Intreat me not to leave thee...

I've been studying the book of Ruth lately and I've been intrigued with the willingness of Ruth to be obedient and to be committed to Naomi. The scripture that struck my heart was: And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Ruth 1:16. This is how I feel spiritually with the Lord. Before anything else, there must be a relationship with God. God desires for us to be close to him and when I look at this scripture, I think of a cry or prayer to God: "Lord, I'll follow you wherever you lead me. Don't Pass me by. Lord, I'm committed to you" This passage reminds me of when Jesus says to the disciples; "Will you leave also?" and Peter says, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life? ( John 6:66-67) This has to be the reality of this walk; that without Christ we are nothing. There has to be reverence and a fear to the Lord. Without Christ, there is no hope. We live because Christ lives within us.

Enoch walked with God

I haven't posted anything in a while. I was reading my devotion today in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers and the devotional sums up everything that has been going on for the last couple of months. Here it is: Enoch walked with God . . . —Genesis 5:24 The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited. It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.

Come Lord Jesus

Promise of God

Psalm 107:34-36 (King James Version) Psalm 107:34-36 King James Version (KJV) 34A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. 35He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. 36And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

The fearful and unbelieving

The word of God says that without faith it is impossible to please God. ( Hebrews 11:6) Faith is the building block of this walk of God. Believing, trusting, and hoping in God and knowing without a doubt that God will fulfill his word and promises. As a christian, its so important to trust in God regardless of the bleak circumstances. As I look back over my life, God has proven time and time again that if I acknowledge him he would direct my path. We can't doubt, murmur or complain against God. You may not verbally complain against God, but if your slow to obey God your heart is murmuring against him. The word of God talks about the evil heart of unbelief. God even sums up unbelieving and fearfulness with murderers and sorcerers and says the consequences of unbelief is death.
 Revelation 21:8

King James Version (KJV)

⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
 Don't be fearful or anxious, while waiting on the Lord. Wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 Sometimes the enemy may try to discourage or hinder you to make you stumble or stagger at the promises of God. Don't let the enemy have his way. The word of God says he has give us POWER to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over ALL the power of the enemy. Luke 10:19. And sometimes we can hinder our ourselves. That why we must die to our flesh, so Christ can live through us and we can possess the mind and nature of Christ. See, if we had the mind of God, believing in God wouldn't be a struggle, we would just have simple confidence in Christ.
Philippians 2:13-15. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"

Santification my Oswald Chambers. This devotion really blessed me.

This is the will of God, your sanctification. . . —1 Thessalonians 4:3

The Death Side. In sanctification God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. Sanctification requires our coming to the place of death, but many of us spend so much time there that we become morbid. There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized— something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ. When the Holy Spirit begins to show us what sanctification means, the struggle starts immediately. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . his own life . . . he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).
In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification. No wonder Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us falter. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ on this point. We say, “But this is so strict. Surely He does not require that of me.” Our Lord is strict, and He does require that of us.
Am I willing to reduce myself down to simply “me”? Am I determined enough to strip myself of all that my friends think of me, and all that I think of myself? Am I willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God? Once I am, He will immediately sanctify me completely, and my life will be free from being determined and persistent toward anything except God (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
When I pray, “Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me— it is Himself in me (see 1 Corinthians 1:30).

Consquences of Unbelief

I've been thinking about some things recently and God has been dealing with my heart or really just showing me myself. I've haven't written on this blog lately, but God is still speaking. I was reading in the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament and I began to read about the children of Israel who complained against God. They were murmuring and complaining against God and Moses who was trying to lead them into the promise land. We often talk about how the Israelites walked around the wilderness for forty years when the land of their possession was right over Jordan; but we forget that  was the curse that God had given them because of their doubt and  unbelief towards God.  Numbers 14:22   Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Numbers 14:23   Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: After God speaks this to Moses, he then says :Numbers 14:24   But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. God began to point out two different things in that scripture verse. 1. Caleb had another spirit within him that was different from the rest of the Israelites. 2. Caleb gave himself to God fully. The spirit or characteristic that Caleb possess was faith, obedience, and boldness. All of these are part of the nature of Christ. Caleb didn't have an evil heart of unbelief and didn't stagger at the promises of God, but rather trust in God and went forth possess the land that was inherited to him. The word of God tells us to Examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith. I had to examine every aspect of my life to see if I've fully given myself to Christ. In so many ways, Christ to began to show me where I've come up short. Sometimes we say, "I've come up short, but God understands and his grace is sufficient", but I don't believe God was saying that this time. When we don't give ourselves to Christ fully there will be consequences for it. When we murmur, complain, doubt and become fearful time and time again, be sure that God will cut us off and raise someone else up who seeks after God whole heatedly. Remember the word of God says, Caleb had another spirit and he gave himself to Christ fully. Out of all the thousands and thousands of people who came out of Egypt, God can only find a faithful few who walked with him? While God had is still stretch out toward us, let's repent while we have the time. Lord, give us a godly sorrow.

Cross-Leonard Ravenhill

My Scripture for Today

Ephesians 4:31-32 (King James Version)

 ³¹Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
 ³²And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Openness before God

God said he would take out the stony heart and give his a heart of flesh. When we have a stony heart, we can't feel, our hearts and hardened to God and we can't hear his voice or him calling us. When God gives us a fleshly heart, we feel, we are sensitive to his touch. God says, to us in Psalms to "Trust in the Lord at all time and pour out our hearts before him" We may think, God already knows our hearts, why do we need to tell God what's on heart? But, there is such  a place of brokenness, vulnerability, and intimacy to when you  pour your heart before God. God loves us so much and we forget that. God says, if we delight ourselves in the lord, he will give us the desires of our heart. It's so important as Christians to actively seek after a intimate close relationship with Christ. He says we are his friends. God is MY friend. He shares his heart with me and I with him. I know lately God's been dealing with me. I've become focused on ministry and the work of God, praying about different things and I wasn't seeing the fruit of the prayer, so I began to repress or close my heart to that part of my life, but God said , "No, don't pretend that you don't  have this desire in your heart for me to work in this area, you need to stay vulnerable and open before me. I'm not a man, I don't lie. If I said I will do something, I will do it...in my time. Don't cut off part of your heart to me."
We live in a world, that wants you to be independent and hard. We are told to never trust anyone and we bring this same mistrust and closeness to God. We can't do that. We must trust Christ and pour, pour, pour our hearts before him.

Faith without works is dead

God has been dealing with me about faith lately. Just believing God for him to bring that certain prayer to past. The lord showed me if I really did have faith in him, I should be walking in obedience. Faith is more than just wishing and hoping, but its takes a belief that is God is doing to do what he said. Jesus said in his word,And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. ( Matthew 21:22) My heart is rejoicing because this is God's word. God isn't man that he should lie. ( Number 23:19 He word will come to pass and bring forth fruit in our lives. He isn't slack concerning his promise to us. The word says, " hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" I feel like the apostles today," Lord increase our faith!" Luke 17:5.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. The lord showed me this today, reading Abraham testimony, that he had enough faith in the spoken word of God that he obeyed God. So many of us say we have faith, but were is our obedience to what he is asking us to do! I'm praying for a specific unspoken prayer, and God told me if you want me to bring the prayer to past, I need to see your obedience. The scripture says, without faith its impossible to please God and faith without works is dead. I believe that "works" is the obedience. Without obeying God, there is no faith. You can say, all you want, " I believe", "I believe", " I believe", but your not walking in obedience. The scripture says, Abraham  in faith, went out, in obedience to God's voice, not knowing where he was going, but he had faith in God. God, help us to walk in obedience.

Judgement Seat

Where he leads I will follow...bearing my cross

The lyrics to "Where he leads" states I will follow ( Christ) through the water, the gardens, dark Calvary, judgments and then to glory". Paul was a mighty apostle/disciple of God. In his early days he persecuted the Church of Jesus Christ until he had a encounter with the living God and he was forever changed. I know sometimes when I read the word and I see all the testimonies and miracles that God worked through him and I think, "Lord, give me Paul boldness, his courage, his fire, his testimony" But His life didn't just consist of "mountain tops" with Jesus Christ. He followed Jesus through the gardens, the valley and persecutions. In 2 Corinthians 11, talks about everything that Paul suffered for the kingdom of God and everything he's encountered as Christian.
Sometimes we forget that part as Christians, ( I know I do). We want all the heavenly and miraculously experiences with Jesus, but we are hesitant to walk through the Garden of Gethsemane with him. I feel that God has been saying that to me for the last day, "Are you willing?" "Are you willing to walk with me through the Garden Gethsemane" The Garden of Gethsemane was a deep place of agony. The word of God says, that Jesus spirit was so heavy that he felled upon the ground and prayed. He said, "Father take this cup from me,but not my will, but your will be done..." He sweat was like droplets of blood, that's how heavy and burden Jesus was for the sins of the nations. He knew what the will of the father was and he willing and even in his weakness, his heart's cry was, "Not my will, but your will be done".  The Lord is saying to me personally, " I'm going to take you through some deep places while doing the work of God...Are you willing to follow me? Are you willing to take the cup, I'm giving to you? Are you willing to follow me? I don't believe God is just saying this to me, I believe that God is saying this as well to those of us who are listening to the heart of God. We all must bear our cross. ( 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27) We can't say we want Jesus, but yet we aren't bearing our cross, we aren't following after him through the Garden or to the cross.

Reasonable Service

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1
As Christians, we like to think that this life of Christ is extreme, difficult, or out of the ordinary. We seem to think that we are doing God a huge favor just for walking with him. In Romans, Paul says in so many words, I beg you that you give your lives as a daily sacrifice to God. Our lives should be holy, pure, set-apart, ready for God's return. Reasonable service means that, what God is calling us to is fair and sensible request. What more could we do? When God himself gave us his son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. It was my sin, It was your sin, it was the world's sin that nailed him to the cross. Someone had to die, a payment was needed for the transgressions and God gave himself for us.
"13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:13-14 That is why the standard for us as Christians is to deny ungodliness, and worldly lust and to live soberly and righteously and godly in the present world! Oh God...The scripture says, Looking for that blessed hope of the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior and Jesus Christ! Christ gave himself for us. He gave himself for me! So he can redeem you and I! What more can we do, BUT to give him our lives!! Its our reasonable service....

This world has nothing for me

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ( Romans 12:2)"Everywhere you go, the world is pressing on every man's mind"- Pastor Don Shoots. I find truth in that statement because just attending a University; you can see how the schools wants the students to conform to their beliefs and idelogies. Even outside of school, you see how every man walks according to his own will or beliefs or the major trend. ( When I say trend; i'm not referring to fashion) Even as Christians and it should not be so. God tells us not to conform to this world. Conform means to comply, bend to standards or what is acceptable in society. God requires for our mind to be renewed in Christ Jesus. Once we have the mind of Christ, we can walk in the perfect will of God and they're wouldn't be such a struggle in this life. Can you imagine? Walking in the pefect will of God? Walking in the perfect plan of God for our lives? The enemy wants our mind to be conformed to this world, so we can be continue to walk in darkness. You may say, How am I walking in darkness? I'm not really sinning. I'm a good person or I don't really do bad things. But, the standard is for us to walk in the perfect will of God. Help us lord. We get caught up our own personal goal or ambitions. We do things in the strength of ourselves. Everything we see is so short-lived. We fail to see the long term vision of what God has called us too. We are to be a people ready for Christ's return. How are we getting ready when we are so consumed with this life. We compromise and expect God to move on our behalf. We aren't focus enough.
Personally, I'm a student at a University, but I'm not committed to school anymore. I use to say God was before school, but my actions put school ahead of God. I know this world has nothing for me.

Glorying in my infirmities

God is showing me the state of man...how weak we are  without him. God tells us to do something; of course we obey him, but we go in the strength of our flesh and then we fail. Time and time again. I've come to realize that I don't care if my weakness is ever before me; as long as the power of Christ is resting upon me; I'm fine with that. As long as I know Jesus is with me and my weakness is made perfect through Christ's strength. I refuse to perfect myself through the flesh."Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh" Galations 3:3 I will glory in my infirmities and weakness.

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corithians 7:19"

I never lost my praise :)

Living a life poured out for God

William McDowell wrote this song called, "Give us your heart". The lyrics talk about living a life poured out for God. So many, many, many times we say this or sing this; but we don't see the requirement. Living a life poured out for God, means a life of self-denial. Self-denial means surrendering everything for Christ. Everything. Our goals, our wishes, jobs, schools, family. Do we as Christians have that full understanding? I don't think so. The apostles and Prophets of old turned the world upside because of their lives were crucified in Christ. The world was dead to them and they lived lives of self-denial. Why do we do this? We cry out for God to do a mighty work in our life, but God asks us to give up a job or the prospect of marriage and we struggle. We are willing to live a life that we are labouring for worldly possessions; knowing that we are empty inside and we are not satisfied. When, we get to heaven and God shows us what we could have done for him while we were on earth, our hearts will be broken because we live our lives from day to day and just barely trying to stay "saved". We hear the word of God so much, but why is it that its only holding us from week to week. My God, don't let it be so. This year,  matter of fact, the rest of my life, I want to seek first the kingdom of God

Just a thought

I was listening to a message by Pastor Darrel Turner and he says, "The avergae christian prays 8 minutes a week and the average pastor prays 2 min a day and he wonder why the Church is so powerless" So much truth behind that...

God, you're the air I breathe...

"Counting the Cost"

Luke 14: 27-28. " And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, where he have sufficient to finish it?
When I first came to Christ, I don't think I counted the cost; I was so overjoyed with God. All I wanted to do was cry out and be close to him. As I grew in Christ, I came to understand that as Christians our foundation in life has to be Christ; but in order for us to walk in that there has to be a life of self-denial. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20. We used this verse so much, but we never understand the full capacity of what this scripture means. To crucify means to put to death, to torment, to die.
Counting the Cost is knowing that if we work the works of the flesh we are not entering the Kingdom of God. Counting the Cost is letting Christ live through us; this can only happen if we are dead to sin. Romans 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Counting  the Cost is knowing that we have to run with patience and lay aside every sin and weight that so easily beset us! Things in our life may not be "sin", but if its hindering us from running in this race that is set before us, we must cut it off. ( Hebrews 12:)We have to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This is a life of self-denial, so Christ can live through us. We are ambassadors for Christ. ( 2 Corinthians 5:20) We live as authorized messengers for Christ, how can speak what God would have us to say, if we are not bearing our Cross? If we are still live according to the lust of our flesh? God help us.  God, help us to understand the requirement, the standard by which we should live, ( The Word of God) the sacrifice it will take to build this foundation. Let us bear our cross.

Vision

Proverbs 29:18, " Where there is no vision, the people perish". I've just been thinking upon this scripture for my own personal life. God's just been helping me to not pray amiss, but to pray specifically according to the word of God. I know the vision for my life is lining up with God in everything. Sometimes we say that, " I just want to line up with the word of God. Or, " I just want to live right". Well, what does that mean? Do we fully understand what we have to lay down for that vision to come to past. We don't see the sacrifice; even though it would come of a great price it will be worth it all the way. We don't see what we do every day that is hindering us from gaining that vision. We say so easily, "I just want to be like Jesus" We can become religious and dead in those sayings. What does that mean really to be like Jesus. To have the person of Jesus Christ in you living through you. Paul said, ( by the spirit of God), " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..." What will it take for Christ to live through us? I know it will take a death, a life of self-denial. I know it will take more of what we are giving God. Help us lord

Maintaing a prayer life..by David Wilkerson

I must maintain a life of prayer in order to overcome spiritual dryness. Why is it that none of us pray as we should? We know that our burdens can all be lifted when we are shut in with him. The voice of the Holy Spirit keeps calling us to prayer, “Come!” Come to the water that satisfies that soul thirst. Come to the Father, who pities his children. Come to the Lord of life, who promises to forgive every sin committed. Come to the One who refuses to condemn you or forsake you or hide from you. We may try to hide from God because of guilt and condemnation but he never hides from us. Come boldly to his throne of grace, even when you have sinned and failed. He instantly forgives those who repent with godly sorrow. You don’t have to spend hours and days in remorse and guilt or earn your way back into his good graces. Go to the Father, bend your knees, open your heart, and cry out your agony and pain. Tell him about your loneliness, feelings of isolation, fears, and failures. We try everything except prayer. We read books, looking for formulas and guidelines. We go to friends, ministers, and counselors, looking everywhere for a word of comfort or advice. We seek mediators and forget the one Mediator who has the answer to everything. Nothing dispels dryness and emptiness more quickly than an hour or two shut in with God. Nothing can take the place of praying to the Father in that secluded secret closet. That is the solution to every dry spell. “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring” (Isaiah 44:3).

Idols of Egypt

Ezekiel 20:7. I went to a bible study and this verse stood out to me. Its reads, " cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. I was wondering this is 2011, what are the "idols of Egypt" that God is calling his people not to touch in this modern society. I would have to say anything that the world glorifies and run to. People may think "oh thats to extreme", but thats the calling of God. The world runs to fb,movies,entertainment,relationships etc. I'm not saying don't do these things, but has it become a idol to you? Can you live without it? God says it; don't defile yourself with it. Cast it away out of your life. As christians, I dont think we understand the standard and requirement to be apart of the Kingdom of God. We just think we can go with the course of this world and confess Christ in our hearts; it takes more than that. I'm realizing now everything we do to try to fill our hearts and lives with is vanity. Its worth nothing in the end, where you stand with God and your obedience to his word matters.

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