Wait on God

May 5, 2021

Wednesday

Psalm 40:1-4 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

WAIT. Not an exciting word. Our world today is in such a hurry. The most valuable commodity in your life is time. It’s the one thing you cannot get back. Everything else can be replaced. We have to remove hurry out of our lives. We have to wait on God. This is a foreign concept to most people. One day we will all stand before God and He will compare our lives to what His plan for us was. Are you following your plan? Or are you following God’s plan? You can go through your whole life doing good things. But, if you didn’t do His plan, it was all in vain. You will never know the plan of God for your life aside from waiting in His presence until He reveals it to you. It’s not the preacher’s responsibility to tell you God’s plan for your life. It’s not the Prophets job. It is your responsibility to get in the presence of God and let Him feed you.  It doesn’t happen in five minutes. You have to wait on Him! You can get things from preaching and teaching, but you will get the majority from being in His presence. When you do that, you are drawing life from an unseen source. It’s like a tree, you see the above ground trunk and branches, but that is not what keeps it alive! It’s what is underground that no one sees that gives it life. 

Wait – delay until a person’s arrival

John 14:1-9 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

In verse 8, Jesus explains, I have been with you all this time, and you still don’t know? He knew He was going away. He knew He was on His way to the cross. Up until this time, they received from God through Him. They received teaching, instruction, council, etc. But He knew that if He didn’t go, the Holy Ghost wouldn’t come. It was more to their advantage for the next stage to commence. Jesus could only be in one place at one time. The Holy Ghost is everywhere. The Holy Ghost was sent to glorify Jesus, not replace. He came to bring us Jesus’ lordship, mind, and will in every situation in life. 

John 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 

Since the day you were filled, The Holy Spirit has lived inside of you. “I have been with you all this time, and you still don’t know?” I wonder what the problem is. It’s not Him! It’s His ministry! He’s been sent here to reveal the mind, will, plan, and direction of God for your life as an individual. He has been sent to bring you the lordship of Jesus. If you don’t learn to wait in His presence, you will continue on in your life still wondering what you’re here for. There is no excuse for us not to know His plan. Because He came to live in us for that very purpose. 

Exodus 20:18-21  Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Moses goes up directly to God. The people stood afar off. Your flesh has to be set in its place and God has to be given the correct place. If you worship God, His presence will come. Moses drew near! When you pray in the Holy Spirit, your spirit is speaking directly to His Spirit. Your mind can’t get in on it.  Your Spirit is drawing nigh to God, but your mind and body are afar off. Your soul knows, if it draws nigh to His Presence, it will die. When you worship you make your soul obey. You are putting it in its place. That’s why the fears and anxieties will leave your life. A desire will rise up within you. You don’t want to sin because you have fallen so in love with God that you don’t want to disappoint Him! Our lives are dominated by our mind and feelings so much more than we realize! It is an enemy of God! Your carnal mind is capable of convincing you that what your feeling is God’s plan, when in reality it is your plan. There is no excuse to not know God’s plan! The only reason you don’t is because you have not taken the time to wait in His presence.  When you get that settled in you, it will get the responsibility where it belongs, on you. If you’ll start to do it consistently, you don’t have to wait for so long!  You have to start training and disciplining your flesh and soul. You will never get to the point in life where you do not have to be conscious of this matter. You have Adam to thank for that. 

The Holy Ghost was in Heaven before the foundations of the world. Your name came up and God formed a perfect plan for your life. Where you would live, who you would marry, how many children you will have, the color of your hair, every single detail. The Holy Spirit was there hearing as God the father was planning it all. And now, He lives inside of you just waiting for you. What you don’t know, He wants to teach you. He wants to help you overcome any issue. All we must do is lend Him our authority. Any time you are praying in the Holy Spirit you are lending Him your authority to pray the will of God for your life. It’s amazing! It is the best prayer you can pray. Start where you are and increase your time! Every time you go beyond what your normally do, you go to a higher place. Become consistent every day! The longer you pray the stronger your spirit becomes to overpower your soul and flesh.  Don’t go through your life without utilizing the teacher living inside you! 

Limitless Love

May 2, 2021

Sunday AM

Matthew 22:34  But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 

Every part of you. This is what God wants. You can be in church with your hands lifted and singing, but your mind be somewhere else. This is not true worship. Imagine what it is like when you are having a conversation with another individual and they are not listening. They are miles away in their mind. This is that same example when your mind is not on God while worshiping Him. Like you have to discipline an unruly child, you have to discipline your soul. It too is unruly. It wants to do its own thing, its own way, when it wants to. You have to drive that foolishness out by disciplining it. Make it do what you want rather than it ruling you and what you do. Worship brings everything that God is, into your life. And just because you don’t worship God does not mean you don’t worship something. You are giving your time, money, and energy to something, and that is what you are worshiping. It’s the way we are made. You have to consciously make a decision to worship God every single day. Worship is not just something you do at church on Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Worship should be something that you do every single day. You are going to worship something or someone. Why not let it be Almighty God? Worship Him because it is right, and because He is good.  You have to keep your mind on Him. Because your heart is not in, what your mind is not on.  You can’t worship God and stay broken and sick and hopeless. It’s impossible! Don’t wait until you are in trouble to worship Him! Worship Him now while things are good and when the problems come, you are fully equipped to handle everything thrown your way! That’s how it works! Anyone can do it! It is not just for preachers! Put your face in its place before the throne of grace! 

Matthew 22:38-40 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

All the 10 commandments found in Exodus are found in the two mentioned in this chapter.  If you love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, you won’t have any other Gods before Him. You won’t have idols. You won’t take His name in vain. And you will remember the sabbath. If You love your neighbor as yourself, you will honor your father and mother. You won’t murder nor commit adultery. You won’t steal. You won’t bear false witness and you won’t covet! See how every one of the 10 commandments are covered by the very two we are speaking of in Matthew chapter 22. It goes even further. If you do love God with your whole heart, soul, and mind, you will love your neighbor as yourself. If you don’t love your neighbor, you don’t truly love God. It’s impossible to love God and not love your neighbor. You can’t love God and hold grudges to someone else. Don’t let people live in your head rent free day and night because of something they did to you years ago! How silly!  You have a choice! You can live like that, as many others do, or you can choose to get those people and what they’ve done out of your head and heart. Don’t live that way! It brings torment, fear, and anxiety. You cannot be in a right relationship with God and be in a wrong relationship with people. Your relationship with God is mirrored in your relationship with other people. That’s why this is SO important. 

Deuteronomy 23:12-14  “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14 For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore, your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.

When people come in the church and they’re all upset and full of anger and offense, God cannot operate. It stinks! It should have been left outside and left behind, so it won’t come into the church house and affect the whole congregation. Bury it! Leave it outside the camp! 

So, going back to Matthew 22, You have a love for God that is seen through your love for people. When you get caught up in offense and unforgiveness, you develop bitterness and take on a victim mentality. Everything in life is about you and what happened to you.  You don’t even consider other people. You become consumed with what’s happened to you. The definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over and expect a different result.  It’s true! Until the suffering of staying the same outweighs the suffering of change, you won’t change. You must refuse to accept things the way they are. Don’t hold on to these things because of your pride!  Humble yourself and change! God isn’t concerned with how people treat you; He is concerned with how you treat others. That’s what love does. It denies itself on the behalf of others. Its total focus is the well-being of others. A human being cannot generate that on their own. Love is a big deal! It’s the most powerful weapon God has given us. If you just start worshipping God for who He is, things will turn around.  Make it about Him! Forget about yourself and focus upon who God is. Let Him become God to you! You will start to believe He is who He is, and He will do what He says He will do! It starts with you! Pride and unbelief and doubt work together seamlessly to hinder every forward motion of your life. Get it out! Do it through worship! As you continue to worship, your desire for Him will begin to increase! The heaviness of life will lift off of you! You don’t know how much fear is in your life until His peace enters in. You have nothing to compare it to! 

God’s love is limitless. It has no end! He came from forever and He will go until forever! You think He don’t have time for you? Time is in abundance to Him! We have a capacity to contain the love of God! The word says it like this, “You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.” A cup contains! It has the capacity to pool. When you were born again, the love of God came into you in a measure. As much as you could contain in that moment. Every time you go into the presence of God and worship Him, the love always comes. He is love! His presence is love! But He can only come in the capacity that you can contain. Every time you go into His presence, He will increase your container. If you keep going consistently and long enough, It will spill over into your soul and affect you.  It will deal with the fears and the torment and the unforgiveness. It drives the inner anxiety out of you. If you’ll stay with it, it will affect you physically. It will start to show up externally! It can increase! It is up to you! 

Hearing from God

April 28, 2021

Wednesday

Revelation 3:13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

God has something to say to ALL churches. God has something to say to our church. Because you are a part of this church, He has something He wants to say to you. He wants to keep you on the right track. He wants to keep you in a place so that He can protect, provide, and lead you. You can have His best in your life. But it requires something of you. You have to hear what He is saying and obey it. It doesn’t just happen.

Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

We know that this is Jesus speaking. He wants you to know who is speaking. He is saying, there are some things that I have to say to you. You will have a hard time hearing what God has to say if you have already made up your mind about how things are and how they are going to be. We do that by listening to wrong voices. All the things we hear and see form a perception in us. It can either be right or wrong. When that is formed in you, it is hard for God to communicate with you because it is not something you want to hear. You have to want to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, not man. It is important to find out who your pastor is and get hooked up to him. 

Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

God knows everything about you. He knows what you do and don’t do. He knows who you associate with. He knows every thought you have and every intention you have. He knows everything that goes on in your life. He knows everywhere you go and everything you say. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. He knows everything about you, He is God.   Wouldn’t it be hard to hear that He will spit you out of His mouth? Of course. But do you want what the Spirit is saying to the church? Do you want the truth?

Revelation 3:17-22  Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

God says things like this, “Where I am, there you may be also.” This is not talking about when you get to heaven, it is talking about here on earth. It means you sitting beside Him, ruling and reigning with Him in His seat of authority and in His name. In other words, you win in life. But there are things you must overcome. Even Jesus had to overcome some stuff, but He did it so that you could as well.  There are always obstacles in life. 

In these days, you can look at people, but you are not seeing how their lives truly are. But, if you spend time with the God that knows everything, you will see life and people differently. He has been sent here to show us these things. The only thing stopping Him is us. He wants to make you a success in everything you do in His plan. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.”  His plan is more important than yours. 

2 Timothy 4:10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. 

Long before he departed, He was chasing fads. He left his man of God, and he had forsaken the man he was.  Sounds a lot like our present world, doesn’t it?  The newest biggest thing gets the attention. We have to learn not to chase every new thing that comes along. Especially when it comes to doctrine, because it dictates what kind of person you are going to become. 

God needs a governing voice in every area in the world. Somewhere He can speak His mind, will, beliefs, philosophy. Without it being tainted by the leader, culture or men of that region.  He needs someone that can give His voice. Because in the end of the day, it is only His voice that will change people’s lives. His word is the only one that will work in your life.  This has to be the thrust of every church. To be a place where people can come and hear what God says. In this day and time, that is rare.  The enemy will do anything to get you to depart from your leader, just like Demas did. 

You’re either in or out. You’re either on fire for God or you’re not. You’re living in a time now, that so many things are working against you to extinguish that fire.  That’s why God warned Israel through Moses. He said “take this commandment and hold on to it, cleave to it, for it is your life.”  

The level of deception is so high today in our world. Do not become so blind that you think Jesus is already in your life when He isn’t. You have to want God’s view! Everyone has eyes, but not everyone can see. Why do you think in revelation He says, “anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”   The first step to becoming “hot for God” or towards revival, is you have to refuse to accept things the way they are. Many people want God or other people to change their circumstances. Or even change the people who are contrary to them.  Here’s what you must know, God is about changing the real problem. Refuse to accept yourself the way you presently are! There are times you have to confront the issues. Most people will not push themselves. As humans, we love comfort. Growth and progress is never comfortable. We like to create a life of least resistance. That’s the human nature we all possess. Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t take the path of least resistance? He overcame. And if you want to rule and reign with Him in this life, there are things you have to overcome.  Your flesh and carnal mind have to be put to rest!  When people asked Jesus for answers, He never told them what they wanted to hear.  He told them what they needed to hear. He will offend you to move you. 

Pride will blind you. Because you think you know! When you have pride, God can’t get across to you! You can’t hear Him because you think you already know the answers. You have to humble yourself! When you do this, you’re getting an accurate picture of yourself. Not walking in love with your brother will also blind you! If you are a touchy person, you are blind. You have to get over that! You can’t do it in your own strength!  Don’t accept yourself In your current condition! 

Train A Child

April 25, 2021

Sunday AM

Psalm 145:4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.

God is interested in every generation. When He was talking to Abraham, He was thinking of Jacob, and Isaac. God don’t have any grandchildren. Only sons and daughters.

 Psalm 78:1-8 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

5 For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
6 That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;
8 And may not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Christianity is not a religion. It is a family. Family is important to God. Before anything, God is a Father. We are all here because He wanted a family. He created and established family even before the church. Family is the cornerstone of society. The devil knows to destroy society, he must destroy the family unit. Just like God is thinking about the next generation, so is the enemy. He goes after the adults in this generation to get to the kids in the next generation. Because the adults are who tell the children what to do and what not to do. One of his main tools of destruction is divorce. There are not many people on earth who have not been affected by divorce. Directly or indirectly. Many see divorce as an enemy attack on the parents, but he is really focused on the children. Many times, divorce is decided without even thinking of what will happen to the children. 

When you conceive, you have created an eternal being that will exist forever, somewhere. That is serious! As the parent, in God’s eyes, you are responsible for that. Your children will end up doing and being in life, what you trained and lived before them. It is the most important responsibility other than your own personal relationship with God. It is the will of God for every family that you spend eternity in Heaven with your children and grandchildren and so on.  But, you’re going to have to know what God says and how to do what God says. God is not your caretaker! He is God! He does not mow your grass or clean your house, etc. He has a part and we have a part. We have to train our children and be parents! In many instances the children have more sense than the parents! Kids manipulate their parents and they are so oblivious to that reality. It is your job to know exactly what is going on in your home. There are no perfect parents. Everyone has issues. But if you will put aside foolishness in your life, and run after God, He will step in and help you in your ignorance. He is merciful! Everyone has room for improvement. It is your responsibility to train and teach your children. 

Proverbs 22: 6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

It is not the public-school systems job to train your kids. It is not family and children services job. It is not the babysitter’s job. If you let this happen, one day it will have the affect it is meant to have. It will affect them in ways that you won’t be able to turn because of choices you made. That is the world you live in. The enemy has been working his plan in the family unit for a long time. It has gotten out of hand in the United States. In America the typical mindset is that making money is more important than raising children.  It may not show consequences immediately, but eventually it will show up. The Word teaches us to work and not to be lazy. But there comes a time when you have to prioritize. What is more important?  Renovating the home, having another car, a bigger tv, etc. or investing your time in your children. The most valuable thing you possess is your time. If you spend all your time gong after the money, you won’t have time for your kids.  If they keep turning to you, and you are not there, they will turn to the world and outside of God. That is how it works. And when they do this, the enemy will have someone right there at that moment to become a bad influence in that kids’ life.  The plan of God is that YOU train your children. 

Notice it says, “train up a child in the way he should go,” It is your job to know your child’s strengths and weaknesses.  You don’t try to make them into something you wanted to be your whole life. For example, if they cannot shoot a basketball, quit trying to make them! If they cannot sing, do not point them in that direction! Just because you wanted to be a doctor and never pursued that dream, does not mean your children carry the same burden. You have to point them in the direction they should go! God has a direction for every child!  To know the strengths and weaknesses of your child, you have to be around them enough to know these things! You can’t do this if you’re off at your job and your kid is at the babysitters, or over at daycare! The enemy loves it! When he can get the kids out from under the watchful eye of their parents. That is how he sows seeds that will sometimes hold them in bondage their whole lives. God will help you! And when you get something wrong, you know where to turn. The mercy of God. 

1 Corinthians 7:8-16 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Not much preaching happens out of chapters like this, which is the problem. People today change spouses like shoes. This passage is very clear!  There was a day in America when it was a disgrace to get a divorce. If you don’t have that settled in you, you’ll find a way. There are many times in a marriage that it is easier to walk away than to stay. You have to learn to forgive! People mess up! Including yourself! Paul addressed a marriage that involves one believer and one unbeliever. He is speaking of the kids too!  You must make your decisions with your kids in mind! What will getting another job do? What will moving across the country do? What if God had planned their spouse where you currently are, and you moved them so far away? You’ve made a decision that affected the will of God for your child. Why would you ever put money and your job above your family? You’ll do your children the greatest favor you’ve ever done them, if you’ll get them up at church time and establish, “me and my house, we are going to the house of God.”  

Disciplining your children does not damage them. You do not break their spirit, you break their will. There is no such thing as a kid that will not obey.  Not disciplining your kids is how you raise a brat that will be out in the streets rioting. It affects rebellion and anarchy in our streets today because this was lost in the home and family a while ago. Why? Because mom and dad are out pursuing money and more material things. 

1 Timothy 5:14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

There was a day in America where men went out to work and the women stayed home with the children. What happened? The things became more important than raising the children. It will cost you! It is how you live before your kids that will point them in the right direction. They know when you’re faking it. Guide the house! There is absolutely no shame in being a housewife. There is nothing more honorable than to choose your children over anything. Stay home and guide your house! Don’t pick the world over your children! 

The devil knows he would be wasting his time if he tried convincing parents to disregard the needs of their children. So, he tries to get us to sacrifice our time with them, by convincing us to work to get the kids more things. Parents need to see the higher need of a child. The higher need is not an extra tv in their room or a $200 pair of shoes. But a parent who is there, present, guiding, and training them. They need your time and attention more than they need things that are not necessities.  It is natural for a child to turn to their parents. But, if you are not there, they will turn to another source, outside of God, to have their emotional and spiritual needs met. While you focus on getting their physical and natural needs met. Parents want the best for their kids but fall into the deception that they are providing the best when they give more attention to more natural things instead of the spiritual things. This is when good becomes evil. When we replace the spiritual with the natural and the eternal with the temporal. If you truly love your babies, make sure your sacrifices are the right ones.  To sacrifice your time to get more natural things is not always the right choice. The time you spend to earn the money to buy them things and take them places, would have been a much better investment if you’d invested spiritually and morally into the lives of your kids. Parents need to reevaluate the lives with their children in mind. Should we have mom out working so we can have our dream home or a new car? OR should we stay close together as a family now, and wait on God to prosper us? If there is ever an area where God prospers parents, it is those who are willing to see to the sanctification of their children as a first priority. 

Operating your Faith

April 18, 2021

Sunday AM

What is the greatest enemy of become all that you can be? The satisfaction of staying who you presently are. If you are satisfied with where you’re at now, that’s as far as you will go. God is always changing us and growing us. He wants to increase us. If you’ll let Him increase you, He will increase everything around you. 

Luke 17:1-4 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

This is saying that it is inevitable that offenses will come. If you have the capacity to be offended, you also have the capacity to offend others. No one can offend you unless you allow it.  We all want increase in our lives, but offenses hinder that more than we realize. Have you ever been stuck? When you’re stuck you expend a lot of energy and resources, but you don’t go anywhere. We get stuck in our everyday lives. Most of the time people are stuck because they hold on to offenses. Because they hold on to things people have done to them. We weren’t taught to take these things seriously. There is pride involved. The fuller you are of yourself and pride, the easier it is to become offended. We are to be people who let our light shine. We are to be salt and light. We are to be examples. People of love do not live in strife and contention all the time. It’s not who we are. Every day there is an opportunity to be offended or for you to offend someone. You have to be aware! We live in a time where selfishness is rampant.  But for a Christian, selfishness should not be the way. 

In verse 2, the “little ones” referred to are people who have newly come to the faith. It does not necessarily mean a child. D

Matthew 18:1-3  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

We must develop this kind of heart. We much become as little children.  A child is teachable and trusting. It represents humility. You cannot teach a prideful person because they think they know! When we become adults and people hurt us, we become harder and not as trusting. It does affect how we trust God whether we realize it or not. Holding these offenses in your life will hinder you from becoming who you are meant to be. God takes it very seriously how we treat other people 

In verse 3 of the passage in Luke where it says, “rebuke him,” this means to go to the other person and express that you both know that wasn’t right. You have to handle this situation right. Especially if you are upset. You don’t know how they will respond, but what is important is that you have already settled how you are going to respond. 

In verse 4, He is teaching that you cannot put a limit on how many times you forgive. 

Luke 17:5-6 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 

When they asked Him to “increase their faith,” He pointed them towards the tree.  He was proving that they don’t need an increase in faith. Because faith just the size of a mustard seed could speak to that tree and it would obey.  These particular trees have a very enormous root systems. It is just like things that get rooted deep within people. We tend to think the tree is the issues, But it’s really the root. We think that faith is the issue, but it is really the deep-rooted things in you. If you’ll take care of those things, your faith will work. If not, it will hinder and devastate your faith. We have the faith of God just like Jesus had the faith of God. When you were born again the faith of God was measured to you and redeemed in you. You have faith. Even if it is the size of a mustard seed, it is His faith, and it will work for you just like it works for Jesus. But if you have things in your heart that are hindering it from working, it simply won’t work. This is where the love of God comes into play. The same heart that you believe with, is the same heart that you love others with. Love is of the heart. Faith is also of the heart. But if you have doubt in your heart, you can’t operate your faith and you can’t believe, and you can’t love. It hinders everything! We are to forgive people no matter how many times it comes up.  Do not hold any animosity in your heart. Only the love of God can change your heart to the degree that no matter what people say, it does not get rooted in you. There is nothing that will affect your prayer life like the love of God coming in and driving the unforgiveness and doubt out. Prayer can work like it was designed by God to work. The love of God drives out contention and strife. Love never bows to strife. If you want peace to increase in your life, love has to increase. You want the peace that can be so strong that everything around you can be falling apart and all you can feel within is peace? You have to get in the presence of God and let His love weed out all the darkness and doubt. It is so aggressive and powerful that it will overwhelm anything that tries to invade it’s space.  Wouldn’t it be great to get to the place that you wouldn’t even notice when someone does wrong to you? To get there, you have to have God’s love and peace. It does not originate in man. There is nothing outside of the love of God that is worthy of your time. It is worth it for you to take the love of God seriously. 

When you were born again the love of God was planted in you in seed form.  He gave us His nature. God is love. We have a capacity to love like God loves. But just because you got that nature, does not make you automatically able to love on that level. But it can be increased. As the love increases, so does the peace. It drives out the fear, the doubt, the things that keep the faith from working. Then, your faith can work like God designed it to work. 

Commandments

April 11, 2021

Sunday AM

Matthew 22: 34- 39  But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

Your heart is the seat of affection. It is everything that makes you who you are.  It is the center of who you are. Not just your spirit, but also your soul. The soul is your mind, will, and emotions. You are not a mind. You are a spirit. You are not a soul; you only possess a soul. You are a spirit that is the eternal part of you.  You are a spirit, you have a soul, you live in a body.  Notice the word “all” is mentioned 3 times. God don’t want just part of you, He wants all of you. You can start worshiping God and your mind will drift off at times. What you have to do is discipline your mind and your flesh. When you practice that, you are making it do what you want it to and not what it wants you to do. See the difference? 

Worshipping God brings everything that God is, into your life. God does not pick and choose. He does not prefer one person over another. This is for every single one of His children.  You must choose to worship Him. You will worship something or someone. It is up to you who that is. If you are not worshipping God, you are worshiping something else.  We were created for worship. Do you want to know who you’re worshipping?  Follow the trail of your time, and your money. Whatever you worship, you will serve. Whatever you continually bow down & worship, you’ll take on it’s characteristics. If you’ll worship God every day, you’ll take on His characteristics. You have to invite Him in! When you don’t worship Him, you keep Him on the outside of your life. He wants in! Worship always brings the presence of God. It is so powerful!

The first commandment is to love God with everything in you. Then, the second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. How do you know that you love God? You love people. You know that your love for God is increasing when your love for people is increasing and your love for yourself is decreasing. If we all loved other people as much as we love ourselves, we’d already be in heaven.  Love God first of all, then you will have His love to love other people with. Because you can’t love people more than you love yourself with natural human love. It can only happen with divine love. Because natural human love is selfish. It is the love of oneself first.  Divine love is a love that denies itself on behalf of others. Its total focus is the well-being of the other person. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. In other words, He was more interested in your salvation than anything else. He is willing to give the best He had even when you don’t know Him or care about Him or want Him. That’s love. Then you have God’s love working in you, you can love your enemies. You can’t do it apart from God’s love. You can’t even forgive people like you need to apart from God’s love. You can’t generate what didn’t originate within you. There is nothing in the word that teaches to love yourself. It teaches you to love God and let Him love you. Then you have something to love others with. 

Exodus 20 1-6 And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

God will tolerate no rivals. There should be nothing more exciting to you than the things of God. He wants to be first in your life. Whatever you bow down to, you will serve. You either love God, or you don’t. There is no middle ground. You either worship Him, or you’re worshiping something else. He wants your affection, your thoughts, your heart. God will give Himself to you, but you have to go after Him.  People have so many problems in their lives because they don’t worship God. 

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

This means you are not to say things about God that are not true. God is not the damner.  He is the blesser. God does not put sickness on people, He is the healer. When you say things about God that are not true, you are taking His name in vain. 

Exodus 20:8-17 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The church today needs to be reminded of these things. It is only uncomfortable if you are doing them.  But, if you love God, and you love people, you won’t want to do any of these things. The commandments 1-4 deal with your relationship with God. Then next six change in nature because they deal with your relationship with other people. Do you see the importance of loving God, and loving other people? This is why He says in Matthew 22:40, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  

When you make the decision to bow down and worship God every day, your love for people will increase. The biggest issues in an individual’s life are based on two things. Selfishness and pride.  When you were born into this earth, those things were inherited inside of you from Adam & Eve. They were put in Adam & Eve when they were in the garden, disobeyed God, died spiritually, and the nature of Satan came in them. When you realize how much pride and selfishness you have in your life, you might take it seriously. When you wake up and go about your day without bowing down to God to worship, you’re saying, “God, I can do this on my own, I do not need you.”  It is self-dependent. And when you recognize that and come to Him and ask for help, He will help you! The pride and selfishness in your life has cause more pain and suffering than the devil ever has. Pride and selfishness negatively affect your relationship with God. Do you like to be around someone who is full of arrogance? Do you like to hang around a person that does not like to talk about anything but themselves? It is no different with God! When you bow down to God, humility is coming. Because what you are saying is, “You’re greater than me, You’re God, I am not.” Humility comes before honor. Do you want God to promote you? He can’t promote pride. It is the original sin of Satan. 

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Your physical health, and the health of your finances, is based on the health of your soul.  When there are things between you and other people that have brought pain, unforgiveness, revenge, it hinders your soul. It will affect your physical well-being, and your financial well-being. You can be sick in your soul, just as you can be sick in your body. You can have pain in your soul, just as you can have pain in your body. The soul is not like your body. Your body was made by God to heal itself. But the soul, has to have a lot of help. 

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

As love is perfected in you, and matures, it drives out anything in your life that is not like God.  It casts out anything that comes into your life through darkness. If you have things between you and other people that you just cannot let go of, it is because you do not worship God. You cannot continue to worship God and His love not increase in you, and it does not drive those dark things out of you. It is impossible.  You can’t love God and not love people. If your relationship with people is not right, your relationship with God is not right. We are where we are in our lives based on our choices. When we realize the seriousness of this, it is easy to bow down to God. Even Jesus Himself said, “I can of my own self do nothing.” If Jesus said that, how much more do you and I need to say that. We can’t do anything without God’s help. And God is here to help! God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Darkness cannot stay where light comes. Fear has to go! If you’re full of fear and anxiety, God’s love is the answer. 

When we were born into the family of God, we gained a capacity to receive God’s love and to love in return. Through spending time in private fellowship with God, we increase that capacity. And as that capacity for His love increases, the more of His love we are able to receive. God is love! He wants to love you more! But you can’t contain it where you’re at. He’s loving you as much as He possibly can where you are.  But every time you go to worship Him, it increases your capacity to receive His love.  The more you go to him, the bigger the tank gets. The more love you can receive, the more fear and unforgiveness, and pain of the past can be driven out of you! It can be very addicting! “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”  God created us for worship. 

Peace is the absence of fear and torment. Make it to peace, and life can be good! Peace can be yours if you’ll let His love come in! 

The Purpose of Creation

April 4, 2021

Sunday AM

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John

The revelation means the unveiling or uncovering. This whole book is an unveiling of who Jesus really is to understand Him and what He has truly done for us. Most think it’s about wars, plagues, etc. But it’s really about Jesus Christ. 

Revelation 4:1-11 1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thundering’s, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11 “You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.”

What are we here for? What is our purpose? Every person has the exact same purpose. Your purpose is not to be confused with your calling.  Each person has a different calling, but our purpose is all the same. If you are breathing air, your purpose is to worship God. Why? He’s the one that gave you that life, that breath. 

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

God formed our body with dirt from the earth. Then He breathed Himself into that body and it came alive. Before that life, the body was dead. When you are born into the earth through your mother’s womb, you are born spiritually dead. But the moment you invite God in, He stands up to you eyeball to eyeball, nose to nose, and breathes Himself into you. The same life that God has, and the same life that Jesus had when He was here on earth, is now in you. You’ve been born again. You are now spiritually alive. This is why you go to heaven when you die. You don’t go to hell because you sin. You go because of who you are and because you are spiritually dead.  

We were created by God for a purpose. That purpose is to give praise. That purpose is to give worship. Even when things are hard. Believers should be aware that anything that happens here is temporary. Any circumstance does not last forever. Contrary circumstances do not have to last forever! The Holy Spirit comes to live in you to help you and pray for you. Who better to pray for you than the Almighty God? He changes you from the inside out. He removes the residue of the old man and gets rid of it so that you can be conformed to the image of Christ and live in victory for the rest of your life. It took all three members of the God head to carry out this plan. God The Father did His part. Jesus did His part. And now the Holy Spirit is still continuing the work.  When you pray in the spirit, you’re letting Him work. But when you don’t, He just hovers there, waiting for you to speak. He is here to help you! 

There should never be one day that you don’t bow down before God and thank Him for giving you life. He is not just Abrahams God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God. He is your God! And He is good to you. And faithful to you! How much time have you spent this week telling God how thankful you are for the breath in your lungs? Why can’t you worship someone who meets all your needs?  Why can’t you worship someone who heals all your diseases? People are trying to get set free, but He has already set you free! The enemies and the lies of the flesh keep you bound.  You invite God in, and He brings everything that He is, into you.  Darkness has to go! Death leaves. Fear leaves. Depression leaves. It cannot stay where God is. 

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

The more God you can get in, the more darkness has to leave! God does not have good days and bad days! He doesn’t have blue Mondays. He is good all the time! If you want to have good days all the time, like God does, you’ve got to get Him on the inside! And how you do that, is through worship. He has given us tools to help us! Tongues is just one of them. Worship is a different key! Tongues is a revelation gift. You pray in tongues and you WILL have revelation. You will understand your bible more. The Holy Spirit is your personal teacher and He can help anyone! A lot of times, we make it much harder than it is. When in reality, it is very simple. Get up every single day, and worship God. Fall in love with Him! God doesn’t want to wait for you to get to heaven to get to know Him! He doesn’t like distant relatives. He doesn’t want to see His children just on the weekends. 

Worship brings everything that God is, into your life. His presence is His essence; His person. God doesn’t have healing, He IS healing. God doesn’t have light, He IS light.  God doesn’t have life, He IS life. God doesn’t have love, He IS love. When you get Him on the inside, He brings every bit of that with Him. You just need one thing in life. God. If you can get God, you’ve got all you need. He wants to walk around with you through your everyday life.  Not just on Sunday’s! He wants to come and live with you! But He won’t if you don’t want Him.  Right now, you have as much of God as you want. If you aren’t praying, it’s because you don’t want to. No one can stop you from praying but you. If you aren’t worshiping God, it’s because you don’t want to.  Life will change for you, if you worship God for one hour a day. 

Revelation 5:1-5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

This is what the resurrection did. He prevailed. Over death, hell, and the grave. 

In chapter 4, there are 11 verses. The throne of God was mentioned 14 times. It show’s you a picture of the throne and tells you who’s on it.  That throne is the center of ALL existence. God is the source of all living. So, what’s going on around that throne? Worship. What’s the center of your life? If you make God the center, you can only win. Life can be better! Let Him come into your life and show you who He really is!  

Revelation 42:5-6 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me;

If you are broke down, busted, and disgusted, it is because you are not worshipping God.  Your whole life depends on worship, and who you give it to. You were created to worship God.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

It’s easy to rejoice in the glory of God when everything is going well for you. But, we are instructed not only when things are going well, but also in tribulation. Not only on Sunday morning, but also Monday morning. Rejoice when there is trouble all around! Hope is so powerful! The hope that comes from God! When you learn to rejoice and worship God not just when things are going well, but when things aren’t going so well, it will produce something in you that will take you to the other side of it. You won’t live in hopelessness every day, God will send supernatural hope! Let the Holy Ghost come along and dump His love on you. It will make you sweet while you’re going through the trouble. Start employing worship in your life! It will bring some things into your life that aren’t presently there. 

The Place of Exchange

March 31, 2021

Wednesday

Proverbs 7

In this chapter, you see two women emerging. 2 ways of living. 2 opinions of thoughts. What you think gets down into your heart. It becomes what you believe and live by. “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” 

The place of exchange. This is where you exchange human sufficiency for God’s sufficiency. 

Human sufficiency – It’s the attitude, I can do it with my abilities, my hands, my mind, my determination. 

It’s true. You can. People do it every day. But, that’s people in the world. As God’s people we have a higher call. A higher purpose. And it is impossible to fulfil God’s purpose for your life in your human ability. You have to exchange. Meet with Him daily and exchange your abilities for His. 

If the world system can get you to settle for what you can produce with your own sufficiency, it’s just neutralized you. It’s stolen your God given purpose. You might reach the end of your life and have many things/successes. But if it’s not what God had for you, it was in vain. A useless waste. 

Human sufficiency is the same as human dependency. You are basically depending on yourself and saying, “I can do it, I don’t need you God.” Every morning when you get up and you just go about your day without going to the place of exchange, that is what you are portraying to God. 

There are 2 sides to every gift. Your side and God’s side. God has all the ability. He does not need that from you. He needs your faithfulness! If you’re faithful, He supplies the ability.  

When Jonah ran from the presence of the Lord, his life went downhill quick. Not just him, but everyone around him. Why did he run from the presence of the Lord? People don’t get in His presence because they don’t want to do what God told them to do. It’s pride! God has something for EVERYONE. Not one person is more important than the other. Every person’s purpose is important. Everyone will be awarded accordingly, and everyone will be judged according to what you’ve done with God’s purpose for your life. We will all have to stand before the judgement seat of God and give an account for what we did with our purpose. 

Anything you hear repeatedly; you will begin to believe in your soul. That is why you must attend a church that will feed you the truth. If you can keep your thinking right, you can believe right. If you believe right, you will talk right. And if you talk right, you’ll live right.

Proverbs 8:10-11 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

This is wisdom Herself speaking. She is instructing not to get more excited about making a living, or making money, than the things of God. You have to get honest! If your thinking is contrary to this, it shows you how much you’re under the control of the harlot system. We’ve all been taught by the world system how to be a success in that system. But what you don’t realize, is behind that system there are spirits at work every day. They are assigned to all of us, to see to it that you do not complete the plan will and purpose for your life. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep you distracted. 

Psalm 119: 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

Psalm 119 : 72 The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!

Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.

It’s not that God doesn’t want you to get excited about being a success in that area. He just wants you to be careful and be as excited about Him as you are earthly riches. People in this world judge you based on your house, car, job etc. Not that you are living for God. Heaven don’t view things like the world does.  God is far more interested in your love for Him, rather than your love for material things. There is nothing more important than where you invest your life. Time is much more valuable than money.  You can always get more money, but you cannot get your time back. Where you invest your time is where you will get the biggest pay off. 

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah

The world will load you with cares, worries, fears, and doubts. The Lord will load you with peace, joy, strength, joy, grace, healing, deliverance, light! When you’re loaded down with those things, the devil won’t come around you. It’s a place of perfect immunity! It’s the secret place that David talks about. It’s a place where your enemies can’t get in because God is standing between you and your enemies.  DAILY He prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies! DAILY you get up and you eat from His table. DAILY!!! “Give me this day, my daily bread.” If you don’t go to the place of exchange, the world system will load you down instead of God. God is victory!

You are looking for love!

March 28, 2021

Sunday AM

1 Corinthians 13

There is a difference between natural human love and divine love. Christians usually intermingle the two and mistake one for the other. They are not the same by no stretch of the imagination.  You can’t generate what doesn’t originate in you. Just because you want to love people with the kind of love God gives, does not mean you can generate it out of your own will.  You have to have His help.  It’s something you have to have help with daily. You have a capacity to pool and hold the love of God. If you’ll go there daily and get your tank filled up, when you go out into the world, you’ve got something that other people don’t have. Even Christians that don’t make that effort. So, you can’t generate what doesn’t originate. That’s why Satan cannot create, he can only imitate. 

In verse 3 of this chapter, He is demonstrating how strong human love can be. Many people can give a lot out of their own human love. But, human love, ultimately, will let you down. It has its limits.  Divine love does not have limits. It will come through for you. What our natural human love can’t do, God’s love can do. God IS love. We have been born of God, so we have His love in us. It was given to us when we became born again. We only need to take the time to develop it. You must water the seed of Agape so that it can grow up and take over the old man. Ephesians explains it as, “taking off the old man, and putting on the new.”  You don’t do that from the outside in, you do it from the inside out. It is supernatural. With your own natural human ability, you are not able to live the Christian life like the bible says. You have to have God’s super on your natural. You can’t do it with human sufficiency. It does not matter how talented or gifted you are. You don’t have the ability to live the Christian life like God has designed us to live it. You have to have His help! Love does not come and find you; you must pursue it.

Worship will bring everything that God is, into your life.  Faith, hope, and love. These things will remain forever! If we had went after love like we have gone after faith, we would be miles down the road ahead of what we are now. Most of your faith problems, are actually a love problem.  Jesus spoke to that himself and said, “If you speak to the mountain, but you are in doubt, you need to fix the doubting.” Many times, our faith isn’t working because of the love issues in our heart! That’s where worship comes in. Worship will fill your spirit to the degree, that it will spill over into your soul, where the fears and doubts are, and the love will take it over. The love of God will trump anything. In order to be moved by compassion, you have to be full of compassion. You can only be moved by what you’re full of. You can get full of anything you want to get full of. Yourself, pride, fear, etc. Or you can be full of love, faith, and power. You can be full of confidence in a God that can take care of you in the midst of anything. The whole world could be collapsing around you and you know that your God will take care of you because of what’s going on inside of you.  God’s word is like a hammer. Wisdom is knowledge pounded in.  We need certain truths pounded into us. God is good all the time, and He’s good to me. God’s going to do good things in my life. I’m coming out of where I’m at. Things are getting better, not worse. I may have struggled with some things last year but this year I’m coming out. This year I’m getting better. God is no respecter of faces. The devil has lied to you and told you it won’t work for you. But this will work for anyone!  The only way it won’t work for you is if you believe it won’t work for you.  Don’t believe that lie! You are the apple of your Father’s eye. He loves you with a love that can’t be quenched. It’s unconditional. He will do anything for you! He loves you! 

The Holy Spirit wills to pour out the spiritual gifts constantly. But He is limited by human vessels. Picture it like a faucet. When it is on, it is heaven. But He could not pour out like He wanted to because of the issues in the Corinthian church. That is why He took the first 11 chapters to correct the problems. In chapter one they were dealt with over division and strife.  In chapters 2&3 He deals with their carnality and envy.  This is what we have to realize: we have an enemy here, and adversary, he is set on stopping any forward progress that anyone makes in the kingdom. You have to deal with him. The good news is, we have power over him. But its power that you have to know and exercise.  If he can divide you, he can conquer you. He starts with you. He will use anyone and any circumstance to offend you. This can be offense at another person, leadership, your pastor, your husband or wife, your mom or your dad. When you’re offended you’re divided from your life source.  It is all about division, and he will do whatever is necessary to stunt your growth.

Stay with your church. Especially your closest siblings in the family of God. Live in a thick web of interdependent relationships. Quietly defy the individualism that is wreaking havoc across the west. Surrender your autonomy to Love. Place yourself in the constraint of community. For it is there we are set free. Give up your preferences for the sake of others. Enroll in the school of Agape. When you fail a course, throw yourself upon God’s mercy. Come back to the table, eat the bread, drink the wine of the Spirit, ingest the forgiving love of God. Repent! Repent again! And again!  Risk vulnerability. We will get hurt and we will hurt in return. That’s part of facing grace. Our greatest wounds come from relationships. But so does our deepest healing. And the risk is worth it!

If you think you don’t need people, you’re deceived!  If you want to run fast, run alone. But if you want to run a long time, run with people. We need each other! If people can hurt you, people can heal you. Don’t listen to the lie of separation. Do not separate yourself from people thinking that you will be alright! 

When you are hurt you begin to put up walls. We perceive life through our childlike lenses which are made up of our life experiences. God is trying to love us, but He can’t get in because of all the walls we have erected around us in an effort to protect ourselves. He can’t get to you! God don’t like being separated from His kids.  God don’t like being restrained from loving you like He wants to love you! He wants to come into your life and love you like you’ve never been loved. He wants to remove all your problems and pain. If He is anything less than that, He is not God! If He is anything less than that, He is not a Father! He is full of eager yearning. His heart yearns to be with you! His heart longs to get into your life. He wants to be God to you. What is it that keeps Him out? The walls we have built up. Our self-protection mechanisms. When you build these walls, it not only separates you from people, but it also builds mistrust in you. If you can’t trust people don’t think you can trust God. It is impossible to see these areas on your own. Because you are looking through the lens of a child. But when you get in the presence of God and His love starts to come into you, He will slowly and gently begin to remove the veils. The very things that blind you. There are things in all of us that only love can fix. The very thing you need is exactly what you are shutting out! People are going to mistreat you. It’s inevitable. But when you’re operating in the love of God, it can’t get in you. It can’t affect you. Love will always take the chance. It will take the risk. While we were still sinners, God took a chance. He crucified His own Son with no guarantee that we would love Him back.  This is How God designed life to be lived! And it cannot be done apart from His love. You can’t forgive people like God does without His love.  It starts in your spirit but flows over into your soul where you will see the biggest change. A supernatural sense of peace will come into you.  Peace is born out of that love. All the things you are looking for are found in love. 

A better way

March 24, 2021

Wednesday

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Human love can be very strong. But Agape does not originate in man. What doesn’t originate with you, you can’t generate. Humans generate natural love because that’s what they have. It does not originate with God. Divine love is within God and if you’re going to generate it, you’ll have to get it from the source. 

Verse 8 – We have our natural human language and our heavenly language. In this verse it says, “where there are tongues, they will cease.” Why? Because when you go to heaven you won’t need them. But until then, you have them here. They have not ceased here. 

Verse 11 – God is a full-grown adult; He is looking through that lens. You are a child looking through a child’s perspective. But when you mature, you can see Him as He is, and you can see yourself as He sees you.  When you’re a child you can’t do that. Have you ever tried to reason with a child? Or get them to see something that they don’t have the capacity to see yet? It takes time for them to grow up and see from an adult’s perspective.  When you mature, you can see face to face (verse 12). 

 Everything in the Bible is about love. Everything about God is love. Our whole lives are supposed to be about love. Eternal life is based on love.  We haven’t given it our focus as we should. That’s why chapter 14 verse 1 tells us to PURSUE IT.  Love won’t come and just jump on you. You have to go after it! What have you done with Love? This is a question we should ask ourselves often. Because without intention, it will not develop. Make it your aim, your goal, your great quest! You don’t just wake up one day and just decide, “okay I’m going to walk in love.” It does not work that way because humans do not generate it! You have to go to God constantly to get it because it originates within Him. It is a daily thing! You need Him every single day! And if you neglect it, you won’t have it when you need it. 

1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

We were taught that the gifts of the spirit only operate as the Spirit wills.  This is correct. It is something you can’t do just because you want to. This is not to be confused with tongues for personal edification.  You can do that anytime you want to! But you can’t generate a tongue to be interpreted at will.  What this verse is saying is, He wills to do it all the time! But He can’t through a people that’s in a condition that the church was in. That’s why it took him 11 chapters to correct them! 

John 3:34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 

Jesus, not as God, but as a man sent by God, had the Spirit of God without measure.  He walked in full measure. Most of the people Jesus healed, weren’t in church. 

1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

God wants to show you a better way! Pursue the love of God like you go after the things in the world! You will have found a shortcut. This is the ONLY shortcut in God. Have you ever had a really rough week and you are looking forward to Sunday morning church so you can get in His presence and all that will lift off of you, even if for a moment? Church should be that way.  But, there’s something better! You can have Him on Monday! Jesus walked around with Him all the time! Jesus was from Nazareth. A natural man. He is our prototype, our example. He is the image we are to look at and become like.  If you think for one minute, that it’s not the will of God for us to live the way Jesus did, you are misinformed. Jesus himself had to go through preparation. He had to fast and pray in preparation. He had to face the devil and temptation.  He had to deal with His flesh and keep His mind under control. He had to deal with all the things we have to. He was a man! He became like us! You will never be Jesus the deity. But you have His standing now as a son. He gave that to you. Everything that He accomplished on the cross, He turned and handed it to you. He bought and paid for it.  He didn’t just save you to get you out of hell, He saved you to get you back to Himself. There is a better way! His presence is meant to live with you! When you come to the altar to get some relief and some help, what happens is, basically you are prayed for and the dead fruit is shaken off of your tree. But there’s a way to go to the root. The dead fruit comes off and you feel better, but the root is still there, and it just comes back. There’s a better way to live! When you understand His love and how to develop it, that love goes straight to the root. It can see the root. You cannot because you’re looking through a child’s lens.

Genesis 2:24-25  Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

They were unveiled. When you get to heaven, transparency is a big word. Down here, everyone is hiding behind something. When you hide behind things, you’re never going to know the love He has for you.  And until you know the love, He has for you, you can’t love people like He designed you to love them. When you can’t love others like He designed, you can’t live life like He designed it to be lived.  

Imagine having nothing hidden. Not trying to be someone else. Being secure in who you are. Life goofs people up. And just like Adam and Eve, when the devil gets in, that covering comes off and we get our fig leaves and put it around us to hide ourselves and our shame. To hide the things that have happened to us and hide the things that we think taint our existence.  This is all about roots! There’s a better way to live than to live your whole life behind a veil. 

Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

HE CAN’T BE YOUR FORTRESS AS LONG AS YOU’VE GOT ALL YOUR VEILS UP SAYING, “ILL BE MY OWN FORTRESS” He can’t get in! People can’t get in! Because you won’t let them! That’s the veil you’re looking through! Don’t remain veiled! So, what’s going to change it? Go into to the love of God and let Him uproot that stuff!  God can heal a damaged soul in the blink of an eye. Love never fails. Love can heal any pain, hurt, or trauma. Your need will never be fulfilled until you run to the need meeter. Get in God’s presence and tell Him how interested you are in knowing Him. Saturate yourself in His love.