Tommy's Devotional

Be Lifted Up!

2011-02-09T12:56:00.005-05:00

During last Friday's prayer meeting, one of the songs Matt Bunk played had the following phrase: "In my life be lifted high. In our world be lifted high. In our love be lifted high." During this time of worship I felt like God placed 3 scriptures on my heart.

Psalm 121:1-2
¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from? ² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

John 12:32
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Numbers 21:8-9
The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

So here's what I got from these three scriptures:

We must lift Jesus up recognizing our help comes from Him. What is impossible for Him? He's the maker of heaven and earth! Let us be a church that lifts Him up in our lives!
We must lift him up that He may draw all men unto Himself. The world needs to know that they can also lift up their eyes to God from whom their help will come. Let us lift him up in our world!
We must allow those things in our lives that represent evil and death to be lifted up to Jesus so that He can use them to bring healing to others. Let us be a church that lifts Jesus up through the dark and difficult circumstances, trials, and even attacks that we go through.

The day after the prayer meeting I came across John 3:14-15, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” When it says "the son of man must be lifted up" is was referring to the cross. The very symbol of death 2,000 years ago is the instrument He uses to bring healing to the world today. Are we willing to believe (trust) in Jesus when there are instruments of death at work in our lives? If we are then He'll take those very instruments of death and use them as instruments of life and healing for the world.

One last point. At the end of the prayer meeting, Marve felt led to share about the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-15). Here's the pattern:
1st - It emphasizes the great trial (lack of food)
2nd - Jesus receives the "lack"
3rd - Jesus lifts it up and gives thanks
4th - All the people are abundantly blessed

Prison Testimony - Fasting

2011-01-24T08:26:00.003-05:00

Many people may know that it's becoming more common for churches to start each new year with a 21 day fast. What you may not know is that the prisoners have joined with the rest of the body of Christ during this years fast.

Anyway, as I was preparing to minister on Sunday morning, a prisoner came up to me with so much excitement that he had a hard time expressing himself. He said, "Chaplain, I just want to thank you so much for teaching us and asking us to fast. You have no idea what God was been doing in my life. Man, I've had dreams and direction from God but I can't even get to that right now. I just have to let you know something else that happened. I was reading the Word and I felt like I should write some scriptures down and give it to another brother. When I did, the other brother had already written down the exact same scriptures. Right after that, we both got with another brother who's sister was diagnosed with cancer. We touched and agreed and it wasn't even a week and a half later that we got a message from her saying that she is cancer free!"

Praise Jesus!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T07:15:00.001-05:00

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2:5-11 (NIV)

Passion for Souls

2010-08-07T01:50:00.003-04:00

A little over 12 years ago I gave my life to Jesus and my life was radically changed forever. One of the greatest gifts God has given me was a spiritual father who loves Jesus and loves souls. He loved me and took me in as his own and poured into my life like a godly father does for his kids.

12 years later, my life is as passionate for Jesus as day one because of the firm foundation of Jesus Christ that Pastor Hector Fernandez was willing to lay in my life.

So, I just came across this message that he recently preached and I wanted to share it. As I hear him preach, I understand why I am the way I am. His influence has been great in my life. Thank God for men and women of God who are willing to pour into the lives of others for the glory of God!

Click Here to view the message.

Daniel's Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:18:00.007-05:00

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." - Dan 6:10 (NIV)

Daniel is known for many amazing things like interpreting dreams, overcoming fiery furnaces and lion's dens, giving prophecies, and turning a nation toward God. However, what we see in this verse is just as amazing. The "decree" refers to a law that the king had recently passed stating that anyone who prays to their God will be thrown in the lion's den. Daniel did not protest to the king (whom he had a great relationship with). He did not try to get even. He didn't even complain! Daniel "got down on his knees and prayed." Okay, I'll admit that this is something we can expect of someone who knows they're probably going face the death penalty soon. However, what happens next is not expected. Daniel "prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel gave thanks!

Many times we thank God for the great things that happen in our lives. But what about the "bad" things. A. W. Tozer said, "Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now." I like that he used the word "pure" because Jesus said, "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." It takes a pure heart to still see God in the tough times. A pure heart is a heart connected to God and heart connected to God believes God. Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for the good of those who love God." All things! So it doesn't matter what comes our way. God says "all things." Do we believe Him. When tough times come, do we see the trial or the mighty God we serve?

How can we be like Daniel who can give thanks to God in the midst of trials. I think the key is in the last part of the verse, "just as he had done before." Daniel lived a lifestyle of thankfulness. A life in constant acknowledgment of the goodness of God. We can't expect to be able to thank God during the storm if we don't thank Him before the storm.

God is good, all the time! Thanks Jesus! Happy Thanksgiving!

"Our" . . . What a powerful word

2009-11-02T08:27:00.003-05:00

In Matthew 6:9 Jesus teaches his disciples to pray saying, "our father." Leave it to Jesus to take a word like "our" and fill it with life-changing revelation power. According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, "our" means, "Pertaining or belonging to us; as our country; our rights; our troops." Simple right? Everything of Jesus is simple. We just need to become as simple little children to understand simple things.

While I was praying yesterday, I was filled with gratefulness to Jesus for using the word "our." I want to focus on three powerful realities that the use of this word reveals about our relationship with God.

First, Jesus shows us that we are in the exact same relationship position with God as himself. Both he and us are children of God and can address him as father. This truth alone should be enough to rock our worlds. Jesus takes a bunch of ex-sinners whose righteousness was as filthy rags and makes us equal to him. Amazing! We can approach our Heavenly Father just like Jesus!

Second, he shows us our relationship to himself. Jesus says, "our father" implying that God is both his father and our father which makes him our brother. We are his little brothers and sisters. If you have siblings, then you understand how special and unique this relationship is.

Finally, he reveals his location during our times of prayer. This is evident when we read the context of this scripture. Right before Jesus teaches us how to pray, he tells us where to pray. He said that we should go into a room, close the door, and pray in secret. He then goes on to teach that we should use the word "our." The use of "our" must mean that Jesus is with us when we pray because Jesus was the one speaking when he said "our" which would include him and other than him, we are in a closed room praying in secret without anyone else. This is fitting because the only way we can even approach God is through Jesus and the Scriptures continuously command us to pray in Jesus' name.

Isn't it wonderful that our big brother Jesus lifts us up to his level and is always with us to teach and enable us to pray to OUR Father?

Hope for Holiness

2009-10-28T00:06:00.004-04:00

If you've followed my blog at all, you know that I am a firm believer in the possibility of 100% holiness in this life through the power of God. I must admit that the more I talk about this issue, the more discouraged I get due to the lack of belief I find in Christians. However, I recently came across an article by Keith Drury titled, "The Holiness Movement: Dead or Alive?" Although the article contained some minor issues that I may disagree with, I definitely agree with his main points and especially want to share an excerpt from the end of his article:

2. We should be encouraged because biblical truth always resurfaces.

I believe that the holiness movement—as a movement—is dead. However, the holiness message is not dead, it is suppressed. And I believe it is about to resurface. Why? Because holiness is a biblical truth. Biblical truth always resurfaces sooner or later.

Holiness is pervasive in the Bible. God called unto Himself a holy nation, set aside a holy priesthood, established a holy Sabbath, prescribed only holy sacrifices, to be done on a holy mount, in a holy Temple with a holy place—even a Holy of Holies. God himself is a holy God. And we are "called unto holiness." Without holiness no one shall see the Lord. God says, "I am holy; be ye holy." The Bible constantly and repeatedly calls for our total surrender to God in absolute consecration, for our complete submission to His will, for absolute obedience to His Word, and for separation from the defilement of sin of this world. Holiness is not only the essential characteristic of God’s nature, it is the central emphasis of His Word. God is holy—we are to be holy too.

Holiness is a Bible truth, not some denominational distinctive or pet doctrine of the Wesleyans, Nazarenes, or Free Methodists. It was not invented to provide differentiation in the church marketplace. Holiness is biblical. And as a biblical truth it is sure to resurface. The Holy Spirit leads his people into all truth. The Holy Spirit will lead the church back to this biblical truth. It may be a while yet. It might come in different formats, with a changed language, and under a different heading, but it will resurface we know. Suppressing a Bible truth is like hiding a cork under water. Sooner or later it pops to the surface.

Perhaps we are at the tail end of the "doctrinal-excesses cycle." It is always darkest before dawn. Doctrines have a way of almost disappearing before being rediscovered again. The pattern seems so obvious when we look backwards.

First, a timeless truth is "discovered" and propagated. The truth soon spreads wildly as the solution to a present dilemma—in the case of holiness, sin-bent half-saved Christians. The doctrine and experience moves rapidly across denominational lines as the effective solution to the problem of carnal, immature, powerless Christians. But, sooner or later in the wildfire, excesses are introduced—if a little is good, more is better. In our case the excesses of emotionalism, non-biblical folk theology, and cold-hearted legalism emerged eventually. Finally, when the excesses are full grown, they ignite a reaction, especially in the next generation. In the reaction stage the new generation assents to the written doctrine, but internally rejects its premise. All they can see are the excesses. Their preaching and teaching on holiness is primarily about correcting the past excesses, not propagating the basic truth. Ironically, eventually the corrective becomes the doctrine! The doctrine itself is now shoved underwater. It is hidden, and we go on to other things.

But repressing a biblical doctrine will not last. It cannot last. All doctrines have consequences in daily living. Repressing any biblical truth has consequences for the church. In our case, ignoring the doctrine of holiness has, over time, produced an inadequate God concept, confusion about the judgment side of the gospel, an insufficient doctrine of conversion, and a strain of Christians who are worldly, half-committed, half-hearted . . . half-saved. Today’s problems in the church are the result of excesses again. But this time it is the excesses of the correction we tried to make to the original doctrine. Now we need the original doctrine to correct the excesses of our correction! Is this not where we are today? Are we not poised for another renewal of the message of holiness? I think we are ready for a rediscovery of the holiness message—as a solution to the most pressing problem faced by our churches. We are at the end of the cycle. It is time for a rediscovery! We should be encouraged . . .

Saints with Holy Brightness

2009-09-04T11:06:00.003-04:00

The following is an excerpt taken from A. W. Tozer's sermon titled, "Holiness Is Not an Option." I'm posting it because I feel that it is very relevant to what God is doing in His people today.

Saints with holy brightness

I have met a few of God's saints who appeared to have this holy brightness upon them, but they did not know it because of their humility and gentleness of spirit. I do not hesitate to confess that my fellowship with them has meant more to me than all of the teaching I have ever received. I do stand deeply indebted to every Bible teacher I have had through the years, but they did little but instruct my head. The brethren I have known who had this strange and mysterious quality and awareness of God's Person and Presence instructed my heart.

Do we understand what a gracious thing it is to be able to say of a man, a brother in the Lord, "He is truly a man of God"? He doesn't have to tell us that, but he lives quietly and confidently day by day with the sense of this mysterious, awe-inspiring Presence that comes down on some people and means more than all the glib tongues in the world!

Actually, I am afraid of all the glib tongues. I am afraid of the man who can always flip open his Bible and answer every question - he knows too much! I am afraid of the man who has thought it all out and has a dozen epigrams he can quote, the answers which he has thought up over the years to settle everything spiritual. Brethren, I'm afraid of it!

There is a silence that can be more eloquent than all human speech. Sometimes there is a confusion of face and bowing of the head that speaks more divine truth than the most eloquent preacher can impart.

So, Peter reminds us that it is the Lord who has said: "Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).

First, bring your life into line morally so that God can make it holy; then bring your spiritual life into line that God may settle upon you with the Holy Ghost - with that quality of the Wonderful and the Mysterious and the Divine.

You do not cultivate it and you do not even know it, but it is there and it is this quality of humility invaded by the Presence of God which the church of our day lacks. Oh, that we might yearn for the knowledge and Presence of God in our lives from moment to moment, so that without human cultivation and without toilsome seeking there would come upon us this enduement that gives meaning to our witness! It is a sweet and radiant fragrance and I suggest that in some of our churches it may be strongly sensed and felt.

More Rumbles

2009-08-23T14:40:00.013-04:00

Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies.
Listen! It's God raising his voice!

Job 26:11 (MSG)

Isaiah 66:5-6 (MSG)
5 But listen to what God has to say to you who reverently respond to his Word: "Your own families hate you and turn you out because of me. They taunt you, 'Let us see God's glory! If God's so great, why aren't you happy?' But they're the ones who are going to end up shamed."
6 Rumbles of thunder from the city! A voice out of the Temple! God's voice, handing out judgment to his enemies:

Job 37:1-5 (NIV)
1 "At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.

Ezek 3:10-12 (NIV)
10 And he said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. 11 Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound--
May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place!

Psalms 68:33
There he is: Sky-Rider,striding the ancient skies.Listen--
he's calling in thunder,rumbling, rolling thunder.

I AM

2009-08-20T09:29:00.004-04:00

God told Moses to tell them "I AM sent me." Notice what God did not say. He did not say Almighty one or Deliverer is sending you. He didn't use Savior, Omniscient, Omnipresent, or even Creator. He used "I AM" because all those other words are simply very small parts of who God IS. They are parts of His character and abilities, but none of them encompass the fullness of who He IS. Therefore the only thing God could say to describe the fullness of Himself is I AM. He is too big, too awesome, too amazing, too powerful, for any words to describe anything other than a very small aspect of who He IS. He IS who He IS. There is no other way to put it.

Also notice what He is not. He is not "I was" or "I will be." The only time God wants us to look to the past is to remind us of who He IS today. When it comes to the future, Jesus said, "Don't worry about tomorrow." God is the God of Today. The God who IS. Everything He ever was and ever will be He IS TODAY.

It is no surprise that Jesus constantly used the term I AM. The Gospel of John is filled with Jesus' "I AM" statements. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," "I am the way, and the truth, and the life," "I am the living water," "I am the bread of life," "I am the good shepherd," "I am the gate the sheep pass through," etc. Just like the Father, Jesus constantly said who He IS.

Now pay attention here. We were created in the image and likeness of God. We are ambassadors of Christ and a reflection of God on the earth. We are repeatedly taught and challenged to be like Jesus and be like our Heavenly Father. We Must Be Like God! He is I AM. Am I "I AM" or am I living my life as "I was" or "I will be"?

Revival

2009-06-18T14:51:00.002-04:00

“You have two basic means. The Gospel to influence men and prayer to influence God. What you have to do is constant prayer, secret prayer, prevailing prayer. Unless prayer is offered with the agony of desire it’s not effectual prayer. Persistent prayer, fasting prayer, private prayer, public prayer and speaking the word will bring revival.”
- Charles Finney

Contrary to Religious Correctness

2009-06-12T08:47:00.004-04:00

I am either a “saint” or a “sinner saved by grace.” Both are rather common but only one is biblical. Nowhere in the Bible do we see the phrase “sinner saved by grace.” In fact, “sinner” and “saint” are complete opposites and I would argue that it does the body of Christ a great disservice to use the term “sinner saved by grace.” For one, it forces one to compromise truth for political correctness (or in this case “religious correctness”). But more importantly, using the term “sinner saved by grace” completely disregards the power of what Jesus did on that cross. While the Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” religious correctness says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is still essentially a sinner, but a saved one.”

It is phrases like “sinner saved by grace” that have facilitated the shallowness of the body of Christ. If God is okay with me as a sinner, why change? If “nobody’s perfect or holy” and “we are all going to fall,” why strive? One will never have the faith to attain something that one doesn’t believe is attainable. The sad truth is that many in the body of Christ simply do not believe living holy is possible.

Oswald Chambers identifies pride as one of the causes of this deception in My Utmost for His Highest (June 12):

“Pride is the deification of self, and this today in some of us is not of the order of the Pharisee, but of the publican. To say "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable to human pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. It literally means that you defy God to make you a saint, "I am much too weak and hopeless, I am outside the reach of the Atonement." Humility before men may be unconscious blasphemy before God. Why are you not a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe God can make you one.”

The deepness of His simplicity

2009-06-07T18:46:00.003-04:00

In an attempt to trap Jesus with His words, the Pharisees asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. A denarius had the portrait of Caesar so Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Mt. 22:21). Since Jesus' reasoning for giving the denarius to Caesar was the fact that it beared the image of Caesar, it would lend to reason that God is to be given what bears His image.

Genesis 1:27 says, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

I'll let you connect the dots and end with this: Jesus answered a question about taxes asked by intellectuals with evil intentions with one statement and taught about our origin (created by God), identity (bearing His image), and destiny (to give our lives to God) in the process.

The deepness of His simplicity is Awesome!!!

If Jesus isn't God . . .

2009-06-02T10:41:00.002-04:00

Then what do you do with John 1:1?

One of the many clear verses that show that Jesus is God is John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” However, Jehovah Witnesses would argue that the last clause of that verse should be translated “the Word was a god.” Their justification for this change is that there is no definite article before the word “God” so it should be understood as “a god” rather than “the God.”

Rather than going into the Greek grammar to explain why the Jehovah Witnesses are wrong, one can easily use the Jehovah Witness translation against them. If they want to argue that not having an article before the word “god” means that it cannot be referring to Jehovah, then why didn’t they follow this rule in verses 6, 12,13, and twice in verse 18. Every time the word “god” appears in those verses, it does not have the definite article but the Jehovah Witnesses still render it as “God” (referring to Jehovah).

In summary, the word “God” is used without the definite article six times in the first 18 verses of John 1. Jehovah Witnesses translate it as “God”, referring to Jehovah, in every instance except for when it refers to Jesus. Interesting!

Shavuot

2009-05-29T22:14:00.003-04:00

Yesterday and today were the celebration of Shavuot. The Jews celebrate thisFeast based upon Exodus 23 where God commands his people to celebrate a festival to Him 3 times a year. The first is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which Jewish people celebrated exactly 50 days ago in remembrance of the Passover. We as Christians also celebrated this holiday, but probably didn't know it was a Jewish holiday because Jesus came and transformed that holiday for us (Good Friday).

The second is the Feast of Harvest, or Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, which Jewish people celebrated yesterday and today in remembrance of the day God gave them the Torah. They usually spend the whole night together in this celebration of the Word of God and focus on the Ten Commandments and the book of Ruth. This holiday also means a lot to us as Christians because the Holy Spirit transformed it for us (Pentecost). Yes, according to the Bible and according to the Jewish calendar, today was Pentecost Friday!! (Interesting fact: they called it "Pentecost" because it occurs 50 days after Passover/Good Friday) For more on how the Holy Spirit transformed this Jewish holiday for us please read Acts 2.

And finally, God commanded them to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Ingathering, which Jewish people celebrate at the end of the year to remember Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land and to give thanks for the rich harvest. No one knows when God will transform this Feast, but we do know He will do it soon. Just as this Feast is celebrated at the end of each year by gathering all of one's harvest, Jesus will come at the end of the age to gather His glorious harvest.

She was born there

2009-05-28T08:44:00.002-04:00

Psalms 87:6 (NIV)
6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:
"This one was born in Zion."

"Zion" can refer to several things. Jerusalem, raised up, heavenly city, church of God, people of God are a few things it can mean. All of these references have one thing in common: they all have a special place in God's heart and belong to him. That is where God chooses to dwell.

Being that I want to celebrate my wife's birthday but this is a devotional blog, I will thank God for one of the things I'm most grateful for. I'm grateful to have been given a wife of whom it can be said, "This one was born in Zion." This can be said of her for several reasons: First, her parents had recently given their lives to Jesus before she was born so she was born into a home belonging to God. Second, she had an open heart for the Lord ever since she was a child and allowed herself to be a special place for God to dwell. And finally, she continues to allow herself to be raised up by God and loves God more than anything and anyone making herself a pleasing habitation for the Lord.

I love you Keri. Happy Birthday. Continue being a symbol of Zion.

The Power of Weakness

2009-05-24T19:13:00.002-04:00

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (New International Version)
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In the 21st verse of the previous chapter, we learn that boasting in anything other than Christ's power in our weakness is foolishness. Credentials, esteem, popularity, skills, education, finances, status, etc. are considered foolish things to boast about because none of them draw anybody to glorify God.

Powerful people walk by faith because they recognize that they are too weak to walk by sight regardless of how good that sight may seem.

Who does God boast about? See Heb. 11 which is full of people that recognized they were too weak not to walk by faith.

Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick."

Conclusion: We must understand 2 truths -
1. It is God's will for us to live according to His standards (which includes holiness) for the rest of our lives!
2. It is impossible for us to live according to God's standards for the rest of our lives!

The realization of these 2 truths should compel us to approach God in weakness in order to be raised in power and fulfill truth #1.

The Presence of God

2009-03-25T10:22:00.003-04:00

1 Chron 15:11-14 (NIV)
11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

These verses offer some great insight into an area that I'm sure we are all hungry for. The presence of God. If ever there was a man who valued the presence of God, it was David. In this passage David enlightens us to why we sometimes fail in our attempt to have God's presence truly enter our midst. Right before this scene where David is correcting the Levites, we see their failed attempt to move the ark of the Lord which represents the presence of God. Their first attempt ended with the death of a man with good intentions and fear striking the hearts of everyone else.

Now we see David's second attempt. This time he has some great lessons under his belt and is sure to do it right. What are those lessons?

One lesson was that the first time they consulted each other but did not consult God about "how to do it in the prescribed way." (v. 13) Although it was God's will for them to move His presence, they did not seek God about how to do that. Good intentions without diligence and the fear of the Lord leads to disaster.

Verse 12 teaches us another important lesson. We learn that they focused on preparing the place while neglecting to prepare themselves. The place was ready for the presence of God but the people had not yet consecrated themselves. This is not to say that preparing the place was wrong, but to stress that God cares about both.

If we truly want the Lord to bless us with his manifest presence we need to ask these questions:
1. Is our good intention married to the fear of the Lord?
2. Have we truly consecrated ourselves to Him?
3. Have we prepared the place for Him?

Building God's House

2009-01-21T10:04:00.004-05:00

Sample1 Kings 6:2-4 (NRSV) "2 The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. 3 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits wide, across the width of the house. Its depth was ten cubits in front of the house. 4 For the house he made windows with recessed frames."

Can we just think about this for a minute? Solomon was building a house for GOD!!! How nervous must he have been? How much detail and care must have gone into this building? If we continue to read through the chapter we see that every single detail was thought of. Not only was there specific instructions for the foundation or structure, but even the furniture inside. Even more than that, the furniture inside had to be constructed in an extremely detailed manner with specified designs, lengths, widths, materials, and even decorations. No detail was too small to overlook.

There is no doubt that Solomon took no short-cuts and put his heart, soul, mind, and strength into this building. Recognizing that this was to be the house of God, the people who worked on it worked with incredible reverence. Every single aspect of this building was sooooo important. From what it was built with, to how it was built, and even what it was filled with.

If somehow, someway, somewhere, we ever got the opportunity to build a house for God, would we build it with such reverence and detail?

2 Cor 6:16-17 (NIV) "16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

17 "Therefore come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."

At this point I am very tempted to talk about the different shows we watch, games we play and music we listen to. However, I'm just going to end with the following thought. Jesus said that he is going to prepare a place for us in heaven. I'm sure He's doing a great job with his whole heart into making that place perfect. Shouldn't we do the same?

Sample

Entire Sanctification (Instantaneously Known)

2009-01-17T08:59:00.004-05:00

Hi all. The reason I'm posting these blogs about sanctification is because I think it is soooooo important and soooooo lacking in the church. Although you may think you believe in "sanctification," my experience tells me that you may not understand what sanctification really means and you may not be able to support your position. Now you may say, "you don't even know who I am!" True, but once again, in my experience it makes no difference who you are. The result is usually the same: they're willing to say they believe sanctification, but at the same time they say it is impossible while we're on earth. (I gotta admit it, I'm having a blast being so blunt with you. I'm calling you out and I don't even know you!!)

Dr. Adam Clarke: "We are to come to God for an instantaneous and complete purification from all sin, as for instantaneous pardon. In no part of the Scriptures are we directed to seek the remission of sins seriatim--one now and another then, and so on. Neither in any part are we directed to seek holiness by gradation. Neither a gradation pardon nor a gradation purification exists in the Bible. . . .And as it is this moment our duty to love God with all our heart, and we cannot do this till He cleanse our hearts, consequently He is ready to do it this moment, because He wills that we should in this moment love Him. . . . This moment, therefore, we may be emptied of sin, filled with holiness, and become truly happy" (Clarke's Theology, p. 208)

Dr. George Peck: "It will be remembered that we have found sanctification to imply both the death of sin and the life of righteousness. And when we speak of entire sanctification, as to the former part of it, we say it may be attained at once--it is an instantaneous work. . . . But in relation to the latter part of this great work, viz., the life of righteousness, embracing all holy affections and pious efforts, it is regarded as entirely progressive. . . . The destruction of sin in the soul, and the growth of holiness, are two distinct things. . . . The one is instantaneous, the other gradual; and hence it is that we sometimes say, with propriety, that the work of entire sanctification is both gradual and instantaneous." (Christian Perfection, p. 212)

Rev. J. a. Wood: "Purity being God's work, and being by faith, is evidence that it is instantaneous, the same same as its kindred blessings--pardon, adoption, and regeneration.
"The sinner, convicted of his guilt, believes in Christ for pardon, and is forgiven freely and fully. The christian, convicted of impurity, believes in Christ for holiness, and his heart is made pure, entirely and instantaneously.
"The commands, exhortations, and promises of the Bible teach that purity is instantaneous. God desires, commands, and expects instant obedience. This cannot be done if holiness is not instantaneous. God's command, 'Be ye holy,' plainly requires present holiness; 'Be ye filled with the Spirit,' 'Be ye therefore perfect,' enjoins perfection today. 'This is the will of God, even your sanctification,' means now. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,' is a command enforcing perfect love today, if it means anything. Just as surely as God desires and commands us now to 'be holy,' now to 'be perfect,' now 'to be filled with the Spirit' and now to 'love him with all our hearts,' so surely is sin's destruction and heart purification instantaneous.
"One act of sin by Adam instantly corrupted human nature. Is it not reasonable to believe that Christ, our second Adam, can as instantly purify the soul when He is fully trusted to do it. Could Adam do in an instant, in corrupting the soul, what it must take our Lord Jesus Christ a lifetime to undo, and call in death in the end, as some think, to complete the work?" (Perfect Love, pp. 90-92)

Entire Sanctification

2008-11-30T22:52:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to post a couple of quotes out of a book I was reading recently. The motivation for this post is my concern that Christians don't believe holiness is possible anymore. That's why we constantly here preachers make comments like, "nobody's perfect," "we are all sinners," "we will always sin," etc. I'm sure that many of you automatically raised your emotional defenses because of the fact that these teachings are so commonplace and accepted in our churches. This is a subject I'm very passionate about and would love some discussion. Feel free to ask any questions or make any comments after you read the quotes below:

"Bishop Thomson, at the West Virginia Conference, in his last clerical address a few days before his death said: 'The justified and regenerate discover in themselves the remains of the carnal mind. If you accept the theory that you are sanctified when you are justified, if you find the remains of sin after you experience regeneration, you will be led to a melancholy conclusion. The opposite view, that we cannot be made pure, is equally pernicious.'

Bishop William Taylor: "It is not optional with a believer to go on to perfection or not. It is his imperative duty just as fast as the Holy Ghost gives him light and applies the command to his conscience. After the soul is established in the grace of pardon wherein he stands, the Holy Sanctifier sheds increasing light into the heart of the young believer and reveals its inherent depravity to an alarming degree. . . . Our only safety is to obey God and go on to perfection."

Dr. Asa Mahan (president of Oberlin College): "Both blessings, justification and entire sanctification, stand distinctly revealed in the Word of God as available on the same conditions, and for the same identical reasons; they are objects of faith and expectation, and the individual who professes to have received the one blessing makes no more incredible profession than he who professes to have received the other. Through faith, it is the privilege and duty of every believer to be saved to the uttermost, sanctified wholly, and his spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless; for after regeneration, there awaits the faith of the believer 'the promise of the Father,' the Holy Ghost."

Bishop Mallalieu: "From the very first years of my ministry I have held with Adam Clarke, Richard Watson, John Fletcher, and John Wesley that regeneration and sanctification are separate and distinct one from the other and therefore received at different times. They are both received by faith, and the last one is the privilege of every believer as the first is of every penitent."

Taken from

Foundations of Doctrine

In Scripture and Experience

by Harry E. Jessop, D.D.

President Emeritus of Vennard College

That We Might Live and Die!

2008-10-04T16:01:00.000-04:00

After so long, I finally have an opportunity to complete what I started with the previous blog post. To recap, the point I was making was that God was willing to consider us friends and give His life for us, so we should return the favor. How many times do we consciously live with the willingness to die for God as He did for us. Although that is a good intention, it is not what Jesus taught nor what we are commanded in the Scriptures.

Jesus did not die for us so that we would die for Him. Rather, Jesus led by example by coming to live for God and die for others. Likewise, we are to live for God and die for others. Although we are taught to be willing to die, the reason for that death is what God would challenge us with. Jesus said,

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt. 5:43-48 (NRSV)

Therefore, the challenge presented to us is not whether we are willing to live and die for God, but whether we are willing to live for God and die for others. Verse upon verse upon verse we see this teaching supported throughout the scriptures. First, we can search for scriptures that talk about why Christ died and we will find that Christ died that we may live (Jn 3:16; 10:10-11; Ro 6:23; 8:2; 2Co 5:15). Secondly, we can search for scriptures that talk about why we should die and we will find that the overwhelming lesson is that we are to die for others to live (2Co 1:3-7; 4:12; Co 1:24)

In conclusion, Jesus’ lesson found in John 12 is a great illustration:

24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. (John 12:24-26)

May we be that seed in the hand of God willing to be sown and die for the sake of bearing fruit for the sower.

He Died That We Might

2008-09-18T23:01:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest revelations that I ever got from God was that He is my friend. This revelation consumed me for months. I have even studied and preached about it on many occasions. When talking about this subject it is nearly impossible to skip over John 15:11 which says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." The last time I taught about this I challenged my listeners to flip this verse around and apply it to oneself. Rather than seeing it as Jesus being the good friend that gives His life for us (which is so true), why don't WE be His friend and give our lives for Him? Besides, He already died for us so the natural response should be that we die for Him. I have preached that message many times and every time it has been anointed. However, today God showed me that it was somewhat inaccurate.

I believe the heart of the message is good and it is a great lesson. In fact, it's good enough to stand on it's own as a devotional. But there is something just not quite right about it.

Want to know what it is? Stay tuned. . . It's gonna be good!

In the mean time, feel free to share your thoughts.

God is in the Bringing Back Business

2008-09-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

Is. 35:10 "and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighning will flee away."

Is 60:4-5 "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. - Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come."

God desires to bring his people back. But not back to what they think or want. God will not be put in a box. He's bringing his people back to true holiness and devotion. To a place of true communion with him. A place where we can dwell in the intimacy and splendor of His glory.

Moses was sent to bring God's people back to the promised land. Back to the place God intended for them from the start.

We are not to look back at a season or experience in our lives and desire for God to bring us to that. We are to look forward to the glory of God and the promised land that God intended for us from the beginning and desire for God to bring us back to that.

Look forward and ask God to bring you back to that!

Joseph (a symbol of Jesus) was pleased to go through what he went through in order to bring his family back. However, Joseph did not lead them back to the physical promised land (Canaan), but to Egypt. This is another example of God not being confined to a box. God's idea of bringing us back may be to pass us through Egypt.

We must come to a place where our desire is for God to bring us back into his purposes and not confine him to our idea of what that looks like.

Bring me back Jesus! Bring me back to your promised land; not my idea of it!

Jesus came to bring us back. He is happy to have gone through what He went through for us in order to bring us back into His plan. May we not confine him into our intellectual boxes or preconceived boxes and allow him the joy of completing what he came to start. What he came to bring us back to.

Hide and Seek

2008-09-13T08:51:00.000-04:00

Could it be that God is so much like us that He longs to find someone to play Hide and Seek with? I believe there is not a place in the world or a culture that ever existed that did not have a special fondness for that classic game. Maybe we got this from our Heavenly Father. Proverbs 2:1-5 teaches that God has made "the knowledge of God" something worth searching for. It uses phrases like, "making your ear attentive," "inclining your heart," "cry out," "raise your voice," "SEEK," "SEARCH FOR," and "HIDDEN TREASURES." The Hebrew word for "knowledge" here comes from the same word used in Genesis when "Adam knew Eve." What a deep level of "knowledge" desired by our God. In many ways, too deep to understand. However, not too deep to seek to understand (or know)! More specifically, the word "knowledge" means to know something as a result of using your senses. When we think about it, it makes perfect sense because our senses are just as much gifts from God as any other gift. In fact, they are probably the most precious gifts because without them any type of relationship is impossible. One could argue that most of our physical senses are included in the scriptures at hand. Hearing = "making your ear attentive," feeling = "inclining your heart," speaking = "raise your voice," seeing = "seek," and "search for." However, one very important sense is still missing. It is the sense of taste. God has reserved this sense for the "finding" part of the game. Once we reach our goal and find Him, we get to "taste and see that the Lord is good." Therefore, the question is: are we using our senses, all of them, to "know" Him? May God help us to be children who love to seek and find the most valuable treasure of all. Just as importantly, may God help us to play according to His rules, where He is the “hider” and we are the “seekers.” Just as it would not be fair to hide outside the bounds of the play area and not make yourself findable to the seeker, it would also not be fair to finally be found and then refuse to seek.

Just Be, Know We Are, and Therefore Do. (Part 2)

2008-09-03T18:18:00.000-04:00

There are two extremes that we must learn from:

One extreme is to feel like we're not doing enough because we compare ourselves to our past. These deceptive feelings may come from a mentality that we must meet certain requirements or expectations in order for God to be pleased with us. When we think like this, we begin to compare ourselves and have expectations and requirements for ourselves that God is not intending. Rebuke this feeling and rebuke this condemnation in the name of Jesus.

We must recognize that God loves us. There is nothing we can do or not do to earn or lose his love. Therefore, it's not about doing, just being. Just being and recognizing that we are. We should not allow ourselves to believe that God will not be pleased with us unless we pray so many hours and read so many chapters. What we do does not determine how much we love him or how pleased he is with us.

The other extreme is to feel like we're doing too much because God doesn't desire sacrifice. We recognize that we don't feel like we used to and therefore not do anything because we don't think it's from the "heart."

We must recognize that we are called to be people of faith. Not feeling. Not emotion. Faith! That means that we go forward with what is right whether we feel like it or not. Doing what is right even if it feels like we're faking it. Who cares what it feels like? Away with you deceptive feelings. Is it not more meaningful to do what is right when we don't feel like it? Was Jesus not using the same principle when comparing loving someone who loves you to loving someone who hates you?

In conclusion, some of us fall into one extreme while others fall into the other and some even fall into both. Let us live a life a balance. Recognizing which exteme we may be tempted with and being more than overcomers in the name of Jesus. To keep it simple: Just be, know we are, and therefore do.

Just Be, Know We Are, and Therefore Do. (Part 1)

2008-09-03T17:49:00.000-04:00

Psalm 51:16-1716 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

God desires our hearts, not our actions. Although one's actions may bring joy to his heart, that is not his major concern. His desire is that we would desire him. Oh that we may desire him with the passion and fervency with which he desires us. With everything in us. That we would long for him. Yearn for him. Live for him. Die for him.

However, the truth is that we are not always like that. Most of us could probably pinpoint a time in our past when that was true, but not today. A time when we were closer to him. When he consumed our thoughts and actions and motives. When he was our all in all.

I recently heard the phrase, "fake it till you make it." A phrase that most likely rubs Christians the wrong way because we don't want anything fake. It is not noble. It is not right. We desire for everything about us to be genuine. Especially those things that are of most importance to us. It is almost offensive to hear the suggestion of "faking it till we make it."

Shall we then quit. Shall we then stop praying the prayers that were birthed during a more intimate moment with him or doing the things that were birthed through our past times of fellowship with Jesus. The thought of withholding from something because we do not feel that it comes from the heart seems noble. However, it is a lie from the enemy. It is just like the enemy to trick us into doing something wrong and feeling that it is noble. That mindset is nothing but the enemy taking advantage of the carnal attitude of living by feelings. Where is it written that feelings equal heart? Since when do our emotions equal truth?

Alpha and Omega

2008-09-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

God both is and at the same time desires to be the Alpha and Omega. He is because of the very meaning of that term. The term "Alpha and Omega" refers to being the beginning and the end. Revelation 1:8 explains it as meaning, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore if He ever was the Alpha and Omega, He also always will be. Regardless of what I do, say, believe, etc., He will always be the Alpha and Omega.

Why then do I submit to you that He desires to be the Alpha and Omega. If He is in very essence Alpha and Omega, how then could He at the same time desire to be something He already is? Answer: because there are times that He is not Alpha and Omega. When it comes to His very essence, He always is, but when it comes to our relation to Him, He sometimes is not. I ask you: Is He really the Alpha and Omega of your life. Is He the first thing on your mind in the morning and the last at night? Is He what consumes your thoughts and actions throughout the day? Is He the consuming motivation behind your existence?

With these questions in mind, I submit to you: God both is and at the same time desires to be the Alpha and Omega. God desires to be the Alpha and Omega of our hearts. He passionately longs to be our consuming motivation for existence. Our reason for living! May He always be the Alpha and Omega of our hearts. Especially since we always are the Alpha and Omega of His.

Pregnant with the Divine - Original Devotional blog from Keri's site

2008-09-01T18:28:00.000-04:00

So. . . I feel a lot of pressure right now because this is my first blog post ever. What if I say something stupid or completely misspel something? My goal is to share something deep and inspiring. So . . . OK, now there is major pressure. I guess I'll just let you in on my possible sermon for tomorrow in the prison. About 3 weeks ago I spoke about being pregnant with the Divine at the Relentless ministry. I'll probably expand on that tomorrow. I want to talk about how God impregnates us with His divine vision for our lives. Not that that's not big enough in and of itself, but it's even deeper than that. Not only does God have a plan and purpose and specific calling for our lives, but He also makes us all Marys'. That's right - You Are Mary. Why? Because the moment you gave your life to Jesus, you became pregnant with the Divine. Not only with His plan or purpose, but with HIM. Jesus himself is growing on the inside of you and me. Anyways, we can go on and on from there and expound on this, but I'll leave that to you.

The Spark

2008-09-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel like God places little devotionals on my heart. I started writing them about a year ago, but I haven't written any in a long time. After posting a devotional blog on Keri's site, it encouraged me to continue seeking God for these little devotionals. It's actually motivating me to do them on a daily basis again. I hope to publish them one day, but we'll see what happens. Feel free to comment.