Live God's Word

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it."  Joshua 1 :8 NKJV

God wants us to meditate on His Word. This is actually thinking about what you've just read, repeating it, memorising it, letting it take root within you and owning it until it becomes a life force operating through you. This is similar to the Jewish people who visit The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. There they line up at the wall reciting texts, praying intense prayers getting lost in communion with God while they rock back and forth. This is called Davening.

To be able to do this, one must read the bible on a daily basis. You can't meditate on what is not placed in your mind. In Joshua 1:8, the scripture says that we should meditate in it day and night. Now this does not mean that we have to be reading our bibles 24/7. What it does mean is, what we read, we digest and think about it throughout the day until it is fully understood in our minds and sits well within us. God can speak to us this way and we also become equipped in the Word of God, so that we can hold off spiritual attacks from the devil. In Luke 4: 1 - 13, Jesus is tempted by satan in the desert. Jesus combats all the lies of the devil, by saying back to him, 'It is written." This is what we should be doing when the devil has a go at us. However, if we don't know the Word, we won't be able to quote it back to him.

You may say, 'I don't know how to meditate.' Of course you do. If you know how to worry, you certainly know how to meditate, and to be honest, you need to do this. Some people read a piece of scripture and then picture themselves in this as if they're part of the crowd. This can give a person a first hand view of what is happening. It takes practice but, it is well worth the effort, especially if you're actually witnessing Jesus walking around speaking to people and helping them. It's just living in the scripture.

Whatever you do, you need to have a daily dose of scripture, it is like medication. Proverbs 4:20 - 27 tells us 'My son, give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart  from you eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.'

Get your bible out, set a time when you are able to read it and spend some time with the greatest friend that you could ever meet - Jesus Christ.

Count the cost

"Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  Luke 9:57 NKJV. (Read Luke 9:57 - 62)

Whenever Jesus calls us to do something for Him, there's a cost to consider. Now, it may be to be an usher in church, making the tea and coffee, being a House Group leader or working on the Sunday school team. Then again, it may be something more in depth, such as pastoring a church, being an evangelist or going to Bible College.
Whatever it is, there's a cost to consider. At first it can seem amazing and quite a challenge. However, as we think more about it and the time draws near to put this into practice, it can be scary and we wrestle with our comfort zone. It's nice and comfortable in the comfort zone and we are not as exposed as we will be if we carry out the task.

Jesus addresses this as 3 men speak to Him. The first man says that he will follow Jesus wherever he goes. However, Jesus looks at him and gives him a reality check. 'Do you really know what you want to do?' (v58 paraphrase).The second man comes along and Jesus says, 'FollowMe'. The man replies, 'Lord, let me  first go and bury my father.' (v59).The man expressed that he was putting his dead father first. Jesus would have known that his father had not just that moment died and the burial was probably in hand, he was putting an excuse there before he'd even started.
The third man was similar. He told Jesus he would follow Him but wanted to go home to bid the family farewell.
Jesus was looking for people who would go forward with Him and not look back. Imagine if Jesus had looked back as He went to the cross. It would probably have been quite a different story. Jesus is after commitment!

Do you feel the call of God on your life? This may be to serve the tea and coffee or it may be to train as a pastor. They are both important tasks and Jesus does not measure the importance of either role. The are equal to Him. The thing is, He will not force you to do this. He wants you to be willing or it won't work. Whatever it is that you feel called to do, you need to count the cost. There's always a price to pay. Do you want to serve tea and coffee to people after church? Do you want to be involved in Sunday school, the worship band, preaching or training to be a pastor? There's price to pay. It takes commitment and it means coming out of your comfort zone to do this.

You need to ask yourself if the task is what you want to do. It's always scary. When I first preached, I had a fit of the stutters and nearly passed out on the spot. But you get used to it.

Is God asking you to do something for Him? It may be a huge task He's asking of you and the thought of it petrifies you. This is why counting the cost is wise. He won't ask you to do something that is impossible for you to do. He's very accurate in assessing a person's capabilities.
The choice though, is very much yours.

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But...?

'I need God, but He's nowhere to be found'   Read Psalm 13

In this Psalm, David appears to be in despair and slipping into depression. Consider if you will, the situation for a moment. He had been anointed King of Israel by Samuel after King Saul had shown that he wasn't worthy to hold the title. However, up to now, he was still plain David and Saul was still on the throne. This hadn't worried David at all and he had set out to be a faithful servant of Saul and honour him whenever he could. However, Saul was jealous of David because of the attention he now received after slaying Goliath and he was trying to kill David. Therefore, David had fled for his life and even took up residence in caves to avoid Saul's army. And yet, he still was totally for Saul. This was a characteristic that God loved about him.

The problem is, after being treated badly and being hunted all over the place by the evil King Saul, David had understandably become quite low. If you'll read the 6 verses in this Psalm you will see this for yourself. Four times he asked God, 'How long:'

How long - will You forget me forever?  Reminding God that it had been some time since God had
                   answered him.
How long - will You hide Your face from me?  David felt abandoned.
How long - shall I take counsel in my soul?  Relying on your own thoughts in times such as these
                   can be rather risky, because of the depression.
How long - will my enemy be exalted over me?  There appeared to be no relief in sight for David.

Then at the end of the Psalm, David decides to praise God anyway. He says in verse 5:

'But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.'

This little word, 'But', is very powerful. It can be negative or positive. In a counselling setting, I have often heard the negative, ' Yes that sounds good, 'but', I could never do that.' 'Yes, 'but' it's too late for that.' etc.David however, used the positive version 'But' here, and decided that he would put his trust in God's mercy and not focus on the problems he had.

What about you? Do you think God is not around at the moment? How will you handle this? What will you choose to say? Will you use the negative 'But' or the positive one. The choice you make will determine the way you move forward or backwards. It really is a small word but has a very large meaning. Changing the way you use this word is changing the way you think - renewing your mind and will determine the outcome.
'But', that is up to you.


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Tread carefully

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil."
                                                                                                            Ephesians 4:26 - 27 NKJV

The NKJV uses the word, 'place' in this scripture. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to use the word, 'opportunity'. Many times we give the devil the opportunity to come into our lives, perhaps when we don't know we've invited him. When we're married, this can be caused, when following an argument between yourselves - and it does happen, Christian or not, one partner fails to speak to the other, possibly sulking with hurt feelings. They may go to bed and even though each partner is in it, they fail to speak, kiss goodnight or say they're sorry. We shouldn't let the sun go down on our anger. The devil loves this type of thing. If he can drive a wedge between a couple, then he can cause a great eruption if we allow him to.

As I've mentioned before, Kenneth Copeland says, 'If we let the devil into the back seat of our car, pretty soon he's going to want to drive.' And this is so true. As he roams around looking for who he can attack (1 Peter 5:8) at the first sign of a chink in our armour, he will come in and ransack our marriage by taking all of the peace out of the place. Don't let him.

Whether, you've been a Christian for years or have just started your journey, put your armour on. A word on this can be found in Ephesians 6: 14-18. If he can, the devil will try to take control of your life, your marriage, in fact, all you've got. Resist him ( James 4:7 ).

Jesus gives us life in abundance but the devil, who is a thief, will rob you of this if he can because all he wants to do is to steal, and to kill and to destroy. John 10:10.
The abundance that Jesus gives is excessive and overflowing, in fact it is more than enough to keep us going. It is beyond measure. Why? Because He loves us abundantly. He is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. Therefore, he has a responsibility to take care of us. However, if we give the enemy the opportunity, he's going to try and steal everything from us.

So at the first sign of anger, take control, especially in relationships, whether you're married or not. Be in control. Recognise the moment for what it is and deal with it. Be careful of what is said, it's too late once we've said something nasty. The person who it's aimed at, may forgive us but it leaves a scar.

We will mess things up at times. After all, we're under construction. However, we need to learn by mistakes and ensure we try and avoid them in the future.

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Salvation

"And Jesus said, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham' "
                                                                                                     Luke19:1 - 10 NKJV

Zacchaeus was a very short man, so short in statue that when he heard that Jesus was going to pass by, he ran to see. However, there was a crowd and he couldn't see over them. He therefore climbed a Sycamore tree.This type of tree is very wide and open at the base with low branches. So he could climb this easily.

Zacchaeus was considered as a social outcast by the people because he was a chief tax collector and it was thought that he co-operated with the Roman government. He was not popular. He so much wanted to see Jesus as he had heard so much about him.

As soon as Jesus passed by, Jesus actually saw him first and shouted for him to come down because He wanted to stay at his house.
He shot down the tree and as they spoke, Zacchaeus shared how he was generous with his money and if he had cheated anyone, he would pay them back four-fold. Jesus said that this day salvation had come to this house - to Zacchaeus and that he had once been a physical son of Abraham but was now a spiritual son. His life changed.

The word salvation here is the Greek word -Soteria which means, deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue and general well-being. (Spirit Filled Life Bible) It's used in a material, temporal sense and in a spiritual, eternal sense. Therefore, salvation is a present possession with a fuller realisation in the future.

And this is not only for Zacchaeus. It is for all who make Jesus their Lord and Saviour. Zacchaeus had been a social outcast but now He was in the family of God. His life changed; and so can yours too. There are many outcasts in our times. Many people suffer this terrible stigma for one reason or another. Is that you? If so, you'll never be an outcast again if you turn to Jesus, or even if you know Jesus already but have carried this stigma all of your life. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. You will not have to do that. He is here right with you. All you need to do is speak to Him and tell Him how you feel - ask Him to set you free from the burden you've carried around all this time. Look at the benefits. They're not means-tested and you don't have to pay Him back either. He offers it free.
Why not claim it today:

'Lord Jesus, come into my life; forgive my sins; fill me with Your Spirit and be my Lord and Saviour.
Thank you Lord. Amen'


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The Tongue

"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases"
                                                                                                            Proverbs 26:20 NKJV

At times the tongue is an unruly object that can do untold damage. People tear down and hurt others with their words. Like an adder, the tongue strikes with deadly poison. Like a raging fire can be started with just a spark, such as the bush fires in Australia, gossip can pierce the heart and cause very great damage.

Solomon writes in Proverbs 18:21, 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those who love it, will eat its fruit.' Not being in control of the tongue can ruin a person's reputation. Gossip can be received as the honest truth and many lives have been shattered by this practice.
The tongue is such a tiny component of the human body and yet, can be so powerful. If used wisely, it can impart great wisdom into a situation. Out of control, it can be deadly.
James tells us in James 3:8-10, 'But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God'

We praise God and curse, criticise and judge our neighbour, friends, church family and whoever else springs to mind. We become jealous of others too, possibly because at this time they are having a better time than us and have a better car, a better paid job and more money in the bank. We also covet what others have, 'I want that, why should they have this, it's not fair. I worked hard to get that job and now he has it.' etc etc.
And all the time, God sits and listens. I wonder what He thinks of it all. I'll tell you, this kind of thing breaks His heart. He wants much better from us because he wants to bless us, but how can He when we act the way we do.

Probably, it's time to get on our knees and repent; seek His forgiveness. We'll get it too because He is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteous 1 John 1:9. He loves us beyond measure and wants us to be like Him. It takes effort on our parts - everything we have, but it is achievable and well worth it.

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Enter into His Gates with thanksgiving

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise". Psalm 100:4 NKJV

For some people, going to church can be a very vulnerable time. For ministers, worship musicians and other people involved in the work of the church, this can be an opportunity for the devil to attack. Let me explain. The minister or pastor is focused on the sermon he has to preach. He or she needs to spend time with God before they leave home. For some, this can be difficult, especially if there are young children around demanding their attention and their partner lets them know that the washing machine has broken down, flooding the kitchen. Probably, an extreme example. However, anything that comes in the way of the minister spending special time with God, can be a distraction.
Then there is the journey to church, clearing frost from the windscreen and then having to de-mist the internal screen, making them late to get to church. Once on the way, it can seem that every slow driver in the world is in front. Temporary traffic lights, JCB's, hold ups. This can all play on the mind.

It may be then, that the minister and partner have a few words. Stress and pressure has built up and a few harsh words spoken can then turn into a full-scaled war. Finally arriving at church, the false smile is adopted, as if you're all the perfect family. However, deep down, the devil's rattling the chains and accusing you of hypocrisy. As you walk to the church doors, there is a massive sign saying:

ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE

I speak from experience here. I can remember a few times that my wife and I have had this happen to us and when it's come to the sermon, I've seen her face staring at me as if to say, 'Come on pastor, preach your sermon on love and marriage.' Ouch!

People, try not to bother your pastor with problematic things before a service. Instead, pray for him or her. It really is a most vulnerable time and one in which the devil is skilled in trying to disrupt.
Pastor, make sure you have the time set aside on your own, to prepare. Get up earlier if need be. Recognise that this is battle time.
Congregation, make sure also that you are standing firm. This type of stuff doesn't only happen to the ministers; it can happen to you too. Check yourself out. Make sure the armour is on and that you attend church to give as well as receive. And then, we can all Enter into His Gates with Praise.