“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:6

To live with God you must be born of the Spirit!

At the moment you make a decision for Jesus, you are given the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a living person and He dwells inside of you. He is the essence of God and speaks for Jesus. He is your life line to God!

The Holy Spirit will baptize you into a new creature in Christ Jesus and fill you with the life of Jesus. You cannot understand God or be His witness to the world without the action of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will give you the ability to be spiritually discerned and see life through the eyes of Jesus. You will be able to judge all things but be judged by no one. This is because the Spirit has given you the mind of Christ who will instruct you and lead you into the pathways of God.

If you are a believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you. The question is have you asked Him to fill you with the life of Jesus and be your guide and instructor through life. He is your source of power, life, and truth.

If you don’t turn on the switch, you will live a lackluster life and go through the motions of a believer. Don’t be misled by religion or compromise the veracity of the Holy Spirit. You can do nothing without Him!

This prayer will change you life forever: ( Pray in your own words with praise to God.)

Dear God, Thank you for giving Me yourself in the form of the Holy Spirit. I ask you Holy Spirit to come into my mind, my emotions, and the essence of my being. I invite you to live through me each day and fill me with your wisdom and strength. I pray you will make me alive with Jesus and empower me to be your witness to the world.”

Thought for the day:

 

“My Spirit is how you can come into oneness with Me. He will teach you about Me and show you My reality. I live so you can live!”

 

“Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
 renew our days as of old.” Lamentations 5:21

Getting off track with God!

This happens to everyone. You get off track when things just don’t go your way and you tend to lose interest or faith in God. Or, Satan steps into your life and entices you with the forbidden fruit.

This symptom can often be described as “spiritual malaise”. You feel unsettled or discontented with God. If you encounter this condition do not take on condemnation, blame yourself or blame God. It happens to everyone!

Sometimes God takes many years to manifest Himself in your life and lead you into His purposes. And at times, God will just leave you alone and let you figure out things on your own. He lives in you and just wants you to walk by faith and enjoy what you have in your life today.

God is a mighty restorer and delights in returning people to Himself. Regardless of how far you fall away or what you have done, God wants you to come back to Him and He welcomes you with arms extended and a heart filled with love and mercy.

The Israelites were God’s chosen people and they fell into a continual cycle of promising to follow God, falling into unbelief, facing the punishment of God, and then returning to Him. Time and again God restored the Israelites to Himself.

Today you and I need to ask God to come into our lives and restore us to Himself.

Whatever your need is at this very moment, turn to the Great Physician and pray for His resurrected power to bring restoration into your life. God is a miracle worker. He offers powerful healing from physical conditions, deep emotional hurts, and spiritual testing. God delights in healing marriages, relationships with others, and restoring your financial condition. No problem is too big for God!

Thought for the day:

“I am a God of restoration and delight in healing those who return to Me. I welcome you back with unconditional love, unspeakable joy, and a desire to celebrate My life with you just like the prodigal son who returned to his father.”

 

“How can this be?” John 3:9

You can spend your entire life reading and studying the Bible but this will not give you the gift of eternal life. The Bible points you (or testifies) to Jesus Christ, the son of God. He is the living God and author of all life. No one can come to God except through Him.

Nicodemus was a respected religious leader and very knowledgeable of the scriptures. Jesus met with Nicodemus and explained that you must be born again to receive the gift of eternal life. Nicodemus responded “How can this be?” He was blinded to the truths of God.

Philip, an apostle of Jesus, was directed by an angel to meet with a very prominent and influential Ethiopian who was returning from a trip to Jerusalem where he worshipped the Lord.

The Ethiopian was sitting in his chariot reading from the book of Isaiah about a prophesy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus.

Philip approached him and asked “Do you understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian replied “How can I, unless someone guides me?

The worldly cannot receive the truths of the Holy Spirit because they neither see or know Him. They are blinded!

To understand the truths of God, you must have the Spirit of Truth living within you. He will bring the truths of God to life and you will come to know the living Christ.

The Ethiopian was baptized and his eyes were opened to the truths of God! The Spirit of Truth descended upon him and He met the living Christ!

Thought for the day:

“You can only learn the deep truths of God through My Spirit. He will take what is mine and declare it to you. My words are Spirit and Life.”

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

In the eyes of the world VIP’s are wealthy, successful, and important people. In the eyes of God VIP’s are people who fear God, walk by faith, and live with humility praising God.

The people who become VIP’s with God tend to be the lowly, the weak, and the despised. God takes those who are empty and impoverished and uses them to prove the futility and hopelessness of the worldly.

Jesus taught that he who wants to be first must become last. You must learn to value others more important than yourself and seek no glory for self.

Walking with humility is a gift that comes from your unwavering faith in the character of God. You understand all good things come from God and the glory goes to God and not self.

The process of becoming a believer is to die to self and live for God. In essence, you become a new creature in Christ Jesus dedicated to do His will and to be obedient to His calling.

What God wants most from you is to fear Him for who He is and live a life pleasing to Him. You will catch his attention by your faith in Him not by your works.

To become a VIP with God, you have to abandon yourself completely to Him and invite Him into every aspect of your life.

He wants you to reach the point in life where “In Him, you live and move and have your being”. This will cause His favor to fall upon you.

Thought for the day:

“ I look at your heart and judge your motives. You can please Me when you make a serious and honest commitment to walk in My ways.”

 

 

 

 

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5

On my walk yesterday, God gave me the analogy of a two way mirror to explain why He is so important in your life.

The definition of a two-way mirror is a reciprocal mirror that is partially reflective and partially transparent. The perception of one-way transmission is achieved when one side of the mirror is brightly lit and the other side is dark.

When you look in a mirror you see a reflection of what you look like. You see a superficial view but God sees everything with His mirror. The Spirit of God creates a transparent view and His light illuminates the essence of your being.

This allows God to know you better than you know yourself. He understands the complexity of your personality including your genetic makeup, parental upbringing, life experiences, and all your emotions.

God desires to heal, strengthen, and restore you to Himself. He alone has the capability to create a new creature in Christ Jesus filled with the virtue of God. He baptizes you with water and the spirit and old things fade away and all things become new.

You and I cannot see ahead but God’s mirror is omniscient and He sees all of your future. He wants to lead you into paths of peace and protect you from harm. This is why you and I need to abide in the spiritual truth “The Lord is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway”. He sees what you cannot see!

You and I do not possess the mirror of God. However, God’s mirror is “reciprocal” and He will share it with you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

The living reality for a believer is “The Lord is my light and my salvation”. He is the path to an abundant life!

Thought for the day:

“I see all things. I knew you before you were born and My purposes for you are infinite. Come to Me and I will transform you into the likeness of My image. My ways are perfect.”

 

 

“The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:14

What is the fear of the Lord?

The fear of the Lord is a deep respect and awe for the God who can shake the earth, turn the sun into darkness, walk on water, and raise people from the dead.

It is heart felt yearning to be right with God and walking in His ways. It is an understanding that everything begins with God and He is your first priority and the centerpiece of your life.

God shares his secrets with those who fear Him and teaches you about Himself. The fear of the Lord is a deeply held belief that “I can do nothing without almighty God and I must cling closely to Him”.

The fear of the Lord is a recognition that only He can rescue you and defeat your enemies. You can wait on God with confidence that He will never fail you. He keeps His promises!

The fear of the Lord is knowing He will draw you back to Himself when you get off track.

The fear of the Lord is inviting Him to purify your thoughts and words and to keep your motives honest and pleasing to Him.

The fear of the Lord is the knowledge that He will give you more than you ask or think and overflow you with His joy.

Thought for the day:

 

“The fear of the Lord is believing that I can do for you what you can never do for yourself. I am the God that raised Lazarus from death back to life and I will do the same for you. Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised.”

 

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Roman 8:26-27

Prayer is a relationship with the Living God. Prayer has no boundaries and is an act of living in conscious reality with God.

Prayer is allowing God to lead you into His heart and show you how to pray. You and I do not know how to pray according to the will of God. And we do not see all of our weaknesses. Prayer allows you to see yourself as God does.

The Holy Spirit dwelling inside you makes intercession for you with deep groanings spoken in a language of God that you cannot understand or comprehend.

The purpose of God in prayer is to break the bondage of sin in you and those around you. This is centermost in the heart of God.

God searches your heart and knows the mind of the Holy Spirit and He is at work interceding for you according to His perfect will.

God is holy and will not allow you to come into His presence without an atonement for your sins. Prayer begins with asking God to forgive you and cleanse you with the blood of Jesus.

Prayer is asking God to search your heart and correct you of anything that is not pleasing to Him.

Prayer is allowing God to speak to you and show you who to pray for and how to pray for others according to the will of God.

Prayer is taking time to praise almighty God for His greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty.

Prayer can take you to the mountain of God to experience His radiant glory or it might be a time of rigorous work without seeing His powerful presence.

Don’t have expectations when you come to God in prayer. He knows what is best for you and how to guide you in prayer.

Think of prayer as a time to share yourself intimately with God and to learn from Him.

Thought for the day:

“You will get to know Me through prayer and understand My ways. Prayer will enrich you with My life and guide you into My perfect will. My Spirit will teach you how to pray and lead you into the truths of God. I am with you always.”

 

 

 

 

 

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

How can you understand and protect yourself from the attacks of the antichrist?

First, you have to acknowledge there is an invisible war taking place between God and Satan. And you are vulnerable and can easily fall into the cross hairs of Satan.

Satan works in diverse ways to discredit and destroy the name of Jesus.

He can work through others (including believers) to attack and attempt to destroy you.

Satan has been very successful in penetrating organized religion and diluting the truths of God. So you have to be careful you are not lured into heresy and false teaching.

Secondly, you and I live in a world which is Satan’s playpen. The world is corrupt and places values on self sufficiency, success, and prosperity. You can find the influence of the antichrist in government, education, and social values. The media is filled with darkness.

Satan is a deceiver and will try to convince you that times today are different and you can modernize the truths in the Bible to meet the needs of our changing society. Don’t buy into this! God never changes.

Your only hope is in the Holy Spirit who lives in you. He will help you discern the truth from the lies of Satan. The spiritual approach is to take every thought, precept, and attitude before the Holy Spirit. He will reveal the insidious attacks of Satan and show you the reality and truths of God.

In 1 John you and I are instructed to test every spirit and the spirit that testifies Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. All other spirits are of the antichrist.

This is an excellent starting point but you have to go deeper with God. Any spirit or teaching which undermines or distorts biblical truth is the work of the antichrist. The Holy Spirit is your anchor and will take what belongs to Jesus and declare it to you. He is Truth and Life!

Thought for the day:

“I have overcome the world. Listen to My Spirit and clothe yourself with My Word. Your faith in My name will send the unclean spirits (demons) into pigs and they will disappear into the sea. I never change!”

 

 

 

 

“One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4

God is different each day! How do you figure out what is on His mind?

You have to seek Him out. To dwell in the house of the Lord, you must go to Him in prayer and allow His Word to fill your heart. The Word is living water, alive and powerful with the life of Jesus.

You discover the beauty of the Lord when you walk by faith trusting Him for your every need.

Are you coming to Jesus?

When you hear Jesus say “Come” follow Him without a sign or any proof. Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and asked to join Him. Jesus said “Come” and Peter was doing well until He took his eyes off Jesus.

You need to take all your needs and challenges before God and inquire of Him for wisdom and guidance. Jesus prayed that you would be one with Him as He was one with His Father.

You create oneness with God through the Holy Spirit. Come before Him with a quiet heart and an open mind and listen for His voice. God is a Spirit and you must worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

Take time out during your day and inquire of the Lord! This is an expression of your desire to submit to Him and walk by faith!

Thought for the day:

“Learn to abide in Me. I am with you at all times. Don’t try to figure Me out. You can please Me with your unwavering faith and obedience to My voice. I am the Son of God who saved Daniel and his friends from the furnace of fire and I will do the same for you.”

 

 

“All things work for the good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

We all question God at times! This is really a human condition. Things are not going your way and you want to know why. There is nothing wrong with inquiring of God but He probably won’t directly answer your question. His typical responses are trust Me, rest in Me, change your attitude or feelings about Me, or something relating to another subject.

God does not function with a human mind. He has His own way of thinking and doing things. So you cannot reason with God unless you have the mind of Christ. Actually, when you question God you are expressing doubt that He is perfect and His ways are perfect. You are falling into unbelief.

The best response when you are questioning your circumstances in life is to go before God and ask Him “What can I do to please you today?” In this way you are affirming His sovereignty and your faith in His purposes.

If you walk with God you have to demonstrate your faith in the unseen. God calls things that don’t exist as if they did. This is how His mind functions and how He will respond to your prayers. Ask with unwavering faith and then let go.

God will always respond to you when you need Him. You might not like the answer but He will let you know what is on His heart and give you wisdom for today.

The problem is “we” don’t get our way and lose patience and blame God for our circumstances. We get mad, drift away from Him, or act in unhealthy ways as a means of trying to get even with God. The “we” has to get out of the way so God can communicate with you and draw you into His presence.

All things work for the good for those who love God and are called (living) according to His purposes. So your life might not look good to you today but in the eyes of God your life is perfect (where it should be) and He is on target in leading you into His perfect path.

Thought for the day: “You cannot understand My ways. Trust Me and look for answers in My Word. I will never fail you.”