dickbraswell

Word for Today:  May 31

What are those things that plague us?  What is it within the Human Experience that brings pain and grief?  What are the things that are burdens and problems to us?  It is precisely here (where we hurt) that God focuses His Grace.  His Provision.  His Relief.  We have seen just how these provisions are met in the Covenant He made with us and that is guaranteed by the Blood of Jesus Christ

What is hurting you?  Where are you broken and wounded and sad?  What has come into your life that produced fear and dread and pain?  What are those elements in the Human Experience that make your life miserable?  Do you understand that every misery and pain in life is caused by the devil?  By the powers of darkness?  By those spirits in high places that purpose to kill, steal and destroy?

If we can come to know God’s Purpose for us, we can get our lives in agreement with it.  Once we come into a living agreement with the Purpose God has for us, we can experience the Abundant Life Jesus promises in John 10:10.

Everybody wants the abundant life, but that will only happen when we are in agreement with the Purpose God.

And until this takes place, true fulfillment in life is impossible.

Word for Today:  May 29

Somebody is going through the fire today.

Fires are common to all Believers.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice….  I Peter 4:12

There are several things you can do when you find yourself in the fire.

• You can run away
• You can try to put out the fire
• You can surrender and get burned up
• You can beg for help or
• You can rejoice, trust God and stand

We need to understand some things about fires.

• They are not caused by God
• They are not used by God to “teach” us something
• They are not punishment for something you did or did not do
• They are not terminal or fatal for the believer
• They are not unquenchable

Above all taking the shield of FAITH wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked…  Eph.  4:16

Who through faith… quenched the violence of fire… Heb. 11:33-34

It’s neat to know that God will not only deliver us from the fire but will walk with us through it…  (Isa 43:2)

And where He is I am

Word for Today:  May 27

Declaration Precedes Manifestation

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 you.  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.

Seed Time produces Harvest Time

Word for Today:  May 26

The Church.

Jesus gave a powerful prophesy concerning the Church in Matthew chapter 16.  He said the Church would not be intimidated or overcome by the powers of hell.  He said He would build His Church and when He had it built, it would withstand and overcome all the powers of darkness.  He said His Church would be built on the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God… the Savior, the Messiah, the Promised One, the Redeemer and the Conqueror!  Notice four basic facts about this Church:

• Jesus will build it.
• It will be built on the Revelation that Jesus Christ is Messiah.
• It will have and exercise power over the kingdom of darkness, over hell, over demons and over the devil.
• It will have in its possession powerful Kingdom Keys that Believers can use to bind and loose.

When Jesus foretold the Birth of His Church, He said:

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on High….  Luke 24:49

Therefore, one major characteristic of His Church is POWER from on HIGH.  That “power from on high” is still to be the means of changing the world.  “Not by (human) might or by (human) power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord…”

What the Church did then, is what the church is to do today.  How the church did it then is how the church is to do it today…

With Power from on High

Word for Today:  May 25

Many attempts have been made to change the world.

Governments have arisen and leaders have been established in order that the world might be changed.  Nations have been birthed and wars have been fought and millions of men have died in order that the world might be changed.  Religions have been formulated and philosophies have been initiated and kings have been crowned… all in order that the world might be changed.  However, the world is still wounded, it still hurts and it is still for the most part, unchanged.

The world will not be changed until people are changed.  People will not be changed unless they let God change them.  When God birthed the Church, He equipped it to change People.  When people are changed, the world will change.

To understand God’s Purpose for the Church, we have to go back in time to the birth of the Church.  When we observe the birth of the Church and the Beginnings of the Church, we can discover what God purposes the Church to be.

God’s Purpose for the Church has never changed.  It is the same today as it was in the day it was Born.  God’s Purpose for the Church is for it to make a difference in the world.  God Purpose for the Church is for it to govern, control,  influence, judge, and function in Divine Authority here on this planet.  God wants the Church on earth to do the same things the Church in heaven is doing.  There should be no difference.

“Upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it…”   Jesus

Word for Today:  May 24

Don’t get discouraged because it is hard.

Remember… situations are not supposed to affect the Believer.  Believers are supposed to affect situations.  Situations changes.  God never changes.  Situations pass, God’s Word never passes.  Remember:  It came to pass… not to stay!

The 3 Hebrews were in a strange land far away from home and they were in the company of a pagan tyrant who set himself up as god.  They lived in the midst of paganism, idolatry, unbelief and outright blasphemy.  They had been taken captive and led away into the headquarters of all that hated their God.  Their hopes and dreams were shattered and their future looked bleak.  But they refused discouragement and they believed God.

Paul and Silas landed in jail because they Obeyed God.  They were persecuted, beaten and locked in stocks.  But they refused to get discouraged.  Instead they considered God.  When they considered God they began to sing and praise Him.  They were anything but discouraged.

How are you?

Daniel wound up in a Den of Lions because he refused to stop praying to Jehovah God.  He used one lion for a pillow, another for a foot stool and another for cover.  He slept and the lions trembled in fear.  Because he refused to be discouraged.

John was left alone on an uninhabited volcanic island to starve and perish in the elements.  The boat was not out of sight before John was “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s Day and fell out in the Holy Ghost.  He saw Jesus.  He was not discouraged or defeated.  He knew that his God was able.

Understand that discouragement will breed self-pity and cause complaining.  Complaining will lead to murmuring and grumbling.  Discouragement will cause you to look at the problem instead of the answer.

Don’t be discouraged

Word for Today:  May 23

What pleases God?

What is it that really pleases God?  What one thing brings Him the most pleasure and fulfillment?  What gives Joy to the Lord?

When we receive to the fullest measure what He has freely provided, God is pleased.

Our acceptance of and confidence in His Covenant moves us into the place of receiving the Kingdom and all Kingdom benefits and provisions.  This is what brings joy to the father.

  …for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  Neh 8:10

The joy in this verse is referring to the Joy God receives  (as well as us) when He sees us living in and receiving  the Supernatural Strength which comes from the blessings and benefits of our Salvation.

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

Word for Today:  May 22

Refuse to compromise.

The Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego, refused to give in to fear, or defeat or to compromise their faith.  (Daniel 3)

Their difficult situation made them more determined to remain true to their convictions.

Remember, if satan cannot get you to quit, he will try to get you to compromise your good conscience.   he is anxious for you to EASE UP.  he does not want you to “go too far…”  he wants you to back down and cool off.  he will attempt to make you rely on reason.  he will work to encourage you to recalibrate your convictions.

You have an opportunity right now to stand or compromise.  You can do what is comfortable, acceptable and “politically correct” or you can maintain your position boldly for Jesus.

You can do what is right or you can back down and compromise.

The choice is up to you

Word for Today:  May 21

Be Faithful.

Reinforce your determination to hold fast.  To stand.  Do not let the attacks on your faith prevent you from KEEPING ON.  The one thing satan really wants to do is to make you give up.  Through the years, I have seen saint after saint weaken and fall because they did not persevere.

You can be faithful.  There may be many things you cannot do, but you can be faithful.  Just because your faith is under attack is no reason to ease up, let up, back up, cave in or quit. This is the VERY time you and I need to make our most positive and determined stand.

Be faithful in your personal relationship with Jesus.  Be faithful in your daily faith walk.  Be faithful to your church.  Be faithful to follow the Word of God.  Be faithful in prayer.  Remember: the Word requires that good stewards be found faithful.   1 Cor 4:2.

Expect good things to happen any minute.

Keep your faith out for something.  Even though you get shot at and hit… keep believing for something.  Look for answers.  Expect results.  Do not be moved by the fact that you don’t see or feel anything.  Living by faith is living in expectance.  It is to be prepared for the harvest of the seeds you have sown…  Look for the increase.  Believe for the increase.  Expect the increase.

The woman with the issue of blood expected something to happen when she touched Jesus.  She pressed through all kinds of doubt, danger and hindrances.  She knew something good would happen when she came in contact with Jesus.

Live in expectancy.  Maintain a thankful heart.

Word for Today:  May 20

The seed and the ground

Jesus gave us the parable of the Sower and the Seed.

This parable is found in all three synoptic Gospels.  We need to consider some characteristics that identify a seed and also some ground conditions that are necessary for the seed to germinate.

Jesus said that the Word is the seed.

The ground is the heart.

He pointed out that the condition of the ground in which the seed is sown determines the extent of the harvest.  Good ground produces a bountiful harvest.

The Seed is the Word and when the Word is sown in good Ground (the proper heart condition) then the Word will produce “after its kind.”  Ideally, Word production is the production of the Will of God.

Whatever is in the Word will be grown in the earth.  Whatever is in the Word will be produced on the earth.  Jesus prayed in the Model Prayer “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”  When our heart condition “draws out” what God has placed in, then God’s Will is accomplished on the earth.

In Real Time.  In the present.  In the now.

When and where it is most needed