Matthew 7:24-27  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.  But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.  When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Being a student of Jesus isn’t really that difficult if we can read and obey. He even left us the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth, counsels us and provides us with the power needed to be bold witnesses for him in our daily lives. Here’s the clincher; no one wants to follow anymore. But Jesus was clear when he said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” He never intended us to lead, but in our following him, others will follow us. 

We’re all going after the same thing; Jesus. We’re all running toward the same prize; Jesus. He was clear that in our pursuit of righteousness we are not to seek righteousness, but seek Him. We are not to seek money, but seek Him. We are not to seek love, but seek Him for He is Love. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says,^“Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.”

Because of the evil things they want. Wow! Our desire as Christians must be Jesus, not the things of this world. We must seek to be like Him in every sense of the word until our lives are lost in His life. Like the song goes, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Jesus, I want to sit under your teaching, to know you in all of your fullness. There is just so much to learn and I haven’t always been a good student, but help me. Help me not be distracted by what goes on around me in my job, my family, my friends or my church. I just want you because in you, I have everything I need to make it. Help me to love like you, give like you, be like you. 

We began a new series last night entitled, “Making Disciples”. Pastor Carmen set a great foundation of what a disciple was by showing us that a disciple was actually a student who followed their teacher everywhere so that they could hear, see and eventually duplicate the teacher.  When Jesus told them to follow him, he was inviting them to learn under him, to be like him, to think like him, talk like him and do what he did.

The difference between a believer and a disciple is this one major factor; one is a hearer, the other a doer. Believers are just hearers, they believe what they hear. John 5:19-20 NLT, So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.”

Did you see that? Jesus was a student of his Father. He studied under God and did what he had seen God do. Right here, he shows us how to mirror your teacher; watch, listen, do, not what you want, what your teacher wants. Our life is not our own. When we lay down our own desires and dreams to be disciples of Jesus, we change from believers to doers. The success of Gods Kingdom depends upon me realizing that it’s not about me, it’s about Him.

Please understand that I am not writing this from my own thoughts, I took lots of notes last night because it challenged me big time! You can’t take on your husbands name and do your own thing, pretending to be single. Neither can you take on the name ‘Christian’ and live like the world. Ephesians 5:1 says; Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

If we are to mirror Gods glory, we must be ever present with him, communing with him constantly, reading the Word, fellowshipping, getting direction. He said we are in the world but not a part of the world. He said to come out from among them, the worlds ways, don’t touch unclean things, be separate. Of course we would know all of this if we were disciples, right?

Our challenge last night was this:

1. Are you a believer or a follower?

2. If you evaluate your approach to Jesus, would you say he is your Lord?

At some point, we must decide. Many are called but few are chosen, why? Because it’s not an easy life! It’s a life of self-sacrifice, yielding, listening, obeying and there is not one of us who want to go through what Jesus did. We want people to like us. We don’t want to be different and stand out, we want to blend in. I find that the closer I get to God, the less I fit into the world. I feel like a misfit. I don’t do what people want me to do anymore, I just want to please my Father. Don’t think I’ve arrived at any point because I haven’t, but I press toward the mark. Each day, a part of me dies and what replaces that part is glorious light.

I will follow you, Lord. When my feet are sore and I’m too weary, I know you will carry me or stay and rest with me awhile. You’re so patient with me and I love you more than ever. Your mercy has brought me to your feet and daily I will bow my will to yours. Your Kingdom come! Your will, not mine be done!

I’m just finishing up Galatians this morning. I was reading in the New Living Translation and verses 7-10 stood out to me: 

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. We all get tired, right? Or maybe it’s just me. I have found myself weary at doing the right thing all the time, thinking of others over myself, encouraging, building up others. Sometimes we don’t see any results when we pray, but we don’t stop praying, do we? God has been showing me lately that regardless of how may times I plant corn, I will not reap peas, I get what I plant.  Then why do we insist that God give us what we haven’t planted? I see this so much in the area of finances which affects all of us all the time. If you’re generous with your money, giving to the Lord what is his and adding to it, he in turn is generous with us.  We are limited to our paychecks, God has a limitless and vast supply, wouldn’t it just make sense to get on His system of return rather than our own?

Lets touch on another matter; love. How we love others actually says how much we love God because He is love and commands us to love one another.  Have you ever been touched by love? I’m not talking sexual love, I’m talking Gods agape love. The unconditional, covering and completely selfless love of God.  I have experienced that kind of love, a love so selfless and complete that it left me weeping.

Her name is Amy which means, beloved. Amy is what I call a reflection of the Father. She’s always got a word in due season, whatever you’re in need of if she has it in her power to give it, she does. She always said her gift was hospitality but it is so much more than that. She has the ability to always see the best in me, encouraging me when I’m down, agreeing in prayer with me over my children, my husband, my body. Regardless of what I say to her, she’s never critical or judgmental. She is a gift in every sense of the word.  She could be going through the darkest day in her life and you’d never know it because she hunts for the sun in others.

Yesterday I happened on a verse from II Corinthians 3:18, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” The amazing thing about this verse is that we never see the glory in ourselves.  When we become full of the Lord, others can see what we cannot. Thats what I see in Amy. Her veil has been removed so that I see the glory of God in her. It’s not her, it’s God in her. Something happens when we give God access to our stuff, he changes it, like a caterpillar hides in a cocoon until it changes and becomes a beautiful butterfly, so God changes us into His image, the image of his love.

Father, it’s my sinful nature to be cynical, rude and hurtful but you are chaning all that. As I hide myself in you, change me into a gentle and peaceable spirit, one that reflects the glory of your goodness.  May others be changed by knowing me as I am changed knowing you and sisters who reflect you to me. I am humbled that you’ve given me such a friend and I will treasure her and all the friends you’ve placed in my life as you treasure me.

I was led to read Galatians NLT this morning and landed on this grand finale of law verses faith in chapter 3:23-29; 

²³ Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

²⁴ Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵ And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.²⁷ And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. Isn’t that a mouthful? How many of us has experienced people trying to stuff us back into the way of the law? ‘You must do a, b and c if you want to walk in the blessings of Abraham. NO! It’s because of our faith in what Christ did on the cross, he restored everything lost and gave us authority through his finished work. We are heirs of the promise simply by placing our faith in Jesus. 

If it was rule driven we’d all miss the mark, but because it’s faith driven we simply receive it. Not one of us is better than the other, we are all his, we all have the same access to the same Father through faith. And through that access, everything we need for life is available to us. One door, Jesus. One key, faith. 

Crazy, right? How foolish does it look to those who can’t figure it out, who have to ‘see it to believe it’. Hebrews 11:6 says it all, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 

So today Father, I diligently seek you. I hunger for you, earnestly long for your presence. I want to know you more than ever before. How deep is your love for me? How far will you go to rescue me? One glimpse of Jesus hanging on the cross shows me the answer. You went to great lengths to draw me back to your arms. All you wanted was relationship with me and it cost you everything to have it. I cannot in good conscience live the same anymore. I belong to you.

News flash: You have an enemy and he plans to take you out! I Peter 5:8 NLT says it this way, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

What blows my mind is how often he uses other Christians, family and friends to try to take us out. Really? Whats that all about! Seems that the love and great grace that Jesus walked in goes right out the window when we play the ‘Somebody done somebody wrong’ song. But wait, didn’t Jesus say to forgive 70 times 7? Does that only apply when we feel like it? I think not! I’ve watched marriages end, families torn apart, Christian brothers and sisters taken to court all because they wanted justice and refused to do it Gods way. Beloved, these things ought not to be!

If we could simply have our eyes open long enough to see who’s behind this, perhaps we’d spend more time in prayer than in court. More time forgiving than pressing charges. More time resolving issues Gods way than getting ungodly judges involved. What a trap we fall into, subjecting ourselves to the devil and his plans rather than God and his Kingdom plans.  He sent us into the world to love, not to obtain vengeance. 

Fear or faith? It’s a choice so what will you walk in today? Your enemy may seek to devour you but the Lord, He is with you! His rod and staff comfort you. He prepares a place for you in the presence of your enemy and man oh man, the meal he’s prepared for you. Spend time with him, fellowship with him. Pray for your enemies. Bless those who curse you. How awesome is his peace that passes understanding. He watches over his own and that is all we need. 

Colossians 1:26-27 “This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people.  God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.”

A few days ago, I wrote about Joseph and that his success was due to the fact that God was with him. Here I see it again in verse 27 where it says the secret truth is that Christ lives in you. We simply don’t realize the potential for greatness and success we have living on the inside of us. Jesus succeeded at everything he came to do here on the earth. His very name Emmanuel, means ‘God with us’ and just because he is not physically with us, he gave us his Holy Spirit who is in us to empower us to live victoriously. 

So, I asked the Lord why so many people live below his expectations, including me and this is what his answer was; “You can have your house wired for electricity, but if you don’t plug into the power, it will never be useful to you. You can only walk in what I have for you when you plug into me and allow my power to flow through you. People look at the outlet but never use it. There must be connection and that connection is in knowing me and my Word.”

I don’t know about you, but I must plug in today so that the power of God may be useful to those around me. Once they’ve been touched by the power and presence of Christ in me it brings everything they will ever need, you name it, it’s our hope of glory (a state of extreme happiness or prosperity). Do you see that? I must hunger and thirst after his way of being and doing things, not my own. If things are going to change, they must start with the way I see God in me.

Father, I come humbly before your throne of grace that I may obtain favor with you. I boldly confess to the world that you are my power source, that because you are in me, I have great success in everything I do, everything I set my hand to prospers. Each time I come into your presence I am changed forever. I don’t think the same, write the same or talk the same. Your power works in me to do your good pleasure.  I will no longer look at situations in my life the same, they are simply stepping stones to greater experiences with you.

When God sees your faith, he’ll move whatever you desire into your hands regardless of how much money you have. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom. Bill Winston

What is keeping you from possessing your promise? If you’re tired of reaching and never obtaining, this is the word for you. Hebrews 11:6 ERV says, “Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Did you catch that? God rewards those who sincerely try to find him. He didn’t say seek riches. He didn’t say seek the promise. What he did say was seek to find HIM. Deuteronomy 4:29 GW, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Do you get the picture? The Kingdom of God works on a completely backward, illogical business plan. To succeed in this Kingdom, you must simply desire more of God than anything else in the world. Desire to see souls saved, desire to love others, to be a giver, to give up all rights to your life and live for Him. To find more joy in just fellowshipping with God and listening to his voice of instruction daily, that will bring you closer to possessing your promise than trying to do it any other way.

I don’t understand why God would have me write these parts of my time with him. There are times I question if anyone even reads them, but thats not my part of it, mine is simply to seek his face and do what he says to do. Whatever he does with my simple obedience is totally up to him. My part is to do, his part is to be. Be what, you ask? Faithful. Loving. Provider. Healer. All sufficient, all knowing, all powerful God. Holy. Worthy. Mighty. He has given all of a command, seek him. It should be the first thing we do each day. He should fill our hearts and our thoughts. Our communion should be a continual one. Like a new bride can’t wait to adore her husband, so should we be with the Lord.

Oh God, my God, how excellent is your Name. I can’t wait to go through this day with you, to respond to your whispers, to feel your compassion as you see the poor and needy through my eyes. To cry with those who hurt, to love, to touch, to heal, to share hope. You challenge and stretch me to new levels of faith. I am learning that there is nothing impossible with you. You cannot be stopped! Your Kingdom WILL come, your will WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven. Use me today as an extension of your heart to the world around me. May I not be limited by my small thinking but may I allow you to expand my mind to contain your thoughts and ways.

My faith begins with God and ends with God. Where will your place your faith today?

May I share a hunk of bread with you this morning? Did you know that the moment you accepted Jesus he has been with you? No really! Even his announcement into the world said, Emmanuel, God is with us. Let me show you what happens when you realize God is with you and you acknowledge that it’s not you but HIM who brings you success.

We’ve all heard the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, right? How his brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery and the whole chain of events that took him from prison to the palace. Read these verse’s with me found in Genesis 39:2-6; The Lord helped Joseph become a successful man. Joseph lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian.  Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord helped Joseph be successful in everything he did.  So Potiphar was very happy with Joseph. He allowed Joseph to work for him and to help him rule the house. Joseph was the ruler over everything Potiphar owned.  After Joseph was made the ruler over the house, the Lord blessed the house and everything that Potiphar owned. The Lord also blessed everything that grew in Potiphar’s fields. The Lord did this because of Joseph.  So Potiphar allowed Joseph to take responsibility for everything in the house. Potiphar didn’t have to worry about anything except deciding what to eat.

Did you see that? Even a heathen saw that God was with Joseph. Look at the training God gave him for his larger assignment of ruling all of Egypt. Drop down to verses 21-23; The Lord was with Joseph and continued to show his kindness to him, so the commander of the prison guards began to like Joseph.  The commander of the guards put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. Joseph was their leader, but he still did the same work they did.  The commander of the guards trusted Joseph with everything that was in the prison. This happened because the Lord was with Joseph. The Lord helped Joseph be successful in everything he did.

Do you see? Different place, same story, the Lord was with Joseph and helped him be successful in everything he did. Lets go to chapter 40:15 & 16; Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can explain it for me. I heard that you can explain dreams when someone tells you about them.” Joseph answered, “I cannot! But God can explain the dream for you, Pharaoh.”

Joseph knew he couldn’t do anything in and of himself. He was not afraid to establish before the king that God can explain it but I cannot. Finally, Genesis 40:39-40; So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “God showed these things to you, so you must be the wisest man.  I will put you in charge of my country, and the people will obey all your commands. I will be the only one more powerful than you.”

Joseph was only 30 years old when God made him 2nd in command over the largest country at that time. Joseph never got hung up on his training period, he knew that God was with him. Imagine what would happen in our lives if we would fellowship with the God who is with us. If we were to become more aware of his hand on our lives to position us where we will do the most good in His Kingdom. Imagine having that much confidence and trust, never questioning Gods plan or design on your life. What could God do with a people like that?

It all started when God gave Joseph a dream all those years ago. I always thought he should have kept his mouth shut and not shared it with his jealous brothers but even that was part of the plan. God positioned him to save the children of Israel when the famine hit. When you trust God, he positions you to save others. Thats where I want to be today and always, in a position to help others. This is just a training for something far greater than I can even imagine. How can I go wrong when God is with me.

Father, thank you for being with me, for showing me your favor in everything I do and everywhere I go. My steps are ordered by you and like a giant puzzle, all the pieces fit perfectly together. I refuse to allow people, places or things to change my confidence in you. I will never run this race alone for you are with me. You have purpose for every detour, every closed door, every trial, every person that has entered and left my life, even the choices I’ve made that I thought were for bad you have used for good. How can I not love you? How can I not trust you? I will never forget you are with me always, even to the ends of the earth.

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘what goes in must come out’ or ‘you are what you eat’. These are not only true of our bodies, they are also true of our spirits. Did you know that the things you say are usually due to something you’ve heard at one time or another? Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” So the things I listen to and meditate on are the very things that I talk about. Interesting.

So what happens when I change my diet and eat healthy and exercise? I begin to feel better, have more energy and it shows in my body. What happens when I change what I look at and listen to? I begin to change the way I see things and the things I talk about. I had someone ask me why I don’t post anything but words of life and hope on Facebook. I rarely post about about things I’m going through and that was what they wanted to hear. Really? Well, I don’t write about things that are subject to change but I’ve chosen to write about the God who has changed my life forever. The things I see in the natural are subject to change by the Word that is always working in me.

Probably the reason my speech has changed is because I’ve changed my diet. Not that I don’t watch secular TV, but I balance it with Biblical teaching. Not that I don’t interact with unbelievers, but I fellowship with believers. Not that I don’t miss church once in awhile, but I don’t make it a habit. Not that I don’t miss devotional time once in a while, but if I do, I find myself hungry for my time alone with God. I just decided to change my spiritual diet and those changes made my life different.

Even with those changes, I challenge myself to even more changes. If I seek first after God and what’s important to him, than all the things I need in this physical life just fall into place. In other words, they take care of themselves. I choose to focus on God and His Kingdom so that whatever he needs me to do, I’ll be there to do it. I must decrease so that He will increase (John 3:30). My life is not my own and the sooner I realize that it’s not all about me, the sooner I will find myself being used of God in ways I’ve never dreamed. I can’t but He can. I won’t become who you want me to be in order to please you, that place is reserved for God.

Father, my heart is yours and yours alone. You are slowly squeezing out all the love I have for the things of this world and replacing it with a love for you. My heart cries out for more and you have responded with your presence. I’m so thankful that you love me. So thankful you have plans and purpose for my life. Today, I’m yours. Tomorrow, I’m yours. Forever, I’m yours. May I live my life in such a way that brings joy to your heart and praise to your ears.

I Peter 4:12-13 Msg-Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

Refine, the dictionary defines it as; to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities. When you’re refined, it allows all the yuck in you to come to the surface and be skimmed off so that what’s left is pure and reflective. Reflective of God’s glory, his attributes and qualities come through when we’re refined. 

Psalm 8:  Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful in all the earth! It brings you praise everywhere in heaven. From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you. They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.  I look at the heavens you made with your hands. I see the moon and the stars you created. And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you? Why do you even think about them? Why do you care so much about humans? Why do you even notice them?” But you made them almost like gods and crowned them with glory and honor. You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control. People rule over the sheep and cattle and all the wild animals. They rule over the birds in the sky and the fish that swim in the sea.  Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!

Father, may we pass through the fires of refinement with the grace that you give us so that we may magnify your most holy name and bring glory to your Kingdom. We love you deeply, our heart is yours. Do with us this day as you have planned and we will never cease to praise and exalt you.