God's Witnesses

"'I, even I, am the Lord , And besides Me there  is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there  was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,' Says the Lord , 'that I am God.'" ~ Isaiah 43:11‭-‬12 NKJV

God calls us to be witnesses, not advocates or lawyers.

We are to testify to what we've seen, felt, experienced. We are not to argue the case. That's for Jesus, the Great Advocate to do.

Have you ever found yourself trying to argue with someone about your faith? It's not your job. Don't carry around that burden. 

Your job is to testify to His goodness and the amazing things He continues to do.

Let others be the judge, jury, and lawyers.

God bless,

J.W.

What Rules Your Heart?

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:15

What rules your heart? 

Is it peace? Joy? Thankfulness? Gratitude?

Or is it something else? Like greed? Lust? Insecurity? Pride?

Jesus Christ is the only path to true, long lasting peace.

May God bless you today fam!

- J.W.

Closer Than They Appear

 

If Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-4), then Psalms 119:11 tells us to hide Him in our hearts - that is, the very core of our being. 

You might feel that God is some distant, far off being, but no. He's actually VERY close. 

Most times, he's closer than we think. 

God bless everyone!

- J.W. 

Ready.... Or Not?

"His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’" ~ Matthew 25:21

My Pastor always says that faith is not about how hard you believe something, it's about how long you believe it.

So, when God tests us in the small things in preparation for something bigger, we're often ready for the bigger thing before God gives it to us.

The question is, not whether you're willing to do the small things. The question is, how long are you willing to do them?

You might be ready but God is testing your patience and your willingness to endure (Galatians 6:9).

Endure to the end!

God bless,
J.W.

Too Short (Part 1)

"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." ~ Romans 3:23-24

While we are to strive to be like Jesus, who was perfect, it's important that we balance and temper that striving with a recognition that we are not and will never be perfect.

We are called to be like Jesus, not to be Him.

The fact is, we will never measure up, no matter how hard we try.

And while we are called to give grace to others because of this, even more importantly, we should extend that same grace to ourselves - however imperfect, messed up, and weak we might be.

God wants you to strive to be like Jesus, but understand that you'll never measure up.

More to come!

God bless,

J.W.

Be Great (Part 2)

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." ~ Matthew 16:25

Life is good (Genesis 1:31, John 10:10).

So, why, in Matthew 16:25, does Jesus say that whoever desires to save his life will lose it?

Isn't it good to save something that is good? Wouldn't it be commendable?

So, why would you lose something for doing something good?

Simple.

God doesn't want you to settle for good. He wants you to go for greatness.

Be great today!

God bless,
J.W.

Train Up A Child (Part 7)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32

Many people misquote John 8:32 and/or take it out of context. Most often, you hear people say "and the truth shall set you free" and that's it. But this scripture reveals much more than just that.

If we look at John 8:32 in context, we see in the preceding verse that Jesus talks about people becoming His disciples. A close reading of John 8:31-32 reveals that it's only after becoming a disciple of Jesus that one is exposed to the truth. Exposure to the truth then makes us free.

In other words, there's a whole process to attain freedom. Simple truth doesn't make people free. It's by becoming disciples of Jesus that we come to know the truth and become free.

In other words, Jesus instructs us to become disciples (Matthew 16:24) - that is, to become students or "studiers" of His Word. He tells us to train by abiding in it (John 8:31).

And just like any trainer, He says we can't get the results without going through the process.

So, the real question is, if you truly want to be free, are you willing to go through the process to get there?

How are you training today?

God bless,
J.W.

Each According To His Ability (Part 4)

While each of us is given our own gifts, talents, and abilities, there are some abilities that God gives to all of us. Those include: (a) the ability to move mountains (Matthew 17:20) and (b) the power to loose and bind (Matthew 16:19)

One ability that we often miss or ignore, however, particularly in Christian circles, is found in Deuteronomy 8:18.

God says He has given us the power to get wealth. And while He gives some of us more of this ability than others (Matthew 25:15), He's given all of us this ability in some way, shape, or form.

That said, most Christians wait on God to do miracles in their lives, particularly when it comes to their finances. We often take a Red Sea approach, assuming that God will step in and create miracles out of thin air.

But Deuteronomy 8:18 says that God has given us the power to get wealth. That means we must be active participants in our wealth accumulation.

Yes, God parted the Red Sea, but the Israelites had to participate in their escape from Egypt. Moses had to be obedient and confront Pharaoh. The Israelites had to be obedient and follow Moses to the wilderness. And ultimately, Moses had to raise his staff in obedience to God's Word for the sea to part. The Israelites, led by Moses, were active participants in their deliverance.

The same is true when Jesus fed the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21. God provided the increase but the boy and the disciples provided the raw materials.

In short, God wants to give us increase but he's waiting on us to act.

Make no mistake, this is not a prosperity, name-it-and-claim-it message. The Bible does NOT teach that everybody is called to be rich. Rich Christians are NOT better nor more faithful than less well-to-do Christians. Again, God gives each according to our ability (Matthew 25:14-30). Some of us are called to be rich and have more resources. Some of us are called to have less. The Bible even says that the poor will always be among us (John 12:8).

We all have a responsibility to manage what we have well.

What the Bible DOES teach is that God will supply all of our need (Philippians 4:19). The Bible DOES teach that we are to be the head, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13). That applies whether we're rich or poor. And while wealth looks different for everybody, God unequivocally says that He's given all of us the power to produce it in some way.

The question is, how are you using that power today?

God bless,
J.W

Is God Getting Your Crumbs? (Re-Post)

Good morning,

I ran across this message I posted on September 10, 2009, and had to re-post.

Enjoy!

- J.W.

Last week, I read a story about a Sunday School teacher that decided to hand out brownies to all her students. One by one, she passed out the goodies as each student approached her desk, until she came to Donald, who was the last student left.

The problem was when Donald's turn came, the teacher didn't have any brownies left. She had miscalculated and hadn't brought enough for all the students. Donald ended up with only the crumbs that were left in the pan.

This story reminds me of how we often treat God. We give our time, our attention, and our love to everything else, until we finally have nothing left to give to God.

He, however, should be first on our list.

Are you giving God your bread crumbs today?

God bless,
J.W.

Why Bad Things Happen To Good People (Part 7)

We are in a battle - a battle between two kingdoms: 1) the Kingdom of God and 2) the kingdom of evil. Earth is the battlefield and the goal of each kingdom is to take territory.

Don't believe me? Look at the creation story in Genesis.

1. Adam: God, the King of Heaven, colonizes the earth by reproducing His image on earth in the form of the first man (Adam) (Genesis 1:26-27). He then tells man to have dominion, and multiply on the earth (Genesis 1:28). In other words, He directs man to colonize the earth.
2. Sin: The enemy then comes and attacks the colony by introducing the virus of sin into the earth (Genesis 3:13-14). Sin not only turns people away from the Kingdom of God, it kills God's colonizers (Genesis 3:19). 
3. Second Adam: God then fights back. Instead of simply reproducing a carbon copy of Himself (Adam), God sends the original, Himself, in the form of Jesus (the second Adam) (Romans 5:12-15). 
4. Death of Sin: God sends Jesus to become the virus of sin itself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus, by dying on the cross, God kills the virus, and frees His colonizers from its bondage (Romans 6:23). 
5. New Creation: God then resumes the process of reproducing Himself on earth by sending the Holy Spirit to live on the inside of us (John 14:15-17). That is why Jesus says it is good that I go that the Holy Spirit might dwell within you (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is now the way that God reproduces Himself on the earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). God then tells His colonizers that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to go out and make new disciples (take more territory) and colonize the earth once again (Matthew 28:19). 

Make no mistake. We are in a battle for territory. The King of Heaven and the king of hell are seeking to colonize the earth.

Which side are you on?

God bless,
J.W.

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People (Part 5)

Why do bad things happen to good people?

I found myself asking that question a couple of weeks ago when the violence in Charlottesville took place.

After all the emotions and confusion, the anger and fear, disappointment and hurt, the frustration and just being plain fed up, ultimately, I landed on Ephesians 6:12:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Make no mistake, racism is wrong and should be confronted. But, at the same time, we must also remember that what happened in Charlottesville, and what’s happening all over our country, is much bigger than racism, white supremacy, and hatred.

Ultimately, we are in a battle between good and evil. Satan has his soldiers. God has his. Events like Charlottesville just make me want to become a better soldier for Him.

So, why do bad things happen to good people?

Ephesians 6:12 has your answer. We're in a battle. We need to start acting like it.

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks (Part 3)

On Monday, we looked at examples of close relationships (e.g. husband-wife, mother-son, mentor-mentee, etc.) that ultimately resulted in one party leading the other astray. Today, let's delve further into one of those relationships.

Take Jesus' relationship with Peter.

Peter was Jesus’ right-hand man (Matthew 16:15-19). He was a strong, devoted, loyal friend to Jesus. But Peter was also flawed. Just a few short verses after praising Peter, Jesus rebukes him (Matthew 16:23).

At first glance, it might seem as if Jesus was being harsh. Peter simply loved Jesus, so much so that he didn’t want to see Jesus suffer. But Peter’s wrong perceptions skewed his understanding of Jesus’ purpose, and ultimately opened the door for Peter to be used by the enemy to create a potential stumbling block for Jesus.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus tells Peter, “you do not have the concerns of God in mind, but merely human concerns.” And therein lies the rub. The fact is, we’re all human. We all make mistakes. We all have flawed understandings and perspectives. We also get caught up in "merely human concerns," just like Peter. And this is the reason why we can’t rely on our friends or relatives to give us sound advice. We're all susceptible to "Matthew 16:23" type moments.

So, remember, just because someone is close to you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. And just because someone wants what’s best for you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. God’s perspective is always right. Seek His perspective before you seek anyone else’s.

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." ~ John 10:10

The Bible uses very aggressive language when it talks about the enemy's mission. See John 10:10 above - steal, kill, destroy. But it's important that we know that while the enemy's goals are aggressive, often times, his tactics are not. The Bible tells us to stand against the devil's "schemes" (Ephesians 6:11) -
schemes invoking thoughts of subtlety, deception, and discreteness.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus describes Satan as a stumbling block. Think about that. A stumble doesn't completely knock you out or even take you off your feet. It certainly doesn't steal, kill, or destroy you. But it does slow your progress and distract you. It may even cause embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. More importantly, it knocks you off balance, making you susceptible to even stronger attacks.

So often, as Christians, we only recognize the enemy's "steal, kill, and destroy" attacks. But we must remember that, more often than not, he simply tries to get us to stumble first.

So watch out for those stumbling blocks!

God bless,
J.W.

P.S. If you like this post, please feel free to share it with friends and family. I'll be writing more soon.

A Drop in a Bucket

As Christians, we say we trust and believe in God. But we often act otherwise.

We say that God is in control, but we often take matters into our own hands. We act as if our plans are better than God's.

But Isaiah 40:12-15 tells us otherwise.

At the end of the day, we are but mere drops in a bucket compared to the all-knowing, everlasting God that we serve.

So, why are we so stubborn to trust Him? Who do we think we are?

God bless,
J.W.

“Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has taught Him? With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” ~ Isaiah 40:12-15

Originally published: Friday, April 17, 2009

Effective Prayer

The problem with most people's prayers (Christians included) is that they mostly involve having a one-sided conversation with God.

But any good, strong relationship is built on mutuality.

Yes, God wants to hear from us. He desires to know our deepest, darkest secrets. 

But I've found that the real magic happens when we are able to gain wise counsel from the One from which all wisdom flows.

God bless,
J.W.

"Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days." ~ Proverbs 19:20

Follow The Leader (Part 8)

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing... So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." ~ Genesis 12:1-4

Often times, following God's calling requires us to leave that which is familiar or comfortable to us.

In Genesis 12, God told Abram to leave the land, people, and household with which Abram was most familiar and to go to a new, foreign, unfamiliar land.

While that command may have been a tough pill for Abram to swallow, after the command was a promise. God promised that if Abram obeyed, He would bless Abram and make his name great (in fact, he would change Abram's name entirely).

But in order to receive the promise of God, Abraham had to obey the command of God - that is, the command to leave the familiar and enter the unfamiliar.

So, the question is, how uncomfortable are you willing to be? And if the answer is not very, then are you really ready to follow God's calling on your life? You can't complain about how slow things might be moving if you're not ready, willing, and able to step out on faith when He tells you to.

God bless,
J.W.

Follow The Leader (Part 7)

"But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you." ~ Proverbs 1:24-26

Proverbs 1:24-26 details the consequences of not heeding God's call on your life. 

Oftentimes, we let fear of stepping out on faith stand in our way. 

But... truth be told, the fear of not doing what God says should scare us even more.

God bless,
J.W.

Follow The Leader (Part 6)

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me,' he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him." ~ Matthew 9:9

Recently, I relocated, along with my family, across the country, to the west coast.

In the process, I'm sure there were some who might have wondered, why? Why move all the way across the country? Why uproot your entire life to move to a new foreign place?

Well, it's simple.

Like Matthew, when God calls, there should be no hesitation. When He tells you to do something, you should respond.

It's just that simple.

More to come.

God bless,
J.W.

Follow The Leader (Part 5)

"God is not a man, that he should lie; not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" ~ Numbers 23:19

God is reliable, plain and simple. He is trustworthy, honest, and true.

We, on the other hand, are not. We lie - often to ourselves. We change our minds - often for no reason at all, other than the fact that we woke up feeling different that day.We often say one thing and do another. We make promises but often don't follow through.

We simply cannot trust ourselves to make right decisions.

But the great thing is that we have someone we can call on to help us. But we've got to surrender to Him and not rely on our own understanding.

God is not like us. He's much more trustworthy.

God bless,
J.W.

Follow The Leader (Part 4)

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Now that we've established the importance of allowing God to lead our lives (and not the other way around), the question becomes why.

Why should we choose to follow God and not our own plans, thoughts, emotions, feelings, etc.?

Simply because of 2 Thessalonians 3:3. 

The Lord is faithful. He can be trusted and depended on.

Simply put - He is reliable.

More to come.

God bless,
J.W.