First Love

Jesus is holy – we must love Him more than our sin.

Jesus is humble – we must love Him more than ourselves

Jesus is present – we must love Him more than distraction

Jesus is selfless – we must love Him more than our comforts.

Jesus is truth – we must love Him more than our beliefs.

Jesus is trustworthy – we must love Him more than our fears.

Jesus is accepting – we must love Him more than our prejudices.

Jesus is supernatural – we must love Him more than our agenda.

Jesus is personal – we must love him more than our independence.

Jesus is good – we must love Him more than our blessings.

Jesus is merciful – we must love Him more than our rights to justice.

Jesus is generous – we must love Him more than our gain.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

No Other Way

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” - John 14:6

Either we believe Jesus’ claim to exclusivity or we don’t. Christ Himself has told us that there is no other way to God.

I am concerned especially for my generation when it comes to boldness. It seems that my fellow millennials have been raised in a culture that champions tolerance over truth. It’s almost as if we are to believe that if something is offensive that it is, therefore, untrue. Many would rather avoid offense than deception. But nothing is untrue just because it is offensive, and nothing is true just because it is offensive. An idea’s ability to agitate or offend has no effect on its truthfulness.

Disagreement is not hate. The belief in truth is not bigotry. Exclusive claims are not intolerant.

This culture, with hypocrisy, will applaud the individual’s journey to find and live in their “own truth” yet disdain the one who says they’ve found it. It seems to me that the spirit of the age celebrates the wandering journey to find truth while condemning anyone who has actually reached the destination.

Why?

It’s because, so long as man is wandering, he is never settled. And so long as he is never settled, he never finds truth. And as long as he hasn’t found truth, he is free to do as he wills.

But you, fellow believer, must not fall for such nonsense. Be bold. Be sold. Be convinced of the truth that Christ proclaimed. He is the only way to Heaven, to God, to Truth. All others are false. That’s the truth.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Cast Your Net Again

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” - Luke 5:1-6

Perhaps you’ve been believing for the salvation of certain loved ones. You’ve preached to them, conversed with them and maybe even argued with them a little bit. Still, there seems to be a resistance, a worldly stubbornness. When believing for the salvation of someone who resists the drawing of the Holy Spirit, it’s easy to become discouraged and disappointed. It can seem as though your prayers aren’t making much of a difference.

But, as Jesus encouraged the disciples, I want to encourage you to cast your net again. Each time you cast your net – evangelize – you are taking a step of faith. And you never know which cast will yield a great catch. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Keep casting your net, and, eventually, the miracle of salvation will occur. Your loved ones will come to know Jesus – it’s just a matter of time and prayer.

Your efforts are making a difference, whether you see it that way or not. For it is impossible to accomplish nothing in prayer. God’s Word does not return void, and your evangelism is making a difference.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Impossible Places

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid.’ Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter got out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” - Matthew 14:27-31

Only Jesus could have invited Peter to walk upon the water.

Only Jesus was able to bring you to the place in life that you are now.

When you follow after Jesus, when you walk with Him in life through obedience, He’ll cause you to stand in impossible places. Sometimes those places may scare you. Sometimes you may feel inadequate to stand where you are standing. You may say, “Lord, I don’t know if I can do this.” Be encouraged: He stands with you.

Only God can cause you to stand in impossible places, and only God can keep you there. Just keep your eyes on Jesus, and you’ll walk in places where others sink. Only God could have brought you here, and only God can keep you here. Stay dependent upon Him. Don’t look around – keep your eyes upon Him.

Why does God take us to places that would have otherwise been impossible? It’s so that no flesh can glory in His presence.

The destiny He has for you is impossible to fulfill without Him. It may be intimidating, frightening. It may feel as though you cannot handle where you stand, as though you’re going to sink. Wherever God intends for you to walk will always take faith to walk there. Faith stands in impossible places. Follow the voice of Jesus, keep your eyes fixed upon His lovely countenance and you’ll walk upon the waters of your destiny, impossible places.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Keep Dreaming

“One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!’ His brothers responded, ‘So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.” - Genesis 37:5-8

God gave a dream to Joseph. Joseph shared that dream, and his brothers hated him for it.

Have you ever been hated, disliked or disdained because of the dream that God has given to you? Have you ever been misunderstood because of the favor upon your life? People label the passionate as “ambitious”, the faith-filled as “arrogant” and the dreamers as “crazy”. Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to believe that you are genuine. Regardless, do what God has called you to do.

You don’t have to explain yourself when you’re obeying God. In fact, even if you tried to explain yourself, there are some people who are just committed to believing the worst about you. Whether it’s because of jealousy or disagreement, some people will not be for you no matter what. Regardless, hold onto the dream.

To this day, Joseph is criticized. I’ve heard many preachers remark that Joseph should have kept his mouth closed. However, it was the sharing of the dream that ultimately positioned Joseph to fulfill it, even if the circumstances weren’t necessarily ideal. So do what God has called you to do, keep your heart right, stay focused and let God be the One to vindicate you. Hold onto the dream. It will come to pass.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Divine Prevention

“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.” - Acts 16:6

What God doesn’t allow is just as important as what God does allow. What He removes is just as important as what He gives. Paul wanted to go to Asia – it was a desire of his. But the Lord prevented Him from going.

In hindsight, it’s easy to understand why Paul the Apostle’s obedience to the Lord was so important. His life affects millions to this day. But who might your obedience affect?

Steer a ship slightly off course, and it will be difficult to notice the error. But, as the ship travels great distance, the error becomes more obvious. That’s the effect of the generations. Your decisions matter, here and there, now and then. So obey God.

Might you be experiencing divine prevention?

What feels like rejection can actually be promotion. What seems like delay can actually be a shortcut. What looks like a setback just might be a setup for something greater.

So, when it comes to the Lord’s prevention, don’t put up a fight. Let Him remove what needs to be removed. Let Him direct and redirect. Celebrate his permission, and celebrate His denials. Commit to obeying and embracing the will of God, even if it means divine prevention. You can’t go wrong obeying God.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Hell: As Inspired by a Dream

Hell – No amount of regret can appease it. For every moment that passes, a moment is added to the extent of one’s stay. Deep frustration, hopeless turmoil and constant confusion are forever in the soul. Hope is destroyed. After all, there is no mercy past this point. The instant your eyes catch a glimpse, your pride and stubbornness are broken. But it’s too late. The moment you sense the evil, you desire the opportunity to repent. But God is not mocked. The reality is confirmed. Everything you knew in your heart to be true is now visibly apparent. You escaped the thought on earth, hoping the thought would never manifest its own reality.

Every moment of sinful pleasure, every comment of mockery, every laugh at God – they turn to be regrettable, sorrowful even. To know that safety was within reach is a tormenting thought. Why such foolishness? Why such carelessness? It could have all been prevented – that is a most tormenting thought. No time exists – Hell is the constant state of highest anguish. It is darkness that never again will see light, pain that will never know comfort and loneliness that will never again find companionship. It is the justice of God. Can you grasp the vastness of the universe? That is temporary. Hell is a universe void of all things good. Pride is the door to Hell, and stubbornness is the step that takes you through.

What sort of pride would walk into Hell fire? What pleasure is worth the soul? Mock, laugh, scoff and push it from your mind – it remains a reality. Life is a thin, fragile glass upon which we walk. Once it is broken, it cannot be repaired. Only fools go to Hell when salvation is so near. Frustration that causes physical tension, fear that causes your heart to race, anger that brings depression and pain that causes a scream – these are the reactions of a Hellish existence. They are the eternal marks of a tormented, rejected soul.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.