Know Commitment – A Devotion

Psalm 25:8-10 (NLT)

The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

 

To know God a covenant must be established between the heart of each man or woman with the Lord on a personal, intimate level. Beneath the surface of superficiality, it is a commitment to the Lord in exchange for everything God has promised. It is a mutual relationship that yields more for God’s People than it does for our Father in Heaven. God is good. He is always good. He is unable to sin. He cannot falter. It is not in His Character or Nature. He is the perfect partner because of this trait yet people struggle everyday to commit their heart and life to God and enter the Covenant that He is offering. Life is laid before mankind as a route to the proper path as we have all gone astray. The primary purpose for our existence is to know God and enter into covenant with Him. It is the reason you are alive. God is patient, loving and kind. He searches for the humble and righteous scouring the darkness of the world for the smallest flicker of light. These are the people God is passionate over. The ones who realize in the midst of the confusion and desperation of a dying world that without the Promise of God they will never make it out alive, a people who have decided that the trivial love and frivolous nature of the world is not for them desiring a deep, abiding relationship with their Creator. Is that you? Tired of being letdown by earthly love and in search of love, joy, peace and hope, I have good news. God is looking for you as well. His Unfailing Love and Faithfulness has aimed its sights on you unyielding and unrelenting, God desires your heart. He is seeking engagement. The Dowry of God is His Promises and they are rich. Though we have little to offer, we have exactly what He desires – our mind, body and soul. The being who He created is all that God demands – will today be the day you become committed to your Creator? Will it be the day that His Unfailing Love and Faithfulness take you over? Today could be the day that you know God by knowing His Covenant for your life!

Psalm 105:7-8 (NLT)

He is the LORD our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by his covenant—the commitment he made to a thousand generations.

 

God is a Covenant God. He is committed to His Will and His Promises. He does not change. He does not lie. (Numbers 23:19) When God speaks promises to His People they are bound by His Person. They have to be fulfilled because as the Creator and Sovereign Ruler it is a mandate that must come true to confirm His Authority. (Isaiah 55:11) A covenant with God is a commitment between the Highest Ruling Power in the Universe and His Creation. It is personal. It is between one person and God. Unfortunately, sin has made it impossible for mankind to reciprocate proper love to God. With fickle hearts, His People struggle to remain committed to their First Love instead running from place to place looking for love in all the wrong places based on emotion. Even Christians struggle to serve God based on how they feel. Your relationship with God is much more than a casual friendship. His Fervent Love for you demanded a bond that included a pledge and promise sealed by Blood. Such a commitment requires death when broken. It is not to be taken lightly. God’s Covenant with mankind through the Blood of Jesus Christ is an engagement. Your heart now belongs to One and Only One – the Lord. You have no right within the mandates of your promise to God to share your heart and life with anyone more than God. God is committed to His Covenant. It is time to know what commitment really is and enter this New Covenant God has offered His People.

Hebrews 8:10-11 (NLT)

But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.

 

God was not satisfied with the proximity of mankind. He wanted His Children closer so He did away with the old covenant that required continuous sacrifice for prevailing sin and offered a New Covenant. This New Covenant was made possible through the Blood of Jesus Christ shed for the remission of sin once and for all. It was complete payment for the sin penalty and an opportunity for people to have a brand new life and live in close proximity to God all the days of their life. No longer would there be a need to go through a priest or mediator but now His People could enter directly in to His Presence and communicate with God face-to-face and heart-to-heart. The external relationship with God and people became internal. His Word could now be etched on the human heart rather than stone tablets. His Spirit would now be able to dwell inside of man. No longer would man have to lead man into worship. A covenant with a people now was reduced to a covenant that was personal and intimate. God desires an intimate covenant relationship with you today. Others may share the Truth with you, your church may support your commitment to Christ, however; it is a personal promise-filled covenant between you and your Father. It is intimate. You must know God to have this kind of relationship. It is the heart’s desire of God. Is it your heart’s desire?

Hebrews 12:23-25 (NLT)

You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!

 

As we move through the Blood of Jesus Christ into the New Covenant and New Life provided in our agreement with God, it is important to note that this is not a promise to be taken lightly. It is a commitment bond stronger than any marriage. It should be contemplated and defined. You must know the terms of this arrangement for it is a matter of life or death. Naturally, we gravitate toward life but it has a requirement. The old life living under the old covenant demanding a blood sacrifice is now left behind to enter this Old Covenant. You have yielded your heart, mind and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. No longer is your body your own. Everything it does, thinks or speaks is representative of the Kingdom of God because you have accepted the terms of the New Covenant. Our new life is characterized by obedience and commitment to the Lord in ALL things. It is important to be righteous in your standing with God. Otherwise it is a breach of contract and even though grace is available for those who strive to live for the Lord, it is not available to those who do not pass completely through His Blood. Your entire life is subject to this bond with God. Not just the parts you choose to yield, it is a whole covenant not lacking in promise or benefit that requires your whole life to be established. Do not be foolish in thinking that God is fooled by half-hearted love and commitment.

Genesis 9:12-16 (NLT)

Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.”

God identified the problems in the world. He searched for one who was righteous and found Noah. God provided an arc for safe passage from death to life. Then God flooded the whole earth removing the sinful generation who had reproduced generations of faithless people. It was a brand new start. God gave Noah the promise that He would never do such a thing again and sealed it with a sign – the rainbow. Though there have been floods all around the world some small while others devastating, God has never wiped the earth clean again. God sees the problem, provides for the faithful and makes a promise. God makes a covenant with His People while man can only make a commitment to God. A Covenant is a pledge that is specific, detailed and formal which is backed by all the Authority of God. Man can only commit their life to God because we really have nothing to offer. We can live in His Covenant but God cannot depend on our commitment. Jesus Christ allows God to live in our life. His Blood is the ultimate sacrifice that allows us to maintain a relationship with God. Noah had a rainbow. We have Jesus Christ. I am quite sure when the sky rumbled and clouds filled the air that Noah instantly sought a rainbow. When storm clouds rise and faith seems futile, we have Jesus Christ. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we too have blessed assurance that even when we falter in our commitment – God’s Covenant holds true.

Matthew 26:27-28 (NLT)

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenantbetween God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

 

To solidify our commitment to God, people must constantly strive to remain true to our covenant with God. Jesus Christ created a pathway by His Blood. It is impossible to reach God bypassing the Blood of Jesus Christ. It is messy because it washes away our sin even the ones we are desperately holding on to. It is a passage from death to life that requires leaving some things behind forever. However, to know commitment is to live the New Life in the New Covenant with God constantly returning to the place of commitment. A covenant with the Lord will change you.

Genesis 17:1-5 (NLT)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.

Abram remained faithful to God for 99 years before realizing the true potential of his partnership with God. Through many trials, he endured until he was changed. God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. It was a change that revealed a promise that seemed impossible and illogical but came true nevertheless. God is always striving to bring His Children from a place of commitment into His Covenant. The promises of God are waiting for us to pass from death to life. To walk boldly into the Covenant of God committing our entire life to serving God, it will not only impact your life today but it will change your tomorrow, too. No longer bound by the rules and regulations of this life, the supernatural Kingdom of God is your primary source and provides every single of God promised to you! Your New Life holds everything you have been longing for but you have to go through the change to attain it. Move into the Presence of God and remain there while the Lord changes you. Commit your life to serving God. Serve Him faithfully. Live blamelessly. Your Promise is coming and it will meet you in this place.

Isaiah 54:9-10 (NLT)

“Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.”

 

Determine to live fully in the New Covenant and brand New Life that God has given you. Faithfulness will take you there. Obedience opens the door wide. Commitment confirms your intent. God is looking at your heart today. What does it hold? Are you willing to release it all to the Lord for a gentle washing in the Blood of the Lamb? God’s Promises await the committed. Live in God’s Covenant today! He is faithful. He is glorious! He is love – TRUE LOVE and He is waiting on you!

Know Mercy – A Devotion

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NLT)

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

 

Understanding the mercy of God is pivotal to accepting the Love of God fully. It is unfathomable by human nature that anyone could be so forgiving and compassionate to another in the midst of betrayal. There must be a price. There must be retribution. There must be a penalty. Face it unforgiveness is easy to digest in a world of opposition. Waiting in line at the neighborhood superstore, I surveyed the contents of a sparse shopping cart consisting of soup and nutritional supplement bottles. How did I arrive in this place? Surely this cannot be for our 19-year-old son. Thankfully the contents permitted a hasty exit in the express line, so I could get back home to our ailing son. Going over the list in my mind, I needed to head over to the pharmacy to pick up even more prescriptions to overcome the side effects of cancer treatment. The gentlemen behind me bore the distinct odor of years of addiction to cigarettes. As I gathered my bags, his raspy voice asked the cashier for cartons of his favorite brand. As if frozen in time, my body was rigid. Anger and bitterness rose within me. How could he choose death over life? Rebelling against all the warnings that such behavior causes cancer while our boy heeded these warnings and never smoked one cigarette avoiding such unhealthy behavior. Oh, how I wanted to grab his hand and angrily storm him into our home and show him just how ugly cancer really is. The piles of bills and the cost of treatment would surely get his attention. The boy who should be attending college and living a normal teenage life might reveal the horrible truth behind nicotine addiction as he spends days and nights in discomfort recovering from devastating treatment to kill the cancer cells invading his body. How dare he choose to die? Needless to say, I had zero compassion and my tirade was fueled by anger not love. God has every right to feel the same way about me. He warned us not to choose the “Tree of Good and Evil” but we took the fruit anyway. God tried to protect us from the ramifications of sin but His People rebelled. They would not listen. God sent His Precious Son Jesus Christ to die for mankind paying the penalty of sin once and for all. Still nothing, man rejects the Lord even today. God has done everything possible to express His Love and Compassion for mankind yet His Mercy is rejected each and every day as we choose death over life. Maybe if we understood the Mercy of God and committed our lives to discover the full extent of a Love so great it is driven by forgiveness filled with kindness, compassion and favor, maybe then we would get it and accept it by entering the Brand New Life that God has provided.

 

Exodus 34:5-7 (NLT)

Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.”

 

Yahweh is the Lord full of compassion and mercy. It is difficult to understand pure compassion and complete mercy because we choose to interject “but” in the sentence. I forgive you, “but” I will not forget. I love you, “but” I cannot trust you. Such a little word with the power to nullify the preceding statement, it changes the concept of forgiveness and love into something palatable to mankind. Yahweh is forgiveness. He is love. It is complete and whole for those who choose righteousness over death. He is life to the condemned. There is no condemnation in the compassion of God only overflowing forgiveness with the power to forgive you AND forget your sins. God’s Love allows you to love AND trust Him. Such a foreign concept in light of the fickle love of this world, the man in line at the store is loved by God the same way our son is. God has mercy on His Soul despite His Choices. The Lord will do whatever it takes to have this man’s heart as He has apprehended our son’s heart. God’s Mercy is available without remorse or regret to all mankind. Can we accept it? To add a requirement to God’s Mercy is to admit that the Blood of Jesus was not sufficient payment for our sin and that the Love of God is not complete. The freedom permitted by God’s Mercy to the captive heart of mankind allows us to love freely and forgive freely. People who have not experienced the Compassion of God and do not fully understand it give God human qualities of such a commitment missing the fullness of life that is promised in the salvation plan and limiting one’s own ability to love and forgive others in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say and your judgment against me is just.

 

If people could reduce the details of this life to the simple truth that God loves you what a powerful transformation would occur. We need the Mercy of God alone. His Acceptance is freedom. No longer will God’s People be bound by human acceptance and affirmation. It really doesn’t matter what other people think about you when you become fully aware of how God feels about you. When human focus turns from the conflicts of life to the Power of God that is waiting to be revealed it will become your most powerful pursuit. Forgiveness is freely given by those who have been completely forgiven. Mercy is evident in those who have been truly set free. If you live in the Kingdom of God and dwell in His Presence, the comings and goings of this world are inconsequential and the only thing that matters is sharing this Light of Love that scatters the darkness to the dying world. Your message is to choose life because you are living the life fulfilled, whole and complete lacking nothing just as God has promised. Our sin is against God alone. Your neighbor’s sin is also against the Lord. We have rebelled against our homeland of Heaven. But God’s Mercy full of unfailing love allows love to captivate our heart and overflow into the lives of a lost and dying world. Are you caught up in the Love of God today? His Mercy will overwhelm you and apprehend your heart?

 

Romans 9:23-24 (NLT)

In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.

 

You were created to glorify God. His Love for you never diminished in spite of the sin that overtakes people. He loves you and prepared you for glory. He cannot and will not change His Mind about you. His Mercy is evidence of divine favor. What on earth could possible compare to the divine favor of God? There is nothing that mankind can offer that is so complete and whole. Yet we struggle to become vessels of glory due to inability to accept the complete transformation of His Mercy. Becoming a vessel of God’s Love requires full acceptance of His Mercy, all of His Kindness, Compassion and Favor. We must be humbled to understand that we are offenders of God who have been granted a kindly forbearance. The Sovereignty of God gives Yahweh every right to strike us dead in our rebellion and sin but the Love of God will not allow Him to harm His Precious Children. Instead, Jesus died to set us free. However, by living outside of God’s Mercy and failing to accept its flow through our life is rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its glory and power while accepting a life of rebellion and death. The man buying cigarettes was exercising his legal right to purchase tobacco and his eternal right to choose death. However as a Child of the Living God, I chose disobedience in withholding God’s Love and Mercy from another.

 

Isaiah 49:9-11 (NLT)

“I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the LORD in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters. And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys.”

 

Understanding God’s Mercy toward us will allow God’s People to become overflowing wells of kindness and compassion for others as we begin to fully understand the magnitude of mercy. Mercy focuses on the people and not the sin. Mercy comes after repentance. God fills the voids left by sin with His Divine Favor – mercy. We have nothing to lose anymore but everything to gain. It changes the human heart from condemnation to compassion for others as we become fully acquainted with the newfound freedom available by living in the Presence of God. Our old life was defined by death, hopelessness and despair that was driven by the discourse of natural time but now we are divinely in tune with Kingdom of God. God’s Way has become our way. He is mercy. The Lord is compassionate and kind. His Mercy is not only enough for us but it will lead us to be merciful as God satisfies our body, mind and spirit with His Amazing Love. We expect nothing in exchange for the Good News of Jesus. God lead us in mercy today. May we first experience the full ramifications of your compassion, kindness and favor, Lord. Change our heart. Make it pure and palpable to accept forgiveness and give forgiveness freely. We have sinned against you alone. Our brothers and sisters sin only against you. There is no offense to be taken – only love and compassion to give!

 

Psalm 123:1-3 (NLT)

I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.

 

Those who live in the Presence of God through righteousness and holiness will experience His Merciful Fulfillment of His Promises. Keep looking for the Lord’s Compassion. It is found in the Knowledge of God found in His Word and His Way. To know God is to know His Mercy. To accept His Mercy is fulfillment. To give extend mercy is obedience! Obedience reveals even more favor in the life of a believer. Know God’s Mercy today! Share it with others!

 

Matthew 5:7-8 (NLT)

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

Know Integrity – A Devotion

I Chronicles 29:17-18 (NLT)

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously. “O LORD, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes.

 

We live in a world of compromise. It is a common condition that as parents we teach our children to coexist in a world defined by different personalities and characteristics. Compromise is a settlement of differences by mutual concessions. It is to meet in the middle. Both sides must settle their differences by giving up something in order to attain peace. In most cases, it is a cooperative effort that produces good character traits such as humility, generosity and sharing. However, compromise can be very dangerous as well. God does not compromise. He doesn’t have to. His Sovereignty makes His Way – The Way. All too often we treat the Lord as we do other people trying to “coexist” in His Kingdom. In the Kingdom of God there is no such thing as compromise. In fact, it is defined by commitment and completion with no midway. People pave the gray area between good and evil in hopes of maintaining their old life and new one at the same time. God does not recognize this place. God knows good and evil. God embraces integrity. There is a bumper sticker that reflects our nation’s compromising state that shows a variety of religious symbols spelling the word, “Coexist.” I abhor it with all that is within me reducing God to every other false teaching and religion in this world. We are called to be a light in the darkness. However, it will require integrity.

 

Integrity is made up of three distinct characteristics. It is a state of being whole, entire and undiminished. If you take from it or add to it, there is no longer the consistency and integrity has been compromised. Integrity is valued in the world of antiquities. It is more valuable in the Kingdom of God. God knows you from the inside out. He desires all of you. It is what you promised Him in the covenant of salvation forged with Jesus Christ. You gave Him all of you in exchange for Eternal Life. Have you gone back on your end of the bargain? A life in the grayness of life is the same as living in darkness. Integrity is adherence to morality. Morality is perverted in the world in which we live. Many have defined it by their lifestyle and what keeps them on this side of goodness but morality is defined clearly in the Word of God. It is a requirement of righteousness. One must hold firmly to morality and ethics in a world that struggles to break free of such restriction in the name of tolerance. I do not advocate hate, however; morality is not hate it is truth. You can hate sin and love sinners. Jesus Christ evidenced this by dying for a sin-filled generation who He loved unquestionably despite His Loathing Hate for their sin. Integrity is a sound, unimpaired and perfect condition. God desires His People to be made perfect. Though we are well aware of our imperfections, Jesus Christ makes us perfect. To be sound, unimpaired and perfect requires His Righteousness which is found in a life of uncompromising commitment.

 

Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT)

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The Love of Jesus Christ makes you complete. Outside of the Lord, it is impossible to escape the devastating effects of sin that has ravaged your character and integrity before God. He sees your heart and every single motive. By applying the Love of God to your life in all of its fullness, people are able to be transformed into a New Creation that is whole and complete in the Lord. The world will offer many substitutes to fill the void left by sin. Outside of God there is no completion for His Children. Like a cancer eating at the flesh and blood of humanity, sin works its way through the entire body making it impossible to present our lives living sacrifices to God. But through the Blood of Jesus Christ, we are healed and whole. It is completion of God’s Plan made available through Jesus. Only Jesus, can bring you from the darkness to light revealing the insufficiencies and filling them all by His Power.

 

2 Peter 1:4-8 (NLT)

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Every Promise of God for your life depends on integrity. Faith is supplemented by moral excellence. Moral excellence is revealed in the Word of God. To know God requires integrity on the part of God’s People. The story of Job is the true testing of one’s integrity and moral excellence. Job refused to defy God even in the darkest moments of his life. (Job 2:9-10) How willing are you to uphold moral excellence in your life? Morality is the adherence to rules of right conduct. The Bible is where this Truth is discovered. Do you strive for obedience in all things? Or are there things carefully placed in the grayness between good and evil? In actuality, these are the things remaining between you and God. They are the barrier holding back the Promises of God you have been waiting for. As you sit on the fence of life, these are the things that make up the fence. The more you grow into a life of goodness and strong moral character, the sooner God’s Promises will manifest in your life. You must live by faith. Faith in God requires moving fully into His Kingdom and trusting His Ability to fulfill all that He has promised. God’s Glory will never be released in compromise. God does make concessions or meet you in the middle. Through Jesus Christ, we are able to live in the Kingdom of God supported by His Love and Faithfulness. It is our covenant right AND responsibility.

 

Hebrews 10:11-14 (NLT)

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

 

Perfection is a Promise of God for your life. It is no longer impossible. As you strive for holiness in a consecrated life that is committed to integrity and living in righteousness, Jesus Christ is doing the rest. Through refining and testing, God is making His People perfect by removing the lies and sins that have invaded the space between the two of you until there is nothing remaining. God loves you intensely with complete jealousy. He wants nothing remaining between the two of you especially not sinful secrets. God sees everything and is making you perfect through refinement. As you cry out to God for more of Him and to know Him more and more, He is instantly revealing those insufficiencies of faith so that Jesus can make you perfect. Your faith cannot be lacking for it is the foundation of Truth that leads to Eternal Life. Jesus will make it perfect. Your only responsibility is submission. By constantly presenting your life to God when those things you are holding back are revealed, an inner transformation is occurring. You are passing from death to LIFE through holiness and consecration. It is a move from this life to the Kingdom of God. His Glory is revealed in those who choose perfect over perversity.

 

2 Samuel 22:26-29 (NLT)

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them. O LORD, you are my lamp. The LORD lights up my darkness.”

 

Faithfulness begets faithfulness. Integrity begets integrity. Like a transplanted tissue, the Word of God and Knowledge of God will take root in your life and begin to heal you from the inside out. Though it may begin small and seem insignificant, every part of your life surrendered to God will have profound effects. God is not looking for whole, dedicated and perfect people. There aren’t any. He is looking for those who humbly recognize their need for God and seek Him. David was one such person. He made mistake after mistake and indiscretion after indiscretion but His Heart was set on God and obedience. He just kept coming back to God time and time again relentlessly seeking the Lord and His Power and Strength to overcome the sin in His Life. God knows the truth about you. He knows what you do every second you are alive. Nothing escapes His Notice. He wants you to recognize the truth about you, too. God is looking for people who desire to live in truth. Those who seek His Face with integrity as their purpose, is that you today? Tired of chasing God but never making it over the fence, the Lord is ready to destroy the barrier between the two of you. He is desperate for you. God loves you! Choose faith. Choose integrity. God will meet you and exceed your expectations of the two. Try it. Your life will be instantly illuminated by His Amazing Love!

 

Titus 2:7-8 (NLT)

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

 

To be an example means there will be times when “coexisting” is impossible. You must take a stand for integrity. We are called to be the Light of the Word. Teach the truth in a manner that cannot be criticized means we must walk the talk. In fact, people prefer it. Truth without integrity is a lie. You cannot compromise God’s Covenant and expect it to be the same. You must choose faithfulness, righteousness and holiness making the choice it is a lifestyle not just fancy words to cover the perversity that remains hidden in our heart. Everything we do should reflect integrity. Are you serious about serving God? Are you intent on knowing God intimately? Integrity is a requirement.

 

Proverbs 10:28-30 (NLT)

The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

The way of the LORD is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.

 

Your hope is secure. The Lord is your stronghold when holding firm to His Word and living by its Truth. Integrity removes any insufficiency that would allow you to let go of God’s Promises. Your security is obedience which takes you from harm’s way and leads to the everlasting. God’s Way is safe. There is no risk involved. Separating the truth creates tumultuous life that is dangerous and risky. There is no firm foundation of faith on which to walk on. The Godly will not be disturbed. I love that there is peace in integrity. Are you at peace today? If not, time to move a little closer and get rid of those things between you and God. Live by Truth. Embrace His Word and Way – integrity is in this place. Integrity fulfills God’s Promise for your life.

 

James 1:2-5 (NKJV)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 

Integrity is a process. Be patient. The ideology that forms your thoughts were not conceived in one day. It will take saturation in God’s Word and His Kingdom to change your mind about things and move from compromise to godliness. God is patient, too. He loves you and wants you to be complete and lacking NOTHING. God wants to release His Kingdom in your life. He wants to fill you with His Glory and fulfill every single promise! Make way for Him! Look for integrity. Strive for it. Live for it until you know God and become a man or woman of integrity winning His Heart all over again!

Know Persistence – A Devotion

I Corinthians 15:57-58 (NKJV)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

 

There are many opportunities for people to win valuable and extravagant prizes through endurance. I have personally seen people keep their hand on a car to the point of utter exhaustion and sickness to own that which they touch. Women who kept their hand on the train of a wedding gown to win the dress, as well as an all-expense paid wedding with a fabulous honeymoon to follow. The pettiness and ugliness that ensued in the midst of competition as the “ladies” attempted to goad one another to give up on their dream and quit. Popular shows like “Survivor” have many contests that stretch people to the absolute maximum of human endurance. In some cases, these people are actually put in physical danger by their drive to win and make it to the end. All for things that are tangible. A car that requires maintenance and expensive fuel which will one day breakdown requiring repairs or replacement, it becomes an immediate burden by ownership as one must pay for tax, tag and title all the while maintaining insurance just to drive. Was it really worth the wait? A wedding dress that will be worn one time in a ceremony honoring a commitment that without the Lord will probably not last with a 50% or more probability of failure. Was it worth the ugly words and curses hurled at another to have? Reality game shows designed to exploit human weakness and greed surrounded by manipulation and survival of the fittest with little concern for morality which is generally voted out at the first “tribal council.” Yet as Christians, we lack endurance for God. Living in faith that can be easily shaken and moved defined by lines that are easily erased and moved according to how we feel or what we desire. To know God one must know persistence but not for things of this world but the Promise of God for your life. The things in this world will ALL pass away. Salvation allows us to escape the reality of death and the grave to live in Eternity. When will Children of God cling to Jesus as they would some shiny new object enduring until the end just to win the prize?

 

Persistence is to continue steadfastly or firmly in purpose. To be steadfast is to last or endure tenaciously which means to hold firmly. Are you clinging to Jesus Christ as your prize? Those who do have lives defined by commitment and trust that are firmly established on a foundation of faith that is immovable and unshakeable. It is faith that can be held on to in times of trouble. It comes with no burden or debt because Jesus paid it all. However, many of God’s People lack commitment to that which cannot be seen and will only compete for a prize that is temporary. Salvation is entrance into the race of faith. It is not the finish line. We are to be found faithful at the time of redemption when Jesus returns to claim His People. Will you be ready? What are you clinging to? What motivates you? Where is your life invested? Righteousness is dependent on transference from the things of this world to dwelling in God’s Kingdom. Have you made the transition?

 

Hebrews 12:25-29 (NKJV)

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shakenot only the earth, but also heaven.”Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

 

Persistence is a characteristic of righteousness. It is necessary to become unshakeable and immovable in faith. How important is it after all God knows how weak humanity it is? That was before Jesus Christ. Jesus made a way for all mankind to be righteous. There is no excuse. Salvation is not an excuse to sin freely without penalty. Those who love God will cling to Jesus Christ steadfast. However, if in the moment of His Arrival happens to be a time when you decided to step down or back away, you run the risk of being left behind to endure Judgment. Can your faith be shaken? There are many trials and tribulations in the life of Christians every day. We are not exempt. Do they reinforce a bond created in love that has fixed you on a firm foundation of faith? Or are you still looking for a rock that is higher? God’s Word is true. There will be another great shaking. Who knows it may be beginning now as our God is thrown out of schools, government and this country? What are you clinging to? This world is passing away. The planet reverberates from the proximity of Jesus Christ. What is in your hands? Will it last?

 

Psalm 112:6-8 (NKJV)

Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

 

The righteous are unshakeable because their heart is established in faith in God. With everlasting remembrance, it is possible to journey through this life unmoved and unchanged by what we see as a man on a mission or woman with purpose. Trusting God establishes our heart in His Kingdom. It produces confidence. Fear falls away in the midst of understanding as our trust sprouts into knowledge which matures into wisdom that allows us with the assistance of God’s Spirit to understand the world we live in while keeping our thoughts firmly fixed on His Plan and Promise for our life. Hebrews 6:13-15 reminds us of Abraham who after he “patiently endured obtained the promise.” God’s Promises for your life are real and exclusive. You are not competing with others for a one time offer or temporary trinket. God holds Eternity in His Hands and He is offering it to you. The only thing that He requires is that you hold firmly to your faith and become steadfast and immovable trusting God. Is your heart steadfast? A steadfast heart does not change its mind about God depending on circumstances, situations and outcomes. A heart fixed on God remains there through the storm, drought, troubles and trials. It never moves because it is rooted and grounded in passionate love for the Father.

 

Matthew 13:20-21 (NKJV)

But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

 

Persistence begins with a heart broken for God. A hard heart can receive the Word of God but with the first sign of trouble it is swept away by the wind and rain because there is no root. A root is established by a constant conditioning of our heart to receive more and more of His Word tucking it deeper and deeper in the recesses of our heart as we are transformed to a faithful people. There is joy in salvation but everlasting joy comes from KNOWING God through Jesus Christ. Such knowledge conditions the heart, plowing through the rocky hardness exposing fertile soil ready to receive His Word and nurture a root that connects us to the Source of our Salvation. This is required to endure to the end. A constant and abiding connection to God through Jesus Christ that maintains a position of faith and righteousness, it is impossible to meet the Lord in the air through a life of inconsistency and noncommittal lifestyle. God’s Word will reveal the insufficiencies in your faith but it is up to you to be diligent and steadfast in filling the foundation with His Word and His Promises until His Love grows there strengthening your foundation. Will you seek the Lord? Many Christians spend more time buying lottery tickets than seeking God with more interest in their superstitions for number selection than seeking the Face of God but fully expect the Lord to assist them in winning prizes in this life with no interest in an Eternal investment. What has happened to people who tarry until they see the Face of God and enter His Presence? These folks understand the power of persistence and prayer. God make me one of these people, please.

 

Psalm 51:10-11 (NKJV)

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

 

David understood the necessity of a clean heart and steadfast spirit. The Holy Spirit is a holy inhabitation placed in the heart of mankind to assist in their struggle to maintain a relationship with God in the midst of prevailing sin. Salvation washes us clean, however; it requires effort not to return to such a lifestyle as we strive for righteousness. Endurance doesn’t mean there will not be times of struggle with our old life, old values and old way of doing things but it does mean we keep moving closer to God in faith and love. Our faith must persist and prevail over our old nature and old life as we press on to be God’s New Creation. It is a commitment to keep running when every muscle yells stop. It is dedication to the finish line when it is not in sight. It is absolute belief that the prize we are after (Jesus) is real and that He is of the greatest worth.

 

Romans 12:9-12 (NKJV)

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…”

 

God’s Word is filled with tips for good soldiers of Jesus Christ, the runners and hardworking farmers. (2 Timothy 2:3-7) We must never give up on serving the Lord. He is our example. (Hebrews 12:1-3) Jesus is the author and finisher of faith so who better to guide us in this challenge to live for God in the midst of constant opposition and easy-way outs. It is up to us to commit our lives to the Call of God and run the race of faith with endurance never stopping but pressing on in every situation even to the brink of human weakness and insufficiency relying on His Strength to make it the rest of the way. Romans 12 reveals the expectation of God for successful completers who live a life of unshakeable and immovable faith with persistence. It is not always easy and sometimes not much fun but always worthwhile with the Promise of the Ultimate Prize! (Romans 12:9-21)

 

Matthew 24:9-13 (NKJV)

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

 

Will you be one who endures to the end? Will you be saved? Salvation is a decision that will change your life. If it doesn’t, then maybe you should return to that place of repentance and decide to give your life fully to Jesus for redemption. If you do not experience hardship for His Namesake, do people really know that you are His? It is important to note that a life of faithfulness will get the enemy of your soul’s attention and he will attempt to make your life a living hell. This is why persistence, endurance and steadfast faith are needed to win the race! You are destined to win if you remain committed. He or she who endures to the end will be saved. Are you committed to winning the race of faith or does your heart desire the things of this world? You can only enter one race at a time. Run to win. Be committed. Be steadfast. Be immovable. Cling tenaciously to God and never let go until you hear the words, “Well done!” translated they mean, “YOU WIN!”

 

I Peter 5:8-10 (NKJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; becauseyour adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But maythe God of all grace, who called usto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Know Strength – A Devotion

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NLT)

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

 

How does an eagle know it is created to fly? Obviously it is born with wings but no instructions on how they work or what to do with them. He sees his mother fly back and forth but what if he has not parental unit to imitate in flight. Still the eagle flies high above the trees, mountains and valleys of life. God created the eagle equipped with everything it needs and packed the innate potential of soaring in its creative plan. However, if the bird does not have the opportunity to fly then it may never realize its purpose in life. It will simply waddle around on feet made for branches and not the ground. Whether it is the mother bird who gently pushes him out of the nest or he falls from the nest, it is the moment when potential becomes reality. God gives the eagle the ability to fly. It is up to the bird to rise above and soar. We are born with the potential to have a strong abiding faith in God. We are given a heart that is subject to His Word and His Ways. Jesus Christ died to open the door of salvation which enables us to partake of all of God’s Power and Strength. However, in the midst of life, we often choose human strength which is understandable and comfortable but really of not much worth. When the “big deals” in life hit, suddenly our strength is useless. It does not take us through the challenge but abandons us sadly in the midst of opposition. God’s biggest weakness is greater than the strongest human. (I Corinthians 1:25) God allows us to encounter situations that eat away at our strength and confidence in self to expose our need for Him. We need God’s Strength and Power to endure to the end and realize our salvation through righteousness. We cannot walk into Eternity alone. Faith and trust carry us into the Presence of God. It requires humility attained through the realization of human weakness and insufficiency outside of the Lord. In all transparency, I am in that place. As our son continues to walk through the valley of the painstaking process of cancer treatment, I have been completely drained of all of me. Driving to the store one more time, to get supplies to nurse him through another crisis my body is drained, my heart is broken and my being depleted. In my weakness, I cry out to God. How long can I do this and be effective? Caring for my family, continuing my job and having faith that this too shall pass and we will soar once again – I am tired, drained and broken. In this moment of longing it occurs to me that I have not been walking this out, but that God is carrying us through. It is okay to admit that I am totally weak before God because it is then that I feel His Arms holding me and His Strength filling me. I will walk and not faint. I will run and not grow weary. I will find new strength to soar above my circumstances in this place on my knees and facedown before God. It is not the picture of strength that the world paints, but they can have their false confidence. I know God. He loves me. Now I will know His Strength which is made manifest in my weakness, and you can too if you choose to know God and know His Strength.

 

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 

Strength of character is more important than a strong body. Human strength relies on what we see, say and do in the midst of crisis or need. However, strength of character and faith requires dependence on what we know to be true but have not seen or experienced in the natural. Too many times, people allow the circumstances of life to dictate their reaction to circumstances. However, God’s People are reliant on the Love of God and righteousness which releases Strength and Power that is matchless. Nothing you can say or do will ever outdo God! It is impossible. Our only hope at experiencing supernatural strength is by faith. Faith in God produces Godly Strength in our life. Endurance develops strength which fortifies hope. Hope is Jesus Christ and He will never lead to disappointment. God has the Power to unlock true potential that is found in Faith in the Lord. Your faith is your strength. Nothing more and nothing less so the more dependent you become on God the stronger that you are. His Spirit gains full access to a heart yielded entirely to God through Jesus Christ. Weakness prevails when we attempt to trust God in our own strength. We are too weak to grasp the concepts of God. We are unable to follow God in our own power. We were made to have a heart that beats for God, a soul satisfied only by God and all of our strength relies on this commitment to the Lord. Joy can be found in the midst of problems and trials when we discover this valuable benefit of God’s Kingdom – His Strength. (Colossians 1:10-11) His Strength allows human pride no part of His Victory but produces a bounty of fruit that will sustain you through life’s trials until you see His Glory.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-11 (NLT)

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

I would be a liar to say that there have not been times when I have asked the Lord to remove certain hardships and troubles from my life especially the one we are currently facing. The illness of a spouse, child or loved one is heartbreaking. It hurts to watch the ones we love suffer even more than if it were us going through it. God’s Grace is all that I need. God’s Grace is all that you need. The trials of life will not cease until God’s People are fully convinced of this truth and totally reliant on the Power and Strength of God. Human nature will not have it. Pride will constantly fight it. I am powerful in weakness but that is when self steps aside and God is in full control. It is a difficult transition to move from panic in crisis to pleasure in weakness. God will do whatever it takes to help you transform into the person He created you to be – full of faith in complete righteousness and fellowship with Him. He will allow suffering to expose weakness to make room for His Strength and Power in your life until your confession is when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

Psalm 73:25-26 (NLT)

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

 

God’s Strength begins in the recesses of the heart and spills over into the rest of life. It creates a stability that is confident whether the body is weak or strong and the soul thirsts or not that the Lord remains your Strength. This allows a person to experience peace and joy in the midst of great opposition, hurting or problems. It is a foundation of faith that is strong and immovable because it’s built on Jesus Christ. He is your Hope. All of God’s Strength and Power holds His Position firm. No weapon formed against you shall prosper because you are not in control of your life and destiny – but now God is! Weakness melts away the façade of self-control and inner strength to expose the Powerful Potential of God hidden in your heart for His Use! Suddenly in the midst of the deepest valley, hope is lifting you up. Your Spirit is soaring in unison with God and sees His Perspective. The view is definitely better from the top!

 

Psalm 138:2-3 (NLT)

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

 

The revelation of total weakness is a powerful place. It is where God meets His People. As soon as His People enter this place, God meets them with His Strength. He promises victory in such a position. (Psalm 118:14) God’s People can identify this place by peace and quiet confidence in God despite their physical inability to carry on. He has placed His Peace in His People as a promise that His Strength will prevail. (Isaiah 30:15) Strength is found in obedience. The Word of God says that we are to love God with “all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Have you made this declaration as David did? (Psalm18:1-2) Strength determines victory. You will not experience everlasting victory outside of the Strength of God and Salvation of Jesus Christ. We are unable due to sin to make it on our own. Sin and disobedience has a created a weakened condition. Give in to human weakness and submit your heart, soul and strength to God! You will be victorious! God will give you strength AND peace. (Psalm 29:11) The two go hand-in-hand. Without peace or quiet confidence in God, there is no faith. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Without faith demonstrated by total dependency on God – there is no strength. Without the Power of God – there is no victory. Winning or losing is dependent on strength and endurance – all of which come from God for His People who have yielded their heart and life to the Lord.

 

Isaiah 58:10-11 (NLT)

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

 

God’s Strength allows you to continue to serve God when everything seems to be falling apart. His Power allows you to keep walking in the Light of His Love when others simply give up. He will continue to satisfy your soul and feed your hunger for more faith, peace, joy and love. God longs to restore your strength today. Obedience is the only requirement. A heart yielded to the Power of God enables its potential to be exposed and released in life. You have the Power to be a Light in the darkness even if you are the one threatened by such evil. God is your Strength. He is carrying you through. Now you can share this Love with others and exhaust nothing of yourself because it is all God’s Strength you are sharing. Obedience is possible through the Strength of God acknowledged and released in your life. Jesus is moved by obedience in weakness. (Revelation 3:7-9) How I long to be ready to meet the Lord? My strength will not do it neither will yours. God’s Strength in weakness manifested in obedience will touch the Heart of the Lord and gain His Attention. Oh how I long to hear, “Well Done!”

 

Philippians 4:13 (NLT) For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength.

 

Take time to discover the true potential of God’s Strength for His People. Read 2 Samuel 22:29-37 to learn more about the Power of God’s Strength. Let God be your enabler today. Full dependency is a faithful requirement for those who long to be filled with the Strength and Power of God. Allow God to stretch you in the circumstances you are in to create endurance that will produce strength of character that is only found in Him. You were created to soar high above the circumstances of life and dwell in the Kingdom of God. Maybe the Lord is just giving you a little push!

Know Prosperity – A Devotion

Deuteronomy 5:28-29 (NLT)

“The LORD heard the request you made to me. And he said, ‘I have heard what the people said to you, and they are right. Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.’”

 

Live long and prosper. These words immediately take me back to the science fiction classic “Star Trek” as Leonard Nimoy, playing the character of Spock, stands poised demonstrating the familiar Vulcan Salute with his upheld hand split into a v-formation. What many people do not know is that his character in this television classic possessed many similarities with the Jewish customs and themes as Leonard Nimoy is Jewish. In fact, the Vulcan greeting is modeled after a blessing gesture in the Jewish faith. The ancient Kohanim priests who are descendants of those who served in the Jerusalem temple practiced the “kohane blessing” ritual during specific Holy Days and it is very similar to the Vulcan Salute as translated by the actor who played the character, Spock. Only knowledgeable Jews would recognize the similarity and symbolism of the gesture. Live long and prosper is a common thread in the conversations between God, Moses and the Children of Israel in Deuteronomy. God desired for His People to prosper. It has always been His Plan. But like the ancient gesture twisted slightly into fiction, people have decided that prosperity is different than what God designed choosing to deem it other things in life than what God had decided. Money and wealth do not define prosperity but without it many would believe they do not prosper. As not to deviate from the Truth concerning God’s Prosperity, to know God and recognize His Inhabitance in our life, people must clearly understand what prosperity is in order to discover it within their own life.

 

Prosperity begins in the heart. It is a motive stemming from the root of the Knowledge of God growing and intertwining a human heart and its desires with God’s Heart and His Desires. The Word of God is the seed that begins the process of prosperity in your life. Without such a beginning, the concept of prosperity is perverted. Ignorance stunts the growth of prosperity in the life of a believer as it cuts off the Word of God that is the seed and the Spirit of God that waters the Source. (Job 36:11-12) The Word of God is a seed that produces obedience in God’s People. Obedience is the fertilizer of prosperity in your life. The Word of God produces obedience in the heart’s and lives of people.

 

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 (NLT)

So Moses told the people, “You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.”

 

How many gardens have been planted with good intentions as people invest time, energy and sweat into tilling the ground, preparing the soil and planting seeds with high expectation of a bountiful, backyard harvest? A well-spent weekend no doubt, but over time many plots are forgotten as people grow tired of waiting. They forget to water the seeds, weeds begin to devour the seedlings and soon it becomes an overgrown eyesore. All the potential packed in the earth dies an unceremonious death there. Sadly, the same happens when believers attempt a life of faith expecting the prosperity of God only to give up when it is not what they expected. God promises that His People will live long and prosper in the land they are given. Your life is the land. What will you do with it? God has promised prosperity in this place. Are you satisfied with the harvest in your life? If not, maybe it is because you have confused prosperity with God’s Blessing. They are uniquely different. Prosperity begins within each person and grows from the Root of God’s Word hidden in the human heart, cultivated through obedience in connection with the Spirit of the Living God sent to tend your life from the inside out. However, blessing is a gift. God’s Favor demonstrated in your life. There are both very different things with separate potential in your life. God desires His People to prosper. Prosperity is to thrive or succeed in a healthy way. It is a heart condition from an ancient word meaning to “render happy.” Prosperity is defined by words such as satisfaction and contentment. To prosper one will be satisfied and content. If you are not, I greet you with this blessing, “Live long and prosper.” To do so, let’s look in God’s Word.

 

Psalm 1:2-3 (NLT)

But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

 

Prosperity begins by planting the Word of God in our heart and cultivating it in our life daily. God’s People should delight in the Word of God meditating on it day and night. To put things in perspective, the world is enamored with television programs like “American Idol” for example. People set their schedule to not miss an episode. Meals are planned to make time to watch. People rush home to be front and center. If they miss it, it is recorded to watch as soon as they can get to it. When was the last time you rushed home to read God’s Word or scheduled your life around spending time in the Presence of God. This would be evidence of a heart “planted along a riverbank” and the reward would be “bearing fruit each season.” The result would be thriving Christians who were strong and not weary that prospered in every facet of life rather than struggling every day just to be faithful to God. Prosperity begins with the heart. What is rooted in your heart today? Is it the Word of God? The harvest in your life is directly connected to the seed that is planted. What is plowed into your heart will be your sustenance for the coming seasons whatever they may be? Are you ready for winter or rain? The heart that is full of God’s Word is ready for any season. It will be prosperous.

 

Psalm 37:10-11 (NLT)

Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.

 

The lowly will possess the land who are rooted and grounded in the Word of God. They will live in peace and prosperity. A tree that is flourishing, tall and proud above the ground without a substantial root will come down swift and hard in a storm. Focusing on cultivating deep and humble roots in God’s Word and His Presence prepares us for the storms of life and readies us for the return of Jesus Christ when the wicked will disappear. They will be gone in an instant but those whose heart and life is solidly planted in God will remain. This is prosperity – a life that extends from here and now into Eternity.

 

Psalm 128:1-2 (NLT)

How joyful are those who fear the LORD—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!

 

What does prosperity look like if it is not money and favor? How will I know true prosperity in the midst of so many counterfeits? Galatians 5:22-23 describe the fruit of God’s Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” All of these things begin on the inside and work their way out. Each one pleases God and satisfies the human soul. Love, joy and peace are enough to get the attention of most people struggling with the circumstances and situations of life today. Feeling unloved, unhappy and unsatisfied such a harvest would truly complete such a person who is worn out and broken. All of these are not dependent on any outside factor, but found in the Word of God and Way of the Lord for His People. Such a harvest cannot be taken away or corrupted by anyone or anything, it is produced through confidence faith that is cultivated daily in the life of a believer. It is so satisfying that the details of life begin to pale in comparison to the Knowledge of God and prosperity of one’s soul. Stress melts away. Rebellion ends as our heart aligns with God strengthening the bond established in a love affair with the Most High.

 

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

 

The harvest of a prospering soul always produces fruit. It strengthens obedience as it is a heart response and not a self-generated reaction. God’s Word begins to grow in our heart and suddenly the Fruit of His Spirit overflows in our life. God’s Word will always produce a satisfying crop of His Love for your life. (Proverbs 19:8) You will never be disappointed or surprised once the Knowledge of God takes root in your heart because you will always be confident that God will provide all you need and more than enough for you to share with others. A starving soul cannot share the Gospel of Jesus Christ because it is not enough to satisfy their soul. (Proverbs 28:13) We must thrive on God’s Word to live in productive obedience to God. Faith overwhelms a heart filled with God’s Word.

 

Proverbs 11:24-25 (NLT)

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

 

Prosperity is to give freely. While that doesn’t make sense, seldom does the Wisdom of God and His Ways align with the mentality of this world. A stingy farmer yields a limited crop. A little seed produces a puny harvest. How much of your heart are you willing to give to the Lord? This is your investment in prosperity. How much of God’s Word are you determined to cram into your life? When people are stingy with their lives, they limit the capacity of prosperity that God can release in their life. There is not enough room. However, those who give God their whole life will be satisfied as His Prosperity overwhelms their life. The generous will prosper. Those who give this life away will inherit Eternity. Those who yield their heart to God will be filled. Those who choose to live for His Kingdom will find contentment in a world filled with greed and want. It is contradictory to human thinking and the American Dream of accumulation. I guess it just depends on what you want. I read a sign once that said, “No hearse is followed by a U-Haul.” Made me laugh and think about the reality of what I have invested in Eternity. The smaller the haul the greater that harvest maybe.

 

3 John 1:2 (NKJV)

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

 

As you consider prosperity today, be challenged to look inside and not at your surroundings. Everything your eyes can see will disappear one day. It will be gone in an instant whether you are here to witness it or not. What is inside your heart will prevail to Eternity? There will be a new “American Idol” every season until the show runs its course. However, the Word of God never changes. It never returns void. It has the Power to satisfy your soul and create a life thriving in the Presence of God. There will be no struggle for more but an overflowing abundance in your life if you begin with His Word in your heart. The economic crisis cannot change the outlook of one who invests their life in the Lord and His Way. There is only more and more for those who choose the Fruit of God’s Spirit rather than stuff. Are you tired of chasing things and ready to be satisfied? God longs to prosper your soul. Plant yourself in His Word and remain there. Allow a root connecting you to His Kingdom to run between your heart and His Presence. Drink in His Living Water. Choose to thrive rather than simply survive. Know prosperity! Know God!

Know Life – A Devotion

Colossians 3:1-3 (NLT)

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

To know God is to discover real life hidden with Christ. Dying to self is a spiritual death that opens your heart to the reality of Heaven here and now. You do not have to wait to experience the abundance of God’s Glory in your life. It is hidden with Jesus for safe keeping under the watchful eye of God who is waiting to hand it over as you develop the faith to receive it. The life God has for you is so vast in fact that it requires your entire existence to be fully manifested. It cannot be received when there is not a commitment to enter in. You cannot walk through two doors at the same time unless of course they are joined and entering the same destination. To enter your brand new life, a Gift of God through Jesus Christ, one must exit their old existence and fully enter into the new one. It is very simple in concept but very complex in revelation. When life is defined by the time spent on earth and it is marked by a birth and death certificate, then it is not the life God intended for His People. However, this portion of life is minute in comparison to the vast abundance and sheer volume of God’s Thoughts and Plans for His People. They were produced with Eternity in mind and go on forever and ever. The enemy of your soul longs to confine you to the parameters of your natural life and keep hidden the true potential of your existence as defined by God and secured by His Son, Jesus for your benefit. The heavy burdens, heartaches and disappointments of this life have only one point that you will seek the help of your Father to lighten the load, mend the brokenness and find victory. If God can gather you to himself, you will find abundant life but outside of God there is only a grave waiting for His Beloved Children. Why not seek to discover the brand new life kept secretly in the Presence of God and try it on? It fits well as if it were finely tailored just for you because it was created with only you in mind. You will not experience the restrictions of an ill-fitting, tattered life that has been ravaged by sin. But instead God will clothe you in righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) that will allow you to experience a new and expansive life in the freedom of the Kingdom of God as a Child of the King.

John 10:9-10 (NLT)

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

 

Jesus Christ had one purpose. To give you a rich and satisfying life, He is the entrance and starting point to claiming the brand new life promised by God to those who will turn their hearts and minds back from rebellion and sin. Everyone seeks to live a satisfying life. People spend their entire time on earth building tiny kingdoms of houses, cars, nest eggs and comfort zones to call their own. They work and toil for things to produce an artificial abundance in hope of contentment only to want more than they could ever attain. Always reaching and never achieving what they have longed for and perplexed in the effort. Life will never be satisfying outside of Jesus Christ. No matter how much you have, there will never be prosperity of soul without the Lord’s Intervention and Influence on the human life. Sin is a devastating disease that continues to eat away at the soul and spirit never allowing satisfaction or peace. But thanks be to Jesus Christ that He opened the door to God’s Kingdom for all who seek satisfaction, contentment and peace. It is a brand new life. It is vast. It is abundant. It is Eternal and it is yours for the asking. As the door opens are you willing to enter into the Brand New Life of a New Creation that God is providing through Jesus Christ abandoning this life for all God has. You cannot pull elements of your old life into your New Life and fully experience the benefits and abundance of God. Baggage must be left at the door of redemption and repentance to fully claim the Reward of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you willing to leave all that you have worked for behind to find the Peace of God?

Romans 1:16-18 (NLT)

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

 

Are you ashamed to be a Christian? What kind of question is that you may be wondering? It is an important one for those who seek the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ. Many believe they have entered the door of life (Jesus) but choose to remain in their old life tightly holding the things of this world. A true believer in Jesus Christ is not ashamed of the Lord and walks boldly into the New Life He has given. To be ashamed of the Lord is an unwillingness produced by a lack of confidence that Jesus Christ was able to pay for your sin and God is unable to deliver the new life that He has promised. This idea is most often defined by ignorance of who God is and the Power He possesses. It is established by what we see and hear rather than what we know to be true of God. When planning a family vacation, one certainly takes the time to become acquainted with their destination in order to make the best of the time of rest and recreation. There are benefits of your chosen location which has increased your desire to visit such a place. You are curious of what you will find and if it will fulfill a desire and satisfy one’s curiosity. To create expectation of what is to come also feeds the drive of anticipation. People are clearly dissatisfied with this life. Striving for more than the mundane they span the globe in search of satisfaction and long for contentment. It is all found in Jesus Christ. By opening the door of salvation, a believer gains access to satisfaction and contentment. By faith, righteousness produces life. Righteousness moves you from this life into the Presence of God. Real life. What you are experiencing now is not the life you were created to life that is why you are desperate for more? God will fulfill every desire, need and longing of a heart yielded to Him who has entered the Gate that is Jesus Christ being fully confident in His Power with a willingness to follow the Lord no matter what the cost with a commitment to sacrifice this life to have all that God is holding in His Hand. There is no such thing as a double life. There is only one abundant life. You cannot separate your life into two different parts – one that serves God and the other that serves man. One must be chosen with no separation. Will you choose life or life more abundantly?

2 Corinthians 3:8 (NLT)

Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?

What do you expect? Life is built around expectancy. If we expect God to bless our natural life now that is small and limited, how much more should we expect of our new Eternal Life? Eternal life by definition stretches from the beginning of time to the end. If this is true, we are living a part of forever right now. This would make it logical to expect the extravagance of God’s Glory in our life today. However, you cannot define the Glory of God by this small fragment of time from natural birth to natural death. We must set our sights on Eternal Life. It began at the time of creation and spans forever to infinity. Our thoughts must be pressed and refined to expand our thinking from here and now to the beginning and end or the Alpha and Omega. Your life was created to be so much bigger than what you are living right now. Through righteousness, you can experience your potential and purpose right now even locked in the frailty of a human body with man’s weakness. Claim your new life today. It is hidden in the Heart of God protected by the Nail-Scarred Hands of Jesus Christ for your acceptance. That’s all you have to do is take it and live in it. Stand on it. Exercise your faith to stretch farther and farther across this life into Eternity allowing God’s Presence to flood your life with the Light of His Love. You are God’s Child limitless in power and overflowing with potential which is accessible by moving from this life into the one God has provided for His Beloved. You are the Beloved of God in Jesus Christ. His Glory is waiting to permeate the darkness of this life and illuminate His Love in your life by faith. Do you trust God? Do you believe He has the Power to change your life? Do you expect it? Knowing God will expand your expectancy and open your heart and mind to all that God has for you. It is a guarded secret kept for those who seek His Face.

John 14:6-7 (NLT)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Doubt ends with a decision. The disciples had their doubts after the death of Jesus Christ. Nothing was turning out as they had planned or expected but God’s Plan was successful. Will you make the decision to trust the Lord? Will you choose Jesus to be your way, truth and life? No one can know God without entering the New Life provided by Jesus Christ. It is filled with all the purpose and potential that is your inheritance from the Father as a Child of God. It is inaccessible outside of the Blood of Jesus Christ and His Righteousness which once accepted becomes yours. Rightstanding with God produces an understanding that will increase your faith and expectancy available when we trust God with our life leaving this world behind for all that He has created from the Beginning to the End for His People. Do you know the Lord? To know God is to create a life of intentional intimacy with God through the Blood of Jesus Christ with the constant assistance of His Spirit that leads to all Truth and Understanding of God’s Word for your life. Make a choice to leave this life and fully enter the Brand New Life God has given you through Jesus Christ.

Psalm 16:10-11 (NLT)

For you will not leave my soul among the deador allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

 

God desires to give you a New Life. He has been holding it all this time in safe keeping for your acceptance. Will you let go of your old life full of hurt, brokenness and disappointment to take hold of this life God is saving just for you? Jesus is the Only Way. You must walk in it to experience it. Knowledge of God will create expectancy that God will meet and exceed each and every time. Make the decision to have faith in God. Fortify it with the Knowledge of God found in His Word and His Way. Now you will know the meaning of life. You will be satisfied! Welcome to your Brand New Life!

Know Faith – A Devotion

John 11:3-7 (NKJV)

Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

 

John 11:11-15 (NKJV)

These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

 

To know God you must have faith. Without faith, it is impossible to know God. Faith is a requirement of God for His People to love and trust Him. Faith is described by worldly definition to be strong unshakable belief in something without proof or evidence. Faith believes the unseen reality of God before He is actually seen by His People. It is trust based on truth rather than on physical evidence. Faith makes hope a possibility. However, faith is not confirmed until the day a person dies. It is at that moment that hope is fulfilled prior to that is simply based on our confidence in God. All that we hope for is revealed in the passing of this life and entrance into Eternity. Eternity is the unseen realm of God reserved for those who love and trust Him to dwell in His Presence. Do you have steadfast, immovable trust in God…unto death? The reality of God is clearly visible in the moment this world fades and Eternity’s Light surrounds us.

 

Jesus loved His Friend, Lazarus. In fact, the Lord loved the entire family. When Lazarus became ill, his sisters knew just what to do. They sent for the Lord to come and heal their brother. They had trusted Jesus Christ. This family believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. However, their hope remained in God. They could see the Lord. Touch Him. Talk to Him face-to face. Why would Jesus wait two additional days before going to the home of his ailing friend and healing someone whom He knew intimately? Surely Jesus did not want Lazarus to die. Jesus told His Disciples that they would head back to Judea, but His Followers were hesitant because the citizens of this city had already tried to stone them. But Jesus would not be stopped. The Lord shared with the disciples that Lazarus was sleeping. They found this to be encouraging news not understanding that the Lord had just indicated that His Friend was dead. Lazarus died waiting on Jesus. His family was in mourning. Jesus was on His Way, but would it be too late. Death is not the end for Jesus. He conquered sin, death and the grave on Calvary. However, humanity defines life from birth to death. Your faith is designed to reach into the Beginning and extend until the end when Eternity becomes your home. Faith is about what we hope for that is unseen. If you can see it, it is not what you hope for as it can now be attained. Jesus Christ knew that these people trusted the Jesus they could see, feel and touch. However, was their hope safely stored in Heaven and the Glory of God?

 

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

 

What is faith? Faith is the reality of things desired with reasonable confidence. Faith makes hope logical not because we can see the substance or reality of it but remain confident that what we believe is true. Faith is based solely on what cannot be seen. Lazarus and his sisters could see Jesus making their faith in Him more confident. However, this would not be the fulfillment of hope. Faith produces expectancy. The premise of our faith is Jesus Christ and His Ability to fulfill our debt to sin and deliver us safely into Eternity. His Purpose is not to make this life better but deliver God’s People from death (this life) to Eternity (Presence of God). Faith makes hope possible. Faith requires getting to know the One in whom we believe. If there is nothing higher, stronger or more powerful than humanity, then this is all there is and people are in a hopeless situation. Valid faith results in the dead being brought back to life through Jesus Christ otherwise hope will never be fulfilled. We misinterpret God’s Power and limit it by simply applying it the life we live on earth and never looking beyond. Life is more than the seventy or so years given to roam this planet. Our natural life is an opportunity to discover faith and reunite with God. This is the ultimate purpose of your existence to walk with God forever. Jesus Christ connects us to the limitless Power of God through faith. Hope is the cord that ties us to Eternity. If this life is all that God had to offer, it would be senseless to put all your trust in Him if that was the best He could do. His Kingdom awaits those who do not lose hope in the building process of faith. To know God, we must expand our faith and broaden our expectation that even unto death God is faithful to fulfill all that we hope for. Faith is the reality of hope in Jesus Christ.

 

John 11:20-27 (NKJV)

Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

 

Faith is the foundation of transformation that allows God’s People to walk from death to life. Martha’s faith in Jesus extended beyond what she could see or understand. She believed that Jesus could have saved her brother in His Illness AND she believed that even in death Jesus was the Son of God. He was her Savior regardless because of faith that extended beyond this life into Eternity. However, many struggle with this concept of faith. It is clear in this conversation that Martha had taken the time to decide what she believed in this moment of sorrow. Her faith was tested and reached beyond the grave. Even in the deepest despair of mourning the loss of her brother, she still believed that God was able and that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. What is the result when your faith is tested? If the answer is even unto death, can your faith carry you beyond the confines of natural life into the supernatural realm of Eternity? This is the realization and reality of hope in Jesus Christ. It is not reserved for today but forever. Faith limited to what is seen is ineffective when Eternity is knocking. Jesus was showing the early believers limits in their faith produced by a Savior that could be seen. He wanted to expand their faith and confidence beyond this world into the Presence of God.

 

Genesis 22:1-3 (NLT)

Sometime later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.

 

God will test your faith to expose its limitation. Will your faith remain even unto death? It is a question I have asked myself many times as our son battles cancer. I wonder if Abraham regretted answering the Call of God that fateful morning. As He walked up that mountain how quiet tears must have flowed. Yet Abraham continued his journey with his beloved child never wavering from the Lord’s command even unto death. I have seen Abraham walking slowly up the mountain many times. Images of a man aging even more than his advanced years with each step fill my thoughts as higher and higher he goes never stopping. Throughout his journey, Abraham surely must have continuously repeated God’s Promises over and over in his head reminding his heart of the Faithfulness of God as it quivered on the verge of breaking. When faith is tested, the truth remains when all we see is devastation. It is the truth that allows hope to become a reality because this world and what we see is nothing compared to the Power and Plan of God that moves us from death to life. In the final moments when the death of Isaac seemed eminent and all that Abraham loved on this earth hung in the balance of faithfulness and reality, God provided a sacrifice. It is in this place that true faith is revealed when the only substitute for our pain and suffering is Jesus Christ and nothing else will do. Faith that is stripped of all falsehood and pretence is answered only by Jesus. This is faith. When it is a reality even unto death, it is real. It is during such times that we must know God intimately and confidently or we will surely fail.

 

Romans 4:16-17 (NLT)     

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the Law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

 

God’s Promise of Eternal Life is received by faith. It is a gift that cannot be earned. Faith enables us to receive this provision of Jesus Christ for His People. It requires faith like Abraham even unto death. It is fulfilled and real at the end of all we can see when things seem hopeless and despair overtakes us because human insufficiency is revealed and total weakness consumes us quieting pride. It is in that moment that only Jesus Christ can fill us, complete us and save us. This is the purpose of faith even unto death into the Glorious Light of His Love. Faith reserved for daily life is helpful but faith unto death is powerful. Such faith will carry you from this life into forever. Abraham believed God enough to sacrifice all that He hoped for trusting the Lord at ALL costs. Faith is abandonment of self sufficiency to total dependency on God, His Way, His Plan and His Purpose. Anything less does not produce hope that is valid, confident and substantial. God desires His People to know and understand real faith. He longs to strengthen the foundation of their life through testing and trials that will lead to the mountaintop experience when all that means anything to us is sacrificed to God’s Purpose in faith with total trust that God is able to do the impossible. Are you facing overwhelming circumstances and impossible situations in your life? Perfect you are right there on the verge of total surrender to God. Seek His Face. Know His Word. (Romans 10:17) Gain confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ and His Ability to carry you from death to life. Truth is the only thing that will sustain you in testing. It is a requirement of faith that cannot be seen. Do you know faith even unto death? You will need it to experience the Resurrection Power of Jesus in life! Martha had it. Abraham demonstrated it in living color. What about you? Are you ready to experience the Fullness of Faith revealed through Jesus Christ who brings us from death to life?

 

Galatians 3:9 (NLT)

So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

 

It was by faith that Abraham was declared righteous by God. Righteousness or right-standing with God is established by total dependency and trust in the Lord. Faith holds nothing back from God but yields everything to the Father confidently and obediently. Are you there yet? The edge of life and death is a scary place where there is no faith. If there is no expectancy beyond what we see with human eyes and know with the natural mind, it is a place of devastation. For those who trust the Lord and are established on a firm foundation of faith, it is only the beginning. The same blessing of righteousness bestowed to Abraham can be yours. The title “Friend of God” is reserved for those who journey up the mountain of faith and endure the testing which reveals genuine faith and trust in the Lord. To know God requires faith even unto death abandoning all that we are and value for God’s Purpose reveals a faith filled with expectancy and hope. It is the vessel that carries us from death to life!

Know Healing – A Devotion

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT)

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

 

Healing is probably one of the most commonly requested benefits of God by His People. In moments of sickness or when stricken by disease, people cry out for the Lord’s intervention of the invasion and intrusion in their life. However, the Healing of God is probably one of the least understood details of His Plan for His People. To know God one must be healed. Our weakness requires it. Our frailty necessitates it as well. Healing is not a quick-fix by God that is designed as medication for a dying people. It actually has very little to do with your physical body and everything to do with one’s spiritual condition. Modern medicine has many remedies for the ailments of life. There are well-educated and professionally-trained physicians who can diagnose an illness with the authority to prescribe the recommended treatment. There are many over-the-counter options for those who choose to treat their own condition. However, when all else fails we call on God for His Intervention. It would be better for a person with no knowledge of God to simply take an ibuprofen tablet than pray such a way. Knowledge of God through Jesus Christ is essential to claim the healing benefits of His Kingdom. Jesus Christ was pierced for our rebellion. He was crushed for our sin. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped (beaten) so we could be healed. Healing comes through the chastisement of Jesus Christ for our sin. It is a benefit of salvation and can only be received in such a way. Please, don’t be offended if you do not know the Lord. There is simple remedy called salvation. Those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13) However, this is a complete life overhaul so if you are not interested in a New Life through the Love of Jesus Christ healing may not be for you. Modern medicine may be more of what you are looking for to resume life as usual.

Healing is the transformation of God body, mind and Spirit. It is a manifestation of faith in God that has exchanged human weakness for the Power of God. Healing is a three-part benefit that culminates in a life change. To be healed is to be made healthy and whole. Your body is dying from the moment an infant arrives it is beginning to exhaust precious moments of life. However, those who call upon the Name of the Lord will be made healthy and whole through the Blood of Jesus Christ which exchanges sin for Eternal Life. No longer are you dying but instead shedding this life to be a New Creation. Healing brings an end to the devastating effect of sin in your life. No longer are you defined by the parameter of time that composes this life. Your devastation has ended for now you have achieved Destiny. Healing can only be accomplished when one has a Destiny beyond this life. Healing is also to be free from evil. It is to experience cleansing and purification. Healing is a benefit of knowing God. Knowing God requires that we call on the Name of the Lord with expectancy that our entire life will be changed body, mind and spirit. God cannot and will not heal your body if it remains in the sinful state of sin destined for hell and the grave. He loves you too much for that. His Plan is to make you healthy and whole which is only an option for those cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ. He desires to end the torment of your enemy in this lifetime and the devastating effect of sin on your life. He will free those from evil who walk away from their old life and embrace the New Life in Christ that He is offering. He will purify His People and washing away every trace of sin. This is healing. It is so much more than temporary relief of illness and disease. Healing prepares us to meet the Lord and live in His Presence.

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NLT)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Healing is revealed in the Word of God. The Power of God is hidden in His Word for discovery by His People. It is not enough to listen to His Word or see them. God encourages people to allow His Word to penetrate the heart. It is the Source of Life. It is healing for the whole body beginning in the heart moving through the mind and manifesting in the body. It is a well spring for life that begins with a foundation of faith that requires God’s Word to grow. Knowledge of God is essential to receive healing or else it is simply a remedy that really is symptomatic and not a cure. God desires to make His People whole lacking nothing. Healing temporary illness and disease without a heart transplant is futile. I have worked in the Admissions Department of a hospital completing the paperwork of many people being admitted for invasive procedures which carried a warning of potential death. It was frightening how many people from every conceivable stage of life would sign these papers not knowing the procedure or risks but blindly trusting the physician. They would sign advanced directives and living wills without even realizing that there was a possibility of death. Placing absolute faith in mortal man to heal their body and make them whole. I am convinced it is still happening today. Do you need God’s Healing in your life? As I encouraged those folks signing the papers permitting another to take control of their life, so I say to you, “Do not ever do such a thing ignorantly!” Study the Word of God concerning healing before you decide to put your faith and trust in God for your body, mind and spirit. Know what you are asking God to do by understanding exactly what God’s Plan for healing is. It is detailed in His Word. Take time to find out what it is all about. Ask the Lord in prayer to reveal His Will for your life and decide if you want what God desires for you. Make an informed choice before submitting your life to anyone including God. He wants you to know Him!

Psalm 103:2-4 (NLT)

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

God’s healing begins with the forgiveness of sin. It is a must for those who desire healing from the Lord. True repentance holding nothing back from God makes room for His Spirit to take over your life. Sin hinders the restoration process. God desires to make you whole again. He forgives all sin! The Blood of Jesus is enough to wash away the sin that has infected your body and tears away at your soul. The moment the “infection” is removed healing can begin. It is instantaneous. By calling on the Name of the Lord in repentance, your reward is healing. God’s Love and Tender Mercy makes it provision for those who call upon the Name of the Lord. It is a benefit of righteousness. Remaining in the Presence of God maintains the overwhelming intervention of God on your behalf. You are never subject to the details of life though you may be affected. Healing will always come because it is a Promise of God for His Children. You will not be disappointed if you know God’s Will and His Way.

Hebrews 9:25-28 (NLT)

And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

 

Jesus Christ died and bore the burden of sin so that God’s People would no longer remain in the cycle of sin that produces disappointment, devastation, disease and death. It was an end to the reign of sin in the life of a believer. God’s Plan is to end the cycle of sin in your life. However, a rebellious heart drifts in and out of God’s Love claiming momentary benefits and missing the full potential of all that a life submitted to God offers. Fear stems from a lack of knowledge that allows God’s Blessing but fears His Full Intervention. Salvation is for those who eagerly wait on the Lord. Healing is a benefit of a life that has made the choice to walk out of the old life of sin and prepared to become the New Creation God has promised. Continual running back and forth will not produce the healing from God we are expecting. Man will only die once. Jesus died once and for all. How many times will we run back and forth before a conscious choice is made to fully rely on Jesus and end the sin cycle of life? Healing is only available to those who desire the reign of sin to end in their life and partner with Jesus to make it happen.

Romans 8:1-3 (NLT)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the powerof the life-giving Spirit has freed youfrom the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

 

Healing begins when the Love of God sets His Children free from evil and cleanses us of sin. It is the starting line of faith. Healing is a process of daily submitting our life to God for His Plan. A desire to know all the benefits of salvation and living in righteousness to receive them is a must. If you are looking for a quick fix or pain relief, it is probably better to grab an aspirin or call the doctor, but if you desire to be transformed from the inside out call on the Name of the Lord in faith and surrender your life to Him. Jesus Christ has made the way for you to receive all the Kingdom rewards reserved for Children of God but you must be one of His to receive them. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ. You have been set free. Sin has no hold on you. The grave is not your resting place. Death cannot hold you. Your Destiny is much larger than you ever expected because you are a Child of the King.

Malachi 4:1-2 (NLT)

The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

 

Please understand healing is reserved for those who will withstand judgment. The Sun of Righteousness will bring healing to those who fear (respect and honor) His Name, but for those who do not know the Lord this will be a moment of utter destruction and complete devastation in the Light of God. The Lord desires to make you healthy and whole by His Love. The cycle of sin in your life has been brought to an end by Jesus Christ if you will call on His Name and be saved remaining in righteousness and living in the Presence of God. Jesus has set you free from the clutches of evil. You have been cleansed and purified. His Healing has already begun in the hearts and lives of those who love and trust Him. By faith, you will receive the healing produced by each stripe He endured with you in mind. His Healing enables you to stand unafraid on the Day of Judgment. Healing is so much more than just relief from a temporary illness, discomfort or pain.

James 5:13-16 (NLT)

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Are you suffering today? Living in the midst of a hardship, do you feel weak? Perfect. Repentance is the beginning of healing and restoration for your life. It moves you into righteousness and there you will find healing once and for all. Prayer is essential in the healing process. Communicating with God allows us to hear His Word and experience His Presence. Faith is the voice that God hears. Trust releases His Promises. Righteousness positions us for wholeness and completion of God’s Perfect Will for our life. God is good. His Thoughts for me are filled with love and concern. He desires my healing to the uttermost right along with my salvation. The Power of God’s Healing is available to every single person who chooses to call on the Name of Jesus. We must know the healing of God to be saved. Talk to God today. He is waiting to end your suffering. He longs to join you in your hardship and be your strength. He will bring you joy and peace in the midst of any trial. The Lord will hear your prayer of faith. God will answer you!

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NLT)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

Trust God for healing today, but do so in faith based on the Knowledge of God. His Perspective of life is much broader than our own. It is not defined by the few years spent on earth seeking God’s Love and Forgiveness. It is Eternal…Forever. God desires to spend FOREVER with you! This requires fulfillment of healing in your life. Expand your understanding of the Healing Hand of God today! Depend on the Lord with your entire life – body, mind and spirit. Turn from evil and focus fully on the Face of Jesus. God will heal you. He will be your strength. Knowing God is rewarded by His Healing.

Know Peace – A Devotion

Job 3:26 (NLT) “I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.”

 

The words of Job resonate in the heart of many people today. In a world full of disappointment and despair, people search for something more than trouble. They desire peace in a warring world. The war of good and evil rages all around them as the intense battle for each and every soul continues from the fall of man until now. God wants His Children and so does his enemy, satan. People do not have peace. Peace is a normal, non-warring condition. It is a place of contentment. Nations remain at peace until there is a lack of contentment that produces an uprising within its walls. Sin was produced from a lack of contentment that has put the human heart at odds with its Creator. The battle rages on. There is no silence but the cries of the angry and broken effected by a heated altercation in the spirit that has left devastating collateral damage on this earth. People seek contentment. They desire peace. They long to be still and satisfied. However, they have no idea where to find it and are working to death to find it. Humanity longs for peace. They desire quietness. Without rest, the endure trouble in desperation.

 

In Leviticus 3, the details of the Peace Offering are listed in great detail. A voluntary offering that was established in the Old Testament between God and His People, it is also known as the fellowship, praise and thank offering. Such a gift was given by a people seeking unity with God but without the change of heart that comes through salvation, it would become tainted by man’s hands as well. There is no fellowship with God or praise or true thankfulness without peace with God. Jesus Christ created a peace treaty between God and His People. Now it is possible to live in the peace coveted by generations. To know God is to know peace. However, one must find contentment in their faith in order to establish such a covenant with god in their life. You must trust God and find fulfillment in His Presence. Jesus made the way! Whether or not you decide to enter this important pact with your Creator is up to you.

 

Psalm 29:11 (NLT) The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace.

 

Peace is essential to experience the strength of the Lord. It is the Lord’s blessing of peace that people seek. The Peace Offering of the Old Testament was mankind’s attempt to establish peace with God. It was voluntary. God will not force His Peace into your life. He does offer His Strength which will bring stillness to your life enabling you to establish a firm foundation of faith. Such a foundation is the starting place of peace. It cannot be moved. It is the stillness of God in your life. No matter what happens in life, you will not be moved when you build your life on this foundation of faith and peace will begin to permeate your life as you move from a life of sin into righteousness. Right-standing with God on a firm foundation of faith places you in the midst of His Presence and His Peace radiates from His Glory all around you. Your life will be changed from the inside out. His Peace will begin to establish His Victory as you depend on His Strength to overcome all opposition and anything contrary to His Word, His Will and His Way for your life.

 

Psalm 85:8-9 (NLT)

I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.

 

God’s Word is peace to faithful people. We have learned that God’s Word is Jesus Christ. Peace with God is established through salvation and salvation comes through Jesus. Salvation is a foundation of peace in our life. We must remain on this foundation for it to be proven true. Running back and forth from the old life to the new will not create a relationship with God through righteousness (right-standing) that will produce peace in your life. You must remain in the Presence of God by faith to experience His Peace. Jesus must be the Lord of your life. He is the Prince of Peace.

 

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT)

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the King of a Kingdom that is established in everlasting peace. There is no war there. There is only freedom from the fight. It is a place of undeserved fairness and justice granted by grace to God’s People to live there forever. Your residency in the Kingdom of God is established by faith in Jesus Christ. Your benefits and privileges begin the moment you call on His Name by faith and walk away from this life to enter His Presence. There will be wars around you. There will be problems, circumstances and yes, trouble. However, those who dwell in righteousness can maintain peace through them all knowing in the end, we win. Jesus is triumphant in all things. His Victory is ours as Children of the King. Perfect peace is found through a life of righteousness that is established by faith and trust in God exhibited by a life totally yielded to the Lord.

 

Isaiah 26:2-4 (NLT)

Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

 

Righteousness opens the door of peace for those who enter in and remain there. God promises “perfect peace” to all who trust in the Lord and keep their thoughts fixed on you! That can be tough in a word that fights for the human mind and attempts to twist it to think that this is all there is and that people should make the best of it. Live for today is their mantra. However, I choose to live for Eternity. I want God’s Word on every matter. I choose the Word of God who is Jesus Christ to lead me through this life into Eternity. By doing so, I choose peace. By placing all that we are within the gates of His Kingdom, we choose to rely on His Strength and Power to keep us until the Day of Redemption and the Return of Jesus Christ.

 

Isaiah 32:17-18 (NLT)

And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.

 

Such a position creates unity with the Kingdom of God, peace is found in this place because no longer is there a war for our soul which is now established in faith in God. Quietness prevails as the Spirit of God quiets the raging thoughts and assault of our flesh. We are safe in the Presence of God and quiet at home in our hearts lives God. We will rest here until Jesus comes back. Though we see the storm, we are not affected. This is the Peace of God available when we do more than acquaint our self with God but choose to know God intimately. Peacemakers produce righteousness. (James 3:18) If we seek the Peace of God, we will end up in righteousness because that is where peace is found.

 

Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

God blesses those who work for peace for they will be called the children of God.

 

Children of God look for peace and work for it diligently. Silencing every voice in their life that would come against God and filling each void with faith as we pursue contentment in the Lord.

Peace is totally contrary to the way of this world. Though it is sought after it is never found because Peace is found in the Lord and in Him alone, so how do we work for peace?

 

Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 

Peace is harmony with God. It is a covenant between God and His People. By faith, we make peace with God through Jesus Christ. In this place, the work of peace begins producing things like endurance, character and hope as we experience the torrential Love of God pouring over our life. His Victory is ours as we establish a firm foundation of faith while basking in the Love of God. If we strive to remain at peace with God in righteousness and move away from sin and evilness, His Goodness is overflowing in our life and contentment is found. You will be satisfied. Not as the world satisfies which is easily consumed but with everlasting contentment that keeps us through Eternity in Jesus Christ. It quiets the warring heart (Romans 8:5-7) as we choose leave our sinful nature behind and experience the peace and life found in Jesus. This is where victory is found in Jesus Christ producing a quiet, sound, content, whole and perfect peace.

 

John 16:33 (NLT)

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

 

Romans 16:20 (NLT)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesusbe with you.

 

Peace produces victory in the life of a believer. Peace is established in righteousness which is found in faith. Jesus overcame the world. There is nothing you will go through that Jesus has not already secured as a victory – you must simply claim it by faith. To know peace one must know God. He is the peace which your heart longs for. Jesus Christ has opened the door and created an access point for your entrance into a life of peace and victory. Will you enter? The only requirement is to leave your old life and ways behind and choose to strive for righteousness day by day. It will be work because the old life was quite comfortable but lacked contentment. Your new life is satisfying but you must move into it. Will you choose peace today? It is not a state of the union but a matter of the heart. God is offering rest for your tired and weary soul. The battle has ended. Jesus won! You can enter His Kingdom and live in peace all the days of your life into Eternity. To know God is to know peace!

 

Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.