KLOVE RADIO FEATURES – APRIL 2024
GOD’S WILL: LOGIN OR PASSWORD –
We all wonder why God’s will is so complex, often requiring incredible perseverance. It reminds me of passwords and logins. Logins are generally easy and connected to familiar dimensions of our lives. Passwords are far more challenging. That’s why so many of us have password fatigue. Having to change our passwords regularly encourages us to make weak passwords. Yet, experts say our passwords must be complex and lengthy because easy passwords are a significant risk. They provide little security and protection from danger. Likewise, trying to make our lives as easy as possible weakens us. Only in eternity will we realize the pressures of life were the very thing that forged us into diamonds. Embrace your pressures and struggles; they are Heaven-sent.
YOU’RE UNIQUE . . . NOT DIFFERENT
How we see ourselves is infinitely more important than how others see us. Each of us is unique, not different. Seeing yourself as the “one and only you,” a singular representation of the Person of God, affirms that we are “made in His image and likeness.” As nothing is repetitive or duplicatable with God, there is no redundancy in our lives as well. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We are each given a splash of God’s pristine beauty. As every fingerprint, snowflake, and hair on our heads is matchless, embracing this reality will help you weather the storms and uncertainties of life. More than any good father or mother, God is committed to preserving our peerless identity and destiny. The planet is filled with synthetic everything, while Heaven only has one-of-a-kinds.
PREPARING FOR GOD TO DO MIRACLES
At times, all of us are in desperate need of a miracle. That’s why the Bible provides clear guidelines for preparing to receive one. “Then Joshua told the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.’” (Joshua 3:5, NLT) That’s clear: purifying our hearts and minds activates God’s miraculous grace. Jesus affirmed this when He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8). They shall see God do what they can’t do: supernatural miracles, divine healings, and deliverance from evil. All because they were willing to let light shine in their darkness, allowing a Holy God to pour out miracles and supernatural power on our lives. James says it this way, “…even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” (James 4:3, NLT)
KEEP YOUR FIRE BURNING
The number one spiritual concern I have is allowing my relationship with Jesus to grow cold. I alone am responsible for keeping the fire in my heart for Jesus burning white hot. Leviticus 6:13 says, “…the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire…He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it.” There is so much fat and fluff in each of our lives that needs to be burned up so that a holy God can pour out His blessing on the sacrifices we make. When my heart grows cold, the fire to do God’s will grows dim. “Jesus, give me the courage to allow the holiness of your heart to fill mine, for only then can I become the person you created me to be.”
BEING PEACEKEEPERS OR PEACEMAKERS
Like it or not, life on planet Earth is a battlefield. We are at war and made for war. With that said, the irony of peace is that it is often only accomplished by fighting battles and winning wars. Peacemakers are willing, if necessary, to go into battle, while peacekeepers often succumb to fear and avoid war at all costs. King David was a mighty warrior who wanted peace but willingly went to war. He wrote, “I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.” (Psalm 120:7). If you and I are more comfortable saving our lives than wading into the battle, we will tend to back away from battles to save our own lives. Even Jesus said, “I didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) It’s time to fight for your future!
DISCIPLES, OR JUST CHRISTIANS?
This next question may be the most formidable one you ever face. Are you a whole-hearted disciple of Jesus Christ or just a Christian? Two hundred and sixty-nine times, the Bible uses the term “disciple” to describe followers of Jesus, while just three times does it use the word “Christian.” With Christianity in severe decline across America, there is a critical need to raise disciples. You may have enough faith to get into Heaven, but you lack the spiritual discipline and self-control to live the life Jesus intended: becoming a whole-hearted follower of Jesus. Lukewarm, half-hearted, undisciplined followers of Jesus will never turn their world upside down and honestly are a misrepresentation of the life Jesus envisioned for each of us. Choose to be a disciple!!