dickbraswell

Word for Today:  October 13

Jesus is not Who most people think He is.

I have tried to notice some characteristics in the Life of Jesus that probably would not be accepted in the life of any preacher in our society today.

• He was Radical.
• He was Outspoken. He pulled no punches.  He shot straight and true.  He did not “beat around the bush.”
• He was transparent. Who you saw was Who He was.  No pretense.  No hypocrisy.  No make-believe.  No disguise.
• He was non- religious. He did not run with the ministerial crowd.
• He was fearless.   He did not mince His words.  He did right with no fear of possible consequences.
• He was an iconoclast. A Non-conformist.  He kicked over sacred cows.  He violated traditions and He shattered customs.  To the religious world, He was a troublemaker.
• He was controversial. He took sides with the underdog and He challenged the respected.  He fellowshipped with the sinner and the profane.
• He embraced the simple and rejected the complicated.
• He spoke so little children could understand and confounded the wise with Wisdom and Truth.
• He was Uncompromising. Even when He could have won friends in high places and ultimately saved His own life, He refused to compromise.
• He was Anointed. And this is what drove Him to the Cross… His Anointing.  He was and is “The Anointed One.”  The Messiah.  The Christ.

He is the Christ.  The Son of the Most High God.  The King of kings and the Lord of lords.  The Alpha and the Omega.  The First and the Last.  The Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.  He is the Bright and Morning Star.  He is the Great I AM.

And He is Lord of all

Word for Today:  October 12

The Seed of God produces the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is in the Seed of God.  Just as the oak tree is in the acorn, the Kingdom is in the Seed of God.  Just as the apple tree is in the apple seed, the Kingdom is in the Seed of God.   Just as the corn stalk is in the grain of corn, the Kingdom is in the Seed of God.  Just as the mustard tree is in the mustard seed, the Kingdom is in the Seed of God.   The Seed of God is the Word of God.  Therefore, the Kingdom is in the (Seed) Word.

 Fear not little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Luke 12:32.

God pleases to give us the Kingdom and He gives it to us in Seed form which is the Word.  What is the Kingdom?   (Basileia) The Kingdom of God is the Rule of God, the Realm of God and the Will of God.

Jesus said when the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then shall the end come.  (Mat 24:14)  We have the Seed.   We have the Seed of the Kingdom of God.  Now, where is the Seed located?

It is where we choose to put it.  If we choose Jesus as Lord, God supernaturally places the Seed of the Kingdom in us.  If we have not chosen Jesus as Lord, the Seed of the Kingdom remains outside.

And ye have not His Word (Seed) abiding in you: for whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not… (John 5:38).

But if we are saved, it is IN US.

 …because ye are strong, and the Word of God   (Seed of God) ABIDETH IN YOU, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”  I John 2:14.

If the Seed of God is in us then the Kingdom of God is in us.

Neither shall they say Lo, here!  or lo, there!  For behold, the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you.  Luke 17:21

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us… Eph 3:20

Anything, everything and all things that God has is in the Seed.  If you are Born Again the Incorruptible Seed is in you.  I Pet 1:23   Therefore, Anything, everything and all things that God has is inside you in seed form.

Remember… the tree is in the seed.  The seed will grow and produce IF the ground is right and if the environment is right.  The devil and all the powers of darkness cannot prevent the Seed from growing because the Life of God and the Power of God is in the Seed.

Word for Today:  October 11

I have discovered that there are three main problem areas in the lives of Believers.

These problem areas, if left alone and not controlled, will prevent any Christian from living and walking in victory.   The problem areas are:

• The Flesh… which needs to be crucified and kept crucified.
• The Mind… which needs to be renewed and kept renewed.
• The Mouth… which needs to be controlled all the time.

The flesh is constantly warring against the spirit.  I do not need to tell you this.  You experience it every day.  It rebels against the spirit.   It is at odds with God.  It hates the Word.  It resists the Holy Ghost.  It likes to run loose.  It demands attention.  Uncontrolled, it causes misery, guilt, condemnation, and failure.  The Bible tells us how to have victory over the flesh.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Gal. 5:16

The way to overcome flesh is to walk in the Spirit.  It is our flesh that is constantly giving us trouble.  It is my flesh that causes me the most grief.  Flesh is not sinful in itself.  It was created by God.  It is when we allow flesh to be controlled by a carnal mind and an uncontrolled will that we are tempted to sin… and most often yield to it.

To walk in the Spirit is a choice we make and it means to have our total life (spirit, soul and body) controlled by the Holy Ghost.

He is the living Spirit of the Most High God.

And He lives in you

Word for Today:  October 10

Agape is the God-kind of love.

It is characteristic of God and it is totally self-less.  It is a deliberate assent of the will… it is released by choice.  This kind of love is the underlying characteristic of God and it is this kind of love that is imputed to every believer at the time of Regeneration.  Paul said (in 1 Corinthians 13) that Love (Agape) is more important than:

• Speaking in Tongues
• the Gift of Prophecy
• Understanding (revelation)
• Mountain-moving Faith
• Giving to the poor
• Dying a Martyr

Love is an affection and not an emotion.  Love is a choice.  Love is a decision you make.  Love is deliberate.  Love is active.  Love moves from Word to deed.

• Love is not impatient but, instead, longsuffering.
• Love is not envious of others.
• Love is not self-centered, proud, haughty or puffed up.
• Love is not conceited.
• Love is not rude or crude.
• Love is not touchy or fretful or resentful.
• Love takes no account of the evil done to it.
• Love does not rejoice at the failures of others.
• Love believes the best of every person.
• Love bears up under anything that comes.
• Love endures every hardship without weakening. (1Cor 13 Amp)

The opposite of love is not hate… it is selfishness.  The most important product of the Christian faith is Love.  It has more significance and substance than anything that anyone can do, say or profess.  It is the primary characteristic of our faith and our salvation.

The incredible thing is we can all do this.  We can all choose to love.   It is not restricted to some high level of Christian achievement or some special gift from God.  The God-Kind of love is imputed into every believer and every believer has the privilege of giving it away.  And this One Thing will change everything.

Love never fails

Word for Today:  October 9

There is only one fool-proof evidence of the New Birth.

Jesus gave this criteria to us in His Word.  This is the one most important characteristic of the Christian Walk.  Nothing is more important than this.  This one demand and one command is basic.  Jesus talked about it more than anything else and He demonstrated it more perfectly than any other message of His earthly ministry.  He longed to see it in His disciples and He knew that it would be the basis for the New Testament Church.  If the Church is to BE what Jesus died for it to be and if the Church is to DO what He died for it to do, then this one thing is absolutely necessary.

I am convinced that this is the greatest need in this hour.  It is a need for the Church and it is a need for all Evangelical Ministries.  It is perhaps the greatest need in your life as a Believer.  It is not impossible.  It is possible.  It is necessary.  It is vital.  It is fundamental to the continuation of the Gospel on earth.

Jesus called this a “new commandment.”  A new commandment I give unto you…  (John 13:34)  He knew that He was soon to depart and He wanted so desperately for His followers to be adequately equipped to continue His Ministry on earth.  He did not emphasize theology.  He did not emphasize education.  He did not emphasize experience or ability.  He brought attention to the one thing that will guarantee the continued success of the Gospel Message.

He also stated that this would be the one qualifying characteristic that would cause the world to know how we stand with God.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples… (John 13:35)   BY THIS….

This is the one thing that will tell the world where you stand with God.  And this is the greatest thing needed in the world today.

That thing is LOVE

Word for Today:  October 8

Has God ever come to the RESCUE for you in the past?

Has He ever gotten there in the “nick of time?”  Just consider the many times He has reached down and picked you up.  Held your hand.  Helped you to your feet again.   Remembering the Faithfulness of God in the past is a great deterrent to discouragement and despair in the present.  IF God was there then, He is there now.  If God was able then, He is able now.

Are you ready for deliverance?  Have you come to the place of casting all your care on Him?  Will you “give up” with your own efforts and trust God Totally?

An experienced mountain climber got caught on the face of a mountain.  He had fallen and dropped to the very end of his life line.  It was dark.  It was beginning to snow and a blizzard was approaching.  He hung on in the blinding snow and in the dark.  He knew he could not survive the night exposed on the mountain side.  He was not really praying man, but he began to pray:  “Dear God, please help me.  Tell me what I must do to be delivered.  Speak to my heart and give me some direction… if you don’t I’m going to die.”

The voice of God spoke to him and said:  “Let Go.”  The climber refused because he was afraid.  He was convinced that if he turned loose he would fall thousands of feet to his death.

They found him the next day hanging on the end of the safety line… frozen to death.  One foot below his dangling feet was a ledge… a ledge large enough for him to find refuge from the storm and deliverance from certain death.

Let Go and trust God

Word for Today: October 7

_{Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.   Joshua 1:1-2}

_{Notice what God tells Joshua: “Take possession of what I have given you.”  Every place… I have given unto you…  It is there for you.  I have saved it for you and provided it for you.  It is a land of abundance.  It is a land of plenty.  It is a land of rest and success.  It is a place of healing and health.  It is a land of safety and security.  It is a land of deliverance and protection.”}

_{God has purchased awesome possessions for you through the Blood of His Son, Jesus.  The victory has been won and the prize has been captured.  It is for you and it is for me.} 

_{However, you will never have these possessions until you go over and take them.  They will never benefit you until you make up your mind to get up, go over and take possess them.  By action, by force and by faith.}

_{The devil is “squatting” on what is legally yours.  he will stay there and laugh at you until you get up and go over and take it back.  he will homestead on it until you get mad enough, brave enough, faith-filled enough to go in and kick him out.  Get up and go over.}

_{And take it back} 

Word for Today:  October 6

 _{God is with you.     What more can you ask?}

 _{If God be for us, who can be against us?  Rom 8:31}

 _{The Lord is on my side; I will not fear…” Psa 118:6} 

_{If God is with us what can we fear?  Is anything too hard for God?  Is any devil bigger than God?  Is any sickness impossible for God?  Is any financial situation too bad for God to fix?  Is any marriage out of range for God?  NO!  God is with you.  God will not leave you.  God will not forsake you.  God is in you and He is for you and He is more than enough!  Now and Forever.}

_{No enemy can stand in your way.     No need to fear or be timid.  God says that no man (demon, devil, situation, circumstance, etc.) can stand before you (if they cannot stand, then they have to bow!)  all the days of your life.  How long?  All the days of your life! When you are young and when you are old.  When you are strong and when you are weak.  When you feel bad and when you feel good.} 

_{Nothing and nobody can stand in your way.  When you are in pursuit of God and God’s will for you… nothing can stop you.  When you choose to live and refuse to die, when you choose Truth and refuse the lie… you connect with God and nothing can stand before you.} 

_{Hell has to move over}

Word for Today:  October 5

_{Be strong and courageous.} 

_{Being strong is a decision you make.  You decide to be strong.  You decide to be weak.  You decide how you are going to be in life.  It is really up to you.  You do not wait to get strong… you “be strong!”  It is a choice and decision you make.} 

_{God is saying to us:  Be strong.  Don’t be weak.  Strong in faith.  Strong in the stand you take.  Strong in the Word.  Strong in your calling.  Paul commands us to “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…”} 

_{You can be strong or you can be weak.  Strong is better!  Strong wards off hell.  Strong defeats the devil.  Strong believes the Truth.  Strong refuses the lie.  Strong never fears.  Strong stands!}  

_{Courageous is Alert, Steadfast, Established, Prevailing, Obstinate…  It is to be “on foot” and alert.  It means to be awake and not asleep. It means to be ready.}

_{Do you have the courage to do something about your situation?  Do you have the courage to challenge hell over your family?  Your marriage?  Your finances?  Your health?  How much courage do you have?  God commands us to be courageous.  Courage is the opposite of fear.  It is boldness and assertiveness.  It is refusing to stand still and watch the devil devour your possessions.  It means to launch an attack!  It means to be aggressive.  It means to be offensive.  It means to run into the battle!}    

_{Do not look at the size of the enemy.}

_{Look at the size of the prize} 

Word for Today:  October 4

Right Choices

Those who make right choices will succeed and live and those who make wrong choices will fail and die.

Every success is the result of making right choices and every failure is the result of making wrong choices.

God has given us help and direction in making right choices.  He has not thrown us out in the water and left us to swim or drown.  He has not cast us aside with no means of help or direction.  God has given us assistance through:

• The Word of God
• The Church
• The Holy Spirit
• The Five-fold Ministry Gifts (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers)
• Revelation Knowledge
• The Gifts of the Spirit
• The re-born human spirit directed by the Holy Spirit

Everybody is involved in choice making.  All of us.

Every day we make hundreds of choices.  Every single choice we make will produce good or bad, help or hindrance, life or death.   God’s Word tells us to Choose Life.

If we do we live.  If we don’t we won’t.