"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21, emphasis mine)
Jesus promises to manifest Himself to those that love Him.
According to the notes in my bible, the word translated "manifest" can mean: to appear, come to view, reveal, exhibit, make visible, present oneself to the sight of another, be conspicuous. If you are a lover of Jesus, you have a right to ask Him to manifest Himself to you. The truth is, He wants to reveal Himself more than you want Him too.
Rather than writing a long post today, I want to encourage you to ask Jesus to manifest Himself to you.
"Jesus, thank You that You long to manifest Yourself to me. Today I ask that You would make Yourself visible in my life. Lord, step right into my path and be conspicuous. In the places where I have not recognized Your face nor Your hand, please reveal Yourself. My greatest desire is to see You and know You more today."
If you prayed this prayer, pay attention over the next 24 hours to the ways Jesus Himself shows up in your life.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Refreshment
Jesus was a busy Guy. Take Mark chapter 1, for instance. After a full workday, the sun had set.
He had retired to a home to rest for the night. Instead of being given space to recuperate from His day, the people of the city brought to Him all who were sick and demon-possessed. It says the whole city was gathered at the door of the house. He went on to heal and deliver many many people that night. If you've ever been in a situation where you are laying hands and praying for a lot of people, you know how draining it can be. It is real work!
Most of us would be inclined to sleep in the next day to rest our bodies. Not Jesus:
"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35)
Now, there is nothing wrong with getting proper rest for our bodies. However, Jesus understood His primary need in this situation was spiritual, rather than physical, refreshment.
Jesus found His refreshment in the secret place of prayer with His Father.
Jesus, in His humanity, received everything He needed from His daily time with the Father in the secret place. Before choosing His 12 closest disciples, He spent the entire night in prayer (see Luke 6). Think of it, Jesus is the perfect, spotless Son of God. If He needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we?
The example that Jesus set for us is not a religious requirement. Time spent with God does require discipline, but it is so much more than a ritualistic hoop to jump through. Jesus' example is an invitation for us to enter into the most glorious relationship we will ever experience. I love meeting with God alone. He brings peace. He brings love. He brings empowerment. I feel His pleasure over me as I simply sit with Him.
If you have lost your passion to spend time with God, I want to invite you to re-kindle it. Ask the Holy Spirit to light a fire for Him in your heart. If you feel nothing emotionally, great! Demonstrate your commitment by making a choice. The emotions will follow. Set apart some time- 15, 30 minutes, 2 hours, whatever- to be with God alone. Grab a bible (and, for extra anointing, a cup of coffee), open it up and let God touch your heart. You schedule the appointment, He won't miss it.
He had retired to a home to rest for the night. Instead of being given space to recuperate from His day, the people of the city brought to Him all who were sick and demon-possessed. It says the whole city was gathered at the door of the house. He went on to heal and deliver many many people that night. If you've ever been in a situation where you are laying hands and praying for a lot of people, you know how draining it can be. It is real work!
Most of us would be inclined to sleep in the next day to rest our bodies. Not Jesus:
"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35)
Now, there is nothing wrong with getting proper rest for our bodies. However, Jesus understood His primary need in this situation was spiritual, rather than physical, refreshment.
Jesus found His refreshment in the secret place of prayer with His Father.
Jesus, in His humanity, received everything He needed from His daily time with the Father in the secret place. Before choosing His 12 closest disciples, He spent the entire night in prayer (see Luke 6). Think of it, Jesus is the perfect, spotless Son of God. If He needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we?
The example that Jesus set for us is not a religious requirement. Time spent with God does require discipline, but it is so much more than a ritualistic hoop to jump through. Jesus' example is an invitation for us to enter into the most glorious relationship we will ever experience. I love meeting with God alone. He brings peace. He brings love. He brings empowerment. I feel His pleasure over me as I simply sit with Him.
If you have lost your passion to spend time with God, I want to invite you to re-kindle it. Ask the Holy Spirit to light a fire for Him in your heart. If you feel nothing emotionally, great! Demonstrate your commitment by making a choice. The emotions will follow. Set apart some time- 15, 30 minutes, 2 hours, whatever- to be with God alone. Grab a bible (and, for extra anointing, a cup of coffee), open it up and let God touch your heart. You schedule the appointment, He won't miss it.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Power for Today
"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:33-34)
It's always today. No matter how much you think about tomorrow, it's always today. Here's the good news about today: God has fresh mercy and grace for you. His mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22,23). Grace is divine enabling (power). As we go before His throne in prayer, we receive mercy and grace (see Hebrews 4:16). If you meet with God daily, He will empower you with what you need for the present day.
Today, you don't have grace for tomorrow. But you will tomorrow. This is why Jesus instructed us not to worry about tomorrow. Take care of today, because He has given you what you need for today. When you wake up tomorrow, ask for grace for the new day.
Let's say you are a mother of 1. One child seems like a lot to you, but you can handle it pretty well. But the thought of 2 children seems incredibly overwhelming. Do you know why it seems overwhelming? It's because right now you have grace for 1 child. When you have 2 children, God will give you grace for that.
Don't let anxiety over the future steal your present from you. The present- today- is all you have.
Philippians 4:6,7- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
"God I trust You with today and all my tomorrows. Thank You for empowering me to succeed today. Thank you that I can receive fresh grace every morning. Help me to trust You fully with my life. Amen."
Other verses for your consideration:
Psalm 37:8b- "Do not fret- it only causes harm."
Isaiah 26:3- "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
It's always today. No matter how much you think about tomorrow, it's always today. Here's the good news about today: God has fresh mercy and grace for you. His mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22,23). Grace is divine enabling (power). As we go before His throne in prayer, we receive mercy and grace (see Hebrews 4:16). If you meet with God daily, He will empower you with what you need for the present day.
Today, you don't have grace for tomorrow. But you will tomorrow. This is why Jesus instructed us not to worry about tomorrow. Take care of today, because He has given you what you need for today. When you wake up tomorrow, ask for grace for the new day.
Let's say you are a mother of 1. One child seems like a lot to you, but you can handle it pretty well. But the thought of 2 children seems incredibly overwhelming. Do you know why it seems overwhelming? It's because right now you have grace for 1 child. When you have 2 children, God will give you grace for that.
Don't let anxiety over the future steal your present from you. The present- today- is all you have.
Philippians 4:6,7- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
"God I trust You with today and all my tomorrows. Thank You for empowering me to succeed today. Thank you that I can receive fresh grace every morning. Help me to trust You fully with my life. Amen."
Other verses for your consideration:
Psalm 37:8b- "Do not fret- it only causes harm."
Isaiah 26:3- "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Happy Giving
"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity (under compulsion); for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6, emphasis mine)
My 4-year old loves offering time. At my church, while the adults sit there looking bored while the baskets are passed, the kids go to the front and place their offering in a bucket on the edge of the platform. We always go up with Abigail as she joyfully throws her dollar (or 5 or 20) into the bucket. Before I go to work, I sometimes tell her that I need to go work so we can have money to give to God at church. She gets it and she loves it! We are raising a cheerful giver!
We are able to raise a cheerful giver because we are cheerful givers. Seriously. There have been seasons when we have looked forward to the offering as much as any other part of the service!
So why are we cheerful givers? The verse above is the number one reason, in my book, to be a cheerful giver. God loves it when we give cheerfully. If you search the Bible, you will find a bunch of things God loves and some He hates. When the Bible says that God Himself loves something, that's where I want to be.
The kids at our church are engaged in their offering. They physically get up and bring their offering before the Lord. Now, there's no magic in walking your offering to the front of the room. But, there is power in being connected to your giving. I challenge you to engage your heart in your giving. Smile and celebrate His goodness as you give. The promise of Scripture is that, when we give happily, it brings pleasure to the Father. We have the amazing privilege of bringing pleasure to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. So, smile when you give and know that He is smiling back :)
My 4-year old loves offering time. At my church, while the adults sit there looking bored while the baskets are passed, the kids go to the front and place their offering in a bucket on the edge of the platform. We always go up with Abigail as she joyfully throws her dollar (or 5 or 20) into the bucket. Before I go to work, I sometimes tell her that I need to go work so we can have money to give to God at church. She gets it and she loves it! We are raising a cheerful giver!
We are able to raise a cheerful giver because we are cheerful givers. Seriously. There have been seasons when we have looked forward to the offering as much as any other part of the service!
So why are we cheerful givers? The verse above is the number one reason, in my book, to be a cheerful giver. God loves it when we give cheerfully. If you search the Bible, you will find a bunch of things God loves and some He hates. When the Bible says that God Himself loves something, that's where I want to be.
The kids at our church are engaged in their offering. They physically get up and bring their offering before the Lord. Now, there's no magic in walking your offering to the front of the room. But, there is power in being connected to your giving. I challenge you to engage your heart in your giving. Smile and celebrate His goodness as you give. The promise of Scripture is that, when we give happily, it brings pleasure to the Father. We have the amazing privilege of bringing pleasure to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. So, smile when you give and know that He is smiling back :)
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Live Blessed!
"God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations." (Psalm 67:1,2)
When a disaster occurs, many evaluate the nature and ways of God in light of the calamity. In our passage, we see the true way that God desires to reveal His ways to the world. The psalmist prays that God would bless him and give him favor. As the people of God, we need His blessing and favor on our lives to be so outrageous that it unmistakeably reveals the goodness of God to the world around us. If His face is shining on us, the people around us will be able to look at us and see the ways of God in action. If we are not walking in His blessing and favor, they will look to earthquakes.
Asking God to bless us is the least selfish thing we could do. We need to shine with the ridiculous, over-the-top favor and blessing of God. We are called to be living examples of His goodness- the highest revelation of His nature.
What happens when He is merciful to us and blesses us? His salvation is known among the nations. Ask Him today to pour out tremendous blessing on your life. If you have a generous heart, He is glad to bless, because it reveals His nature to a lost and hurting world.
(This post is lifted almost exactly from a sermon by Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. To view the sermon, visit www.ibethel.tv and visit the "free" section. The sermon is from March 13th.)
When a disaster occurs, many evaluate the nature and ways of God in light of the calamity. In our passage, we see the true way that God desires to reveal His ways to the world. The psalmist prays that God would bless him and give him favor. As the people of God, we need His blessing and favor on our lives to be so outrageous that it unmistakeably reveals the goodness of God to the world around us. If His face is shining on us, the people around us will be able to look at us and see the ways of God in action. If we are not walking in His blessing and favor, they will look to earthquakes.
Asking God to bless us is the least selfish thing we could do. We need to shine with the ridiculous, over-the-top favor and blessing of God. We are called to be living examples of His goodness- the highest revelation of His nature.
What happens when He is merciful to us and blesses us? His salvation is known among the nations. Ask Him today to pour out tremendous blessing on your life. If you have a generous heart, He is glad to bless, because it reveals His nature to a lost and hurting world.
(This post is lifted almost exactly from a sermon by Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. To view the sermon, visit www.ibethel.tv and visit the "free" section. The sermon is from March 13th.)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Divine Training
Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. According to Matthew, the third temptation was as follows: "Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."" (Matthew 4:8,9)
(For those of you who are new to the faith- Jesus did not take the devil up on this most generous of offers.)
The devil knew the purpose for which Jesus had come to the earth. Ultimately, all of the universe will be under the lordship of Jesus: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)
The devil tempted Jesus with a shortcut to accomplishing His mission. This was a test for Jesus, in His humanity, to prove that He was not willing to cut corners, to do the right thing in the wrong way. He resisted the shortcut when no one was looking. What did this produce in His life? Later on, Jesus would be made a similar offer: "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." (John 6:15)
Again, Jesus refused to become king the wrong way. He knew His mission, stayed focused, and resisted the temptation to take a shortcut.
The purpose of the testing in the wilderness, when no one was looking, was to prove that He would make the right choice in public, when everyone was.
This was true in the life of Christ and remains true for us today. What we do in private is indicative of what we will do in public. If you are asking God to use you in some extraordinary way, or if you have not received that promotion you are longing for in His service, it could be because He is still proving you in the wilderness- in the secret place. Your integrity is made of the choices you make when no one is watching. What we sow in secret, we will reap in public.
Don't take your secret choices lightly- God doesn't.
(For those of you who are new to the faith- Jesus did not take the devil up on this most generous of offers.)
The devil knew the purpose for which Jesus had come to the earth. Ultimately, all of the universe will be under the lordship of Jesus: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)
The devil tempted Jesus with a shortcut to accomplishing His mission. This was a test for Jesus, in His humanity, to prove that He was not willing to cut corners, to do the right thing in the wrong way. He resisted the shortcut when no one was looking. What did this produce in His life? Later on, Jesus would be made a similar offer: "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." (John 6:15)
Again, Jesus refused to become king the wrong way. He knew His mission, stayed focused, and resisted the temptation to take a shortcut.
The purpose of the testing in the wilderness, when no one was looking, was to prove that He would make the right choice in public, when everyone was.
This was true in the life of Christ and remains true for us today. What we do in private is indicative of what we will do in public. If you are asking God to use you in some extraordinary way, or if you have not received that promotion you are longing for in His service, it could be because He is still proving you in the wilderness- in the secret place. Your integrity is made of the choices you make when no one is watching. What we sow in secret, we will reap in public.
Don't take your secret choices lightly- God doesn't.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A Superior Reality
I was raised in a non-Christian environment. My parents were always loving, the best they knew how. (ever notice that love is real hard without Jesus?)
When I was 13, for some reason that I still don't know, my mom decided we needed to start going to church. (Mom, if you are reading- why did we start going to church?) This absolutely ruined my life. I am telling you this was like a death sentence to my weekends. You mean I have to get up Sunday morning before 8am and make myself presentable? Then I have to stand through a bunch of mindless songs and endure some meaningless drivel of a sermon? Deliver me! (This was actually when I developed my prayer life: "God, I don't want to go to church! Send an earthquake, tornado, break the car, anything!")
You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I would negotiate heavily to get out of going. I eventually talked her down to being able to take one Sunday off per month. I was like a little Donald Trump.
Anyways, I managed to survive, bored to tears weekly, for about 3 years. Then, IT happened. Mom forced me to go to a youth conference in Harrisburg, PA. Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. It was like Sunday morning for an entire weekend. Thankfully, I had some friends with me who were just as excited as I was to be there. This made it all easier to cope with.
Sunday morning, last session of the conference: I am completely disengaged (have been for 3 years!). I don't remember much about this service. But what I do remember has changed my life, literally, more than any other single moment in my entire life. They played some music along with some video of Jesus being crucified (still not sure how they got video of that, but they had it). Suddenly, I find I am beginning to sob. It's as if someone (Someone) has reached into my chest cavity, grabbed my heart, and began to squeeze. I sobbed hard. I held up my hands in surrender...
Since then, I have gotten to know this Man more and more. He really is good. He is the kindest person I've ever met. He reached down and met me when I had no interest in being met.
Jesus wants to show you His kindness today. I dare you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He did it for me when I wasn't even asking. How much more if we ask?
P.S. Mom- thanks again.
When I was 13, for some reason that I still don't know, my mom decided we needed to start going to church. (Mom, if you are reading- why did we start going to church?) This absolutely ruined my life. I am telling you this was like a death sentence to my weekends. You mean I have to get up Sunday morning before 8am and make myself presentable? Then I have to stand through a bunch of mindless songs and endure some meaningless drivel of a sermon? Deliver me! (This was actually when I developed my prayer life: "God, I don't want to go to church! Send an earthquake, tornado, break the car, anything!")
You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I would negotiate heavily to get out of going. I eventually talked her down to being able to take one Sunday off per month. I was like a little Donald Trump.
Anyways, I managed to survive, bored to tears weekly, for about 3 years. Then, IT happened. Mom forced me to go to a youth conference in Harrisburg, PA. Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. It was like Sunday morning for an entire weekend. Thankfully, I had some friends with me who were just as excited as I was to be there. This made it all easier to cope with.
Sunday morning, last session of the conference: I am completely disengaged (have been for 3 years!). I don't remember much about this service. But what I do remember has changed my life, literally, more than any other single moment in my entire life. They played some music along with some video of Jesus being crucified (still not sure how they got video of that, but they had it). Suddenly, I find I am beginning to sob. It's as if someone (Someone) has reached into my chest cavity, grabbed my heart, and began to squeeze. I sobbed hard. I held up my hands in surrender...
Since then, I have gotten to know this Man more and more. He really is good. He is the kindest person I've ever met. He reached down and met me when I had no interest in being met.
Jesus wants to show you His kindness today. I dare you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He did it for me when I wasn't even asking. How much more if we ask?
P.S. Mom- thanks again.
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