He Walks With You!

As I sat on my patio this morning observing the wonder of nature, I was reminded of how intimate our relationship is with our creator. The wind gently rustled through the leaves of the trees and caused the branches to sway back and forth. I could imagine the hand of God manipulating each leaf on each branch much like I did as a child running my fingers through the tall, green blades of grass of summer. My heart felt compelled to say, “I see you there Lord. Yes, I am watching and listening.” It is exciting to know that He is so close to us. “Lord help us to always be aware of Your presence and not allow the struggles of this life to prevent that reality.”

Luke 24:30, “...he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” These followers of Jesus Christ realized at that very moment that they had been entertaining the Hope of their lives, that it was the third day and Jesus was alive.

Luke 24:32, “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” The veil of darkness was pulled back and the light of revelation rushed in. And so they rose up and returned to Jerusalem to join with their brethren in celebration of the risen Christ.

The revelation of this passage is that we are presently walking with our Lord Jesus Christ all along this journey. He is the Hope of our lives, our Savior, our Deliverer, our Miracle. As born again believers we place our faith in the sacrifice of Christ and His finished work on the cross. He paid the price for our sin and disobedience and we have only to believe. As believers we can embrace this truth without reservation. With this promise we can respond to all life’s challenges with faith and expect His deliverance because He walks with us. Matt. 6:13, “For thine (His) is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

God Has A Message For You!

John 4:3, “He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria. 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”

He must needs go through Samaria. Why did Jesus need to go through Samaria? He had a message for that city! It began with the woman at the well of Jacob and spread all over the city. When the word spread about the woman’s encounter with Jesus many came to see for themselves. Her invitation was, John 4:29, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” Many more believed at the testimony of Jesus. John 4:42, “...Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Oh, how we need the presence of Christ Jesus to be manifest in our churches. Having heard of this woman’s encounter and subsequent revelation, the people of Samaria came to see for themselves. Their desire was to see this Jesus who had told her all things. I am convinced that our churches are filled week after week with people who are searching for the answer to their current human condition. They need Jesus to be manifest in the churches. The Holy Spirit has a message for all who would believe! Jesus wants to reveal His message of deliverance, healing and salvation to all who will embrace His Truth. The woman of Samaria went to the well to draw water but her life was changed forever because she met Jesus there. Jesus is the answer to every human condition. Call to Him today!

God Has A Plan For You!

It is important to know where we are and where God Is. Where am I in relation to where God desires me to be? I personally feel the need to press on, press in, press through the opposition of the enemy into the good that God has for me and all that I may influence.

Jer. 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

God has “good” planned for those who will answer His call to discipleship. He has a promised (secured) end or divine heritage. We need not question our finish if only we will listen to the voice of God.

Jer. 29:12, “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

Oh, to call upon God, to seek His face and hear and see His answer. He promises to hear and respond (hearken). Our challenge is to clearly perceive His response.

Jer. 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

“...ye shall seek me, and find me...” God is always available. He is always with us. But we must have the sense of His presence to recognize His voice and to understand what he is doing or planning to do. God's promise is that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart. The human condition requires the intervention of our creator. We always stand in need of God's assistance. The question is, “Do we really want his help?” Are willing to relinquish control of our lives to Him. He knows the way I take (the path I should follow) and will direct my steps accordingly.

God has a plan for us. A plan for good and not evil. He has an expected (secured) finish for His people. Lord, I want to search for you with all my heart. I don't want anything to interfere with me pleasing you!

Arise, O Lord God Into Your Resting Place!

2 Chronicles 7:1, “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.”

We pray for and sincerely desire that the glory of God rest upon His House. You are His house. Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Solomon had prepared the House for God's habitation and invited God to live there. 2 Chronicles 6:41, “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place,..” He spared no expense. The people gave freely and abundantly. The edifice that was created was a tribute to the glory of God and the love of His people.

Let us prepare this house for the manifest presence of God. Allow the blood of Jesus to wash it clean and make it holy and acceptable to God. Romans 12:1, “...that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Invite Christ to live in this house and display His character through you. Give up and submit complete control to the influence of the Holy Spirit. Follow Him as He leads and directs. The result is a life lived to the glory of God and manifested love for Him.

God's promise to Solomon was, “...I have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice,”

2 Chronicles 7:12. If it doesn't rain...if the locusts devour your crops or pestilence comes...if you will pray, humble yourselves and turn from YOUR way (rebellion), then I will hear you from heaven and will forgive and heal because I see you and hear your prayers. Regardless of what you may face tomorrow, God will walk you through it if you trust Him. Psalm 121:8, “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”God watches over everything you do all the time, in every circumstance, and forever. You are “covered” by the abiding presence of the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

The Power Of God Is Within You!

As a born again believer, the power of God indwells your mortal body. You are His sanctuary and He is mighty in His sanctuary. Psalm 68:35, “You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” NIV

What do we do when we are confronted by the enemy. Much like the armies of Israel when confronted by the Philistines and their champion, we stand motionless in fear at the very prospect of defeat. Thoughts of doubt and uncertainty flood our minds and cause us to lose heart. Does God have a purpose for us to fulfill? Does He not have a cause to perform through our lives.

1 Samuel 17:29, “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” KJV God sent young David to the battlefield that day because He needed a champion and had chosen David. He didn’t choose someone who would be measured as a warrior. The king’s armor would not fit this ruddy young lad but nevertheless, he was God’s Champion. He left the battlefield with a resounding victory because he gave himself into the hands of God.

Is there not a cause? Today, the Body of Christ is facing it’s own spiritual giants. At the same time the Holy Spirit is raising up His champions to render the enemy helpless and deliver a resounding victory. David used what was familiar to him, his faith in God and his slingshot. He became a participant in God’s cause. What is in your hand? Will you answer the call and be God’s Champion for His Cause?

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” KJV

Rediscover Your Identity In Christ Jesus! Part 2

We don't need to back away from the mountain of God in fear of His presence. He wants us to not only be aware of Him but to share His presence in our daily walk with Him. The Israelites recoiled in fear at the manifest presence of God on Mt. Sinai. They had witnessed the power of God, but without faith to trust Him, God's presence created fear. They had seen with their own eyes what He could do. So, God placed a boundary at the foot of the mountain and they were instructed not to approach the mountain. The Israelites had to communicate with God through a mediator. God gave His instructions to the Israelites through Moses. What made Moses different from the rest? He trusted God! He was willing to leave the things that he didn't understand in the hands of God.

We have no need to be fearful and afraid. Jesus became our mediator with God when we accepted His sacrifice at Calvary. Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ we have the boldness to draw near to God and through our mediator, Jesus, we bring our petitions to Him. He invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace and make our petitions know to Him. This is a very important attribute of our relationship with God and it is becoming increasingly more crucial with the passing of every day. The revelation and leading of the Lord is absolutely indispensable today and in the days to come.

Go back to the beginning. The beginning is the revelation, the vision, the dream, the communication of heaven. John 1:1-18 is the revelation of Jesus as the unmistakable Son of God. God would have every generation experience Divine relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. One attribute of that relationship is revelation and guidance. He will remove all barriers and obstacles for all who will repent and believe.

What is the foundation of your revelation, vision, dream or Word from the Lord? Your future depends upon your revelation. Is your life built upon Jesus Christ and His Word? Matt. 7:24, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

We look at the condition of our world and know that we are living in perilous times. But it is going to get worse. We don't know exactly when the Church is going to be raptured, but we do know that conditions are going to get progressively worse. The foundation of our revelation must be Jesus Christ!

Rediscover Your Identity In Christ Jesus!

A while back God gave me a Word, “Go back to the beginning,” along with the text in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Since that time, its seems that everywhere I look, God is saying to me, “return to the beginning.” It reminds me of a scriptural principle, “repent and return.” We find numerous passages in the Bible where God instructed His people to repent and return to Him. How can that be relevant to the Body of Christ. Because our attention can be easily diverted from the vision we have of God's work and our mission. We are easily distracted from God's business so we need Him to remind us often of where we are and what we need to be doing.

Go back to the beginning, to the beginning of what? Go back to the inception of the vision. Go back to where you started. Examine anew your decision to follow Christ, your mission and purpose. What was your perception of your relationship then and where are you now? What has changed? What about the vision needs your attention? In the beginning it was all about Jesus, the truth of God's Word and my mission. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open the windows of our soul to the revelation of His perfect truth and how that will be implemented through our lives.

John 1:14, “And the Word was made 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.” Jesus is the focus here. The Word was made flesh and lived among mortal flesh. The Greek term for “word” is “logos.” Revelation is the idea contained in the perception of “logos.” The Word is the revelation of the Triune God. Triune being three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Therefore we can conclude that the essence of Christ is fully accessible by mortal flesh through the medium of the Holy Spirit.

What does that mean to us? It is important for us to understand that God, in all his awesomeness, is fully approachable through Jesus Christ. Ryrie says that the logos concept, “here is applied to Jesus who is all that God is and an expression of him. The Word is said to be with God (IE., in communion with and yet distinct from God) and to be God (IE., identical in essence with God) Jn. 1:1.” Sounds awesome, right? That believers have full access to such a magnanimous person. But, we do in Jesus Christ. God wants us to know Him. He wants us to walk in daily communion with Him. (continued)

It's Not God's Fault!

Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:”

Sin has separated human kind from God but it’s not God’s fault. Man has chosen to walk in the path of sin rather than heed God’s counsel and correction. In Isaiah 59, Isaiah gives a litany of sins for which Israel needs a redeemer. He observes that judgment, justice and truth are qualities absent from the life of Israel. Because there was no qualified mediator, God would provide salvation through the coming kinsman Redeemer. This salvation is in Jesus Christ whom they rejected at the First Advent. But God promises that He will forgive their sins and restore them in covenant relationship in the end. Isaiah 59:20, “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.”

The promise of the kinsman Redeemer “and unto them that turn from transgression,” is a provision of the covenant but will be implemented through repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. That will happen to a remnant of Israel in the end.

The call of God to all humanity is to repent and return to God. Any people who expect the favor and covering of God must approach Him in repentance and follow in obedience. One of the greatest judgments that God brought against Israel was their failure to uphold “truth and justice.” That principle is just as relevant to our country and our world today. If God brought the leadership of Israel to judgment because of their lack of truth and justice, He will do the same for every generation.

We must have the intervention of God in the days and weeks ahead. Let all men in every place fall prostrate before Him, casting all care upon Him, and receive His light of pure redemption. And let His perfect light be exercised through me. It’s not God’s fault. Jesus Christ alone is the remedy for ALL our sin!