Am I Passive Or A Partner?

A new year is coming and a season I’ve never experienced. It’s one that I can only live by faith. I can’t make anything perfect, but I can experience perfect joy and perfect peace in the midst of  difficulty and hardship. Circumstances aren’t meant to reign in my life. Jesus Christ is meant to reign in me (Romans 5:17).

God calls me to be an overcomer who is learning to control my life, not a passive onlooker. God didn’t invest His Son, the power of His Name, the truth of His Word, the revelation of His Spirit. His blood, His gifts, and His power in me so I could aimlessly wander through life, passively accepting everything that comes my way. God has redeemed me with a purpose. My purpose is to reign in Him no matter what season, good or bad, I find myself in.

Don’t let the world’s evils, problems, and circumstances crush God’s purpose in your life and instill their purpose. The righteous live by faith, not fate. Just look up and see the harvest that is waiting for those who labor with God (John 4:35). In God’s heart, each one of us has a place and a purpose to help and reach other people for Christ. We are to partner with Him and not live as if we have nothing required of us.

Passive acceptance is fatalistic. Fatalism offers no hope and reveals an incorrect understanding of God’s nature and man’s potential. A statement such as “God has everything under control” offers no chance for you to work with Him. Another statement like “There is a purpose in everything that happens” offers no hope to one who longs to believe God’s promises, but can’t because everything that happens must be God’s will. Those who make such statements have misinterpreted God and His intentions. They have ascribed everything in the world, good and evil, to Him. 

“Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light’” (Ephesians 5:14).

Fatalism is a kind of death from which we must wake. God has created us in His image to represent Him, emulate Him, and spread His message of love and forgiveness. He has equipped us for His vision and victory. 

Whatever a season brings, He has equipped us to reign in Him. Don’t say, “If only God would move.” Don’t be passive and simply accept your circumstances. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:19). Fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is only in Christ you live, move, and have your being (Acts 17:28). You are called to serve Him. But you will fail if you don’t partner with Him so He can manifest His life and purpose in you.

“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” (Ephesians 3:20).

Do I truly believe He is able to work in me? If I believe, each day I will surrender my feelings, struggles, desires, and partner with Him, so He can manifest Himself in me. Life in Him isn’t a dead end. The blood of Christ has cleansed my conscience of dead works (Hebrews 9:14). I have great hope, faith, and purpose. God has chosen me to partner with Him. If I choose Him, He will do exceedingly more than I can ever think or ask. This is His guarantee. 

Once

 

Once I made Christmas about me. 
Once it was about things that never last.
Once my value was in what others thought of me.
Now I know my value is in Him.

Once I was broken. 
Now I am healed.
Once I was lost.
Now I am found.
 
He is my gift of new life.
He made His life all about me.
May mine be all about Him.
 
 
May you be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19).

 
My friend, He made His life all about you. Have a wonderful Christmas!
 

The Message Of The Angels

 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

—Luke 2:14
 
 
Where is peace in this world?  Each crisis that develops has the potential of becoming worldwide. People are living lives that are in direct opposition to God’s Word.  It seems people are hurting more than ever. Where is the peace on earth the angels proclaimed?  It is critical to understand that the angels were not proclaiming peace among men. 
 
Jesus said as much in Matthew 10:34: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword.”
 
The angels were praising God because Jesus would bring peace on earth between God and man. They were proclaiming the end of God’s war on sin. This would be accomplished by Jesus taking our sin into His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24) and thoroughly paying the sin debt that we owed (Romans 6:23).
 
Sin had separated man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). God loved sinful man despite his sin. But because He was holy, He had to punish sin just as He had promised Adam in Genesis 2:17. Under the Old Covenant, the Lord allowed men to substitute the death of an animal for their own death. But that was only symbolic and a shadow of the perfect sacrifice for our sins that was to come (Hebrews 10:1). In a sense, under the Old Covenant, God forgave sin on credit. 
 
But with the birth of Jesus, the real debt would be paid in full. There would be an end of God’s wrath toward those who would put faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for their sins. This was why the angels were praising the birth of Jesus!  And we should be praising what Jesus has done for us!
 
What does Scripture say?
 
“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
 
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).
 
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
 
“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).
 
The war is over for those who accept God’s gift of salvation. Jesus completely paid for all our sins over two thousand years ago before we were even born or had ever sinned. When we believe in Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins, we are sanctified through the offering of Jesus’s body once and for all (Hebrews 10:10). By His one offering for our sins, we have been perfected forever (Hebrews 10:14). All of our sin debt has been paid (Colossians 2:12-14), and we are forgiven for all our sins—past, present, and future.
 
I pray for you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, that the message of the angels will take on new meaning this Christmas. You have peace with God through faith in His grace (Romans 5:1-2). 
 
And for you who don't know Him? Jesus is God’s greatest gift to you! I pray that you hunger to receive the grace of Jesus in your heart and to know His forgiveness that sets you free.
 


 

Seize and Hold On To Your Victory In Christ

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
—Hebrews 6:18 NLT
 
 
God cannot lie. We can trust every Word God has ever said. Hebrews 1:3 says all things are held together by the power of God’s Words. If God were to break His Word, creation would collapse. Since creation is still intact, we can be assured every promise of God has been kept absolutely perfectly.

The very fact that God cannot lie should have been enough to prove Himself to us. But because of His incredible love and mercy, He also gave us something more: His oath that His Word is true. The fact that God cannot lie and His oath that His Word is true are two absolute, indisputable, unchangeable, irreversible things we can totally put our faith in. 

The Greek word “krateo,” which was translated as “hold to” in this verse, means “to use strength, i.e., seize or retain (literally or figuratively)” (Strong’s Concordance). We must seize and hold on to this hope God has given us with all our strength (Mark 12:30).
 
If God tells us to hold on to the hope He has given us, why do some people advise us to just “let go and let God” when we are faced with a difficult situation? 
 
What does the Word of God say?
 
“Lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12). “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).
 
Does “letting go and letting God” really press on to lay hold of what Christ has done for us?
 
When we attempt to make sense of our problems in our own strength and do what we know to do, we ultimately end up defeated. That isn’t faith. Instead of fighting the good fight of faith, we have let go and surrendered to our circumstances when we should be “laying hold” of God’s promises.
 
Faith isn’t passive acceptance. It doesn’t yield to circumstances. Faith brings God's power to overcome circumstances that do not reflect His will. 
 
Faith isn’t a human determination to bring about change. Faith is the conviction that comes from hearing God and knowing that your circumstances will change if you remain “fully convinced” that whatever God has promised, He can perform (Romans 4:21). How many have lost out on what God promised them because they let go of holding on?
 
Trusting God is peace, yet, peace isn’t passive.Trust is an action verb. It’s exercising your faith. Trust doesn’t yield to your problem. It’s believing God has overcome it. When a person is outwardly unconcerned about his circumstances, you can be sure God’s peace is very active deep within his heart.
 
“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

God’s peace is His righteous power to stand against the enemy and overcome in your life. The believer who has a “fully convinced” attitude of faith will continually “see” the victory, declare the Word, and never let go of the promises of God. 
 
God is faithful to His Word and what He has promised. Stir up your faith. Seize and hold on to the victory He has given you with all your strength.

My Aunt Leona

 

Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
—Colossians 1:9 (NLT)


As a young child, my grandfather’s sister, was important to me. She is one of my earliest memories. Although I learned about God at home and in church, it was my great Aunt Leona through her times of prayer, who instilled in me the desire to know her Savior. It wasn't that my grandfather, Big Tom, or my grandmother, Gigi, didn’t talk to me about God. It wasn’t that my parents never shared Jesus with me. They all did. Big Tom wrote songs and sang about Him. I sang with Him until he died with I was twelve. Gigi had a generous heart. She probably gave me too many things. Daddy quietly lived his faith. Times I broke his heart, I was drawn to repentance with just one look. Mother read Bible stories and often sent me to find my own stick when I needed correction. Each person drew me to Jesus. But Aunt Leona taught me something that has changed my life. She taught me about the power of prayer.

When I was a toddler until I was almost four, Aunt Leona kept me many times for my working mother. Even though I was so young, I distinctly remember two things about her. The first one was in her kitchen. She would place a huge pottery bowl in front of me on the kitchen table, fill it with hot water and dish detergent. She’d put me in a chair and hand me an egg beater. I would turn and turn that handle until fluffy white froth poured over the edge of the bowl and streamed down onto the vinyl covered table. Laughing, she'd pick me up and hug me so tight. My other distinct memory was Aunt Leona putting me on the couch in her living. She’d give me a picture book of the twelve disciples to look at, go into the front bedroom, and commence praying. How Aunt Leona prayed! She cried; she sang; she rejoiced! I had no desire to leave the couch. Her words, often not understood, were full of a joy that reached my heart. When finished, she’s return from her bedroom, face beaming. 

Her radiance is what always comes to my mind. Although her eyes were red and slightly swollen, the joy and smile on her face, were wonderful to this young child. Hair tousled, apron askew, she'd smooth out the wrinkles, settle down with me on the couch, and I would crawl up in her lap for a Bible story. I heard about the disciples in the book she’d given me. I heard about people of faith in the Bible. At such a young age, I didn't really know what that meant or who they were, but her voice was soft, peaceful, and filled with love. She drew me into a safe cocoon of peace and safety. The desire for that peace she had became instilled in me. She always brought it to me after her prayer times. As I grew older, I wanted to know the person she talked to. At the age of seven, I asked Jesus into my life. Through the years, I grew to realize the peace Aunt Leona had brought to me after each prayer time with Jesus could be my own.

Through the years, I know that many have prayed for me. But I also know now that those times my Aunt Leona prayed, she wasn’t only praying for things beyond the grasp of my young mind. She was praying for me—a little girl— to one day be filled with a spirit of wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of Jesus. Each time the Holy Spirit prays in me, changes me, pours through me, I know it’s because my great Aunt Leona faithfully prayed for me.

Your prayers are never forgotten, but held by His love, to one day bring about His purpose in the life of the person you have brought before Him. The memory of my Aunt Leona still inspires me to inspire others. The Holy Spirit draws me to pray and instill the miracle of His unconditional love and grace and purpose into my family, my life group, my friends, and anyone He brings into my life. If I don’t pray for each person the Holy Spirit entrusts to me, they may never realize His power and potential in their life.

Who are you praying for? Don’t ever stop praying for the Holy Spirit’s revelation of God’s purpose and power in their life. God hears every prayer. Your prayer soars through the years, bringing about His purpose in the life of the person God has entrusted to you.

With All That Is Within

“My soul doth magnify the Lord,” Mary declared, “and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).


Do you realize your mind is like a magnifying glass? What you focus on becomes larger in your mind. What you don’t focus becomes less. Our challenge is that while we acknowledge certain truths in God’s Word, we sometimes fail to dedicate sufficient time to meditating on them. Consequently, instead of meditating on God’s Word, we become preoccupied with the circumstances of this life (Mark 4:19), and they seem larger to us than God; they restrict us from believing in the extent of God’s power and potential. To overcome circumstances overwhelming us, we must intentionally cultivate the habit of magnifying and praising God within our souls and minimize the distractions of this natural world.

The spirit is the part of us that was born again when we were saved (John 3:6). The Holy Spirit produces joy within our born-again spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and the new life in our spirit always rejoices in the Lord. There is no such thing in our born-again spirit as hopelessness or discouragement; all things are new, and the old has passed away. However, we don’t receive the benefit of this spiritual truth until our souls are renewed by the Word. Only then what is already true in the spirit can become true in the soul. 

The power and potential to praise the Lord is within us. If Mary could praise God in her spirit, soul, and actions, we, who are born-again can do the same thing. To bless the Lord with all our soul, we must draw upon the truth that we are always rejoicing in our born-again spirit. Then when we magnify the Lord with our spirit and soul and actions, we are blessing the Lord with ALL that is with us.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Only Believe

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.
—Psalms 62:5 AMPC
 
Unlike the Hebrew word used for “wait” in other verses in the Bible, the Hebrew word for “wait” in this verse means “to be astonished and to stop.” 
 
How many of us are truly astonished by God? How many of us stop our anxious thoughts and wait only upon Him? How many submit to Him without trying to fix someone or something? This verse says that our hopes or expectations are from the Lord. When we place hope in ourselves instead of expectantly waiting upon Him, we rely on ourselves.
 
“He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved” (Psalms 62:6, AMPC).
 
Victory comes when the Lord is our only rock and salvation. Jesus told Jairus only to believe when others rushed to quickly tell him of his daughter’s death (Mark 5:36). When we trust in what someone says or something other than what God reveals, we weaken our faith. 
 
We can trust the Lord without question. Do we stand strong in His truth and not allow ourselves to be moved? Do we believe what He says about our situation or health, no matter how we feel or what anyone—learned or unlearned—says?
 
Psalms 61:3 says, “For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me, a strong tower against the adversary” (NLJV).
 
We have a strong defensive position in Jesus. We must never be lured out of it. Never forget how the Lord has been your strength against the enemy. Don’t ever forget His promises. Don’t ever let His words depart from your heart. Guard them. His words are yours when you find them. They are healing to all your flesh (Proverbs 4:20-23).
 
“With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God” (Psalms 62:7, AMPC).
 
Many people say nothing will lure them out of God’s defensive position, but when it comes down to it, few people practice it. Most people trust man’s words and wisdom as their defense instead of relying on the Lord. When we rest in God’s Truth instead of allowing anyone or anything to steal His Word out of our hearts, He is our rock of unyielding and impenetrable strength. Nothing can tear us out of His protection. We rest in His finished work that delivered us. He is our refuge, sanctuary, haven, anchor, shelter, and unending protection in this world where the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
 
The New Testament equivalent to Psalms 62:7 is 1 Peter 5:7. This verse speaks of casting all our care upon the Lord. When we truly rest in the Lord, we don’t worry. We allow Him to capture any fearful thought. Because we trust in Him, we keep our thoughts upon Him, and His perfect peace guards our minds (Isaiah 26:3). We can sleep at night without obsessing about our problems. We can sleep because we know we are safe in His victory (Psalm 4:8). 
 
Nothing has the power to stand against His Word. His Word is Truth for you. You only have to believe.
 
“The Lord, your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you” (Joshua 23:10, NKJV).
 
Just as promised, Jesus has fought for you and won. His victory is your victory. You can rest in His perfect work and life-giving power. 
 
When you rely on the wisdom of men and are told death and destruction should be what you expect, Jesus says, “Only believe.” Rely upon Him. Trust in Him. Put your faith only in Him. Allow nothing to lure you from His victory. Your faith in Him overcomes (I John 5:4).

A Thankful, Praising Heart

 

Three weeks ago, during Thanksgiving, we expressed gratitude for God’s blessings in our lives. As Christmas draws near, we express our gratitude for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to forgive our sins and bestow upon us new life in Him. We should be thankful throughout the year. True gratitude emerges from a profound and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ, while unthankfulness paves the way for a life shrouded in darkness and devoid of purpose.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
 
When we don’t thank God, we don’t think sensibly. We uselessly let offense, resentment, bitterness, criticism, and complaining into our hearts and close the door to Jesus’ light and life. “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:16). 
 
Are you thankful?  Do you acknowledge God as the source of your life? Do you recognize Him as your healer, provider, and Savior?  Do you thank Him for your home, clothing, food, and provisions? Perhaps you don’t believe you have enough, but until you are thankful for what you have, you will keep God’s grace from blessing you with more.  
 
“Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the people praise You.
Then the earth shall yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us” (Psalm 67:5-6).
 
God’s increase comes from praise. Praise isn’t just something you do but  is a powerful tool that can change your life from bitterness to abundance. Start praising the Lord and thanking Him. Don’t let anyone steal your capacity to praise Him. Continually find God’s goodness in the most minor details of life and thank Him. Praise Him for His promises, forgiveness, love, healing, and grace.  
 
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
 
Don’t be double-minded, praising God one moment and complaining the next. Draw near to God, and purify your heart. The more you cleanse your heart of offense, bitterness, and complaining, the more quickly you can enter into the light of Jesus’ abundant life.
 
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6).
 
Your faith is strengthened when your gratitude overflows. Faith is never complete until there is thanksgiving. When you receive what you pray for, what is your response? It’s some form of gratitude. It’s impossible to see the answer to your prayer without praise rising up in you. That’s because thanksgiving is a vital part of faith, and faith isn’t complete without it. You exercise your faith when you praise God for your promise before receiving it. As you thank the Lord in advance for your promise, your faith increases to greater heights. 
 
Praising the Lord for your blessings—those you have now and those to come—increases your faith and releases more of God’s blessings. When you acknowledge the Lord as your source, your faith is strengthened, and you keep praising Him. You are an open door to His light and life.
 
Don’t allow your heart to be darkened with pride and contention. Don’t take offense and let bitterness and unforgiveness rob you of the abundant life that is yours in Christ. Choose forgiveness. Choose humility. 

This Christmas and throughout the coming year, allow the peace and light of Christ to rule in your heart, and be thankful. Let His message dwell in you and transform your life. Continually praise Him with a grateful heart (Colossians 3:15-16).

A thankful, praising heart increases your faith and God’s blessings.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).


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Your Father Is That Good

 

Our understanding of God’s goodness and what it means to have Christ in us will determine our lives. If either understanding is wrong, walking in faith will be impossible. And without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 
 
Faith is a sign we truly know God. The more we understand His goodness, the more we walk in faith. The more we know Him, the more we trust Him. We don’t have to work up faith when we trust Him. We know He is good. His love is the basis of our lives.
 
The faith you exercise and the purpose you pursue will never surpass your understanding of God’s love and His presence in your life. You will never know what is possible if God remains puzzling and beyond your understanding.
 
Your life is limited to your perception of God. You will pursue what you believe God wants for you. If you aren't certain He wants to heal, deliver, and bless your life, you won’t have faith to receive the good things He has for you. Many Christians struggle with receiving from Him because they aren’t sure He is that good. 

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?

Anything we need in life is infinitely less than the need we have for the forgiveness of our sins. God accomplished this by sacrificing His own Son to pay for our debt. If God loved us enough to make such a great sacrifice, there should be no doubt that our loving Father is more than willing to meet all our other needs.

In Romans 8:32, the phrase “freely give” comes from the Greek word, “charizomai,” which Strong’s Concordance defines as “to grant as a favor, ie. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.” “Gratuitously” means without good reason. There was no reason for God to love us so much as to pardon and deliver us, but He did. He “freely gives all things” by His grace—not because we have earned them but because He loves us that much. There is no greater love that can surpass Jesus dying for us.

Jesus asks us the same question He asked blind Bartimaeus: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). Can you respond with certain assurance, knowing He is that good and He has chosen to live in you?
 
When your faith is alive, it expresses unquestioning confidence in Jesus, who loves you, died for you, and now lives in you. Faith will remain a hard struggle until you know God is for you (Romans 8:31).
 
“Do not fear, little flock,” Jesus said, “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
 
Let the Holy Spirit persuade you that your Father is that good.
 

Knowing Jesus

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day
—2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV
 
 
“I know whom I have believed,” Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12. Believing and knowing are separate things. You can’t know Jesus without first having believed in Him. When you first believe in Jesus, the doctrine of the faith guides you. As you renew your mind with the Word, the new life you have received in Christ comes to life in you and tutors you. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul introduces the concept of knowing Him.
  
Knowing is a deeper level of understanding than just believing. You can believe something about someone, but your belief is only confirmed once you grow to know them. You can have a mental belief about God but very little spiritual knowledge of Him. To know Him, the revelation of His Word must renew your mind. Mental belief cannot give you spiritual fellowship with God. 
 
In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul uses the phrase “am persuaded.” Paul writes of Abraham in Romans 4:20-21, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (KJV).
 
Being “fully persuaded” as Abraham was “fully persuaded” is the result of first “believing” God and then “knowing” Him.
 
We may be at different places in our walk with God, but we have the same desire to be “fully persuaded”—to be at a place of unwavering faith where circumstances in life don’t destroy us, and where the words we speak are full of His life. 
 
“And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
 
Spiritual faith comes from believing in God, knowing Him, and being unequivocally convinced of His good purpose to save, heal, deliver, and bless us.
  
Knowing God’s true nature and heart of love for you is more than simply believing doctrinal truths. It is a life-changing relationship and unshakeable intimacy with your Father that gives you enduring faith like a “rock.”
 
“The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25, NKJV).
 
Does your faith remain strong when the rains and wind come against you?  Have you grown from just believing in Him to knowing who you are in Him? Are you fully persuaded that He is able to deliver you and safely guard what you have committed to Him?
 
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NKJV).

Is the Word just a belief that guides your life, or are you persuaded to “know” Him? Is Jesus alive in you—in your mouth and in your heart (Romans 10:8)? Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus when you “know”who you are in Him. 

“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” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Your Evidence Is Faith

How often do we doubt God’s willingness to meet our needs or provide us with the promises in His Word? Perhaps we don’t believe because we are fearful He will refuse. Fear limits our ability in believing Him. It limits His power working in our lives. 
 
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).
 
In prayer, we can bring our deepest desires, hopes, and dreams before God, trusting that He will hear and answer us according to His will. Many people have prayed for things God’s Word has promised them, but they have never seen them come to pass. In an attempt to reconcile God’s promises with their experiences, many have said that God sometimes says no or that His promise doesn’t apply to them. But that’s not what Matthew 7:7-8 says. It states that everyone who asks receives. How can this be?

The answer lies in the fact that God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and He moves in the spiritual, or unseen realm. When He answers our prayers, the answers come in spiritual form. Whether or not they ever move from the spiritual realm into the physical realm depends not on God’s willingness to answer us but rather on whether or not we receive. 
 
The enemy will do everything He can to cause doubt, fear, and unbelief. He wants you to become complacent about your request and give up. He will lie and say God’s promises aren't true for you. He will play havoc with your emotions. But faith defeats fear. It defeats the enemy’s lies. Faith is the proof of spiritual things, not physical things. With faith, you have visible proof of unseen things (Hebrews 11:1). Faith doesn't make God move. It only appropriates what God has already provided by His grace. Often, you must forcefully come against the enemy and by faith take hold of the truths of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). 
 
“Do not fear, little flock,” Jesus said, “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). It’s God’s intention for you to receive the truths of His Kingdom. 

Jesus also said:  “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). This verse must be considered with the previous verse in chapter 12, which states that having faith without doubting is essential to receiving what you ask for in prayer. 

There are other things God also requires to answer our prayers. What we ask must be consistent with His will (James 4:2-3, 1 John 5:14-15), and we must forgive (Mark 11:25-26). God won’t answer any prayer that doesn't meet His requirements.
 
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).
 
Mark 11:24 reveals one of the main differences between a God-kind of faith and a human faith. A natural, human faith, which everyone has, believes only what it senses or feels. God’s kind of faith believes in things that aren’t seen (Romans 4:17, Hebrews 11:1). When Jesus spoke these words in Mark 11:24, He was making this God-kind of faith a prerequisite to receiving answers to prayer. You must believe that you receive your answer “when you pray,” not when you see what you prayed for. This verse indicates the thing you pray for “will” come to pass. Your answer could be in an instant or over a longer period of time; the word “will” can indicate a future time.

The Lord answers our prayers that meet His requirements: we ask His will, exercise faith without doubting, and not harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. When these are met, He moves to answer our prayers, but He moves in the spiritual realm. His work on our behalf isn’t always immediately evident to our physical senses. By faith, we must believe that He is answering our prayers before we see any physical evidence. Believing when we see an answer isn’t faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), but doubting. And doubt will keep us from receiving the things we have asked of the Lord (James 1:5-7). 

Faith is our evidence (Hebrews 11:1)—not what we see and sense. Faith is where we perceive with our spiritual man instead of with the flesh. Is our confidence in what is seen or is it in the Lord? 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
 

The Gift Of A Personal God

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
—Isaiah 53:5-6

 
Christmas is a time of joyous celebration. But how often, when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, do we dwell on the reason He was born?  If we did, the gift of His life would transform and mold us. God became personal when Jesus came into the world. Our Creator became the created. He became human for us. Born as an innocent child, He had no sin. He came into the world to take our sins upon Himself so we might forever have a deep and abiding relationship with Him.
 
The gift of His life at Calvary offers us a personal God, but our “yes” to His grace at work within us gives us a deep personal relationship with Him. 
 
God placed upon Jesus Christ all of our sins, and Jesus took them to the cross for you and me. You can't get much more personal than that. He unconditionally surrendered himself. He gave His life so we might be forgiven, healed, and whole. We can't ignore such an offering of unconditional love. It calls for our response. We either accept God’s love or reject it. If we receive the love of Jesus and allow His grace to challenge and change us, we discover His love’s incredible depth, height, breadth, and length. If we reject Him, we refuse the greatest gift ever offered.
 
Do we allow Jesus just a little of ourselves and reserve our total surrender?  We want to approach Him. We want to come boldly before Him in our time of need, but we have things we don’t want to surrender. Perhaps we want to hold on to something we know is wrong. We must permanently lay down those things God knows will affect our relationship with Him. Sometimes, we hold on to a relationship, a gift, or a calling. God asks us to lay down the importance of these gifts to realize that only our relationship with Him matters. Whatever we have in our lives, He asks us to lay everything down for His sake—just as He laid everything down for ours. Our relationships, gifts, and callings are not ours. When we surrender our lives to Him, we are empowered by His work in us and not by pride.
 
Jesus was pierced and crushed for our sins. He took our punishment so we could have the peace of an open and beautiful relationship with our Father. We are healed in spirit, soul, and body. If we say “yes” to Jesus’ love and surrender all the bad and the good to Him, we discover this personal God who loves and heals us unconditionally, empowers us with His Spirit, and uses us for His purpose. We find a personal God beyond human imagination—one who reveals Himself to us. 
 
Are you lonely and afraid, hungering for God’s presence? Does dwelling on that sin or struggle bring deliverance? Does dwelling on your loss give you peace? What has your striving gotten you except anguish, stress, and more loss? Why are you afraid to surrender to the Lord who knows you thoroughly—who wants to restore and heal you? If you could give yourself peace, you would. But you can’t. Only Jesus gives you peace because He is the only One who brought peace. God knows you personally. He wants you to know Him deeply and personally. He wants you to know and experience the peace and joy of His abiding presence. 
 
God has placed your sins, sickness, and needs upon His Son, Jesus, who has provided complete restoration and healing for you. You have no debt in Jesus, my friend. Surrender. Open the gift of His life and discover who He declares you to be in His Word. Surrender, and receive His truth. Don’t leave His gift and all its blessings to be unopened. Open His unconditional love for you now. You have a personal God who wants you to know Him as He knows you. 
 
 

Choose God’s Way

What would your life now be like had you made different choices in the past? What if you had not gone to the store that day, answered that call, or reached out to that heartbroken person? Seemingly insignificant events can change the course of your life. 
 
Paul writes of one particular time when a choice saved his life.
 
“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me'” (Acts 22:17-18).
 
Paul could have chosen to be anywhere else that day, but he chose to go to the temple to pray. That choice allowed God to warn him to get out of Jerusalem. What if Paul had not chosen to pray that day? That choice may have altered Paul’s future forever.
 
Our lives are made up of choices. Every choice we make can alter the direction of our lives. Being led by the Holy Spirit means listening to the Spirit as we make choices. Being sensitive to the voice of God is the way to live a victorious life. Many of our struggles result from choosing to do our own thing and not allowing God to lead us.
 
Jonah is a prime example of not listening to God. When God commanded Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and deliver a message of repentance, Jonah attempted to flee from God’s presence. He boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction, but God sent a great storm that threw Jonah into the sea. He was swallowed by a giant fish before eventually fulfilling God’s calling. Jonah could have avoided a lot of hardship by saying yes and allowing God to lead Him.
 
There was Abraham, the Father of our Faith, who heard God telling him to leave his country and family and travel to a new land that God would show him. Abraham demonstrated tremendous faith in God by obeying this command and leaving everything familiar and comfortable.
 
Isaiah wrote of the presence of the Holy Spirit coming to live one day within believers. He said prophetically of those who would believe in Christ: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’ Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).
 
The Holy Spirit is always speaking to us, but we are the ones who most often aren’t listening. To live the victorious life God has for us, our spiritual ears need to be attuned to His voice, and we must allow Him to lead us. We can prove stubborn like Jonah or be obedient like Abraham. But we have something more than either one of these two. Like Paul, we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, attempting to guide us in God’s way.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
 
My choices shape my future. God has a future and a hope for me. Why wouldn’t I want His best for my life? Why would I want to go my own way and not hear the Holy Spirit guiding me, saying, “This is the way. Walk in it?”

God has chosen you, my friend in Christ.  Listen to the Holy Spirit, and choose His way.

Your True Worth Is In Christ

This world is performance-driven. The hunger for acceptance and recognition drives many people. They compete to get ahead and try to earn approval. The need to prove yourself stems from pride. God's Kingdom is the very opposite. 
 
“God opposes the proud,” James wrote, “but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
 
God’s grace is unearned and not based on how well you perform. The least is the greatest in His Kingdom. You don’t have to prove yourself to win God’s love. He has always loved you and drawn you to Himself. You received His love and acceptance as your own the moment you believed by faith in Jesus Christ.
 
Do you believe living a holy life gives you a better standing with God? It doesn’t. You don't need to prove you’re holy. He accepts you based on Christ’s merit and not yours. Righteousness is a gift from Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). You can earn nothing. The only sin that Jesus rebuked on earth was that of self-righteousness. He never rebuked sinners—only the Scribes and Pharisees. The problem wasn’t that they were doing bad things. They were doing good things but for the wrong reason. They were performance-driven and trusting in their own goodness.
 
Living a holy life is not the same as living a grace-filled life. Look at the Pharisees. You can live a holy life for the wrong reason—to be recognized by man and to try to prove to God that you are good. Holiness doesn’t provide grace. Only Jesus gives grace. It’s His goodness that proves you are good. You don’t do good things to win God’s approval. You do good things because you know Christ has made you holy.
 
No one is good. All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t expect God to answer our prayers based on our goodness and how well we have served Him. If we ask God for something because of what we have done, we ask Him to reward our religious performance. And that insults His grace. Doing things to earn God’s grace is self-promotion and trying to relate to God based on our own efforts rather than on Jesus’s sacrifice. If we do this, we operate in pride. And pride will never raise up anyone. 
 
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The only way up in God’s kingdom is down. God exalts. We don’t.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. True humility is more like self-forgetfulness than false modesty,” C. S. Lewis wrote.
 
If there is a true humility, there is also a false humility. True humility isn't putting yourself down. True humility responds positively to the grace of Jesus. It “forgets self.” Recognizing God is above everything, true humility honors and exalts Him. 
 

Humbling yourself is not a one-time thing. You must deal with “self” for the rest of your life. Everything good you have in your life comes from God. If “self” is on your throne, your “goodness” is promoted, not His. And pride keeps you working to prove what only Jesus can.
 
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Keep recognizing and exalting the Lord above everything else in your life. When you no longer need to seek recognition or promote yourself, you’ll realize God has already exalted you with the greatest gift of all. He has given you the life of His Son.
 
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
 
When you truly experience God’s unconditional love and grace, it humbles your heart. You surrender to Him, not because it’s required but because you trust in His inherent goodness. Jesus has made you worthy of God’s love; you quit struggling to prove your worth. You know you are unable to direct your own life. You rest in His grace because you have nothing to prove. There is no acceptance or recognition you require to give your life meaning. You believe your true worth is found in Christ and that what He has for your life is better than anything you could ever imagine.

Who or What Empowers Your Life?

Life is always full of issues. The moment one problem comes, the next one quickly arrives. The moment one appears solved, it suddenly isn't. We all have rough days. Often, we think that our problems are unlike anyone else’s. We think if people only knew what we were going through, they would feel sorry for us. 

Let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s response to his rough days.
 
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
 
Just what kind of rough days did Paul have?
 
“…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
 
Which one of us has ever endured this kind of suffering? Paul held the title for rough days. No matter the persecution against him, he didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for him. Paul’s concern wasn’t for himself. His concern was for all the churches the Holy Spirit had brought to life through his ministry. 
 
Paul never let his deep concern for the churches be more important than God, the Source of his life. Paul could say he wasn’t crushed, perplexed, or in despair because he was focused on God. He wasn’t focused on the persecution that came against him. His purpose and power came from His Father, and no problem could ever discourage or deter him. Paul knew His Father would never forsake him, but would supply all his needs.

When you focus on your problem, you may think God has forsaken you. Perhaps you don’t want to admit this to yourself, but when your problem has more power in your life than God, it’s a sign you believe God won’t help you. Until you believe in your heart that God loves you so much He will never forsake you, you’ll have a trust issue.
 
You will miss the Holy Spirit's attempt to lead you through a problem when you focus on it. Your problem isn’t the source of your life! God is your everlasting, unlimited, and never-forsaking Source! When you know that God is the Source of everything you need in this life, no matter what your circumstance, you “rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). You don’t view problems as divine gifts. Instead, you focus on God’s gift to you—Jesus. You know He has overcome. So seek the Father, the true Source of your life! Never seek pity from others! They don’t need to see your problem. You need, and they need to see your God.  

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
 
Do you wish your rough days to empower your life, or do you want Jesus to empower you? Jesus has sat down at His Father’s right hand because His work on your behalf is done. You run a race right now that Jesus has already finished. Run your race in the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the flesh’s insatiable need for pity. Run your race in the Spirit, and you’ll persevere and endure. Run your race always looking unto Jesus, and you won’t be crushed, perplexed, or in despair! The life of Jesus will be manifested in you!
 

Be Ruled by the Holy Spirit

Life can be an ongoing load of stress, needs, worry, and negative feelings. Financial issues, health problems, and personal struggles can keep us from enjoying life. 
 
Anything that rules your life will have power, authority, and control over you. This is a powerful truth that needs to be understood and never forgotten. We live in a world ruled by our senses. What we see, hear, and feel continually demands time and consideration, and most people never escape the demands of their senses. 
 
"And the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).
 
As Jesus said in Mark 4:19, the world’s cares choke the Word in your life. They can keep the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control from coming to life in you.
 
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).
 
Paul declares that a life ruled by its senses is “death.”  This means that a sense-ruled person will have no life, joy, or peace. To a person ruled by his senses, the abundant life that Jesus came to give them seems unattainable. They find God's promises hard to believe. His promises seem distant to a person controlled by his senses.
 
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
 
A natural man is a man driven by his senses. He may even be born again, but he remains bound by what he sees, hears, and feels. Spiritual things may seem foolish to such a person. He approaches prayer and faith from what he senses. He walks by sight.
.
“But to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). The person ruled by the Spirit is not trapped by what he sees, hears, and feels. Spiritual truth overcomes what the senses and flesh tell him. He prays in faith and walks by faith.
 
We have the promise of life and peace. Living a victorious life in this sense-dominated world is absolutely possible.
 
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). 
 
We have received the Holy Spirit, so we might know what has been freely given to us in Jesus. We must come to a place where we know the spiritual overcomes the natural—where we trust living by the Spirit, see spiritual things, speak spiritual truth, and walk by faith.
 
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). We received the Holy Spirit when we were born-again, but walking in the Spirit is conditional on us. It depends on how we renew our minds and yield to the Holy Spirit instead of allowing our senses to rule us.
 
Your flesh will always lie. Don’t let your senses trap you. Don’t let your feelings rule your life. Choose to open your spiritual eyes and see beyond this sense-ruled natural world. Choose to speak words of life and faith. Choose to meditate on the promises and not the problems. 
 
Your senses don’t have to rule your life. You can be ruled by the Spirit instead of your senses. You can walk by faith in victory.
 

Pursue Peace With Everyone

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
—Romans 4:19

This world is filled with distrust, conflict and strife. As Christians, we must make it our purpose to pursue the things that make for peace. This was the instruction that Paul gave to the Romans in Romans 14:19.

This verse begins with “therefore let us.” It’s a command given to every Christian. Paul also wrote in Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” As members of the body of Christ we are called to peace. We should pursue peace in all our relationships. 

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 4:19).

The Greek word in this verse from which “pursue” was derived is “dioko.” It presents two ideas.

The Greek word, “dioko,” was a hunting term, referring to a determined hunter who unceasingly pursues his prey. Since “dioko” is a participle, this word defines an ongoing action. This diligent hunter never gives up until he successfully apprehends the prey he pursues.

The word “dioko” is also often translated “to persecute.” This tells us that this pursuit isn’t accidental. It’s a deliberate, well-thought out plan. Just as a hunter doggedly follows the tracks of his prey, a person who persecutes another does the same. His actions are meant to intentionally hurt another person.

In choosing the word “dioko,” Paul is telling us to deliberately develop and execute a plan that will bring peace with those we are in conflict with. A haphazard attempt will end up failing. Just as a hunter is resolute in capturing his prey, and a person is determined to persecute someone else, you must doggedly follow a plan inspired by the Holy Spirit until you gain peace in that relationship.

Paul also tells us that we are to follow after the things that make for peace. Examples of these things are asking for forgiveness, admitting mistakes, or acknowledging a wrong that inadvertently took place. Pride only breeds strife (Proverbs 13:10).  We should speak evil of no one, be peaceable, gentle, and show humility to all men (Titus 3:2). 

The Greek word for “peace” in this verse is “eirene.” It’s been translated as tranquility or harmony. To achieve peace in a relationship, conflicts and disagreements must be set aside, and distrust must be overcome. We must diligently pursue peace until our relationships are tranquil and harmonious.

Paul also tells that we are to follow after “the things by which one may edify another.” He commands us to make it our purpose to “edify” one another.

The word “edify” was the Greek word “oikodome,” which described the planning and building process of a house. Paul used this word to describe how we must build our relationships. Random attempts won’t overcome issues. Building strong and peaceful relationships that stand the test of time takes serious prayer and humbly considering the views of every one concerned. Once a Holy Spirit inspired plan is developed, it must be deliberately and intentionally followed.

If we lay down our disagreements and distrust of each other, pursuing peace with each other and doing the things that make for peace, we will build what the Holy Spirit wishes to accomplish in our relationships with each other. He possesses the knowledge and wisdom to bring about peace. He knows precisely what we need to do to “edify” or build relationships effectively with others. We must seek the Holy Spirit for His plan and not turn away from it.

If you have been through a painful experience with another believer, Romans 14:19 commands you to lay down your distrust and disagreement and pursue the things that make for restoration and peace. Instead of tearing down each other, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal His plan to build a strong and peaceful relationship that will last.

If you’re willing to let go of unforgiveness, hurt, distrust, and bad attitudes, and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will provide you with a plan. If you humbly and faithfully pursue His guidance, His plan will achieve peace.

Are you tired of the war? Be intentional in seeking peace. In all humility lay down your weapons and pursue the things that make for peace. This is God’s will for you. If you pursue His will,  He will honor your pursuit.

God’s Word Is Final

 

Have you ever heard someone say, “God said it and that settles it?”  
 
What has the Word said to you? Whatever the Holy Spirit has shown you in the Word is settled in your life. It’s God’s will for you. 
 
Settled means “established, stable, solid, firm, matured, and complete.” God’s promises are established. They are solid. They are complete and settled in His Word just as they are settled in heaven.

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides” (Psalm 119:89-90).
 
God’s Word abides. It is unchanging. God’s Word reveals His promises, and He is faithful to accomplish His promises in your life. How you believe the promises of God in your heart determines whether His truth is established, solid, and complete in your life or not.
 
God has given you His Word to know His will. His Word is His will. It is His final authority in your life. To experience the power of the faith that is yours in Christ, you need to know what His Word reveals. When you believe God’s truth is “settled, established, stable, solid, firm, matured and complete in your life,” you know it is your final authority. It is your final truth. It is the end result. You receive it as your truth by faith.

Stop the doubt in your heart. It will keep you from receiving God’s truth. It’s your intentional choice to constantly renew your mind with His Word and stand on it. It’s your choice to believe without wavering (Romans 12:2, James 1:6-7) and put on the new life that Christ has given you (Ephesians 4:24).
 
When you are renewed in your mind with the Word and guard it as the final authority in your heart (Ephesians 4:23, Romans 12:2), you mature in the finished work of Christ. When you believe God’s Word in your heart, you receive its settled and final authority. You believe by faith the incorruptible seed of God’s final Word.
 
The enemy will come and try to steal God’s truth which has been sown in your heart. Perhaps, you once received God’s promise with joy and believed it for a while. But when tribulation came—either from circumstances or the opinions of others, you let go and doubted God’s final authority on your promise. The cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word and keep it from bringing forth the abundant life the Word promises. However, when you receive the seed of God’s Word in your heart and continually nurture it, you truly “hear” what the Word says and understand it. Then it “indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23).
 
Is the Word the settled and final authority in your life? Do you believe God’s truth?  What has God’s truth birthed in your life? Not what you try to birth. Not what the world or the opinions of others try to birth. It’s His Word that births the fruit of His truth in your life. What has His truth birthed in you?
 
You have been born again, my friend in Christ, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). His Word is the final authority in your life. It is His truth. It is mature and complete. The living and active Word of God transforms your life when you believe the Holy Spirit’s revelation of its truth above what you sense and experience.
 
God’s Word is settled. His promises are His final say. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach)” (Romans 10:8). Seek to hear and believe God’s Word of faith in your heart. His faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 119:90). He accomplishes His Word (Psalm 119:90). Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for He who promised, is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
 
God’s final Word is Grace.

The Word in My Heart

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
—Proverbs 4:20-22
 
 
This Scripture doesn’t say God’s words are “like” health to us. It says that His words “are” health to us. You may have a million dollars in a bank, but that money doesn’t benefit you if you never withdraw it. You may be told that life and healing are in the Word, but you won’t receive their benefit if you don’t find them.

When we give attention to His words, incline our hearing toward them, and keep His words in our hearts, we spiritually consume healing and health. When we fill our hearts and minds with the world’s evil, anxiety, fear, and despair, we spiritually consume depravity and loss. Many believe in healing, desire healing, and ask God for healing, but their hearts may not be open to receiving the healing God has spoken of. 
 
Look at the story of Paul preaching the Gospel at Lystra. 
 
“And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:8-10).
 
Paul was preaching the Gospel and most likely wasn’t even preaching on healing specifically. Yet, this man “heard” healing. It only took the Gospel. It only took God’s words. The Gospel IS the power of God (Romans 1:16). What the crippled man heard reached his heart because faith was born, and it was evident to Paul. The lame man’s miracle came with the “hearing of faith” in his heart (Galatians 3:5). 
 
Have you heard God’s words? Not just with your ears, but spiritually with your heart? His words are life and healing to all who find them. They must first be found spiritually before they can manifest in you.
 
Meditate on Psalm 107:20: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Don’t just accept the obvious in this verse and not be open to what the Spirit wishes to reveal to your heart. Come hungry to the Word. Contemplate and consider each word in Psalm 107:20. Don’t give up and say His Word isn’t working. The Word is alive and active and always working. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His thoughts. He wants you to find them. Allow His thoughts to paint a picture in your mind. Dwell on it. Envision it. Anticipate it. Believe it in your heart.

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach” (Romans 10:8).

God wants me to receive the truths of my salvation. Jesus is the Word God sent to heal me. Jesus has delivered me from sickness and every fruit of sin. His Word of healing is near me, in my heart and in my mouth. I am healed within spiritually to receive healing without. I shall seek and receive His Word in my heart and speak its truth out of the redemptive fullness of His abundant life within me.

“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” (Luke 6:45).

What do I bring forth out of my heart? Do I bring forth the death of the flesh or the life of the Spirit?  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in His sight. May they bring forth His life.

Take the Time

You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
—James 4:14

Two weeks ago, I flew to Massachusetts to visit my sister and brother. It was a long overdue visit, and I couldn’t wait to reconnect with them. The trip was filled with long-forgotten memories and brought immense joy as I remembered the times we had shared through the years.

While my sister and I drove from western Massachusetts up into Vermont and New Hampshire, staying in historic inns filled with warm fires, my daughter from Florida spent time with my husband in Alabama. As my sister and I explored charming shops and savored cozy meals together, my daughter and husband spent much-needed time together. The time we all spent with each other was a precious gift, valuable beyond any price.

Spending time with loved ones is an essential aspect of life. It strengthens relationships, creates cherished memories, and fosters a sense of belonging. In our fast-paced lives, it’s imperative to prioritize these precious moments.

“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). 

There is something special about breaking bread together. Whether it’s a family meal or a getaway trip with loved ones, spending sincere moments together creates a unique heart connection. Taking time to be with our loved ones reduces stress. Good times spent with those who are integral to our lives “fill us with laughter and songs of joy” (Psalm 126:2). Sincerely connecting with family also gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life.

It’s easy to get caught up in our responsibilities and forget the importance of spending time with our loved ones. Making time for each other should always be a priority, as the memories we create and the relationships that grow through the years are well worth the effort.

Life is a fleeting moment, and we never know what the future holds. Our lives are like vapors that exist for a brief time before vanishing away (James 4:14). There’s a distinct possibility that I may never see my sister or brother in Massachusetts again on this earth. Every moment I spend with my husband, son, daughter, grandchildren, and other loved ones, I realize that this might be my last chance to share this life with them. I want them to cherish the memories of my love for them.

Two of the greatest gifts you can share with someone are your time and your faith. When you share your time, you’re giving a part of your life that you’ll never get back. Sharing your faith offers the hope of seeing them again in eternity. 

Memories are never truly lost. If you have negative memories, make an effort to create new, positive ones. Don’t leave those you love struggling to remember the depth of your love for them. Don’t hold onto hurt or bitterness that prevents you from forgiving. You are called to a higher level of love. Freely forgive as Christ has forgiven you. Take the time in this life to cherish those who are God’s gifts to you. 

Good morning!  This is the day the Lord has made!  Rejoice and be glad in it! Thank you for allowing me to send you devotionals for many years. I will be away a couple of weeks and won't be writing devotionals.

A Profound Faith

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
—Matthew 8:10

Yesterday, our pastor shared the great faith of the centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant, What was so profound about this centurion that made Jesus marvel? The centurion’s servant was sick from palsy, but he had faith that Jesus would heal him. Jesus recognized the centurion had a compassionate heart and had pursued Him out of love for his servant. He saw a man who recognized his authority to heal and humbly sought him to heal his servant. Jesus was so pleased with the centurion’s faith he declared he had never found so great a faith, not even in Israel.

Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, initiated it in us. To nurture our faith, it is beneficial to delve into such a great faith as that of the centurion. 

“And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’  The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed’” (Matthew 8:7-8).

This centurion recognized Jesus’ authority and believed that his spoken word was enough to heal his servant. He didn’t need Jesus to visit his house. The centurion had faith in Jesus’ word. This demonstrates that those who simply believe the written Word of God have a greater faith than those who require additional proof. 

For a man with immense power and authority, the centurion’s humble demeanor was truly remarkable. Humility is one of the key components of great faith. People of profound faith in God don’t rely on themselves. They realize their lack but know God shall unequivocally supply their need. Those who excessively depend on themselves struggle to rely on God, and pride hinders their ability to receive from Him.

The centurion said to Jesus: “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it’” (Matthew 8:9).

This verse demonstrates the centurion’s understanding of authority. He was under the authority of his superiors and held authority over the hundred men under him. He recognized Jesus’ authority from God to heal. Acknowledging Jesus’ authority was crucial for the centurion’s servant to be healed.

Just as the centurion trusted Jesus’ spoken Word, I must also trust the Word of God. The centurion didn’t doubt that Jesus could just speak a word and heal His servant. Do I believe and trust God’s word to do the same in my life? His Word says that I am healed. Do I believe the truth of His Word? Or do I require additional proof? If I require additional evidence of God’s truth working in my life, then His Word alone won’t suffice for me. I’ve elevated my unbelief above its truth, and I’ve become more reliant on myself than on God.

If I want a greater faith, I must acknowledge the authority of God's Word and allow it to speak “life” to me. If I want a faith that overcomes destructive emotions or sickness or loss in life, I find it in the Word. If I want a profound faith that receives God’s promises, I take possession of the Word of God. If I desire a faith that experiences the revelation of God’s wisdom and knowledge, I pray in the Holy Spirit to build up my most holy faith (Jude 20). Through faith and patience I never lack but inherit the promises of God (James 1:4, Hebrews 6:12). Having done all, I stand with bold tenacity and unrelenting faith, knowing I shall see God’s spoken Word fulfilled in my life.

Does Jesus marvel at my faith like he marveled at the faith of the centurion? Are the qualities in the centurion’s life also exemplified in mine? Is Jesus pleased with my spiritual growth and His Word manifesting in me? Jesus shall marvel at my faith when I marvel at the Word He speaks into my life. 

Self-Centeredness

 

Self-centeredness is a snare. The world encourages self-reliance, promotes success, and despises humility. If you are all wrapped up in yourself, being truly happy and finding fulfillment in life is impossible. Selfishness is addictive. Someone focused on satisfying their needs and longings is never content. There is always something more to lure them. They strive to attain their desire, but once they reach it, the excitement fades, and they need something else.
 
With self-centeredness, achievements never satisfy you. You have a void that can never be filled. This is because you can never satisfy yourself. The only way to experience fulfillment in life is to deny self. You must learn to live for something infinitely more significant than yourself.
 
Jesus said: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
 
God did not create us to live self-focused lives. He created us to lose ourselves to Him.
 
Self-centeredness turns our wants into needs and our needs into problems. It kills relationships and dissolves good intentions. Most believers don’t know how to deal with self-centeredness. They keep praying about it and beating themselves up with guilt and shame, but nothing seems to help. 
 
There is only one way to get rid of self-centeredness. You become free of it by becoming a living sacrifice.
 
Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
 
Sacrificing yourself is your reasonable service. When you choose to be a “living sacrifice,” you don’t focus on the act of your sacrifice. If you do, your sacrifice has the potential to become about you. You must take your focus off yourself and place it on Jesus. Self-sacrifice is difficult. That is why it takes humility. You can force yourself to sacrifice something, but that is not the same as letting it go in your heart. 
 
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV).
 
Our lives aren’t about us. To live the life of Jesus we must learn to “live by the faith of the Son of God.” If Jesus says we can comfort those who hurt, heal the sick, forgive those who offend us, and love those who despise us, we can humble ourselves and believe it. If we humble ourselves in God’s sight, He will lift us up to be a living sacrifice (James 4:10).
 
In Matthew 16:16, Jesus blesses Peter for recognizing Him as the Son of the living God. A few verses later, Jesus tells the disciples He will be rejected, mistreated, die, and rise again. Peter, who had joyfully received Jesus’ blessing, now doesn’t receive these words. 
 
“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You,” he declares (Matthew 16:22). Peter wouldn’t let Jesus be rejected, mistreated, and die! He would save him!
 
Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).
 
Peter pridefully declared he could save Jesus when Jesus had really come to save him. Peter was selfishly promoting himself over God’s plan. It was true that Peter was ignorant of God’s will in sending Jesus, and he must have been crushed by Jesus’ rebuke when he had just received His praise, but Jesus had to deal with Peter’s pride before it became sown in his heart. 
 
Often, we don’t see God’s greater purpose in a difficult issue. Self will rise up, declaring we need to do something, when in truth, if we would humble ourselves and listen to the Holy Spirit, we could avoid the predicaments pride brings. We need to crucify pride before it takes root in our hearts. Humbling ourselves to live by the faith of Jesus is the only way to be a living sacrifice who overcomes pride.
 
Jesus denied Himself for our sake. He surrendered His will to the Father’s will. He was tempted as we are, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He didn’t want to be rejected. He didn’t want to suffer pain (Matthew 26:39). But He knew He had been born to die for us (Revelations 13:8). Jesus couldn’t allow His mind to focus on any other purpose than the one before Him. That would have been pride. Jesus humbled Himself for our sake to fulfill God’s plan for His life (Philippians 2:8).
 
If we want to fulfill God's plan for our lives, we must humble ourselves as Christ humbled Himself for us.
 
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23).
 
Pride will humiliate us. It will obstruct what God can do in and through us. We should represent the Father humbly as Jesus did. Jesus was meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). He didn’t come to serve Himself but to serve us (John 13:13-17). Just like Peter, we need to humble ourselves to receive the Lord’s blessing, but we also need to be humble enough not too think highly of ourselves.
 
Life is not about us. We are blessed to bless others. We are not made to be selfish, receiving God’s blessings just for ourselves. That abuses the grace humbly given to us. We need to humble ourselves as Jesus humbled Himself for us. True humility is losing ourselves to Jesus. He is our living sacrifice. We live by the faith of the Son of the living God, who loved us and gave His life for us.