The Living God

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7

“His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.”  Isaiah 29:26

If we are to love God we need to talk with Him, not at Him. We need to seek Him and not give up until we find Him.  Don’t allow your flesh to settle for ritual or religion.  The Father is actively looking for those that are looking for Him.  You will find Him, but you have to be willing to submit to the Holy Spirit.  Isaiah 59:2 says that your iniquities have separated you from God.  This is were our flesh rises up and screams, “I know right from wrong.”  Or the enemy stands accusing and condemning you about what a loser you are.  You see, when we pray then hear and see no answer, our flesh knows how much easier it is to figure it just wasn’t God’s will to answer but the Lord made it plain in Matthew 21:22 that He would answer every prayer.  The alternative is to submit our flesh to the searching and purifying of the Holy Spirit. Sin is notoriously deceptive and thrives in the cover of darkness.  Be prepared; the sin is often not what we expect. 

“…God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ…”(Romans 2:16). The secrets will be judge.  The question every believer has to ask themselves is when do I want to deal with the secrets:  now or the Day of Judgment.  Do I want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant!” or “Well done piece of toast!”? 

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stone, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.  It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.  If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.  If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”(1Corinthians 3:11-15).

  You see these secrets are often in the foundation.  They’re many times not the good works that men can see, but hidden even from ourselves and we need the Holy Spirit to reveal these secrets.  “The heart is deceptive above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’”(Jeremiah 17:9-10).

 God often violates our image of ourselves and /or who the Lord really is.  We think we’re really angry at the way the guy in front of us cut us off on the drive home.  But really somewhere in our heart we’re still believe that we really were at fault for our parents getting divorced.  We think that God is really mad at us because we screw up all the time.  But really He just wants to pull us up into his lap and give us a big hug. “ But you don’t know the things I’ve done.  Besides circumstances, my own actions, “friends”, and even family have told me over and over what a screw-up I am.”  You have forgotten that the Alpha and Omega knew all those things before He ever called you into His kingdom.  So repent from you foolish unbelief in the power of God to work His will in you.  He knows all things, understands all things, and has the most power.  It is His opinion that matters.  He says He loves you.  Trust the Lord’s opinion.  Allow Him to define for you what constitutes a right relationship with Him.  Dearly beloved, allow Him to define who you are.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God!” 1 John 3:1

Lord God, forgive me my pride and arrogance!  I am not my Creator.  I am not able to define who I am, nor what constitutes a right relationship with You.  Search my heart and grant me repentance for any unclean thing in me.  I trust in Your love, Your power, and Your wisdom.  Create in me a clean heart that exalts You!  May Your kingdom come and Your will be done! Thank you Jesus!  For in You I have a steadfast and trustworthy hope.