Make Your Secrets Your Testimony

28 Thursday Jul 2011

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“But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.” Luke 12:2     

      While most abhor hypocrisy in others, we all have certain actions, thoughts, and words we wished never saw the light of day. Jesus’ unconditional promise to us is “all words and deeds see the light and become known.”   Why?

      God knows that secret sins lead to certain bondage.  Keeping those secret sins a secret is a burden the Lord knows we cannot continue to bear.  It is the burdensome things we repeatedly do to keep our secrets that create a veil of hypocrisy in our lives. 

      The first step to freedom is knowing unconditionally that God loves you.  He values you so much He keeps a tally of the numbers of hair on your head.  Your picture is hanging on the front of the Father’s refrigerator in heaven.  God loves you and always has your best interest at heart. 

      Therefore, the Father wants an open dialogue concerning every issue in your life.  This includes the most secret of issues, even “things we don’t speak of.”  Allow the most intimate of secrets to be exposed by the Father so that your secrets become your testimony of God’s grace and your freedom in the kingdom.

Why Jesus Isn’t Cool

27 Wednesday Jul 2011

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      People who follow Buddha, they are cool.  People who follow the Dali Lama, they are way cool.  Pantheism is cool these days.  There are plenty of trees to hug.  As dangerous as Islam can be, it is still cool to follow Mohammed.  But openly confess you are a follower of Jesus and you will go from being cool to being a fool.  This is not just a western phenomenon.  More Christians have been martyred in the past century than all the previous centuries combined. 

      My point is this – It has never been cool to be a Jesus freak and it never will.  According to Jesus there are two main reasons for this. 

“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”  John 12:31

      His time being short, Satan is out to persecute the professing believer.  The demonic world will never allow following Christ to become in vogue or cool. 

“For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”  John 12:35-36

      The other reason following Jesus will never be cool is “light.”  The light of Christ is revelation, truth, and knowledge.  Men love darkness and would rather walk in total darkness than the true light because they love to do evil.  This is why Jesus doesn’t make sense to many people.  Since they love darkness, real spiritual truth seems absurd. 

      I like looking at things under a black light.  I think it is cool.  But I do not want to live with my only light source being a black light.  I want a real light to see life accurately.  Satan would have us believe his black lights are all we need.  

      This is why Jesus said time and time again, “Walk in My light.  Walk in My truth.  Because night is coming when no man can see.”  Which light are you trying to use?  If the world is cool with you and you are cool with it, you have a light problem and are living in darkness.  Take this revelation today and begin to walk in the light.

Do You Want to Feel Clean?

26 Tuesday Jul 2011

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“But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.”  Luke 11:41

      Most believers struggle with really feeling clean, forgiven, and sanctified.  This has been an issue since Adam and Eve.  Even though we find and receive heaven’s forgiveness, we just don’t inwardly feel clean. 

      Christian culture contributes to this dilemma by focusing upon outward actions instead of inward transformation.  Ceremony alone will never accomplish change.  Ceremonies are supposed to be outward, physical demonstrations of inward manifestations.  But the church and its culture have allowed people to focus totally upon the outward acts, neglecting the inward transformation.  This is why Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, “stop washing the outside of the cup without washing the inside first.” 

      It is easy to focus upon the outward acts because we can see them and for a brief moment, they make us feel better about ourselves.  But outward activities, in-and-of-themselves do not bring inward change.  What does bring change?

      According to Jesus, as an act of love (charity), offer your inward man wholly to the Lord.  Picture yourself giving the Lord your heart and sincerely mean it.  This may be an act you will need to repeat every day.  It will help keep your heart soft and accountable to the Lord. 

      In addition, allow yourself to be “washed by the water of the word.”  (Ephesians 5:26)  Continue daily to read, pray, and meditate on God’s word.  Let the Lord’s word abide in you and you in it, “then all things are clean for you.”  Jesus’ promise is still available!  Will you follow Him?

God’s Honor System

25 Monday Jul 2011

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      Modern culture craves the honors and accolades of men. We are bombarded with award shows and ceremonies touting the latest achievements of those seeking fame.  Jesus had a far different expectation in mind when it came to receiving honor, especially from His Father.  He explained the Father’s honor system this way in John 12:24.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” 

       For our Lord, being honored meant laying down His life for the good of all mankind.  Jesus wasn’t ascending to the world stage in order to receive a medal or trophy for His good works.  He was climbing on a cross to be crucified at the hands of wicked men. 

      The world honors its heroes and idols in one way.  The Father honors His heroes by asking them to surrender their lives.  Whose accolades are you pursuing?  Will you continue seeking to be noticed by men or follow Jesus’ example and lay down your life as a living sacrifice to the Lord?  The choice, of course, is always yours. 

 

“Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See”

24 Sunday Jul 2011

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“The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.”      Luke 11:33-35

       No one would purposefully want to be blind.  It usually comes with disease or injury.  You don’t have to convince people they are blind.  They know it.  Spiritual blindness is another issue.  Jesus constantly told people they were blind and needed light in their life. 

      Jesus stated that people do not usually light lamps only to cover them with baskets.  Yet in our spiritual walk we do this activity all the time.  We see truth and shortly thereafter cover-up our revelation.  Suffice it to say, most of the light you have received has been buried or ignored.  God has had to give us the same revelations time and time again. 

     To combat this issue, Jesus informs us that our eyes must be “clear.” This means being singularly devoted in purpose and intent.  Our eyes reflect what’s in our heart.  In addition, if our eyes are dark it is because we view too much evil.  Evil covers or clouds what revelation and truth we do possess.  The more immorality and wickedness we choose to view, the more pervasive our blindness becomes.  Our eyes have appetites like our stomachs.  Whatever we choose to feed our eyes, they crave all the more. 

       Do you want illumination?  Do you want your whole body filled with fresh revelation?  It is possible.  First choose to let the light of God’s revelation in, treasure it, and ask the Lord for more.

Barriers Where Faith Will Not Go

22 Friday Jul 2011

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Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”    John 11: 32-37

      There was a common, unspoken belief among those who followed Jesus.  It was believed Jesus could heal anyone at anytime from any distance. Everyone in Lazarus’ circle kept telling the Lord, “If only You would have been here.”  These types of statements implied the Lord’s reach of healing extended only unto death, not beyond the grave. 

      We know from reading the beginning of this chapter Jesus purposefully delayed so that Lazarus would pass away before He arrived.  This helps explain why Jesus delayed.  He wanted to correct the false beliefs of those who surrounded His ministry.  Jesus purposefully delayed so that He might raise Lazarus from the dead, proving His power beyond the grave. I like the way Jesus dealt with false beliefs.  He didn’t kick people out of His circle, He confronted their wrong beliefs with POWER! 

      Why couldn’t the people’s belief system allow Jesus to operate outside the area of healing?  Remember, even the disciples couldn’t believe the Lord for food, calming the storms, or even for power to cast out demons.  Since they had never seen power manifested in this way, it was beyond their spiritual comprehension. 

      Please know … These types of barriers were purposefully exposed by the Lord in due season.  If the Lord confronted these good folks’ lack of faith, don’t you think He must do the same in our lives?  Unfortunately, when God does expose our lack, we interpret His movements as being something else.  Instead of correcting ourselves, we get angry, blame the Lord, and throw ourselves a spiritual pity party.  Martha and Mary could have become angry because Jesus didn’t arrive in a timely fashion as they requested.  They could have easily blamed the Lord for delaying and being unsympathetic to their needs.  Like many other believers I know, they could have held this resentment for the rest of their lives.  Thankfully, this was not the road they chose to travel and neither should you. 

      Jesus will never let us settle for less when the best real faith has to offer is fully available.  Allow the Lord to expose all your vulnerabilities and areas of lack.  If maturity is your goal, then only the best will do. 

If you need a place to attend church this Sunday, please visit us at 10 am (CST) – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-church-of-providence#

He Loved Me So Much, He Was Late

21 Thursday Jul 2011

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“So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”  John 11:15

      This is a difficult statement to read and digest.  Put yourself in the disciples’ shoes for a moment.  We can be sure they all had love and affection for Lazarus and his extended family.  We are told Jesus did.  Now we discover Jesus is “glad” He wasn’t there so that Lazarus could die!  Does this sound cruel to you? 

      Most of us have had someone special or very close to us pass away.  Times of loss are especially difficult.  Was the Lord there by your side in your time of need?  Maybe you have been sick, even to the point of death, or knew of someone else in this condition.  Was the Lord there by your side during your time of need?  Hasn’t the Lord met you in all your moments of great need? 

      My point is this – One of the ways we know we are truly growing in the Lord is when He delays or postpones His answer or arrival.  It is in this precise moment of delay that we are not bothered or confused by the Lord’s actions because we trust Him.  Faith at its finest can undergo delay or postponement and not be detered. 

      If you are not really maturing in the Lord, then His presence or lack of presence may not mean much to you.  If you are in the process of growth and His friendship and nearness is vital, then this type of testing from heaven is what you can expect.  Lazarus, his family, and even the twelve disciples, were all expecting the Lord to move one way.  They believed Jesus could only heal Lazarus before he died.  But the Lord chose to  “delay” because He loved them and wanted their faith to grow beyond it’s current limitations. 

      Does the Lord love you so much today that He would purposefully procrastinate in answering your prayers?  Or are you one of those followers who completely falls apart when heaven appears to be inactive or indifferent.  If the Lord’s movements appear to be unusual, it just maybe He is attempting to stretch your faith.  Purpose today to “get over yourself” and grow past your fears to discover a deeper belief in the Lord.

The Source of All Revelation

20 Wednesday Jul 2011

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He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”   Matthew 16:15-17

      I am sure at this point in time in his life, Peter had been pondering in his mind and heart the ‘Jesus question’.  Was Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God or not?  Now we find out exactly what Peter believed.  What he did not know was that God the Father had already been at work in his life giving him this revelation.  I am sure it was a shock to Peter to know that God was responsible for giving him this major revelation about Jesus.  In fact, this passage gives us the idea that Peter came to this conclusion on his own, without anyone’s help.  But according to Jesus, “flesh and blood” did not reveal this to him.  

      This is the point of all revelation.  All revelation and spiritual information comes from the Father.  He is the source of it all. 

      Have you ever questioned whether something was of God or man?  Have you ever had a spiritual matter before you which you were trying to discern?  Take Jesus’ words to heart in your own life.  “Flesh and blood” will not help you, but the Creator of the universe will. It is a great comfort to know that God wants to deliver to all His children the knowledge of the truth.  God doesn’t want you groping around for second handed truth.  He wants you to seek Him and He will bless you with first handed spiritual knowledge.  God doesn’t want you to believe what I believe.  He wants you to believe because you discovered it yourself from His very hand.  

       How many of us as siblings liked being told what to do by our brother or sister?  In fact, many siblings simply will not do anything their brother or sister tells them to do.  They will say things like, “I’m not going to do it unless mom or dad tells me.”  Now, can you imagine living in a spiritual world where you never receive any spiritual directions from your Father, only your older bothers and sisters?  Does this sound ridiculous?  Yet, this is true for most Christians.  They only follow flesh and blood. 

      Your Heavenly Father is not trying to keep revelation away from you.  He is trying to speak directly into your heart through your spirit.  Spend some time receiving first hand information from Him today… Revelation Awaits You!

The Compulsion to Act Religious

19 Tuesday Jul 2011

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“It is good for us to be here, let us build three tabernacles”  Luke 9:33

      Do you ever feel compelled to seek  the Lord?  The Father is constantly drawing all men to Himself, through Jesus.  This process never ends, even after we have come to know Him.  We are forever being drawn to our Lord.  It is a good thing!  What we do when we arrive in His presence though, reveals much about our inward spiritual status.  Peter, James, and John started acting religious when they awoke and realized the glory of the Lord was near. 

       Because we are made in the image of God, men by nature are religious beings.  We are created for worship.  But, performing religious rituals and offering religious activities is not what the Lord seeks from us. 

      Notice, the first utterance from Peter’s mouth when the glory appears, “Let’s build sacred tents (tabernacles).”  The flesh is constantly calling us to ‘get busy’ for God.  These feeble attempts to somehow please God only serves to make us feel better about our spiritual shortcomings.  The Father doesn’t require or desire our religious activities.  From His mouth He told us exactly what He expected on that mountaintop.  “This is My Son, My chosen One; listen to Him.” 

      I believe the Lord affords us many opportunities to come into His presence.  How we approach Him and what we offer Him is of extreme importance.  We can be like some and have our offerings rejected.  Or, we can be like others and be accepted into His presence.  Listening to the Lord outweighs any religious activity or ritual you might perform.  Busy yourself today with listening and obeying the words of Jesus. 

Lord, Speak Plainly

18 Monday Jul 2011

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 His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech.”  John 12:29

      We think it would be a great thing if the Lord spoke plainly to us without pictures, parables, or stories.  But the Lord purposefully injects these types of enhancements so that we might not see or hear so quickly.  The Father wants us to dig a little deeper and search a little longer, so His revelations might mean more to us when we finally discern their full interpretation. 

      The Lord spoke to me one day in this same fashion about the church.  He said, “There is no safety in numbers.”  I knew this was not a biblical quote and it bothered me somewhat that the Lord said it.  All this made me dig outside the scripture with reflection and prayer.  A few days later the Lord added, “The church as a whole huddles together in packs placing their faith and trust in their numbers instead of Me.  Since they believe alike, they believe there is safety in numbers.  They do not want to be judged separately.  This is a false peace.”  

      I knew this type of activity displeased the Lord.  Our comfort and inward peace should not come from the knowledge that we believe as our neighbor believes.  The Lord does not want His children holding a “pack mentality.”  Real comfort, peace, and contentment only comes from personally knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord.  Regardless of the numbers, the Lord wants His children to be able to stand alone. 

      I would not have known these truths had not the Lord spoken, “There is no safety in numbers.”  Ask the Lord today to speak to you any way He chooses.  Revelation awaits!