Get off the throne and get on the altar! Oftentimes in our lives we make the choice to become our own boss and we struggle with relinquishing control to God. Our lust for control makes us allergic to surrender and submission to Him. We are our own kings and queens, our own Lords, we sit on the throne. But for us to succeed we must do otherwise. We must get off the throne and throw ourselves on the altar. On the altar we become living sacrifices and the fire of God burns away all of the impurities. Holiness is then embraced and seen as a privilege and not a burden. On the altar, our prayer, even in seasons of difficulty is, “not my will but your will be done.” A body that remains on the altar is one that has been spiritually conditioned to carry the weight of their cross daily and follow Jesus, no matter the distance, no matter the sacrifice. When we remain on the altar, we can find joy in tribulation as opposed to snuggling up with the devil and having a pity party. Failure is always guaranteed when we try to reverse roles. The created is to remain on the altar looking up to the loving creator who is seated on His throne. Which place have you been occupying, throne or the altar?
The scripture tells us in James 4:7 that we are to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. Submission is synonyms with surrender. Surrendering our all to God is the only way to maintain focus and have the victory over the enemy. There are no shortcuts to this truth. We are all surrendered to someone or something, the question is, who or what? If you are struggling with surrendering all to God, you must ask yourself if you really trust Him. We can only surrender all when there is complete trust. We all come with baggage from our past and we may struggle with giving the gift of trust. Be honest with God in prayer. He knows your story better than you do. Ask Him to heal the wounds that are still there that makes you suspicious of others, even Him. Don’t misplace the blame on Him because of others who abused your trust. If you are struggling in this area I am here to tell you like I am telling myself, God is totally trustworthy, HE NEVER FAILS! He is consistently faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). Surrendering all to God is both a choice and a process. Choose God and begin now-you won’t regret it!
Be blessed!
Read part 1, 2 and 3 of this series by to get caught up. Today we will discuss holiness!
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 reads, “therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Yes, we live in this world but we are not to be like them. The separation mentioned in the above verse speaks of holiness. The cleansing blood of Jesus gives us the ability to be holy. Even though we were once sinners, Christ came and shed His blood for us. He forgave us of our sins and told us to be holy as He is holy. What a privilege! Too often we look at the call to be holy as a burden when it is truly a privilege. In simple terms, holiness means being set apart, being pure in every area of our life including our speech, our dress, our actions etc. We try in so many ways to fit in with the world instead of standing out. Walking in holiness is a sure way to separate us from the world and all its ways. Those that are seeking truth will be attracted to holiness which in turn opens the door for us to share the good news. But if we are speaking like them, acting like them, what hope do we have to offer? Too often those looking for hope and a better way only see a reflection of themselves when they look at us. What a great tragedy. Let us refocus, and embrace the call to be holy!
Be blessed!
Read part 1 and 2 of this series by clicking on these two links. Today we will discuss the need to understand the power that is in the blood of Jesus to help us remain focused.
In order to maintain the proper focus, it is imperative that we understand the implications of the shed blood of Jesus. The scriptures let us know that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Our sins demanded that a price be paid. A sacrifice had to be offered to rescue us from death. In Exodus Chapter 12, we see a foreshadowing of what Jesus would ultimately do for us on the cross. Jesus was the spotless Lamb of God and His shed blood is what made the forgiveness of our sins possible. So what does this mean for us today? When you plead the blood of Jesus, it is a reminder of all the blood accomplished and still continues to accomplish today. Jesus shed His blood on our behalf and this sacrifice makes victorious living 100% possible. We don’t have to take what the devil offers. We don’t have to dwell on past mistakes and live in condemnation. We don’t have to receive sickness. We don’t have to be confused in our mind. Why? Because of the blood of Jesus! His blood gives us newness of life and a new level of authority! Remember that there is still power in the blood of Jesus and it is a sure way to help you remain focused!
Scriptures for reflection
Click here to read part 1 of my Focus series. Today I will discuss how looking back when things become difficult can cause you to abort the promises of God.
It is easy to focus on the promises of God when all is going well. However when things become difficult, it is easy to begin to look back and long for the very thing God delivered you from. This was the case with the children of Israel in Numbers 14:1-4. They were on the verge of possessing the promise land and Moses sent 12 spies to take a look at the land. After 40 days of scouting out Canaan, 10 of the spies came back with a negative report. Fear got the best of them and they focused on how big their enemies were. The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb came back with a favorable report and they reminded the people that because God was on their side, they would have the victory over their enemies. Unfortunately, the Israelites chose to receive the negative report of the 10 spies and wept in fear. They began to look back and long for slavery because their present situation in the wilderness seemed too hard. Their loss of focus on the promises of God gave them a distorted vision and caused them to long to return to slavery. Seems absurd doesn’t it? But how often do we lose focus because we are in a difficult place and we begin to long for relationships or circumstances that God delivered us from. Sometimes the uncertainty of today seems so overwhelming that we forget about the promises of God and we long for a yesterday that had us bound. However we must remember that God is faithful. Don’t abort the promises He has made you by looking back!
Read Numbers chapter 14 and reflect on the following points:
Have you been looking back? Please pass this along to others who may need this reminder.
I had the privilege of speaking at my church last weekend and I will share the notes with you over the next few weeks. I spoke on F.O.C.U.S. There are many things in life that can distract us and cause us to lose focus and miss out on the promises of God. I pray that what the Lord gave me blesses you!
F-Forget the past and move forward!
I discussed two ways in which we can look back on the past and lose focus. We will explore the first point today; looking back at our past with regret.
Looking back at our past with regret
The devil loves to remind us of who we used to be, causing us to lose focus. When you think back on your past sins, you feel unqualified/unworthy of operating in your gifts that are NEEDED in the body of Christ. You lose sight of who God has called you to be. You begin to rehearse all your past sins and condemnation imprisons you. “I made too many mistakes for God to use me now,” become your normal thinking pattern. The shame from your past haunts and cripples you from moving forward. Yes you sinned but if you have repented, God has forgiven you. It is time to move on! Stop focusing on who you used to be, that person is dead!
You must resist the temptation to look back. Instead focus on the truth that you are now forgiven. You are redeemed. You are new! Once I really got the revelation that I am forgiven and I don’t have to live in condemnation the devil’s reminders of my past lost their influence on my mind and spirit. There was no Velcro on me for his accusations to stick to. Don’t waste your pain by looking back. When you focus on today, you will begin to see how God is masterfully redeeming your live from destruction.
Reflect on the meaning of the following scriptures as you spend time with God this week. Are you living in the reality of these scriptures?
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Romans 8:1(NLT)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.