I love to express what I feel called to say. Writing helps me to open up my heart and do that. I hope that what I write helps you in some way. I hope it makes you think, encourages you, or inspires you. If it challenges you or if you disagree, I hope you know that I respect your right to have a different point of view.
The King of Kings says: “A new command I give you: Love one another.” We have no excuse for rebelling against Him.
King Jesus is too often robbed of His authority. Like a figurehead king, He’s honored with words, but His commands are ignored.
The Romans placed a sign on Jesus’ cross (written in the Jewish, Roman, and Greek languages) that said, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews,” revealing that they were threatened by the assertion that He is King. Later they persecuted Christians because of their loyalty to the risen Jesus as their King. Throughout history, the more Jesus has been followed and obeyed as the ever-living, supreme King, the more His followers have been persecuted.
I owe my allegiance to King Jesus, the King who matters most. Christ-followers aren’t bound to a religious chain of command. They’re bound heart-to-heart to the living King Jesus. Any chain of command that comes between you and the risen Jesus is bondage.
If King Jesus is truly living in you, then He needs no human chain of command to guide and direct you. He can do it Himself.The Bible calls Christ-followers “a royal priesthood” because they communicate directly with God and are members of the eternal royal family.
The ever-living King who communicates directly and individually to each of His subjects needs no chain of command.To be “led by the Spirit” is to receive your orders directly and continually from King Jesus.When people are trained to rely on organized religion more than on direct communication with the risen Jesus, the Holy Spirit is hindered.
Whenever there’s a tug-a-war between a chain of command and your conscience, follow your conscience. Jesus will often lead you through your conscience.
Mental wealth matters. Make your mind a treasure chest of beautiful thoughts. It’s good to have money, but mental wealth is more important.Too many people hope for riches instead of enjoying the riches of hope.
Peace of mind is the currency of mental wealth. Without mental-wealth management, we can easily squander our inner resources. If we won’t work for mental wealth, we won’t have much of it.
True mental wealth is much more than information and knowledge. It includes wisdom, insight, discipline, and optimism.An unprotected and undisciplined mind can’t accumulate much mental wealth.
When mental wealth is lost, it feels like all is lost! It’s the wealth that matters most! It makes your heart rich! True mental wealth accumulates and lives by wisdom, not by self-focused desires.
Life is full of mental wealth scams that will take away your peace of mind. Be wise! Many things that are presented by society as exciting are schemes that will steal your mental wealth.
Always work on your mental wealth. Grow it every day! To grow your mental wealth, invest in and save hope and wisdom. Mental wealth is a mind full of beauty. To build mental wealth be in the business of finding, focusing on, and celebrating goodness.
Mental health is a wealth of wisdom applied to everyday living. I pursue mental wealth — beautiful thoughts, words, sights, sounds, and memories that that keep me filled with hope.
Mental wealth is a portfolio of contentment, peace, wisdom, and inspiration. It is the ability to procure and maintain peace of mind. To acquire mental wealth become a serious collector of thoughts that inspire and encourage. Self-focus devours mental wealth and steals peace of mind.
Mental wealth is the ability to find and maintain the most hopeful perspective in any situation. It’s a disciplined mind, free from torment and grateful for being alive. There’s a big mental wealth gap between people who think negatively and people who think positively.
The Bible is the greatest mental wealth book I’ve ever read. As I invest reading time in it every day, it renews my mind.
If you don’t train your desires, emotions, and thoughts to align with truth and integrity, they’ll align you with self-deception. Overcoming temptation requires training, not just will power!
Christianity’s not about settling into a comfort zone. It’s about rigorously training yourself to follow Jesus whatever the circumstances.Don’t just be a passive Christian spectator. “Train yourself to be godly.” 1 Timothy 1:7.If you’re not as close to Jesus as you once were, that might indicate that the way you’re approaching Christianity isn’t working.
Grace isn’t an excuse to avoid God’s discipleship training. Grace is hearing the call to sell it all for Jesus!Grace gets Christ in you, but it takes strenuous training to get yourself aligned with Christ.If you won’t train your free will to pursue and obey the risen Jesus, it will pursue and obey your own desires.
A Christian who doesn’t daily train to follow and obey the living Jesus is like an athlete who doesn’t train — very ineffective.The Bible’s the training manual for Christ-followers. Wear it out from frequent use. Then get another copy and do it again.
Someone who daily trains to follow and obey the living Jesus will experience a different kind of Christianity than someone who merely sits thru sermons.Christians: Train, train, train! — until you begin to daily think and act and love like Jesus.
To get Spiritually fit, You need to fit Your life Into God’s plan, Not vice versa.
If Christ-followers Would train Like Navy Seals, We’d not be discouraged No matter how life feels.
Train yourself To surrender To Jesus So you don’t hinder His will.
Use your trials For discipleship training, Not for Constant complaining.
Acquiring Bible knowledge Without training To do what you know Is just a show.
Discipleship requires That we train To be led by God’s Spirit. Grace is free to obtain, But costly to sustain.
Athletes practice and train. The Bible says that Christians need to, too (1 Corinthians 9:25). Get training!A Christian who doesn’t passionately learn the Bible is like a football player who doesn’t know his team’s playbook.
If Christians would count and maintain their steps with Jesus the way many count their physical steps, they’d have much better spiritual health.Train yourself to stay intently and continually focused on the risen Jesus. Train yourself to quickly repent, to freely forgive, and to “pray without ceasing.”
When you tune in to God’s whispers, His breath (His Spirit) will tune up your heart to hunger and thirst for His presence and His will. The problem isn’t that God isn’t whispering, but that we’re not quietly focusing and intently listening. When we train ourselves to notice God’s whispers, the inner promtings of His living Word will transform us from the inside out.
In a moment I awakened From Jesus As a religious word To Jesus as living Light And glorious insight Full of present-day Power and might!
When I awakened from unawareness to awe in the presence of Christ, the living Jesus filled up my senses. Everyday Jesus shows me His presence, power, and reality through His wondrous web of many ways.
I continually need more Jesus-awareness. Jesus-information isn’t enough. Jesus-awareness matters!
I sense Jesus working inside of me, healing my heart and molding my mind, offering me revelation and insight, and empowering me with strength that I didn’t know I had.
When I observe the beauty, detail, and glory in nature, I’m aware that Jesus (“God with us”) is revealing His presence everywhere to whosever will see.
Listening to and singing along with soul-stirring Jesus music often overwhelms me with His presence.
When awe inspiring circumstances happen that are statistically off the chart (and they do every day) I’m aware that Jesus is present and working right now!
Opening my heart to Jesus and talking with Him throughout the day makes me know He’s with me!
Hanging out and interacting with people who have the Jesus-thrill lets me see Him working in them.
When I freely express heart-felt love and adoration to Jesus, His glory floods my soul.
The more I read the Bible with an open heart, the more real Jesus becomes to me.
As I notice people doing loving acts of kindness, I’m aware (even if they’re unaware) that Jesus is acting through them.
When I hear people talk about what Jesus has done and is doing in their life, I feel His presence!
Frequently praying with the supernatural gift of tongues makes Jesus feel more real to me than the physical world.
When my conscious is activated to steer me in the right direction, I know that is Jesus is protecting me.
Every time I count my blessings, I’m conscious of Jesus’ favor on my life.
When I quietly listen to Jesus, thoughts come to my heart and mind that I know aren’t mine.
The Jesus-thrill that I frequently feel lets me know that He is real!
People don’t spend their life hearing weekly lectures about their best friend. They spend time together. Jesus is my best Friend.Perhaps church could focus on training people to spend time with Jesus.
The institutionalized Jesus is defined and confined by religious leaders and organizations. The alive Jesus speaks for Himself. God has much to say beyond church.
Entitlement is to proudly believe that you have some self-focused claims on God. Grace is to freely and humbly admit that you are at God’s mercy and have no claims on Him and no rights before Him. Even the most exemplary Christ-followers are only “unworthy servants.” “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.”
I see Jesus (“God with us”) in nature. If time and chance didn’t make the shed, how could it make the spider that made the web?
We need fiery faith, not fairy faith–flaming faith, not sedating faith–blazes of glory, not boring story.Sensing the splendor of God far surpasses sitting thru sermons filled with sweet theological speculation.
The world needs to see phenomenal Christ-followers who radiate God’s glory, not nominal ones who deviate from His presence. If there’s nothing phenomenal about your faith, it may be nothing but nominal. Instead of looking for spiritual awakening in a church or home group, look for it inside of you.
Widespread spiritual awakening often begins with one person. Be the one!
Pride is the dark shadow that self-focus casts as it blocks the glory of God. Every shadow in your heart shows you some place where you’re blocking the glory of God. When self is set aside, God’s splendor can be seen. To quench the Spirit is to block the glory of God.
Many Christians prefer to gather around a preacher who explains the Gospel over and over rather than someone glowing with God’s fire. I thrive on the ongoing thrill of interacting with the risen Jesus. Be the one in your sphere of influence who radiates the Jesus thrill.
Grace thrills people with Jesus. It doesn’t put them to spiritual sleep. If people can’t see that you’re thrilled about the risen Jesus, there’s a good chance you’re not. One person with an ongoing Jesus thrill is more spiritually contagious than a church full of people in a religious chill. Be the one!
When I read the Bible unfiltered by religion, I’m energized, enlivened, excited, encouraged, electrified, and exhilarated.Too many people want the Bible processed by sermons or devotional books instead of letting God’s Spirit process it.
A focus on analytical Christianity amputates awe and splendor from the heart. Instead, savor God’s splendor and meditate on His magnificence until you glow with His glory. Letting your soul be soaked and saturated with God’s splendor will sever the chains in your heart.
There’s no need to continually be preached to in the shadows. True preaching invites you to come and live in the Light.If you would stop hiding your heart in your favorite shadows, you could behold the glorious radiance of the living God.
Hearing a story is no substitute for living in God’s glory. Before there are hundreds or thousands or millions of people visibly thrilled about Jesus, there needs to be one. Be the one!Too many Christians are looking and waiting for someone to catch on fire for Jesus. Be that someone!
The glory of God Isn’t theoretical. It’s experiential. “O taste and see!”
Out of the shadows
I once was caught By a sudden thought Where I was taught That I falsely thought I was a Christian: “If you were born a Hindu, What would you be today?” That thought Cleared the way For the living Jesus To show Himself To me one day.
To prophesy is to speak or write words prompted by God’s Spirit. It’s not the content of the words that makes prophecy but their Source. We need more prophetic speaking and fewer self-proclaimed prophets.
Where do the words you say come from? You can speak or write from 4 sources: 1) Your own words (from your own mind, emotions, desires, or opinions), 2) Other people’s words that you’ve learned to repeat, 3) Words prompted by demons, and 4) Words prompted by God. You need discernment to recognize which are which.
Here’s an example of discerning the source of words: Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He is. Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied to Peter: “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven.”
A short time later Jesus began to tell His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, and be killed and Peter replied: “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Then Jesus said to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!”
One moment Peter spoked words prompted by God’s Spirit. The next moment He spoke words prompted by Satan.
We can also speak human words prompted by ourselves or by others. Jesus added: “You do not have in mind the concerns of God but merely human concerns.”
Who can prophesy (speak or write words prompted by God’s Spirit)? Writing to the Christ-followers in Corinth, Paul says: “You can all prophesy.” He says: “If an unbeliever or an inquirer comes while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!'”
I’ve seen that very thing happen several times where a stranger comes into a meeting and is overwhelmed and overcome with emotion by hearing everyday people speaking words prompted by God. Helping to oversee Spirit-led meetings on Sunday mornings for 10 years, every week I was able to see ordinary people speak as the Spirit prompted them. I was deeply moved every week.
Even in the most dangerous situations, Christ-followers can depend on God to speak His words through them. Jesus assures His disciples that God will prompt their words if they don’t rely on their own knowledge and preparation but instead speak as prompted by God’s Spirit. He says: “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
I watched a video of Billy Graham speaking to a technology conference when he was 80 years old. He picked up some notes and said something like: “I’m getting older, so I need to check my notes. When you see me on TV I’m ad libbing. I don’t use notes.” When he was preaching, he was speaking as God prompted him on the spot. Perhaps that’s why his words so powerfully impacted people.
I understand what Billy was saying. As a pastor I always felt like God wanted me to preach as the Spirit prompted me, not from notes. I continually read the Bible so there is always a lot in me ready to come out as God prompts me.
Too much in a church service comes from the study and plans of the mind instead of being prompted on the spot by the Spirit. We need to open up to the prompting of God’s Spirit!“You can all prophesy.”Today’s Christianity needs more people speaking prophetically (by God’s Spirit) and fewer speaking politically.
The heart can hear More than the ear And see light That’s beyond sight.
Your heart’s the site Of deep insights That can lift you To spiritual heights. Look.
I’m here Writing what I hear And sense Within Releasing it To the wind Of the Spirit.
Powerful words about the body of Christ from a German missionary:
“People-church (ekklesia) is the will of God and a vital necessity.” That’s a thought from a German missionary, Christian Keysser, who served in New Guinea from 1899 to 1921. Donald McGavran of Fuller Theological Seminary wrote this about him: “Keysser’s wide ranging, courageous mind continually took the German churches to task for not being genuine Christian congregations, leaving too much in the hands of the professional paid clergy and not acting as truly Christian communities.”
Keysser said this about traditional Christianity: “They lecture, but they do not reform. In mission everything depends on life and transforming power. Because we only look after theology and doctrine and not God’s reality and power at work, we have the present lamentable weakness of the church. Deadness is prevalent despite all good doctrine.”
Keysser believed that “Christ the Living One” wants to lead His body. He grieved over “the inefficiency and lack of power of our Christianity.” In the introduction to his book, A People Reborn (1929), he writes: “I would have liked to have left out all adverse observations on churches, but when one sincerely loves one’s church and earnestly about its condition and future, then one may, indeed one must, draw attention to certain things even at the risk of causing offense.”
Congregational church is what Keysser called his view of Christianity (which matches the New Testament concept of ekklesia.) He wrote, “The prototypes were the meetings in the apostolic congregations where everyone could speak.” When that is ignored, church doesn’t “lead to the activation of the congregation.” To overcome this, Keysser says: “It is a missionary’s (pastor’s) duty to hold back and not to do himself what his Christians should carry out. Otherwise, he harms the congregation, holds back the individual, hinders the development of the various gifts that God gives.”
Here’s more from Keysser: “To lead a congregation in the right direction will never succeed without Him who said: ‘Without Me you can do nothing,’ and who has given His Spirit with His absolutely necessary assistance. Leading a congregation demands continuous watching and giving heed to divine direction . . . This is by far more difficult than the one-sided exclusive preaching. In His congregation and church, Jesus wants to be the Lord with whom one complies. He is indeed the Savior of sinners, but besides this He is also the Lord as He was most often called in the early church.”
Here are some more quotes from Christian Keysser:
“Paul requests of the Christians in Collosse that they are able to be ‘teaching and admonishing one another.’ In his letters to the congregations, he always holds the total congregation responsible.”
“You propagate a knowledge of God, but you do not bring God Himself as the helper and redeemer of people.”
“It is particularly difficult to awaken a dead congregation. The Word is often no longer effective because the people have become dull.”
“Put God into life! Never substitute the teaching about God for God Himself. The teaching about God stays in the head, but God makes Himself effective in life.”
“One cannot educate dead congregations any more than a dead child. First there must be life. This is most important in all circumstances.”
“There should not always be the same routine. You must offer variation. Avoid lethal boredom!”
“The format of the service shouldn’t always be the same. Otherwise, people will become tired and fall asleep.”
“Ask people questions during the sermon and have them answer. Train them for real co-operation also in the preaching! Christian preaching was originally homilia, that is conversation, dialogue. Preaching must deal with a necessary truth until it has been apprehended, until the will has been influenced and until an action results. If this does not happen, all preaching will just be pious babbling that will not be taken seriously.”
Omission of the preaching can often have a greater effect on a dead congregation than the loudest sermon. When the missionary (pastor) is silent, all the other earnest Christians present must speak so much louder.”
“Life does not manifest itself in organizing and arranging gatherings, but in the congregation’s earnest action according to God’s will.”
“The congregational meeting (ekklesia) is absolutely indispensable for the nurture of the congregation. ‘Tell it to the church,’ according to Jesus. To its own detriment church abandoned congregational meetings (ekklesia).”
“At these meetings (ekklesia), the gifts and capabilities become evident. Here the minds are taught and trained. Through the constant training the Christians obtain a remarkably sound and sure judgment. Furthermore, it becomes evident who has authority and whose word has weight. The congregational meeting is the best soil in which spiritual gifts can grow.”
“A congregation that does nothing as a congregation and that does not react strongly to sins and wrongs in its mist, is dead.“
“The Bible attaches great importance to the confessing of sins. Confessing is necessary for the breaking of the chain with which Satan has bound the people. Experience shows that people are not set free from evil if they do not speak out openly and unreservedly. Confession is not a sign of weakness but of strength and resolution.”
“As the congregation grows, there certainly will be able, experienced Christians available who must be acknowledged by the congregation.”
“Only when Christian congregations are alive and one in God, can and will the world believe the message.”
“What not even the most earnest proclamation by individual messengers of God can accomplish is brought to pass by the mere presence of living congregations (ekklesias).”
“Demonstrate Christianity as a life power which influences and transforms entire peoples.”
Amazing grace Inspires and empowers Good works. It doesn’t replace Or chase Them away.
Grace is free, but not unconditional. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”God doesn’t give you the light of His grace to hide it behind sermons and church, but so you can demonstrate it to the world. Grace and work work better together, not independently.
Don’t get comfortable and stay stuck in a grace message. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Jesus said that people need to see you do good works, not just hear you talk about grace. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
No matter how hard we work or what we accomplish, we’ve no right to boast. Grace declares that we’re doing better than we deserve.
Many of today’s Christians tend to think every day is “grace day” and to forget about Labor Day. True grace doesn’t do away with the biblical Christian work ethic.
True grace makes people want to work to obey God. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”If you’re not being prompted by the Spirit to do good works that’s a warning sign that grace may not be working inside of you.
It takes more than grace to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” It also takes Spirit-led hard work!Too many Christians use grace like a magic word that makes them okay with God so they can continue to do things their way.
Grace is not an excuse to avoid doing good works and living a godly lifestyle. A forgotten Bible verse says: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” It doesn’t say that grace replaces work.When God by His grace prompts you to be a doer of His Word, it’s important that you don’t quench His Spirit but do what He says.
The Bible says: “We are God’s handiwork (that’s grace), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” What good works did God graciously create you to do today?
Although it’s a gift of grace, it takes on going spiritual work and self-denial to cultivate and grow the fruit of the Spirit in your life. God’s grace lets you see your sin, but repentance (stopping your sin) requires work.
The Bible says to “to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” It doesn’t say to “sit out your salvation.” It says to “to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.” Has God by His grace put a flame in you? If so, you need to not be passive, but work to keep God’s flame burning red hot so that your heart doesn’t become lukewarm or cold.
Why I work to read the Bible daily: The meekness and poverty of spirit of the prophets and apostles and other writers of Scripture opened their heart to the living Word and their mind to Christ’s renewing. As children of God, they were led by the Spirit and wrote as prompted by Him. When I read Scripture with an open humble, hungry heart (like a love letter instead of a textbook) my spirit delights and dances within me as the Holy Spirit testifies to its truthfulness and the fully alive Jesus works in me.
If you need An overhaul It won’t come From alcohol But it can come From Jesus.
No brew Can ever do What Jesus Will do If you Let Him Ever brew In your heart.
The reason people aren’t more excited about Jesus is that they mix lots of self-focus into their life and thus dilute His brew. Jesus can’t take control of your life until you stop insisting on doing what you want. Drinking might help you forget your guilt, but Jesus can completely erase it.
The solution to your inner emptiness isn’t alcohol, it’s Jesus. It’s not the old wine, but God’s New Wine. Alcohol overpowers people. Jesus empowers them.
Alcohol is not the answer, the risen Jesus is. You can’t really drown your sorrows, but you can replace them with the joy of the Lord.
If you won’t keep Jesus first, anything else you put first will let you down.What many people look for in drinking (comfort, companionship, stress relief, fun, inebriation) I find in the risen Jesus.
Some people think they need a drink. I know that I need the alive Jesus! Drinkers don’t want their glass to be empty. I don’t want my heart to be empty.
Instead of shots in a glass, Jesus gives me life-giving shots in my heart.
To ignore the presence of the alive and always active Jesus is to miss the essence of Christianity.The alive Jesus is everywhere. Since He’s not bound by place or time, He can live in and through you anytime and anyplace.
To believe in Jesus is to daily rely on Him. Self-reliance isn’t Christianity. Christ-reliance is.
Shift your reliance from yourself to the alive Jesus.To say that Jesus is alive while ignoring Him like He’s dead is a contradiction. When you’re truly relying on the alive Jesus, you won’t be easily accepted by those who aren’t. Human pride rejects reliance on God.
Grace (the invitation to rely on the alive Jesus) is not entitlement. It’s completely undeserved. Rely on the alive Jesus! Reliance on Jesus must happen moment by moment. It’s never a once and done. I’ve found self-reliance to be very disappointing, but reliance on the alive Jesus to be amazingly comforting and fulfilling.
It’s hard not to feel hopeless if you’re relying on anything else but God.The wisest thing that you can do is to always stay intensely aware of your need for God.
Until we begin to trust in and rely on Jesus in daily life, we’ll never know the reality of His presence and power.God revealed Himself to the writers of the Bible. When I read it, their revelation comes alive in me and gives me faith to daily rely on Jesus.
If you’re unwilling to rely on Jesus, He’s not your Ruler. He’s not your Lord and Master.If want one person to fix and change your life, begin to daily rely on the alive Jesus.Rely on Him to lead and direct you, not on your desires, feelings and opinions.
In your daily life,do you primarily rely on and trust in your own self-effort or Jesus? Unfortunately, church seems to rely more on human effort and programming than on the alive Jesus.The typical church format doesn’t train the people of God to actively rely on Jesus. Instead, it makes them a passive audience.
When Christians gather in His name, Jesus wants to be the Lord (the Ruler) of the meeting and not to be treated like a passive bystander.It’s interesting that when Christians get up and go to church, they’ve been trained to sit down and stay with a program. Relying on religion isn’t the same as relying on the alive Jesus.
Christians would grow stronger spiritually if a pastor would hold himself back in a church service and make room for their Spirit-led input.A pastor who does in a church service what people in a congregation could be trained to do themselves (like have Spirit-led input) hinders their spiritual development and reliance on Jesus.
When you rely On yourself You ignore And deny Jesus’ presence And power.
Free Gas for Your Think Tank -- Short Reflections, Lasting Encouragement 