The End of a Brutal Season!

We've waited a long time for spring - this has been a brutal winter. But all the while we were waiting something was going on under the snow - just below the surface of our vision. Something was coming to life and yawning from its wait under ground, even while we were beginning to feel discouraged and hopeless in the wait.

Then life manifested! The season we were waiting for suddenly proved its presence with the small green stems that were here this morning but hidden beneath the soil yesterday.

Friends, don't get impatient! Just as God made the seasons and is faithful to perpetuate them, He has a covenant with you and is faithful to bring His promises to fruition. Take heart as you look at the budding of spring and rejoice that you will see His promises fulfilled in their proper time. There is nothing in the universe that can stop the promise of God from being fulfilled once it has taken root in your heart: God said it and it's so!

Keep preparing yourself for the fulfillment of His promises - this shows faith in what He has said to you. As long as the earth endures there will be seed, time and harvest (Gen 8:22). In the 'time' portion of the process, thank God for the upcoming harvest!

A Message for Fault-Finders

"I sent people to you in many ways:  some played a happy dance and some lamented and mourned over the condition of your hearts.  I even came and ate with you, while others I sent fasted – giving up eating on your behalf.  Yet you were happy with none of these approaches.  I tried to reach you in your every mood and attitude of heart with the message of salvation, but you would have none of it!" (Matt 11 paraphrased)

These were the words of Jesus to the crowds who gathered around Him after he heard the news of John the Baptist’s death.  He’d given the people every possible way to come to him, including John’s unconventional appearance and message, but what He got back were complaints about His approach.  “If you were really Godly you wouldn’t have so much joy, you’d be more solemn and reverent.”  “God would never send someone who cries over Jerusalem, look at this great city – you should be leaping for joy.”

DISSATISFACTION  and FAULT FINDING– this is what Jesus was talking about.  He had sent messengers and He himself had come to them – but they found fault with each one.  In the end, Jesus was proved right by His methods.  He was proved right by His approach and by dying the death of a thief on the cross.  In the end He said “if you are not offended by Me, by what I do and say, then you will be blessed” (Matt 11 paraphrased).

What people wanted was for Jesus to do things their way – but His ways are not our ways.  They set themselves up as judge over Jesus Christ and His followers.  They judged Jesus through their lack of understanding of God. They set themselves as the plumb line for right and wrong, the compass for the way God should move – and they weren’t afraid to criticize the works of the God of the Universe!

If you have a fault-finding spirit get rid of it today! Bless the people of God and stop criticizing.  Do unto others in love......and let God do the rest.

Vigorous Pursuit!

Today I pray for you to be imbued with zeal for God; to have passion for His life and purposes! Make a decision to pursue Him. Draw a line and step across it - don't turn back to status quo.

VIGOROUSLY LAY HOLD OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing. Those who are vigorous and determined press in and take hold of it at all costs! (Matt. 11:12 paraphrased)

 

 

Same Old Boring Life!

A farmer I know had a barn fire a few years back. His cows had become so accustomed to life in the barn they were afraid to come out. The light of day was unknown to them and they preferred to stay in the heat and smoke of the barn rather than step out into the cool, fresh air. When firemen and neighbors finally got them out of the barn their appearance was shocking – they had overgrown hooves, straggly coats and agitated demeanors.

What was once the exact place God put us can become a trap if we stay in it longer than He intended. The people we like working with, the things we’ve learned to do well, and minimal resistance may be in the comfort zone, but so are sluggishness and stagnation if we remain there too long.

Don’t let your comfort zone become an excuse to disobey the prompting of God. Naman’s ‘personal standards’ were his comfort zone and he kept them so rigidly he almost missed God’s healing (2 Kings 5). When God tried to pull Jonah out of his comfort zone he fled the assignment. Jonah wasn’t too happy about prophesying to people outside of his ‘normal’ audience. When God called Peter to take the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles his first answer was “I will never touch anything unclean” (Acts 10). Personal comforts and preferences can be roadblocks to God’s work in and through us.

When God said He would send the Comforter, He wasn’t talking about keeping us comfortable – but empowering us to be the voice, hands and feet of Jesus Christ on the earth today. Don’t keep our Lord and Savior under lock and key in your comfort zone – use that empowerment for the advancement of His kingdom in whatever way He directs.

Drop your protective comfort zones and step out on the water!

Heaven Speaks!

Hell says “Look at your past.” Heaven says “I know the plans I have for you.” (Jer 29:11)

Hell says “I gotcha now!” Heaven says “I always provide a way of escape.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

Hell says “If you really are the Son of God...” Heaven says “You are sons of the Most High God.” (Gal 3:29)

Hell says “Let His blood be on us and our children.” Heaven says “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 12:11)

Hell says “Things don’t look good.” Heaven says “We walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor 5:7)

Hell says “You’ll never make it, it’s a failed dream.” Heaven says “Before you were born I knew you and set you apart.” (Jer 29:11)

Don’t believe Hell’s lies - your identity lies in Heaven! Heaven sees you in the Spirit - it's time to walk out Heaven's vision of you.

Agree with Heaven!

Love of 'Stuff'

When I was in high school I helped my elderly grandparents at times, either cooking or cleaning for them. They had an old house with a partially finished upstairs which held a sort of makeshift spare bedroom, some of grandma’s sewing projects and a very large two door cabinet. One day I opened the cabinet to find it stuffed to the gills with laundry detergent -approximately 35 boxes of detergent!!

Grandma and Grandpa had been through some horrendous things in their lives. The stuff that movies are made of was buried in their past, but its affects were staring me in the face when I opened the cabinet. War, poverty, death….all of these had left an imprint on Grandmas heart but hadn’t hardened her. She never let on that she had deep hurts and fears over the things that had happened, but when I opened the upstairs cabinet that day I realized the immense fear that must have been inside of her for all those years.

The day came when I looked around my own home and garage and saw that I had taken a bit of comfort in the ‘stuff’ I’d accumulated. Most of this stuff wasn’t necessary for life, but it absorbed my time, money and attention. Maintaining and protecting material stuff also put a drain on my energies and frustrated me at times.

I don’t know the exact day I lost affection for my stuff – it didn’t happen overnight. I do know that my lost affections for more and more, and bigger and better, paralleled the healing of past hurts that took place in my heart and emotions. That’s when fear lifted and material things brought no comfort. That’s when pain from the past and the comfort of material things was washed away by the love of God.

Jesus had no place to lay his head - He attached to no physical place or thing on this earth and allowed nothing but God and His purposes to grasp His heart and affections (Luke 9:58). That is not to say that we have to live in a cave without comfort. It’s an opportunity to question our accumulation of ‘stuff’ and see where it might be filling a void or comforting a hurt that God wants to heal.

Perhaps it’s time to ask yourself, “What’s in that upstairs cabinet?”

Enter His Chamber!

When you step into Christ you step away from the world. The more you enter into Christ the farther you are from the ways and desires of the world. There’s no way to enter into the life of Christ and intimacy with Him, to go through the door to His chambers, while you are in the world. These are two different places spiritually and you cannot be in both places at one time.

We have to remove the obstacles that stand in our way to entering into fellowship with Jesus Christ. It’s a ‘must’ for us to press in and remove those obstacles, taking them out of the way in our physical life and our spiritual life, in our thought life and our emotions. Get alone with Him regularly: worship, praise, absorb His word and be washed from the filth of the world.

God’s word is life to us and it brings our bodies to life. Just as the Word became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ it becomes flesh on us as we are changed into His image through His word - we become more and more Christ-like. We transform to what our attentions are focused on - from the inside of us we are changed to accommodate our focus and surroundings. This is why Lot found himself living in Sodom – he kept his eyes on it continually and eventually he was pulled into its inner chambers.

Open the door to the chambers of the Holy One, to residing in His presence, by putting your focus on Him - He is already knocking and waiting for you. Life is about Christ and there is no true life outside of Him. If you want to really live and exist for a purpose, it has to be by living this life through His Spirit and under His wing. Let this be your dwelling place.

Pray for a holy zeal, a burning desire for God. Don’t seek Him for blessings, seek THEE blessing, the God of the universe, and let your life flow out of Him. Set your spiritual face like flint in the direction of His chambers and enter in.

Do I Love Me?

Do I Love Me?

Healthily loving self puts an intense desire inside of us to completely fulfill God’s purpose for life as it relates to the advancement of His kingdom. It gives us the perspective of God for our lives, allows Him to define who we are, and shows us how we fit into His Body as His gift of grace to those around us. In this way, loving self is a completely selfless concept!

When self love is in proper perspective, we have no problem treating others as we would want to be treated or as God would direct us to treat them. Jealousy and dissension are done away with because we know our part in God’s kingdom and we love others into their kingdom work by encouraging and advancing them. However, if we despise ourselves we become self abusive, and in turn abuse others.

Loving self means you see yourself through God’s eyes instead of the eyes of the world or the eyes of those who condemn or the voice that says you are worthless. This enables you to put aside wrong feelings and ideas about yourself, in effect breaking down barriers to becoming an instrument of God’s love and grace. Knowing you are created in God's image should impress your heart with love for His creation - including yourself.

We should have no fear of over-loving self because true love has perfect boundaries. The person who exalts self will have left love long before self exaltation and pride have set in. This concept of love is worldly and brings confusion to God’s people; but God’s love inspires us to exalt others over self and do good to those who harm us.

“You shall love the Lord your God with your whole being: mind, body, thoughts, strength and actions. And you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mark 12:30-31 paraphrased).

Are You Loaded?

“All [of] your teaching of the truth is better [and] your understanding of it is more complete - our witness about Christ has been proved to be true in you. There is no gift of the Holy Spirit that you don't have. You are full of hope as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. God will keep you strong to the very end. Then you will be without blame on the day our Lord Jesus Christ returns” (1 Cor 1:4-7 NIRV).

Paul said it very plainly: everything became more complete, enriched, hopeful and imbued with power when the Holy Spirit poured out His gifts on the Corinthians. Paul told them this would happen, it was part of his testimony of Jesus to them, and He was pleased to see that it had come to pass.

Even more exciting for us today, Paul said “you are full of hope as you wait for the return of Jesus Christ.” In saying this he was referencing their preparedness and encouragement obtained by the gifts God had bestowed on them through His Spirit while they waited expectantly for the return of Jesus Christ.

The return of Jesus Christ has not yet happened, of course, so we fall into the same ‘waiting period’ as did the Corinthians in Paul’s time. We are the same body of Christ, living in a different time frame as spiritual ancestors, in a sense. While we’re waiting we, too, can be imbued and equipped, confirming the testimony of Jesus Christ in ourselves.

Paul later told the Corinthians that he didn’t want them to fall behind [be lacking, ignore or be ill-informed] concernng these gifts, but to be fully filled and operational in using them as part of their kingdom responsibility toward one another (1 Cor 12). They were to fully load their arsenal with these weapons of grace and serve the Body through them as a testimony of Christ in them and evidence of their love for one another.

In short, Paul told them to load their spiritual arsenals with the gifts of the Spirit, and let love be the platform for the operation of these gifts – until the return of Jesus Christ! (1 Cor 13).

Are you loaded?

A Little Revenge Won't Hurt!

Perhaps one of the most difficult things in the Christian walk is to treat someone kindly who’s treated you poorly. I’m not simply speaking of people outside of the Church, but of those inside the church as well. Given the opportunity, many of us would like to either give someone who’s mistreated us an earful of our thoughts, or perhaps see their efforts in life come to a big time fail!

While there’s a time and manner in which to confront offenders, there’s also a way to deal with those who are unrepentant and repeat offenders. Romans 12:18-20 tells us to ‘do good’ to those who hurt us. Right now you might be thinking “you’re reading that wrong.” But the Bible goes even further and tells us not to take any kind of revenge on these people, or to retaliate or try to vindicate ourselves. Normally these types of actions are ways to let others see that we are innocent and we’ve been wronged.

The action God is calling for in this circumstance is to do good to the person who has wronged you, and to do so in thought, word and deed. That doesn’t mean you become a rug and serve this person with gifts, it means you take opportunities that arise to bless the person, keep your mouth shut about the wrong that was done to you (don’t gossip), and let God work on the person’s heart. If he or she doesn’t respond to your kindness and the conviction of God, that’s for God to deal with, not you.

You might say “what if the person thinks I agree with him when I’m kind?" So what! It doesn’t matter what the person thinks. If they want to engage in meaningful, graceful conversation then do so as the Lord leads you, otherwise, keep quiet and follow Christ. Jesus wasn’t concerned about what people thought of Him as He carried the cross to His death, nor should we be concerned about dying to self and following Him unquestionably.

Dealing this way with a person who has hurt us will also keep us in humility. It’s very difficult to be kind and benefit someone in this type of circumstance if we have pride in our hearts. But God is giving us the opportunity to help the offending person by means of extending love and forgiveness, the same thing He gave to each of us which melted the hardness from us and brought the life of God into us. These are the ‘burning coals’ that we heap onto the offender – not for revenge but for redemption!

A Revelation on Temptation

Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness where He fasted and prayed for 40 days. At this point the enemy expected to have a hay-day with Jesus because he looked at His physical condition and saw Him as vulnerable. So the first vice he used on Jesus was the same vice he used in the Garden of Eden: temptation with food!

The enemy gets his perception of us by what he sees from the outside, he does not know our thoughts except by our actions and words. The devil sees our weaknesses as cracks in our armor into where he may shoot his poison arrows. He wants to appeal to the fleshly, carnal side of man so he will often tempt with things such as food, power, sex and material possessions. He will even try to twist God’s word to get us to believe a lie and bring satisfaction to our flesh through it. “Just command these stones to be bread and you’ll have all the food you need. That’s why you have faith and power – so you can help yourself in these situations. God doesn’t want you to go without the things you need or desire” (Matt 4:4 paraphrased).

Jesus’ answer to these temptations was to be Himself, the Living Word. When he was pressed by the devil He oozed the life of God like a sponge being squeezed. When we are squeezed and pressed we will do the same – ooze what’s inside of us. Because there was no sin inside of Jesus there was no open door for the enemy to tempt Him and there was no ‘reward’ great enough to take His eyes off of God and the prize set before Him of redeeming our souls.

The temptations we struggle with reveal a spot where the heart hasn’t been yielded to the love of God, or a place where our affections have been removed from God and misplaced onto something that has deceived us. While we must walk in self control, we must all the more keep our affections on God - not because it will keep us from temptation, but because we have been created for union with Him.

Place your affections on the lover of your soul. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Turmoil and Anxiety's Prescription

Martha was 'anxious and troubled about many things.’ She wasn’t simply upset because Mary wasn’t helping her feed the funeral crowds; she had turmoil inside of herself (Luke 10:41-42). Her grief over Lazarus’ death and the perceived stress of serving all those who came to honor him only magnified her inner turmoil.

What was happening inside of Martha was manifesting in her behavior. Jesus saw into this and opened up a window to her soul so Martha could begin the healing process. Martha had anxiety and fear over many things, crying out for help in serving their guests was her way of drawing Jesus attention to her. I believe this was Martha’s disguised cry of desperation; it was her way of getting Jesus to give her some type of encouragement and reinforcement.

Jesus took note of her, but He didn’t reinforce her thoughts and concerns, He redirected them to the place she could receive healing. He didn’t drive out demons from her and He didn’t condemn her, He simply said ‘sit at my feet.’ What He was really saying was 'let my words wash over you, Martha, let them bring new life to you and heal your heart. You have much inner turmoil and you are looking to bring resolve by adjusting the world around you, but I want to love you and heal you from the inside.' As often happens when we have inner turmoil, Martha blamed some one else and sought to control the situation around her instead of allowing God to heal the issues inside of her.

One thing is needful – to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His words. This washing of the water of the word hits the ‘reset’ button on our thinking processes and imbues us with the mind of Christ. This establishes His kingdom within us and replaces the mindsets and resulting turmoil and friction that cause us to take our frustrations out on other people.

Sit at His feet today and hear His teaching. Let go of anxiety, inner turmoil and frustration, become renewed in your mind as you allow His word to wash and recreate you!

Blasphemy!

Jesus made it common practice to expel demons from people who were suffering. One time, as He set a man free who was mute, people in the crowd accused Him of being demon possessed Himself. “Why would a demon drive out a demon, that’s self defeating” was His response (paraphrased Luke 11). In today’s lingo, it would be similar to saying that members of an army had turned upon one another with their weapons.
This section of scripture begins with Jesus instruction to the crowd to continually pray and ask God for the Holy Spirit. He promises He won’t give them a scorpion or a serpent or something evil, but the power of God through the Spirit. Then He demonstrates the effectiveness of God’s power through His Spirit by casting out a demon.
But some of the crowd didn’t see that God desires to set us free from all oppression by the power of His Spirit! They didn’t understand it so they turned on Jesus. A man who couldn’t speak a moment before now stood in front of them and praised God for his deliverance, and some of the crowd said that Jesus had done this through the power of the devil.
This is blasphemy to the Holy Spirit: attributing the works of God to the devil. It includes speaking ill of God and the works He does out of His great love and grace toward us. It’s denying the power of God through His Spirit to bring freedom from oppression.
Our God is all powerful! He died to set us free and give us the Holy Spirit that we could be used to set others free. Bless His name and praise His great works in the earth!
God, help us to discern your great works. Help us to guard our hearts and mouths that we'd never think or speak blasphemy against your power and grace.

Are You A Smoldering Volcano?

There have been times in my life when I've kept my mouth closed on an issue that upset me, but I was seething below the surface with anger and frustration. Or worse yet, I discussed the problem with a few close friends and kept a fire of irritation brewing inside of me with the winds of gossip. If there was a checklist for things that are the opposite of love, these two items would be on it: seething and gossiping!

1Cor 13:7 says "love bears all things." That means 'to cover with silence' while taking it before the Lord. There's a difference between putting a blanket on something to smother or silence it, and suppressing it so it smolders and seethes under the surface. Suppressing isn't dealing with a problem, it just covers it and turns the toxic fumes to the inside of a person. There is the grave danger of moving into bitterness when we soak in seething.

There is no condemnation to the person who seeks the counsel of a beloved Christian friend in a discreet manner. However, the person who is seeking justification for their seething feelings will take their issues to many people and begin a circle of dis-content. If you find yourself at this point it's a necessity to get on your knees before the Lord and ask Him to cleanse you of the ill feelings and motives and help you to walk in love. Dis-content is like a pair of glasses one wears which changes the joy of the Lord into a war zone.

Handle problems quickly so the enemy cannot infest your heart with dis-content. Rid yourself of feelings of irritation as you sit before the Lord and get His perspective. If you have these negative feelings you cannot also have the joy of the Lord - these things block out the clarity of God's voice and word in your life.

There are some situations in life that only God can correct - some of them have to do with our issues and some have to do with the issues of others. Remember that you have the Holy Spirit to convict you of yours sins, not the sins of the rest of the world. You may be able to discern the sins of others, but God has to do the convicting.

Is "Destiny" A Biblical Concept?

God knows the end of all things before they have begun. He’s laid out the history of the world as though it were a timeline on which he could see every person and event in one quick glance (Is 46, Heb 1). The Lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the world because, in the eyes of God, what is ordained at any given point on the timeline is already complete (Rev 13). In fact, much of prophecy in the Bible is spoken out as though it’s already happened, even though God is showing the prophet a picture of some future point on the timeline.

With this concept in mind, consider what your part is on God’s timeline. If you have known Christ for even a short period of time you should have a desire inside of you to do something to advance His kingdom for His glory. God knows exactly what that desire is because He put it in you. He created you for a specific purpose and knew the time and places you’d be living (Acts 17): you are an integral part of His plans that were laid out from the foundation of the world. You have a ‘destiny’ to fulfill, a point on the timeline that fits like a puzzle piece with the points and people around you.

The world sees destiny as a fulfillment of a personal desire through the use of one’s natural abilities, which is partly true. But as people of God our main concern is to fulfill God’s purpose for His glory, and in doing so we are completely fulfilled and satisfied as servants of the Most High God.

If we allow the attitude of the world to overtake us in trying to fulfill God’s purposes, we can slide into the arena of self promotion and self exaltation. If we sit on the gifts and talents He’s given us, holding back His grace and love which is extended through them, we may find ourselves hearing the same words as the unfaithful servant in Matt. 25.

Faithfulness to God is shown in developing our character through studying His word and fellowshipping with his Body, but it’s also shown in the way we handle the abilities and giftings He’s given us. We are responsible to develop them and give Him an honorable return on His investment: this is the destiny He’s given to all who call Him Lord!

“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began” Psa 139:16.

Wanted: Super Model!

Do the sins of the fathers and mothers come onto the next generation? Do the children pay the penalty for their father's sins?

Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins; however, our children will suffer for our sins and the sins of our forefathers to the extent that we allow those sins to continue down our generational lines through our own lives. Our sins generally affect others around us, not only ourselves. Examining the life of an alcoholic, a person who regularly displays fits of rage or a drug addict brings this concept to light – the effects on the family of this person are astronomical.

We model life to our families and the people around us - modeling that life is our way of witnessing the love and life of Christ on a daily basis. We can teach others the way they should go, but if we don't live it ourselves we instill in them a hypocritical attitude and false image of Christ. This is great incentive to continually cleanse ourselves of sinful attitudes, actions and motives – the ‘little ones’ around us catch teaching that we don’t realize we’re presenting.

There is a way to break off every sin that tries to continue down your family line and establish itself in your children. This happens by developing a continual, daily, walk with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by making a concerted effort to join in fellowship with other believers who pray, teach you and speak the Word of God over you with great power and love, and by living through His Spirit for His glory. If Jesus Christ is your first priority – the rest of life’s concerns will take their place accordingly.

This is important not only for your family and loved ones, but for the world around you. You are not your own, you were bought with a price, the blood of Jesus Christ, that you would glorify Him as a witness to the world.

If you really want to know the fullness of life, the good life, know Jesus Christ and live life in extreme love and commitment to Him. There is nothing as fulfilling for either you or the family and friends you serve! This is the life of a ‘super model.’

Let It Go - It's Not A Big Deal!

Most things in life aren’t a big deal – people just make them into a big deal.

If we could just turn the other cheek and leave things alone instead of brewing on them, how quickly would they pass? If little things were just pushed aside and our attention was kept on God, how much turmoil would we be able to snuff out before it got started?

There’s a time to deal with problems and a peaceful and graceful way to do it, but giving our attention to something that doesn’t require it takes our energies and devotion away from where they should be. A consistent need to have our hands in little things like this may reveal lack of trust in God and an unhealthy desire to control the world around us.

Your thoughts are precious avenues to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and your actions follow your thoughts. If something is worthy of your attention let the Lord guide you in it. If it’s not worthy of your attention, let it go!

Spirit and Truth?

“But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).

The Jews worshiped in Jerusalem and the Samaritan woman who Jesus met at the well worshiped on Mt. Gerazim, presumably where Abraham sacrificed Isaac. The Samaritans were concerned that they worship in the right location: like many ancient people they had superstition attached to worshiping where God had previously performed great miracles.

This can be seen today at times, also. People often believe there must be an appointed place where God comes and meets us in a magnificent way, so we rush to that place. But if God is meeting people in a particular place, it is likely because their hearts have met God before they arrived there - not because the location is especially anointed.

God is drawn to those who worship out of a spirit connection to Him, not because of a particular building or landmark or previous event which took place somewhere. When we know the truth of God through His word, and experience relationship with Him on a daily basis, we can worship him spirit to spirit at any location. Paul and Silas worshiped in Jail and an earthquake broke open the prison doors.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that a time was coming when true worship to God would require no specific location. No one would be required to go to Jerusalem or to Mt. Gerazim, but WHEREVER two or three gather He will be in the midst of them. In fact, Jesus said “The Father wants such people to worship Him,” speaking of those who will not only connect to Him via His Spirit, but will live life as worship to Him.

Whether there be 3 or 5 or 500 of us, God is drawn to spirit to spirit worship and our solid understanding of the Truth of who He is. While we never want to forsake gathering in unified worship, we also can be assured that God will accept our worship even as we lift our hands to him during a morning shower!

Full Steam Ahead!

If God directs you to do something that goes against your cultural standards can you do it? Can you lay aside comfort and pride and embarrassment and self-preservation and go full steam ahead without looking back to see how your neighbors view you? Can you pick up your cross and carry it to your proverbial Calvary?

Consider Hosea, who was directed by God to marry a prostitute as a picture of Israel’s harlotry against God. Or Ezekiel, who lay naked for months on one side then turned over to the other side, representing the years of sin of both Judah and Israel. Both of these men endured ridicule and shame from the very people they suffered for through God’s assignments. But God was with them: He continually spoke to them, directed them and empowered them.

When God calls us to a work he empowers us. He imbues us with His Spirit and anoints us with His holy oil to get the job done. He never leaves us or forsakes us and He provides all that’s needed to fulfill our purpose and His plans.

Don’t be afraid to step out. Lean into His unfailing love and wisdom and set your face like flint. Silence the voice of the nay-sayers by filling your spirit with the word of God - do not be moved by negativity! Keep your eyes single on the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him completely. Not only will you fulfill His purposes, you will find complete rest and joy in doing what He has created you to be and do!

Protect Your Kingship!

“I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet” (Ps 18:37-38).
King David was a mighty warrior whose enemies had in mind to overtake him and usurp the kingship God had appointed him to. But under God’s direction he annihilated every foe and gave glory to God.
David’s life presents a spiritual picture for us: we are to pursue the enemy and overtake him by first pursuing God and allowing Him to overtake us. The Psalms are full of David’s worshipful conversations with God and reveal that David’s first sword for battle was God’s word. It must be the same for us: we are to take up the Word as a sword and pursue the vices of the enemy in our lives.
Our enemies are not the people who stand in our way, nor the cookies on the counter-top, nor the sale that tempts us. Our enemies are the sinful desires and motives that lurk inside of us and manifest in our words and actions. Consuming our energies with efforts to change our circumstances is often a way to avoid submitting our hearts to God and allowing Him to free us through His Word and Spirit.
Vehemently pursue those things in your life which are against God. Destroy and annihilate the mindsets, desires and habits that are set against godliness in your life and don’t allow them to rise up again. They desire to steal your kingship and leave you powerless, but God calls you to take the sword of the Word and bring a swift end to those enemies of your soul.
The Word of God is a powerful, life-giving sword, much like a surgical instrument. It is able to penetrate deep into the soul of a man and purge the sinful desires and purposes of our hearts. This brings freedom and opens the door to the promised land of peace in Him (Heb.4:11-12 paraphrased).