Meditation: October 7

“And ifI 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 6

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21). 

The immediate challenges of our day oftentimes cloud our view from seeing the faithfulness of God throughout the years. Living in the immediate alone without any reference to the past will make us feel as if we must take matters into our own hands. God has given us the gift of memory to reflect upon His goodness directed towards us even when all hope seemed to be lost. We are then able to feast through reflection, on His faithfulness. Whatever may appear as an impassable mountain standing before us, God is there with His wisdom and His strength awaiting our request. He will first settle us in our difficulties to know that He has knowledge of our present state. Then He will provide for us the wisdom to see all things from His perspective. If this is one of those obstacles that should not be, or is a test of our faithfulness to Him, in time He will provide for us the right answer and resolve. He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are steadily focused on Him knowing that our God is greater than our circumstances. 

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: 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 will take 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 itself. 

“When They Say Peace and Safety” -Pastor Woodrow Walker, II

Moral clarity is paramount for peaceful rule to flourish in our society. However, peace can be a mere pause in the process if it is not fostered and cultivated. Effective leadership must always set as its aim to calm the torrential climate, particularly when the threat of war hangs like a dark cloud over the entire world. The Antichrist will present himself as a man of peace, yet his agenda will be global domination. As followers of Christ, we must be keenly aware of the contradictory rhetoric of those who speak one thing and demonstrate another. A tree is identified by the fruit it bears, and unless the supposed peacemaker has a peaceful disposition, he cannot, for political advantages, qualify as a peacemaker. The prophet spoke that “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.16 “By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned…” (Ezekiel 18:15-16). The latter portion of these verses accurately describes the fallen nature of humanity in general, however, it explicitly depicts those who wish to build a reputation that is contrary to their character. What they say cannot be trusted and hidden behind their words is a motive for global domination and control while they enrich themselves in the process.
Adolf Hitler could not find peace in Nazi Germany unless he were able to exterminate the Jewish Race. He sanctioned the media and all printed material, which was replaced with propaganda that supported his mission. Likewise, raw politics may swing in either direction where a single issue may become the focus as a Trojan Horse, while sound bites are circulated. Even though they all sound alike, they are restricted to stay within the narrow sphere that their leaders prescribed. Any discussion beyond the set parameters is labeled as divisive or antithetical to the cause. Whoever controls the agenda sways the masses of people, and when they say anything, the voice of their god is heard.
The Presence of Jesus Christ disturbs the peace of those who are deceived and the Light of the Gospel shines through and exposes the works of darkness. The dark side of American history cannot be cancelled but it can only be exposed, dealt with, or hidden underneath the cover of deceit. If the greatness of God is the standard that will be used, then truth, righteousness, equity, and forgiveness must be modeled by the people of God to the rest of the world. Then the peace that only the Prince of Peace offers can become our peace.

Meditation: October 2

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). 

Our comprehension will become the measure of our apprehension. When there is a willingness to understand that part of Jesus Christ which has been given to the saving of the soul, one then is able to be saved. If there is no interest in eternal life, but merely a desire to catch a few of the trappings from the promises given to the believer, he may prosper to a degree in those things, but be eternally lost. The light that God sent to men was the light of eternal life. This light illumines and guides the person to understand how little he really understands about Christ. Yet it awakens his interest to pursue Him with a passion never realized until the light has come. Those who are hungry for more than worldly pleasures or survival have seen something more of Him. The blinding light of His glory fixes their attention on a different object of affection. They become dead to the world and alive unto Christ. Paul wanted nothing more than to apprehend that for which he was apprehended. He wanted to pursue the purpose for which God saved him from self-destruction. May we walk in the light that shines in the midst of darkness. 

Meditation: October 1

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). 

The dimensions and dynamics of God’s grace are immeasurable. When we think about the severity of our sins in light of His righteousness, we can then agree with Him that all sins are worthy of death. Only when we give consideration to the depth of the offense will we fully appreciate the grace God provided and extended towards us. He takes what we deserved and separates it from us. Then as we grow in our understanding of what He requires as a means of cleansing us from the stench of the ruin of sin, He can then separate us from it. Forgiveness of sin is the cleansing from all unrighteousness. It is as if the Lord took a large eraser and erased all that was before. Then we are instructed in how we are to live in order to remain cleansed from what we once participated in. Even in the process of learning, He has made provisions through the precious blood of Jesus to cleanse us of all unrighteousness if we confess our sins. He takes our transgressions, that is, our movements beyond His established boundaries, and gives us credit on the part of the One who paid the price for us. What a wonderful privilege! It is ours to take full advantage of the provision provided for us and live a life of gratitude for all the wonderful things done for us through Christ Jesus. 

” The Harvest” – Pastor Woodrow Walker, II

Genesis 8:20 “While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

It was the altar that Noah built after the Flood had ended, that brought about a tremendous promise from the Lord. Even though the imagination of man’s heart was evil from his youth, He promised not to destroy again what He had created by resetting what was first established. Creation would multiply within its season of reproduction. Even though the seed of Satan was firmly planted in the hearts of fallen humanity, God planted a seed that would produce fruits of righteousness. Similarly, we need to build an altar unto the Lord while violence and corruption continue to increase. The altars to foreign gods and the High Places of the enemy must be destroyed. An avalanche of evil has erupted recently, and some who thought themselves righteous are fighting evil with evil, unaware of their actions. However, you cannot fight fire with fire…It is time to rethink the current methodologies as we face one of the greatest battles of our time. Noah built an altar unto the Lord God of Heaven and Earth as the water receded, and a dove returned with evidence that there was dry land ahead. The dove represents the Holy Spirit, and we have the promise of the Spirit that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! The question asked by so many is, why would God allow things to happen? Does He have the power to stop things before they develop into national and global crises? The pain that we must suffer and endure appears to be more than we can bear.

The record shows that seeds are being planted that must mature and germinate. It all depends on what season you are in as to what may be happening in your life at this present time. If it is seed time, you must wait for harvest time. The cold of winter brings the warmth of summer, and while you are waiting for a change of seasons, the character of Christ is being developed within you. No experience or time is wasted, and God uses every season for His good and for your future glory. Although weeds grow quickly without any need for cultivation, delicate plants require nurturing and care, or they will die prematurely. You are precious in the sight of your Father, God. He alone knows what it takes for you to fully become what He has in mind for you, both in time as well as in eternity.

Harvest time will come! Then the wait will be worth whatever price you have to pay. The time would be proven to be well spent, even though, as it was with Noah, you may look foolish and be ridiculed by those who did not believe in rain, nor floods of rain. The Harvest is what is produced for you as well as what is produced inside of you. The cultivation of the soul is a ministry to your heart and the hearts of others. 2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Meditation: September 1

“…. they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10b). 

The motive behind one’s action is either truth or pleasure. Throughout our lifetimes we have made decisions on the basis of either of these factors. Usually it is pleasure and if truth can be found in pursuit of it, there is an added bonus. It gives one the sense of being right. The path of least resistance in pursuit of wholeness is a pursuit of pleasure and often requires the compromise of truth. The quest for truth must be deliberate unless a compromised version of it surfaces as a substitute for the real thing. The reason truth alone appears to be so unattractive is because it prohibits the full expression of free will. To follow ones heart is to allow the dictates of the world, the flesh, and the devil to dominate the life of the person. The heart unchanged will by nature violate the laws of God because of the nature of sin dwelling within the heart. “They did not receive the love of the truth,” they had not allowed their hearts to be changed by the Word of Truth. They found pleasure in other things which prohibited them from receiving the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit will make the Truth of God sensible thus bringing one to a place of receiving in the heart what the mind is yet to fully understand. It is saying yes to God before He thoroughly explains what one has agreed to. This is faith in God’s Word to take us where God desires for us to go rather than where we wish for Him to take us. The grace to be saved is the grace to accept God’s Word and to be passionate about it. Then our confidence in Him will position us to understand what is reserved, not for the wise and prudent but for His babes. 

“The Value of Wisdom” – Pastor Woodrow Walker, II

The mind is conditioned to accept or reject whatever data is introduced to it. When some of the thoughts flow from the mind to the heart, the heart embraces what it receives, and a mindset is established. Subsequently, individuals establish their identity based on their perceptions. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7). The most intriguing question one could ask is, “Do you really know who you are?” You may know who you would like to think that you are, but who you think you are or who you may say that you are does not necessarily define you. The Scripture does not restrict your identity to the thoughts of the mind, but rather, the thoughts of the heart. The Bible speaks of the heart condemning those whose minds would never do such a thing. The Spirit searches the mind and the heart, but the deepest work is the work that must take place within the heart. You may force your mind to agree with your aspirations, and it can be changed with very little external influence. But the heart, during the time of silent reflections, may convict rather than justify unjust actions.

Fallen humanity has a fatal disease called ‘sin.’ The prognosis for sin is that it leaves no survivors. Every individual will eventually die because sin resides within our members. The wage that sin pays is death, yet death must work its way through the life of the unsuspecting. The poison of sin deadens the nerves and causes one to become insensitive to God’s Word of wisdom. Then, it looks for an environment to grow and reproduce after its kind. The heart of humanity was corrupted when Adam sinned and everything produced by him carried within itself the very nature of his fallen condition. There would be no remedy for his condition unless there existed a re-creation to replace the old one that was destined for decay and ruin. Wisdom has its beginning through the acknowledgement of mankind’s helpless state. Any effort on his part would merely further what has already been set in motion. The wisdom to repent is when one is wise enough to refrain from continuing the path of self-destruction where God takes away the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh. Sensitivity returns, and the voice of God can then be heard. A breakaway occurs when one follows Christ, rather than the crowd, wherever He leads. The Psalmist even acknowledged this when he said, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12).

God adds value to life because He alone gives it meaning and introduces the formerly wayward individual to a life of purpose. Those who gain their lives on their own terms will lose the meaning assigned to life given to them by God, their Maker. However, the individual who is willing to allow the Lord to bring meaning and purpose to life will gain eternal life as a reward. To those who are the Lord’s, there is a reason to get up each morning. His mercy is new every morning, and His grace is sufficient to provide whatever is needed to complete whatever has been assigned to him. That is why we thank God for His wisdom, mercy, and grace!