Month: December 2008

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Teach Them His Ways

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all… (Romans 4:16, KJV)

…that he might be the father of all them that believe… (Romans 4:11, KJV)

A childless man believed God, it was counted unto him righteousness, and he became the father of us all, the father of faith.

The promise he received from God was that he would become the father of many nations. Why Abraham? I think a very important clue to this is found in Genesis chapter eighteen.

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD… (Genesis 18:19, KJV)

For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord… (Genesis 18:19, Amp)

Abraham’s faith was important, but what was also very important was that he would teach his children to trust and believe in God. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he is called the “father” of us all. What is a father to do? Teach and command his children.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us that we are to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (KJV).  What was the way that God knew Abraham would train his children? “In the way of the LORD.” God’s way. And let’s not forget God is love (1 John 4:8). When he taught his children God’s ways, he was teaching his children love’s ways.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:4-7, KJV)

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up… That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children… as the days of heaven upon earth… diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to cleave unto him… (Deuteronomy 11:18-19, 21-22, KJV)

As parents there are many things we teach our children, but the most important thing we can teach them is about God, Who is love, and His ways.

Teach them to love the LORD their God with all their heart, with all their mind, with all their soul and with all their strength. Teach them to love their neighbor as they do themselves. Train them in the ways of God, in the ways of love and they will not depart from it.

When we read through the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11), we see men and women of faith doing mighty exploits. We see Abel, Enoch, and Noah. We see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (He did teach his children.) We see Sarah, Joseph, Moses and Joshua. Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel and many others. By faith they did mighty exploits, but let’s not forget that without love faith won’t work (Galatians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 13:2).

…if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). (1 Corinthians 13:2, Amplified)

Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8, NKJV)

Teach them to love and you have taught them to walk in ways that never fail. For with God, with Love, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37, 1 John 4:8).

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Faith is Now

Once again I am sitting here listening to a song, Love is Here by Tenth Avenue North.

Love is here. 
Love is now. 
Love is pouring from 
His hands, from his brows. 
Love is near, it satisfies. 
Streams of mercy flowing from his side. 
Cuz love is here. 

It reminds me of a special time with a precious woman in a nursing home. She said she read in the Bible about a time God would restore that which was lost. She wanted to know when that time was. Now or in heaven?

God put it on my heart to share with her about the time that Lazarus was raised from the dead. Jesus said Lazarus would rise again. Martha said she knew he would rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus’ response, “I am the resurrection, and the life…” (John 11:25, KJV). He proceeded to raise Lazarus not in the last day, but that day. He was the promise of things to come standing there in the flesh.

I shared with this precious lady that this promised restoration was based on Jesus and that just like He was Resurrection to Lazarus that day, He was Restoration to her right now. She hadn’t seen her son in four years and so we prayed for her son to be restored to her. Her son showed up at the nursing home that night.

Hebrews 11 tells us of the mighty things accomplished by Godly men and women when they simply trusted in, leaned on and relied on God and His word, when they had faith in God and His word. Hebrews 11 begins by telling us that “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (v. 1, KJV). 

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. (Hebrews 11:1, Amplified)

Faith is now. The promises are based on Jesus and He has come in the flesh. He has died on the cross. He has risen from the dead. He has fulfilled the law. He is even now seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father interceding for you and for me.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Corinthians 1:20, KJV)

For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20, Amplified)

So to all those promises you have from God in His Word I say (and you say), “In Jesus Name, Amen (so be it)”.

…be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:38, KJV)

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The Power of Love

A friend sent me an article and it so epitomized the love of God that I wanted to share it with you. 

…if we try to influence or elevate others, we shall soon see that success is in proportion to their belief of our belief in them. For the respect of another is the first restoration of the self-respect a man has lost; our ideal of what he is becomes to him the hope and pattern of what he may become. (Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World, 1891)

…You have loved back my life from the pit of corruption and nothingness, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back. (Isaiah 38:17, Amplified)

Click on the link below to read the article: 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

Believe the best of someone today. Let Him love back their lives through you.

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Christ

In the past few years there has been much talk and many grassroots campaigns to “keep ‘Christ’ in Christmas”. I say amen to that as I am sure many others do as well. But I wonder if people really know the true weight of that word “Christ”. For many it may simply be a part of Jesus’ Name. But what does this word Christ truly mean?

Christ is a Greek word that means ‘anointed’. Jesus was the Anointed One. And what was He anointed with?

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound… (Isaiah 61:1, KJV)

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38, KJV)

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:2-5, KJV)

It wasn’t His last name. It was Who He was and What He carried… the Anointed One and His anointing.

So what does this mean in our lives? Well, with the knowledge of the true meaning of the word ‘Christ’, how much more truth and power is revealed to us in Philippians 4:13?

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (KJV)

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me… (Amplified)

This Anointing, this strength in Jesus healed the sick, fed the multitudes and raised the dead.

Yes, let’s keep ‘Christ’ in Christmas, but let’s also see to it that we keep Christ in every day of our lives and change this world to the Glory of God!

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Knowing God

Know Him.

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly]… (Philippians 3:10, Amplified)

Know love and know Him.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1 John 4:7, KJV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. (1 John  4:7, Amplified)

My prayer for you:

May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself  indwelling your innermost being and personality]. May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and  become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! (Ephesians 3:16-19, Amplified)

Know love, know Him, know adventures in God.

…the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]. (Daniel 11:32, KJV)

My words to Him:

I will never be satisfied unless I do mighty exploits for You Lord.

His words to me (and to you):

Seek Me. You will be satisfied and We will do mighty exploits together.

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God With Us

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].(Isaiah 7:14, Amplified)

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23, KJV)

God with us. I’ve been thinking about that this morning. It was His idea. He was the One that wanted to be with us. There is so much I can say about that, but right now we need to take time to just think on ‘God with us’. It was His desire and He sent His Son to this earth, knowing He would suffer and die on a cross, so that He, God could be with us.

What amazing love.

For with God, nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37, KJV)

Through Jesus we are with Him and He is with us.

And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages: They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well… And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied [it]. (Mark 16:17-18, 20; Amplified)

While the Lord kept working with them.

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Free to Love

Love “seeketh not her own”. (1 Corinthians 13:5, KJV)

In Britain the Englishman is devoted, and rightly, to his rights. But there come times when a man may exercise even the higher right of giving up his rights. Yet Paul does not summon us to give up our rights. Love strikes much deeper. It would have us not seek them at all, ignore them, eliminate the personal element altogether from our calculations. It is not hard to give up our rights. They are often external. The difficult thing is to give up ourselves. (Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing In The World, 1891)

Unfortunately these days, it is not hard to find examples of selfishness in this world. We see it on the roads. We see it in the stores. We see it in our homes. Impatience, unkindness, rudeness because someone is not getting their way, their needs met, their interests considered. Fear of not getting what they feel they need or feel they deserve. Fear of being taken advantage of or being taken for granted. At the center of all this is “What about me.”

And here in 1 Corinthians we see that we are not to seek our own interests, but the interests of others. For some this may cause fear or even anger to rise up in their hearts. Why? Because they don’t really know the love of the Father. When you really know how much He loves you and that He has your best interest in His heart, you are now free to love without a care in the world.

Spend time daily in the Presence of Love Himself. Let His Words of Love penetrate your heart. Let the Spirit of Love overwhelm you with a sense of being loved by your heavenly Father. Receive the love that He has for you.

How will you know that you are receiving His love? You will be overwhelmed by a sense of peace and joy. And you will find that in your interactions with others, you are not the center of your focus. You will not be looking for what they can do for you, but what you can do for them. You will not be afraid of what your interaction with this person might cost you. You will be free to love because you know the King of the Universe loves you and He is taking care of you.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? (Psalm 118:6, KJV)

Love is on your side. Get in the flow of that love by trusting in Him and in His love for you, and by loving Him and letting Him freely love others through you.

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Vitally United

Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [ Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5, Amplified)

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7, Amplified)

If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love. (John 15:10, Amplified)

This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. (John 15:12, Amplified)

We are to live vitally united to God. Now the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that God is love. He doesn’t just have love, He is love. Everything He says, everything He does is motivated and permeated with love, because that’s Who and what He is. So how do you remain vitally united to this kind of Being? By love.

Why a commandment of love? Because it keeps us vitally united to Him. Not just connected to Him, but in such union with Him, that His love in us now motivates and permeates all that we do.

Jesus was an example of this. We see over and over in the Gospels that Jesus was moved with compassion. We also know from scripture that He only said and He only did what He saw and heard the Father do. He was love in action. He was motivated by love and He was permeated by love. And when that love overflowed from His being people were healed, delivered, fed miraculously and even raised from the dead.

And God wants to do the same through you. Receive His love. Believe His love. Walk in His love. Remain vitally united to Love and let Him motivate and permeate all that you do.

…if I have [sufficient] faith so that can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). (1 Corinthians 13:2, Amplified)

…faith which worketh by love. (Galatians 5:6, KJV)

…faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love. (Galatians 5:6, Amplified)

For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 137, KJV)

For with God, vitally united to Love Himself, nothing shall be impossible.

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With God

This precious Bible that I hold never ceases to amaze me. It is so intricate. Just when you think you’ve seen all there is to see in a scripture, you turn it ever so slightly, the Light hits it at a different angle and you see a whole new facet of God and His word. No single word can be taken for granted. Even a little word like the word ‘with’ tells us so much and can make a big difference in our lives.

First, lets take a look at the meaning of this little word. The American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster (1828) in defining the word ‘with’ says, “The primary sense is to press, or to meet, to unite…”

Yesterday I visited a precious woman in the hospital. She was very discouraged and very depressed about her situation. Just that morning the doctor had told her what she was going to have to do to fully recover. It looked very much like an impossible, uphill battle. She was sure she couldn’t do it. But I knew she could. Why? Because of God. He makes all the difference in every situation.

For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37, KJV)

With God. I shared with this precious lady that as impossible as her situation appears to be, if she would ask God and trust God to take hold with her, the impossible just became possible. He never asked her to do this alone. He never wanted her to do this alone.

We see men and women doing impossible things all throughout the Bible. How did they do them? With God, united to Him.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:4-5, KJV)

Without Him we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible.

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A Yielded Vessel

This morning I’ve been thinking about Christmas. I love this time of year with all the decorations, the gifts, and the gatherings. I love wrapping gifts, putting up the tree, and playing Christmas music. But this morning, that’s not what I was thinking about. I was thinking about a young girl at the center of the story of Christ’s birth. I was thinking about His mother, Mary.

Lets take a look at some scriptures that mention this mighty woman of God, who started out as a yielded young girl.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:22-23, KJV)

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33, KJV)

She was a young virgin, engaged to be married and God was asking her to carry His Son. It was going to cost her. It used to be quite a stigma in our society for a young, unmarried girl to become pregnant. But in Mary’s day, it was much more than a stigma, she could be stoned to death for such a thing.

But in the questions she asked and the things she said, I don’t see her thinking about what this might cost her, but just curious about how this could be.

Then said, Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:34-35, KJV)

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. (Luke 1:38, KJV)

Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. (Luke 1:38, Amplified)

No questions of “What about me?” or “What about my reputation?” “What about my life.” Her response was “I am His. And my life is His to do with as He wills.”

While this was so strange, so new, so impossible she never doubted Him. She believed Him and trusted Him with her life.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. (Luke 1:45, KJV)

She yielded spirit, soul and body and brought forth the Son of God.

God has plans for each of us. They may seem strange and impossible. But if He’s asking I guarantee you it will be marvelous and wonderful. Yield today in all that He asks. Love the unlovely. Forgive the unforgivable. Step out on His word and do the works. Yield yourself to Him and to His plans and let His power work in you and through you to change this world forever. All to the glory of God.