"The Second Miler" a daily devotion

Standards are foundational to the accomplishment of any worthwhile goal, and God’s standards are best.

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Leviticus 19:35-36 - Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

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Jehovah is a God of standards, and they are NOT the standards set by man at any point.  God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts.  That is only reasonable, and I am so thankful for that great truth.  Through the Word of God our Lord has set standards before us; among them, standards of living, holiness, righteousness, faith, and love.  Those standards are fixed.  They are NOT negotiable, nor are they to be compromised.  When they are knowingly violated, sin is in the camp.  Our living is to be by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please the Lord.  We are to be holy, for without holiness, no man shall see God.  He has made us the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ for our own righteousness was as filthy rags.  Our life that we live in faith must be lived in the love of God which is the only arena in which Bible faith works.

The standards set forth in God’s Word are fixed, and are as unchanging as our Lord.  Over the centuries, and by the action of religious, and even ungodly men, attempts have been made to weaken or diminish God’s standards for living.  Every attempt as always resulted in a weakening of the fabric of the church as believers have embraced false standards, often perceived as easier to follow, and even embraced as walking in love.  There is NO love in the compromise of God’s Word; ONLY deception, dishonor, and disgrace.  And such compromise will ultimately always fall on the shoulders of church leaders who are greedy and without courage; usually both.  The world is in a terrible state of affairs.  Only Jesus has the answer.  Don’t expect the world to desire to be a part of an organization that is consistently weakening its own foundation and exists powerless against its enemies.  As children of God, we are to walk and live in victory at all times.  The only way to do that is to live by God’s standards, uncompromisingly and faithfully.  God’s standards are the superstructure of His supernatural power. Live the standards and see the power.

Manna for Today – Exodus 20:3; Amos 7:7-8; Deuteronomy 25:26; Proverbs 16:11; Ezekiel 45:10; Isaiah 55:6-13; Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Isaiah 64:6; Galatians 5:6

The entrance of the Word brings light, and by that light you will see.  There’s power there!

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Judges 16:21 – But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaze, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

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Our Text for Today is about Samson.  He was one of the more famous judges of Israel.  He was endued with supernatural strength that manifest itself in him as a young man, and it arose from his Nazarite vow; he would not partake of the fruit of the vine, would not touch any unclean thing, and would have no razor come upon his head.  Until he succumbed to the sweet and provocative wooing of Delilah, he held to that vow.  While he slept with his head in her lap, she cut his hair, and upon his awakening, his power was gone.  Now powerless against his enemies, he did the work of a beast of burden at a grinding wheel.  A sad story?  Yes.  But his hair regrew, his strength returned, and he destroyed more enemies in his death than he had in his living.  Still, it was a sad story.  What could he have accomplished had he kept his hair?  What could the church do if it kept its anointings?

That is my challenge to you, the church today.  Samson’s anointing for supernatural strength was in his hair.  As long as he allowed it to grow, he walked in great power.  How much power in the church has been lost because we, as believers, have either cut off our own anointing, or allowed it to be cut off for some carnal, deceptive reason?  In Samson’s case, he was blinded by his enemies.  But he was blinding to the importance of his anointing before he was blinded naturally.  It’s not too late, dear Second Miler friend.   The anointing(s) placed in you by the Lord are still there.  Just as Samson’s hear grew again, the anointing(s) in your life that have been suppressed, hidden, or apparently cut off, can still rise in you again, to teach you, to be that supernatural target Holy Spirit seeks to come upon to show forth His supernatural power and strength.  I’m not speaking of natural blindness today, though the Lord’s will is to heal that.  I write to you of spiritual blindness.  As long as you can read this, as long as you can read the Word, and as long as you can hear the Word, you can make the choice to be a “doer of the Word,” for in that act, you will be blessed.  Walk in the light, exercise your anointing, and Holy Ghost will exercise you.

Manna for Today – Judges 13-16; Psalm 91:8; Isaiah 54:17; Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 45:11; Isaiah 55:6-13;  1 John 1:7-9; 1 John 2:20-27; Luke 4:14-21

As great and perfect as God is, He has truly made it simple to please Him.  You CAN do it.

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John 8:29 – And He that sent Me is with Me:  the Father hath not left Me alone; for I so always those things that please Him.

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Let us come together in spirit and mind today according to the admonition of the Lord in Isaiah, and “let us reason together.”  Think with me for a few moments.  God loves you; He loves you so much that He planned an entire universe over which He intended you to rule.  All that exists in this earth, God created perfectly to serve His man, and you are that person.  He loves you so much that even though our first earthly father, Adam committed high treason against God, He made a way for us to be redeemed from the curse that came from Adam’s sin.  In fact, He loves you so much that before you were born, He already had your name written in heaven, and in order to keep it there, He sent Jesus, Who was at that time the “only begotten Son of God,” in the flesh to be tempted in all points as you are, make Himself obedient unto the death of the cross (for you), and become sin on that cross, die, and suffer for you the pangs of death in torment.  Ah, but His love for you is greater than yet.  It is so great that Jesus did all He did to please the Father, which He always did, and was therefore raised from the dead to the right hand of God where He ever lives to make intercession for you.  Oh what a passion He had for pleasing the Father.

Now with such great love TO, FOR, and IN you, consider how great our own passion should be for pleasing the Father.  Oh what a wonderful joy it should be for you to do all you do to please Him.  How much pleasure does a man receive from pleasing the woman he loves and makes his bride?  How much pleasure does a parent receive from being able to please the children he/she births, raises, and loves so dearly?  As great as spousal or parental love is, the love of God is yet greater.  For all the blessings that belong to you through the covenant of Love (it is God’s Covenant, and God is Love; therefore it is the Covenant of Love), how strong should be your passion to please God?  It should exceed all other passions in your life.  It begins in your choice to live by faith.  There is no other way to please Him.

Manna for Today – Hebrews 11:1-6; John 4:4-38; Luke 1:37; John 14:12-1; Romans 14:23; 1 John 5:3; Isaiah 28:9-13

I’ve been on a ship in rough seas.  The sea was rolling; the ship was sure.  God’s armor won’t fail you.

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Ephesians 6:13 – Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

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I have no doubt that all of us go through hard times in our lives.  We certainly have an enemy of our souls whose prime objective in existence toward us is to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”  And while we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, there are people in our lives that seem to, if not actually thrill in making our lives miserable.  Some surely seem to have a natural bent toward making life difficult for believers.  Yet the Scriptures are plain in their command that we are to stand.  There is no place given to the believer for folding under pressure.  Yes, I know that we have all failed in that arena; I certainly have.  But in those times I have been able to take great solace that I have a wonderful Savior and an Advocate with my Father.  He not only intercedes for me continually, but He is faithful and just to forgive my trespasses and cleanse me from all unrighteousness when I simply confess my sins.  Now it should be noted here that the confession of sin is NOT for the unbeliever to be saved, but for the Christian who has sinned.  For the unbeliever to be saved, he does not have to confess his sins, for he has already been reconciled to God by Christ Jesus, and the Father is NOT imputing their trespasses against them.  What the unbeliever DOES have to confess is that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Back to my question in today’s title.  Are you having a difficult time in standing right now?  If you are, I have good news for you.  Yes, there is an enemy.  Yes, he has and uses many devices, including people, some dear to your heart, as weapons against you.  But here’s the good news.  You have a Friend in Christ Who sticks closer than a brother.  You have en Intercessor in Jesus Who is a faithful High Priest and Advocate with Father.  You have God’s armor to take up and put on, and that armor is absolutely devil-proof.  God knows what it is to fight the good fight of faith, and having done all, to stand.  He had rested all authority in the first Adam, and then had to stand for thousands of years until He could bring the second Adam to victory.  He armor still works, my friend, so STAND!

Manna for Today – Ephesians 6:10-18; Galatians 6:1-10; 2 Timothy 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 3; John 10:10; Romans 10:6-17; Isaiah 54:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Psalm 64

As a child I had to learn to dress myself.  So must the believer.  You’ve an awesome wardrobe.

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Ephesians 6:11-13 – Put on the whole armor of God . . . Wherefore take unto the whole armor of God.

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 Please consider what I am about to say.  The power of God will not fall on you and be manifest in or through you just because you happen to at a certain place at a certain time. I am aware of people who have made a habit of going from one meeting where God has moved mightily to another similar meeting, hoping to be a recipient of the power of God, and after years of such travel, are as powerless and helpless as ever.  Likewise, I have known people who have been faithful over years of prayer, giving, labor, and support of other ministers only to fade into a seeming spiritual oblivion at the death of some noted ministry leader.  Neither scenario is God’s will for a Spirit-filled child of God; to come to life’s end powerless and empty.  Please understand I am not being critical, but simply expressing sadness of heart for so many Christian siblings, both known and unknown to me.  In most scenarios with which I am familiar, I see at least one common characteristic.  While the whole armor of God is available to them, and while there is often a powerful anointing available for service, they seem to live (have lived) without ever demonstrating a true possession of those elements.  This is sad when we understand that ALL believers have been commanded to “take up” and “put on” God’s armor.

The armor of God is available to every believer, but the believer that enjoys the blessing, power, and benefits of that armor have all made the choice to “take it up” and “put it on.”  That is precisely what Holy Ghost commands us to do in the Word.  Both commands require faith, obedience, and action on the part of the believer.  And consider Elisha as he followed Elijah.  When Elijah was caught up in the whirlwind, he dropped his mantle behind him.  That mantle did NOT fall on Elisha; it fell to the ground.  Elisha had to take action, act in faith, and pick up the mantle.  Had he not done so, he would never have walked in the anointing and power of God that he did.  How about you?  Have you actively “taken up” and “put on” God’s armor?  Have you made a faith decision to partake of the anointing(s) that are presented before you?  It’s your choice.  Be bold.  If God Personally, or via another of His servants, makes available to you one of these precious gifts, TAKE IT UP and PUT IT ON!

Manna for Today – Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 21:22; John 16:24; Luke  11:9-13; 2 Kings 2:13

The tongue is like the rudder of a great ship.  Are you steering toward success or shipwreck?

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Mark 11:23 – For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.

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 I am a faith teacher, and I don’t apologize for it.  What I have preached and espoused for more than four decades works.  It is no coincidence.  I am in no way trying to offer some kind of so-called new age doctrine.  Lies and perversions of the Gospel have been around since the beginning das of the church.  I simply believe the Bible.  If that seems too outlandish for some, then so be it.  The Bible is God’s Word to us in a written form.  Its entrance into our spirit brings life, light, healing, health, mind-renewal, edifying of spirit, faith building, revelation, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.   If people only believed what I have just written, the price of accurate teaching of the Word of God in the earth would be far beyond that of gold or any other precious metal or gem stone.

Our words are powerful, and we should recognize the value of RIGHT SPEAKING.  For too long Christians have been desensitized to the impact of their own words on their lives.  Why should I say I am “freezing to death” when simply saying I am cold will suffice?  Why would I say I am “starving to death” when simply saying I am hungry will suffice?  The answer is people are trying to use their words to make an impression.  What we need to realize is that only truth makes a lasting impression.  Lies and exaggerations do not.  The danger here is that such casual speaking adds the “wages of sin,” and that is “death,” to the very words that should be the very justifiers of our life.

And I could say more about the casual references to sickness and poverty that is loaded into the speech of so many believers. Some would say this is only jesting, but the Scriptures give us direct warning of such foolish jesting, placing it in the same category as foolish talking and filthiness of the flesh.  The direction of your life is determined by your words.  Are you steering in the direction you wish to go?

Manna for Today – John 15:7; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; Matthew 12:34-37; Romans 3:4 Psalm 138:2; Psalm 119:89; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 5:4; Ephesians 4:29; James 3

I say it to someone almost daily, even myself.  “If God said it, that settles it.”  Don’t argue with that.

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Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

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 I find language and faith, when studied together, to be fascinating.  God, Who is a faith being, that is, One Who lives by faith as a part of His nature, calls things that be not as though they were.  I have heard some ministers say that such authority or ability belongs only to God and that man cannot operate in the manner.  But mankind does it anyway.  Throughout the history of mankind he has lived by this very principle.  He has a need, knows what task needs to be performed, and goes about inventing the tool to perform that task, and the tool was named even before it existed in reality.  He named it when it existed  only in his mind.  He was calling things that did not exist as though they were.  That was faith operating in a natural sense.

But I want to apply this principle in a much more personal manner as it relates to our life in Christ.  God has operated in this manner for eternity, but it seems that we who desire to walk so closely with the Lord have gotten further away from it as we have become more modernized.  For example, one of the most ancient of Bible books is Job.  After he lost all he had and regained it two times over, he also had seven more sons and three more daughters.  When did he name his daughters?  After they were grown?  No!  At birth, and they became the most beautiful women in the land.  They were named Jemima (handsome), Kezia (cassia; a sweet smelling spice used in anointing), and Keren-happuch (child of beauty).  What was Job doing?  He was calling his daughters what he desired them to be.  So what has God called you? He doesn’t wait for you to become something, and then give you that name.  He has called you by a name from the very beginning.  He calls you righteous, holy, just, healthy, rich, delivered, strong, bold, king, priest, His child, son of god, able minister of the New Covenant, heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ.  Now you may not be living up to all that at this moment, but have faith in God.  When Jesus cursed the fig tree, it took all night for what He said to come to pass, and that tree didn’t argue with Him.  Don’t argue.

Manna for Today – Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Psalm 100:3; Romans 4:17; 3 John 2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Isaiah 53:4-5; Job 42:14-15; Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Are you making a real difference in the lives of those into which you pour yourself?

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Matthew 5:13 – Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

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In today’s world, especially in countries like the United States where so much money is spent annually on health related issues, salt is considered by many to be anathema.  People with fluid retention problems, high blood pressure, weight problems, and so much more are on diets that are very salt-restricted, even salt-free.   While that may be good advice for many people in the natural world, it is never good in the spiritual realm.  Salt is critically needed I the spiritual realm, and the reasons are numerous.  Salt retains water, and if ever the water of the Word needs to be retained in the lives of believers, it is today.  Salt preserves, and Christians today are in great need of preservation through strong faith that holds fast to the water of the Word.  Salt heals, and healing is one of the greatest needs in the body of Christ today; healing that comes by the Word of God.  And salt seasons.  Has there ever been a time when the general diet of the Church of Jesus Christ has been as bland, tasteless, and sweetened to the taste?  Keep in mind that Jesus said we are the “salt of the earth,” NOT the “sugar of the world.”  I am not saying that we Christians should be harsh, cold, or cruel, but your work is to be salted, not sweetened.

It is on this final point I need to say more.  Jesus said that if we have salt in ourselves, we can have peace with one another.  His Words speak volumes.  I cannot recall a time when so many of God’s people seem to be in strife with one another, and the reasons they name are myriad.  I believe it can be found in one common denominator; a lack of salt in the life of the believer.  Remember, salt retains water (the Word), preserves, heals, and seasons.  When the Word is in good supply, so is light.  When the Word is in good supply, soul preservation is strong.  When the Word (that heals and delivers) is in good supply, healing abounds.  When the Word is in good supply, we can surely “taste and see that the Lord is good” (there is nothing bland about God).  How often at the dinner table do we hear, “Please pass the salt?”  Well, dear Second Miler, you ARE the salt.  Are you plentiful on the tables of this world, to those places where people are desperate for salt?  Remember, you’re no good left in the container.

Manna for Today – Mark 9:49-50; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 107:20;3 John 2; Proverbs 4:20-23

God doesn’t want you to burn up or burn out.  But He DOES want you to burn.  Get on the altar.

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1 Kings 18:38 / Luke 3:16 – Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice / He shall  baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

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As believers, how often have we as turned to the Lord with the desire in our hearts to experience the “fire of God upon our lives, ministries, homes, churches, or even our businesses?  We preach about it, pray for it, praise about it, and even prophesy its arrival.  But the fact is, if we will experience the fire on our altars, there must be on those altars acceptable sacrifices.  And that, dear one, is likely not what most of us have placed on the altars of our lives.  We all need altars in our lives as a place of prayer, to pour out our hearts to the Lord, to leave the burdens that can weigh us down so easily, and to simply have a sense that the Lord is there to meet us in our times of need.  But allow me a moment to focus on a Biblical technicality.  Our God is a “consuming fire.”  Add to that the Lord’s command to “come boldly” to “obtain mercy” and “find grace to help in the time of need.”  Now please don’t misunderstand my heart today.  I am writing because of a burning awareness on our part to experience the fire of God in our lives.  God’s throne is not an altar.  An “altar” is that place upon which sacrifices are made, and the “throne of grace” is that place where mercy is always obtained and grace is found.

Please let us make the effort to make our altars a place of offering sacrifices that are “acceptable” to the Lord.  That which is acceptable, He touches, and that which Fire touches becomes ablaze for the glory of God, not for consumption, but for recognition.  Remember Moses at the burning bush?  The bush burned but was not consumed.  God was using it, not consuming it.  Let us determine to lay on the altars of our lives that which the Lord desires to use for His glory, and let us begin with ourselves as living sacrifices.  May we be acceptable sacrifices upon which the fire of God will come when we lay ourselves upon our altars.  God’s fire awaits our holy presentation.  His fire will not consume that which He uses, nor will He use that which is consumed.  Let us place ourselves before Him to consume FROM us that which is not worthy of His use so He can use IN us all that remains.  Be the sacrifice and the fire will come.

Manna for Today – Judges 13:1-19; Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 13:15; 1 Samuel 15:22; Hebrews 12:29; Hebrews 4:14-16; Deuteronomy 4:24

It’s time for you to stand and say, “I will be defeated no more, forever!”

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Psalm 119:89 – For ever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven.

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 When Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians finally surrendered to U.S. military forces, his historic words were, “I will fight no more, forever.”  Quite an interesting statement.  All he needed to day was, “I will fight no more.”  But understanding his oneness with his people, he added one word, “forever.”  For him that was an eternal indication for himself and all his people, forever.  The issue of fighting was settled.  Chief Joseph was a man of integrity.  Our God is a God of integrity.  If God said it, that settles it; forever.  There is no further debate.  If God said He will, then He will.  If God said He will not, then He will not.  It’s that simple.  In Him is NO darkness or shadow of turning.  His Covenant stands eternal; forever.”  What the Lord has spoken about us, over us, to us, or into us is forever settled in heaven.  You can count on its absolute truthfulness.  If it ever appears that God’s Word has failed in our lives, look again.  It is not the Word that has failed, but we who have failed to accurately apply God’s immutable truth.

God’s Word does not deny the existence of sin, sickness, lack, bondage, or poverty.  However it DOES deny the right of any such thing to exist as a tool of Satan to lord over us with his evil desires.  You and I must join our faith to the strength of that truth, thus refusing any entity outside the realm of God’s plan the right of entry or lingering in our lives at any point.  For example, I know that sickness exists, but I deny its right to exist in my body, which is the temple of Holy Ghost.  I will resist it in the same measure to which I am commanded to love the Lord; with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  To the degree that I love the Lord is the same degree to which I will resist anything that come from the enemy of my soul.  I have a Covenant (an eternal treaty of Peace) through Jesus with the Lord God Jehovah.  To that end, I declare to ALL Satan or his devices would attempt to bring into my life, to every element of the curse of the law from which I have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, “You cannot take up residence in my life, for from you I AM REDEEMED!  In the Name of Jesus, you will never defeat me again, NO MORE, FOREVER!”

Manna for Today – Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; Romans 1:16; Isaiah 55:6-13; 3 John 2;  Psalm 138:2