Fresh Fire Ministries

“But You, O Lord; are a shield for me. My glory and the one who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.” Psalm 3:3-4 (NKJV) David is on the run from Jerusalem. Not because of the onslaught of Saul, but this time he is in retreat from his favorite son Absalom who had seized the throne and is contemplating David's ex*****on. David does not let himself slip into denial as if the matter would soon go away on its own. As he pens this hymn, he understands the significance of this particular trial. "Lord how they have increased who trouble me." (V.1) The word increased is the same root word used in 2 Samuel 15:12 to describe the growth of rebellion. It was at this time that Absalom's conspiracy begins to gain momentum and the people who stood with him continually increased in number. The repetition of the word "many" in verses one and two indicates the traumatic feeling that David must have felt knowing that his nation had turned against him. He didn't have an exact number, but he knew that there were multitudes who reviled him even to the point that they would tell him to his face that they believed that even God could not help him. Perhaps the idea here is that it is not the enemy that we know but the "many" that cannot be numbered that we should be mindful of. How many have turned against you? How many have said that there is no help for you in God? The pain and agony of this kind of slander and abuse from the hands of the enemy can oftentimes be too much to bear. In the midst of the enemy's relentless attack one word provides the pivotal point within our circumstance and the opportunity for our deliverance. "But.” In spite of what the situation may be David acknowledges that he is going through a devastating trial "but" the Lord, who knows just how much he can bear, is his shield. The shield was a common symbol of God's protection, first revealed to Abraham. "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield and exceedingly great reward." Genesis 15:1 (NKJV) Since God was a shield for Abraham and David; the Lord is also a shield for you and me. God will not only shield us from the wrath of our enemies, but He will also lift us. This assurance is based on God's word and not on circumstances or feelings that might easily overwhelm us. God can take the humiliation of our trial and bring us to exaltation and glory to His name.

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“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV) The reality of our devotional passage is not one to forget, nor should we take it for granted. While there are wars and rumors of war throughout the world in which we live; there is none that could ever equal the one that we face as believers. The stakes are high, and the costs are great. The enemy is invisible, but he constantly leaves tangible evidence throughout the earth that he intends to wage and win the war that originates in heavenly places. Our response cannot be initiated with earthly or carnal weaponry. Paul uses the word “mighty” to describe the magnitude of our weapons. They are mighty through God and powerful for God. Two of our most accessible spiritual weapons are prayer and fasting. These two often neglected spiritual disciplines give us power to do battle in the realm where spiritual wickedness and principalities join forces to thwart the plan and purpose of God in our lives. In fact there are some battles that we face that will “require” that we fast and pray. At times there is nothing else that will give us the victory that we so desperately need. When the disciples wondered in amazement when they discovered that they could not cast a demon out of a young boy, Jesus admonished them by saying, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21 (NKJV) We may not be called upon to cast out a demon but there will be times when we have to pull down the “strongholds” that the enemy has placed within our spiritual environment. Strongholds are “fortresses” or “fortifications” where Satan houses his principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places that come against us to enforce his will against us. Strongholds can also be viewed as anything that opposes God’s will. He has a countless host of evil spirits to oppose, obstruct, and oppress us. Yet we will not be defeated. These strongholds must and will come down. The text suggests that we have the power to pull them down. In other words, we can demolish them, destroy, or depose them by force. When we apply the power of our spiritual weapons against the strongholds of the enemy they will fall like the walls of Jericho.

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“Joy. Joy. I’ve still got joy. After all the things I’ve been through, I’ve still got joy. Joy. Joy. I’ve still got joy after all the things I’ve been through, after all the things I’ve been through. I’ve still got joy!” Good morning our most powerful and awesome Heavenly Father. Thank you for one more day. We have to admit that we have not always been happy, but in you, your son Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit we have the fullness of joy. Joy unspeakable. Joy that the world cannot give. Joy that the world cannot maintain. The joy of the Lord is our strength and we thank you Father. When the storms of life are raging all around us, when friends are few, when trouble is in our way, when our pillows are stained with our tears, when we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Hallelujah we still have joy! Now may our joy radiate into the lives of those who don’t know you in the pardon of their sins. May it be a testimony of not only what you have done for us, but what you have done for the world through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NKJV) There is a reality that we must all face at one time or another. This reality places our devotional text in perspective regarding sin because we all have sinned and fallen short of God's divine standard. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, your title, or position sin is universal in its nature. "As it is written there is none righteous, no not one." Romans 3:10 (NKJV) We have seen the painful reminder of the reality of sin afflict the lives of individuals from all walks of life, right down to the person next door; not to mention our own. There are times when we apply our own personal humanistic standards to the transgressions of others. We often believe that we are not as bad as those who have committed certain transgressions that we have not. Surely you have heard it often said, "How could they have done that?" Or maybe, "I might not be perfect, but I would never do that." The truth of the matter is all sin makes us sinners and cuts us off from fellowship with God. While sin impacts the lives of us all; let us not be overwhelmed with the symptom of sin and not consider the solution. "But God demonstrates His love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:6 (NKJV) Gods unquestionable and unchangeable love for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ saves us, is still saving us, and will ultimately save us. Simply put, we are saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from the power for sin, and will ultimately be saved from the presence of sin. This is the glorious solution to the universal problem of sin. It is a solution that covers us all when we confess our belief in the finished work of the cross, because we all have sinned. We don't hear much about sin anymore from the various pulpits and platforms across the world yet; the evidence of its destructive work is clearly seen. That message has become somewhat muffled by those regarding prosperity and how to have a piece of heaven on earth. If we are to be truly blessed and experience real and lasting prosperity, we must deal with our sin because we all have sinned. What we lost in Adam through His initial sin and the consequences thereof; we now find eternal redemption in Jesus Christ.

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“Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble?” For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises.” Habakkuk 1:3 (NKJV) One of life’s greatest question is found within the context of our devotional passage. It is comprised of three letters, and one word. Why? What follows after the question is only supplemental to the details that follow. Oftentimes that small little question, while carrying great weight and power goes unanswered from generation to generation. We typically make this inquiry in times of uncertainty. When something catastrophic, cataclysmic, or chaotic has occurred and as a result we immediately scramble to find an answer that will bring some reasonable amount of comprehension. In many cases it is a question that only God can answer. Sometimes He will, and then at other times He will remain silent at His choosing for reasons that He is not obligated to explain. Then, there is also a time when He answers and either our hearing has been filtered by other voices, or we don’t agree with His answer. Perhaps God, in His dealing with us, is in a no-win situation, or so it might seem. In our devotional passage, God is using the enemy of His people in the form of the Babylonians to chastise, punish, and discipline His people. The Babylonians have become God’s rod of correction, so as a result it is only natural and normal that Habakkuk, when he sees the devastation of his people, in the throes of death that he would ask why. It is a reasonable question that requires a biblical answer when we just can’t seem to figure out what God is up to. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways are past finding out?” Romans 11:33 (NKJV) If God answered all our inquiries would we have the faith to believe Him? We are so limited in our comprehension of the things of God because of our human condition would one question simply lead to another, and another, and another? Do we really want to know? Can we ever really be satisfied with the answer? And furthermore, would we be able to handle the answer, even when it may not turn out to be in our favor? It is clear why God chooses only what He desires to tell us on a need-to-know basis. And since He is in charge and in control, most things we don’t need to know. That’s why faith is called faith.

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The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:8 (NKJV) Jesus is able to heal individually as well as collectively. There is no circumstance that He alone cannot cure, and no episode in our life whether it is spiritual, physical, or emotional that He cannot overcome. His power to heal transcends culture, ethnicity, socioeconomic standing, or even the politics of any given day. If the centurion didn’t have the most earnest expectation of Jesus’ ability to heal, he would have never called on his name. When the centurion called on Jesus, he simultaneously called upon the word of God made flesh in Jesus Christ. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV) It is additional assurance that the word of God will never return void whenever it is summoned on our behalf. It will always accomplish the purpose and will of God without denial even when it may appear that it has been delayed. It’s important to understand that the word of God is not a set of formulas, formats, or schematics that can be applied to our life. Nor is it an accumulation of ABC’s in order to receive XYZ. We must avoid any semblance of foolishness that the secular world would suggest that we consider in order for the word of God to work on our behalf. It is the word of God only, and our ability through faith to believe that God will do just what He has said. While in awe and absolute respect of Jesus’ deity, he felt unworthy to even have Jesus’ dark into the doorway of his residence. But his faith was unrelenting and unwavering on behalf of his grievously ill servant. All he needed was for Jesus to just speak the word. No additives. No sidebars. No substitutes. No courier to transport the word to the location of its most immediate need. Just say it Jesus! Hallelujah! He knew that Jesus had the power, and that power would be manifested if Jesus would just speak the word only! What faith! What trust! What hope! What expectation! It was something that Jesus had not even witnessed within the context of His very own covenant people. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Matthew 8:10 (NKJV) So shall it be with you!

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“And they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their heads had not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of smoke was not on them.” Daniel 3:27b (NKJV) The fiery trials of life are sure to come, and they cannot be avoided. You can run, hide, postpone the event of testing, yet it is one that cannot be canceled. A simple definition of a fiery trial is “a trial that is on fire.” In I Peter 4:12, Peter says that fiery trials are not strange. The three Hebrew boys were facing a fiery trial all of their own. The root cause was their bold defiance of King Nebuchadnezzar’s order to bow down to the golden image that he had constructed when prompted by the symphonic instruments of that day. They would not compromise their values nor betray the faith that they had in the Lord God who knows how to deliver. When faced with the choice of the fiery furnace or failing in their faith they chose the former. Here’s their response. “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:18 (NKJV) Perhaps you could characterize it as a “relationship response.” They responded to what they knew about their God. Defiant even to the point that led them to conclude that they knew that God was able to deliver them, He would deliver them, and even if He didn’t they would still not bow down. As a result of their response they were thrown into the fiery furnace, but they were not alone. Jesus, the Son of God himself shows up in pre-incarnate form to deliver them and set them free. The fiery furnace that was to consume them and ultimately destroy them was heated up 7 times its normal temperature. The normal firing temperature of a brick firing furnace is typically 1832 degrees Fahrenheit. Heated 7 times that temperature would be 12,824 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat of this fiery trial was so intense that it actually killed the men that threw them in. But look at God work. The three Hebrew boys not only withstood the flames with the help of Jesus. But they came out just like they went in. They didn’t look like what they had been through. Hallelujah! No evidence of the flames, the heat, the destruction, or the stench of smoke. God will deliver us through the fiery trials of life.

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“And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant by means of death, for the redemption of transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV) One of the greatest benefits of the new covenant is that men would have access to God without human intervention. To put it another way, man would have fellowship with God in a way that he had never known. We, as children of God, have become beneficiaries of this promise by way of the blood of Jesus Christ. Men come to the new covenant already deeply stained in sin sinking to rise no more. The Old Testament system of sacrifice was completely powerless in atoning for sin. It simply covered sin; but what has only been covered can soon be uncovered. Therefore, there was no lasting remedy. Jesus Christ arrives on the scene by means of His birth, death, and resurrection as the mediator of the new covenant. Being the mediator is defined as "one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or ratify a covenant." "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." First Timothy 2:5 (NKJV) The only way for this mediation to take place was for Jesus to die. When He died, He immediately, completely, and effectively wiped out the sins of men committed under the old covenant and inaugurated the fellowship promised under the new covenant. There are two central truths in our devotional passage that should raise our level of appreciation that we are now believers not bound by the traditions and covenant of the old, but we stand free and unbridled by the new covenant. First of all, the sacrifice of Jesus grants us forgiveness of past sins known and unknown. This is extremely good news because we deserve the most severe punishment for what we have done and should be completely shut out from having access to God. But we come boldly with confidence and assurance to the throne of grace. Secondly, the sacrifice of Jesus gives us a hope, expectation, and new life for the future. The God whom our sins had made a stranger; the sacrifice of Christ has made us a friend. Our relationship does not end on this side of glory, but the text says that we have also obtained the “promise of eternal inheritance.” "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, oh what a fore taste of glory divine, I'm an heir of salvation, purchased by God, born of His Spirit and washed in His blood."

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“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” II Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) In order for life to be lived with reward, benefit, and to the glory and honor of God it must be lived within the context of the scriptures. The Word of God must be our primary and most fundamental frame of reference from which we derive the power to endure in an often-troubled world. Problems ensue when these same scriptures are read, taught, preached, or shared out of context or with the improper interpretation. When applied properly, the scriptures are profitable or beneficial for doctrine. Doctrine is the precepts and divine instructions from God for every believer. This is so critical now when there are so many prevailing winds of false doctrine, error, and other heresies that have invaded the landscape of our society. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.” II Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV) The time that this passage refers to has now come. When our instruction from the scriptures is based on “unhealthy” doctrine, it changes the context of said doctrine and we begin to live life out of context with the scriptures. The Word of God also provides for us a context of reproof and correction. Reproof is the manifestation of truth that brings conviction. Conviction will ultimately change our heart, which will in turn change our behavior, which will subsequently change our context for living. This reproof of the scriptures will be reinforced by the correction that the scriptures afford us. Here the idea of correction is “the straightening up again.” When we stray from the path of obedience, establishing our own standards, and falling and stumbling along the way the word of God can lift us up, reestablish our steps, and make straight the paths from which we have strayed. Where there is no reproof or correction there is compromise. Finally the Word of God provides us the context to live life based on the instruction of righteousness. This is simply to say right living. The word is our guide, our light, our barometer, our focus for living right in a world that is hopelessly going wrong. Even when we are wrong, the word of God always reminds us of what is right; how to think right, how to behave right, and how to live right even when our flesh motivates us to do what is wrong.

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