Break The Box!

"And while He [Jesus] was in Bethany, a guest in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at a table, a woman came with an alabaster box of ointment (perfume) of pure nard , very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured the perfume over His head.

But there were some who were moved with indignation and said to themselves, 'To what purpose was the ointment (perfume) wasted? For it was possible to have sold this perfume for more than 300 denarii [a laboring man's wages for a year] and to have given the money to the poor.' And they censured and reproved her.

But Jesus said, "Leave her alone; why are you troubling her? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me [praiseworthy and noble]. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have Me. She has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for burial. And surely I tell you, wherever the Good News (Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."
                                                               Mark 14:3-9




It was six days before the Passover, which means the date was the Friday before the triumphal entry (John 12:1). This story is placed right in the middle of Judas' betrayal and the account of the plots to arrest Jesus. Mark does this to contrast the treachery of Judas and the religious leaders with the love and loyalty of Mary. It's as if the ugliness of their sins and actions highlights the beauty of her sacrifice all the more.

John tells us that this is Mary of  Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary was very close to Jesus and she loved Him very much. She wanted to express this love because He was going to the cross for her. She prepared His body for burial as she anointed His head and His feet.

Her sacrifice was lavish and expensive. At that time, spikenard was imported from India and a whole jar would have cost the equivalent of a whole year's salary. Yet she unashamedly worshipped and loved her Lord. As a result, Jesus commended Mary and willingly accepted her extravagant gift.

There was absolutely no other explanation for this unselfish act except for the true love and devotion that Mary had towards Jesus. Faith and love propelled her to give her very best and she was content with only His approval, knowing that he understood her heart and was blessed by her sacrifice. She broke the box and it is that sacrifice still today that blesses and continues to perpetuate a sweet aroma to all who remember.

Just as Mary of Bethany lived in a unique time in history, so do followers of Christ today. Whether we recognize it or not, we are very close to ushering in the Second coming of Christ. As we witness events in this world growing increasingly wicked, we, too, have the opportunity to shine brightly in contrast to the darkness around us.

Sacrifice seems to be a concept that eludes many. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word sacrifice means, "the act or ceremony of making an offering to God; something offered;  the act of giving up something for the sake of someone or something else, especially to help others". The Latin word sacer means "holy", so true sacrifice is that which is offered up to God typically for the sake of others.

In a "me-centered" culture, we somehow have lost the essence of sacrifice. Many habitually consider themselves and their nucleus of concerns as all that exists in this world. Yet, there is so much more! The extension of God's kingdom is paramount in this time and we would do well to focus on that.

If self is the focal point, then there is a barrier between our desires and the purposes of God. Imagine that the barrier becomes a box that self-contains and keeps out the truly important plans that God has for us. The box that houses our brains must be broken in order to shift from a mind that serves self to a mind that seeks to serve God. We were not placed on this earth to be consumers of Christianity; we were placed here to advance and extend the Kingdom of God. And that will not happen until we learn to effectively sacrifice unto the Lord.

Because God placed His Spirit within us, "His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)" (2 Peter 1:3). This means that we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10), and, as we mature, we exemplify more and more of the characteristics of Jesus. Therefore, each day we should reveal His beauty and grace in increasing measure.

We do this by sacrificing our time, service, praise, submission, and even our tears. We do this by realizing it is not about us. We do this by truly understanding the times in which we live and what we need to do in light of that knowledge.

Being Spirit-minded and mature is who we are called to be. Whatever journey God has given you to traverse, remember that every bit of it is designed to bring discipline and greater spiritual mindedness. This occurs so that we may share in His holiness and it will ultimately "yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).

We have to think about the future and what it will be like 100 years from now. If it won't matter then, it shouldn't matter now. Thomas a' Kempis said, "Set aside the things of time, and seek those of eternity."

When the apostle, Paul, wrote, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according too the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5), he was referring to our thoughts, affections, and desires. So, either we walk in unity with the desires of God or we find ourselves in rebellion to His will and His ways. Too many believers today think they are in unity with God, when, in fact, the very god that they serve is themselves.

There are three practical ways we can break the box of carnality in our lives:
               1. We fill our minds with God's Word (2 Timothy 3:16)
               2. We ask for the help of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119:18)
               3. We practice the presence of the Holy Spirit, remembering He is with us always
                   (John 14:16)

We live in exciting times and I believe it is "all hands on deck". Not one of us are here at this time and season by chance, and not one of us have an insignificant role to play. We are chosen, called, empowered, and accompanied by an Almighty God. Like Mary of Bethany, all we have to do is to "break the box"!


"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most about the next."
                                                              C.S. Lewis

Resurrection Joy

"You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew [O Lord] is a dew of sparkling light [heavenly, supernatural dew]; and the earth shall cast forth the dead to life again [for on the land of the shades of the dead You will let Your dew fall]."
                                                                  Isaiah 26:19




Easter is a beautiful time of renewal and new life. It is celebrated during a season of new growth in the earth, where trees and foliage begin to awaken after the dormancy of a long winter. It is a new season of hope and joy and when you add to that the supernatural power of Jesus' resurrection, it is a time that should fill our hearts to overflowing. This, to the follower of Christ, is the very essence of our faith and God intentionally and divinely gives us this gift after the winter season.

This year, both Easter and Passover occur simultaneously. Passover is what happened to the Israelites when the angel of death passed over their homes because of the blood that was over the doorposts. The angel passes over that which has died and averts the judgment of God. This is a reminder to each of us that we are dependent on God for deliverance and that we are in constant need for renewal in our lives.

Jesus celebrated the Passover, but He also added to it the importance of His impending death and resurrection. The Cross, for believers, is what Passover was to the Israelites. Without Jesus' death and resurrection we would never have been saved or given the gift of eternal life with God. It is always is love and grace that provides a joyful way forward for those who are in Christ.

John Piper says, "The best news of the Christian gospel is that the supremely glorious Creator of the universe has acted in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to remove every obstacle between us and Himself so that we may find everlasting joy in seeing and savoring His infinite beauty."

When Isaiah penned the prophetic words above to the nation of Israel, he was speaking to a people who were buried in the dust of their former glory. They had been hand-picked as God's chosen people but 70 years had lapsed since they really knew God or had heard Him or experienced the joy that only comes from Him. He spoke to their spiritual condition and admonished that this drought was about to end.

Restoration was in sight for these beleaguered children of God. Isaiah had already announced God's great victory over death (25:7-8), and now he was reassuring them that God would supernaturally give them life-giving dew to resurrect them from the dust. He assured them of the new life that would spring forth as a result of God's faithfulness.

God was indeed answering the prayers of the remnant that continued to seek after Himself. He offered them comfort and assurances of His promises and protection. Divine providence would provide the life-giving nutrients they needed to once again become the dynamic force in the earth that God had created them to be. He would resurrect what was dead and had been buried.

When God resurrected Jesus, He was assuring us that one day we, too, would be resurrected. It was a promise He gave that should daily bring us joy. The apostle, Paul, echoed this when he said, "Every time you plant seed, you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up, growing] unless it dies first... So it is with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable and decays, but the body that is resurrected is imperishable [and immortal]" (1 Corinthians 15:36,42).

The point he was making is that the seeds that are initially sown when we plant grains are not the exact harvest that occurs later. The harvest is more beautiful than what was planted and it achieves the purpose and fruitfulness for which it was intended. The seed must break down and die, however, before this occurs.

This is why God requires that "You must be born again" (John 3:7).  Being born in the natural is not the same as being born again spiritually. God rejects the flesh but accepts the new life He gives to us spiritually. We have to die to our old ways of doing things and come alive to the things that God has ordained for us. In this, we conform to the image of Christ until, one day, when we are resurrected, we will bear the image of our Savior when we share in His glory.

Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life. While we live in a culture that insists there are many paths to heaven, that is not what the Bible tells us. Jesus chose to leave His throne in heaven, endured much pain and suffering, and then forgave those that inflicted such horrific abuse. It is this kind of unexplainable, crazy love that God has for each of us, as well as the provision we need to spend eternity with Him.

God sent Jesus to us to die for a sinful people so that we sinful people could come back to life. It was love that was the catalyst and it will be love that completes the redemption process. Only God could take something this gruesome and turn it into something as beautiful as our salvation and eternal life in Him.

He does the same thing for us in our day to day lives. He takes that which is dormant or dead and He breathes new life upon it and uses it for His glory. When we are "crucified with Christ and no longer live [then] it is Christ who lives in us. The life we live now in the body, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us" (Galatians 2:20). Jesus died to give us this kind of resurrection life.

Because we are "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37), we can confidently walk in the newness of this resurrection life, knowing that we are: unconditionally loved, completely forgiven, fully redeemed, a new creation, and totally transformed from the inside out. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and gives us the gift of His indwelling power. Therefore, dead things must come alive in the name of Jesus.

This week, as you reflect on the beauty of what Jesus has done for you and made available to you, focus on any areas that need resurrection life and power. Let faith arise to believe that God will breathe on these places in our life and make them alive and powerful. Seek God in your prayers and petitions and remember that He is always faithful to complete what He has started.  This will bring the resurrection life and joy that Jesus provided for us long ago.


                                      HAVE A BLESSED RESURRECTION DAY!!!!!!


                               

Providence, Power, and Grace

"He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them."
                                                               1 Samuel 2:8




Blessings come in every shape and size. Often, they can be obscure and hidden from our sight. What we might view as a trial or a challenge could simultaneously be the biggest blessing in our life when it is held in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father and transformed into the very gift that will forever bless our hearts and alter our testimony. God has absolute power over all things, and, in His providence, He intertwines His grace to display His glory in unprecedented ways.

This is the lesson that Hannah learned. Her eyes were opened to see that the very God of Providence was also the God who created the heavens and the earth. Both nature and providence melded together by a force far greater than our minds can conceive. This union yielded awe and wonder from the recipient of God's marvelous grace.

Her very name means "gracious" or "graciousness" or "favor". She was the favorite wife of her husband, Elkanah, who was a Levite of one of the most honorable tribes of Jacob's offspring. Hannah was loved and treasured by her husband and their lives together were abundantly blessed, with the exception of one desire. More than anything, she longed to bear a son to carry on her husband's lineage and legacy. For a season, she felt like her life was anything but blessed.

Possibly through the urging of Hannah, Elkanah married another woman named Peninnah. This new wife gave him several children while she goaded Hannah whenever she could. It wasn't enough to be grateful for the gifts God had given to her. She also had to cruelly and repeatedly rub it in to the woman who held the affection of he husband's heart.

Despite the afflictions and persecutions that shrouded the beginning of her marriage, what Hannah probably didn't see at the time was that God was using these difficulties to forge a character that would forever bless the world. She was set apart to the Lord and she slowly learned how to daily receive the grace that was needed in order to rise above her circumstances. Her soul found peace and she cried out to the Lord both day and night.

The contrast between Hannah and Peninnah displays the differences between the weak and the strong in the earth. Often, the strong ridicule and mock the weak, but God hears and rescues the "Hannahs" in the world. God's heart is stirred when we humbly cry out to Him. He uses our weaknesses to accomplish great things!

Her husband tried unsuccessfully to fill the void in Hannah's heart. He said to her, "Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" (1 Samuel 1:8). He attempted to fill a heart that gaped from perceived loss and sorrow. He tried to do what only God could do, but it was to no avail. In fact, his efforts only provoked more anger and retaliation from Peninnah. Jealousy was stoked within her and she lashed out her fury fire at every opportunity.

Years passed and Hannah's pain intensified. As her persecution persisted, her burden got heavier. it got so bad that Hannah referred to herself as "a woman of a sorrowful spirit" (1 Samuel 1:15). It seemed there was no way of escape from this journey of self-reflection and mourning. Despite desperately desiring for her circumstances to change, she ultimately surrendered to the monotony of misery that was her life.

Although it was the providence of God that had temporarily shut Hannah's womb, she did not pull back from her relationship with Him. It was prayer that brought her solace. It was her faith that sheltered the pain in her heart. Even in her seeking God, however, she was rebuked by Eli, the priest, who thought Hannah had been drinking. He did not understand that her pain was so great that she could not utter a word. Her prayers connected directly from her heart to God's because there were no words that could adequately convey the distress that she felt.

Despite Eli's rebuke, Hannah opened up her heart to him and shared the petitions and pleas that she had made to the Lord. She had learned how not only to receive God's grace, but also how to give it to others. As she opened up her heart and trusted him with the weightiness of her burden, her sorrow suddenly began to dissipate. He said to her, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him" (1 Samuel 1:17). She received this as a promise and her faith began to soar again.

Her sorrow turned to jubilation and joy when she realized that God didn't even need her words in order to give her the desires of her heart. At long last, God answered her prayers and her long awaited son was born. She named him Samuel, which means "asked of the Lord".

The song that Hannah sang to God would also become the song that inspired the Virgin Mary to sing to the God who keeps His promises (Luke 1:46-55). Both of their songs embrace the majesty, power, holiness and grace of God. Both women could see that the work God does in the earth supersedes our limited knowledge and understanding. Both women marveled in the truth that blessings often come through brokenness. Both women recognized that the providence, power, and grace of God yields a three-fold cord that impacts the world eternally.

Your story isn't over. The ending may not yet  be apparent but please know that when God is in the middle of it, it has no choice but to end well. May we humbly yield to the One who sees all and who does know the end from the beginning. Embrace every blessing, and not just the ones that look good to us!


"And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and the afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age."
                                                              Luke 1:50

Eyes On The Prize

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: by no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the prize, where God is beckoning us onward- to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."
                                                              Philippians 3:12-14




The apostle, Paul, was not one to back away from competition. Before his conversion to Christ, he lived a righteous life, obeyed the law, and defended the faith of his fathers. He became a religious zealot, well-versed in Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. He knew how to dissect scripture and then use that to defend or prosecute those who broke the law. He became a lawyer and probably was a member of the Sanhedrin ( the Jewish Supreme court), which ruled over Jewish life and religion. It was his zeal and competitive nature that led him down the path of violence and extremism.

He was probably present at the trial of Stephen and then attended his stoning and death. He held the garments for those who did the stoning (Acts 7:58) and then heard Peter share the Gospel afterward. This agitated Saul and he became even more determined  to eliminate all the Christians in that time. He was now really on a mission and "He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison" (Acts 8:3).

That is, until the day that he met Jesus face to face on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus. Right before he had started on this 150 mile journey, he had asked the high priest for permission to bring any followers of "The Way" back to Jerusalem so that they could be thrust into jail. He was brimming with murderous rage for these people he could not understand. People, he thought, that impeded his cause.

Enter the King of kings. Jesus said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"  To which he responded, "Who are You, Lord?" Immediately, Jesus says, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:4-5).

From this moment until forever, Paul's life was radically changed and transformed. In the short-term, he lost his sight and became dependent on his friends to meet his needs. In Damascus he met a man named Ananias who prayed for him and explained to him his vision of Jesus. Saul received the Holy Spirit, regained his sight, was baptized, and immediately began proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God. He became known as Paul.  His transformation would allow others to later refer to him as "the Apostle of Grace".

He now had a new mission, vision, and purpose. His eyes were fixed on Jesus and he could now run the race like never before. He transitioned from religiosity to relationship with the One who had died just for him. Suddenly, he could hear the upward call resounding in his ears and he was determined to run and fight with the utmost of love and determination. No one or nothing would deter him from accomplishing all that God had set before him.

Paul went on to spend time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria, and Antioch. He took three missionary journeys and wrote 13 letters that became books of the New Testament. He spent the remainder of his years proclaiming the Risen Christ to the Roman world, often at great peril to himself. Ultimately, he died a martyr's death in the mid to late 60's in Rome.

Through devotion, Paul learned how to keep his eyes on the prize and how to win the race set before him. He concentrated on Jesus and what was important so that he could become even more proficient in his calling. He didn't try to do a thousand things. Just like an athlete who excels in his game, he focused on his specialty, which was proclaiming the Risen Christ to a skeptical audience. That is why his labor still bears fruit to this day.

Paul also looked to the future. He did not dwell on his past failures or even get side-tracked by the opposition of the day. Instead, he "forgot those things that were behind" and did not allow them to influence or affect what was important and had eternal impact. He broke the power of his past and used his power for the future.

Determinedly, Paul says, "I press", which means to "follow after".  He allowed God to work within him and to work through him. He understood that it is God who matures us and strengthens us. Paul was pressing towards the goal, realizing that when he attained it that he would also receive a reward for it. That is not to say that we work to attain heaven by our own efforts. It  is to say that Jesus will crown our efforts when He returns. Paul understood this distinction and the determination required to press forward.

Paul also had spiritual disciplines that helped him to stay focused. This means that he obeyed the "spiritual rules" that God outlines for us in His Word. He said, "Any man who enters an athletic contest practices rigid self-control in training" (Philippians 3:25). Later, he says, "No contestant in the games is crowned, unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Timothy 2:5). It is possible to lose our rewards if we disregard the rules that God outlines for us for our safety.

Like Paul, God has set a race before each one of us. We each have a sphere of influence that we can share the Gospel with and minister to. It is God that empowers us and gives us strategies to accomplish His purposes. If we are devoted, look to the future, determined, and disciplined, we will hit the mark and receive the rewards that God has apportioned for us. All the while, passion pulsates in our hearts and we are keeping our eyes on the prize, which is Jesus!


"Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, who is the leader and the source of our faith and is also its finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
                                                         Hebrews 12:1-2, AMPC

Total Trust

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."
                                                               Proverbs 3:5-6




The quickest way to truly evaluate your level of trust for God is to suddenly be thrust into a scary predicament for which there seems no humanly possible way out. When we feel safe and comfortable it is easy to over-estimate our genuine level of trust in God. All of us want to believe that we trust God completely but it is only He that knows the real truth. Often, we deceive ourselves into believing we trust God more than we really do.

A scary predicament is exactly where Daniel found himself hundreds of years ago when he was cast into the lion's den for the crime of  praying and practicing his faith. Even though King Darius knew that Daniel was honest and had an "excellent spirit" (Daniel 6:3), the other administrators were jealous and schemed to set Daniel up for a fall. It seemed that Daniel's honesty would pose as a hindrance for their financial gain and unscrupulous activities and he needed to be removed so that they could advance in their agenda. What these administrators did not understand, however, is that when they came against Daniel they invited God's judgment into their own lives.

Nevertheless, in the short term it was Daniel that suffered the consequences of their aberrant choices. While they knew they could never tempt Daniel to do anything immoral or illegal, they chose to make an example of his faith and make sure that he was punished for practicing it. Cleverly, they deceived King Darius into  signing a law that made it illegal to pray or worship anyone other than the king. They appealed to the kings' ego and they succeeded. Unknowingly, King Darius put his friend, Daniel, in jeopardy and expedited his entrance before a group of hungry lions.

Interestingly, Daniel was praying for God to deliver His people (Daniel 9:1) when he, himself, was captured for breaking the law. He was leaning on God's promises in faith and believing that He would turn things around for His people when his own world seemingly came to an abrupt halt. Despite his circumstances worsening, Daniel pressed into God all the more expecting that His God was able and would show up on his behalf. It wasn't that Daniel was exceedingly strong; rather it was that he had learned how to truly depend on His God.

D.L. Moody says, "Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength." The author of the book of Hebrews describes it as "man's weakness transformed into God's strength" (Hebrews 11:34).
Our outlook will determine the outcome, and when we choose to lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord we realize that no matter what happens the outcome is in His hands and we have nothing to fear.

King Darius was distressed when his administrators informed him that Daniel had broken the law. He did not want to sign Daniel's death warrant but his own pride had put him in this untenable position. He spent a day trying to find a way of escape but there was none to be found. Before Daniel was lowered into the lion's den, the king offered a prayer for Daniel that God would deliver him and then covered the pit and sealed the rock so that he complied with the law.

The next morning the king went to the pit and cried out to Daniel before it even could be opened. He confessed that Daniel's God was the Living God and not an idol and that God had the power to deliver Daniel. When Darius heard Daniel's voice respond back to him it must have been a huge relief and he then knew that God had delivered him. We are told that "Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel should be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no hurt of any kind was found on him because he believed in (relied on, adhered to, and trusted in) his God" (Daniel 6:23).

The more we know God the easier it is to trust Him. Really trust Him.  The definition of trust is, "belief that someone or something is reliable and good. It is the assure reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone." In other words, when we trust someone we depend on them. In our relationship with God, it means that we have learned how to completely depend on Him and not on ourselves.

Child-like faith is required. It is so easy for children to trust because they have no grown-up barriers that prevent them from doing so. We have to learn how to let go of our grown-up barriers and false perceptions of who God is. If we see Him as anyone other than a loving heavenly Father we need to let go of our misperceptions or unforgiveness in order to completely trust in Him.

A fulfilled life is one that receives the love of God. Because God is love, the more we know Him and have let Him into our lives, the more we will realize just how much He loves us. Individually and personally. He is passionate for each one of us because He uniquely and lovingly created us. He can do no less than to love us like crazy!

Receiving His love will also help us to love Him passionately with our whole heart. As we grow in the Word and spend time in praise and worship everyday, we begin to put Him first. Our desire becomes to spend time with Him and to obey Him. Love must be the catalyst for our obedience in order to yield a peaceable harvest.

Trusting Him means we understand that His faithfulness outweighs our circumstances. When we build our faith on God's character, we learn to trust Him through the difficult times.  Ernest Wadsworth said, "Pray for a faith that will not shrink  when washed in the waters of affliction." This means we learn how to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:12). As we learn contentment through adversity, the fruit of the Spirit (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) grows within us. Adversity can render a soil in our hearts that is fertile for growth if we allow it to.

Having a renewed mind is required to trust God. We can only trust to the degree that our thoughts are godly. Since faith is built only on truth, we have to filter out anything that is contrary to it. We cannot rely on our own insight or understanding. We must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth so that we can consistently rely on God and not vacillate because of emotions or circumstances.

There are hindrances to trusting God. They are as follows:
1. Independence and self-reliance
2. Self-pity (Form of idolatry because it focuses on self and makes excuses)
3.Circumstances (when we allow them to become bigger than God is)
4. Unbelief (brings fear, pulls us down, and separates us from God)
5. Guilt and Condemnation (causes depression, despair, and a lack of fruit)
6. Fear and anxiety (robs us of rest and keeps us focused on wrong things)

Our goal is to remove the hindrances and to live a life of radical trust. This is the kind of trust that knows God intimately, believes His promises, and trusts Him with the outcome of all things. It focuses on His past faithfulness and meditates on His goodness. It doesn't worry about tomorrow because it understands that God has that covered too. Trusting God radically changes everything and also inspires others to live a life of total trust!


        "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things."
                                                           Psalm 107:9

More Than Conquerors

"Amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who love(s) us."
                                                                 Romans 8:37




Sometimes life can hit really hard and it would seem that we are no match for all the warfare and opposition that stands against us. We can be living our lives and suddenly we feel bombarded by circumstances that are overwhelming and intimidating. We scramble for solutions to our dilemma but, at times, that can be elusive at best. If we are really honest with ourselves, we realize that the giant that stands before us is far too big for us to conquer on our own.

With knees knocking we have to choose whether to flee or stand to overcome that which is much bigger than our ability. Fight or flight. Upon deeper introspection we find that we have an ally that has already overcome our giants. He has already overcome the world and every problem contained within it. The question comes down to whether or not we will truly believe that he stands ready to fight on our behalf.

This becomes an even more daunting decision if we have a personality that is non-confrontational and non-aggressive. And yet, somehow God gets even more glory when this is the case. Enter Elisha. It would have made far more sense for God to have called Elijah known as the "son of thunder" to confront the enemy armies that threatened Israel but instead He chose the quiet farm boy named Elisha. And it was through this unsuspecting witness  that God showed Himself strong to King Joram and the people of Israel during a time of a severe famine.

Elisha came to the king with a message. He said, "Tomorrow about this time..." (2 Kings 7:1). He went on to explain that food would become available again and the inflationary prices of this food would go away. An officer of the king scoffed and mocked Elisha at his proclamation. Instead of his faith being ignited at the miracle God would bring to the Israelites, his heart was hardened and he ridiculed the prophet of God.

Even though the circumstances for the Israelites were extremely dire and there were many on the verge of death, God still had a plan. And for those who believed, there was blessing and victory right around the corner. The only one who missed out on this blessing was the king's official that had hardened his heart. Instead of conquering and witnessing the miracle of God, he was trampled to death in the excitement of those who did believe.

The commotion occurred when the people of God realized that the Syrian army had fled because of a sound that God had let them hear which mimicked the sound of a vast army coming against them. They not only fled but they did so with such speed that they left all their food and valuables for the Israelites to appropriate. God honored the word that Elisha had spoken and He provided for the starving, beleaguered Israelites that would have been so easily defeated by the Syrians. They were spared and they were blessed. They were "more than conquerors".  God fulfilled His promise then just as He does for us today.

We also have an adversary today that is just as real as the adversaries the Israelites faced. His job is to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). And that is what he attempts to do on a daily basis. The apostle, Paul, listed some of the hardships of believers as: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, and sword (Romans 8:35-39). Paul exhorts us to stand firm in our faith when the attacks come against us and assures us that through Jesus we have God's promise of love and protection.

So often, we think that to overcome means that we escape the attacks and opposition, but this is not the case. We are "more than conquerors" in the midst of them. Our victory is not circumstantial or positional. It is relational. As long as we are attached to Christ and the victory He obtained through the Cross and His resurrection, we, too, are victorious.

It is in our yielding to the Lordship of Christ that we see the victory manifested on our behalf.  Paul tells us that our purpose is that we "may know Him [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly],that we may come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection and that we may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] unto His death" (Philippians 3:10).

Submission and resurrection power go hand in hand. We submit when circumstances are good and we submit during the onslaughts of our enemy. As we do, we will see God show Himself strong on our behalf. The literal translation of 1 Corinthians 15:57  is, "But thanks be to our God who keeps on giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

If today you are feeling less than "more than a conqueror", let me assure you that God is with you and He is fighting on your behalf. No sin of ours nor any attempt of the enemy can steal God's love and protection from your life. We can face our giants and our trials with confidence because we know that God is with us and He is for us.

Here are the lyrics to Rend Collective's song, entitled "More Than Conquerors":

                                                When my hope and strength is gone
                                                You're the One who calls me on
                                                You are the life
                                                You are the fight
                                                That's in my soul

                                                Oh, Your resurrection power
                                                Burns like fire in my heart
                                                When waters rise
                                                I lift my eyes
                                                Up to Your throne

                                                I will sing into the night
                                                Christ is risen and on high
                                                Greater is He
                                                Living in me
                                                Than in the world

                                                No surrender, no retreat
                                                We are free and we're redeemed
                                                We will declare
                                                Over despair
                                                You are the hope

                                                Nothing is impossible
                                                Every chain is breakable
                                                With You, we are victorious
                                                You are stronger than our hearts
                                                You are greater than the dark
                                                With You, we are victorious

                                         Chorus:
                                                We are more than conquerors, through Christ
                                                You have overcome this world, this life
                                                We will not bow to sin or shame
                                                We are defiant in Your Name
                                                You are the fire that cannot be tamed
                                                You are the power in our veins
                                                Our Lord, Our God, Our Conqueror
                                               
                                                
                                               

    

A Perfect Heart Towards God

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him."
                                                       2 Chronicles 16:9




Sometimes God waits to show Himself strong in our lives. Twenty-four years after God had called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, God appeared to Abraham and said, "'I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless [or perfect]'" (Genesis 17:1). Abraham had walked with God during those years but God waited until the time that Abraham was reaching the climax of his spiritual growth. He waited until Abraham walked in an attitude of perfect obedience, faith, and commitment to God.

God honored Abraham's commitment and he became the father of all who believe (Romans 4:11-12). His obedience and faith is the pattern for us to follow and his patience and faith is sill to be emulated by believers today. God desires that we, too, walk before Him and are made perfect so that through His covenant with us  He will be glorified and multiply us abundantly. The closer we come to the culmination of all the promises of God, the more God calls us to this standard.

The book of Job gives us more insight into what it looks like to have a perfected heart towards God. Job's friends did not have a high opinion of him, but the Lord said, "'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless [perfect] and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?'" (Job 1:8).

The insight here is that a perfected heart consists of both a right attitude toward God and a right attitude toward evil. There is no compromise or sitting on the fence. This requires a fierce commitment to obedience and the willingness to pay the price for it because it will cost us something.

Please know that God does not require us to have a perfect heart. He requires us to have a perfect heart towards Him. David is the example of this. Morally, David was not  perfect as he had an affair with Bathsheba. However, his heart was perfect towards God and he became the measuring stick for all the other kings that would follow him.

The book of Exodus gives us the first requirement of a perfect heart towards God. We are told that "God spoke all these things, saying, 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me'" (Exodus 20:1-3).

Determining who our "god" really is will determine our destiny. We find this answer by looking at what we fear. If there is anything we fear more than we fear God then that is what becomes our "god". For example, if I fear cancer more than I fear God, then cancer has become my "god".

According to Derek Prince, there are four kinds of fear that are not the fear of the Lord. They are: natural fear, demonic fear, religious fear, and the fear of man. These can actually become deterrents to us walking in the true fear and admonition of the Lord that we are called to.

Natural fear is something that God placed within us to protect us. If we are hiking along a path and a rattlesnake is coiled up right in front of us our natural instinct is to jump backward (and possibly scream very, very loudly). Both fear and pain are two devices that God gives to us to protect us from harm.

Demonic fear is a fear that torments us (1 John 4:18). This is a fear that does not come from God
(2 Timothy 1:7) and its purpose is to harm us. This is a fear that controls and paralyzes us from being who God called us to be and from doing what God has called us to do.

Religious fear is taught by man. Isaiah 29:13 says, "Therefore the Lord said: 'Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.'" This involves the fear of doing the wrong religious things. It prefers the status quo and does not acknowledge what God is doing in their midst.

The fear of man is the opposite of trusting in God. Proverbs 29:15 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." It is our human tendency to worry about what other people think but the apostle, Peter, tells us that "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

So, what does the fear of the Lord look like? The two aspects of the fear of the Lord are found in Psalms and in Proverbs:

"Come you children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."  (Psalm 34:11)

"Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer; they will seek Me diligently, but  they will not find Me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord." (Proverbs 1:28-29)

Thus, the fear of the Lord is taught and we must also choose it. The Holy Spirit will plant it in our hearts and then teach us how to walk in it. As we respond to what we are being taught, we will begin to enjoy God's favor in our lives.

Humility and favor will bring blessings everywhere we go. It will carry with it God's presence and goodness that touches everything and everyone we encounter. It is a joy and a privilege to walk in this level of anointing. It is a blessing and a comfort to know that our heart is undivided.

God is always looking for a people whose hearts are fully His, but He especially is in these days we are living in. He seeks those who have completely made Him their God and have learned the fear of the Lord. This is when He will show Himself strong and manifest His divine favor. Oh, that we may be among those that have perfected hearts towards God!


          "In the light of the King's face is life; and His favor is like a cloud of the latter rain."
                                                                  Proverbs 16:15