THE CROSS OF JESUS

November 25, 2017

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 6:14

THE CROSS OF JESUS

Who or what do we give glory when we teach, preach or in our conversations daily?

GLORY ~ That which reveals the Person, Power and Presence of God!

Get rooted and grounded in your faith in God and NOTHING externally will distress you; and there will be no room for  weeds of self-consciousness.

Paul demonstrates for us the fundamentals of a life that has been changed by Jesus Christ.  The great basis of his concentration was the agony of God in the Redemption of the world…the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Re-examine what you believe and get rid of all thoughts that don’t have the bedrock of the Atonement made by Jesus Christ on the Cross. 

Preaching, teaching, conversation that does not center on The Cross of Jesus produces NOTHING!  It may be interesting and motivational…but it will not convey the energy of God and there will be no Power. 

Lord, may I see EVERYTHING against the backdrop of the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Atonement (His Blood) shed for my sin.

Help me to see the victory and the union with my Creator and not the sadness.

Give me the perfect balance of thought for Power to prove the Glory of The Cross!

THE SUPREME NOW!

November 11, 2017

“Take now thy son…”

Genesis 22:2

THE SUPREME NOW!

God tested Abraham…

”Take now your son whom you love…offer him there as a burnt offering.”

Take “now” the dearest thing to you…

God had promised Abraham many descendants.  God gave him a son when he was 100 years old that the promise was to be fulfilled through.  Now, God is testing Abraham’s faith to see if he loved HIM more than he loved Isaac.

The strange request of God was that He asked Abraham to give an offering that was a practice of the pagan worship he left in Mesopotamia.  God’s requirement for a burnt offering was a lamb! 

Abraham also believed in the resurrection of the dead.
 (God must have told him about this.  See Hebrews 11:17-19)

Isaac asked his father “where was the lamb for the sacrifice?”  Abraham told him that God would provide the lamb for Himself!  And, that He did when He saw that Abraham’s faith and love of God was greater than his son!  God provided a substitute – a ram for Himself instead.

The name of the place was Moriah and Abraham called it Jehovah Jireh (God will provide.)  This was also the place where the Temple of Solomon housing the Presence of God was built; and where the sacrifices were given.

The vail that separated the Holy of Holies and God’s Presence was split in two when Jesus, God’s Son was given as a blood offering on a cross as Substitute for Mankind’s sin debt.  

Jehovah Jireh provided the Perfect Lamb that takes away the Sin of the world!

Our Creator loved us more than His Only Begotten Son!  (John 3:16)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Mount Moriah is the Temple Mount today where the Dome of the Rock is.

There has been no temple there or sacrifices given since 70 AD when the temple and Jerusalem was destroyed. 

***There will be a new temple built and the sacrificial system restored during The Great Tribulation that the AntiChrist to desecrate.  Preparations are already being made in Jerusalem and the Menorah Lampstand is already made and on display. 

I had the privilege to see this and take a picture.

The Lamb that was slain is coming back SOON for His Bride!

Do I have ANYTHING that is more dear to me than GOD?

If so, NOW is the time to give it as a burnt offering.

Could “I” be the dearest thing? 

Romans 12:1

“Present your body a living sacrifice…”

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

September 6, 2017

“Rivers of living water.”

John 7:38

A river touches places that its source knows nothing of.

God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.

A river is victoriously persistent and overcomes all barriers!

Keep paying attention to The Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it!

NEVER fix your eyes on the obstacle or difficulty! 

NEVER allow ANYTHING to come between you and Jesus – NOTHING must keep you from The Source!

“Flow through me, Holy Spirit,

Flow through me!”

MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF BLESSING

August 31, 2017

“That My joy might remain in you,

and that your joy might be full.”

John 15:11

The absolute joy of Jesus was the self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing what The Father sent Him to do.  “I delight to do Thy will.”

Thinking out your circumstances and the cares of the world will choke out the Word and interrupt communion with

The Father.

The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes.  To be rightly related, find your joy in Him and out of you will flow rivers of living water.  Be a center for Jesus to flow living water through.  Be His witness and proclaim Him out of conscious Love for Him and unconscious to the effects of the flow.

The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it! ~ Their joy is being a channel for the blessing of Living Water to flow out of!

“Make me a channel of Blessing today!”

PRAYER: TO KNOW GOD

August 28, 2017

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Luke 11:1

PRAYER:  TO KNOW GOD

The life of the Son of God is nourished, not by food, but by PRAYER!  Prayer is how we get to know God and His will.

Be yourself before God, and when you get to your wits end, present your problems.  As long as you are self-sufficient, you will not ask God for anything.

PRAYER on the basis of Redemption alters things; the way you look at things; your disposition.

The natural life is nourished by food.

The life born from above is nourished by Prayer!

“Except you become as little children…”

“Ask and you shall receive.”

PRAYER CHOICE- PRAYER CONFLICT- SPIRITUAL INDEX

August 24, 2017

“When you pray enter into your closet,

and…pray to your Father in secret. 

Matthew 6:6

“Or, what man is there of you, whom

 if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?”

Matthew 7:9

Prayer is to be in a secret place.

Prayer is an effort of the will.

Shut the door!

We have to discipline our minds

and concentrate on willful prayer…

deliberately shut out emotions and remember God!

And…you will find God there.

Pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the Presence of God!
~Oswald Chambers

A good Child asking for a good thing. 

Find out the reason…turn up the index.

Are you rightly related to family; friends; fellow-workers?

Until you come into the attitude of a Good Child of God, God will not answer.

Are you asking God for money when there is something you have not paid?

Have you asked God for liberty while withholding it from someone else?

Is there someone you haven’t forgiven?

Someone you haven’t been kind to?

Are you living as God’s Child among your family and friends?

If we turn up the index, we will see clearly what is wrong –

that relationship/friendship – that debt – that attitude.

It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God.  
Then, Jesus says:  “Everyone who asks will receive!”

Lord, please show me where I have not been a good child of Yours.  My first thought is always my attitude because sometimes I have trouble discerning righteous anger and being zealous for my Lord; or self-righteous pride judging without all the facts. . .

 What can we, who Love You and desire Your will, do to help bring Your Body back to You?

"I indeed...but HIM!"

August 22, 2017

“I indeed…but Him!”

“I indeed baptize you with water…but He…

shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.”

Matthew 3:11

INSPIRATION

Baptize with water…anyone can do this!

     Demonstration of confession and repentance.

     Sense of uncleanliness and guilt.

     End of self-centeredness!

     I must decrease…

TRANSFORMATION

Baptize with Holy Ghost and fire…ONLY JESUS can do this!

     Evidence of His Presence and possession.

     Sense of unworthiness and Awe.

     New Life that is Christ-centered!

     HE must increase…

Lord, I do want to know the fullness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire…

and repent of the life of thinking I am anything, and know I am only because of Your Spirit.  
But what about the fire?

Further study reveals that fire is trials and suffering.  This is taking on clearer meaning  - Wow!

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit activity brought persecution and suffering.  Two examples:  Saul/Paul and Stephen; and all apostles martyred!  We don’t accept this as real.

Jesus said: “If they hate Me, they will hate you…but do not fear,  
I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 10:22

John 16:33

John 17:14