The Word Of God

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.

Psalms 119:140

    For the past few days I have been plagued by a statement I read. When the word of God is read what is your first thought? Do you hear the words like someone reading a story? Do you hear some good instruction like the latest self help book? Do you hear the voice of God speaking to you?

    God's word is more than just an old book it is God communicating with us. Not just with mankind but speaking specifically to you and to me. He is speaking to everyone who loves Him and is willing to listen. While within the pages you can find a message of hope to the world you will also find God speaking to you right where you are, no matter what the situation. They are not just words to read they are truth and words to live by.

    When you hear God's Word what is your response? What are your thoughts?

 

Greater Dependence – Greater Worship

"And in that day you will say: 'Praise the Lord, call upon His name.

Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.

Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.'"

Isaiah 12:4-5

    Here comes a thought. BUT I want you to resist the urge that I had when it first came to me. Do not try and justify or reason away the reality that God may be speaking into your life. First, PRAY, then read, then pray, then listen, then pray and listen, until you hear what God is saying. If He tells you things are good, then things are good but don't miss Him calling you to a deeper level but saying "But I …."

    Why do you worship? I cannot answer that for you but I want you to think about it. Do you worship God because of what He has done for you? Because He saved you? Because He hears your prayers? If we have a superficial relationship with God then our worship will be superficial. The deeper the relationship the deeper the worship.

    Think for a moment about living your life in total dependence on God (where He really wants you to be), so dependant that if God was not there you would fall flat on your face and everything you are doing would fail. I am not talking about fully using your abilities and talents but living beyond them, not just occasionally but daily. Not just from time to time when you feel you need to get on your knees and beg God to help because you are in over your head; instead living every day to the extent that if God is not there your life would unravel.

    I am not talking about living beyond your means, spending more money than you have, or neglecting the essentials of life, instead I am talking about living in total obedience to God so that when He says to do something you do it, even if it seems impossible. If you know that what God is asking you to do is so far beyond you, do it anyway. God will be there, He will make it happen. When He does then you can worship in a way you have not worshiped before. We need to come to a point when we can sing the old hymn I Need Thee Every Hour and know that if we don't have God then we can do nothing.

Always A Greater Harvest – Matthew 13:23

"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it,

who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty"

Matthew 13:23

    If we are following Jesus, knowing Him, talking to Him and learning from Him it will be apparent. Jesus does not say that the person who received the seed on good ground became a nice person. It does not say that their lives turned around and became happy all the time. He did not say they would even have a safe or comfortable life. Jesus said the one who hears the word and understands it will bear fruit and produce a harvest. The size of the harvest may vary but there will be one.

    What about the person who hears the word and does not understand it? If that is the case they would fall into a different category (read Matt 13:18-23 for the full story). There are some that really don't understand the truth about Jesus but I believe they are few and far between. The word of Jesus Christ is very simple, it is so simple in fact that a child can understand. A child knows that they have done wrong in their life. They can understand that Jesus died as a punishment for their wrong doings. A child can understand that if they know and follow Jesus then they can be with Him in heaven when life is over. Still I have heard it more times that I care to remember; "I just don't understand what God wants from me." It is simple, He wants you – all of you.

    When we understand the price that Jesus paid so that God could have all of us there is only one response, obedience and surrender. Not because God says we have to obey Him but because when we really realize what Jesus did, His suffering, His pain and anguish; the only response is to thankfully, lovingly follow Him with our lives. The result of this is a life that bears fruit. God at work in our lives not only changes us but impacts the lives of those around us.

    What fruit does your life bear?

    What does your life speak about the Jesus you follow?

    Does your life show Jesus to anyone?

All seeds on good ground produce fruit. Some produce more fruit that others but they all produce fruit – What are you producing?

What Does It Take?

    We live in a time when many choose to call themselves "Christians" but don't know why. Others once prayed a prayer and think that words are enough. With so many people saying they are Christians and still living lives that are just like most of society it is easy to see how so many have lost sight of what following Jesus really is.

 

"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)

 

    What does it mean to confess? (click it to see) Simply put to confess means to admit or state the truth. So if we confess the Lord Jesus than we are saying He is really the Lord Jesus. But what does that mean? Jesus is His name, it was given to Him before His birth. "Lord" is his title. Just like Dr. Soandso, Dr is the title. It says who he is. Now down through history there have been many lords, it was a title given by the government of the time to tell everyone that that person had the power and authority. There is however, one difference we need to see. Lord vs lord. Did you see it? Lord and lord. Can one capitalized letter really make a difference? To keep it simple, Yes!

    Lord, means that Jesus is the one and only, the ultimate, the only one with total control and authority. That is what Lord means. That is what we must confess with our mouths. We must confess that Jesus is the only one who has the true control and power over everything. If Jesus has power and control over everything that means He has power and control over our lives also. This is where some people (a lot of people) get off track. A lot of people will say "Lord Jesus" but they will not confess His as Lord Jesus. A confession would mean that it is true. A confession would mean that Jesus really is Lord, and if Jesus really is Lord then I need to be doing what He says to do. That is the first part.

    Next "believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,". If Jesus was dead and buried and left in the tomb then it does not matter if He is Lord. No one has to listen to a dead person. But if you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead then everything changes. If Jesus is Lord and He is alive then He can really be followed. We don't follow a Jesus that was written about in history. We follow a Jesus who is alive and powerful today.

    If you believe that Jesus is alive and you confess (admit the truth) that Jesus is Lord (Lord makes Him the ultimate and total authority) then you will be different. You will be different because you will not live like everyone who walks this earth answering only to their own morals and consciences. Your life will be under the direction of a living, powerful, real Lord whose name is Jesus.

Today, where does your life stand?

• Do you "confess" Jesus as Lord or do you simply say that He is?
  
• Do you live your life like Jesus is dead and all His words mean nothing or do you listen to hear His words every day?
  
• When you hear Jesus speak do you listen?
  

It is not about what we do, we can never be good enough to be right with God but if we turn to Jesus as the only Lord He can make us right with God and it will change everything we do.

The Beginning

    As I was driving back to Kentucky after my grandfather's funeral I heard God speaking. He reminded me of when I first acknowledged my call as a pastor. For several months I sent out a daily devotional email. In that time the reader list grew to about 200 people. Now several years later I have covered many miles and I have been used to touch many lives but God is leading me back to where I began.
    The internet is full of teachers, preachers and all sorts of people who share their thoughts and beliefs. So why add one more? Because there are still a lot of people who need to hear about Jesus and many who need to be encouraged to daily live in total surrender to God. It is very true that many people will never read a single word that is written here. Still there may be one person, one day that happens to click to this page and find hope or encouragement to keep on walking or go deeper in their walk with Christ then it is worth it many times over.
    I trust that God will bring the message and the reader together at just the right time (that is what He does). Please share this with your friends, family and total strangers, we will get the word out and God will do the rest.