http://iceministries.org/devotional/ en-us Nucleus CMS v3.64 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://iceministries.org/devotional//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://iceministries.org/devotional/ http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=613 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psalms 133:1

“There is a wave of My presence which is about to sweep this whole earth. I will cause the people to be affected in diverse ways,” says the Lord. “No longer will My people be able to deny that I am among them. No longer will you who have ignored My voice be able to escape My judgment.”

It’s obvious to anyone that has ever read this psalm, that the theme that leaps very obviously at one that is interwoven throughout the fabric of the verses of this short Psalm is the theme of unity. It is believed that this Psalm was written on or for the occasion of the nation’s coming together at the coronation of David becoming the king of both the southern and the northern kingdoms of Israel. Up until this point there had been what is called by scholars the “divided monarchy”. In other words, the people of Israel have now split; and there is the northern kingdom and there is the southern kingdom. David, in 2nd Samuel, around chapter 2, has already become the king of Judah. Now he comes to be crowned the king of Israel, thus becoming the unifying king and once again unifying Israel. It is also believed that the writing of this Psalm was not only to celebrate what God had done in the kingship of David; but it is believed that David wrote this Psalm instructively to his sons, who had become antagonistic towards each other. If you remember Absalom murdered Amnon and Adonijah tried to thwart Solomon’s ascension to the throne. Thus it is believed that David writes this Psalm, not only as a celebration of his coronation in unifying the kingdom; but that he writes this Psalm as a father filled with wisdom, writing it to his sons who are family but acting like they are enemies.

This Psalm teaches us that there is power in unity. It suggests that unity produces an atmosphere and ambiance by which the anointing of God can flow. The anointing of God cannot flow where there is strife, division or backbiting. When the people of God begin to walk in unity, then the Spirit of God can begin to move, and when the Spirit of God begins to move, things begin to happen. When the Spirit of God begins to move lives will be transformed; sickness and disease will be healed and shackles will be broken. When the Spirit of God is allowed the freedom to move, then there is nothing that cannot be broken in the body of Christ. This requires major thought because what it means is the reason more miracles may not take place, might not be because of a lack of faith. But it might be because of a lack of unity. If there is one thing that needs to return to the church, it is the message of unity. God has called us to work TOGETHER. You nor I alone do a kingdom make.

I’m not a kingdom and you are not a kingdom. God has not made any of us to function alone without the necessity of other people in our lives. God has not made us good enough to where we don’t need other people to be connected to us in order for us to flow in who God made us to be. I don’t care if my title is Apostle, Reverend, Doctor, Deacon, Bishop or Prophet, God has not made me anointed enough to make a church what is should be without the connection of other people. It takes unity!!! He has not made us to function alone. You and I need relationships. And we need to understand today the concept of unity. Because in this modern day church, particularly in an age of the mega church era, you run the risk of simply being a collection of strangers that show up at the same place for their own reasons on a given Sunday; and when it’s over we go to our separate lives as we’ve never been there together. And one of the dangers of becoming a “clique-ish” church is that you run the risk of losing the necessary intimacy that it takes to be connected to each other in order to flow in each other’s lives.

Tragically, the reason some people go to big crowds is so they can get lost in anonymity, because they don’t want anybody to know their business. When, in reality, you ought to be in the church to be free to let people know what you’re going through, because you trust that the people there will pray for you when times get rough. Unity is the greatest gift you and I can give to the Spirit. Listen, my preaching is not the greatest gift because unity is greater than preaching. In fact, unity is greater than singing; unity is greater than vision; unity is greater than ministry; unity is greater than activity; unity is greater than all of the buildings you can come up with. Unity is greater than any preacher, any deacon, any staff, any trustee, any member or any usher. Bottom line?....

If we don’t work TOGETHER, then nothing will really be accomplished

Word For Today: Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous – 1st Peter 3:8 – There is a certain state of mind which exists when we enter into the feelings of others as if they were our own.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=613 Sun, 6 Mar 2011 20:13:10 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=611 Then saith He unto His disciples,
The harvest truly is plenteous,
but the labourers are few
Matthew 9:37

The voice of the Lord would say to you today: “Call on My name for I am nearer to you than you thought. I am here and perhaps the reason why you have not felt My presence is because you have not earnestly sought My face. Have I ever let you down in the past?”

As I continue along my journey up the King’s highway, I have witnessed some eye-opening situations in the church today. The Lord has allowed me to observe some troubling signs of the times. I’ve had the opportunity to see what I believe is perhaps the greatest problem facing us today. It is a problem that I believe has plagued, infected, and infested the body of Christ; the church as a whole. Let me suggest to you that the greatest problem facing us is not the gang problem on the outside, not the drug pusher on the outside, not the moral values of our youth, not ungodliness. Not unrighteousness, not darkness on the outside, not sin on the outside. Let me suggest to you that the greatest problem facing us today is not what’s going on, on the outside; but what isn’t going on, on the inside. We’ve taken on the mindset of the Laodicean church, which was neither hot nor cold concerning the things of God. They went about their usual routine of doing things. The fact of the matter is that they were in such a state, that the Lord Himself said that because they were neither hot nor cold, that He would literally ’spit them out of His mouth!’ I believe the problem is that our lukewarm churches of today are rapidly becoming a nausea, which grieves the heart of God.

I once read a book written by Dr. Rex D. Edwards entitled “Every Believer, A Minister” in which he graphically paints the pathetic picture of far too many Christians today. He says, “We sing the words of the hymn ‘Onward Christian Soldier,’ and wait to be drafted into His service. We sing ‘Oh, For A Thousand Tongues,’ but don’t use the ones we have… ‘Serve the Lord with Gladness,’ yet we complain when someone asks us to do something”. To prevent ourselves from falling into this category, we need to change our mindset about the church, God’s church! It’s time that we, as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, move from a state of survival to a state of revival! That is what the church is doing today, surviving! It’s time that we move from a state of existence to a state of persistence concerning Kingdom business. We have a survival mentality in the church; we’re neither hot nor cold. We’re just lukewarm; operating at room-temperature. Unenthusiastic, nonchalant, just simply surviving. And because of our lukewarm, narcosis-like attitude towards the things of God, we’re finding many vacant seats among the pews!

But this morning I want to let someone know that God has called the church to do more than survive! God has called the church to do more than exist. He wants us to move from a place of survival to a place of revival. In order for us to be successful, there are some concepts that we must grab hold of. Jesus shows us here in our text that there is a job to be done… There is a need that must be fulfilled… I believe what Jesus is telling us here is that there is a need for some workers. There is a need for some labourers. There is a need for some folks who are willing to get their hands dirty for the cause of Christ.

We live in a world today where everybody is looking for somebody. Major corporations are looking for college graduates with marketable skills. Hospitals are looking for medical students and scientists who have graduated at the top of their class. Financial institutions are looking for people with MBA’s and top-notch portfolios ready to take on Wall Street. The U.S. Marines are looking for The Few and the Proud. The U.S. Army is looking for those who are willing to Be All That They Can Be. The U.S. Navy is looking for those who want not just A Job, But An Adventure. The U.S. Air Force is looking for those who want to Aim High! Everybody is looking for somebody! You’ve got men looking for women… Women looking for men… And unfortunately in some cases, you’ve got men looking for men and women looking for women…! Everybody is looking for somebody…! And because we’re living in such perilous times, because we’re living in such a messed up world, because there’s much to be done, our text informs us that the Lord likewise is looking for somebody. The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to give their all. The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to help in the harvest of the lost. The Lord is looking for someone who is willing to labor for the Kingdom…

Is that YOU?

Word For Today: The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those that published it. – Psalms 68:11 - Oh for that kind of zeal in the church today, that, when the gospel is published, both men and women would eagerly spread the glad tidings of great joy.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=611 Wed, 2 Mar 2011 11:53:08 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=609 The LORD will preserve him,
and keep him alive;
and he shall be blessed upon the earth:
and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
Psalms 41:2

The season of struggle is coming to an end and doors that have been shut for a long time are being opened this week. I hear the Lord saying, “David, your wife is coming home. Restoration and reconciliation is your portion. This is a new season for your life; a change of address is also coming and a bountiful financial harvest. Indeed, this is your season of release.”

Lord, help me! This is the desperate cry of a mother who has lost a child; or the cry of one who has lost a love one; a job; house or something precious. Lord, help me! The cry of anguish which threatens to overwhelm the soul, causing deep despair and a sense of certain doom The ensuing struggle between fear and hope; a struggle to overcome all which seems to obstruct or stand in the way of freedom. This is the curve ball which the enemy often sends our way to obliterate our faith in God’s power to deliver us and to give us His expected end.

Lord, help me! I imagine that this is a cry which is all too familiar in the corridors of heaven and often can be heard in the throne room of God. I can also imagine the smile which comes upon the face of the Master as He hears that familiar cry. The thought which lingers in His mind… “I know the plans”. There is an expected end which declares that victory is assured in spite of all that has been lost or the magnitude of the struggle. You see, the plans that God has for our lives are so great that there has to be intense pain; intense stretching and often intense manuevers which cause people and things to be removed from our lives. In reality some things and people are removed on a temporary basis for preparation, as we are positioned in a place of transition.

It is important to know that transition can bring pain, as we are in the process of preparation to give birth. Beloved, we are in preparation to give birth to that which we were created for and destined to become. We are poised to take possession of our inheritance, to take back that which the devil has stolen. However, before possession will come pain, but nevertheless victory is assured. Lord, help me!

“I know your expected end” is Heaven’s response!

Word For Today: To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. – Psalms 33:19 - God has meal and oil for His Elijahs somewhere.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=609 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:08:03 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=607 And seeing the multitudes,
He went up into a mountain:
and when He was set,
His disciples came unto Him:
And He opened His mouth,
and taught them, saying
Matthew 5:1-2

My Spirit is moving throughout the land making a diligent search, says the Lord. Looking for those that will sacrifice their life, their time, their ALL to My purpose. Where are My prayer warriors? It’s time to put on your garments and take up your positions on the wall. Now is not the time to get complacent in your warfare, press in and declare that which I have already spoken for this is the season of BREAKTHROUGH.

Yesterday we began this series of devotional teachings discussing the “Be” attitudes of the Faith and the question was asked, “What’s your attitude toward God?” Let’s pick up this discourse from where we left off on yesterday. “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” This naturally follows the meek person who comes to God in submission and now develops a spiritual hunger and thirst for what is right in God’s sight. Righteousness. Jesus says, they will be filled. Have you noticed that nothing in this world truly satisfies? This world is full of promises that it can’t keep. It pacifies, but it never satisfies, but here we have Jesus pronouncing God’s blessing to satisfy us. Only when you have a heavenly appetite can you find full satisfaction.

Next let’s look at four externals that Jesus pronounces God’s blessing on. Blessed are the merciful, and what do they get? Mercy. This follows on the heels of those that hunger and thirst for righteousness. People who want what is right so badly they can taste it may need the balance of this attitude. Don’t love what is right so much that you fail to have mercy on those who are wrong. It’s right to be merciful too. In fact, if you want mercy, show it to others. Giving it is the only way to get it. Aren’t you thankful for merciful people! Mercy is a vital ingredient in any relationship. Can you imagine a marriage where mercy is missing? Imagine a church without mercy among the members. Showing mercy is the fruit of one who has seen his condition before God, grieved over it, meekly submitted to God, comes out hungry for what is right in God’s sight, and then sees this all as a gift of God’s grace. Merciful are those who recognize the mercy of God shown to them.

But another balance comes next. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mercy doesn’t mean sacrificing purity. Purity stands for clean, innocent, and sincere. Jesus shows us that our vision of God is only clear when we have a pure heart. You can’t see God and be phony. You can’t see God and have wrong motives in your heart. Pure hearted people got that way by the earlier blessings of God. They had to see themselves in spiritual poverty, grieve over their sins, meekly submit to God, develop a taste for righteousness, and become merciful. To these God cleanses their hearts and shows them Himself! When you’ve seen God, you’ve found peace. More than that, it’s time for you to help others find it. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. Think about this with me. Seeing God and being called his son! What a blessing! Pure hearted peacemakers: these are on the top of the list of the life God blesses.

Notice Jesus didn’t say a peace “lover,” but a peacemaker. Some people don’t really love peace, they just hate conflict. They flee every time they see conflict. Peacemakers are God’s children and they can’t help but share the peace of God with others. Peacemakers enter the conflicts that darkness and sin bring into the lives of people. Peacemakers work to build God’s peace there. Not everyone appreciates the peacemaker’s work. There are many persecutors out there. They don’t see their own spiritual poverty and are offended when told the truth. They are not grieved over their sins, in fact, they embrace them. They are not submissive to God in meekness but are filled with pride and blinded by selfishness. They are not hungry and thirsty for righteousness but are driven by cravings of fleshly passions and sinful desires. Their cravings are never satisfied. Instead of mercy, they have tolerance for sin. Instead of pure hearts that see God they have wicked hearts that see only darkness. Instead of making peace with God they persecute His children.

And so Jesus concludes His beatitudes with this final blessing. This one He stresses and elaborates on the most. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If you notice the pronoun shift Jesus has now made it personal – “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”. Now that’s a position of spiritual maturity. A person who like Jesus, will endure suffering for the kingdom. The first suffering that receives a blessing is the suffering for sin within, the final suffering that receives a blessing is the suffering for sin without.

Where are you on this ladder of blessings? Have you seen your spiritual poverty? Have you mourned over sin in your life and in others lives? Have you meekly submitted to the will of God? Have you developed a strong appetite for God’s righteousness? Are you merciful toward others? Is your heart clean enough to see God? Are you building God’s peace in the world around you? Are you enduring the world’s resistance to Jesus in your life?

Jesus says that heaven will surely be worth it all! People endure hardship and difficulty in life for so much less. Is not heaven worth the sacrifice? God thought so, that’s why He sent Jesus. God thought that saving you for heaven was worth sacrificing His only begotten Son on the cross. Worth it? Will you say yes to Jesus and no to sin? What is your condition before God today… right now? Would Jesus look at you today and say, “blessed are you?”

Or would He say something else?

Word For Today: Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. – Luke 6:23 - It is an honor to you, as it is to a brave hero to be employed in the wars, and in the service of his king.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=607 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:34:28 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=605 And seeing the multitudes,
He went up into a mountain:
and when He was set,
His disciples came unto Him:
And He opened His mouth,
and taught them, saying
Matthew 5:1-2

“Length of days is before you, time is of the essence” says the Lord “for I have prepared everything for you. Have I not been there for you since you were a child? Did I not comfort you when no one else was there? I Am He who is and who is to come, hearken unto My voice today. Length of days is before you,” says the Lord.

Someone has called Matthew 5:1-12 the “Be” attitudes of the Faith, so as I begin this devotional for today I want to start by asking this question: What’s your attitude toward God? In the story surrounding our devotional scripture Jesus lists several attitudes that challenge us all. Actually, they show the way to spiritual maturity in 8 steps. Four are internal and preparational and four are external and expressional. For the next few days let’s look at these together and hear the voice of the Lord speaking to our hearts and minds, calling us to His own attitude. Calling us to hold His attitudes and practice them in our lives.

I love the way Matthew begins this. Jesus, the word of God is about to speak to us. Notice the compact detail here. He sees the multitudes; He goes up, sits down, gathers the disciples and then Matthew gets very specific. Jesus opens his mouth. Right. What’s the point? Matthew’s formality here depicts Jesus as preparing to proclaim an oracle. Some translations cut out the formality here and just say “He began to teach them, saying.” The NIV does this. Personally I believe that is a mistake. Matthew intentionally drags out the details here in a three-fold introduction. Jesus opens His mouth, He teaches them, He is saying. Matthew could have simply put it, “Jesus said.” But what follows is so important that Matthew doesn’t want you to get there unprepared. So let’s prepare ourselves for these words of our Master. Open your hearts and minds. Receive the lessons taught. Listen carefully to what Jesus says. Blessed… 9 times Jesus uses this word. It means one who has received a gift or favor from God. We are not just talking about “happy.” Blessed is the opposite of cursed. One is a favor the other is a punishment.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Who are these? People who recognize their own poverty spiritually are blessed by God. This is the first step into the light of truth. It is the first step of recognizing our condition before God. To be poor in spirit is more than to be humble, it is like comparing myself to the perfection of Jesus and seeing the truth and accepting it as truth. I not only do not measure up, but I am like a miserable beggar standing by a King. Remember the story of the publican and the Pharisee Jesus talked about who were going up to pray? One bragged on himself before God. One wouldn’t even look up, but begged, “Lord have mercy on me a sinner!” Which one was poor in spirit in his own eyes? Which received God’s blessing? Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus will begin and end these eight steps talking about the kingdom of heaven. But the person who recognizes his spiritual poverty can’t stop there. This is only the launch pad for abundant blessings from God.


Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. After recognizing my spiritual condition, it ought to bring me grief. Have you ever known someone who was deep into sin and knew it, but wasn’t sorry about it at all? One who is honest about their spiritual poverty but who is not moved to godly sorrow can’t know God’s grace. You can’t see yourself as a sinner and look by faith at Jesus suffering on the cross for our sins not be moved to mourn. But there is comfort in Christ for the man who mourns because of his sin. In fact, this very attitude leads directly into the next.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. This word meek is translated gentle, submissive and humble in other places. Follow Jesus on this. A person sees his spiritual poverty; he grieves over it, and comes in meekness before God, willing to submit to God’s will and way. Jesus said God will give the whole world to people like that. All through the Bible God sees the proud and takes their stuff away and gives it to the meek who love him. God humbles the proud and exalts the humble.

...to be continued

Word For Today: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. – Matthew 13:35 - The life and teachings of Jesus threw a flood of light on the purposes of God long kept hidden.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=605 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:27:31 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=603 Obey them that have the rule over you,
and submit yourselves:
for they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account,
that they may do it with joy,
and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17

I hear the voice of the Lord saying to His people, “Press in for I, the Lord your God, will surely come to your aid. Be not afraid of the tempest as though it will utterly consume you for it shall not come nigh you, neither shall it touch anything concerning you. I have sent the tempest to refine you because My will must be accomplished in your life. Be still and know that I am your God”

Leading and following are eternally etched into the fabric of human relationships. In countless ways, we are participants in this interconnected dynamic. No group or organization of people can survive without the successful dynamic of leaders and followers. Leadership is all around us. It is germane to the corporate environment as well as governmental institutions. Leadership exists in both homes and huddles. This dynamic interchange of leaders and followers is in both the larger society and smaller social groups. Leadership occurs everywhere. A lot of time, attention, and research have been devoted to helping men and women to become better leaders. Leadership has become a science and specialty amassing an unlimited number of references, resources, academic degrees, training, and conferences.

While this emphasis on leadership is essential, it is only one side of the equation. There is no leadership when there are no followers. Like leaders, followers need to be taught, trained, encouraged, and empowered to follow.
We should not falsely assume that we know how to follow. Jesus spent His entire public ministry trying to recruit and sustain followers or disciples. The Lord was calling people to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Him. Ultimately, His followers, would become leaders but not before they had proven their willingness and ability to follow Him!

Following is a part of life! You are not fit to lead if you are not willing to follow! Watch this, students follow teachers; teachers follow principals; principals follow boards. Athletes follow coaches; coaches follow general managers. Privates follow sergeants; sergeants follow lieutenants; lieutenants follow captains. Nurses follow doctors; doctors follow administrations; board members follow chairmen. Wives follow husbands; children follow parents; younger siblings follow older siblings. Actors follow directors; passengers follow pilots; managers follow executives; technicians follow managers. Members follow ministers and shepherds; Ministry members follow ministry leaders; choir members follow choir directors and everybody follows Christ.

Unfortunately, our culture has grown increasingly unenthusiastic about following, and that’s because the position of follower is perceived as inferior and inglorious. This role of being a follower has been stigmatized as insignificant and has become undesirable. It’s really ironic because all of us are followers of someone or something. Our aversion to following is connected to an over emphasis of the individual and a de-emphasis on the whole. We have forgotten that there is no “I” in team! When the Yankees win the World Series, everyone on the team gets a ring and shares in the history.

Leading and following in the church of our Lord is more important than leading and following in any other organization. When people don’t lead and follow in the schools, students are not educated; but when people don’t lead and follow in the church, spirits are not fed the eternal Word. When people don’t lead and follow in the hospital, lives are lost; but when people don’t lead and follow in the church, souls are lost. When people don’t lead and follow in the workplace, jobs are lost; but when people don’t lead and follow in the church, there are no labourers for the harvest. When people don’t lead and follow in the CDC, disease spreads; but when people don’t lead and follow in the church, sin spreads. When people don’t lead and follow in the FDA, contamination occurs; but when people don’t lead and follow in the church, corruption occurs. So the real question is....

Which one are you???

Word For Today: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7 - We must endeavour to come near to God by purity and sincerity of life.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=603 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:37:51 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=601 But know that the LORD
hath set apart him that is godly for Himself:
the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.
Psalms 4:3

The Lord is saying to His people, “Ask of Me and I will perform it, even though it looks impossible, I will do it. You have sown in many tears, now is the time of harvest for I, the Lord your God, am about to cause you to reap the benefits and the blessings of your labor.” Pastor, the Word of the Lord to you today is, “Relax, as I draw you into My presence.”

If God has called us to be really like Jesus He is going to draw us into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon us such demands of obedience, that we will not be able to follow other people, or measure ourselves by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let us do. Other Christians and ministers, who seem very religious and anointed, may push themselves, pull strings, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but we cannot do it, and if we attempt it, we will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make us truly sorry. Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow us to do that, and if we try to, He will lead us into some deep shame that will make us despise ourselves and all our so-called good works. Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it may be at times that God will allow us to be poor, because He wants us to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying our needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honoured and put forward, and keep us hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce a choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep us small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He may make us work and toil on without knowing how much we are doing; and then to make what He does in and through us even more precious He may turn around and let others get credit for the work which we have done, and thus make our reward ten times greater when Jesus comes. The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over us, with a jealous love, and will rebuke us for little words and feelings or for wasting our time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to us a thousand things which puzzle our reason in His dealings with us, but if we absolutely sell ourselves to be completely His, He will wrap us up in a jealous love, and bestow upon us many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

We might as well settle it forever, then that we are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying our tongues, of chaining our hands, and closing our eyes, in ways that He does not seem to do in others. Now, when we become so overcome with the living God that we are, in the deep recesses of our heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over our life, then we will have found the way of Heaven.

“But know.” Fools will not learn, and therefore they must again and again be told the same thing, especially when it is such a bitter truth which is to be taught them, for example, the fact that the godly are the chosen of God, and are, by distinguishing grace, set apart and separated from among men. Election is a doctrine which unrenewed men cannot endure, but nevertheless, it is a glorious and well-attested truth, and one which should comfort the tempted believer. Election is the guarantee of complete salvation, and an argument for success at the throne of grace. He who chose us for Himself will surely hear our prayers. The Lord’s elect shall not be condemned, nor shall their cry be unheard. David was king by divine decree, and we are the Lord’s people in the same manner; let us tell our enemies to their faces, that they fight against God and destiny; when they strive to overthrow our souls. My friend, when you are on your knees, the fact of your being set apart as God’s own peculiar treasure, should give you courage and inspire you with fervency and faith. “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him?” Since He chose to love us He cannot but chose to hear us.

As we are engaged in His service; as we are appointed to accomplish a certain purpose for Him, we can confidently believe that He will hear us, and will deliver us out of their hands. Is not this always the true ground of encouragement to pray - that if God has a purpose to accomplish by us He will hear our prayer, and save us from danger, and deliver us out of the hand of our enemies? And should not this be the main design in our prayers - that God would thus spare us that we may accomplish the work which He has given us to do?

Believe that He will!!

Word For Today: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. – 2nd Timothy 2:19 - We who would have the comfort of the privilege must be conscious of the duty.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=601 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:31:42 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=599 For it was not an enemy that reproached me;
then I could have borne it:
neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me;
then I would have hid myself from him:
But it was thou, a man mine equal,
my guide, and mine acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together,
and walked unto the house of God in company.
Psalms 55:12-14

Hear the Word of the Lord, “Now is the time to come out of your state of complacency and begin to add action to what you profess.” I hear the Lord saying, “If you love Me, feed My sheep. That one in which you were so quick to despise is the very one I assigned to assist you in the process that I am taking you through. Despise not what you consider to be small in your eyes.”

Recent years have bombarded us with newsworthy headlines of Christian leaders abusing their people. Our rectitude and self-control have become laughable by sexual misconduct and financial impropriety. Our realness has become dubious by egocentric ministry practices and sensationalism. On a local level, many congregations face sloppy, absent, or exploitative pastoral care. Certainly false and juvenile leaders are among us, and we have beheld the Lord on a judgmental exposure campaign of those leaders. I believe that these are the days of an Ezekiel 34 visitation, and the inspection will continue. But have we pondered the reverse scenario...when followers abuse good leaders? The irony of bad leaders is that they eclipse the problem of bad followers.

We know good spiritual leaders battle tough demons. We know they battle persecution from secular sources. But do we recognize their hidden-in-plain-sight battle with abusive Christians? The good shepherds I know are expert in war against principalities and persecutors. But these same mighty men and women become like beached whales when those of their own number abuse them. To paraphrase our devotional scripture, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”

Bleeding Christians without a tourniquet become critics, and you want to know who becomes the #1 target – the leader. If these wounded hearts do not find healing, their faultfinding and complaining will escalate into flouting and anarchy, and I’ve known Churches that have split like this. We should ache inside when good leaders are criticized unfairly.

Now to be clear, I am not referring to when a leader fails morally, ethically, or legally, and thus brings shame upon the name of Jesus Christ. When such sins happen, it is biblically-appropriate and even commanded that we should publicly chasten these leaders (cf. 1st Timothy 5:20, Galatians 2:14; Numbers 25:4). Rather I am referring to when people single out innocent leaders in order to find fault. Sometimes these same leaders are totally blacklisted for frivolous reasons, and this from the lips and fingers of professing Christians! Such criticisms can cause abysmal discouragement; not necessarily because of the words themselves, but because the most important purposes of the church are being postponed as a result. Think about it, every minute of judgmental talk equals hundreds of thousands of souls that can die and descend into hell without Jesus. That, my friend, is discouraging to any purpose filled Christian.

Here's the sad reality, infantile and juvenile Christians love to launch this kind of criticism, disrespect, and even mockery, across denominational borders. There are still far too many among us that equate different with wrong. Is a leader any less Spirit-powered if he is calm and intellectual in his delivery? Is a leader any less Christ-centered if he is down-to-earth, simple, and uses PowerPoint? None of these nuances define spirit and truth. Spirit and truth is just that, spirit and truth. These treasures can be served in a variety of clay jars, which we all are. Can one jar criticize another because he or she is distinct? All that matters is whether there is treasure in the earthen vessel.

Here’s my advice, hold your denominational leanings loosely, and your tongue tightly. If more Christians did this, good leaders in all the denominations would collaborate with greater follower support. Many forces could be joined to establish the glory of the one Lord Jesus Christ and thus dethrone the kingdom of darkness.

Just food for thought!!

Word For Today: Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. – Psalms 41:9 - Where we place great confidence an unkind act is the more severely felt.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=599 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:31:00 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=597 …but the people that do know their God
shall be strong, and do exploits.
Daniel 11:32

“Watch” says the Lord, “for the day approaches when your ministry shall be tested by fire and I am calling you to remember that which I have spoken to you in the night season.” A family in Africa, God says, “Be very prayerful in this season for a change is coming your way”.

We are living in the days of escalated warfare, days in which the enemy has specifically designed tactics to wipe out our faith and utterly destroy our existence from off the face of the earth. Sadly, the intensity of the warfare has crippled many of God’s people leaving them suffering from battle fatigue. Some have grown tired of the constant battering because it’s like taking a hammer and constantly beating a person in the same spot on the head until they submit. It can even be likened to being in a German concentration camp where torture is applied to bring submission. Christians nowadays are getting drained mentally, emotionally and spiritually as the enemy deploys his many missiles to hinder and obstruct their progress. Usually in most circumstances this will bring with it the weight of feeling defeated. The adversary will cause delusion and confusion to throw us off track so that we will not be able to discern that which is true from that which is a lie.

One of the most effective weapons that the enemy uses against us is psychological warfare. This is a weapon that has the ability to cripple the person that succumbs to its power. When the emotion is brought under duress it becomes stripped and drained causing the person affected to become fearful or loose the motivation to do anything. In other words, it leads to complacency and even passivity as the person sees everything that is going on around them, has the knowledge of what needs to be done but feels no inclination to act upon it. Their will remains passive; their spirit becomes weighted down and has a hard time receiving encouragement, even from the Word. No motivation; no will to do anything… “but the people who do know their God”

Praise be to God, because in spite of the enemy’s tactical maneuvers we have been given a spiritual arsenal that has every weapon available to combat whatever the enemy should have occasion to deploy against us. One of the greatest weapons that we have is our intimacy with God through the Word because it brings us into a place of knowing His character and His attributes. The Word reveals God in all of His glory, the way in which He relates to us as His people and it gives us the authority to disqualify all that the enemy tries to perpetrate against us. It is the Word, the sword of the Spirit. Quicker and sharper than any two-edged sword, a component of the armour which discerns and divides asunder everything purposed for our destruction.

Our passage today says, “but the people that do know their God shall be strong”…you can only know Him through the Word and you can only defeat the enemy through the Word that is in you. Paul said to Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". (cf. 2nd Timothy 2:15) It is the doing of the Word on a daily basis that will help us to overcome the emotional warfare as well as the diverse attacks of the adversary. It is faith and works through the Word that will fortify us and keep us covered under the protective covering of Jesus. Knowing your God makes you strong and arms you for battle.

Are you armed and dangerous?

Word For Today: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. - Isaiah 54:17 - The weapon WILL be formed but it will have NO EFFECT on you.

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=597 Thu, 6 Jan 2011 23:21:54 -0600 http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=595 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn iron,
and I will make your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples;
and shall devote their gain to the LORD,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
Micah 4:13

There is hidden manna for the people of God, as He is about to resuscitate some businesses and bring a turnaround in finances. I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, “It’s time to seek Me for new strategies.” I see many turning away from the faith as the enemy will cause their hearts to faint, but I hear the words of Daniel 11:32 echoing in my spirit saying, “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” Seek the Lord for it is your fulness of time.

I hear the Spirit of the Lord speaking into the hearts of His daughters to “Arise and thresh;” get up out of despair and discouragement and take authority over the works of the enemy. The Lord has appointed for you this day that you shall walk in victory and strength; in integrity and power.

There has been a season of trouble in your family where even those around you that you have trusted have proven to serve you with hidden agendas and mischief in their hearts, but know that the Lord your God is your shield and defense. He shall defend you when you are falsely accused and rejected; cast off by men. The Lord your God shall do battle for you. Micah 4:10 says, “Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.” Rescue is divinely appointed. Your victory is assured.

Arise – Come up. Whatever negative emotion has kept you in a place of oppression or suppression, you need to shake yourself into the realization that victory is appointed for you. Your warfare is accomplished and you need to walk in it. Bring your mind into agreement with God’s declared victory for your life. You are being called into a mindset for warfare; to do battle with the understanding that you have already won. You are not trying to achieve victory, but rather establish the fact that it is already yours. When God spoke it was already established and your agreement will activate it. What you think, speak or do will determine the level of victory that you will see manifested.

In Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible the following comment is made: “Arise - (It may be,) from the dust in which they were lying, “I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass.” Threshing in the East is partly with oxen, partly with wheels of iron, or with planks set with sharp flints on an open place made hard to this end. The prophet joins another image, with this and represents Judah as being by God endued with strength, first as with a “horn of iron” (cf. 1st Kings 22:11) to cast the enemy to the ground, and then with “hoofs of brass,” wherewith to trample them to dust, as the stubble and chaff. “And I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord,” that is, to Myself; the Lord gathered them into the floor by His Providence; the Lord gave His people strength to subdue them; and now, in His own Person, He says, I will complete My own work. The very image of the “threshing” implies that this is no mere destruction. While the stubble is “beaten” or bruised to small pieces, and the chaff is far more than the wheat, and is carried out of the floor, there yet remains the seed-corn. So in the great judgments of God, while most is refuse, there yet remains over, what is severed from the lost heap and wholly “consecrated” to Him.” Thresh - To beat soundly with a stick or whip. With the sword of the Spirit, you must arise and...

Beat the enemy soundly!

Word For Today: Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion - Isaiah 52:2 - Afflictions are the furnace in which the Lord refines and purifies his people so shake it off!!

]]> General http://iceministries.org/devotional/index.php?itemid=595 Wed, 5 Jan 2011 23:01:36 -0600