The Love of God

Many things characterize the love of God, but the one thing that shows our love for God is our spontaneity toward Him. This is why God said of David that he is a man after his own heart.
God gives us too the ability to love by the fountains of love poured out on us through His Spirit.
Love is our radical behavior toward our Lord.

Uncertaint, But With Joyous Expectation

It is better to believe in God that to believe in the things about God. In our flesh, we try to predict the future and to make future plans. Jesus said, come to me with the faith of a little child.
A little child makes no future plans, but depends on their parent to guild them. In the same way, we should not limit the acitivity of God by trying to make decisions for Him. Let Him surprise you so that you may have joy.

Why can I not break sin's stronghold?

Many of us have sins we both want and need to master, yet continue to allow them sway in our life. Why? The reason is that we see the Cross from a distance. When you see the cross up-close, it hurts and breaks you. When you see the cross from afar, it is important, but not nearly as personal. This is why we need to be sprinkled with the blood. Our sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ, but we need to be close enough to feel the anguish.

Knowing God

In order to know God, one must surrender yourself to his will through obedience. It is through obedience that God allows us into the inner chambers of His being. One doesn't ask to be tested, only to remain true to the Almighty and obey Him.

Be at your best, both in and out of season

The reality is that the world is spiritually perishing. Yet the Bible teaches us that faith comes through the hearing of the gospel. Christ exhorted his believers to go unto the ends of the earth making disciples. Paul's final command to Timothy is the preach the word, both in and out of season. This means that those who have the gift of eternal life should labor tirelessly proclaiming Christ crucified.

Hidden in Christ

The work of sanctification is as much a work of God as is our salvation. After we are saved and begin to live out our life (sanctification), we should take on the form and the love of Christ. Christ did not force people unto salvation. Like a shepherd with his sheep, he nurtures them and protects them, but he does not command them. This is how we too, must be. With a loving arm of invitation to those trying to find their way.

Do not become burdened

The reason that God gave us freedom is to set us free. This is why the New Covenant is superior to the Law. No longer are they any "have to do this" efforts in our worship. Yet there are come of us who feel that without work there is no worship. Do not become burdened. Make your first contact with your Savior and allow Him to yoke with you and set you free.

Depending on Christ Alone

Salvation, Eternal Security, Sanctification, and our heavenly home depend on Christ alone. One should not come to Christ with any one or thing aside from what He alone can supply. This is why the self-righteous will say "Lord, Lord, I prophecied in Your name." He will say "I never knew you." It is not on what we can offer, do or say, but on what Christ has done and who He is.
This is why He is my strength and redeemer.

The Presence of Christ is Today

Martin Luther put it well when he said that if you are looking for Jesus, look to your neighbor who shows love to his friend and the father's love for his children and the mother's love of her family. God is love. Jesus said this command that I give to you that you love one another. This is the second of the Great Commandments ranking lower only to the love of God. Jesus did not leave us as orphans, but emptied Himself with the grace of God so that He could tabernacle with us.

Our Spiritual Power Depends on the Spirit of God

We cannot measure the task of our calling based on our own given abilities. Neither can we refuse the work of God by implying He has not adequately equipped us. God depends on God and the Spirit of God in us. He is quite aware of our limitations, but our duty is to trust God not lash back at Him. Therefore if God is calling you and you feel vulnerable, go ahead anyway by faith depending on God to fulfill all He requires of you.

Kept by the power of God

One rarely falls into sin in the vulnerable areas of your life. It is in the unexpected and even well guareded areas where sin tends to snare us. In our known weak areas, we place a guard and are on the alert. In areas of considered safety, we lower our guard and find ourself entangled. Therefore do not try to overcome evil with human will, rather cast your cares on Jesus, because He cares for you.

We Must Be People who are Faithful with a Little

Jesus said that he who is faithful with a little, can be faithful with much. But to he who cannot manage the little that has been given to him, he will take even the little from him and give it to another. In our own flesh, we desire importance in what we do. Our problem is that what we identify as important may not be important at all to Jesus. So the lesson is to listen for his voice and when it is clearly heard, be ready to say "here I am" and respond.

Surrendter of the will

Emotions are a que of your external self where your will is what Christians call heart. Christ wants surrender of the will. As He said to the Father, not My will but Thy will be done. Surrender of the will is the supreme act of obedience and the truest sign of bondage. You are no longer your own, but have been bought with a price. This is why Jesus says "follow Me."

Too Heavenly Minded and No Earthly Good

That's the problem with folk like us. Like Peter, James, & John, we love those mountain top experiences. The problem is that we don't live on the mountain top and we spend most of our lives in the valleys. Heavenly minded persons are lazy in the flesh. It was Jesus who said that "I did not come to be served, but to serve." We need to take our example from Him who didn't think godliness was something to be grasped, but led His life as a bond servant to the benefit of many.

There are No spiritual days off

The reason God plants in us our conscience is to monotor our spiritual life. We are rebuffed when God rejects even things we may consider alright. Do not go against good conscience. No combination of good and bad eggs makes a good meal. The Spirit is there to guide you and to comfort you.

Do not be weak in God's strength

Jesus says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. My yoke is easy and its burden light. The reason the burden is light is because Jesus is doing all the pulling. The Bible promises to give strength to the weary. The Lords are is not short that it cannot save. No power in the heavens or on earth is stronger than the Spirit of God that lives in the believer. So take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world.

CAST ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM, BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU

The Christian should never walk through life trying to bear their own burden. When you cast your cares on Jesus, He will bear your burden. Jesus says that we should yoke with him, because his burden is easy and his light.

The Lord Has Risen!

It is an interesting thing to go to Jerusalem and visit the burial sites of David and our Lord Jesus. David who was buried on Mt. Zion is a highly decorated grave site with Royal colors and adornments even to this day. Jesus' burial site is an open tomb where he was buried for three days which He calls the Sign of Jonah. Even though He presented Himself alive from the dead, many still do not believe. Yet in these later days, Jesus still presents Himself as the Risen Lord so that all who believe will be saved.

Holiness is the Evidence of death to sin

Personal holiness will be the result of a person indwelt by the Spirit of God. This Spirit will invade you and control you. This changed nature begins to form after the likeness of Christ and then we can be crucified with Christ to sin yet live.

How one considers sin to be dead in your life

One cannot consider sin to be dead and crucified with Christ until the individual will agrees with God about sin. Even if one intellectually agrees with God about sin, the changing of the will is like the changing of your hard drive that you were born with. But it can be done by the power of the Spirit. I have been crucified with Christ, but yet I live. It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me.

If you have seen Jesus, have you seen Him the way He is?

Did you know that seeing Jesus is an individual matter, that a group cannot see Him together? Yet when you testify to seeing Jesus, nobody believes you. You cannot see the Jesus of my experience. That would make Him too small. Yet, after seeing Him for who he is, you will never rely on experience again. Tell others about the risen Jesus, whether they believe or not.

The Destiny of the Cross

Christ's ordained purpose was to bring many into glory. His resurrection gives him the power to convey new life to all who believe in his accomplishment. The life Jesus resurrected to was a life different than the way it was before and will not return. He was raised bodily and eternally. As such, his new life he can impart on believers so that even in our earthly life we can walk in newness of life. Eternal life is a present possession to be believer here and now.

Where sin ends

The cross of Jesus Christ ended sins reign over men & women. No longer are we separated from God over sin. The reason for the incarnation of Jesus was single fold, to die on the cross and be raised from the dead because apart from the cross all mankind would be forfieted. Satan and death are defeated because of the cross. They have been disarmed and have been judged.

Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world

If we were asked if we have faith, most of us would say that we do. There will come a time when God will put you in a place of outer darkness, separated from Him and His blessing. It is at that time that we are put to the test. The purpose for this is to see if our love is contingent on God's blessing or if we love the person of God. The criteria to quote Job is do we only expect blessing from God and not hardship? The Lord does as He pleases, so grow close to Him and abide with Him so that we don't become permanantly separated from Him.

Are you blinded to God from within your flesh?

If you say that I can see when you cannot, you are a liar. In our flesh, we are rebellious against God and His holiness. For some it is pride, others devices. There is something that is within your inner man that prevents you from enjoying the peace of God. You say what about this or that? God says that the doors that once were open to you are now shut and will not be opened. So what is the remedy? Yieldness to Christ by the Spirit so that you will not give in to the ways of the flesh.

Do you gaze upon Christ crucified?

Do you gaze upon Christ as the crucified Anointed One? This is what Paul did. To him, all things could be set aside except the retelling of Jesus Christ on the cross. He did not picture him as an exalted king, or as a shephard of his sheep. No he pictured him on the cross, the suffering servant of the Most High. This passion wasn't just a season of remembrance, but a passion which drove his apostolic life. And what about us? What about you? What drives you? Is it the king of kings or the lamb of God on the cross?

If you looking for miracles? Then intercede for others

God places us among people where if we are rightly related to God, we can serve as a pathway to God for others. This is not accomplished by quoting a verse or with a track, but with heart felt prayer for others. Apart from this, we ourselves become hardend and are not useful to God.