dickbraswell

Word for Today:  December 31

Truth in the head is not enough.

Truth in the Church is not enough.  Truth in the world is not enough.

Truth must be in the heart and our entire being is to be motivated, instructed, guided and led by it.

We can stuff our heads with instruction.  We can train our brains with right things to do.  We can believe sincerely with our heart.  The need is for God’s power to flow through us.

• We can be clean on the outside and be dead.
• We can be correct and be dead.
• We can be religious and be dead.
• We can be sincere and be dead.
• We can be right and be dead.
• We can even have faith and be dead.
• We can be in the right place at the right time in the right manner and be dead.
• You can make all the right confessions and be dead.

And you know whether you are dead or alive!

The Scribes and Pharisees were right, religious, dedicated, obedient, faithful, consistent, committed, and unashamed.   Jesus said our “righteousness” would have to exceed theirs or we would not make it to heaven. They needed a Heart Experience instead of a head experience.

They were shallow, external, legalistic, arrogant, and self-centered.  They were “clean” on the outside but Jesus said they were full of dead men’s bones.  They looked good, but Jesus said they were dead and filled with corruption.

If they were around today, they would be sitting on the front row (or the platform) of the church.  They would be the loudest prayers, and the biggest givers.  They would be seen and heard and admired and recognized.  They would have a “form of godliness” but they would be dead inside.

For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1Sa 16:7

Word for Today:  December 29

The very essence of increasing knowledge is research.

There is a constant digging, probing, searching, excavating, inquiring, researching, studying, exploring, that pushes us to the limits of our knowledge regarding the things that are natural.

From this “unrest” comes new understanding.  New discoveries.  Increased knowledge.  This is science and this is progress.  Millions of dollars and tens of millions of man-hours are invested in this.  They are exploring the seas, excavating ancient habitats, probing outer space, pushing into the fringes of science… working and researching the beginnings, genetics, the chemistry of human life… all because we need to KNOW.

The more we KNOW the more we can LIVE.  The more we KNOW the greater the quality of life.  The more we KNOW the more we can accomplish.  This is how it is in the natural system of the world.

The same is necessary in the world of the Spirit. We must KNOW all that we can KNOW about GOD, about JESUS, about the HOLY GHOST, about the WORD, about SALVATION.  Research is necessary.  Study is a must.  Understanding is tough to come by.  But it is essential to Spiritual Maturity.  This is the reason for intensive study.   This quest for Spiritual Knowledge and Bible Understanding will enable us to fulfill our very PURPOSE for being.   God has Plans, Grand Plans, for you and me.  God has Adequate and Sufficient Provisions for you and me.  God has a Purpose and an Eternal Blue Print for you and me.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer. 29:11

Dig in.  Dig deep.

Word for Today:  December 29

What God has sown.

What God has planted in me is destined to come out of me.  It may be in seed form now, but it is time for the seed to grow into its fullest manifestation.

It’s there.  It’s time.  It’s happening.   Who will you be?  A King or a Kid?  A Seed or a Tree?

Name your dream.  Declare your intentions.  Speak with your mouth words that make things happen.  Faith words.  Word words.  God Words.  Heaven Words.

You and I will never exceed our declarations.  Our declarations determine our direction. Our declarations determine our destiny.  What we speak out of our hearts will create or destroy.  Words are instruments of creation or destruction.  Words make things.

There are Life Producing Forces (seeds) inside every believer.  These forces are put in us by the Work of the Holy Spirit at the time we are Born Again.  They are seeds destined to grow and produce.  They are forces that need to be released into the world.  Into our families.  Into our relationships.  Into the total experience of our lives.

They are in me.  They are in every Believer.  However, seeds are worthless unless they produce.  One seed is not sufficient to sustain life by itself.  It takes many seeds which are planted in good ground to bring forth a crop that is sufficient to sustain victorious living.

The real challenge is to grow these seeds into maturity.  As God plants these Seeds in us, the enemy plants weeds. The purpose of the weeds is to choke out the seeds.

These seeds are the building blocks of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus prayed for the Kingdom to come and for the Will of God to be done ON EARTH just as it is presently being done in Heaven.  These Seeds will produce God’s Kingdom on earth when and if they are planted in good ground and if proper conditions for growth are present.

Word for Today:  December 28

The very essence of increasing knowledge is research.

There is a constant digging, probing, searching, excavating, inquiring, researching, studying, exploring, that pushes us to the limits of our knowledge regarding the things that are natural.

From this “unrest” comes new understanding.  New discoveries.  Increased knowledge.  This is science and this is progress.  Millions of dollars and tens of millions of man-hours are invested in this.  They are exploring the seas, excavating ancient habitats, probing outer space, pushing into the fringes of science… working and researching the beginnings, genetics, the chemistry of human life… all because we need to KNOW.

The more we KNOW the more we can LIVE.  The more we KNOW the greater the quality of life.  The more we KNOW the more we can accomplish.  This is how it is in the natural system of the world.

The same is necessary in the world of the Spirit. We must KNOW all that we can KNOW about GOD, about JESUS, about the HOLY GHOST, about the WORD, about SALVATION.  Research is necessary.  Study is a must.  Understanding is tough to come by.  But it is essential to Spiritual Maturity.  This is the reason for intensive study.   This quest for Spiritual Knowledge and Bible Understanding will enable us to fulfill our very PURPOSE for being.   God has Plans, Grand Plans, for you and me.  God has Adequate and Sufficient Provisions for you and me.  God has a Purpose and an Eternal Blue Print for you and me.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer. 29:11

Dig in.  Dig deep.

Word for Today:  December 27

God has restored to the believer that which Adam lost

Notice:

• Righteousness: right standing with God
• The Image of God in complete perfection
• Authority and dominion over the earth and all life forms on earth
• Communion and Fellowship with the Father
• Perfect and perpetual health
• Prosperity: Adam had no needs that were not met
• Protection: Adam never had an accident or suffered a loss

The believer has the same privileges and rights that Adam had and enjoyed before he sinned!  After Jesus conquered death, satan’s legal right to rule over the believer was destroyed.  satan now has no legal right to touch any believer.    Whatever satan succeeds in doing to the believer he does through deception and lies.  If you know your legal rights and privileges, you can always conquer satan.

If you are born again take a look at what is in you:

• The Life of God: Zoe
• The Love of God: Agape
• The Faith of God
• The Holiness of God
• The Creative Power of God
• The Goodness of God
• The Mercy of God
• The Forgiveness of God
• The Generosity of God
• The Patience of God
• The Power – Ability – Authority – Right of God
• The Optimism of God
• The Truth of God
• The Justice of God
• The Honesty and Integrity of God
• The Compassion of God
• The Strength of God
• The Joy and Gladness of God

If you are Saved, you are a New Creation, If you are a New Creation you have all New Creation Privileges… and you have them right now.

They are yours.

And they are yours forever

Word for Today:  December 26

“I don’t know what to do!”

Have you ever been in a place where you honestly did not know what to do?

The first temptation is the temptation to try to fix it ourselves.  Plans.  Procedures.  Steps to take.  People to see.  We want to “fix things.”  We want to “fix” people.  Instead of throwing our cares and worries and tribulations on Jesus, we think we can fix it ourselves.  We try.  And it does not work.  We try something else, and it does not work either.  We reason.  We consider the problem.  We analyze it, examine it, look at it from every angle and try again.  Another failure.

Finally, we remember to pray.  And seek God.  And ask God.  And turn to God and confess that without His intervention, all our human and natural efforts will not produce any answers.

…God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 2Chron 20: 12

The King’s army was outnumbered (2Chron 20). They were defenseless against such overwhelming odds.  They had no escape route…. Nowhere to run.  Nowhere to hide.  Nowhere to seek refuge.  They were in line for defeat.  Humiliation.  And death.  They had exhausted all their resources.  Nothing they had and nothing they could do would be able to deliver them from total disaster and defeat.  The king finally confessed: “I don’t know what to do.  But my eyes are on You, Lord….”

There are some attempts at victory that you need to “give up.”  Because they are your plans, your ideas, your efforts and they are done in your strength.  I remember praying one time:  “Lord, I don’t know what to do.  I’ve tried everything I know to try.  I don’t have any resources left.  I give up.”   In my fit of self-pity and false humility, God responded to my heart:  “Good!  Now that you are through, I can do something.”

Giving up on your efforts does not mean giving in to the devil.  It simply means changing your “trying” into “trusting” and then leaving it all to God.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  1Pe 5:7

Word for Today:  December 25

The Word Became Flesh.

Today, the whole world recognizes and celebrates the Miracle of the Ages.  Nothing in time or eternity can match the significance of what happened on a Judean hillside nearly 2000 years ago.

All of time has been divided into “before” and “after” because of this Divine Visitation.  Jesus came.  Jesus came from heaven.  Jesus was sent by God into the earth.  He came in the form of flesh and was born of a virgin.  This had never happened before and it will never happen again.

This is the Miracle of the Ages.  God became Flesh.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

The Incarnation is the most significant, awesome and overwhelming work of God since the Creation of all things.  It (the Incarnation) is the crowning achievement of the Work of God and is the most complete expression and revelation of His Nature and Character.

It is the unfathomable Love of God for you and me.

Merry Christmas

Word for Today:  December 24

Use what you have. Begin where you are.

David, the sling shot boy, did not wait until he had something else… he took what he had and trusted God to make it work…  He took his staff… his sling… and five smooth stones.  He did not wait for something better or for more equipment to arrive… He used what he had.

You can take what you have and defeat the devil today.  If you have been waiting for something else you have been waiting in vain.  Some are waiting for more faith…. more strength… more favorable circumstances… more money…  but God wants you to take what you have and use it to overcome the devil.

You are a New Creation in Christ Jesus and you can do all things through Him.  You have more than enough right now to overcome the devil. Remember… the devil’s biggest and best is still no match for the smallest and weakest in the Kingdom.   Jesus said: “He that is least in the Kingdom is greater than John the Baptist…”

David took what he had and partnered with God. And that, friend, will always give you the advantage over the powers of darkness.  Any warfare with the devil is always unfair to the devil…  he always has the short end of the stick and is at the mercy of the weakest Believer.

What you have is enough.

Use it

Word for Today:  December 23

God has restored to the believer that which Adam lost

Notice:

• Righteousness: right standing with God
• The Image of God in complete perfection
• Authority and dominion over the earth and all life forms on earth
• Communion and Fellowship with the Father
• Perfect and perpetual health
• Prosperity: Adam had no needs that were not met
• Protection: Adam never had an accident or suffered a loss

The believer has the same privileges and rights that Adam had and enjoyed before he sinned!  After Jesus conquered death, satan’s legal right to rule over the believer was destroyed.  satan now has no legal right to touch any believer.    Whatever satan succeeds in doing to the believer he does through deception and lies.  If you know your legal rights and privileges, you can always conquer satan.

If you are born again take a look at what is in you:

• The Life of God: Zoe
• The Love of God: Agape
• The Faith of God
• The Holiness of God
• The Creative Power of God
• The Goodness of God
• The Mercy of God
• The Forgiveness of God
• The Generosity of God
• The Patience of God
• The Power – Ability – Authority – Right of God
• The Optimism of God
• The Truth of God
• The Justice of God
• The Honesty and Integrity of God
• The Compassion of God
• The Strength of God
• The Joy and Gladness of God

If you are Saved, you are a New Creation, If you are a New Creation you have all New Creation Privileges… and you have them right now.

They are yours.

And they are yours forever

Word for Today:  December 22

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  Matt. 7:7 

A test for your request:

• What is your motive? Why do you want it?
• Is it what you need or what you want?
• Is it the Will of God? Are you sure?
• What will you do with it once you receive it?
• Who will benefit from what you get?

If what you are believing for passes the test…. Write your need down so that you can see it.

Then See it until you SEE it.

Here are some practical suggestions:

• Keep the Word focused on your need.

Find the scriptures that speak to your situation.  Write them down.  Keep them before your eyes.  Meditate them.

• See what you are believing for (even before it comes).

Take heed (blepo: see, discern, to turn the eyes to, to look at, )  what you hear, with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you; and to you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath (the Word) to him shall be given, and he that hath not (the Word), from him shall be taken even that which he hath … And He said, So is the kingdom of God… Mark 4:24-26.

• Be willing to wait.

And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not…  Gal 6:9

• Rejoice and Praise God for the Answer before it comes.

“IT is finished!”  It is done. It is settled. It is established. It is accomplished. It is MINE.

• God says so.
• The Word declares it.
• I believe it.

Therefore I will be glad and rejoice in it.

I will praise Him.

I will worship Him.

I will thank Him.

Ask and you shall receive