A Time of Rest

Hebrews 13:5-6 "Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?"

For the world, these are very troubling times. Especially to those who have placed their trust in the financial system. Thankfully, we have anchored our trust in Kingdom economy and not the world's economy. As we have been obedient, diligent and prepared in our walk with the Lord: these days are the days when the children of God are at rest.

As troubles go on further in the world, we excitingly await to see the mighty hand of God move and continue to bless us, His children. This is when God will vindicate and show that He is in control, He sits on the throne making all things possible for us - "for no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." I Corinthians 2:9.

I believe that this is the time of rest, a time to exercise the mustard seed faith that God has poured into our beings: "to call things that are not, as though they were." Romans 4:17.

Only, take heed, that our hearts are not consumed with greed and diverse lusts by being satisfied with what we have. We have to be sure that our focus is on things above and not beneath, glorifying the Giver of gifts and not the gifts. We have to take time and thank God for everything He has done and continues to do in our lives. In all things, we give praise to the Lord!

Let us be encouraged, let us not be alarmed! Indeed, in the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, "such things must happen, but the end is still to come." Matthew 24:6. Let us be satisfied with what we have and instead of taking hold of things below; let us take hold of the Rock, ground ourselves in His Word, be led by His Spirit, covered in His Blood - thus being assured that though we are beaten by the storm, He will always uphold us.

We are living testimonies of God's presence and His never-ending goodness to the unbelieving world. I believe that when they see us blessed despite the harsh economic times, they will say: "Surely, there is a God who takes care of them and gives them rest!"

We have a responsibility to share the good news to all, and reveal the goodness of the Lord to everyone. Let us pray for our neighbors, our friends, our families - so that they too, may come into the fullness of rest that our Lord has promised.

Friend, if you are one of those who want to know God's faithfulness, I encourage you to come and get to know Him personally - for He is a covenant-keeping God, and He is a rewarder of those who sincerely seek Him. Let us all pray this: "Dearest Father in heaven, I thank You for the life that You have given me and all the blessings that You have allowed me to enjoy. I believe that You have made provision for all needs in my life and I thank You for the greatest provision - Your Son Jesus and the cross - to redeem me from this sinful life. I ask for forgiveness of sins and I invite Your most precious Holy Spirit to come and dwell in my heart. Lord, I need rest. I ask that You overtake me and give me faith to trust in You at all times. I ask all these in the name of Jesus, Amen."

The Maturity of Worship

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in Spirit and in Truth" (John 4:23-24)

Catalyst of Worship: Hunger for the Lord

I have never known a poet or psalmist who can express the purity and intensity of true worship like David. I often wonder at the encounters he must have had with the Lord both face to face, and deep within his innermost being, way beyond his humanity. I know that only a heart filled with such intense hunger and thirst like his will worship the Lord continuously in Spirit and in Truth. And I know that only when we worship out of such a heart will we truly encounter Him. As we encounter the Lord, and as we behold the wondrous beauty and holiness of the Lover of our Souls, our longing will intensify until our hearts cry out like David – “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1).

David loved the Lord with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might. Even though he went through great trials and temptations; his love never diminished but instead grew and intensified with each hardship and suffering he underwent. The more he suffered, the more he chose to lean only on the Lord, continuing to worship Him with steadfast faith and absolute trust. Thus, his knowledge of, and love for the Lord increased with each encounter and revelation of the Lord: and along with it -- his humility and hunger.

The Lord delights in giving us this increasing hunger for Himself when we desire it. For He knows that it is only when our longing for Him becomes greater than all other desires and needs, will we break through all barriers of inhibitions, self, pride, fear, shame, material restrictions, and spiritual bondages to truly seek and encounter Him in His secret chamber and worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. For He says…”You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). All your heart means that there should be no other thing or person who occupies your heart before the Lord. Though many of us often say…“Lord I love you with all my heart, soul and strength”, I doubt many of us truly comprehend the full requirement and total commitment inherent in these words, and so we fall short of truly honoring them. In declaring our love; may God grant us the wisdom to understand, the integrity to honor, and the desire and strength to let go of everything that robs God of our love. Know that only when we are ready to give up every thing: when we have come to the end of ourselves and have placed God in the center of our very life, will we come into a place of true worship: a place where we can encounter Him in Spirit and in Truth: a place where divinity meets with humanity and becomes one.

Worship: Occupation of our Hearts

The Lord has always intended worship to be the occupation of our hearts to give Him glory. However since the fall of Adam, the Holy Spirit also uses it to bring us back to a state of holiness, producing a lifestyle which honors and obeys God -- giving Him glory. Our hearts were created to worship our Lord in a continuous spirit to Spirit communion which happens in utter silence and stillness in the depths of our being. Anything that interrupts or corrupts this communion causes our worship to be improper or impure. Thus, often, the Lord will allow situations and circumstances to bring us back to a place of brokenness so that true worship can once more emanate from our hearts. The more broken and contrite a heart is; the purer will be the worship that emanates from it. For such a heart has come to the end of self and is now totally humbled before the Lord, dependent solely on Him for all life, and trusting and praising Him in all things. Thus, the worship that pours forth is pure and whole-hearted. It is also powerful and life-changing, for it will now engage the mind and instruct the body into the right attitudes and acts of worship to create a lifestyle that honors, reverences, and adores God for who He is. William Temple says to worship is:

Outward Expressions of Worship: Praise and Thanksgiving

Songs of love, thanksgiving, and praise are all outward expressions of a lifestyle of worship. But such praise and thanksgiving must first begin deep in our hearts and then be released outward, with the Lord being the source and the focus. Every sound and word that arises out of our mouths must flow from a heart full of love, trust, and faith rather than based on need, favorable circumstances, and/or blessings. When we offer such worship, every other person, place, or thing will recede into obscurity as our entire beings (body, spirit and soul) pour themselves out before the Lord in a harmony of pure adoration and love creating a divine intimacy. Whether you are in a congregation or alone, the hearts that worship in this manner will unite with the Lord and each other to become one.

Greatest Outward Expression of Worship: Life of Obedience

The highest form of worship and the greatest outward expression of worship is a life of obedience to the Lord and His Word. To come into this place of obedience, we must first come into a place of total humility and full surrender before a Holy God. We must first encounter Him and receive a revelation of His Holiness and the true extent of our own filth and nothingness. We must understand, to some extent, the magnitude of His unconditional love and mercy in redeeming our sinful souls from hell, and we must recognize that we live, breathe, and move by His grace alone. In this place, we can now come into unity with His Spirit and truly learn of Him. He says…”Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

What is the most important lesson we need to learn from Him? The most important lesson to learn is obedience. “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phillipians 2:8) What then is obedience? It is doing what the Father commands -- "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing” (John 5:19). The Word of God says, He came to serve and not to be served, and He glorified our Father in everything He did. We must imitate His obedience.

A life of obedience can be readily discerned in the deep honor, respect, and love for the Lord – the integrity -- contained in a person’s heart. This will be manifested through their uprightness and compassion in their everyday dealings with others in the church and the world. It will be demonstrated in their character which reverences and glorifies God amidst the greatest temptations and lack: and it will be proclaimed through a conduct which imitates the Lord Himself in humility, obedience, and service. This is the pleasing sacrifice, the sweet aroma the Lord desires and not, as some presume, the blatant acts of giving, singing praise, interceding publicly, or even preaching when the motives are self-serving. A more sincere worship of the Lord is demonstrated when one genuinely chooses to continue to love, forgive, and praise God through the severest of persecutions – afflictions, gossip, backstabbing, abuse – knowing that any other response dishonors God. A truer worship is demonstrated when one chooses to demonstrate their love to Him by reaching out with compassion, many times secretly, to someone in need of prayer, encouragement, provision, healing, deliverance, and salvation, rather than a beautiful voice raised in an emotional litany of words and sounds. A purer worship is demonstrated by one who aligns His will with the will of God, being obedient to Him only in all things, rather than being loyal to man. Such a heart worships the Lord in Spirit and Truth, having no further thought for self or the world, but is wholly dedicated to honoring God through a lifestyle of integrity, humility, selfless service, obedience, availability, and perseverance. In this worship has reached its ultimate in expression – obedience.

Paul whose integrity was without question and whose service glorified God was just such a worshipper. Though he does not express his longings and love in great touching, emotive words like David, his hunger to behold the Lord and to become like Him was just as intensely expressed through these words... “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things” (Phillipians 3:13-15). This maturity of worship emanating from a heart beating only after the desires of the Lord, manifested itself in his total obedience and committed service to the Lord, and his exemplary conduct in the church and world in the midst of severe trials and intense persecutions. He says,“Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace” (2nd Corinthians 1:12). His walk with the Lord honored God and continues to illustrate to us -- the maturity of true worship.

I remember viewing a small portion of Billy Graham’s program on the day I got saved. I found myself listening to him that day almost against my will, drawn by the integrity I could see in his face. Just looking at him, I could see that he was someone who would not lie, and moreover, that he believed and lived everything he was preaching with great conviction. Although it was the words of life he spoke that brought my heart to repentance, it was his love, faith and honor for Jesus Christ behind his words that captured and held my attention, long enough for me to receive the touch of the Lord. He worshipped the Lord through his integrity of heart and dedicated service; and touched millions of souls. This is what true worship does: it enables a heart to carry and dispense the anointing just by being.

Worship: An Honor and a Privilege

Know that worshipping God is an honor and privilege; for it makes us one with Him. As the redeemed of the Lord we are the most favored, for we have the opportunity and ability by the power of the Holy Spirit to offer the greatest worship of all to the Lord, above all heavenly beings. You see, it is easy for those already clothed in glorified bodies and dwelling continually in the presence of the Lord, beholding His beauty and holiness, to worship Him. In such a situation, a pure, unhindered harmonious worship becomes a natural hearts response in the face of the Lord’s irresistible glory and magnificence; and this is the worship the Lord enjoys each and every moment in heaven. But He longs for a deeper worship -- our worship.

The Word of God says, He seeks the true worshippers from amongst the redeemed: those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth while they are yet living in sinful flesh; those who will worship Him even when they cannot see His goodness; those who will worship Him even when His glory, His divine essence is not being manifested around them; those who will worship Him amidst the harshest of sufferings, trials, and persecutions; those who will worship Him each and every moment in thought, desire, and deed in the midst of the greatest temptations, with an upright heart and a willing, obedient mind --those who will worship Him by faith and not by sight.

The Word of God says Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in Heaven, and the chief worshipper who worshipped before the Lord Himself. But because of pride, the mother of all sin, He fell from the highest of heights to the deepest of depths. I submit that Lucifer in all of his glory, beauty, divine talents, and gifts before his fall, could not offer the Lord a kind of worship with such depth and purity as the children of God worshipping not out of glorified bodies dwelling in His manifested glory, but clothed in sinful flesh and undergoing great sufferings in body and soul in a world ruled by the devil himself. This is the worship that greatly moves the heart of God: when a homeless person can lift up their eyes to the heavens and praise God; when an abused housewife can sing out of her pain and heartache, a song of thanksgiving to the Lord; when the one lying on her death bed can say “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phillipians 1:21), in all things I will praise Him”; when a pastor under great persecution of state and church can continue to walk in obedience to the Lord scorning the persecution and shame; when a young missionary leads the heart of one on death row to repentance. How great is the joy of the Lord! How full is His heart!

Improper Worship (Strange Fire): Judgment

It does not matter how one chooses to demonstrate the worship that comes out of a pure heart. God has never been displeased with our methods of worship throughout the ages, only our wrong motives and wrong attitudes of the heart. We must take heed beloved. For worship, out of improper motives and attitudes, reveals a heart that is not fully surrendered, and is an abomination in the eyes of God. This has incurred his wrath and brought swift judgment in the past, for He searches the heart and knows the hidden motives behind all worship -- and He cannot be mocked. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7).

In the olden days, people were often killed for improper worship as recorded in the old and new Testaments: when Aaron's two sons offered “strange fire” unto the Lord, when Uzzah touched the Ark of the Covenant, when the people of Beth-shemesh looked into the Ark, and when Ananias and Sapphira pretended to offer God everything they owned. Saul also lost his kingdom partly because he made sacrifices he was not allowed to make, and Uzziah was made a leper for offering incense to God against God's laws of worship. Similarly, today we worship God improperly when we do it out of religious duty once or twice a week; when we worship because we enjoy the “feeling” it gives us of attaining new spiritual heights; When we worship out of a need or desire in our heart for the blessings of God, rather then for God himself; when we worship with unforgiveness, envy, lust, pride and/or other iniquities in our hearts; when we worship with irreverence (with our lips but our hearts are far from Him); and when we worship him without integrity of heart (we proclaim our love, but our daily walk dishonors Him). “But”, you may say, “we now live under the dispensation of Grace.” Yes, but under Grace there is still judgment of self right now, and the white throne judgment to come. The Word of God says: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Our judgment is now, whether we judge ourselves first and repent, or the Lord judges us. And we will be judged for improper worship (insincere, unholy, half-hearted, and unwilling). This is the chastisement of the Lord. “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:32).

Come Back to the Heart of Worship

We need to come into the full maturity of worship. We need to come back to the heart of worship – living a holy, obedient life unto the Lord, for it is all about Him. In order for us to do this, we must totally surrender all self to Him and place Him in the center of our lives. This means the Lord must become the focus of everything we desire, think, speak or do. Our every desire, attitude and action must honor and glorify Him always – our very life must reflect His grace, love and mercy. This is true worship.

If you have departed from true worship, the Lord is calling you back. Simply repent and turn around. If you do not know the Lord simply receive Him into your hearts today, and become true worshippers who will worship in Spirit and in Truth, having inherited eternal life free from sin and hell. This is one decision I can promise you, you will never regret.

Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe you died for my sins and rose again on the third day. I repent of my sins and renounce the works of the devil. I invite You, Lord, to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I thank you Lord for saving me and for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Freedom

Galatians 5:1 “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].”

By the grace and mercy of God, we are free. We have been liberated by Christ from bondages, yokes, sins, sicknesses, death and hell. We are no longer slaves but we are called the children of the Most High God.

True freedom can only be found in living a life with Christ Jesus. Even our own sincere desire and earnest efforts to be free from any oppression cannot take us off from the prison that the enemy and mankind has created for us.

We have all been once deluded and held captive in a yoke of sin – but the promise is that we are already set free by the Blood of the Lamb. We only have to call upon His name and this slavery will be ended. God is not a hard task-master, He is a gentle Teacher, prodding us to go into the way of Truth never condemning, always encouraging.

One aspect of freedom is when you can say “Yes” or “No” to your own desires. It is when you are not swayed by particular carnal desires like food, entertainment, riches and wealth, or anything for that matter. With the freedom that is in Christ, our belief in Him, we can do so many things and still go to heaven.

However, in the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27, this admonition is heard: “But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].”

Christ has liberated us; we are indeed free… but to live a victorious life requires us to be disciplined. Freedom has responsibilities. It does not mean we can do anything at anytime. Our freedom ends where the freedom of another begins.

We are no longer slaves. We are no longer subject to the law. Our Lord Jesus took the slavery of law and continually offers us the gift of grace. By His grace we are saved, let us not go back into the things that so easily beset us. Let us not impose the law upon ourselves, much more, upon others. Let us enjoy and live victoriously in this life that is in our Lord Jesus.

I pray that you will receive this freedom in Christ today. Please pray: “Dearest Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I confess all my sins. I want to receive the freedom that you have promised so that I can live a victorious life on earth as it is in heaven. I do believe that You have died for me , I invite You to come into my heart and dwell inside, freeing me from all bondage and yokes. Amen.”

Whom Shall I Send?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

God’s burning desire is no secret to anyone of us who are born again for He has spoken of this great desire though the mouths of many prophets and patriarchs throughout the ages. He declared His intent in the Old Testament through many prophesies given to His servants and He fulfilled this intent through His Son Jesus Christ as relayed in the New Testament. His intent -- to redeem fallen man: His burning desire, His great passion – the Lost.

I once had a vision of masses of people living in a cave. It seemed as if they had been there for many, many years. As I looked, as if watching a movie, I saw some finally starting to make their way to the entrance. As they approached the entrance of the cave and the bright sunlight hit them, they instinctively raised their arms as if in defense and immediately ran back inside, scared and disoriented. To them the light was unknown, blinding, and fearful, so accustomed had they become to the darkness. This is where every nonbeliever is in life. This is where we all were before the hand of grace touched us. Those who do not yet believe have become so comfortable in the bondages of the lies of the enemy that the truth is too blinding for them to comprehend. Thus, they no longer desire truth and they no longer seek after it. We, who are saved by grace alone, are saved to worship the Lord by becoming His hand of grace to every nonbeliever. For, they cannot come into all truth on their own. They are in spiritual darkness and rendered immobile. Mark 2:4 speaks of such a one…“Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.” He was paralyzed and had to be taken on a mat to Jesus through great obstacles. Thankfully, there were some willing to battle the odds in order to take him there. Similarly, as one committed preacher of old said, those who do not yet believe are paralyzed and need to be taken on their mats to the Lord for they are bound in the depths of their Souls and are no more capable of seeking the Way, the Truth and the Life on their own. It is now up to us who know the way to show them…with great wisdom and love.

In order to minister to the Lost, we will face many obstacles, but we must, like Paul, be willing to face each and every one of them. We must be willing to go anywhere and do anything the Holy Spirit commands, in order to bring home the Lost. Paul says “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9). We simply cannot be content with our own salvation: going to church, getting spiritually fed, and worshipping God with songs and praise. This simply exposes the fact that we are still all flesh – self-absorbed and without true understanding. It means our hearts are not truly open to the transforming work that the Lord seeks to bring about in us, and we do not yet have the mind of Christ. It means we do not sincerely love the Lord for if we do, we will seek the very heart of God and we will know the desire that burns deep within, His great passion – to redeem every lost Soul from hell and damnation.

True love brings one into true worship. True worship brings one into total oneness with the Lord. A oneness where our hearts beat in tune with His, where the pulse of our minds is the same as His, and all we want to do is to satisfy His deepest desire. This desire is crystal clear to all who worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth, and to all who have the revealed truth of the word. For the voice of His Spirit and the pages of the Bible resonate with the cries of God’s heart. We cannot claim to know and love the Lord and not know His heart’s cry. We cannot truly touch His heart with our love unless that love is expressed through doing all we can under the leading of the Holy Spirit to win the Lost to Christ.

Know that we cannot win the Lost solely out of love for the Lord, but we must also have this same love for every unbelieving soul. We must ask the Lord to give us His heart, His love for every nonbeliever. We cannot genuinely win anyone to Christ unless we first love them and have as great a desire as the Lord to see them saved, and we cannot say we truly love them unless we equally hate the evil that binds them. Know that every sincere love contains hate…a hate for that which seeks to destroy the object of love. This evil is not to be tolerated in any shape or form, but must be fought in the Spirit and must be destroyed. It is our hate for such that will cause us to battle all evil for Souls, for we will not fight against anything we do not hate, and it is our love that will cause us to win, for love conquers all. “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 1:22,23). Against this sincere love for God’s children and this equally sincere hatred for the evil that has them captive, there are no restrictions, no inhibitions, no shame, and no law.

We must see all of mankind either as God’s Temple or God’s Intended Temple. We know that it is God’s will that none should perish, but all should be saved, and yes, we also know that in His wisdom, He knows that not all will choose Him. However, our task as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit is to look upon everyone as “Saved” or “About to be Saved,” unless specifically instructed otherwise by the Holy Spirit. Know that this can also happen.

I remember witnessing to a Muslim for over 6 months just after I was born again. He challenged me with what he said were the many contradictions of the Bible. I was new in the word and this caused me to delve deep into the scriptures. After answering his many, many allegations it seemed to me that he did not move even an inch closer in the direction of truth even though he was shown truth and was quite satisfied with the answers. As I was praying one day, the voice of the Holy Spirit came very distinctly in my spirit…”Cast not your pearls before swine.” At that time I did not fully understand this scripture as I knew the Lord desired all to be saved and felt I must do all I can in His power to win them. He later gave me the full understanding.

Many in the Church misconstrue the Word of God which says we must separate ourselves from those who do not yet believe to mean we must not fellowship at all, except to witness. We religiously try to witness from time to time out of duty, but with a distant heart. How quickly we forget our own sinful condition before the mercy of God rescued us! How profoundly we have misunderstood His grace. May God forgive us for our pride and have mercy on our souls. Know that anything less than a pure, sincere love for God’s people and a true, intense desire to pluck them from hell’s mouth will bring death to all and great dishonor to our Father in the process.

Many in the Church, on the other hand, fellowship intimately with nonbelievers purely for carnal pleasure and love, and not with the sole intention of winning their hearts to Christ. This behavior is in error. Not only will it not bring life to anyone, but we place ourselves in danger of temptation and falling away. Since our motive is not pure, we are leaving the door wide open for the evil one to come in. 1 Corinthians 10:21 warns us “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.” Again, this is not referring to those who do not yet believe, but to the activities they indulge in, in their lack of truth. But, we who have the Truth cannot enjoy rolling in the mud while trying to witness to them of the sweetness of the green grass on the other side. We must demonstrate the Way.

Many churches forbid certain fellowship with unbelievers, and sometimes rightly so because many are not rooted in the word of God and in worship, and can easily stumble. But for the mature Christian there should be no such restrictions or fear. The Lord Himself showed us how to witness. He was in the midst of the greatest sinners most of the time, fellowshipping and genuinely having a good time. But He had one purpose and one purpose only…to call their hearts to repentance through His great mercy. He said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). He rejoiced at every opportunity to lavish His love on the sinners and to reveal His truth to them. A perfect example was the woman at the well in Samaria. Not only did the Lord bypass all prejudices one might have had in His position in the eyes of the world -- being a Jew and a righteous man -- but He gently, patiently loosened the chains that bound her one by one -- being a woman, a Samaritan, and an adulterer full of her own prejudices – to draw her to the true well of Living Water. He never once got impatient or upset with her attitude for He recognized the garments that were tainted and the flesh that the enemy had corrupted. Instead with great compassion, He cut right through the bondages on her body and soul and touched her spirit, which had been crying out for His Salvation. This He said to His disciples was His food -- to do the will of His father -- to bring home the Lost. This is what filled His heart. This too should fill our hearts. This too is what should give us the greatest pleasure.

Some stand in judgment of the ones who do not believe, forgetting the spiritual condition they came out of only by the hand of Grace that God extended to us through someone else. According to Titus 3:3-6 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;” They disrespect the initial position and views of the unbeliever bringing offense and closing the door to any true witness. Beloved, we cannot cut off a person’s nose and then give them a rose to smell. Some of us even go so far as to pronounce God’s judgment on those who do not yet believe instead of gently revealing to them that they are sinners in need of God’s grace and then proclaiming who God is and how great is His love and grace for all sinners, including us. We hope the threat of hell will scare them into believing and receiving Christ. Beloved, if someone is in soulical hell already, such a threat is meaningless.

Whom shall I send? Who is willing to go?

The heart of our Father is crying out to His children the same today as He did thousands of years ago, asking for one who is willing. One who will: follow the cloud by day and the fire by night like Moses; oppose kings and stand in the blazing furnace like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; sit in the lion’s den like Daniel; not fear the laws of men and state which violate the laws of the Lord like Esther; and most of all, not submit to any religious order, but only the leading of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling their destiny like our Lord Jesus Himself. Two thousand years ago our Father cried out for one who will go…. One answered. Because of His willingness to lay down His life, eternal provision has been made for the redemption of all the souls who choose to receive it. But many are still bound in sin. As such, they are spiritually blinded and cannot comprehend the need for salvation, having lived in perpetual deception all their lives. They need to be gently led into all Truth so they can understand the darkness wherein they dwell and choose to come into the Light. Will you, like Isaiah, answer “Here I am, send me?” Will you, like Isaiah, sincerely seek the Lord to receive a revelation of His heart and a true understanding of the extent of His passion? Are you willing to bear the burden of the Lord, to become His true disciple? Ask Him today to consecrate you afresh into His service, to fill you with His love, to give you the grace to bear His burden for souls, and the wisdom and understanding to witness the Gospel to the Lost. The coming of the Lord is at hand and the days of tribulation and judgment are fast approaching: there is no time to lose. We must snatch as many souls from the death grip of the enemy as we can. We are their only hope. Our God has chosen us to be the vehicle through which He wants to move to win souls. This is one of the great mysteries of our God for only His wisdom knows why, but I believe it is this very service to the Lord that will bring about the perfection of our own souls. For the word of God says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). When we are willing to do anything to win a soul for the Lord, then the greater love will have entered into our hearts and perfected us.

Beloved, you are God’s Temple and as such you are holy. He dwells in you and His fruits are imparted to you. His gifts were given to you and His supernatural love poured into your hearts. Discern His body. Unite with His Spirit in every Temple of His. Reach out to every Intended Temple with the same longing and yearning that the Lord has for each of His own, whether they have already received Him or not. Know that earth is all the heaven they will ever know if we cannot win them to Christ. Be all things to all men that you might win some. Go into the pits of hell if you have to, to win one soul. He did just that to save you. Do not be afraid to fellowship with prisoners, prostitutes, drug addicts, homeless, afflicted and suffering. This is where the heart of the Lord is. This is where our heart must be also if we truly love Him…to seek and save the Lost

Please pray with me…Heavenly Father, please give us a heart filled with the desires of your heart. Please give us the boldness, zeal, and fearlessness to go where no man has gone before. Please give us the words of life to speak to those who are yet so far away from you, and most of all Lord, give us the supernatural love to love them out of the sin that so binds them, and draw them into your marvelous light. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Let There Be Light

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4)

In the beginning of time, God spoke light into being. The light of the world was there, even before He created earth and man, for “in Him was life and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). The light illumines the obscure places of our lives; but while we still live in the same darkness of sin, we cannot comprehend this light – we cannot accept and tend to reject the true Light.

We think that for as long as we do not commit grave sins like murder, adultery, or theft, and we do not aggravate or step on anyone else’s rights then we are to be considered “good people.” By our own yardstick, we declare that we are in the light. Alas, we will not be judged according to our own criterion, but by the standard of a perfect, just, and holy God.

The first step into accepting this Light into our lives is to recognize that we are sinners, we have to admit that we are plain messed up. In the eyes of a perfect God, saying white lies make us liars; taking any small thing that is not ours make us thieves; looking with lust on another person make us guilty of adultery at hear. Now, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us… If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8,10)

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the true Light that shines upon the shadows of our lives for “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). No man has ever lived on this earth without any taint of darkness; but Christ Jesus was pure and sinless in thoughts and in deeds, He is our only hope. He came into this world to save us, and He was punished to pay the penalty of our sins, thus releasing us from the judgment of God.

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13)

What a beautiful assurance! When we believe in the Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we invite the Light to dwell upon our lives and we become sons of God. Amid all the chaos in our lives, this Light is able to bring order and show us the direction that we should tread to reach our ultimate goal of eternal blissful life that begins even at this very moment.

He is the only One who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – once we admit that we are indeed sinners. Forgiveness is for those who ask to be forgiven. If you think you are doing well all by yourself, then what need do you have for a loving and forgiving God? “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Living in the Light is the true goodness. There will come a time when God will separate those who chose live in the Light with those who chose to live in darkness. As it was in the beginning, that is also how it will be in the end, thus making a full circle – “God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4)

I believe that everyday is a day of salvation for each one of us. Every single day, let us pray – “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I say: “Let there be Light!” in my life today – to dispel all darkness and illumine every evil portion of my heart.” This is the way to live the eternal life, guided and directed by the Light that is God.