Body

Devotions

God Will Be My Boast!

Carter Conlon

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When you are in the crises of life — trusting God for your finances, your marriage, your wayward children, your health — it is important that you get back to the Word of God and say, “Lord, would you help me not to lean on my own understanding? Would you help me not to try to figure a way out of my dilemma in my own strength? Would you help me to trust in you with all of my heart?” As you pray this way and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you will find yourself growing in courage and faith.

I love what King David said in Psalm 44: “Our fathers have told us, the deeds You did in their days, in days of old: You drove out the nations with Your hand, but them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them. You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob. Through Your name we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us. In God we will boast all day long, and praise Your name forever” (verses 1-8).

David was saying, “Lord, you have told us what you have done in the past. You brought your people out of captivity and into the place of promise — not by human intellect, reasoning, or strength, but by your Spirit. Knowing the history, I am not going to trust in my own strength or reasoning. You will be my boast all the days of my life!”

Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 at the invitation of the founding pastor, David Wilkerson, and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001.

Spoiling the Entire Batch

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

“May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever” (Hebrews 13:20-21). 

What a joy to be around people who have about them the aroma of having been with Jesus and are living this kind of Christ-life. Like Paul, these saints have a longing to be in the presence of Christ. They possess a hunger to obtain more and more intimacy with him and they exude his love and holiness.

Such people thoroughly enjoy life but they also avoid all foolish conversation. They live wholly separated from the things of this world and God’s favor is evident in their lives and their families. Some may be poor in material things but their lives are fully blessed by the Lord.

Don’t get me wrong; these believers go through seasons of severe trials and testing but, like Paul, although they may be cast down, they are not destroyed. And they never quit! They are determined to finish their walk of faith and ministry in a way that is pleasing to God.

But Satan is determined to put things in your life that hinder your entering into the abundance of Christ’s blessing. Paul recognized this and said to the Galatians, “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:7-9). In other words, “What is in your life that keeps you from going on in the full blessing of Christ?”

This is a good warning for us today. Many Christians who once were mightily used of God have allowed something to creep into their lives and they have made peace with that compromise. Be careful that you do not allow a single sin to serve as a little leaven that spoils the entire batch.

“Well Done”

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges everyone to pursue the fullest measure of the blessings of the gospel of Christ. “To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift … Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ … To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 4:7 and 13; 3:19).

Notice the word “fullness” in these passages. The Greek word Paul uses here means “to complete the task of filling up to the full.” That is the task God has given us: to pursue the fullness of Christ’s blessing in our lives.

Consider the incredible measure of Christ’s blessing in Paul’s life, this man who received revelations from Jesus personally. Of course, Paul knew he had not attained perfection but he also knew, without a doubt, that there was nothing in his life hindering the flow of Christ’s blessing.

This is why Paul could say, “I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:29). He had a holy confidence in his walk with Christ. He claimed, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16). He was saying, in essence, “My life is an open book before the Lord. I have no hidden sin in my heart, and he has no controversy with me. His blessing to me is a continual flow of revelation, so when I preach to you, you don’t hear the words of men, you hear the very words of God’s heart.”

You see, the fullness of Christ’s blessing has little to do with material goods. While good health and earthly resources are blessings from God’s gracious hand, Paul is speaking of a much greater blessing — God’s commendation — his, “Well done.”

Daily Fixing Our Gaze on Jesus

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Paul speaks of a certain ministry calling that every Christian has. This ministry does not require particular gifts or talents; rather, it is to be undertaken by all who have been born again. In fact, this ministry is every believer’s first calling. All other endeavors must flow out of it because no ministry can be pleasing to God unless it is birthed out of this calling.

I am talking about the ministry of beholding the face of Christ. Paul says, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). What does it mean to behold the Lord’s glory? Paul is speaking here of devoted, focused worship — time given to God simply to behold him. And the apostle quickly adds, “Therefore, since we have this ministry” (4:1). Paul makes it very clear that beholding the face of Christ is a ministry we all must devote ourselves to.

The Greek word for “beholding” is a very strong expression; it indicates not just taking a look, but “fixing the gaze.” It means, “Before I do anything else or try to accomplish a single thing, I must be in God’s presence.”

Many misinterpret the phrase “beholding as in a mirror” (3:18). They think of Jesus’ face being reflected back to them. But Paul is speaking of an intensely focused gaze, as if peering at something earnestly through a glass, trying to see it more clearly. We are to “fix our eyes” in this way, determined to see God’s glory in the face of Christ. We are to shut ourselves in with him and commune with such devotion that we are changed.

Paul continues is 2 Corinthians 3:18: “[We] are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” By being in the presence of Christ, we are being changed by the work of the Spirit. How wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit will work a progressive increase of the character of Christ in us as we focus on him.

Jesus, the Source of All Joy

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Isaiah 16:6 vividly describes what happens to a proud nation that falls under God’s judgment: “We have heard of the pride of Moab … of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath; but his lies shall not be so.” Throughout Scripture, the nation of Moab serves as a symbol representing all self-reliant people who turn their backs on God and fall under his judgment.

In biblical times, harvest was always a time of great celebration, yet after judgment fell on Moab, there were no shouts of “Harvest!” ringing through the streets. Any trace of joy in Moab became a thing of the past and a cloud of sadness and grief hung over the society.

Let’s consider the landscape in America today. What do you see and hear? Our proud, haughty nation has fallen under God’s divine wrath and there is a great deal of fear. When destruction hit the Twin Towers in New York City, the cry was, “This is going to change our nation forever,” and that was true. The innocence, joy and gladness that many Americans once knew are gone forever and will never be recaptured.

What we need to know is that Jesus Christ alone is the source of all joy. The Psalmist says of him, “God … has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (45:7). The oil mentioned in this psalm represents the Holy Spirit. The writer is saying, “Only those who press in to a closer walk with Jesus will obtain the joy of his Spirit.”

We who know Christ’s righteousness are not to live as those who are without hope. We have been blessed with both the love and the fear of God and he is saying to us, “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing” (Isaiah 51:11). In other words, “I’m going to have a people who return to me with trust, faith and confidence. They’ll take their eyes off their conditions and the calamities surrounding them and get back their song of joy.”