Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Essence of His Promises


The Essence of His Promises
Brad Reiches
Aug 30 2007 12:27AM



Thursday, August 30, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"The Essence of His Promises"

"Let it be boldly stated that there are some things which
only God can do, and for us to attempt to do them is to waste our efforts;
and there are other things which only man can do,
and for us to ask God to do them is to waste our prayers.
-A.W. Tozer, Paths to Power

We cannot do what only God can do and God WILL NOT do what is man's responsibility to do.  This is the essence of the majority of God's promises.  They are conditional.  There is God's part...and our part.  For example, God forgives our sins when we confess our sins and repent of them (see 1 John 1:6-9).  Forgiveness is always available to everyone, but only those who fulfill the conditions are forgiven.  Our part is to "confess and repent," God's part is to forgive...and so on.

The following are some of my favorite "conditional promises."  Can you identify the "our part?"  Do you see the "God's part?"

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will fulfill the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

"Commit your works to the Lord and He will establish your plans" (Proverbs 16:3).

"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

What are some of your favorite "conditional promises?"  Really, I'd love to hear from you.




Wednesday, August 29, 2007

GET BEHIND ME!


GET BEHIND ME!
Brad Reiches
Aug 29 2007 12:06AM



Wednesday, August 29, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"GET BEHIND ME!"

"Get behind me, Satan.
You are a stumbling block to Me."
Matthew 16:23

WHEW!  It's been awhile since I've had such an encounter.  A direct confrontation with the "prince of darkness," that is.  I was somewhat numbed by the incident.  It felt very much like I imagine someone would feel having just been stabbed in the back.

Isn't it interesting, the context of Jesus statement to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan" (see above).  The one person who should have been one of Jesus' greatest sources of encouragement was being used by the Devil to tempt Jesus toward DIS-couragement.  Wow!  Our enemy is truly...EVIL.

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood."
Ephesians 6:12

Oh, how important it is to remember this marvelous nugget of understanding.  In the case of Jesus, Peter wasn't the problem.  Peter loved Jesus more than anything, and wanted desparately to be His "right-hand man."  The Deceiver just got the best of him...again.

The more I walk in the Light, the more pronounced Darkness, and its affect has on me.  The more I embrace righteousness, the more noticeably "evil," evil has become to me.  The other day I took a couple of hits from the enemy.  Kind of like a boxer who got hit before he had a chance to defend himself.  And my response?

"Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness,
the Lord is a light for me."
Micah 7:8



Friday, August 24, 2007

The Key to Greatness! NOAH


The Key to Greatness! NOAH
Brad Reiches
Aug 24 2007 12:47AM



Friday, August 24, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"The Key To Greatness!"
  IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD:  NOAH

"Thus Noah did according to all that God
had commanded him, so he did.."
Genesis 6:22 (bold mine)

David had it.  Caleb had it.  And Noah also had it... "The Key to Greatness."  None were perfect, but all were willing, willing to do anything and everything that God asked them to do.  "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9).

We have clearly seen from scripture that The Key to Greatness in the Kingdom of God" is wholeheated willingness to live for the will and kingdom of God"Not my will, but Thine be done."  Are you willing to say tha...no, NO!  Scratch that!  Are you willing to LIVE! that?  Are you willing to live like David did?  Like Caleb did?  Like Noah did? 

If so, you'll touch the very heart of God as David did.  If so, you'll experience the fulfillment of God's promises in your life as Caleb did?  If so, you will be honored among the fewest of the few who travel the narrow road.  The narrow road to greatness in the kingdom of God. 

David was the only man in the entire Bible to be called, "A man after God's heart."  Caleb was one of only two men out of an entire generation to inherit the promised land after more than forty years of waiting.  and Noah, along with his family, was the ONLY MAN from among his generation, to be saved from the flood and introduce an entirely new beginning upon the earth.

And what about you?  What will your response be to this "Key to Greatness?"


Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Key to Greatness! CALEB


The Key to Greatness! CALEB
Brad Reiches
Aug 23 2007 01:42PM




Thursday, August 23, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"The Key To Greatness!"
 IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD:  CALEB

"Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb...
because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully."
Joshua 14:14 (bold mine)

Caleb knew the "Key to Greatness"...and he lived it!  Along with Joshua, Caleb was one of only two people out of an ENTIRE GENERATION who took the opportunity to enter the promised land.  YES!  I said, "took the opportunity."  Why?  Because the invitation to "fully follow God," or "do all God's will" is extended to as many who are willing to receive it.

David was called a man after God's own heart because he was willing (not perfect, that's why Christ died) to do ALL that God asked of him (see yesterday's GTWired!) and Caleb experienced the privilege of entrance into the promised land for the exact same reason:

"I (Caleb) followed the Lord my God fully."
Joshua 14:8 (bold mine)

And so our studies on the subject "The Key to Greatness in the Kingdom of God" are unveiling the reality that God is in diligent search for the "few" who are wholeheartedly committed to prioritizing the will and kingdom of God"The eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the entire earth to strongly support those whose hearts are completely His" (2 Chronicles 16:9, bold mine).

"Because you (Caleb) have followed the
Lord my God fully."
Joshua 14:9 (bold mine)

Caleb fully-followed God.

How 'bout you?


Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The Key to Greatness! DAVID


The Key to Greatness! DAVID
Brad Reiches
Aug 22 2007 10:52AM



Wednesday, August 22, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"The Key To Greatness!"
  IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD:  DAVID

"I have found David the son of Jesse,
A man after My heart, who will do all My will."
Acts 13:22 (bold mine)

The Bible tells us that David was a man "after God's own heart."  Amazing!  Isn't it?  Can you imagine being identified in such terms?  Could any man or woman EVER! receive a greater compliment?  Do you want to be a person "after God's own heart?"

"As for you (Solomon), if you walk before Me
as your father David walked, even to do according
to all that I have commanded you..."
2 Chronicles 7:17 (bold mine)

"As for you (Solomon), if you will walk before Me
as your father David walked, in integrity of heart
and uprightness doing according to all that I have
commanded you..."
1 Kings 9:4 (bold mine)

Do you see it?  Do you see "The Key to Greatness?"  David modeled for us what it truly means to "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (see Matthew 6:33).  David was willing to submit his will to the will of God.  Was David perfect?  Not by a long shot...

"David did what was right in the sight of the Lord,
and had not turned aside from anything that He
commanded him all the days of his life, except in the
case of Uriah the Hittite."
1 Kings 15:5 (bold mine)

Adultery, murder, envy, lust, deceit, King David had some significant "shortcomings."*  But when it came to his heart and his will, David's sincere desire was to serve and please the God that he worshipped.  On the other hand, Solomon...

"His (Solomon's) heart was not wholly devoted
to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David."
1 Kings 15:3

  

*For an in-depth study on this subject, see GodThoughts, Volume 1, LEARNING FROM THE LEGENDS, pp. 273-280.