What saved you?

John 1:12-13
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

This verse is part of John's powerful exhortation which opens his Gospel. He cuts to the chase and right of the bat he makes known the essence of salvation by what Jesus Christ did for us. We should learn from this. Surely John knew how important this writing was but when faced with the same challenge, our human tendencies would rather beat around the bush for a while to set up the conversation and find the "right time" to get to the real topic of the conversation.

Instead, John obviously invited the Holy Spirit to come out and boldly get to the heart of the matter. God's word spoke us into existence, his word became flesh to be with us, he was rejected, killed and rose again so that we could be born again into His family, all we have to do is believe that.

But he threw a twist in this verse... "nor of human decision." We often hear that if you say and believe the sinner's prayer in your heart, you are saved. But was it that very act what saved you? Did God save you because you stood up that fateful afternoon and walked up to the altar to profess your belief?

I heard a pastor explain this in the best and clearest way:

You were born into this world in a fallen sinful state. Now imagine this state described as you being born and waking up holding onto a branch protruding out of a cliff. Through your life you are holding on for dear life. You try to claw your way up the cliff in an effort to save yourself. In your struggles you get dirty, cut up and sometimes desperate.

Unbeknown to you, long before you were even born, Jesus said "It is finish." Now imagine that he said this as he placed a front end loader bucket perfectly underneath where you would eventually be born into.

Back to you, there you are, struggling, hanging on for dear life. Several things can happen to you:

• You could be struggling to save yourself and you loose your grip and fall.
• You look down, see the bucket and let go.
• You hear someone tell you, "let go, Jesus put a bucket underneath you, let go!"
• or you die hanging on to your life.

I also though of other things one might hear other people say while still hanging on to the branch:

• Look up five times a day and pray that God gives your the strength to climb the cliff
• This is all your imagination, you are not really holding onto a branch for dear life.
• Don't worry, when you die you will be reincarnated as a bug and you can then easily climb up the cliff.
• Just grab the other guy's ankle and climb over him, only the strong survive
  

Here is the ultimate question which points to the reality of our salvation and gets to the heart of understanding what John is saying in this verse:

Did you get saved because you let go of the branch or because Jesus put the bucket underneath you to catch and save you?

He SO loved YOU!

Matthew 5:14,16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Our world is one of seeking self worth, self promotion, self-esteem, "atta-boys", and anything that gets recognition. What we don't realize is that when we get into this quest we surely put all of our power in the hands of other people and set ourselves up for great disappointment.

Imagine; Mary is upset because Joe didn't say thank her when she did him a favor. Now Mary begins to frame her happiness with a requirement that Joe recognizes her worth. This becomes a sad state of affairs because Joe is thinking nothing about this but Mary's whole world is now turning upside down because she feels a low self-esteem and lack of recognition.

Instead, if Mary frames her happiness on the fact that God SO love HER that he gave up his only son, then her favor to Joe is just an expression of her love and appreciation for God. When Joe doesn't say thanks, Mary instead prays and thanks the Lord for giving her an opportunity to shine His light.

It seams like such a simple concept to me but so many people get entangled with a need to receive affirmation from someone else other than God.

He SO loved YOU! What else do you need to hear?

Look up into the heavens.

Psalm 119:93
I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

A friend of mine sent me an email about how our atmosphere is perfectly balanced. How if we have one more percent of oxygen or if the moon was slightly smaller or changed orbit in the slightest, our world would just completely burn up. If you think about it, in the vastness of space, our habitat is an incredible anomaly.

In other words, God preserves our lives with all his precepts as the verse says. There are so many ways for us to perish, both naturally and spiritualy but he continues to give us strength every day to do his will and live for his purpose.

I love this quote by President Abraham Lincoln:

"I can see how it might be possible for someone to look around on earth and not believe in God, but I cannot conceive how anyone could look up into the heavens and say there is no God."

I think that's why God went through so much trouble to put such an expansive universe for us to discover. When we study the intricate balance between stars, planets, galaxies, moons, etc. we have to think of Him. Its a way for us not forget his precepts. A way to help us understand just how perishable we really are and how he preserves us in a balance that is so precise, only God can maintain it.

Keep the prize in mind.

Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I was watching a National Geographic documentary on A&E last night about a religious festival in Japan. Every year, the town elects a "spirit man" to serve as a sacrifice to atone for all the evil spirits of the town. All the town's men gather in the town square outside the temple and they are dressed in what looked like the sumo wrestler outfits. The spirit man is let loose naked about three hundred yards from the temple where all of the towns men get enbrawled in a mosh pit trying to touch the spirit man. The objective of more than a thousand men is to pass on all the sins and evil spirits of their families onto the spirit man.

After a near death experience the spirit man could barely stand up from exhaustion, priest carry him through several "cleansing" rituals to finaly provide atonement for the whole town. Days later the spirit man who is now back to being just an ordinary man, is recounting all his bruces and wounds he took.

In today's verse, Paul could have recounted many more wounds as he did in other verses and epistles but he talks about pressing forward toward the prize. It's quite a different picture because Paul's wounds were never to provide atonement for himself or others. Instead, his wounds were for the prospering of the Gospel, for letting people know if the work that has already been done by the Son of God.

We have been annointed to proclaim the good news of the ressurection and victory by Christ Jesus . The wounds we receive from carrying out this message are not for securing our salvation but they serve as marks of obedience which make us stronger in our daily race toward the prize.

So when you are tired, weary and wounded, are you so because you are fighting to save yourself? Or do you keep the prize in mind knowing that pressing on is worthy no matter the circumstances?

Remain competitive against the enemy!

Hebrews 12:1
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

I remember one night before a state swim meet in high school. Half the swim team had a shaving party. All of us boys shaved our entire bodies seeking to shave off seconds of our times. The next day, most of us had personal best times.

Its interesting that something that doesn't even seem like much hindrance can be considerable hindrance. That's how it is in our spiritual lives. We can get rid of obvious hindering garments but its the small stuff that can cause us to stumble or slow down in our race toward the mark.

Let's think about our spiritual race we are called to endure. Do inventory on all the things that may hinder you and get rid of them! This is part of the daily work we must do to remain competitive against the enemy. Don't just sit around waiting for God to wave his hand and magically remove these things, its OUR job!

By His power, WE can do all things.

Hebrews 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

I had to laugh when I saw this verse today. Why? Because I've been telling myself this for the last few weeks. When I think of our current situation I look up and I say, "thank you God for I know you are working all things together for good and I'm not relying on the things I see as evidence but I'm fully relying on the things I do not see for I know you are my Jehovah Jireh, my provider!"

I say this several times a day as a reminder of what faith is all about. We know this, but we step back sometimes and try to really figure out how God is working all things together for good. Perhaps we get impatient and we want to offer our help.

We saw Evan Almighty last night and Morgan Freeman who plays God said something very insightful to Joan (Evan's wife): "if you ask God for courage, do you think God will just zap you with it? No, he will give you a reason to be courageous."

Think about it! What are you lacking right now that you have asked God to give you? You've asked for strength and your probably wondering why you have so much weight on your shoulders. You've asked for patience and your probably wondering why you have so many issues cropping up. You've asked for prosperity and you are wondering why the bills keep coming. You've asked for righteousness and temptations continue their torment.

It would be nice to have Jesus in flesh to come tell us to go to the lake and catch a fish that has a coin in its mouth to pay all our taxes. Or he could spit on the ground and rub some of that mud on your eyes and all the sudden you see visions that resolve all your problems. But he ascended so that the "comforter" could come to help us.

Maybe the point we are missing is that God is not going to waive his magic wand. He has given US the power. Maybe we need to start believing that by His power, WE can do all things.

Whatever he says, do it!

Psalm 119:60
I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

When we hear the voice of God tell us to do something that we don't want to do we often think we can arm wrestle Him. Teenagers have a tendency to want to negotiate or delay every command from their parents. Now that we are raising our fourth teen, its no different than the last three.

I'm sure we are not much different to God. He tells us to do something and we want to rationalize it, negotiate it and stall the inevitable. Minutes, hours, days or even years later we realize the wisdom of the command and we begin to count our losses. When will we learn???

We should take lesson from the very first miracle that Jesus did. His mother said to the wine stewards, "whatever he says, do it!" That's the attitude we should have in our everyday life.

With prayer and obedience we will accomplish much!

Activate the great hand of God

Psalm 112:5
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

What does it mean to be generous and freely? God hit me with this one yesterday right between the eyes. I was on my way to a friend's church and was reflecting on the day. I had just talked to my company and settled on pay that is considerably lower than I had envisioned. I was mentally calculating all our expenses and how each paycheck would cover our monthly outflow. I was also reflecting on the last six months without a project which is essentially unemployment. I soon forgot all of that as I entered the church and began to worship God.

As I was walking out after the service, I encountered a woman who I struck up a conversation with. With a few words, I asked her a simple question which completely melted her down. "What's going on in your life right now?" The next few minutes followed with streams of tears and a sad story of lack for the last 10 years. Basically, she's been in the belly of the whale all these years. I was speechless for a moment and I was getting ready to say "God loves you" when she said in anger, "you don't have to tell me, I know what I have to do, it's all my fault and I need to repent."

I said to her that was between her and God and what I wanted to say was that God loved her. More tears and angry statements at God followed and then I suddenly felt a wave of conviction and inadequacy. My season of lack is defined as no vacations, only going out maybe once a week, turning the air up to 84, etc. Here is a person who just lost her job and home, has had the cycle repeat over and over. I didn't feel like a generous person. She pulls out her last $20 bill and told me she gave $5 in the offering. Fear came into my mind because I thought for a second she was going to give it to me! I had a dollar in my pocket, what help would that be? Finally her ride told her she must go. I gave her my Compassion business card and her eyes lit up when she read "Compassion", she said, "I like that, I need compassion!"


I was driving home and I began to weep and melt down. All I kept thinking was how inadequate I am to help sometimes. Burdened by my issues, I was paralyzed to help. I began to think about a friend of mine I have in Seattle who has a similar situation and I left him a voice mail. I felt like I needed to repent for not being able to help him.

Bottom line: When it comes being generous, the enemy lies to us and makes us believe that generosity is defined in thousands and millions of dollars. I believe the devil is happy when we get the feeling of being generous but then deceives us by mixing our generosity with pride and soon we find ourselves wanting to be generous in a way we really can't afford to be.

Generosity needs to begin right where we are. It could be as simple as opening the door for an elder person. Saying to someone, "God loves you." It doesn't have to be a grandiose operation involving millions of dollars. It's all about the small initiatives we take on our own to activate the great hand of God to move and provision His generosity.

Got TV?

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Over 30,000 children in third world countries are found each morning in the streets dead. The enemy wants children. If he can destroy the life of someone who is 40 or 50 plus, he affects the present. But stealing children or hindering them affects the future of this world. He knows what is at stake.

This is why my wife and I became child advocates years ago. We saw the heart of God through little children who have been discounted by society. The poverty that robs the life of these children is not necessarily a lack of money and resources, it is really a lack of hope.

If the kingdom of heaven belongs to children such as your very own, aren't your children on the war front against the principalities of darkness? Don't they have a huge target on them?

That's why satan has his sewer pipe plugged into millions of households! MTV, Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City and tons of other shows are instruments that access our children's lives because satan wants to hinder because of he is so jealous that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

If my wife and I were to raise our children again, we would eliminate all TVs from the house! If you have little ones, I urge you today to deny yourself the pleasures of TV for the sake of your children. Satan wants them!

When are we going to listen to God?

Matthew 16:15-16
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus went on to say that Peter was blessed because man did not reveal this to him but God did.

How much do we put our lives at stake based on things revealed by men rather than what God reveals to us? I can think of many instances where God revealed something to me but I chose the wisdom of man. Not surprisingly, failure was often the featured guest of my party. An unwelcome guest that is!

It all comes down to faith. I remember the Indiana Jones movie where he had to cross an abyss. On his own strength and intelligence he had passed through caves where others had utterly failed. He had outsmarted every trap, ducked every swinging death instrument yet just a few feet from his goal he had an unsurpassable abyss that could cost him his goal and his life.

At that point, no wisdom from man could help him. Faith enacted and he stretched his foot out into the abyss and stepped forth. This is when his foot found a glass bridge which held him and allowed him to go forward and achieve the improbable.

Take a look at the abyss that lays in front of you today. Are you searching the volumes of men's wisdom for an answer? Are you studying construction plans for bridges? Searching for wood and rope so that you can build your way over the abyss?

These are troubling questions.

I think of all the self-help seminars that I've been to. All the self help books which I've purchased over a lifetime. Think of the millions who watch shows like Oprah. We so want to look for the wisdom of man that when we wake up in the morning and the small still voice of God whispers to us and says, "step out, trust me," we are paralyzed with fear that it wont work. We resort to one more book, one more show, and one more fruitless search for man's wisdom.

When are we going to listen to God?

Arise my brothers and sisters!

Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.

It's clear, the law is written and while we are not able to stick to the letter of the law, the spirit of the law gives us guidance to live a life of righteousness and abundance. This is the beauty of the free will that God is given us. We ultimately have the choice of blessing or curse, it's really up to us and where we set our hearts.

This is brought forth clearly in Deuteronomy 30:15 which says "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction."

The psalmist of this verse clearly understands the spirit of the law and how when his heart follows it, he reaps great reward according to the riches in glory! We have to be careful because the enemy likes to perverse everything and we find ourselves in a twisted mess with the law.

This is how the enemy operates; knowing the law extremely well, better than anyone but God, he grabs a clipboard and is in cohorts with your flesh to account with every single infraction you fall into. The ignorant soul then feels condemned as the flesh drove him to the direct accusation of the chief prosecutor, the devil. But the psalmist says: "I've set my heart on your ways." Please read carefully, he did not say, "I submit my flesh to the law."

If this is the case, then we must ask; if our heart belongs to Jesus, can the devil really touch it? Absolutely not! If your heart belongs to Jesus, then you can wake up every morning and say, "I am the righteousness of God" (see Romans 3:21-22)

Waking up with such confession allows us to walk in his ways. Our flesh may stumble but our hearts are steadfast in the faith of Jesus Christ who took everything evil in us and nailed it to the cross, not today, not tomorrow, not yesterday, not next Sunday but almost 2000 years ago when he breathed his last words on the cross, "it is finished!"

So be bold today and claim your righteousness which was freely given to you. And while your flesh may stumble, be sure that a righteous man may fall seven times but he shall arise again. (Proverbs 24:16)

Arise my brothers and sisters, and claim the victory that has been secured for you!

Do you call yourself a sinner?

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I walked into a church a few weeks ago where I was featured as a speaker to talk about Compassion International urging the audience to consider sponsoring a child for Jesus.

Before I talked, they began to sing a song that said something like, "let all the sinners sing ..." The premise behind the song was that everyone at the service is a sinner and they were celebrating the grace of God. Something about that song really bothered me. It was as if they were celebrating that they were proud holders of a get-out-of-jail card. Meaning, some could live like hell but come into church to feel better about themselves.

I think this attitude really misses the mark of Christianity. The Apostle Peter put it very well in 1 Peter 4:1-4:

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.

He goes on to give us a pretty good picture what life as a Christian should look like (verse 7-11):

• Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
• Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
• Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling
• One should use whatever gift he has received to serve others
• If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
• If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides

Now that I read these bullet points, perhaps I see the reason for a church deciding to sing such a song. When I read these bullet points over again I realize that many in the church may have a hard time relating to this.

I like 1 Peter 4:3-5 in the Message version because it gives it good context of our modern times:

You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. Of course, your old friends don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you don't have to give an account to them. They're the ones who will be called on the carpet—and before God himself.

Do you call yourself a sinner? Perhaps you are confessing that you are still living a God-ignorant way of life?

Let the blood of Jesus purify you from all sin as you can walk in his light as a saint, not a sinner.

Now is His hour to shine upon you.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

How many people in the Bible needed breakthroughs in their lives? When Moses was looking at the Egyptian army racing towards them and they had nowhere to go, God did not give him a spirit of fear. Looking at the natural aspect of his circumstance he could have elected to be dismayed but grabbing to the hope of God's strength he did not focus on the drowning thunder of the chariots. He did not focus on the cries of the Israelites who were terrified.

Instead, the spirit of the Lord came upon Moses to give him strength and he told his people: "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

So likewise, today you need a breakthrough. The forces are arrayed against you. You are waiting for the Lord to make a way out to the sea. Grab on to the truth of his promises that are always yes and amen. He will strengthen you, even in your bed of sickness, even in your state of lack or depravity. The weak will say "I am strong" and the oppressor has no hope in prospering his evil desires on us.

Now is His hour to shine upon you. Today is His day to uphold you with His mighty righteous hand. For He is God, the great "I am", the one who has great thoughts for you, thoughts for you to prosper, not plots of evil but thoughts to give you a future and hope.

Photo Credit: © 2008 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

Let's be set up high above our enemies!

Psalm 119:7
I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

In this verse, the psalmist is revealing the heart of someone who is a diligent worker for the things of God. In today's world, we don't praise hard work. Instead, we seek the things which provide us benefits with the least amount of work. In effect, the spirit of lack abounds freely when we fail to praise God with our diligent work.

The John Locke Foundation conducted a study which reveals this clearly; "counties with high poverty and unemployment rates tend to have the highest rates of lottery ticket sales in North Carolina." What a sad state of affairs when the weak can't say "I am strong." Instead, this world is fool of people who say, "Well, I'm weak so my only chance is luck."

Do you know what LUCK stands for? Laboring Under Carnal Knowledge! I hope that changes your attitude anytime you hear the words "good luck!" Every time I hear those words, my spirit wakes up and I say, "Oh, please, I don't need any luck, in fact, I don't want it. I want God's blessing in everything I do."

The word says "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth." Deuteronomy 28:1

Did you get that? We praise him with an upright heart and we learn to love His law and obey it and He will set us up high above our enemies. Our enemies won't be able to touch us!

A gun to your head.

Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

I remember a story in the Soviet Union about soldiers going into a church. I don't know if it was a true story but it certainly is applicable to this verse.

The story was about soldiers who stormed an underground church. They held everyone at gunpoint and shouted that if you really believed in Jesus Christ, stay and die for him, otherwise leave the church.

Many people fled for their lives and when a small contingent was left, the soldiers put their weapons down and said they could finally worship Jesus Christ with true believers.

What if it happened to you? It happened to Cassie Bernall. At gunpoint, she was not ashamed of the Gospel even unto death in the Columbine High School library.

We don't expect these kinds of extreme cases to present themselves in our everyday life but we should ask ourselves a question. In not so extreme cases, what keeps us in shame of the Gospel?

We know we should have said something to they guy at the gas station but hours later the shame still haunts us.

If I had a dollar for every missed opportunity to witness the Gospel, I could probably personally finance a mission trip!

Come to think about it, that could be a great tactic to help ourselves. If you see someone that you could witness to, and you don't, add a dollar to a mission account. Then each month, send that money to someone that will diligently invest it in saving souls!

What brand is your battery pack?

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

I recently watched the movie Iron Man and was intrigued by the idea of the small power pack he constructed. No bigger than a can of tuna fish this power pack allowed him to fly to outer space among many other fantastic things. What would be better than that?

How about the power that instantly transported Philip miles away from the Egyptian eunuch? What about the power that allowed Peter to walk on water, even for a moment? How about the power that resurected the Son of God?

But we are so consumed with becoming Iron Man that we miss the power of El Shaddai, the Almighty God! We are so dazzled by man-made power, we could be staring at the beauty of a huge mountain and miss the power that created it. Don't we realize we are rejecting the very source of our salvation.? Instead we search all over for power that is hell bent on our destruction!

Jesus said, "tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand." In other words, the power of the all mighty God is at hand, the power of the creator is in us. Do inventory on your own power pack. Is it man-made or is it God?

What brand is your battery pack?

You are on the radar!

James 1:21
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

I like The Message version of verse 19-21:

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

In Philippians 2:12 the Apostle Paul told us to "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Pastor James told us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). Peter among other apostles called himself a "bond servant." Genesis 2:15 shows that "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

So what is my point talking about WORK?

Your salvation requires work. Please understand what I just wrote. I did not say that you are saved through your work. Simply, when you are saved, if you are really saved, you DO good works. In other words, your works is the evidence that you are really saved.

If you are an alcoholic, you can go to all the 12 step meetings you want, but if you don't do the work of throwing away all your alcohol from your house, you are likely to fall victim to the alcohol again. Likewise, if you claim to be saved and live a life according to the will of God, "get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent" and you will succeed in accepting God's word that is planted in you by hearing His word. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God." Romans 10:17

We can become scholars of the word and preach wonderful sermons but the most effective way to be a witness of the resurrection is by our actions. This is why Paul spoke so much about purity to young Timothy. Imagine yourself as an airliner, now think about this, you are always on somebody's radar screen!

Is God's love conditional?

John 15:10
(Jesus said) "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."

These are the words of Jesus, yet they almost sound unbiblical! These words could lead you to think that God's love is conditional.

But when you meditate on this verse, you begin to see the point. God's love for us endures through all generations. It is an eternal love that can never be extinguished. His love and grace has no condition. Therefore, it is up to us to receive it.

The problem is that we get too busy trying to out do God. We think we can love ourselves better than he can love us. When we are stricken with fear, we don't run to him to receive love and shelter, instead we try to protect ourselves.

The greatest form of worship to God is our offering of obedience. I don't say this to set us off on a course of legalism but we need to really capture the truth that disobedience is a blessing blocker. Obedience is the key to unlocking the windows of Heaven so that a blessing can be poured into your life.

The verse today is a wonderful promise. If you obey the Lord's commands, legions of angels will be there to guard the gates of provision in your life. The opposite is also true, demons are waiting for YOU to grant them permission to shut the gates and harass every shipment of blessing and grace that is continually heading in your direction..

The choice is yours and spoken through your actions.

His name is above every other name.

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

His name is above every other name. His name is above all things. His name is above all your circumstances. His name is above all your enemies. His name is above all negative things that are impacting your life right now, this very second as you read this.

So now we know that we have a weapon. We have a way to deal with the things that continualy challenge us. So today you can say, hello bills, let me introduce you to Jesus! He is above you today and I declare you paid in the name that is above all other names. Hello pain in the leg, let me introduce you to the name that's above you, Jesus my healer!

How often do we bow to the things of this world when we are holding the ultimate trump card? It's like holding a winning lottery ticket and never cashing it in. God exalted him to the highest place and he invites us to be with him!

My scars, profitable for the spread of the Gospel.

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

This verse has special meaning for me today. Five weeks ago something freaky happened to me. I got up in the middle of the night and still asleep, I lost my footing and was awakened as my nose struck the edge of my night stand. The force was so violent that my nose bone left a two inch gash in the wood.

As I arose from my fall I was stunned. I felt like I had just been in a fight and the picture tells a thousand words! The next few days I survived with ice, ibuprofen and prayer just happy to go through the day with minimal headaches. That was on a Wednesday and by Friday I was in no shape to go to my 6am morning prayer that I had been going to for months. Saturday rolled around and I couldn't make it to my 7am prayer walk which I had been diligently doing every Saturday since new years.

Next week, I didn't even have the will to set my clock to attempt to make either of those two commitments. Now five weeks have passed and I've been feeling that I've been living on bread alone. Last Wednesday I had a meltdown and was ugly to my beautiful bride. I practically ran to the first church I could think of just to hear the word of God, to search for more than just the bread I've been consuming for weeks. The message was wonderful but far from completely replenishing my spiritual batteries.

Then this morning I woke up to see Matthew 4:4 and I was emboldened. As I marched off to church, to go on my first Saturday prayer walk in weeks, I fell a new sense of energy and purpose. On the prayer walk the Holy Spirit poured into me and the presence of God filled me as I said, "give us this day our daily bread." I realized that what Jesus said is in the heart of worship.

As we toil in our lives, we hurry to make our own bread so that we can sustain ourselves. But it is the daily bread of the word of God that really sustains us. And when we come to a full realization of this, it is the very moment that your heart truly worships Him who saved you.

Today, as I stand by my beautiful pool, I worship the living God who has blessed me beyond my imagination. The same God who called upon the angles who braced my fall and protected my nose from getting chattered. Now when I look in the mirror, I have a battle scar. A reminder that nothing is too hard for Him and that he is with me, always. Paul often talked about his afflictions and how he considered them profitable for the spread of the Gospel.

Now I have a similar mark. It will be something people will ask me about all the time and it will be an opportunity for me to be a witness of God greatness in my life and yours.

I ask you to arise oh Lord!

Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

As I read this, why is it that I'm consumed by my problems? In the natural, I see enemy forces encamped all around me. I feel like I'm one of the less than 200 people in the Alamo with General Santa Ana's 5000+ soldiers ready to make mince meat out of me.

I'm reminded of the time when Elisha was completely surrounded by an army and his servant was telling him they were doomed. But Elisha said: "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (2 Kings 6:16)

Elisha then prayed for God to open his servant eyes, then his servant saw "chariots of fire."

My Jehovah Makkeh, the Lord who strikes my enemies, please open my eyes so I can find assurance by seeing the legions of angels you have arrayed against my enemy. Help me see so that I may find rest even in the presence of my enemy! God I ask you to arise and scatter my enemies. In the mighty name of Jesus.

It may at times look like a jumbled mess...

Philippians 1:6
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I remember a few years ago that I went to New York for Internet World. At the convention center in the middle of all the booths they had a large stage. This guy got up there and he was very loud and animated (Denny Dent). He had a huge canvas in front of him with lots of paint buckets and brushes.

The Jimmy Hendrix' song Purple Haze began to blare through the speakers as he started to splash paint on the canvas and began to work on what seemed to be a large mess of paint. He seemed to intricately work on shapes but as we looked at the painting it was yet another one of those abstract modern art pieces that did not impress much.

That was until he turned the canvas upside down and it revealed that all along he was painting a beautiful colorful portrait of Jimmy Hendrix with a bright red bandana. The music stopped and the crowd errupted in amazement. Our group talked about it for weeks and despite of seeing lots of vendors and new technology, that event had much more impact.

God is doing similar work in our lives. It may at times look like a jumbled mess, but in the day of Christ Jesus, he will turn our canvas around to reveal an incredible work of art. As that day in New York, the saints will errupt into praise when they see the master's work revealed and finished.

More than you can ask for!

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

When I read this verse this morning it certainly wasn't the first time I read it but I have to admit, every time I read it, it's like the first time. This verse reveals the giving heart of the Father. The fact that he is willing to give you more than you ask for or even think of.

Yet there is a very sobering thought when reading this verse and that is why it has taken me all day to write something down. The first phrase reveals that he delivers on your thoughts or imaginations. What if our thoughts and imaginations are predominantly negative? The cliche "self fulfilling prophecy" surely comes to mind.

What if we harbor and feed a negative thought or imagination in our mind? Is it possible that the Father looks at us and says something like... "Ok, if all you think is about your bills then your wish is my command, here you go, more bills!"

God's miracle of our bodies is very dependent on thoughts. Thoughts command proteins from the brain which cause certain reactions in the body. For example, in a case of extreme fear and the thought of loss of life, the brain will give the signal to release adrenaline so the body can perform beyond its natural capability to survive the threat. In other words, could our thoughts be a trigger point for supernatural ability?

I will be watching myself more carefully to make sure that my thoughts are in concert with the words that I speak. I'm reminded of the verse that says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue", I believe that death and life are also in the power of the mind.

And remember, His will is to give you more than you can ask for!

Who is that in the mirror?

Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

The Apostle Paul asked: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

So as we look in the mirror today, who do we see? Do we see the temple of God? Or do we see a condemned body of sin? Think about it, the answer will direct our lives every day.

Then as you walk out of your house and you see your brother or sister in Christ. Do you see the temple of God or do you see someone who can be at odds with you?

This all makes me think how Jesus' words are intricately weaved throughout the Bible. After all, he is the word. When Jesus spoke about the two commandments which fulfill all of the law and the prophets, he undoubtedly touched on todays verse.

If you love your God with all your heart, strength and mind then you will honor His temple (your body). And when you realize that other brothers and sisters in Christ (the Church) are also the temple of God, it should compel us to love them as we do ourselves.

A Strong Tower

Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

I remember going to the castle in Heidelberg Germany. It overlooks the city and it is when it is lit up at night it is a sight to see. One of its very interesting features, is a tower which has walls that are 20 feet wide. Napoleon and his forces laid siege on the fort and a cannonball hit the tower just at the right place and it broke a large piece from it.

As you look at this tower you may realize that men cannot possibly construct a safe enough tower. For all of men's efforts, it will never be perfect, it will always have some flaw that the devil can exploit. Man-made towers cannot give us proper refuge.

But thanks be to God that "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Driven by His word.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Spoken by Jesus.)

Take a personal inventory of all the things in your life. Now what do you see? Look at the things of utmost importance to you.

Most of these things will pass away. To date, I have not yet seen a u-Haul being pulled by a hearse! The fact is that many of the things we hold dear to our hearts are temporary. We are often like a man trying to grasp the wind.

So how tangible are HIS words? His word spoke the universe into existance (let there be light). His word declared victory on the cross (it is finished). And His word does not condem us (I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned)

We should ask ourselves everyday, are we driven by the things that will pass away or are we driven by His word?

Make HIM known today.

Isaiah 12:4
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done and proclaim that his name is exalted.

What he has done is not just limited to the signs and wonders Jesus did for his three year earthly ministry. God has done wonderful things from the very beginning of time and continues to do them today.

God is 100% good. Any other notion is a lie. That's why he is worthy to be praised. We shall not forget all his benefits for he has wonderful plans for us.

A lot of times when it comes to God we want to be among people who understand us when we shout praises. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are a good safe choir to preach to but somehow we reserve ourselves when we are thrown into the midst of the world and the lost.

Jesus was different, he was a friend of sinners. He did not conform to the world but was not afraid to operate in it. Likewise, we should walk with the boldness of Christ and go into the world to be a witness. Not to be conformed by it but to change it and have a hunger for the lost

Rather that looking at a lost person with judgment in our heart we are to love them with the good news of their salvation which is at hand.

God's greatest miracle in each and every life is that he saved us from eternal torment. Help someone else realize this truth and that will be the greatest way to make his name known and exalt him for what he has done!

God Bless America

Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

The song "God Bless America" is obviously well known but like other patriotic songs, the well know version omits certain lines. For example, the line before "God Bless America" says "As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer."

I've never heard that but it reveals the truth about our great nation. This nation was founded on the truth that God is our Lord. In fact, when the very first congress met their first order of business was to pray and use Psalm 35 as the basis of their prayer.

John Adams described the prayer to his wife in a letter saying that Reverend Duche "prayed with such fervor, such Ardor, such Earnestness and Pathos, and in Language so elegant and sublime."

The prayer included this great line: "O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation."

No doubt God answered that prayer!

In God We Trust!

A "balanced life"

Proverbs 14:34
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Many people think a "balanced life" is about excersicing enough righteousness or religion to counter the sin in their lives. But sin has no place in a balanced life and its only purpose is only to disgrace people and destroy them.

Where righteousness exalts a nation, sin destroys it. China was not always under the extreme tyrany of the communist government. Before Mao Tse-tung, there was a period of great prosperity and "riotous living."

I once saw a documentary that talked about pre-communist China and how cities like Shanghai were meccas of sin. They made Las Vegas look like Main Street at Walt Disney. The documentary went on to say that if the communist didn't come in to clean up, God would have had to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!

The founders of this country understood this verse well and set up a foundation that was evidently centered on seeking the kingdom of God and all its righteousness. Everything was then added on to this great country.

Sin disgraces any people. This means yourself, your family, your neighborhood, your church, your city, your company and your nation.

Now it is up to us to tip the scales of our lives towards God so he can continue to give us true balance, bless this great country and let America be exhalted.

The hole in our heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

We can fill our hearts by renewing of the mind. As the word says, Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God.

But what happens when our heart has a hole in it? We go to the filling station every Sunday but sometimes by the time we leave the church parking lot our empty warning light is on again.

What good is it to listen to all those CDs and podcasts if we have a hole in your heart? We read the latest book on how to get back in line with God yet we falter and often go back to doing what gets us in trouble. If this is the case for you, you have to know that there is a hole in your heart, and you are in need of a heart doctor!

There is plenty of evidence that the Lord rewards those who diligently obey him, Deuteronomy 28 speaks in length on this. But for those who have a hole in their heart they need to call the heart doctor, Jehovah Rapha, our healer. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)

David understood this when he said "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." He recognized his heart condition and he knew that there was nothing he could do to fix it but to call upon the Lord to come and do the repair.

God is greater than your heart. If you feel like you are not worthy and you don't want to go to church because you screwed up, remember God is greater than your heart, he can fix the hole in your heart!

Under the influence

Romans 12:3
By the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

This verse is a far cry from the Gospel of Self-Help! The world tells us that you can think your way into something bigger than you really are. Even where there is genuine desire the world is there to make your desires greater than they should be.

This explains why people get in over their heads, they think of themselves more than they ought to and soon find themselves in debt, defeat and depression.

So Paul urges us not to live above our means. That's just plain common sense but its so dificult to adhere to sometimes.

I pose to you a simple question; 2 Corinthians 4:8 talks about how we are hard-pressed on every side, so why would we want to add more pressure on ourselves?

Today's verse helps us by telling us to think of ourselves with sober judgement. In other words, don't be drunk with the things of this world when you are evaluating yourself.

Think of how dangerous drunk driving is, then think of how much more dangerous is steering your life while intoxicated with the things of this world.

We are all under the influence. The question is, under the influence of what?