Put the Power of God’s Word to Work for You
Posted on September 26, 2012 3 Comments
Has anyone ever said to you, what will be will be? Don’t believe that lie! God has given you much more influence over the events of your life than that. Indeed, God is sovereign, but in His sovereignty, He has established certain laws and principles that are always true and that are for our benefit. When we understand those laws and act in accordance with them, they work consistently and predictably.
One of those immutable laws is that of
Jesus Will Turn It Around
Posted on September 18, 2012 12 Comments
Do not believe it when your mind tells you it’s over. Just because it looks bad today does not mean it will be bad tomorrow. Ruth is a witness.
Her past was horrendous. Her present dismal. Her future bleak. At least that’s how Ruth was feeling about life. Ten years earlier, her mother-in-law, Naomi, had left Israel for Moab to escape a famine with her husband and two sons. Now, tragically, she was returning home a widow and childless, with nothing to her name. Her husband and both of her sons had died. Ruth, her loyal daughter-in-law, was accompanying her on her journey, a young, childless widow herself.
Both Naomi and Ruth felt their lives were over. They saw no joy in their future. But this was not the end of the story. You see, when God is in the picture, the story is never over until His child wins.
What happened next? Ruth went out to find food, and she just “happened” to come to the field of a man named Boaz. Now, Boaz just “happened” to be a close relative of Naomi, who just “happened” to be a very wealthy man, who just “happened” to love Ruth at first sight, who just “happened” to be her kinsman redeemer.
Now, that’s a whole lot of “just happenings,” but I love how things “just happens” when the Lord is taking care of us. And how He can turn things around one-hundred eighty degrees for us. That’s what He did for Ruth. And that’s what He’ll do for you when your situation requires it.
The death of Ruth’s husband left her without a child and without a future. But when God blessed her with Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, things turned around completely. Not only did Boaz provide her with the love of a caring husband and supplied all her material needs, God gave them a son, Obed, making her the great grandmother of King David and putting her in the blood line of Jesus, the Son of God. What a turn around! Her life was never the same.
Child of God, don’t give up when things seem hopeless. Jesus is your kinsman-redeemer. He’s your close relative because He became a human-being like you. He’s extremely wealthy, having ownership of heaven and earth, and everything in between. And like Boaz, He loved you at first sight and took you under His wings. You are the bride of Christ!
Lift up your head. Beautify yourself. Your story is still being written. Don’t allow yourself to put a period where God has put comma. If Boaz could turn things around for Ruth so completely, can you imagine what Jesus, your heavenly Boaz, your kinsman-redeemer, will do for you?
Do This And Live
Posted on September 12, 2012 6 Comments
The stench of death filled the air. The snakes were biting. People were dying. And they kept dying until God revealed the cure. “Do this and you will live!”
Do what? “Make a bronze serpent and hang it on a pole. Then if anyone Read More
Life At Its Best
Posted on September 4, 2012 4 Comments
From the way people talk and many Christians act, you would think Jesus came to found a cemetery and make us as much like dead people as possible. Ask a typical person who a Christian is and don’t be surprised if he tells you a Christian is someone who does not smoke, drink, cuss or fornicate, and does not enjoy his life. But if that is what makes a person a Christian, then the place to find the best Christians in town is in the local cemetery because you will not find joy there, and you will never catch them cussing, smoking, drinking, or fornicating.
Now, no sincere Christian will practice sin since grace teaches him or her to say no to ungodliness and worldly lusts. But a person is not a Christian just because he or she does not do certain things. And the church is not a cemetery filled with lifeless people!
To the contrary, Jesus came to give life to the dead. Listen to Him speak:
“The thief did not come but to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and that more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
It could not be more clear. He came to make dead men live. He came so that men would experience life “more abundantly.”
Jesus is using a superlative to help us understand how full a life He came to give us. Abundant life is life that is fuller than full, greater than great, and better than best. It is a life that has both earthly significance and eternal ramifications. It is life that is both challenging and immensely satisfying.
The source of abundant life is Jesus Himself. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He said. “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And later John writes in 1 John 5:12, “He who has the Son has life.”
Here we find the true definition of a Christian and he is not merely one who does not practice sin. No, he is much more than that. He is the person who has the Son–that is, the one into whom Jesus has come, and through whom Jesus is living.
And that my friend, Jesus living and working in you, both to will and do His good pleasure, is life at its best. No, it’s life that is better than best! It’s life abundant.
A bumper sticker I read some time ago captures this truth well. “No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.”
I am glad I accepted His offer of life years ago and started to look to Him daily to live through me. What a difference He has made for me! I know He can do the same for you too.
Goodness and Mercy
Posted on August 28, 2012 9 Comments
Many people cannot enjoy life because they are constantly worried about what tomorrow might bring—will they be able to take care of themselves; will their spouse leave them; will they lose their job; will they come down with some incurable disease; suppose such and such happens, and on and on. But there is no reason for a child of God to live in fear of tomorrow. When you know that the Lord is your Shepherd, and that you are in His loving care, you can live in peace.
Listen to what David had to say in Psalm 23: “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” What confidence! What boldness! What freedom! What a way to think and what a way to live! He could have thought, “Hopefully”, or “Perhaps”, goodness will follow me, but instead, he said, “Surely!” There is absoluteness in his expectation of God’s goodness and mercy that is without compromise or exception.
He does not know how long he will live, but it does not matter at all to him; he is absolutely certain that as long as he lives, goodness and mercy will be his portion. Not just goodness, and not just mercy, but goodness and mercy!
I like it when God interjects the conjunction “and” into His promises because it assures me that He is covering all bases; leaving no stone unturned; ensuring that every possible scenario or need is covered. Goodness and mercy; love and joy; authority and power; grace and peace. What one blessing doesn’t take care of, the other will.
We need goodness and mercy. We need God to bless us with things we do not deserve—that’s goodness. And we need Him to protect us from the judgment we do deserve—that’s mercy. Goodness blesses us with heaven; mercy keeps us out of hell. Goodness heals us when we are sick; mercy keeps us from contracting a sickness we deserve. Goodness blesses us with a job we are not qualified for; mercy keeps us from a dismissal we had coming to us. Goodness is God giving us things we do not deserve; mercy is God holding back the judgment we do deserve because Jesus experienced it in our place.
Since the Lord is our Shepherd, we need not let fear and worry rob us of joy. We can take refuge in His goodness and mercy. Like David, we can be confident, even though we do not deserve it, He will take care of us always.
A minister was on a Trans-Atlantic flight when the flight encountered some violent turbulence. Through the great confusion and panic it brought, the minister noticed one little five-year-old girl who remained calm and composed through the ordeal. After the plane landed and as people were leaving the plane, the minister asked the little girl how she could stay so calm when many of the adults were terrified by the turbulence. Her response was, “Oh, I didn’t worry because my daddy is the pilot and he always gets me home safe!”
Thank God, you don’t have to worry either because the Lord is your Shepherd. You can count on His goodness and mercy always to get you home safe. Always!
Blessings,
Bishop Johnson
The Power In Your Mouth
Posted on August 21, 2012 1 Comment
Do you know that with your words you can cause things to live and things to die? That your success in life is connected to what you say out of your mouth? Your tongue is the most powerful member of your body. The power of death and life is actually in your mouth.
Listen to these words from the Bible.
“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the Read More
The Father’s Wish
Posted on August 14, 2012 3 Comments
I have a question for you. Can you tell me the number one reason Jesus died for you? My answer to that question used to be, “He died to forgive my sins so that I could go to heaven to be with God when I die.” I believed this until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and showed me I was wrong.
The day Adam sinned, he died spiritually. That is, his sin separated God from him and erected a barrier that remained in place for thousands of years between God and man. Man was put out of the Garden and cherubim placed at the entrance to ensure he did not re-enter. And later, during the Old Testament dispensation, God commanded Moses to place a thick veil in the tabernacle that would maintain this separation between God and man due to sin’s presence in man.
To help ameliorate the crisis caused by sin and the resulting separation, God instituted a temporary priesthood in the Old Testament that offered animal blood to atone for man’s sins. This system allowed for limited interaction between God and sinners, but never resolved the core issue of sin and spiritual death. It allowed for sins to be covered, but never removed. Consequently, the veil remained in place, the people served God at a distance, and only the High Priest once a year could go beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies. And even then, he had to observe very strict rules, or else!
And so we read in Hebrews 10:4-7,10:
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God’…and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
It is written God took no pleasure in animal sacrifices. His heart remained heavy. Why? Even though millions of bulls and goats were sacrificed, the sin issue remained unresolved and the wall of separation remained in place. God, who is love, could not be pleased as long as our sins were separating Him from us.
Jesus saw the broken heart of His Father, a loving Father who wanted intimacy and constant fellowship with the only ones He had created in His image, who wanted men to experience His love personally and intensely. Seeing that His Father’s heart was unhappy, and that the longing of the Father was to dwell with us and make His home in us, Jesus, whose love for the Father is immeasurable, requested that a body be prepared for Him. He was going to do whatever it took to do the Father’s will and bring pleasure to His Father’s heart.
And so Jesus received a body, went to the cross, became sin, was separated from God, descended into hell, suffered the full punishment for sins; and on the third day, he arose, ascended into heaven, and with His own blood sanctified us once for all!
The day He shed His blood for sinners, the veil of the temple split in two. The barrier that existed between God and sinful man came down. And for the first time, since Adam sinned, God was free to make His home in us. The Father’s wish was finally realized.
And this is what the Holy Spirit showed me! The number one reason Jesus died for me was not to make it possible for me to go to heaven to live with God when I die, but even better, to make it possible for God to dwell in me while I live! As much as Jesus loves me, I now see it was God’s desire to dwell in me and Jesus’ love for the Father that motivated Jesus the most to offer Himself to reconcile God and me.
Child of God, the longing of the Father has always been to dwell in us, to be our Father, Provider, Protector, and Friend. And thanks to Jesus, whose blood cleanses us from all sins, the Father’s wish has been accomplished. Today, God is pleased because our sins can no longer prevent Him from living in us and fellowshipping with us.
And because of this blessed reality, if your trust is in the blood of Jesus, you can enjoy uninterrupted intimacy with God. Nothing, I mean absolutely nothing can separate you from His love. Not even your sins!
Are You Good Enough?
Posted on August 7, 2012 8 Comments
How well are you doing in keeping the laws of God? Does your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? Are you good enough to make heaven?
In speaking of his brethren, the Jews, Paul wrote: “I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans10:3f). Being zealous for God was not enough to save them. They needed to Read More
Experiencing Sweatless Victory
Posted on July 30, 2012 5 Comments
The devil is not an imaginary being. He is real and so are the host of demons that do his bidding. He hates you because you are made in God’s image and he knows God loves you. He comes to steal, kill and destroy.
But do not be afraid of him. Why? Colossians 2:15 says, Jesus “disarmed” principalities and powers, and made a “public spectacle” of them, “triumphing” over them in the cross. Jesus faced the devil on the cross on our behalf, and defeated, disarmed, and disgraced him two-thousand years ago.
Since Jesus defeated him, you do not need to get into the ring with him to try to defeat him again. Your responsibility now is simply to enter into the victory the Lord won for you and enforce it. Your victory should be sweatless.
How do you experience sweatless victory? Listen to James:
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6, 7)
Here is a promise in James that when you resist the devil he will flee from you. That is, he will run away terrified. Why? Because God will give grace to the humble. In fact, He will give more grace than the situation requires. Grace is God’s undeserved favor, power and ability made available to us freely in Christ.
The secret to sweatless victory, therefore, is not to resist the devil in your own strength, but to put the grace of God to work on your behalf. And you do this through humility. In the sight of God, the truly humble person is the one who chooses not to place his confidence in his own wisdom and ability, but to put his confidence in Jesus and in the finished work of the cross.
Are you willing to elevate God’s Word of grace over your personal opinions and feelings and to confess your faith in the sufficiency of Jesus’ victory for you? When you do, the grace of God will flow freely and cause the devil to flee from you, without you having to sweat.
Thank God, we don’t need to sweat for victory anymore. Satan has been defeated, disarmed and disgraced. We simply thank, and praise and declare the victory Jesus won on the cross for us and the devil will flee.
Child of God, do you remember how in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus fought so hard that his sweat was mixed with blood? He was sweating for you. It was so that today you may have the right to enjoy sweatless victory. And that’s the way God wants it!
God Plus You
Posted on July 24, 2012 1 Comment
What would you do if the odds against you accomplishing an important goal were 450 to 1? Would that cause you to faint? Would you have the faith required to proceed?
When Israel cried out to the Lord to deliver them from the Midianites, He gave Gideon the assignment of leading Israel into battle. But Gideon protested. “Who am I? I am the least in my family, my family is the least in my clan, my clan is the least in my tribe, and my tribe is the least in Israel.” Gideon felt totally inadequate, and he was! Furthermore, he was a farmer with absolutely no military experience.
The assignment was even more impossible because of the tremendous superiority of the Midianite military over Israel’s. They were far better equipped. And they outnumbered Israel four to one.
But the Lord did a strange thing. He reduced Gideon’s small army even further, until Gideon was left with only 300 men to fight an army of 140,000. Talking about being outnumbered, for every one of Gideon’s men, there were now more than 450 heavily armed Midianite soldiers.
“Then the Lord said to Gideon, ‘By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand.’ ” (Judges 7:7 NKJV)
This was humanly impossible, but God did exactly what He said. We read in chapter 8:28, “Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.”
Wow, what a lesson for us to know when we are faced with impossible odds!
So today, if the doctors have told you that you have no chance of recovering, or your financial condition is so bad that you can’t see how you can ever make it, or you have a job to do that is far beyond your natural ability, do not faint. Think of Gideon, and then, remind yourself that God loves to get involved when the odds are heavily against you.
Child of God, do not give up when things look bleak and hopeless. The truth is that God does His best work when we can’t. When we are weakest, we are strongest because His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Remember, no matter the odds, God plus you will always be enough. No, God plus you will always be more than enough!
A Moment of Grace 