"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."Romans 12:1-2

Over the past few days, I've been discussing the will of God and how to walk out His will daily in our lives. The Lord's general will involves the development of our character and the ways in which we relate to Him and to our fellow man. Much of this is the same for every believer. But each of us is unique, and each has a potential life vision unlike any other. God has an individual will for every soul that belongs to Him, an individually shaped destiny which varies according to our gifting and calling and purpose in His Body. Not every believer knows or even desires to walk fully in that vision, calling, or destiny. At times we may try to think about or shape a vision for our lives, but the scripture says that we ought to be able to test and approve what is God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. How do we do this? First, Paul urges that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. What does this mean? It means that we make a conscious decision to devote our entire lives to the Lord, holding nothing back, to give ourselves to Him without reservation. The Old Testament sacrifices were animals which were totally offered to God and usually were burned on the altar in fire. Their aroma was pleasing to Him, as their flesh was consumed by the fire. As living sacrifices, we remain alive... but given over, as though we were burning on His altar. Our life is not our own, but is devoted to His purpose and pleasure. This is a conscious decision, a choice which every believer is urged to make. The Lord is then free to shape our lives, our experiences, our discipline, according to His perfect will and purposes for the best possible result. Paul expands on this decisive act of devotion, saying we must not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. So the act of devoting our life to Him involves a decisive renunciation of the ways of thinking and the values of this present world. (Much could be said about this.) And it also involves a process of renewing our thoughts and values according to the thoughts and values of our Lord. These, then, are the conditions which the apostle gives that we may be able to test and approve what is God's good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives. Brothers & Sisters, it's often said that "God has a wonderful plan for your life." To me, that has always sounded a bit "robotic", as though I were a rat who needed to find His way through the maze of some "Cosmic Scientist". But now I know that God's "plan" for me is anything but mechanical. Rather, it involves the profound realities of my unique individuality; things that He has placed in me and no one else, such that He can beautifully express Himself through my life, my personality, my gifts, relationships, and unique position in the world. Indeed, it is a "wonderful plan". But in order for Him to shape this destiny, He requires my unreserved consent, my offering... of MY BODY, a LIVING SACRIFICE. OFFER YOUR BODY!

"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with you. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brothers? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brothers! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."Matthew 12:46-50 ; "Then came to him his mother and his brothers, and could not reach him for the crowd. And it was told him by some who said, Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."Luke 8:19-21

As I continue these series of devotionals on "understanding the will of God", I'd like to talk about a story which is told in all the synoptic gospels, except that Luke's account gives a significant nuance. (Many skeptical Bible "critics" point out differences in the gospels to argue that they can't be reliable -- yet it's actually the differences which support the validity of these accounts because they reveal that the events recorded were simply experienced and told from slightly different viewpoints, a very common circumstance when people are telling a story.) The gospels of Matthew and Mark give an account of the Lord's mother and brothers arriving to see Him, and wanting to speak with Him, though they were hindered because there were so many people around Him. Jesus takes this opportunity to define a broad new "family" principle when He says, ".. whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." But Luke's account adds something, "those who hear the word of God and do it!" The word of God is going out across the whole world, and many are hearing it. Those who are acting on what it says are defined as the true family of Jesus! Brothers & Sisters, here, then, is another simple approach to living in the will of God. Read His Word -- and don't be a hearer only -- but be a doer, one who acts according to what he hears or reads. If you do, you reveal that you are a close relative of the Son of God, and that's a relationship better than any other in the world! BE A HEARER --- AND A DOER!

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."Philippians 2:13

Writing daily devotions throughout the years I've often been asked the question, "How do I find the will of God?" There are probably many good scriptural approaches to answering this question; but I want to offer something very basic as you think about understanding the will of God. That is, simply, that you'll know His will when you come to know the heart of God. When you begin to understand, appreciate, and share the heart of God, then you really begin to search for and to desire the things that God desires; to be passionate about the things He is passionate for; even to be broken over the things that break God's heart. Brothers & Sisters, our Lord wants to share His heart with you; He wants you to know and care about what really moves Him. He longs for the kind of personal relationship in which He can share with you His longings, His passions and His desires. If you want to know His will, ask Him to share His heart with you. Ask Him to move you over the things that move Him. Ask God to reveal His passions to you because you really want to share them and to care for them in every possible way. He will answer you, and when you discover the heart of God -- you will most certainly know His will! HOW DO I UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF GOD?

"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."1 Thes 5:14-18

The apostle Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians contains clear and powerful exhortations concerning the will of God for believers. These exhortations express the specific will of God in relationships with others, with ourselves, and with the Lord. Packed into these short verses are patterns of life and behavior which receive His blessing in all these relationships. "Warn them that are unruly"; people who are idle, undisciplined, pleasure seeking, need to know the danger they are in. "Comfort the feebleminded"; comfort people who are disheartened; come alongside them with brotherly affection and encouraging words, and pray for them. "Support the weak"; our natural tendency is to despise and neglect weaker people, to stay away from them since they have nothing to offer us, and can damage our reputation. Jesus says no, find them, and lift them up however you can. "Be patient toward all men"; realizing how patient God is with you, and that "patient" is the first thing that love is, [1 Cor. 13:4]. It means waiting in love and hope, with prayer, for people to see what they need to see, do what they need to do, change how they need to change. "See that none render evil for evil;" do not allow evil men in this world to corrupt your own behavior and character. This is a constant temptation throughout life because evil people are everywhere, including the church. "Follow that which is good"; being and doing good of every kind is our lifelong mandate as believers; there are millions of ways to obey it. This is God's will for us toward all men – even those who don't deserve it! "Rejoice evermore"; Jesus has rescued your eternity from unspeakable misery and pain to everlasting joy and pleasure. The constant reality of your life is undergirded by an ecstatic future forever. You can afford to be quite happy about it. "Pray without ceasing"; 'impossible', you say. Given the fact that your relationship with the Lord is wide open to communication with Him 24/7, why not continually include Him in your words and thoughts? "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"; gratitude is a life saver, apart from being the most appropriate response to having been created, redeemed, and blessed by our loving Lord. Thankfulness in all things turns you into the beautiful soul your were intended to be. Gratitude in the midst of suffering is a special perfume for the Lord. Brothers & Sisters, the will of God is not so hard to figure out when we read these simple statements. Just obeying these exhortations is enough to do for a lifetime. Wherever the Lord calls you, He calls you to this lifestyle. God's Holy Spirit inspired these words, and He alone gives the power to carry them out. Our part is to believe and act, He will fill us as we do. WALKING OUT THE WILL OF GOD!

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."Luke 10:38-42

So often, the Lord deals with my own spirit, saying – "You need to step back and get refocused!" And we all know how hard it is at times when we get so busy with the normal everyday stresses of life tugging at our limited time. As we read the story of Mary and Martha, and how Mary chose the better part, while Martha was doing the housework. Now let's not deny the real importance of housework and practical matters; let's face it, with nobody doing that stuff, what would get done? Life would be a mess! But according to Jesus, something was wrong, and Martha had her priorities out of line. And He made it very clear, Mary had chosen the better part! Mary preferred and chose relationship and intimacy with the Lord over the physical preparations and housework associated with His visit. And Jesus blessed and protected her choice. And so the Lord has had to remind me, over and again of the importance of intimacy with Him...before getting down to the work! It's a constant temptation to slip into an emphasis on DOING the work at hand; and even in our own personal prayer time, to be mainly focused on those "urgent ministry needs"...and completely forgetting the most important thing, the "better part"- intimacy, personal communication, just BEING with Him. Brothers & Sisters, let's resolve to choose intimacy with Jesus! Let's choose the better part! Let's resolve to spend time with the Lord and develop that intimate relationship He so wants with us. That way we will constantly experience how deep and awesome His love for us is. And it will make the work we're called to do -- so much easier! CHOOSE THE BETTER PAR!

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."Matthew 7:24-27

In Matthew 7, Jesus is speaking to Jews who understood and were familiar with the rains and how vigorously it comes down during these seasons. They knew not to build their houses on sand -- or else they would quickly collapse when the rains came! The Lord is warning us about building our houses on weak ground. He knew that stormy seasons would come and He wants us to be prepared! We don't want to be one of the many whose houses will collapse because they were built on fame, fortune or even seemingly innocent things like family, tradition and good works. We want to be of those who've established our foundation upon the ROCK of the truth of His Word and who will be able to weather the coming storms because of it! Brothers & Sisters, are there storms raging about you today? Let's hurry and examine whether our lives are completely built upon the Rock. For Jesus is the only foundation to build your lives upon! [1 Corinthians 3:10-15] BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR FOUNDATION!

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."2 Corinthians 2:14

This scripture makes an astounding promise -- God ALWAYS leads us to triumph or victory! But can we ALWAYS count on this amazing word to be true? We often receive emails from believers who are waiting or hoping for a victory of some kind in their lives. Many seem to be wondering, "Where is this 'always victory' in my life?" Now think about it ... wouldn't it be impossible to gain victory over a thing if we already experienced victory each and every moment? It may sound obvious, but the fact is that in order to gain any victory, you must find yourself in a situation that is questionable, stressful, and may even appear hopeless for a time. The promise is not that we will walk in a constant state of "victoriousness" (my term :) ... but rather that in every situation God will lead us in triumph. We can't even say we will always know what that will look like, but victory is the Lord's irrevocable promise. Brothers & Sisters, victory is a promise of God, but never forget that it requires a battle ... sometimes a very long one. True faith will stand on this promise in the face of every trial, challenge, or opposition ... remembering that the greatest purpose of every victory is for manifesting the fragrance of our knowledge of Him ... in every place! VICTORY AWAITS!

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock."Psalm 27:4-5

The world these days is full of bad news, with tensions growing in the Middle East, issues with North Korea, and nature constantly adding to the chaos with one disaster after another. It's a time of trouble all right, and for us believers, it may sometimes be hard to believe – but it never is as bad as it seems. Let me illustrate with a joke I like to share with my messages. Way out west (in America, of course), a cowboy is driving down a road, his dog riding in the back of his pickup truck, his faithful horse in the trailer behind. As he takes a curve on the highway he suddenly loses control of the vehicle and has a terrible accident. Sometime later, a State Police officer comes on the scene. A great lover of animals, the officer's attention is first drawn to the horse. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he draws his service revolver and puts the animal out of its misery. Then walking around the accident he finds the dog, also critically wounded, and whining miserably in pain. This grips his heart and he quickly ends the dog's suffering as well. Finally, the police officer locates the cowboy, who has suffered multiple fractures and can barely breathe. “Hey, are you okay?”, he says. The cowboy takes one look at the smoking gun in the trooper's hand and quickly replies, with unexpected energy, “Never felt better!” Brothers & Sisters, we are pilgrims in this dangerous world, which will wound us at times so badly it will seem unbearable – yet we have this promise from God, “in the time of trouble He will hide me”. It's because my real life, my true life is in Him and with Him no matter what happens to me here. So when the world approaches me with a smoking gun, ready to put me out of my misery, I can find a supernatural strength, and simply say, "I never felt better!" IT'S NEVER AS BAD AS IT SEEMS!

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."Hebrews 11:6

Throughout the Bible, the faith of the saints was never something passive -- but rather a faith of action. If Abraham never acted on His faith, He would never have departed to the "land of milk and honey" or birthed a new nation. If Moses never acted on His faith, He would never have led the children of Israel out of Egypt. If David never acted on His faith, He would never have defeated Goliath. The Bible is filled with stories of saints whose faith was put into action -- action which God met with His own supernatural power to produce wonderful, miraculous and astounding results. God is a rewarder of faith! Brothers & Sisters, put your faith into action today and let your actions be fueled by your faith -- and perhaps, this will be a new day of miracles, breakthroughs, and victory ... for a life of faith -- is a life of victory! PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION!

"If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success."Ecclesiastes 10:10

When I was younger I used to take an ax and cut up firewood from the woods behind our house. The one thing I always did was sharpen my axe! A dull axe meant harder work chopping through fallen trees. The sharper the ax the less effort and energy required for the task. So I learned early on to sharpen my ax before venturing into the woods, and I saved myself a lot of time and energy. (Besides I was a small kid, growing up, so I needed all the help I could get! ;) ) I see a lesson here. How many of us are exerting so much energy for the Kingdom, but are working with dull axes? We need to sharpen our spiritual lives, get focused in prayer and spend deep time in the Word. Then, when we are "out in the woods", working for the Kingdom our effectiveness will be greatly multiplied because our axes are sharp! Brothers & Sisters, don't get so busy that your ax becomes dull. Remember that your devotion to the Lord and His word will sharpen your spiritual life, especially before you start the day. Prioritize your devotional life and watch how your "edge" will cut through the problems, obstacles, and difficult situations, like a hot knife through butter! SHARPEN YOUR AXE!

"The breaker is goes up before them: they will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it. So their king shall pass before them, with the LORD at their head."Micah 2:13

An ancient Hebrew commentator wrote of this verse, "In the words of our teachers of blessed memory and in the Midrash [ancient Hebrew commentaries of the O.T.], it is taught that the 'breaker' is Elijah and 'their King' is the branch of the son of David." As I read this commentary, I was blown away by the interpretation of this scripture by ancient Hebrew scholars! The Jewish people were clearly expecting a prophet like Elijah who would call the people back to repentance, and, afterward, the branch, the son of David, who would bring peace and freedom to his people. The fulfillment of these expectations began 2000 years ago with John the Baptist, whose prophetic ministry prepared the entire nation through repentance for the coming Messiah, Jesus, whose death and resurrection brought peace with God and freedom from sin, which laid the spiritual foundation for His coming Kingdom. While the physical reign of the Messiah/King on Earth is yet future, and will begin when He returns, for the past 2000 years the Kingdom of heaven has been breaking forth in the hearts of men, and every true believer is breaking out with it. This wonderful message, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand", hasn't changed since the Lord first proclaimed it in Galilee [Mark 1:14]! The word "repent", is "metanoia" in Greek, which means to "change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins." Brothers & Sisters, the message of repentance remains central to the breaking forth of God's Kingdom! Through it Jesus brought peace and freedom – and without it there can be no true faith or spiritual life; so let's stay focused, always remembering that this gospel of the Kingdom always begins with repentance from sin, continues in faith toward God, and results in freedom and peace. With so many who have still not heard it, let's proclaim it because there's so much work to be done! BREAK FORTH!

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because LORD has anointed Me to preach the Gospel [Basher] to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to appoint to those who mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified."Isaiah 61:1-3

When Jesus went into the synagogue in Nazareth and was handed the scroll of Isaiah to read [Luke 4:18], He opened it to the passage we know of as Isaiah 61, a powerful Messianic proclamation filled with hope and promise and fresh with the joyful good news of His arrival. After reading the passage He immediately declared that it was fulfilled in the hearing of those present. The first response was amazement and wonder that the carpenter's son was so gracious a communicator. But this did not last, as Jesus immediately challenged his audience with a prophetic expectation...that they would reject Him, which they immediately did...nevertheless... The Hebrew word for gospel – basher – not only mean "to preach the good news" – but its root also suggests cheerfulness and freshness or refreshing. The gospel is full of joy! The joy of knowing our sin debt has been paid in full, and that through the resurrection we acquire an unfathomably wonderful eternal life; and the joy of experiencing every moment of our lives, the reality of "Immanuel", God with us. Life has its struggles, with disappointment, irritation, persecution, temptations to anger, bitterness, and even despair. Yet, this message and its impact upon us carries the renewing power and deep cheer of Jesus' presence. The announcement of the "basher" is fully intended to be refreshed and renewed daily, never to become a dull or half remembered inspiration. By its very nature it brings deliverance, healing, vision, righteousness, and praise, a profoundly fresh, revivifying and transformative message carrying the indefatigable joy of the Holy Spirit. Brothers & Sisters, the gospel of Messiah is not a message that "gets old"; at least it ought never to be. If we simply reconsider it, we discover an eternally fresh message to be received and reignited in our hearts each day. As we contemplate the entirety of what Jesus did for us, it will never "get old", but remain ever fresh and invigorating. For He truly did come to bind up the broken hearted, release those who are captive, free those who are bound, and comfort those who mourn...AND to make us Trees of righteousness in this world, living, breathing, refreshing messages of His joy, that He may be glorified! HOLD ON TO THE RE-FRESHNESS OF THE GOSPEL!

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth."Gen 1:1 ; "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god."Isaiah 44:6 ; "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."Rev 21:1 ; "And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."Rev 21:6

The Bible begins with the creation of the heaven and earth, and ends with the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. Thus the Word of God delineates a complete story of everything from the beginning of the created world to the unending eternity toward which we are headed. The scripture also identifies Jesus as the firstborn over all creation, [Colossians 1:15] and thus the Lord of all time. In the book of Genesis, the very first verse of the Bible contains the Hebrew word formed from the first and last letters of the alphabet, i.e. aleph-tav. Interestingly, this word is not translated, even though it serves a grammatical purpose as a preposition pointing to the direct object of the sentence. Aleph-tav, nevertheless, may carry an important, if somewhat hidden, meaning, as some commentators see in these Hebrew letters an agent of creation, Jesus, the image of the invisible God by whom all things were created; [Colossians 1:15-16], the "Aleph and the Tav"... This identity of our Lord is explicitly expressed in the book of Revelation, for the Bible concludes with the statement that Jesus is the "Alpha and the Omega". Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. From the beginning to the end of the biblical narrative, then, we receive the revelation that, as the agent of Creation, Jesus truly encompasses all that is, and as such, it is only in Him that we find our completeness; as the author of Hebrews declares, He truly is "the author and finisher of our faith; [Hebrews 12:2]. While we're here on earth we are still not completed but remain in the midst of a journey, begun in Him, and pressing, even groaning, toward the blessed hope, the resurrection of our earthly bodies when we will be truly complete. Yes, it is quite obvious -- He's not finished with us yet! But,Brothers & Sisters, the Alpha and Omega, in Whom resides all power and wisdom has not yet finished His good work in us. So be encouraged this day – for we can certainly trust the words of Paul when he said, "He that began a good work in you will bring it to completion" [Philippians 1:6], His very identity as Lord of all time and eternity, Aleph-Tav, and Alpha-Omega -- guarantees it! TRUST HIM TO COMPLETE WHAT HE STARTED!

"And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And You made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign over the earth."Revelation 5:8-10

From the beginning of Genesis (Genesis 4:4) to the end of the Bible (Revelation 22:3), there is a common theme -- the Lamb! In Revelation 6 we read about the Lamb who sits in the midst of the throne -- worshiped by all of heaven because the Lamb was worthy to take the book and open the seals therein. The most harmless of creatures -- the object of sacrifice, becomes the authority of heaven. Isn't it interesting that the focal point of heaven is a Lamb? The world seeks power, fame and glory... The world's mentality is "survival of the fittest"... This is the way "nature works". And yet, how would a lamb fare in this competitive environment? It appears to be the weakest of all the animals, and yet, is the symbol of power and authority in the Kingdom of God! An amazing paradox. Authority in the Kingdom of God is marked and even defined by gentleness and sacrifice, in total opposition to the world's definition. When Jesus died as the lamb of God -- He revealed the greatness of sacrifice. Likewise, Revelation 12:11 declares of the martyrs, "They conquered by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their lives even unto death." Several of Jesus' paradoxical statements illustrate His Kingdom priorities. "He that loses His life for my sake -- shall find it". [Matthew 10:39]. "He that seeks to be greatest in the Kingdom shall become a servant to all". [Matthew 23:11]. Victory through death? Gain through total loss? Great stature through abject servanthood? Such are the beautiful ways of our Lord. Brothers & Sisters, meditate on the Lamb, and you will discover the greatness in humility, the authority in harmlessness, the responsibility in servanthood, the victory in surrender, and the majesty in submission to the great God of creation. In His world, servants become kings; surrender becomes victory; death turns to resurrected life. Take hold of the paradox of the Lamb -- take hold of the Kingdom of Heaven! TAKE HOLD OF THE MYSTERY OF THE LAMB!

"and pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."Ephesians 6:19-20

Apparently I had learned a powerful lesson from the Apostle Paul. In Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus, observe how he describes himself -- an ambassador in chains. Locked away in a prison, Paul adamantly refuses to allow his circumstances to dictate or alter his identity. He may be in chains, but he remains the Lord's ambassador. Can you imagine Paul chained up in that dungeon, throwing up his hands saying, "That's it; it's over; I'm finished!? Not on your life! Instead, the apostle grows bolder as an ambassador; not intimidated or ashamed, because Paul isn't chained in his Spirit, he's only bound in the flesh. Remember how he concludes his letter to the Philippian Church declaring, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Brothers & Sisters, don't allow yourself to be defined by your past, or "chained" by your current circumstances. God has also called you to be an ambassador for Him. With so much work to be done, we ought to be growing even bolder, right in the midst of our trials and tribulations! DON'T LET YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE DICTATE YOU!

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."Jeremiah 29:11

We often develop strategies, game-plans, life-plans – and then, at some obstacle or critical point, we say – "Just stick to the plan!" It's usually good advice. Life is always sending unexpected surprises, but praise God, nothing takes Him by surprise. He's the master planner. Our family might turn against us, our friends let us down, illness, afflictions, problems and "situations" on every side...God still has a plan, for you, and for me. Joseph is a prime example of life's surprises. It took 13 years of endurance and character-building for him to fulfill this part of God's plan. Sold as a slave into Egypt by his own brothers, betrayed and imprisoned, he must have wondered a lot where God was and what He was doing. But finally, as a prepared vessel, Joseph was placed in the highest position in the land, second only to Pharaoh, and commissioned to execute God's plan for saving the world from famine. So the Lord had surprises of His own. Revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph summed it up beautifully: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, in order to bring it about as [it is] this day, to save many people alive. ." (Genesis 50:20) When our situations are difficult to handle and downright impossible to explain, we need to remind ourselves that God said, “I know the plans I have for you.” Through these situations we discover how faithful and sovereign He truly is. He knows what we can handle and He will never give us more. When the test is completed, we come out with character, stronger in faith, more in love, more useful to Him, and ready... for our next test. :) (Oh yeah...) Brothers & Sisters, the fact that we have problems is a sign that we also have a promise. It’s only a matter of time before God reveals His good intentions – so until then, let’s stick to the plan! His !!! STICK TO THE PLAN!

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance (aphesis) to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty (aphesis) them that are bruised,"Luke 4:18

The Greek word 'aphesis' means forgiveness. But in this particular verse it’s translated as both deliverance and liberty. Isn’t it interesting that deliverance and liberty are directly tied together with forgiveness? One of the most effective tools the enemy uses to steal our joy is unforgiveness. With just a little foothold of unforgiveness in our lives, we can easily become bound with chains of bitterness, resentment, anger and rage. If we let that foothold linger without dealing with it, eventually it will lead to our own self-destruction. Brothers & Sisters, let's not let the unrighteous actions of others toward us become a stumbling block in our walk. We have been forgiven much and in the same way, we must release those who've hurt us to the Lord. But when we release them, I think we'll find that the person we'll really be releasing is ourselves! .....AND LIBERTY & DELIVERANCE FOR ALL!

"I will not die, but live, and I will proclaim what the Lord has done."Psalms 118:17

A farmer and his friend went duck hunting. Eventually, they got to talking about the things of God, as they always would. "You're always talking about these battles you have with the devil," the farmer's friend said to him. "It's so silly – I mean, I'm not even a Christian and I've never experienced anything like that." "Yes my friend," the wise farmer answered, "but if you shot two ducks -- one was wounded and one was dead -- which would you go after first?" "Well," he said, "I guess I'd go after the wounded duck – I can always get the dead one later." "Mmm-hmm," said the farmer, "The devil knows you're a dead duck." For those of us who are walking with the Lord today, be encouraged! Our enemy knows that we have potential to do great things for God, and out of fear, he'll try anything to take us out. This is so very evident by the constant battle we all face. Brothers & Sisters, let's stand strong against all the attacks of the enemy! And rise up to the Lord's calling upon our lives! We will fight and we will WIN! Because if God is for us, who can be against us?! ARE YOU A DEAD DUCK?

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows."Luke 12:6-7

A good friend sent me this story. A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of two hundred, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands immediately started going up. "I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground, spit on it and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Still want it now?" Surprisingly, hands still didn't go down. "My friends, I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here. No matter what I did to this money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was worth twenty whole dollars no matter what I did to it." "Often in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, spit upon and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. Brothers & Sisters, but here's the kicker. No matter what has happened, we will never lose value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, we are still priceless. The worth of our lives does not come in who we are but by whose we are! Let's give our lives back to the Lord today, our disappointments, our suffering, our feelings of worthlessness. He is the God of healing. He has made us clean and worthy of our calling in Him! What's your worth?

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."Hebrews 12:1-2

In 490 B.C., the Athenians won a crucial and decisive battle over the forces of King Darius I of Persia, on a plain near the Greek coastal town of Marathon. Upon delivering the important message of their victory, the Greek soldier who came to tell the good news died -- he had completed the 26 mile course running and bearing good news, and did it totally unreserved until the moment he died. Today marathons are run all over the world, commemorating that very event 2500 years ago. Anyone who has run a marathon can tell you how difficult the race is. No matter how good you are, how well trained, how prepared, there are times in the race you just want to quit. But those who persevere till the end receive a prize. Back in King Darius' day, one would win only a crown made of laurel leaves. Today, athletes compete for trophies and medals. But in God's race, we win something far more precious -- a crown that is incorruptible. Brothers & Sisters, I bet you're tired today. You are overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed ... DONE! Be encouraged! Just when you think you can’t run any further, you can! C'mon! Press through and press on for the great prize! God is with us, strengthening our feeble knees and moving us in the right direction!! OUR CROWN AWAITS!