Today is the Day of Salvation

"For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation." -- 2 Corinthians 6:2

The Greek word for salvation is sozo, and it is used numerous times in the New Testament. It means “to save or make well or whole,” and, according to Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, also means “to save, deliver, heal, and preserve.”

When you pray, pray believing that TODAY is the day of "sozo" -- the day of salvation, healing, and deliverance. Always pray believing that TODAY the answer will come. And if it does not, keep praying, for when tomorrow arrives, it will again be TODAY and TODAY is the day of salvation or sozo.

Plan A: Pray like the answer will come today.
Plan B: If the answer does not come, keep praying.

Searching

"But God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in bed." -- Job 33:14-15

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." -- Proverbs 25:2

I love dreaming with God. In fact, bedtime is like a treasure hunt. God uses dreams to speak to us, warn us, and give us direction. These dreams can take us on a wild ride and most nights they certainly do! But what I love more than the dreams is the searching. God wants us to search out the messages he conceals in our dreams. The searching is often more important that the actual meaning of the dream because the searching leads us to seek Him, to read the Word, and to pray! 

Today's prayer: "God, I love how you speak in dreams and visions of the night, but don't let me ever get so caught up in their meaning that I miss the most important part -- seeking your face!"

The Well

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water." -- John 4:13-15

The new album "Come to the Well" by Casting Crowns has some great music on it. How many times do these words echo my life? How many times do I look to the world for a remedy to the deep things that can only be satisfied in HIM? The first words of the song "The Well" tell us to leave it all behind. He has everything we need. I'm running to the well!

"The Well" (Casting Crowns)

 

Leave it all behind, Leave it all behind, Leave it all behind, Leave it all behind.

I have what you need, but you keep on searching,

I've done all the work, but you keep on working,

When you're running on empty, and you can't find the remedy, 

just come to the well.

You can spend your whole life, chasing what's missing,

but that empty inside, it just ain't gonna listen. 

When nothing can satisfy, and the world leaves you high and dry,

just come to the well.

 
CHORUS:

And all who thirst will thirst no more, 

and all who search will find what their souls long for, 

The world will try, but it can never fill, 

so leave it all behind, and come to the well.

So bring me your heart, No matter how broken,

Just Leave it all behind, just come as you are, When your last prayer is spoken, 

Just rest in my arms a while, When you come to the well

Leave it all behind, Leave it all behind, Leave it all behind.

And now that you're full, Of love beyond measure, 

your joy's gonna flow, like a stream in the desert,  

Soon all the world will see that living water is found in me, 

Cuz you came to the well

The city on the hill

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." (Matthew 5:14 AMP)

This Casting Crowns song really spoke to my heart tonight. God, let us not be the city on the hill that fades away.

VERSE 1:

Did you hear of the city on a hill?

Said one old man to the other

It once shined bright and it would be shining still

But they all started turning on each other

VERSE 2:

You see the poets thought the dancers were shallow

And the soldiers thought the poets were weak

And the elders saw the young ones as foolish

And the rich man never heard the poor man speak

CHORUS:

And one by one they ran away

With their made up minds to leave it all behind

And the light began to fade in the city on a hill

The city on a hill

VERSE 3:

Each one thought that they knew better

But there were different by design

Instead of standing strong together

They let their differences divide

CHORUS 2:

And one by one they ran away

With their made up minds to leave it all behind

And the light began to fade in the city on a hill

The city on a hill

And the world is searchin' still

BRIDGE:

But it was the rhythm of the dancers that gave the poets life

It was the spirit of the poets that gave the soldiers strength to fight

It was the fire of the young ones, it was the wisdom of the old

It was the story of the poor man that needed be told

It is the rhythm of the dancers that gives the poets life

It is the spirit of the poets that gives the soldiers strength to fight

It is the fire of the young ones, it is the wisdom of the old

It is the story of the poor man that's needing to be told

CHORUS 3:

One by one, will we run away?

With our made up minds to leave it all behind

As the light begins to fade in the city on a hill?

One by one, will we run away?

With our made up minds to leave it all behind

As the light begins to fade in the city on a hill?

The city on a hill

END:

Come home

And the Father's calling still

Come home

To the city on the hill

Come home

Audience of One!

"I will fix my eyes upon Thee." -- Psalm 32:8b

We can get caught up in numbers, especially when we plan an event and attendance is poor. I used to feel guilty when the numbers at the House of Prayer didn't meet my expectations. Did you notice the word "my" in that sentence? That's right. Any sentence containing the words I, me, and my are focused on me.

It's not about the crowds when we're worshiping the King. It's about the King and the King only. Here's to getting our eyes off the crowd and onto the King of Kings! We are here for an Audience of One!

Blank Canvas

"[We are] the work of a Master artist! (Song of Solomon 7:1, The Message)

"And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand." -- Isaiah 64:8

Do you ever want to be someone else, look like someone else, talk like someone else? We have all done it. The question is why? Why can't we accept the canvas God has painted that belongs exclusively to us? If you have brown eyes it's because God said "this one will have brown eyes." The same thing applies to spiritual gifts. Why does the teacher want to be like the evangelist or the evangelist like the prophet? I love this quote by Jean Pierre de Caussade:

"We must offer ourselves to God like a clean, smooth canvas and not worry ourselves about what God may choose to paint on it, but at each moment, feel only the stroke of His brush."

Today's prayer: "God, when I look in the mirror let me see Your hand on this canvas, completely perfect in Your sight. Let me not care that the message of this world tells me I must change this canvas and distort its image until it becomes acceptable in their sight. Thank you for making me just the way I am and giving me the spiritual gifts you desire me to have. Amen."  

P.O.W.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." -- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

stronghold: A fortified place or a fortress

pow: prisoner of war; also representing the sound made by a punch, blow, or shot

I heard some of the best teaching on the pulling down of strongholds last night by Pastor Shawn at Oxford Church of God. A stronghold is a fortified place or fortress in your mind that cannot be cast out but must be pulled down! These imaginations or thoughts build a fortress in your mind and allow the enemy to keep you in offense. We must take these thoughts captive just like you would capture an enemy in times of war, showing no mercy.

P.O.W. stands for "prisoner of war" but also spells "pow" (representing the sound made by a blow, punch, or shot)! Here's to taking some P.O.W.'s in my mind and giving them a mighty blow!

Today's prayer: "God, today I take captive every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of You and I will be merciless against these enemies in my mind. I will destroy their fortified castles in my imaginations and render them obedient to Christ. Amen."

Measure Up

"With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy." -- Hebrews 10:14

Did you ever wish that people would use the Mary Poppins ruler when deciding if we measure up? Well, that's the type of ruler our God uses. In fact, HIS is much better! With one sacrifice, His Son, has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Now that's a ruler I can appreciate. :)

Trust

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." -- Proverbs 3:5

Do you ever struggle with trusting God? I saw this exchange on Facebook today and thought it was worth sharing:

Me: God can I ask you a question?
God: Sure
Me: Promise you won't get mad ...
God: I promise
Me: Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do you mean?
Me: .... Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
God: Hmmmm
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead just as I picked up a call.
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax, but it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
God: Let me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that~
Me: (humbled) Oh
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me: (embarrassed) Okay
God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me: (softly) I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry God
God: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me in all things, the good & the bad.
Me: I will trust you
God: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
God: You're welcome my child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus, 'have you never read, From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" -- Matthew 21:16

As adults we tend to make everything so complicated, so mysterious, when really some spiritual things can be made quite simple.

We can learn from these two examples:

A skeptic approaches a pastor to question him about a reported glory cloud in their service. He asks, "What if it's not from God?"

Before the pastor could answer, his 6-year old grandson chimes in with the answer: "That's easy. If it's God, worship God. If it's not God, worship God and it will leave." Brilliant!

His 8-year old sister reported the following: "One night a voice woke me up saying my name but I wasn't sure who it was so I said, "Satan, if that's you, be quiet. God, if that's you, keep talking." After that she didn't hear anything so she went back to sleep. Again, simple and brilliant!

Today's prayer: "God, help me to approach the supernatural and the often unexplained spiritual things that I encounter on this earth just like a child: not rattled, not needing a 'scientific' explanation, but just by turning them to simple acts of trusting you. After all, you know my adversaries. They are all before you (Psalm 69:19)."