Are You the Most Blessed?

 You are “most blessed forever,” according to Psalm 21:6.  Most blessed in what way?  His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), so it follows that when Jesus is our shepherd, I shall not want.  My needs are met according to His riches in glory.  By His stripes I am healed.  He always leads me in triumph and no weapon formed against me shall prosper.  All things work together for good for me because I love Him and am called according to His purpose.  Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. 

Are these statements true for you and are you  really “most blessed forever,” as the king before God?  Since Jesus has made you and  me to be priests and kings forever (1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 1:6) we are the ones this psalm is talking about as kings, and joint heirs with Jesus receiving everything He has purchased through His death and resurrection.  It is true and more than we could ask, think, or imagine. As children of God who by grace share His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), we have intimate relationship with Jesus, our living hope of eternal glory forever!

In the Gospel of John, Jesus explained various truths as “now is and will be.”  There are times we “feel” and easily declare these positive Scriptures are true in our lives, but there also may be times when circumstances and feelings are screaming against them.  In these challenging times we are called to “fight the good fight of faith.”  We live by faith and not sight, 2 Peter 1:4 reminds us that “through these precious and great promises we escape the corruption that is in the world and partake of divine nature. 

At a recent prayer meeting in Tulsa, the Lord gave a word that the enemy was throwing firry farts designed to “destroy our will to fight.”  Therefore, the Lord is calling us to stand strong in His power, cast down every thought and imagination that is contrary to Christ, and equipped in God’s armor take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit declaring the Word of God as Jesus did in the wilderness against the devil. 

Faith and patience inherit the promises. In Revelation Jesus reminds us that trying times call for the endurance of the saints. We encourage you, like Abraham, to not waver in your faith, but continue to give Him glory for what He has promised.  We will make it and every word of God will prove true.  He is faithful.

Honest to God

God is merciful, and He is also completely just.  

Psalm 76 describes the ultimate power of God in judging the earth and why those who oppose Him should fear His wrath.  However, on the other side of the coin, verse 9 reveals His heart toward certain others, "When God arose to judgment, to save all the humble of the earth."  He judges wickedness but saves the humble.

The crux of the whole judgment matter is pride versus humbleness.  What does God require but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God?  Scripture is clear that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.  Did not Satan fall because of pride, and did not Eve submit to the lie of pride that she would be "like God" if she ate the fruit?   

David, after he repented from sinning with Bathsheba and killing Uriah, prayed with new understanding, in Psalm 51:6, that God, "you desire truth in our inmost being."  What is the truth?  First Corinthians 4:7 explains this truth by declaring that everything we have, our mind, our heart, our faith, our talents, our health, our life, is all received, so we have nothing to boast about.  Since the truth is that we have nothing because of our own efforts but rather all is the gift of God, our only honest response to Him is to be thankful and humbly admit we depend upon Him for everything.  The truthful attitude, being humble and thankful, motivates us to obey and is what pleases God.

Furthermore, Isaiah 57:15 confirms this truth, "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  When we honestly acknowledge our need for His help and forgiveness, He is right there to revive us.

Be honest to God as you humbly admit your need and walk obediently with a grateful attitude in all He has given you to do.  God will dwell with you and you will be blessed forever!

You Shall Go Out With Joy!

A friend of ours loves to meet our needs and do 

special things for us. And then when we express 

our joy and gratefulness for his gift, he replies, 

"It makes me so happy that you enjoy it."

God is so much more like that.  He is a cheerful 

giver who "takes pleasure in the welfare of His 

children."  He has given us "all things that pertain 

to life and godliness" according to 2 Peter 1:3.   

What glorifies and pleases God most is when we 

receive His gifts with joy and thankfulness.

Therefore, it follows that every Christian that has 

received His gift of salvation and the "all else" 

provided should be someone who continually 

exhibits joy and thankfulness.  While It is God's 

will, according to 1 Thess 5:23, that we give 

thanks in all circumstances, this message will 

focus on being filled with joy.

In John 15, Jesus shares about abiding in Him 

and in His Word which enables us to bear fruit.  

He compares our relationship to Him as close as 

branches joined to the vine.  Then Jesus points 

out why He has given us this truth, "that My joy 

may be in you and your joy may be full."  Likewise, 

in Psalm 16, God declares "in His presence is 

fullness of joy."  Being with and in Jesus is being 

filled with His joy.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness 

is what Jesus instructed all men.  But what is the 

Kingdom of God where Jesus reigns as King?  

According to Romans 14, the kingdom of God is 

"righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."  

Clearly, our joy is a testimony that Jesus rules in us.  

This joy is so strong and dominant that we can even 

"count it all joy" when trials come, knowing that our 

loving Father is working good in us.

As Christians we are told to "rejoice, and again I say 

rejoice."  This is a command.  We can choose to 

reject any other thought or feeling that tends to focus 

on the troubles of the world and instead, focus on the 

goodness and mercy of God.  Surely goodness and 

mercy will follow each of us today and forever.  We 

are so blessed that our only honest response to all 

He is and has done for us is to be filled with joy and 

thankfulness.  This attitude so pleases God that He 

declares in Isaiah 55:12, "you shall go out with joy, 

and be led out with peace; the mountains and the 

hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all 

the trees of the field shall clap their hands."    

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How Blessed

We have the most to give thanks for, having been drawn by the Spirit to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ forever.  Everything else pales in comparison.  Romans 8:32 likewise puts this in perspective, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things."  So my conclusion is simple, thank God for all the good things that He has blessed you with, family, food, clothing, shelter, health, friends, vehicles, resources, etc., but let all His gifts be the icing on the cake, Jesus and your eternal life being the heart of the matter. 

Psalm 119 starts out with "How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord" and continues to speak of all the good things the Word of God does for us.  It is really hard to read this psalm without appreciating how blessed we are who know Jesus and live by the Word.  In almost every line, the Holy Spirit enlightens, encourages, and reminds us with the overwhelming promises of what the Word of God provides.  Clearly it is both a celebration and a prayer for the believer to receive with awe and thanksgiving the promises of the Word.    

On the opposite side of the coin, in Revelation 20:4 we see that only those who have a commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word are able to resist the Antichrist.  2 Thessalonians 2:10 also points out that only those who "receive the love of the truth" will not fall for the power and signs and false wonders of the Satan during the coming of the lawless one, the antichrist.  

Therefore, my prayer this morning is for you and me to ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh and abiding love for the truth of God's Word and the staying power to never let go of it.  Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4) in our thoughts, feelings, and choices forever!

Possess Your Possessions

  We are the most blessed forever according to Psalm 21:4. The Lord Jesus Christ has made us whole, given us His faith, His righteousness, His wisdom, allowed the Holy Spirit to release the same power that raised Him from the dead in our bodies, and has given us the mind of Christ.  He promises to always be with us and to never leave or forsake us.  We are overcomers, always led in triumph, and have the assurance that no weapon formed against us shall proper.  We can walk "just as He walked" 1 John 2:6.   All the promises of God are yea and amen.  No wonder the Lord asks "What more could have been done for My vineyard?"  

 This same victorious revelation is given in Psalm 65:4. "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You to dwell in Your courts.  We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple."  Jesus states the fact that He chose you and appointed you to bear fruit.  He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.  Twice in 1 Timothy 6, Paul tells his spiritual son, Timothy, to take hold of eternal life.  Later in 2 Timothy 1:14, he instructs him to "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure that has been entrusted to you.

 The point is that we are blessed beyond our natural ability to know and understand.  Yet God has sent the Holy Spirit to reveal His mind and lead us into all truth.  Just as the children of Israel were brought into the promised land, it was up to them to use God's power and anointing to defeat the enemies and possess the land, so we have been given this eternal inheritance won by Jesus Christ on the cross and through His resurrection.  He then tells us to use the authority and power in His name to make known His Gospel to every creature on the earth and to be His light in the darkness of this world.  

 As a man thinks in his heart so is he.  Obviously, if we don't take time and focus on what the Lord has done and given us, we will be deceived into thinking we are not good enough, not overcoming, and will still fail.  The battle is in our mind.  The good news is we have weapons with divine power to take every thought captive and overthrow everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.  My admonition this morning is to ask the Holy Spirit, our helper and counselor, to teach us how to use prayer, the Word, and the authority given in the name of Jesus to keep our mind and heart filled with the truth and peace of Christ.  

 God has given us (you) all that you need "for life and godliness" and through His Word provided the great and precious promises to escape the lusts of the flesh and partake of divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).  God made it possible for you to be a mighty warrior equipped for every good work, and promises to be with you to help you bear eternal fruit.  Choose to hear and receive the promises that the Spirit is saying to His people (to you!).  Let him who has ears to hear, hear.  As you read carefully and continue to think and reflect about the Word, as you "let the Word dwell in you richly," you will realize what the Lord has given you.  Deliberately let that awesome truth and goodness fill your mind and heart so you can possess or have what is actually yours. Possess your possessions.   

 

Called AND Chosen

  Jesus stated this seemingly contradicting phrase, "many are called, but few are chosen."  He gives it as the conclusion of the Matthew 22 wedding feast parable.  This scene explains its meaning quite clearly.  The King invited people to the wedding feast, but many chose to ignore the request, and then even hurt or killed the servants who brought the message.  So the master brought people in from the highways and byways until his house was full.  And true to form, one guest didn't change clothes, so was rejected.  

 Then Jesus gave "many are called, but few chosen" as the summary of the parable.  Naturally, the invitation from God calling us must be followed by an acceptance from us. Chosen are those who respond to the invitation to come and willingly submit to putting on the "wedding" garments.  

 We are in a partnership, a being "yoked" together, to accomplish the work of the Kingdom.  Just as the name "Emmanuel" or "God with us," implies, the plan of God is for us to walk on the earth in the power and name of the Lord.  God works in and through us.  Hebrews 13:20 speaks of making you complete in every good work and working within you what is pleasing in His sight.   

  In Isaiah 41, the word for chosen could also be translated "proven." God is love so He obviously loves each person with an everlasting love.  However, He does take pleasure in those who fear Him and trust in His mercy.  The person who is faithful in little is given more responsibility and reward.  Paul admonishes us to aim to please Him.  The completion of God's invitation is our accepting the call and putting on His garments (anointing) to celebrate the victory and represent Him in the world.  Be holy as I am Holy.  You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.  

  Because we submit to His wedding garments, which according to Romans 12:1-2, is to present our bodies as living sacrifices and renew our mind with His thoughts, we will demonstrate the perfect will of God. The wedding garments suggest being clothed in His righteousness and letting our life endorse this union with Him.  

  We could never thank Him enough for all He has done for us and for inviting us to "Come" to His celebration.  Moreover, giving our all and living for Him allows us to be the chosen who will be His witnesses on earth and will spend eternity with Him.  We are the "most blessed" (Psalm 21:6) who are called and chosen!  

God's Incredible Favor

Walking in God’s Favor
Psalm 5:12 declares, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” The one who accepts Jesus’ righteousness and walks in it will enjoy God’s favor.

Recently a friend shared how God’s favor followed him at work. On a slow day in the store God sent the right people to him that needed the merchandise that he sold. One after another they came to his department and made purchases. In a few hours he was able to sell more than his quota for the week. God is so good.

Then on arriving home, I was met by my son who shared what incredible favor he had received at work where his boss’s boss gave him some projects and could not say enough about how much she valued his work. My own experience and testimony this week also is that I have seen amazing favor from God.

As the school year has started at CedarWood, the favor of God is upon us.. From staff members cheerfully giving their all, to parents willing to help, to the attitude of our students, to a tangible presence of God in worship and students willing to seek Him with all their heart, it is clear that we are enjoying God’s favor. God has hand-picked the young people who are being trained and taught the ways of the Lord and we believe it is His favor that inspires the creative ideas as well as the efforts of teachers and staff to make it possible. We are blessed.

With God there is no partiality. He feels toward you just as He does toward Jesus.(John 15:9) He reveals to you that you are “My beloved son (daughter) in whom I am well-pleased.” Truly God's favor surrounds you as a shield.