CWOC the Blog

This morning, I was meditating in John 2. It is there where we see Jesus turned the water into wine at a wedding party (which in those days went on for about a week).

Here’s the deal. If something wasn’t done to remedy this situation it could be bad news for the bride and groom. It would hang over them like some super bad omen that their marriage was doomed.

So, Jesus’s mom (who is also at this big feast) uses her maternal influence to do something about it.

So, Jesus looks around and sees water pots. Yes, just WATER POTS. So he tells the servants to fill them with water. Yes, just WATER. When they go to scoop it out, the water has turned to wine.

As I read this, something stood out to me – the Bible states they filled the waterpots “to the BRIM”. The servants didn’t complain about someone else’s lack of stewardship that predicated this present, foreboding situation. Neither did they complain about the ludicrous idea of hauling heavy jugs of water to fill these giant, special waterpots. On the contrary – they filled them to the BRIM.

Let me encourage you in this: the menial task and the ‘plain resource’ we are so accustomed to may be the actual means of supernatural breakthrough in and through your life.

Now, I’m about to go work with some waterpots and cracked pots. I’m gonna see what God will do.

Peace!

For several weeks I’ve been teaching a Discipleship Class on the Minor Prophets. This week we’re going to be on Obediah.

While reading, studying, and praying ahead – I have been awed by this little prophetic book of one simple chapter.

This little book packs a wallop as the prophet cuts to the chase. The nation of Edom (descendants of Esau) were mean to Israel (descendants of Jacob). Centuries of festering unforgiveness became evident as Israel was attacked by a foreign army and the neighboring Edomites did nothing to help. Well, that was the second occasion of the Edomites being a pain.

The bottom line is GOD was passing judgement on Edom for not being loyal to help their family in the time of need.

Here is the deal folks: IT’S TOO EASY TO BE THERE FOR PEOPLE TODAY NOT TO BE THERE. We have prime opportunities through our technology to encourage, motivate, and cheer one another on.

So, look around you today. If you see someone dragging under the cares of life, shoot a text or an email of encouragement. Come on. Somewhere down the line we’re all family.

Today is day 11 in a 21-day period of prayer at fasting at Crossroads World Outreach Center (www.cwoconline.org)

THEME OF PRAYER FOR TODAY: THAT THE NAME OF JESUS WOULD BE EXALTED IN OUR LIVES.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, New English Translation

”And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of His calling and fulfill by His power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, (v12) that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Apostle Paul uses some strong wording here as he prays for God to “…make you WORTHY of His calling and fulfill by His POWER your every desire for goodness and every work of FAITH, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be GLORIFIED in you…” (emphasis mine).

First, God makes us worthy. We do NOT earn religious points with God. No one ever gains ‘bragging rights’ when it comes to earning grace. Note Paul’s words in the letter to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (v9) not of works, lest anyone should boast” (2:8,9 NKJV). Our worth comes from the stock of eternity – our lives now and our lives to come – that God has placed into us.

Second, any fulfillment in our lives will come by God’s power working in and through us. We can’t conjure, scheme, plot, or plan true fulfillment where our every desire of goodness will be realized. However, with God’s help and as He releases His omnipotent power toward us we shall experience these things.

Thirdly, life is not all about our desires of goodness being realized, but, God wants to fulfill every work of FAITH. Faith is like a muscle. An extended lack of use and it will become atrophic (withered, weak, and eventually useless). God recently spoke to me, “Stretch your faith. You have become too comfortable.” I don’t believe this was JUST for me, but for all Christians in America. It has been said in an old proverb and song, “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.” We must, once again, BELIEVE for the impossible for with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

Finally, the culmination of all these isn’t to simply ‘bless’ us or to enable us to have a dream walk here as we gaze to heaven. The culmination of all these things is found in the fact that Jesus may be GLORIFIED in our lives.

A life of thanksgiving and praise because He has made us worthy, a live of fulfillment and a testimony to our generation of completed purpose and destiny, our faith muscles rippling and the supernatural power of God being released in the earth through our lives all come together in exalting, glorifying, and magnifying the name of JESUS CHRIST our Lord and Savior.

As you go through today and pause in moments to pray, ask God to give you a revelation of the things I’ve written of here. Then, ask God to enable you, by His POWER, to incorporate them in your life. With every word, every step, every action, and every breath – EXALT THE NAME OF JESUS.

Today is DAY 6 of a 21-Day period of Prayer / Fasting at Crossroads World Outreach Center (www.cwoconline.org).

PRAYER EMPHASIS FOR TODAY: GOD, PLEASE INCREASE YOUR PEOPLE TODAY!

Isaiah 9:7a gives us these words: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…” (NKJV).

God is all about INCREASE. His Kingdom is INCREASING in the earth. This is perpetual. The aforementioned verse in Isaiah shows that this INCREASE WILL NOT END. When God created man He sanctioned them in Genesis 1:28 to (1) be fruitful and (2) multiply. God was not being redundant in speaking of procreation. The word for ‘fruitful’ does mean to have babies. However, the word for ‘multiply’ in the original text means to INCREASE!

Psalms 23:5 shows how God anoints us and our cups are to RUN OVER (overflowing increase).

Today, as you pray / fast make an important topic of your prayer to be INCREASE. Pray for yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray INCREASE in these areas: spiritual growth / maturity; revelation in the Word of God and the Kingdom of God; marital, financial, relational; favor, and influence.

GOD WANTS YOU TO INCREASE IN EVERY FACET OF YOUR LIFE!