God has established a test for man/woman. This test has been put in place by God to determine if the man will obey his God or not. The test itself is very simple, but the sad truth is most men do not even know that the test exists, or if they do many are not willing to take it and the ones that do mostly fail. The test is easy, the taking of the test is not. This test is found in
Exodus 15:25-26. (read this before you go on).
The test is all about choices. God will observe the choices a man makes. How the man does on the test is strictly up to him (the man not God). This test is all about TRUST. Who is the man going to trust with his life? Himself or God? The choice is between man's way or God's way.
The questions for the test have been established by God. The first question is, " Will you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God, or more easily said, when you stand before an issue of life, a trouble spot along your journey through life, will you look to Me (God) by looking at My Word first with all your heart for your answer, or will you look to yourself and the world you live in and obtain your answer from them?" God will observe you in the time of crisis. Who do you seek first? Who do you diligently run to first? To pass God's test you must choose Him first!
The second question is, "if you do the first question right and diligently seek God first, then number two is, will you go and do what He (God) says or will you choose another way?" God's way may look hard and unexplainable but that's only because it is unfamiliar. The world's way may make sense and be very explainable only because that is the familiar way. The test is, "will you go and do what God has said", for if you do this will be right in God's sight and very pleasing to Him, for God will see your heart, that you are truly trusting Him with your life and because you have chosen God over yourself He will reward you (Heb 11:6) by pouring out blessings upon you which in turn will be the direct response to the issue that stands before you.
In this particular verse in Ex 15:26, God's reward to the ones who pass the test is, " I am the Lord your God Who heals you". God Himself becomes your Healer because you passed His test. This is His promise to you, "I am whatever you need Me to be, if I have declared it in My Word, then I will watch over it and do it in your life because you have passed My (faith) test.
Now there is one more thing you must know about this test. God requires you to take the test more than once, and you'll have to pass it each time to receive His reward for your accomplishment. Each new issue of life comes with it's own test, but I will say this, it gets easier to pass every time you take it because your confidence and trust in God keeps growing. God keeps getting bigger in your sight and the issues of life keep getting smaller.
God wants you to pass His test. He has made it easy for us because He has made it an open book test, but the choice to open the book and look at it to find God's way out of the situation that stands before us is yours and mine. Then our next choice after we find out what God says about it is, "Will we do it? If we will, then God says, "He will".
That's the test in a nut shell. Are you willing to take the test? Are you willing to pass the test? Maybe this will encourage you from God's word in 2 Chronicles 16:9, "for the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth looking for people whose hearts are loyal (seek Him first) toward Him, so that (here comes the reward) He can show His great power in helping them". Such a great promise from our God.
If you've never taken this test than do it. If you've taken this test and failed, take it again, as many times as it takes, pass it, and receive God's reward for doing it His way. Once you've passed this test, keep on taking it and pass it each time knowing that God is faithful to His Word and He will never let you down when you do it His way, that His promise to you.
Now go and read James 1:25 for a confirming word in what you have just read.
Be Blessed!!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Count it All Joy. Are You Kidding Me?
Every issue of life, every situation I find myself in is an opportunity for me to know more about my God and His Word. When I'm confronted with a challenge and a mountain stands before me, my first thought must be, "what does God's word say about this?". When I look into the word and see what it says, I have just had the opportunity to know more about my God then I did before. God makes Himself known through His word and this is how I grow to know Him.
2 Sam 7:21 says, " for your words sake, and according to Your (God's) own heart, You have done all these great things, (why?) to make your servant know them (them what? Your words)". What great things was King David talking about? Every time David was in trouble or was being challenged, God delivered him. Every time God did this, it was a great thing in the sight of David and through every situation, David grew to know God more and more. He became more confident with God's word after each and every rescue and deliverance. So what did David discover and come to know through these different situations? 2 Sam 7:22 gives us the answer. David came to this conclusion, " Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any other God besides You". David would of never known God this way for himself if he had not walked with God and His word through these different challenges and trials and let me say right here, you won't know Him either unless you do what David did.
It works the same for you and me. The great things of God in our lives is whatever God does in our lives according to what He has said in His word to us. If I find myself sick one day and my first thought is, " what does God's word say about sickness?", then I go and look at the word and it says, " by His stripes you (Terry)were healed", then I choose to believe that word and that God will watch over that word to perform it by healing my body. This manifestation of healing truly now becomes a great event of God in my life and I come through it knowing more about my God and trusting Him all the more.
I never really was able to understand James when he said in in James 1:2, "count it all joy when you fall into various trials." I would always look at the trial and become wearied by it and discouraged. I was not joyful but fretful. But now with this new found understanding of God and His ways, I now realize that when the trial appears, I can be joyful from the fact of knowing that whatever stands before me is an opportunity to know my God and His word in a whole new way. I'm going to learn more about my God through this trial, something I would never of learned if I was not in this situation. When this attitude of joy shows up as I face this trial, it drives the devil nuts, because he has come to steal, kill, and destroy and when he sees joy instead of pain and suffering, he knows he is defeated in my life (Phil 1:28). The devil was counting on me to be upset and hurting, but here I am joyful. The devil is no match for the man/woman who is filled with the joy of the Lord, for that joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and that Godly strength will whip the devil every time. Jesus already proved that and defeated Him. All we have to do is what Jesus did, hold fast to the Word to enforce the devil's defeat in our lives and make him a footstool for Jesus to put His feet on (Heb 10:12-13). Now that's a great picture isn't it?
So whatever you are facing today, count it all joy because if you choose to go to God's word and see what His way of escape is for you, and you go ahead and do what you found out, when you get to the other side of that problem, you'll know God a whole lot more then before you started.
I must admit, I actually feel joyful as I look at the mountain standing before me today. As soon as I quit writing, I'm looking into God's word for my way out and through it all I will know my God all the more. Now that thought alone is a good and joyful thought. I get the sense that the devil is getting nervous, he's never seen me quite this way and he knows he is about to get kicked out of my life. Oh Yeah, I'm feeling better already. It's time to look into that powerful word of God!!
2 Sam 7:21 says, " for your words sake, and according to Your (God's) own heart, You have done all these great things, (why?) to make your servant know them (them what? Your words)". What great things was King David talking about? Every time David was in trouble or was being challenged, God delivered him. Every time God did this, it was a great thing in the sight of David and through every situation, David grew to know God more and more. He became more confident with God's word after each and every rescue and deliverance. So what did David discover and come to know through these different situations? 2 Sam 7:22 gives us the answer. David came to this conclusion, " Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any other God besides You". David would of never known God this way for himself if he had not walked with God and His word through these different challenges and trials and let me say right here, you won't know Him either unless you do what David did.
It works the same for you and me. The great things of God in our lives is whatever God does in our lives according to what He has said in His word to us. If I find myself sick one day and my first thought is, " what does God's word say about sickness?", then I go and look at the word and it says, " by His stripes you (Terry)were healed", then I choose to believe that word and that God will watch over that word to perform it by healing my body. This manifestation of healing truly now becomes a great event of God in my life and I come through it knowing more about my God and trusting Him all the more.
I never really was able to understand James when he said in in James 1:2, "count it all joy when you fall into various trials." I would always look at the trial and become wearied by it and discouraged. I was not joyful but fretful. But now with this new found understanding of God and His ways, I now realize that when the trial appears, I can be joyful from the fact of knowing that whatever stands before me is an opportunity to know my God and His word in a whole new way. I'm going to learn more about my God through this trial, something I would never of learned if I was not in this situation. When this attitude of joy shows up as I face this trial, it drives the devil nuts, because he has come to steal, kill, and destroy and when he sees joy instead of pain and suffering, he knows he is defeated in my life (Phil 1:28). The devil was counting on me to be upset and hurting, but here I am joyful. The devil is no match for the man/woman who is filled with the joy of the Lord, for that joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and that Godly strength will whip the devil every time. Jesus already proved that and defeated Him. All we have to do is what Jesus did, hold fast to the Word to enforce the devil's defeat in our lives and make him a footstool for Jesus to put His feet on (Heb 10:12-13). Now that's a great picture isn't it?
So whatever you are facing today, count it all joy because if you choose to go to God's word and see what His way of escape is for you, and you go ahead and do what you found out, when you get to the other side of that problem, you'll know God a whole lot more then before you started.
I must admit, I actually feel joyful as I look at the mountain standing before me today. As soon as I quit writing, I'm looking into God's word for my way out and through it all I will know my God all the more. Now that thought alone is a good and joyful thought. I get the sense that the devil is getting nervous, he's never seen me quite this way and he knows he is about to get kicked out of my life. Oh Yeah, I'm feeling better already. It's time to look into that powerful word of God!!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Stop the Worry, Do it God's way
If you are at a place where you find yourself thinking and meditating about a problem that stands before you, then you must know that you are at a place that God does not want you to be at. As a matter of fact, God is displeased when we stand at this place of worry and concern, for your actions display to God that you have no confidence or faith in Him to take care of you and see you through to the other side of that problem.
If you are worrying about something, then realize that you have exalted yourself above God's throne. (I know that you didn't intend to do that, but never the less, you have exalted yourself above God and taken His rightful place). That which He is responsible for, you have taken upon yourself and God never intended for you to do that. Actually when you worry, you are in outright disobedience to God for He has said, "be anxious for nothing" (Phil 4:6). If you are anxious about the problem that stands before you, then you have turned away from what God has said for you to do which now makes you responsible for the answer and removal of the problem, and in this state of being or mind, you have every right to be anxious and worried.
But God has said in His word that when you find yourself at this anxious place then it's time for you to be a doer of the word and the word that He would have you do is found in 1 Pet 5:6-8. What this word is saying is that if you are worrying, you have exalted yourself to Lord over that situation and you have exalted your throne above God's. He declares that you must recognize that this is wrong, confess it before the Lord and repent by humbling yourself, bowing your knee to Jesus and exalting Him over your problem. The way you exalt Him is by doing verse 7, casting all your care (of that problem) over onto Him, then leaving it there. The way you leave it there is by doing verse 8, resist the devil when he tries to put the worries back on you. You must resist that temptation to take that worry back and hold fast believing that Jesus is holding onto that care and He will see you through because He cares for you.
This is called living by faith, not by how you feel or think about it. This is the way God designed man/woman to live. It is the highest level of life that man can experience. It's the life of faith. Trusting God and not leaning to your own understanding. It's doing it God's way and not your way.
So, are you worrying about something right now? Well, I was and that is why God spoke these words to me and I'm thankful He did. For I have done what He said to do and now I'm walking free from that care. (the care is still there, it hasn't gone anywhere, but I no longer have possession of that care, I gave it to Jesus, for He is my Faithful Lord and High Priest and He will watch over His word to perform it and bring it to it's desired end).
This is truly the intent of this blog site. My prayer is that you will have the opportunity to learn God's ways through my experiences with Him in hope that it will prepare you for those things down the road that we all will face, it's called "the issues of life". But the good news is, "God is able, therefore that makes me able if I'll put my trust in Him".
I pray you trust Him today with that care you have been holding onto. It's time to be free!!
If you are worrying about something, then realize that you have exalted yourself above God's throne. (I know that you didn't intend to do that, but never the less, you have exalted yourself above God and taken His rightful place). That which He is responsible for, you have taken upon yourself and God never intended for you to do that. Actually when you worry, you are in outright disobedience to God for He has said, "be anxious for nothing" (Phil 4:6). If you are anxious about the problem that stands before you, then you have turned away from what God has said for you to do which now makes you responsible for the answer and removal of the problem, and in this state of being or mind, you have every right to be anxious and worried.
But God has said in His word that when you find yourself at this anxious place then it's time for you to be a doer of the word and the word that He would have you do is found in 1 Pet 5:6-8. What this word is saying is that if you are worrying, you have exalted yourself to Lord over that situation and you have exalted your throne above God's. He declares that you must recognize that this is wrong, confess it before the Lord and repent by humbling yourself, bowing your knee to Jesus and exalting Him over your problem. The way you exalt Him is by doing verse 7, casting all your care (of that problem) over onto Him, then leaving it there. The way you leave it there is by doing verse 8, resist the devil when he tries to put the worries back on you. You must resist that temptation to take that worry back and hold fast believing that Jesus is holding onto that care and He will see you through because He cares for you.
This is called living by faith, not by how you feel or think about it. This is the way God designed man/woman to live. It is the highest level of life that man can experience. It's the life of faith. Trusting God and not leaning to your own understanding. It's doing it God's way and not your way.
So, are you worrying about something right now? Well, I was and that is why God spoke these words to me and I'm thankful He did. For I have done what He said to do and now I'm walking free from that care. (the care is still there, it hasn't gone anywhere, but I no longer have possession of that care, I gave it to Jesus, for He is my Faithful Lord and High Priest and He will watch over His word to perform it and bring it to it's desired end).
This is truly the intent of this blog site. My prayer is that you will have the opportunity to learn God's ways through my experiences with Him in hope that it will prepare you for those things down the road that we all will face, it's called "the issues of life". But the good news is, "God is able, therefore that makes me able if I'll put my trust in Him".
I pray you trust Him today with that care you have been holding onto. It's time to be free!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Benefit of Knowing Jesus
Every Christian believer eventually gets to that place in their spiritual growth to where they want to know how to tap into the power of God for their lives. 2 Pet 1:3-4 tells us how that happens. Before you continue on with this post, read this scripture and allow God to speak to your heart what He is saying to you about His divine power and how He has made it available to you, then what God has revealed to me might be more clearer to your understanding.
God's divine power is released to the believer through His word. (Now remember, Jesus is the Word made flesh, John 1:1&14. To know Jesus is to know the word. The more you know Him, the more He will reveal to you).
God's divine power covers any situation in life that a man/woman will encounter. There is nothing in life that a man faces that God doesn't have the answer for. But to know this divine power and how it works, you must first know Jesus. (I didn't say "know of Him or about Him", I said "you MUST KNOW HIM as your best friend". This knowing Jesus is a living relationship with Him. To know Him is to walk every step with Him. It's through this relationship that Jesus makes known His divine power that is available to all men/women who will believe Him.
But just knowing that divine power is available, will not benefit me. It's when that divine power is revealed to me and at work in my life that makes the difference. That divine power can only be at work in my life by my receiving it. The way I receive from it God is by FAITH. This is the only way that you can receive anything from God. You must believe Him to receive from Him. And the only way to believe Him is to believe what He says. To believe what He says you must believe His words. To believe His words, you must know His words, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).
Now God has said, " My divine power has given unto you all things that pertain to life"(2Pet 1:3). That is His promise to man/woman. (Now this next thing that God has to say to us might be somewhat difficult for some to swallow. You may have to chew on this piece of meat for awhile before you swallow it.) If we are lacking anything that we need in life, understand this, it's not God's fault, it's ours. (Are you willing to accept that responsibility? You must if you are going to go God's way!). It's our lack of knowledge or the lack of doing what we know that creates needs and lack in our lives. God says, " My people perish for a LACK OF KNOWLEDGE" (Hosea 4:6). This scripture goes on to say " Because you (yes, that means you and me) have rejected knowledge, I (God) will reject you.........". Do you know God this way? The God who gives you a responsible part to play to walk in His blessings. Most of the church does not know God this way and that is why we see so much failure and people perishing, but God has revealed everything that a man needs to know how to live life successfully and fully, but He requires that man to seek Him and His ways. (Most don't!) How about you? Be one that does!
God would have you live long on the earth, but man shortens his life because of a lack of knowledge of God's word. You must understand this truth of God also, " God is not moved by our need, God is only moved by faith". God will move heaven and earth to get to the man/woman who is believing Him. The failure that is observed in the church today has nothing to do with God changing His ways and not doing something He once did. Better said, it's man not doing what Jesus did when He walked this earth as a man. Jesus believed the Father and He received from the Father. (Eph 1: 19-20). We must believe this way also if we are going to receive from the Father, and all things that pertain to life.
If you are in need today, sit down with Jesus and let Him reveal His source of supply to fulfill that need. The most important thing you'll do today will be getting to know Him, for if you do, all things are available to you. The more we know Him, the more that will be revealed to us. If you find yourself at that place not knowing what to do, then know this fact, everything you need to know is in Him (Jesus), and the more you know Him, the more you'll know what to do.
My plan today is to know Him more, how about you?
God's divine power is released to the believer through His word. (Now remember, Jesus is the Word made flesh, John 1:1&14. To know Jesus is to know the word. The more you know Him, the more He will reveal to you).
God's divine power covers any situation in life that a man/woman will encounter. There is nothing in life that a man faces that God doesn't have the answer for. But to know this divine power and how it works, you must first know Jesus. (I didn't say "know of Him or about Him", I said "you MUST KNOW HIM as your best friend". This knowing Jesus is a living relationship with Him. To know Him is to walk every step with Him. It's through this relationship that Jesus makes known His divine power that is available to all men/women who will believe Him.
But just knowing that divine power is available, will not benefit me. It's when that divine power is revealed to me and at work in my life that makes the difference. That divine power can only be at work in my life by my receiving it. The way I receive from it God is by FAITH. This is the only way that you can receive anything from God. You must believe Him to receive from Him. And the only way to believe Him is to believe what He says. To believe what He says you must believe His words. To believe His words, you must know His words, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).
Now God has said, " My divine power has given unto you all things that pertain to life"(2Pet 1:3). That is His promise to man/woman. (Now this next thing that God has to say to us might be somewhat difficult for some to swallow. You may have to chew on this piece of meat for awhile before you swallow it.) If we are lacking anything that we need in life, understand this, it's not God's fault, it's ours. (Are you willing to accept that responsibility? You must if you are going to go God's way!). It's our lack of knowledge or the lack of doing what we know that creates needs and lack in our lives. God says, " My people perish for a LACK OF KNOWLEDGE" (Hosea 4:6). This scripture goes on to say " Because you (yes, that means you and me) have rejected knowledge, I (God) will reject you.........". Do you know God this way? The God who gives you a responsible part to play to walk in His blessings. Most of the church does not know God this way and that is why we see so much failure and people perishing, but God has revealed everything that a man needs to know how to live life successfully and fully, but He requires that man to seek Him and His ways. (Most don't!) How about you? Be one that does!
God would have you live long on the earth, but man shortens his life because of a lack of knowledge of God's word. You must understand this truth of God also, " God is not moved by our need, God is only moved by faith". God will move heaven and earth to get to the man/woman who is believing Him. The failure that is observed in the church today has nothing to do with God changing His ways and not doing something He once did. Better said, it's man not doing what Jesus did when He walked this earth as a man. Jesus believed the Father and He received from the Father. (Eph 1: 19-20). We must believe this way also if we are going to receive from the Father, and all things that pertain to life.
If you are in need today, sit down with Jesus and let Him reveal His source of supply to fulfill that need. The most important thing you'll do today will be getting to know Him, for if you do, all things are available to you. The more we know Him, the more that will be revealed to us. If you find yourself at that place not knowing what to do, then know this fact, everything you need to know is in Him (Jesus), and the more you know Him, the more you'll know what to do.
My plan today is to know Him more, how about you?
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