Meditation: June 16, 2014

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

The two most important truth contained within this Scripture is when Jesus is truly recognized, it is His influence and not our own that must take precedence. We are given influence in order to influence others to see and know Him. Some may not remember us, but that is not the most important thing. If they are enabled to see Him and be led by Him, the work of God is complete and the reward in heaven awaits us. Secondly, our moment in the sun is temporary. Ours is to prepare the way for those who will take our place. A good spiritual leader must maintain his sight on eternity yet recognize the continuing work in time. Who will be our successors, and will they exceed us in effectiveness? Fathers must pass the baton or torch to their sons to run the relay race excelling beyond the old record that was previously set. Records are set to be broken. As the knowledge of Jesus Christ increases, there will be a generation that will reach cultures and penetrate places beyond our abilities. But we must train them for the task that lie ahead. We must get out of the way and let Jesus have His way. 

Meditation: June 13, 2014

 “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ. —“ Ephesians 4:15

The alternative to flowing with the wind and being influenced by the culture is hearing that we might do what the Word says. It was Paul’s passion to speak only what the Lord had to say. Even though the message is a challenge to current culture, it is the expression of a higher and deeper dimension of love. It is spoken in love when the desire of the heart of the messenger is to see those he has been called to address grow into developing the character of Christ. Often the growth of the hearers may excel beyond the level of the speaker, but he should not be jealous of his spiritual children. Instead, he should encourage them to take what they have received beyond his level of understanding for the Word alive within the hearer increases as seed to produce a great harvest. Ministers should not waste time addressing every other subject rather than God’s Truth. There is no growth is these side issues. Christ is the answer to every problem but He can only be known through faithful ministers. We are obligated to counter the movements that prevail against the soul of the wayward. Then they have a course set before them leading them to life.

Meditation: June 5, 2014

“God is far higher than you can imagine, far deeper than you can comprehend.” Job 11:8 (MSG)

Dimensions of God extend far beyond our imaginations. It is impossible for any of us to contain what is to be known of God within our minds. Even those with vivid imaginations one can create fiction with such realism as to draw out tender emotions from the coldest of hearts. Yet much is left wanting in comparison to the majesty of God. There are no limits to Him. The only way to describe Him is through the use of superlatives in comparison and in contrast to what is known. He is higher than the heavens. He is deeper than Sheol, or the depths of hell. There are some who cannot accept what they cannot fully understand. They restrict themselves to the finiteness of their own minds and cannot be expanded to understand spiritual things. Only those who believe on His Name are given the opportunity to explore the depths of God. Throughout eternity, the mysteries of His Kingdom will forever be our quest and our joy in their fulfillment. We now see it, we have the privilege to enter into it, and ultimately we will know its mysteries as we explore its height, width, breadth, and depth throughout eternity.

Meditation: May 22, 2014

 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

The keys unlock the doors to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. With one key, the largest and the most difficult door can swing open on the hinges of faith. Peter was given the keys to unlock every door existing there. The possessing of keys is essential, but their proper use is still required. Peter received from the Father the revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ accompanied with the relationship that exists between them. The revelation that He is the Christ provides the keys given to man in order for him to correspond and commune with God. Now it takes spiritual growth and experience to know what things we should ask for thus aligning ourselves with the will of the Father. When earth reflects the will of heaven then earth will have upon it an instrument that will use the keys as a means of having God’s kingdom to come, and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is Christ working His work through humanity. His prayer will be upon our lips and whatever Jesus prays for, the Father will hear and answer.

Meditation: May 20, 2014

“And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.” Ezekiel 47:9

The waters of life will flow from the Temple thus producing life wherever it flows. The dry and brittle soil will receive the refreshing of revival when the Temple has enough water to flow from it to places beyond its doors. God has given us what the world so desperately needs. In a culture of death and spiritual stagnation, many are in pursuit of a truth that is able to reach the soul. The cosmetic treatments of fatal illnesses have not sufficed. There remains a wound deep within the soul that nothing external is able to satisfy. It requires the living water so that one would not have to continue coming to the well. God has given authority to the Church to be salt and light to the world. But His anointing will flow from His people touching the whole of His creation that now groans for redemption. God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. It will awaken a people who will align themselves with the Lord, thus allowing His glory to be reflected throughout the whole earth. They will not try to usurp the glory and honor that is God’s alone, but rather reflect it, thus bringing glory to His Name.  Everywhere the river goes will be healed.

Meditation: April 26, 2014

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”  Phil 3:10

There is continuing aspects of Jesus Christ made available to us. Our spiritual hunger to fully identify with Him qualifies us to know what was unknown. We have come to know that He is our Savior and Lord through His Word. We believe on Him and apply faith in all of His promises. Yet the more we know of Him a fire is ignited within our hearts to experience Him. To share with Him in His experience of life is the grandest endeavor one could ever attain. The evidence that we know Him is that we recognize that there is much more to be known than what we have come to know. The height and depth of His love is to be explored throughout our lifetime. Oh the joy of knowing that it is Christ working in us and the sufficiency is not of us! We have been raised in newness of life. Now each experience whether it be painful or pleasurable, is ordered by our Master for a purpose far greater than any at this moment are able to see. “None of me, all of Thee; None of me, all unto Thee!” As portions of my self-life dies, I am attaining to the resurrection of the dead.

Meditation: March 25, 2014

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” Ephesians 4:14

 Children are in a stage of indecision and in need of a guidance counselor to place them on the right track. But as we grow, the instructions are there to keep us on the established track made possible through spiritual fathers. Those formative years are so important in order for “the way” to be made clear when the pressures are brought to bear against the soul to compromise. Adults should no longer act childish in their approach to life. God provides for us what is needed for our stability, but if the godly instructions are not heeded, the winds of doctrine will leave unstable to being tossed to and fro and eventually they will be carried away from the foundation. God gave spiritual gifts to those who desire to become spiritually mature. Only the mature are able to lead others to maturity. Childish and unstable thinking will breed unstable souls who will follow another as quickly as they would follow you. Whatever impresses them at the moment holds their attention, but just for a little while. Then they will eventually move on to something different. God’s desire is for each to remain rightly joined for the sake of the Body. We are then edified and He will be glorified.

Meditation: March 18, 2014

“The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Joel 1:10

There are times when conditions are bleak and the people are called to repentance. Nothing occurs by chance. God withdraws His Hand among a people who think they have the abilities to manage their affairs. It is not that the people are completely abandoned but rather, they are allowed to feel the results of decisions made when He is no longer reverenced as Lord. Without His oversight, the field is wasted, the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. Each requires what only God is able to give for their sustenance. Without His care the people must manage without the rain that must fall from heaven. Nothing planted is able to grow without the rain. When it touches the seed, it will then spring forth with new life. Spiritual dryness is a condition where the people have not come to realize the source of challenges facing the world. God’s people must in humility seek His face and turn in the direction of righteousness in order for the rain to fall from heaven and cause all things to flourish.

March 2014 Article: “The Winds Of Change”

Seasons change, conditions are changing, and people will change. The world is in a constant state of motion. Life is a linear move towards a future state of being. Yes, we are changing, but the question is what are we becoming? Some would like to believe that they are making progress, while the mental attitudes of those who see themselves as progressives constantly pump themselves up with positive affirmations. Even though words do in fact have power, the truth will set you free.

Constantly saying a thing is not the exercise of faith. Faith must involve seeing the right path on which your life must travel. Then by faith, you must continually seek God’s direction to avoid veering from that course. Change presents the challenge to travel down the path of least resistance and it can be so subtle that it may happen unnoticed. This is not the same environment of the previous decade. Decisions have been made that influenced the mindsets of society as a whole, and now, it has become more difficult to express the values you once held dear. If you for a moment are more concerned about the majority opinion rather than maintaining a commitment for what is right, you have lost the cultural war. It is not what the majority of the people think or what you may think that you know; it is what God knows that really matters.

The mind of man is so fickle that even a popular movie depicted by actors can be enough for many to change their minds. The sound effects and the mood-setting music have the tendency to mesmerize the soul into a state of receptivity. Consequently, the conscience is not discerning enough to filter through what is being presented as fact or mere fiction. It is just entertainment, so why take this matter so seriously? It is because everything that we are exposed to, whether consciously or unconsciously, has the potential of influencing consensus opinion. It is similar to the frog in the kettle…The water is gradually warmed while the frog adjusts to his new found environment until eventually he is boiled in his pleasure. Is it mere entertainment or is it a part of the systemic programming of the will to accept what God has prohibited to defy and ultimately compete for His throne? Just listen with spiritual discernment to the message that the majority has chosen. The magnetic pull of sin and spiritual rebellion has brought the mass minds of society its lowest state without question.

The outcome is a dissatisfaction that continues to surmount. Suicide, drug abuse, murder, family violence, and divorce are at all-time highs. Even though the path may appear natural, it was never the path intended for you to travel. The changes occurring all around you will sweep you under its current unless a change takes place within the heart. God is unchangeable and anchors the soul, enabling you to get on the course for which you were born. You were not made for what the world is becoming. You were made to glorify your Creator. The heavens and all of nature respond to its Creator…But since God has given you the choice to love Him or rebel against Him, will you align your will to His will? Only then will you experience the peace that you so desperately sought after in the wrong places. Change is constant. You are living in a climate of change. But the question is, will you change in order for the Unchangeable One to bring you into proper alignment for which you were born? For God’s sake, don’t be swept away by the wind.

Meditation: January 3, 2014

“I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.”  Psalm. 16:2(MSG)

To reason is a virtue. Through reasoning we embrace the truths applied to our hearts with a renewed mind and emblazoned hope. Those who have meditated upon the Word have arrived at conclusions that are vastly different from those who merely compare the spiritual to the natural. It is the reasoning that is limited to what is known, or merely natural that will lead to a great impasse. Our minds alone cannot grasp the origin of the creation of all things. Neither can we figure out their proper use and truest meaning. Only God is able to guide us into the deep mysteries that would raise even deeper questions than otherwise would be asked. However, the journey on which we are led will reveal to us His Majesty and Glory. We cannot help but worship the One who knows and reveals secret things to His children that the wise and prudent are not privy to. None of His wisdom is sensible void of knowing Him. As we pursue Him, the knowledge of His will for all things becomes sensible. Without Him, nothing makes sense.