OBEDIENCE: POSITIONING FOR THE BLESSINGS OF GOD!

John 14:15 “ If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…”

Obedience is the decisions in our lives that position us for the Promises of God to take effect in our lives. It is loving obedience that causes us to “abide” in Him. That simply means to remain connected in fellowship with Him. John 15: 7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done unto you.” In Psalm 91, a classic filled with a multitude of God’s promised blessings, the key to positioning ourselves for His blessings is stated as the one who “dwells in the secret place of the Most High” and “abides under the shadow of the Almighty.” Isaiah 1:19 “If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land…”
Let me share with you in two small examples how God is able to bless us and others through our simple obedience even to the small things in life.

Today I was driving down the road toward a business appointment, when I suddenly felt impressed in my spirit to pray for a friend of mine that I have recently reconnected with. I had no clue as to what specifics I needed to pray, so I began to allow the Holy Spirit to pray for me. When I don’t know how to pray, I begin to pray in the Spirit.(Romans 8:26) About ten minutes after I had finished praying, I called my friend to let him know the Lord had placed him on my heart and that I was praying for him! No answer!

About 30 minutes later he called me and told me the following. He had been working in Washington D.C. on scaffolding about forty feet in the air, when a pipe that secured the scaffolding to the side of the building broke loose and the scaffolding separated from the building and began to fall. It separated approximately five or six feet from the edge of the building and miraculously did not continue to fall. Somehow it stopped and he was able to scamper down the scaffolding as fast as his feet would carry him.

The reason he could not answer his phone was that he left it up on the scaffolding. The scaffolding began to fall just as I had begun to pray in the Spirit, and somehow God privileged me to be a part of His protective promise for my friend John! John’s response after he returned my call and realized what had taken place was “Isn’t the Holy Spirit awesome?” That is not coincidence; that is God!
Earlier this week, on the first day back from vacation I was working my way through a packed day filled with work that had piled up while we were away. As is my standard practice, I have a list of all the things I need to get done for the day, and when I complete each item, I practice asking the Lord what to tackle next. I had planned on spending a good portion of the afternoon on securing new business with a host of phone calls. Late morning after completing another task on my list, I asked the Lord what was next and I heard the following. “Go read your Bible and spend some time with Me.”

Maybe He didn’t realize that I was all backed up from vacation and really didn’t have the time at that moment. Perhaps I could find time later on that evening. He persisted and not being as stupid as I look, I decided to take a break and go refresh myself in the presence of the Lord. I picked up my Bible and began to talk with Him.

My cell phone rang about ten minutes into my time. I answered the phone and it was a customer of ours who said the following. “Ken, I want you to know I just got rid of one of my current vendors about ten minutes ago and you popped into my head to replace them at a cluster of our Properties. I want you to get started this week!” We started today and even before we finished our first job, he added three more onto the list for next week.

What would have happened if I decided to ignore the voice and keep on working? As I stated I had been walking in obedience for ten minutes and it appears as soon as I responded “Yes Lord!” this customer started thinking about me and called me to give us a lot of new business. That freed me up an entire afternoon to work on other items I had to do.

These blessings of God are available to those who “listen diligently unto the voice of the LORD God, to observe and to do all his commandments (Everything He asks you to do) …and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if you will listen and obey the voice of the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 28:1-2 Loving Obedience positions us to secure the blessings of God both for ourselves and for others.

Fill out the comment section on the website with your examples of obedience procuring God’s blessings for you or for others!

One that loves God obeys God!

GOD IS IN COVENANT WITH ME!

Luke 22:20 “…This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.”

You are in Covenant with God! Better yet, God is in Covenant with you! When you are in a personal relationship with Almighty God through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross and His subsequent Resurrection, you have been entered into a legal binding agreement with Him.

A covenant is defined as a binding agreement or contract in writing under seal, for the performance of a specified action. The Covenant which God Himself has entered into with you, has been signed, sealed and ratified by the precious Blood of Jesus. There can be no more powerful seal than the Blood of Jesus! We are told in Leviticus 17:14 “…the life of all flesh is in the blood…” When you break it down, this simply means that the Covenant which God has contracted with you is backed up with the very LIFE OF GOD which is in the Blood of Jesus!

The good news today is that God is in Covenant with you! He is in a legally binding Contract, ordered by the Supreme Court of the Universe (Himself), because the Blood of Jesus has been shed for “YOU!”

OK… God has entered into an agreement with me, but what exactly does that mean for me? There are some very unique characteristics that are involved in Biblical Covenants. The one I want you to see today is what I call the “Joint Heir” stipulation. Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…”

In Biblical times when two families or tribes entered into a covenant, they each brought unique giftings and talents into the relationship. For example the Jones family had wealth, wisdom, creative imagination, and a talent for conducting wise business practices. The Smith family was know for their brute strength, and had a reputation as fierce warriors. They were men and women who could work the land and produce the most abundant harvest on the smallest piece of land.

When they entered into Covenant, they each pledged to one another everything they had and all the talents each had to offer. Now as the Smith-Jones tribe, it appeared that they were lacking no good thing. The wealth of the Jones family now flowed into the Smith family and when anyone would arise against the Jones family, the warriors from the Smith clan would rise up to defend the Joneses! They became joint-heirs, meaning that they both owned/shared everything both families possessed one hundred percent. There was no holding back on anything they had!

NOW PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION: Since God initiated a Covenant agreement with you; HE HOLDS BACK NOTHING! Now read these Covenant Words written to you! Romans 8:31-32 “What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?

God has given you everything…His Name..His Son…His Blood…His Angels…His Promises… His Ability…His Power…His Authority..His Spirit within us…His Righteousness…His Healing...His Provision…His Protection…His Wisdom…His Direction…His Deliverance… His Rest…His Care…His Security…His Reward…His Refreshment…His Presence…His Restoration… and the List goes on endlessly! Can you even name one thing that God has withheld from you? Of course you can't!

God did not spare His most prized possession…His Son. He gave us Jesus so that He could enter Himself into a legally binding Eternal Covenant with us, thereby offering US everything He is and everything He has! Jesus “…has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.” Hebrews 8:6

You would do well to daily rehearse the terms of your Covenant with God. David did! (Psalm 103 ) The whole deal is not about what you can bring to the table of Covenant, ITS ABOUT WHAT GOD HAS BROUGHT INTO THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP!

NOW ACCEPT THE TERMS AND LIVE THE LIFE HE EXPECTS! (John 10:10)

FORGET IT?

James 1:23-24 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

Many Christians fall under this same category that James describes. We love to dive into the depths and mysteries that we find in the Word of God, however, when it comes to applying those same truths in our own lives, we often become very resistant. I believe that we have the answer to this problem found in the Scripture stated above.

The mirror, spoken of, represents the Word of God in this passage. This passage simply declares to us as Christians, that we are to journey into the Word of God, with hearts and minds that are ready and willing to apply (obey) any principle that we encounter.

The passage further states that if we do not apply the principles, we discover that we will soon forget the liberating truths we have uncovered, especially when we face opposition. There is something about applying (obeying) the principles in the Word of God that causes these discoveries to stick with our spirit man. If we practice discovery and application of the principles contained in God’s Word, there are two things that occur as a result. This is a Spiritual Law!
1) We will not forget who God has made us to be!
2) We will not forget with what ability we have been enabled!

We find this exact principle summarized in Deuteronomy 28: 1-2 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey (apply His Principles) the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments…, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey (apply His directives) the voice of the Lord your God.”

The other truth that James states is that when we do NOT apply the principles (commandments) of God and we face an attack, we forget “what kind of man” we are. The spiritual glue, or power of the Holy Spirit, is activated in our lives when we obey. If we refuse to obey, the Holy Spirit can not activate the Reality of the Truths contained in His Word in our lives and we enter into the struggles of life, powerless, and uncertain of the great things God has done for us!

1Corinthians 2:9 “…it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.”

If you are walking in unforgiveness or bitterness, it is not worth the price you pay. God’s Principles declare the necessity to forgive. If you don’t forgive, then you will never reach the level where you realize Who You are in Christ and you will continue to walk in defeat!

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…”

If you discover and obey God's Principles, you too will, like the kitten pictured above, will turn into a lion. When you encounter obstacles in your life, they will be transformed into stepping stones!

A WORK IN PROGRESS!

Phillipians 1:6 “And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”

When I first came to know the Lord personally, someone came to me and told me that THEY hadn’t sinned since they had gotten saved several years ago. That statement floored me, because I was still struggling in certain areas of my life. Thank God I found the Scripture above. Exactly what it states is this. “Until the day I pass on, or Jesus returns, I am a work in progress and that there are no perfect people in this earth."

Even Paul struggled with his post conversion life. Romans 7: 14-24 “…I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice…I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul needed to know, even as we do, that in fact, we are not perfect when we are saved, except within our spirit. Remember you are a spirit. We have a soul (mind, emotions, intellect, willpower, imaginations, etc.,) and we live in a house called a body. During your life time you will be on a continuous journey to working toward perfection in Christ. I’m sorry to say, but even people who are of the family of God, still do sin.

Thank God that He does not demand that I change immediately and completely. My little mind would explode in the face of the impossibility! Paul felt the same way. Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The Word for you today is to be patient!

Get into the presence of God today and ask Him what He wishes to work on, at this time in your life. Then respond in loving obedience. His wish list and priority list may be quite different than yours. When He “began the good work within…” me, He chose areas of my life that were different than I would have chosen! He wanted to work on my “love” life instead of the drugs and alcohol, first! Know this, that what He commands you to do, He will also empower you to finish! Phillipians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.”

When you first come to a saving knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus, all of your sins are forgiven. As long as you continue in developing your relationship with God and believing in His free gift of eternal life, when you do stumble and sin, what is effected is your fellowship with Him, not your eternal destiny! Sin effects your intimacy level with God, your ability to hear, receive, and walk in his promises and His divine ability

When we do fall in sin, His method of restoration to fellowship is to confess our failure as sin. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The area that really effects our fellowship with Him is the habitual, repetitive sins. 1 John 1:6 “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness.” This Scripture carries the idea that habitual sin destroys our intimate fellowship with God.

So the order of the day is to…
1) Find out what God is interested in developing in our lives day by day.
2) Receive His willpower and His ability.
3) Confess our sin instantly upon conviction of the Holy Spirit.
4) Repent. Stop the specific sin!

OR WE RUN THE RISK OF LOSING THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES JESUS SPEAKS OF IN JOHN 15, RESULTING IN FAILURE!

John 15:5 “…apart from Me, you can do nothing!”

You are a work in progress. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…” While the work is heading toward completion, stay connected with God and receive everything He has to offer through your loving obedience. Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, he is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments…”

WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT?

Phil 3:8-9 “…all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him…”

There was a time in my life that, by the standards of the world, I pretty much had all that this world could offer. I had a house on the river, boats, toys, cars, women, money, party goods, parties, athletic abilities, awards, scholastic achievements and much more. I was not a happy person!

I began a personal journey to discover real happiness and satisfaction. I searched for it in every venue that this world has to offer without any success. You name it, I tried it! Each of those experiences simply left me empty and without meaning, purpose or personal fulfillment. Believe me when I say “I tried it all!”

As I observed others, to order to assist me in the discovery of what real life should be all about, I noticed a special group of people, who even though they weren’t exempt from the trials of life, lived life in a very vibrant sort of fashion. These people had a zest for life and compassion seemed to be the order of the day. They didn’t have to medicate to rest at night or to awake and face each new day. They always had a smile on their face, and it wasn’t the numb, contrived look that worldly people paint on each new morning.

As I began to dig around in their lives, I discovered that it wasn’t what they had accumulated in the way of material possessions, (Some had them, others didn’t) finances, conquests, business accolades or awards. They all had one thing in common…they had entered into a relationship with this one they called Jesus. One of these “weird” people introduced me to Him and that was all it took. John 10:10 “I came that you might have life (The God kind of Life) and live it more abundantly!”

Paul continues on in the next verse…Phillipians 3:9ff “ I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, and experience his resurrection power…”

This describes my life perfectly…I literally gave up on all that “inferior stuff” so that I could allow “His resurrection power…” to come into my life and bring me into the place where He could lead me into a life that brought me to the fulfillment of my dreams.

One by one, He began to transform the individual areas of my life that had suffered from a lack of life through His Resurrection Power! I challenge you today to allow Him to breathe fresh life back into the areas of your life that have fizzled & died...Relationship with God, Hopes, dreams, futures, finances, physical & emotional health, relationships, faith, ability to love others and yourself, purpose, sanity, marriage, feelings, temperance, and victory.

He is looking for relationship with you-not religion. Invite Him into the areas of your life today that are lifeless. Take a moment with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be honest with you. Ask Him to show you the areas that need a dose of resurrection Power. When He reveals them to you…be honest with him and tell Him you need His Power to bring new life into that area!

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, Whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” If you really desire from the depths of your heart, a fresh breath of Resurrection Power, He will give it to you!

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, and experience his resurrection power…” Phillipians 3:10

STUFF IS JUST STUFF NO MATTER HOW YOU DRESS IT!

WALKING YOUR WAY UP WHEN YOU'RE DOWN!

1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical exercise has some value…”

For the last year I have been observing a major attack of depression on the Body of Christ and people in the world alike. I preached on “How to Defeat depression according to the Bible” just a few short weeks ago and have also written several recent articles right here on the Blog site!

Since the Lord created our bodies, He knows that physical exercise does have some value in our lives. 1 Timothy 4:8 as listed above continues to say “…but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward both in this life and the next.” Spiritual principles have the major place in dealing with depression for it deals with the root source of a wounded spirit.

However I read a recent article that I want to share with you on Exercising your way out of Depression! Does science line up with Scripture? Of course it does. “Physical exercise does have some value…”

Read the following quotes from the Article entitled Exercise and Depression” I’ll give you the link at the bottom of the message.

“Energy loss is one of the key characteristics of depression.”

“Exercise generates energy”

“There’s a whole series of things that happen when we begin to exercise. As we get up and begin to move and exercise, there’s a general bodily arousal state that occurs. It includes many different systems of the body -- everything from metabolism to cardiovascular activation, various kinds of endocrine changes in the brain, various kinds of hormonal changes and shifts."

“With moderate exercise, [in our research] we’ve been working with short, brisk walks [of] five or 10 minutes. The primary mood effect in that situation is increased energy. Secondarily, sometimes -- but not always -- there’s a tension reduction."

"With more intense exercise -- for example, an hour of heavy aerobic exercise -- there is a reduction in energy and a reduction in tension. But oftentimes, after recovery [from the workout], there’s an energy resurgence that occurs."

“Short, brisk walks’ studies really illustrates this point. People can think about ... how tired they’re feeling, then get up and begin to walk -- walking moderately, maybe quickly down the street for a short while. Immediately, they will begin to feel differently. As we’ve found with short, brisk walks of five to 10 to 15 minutes, there’s a significant increase in energy. They begin to feel it almost immediately."

“It’s a significant problem because when you’re depressed, you have no energy. When you think about exercising, you have no energy to try it. What I suggest is to start out very minimally, just getting up and walking a few steps or just down the street. Then as they begin to move a little bit, they start feeling differently, and they’re able to do some more."

“Exercise is vital."

"Exercise should be part of a treatment plan for depression. The exclusive use of exercise for depression could be a problem for various reasons. But it should be part of an entire treatment plan."

Check out the full article. http://health.webmd.com/cgi-bin21/DM/y/mBGi10MsAKT0GB0B5J80Fj

So the next time you are feeling blue, grab the Ipod, put on some Praise and Worship music and take a walk…even a short one. Let your body work the way it was designed. Start out with five-ten minutes and don’t feel the need to overdue it.

1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical exercise has some value…”

JUST A PERSONAL NOTE: BEGINNING TUESDAY JULY 13, 2010 @ 7:15 pm, I WILL BEGIN A SERIES ON "THE END TIMES" AT CALVARY CHAPEL. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE @ 410-969-5100. EVERY TUESDAY EVEBNING AT 7:15 LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE!

HELP IS IN THE WAY!

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 “As God’s partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God’s great kindness. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.”

So many people think that God is too busy ruling the affairs of the Universe to be involved in our daily situations, circumstances, trials and troubles. Don’t be fooled by this kind of thinking. It doesn’t take much of God’s attention or energy to rule the affairs of the Universe.

The Bible states that “The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command.” Hebrews 1:3 The entire Universe is being ruled by the Power of the words God has spoken. By each command He has given, the order of all things from galaxies to governments has been established and continues to govern their course unless God speaks a different command. That means that God has plenty of Himself (Time and Ability) left to be personally involved in your life!

2 Corinthians tells us that there is a “marvelous message of God’s great kindness” and that “God is ready to help you right now. TODAY is the day of salvation.” If you need help right now…TODAY then discover what the Bible has to say…

1) God is interested in you and the life you are living. 1Peter 5:7 “Cast all your cares upon him; for he cares for you.” Romans 5:8 “God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. John 10:10 “…I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”

2) God is interested in Today. The Past is history and Tomorrow will never arrive! Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” He told us “Sufficient for the day are the evils thereof.” The psalmist declares that “each and every morning His tender mercies and compassions are renewed” and that “daily He loads us down with His benefits.”

3) Recognize that even though matters have been handled by God, the manifestations may take time to be seen. In Mark chapter 11 we see the story of the fig tree that Jesus commanded to be fruitless. It wasn’t until the next day when they passed by again, that the disciples saw the manifestation of His command. Even though the leaves had not fallen off the first day, the roots of the tree were dead immediately upon His command.

4) Believe that He will rescue you today! Mark 9:23 “ Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.”

5) Walk in loving obedience with God. John 14:21 “He that has my commandments, and keeps them…I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

6) Confess your own inability and boast of His deliverance. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says when we do, the Power of Christ will be our portion.

7) Give God the praise. Psalm 22:3 “You are holy, O you Who inhabits the praises of Israel.” When you praise Him, He shows up on the scene. When He shows up on the scene, He brings forth His Salvation.

If you need His help today…pursue Him and discover Who He is. Tug on His heart strings today and watch His mercy flow toward you! You are His Child! He is your Father, and He wants to rescue you today!

WHEN YOU ARE IN LOVE...

Mark 12:30 “And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.”

I’m sure that each of you reading these thoughts today has been in love, in some form or other. The command that is above all commands that God has given us, is to love Him. Hosea 6:6 in one translation states it this way. “I don’t want your sacrifices, I want your love. I don’t want your offerings, I want you to know me.” TLB. Matthew 6:33 summarizes the benefits associated with our putting God first in our lives. “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”

In summary, here is what God says about the way it works… "I have created you to know Me and to love Me. If you will make our love relationship first in your life, I will provide everything for you!” Such an awesome deal for us… our response should be, “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

The question then remains to be answered… “How do we love someone?”

When you love someone you want to be with them all the time. Everywhere they go you want to go with them and wherever you go you feel empty unless they go too!

The object of our love consumes our thoughts. We can’t get them off our minds. We have reminders, love letters and pictures hanging all over our home. Maybe their favorite perfume is still clinging ever so slightly on your shirt where they last hugged you. Somehow that shirt doesn’t make it to the laundry so soon.

We purposely arrange to spend time with them. Perhaps a quick, unexpected visit to their office, or a thirty minute drive to their apartment just to say good night. You have to remember those days. When I first met my wife, I spent enough money in gasoline taxes, just driving back and forth between Pasadena and Annapolis to repave Richie Highway.

We are intentional in communicating with them. We spend hours on the smallest things; favorite colors, foods and hobbies. We explore their dreams, goals, fears and strengths. We talk. We listen, and share each other’s hearts. When we first fall in love, we really display the art of listening, because we care what they think and we want to hear it again and again.

The relationship begins to develop and we put them first; their wants, needs, and desires are our first and foremost goals. Our needs and desires become secondary and just don’t seem so important anymore. It’s all about the one we love!

We think of them the first thought in the morning, and often go to sleep with their name the last word on our breath. Multiple times throughout the day, just the passing thought is enough to lift us out of the doldrums of the day and motivate us to finish the day strong.

When we love someone, we actually do the things they like to do. I don’t like chick flicks, but every once in a while, I’ll fight my way through one, just to pleasure my wife! It’s the little things!

We are liberal in our spending when we first meet the “One.” It doesn’t matter how much, we are willing to spend what it takes to capture their heart. We tell everyone we know about the new person in our lives. We describe them in poetic terms, full of romance and adventure. All of our conversations revolve around the one we have chosen to love.

By now I’m sure you have the picture. Go back and review everything about loving someone and maybe even add some of your own thoughts in the comment section.

The question is, “Do you love Jesus?” I know we used to, especially when we first met Him in all His radiant glory. Is it any wonder that we continue to struggle in the daily affairs of our lives? He said “IF we loved Him first, He would take care of everything!” Matthew 6:33

If we have lost our first love and are treating the relationship with him on a casual basis; hot and cold; taking Him for granted; ignoring the reason for our creation, relationship with Him, then here is what He wants you to know right now. Revelation 2:4-5 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works…”

Jesus is saying “GO BACK TO THE BASICS...THE THINGS YOU DID WHEN YOU FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH ME. RECAPTURE THE LOVE…THE FIRST LOVE!” It’s a great day to rekindle your first love with Jesus…He’s waiting for you! Re-read the basics above and get started again!

The Love of Jesus to all of you!

EAGER TO LET HIM IN!

John 6 20-21 “…he called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” Then they were eager to let Him in, and immediately the boat arrived at their destination.”

Jesus had just healed a lame man who had been infirmed thirty eight years, proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that He was the Son of God, and fed five thousand men, plus women and children, from a few loaves and fishes. That evening Jesus’ disciples had gotten into a boat and began to sail to the other side of the lake without Jesus. Let me add right here. Don’t go anywhere without Jesus! You never know when you may encounter a storm!

These disciples had seen the healings, heard the proclamations and actually distributed the fish and bread to the multitudes. They knew from whence the power had flowed, yet they were determined to go it alone in the boat. In the very midst of gale force winds, (their troubles) Jesus approached them. They weren’t even calling out for His help, but He showed up on the scene with the end result that “immediately their boat arrived at their destination.”

1 Peter 5:7 says that “…He cares for you!” With Jesus on the scene and obedience to His command, nothing could stop that boat from reaching the other side in a hurry!

When all is hopeless and reliable means are failing you, you can trust in this fact: He cares for you and He will show up on the scene! There is however, a role for you to play!

You must place yourself in a position to hear His voice, His command. In this particular situation He commanded them “Don’t be afraid!” If the disciples had continued shouting and calling for help, they never would have heard His soothing and peaceful command. When you are in the middle of a stormy situation, you need to position yourself in a place where you can hear His call.

That means to calm down your fearful mind by reading His Word out loud, by singing praises or just shouting His Name. David called on his Deliverer while facing the giant. David “encouraged himself in the Lord” while everyone in Ziklag wanted to kill him. Paul and Silas shouted praise at midnight while stuck on prison. Then hear what He has to speak into your heart!

Do what He says. Apparently in this situation He told the disciples to let Him into the boat, because the Bible says “…they were eager to let Him in the boat." In John 15, Jesus tells us that, if we obey Him, we will remain connected with him, and that nothing will be impossible. Remember that there is always a way out, or through, or around, your situation or circumstance. 1Corinthians 10:13 “…God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (troubled) above that which you can handle; but will with the temptation (trouble) also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Sometimes He shows the way out, or around the trouble. Sometime He allows you to go through the fiery trail. Father knows best! Whatever way He chooses, even if it’s through it, He will be with you, speaking to you, encouraging you and empowering you. Daniel 3:27 says that the fire could not harm the three Hebrew young men and that even the smell of smoke was not allowed upon their garments. In Daniel 3:30 we are told that they received a “promotion” after having gone through their fire!

Are you eager to “let Him in” today? If He wants to come in your boat, let Him in. If He wishes to row, let Him row. If He wants to steer let Him steer. If He wants you to row or steer, row or steer. Your boat is soon to arrive at its destination, if you will hear and obey! Let HIM in the Boat!

THE POWER SOURCE

2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (discipline, self control)

Everyone knows that appliances work better when they’re plugged in. They may look like they can perform, but unless they are connected, they will not function as they were designed. Neither will we! The Bible tells us that we “..can do all things through Christ who strengthens…” us. Phillipians 4:13 But unless we stay connected with God through obedience, prayer, fellowship, worship and living righteous, we suffer a case of disconnection and must endure the consequences of voluntarily separating ourselves from Him and His Power! Jesus stated in John 15:5 “…apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

God has provided us with a threefold power source and in 2 Timothy 1:7 He identifies them as the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Love, and the Spirit of a sound mind or “self control.”

1) Spirit of Power…Everyone has attempted to live life by our own abilities and strength, and we’ve failed to break the habits that consume us, and to live free from the hurts and the memories of our past. We need His power, His Divine Ability, in order to live the right way, and to make changes we know are essential. This power is from Almighty God and is available, if we remain connected with Him.

2) Spirit of Love…We want to be able to love others and to have them love us in return, like we’ve always dreamed of, but never achieved. We want to let go of the fear of being hurt by the people we love. As one author stated, “We want the ability to establish deep, meaningful, authentic relationships rather than superficial, hurtful, selfish relationships.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to love freely? The reality of this power is only available in and from the Spirit of Love, and by the way, He is available to live within you! Romans 5:5 declares that “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.”

3) Spirit of Sound Mind (Self Control)…The fact remains, that it is impossible for us to get it all together in this crazy world without Divine Intervention. You are not designed to operate on your own ability. You may wish to run your car on water instead of gasoline, but that’s not the way it was designed. In the same manner, you were created to run on His Divine Ability, not your own. When we give up playing God in our own little world, He will intervene and surge into our situations and circumstances and deliver us from evil, and all of its complications.

You can access this power Source as long as you choose to remain connected to Him, as your exclusive power source! What have you got to lose? Put Him first in all that you do, and He will take care of the rest! Matthew 6:33.

TODAY!

Time once spent, cannot be reclaimed, so invest it wisely! 2 Corinthians 6:1 "Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us." The Message

How was your day? Was it filled with the same old routine stuff, meandering throughout the obstacles of the day? Perhaps you floated all the way through, just holding your breath that nothing out of the ordinary would throw you off course. Maybe it was a day full of bitterness, pain, and heartache, and your head throbbed and your heart pounded to the rhythm of the hurt. Perhaps the deep depression got even darker today and those nagging, desperate thoughts plagued your mind once again. Sometimes you just can’t feel, find, or see the Hand of God upon your life.

Today I want you to take a deep breath and reflect on what the Holy Spirit has to say to you! He says “please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given you!” In other words, don’t waste the opportunities to enjoy what God has set before you in each and every day. It is indeed a marvelous life if we stop to reflect on Who Jesus is in our lives and What He’s done for us! This could be the day of your Victory if you would begin to praise him in the midst of your dungeon experience. He “always causes us to triumph in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 He has defeated death and there isn't anything left that that He has not conquered!

Let me ask you this question. Are you aware of anyone who is not under some sort of pressure, trauma, trial or testing? Everybody I know is going through something. Everyone has issues! The good news is that you have someone to go through the fire with you! Listen as Jesus’ Words come alive in Matthew 28::20 “…I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Sometimes it seems impossible, but you need to know miracles usually aren’t necessary when things are still under our control. Jesus is the God of Possibility when He is invited into the midst of your impossibilities!

Acts 16:23-ff states that after Paul and Silas had been beaten many times and were thrown into a deep, dark dungeon, in the darkest hour of night, they began to remember Who was with them. They began to praise Him, because they understood that God shows up on the scene when He hears His Name being lifted up. I believe that the darker it is, the quicker He appears and the brighter He shines. God showed up on the scene and broke them out of the place of bondage. The same God, Who moved Joseph from the Prison to the Palace; Who walked with Daniel in the lion’s den and delivered Him from certain doom; The same Jesus Who was the “Fourth Man” in the fire with Shadrach, Meshak and Abednigo and brought them through the fire “without even the smell of smoke upon their garments;” He is with you right now and He has come to deliver you and set you free!

Stop pursuing liberty and freedom and begin to pursue the “Way, Truth and the Life!” We are not speaking of the pursuit of a place; but the pursuit of a Person! He will set you free! Stop looking for the way out of your situation and circumstances, and begin to look for the way into “abiding” with Him where He can fill you with His Presence and His Power. Listen very carefully.

Evil can not and will not stay in His Presence. His Word declares to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 The Word of God declares concerning today… "This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Psalm 118:6 also states that “…the Lord God is on my side, I will not fear what man can do to me!”

God is on your side!
You can not lose.
Just don’t quit!
Start praising Him right now and see if He doesn’t show up.
Make a sacrifice of praise! It’s easy to praise Him when everything is going along fine. Lift up your hands and voices and call on His Name. God is waiting on you!

Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness will cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” I can see Him right now!

REMEMBER!

Our God is a God of Remembrance. He enjoys recalling to His mind such things as people who have a fear or reverential awe of Who He is, or people who set their minds on Him and the things of His Kingdom. He even has a Book of Remembrance for those people as stated in Malachai 3:16-18 "Then those who feared and loved the Lord spoke often of him to each other. And he had a Book of Remembrance drawn up in which he recorded the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. “They shall be mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “in that day when I make up my jewels...Then you will see the difference between God’s treatment of good men and bad, between those who serve him and those who don’t."

The word remember or remembrance means "to call to mind, usually by a verbal declaration, or to rehearse an experience orally." The Bible is filled with God's commands to build altars and memorials to

remember the grace of God after deliverance, provision and victories, etc.. We are commanded to remember or rehearse the goodness and greatness of God even to our children. "We will not hide these truths from our children, but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord. We will tell of His power and the mighty miracles He did." Psalm 78:4

Revelation 12:12 states that we "overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony." That means that we declare with our mouths and believe in our hearts exactly WHO Jesus is, and WHAT He's done for us." JESUS Said in 1 Corinthians 11 and Luke 22 “as often as you do this do it in remembrance of me.” Call to remembrance...REHEARSE THE TERMS

Exactly what are the TERMS OF THE COVENANT? What should we remember? What should we declare? Who is He? What has He done? Let me give you something to declare!

Ephesians 1: 19 declares "I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His Power for us who believe Him."

WHO HE IS...Ephesians 1:20-23 Message translation

HE...

WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD,
SITS ON A THRONE IN DEEPEST HEAVEN,
IS IN CHARGE OF RUNNING THE UNIVERSE,
EVERYTHING FROM GALAXIES TO GOVERNMENTS,
NO NAME, NO POWER EXEMPT FROM HIS RULE,
FOREVER,
IS IN CHARGE OF IT ALL,
HAS THE FINAL WORD ON EVERYTHING,
RULES HIS CHURCH, HIS BODY
THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THIS WORLD,
IN WHICH HE SPEAKS AND ACTS,
AND FILLS EVERYTHING WITH HIS PRESENCE!

Ephesians 1:18 "...I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to his people(YOU)."

WHAT HE'S DONE FOR YOU!

SON OF GOD.John 1:2

FREE FROM THE CONSEQUENCE AND TYRANNY OF SIN. Romans 6:6

TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. 1 Corinthians 6:19

FREE FROM CONDEMNATION Romans 8:1

I AM BORN OF GOD 1 John 5:1

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD 2 Corinthians 5:21

I HAVE PURPOSE IN GOD. Romans 8:28

PARTAKER OF HIS DIVINE NATURE 2 Peter 1:4

REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE Galatians 3: 13

DELIVERED FROM THE POWERS OF DARKNESS Colossians 1:13

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD John 15:14

I AM A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, CHOSEN BY GOD 1 Peter 2:9

I AM GOD’S WORKMANSHIP Ephesians 2:12

I HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE, I BELONG TO GOD! 1 Corinthians 6:20

INVESTED WITH THE POWER OF THE NAME OF JESUS John 14:13

ANOINTED WITH THE POWER AND ABILITY OF ALMIGHTY GOD. Acts 1:8

A MEMBER OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST 1 Corinthians 12:27

I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST 1 Corinthians 2:16

I HAVE THE WISDOM OF GOD. James 1:5

I POSSESS ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS Ephesians 1:3

I HAVE EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO LIFE OR GODLINESS. 2 Peter 1:3

THE ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING HE ASKS ME TO DO. Phil 4:13

GOD WORKS FOR MY GOOD IN ALL MY CIRCUMSTANCES. Romans 8:28

I CAN NOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD. Romans 8:39

I HAVE A SPIRIT OF POWER, LOVE AND SOUND MIND. 2 Timothy 1:7

THE EVIL ONE CAN NOT TOUCH ME. 1 John 5:18

I AM A MINISTER OF RECONCILIATION FOR GOD. 2 Corinthians 5:18

I CAN COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE FOR MERCY AND GRACE He 4:16

GOD ALWAYS CAUSES ME TO TRIUMPH 2 Corinthians 2:14

HE SUPPLIES ALL OF MY NEED. Phillipians 4:19

HEIR OF GOD. Galatians 4:7

LIGHT OF THE WORLD, SALT OF THE EARTH. Matthew 5:13-14

REFRESHED IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Acts 3:19

I KNOW THE WAY & I HAVE THE TRUTH. John 14:6

HEALED BY HIS STRIPES. 1 Peter 2:24

I WALK BY FAITH, I AM NOT MOVED BY WHAT I SEE. 2 Corinthians 5:7

I AM AN ABLE MINISTER OF RECONCILIATION 2 Corinthians 3:6

I AM FREE Romans 8:2

NOTHING BY ANY MEANS CAN HARM ME. Luke 10:19

NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER. Isaiah 54:17

AN OVERCOMER BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WORD OF MY TESTIMONY! Revelations 12:12

And Many, many, many, More!

Begin today to daily make your declarations as to Who Jesus is and What He has done for you! Declare it and meditate on it, until it becomes a reality in your heart. God is raising up the sleeping giant within!

WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME!

Ephesians 1:16-18 “I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you." In my last writings entitled “Do You see Clearly?” we addressed the issue of exactly Who Jesus is.

Ephesians 1:19-21 delivers a description as clearly and fully as any in the Bible. “God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.”

Today I wish to lead you on an incredible journey destined to lead you into the Truth of who you are, and what He has done for you! Do you remember the distorted mirrors located at the old fashioned boardwalk penny arcades? If that was the only image you had ever seen of yourself, then that’s exactly how you would see yourself today. Big fat butt; 15” neck, little short legs, etc.. The image you have received from the world, peers, enemies and parents have all led to a basic distortion of the facts concerning who you are today.

In the Mirror of Truth, the Bible, the truth is revealed clearly, and as you read through this writing and the next several, you are going to have to exchange a lot of your stinking thinking for the truth. “He goes away and immediately forgets what manner of man he is.” James 1:24 The “new creation” man, unless he has made a careful study and received revelation of who he is in Christ, in the time of pressure and stress will forget “what manner of man he is.”

We unconsciously lapse back into our old way of living and our old mindsets seeing ourselves as we were, not as we are. With that viewpoint we are most readily dismayed and easily defeated. In that moment all of the sense knowledge we have accumulated over the years roars back into prominence and guides our thinking and beliefs, destroying any faith that attempts to surface in our moment of need. How often since you have become the new creation, have you forgotten what manner of person you have become?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” 1 Corinthians 5:17-18 here is what the Mirror of Truth is telling us today!

1) You are a “new creation.” That old sickly, weak, fear filled, worthless, do-nothing, inadequate, inferior, insignificant, sinful, empty, meaningless, person you may have been no longer exists. You get to start all over again, and your new beginning states that you HAVE NO PAST!

2) “All things have become new and all things are of God” God has breathed into your life a whole new beginning, a fresh start. Remember that God doesn’t make any junk! Now all that you have and all that you are, is filled with the Divine potential of the Power of God. Everything inside of me is greater than anything in this evil, crazy world! (1 John 4:4)

3) “I am reconciled to God.” That means that God has re-established the close, intimate, personal relationship which beforehand was non existent. I can sing “I am a Friend of God,” and sing it in truth. I am acceptable to God and the separation the sin issue had established between God and me, has been settled and resolved by the Cross!

4) I have a Ministry…a Purpose. One of the most frustrating issues of life is meaninglessness or lack of purpose. God Himself has given me a Divine Purpose in directing me to be a Minister of Reconciliation to others who don’t know Him! I have a reason to get out of bed in the morning; something with eternal significance!

Say it to your self. Ask God to give you a revelation of these facts!

I am a new Creation. Everything in me is of God. I am a Friend of God. I have purpose! With these truths firmly planted in your mind and heart, how can you be defeated? When once again the pressures rise and prepare to attack, remind them and remind yourself of these facts: I am God’s Friend, a New Creation, He has reformulated me and filled me with an indestructible ministry!

Meditate on these until next Wednesday when we’ll be learning about Sonship and Righteousness!