Philippians 4:21

He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Never underestimate the transforming power of Jesus Christ! He can take even the worst of addicts or criminals and change them into loving, caring, highly functioning, and contributing individuals who can influence the world for God and bring glory to His name. He does this by a power that subjects everything to Himself. One day, this power will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess He is Lord.

If Jesus can transform even the worst of people and our frail flesh into His own likeness, He can surely transform your difficult situation or trying circumstance into an event that ultimately brings honor and glory to His name. The key to receiving this transforming power is in submitting fully to Him. He won’t change what we don’t give Him. When we give it to Him, He reserves the right to take charge. If we give him the matter and try to dictate how He changes it, we haven’t fully surrendered. If we give Him the responsibility of changing something in our life, we must let go of the authority to allow Him to change it. When we do, He goes to work on our behalf and creates a Masterpiece!

Jesus has the power to subject everything to Himself. There is nothing too great for Him to accomplish. All power and authority has been given to Him, and nothing is impossible for Him. We just have to come to the point where we know for certain that we don’t have the power in and of ourselves, and we simply trust Him. When we do, we find He is willing to work far beyond our wildest expectations to do what we could never even dream. He may not do things the way we would like or expect, but He will transform the situation into something that draws others to Him. His desire is to transform each of us, and He has the power to do it. If we try to resist, He can stop our fleshly efforts and bring us back into subjection to Him. Surrender fully to Him, and expect a transformation. He is in the business of transforming lives, and He is the best in the business!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 25:1-3

LORD, I turn my hope to You, My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced.

To act treacherously is to be guilty of betrayal or deceit against someone. Unfortunately, most of us have experienced some degree of betrayal and deception from those we have allowed to be close to us, and it stings like no other personal attack. While our first instinct may be to retaliate, the best thing we can do is to follow David’s example and cry out to God, surrender the matter to Him, and wait on Him to act. Everything within us may be calling us to retatiate, but if we take matters into our own hands to try to avenge ourselves, we can actually make the situation worse. We must learn to surrender the areas where we have no control to God, rather than trying to demand what we want and risk hurting someone else in the process.

When people don’t seem to like us or want to cooperate with us, we must surrender them to God. Even if they are working against us in some manner, God has the ability to override their opinions and their schemes. He can vindicate us like no other, and we must learn to trust Him with attitudes or actions that oppose us. If we turn on them, we begin to act as treacherously as they do and will cause our own disgrace. Rather than worrying about what someone else thinks or does, we must turn our hope to God and trust Him. Let Him handle any wrong opinion or judgment against you.

Is someone making you feel uncomfortable or unacceptable in some way? Turn your hope to God. Is someone acting rudely to you or trying to persuade unfavorable opinions about you? Surrender the matter to God and trust Him to defend you. Has someone betrayed your trust and twisted the truth in order to destroy your reputation or relationships? Not one person who waits on God to move in an unfair situation will be disgraced, but we can bring our own disgrace by attacking where we don’t have a clear understanding. Don’t become treacherous; trust the treacherous to God. He is for you and will not allow your enemy to gloat over you. His grace and favor are all you need to do everything He has purposed you to do. He never called you to win the approval of others, and He will deal with anything that stands against you.

Remember God’s promise in Psalm 23. He prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He anoints your head with oil; your cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Expect God’s favor to deal with those who have acted treacherously against you. His favor graciously applied to your life is the greatest revenge, but it is God’s to grant as He chooses. Trust Him with the treacherous.

Have a blessed day!

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

Jesus made this comment just after He encountered the woman caught in adultery. When the Scribes and Pharisees brought this woman to Jesus to ask if she should be stoned, He began to write on the ground and instructed the person who was without sin to cast the first stone. Her accusers left the scene because none of them were without sin, and they all walked in their own measure of darkness. While Jesus was the only one qualified to throw the first stone, He, instead, did not condemn the woman and instructed her to go and sin no more. At this point, He turned to the crowd and stated this verse.

The woman caught in adultery was walking in darkness and had landed in a trap. Many Bible scholars believe the Scribes and Pharisees had arranged the incident in order to trap Jesus. If He commanded her to be stoned, He was not loving and compassionate. If, however, He did not condemn her, He would be breaking the law. Either way they thought they would discredit Him in front of a crowd. Instead, they were discredited by their own trap because they were not without sin themselves.

Jesus is the light of the world, and when we follow Him, we can avoid the traps of the enemy. Adultery is risky business and always leaves someone hurt. Many times, the adulteress, herself, is the one hurt most from the sin. By telling this woman to go and sin no more, He was releasing her from condemnation and empowering her to live without adultery and the guilt, shame, and pain it brings.

We choose who we follow. We can choose the lust of the flesh and the attractions of this world that lead us into darkness, or we can choose to follow Jesus, who gives us the light of life so we are not trapped by the snares of the enemy. True happiness is found in the light, not in the dark. If it must be hidden, you cannot enjoy it with integrity.

Choosing to follow Christ also means that we choose to set others free, rather than condemning them when they are caught in sin. If Jesus could love the woman caught in adultery while rejecting her sin, should we not do the same? People are hurt by our stones but healed and empowered by our mercy. We become the light of life when we choose to heal and empower those who have fallen into the traps of sin. He who has shown us great mercy expects us to follow in His footsteps and do the same.

Have a blessed day!

Acts 17:30-31

“Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

There is coming a day when God will judge the world, and it will not be pretty! He will not judge by popular opinion or majority rule. He will judge by the standard set by His Son – Jesus. How we have decided to treat Jesus personally will matter on that day. If we have chosen to follow Him and surrender to His lordship, we can rejoice as He comes to rule and reign. If, however, we have mocked, scoffed, rejected, or denied Him, we will be judged and condemned.

Changing popular opinion may make it easier to live on earth in its current fading form, but it does not change the standard set for the kingdom God has ordained. His kingdom is coming, and Jesus Christ will be in charge. He will judge by His standard and not by what we have legalized due to popular demand. How will you stand before Him?

We cannot pay for our sins by our own righteousness. Only the righteousness of Christ can cover them. Even if we don’t consider a matter to be sin, God sets the standard – we don’t. If He calls it sin, that is the end of the discussion. Our only defense is to repent and run to Jesus while we can still run. When He returns, it will be too late.

God knows we have lived in times of ignorance, but He has taken great measures to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the earth so His people may be awakened to the truth. The number of people who have never heard of Jesus is diminishing rapidly, especially with today’s technology. Today, more people have heard of Jesus and decided to reject Him than those who have never heard. To reject Jesus and the price He paid for your sins is to accept the punishment yourself. Judgment – pay day – is coming. How have you responded to Jesus?

God raised Jesus from the dead as a sign of the acceptance of His sacrifice. He can raise any dead situation in our lives, too, when we surrender it to Jesus. His salvation makes us whole and enables us to live in freedom from the chains of darkness that sin brings into our lives. Jesus breaks those chains, so there is no need to accept them as a part of who we are or to try to convince others to accept our chains. There is power to live – truly live – in Jesus Christ. He is the standard. He is the judge, and He has the final say. To reject Him once we know the gospel is not ignorance but rebellion. Once awakened to the truth, we have to choose to repent or rebel. Choose life now. The King is coming, and His recompense is with Him!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 97:7

All who serve carved images, those who boast in idols, will be put to shame. All the gods must worship Him.

We live in a scientific age that admires the faculties of the human mind, yet scientists study monkeys – a lower life form – to try to understand who man is. We were created by God in His own image – a higher life form. To properly understand who we are, we need to look at our true origin. God created both man and monkey, and anything created must worship Him. To create a god in our own image is to merely worship ourselves and our own ideologies, philosophies, and selfish ambitions. If there is a God – and substantial evidence exists to prove there is – He must be greater than the thing He created.

The false doctrine that “God wants me to be happy” has deceived many in the church. God wants us to glorify Him. If we choose to serve the god of selfishness in hopes of becoming happy, we will destroy every God-given relationship in our lives and never be truly happy. When we worship God and glorify Him, we find happiness as a result of being in the center of His will. Happiness cannot be the pursuit because few of us know what will truly make us happy. What makes us happy today may bore us tomorrow. The things we throw away in search of happiness may be the very thing we need to overcome the unforeseen hurdles life brings our way. The god of self will always shame us in the end.

All gods from the intellectual to the selfish must serve the one true God. They cannot ultimately satisfy the constant longing within us for relationship with our Creator. Contrary to popular rhetoric, God never called us to be true to ourselves. He called us to be true to Him and His word. Until we serve the purpose we were created to serve, we will always feel the emptiness and void of an unfulfilled life. Even our best intentions prove wrong in the end if we worship what we create, rather than the Creator, Himself.

Don’t let another day go by serving a god that is lesser than the One who created you. If intellect or happiness has been your pursuit, run in the direction of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Anything you have placed as a priority before Him will ultimately shame you, but He never will! Those who hope in Him will never be disgraced.

Have a blessed day!

Exodus 33:12-13

Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You have told me, ‘Lead this people up,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”

Moses was a bit frustrated with God in this passage, and I’m sure we can all relate. When we have tried to do what we thought He instructed and things didn’t quite work the way we expected, it is easy to get frustrated. Frustration prevents us from reaching our goals or gaining what was promised. Frustration comes when we can’t seem to get one step further because something keeps pushing us back. Frustration is found where we have no options, and disappointment lurks in the background. 

During times of frustration, we often feel like we are being tested. Frustration, however, will either drive us to God or from Him. If we have no options, we will either turn the source of frustration over to God, or we will give up altogether. Frustration is designed to draw us to God for answers. He uses frustration as a teaching tool to show us where to turn in troubled times.

The real test comes with power. What will you choose to do if you have options in front of you? If you have the choice, will you still choose Jesus?  If you have success, money, health, and all your needs met, will you still choose to do what is right and follow Jesus in the matter? Sadly, many turn to satisfy the flesh at this time, rather than to do what they know is the right thing to do. These are the times when temptation is the strongest. Temptation is your test, not frustration.

There is yet another move of God that comes after frustration and testing. There is a time when He chooses to reveal His glory. Moses experienced this in Exodus 33:12-23 when he desired to see God’s glory revealed. After the children of Israel broke the first set of commandments before Moses could get down the mountain with them, Moses was very frustrated with them. He turned back to God, and God told him to take the people into the land He had promised. He would drive out the enemy before them, but He would not go with them. They could enjoy the blessing without Him. God would remain true to His Word and give them what they wanted, but He would not be with them. Moses refused to go unless God was with them.

Moses had options in front of him. He could please the people by taking them into the Promised Land unharmed. They could enjoy their blessing and be happy. God, however, would not be with them because they had chosen not to honor Him. Moses wisely refused to lead the people into the Promised Land without God’s presence. He would not take the blessing without God’s glory surrounding it. His reason is found in Exodus 33:16 and is something we should all consider: “How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight unless You go with us? I and Your people will be distinguished by this from all the other people on the face of the earth.”

During His hardships and times of frustration, Moses had learned well that God’s presence made a noticeable difference in their lives. Without His presence, they were just like everyone else. No one would be able to see God in them, and their testimony would be invalid. Without His presence, the blessing meant nothing. Moses refused to lead the people into the Promised Land without God, and verse 17 gives us God’s response: “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.” Moses asked God to reveal His glory, and He did that very thing because Moses found favor in God’s eyes.

When we choose to do the right thing in the midst of temptation to do the wrong thing, God will reveal His glory in us. When we choose Him, rather than what He can do for us, He reveals His glory in us. Times of frustration draw us to God, and He will deliver us from all of our troubles in those times. When He does, we should pay close attention because a test is surely coming. Your frustration is designed to show you where to turn. When you receive an answer, make sure God is in it before you go forth. If He isn’t in it, you don’t want it! Seek the Giver, rather than the gift. If He is with you, He will reveal His glory in you. If He is not in it, the gift guarantees no permanence and may quickly fade because it is worthless without Him. God has more for you than just a blessing. He wants to bless you to the point where everyone knows it is His work that got you there, and they see Him instead of you. Turn to Him at all times – during times of frustration, times of testing, and times of blessing.

Have a blessed day!

Zechariah 4:10

For who scorns the day of small things? These seven eyes of the LORD, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.

We have a tendency to look at others and compare ourselves to them or what they have accomplished. When we do, we look small in our own eyes. God, however, sets the standard of how He measures things, and we must ultimately give an account to Him. Small steps in the right direction are worth much more than huge leaps in the wrong direction.

At times we may feel like we’ve been placed on the back burner or are sitting on the sidelines. We’ve been in training, but we haven’t had the opportunity to play in the game, or we’ve failed to make the big play. In God’s timing, however, our continued training or consistent effort builds character that will propel us to the big plays when the time comes. If we are faithful in the small things, He will lead us into big things.

Stop judging yourself against someone else’s standard or even your own expectations. God is with you in small things and in big things, and His opinion should be the only one that matters. Freeing yourself from the burden of false expectations and just being faithful where God has you now can be the very liberating experience you need to propel you into greater things. God places treasures in the small things He leads us to do, and until we can find and appreciate those treasures, we can’t handle the big ones. God is looking for faithfulness and obedience. Trust where He has you now, knowing that He is watching you and guiding you to great things in His plan for you. A small thing can be a big thing when God is in it!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 6:9

The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer.

I’m convinced we do not value enough our access to the very throne of God. Praying is not merely wishing, and wishing is not praying. We should never confuse the two. A wish has no power, but a prayer spoken to the Almighty Creator of the universe has great power when fully submitted to Him.

When we pray, we acknowledge that we cannot handle a matter on our own. David authored this Psalm, recognizing God as his help. Whenever we need help beyond our own strength, we should follow David’s example and cry out to God. We can lean on His strength and ability when we have none left.

David also knew that God accepted his prayer. Many people feel that God will not hear their prayers because of sin or failure, but Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. We need only to repent of those sins and allow the blood of Jesus to cover them. God accepts the righteousness of Christ, and in Him we are found righteous. God hears our prayers, and Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Turning from sin and to God always brings His acceptance.

Stop wishing and start praying. Don’t allow previous disappointment to prevent you from asking God for what you need now. An unanswered prayer may be protection from unforeseen trouble, a delay due to perfect timing, or God could be working behind the scenes in ways you will never know until He is ready to reveal His glory.  Ask God for exactly what you want, and know that He hears your prayers. No matter is too big or too small to take to Him. He hears your plea and accepts your prayer, and He has the power to answer. Submit the matter fully to Him, and wait for Him to respond. He will draw you even closer to Himself as He begins to answer in ways you never expected.

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,…

Although this is from the Old Testament, the voice of the Messiah is speaking here. The term, “Messiah,” means “anointed one” in Hebrew. God anointed Jesus and sent Him to this world to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners. Only Jesus has the power to heal and to set free because He conquered the enemy and paid the price for our sin.

As Christians, we are God’s children and servants of His kingdom. If we place our trust in an individual, a position, or even in ourselves, we will be disappointed. Only Christ can heal us and set us free from any bondage that enslaves us. Therefore, we should pour our pain out to Him and let Him respond to us with healing and liberty that allows us to walk forward as victorious new creations in this world.

Have people disappointed you or disillusioned you? Realize they cannot be God to you, and don’t allow yourself to become a victim of disappointment or false expectations. Take responsibility for your own happiness and well-being, and pour your pain out to Christ. No other person or thing can fill your void, and no one else is responsible for your relationship with God but you. Let your pain and hunger draw you closer to Him. The Spirit of the Lord God is on Jesus Christ, and only He can give you the answers you need. He is our good news – our gospel!

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 62:1

I will not keep silent because of Zion, and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem until her righteousness shines like a bright light, and her salvation like a flaming torch.

Zion and Jerusalem are used interchangeably in this verse, referring to the same place. Zion is the permanent capital of God’s kingdom, and God’s heart is with her. God promises He will not keep silent nor still because of His love for her. He will bring forth her righteousness to shine bright like a flaming torch in a dark world.

As Christians, we are the spiritual Jerusalem, and He lives in us today. He will not keep silent nor still because of us. His plan is to display our righteousness, which is found in Jesus Christ. What He wants the whole world to see is Jesus living in us.

Know with all certainty today that God is at work in you, whether you realize it or not. While it may seem like He is not doing anything in your life nor hearing your prayers, He is up to something. He will not keep silent because of you. He will not remain still because of His love for you. He has placed the righteousness of Christ within you, and He is determined to bring it forth. He is up to something great in your life that He will reveal at just the right time. You are His flaming torch to a dark and dying world because Christ lives in you. Surrender to His plan today, and rest in knowing that He will not keep silent nor still. He is always at work in you and for you to display His glory.

Have a blessed day!