This narrative discusses what motivates Jesus in the life of a believer.

The words written below by the Sons of Korah describe the favor of God upon the Israelites. The Israelites were delivered by God and given the Promised Land. God also defeated all their enemies. The Israelites did nothing except follow the instructions of God and praise Him.

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. (You can read all of this text in Psalm 44.)

Now we fast forward approximately 500 years and the Israelites have suffered greatly, are scattered into desolations and Jerusalem is in shambles.

But You have cast us off and put us to shame, and You do not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy, and those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations.You sell Your people for next to nothing, and are not enriched by selling them.

What caused God to remove His favor from the Israelites?

The Israelites fell into disobedience to God. They failed to listen to the voice of God. They were the “set apart” people of God and were told to operate with the renown, praise and glory of God.

They worshipped false gods and did not keep the commandments of God.

God saw the despicable behaviors of the Israelites, removed His favor and severely punished them.

This microcosm takes place in the lives of many believers. We make a decision for Jesus and start off on the right track but eventually drift away from God. The judgment is probably not as severe as what happened to the Israelites but we are all accountable for our actions. If we fail or disrespect God there will be consequences.

Believers get into trouble primarily for two reasons:

We are tempted by Satan and become lured into darkness.

We give power to our fleshy desires to satisfy self.

These behaviors can be overcome by living under the authority of the Holy Spirit who is sealed in all believers. He is the life of Christ and will keep you on track with God. However, you have to invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and listen for His voice.

Pray to God each day and submit your works to Him. This will cause the Holy Spirit to infuse you with wisdom over the course of your day. If in doubt about something take a timeout and inquire of the Holy Spirit.

Read the Bible for at least a few minutes each day asking the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply the values of God into your life.

Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of anything in your life not pleasing to God.

Walk by faith and not by what you see with your eyes. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Make the Holy Spirit your best friend. He speaks for Jesus!

This is the third installment in this series. In this narrative we are discussing the global impact and majestic nature of Jesus.

The global Jesus is working behind the scenes today and His actions affect every human being on the earth.

Jesus lives in Heaven and sits at the right side of the throne of God. He has power and dominion over the heavens and earth.

Jesus controls all nature. He can create snow, rain or drought.

Jesus has power and dominion over earthquakes, wars, and natural disasters. He can strike down an enemy nation in a split second.

Jesus can prosper or bankrupt a country at His discretion. He controls the world’s economy.

Jesus is saving souls at this very moment all over the world. He works through all languages and cultural barriers to offer the gift of salvation.

Jesus is raising people from death to live with Him forever. This miracle takes place every moment of time.

Jesus is healing people all over the world.

Jesus is the author of revival and is moving in different parts of the world to purify and increase the Body of Christ.

Jesus performs signs and wonders to bring glory to His name.

Jesus is the commander of a massive army of angels. He dispatches the angels all over the world to defeat the works of Satan and protect His people. There is an angel close to you at all times.

Jesus lives in all His people through the Holy Spirit. He speaks to believers and fills them with strength, wisdom, joy and protection.

Jesus is omniscient and sees everything in the world. Nothing is hidden from His eyes.

Jesus promises to deliver His people from adversity.

Jesus has no timeline. He can see every detail of the past and future.

Jesus is omnipotent. There is no one like Him.

Jesus operates with unconditional love. If you reach out to Jesus He will forgive all your sins and restore you to God.

Jesus is the head of the Body of Christ and His name is exalted over all names.

Here is the second installment in the series titled “Jesus…the story behind the scenes”.

Last night God spoke to me about the war between light and darkness. This affects every single human being whether you are a believer or not.

This conflict is taking place today in the story behind the scenes in your life. This invisible war is between God and Satan and you are a target of this evil force in the world.

The story begins with God who was one with Jesus from the very beginning. God created a multitude of angels. The angels are powerful spiritual beings directed by God. Lucifer, was a leading angel and cherished by God. He rebelled against God seeking to be like Him. God cast Lucifer and the legion of angels supporting him out of Heaven.

Lucifer, referred to as Satan and his fallen angels now reside on the earth. They are called demons and are agents of death and destruction. Satan’s purpose is to destroy Christ and all His followers.

Satan is a powerful force and has corrupted the world and influenced the enactment of many new laws and societal attitudes contrary to the precepts of God.

God and Jesus working together created heaven, earth and every living being. God created man and woman in His image. He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He created this beautiful garden in the Middle East.

God instructed Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Satan disguised as a serpent deceived Eve and convinced her the fruit was good to eat. Adam and Eve both ate the fruit. This was the downfall of all mankind. The perfect creation of God was now corrupted by Satan.

All creation is now born with a rebellious heart defying the ways of God and with a desire to live for self.

The challenge for humanity is understanding we have to deal with both our depraved inner nature and the tactics of Satan.

The non believer does not have the safety net of Jesus. He has to rely on His moral compass and his own will power to defeat Satan. This is almost an impossible situation for a human being living without God.

The Christ follower has a powerful defense against Satan. He has God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He also has the protection of the angels who are ministering spirits and guard against the attacks of Satan.

The advantage of the Christ follower is that he is sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the life of Christ. God has made a powerful promise to believers about the Holy Spirit. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will set you free from the law of sin and death. This provides a spiritual immunity against Satan if you live under the authority of the Holy Spirit. You may suffer from the attacks of Satan but you will be free from the bondage of sin and death.

The most important step for a believer is to live under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Seek out the Holy Spirit for wisdom and protection. Listen to the voice of God.

Finally, put on the armor of God. Meditate on the truths of God and walk in the righteousness of God turning away from darkness. Pray for the peace of God and make decisions leading to the pathways of peace.

Walk by faith believing in the promises of God. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Rest in the assurance of your salvation and speak the words of God against all doubt and the efforts of Satan to discourage you. Pray vigilantly and abide in the Holy Spirit.

The title for this narrative came from the Holy Spirit along with the revelations of Christ concerning how He works in humanity.

Whether you are a believer or not, there is a story going on behind the scenes in your life. The story is the work of Jesus. Some of this is visible but mostly you cannot see this story.

I can’t tell you about your specific story but I can share the ways God works in humanity.

The prologue to the story!

The story begins in the Old Testament. In the beginning God and Jesus were one. Many years later Jesus was born into the world in human flesh but lived through the divine nature of the Son of God.

God created the heavens and earth and every living being. He did this work through Jesus.

God’s purpose was to sacrifice Jesus for the sins of humanity and provide a method for all to receive the gift of salvation.

This is important to your story because Jesus witnessed the inability of humanity to keep the laws of God. There is no way you can please God except through Jesus.

The Cross was designed by God to help you die to your natural life and live for Jesus. You become baptized into the death and resurrected life of Jesus. God seals you with the Holy Spirt. He is the life of Jesus and gives you the strength to deal with all the trials of life. The blood of Jesus covers your sins and restores you to God.

The story of the unbeliever!

We need to start with the unbeliever. God created you in His own image, loves you unconditionally and desires to give you the gift of salvation. Regardless of your past, God works on the principle where sin abounds the love of God abounds more.

God works zealously through the Body of Christ, your family and friends to draw you to Jesus. God will create circumstances in your life to cause you to hit “rock bottom” and reach out to Jesus. There is also a point where God will not strive with someone who has a rebellious spirit and pursues darkness.

The salvation of God will begin when you reach out to God with an open heart and ask for help.

Jesus will prove to you without any doubt He is the Son of God. He wants you to have confidence in your decision for salvation and become willing to yield yourself to Him. This might take place through dreams, visions or a transfigured experience with the Living Christ.

The story of the people of God!

The purpose of God is for you to walk in oneness with Jesus under the authority of the Holy Spirit. He wants you to have a personal and embracing relationship with the Living Christ. Jesus wants you to live for Him above all else. Jesus has no interest in religion, doing works to please Him, or keeping laws. He simply wants all of you without compromise.

God is at work to refine you into His image. This is mostly invisible and designed to break the disposition of living for self and compulsive behaviors. This can be convicting and painful at times.

God speaks to all believers. This might be prophesy or wisdom for today. Develop the inner consciousness to hear the voice of God through all the ups and downs of life. You have the mind of Christ.

God works in all believers through your prayers and intercession. This is to bring down strongholds and set people free. He will show you who to pray for and how to pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

God engineers circumstances in your life to get your attention and teach you the values of Christ. This can create suffering and loss as you learn to let go of the world.

God is omniscient and sees all your future. He is at work to prepare and equip you for a ministry. This can also be convicting and humbling because Jesus doesn’t want self (your ego) in the ministry.

Foremost in God’s mind is to teach you how to walk by faith. He may take things away you cherish or create drastic measures in your life requiring you to walk by faith trusting implicitly in God.

Walking with Jesus is a work in progress. You are His workmanship created for good works. You are becoming a fountain of Living Water touching those around you with the praise, renown and glory of God.

God tests all believers. He wants your loyalty to do what He says without compromise or argument. This can seem very radical at times and make no sense. Jesus wants you to be obedient to His instructions with unwavering faith.

God wants you to walk with Him yielding to the Holy Spirit. This is the discipline of integrating Jesus into every aspect of your life. He will teach you how to do this in all the routine moments of life.

The story behind the scenes is taking place at this exact moment in your life.

If you are a Christ follower there will be times when it seems like God is dormant in your life. The reality is your exterior life has been shut down or put on hold by God but He is very much at work in molding you into His character. And, like Moses, this can take many years.

The conflict is between your individuality and desire to control your life and the purposes of God.

Every great work of God begins with Jesus in His perfect timing.

He does need or want your help. It is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit equips and sends you out to do God’s work. He anoints you with the Holy Spirit enabling you to do the works of Jesus. Until this happens you have to forget about a ministry or new direction in life.

When God puts you on hold this is a perfect time to pray, listen for His voice, and work on yourself. Learn to be patient and respond to God with praise and a thankful heart.

This is a time to make your faith a reality in your life. Walk with God believing in His promises and not what you see with your eyes.

Live in the reality of God’s love, wisdom, healing power and strength. You need to experience the efficacy of God before you are ready to work for Him.

God tests believers to the ends of the earth. Jesus wants your obedience without questioning His instructions or motives. They probably won’t make any sense to you anyway because He is God.

Develop a closeness with God and learn to think like Him.

Look for God in your dreams, visions and the vagaries of life.

Pray for the gifts of the Spirit like words of knowledge and prophesy.

The preparation of God is a time to learn how to trust Him and walk in oneness with Jesus. He hasn’t forgotten you or His priorities for your life.

The Holy Spirit spoke to me today about short sighting God. This is the practice of accepting Jesus without a desire to change or give up your independence.

Salvation can be achieved by confessing with your words and believing in your heart Jesus is Lord. But Jesus is asking for a much deeper commitment.

Jesus wants you to live for Him above all else and zealously seek His will for your life. There is no room for complacency in the life of a believer. Jesus wants all of you.

Salvation is not an end of life gift. It is the beginning of a new and vibrant chapter of life with God that lasts forever. Salvation is a life changing experience.

Unfortunately, the gift of salvation translates in most believers to religion, works, and keeping laws. This is not the purpose of God.

Jesus wants to have a personal and embracing relationship with you.

This is like meeting a new friend. You enter into the reality of the Living Christ in every aspect of your life.

You walk with Jesus yielding to the Holy Spirit. He transforms you into the character of God.

Jesus speaks to you and shares His supernatural attributes with you. He fills you with strength, wisdom, joy and protection.

Jesus teaches you His values and helps you to excel in all your endeavors. He wants you to have an abundant life.

Jesus wants to build a deep friendship with you through prayer, reading the Bible under the auspices of the Holy Spirit and listening for His voice.

Jesus asks you to walk by faith believing in His promises and not by what you see with your eyes.

I AM WHO I AM!

God spoke the word egregious to me in the middle of last night.

Egregious is defined as something very bad or shocking. This is what Jesus sees when He looks at the world. The world is the antithesis of God’s kingdom.

We have to make a choice virtually every moment of our life to choose God or the darkness of the world. Most people play both sides. It is very difficult to stay clean living in a polluted world.

The truth is no one can avoid the contamination of the world including Christians. You can pray, go to church, read the Bible but this will not give you the purity of Jesus. Self control will fail you time and again. You were born into the world to live for self. It’s in your genes.

The Christ follower lives in the world but He is not of the world. There is only one way you can personally experience this truth in your life.

Make a decision to live for Jesus above all else and invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life. And, you will have to be open to the conviction and correction of the Spirit of Christ.

Repentance is a discipline which must be integrated into every aspect of your daily life. This is confessing your sins and turning away from every form of darkness.

Walk by faith yielding to the Holy Spirit. God will give you a life you can never achieve on your own.

He lives so you can live!

This narrative deals with the relationship between the love of God and His blessings! We question the love of God during the trials of life but we should never blame God for His actions. He is perfect and offers unconditional love and the ability to live with Him forever.

The love of God in your life was not influenced by your actions. It started before you were born. You did not initiate the love of God in your heart. It came directly from God.

The love of God is never ending. There are no contingencies to the love of God. There is no relationship between the love of God and His blessings. There is no action you can take to engender the love of God. In the darkest moments of your life the love of God endures to the fullest.

The love of God is a one way expression of Jesus coming directly from heaven to intercede for you. He loved you before you were born.

The love of God has nothing to do with religion, keeping laws or works.

The love of God can be reciprocated by your faith, loyalty and obedience to Jesus.

The adversities of life never change the flow of the unconditional love of God into your heart. And, the adversities are not a tool of punishment used by God.

The adversities are designed to develop you into the character of Jesus. They strengthen your faith and teach you patience.

The love of God is manifested in your life to comfort and encourage others in a walk of faith.

The love of God is all consuming!

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Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! Luke 19:41-42

Jesus wept on his entry into Jerusalem. As He looked at the people He knew they were facing a disastrous future.

Jerusalem would be destroyed, families killed, and many scattered into desolations.

All this would happen because the people were blinded from the peace offered by Jesus to those who live for Him.

The Israelites wanted a king not a savior.

The religious leaders of the day rejected the teachings of Jesus and plotted to kill Him.

How do we translate this spiritual moment of Jesus into our lives today?

How can we find the peace and protection of Jesus in this muddled world?

Jesus is omniscient and know every detail of your future. He promises you His peace which is not of the world.

The key to living in the peace of God is repentance. Seek out God and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you are blinded in your relationship with Jesus.

We are human beings engineered to live for self and persue our own desires and needs. We are unable to understand the depth of our personality and corrupt inner nature. God sees everything about you. Nothing is hidden from His eyes.

Christians believe the answer comes from religion, works, and keeping the laws of God. But this will never bring the peace of God.

Many people don’t take God seriously or fear and respect Him. The priority of a Christ follower is to seek the will of God and live in harmony with Jesus.

Today we are living on a sinking ship and it will eventually disappear into the depths. The judgments of God are all over the world. The future is not bright; it is bleak.

The peace of God will come to those who enter into a personal and embracing relationship with the Living Christ. You must lay down your life for Jesus and give up all independence and control.

This is not a call to religion. It is a decision to seek the will of God above all else and turn away from all forms of darkness. You must be open to the conviction and correction of the Holy Spirit.

The promise of the peace of Jesus will come to you even while living in tumultuous conditions.

The peace of God comes to those who walk in oneness with Jesus under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

As a believer you must live by faith not by what you see with your eyes. The Christ follower doesn’t talk about Jesus; He emulates the teachings of Jesus in every aspect of his life.

Things might look good today but are you prepared for adversity tomorrow?

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Philippians 2:17

The decision for Christ ignites a transformation from your natural condition at birth to a new creature in Christ Jesus.

God’s aim is to make your life a sacrifice for Christ. This begins with a deep and at times painful work of God. There will be suffering and loss. This is the preparation to be poured out touching others with the life of Christ.

Everything thing that takes place after conversion is designed so you can pour out the Spirit of Christ on those around you. The moments with the transfigured Christ, the revelations of truth, the testing, and the challenges of life are all arranged to equip you with the ability to pour out the Living Christ on others.

Jesus emptied Himself for you. He poured out everything so you could receive the gift of salvation and be restored to God. And, He is preparing you to walk in His footsteps.

Your priority is to seek the will of God and walk in oneness with Jesus. God doesn’t care about religion because it will cause you to stray away from the authenticity of Jesus.

God ordains ministry. You do not have to look for your role or strive to be a light for God. If you are pushing to start a ministry your motives are wrong.

The ministry of Jesus works through the Holy Spirit. As a believer, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and the source of wisdom and the gifts of the Spirit. He will anoint you and equip you for His perfect ministry.

Most believers are called by God into a lifestyle ministry. They are a light for God in their work, with family and friends, and in all the pursuits of life. This might be a training ground for a more formal ministry in the years ahead or just His plan for your life.

The New Testament definition of poured out is to be a sacrifice for Jesus operating under the power of the Holy Spirit. You become willing to give up your life so others can experience the life of Jesus.

The great works of God are done in the ordinary moments of life. Jesus was thirsty after walking all day and sat down beside a well. He saved a woman with an immoral past and this led to the conversion of many of her companions.

Jesus will guide you into the dark places of the world to do His work. You cannot hide in religion if you want a powerful ministry.

All the experiences in your life are orchestrated to develop you into the character of Jesus. Self seeking has to die if you want to be a powerful vessel for God.