We Serve A Perfect God

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4

God is indeed the rock; He is the only solid being in this world which we can stand firmly upon and rest in in safety… Even though we have a solid platform that is God, it is imperative for us to understand that we are still subject to growing pains and challenges; the things we face in this world are resources utilized by God for our good which is why today’s focus verse goes on to say that his work is perfect… God’s plan is without flaw and the things which you face now will provide a base of glorification tomorrow; you may not understand why a 3 day journey took 40 years (ask the Israelites at the time of this writing); however; the end result was worth the path traveled at the guidance of the Lord… The judgment which God has handed down for you will lead to your prosperity and peace; He has not sentenced you to death, but has devised a plan to get you back on track… All his ways are judgment because He wants to see you become the unique and blessed individual that He designed you to be… There are thing which will not be acceptable in Christ and these are the things which God has ruled out for you… 

This is why that relationship will not work, this job won’t come through and this door will not open; there are better things for you in store through Him but you must come to know and believe that that God you serve is a God of truth… Understand today that this passage taken from Deuteronomy challenges us to think of some of the ways in which you would characterize the very essences of God even when you may feel that you are going through a tough time or situation; He is a rock, again, something that is solid, sound, and sturdy. His work is perfect, ideal, just right, or without blemish. All his ways are judgments, everything about him shows that He rules and presides over mankind. A God of truth and without iniquity, there is no falsehoods within Him everything He speaks comes into existence and there is no evil or wickedness allowed within Him (just ask Lucifer)! Just and right is He, God is accurate and on-time and will deliver His saints through thick and thin! What a God we serve. Our God is solid, ideal and without blemish, everything He does out of love and is in our best interest (whether we understand it at the time or not), there is no falsehoods or lies within Him, and He is always on-time! Now that is the kind of God that I want to serve! Today we are simply reminded that in this world of uncertainty, we can be certain of one thing… In the times of misfortune, we don’t mourn as a people without hope… 

In trials in tribulations we can hold our heads high and smile in the midst of adversity… We are certain of the fact that God will never leave us nor forsake us, we are comforted in knowing and reading what the psalmist David said which is “I once was you and now am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread…” You can hold your head up because we have been told that “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength...” You have an advocate that is closer than any brother, you have a friend that will always be by your side and you have a rock that will keep your foundation from being destroyed when you face storms… His name is above every other name, he shall be called wonderful, counselor, the prince of peace and Lord of lords… He will make a way out of no way; He will turn darkness into day and will be a crutch in your times of need! God is your rock and salvation, only though Him can you obtain the precious promises and gifts of eternity… He is love, He is mercy, He is grace and He is AWESOME!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God Allows U-Turns

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.

Daniel 9:9

Despite the mistakes that you have made or the wrong choices that you have applied in your walk of life; Daniel reminds us today that God still loves you and allows u-turns…The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving… It is only because of the mercy and forgiving nature of our God that we have not been consumed and still have a chance to right our wrongs… Today’s focus verse comes at a time in Daniel’s life when the children of God have been enslaved to the empire of Babylon; it is through the prophet Jeremiah’s word from God that Daniel knows that the bondage of the Israelites will not last forever…The children of God were enslaved because of their disobedience; however, the love of God is displayed at this particular time as He chooses to chasten them instead of abandoning them… 

This is a power message that we find hear in today’s devotion; God will allow things to happen in our lives to get our attention, refocus our steps and realign our vision with His will… These things are corrective measures and not displays of judgment as many may portray them to be… Daniel finds encouragement in knowing that this bondage would not last forever and offers up a sincere thanks to the most wise and everlasting father… The same hope which Daniel held onto in this passage of scripture is the same hope which we hold on to at this very time in our lives… There is no doubt that God has every right to pass judgment on mankind and there is no defense which we could offer; this only is reason enough to rejoice in knowing that God loves us, wants to spend eternity with us and has devised a way of escape for us… The season of correction will produce a season of maturation in Christ which will in turn bring you to closer to Him and His divine plan for you… 

Make no mistake about it, things in your life could always be worse and the mercy and forgiveness of God are the only two reasons for your life being spared… The discipline of God is unavoidable, the good news is that it will produce the results He desires and won’t last always… As I stated earlier, Daniel read that the bondage of the Israelites would last 70 years; the trials and tribulations that we face and endure will not last forever; the conflicts and circumstances that we are tried by will not stand against us forever and it is the hope of every Christian that the correction we endure promotes growth and a more intimate relationship with Christ… Proverbs chapter 3 verse 12 declares that God disciplines those he loves… As a child of God it is time to get use to the chastening of the Lord; it is only for your God and because He loves you that He spends the time and effort getting you back on track…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christ Isn't A Title

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1

Not everyone who speaks the name of Jesus is a true believer of the sacrifice that He made on Calvary… Not everyone who you see at church is a member of the body of Christ and today we are charged to “try the spirits whether they are of God…” We must not be fooled in our walk with the Lord, I once was told that Satan isn’t actually dwelling in the world but in the church; he tries to take up residence in the church because people in the world are already under his control… This verse is such a powerful one penned by John because often times it isn’t that we are led astray by the world but by imposters who are “wolves in sheep’s clothing…” If I am walking down a dark alley at 11 o’clock at night than I will be very vigilant and apprehensive; however, if I am walking through a park on a nice Saturday afternoon than I tend to lower my guard and my apprehension is non-existent… This same analogy applies to our lives as Christians, when we are in the dark alleys that are this world, we are on guard and our eyes are wide open to see traps and snares; however, when we are in the church we open ourselves up to those who we see and whom we meet expecting them to have our best interest at heart… 

This is why so many have fallen and have found themselves wondering how they ended up where they are today and this is the very reason why John says we must try the spirit “…because many false prophets are gone out into the world…” One of the biggest things that plague the path of a child of God is the deception that lies in wait and redirects our focus… Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and it was the deception put forth by Satan that caused the original sin of mankind… They were deceived not only by Satan, but also by the comforts that surrounded them… Being in Eden can be likened to a church in that we are in God’s territory; however, we must be on guard everyday and every hour of our lives in order to refute and rebuke the snares the enemy may lay before us… Make no mistake about it, today, we too are faced with deception; however, one of the most deceptive places in today’s time is where we go to find comfort and peace of mind, the church… John says that we must test to spirit to make sure it is of God; we can’t take people at face value anymore, nor can we assume that what comes from the pulpit is the unadulterated word of God… This passage taken from 1^st John reminds us that there are many spirits in the world… Many deceptive and manipulative spirits that have caused many to stumble along the way! A lot of times we find ourselves in situations where we assume that things that are spoken to us are true without seeking the truth on our own… 

We can look at the world today and see many churches that have been led astray, many people that have accepted false doctrine and believed lies… I find it interesting how we have more Pastors’ with doctorates in this day and age, but more and more churches falling by the way side… We have become believers of men and their titles instead of believers of Christ… Today we are instructed that we must test the spirit, instead of assuming things, learn to pray about each and every situation; learn to focus your attention on God and be lead by Him and Him alone! To test something, it must be examined, scrutinized and inspected; in other words, it must endure a season of trials in order to gain the full scope of its abilities… Your testing of the spirit must be a thorough examination of those near you and the trials of this life will display the true intent and abilities of the aforementioned spirit…  The book of Acts tells us that when the word was brought forth that the people of the land went home and read it for themselves… Understand that no man can save you; no man can guarantee your salvation; if we come to know that, we will come to know that this walk must be completed by us in order to secure our salvation and heavenly dwelling place… If we recognize that man can’t save us than why would we live by and follow his every word…There are many false prophet in the world, be sure that you don’t follow or become attached to one! Your soul (spirit) is at stake!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Sanctification Is A Process

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18

It is good to know that the way we enter this world does not have to be the way we exit… Understand today that there is a transformation that takes place daily in the lives of Christians… Through the disobedience of Adam & Eve we all enter this world as sinners, but through the grace and sacrifice of Christ we don’t have to leave that way! Paul charges the church of Corinth to understand that they are being formed into the image of God by His Spirit. There is a progressive work called sanctification that begins in the lives of Christians when they accept Jesus as the personal Lord and Savior…The work of redefining your life is a process that begins at acceptance and is continued through the presences and aide of the Holy Spirit which will dwell inside you and mold you into the disciple that Christ has called you to be… 

This verse which we focus on today reminds me of the limitless love that God has for His creation... God has looked beyond your faults, established exactly what you needed and then carried out the measures which had to be completed in order to bring you to that expected in… God’s love for you was made known before you even knew the errors of your ways or the depth of your sin… In Christ we get a glimpse of what we were designed to be and the road which we must travel in order to achieve it… When Paul says that we all with open face behold the glory of God in a glass; he is speaking to the presences of God and how we can obtain Him! In the revelation that comes from this experience we must also know that a transformation or change must then follow… 

We must be open to change and know that reaching for God will cause us to be changed and transformed… When one is thirsty they must pick up the glass to drink, let us pickup the offering of Christ and thirst no more… God has put your breakthrough in reach, He has set your victory within grasp and you must open yourself up to Him, humble yourself before Him and seek His face! The church was being persecuted and torn down, but Paul is reminding the disciples to focus on the Lord and know that He can change things! We often hear that God isn’t a God of confusion and that is true, but let us not take that to think that God cannot work in confusion… Through the trials you face, God will show up if you turn to Him, He will be found if you seek Him and He will transform your spirit into His image if you let Him…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God's Fruit Is Without Restriction

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Galatians 5:22-23

A quick and easy way to tell a child of God isn’t through the things that come from people’s mouths; it is not through the praise they offer up in worship service, but the kind of fruit that they bare in their lives… The fruit which we produce is a direct reflection of the seed which lives within and this fruit can not be altered or changed from its original state… This is why Paul states the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit… These characteristics cannot be found in fruit that is not produced within the Spirit of God… For example, the bible teaches us that God is love; therefore, being a child of God one must have fruit of love in their lives which not only takes root in them but also produces offspring of love to enable them to extend a hand to their adversary or forgive one who has wronged them… You cannot straddle the fence with a mixed bag of fruit and call yourself a child of the most high… This is one exact reason why we find a passage in the gospel of Matthew which speaks to recognizing people by the fruit that they bare… “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:16)” This message is imperative for us today because as a child of God we are not known by what we claim but the fruit that we bare… Paul writes to the church of Galatia reminding them of the fruit that the Spirit indeed does bare; today let us read these verses and take a(n) inventory of our lives to see if we are baring these fruits, if we aren’t then it is time that we make sure that we are walking in the right spirit… 

As a child of God we are to be filled with His spirit and this is displayed in our daily actions in various forums… How we treat one another displays the spirit we walk in, how much time we devote to God displays the spirit that we walk in and how we deal with trials and tribulations display the spirit that we are walking in… If you treat your fellow man unkind, never spend time with the Lord and throw your hands up whenever a storm comes your way it is time for you to check the true direction that your life is headed… This fruit doesn’t correlate to Sunday or Sabbath Day worship, this fruit is produced 7 days a week 24 hours a day… We all know the death that Jesus offered on the cross, but we often time forget about the spirit He displayed in the moments leading up to the cross and even the time spent upon the cross… The bible says that while being mocked, spit upon and beaten Jesus never said a mumbling word; the bible says that on the cross Jesus prayed for forgiveness for His adversaries and that He extended salvation to a thief… Remember that Jesus told us that we would do greater things than Him and that is a pretty high bench mark for us to cross… In order to do greater things, we must first acknowledge what was done and strive to be the best that God can and has made us to be. This starts by first, walking in the right Spirit; secondly, we must produce fruit that carries these features and third impart them into every phase of our life and every person we come in contact with… Jesus drew large crowds not only because of the works He performed, but because of the Spirit in which He walked… People saw that there was something different about Him; they could feel that this man was no ordinary man and we should resemble these same things in our walk on this earth… 

People showed know that there is something different about you, you have something else going on in your life and the fruit is a great source for people to see the uniqueness you have through Christ… As a child of God the characteristics that we are to have are laid out in the verses above…We are to be full of love, this means that we look beyond faults, prayer for one another and seek to encourage one another… We are to be full of joy, this means that we must know that trials will come but have faith knowing that our victory is secure and trouble won’t last always… The joy we are to display shall never end nor should it be removed from our lips or hearts… We are to extend peace, everyday we hear of violence on the news, domestic arguments and various displays of anger, the bible says in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God…” Paul goes on to speak to the true identity of God’s children when he says that the fruit of the spirit is “longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” We have to be slow to anger; we must lift up our worse foe and display goodness all the days of our lives… Paul says that “…against such there is no law…” Nobody can deter you when you walk in the spirit, people may try to oppose you but they will fail, people may try to trip you up but they will become stepping stones… You will walk in the love and admiration of God and your fruit will be a beacon light to a dark and confused world…Walk in the spirit…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

His Yoke Is Easy And His Burden Is Light

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Are you tired of being alive but not living? Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the things of this world and wonder how you are going to make it…? The truth of the matter is the enemy wants you to be so bogged down by the cares of this world that you have no time to really start living (which is to give your life to Christ)… Matthew records the call that Jesus makes to all mankind, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden…” Jesus bids you to come out from the places you currently reside… This beckoning isn't a physical call, but a voice which desires to lead you in and on the path of truth and to give you life and give it to you more abundantly (Jesus declares this as the soul purpose of His arrival to this earth)… We labour daily trying to live up to other peoples expectations, we are heavy laden when we allow the thoughts of others and the temptations we face to weigh us down and strip our attention from the things that truly matter… This isn't to suggest or say that the life of a Christian is easy; however, it is to suggest that there are things that are worth laboring for and being burden by because they will lead to eternal rewards and joy… 

If you are laboring in the Lord than this message provides a since of comfort and stability in the heaviest laden times in your life… Jesus gives a message of hope today to all those who feel the weight of the world upon the shoulders, He gives a (n) encouraging word to all that are laboring and fighting the “good fight…” The message of hope today and the encouraging word that we take with us everywhere we go and through every challenge we face is that Christ is indeed with us… In the midst of trials and tribulations Jesus reminds us through the gospel of Matthew that we can cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us… A lot of storms will rise and chaos will approach your door, but Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us today that Christ’s yoke is easy, His burden is light; He has enough room to carry the load for you, He is mighty enough to hold you up and lead you to victory no matter what you are facing at this present time… Everyday of our lives is a fresh start, another chance or opportunity to live according to the will of God and develop a more intimate relationship with Him… Christ says come unto me because too often we try on our own… Often times we go to the Lord in prayer, but hold onto the things that we are praying for; Jesus is telling us today that we must leave it in His hands and stay focused on His word… Christ is calling for you to see the love He has for you, to see the compassion that He has bestowed and will bestow upon you by you turning your life over to Him! 

A yoke is something that is used to move objects, it balances the weight to decrease the energy exerted to move it; Christ is calling for you to take His yoke (let Him lighten the load, let Him balance you out and decrease the amount of energy you exert on a daily basis so the obstacles in your life can be moved…) Don’t worry about the trials you face, don’t worry about the obstacles, don’t get caught in the way things appear to be; in the Lord you will find rest, you will find help and you will find love… Remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light... Keep this phrase in the forefronts of your mind; although you face hard times, your sure to claim victory in Christ Jesus and make it through… 2013 was filled with obstacles that you didn't think you would overcome, but by turning to the Lord you were able to see that God didn't put more on you than you could bare and that He made it possible for you to walk and hold your head up even in times of despair! Learn to walk in the love of God, He will sustain you, He will give you the peace to keep your mind sane and the resources to overcome and ascend to becoming the being He created you to be…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Through Christ All Things Are Possible

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:17-18

As a child of God we are blessed with might and power that we probably don’t even realize that we have… These verses teach us of the supernatural power that we can tap into which only comes from the Lord… When we do things in the name of the Lord positive results will follow, Mark tells us that we can cast out devils, we can speak with new tongues and pick up serpents… All things are possible when we are in the care of our Lord and Savior; however, the key to unlocking these powers is the faith that we must have which cannot waver or be snuffed out… In times of despair, in times of turmoil, in times of chaos Mark teaches us today that with an unwavering faith and a (n) unquenchable fire or zeal for the Lord we will be able to do miraculous things… The words In my name speak to the connection and authority that we must receive through Christ in order to perform the impossible in our lives… 

Remember all the great things that Jesus did upon this earth, but also remember that He said, “Greater things than I will you do…”The mantle is ready to be passed, the limitless heights you can reach are in view, but you must walk according to the will of God and submit yourself totally to Him… We all have heard the saying, “You can tell a Leopard by its spots”, also true; is the fact that you can tell a Christian by their abilities. One who has a vague outlook on life has question marks in their walk with God, one who can’t consider it pure joy when trials comes needs to humble themselves a little more and the one who walks aimlessly through life must find the compass that is the Holy Spirit… Mark informs us today that we can distinguish a Christian by their actions on this earth as well as their faith in which they claim to serve. These instructions are given to the Disciples of Christ, we have the ability to cast out devils (resist and he will flee), speak in tongues (Acts 3^rd chapter), and take up serpents (be unafraid of danger). 

Nothing in this world can harm us as long as God is our shield and buckler. Again, notice the verse says these signs shall follow believers, then it says “IN MY NAME”, this is a great stumbling block for many, a lot of Christians have given up on their journey, tossed in the towel and have forfeit their right to Spiritual Ascension. This happens simply because for years they have been trying to do things on their own, you can defeat Satan, you can win back your children, you can overcome the trials and tribulations you face, just remember to call on the name of the Lord, remember to hold to His unchanging hand, remember to go into your secret closet, and walk in His ways. You must seek the kingdom of God first and everything else will be added unto you… Your victory is in His hands, your breakthrough is in His hands, and your peace is in His hands… Call upon His name, do it in His name, walk in His name and abide within His tabernacle… When David was faced with opposition and turmoil this is what he said,“Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil… For thou art with me…” Christ is with you and when you realize that you will also come to know that you can do all things in and through His name…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!