School is in Session!

We need to be students of the Word of God!  We need to study the scriptures daily to seek truth and know the truth! It is our source of all things pertaining to life and godliness! 

In Acts 17 there were men from the area of Berea who demonstrated the eagerness we should have to received the word and search the scriptures for all truth...

“These were more fair-minded... in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed..."- Acts 17:11-12 

Let us be "Bereans" and with all readiness and joy study and search the Scriptures! The result...THEY BELIEVED!

“Wisdom is the principal thing..."

"Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you;" (Proverbs 4:7-8)

Is that not the cry of our hearts? To be promoted into His presence, promoted for Kingdom use, promoted from death to life?

Then get wisdom for "She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” (Proverbs 4:8-9)

But how? “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living." (Job 28:12-13) 

It cannot be found in the land of the living because it is not of this world...“From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?...God understands its way, And He knows its place."(Job 28:20,23)

"AND TO MAN HE SAID, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.”
(Job 28:28)

True and reverent fear of the Lord will turn your eyes and desires from worthless, sinful things.  This is understanding and wisdom in its purest form!  We are to exalt the King of kings and fear the Lord of all wisdom and in this we are exalted and given a crown and ornament of grace!

Praise Precedes Victory

Have you ever felt like you were in such a dark and desolate dungeon that there was no light in sight? I think we have all had those moments, days and even seasons.

Paul and Silas knew the answer...they praised their way to victory! And the chains that were binding them (literally) fell loose and they were free! They knew the only way to (once again, "literally") rise above their circumstances was to praise God. They focused on the solid solution, not the pervading problem!

Psalm 22:3 says that God is present in the praises of His people. Our praise lifts us away from our troubles and into His Holy Realm! Into a place of intimacy, protection and power...His Holy Sanctuary. Wow, when I meditate on that, I praise Him for that alone!

Don't forget...there is no place for the enemy in The Sanctuary. Your praise is rooted in who He Is, not your circumstances or the chains that are binding you. In His Light, darkness simply cannot exist. Therefore, the enemy must flee!

So, while you are waiting in the valley for your victory, praise Him for all He Is....And then declare the victory in His Holy Name!

 

by Christa Walton Winn 

Snowing in the Summer...

“As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.”-Proverbs 26:1

In Canada it does snow in the summer, in fact it already has.  This is not fitting, it is confusing, it is out of order, it is unnatural, it should not be. So honor is not fitting for a fool.  It brings about confusion. It is out of order and does not seem fit.  It is unnatural and flawed.  It should not be! 

How then does the season continue? Is God not still the author of the season and of the snow? Does He not purpose the snow or the honor? 
"The Great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire" (Prov 26:10).  He is still in control and sovereign over everything.  How then do we respond to the change?

Could it be a season of growth by means of the unfit snowfall? As the snow brings moisture to the ground in a dry season...By the same standard...Could we still find purpose in something unfit and experience growth in our own lives?

We might not understand but He sees all, He knows all, He authored the snow and the honor, He knows the fool and the season, and He has purpose in all things...

Indeed He has Spoken!

“Indeed I have spoken it; 

I will also bring it to pass. 

I have purposed it; 

I will also do it.”

-Isaiah 46:11

He spoke and everything came to be. God's words are truth and He is true to His word. There is not one word that He has spoken that has not come to pass. If He says "I will also do it", we have a guaranteed promise! Every word He has purposed and sent forth from His mouth has had fulfillment.  Not one word returns void! 

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”-Numbers 23:19

Let us put our unwavering trust in our God-who does not lie, who is true, who promises and always fulfills, who speaks and it comes to pass, who purposes glory and makes all good.

Nike says "Just Do it" but we have a far better promise when God Almighty says "I will also do it"!

Been with Jesus?

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”- Acts 4:13 

Where did the boldness come from?They spent time with Jesus!  Bottom line is time with Jesus radically transforms every aspect of your life.  
Uninterrupted, precious, alone time with Him should infuse every inward part of you with heavenly power, revolutionary wisdom and all should marvel.

Do others look at you and wonder how such boldness, knowledge, might and power might come from someone uneducated, untrained and unequipped? This is where God is glorified! The demonstration of His Spirit, power and boldness through the mouth, life and actions of someone who has nothing to offer...

“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”- Acts 4:31

There is no other explanation...BUT GOD!

Tremble at His Word...

"For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.”- Isaiah 66:2 

There is such incredible power resounding in this claim...Of ALL the things His hand has made, of ALL things that exist, the ONE thing He will fix His gaze upon is a man who trembles at His word with a contrite spirit!  

He is the Creator who spoke the world into existence, the God who at His command flooded the entire earth, the Author of the winds and waves...we fear and tremble at this God! His word holds power, majesty and heavenly authority. Principalities and powers bow down before His throne...how much more should we bow down in reverence before Him? 

If we tremble at these words in humble submission and give honor to this God then He will fix His gaze upon us! 

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
2 Chronicles 16:9

What more could we desire then His eyes to be fixed on us?

Running with Endurance!

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”-Hebrews 12:1-2

Running with endurance takes discipline! Long distance runners don't just jump in a long distance race without training. Training takes time, effort, discipline, perseverance and endurance!

Training usually means extreme commitments -Getting up early, doing things even when you don't "feel" like it, pushing yourself when you feel like giving up, going up against the odds, pushing through the pain, mentally preparing yourself, overcoming setbacks and injuries, and endurance!

We are to run this race with endurance, so train for it. Just like athletes are a great example of what discipline it takes to train for a physical race -we are to be spiritual athletes!

Get up early and spend time with Him. Press in when you don't "feel" Him or feel like it. When it gets hard-keep "fighting the good fight". When the odds are stacked against you -keep going "narrow is the gate". Push through the pain and trials when your "hard pressed on every side but not crushed". Set your minds on Jesus- "those whose minds are on Him will be in perfect peace". If you fall down and get injured-let Him dust you off and "heal your wounds"- "you're more then a conqueror". Look to the ultimate example of endurance- Jesus "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross".

Train with endurance...honor the commitments...cherish the results!

Sometimes it takes a fall to correct the soul...

“The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul...”
Psalms 19:7 

Ever notice how you can be heavily convicted of something and how with time and a few repetitions of that action it doesn't seem to carry the same weight? The conviction loses its sting and the choice justifies itself,  the actions rationalize themselves and the conviction no longer stands.

Could it be God will allow us to fall in an area where we have been wandering off to deeply convict us that we have strayed and lead us to repentance?

It might be temptation your facing and the conviction is a beautiful reminder of the way out? It might not be sin but it might be something keeping you from experiencing all God has for you.  Why settle for anything less then His best? 

Easy way out: listen to the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit.  Conviction is there to help correct you not condemn you, it simply there to draw you back into His presence.

Hard way: fall down and realize this is not the way intended Your Heavenly Father intended you to walk. But He is loving and still offers a way back, through repentance. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”-Psalms 51:10 

Don't fall but if you do fall into the arms of Jesus...let Him revive your soul!

Works is no Substitute for Worship...

Works defined: Operating or functioning as required.

Worship defined: Reverent honor and devotion.

"Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me"- Isaiah 1:13

You can do a million things in the name of Jesus but if your heart is not wholly set on Him in humble adoration, in reverence to who you serve and dedicated devotion then these works mean nothing...they are self righteous and but filthy rags.

Worship is a heart condition...He's calling you to spend intimate fellowship with Him, to set your heart on His and from this profound encounter with His grace and love we will produce good works in His name. We will become living sacrifices from the knowledge of His sacrifice.

To simply "operate as required" in the name of Jesus and keep our schedules full does not satisfy our King. He is more concerned about you-the worker, then the work to be done. It's all futile without adoration!

“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" - 2 Timothy 1:9

Let not just our works be committed to You but our reverent hearts...

The Sword of The Spirit Is The Word of God

This portion of our armor is our attack weapon in our spiritual warfare! It is God's revelation of His Truth to us through The Holy Spirit!

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17)

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

He Doesn't Waste A Drop

Just close your eyes and picture for a moment...

Your tears cascading as precious jewels and being meticulously collected by the Abba Father as He watches you from Heaven on His Magnificent Throne...His heart grieving with you, mourning each and every tear with you...tenderly cleansing, healing and sanctifying you through each and every drop.
...

Could David's impression of our Lord be accurate? I believe so! This is in His Word for a reason! He longs for us to know the measure of His Love for us! He desires great intimacy and involvement in all areas of our lives; we just have to turn it over to Him.

When I read this, I am reminded and comforted that, through His Mercy and Love, He does not waste a single, solitary drop of our suffering. Through our trials and by His Grace, we can gain compassion, strength of character and revelation...if we partner with Him, we become more diverse in ways He can utilize us for His Glory!

Friends, I once cried for myself and my pitiful life, until I actually reached a point where I was so hardened that I could not cry at all. In His Mercy, He took my hand and showed me that He had collected and cried every tear with me. The tears came once again, this time in the form of renewal. And through all my unworthiness, He increased my compassion and love for Him, myself and humanity.

Take heed friends...He knows and feels your sorrow. Cry out to The Lord and ask Him to sanctify and restore you! And one day, He will wipe away ALL our tears...That is a promise! (Rev. 21:4)

NOT COMING DOWN...

In the account of Nehemiah, the city walls in Jerusalem are being rebuilt.  As the restoration process progressed and the walls were nearly complete it seems there were constantly enemies attempting to hinder the final stages.  

Finally, a messenger was sent to speak to Nehemiah asking him to come down from his workplace and speak with them.  Yet, Nehemiah knew it was a scheme and plot to take his eyes off the task at hand.  So in his wisdom and authority he proclaimed "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.  Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"-Nehemiah 6:3

Is this not the case in our own lives? As we are doing a mighty work, or the rebuilding process continues with great progress and the restoration project nearly complete, then comes along a messenger of the enemy or someone sent to distract us from the task at hand! In our authority we too can proclaim "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down." Not down to Satan's level, not falling for Satan's schemes, and surely not taking our eyes off the task-delivering the good news -Jesus! 

Jesus did not come down off the cross until after He proclaimed "it is finished"!  Let nothing call us down until our work is finished!

What's bigger?

Your problems or your God?

What's bigger? A relationship that parted ways or the God who parted the Red Sea?

What's bigger? The people that are cursing you and throwing stones at you or the God who slayed a giant with a single pebble? 

What's bigger? The fiery trial you are in or the God who when called on scorched His enemies with blazing flames from Heaven?

His word is full of revelation of His greatness and majesty.  When we have the ability to see Him in His fullness, everything else seems to fade away. When you call on the magnified, glorified King of Kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega...then everything else looks a whole lot smaller.  Magnify Him, let Him exalt Himself on High in your life, let Him display His power and glory and move you to Awe! Through the revelation of His character in His word and the manifestation of His presence and power in your life!

"Yours, O Lord,is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours"- 1 Chronicles 29:11 

Go ahead...call on Him...

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know"-Jeremiah 33:3

A Day of Thanksgiving!

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Some friendships are so special they can stand the test of anything! Time, distance, heartaches, trials and storms...You can be in different countries and still knitted together by one spirit.  You can have heartbreak and they stand with you, sit with you, cry with you and comfort you by bringing Jesus into the the middle of the hurt.  There are some that "stick closer then a brother", who exhort you and call you higher in the name of Jesus.  Friendship that honor Jesus and don't compromise anything are one of the most beautiful gifts He gives us. Those are friendships to cherish... Nothing can separate us from His love and when we bring that truly surrender heart of love into our friendships, nothing can separate! 

The Lord has blessed me we some incredible friendships and I just want to give him so much praise for knowing exactly what I needed and using these absolutely incredible souls in my life! It is with gratitude in my heart I give Him praise for ordaining these precious relationships in my life before the beginning of time to stand the test of time! Thank you Jesus for those who have deeply affected my life for Your glory! 

I urge you to cry out and thank Him today, reach out and thank them...they are a gift!

Christa Walton Winn

Literally...called by name!

“Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus...That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.”- Isaiah 45:1,3

Cyrus the Great was prophesied about and called by name over a hundred years prior to his birth by the God of Heaven...named by name to be God Almighty's instrument in the plan of redemption!!! 

What a time of revelation this must have been...to reflect upon his life could he now see the incredible favor upon his head by the God in Heaven? This divine hand of protection over him, this trail of grace and mercy following his steps, this unexplained way of escape from dangers and harm...

What glory is due to His name when we look back and reflect on our own lives.  Can we see the Sovereign and mighty hand of protection overshadowing every footstep.  Can we see where divine guidance and heavenly provision paved the way to the throne of grace? Escaping dangers and hurts due to relentless mercy.  Then we arrived at the throne only to be welcomed and anointed with favor from the King of kings-because we too were called by name! 

Thank you Lord Jesus for choosing us, rescuing, delivering and redeeming our lives! Every fault and failure now preserved for Your Kingdom's use! 

Now Jesus, we call You by name-Oh King of glory- to give You praise!

Where is Our Faith?

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God". -Romans 10:17

It doesn't say faith comes from seeing and seeing by signs and wonders. Notice all throughout the Old Testament they simply believed the Word of God and it was counted to them as righteousness. It's described in Acts “For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, ‘The LORD SAID to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.” He believed in the promise without seeing a thing, without having angels appear, without signs and wonders or ascending in to heaven...He simply believed in the Word and the One who had promised.

In the New Testament and even now we have seen the fulfillment of the Ultimate promise and yet we still seek to see more. We don't rest on the Word of God alone. He gives us His promises yet we seek a mighty miracle to sense His presence. He is faithful to deliver but are we looking for revelation of God and His character to glorify Him or to just make us feel good? Simply seeing His power displayed doesn't account for faith in Him...trusting His Word and His character is faith- believing in things not seen, in hopeful expectation knowing "He who promised is faithful!"

Let us rest in your sovereign Word Lord, like David- When You speak, let us trust in Your character and "walk by faith not by sight"!

His Glory in Every Story...

“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”-John 11:4

What a powerful revelation.  If we just for a second could look at our infirmities, illness, sickness, hurts not unto death but for the glory of God.  

In this account in John, Jesus heard the cries of His people, He dearly loved Lazarus, He knew that Lazarus was ill however He waited two more days to come see him knowing He was going to die.  "His thoughts our not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways, as the heavens are higher then the earth so are His thoughts higher then our thoughts" Is 55:8-9.  He knew Lazarus was going to die, this was part of His perfect plan to be glorified in it.  Speaking life back into him in a loud voice saying "Come forth".

The word declares He inclines His ear and hears our cries. He heard Mary and Martha's prayer and cries, however what might have been perceived as unanswered prayer was a patient answer of "exceedingly abundantly above all that they could ask or think".  Sometimes what we might perceive as an unanswered prayer is the exact avenue He will use for a far greater plan to bring Himself glory.  He answers our prayer in His perfect timing, and in His perfect way. When something is not answered immediately by our perspective, He is building character in us, faith in us to remain steadfast unwavering about who He is.  Mary and Martha believed that Jesus loved them and Lazarus, trusted Jesus and remained faithful and from this their hurts and Lazarus's illness were not unto death but for the glory of God.

Let our lives be all for You and all for Your glory...

B.U.S.Y vs Productive

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me.”
Psalms 142:3

The Lord has designed a path for each of us and set along that path wonderful works for us to accomplish in His name and through His strength. When we are overwhelmed it is an indicator their is a snare in place...

B.U.S.Y
Best described as:
Being Under Satan's Yoke!
Satan is the master of deception and will set a snare wherever possible. Sometime when he can't discourage us in our spiritual walk he will attempt to keep us so busy with daunting tasks that we become tired, distracted, overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, or short on time. This way he gains access and comes in to wreak havoc, ultimately discourages us and this snare can often times cause us to want to quit!

VS.

Being Productive...
Productive defined is to produce abundant good or to be fruitful and rich. This is the life Jesus is calling us to. Have you ever noticed how effortless it is to accomplish an incredibly insane workload or schedule when the Holy Spirit empowers you to do it?...A lot of times it could even be called "the impossible" but it becomes possible through Him alone!

So how do we know these works are of Him? Because only then will we be empowered by His strength to accomplish them...

3 Indicators:
1) Check out heart motives...is it for His glory or ours?
2) He confirms it in His Word
3) He gives us peace! "God is not the author of confusion but of peace"-1 Corinthians 14:33

Let us live abundantly rich and fruitful lives!

The Gold Rush!

“So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding...If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures”-Proverbs 2:2-4

When searching or mining for gold, silver or diamonds it requires diligence and hard work. There is a potential reward yet you also run the risk of finding nothing. However even at the opportunity to increase their wealth people will often spare no expense.

Solomon gives the example to search for wisdom with the same motivation as for "silver or treasures". He's indicating the desire we should have to seek the true riches of wisdom. And why not? We are guaranteed a reward from Him to give to all liberally.

Wisdom is richer then any substance we could find to gain wealth... The wisdom of God is to "understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God... from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding”-Proverbs 2:5-6

Let the "God Rush" begin!

What wisdom do they have?

"How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?”
Jeremiah 8:8-9

The scribes knew the scriptures or "the law of the Lord" inside-out, however it was merely head knowledge. They knew every detail, every promise and every scripture of what was to come and all the glory that would be revealed to them. Yet, in their hearts they did not even recognize Him! As the Messiah stood before them, as they could touch Him, hear Him and behold all His glory they did not even recognize it was Him! Even worse they DENIED and REJECTED Him. All their knowledge was empty because it never moved from their heads to their hearts in belief.

This is where all power comes from. The path from your head to your heart and the demonstration of your heart through your life! When all the knowledge of the scriptures are applied to your heart it transforms your walk...this is true revelation of Jesus-this is true wisdom. Words and knowledge are so very empty unless they penetrate your heart and causes your life to transform into His image!
Let us not be scribes...

Ever have doubt if God can use you?

Ever have doubt if God can use you?

Look through the Scriptures at what was accomplished through His broken servants. Jesus even used a "donkey" in the Bible! There's hope...

Abraham & Sarah were too old.
Noah was a drunk.
Isaac was a daydreamer.
Jacob was a liar.
Joseph was abused and neglected.
Moses had a problems communicating.
Gideon was afraid.
Sampson was a womanizer.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah was too young.
David had an affair and was a murderer.
Elijah was suicidal.
Isaiah preached naked.
Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow.
Job went bankrupt.
The Samaritan woman was divorced.
Zaccheus was too small.
Timothy had an ulcer
Peter denied Christ.
The disciples fell asleep while praying.
Martha worried about everything.
Paul was too religious.
LAZARUS WAS DEAD!

We just need to be willing...

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” -Isaiah 6:8