“TODAY!”

 Luke 23:39-43                          (ESV)

“39 ONE OF THE CRIMINALS who were hanged railed at HIM, saying, "Are you not the CHRIST? Save YOURSELF and us!"

40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "DO YOU NOT FEAR GOD, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this MAN has done nothing wrong."

42 And he said, "JESUS, remember me when YOU come into YOUR kingdom."

43 And HE said to him, "Truly, I say to you, “TODAY” you will be with ME in paradise."”

Although I have lived an admittedly sheltered life, I have been exposed to very few people that OPENLY PROFESSED that GOD doesn’t exist.  The first thief on the cross didn’t just come out and say that GOD wasn’t real, but his TESTIMONY certainly displayed that he was not a BELIEVER in the SON OF GOD.  He only wanted GOD to get him out of his problem.  When he asked JESUS “Are you not the CHRIST? Save YOURSELF and us”, it was as if he was saying that he knew that he was in a hopeless situation and there was NO ESCAPING the doom in front of him!  

There have been times in most of our lives when we felt like there was no way out of the circumstances we found ourselves in.  FEAR and DOUBT are the most commonly used tools at “the enemy”s” disposal, and I ALLOW them to be used in my life far too much!  We ARE GOING to experience disappointments in “this world”, but JESUS said in John 17:16 “They are NOT of the world, just as I am NOT of the world.”!  We get our EYES so fixated on earth and it’s happenings that we forget that we are not of the world, just as JESUS wasn’t.  HE was sent for a PURPOSE, and so are we, TO REFLECT HIM to a lost and dying world!

The OTHER thief on the cross EYES were opened and he recognized that JESUS was the CHRIST.  JESUS told him “TODAY” you will be with me in paradise.  The thief was unable to share his testimony to many, but GOD’S WORD has let it be known to many that he went to GLORY with JESUS!  And isn’t that what our focus should be all about?  “TODAY”we should live for HIM, and LET GO of our concerns about tomorrow.  What TESTIMONY will you have “TODAY”???

“FEAR GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY!”

 Revelation 14:6-7                            (ESV)

“6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to EVERY NATION and TRIBE and LANGUAGE and PEOPLE.

7 And he said with a loud voice, “FEAR GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY”, because the hour of HIS judgment has come, and worship HIM WHO made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."”

In November 2016 Americans elected a President for a four year term.  The “hornets nest” of the establishment was infuriated and have been swarming ever since.  This President is not a saint.  As a matter of fact, he has many flaws.  But the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners, OF WHOM I AM THE FOREMOST!”  Could it be that this is a SPIRITUAL BATTLE and GOD is the ONE WHO is being challenged????

Impeachment, sabotage, a virus originated from a foreign adversary, all kinds of arrows have been fired, but NOTHING has been successful in stopping what is going on.  In a recent rally, the President is QUOTED saying “someone said to me the other day, “Your the most famous person in the world, by far”!  I said “No, No, I’m not, No, I’m not”.  They said, “Yes you are”!  I said “NO”  They said “Who’s more famous?”  I said “JESUS CHRIST”!”  Apparently he understood that THE KINF OF KINGS is someone that we ALL will answer to one day?  

Like I said, this President has his flaws, but when a person gives GLORY to the CREATOR, HE usually responds favorably.  Opposing GOD is a precarious position to be in.  Following HIM doesn’t make a person (even the President) a better person.  However it does say something that the President professed Christ in 2016, and even though he is a baby in the FAITH, he is exhibiting some traits that are characteristic of a BELIEVER, the most noticeable is “FEAR GOD AMD GIVE HIM GLORY!”  

This devotional is being written before noon on Election Day 2020, so the results of the election are still unknown.  I will not share this until tomorrow morning, when election results MIGHT be known.  It makes no difference who wins this election, ONE DAY SOON we will ALL stand before our CREATOR and answer the question?  Did we “FEAR GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY”, or were we too busy or trusted in our abilities???

“THIS PRESENT DARKNESS!”

Ephesians 6:10-12                                         (ESV)

“10 Finally, BE STRONG in the LORD and in the strength of HIS might.

11 Put on THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, that you may be able to STAND AGAINST THE SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL.

12 For WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE COSMIC POWERS OVER “THIS PRESENT DARKNESS”, AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.”

Exhibiting PEACE in the midst of chaos could be an sign of Spiritual Maturity.  James 4:7 is a GREAT example of this.  “SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE UNTO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU”.  “The enemy” has to experience RESISTANCE before he flees!  When he exhibits his character through hate and discord, BELIEVERS must exhibit CALM and PEACE to squelch his attacks.  We ARE IN THE MIDST OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE, whether we realize it or not!  

Ephesians 6:12 boldly and plainly states “For WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE COSMIC POWERS OVER THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.”  When others have an a point of view that is contrary to ours, the tendency is to lash out and prove that we are correct.  However, very seldom are minds changed without the HEART experiencing a DIVINE transformation.  

Certainly one of the most dramatic transformations is in Acts 9!  “...Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the LORD” is how the chapter begins.  In verse 25 of Acts 9 Saul is being sought by “the Jews” who were plotting to kill him.  Did Saul try to reason (or ARGUE) with “the Jews”?  No, he was lowered through the wall in a basket by some disciples to escape.  When the time was right (in Rome years later), Paul was reportedly beheaded, possibly by Nero.  

THE SPIRIT OF GOD indwells BELIEVERS to guide our lives TO GLORIFY JESUS!  There are only going to be “few” (Matthew 7:24) that enter into HEAVEN.  Sure, we are CALLED to “go and tell”.  But there are times when we need to escape in a basket over a wall, allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to do what only HE can do?  And then there are times when we will be CALLED to surrender our lives!  We have to be willing to TRUST and OBEY, both when the HOLY SPIRIT leads us to escape, and when HE asks us to STAND AGAINST THE COSMIC POWERS OVER “THIS PRESENT DARKNESS””!

“HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE!”

 “HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE!”

Galatians 3:25-28                          (ESV)

“25 But now that FAITH HAS COME, we are NO LONGER UNDER A GUARDIAN,

26 for in CHRIST JESUS you are all sons of GOD, through FAITH.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into CHRIST have put on CHRIST.

28 There is neither JEW nor GREEK, there is neither SLAVE nor FREE, there is no MALE and FEMALE, for you are ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS.

29 And if you are CHRIST's, then you are Abraham's offspring, “HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE”.”

WORDS are NOT simply words!  They are used to love, comfort, exhort and uplift when needed, and gratefully so.  But they can also be used hurt, destroy and divide, used by “the enemy”, who seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  

The general population of “this world” cannot understand that a solution has been provided by OUR CREATOR to ALL the problems that mankind faces, HIS NAME is JESUS!  EYES of humanity have to be OPENED, and only THE FATHER can do that (Acts 26:18).  THE ONLY solution for ALL issues is Spiritual, not WORDS generated within the minds of man.  

For the NATURAL MAN, SEEING the answer to a SPIRITUAL problem is “folly to him” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).  Governments can spend untold monies, demand actions be corrected, and dream up laws in an attempt to avoid discord, but JESUS is THE answer to ALL problems, especially when we cannot find the solutions in our own hearts and minds.  JEW, GREEK, SLAVE, FREE, MALE and FEMALE, we are ALL one in CHRIST JESUS!  

Those whose SPIRITUAL EYES have been OPENED have to remember that they were once Spiritually blind and could not SEE the futility of being Spiritually Mature.  We are created to GLORIFY GOD, even in the face of persecution.  But we are NOT CREATED to remain the way we were born.  Ideally, a baby matures from total dependence into being self-sufficient adult.  Hardships and difficulties are used to mature us.  We need to remember that “those who are blind” do not even know that they cannot SEE.  Until THE FATHER DRAWS THEM into HIS fold they will NEVER be “HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE”!  Romans 10:14 says “How then will they (unbelievers) call on HIM in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in HIM of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”  Don’t ever give up on those who are yet to be DELIVERED.  Their EYES have yet to be OPENED to SEE that they are “HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE”!!!

“THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT!”

 2 Corinthians 3:12-18                                          (ESV)

“12 Since WE HAVE SUCH A HOPE, WE ARE VERY BOLD,

13 NOT LIKE MOSES, who would put a VEIL over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the OUTCOME of what was being brought to an end.

14 But THEIR MINDS WERE HARDENED. For to this day, WHEN THEY READ THE OLD COVENANT, THAT SAME VEIL REMAINS UNLIFTED, because ONLY THROUGH CHRIST IS IT TAKEN AWAY.

15 Yes, TO THIS DAY whenever Moses is read A VEIL LIES OVER THEIR HEARTS.

16 But WHEN ONE TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS REMOVED.

17 Now the LORD is the SPIRIT, and where the SPIRIT of the LORD is, THERE IS FREEDOM.

18 And WE ALL, with unveiled face, beholding the Glory of the LORD, are being TRANSFORMED into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT.”

October 31 is commonly known for the celebration of ghost, ghouls and goblins, or things that are not of CHRIST.  It is no “coincidence” that I was visiting a friend this week who shared with me a quote from Watchman Née, a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century.  The quote says “GOD creates man in order for man to be like CHRIST, having the life as well as the Glory of CHRIST!”  

This passage of Scripture begins with “WE HAVE SUCH A HOPE, WE ARE VERY BOLD, NOT LIKE MOSES”!  Alienating people is not a comfortable thing to do.  Moses placed a veil over his face after experiencing GOD on Mount Sinai because he didn’t want the Israelites becoming fearful of what the SPIRIT OF GOD was doing to/through him. The Apostle Paul took a different approach.  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” had transformed the life of Saul (now called Paul) and he was glorying in those changes.  

“THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is WHO we are CHOSEN to represent....by none other than GOD ALMIGHTY!  JESUS did not walk a PERFECT life, die a gruesome death, and rise a VICTORIOUS SAVIOR so we could wallow in the “souls and corpses of the dead”!  Those who are “unregenerate” (not CHOSEN) are the ones who celebrate even the lives of “all saints”?  JESUS is the SON OF GOD, and anything less than that isn’t giving GLORY to GOD! 

These words might make some uncomfortable, but we are NOT CHOSEN to be LIKED by “this world”!  We are CHOSEN to be a LIGHT in a dark world, to display THE LOVE OF CHRIST, not to have the most friends!  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is THE ONLY ONE to celebrate, no matter the day!  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is my life!!!

“CANNOT BEAR TO HEAR MY WORD!”

John 8:30-47                                                       (ESV)

“39 They (the scribes and Pharisees) answered HIM, "Abraham is our father." JESUS said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

40 but now you seek to kill ME, a man who has told you the TRUTH that I heard from GOD. This is not what Abraham did.

41 You are doing the works “your father” did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father-even God."

42 JESUS said to them, "If GOD were your FATHER, you would love ME, for I came from GOD and I am here. I came not of MY own accord, but HE sent ME.

43 Why do you not understand what I say? IT IS BECAUSE YOU “CANNOT BEAR TO HEAR MY WORD”.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 But because I tell the TRUTH, you do not believe ME.

46 Which one of you convicts ME of sin? If I tell the TRUTH, why do you not believe ME?

47 Whoever is of GOD HEARS THE WORDS OF GOD. The reason why you do not hear them is that YOU ARE NOT OF GOD."”

The majority of the nine Scripture verses above were spoken by JESUS, OUR CREATOR, to the “scribes and Pharisees”, the “in crowd” of the day, who considered themselves extremely knowledgeable of the law of GOD.  They were so caught up in doing their best to follow rules that they never had the opportunity to WORSHIP the ONE WHO CREATED their very beings.  I used to “blame” Pilate and the Roman soldiers for crucifying JESUS, but JESUS came to earth explicitly to be a sacrifice for my sins.  It was ME who caused the death of the PERFECT SON OF GOD, but the “scribes and Pharisees” were used to achieve the events surrounding the darkest hour of mankind, that was followed by the BRIGHTEST CELEBRATION of all time! 

The  “scribes and Pharisees” were educated in the words of the law, but they had never experienced having their hearts changed by the MASTER.  They “thought” they were doing the right things, when in fact, they couldn’t even identify GOD IN FLESH in their midst!  When JESUS said “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to “do your father's desires”. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the TRUTH, you do not believe ME”, HE was identifying “the enemy”!  It wasn’t the “scribes and Pharisees”, Satan himself guides and directs his people to perform certain tasks they are assigned.  JESUS recognized this and called out the followers of Satan.  How was it so easy for HIM to tell that the “scribes and Pharisees” were NOT following HIM?  HE says in the previous verse IT IS BECAUSE YOU “CANNOT BEAR TO HEAR MY WORD”!  

As time has moved forward, the enemies of GOD remains the ones who “CANNOT BEAR TO HEAR MY WORD”!  They may even have a distorted view of the WORD, and preach their views of Scripture, but they are NOT OF GOD!  When you are finding yourself struggling to “identify the enemy”,  see whether they “CANNOT BEAR THEAR MY WORD”?  If they are saying whatever soothes the ears of the masses, JESUS says YOU ARE NOT FROM GOD, and IT IS BECAUSE YOU “CANNOT BEAR TO HEAR MY WORD”!!!

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?”

 Matthew 20:29:34                            (ESV)

“29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed HIM.

30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that JESUS was passing by, they cried out, "LORD, have mercy on us, SON of David!"

31 THE CROWD REBUKED THEM, telling them to BE SILENT, but they cried out all the more, "LORD, have mercy on us, SON of David!"

32 And stopping, JESUS called them and said, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?"

33 They said to HIM, "LORD, let our eyes be opened."

34 And JESUS in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and FOLLOWED HIM.”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?” is a wide open question when asked by a friend.  But when GOD IN THE FLESH is in your midst and HE asks the question, it could be intimidating, even mind-blowing!  The ONE WHO CREATED the everything was asking two blind men sitting by the roadside “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU”?  And they said “LORD, let our eyes be opened”!  

What would your response have been if JESUS asked you “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU“?  A new house?  For cancer to be cured? For abortions to cease?  Our nation to turn back to HIM?  “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU” when the SON OF GOD is asking would probably be answered quite differently if we had time to think about it, if we TOOK TIME to ponder the magnitude of WHO we were speaking to?

Ephesians 3:20-21 says “Now to HIM WHO is able to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, according to the POWER AT WORK WITHIN US, to HIM be glory in the church and in CHRIST JESUS throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  That POWER AT WORK WITHIN US is none other than JESUS HIMSELF!  So why do we acts as though HE is unaware of the difficulties we are experiencing.   1 John 5:14-15 says “And this is the CONFIDENCE that we have toward HIM, that if we ask anything according to HIS WILL HE HEARS US.  And IF WE KNOW THAT HE HEARS US IN WHATEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM”!  HE gives us the thoughts to REQUEST things from HIM, therefore HE knows what we we will REQUEST beforehand.  But we STILL need to SPECIFICALLY request what GOD puts on our hearts to fulfill HIS GLORY and PLAN for our lives!

Now everything that I have prayed for in my life has CERTAINLY NOT come to be!  That is because I have sometimes asked selfishly. In the fall of 1997, my younger sister was diagnosed with stomach cancer.  I prayed fervently for that she would be healed, until I finally realized that “healing” had a totally different meaning than what I intended.  She died about 60 days after she was diagnosed.  I realized in the last few days of her life that her “healing” was going to be COMPLETE with NO SETBACKS!  She was”HOME FREE”, as sang by Wayne Watson!  

Our key is to ask SPECIFICALLY what GOD has placed on our hearts to Glorify HIS NAME!  There were many who prayed for healing for me in July 2007.  Looking back it might not have appeared to be that big of a deal?  But when you have LIVED the experience, it is something that will NEVER diminish in your memory.  That is why I will be mindful to respond SPECIFICALLY when JESUS asks me “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU”???  We are asking THE CREATOR, and HE DOES MIRACULOUS THINGS!!!