Praise is a Weapon

Praise is a Weapon

When you are weary, lift up your eyes to me and begin to praise me. Give me thanks for everything that you are grateful for. Praise me even for the struggles that you are facing. For even in the trials that have come, can be used to make you stronger and wiser.
With every praise, you will enter into my glory and be raised up into my Throneroom. Seated in heavenly places, my child, you will see just how capable you are. You will see that these struggles are nothing for me and that I can turn any circumstance in your favor. I can turn everything into good.
So lift your eyes up to Me and put your gaze upon Me. When you do, you will see just how big I am and just how small your problems are. So praise me today and know that with each praise, you also put the devil beneath your feet. Indeed, my child, the weapons of your warfare that I have given you, are strong and mighty, and they can turn your life around! Lift me up, my child, for I am in you and as you do, you also, will be lifted up, says the Lord. Amen.

Laboring Christ's Strength

“To this end I also labor, striving according
to His working which works in me mightily.”
COLOSSIANS 1:29

The one who rests in Christ will produce more fruit than the one who strives with self-effort. This is demonstrated in Scripture and in the real-life experience of countless saints.
There is no question that Paul worked, labored, and toiled. But the difference with Paul is he knew that he was laboring according to Christ working in him. Was Paul lazy? By contrast, he was more fruitful than ever. The end result is his statement, “I labored more abundantly than them all,” quickly qualified with, “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). The “I can do all things” must always be followed with “through Christ Who strengthens me.” If we trust in the Life we will be anything but passive.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden

Run Your Race

Run Your Race

As a child, when you had the chance to run in a race, there is the excitement of standing at the starting line, hearing the gun go off and then running as hard as you can. There is a joy in the physicality of feeling the muscles in your legs work, and your breath pumping through your lungs. More than anything, it is the excitement of knowing your are running toward a goal with everything inside of you. Remember the zeal and passion that you had when you first started this journey with Me. You have been called for a purpose.
Regardless of what you do, or how it feels, know that the fire that I have put inside of you to run with passion and abandon is always inside of you. When the burdens and cares of life weigh you down, reconnecting to that fire is as easy as stepping into my presence. So, remember the joy of running your race, and know that I am running right alongside you!

I Pave the way Before You

I Pave the way Before You

The way is open before you my child. I have prepared a road that is just for you and all you need to do is place your hand in mine so that I can lead you in the way that you should go.
You are not the one who has to worry about creating a way. I have done that already. All you have to worry about is to stand in faith and trust me, that I know where I am taking you, how I am taking you there and when.
I have you in the palm of my hands and love you so much. I have called you and given you something special. So run with all your zeal and allow me to mold and shape you.
Trust in me and walk on the open way. Don’t hold back or try to go a different way because somehow this doesn’t make sense to you. This is my way and I will carry you through, says the Lord.

Who is the Elder?

“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:12

An older person is not necessarily a spiritual elder. We do not look to the age of a person’s physical body when determining their spiritual maturity. Of course, we owe a certain amount of respect to the aged by virtue of their seniority; but they may not necessarily be our elder in the things of the Lord.
One can be older chronologically and be quite immature in spiritual matters. Likewise, a relatively young man or woman can have a deep relationship with the Lord and be light years ahead of those two or three times their age. A young man or woman who knows God is more elder than a senior citizen who does not know God. We cannot judge by the flesh, or we will be misled.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden

When Things Get Quiet

When Things Get Quiet

There are times when I need to speak to you in the quiet my child. In these times I will draw you unto myself and the noise around you will stop. In moments such as these you can feel uncertain about yourself. Doors that should have opened stay closed. Opportunities that should be yours, are delayed. When you see these things happen, do not be discouraged my child. Rather realize that I am calling you to myself.
For I have many things that I want to show you. I have many things that I want to tell you about the road that you are walking. However, if you are always so busy walking, then how can I tell you which step to take? And so, I will arrange circumstances and draw you into a time of silence. A time when it feels like nothing is moving. It is then that I will show you the next step. So do not fight my hand my child, rather embrace it.
Come to me in the quiet and see that I have set this time aside for you and I to talk. See that I am drawing you unto myself so that I can express my heart to you. For you have sought me for answers. You have sought me for direction. It is in the quiet that you will receive that direction. So come to me today and see the wonderful things that I have in store for you my child.

God's Power Revealed

“The message of the cross... to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18

It does not matter what your situation is; the Cross is sufficient. If the Cross is the power of God for salvation, then the Cross is also the power of God for your relationships, your spiritual growth and development, your life’s purpose, your encouragement and strength, and your victory over everything which hinders and distracts and comes against you. At one time in your life you learned you could not save yourself – that was the work of the Cross.
Now, accept the work of the Cross and learn that just as you could not save yourself, neither can you love God, love your neighbor, forgive those who have sinned against you, cast out devils, be a bold witness for Christ, or fulfill your destiny in your own strength. Just as you once relied upon Christ to save you, so now you must rely upon Christ to live through you every day. Just as you continually rely upon Christ for salvation, so you must continually rely upon Christ for everything else.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Stop and Listen

Stop and Listen

My child, not a day goes by when I am not talking to you. You will hear my voice in the gentle whisper. You will feel my touch in a soothing encouragement. If you only took the time to listen, you would realize that I have not stopped speaking. So often you look for the signs and the wonders, but it is deep within where you will find the answer you are looking for.
Stop for a moment now and listen to the gentle voice inside of you. Listen to the promptings in your spirit. For you will not find your answers “out there” but you will find them “in here.” When you stop and listen, you will realize that I have been leading you all along.
Unfortunately the noise from without often drowns me out. Your needs and the chaos around you drowns out the deep sense of knowing that is within your spirit. So take time daily to hear what I am saying. Stop to listen to the promptings within and you will see that I am leading you! You will see that I am talking to you often and that I am leading you in the way you should go, says the Lord. Amen.

Receiving Him

"My God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
PHILIPPIANS 4:19

We need more than a touch from God; we must have God Himself. There is an ocean of difference between receiving the blessing and receiving the One Who blesses; between getting a touch and receiving the One Who touches; between healing and the Healer; between redemption and Redeemer; between salvation and Savior. The former deals with what God has or can do, while the latter deals with God Himself.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

Stand in Authority

Stand in Authority

My child, stand in the authority that I have given to you. When the winds and waves come, stand in the victory I won on Calvary. Don't allow them to toss you about. Don't allow them to take you to and fro, so that you are confused on the goal I have placed before you.
Stand in your authority my child. For the same spirit that rose me from the dead lives inside of you. You don't have to accept the enemy's distractions and you don't have to bow to His name. Simply stand in the power of my name and run the race that I have set before you, says the Lord.
It's time to raise your sword and to use it. It's time to move forward and be bold in who you are in me. As you move forward with your sword held high and your shield tightly against your chest, you will indeed defeat the enemy and take the land in my name, says the Lord.

He Leads Me

“When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and Another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
JOHN 21:18 ESV

One characteristic of young disciples is their ability to dress and lead themselves. They find it very easy to go out and to come in. They are zealous and full of good works.
We are not suggesting that this is necessarily wrong, but we are suggesting that this is only the beginning stage of spiritual growth. The real question is not what need do I want to fill, or where do I want to go, or what do I want to say, or what do I want to do. The question is: what glorifies the Lord? Whenever “I” do something I consider spiritual and good, it is, nevertheless, “me” who does it.
Often we do what glorifies us – the Lord and His Need are seldom considered. But when we ask what glorifies the Lord, we see (in this passage at least) that the Lord is glorified when He is able to dress us and lead us where HE wants us to go – with no interference from Self.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Not of This World

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
JOHN 17:14

When we are called to put on the New Man we are challenged with something radical, something which by reason of Who He is must result in an upsetting of the natural, earthly order of things. It is a major upheaval. Why? Because this New Man is Totally Other. This New Man is of Heaven. This New Man is Spirit. This New Man is foreign from this world.
And when we put on THIS New Man, we are going to be at once set apart from the world and earmarked for something larger than we can fathom with our mind, something apart from flesh and blood, something we call “Spirit and Life.”
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

Choose Abundance - Not Lack

Choose Abundance - Not Lack

When I created the Garden of Eden, I put the best fruit in it. I did not put Adam and Eve into a place where they would suffer lack. In the same way my child, my perfect will is for you to live with abundance and to eat the fruit of your labor. I do not desire for you to work hard and to eat little. It is the enemy that has come to steal, kill and destroy - not me. I came to give you life in abundance!
So refuse to believe the lies of the enemy today that has told you that you must suffer lack. Refuse the lies that has said that you must have just enough. Do not believe the lies that you must work hard and eat little. For I desire for you to be richly rewarded. I desire to meet your needs in abundance my child. I desire for you to eat good fruit - just like Adam and Eve did.
So rest in that knowledge and no longer accept what the enemy wants to dish out to you. Bind his works in my name. Stand on my Word and become the overcomer that I have called you to be! For then you will see that I have given you the power to tread on serpents and scorpions. You will see that I have given you the anointing to create wealth. You will see that my arm is not weak!
For I am your mighty strong tower. Trust in my abundance and in my desire to bless you. Allow your faith in me, to be greater than your faith in your lack! For then you shall surely rise up and shake off the bondages that the enemy would try to tie you up with, says the Lord. Amen.

Labor to Enter Into My Rest

Labor to Enter Into My Rest

When the road gets hard and the pressures is hot, know that my arms are always wide open for you. Even though there are many challenges and you are facing many trials, don't give up, but stand in faith. Rest in my Word and in my love, says the Lord. Don't allow the pressures to dictate what you do, but allow them to shape you into the vessel I have called you to be.
Do not get discouraged but be of good cheer. I am calling you to excellence. I am calling you to do great things in my name, says the Lord. So come, labor to enter into my rest in faith. Come and partake of the victory I won when I surrendered my life for your sins.
Lead a crucified life and experience the power of my peace. Allow me to live through you and find the rest you are longing for. For true peace really comes when you surrender and let go. Stop trying so hard to be and do all that I have called you to be, and just hang in my arms, and then truly be who I have called you to be.
I love you so much my precious child. Come, rest in my arms and allow my love to give you the strength you don't have. Come and allow my sweet presence to penetrate you with a fragrance that will draw many unto you.
I love you and I have great things in store for you, says the Lord.

Count the Cost

“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
MATTHEW 10:38

It is unfortunate that after many years of service the Lord still has to call us back to the Cross, yet this is precisely where we should have begun. Although we ought to encourage people to come as they are and trust the Lord for salvation, we must also teach them that they must count the cost and take up the Cross: else they are not worthy of Jesus! God cannot fill us until He empties us. The Cross is where we are poured out that He may pour in.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

The Secret of Victory

“I am the light of the world.”
JOHN 8:12

Many people write to me and ask how to deal with this thing or that, how to get the victory here or there. May I say that it does not matter what your need is, or what your problem is, the Answer is the same. Victory is a Man, not an experience. If you must fail a hundred, a thousand, or a million times in order to learn that lesson then it is worth it.
It does not matter whether you understand it, agree with it, believe it, or see it yet. Indeed, everything else seems to say the opposite. But you will see, just as I have seen, that Victory, Grace, Strength, Peace, Love, Light, and Life are not “things,” they are Christ, and having the Man, you have everything the Man is.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

I Will Show you the Way

I Will Show you the Way

Be still and find your way back to me, my child. When you are in the world, there is so much noise around you that it is easy to get lost in the chaos. You jump from here to there, sorting things out that all seem so important.
However, unless you come to me so that you can see with my eyes, everything will look like a mountain. Every pressure will demand from you and you will be stretched beyond what you can handle.
Yet, when you take time to be still in my presence, you will see what is important and what you should put your hands to. You will see what can wait and where you should invest. Then all your labors will not be in vain.
So stop for a moment and take a breath in my presence. I will give you rest and show you which way to go. I will give you the perspective that you need, so that you can run forward with hope and great expectations. Then you will run and you will feel my presence right behind you. So come away with me today and let me fill you up with power. Let me fill you up with joy and give you the wisdom that you need. Amen.

Constantly Satisfied

“You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but
because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”
JOHN 6:26

The ones who seek bread from the Lord will be temporarily filled, but all who seek the Lord as Bread will be constantly satisfied. What is more, they will have resources from which to feed others.
It is a shame that many Christians only seek to be filled, and still they are never satisfied. They are content with a meager pittance, for a few crumbs from the table (Mark 7:28). They are constantly obsessed with being filled. To such ones we can only say that it is time to seek the Lord, not for what He can give you, but for Himself.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

I Have Washed You Clean

I Have Washed You Clean

Sometimes you wish you could travel back into the past and just erase the mistakes you made as if they were writings on a white board. My child, don't you realize that it's not you who must erase your mistakes, but that it's I who does that? All I need from you is to come to me with an open heart and bring those wrong doings before my throne. I have paid the price for your sin already. It's not up to you or even within your power to go back and make it right.
I have already made it right once and for all. So come to me, open your heart and place your trust in me, says the lord. I have got you covered and I can make you new inside. I will be the one to not only erase the mistakes, but make you a new person.
So trust in me afresh and don't be afraid to bring those things to the cross. Bring them, repent and watch how they melt away in the blood that I shed for you says the Lord.
I love you so much and I have a brand new road for you. Set your eyes as a flint to what lies ahead and let me pave your way. AMEN

To Love Mercy

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
MICAH 6:8

According to Vines Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, “Mercy is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it.”
Ideally, forgiveness is based on repentance; but whether or not a person repents and asks for forgiveness, they are still in need of mercy (even if they do not deserve it). If nothing else, we can pray that a merciful God will open their eyes and show them their true condition. The question is not whether or not someone deserves mercy, but whether or not they need mercy, and whether or not my spiritual life is rich enough to extend it to them.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

Run With Passion

Run With Passion

The passion I have placed inside of you my child, is real. I have called you and I have chosen you, says the Lord. So don't be dismayed or even distracted by what happens when you run with passion. Not everyone around you will understand the fire I placed inside of you. Not everywhere you go will the circumstances be perfect, because the enemy knows what he needs to do to squash that passion.
My child, don't let anything deter you from doing what I have called you to do. Yes, allow me to train you. Allow me to point the way for you and give you the do's and don'ts.
But don't adjust your passion and the fire I placed there, just because there may be a difficulty in your path, or you may not be getting the feedback you hoped.
Am I not the one who called you? Am I also not the one who will fulfill it? My child, your life is in my hands and as you surrender to me, I will guide you and show you the way.
Allow my word to penetrate you, and to matter more to you than anything you encounter as you walk out this calling.
I love you and you are precious to me, says the Lord.

The One Who Is Greater

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
1 JOHN 4:4

John declares that no matter what comes against us, the One within us is Greater. It does not matter what you feel like, what you see, what you hear, what people say, or what the devil does. It does not matter if Lazarus is dead for four days and is beginning to stink. It does not matter if the girl dies before Jesus can get there. It does not matter if the waves are about to capsize the boat. It does not matter if Paul is stoned and left for dead. Lazarus will be raised, the girl will be brought back to life, and the storm will be silenced, and Paul will preach again.
The Greater is always Greater, and the Lesser is always Lesser. We only have a problem when we see everything else as “greater” and see Christ as “lesser.”
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

Destined to Overcome

“The Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
REVELATION 17:14

The Lord is calling out for Overcomers, those who have the Revelation of Christ and who bear the Testimony of Jesus; those who demonstrate the preeminence of Christ over all things. That is your purpose as a Christian – in fact, it has always been God’s purpose for saving you and leaving you on the earth, whether you have realized it or not. You are NOT on the earth to be constantly disappointed, discouraged, and defeated. You are on the earth to demonstrate the preeminence of Christ; to show the world that “the heavens do rule.”
A defeated Christian is a contradiction: it is not your destiny. Rise up and live according to the truth: that Victory is a Man, and He lives inside of you, and the One Who lives within you is greater than whatever comes against you.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

Its Time to Take a Break!

Its Time to Take a Break!

The race has been long and your body has become weary says the Lord. Come into my presence and rest a while. Refresh yourself and gain the strength enough for the next leg of your journey. For I know the way that you have travelled and I know the way that you will yet go. I have prepared the way ahead of you and for now, it is for you to rest. For it is not a waste of time to rest. It is not a waste of time to tarry a while and to remain silent in my presence. For I do not need you to perform or to even say anything. I do not need your praise. I do not need your sacrifice. I only need your heart my child. So come to me with this simplicity. Come and be with me simply - to be with me! Come and sit at my knee and smile as you feel my arms surrounding you.
Out of all the things that you have done for me, the things I treasure the most are the moments that you invited me into your life and allowed me to revel with you in your joy! I only want to be a part of what matters to you. I want to be in the moments of your rest and in the heat of the battle. I want to share it all with you and be there to refresh you each step of the way.
So rest. Rest from your striving. Rest from your work. Rest from your failing and rest from your struggles. Simply come to me and sit in my presence and let me tell you how much I love you. Let me paint a new picture for what the journey ahead will look like. Then I will open the door and you can run again. For now though, it is time to rest and to marvel in my goodness says the Lord. Amen

My Pattern on Your Heart

My Pattern on Your Heart

It is so easy to take my word and then run with it in your own strength. But my child, what I desire to do is for my word to become a pattern that is not written only in your thoughts or only in your soul, but at the very core of your being - your heart. Allow me to show you the way and to give you a clear pattern for what I want you to do. It's not about what you can do for me, but about how much you surrender to my hand and allow my pattern to be the only thing you see.
So come to me afresh this day and allow me to write on your heart. Come to me afresh today and allow me to strengthen you for the journey ahead.
You are my beloved and I hold you in the palm of my hand. Nothing will ever come to separate you from my love for you.
So hold on tightly and you will experience such a transformation in your life, says the Lord. Amen.

In Christ Alone

“By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
EPHESIANS 2:8,9

When you come to the Lord Jesus for the first time, regardless of the circumstances, it means that on some level you have come to the realization that you cannot save yourself, that salvation is only possible through Him. No one seeks a Savior if they believe they can still save themselves. Only when you realize that you cannot save yourself will you acknowledge your need for Someone Else to do the saving. This is usually not the result of some intellectual argument or emotional plea, but the cold hard reality one faces after having tried unsuccessfully to do everything on their own.
We may fail once, twice, a dozen times, a hundred times. But when we finally surrender to God we are decreased, and He is increased. Practically speaking it simply means a little less confidence and faith in yourself, and a little more confidence and faith in Christ.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

A Gift for You Today

A Gift for You Today

I put a diamond ring on your finger this day says the Lord. A symbol of my love for you and the authority that I have given to you in my name. For just as a groom would go out to find the best ring he could for his bride, so also have I reserved the best for you. I have not given you something second hand. I have not given you something that no one wants. Rather I have kept for you the very best and the most beautiful. I have not withheld any of my anointing from you and I have not withheld and of my gifts from you. Instead I lavish you with my love and with every good thing that I have. For it delights me to see you full of joy. It delights me to see you serving me with such passion my child!
In the moments when you served me alone - I saw that! When you paid the price that no one else recognized - I saw that! When you let things go because you knew it would please me - I saw that! I have seen every little desire of your heart and recognized every price you have paid for me. My child - not a single effort has gone unnoticed. So know today that I reward you with my grace and with my authority. I reward you with my love and my approval. You please me and you have served me well.
Know that no matter where you go or what you do, that I will always be with you to open doors and to protect you from harm. So wear my ring proudly! Stand in my grace. Walk in my love. Then when the world looks at you, it will see my face reflected in your expression. They will indeed see the fruit of your travail, but only you and I will know the price it cost you to bring that fruit to maturity says the Lord. Amen

Purposed Intention

“He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world... according to the purpose of His will.”
EPHESIANS 1:4,5 ESV

God is not random. He doesn’t act without a Purpose, without a Plan, without some big Universal Goal. He is not haphazard or accidental. As much as a writer envisions the completed book before he begins to write it, and as much as the artist envisions the portrait in her head before she begins to paint it, God sees what He wants and “all things work together for good... according to His Purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Creation bears witness to a purposeful, intentional Creator and so do we. Just as the days of Creation unfold and we see a progressive revelation of the heart, intention, purpose, mind, and will of God taking shape in Creation, you can rest assured that through successive ages God is bringing about His Will, not just in the physical world, but in the spiritual world.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

Scaling a Mountain

Scaling a Mountain

When a man scales a mountain, he does not look down to see how far he can fall, but the only way to reach the top, is to keep looking up. The closer it looks, the more encouraged he is to press on forward.

So it is with you my child. Do not focus on your ability to fail, but keep your eyes like a flint and do not be deterred from your goal. When you do that, you will not notice how far you have come, you will only be consumed with how close you are to the top.

Then as you reach forward, you will grab hold of that last rock and lift yourself up. Then you will see just how far you have travelled and how many challenges you have overcome.

In Me, child, you are more than a conqueror. As you take one step a time, you will find me there right beside you. Listen to my voice and you will always find me cheering you on. You will always find me encouraging you. Look ahead child and see and taste the mountain top that is right before you. Amen.

Glimpsing Another World

“Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell
to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’”
ACTS 22:6,7

All it takes is a millisecond of time for the Revelation to strike you down. I recall when I first received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. I had had many religious and spiritual experiences up to that point, more than the average person. I had been a pastor and teacher for many years. I thought I really knew the Lord. But one day God revealed His Son IN me. I was sitting in the backyard reading the Word and without warning, in my heart of hearts, I “saw” (not with my eyes, but inwardly) Jesus seated at God’s right hand, and I saw myself raised and seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
That day was like walking out of one room and into another, closing the door behind me. I got a glimpse into another world. I saw the real Jesus and realized He was nothing like flesh and blood had said. Hallelujah!
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

5 Reasons Why God Isn’t Allowing You to Find Fellowship

5 Reasons Why God Isn’t
Allowing You to Find Fellowship​

Here’s a strange concept: God may be closing doors in your life when it comes to fellowship with others.  We seek it, we pray for it, we complain about it, yet God does not give us what we ask for. 

Why not?

1. To break religious addiction.  Often when a person gives up one addiction (like smoking) they end up taking on a new addiction (like overeating).  It is difficult to recognize an addiction and overcome it without finding something else to replace it. 

In the case of religious addiction, some leave the church and immediately go out in search of another addiction to replace it.  “Fellowship” becomes the new drug of choice – it sounds so spiritual! – and people tend to wander around in search of their next fellowship “fix.”  It is a very real psychological and spiritual condition.

God will not reinforce or encourage your religious addiction by giving you more fellowship.  In my experience, He longs to have you all to Himself for a little while.  He seeks intimacy with you that you have probably never experienced before (and will probably never experience) until He can get you alone and apart with Him for a season. 

The stronger the addiction, the more difficult it is to accept these seasons of being alone with God – and the more difficult it is to accept, the more necessary it is for you to learn to be totally and completely satisfied in God; so satisfied that people can take nothing away from it, and people can add nothing to it. 

This is critically important to recognizing true fellowship when God allows it.  He only allows it when He can trust you with it, and knows it will not just be another religious addiction for you to become enslaved to...

Click below to read 4 more reasons why!

http://www.theschoolofchrist.org/articles/why-does-fellowship-elude-us

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden

You Are My Jewel

You Are My Jewel

Diamonds that are mined from the earth are formed from dirt, heat, and pressure, over time. If you have been feeling like your load has been particularly heavy and difficult to carry, realize that right now in you, I am forming a jewel of great worth and beauty. Though you cannot see the process, aspects of yourself that are unneeded, and hinder you from the fullness of your call is slowly being chipped away and essential and important parts of you that are buried within, need the pressure to be brought out.
My child, it is only because I know and see that brilliance and beauty of what you are to become that you are going through this process right now. So be patient and know that inside of you I have put every single resource, ability, and strength to overcome anything that comes your way. So rejoice in the challenge and the pressure! For when I am finished, you will not even recognise yourself, nor will anyone else that looks at you. That is because they will no longer see you anymore, they will see Me. Amen.

The Way of the Cross

“Our old man was crucified with Him.”
ROMANS 6:6

Thank God for the Cross of Jesus Christ! For it is there that my sins are forgiven; it is there that the “old man” died. Yet it is also true that there is something as wicked, if not more wicked, than sin, and that is Self. It is true that every sin is rooted in Self.
As we must initially accept His death for sin, so we must daily accept our death to Self. As we are once crucified with Him for the remission of sins, so we must daily take up the Cross, deny our Self, and follow Him. We walk in the narrow Way just as we entered the narrow Gate – by way of the Cross.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Run with My Strength

Run with My Strength

When you are running a marathon and the first rush of excitement has passed, it is easy to get tired when the goal seems so far out of reach. Your body may be feeling every ache and every blister, but my child, turn your eyes from your discomfort and find your second wind in My Presence. When you feel like you have given everything you can give, you can then run with my strength which is infinite and available to you.
It is your mind that tells you that you canÕt go on, but listen to My voice speaking to your spirit saying ÒYes you can!Ó Run this race not only to just keep going, but run for the prize that I have called you to. Run with passion, excitement and joy, for this race, is one that is filled with blessing and beauty that you would have never seen had you decided not to go on this journey with Me.
My child, I am with you with each step you take. I have made and prepared you for every single step of this race. So shake of all the weights that are holding you back and run with the joy on the path to which I have called you! Amen.

The Lies We Believe

“Do not worry about tomorrow.”
MATTHEW 6:34

Most of us, from time to time or nearly all of the time, worry about something – our health, our finances, our loved ones, and so on. Yet the Scriptures say to take no thought for your lives and be anxious for nothing. Why is worry a sin? I know we consider it “only human,” but worry really implies a lack of trust in God. It is believing a lie. Identify the lie and you can quickly discover the Truth. What is the lie? That God is somehow less than sufficient, that perhaps He will not come through for us.
So you see, the enemy gets us to believe a lie, and then gets us to think that we are just being “human.” So then we accept something less than the normal Christian life – overcoming – and think that is just the way it is. Remember: satan has no power apart from our belief in his lie.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden

You are a King

You are a King

Inside of you is a king. I have made you in my image and with my very DNA. That means that in you is all the power that you find in Me. What I can do, child, you can do as well.

Indeed, you can do even greater things, as this world is yours to rule and reign over. So what are you waiting for? Open your mouth, take up your sword and command the day before you.

The heavens will open up and your circumstances will align with My will, when you stand as the king that I have made you.

Do not be discouraged by any natural circumstance, but know that what the enemy has built, you can destroy with a single word, child. The angels await your command, so put my word in your mouth and speak it forth into the earth. Then you will see how the power that I have given you can produce miracles.

Indeed, this world and this life was created for you to reign in. My blessings and my favor are yours child. Take hold of them today because you are royalty and richness of life is yours! Amen.

Getting Out of God's Way

“Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”
GENESIS 21:10 ESV

Often the greatest hindrance to the best is the good. The greatest hindrance to Isaac is Ishmael.
There are many good things we can create, many good things we can do. But only one thing is needed (Luke 10:42). We have to discover the “one thing,” and we only discover it when we are seated at the feet of Jesus. When we are only motivated by what JESUS needs, not what MAN needs and not what we think WE need, then we are on the path of continual and perpetual blessing.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden

Shine Brightly

Shine Brightly

When you mine gold from the earth, you have to clear all the dirt away from the rock to even recognize that what you have is something precious. Otherwise you would be tempted to see that chunk of rock as just another useless clump of dirt to be thrown away. So it is with you, my child. You may feel that the world just looks at you as a dirty, worthless rock, however, know that I see the gold that is within.
So let me remove every trace of dirt away from you, and let me refine you so that people not only recognise the gold within, but that you also shine brightly as a testimony to others. Know that it is not in how others treat you, but it is in how I see you that gives you your worth. How I have created you is exactly how I want you to be, just I have created the flowers and the sky and everything else on this earth. So come to Me and let me uncover and show to you and the rest of the world the beauty of what I have made, you! Amen.

The Purpose of Your Trial

“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’”
JOHN 2:5

If only we would heed this advice from Mary. To be sure she has learned this in years gone by. Through many experiences she has at last learned where to go. Her automatic reflex now is to go to Jesus and lay the problem at His feet: “They have no wine.” That is all. In this relationship she makes no demands, she does not even ask Him outright to do something. He knows what she means. It is an understanding that is borne out of relationship.
This, brothers and sisters, is the whole purpose for the trial you find yourself in. It may be that you have no oil, no bread, no fish, or no wine. Whatever the situation, bring your problem to the Lord of Infinite Supply, and do whatever He says to do. He wishes to reveal His glory in you. He longs to see His Power displayed through your weakness. The very thing you see as a problem is really an opportunity to see Jesus in a depth you cannot otherwise see.
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

Let Me Refresh You

Let Me Refresh You

As the dew sets on the grass in the morning giving it the refreshment that it needs, so do I hover over you and rest on you giving you brand new mercies and showering you with my love and grace. It is not in the big visitations that you will see the greatest changes in your life, but in the moments when I am resting on you and refreshing you day after day.
You will come to know how much I love you every day that you receive My words in your heart and allow them to soak deep into your spirit. You will grow in intimacy with Me as we lie together as a married couple pouring out to one another in love.
So, my child, come and sit with Me for a while today. You do not have to come with great things to share to Me or even to receive from Me a profound revelation, but simply come and rest with Me and allow Me to be to you as the dew is to the grass.
Let Me refresh you and give you substance that you need to continue on another day and withstand the hot sun and the mighty winds, says the Lord.

Responding to Tribulation

“In the world you will have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
JOHN 16:33

Since we cannot avoid having tribulation in this world, we might as well make the best possible use of every circumstance we find ourselves in.
Begin to see all your temptations, tests, and trials as opportunities for growing, maturing, and learning how to live as an Overcomer. Then your problem will become your greatest opportunity for knowing God – for the depth of your revelation is measured by the depth of your suffering.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Your Custom Made Journey

Your Custom Made Journey

My precious child, don't look to the left or the right as you walk on this road that I have paved for you. It doesn't matter what everyone else around you is doing. I am the one who has called you and I am the one who has placed you on this path.
Trust in Me and allow Me to lift you up. Don't allow your circumstances to deter you from what I have called you to do. Look into my eyes and my eyes alone. I have the perfect plan and I will direct you very clearly.
My direction and words to you, may not always match with what I am doing in other people's lives, but that's okay, because your journey is custom made for you. Your path is carved out just for you. I know what you need and when you need it.
I know how to equip and direct you, my child. So trust in Me afresh, says the Lord. Don't sway away from my eyes, and don't let go of my hand. I have you firmly and tightly tucked away in my hand, says the Lord.

Less of Everything Else

“We rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
PHILIPPIANS 3:3

Can you see that “Self-Esteem” actually takes you further away from Christ-Esteem? Self-esteem increases Self. But Paul said we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. When I have lost confidence in myself then I can put all my confidence in Christ. He is increased as I am decreased.
Some years ago I was teaching at a men’s retreat. I was met at the airport and we stopped to get something to eat on the way to the retreat area. The brothers were excited and looking forward to the weekend. One of them exclaimed, “I just want more of the Lord! More of the Lord!” I was about to agree when the Holy Spirit gave me a flash of new understanding. I said, “Brother, it is not more of the Lord that we need; we just need less of everything else!” Of course there is nothing wrong with wanting more of the Lord, but there is so much that gets in the way of Him already.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Open Your Spiritual Eyes

Open Your Spiritual Eyes

My child, if you look with your own eyes, you are limited to how far you can see. You look ahead and all you see is what is right before and just a bit ahead of you.
With your natural eyes you are limited in your view, but I desire to open up your spiritual eyes and see the world as I do. In Me anything can happen. I can open doors for you that you could never open for yourself. I am able to turn any situation around for your favor. So do not lean on your own strength and understanding, but lean on Me and what I can do.
Look up to Me and see all that I am capable of and you will see the wonders that lie before you. For indeed, I am able to bring to pass every promise that I have given you. Gaze upon Me and meditate on my power and my love. As you do, you will feel a new hope and anticipation bubble up from within you.
For indeed, I have gone ahead of you and prepared the way. Open your spiritual eyes and see that I am already many steps ahead of you, child. Amen.

How the Life Flows

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
JOHN 15:4

It is never a question of how to get the Life to flow, or how to get the Lord to move. To tap into the Infinite Supply it is only a matter of being yielded to the Lord and emptied of ourselves. When this happens then the Life will flow of its own accord.
On the negative side, this Life answers to every assault of the Adversary and stops his harassment against us. On the positive side, this Life supplies us with all the spiritual resources we need to maintain our abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus. With less of me, there will be more of the Lord: this is a spiritual law. Therefore, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

Treasure Every Step

Treasure Every Step

There are times when the way that you are walking is covered with many stones. You wish that you could pray, and they would just disappear. At times, I might ask you to do that.
Today I want you to work through these stones, though. What you do not see is that with every stone that you overcome, with every hindrance that you remove out of your way, you grow and become a better warrior and a greater vessel in my hands.
Sometimes you have to buckle your boots, gird your loins with the tools and weapons I have given you and embrace the hard work on this the rocky road.
When you look back though, you will treasure every single step that you took on that road. It will be like a diamond in a treasure chest that you will never lose again. It will be part of you, and you will see that you gained wisdom and knowledge that you will be able to pass on to the next generation.
Do not shy away from the hard work, but know that in Me, you will indeed overcome!

Let Me Fill You Up

Let Me Fill You Up

It is easy to get caught up with all the things that you have to do each day and to get buried by all the tasks that you have to take care of that you forget that my burden is light and my yoke is easy. Remember, you were never meant to carry the load all by yourself. I have not given you something that you can do in your own strength. I have given you something that you can do only with Mine.
So put down your tools, your works and your burdens and let me fill you up with my love, my acceptance, and joy. From this place of peace, I will give you the wisdom to work the field that I have given you. So come to Me and let me fill you to overflowing with what your body, soul and spirit needs. Let me show you who you are in My eyes. Draw your strength from My Love and pour it out to everyone around you and let the works of My hands through you, prosper!

Come to Me Unpolished

Come to Me Unpolished

My child, today I want you to know that you can come to me as someone who is weak and foolish. You don't have to come to me already having figured everything out and being all strong and capable.
My child, in fact, I delight in your weakness. When you come to me weak, I can pick you up and enable you with my power and my anointing. I can wash you clean with my love and give you the direction you need to move forward.
When you come to me vulnerable and with all that is bothering you, then I have something to work with and something to sharpen. However, if you try to polish yourself and then present me with a perfect piece of art at the end of the day, it seems that you don't really need me.
However, I want to be your everything. i want to shower you with all that I have and all that I am. So just run into my arms and allow me to shape and mold you. Allow me to send you forth with my power, says the Lord.

The Potter's House

“You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter.”
ISAIAH 64:8 ESV

I went to a pottery once and watched the potter form a lump of clay into a jar. He demonstrated the technique and in his skilled hands the jar began to take shape. But there was something about it that was not quite right, something was a little off. I didn’t see anything wrong with it, but the potter did. So he just crushed the whole thing back into a shapeless lump like it was no big deal and started again.
Notice that he did not throw the lump away and say the lump was no good. Nor did he blame the lump for not turning out correctly. Nor did he get angry, frustrated, or upset. It was just easier for him to start over with the lump and work with it until it was perfect.
Well, that was encouraging to me! The lump really couldn’t do anything to help itself get any better, or make itself more worthy. It was just a lump, yielded to the potter’s hands.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden

Sukacita Saat Mengenang Kembali

Dear DAVE BROOS,

Selamat ulang tahun, dari kami semua di Our Daily Bread Ministries! Kami ikut bersyukur dan bersukacita bersama Anda. Kiranya Allah melimpahkan segala kasih karunia-Nya kepada Anda, sehingga Anda senantiasa berkecukupan dalam segala sesuatu, bahkan berkelebihan dalam pelbagai kebajikan.

 

Salah satu cara terbaik untuk merayakan ulang tahun adalah dengan merenungkan kembali berkat-berkat Tuhan yang melimpah di sepanjang hidup kita. Karena itulah, kami telah memilih satu renungan khusus dari Santapan Rohani yang kami harap akan menguatkan Anda dalam menjalani hidup yang melimpah dengan ucapan syukur.

Hui Neon Khan
Asisten Wakil Presiden
Pelayanan Operasional
Wilayah Asia Tenggara



Sukacita Saat Mengenang Kembali

Baca:
Mazmur 103:1-14

Pujilah Tuhan, hai jiwaku, dan janganlah lupakan segala kebaikan-Nya! —Mazmur 103:2

Seorang teman lama menggambarkan hari-hari menjelang ulang tahunnya yang ke-90 sebagai “suatu waktu . . . untuk melakukan sedikit perenungan, memandang kembali masa lalu, dan menggunakan jam demi jam untuk mengalami apa yang kusebut sebagai ‘Anugerah dari Kenangan’. Amatlah mudah melupakan segala jalan yang telah ditunjukkan Tuhan! ‘Janganlah lupakan segala kebaikan-Nya!’” (Mzm. 103:2).

 

Itulah kebiasaan dari seorang teman yang telah saya kenal dan kagumi selama lebih dari 50 tahun. Alih-alih mengingat hal-hal yang mengecewakan, suratnya penuh dengan ucapan syukur dan pujian kepada Allah.

 

Pertama, ia mengingat berkat-berkat Tuhan yang bersifat sementara—kesehatannya yang baik, kegirangan bersama istri dan anak-anaknya, sukacita dan kesuksesan dalam pekerjaan, persahabatan yang memperkaya hidupnya, dan kesempatan yang dimilikinya untuk melayani Allah. Ia menganggap semuanya itu sebagai kasih karunia—tidak satu pun layak diterimanya, tetapi semuanya diterima dengan penuh syukur.

 

Kemudian, ia mengingat berkat-berkat rohani dari Allah—pengaruh dari orangtua Kristen dan pengalamannya menerima pengampunan Allah ketika ia menerima Kristus di masa remajanya. Ia menutup suratnya dengan menuliskan tentang dukungan yang telah diterimanya dari beragam gereja, sekolah, dan saudara seiman yang saling memperhatikan dan mendoakan.

 

Inilah sikap yang patut kita terapkan secara teratur—sukacita saat mengenang kembali. “Pujilah Tuhan, hai jiwaku! Pujilah nama-Nya yang kudus, hai segenap batinku!” (ay.1). —DCM

 

Dia tahu yang terbaik! Kehendak-Nya bagiku

Lebih baik dari rancanganku. 

Bukankah segala pemberian yang baik dan sempurna 

Berasal dari tangan Bapaku? —Doonan

 

Mengucap syukurlah dengan penuh kasih atas semua kasih karunia Tuhan yang berlimpah.

 

ODB Indonesia
P.O.Box 2500
Jakarta 11025

The Climb is Not Too Hard

The Climb is Not Too Hard

When you look at a very high mountain and think about how much work it takes to climb it, you can be easily overwhelmed by the difficulty of the climb that lies ahead. However, when you have the correct tools (a rope, quickdraw, harnesses, etc), it is not too hard of a job at all.
So it is with me, my child. You may feel that this journey that I have called you to walk is so difficult and that you cannot accomplish it, however, what you do not see is that I have already given you all the tools that are necessary to make this walk a success for you.
I have given you everything that you need so that you can accomplish that for which I have sent you to accomplish. So, do not think that I will leave you to figure this out alone or that I want you to fail and will not help you to fulfill the plan that I have given you. For I have not only called you, but I have also equipped you.
Take up the tools that are before you and climb the mountain ahead of you. You will soon see that the glory that awaits you at the top of the mountain is far greater than the work and the climbing that you need to do, says the Lord.