dickbraswell

Word for Today:  September 5

Emotions, feelings or the Word

Religion has taught us that we can experience the power of God only occasionally.  We have been taught that sometimes God just lets bit a little of heaven come down and bless us.  We have prayed and stayed and fasted and repented and preached and prophesied and spoke in tongues in order to get the power to come down… the fire to fall… revival to happen.

We have been led to believe that every once in a while God will give us a little dab of glory just to keep us going.  We have been taught that the Christian experience is a series of peaks and valleys… ups and downs… drought and abundance…. times when we are hot and times when we are cold.

Where did this come from?  It came from our emotions and our feelings.  It came from our soulish man.  It is not the way it is in the Spirit!

God is the same.  Jesus is the same.  The Holy Ghost is the same.  The Word is the same.  His Eternal Purpose is the same.  When we walk in agreement with His Purpose, we are the same!  There is no “variableness” in Him or in us when we fulfill our part in His plan.

We can live in Revival

Word for Today:  September 4

The approaching Renaissance.

We are on a collision course for a Moral and Spiritual Renaissance.  And this is good.  Finally, it seems that many are realizing that there is a deadly sickness among us.  An infectious sickness that will ultimately bring about the destruction of our nation if it is not treated and cured.

Many are ready to do something.  Many are coming to the conclusion that our only hope is Revival.  I believe that this is you and me.  Us.  The Church.  The believers in our city.  In our Nation.

We must never be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.  This sickness is “not unto death” but I believe an excellent opportunity for God to be Glorified.  This was the case when Lazarus died (John 11).  He did die, but Jesus turned the tragedy into triumph.  I am confident the same Jesus can and will turn our moral tragedy into a great Triumph.

Never underestimate the power of the minority.  Martin Luther King, Jr. proved this point.  (“I have a dream…”)

Gideon and his 300 proved this point.

The Nation of Israel continues to prove this point.

We may be in the minority, but we have God.  And God has us.

That turns the table and changes the equation

Word for Today:  September 3

Determine to be a healer

I’m not talking about laying hands on the sick.  I’m talking about healing relationships.  Healing divisions.  Healing differences.    Building bridges and not walls.  Take down the fences and open the gates.

Our past religious traditions have built enough walls, we are called to tear them down and build bridges in their place.

According to the Word, believers are living stones.  We are to be collectively built up into a Spiritual House (not houses, plural) but a House (singular).

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…   1Pe 2:5

In the past we have been divided, and put in piles…. separate piles.  Different piles.  Diverse piles.  Cultural piles.  God wants us to be One Pile not many piles.

• We have had Baptist piles
• Methodist piles
• Catholic piles
• Presbyterian piles
• Pentecostal piles
• Episcopalian piles
• White piles
• Black piles
• Hispanic piles
• Asian piles
• Native American piles
• Rich piles
• Poor piles
• Educated piles
• Uneducated piles

God is calling us to One Pile so that He can build a Spiritual House… and that is what happens when we make a determined effort to heal broken and bruised relationships.

Why not be a healer today?

Word for Today:  September 2

Checkers.

Even though our Christianity is not a game, some of the same rules tend to apply.

For Example, our spiritual growth is kind of like playing checkers.  Remember, the object is to get yourself to the King Line and get a crown. You take your turn.  And you get there one square at a time.  But it had better be The Right Square.  The wrong square will get you jumped, captured, defeated, taken off the board and put into the enemy’s hand.

Once you get “crowned” you have more mobility.  You have more authority.  More power.  More effectiveness.  More freedom.  More opportunities.  But you still must move with wisdom.  Even a king in the game of checkers can be jumped if he is careless.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1Pe 5:8

Be sure you make the Right Move today

Word for Today:  September 1

Put it off.

In Ephesians Paul speaks about the New Man and the Old Man.  He tells us to “put off the old man” and “put on the New Man.”

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  Eph 4:22-24

This is an act of the human will.  We determine what we “put off” and what we “put on.”  It is a decision we make.  It is basically not a very spiritual decision, it’s simply a choice we make.    Just as we decide what clothes we are going to put on each day, we can also decide to put on all the benefits of the New Creation Man each day as well.

I like to visualize literally putting on all my New Creation provisions as I put on my clothes each morning. Then I make a decision to “wear them” through all the situations and challenges that come along during the day.  The Word tells us to “put on” the New Man with all his privileges and provisions and to “put off” the old man with all his lack and need.  All his weaknesses and limitations. All his frustrations and temptations.

This speaks of personal action that comes out of the human will.  You either will to do it or you will to not do it.

If you do it you get the results the Bible promises and if you don’t you won’t.

So do it