Shalom, welcome
to June 19th
><//>--------------------Thought for the Day
We have this choice every day of our lives as believers. We can take the path that leads to sin and futility remembering our next adventure with sin could be the fatal one. Or we can take the path that leads to a reasonable happy purposefully useful life. The choice is ours each day of our lives. God grant that
I take the right path.
Have I made my choice today?
><//>--------------------Meditation for the Day
Success You Covet
Follow the path of obedience. It leads to the throne of God. Your treasure, be it success necessary on the material plane, which will further the work of My Kingdom, or the hidden spiritual wonders revealed by Me to those only who diligently seek, this treasure lies at the end of the track.
From one point (a promise of Mine or a Command) to the next, you have to follow, till finally you reach the success you covet.
All your work for the moment is in the material plane and the spiritual is only to help the material. When your material goal is reached then the material will serve only to attain the spiritual.
><//>--------------------Prayer for the Day
Father, we pray that we may keep growing spiritually, and not just religiously. We pray that we may make this our real life’s work. Amen.
A Disciple’s Reflections:
Changing Everything
Beloved; allow me to share a change the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, began
working in me from the very beginning. I share this knowing that what
the Lord wishes to complete in me, He wishes to complete in each of us.
The effect Jesus has upon our lives was apparent to me from the very beginning.
For example, I
no longer found myself living for the increase of the world’s riches for
my security or to make me happy.
I knew that my life would be a life of
service, apart from the world, yet in it. I began to lose interest
in selfish things, and began to develop a longing to serve. I
understand this to be a result of believing that we are complete in Messiah,
the Christ, and no longer need outside sources to feel fulfilled or place
the burden of making us complete on another human being. I pray that
you can you relate.
Payment for service in the Lord is a little different than the way we are
paid for our work in the world.
The Lord says there are riches in heaven being stacked up in
our names like chips at a Las Vegas casino. The only difference is that
as long as we are faithful, the stack can never go down, only up. Never decrease, only increase as long as
we serve with obedience
and not where and when we feel like it, but when and where the Lord commands.
This naturally means there is much at stake. We must know with assurance the general and explicit will of God for
our lives
should we desire to serve effectively.
For this there must be some house cleaning on a daily basis. Can’t let the bad stuff stick around for even one day. Uh, uh! Few
believers realize this, but it only takes a moment to be taken captive by
error, or end up stuck in an unhelpful habit or relationship. But as long as we are humble, as
the proverbs teaches us: "It is better to be slapped in the face by an enemy, than it is to be flattered by a
friend," we'll be just fine.
Simply stated this means we must remain correctable. Since we can’t
always tell if our thinking is corrupted we must consider with interest
whenever a word comes to us even from a suspicious source. It is still
worth a look and some prayer. The Lord is always willing to confirm our
condition for us that we may not walk around blindfolded as to our spiritual
condition.
If when we are corrected, either directly by the Lord or through another
believer, we really have our feelings hurt and sometimes balk, then we are not quite prepared
for discipleship just yet. We should rejoice that a hindrance is
revealed in our personality that will make us a better servant when removed. The
fact that our feelings are hurt reveals that we are moving in the direction
of carnality and self-love away from the cross-life we are called to live.
This is why it is so important to be discipled or at the very least have
someone in our lives who will help us to overcome this misdirection.
Remember this, beloved, no matter how bad a character flaw we find within us
is, we must
judge the behavior or the attitude, and not judge our personhood.
After all, we are under complete grace and this grace is unlimited.
We need try to be clinical or objective with ourselves and avoid beating
ourselves
up. It is perfectly normal to find the most foolish sin or
defects of character within
us. Under grace in the Lord, this is to be a positive exercise, not a negative one.
Consider this. Wouldn't it be silly to judge our house to be unworthy of spring-cleaning? Of course it would.
I’ve shared before that prayer is usually a joy for me, but it can also become difficult
and effortful. I purpose to share this reality because I know that I
am not alone in this and I want you to know that you are not alone either.
God will help us with this if we persistently ask Him.
Early on the ease of prayer is directly related to our comfort level.
We seem to resent difficulties and discomfort and sometimes we can’t help
taking that out on God much like a child who accepts with difficulty the
discipline of his or her parents. We know all that He does for us, to
us, and with us is perfect, yet our emotions are not always in our control.
We haven’t yet matured to that type of perfect self-control.
We can combat this carnality that is mixing with our spirit by being completely honest about it and even sharing it like I am now
with you. We may then come before God with an imperative request since
this particular carnality corrupts our service for Him. Therefore, He should be more than willing to aid
us in this matter, without
doubt. when we pray.
There are many days when upon awakening I say a very short prayer; something like:
“Lord, good morning. I place myself in your hands upon stepping out of this bed
now that I’m awake for without you all I can do is make trouble everywhere I go. With You, Your Kingdom may come even
closer for those who need it this day. Thank you, Lord.”
That‘s it, but we're far from finished. We need strive to be conscious of God’s
presence in all things throughout the day. There are those shortly phrased
words of gratitude or praise spoken throughout the day. Then, there’s finding interesting and current ways to bring Him into every conversation
we can, even on the checkout line at the supermarket.
We never know when something wonderful will happen.
Believe me, I’m no spiritual giant, just a weak and helpless child of God who lays himself naked before his God and lives transparently before men.
This brings the favor of God, since it is not with our perfection that we please
God. No! It is by faith that we please God, and apparently by faithfully bringing
all our failures unto the Lord.
This activity is what qualifies one as a man or woman of faith, a man or
woman of God.
Let us be so grateful that we don’t have to be a great success, but rather
God has to be the Great Success, and this has already been accomplished in
Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ
of God.
We all need to know that our parents may condemn and reject us, our friends
may disapprove of us, but the Lord will never leave us and we must set this truth deep
into our hearts.
So, one day at a time, let us come as a frail, sometimes perverse, creature always trusting God to point
us in the right direction, empowering the work to be done, if any, and then
let us making sure
that God gets all the credit for any good that is accomplished.
We know that by fulfilling God’s few simple requirements for receiving
power and knowledge of His will then all that is being done is being done in the Name of Jesus.
Let us continually pray that God help those who refuse to be self-reflective
and without realizing it mistake fellowship with demons as fellowship with the Lord.
We must remember the devil is the great fake, counterfeiter, or imitator and entraps all those believers with impure
self-love in their hearts toward the Lord. Our love toward our
precious Lord must be pure indeed for Him to manifest Himself to us.
Allow me to share with you that just in the last few days, the Lord by His
Spirit and through His Word made me aware that my love for Him at this
moment is unacceptable. He revealed to me that often just as I have
been about to do a certain thing, perhaps eat when I should not or busy
myself with friends or some form of entertainment of the flesh He would
gently command me with the simple little word "No". I could hear this
no, yet I would plow myself right through the no and do what I purposed to
do anyway...I am certain that all believers have moments like these in their
memories. We all are prone to do this.
“He who has My commandments and keeps
them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”
(John
14:21)
If we keep the Lord’s commandments, we shall be loved by
the Father and the Son, and the Son will manifest Himself to us. Let us
reflect, according to our experience, when the Lord spoke the word “no” to
us and we obeyed Him, what was the result? We found ourself immediately in
the presence of the Lord. But if we do not care for that little word “no,”
we shall lose His presence. Whenever we listen to His speaking and keep His
commandments, His presence is immediately intensified and becomes so sweet,
precious, watering, strengthening, enlightening, and nourishing. This is the
manifestation of the indwelling Christ.
I have confessed to the Lord that my love for His is a defiled love and I
beseech our Father to cleanse and purify my Love for the Lord until it is
the perfect love He deserves and nothing less will do. I trust in our
God's righteousness to hear this prayer and move in it without limit or
delay and is pleased with me for living honestly and open with Him in this
and all matters leaving the devil with no foothold in me that Christ may
manifest or reveal Himself to me.
If someone comes to us and suggests that something is wrong are we willing to listen, or do
we go on
a rampage of excuses and denials without investigating the possibilities.
Just this week, I suggested to a brother I love and care for deeply in Christ that something is wrong in
his spiritual life, and his response was denial, self-defense, argument, excuses, everything but Jesus Christ.
There’s no need to defend ourselves. If
something is wrong within us then all the better that we may find the road to correction. Too many of us are still out to please ourselves
and others in all we do, and we often call that service. Sorry, at the
Judgment this will be the hay and stubble that will be burned up in the Lord’s fire.
I realize that these words are not for ordinary believers who do very well remaining worldly.
It’s for folks like many of us who just cannot make it for a moment without the Lord and His Power. Men and women who are clearly being tapped for a Higher Calling in the Millennial Age
and Eternity to come can
surely relate to what is being shared.
Do we have ears to hear the words spoken here?
I believe with all my heart
that some of us are royalty in training who will not just enter the Kingdom,
but will be co-inheritors of it along with the Lord. The weakest will be made the strongest; the last will be made the first, and the lowest will be
made the highest in the Lord’s Kingdom to come. Hallelujah! And Amen!
Which shall we be – one who simply
enters, or one who inherits God's Kingdom?
"As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!"
(Josh
24:14-16)
They could follow him or they could go their own way. They could agree or disagree, they could hedge and fuss, but Joshua was not going to be swayed. He knew who he was, what he was, and most importantly why he was.
After a lifetime of honing, the knife was sharp.
We live in the age of computers, spin-doctors; get rich quick schemes and tax shelters. Compromise has never been
made so easy – so deadly,
precious one.
Our Prayer:
Father, In every area of our lives, O Lord, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We can stick to the truth or squirm out from under it. We can find our center in you or we can bounce off the walls of opinions, fads and the ever-changing currents of culture. Lift us to that place where are lives are marked by that same steadfast devotion and dedication as Joshua. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The Good Fight
"I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
–
2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)
Paul spoke these words near the end of his ministry. He was ultimately
martyred for his faith, but he left knowing that he had fought the good
fight for righteousness (and he was not perfect), he had finished life's
race (fulfilled his purpose), and, most importantly, he had kept the
faith. We all "fight" many battles as we go through our lives. It's
spiritual warfare that pits God against the powers of darkness that engulf
this world. Whether we believe it or not, everyone must choose an
allegiance to the Lord or we will be in submission to the devil.
It's this simple.
Choosing to follow the Lord (to enter His race) is never without conflict
in a world that is increasingly geared towards individual temporary pleasure
versus eternal glory with God. Life for us is very much like today's public
American corporations, looking at short term shareholder value while
ignoring the company's long term stability and success. It is true today
temptations are many and the battles are heating up. So let us think for a
moment about the long term value (and eternity is a long, long time) of
fighting the good fight, of finishing our race without quitting, and most
importantly, keeping the faith. Life is to be lived for the Lord and for the
final reward; in the end, ALL the battles will not have been in vain
"Finally there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give
to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his
appearing."
–
2 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)
Your Comments
Our Discussion Board:
http://www.believershope.com/discus
Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know you are not
alone.
“God Calling” compiled by A. J. Russell.
“Twenty-Four Hours A Day” Hazelton – adapted.
Greg Candelaria writes The Good Fight
Barry Gray writes A Disciple's Reflections.
