Monday, June 30, 2008

Who is the Enemy of God : Response by Janet

How God looks at a believer who is backsliding is all relevant to their relationship with God.  If you truly have a relationship with God, and do something wrong, He will convict you and it will be out of Love for Him that you want to change/alter your behavior.  God is always happy when we return to him, obey him. (Prodigal Son).  Remember He knew us in our mother's womb..  He knows all of our decisions before we even make them...  (Which does not give us an excuse to sin).  But God knew what he was getting from the get-go.   
 
Sin is also relevant to your relationship with God.  What is sin to one person is not sin to another until they are convicted by God.  Even something as simple as watching 24 or CSI could be taking us away from God.  That would be time better spent with Him than watching some make-believe pervert or some sort of terrorist get caught.   TV is a big weapon against God  if we let it. 
 
God knows what it will take to get your attention.  And if you are trying to hold onto something in the flesh,  God will purge it, consecrate you one way or another.  If you have a relationship with Him,  He will never forsake you nor will his chastisement be too much to bear. 
 
We must have faith enough to cast ALL our burdens on Him and Know He is working on it.  All things work out to the Glory of God.  Have a good enough relationship to hear the subtle voice telling you "stop making provision for Satan to return into your life"  "get rid of those pills you don't need"  "don't buy that bottle of vodka"  "one glass of wine with dinner is fine"  "Don't watch that TV show". 
 
Love you
Jan

Saturday, June 28, 2008

It’s About the Hunt!

Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7 NLT)
 

I thought all I was going to do is just be still and listen to the waves and the slight chatter of children at the beach.  Well times up! After being here for about 90 minutes I needed to write.  So I took out my small pad, sat up in my lounge chair, and began to write what I was thinking.

As I gazed about, I noticed something unusual! Grey heads to little tots were all busily moving about searching for those precious shells and sharks teeth!  They were geared up in their unique attire on a quest for treasure. Some had special containers to gather what they found. Others had sifters to use to sort though the sand. Some seemed to be more skilled then others, yet they were all specialist in their own right..  All were hovering over the seashore seeking, and chatting as they went.  Amongst the crashing of the waves and the swishing of the breeze, I could hear the laughter, giggles and chattering back and forth.

The hunt brought these people together. The fascination of the hunt caused joy to fall. As they diligently went about their business, a silent hush fell. Then came the "AWE", "WOW", and "HOO's" And let us not forget the shouts –"Lookee here!" "See what I have found!"

It has been my understanding and experience that this is how it is with the pursuit (Hunt) of Godly treasures. It takes diligence to find quiet time, then through private study revelation comes like the treasures at the seashore. Then we come into relationships with people from different streams of faith—just like these who gathered today at the shore's edge.  When we gather at our Bible Discovery Groups to share what we have and to hunt together for "More love and more Power in our lives". And for more faith and More Passion in our lives..

And so it is with believers who are in the hunt. They are not watching from the shore, not talking about remember when, not regurgitating some else's treasure! They are excitedly joined in the quest for more of God..

Just as John the Baptist leaped in his mother's womb when they met Mary, my spirit leaps with Joy when I meet believers that are in the hunt for more of the Lord. It is refreshing, rewarding, and inspiring to meet others living for and with Christ. My spirit leaps when we meet with those who attend our Bible Discovery Groups, and other believers the Spirit leads me to like Lavinia, Skip and Rachel, Carol Bo and others.

So do you feel the excitement of the Hunt when you gather each week at your meeting place?  If not, ask why and then move on! 

My petition today is that the Lord will continue to call deep unto deep. Get connected, for the Hunt is in progress. Do not miss out on the thrill and the exhilarating expectation of knowing that God will expose the treasures to us all.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Who is the Enemy of God?

You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. (James 4:4 NLT)

 

How does God view a believer who once walked with Him and knew the power of the Holy Spirit but has now become so entangled in the world he hardly ever picks up his Bible to read it, rarely prays, and comes to church only if it "fits" into his schedule of things to do? How does God look on it when a believer departs from the red-hot spiritual passion he once possessed and turns his devotion to other things?

 

This verse is very important, for it alerts us to the fact that when a believer chooses to take a worldly path, he sets himself in direct opposition to the godly path God desires for him. As a result of the choices, he/she has rendered, constituted, or caused himself to become the "enemy" of God.

 

An enemy is one who is in direct conflict with another. One archenemy of Batman was the Joker! Just as in Batman with his rivals we also feel the hostility, antagonism, and even animosity toward others or things that draw us away from God and His purposes for our lives.

 

So in James 4:4 the word enemy is pictured as a hostile force.. Now I go on to see how James uses this word to express the feelings and emotions that God possesses toward a believer who transfers their devotion and passion from Him to the world. Yes, that catches us in adultery! By using this word, James tells us that if we as believers choose to make our relationship with the world a greater priority than our relationship with God, we are making a choice that will place us in direct opposition to God. He views it as an act of war! To God, this is the ultimate violation of His relationship with us!

 

I realize that Romans 8:31 says, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Similarly, if God takes a stand against our activities and us because our actions are wrong, our plans and pursuits will be frustrated and paralyzed, and we will not succeed in our endeavors. God is not against us being blessed or having many possessions. However, He is against whatever takes His place in our hearts. When the things of the world move from our hands into our hearts, we become God's enemy.

 

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and serve the world at the same time". If we find ourselves in the midst of an addiction, we are serving that demon and not God. All we can think about is another drink, another fix, another sexual encounter. So now, you might say I am safe. Well how about those soap operas? Another and another until you get your fill—never happens as they have you hooked for the next episode! How about the next romance novel then the next? And another again and again. According to these words of Jesus, it is impossible for us to give our hearts simultaneously to two masters. We must choose whom we are going to serve. Is it God or the world in which we live?

 

For my life is not my own. It is the life the Lord has so graciously given me, an extension. Therefore, it is His life to do as He wills. I am His slave for the rest of my life. My responsibility is to "service" my master with all my attention, time, and energy. I am here to help, assist, and fulfill the master's wants and dreams to the exclusion of all else.

 

So I am careful about what my eye gates gaze upon, what my ear gates listen too and what my heart dwells upon! I continue to comb through my possessions and rid myself of those things that my cause me to sin--those things that distract me from my relations with my heavenly Father.

 

To truly serve God, we must spend time with Him so we can know His voice and develop a pattern of obedience in our daily walk. It demands our fullest attention. The work of God must be "serviced' with prayer, obedience, repentance, and worship. If a person chooses to serve "the world" instead of the Lord, they will have to turn their attention and devotion to the world. As a worldly person, they will be required to learn the ways of the world and to adapt to the thinking of the world. Serving the world and worldliness requires 100 percent of a person's attention.

 

Just as serving God requires your time, attention, energy, and money, the world will demand the same from you. This is why Jesus said it is not possible to serve both God and the world.

 

So let me ask you this. Whom are you serving in your life right now? What most requires your time and attention? Can you truthfully say you are giving God your fullest attention and that the chief priority in your life is to serve and obey Him? Or must you confess that worldly pursuits, possessions, and corporate success consume your thoughts and energies?

 

If you are consumed with God, these other things will take a lower place on your list of priorities. But if you are consumed with the world, material things will dominate the landscape of your mind. So just stop and ask yourself, What do I think about more than anything else in life? Your answer will probably tell you whom you are serving the most with your heart. James 4:6 tells us that God takes a stand against a believer who turns his devotion to the world and becomes worldly. In fact, it says God "resists" such believers.

 

This emphatically declares that God takes it so personally when a believer turns his devotion from Him to the world that He sets Himself in opposition to that believer. Like a military commander, God reviews the situation, then He decides how to resist and frustrate the things this believer is trying to achieve and thus bring him to a place of surrender.

 

As terrible as this resistance sounds, it is a manifestation of God's grace! By blocking our way and resisting our choices, the precious Holy Spirit endeavors to get our attention and to bring us to a sweet place of brokenness where sin is confessed and fellowship with God is restored..

 

You see, God is so passionate about our relationship with Him that He is unwilling to share us with the world. That does not mean we cannot have a job or be successful. In most cases, we must have a job, and God wants us to be successful. But if we switch our allegiance from God to the world around you, God views that as the ultimate violation in His sight. It is this very act that causes Him to decide to rise up and to do something to bring us back to where we ought to be!

 

So I advise you to take a good look at your life and make sure your priorities are where they need to be! Make sure you are aligned with the Lord rather than with the world around you! Otherwise, God may step forward to deliberately frustrate your plans in order to bring you back to where you ought to be!

 

Thoughts From The Secret Place!

The Lord wants to cause us to jump out of our denominational/non-denominational boxes into the River of Life !  Let our faith arise and prepare to meet the Kingdom of God . Let Faith fall from heaven upon us increasing our faith to a new miraculous dimension.

 

The bridegroom is calling His bride forth without spot or wrinkle. Make way for the Kingdom of God is amongst us! Make way, divorce yourselves from traditions of men, and come into the Freedom our Heavenly Father has prepared for us!

 

We are no longer male or female in the eyes of God. We are no longer Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Assemblies, etc. We are Christians following the teachings of Christ. We are the saints, a holy nation living to give God the Glory. Giving thanks to the Holy One.

 

Lord, we come to you this day to seek your face, to search our hearts. It is these and other are the things that keep the bride from becoming one with the Lord. As we seek within ourselves, we ask you Lord to shed light upon traditions of man that are in us. Expose them for what they are and are not. Place within me Lord a clean heart towards you. Then Holy Spirit extend to us the grace to accept others who are in Christ that have followed traditions of men as if they were Gospel. We ask this in the Mighty name of Jesus!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Bearing Someone Else’s Burden?

Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. — Galatians 6:2NIV

 

I often think of how believers who are consumed with the cares of life. Perhaps their burdens are due to finances, their marriage, friendships, a problem at work, a child who is rebellious or running from God, a death in the family — the list of potential problems goes on and on.

It is sad to think of the vast number of churchgoers who attend services regularly and are feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. Either no one would help them or pray with them, or no one even cares how they are doing. Just popping in and out of Church services does not cut it. There is never an opportunity to tell anyone what is happening in their lives, so they leave the service just as burdened or even greater when they leave the building.. RELATIONship screams out at me. People need relationships with other believers and with the Jesus Christ Himself!

Have you ever been so burdened with the cares of life that you felt the earth crashing in all around you? Did you wish somehow someone would crawl under that load and help you carry it? Perhaps you can remember times when you cried out to God, please send someone to help me with these things I am dealing with right now!

Now I know we are to give our burdens to the Lord, yet there are times when we need a helping hand in the FLESH! So I wonder what Paul meant when he said to bear one another's burdens?

In 2 Corinthians 1:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:4, Paul uses the word burden to describe how he and his traveling companions felt. This burden could be a physical or spiritual problem. For instance, this type of pressing burden could be a habitual sin (addiction, sickness…) that has plagued you and weighed you down year after year. Satan may try to use these kinds of weaknesses and faults to hinder or completely abort God's plan for your life. That is why it is so important that these "burdens" be dealt with and defeated. If you are unable to do it alone, you need to seek the help of others to pull you through to a place of victory. I by no means mean that people should enable you by digging you out in the natural. It could mean the carrying of others burdens means moral support, spiritual guidance, and coaching from the sidelines.

So how do we become a burden carrier? Seek Him tonight and ask. How can I become a burden carrier and not become bound? How can I help a fellow believer and not get emotionally attached to the circumstance?

I want to encourage you today to be sensitive to the needs of others who are around you. When you go to church, go to work, or even spend time with your family and friends, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see when people are carrying too much by themselves. If you discern they are burdened, go to them and ask, How can I pray for you today? What is happening in your life?

God may use you to bring real relief and freedom into someone's life. Perhaps just providing a listening ear is all that is needed to help that person get through his or her dilemma.

On the other hand, if an overwhelming problem, weakness, habit, or sin is pressing down on your life, you need to be humble enough to say, hey, I need someone to pray with me! Ask the Lord to intercede for you. Ask Him to help you out of this situation. If you are stilled weighed down do not be proud and admit this is too much to do completely by yourself. It may be difficult for you to open your heart and reveal your need, but it will be far more difficult for you to carry it alone. Alone you may eventually become emotionally devastated by that burden.

As brothers and sisters in the Lord, we need to do everything we can to step deeply into people's lives in order to encourage and refresh them spiritually and to help them get through their problems. When we see someone struggling, we must be bold enough to ask that person how we can help! When we work together as a Body in this way, every need will be addressed and met!

Hey what is the law of Christ anyway?—To love one another more than ourselves?

Sometimes I just want to wipe those burdens from my children's lives. I sometimes think, put it on me Lord so I may spare them the pain, the grief, the stress, the hurt… Then I am reminded that it was as I walked through some of those trials myself I grew closer to God. When I faced fear itself I became an over-comer! It is life's journey that works in us the opportunities to become more like Christ. It is those desperate times of weakness, adversity, and overwhelming burdens that brought about a greater love and appreciation of the cross, the blood of Jesus, and the Love of our Father. So do not spare your loved one's journey through the burdens of this world. Know that Father has a great plan to be played out in their lives.

In our Bible Discovery Groups we pray the Lord will allow us to speak uplifting words to one another and to increase a deeper hunger to know the Lord. As we know Him more intimately we are able to speak boldly to those who are hungry and hurting–those that are heavy burdened.

Lord, I am asking You to help us be sensitive to the needs of other people. Help us to stop being so consumed with my own concerns that we are negligent in recognizing the needs of those around us. Holy Spirit, help us to see through the masks people tend to wear to cover up what is really happening in their lives. Give us the wisdom to know how to approach people who need strength and encouragement.

May we all pray this in Jesus name!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A FEW GOOD MEN

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong
— 1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV

 

Consider for a moment just how incredible it was that God chose David to fight the giant Goliath. David was just a young boy when God called him. He was young in age and immature in physical development. The Philistine even marked at his stature. The giant Goliath laughed when he saw whom God had chosen! It may have looked laughable in the eyes of the world, but this young boy who fearlessly faced Goliath in battle was the exact person God had chosen!

 

With that in mind, consider what Paul says in First Corinthians 1:27: The word "weak" refers to something that is feeble, puny, or powerless. You might even consider "weak" to mean substandard, second-rate, low-grade, and so inferior that it is almost laughable!

 

Believers were viewed as the laughingstock of the entire Roman Empire. Governmental authorities considered Christians to be a weak, puny, pathetic, useless group of religious idiots. They were literally took the brunt of all the jokes and were viewed as society's rubbish.

 

It is the same with believers today. If we continue in diligence seeking the Lord, we too will turn the world upside down! It will be just as the Christians turned the world upside down in their day and evangelized the Roman Empire!

 

The unbelieving world today views the Church very much in the same way. You see, the devil fears believers because he knows the power and authority we possess. That is why he uses the entertainment industry, educational institutions, and other human agencies to try to belittle believers. The world wants us to feel irrelevant, trivial, and not able to contribute .The enemy does everything he can to give the impression that we are minor, worthless pieces of flesh. He knows the power God has placed within us and what is at our disposal.

 

So the devil attempts to discredit us in the eyes of the world as well as our own. So what is your view of yourself and other Christians? Is your walk making a dent in society? Your family? Your friends? Are those believers you associate with making a difference in the world in which they live? What about the church you attend? How about this outpouring with Todd Bentley?

 

"Confound" the world! Put to shame, embarrass, confuse, frustrate, or baffle those people who are not of God! Shine a light on the crocked ways of the world by walking straight. We do not need to join the picket lines, and protest against sin and sinful ways. All we need do is be like Jesus and live out our life in His righteousness, peace, and grace!

 

The Roman Empire was trying to wipe out the Early Church and it is clear that things have not changed. It took a while for the Church of Jesus Christ to put to shame all the evil forces that had come against it. But in the end, that is what happened! The Church eventually emerged in power and changed the face of history.

 

The Lord is calling to us again. He is calling to His common, regular, run-of-the- mill people. Know who you are in HIM, through HIM. God has chosen you and me because we are mighty and powerful in the Lord and it is through us that the world today will be drawn again to the cross.

 

So quit seeing yourself as someone who is substandard, second-rate, low-grade, or inferior. You are filled with the Spirit of God and have the call of God on your life! Who cares what the world thinks? Even if your gifts and talents seem small in comparison to what others possess, that does not mean you have been eliminated from God's list of candidates. We are all called by God. Will you choose to be chosen?

 

In fact, turn your feelings of weakness and inadequacy to humility and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with power so you can be of God's service! God is looking for people just like you, because He knows He will receive the glory for what He does through you. You are exactly the kind of person God wants to use!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Diligence Is Required For Success

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NLT)

 Some people are just lazy, which is why they never see anything accomplished with their lives. They blame their lack of success on this, that, and everything but themselves. But God is no respecter of persons. What He does for one, He will do for all. The key factors that make the difference are not about God, but about a person's level of determination and his or her willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve a goal.

It may be a hard fact to face, but ultimately we are all responsible for our success or our lack of success. We all possess the same promises, the same faith, the same power, the same Spirit, and the same Jesus who sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). The main thing that determines who succeeds and who doesn't succeed is attitude. Heart attitude!

You have to want success in order to get it. It does not float on clouds, and it takes hard work to achieve it. I will say that again. It does not take hard work! Because most people are willing to do only average work, they reap average results. To achieve super results, one must do super work, be deeply committed to the task, and be willing to do whatever is necessary to realize goals and aspirations.

God only rewards those who diligently seek Him, which means people with a lazy, lethargic, do- nothing, "take-it-easy" attitude will never be greatly rewarded by the Lord. This verse says that God rewards the diligent seeker.

Diligence means to zealously seek after something with all of one's heart, strength, and might. Sounds like love the Lord with your whole mind, strength, and body, doesn't it? Matter of fact it may be construed that one who seeks something so passionately and determinedly literally exhausts all his power in his search. What happens when all your power is drained from you?  The Lord takes over!

How persistent and devoted can one be?

You see, you have to be diligent to be rewarded by God, so it should be no surprise that diligence is going to be required in order for you to succeed in every sphere of life. It is just a fact that a lazy, neglectful attitude will never get you where you need to go. If you take your life assignment lightly — if you approach it with a casual, easygoing, take-it-easy, relaxed attitude you will never go far in the fulfillment of your call or dream. Live like a slug, and you will eat dirt the rest of your life!

If you are serious about succeeding in life, you will have to adjust your level of commitment and give full attention to what God has called you to do. Diligence cannot be a sideline issue.. Your assigned task must have your full consideration, your undivided attention, and your mental and spiritual concentration.

I believe these are the keys to being rewarded. Immerse yourself in faith, prayer, and meditation regarding God's call on your life. Distractions are not allowed.

You might think I am saying it takes blood, sweat, and tears! Well Jesus shed the blood already, so we do not need "blood shed". Sweat, well I don't believe you will sweat reading the Word, meditating on His word and principles. But yes, I do believe it will be accompanied by some tears. Tears of repentance, tears of remembrance of what He has already done in your life and Tears of Joy knowing He will fulfill what He has promised.

It takes hard work to achieve any goal, and complaining about that hard work will not make it any easier. So be constant in your commitment. Refuse to relent! Stay stubborn and unbending even in the face of opposition until your objective is achieved. Your consistency and determination will push the powers of hell aside and you will obtain the victory!

PRAY THIS TODAY!

Lord, I ask You to help me become more serious as I adjust my level of commitment to a higher level. Help me OVERCOME the battle of my mind! Help me give full attention to what You have called me to do. I realize that diligence cannot be a sideline issue. In order for me to succeed at what You have asked me to do, I must give it my full consideration, my undivided attention, and my mental and spiritual concentration. Lord I know I can only keep pressing toward this higher level of commitment if I have Your divine energy, Holy Spirit, propelling me forward. As I reach upward to become all You want me to be, I ask again for Your for divine assistance.

Jesus, you said that anything asked in your name will be granted to us! Therefore I boldly know that my Father is ready to grant me my petition. I pray this in Jesus' name!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

How Did You Get So FRESH?

But you have made me as strong as a wild bull. How refreshed I am by your power!

—Psalm 92:10 NLT

How would you like to receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life today? If your answer is yes, why haven't you gone before the Great Anointer and allowed Him to give you that freshening anointing? This is precisely what David was referring to when he said, "I shall be anointed with fresh oil" (Psalm 92:10 KJV).

Have you ever had a deep skin massage? Better still, have you had achy muscles and you or your loved one rubbed you down with some deep heat cream? This massaging of cream/oil would have penetrated the pours of your skin. You were able to feel not only relief but a refreshing and a renewal of strength! So technically speaking, the word "anoint" has to do with the rubbing or smearing of oil upon someone else.

When someone speaks of anointing, I think of someone laying hands on another with the oil. It is much deeper than that. God Himself anoints our lives, for He is the Great Anointer. From the very throne room of God comes the essence of the Holy Spirit to be upon our lives. Our heavenly Father smears the Spirit's power, an anointing that goes deep into our very beings.. Therefore, when we speak of someone being anointed we are recognizing that the Holy Spirit is personally resting on that individual's life.

You may think you have to go to Lakeland, Florida to "Get Some". Or you might think you need to get to your church for the pastor to anoint you.. Better still, you might go directly to the Anointer Himself. Present yourself before the King of Kings. Humbly go forth and make your request. Do not forget to wait until He comes! And He will come with the anointing you need for your present time in life!

Do not get me wrong, it is not that the other ways are wrong. But it is the source we are after. Yes! God Himself living within us victoriously! Life can bring on it tolls and trials. We need a fresh touch, an inspiriting, invigorating touch from the One above! The method does not matter as much as knowing who the ANOINTER is.

Therefore, if you would like a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life, you must come before the Great Anointer! He alone can give you what you need. Open your heart to God, and allow Him to lay His hand upon your life in a new way. I guarantee you a strong anointing will follow!

Today I pray for you:

Lord, I am asking You to lay Your hand upon my friends in a brand-new way today. Rub the oil of Your Spirit deep into their lives, and let the powerful fragrance of the anointing be felt, sensed, and seen by others who are near them. Have them carry Your power and demonstrate the aroma of Your Presence. Please lay Your hand on them today and let the anointing deeply penetrate their very souls, bodies and minds!

Pray this for yourself:

I confess that God's hand is on my life. Because of this, the Spirit of the Lord rests mightily upon me. Just as He anointed Jesus, I am also anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to give recovery of sight to the blind, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. I carry the power of Jesus Christ, and I give off the aroma of God's Presence! I declare this by faith in Jesus. Amen.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Being Confident of God’s Plan

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
— Matthew 27:2

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt you were surrounded and besieged by control freaks who were obsessed with keeping everything that moved under their monitoring control? If you have been in a situation like this, you know how hard it is to function in that kind of environment. It could happen at work, at church, at home, or at school. Think on that!

Well, Jesus' walk in life overwhelmed and rocked the boats of the leaders in the political realm and in the leadership within the Pharisees! Those two realms wanted to hold on to the reins of power they felt they had and the mere presence of Jesus' power and authority threatened them. They were loosing control. They were paranoid that Jesus was gaining popularity.

There is no difference today. The institutional Church leaders are threatened when people begin to find out who they really are in Christ and begin taking His teachings seriously. Jesus left us all with His power and authority to be used, functioning in our lives and the lives of those we reach for Christ.

Because the Pharisees at that time could not contain Jesus, they decided to turn him over to the political leaders. Pilate knew the Jews were jealous of Jesus. (Read Luke 23:2) They knew exactly what political strings to pull to get Pilate to do what they wanted — and they were pulling every string they held in their hands.

How often do Christian leaders turn people away to be judged by lawyers or doctors before they turn to the Lord for showing us His righteousness and allowing the Lord to heal? How often do religious leaders tell people if you do not like what is done or said here, LEAVE.  The Jesus in you is no different then the Jesus who walked this earth.  He –Jesus is still being scrutinized and most often being scrutinized through us!

The word "bound" makes me think of a rodeo. You know when the cowboy hog ties the cattle? They bound Jesus so He could not make a move or escape them. I am confident this was what Matthew had in mind by that word. Oh yea, if you have ever been to a circus, you know circus horses are tied with some sort of harness so the caretakers can lead them around the ring. I do believe there is no freedom in those harnesses! That is how Jesus was led off. Little did they know that what they did to Jesus in the physical fulfilled His purpose on earth.. The only harness we should have is the yoke of Christ!

Just as the soldiers had led Jesus to Caiaphas, now they slipped a rope about His neck and walked our "King" to Pontius Pilate. Jesus was just handed over to Pilate. Humiliating wouldn't you think? Little did they know that Jesus was above them all yet at the same time committed to fulfill the will of the Father. He submitted to this human cruelty so He could set us free. Pilate's roll in this was to find Him guilty and crucify Him! I believe we are not to wear the harness of man, yet together be in agreement according to the Word of God.

 Read Matthew 27:1-14

 Notice the Bible says Pilate "marveled greatly or was greatly surprised" at Jesus' silence. I believe that Pilate was at a loss for words;  shocked and amazed.

Mat 27: 11, 12, 14 Jesus had opportunities to respond and clarify who He was and what He was doing here on earth. Yet He remained silent. Finally Pilate asked "Art thou the King of the Jews? And He answered him and said, Thou sayest it" (Luke 23:3).

There are many times I have wanted to defend myself and the work the Lord has given me. As the days go by it becomes easier and easier to let others speak whatever they so believe. I know the truth and that truth will someday become real to them also. I stand confident in what the Lord has placed within me. Like Jesus, I stand before judges and critics and so will you!

When Jesus finally answered Pilate's question, He still did not defend Himself, knowing it was the appointed time for Him to be slain as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Timing in our lives is just as important to the Father. But Pilate did not want to crucify Him. In fact, the Roman governor began looking for a loophole — for some way out of putting this man to death.

There might be those in our lives who are looking for a loophole—an out so they do not have to face the truth we stand for. See your plan and mine is not vain; the plan of Jesus could not be changed because it was time for the Son of God to offer the permanent sacrifice for sin. As Hebrews 9:12 says, "Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever". And so with your plan and mine, the Lord has a purpose for the call placed upon our lives and it will not come back void!

Are you certain of God's plan for your life? Consider whether or not you are able to say with conviction: "I know what God has called me to do, and I am willing to go where He tells me to go and pay any price I have to pay.. My greatest priority and obsession is to do the will of the Father!"

 If you are not able to say this yet, ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow to the point where doing God's will, regardless of the cost, becomes the most important thing in your life. Even if a life of obedience takes you through hard places as it did with Jesus, the end result will be resurrection and victory!

So until that day, press forward, press onward, press inward, press upward! There is a victory dance for s all as we join with the Father and the Lover of our souls in the things He has prepared for us!