To my children I often feel compelled to ask, ‘have you been in the word today, or even lately?’ That is a good question to ask yourself. You may say sure, I listened to the greatest radio preacher on the way to work today, or I am reading the latest, greatest Christian book, or I was in church just yesterday and the pastor was talking about the word. Anything remotely similar to those responses, really misses the point of the question. I mean, no doubt the radio preacher, the Christian author, or the pastor all base their life and message on the word. But, are you spending time in the word of God for yourself, or are you for the most part a ‘word-less Christian’? You’ve made a commitment, but have done little to build upon it. Have you become, according to the book of James, ‘a forgetful hearer, but not a doer of the word.’ Do something to change that this year by committing to spend time daily in the word of God. Look for the word to move you, to speak to you, to change your thinking by hearing and doing what God says. The Bible says God’s word is ‘living and active’. It states that this word is further able to cut right to the heart to produce a testimony of Jesus. It was for this reason the Apostle Paul could say, ‘for me to live is Christ….’ The heavenly Father desires for His children to be His living witnesses. You simply cannot do that without this ‘living Word’. Or said another way, you cannot be His disciple without living in this word. Your faith depends on this word, without it you will not be able to stand in these days. So activate your Christian life today by looking with expectation for the move of God through His living word.
Tag: word
The Priority of His Presence
God desires that you overcome today. David gives us the proper focus in Psalm 27:4 when he says, ‘One thing I have asked of the Lord and that I will seek..’ He underscores the high priority of God’s presence staying focused on the place where His glory dwells with us. I believe today God is saying on the basis of His word, you and I need to arrive at that place of decision–a place where we take a stand with the Lord and seek His presence. He says, ‘follow these steps on your way to seeing greater confidence living an overcoming life’. He says, ‘Fear no man; make no room for evil; and ask what you would that I could do for you. I will do mighty things even greater that what you could ask me for.’ Stand today in the fearless abode of a loving Father who desires to publish abroad a miraculous testimony through your life that rescues, heals, and delivers.
The Rain That Brings Harvest
God says, ‘If you love Me and serve Me with all your heart, I will send the early and late rain bringing the necessary provision to finish the work of harvest in these times’ (Deut. 11:13-14). We live in difficult days, yet glorious days when you consider the Master commands a harvest. He presides as Lord of the harvest urging our service as His followers. In James 5:7-8, He says to you in these days, ‘be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord’. The reference to brethren is a reference to kinship and friendship; if you care to receive it, is a call to discipleship. It is a call to follow the things that drove the ministry of Jesus. In these two verses he says, consider the farmer and be like him. What about the farmer you ask? He is waiting on the precious produce of the soil with a vested interest in the field. These verses remind us the coming of the Lord is at hand, and that we should find ourselves committed to the produce of His field. Like the parable of the talents says about His return, He will be looking for your produce. He is not coming back so you can show Him your stuff. His return will be all about souls and what you’ve done with the seed He gave you. Jesus said, ‘lift your eyes and look on the fields white unto harvest’. Right now, amid perhaps, the greatest mixture of Christianity and darkness the world has ever known, there is a harvest waiting. However, one can only reap by being a friend of Jesus as John 15 states. He is saying, ‘I chose you, I appointed you to bear fruit, I appoint you to a harvest’. ‘Understand the season of my return is near, I’ve given the early rains, but it’s the latter rain that ushers in harvest.’ The body of Christ need remind herself and be encouraged that the rain of God’s blessing for harvest comes to a people–to a whole hearted people– who have lost themselves and yet been found, in a place of prayer. Praying with expectatation, they are looking to be found faithful in their work with a complete dependance upon the Lord who sends the rain that brings harvest. Do you understand the signs of the times? Have you heard His call? Let’s pray for eyes to see His field and for the rain that brings harvest.
A Heart to Heal
Galatians 6:1 says, “you who are spiritual, restore….” I believe the word is conveying the idea that we should as the body of Christ, seek to restore others to God because we are people who identify with the Spirit of God and see ourselves as His instruments. Seeing yourself as His instrument will have you focused on people and less preoccupied with things. Jesus did not come to serve things but the interests of others. All too often when we are in a position to restore others, we fail to hear them in a way to be of any useful benefit. In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, each of us were sharing some things that bothered us. It seemed as though we were each caught up sharing about our individual problems without really listening to the other. Though unaware of it at the time, we were almost trying to out-best the other’s problems with neither finding a place for healing. If I had realized at the time that God desires for me to restore my brother, things may have turned out different. The word says, ‘you who are spiritual restore’. We all have hurts and things we could share, but are we listening to be an effective instrument of the Master restoring others to His love? I believe He is saying to spiritual men and women, ‘have a heart to heal to breach’, here you will find a greater place of recovery for youself as you allow your focus to change from things to people and from self concerns to the needs of others. The Father’s heart is a heart to heal. The call to restore is uncommonly His, with no thought for self, only a desire to ransom many–bringing them and ourselves to a place of great recovery.
GraceLife 