Five Minutes with Jesus: Transforming Power

By Randal A. Wiedemann

Today's culture is overscheduled, typically characterized by short attention spans. We want to compress our lives into small, bite-sized pieces. Taking this approach with Jesus can draw us into a relationship that becomes the focus of our delight. Eventually, our desire for true life is whetted by brief meetings with Jesus. The longer we spend with Him, the more His divinely radioactive life infuses ours with the power of an endless life. The irony of the book title is that five minutes with Jesus is never enough.

Five Minutes with Jesus presents a daily devotional that focuses on meeting with Jesus in ways that may be new to some Christians. Each day, author Randal Wiedemann takes a look at a different aspect of Jesus, the most discussed person in history. Wiedemann focuses on how to live the Christian faith with delight, depth, meaning, compassion, and joy. You will discover and be reminded that this is only possible when Jesus Christ lives in and through us.

Five Minutes with Jesus is about spending quality time with God. For those who know Jesus, it is a joy to go to that secret inner place of the heart and meet with Him. For those who do not, there may be a vague sense of looking for something. You may not know what it is you are looking for, but when you find it, don't be surprised if it's Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490898056

Randal A. Wiedemann

Randal A. Wiedemann has an M.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master’s in Practical Ministries from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. He is an authority on making mistakes and experiencing the grace of God firsthand. Randal is president of an aviation consulting firm and lives with his family in central Kentucky. Randal's ministry to nursing homes began when he visited his mother at Dover Manor. It has continued and grown over the years. He has recorded stories about this process to help others discover their hidden ministry talents.

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Copyright © 2015 Randal A. Wiedemann.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-9804-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9806-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9805-6 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 01/23/2020

Contents

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Preface

Three years ago, a man of prayer gave me the pen that I have just taken up today to write with. After a prayer breakfast, Brother Rick stood at the door and greeted people as they left the room. I was near the end of the line and wanted to talk with him about his ministry. We spoke for several minutes and before I knew it, only the two of us remained in the room. Brother Rick looked at me and said, In my prayer time this morning, God told me that a person He has selected to write about Him would remain in the room and talk with me after breakfast. I was to look for that person, pray for him, and give him a gift. Brother Rick left the room and came back with an expensive Parker pen. He handed it to me with a prayer that God would use it to His glory. That pen has lain on my desk for three years. Today, I picked it up and began writing.

This book is about spending quality time with God. For those who know Jesus, it is a joy to go to that secret inner place of the heart and meet with Him. For those who do not know Him, there may be a vague sense of looking for something. You may not know what it is you are looking for, but when you find it, don’t be surprised if it’s Jesus. In this book of devotions, I write an honest account of what goes on inside - the struggles and the victories. When I say that Jesus told me this or that, it is a convention that I am using to describe my hearing and interpretation of that inner voice that we all have. It is not audible, but it is nevertheless real. Listen and hear My voice, pay attention and hear what I say (Isa. 28:23). How do we hear a voice that has no sound? We hear it with our hearts and we confirm it with Holy Scripture: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ (Isa. 30:21). That is the pre-planned journey given to us by our Creator. If it is pre-planned, does that mean it is predictable and dull? Absolutely not! It takes real courage to follow that voice. I pray that God gives you the courage to live such an exciting life!

Randal Wiedemann

November 2005.

Bible References:

New International Version (NIV): Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. Bible references in this book are NIV unless otherwise noted.

Amplified Version (AMP): Scripture taken from The Amplified Bible is used by permission of the Lockman Foundation and the Zondervan Corporation. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation®. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher.

King James Version (KJV): Authorized Version of the King James Bible. No copyright required.

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Message (TM): Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

The Living Bible (TLB): Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1976. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

What I’ve Learned

When I first started my walk with the Lord, I really didn’t have a good grasp of the issues. I didn’t know what was at stake. But over time, going to seminary, reading the Bible, listening to other good teaching, and making serious mistakes time and time again, I’ve learned a lot. Here are some of the critical things that I’ve learned along with some of my favorite Scripture verses:

1. I’ve learned that God is an uncreated being. That is, He has always existed. That’s hard for us to grasp. God is more than and different from His creation. Scientists know now that our universe has not always existed. There is more evidence today that a singular event called creation (Big Bang, etc.) brought our universe into being. There are profound implications to this and it is one reason why many astrophysicists are converting to some belief in God. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1).

2. I’ve learned that God is sovereign and we’re not. Anyone who tells you that God is lacking anything or any power is not talking about God. God’s plan is perfect while our shortcut plan always leads to more trouble and more work. There is meaning in history. The world is moving toward a concluding chapter. It may take another 1,000 years to get there or it could happen this year. But God is the Author of all of it and I’ve learned that Israel is His timeclock. ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jer 29:11).

3. I’ve learned that hell is real. God’s Day of Judgment is real. Everyone will be raised from the dead to give an account for their life. We cannot count on a death of annihilation (where we simply cease to be) to get out of our moral responsibility. In addition to heaven, Jesus spoke about hell. Yes, gentle Jesus. And given our desire not to believe in hell, and that no one should go to hell, it would take our Lord Himself to warn us that hell is real. Jesus said: But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Mat 12:36- 37). But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him (Luke 12:5).

4. I’ve learned that heaven is real and it’s more than a trillion times better than we think it is. Most people, when asked if they think they will go to heaven say that they hope so. The reason for getting in: about 90 percent say that they have tried to live a good life. Only about 10 percent say that they flee to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their only means of getting into heaven. We either have a 100 percent chance or a 0 percent chance of getting in and it’s all related to salvation in Jesus Christ. Trying to live a good life won’t get you into heaven. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do (Rom 3:28 TLB).

5. I’ve learned that love covers a multitude of sins. Getting everything else right without love equals failure. I’ve failed a lot and the key ingredient missing most of the time was love. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3). From that Scripture we infer: If I have the perfect doctrine and know all religion, but have not the love of Jesus in me, coming through me, it counts for nothing.

6. I’ve learned that religion is often used as a substitute for a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without this relationship, religion is worthless. Jesus said: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’ (Mat 15:8-9).

7. I’ve learned that Jesus wants your whole heart. There is a personal transaction needed. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jer 29:13).

8. I’ve learned that we have an enemy in this world that uses deception to win converts. If the truth were laid bare and everyone could take it, Satan’s kingdom would fall instantly like a house of cards. Ultimately, that will happen. So, truth doesn’t require me as defender. Truth simply is. And its sheer power will win out in the end. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

9. I’ve learned that true kindness is an ability to love the unlovely. We ruin the economy of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth when we use uncommon kindness. The world can be transformed into the kingdom of God, one act of kindness at a time. The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Mat 25:40).

10. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s more important to find Jesus in someone than to bring Jesus to that person. You don’t have to love a person to bring Jesus to them. You do have to love them if you want to find Jesus in them. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).

11. I’ve learned that there are better results by leading through example rather than words. Do as I say, not as I do never works very well. And it’s very important to keep your word. Do what you say you are going to do!

12. I’ve learned that prayer is essential to any move of God in our lives. Dead churches are churches that don’t pray. Dead people are people who don’t pray. You cannot be too busy to pray. If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy. Jesus accomplished more in three years than any person in history - and He was never too busy to pray.

13. I’ve learned that marriage is a gift from God. Families are to be nurtured and cherished. Along these lines, there is no substitute for time with loved ones. Quality time involves more quantity than quality.

14. I’ve learned that people love stories and pretty much don’t like preaching. Jesus used stories to explain very deep spiritual truth. Because life is a process, it’s more fun not to know the ending of story at the beginning. So, I’m learning to do more storytelling and less preaching. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable (Mat 13:34).

15. I’ve also learned to keep it brief. We all have a right to free speech, but no one has a right to be heard. If you want to be heard, get to the point.

16. I’ve learned that being positive is much more than being positive. It’s an affirmation that God is in control and that Good rules the universe. Someone has said that attitude determines altitude. Often, our problem is not our problem, it’s our attitude toward our problem that’s our problem. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

17. I’ve learned that what we can’t do, God can do. He is the God of miracles and impossible dreams. Our faith and His power equal abundant living. Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with men is possible with God’ (Luke 18:27). And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor 9:8).

18. I’ve learned that there is immense power in the decision of one person to follow God. It can literally change the world. Even with 6 or 7 billion people on earth, no one is unimportant. God values human life as sacred from conception until the natural end of life. Each believer is the apple of God’s eye. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings (Psa 17:8).

19. I’ve learned that whatever we do, we should do it with all our might as unto the Lord. Life is too short to leave anything on the table. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Col 3:23-24).

20. I’ve learned to persevere. Never quit. Never give up. Jesus said: but he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mat 24:13).

21. Finally, I’ve learned that everything redounds to the glory of God. The earth proclaims His glory in creation. Heaven proclaims the glory of His mercy and loving kindness. Hell proclaims the glory of His justice and holiness. Everything everywhere proclaims the glory of the Lord. Our lives, then, should be dedicated to His glory. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14).

The rest of this book takes a brief look at the topic of the day. My prayer is that you will be blessed by it as much as I was in writing it. Amen.

January 1 - Getting to Know Jesus (Part 1)

So how do we get to know Jesus better? One method is to read the Bible. When we were given a homework assignment in school, we didn’t go home and simply write a paper about the subject without looking up some information either in the encyclopedia or CliffsNotes, or heaven forbid - the textbook. We did some research. But it is amazing that many Christians will attempt to learn more about Jesus without consulting the Bible. In the Bible we have a short biography and some lecture notes about who Jesus was and what He taught in His earthly ministry. Think about this: Jesus really lived in history and walked this earth and breathed this air that we breathe. But many people ignore this and believe that the glorified Christ in heaven has nothing to do with the earthly Christ. They say that they’re going to get Jesus to speak directly to them about what to do and how to live, etc. This isn’t a bad practice and prayer to Jesus is important. But we better have a good working knowledge of what Jesus taught or else we aren’t going to know the difference between Satan and Jesus in our prayer time. What? Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Not every voice that you hear in your head is the voice of God. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).

As you read the words of Jesus in the Bible, you get closer to learning His heart and feeling what He felt. There is no substitute for this time with Jesus. In our minds we may be thinking about gentle Jesus, but then we read His condemnation of the Pharisees and the harshness of His tone. Was that Jesus? Yes! He reflects the whole character of God - both justice and mercy, love and punishment. Most of us know the Jesus we want to know but not the real Jesus. The real Jesus is revealed in the Bible and it is there that we must learn of Him in His totality.

January 2 - Getting to Know Jesus (Part 2)

The second way that we know Jesus better is to pray. Many Christians aren’t hostile toward God, they just ignore Him. And that attitude is the essence of sin - independence from God. Our whole purpose on earth is what? To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. How can we do that without speaking to Him? They say that in every relationship, the degree of love and care is measured by the amount of communication that takes place. The more communication, the more love. When communications dry up, the relationship breaks. Isn’t it a good thing that God isn’t human? Because if He were, He would have walked out a long time ago from neglect. We give Him the silent treatment for days and He still hangs around. If a human being were to be a doormat like that, we would likely disrespect that person and take them for granted - which is what we often do to the Lord.

If we are to know Jesus, we must pray in Spirit and in Truth. How? By calling out to the Lord in earnest. Too often, it takes a crisis before we get serious with God. Beware! If that’s what it takes to get you to come to God, God will keep you in crisis for your own good! God says: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jer 29:13). When our life is on the line, we are able to pray with our whole heart. We must not wait until things are desperate before opening our prayer channel to Jesus. The promise is this: seek Jesus with your whole heart and you will find Him. He is the Pearl of great price. He has been there all along and all we must do to speak with Him is pray. It seems so simple, yet many people just don’t do it. So, stand at the inner door in prayer and knock until He opens it and bids you to enter. You will never be the same.

January 3 - Getting to Know Jesus (Part 3)

A third way of getting to know Jesus is to obey Him: Spiritual understanding is not based as much on intelligence as it is on obedience. Some spiritual truths can only be known through obedience. Immediately we obey, we understand. If you are having trouble understanding some Biblical concept, obey it from your heart, and God will give you the insight and understanding of it. You will have a flash of revelation that will never come with book-learning. Listen to what Jesus says: If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15). What has Jesus commanded? This is my command: Love each other (John 15:17). We cannot say that we love Jesus but despise people. Jesus says that if we actually love Him, we will obey His command. Notice that it does not say that in order for Him to love us, we must first obey Him. No. For us to love Him, we must obey. He first loved us and there is nothing that we can do that will get Him to love us more than He already does.

When we obey Jesus, we are simply following His perfect example. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him (Heb 5:8-9). Jesus was so obedient to His Father, that everything He said was exactly what the Father told Him to say (John 12:50). But in our obedience, Jesus makes it clear that we are more than servants, we are His friends. He has told us about His business and made His business our business. Do you know what your Lord is up to? Jesus says that we do. And if you want to draw near to Him, consider His ongoing mission. Do you know Him well enough to join Him side-by-side in the trenches of life, loving people as He loved them? That is the mark of a disciple, a friend, and a lover of Jesus.

January 4 - Getting to Know Jesus (Part 4)

A fourth way of getting to know Jesus is to praise Him. You can’t praise Him unless you know in your heart that He is Lord - He is divine and we are not. And once you do come into personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, your whole view of religion changes. It is no longer something you do. It’s something that you are. It’s no longer a set of rules, it’s a love relationship between you and Jesus. The most natural thing to do once you know Him is to praise Him. His goodness rescues us from ourselves and deep inside we know this. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name (Heb 13:15). The sacrifice is only the effort it takes to begin praising God. The devil will do all he can to keep you from starting, but once you start, it is like a good workout - you don’t want to stop until you’re finished.

If you really want to be happy, find a way to praise the Lord. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise (James 5:13b). You can turn this one around. If you are unhappy, begin to sing songs of praise and you cannot help but become happy. Praise breaks unhappiness. And in fact, praise is spiritual warfare. When Paul and Silas were in prison, listen to what happened: After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose (Acts 16:23-26). Right after this, the jailer and his family received Christ. If you want to set the devil’s teeth on edge, praise God and sing to Him, particularly when you are suffering hardship. Your world will begin to change.

January 5 - Right Here, Right Now

Jesus right here, right now! Why do we put off interacting with Jesus? Is there any reason that He cannot act in my life right here and right now? Yes! It is my unbelief. To believe in the here and now of Jesus would require a change in my thinking and living patterns. So, I have decided that the fear of change is not worth missing Jesus! Think of what the people of the Gerasenes missed: Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left (Luke 8:36-37). The people of Gerasenes begged Jesus to leave out of fear. The power of His miracles assaulted their self-assurance and an irrational fear of the Holy overcame them. But noticed this: they did not see Jesus again. His return to that area was not recorded in Scripture.

Today is the day that the Lord has made. Not tomorrow or yesterday, but today. When tomorrow arrives, it will be today. Let us focus on having Jesus today. To have Jesus right now, we do not have to speak a heavenly language. Jesus speaks English (and all other languages). We do not have to be in a heavenly frame of mind. Jesus works in the small every-day details of life. We do not have to be in an urgent frame of mind because crisis is upon us. Jesus never hurried. We do not have to be perfect. Jesus is perfect for us. To have Jesus all the time, we simply need to believe that we can have Him all the time! God will answer that call of faith. We need not put it off one more minute. Jesus is right here, right now. Open your heart and mind, knowing that Jesus said, All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away (John 6:37). We can be vulnerable to Him who loves us. Do not be like the people of the Gerasenes - afraid of the power of Jesus to change them. Let us be moldable in the hands of God. He will change us for the better if we let Him. Not tomorrow, but today!

January 6 - Going Through It With Jesus

Abandoned and all alone: that’s one of the most feared conditions of the human heart. Gang members recruit lonely young men to be part of their family. We go with the crowd even when it’s wrong because it’s too painful to walk alone. Getting separated from our parents in a public place caused us to cry out in fear when we were small children. Why? Because we felt abandoned and alone. It is a terrible feeling - like the outer darkness that Jesus spoke about. I have laughed at jokes that aren’t funny; I’ve drunk alcoholic beverages that I had no taste for; I’ve looked the other way when truth was being slain. Why? So that I wouldn’t walk alone. Aloneness reminds me of death, for alone we must die. Alone, we will face our Creator. If I am alone, I bear the responsibility of all of my actions because there is no one to share the load. Such is my state if Jesus is not my intimate friend.

Being alone need not be a time of loneliness! On the contrary, the secret of being a friend of Jesus is to get alone with Him. But when you pray, go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father secretly, and your Father, who knows your secrets, will reward you (Mat 6:6 TLB). Jesus went into the desert alone to be tempted. He retreated often before daybreak to pray alone. When He heard that John the Baptist had been killed, He went to a deserted place in a boat to be alone. Although we can get away from people, God tells us that we are never alone. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. What job could we not tackle, knowing that Jesus is with us throughout it? Jesus said, … You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me (John 16:32). A Partner who loves me, who will never leave me, and who strengthens me and gives me hope, is an everlasting source of life. God Himself promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5).

January 7 - The Presence of God

Consider the presence of God. When you think of our Creator, what images come to mind? Ineffable light, tender, loving, healing, fullness. It should be more of an experience than a thought. God bids us to come into His presence. Jesus said: Come unto Me (Mat 11:28 KJV). Not for punishment, but for rest. Not for shame, but for healing. God bids us into His presence, but only with the divine covering of Jesus. But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; … So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need (Heb 4:14, 16 TLB). We are not to run in and then run out of His presence. We are to stay there and bask in His mercy and grace - His love and power, His strength and healing. We are to be sponges soaking up all that radiates from the heart of God. Is the call of God reaching your ears? Come unto Me! The command goes out. Who will hear it?

There is a love so sweet, that it melts every suspicion, conquers every fear, and bridges every gulf of estrangement. This is the affirmation of your soul. This is the love of Jesus for you and me. But only as we enter into His presence and stay there will we find this pearl of great price. Impatience to leave is the enemy. Surrender all! Don’t waste another moment! Walk boldly into that love and stay there for a time. Let the presence of God soak through your soul and body until you, like Moses glow with the radiance of the Almighty. Dear friend, we must not be healed in spirit before we first come into His presence. We must limp or be carried, we must be let down on a stretcher through the ceiling if necessary, but we dare not heal ourselves. Only God can heal us, and we know it in our heart of hearts. Hear now the call of God beckoning you to enter into holy ground! There are no pre-conditions to a meeting with God. Simply come! Believe that God will prepare you. Believe that God will provide all that is needed. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name (Psa 100:4 KJV). All of this will come naturally as we behold His majestic presence.

January 8 - The Light of His Presence

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). God’s power is borne in light. All through Scripture the light of God is associated with His glorious presence. From the first words of creation: Let there be light, the universe has been illumined with the working and passion of God. What did the pillar of fire that hovered over the Israelites look like? When Moses came down from the Mount, how did his face shine? What glorious light invaded the Temple when Solomon reigned? That night outside of Bethlehem, the shepherds were surprised and greatly frightened by the holy spectacle of angels and heavenly warriors proclaiming the birth of Jesus Christ. They were all surrounded by glorious light from heaven. And then on the Mount where Jesus was transfigured - There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Mat 17:2). What did Peter see? He writes: My own eyes have seen his splendor and his glory: I was there on the holy mountain when he shone out with honor given him by God his Father (2 Pet 1:16-17 TLB).

Lord, why don’t we see this glorious light today? It is because spiritual light is seen through spiritual eyes. How are our eyes opened? By asking Jesus to show you His glory. Ah, to be like our Lord, we must be filled with His light, and there can be no darkness in us at all. Jesus warned: See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you (Luke 11:35-36). How can light be darkness? Our self-generated light is darkness before the Lord. But see here, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves from your own fires and not from God’s; you will live among sorrows (Isa 50:11 TLB). There is one true light and it is from God everlasting. When Jesus was born, The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world (John 1:9). Behold! The light shines on you right now. You are bathed in His presence with that holy brilliant light. He who has eyes to see, let him see!

January 9 - Give Thanks to the Lord

Do you sometimes feel that there is a barrier between you and God? Christians are afflicted with feelings of isolation from God all the time. The devil would love nothing better than for you and me to give up on God and stay isolated from Him. One way to break this barrier is to give thanks and praise to God. The devil is the accuser that throws our past sins back in our faces and dares us to act or move toward God. He wants to shame us from coming into the presence of the Lord. However, we must challenge this deception and counter with a sacrifice of praise. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name (Heb 13:15). The sacrifice of praise being described here is the process of moving off dead center; beginning to voice praise even if we don’t feel it from our heart. Like exercise, the beginning is difficult, but after the blood gets pumping, the exercise takes on a life of its own. Praise kindles the fires of our heart in the Holy Spirit’s warmth. God hears us even when our voices reflect coldness and emptiness. He urges us to continue - don’t be discouraged! Life is on the way!

Praise starts with the knowledge that we are not okay. We are not self-sufficient. True praise recognizes our shortcomings and gives grateful thanks to our Creator for all of the provision that we ourselves cannot affect. Those who are rich in their self-conceit have such a hard time coming to the Lord, because they do not know their need of Him. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Mat 19:23). The abundance of the rich can be a curse that prevents them from needing to go to God for supply. Blessed are the poor in spirit - those are the people who freely go to the Lord for supply and recognize their inability to produce abundance. Praise be to God for His love of us and His everlasting care! Give thanks to Him today for all your needs that only He can fill. He is our Source.

January 10 - Mental Clarity

The mind of Christ is crystal clear. If mental clarity were likened to weather, it would be a crisp day of low humidity with no clouds and brilliant sunshine. At night, the vast universe of stars would be sharply visible and seemingly touchable. Fuzzy thinking, on the other hand, is just that. It is out of focus because something sits right in the middle of our thought process. It is usually our protection of something we hold dear that we know in our heart of hearts is wrong. Yet we dare not expose our sympathies to this sin to God and because we do not, we pay the price of mental darkness. The process of becoming deluded is detailed in Romans: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (Rom 1:20-22). To become a fool, we simply need to deny the truth that we clearly know about God. Our hearts will be darkened, and we begin to live in unreality.

Mental clarity is the absence of an agenda. It is perfect receptivity to the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5 KJV). What is the mind of Christ? It is nothing less than the Spirit of Christ living in you. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:11). Christ’s Spirit living in you gives you His mental clarity. Perfect reality is a view of the world through God’s eyes and from His perspective. All else is somewhat unreal. There can be no mental clarity without moral clarity. The two go hand in hand. Grey areas disappear when God’s moral clarity is perceived. If you want to be wise, ask the God of all wisdom to grant you mental clarity. It is a gift that carries with it a suite of serendipitous treasures.

January 11 - Old Wineskins

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins (Mark 2:22). These words of Jesus made sense to me when speaking of wineskins. I did not understand the application to spiritual matters. Jesus used natural examples to teach spiritual lessons: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Mat 16:6 KJV). He spoke about leaven, mustard seeds, flowers of the field, grain, sowing seed, sparrows, etc. So what did Jesus mean when He spoke about new wine and new wineskins? The answer comes from the preceding paragraphs: They said to him, ‘John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.’ Jesus answered, ‘Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast’ (Luke 5:33-35). John and his disciples were old school. They still operated on the basis of the Old Testament. The New Covenant in Jesus had not yet come. And so, John’s disciples fasted and prayed - old wine in old wineskins.

Jesus, You are the New Wine! Your disciples everywhere are the new wineskins. Whereas the old wineskins were not flexible and couldn’t contain the bubbling growth of Your Holy Spirit, Your new wineskins can! The season for fasting is not upon them as long as Jesus is with them and in them. It is when we grow hungry spiritually or have specific prayers that require our concentrated intercession that fasting for God and His presence is effective. Jesus predicted that such a time would come to His believers - particularly in their prayer lives. But in the meantime, let us enjoy the new wine of His Holy Spirit while Jesus dines with us. May we taste and be filled right now! Amen.

January 12 - One Source

John answered, A man can receive nothing, he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing except as it has been granted to him from heaven. A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source (John 3:27 AMP). How often we look horizontally for the essentials of life. If we believe we must please our employer falsely to secure that raise or worry about wearing the right clothes to ensure we are not ostracized from the in group, then our view is horizontal and not vertical.

What if we actually believed that God was our only source? How would that change our attitudes? Who would we try to please? Or does God not understand your situation? Must you make exceptions to some of His rules in order to get what you want? That is the reasoning process if we don’t believe in His total provision. God helps those who help themselves. Too often this phrase is a cop-out for weak faith. Half-hearted trust is just that. It bleeds off any power that God may convey to us. True faith looks vertically to God and will test the provision of God - not God Himself, but His provision. God asks: "‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing