“So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

Most people meet their living needs through their work or investments. Jesus looks at this much differently. He tells you when you have material needs and are lacking find your help through the words spoken by the mouth of God.

God demonstrated this truth to the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness. They were humbled and hungry and had no comprehension of the power of God to feed them supernaturally with food from heaven.

The point of this truth is to take your needs before the throne of God and live by His words. God might speak directly to you or speak through the scriptures. Build your life on the promises of God and walk by faith trusting God to meet your every need.

Find your hope in the words of God not through the ways of the world. Jesus was hungry because He had fasted for forty days. Satan offered Him an easy way to satisfy His need for food. Just turn the stones into bread! However, Jesus lived in oneness with His Father and was determined to satisfy His need through the words of God.

God knows your every need before you come to Him. He may choose to work in a predictable manner to meet your needs or perform a miracle from heaven. However, you can be assured God will meet your needs in a way that will bring all the glory to Jesus, the Son of God.

Remember, it is not by your might or your power but by the Spirit of God. Jesus lives so you can live!

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
on those who hope in His mercy” Psalm 33:18

The Bible is filled with admonitions to fear the Lord. What does this really mean to a believer?

The fear of the Lord is simply a deep respect, appreciation, and honor for almighty God. It is believing God rules with greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty.

It is an understanding in the depth of your heart that God has power and dominion over the heavens and earth and your destiny is in His hands.

The fear of the Lord is not about punishment. It is a realization God is loving and compassionate and wants to give you a prosperous and abundant life. It is a desire to live under the canopy of God who provides wisdom, protection and strength.

The fear of the Lord is accepting God rules with justice and retribution. He blesses and He curses. God holds you accountable for your actions and you cannot escape His judgments.

The fear of the Lord is an acknowledgment there is no hope in this world and your only safety net is in the promises of God.

The fear of the Lord is grasping the transcending nature of Jesus. He is above all things, through all things, and in all things. Jesus has no limitations. So as a believer, you can approach Him with confidence and boldness for help to overcome any challenge in life.

The fear of the Lord is abandoning yourself to Christ Jesus and making your priority to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The cornerstone in a relationship with Christ Jesus is living by faith and seeking God out for your every need. You cannot substitute religion or works in place of walking by faith.

Faith is trusting the promises of God without any evidence or proof. Faith never judges God by your circumstances. Faith is understanding God call things that don’t exist as if they did.

Without faith it is impossible to please God!

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job 1:9-11

This week Jan and I suffered a vicious attack from Satan. We are both physically fine but we went through a stressful and chaotic experience. It was also very costly and diverted us from the life of God.

The question is why does God allow Satan to afflict believers? This is a complex question with no simple explanation. The most important truth to remember is God is greater than Satan and can restrain his efforts at any time.

In the example of Job, you find a blameless man who walked by faith with God and lived an upright life. God allowed Satan to viciously attack Job and he lost virtually everything but his life. God did this to prove to Satan that Job would remain faithful to God regardless of the traumatic experiences in his life.

So at times God will lift the hedge of protection around you and allow Satan to afflict you. This is designed to test your faith and demonstrate God has power and dominion over Satan.

You can also open the door to Satan by pursing an evil temptation. This happens when you accept an ungodly thought in your mind and allow the thought to become a desire. Sin is conceived inside you and then will be easily worked out in the reality of your life. This is why you need to flee from every ungodly thought. And, when in doubt over a course of action take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

You can also unconsciously open the door to Satan by failing to pray for wisdom and protection prior to beginning a new day or special endeavor. It is also vitally important to invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and to submit to the leading of the Spirit.

If you are doing work for the kingdom of God you can expect to be tormented by Satan. He hates Jesus and wants to destroy His influence in the world.

Remember, you are in a war between light and darkness. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy. He is a deceiver and a liar.

Stand firm and resist the darts of Satan! Equip yourself with the full armor of God and utilize the weapons provided by God.

Embrace yourself with the truths of God.

Live by faith in the righteousness of God.

Walk in the shoes of the gospel of peace. Seek peace and pursue it in all aspects of your life.

Defend yourself against the darts of Satan with the sword of the Spirit praying and making supplication in the Spirit to our awesome God. Be watchful at all times and persevere with prayers for the saints.

Wear the helmet of salvation which is your assurance of living with God forever.

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!

“Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.” John 3:11

I woke up this morning with these words of Jesus alive in my heart.

Jesus speaks to all believers and shares what He knows and has seen. But many choose to accept what feels comfortable and turn a deaf ear to the reality of Christ Jesus. It is like filing part of Jesus into a dead letter box.

It is very difficult for most believers to accept the totality of Christ Jesus. It will bring pain, suffering, and death. The alternative is to accept religion as a substitute for the Living God.

The call from God is to commit all of your life to Jesus.
A disciple lives out the life of Jesus. He does not play act but walks with the Living God. For in Him we live and move and have our being.

If you allow Christ Jesus to be all and in all you will experience the transfigured life and Jesus will be the most important person in your life.

You can only become alive to God by yielding to the Holy Spirit. Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will see God.

Choose to live for God and become from free from religion. Accept the wholeness of Christ Jesus and live by faith trusting God for your every need.

Set your priorities on living for God and you will experience the greatness and glory of God!

There is no one like Jesus and He wants to be your very best friend!

“Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.” Hebrews 3:9

The Israelites were God’s chosen people and were a special treasure to Him above all the people. God took the Israelites on a forty year trip through uncharted waters. They had very little security except the hand of God.

The Israelites knew their destination and were given laws by God to live by on this trip. God provided for all their needs in a very unworldly manner and lead them by a pillar of cloud.

The Israelites rebelled against God time after time and fell into unbelief. They were a stiff necked and stubborn people. Most of them died in the desert and did not enter the Promised Land.

If you are a believer and yielding to Jesus you can expect to be taken on a trip through uncharted waters. God wants you have unyielding faith in Him without any evidence or proof. This is God’s method to strength your faith and test your allegiance to Him.

God does not like the predictable because it removes His importance from your life. He wants you to mirror David who lived by “My help comes from the Lord who created the heavens and earth.”

Faith is believing in God regardless of the circumstances in your life. Faith is understanding God calls things that don’t exist as if they did.

When you fall into uncharted waters fear and anger can easily arise to distort your emotions and cause you to fall into unbelief. God did not give you a spirit of fear but power, love, and a sound mind. Come to God seeking His strength, wisdom, peace and compassion to deal with the uncharted waters.

Do not lose heart on your trip through the uncharted waters. God knows your destination and will provide for your every need according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

Remember, it is not by your might nor by your power but by the Spirit of God. Wait on Jesus and you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Your life may not make any sense to you today but it is perfect in the eyes of God. Without faith it is impossible to please God!

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:12-15

The Holy Spirit has three primary purposes.

He convicts the world of sin specifically those who do not believe in Jesus and those believers who have strayed away from God.

He demonstrates righteousness can only be found in Jesus who lives with His Father in heaven.

He executes judgment on the ruler of this world and those living in darkness.

The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. The Bible will not merely be words written in a book. The scriptures will come alive and have a powerful and life changing effect in your life.

The Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority. He will speak the words He hears from Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will tell you things to come as He listens to the omniscient voice of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will always glorify Jesus and guide you into living a life pleasing to Him.

The Holy Spirit is continuously at work to purify you with the life of Jesus. This is the process of dying to self and living for God and is mostly accomplished below your consciousness.

The Holy Spirit will take what belongs to Jesus and declare it to you. In fact, He will also share the things of God with you because all things of the Father belong to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will give you dreams and visions to guide you into the pathway of Christ Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will make intercession for those around you who are in bondage to Satan. This is accomplished by working through you to bring down strongholds and set people free.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to the truths of Jesus. You may hear someone speak (or prophesy) to you and the Holy Spirit will touch you with a warm physical sensation to validate the truth spoken to you is from God.

The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus. He is the only way you can live in oneness with Jesus.

Jesus lives inside you and desires to have a personal and vibrant relationship with you. Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will experience the reality of God.

He lives so you can live!

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

Today, I am going to deal with one of the most controversial statements ever made by Jesus. “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

The only caveat in this promise is you have to ask in the name of Jesus. The challenge is understanding how to interpret this into your prayer life.

The first important concept to grasp is Jesus wants to grant your requests. He wants you to come to Him for your every need. Jesus delights in answering your prayers because the Father will be glorified in the Son.

Secondly, your request has to be consistent with the Word of God. Jesus will never violate His Word.

You also have to pray by faith without doubt believing in the promises of God. Lift up your concerns to Jesus and then let go trusting He will determine how to best answer your prayer.

When you ask in the name of Jesus learn to be patient and wait for the perfect timing of the Lord.

Your prayers have to coincide with God’s plan for your life. He has a purpose for your life whether it is your vocation, ministry, or your family.

Jesus wants to protect you from evil and the temptations of the world. He is omniscient and knows every detail of your future. So if you bring a request to God that is denied it is out of His love and compassion for your well being.

Finally, I have to deal with the unanswered prayer for a young child who comes down with a life ending disease. There is no human response to this tragedy except to understand God is perfect and His ways are above our ability to understand.

Jesus promises to give you an abundant life and provide for your every need. And, He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. So pray with confidence and boldness trusting in Jesus to give you more than you ask or think!

The prayers of a righteous man availeth much!

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

Most of humanity has rejected Jesus to live for self and seek worldly pleasures. Or, they have chosen to worship false gods.

They cannot grasp Jesus was with God from the beginning and all things were made through Jesus. Those things existing in this world which are not made of Jesus amount to nothing.

But those who come to Jesus are given the right to become children of God and live with Him forever. And the miracle of salvation is the Word will live in your flesh. As a believer, the life of Jesus resides in you in the essence of the Holy Spirit.

The simplicity of receiving Jesus is believing in His name. You cannot find salvation through being born into a blood line. There is nothing you can do through your own will power or the will power of another person to become saved.

Salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned or justified through works or religious rituals.

The gift of salvation is becoming born again of the Water and Spirit. You die to your old life and become a new creature in Christ Jesus.

The Cross allows you to be free from the power of addictions, recover and heal from divorce or other traumatic events in life, receive physical healing, and live a life pleasing to God. Your focus changes from a worldly perspective to finding your help in God for all your troubles.

The primary purpose of a believer is to touch those people around you with rivers of Living Water. This is the only proven method to draw people to Jesus. They see the life of Jesus in you and are attracted to the Light!

‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1:33-34

God spoke to John the Baptist and told him to look for Jesus on whom the Spirit descended from Heaven and remained. This is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

John’s baptism was incomplete. He baptized with water but did not have the authority to change lives.

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit who causes you to die to self and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. You choose to loose your life for the life of God.

As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you. This is the life of Jesus. You will be a powerless believer until you make a decision to invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life. The Spirit must increase and self must decrease if you want to experience the transfigured life and walk with Jesus.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not about speaking in tongues or receiving gifts from the Spirit. It is about making a genuine commitment to live for God and becoming empowered to be a witness for Christ Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit are dispersed by God in His perfect timing as He determines your calling.

The Holy Spirit brings the reality of Jesus into your life and teaches you the truths of God. The Spirit is your lifeline to God. He will guide your footsteps and protect you from the evils of the world.

Jesus takes away sin but the Spirit shows you how to avoid sin. Live in oneness with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. He is your only hope for Life and Truth!

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

Adam was hiding from God because he was naked. The act of being naked is not a sin unless you are around other people excluding your spouse. Then seeing nakedness leads to lust and sexual immorality.

Adam had no conception of any evil associated with being naked until He ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge concerning good and evil.

If you don’t know what is evil you cannot be accountable to God for wrong doing. However, you and I were born with an understanding about good and evil. You bear culpability with God for all your actions.

We were created in the image of God but we have a corrupted inner condition. We want to live for self and defy God.

We understand good from evil but we want to satisfy self above pleasing God. This conflict is alive in all human beings regardless of your spiritual maturity.

Adam hid from God in an attempt to cover up his sin. It is impossible to hide from God. Your life is an open book to God. He knows every detail of your past, present, and future.

God is holy and will not become entangled in your sin. To alleviate your propensity for sin, God sent Jesus to the earth to offer all the gift of salvation. The blood of Jesus covers all your sin and restores you to God.

To be free from the bondage of sin, God fills all believers with the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Spirit is your only hope to avoid sin and lead a life pleasing to God.

If you are a believer, live in oneness with Jesus through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and you will be free from the bondage of sin.

Come out of hiding and face up to God! Ask Jesus to be your role model for life. He will do for you what you can never do for yourself!