DESPERATION
When we finally cry out to God that we are at the end of our rope, God will say, "Grab hold of Me!"

FELLOWSHIP
If we spent as much time in fellowship with God as we do trying to figure out what we should do, we would have time to spare. Our ability to cope with the vicissitudes of this life is directly proportional to how intimate our relationship is with God. A daily time with God is a personal spiritual revival to prepare us to meet our daily needs.

DOCTRINE
It is easy to see what is lacking in a church or a denomination. Although a doctrine is clearly confirmed by Scripture, it is put down based on private interpretation. What is worse, it is sometimes condemned as heresy or declared to be the work of the devil.

THE END TIMES
The demons believe the Scriptures about the end times and tremble. If we claim to believe them but, out of fear, do not want to hear about them, how are we different? Man's plan is to eventually set up a one-world government. It is also what the Antichrist will attempt to do. There will never be a one-world government until Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. Those who see the second coming of Christ as doomsday must think that they are going to be here to experience it. Man has had thousands of years to show whether he can successfully govern himself either collectively or individually. Therefore, the time is coming -- and is at the door -- when Jesus Christ will come with His management team -- His true church -- and establish His kingdom. It will be a benevolent Kingdom, but He will rule with a rod of iron. Those who accept His rule will be its citizens. Those who do not accept His rule will be deported to the lake of fire. Why is it that so much of social conversation -- even among Christians -- is an "ain't it awful" discussion of the ills of our society. It seems that no one wants to even think about God's solution. Any mention of the return of Jesus Christ, Armageddon, the end times, and the establishment of Christ's Kingdom on earth is anathema. How ironic! Why do they pray, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven?" How often we hear II Chronicles 7:14 used as a basis for expecting that God will alter His prophesies about the end times. On what basis is it being presumed that the repentance of the believers can be substituted for the repentance of our nation? Where does it say that God's coming judgment is conditional?

EVANGELISM
The Great Commission was given to those who had first experienced Pentecost to prepare them. Evangelism without Pentecost will still produce fruit because the Word of God will not return void. However, it is not God's best and is another example of the enemy of the best being something good.

EVOLUTION
Human life is a success only if it fulfills the purpose for which it came into existence. If human life just happened through the random process of evolution, it is without purpose, significance, or value, and its destiny is of
no eternal consequence. Since God exists, human life will fulfill God's purpose in creating it.

FAITH
Belief always precedes behavior. But behavior must follow belief, or it is sterile. Divine faith -- when acted upon -- defeats spirits of fear, doubt, and unbelief. Thanking God before He gives us something is an act of faith. Faith is the bridge between ignorance and experience. Faith says "yes" to God, but "no" to fear and doubt. Faith acts when the flesh trembles. Faith is the basis on which we act in obedience to God when we have had no previous experience. Our faith in God is established when we obey Him. The less faith we have in ourselves, the greater our faith in God must be. Faith is acting on something God has told us, but has not shown us. Faith is acting on something we believe, but do not know. That we do not understand the Trinity in human terms does not deny it is a fact. It is one doctrine that must be accepted on faith. Our continuous efforts to explain it surely does not witness to a credo of "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." Our faith makes it possible to believe that which we do not understand.

FEAR
If we fear dying, we may be flunking our course. If we are afraid to die, the practicality of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior comes into question. If we do not have this faith and trust, we have a good reason to fear dying. It seems to me that some medical intervention in the cases of terminal illness is only treating an emotional problem -- the fear of death. This is supposed to have been cured when Jesus died on the cross. When we said we accepted Christ and His gift of eternal life, did we really mean it?

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
Scripture says that no one comes to the Father except through the Son, Jesus Christ. Also, no one comes to the Son except through the wooing of the Holy Spirit. How many are earnestly seeking intimacy with God, but are not willing to go through God's channel? Just as a morning jog is good for our body, a morning time with God will jog our spirit. A time with God the first thing in the morning is getting out of bed on the right side, and starting our day on the right side of God. If what we think sets our attitude, and our attitude decides our actions, and our actions determine what kind of day we will have, does not it mandate that some time be spent in fellowship with God at the beginning? If music can affect our mood as well as inspire us, listening to Christian music would be one good way to begin our day. We could do this while we are doing other things. The more intimate our fellowship with God, the greater our trust. The greater our trust, the greater will be our peace. Knowing we are hearing God is to experience fellowship. We were created for just that purpose -- to have fellowship with Him. Scripture says, "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you." Notice that we must take the first step. It seems to me that we draw nigh by focusing on Him and being attentive to His voice. That is fellowship. As we grow in having fellowship with God, we will develop a longing for it. This will be the thirst that will cause us to increase our times of meditation. It will no longer be a chore, but a time of joy. If you do not think you have time for fellowship with God, be reminded that those who are sick in bed have plenty of time. If we do not get up early enough in the morning for a time of fellowship with God because we are a "night person," what is our excuse if we do not have a time of fellowship with Him at bedtime? If we run out of something to do -- a horrible situation for some -- the devil stands ready to supply some of his busywork. God also stands ready to offer us fellowship with Him. The choice is ours. We may say that we want to hear God. We prove it by how we have set our priorities. How much we want to hear from Him will be proved by how much time we are willing to spend in fellowship with Him. If there are times when He does not seem to have anything to say to us, He may be waiting for us to thank Him for what He has already said and done. No matter how close our fellowship is with our Lord, there is no reason to assume it cannot be closer. The only way to know how much more is available is to be constantly thirsting for more. Scripture says we have not because we ask not. We can easily believe we have all there is if we are content with what we already have. If we do not want a closer walk with Him, He still may want a closer walk with us. Be reminded that God created us for fellowship with Him. If we feel duty bound to do those things that keep us from finding time for God, we are serving the wrong master. Is falling asleep while watching the late late show too high a price for having fellowship with our Heavenly Father the next morning? It might be revealing to ask ourselves how often we do something for God that we really do not want to do. For example, shouldn't we be getting up early to have fellowships with Him? Is that asking too much of us in return for all that He has done for us? Once we have experienced a regular time of fellowship with God, we will find ourselves increasing the duration. We also may find that the time passes more and more quickly. We may find we are looking forward to our next date. We may be surprised to discover that God feels the same way. He surely would like us to go steady. Hearing God comes from having fellowship with Him. Just as having fellowship with our friends is based on common interests, fellowship with God also depends on having common interests and a common purpose. If we are not in a conversational relationship with God, we need to ask ourselves if we have anything in common with Him. If we are not interested in what God has to say, should we expect Him to be interested in what we have to say? If the Creator and Manager of the universe is never too busy to find time for us, what in the world keeps us too busy to find time for Him? If early morning is the only time we can find for having communion with God, staying up too late is robbing Him. Man has been created to have fellowship with God. Where this does not exist, there is a spiritual void. Man tries to fill his emptiness with his own worldly pursuits, but eventually finds that the vacuum remains. Whether this is by climbing the highest mountain, attaining some political office, or going to the moon, he discovers that when he has succeeded, he still feels unfulfilled. It is only when he has surrendered his will to God's will, and been filled with the Holy Spirit, that the void is filled. Man's pursuits eventually lead to frustration. The pursuit of God will lead to fulfillment. When Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us, it should be understood to mean that He will never terminate our relationship with Him. If we choose to end the relationship, He cannot prevent it. Like the prodigal son, we may have the opportunity to repent and return to Him, but we must make the decision. God said that if we draw near to Him He will draw near to us. Notice that the "ball is in our court." The initiative for fellowship with Him is with us. Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us. Just as fellowship depends on us accepting God's invitation, alienation depends on us walking away. God is always available for those who are available to Him. The future is veiled since we now see through a glass darkly, but the veil between God and the believer was rent asunder for those who would enter into the divine intimacy of the Holy of Hollies. Intimate fellowship with God may not seem important to a worldly Christian. Yet, if this fellowship is not cultivated, trials can destroy our faith. Trials are intended to train, teach, and make us overcomers.

FOLLOWING GOD
God has bound Himself to keep every promise He makes to us if we meet His conditions. And if the conditions were something we would be unable to fulfill His promises would be empty. Man is born blind. He cannot see that God is self-evident.

FORGIVENESS
If forgiveness is our greatest need as fallen and sinful mankind, then it follows that the prerequisite -- forgiving others -- is God's most important injunction. If we cannot be forgiven unless we forgive others, holding unforgiveness is the same as denying Christ. If we are unforgiving -- we are unforgivable. If we say, "I will never speak to that person again," we can still expect to hear God speak to us, but it may be to rebuke us for holding unforgiveness. Be reminded that He will withhold His forgiveness of us as long as we withhold our forgiveness of others. Where Scripture says we can boldly enter God's presence, it is more than an invitation and a privilege -- it is a duty! It is where our sins, weaknesses, and shortcomings are revealed to us. It is where we acknowledge them, confess them, express our desire to be delivered of them, and receive forgiveness. If we meet the conditions, we make available God's forgiveness. God has promised it. There is nothing I can ever do to merit God's forgiveness since Jesus Christ already has done it all on the cross. I need only to repent and ask. Yet it is conditional. I must forgive any and everyone for anything that they have ever done to me. Forgiveness of others is more than being obedient to God. It has been pointed out that it also frees us from a debilitating preoccupation with the offense. Resentment and its derivatives are evidence of being disobedient to God's injunction that we forgive others, if we -- in turn -- want to be forgiven. So, does not it then follow, if our sins are not forgiven, that God will not hear our prayers? And if He is not listening to us, is there any point in praying until we have forgiven those who have hurt or disappointed us? Scripture says, "If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins." God's justice requires that He forgive our sins. If He did not, He would be guilty of double-billing.

FRUSTRATION
Frustration is the evidence that we have become impatient with God's timing and have acted on our own. In God's perfect timing there is no failure, and consequently no frustration. Frustration comes from doing our own thing, apart from God. If we are doing what God tells us to do, there can be no frustration, because there can be not failure.

GOD
If we are wondering why God is not doing something, the ball may be in our court. Not only does God have a purpose in everything He causes to happen, He has a purpose in everything He allows to happen. Anything that does not serve God's purpose has no purpose. One quality of God that every Christian should deeply appreciate is His patience and longsuffering. However, it is not infinite. For the day is near and the night is far spent when Christ will return to judge. Scripture says that God does not change. This does not mean He does not do new things, since He has always done new things. It is His nature that does not change -- not His manifestations. Thus, doing new things is part of His nature. If He did not do new things, He would have changed. Thus, if we see God operating in a new way, we should not reject it. For example, Scripture speaks of a day coming when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. How revolutionary can He get? It is imperative that we trust God, because what he does is often beyond our comprehension. His ways are not our ways.

GROWTH
When Jesus gave His church the Great Commission, He based it on the fact that all power had been given to Him in Heaven and on earth. And -- by implication -- this power was passed on to the church. It follows that this power is needed, if the body of Christ is to carry out the Great Commission. Growth is the evidence of having this power. First, numerically, and then spiritually. Numerical growth without spiritual growth is to create sterile children of God.

GUIDANCE
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to be a censor of our thoughts. Everything that we expose ourselves to in this world needs to be regarded as rated PG at best. The Parental guidance of our Father through the Holy Spirit is needed. To suggest to those who are seeking guidance that they should ask God what to do can sound like no answer at all. They have never learned to listen to God. They do not see that as practical advice. If we are not sure that what we are doing is God's best, we might try doing what the devil hates most. Then, when we encounter Satan's opposition, we can presume we are on the right track. If we prefer to do something the hard way first, we should do it our own way. But why not do it God's way first? Seeking daily direction from God will take a lot less time than finding out by trial and error. When we find that our second thought is better than our first thought, it might be that the second one came from the Holy Spirit. Before we act, it is wise to get divine guidance. If our first thought is not from God, our second thought may reveal it. What do we mean when we say, "I find myself doing this or that?" Are we saying we are allowing ourselves to be moved by an unidentified power? Are we trying to avoid responsibility for our actions? As a child of God we only should act after we have sought God's guidance.

HEALING
How many, when they become seriously ill, say to the doctors, in effect, "Here is my body, do whatever you like with it?" And that in spite of the possibility that what the doctors do may be to guard against malpractice suits, advance the science of medicine, and/or profit. If we had abandoned ourselves to God and His purpose to the same degree, would we might not have needed the medical attention in the first place? It seems that healing occurs to the extent that Jesus gets the glory and we witness to the truth of His Word. Those who avoid seeking divine healing because they do not want to become obligated to God need not worry. If they do not feel obligated to God already, any feeling of obligation will soon pass. There are those who say we should not tell others about a divine healing. It is true that, in His early ministry, Jesus told those who were healed not to tell anyone. It is also true that he told the disciples not to reveal that He was the Messiah [Matt. 16:20]. If we do not recognize that these were only temporary injunctions, we contradict the Great Commission. Divine healing is a temporal blessing to draw us into being open to God's eternal blessings. The worse our circumstances are, the greater the opportunity they give God to show His power and mercy. For instance, for God to show that He can heal blindness, it is necessary for blindness to be part of the human predicament. Healing is an obvious supernatural manifestation of the fact that we serve a living God who is active in our lives and circumstances. There may be times when we are more blessed by a deferred healing than we are by an instantaneous one. Many say they do not minister through healing and deliverance because God has not given them the necessary gifts. They then say that they are not seeking these gifts because they do not need them. If there are attitudes or preconceptions that can block healing, could they also prevent us from being raptured? Scripture does say that the believer must be ready. If, as medical science says, most sickness is psychosomatic, and what we think can determine what we are, then it follows that sickness can come from negative thinking. And negative thinking comes from the devil. Satan is the author of negative thoughts. He is also the source of much sickness. If healing always occurred, would it continue to serve as a sign and a wonder? Or would it be like manna in the wilderness -- no big deal? Scripture is God's prescription for pain, depression, phobias, and anything else that afflicts us in spirit, mind, soul, and body. One reason God may not heal someone is that He knows that it would not change their walk. One purpose of healing is as a sign and a wonder to change us. Nevertheless, we should deepen our commitment to God as an up-front promise, whether He heals us or not. There is a story that someone had asked God why He had not healed them sooner. God's reply was that He wanted to continue in fellowship with them a little longer. Some seem to want a minimum from God in the hope that He will be satisfied with a minimum in return. This is never more clearly shown than in a reluctance to ask God to heal them.

Continue