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Have you ever wondered why you have not been able to tap into the miraculous, fulfilling, and ultimate joy that the Bible talks about? Perhaps your frustration stems from the fact that you have been looking for joy in all the wrong places. If you believe that an impressive college education, a spotless home or well-behaved children are your password into the kingdom of joy, you have it all wrong. If you somehow think that losing weight, marrying the person of your dreams or being the owner of a passport filled with impressive stamps from exotic and far-away places will give you a money-back guarantee to perfect and perpetual joy, then once again, my friend, you have it all wrong. Joy is found in one place and one place only - "In His presence is fullness of joy!"
There is much about the night seasons that is perfect for seeking God. At nighttime everyone is asleep - except you! You stay up and seek the face of God uninterrupted. This makes for an exceptional time with the Lord as there are less distractions from kids, family, texts, and phone calls. There is something about having quality time with the Lord that makes a huge notable difference in our lives.
Some people are great at learning new languages. However, I get tongue-tied and provide a comedy routine rather than an accent as I try to speak in another language. However, there is a language that every believer is created to speak and understand, the language of heaven. For the believer, this is not their second language, but their primary one. It is not a backup, but the primary line of thinking. Everything changes when we understand we are created to partake in the language of heaven.
The writer of Hebrews says, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation" (2:3, NKJV). The Greek word for neglect, ("having neglected" in its original tense in Greek), is "amelesantes." This means to pay no attention to, to make light of or to be negligent of. See Matthew 22:5 (ESV) for another instance when this word is used, i.e., "they paid no attention." Many Christians, including evangelicals, have made it a habit to neglect the basics of the faith, thus operating in a dangerous assumption that their salvation is always a settled fact despite how they live. However, this is not the teaching of the original apostles who wrote the sacred text. Even St. Peter admonished believers to ensure their calling and election (2 Peter 1:10).
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are joint heirs with Him. This means that everything that is His also belongs to us, and every promise God gives in His Word is for us (Romans 8:17). But I've learned that it's one thing to claim God's promises by faith and another to actually experience them. The story of the Israelites in the wilderness is a good example for us regarding this principle. They were slaves in Egypt when God sent Moses to deliver them from Pharaoh and lead them to the Promised Land, He had for them.
We are kingdom citizens, and not of this world. We don't abide by this world's economy and the natural things that happen. Repeatedly, over the last four weeks, I've been hearing not to look at the circumstances of this world. We are not of this world. Get your eyes off the natural. It is so strong in my heart and spirit. I can't remember a time a word kept stirring inside me like this word. I've been hearing Him say there are multiple blessings in this season. They are already in the works and don't look at your natural surroundings.
My family won't eat healthy. This is an excuse that I understand, and yet I think it is one of the poorest excuses. When we are blaming our bad eating habits on our families, we place all the responsibility for what we've done to ourselves on them. That is not fair to them. Blaming our weight gain on our family's eating habits is just crazy. If we are the cooks, we have the control over what we serve. We can change how we feed our families. If our families won't eat healthy, it is our fault. Not theirs.
Did you hear about the boy who took off his favorite bow tie during the church service and put it in the offering plate? When his dad asked him why he had done such a thing, the youngster replied, "Don't you know? The pastor tells us to put our ties and offerings into the plate." Oh, to have the heart of a child! If the Lord needs it, we'll give it at once. We should be glad to offer the Lord whatever He needs, whenever He needs it, for the expansion of His kingdom. He delights in our gifts to Him, whether much or little.
We have just entered a new Hebrew month called Tishrei on the Jewish calendar. As we proceed on this month in the celebration of the fall feasts of the Lord, it is vital to know the holy days and what they mean. In this Hebrew month of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets) was celebrated at sundown on Sept. 25. During this holy day, we rejoiced at the coronation of the King and acknowledged the 5,783 years since Adam and Eve were created. On this day we also stepped into the Ten Days of Awe and this will end on sundown on October 4th-5th during Yom Kipper, the Day of Atonement.
A pastor is not in charge of your ministry gift any more than an auto mechanic is! Now we seriously need both of them in our lives, or we may not get too far down the road we want to travel, but the gift is given by God, to be discovered, discerned, and then trained and employed! Many pastors are pastor-teachers, or are pastor-evangelists, etc., meaning they have a primary and then a secondary gifting. But the Anointed One and His anointing is the Giver and Employer of all the ministry gifts.
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