“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

God spoke to me in the middle of last night with the title for this message. Jesus is an enigma. He is a mystery and at times very difficult to understand.

Jesus told me most believers have “tunnel vision” concerning His purposes.

Let’s try and unwrap this mystery and get a better perspective about the reality of Jesus.

The priorities of Jesus are different than yours. This sets the stage for your journey with God. We want to take from Jesus while His primary concern is changing you into the image of God.

Jesus is a “labor of love” and this is His purpose in your life. Jesus died so you can have the values of His life. He is working at all times to refine you into His image.

Jesus was appointed by God to be an intercessor for all humanity. He is forever at work to set you free from sin. This is the love of God.

Jesus doesn’t think or act like you because His motives are to create His workmanship in you.

This is why your life seems unpredictable and out of control at times.

Jesus wants your unconditional loyalty and obedience to Him above all else. Jesus will upset your life and severely test you to bring you to the point of “Not my will but Yours be done.”

The workmanship of Christ takes place in the moments of your life. This is where He can get your attention not by sitting in the comfort of a church. 

Jesus teaches you His values in the ups and downs of life working through the Holy Spirit.

Another aspect of the workmanship of God involves those people around you. God not only wants to change you but He wants this work to have a powerful effect on others.

Jesus wants you to walk by faith resting in His greatness. This is a lifestyle of trusting God for your every need. You will impress God by living out your faith in all the ups and downs of life and never by your works or keeping laws.

God also reminded me last night that He sets the boundaries in your relationship. They are out of your control. God is always present (ubiquitous) but at times you cannot feel His presence, see His majesty, or hear His voice.

The symmetry of God is varied and ranges from close intimacy, aloofness at times, signs and wonders, and transfigured moments in the glory of God.

Jesus desires to share the fullness of His life with you today but keep in mind His underlying goal is His workmanship.

This is the love of God!

Jesus is the perfect role model for prayer!

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer is a relationship with God. Jesus initiated prayer for you before you were born. Prayer touches the heart of God. Prayer is powerful; it brings the efficacy of God into your life.

Prayer is taking time to be still and listen for the voice of God. Prayer is a two way dialogue between you and God. 

Prayer teaches you the spiritual truths of God and prepares you to be a powerful witness for Him. 

In praying ask God what is on His mind. This is the priority of prayer; living in the will of God.

Prayer is not intellectual, robotic or scripted. The powerful prayers of the people of Christ are guided by the Holy Spirit. He knows how to pray perfectly according to the will of God.

Prayer has no constraints. It is much more than private time with God in the morning and a few moments before going to sleep.

The Holy Spirit teaches you how and when to pray. If you feel a nudge from God during your day pause what you are doing and reach out to your Creator.

I have attempted to define the components of a spiritually healthy prayer life. There is no exact order. Let the Spirit of Christ lead you in prayer. Every day is different with God. 

God wants you to recognize His holiness and sovereignty through praise and thanksgiving. Praise is an acknowledgment of who God is and what He has done for you. And, praise nourishes your soul.

God wants you to pray His kingdom will become a reality in your life and you will be able to accomplish His will on earth as it is done in heaven.

Seek first the kingdom of God through prayer, the Word of God, and listening for the voice of God.

Prayer is the method of starting a new day with God. Commit your works each day to God and pray His thoughts will be established within you.

Ask God to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway.

Prayer is instrumental in laying the groundwork for the spiritual principle of binding and loosing. 

Jesus said whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. This is the arduous work of intercession interacting with God to bring down strongholds and setting people free from Satan. 

During your prayer time the Holy Spirit will bring up the names of people that are on His mind and ask you to stand in the gap for them. Listen to the Holy Spirit. He will show you how to pray for those people entrusted to you by God.

Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. The loosing comes through the Living Water sealed inside a believer. Ask God to fill you with the fullness of the Living Water and empower you to be a light for Jesus touching others through your words, your actions, and your demeanor. 

Reach out to God for all your every need. Ask Jesus to help you live by faith, pray for physical healing, pray for the strength of Christ, pray for wisdom to meet all the challenges of life. This pleases God and reaffirms your faith in His promises.

Pray for Jesus to cover your sins with His blood and to reveal anything in your life not pleasing to Him. Ask for the compassion of Jesus to forgive those who have hurt you.

Pray for inner healing and emotional stability from all the conflicts in life.

Pray against temptations and for deliverance from Satan.

Temptations usually come in the form of the lusts of the flesh. Pray God will reveal any temptations and provide a way of escape. 

Remember, God knows you better than you know yourself and is aware of all your vulnerabilities.

The Holy Spirit is your guarantee against the attacks of Satan and his devious tactics.

Invite the Spirit of Christ to have authority over your life and ask for His protection each day of your life.

Prayer creates the life of Christ!

God spoke to me yesterday about the practice of using euphemisms to distort the integrity of Christ.

The definition of a euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

In the context of God, this refers to the substitution of a truth of God for a more palatable version acceptable to society.

This tactic is pervasive in Christianity and has corrupted the Body of Christ.

Some examples:

Compromising the word of God to appease the changing culture in our world

Interpreting the Word of God to satisfy impure motives

Relegating the importance of faith to promote works and laws

Minimizing the judgments of God 

Subverting the importance of the Holy Spirit, the life of Christ in a believer

Redefining the character of God, He never changes

Dismissing the retribution of God, He blesses and He curses

The action of elevating the importance of a personality or a specific church over the preeminence of Christ Jesus

Accepting changing social mores like the new gender definitions in our world

This is why God has placed a curse over Christianity. 

The words in Amos 3:11 reflect the heart of God for today and the punitive action He is employing to restore the Body of Christ to the standards of a New Testament church.

“An enemy will overrun your land, pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses.”

Accept Jesus for who He is without compromise. Walk with Jesus by faith anchored to the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16

This morning God spoke to me using the analogy of an autoclave which is an instrument used for deep cleansing and sterilization. If you are a believer you are living in the autoclave of God. The fire of God is at work in your life. 

The fire of God is a reflection of the glory of Christ Jesus.

The fire is manifested by God for His purposes. You might see a glimpse of the fire of God but most of the work is carried out below your consciousness.

The intensity of the fire of God is related to your commitment to Christ. 

The jealousy of God is like a consuming fire. He does not want to share you with other gods or idols.

If you are serious about God you will be crucified by the fire. Your self nature has to go away so God can work through you. 

The fire of God creates a new creature in Christ Jesus. You are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the death and resurrected life of Christ.

The fire is an expression of the wrath of God over sin. The judgment of God is like a spreading fire and in certain situations can strike people dead in a split second. 

The fire of God builds the character of God within you.

The fire of God will create severe testing in your life.

The fire of God burns with anger over those who complain about the hardships of life and question or doubt the efficacy of God. 

The fire of God will purify your motives. 

The fire of God prepares you for the purposes of God.

The fire of God reflects the heart of Jesus and His passion for mankind.

The fire of God will come upon all those who live with Jesus by faith and are committed to Him above all else. 

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

The Word from God for today is “fortuitous” which means unpredictable or unexpected. 

Jesus is a fortuitous God. He acts in ways which defy human logic. He is unpredictable because He wants you to keep your eyes on Him and walk by faith believing in His promises.

At times, Jesus will take you to the Mount of Transfiguration and you will see the glory of God. And the next day He may seem aloof. 

Jesus will perform a miracle in your life and then take you on a long trip through the desert.

Jesus wants you to be oblivious to the things of the world and look to Him for your every need. 

When tempted by Satan, Jesus responded “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Jesus wants to be your nourishment for life. Jesus is a fountain of Living Water and the source for your every need. 

It is very easy to become complacent and find your security in the things of the world. You can overcome this with prayer, reading the Word, and yielding to the Holy Spirit. 

God brings adversities into our lives to teach us the importance of faith and trusting God when life seems impossible. Remember, God is at work in your life for His good pleasure.

God rarely lets you look very far into the future. He wants your security to be in Him living one day at a time.

The challenge for a believer is to commit each day to God and pray for His wisdom and guidance. It is also important to listen for the voice of God and respond with obedience to His directions for your life.

The journey with God is like a roller coaster ride. You can’t see where you’re going but Jesus is alive and the reality of your life. 

This is the perfect place to be with God!

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14

The real attraction to Jesus is the Living Water, the life of Christ. This Living Water is freely given to anyone without limit. 

As a starting point, you have to understand Jesus is a Living God and wants to share His life with you. He is an approachable God who wants to be your best friend. 

The Living Water comes to you by faith in making a decision to live for Jesus above all else.

The Living Water is not contingent on religion, works, or laws. 

The Living Water is a fountain leading to eternal life.

The Living Water is your nourishment for life. 

The Living Water is sealed inside you in the essence of the Holy Spirit. He speaks for Jesus and is the conduit to the life of Jesus.

The Living Water is the strength, wisdom, joy, and protection of God. Ask and you will receive.

The Living Water is the fruit of the Holy Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, and self control. 

The Living Water can be grieved or diminished by your sins and rebellion against God.

The Living Water allows you to walk in oneness with Jesus and hear His voice.

The Living Water baptizes you into the death and resurrected life of Christ Jesus.

The Living Water is holy and only lives in a new creature in Christ Jesus. This is why Jesus said if you put the new wine in old wine skins, the wine skins will burst apart and the wine and the skins will be ruined.

The Living Water will lead you into the fellowship of suffering with Christ. You life is no longer yours. It belongs to Jesus.

The Living Water operates like a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway.

The Living Water is your gift from God and is life changing!

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace.” Daniel 5:5

God spoke to me last night about the handwriting on the wall in the Book of Daniel and how this relates to our walk with God.

God explained to me that He has created a demarcation line (or boundary) around every believer. You must live within this boundary submitting to God and conducting yourself in a way pleasing to Him.

If you attempt to change the boundary created by God or operate with evil or amoral behaviors, you will have to face the handwriting on the wall inscribed by the hand of God.

King Belshazzar set his own boundaries in his life and defied God. 

The king planned a lavish party with fine wine and food. The party became boisterous and rowdy. The King ordered the servants to bring in the silver and gold goblets taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Then the King along with the partygoers praised the gold and silver as if they were gods. 

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

The King was in the terrifying presence of God. After seeking an interpretation from his magicians and chanters with no response, the King asked Daniel, the prophet, to  interpret the handwriting.

Daniel reminded the king what happened to his father for defying God and he told the King that he was not a humble man and exalted himself above God. 

King Belshazzar faced the retribution of God for his actions and died before the end of the night. And, his kingdom was taken away by Darius, the King of Mede. 

God never changes. This story lives in the New Testament and is a reflection of God’s heart today. We must live under the authority of Christ Jesus anchored to the Holy Spirit. The retribution of God is at work this very moment in the world and in the lives of believers. 

Take God serious! Jesus loves you but you are accountable to Him for your every action.

What handwriting has God inscribed on your wall?

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11

The word from God today is “skirmish” which is a conflict between two opposing forces. As a believer, you are dealing with an invisible war between light and darkness and are standing right in the middle of this conflict.

Today you will wake up and have to navigate through this war making choices between the two forces.

This skirmish never ends and is evident in the government, your workplace, the media, and your family and friends. Most importantly, this conflict lives inside you everyday of your life.

How can you and I live on the side of God and avoid the darkness?

Recognize Jesus has paid for your life and desires for you to walk in His light. Walk by faith living with Jesus in prayer, the Word of God, and listen for His voice.

Jesus destroyed the power of Satan on the Cross. Satan has no authority over you. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has defeated the law of sin and death. Walk with Jesus anchored to the Holy Spirit. 

Pray everyday for the discernment of God to identify any darkness around you. Satan wants to destroy your life and is constantly at work to draw you into evil intentions.

Be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to disclose anything in your life not pleasing to Him.

Invite the Holy Spirit to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway. Give the Spirit of Christ authority over all of your life.

Pray the meditations of your heart, your thoughts, and your words will be pleasing to God. The darkness comes into your life when you allow amoral thoughts to become a desire. Remember, the world is not your friend!

Seek peace and pursue it in all your relationships. Satan desires to create havoc and dissension in your relationships.

God has given you the ability to bind the efforts of Satan. Speak directly to Satan ordering Him to flee from your life and tell Satan he has been defeated by the blood of Jesus. Remember, Satan is terrified by the name of Jesus. 

Live in the shelter of God and reach out to Jesus for your every need.

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

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:15-18

If you are a believer, you will be tested by God. The purpose of the testing is to determine your obedience to God regardless of the cost to you.

This scripture is an extreme example of the testing of God. Abraham had one son by the promise of God. And, he waited a very long time to have Isaac.

God spoke to Abraham and he was obedient because he knew the reality of God. He lived in oneness with God. Abraham was in a personal relationship with almighty God and knew the character of God–greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty. There was really no decision to make even though this caused Abraham deep pain and sorrow.

Abraham complied with the instructions of God and did not withhold his son. The response from God was to reassure Abraham all the promises made to him would become reality. 

Abraham was rewarded for his faith and obedience to God.

God makes promises to the people of Christ. The promises are not free or handed out without commitment.

God fulfills His promises to those who walk by faith and are obedient to the requests of God regardless of how costly they are to you.

Here is the sticky point! You will not be obedient to God unless you know who He is and are willing to do whatever He asks of you. 

God speaks through the Holy Spirit living within believers. If you are not under the authority of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to honor the requests of God. They will fall on deaf ears. 

The promises of God do not come without sacrifice and pain. You have to be willing to give up what is most valuable to you if you want the blessings of God.

Walk by faith with Jesus submitting to the authority of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus speaks respond with obedience. This will bring the blessings of God!

“Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:11

You can attend church, read the Bible or other devotionals, and participate in all kinds of religious endeavors but this will never give you the ability to know the reality of God. 

To know God, you must make a decision to live for Him above all else. This will cause God to seal you with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the life of Christ. He will introduce you to the Living Christ and teach you the deep truths of God. He does this in several ways:

He illuminates scripture to give you the ability to understand the underlying truths of God and how to apply them in your life.

He teaches you how to walk by faith trusting in the promises of God.

He shows you how to discern the heart of God from religion. 

He convicts you of sin and keeps you on track with God.

He gives you the mind of Christ and speaks directly to you with wisdom and helps you navigate through all the twists and turns of life. 

He teaches you through all the moments of life about God. He causes you to examine your motives and live with the values of Christ. 

He allows you to see life through the perspective of Jesus. 

He changes your priorities.

He gives you glimpses of the transfigured Christ to strength your faith and to help you grasp the enormous power and glory of God.

He gives you the ability to live in oneness with Jesus.

Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will come to know the Living Christ and live in the reality of God.