The Right Source

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This morning, as it is every morning, I made my wife Sheila a special latte with a marshmallow like cream to top it and an espresso creme-foam heart shape on top of that in a special cup that says, “Forever Newlyweds.”

Do I feel I have to do it?  Am I trying to earn something?  The answer is NO!

I do it simply because I love her!  It is a way for me make her feel special every morning.  I enjoy doing something I know she likes and appreciates, simply because I love her.  I do not do it out of fear that if I don’t she might fall out of love with me, be upset with me, or leave me.  I am not afraid that if I missed a morning or stopped altogether that she would be angry and seek to find ways to make me pay for it throughout the day.  Sheila is not manipulative.  She loves me.

She doesn’t press me to do it, or even suggest it.  In fact, she would be most willing to make her own latte, and she does so whenever I am traveling away from home and not available to do it for her.  It is not a thing of expectation born out of entitlement in her.  She would gladly get up and make her own and not think a thing about it.  But, I enjoy doing this for her.

Funny, how things done from love are devoid of boredom.  It is also interesting how things done from the motivation of love do not leave the person doing them feeling as though it was too hard, or too much.  It makes difficult things easier.  It also doesn’t make the person receiving feel as though they owe anything in return.  Another interesting observation is that things done out of love also produce a greater consistency and longevity.

Now I will admit that if my wife carried on as though she hated me and only tolerated me, it might make put a damper on the desire to make her a latte each morning.  If everyday I lived with a sense that she expected me to make that latte for her out of a thought of being entitled, that would make me feel more like a servant to her than a husband.  If that were the case, I might not even have the creativity to think of making it for her.  It would make doing it, if I did do it, a drudgery.

Why?  Because when we feel we are having to do things for someone to earn something, or out of fear of being subjected to their anger or retribution, it feels like slavery to us.

Sadly, many professing believers in Jesus live everyday in a must do frame of mind as opposed to a get to do.  This is because they are lacking in their revelation of Christ’ love and living under a sense of needing to earn it.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

1Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Paul knew how horribly he had treated Christ by persecuting the church and thus Paul understood how great a mercy he had received and how great a love was his as well.  Paul was motivated by love according to grace.  Paul knew the love of Christ and as a result could believe in all that was available to him to accomplish all that he was called to do.  Paul endured so many hardships and difficulties it is staggering to think about.  But we see how he never waned, he never quit, he never gave up and he never attributed it to his own sense of faithfulness or endurance.  He knew the source of it all!  Jesus loved him and as a result of having such a great love Paul loved Jesus in return.  His heart responded to knowing he was loved by Christ with the fruit of love in return.

Whenever I am in a place of struggle I seek to remind myself of the love of Christ because all my circumstances and situations are trying to tell me His love is no longer with me.  I can never rely on those things to know His love for me.  I must go to His word to settle that matter and then believe according to the revelation the Holy Spirit offers me in His word regarding His love that never fails.  It is then that I can once again rise up and continue on the path He set for me.  It is out of that place of being loved and loving in return that consistency and faithfulness are fueled in my life.

Jesus loves you!  This I know.  The Holy Spirit in the Bible has told me so.  I believe it and am convinced that He will never leave you or I nor will He ever forsake us.  I encourage you to allow that to be the source of your obedience and faithfulness.

A Very Present Help

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2Thessalonians 2:16  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

At eleven years of age I lost my dad to suicide.  I really loved my dad too.  I struggled to understand what happened, or why it happened.  It rocked my world in a major way that took me some time to recover from.

Right after his death I dealt with intense fear of loss for a long time after that.  It was so bad, it often interfered with my mom being able to go out of the house.  I would panic.  I felt that if she left she might get killed. I was terrified of losing her too.  It was a prison and a torment to me and the ones who loved me.  It took a while to overcome it to a level of being able function more normally, but it wasn’t till I came to know Jesus that it was truly broken in my life.

Loss is painful no doubt.  I have had my share of loss over the years, and as well  in 2020 like many others.  I presided over too many memorial services for the loved ones of friends, and even my own family.  I’ve noticed that someone passing is never at a convenient time in our lives and seems to always stir questions of some kind, or other.  I also took note that through all these losses that were so final and felt so deeply, one thing stayed consistent.  By the grace of God and the friendship of the Holy Spirit I was keenly aware of the constant presence of God.  I was also keenly aware of the love He was showering upon me, and the family during those difficult times.  It was in such abundance I was able to offer continual encouragement to those around me while handling tough situations of my own.  I wasn’t refusing to grieve properly or be in denial of the loss.  I was able to recognize and properly participate in the process but noticed I had a supernatural grace upon me through it all.

When the Scripture says that in my weakness Jesus is made strong it is not speaking tongue in cheek.  That statement is not a platitude.

2Corinthians 13:4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

I felt so strengthened by Him in the midst of my loss it seemed scandalous.  His love is that way.  It comes through the fog of our hardships and pain sometimes in the most scandalous of ways.  Weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning.

An unexplainable joy in situations hard to understand or deal with is the beauty of relationship with Him that is real, raw and sometimes ugly on our part.  He is okay with our honesty in the midst of such trials and He will wash us with His love so we can have joy and be comforted in the midst of pain and momentary confusion.  Just be honest and open with Him and by all means ask Him for His help.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,  A very present help in trouble.

He takes our ashes and gives us His beauty.  Oh how He loves us!  His love is not conditional, and my friend today He loves you just as much as He has any other day, and He always will love you.  Be encouraged today no matter what you may be facing and know that you are greatly loved.

Christ Crucified

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1Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

This is a very interesting passage of Scripture that is loaded with wisdom and revelation.  I love that God’s foolishness is even wiser than men and His weakness is stronger than men.  In other words, God is very great indeed!

The apostle who wrote this was a very accomplished and intelligent man in his own right.  The worldly minded would think he should be committed to a more astute subject matter.  But here’s a brilliant and very learned man who has set aside what this world would likely treasure most and is staying the course with what this world and the church needs most.

Whenever you, or I, yield to what it is valued in this world over what is most needed, we do ourselves and this world no real good.  Ignore what the world says is important because you already have what it takes!

1Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

So we see here that God has chosen a very simple message and delivers it through people such as us!  We just need to commit to speaking very plainly about it from a place of real revelation.  By sticking to a simple but plain message regarding the sacrifice of Jesus we reveal God’s wisdom.  That way it is according to the anointing of the Holy Spirit that others become convinced and encouraged.  It is neither our eloquence, or depth of educational achievement, that produces the fruit God is looking for.

Those anointed by God do not ignore the cross of Christ, and never become bored with it.  They understand that the work of Jesus at that cross was, and will always be, the most important work there ever was.  They understand that Jesus is the wisdom of God, and the power of God.  Therefore they preach Him, and His work, knowing it is what is most needed both in the world, and in the church.

Based on these passages we are most qualified to be used by the Holy Spirit to bring a valid and powerful witness for Jesus.  We just need to stick to what matters most. Declaring the work of the cross displays the wisdom of God over the wisdom of this world.  The world would have chosen a different way, and a different kind of hero.  But you, and I, know who the greatest hero that ever lived.

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

2Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Everything points back to that work on the cross where Jesus gave up His life for us.  There’s no greater value that can be ascribed. There’s no greater wisdom that can be applied.  His love is on full display at that cross!  That’s where He took the sin of the world and freely gives His righteousness to as many as will receive it through faith in Him.  There’s no better solution to the greatest problem mankind has ever, or will ever, face.  Let the redeemed say so!  All praise to Jesus who gave Himself out of love for us!  Christ crucified testifies boldly that you are loved with an everlasting love!

Don’t Miss The Point

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Matthew 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

I have discovered that there is an ability for us as human beings to miss the mark on a particular revelation, and yet act as though that one revelation is all that is needed.  Ministries sometimes run on such a practice.

Peter was so moved by witnessing Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah, he sprung into action. But, what Peter, and the others, thought the moment was about wasn’t exactly on point.

The voice of God came from the cloud with great awe and authority.  So much so, that it caused great fear to come upon and Peter, James and John, and they fell on their faces.  Jesus had to touch them and tell them not to be afraid.  Notice that it was Jesus who touched them, not Moses and Elijah.  What was so significant about who touched them and what was spoken to them?

“This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Now, if you ask me, that statement does not sound too threatening, unless.  Unless you are off the mark with what you think you were supposed to get. That seemingly harmless statement made by the Father struck fear in them because they had also missed the real point of what just happened.

Jesus, the Initiator of a New and better Covenant, the One through Whom grace and truth came, the Very Righteousness of God was being revealed to the Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah).

Romans 3:21   But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

The Mount of Transfiguration moment in history was a highly significant moment in the plan and purpose of God.  It was intended to take the focus off that which was before, and now place it on His Beloved Son for all time.

Moses and Elijah did not appear so that the disciples would be amazed and distracted by them, or be led to think they should be on par with Jesus.  Jesus stands alone glorified above all else, as it should be, and the Father wanted to make certain of that.

I want to make sure that what I believe concerning Jesus is what the Holy Spirit revealed to me and wanted me to get.  I don’t want to rush into the wrong response or build a ministry based on a mistaken revelation.

I want continual New Covenant revelation concerning Jesus so that when each moment of manifest glory occurs all I see is Him.

I encourage you to join me in asking the Holy Spirit to bring fresh, accurate New Covenant revelation concerning Jesus to your heart and mind.  I want to keep my eyes on Jesus without distraction.

Growing In Your Knowing

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Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As wonderful as that truth sounds, a deep level of trust isn’t produced by just hearing the truth through others.  It is the fruit of getting to know Jesus and His love for you, personally for yourself.

I can’t have a healthy marriage based only on what others tell me about my wife Sheila. I have to know her for myself, and that leads me to invest myself in certain ways.  It requires effort on my part to see her, hear her, and be with her in ways that advance my understanding of her.  It is very purposeful and intentional on my end.  It will also require me to get over myself at times so I can hear and see what is really going on, and what she is really trying to say, or do.  It is not that she established some difficult condition in order for me to be able to know her.  She is not making me earn it, it is just how things work.  It’s how we as human beings experience growth.  I am not trying to earn anything from her, I am simply enjoying the journey of continually getting to know her and grow together in life.  That cannot happen as a one sided deal.

I believe this is the understanding Paul was speaking from when he penned what he did to the Philippians.

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

If I refuse to invest in a way that would lead me to greater discoveries of Jesus, I am being one sided towards Jesus.  Then if He doesn’t meet my expectations, of what I want Him to do for me, I may go away offended and claim that others have misled me concerning Him.  I know it sounds ridiculous but it is a common occurrence in the lives of many.  Meanwhile, Scripture clearly testifies that God cannot lie.  That means He is reliable, and that His promises are sure.  But, to get to the level of trust that takes Him at His word based on knowing His character is not easy like snapping ones fingers.  That kind of trust comes by knowing Him and becoming familiar with His character and nature.

Your faith cannot out pace your knowledge of Him!  You will not have a faith that goes ahead of what you’ve come to know concerning Him.  Growing in your knowledge of Him is not earning anything, it is simply how we grow! I encourage you to invest in getting to know Him more and more!  Besides, it is a large part of where the excitement of being His comes into play.  He is, after all, fascinating and very worth getting to know better.  I encourage you today to be growing in your knowing Him.

In Step With The Gospel

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I have brothers, and sons who spent time in the military. I also have had quite a few friends who are veterans of the military.  I’ve been to quite a few boot camp graduation ceremonies as a result.

At those graduations it is important that when a platoon, battalion or unit marches that they be in perfect step.  Being in step is a show of unity of purpose.

When we use the term “In Step.”  It is a way of indicating agreement with, and being on purpose with, a truth, a person, idea, or purpose.

Often it is not as much about what we say as it is what we do that determines whether or not we are “In Step.”

For instance:  Were you keenly aware that it is possible to believe in the gospel but yet be out of step with it?

One the great apostles of Jesus experienced this.  He had to be verbally challenged on it in front of everyone by another apostle of the gospel.

Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.  14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.  17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Peter’s behavior was not in step with the gospel.  It did not align with what the gospel decrees as being the way of righteousness and favor.  It was out of step with how the gospel decrees no respect of persons, but rather, faith bringing all to Christ and setting them on equal footing.

I want my behavior to always align with the truth of the gospel.  I do not want to be found allowing certain preferences or achievements to interfere with my ability to recognize the glory of another believer in Jesus who, according to faith in Christ, is just as righteous as I am.  I do not want to be found trying to tell them what they received was insufficient and lacking.  I do not want to be selective based on natural reasons such as race, gender, age, socio economic status, educational achievements, denominational affiliation, or any other reason.  I want to know others according to the Spirit as opposed to the flesh.

Peter was in error because he yielded to a preference according to the flesh.  Praise Jesus! Peter fixed it once he was made aware.  He humbled himself and received the adjustment needed.

I encourage you to make it your aim to always be found In Step With The Gospel and see others according to the Spirit, as opposed to the flesh.   I know that is my plan.

A Reliable Testimony

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Psalm 119:138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful.

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Whenever anyone comes to Christ for salvation the Father speaks over them as His child.  He identifies them as His own with the seal of approval which is the Holy Spirit.

Being born again is a work of the Spirit having nothing to do with ones flesh.  It is very supernatural indeed.  It is then that we are marked by the Father.

If a person believes the Father is marking them as coming up short, not being good enough, not being favored, or always subject to trouble, they have come short of fully believing the good news of the completed work of Jesus.

God does not choose us, bring us to Jesus, fill us with the Holy Spirit and then turn around and abandon us because He regrets His decision.  His decision to rescue us and bring us to His Son for salvation was a confident one that wasn’t based on what we can or cannot do.  It was based on what His Son could do.

Jesus said in, John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

No one came to Jesus on their own as though they possessed some superior wisdom above others.  Anyone who comes to Jesus does so because the Father drew them.  It is also important to notice that no one will raise themselves up on the last day.  Jesus will do that!

That means none of us have any bragging rights regarding our standing in Christ as though we did anything to obtain or to merit the attention of the Father.

The way to know when a person is truly hearing from God is to pay attention to whether or not they are drawn to Christ and give the credit for being right with God the Father to Christ.  God did not set things up for men to take the credit.  The Father directs men to Jesus because only Jesus can make a person worthy to stand before the Father confidently.

The Father knows the only way for a person to truly be made righteous with the right kind of righteousness is to be born again through faith in Jesus.  This has put everyone in the place of being equals in the family of God.  It strips away the need for comparison and competition among His own.  There is no one superior to another in the faith as though they are special due to something they bring or some birth right in the natural.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

God’s testimony regarding those who come to Christ is consistent and without respect of persons.  His testimony of you is a reliable one indeed.  It is not healthy for anyone to compare themselves with another in the body of Christ either to see if they are doing better than the other person, or doing worse.  Both conditions of comparison are unhealthy and unsupported in the Scriptures.

I encourage you today to enjoy being His, rejoice in being born again and made a part of the family without prejudice.  You are His, and He is yours!  You are greatly loved by the Father simply because you came to Him through Jesus when He drew you to Jesus at the start.

Unable To Lie

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If you knew someone who knew everything, and you were convinced that they could not lie, how often would you seek their counsel? How would it impact your relationship with them?

In our nations history there is a story about our very first president George Washington that has served to endear people to him for generations.  It is about when he was a boy.  As a young boy, it is said that he cut down his mothers cherry tree.  When asked if he did so, the story reports that he responded, “Mother I cannot tell a lie, I cut it down.”   He spoke honestly at his own risk.

Recently, I was tasked with having to interact with customer service representatives and during the course of conversation I discovered several of them were either intentionally lying to me, or at least only using programmed responses they had been trained to use that could not apply to what I was asking.  Either way, it led me to mistrust their ability to help me, and question their integrity to do so.

Honesty and integrity are extremely important to our ability to trust others, or for others to be able to trust us.  That is why it is so important to understand the character of honesty and integrity that originates with God.  After all He is called the God of truth and Jesus came to us in grace and truth.  The Holy Spirit is known as the Spirit of truth.

In the Scriptures it says,

Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;  4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

It clearly reveals in this passage, God cannot lie.  It doesn’t say He does not lie simply because He is against doing so.  It says, He cannot lie.  Now when you understand this accordingly it can feed your faith regarding what He speaks very powerfully.

Think about it.  God, who cannot lie, has made certain promises to you, both in His word and in real time interaction with you.  If He cannot lie that means you can count on what He promised you.  God will be true to His word.  The only thing you become responsible for is taking Him at His word, and of course, knowing what His word is.

I cannot tell you how refreshing it was when I finally spoke with a supervisor for customer service who was extremely honest with me even at the risk of losing my business.  I thanked him for his honesty and he was the reason I remained with the service they offered.

Trust is not a given fruit in life, it is developed by knowing the character of the person you are expected to trust or at least having faith initially that they are good and trustworthy to start with.  I am grateful to know that my God is the most trustworthy being who has ever existed.  It has helped me immensely during strange and challenging times to stand firm on the promises He has made to me.

I encourage you today to take a good look into the fact of God’s inability to lie, and consider what He has spoken to you, both in His written word and when He has spoken to you as His own.  That is something you can take to the bank and rely on, even when it appears it might not be able to come to pass.  Be patient, stand strong, because God never disowns what He spoke, He upholds His word because He cannot lie!

Faith Talk

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Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  3  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Before there was anything God spoke and made something from nothing.  His word had the power to make something out of nothing.

But, more than that is the thought of how the prophets of old spoke about what God was doing or would do for Israel at a time when anything other than what they spoke is what seemed most possible.

The prophetic words spoken by the prophets were not visible realities in that moment and time.  Their words did not seem possible when they spoke them, and yet they spoke them none the less.

For this reason the prophets were considered the very odd ones among all the rest because they spoke of things not yet seen and seemingly impossible in the natural based on current circumstances.

As we read of their accounts in Scripture we get to see them according to hindsight.  We know that the things they spoke actually did come to pass.  So we do not think them strange.  But had we lived in their moment and time and had we heard them speaking would we have believed their report?

When Jesus arrived on the scene preaching He spoke of things that sounded way to incredible for many to grasp, let alone believe.  Yet, He spoke them anyway.  Jesus called things that were not as though they were.  Someone would be lying on their death bed and Jesus would say, “this sickness is not unto death.”  Someone would be pronounced dead and Jesus would say, “he is not dead but only sleeps.”  Jesus would tell His disciples they were going to see His friend Lazarus knowing Lazarus had already died.  But Jesus spoke of Lazarus as though he were alive.  Jesus spoke according to faith in what He knew God would do but was not yet seen.

This practice of speaking according to something not yet seen is all throughout the Scriptures, and yet, still today many struggle at the prospect of speaking in faith according to what cannot yet be seen as though it already is.  Jesus said,

Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

If we use context to determine what Jesus is describing as fruit bearing in these passages it seems to me He speaking more about what is spoken by a person than He is their moral conduct.  I’m not saying good conduct has no place, mind you, just that in this case Jesus is talking about speech.  What we say about a situation comes from what we believe in our heart to be true.

Honest confession is always rooted in what a person believes to be true in their heart.  A good confession is an honest confession in line with what God says about something because the heart is convinced of His undeniable faithfulness and integrity.

It might well be that a true test of being set free from the fear of man is to walk totally free of the opinion of others and speak as you believe without apology, or fear of rejection or reprisal.  Being free to declare His promises in full assurance of faith even though it cannot yet be seen in the natural.  I encourage you today to speak according to faith in Him, as opposed to your circumstances.  It is good for the heart.  Be blessed and encouraged in Him today!

Standing On The Integrity Of Jesus

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What we see, hear, taste, smell and feel is so real to us.  It is often more real to us than the truth we find in the word of God spoken concerning us.

So how can we overcome our five senses which we use to determine the facts so often?

Much of what we need to do begins and ends with faith in the integrity of God, the finished work of Jesus, and the promised faithfulness and power of the Holy Spirit.  We start there because God upholds His word.

Psalm 89:34 My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

Psalm 119:25 My soul clings to the dust;  Revive me according to Your word.

Psalm 119:28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.

We often yield to what seems most real to us in the natural.  We feel it, see it unfolding, and because of that we often very confidently make our confession for it.  After all, we don’t want to be seen as being out of touch with “reality.”

But did you know there’s a way to acknowledge fact while giving greater weight to the truth God speaks so that it becomes our confession?

In Matthew 14 the disciples of Jesus had just witnessed a major miracle that transcended the facts of the circumstances they were facing.  The disciples themselves were hungry, not have enough to eat, let alone feed a great multitude of people.  The facts of the circumstances were that thousands of people were far from their homes, or any nearby town. Those people were also in need of food and it would be too far a journey for them to strike out hungry.  The disciples witnessed and were part of a miracle where Jesus fed a multitude of over 5000 people with just five loaves and two fishes.  After everyone had their fill the disciples collected twelve baskets of fragments that they could eat.  No one was hungry any longer.

You’d think this miracle, and others they had witnessed, would be enough to convince the twelve of who Jesus truly was.  That this would send them into a deeper revelation of Jesus and cause them to worship Jesus more authentically.  But it didn’t.

Truth is they all needed the experience of a troubled sea, while being in a boat that would go no where due to contrary winds and waves, and then seeing Jesus in a very different way.  When Jesus revealed Himself to them on that troubled sea they were first frightened but later they all worshipped Him saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Seeing the integrity of Jesus according to His word while in the midst of hard and fearful circumstances that challenge that word is where a deeper revelation of Him and His trustworthiness opens up.  It is then that you cannot help but worship Him.  Worship in Spirit and in truth is not what the next fad worship team of popularity does for us.  It is what seeing Jesus in a way that defies the facts and fears of circumstances does for us when they position us to see Him revealed in a fresh way to our hearts.  Seeing Him as He really is.

Standing on the integrity of Jesus and His word to you is a place of profound fresh revelation that produces the fruit of worship like nothing else can.  I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh revelation of Jesus today, especially as you face your next challenge.  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Pressing On

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Philippians 3:12  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Nostalgic glimpses of the past will never be on par with a fresh and glorious revelation of Jesus in your now.  An active relationship quickened and made alive by the Holy Spirit at work in you is what will propel you into what lies ahead.

It can be too easy to get stuck in the middle of your journey where you say to yourself, I knew I should never had set out to do this, or you say it’s way to far to go back, but way too hard to go forward, I just give up.  There’s no being stuck in this kind of scenario.

Giving up always results in going backwards because when you are rowing in your boat against the winds that are contrary to you, you may not be getting very far, but, at least you’re not going backwards.  If you stop rowing you will drift backwards, and off course from where you should be.

Be assured that in that difficult place where circumstances are much more real to you than whatever it was God spoke to get you started, Jesus is going to be there for you.

Jesus came to His disciples in the middle of the sea where they were rowing hard against the wind and waves to go where He had commanded them to go.  They had been at it a long time too, and no doubt feeling worn out.

He appeared to them walking on the water and they cried out for fear thinking it was a ghost. A person walking on water goes against all the known facts.  Jesus said the equivalent of, “Stop it” When He said, “do not be afraid , it is I.”  Only Peter got distracted enough to rise above the facts of the present circumstances to interact with Jesus and get out of that boat.  Peter responded, “if it is you Lord bid me come to you.”  Jesus simply replied, “Come.”

That boat represented the only safety there was on an angry sea and for Peter to step out in faith on a fresh word from Jesus saying, “come” was a big deal.  Peter was walking on the water too!  It wasn’t till Peter looked again to the facts of the circumstance that he began to sink.  But he cried out and Jesus helped him back to the boat and the wind and the waves stopped and everyone then had the revelation of who Jesus really was.  “Surely, You are the Son of God.”

Only then was progress made and the purpose they were given completed.  You see it is when you are actively and very relationally stepping out of your boat to join Jesus on those troubled waters that you become a partner with Him to provide a revelation moment for yourself, and others, as to Who He really is.  Press on my friend!  Your journey may be tough at the moment but when Jesus puts you back into your boat you, and others, will be moved to worship Him in an accurate, fresh, and living way!  You’re going to get to where He determined you should go.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Sons And Heirs

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Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

It is interesting just what it was we received when we became sons of God through faith in Christ.  You see we inherited something as sons.

What did we inherit?  God Himself!

Before knowing Christ by faith and being born again by the Spirit we were estranged to God.  We were His enemies.  As soon as faith appeared in the heart to believe in Jesus and confess Him as our Lord we became the very righteous of God, and God became our Father.

It would be quite enough to just be blessed with inheriting God!  But we inherit more!  We inherit things here and now and things yet to come.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

We became a joint heir with Christ.  We inherit what Jesus inherited!  We get the same body He had in His resurrection.

Galatians 3:26   For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Being absolutely convinced in faith of these truths produces a confidence that can stand in the face of oppositions, hardships, persecutions, false accusations, misunderstandings, and being rejected by those of this world.  It can withstand being rejected even by your own blood relations who oppose the truth.

That is what filling up the sufferings of Christ really is.  It is what constitutes suffering with Christ.  Christ did not suffer sickness, disease, starvation, and many of the other things so often labeled as the way of suffering.  Jesus suffered ridicule, scorn, opposition, rejection, being misunderstood, falsely accused and opposition to all that He was seeking to offer so freely.

This world and all it has to offer pales in comparison to what is already yours through promise.  By faith you get to live according to such promises, because many are available to manifest in your life, here and now.  You also get to live as though the ones yet to come are already yours because faith is not in the seeing in the natural so much as it is seeing by the Spirit that which cannot be seen in the natural.

It will prove difficult to enjoy the promises as being yours if you are unconvinced of being a son and an heir.  Being convinced of such things requires faith.  Not faith in having earned it, but faith in Jesus.

All this is yours only by faith in Jesus and the finished work of the cross.  The promise of the Holy Spirit is yours by faith alone, not by any merit to speak of.  This is the New Covenant Jesus spoke of.  A covenant where by simple faith in Jesus you are made a son and heir!

Wisdom Bears Fruit

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Wisdom Bears Fruit

Matthew 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”  20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

John the Baptist diet was locusts and honey so those opposed to him could not accuse him of being a glutton or a winebibber. So they accused him of having a demon instead.

Jesus attended a wedding feast, and by this time, He had also gathered to Himself certain men who left all to follow Him.  In other words, Jesus was the influencer, not the other way around. 

Due to their former occupations, His followers were not held in high regard among some. But wisdom is justified by her children.  Jesus knew who He was choosing, and why.  The men and women He chose did great things in His name to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world.  They bore fruit that proved His wisdom in choosing them to start with. We should bear in mind though that Jesus was always the leader.  He was never the follower.   

To hear how some speak today of what Jesus was like you get the impression Jesus was more like sinners than He was the righteous. That somehow He was more comfortable with people who did not care much for God, or His ways.  That Jesus was perhaps a follower too, which would be inaccurate.  Jesus came to bring light and life to those who are broken and in need of God’s mercy to help them.  He came to make new creations that would be filled with the Holy Spirit and follow Him.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:14   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

That means Jesus walked in wisdom according to grace and truth. Jesus was an influencer. 

Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

The ones who followed Jesus called Him Rabbi, meaning teacher.  They joined themselves to Him so they might learn from Him.  Jesus was not influenced by them and learning from them. He was leading them.  He was the influencer and teacher.  Jesus did not abandon the wisdom he had given to Solomon.

Proverbs 12:26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,

for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

This same wise counsel is carried over into the New Testament.

1Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

We are not superior to those who have not yet come to Jesus, or even those who defiantly oppose God.  We should seek to provide hope and answers wherever possible.  We should especially seek to walk int he power of the Spirit.

One thing is certain, we should not be seeking to make a close inner circle friend out of someone who is defiantly opposed to God and His ways.

When it comes to relationships in life it is important to use wisdom.  For how you choose in this area of your life will greatly impact your present, and your future.  You have a choice in this area, so choose wisely.  I encourage you to allow those who demonstrate wisdom to be your confidants and close friends.

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

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Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The reason hope does not disappoint is because the Holy Spirit was given to us and He brings with Him the love of God by revelation and experience.

This is the expression of the fullness of God, and it is the fruit of believing in the work of the Holy Spirit that gives us revelation of the love of Christ.

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The importance and benefit of the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life should never be underestimated, or marginalized.  To do so is to set up a person to miss out on the possibility of knowing, experiencing, and living in an awareness of the love of Christ that unlocks a manifestation of the fullness of God that is already theirs because of the completed work of Christ.

Jesus loves you! That cannot be disputed with any integrity.  Jesus loves you! He gave Himself for you.  While you were still a sinner Jesus died for you.  Before you could do anything for Him, He loved you and gave Himself as a sacrifice for you.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This particular revelation is a great source of hope!  But, this revelation is only yours by the aid of the Holy Spirit.  You do not come to this revelation on your own.  You, and I, need the Holy Spirit’s help if we are to see, and to know, the love of Christ that brings a manifestation of the fullness of God into our lives, and fills us with hope to spare!

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How does this say you abound in hope?  It is by the power of the Holy Spirit!  This is so much more than just a Christian slogan, or fanciful idea, regarding the Holy Spirit.  Hope that does not disappoint comes to you when you remain humble and reliant upon the Holy Spirit.  It is by experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit through communion with the Holy Spirit!  It is by fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit.

With all this in mind today I leave you with these encouraging words from Scripture that convey my own heart concerning you.

2Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

According To ..

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In the New Covenant things dramatically changed from what they had been under the Old Covenant of Law.

Under the Old Covenant of Law people were given rules to live by. If they could avoid breaking any of those rules they would be blessed.  If they violated even one of those rules they would be cursed.

Galatians 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Under the New Covenant, life with God is done by having the Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter who leads us according to the will of God, and reveals Jesus to us in an ever increasing way.

New Covenant life is life according to the Spirit.  It is a way of life where the just live by faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Galatians 2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Galatians 3:12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

A life lived according to the Spirit, is a life lived by faith in the Son of God.  Confidence doesn’t come from law based obedience, but rather from relationship based surrender that is born of faith.  A faith that flows and grows by means of Holy Spirit revelation. A very relational faith indeed.

True New Covenant faith based obedience will never out pace your relationship understanding and experience with Jesus.  The closer you are to Him, the greater your surrender will be to His ways.  It is a surrender that transforms you into His image and leads you into greater adventures with Him.  It is a surrender that moves you to rely even more upon the Holy Spirit for help.

You can never really know and experience all that you were created for until you learn to lose yourself in Christ.  Losing yourself in Him leads you to humble yourself and rely on the Holy Spirit, just as He humbled Himself, became a man, and relied fully on the Holy Spirit.

You are never more like Jesus than when you are humbly and fully relying on the help of the Holy Spirit to know and to do according to the Father’s will in your daily life.

Increasing Faith

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In my last sharing, “A Lack Of Faith,” I spoke of how a lack of faith hinders receptivity.  It doesn’t render God powerless or do away with His willingness it simply renders the person powerless to receive and be a part of what God wishes to do.

This should cause us to realize the importance of being built up in our faith.  Hopefully ministers of the word will be encouraged to make sure that what they speak and teach gives place to faith.  Faith is, and should be, of great importance to any and every believer.  It should be a staple of the equipping call to the five fold ministry gifts.

Since everything God wishes to do here on earth requires the church (Born again believers in Jesus) to be in a position to hear from Him and then believe He has empowered them by His Spirit to get it done, faith matters greatly.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Make no mistake about the fact that God rewards diligent seekers.  Being a diligent seeker however begins at the point of one’s faith.  You see, it is faith that moves a person to diligently seek God with a yearning to hear Him speak and reveal His desires to them.

So we should be eager to learn what the Scripture says abut increasing faith.

One instruction is found in Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

There’s something about praying in tongues that is very powerful.  It is a faith builder because to pray in such manner invokes faith to start with.  You see to pray and believe that it is actually a language understood by God is an act of faith to start with.  To do so in increasing measure is a faith builder.  It is an act of believing.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The word in the Greek interpreted as the word of God is Rhema.  Rhema means an utterance.  It is the act of hearing God speak.   So whether it is through a person who is preaching or through reading the Scriptures and realizing it is God who is speaking to you, that is when faith is activated.

This means a believer should be seeking God in prayer, in the reading of Scripture, listening for the Holy Spirit to speak in the moment, and praying in the Spirit.  Those who diligently give themselves to these practices, as an act of relating with God as opposed to a mere religious duty, increase their faith.

So it is important to ask ourselves, Am I reading the Scriptures from a place of relationship with God?  Am I praying from a place of relationship?  Am I open to praying in the Spirit?  Am I listening to hear God speak to me regularly?  It is by these relationship tools that we increase our faith in Him.  Because it is by knowing Him that faith comes.

A Lack Of Faith

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Matthew 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in His own town and in His own home.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

It’s amazing how fickle people can be.  People can be caught up one minute in amazement and applaud someone, and then the next minute offer ridicule or bring into question the person they were just amazed by and applauded.  That’s what happened to Jesus.

The people questioned His authority based on what they knew of His family.  Even though they heard Him speak and knew of the miracles He had done elsewhere, they struggled to believe Him.

They knew His family, they knew He was raised by a carpenter.  They knew Jesus after the flesh (so to speak), and they leaned on their natural knowledge of Him, so much so, that they struggled in their faith towards Him.

Their lack of faith resulted in Jesus not doing many miracles there.  To me, that lends itself to the idea that Jesus had just as much desire to do miracles in his home town of Nazareth as He had anywhere else.  But a lack of faith resulted in that desire not being met.  Does that mean that a lack of faith made Jesus powerless?

I do not believe for one minute that a lack of faith rendered Jesus powerless, nor could it diminish His authority in anyway.  I believe it rendered the people powerless to receive what He had to offer them.

For examples sake let’s pretend I desire to send you a large amount of money just to bless you.  I let you know that I need you to download a specific app on your smart phone for me to do so.  If you do not believe me you will not download the app to your phone.  But in this instance the app is the only way for me to bless you. So although I desire to bless you, and have the ability to do so, I cannot do so because you are in no position to receive it.

Faith is the pipeline through which the things of the Spirit flow.  The kingdom operates on this earth according to faith.  Without faith a person is not able to receive what it is that Jesus wishes to give.  It doesn’t rob Him of His power, willingness or ability, it simply offers no place to receive what it is He wishes to give, or to do.  This is proven by the fact that a person cannot be saved without believing.

When Jesus said, “Be unto you according to your faith” He wasn’t saying faith made Him do things.  He was already willing to do them, a persons faith simply offered a place for them to happen.

It is why the Scripture says that without faith it is impossible to please God.  A lack of faith gives no place to what it is that God wishes to do, or to give.

It is never that God is unwilling or reluctant when it comes to His will to bless and empower us for His purposes.  Heaven has been open since the cross.  There’s an eternal readiness at the throne of grace to offer mercy to help.  But, for us to be able to walk in the fullness of Who He is, and what He wishes to do, we must have faith to receive.  Those who walk in faith are often blessed by the willingness they encounter on the part of Jesus.

Things Not Seen

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Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Now based on what I am reading here in Ephesians, there’s an aspect to what is described that cannot be witnessed in the natural by the eye of man, but yet it is very real indeed.

Others may witness, with their own eyes, the change that occurs in the life of a believer in Jesus no doubt.  But did they see that person raised up together and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

It is not the statement of others who knew us before we came to Christ that they witnessed us being raised from the dead.  They may testify to a change they see in us, but they would not declare they saw us raised from the dead.  Yet, the testimony of Scripture and heaven itself is that we were raised from the dead.

I sincerely hope you do not imagine that the Scriptures are dishonest, or only speaking of figurative things. I personally believe the Scriptures are describing spiritual realities as plainly as we tend to describe natural ones.

This is just another example of how the unseen realm of the Spirit is more real than the natural realm we are so familiar with.

This language being used in Ephesians is describing the place of authority that Jesus occupies.  In that sense there are aspects of it that can be seen in the natural when believers in Jesus exercise their authority in spiritual matters.  But who sees us seated with Christ in the heavenly places according to natural realities?

The only time there is any type of natural witness to what is spoken of in Ephesians is when a believer, or the church, exercises spiritual authority that manifests here on this earth.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Luke 10:18   And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

You and I have authority based on Jesus’ authority and the fact that He has seen fit to grant it to us.  This authority is to be used for His purposes not our own.  It is yet another aspect of unseen things in the Spirit being more real than that which can be so easily seen in the natural.  On occasion it manifest in the natural.  But for it to do so someone must believe it to be true and exercise it here on this earth.  I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation on this matter and to walk in the spiritual authority Jesus has given to you as believer in Him.  The reality of it manifesting relies on you believing you possess it.  No one can use what they do not believe they possess.

What Is Real?

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1Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.  10   Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Everyday we experience things that shape our perspective on life.

The things we can see, taste, touch, smell or hear are extremely real to us because they impact us in so many ways.  It’s natural to have these things affect us.

Because it is such a regular experience in our lives we have a tendency to be more attuned to the natural.

In fact, because of how inundated with these experiences we are, we tend to think of things in the natural being our greatest reality.

But is what we can see, touch, taste, hear or smell the most real?

Is what we feel most deeply in life the greatest reality?

Is it possible that what we cannot see in the natural is more real than what we can see?

It was to the prophets who looked for the grace to be revealed. They believed something regarding a promise from God and even though there was zero evidence in the natural for it they spoke as though it was more real than life itself in the moment.

In the Bible there are a great many declarations made concerning believers that involve matters that cannot be seen in the natural.

To a true believer, the things that are attached to real promises from a very real God are more real than anything we know in the natural.

Who has seen God?  Yet we know that He exists and is alive.

Who has seen heaven, yet we stand in faith that it is real and that those in Christ will be there. We speak of it without apology or embarrassment. We even defend the idea of it when others seek to downplay it’s reality.

The realm of God which is very supernatural is actually more real than anything we see in the natural.  Everything in the natural has an expiration date on it.  The supernatural is eternal.  It is what will be when all that is in the natural ceases to exist.

This is why we are able to stand firm in our faith on the promises of God even when it seems ridiculous to do so.  Scripture says, all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ. You my friend are in Christ. Circumstances may seem to indicate something completely alternate to what God’s promises say, but you are allowed to stand on the promises and speak as though that which cannot be seen is more real than what can be seen.  This is because the supernatural is truly more real than the natural.  So I encourage you today to stand on the promises God has given you, and make no apology for a confession of believing Him about it, and taking Him at His word. After all, it is by faith that we truly please Him.

Jesus Is Willing

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I love the way Luke captures a moment in time in the life and ministry of Jesus in chapter 5 of his gospel writing.

A leprous man falls at the feet of Jesus and says to Him, “Lord if You are willing I know you can cleanse me.”  Jesus responds with, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

Everything we can read about Jesus in the Bible demonstrates His  willingness to show compassion and heal people who were hurting, or in need.  Jesus showed Himself willing every time He was approached with needs whether it was one person, or many.  In fact, Scripture records for us the phrase, “He healed them all.”

What I find amazing in each testimony found in Scripture about the willingness of Jesus to heal, or do a miracle, Jesus puts no one through a litmus test to determine if they deserved the healing or miracle.

Jesus did not set any performance or moral conditions on the person for receiving from Him the power to heal, or to be given a miracle in their situation.  Jesus does often tell them to have faith, or to fear not, or that it will be unto to them according to their faith.

By coming to Him in the first place they were already exhibiting an act of faith on some level, and Scripture reveals Jesus’ willingness to meet them at the point of their need.

What a loving, compassionate and generous Lord and Savior Jesus is.  What a great privilege it is to know Him and be His!

Scripture tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Jesus does not change, His heart and attitude have not taken a turn for the worse.  He is not now in a mood to reject you instead of showing you compassion and mercy.

In fact, you are encouraged to come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy to help in your time of need.

Oh how I love my Jesus!

I want to encourage you today that whatever you may be going through.   Jesus loves you and His is willing to help you.  I believe His words still ring true today, “I am willing.”  Just turn to Him in faith at any level and ask Him for mercy to help.  I am certain you will receive it.

Be encouraged in Him today!  Go to Him for His help and guidance.  I can say with assurance that you will not be disappointed.  The Holy Spirit will make it abundantly clear that you have what you need.