Categories: "The Word..."
The Power of Surrender
Luke 1:38
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
I think when we read of the virgin birth, we are caught up in the overall picture, but we lose sight of the fact that Mary is a teenage girl who is to be married to Joseph when the angel arrives on the scene to tell her, "Mary, you are to be with child through the Holy Spirit." Imagine the things that would race through your mind: "How will I manage this news, my husband, my reputation, most importantly, my life?" I don't think we fully understand the strength of this young lady, it is no wonder she was chosen. A heart so surrendered to the Lord, she says, "May your word to me be fulfilled." This is: "Strength in Surrender!"
The power comes when we surrender to God, that is when the impossible becomes possible through this Strength in Humility, this Sweet Surrender to the Lord.
The takeaway, the application here is to surrender to God, to listen for His movement, to be obedient to His leading. As we listen for His voice, we must prepare our hearts to be read to move, to accept it, to step into it, to be obedient to it. James said don't just merely listen to the word, do what it says. We must respond to the word of God.
Lord, I pray that all of us could step into the stream of obedience, that we would experience this Strength in Surrender, that you would do the impossible in and through us, that we might see the miraculous, that we might be sent to do the impossible, in Jesus' name, Amen!
12/18/25 03:12:00 pm, 
God With Us
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I was reminded of this wondrous truth: Imagine that Christmas, all of heaven watched, thousands upon thousands of angels watched Jesus leave his throne. The word became flesh, God becoming man, the supernatural crashed into the natural, eternity collided with time.
The baby 100% God, yet 100% man. Let that simmer in your heart.
- Love was born that day.
- Hope was born that day.
- Truth was born that day.
The all-powerful became powerless in that moment, and the infinite became finite, He entered into the human experience. Why? So that He could be near us, this is the greatest gift ever given to mankind, that God would come to have a personal relationship with His creation, to step down and put humanity on and know us in a personal way, that we would know Him and that ultimately He would give Himself for us.
Of all the gifts you and I will ever get, they will in no way compare to the gift of Christ.
The application here is to have a personal relationship with a personal God, who came down so that you could know Him personally. To remember the sacrifice He made for you, that He held nothing back.
- Seek Him.
- Draw Near to Him.
- Be Transformed by Him.
- Be at Peace Because of Him.
- Discover Joy in Him.
It is my prayer that we would take a moment to reflect on Christ today, that it would impact our hearts, that we would in turn draw nearer today to Him, that our reflection would be on the relationship that He came to have, to reconcile us, to restore what was lost in Eden, that we would seek Him with all our hearts, in Jesus' name, Amen!
Light Despells Darkness
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ~Isaiah 9:2
Light has so many good properties. At night, it dispels darkness, provides security on a dark paths, and it reveals what's ahead. When you're in the light, you can see the dusty cabinets and counters; it exposes every spec, the areas that need attention; that is what light does. It provides warmth.
So when Jesus says that He is the light of the world in John 8:12, we understand that His presence in our lives dispels the darkness, provides security for our future, it exposes the things that do not belong, it brings clarity to our shortfalls and gives us a path to change them, it dispels the darkness around us and even those who live in it.
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~John 8:12
- A Great Light (Christ) has dawned in our lives.
- No longer should we wander in the darkness lost because we have been found.
Light and Darkness do not exists in the same place, because light dispels darkness, so those who live in the light they have no part in the darkness, that is what Jesus is saying, He is the light of the world whoever follows Him will no longer walk in darkness, it is our proximity to the light of the world Jesus that rids our lives of the things that do not belong, provides a path to where we should be, clarity to see what we should. We need Jesus, just like we need light.
Lord, I pray that we would draw closer to you in this season, that you would shine your light into the deepest areas of our lives that we would see our need for you in all the areas of our lives, that you would provide direction, protection, that you would dispel darkness that would seek to consume us, and that you would light our paths, direct our feet in Jesus' name, Amen!
Faith is a Verb
James 2:17
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Got to love James, he is pragmatic, what he tells you is practical and for everyday life. This whole portion was obvious to people who believed, but their belief was not producing movement or change in their life; it was not producing action.
See, "Faith is a Verb"; it is meant to produce action in our lives.
James spends this whole chapter talking about how "Faith" should produce activity in our lives, we should "ACT" on what we believe. What good is it for me to tell you something I believe if I am not trying to act on what I believe? Now I am not saying that some people are not preaching one thing and doing another; there are plenty, but none of us think that is right. So James' word is pragmatic, "do what the word says, do what you believe."
Like Nike, "Just do it!" Let your Faith take you places the former person who did not believe would have never gone. Do things that only God could have led you to do, see things only God could have shown you, become the person only God could have led you to be. Faith will take you places, but first you have to take a step.
This is a challenge, if you are just doing the minimum, your faith and action is disbalanced, then do something about it, "BE BOLD!" If you are only doing the minimum, "DO MORE!"
Our belief should be having us, stepping out, SERVING, putting our HANDS to work, because of what we "BELIEVE!" Let that challenge you today.
Lord today if we are just doing the minimum, if our faith is weak because we have let it produce no activity in our lives, then change us, challenge us to do more, to seek you more, to step out of the boat (Thanks Peter) to take the first step, to walk on water, to leap, to take impossible steps and discover they are possible, help us "LIVE" out our "FAITH," in Jesus' name!
A.S.K
Matthew 7:7-8
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Jesus here exposes the idea that if even bad fathers could give their children good gifts, could give them what they ask for then, how much more our Father in Heaven would/could do for us. I love that Jesus gives us an Mnemonic, sort of the antidote for seeing the movement of God's Kingdom in our lives.
- A.sk and it will be given to you.
- S.eek and you will find.
- K.nock and the door will be open.
Ask notice there is no limit, now I will say that God will not give you what will harm you, or would harm others, but that leaves a mighty big list for you to receive. So stop limiting God... ASK
Seek the Kingdom, seek answers, seek wisdom, seek after the things that bring life and you will find them. Again notice there is no limit to what you can seek, but remember if you seek the wrong things you will find them, so guard your eyes, and the things you seek, because the promise here is you will find.
Knock and I point out that there is not limit to the doors that could be opened for you, but this one requires that we take action, and it aligns with asking and seeking, the possibilities are limitless, this is a license to go with God to be greater, to achieve more, to go through doors you could not have on your own, to achieve greater things, start knocking...
