Archive - April 2007
April 30, 2007
Isaiah 61:1&2
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me.....to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn...
Continuing to focus on living as a Christian (little Christ) in our generation, verse 2 of Isaiah 61 has a powerful truth to consider. At first I didn't even notice this description of God's agenda but when I did, it became a powerful revelation to the heart of God. There is a time of favor and a time of judgment or vengeance. It is important to recognize where God puts most of His emphasis - favor, not judgment: He measures it out with a "year of ...favor and ...day of vengeance".
For too long devote Christians have been heavy on judgment and light on favor. That is not characteristic of God. He doesn't ignore the necessity for judgment but His first and resounding focus is on favor. We need to have the same attitude and behavior as followers of Christ.
Proclaim the "year of favor" and "the day of vengeance" but keep the focus on His favor. In doing so, you will bring comfort and hope to those who will listen.
April 27, 2007
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (the blind)...
This prophetic announcement of the ministry of Jesus Christ is a heart provoking message of the intent of God for all people! FREEDOM!!! It was for freedom that Jesus Christ came and set us free. What an awesome truth and a loving God!
But perhaps even greater is the marvel of the purpose He has called us to - that we would be vessels of honor - carrying the nature and the purpose of Christ; continuing His call and fulfilling His will. Now we, Christians (little Christs), being enabled by the Spirit, can and must proclaim the same purpose as our Lord and King.
Be inspired today, with me, to follow in His footsteps. Take a hold of this verse and set your face toward the fulfillment of God's will: Preach the good news, bring the healing power of God to the brokenhearted, and proclaim His freedom to all. Then we are worthy of being called followers of Christ.
God has given us the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that we would be endued with power to do His will. We cannot accomplish the will of heaven with earthly strength. If you don't know if you have the fullness or the baptism of the Spirit of God in your life, say this simple prayer and God will answer you and give you His gift - the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Pray: Father, I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior - fill me with Your Holy Spirit - fully saturate my life with power from on high so that I can do Your will on earth. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
April 14, 2007
II Peter 1:2&3
Grace and Peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
Grace, peace and everything needed for life and godliness is promised to us by God! What a great promise! However, the promise is based on the possession of the key - knowledge. In the Amplified version this knowledge is described as "[the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Wow! We have to have our facts straight. What we know about Him has to be accurate for us to enjoy His promises.
Is your knowledge of God based on what you've heard from someone else, what you've assumed from observing circumstances, or is your knowledge of God based on His autobiographical writings - recorded in the Word? I challenge you to check your facts and make sure your knowledge of God is "full, personal, precise and correct". Your enjoyment of Him and His promise to you depend on it!
April 7, 2007
John 3:16
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Perhaps the most well known verse of the Bible begins with words that stir my heart "For God so loved... that He gave..." Its mind boggling to try to fully grasp the depth of love God has for us and so inspiring to consider His demonstration of love - "He gave"! All through out the Word we find God giving. The proof of love is generosity! God is love and so generous!
As we celebrate the greatest of His gifts - Jesus Christ - I challenge you, this month, to study His Word and find out all that He has given us. From the Sabbath to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He has given us everything that pertains to life and Godliness (II Peter 1:3).
He loves us so perfectly! Let's fill up on that love, receiving everything He's given. Then, having the same heart as Christ, may we pour out that love on the world around us.
Fill up on love and live generously!
April 6, 2007
Isaiah 29:13
...this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning].
John 12:13
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!
John 19:15
But they shouted, Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!... We have no king but Caesar!
This is the most precious time of the year for a believer. As we consider the incredible love of God for us, expressed in Christ! He has given us ALL He had to give so that we could have and enjoy life! Amazing grace!
In response to this great love, I am challenged to survey not only the cross but my own heart and mind. God warned in Isaiah that many honor Him with words and attitudes of mere tradition, with no deep conviction or passion for Him. In this time of reflection I look carefully to the condition of my heart. Am I in any way like those on 'Palm Sunday' cheering Him on to make my life easier? Do I wave my praise as if to say "Deliver me from my oppressions" yet lack the understanding that He's establishing His will and not mine? It's easy to fall into the trap that Israel fell into. We have to guard our hearts against selfishness and given our hearts completely to Him.
This is a sober affirmation and surrender to the Father, to love and honor Him with my mouth and my heart and joyfully share His Kingdom with the world around me. Today, as I consider what He has done for me, I recommit myself to love and honor Him and to put His kingdom first over all my personal hopes and dreams and needs. Therefore I honor Him with my mouth and my heart and I say...
"Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord."
April 2, 2007
Isaiah 50:4
[The Servant of the Lord says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary...
I just shared this verse today with a young woman I am mentoring and although I had planned on writing about something else, when I opened my Bible tonight, this is where it landed. Maybe I need to hang out on this one for today.
I love to hear words of encouragement spoken over my life. There's nothing like it! I bet you like it, too! Nothing is as sweet as genuine, heartfelt words of life! They're a rare commodity in our world today. But unlike most rare commodities, words of life are as plentiful as we would like them to be because we have the ability to produce them.
A disciple is "one who is taught", I like that truth! I didn't become optimistic the moment I was born again. I had to be taught how to think and act like Christ, and definitely, how to talk like Him. Being teachable and willing to obey has transformed my life. I haven't arrived, but I'm well on my way.
I encourage you today to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Be teachable and willing to speak life. The result is a beautiful thing: someone else's life is blessed and your life takes on more of the likeness of Christ.
