IN LOVE WITH GOD!

Matthew 22: 37-38 "Jesus said to him, you shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

The Bible plainly tells us that loving God is the greatest principle contained within it's pages. Loving God is the reason you were created. To live within a love relationship with Him is the highest of all life purpose and without this intimacy we will live a life that remains frustrated, meaningless, stagnant, empty and without purpose!

So many people do not know the very basics of Loving God. Let's keep in mind we are commanded (it's not optional) to love Him with "all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind." We are so often concerned that if we love God in this manner that we won't have any time or affections left for others in our lives. The opposite is true. We are told in Matthew 6:33 that if we put God "first" and the affairs of His "Kingdom" and "righteousness" then all the "things" of life are taken care of!

Let's think for a moment about some of the principles we employ when we set our affections on others close to us. If we apply these same tactics to our relationship with God, we will be off to a good start in loving Him, as well.

1) Set aside time to spend with Him. I remember when I first met my wife, Debbie, I believe that I invested enough in fuel taxes to repave all of Richie highway as I traveled back and forth between Pasadena & Annapolis. She became a priority on my daily schedule. it was amazing how much time I had for her when I re-prioritized my life and other interests. You cannot build a relationship by remaining separated or without spending good quality time together.
Time chatting while eating or riding down the road is good, but true intimacy only develops when our sole focus of the moment is on the one we love. Set two or three times a week, initially and have a date with God. Do not cancel, it may harm your relationship!

2) Good love relationships are not easy to develop. They take a lot of effort and good old fashioned work. "...Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." Hebrews 11:6 Another translation says He rewards those who "diligently seek Him." Sincerely seeking and diligently seeking, both speak of working to build relationship with God. After all the years of relationship with the world, it takes a concentrated effort to focus on God.

3) Communication is essential! Most of us have no problems bombarding God with our problems and needs, but when it comes to listening to his heart, we need to employ the skills the prophet Samuel learned. "...Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” 1 Samuel 3:10

We need to learn to be open and honest with God (He knows all of our thoughts anyway), and we need to allow God to be open and honest with us! This is one of the biggest obstacles to developing intimacy with Him. We don't want to hear what He has to say and oftentimes when He does begin to speak into our hearts correction or conviction, we begin to shout Him down with our religious banter! Sometimes heart exchanges with our loved ones can be painful! However, if we wish the relationship to deepen these exchanges of truth need to be allowed in our time together.

4) We willingly and affectionately lay down our own self centered desires to reap a harvest of love from our loved one. "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God..." Ephesians 5:21 We become givers as a result of our new natures. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ..." 2 Cor 5:17-18 We remain givers by the continual oversight and review of our will.We, as a result of our continued, deepening relationship with God, commence to take on the character and nature of God, Himself. " For God so loved the world, that he gave...: John 3:16

We too become givers as we spend time with Him.

5) We discover and share each others giftings and talents. The more time we spend in reading His Word and in discovery of His character and nature, the more we fall in love with Him. The more time we spend basking in His presence the more He begins to reveal Himself to us. (In our own relationships, we DO NOT reveal our innermost thoughts, impressions, motivations and desires to those who are mere acquaintances.)

When we first encounter a loved one , we simply "love" them based on first impressions and external observations. The more time we spend together, the more we are able to observe the intangibles which form the very foundation for any long lasting, intimate relationship. (loyalty, faithfulness, trustworthiness, etc...)The more you know Him, the more your heart goes out to Him and the deeper relationship you develop. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord..." 2 Peter 1:2

Here's the way it develops...
The More you know Him, the More you love Him!
The More you love Him, the more you trust Him!
The more you trust Him, the more you obey Him!

6) Finally as your intimacy progresses, you couple together to produce offspring.When you spend time with Him, you discover that His heart goes out for other hearts who desire to be with Him. 2Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (loyal) toward him."

His desire is that you remain so intimate and connected to Him (Two operating as one) that your life is filled with much fruit. John 15:5 in The Message says it this way. "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. "

Then out of our Love relationship, and having laid down our own interests and desires, we begin to pursue the desires of His heart. We allow His Holy Spirit to influence others through our lives and the anointing which flows out of us. Out of His love for us and our love for Him, we obey Him and He manifests Himself to us and others.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21

Do we really love God with all all your heart, soul, strength and your mind, as He desires and commands?
I Think Not!

Let's begin or intensify (Whichever place you're at) the journey into the heart of God.
Begin Today.

IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER!

Exodus 14:9-10 “But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid:”

So oftentimes, we put limits on the abilities and desires of our God. We liken His character and His attributes to those of mere mortals and as a result we fall short of seeing His Glory on display. Israel was about to be miraculously delivered from 400 years of bondage and slavery at the hands of the wicked Pharoahs. Israel had obeyed the Word of the Lord and they were marching exactly as He had directed them, until they encountered their first obstacle. They had come upon the waters of the Red Sea. Mountains to the right and mountains to the left; the sea lay straight ahead and behind them were Pharoah and his army bent upon their total annihilation! And because they could see no way out, they “were sore afraid.” They were terrified and lost their faith. They reduced God down to their own capabilities. Somehow He had lost His capability for the miraculous in their minds eye.

So often in life we behave much in the same manner. We are total giants of faith until we run into our first major obstacle. God is in control and we believe in His Immensity as long as we remain somewhat in control. However, when we reach the place where we are no longer able to make a move (just in case God doesn’t) then we begin to lose confidence in His Word and His Abilities. WE forget those things that He has done in the past. Remember when David faced his giant, he began to rehearse those things which the Lord had previously done in his life. 1 Samuel 17: 36 “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

Even though there appeared to be no way out for those Israelites, the Lord Who is our “WAY WHERE THERE IS NO WAY” made a way and miraculously opened a path into the sea. I would also remind you here that this same sea that was opened as a path of deliverance for the people of God, became the method of destruction for the enemies of those same people. Not one enemy remained! Exodus 14:28 “And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.”

Maybe you are currently facing an impossible situation; a situation of life and death; or something you’ve never encountered before. God wants you to know today that He is our POSSIBILITY! He becomes your possibility only in the midst of impossibility. The tougher the possibility, the greater He will shine on behalf of His people and the greater His Glory. Don’t give up on the brink of a miracle. Don’t ever quit! Refuse to agree with the world and those who are wavering in doubt and defeat.

I stated above that “It ain’t over until it’s over!” Now here’s the real awesome revelation about God’s Kingdom. Even when it appears to be over, it is only just beginning. Jesus’ friend Lazarus had died and been entombed for four days. John 11:14 “Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” All hope was lost. Everyone had lost hope in the face of the impossible. But God said “This ain’t over!” Jesus “…cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.” John 11:43 The God of Possibility stepped in when all hope was gone. The people had given up and had committed him to the grave. They stopped believing and chided Jesus for delaying his arrival.

Whatever way God had chosen to respond to their heart cries, He would have displayed His glory. With God’s divine direction and orchestration, there would be no wrong choice. Either way God had chosen would have been just the beginning! Risen from the dead, Lazarus was given a new lease on life and an opportunity to give Him glory in the earth. If God had chosen to leave his body in the grave, it still would have been the most incredible day of his life. I’m not so sure that Lazarus had not struggled somewhat having to return to his old life, knowing what lie ahead just a few short days later bursting forth in Resurrection Power! Face to Face with God the Father or back to the dirt bowl we call life.

Let me ask you one last question. “If you were Lazarus, and God had given you the decision, what choice would you have made?” The Glory of God OR back here? I don’t think that would be too hard to decide!

If today you are staring impossibility right in the face, then be encouraged because your POSSIBILITY is in control! EVEN IF IT IS OVER, IT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING! We are Kingdom people and we live by different rules!
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Joseph from the pit to the Palace.
Moses from a decree of death to leading Israel out of Bondage.
The widow of Nain receiving her only son raised to life.
Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
Joshua and the Walls of Jericho.
Gideon and his three hundred men.
Noah saving his entire household.
Abraham becoming a Father of many Nations.

Now what about you? What will be your testimony to His Glory?

Your Biggest Mistake!

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

The Ken Bombard translation simply says this: “If you put God FIRST in all things, He will take care of the rest!” Our priorities are out of whack! We have it all backwards. We put every thing and everyone else first, and give Him our leftovers. Our days begin by being instantly thrust into the affairs of the world, without refueling or refreshing in the Presence of God. (Acts 3:19) We struggle in everything we do throughout the day and we wind up at the end of the day thoroughly exhausted and give Him a simple “Goodnight Lord.”

“BUT…” we say. “I have to take care of my family and that takes time!” Let me share a Kingdom secret with you right now! WHATEVER YOU MANUFACTURE, YOU MUST MAINTAIN! That includes the care, provision, protection, nurture and growth of your family. God desires to provide for your every need. Philippians 4:19 “…my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” If we will let Him, that will even include our families. Remember this…WHATEVER GOD MANUFACTURES, HE WILL MAINTAIN! According to Matthew 6:33 quoted above….IF I put Him and His Kingdom work first in my life….HE will take care of my family!

May I add, that He is capable of doing a better job than us! If you rearrange your priorities, and place God where He belongs in your life, then all the time you spend at the Doctor’s office, the Principle’s office, the Counselor’s office, etc., will be eliminated or greatly reduced. It’s hard to row a boat upstream without an oar. Life flows upstream and God is not just our oar, He is our engine and He wants to be our helmsman, as well! Do you also know that it doesn’t hurt your children, to bring them along when you are ministering to others. It gives them a chance to see the Love and the Spirit of God in action!

Last weekend, a group of men helped out a family that needed some special assistance around the yard and their house. One of the men brought his young daughter along and SHE helped the family clean inside along with the only other lady who showed up. Oh My…were they blessed! They were blessed; the young lady learned that blessing others is a greater blessing to ourselves, AND she will be blessed by God for blessing them! What a great deal!

In the same manner please don’t go to work or out into the world without first being with God. If you’re a night person, then spend time with Him in His Word and in conversation (two way prayer) at night, when you are strongest. If you’re a morning person then get up earlier and spend a few precious moments with the One Who loves you, and desires to empower you and give you Godly wisdom for whatever will come your way in the day ahead!

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate our life priorities. Would you stop for a moment right now and ask Him, “Lord, what are the areas of my life that are out of whack? What do I need to evaluate? What do you wish to change in my life?” If you will consider this challenge, bring a pen and paper when you do ask. As you hear and obey your life will be influenced by Godly Wisdom and empowered by Divine ability! Doesn’t THAT sound refreshing?

If you won’t take the time, what is it that you’re afraid of? The Truth!

IN THE FIRE!

Isaiah 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Are you feeling the heat? Is the firey trial, situation or circumstance all around you? Do you feel like you're going down for the last time? If so, I have some good news for you!

First, we need to be truthful concerning fire. Fire is hot and causes pain. You should not be surprised or caught off guard when you enter into the fiery furnaces of life. Jesus warned us with these words in John 16:33..."These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation(pressure, stress,squashing,squeezing): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Everyone in this world goes through the fire at one stage or another, and oftentimes it seems that we go from one fire to another. Because He has overcome, we can walk in a place of peace no matter how immense the pressure!

Find His purposes in the fire and set your focus on Him. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6 Those who set their minds on matters of the Holy Spirit, experience life and peace no matter what the circumstances.

I was going through some pretty wild times a few years back and I cried out to the Lord saying "When will this end?" He simply spoke back in that still, small voice and said "It won't!" I have learned that as a Disciple (Not just a Believer) the heat is usually always on! As younger, immature Christians we sometimes enter in to a time of complaining, resisting and looking constantly for ways to escape the pressure.

I have learned that pressure is a good thing and that God will use the fires of life, no matter what the origin (Himself, Ourself or the devil) to mold, shape and conform us closer to the image of Christ in us, He desires.

I discovered and meditated on a very unusual Scripture in James 2:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."

What? You want me to be joyful when troubles come my way? Am I to be a glutton for punishment? Isn't that crazy? Not when you begin to comprehend that in the midst of the fire, your faith is tested and grown. Going through the fires of life can equip you and get you "ready for anything!" Everyone in the Bible who became what God wanted them to become went through times of testing. Joseph in prison; Daniel in the lion's den; Paul imprisoned and beaten; Jesus in the Garden; Shadrach, Meshack & Abednego in the fiery furnace.

In reading the story of the fiery furnace in Daniel Chapter three we discover...
How to make it through the fire...

1) Know that everyone is currently going through some kind of fire, whether spiritually, financially, family, sickness, relational. You are not the only one in the fire! "But remember that the temptations (trials)that come into your life are no different from what others experience." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Personally, I believe that pressure is designed to create intimacy with God. Think about how distant we seem to wander when everything is going well. Hopefully, as soon as it gets a little rough we are smart enough to turn to God. Eventually, we learn to stay with Him and remain connected with Him in fellowship, praise, prayer and obedience. Daniel 3:21 "So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace..." Because of the sin nature of this fallen world, everyone goes through the fire at one time or another!

If you feel bad about the fire you're in, take a look at what the Apostle Paul had to endure; you'll feel better immediately. "They say they serve Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not.I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 2 Corinthians 11:23-27
Now stop whining...it could be worse!

2) Know that you are not alone God is with you! Psalm 118:6 states that "The Lord God is on my side; I will not fear what man can do..." He has promised He will be with us no matter what we do or what we feel. Even when you FEEL alone, He is with us! Heb 13:5 "…he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

3) You will be tempted to give up and succumb to the effects of the flames. The enemy of your soul will speak these words to you in the midst of your fire, attempting to have you give up and quit. "I will give you one more chance. If you bow down...all will be well. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to rescue you from my power then?” Daniel 3:15

Remember that "...God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 1 Corinthians 10:13” You don't have to bow!

4) Make a declaration of God's willingness & ability. Daniel 3:17 "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power..." Stop your mind from being overwhelmed with facts. God's Truth always over-rides fact! Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believes...and with the mouth confession is made..."

When David faced his giant, he prophesied the fall of the giant even before he engaged in combat. 1 Samuel 17:45 “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou have defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” Begin to prophesy your emergence from the fire and your ultimate victory!

5) Know that it may get a little hotter before it gets better! Daniel 3:19 "Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual." In the Kingdom of God, there are processes that we must endure in order for him to fulfill His purposes, maybe even in the lives of others. Have you noticed that our trials usually involve other people, as well ? He doesn’t always answer the way you think He should. He is God and He knows best. His timing is always perfect.

6) Connect with others in the midst of your fire. You are not designed to ever go it alone. We are the members of the Body of Christ. If you go it alone you will be burned. 1Corinthians 12:21 “…the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” You cannot state this either by your words or your actions; the way you live your life in relation one to another. If you disconnect and enter the fires of life by yourself, the odds remain against your survival. Daniel 3:23 23 “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

7) Know that the power of God is with you! Daniel 3:25 “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. His presence, His ability, His Companionship, His strength, His wisdom, His power, His destiny for you will all be present in the heart of the fiery trials of your life. Ask Him what good can come out of this trial. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Its refreshing to know that God has a plan that determines the final outcome of your trail.

8) You are destined to go through the fire and you will come out on the other side and people will see that “the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!.” 1 Samuel 3:27 You will not be consumed by your trial. The experience will not slow you down or defeat you. It will empower you to trust further in His ability.

9) God will receive praise for your personal victory. You will stand as an eternal memorial to the goodness and faithfulness of God as you rely on Him. The world needs to see His movement in your circumstances so they too can come into relationship with Him! Daniel 3:29 “Therefore I make a decree, That …. there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

10) Here is the best news yet. On the other side of your fiery furnace there is a promotion from the king for YOU! Daniel 3:30 “Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…”

STEPPING UP!

Ephesians 4:11-14 “He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children…”

God wants you to grow up! A question I often like to pose in many of my classes goes something like this. “How many of you are Children of God?” Of course the majority of hands are immediately thrust into the air as they claim their rightful inheritance. My follow up question goes like this. “When are you going to grow up and become Men and Women of God?”

In today’s Scripture verse we are told of the growth process each of us must encounter if we are to “be mature and full grown, measuring up to the full stature of the Lord!” Whether you like it or not, you will encounter various trials and tribulations in life that will stretch you and cause you to grow. James 1:2-4 states “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The New Living testament puts it this way. “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”

James is basically saying to “Get happy and let yourself grow up…” God does not want us to remain as little children and oftentimes uses the circumstances of life to assist us in our development process. The exciting news is that by the Grace of God and the movement of His Holy Spirit in my life, He will take me from my infancy to the fullness of Christ. That is an exciting prospect! Do you know that Jesus also went through the growing processes of life?

Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters…Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.” He went through it all with great success, I might add. Therefore, He “understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 In all of His Obedience He demonstrated for us that man could overcome the influences of the powers of darkness by relying on God’s Spirit and His Word! “It is written!”

In the order of nature, he went through the growth process; first He changed the water into wine; then He stilled the stormy sea and finally he walked on the water. Each successive directive from the Father required greater faith, fellowship and confidence in Him and His Word. Jesus had never experienced these events in life, but he was growing day by day and moment by moment, to demonstrate the fullness of God in His life. He is our model. God has promised that he will never allow you to be tempted beyond that which you can handle! (1 Corinthians 10:13) In fact, The Lord uses the obstacles and events of our lives to strengthen and grow our faith, character, and spirit, as we grow to be more like Him!

Matthew 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” In His ministry of healing he also developed over time, beginning with the healing of sickness and disease; healing the blind and lepers (Creative miracles); and through this process something within Jesus began to emerge with a Holy realization of God’s Power even over death.

Jairus’ daughter was only dead a short while; the widow of Nain’s son was dead for hours and Lazarus four days in the hole! Jesus took one step of growth at a time in every single realm until He manifested God’s Perfect nature!

What mess have you gotten yourself into at this point in your life?
What obstacles has The Lord placed in your life?

Regardless of the source of your challenge, God has promised that you are able (with His Ability) to overcome it and He also desires you to use it as a stepping stone to move higher and closer to conformity to the Fullness of the Stature of Jesus! You must get excited for the day is at hand to thoroughly defeat your adversary! Today is a great day to begin!
2Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ”

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD?

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in establishing and maintaining our relationship with God is the concept of righteousness. Furthermore, it also inhibits us from doing anything productive in His Kingdom!

I remember so often when I first started out in Ministry that as soon as I'd begin to preach, to pray for someone or minister in the gifts of The Spirit I would immediately hear " Who do you think you are? You are a miserable sinner and God will certainly be able to find someone more deserving to flow with His Spirit than you!" All of a sudden the sins I had committed recently would begin to rise up in my remembrance and they would commence to distract me from the Kingdom tasks at hand.

As "Able Ministers of the New Covenant" (2 Corinthinans 3:6) God has established a place where we can go and be filled with the answers to the needs of anyone we encounter in our circle of influence. Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Isn't it exciting and breathtaking to know that God has created a special place for us to go and receive "grace" (the Divine Ability of God) not only for ourselves but also for those we are to serve.

Here at the Throne of Grace we can obtain Mercy (The Divine desire of God that deeply desires to remove the source of distress in our lives) and the Divine ability of God to remove that distress. Now here's where the problem of righteousness comes in. Inately we know this simple truth contained in Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." Everytime we begin to approach the Throne of Grace, this fact seems to pop in our heads and captures our thought processes. Somehow when these thoughts take over, our boldness to approach the Throne dissapears! And we stand in the outer courts hoping to catch some crumbs of God's Mercy.

If we investigate the verses that preceed Hebrews 4:16, we discover that the Bible says that "we have a great high priest, who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God... For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:14-15 This also confirms our Scripture for today in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that because He knew no sin and because we are "in Him" (Our position because we believe in Him) therefore we are the Righteousness of God!

Speak this fact out loud right now and everytime you are attacked with the lies of the devil to "Remember the sins you have committed and the bad things you have done!"

I am the Righteousness of God!

Now allow me to blow your mind with the facts concerning this statement! Here's what it means...

You have the ability, right now, to stand in the Presence of God as though sin has never touched your life!

This my Christian Brother or Sister is what the Righteousness of God means to you! Some are snorting right now..."Well, I don't know about that!" Let me back it up with Scripture! Psalm 103:12 states "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions(sins) from us." No matter how far east youn travel, you can nevere reach the west! Jeremiah 31:34 "...I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." When you stand at the Judgement Throne of God, He will not even remember one sin you have committed due to the Mercies of the Shed Blood of Jesus. Hebrews 8:12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Hebrews 10:17 "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."

So the very next time you are approaching the Throne of Grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, and that accusatory voice begins to whine, you begin to shout the truth of God's Word! "I am the Righteousness of God!" Right now I stand here as though sin has never touched my life. I don't care what you think you know or what I remember from my past; what matters is how God views my life. I am the righteousness of God in Christ! He does not remember my sins!

Maybe today you're not even thinking about ministering on behalf of God, and you're just struggling to even lift up your head or to hear from God because you believe that you're not worthy. If the truth were based on what we've done, you'd be correct. However the truth declares that its based soley on what He has done and accomplished!

Micah 7:19 "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

It's liberating to know that we have become the Righteousness of God. Now walk in that Freedom!

You are not a miserable sinner saved by grace! That is a lie! You are the Righteousness of God!