly to joyful give expression to what we have become. We are made alive to His righteousness while the Spirit reveals to our spirit a standard no longer alien to us. He gives us both the will and the ability to do for His good pleasure. What a life; to please God and at the same time be pleased ourselves! The old nature of sin of which we had grown accustomed, has now be exposed as a slave master. We have now been liberated from his controls and freely ruled over by a Beneficent and loving Lord. He rules by placing His will within us so that there is no struggle between us. We know that He loves us and we know that His will is perfect. As we progress in our knowledge of Him, we surrender even the most stubborn portions of our lives to His government. We want His Kingdom be fully established in our hearts that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

19 Oct 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: October 19

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“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

As we grow weaker physically, and as time continues to make its mark upon our bodies in completing the story of our lives, we all the more declare the strength of the Lord as being our strength. His strength is made perfect in our weakened moments when we have no defense, but also in our weakened state as we grow weak and weary through the years. The flesh sags and loses it resiliency. The heart beats at a slower pace and its rhythm is not the same as in our youth. Yet our heart of hearts or determination is stronger than ever to keep in step with God. He is the strength our resolve and resilience. Time cannot rob us of what He gives. It will outlast our flesh and outpace the distance of all the efforts ever made by us and even others who are running against time. Our portion is forever. When time ceases our portion will still be there. All that He has promised will remain and we will have the where with all to enjoy all that God has given to us forever.

03 Oct 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: October 3

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“for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” Isaiah 66:8

The travailing of the soul, the sound produced out of excruciating pain is the prelude to birthing. God will allow us to reach our breaking point when it appears as if all is lost, and He has totally abandoned us. Then there is the breaking of dawn. A new day breaks forth on the horizon. What He had shown us prophetically confirmed within our souls is brought forth. God is going to do a new thing. He will reveal Himself as He is. No longer must people guess and speculate regarding Him. The divisive opinions of those who mislead will be exposed and opposed. God’s Word and Power will triumph and none will be able to withstand it. Travail is also the intercessory prayer for the lost. When we see the conditions of the world and if our heart is not broken over it, we are not feeling with the Lord what He is feeling. He wept over Jerusalem. We must receive the Spirit of lamentation as we witness all that is happening in our day. He will give us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness once we are able to weep with Him. Children will be born into the kingdom of God. It will be more than a decision to join a Church or any institution. Salvation will come to our houses when repentance and the prayer of intercession have come to our souls.

18 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 18

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless.” Psalm 60:11

None has ever trusted God so completely that they never had a shadow of doubt. It is in the shadows where we look away from God in search for what appears to be strong but is lacking in content and in character. The challenge came to us and we wondered why we were chosen for adversity. Even then, there arose among some what appeared to be further evidence that God was absent. Many have abandoned God completely with thoughts that He was unreliable, while there are others who learned the lesson and passed the test. Without the test, there would be no need for help. The awareness of our need fostered the acknowledgement that we could not carry out our assignments alone. Without Him we can do nothing. The assistance of man is useless unless God is involved. The help of others only further complicates the issue. It is above our heads and the heads that stand tall are not tall enough and their arm of strength cannot reach far enough to bring remedy to the deep wound left within. The need must first be identified if it is ever to be rectified. Does anybody really know where we hurt; where the pain is? Even when we may cover it with a smile or a friendly gesture, the silent cry of the soul is unheard.

The prayer that the Psalmist was praying could be stated as, “Lord help me to see the trouble that is before me by making foolish choices when things are not going my way.” “When I take matters into my own hands and recruit the assistance of others to help me, I become a candidate for failure.” He gives us His help and not just lend us a hand.

03 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 3

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

Giving enables us to see the dimensions and depths of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without personal sacrifice, we merely theorize rather than experience what He offers us so freely. It is impossible to understand the dynamics of His message and the glory of His life without participating with Him in releasing those things left in our hands to manage. The Holy Spirit will direct us to channel all things to acquire the greatest benefit. True freedom is freedom from the bondage of sin bred in selfishness. What we have held too closely to have hindered the Lord from giving full expression of Himself to us. A freedom not yet experienced borne out of a need within us remains unmet. We were created to respond to God’s initiative in giving. None of what we manage is able to save our souls even though in the past we may have thought it would. True surrender is giving oneself completely to God. Only then is He given permission to direct us towards what is most important to Him. Today, what can you give that you thought that you could not do without? What is, or who is in need of your support that you might have thought was self-sufficient? Where is the Lord directing you that you would otherwise never go? Unless you break free from the binding shackles of your familiar, life for you will always be the same. There is a new place for you, a place of complete deliverance. You get there by receiving the gift of God which will enable you to give beyond your former level of giving.

09 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 9

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Life takes on a new meaning once Christ has come into the heart of the believer. He does not merely exist among the other things once deemed important, but rather sets the priorities for ones existence. Any other place given to Him constitutes a warms feeling in His regards, but not the quality of life He promises and died to give. This was the revelation given to Paul, the Apostle by the Holy Spirit. “For me, the meaning of life has shifted. For me, it’s no longer a matter of consulting with God as to whether it is permissible for me or not to have my own way. For me, to live is for Christ to fully live His life through me.”

This ought to be the earnest desire of each and every Christian. This is a life of discovery whereas one is freed from pretense or attempting to force himself to do what he thinks that Jesus would do. But rather discovering in his own flesh the life and works of Jesus personally.

“To die is gain.” Death died on the Cross when Jesus was crucified and rose from the grave. The victory of resurrection life becomes our victory as we identify with His death. The more one dies to self, he provides the opportunity for Spirit Life rise within Him. It eradicates the fear of physical death because the assurance of God’s promise become ever present; “To live is Christ, and to die is gain for me.”

01 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 1

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” Luke 12:48

God expects a return on His investments. The gifts of God are given to each person in order for all to profit as result of His distributions. It is not based on what most would consider as the criteria for God’s judgments. God is not equal in His judgments, but He is equitable. Grace is freely given, but God determines who will receive what is being distributed. Yet we may covet what we deem as necessary, but it must only be for the advancement of His kingdom and not our own. When our hearts yearn to do more for God and we feel powerless to fully participate with Him in what He wills to do, it is in order to seek Him for the empowering gifts that would further qualify us. Yet in our earnestness to receive, it does not obligate Him to any measure to give us what we consider to be necessary. He will give us what He knows is best for ourselves as well as others. But the warning is not to frustrate the grace of God. What God gives must be used as He wills for it to be used. God requires faithfulness of His servants. Only then are they obedient and not wicked.

03 May 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: May 3

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“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

The restlessness of the soul was resulting from the waywardness of the heart. When you were determined to fix your own problems your own way, none of the benefits made available by God through our Lord Jesus Christ could be applied. Now that the struggle has ended as to whether the life of Christ was to be followed because His death was sufficient enough for His life to be our life, we are being made complete. What a difference now in comparison to then. All you need to do is remember how strained the struggle was and how difficult your life would be if His knowledge was absent. But now that you know Him, allow Him to complete the great work within you that He has begun. His objective is to complete you. When your ways please the Lord you are at peace with yourself and even with your enemies. He is the God of peace who will ultimately prove all things according to its character and His original design. Therefore give Him the glory that He so rightly deserves now for it will be His forever and ever. Amen.

01 May 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: May 1

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don’t hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy.” 1 Corinthians 14:13 (MSG)

True love is never selfish. It takes pleasure in giving more than receiving. God has called us into deeper levels as our hearts are in sync with His own. Our thoughts and His thoughts become the same. Our passions and His passions align. Only then will our hearts soar beyond our intellect, or our abilities to articulate what is burning deeply within it. It is from the overflow of our hearts that a language that is not our own is given expression. Our prayers are in private and our language is privately expressed. Yet we are provoked by the Holy Spirit not to be ascetic with the pleasures of our private devotions. Pray that we may be able to share with others what we have privately shared with God. God is able to unleash within us the abilities to give expression to what He imparts so that all may benefit from the Divine impartation.

03 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 3

Posted by Categories: Meditations

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

Giving enables us to see the dimensions and depths of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without personal sacrifice, we merely theorize rather than experience what He offers us so freely. It is impossible to understand the dynamics of His message and the glory of His life without participating with Him in releasing those things left in our hands to manage. The Holy Spirit will direct us to channel all things to acquire the greatest benefit. True freedom is freedom from the bondage of sin bred in selfishness. What we have held too closely to have hindered the Lord from giving full expression of Himself to us. A freedom not yet experienced borne out of a need within us remains unmet. We were created to respond to God’s initiative in giving. None of what we manage is able to save our souls even though in the past we may have thought it would. True surrender is giving oneself completely to God. Only then is He given permission to direct us towards what is most important to Him. Today, what can you give that you thought that you could not do without? What is, or who is in need of your support that you might have thought was self-sufficient? Where is the Lord directing you that you would otherwise never go? Unless you break free from the binding shackles of your familiar, life for you will always be the same. There is a new place for you, a place of complete deliverance. You get there by receiving the gift of God which will enable you to give beyond your former level of giving.