The following is a daily devotional from Bill Johnson's book, A Life of Miracles.
...We are out to destroy the works of the devil...
In what is known as the lords prayer, Jesus said clearly and concisely:
“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
(Matthew 6:9-10).
The will of God is simply this: “On earth as it is in Heaven.” Isn’t it refreshing? When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we’re praying for the King’s dominion and will to be realized right here, right now. That is a life-transforming, paradigm-shattering way to “do” normal Christianity. What is free to operate in Heaven – Joy, peace, wisdom, health, wholeness, and all the other good promises we read about in the Bible – Should be free to operate here on this planet, in your home, your church, your business, and your school. What is not free to operate there – sickness, disease, spiritual bondage, and sin – should not be free to operate here, period. We are out to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). It’s an awesome way to live!
When we make this our primary understanding of God’s will, the other areas that trouble us so much will seem to sort themselves out (Matt. 6:33).
When we make this our mission, lives are set free, bodies are restored, darkness lifts from people’s minds, the rule of the enemy is pushed back in every way imaginable. Businesses grow healthy, relationships flower again, people re-connect with their calling and purpose in life, churches grow, and cities feel the effects of having the kingdom flourishing within them. Energy is freed up for Kingdom works in ways I have never seen before. Things happen regularly that are so extraordinary it’s like stepping into the pages of a good novel. But it’s not a made-up lifestyle; it’s the lifestyle for which we were made.
From Bill Johnson's book entitled, A Life of Miracles.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Where is the POWER?
God is awesome. I love how he whispers to my heart and invites me to go to a deeper place with Him. The deeper I go, the more I realize that there is a richness to life that he desires for me to experience. Life can be rich. Life should be rich. The place to find it is hidden deep in the Holy Spirit.
I was recently challenged by a very simple question that came in the form of a randomn thought: "Am I experiencing all that God has for me?" The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have been limiting God by my small thinking. It's so easy to get into the habit of life and establish a routine that doesn't require God to come through with miracles. This is where I had been living. Consumed with the cares of the world. Praise God that he doesn't leave us there.
The God who has "measured the waters in the hollow of his hand," (Isaiah 40:12)is living inside me. This is a big deal. He is a God of miracles. The more I dive into Scripture, the more I realize that He is not who He's been made out to be by most American believers. We have settled for a safe version of Christianity (myself included). Because we don't have all the answers, we stop seeking. We have fallen into the plan of the enemy. The greatest tool we have as believers is the power of God within us. Isn't this how Jesus evangelized? People can't argue with miracles.
Sadly, many people have stretched the truth and have given many Christians a bad taste when it comes to the charismatic movement. Many people have gotten wacky and weird and called it God. I will be the first to agree with that. However, there still remains a simple question that we must answer: where is the power? If the same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus is in me (us), why are the results so different? Why aren't people being healed and set free? Did God change His mind and decide that he now wants people to live in bondage? Was Jesus joking when he said that we would do the same things that He did? We need to wake up and snap out of our daze.
I don't have all the answers, but I'm asking and searching. We have to get back to the place where we are walking in the love and power of God. Religion can't save us. Other people aren't drawn to religion. They are drawn to love and power. This is exactly what God has richly placed in us. As for me, I am going to continue to accept His gracious invitation to go to a deeper place of understanding regarding the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest promises in the Bible is that He will answer if we simply ask. It may not be comfortable, but I'm tired of comfortable. I am ready to experience all that God has for me. What a rich life it will be!
I was recently challenged by a very simple question that came in the form of a randomn thought: "Am I experiencing all that God has for me?" The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have been limiting God by my small thinking. It's so easy to get into the habit of life and establish a routine that doesn't require God to come through with miracles. This is where I had been living. Consumed with the cares of the world. Praise God that he doesn't leave us there.
The God who has "measured the waters in the hollow of his hand," (Isaiah 40:12)is living inside me. This is a big deal. He is a God of miracles. The more I dive into Scripture, the more I realize that He is not who He's been made out to be by most American believers. We have settled for a safe version of Christianity (myself included). Because we don't have all the answers, we stop seeking. We have fallen into the plan of the enemy. The greatest tool we have as believers is the power of God within us. Isn't this how Jesus evangelized? People can't argue with miracles.
Sadly, many people have stretched the truth and have given many Christians a bad taste when it comes to the charismatic movement. Many people have gotten wacky and weird and called it God. I will be the first to agree with that. However, there still remains a simple question that we must answer: where is the power? If the same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus is in me (us), why are the results so different? Why aren't people being healed and set free? Did God change His mind and decide that he now wants people to live in bondage? Was Jesus joking when he said that we would do the same things that He did? We need to wake up and snap out of our daze.
I don't have all the answers, but I'm asking and searching. We have to get back to the place where we are walking in the love and power of God. Religion can't save us. Other people aren't drawn to religion. They are drawn to love and power. This is exactly what God has richly placed in us. As for me, I am going to continue to accept His gracious invitation to go to a deeper place of understanding regarding the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest promises in the Bible is that He will answer if we simply ask. It may not be comfortable, but I'm tired of comfortable. I am ready to experience all that God has for me. What a rich life it will be!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
I enjoyed a wonderful snow day with my family today and it made me think about some of the finer things in life:
-The way my wife's eyes disappear when she really smiles
-Having Avery sit on my lap as we watch a cartoon
-Hearing God whisper truth to my heart
-Watching a good college football game
-Loyal people
-Family dates at Chipotle
-Watching athletes that I coach accomplish what they didn't think was possible
-Snow days
-Letting the Scriptures work in my heart
-Enjoying an ice cold Dr. Pepper
-Looking at Christmas lights on a snowy night
-Beef...(I'm from Kansas)
Praise the LORD for some of the "little things" that make life so rich...
-The way my wife's eyes disappear when she really smiles
-Having Avery sit on my lap as we watch a cartoon
-Hearing God whisper truth to my heart
-Watching a good college football game
-Loyal people
-Family dates at Chipotle
-Watching athletes that I coach accomplish what they didn't think was possible
-Snow days
-Letting the Scriptures work in my heart
-Enjoying an ice cold Dr. Pepper
-Looking at Christmas lights on a snowy night
-Beef...(I'm from Kansas)
Praise the LORD for some of the "little things" that make life so rich...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)