DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY

 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  Matthew 7:21-23

What is it about the "wonder working," "prophesying," "deliverance ministry" that comes under the judgement of the LORD?  In these verses in Matthew, the problem is clear.  "Have WE not...?" the false prophets ask.  They did their wonderful works in and through their own power, deceiving others and deceiving themselves.  How could they deceive themselves?  I think the show was so amazing, the costumes so incredible, the results so believable that they thought their works were God's works.  They spent more time recreating themselves then humbling themselves; the Holy Spirit can only operate through a broken vessel. 

 Have you seen the cape they may throw on, or the props they may use?  Have you seen the light show, or the music that works wonders?  It is all very captivating--unfortunately.  What a rude awakening these workers of iniquity will have when they come face to face with the true and living God.

It is a perfect time to embrace Grace.  Let us be determined to seek Christ Jesus and celebrate, study, accept His perfect work of redemption on the cross of Calvary. Let us allow His resurrection life to live within us as the Holy Spirit prepares us for good works and  eternal life with God. 

Today, let us do the will of the Father.  

HOLINESS BOASTERS?

IN THE BEGINNING,,,THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013

HOLINESS BOASTERS?

 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Ephesians 2:8,9

They were standing there, telling me that they were Holiness.  "What does that mean?" I tried to inquire.  "We don't drink; We don't dance; We don't go to the movies; We don't wear makeup..." And on and on it went.  They were very proud, and that was the problem.  They had somehow convinced themselves that they were, by their works, sanctified and holy.  Something in their flesh needed to add a little more to the cross.  They needed to boast of their holiness. And that was the problem, too.  It was all theirs.   

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

Today, GRACE!

LET LOVE RULE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LET LOVE RULE

Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.Psalm 119:88

Make me alive by your love, LORD.  Cause me to live through your goodness. Make love rule in my life.  Let me not be given to striving, desiring only the upper-hand. Let me have no part with dissemblers, who dismember the body of Christ.  Work in me so that I choose the servant's way. Yes, my LORD, quicken me after your lovingkindness, and I will surely keep your Word.

Today, let love rule!  

CHERISHING PEACE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013

CHERISHING PEACE

Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.
 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. Isaiah 65:8-10

We must come to the place in our Christian journey where we cherish peace.  Knowing that peace is a gift of God and precious, we must not destroy it; for a blessing is in it.  Just as sweet new wine is found in the cluster of grapes, so our peace is found and must be cherished, held with love and gentleness so that it will provide the nourishment that is necessary for the life of the church.

How do you destroy peace?  Maybe through gossip or unkind words.  Perhaps you are given to clamor or chaos. Today, let us be still and cherish peace.

FROM A PLACE OF PEACE: SHALOM

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013

FROM A PLACE OF PEACE: SHALOM



Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.John 14:27

Jesus Christ made it possible for all Christians to live a life of peace.  He left Peace in the world when he went back to be with His Father.  Jesus explained in John 14:28 that he had to leave this earth to return to the Father: "Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." 

 The New Covenant is established on the principle  Peace.  We  now can live in the power of  an eternal rest--in Christ Jesus.  In this place of eternal rest, we find abundant life and PEACE.  Because of this blessed state, we have been given the commandment:  "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

 Today, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.   For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his"  (Hebrews 4:9-4:10).  SHALOM!

HE THAT FINDETH A WIFE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, JUNE 19, 2013

HE THAT FINDETH A WIFE

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

One must seek the Lord for that which is needful.  If you seek the Lord for a wife, He will lead you to the one He desires for you.  And she will be the perfect complement to your life.  She will be the fulfilling of your glory and will enable you, in a far greater measure, to glorify the Lord and to bring  honor to His name.  Because of this, he who findeth a wife has found the Lord's favor as well.  God is thrilled and delighted with the union, and the marriage will bring great joy to God.

In  Genesis 2:18, God is clear in discussion of the matter:  "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Though it is Jesus Christ who completes us and makes us whole--gives us Shalom; a mate enhances and fulfills us.  That which is difficult to do on our own, our mate makes joyous, easier, sweet.  That which feels burdensome on our own, our mate makes  bearable, worthwhile...even fun.

Hear the bridegroom with his bride:
How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.  The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
 Song of Solomon, Chapter 7.

Today, let us praise God for His goodness.

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: UNDER LOVE'S CONTROL

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT:  UNDER LOVE'S CONTROL


O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  Romans 5:8-10

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. I John 4:7,8

God is Love.  This body of death, wrath, bitterness, anger, strife, hatred, war, poverty and pain is utterly wretched.  Apostle Paul rightly asks:  "who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"  But God sent his Spirit, poured out on the day of Pentecost, and saved us from this body of death.  So through the power of Love-- that is God-- we can live in love.  But we have to give control of our lives over to the Spirit every hour.  We must pray without ceasing, so that Love can have His way.  You've probably heard and read many recipes for creating a loving home, loving children, a loving dinner hour and so on.  But until the Spirit of Love comes and we surrender to Him, we are doing everything out of the flesh...and probably feeling tired ( and maybe angry, too).  Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.  Let this LOVE be in you.  Human love can only go so far, but the LOVE of God will take us places we could (would) never go on our own.  Love will take us to places "much more."  Love will take us to life, and that... more abundantly:  

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"(John 10:10).

Today, let us submit to LOVE's control!

A CHANGE OF HEART

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

A CHANGE OF HEART


And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19,20

The body of Christ has one thing in common:  we have one new and lively heart.  The former things are passed away.  The cold, indifferent, stony, stepping over, ill-mannered, inconsiderate heart of stone is gone.  The new, warm, loving, moving, feeling, compassionate, comforting, caring heart of flesh has arrived.  We can now walk with God and be moved by His Spirit.  We can now love one another as Christ has loved us.  We can now worship our God in Spirit and in Truth.  What a wonderful change of heart God has given.

Today, let us praise God for our HEART!

FLOURISH

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013

FLOURISH
 
Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish,whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which  I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. Song of Solomon 7:11-13

He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. Proverbs 11:28

If we stay connected to the true Vine, Jesus Christ, we are sure to flourish--and that more abundantly. 

Today, let us thank God for giving us power to flourish.

DESTINY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2013

DESTINY
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesian 1:10-15

God has purposed your destiny;  it's already worked out in Him.  So all things work together for the good to those who love God and those who are the called according to His purpose.  Just as the creation of heaven and earth was worked out through Christ, those who trust in Christ Jesus can be sure that their destiny is being worked out creatively--and shall come to pass.  Therefore, those who put their trust in Christ can boldly say:  "If God be for us, who can be against us?"(Romans 8:31).

Today, let us thank God for destiny!