Delightsome Land

Morning I am ever so near you, hovering over your shoulder, reading every thought. People think that thoughts are fleeting and worthless, but yours are precious to Me. I smile when you think lovingly of Me. My Spirit, who lives within you, helps you to think My thoughts. As your thinking goes, so goes your entire being. Let Me be your positive Focus. When you look to Me, knowing Me as God with you, you experience Joy. This is according to My ancient design, when I first crafted man. Modern man seeks his positive focus elsewhere: in sports, sensations, acquiring new possessions. Advertising capitalizes on the longing of people for a positive focus in their lives. I planted that longing in human souls, knowing that only I could fully satisfy it. Delight yourself in Me; let Me become the Desire of your heart. Psalm 139:1–2; Matthew 1:23; Psalm 37:4 Evening Most people are not very aware of their thoughts during their “down times,” but I am quite aware of them. I wa

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh... Romans 10:6 Recall what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit; that He shall guide us into all truth. In other words, He shall guide us into all reality; for He is the Spirit of Reality. The Holy Spirit makes the Word of God real to us. Therefore, the actions we take; our response to those realities that we see in the Word of God is faith. Faith is acting on those realities defined for us by the Holy Spirit; apprehending the realities of the spiritual kingdom to which we belong, and super-imposing them on the natural world. Faith in action, speaks forth the mysteries of God revealed to us by His spirit - 1Cor.2:7,10. "...Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual". - 1Cor.2:13 In other words, faith speaks the wisdom of God in esoteric language because it is spiritually discerned and the natural man cannot

We must respond in faith at all times and irrespective of the situation. Our faith response is the victory we have and the ability to change adverse situation. It is our testimony and confession of faith that puts a demand on the anointing. "But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is...." (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭7-8‬ MSG) Jesus demonstrated this principle in chapter 11 of the book of John. In verse 41 and 42 He said, ".... Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou headrest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me". John 11:41-42 Now let's examine the things Jesus said prior to the above statement. But remember, Jesus just receive a message that a love one is sick. Reading through the entire book of John, chapter 11 with emphas

Be still, and know that I am God. — Psalm 46:10 reads the sign on God’s waiting room wall. You can be glad because God is good. You can be still because He is active. You can rest because He is busy... To wait, biblically speaking, is not to assume the worst, worry, fret, make demands, or take control. Nor is waiting inactivity. It is a sustained effort to stay focused on God through prayer and belief. To wait is to “rest in the Lord,  and wait patiently for Him;... not fret” (Psalm 37:7). Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. — Isaiah 40:31 Fresh strength. Renewed vigor. Legs that don’t grow weary. Delight yourself in God, and He will bring rest to your soul. Glenda’s Story I had been married for twenty-five years and was the mother of three children. Then, in 1996, life as I knew it in Little Rock, Arkansas, ceased. The divorce was mutual,

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 The Bible encourages us to always be thankful. That's easy when God answers prayer and delivers us from problems. But it isn't always easy when things go wrong. So how can we remain thankful in the midst of suffering? We have two choices to make. The first is to praise God in spite of what's going on in our lives. Or another way to say that is, in the midst of our troubles and hardships, we can rejoice over the things that are not wrong in our lives.  The second choice is to ask, "God, what can I learn from this? What do You want to teach me through this so that I may be closer to You and rejoice more fully in Your goodness?" Those are not easy questions, and the answers are often hard to hear.  Sometimes we can only grasp the important lessons in our lives when we go through difficult times. Thank God that the hard times will lead you to better

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 2 Corinthians 10:3 Through careful strategy and cunning deceit, Satan attempts to wage war against you and keep you in a mindset of defeat. But God has given you spiritual weapons to use against him. Here are the main three spiritual weapons you can use to fight off the enemy:  1. God's Word: Receive it through preaching, teaching, reading and private Bible study. Continue in the Word until it becomes revelation given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  2. Praise: This defeats the devil faster and more efficiently than any other battle plan, but it must be genuine heart-praise, not just lip service or a religious ritual.  3. Prayer: Prayer is relationship with the Godhead. It is communication with God, asking Him for help or talking with Him about whatever is on your heart. To have an effective prayer life, we must develop an intimate, personal relationship with the Father. Know that He loves you and that

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6 God's love is unconditional and everlasting. I remember how amazed and excited I was when He revealed His love to me. I felt like I was going to burst!  But after awhile, I got used to the fact that God loves me, and I didn't feel the same passion.  Are you experiencing the same thing? If so, I believe there is something you can do about it.  Paul told Timothy to stir himself up, to fan the flame and rekindle the embers of the fire he once had. Paul's message to Timothy is God's message to you today: Stir yourself up! Stop living life being tired of the "same old, same old."  We need to remember this: Passion is a decision about how we will approach life before it becomes a feeling.  So make a decision today to wake up every morning excited about the relationship you have with your Creator. Stir yourself up and live amazed by Him! 

We need to remember that every age of every generation is the modern age. When we are born, there are things that humanity had either never seen or that had happened so long ago that we don’t remember. That’s why each new generation often thinks that the wisdom of the generations before is old-fashioned. For instance, when I was born, television had only been invented a few years earlier. When my father, uncle, and aunt were born, automobiles were just a few decades old. When their grandparents were slaves, we all know how the way of their world was. Now, today, my children and grandchildren laugh when it takes forever for me to use technology they cut their teeth on. Yet while some things seem to change, some things never do. “History merely repeats itself,” said Solomon. “It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). In the early twenty-first century, social media is all the rage. I keep racking my brain for a way to communicate the

What if I told you that for the rest of this week, in every text you send, every email you write, every conversation you have, regardless of whom you are talking to, you have to skip every third word? No matter what, you have to skip every third word. How do you think you would do? How long do you think you would last? How helpful or productive do you think you’d be? It would be awkward if not downright frustrating, right? It would be hard to get across the simplest of ideas. Consider the following famous American speeches. See how they read with every third word taken out. Four score seven years our fathers forth on continent, a nation, conceived Liberty, and to the that all are created. The Gettysburg Address might not have been nearly as convincing had Lincoln skipped every third word. How about this one? I have dream that four little will one live in nation where will not judged by color of skin but the content their character. You know that it’s Martin Lut

Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. — Revelation 3:20 When I speak at an evangelistic outreach meeting (like a prayer breakfast or luncheon), I always mention that Revelation 3:20 is my favorite verse in the Bible. Let me tell you why. In the past I closed evangelistic meetings by offering the audience the opportunity to express faith and receive Christ by silently praying a sinner’s prayer. In recent times, though, I close with two prayers — one for those God is calling that day (see John 6:44), and another for those who have not been walking with the Lord and long to find their way back. For the second prayer, I make it very clear and very precise that I am referring specifically to those men and women who have once known the joy of receiving Christ but are not in fellowship with Him. They have taken control of their lives. They have pursued the God they wanted inst

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7 REST in the deep assurance of My unfailing Love. Let your body, mind, and spirit relax in My Presence. Release into My care anything that is troubling you, so that you can focus your full attention on Me. Be awed by the vast dimensions of My Love for you: wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anything you know. Rejoice that this marvelous Love is yours forever ! The best response to this glorious gift is a life steeped in thankfulness. Every time you thank Me, you acknowledge that I am your Lord and Provider. This is the proper stance for a child of God: receiving with thanksgiving. Bring Me the sacrifice of gratitude, and watch to see how much I bless you. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray

I think we need to be a little more careful than we are with how we live. Not that we have to be so careful that we live in fear, but careful in a godly way, not a legalistic way.  Because if we're not careful about who our friends are, what television programs and movies we watch, what kind of books we read, what kind of music we listen to, how we spend our money, and what we do with our time, we could end up living wasted lives.  As Christians, we must pursue holiness and realize that we are sanctified, which means we are set apart for God's use. In fact, the minute we accept Christ as our Savior, we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit and set apart for a God-given purpose. And if we're not fulfilling our purpose or if we're not pursuing our purpose, we're going to feel empty and frustrated.  I urge you today to pursue your purpose of holiness. When faced with tricky decisions, ask God what to do and choose the path of holiness that He has laid out for you.  

As a Christian, I am amazed how certain political and religious groups have decided that wealth is evil. Many of the heroes of biblical faith, of world history, and of our nation were very wealthy, including King David, Solomon, Job, and most of our Founding Fathers. There is a negative mind-set justifying money mediocrity that is maddening. Wealth is not evil, and people who possess it aren’t evil by virtue of the wealth. There are rich jerks and poor jerks. Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines , says to use riches is to cause them to be consumed, to trust in riches is to count upon them for things they cannot provide, but to possess riches is to have the right to say how they will or will not be used. If you are a good person, it is your spiritual duty to possess riches for the good of mankind. If you are a Christian like me, it is your spiritual duty to possess riches so that you can do with them things that bring glory to God. The botto

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9 The Bible says that Jesus experienced death for us. So you and I do not have to experience eternal death because He has paid the penalty for our sin and given us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something to rejoice about!  Because of Christ's resurrection and victory over death, what happens when you wake up in the morning? I believe that when Christians put their feet on the floor in the morning, hell ought to shake. Demons should tremble when they realize we're up!  That's exactly what will happen when we realize who we are in Christ and understand the authority we have in Him. We are soldiers in the army of God. We have authority in Him!  Jesus has defeated sin and death. Now we need to consistently walk in the authority and victory that He provide

Praise the LORD, all you nations;   extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us,   and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the Lord.   — Psalm 117 NIV This psalm captures the essence of praise in miniature — it is the shortest psalm in the Psalter and the shortest chapter in the Bible. The psalm opens with a call for the nations to praise the Lord (verse 1) and then gives the reason for praise: the Lord's great love and eternal faithfulness toward his people (verse 2). 117:1 The Lord is more than a parochial or tribal deity; he is Lord of all the earth (114:3 – 8;115:15 – 16). Consequently, all nations must praise him. Psalms pictures a great contest between the rebellious nations and their Creator (see 2:1 – 6). The nations submit to their Creator by praising him (see 2:10 – 12; 108:3). The New Testament attests that the nations have submitted to God because they praise the Son (see 2:10 – 12). Paul quotes this verse

I t’s the start of a brand new year. For many of us, that means it’s time to participate in the annual ritual of setting goals and making resolutions for the year to come. For January 1st, did you resolve to lose weight, exercise more, take charge of your finances, learn a new skill, or pursue a new hobby? If so, you’re not alone! According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, 68% of Americans participate in the tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions in some way, shape or form. By the end of January, however, 1 in 3 Americans have abandoned their goals! Ultimately, only 8% of the individuals who make New Year’s Resolutions successfully achieve them. Perhaps that explains why 38% of the American population never bothers to make any New Year’s resolutions at all! If you’re thinking there’s got to be a better way to achieve success in the New Year, you’re right! The good news is that you’ll find the secrets to successful planning for changing you

We were made for more! More than this failure, more than this vicious cycle of defeat, more than being ruled by our taste buds, body image, rationalizations, and guilt. We were made for victory. More than once, I’ve held the latest, greatest diet book in one hand with my other hand wedged into the back pocket of my ever-tightening jeans. But the thought of taking the plunge and signing up for another diet made me want to sit down and cry. I’d return the book to the shelf, toss my head back, and sigh, “Another day, another time. I’m doing the best I can right now.” It is so tempting to quit the health struggle entirely and pretend it doesn’t really matter spiritually. But it does matter — and not just for the physical or emotional setbacks. It’s the denial of a fundamental spiritual truth. What is this truth? Your parents might have told it to you when you got sassy and disrespectful: “More is expected of you. You aren’t a brat, so don’t act like one.” Your teac

1. Love is the Law of Life All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live. 2. It is Your Outlook That Matters It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light. 3. Life is Beautiful First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves! 4. It is The Way You Feel Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without wh

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! — Romans 9:14 Have you ever considered the stark contrast between Judas Iscariot and the thief on the cross? One was a close disciple of Jesus Christ and gave three years of his life to the best, most intensive religious instruction available anywhere. But he lost his soul forever. The other was a hardened, lifelong criminal who was still mocking everything holy while being put to death for his crimes. But he went straight to paradise forever. The difference in the two men could hardly be more pronounced — nor could the endings to their respective life stories be more surprising. Judas was a disciple in Christ’s closest circle of twelve. He preached, evangelized, ministered, and was even given power to “cure diseases” (Luke 9:1). He seemed like a model disciple. When Jesus predicted that one of the Twelve would betray Him, no one pointed the finger of suspicion at Judas. He was so thoroughly t

Use to think there's now no condemnation Till I got a higher revelation Second verse to the chapter For the life giving spirit in Christ Jesus Constrain me, Liberate me Oh what a snare to the nations Got to kill addiction with the scriptures... Inspired by Scriptures; Romans 8:1-2.