He Knows

“All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.”

Isaiah 28:29

When my husband Doug needs some help finding things in the house, he doesn’t go to me or our oldest two daughters. He asks our youngest daughter Victoria. When he doesn’t know where he left his keys, she’ll jump up, run to the exact location, and bound back to her father with the keys. When we forget what time a party starts, we ask Victoria (Tori). When we forget someone’s name at school, Victoria remembers. Not only has this developed her confidence, it has brought out her personality. Almost every day an incident occurs. She will smile and put her pointer finger on the side of her head, tap her temple, and say, “Tori knooows, Tori knoooows.”

Although she is only six-years-old, she doesn’t miss much that is going on in our home. She observes, listens, and quickly jumps in to help. She usually has the right answer. On rare occasions she has not been right, and she says sadly, “Tori didn’t know. Tori is only six and still learning.”

Her quest for knowledge and wisdom is a picture of God for me. Our God is wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. He is omniscient which means, “having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. One having total knowledge.” It is an attribute that can only be described of God. No one’s counsel can compare to the counsel of the Lord. He understands the human heart and mind, and He knows every detail of the past, present, and future. Psalm 44:21 tells us that He knows the secrets of our hearts. Psalm 94:11 says that God knows the thoughts of man. Psalm 139 says that He knows our every movement, when we sit, rise, go out, and lie down. He perceives our thoughts and knows every word before it is on our tongues. He has ordained all of our days.

When I think about all the digital information available out there now, I am amazed that God knew it already. He already knew everything contained in public records, financial information, and medical records. Every day the world transfers billions of dollars, God knew about them and the motivations behind them. Everything that makes a Facebook entry and the ones that don’t, He knows it all. Grocery stores and credit card companies are just now tracking where you and I spend our money, but God has known all along. Every day millions of people seek counsel either from a professional counselor or a trusted friend. God knows everything they share, and while the counselors may be wonderful and give sound advice, He is the one who can give the perfect counsel and wisdom.

If all of the information from all the universities in the world was collected in every subject - science, history, engineering, art, music, sociology, social work, psychology, education, architecture, finance, accounting, dentistry, and on and on, then our God would know it all.

He spent only six days creating the universe, and yet it is filled with His glory. Proverbs 3:19 tells us, “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.” We see God’s wisdom by how systematically nature is arranged. From the path of the sun, to the changing of the seasons, to the intricate designs of each form of life to live in their particular habitat, God was methodical in His creation. We see God reflecting His glory in the beauty of the earth from majestic waterfalls, to the rugged snow-capped mountains, to the meadows filled with flowers of the richest colors.

Proverbs 3:13-18 also tells us that wisdom and understanding is precious to us, too. It is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold. It is more precious than rubies, and nothing we desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

Can you think with me of the things that happen every day that we don’t know? I don’t know how I’m going to get everything done for the day. I don’t know which activities to say “yes” to and which to decline. I forget important things like people’s birthdays. While I counsel many women, sometimes I can’t solve my own problems. My friend Anne said to me something so precious. She said, “I started thinking I just don’t know what is going to happen this year – with my ministry, with Israel. I don’t know what the Lord has in store. Then God brought Jeremiah 29:11 to me in a new way. He said to me, “You don’t know, Anne, but I know. For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Our God is aware of everything. Let’s allow Him to be our Counselor and give us His wisdom. Let’s seek Him first in every decision and issue in our lives.

Pray with me: Oh, God, You are wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom. You laid the foundations of the world in perfect wisdom, order, and beauty. You know the secrets of our hearts and the thoughts of our mind that we never shared with another. We trust You in Your perfect wisdom and love to deal with us. So we lay before You the things where we need Your counsel. We ask You, Lord, to give us the wisdom we need to guide our days so that we may live the life of blessing, honor, and bring glory to You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

A Display of His Splendor

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:3b   When Sophia was just a toddler, Doug found an 18 inch black walnut tree growing near our air conditioning unit that had just volunteered. Being a gardener extrardinar, Doug uprooted that tree and replanted it in solid, fertile ground that would receive plenty of sunlight so it could grow. He gave it the best place in the yard where it could grow tall and provide shade and shelter to our family for many years to come. He tended to that tree, watered it, and protected the tree by setting a perimeter of protection. He warned Mikayla, Sophia, and me to not hurt it or go near it. Well, Sophia didn’t understand his instruction. She didn’t know this thing sticking up from the ground and shorter than her was a tree. To her, it looked like a stick that was begging for her to grab. So, she pulled that tree out of the ground and ran around the yard playing with the black walnut tree. Before we rescued the tree from its forceful foe, I just smiled over the irony of my little girl in diapers running around the yard with a tree in her hand. A few days, later God had me study this verse in my quiet time. We are so much like that little unwanted, unnoticed tree. God, the Master Gardener, noticed us. He lovingly uprooted us and replanted us in a place where we could grow. He planted us in fertile soil and gave us sunshine and water to grow. If the enemy dares to grab hold of us and uproot us, He battles for us, triumphs over a foe that we can’t defeat, and plants us once again. When the storms of life try to blow us over, He makes us strong so we will not break. Let’s face it without Him, we are as weak and helpless as that young black walnut tree in Sophia’s hand. We can’t even beat a toddler in the spiritual realm! We have more than mere human strength. God is our strength. Isaiah 61 is talking about Jesus coming to set the captives free from sin, to release the prisoners from darkness, and bind up the broken hearted. He came so that you and I would be called oaks of righteousness. After all the name calling to me and mud that had been slung at me in my life, this is thrilling to me to be called an oak of righteousness and to be able to display God’s splendor! Many would have pronounced over my life that it was completely unusable and heap of rubble. Never could they see that it could become a strong, pure, right, and beautiful tree of God’s splendor. Jesus set me free so I could be a planting for the LORD to display His splendor. You and I are called oaks of righteousness. We are to be celebrated and to be a pronouncement to the world of marvel of God. We get the privilege of parading His brilliance and majesty. Pray with me: Father God, It’s amazing that we who deserve to be left in our sin are replanted as a display of Your splendor. You call us oaks of righteousness. How precious it is to us to be called this! May the world see us and see how marvelous You are. We desire to make You known to the lost and to encourage other believers to choose to follow You wholeheartedly and passionately, too. Help them to see that when we go through a storm or when we are attacked that we have more than mere human strength, but You are our strength. It’s in the mighty Name above of all Names, in the Name of Jesus, Yeshua, we pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

How Firm is Your Faith?

Every Tuesday, we get our verse of the week to meditate and memorize. I want to encourage you to keep trying to focus on just one verse for the week. If you stay determined, the Word will take root in your heart. If you have failed with some of the previous verses, don’t get discouraged and quit, but continue to press on. This spiritual discipline is worth pressing through our failure! So free yourself of guilt and let’s go!

By Shirley Mitchell

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

Colossians 2:4

Paul was no longer with the people of Colossi. God had led him to other lands. Although he was absent from them, he still cared deeply for them. He said, “I am present with you in spirit.” These people had his heart. If it were possible to be in many places simultaneously, he would be with them.

He delighted to see how they were so disciplined. The people had put their lives in an orderly condition. This Greek word for “disciplined” tells us that they had arranged their lives well. Their character was the finest. With the fixed time that they had, they lived every moment for God and pleased Him in all that they did.

Their faith was firm, solid. This Greek word implies that something is as firm as the firmament or the sky. These people’s faith was so secure that it was as stable as the sky that is seen every day. They knew that Jesus was God’s Son, the Savior of the world, the Jewish Messiah, and Redeemer of mankind. They were convicted that God alone had the answers to all situations in life. What firm faith!

Beloved, how firm is your faith? Does your daily life reflect an active pursuit of God? Does your daily life give evidence to His greatness and power? Does your daily life show that you believe that He the only One worthy of worship? These are tough questions. These Colossians lived this way. They were not discouraged and immobilized by obstacles and difficult circumstances. They believed God. Their faith was so evident that they earned praise from one tough apostle who didn’t give that many compliments. Their faith was the real deal and could not be shaken.

Join me on a pursuit to have the real deal faith, to have a firm faith no matter what happens. Carry this verse with you wherever you go this week – be it an index card or in your heart. Study it, pulverize it, and memorize it!

Memorization Reminders:

Please join me in memorizing these verses and implanting God’s thoughts into our minds. I’m expecting for God to radically change our lives if we do this. Redeem your time to make room for memorizing God’s Word. Take this verse with you wherever you go. Meditate on it, and pulverize it.

We are blessed to live in a time where we can have the Bible at our fingertips even through the internet or an actual Bible in our hands. Yet, this blessing can become a curse if we do not treat the Bible with such honor to savor every word of it as those through the centuries who have longed to have His Word so much. They had to memorize every Scripture they had ever been given because their own copy of the Scripture was not possible.

Most of us probably don’t memorize Scripture because we think that we do not have the time. However, our minds have a lot of wasted space that can be given to God. We have to redeem the time. For women, we can use the time while putting on our make-up or blow drying our hair. For men, use the time while shaving. For both genders, we can use the time while we shower, stop at red lights, do the laundry, wash the dishes, and mow the lawn. Let’s face it: our minds are thinking about something during this time. Instead of being focused on our obsessions, worries, cares, to-do’s, and problems, give this time to God.

Take your verse(s) with you wherever you go. You can type your verse out and put it on beautiful sheets of your choice. You can write it out on index cards. Many people prefer index cards spiral bound to keep them together. For iphone users, I’m sure there is an app. You can write it on your iphone notepad or record your voice speaking it and replay it throughout the day.

Now that we have the verse and we have found the time, let’s focus on the method. We don’t just memorize it by saying it over and over; we meditate on it. We spend time thinking about what each word means and what it doesn’t mean.

Then one of my favorite techniques as taught by Waylon Moore is to pulverize the verse. Say the verse over and over each time focusing on a different word in the verse to emphasize. For example, say Colossians 2:4 (today’s verse) aloud and say with more umph the underlined and bolded word:

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

Colossians 2:4

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

Colossians 2:4

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

Colossians 2:4

Repeat this process until each word in the verse has been emphasized.

After meditating and pulverizing the verse continuously for a week, the seed planted in our hearts will begin to germinate. You and I will no longer be merely short-term memorizing, but the Word will dwell within us. When God’s Word dwells within us, something miraculous happens. Our minds are renewed and transformed into the mind of Christ. We worry and fret less. We are armed for the attacks of the enemy. Our lips will be full of praise for our God. My friend, I’m ready for that kind of transformation!

Fought, Finished, Faithed

By Shirley Mitchell Every Tuesday, we get our verse of the week to meditate and memorize. I want to encourage you to keep trying to focus on just one verse for the week. If you stay determined, the Word will take root in your heart. If you have failed with some of the previous verses, don’t get discouraged and quit, but continue to press on. This spiritual discipline is worth pressing through our failure! So free yourself of guilt and let’s go!  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7   The Book of 2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter to his disciple Timothy just before his death. He exhorted Timothy, warned him of others who will turn away from the Gospel, and charged him to preach the Word and to fulfill his ministry regardless of what others choose to do. Paul knew his time on this side of heaven was nearing the end. He knew these may be his final words. Faced with his final days, he reflected on his life. Did he live right? Could he say that he had done with his life all that he should and all that God wanted him to do? Yes, he had. By studying some of Paul’s final words of examination of his life in the Greek, we see the deep meaning of his final thoughts. He had fought the good fight. He had “agonizomai kalos agon.” Agonizomai means “to enter a contest, to contend in the gymnastics games; to contend with adversaries, to contend with struggles, difficulties, and dangers; to endeavour with strenuous zeal, to strive to obtain something.” Kalos means “beautiful, handsome, excellent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, admirable, honourable.” Agon means “an assembly, especially an assembly met to see games, assembly of Greeks at their national games.” Paul had contended with adversaries who had beaten him and tried to silence him. He had struggled through difficulties and faced many dangers. Imagine all of heaven assembling to watch Paul contend as an Olympian contends in the national games. He knew he had set an example for others in his Christian walk and ministry that was beautiful, precious, and worthy of admiration. He had finished the race.  He had “teleo dromos.” From the word teleo, we see that he was bringing to a close, finishing, ending, completing, and fulfilling all that God had ordained for him. The Greek word dromos means “the course of life, or course of office.” It is related to a word that denotes to incur extreme peril, which requires the exertion of all one’s effort to overcome. Paul didn’t walk in a one mile fun race. He had run through the marathon of life and encountered extreme peril. It took all of his effort, and he strained himself to overcome all that tried to get him to stop running in that race. But he never stopped running and dropped out of the race. What kept him running when so much was against him? His next sentence holds the answer. Paul kept the faith. Paul believed God. What simple words to say, but how hard it is for us to truly live. Paul believed that God was worth whatever he had to endure. Paul believed God would bring him victory no matter how much his circumstances screamed that doom and failure would prevail. His firm conviction and unwavering resolution that his God would prove true enabled him to fight against impossible odds and keep running when all his senses said to stop and screamed that it was over. He believed God. He guarded his faith and never gave up on God. Wow! I’m not sure if I can say with all conviction at the end of my life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” But I want to put myself on the track of every day devotion and giving all of myself so that I can. Let’s be able to proclaim like Paul did at the end of his life that we have fought well, finished the race, and kept the faith. Carry this verse with you wherever you go this week – be it an index card or in your heart. Study it, pulverize it, and memorize it! Memorization Reminders: Please join me in memorizing these verses and implanting God’s thoughts into our minds. I’m expecting for God to radically change our lives if we do this. Redeem your time to make room for memorizing God’s Word. Take this verse with you wherever you go. Meditate on it, and pulverize it. We are blessed to live in a time where we can have the Bible at our fingertips even through the internet or an actual Bible in our hands. Yet, this blessing can become a curse if we do not treat the Bible with such honor to savor every word of it as those through the centuries who have longed to have His Word so much. They had to memorize every Scripture they had ever been given because their own copy of the Scripture was not possible. Most of us probably don’t memorize Scripture because we think that we do not have the time. However, our minds have a lot of wasted space that can be given to God. We have to redeem the time. For women, we can use the time while putting on our make-up or blow drying our hair. For men, use the time while shaving. For both genders, we can use the time while we shower, stop at red lights, do the laundry, wash the dishes, and mow the lawn. Let’s face it:  our minds are thinking about something during this time. Instead of being focused on our obsessions, worries, cares, to-do’s, and problems, give this time to God. Take your verse(s) with you wherever you go. You can type your verse out and put it on beautiful sheets of your choice. You can write it out on index cards. Many people prefer index cards spiral bound to keep them together. For iphone users, I’m sure there is an app. You can write it on your iphone notepad or record your voice speaking it and replay it throughout the day. Now that we have the verse and we have found the time, let’s focus on the method. We don’t just memorize it by saying it over and over; we meditate on it. We spend time thinking about what each word means and what it doesn’t mean.  Then one of my favorite techniques as taught by Waylon Moore is to pulverize the verse. Say the verse over and over each time focusing on a different word in the verse to emphasize. For example, say 2 Timothy 4:7 (today’s verse) aloud and say with more umph the underlined and bolded word: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 Repeat this process until each word in the verse has been emphasized. After meditating and pulverizing the verse continuously for a week, the seed planted in our hearts will begin to germinate. You and I will no longer be merely short-term memorizing, but the Word will dwell within us. When God’s Word dwells within us, something miraculous happens. Our minds are renewed and transformed into the mind of Christ. We worry and fret less. We are armed for the attacks of the enemy. Our lips will be full of praise for our God. My friend, I’m ready for that kind of transformation!

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

A True Victor

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8

History says that the Roman emperor Nero was fair-haired, with weak blue eyes, a fat neck, and a pot belly. He usually appeared in public in a sort of dressing gown without a belt, a scarf around his neck and no shoes.  In character he was a strange mix of paradoxes; artistic, sporting, brutal, weak, sensual, erratic, extravagant, sadistic - and later in life almost certainly deranged. 

In the eyes of Christians in the first century, he became the first Antichrist.  When the great fire ravaged Rome for six days, rumors swarmed the city that Nero had sung from a tower while watching the city burn.  The Romans had their suspicions about who started this fire when Nero built his large scale Golden Palace on the ground that had been utterly destroyed by the fire.  Desperate to be popular in the eyes of the people, he sought a group to blame.  He chose the Christians.

Nero arrested them and through them to the wild beasts in the arena for the entertainment of the crowd.  He had them crucified.  He also burned them as lighting for his gardens. 

Needless to say, he never became popular with the great apostle Paul.  It is believed these words in 2 Timothy 4:7 were in response to Nero’s appearance at the Olympic Games in 67.A.D.  Olympic athletes trained their entire lives for the games, but this arrogant and ridiculous ruler would not be stopped.  He entered himself into the games.  Instead of exercise and training, this overweight man used medications to induce vomiting.  He drove a ten-horse chariot team.  Even though he fell from the chariot and had to be helped back into it, the judges awarded him the prize.  No other contestant would dare to challenge him in the race.  Although he did not race well and technically did not finish it, he was crowned with a wreath and declared the victor. 

Now let’s look at Paul’s word.  He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”  Like any Olympian, Paul’s entire life had been used for the Christian race.  God used every part of his past before he committed his life to Christ.  He was a Jew amongst Jews.  At the end of his life, he could say that he was a role model for Timothy and for all Christians.

From the day of his salvation to the day of his death, Paul lived every moment in honor of God.  He didn’t take shortcuts to victory.  He endured every hardship and faced every difficulty head-on.  His race had taken him through places like Judea, Macedonia, Syria, Galatia, Asia, Achaia, and Italy.  Every point of his journey was under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  He had finished every piece of work that God had told him to do.  While the Roman emperor would take his life, he would not do it until God ordained that it was time for Paul to journey home to his true home in heaven.

In heaven, Paul was crowned by the Ultimate and Almighty Judge.  He received a heavenly crown of righteousness for his well-deserved race of life.  No one could contest that Paul had backed down from fight or fallen and not finished his race.  He was a true victor.  My friend, my heart longs to be this kind of competitor, too.  Every part of me desires true victory, don’t you?

Pray with me:  Almighty God, what an example Paul is for us.  He was a true victor.  He fought the good fight.  He finished the race.  He kept the faith and received the crown of righteousness.  Father, help us to have Paul’s determination to continue fighting no matter how discouraged or how tough the fight may be.  Don’t let of be spiritual soft bellies!   We want to have the stomach to endure.  There are no shortcuts to true victory.  Help us to see every hardship as spiritual strengthening so that we can live our lives for you and receive a crown of righteousness when we appear before You, the Ultimate Judge.  It is in Jesus’ Name, the Name above all names that we pray, Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

Our Inheritance

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

“ ‘But 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.’  After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

Acts 1:8-9

The disciples watched and their jaws dropped as Jesus lifted into the air defying gravity.  By ascending into heaven, Jesus took the risk that He would be forgotten.  He left the charge of the kingdom growth and expansion in fumbling hands of mankind.  God trusted His reputation, His Son’s story, and the kingdom growth to Jesus’ disciples. 

The world would not know anything about Him if it weren’t for the impact that He left on the lives of men and women.  He never wrote a book or wrote any of His teachings.  He never married, had children, and set up a dynasty.  He had no earthly possessions unless you count His robe, which was gambled for at the cross.

My friend Paula has written this amazing song called “Gospel to the World.”  I remember when she was writing it and trying to work out the final touches of it.  At Bible study one night at her house, she told us that she was not quite sure if it was going to be on her next CD.  We encouraged her to sit down at her piano and play it for us. 

The first verse starts by saying, “Jesus lived his life to die, and He died to save us.”  The end of the first verse says, “We can see His heart in the many things He left us.”  Here is the chorus:

The silver went to Judas

His body went to Joseph

His mother to apostles who would take good care of her

His clothes to soldier

His peace to disciples

His supper to his followers

And the Gospel to the world.

The second verse says:

No earthly possessions anyone could hope for

No worthy estate that one would seek to gain

But the precious things He had would change history forever

And changed my life today.

As I was opening the door to leave Paula’s house, I realized something that gave me God-bumps.  I told Paula, “Oh, Oh, the chorus is Jesus’ last will and testament!  There is so much meaning in everything on the list!”  Before I tell you the explanation that I shared with Paula, I’ll tell you her reaction was in a loving way, “Only you would get that, Shirley.”  So let’s break the chorus down line by line, and I will tell you what I said to her:

The silver went to Judas – The only money associated with His life went to His betrayer.

His body went to Joseph – There were no burial arrangements with the funeral director.  However, it was important that someone attend to Jesus’ body in order to prove that there was an empty tomb.  So God placed it on the heart of Joseph to ask for Jesus’ body and bury it in his tomb.  Everyone knew that it was placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb because of the Roman guard.

Are you beginning to see yet?  Did you notice that the temporal things that didn’t have much worth, He didn’t assign?  Clothes and money didn’t matter so Jesus didn’t designate to anyone.  So His betrayer took the money, and the Roman soldiers who crucified Him took His clothing.  However, His precious body did matter to prove the resurrection, and it enclosed the Shekinah glory of God.  Between His Father and Jesus, the things that were precious and eternal were specifically assigned.  

His mother was important so as Jesus was dying on the cross, He told John to take care of His mother like she was John’s own mother.  At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving them His peace.  His peace is precious, and if you don’t have it, then you want it more than any riches in the world.  Also at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the New Covenant which we still take today in remembrance of His sacrifice as the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover Lamb.  His Last Supper has encouraged believers for 2,000 years.  Lastly, He gave the greatest thing that He could give to every person who has ever lived.  He gave the gospel to the world.

The gospel story is our inheritance.  It’s your inheritance.  It’s my inheritance.  You and I are heirs of the greatest estate ever been given to anyone.  Its worth cannot be measured in human terms.  Most likely, I will never receive an earthly inheritance of great worth, but I am an heiress of the most amazing treasure.  The thing about this inheritance is the more we give away, the more God pours out into us.  It’s a replenishing inheritance.  I plan on using every part of it.  I’m going to give away as much of my inheritance as I can.  The story of Jesus Christ has brought healing to my mind, forgiven me of my many sins, redeemed my past, given me the best relationships of my life, peace through any circumstances, confidence for my future, security in my identity, and I could keep going on.  I must share it with everyone God brings across my path.

We’ve all received gifts through the Holy Spirit that can help fulfill the Great Commission.  The disciples were just like us.   We stumble and stutter.  We shrink back from things that stretch us.  God trusts us to do this.  He is entrusting us with the story of His Son.  This is our tenure on planet earth.  This is our appointed time.  We must obey Him.  He’s given the baton to us.  It’s in our hands.  We are ordinary people just like the disciples who can do extraordinary things when empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Pray with me: Almighty God, O, how we praise You.  You are infinite and everlasting.  Thank You for giving us the greatest inheritance of all times.  Teach us to not live like paupers, but daughters and heirs.  We have great value, and we possess things of eternal value.  Through Jesus, we have precious things and things that matter.  All this we pray in the Name above all names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess it, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

The Kingdom of God

"Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you.’ ”

Luke 17:20-21

 

John baptized the people with water. He understood that the purpose of his life was just to prepare the way for the Messiah. When Jesus Messiah appeared on the scene and he baptized him, he said of Jesus in John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.” He knew his ministry would dwindle when Jesus’ time had come. He preached a message of repentance and told the people that the kingdom of God was near. The kingdom of God was being manifested in power on earth. The kingdom of God which holds majesty and power was beginning an invasion on earth. The invasion was of God’s design, not of man’s design. 

Luke 17:20-21 says, “Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you.’ ”

The kingdom of God was never meant at Jesus’ first coming to have an earthly rule. The kingdom was meant to live within us. God designed to reign first in the hearts of His people before He would have physical, earthly rule. In some future time, Jesus will return and set up His political and geographical rule.  

Jesus is King – He came to live among us so He could identify with our humanness. Who wants a king who has no understanding of what it means to be human? He came to be one of us before He ruled over us. He gave up His riches to know our poverty. He had everything; yet to win us, He left all the riches in heaven.

Precious one, doesn’t that just astound you to know how valuable you and I are? Our King came to identify with you and me. He knows what it is like to be tempted, sad, or frustrated. He knows poverty. He knows all about physical needs.   He desires to set a kingdom in our hearts. He wants us to let Him rule over our lives not as a tyrant but as a loving, caring Father with the ability and the knowledge to deal with any situation. I hope you feel the same way that I do. I can bend my knee to this King. He is worthy to rule in my heart and yours.

Pray with me: Oh, thank You, Jesus, for leaving everything in heaven to come to earth and dwell among us. You left Your throne and submitted to the Father’s plan. You came to set up a kingdom – not politically or by geography. You set up a kingdom in our hearts. You want us. You have everything in the world except man because You gave us the freedom to choose. So Lord, we choose You every time, above all things. We choose YOU! It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study