“Time for a Prison Break“

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].” (Philippians 4:13, Amplified Bible) I love this translation of this scripture – it truly ‘amplifies’ God truth for our understanding. Today so many walk around / live as if they are defeated before they ever step onto the battlefields of life. They are held prisoner – “shackled” – to their past, sitting idle in their self-made prisons of yesterday, seemingly hindered from moving forward in this journey of life. Yet this is a ‘false assessment’ planted in our hearts by the enemy – in Christ, we are truly FREE! The Apostle Paul writes, “Christ has set us FREE! This means we are really FREE. Now hold on to your freedom… (“do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery” Amplified Bible)”(Galatians 5:1, NLT) Listen, nobody is perfect but Christ Himself. We all make mistakes – we all fall (‘sin;’ Romans 3:23). Yet when we reach up in sincere confession to Him, our Heavenly Father reaches down with His hand of forgiveness and lifts us up, cleaning us off (1 John 1:9) and sending us back to the journey He has planned for us since the beginning of time. Listen for a moment to this list of Heroes of Faith as recorded in the Bible – Abraham, the man of faith; Moses the lawgiver; David, a man after God’s own heart; Elijah, a mighty prophet of God; Peter, the rock of Christ, and Paul, the great evangelist/church planter. As surely as these men’s testimonies are an inspiration for us today, they were all still human sinners just like each of us. Let’s take another look at that list – Abraham the liar (Genesis 12:13) and the impatient one (Genesis 16:2); Moses the murderer (Exodus 2:12); David the adulterer and murderer (2 Samuel 11); Elijah, one prone to depression, despair and suicidal thoughts (1 Kings 19:3-4); Peter, the public denier of Christ and Paul, the once persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:3). Chris Tiegreen in The One Year at HIS feet devotional writes, “What churches or ministries today would accept them for service based in their past? God did. Not only did He use them in His service, He showcases them in His Word. They are trophies of His grace (and mercy).” So what’s keeping you in the dark dungeons of your past? According to God’s Word, the only thing standing between you and true freedom in Christ is your decision to receive it! The prophet Isaiah prophetically proclaimed the power-filled words of Christ hundreds of years before the Messiah arrived on earth, “This is what the LORD says …to the prisoners (“captives ” NIV), ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’” (Isaiah 49:8-9, NLT) As Romans 1:20 declares, we stand today at the door to freedom “without excuse” for remaining in our sin-created prison cells. Never forget that you and I were created by our Creator to be FREE! So “stop decorating your prison cell…it’s NOT your home!” (“Captivity” LifeWalk message (2.21.2010), Journey 2427) Your actions today create tomorrow’s history (past) … ponder that for a moment. The time is NOW for you and I to make a PRISON BREAK from the captivity of our yesterdays … Christ awaits your step TODAY into the fullness of His divine freedom which He purchased for you and I on Calvary’s Cross over two thousand years ago … don’t just say your free, live out that freedom that only comes through our great Liberator, Jesus Christ (Romans 6:17-18, HCSB)! Let’s scale the walls of our prisons – true freedom awaits us along with a faith journey unlike we can even begin to imagine (Ephesians 2:20-21) …Selah!

Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artists Hillsong and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "In Your Freedom" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru Christian music!

“A Transforming Journey“

"The Lord is watching over (“under the eye of” Amplified Bible) your journey!” (Judges 18:6) Life is truly a spiritual journey….an adventure (trek) filled with uncertainty, excitement and even risk. Yet through every step of faith we take on this journey, we are invited to become a little more like our Trail Guide, Jesus Christ. Pastor Erwin Raphael McManus shares in his book Uprising: A Revolution of the Soul, “What Jesus offers us on this journey of transformation is not a free pass. There is no detour from which we can escape the real challenges and even painful realities of life.... At every turn (in life) there is an invitation to journey ahead on an adventure that will not leave you unchanged … The journey itself will change you forever – not only your priorities, but your passions. It alters not only your direction, but your desires. It transforms not only your actions, but your values. It makes you like Christ and unlike anyone else. It is nothing less than leaving the fake for the real.” In our life journey, we are all invited to walk a path marked out by the footprints of Jesus. 1 John 2:6 tells us, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” The CEV translation of this text reads, “If we say we are His, we must follow the example of Christ.” Throughout time, Jesus has lovingly looked upon every heart / every soul which He has created in His image (Genesis 1:27) and personally invited them to draw along His side in this great pilgrimage through life en route to our final destination - home in heaven with Him. His standing invitation to all of us is simple, “Come, follow Me!” (Luke 18:22) While the journey He offers us is filled with His many promises, our personal quest must first begin with our willingness to relinquish and leave behind what would else wise hinder our journey: self! Jesus boldly declared, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways (“deny yourself”), take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (NLT) This is the place where the true sifting (separation) takes place – whether we will freely choose to follow Him and become sojourners with the Savior or whether we will refuse to relinquish self and be left as spiritual nomads (wanderers who will be forever lost in the desert of hell). The enemy has successfully inundated this place of crossroad in our journey with innumerable choices; yet Jesus says there are but two: either follow Him or follow self! Many falsely believe that they can delay that choice until later in life (further down the trail), yet an absence of choice today is still a choice to journey with self in lieu of the Savior. So today, assess where you are in life’s journey. Are you one of Christ’s sojourners traveling on a journey of faith, becoming more and more like Him; or are have you resolved to be lost and aimlessly wandering in the desert of self? The watching world today desperately needs to know that Jesus Christ is REAL, and they will only know that if they see that the journey of faith which you and I are own with Jesus is truly REAL to us through our lives being ever transformed into His likeness (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:15)! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artists Sierra and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "The Journey" (this is our very special theme song for our church, Journey 2427, which we play at the close of each Elevate Worship service - G3!)

"Wanted: Prayer Warriors!" Pt 10 on His Church

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18, NLT) Prayer … it is the one discipline of a Christian’s life that is so often most neglected. We see that for the First Century Church, prayer was so essential that they actually were known – not by titles / group names but by what they practiced in their faith – as “those who call on the name of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:2) Prayer was and is a powerful weapon (both offensive and defensive) in the church’s arsenal in the spiritual battle/war with Satan in this fallen world. In fact, Satan recognizes the potential power that can be unleashed through a believer’s heart if he /she fully yields themselves to a daily time of communion with our Heavenly Father. Satan’s main strategy with God’s people is to work on severing that divine communication line between the soldier on the field (believer) and his Commander in Chief (God) and then he seeks to move in for the kill/victory (John 10:10a). Just like in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, Satan still whispers his lies and attempts to sow his seeds of doubt, “Don’t call, don’t ask, don’t depend on God to do great things. You’ll get along just fine if you just rely on your own strength and your own cleverness.” Sadly, many Christians seem to fall prey to his tactics as has been demonstrated throughout history. Many believers honestly don't pray enough because they do not fully realize the divine power that God releases through this discipline of our faith. Many seem to not want to experience that divine closeness that can only come through spending much heartfelt time in prayer with the Lord. Pastor Jim Cymbala shares in his book, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, “If we (believers) don’t want to experience God’s closeness here on earth, why would we want to go to heaven anyway? He is the center of everything there. If we don’t enjoy being in His presence here and now, then heaven would not be heaven for us. Why would He send anyone there who doesn’t long for Him passionately here on earth?” Prayer for each Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically pray, lifting our needs and requests before the Lord, crying out for God for His divine wisdom for our lives. God spoke to His prophet Jeremiah while in prison, “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3) Jesus said that no matter our life circumstances, we should always “pray and not lose heart / not give up!” (Luke 18:1). Although vital for the First Century Church, for many in the 21st Century Church, prayer seems to be an “option” only needed in times of emergencies. Pastor Jim Cymbala again shares, “What does it say about our churches today that God birthed the church in a prayer meeting, and yet (true) prayer meetings today are almost extinct? …Am I the only one who gets embarrassed when religious leaders in America talk about having prayer (again) in public schools? We don’t have even that much prayer in our churches! Out of humility, you would think we would keep quiet on that particular subject until we practice what we preach in our own congregations.” No gray there whatsoever … as the common saying goes, “It just IS what it IS!” Listen, we are facing many formidable giants in our land today, and like David with Goliath (1 Samuel 17), we as true soldiers of Christ need to be willing to step onto the battlefield of faith and engage the enemy with the confidence of our faith in God surrounded by a prayer-laden suit of armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). To the watching soldiers on both sides, David’s weaponry seemed ridiculous / foolish: a sling and five smooth stones. Yet God often uses such foolish things to shame the wise/strong (1 Corinthians 1:27) … and the stone left the sling and connected with its target … and the watching world, comprised of both believers and unbelievers, witnessed the power of prayer released through the exercise of faith … and the giant once deemed ‘invincible’ fell to the ground, defeated in death by the power of God! When it comes to spiritual matters, you and I will never know our full potential under God until we step out in faith and take risks on the front line of battle in the REAL WAR on Terror (i.e. against Satan and his evil schemes; Ephesians 6:11). We will never see what power and anointing are truly possible unless we take up the sword of truth (Word of God; Ephesians 6:17-18) and pray! Pastor Jim Cybala shares, “Sitting safely in the shelter of Bible (study) amongst ourselves, or (simply) complaining to one another about the horrible state of today’s society does nothing to unleash the power of God. He meets us in the moment of battle. He energizes us when there is an enemy to be pushed back…where are (those) mighty men and women anointed by God to truly make a difference?” Take a moment right now and allow His Spirit to help you assess where you are standing – upon the spiritual battlefield with prayer-led readiness to fight/engage the many enemies of our day (1 Timothy 6:12), or with the majority who are gathered together in fear upon life’s sidelines? One closing note, David used but one of his five smooth stones to defeat Goliath, what did he do with the other four stones? Goliath had four brothers who would soon meet the same fate as Goliath (2 Samuel 21.19-22 ) … now that’s prayer-infused courage for faith-led battles for the Lord! Are YOU a true ‘prayer warrior’ for Jesus Christ today? …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is an instrumental video based upon the scriptures of Psalms 8 and can be viewed by clicking "Prayer & Reflection" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru Christian music!

“Upside Down Sojourners” Pt 9 on His Church

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6, NKJV) The great English preacher John Wesley once said, "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I do not care if they be clergymen or laymen. Such men alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth." I don't know if Wesley ever found such men, but I can say that Jesus surely did. Around the First Century, Jesus called these men to be His disciples to journey along His side for three years of His public ministry leading up to His appointed time of crucifixion, death, burial and glorious resurrection. In today’s text from the Book of Acts, we see two of these men of God, Paul and Silas, described as "these who have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). When that statement was initially given, it was not meant as a compliment. In fact, it was to be more of a criticism. But in a sense, that statement was a supreme compliment, because it acknowledged the indelible impact for the kingdom of God which these men were making on the world around them wherever they were led to journey. Pastor/Author John MacArthur once wrote, "’These that have turned the world upside down.’ Now, let me say that that's amazing. It's amazing, just the statement itself, that any man or any men could be men who so affected the world that the people said, "They're turning it upside down." That's tremendous. I mean, there are people who live their whole life and the world doesn't even know they're alive. There are Christians who have absolutely no effect on anything. Here were two people of whom the world said, "They've turned us upside down…” (gty.org) If there was ever a time in history when our world needed to be "turned upside down” or, should I more accurately say, “right side up for Christ,” the time is NOW! But if it is going to happen, then it will only come through fully committed believers in Christ like the ones John Wesley was looking for: “people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God.” No fair-weather followers need apply. God is looking for genuine disciples who are willing to journey with Him into all the world, and that journey begins with the first step which is the willingness to journey across the room or across the street in sharing the Good News of Jesus! So what does it mean then to be one of His disciples? It means, in light of today’s text, being an “upside down sojourner” – one who takes their plans, their goals, and their dreams and places them at the feet of Jesus. It simply means saying as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but Yours be done." During our first church planting season, the Lord gave me a simple way of remembering this divine truth which I have been sharing with God’s people ever since – “Doing God’s Will God’s Way!” When exercised by faith, this powerful truth will always turn the world around you ‘upside down’ (or ‘right-side up’ when viewed from God’s perspective) … heart by heart, life by life and soul by soul! One closing thought - the end of the American Revolutionary War was decided at Yorktown, Virginia, when General Charles Cornwallis of the British Army surrendered to General George Washington in 1781. This was such an unlikely outcome to the struggle for colonial independence that the defeated British army marched home to a song entitled "The World Turned Upside Down." As we know from history, the outcome of the Revolutionary War marks one of the most dramatic changes in world power that the world has ever seen. But, this change of power pales in comparison to the spiritual revolution that occurred during the First Century with the entrance of Jesus Christ into this world. The coming of the Messiah then meant that the world would never be the same again – He truly led the charge to change this “upside down world back to its right-side up orientation” through His battle cry of love from the Cross of Calvary! Today, ask God to help you answer this question in full honesty before Him – “Are you following His example in seeking to turn the upside down world around you right side up for His kingdom?” Somebody once said, "There are people who watch things happen and there are people who make things happen. Then there are people who don't know what's happening." Which one of these three types of people are You today? …Selah?
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artist Russ Lee and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "Living Life Upside Down" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru Christian music!

“Awe and Wonder” Pt 8 on His Church

“A sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43, Amplified Bible) “Awe,” the Greek word which means “holy fear,” speaks to a divine sense of “reverence, wonder and amazement” as a response to the very presence of our living God. It occurs when people are struck with such an inexplicable sense of wonder / astonishment because of something divine or powerful that defies human explanation – an early morning sunrise or an evening sunset, the beauty of a child’s smile, the sound of rain falling (and the ‘smell of rain’ from an approaching storm), the ‘quietness’ in a winter snow, the majestic greatness of a mountain, the peacefulness of a babbling brook or the stillness of a lake at day’s end, the birth of a new life and the eternal love of God for His people just to list but a few. If we are truly filled with God’s Holy Spirit, then we will see God at work in the miraculous and these everyday events of life, and we will be “filled with awe and wonder” at His wonderful glory. Each church ought to be instilling this sense of “awe” in the community where we are planted as His “oaks of righteousness, planting(s) of the LORD for the display of His splendor (“for His own glory” NLT).” (Isaiah 61:3) The First Century Church certainly displayed this sense of “awe” as recorded throughout the book of Acts. Verse 43 says everyone was in “awe” of them because “many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” Though the miracles and wonders of the apostolic times are no longer necessary now that God’s Word is complete through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s power still remains ever on display through His people. What could be more miraculous than sharing life (His life) to people who are truly lifeless (i.e. dead in sin)? He daily heals people of their hurts; He puts broken homes back together; and He brings people out of the bondage (captivity) of sin to Christ. In short, He divinely transforms lives … every moment of every day! When God’s people (His church) follows His plans (outlined in detail to us through His Word) and not man’s plans / ways (Isaiah 55:8), He will do marvelous and powerful things in individual lives before a watching world. True “awe” will fill His Church when we have spiritual eyes to see beyond what we can understand, beyond what we can control (“man”-ipulate), beyond what we accomplish in our own strength. “Awe” will again fill the 21st Century Church when have the spiritual guts like the First Century Church to follow (to journey) wherever the Holy Spirit lead us. Are you experiencing this sense of true “awe” in your life journey today? If not, ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see His hand at work in the miracles around you that fill our everyday … to experience a deeper sense of His holy presence through the precious moments of life that He shares with us …. and to believe as the First Century Church believed that God was all-powerful in eternally changing the hearts / lives of those willing to humbly stand in “awe” before Him … ”All the people were amazed (in “awe” NLT) at the great power of God.” (Luke 9:43) …Selah!

Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artist Stephen Curtis Chapman and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "Speechless" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru Christian music!

“Surrendered - Fully?” Pt 7 on His Church

“Your hearts must be fully committed (‘completely faithful’ NLT / ‘completely devoted’ HCSB) to the LORD our God, to live by His decrees and obey (all) His commands….” (1 Kings 8:61) The Lord is continuously looking for genuine believers who are willing to totally and completely surrender / yield their heart / lives to Him. Yet in our day especially, the requirement of ‘surrender’ brings with it a price tag (cost) that many seem to find too high (i.e. are unwilling to pay). We see this truth manifested by many whose heart are only “partially-devoted” to Him … they are inconsistent in their church attendance (if they attend at all); they hold no discipline of spending daily time with God in His Word and in prayer; they often have a greater comfort in the things of the world than those of the Kingdom (choose ‘good’ over ‘God’s best’), and they practice a lukewarm faith that sadly is devoid of both God’s life-changing power and a spiritual conviction that would signal their dire need to change (repent/return to God). In fact, ‘partially-devoted followers’ are only ‘partially obedient’ in their walk with God, and as Dr. Henry Blackaby shares in his study, Experiencing God, “Partial obedience is still disobedience to God and His Word!” Let’s be clear on the definition of “obedience” – it is an act of submission whereby a person willfully gives up his/her rights or desires and does the will of one who has given a command. True obedience to God is thus measured by our actions/decisions, not by our intent nor by our motives, but simply by what we do (James 2:17). It’s not enough to “want to do what’s right,” or “just desire to obey God;” you actually have to do it! To those who are willing to pay the price of obedience in being fully committed / surrendered to Christ, God then promises to divinely strengthen our hearts in our life journey, “For the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed (‘given themselves completely’ NCV) to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT) Being fully surrendered / committed to Him – both as individuals and as His Church - is the place where we will experience His divine anointing (manifestation) in and through our lives and where His witness is observed by a watching world who longs to see if this ‘Jesus’ is who the Bible says He is and whom we, as His professing followers, both say and believe Him to be – “King of Kings and Lord of Lords!” (Revelation 19:16) Dr. Henry Blackaby echoes this truth in his book, What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches (1), “Regardless of what we say, it’s what we do that reveals what we as a church or as an individual actually believe about God and His Will for us…The world in our day wants to see God at work through His people, but unless we hear and obey in the things He assigns us (things that only God can accomplish), the world will not experience Him; they will only see ‘religion’ and be turned away!” (pp. 83, 18) Many people today claim to wear the ‘Christian t-shirt’ (i.e. say they have given their lives to Christ in salvation), yet when it comes to being regular (consistent) “doers of the Word” (James 1:22), the streets of faith would seem to empty all too quickly. This spiritual incongruence (i.e. hypocrisy) is spotted much faster by the unbelieving world than by many in His church today who often are simply too prideful to admit this sobering reality/truth. But take heart (“be infused with godly courage”) - throughout His Holy Word we find God’s amazing track record of miraculously working through the ‘faithful few’ (Matthew 22:14) whose hearts have truly been surrendered / yielded to Him. In fact, Dr. Henry Blackaby shares, “When a church realizes it ALL depends on God, not them, and will together yield their lives fully to Him, God begins to work. It doesn’t depend on numbers, status, skills or even resources. The future depends on God and on His people who will hear Him, believe Him and obey Him!” ((1) pp. 29) So today, ask the Lord to help show you two things: where you and your church are – either ‘partially committed’ or ‘fully committed’ to Him? The watching world today awaits your earnest response to BOTH questions … as so does Christ Himself! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artist Brian Littrell and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title of the classic hymn, "I Surrender All" - G3 for His gift of ministry thru music!

“Living with Risk” Pt 6 on His Church

“Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over (climbed down) the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:22-34, selected excerpts) For the past five devotions, God has take taken us on a mini-series through His Word regarding some founding truths of His Church. We again continue that divine quest for greater wisdom and deeper truth about His Church as we move into a subject area often left unaddressed when it comes to our Christian pilgrimage: RISK! You see, this life which God has so graciously given to all of us is to be an adventure, a journey, a spiritual trek filled with uncertainty, excitement and yes, risk! Erwin Raphael McManus, Pastor of Mosaic, shares in his book, Stand Against the Wind, “Living is no low- risk proposition. If life is an adventure, then danger (and risk are) inherent to the journey… (merely) existing provides a level of predictability and safety. Freedom (in Christ) is wild and wide-open, filled with unchartered territory.” We see this divine truth displayed in today’s text. Here it is – nearly 3am in the morning with the disciples in a boat in pitch darkness pierced only by the twinkling lights of the stars above when Jesus Himself shows up … walking ON the water! (He loves making such ‘cool’ divine entrances!) Like so many believers, we are fine to sail the seas of faith as long as we are in the ‘safety of boat’ …or so we think. Here is where much of His church is today … facing a life-altering decision to either ‘stay in the boat’ (i.e. the man-made box / comfort zone) or ‘get out of the boat’ and go (journey) to where Jesus is at (the place of divine miracles / encounters with Christ). Here in the early morning hours are the first disciples - God’s hand-chosen future pillars of the First Century Church - hunkered down firmly in their boat of “fear” (v 26) because they had now entered ‘unchartered waters’ … no level of predictability could have readied them for this divine encounter with Jesus. Like these disciples, each time our lives intersect with Christ Jesus in these ‘divinus momentos’ (divine moments), we too are faced with a response: either to be courageous (Joshua 10:25) and go where God is already at or we choose to stay right where we are and miss the fullness of the divine encounter which God has planned for us. Only one disciple seized this divine moment – Peter. But note closely, Peter knew that to go where Jesus was (walking / standing ON the water) would be an impossible task on his own strength/abilities (Mark 10:27). So Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (NKJV) This same confidence in the Lord is later seen in the Apostle Paul as he writes, “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me].” (Philippians 4:13, Amplified Bible) When our faith rises to the level of accepting any/all risk that this journey of life entails, then Jesus will issue His call to us just as He did Peter, “Come! … come our of the boat to walk upon /over the waters of life!” So while the other disciples lay stricken in fear in the boat, Peter climbs OUT of the boat and walks on the water to Jesus! From his same book, Stand Against the Wind, Pastor Erwin Raphael McManus captures this divine ‘assumption of risk’ moment which we, like Peter, each will face when God calls us out of our boat, “If you choose to break free (i.e. leave the boat of familiarity & predictability), you will stand apart from the masses. At times you (may even) stand alone! (So be) willing to risk everything… Faith and risk are inseparable. It should not come as a surprise to us then that a life of faith is a life of courage….having faith is all about action. You cannot walk by faith and live in fear” (i.e. “You cannot stay where you are (in the boat/box) and go with God!” – Dr. Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God). So today, ask the Lord to allow His GPS (God Positioning System; “Holy Spirit”) to determine exactly where you are – in the boat with the masses or outside the boat where Jesus is and only few are willing to journey? Understand that God’s Church was never meant to be a place of comfort and risk-free safety … but instead we are to be a spiritual family of sojourners on a journey of faith who are willing to accept both the adventure and the risk that comes with being a genuine followers of The Way (John 14:6). When was the last time you heard Christ call YOU “to get out of the boat” and come to Him? Are you truly willing to risk it all to go to where He is at today? The Apostle Peter was … and over 2,000 years later we are still talking about his demonstration of courageous faith as seen in today’s text! …Selah!

Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artists Jeremy Camp and can be viewed by clicking on the on the song title, "Walk by Faith" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“Visionists or Visionless?” Pt 5 on His Church

"I will give you My message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance. At the time I have decided, My words will come true (‘the vision awaits its appointed time’ ESV) You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting-it will happen! (‘If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay’ ESV). (Habakkuk 2:2-3, CEV) "Spiritual vision" is so vitally important for God’s people for it provides to us the spiritual fuel - God’s direction and purpose – which is so vitally needed to journey from where we are to His future where God desires us to be / arrive (Jeremiah 29:11). It is imperative that we understand that as ‘followers of The Way’ (John 14:6, Luke 9:23), our direction in life can ONLY come from God – it is to never come from nor be determined by popular opinions, the latest trends or advances, the traditions of man, not ‘necessarily’ the experiences of the past, institutional leaders, circumstances (i.e. obstacles/challenges), ‘our’ emotions / feelings / dreams, the criticism, jeers or rejection of others nor the praises / words of our fellow man nor the “majority” nor the “minority!” Yet it seems more and more Christians today, to include a growing portion of our spiritual leaders, are seemingly lost … wandering around without clear direction, with little passion and much confusion in their purpose. God warns us of this spiritual malady and its origin in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation / of God], the people perish (‘are unrestrained NASB>'.” (Amplified Bible) The word ‘vision’ in the original Hebrew of this text is ‘chazown’ (pronounced khaw-ZONE) which means ‘a divine revelation / dream of God’ which affirms our definition earlier. This verse makes it very clear when we fail to receive God’s ‘vision,' or if we choose not to follow it, then we will surely become a people without purpose, a people without passion and a people without divine prudence. In his article “How Do You Say Chazown?” online at In Touch Ministries website (www.intouch.org), Craig Groeschel affirms the criticality of the need for divine vision in the heart of God’s people (His Church), “Where there is no chazown—no dream for God's best in this life—people limp along halfheartedly, hoping tomorrow will be better than today. It rarely is. Life without a vision is actually a dangerous experiment: Where there's no vision that you were created to have a growing, personal relationship with your Creator, your inner being withers. Where there's no vision that you've been placed on earth to matter deeply to others, you live in loneliness and your relationships die. Where there's no vision that your body is property on loan from God, your health slips away. The pure joy of living fades. Where there's no vision for a financially wise lifestyle, you can end up drowning in debt (in the richest country on Earth). Where there's no vision for a thriving, godly family, you tend to contribute to a broken, angry one. Where there's no vision for meaningful work, you live for five o'clock. Your goal is to survive—pay the bills, stay married, keep the kids out of jail... But you and I were made for so much more” … “much, much more than anything we can (ever) ask or imagine!” (Ephesians 3:20, NCV) Today I pray that His Word - His mannan for our soul - has helped to further equip you and I for the journey He has divinely ‘enVisioned’ for each of our lives! God says we need to write that vision down so that we can ‘see’ it clearly as we journey forward with Him in faith. But we must understand that we have a CHOICE - to either you choose to receive His ‘chazown’ and become His passionate ‘Visionists’ (a visionary for God) or we reject/dismiss His ‘chazown’ and become ‘Visionless’ (a wanderer/nomad without divine guidance / purpose in life). God lovingly awaits your ovedient response (James 1:22)! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artists Newsong and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "Defining Moment" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“Christ’s Tapestry” - Pt 4 on His Church

“The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this.” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27, The Message) The church is truly the “body of Christ” - a living organism, not an organization. Just like our physical bodies are made up of different parts such as hands, legs, ears and eyes, so is the body of Christ made up of different parts (believers). Each part is vitally essential to the proper functioning and growth of the body. Let’s take for example your pinky finger – with one hand holding the other hand’s pinky, try closing your fist tightly …. OUCH! Amazing that this small member of our hand provides the greater percentage of the strength produced from a clinched fist, and to do so without it leaves us little strength/power and as you likely noted, in pain! Each of us – although made in the very image of our Creator (Genesis 1:26) – has been created and fashioned by God with a unique difference. Each believer is given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit to use for the glory of Christ and the edification of His body. Listen to God’s Word elaborate on the beauty of the different parts which make up His body, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good … All these (spiritual gifts) are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11) His Word teaches us that each person has divine importance in the body of Christ and we, as fellow members of His body, need to acknowledge this importance as God does - equally (playing ‘favorites’ is a sin; “…don’t show favoritism!” James 2:1-4). From the layman who quietly prays for every member of his/her church family to the pastor who God has been called to shepherd a local flock – God manifests Himself different through every believer, yet in His eyes we are equal in our value and worth! For some, this Biblical truth may serve as a sobering call to humility as perhaps we have ‘ranked’ (whether directly or indirectly) the value of others by their titles / position. Is there various levels of responsibility for believers – emphatically Yes! James 3:1 teaches that those called to teach (preach) God’s Word will be “judged more strictly than others” (CEV) because of their area of responsibility, yet their value to the body is equally as important as every other member. Yet God holds each of us responsible for using whatever spiritual gift He has chosen to give us. Chris TieGreen in his devotional, Wonder of the Cross, writes, “Only heaven will reveal how many churches have failed because somebody who was planted in the church to play the role of an encourager, neglected their role, considering it too small or unimportant and walked away. This is true of many different roles that God has given to individuals. (Spiritual) roles that have not been fulfilled.” So today, let us be challenged to step back and examine the ‘spiritual mosaic’ of the church family where God has placed each of us for the current season of our life journey. Do we see the ‘divine beauty’ of the differences of God’s people which He has grafted into that local body of His? Do we see Him granted permission to weave these many differences (egs. age, race, family issues, life experiences, vocation, finances, health, etc.) through the sharing of life’s journey together into the beautiful and divine tapestry to which He calls “His Body?” Understand that no matter where He chooses to divinely place you and me, we ALL can be honored to be a part of God’s “family quilt” (His Church) which He is creating for His use & His glory! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by a Worship Team from Cairnhill Methodist Church in Singapore and so beautifully reflects the 'mosaic' of God's Church throughout all the world. The praise & worship song can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "I Will Build My Church" G3!

“Rock Solid Foundations” - Pt 3 on His Church

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11) In the divine construction process of God’s House (His Temple / His Church), we must understand that doing it God’s way takes time – patience – skill – discernment – obedience - sacrifice - and dedication/commitment! The Great Architect allows no short cuts nor second-hand labor/materials to be used. Early in the construction period of tall skyscrapers before they are built, a great deal of time is spent digging deep into the earth to attach pylons which serve to stabilize the foundation upon which the full weight of the structure will rest. Similarly, believers must dig deep into God’s Word and attach the pylons of our faith (i.e. critical support beams) to the one true foundation - the Rock – Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior which promises to be eternally secure, immovable and which cannot/will never be destroyed. Matthew 7:24-27 shows us with great clarity the difference between building a house with a foundation made of Rock (Jesus Christ) or with Sand (the World). To the untrained spiritual eye, these two houses appear equal during fair weather times. However, when the winds of adversity begin to blow and the storm clouds gather along the horizon of our lives – and they most assuredly will for all of us – the strength of their foundation will be tested and revealed. God calls those who choose to anchor their house of faith (life) upon the Rock “wise” (verse 24) for He promises that they will surely weather any storm that arises – not that we won’t have a couple of window panes cracked and lose a few shingles, but we will be standing secure after the storm passes (verse 25). Sadly, more and more folks today seem to be falling for the enemy’s “con job” in offering them all types of cheap, improper building materials (i.e. unscriptural principles/beliefs) to use in constructing their foundation of faith. “Sandy” materials (verse 26) like New Age beliefs, Secular Humanism, the Occult, human works, good deeds, religion and traditions, personal effort & achievements, and idolatry (e.g. money, fame, status/image, careers, etc.) fill the aisles in the local “Me Depot” stores. Builders Beware! As has been prophesied for thousands of years, many powerful “spiritual-based” storms are rising today against the very faith foundation upon which our families, our churches and even our own nation were built. Unless our foundation is firmly built upon the Rock of Jesus Christ, God’s Word declares that our “houses of faith” will collapse in response to being improperly built (failing to follow building plans/codes given to us by the Master Builder in His Word). If we have chosen to use the cheap, imitation materials (i.e. Sand) offered to us by the world, Christ says that we will have been “foolish” (verses 26- 27) for our houses of faith will surely fall/collapse, and great will be our collapse/fall. That being stated, the Spiritual Building Inspector is today making an assessment of the condition of your faith foundation – will He find you to be “wise builder” or “foolish builder?” The building materials you choose to use will answer that question … so choose wisely! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is by CCM artist Crystal Lewis and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "Christ the Solid Rock" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“Living Stones” - Pt 2 on His Church

“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house (‘temple’ NLT) to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) The term “living stones” in today’s text refers to genuine believers who have a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ. Peter is teaching us that every believer – every spiritual (living) stone - is being shaped and made ready for use in the divine construction of God’s house – His Holy Temple – the Body of Christ. Like natural stones, every spiritual stone has a unique shape (no two are exactly the same) and every stone has jagged and irregular edges from our creation (i.e. from having been born into sin) which leaves us unusable for any type of spiritual construction if left in that condition. Like a river stone that has been made smooth over the constant flow of water across its surface, God has crafted a plan to immerse every spiritual stone into the continuous flow of the “living waters of our Lord Jesus Christ”(John 7:38) through the daily washing in His Word (John 1:1, Ephesians 5:26). If we as His living stones will choose to stay in this constant flow of His living waters, then the once rugged, jagged surface of our souls will be divinely transformed into smooth, “living stones” for the Great Architect’s (‘God’ Hebrews 11:10) specific use / placement (1 Corinthians 12:4-14, 24-27) into His House which He is building. The Apostle Paul echoes this same construction imagery when he decries that, "God’s temple (i.e. God’s building) is holy, and you (i.e. Christians) are God’s building!" (1 Corinthians 3:9, NLT). Paul again shares in Ephesians 2:20-21, “Together, we are His house … the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.” (excerpted, NLT) Did you catch that last statement that says we are each “carefully joined together in Him” … the life of every believer is in the hands of the Master Stonemason who is in charge of “chiseling each living stone (molding-fashioning it)” into just the right shape to be inserted in just the right place in His temple/house. How honoring and humbling to know that the Great Architect/Builder of all Life (Hebrews 3:4) has personally chosen to divinely join each of us as living stones into His Spiritual House (“the family of God” Ephesians 2:19)! So each day, choose to spend time immersed deeply into the flowing waters of His Word because as we have been reminded in today’s devotion, we as “living stones” are His royal building materials which He is handcrafting / chiseling for placement in His Eternal House (His family) … and that makes each of us – PRICELESS / INDESPENSABLE! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is one of our family's favorite CCM artists, 4HIM and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "Chisel Meets the Stone" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“Ekkle-WHO?” - Pt 1 on His Church

“Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her…” (Ephesians 5:25, NLT) So many of us talk about ‘going to church’ like it was just another activity in life. But many of us don’t really stop to ponder more deeply what exactly that term means. “CHURCH” … it is more than a building or a place where perhaps many grew up attending with their family. Church is a place of God's presence where two or three have come together in Jesus' name (Matthew 18:20). It is a community of folks from various backgrounds, races, economic levels and experiences that are drawn together through the power of the Holy Spirit to journey through this life together. This local community was called an “ekklesia” (pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah) in the New Testament days – this term comes from the Greek word which means “assembly” or literally “called out ones.” The term “ekklesia” is made up of the two Greek words, EK—“out of,” and KALEO—“shall be called.” Thus, it is an assembly of Christians called out to become a unique spiritual family. Acts 2:42-47 shows us a deeper insight as to what this ekklesia is to be about, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer… all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had…They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.” (excerpted) This ekklesia is to be a family in whom we share all aspects of life together. This ‘called out assembly of believers’ is also to be God’s primary means for taking the Gospel into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20) and with this charge comes His divine protection, “Upon this rock I will build My church (ekklesia); and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”(Matthew 16:18) To be a part of such a local assembly, an ekklesia, is God’s deepest desire for every believer for we were NEVER meant to journey alone through this quest called life. Theologically, this all sounds so neat and good and it is … but it sometimes gets messed up is when we add REAL PEOPLE with REAP PROBLEMS to His REAL CHURCH! You see, no church is perfect for every church is made up of sinners (Romans 3:23), some who have been truly redeemed /forgiven by Christ and some who sadly are Christian ‘in name only’ (i.e. do not have a true relationship with Christ). In every church there is the issue of responsive obedience / disobedience to His Word which every church family member faces…and as Dr. Henry Blackaby shares in his study Experiencing God, one’s obedience / disobediences affects not only themselves, but those around them as well. That all being said, His Church (His ekklesia) is a living, spiritual organism - not an organization – through which His Spirit spiritually lives and breathes and works. As we journey through this subject of Church / Ekklesia over the next few days, I pray that God will share with us insights to help us all better understand His desire and our need to be in community together with fellow believers. Despite the many lies and attacks which Satan spews out against His Church; despite the times we all have experienced hurt and disappointments by those who claim to be true members of His church; despite the imperfections of those who attend church every week – including each of ourselves … we ALL still need to be spiritually grafted into a local ekklesia because we were created to be a part of His family. As with any family, God’s family demands love, grace, forgiveness and much patience because as I shared recently in a WOTD devotion, we are all divine works of art that are being molded and shaped into the very image of our Creator, the Great Potter. And whether we like it or not, He often chooses to mold/shape our spiritual lives in full public view of a special family which He has divinely created so that we need not go through this spiritual transformation alone - that being His Church! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by David Crowder Band and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "How He Loves Us" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“Got Treasure?“

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all‐surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) Last Spring our family attended a funeral of a Christian friend and member of our church family who had gone home to be with Jesus. As we waited in the viewing line to share words of solace and hope with his family, our little Aaron Joseph, our son who was 3½ years old at the time, looked attentively at the gentleman lying still in the casket. On the way home, Traci and I were sharing with AJ and his sister, Bethany Hope, that this Christian man’s spirit was now with Jesus in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1‐8). Aaron Joseph interjected amidst the discussion, “That man...in the ’treasure box’ ...he’s now Jesus’ treasure!” WOW! Our toddler son literally astonished my wife and I with the theological accuracy and Biblical perspective of his observation of death! Indeed we are each God’s loving, hand‐made treasure! Talk about being humbled by your children ... what a simple blessing of God’s truth as seen the eyes of a small child. Jesus tells us in His Holy Word, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” (Matthew 19:14, NLT) The simplicity of a child’s perspective is what so many often lose as we journey through this life. We complicate the Gospel and it’s power to transform lives and save souls by adding “religiosity” to our daily faith … following man‐made traditions / rules in lieu of living out the commandments from God (Mark 7:8‐9)! We must remember that as God’s people, we are to called to live supernatural lives and to share “His treasure placed inside these jars of clay (i.e. our bodies).” Have you found this kingdom treasure which is “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us?” (Ephesians 3:20) That treasure is a personal love relationship with Jesus Christ which is accompanied by His daily power which enables us to journey with Him through this life on our way to eternity in Heaven. Matthew 6:21 declares, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (HCSB) Despite all the troubling headlines today, we can all have His PEACE in knowing that God’s richest treasure has been made available to ALL who would receive “His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 4:19) ...Got TRUE treasure? If not, please drop us a note and we will be glad to share with you how you too can receive this wonderful treasure from heaven! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Tree 63 and can be viewed by clicking on the on the praise & worship song title, "Treasure" (one of my favs' @ Journey 2427) - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

“To Obey or Disobey?“

Jesus speaking to Peter and Andrew—“‘Come, follow Me...and I will make you fishers of men. At once (‘immediately’ NKJV) they left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:19-20) Obedience in the faith life of a Christian is simply obeying God—it is promptly heeding His Word and His Holy Spirit in daily fashion. Note closely in today’s text that Peter and Andrew did not negotiate with Jesus’ call to service regarding when they would leave their jobs, nor did they seem to receive a detailed plan of where Jesus would take them and what challenges would beset them. They simply, by faith and trust in the Lord, left their nets in haste to become “fishers of men.” Dr. Charles Stanley once shared that “true obedience to God means doing what God says, when He says, how He says, as long as He says, until what He says is accomplished.” True obedience is always costly to you and those around you. Sadly, many believers today seem unwilling (not unable) to pay the cost/price to follow God’s will fully and completely! Unless we are willing to surrender our all to Him, we will never experience the fullness of His Will in our lives. Dr. Stanley shares that “being fully and completely obedient to God promises to help us become the person He wants us to be, to do the work He desires (calls) you to do, to bear the fruit He enables you to bear and to receive all the blessings He has prepared for you to receive.” Often that divine portrait of our lives is sometimes “radically” different than the portrait we may have in our own mind. God really knows best the plans He has for us…“plans to prosper (us) and not to harm (us), plans to give (you and I) HOPE and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) As we continue life’s journey into 2010, I encourage you to take inventory of the blessings which God has placed in your life - to appreciate afresh the opportunities of Kingdom service which abound all around each of us and to hunger and thirst for His righteousness (Matthew 5:6) in a world today championing unrighteousness in nearly every facet of society. As Dr. Henry Blackaby shares in Experiencing God, “You cannot stay where you are and go with God in obedience to His will.” Peter and Andrew, without reservation or hesitation, chose NOT to stay where they were and decided to obediently follow Jesus’ call ... and 2,000+ years later we are still sharing their testimony! What will folks be sharing about YOUR testimony 2,000 months from now should the Lord tarry in His return? …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Jeremy Camp and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Give Me Jesus" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"Homesick Yet?"

“Always be ready (‘keep watch’ NIV), because you don't know the day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42, NCV) “The morning paper is reading like a scroll—Like the headlines from 2000 years ago—Everywhere I look I see the signs—My heart’s telling me it’s almost time ….(Chorus) Don’t it make you want to go home—Run through those gates and fall in Jesus’ arms—And all the cares of this world will be gone—Don’t it make you , Don’t it make you want to go home” echo the words of the Contemporary Christian group Newsong as they sing one of their songs from their “Sheltering Tree” CD. What a powerful and evangelistic reminder of God’s truth that this world is not our final home for we who have an abiding love relationship with Jesus Christ! As I prepare these daily devotions, and the LifeWalk messages each week for our church, Journey 2427, I am simply astounded by the continuing spiritual decline of faith and morality in today’s culture. Daily headlines report on parents who brutally murder their children, of women who kill their unborn children upon the “altar of choice,” of the growing number of companies who endorse and promote the homosexual lifestyle, of students shooting students in our schools, of governments who speak of a ‘one world order’ and a ‘universal monetary system,’ of increasing violence and sexual filth in television programs and in the movies and even now too in many commercials ... so much ‘sad news and negative trends’ can truly be overwhelming at times. Yet these headlines clearly affirm that we are living in the “perilous times” which must arise in the Last Days before the Lord returns as prophesied in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. So the most important question facing each of us is simply this—where is your heart today? Matthew 6:21 declares: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We are to be encouraged by the truth of God’s promises that better days are ahead …. not here on earth, but certainly in Heaven for those who have trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ reminded His disciples of this promised place called Heaven that is already being prepared for all of God’s family – “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." (John 14:1-4) We must remember—as Christians, we are all on a transforming journey through this life which God Himself has uniquely designed for each of us to prepare us for our final destination – the Promised Land of Heaven! Last week I was away 2-days at a Spiritual Leaders Conference. As much as I was blessed by this truly anointed conference, there was nothing like at its close to jump into my truck and begin my journey HOME to my family back in Concord. Although enjoying many blessings on the way home – a unique sunset filled with an array of colors, phone chats with some dear friends, anointed CCM on the radio (HIS Radio & KLOVE) – my heart was focused toward my journey’s final destination – to be home with my family. As I pulled into my driveway, Traci and the kids had just arrived home and I was warmly greeted with many hugs and loving shouts of “Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home.” The question the Lord ask you thru today’s WOTD is this – have you made HEAVEN your FINAL DESTINATION and if so, are YOU truly HOMESICK for Heaven? A wonderful celebration in Heaven awaits each of our arrival – but until then, let’s commit to enjoy the journey as we allow Him to prepare us for our eternal home Him and His family! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Newsong and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"Watch Where You Walk"

“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” (Proverbs 4:25, NLT) Have you ever been walking down the mall or perhaps across a parking lot and suddenly trip/stumble on an “invisible brick?” Usually more embarrassing than it is harmful, it still reminds us that we need to pay closer attention to where we walk. In our spiritual walk, there are no such things as “invisible bricks” for God has lovingly given us, through His Word, the light of His righteousness that guides us as we journey along the path of life (Psalms 119:105). Sadly, a growing number of believers are choosing to use their own light sources rather than God’s—reaching for our pocket penlights in lieu of God’s spotlight? We simply think that we can live an effective life by getting “a little bit of light” (i.e. God’s Word) into our hearts and minds on Sunday mornings, and maybe an extra amount in a Bible study or Wednesday evening service. The truth is this—if we are not feeding upon the Word of God daily, then we are walking in darkness and heading out into immediate danger! John 12:35 decries, “The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.” Psalms 82:5 states that those who choose to walk in darkness do not know or understand the things happening around them! When you read/hear the ever-changing headlines of today, you can’t help but see the advance of darkness upon today’s culture here in America and throughout the world! And the primary reason for this advance is because many believers—regardless of the excuses —are choosing not to set aside time with God as a priority each day; and the result is a growing number of believers with spiritual lamps that flicker weak rays of light in lieu of projecting radiant beams of God’s righteousness. This negligence allows God’s light, His countenance of holiness in our hearts, to dim and the seas of darkness to encroach upon the shores of our life and our surrounding mission field (family, work place, neighborhood, etc.; Matthew 5:15) Romans 1:20 declares that we are “men (& women) without excuse.” Most of us would like to hide behind the excuse that we are simply so busy and don’t have the necessary time and that God understands and will look the other way (i.e. grant us a “free pass”) on this area of disobedience in our life. But the truth is that disobedience to God’s Word is always SIN, and God can never, and will never, overlook SIN. The reason so much of our culture today is being overrun by darkness is because the light bearers (i.e. God’s people) have hidden their light (lamp) under a bushel (i.e. the bushel of disobedience) and the result is individuals, families and even governments are stumbling in their sinful ways/choices. Proverbs 4:19 reminds us that “the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” Listen for a moment – simply stop whatever you are doing and be still … just listen (Psalms 46:10) - do you hear the Lord’s Spirit calling you to “come aside and spend some time with Me” each day? Listen closely to the inviting words of Jesus spoken in Mark 2:13, “Come along with Me." But heed closely this warning—"Do not merely listen to (or read) the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (apply it through daily obedience; James 1:22)!” So look around this morning – are you walking straight ahead with Jesus in a path enlightened by His Living Word, or are you stumbling along in the darkness on a path of self-directed ways? He is lovingly calling out to you and me … “Come, journey with Me!” …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Phillips, Craig & Dean and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Come, Now Is The Time To Worship" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"Inherent Power"

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“ (Acts 1:8) When Alfred Nobel discovered an explosive element that was stronger than anything the world had known at the time, he asked a friend and Greek scholar for a word that conveyed the meaning of explosive power. The Greek word he gave him was dunamis, and Nobel named his invention "dynamite." The Greek word dunamis is the very same word that Jesus used when He told His disciples, "…You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" in today’s scripture text. Now many preachers have stopped right there and left the text to read, "You shall receive explosive, dynamite power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." However, a closer examination of the Greek work dunamis is needed to ensure we understand the full meaning of this chosen Greek word. The English word “dynamite” does come from this same Greek word – but that connection is a little bit misleading. Dynamite-power is sudden, destructive and quickly over! A deeper look into the Greek meaning of the word dunamis reveals that it also means “inherent power” – this is the power that is inherent (innate) with who God is & the power which He makes available to all of us as His believers! You see, the original Greek context places the emphasis on the “power to be” rather than just the “power to do.” As I shared about two years ago with our Journey 2427 family, one of my favorite verses – and the founding verse of my evangelistic ministry, Christian Impact Ministries – is James 1:22 which declares, “be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (NKJV) As simple as the following observation appears, it was truly profound in my life journey – “before we do for Christ, we must first be in Christ!” For many believers who have a true servants heart to serve (“do, do, do for Christ”), we so often serve at the costly expense of simply “being in Christ” … in other words, many lose their personal time with Christ because they give it away in ministry time with others – and James 1:22 affirms that this is out of God’s Biblical order which says we must honor “being” before our “doing” for His kingdom. For some, they can misread this to justify their selfish lifestyle which is often devoid of ministry service and filled with the attitudes and actions of the world. But for those whose hearts are truly bent on following Jesus, this timeless truth can change our hearts and our lives and release in and through us a “power” in our witness that is unabashedly and undeniably from the living Lord (Acts 1:8) – and that is exactly the type of witnesses which He has called us each “to be” for Him before a watching world! … Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Phillips, Craig & Dean and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Crucified with Christ" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"Spiritual Albedo"

“We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2 Corinthians 3:18, HCSB) We had the wonderful blessing over the weekend to have received 4 inches of glistening snow. On Sunday afternoon, we again ventured outside with our kids to enjoy the ‘rare treasure’ of a measurable snow. The skies were deep blue and the strength of the sun pierced through that winter sky to create a bright, white radiance off of the snow-covered ground. As I spent time in the Lord’s Word this morning, one of my devotions pointed out this same observation, “I don’t think there’s anything much brighter than the sunlight reflecting off the snow on a winter morning. It’s probably the closest we can get on earth to experiencing the kind of brightness that emanates from Christ.” That reflectivity of the sun’s light off of the snow in science terms is called “albedo.” It actually comes from the latin word which means “whiteness.” In Revelation 1:14, the heavenly vision describing Christ which was given to the Apostle John reads, “His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow.” The word translated ‘white’ in this scripture is the same term used to describe Jesus’ appearance in the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). Such brilliance found in white light is a picture of the purity and holiness of Christ – so much so that we have to cover our eyes, much like I had too as that bright sun reflected off of the fresh white snow in our lawn. Just as an objects albedo rating determines its level of reflectivity of the light it receives, I believe we as Christians have a similar “spiritual albedo” rating – that is, the measurable degree to which we reflect the light we receive from Christ (John 8:12) from our lives. The Apostle Paul speaks of this ‘spiritual albedo’ principle in 1 Corinthians 11:7 where he writes, “Man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory.” (NLT) When snow becomes dirty/polluted, its albedo rating drops. Similarly, when we allow sin to go unconfessed and unaddressed in our lives, our ‘spiritual albedo’ rating quickly drops (i.e. the degree to which our lives reflect the radiance and holiness of Jesus Christ). So whenever we sin (and we all do!; Romans 3:23), know the quickest way to raise our 'spiritual albedo' is to confess our sins (1 John 1:9) and trust afresh in God's promise to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" which leaves us as "white as snow" (Psalms 51:7, Isaiah 1:18) - reflecting once again the brilliant glory of Jesus Christ! So as we enjoy the beauty of a fresh fallen snow, may we be ever mindful of our “spiritual albedo” and may our lives reflect the brilliance of God’s perfect love, unending grace and holiness! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led video is from the Maranatha singers and can be viewed on the title, "White As Snow" - G3 for His cleansing power through His shed blood at Calvary!