Need A Release?

Psalm 142:3-6 (Message)

“As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away, you know how I’m feeling, know the danger I’m in, the traps hidden in my path. Look right, look left— there’s not a soul who cares what happens! I’m up against it, with no exit—bereft, left alone. I cry out, God, call out: ‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’ Oh listen, please listen; I’ve never been this low. Rescue me from those who are hunting me down; I’m no match for them. Get me out of this dungeon so I can thank you in public.”

Diving is a popular sport in an unknown territory to man. We were not created to swim the bottom of great oceans yet the wandering sense of discovery in man challenges our weakness to continue to take dominion over all God has given us drives us to explore the depths of our world. Strapping on an air tank in order to breath where we should not be able to and fins to swim with the strength of the creatures that were, goggled divers drop into the vastness of the sea to find hidden secrets and treasures. Suddenly the power of gravity seems to release its hold as the human body can now go vertically or horizontally, higher or lower with minimal effort. In exceptionally deep dives, a diver can become disoriented and unaware of where the surface is. This poses a risk when they do not have any fancy diving equipment to tell them which way is up. As their air tank begins to wane, it becomes urgent to find the surface. There is one sure way to find the surface and that is to release some air bubbles. Just a quick release and the bubbles quickly make their way up, suddenly the way out is clear and divers follow the sign to safety.

As God’s Children, this world is foreign to us. We travel in a place that contradicts every truth and promise God has placed in our heart. Kingdom principles are not in operation here. The Holy Spirit is like an air tank that Jesus has uniquely placed within us to enable us to survive in this place. Without Him, we would surely die. But that doesn’t mean that trials and circumstances do not sometimes threaten to overtake our sense of direction and cause us to lose sight of Jesus. It is in these times that we must follow the example of seasoned divers and release a breath. Call to your Father and wait as He reaches down to pull you out of your circumstances to where He is. Jesus will lead you to a place in His Presence above that which has threatened to overtake you! I challenge you today not to just release air but to release praise. Praise calls for the Lord’s attention because in your dependency, He is fully operational without limitation. Your confidence through faith releases Jesus’ full effectiveness in your life because you are no longer holding on to the things that keep you in the mess and attach you to the grounding depths of uncertainty. Praise releases that which is holding you down and places your focus on Jesus who is your escape. Praise pulls you to the surface because it draws you closer to the One who saves. The Lord will embrace your praise and therefore pull you tightly to Himself. What a wonderful feeling to be found! It is time to release some praise today and find your way to the top! It is the place that Jesus Christ prepared for you through His death, burial and resurrection. Are you ready to rise again?

Psalm 34:1-5(NLT)

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

Feeling lost in despair today? Are the circumstances surrounding your life dark and unclear? Are you struggling to find a way out of the struggles that attempt to overtake you? Release praise today and it will lead you out! Lifting your love to the Lord enables Him to flood the darkness with light and reach in the midst of uncertainty to draw you close to Him. Boast to the world that your Savior is coming to change your situation and rescue you! It is an open invitation for Him to do just that and He is faithful! He will valiantly save you! Allow Him to expose your fears and flood your life with His Amazing Light! It all starts when we release a breath of praise! Try it! What do you have to lose? Just one breath is hardly fatal. What do you have to gain? Everything!

Refurbished

Isaiah 38:16-17 (NLT)

Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live! Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.

 Several years ago, I made an amazing discovery. While shopping on a limited budget, I stumbled across several websites offering the name brand products that I desired for remarkable prices. The unaffordable suddenly had become accessible, but surely there had to be some kind of a catch. After much research and carefully reading the fine print, the term “refurbished” surfaced. Refurbishment is the process of major maintenance or minor repair either mechanically or cosmetically of an item to its original condition. It is the process of restoration. While some would never dream of purchasing a pre-owned item, it is an excellent way to save precious dollars while attaining the many desirable electronics on the market today. The items have been through a complete restorative process and repackaged in most cases to appear much like the original purchase, however; often the box is white and void of all the enticing marketing pictures and slogans. The item inside the box has been through a complete process of evaluation and repair by the manufacturer to restore it. They have corrected the issues that were a problem and in most cases, completely renovated the exterior as well. It becomes good as new! These refurbished items are then offered at reduced rates for resale. I have purchased many refurbished items and all have worked optimally! Completely restored they are often more efficient than before because of the extensive evaluation that has been done to correct every error and flaw.

God offers the same program to those who choose to fall in love with His Son Jesus Christ and seek a growing relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit. Everyone comes to God a broken mess. Jesus promises to fix all those things that have made life dysfunctional. He is the ultimate repairman. Restoration is available to those who humble themselves before the Lord and admit that their live is flawed with major errors – sin. Sound easy? It’s not. Many people approach the Lord for the restored lives they desire but the process of evaluating each component of life becomes overwhelming. It requires taking things apart and disordering the routine of life to incorporate the missing factor – Jesus Christ. For those brave enough to commit to this process, there is a new life available. People will look at the restored lives of God’s Children as “too good to be true.” Friends, it’s not! Who better to restore you to your original condition than the Lord? He has the update needed to correct the major flaws that kept causing your life to fall apart – Jesus! Once He fills your life with His Spirit, what was completely dysfunctional will now begin to function as He intended. A life full of purpose and potential evidenced in the manifested Presence of God in your life with the favor and blessing that follows! All this packaged in a shiny package for the world to see called a prosperous life!

Isn’t it just like God to offer this amazing restoration at a price we can afford? Free! Absolutely free, there is no catch or gimmick. Just like salvation, this amazing offer is for every person who chooses to submit their life to the process. In fact, it is kind of a warranty condition in the covenant between you and the Lord. It allows ordinary people to live supernatural lives. It is a great deal that must be shared with others just like a great sale at your favorite store. People long to live productive and functional lives but don’t think they can endure the process. You are living proof that they can. God will prosper you as His Own living infomercial to tell the world of His Goodness and Grace offered completely free of charge to those willing to accept this amazing offer!

Genesis 1:3 (NLT)

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

 Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”

You were in the mind of God when He created light on the very first day of creation. It was with you in mind that everything around you came into existence. Why not allow your Creator to complete that which He desired for you from the very beginning of time? The Lord longs to restore your life to the greatness that He intended. To live a life of sweet communion together in a world submitted to the power and authority of God manifested in your life. He longs for this type of life for you – full of provision, blessing and prosperity. Everything living grows as an example of the life He purposed for you! God loves you! He desires to correct the problems in your life, fill the voids, patch the errors and set you on a lamp stand to shine His Love to the world. He longs to raise you up in your everyday life and to promote you! Let Jesus restore your life today!

Come to the Table

Psalm 63:1-5(NLT)

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.

 

Family meals are a part of our daily routine. With busy schedules leaving very little time for our family to spend time quietly together, we strive to maintain dinner together each night. However, it is clear that the enemy would much rather we scatter and lose touch in the madness of each day. Chaotic moments before we all sit down bring many challenges to maintaining this very important appointment each day. Once everyone slides into their place and the blessing is said, it is often with a great sigh of relief. It is time to be together as a family, to hear each other, to receive from one another, and grow our relationship. It really has little to do with nourishing our bodies and more to do with nurturing our relationship.

There are some ground rules to this time together. One is that all distractions must be left behind. No cell phones or video games are to be at the table. Everyone cannot talk at the same time but must also take time to listen. Hearing is a much greater challenge then speaking. The ringing telephone is not answered and the household chores wait. Everyone sits at the table, no standing at the counter, eating in another room, or slouching disinterestedly at the meal. No rushing to cram it in to get to something else. The television is off. Because this is our routine, no one really complains about this important time but in fact has begun to embrace our family meal. They don’t want to begin until everyone is there and wants to why when someone is absent. As a family, it is an important time that has grown into a loving relationship to be cherished.

As Christians who hunger and thirst for righteousness and right-standing with God, it is imperative that we feast at God’s Table on a regular basis as well. The relationship with God that is established through Jesus Christ is one to be nurtured if we desire it to grow. Sin makes the ways of God foreign to us. We have to spend time with the Lord to know who He is and what He desires for us! The Lord longs to communicate with us apart from the many distractions that come our way each and every day! How will we ever “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) if we do not take a moment to dine with Him? God does nothing on a small scale, His Word promises a “feast” to those who are willing to stop and dine in His Presence.  

In order to experience the feast that God has prepared for you that includes encouragement, peace, healing, joy and abundance, one must come to the table ready to receive. Distractions must be put away. The busyness of the day can wait for you to finish your “meal” with the Lord. It is important to spend time at the table of the Lord and not to hurry through just to say you were there. God longs to hear your voice as much as He desires to be heard by you. He will speak to you! He will feed your soul to overflowing with promises and comfort to carry you to victory. The Lord longs for Children who understand the importance of a daily family meal with Him in sweet communion! The more you participate the less likely you will be to miss this valuable time with your Father!

Psalm 145:13-17 (NLT)

The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.

 

God has prepared a special meal for just the two of you today! Won’t you join Him and receive all that He has to offer? Grow your relationship with the Lord today and experience the blessing and peace from a lasting encounter with the One who loves you most! He will provide all that you need and everything you could ever desire when you feast at His Table. Everyone who dines at the Lord’s Table will leave satisfied. Accept your personal invitation to dine with the King today!

Do You Hear It?

John 10:27-29 (NLT)

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

 

It is not uncommon for our children to get up early ready to head out for a day of adventure on any given Saturday. They are ready to release the energy built up through the hectic structured week. Joining the many other children in the neighborhood, they literally become a nomadic band of merriment as they head from one house to the next in pursuit of the next imaginary exploit. Lunch is shanghaied from many kitchens are partaken in the front yard as the travelers continue their day. When darkness lingers on the horizon, it becomes apparent that they have become so lost in their wanderings and brotherhood of friends that home is no longer on their mind. Parent’s voices are heard throughout the block as mothers and fathers call their children home. Occasionally after a couple of loud shouts the flag of concern becomes raised when someone does not show up breathlessly, smelling, dirty and disgruntled at the door with their begrudged spirit. Someone has wandered off and the alarm sounds that one of our precious children is missing. Most often a rift has caused one of them to wander off on their own in search of their way. The little one who is isolated now feels lost inside and outside and for whatever reason did not hear the voice of their parent calling. To the child who is “lost” it is the voice of the one who loves them calling them home that brings them great comfort even though they were close to home all along. Isolation is a terrible feeling equal to the feeling of not being accepted so sadness and fear immediately set in until they hear the voice of their mom or dad calling and suddenly everything is better. The road home has been revealed and all is well.

Life is not a game or fun-filled every day and it certainly is full of distractions. People calling our name can range from our children, spouse, parents, friends, enemies, co-workers and even complete strangers. Each pulling us in one direction or another with their influence, by the end of the day maybe even leaving us feeling lost and alone. We long to hear the voice of the One who loves us calling us to reality. Jesus is the true reality of our placement in life. He is where our home is not the temporal circumstances of day-to-day living. Yet physically all that we see, hear and touch is ever before us. But Jesus is calling us today. It is not a shouting voice but the gentle whisper of the One who loves us deeply and completely wooing us to His Side and into His Presence. It is in this place that security is found and refuge. There is peace in this place and it is available at the end of every hectic day and more importantly throughout the challenges of each moment. He calls to you because you belong to Jesus. His Father gave you to Him as a precious gift and the Lord cherishes his relationship with you! He will not allow anyone to snatch you and calls to you when you wander from the proximity of His Presence.

I Kings 19:11-13 (NLT)

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Jesus is in the midst of every trial that you may be facing today! He is not affected by the crashing situations you are presently enduring. He gently whispers to you in the midst of it. You know His Voice for when you hear it peace immediately floods your soul. It is in that moment that He asks you the question,”What are you doing here?” Whether it be in the midst of anxiety, fear, depression, sickness, weariness, or something else God never intended for you, the Lord is calling you back to where He is today! Just as a child who has gotten lost, Jesus says, “Come home with me.” Do you hear His Voice calling you today? He is! Look beyond your circumstances and quiet your emotions long enough to hear the Lord! He will immediately take you into the comfort of His Presence and where He is!

A Worthy Investment

Philippians 3:14 (NLT)

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

 

Effort is considered the exertion of physical or mental power. Exertion is vigorous or strenuous action. Effort is of no use without a release. To think about accomplishing something or to ponder it one’s mind if of no consequence and produces no real results. It is simply to convince the mind the endeavor may be worry of such attention. If a person has large sums of money in a box under their bed yet chooses to sit in their dilapidated home while crying about the terrible conditions and begging for help, then the money that they have really is of little worth. The money itself has the potential to be of great value but left unused it really is just paper and metal. When we exchange cash for what we desire or need, it becomes valuable. It is the effort to release it that makes it benefit our life. Human effort has the power to make such an exchange in our life as well. It is a gift from God through Jesus Christ and Calvary. When Jesus Christ charged the gates of hell and recovered the keys to death and the grave, we were instantly given freedom. Freedom that has no bounds and the power to change our life through great purpose and promises, however many times Christians choose to stay just inside of salvation’s gate and never explore the great boundaries of freedom available with just a little effort. Potential is revealed and manifested through effort. Exertion must be released to accomplish the things God has for you! Paul said, “I press on to reach the end of the race.” He didn’t want to just make it into heaven, Paul desired a victorious finish. When he met God face-to-face, Paul desired it to be a triumphant celebration as he burst through heaven’s gates to his well-pleased Father. We all have a choice in life whether we choose to simply exist or live. It is a state of being not dictated by your financial status or natural ability, but is marked by those who choose to make their efforts of great value and press, push and run for the Kingdom of God.

Effort is a wonderful commodity because no matter how much you spend today more will be ready for your use tomorrow. Human effort is not to be confused with self-elevation and self-promotion, but an intent heart willing to do whatever it takes to see God’s Kingdom manifest on earth. Effort that is expended wisely will prosper into great accomplishment. The news has been filled with many defunct finance companies that have gone under or are greatly struggling. If I went to one of these institutions and attempted to invest my money, I would be considered a fool. They have failed or proven to be corrupt. Yet Christians every day expend valuable effort into this world that is destined to fail. It is a fact that one day the world is racing toward judgment. Human effort is well-spent when it is solely invested in the Kingdom of God and chasing after Jesus Christ – two unshakeable truths that will yield great returns.

Psalm 90:16-17 (NLT)

Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!

May your efforts today bring Kingdom results in your life today! Wisely invest your effort and emotion into the things of God and they will prosper. Ask God to direct you in this endeavor and He will. Hold nothing in reserve but chase after Jesus with all that is within you! Your efforts will be rewarded in ways you never imagined! You will succeed! It is a winning proposition! Invite God to power-pack everything you do today by given everything you have to please your Father! He is rooting for you today!

The Copycat

John 10:10 (NLT)

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

A strong tactic of younger children to unnerve older siblings is the crafty game of copycat. Whether sharing a meal or just enjoying a car ride together, peace immediately dissipates and tempers flare when one begins to copy everything the other one does. It is unnerving and is a form of mockery that is not tolerated. Every word or action of the innocent is turned around and repeated or imitated often in an offensive way. It is annoying and is not acceptable behavior. It is an attempt to create conflict and draw the older child’s attention from whatever they are doing to the offending one. It is a distraction that causes great conflict.

Children are precious but not perfect. This behavior imitates that of the enemy who has but one purpose and that is to “steal and kill and destroy”. To steal would indicate that the enemy is determined to have what is yours. His purpose is totally reliant on the lives of people. He is doomed to the pit of hell and as a prisoner he has no rights or release. Without such a motive for living, he cannot operate outside of the lives of others. You, on the other hand, have a purpose of your very own. It was planted deep inside of you at creation and struggles to be set free in your life. This leads to the second thing the devil is attempting – he desperately seeks to destroy any potential you may have. He is looking for the blossoming of purpose brought on by faith so that he can kill it on contact. He has no purpose of his own so why not kill yours? Destruction is the only release the devil may ever experience. His only success may be to wreck havoc in your life as he cannot steal your salvation but just make the journey to eternity really tough. The only way the adversary can accomplish anything is through your life. Through daily attempts to goad you out into the open so he can see what you have to steal, kill and destroy! The enemy has no power over your purpose and he has no authority over you! The only way that he can stop you is when you become affected by his taunts and abandon your stand.

One thing to always remember is that the enemy does not possess knowledge of anyone’s purpose. He has no idea the plans that God has for you. He is a copycat who only can operate in the areas that are revealed to him. These are the areas that require the constant attention of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd (John 10:9-11). We have entered the gate and the pasture is vast. Jesus believes in freedom. Free to live and move with the Lord, it is up to us to identify the invasion tactics of the enemy as he attempts to steal your hope, peace, promise and purpose. Every standard raised up against sin in your life will produce a counterattack from the devil. He jumps on what is revealed to him and in his jealously must suffocate that promise that is breathing life and hope into your body and kill the faith that is rising up! It is time for Christians to understand that the enemy is not coming out of nowhere. He is attempting to destroy very specific purpose-based areas of your life. By spotlighting our weakness, he shatters our confidence. By interrupting our peace, we lose focus. It is all a tactic to destroy the potential that is beginning to manifest in your life! Don’t stand for it! Rebuke it! Draw closer to the Good Shepherd who is JESUS and allow Him to ward off the enemy of your soul while pouring the great secrets of your purpose into your heart and soul! The mockery will end when it is identified for what it is – just a vain attempt of the thief to set you off guard and take what is yours!

I Corinthians 2:8-11 (NLT)

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.

If the rulers knew the true identity of Jesus Christ, they would never have crucified Him. Sin would still devastate lives as there would be no cure. God’s Spirit has the power to connect man and God in every way producing powerful secret communicates. Through this connection, we secretly wage war against our adversary who has no idea what God is doing on a daily basis and must purely rely on secondhand information. Take authority over the copycat today by moving closer to the Lord. Place your ear close to His Face and your hand on His Heart and let Him whisper in your ear the great purpose inside of you and His Plan of action! Then live to protect it from the destroyer! Hold tight these precious mandates and stay focused on Jesus!

The Rainmaker

I Kings 18:41-44 (Message)

Elijah said to Ahab, “Up on your feet! Eat and drink—celebrate! Rain is on the way; I hear it coming.” Ahab did it: got up and ate and drank. Meanwhile, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed deeply in prayer, his face between his knees. Then he said to his young servant, “On your feet now! Look toward the sea.” He went, looked, and reported back, “I don’t see a thing.” “Keep looking,” said Elijah, “seven times if necessary.” And sure enough, the seventh time he said, “Oh yes, a cloud! But it is very small, no bigger than someone’s hand, rising out of the sea.” “Quickly then, be on your way. Tell Ahab, ‘Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.’”

In the midst of the unexpectedly harsh winter that has befallen our very southern state this year, my children have developed a fascination with the Weather Channel on the local cable network. Each morning and evening they carefully assess the weather for the coming days with great interest. They are looking for a sign that the rainy, cold winter is coming to an end and the warmer days of spring and summer are coming. The weather will drastically change from bitter cold to a pleasant mild day and they are elated. If Monday and Tuesday were wet and cold but there is promise of sunshine on Wednesday it’s a hit! Meteorologists have long offered their take on what to expect in the coming days. With the advancements of technology, they have become astute at predicting the weather in the coming days. They are knowledgeable about the science of the weather and daily study the weather patterns to assess what the coming days will bring. We become dependent on their assessment to choose our clothing and plan our days. In the past, we could only depend on what we saw to determine what the weather for the rest of the day would be like. People were unable to prepare for hurricanes because they never saw them coming. Severe storm warnings did not send people indoors when the weather became threatening. With the acquired knowledge and advancement in technology, we are able to see the days ahead and prepare while also telling others.

God’s People are like meteorologists. As we study God’s Word and become knowledgeable about how He operates in our life, we are able to share with others this great hope for tomorrow. People who encourage others become influential because the world is searching for light in the darkness of this world. The news channels are filled with the tragedies and hopelessness. People want to see the “Son”! However, if we cannot see the “rain” of God’s Spirit coming how will those who don’t know Him recognize it on the horizon? Through studying God’s Word and communicating with the Lord, He will acquire wisdom to discern the seasons of life and see His Presence in the midst of them. The faith grows inside of you becomes a barometer that predicts the coming rain of God’s Power and His Presence. The more you know Him, the more confidently you will share your faith with others. Despite the circumstances and situations that may be overshadowing their life, you can see the “Sonshine” ahead! Elijah told Ahab to go ahead and begin the celebration, “Rain is on the way, I hear it coming!” There were no storm clouds and no indication of physical rain, but Elijah knew God the Rainmaker and it was through this knowledge and faith that he could speak confidently to others about the faithfulness of God. Elijah got on his knees and diligently prayed until the storm clouds arrived. His trust in the faithfulness of God and certainty that He was moving allowed Elijah to remain in that position until the drops began to fall. He told his servant when the smallest cloud manifested to hurry to the others before he got soaked. Are you an encouragement to others? Are you able to share the Promises of God to those who are seeking? How well do you know the “Rainmaker”? Does your knowledge of God produce the kind of faith that confidently proclaims the great movement of God toward His People? It can!

Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NLT)

“This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

 

The remarkable secrets of God are not hidden in a vault somewhere in Heaven inaccessible to God’s Children but the Lord desires one thing: “Ask me!” If I simply choose to watch the Weather Channel, I will know what the weather will be like in the coming days! When I choose to study God’s Word to know Him and ask Him about the secret things in life, He will tell me because we know each other! He is telling me because it is not a pastime but a commitment and I have chosen to seek His Answer! It is then that I have the confidence to share this Great Truth with others! Meet the “Rainmaker” today! The rain of God’s Spirit is just on the horizon! I can hear the sound of rain! It’s coming! You can see it too! You can hear it! You can experience Him in a whole new way!

Full Content

I Timothy 6:6-8 (Message)

A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.

 

I Timothy 6:6 (NIV)

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

A person is born hungry to fill their heart and mind with the things life has to offer even in a physical sense a newborn will seek to fill their stomach upon arrival. Every living creature has a hunger to be filled. The complexity of man dictates a multilevel need for fulfillment. It is quite uncommon for man not to seek something to fill their time, meet their needs and satisfy their soul. Every life every created consists of a number of things that have been added over time to the being that God first thrust into the world the day that you were born. We all long to be full. So throughout our life we begin to pick and choose the details for our life in order to manifest the creative nature God specifically designed us to be in His Image and fill every day and night with the things that will create the fullness that we desire. However, as we have come to discover, not everything chosen is beneficial. There are times that our choices causes adverse effects.

Hunger is a great battle for many Americans. The obesity of our nation is staggering and many have joined the pursuit of healthier lifestyles. Our need for fulfillment has led many to seek food as filler for voids that exist which may not necessarily be of a physical nature. One day you wake up with 10 – 20 – 50 extra pounds and wonder where in the world did that come from? In a desperate effort to lose weight, many people will choose dieting. One quick way to reduce sugar intake is to eliminate soft drinks. However, often people choose to substitute diet sodas in their place rather than water. Diet drinks have less sugar but hide another threat to your health in the sodium content which is very bad for kidneys as well as other parts of the body. In addition, it has the potential to sabotage all dieting efforts as increased sodium causes bloating and water retention. When a diet drink is followed by a couple of bottles of water, your body essentially absorbs the water which produces bloating and weight gain hindering the cleansing effect of the water. Those who are solely dependent on diet drinks to fill their thirst will notice that weight gain is more likely than weight loss. Water alone will wash away impurities from our body while diet soda will hold them in. Living water will cleanse our heart, mind and soul of those things that will cause us to hunger for the wrong things and produce a healthy thirst in our life that will lead to contentment. Sin makes you crave more and more the things that it desires but godliness leads to contentment. Living full of the Holy Spirit and Living Water will produced a fulfilled and satisfied life!

Contentment points to the content in one’s life. Content can be defined as the volume contained. Contentment is the state of being contented, satisfied and at peace. What is your content today? What are you full of? It is when we evaluate what is filling the space of our heart, our mind and our soul that we will identify those things that are causing discontentment in our life. The Spirit of God occupying these areas of life will flush out any impurity and produce a healthy heart, soul and mind that will be full of godliness and peace. It is a lifestyle that produces a fulfillment that will never be found in the things this world has to offer. We must choose to live life in the Presence of God through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ with a constant reliance on God’s Spirit to be fulfilled with that which will last beyond physical death and into the spiritual realm of eternity. Things cannot go with you and neither will people but the Lord invites you today to be full of His Goodness and His Presence to live a content life full of peace generating Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The many fruits that the Holy Spirit offers to grow in your life will fulfill you and never weigh you down! God’s Plan dictates a life of contentment regardless of the physical attributes of that existence. It is a state of being far more valuable than anything offered to you by this world. It will fill and fully satisfy you! Seek God’s content today! Allow Him to fill the voids and needs in your life today! He will satisfy your hunger!

Walking in Love

2 John 1:6 (NIV)

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

 

Remember the first time you fell in love? Whether it was a childhood crush or high school sweetheart, there was an atmosphere created just because this love existed in your life. Everything looked better. Everything felt better. Life was better whether you were with them or simply breathing. In the emotion of love, we see characteristics innately deposited into our being that God desires to be manifested throughout our whole life. Amazingly when someone is in love they become more lovable. In the atmosphere of love, there is a release that enables people to walk in love outside of their human bodies and it is that spirit of renewal that God is seeking for His Children each and every day.

In the beginning during the fall into love, everything is wonderful and it extends throughout the lives of those in love. However, because sin involvement is unavoidable, relationships are in constant danger of disruption and corruption at the hands of the enemy who seeks to kill and destroy. Through the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we are able to sustain a life defined and characterized by love that cannot be infiltrated by sin and can explode in our life every day. Unlike earthly love that requires a daily sacrifice that tomorrow will be forgotten and requires more attention, Jesus promises those who choose to abandon sin’s hold on their life and follow Him through obedience and complete submission that He will allow us to walk in love. To walk in love means that love will surround us and encompass us. It will be everywhere we walk, in everything that we do, and every word that we speak. Somehow we have chosen to disconnect the innate power of human love from the ultimate power of God’s Agape Love, yet in one word – LOVE – we can have it all!

To walk in love often paints a picture of self-sacrifice. For example, actions like ignoring insults, not taking offense and doing the right thing to those who wrong you are all ways that we honor Jesus by choosing to follow His Example. However, none of these things make life sound great while we are in love. God created man in His Own Image so the concept of love that Jesus is calling for must be inside of us from conception. Therefore it bears many of the same characteristics of the love we experience in human relationships only it becomes empowered by God’s Spirit to be perfected. Walking in love is not a life of drudgery and loneliness. Instead of becoming infected with sin, it is purified so that the affliction that life may bring makes it stronger and more passionate rather than destroying it altogether like human love. It incorporates the creative power of God to take that love and remove the impurities that threaten its longevity. It takes the hate and bitterness out of passion and injects it with grace and mercy that causes love to prosper and mature even faster, spreading farther than it ever has before. Who wouldn’t want to live like those who have just fallen in love without the fear of relational failure but the promise of an eternity feeling exactly the same way? Jesus offers this to those who choose to follow His Lead when it comes to loving others. It is an atmosphere of joy that will surround and overtake you! Your heart will continually connect with others and loneliness is not an issue. Your life will become open to more and more of God’s Presence as He moves closer to see your love in action. God is Love. Jesus is Love. It only makes sense that as we walk in love it creates a supernatural atmosphere that removes darkness as we bask in the light of God’s Love. The blessings truly outweigh any risk because when our love affair starts with Jesus Christ, it will never die. It is eternal.

Romans 8:38-39 (Message)

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Think about it! Jesus has embraced us so tightly that nothing can separate us from God! Nothing! Do you feel the love of Jesus overtaking your life today? It is passionate and consuming and anything less would beckon one to move closer to experience it! As we move away from sin, we walk in closer to love until we are standing right in the middle of it and as it grows we finally realize that we no longer can reach its borders! Fall in love with Jesus today!

Release the Flow

Luke 6:36-38 (CEV)

Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you. Jesus said: Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.

Self-righteousness can get the best of anyone who strives to walk in righteousness. God is excellent at distributing enough grace and mercy to cover every single sin that has ever been committed. God is so good in fact that there are times when we forget that outside of the covering of Jesus Christ our lives are tattered messes being held together by God’s Grace and the precious blood that reconditions our lives to glorify God. If grace is removed, what is left behind is unsightly and riddled with the marks of sin. God laid it on thick when He sent Jesus Christ to make things right and now it is up to us to remember this on a daily basis. But over time, we become accustomed to the new person that God has created and forget who we once were. Suddenly the offenses of others become “clearly” worse than any sin we ever committed. How could they be so wrong? Stinginess grabs hold of all the grace and mercy poured over us and refuses to release it into the life of another. Condemnation becomes a comfortable friend as we assess their sin and measure the punishment suitable for those who knew better. It is an ugliness that opens us to sin that we are so sure we have escaped in our “sinless” existence. The self-righteous flesh that has become accustomed to the mantle of grace that has blinded it to the true condition of its heart is calling for judgment of others today. Jesus says wait…the Lord is reminding us today that we are to pity others as He has pity on us.

When a hard freeze warning in effect, people are warned to faucets and spigots run slightly to prevent the pipes that carry water to and from homes to burst. The pipes burst because they were designed to maintain a flow of water by pressure that releases it and pushes it through and when that pressure builds up without release it causes the pipe to explode as it needs a release. Grace and mercy were designed to flow in our lives. They are not a onetime application but continue to move over us every day as sin attempts to contaminate that which God has made righteous. However, there is a devastating effect when we choose to withhold this flow. It causes a backup of pressure in our system that will eventually cause a problem for us through false pride and hypocrisy. To become the judge and jury of someone else places us in a very dangerous position that could backfire at any time. No one can withstand the judgment of God but must rely solely on His Mercy. Payment cannot be made for the mistakes that overrun our existence but Grace provided through Jesus Christ calls for us to extend it to the lives of others no matter how deep the hurt, shock or offense. It is time to release mercy and grace to flow from our lives into the lives of others. For like a house that has a damaged water pipe no longer has water throughout, the Spirit of God cannot move in a life that does not flow in the same way! Only God has the right to judge the actions of another. Our sinful state makes us no better than those we are trying to condemn. Our Brother Jesus stands before us so that Our Father sees only His Sinlessness! Every situation in our life is effected by God’s Grace and it is time to allow it to flow over into the lives of others. Mercy saved us from destruction and carries us daily – this should be extended to every person we encounter. The amount of love, grace and mercy that flows from your life will continually flow through your life and God will increase it for those who choose not to hang on to it!

Colossians 3:12-13 (Message)

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Two ways to release mercy and grace into the lives of others is always through forgiveness and love. To love others more passionately than we love ourselves is challenging but it is the way that God has called us to be. Release a flow of love into the lives of others today! Nothing they could ever do to you would call for any more severe a punishment than our own sin that nailed Jesus Christ to Calvary. With love always comes forgiveness. Forgive quickly today and release the pressure. In return, God’s grace and mercy will release abundant blessing in your life and what was once a stagnant life will begin to prosper!