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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Matthew 9:1-6 (NLT)

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

To know God one must know God’s Forgiveness in its entirety. There is no need to hope that Jesus has forgiven your sins. His Blood is a promise that He has. It is a covenant between God and mankind that the debt for their injustices has been paid in full with no further requirement. Are you living as one set free today? Sin is paralyzing. It renders people unable to have a relationship with God, walk in His Ways and move beyond their present circumstances. God’s Forgiveness is empowered by His Hand of Healing. It is a process of submitting to the Lord by faith those things that are crippling one’s ability to seek the Lord in exchange for His Strength and Power to walk out one’s salvation. (Philippians 2:12) God’s Own are to “work hard to show the results of salvation” through careful obedience. Without the Blood of Jesus that brings about remission of sins, it is impossible to be healed of the infectious sin condition that has been mutating in people throughout all generations. However, once we do experience God’s Gracious Forgiveness it is imperative that we exercise our newly acquired faith to walk out of our old life and way of doing things crippled by sin into the glorious freedom offered by healing and a heart set free. It all begins with the Blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:20-22 (NLT)

Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

I have many friends who have battled and are currently battling leukemia. Leukemia is a complex disease however in simple terms it is cancer of the blood. One form of treatment is a bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant. These new cells are given to replace the bone that has been destroyed by cancer and its treatment. Sin is cancer that infects the entire person. It requires replacement by the Blood of Jesus Christ to be healed and made whole. Your life and struggles are defined by the sin in your life until Jesus Christ applies His Blood then each situation becomes an opportunity to increase faith and walk out of the old life of despair into a brand New Life and Destiny. Please understand the details of your life may not immediately change with the remission of sin. It is a process. But through the Blood of Jesus Christ, your sins will be forgiven and be placed in remission. No longer will they impact your life as you grow stronger in faith and trust in Jesus Christ. At the moment of transplant, a patient is often at their weakest point but as the cells begin to grow and multiply in their life – they are healed and made whole. Jesus Christ and His Blood are absolutely primary in the remission of sin. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus will do. His Blood purifies your life making it presentable to God so that His People may enter His Glorious Presence despite their stricken bodies. Forgiveness requires the Blood of Jesus making us acceptable for worship.

Hebrews 10:15-19 (NLT)

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Jesus did not demand those He healed to worship Him. He only made them acceptable for worship by forgiving their sins and making their bodies whole. He prepared them to worship but the choice remained their very own. God has invited you to join in a New Covenant. Covenant is a partnership that requires equal participation. When sins are forgiven there is no need for further sacrifice, however; it is a cleansed state that requires obedience. Obedience by faith in Jesus carries us out of the wasteland of the old life into the privileges of our New Life provided through our New Covenant with God. I find it highly unlikely that any of the paralytics that Jesus healed returned to the begging mats or the blind closed their eyes and continued to wander aimlessly through life. Of course not, they had been set free. Life was a brand new adventure for them all. Interestingly enough of those healed few of these men and women are reported to return to the Lord in worship. Have you returned to Jesus in worship? Forgiveness is complete in Jesus Christ. It has erased your sin from the sight of God. What now?

Romans 4:4-5 (NLT)

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

The purpose of forgiveness is returning to God. But many people run off and try to make good choices and attempt obedience without the Lord. The purpose of forgiveness is preparation for worship. You have been cleansed with the Blood of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness with purpose is to keep you at the Feet of Jesus Christ through a life submitted to worship. Where did you run off to? Wonder why this thing called obedience is so difficult…you cannot earn your salvation. It was not credited to you with the intent of repayment. God desires one thing from His People obedience. What kind of obedience? Obedience produced by a great love and appreciation for the Wonderful Gift of Forgiveness we have been given freely but acquired at such a great price. Righteousness is accounted to God’s People through faith in God. Faith produces obedience out of great love and affection for God. Total dependency decidedly trusting God for everything which is the only way to work out your salvation, you do nothing simply accept it, open it and live it.

Psalm 65:1-3 (NLT)

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.

There are no levels to sin and there is not one sin that the Blood of Jesus will not cover. God does not have a chart that measures the severity of sin. All sin is an abomination to God. He loathes it all the same. It is all disobedience to God. Do not believe the lie of the enemy of your soul that ever tells you God will not forgive your sin – He promises to forgive them all. Who better to testify this truth than David? Known as a man after God’s Own Heart, David tested the forgiveness of God through a life of random passion and disobedience. Yet God loved David. God forgave him. The Lord blessed David. He was anointed. Nothing you do in the name of “sin” will ever be held against you once placed in the overflow of the Blood of Jesus Christ and left there to be washed away in the cleansing flow and carried away. God will then fill your life with His Healing as He continually prepares you for worship and closer proximity to Him. God’s Desire is for you to live in His Presence. That’s right, point at yourself and say “Me”? To this God shakes His Head in approval – “Yes, YOU!”

Psalm 103:1-4 (NLT)

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 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.

Forgiveness makes room for God’s Love to fill your life. When we choose to worship God with our whole heart, all of it, we make room for His Love to overflow in our life. Obedience is remaining in the Presence of God which requires submitting our sinful motives and selfish intent to the cleansing flood of the Blood of Jesus in repentance. To repent is to turn from our sin and walk away. When you remove something it creates a void, God will then fill your life with His Love and Tender Mercies. You will become a New Creation by such a process. It is nothing you do except continually yield your life in obedience. Obedience to God is not anything we do but rather working to make more room for God’s Love to fill our heart and mind. It is a constant yielding of self to the Lord producing faith and trust in God. He forgives our sin, removes it and heals all the diseases of our heart and mind. It is a lifelong process with supernatural results as we become a New Creation (Galatians 6:15) just as God promised. His Word says,”Love prospers when a fault is forgiven…” (Proverbs 17:9). God does not live a double standard if our forgiveness of another makes love prosper, then how much more does God’s Love Prosper for us when we choose to accept His Forgiveness and live there?

I John 1:8-10 (NLT)

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

To know God we must accept His Forgiveness. His People must take the time to know exactly how pivotal His Forgiveness is when it comes to walking into our New Life in Christ. We cannot carry the load of our past and all the indiscretions into His Presence, they must be left at the door. The Blood of Jesus Christ prepares us to worship God through forgiveness. Forgiveness is only the beginning as God heals us enabling us to return to His Presence. We do nothing but obey His Call. We come running healed and whole by the Blood of Jesus Christ. This world will not stop those who are saved and healed from running into the Presence of God. You have been set free for this purpose – to know the forgiveness of God through the Blood of Jesus Christ. God is preparing you for worship – will you return to the Lord today?

John 3:4-6 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.^”

To know God, one must know His Word and indeed accept His Son, Jesus Christ as Savior. The Holy Spirit is a divided subject in the modern day church. It is a part of the deity of God that is greatly debated. However, to ignore the Spirit of the Lord is to refuse a part of the Trinity which is absolutely impossible to do and still have a thriving relationship with God. It would be like downplaying the role of God’s Word or Jesus Christ in God’s Plan for your life. The Spirit of God is essential in fulfilling God’s Creative Design Handwritten just for you. This is not a discussion of the manifestation of God’s Spirit but the actual person as it relates to each and every believer. God’s People must be filled with the Holy Spirit to enter God’s Presence. It is the empowerment of God in each person allowing them to overcome the power of sin in their life to live in obedience, righteousness and to the glory of God. Man cannot do it alone. The Word of God created you. Every single breath God releases impacts your life and should be held captive in your heart. His Son, Jesus, died to pay the insurmountable sin debt owed for a life of rebellion that has been handed down through the generations and was inescapable outside of the perfect sacrifice. In exchange for a life of sin, death and the grave, God prepared a new life for all of His Children. His Spirit allows you to live out the Perfect Plan of God. It is impossible to love God, serve God and reach God without this important member of the Trinity. Ignoring His Spirit is impossible if you have chosen the New Life promised in His Word and purchased by the Blood of Jesus Christ. God’s People must not only take time to know God, His Word, His Son but it is absolutely essential that we know His Spirit.

John 4:23-24 (NLT)

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Jesus told the woman at the well that a new form of worship that was coming. One that would enable God’s People to become “true worshipers” because God was a Spirit, people must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Truth is God’s Word. It is perfectly flawless without error or retraction. Complete and pure which makes it totally incomprehensible to an imperfect being that has been tainted by the darkness of this world and sin. God released His Spirit to His Children once their sin debt was satisfied by Jesus Christ to expand their knowledge and understanding of the Truth and enable us to live in righteousness. Without God’s Spirit, there is nothing to connect God’s Truth with. God’s Word for your life must be plugged into God’s Spirit living in your heart in order to make sense and become attainable. Without God’s Spirit, believers will drift in misunderstanding of the magnificent Love of God and His Overwhelming Affection for His Children.

John 6:63 (NLT)

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

God desires you. Jesus provides access to God. His Spirit gives Eternal Life. Man, that just blew some people’s theology and doctrine in a nutshell. I believe that our relationship with God trumps religion every time and if God’s Word says it than I believe it. I believe that the Spirit of God ALONE gives Eternal Life which is no slight to God or Jesus Christ because they are one being. If my hand accomplishes a task, then my entire body takes credit. The Trinity of God is very complex for the human mind to comprehend. Nevertheless, it does not change the Truth but empowers mere mortals to understand a deity that is larger than the universe. If human effort accomplishes nothing than it is impossible to serve God without His Spirit, many have tried and failed miserably. By living in ignorance of God and all the many facets that compose His Glory, we exempt our life from His Power and Presence. God is a gem too precious to fully take in. In His Entirety, He is the great “I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) His Word is the clarity as it is the purest of pure. (Psalm 12:6) Jesus is the color which is spotless and without blemish which is priceless. (I Peter 1:19) His Spirit is the Glory of God which reflects His Brilliance and Character in His People.(2 Corinthians 3:18) When you buy a diamond these things are important – clarity, color and cut. Your decision to commit your life to something should include all facets of God’s Being. He is the Great I Am. However, there are components of His Character that must be studied and known to understand His Great Worth.

John 16:13-15 (NLT)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

Jesus Christ imparted the Holy Spirit to God’s People as an advocate and translator. He translates God’s Word into reality in the life of a believer. You cannot understand the thoughts of God they are too high. (Isaiah 55:9) People just don’t understand the Love of God. Without Jesus, people could not access the Love of God. They were afraid of it with good reason. A love so pure and true it would destroy the sinful man instantly. However, now through the Spirit of God, people can live in the Presence of God and fully enter the New Life given to us. His Spirit allows us to glorify God with our life. We can serve God because His Spirit lives in us. It purifies our hearts and clarifies all motives. Daily His Spirit is refining the foundation of faith in our life by working the Word of God through every single aspect. He is the Still Small Voice people have been straining to hear. His Spirit is God’s Hands at work in your life reconstructing it into the New Life that you have been promised. Will you let Him have His Way?

Psalm 51:10-11 (NLT)

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

If a person could clean out their own heart and renew their own spirit, why in the world would we need Jesus or His Spirit? Truth is, we wouldn’t. However, mankind has failed miserably at maintaining a relationship with God and need all the help we can get. God gave us everything we need to live a life of godliness and purity, if we identify the composition of the Trinity and Character of God without picking and choosing what part of God we are willing to accept but work to know the Full Person of God – Word, Jesus and Holy Spirit. Equal time to all components of His Character to the fulfillment of His Plan for our life, there is no such nonsense as cleaning up our life and living for God outside of His Power. Human weakness is a reality pride does not want to fully accept. Total dependency on God is the only way to live in His Presence. It is a requirement not a recommendation. There is no New Life outside of His Spirit.

Job 34:14-15 (NLT)

If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease and humanity would turn again to dust.

Your old life began with the Breath of God. But humanity rejected God. God removed His Beloved People from the Garden of Eden to ensure that they would never take from the Tree of Life in their sinful state living forever in torment and torture due to their impurity. He made a way for mankind to return to His Presence – Jesus Christ. Now God longs to fulfill His People by refilling them with His Spirit. Psalm 139 demonstrates the Presence of God’s Spirit as mankind is created. It is inescapable. There is nowhere we can go to escape the Spirit of God. (Psalm 139:7) His Breath gives us life. You were created by the Breath of God to carry the Breath of God. It is only completion of what was planned during creation but halted in rebellion. The Presence of God surrounds you. God desires to fill you once again with His Breath. If you desire to live a New Life you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without God’s Spirit, we are nothing but dust and return there one day without hope. How can we possibly ignore such a vital part of God’s Plan for our life and ever expect to remain in God’s Presence and to thrive in godliness? To know God requires intimate knowledge of God’s Spirit and the importance of holy habitation in our life. It is impossible to live for God without His Assistance because total dependence is required. God has provided that assistance, do you know Him?

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

Jesus Christ to give you a new life and a brand new heart. The Holy Spirit waits to remove that stony, stubborn heart that has been hindering you to replace it with a tender, responsive heart. His Spirit will allow you to obey God like never before without the struggle and sorrow of repeated failure. A tender, responsive heart is ready to receive all of God’s Love! To know God is to know His Amazing Love. His Spirit allows you to receive all of it without reservation. He will allow you to be tested and triumphant. (Matthew 4:1) His Word will manifest in your life. Jesus will become your Lord. The Spirit of God will lead you into His Presence once and for all. You will be all that God said you would be. You will do everything God said that you would do. A supernatural is waiting with your name on it. Know God – Know His Word – Know His Son – Know His Spirit!

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NLT)

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come,and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel,he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

Matthew 4:18-20 (NLT)

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

It is important when choosing a marketing strategy to first decide who your target audience is. If you do not have a specific idea of the people who are to be reached, it is difficult to determine what will appeal to them. Without a focus, such campaigns are random and are doomed for failure. Or attempting to achieve a goal without a firm concept of what is attractive and inviting will surely end unsuccessfully. In southern terms, this is called fishing with the wrong bait. It can also be applied to influencing all people not just those in marketing. Your best effort to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others can be strongly dependent on what kind of “bait” you are “fishing” with. Jesus Christ called us to “fish for people.” He desires humanity to live with Him in Eternity. However, in this world “God”, “Jesus” and “religion” are difficult subjects that ultimately turn people off rather than attracting them as a moth to a flame. Are you the Light of the World today? (Matthew 5:14) Light is attractive. It invites others from the darkness. Peter and Andrew were fishermen. They made their living by catching fish. However, when Jesus Christ invited them to “come, follow me”, they dropped their nets to follow Him. Even though they understood the fishing industry and knew how to fish they would have to choose a new strategy to catch people rather than fish. As a believer, it is imperative that we also decide the proper “bait” to introduce others to Jesus Christ. Is your life attractive to people looking for Jesus Christ? If you were to say, “Come and follow me to Eternity, would they without reservation follow you? As Christians, are we fishing with the wrong bait?

I John 2:7-8 (NLT)

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

Loving one another is nothing new. It was an old commandment made new in Jesus Christ. Jesus makes it possible for grace and mercy to abound in our life which should be extended to others. People expect opposition, ridicule, condemnation, struggle and strife amongst one another. There is steady competition between humanity as the world struggles for a better life. However, when the church is one of the biggest enemies of the lost it becomes a futile effort to reach those who are lost in the darkness. There is nothing attractive about these qualities. It is an infiltration of human nature in the House of God. But when we choose to change the way we view others and truly follow Jesus Christ, we cut the lines of such things in our life by choosing love, forgiveness and humility in all things. It was not by mistake that Jesus chose fishermen as His Disciples. These gentlemen were used to getting their hands dirty. They were outcast who lived on the water many of them unsavory characters who were in constant pursuit of the catch. They had all the right qualities and with the right “bait” they would now become successful. Salvation has given each believer a new chance to be the Light of the World. Attracting all types of people from the darkness of this world almost effortlessly, but we must change our current strategy and make the Love of God attractive once more. It requires getting our hands dirty. We must spend time loving the unlovable just as God loves us. Outside of Jesus Christ there is not one appealing thing about a person. However, we Jesus Christ and His Amazing Love things are bound to change.

Luke 5:5-7 (NLT)

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When the Lord told Simon Peter to let down his net once again, I am sure this exasperated the exhausted, experienced fisherman, but he did it anyway. His nets were overflowing and on the verge of breaking. Same water, same boat and same net but different faith, the fishermen had fished all night and worked very hard in their own strength and did not catch a single fish. But when Jesus Christ gave the charge, the fish jumped into the nets. Two things stand out in this passage. First, Jesus did not tell them to move the boat or change position. The Lord wants to use you right where you are. Your new life is now. He is not going to strip you of your current position and reposition you anywhere else. You are in your mission field so be obedient. Simon Peter was sitting in his boat feeling defeated from lack of success and Jesus asked him to row him into the water so that the Lord could continue to teach the large crowd that had gathered. It was after Peter was obedient that Jesus filled his net with fish. Will your faith allow obedience before the catch? Jesus is looking for followers who are willing to put themselves out there in faith before the blessing. If you are following Jesus Christ for His Provision and Prosperity, then you will likely strive your whole life for very little. Peter found faith on the water that day and when Jesus Christ said, “Follow me AFTER the biggest catch of his career, Peter walked away from the wealth of his industry to seek treasure in Heaven. We have it all wrong when we expect Jesus to bait us with blessing for faith. Our faith releases the Hand of God in our life. Obedience is required. The Lord is not looking to change your current venue or the people who live and work in your life. He is preparing you to attract them to the Light of the World with Love! By faith, obedience tells us to cast the net in the midst of failure and opposition trusting God for the results. Your purpose today is not your profession. Your profession is not your provision. We are all called to be fisher of men. God is changing our strategy but not His Call. It is time believers become attractive to a lost world and draw people from the darkness into the deep once again.

John 21:5-7 (NLT)

He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”  “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.

Even long time Christians get distracted by the religion of Christianity and lose sight of the relationship of our faith. Jesus Christ desires to be in a covenant relationship with each one of us. He longs for us to develop relationships with others for His Name Sake. However, it is human nature to lose sight of our mission and begin “fishing” for worldly things rather than the Kingdom of God. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s not too late. Jesus is still calling. He called to the fisherman on the water. Their faith drained after their expectation had been devastated by the beating, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. They returned to the life they knew. How many times have we failed and just returned to our old life? It is a comfortable place. We know how to act there and what to expect. But Jesus did not leave these men in their futile effort. Once again, the Lord called them. Even after Peter denied ever knowing the Lord, people do the same thing by professing the Lordship of Jesus with their mouth and living a contrary life. But the Lord keeps calling. The moment Simon Peter recognized Jesus Christ once again he abandoned his “catch” to follow Jesus. Will you do the same? Jesus Christ is after one thing – the heart of mankind. The human heart is attracted by love, it can only be apprehended with love.

John 21:15-17 (NLT)

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”  “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Do you love Jesus Christ today? Do you really love Him? Are you absolutely confident that you love the Lord? If so, then you are called to love and care for others. Jesus Christ is not calling for high profile believers who make the headlines, yell at crowds and fill auditoriums. He is asking us to love people. You will win the heart of God by loving other people. Faith allows us to love the unlovable and face possible rejection because we live by trusting the Lord for our love and acceptance. Jesus is asking us to take this new life that He has provided and use it to be the Light of the World and extend His Love to those who live in darkness. He is not asking you to leave your current existence to do it just to “fish” with the right bait – His Extravagant, Overwhelming, Faithful, True, and Unconditional Love. Share it with others today. Give your life away for Jesus Christ right where you are. He will fill your nets with blessings too many to count. You will live in the peace and love of God. You will apprehend God’s Heart by choosing to love His People.

Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

I am tired. I am weary. I am “heavy” laden. Jesus today I am coming just like you said to! I need some relief and it needs to come quick. Sinking under the heaviness and pressure, Lord what a day. This very well could be the last straw. You know, the one that broke the camel’s back is in my hand. After spending the last two months with one child battling cancer, it certainly could be a culmination of the struggles and strain. Maybe it’s the fact that I cannot seem to escape a medical facility of some sort including the three visited today for another child who will now be dependent until her lovely neon cast is removed. Two patients, one house with a mom who needs to lighten the load. Not sleeping well then to a blaring alarm that somehow had been turned all the way up did not usher in a sweet quiet time. It is a fight just to get there. My attitude really may need an adjustment so Lord I come to you. I called in sick to work again though physically I feel fine. Emotionally and spiritually, it was probably not a bad call but my child needed me. Mounting pressure and the responsibility of a large family weighs heavily. The “normal” life we once lived seems completely upside down, spread apart with pieces rolling all around as I constantly struggle to regain order. Yes, I am weary. Lord, these burdens are getting really heavy. A little help here would be greatly appreciated. As usual, His Word holds the key to my release that was needed before everything fell apart and so I will gladly share it with you. I know I am not alone. Are you weary? Are you heavy laden with mounting pressure and crushing burdens? Do you need rest? Or maybe a little peace will do the trick? If at the end of the day you are praising Wal-Mart for the video that is keeping the little princess entertained more than praising Jesus for His Mercy and Grace then it is definitely time to look for the Lord to lighten the load. So Jesus, “Here I come.”

The last straw in your life represents the culmination of many burdens that people were not created to carry. God did not provide the means for His People to live beneath the heavy load of sin, labor, religion and social responsibility. People were created to rule and reign over this planet. I would venture to say that most of us are not living in this place of spiritual authority but buried beneath the weight of this life. The enemy of your soul will gladly take over if you choose to forfeit dominion. He will gladly load everything on top of you until you give up, quit or fail. In fact, it is one of his favorite tactics when it comes to distracting God’s Children. We stray from the Throne of God to the pit of society. I am Exhibit “A”. What are the unnecessary burdens in life? What can be discarded? I cannot cure my son from cancer but I can trust the Lord. I cannot heal my daughter’s broken arm but I can wait for Jesus. I cannot tackle the long list that I am pressured to achieve without carefully surveying if with God’s Plans in mind. Most people have lives that are carefully constructed on various foundations that will not sustain their life in a storm. When trouble comes or unexpected burdens, everything begins to crumble. Some of the debris is necessary to find your foundation. But when there is no secure and firm foundation in your life, things will fall apart. There is no hope.

I Corinthians 3:11-13 (NLT)

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.

The only worthwhile foundation for your life is Jesus Christ. There is nothing else that will make it through the fire of testing and the storm of trials. However, people choose tangible things to build a life upon including other people, money, stuff and nothing of infinite worth. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) He NEVER changes. However, details of life are always changing and most often without warning. One day everything is just as you planned and then comes the devastating moments called disappointment, diagnosis or divorce. Or perhaps it’s called a layoff, cutback, let go or just plain fired, now what? It all depends on your foundation. When Jesus Christ is your foundation and everything else is contingent on His Grace, Mercy and Love, then anything can come against you but it does not have to come on you allowing you to stand through them all without wavering. Sure, your knees may get weak, your faith drained until tears flow endlessly but your foundation will never fall apart. Jesus will hold it all together when you are coming undone. The Lord remains the same. Heaping troubles, sorrows and burdens on Jesus is exactly what He commands us to do as our foundation. Faith allows us to trust the Lord to work it all out while we faithfully love and trust Him with everything. It is up to us to decide what burdens we are done with as His People and live a life worthy of His Calling. That means deciding what needs to go or be put in its place. What are your unnecessary burdens shouldered all alone today? Are you ready to let go and stand on Jesus Christ with both feet, all of your heart, mind and soul?  

Psalm 38:4-5 (NLT)

My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink
because of my foolish sins.

Sin is an unnecessary burden that believers carry from the past into today lugging it into the future. Sin needs one remedy. Jesus. Repentance takes the burden off your shoulders and plants it firmly in the Nail-scarred Hands of our Lord. He will gladly take it. It is the reward of His Sacrifice. Jesus wants you to be set free to rule and reign in His Kingdom. Is sin weighing you down today? It can be the guilt of past sins. The shame of secret sins can weigh people down to. There is the problem of hidden sins that have never been dealt with like the last ten pounds of baby weight you are trying to lose and your baby is turning ten very soon! It will not jump off you. God’s People must work to cleanse their life of the burden of sin to experience the freedom in which they have been called to live. Jesus Christ died to remove the heavy burden of sin that was killing us. Why wouldn’t it be your life goal to have all sin removed from your life? What an incredible gift waiting to be received? Foolish sin is like being buried slowly with one grain of sand at a time until you are overwhelmed. Deal with the sin in your life today. Not just the evident ones, but every single thing that would bring displeasure to God. Don’t stop until you are finally free!

Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 (NLT)

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

Believers are working themselves to death for poverty of soul. We spend countless hours physically on the job and even more time worrying about it at home. Your job is simply God’s Provision for your life. It holds no power in your life unless it is given power. Your time is the only commodity in that cannot be replenished. It is the most powerful thing that you have because it is the most valuable. Where do you invest your time? If a significant portion is not reserved for God, you are buried under the burden of toil and labor. Somewhere in our finite human mind, we forget the every good thing comes from God and that includes that job that provides a paycheck. However, we feed the monster of employment by stealing time from God, our family and ourselves to sacrifice at its altar. God is calling in His Marker. He wants at least a tenth of your time solely for His Use. Not of your waking hours but a tenth of your entire day which is over two hours a day. He has asked for it. In exchange, God has promised to open the windows of Heaven and pour His Blessing over His Children. (Malachi 3:10) You will not be able to contain it. It won’t fit in your house but it will fill your soul with His Presence and His Peace until things don’t really matter anymore.

Matthew 23:1-4 (NLT)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

Your religion will crush you. Unbearable demands of time and service that are not for God but man will burnout the strongest believer over time. Attending church services, fellowships and every other thing in the church bulletin will not feed your Spirit. Service is an offering. You cannot offer what is not available to give. There must be a reserve to draw from to share with others. Religion is fine, but a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ is absolutely essential or religion is nothing more than an organized social event with no more meaning than a cake walk. You must be obedient to God and not submit to the pressures of mankind. Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”. There should be no guilt in giving. Your gift should be equally gratifying in private if not more so. It should not bring attention to you but always lift up the Name of Jesus. Perfect church attendance is not required, but a heart fervently searching for God that carefully attends to the Presence of God will establish a faith foundation that is firm.

Luke 9:59-62 (NLT)

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Living as a responsible citizen who loves God, family and friends is very important. However, when it becomes a social responsibility and a choice between the Lord and others, it is important to remember that Jesus comes first. We have five wonderful children. I cannot properly parent them and love them unconditionally without the Love of Jesus Christ. I love my husband. I cannot be the wife he needs without a thriving relationship with my Savior. I am a better employee, friend and person because Jesus Christ apprehended my heart. In all things, Jesus has to come first. He requires the Throne to my life. I gladly give it to Him. There are times when it means closing the door and entering His Presence with little fists knocking, laundry undone, and dishes in the sink along with a long list of other things that are labeled social responsibility. I need to be filled with the Love of God to be who I am called to be. So do you. The pedicure, manicure, massage, me-time can wait. Workout your spirit man through prayer, fasting and toiling before the Lord – God is the best trainer I know. You will treat your body better when you see your value through God’s Eyes and develop confidence in His Plan for your life that gives you meaning and purpose.

I John 5:2-4 (NLT)

We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

All these burdens and more will keep you from living in the miraculous carefree life that Jesus Christ died to give you. Your problems are not really personal, they belong to Jesus. Do not rob Him of the glory in your life by attempting to do it all yourself. You will fail. Daily seek to depend on the Lord. Commit EVERYTHING to Him and lighten the load you are carrying. Let me tell you folks that was a close one. I was almost crushed under the heavy burdens that life has handed me and I have willingly accepted. As I share these words with you, God has lifted this weight from me and carefully repositioned them on the firm foundation of Jesus. I am once again strong in the Lord and ready to go. It is nothing that I have done, but everything Jesus is doing in my life. We are called to love. To obey God’s command and offer an acceptable life to others in the Name of Jesus, we must effectively clear the burdens and strengthen our knees through prayer and praise as we develop a lifetime relationship based on His Freedom and Love. Overburdened…spend time with Jesus! He will take it all even the last straw!

Matthew 10:28-31 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a classic novel of innocence lost. Written by Harper Lee in 1960, it was an instant success winning the Pulitzer Prize and securing its place in American literature. It was transformed into an Oscar-winning film in 1962. “To Kill a Mockingbird” tells the sad story of innocence succumbing to the evil in this world. This world is no stranger to the darkness of evil. The mockingbird represents “innocence.” It must be protected. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but…sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” One of the most famous quotes from this familiar tale holds a deeper truth and meaning for those who love Jesus. We were created in the image of God to bring Him glory. Pure from the inside out, humans were placed in the garden with complete dominion to reign over the creatures and world God had created while living in a relationship with Him. Evil was not in God’s Plan for mankind. Humanity invited it in. By doing so, good and evil remain at odds in the earth today. A constant challenge of righteousness for those who seek God and long to remain in His Presence, salvation restores man’s innocence with God. But it is satan’s profound pleasure to attempt to destroy it each day. Many will choose evil today because it is quite popular and disguised as harmless fun. Innocence lost is a travesty to the Kingdom of God and should be preserved at all costs.

The preservation of your soul is holiness. It is regarding your mind, soul and body as God does. God sees you as a priceless treasure worth the life of His Only Son, Jesus Christ to preserve. You must begin to see yourself the way that the Lord does to value your life as a possession of God. “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” Recently, we found a baby squirrel that had wandered into the pool. As we scooped its lifeless body out of the water, it made us sad that it had died a senseless death. We had compassion for this tiny creature. Great measures have been taken to secure the pool and property surrounding it to insure that no children wander into danger or harm’s way as a result. Why? We value our children. We do not want anything bad to happen to them. Our Heavenly Father created all that we know and see. All the animals exist because of Him. Family pets become a intricate member of our group dearly loved and mourned when lost. But there is no animal that will ever compare to our love for our children. God loves you with such intensity. He has instructed us and built safety barriers to protect His Kids from evil, yet it would seem that too many times we are intent in finding trouble and getting into it. To live in holiness is to respect the boundaries God put in place as protection for His Precious Ones. Maybe it is the concept of value and worth that humanity struggles with. I assure you that there is nothing you have done or will ever do that will make God not love you and desire you to the fullest. You are precious to God today. Grab hold of it. Do not let go of this one thought as you venture in the day. You are His Child and the Lord earnestly longs for to protect you in a world full of dangerous choices. Will you all it?

Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

There are many sparrows that live in the trees along the property line to our home. They casually bounce along the fence line as if it were a wide open road and then effortlessly fly off. It would seem they do not have a care in the world. There is also a big fat “Tom” cat named “Big Moe” who prowls along the wooded lot that is adjacent. He is waiting for an unsuspecting creature to light across his path to pounce on it and present it to his owners as an offering. It seems that just about the time “Big Moe” is close to capturing his prey, a stick will snap or crackle will betray his hiding place and the little birds will fly away. God sees each sparrow and God knows Big Moe. God has provided for the sparrows and there is no burden or care in them. They are not predators but rely on the Most High for their provision. They do not fear death but live in wariness of opposition. As people walk through life, it is not along the wide path created by faith in God and righteousness but tenuously between good and evil as if there is indecision. We maintain the heavy burden of sin in the midst of overflowing forgiveness and grace making it very difficult to walk out our Christian faith. However, those who commit all their burdens and care to the Lord will instantly become light in step as God maintains our position. He will not permit those who choose godliness to slip and fall. Instead of the fence of mediocrity that is subject to the potshots of your enemy, you can walk in confidence. Godly confidence comes through wisdom and knowledge of God that produces faith strong enough to carry your burdens and lighten your load in life so that you may walk in righteousness through Jesus Christ. Give your burdens, cares, regret and shame to Jesus today. Lighten the load. Your innocence will be restored and righteousness attainable.

Psalm 91:5-7 (NLT)

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

There is a constant battle for your attention between good and evil. God longs to show you His Goodness while evil longs to pluck you from it. Evil has many strong arm tactics that produce worry, fear and dread in the life of believers who have not become firmly established in God’s Righteousness through His Word and a thriving relationship with Jesus Christ. If evil can get your attention, it can take hold of your heart. Focus is essential to righteousness. Why is righteousness important? Faith requires that God’s People remain right standing with God. Sin cannot dominate the space between the Lord and His People. Evil cannot be a veil of the Light. You must fight to remain in His Presence. God will be your strength when fighting the good fight of faith. Any other battle is futile. Your strength will fail. Your wisdom crumble. But for those who love Jesus and are committed to a life of holiness (removing every evil thing from between you and God) – no evils can touch you! It doesn’t mean you will not see them or they will not frighten you from time to time but evil has no power or authority in your life. It cannot prevail and never wins.

Proverbs 10:9 (NLT)

People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.

Integrity is crucial to your safety in the midst of good and evil. Living a life of duplicity will not work. You must be the same person in the Light as you are in the dark. God sees you every second of your life because He never takes His Eyes off His Children. You are too valuable and important to ever leave His Sight. He is not watching for your failure but working to keep you safe. Integrity is not perfection. It is simple honestly between you and the Lord. Are you putting forth an honest effort to live a life of purity? It is never too late to be pure. Salvation washes away every sin you have ever committed and grace is available when you mess up again. As a born-again, Child of God, you can live in holiness before God no matter how many times you mess up. You just keep striving to be closer to God. Your outstretched hands cannot be ignored by a Loving Father who longs to spend Eternity with you. Keep trying. Never give up. Walk in integrity. Integrity is not only good moral character and honesty but it also means to strive for wholeness. God will make you whole as you begin to submit every part of your life to Him.

Psalm 145:13-18 (NLT)

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. 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. The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

God has many promises where you are concerned. He longs for your innocence so that His Children can take full advantage of the benefits of His Kingdom long before reaching Eternity. Good and evil will fight to the death when satan and his throng are cast into hell and Jesus claims His Bride. Innocence is the quality of His Bride. We must strive to maintain innocence in this dark and dirty place. Sparrows were made to live in the sky and treetops. Danger prevails when they are on the ground. God has called us to a place that is higher than the earth in which we live. It is His Presence. Filled with mercy and goodness, it is our refuge. Choose to live there and escape the darkness of this world. Rightly divide good and evil in your life. Run from darkness and live in the Light. Look to the Lord, He will be your hope. He will satisfy those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Innocence will prevail in the midst of evil for those who choose to live for God daily in His Presence.