“Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.” Psalm 37:37

Good morning, 

I have been living in a storm for quite some time. Everywhere I turn I see troubles. 

I read this verse in Psalm 37 this morning and was stirred by how to find the peace of Christ while living in a storm.

The peace comes through letting go and living by faith in the promises of God.

I must be able to stand blameless before God. This requires forgiveness and repentance. The blood of Christ makes me innocent in the eyes of God. 

I desire to be upright in all my thoughts, words and actions. This takes a lot of work in prayer and seeking the will of God. I come before Jesus every day with an open heart and listen to His instructions. 

The greatness deterrent to the presence of God is anger. Many times I have been filled with raging anger at God and have found out this only digs my hole deeper. So I plead with God to take away the anger and fill me with the gladness of God. 

I live today in the peace and joy of God. This peace comes from heaven and has nothing to do with the world or my personal circumstances.

It is an up and down experience to stay in the peace of Christ. I must not allow my emotions to control my actions and I must abide closely in the Holy Spirit.

I have no control over God and cannot influence His actions. He can do with me as He pleases. 

God has severely tested me and brought many adversities into my life. 

I have discovered after forty five years of walking with God the most important priority is living by faith. Without faith I cannot please God!

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

If you want the presence of God in your life you must come to Him with a culpable heart. 

Culpability is the word of God for today. It means facing Jesus with a sense of guilt and remorse over your actions. It is understanding you are at fault with God.

Your sinful condition will never go away as long as you are on the face of the earth. 

Culpability can only be taken away by the blood of Jesus. There is no other way. 

You and I must be covered with the blood of Jesus everyday of our life. There is no free pass for a Christ follower. 

What happens is we pray God will give us the restraint to avoid a specific sin and then we go ahead and repeat the same sin over and again. We have no discipline or inner strength to help us avoid this habitual sin.

This happens because we have a genetic disposition to commit this behavior. It is ingrained in the depth of our soul and personality. So we do what we don’t want to do time and again.

This can be an addiction or another form of compulsive behavior. Or, you can just be living for self.

In essence, you are satisfying the desires of the flesh and have no power to correct this condition. 

The solution to overcoming this habitual condition begins with God. 

The first step is prayer asking Jesus to forgive you and cover you with His blood. 

Next, you must invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and specifically your grievous sin. 

The Holy Spirit is the life of Christ and He lives inside you. He can break the power of any sin and set you free. 

It takes a lifetime to deal with your impoverished inner condition. Be patient and trust God.

The good news is your sin will gradually be taken away and you will have the freedom to live in fullness with God. 

“Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:21-22

Jesus was asked by a disciple for the freedom to go and bury his father before beginning his journey with Jesus.

The response of Jesus is shocking concerning the priorities of life for a believer.

Jesus reiterated this instruction by speaking these words to me this morning; “I am the most important purpose in the life of a Christ follower. Drop everything else and concentrate on Me.”

This is not an instruction to run away from accountability but about recognizing the urgency and order of God in dealing with all matters of life.

What you think is important or essential is probably not in the eyes of God.

The world is mostly void of God so don’t waste your time pursuing dead ends. 

Spend your time nourishing yourself in God through prayer, dwelling in His word and listening for His voice. Seek the counsel of God for your life.

The dead have no future so concentrate on the everlasting.

This admonition is not just about people. Look at how you spend your time and money.

How much time do you spend on your mobile phone dealing with innocuous details and trivia? Fortunately, you can’t take your mobile to heaven!

The list goes on and on including people, activities and interests that occupy your time and are a disgrace to God.

Change your priorities today and seek those things that are alive with Christ!

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

The revelations of Jesus are an invitation to experience Him personally. They require action not intellect. 

The truths of Jesus have no value to a believer unless they become a reality.

For example, God promises to give you strength to overcome any challenge in your life. Do you ask God for this strength? And, at the end of your day do you acknowledge and praise God for allowing you to do the impossible?

The attributes of God come from heaven. They cannot be found on the earth. They are the source of supernatural life and flow to you directly from the Holy Spirit.

God becomes a truth for those who walk by faith believing in His promises. Faith is a lifestyle of action; it must be integrated into your thoughts, words and decision making. Faith has to be lived out to impress God. 

You must seek Jesus with all of your heart if you want to live in His presence. This is not about religion; it is a zealous, heartfelt decision to seek His will for your life. 

Your life with Jesus is defined by sin. He sees everything about you and measures your sincerity in living by His values. 

God knows you better than you know yourself. He sees deep into your personality and soul. This is why you must be an open vessel to the conviction and correction of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus doesn’t need your works. He is perfect and complete.

Jesus wants your resolute devotion to Him without questioning His authority. 

It is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of Christ!

“All that I have Thy hand has provided” Lamentations 2:22

The word from God today deals with the subject of ownership and the source of all your possessions. This will determine your attitudes and behaviors concerning how you manage your life.

Do you believe everything you have comes from the hand of God or through your own efforts or the help of others?

Jesus never had a bank account, owned a home, or had any significant possessions. He depended on God for everything and lived a humble and modest lifestyle. 

Jesus wants you to accept in your heart that all you have comes from Him and can be taken away in a moment’s notice.

Jesus wants you to be content with your present circumstances and have a heart of praise and thanksgiving.

Jesus instructs you to live by faith reaching out to Him for your every need.

Jesus asks you to be generous and share your treasures with others.

In the mind of Christ, your family, work, savings and investments and all your material possessions belong to Him.

Your responsibility is to manage what you have been given under the direction and authority of the Holy Spirit. 

This will give you freedom from the need to control or act with possessive behaviors.

Coveting and hoarding are both indications of your lack of trust in God. This happens to those who are influenced by their fleshly desires and fears. They reject the faithfulness of God and function with self sufficiency.

As a believer, you have to make a decision whether you believe in what you see with your eyes or have unwavering faith in the promises of Jesus.

“For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:7

Jesus told me this morning “He is God of cause and effect”.

God doesn’t hand out protection without just cause. I Fantasy is thinking protection is a promise of God without accountability.

Protection we risk ok is poop CSS t My not a free I

An ok if o pop He gift; it requires your obedience to God.

The secret of the protection of God lives in your heart.I poop

God protects those who are loyal to Him and devoted to His causes.

God wants your unwavering faith I’m y regardless of the conditions in your life. Without faith you cannot please God.

God protects those who walk in oneness with Him anchored to the Holy Spirit.

God protects those who take Him seriously and vigilantly seek His will.

The protection of God fails when you stray away from Him and pursue worldly living.

God wants all of you. He will not share you with the world. God releases adversity into your life to get your attention and cause you to turn away from living for self.

It is so easy to get off track with God. We give into our emotions and desires. This causes God to remove His protection from your life. 

Don’t take God for granted. He is a God of cause and effect.

God will move mountains for all those who walk by faith and are obedient to His causes.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise” Psalm 100:4

You might think you have big problems but they are nothing compared to what Jesus faced. 

Jesus was perfect and without sin but He was like a lamb led to the slaughter by His own Father.

The word from God in the middle of last night is mettle defined as a person’s ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way.

This is what we all need living in this world dealing with many adversities and the tactics of Satan. 

The mettle (or tenacity) of Christ gives you the strength and courage to overcome any problem.

How do you get this tenacity?

Ask and you shall receive but ask by faith.

Seek the wisdom of God through prayer and the Word of God.

Listen to the voice of God.

Stand up boldly to Satan and command him to leave your life. Tell Satan he has been defeated by the blood of Jesus and must flee from your life.

Walk by faith believing in the promises of God. Jesus will deliver you. 

Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and stamp His presence in every moment of your life.

Pray for the unspeakable joy of the Lord. You can be facing overwhelming obstacles but still be filled with laughter and the gladness of God. This is a quality that comes from heaven and turns the ashes into beauty. 

The joy of the Lord is your strength and tenacity to deal with any challenge in your life.

Jesus wants you to be an overcomer!

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” Colossians 3:11

Jesus is not a respecter of people. And, He has no bias in His heart regardless of your nationality or position in life.

Jesus is a global God offering unconditional love for any human being living on this planet.

Jesus doesn’t care what encumbrance is blocking you from Him. It might be another religion, an addiction, or worldly living. You might be living in poverty in a third world country or facing death from an enemy.

Jesus has an open heart and a desire to give you the gift of salvation enabling you live with Him forever.

I have personally been in the presence of God and can tell you unequivocally Jesus is the most powerful force in the universe, has no ego and is motivated by unconditional love to supply you an abundant life.

Jesus cuts across all racial barriers, religious divisions and those living in the abyss of immorality. 

Jesus has a heart for the downtrodden. He spent most of His ministry healing the sick, freeing those in bondage to sin and reaching out to the likes of tax collector cheats and adulterers.

If you think you are religious or morally upright Jesus will bypass you looking for those who mourn over their impoverished soul.

Jesus wants one thing from you. Walk with Him by faith seeking His will for your life.

You do not have to get entrapped in religion, keeping laws, or doing works. Jesus spent most of His life confronting religion.

Come to Jesus with an open heart and He will deliver you into the kingdom of God. 

You will see the reality of the Living Christ and your life will never be the same.

Jesus is the sufficiency of life. There is no one like Him!

Do not be left behind and denied the majesty of Christ. He will do for you what you can never do for yourself!

“But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?” Psalm 50:16-17

This is a sticky point with most believers. We attempt to take the goodness of God but tend to disregard His instructions. 

If you don’t listen to the voice of God it is impossible to comply with His instructions. 

God is adamant about His instructions. You have no right to declare His statutes or speak His covenants if you are not open to the instructions and correction of God.

The instructions of God never cease for a believer. They are perfect for those who walk with God. You will find His instructions through prayer and the Word of God.

Jesus is a perfect role model for this subject. Jesus, the Son of God, frequently withdrew from the crowds and His disciples to pray and hear instructions from His Father. 

If you don’t listen to God speaking through the Holy Spirit you will be like someone walking through a thick blanket of fog facing all kinds of adversity. 

The instructions of God bring good health, prosperity, protection and the joy of the Lord.

They are life changing and will draw you into oneness with the reality of the Living Christ.

“Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.” Psalm 16:4

Trading with Jesus is an attempt to live as you please and appease God through offerings and works.

This is the practice of living for self and satisfying the desires of the flesh. You worship other idols and attempt to cover up your actions by offering God a paltry offering. 

God will not accept your worthless offerings or take up your name on His lips or mind. 

The action of trading with God will bring sorrow and destruction upon your life.

You cannot make the rules with God; the Christ follower must submit to God seeking His will for your life.

God never changes and you cannot barter with Him. He will attenuate (or reduce) His presence in your life. 

Religion is a perfect example of trading with God. Believers substitute works and keeping laws for making a heart transaction with God. 

God wants all of you. He will never trade or make concessions for worldly living.

Come to God with a penitent heart and abandon yourself to Him without compromise. You will meet the Living Christ and your life will never be the same.