Meditation: November 7

An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: (31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”  Jeremiah 5:30-31

When the power of God is absent, the people follow the dictates of their own hearts. They gravitate in the direction of leaders who tell them what they want to hear rather than desiring to hear from the Lord. There will always be people-pleasers among us whose mission is to appease the consciences of the wayward rather than to tell the wayward the truth. The Holy Spirit judges the land on the basis of our choices. Even though the world may be in flux, God require His own people to prove all things and to hold fast to what is good. There are so many choices and so many voices that without the discerning Spirit of God confusion would continue to hang as a heavy cloud over this nation. But God is speaking with a distinct voice providing us with a clear message. Those that love Him will love His Word. They will not go the way of the world down the primrose path of destruction. They will follow Him down the path of righteousness and His power will preserve them from the destruction that is coming upon the world.

Meditation: June 20

“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder)” 2 Peter 3:1

Our minds are purified as the result of hearing a pure word. The clutter of a misguided conscience and the pollutants of compromised values are removed and replaced with an understanding of absolutes that can withstand the scrutiny of contemporary questioning. A pure mind is to be treasured above all things. It means that the mind has processed what the heart has embraced. Then one is able to give a reason for the hope that is in them. They can defend the faith and withstand the scrutiny of error. Now that we can receive words of wisdom, we are not to entertain thoughts and ideas that can lead to moral failure. Our minds must remain pure in order for us to receive from God instructions for daily living. There are many things to be added to what we currently know. These are the building blocks that contribute to our becoming a spiritual habitation. They cause us to further set our minds on the things above and not be distracted by things around us and beneath us. We are reminded as to who we are in Christ and with Christ. He is our example and our guide. I write these things to re-mind you of these things. When we rewind, we remember what otherwise would be forgotten. We are on a journey, a mission of hope. We are encouraged through the right message to make it to the end.

 

Meditation: June 12

 “for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” 1 John 4:20

There is that moment in the life of every Christian where love is indiscriminately distributed. This is the mark of true conversion that one has passed from death unto life. It does not mean that the person will remain there, but if he has never been there, he has never received conversion. All too often very little is required of the seeker that limits his expectations of God. If God does not require the whole heart of the individual, how can that individual expect to receive the fullness of Christ? The test is openness to others with a heart overflowing with love. We cannot contain the authentic love of God for its objective is to be given away. Our mission is to fully follow after Him allowing His love to be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. If we love Him we will love our brother, love, and keep His commandments.

Meditation: April 23

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

Jesus came into the world for this very moment. He was on a mission to die for the sins of humanity. It required a sinless death and now the moment had arrived. The sufferings would come to an end. At least the bodily sufferings, but there awaited Him a degree of suffering of the soul that only one who loves deeply are able to experience. The purchased price for our redemption was completely paid. But there would be many who He loves that will yet reject all that He came into the world to provide. “He came into the world and the world rejected Him.” Those who did not understand rejected Him then, but now that it is finished, will there remain those who refuse to believe that what He gave was sufficient enough for them? His Spirit returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit has now been sent forth to give life to all who would receive Him. From the fall of Adam, the promise was made for man’s reconciliation to God. The prophets spoke of this day, and now it had arrived. It is finished, but for us life had just begun!

Meditation: January 16

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Acts 17:26

Our common ancestry unites us all into the family of the human race. We are a species of being to which God has given special attention. All may not be aware of it, but God has given His undivided attention to mankind. All created things have been set in motion to affect him in some way or another. He has been allowed to provide care for every created thing that dwell on the surface of the earth. The Dominion Mandate given to Adam is to be given expression through us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. To examine our physiology would be more than remarkable because there is more yet about how we were made yet undiscovered by the most trained and skilled doctor or scientist. But the question as to why we were made remains unanswered by the wisest philosophers, and psychologist who studies do not delve into the thoughts that appear to have no answers because if we are honest with ourselves, deep life questions always lead to the question of God. And if there is any evidence in nature around us or in our human nature than reveals the wonders of God, we are forced to acknowledge His existence. And if He exists, we are compelled to inquire into what He wills for our lives. We occupy both time and space in order to know the Lord and to make Him known. Our peace is joined to our mission. We benefit from what we share with others.

Meditation: October 10

“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6

The surety of the gospel message is an unflinching confidence that God is with him. God provides the messenger an assurance that all who love the Christ of the message will also love and accept the Christ within His messenger. The message and the Messenger can never be divided. As he further yields himself to Christ, that which is of Christ flows freely through him without any restraint. He does not rely upon a response from the people, even though positive responses are encouraging. But his motive is to please the One who sent him on the mission and nothing else. The Spirit of Christ can recognize Himself inside of him. He can make such bold proclamations as, “we are of God!” he doesn’t have to cautiously and timidly approach the subject. He is confident and radiant as he stands as God’s representative. He who is of God hears the one sent forth by God. His sheep both hears and knows His voice and a stranger they will not follow. The spirit of error has an appeal to those who are in error and are not seeking to escape. Only the truth can set us free from the dominating and controlling spirit of error that deceives many into believing that it is truer than truth itself.

Meditation: October 4

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” Hebrews 6:19

The waves of adversity will test the authenticity of our faith. Whether we have placed all our trust in God is proven in trying times. Here we cannot rely upon any other person or thing. We have launched out beyond the banks of secure living and now have placed our lives in the hands of the only One who can safely navigate us through troubled waters. It is the emotions that are first under attack. The mind would consider the safety and security of the harbor. Some would think it would have been much better if they had never launched out into the deep. It is only when we consider the Commissioner of the mission that we may rest assured that none of the things facing us along this journey has taken Him by surprise. He is there to protect us and to build within us something of value far beyond what we are at those moments of conflict able to see. To trust the Lord is to love Him with our minds, wills, and emotions. It is to submit what we would otherwise think or feel to Him in prayer that they may also be governed by His Spirit. He will settle us by showing us that He is with us. He will then remind us that the finished product is of far great value than the process required to arrive.

Meditation: September 8

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”  John 16:14

The work of the Holy Spirit is to arrest our thoughts and energy and guide them in a new direction. He will give us an understanding of all things that belong to Jesus Christ. Beforehand our thoughts would wander and attach themselves to things that destroy the soul. Before He intervened there existed no passion to pursue Christ because His life to us had no appeal. Some would attempt to redefine Christ’s  life and mission in order to pursue their own passions and goals. Their emptiness remained when the activity ended. There was no lasting effect to their experiences.

There is no contentment unless the Holy Spirit is completely in charge. He will not compete with the pettiness of selfish interests. He is committed to those things that please the Father alone and will not allow anything to get Him sidetracked. What we have learned and received of Christ is clarified and applied to the soul. As the Son did only those things that please the Father, so it is with us who are led of the Holy Spirit. We will sense His grief when our ways sway towards a different path. We will sense His pleasure as we maintain that course that He has prescribed. What a privilege we have to be led by the Holy Spirit! The Eternal reaches down into time in order to envelope the temporal in order to lift mortals to a new place and a new vision. Once we see with the Lord what He has always seen, we no longer wish to entertain ideas beneath the standard now revealed to us. Even when we drift in thought and action, the same Spirit reminds us of who we are. It is the knowledge of Christ that changes us. Once we have been changed, our contentment is with godliness. Those allurements are outside of us and no longer in us. His glory is our good and His pleasure becomes our peace of heart and mind.

Meditation: January 16

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Acts 17:26

Our common ancestry unites us all into the family of the human race. We are a species of being to which God has given special attention. All may not be aware of it, but God has given His undivided attention to mankind. All created things have been set in motion to affect him in some way or another. He has been allowed to provide care for every created thing that dwell on the surface of the earth. The Dominion Mandate given to Adam is to be given expression through us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. To examine our physiology would be more than remarkable because there is more yet about how we were made yet undiscovered by the most trained and skilled doctor or scientist. But the question as to why we were made remains unanswered by the wisest philosophers, and psychologist who studies do not delve into the thoughts that appear to have no answers because if we are honest with ourselves, deep life questions always lead to the question of God. And if there is any evidence in nature around us or in our human nature than reveals the wonders of God, we are forced to acknowledge His existence. And if He exists, we are compelled to inquire into what He wills for our lives. We occupy both time and space in order to know the Lord and to make Him known. Our peace is joined to our mission. We benefit from what we share with others.

Meditation: November 7

An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: (31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”  Jeremiah 5:30-31

When the power of God is absent, the people follow the dictates of their own hearts. They gravitate in the direction of leaders who tell them what they want to hear rather than desiring to hear from the Lord. There will always be people-pleasers among us whose mission is to appease the consciences of the wayward rather than to tell the wayward the truth. The Holy Spirit judges the land on the basis of our choices. Even though the world may be in flux, God require His own people to prove all things and to hold fast to what is good. There are so many choices and so many voices that without the discerning Spirit of God confusion would continue to hang as a heavy cloud over this nation. But God is speaking with a distinct voice providing us with a clear message. Those that love Him will love His Word. They will not go the way of the world down the primrose path of destruction. They will follow Him down the path of righteousness and His power will preserve them from the destruction that is coming upon the world.