Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

Stillness before God is about drawing away from all the noise around us and remaining in His presence. This stillness is about having a secret place where no one is watching us and no one will know about it. Most of us have various responsibilities where we are observed by others for being a spouse, parent, employee, employer, advisor, etc. In addition, we choose our “friends” on social media to see the snapshots of our activities. As a result, there doesn’t seem to be a place where we can be away from the eyes of others and to be truly ourselves before a holy God.

The scripture tells us that in the stillness of life we get to know God. In the midst of all the noise and distractions it is difficult to sense His presence or hear His voice. The “knowing” stated in the above scripture is about having an intimate relationship.

Most of us are not familiar with intimacy because it requires stillness and vulnerability. We are not used to sitting quietly because we are scared of silence. When things get quiet for a few minutes, we get antsy. We begin listening to our favorite music, texting someone, or watching a short video on social media. We have become experts in distracting ourselves. The things that we watch or listen could be helpful and spiritual, but are we getting to know the Lord personally? Are those things make us a spectator to someone else worshipping the Lord? Are we enjoying someone else’s revelation of God? 

Jesus repeatedly withdrew from the crowd and that included His disciples. Jesus was already intimate with the Father, yet, He gave much attention to withdrawing from the people and having His time with the Lord. This shows the significance of quiet moments with the Lord. Jesus’ miracles and His words of knowledge were amazing. Could it be that those intimate moments with the Lord gave Him greater sensitivity to the unseen world and allowed Him to know the will of the Father clearly in each situation?

For those of us who are uncomfortable with stillness or intimacy, it will require faith to be quiet and still before God. It may feel like we are our wasting time, or we’re not being productive.  If we, in faith, go before God and quietly listen to His voice, it will develop a deeper sensitivity to His quiet voice. We will sense His majesty and love, and He will begin to speak to us and give us revelations that we never imagined before.  

During the holidays, life has a tendency to get busy with all the festivities, decorations, gifts, and gatherings. As we enter the New Year, most of us clean up our homes from all the activities and bring things back into order. The busyness of the season can also clutter our hearts, hence the need to set it back on the right focus.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god. Psalms 24:3-4

To begin with a clean slate, it’s good to treasure the memories made and let go of all the disappointments and frustrations from the previous season.

Who desires to ascend the mountain of the Lord? Those who desire to get closer to the Lord, don’t need to take anything up the mountain with them. He is looking for a pure heart and clean hands. A pure heart is a singleminded heart whose attention is only on pleasing the Lord. 

My goal is to meet with him frequently and hear His voice. I want to repent from anything that He wasn’t pleased with, and put it behind me, so I can be free to move forward in what is before me.

Recently, I heard a story of two ladies who helped a homeless man. He desired to see his sister who lived in Tennessee but had no means to get there. He had not been in contact with his sister for a couple years. The two ladies bought him clothes and a bus ticket, so he can visit his sister. That would have meant that they needed to spend sometime with this homeless man who, most likely, did not look good nor smelled good. However, they were willing to reach out to him and lend him a hand.  It would have been a lot easier to write a check to a homeless shelter than doing what these two did! What a blessing for these two ladies to bring joy in this man’s life and see his need fulfilled. He ended up having a place to stay with his sister and will begin looking for a job in Tennessee. 

Our hands may be busy with many things, but I want my hands to be busy with those things that matter in the Kingdom. I want to touch those that God wants me to touch. I only want to consider unclean what God calls unclean. The Lord considers unclean those things that come from impure heart and unclean motives.

Lending a hand to those who are in need for Christ’s sake, even when they look or smell dirty, is one of the cleanest things we can do. Lord, give us the courage to be your hands and feet in this world and serve you with a pure heart and clean hands. 

Happy and blessed 2018! As we get older, it seems like the years go by much faster. This also means that it is important to make the most of every opportunity and not let them pass by. 

In the last few days the Lord has been speaking to me about a ” New Order”, so I would like to share a scripture that ministered to me.

“…No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” Luke 2:21-22

When God begins to do a new work in our lives, it requires us to be sensitive to that change of season and adjust accordingly. This means that we first perceive it in faith, and then, in the natural, we begin to make room for it. We don’t wait until things change, but we welcome the new by changing our perspective and mindset with what is about to come. The new order could be in God’s revelation, relationships, career, finances, ministry, etc. 

Our natural tendency is to hang on to what has worked in the past. Some of us may even be comfortable with what hasn’t worked in the past; we prefer to hold on to what is known because we are just tired of believing that change is possible.

The Lord’s character and His principles don’t change, but He is always in the business of changing and transforming lives. While things don’t always change in our timeline, God is still at work behind the scenes. We will see the eventual change in our lives as well as the lives of those around us.

When God brings a new situation in our lives (new wine), instead of trying to understand it based on our past experiences, let’s ask God for a new perspective (new wineskin). Let’s believe God that there is a new order of things, and that God has a new provision and a new plan that we know nothing about. Our preconceived notions will not make sense of it all, but we can trust Him to give us what we need in the new season. The Lord is always faithful, and while He will alway faithfully provide what we need, how He plans to provide it, can be different from one season to another.

As we are about to enter 2018 in a few days, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year and think about the year ahead. Some choose to have new year resolutions. I have found that new resolutions don’t work for me. I tend to forget what they were and can’t recall where I documented them!

If we choose the right priorities in our lives, the new year resolutions will be the byproduct of those priorities. Whether the specific resolutions get accomplished or not, we are still moving in the right direction and are developing in ways that help us grow and become all God has purposed for us.  Some of the things that we can think about are as follows:

1. Where we will spend our time and energy in 2018? Making time for the Lord and our family is at the top of the list. Working diligently, tithing, saving, and giving is important in getting our financial house in order. Developing healthy friendships is important to our well-being.

2. Allowing faith, hope, and love to rule our lives and choke fear, hopelessness, and pride is going to be critical to our spiritual growth. Faith, hope, and love also ripen the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and allow others to see more of Christ in us.

3. Finally, making time for the lost is crucial. It is in discipling the people that communities change, and the Kingdom of God is advanced. Below are some scriptures to meditate on as we embark on the New Year!

Time with the Lord

       O God, You are my God;
       Early will I seek You;
       My soul thirsts for You;
       My flesh longs for You
       In a dry and thirsty land
       Where there is no water.
       So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
       To see Your power and Your glory. Psalm 63:1-2

I hope that I can have this kind of longing towards the Lord. There are many things out there that ease the thirst momentarily, but they ultimately leave us disappointed and bankrupt.  He is the only true source of life, hope, and encouragement in all seasons of life!

Growing in the Spirit man

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

It is time for the bride of Christ to grow up and mature. I desire to grow up and put away my immature and childish ways of handling things. Let’s bring to the Lord our self-focused habits and lay them at the Cross and allow the Lord to help us love deeply and do life better with others!

Reaching the Lost

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

While we may prefer to be around people who are like-minded, the lost needs to be reached. It is not easy to be around prickly, opinionated, or difficult people,  but everyone needs Jesus! Let’s ask the Lord to give us the grace to serve those who are different from us in behavior, culture, lifestyle, or political preference and reach them for Christ. 

I pray that we all cease the moments God gives us to grow in Him and reach those He puts in our sphere of influence!

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Luke 2:25-38

The Holy Spirit led Simeon to go to the temple to see the Messiah! The Lord had spoken to him about seeing the Savior before he died, and when the spirit led Simeon, he did not hesitate to go to the temple. When he saw the baby, he held the baby, and with the eyes of faith, he recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Simeon prophesied boldly about Him. He even declared that through Him the salvation was going to come to the Jews and the Gentiles. This was the first time that salvation for Jews and Gentiles was mentioned in the New Testament!

Furthermore, Anna who was a devout woman of God and known to be a prophetess also saw Jesus and recognized Him as the Savior. She began to speak about Him to others and told them about the redemption that was going to come. 

Both Simeon and Anna were faithful servants of the Lord who were wise and ready for the appearance of the Savior.  They had prepared for decades for the arrival of Jesus on the scene. While they did not see the work of Jesus on the Cross, they welcomed it from a distance and spoke boldly about it to others.

Jesus’ birth is the demarkation in history pointing to the fact that everything is different after His birth and His sacrificial work on the Cross. Just as Simeon and Anna were chosen by God to proclaim the Messiah, He has chosen all His sons and daughters to proclaim the Good News of Salvation and Reconciliation with God. Hallelujah!

May His peace, joy, and rest be with you today and always! Merry Christmas!

“Are you ready for Christmas?” If this was a question asked of you, how would you answer it? Would you think about all the Christmas gifts that you still have to purchase? Would you be thinking about the need to still send out Christmas cards to family and friends? Would shopping for food be on your “to do list”? The Truth is that most of us know the reason for the season, but all the preparation for Christmas celebration takes away our attention from what truly matters. 

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:5-7

There was no room for Jesus when He came to the world. The people were too preoccupied with their hustle and bustle to pay attention to the Messiah arriving at their neighborhood. He came to the world, and the world was too busy doing what the earthly king had demanded. They all had to go to their respective cities for taking part in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus from his empire.

The sad reality is that many Christians will celebrate Christmas without Christ because of all the cultural and family expectations. They will do all the preparations and buy gifts for family and friends. Santa will show up to cheer the children, but there will be no room for Jesus. He is not going to be discussed at the dinner tables, but politics and sports are going to be the highlights of the discussions.

Many people think they are prepared, but in time they find out that they really were not prepared as they should have been. What is the difference between the prepared wise individuals versus those who are inadequately prepared?

There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it. Proverbs 21:20

The wise people always take care of their spiritual life first. Their intimacy with the Lord gives them the oil of insight and illumination that prepares them at a moment’s notice for any need that arises. They are in tune with God and with people’s needs. They know when and how to step in to share some of their spiritual treasures with those who are in need. The foolish ones are selfish and have no understanding of God’s desires in any given situation. They are only focused on how they can be blessed and are not there to serve others or give of themselves.

As you prepare for Christmas, spend time with the Lord and give Him room to speak to you without any agenda on your part. Then pray for those that you will come into contact with in the next couple of weeks and ask the Lord to prepare you for those visits. Be mindful of the lonely ones around you and try to reach out to them. Be ready spiritually for the Lord using you in others’ lives and be open for how he will use others to minister to you.

I shared in the last two devotionals about Jesus’ parable in regards to the wise and foolish virgins. There was another virgin whose obedience changed the history of mankind! Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a wise virgin who heard the voice of God and was prepared to respond!

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

The call of God to Mary came in an unexpected form! She didn’t know that someday an angelic visitation would change her life, but Mary was ready! She had a tender heart towards God, and she called herself, “the Lord’s servant.” She must have had an intimate and loving faith towards her God. Therefore, the Lord chose her and favored her because He knew He could trust her.

The call of God upon Mary wasn’t going to be easy. To be an unmarried pregnant woman could have meant shame, gossip, and disdain by her community. She didn’t even know how Joseph would respond to this call. However, she did not concern herself with all those worries.

Mary’s commitment to the Lord was greater than any fear of man that she was faced with. Those fears were not going to hold her back from doing the will of God. She did not ask the angel if the Lord could wait until Joseph marries her, so that her pregnancy could be acceptable to people. She just declared, “May your word to be fulfilled.”

Mary did not have all the hang ups of a carnal man. Most of us would worry about other’s approval of us and would not want to do anything that could lead people to think less of us. Mary, on the other hand, just said yes to God and allowed God to back her up and protect her. She was pure from selfish motives or ambitions. This wasn’t her idea; it was God’s plan. Her faith was in the Lord, and God was surely faithful to her and provided for her all the way. This wise virgin was ready, and she had plenty of oil for her lamp to provide her illumination in the midst of difficult and uncertain times. 

Has the Lord been asking you to do something that man’s opinion is holding you back? First, please ensure that it is the Lord calling you. Then take a step of faith by simply saying “yes” to Him. 

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:1-13

In the last devotional, I began sharing about the parable of the wise and foolish virgins that Jesus told his disciples to teach them about the end times. His main concern was between those who claim to follow him (the goats) versus the ones who truly follow him (the sheep)(See Matthew 25:31-33).

What differentiates the wise virgins from the foolish ones? The wise ones remain in relationship to the Lord and maintain their anointing and sensitivity to spiritual matters. They continue to walk in the light, and as a result, they are not afraid of darkness. The followers of Jesus continually rely on the oil of the Holy Spirit to help them see matters clearly and walk in the light. The wise ones are not too concerned about the timing of the bridegroom’s return because they are ready whenever he comes. 

The foolish virgins are in need of help. They walk in darkness, and they cannot see clearly. They lose focus of the bridegroom because it’s taken too long.  The bridegroom told the foolish ones that he doesn’t know them. This is the main point of the parable. Those who follow Jesus are continually filled by the oil of the Holy spirit and are ready for when He returns. Those who don’t know Him walk in darkness and when He returns they are not ready!

Recently I had a conversation with someone who professes to be a Christian. He mentioned that he attends a Bible study and that they study the scripture from the writer’s perspective. When I asked him what they do with Jesus’ statements such as, “I am the bread of life,” he stated that they only focus on the one who wrote those scriptures  rather than concentrating on Jesus’ words. There is very little benefit to this kind of Bible study.

The Bible is supposed to bring light into our dark world when we believe what God says. It is God leaving His inheritance for His children. If we don’t believe that it is His Word or take it seriously, we can read it all we want and still remain poor in the spirit. If we only read it for its historical or literary significance it completely misses the point. It is a lamp without the oil. It would be of no use for the one who possesses it. 

The consequence of not taking God at His word, is that we settle for untransformed life! As a result, we want to change our environment to meet our needs rather than addressing the lack of oil in our lives. The decisions of the foolish ones are based on darkness rather than the transforming power of God. When the bridegroom comes, they are alarmed and startled rather being prepared. The wise ones never lost focus of why there were there to begin with.

Let’s encourage one another to be like the wise virgins. 

The disciples were curious about the end times, so Jesus shared parables to express His desire for them to be ready rather than focusing on the end times.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming…” Matthew 25:1-13

This parable becomes more clear when we look at the end of chapter 25. In Matthew (25:31-33), Jesus stated that at the end times the sheep and the goats will be separated.  His point is that many proclaim that they are followers of Jesus. However, not everyone who professes to be follower of Christ is His sheep.

The above parable describes ten virgins who were all interested in seeing the bridegroom, but the wise ones made preparations to see Him. The wise ones did not just rely on taking a lamp, but they took a jar of oil. The wise virgins represent the sheep. Oil is a representation of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit illuminates the lamp. Without it, the lamp will only provide light for a short time. It eventually cannot light a room because it runs out of oil. 

The wise virgins took additional oil because they understood that their lamp is useless without the oil. The foolish ones were more self-confident and presumed that it would not take that long, so they did not take any oil with them.

When life is going smoothly, many presume upon the future and assume that things will always be that way. They get busy with life, activities, and distractions, and they forget to nurture their relationship with the Lord.

There are those who profess they are Christians, but they do not have the anointing of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word of God to them. Therefore, they have a form of godliness, but they do not have the power to be transformed or to have an influence in seeing others transformed. They are the goats that Jesus spoke about. 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:33

Definition of Understanding (According to Strong’s Concordance G4907): Running together, a flowing together with, knowledge, understanding, the understanding, i.e. the mind so far forth as it understands.

In the New Testament, the word “understanding” has a somewhat different meaning. It is about integrating knowledge to something useful. Understanding is connecting the dots to paint a clear picture of God’s heart.

Jesus’ disciples are good examples of individuals who did not have a clear understanding of spiritual matters while Jesus was with them. Jesus taught and mentored them perfectly. However, many times they misunderstood Jesus’ statements because they didn’t have an understanding. This was evident in their questions and attitude while Jesus was with them.

We may have a lot of Bible knowledge but lack the understanding of God’s heart and will for our lives. One of the definitions of understanding is “a flowing together with.” Is it possible that some of us don’t know how to allow the scriptures to flow together to paint a complete picture of God’s heart and His Kingdom?

We may have focused only on those scriptures that have encouraged us at the sacrifice of other scriptures that make us uncomfortable. Therefore, we prefer to hold on to the ones we like and neglect the ones that challenge our theology. This causes our understanding to be limited and not to flow through the scriptures.

When we look at the landscape of Christianity around us, everyone is claiming that they love God and want to honor Him. However, you can find Christians advocating and praying for things while others Christians are praying and advocating on the opposite side of issues. Some believe that if something is important to them, then God must be endorsing it. Some Christians don’t read the Bible but just want to stay in the spirit and worship God. Others don’t even take the Bible literally and perceive it as a nice literature or poetry. None of these are indications of gaining understanding.

Let’s pray that the Lord would increase our understanding of His Word and His Kingdom as we read the Bible. Then we can love God with the understanding that flows through all the scriptures.