Accepting Responsibility

Some Christians blame God when they can’t understand something bad that happens. Blaming Him seems to make them feel justified in their actions. 
 
Look at Adam. When God asked him if had eaten of the tree that was forbidden to him, Adam answered,  "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12).
 
Not only did Adam blame Eve for his sin, but he ultimately blamed God. Adam said that if God hadn’t given Eve to him, he would never have eaten the fruit of the tree. Instead of being accountable, he held Eve and God accountable. Justifying ourselves by blaming others might be a common human trait, but it is not the trait of the spiritually reborn person in Christ. 
 
Look at Jesus and the disciples in a boat in the middle of a storm.
 
“But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing’” (Mark 4:38)?
 
The disciples were terrified. Their reaction to the storm and its obvious threat was to get upset with Jesus, who was sleeping in the stern.
 
“Don’t you care we are perishing?” they cried out. Of course, He cared. When it appears that God doesn’t care about our difficulties, we sometimes cry out just like the disciples. We see the storm instead of Jesus and hold Him accountable. Of course, God cares if we are perishing. He gave us the very best He could to rescue us. He gave us Jesus.
 
How often do we think of God as uncaring? Doesn’t He care about the condition of the world? Doesn’t He care about cancer? And illness? And our hard struggles?  
 
Some people say God could stop these things if He wanted to, and since He doesn’t, He must not care. Others will conclude that God is actually behind the world’s problems, personal struggles, cancer, and illness. God does care that we are perishing. He sent His Son to prove it and to save us. This fallen world is the problem. Sin is the problem, and the fruit of sin falls on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
 
If God controls these things, why were we given authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19)? 
 
We have an enemy who works evil in this world. Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8). The enemy comes against us with evil works to convince us that we are perishing and that Christ’s light has not overcome his darkness. We are not perishing. Jesus is the One who has come to redeem us from Adam’s sin and the evil works of the enemy. Yet, so often, we blame God for evil and excuse ourselves from responsibility, just like Adam did. 
 
I have a question. Why did Jesus need to rebuke the storm if His Father controlled it (Mark 4:39)? And why did Jesus give us authority over the enemy if we do not need it? 
 
God has given us free will. Adam abused it, and we suffer. We abuse it, and we suffer. Others abuse it, and we suffer. God does not control you or anyone else. God is not controlling corruption, sin, or any evil thing. 
 
There is a saying that has been attributed to several different people called Hanlon’s Razor. It says, “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” 
 
Never attribute malice to God—never blame Him for what can be explained by our foolishness. What happens in our lives is the result of our choices or the results of the evil works of the enemy. We should never blame God for the enemy’s work, our works, or Adam’s foolishness.
 
Jesus loved us enough to redeem us from Adam’s sin. His work was complete, and He overcame the works of the enemy. We must accept the responsibility God has given us. God doesn’t control us. He is waiting for us to believe His Word, accept our responsibility, hold ourselves accountable, and walk in faith, exercising the authority He has given us.
 
“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).
 
 

The Provision of His Grace

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
—2 Corinthians 5:7

 
 
Everything good God has for us is provided in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. Faith doesn’t create anything new. It can’t create healing or deliverance or provision. Faith appropriates what God has already provided. When we make ourselves the authors and the finishers of our own faith, we aren’t going to like the results. Anytime we make receiving from God about ourselves, we become disappointed and disillusioned.
 
“Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: ‘Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk’” (Acts 3:11-12, NKJV)?
 
These two Spirit-filled men knew that this miracle was not anything they had done. They knew it was the supernatural power of God that flowed through them that had made a change in this man’s life. From lame to healed, this man was now whole. 
 
“Through faith in the name of Jesus,” Peter said, “this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes” (Acts 3:16).
 
We never receive the promises of God through anyone else’s work or through our own work. We only receive by exercising the measure of faith Christ has given us (Galatians 2:16, Romans 12:3). 
 
Do you have peace one moment and live in fear the next?  You can never walk in the peace of God when circumstances or the opinions of others determine your life. These are unfinished and changing and always will be. But the finished work of Jesus on the Cross for you is complete. It is unchanging.
 
What you believe in your heart determines the course of your life (Proverbs 23:7). When you believe in your heart that Christ’s work on the Cross for you is finished, then you know that there is nothing you have to do to win God’s favor and love. You know you are favored and loved. You live in His peace that passes human reasoning and removes everything you thought necessary to be His. You are unhindered and free to receive His love. 
 
Faith that receives from God is faith that comes from hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17). The mind of Christ takes hold, and His Word speaks truth to you (1 Corinthians 2:16). Your beliefs are changed by God’s truth (Romans 12:2). When you seek God with all your heart, you are rewarded (Hebrews 11:6). You know that He is who He says He is in your life.
 
You have a new life in Christ— a life of wholeness and victory. But, maybe, you are afraid to seek it. Perhaps, you have struggled for a very long time and are afraid to reach for the wholeness of the new life Jesus has given you because you have been disappointed again and again.

Receiving from God is not about you. It is all about Him. Jesus is the gift. He is the Word that must be opened to discover the truths for you that have been hidden. Be renewed in your mind by the Holy Spirit’s understanding of the Word (Ephesians 4:24) until you believe without the need to see or experience your healing. Jesus becomes your focus and what you experience becomes less. Enter into fellowship with Him, where His presence becomes paramount, surpassing even your health, needs, or problems. In this surrender, receiving His love and returning it becomes more vital than any distraction or problem, regardless of how painful or disturbing it may be. Jesus, Himself, is your answer for your deliverance. Guard His truth from doubt. Continually clothe yourself in His righteousness and truth (Ephesians 4:24), constantly taking possession of it as yours. Keep on moving forward, walking by faith, and not by sight, and trusting in Him (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith in Jesus Christ requires action. Without action, that faith has no life. With action, that faith becomes life.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

Jesus, the Healer, dwells in you. His power dwells in you. He will give life to your mortal body through the Holy Spirit, who also dwells in you.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Jesus has supplied all you need, according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).Above all else, seek fellowship with Him; the things Jesus has provided through His atonement shall be added in your life. It is only through faith in Jesus—in the name that is above all names—that you receive what God has already provided for you in His finished work of grace. His provision is for you.


 

Am I Seeing What My Father Sees?

If you examine the various accounts of Jesus feeding the multitudes, they all share similar circumstances. Each account describes thousands of hungry people, limited resources, and a lack of faith. Yet, in every account, a few loaves of bread and fish are multiplied to feed thousands, with plenty of food left over.
 
What happened? Think about this: Jesus revealed the power of spiritual vision. The resources of bread and fish took on the nature of the One looking at them. Natural eyes saw the shortage. But spiritual eyes saw more than enough. Jesus’ vision, compassion, and faith caused the bread and fish to take on the nature of the resources He saw in the spiritual. The resources miraculously became what He saw. 
 
“But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
 
This verse indicates that we will be transformed into His image when we “see” Him. In other words, what we “see” is what we become. Proverbs 23:7 affirms this truth: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” 
 
The things around us take on the nature of how we see them. When we “see” a lack in our hearts, our resources reflect that lack. When we see sickness, we reflect sickness. When we see problems, we reflect problems. The lack of vision defines our lives and futures.

Jesus said: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35). 
 
Out of our hearts, we either bring forth what we lack or the power of God’s spiritual resources. What we see becomes what we are. What we envision in our hearts is powerful.
 
Jesus saw more than enough in the loaves and fish, and they responded to what He saw. The nature of the bread and fish had to conform to the nature of the spiritual. Through Jesus’ vision, a meal for just a few people became a meal for thousands. He chose to see His Father’s abundance, and the bread and fish adjusted to His spiritual vision. 
 
Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, likewise the Son does” (John 5:19)
 
Jesus trusted in His relationship with the Father to receive vision. What He “saw” the Father doing became the vision for what He did. This is why Jesus always had the resources and faith to meet the needs of those who came to Him. He had already seen it. The resources responded to the nature of the vision and the faith of Jesus. 
 
Isn’t Jesus’ Father also our Father? Do we not have the same Holy Spirit? Can we not also “see” the vision of the Father? Yes, we can. We were created in His image. We can see with His eyes. God’s vision is revealed in His Word. When we genuinely get His Word in our hearts, we no longer see what we lack. We see what is ours in the spiritual. There is immense power in seeing God’s spiritual resources. 
 
“But blessed are your eyes for they see,” Jesus said (Matthew 13:16). His spiritual vision doesn’t create a lack. It blesses you and me.
 
Without my Father’s vision, I will perish; my own vision welcomes the lack of His blessings (Proverbs 29:18). Do I trust my relationship with Him? How do I view the resources in my life—my health, ministry, work, marriage, family, and friends? They all respond to my perspective every day. Am I seeing what my Father sees? 

Quit Limiting God

 

 

Yes, again and again they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.
—Psalm 78:41


God doesn’t limit us. It is we who limit Him by limiting our faith in Him. Never grieve God by not believing Him. You will experience the deliverance of God only as far as you believe (Matthew 9:29). If you believe in Jesus, you have rivers of living water within ready to flow out of your life (John 7:38). If you lose everything in this world, you still have the abundance of Jesus within you (John 10:10). You have the ability to draw upon the abundant life Jesus has placed in you. But how can do you that?
 
You can “hear” God.
 
Throughout the Bible, we are repeatedly told to “hear” the Word of the Lord. You can hear God speaking to you, and He will never ask you to do something you aren’t capable of doing. 
 
Hearing God speak to you is one of your most vital gifts. Nothing is more crucial than hearing His Word spoken to you. You are His sheep, and you can know His voice (John 10:4). God is always speaking, but you must be still and listen. You must desire and seek Him. Your Father created you to hear Him.  
 
Faith comes by hearing Him, and hearing Him is the source of faith (Romans 10:17). Healing comes by hearing God’s truth in your heart. Direction, guidance, and warnings in life come by hearing Him. When you aren’t hearing God regularly, you live a fearful, confused, and defeated life. When you hear God, the words He speaks to you are spirit and life (John 6:63). When you hear Him, you bow to His truth. You exalt His Word above any doubt or unbelief. You are still before Him, and you “know” He is your God (Psalms 46:10). You experience His peace, joy, and victory. You know He is Lord over everything in your life. He has blessed you for eternity. Praise cannot be contained when you “hear” the words of His mouth in your heart.
 
“All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord when they hear the words of Your mouth” (Psalms 138:2). 
 
You can “see” God’s will.
 
“While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).
 
Hearing God gives birth to “seeing” the promises God has for your life. No matter what you are experiencing, you can “see” healing, provision, and victory in the Spirit. The ability to spiritually “see” is in you, but first, you must “hear” the Lord. Hearing stimulates your vision. You “see” what you hear. If someone asks me to go shopping, their words instantly create a vision. I have an image in my mind of going with them to the store. God’s Kingdom works in the same way. He constantly speaks His Word, and when you finally “hear” Him, you have a mental picture of what He has told you. 
 
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
 
God “sees” all the possibilities but He is limited to what you “see.” If you only have a head knowledge of His Word, you can’t see God’s possibilities as a reality, and you can’t act upon what you think you believe. Belief is of the heart—not the head. When Jesus ministered on this earth, God “saw” all the possibilities, but Jesus could only do what He “heard” and “saw” from His Father (John 5:19).
 
You can “speak” God’s words. 

The words God spoke to create and sustain His creation can be “heard,” “seen,” and "spoken." His words are rivers of living water that are available to flow out of you. We were created in His image. We can speak His words. Just as God spoke His creation into existence, His spoken Word speaks His truth into existence. 
 
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23).
 
Jesus has given you His authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). You can “speak” the all-powerful truth of God’s Word into your need. When you “speak” by faith what God has spoken and revealed in your heart, you draw out of His abundance. You have surrendered any doubt and unbelief to your Father. You believe Him. His Word is your Word. He is your truth. You can hear, see, and speak Him. Out of the good treasure of your heart, you bring forth good things (Luke 6:45).
 
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalms 19:14).

Lord Jesus, I desire, above all else, for my life to honor you. I will honor you by meditating on your words until I hear them in my heart. You are my Redeemer and my strength. I will open my mouth and speak out of the abundance you have given me. Forgive me, Lord, for tempting you and limiting you in my desert. You, are perfectly capable of performing your Word. Your words are spirit and life. I’ll deny my flesh, Lord. My words and my actions will declare life and not death. In you, I have placed my confident trust, and I will not be disappointed.

An Unhindered Life

What is power in my life? Power is simply God flowing through me. No matter how weak or how unaccomplished I might feel, when I allow God to work through me, then what I do will be powerful. I need to remember this during days when I seem to slide back two steps after climbing one. 

No day is a failure when I have given it to God. His use of my surrendered day may not be apparent, but it is real. If I dwell in Him, and He dwells in me, then I will bear fruit. The fruit is not mine to bear. I am just the branch which carries the life of the vine to the fruit. He is the vine, and I am the branch. For the life of the vine to flow through me, I must surrender all that I am to Him. If I dwell in Him, and desire only His will and His work, His Spirit will not fail to flow through my life into the lives of others.

Is His power hindered in my life? The only hindrance that can hold His power from flowing through my life is self. If this is the case, then I don’t have enough hunger for the revelation of His Word and intimacy with Him. Why don’t I hunger enough for Him to let go of all that I am, all that I want, all that I have chosen? Why don’t I realize that when I hold on to the least vestige of myself I have told the Lord that I am the vine? That is pride. Now consider Peter telling the Lord he was not worthy to have his feet washed. What appeared as humility in Peter was really pride. Peter was trying to hold on to his relationship with the Master as it had been by saying he was not worthy for the Master to wash his feet, and the Lord was asking Peter to surrender to a new relationship with Him. Pride. Self. Unworthiness. All are excuses to my absolute surrender.

I hunger for others to be better off for having come in contact with me. If I yearn to be a conduit of His unconditional love and grace, I will continually surrender to Him, and His Spirit will manifest the love of Jesus in and through me. If I seek and to yield Him in each moment, then I will be a channel of all He is flowing through all I am not. Others will receive that which I cannot give, and experience His power doing abundantly and exceedingly more than I can think or ask.

Thanks be to the Lord for the indescribable gift of His grace! May I always honor Him as He has honored me.

The Word Works Effectively in Those Who Believe

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
—Mark 9:24
 
Just as faith can arise from hearing God's Word, unbelief can gradually seep into the heart, obstructing the flow of God's grace. Jesus' miraculous works were limited in Nazareth due to the people's unbelief (Matthew 13:58). 
 
Faith can be a sensitive topic for many people. It’s easy to confuse our understanding of faith with actually experiencing it. While knowledge lives in our minds, faith truly comes from the heart. Doubt may start in our thoughts, but when it becomes unbelief, it puts down roots in our hearts.
 
Some regard faith as a force within us, allowing us to pray when it is needed. But do we ask in faith (James 1:6) or merely out of habit? Genuine faith is a response nurtured in us through fellowship with God and hearing His Word (Romans 10:17, John 5:19). Merely knowing about faith, understanding it, and believing we possess it doesn’t guarantee a fresh quickening of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday's faith will not sustain us today. 
 
Unbelief often arises from what we feel and our emotions. It focuses on what is visible, waiting for tangible evidence before accepting belief. For example, the disciples were given the important task of healing the sick and succeeded in many instances. However, there was one occasion when they couldn’t help a father with his son, and Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief. Perhaps they had begun to rely on their past experiences with healing instead of remaining closely connected to the true Author of faith.
 
Belief is powerful, but so is unbelief. Unbelief prevents God from manifesting His truth in us. Our senses often cannot distinguish unbelief. For instance, some individuals who believe in healing and declare their faith may wrestle with unbelief. The father of the son whom the disciples couldn’t heal admitted this. I have experienced this, too. Sometimes, we cannot fully see what is happening in our hearts and need the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Guilt, condemnation, bitterness, unforgiveness, and fear can all hinder genuine faith. The mind can be convinced, but the heart may be in turmoil.
 
Just like electricity, faith can only flow when a switch is turned on. In this example, the switch represents fellowship with God and listening to His voice. The faith that originates from God requires that His life dwell within the believer’s heart and what has been stirred within them to be spoken. We must grow spiritually in our relationship with God by praying His Word and meditating on it until it comes to life within us. Then, we can speak from the good treasure of our hearts and bring forth good things (Matthew 12:35, Proverbs 18:21).
 
Unbelief often waits to see results, but God's kind of faith confidently expects results even before they arrive. God isn’t limited; however, we frequently restrict Him through our unbelief. We appeal to Him based on what we sense rather than by putting our faith in the reality of what our senses have yet to experience. 
 
Jesus speaks to us as He spoke to the father who sought deliverance for his son: "All things are possible to him who believes." The father heard Jesus' words, and they quickened his heart. "Lord, I believe!" the father cried out. "Help my unbelief!" The father listened to the words Jesus spoke, and his faith was ignited.
 
The disciples later came to Jesus and asked him why they couldn’t cast the demon from the boy. 
 
"Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).
 
Do I believe Jesus? Does He lack honor in my life as He did in Nazareth?
 
I can't work up the faith to believe. Jesus helps me overcome my unbelief. I must sow the Word, that mustard seed of faith, in my heart, nourish it, and protect it until it comes to life within me, and I "believe." Then I can speak to my mountain. That mountain may move quickly or take longer. But it shall move. Nothing is impossible when I “believe.”
 
Quit trying to muster your faith to believe. Meditate on the Word. Renew your mind and let the Holy Spirit begin His work to convince you. Be patient. Don’t rush Him. Surrender your heart to the divine work of Jesus. Listen. The Holy Spirit is always speaking, and you will hear the Word you need quickened in your heart. You shall “believe.”  

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Welcome Jesus, the Word. He works effectively in those who believe.
 

Taking Possession of Jesus

Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
—Proverbs 1:23


What is your personal turning point? Are you prepared for Jesus Christ to become the Lord of your life? Someone can be saved without surrendering to Him as their Lord. Without surrendering your will to His will, you won’t understand His passion. Without surrendering to His Spirit, you won’t experience His power. And without surrendering to the Word and prayer, you will never change; He will never manifest in your life.

The Lord wants to pour Himself into you. He is ready and willing to help you change. You don’t need to plead with Him to intervene. It may seem that way at times, but that’s because the Lord reveals Himself to those who truly seek Him with all their hearts. The Lord knows whether you are repentant because you were caught or if you are genuinely seeking Him with all your heart.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). 

A heart divided by sin, doubt, or unbelief will never experience the Lord. But if you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him. The Holy Spirit will make known His teachings to you. The Lord doesn’t make Himself difficult to find or understand, and He follows through with His promises. His Word calls for you to acknowledge and accept it, and rely on it instead of your own understanding. God desires all of you. He doesn’t keep anything from you. He wants you to take possession of His truth. His love for you is intentional, and He seeks the same of you.
 
When you surrender your entire being to the Lord, you become so intensely aware of Him that your heart is one with His. You know without question what saddens Him because you experience His sadness. You know what brings Him joy, because it brings you joy. Do you want to have a heart like this—one that is so intimate with His you experience Him? 
 
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” Paul writes in Philippians 3:10.

Knowing Jesus is more than just head knowledge. It’s knowing Him in your heart. Your salvation is the greatest miracle you will ever experience. The Lord desires you to grow in wisdom and revelation of this miracle. He wants you to know the power of His resurrection. Only in intimate fellowship with Him do we understand the pain He endured and experience His resurrection power manifesting in us. This relationship can only be found and maintained when I continually surrender myself to the Word, taking possession of Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. 

The more you seek the Lord, the more you know Him. The more you know Him, the more He reveals Himself to you. Press on toward the goal of knowing Him. Surrender yourself, your doubts, fears, and desires so that you may know and experience Him working in and through you.

Turn from a lukewarm life to one filled with the passion of His love that gave everything for you. Turn from a life without the power of the Holy Spirit to one filled with the power of His Resurrection. Turn from a life without the Word and prayer to a life filled with an alive faith that moves the heart of God. God knows your need, but it is in surrender, praying and believing in faith, that He moves.

I want to experience Jesus who knows me so completely. This is my personal surrender: to know Him as He knows me and to experience Him manifesting in my life. Do I always get this right? No, I don’t, but it’s the intention of my heart He sees. Each day, I will choose to die and grow spiritually, becoming more vulnerable and personal with the Savior who has claimed me. My faith has no power without action. I will step out in faith, knowing that the Lord who has called me is faithful to do the work. I will take possession of Jesus who has taken possession of me.

A Faithful Messenger

Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
—Proverbs 25:13


Many people lack faith in God’s ability to fulfill His Word by providing for their needs. Instead, they strive to prove their worth and, in the process, rely on themselves to meet their needs. This lack of faith prevents them from faithfully representing the Master.
 
A genuinely humble person finds joy in recognizing that God is the source of all the good in their life (James 1:17). They may have worked hard to earn their money, but it is God who gave them the ability to do so (Deuteronomy 8:18). Similarly, you may work hard to be healthy, but it is God who fearfully and wonderfully made you (Psalm 139:14). You may be skilled in music, but God gave you that talent to bless and serve others (1 Peter 4:10). The world may encourage you to be a “self-made” man or woman, but you aren’t. God created you. When you allow Him to create through your life, He achieves His best in and through you. 
 
However, if you take credit for the best God accomplishes through you, you steal His glory and set yourself up for humiliation. You can steal God’s glory by taking credit for what He has done, but you can also steal His glory by not humbly receiving the honor given to you for what He has accomplished through you. Never downplay what you have done for the Lord. Just give Him honor and praise. 

Jesus never took God’s glory for Himself. He always stated His dependence on God and honored His Father. Jesus said God spoke through Him, and He only spoke His Father’s words.
 
“My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies” (John 7:16-18, NLT).
 
Jesus didn’t speak His own message. He didn’t seek His own glory. There was no unrighteousness in Him. He gave God the credit. But He also didn’t deny what God did through Him—the dead were raised, the blind received sight, and the lame walked. He even cited those miracles as evidence of who He was (Matthew 11:4-6). You don’t need to discredit your accomplishments. But do you give God credit for them and acknowledge Him as your source?
 
Taking credit is prideful, but so is downplaying what God has done. You basically steal His glory. Jesus never downplayed the miracles God did through Him. People asked Him where He got His authority, and He faithfully gave the glory to God. He was a faithful messenger of God’s message.
 
In Proverbs, you discover what is meant by being a faithful messenger (Proverbs 13:17; 14:5, 25;  25:13). A faithful messenger is trustworthy. He is true to the one who sent him. He doesn’t honor and glorify himself but represents accurately and reliably the one who sent him. An untrustworthy messenger is more concerned with his or her own reputation. If the message to be delivered will cause him hurt or discomfort, he will revise the message to be sure it is well received. That is pride. He shouldn’t concern himself with how people will respond. A faithful messenger will just do what God says. He is concerned with God’s response and whether He is pleased. God seeks those who will share His message accurately and reliably and aren't worried about how it is received.
 
A worker harvesting on a hot day would find the cold of snow incredibly refreshing. That’s similar to the way a faithful messenger makes his master feel. Are you a faithful and trustworthy messenger? Are you more concerned about God’s opinion than the opinions of men?  Do you seek God’s approval instead of the approval of others? Do you glorify God for His accomplishments and not downplay what He has accomplished through you? Do you refresh your Master's soul?
 
Humility is balanced. It doesn’t elevate or deflate you. A faithful messenger is a person whose life is totally and utterly dependent on God. God is his source. He relies only on the One who created him.
 

Live a Life of Intimacy

The Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
John 1:1,14a

 
 
To have an intimate relationship with God, you must spend time with Him and learn who He is in your life. The Word is Almighty God becoming human so that you may have an intimacy with Him that is beyond anything you have ever known. The Word isn’t just a book. It is Jesus. 
 
God invites us to know Him by developing a vivacious and ever-increasing relationship with Him through the Word. Getting into the Word may seem overwhelming, but God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us and lead us into all truth (John 16:3).
 
God fervently desires a close relationship with you. The enemy will attempt to make God seem distant and standoffish. He says things like, “You can’t really know God or what He will do. He doesn’t care about your issue.” Yes, He does! 

Where once God's love for you was hidden because of sin, He is no longer hidden from you. You are His! You can know Him intimately. The enemy’s lies go on and on and keep you from drawing close to God. Why would you want to develop a relationship with someone who is uncaring and inconsistent and who you aren’t sure how he is going to respond to you?

You can’t trust God if you are worrying if He is angry at you. If you are uneasy in any relationship, you guard yourself. It is the same in your relationship with God. If you are uneasy with Him, you hold yourself back. You walk on eggshells. You become careful not to offend Him because you aren’t sure how He is going to react to you. 
 
If you don’t know how God relates to you, you have no way to identify the enemy’s lies. And the only way to know God’s character and how He relates to you is in the Word. You will discover God loved you first. You will find out that His true nature is love, and everything He has done for you comes out of His love. God gave you His very best at Calvary. What do you give Him in return? Do you seek Him, or do you avoid the One who gave you life? Your greatest response to His love is knowing who you are in Him and receiving it. It is only when you know His love can you love Him with your best. Serving Him will flow out of your relationship with Him. You will love others as He has loved you. Not knowing what God has done for you is refusing His love. He never denies loving you. Don’t ever deny loving Him.
 
You don’t need to have an emotionally charged roller-coaster relationship with the Lord, wondering how He will respond to your sin, problem, sickness, pain, or loss. His Word makes it clear that He loves you today, He loves you right now, and He loves you into eternity. God already responded to your need at Calvary. How you respond to His love is your choice. He has served the ball, and it is in your court.
 
God’s Word is not a “someday” book. It is a “today” book. Reading the Word with a “someday” attitude has the potential to give you a legalistic mindset—one that says you can never be good enough for God to love you or you can never understand His Word. 
 
Don’t study the Word with a “someday” attitude. Today is His day, and He wants to bless you with His benefits right now. 
 
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. Selah” (Psalms 68:19). 
 
“Selah” means to pause and contemplate. 
 
Jesus has already loaded you with the benefit of His righteousness. The daily blessings you receive from this truth are numerous. Do you know what they are and how they change your life?  Receive this truth that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Resolve to get into the Word each day and start developing an intimate relationship with the One who loves you without condition, hesitation, or change. 
 
God has been His most intimate with you. Be your most intimate with Him. Live a life of intimacy by choosing each day to go deeper into your relationship with Him. He is the Word. Spend time with Him. There is something special in that relationship that is just for you.
 
“I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalms 119:15-16).
 

An Experience with God

The late Tim Keller,  an American pastor and Christian apologist, wonderfully described prayer as “a conversation that leads to an encounter with God.” Prayer isn’t just asking God for help or praying just because it is what a good Christian does. Prayer is an opportunity to connect so intimately with God that you are conscience of His Presence.

“For this reason,” Paul prayed, “I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Paul is praying for the Ephesians to receive strength from God’s Spirit, enabling Jesus to dwell in their hearts through faith. He desires for them to experience such a closeness with Christ that it leads them to comprehend God’s love filling them with all of His fullness. God’s love is so vast it is hard for us to comprehend. But Paul says that we can know the love of Christ that is greater than knowledge. To understand the fullness of God’s love, Paul is praying for the Ephesians to encounter God in ways they have never before experienced.

There is a joy like none other to be experienced as you receive the fullness of God’s love and His Spirit. John Wesley described this work of the Holy Spirit as his heart being “strangely warmed.” His description captures the certainty and also the mystery of experiencing the presence of God. Personally encountering the One who created you is life-changing. It is the indescribable joy of being one with the Father who loves you, knows you, fashions you, and gives you life. It is the deep spiritual connection you experience as the Holy Spirit prays from within you, revealing the Father to you.

Prayer is interceding for others. It is praying for God’s help, but it is also coming boldly into His presence to experience Him. You must come expecting in faith. It is in His presence that the Spirit intercedes, you receive His help, and His purpose becomes revelation. When you encounter Jesus, the blindness that has hindered your comprehension of Him is lifted, allowing you to perceive Him as you’ve never perceived Him before, hear Him as you’ve never heard Him, and comprehend Him as you’ve never comprehended Him.

“Be still, and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10 instructs. 

Just be still and quieten your heart before the Lord. When your heart is settled, come near to God, and ask Him to come near to you. Ask him to examine your heart and reveal anything that is not of faith. Whatever He shows you, repent, and refuse it any place in your heart. Ask God to help you to experience His Presence. Ask Him to fill you. Expect Him. Listen with your heart. 

Your heart may become “strangely warmed,” but it also may become so much more. As you surrender even more to His Presence, you are more open to receive from Him. When you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is an experience like none other. There is a completeness in Him, an awareness that He is in you like you have never known before. In His Presence is the fullness of His indescribable love and grace and the spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 

Experiencing the Lord is a joy unequaled and full of glory. It is the Holy Spirit praying God’s will within you. It is your Father loving you deeply and personally. It is His fullness that surpasses all else in this life. It is the Lord declaring, “You are mine, and I love you. I’m going to use you beyond anything you ask or think. Now move forward. Walk by faith and not by sight. Let me continually fill you and manifest in your life.”

A Joy Unequaled

 
Years ago I realized I needed something more in my walk with the Lord. I thought I knew Him intimately, but trials convinced me I didn’t completely trust Him. I knew faith and fear could never work together. But what I sensed—what I felt, saw, and experienced had more power in my life than the truth I thought I knew. I realized I couldn’t walk by faith without knowing the absolute safety of Jesus’s perfect love for me. The only way I would know the breadth, height, length, and depth of His love was to surrender myself and take in more of Him. I wanted to know His genuine and palpable presence, so I came to Him, defenseless, vulnerable, and wide open. I began to delve into the Word as I never had before. Paul’s epistles came to life for me. In Philippians 3:7-8, I found his response to Jesus. 
 
“But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life]. But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]” (Philippians 3:7-8, AMP).
 
Paul considered everything he had gained in life as loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Jesus Christ. The things that once mattered, believed, and drove his life had suddenly become nonsense. Paul discovered that in knowing Jesus, he had received the “supreme advantage” of life and godliness. When the Word began to come to life in me, the world, the opinions of others, and the lies I believed became less valuable compared to the precious privilege of knowing Jesus. Faith began to overcame the sin of fear that controlled my life.
 
Paul’s words reveal the supreme advantage of knowing Christ. Understanding this advantage emerges when we pursue God as He pursues us. God pursued Paul and finally got his attention on the road to Damascus. When faced with the goodness of God’s love, I have a decision: I either respond or I don’t. In pursuing God, I discover the indescribable gain of knowing Him. I receive His forgiveness, healing, deliverance, provision, and blessing. This pursuit restores and completely satisfies me.
 
Just a few weeks after my husband and I were married, he took a four week business trip. It was a terribly hard to be apart. We valued our visits on the phone. Through the last  56 years, we have grown to value each other more completely. We have to come to know each other as others don’t. Marriage is an example of what our relationship with the Father should be. Personal, intimate, special, protected, giving, receiving, vulnerable, honest, and committed. Two are no longer two. Two have become one.
 
When I value my marriage highly, I consider it a priceless privilege. I'm familiar with what I need to know about my spouse, learn to respond to his likes and dislikes, and anticipate how he will respond in various situations. The same is true of our relationship with God. Knowing God intimately acclimates us to His likes and dislikes. We know how to respond in difficult situations. We hear Him clearly and understand the hidden things unique to our relationship. Two have become one.
 
When we place unsurpassed value on knowing God, we discover He is the God of abundant life. Ephesians 3:18 reveals this abundance as knowing the breadth, length, height, and depth of His love for you. The more we know God, the more of Him there is to know. The gift of His love is unending and just waiting to be unpacked and known by you.
 
The world offers nothing lasting. God desires to change our lives with His surpassing love and to establish His Kingdom. But we can never build His Kingdom on our merit and limited understanding. Knowing God fully will not only draw us closer to Him but draw others too. It is our priceless privilege to know Jesus. As we grow more deeply acquainted with Him, we have the supreme advantage to successfully navigate and overcome in this life.
 
Peter wrote: “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
 
We have been given everything we need to live a godly life. We discover these things by knowing God intimately.
 
Paul wrote: “[I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]” (Ephesians 1:17, AMP).
 
I cannot live by my insight. It is death to my faith (Romans 8:6). I desire my Father’s deep and personal insight. His insight is much better than my senseless one. His insight is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
 
Lord, grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in my relationship with you. As you hunger for me, I want to hunger for you. The former things I thought meant something now mean nothing. The former fears mean nothing. The former life has passed away. I walk by faith and not by sight. You are all I need. Nothing surpasses this priceless privilege of knowing you. It is a "joy unequaled."

What Are You Considering in Your Heart?

What you consider is more than just having a thought. It is taking a thought, meditating on it, and deliberating on how it applies to you. What you consider determines the course and the outcome of your life.

Look at Abraham: “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19).

Abraham chose not to meditate on his advanced age and the “deadness of Sarah’s womb.” He chose not to let himself meditate on these negative things but placed his faith in God’s promise that they would have a child. 

Whether we realize it or not, our hearts always meditate on something. The heart is where our choices are made, and our futures are shaped. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
 
No matter the world's difficulties and challenges, we can choose what we will consider in our hearts. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world with no sin and chose to consider Satan's words. What they considered changed human destiny. We now live with the results of their choice. We no longer live in a perfect world. We have to consider issues and make choices. We can consider the darkness of this world and be depressed, or we can consider the goodness of God’s love and be found in faith like Abraham. Our circumstances won’t automatically vanish, but we will grow in our faith to overcome them.
 
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matthew 12:35).
 
We all draw something from our hearts. Some of us bring forth fear, worry, anger, envy, resentment, and lust. Others bring forth love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. Regardless of whether it’s the good or evil treasure of our hearts, words are spoken, actions and reactions change lives, and futures are shaped. You must “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
 
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy,” Paul wrote, “meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
 
Mediate on things that are of a good report—honest, uplifting, encouraging, and praiseworthy! Don’t meditate on the “dark” issues in your life! Jesus is the Light. Mediate on Jesus and God’s promises. You may be “old and barren” to this world, but you are “young and fruitful” and full of promise to Jesus.
 
What would your life be like if your mind and heart contemplated pure and lovely things? Can you envision yourself living in a place of God’s peace and faith? If you consider good things in your heart, it is possible to live in love, joy, and peace.
 
“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes,” Jesus said (Mark 9:23). 
 
The heart is where you believe (Romans 10:9). What are you considering in your heart?




 

The Fear of Man

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, 
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
—Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)

 
 
The fear of man and the opinions of others can hinder our ability to receive wisdom from God. The choice we make to follow the Lord or succumb to the influence of others determines the extent of wisdom we obtain. When we prioritize our human desire for acceptance and recognition, we forfeit God’s wisdom. Any endeavor that promotes selfishness and pride hinders our ability to receive the wisdom that flows from an intimate relationship with God. 
 
If we truly seek God’s wisdom in our lives, Proverbs 9:10 emphasizes that the beginning of this journey lies in the fear of the Lord. This fear of the Lord is not an anxiety over God’s judgment; instead, it is a profound esteem for God and His Word, placing them above the requirements and opinions of others. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). By humbling ourselves, we open ourselves up to receiving wisdom from God. Only when our respect for the Lord surpasses the opinions and beliefs of others can we truly walk in the wisdom of God. 
 
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25, NKJV).
 
Trusting in the Lord is a sign of spiritual maturity. By relying on His wisdom over the opinions of others, you can experience life and peace (Romans 8:6). However, when you yield to the opinions of others instead of Him, you find yourself trapped in emotional bondage and limited in your potential. 
 
The fear of man will cost us God’s wisdom and, eventually, the respect of those we have tried to please. Look at Saul. He told Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I have feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24, NKJV). Saul humbly began as king and ended his reign in pride and destruction.
 
David, however, responded to Nathan the prophet when confronted about his sins involving Bathsheba and Uriah. He understood that God’s truth was the best course for his life. He immediately repented and said of God, “You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6, NKJV). He realized that an open heart to God would lead to His wisdom.
 
Jesus only listened to His Father. He disregarded the religious leaders and had no intention of appeasing them or seeking their approval. He chose to honor His Father’s will over the occasional advice of those He had called to follow Him. The emotional pressures of others did not sway Jesus. His delight was in the fear of the Lord. He did not respond to what his eyes saw or what he heard from others (Isaiah 11:3). Jesus walked completely in the wisdom of His Father.
 
Do I walk in the fear of the Lord or the fear of man? Do I prioritize the Word of Jesus, which is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), or do I consider what others think, trying to gain their approval? Yes, we all crave acceptance, especially from those we care about and admire. However, when we prioritize God’s wisdom above all else, putting God first is always the beginning.
 
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” Solomon wrote. “And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7, NKJV). God’s wisdom is the most important thing. Therefore, seek God’s wisdom; He generously gives it to us (James 1:5). Seek to understand how to apply and exercise His wisdom in your life.
 
“We do not cease to pray for you,” Paul said, “and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9, (NKJV).
 
The fear of others’ opinions can hinder you from agreeing with God’s will and His plans for your life. God’s wisdom lies in choosing His desires over what others think or expect. When you are filled with God’s wisdom and spiritual understanding, the opinions of others take second place to God’s opinion. You trust God’s truth, and you continually choose Him. You know that “fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety” (Proverbs 29:25, NLT).



 

Determined to Finish the Course

Many Christians say they desire God to use them, but when asked to do something inconvenient, they say, “I didn’t know how hard this was going to be.” If you are going to do something exceptional for God, you have to throw yourself into His call and do what is needed, regardless of whether or not it is convenient.

Doing what God has called us to do should be the standard of our lives. It should be more valuable and significant than any comfort or personal desire. Like Paul, we must be willing to do anything required or go to any length to do what God asks. 

If you are going to do something for God, the enemy is not going to stand silently by. He will play havoc with your comfort level. If God asks you to do something outside your comfort zone, don’t complain about it. When you do, you refuse to exercise your faith. You will not do anything significant for God— at least not until you change your attitude.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).

The Kingdom of God suffers violence at the hands of the enemy. You must be more determined than the enemy’s deception, barriers, and accusations. What is the vision God has given you? That vision is not going to come easily. Satan will come against it in any way he can. That vision must be more important than your need to feel safe and secure. You must be willing to do anything needed to see that purpose succeed. When you claim this attitude for your life—when you are determined to pursue God’s purpose at all costs, you will push through hard times and gain ground for the Kingdom of God.

In 2 Corinthians 11:23, Paul revealed his determination to finish God’s call, regardless of what he had to do and the challenges he had to overcome. 

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.”

Paul said that, in addition to working hard, he had been physically beaten as he pursued his God-given task of spreading the Gospel. He had received “stripes above measure.” The beatings he received were frequent, cruel, and brutal. But Paul never allowed this intense cruelty to affect his commitment to the task God had given him. You must be more determined than anything the devil brings against you. You cannot withstand the devil’s onslaughts in your flesh alone. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, you can overcome them.

Paul said that he has been “in prisons more frequent.” A prison was usually a small, dark chamber where the most dangerous prisoners were heavily guarded. This is what Paul consistently endured. Of course, Paul didn’t desire this, but if going to jail meant that he would accomplish his calling, that was what he was willing to do. He was ready to undergo any inconvenience, pay any price, and go to all lengths to do what God asked of him.

Paul also said that in addition to the beatings and imprisonment he endured, he was “in deaths often.” He was constantly confronted with the possibility of death. Paul never wanted to face death daily. It was just part of his call to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. However, he faced it bravely rather than hide from danger and kept moving forward to fulfill his purpose.

Had Paul been less committed, only a few of these difficult experiences would have stopped him. But because he was completely focused on finishing the work God had given him, he pushed beyond each beating, imprisonment, and fear of death. And because of his commitment, we received the Gospel. At the end of his life, he could say, “I have finished my course” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

The Holy Spirit who empowered Paul to overcome each of these hardships is available to help you. You don’t have to give up in defeat. If you choose to use the power that is available to you, the Spirit of God will strengthen you and give you victory over any difficulty the enemy uses against you. 

Submit to God, and He will strengthen you to overcome every deception and obstacle. If you embrace God’s power, He will give you everything you need to endure and succeed in the purpose He has given you. Be determined to hold on to God’s call for your life and to move forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. Be willing to give everything.

May I also be faithful as those who have given everything, laboring hard and enduring whatever comes. One day, may I be able to say as Paul, “I have finished my course,” and hear you saying, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Asking in His Name

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
—John 16:24 

Before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Old Testament saints didn’t have a Savior. They didn’t have the name of Jesus. In a sense, when they asked God for something they were asking in their own names. They appealed to His mercy in the sacrifices that covered their sins, but there was no real atonement. 

When Jesus died, He provided the real atonement that all the Old Testament sacrifices represented. He became our Savior, and now we can do much more than approach God in our names or based on our own works. We can ask and receive from the Lord in Jesus’ name based on His perfect finished work for our sins.

There is a huge difference between approaching the Lord in the Spirit and approaching Him in the flesh. By using the name of Jesus, we are asserting that Jesus’ righteousness is the factor that makes us worthy of receiving from God. It means we are depending on the grace of God and not our performance. Those who ask but believe God responds to them based on what they do are actually misusing the name of the Lord. They are asking and using His name in vain. It doesn’t matter if they end every prayer with “in Jesus’ name.” If they aren’t standing in the grace of God, they are not using the name of Jesus correctly.

This instruction to pray in His name was given to the disciples the night before He was crucified. While Jesus was on this earth, the disciples asked Him for whatever they needed, and Jesus would ask the Father and get it for them. Here Jesus was saying that they should not ask Him anymore, but they should take their requests directly to the Father, asking in His name. 

Asking in the name of Jesus means that God treats our requests with the same reverence and consideration as He would if Jesus were personally making the request. Consequently, we can anticipate receiving the same treatment from God as Jesus would receive. However, those who pray in the name of Jesus but then harbor doubts about God’s response due to their unworthiness are essentially misusing the name of Jesus. However, the individual who truly prays in Jesus’ name understands that it is Jesus’ holiness that God judges, not their own.

“Ask in my name and receive that your joy may be full,” Jesus said. 

 

It’s not what you receive in this life that brings complete joy. It’s knowing that your Father, God, loves you, died for you, rose again in power for you, and is now alive, giving you new life. He has forgiven all your sins and healed all your diseases. In the rich inheritance you have in Christ, there’s provision for every need. You’ve received His finished work, not a partial one, but a complete one that has all the power to absolutely transform your life. When you abide in Jesus, you ask in His name. When you ask in faith, Jesus transforms you and your earthly experience into His perfect experience. Praying in Jesus’ name for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven is life-changing. You’re praying for His will in you, in the lives of others, in need, in health, and in all things to be as it is in heaven. You receive from the Lord who transforms you, spirit, soul, and body, into the image He created, restoring you to His original intent. This is the fullest joy.

The blessings of Jesus’ finished work is not something to be earned; it is something that is inherent in your relationship with Him and manifests in fellowship with Him. Abiding is not a one-time thing. It is ongoing fellowship with the Father all the days of your life. If you continually seek Him, you will be abiding in His Presence. 

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 14:13; 16:24).

That Your Joy May Be Full

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
—John 15:11


In John 15, Jesus spoke to the disciples about abiding in Him. Here in John 15:11, He gave them the reason. If His joy remains within them, their joy will be full.

Our flesh fights abiding in Jesus. It considers abiding in Him as something that takes away our joy. Yet Jesus said that abiding in Him would cause us to have fullness of joy. There is an unparalleled depth of joy and satisfaction found in abiding in Jesus. It is a joy that nothing in this world can offer.

The reason some Christians don’t have this joy is because they aren’t abiding in Him. Abiding in Jesus is being in the presence of the Lord. And in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy.

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalms 16:11). 

Joy is one of the most powerful weapons we have against hopelessness and discouragement. Joyful praise is a powerful weapon against the devil because He hates worship of the Lord (Matthew 4:9). In challenging situations that test our faith, praising the Lord redirects our focus away from our problems, centers it on Jesus, and unleashes the joy that comes from faith. 

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write to you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:3-4).

John’s intention in writing his letter was to invite others to share in the same fellowship with the Father and Son that he enjoyed. This fellowship is the source of all joy. True joy is not derived from material possessions or the absence of problems; it lies in the presence of fellowship with the Father and Son. Moreover, if we experience the joy that this fellowship brings, it will endure even when things don’t happen as we desire.

“You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence” (Acts 2:8).

The Lord wants us to know fullness of joy. It is a joy that leaves no room for doubt in the faithfulness of God. It is a joy that trusts in His ways and believes without seeing.

Peter declares in 1 Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

Your joy is not derived from what you experience in this world, but rather from your belief in Jesus. You may not have seen Jesus, yet believing, you have intimacy and fellowship with Him. When you desire to know Him as He knows you, fellowship with Him supersedes all else. You live in Him as He lives in you. It is in our hearts agreeing with Him that the spiritual realm overcomes our experience. If we truly believe in Him, His experience will become ours. We will rejoice with a joy that is unspeakable and filled with glory.

Jesus is abiding in you, never withdrawing, leaving, or forsaking you. But, if you don't believe this, you won’t desire abiding in Him, and you will forfeit the power of the Word and the joy of His presence. 

But Jesus came that your joy may in full. How much do you desire to know the abiding Presence of the One who gave you life?


 

Embrace His Vision

What a great message from our pastor yesterday!  It confirmed a vision that God gave me forty years ago but never came to life. I’m not too old to take possession of that vision now. The last four decades have seasoned me. I have filled my heart with faith in the Word of God. I have turned myself from doubt and unbelief, and it’s time to surrender myself to His purpose.

Praise you, Jesus, that even though years ago I allowed the fear of others’ opinions to derail this vision, You’ve never let go of believing in me. Your Word says you don’t withdraw Your calling, and you haven’t. I repent of the fear of man and not investing myself completely in the Word as you instructed in 1985. I wasn’t spiritually mature enough to handle this vision then, but through the years, I’ve prepared my heart. I’m not too old. I’m still young and green in You.

This Promise has been waiting for forty years. There will always be giants and opposition to Your purpose. But You’ve equipped me. You’ve given me the power and the authority to do as You’ve asked. You can do abundantly and exceedingly more than I ask or think, but I must be willing to be Your hands and feet and surrender to Your power working in me.

I thank You for this incredible privilege of serving others and the trust You have placed in me. I believe You no matter what happens or what others think. I surrender to the Word—to You. The enemy will try to derail Your purpose in my life, but I flee from his lies. My thoughts and emotions will tempt me to derail it, too, but I’ve drawn a line in the sand that I won’t cross. You are faithful to perform Your Word. I’ll not walk in the death of the carnally minded; I’ll be spiritually minded and embrace life and peace. Your goodness will flow in the land of the living.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for; it’s the evidence of that which isn’t seen. I’m moving forward, Jesus, embracing Your calling and taking that step of faith. If I don’t move, You cannot use me; Your purpose will remain a dream that never came to life.

Through these many years, each step of faith has prepared me. Each failure has taught me to rely on You. It’s not who I am. It’s who You are in me. I’m just Your vessel, and by faith I take possession of the purpose you’ve entrusted to me. 

What vision or calling has God entrusted to you? Have you put it on hold because it seems impossible? Trust in Him. Don’t take into account your emotions, thoughts, or understanding. In every way honor Him, and He will direct your steps. Invest yourself in Him, and follow Him. The Holy Spirit will empower you beyond your perceived limitations. Looking unto Jesus and Him alone, move forward in Him. You may falter at times when you face the giants, but you shall overcome. No matter your age, your health, or the voices reminding you of your failures, embrace the vision God has given you, and draw upon His power working exceedingly abundantly beyond what you ask or think.

https://lynnlacher.com/2025/09/embrace-his-vision.html

Knowing Him

A pursuit of God that is just intellectual isn’t a relationship because there is no interaction or communication. It is in interaction with God that we are changed. Knowing what the Word says is extremely important, but we should never limit God. He has more for us than intellectual knowledge. God created us to “know” Him intimately. To be intimate, there must be interaction. Since God is the Word, He communicates with us through it. We have a relationship with the Word.
 
Knowing God mirrors the physical intimacy of marriage—the becoming of one between a husband and wife. Such a relationship has no fear of condemnation or shame. It has the freedom of honesty because it trusts. It is deeply personal and vulnerable. Most of all, it is safe. You can have this kind of intimate relationship with God where you can be vulnerable because you know you are safe. 
 
Safety is found in surrender. When you surrender to God, you are declaring that you trust him. You can be honest with Him, exposing all your fears and failures. He rejoices in your honesty. He doesn’t shame or condemn you. You belong to Him. God calls you to experience knowing Him. He has made the first move toward you with the finished work of the cross. He is waiting for your surrender.
 
God reveals the things we need to let go of to experience His goodness. Surrendering to Him unlocks your heart to receive from Him. It is the same as in marriage. Surrendering to your spouse allows intimacy to grow, and surrendering to God allows deeper intimacy.
 
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). 
 
This is God’s promise. What God says He means. He doesn’t play games with you. He follows through with what He promises. But His promise involves your response. When you search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. God desires all of you—not a spur-of-the-moment you. He doesn’t want you distracted by anything that keeps you from Him. God isn’t vague about you. His love for you is intentional, and He desires the same from you.
 
When you intentionally seek God, you will become so acutely aware of Him that your heart becomes interwoven with His. You will know without a doubt what breaks His heart because it breaks yours, and you will know what brings Him joy because it brings you joy.
 
Don’t you want to have a heart like this? A heart that is intimately one with His?
 
Paul writes in Philippians 3:10: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
 
Every aspect of my life should revolve around knowing Jesus intimately and personally. In this verse, Paul takes knowing Jesus even further. Paul wants to know the power of His resurrection. It is only in intimacy with Jesus do we experience His resurrection power working in us. And it is only in intimacy that we understand the persecution He experienced for us. I want a deep personal relationship with the Lord that releases His life and power through me into the lives of others. I can only find this relationship when I surrender completely to Him. 
 
This is the intentional purpose Paul writes about in Philippians 3. Do I press on toward the goal of knowing Him? Do I surrender myself, my struggles, doubts, fears, and desires so that I might know God intimately? The more I seek Him, the more I know Him. The more I know Him, the more He reveals Himself to me.

Lord, I don’t want to limit myself from receiving the best You have for me. I want to experience You. I want Your profound truths to be revealed in my heart, and I want my heart to mirror Yours. Reveal each thing that holds me hostage to myself. Reveal each lie that I have believed, and I will surrender it to You. I pursue You, Jesus. I surrender all I am. I rest in your finished work. You, O God, are MY Father. I trust in You.
 
—He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
—Psalms 91:1-2
 

https://www.lynnlacher.com/2025/09/knowing-him.html

What Does God Want Me to Do with My Faith?

Our pastor asked several questions last night, and one stuck with me. What does God want me to do with my faith? He wants me to use it—to invest it in Him. Faith is a seed, and a seed must be sown and cared for to produce fruit. You will either reap sparingly or abundantly. Your harvest is up to you.

Everything in life has limits. We are taught from childhood to know our limits and to live with them. It can be hard to believe God has no limits. But when we enter God’s spiritual realm, we must remove all the limits. We must renew our minds with the truth that God is not like us. He can do anything.
 
We have an incredible God whose power is so abundant that we can't even grasp it with our limited minds. He created the sun, earth, moon, stars, and all the universe. He made us, and nothing was impossible for Him. Yet, we often think our hardships, our sicknesses, and our needs are too complex for Him. We can't see how He can make a way when there seems to be no way. We are too limited by what we think and experience. 
 
“Behold,” the Lord declared to Jeremiah, “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)
 
Jeremiah had questioned the Lord’s wisdom in leading him to purchase his cousin’s field. The Babylonians would conquer the nation of Israel, and property ownership would be useless. In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord countered Jeremiah by asking him if anything was too hard for Him. Of course, the answer was no! God would return the Israelites to their land, and property would again be worth something.
 
God’s answer to us is also an indisputable NO! NOTHING is too complicated for God! 
 
“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them—’” (Deuteronomy 7:17)?
 
The Lord had promised Israel victory over all their enemies. Yet, in this verse, He said that if the people doubted, that doubt would stop Him from fulfilling His promise. We must cooperate with God’s Word through faith to reap its benefit. Without faith, you will not receive, and you will not please God (Hebrews 4:2, Ephesians 3:20, Hebrews 11:6).
 
The only thing that limits God working in our lives is our unbelief.
 
“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes,” Jesus told the father of the demon-possessed young man. (Mark 9:23)
 
Jesus wouldn’t accept total responsibility for the miracle of delivering this young man. This father had to believe, too, so Jesus threw the responsibility back on the father.
 
“And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you’” (Matthew 29:28-29).
 
It was not Jesus’ faith that believed for these two blind men. They had to put their faith in Jesus to heal them. The word “according” means “in keeping with.” Their faith was sufficient to produce their healing. However, they had never been healed before this time. The reason was that they had never had a Savior in whom they could put their faith. 
 
“If you have faith as a mustard seed,” Jesus said, “you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
 
God has given us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Are we using that measure of faith? It can be as small as a mustard seed yet powerful enough to move a mountain. When our faith agrees with God’s Word, our faith is sufficient enough to produce God’s promises of salvation, healing, deliverance, blessing, and all Jesus’ atonement purchased on our behalf. Nothing is impossible if we believe.
 
Am I looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith? (Hebrews 12:2). The promises of God are worth my investment. I will not bury my faith out of fear that it will fail. I will invest His Word in my heart. His best return is just waiting for me to reap. My faith in Him is sufficient. I will never retreat. I will move forward into the realm of God’s promise and take possession. He is my Savior in whom I can put my faith.

Looking unto Jesus

Have you gone through the loss of a friendship, a dream, or a loved one? Are you fighting the fear of never receiving a promise God has made to you? The fear and pain of loss can be debilitating. Have you heard the advice to “keep your eyes on Jesus” over and over until it just rings hollow? But what may have become a cliché is actually the most profound advice of all.

With any kind of loss, fear empowers our anxiety, clouds our thoughts and emotions with poor judgment, and distracts us from the only thing that can help us: Jesus. 

“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. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:2-3).

“Looking unto Jesus” is the most profound advice we can receive. It means turning our attention away from everything except this one thing. We are instructed to focus solely on Jesus and consider only Him. We should meditate and ruminate on Him, capturing our thoughts and emotions and bringing them under His authority. We should concentrate on Him until we are utterly convinced that He is the initiator of this journey of faith within us and He is the only One who can complete it. Regardless of our circumstances, if we fail to maintain ongoing fellowship with Jesus, we will become disheartened and disillusioned. This is true in all details of life, but it is particularly true when we are experiencing loss of any kind. If our loss isn’t filled with Jesus, fear will anchor us instead of faith.

If you do something Scripture instructs you to do and don’t receive what it promises, don’t conclude that it’s not God’s will for you. The issue is never on God’s part. Additionally, remember to be patient with yourself; times of tremendous pain and loss can lead to self-recrimination and judgment. God is faithful. When you focus on God’s ability more than your loss or failure, it is easier to place your trust in Him. If He requires some change on your part, just do it with grace. 

God instructs me to believe in Him instead of dwelling on whatever has kept me from trusting Him. Dwelling on my loss keeps me from looking unto Jesus. Consider Peter walking on water. When he took his eyes off Jesus, he noticed the waves. Looking at them, anxiety filled his heart, and he sank (Matthew 14:24-31).

Looking unto Jesus brings us peace. His peace fights and conquers everything that opposes it. When I realize that anxiety has kept me from Jesus, I repent of the sin of holding on to fear. I command that spirit of fear to leave, declaring that it has no place in my life and Jesus has given me power, love, and a sound mind. Now Jesus doesn’t make any of this happen for me. It is my responsibility to step out of the boat and trust Him.

Don’t meditate on your loss or what you have never received from God. Meditate on His true nature. Hebrews 13:6 say that Jesus is your helper. When you cry out for help, He runs to you. 

Never give in to self-pity, anger, fear, resentment, and all the emotional junk the enemy stirs within you; you will become a victim and avoid doing what is in your power to help yourself. 

Perhaps, right now, you can only take one small step. But what seems a small step to you is huge in God’s eyes. It is like Peter stepping out on water. Unlike Peter, keep your eyes on your Master. Just step out of this loss that has claimed your heart and start moving forward, keeping your eyes on Jesus and not allowing anything to distract you from His perfect peace. He doesn’t want you to become discouraged or weary. He wants you to believe in Him and trust Him no matter what you have seen or experienced. Your part is small. His part is immense. Just take a step of faith and experience the Father empowering you. You will not drown. You will overcome.