The Beauty of Intercession

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“. . . He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25

Jesus lives. What a profoundly glorious thought! Our Lord and King did not remain in the grave He visited for us. Instead, He rose, conquering its power and making His victory available to us. One of the ways we access that victory is through prayer, petitioning Jesus to help us in our need. And now, Scripture promises that He is able to save us completely, because He lives to intercede for us.

Have you let that thought settle on you? Jesus’ current, active role is to intercede . . . for you. Romans 8:34 agrees that Jesus, “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” What does that mean? Dictionary.com defines intercede this way: “to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition.” Jesus acts on your behalf by what He speaks.

Do you face difficulty, dear one? Is trouble crushing you under the burden of its weight? Consider Jesus’ promise to you in John 16:33:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Trouble finds all of us. Because sin exists in this world, it’s impossible for us to live out our days without experiencing difficulty. And the reality is, when trouble hits us, it often defeats us. It robs our hope. It breeds fear and anxiety. It causes us to run. But not Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t waver in the presence of trouble. No. In the presence of Jesus, trouble must bow its knee.

Do you believe that Jesus has conquered even your difficulty? Be encouraged and take heart. Why? Because Jesus has overcome! And now, according to Hebrews 7:25, Jesus lives to intercede on your behalf. What’s more, as your intercessor, He is able to save completely!

So, how does the Overcomer intercede for us in our circumstances? Through prayer!

Last week we learned that prayer is the conduit that releases God’s blessing and power into our lives. Although we often use it as the means to try to get God to do what we want, God actually moves in answer to prayers that align with His plans and purpose. For us to release His power into our circumstance, we must pray according to His will (Matthew 6:10, 1 John 5:14-15).

How can we know how to pray in line with God’s desires? We allow our intercessor—the One who knows exactly what we need and who provides the power to overcome—to lead us in prayer.

Jesus has given us a tremendous gift to help us in our need. While He intercedes at God’s right hand, the Spirit He sent us is hard at work within us. Celebrate the promise of Romans 8:26-27.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

So often when circumstances and pain overwhelm us, we don’t even know how to pray. In those moments of weakness, God’s precious Spirit within us cries out on our behalf in compliance with God’s will. And when we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears, and “we know that we have what we’ve asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to pray according to God’s will, but He Himself is led by another source. Consider Jesus’ words surrounding the sending of the Holy Spirit:

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:13-14

Do you see it, dear one? Jesus sits at the right hand of God so that He can intercede on our behalf. As God speaks His will to His Son, the Son reveals the Father’s will to the Spirit. The Spirit then brings glory to Jesus by, “taking from what is [His] and making it known to you.”

The most important thing we can do in prayer is to quiet ourselves before the Lord. We spend so much time telling God what we need, but we rarely stop to listen. Listening, beloved, is where prayer’s power is found. Allow Jesus to whisper the Father’s will into your heart through the Spirit. As you partake in the mind of Christ and follow His leading to pray His own words back to Him, the gates of heaven will open in answer to the speaking of God’s will. That, dear one, is how we pray “in Jesus’ Name.”  

“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: 
   It will not return to me empty, 
but will accomplish what I desire 
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

Opening the Gift of Prayer

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“. . . your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”     Matthew 6:10

We often approach God in prayer like He’s a magic genie in a lamp. If we speak our request and rub Him right, we’ll soon have what we asked!

Unfortunately, the results often disappoint us. We earnestly go before the throne to tell God what we need from Him, and His silence leaves us doubting the power of this God who apparently has better things to do than answer.

Can you relate? Do you faithfully bring your requests before God in anticipation of His desire to help you? Do you find that He regularly answers you in tangible ways? Or have you found yourself frustrated and doubting whether prayer has any real power at all?

Dear one, our Creator God invites us to touch the realms of heaven with our needs and requests, and He delights in revealing Himself through His answers!

Scripture is full of promises regarding prayer, but many times we struggle due to our interpretation of them. One of those promises is found in Matthew 21:22:

Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

We often interpret this verse to say that if we can just muster up enough faith, God will give us whatever we ask for. Then when we don’t see the answer we prayed for, we assume our faith must not have been strong enough. Yet Jesus taught that we only need faith as small as a mustard seed to move a mountain! (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus offers this teaching about prayer in John 16:24:

Jesus said, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

Here Scripture teaches that we will receive from God when we ask in the name of Jesus. Great! In answer to this, we decide that we will simply end all of our prayers with the words, “In Jesus name, Amen.” That should get God moving.

Dear one, seeing God answer our prayers isn’t the result of having the right formula or the right amount of faith. It comes from having a right heart.

Let’s review our opening verse for today. In Jesus’ model for prayer, before He ever asked God to meet a single need, He prayed, “. . . your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  

My friend, prayer is not about making God bring about our will on this earth. Prayer is the conduit that releases God’s will upon the earth. Our prayers, when uttered in compliance with His perfect purpose, dispense the blessing and power of God into the lives of individuals.

Consider 1 John 5:14:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

When we utter prayers that are aligned with His perfect will, Scripture promises that God hears us. Even more beautiful is the promise found in verse 15.

“And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

The key to unlocking the mystery of powerful prayer is to align ourselves with God’s will. Instead of insisting on telling God how He should answer our need, we must approach Him with a humble heart that’s willing to move where He leads.

Yes, God invites us to ask big things of Him. He loves when we offer specific needs and ask Him to reveal Himself by meeting them. But we must remember that God’s desire isn’t just to make us happy. He desires to provide His very best for us.

Let’s release the genie from the lamp and let God be God. Let’s give Him permission to answer our prayers in the way that He chooses, even if it might be different from what we think we need. As we approach Him in faith, believing that God is able to meet our need, can we also open our hearts to trust Him for His answer?

You needn’t fear His will for you.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Let’s boldly approach the throne to ask big things of God. But as we do, let’s leave our hearts open to receive His will for us instead. After all, it may just be better.

One Body, One Temple

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“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Last week we witnessed Jesus’ zealous guardianship of His Father’s house. At the core of Jesus’ outburst ran His desire to see the temple become a “house of prayer” (Mark 11:17). Now that Jesus has completed His work on the cross and conquered the grave, God’s residence on earth has changed. He no longer dwells behind curtains or walls of stone. He lives within the hearts of His people.

Consider Paul’s depiction of the current church found in Ephesians 2:20-22. He describes membership into God’s household,

“. . . built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

When we contemplate the house of God, we often think of the many churches dotting the landscape of our cities and towns. In our mind’s eye, God’s house can take many shapes and forms, ranging from pristine, white buildings whose tall steeples sparkle in the sunlight to small meeting rooms in schools, theaters or restaurants that house a gathering of believers.

The truth is, God’s Word teaches that there is only one church. It finds its foundations in Jesus Christ, and is made up of those who have put their faith in Him. That church is described above in Ephesians 2:20-22. Jesus Himself was the first stone laid by God to set the foundation, and only in Him will the building join together and rise to become a holy temple. Do you see where you fit into the picture?

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

You, dear one, have become a part of the temple that houses the living God. So is every other person who has placed their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Although God views each one of us as uniquely special, only in unity is God’s house made complete. Notice from our text in Ephesians that the building will rise to become God’s holy temple as it is joined together in Him (verse 21).

We will miss the glory of God’s house if we don’t gaze upon it as He does: one beautiful, glorious whole. And that whole, as Jesus taught in Mark 11:17, will be called a house of prayer.

Consider Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 6:9,

“This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. . .’”

The very first word Jesus uttered in prayer as He taught His disciples to pray was “our”. Think about that for a minute. The entire Lord’s Prayer, our model given by Jesus Himself to teach us how to petition God for His aid, is spoken in the first person plural. “Our Father… Give us today our daily bread. . . Forgive us our debts . . . lead us not into temptation . . . deliver us from the evil one.”

What a wonderful place for us to start as we ask God to teach us to pray. Jesus demonstrates through His words the posture we must have before God in prayer. We must share His zeal for His house, and pray with a heart of unity for His body.

Yes, God desires that we bring our personal petitions before Him, but He delights in answering the prayers of those who approach Him with a humble heart. As we become intercessors who seek to align our prayers with His perfect purpose, He begins to circumcise our hearts so that we take on the characteristics of His own. As we do, we unite our hearts with others who also seek His Kingdom, and our prayers echoing around the world will rise as a fragrant offering before the throne.

Only God's own Spirit can produce that kind of unity, and in the presence of His Spirit, we discover His power!

A House of Prayer

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“. . . for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:7

What comes to mind when you think of God’s house? As you allow your mind to conjure images of His church, what is it that you see?

God said that His house would be called a house of prayer. I don’t know about you, but when I think of church, prayer isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind. Worship springs to the top of the list, followed by preaching. Prayer is certainly up there, but I don’t think of it as the focal point. Often prayer is even used as the transition to move the service along. Was that God’s intention for His house of prayer?

Rarely in Scripture do we witness Jesus displaying qualities that contrast His gentle humility, but one particular instance displays another very important aspect of His character. This scene is described in all four gospels; John alone reveals the disciples’ revelation in response to what they saw, “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’” (John 2:17).

How did Jesus express this zeal?

 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called 
   a house of prayer for all nations’?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Mark 11:15-17

Jesus is zealous for His Father’s house. His zeal so consumed Him, that He overturned the tables and benches of those displaying their wares in the temple. As He did, He reminded them of what God’s house was designed to be: a house of prayer.

Beloved, what does Jesus see when He enters the doors of our churches? Are we using the areas within the walls of God’s house as a showplace for our talents? Do we offer gifted oratory and entertaining music, hoping to catch the attention of those passing by?

Or, would Jesus’ Spirit rejoice over the prayer taking place among the people, a fragrant offering rising to the throne room of the Lord our God?

“.  . . the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8

Jesus said His house would be called a house of prayer. People would refer to it that way; prayer is what His house would be known for. Dear one, the glory of the church will only be revealed as God’s people learn to pray. Would you join me before the throne to petition the re-establishment of the house of prayer?

We will spend the next several weeks asking our Lord Jesus the same request uttered centuries ago by the lips of one of His first disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). As we deepen our understanding of prayer’s role within the church and in the life of the believer, may the gates of heaven open in response to the rise of the house of prayer.

“Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him . . .”

2 Chronicles 2:4

I am who I am

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“. . . I AM WHO I AM . . .”

“. . . This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” Exodus 3:14,15

Have you experienced I AM? Have you encountered the God who IS?

One of my favorite biblical stories of the revelation of I AM is found in John 18:3-6. On the night that Jesus was arrested, Judas led a group of soldiers to find Jesus in an olive grove.

So Judas came into the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it that you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Picture the scene. An angry mob comes to arrest Jesus carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Against Jesus’ small group of twelve men, they clearly had the upper hand. Yet the moment Jesus identifies Himself, proclaiming, “I AM he,” instead of advancing on Him, they drew back and collapsed.

Can you imagine the fear and confusion that must have gripped them? Jesus pronounced Himself by the name their God was to be known by for generations, and as they heard Him utter the words, they involuntarily fell to the ground!

I can relate to their compulsory response. I have a similar experience every time I encounter I AM. It occurs each time God speaks His will to me and I follow Him in faith—full of doubt in myself, yet choosing to trust the God who IS. And He reminds me, “Your story is not about who you are; it has EVERYTHING to do with who I AM.”

Several years ago, I began to awaken early each morning with a sermon forming in my mind about Hagar and Ishmael, a mother and son whose story is found in the Old Testament. I saw myself standing at the pulpit in my church, and God began to lay out this teaching in my mind. I didn’t say anything to anyone and didn’t write anything down. I just kept waking up with this message building in my head, point by point.

I knew God had called me to teach, but I’d only ever taught women and never such a large group—and my pastors do quite well at giving the sermons! I waited on God to reveal Himself.

One morning I received a phone call from the head of our women’s ministry. She said our senior pastor had contacted her regarding Mother’s Day Sunday. The Lord had lain on his heart to have a woman give the message that Sunday morning, something they had never done before. As they were talking, their thoughts went immediately to me.

I hung up the phone and collapsed to my knees, sobbing in my bedroom. My God had been faithfully giving me the message I was to share before I was ever asked! I guess He wanted me to know it was Him so I would have no excuse to back out—unless I wanted to choose direct defiance to His will. A few months later, I gave that message in all 3 services in my church, reaching over 1000 people that day.

I returned home that Sunday afternoon after pouring out the message God had given me and retreated to my room. I found myself right back where I began with Him—on my knees, weeping, overwhelmed by how He had revealed Himself and gotten me through. In the years that have followed, as I have trusted Him to be who He IS, we’ve met there many times. He has proven to me over and over,

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Beloved, I AM has a plan for you. If you will trust Him to be who He IS, you will see Him reveal Himself gloriously in your life. And as He does, you will likely fall to your knees in worship. Relish the moment, dear one. You’re in good company.

My Righteous One Will Live By Faith

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“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.”  –St Augustine

I spent a good bit of my life misunderstanding faith. Instead of exercising it and living my life by it, I thought of faith more like a noun—something we hold in our hearts. If we simply possess enough of it, God will act on our behalf, right?

Then I found myself discouraged because I didn’t see God move. It left me wondering about my own condition. Did I not have enough faith?

Perhaps you’ve been there, wondering why others can share powerful testimonies of how God showed up in their need, but you’re left doubting yourself and the God you claim to trust because your circumstances haven’t changed.

Dear one, if that’s you, perhaps you’ve missed the beautiful foundation through which true faith must flow: relationship.

Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Look at the actions describing one who pleases God with faith. Not only must we believe He exists, but we must “come to Him” in that belief. True faith can only be exercised by one who comes near to God. And that approach isn’t simply uttering a casual prayer when the need arises. The verse is clear that God rewards those who “earnestly seek Him.”

Consider Romans 10:17:

“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Dear one, faith is birthed in us when we hear a message through the Word of Christ. Perhaps our faith is failing us because we haven’t drawn near to Christ to hear what He is saying. Maybe we’ve told God what we think we need–even believing He can provide it–but we haven’t drawn near to Christ to listen for what He knows we need. Beloved, faith comes from hearing.

In John 10:3-4, Jesus describes the true nature of faith.

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

We express faith as we trust and follow. In order to follow, we must quiet ourselves and draw near to the One who speaks. Maybe we don’t see God moving on our behalf because we haven’t bothered to quiet ourselves to hear Him speaking (Psalm 46:10). We haven’t given Him the opportunity to reveal His thoughts on the matter. Instead of following behind, we’ve wandered toward what we think we need.

Beloved, Jesus releases His power wherever He is. If you want to see Him move in your circumstances, you must draw near to Him with an open, listening heart. As He faithfully whispers His will into your life, you must trust Him through your obedience. Your faith—initiated as you heard from Him (Romans 10:17) and completed as you followed His instruction to you (James 2:22)—will open the door to the release of His grace.

You will see Him move. Perhaps not the way you first thought He would, but you will see Him nonetheless.  And you will discover with a thankful, joyous heart, that Jesus is, indeed, faithful. His love is better than life.

A Living Hope

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

If you tune your ear to the conversations taking place in our homes and across our media outlets, you will often hear discussion of a growing darkness penetrating our land. Where we once reveled in the freedom of careless complacency, our security now appears threatened on every side.

Hatred grows. Jobs are no longer secure. Our nation’s financial status, once a source of comforting stability for many, now teeters precariously on the brink of collapse. Relationships blow about in the wind, and depravity increases with rapid growth, steadily lowering the bar at which we set our standards. What used to shock us has now become commonplace. Christians look at the times we’re in and fearfully fret over the coming of the end of days as if we have no hope.  

Dear one, consider God’s words from Romans 5:5.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hope in the Lord will never disappoint us. We have allowed our enemy to rob us of hope by letting him center our minds on what he would have us see. Yet that’s only one part of a much grander picture.

Yes, Scripture teaches of terrible times as we creep nearer and nearer to the end of days. But amid the growing darkness, a light will also dawn. The bride of Christ will emerge, radiant in her beauty, flowing with Christ’s love, and empowered to overcome the evil that threatens us.

The power to dispel the darkness rests within the hearts of God’s people. He has given us His Spirit. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 teaches, “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.”

That one is the Holy Spirit, gifted to Christ’s followers the moment we believe in Him. And He comes with the full arsenal of God’s power.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

We, the army of the Lord, are meant to be a witness to the world that displays God’s power and reveals His character. We are the light in the darkness.

“You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

Dear one, it’s time to let the light shine.

Awake, awake, O Zion,
   clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your garments of splendor,
   O Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
   will not enter you again.
 Shake off your dust;
   rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
   O captive Daughter of Zion.

Isaiah 52:1-2

We must awaken to our holy calling. We must stand in the power of the Almighty and loose the chains of sin that have kept us bound and quenched God’s power within us. We must turn back to Jesus, bending our hearts and our knees to His perfect will and allow Him to reveal Himself in us.

Beloved, revival starts in you and me.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Let’s arise and become what God created us to be. I’ll meet you on my knees.

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Reflect the Light of the Son

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We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

I have just enjoyed the tremendous blessing of spending the last five days in the country of Costa Rica. Each evening the sun would bid its farewell amidst a glorious display of pink, yellow and orange, the colors of the fiery sky reflecting on the dancing waters of the Pacific Ocean before disappearing into darkness beyond the horizon. It’s the kind of beauty that takes your breath away.

As I witnessed creation reflecting the splendor and glory of its Creator, I couldn’t help but think about the glory that will be revealed when God unveils the new heaven and the new earth. One day, we will see creation as God intended it to be, free from the dark curse of sin. Instead of the shadow, we will finally see the true, an array of color and beauty that we can’t even begin to imagine. And we will no longer need the sun to cast its light and warmth because the Son Himself will be with us.

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Revelation 21:23

The beauty of Costa Rica’s landscape was matched by the beauty of its people. Wherever we went, they greeted us with warm smiles, doing their best to assure us that it was their great pleasure to serve. Their humility opened my heart toward them, and I found myself drawn to their warmth. They seemed to represent a beautiful expression of Philippians 2:4-7:

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant . . .

The thought left me wondering. Are people drawn to us as believers? Is humility the essence that marks our lives? Do those who come in contact with us get the feeling that it’s our great pleasure to serve them? If the Spirit of Jesus Christ resides within us, that's exactly what those who come in contact with us should experience.  

1 John 4:16-17 teaches, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”

Are you like Him, dear one? Will you be able to stand confidently on the day of judgment knowing that you have allowed God to impart His character to you through His Son? Are people drawn to His humble warmth expressing itself in you?

You will often hear this phrase erupting from the lips of the Costa Rican people:  Pura Vida! They speak it in greeting to one another, as an expression of joy, or simply in answer to the question, “How are you?” Its meaning literally translates to “pure life.”

Perhaps we need to adopt their mantra as the foundational anchor for our own lives.

Until Jesus returns in glory to usher in the new heaven and new earth, freeing us once and for all from the very presence of sin and restoring all things to its original perfection, we are His vessels of glory. We are the light given to penetrate the growing darkness. We are His expression of love to draw the lost to Himself. We are divine righteousness in a world of depravity. If we truly desire for Christ to be seen in us, we must choose holiness. We must allow Him to sanctify us and bestow upon us His righteousness.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:      “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

May your life become a beautiful expression of the character of your Savior, and may all who cross your path be drawn to the warmth of His humility and love flowing through you.

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Nourish Your Soul

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“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5

I must begin today in worship of my Lord and King! He is the Beginning, the End, the First and the Last. He is Faithful and True. He is Redeemer, Savior, and Friend. He is so much more than we could ever grasp or imagine. He is love, and He desires to pour into me and into you. Will you allow Him to?

I have just returned from teaching at the first ever “Women of Purpose” conference in St. Pete Beach, FL. I found myself so blessed by the worship and the messages from each of the other speakers; I was truly ushered into the presence of the King! I come away with a sense of excitement and expectation as I commit to allow God to lead me to fulfill His purpose for me, and I want to share that joy and hope with all who will receive it. I want you to know the all-surpassing joy that can only come from doing what you were created to do.

I praise God for each one of you who answered God’s invitation to join us last weekend. I see your beautiful faces filled with emotion—expressing smiles and tears, sadness and hope, darkness and understanding. We basked in the Son this weekend, didn’t we? We abandoned the dark chains of deception and stepped boldly into the warm radiance of Christ’s light. I’m so proud of you! It is my great joy and privilege to have walked beside you for a few steps of your journey with Jesus. Now, dear one, you must keep walking.

I once read an article in which Beth Moore described taking her first trip to Africa to help feed the hungry. The group she traveled with warned her in advance that the people were so starved they would likely begin to eat the grain itself rather than plant it for a long term harvest. Their immediate need was so desperate, they would consume their fill without considering the need to sow the seed so it could continue to sustain them; they would eventually find themselves right back in their same desperate need.

Scripture compares the Word of God to seed scattered by our Heavenly Father (Luke 8:11). He sends it forth seeking to fill us with it, to nourish and sustain us so we don’t return to the place of desperation. But we often approach the seed He scatters like those starving souls in Africa. We flock to our churches, Bible studies, and conferences so starved and desperate for nourishment from God’s Word that we immediately begin to devour it. We take it in, taste the beauty of its refreshment, and come away full! But we often forget the most important part. The seeds of Truth God has given us aren’t meant to merely be devoured. They need to be sown.

Scripture teaches an important truth in James 1:22,

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”

If we don’t commit to actively trust God through our obedience, we will soon return to the same emptiness that sapped us of our joy and strength in the first place. Dear one, we come away from an encounter with God feeling empowered, refreshed, and full! But if that’s where it ends and we just return to life as if nothing had changed, nothing will. We must choose to live differently, to daily partake of His Word so He can fill us with strength and sustaining life. And as He meets us in the stillness, revealing Himself and illuminating our path, we must follow where He leads.

God’s grace is released into our lives when we trust Him through our obedience. As you faithfully sow into your life that which He has spoken, the floodgates of heaven will open, unleashing the blessings ordained for you at the creation of the world. You will begin to taste and experience heaven while still abiding on this earth. And you will wonder how you could’ve survived so long without feasting on the bread of life.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4

Feast on His Word, dear one. Allow Him to nourish your soul, strengthen your spirit, and empower you to become all you were meant to be. And as you follow, you will discover what it means to truly live.

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Not For You

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I'm excited to introduce you to Susan Stilwell, a free-lance writer who loves the Lord and serves Him through her gift of teaching. I asked her to share a word with us this week. I pray you'll be encouraged by the truths she shares and will accept her challenge to pray. Be blessed, dear one.

 

 

"Not For You"

by Susan Stilwell

One of my favorite televisions shows was Seinfeld, and an episode I particularly enjoyed was “Soup Nazi.” If every rule wasn’t immediately obeyed, the chef barked, “No soup for YOU!”

We good-naturedly growl that at my house, but I’ve noticed a similar sounding voice that occasionally echoes in my head, “Not for you!” Sometimes it barks, but more often it murmurs, especially after a mountain top experience.

Inspired and refreshed, I come away feeling as though I can conquer the world. The seeds planted on the mountain take root and become little sprouts of inspiration. I dream of the changes I’ll make and the things I’ll accomplish. But then, reality sets in.

  • Job and family issues are still there.
  • Grouchy people still irritate me.
  • Bad habits still rear their ugly heads.

My little seedlings struggle under the demands of everyday life. If I’m not careful, my enthusiasm and hope can be smothered by a voice of discouragement and doubt.

“See?” The voice whispers, “Nothing has really changed. That message wasn’t for you.”

This weekend, hundreds of women will gather at the Strive 4 Greatness Women of Purpose conference in St Petersburg, FL. They will praise and worship our Lord, and hear testimonies of the mighty work He’s done in the lives of other women. Many have prayed in anticipation of this event, asking God to prepare hearts to receive His truth.

We trust the Holy Spirit to plant seeds in the hearts of those who desperately long for freedom, peace and purpose. After the conference, many will come away encouraged, refreshed, and inspired to surrender to Him and live with passion. Tending their own seedlings of inspiration, they’ll return home, ready to conquer their worlds.

Reality will set in. Distracted by ringing telephones, looming deadlines, and exasperating people, many will struggle. They will hear a voice whisper lies like:

  • “That message was really for those other women.”
  • “Your situation is totally different.”
  • “You should’ve seen some change by now. But, see? It wasn’t for you.”

It’s critical that we pray for the time following the conference. I’m asking the Lord to guard all the seedlings from the event, so that the Word may dwell richly within each woman (Col 3:16). I pray those seedlings grow, and that each woman’s life is transformed. May their minds be renewed (Romans 12:2) as they silence any lies with Truth:

  • I can do all things through Christ Who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
  • I know He works all things for my good because I love Him and He has a purpose for my life (Romans 8:28).
  • I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. He has taken all the old things (habits, thinking, desires) and is making them new (2 Cor 5:17).

We know the enemy of our souls is the father of those lies (John 8:44). He comes against us to kill, steal and destroy any seedling of hope we have in Christ Jesus (John 10:10). So anytime the voice of doubt and discouragement starts, speak God’s Truth aloud and remember –

The message WAS and IS for you. Believe and press on!

“…They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.”   ~Isaiah 61:3b (NIV)

 

Visit Susan's blog at www.susanstilwell.com.

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