An Eternal Celebration!

Luke 15:24 - For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. (KJV)

Knowing that God is love and His very character is inclusive of all those who accept Christ as their Savior, it is not a stretch to believe He celebrates continually over us as sons and daughters. When we turn to Him throughout our day—no matter what we are going through—we can believe He is rejoicing in His beloved. The prophet Zephaniah states "He will exult over you with joy ... He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Know this, beloved of God, whether we glory in our salvation or not, the Godhead rejoices in it every minute of the day. May we all step out of looking at ourselves and look toward Father who is enthusiastically celebrating His great love for us. Inevitably, it will be our choice whether we decide to join the proverbial party and celebrate with heaven the great things He has done!

Marked For Prayer

Ezekiel 9:4 - And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (KJV)

Too often, we who would desire to be great prayer warriors for God are confused how this is accomplished. We say, "God mark us for You! Make us mighty intercessors for You!" However, God is saying, "Devote yourself to prayer and then I will mark you as one who shares my heart for the lost and hurting!"

We often desire God to come down and make us something we are not, rather than spend the time pouring out our lives for Him and others. We imagine a bolt of glory from heaven when all He wants is for us to choose to glorify Him with a poured out life. Beloved, devoted intercession often starts with us pouring our hearts out for those closest to us. Those we can see changed by God's power can often result in faith for those who we may not see. However, when we acquire the eyes of faith, then He can truly trust us with His heart for our communities, our country, and the world.

The Reality of the Resurrection

Philippians 3:10-11 - That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (KJV)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the truest event that has ever occurred in the history of mankind. However, Paul did not take it for granted and neither should we. Just because something is true does not make it our reality. The demons, James tells us, believe in God yet they shudder at this knowledge (James 2:19).

Like Paul, we should seek to bear our cross (Luke 9:23) as Jesus bore His for our sake. Merely knowing that Christ was raised from the dead means nothing unless we enter into that fellowship of His sufferings by bearing our crosses respectively. Only then will we experience His resurrection power. Then, like Paul, we may hope to attain to the resurrection of the dead when Jesus calls us home.

Let Peace Rule

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (KJV)

There will always be that man or woman – often the exception in our encounters with Christians – who will exude the peace of Jesus Christ. Some will erroneously think that this person never has a trial or a reason to become disturbed. However, if the aforementioned are living in peace, it is because they have chosen to do so.

Paul tells us the secret of this sort of peace in the preceding verses. He tells the Colossians to "put on a heart of compassion" for others and to choose to live in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of forgiving all as Christ forgave us and to do all with a thankful heart (Colossians 3:12-15). If we are choosing to be loving, forgiving, and thankful, beloved, we will experience peace ruling in our hearts and touching everyone we meet.

Embracing the Cross

I Corinthians 1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (KJV)

The weakness of Jesus' message is absurd to most. Many liberal scholars have sought to explain Christ's death as a miscalculation and a mistake. They claim He did not fulfill His ministry but died in weakness so therefore His original intent was aborted.

However, those of us who have been ordained for eternal life understand that only through His perfect sacrifice is there perfect redemption. Humanity is crippled by sin and there is no way to stand before God but by clinging to the cross. All those who seek to prop their lives up by their own attempts will not have a leg to stand on when they appear before God on that final day.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

Children of God's Inheritance

Luke 12:32 - Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (KJV)

God is not reluctant to give us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has called us sons and daughters of the Most High. Why then would he hold back and defraud His heirs of anything according to His will in this life or the one to come? The only reason is our inability to believe through lack of faith. Often, this comes by not understanding His great love for us.

His kingdom has come on earth as it has in heaven if we will but embrace it. While the devil runs amuck and continues to reign as a counterfeit ruler, Jesus said that all power and authority had been handed back to Him at the defeat of His adversary (Matthew 28:18). It is our rightful inheritance as children of God.

May we choose gladly to receive Christ's kingdom which the Father has gladly given.

Man's Foolish Wisdom

I Corinthians 1:27 - But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (KJV)

Shame might be defined as "the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, or ridiculous done by oneself or another." Shame is often meant to bring forth pain which may ultimately result in change. However, God's wisdom is often hid from those who pride themselves in the strength of their knowledge.

Often, Christian apologetics will not include any other evidence then that of the Holy Spirit working to confound the wisdom of this world in those hostile to the Gospel. Often, it is not our job to debate or refute, but to allow God to reverse what the supposed wise of this world have erroneously believed. Arguments may work to a point, but then God through His Spirit must bring a person to their senses.

Have we removed ourselves from the debating society or speaking intellectually when we should be allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through us spiritually. Once we surrender to God's wisdom, then all heaven will break lose us and in those around us.