Jesus at the center of it all

To Surrender to God

What does it mean to surrender to God? Is it just a simple raising of one's hands in Church service? Or to just to sing with all your heart the hymn " I surrender All"? No, surrendering to God is so much more than that. You see, God says he blinks at our ignorance for a season,but he calls all men to repentance. When a Christian first comes to the lord, it was enough to just raise your hand and that would be accounted for surrendering to God. It was enough to just sing the lyrics to "I surrender All" and that would be accounted for. Any Christian that continues to grow in Christ will soon realize that God would begin to require more. As Christians or unbelievers we may hear that God wants every part of you. It doesn't seem possible that God would want that and that you could give him every part of you, but it is possible. To surrender to God is to give your life as a sacrifice to him. It's surrendering your heart, mind, body, soul, emotions, dreams, ambitions, family and everything that you are to him. God wants your heart. Sometimes we are in situations that are uncomfortable and we have to surrender our heart to God, so God can have his away. Our ultimate response to any situation that we are in should be the response that Jesus had. He was an example for us and we should follow in his steps: Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Hebrews 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Until it becomes your nature, you have to consciously decide that I am going to die to myself so Christ can be seen through me. God and flesh can't be on throne at the same time. It's either you are going to let self live or die to yourself and become alive unto God.
Romans 6:1-10 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing 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.
8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Else I die

Rachel in the Old Testament was barren for a period of time and out of desperation for the fruit of her womb she said, "Give me children else I die". Hannah was another woman of the Bible that was barren and she prayed so fervently unto the Lord that the priest thought she was drunk because only her mouth moved and her voice was not heard. When I think of children, I think of fruit and I parallel it unto my life. We as Christians are suppose to bear the fruit of the spirit. Luke 8:14 says, "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection". This passage is talking how the cares of this life choked the word of God of a heart and they that have this heart are not able to bring forth fruit and if they do bring forth fruit it is not able to be perfected. The word of God says for us to go on unto perfection. That perfection is having the nature of Christ. That perfection is having the mind and spirit of God. The perfection is seeing a flow of Christ in our lives. The perfection is sonship. The perfection is us becoming manifested sons and daughters of God. Perfection is us reflecting the word of God. It shouldn't be random spurts of the hand of God in our lives. Christ should be able to live his life through us. We are to live the life of Jesus Christ. The word of God says that we travail in birth until Christ is formed in us. It doesn't say until you see a little bit of Christ, but until Christ is formed; meaning that there is a fullness of Jesus Christ in our lives. I feel that in my spirit, urgency and a cry for coming into the nature and mind of God. Sometimes the travail is really is so strong that there is no sound, but a deep groaning in my spirit. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.Romans 8:25-27"Our spirit man should be groaning and travailing to bring forth Christ. But, not to keep it for ourselves, but for those who are seeking and searching for Jesus. Also, so we could be a reflection of this Word of God in these last days. Some many of us as Christians become satisfy with just living day to day and keeping the word and the life to themselves. But remember, God didn't say these things for naught. It is possible to go on unto perfection. It is possible to be holy, like Christ. It is possible to walk with God, like Enoch. It is possible to bring forth one hundred fold.

Shield of Faith

I have not written in a while, but this is just a thought that God has placed in my heart recently. Since, I have not updated this blog recently, I thought I would share. The enemy attacks Christian many way to try to get us to falter in our faith and to doubt God. Sometimes he attacks us with physical ailments or try to throw temptations in our way to get us to fall into sin. Other times he attacks the mind. He tries to change the word of God, so that he can decieve us. Other times he tries to fill our mind with thougts of fear and misstrust in God word. I was reading a poem today and one of the lines said, "The shield of faith". Once I read that line, I immediately though of Ephesians 6 and how it speaks about the whole of armour of God. This is the meaning of shield- is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer. The word of God says that he has given every one of us a measure of faith. He also says that it is impossible to please God without faith and that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The faith that God has delivered to his saints, God wants us to use that to block the spiritual attacks of the enemy. To be more specific, God has spoken so much to us through his word and even to our hearts. The enemy is always on our backs trying to get us doubt God. Especially when the situation looks bleak or you can not see the outcome of it, but that faith and trust that we have in the lord, should rise up within our hearts and say, "No, God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent. What he said he will do and he will bring it to past". It may not be in my timing, but it will come to past. I may not see how it is going to work out, but I believe that God is going to direct my paths. But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Faith is so important as believers, it is the foundation of this Christian walk.

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.