Meditation: November 12

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

The knowledge of God is complete in itself. The expanse of His knowledge reaches from eternity past through time into the farthest regions of eternity future. It cuts through the plethora of knowledge of man leaving him exhausted of both mental and physical strength and remains unfazed by his futile attempts to disprove what He knows is true. It is with this knowledge that He knew the Prophet. It is the same knowledge in which each of us is known. He is aware of His intentions for our lives. There is a place personally reserved for each of us to fill. That spot may be vacant now, but in time the Lord expects us to occupy that place and fulfill our calling. His was to speak prophetically to the nations. Ours may be to touch one life. But each person is ordained by God to step into that place where God is able to take us where we need to go. None can excuse their apparent deficiencies as a reason to descend. He knows each ones weaknesses but calls him just the same. Our healing and future wholeness is predicated upon our willingness and obedience. We must take our places as to give no place to left vacant for the enemy to invade. This is what God knows about us and willing to allow us to see within ourselves.

Meditation: November 4

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

This was not the initial phase of Paul’s life after meeting Jesus. After having been introduced, he was left with an indelible impression upon his soul. His whole life was spent in an attempt to fully embrace what he both saw and experienced in meeting such a man. He was intrigued by the phenomena of God in the flesh; a glimpse of the glory state of his own soul trusting that the time would come when the Christ that he saw from a distance would totally possess him. It is Christ in us that give us the hope of glory. All other expressions of life would be so futile in their pursuits after such an encounter because they become mere shadows since the realness of Christ has become so real to us. This is the place the Lord intends to deliver each of us to. Once we are there, a passion to shed all that would compete with the life in the Spirit is willingly abandoned. No longer is it the pangs of death, but rather the pleasures of willful obedience that is anticipated. A new life springs forth in the place of where the old life once occupied. Only when the old has passed will the new be realized. It is faith in the Son of God, our having that quality of faith in Him and what He has done because He of loves us that keeps us connected. Then we can glorify the Lord in our flesh through the new life now lived.

Meditation: October 7

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3

The heavenly place must be occupied by the preparer before it can be inhabited by the prepared. The place was the reward of obedience to the will of the Father. All requirements of His earthly life were fulfilled. He was spiritually there even though He was still here. His spirit at that point knew no limits. His death was the ultimate qualifier for His bodily entrance into the place once filled by Him spiritually. The heavenly place was to become the permanent positioning of all who would allow the life of Jesus Christ to fully absorb their own. His finished work was to be presented to the Father as evidence through the passageway of death. His spirit had already ascended, yet all limits of time and space had been removed. Those who have received His life are seated in heavenly places in Christ. We are there in Him. Just as He arose from the grave and now the Man Jesus Christ is there in bodily form, so shall we be in the future. Now His life is to be given expression on the earth through us. We are there in Him and He is here in us. All of our efforts are to become the expression and evidence of the One who is here among us and in us. He must be altogether here in us as we are altogether there in Him.

Meditation: October 5

“When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”2 Chronicles 7:1

The prayer of King Solomon in the dedication of the Temple was heard in heaven. He had listened to God in completing the task to which he was assigned. He was chosen by God as King of Israel, and now prayed a prayer of dedication for what the Lord had allowed him to participate in doing. It is a glorious thing to be a part of God’s work and attentive enough to listen fully to His instructions. He did not add nor take away from the specific instructions of God. His obedience to God provided for him the opportunity to place a sacrifice upon the altar. Many things may be offered to God with the intent of warranting His acceptance. But God only answers with fire that which is acceptable to Him. Are we placing sacrifices on the altar of God without giving Him His proper honor? We must do what He has assigned us to do. Then we can place on His altar our sacrifice. The consuming fire of God will be His response to us that we have given Him, not the speckled or the defiled, but what He is willing to accept.

Meditation: September 15

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”  1 Corinthians 9:16

I must” is to brave the storms of life in spite of the difficulties required of me to survive. I can only give light consideration to the cost attached to obedience. Obedience is often costly because there are so many options that could lead to paths of least resistance. Yet the call of God to obey rings strong within my  heart and ears in spite of my mind fighting against it and telling me that there are other ways go and other things to  be done. Some of them appear to be equally important, and at times, seem to outweigh the measure of this assignment because of greater gain and requiring less effort. But God speaks “woe” to the very thought of my disobedience to His command. Necessity is laid on me to speak the truth when the lie or even silence would be of greater benefit. “I must” do what God has called me to do. I must speak what He has given me to speak. Yet I cannot boast of it because to preach the gospel is not of me, but of Christ. He must speak through me if the words spoken are to have any power. I must speak but I must yield my whole life to Him. This is how I grow in both grace and knowledge by letting Christ be Himself in me. Then the power of God is able to draw sinners to the Cross of Jesus Christ and those who have been drawn are able to grow. They are not just hearing the message but become the message because then they are able to see the message in me. I am not driven by obligation but rather compelled by love. Since I have been drawn, it would be denial of Christ and all of His grace dispensed towards me to do otherwise.     

Meditation: September 6

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

The consistency of the message is as important as the message itself. Messages that contradict what has been established as foundational in our understanding of Christ cause spiritual erosion to occur within the soul. The writer of Hebrews was warning them to remember what was established within them by those who both spoke and modeled the standard of which they once faithfully followed. Consider that their instructions were intended to lead them to an end result that was to reach far beyond the immediate. This is what any faithful disciple must consider. Those who lead are graced to guide their followers into areas that can only be understood once obedience is completed. Disobedience occurs as the result of being carried away or allured, and not led.  Character deficiencies are sensitive to an alien appeal. One is then flesh driven rather than Spirit-led. One’s diet must consist of that which can provide for eternal gain. It should not consist of the delicacies that appeal to the taste but does harm to the body. What Jesus taught His disciples required them to fully follow Him if they were to become disciples indeed. Through their continuance, they were led to understand aspects of His call to holiness and righteousness. Otherwise it would have appeared to be merely be a call to the enjoyment of the fish and the loaves. His call was to self-denial, to taking up one’s cross, and following Him. Only then would they participate with Him in the glory that awaited them on the other side of full obedience.

Meditation: August 19

“And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers.  Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Isa 30:20-21

The departure from the Way is the root cause of the adversity that comes from the Lord. There are challenges that come as result of obedience and challenges that are rooted in rebellion. The difference between the two is the adherence on the part of the challenged to hear the instructions that come from the Lord. He is available to deliver us from all of our trouble, but do we listen to His voice before us to lead or have we left what He has to say to us behind? Their teachers were sidelined and replaced with guides who misguided them. They listened to falsehoods as blind guides led them into pits. But God did not abandon them even though they had abandoned Him. From behind His voice could still be heard. From the rear, the places inhabited and celebrated was the voice of God speaking to them in order for them to return to the old landmarks and to walk in the tried and proven Way. What foundation was the Lord building within you and what is being built upon it now? The wood, hay, and stubble of worldliness are of a different quality from the gold, silver, and precious stones of righteousness, holiness, and sanctification. Though your heart may desire many things, God will often calls us to go back rather than forward in order to revisit what we have left and be restored to the spiritual state we were once in. Those who were there are still there, but the question is, where are you? Can you in this state of mind and heart receive or has the hardness set in so that the journey is determined by feelings rather than faith? God says, “This is the Way, walk in it.”

Mediation: August 2

“SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away.”  Hebrews 2:1 ( AMP)

The things we neglect we forget. The things we give attention to are remembered. It is easy to have good intentions and resolve to apply great truths to various aspects our lives, but unless that commitment is immediately acted upon, the urgency of the moment will fade. Even if the thought returns, the zeal would have diminished. Obedience to God is to make Him the priority of your life. It is to make first things first at all times. Disobedience will dull the senses and the spirit becomes sluggish in its response to the Word of God. That person will eventually become a selective hearer and not be able to contain great truths when they are conveyed because the capacity to comprehend them has not been developed.

Pay attention to God’s Word, especially those truths that you do not understand. Your interest in the deep things of God will prompt your inquiring mind to search with all diligence. Then when you ask God through prayer, the answers to life’s most perplexing questions and the resolve to the most difficult challenges will be yours for aspects Jesus will be revealed to you and you will see and know Him in the midst of all that you encounter.

Meditation: June 27

 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments,For this is man’s all.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13

The fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins. It is the acknowledgement of God’s existence and His divine power. Even though He is invisible, the evidence remains that God is Almighty.  Many have lost their fear of the Lord and has either disrespected and ignored Him altogether or reduced Him to a level that makes Him common. As important as it its, yet the fear of the Lord does not constitute salvation. Even the devil believes that there is a God and trembles. The second must accompany the first. We must keep His commandments. An attempt to keep His commandments solely on the basis of fear will lead to a Pharisaic and legalistic form of obedience. It is the motivation is love that provides consistency in our obedience to Him. If we love Him our will is to obey Him. The Royal Law of love provides a constant flow from our hearts to the object of our faith. Then it is distributed towards the assignments given to us. We must see the objective from beginning to end. Then our path will remain straight because our intentions will remain pure.

Meditation: June 3

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

In an age of diversity, tolerance, and political correctness, to speak exclusively that One would stand out among the crowd condemning all others beside as false, lifeless, and insignificant. So it is with God who has no respect for other gods. None other is to be worshiped and the exclusive course to the Father is through His Son, Jesus Christ.  What is most difficult to many is to understand the effect of original sin. None had access because of man’s nature as sinners. When sin is ignored then the need for a Savior is unnecessary. But thanks be to God, a provision was made through the death of His own Son that we might be redeemed! Idolatry is the pursuit of a god that is either after Him or in place of Him. He must stand alone ii He is to be worshiped. Renounce any idols in your life that may be competing for your exclusive obedience to Him.