All That God Has is Already Yours

Luke 15:31 “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours”

In Luke 15, there is a point in the story of the prodigal son when the father leaves the “Welcome Home” party to seek out his eldest son. When he found him, he heard an earful as to why he was avoiding the party. The father’s response, “Son you are always with me, and all I have is yours”. That’s beautiful.

It’s not about your love for God, it’s about the Father’s love for you. God is always the initiator. It has always been about His love for you first. Don’t live your life mad, angry, guilty, and frustrated like the older brother in this story. Come into the Father’s house and find rest for your soul. Your Father wants you to know that all He has is already yours, not because of your perfect performance, but because you are His child through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” God has already given you all things with Him. So, come home to His embrace, come home to grace, and “come inside and join the music and dancing”! You are always with Him, and all He has is yours.

The Irreversible Blessing

Numbers 23:20-21 “Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has He seen perverseness in Israel”

In 2004, we took some friends from our neighborhood to New York City. They were originally from Louisiana and had never been there before. As we were walking, I saw an awesome coat in a store that had the New York Yankees insignia on it, AND it was reversible. I could wear it with the insignia or without. Next thing I knew, the friends that we were with bought it for me! That was so thoughtful. I love that jacket.

Now here’s something that’s irreversible…in Numbers 23, an evil king named Balak took a prophet named Balaam to a mountain peak overlooking the encampment of the people of Israel and said to Balaam, “I want you to curse them for me”. Balaam’s response is powerful, he said “behold I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it”! The blessing on your life cannot be reversed. Verse 21 tells us why, saying “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel“. When God blesses, no one (no prophet, no sorcerer, no devil, no one) can reverse it. You are irreversibly blessed! You can never be cursed. No generational curse or any other curse can come upon you because God has already blessed you through the power of the blood of Jesus. When your enemies say negative things about you out of envy, jealousy, and fear, know this: the Lord is your defender, it is God who gives influence to words, and He can cause their words to fall to the ground. I want this to sink deep into your heart. In Christ Jesus, you are irreversibly blessed. No matter how dire your circumstances may seem right now, put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Why? Because whom the Lord has blessed, no one can curse.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

James 1:17 NIV "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows"

The grace of God can be described in two words "free gift". Everything about the grace of God is simply "the gift that keeps on giving". Grace is always giving in every circumstance, it's a gift that never stops!

To understand the grace of God you have to understand that life is all a gift. Health is a gift, a promotion is a gift, a love one finding his way home is a gift, life is a gift. In James 1:17, I'm so glad it says "every GOOD GIFT" and every "PERFECT GIFT". Sickness isn’t included as a gift from God, a car accident isn’t a gift, although walking away without a scratch is a gift. Losing your job isn’t a gift, unless very soon after you get a better job with better pay and better opportunities, that’s a gift.

What's really great is that the Father doesn’t change, He's always "good" and His gifts are always "perfect", that’s good news. The scripture says that God is not like a "shifting shadow". I love that because a shadow is constantly changing second by second minute by minute day by day. His love for us is a gift that never shifts like a shadow. His provision for us is a gift that never shifts like a shadow.

Since Jesus is full of grace and truth, then Jesus is a gift. Our relationship with Him is a gift. His friendship with us is a gift. He is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. That's great, great news to me. It's the nearly too good to be true news. So enjoy a life of gifts, God's grace that just keeps giving and giving and giving every day!

From 3-D Army to Mighty Men

1 Samuel 22:1-2 “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam, and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and everyone that as in debt and everyone that was discontented gathered themselves to him, and he became a captain over them, and there were with him about 400 men”

When David was being pursued by his enemy Saul who was trying to kill him, he went to a cave and 400 men came with him. Some refer to this as David’s “3-D Army” because they were distressed, in debt, and discontented. How would you like to lead this group?!

So how did David take his men from being a “3-D Army” to what 2 Samuel 23:8 calls David’s “mighty men”? Worship. David was a worshipper. He wrote Psalm 3 as he was being pursued by his enemies. David led by the Spirit of God. He brought all of his troubles to God. He sought God’s wisdom in battle. He did things God’s way. As a result, his men became like him.

You have the same influence in the lives of people that God has called you to lead as a mom, dad, coach, business owner, minister, teacher, project manager. They may start out as a “3-D Army” but through the power of prayer, worship, practicing God’s presence, and being a godly example, the people you lead will soon be “mighty men” and do great exploits.

Presidential Pardon

Romans 8: 32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things”

This past Friday, President Joe Biden participated in the 74th annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon of “Peanut Butter” in the Rose Garden at the White House. The 2021 National Thanksgiving Turkey, “Peanut Butter”, and alternate “Jelly”, were raised in Jasper, Indiana and will reside on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, now that they have been officially pardoned. Unlike these birds, the rest of our turkeys are the only ones NOT giving thanks on this special occasion!

In Romans 8:32 we received the ultimate pardon from an eternity in hell because Jesus paid the price for us all. We received a pardon from sin, past, present and future. We have been spared the punishment that was due us because of God's great mercy. But He didn’t stop there. It goes on to say, “How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things“. Not only were you and I pardoned but we were freely given all things! God is so good. “With Him” you are already healed. “With Him” you are already restored. “With Him” you are already prosperous. I could go on and on. This Thanksgiving, give thanks for your pardon AND for Him freely giving us ALL things. Happy Thanksgiving.

Three-Peat: Back-to-Back-to-Back Blessings

2 Chronicles 20:25 “And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were there days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much “

Everyone’s heard of a “re-peat”, but what I love is a “three-peat”. It’s when a team wins back-to-back-to-back championship seasons. The New York Yankees did it in 2,000. The Chicago bulls did it twice in 1992 and in 1998. Amazing.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was facing overwhelming odds against him. Have you ever been there? Are you there right now? In the natural, Jehoshaphat knew Israel had no chance of winning the battle, but he chose to do two very key things. First he said “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.“ (2 chronicles 20:12). We need to look to Jesus when we’re overwhelmed and not the problem, AND admit to God, “I don’t know what to do”. Next, he placed his worshipers at the head of his army, not his commandos, singing thanks and praise to the Lord. The outcome? The Lord defeated Israel’s enemies by turning them against each other, and they spent three days collecting the spoils. Back-to-back-to-back days of over-the-top blessings. Three days! Now that’s a three-peat!

Turn Your Cares into Prayers

Philippians 4:6 Amplified Bible “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything (every circumstance and situation) by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your (specific) requests known to God”

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul shares 21 secrets to his happiness…from a jail cell. One of those secrets is in Philippians 4:6 where he shares a powerful principle to overcome any problem. He starts with a command, “don’t be anxious or worried about anything”. That’s empowering right there.

Next, he says, “but in everything (every circumstance and situation) by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your (specific) requests known to God”. “With thanksgiving”, that’s the key right there. Thanksgiving signifies that you already have something.

If you have a pulse, you’ll have to deal with problems that come your way. Learning how to deal with them makes all the difference. The next time a problem comes, turn your cares into prayers. Don’t be anxious or worried, instead pray, with thanksgiving, and get specific with God as to what you want. It worked for Paul in a jail cell, it will work for you.

"Frankengrace"

Revelation 3:15-16 NIV - “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

What does it mean to be lukewarm in this scripture? Most people think Jesus is talking about apathy or a lack of zeal. That it’s better to be on fire for God or coldly opposed to Him than halfhearted in the middle. This is not what this scripture means.

Lukewarm is what you get when you mix hot and cold. Jesus is saying “I wish you were one (hot) or the other (cold) but not both mixed together. Why does Jesus say it’s better to be cold than lukewarm? Because if you live under the stone-cold law, you will quickly recognize your need for grace that flows from the white-hot love of your Fathers heart. The law is good because it leads you to Jesus!

What happens when you mix law and grace? Frankengrace! That’s what happened to the Galatians, they started out in the Spirit (grace) and then added laws and rituals to earn their salvation. Like the fictitious character from the novel Frankenstein, you end up with a monster that’s both dead and alive. What are you? Cold (living by the law) or hot (living by grace), or lukewarm (a mixture of both…Frankengrace)?

Silicon Valley is a Mindset, Not a Location

Genesis 14:17-20 – “After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand. Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

Most people are familiar with Silicon Valley located in Northern California and known for innovation and the development of high tech. It is also one of the richest cities in the world with the most million-dollar homes. But Silicon Valley isn’t a location it’s a mindset.

Now let’s talk about a meeting Abram had in another valley in Genesis 14:17. Abram had defeated five armies and five kings with only 318 trained household servants. Think about it, five armies and five kings! Why, Abram was blessed by God who “delivered his enemies into his hand”. It wasn’t his military strategy or massive army that gave him the victory, it was Almighty God.

But here’s the key. After the victory he gave a tenth of all his income to God. He knew God gave him the victory and that God was his Source. In verse 23 he said, “I will accept nothing belonging to you [the king of Sodom], not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’” He knew it was God who made him rich. His giving was in response to God’s blessing, not a ploy to get God to bless him. So, contrary to the fame of Silicon Valley, when God is your Source, it’s “the blessing” that affects your location and NOT your location that affects your blessing. You can be anywhere on earth and “the blessing” will be there with you when God is your Source.

Wow, I Could've Had a Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.“

In the 1970’s there was a popular commercial for the vegetable drink V-8. The actor would eat something unhealthy on-the-go then, as an afterthought, bop themselves on the head and say, “Wow, I could’ve had a V-8”. The point was that next time they are in a hurry, they should have a quick and easy V-8 juice with eight different vegetables instead of fast food or soda.

In Philippians 4:8 there are 8 different things that Paul tells believers to “think on”. It’s a simple “filter” that he recommends for living a peaceful, worry-free life. According to this verse, when a troubling thought comes, you need to ask yourself…Is it true? Is it honest? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it filled with love? Is it a good report? Is there any virtue to it? Is there any praise? If the answer is no to any of these, then you need to resist it and replace it with what’s true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. Don’t worry, if a negative thought slips through and you start to feel anxious, just bop yourself on the head and say, “Wow, I could’ve had a Philippians 4:8…but it’s not too late!”

The Power of Now

John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out”

NOW! What an awesome word. It means at this present time or moment, not yesterday or last week or tomorrow. There are two “now’s” in John 12:31. The first…though there is still a future judgment of the world yet to take place, there is also a judgment that took place at the cross that is in effect RIGHT NOW. Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins so there is no reason that we should suffer them too. Sin, sickness, depression, and fear are only byproducts of the sin nature that WAS inside of every believer. However, once we receive Jesus as our Savior those byproducts have no more power over us

Now for the second “now”…the prince of this world, Satan himself, is cast out of your life RIGHT NOW. Sin, sickness, poverty, depression, fear, anxious thoughts, I could go on, no longer have an effect on you. NOW the devil is cast out of your life, your family, and your situations. Whatever it is that you’re going through, whatever challenges you’re facing, whatever bad report you’ve received, whatever someone said about you, RIGHT NOW it doesn’t have to effect on you. Receive the power of NOW!

Pre-Existing Conditions

Exodus 12:8-9 “They shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it…roasted in fire - it’s head with its legs and it’s entrails”

Though most health insurance policies cover “pre-existing conditions” today, years ago they would not. In other words, if you had a sickness, disease, or injury before you applied for benefits, they would not cover those expenses after you were approved.

Here's another take on pre-existing conditions. In Exodus 12:8-9, the children of Israel were instructed at the first Passover to roast the lamb in fire, including its head, legs and entrails (organs). In Psalm 105:37 it says, “He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes”. This is awesome…anyone who had a sickness, disease, or injury before the Passover left Egypt healed and whole (and rich)!

Jesus is your Passover Lamb. He took every condition in your head, legs, organs, and every other part of your body, nailed it to the cross and made you whole. In Christ, you have a health insurance policy that completely covers every pre-existing condition with full benefits and with no exclusions. Receive your benefits today!

You are a Germ Graveyard

Mathew 8:1-3 “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him, and behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean“. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed” immediately his leprosy was cleansed”

What an amazing testimony of the impact of the Word of God and His goodness. Jesus is not only ABLE to heal you but He’s WILLING to heal you. This man with leprosy must have had a terrible existence. Not only was he suffering because his body was covered with leprous sores, but also was forced to isolate himself and be cut off from his loved ones as instructed in Leviticus 13:45-46.

Do you realize how remarkable it is that Jesus touched a man with leprosy? Under the law, when the clean touched the unclean, the clean becomes unclean. Our Lord Jesus was showing that under grace, when the clean (Jesus) touched the unclean, the unclean becomes clean. Jesus did not contract the infectious disease of leprosy by touching the leper, He obliterated it! Praise God! Greater is He that is in you then he that is in the world! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). You are not under law but you are under grace (Romans 6:14). Every germ, every sickness, every illness, every virus must die to the Person of grace who lives inside you! Say it with me, “I am a germ graveyard!”

No More Lonely Love Songs

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever “

Our union with Christ is the number one reason why life is better than those who lived before the cross. In the Old Testament, they wrote love songs about yearning and absence…“I looked for the one my heart loves but I could not find him” - Song of Solomon 3:1-2. “I opened to my beloved, but my beloved was gone” – Song of Solomon 5:6. “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, O God” - Psalm 42:1. It’s sad to hear Christians singing songs of longing and calling it worship.

I imagine it makes Jesus sad too (if He could be sad). Some believers ask “Where are you Lord?“ and His response is, “I’m right here, I am in you and you are in Me”. They ask, “Where did you go?“ and He responds, “I didn’t go anywhere, I promised I’d never leave you!” Here’s another timeless classic from the album Lonely Love Songs of the Old Covenant - Psalm 27:4a, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life”. That you MAY dwell in the house if the Lord? You ARE the house of the Lord. You can dwell in the house of the Lord as long as you like, in fact it’s impossible for you to dwell anywhere else.

Ask yourself a simple question, “Where is God?” When you think of God being some place, where is that place? Is He up there or over there or who knows where? Well, the good news declares He is in you and you are in Him! In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says, “Surely I am with you always”. Intimacy is not something we ever need to long for, He is already with us. We don’t have to beg God to rend the heavens and come down. He already did…and He never left. And we never have to fear that He might abandon us as orphans. He promised He wouldn’t. The good news of God’s Word declares that NOW and forever more, you are in perfect union with the Lord and that will never change. So PLEASE, no more lonely love songs!

Reprinted from No More Lonely Love Songs by Paul Ellis.

Kinged Me

Revelation 5:10 “And He has made us kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth”

Have you ever played the game checkers? When I was a young boy, we played game after game after game of checkers. My favorite part of the game was when I moved my checker all the way across the board and said, “King me!” Before I made it across the board, my checker could only go in one direction, but when I said, “King Me”, I could move that checker in any direction I wanted.

So many believers are trying so hard to “get to the other side” of their problems when all along they have been made kings and priests and reign on this earth…now! I’m so thankful Revelation 5:10 says, “we shall reign on the earth” and not when we get to heaven. The great thing about grace and undeserved favor is that you become a king at the very moment you are born again. No maneuvering, no back and forth, no trying to sweat it out. You’re “kinged” right from the start. Jesus has given you His delegated authority and dominion to rule and reign on this earth. You rule over sicknesses. You rule over viruses. You rule over cancers and growths. You rule over anxiety. You rule over guilt. You rule over debt. You rule and reign because you’re a king! You have the extreme advantage on the “board of life”. So, take advantage of your advantage!

The Grace Myth Buster

John 16:8 - “And when He is come (the Holy Spirit) He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment“

Myth: a widely held by false belief or idea.
Myth Buster: a person that shows that something generally thought to be true is not, in fact, true, or is different from how it is usually described.

Myth: John 16:8 says that the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sin.
Myth Buster: He never does that!

The Holy Spirit does NOT convict us of sin, we already know when we sin. The Holy Spirit convicts or convinces us of our righteousness. When do we need convincing of our righteousness in Christ the most? When we are feeling unrighteous. When we’ve failed miserably. The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are still righteous because we are in Christ the Righteous One. Some have said that the Holy Spirit is the “heavenly police” who issues warnings whenever we stray. But that’s not what Jesus said. He said the Holy Spirit would “glorify Me” and guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit isn’t closing His eyes to our sin, He’s trying to open our eyes to Jesus. So, the next time you hear a condemning and accusing voice, that is NOT the Holy Spirit. When you hear a loving and encouraging voice that reminds you who you are in Christ, THAT is the Holy Spirit.

The Paralysis of Analysis

Proverbs 12:5 “The plans of the righteous are right” NIV

Analysis paralysis can be defined as “an individual or a group who has a process of overanalyzing or overthinking that causes forward motion or decision making to be paralyzed so that no solution or course of action is decided upon”. A sure sign that someone doesn’t grasp the gift of righteousness is anxiety regarding the Lord’s will for their life. In my 40+ years as a Christian I’ve met plenty of believers who are living in a state of self-inflicted paralysis. They put their life on hold and are afraid to make choices in case they get it wrong. How can you get it wrong when you’ve already got it right? God’s Word and the Holy Spirit declare together that you are truly righteous. This means your desires are righteous, your dreams are righteous, or to paraphrase Proverbs 12:5, “the plans of the righteous are right”. Righteous things are what righteous people do. I’m not saying you’re not capable of making dumb choices. But when you abandon yourself completely to His love, trusting in the gift of righteousness, your choices will good!

There Are No Atheists in Foxholes

Romans 1:19 - “that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God has shown it to them”

You may have hear the phrase there are no atheists in foxholes. It means that in times of extreme stress or times of war everyone believes in God. A foxhole is a hole dug in the ground as shelter against enemy fire. This famous phrase was first used in WWI and has been used for many years in times of conflict.

What the Apostle Paul is saying in Romans 1:19 is that somehow, instinctively on the inside of every person there is a knowledge that God not only exists but is real. And because of God’s amazing grace, He is there to deliver and protect even those who haven’t acknowledged Him yet. I’m amazed that in 1 Kings 18:38 when the fire fell it didn’t fall on the 850 prophets of Baal, but the fire only fell on the burnt sacrifice. That’s the grace of God. God even protects people who reject Him because His mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve. God is good all the time, He has protected you and your loved ones even when you didn’t deserve it. So, even in a foxhole God is protecting because He’s not willing that any should perish but come to the knowledge of the truth. And, because of that, that only makes us love Him more and more. He draws people by His loving kindness which none of us can earn or deserve.

"Prayer" Conditioning

Psalm 39:3 NIV “My heart grew hot within me. While I meditated the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue”

I’ll tell you what, it’s been a hot summer so far, some real scorchers! I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine life without air conditioning. I thank God for it. But here’s a twist for you, according to Psalm 39:3, “prayer” conditioning “warms” the heart. This is one of my favorite scriptures because it speaks of how the Holy Spirit speaks to us as we meditate on God’s Word.

Many people think that praying is all about us talking. Yes, that’s part of it. But it’s also about meditating on God’s Word, letting it get “hot” within you. That’s when God speaks to your heart, and something happens on the inside of your spirit. It’s special and powerful. That’s “prayer conditioning”. It doesn’t cool the heart; it warms the heart. It’s a conversation between you and the Holy Spirit in your heart without uttering a word. I encourage you to take some time every day to meditate on God’s Word. Let it warm your heart, let the fire of God’s Word burn within you. Then “speak with your tongue”. Speak out what the Holy Spirit has shared with you. Keep your “prayer conditioning” running all the time and all year long!

The Prayer That Can Never Be Fully Answered

Ephesians 3:18-19 “That you may be able to grasp how wide and how long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge….”

Trying to wrap your head around God’s love for you is like using a thimble to measure the oceans. You can’t. Think of it like this, when you look out into the night sky, what you see is only a portion of the billions of stars in the universe. You have not seen, far more than you’ve seen. That’s the way it is with God’s love for you.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:18-19 simply can’t be fully answered. Yes, during your Christian walk, you most likely have experienced amazing glimpses into God’s love for you. There’s nothing like it! Salvation alone is a magnificent expression of God’s love for you. But there is still so much more to experience. The more you have a revelation of God’s grace, the more you will experience His love. And the more you experience His love, the more you will see His grace. It’s a beautiful, never-ending journey. Enjoy!