Come Up Higher, Vol. 3 | Day 357

Day 357

Deuteronomy 16:9 Amplified Version

"You shall count seven weeks; begin to number the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain."

Sometimes we may think we can do things God has told us to do when we want to do it. However, we must understand that God created time for a reason. Sometimes we have missed the timing of God and lost out on what we should have received. A natural example of the importance of doing things at the right time has to do with farming. We cannot plant anything anytime and expect a harvest. Crops need to be planted at specific times if we expect to have what we want to eat at harvest time.

When God fed the Israelites manna in the wilderness, there was a time for them to collect their share. After that time, which was in the morning after the dew left, the manna melted. They had to collect their food before the sun warmed the earth.

When God speaks to us, we must seek Him about timing. We should not act prematurely. We should not be late either. When it is clear that God is telling us to move immediately, we need to move without consulting our heads, because if we hesitate, we may miss God and hurt ourselves or others. The Israelites who spoke against entering the promised land after they had heard the evil report of ten spies decided to go and take the land after God told them their disrespect would cause them to die in the wilderness. That was not the time for them to make good confessions and try to fight the enemy. The time to do that was when Joshua and Caleb encouraged them to go up at once and posses the land. When they decided to fight at the wrong time, God did not help them, and they were defeated.

Let us remember to respect God's timing when He instructs us to do something at a specific time. May we practice obedience to God on a consistent basis until we flow naturally with His timing.

I will respect God's timing and be obedient when He speaks to me. The Holy Spirit will teach me how to recognize the right time to do what needs to be done.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 356

Day 356 

Matthew 8:26 Amplified Version

"And He said to them, Why are you timid and afraid, 0 you of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness)."

Even though Jesus was with the disciples, they were not free from fear. Sometimes we can think just knowing God is with us will eliminate fear. However, that is not enough. Jesus told the disciples that they were afraid because they had little faith.

The kind of faith God gives comes by hearing His Word. It does not come by hearing words from the Bible as if they are magical. It comes by hearing the words from the Bible with the understanding that a God who cannot lie inspired those words to be written and stands behind them. It comes from hearing God's Word with a spiritual ear, so the Word goes into our spirits in abundance. We will know when that Word is in us in abundance when it begins to come out of our mouths spontaneously. Jesus said that from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. In other words, when we get full of something, it will spill out.

So, when we are afraid, it may not be because we do not believe God is with us. It may be that our Word level is low. We need to increase our meditation of the scriptures. Meditating the Word and communing with God over the Word will make His presence with us more meaningful.

The Word will also help us· overcome another challenge the disciples had. They were afraid because they were ignorant of their own God-given abilities. Jesus rebuked them, because they, too, had the ability to command the storm to cease but did not put their ability into action. Because they had a covenant with Almighty God, they were guaranteed protection, but because they did not understand their covenant, they were ignorant of their ability to handle the situation. Meditating the Word brings us a revelation of who is with us, as well as who is in us. A lion never runs in terror from a hyena. Likewise, we will never run in terror from the devil when we realize the Lion of the tribe of Judah is inside us.

Another thing we must do to help ourselves is make sure we are not outweighing our positive input with negative input. For example, some of us have difficulty forgetting images we see on television or descriptions we hear or read about. If we allow ourselves to be consistently exposed to bad news - murder, robbery, accidents and other crimes and tragedies - we will have to study the Word that much more to counteract the negative input. We do not need to work against ourselves. Therefore, we must minimize the amount of bad news or violent and horror stories we listen to.

Let us meditate the Word and spend time communing with God. When we are afraid, let us realize what needs to be done and do it. God has not given us the spirit of fear. He has given us whatever we need to win. He has made us more than conquerors. We can commune with God in our prayer closets, in our automobiles, in the shower or wherever we may be. He is always available.

Whenever I am afraid, I will turn to the Word of God and commune with Him. His Word will create in me an awareness of who is with me, who is in me and the authority I have as a believer. I will always overcome fear.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 355

Day 355

Matthew 8:22

"But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."

Sometimes, what Jesus had to say was not socially acceptable. Sometimes, He did not give religiously correct answers. Most ministers are afraid to be as bold as He was. In Matthew Chapter 8, when a potential disciple asked to be excused until his father died, Jesus' response indicated that waiting for his father to expire was no excuse for putting off following Jesus. (The man did not necessarily mean his father was·about to die. He probably meant he wanted to stay close to his father as long as his father was alive. Then after his father's death, he would follow Jesus.) He told him that those who were spiritually dead should wait around to bury the dead who were just like them, and those who were spiritually alive should be pursuing the will of God.

Many people never fulfill their divine purpose, because they are kept in bondage to others who have no interest in the will of God. Sometimes people are deceived into thinking they can help the hopelessly "dead" people, but people cannot be helped when they have no desire to do anything different from what they are used to. These people do just enough to keep the one who would like to go forward from accomplishing anything significant.

Everyone can be helped, but they have to want help. We must decide to follow God alone and pursue our destinies with Jesus in our view. Once we have firmly decided to put God first, we need to trust Him to show us who we can and should help. We should want everyone to receive help. God does. However, we cannot be kept from reaching those who want help by those who only want attention. That is where the leadership of the Holy Spirit comes in. As we practice following the Spirit of God, we will learn to discern who is ready to be helped and who is not. We will know who God is directing us to help, so we can focus on them instead of the ones we want to help because of our emotions. That does not mean everyone we are led to reach out to will respond. Sometimes God will send us to minister for a specific time period to stiffnecked people who will never respond. The main point, however, is we need to follow God and not our feelings.

It is important that we understand that we are not God. We must submit our desires to help people to God and let Him direct us. If God decides someone cannot be reached at a particular point in time, who are we to overrule Him? If God decides that we should not minister to a particular group of people at a given time, as He did with the apostle Paul, who are we to arrange our own schedule and calendar? Even when it comes to our relatives, we must be ready to follow Jesus and let the dead bury their own dead.

I will humbly submit to the will of God and reach out to those He sends me to. With God's help, I will not allow emotions to determine my direction in life.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4| Day 354

Day 354

I Samuel 1:20

"Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord."

Hannah had been unable to have children. She prayed earnestly, asking God to give her a son. She promised that she would dedicate her son to the service of the Lord. God answered her prayer, and she named him Samuel, which means "asked of God." With great gratitude, Hannah brought her son to the priest and told him Samuel was given to the Lord for life. Samuel lived with Eli the priest and began serving God in the temple as a child.

Hannah showed her gratitude to God for the gift He gave her. She decided to allow Samuel to be a blessing to the Lord. What has God blessed us with? Do we use our possessions to bless the Lord? Would we transport someone to church in our new car? Would we use our new home to host a church fellowship or other church-sponsored gathering? Would we feed some needy person at our table? Would we use our new dishes to serve someone other than ourselves or those we want to impress?

Do we allow or encourage the husband, wife or children God gave us to serve Him? After God has blessed us, are we then selfish with our gifts? Some Christians actually hinder their family members from serving God. They are totally selfish in their dealings with family members. If it is in some way an inconvenience to them for their loved ones to serve God, they complain instead of supporting them.

Let us remember that every good and perfect gift comes from above. Our Heavenly Father has been good to us, and we should show our gratitude in words and deeds. After all, we are only stewards of everything we possess. We can only handle them as long as we are on the earth. After that, the stewardship of those things will pass on to someone else. So, we should show God gratitude for the opportunity to be blessed by the gifts He has given us to enjoy while we are here.

I will endeavor to show God gratitude for everything He has blessed me with. I will aim to use all I have to be a blessing to the Lord.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 353

Day 353

Genesis 3:15: I Corinthians 2:7-8

 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel"

 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

Immediately after the fall of man, God set His redemptive plan in motion. He prophesied that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. This was a mystery that gave the devil a "headache" for thousands of years. He tried to kill everyone he thought might be the fulfillment of that prophecy. He could not understand the plan of redemption.

The mystery of redemption included the virgin birth. God referred to the "seed of the woman." The man, not the woman, is the one who bears the seed in conception. God was speaking prophetically about how Mary would bring forth the Son of God without the aid of a man. She received seed from the Holy Spirit and became pregnant with the Messiah. When Satan realized who Jesus was, he thought if he could defeat Him, the plan of redemption would be forever lost. However, he did not know what to do to stop Jesus Christ. He tempted the Savior, but Jesus resisted every temptation. Finally, he crucified Him, not realizing Jesus was willingly laying His life down. The death of Christ began the eternal defeat of Satan, and the scriptures reveal that if the devil and his team had understood the significance of Christ's death, they would not have killed Him.

The story of redemption shows that God is not only faithful because of His character, but also because of His omnipotence. Sometimes, we are well meaning and our character may be flawless. Yet, we can be unfaithful to our word because of circumstances beyond our control. For example, we can tell someone we will arrive in town at I0:00 AM, but if we are flying and the jet does not land until 10:30 AM, there is nothing we can do to stick by our original word. That is why we have to sometimes make promises with allowances for circumstances beyond our control. Not so with God. If He promises something, He has the ability to carry it out, and nothing or nobody can stop Him. He knows how to keep His plan a mystery to those who would attempt to stop Him, and He sometimes uses their ignorance to accomplish His task.

We serve a faithful God who is almighty. We can trust in and rely on Him one hundred percent of the time. Not one word of His promises will fail. As Jesus said in Matthew 5, not the smallest letter or mark will pass from the law until all is fulfilled and heaven and earth pass away.

I thank God for His faithfulness in sending Jesus to redeem me from spiritual death. I am proud of my Father, who cannot be stopped. Every Word He spoke will be fulfilled. I trust in and rely on Him.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 352

Day 352

Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 5:2; 12:31-36

 "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them/our hundred years;

And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance."

"And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."

"And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel: go and serve the Lord, as ye have said"

"And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent them such things as they required And they spoiled the Egyptians."

God told Abram that his descendants would leave the land that enslaved them and carry with them great substance. In other words, they were not going to depart poor. As the time grew near for the Israelites to leave in God's timing, the prophecy seemed impossible. The devil, working through the king of Egypt, had enslaved them, and they were very poor. They did not have the resources to win a war against the mighty pharaoh, who had used their labor to build great cities for himself. When Moses crune as God's messenger and told Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, Pharaoh reacted as though it were a joke and refused to grant Moses his request. The king felt very powerful. He believed it was his decision as to whether the Israelites left or stayed.

When God makes a promise, the devil often moves to try to prevent it from corning to pass. If we are not wise, we may observe what the devil is doing and use that to determine whether or not God's Word can come to pass. Just like God had a surprise for Pharaoh, He has a surprise for everyone who thinks they can stop Him from being faithful to His Word.

Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. He meant what He said. Communist governments have boasted against the God of Heaven and determined that the church was subject to them. One day the statue of a deceased communist leader named Lenin was broken down, as the thing he was sure would not happen crune to pass in the country he once ruled with an iron hand. He thought wherever communist government was established, the message of the gospel would be prevented from spreading. But, while his statue was being dismounted and broken, the gospel was being spread freely throughout communist Soviet Union. The country that once sought to rule the world was divided. Now, millions of Bibles are in that area and hundreds of preachers have been trained to lead the new believers that were saved in great numbers. Nobody tells God what He can or cannot do!

The Communist Chinese government is now attempting to crush a tremendous move of God in their country. The sick are being healed, the dead are being raised, and people are being saved and filled with the Holy Spirit in large numbers. Communism in China will fail before it stops the church of Jesus Christ from marching forward!

The Roman  Catholic organization,  like the  communists, has ruled with an iron fist against the spread of the gospel in countries  like Spain  and Portugal.  (The previous and   following statements do not in any way reflect on individual Roman Catholics who love and respect people with different beliefs and are possibly unaware of what goes on in higher levels of their organization.} According to one Portuguese pastor; until about twenty years ago, Christians were openly physically persecuted for their faith. Zealous Catholic loyalists did not even rule out murder to stop the spread of the gospel. Persecution has continued in many ways. If they are still using physical force today, it is not done openly, but they still use various tactics to hinder the followers of Christ and are very determined to retain control of their territories. However, like the communists, they have a surprise coming. God has promised that in the last days His Spirit will be poured out on all flesh. By His mighty power, He will break through and begin to pour out His Spirit upon Spanish and Portuguese flesh and the gospel of the Jesus Christ will sweep those nations. The devil will flee, as one in terror.

The way things look now has nothing to do with what God has promised us. God is not moved by current events, and neither should we be. As Paul said in I Corinthians 4:18, we should not focus on the temporary things we see, but on the eternal things that cannot change. God's eternal Word cannot change. If he said it, that settles it. He will do it. If He spoke it, it will come to pass. Let us believe Him.

I refuse to allow what I see to change my mind about the promises of God. God is faithful to His Word. He cannot lie. I choose to believe Him.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 351

Day 351

Joel 2:28-29

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions;

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."

Before Jesus came to the earth, the prophet gave the Word of the Lord concerning end-time events. Our Father promised He would pour out His Spirit worldwide. He declared that both male and female would experience the outpouring and would prophesy. The promise was that old men would dream and young men would see visions.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared that the prophecy of Joel had begun to be fulfilled. The day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the last days. Now we are in the last of the last days, and we see this prophetic declaration being fulfilled in a much greater way than at the beginning. People of every tribe and tongue, both men and women, are experiencing the outpouring of the Spirit of God. The move of the Spirit is sweeping the globe to aid in the final harvest.

Every time we hear of the outpouring of the Spirit in another place, we can rejoice over the faithfulness of our God! How encouraging it is to see his faithfulness in the end time to assure us that all He said will come to pass. The greatest fulfillment of prophecy is near. It is possible that our generation will experience the catching away of the church described in I Thessalonians 4.

With joy I thank God for His faithfulness concerning the end time events I see unfolding. I look forward to the blessed hope which our faithful God will fulfill - the return of Jesus Christ to get His church! That hope motivates me to live uprightly before Him.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 350

Day 350

Genesis 15:13-14; 50:24-25

"And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel,saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up bones from hence."

When God told Abram, later called Abraham, that his descendants would serve strangers for 400 years and then leave with great substance, he believed. God told him his seed would return to the laud where he was - the Promised Laud. It is obvious that Abram believed God, because he passed the story on successfully to his descendants, and it was not forgotten. A person must be convincing to have his story repeated with no inconsistencies, for four generations. Joseph was so convinced that what Abraham said was true, he made his brothers swear that they would not leave his bones in Egypt when the promise was fulfilled. Long after Joseph was dead and the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, the story was still consistent, and Joseph's bones were carried out of Egypt and buried in the Promised Laud.

It is obvious that the patriarchs believed in the faithfulness of God. When God said something, they did not question whether or not He would do it. They passed the story on to their children, believing that if they did not see it come to pass in their lifetime, their descendants would.

If someone is not fully persuaded about something, he may or may not pass it on. If he does  pass it on, it  would not be passed  on carefully and would possibly be lost or distorted after a while. However, if a person is convinced something will happen  precisely as he has been told, he will make  sure the  details  are  understood and passed on to reliable persons who will preserve the prophecy until it is fulfilled.

Joseph was so sure that God's will was for  the descendants of Abraham to inherit the promised laud, that he made provisions for his bones to be carried there, although he would be gone from the earth himself when the prophecy was fulfilled. Are we convinced to that extent of the faithfulness of God?

May the Holy Spirit illuminate my spiritual understanding about the faithfulness of God, until I convincingly declare the Word of God to everyone I have influence over. May the Word of God be so real to me that I study carefully to be sure I am passing the information on accurately.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 349

Day 349

Isaiah 43:5-6; 62:4,12 Amplified Version

 "Fear not,for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they were dispersed] and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up! And to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth-"

"You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate anymore. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [that is married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord]."

"And they shall call them, The holy People, the redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken. "

The prophet Isaiah prophesied long ago about the restoration of Israel. He quoted God as saying He would gather the Jews from every part of the earth and would restore the land of Israel as a home for them. He promised that it would be a final restoration in that it would never be desolate again.

For many years, the land of Israel was a wilderness, and the Jews were scattered all over the earth. Yet, they never lost their identity and the knowledge of who they were, because God had plans of reestablishing the nation of Israel in the last days. He has been faithful to His Word. In this century, the Jews have reestablished themselves as a nation and rebuilt the land of Israel. The return of the Jews seemed mysterious. All over the world, without consulting each other or having any mass organizational plan, Jews began to have a desire to return to their homeland to live. Countries under Communist rule, whose leaders would not permit their citizens to leave, were forced to give up the Jews. God moved until they were released to go home to Israel.

Today the land of Israel can indeed be called "sought out," a "city not forsaken." Tourists flock to the Holy Land every year as a testimony to the faithfulness of God.

As I think about the Holy Land and what God has done there, I praise Him for His greatness and thank Him for the demonstration of His faithfulness. I am encouraged to know that I serve a faithful God. I can count on Him to keep His Word to me.

Come Up Higher, Vol.4 | Day 348

Day 348

Genesis 12:3

''And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Galatians 3:16 says, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ." This helps us understand the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12. God declared that all the families of the earth would be blessed in Abraham. Thousands of years later, we see Jesus coming to earth as the seed of Abraham, bringing blessing to the entire world.

The passage of time does not change God. Sometimes, when we have to wait a long time, it can seem as though God did not mean what He said. But God is faithful, and whatever He said will happen will come to pass. In his second letter, Peter said that in the last days, mockers will declare that the coming of Jesus was promised long ago; yet, everything is still the same from creation until the present. He said we must remember, however, that God is not slack concerning His promises, but is simply long-suffering because He does not want anyone to perish. Jesus will return just like He said.

Every time we hear the gospel, we can rejoice in the faithfulness of God. It is a part of what He promised Abraham thousands of years ago.

The fact that I heard the gospel reminds me of the faithfulness of God. With God's help, I will be a part of the fulfillment of God's faithfulness to Abraham by helping to spread the gospel to all people.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 347

Day 347

Genesis 8:21-22

 "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

Let us begin to look at the faithfulness of God throughout the ages. His track record will allow us to label Him "Faithful and True" as He was called in Revelation 19:11.

In Genesis Chapter 8, after Noah and his family exited the ark, Noah offered sacrifices to God. God was pleased with the offerings and made a promise that was for all humanity who would inhabit the earth thereafter. He promised that as long as the earth remains (which lets us know that the earth as we know it will not always exist), there will be seed planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night.

If we have grown and harvested anything, we are observing the faithfulness of God. If we are experiencing cold days and hot days, we are feeling the faithfulness of God. If we still see the heat and life of summer and the cold and barrenness of winter, the faithfulness of God is being displayed before our eyes. If we still see the light of day and the darkness of night, it should remind us that God has kept His Word for thousands of years. We should have no difficulty counting our God faithful.

I will observe the things around me; the planting of seeds and the reaping of the harvest, the changes in temperature and the changes in the seasons, the brightness of the day and the darkness of the night. As I see these things, I will thank God for His faithfulness and remind myself that He is faithful to His Word.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 346

Day 346

Hebrews 10:23

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

The author of Hebrews admonished us to hold firmly the profession or confession of our faith because of the faithfulness of God. We need to focus more on the fact that God is faithful than we do on holding fast to our confession. It is the understanding of His faithfulness that enables us to remain steadfast in our profession of faith.

If we were holding onto a rope, waiting for someone to come and rescue us and had no idea if anyone was coming, we might get weary, give up and let go. On the other hand, if we knew someone was doing all they could to get there, we would hold on until they arrived or until we could hold no longer.

If we were waiting for a ride and the driver was late picking us up, we would decide based on the driver's faithfulness rather to continue waiting or to find other transportation.

If we knew the driver was the type, who upon realizing he was late, wouldn't show up at all, especially ifhe were pressed for time to get to another appointment, we would immediately look for another ride. But if we knew the driver would  pick  us  up, even  if he had to cancel an appointment or alter his schedule, more than likely, we would not move, but wait until he arrived.

How tenaciously we profess our faith depends on how we view God and His faithfulness. So, let us study and mediate on the faithfulness of God. That will enable us to stand steadfast on what He has promised us. We would not want to insult Him by giving up.

I will study about and meditate on the faithfulness of God. Knowing and understanding His faithfulness will enable me to hold fast to my profession of faith without wavering.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 345

Day 345

Ephesians 3:20

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

Have we shortchanged God lately? Have we insulted him with our low expectations? Ephesians 3:20 reveals that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. That being the case, if our thinking and expectations have not exceeded the normal things we look for help with daily, we may be missing out on the power of God. We may also be very boring to God, as He sits high with so much power. He would like to use this power on our behalf but cannot because we are not asking for or expecting much.

Have you ever met someone who had a sports car that could go faster than 120 mph? If you have, you may have heard that person say they wish they could go to a place where they could test the car's speed.

You may have met someone who did not resist the temptation to go far over the speed limit on the highway just because they wanted to get where they were going in less time. Tue temptation was strong, because the speed limit was far below what the car was capable of doing. As long as a car can go faster than the speed limit, we will be tempted to speed up. Whenever a sign shows up indicating the speed limit has increased, drivers are usually very happy. They normally adjust their speed immediately to reach the new limit.

God is like that driver who sits in his automobile wishing for a sign that will increase the speed limit. Just like the driver wants to see a sign that will permit him to drive his car at a speed that makes use of its ability, God wants to receive a sign from us that we will permit Him to display His ability in our lives.

Let us ask for more and expect more. If we are struggling and living below the standards God has planned for us, we do not need to be afraid to ask for things that will benefit us. As long as our hearts are pure toward God, and.we are willing to follow His instructions when He responds, God has no problem meeting our needs and giving us the abundant life Jesus came to give. We also need to ask for things that will help us reach the lost and meet the needs of others. Our willingness to stretch our faith and believe God to do more can make the difference between heaven and hell for someone, life and death for another, or sickness and health for someone else.

I will elevate my thoughts and see God in a greater way. I will ask for and expect more than I have asked for or expected before. My God is able to do more, and as I magnify Him in my own eyes, He will do more.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 344

Day 344

Matthew 12:41 The Worrell New Testament

 "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here."

Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they were far more privileged than the Ninevites who repented when Jonah prophesied to them. He pointed out that the Jews had a greater prophet than Jonah among them, and yet they were hard-hearted and refused to change.

We must examine our response to the vast amount of knowledge made available to us as opposed to others who are getting their hands on the Bible for the first time. Some Christians with far less at their disposal are showing much more dedication to the things of God than others who have abundant access to teaching and fellowship.

As we realize how blessed we are to have the freedom and the ability to learn, we must eliminate all excuses and surrender our lives completely to the Master, who bought us with His own blood. Our lives should be full of obedience and service to God. We should be constantly purging ourselves of all that does not please our Lord.

Let us show gratitude to God today by subduing our flesh and allowing our spirits to reign as we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, instead of yielding to the desires of our flesh that do not please God.

I will express my gratitude to God for how blessed I am to have all He has made available to me. I will seek to please the Lord in all I do, choosing to follow my spirit as I am led by Him, instead of yielding to carnal desires that war against the will of God.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 3 | Day 249

Day 249

Matthew 13:16

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."

Jesus told His disciples they were blessed to be able to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. He explained that while He would share the meaning of the parables with them, others only heard the parables, because they did not have a receptive attitude toward the truth. Matthew 13:15 says, " ... their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed... "

How can we make sure our spiritual ears do not become dull and our spiritual eyes do not close? Our attitudes will determine the condition of our eyes and ears. When we limit what God can show us or tell us, we damage our spiritual senses. We limit what God can reveal to us when we fail to pray about something because we are afraid God will not answer us in a way that will suit us. We may hesitate or refuse to ask for counsel from our pastor or another spiritual leader, because we fear their response may not be to our liking. In so doing, we harm our spiritual eyes and ears.

To prevent having the spiritual disease of dull hearing and blindness, we must humble ourselves and be prepared to face the truth, even when it is not comfortable to our flesh. Jesus said His true disciples were those who continued in His Word, not those who went along with things until they found something they did not like. Freedom is promised to those who continue without concern about the consequences. They are the ones who will know the truth and be set free because of it.

I humble myself before God and His Word. I will be open to His guidance, rebuke and correction, regardless of how it offends my flesh. With God's help, I will not allow my flesh to cause me to lose my spiritual sense. My eyes and ears will be blessed to see and hear God's direction clearly.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 343

Day 343

Matthew 2:4-6 Amplified Version

"So he called together all the chief priests and learned men (scribes) of the people and anxiously asked them where the Christ was to be born. They replied to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are not in any way least and insignificant among the chief cities of Judah: for from you shall come a ruler (Leader) who will govern and shepherd My people Israel"

When King Herod became concerned that strangers coming to Jerusalem were looking for a king he knew nothing about, he contacted spiritual leaders and questioned them about the prophetic scriptures concerning the birthplace of the Messiah. It did not matter to him that if Christ's appearance was foretold by God, he would be interfering with God's plan if he tried to stop the prophetic events from unfolding. He was only concerned about the future of his own throne. Herod's failure to stop the coming of Christ teaches us how foolish it is to fight against the plan of God.

What about the chief priests and the scribes? What can we learn from these spiritual leaders? The scribes were people who interpreted the Torah (divine law). They were considered experts in knowledge and interpretation. Their zeal for the law without a relationship with the Lawgiver caused them to miss the event they thought they knew so much about - the birth of Christ. During His earthly ministry, our Lord met with tremendous opposition from the chief priests and scribes. Only a few of the religious leaders recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, but the religious leadership as a whole was the group who recommended that the Savior be crucified. They knew about Him, but did not know Him.

An important lesson to learn from the chief priests and scribes is that no matter how well we understand the words in the book, we need the Spirit of God to reveal its intent. We can know the Bible word for word and still miss its true meaning altogether. We can know where Jesus will land on the earth again, uncover who the anti-Christ is, or become familiar with the circumstances that will exist when the church is caught up to meet the Lord and miss the moment we thought we knew all about. Jesus is coming again. The Bible tells us that we are not in darkness, and the return of Christ should not take  us by surprise.  If Jesus  is coming  soon, we should be aware of it. We may not know the day or hour but,  if  we are in tune with the Spirit of God, we  should  have  an expectancy like Simeon did when Jesus came the first time. His relationship with God caused him to expect to see Jesus before he died. That expectancy caused him to  recognize  Jesus  when  He came into the temple as an infant.

The only way we can be fully in tune with what God is doing is to be preparing our hearts for what He has told us about. John says that we who are anticipating Christ's appearing will be purifying ourselves. Peter says our conduct should reflect our belief. Paul said Jesus will come for those who are looking for Him. Let us not be just knowledgeable about the facts, but let us maintain a close relationship with the one who reveals the facts.

I will maintain a close relationship with God. I will not only know about Him, but I will know Him. The coming of Christ will not take me by surprise, because I will be anticipating His return and purifying myself as I wait. I will have consistent communion with my Heavenly Father, who reveals His secrets to those who reverence Him.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 342

Day 342

Psalm 31:2 Amplified Version

"Bow down your ear to me, deliver me speedily! Be my rock of refuge, a strong Fortress to save me!"

David cried out to God  for deliverance.  He asked  God to be his rock and his strong Fortress. A fortress is a place of safety that provides protection from the enemy. When two forces are engaged in battle, one side has to take cover at certain intervals and regroup before they resume their fighting. To do this successfully, they must have a safe place to hide. Otherwise, while they are regrouping, their enemy will overtake and conquer them. David went through various struggles in his life and was hunted more than once by people who sought to destroy him. God always provided him with a place to hide when he needed to regroup. He understood how God could be his rock and strong Fortress.

We must understand that there will be times when we need to be refreshed before we continue fighting. Fear may present itself, as we think about what could happen to us if we pause in our fight. We can let the prayer of David be our prayer in times like this, because God will provide a safe place for His people to be refreshed so the enemy cannot destroy them while they rest. We need not fear. Our God is our Rock. There is no rock like our rock. He is our strong Fortress. He will hide us in places where the devil can do us no harm. He will hold the enemy off until it is time for us to resume the fight. Then, He will accompany us to guarantee our victory. We cannot lose for winning with God on our side.

I will look to the Lord when I need a strong fortress to regroup in. While I am being refreshed, God will protect me. No weapon formed against me will prosper. When it is time to resume fighting, God will help me complete what I started. I will be victorious over all my enemies.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 341

Day341

Mark 5:15

 "And they come to Jesus, and see him that was  possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting,  and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. "

The people of a certain country were used to hearing about a mad man who lived among the tombs. Some had bound him with chains to try to stop his wild behavior, but he would just break the chains. He was possessed by many evil spirits. Then, one day Jesus came and set the demoniac free. When the local people saw the man wearing clothes and acting perfectly normal, they were afraid. They did not understand the deliverance they saw. However, the man was happy to be free and wanted to follow Jesus.

It is important that we see people properly, the way Jesus sees them. The people who knew this mad man saw him as a menace to society and thought they would just have to learn to  cope with him. Jesus saw him as a man who needed help to be what he really wanted to be. It is natural for society to look at demon-possessed people or people oppressed by the devil and want to lock them up and throw away the key. We must see them as people who want help so they can be what they want to be. We must set them free, because we have the power to do so. Sometimes we may encounter people who do not want to be free, but, we must realize that many people who do crazy things to themselves or to others would rather live normal lives. We hold the key.

The mad man in Mark 5 could be helped by no one until Jesus came his way. When we see the oppressed, we must  realize that we are possibly the only ones who may pass their way with the answer. Let us be sensitive to the Spirit of God  so we can  be  used as God's instrument for someone's deliverance. God will lead us across the paths of people who need a change in their lives but  do not know how to get the help they need. Let us be a part of the answer, and not a part of the problem. We  must  not  be afraid  of  the oppressed. We hold the key to freedom for those who are not in their right minds.

I pray that God will help me recognize my assignment to bring deliverance to those who are crying for help. By His grace, I will be the means of help to many who are oppressed by the devil I will help society by setting these people free.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 340

Day 340

I Kings 10:1

"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions."

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she also heard about the God he served. It is so important that we glorify the Lord with the talents He has blessed us with. If it were not for the Lord, we would have nothing. Even the ungodly owe God the praise for what He has enabled them to do, for every good gift comes from God. As children of God, however, we should set the example by always acknowledging our Lord when we are praised for our talents, abilities or accomplishments.

When the queen came to test Solomon, God helped him to astound her with his wisdom. It was essential that Solomon recognized the Lord, because without God's help, he would have been embarrassed. If we forget God, who gave us the abilities we have, we can find ourselves embarrassed like Samson was. Samson received supernatural strength from God, but after acting presumptuously, he experienced a most humiliating surprise. After he told the secret of his strength to a woman he loved she proceeded to shave off his hair, which God told him never to cut. When he awoke to the attack of his enemies, he proceeded to fight them like he always did. Only this time, the Spirit of God had deserted him, and he lost the fight.

Let us show appreciation to God for what He has enabled us to do. We can do it by acknowledging Him and keeping His covenant with us.

I will acknowledge God in all I do. I will thank Him publicly and privately.  I will walk  in  the way  He directs me so  I' life may he an example and bring Him glory.

Come Up Higher, Vol. 4 | Day 339

Day 339

Mark 5:32

 "And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing."

Jesus was in the midst of a multitude of people when a sick woman touched His clothes by faith, believing that by doing so, she would be cured of her disease. She was not supposed to be in public according to the laws of her culture. Her intentions were to receive her miracle without being noticed and return home quietly. However, when she touched Jesus' clothes, her faith caused the anointing that was in Him to flow out of His body into His clothing, and He felt it. He knew someone had to touch Him in a different way than all the others who were thronging Him. Everyone else who touched Him was simply getting a thrill out of being in the crowd with Jesus. This woman was making spiritual contact.

Why could this woman not receive her miracle quietly and return home unnoticed? Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith we cannot please God. That means faith is the main thing that pleases God. Jesus was always noticing people's faith or their lack of it. It was obviously very important to Him. He could not allow this woman to remain anonymous. He wanted to see and give attention to the person who touched Him by faith. It blessed Him whenever He saw anyone operating in faith. We must always feed our faith and starve our doubts. God will stop and notice us when we operate in faith. He cannot ignore faith in action, because there is nothing that pleases Him more. We do not get God's attention based upon our needs only. He is touched by our needs, but He is moved to act by our faith.

Today, I will feed my faith by focusing on God and His Word. I will exalt God above every challenge l face. l will answer my doubts with the Word of God that is in my  heart and in my mouth. l will get God's attention, and He will be pleased with me.