Scripture reading: Romans 8:29
Did you know that we feed through our eyes? When we enter into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, there are twelve loaves of bread set on the Table of Shewbread. We can eat from whichever loaf we prefer, but we must know that we feed with our eyes, we feed with our ears, we feed with our minds by feeding from the Word and from others. God wants the children of God to feed from the twelve loaves that He has provided, the apostolic teaching. However, oftentimes we feed on other things: we see something in the world there; something there; something attractive there; something attracts us and all that feeding goes into the mind and it disrupts the power of God from taking charge of the mind.
Brethren, we are at the hour when the power of the living God is going to take charge of the mind of man. Do you hear me? The power of God is going to take charge of our minds. Begin to offer up your mind to God. “Oh God, I bring You this offering this morning. You need to cleanse it. I don’t want to think evil of my brother. I don’t want to think evil at all. I don’t want to do this and that and that.” Faith is the substance of whatever you hope for. If you hope to be like Jesus, tell God. “I don’t want to be like Mary, John or Tom. I want to be like Jesus. This is my cry, Oh God. I want to be like Jesus. Break down every separating wall, pull down every fence, wreck all my plans, but make me like Jesus, my God.” Oh yes! Thank You, Jesus.
I am so blessed. You know, every night the Lord comes to me in the early morning hours and teaches me. Sometimes I forget the lessons. Sometimes I don’t remember it until I am speaking and then something flashes in my mind. Sometimes one message will go over and over for hours and hours and that is for you. But when He gives me a message for you, I am not fool enough to believe that I am exempt, because, you see, you must divide/separate the man or the woman from the gift. You are two different people and the gift of God is trying to make you like Christ. So, you are not like Christ yet, but the gift of God is working on you to make you what God wants you to be. Therefore, we are fellow travelers, except that one day He is going to stop the traveling and put everybody who wants to go one way on one side and who wants to go the other way on the other side. That is why He said that those who come in the morning get the same pay as those who come in the evening. The thief on the cross spent his entire life killing and murdering. He had a lowdown mind. But bless the Lord, he had eyes to see Jesus. The other man could see nothing but another thief hanging on the cross with him. But this man saw Jesus and he said, “Remember me, Oh God.”
Don’t you understand, beloved brethren, that righteousness is not how many times you pray or read your Bible, but it is how you submit to the Spirit of the Living God? Anybody could surpass all of us in righteousness tomorrow morning by just saying, “Yes, Jesus.” You know, sometimes, the poor little ones, those who we look at as weak and poor in the congregation, they are the ones that will be able to submit, because it is hard for the mighty big people who want to rule to submit. Thank You, Jesus.
It is such a pleasure to have Jesus using you. You know, sometimes I hear the music and I feel like dancing. There is something to dance about. Yes, sir. To know that God Almighty has forgiven my sins, my errors, my weaknesses. When I look at my weaknesses, I say to myself, “A wretched fellow you are.” Yes. I look at my grandfather and I look at my father and I feel like them. My mother would shake her finger in my face and say, “Don’t be like your father. He is a nasty man.” How would you like that? You would pretend that you didn’t understand and cover up your face but you well knew what she was talking about. Blessed be God Almighty.
It is good to obey the Holy Spirit. It is good to have the Spirit of the living God in you and to obey Him. When you feel rebellious and bad and the Spirit comes, it is good to straighten up and say, “Yes, Lord Jesus Christ. I am wrong.” A little song says:
Violent, full of sin I am
Thou art full of truth and grace
Plenteous grace with Thee is found
Grace to cover all my sins
Let the healing streams abound
Make it pure within
Praise God Almighty. Sometimes you sing those songs and they really bring a blessing. When I get up in the morning or in the night singing one of those songs, I know God is talking to me. And I know He is talking to you, too. Amen.
(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, May 2009, pg. 28-29)
Thought for today: If you hope to be like Jesus, tell God. “I don’t want to be like Mary, John or Tom. I want to be like Jesus. This is my cry, Oh God. Break down every separating wall, pull down every fence, wreck all my plans, but make me like Jesus, my God.”
Sonlight Devotional 