At the Crossroads

I've been reading "The Road to Reality" by K.P. Yohannan! I wanted to share a portion of chapter 13. I love this book and how K.P. is calling all Christians to live a life of personal holiness. My prayer is that every Christian grows in their hunger for obedience to the Word of God. That we would start to live a life of obedience, holiness, purity and separation out of a true commitment and genuine love for the Lord. Enjoy and keep pressing on 4 the Lord!

At the Crossroads

Today we all stand at the crossroads on the question of personal holiness. Each of us must make the choice about which way we are going to go. This isn't a choice only preachers or Christian leaders must make, although I pray that it will start there. No, every believing man, woman, boy and girl must decide personally.

"Will I surrender to the spirit of our age, or resist and join the company of overcomers?" is the question to ask. Do we want to continue to live in defeat, failure and unrighteousness? Or will we decide to follow the path of excellence that leads to quality of life, inward purity and separation unto God? Of course, we also can continue in a life of hypocrisy and legalism and be content to put on an external show of righteousness.

Even if we are able to fool others for a time with religious sham, we cannot lie to God for even an instant. If, after seeing clearly God's desire for us to live a life of purity and holiness, we still do not obey and commit our lives, the Bible tells us in Revelation 22:11,12 that God will not always strive with us but come with judgment. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:13 and 4:5 that "every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is....Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God."

We must realize that while God really wants us to be shining lights in this world, winning the lost and making an impact upon our generation or religious activism can never substitute for a separated life.

But let us remember that it is equally important that we are not offering service to God in the power of the flesh, with an impure heart. All the work and sacrifice we accomplish - even in the cause of world evangelism - can never be pleasing to the Lord unless it is done from a pure and holy heart.

No wonder the writer of Hebrews warns us to "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Here is a link to K.P.'s books!

Guard Your Words With Integrity

Taken from the book "Above all else - Directions for life" Pg. 32-35. Enjoy and keep pressing!

Guard your words with integrity

The integrity of the upright will guide them. Proverbs 11:3

Charles Swindoll correctly observed, "Nothing speaks louder or more powerfully than a life of integrity." Godly men and women agree.

Integrity is built slowly over a lifetime. It is the sum of every right decision and every honest word. It is forged on the anvil of honorable work and polished by the twin virtues of honesty and fairness. Integrity is a precious thing - difficult to build but easy to tear down.

Living a life of integrity isn't always the easiest way, but it is always the right way. God clearly intends that it should be our way, too.

Oswald Chambers advised, "Never support an experience which does not have God as its source, and faith in God as its result." These words serve as a powerful reminder that, as Christians, we are called to walk with God and obey His commandments. But, we live in a world that presents us with countless temptations to stray far from God's path. We Christians, when confronted with sins of any kind, have clear instructions: Walk - or better yet run - in the opposite direction.

It has been said that character is what we are when nobody is watching. How true. When we do things that we know aren't right, we try to hide them from our families and friends. But even if we successfully conceal our sins from the world, we can never conceal our sins from God.

If you sincerely wish to walk with our Creator, follow His commandments. When you do, your character will take care of itself...and you won't need to look over your shoulder to see who, besides God, is watching.

A tip for guarding your heart. Remember: Character is more important than popularity.

God's Words of Wisdom

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
Proverbs 10:9

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Proverbs 22:1

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.
Proverbs 27:19

Not only so, be we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4

Summing it up!

When your words are honest and your intentions are pure, you have nothing to fear. Thus, you should guard your integrity even more carefully than you guard your wallet.

Keep pressing, keep praying, keep your integrity strong!

Walk in Wisdom

Nine principles for making wise decisions.

Spiritual Considerations : How will this decision affect my relationship with God?

1. Will this bring glory to God? 1 Corinthians 10:31

2. Is this a decision Jesus would make? 1 Peter 2:21

3. Will I be proud of this decision at the judgment seat of Christ? Romans 14:10

Relational Considerations : How will this decision affect my relationship with other people?

4. Would I want this done to me? Romans 13:8-10

5. Could this appear wrong even when it is really OK? 1 Thessalonians 5:22

6. Will this cause a brother or sister in Christ to struggle spiritually? Romans 14:13-21

Internal Considerations : How will this decision affect who I am and what I am becoming?

7. Will this bring me under the power of anything that might enslave me? 1 Corinthians 6:12

8. Can I do this with confidence that this is right? Romans 14:22-23

9. Am I breaking any previous commitments? James 5:12

Good stuff for the growing Christian! Enjoy and keep pressing!

Check out www.walkintheword.com 1.888.581.WORD for other cool tools to help you grow!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

Not sure of the author of these words, but they are indeed true to what my life stands for! Enjoy & keep pressing, keep praying!

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ!

I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

My Journal of Gratefulness

I'm grateful for the road God has allowed me to journey down over the past five years. Because of it my heart is forever changed. In the past my heart was only conditionally committed to the Lord, but today I stand to profess my hearts only allegiance is Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for what God supplies me, may I always find contentment in that. In the past It's been easy for me to find contentment in the world, thinking my job would give me what I needed (more money). It became easy for me to find joy in my paycheck and the stuff it gave me.

But at the same time I was being disobedient toward God. God was not holding first place in my heart, my money was. Even though I loved God, my love for money was deeper. So God took it away and left me with just enough to get by. I wouldn't change this year for anything, I'm just thankful that God got a hold of me before it was to late. My lifestyle of consuming stuff wasn't pleasing to God, but allowing myself to make the choice to be consumed with God and His Word has brought me to where I can meet God face to face.

God knows what I need and in His sovereign plan He will provide what He seems is fitting for my life. I've learned not to be anxious, but to trust the Lord to provide for my family!

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you...For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God...I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever."
Psalm 86:5,10,12

Here are just a few things I've learned to be grateful for!

Spiritual Blessings:

• God's Faithfulness
• God's Forgiveness
• God's Grace
• God's Mercy
• God's Unconditional Love
• God's Word
• Jesus' Example
• The Holy Spirit
• Faith
• Personal Convictions from the Word

Relational Blessings:

• Wife
• Children
• Extended Family
• Body of Christ
• Friends

Material Blessings:

• Car
• Clothes
• Food
• Home
• Job
• Running Water
• Worship Music

Answers To Prayer:

• Family Surgeries being Successful
• God providing our every need
• New Church Home

What are you grateful for? Keep pressing, Keep praying!

THE BOW IN THE CLOUD

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth." Genesis 9:13

It is the Will of God that human beings should get into moral relationship with Him, and His covenants are for this purpose. Why does not God save me? He has saved me, but I have not entered into relationship with Him. Why does not God do this and that? He has done it, the point is - Will I step into covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Waiting for God is incarnate unbelief, it means that I have no faith in Him; I wait for Him to do something in me that I may trust in that. God will not do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man has to go out of himself in his covenant with God as God goes out of Himself in His covenant with man. It is a question of faith in God - the rarest thing; we have faith only in our feelings. I do not believe God unless He will give me something in my hand whereby I may know I have it, then I say - "Now I believe." There is no faith there. "Look unto Me, and be ye saved."

When I have really transacted business with God on His covenant and have let go entirely, there is no sense of merit, no human ingredient in it at all, but a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and the whole thing is transfigured with peace and joy.

HT: My upmost for His Highest