God's Spirit Proclaims and Sets Free

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 brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah was called by God to go and prophesy to the children of the Lord, He was called to go to a rebellious people and declare the things that God revealed to him… What I find so fascinating about this scripture is the boldness that Isaiah has to go forward and speak the word of the Lord… Understand today that we are all called to set the captives free; however, it is through the spirit of God that we obtain the might, authority and direction in order to fulfill this task. Isaiah 6: 5-8 teaches us about where we were and how the spirit’s presence changes and transforms situations… 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? "And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Isaiah wasn’t always about the work of the Lord, when He saw the glory of the Lord he cried out woe is me, I am undone, I am not worthy to behold this wonder; however, when He was touched by the live coal the Lord asked who shall I send and Isaiah replied “Here am I. Send me… We too are not worthy of the glory of the Lord, we are not worthy of the offering that Christ poured out on the cross; however, we have received a golden opportunity to walk in the will of the Lord and are promised Eternal Life when we obey His calling… Isaiah’s confidence is found in knowing that God has cleansed him and prepared him for this task… Remember where you were before God gave you that second chance. When you realize that you were filthy and deep in sin, you quickly recognize and appreciate the avenue that God has paved for you. Understand that Isaiah wasn’t ready for his calling until he was touched by the live coal; remember that Peter stood up in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost after the tongues of fire came down from heaven… When “The Spirit of the Lord is upon you” things don’t remain the same, your direction of walk changes, your approach to life is altered and you have the might to overcome and deliver those around you… The Spirit proclaims and sets free!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

I Know My Redeemer Lives

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

Job 19:25

This passage taken from the book of Job speaks to the faith that a Christian must display not only in the good times but in times of adversity… So often we praise God when things go well and we feel happy, but as a child of God we must understand that persecution is a part of growth, trials bring about maturity and obstacles develop your endurance on this course of life… The devil is seeking whom he may devour and he wants to devour the one who has chosen the will and path of God (he isn’t concerned about those of the world because they aren’t following the will of the most high)! Remember that Jesus was on this earth for 30 whole years, but you never hear about the devil tempting Him until He was baptized and preparing to begin His ministry! Job was a man of faith and this passage speaks to that aspect of His life when everything around him seemed to fail… 

Remember the life of Job; he had everything a man could want (good health, a loving and strong-bonded family, and wealth of cattle); however, in the blink of an eye, by God’s permission; everything was taken away from him. Despite what occurred in His life; today we find Job here declaring to us something that we should too be able to say. I know my redeemer liveth, people have a false sense that being a Christian means you won’t have bad days, trials and tribulations, or sleepless nights, but on the contrary, this walk is for those who can endure, and Jesus told his disciples that they hated him first. To say I know my redeemer liveth means that you can see the sunlight behind the rain, you can lift your head up in times of despair and you can maintain your faith in times of tribulation… Job not only knows that his Redeemer liveth, but knows He shall return… “He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth”, our father has gone to prepare a place for us, we shall have a mansion with our names on it, Jesus shall return on a cloud and the dead in Christ shall rise and we all will meet Him in the air… You will make it through this storm, you will survive and in the end, you will win… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Is In Control

Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 1:17-18

 

As we walk this earth we are reminded that we have nothing to fear; understand that there is nothing in this world or of this world that can overtake the will and plan that God has for your life… The revelation revealed to John teaches us that before us God was there and in the end He will still remain… Jesus indeed did die as all humans will; however, spiritually the bible says that He gave up the ghost and it is by His spirit that we have nothing to fear, by His spirit we can overcome mountains and receive life and life more abundantly… Notice the blessing and strength given unto the Children of God in this passage. It tells us to FEAR NOT, so many of us are worried about what the future holds, where we will be in the next couple of years, will we find that special someone, will we be happy and have a stable job and income. John reminds us through the sacrifice of Jesus that we have nothing to fear. We don’t have to worry; we don’t have to be confused, or unstable in our actions on this earth. Jesus declares that he was the first and the last. This means that He was the first to endure hardships, He was the first to go through the grind of dealing with the penalty of sin, but it also means that He was the last, He went through the obstacles and defeated every last one of them. Your sin has already been dealt with, your future already promised to be fruitful. There is no need for you to fear because God already knows what you stand and need of and as long as you seek Him first, you will receive all you need and more… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

The Enemy Has Become His Footstool

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

In the midst of your trials and tribulations, God is at work… While Jesus was enduring the mocking and agony of the cross, His rewards were being prepared as well… Today let us understand that the enemy may appear to have the upper hand, but while we are in the worst of times, God is in the best and will defeat the foe that stands before us… Paul says He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet… Jesus will stand the test of time (as He showed when He took the form of man), there is nothing in or of this world that will outlast God’s love, grace and mercy. We as believers should take courage today in knowing that Paul was right when He said “no weapon formed against you shall prosper”… Isaiah was dead on when he said that “He will make His enemies His footstool”… Every obstacle you face can be overcome, every trial can serve a positive purpose and every tribulation can promote endurance within you… Paul also wrote that this race is not given to the swift, but to those who endure! Let us endure as Jesus did us on the cross, let us endure as Jesus did when He was mocked, and let us endure as Jesus did when He was spit on… A lot of us may be finding ourselves in situations where the enemy seems to be winning, let us not become weary in well-doing for we shall reap a harvest if we faint not… Your task at hand is to hold to God’s unchanging hand, your objective is to maintain your faith throughout every storm that comes your way because God will reign over your life and provide victory through your turmoil… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Word Will Not Return Void

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

Stand true in your faith knowing today that His word “…shall not return unto me void…” God has said that things will change, He has promised in His word that walking with Him will produce fruits that your labor will be worth; however, many of us today become so frustrated with what appears to be fruitless labor to the point that we give up and don’t adhere to the call God has upon our lives…  The word of God is that “If you abide in me I will abide in you…” His word is that “weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning” His word is that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” You have read plenty of promises that God has for those who keep the faith in a faithless world and today we are assured that even though things may appear deem or unaltered, that God is working and His work will continue to be performed “until Christ returns…” You are working in His vineyard and your reward is assured… This call from Isaiah is for you to stay the course and know that your years of blood sweat and tears are producing and watering seeds that God has in you… When you feel as if you labor is in vain, remember what the bible declares, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Spend Your Time Wisely

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

The psalmist speaks to the focus and mindset that a child of God must have… We cannot assume things as if we have control of the days we live on this earth! Too often we put off for tomorrow what we should complete today. This psalm is a prayer for guidance and a petition for the Lord to teach us to walk in His marvelous light… The psalmist recognizes that God is the head and founder of all; the foundations of the earth are His... The psalmist states and is stating that God returns man to dust and controls our afflictions. If we are to walk as a child of the most high, we must learn to number our days. This is not speaking of a plan as to when we are going to do x, y and z; but rather it speaks to a humble approach, being thankful for the days (today) you have been privileged to witness and knowing that tomorrow is never promised! Number your days by taking them one at a time, number your days living each day knowing it is a blessing and privilege to see… If God touches you and wakes you in the morning, know that you have been afforded another chance to develop a more intimate relationship with Him, know that you have been given another chance to make peace with your adversaries and submit your life to Christ! 

Don’t expect tomorrow, trust Him and live today!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

You Benefit From God's Discipline

...But He (disciplines us) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Hebrews 12:10-11

Understand today that a punishment is only affective when the one being punish learns the errors of his/her ways and improves… There are many people who beat or whip their children, but have not actually reached their child in a means to correct them… It is important today to realize this because God disciplines us in many ways and forms; however, it is “…for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness…” The author of Hebrews reminds us today that God punishes us out of love and a desire to see us succeed; if we truly reaped what we have/had sown, then you and I would be in the midst of hell today; however, God punishes to teach us the right way and for us to come to know and understand that the path that we have chosen originally was not the best path for us to walk… As a child, when I was whipped I thought that I was enduring the most terrible feeling I could ever feel; however I never thought about how bad a feeling that I placed in the hearts of my parents by conducting myself in a manner that was not pleasing to them… I think we all can agree that there is no fun in being whipped, but when we learn from our mistakes and begin to reap the rewards of our transformation, then that unpleasant feeling is well worth it… Short lived pain is always worth it when you receive a lifetime of bliss… The author today wants you to know that the corrective measures God puts in place are not intended to harm you, these devices get you on the straight and narrow, they place you where He wants and needs you to be so that you can reach and become what He designed you for… 

All For His Glory!

God Hasn't Forgotten About You

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

Micah 7:19

It is hard for me to face the errors of my ways… Daily I try to forget things or remove thoughts from my mind as I journey through this life… Through this passage taken from Micah I find hope for my lost soul… I find encouragement even though I know the mistakes I have made and the fact that a lot of things I deal with are a result of my actions… Micah provides evidence today that we can stand on when others try to keep us down and in the dumps… This passage calls for us to know that where we are isn’t where God wants us to be; however, despite our flaws “He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us…” Take courage in knowing today that trouble won’t last always (even if the trouble is a direct result of your decisions)… Even though you may be in a rut or feeling down and out; you should find peace in knowing that “He will turn again…” God loves you and He wants to see you succeed… His desire is for you to reach levels far above what the human eye can comprehend and for you to obtain a weight of glory which Paul says that our present suffering cannot compare with… The book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah reminds us that God’s mercies fail not; that they are new every morning, Jeremiah then goes on to tell us that it is because of His compassion that we are not consumed and he concludes by saying great is thy faithfulness… Micah echoes those same sentiments today; the second part of this verse says, “…he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities…” Despite what you have done, despite the decisions you have made, the love of God won’t allow you to be utterly cast down… Sure, you will deal with the consequences of your actions, you will face and reap what you have sown; however, you should be encouraged today to know that God “will subdue our iniquities…” Subdue means to restrain, control, pacify or hold back; iniquity is injustice, evil or wickedness… God will keep you from being overtaken by evil, He will restrain you from the sins you have committed so that you don’t allow them to corrupt or destroy your future… 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

3 Keys To Victory (Ask, Seek and Knock)

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

As a Christian these verses taken from the gospel of Matthew display how it is that we obtain the vision and will God has for our lives. To obtain what it is that God has for you, to walk in the will of God and to ensure your eternal resting place, these three steps outlined below must be taken… First, you must ask God; this means that you inquire of Him and develop a relationship with Him knowing that He is the source of your being and happiness. Asking implies that there is an answer you seek and Jesus is reminding us today that God has all the answers and we must indeed turn and ask the proper person to find the correct answer… The second thing you must do is seek Him; a lot of times we take the first step but become frustrated and irritated with the second… The bible says that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory; many people quote this scripture to imply that God will give you everything you ask for at the drop of a hat; however, the bible also says in Jeremiah 29:13 that, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Study God’s word, fast, and pray with earnest. After asking and seeking, the third thing we must do is knock; this is the most important decision that a Christian must make, to knock means that there is something separating you from where you want to be and where you are at the present time. When you knock on a door, you are awaiting the door to be opened and you stand in anticipation. We must knock on the door of heaven, but we must also knock down the obstacle that WILL be placed in front of us as we seek to live within God’s will. 

SO, ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK!!!! Surely you will find what you stand in need of even if it isn’t what you expected!!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Life Eternal Is Found In Knowing Christ

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

Eternal Life was deposited upon this earth in the form of God’s son, it was laid before you in His outstretched arms and all He endured on the cross… John reminds us today that Eternal Life is found in the “The Only True God…” There is only one God; there is only one prince of peace and one saviour… A good friend of mine once told me that the distance between you and salvation is the same distance that your mouth is from your heart… Eternal Life is free, but it only comes through knowing (faith), acknowledging (mouth) and accepting (heart) the only True God… Some religions believe that good deeds are rewarded with eternal life, but my Bible tells me that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man comes to the father but by me…” This is life eternal, this is all that we have and all that we should cling to; that we may know the ONLY true God! There are many gods in this world, but notice this passage says to know thee only true God. After we have ventured the wrong way, sought the wrong things and turned to vainglory, we see that Christ still remains… When we have placed idols in our lives in the form of money, relationships and pride, we see that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever… John reminds us today that there is only One true God and that salvation was made possible through the sacrifice of His beloved son!  Eternal Life is knowing the Only True God, knowing that we all have sinned and fallen short, knowing that hell was our destiny, knowing that the ransom could never be paid by our hands, knowing that victory was unobtainable without Jesus intervening and interceding on our behalf… This is indeed our hope, this is indeed our glory, this is indeed our substance, and this is our Life Eternal!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY

God's Given You The Power

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luke 10:19

What plagues this world that we live in is not sin; but that we have ignored the power that we have the ability to obtain as a child of God… Jesus says that He gives us all power; through Jesus we can obtain all the might that we need to overcome trials, endure hardships and move mountains… In light of this passage and the words that Jesus speaks today, the question I have is a simple one, why do you live as captives if you are free? Why do we settle for less when God has given us so much more? This passage declares that we have the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Serpents and Scorpions are two of the most feared and dangerous creatures on this earth, we know the devil took the form of a serpent and deceived mankind; however, we are being told that we can overcome and face any challenge or obstacle in this life. Jesus uses these two reptiles to display the limitless power we receive as a child of God! 

When we think of being in a room with those creatures, we all would head for the hills and seek safety, Jesus is telling us today that our safety lies within His hand and He will “give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions…” We have the ability to succeed, we have the power to obtain victory; so why is it that we don’t? Maybe we really don’t believe what it is that God has declared unto His disciples in this verse and His Holy word! Know that these creatures are not deadly because of their appearance but because of the venom that flows from within! Taking this to another level we will understand that we are surrounded by serpents and scorpions (in the form of people) in every phase of our lives… Some of us encounter these venomous attacks on our jobs, in our homes, or even in the church… Some of us have venom stored up inside of us and spew it out in the form of attacking others… Jesus is saying that “if we abide in Him He will abide in us” and therefore gives us the ability to overcome any circumstance that we face! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Magnify The Lord With Me

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:3-4

Read this next line very carefully, when we try things on our own we will never experience what could be… These verses taken from the book of psalms reminds us of the grace and mercy that is accredited to us daily… David calls for us to “magnify the Lord” and “exalt his name”… You might ask the question why (as if you don’t know that God is deserving of all praise, honor confidence and love – Revelations 4:11); however, David proclaims this because God has made ways out of no way and has always delivered us even when we didn’t deserve it… It is important to note the time in which these verses were penned… Let us examine these verses written by King David in the 34 psalm and come to understand the period of time that David “sought the Lord…” This psalm is recorded while David was under attack by Saul and fled to the land of Gath… He ended up in the camp of Abimelech who was the King of Shechem and despised the Israelites… While living in the land of the enemy David decided to change his behavior and act crazy so that he would not be killed by the Philistines! 

It was a statue of tradition that they didn’t kill people who were insane, so Abimelech decided to drive him away, and David left. David was faced with opposition on both sides (Saul on one and Abimelech on the other) and although he fled to the enemy’s camp and caused more anguish on himself, God still showed up and delivered him out of his circumstances, this is why David finds complete joy in the Lord, so much so that he encourages you today and says “O Magnify the Lord with me!” In reading this psalm and knowing the background, we can draw a direct parallel to our lives… We have tried to handle situations on our own and face trials with our own agenda in mind and as a result made things worse… We have made the gap wider or the hole deeper and in the end we find ourselves in a worse position than we started off in… Even though we have walked a will that we decided, God still has shown mercy on our behalf and raised us up out of the pit we had dug… We all have a testimony to this fact and this is why we should join and shout for all we come across to join us as we say; “magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.”

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Peacemakers Are God's Children

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9

To be at peace, one is calm, quiet or walking in harmony with others… All these traits are very rarely displayed or obtained as we go throughout this journey of life… We find people who pluck our nerves, get under our skin or encounter situations that leave us disgusted and confused… Either way you look at it, the circumstances that we face daily in our lives make it very easy for us to showcase or display the exact opposite of what we are called to do and/or be in today’s focus verse… Make no mistake about it; the enemy wants you to do the things that are not pleasing to God… Satan doesn’t want you to be “called the children of God” as outlined in this verse, so he brings confusion, chaos and destruction as storms to wreck havoc in your everyday life and affairs… Matthew records in the fifth chapter the “beatitudes” of Christ or the blessings that Christ bestowed in His sermon on the mountain… In these words Christ describes the rewards that each child will receive when they walk in the uniqueness that they were created… Today we examine one verse in particular that speaks to the heart of a child of God! Jesus says, “blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” One of the center focuses of Christianity is that we know how to control ourselves when dealing with flesh and anger… I am sure that we all, at one point in time have “lost our cool” or said things that we didn’t truly mean. Christ is calling for us to understand that we are to desire to become better each and every day of our lives; daily we must strive to learn to control our tongue and respect the feelings of others! The bible is replete with text speaking to the power of our tongue and the importance of reducing anger… James says that the tongue is unbridled and can speak venom causing immeasurable damage and Christ says today that the children of God are known by being peacemakers! Understand that a peacemaker means exactly what is said, a peacemaker is a person who dispenses or tries to produce peace… If you call yourself a child of God, I should see peace displayed through your life and the acts you demonstrate.

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!