Luke 1:76-80
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins… to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
This Scripture concerns the ministry of John the Baptist, who was to be the forerunner of the Messiah. It is interesting to note that John lived in the wilderness for years in preparation for his public ministry. One of the things that was spoken of him in this text is that he would “guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Being a guide assumes that you have walked the path already. John must have learned many lessons as he spent time in the wilderness, alone with God. These needed to be in place within his life before he ever spoke to the crowds. God seems to do the best work on our hearts in the private, intimate times that we have with Him.
It is important that we take the time to get into that private “prayer closet” with the Lord. You need to be looking forward to these times as great learning experiences. We need to spend time with Him away from all the distractions and commitments that are constantly crying out for our attention. As you look back, you will find that the lessons learned and the inner growth accomplished have made your time in the presence of God far richer and rewarding than it would have been otherwise.
As you go before the Lord this day, thank Him for the experiences that are still ahead of you on your walk with Him. Let the Lord know your willingness to be a guide to those who are coming behind you on the spiritual journey.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, God's will, guide, Holy Spirit, inner growth, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, overcoming, path, prayer, prayer closet, prepare, presence of the lord, private times, public ministry, spiritual journey, testimony
A lot of people are going to churches to “worship” today. How much of it is truly worship? What is worship?
Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
There is a chorus by Hillsong –
“Standing here, in Your presence, thinking of the good things You have done.
Waiting here, patiently, just to here Your still small voice again.
Holy, righteous, faithful til the end, Savior, Healer, Redeemer, and Friend.
I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are, I will worship you for who You are – Jesus!”
This is the essence of worship. Not clapping, shouting, preaching or praying. It is simply standing in the presence of a holy God and acknowledging who He is. Most of the time worship is done in silence.
Praise is public and exciting. Worship is one on one with the God of the universe. It is where I humble myself before Him and offer Him the glory that is due Him. The Greek word used for worship in the New Testament literally means to lean forward like you do when you are about to kiss someone.
It is a time of intimacy with God. Worship is coming into the presence of God, and meeting with Him spirit to Spirit. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo, Sunday morning experience. Press into that intimate place with God. Truly enter the spirit of worship and let your inner man find the fulfillment you were created for.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, church, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, glory, God's love, Hillsong, holy God, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, Sunday morning
Psalm 95:3-6
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
Everything we see in all of creation is the Lord’s. Every mountain, valley, and stream is the work of His hand. It is the incredible variety of the Creator, however, that amazes me. Sometimes when I am driving, I see all the mountains on the horizon, yet no two look the same. Each one can be recognized for its own individual features
Not only that, but the Lord knows each one intimately. Every tree, every trail, and each animal are well known to Him. He created the entire majestic realm of nature for His good pleasure, yet He provides this bounty for our enjoyment as well.
It’s easy to feel close to God when in the presence of His handiwork. When we look at Creation through the eyes of the spirit, it becomes a reflection of the Creator. It gives us insight into the awesome power and love of our God.
Take the time today to thank the Lord for the beauty of the earth. Thank Him that He has allowed us to share in the wonder of it. As you approach the throne of Christ, remember that all the wonders of Creation are but a dim reflection of His eternal majesty.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, creation, Creator, devotion, encouragement, faith, glory, God's love, God's power, hand of God, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Jesus Christ, joy, majesty, mountain, nature, praise, prayer, presence of the lord, stream, valley
1 Samuel 9:3-4
Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
This sounds like a pretty boring passage of Scripture. All we see is Saul, wandering in the wilderness, looking for some lost donkeys. Did you ever have a day like that? It just seemed like you spent the day spinning your wheels and nothing was accomplished.
I’m glad that’s not all there is to the story. As Saul worked at this seemingly mundane task, God worked out His plan. The Lord used this boring day to orchestrate a meeting between Saul and the prophet Samuel. Little did Saul know that Samuel was looking for a king for the nation of Israel. It was through the searching for lost donkeys that Saul met Samuel and was soon anointed king.
You may think you are only working in an office, or keeping a house clean, or attending a class. God, on the other hand, may have more in mind for you than you think. Keep your heart and your eyes open. Maybe He has a meeting planned for you during the day that will change the direction of your life. To prepare for this “divine appointment”, all you can do is stay focused on Him, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.
Allow the Lord to prepare you for the day ahead. You must seek His wisdom for the days that are before you. Only the Lord has access to the map that will lead to your destiny in His will. Only when you seek His guidance will you be ready for whatever He has in store for you.
Tags: Bible, boring day, calling, Christian, destiny, devotion, disciple, divine appointment, donkeys, encouragement, faith, God's will, higher, Holy Spirit, overcoming, prayer, prepare, spinning your wheels
Isaiah 42:10-11
Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
Being on a mountaintop always gives me an exhilarating feeling. It is hard thing to describe all the sensations that accompany it. I cannot fully express them to someone who has never seen the clouds blowing by beneath their feet, or felt the wind whipping over the peak, or stood in awe to see the breathtaking landscape spread out before them. Just being there evokes such a feeling on the inside that I want to burst out in praise to my God.
Sometimes, when I am alone on a peak, I will sing or pray out loud to the Lord. At those times, the presence of the Spirit of God is undeniable. I challenge you to look for those opportunities. We must seek out the times when God makes His presence especially real to us.
Maybe you have never heard yourself pray, praise God, or sing out loud before. Don’t let timidity stop you from experiencing a breakthrough in your Christian walk. Try it out the next time you find yourself alone in God’s presence, even if it feels a little uncomfortable at first. You will find that there is an awesome revelation of God when you praise Him audibly. Experience it for yourself. See the joy and freedom that fills your heart as you open up in His amazing presence.
If this has helped you, write me a comment about what you experienced.
Tags: awe, Bible, breakthrough, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fear, fellowship, freedom, higher, Holy Spirit, holy worship, joy, mountain, mountaintop, out loud, overcoming, power, praise, presence of the lord, shout, shout to the Lord, victory
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
I have learned many valuable spiritual lessons as I have been hiking. One of those lessons has to do with bears.
I praise God that I live on the East Coast. When I hike, I don’t have to contend with grizzly, Kodiak, or polar bears. Only cute, little (comparatively), vegetarian, black bears. Well, as many people are aware of, even black bears can be nuisances. Usually it’s the fault of a human. When we leave our food and trash out, we encourage them to hang around. They will then prowl around looking for something to devour. Hmm…sounds familiar.
A lot of the time we encourage the enemy to attack us. We do it by trying to live in both kingdoms. We try to get God’s blessing using the world’s methods. Or we try to use God’s power to satisfy our lust for material gain. These things signal the enemy to hang around hoping for a free handout.
It is time for us to “clean up our camp.” Seek God today. Is there anything that needs to be put back in order in your life? Christ will give you the wisdom, strength, and courage you need to overcome in this area. Turn it over to Him. Don’t give the enemy a free handout. Use this time to take back any foothold that you have given him in your life.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devil, devotion, distractions, encouragement, enemies, enemy, Holy Spirit, overcoming, praise, problems, protection, spiritual attack, victory
John 4:4-7
Now he [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
It is interesting to see that The Lord took on Himself the same physical limitations that we have. When He exerted Himself in the heat of the day, it produced hunger and thirst in Him. He knows what we go through.
Walking the road to Sychar made Jesus thirsty. In the part of the world the Lord walked in, the heat could get downright oppressive. Water drawn from deep down in a well was cold and refreshing. Jesus knew that His body needed that kind of a lift.
I was on a hike once where I ran out of water. It was a hot day and I began to dehydrate as I tried to get to the next source of water. I remember the pain as my muscles started cramping up, and each step was painful. It felt like Heaven on earth when I finally arrived at a tiny trickle of water across the trail that I could use to rehydrate my body and fill my canteens.
Of course, as important as water is to our physical well-being, there is a deeper truth. As He continued talking to the woman, Jesus related the need to spiritual water. Think about how thirsty you get when you walk under the blazing sun. You can then understand how thirsty your soul must get traveling through this world filled with problems. You need to do something that offers spiritual refreshment.
Spending time in the Word and listening to the Lord, is like a cold drink to your soul. Refresh your inner man today. Take a nice long drink at the well of the Lord.
Tags: Bible, Christian, cross, dehydrate, devotion, disciple, distractions, drink, encouragement, faith, Holy Spirit, holy worship, listening, overcoming, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, soul, spiritual drink, thirsty, well, woman at the well
John 5:28-29
“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
Yesterday’s post talked about Christ as the Giver of spiritual life. But, right along those lines, Christ is also the Giver of resurrection life. In this verse He is giving us insight into His Second Coming. Actually this is the first time Scripture records Him speaking about His return.
Many people who teach about the end-times don’t even bother dealing with this passage. If you think that way, then you’ve missed the whole point. Because this is the first recorded incident in Jesus’ ministry where He mentions the end-times, that makes it important. No, He doesn’t say a lot about it, but what He does say is at the very core of our belief in the Second Coming.
Jesus explains that there is a day coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and will come out – those who have done good will rise to live; those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. Unfortunately, we usually miss this key. It is the foundation stone for everything else that you will learn about the Second Coming of Christ. Everything else that Jesus teaches builds on this.
The cross is our starting point. We come along about 2000 years later. What Jesus is talking about in this passage hasn’t happened yet. The dead are going to rise and there is going to be a time of judgment with the result being either eternal life or eternal condemnation.
We don’t know when it’s coming, but there will be a resurrection day. As far as the disciples were concerned, it wasn’t new to them. Jesus didn’t start with some new doctrine that they had never heard before. You find teaching on the resurrection in the Old Testament. Job testifies, in chapter 19 of his book, that he knew about the day of resurrection.
Even in the Old Testament, believers understood that God was not going to leave His people in the grave. The Pharisees themselves, as a group, believed and taught that one day God would bring about the resurrection of the dead.
The only thing that was new in His teaching was the fact that it will be the voice of Christ that causes the dead to rise. I’m sure that the Pharisees had some choice thoughts on that subject. We, however, are given a foundation upon which to build the rest of the teaching on the return of Christ.
It is the Lord Himself who is our resurrection. It is His voice who will call us from our graves to a place of victory. This is a day we can all look forward to as believers. Knowing this, we can live our lives in the hope that only springs from victory over death. We don’t have to worry about the future. We are safe in the arms of the Lord.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, end times, glory, graves, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus Christ, Life Giver, protection, resurrection, return of Christ, second coming, victory
John 5:24-25
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”
It’s obvious that Jesus is talking about spiritual life here, because He says, “has now come”. It was not future, but was being fulfilled in the days that Jesus walked the earth. He was really giving the Pharisees a slap in the face because of their self-righteousness. They were the dead people (spiritually) that Jesus was talking about. He was basically telling them, “Wake up! You’re dead and if you want life, you must believe and obey my words.”
It was time for them to hear and live. Jesus loved them and desired that they would pass over from death into life. Unfortunately, their pride kept them from accepting Christ for who He was. Even today pride is one of the biggest hindrances to the move of God in the church.
I think a big part of our problem is not knowing the real issue. We think that our choice is between God and the devil. We either look at it that way or make it a choice between good and evil. The fact is that neither of those choices are what the Lord put before us. The real choice He gives us is life or death. As a matter of fact, there may be a “good” thing that I do too often, and it results in bringing death to my spiritual walk.
As long as I lower the standard by “trying to be good,” I will never attain to the abundant life in Christ. I must seek to let allow the life of Christ to shine through me. That is what will lift me up to where I should be.
Jesus makes an important point here. It is the basis of our hope and trust in Him. Christ is the Life Giver. This is the foundation for everything else. We must go to Him if we really want to live pleasing to God.
Spend time with the Life Giver today. Let the Holy Spirit impart to you the life that only He can give.
Tags: abundant life, Bible, choice, Christ, Christian, cross, dead, devotion, disciple, encouragement, God's love, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, life, Life Giver, resurrection, spiritual life, victory, wake up
Isaiah 5:1-2
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
God wants His people to produce fruit. If we are to truly be fruitful, then we need to see the production of fruit from God’s perspective. To make this clear to us, I want to take a little trip back in history. So, ask yourself what God’s ultimate purpose was in choosing Israel. According to this section of Scripture, God made a great investment in Israel. He took a lot of care in it’s development.
Only the choicest vine stock was used. Men of faith and courage who were not afraid to believe God and step out on His Word alone. Men like Abraham, Moses, and David were used to plant the roots of faith deep in the soil of God’s promises.
The Lord cleared the field for them. He brought them to the land of promise and caused their enemies to melt before them. He gave them cities they didn’t build, crops they didn’t plant and wealth that was merely placed in their hands. He did more then they could have ever asked or imagined.
It was the winepress, however, that spoke of Israel’s purpose. All of the above blessings came with an expectation on God’s part. The only reason for a winepress is the pressing of grapes. God expected Israel to yield a crop of good fruit. He wanted them not only to walk in His blessings but to show forth the ways of God. The only logical reason for planting a vineyard is in the expectation of a harvest.
This is where both Israel and the church often miss it. Many seem to be under the impression that bearing fruit is optional. “I’d like to see some fruit in my life”, is their lament, but to God that’s the main reason of redemption. We need to learn the lesson that Israel missed.
God wants the world to see the result of His work in our lives. That is what the fruit of the Spirit is all about. We need to let them shine forth from us. That is what will attract people to God more than all of our fine sounding arguments.
Allow the Holy Spirit to produce in you, the evidence of a changed life. Be fruitful for the Lord.
Tags: bearing fruit, Bible, calling, Christian, Christian witness, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fruit, fruit of the Spirit, fruitfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, prepare, results, vine, vineyard, winepress
The Spirit and the Word 