DIG for Monday the 17th of April…..we are as welcome to God as our granddaughters are to us…..Luke 23 v 45

In church this morning a dear sister was telling me about a visit she had received from her granddaughter.

She loved having her over, made her food and drinks, basically showered love on her and of course made sure she had some money when she left.

She loved her in her presence and just wanted to show her how much she loved her.

As she was telling me this she said she was thinking about her visit during the service and realised that this is what God thinks about us.

And she is correct!

God loves us, His children, coming into His presence.

He wants to give us good things; in face He has given us all we need and we can receive them through knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1 v 3).

God sent Jesus to pave the way for us to be forgiven and reconciled so that we could come into His presence.

The veil in the temple being torn is a picture of how we are able to come into His presence any time we want.

I have a study at home and although I go in there to work and get some privacy, the door is “always open” for my granddaughter Lydia.

No matter what I am doing I love her coming into my presence, and it is like that with God.

He wants us in His presence; He created us to be in His presence.

God is waiting for you today to spend some time with Him.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I can boldly come into your presence and spend time with you whenever I want”.

Luke 23 v 45…..And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in midst

DIG for Sunday the 16th of April…..delight in the Word and meditate on the Word…..Psalms 1 v 2

The Psalms are full of encouragement for us, and it starts with the best way to encourage ourselves.

In the Psalms, and other parts of the Old Testament, if it talks about the law we can transfer this onto the Word for today.

For example, where it says we should meditate on the law day and night we can say we should meditate in the Word day and night (Psalm 1 v 2).

Where we read our delight should be in the law we can say our delight should be in the Word of God (Psalms 1 v 1).

If we delight in the Word of God and mediate upon it day and night we will see some very nice results.

If we do this we will be like a tree planted by the river, bringing forth fruit in our lives (Psalms 1 v 3).

I don’t know about you but I want to see more fruit in my life, as the fruit I am already seeing is wonderful and I want much more!

A tree needs water to live let alone to fruit, and we are the same with the Word of God.

It is the Word that is the agent of change in our lives and it is the Word (or understanding of the Word) that brings life.

We read that the way to godliness and life is through understanding about Jesus and His finished work (2 Peter 1 v 3) and it is in the Word that we find the only certain and guaranteed truths about Jesus.

It is through understating of the Word that we change and bring fruit into our lives.

Just as a tree needs water, we need the Word.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you for the truths held within”.

Psalm 1 v 2…..But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night

DIG for Saturday the 15th of April…..Jesus was not poor; He had enough to buy takeaway for thousands…..John 6 v 5

I’ve read many commentaries and heard many Christians talk about Jesus being poor, so as a result we should not want prosperity as a believer.

This is not true, Biblical prosperity is for the believer and also Jesus was a relatively rich man.

Nonsense I hear many of you cry!

Well, lets think about this logically and look at the Word.

Prior to Jesus feeding the five thousand He asked if they should buy them bread (John 6 v 5).

He would not have asked this if He did not have enough money to do this.

Now we know there were more than five thousand people, as only the men were counted, so there could have been up to fifteen thousand people there.

How much would it cost today to buy a loaf of bread for fifteen thousand people?

It would be a lot of money.

The same would have been true in the day of Jesus; it would have cost a lot of money to buy bread to satisfy up to fifteen thousand people.

Now I know Jesus did not have to buy this bread but He must have had the ability to do this and therefore the money.

He was not poor!

He had enough to offer to buy bread; He had a treasurer who looked after the money.

To say Jesus was poor is religious nonsense!

In the same way to say we should not live in prosperity and abundance is religious nonsense.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you want me to live in abundance and prosperity and have provided this for me through the finished work of Jesus”.

John 6 v 5…..When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great multitude come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

DIG for Friday the 14th of April…..Christianity is not a religion…..John 1 v 17

I’ve just seen a quote on Facebook that says this –

“Christianity is not about religion. It’s about faith, about being held, about being forgiven. It’s about finding joy and finding home”.

I don’t often quote from Facebook but this is brilliant!

Religion, or man made rules designed for you to follow to try and gain acceptance and love from God, will never bring you joy.

Religion will tell you to beg and plead for forgiveness, leading to a life full of guilt and condemnation.

Religion will leave you groping in the dark, never allowing you to find your way home to God.

Religion will never bring you close to God, as you will fail!

Faith in Jesus and His finished work, or faith in His grace, will lead to joy and peace.

Religion is described in Colossians 2 v 8 and it is dangerous!

Jesus and His finished work, grace, is the opposite of religion; Jesus is grace and Jesus is truth while religion is simply a pack of man made lies.

Faith in this is what you need, not a system of man made rules designed to keep you in bondage and slavery.

Follow Jesus and not religion; that is the secret to a life of abundance in this world.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord for Jesus and His finished work and thank you that we have been set free from the bondage of religion”.

John 1 v 17…..For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ

DIG for Thursday the 13th of April…..it’s about what we have not what we need…..2 Peter 1 v 3

When we come to faith and trust in Jesus the Word is clear that we receive all we need at that point.

As we are saved our spirit is created new, in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4 v 24).

In our spirit we received all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1 v 3).

In our spirit we were given all we need for life and godliness (2 Peer 1 v 3).

It is at this point that we are provided with all the healing, joy, peace and prosperity that we will ever need.

There is not a requirement to ask God for any of these things once we are saved.

What is required is knowledge, knowledge of who we are in Christ and what we have through Christ.

The Christian life is about what we have not what we need!

We manifest what we already have in our spirit through knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1 v 3).

With regards to healing and prosperity for example we do not need to ask God for anything.

What we do is thank Him for what we already have, believe we have it and speak out that we have it.

We will then see this healing and prosperity manifest in our lives.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have already provided all the healing and prosperity that I will ever need”.

2 Peter 1 v 3…..According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue

DIG for Wednesday the 12th of April…..we have ALL we need ALREADY through Jesus Christ…..Ephesians 1 v 3

I am currently preaching my way through Ephesians in our Sunday services in church and I am thoroughly enjoying myself!

The truths held in this epistle are truly marvellous and indeed life changing.

My favourite verse, which actually sums up this letter, is Ephesians 1 v 3.

This verse talks about the blessings that we receive through Christ an when we receive them.

The great thing about this verse is that it talks of an event in the past, in that we have already received the blessings.

I also love the inclusivity of this verse in that we have received all the blessings we need.

So, we have received ALL we need and we have received this ALREADY.

The verse talks of spiritual blessings in heavenly places, this just means what we received into our born again spirits at the point of our salvation.

When we were born again we received all the healing and prosperity that we will ever need; it was placed in our spirit.

What we need to do is make theses blessings manifest through our knowledge of Jesus and our understanding of what He has done (2 Peter 1 v 3).

We should not be asking God for healing or for provision; we should be rightly dividing His Word (to increase our knowledge) to help manifest what we have already been given.

God is not holding anything back from us, waiting for us to ask Him or beg and plead.

He has already provided all we need!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that I have already received all the spiritual blessings that I will ever need as a gift of grace through faith in Jesus”.

Ephesians 1 v 3…..Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ

DIG for Tuesday the 11th of April…..there is an open door from the cage of the law into the freedom of grace…..Galatians 5 v 1

I am currently sitting in a stately home working on this DIG, looking at some wonderful original and old Chinese wallpaper.

The design has a few birdcages with birds in, but I’ve just noticed a surprising omission; none of the cages have any doors.

The doors are gone yet the birds are still sitting inside, when they could be free and flying in the sky.

This reminded me of many Christians that I know today who do not have an understanding about grace.

Many in the church are still trying to live through the law i.e. striving in their own strength to do works to be blessed by God.

This is a form of bondage and it is like being in a cage.

Yet we live under grace and not under law (Romans 6 v 14) so we are no longer under that bondage.

Some people however lack the knowledge and awareness about grace.

For them it is like being in a cage and locked up, however the door has been removed thus making an easy way into freedom.

But people who do not understand this truth and do not rightly divide the Word cannot or will not escape from the cage of law because they cannot or will not see the open door to freedom!

Grace is there for everyone, Jesus has provided all we will ever need for an abundant life of freedom.

We are not meant to live under law we are meant to fly high and fly free in grace.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ we can live under grace and not under law”.

Galatians 5 v 1…..Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage

DIG for Monday the 10th of April…..poverty is theft…..John 10 v 10

One of my favourite verses to use in DIG is John 10 v 10; if you read my DIGs I’m sure you will know this.

This verse tells us what Jesus came to give us i.e. not only life, but life in abundance.

However it also gives us a guide as to what our enemy is trying to do.

He is trying to steal, kill and destroy what we already have through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

He is trying to steal what Jesus has already given you, what you already have in your born again spirit.

This includes healing, joy and peace, however it also includes prosperity.

Poverty is theft!

Poverty is where the enemy has managed to steal, kill or destroy our prosperity.

Poverty is not about being a humble and devout Christian and does not show a lack of pride and greed; poverty is the work of the devil.

Persuading a Christian that they should not want prosperity and abundance is playing right into the hands of the devil.

As a whole the body of Christ seems to have realise that sickness and disease is the work of the enemy, it is time we woke up to the fact that poverty is also his handiwork.

Jesus came to bring you life and life in abundance and that includes prosperity.

Just ask yourself this simple question, what part does poverty play in an abundant life?

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have provided for my prosperity through the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

John 10 v 10…..The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

DIG for Sunday the 9th of April…..yes, this verse is about money…..2 Corinthians 8 v 9

As I have often written there are times when we need to understand a “wee bit” of Greek in order to truly understand a passage or verse.

Take for example 2 Corinthians 8 v 9.

In this verse we are told Jesus who was rich became poor so that we might be made rich.

Now, the majority of teachers will tell you this is about spiritual l richness, however if you understand the Greek it reveals a different truth.

“Rich” means to be wealthy in terms of money and goods.

“Poor” means to be like a beggar with regards to possessions.

This verse is talking about material goods and that most ugly of words, money!

Many commentaries will tell you Jesus lived in poverty, but that is nonsense.

If He were so poor how could He afford to have such an entourage with Him?

If He were so poor how did He need someone to handle His finances?

Now, remember what I wrote yesterday; prosperity is not for your greed but to allow you to sow into the Kingdom and give unto every good work.

It is not selfish to want to see your prosperity made manifest; I would say it is very selfish not to want prosperity.

Why would you not want to sow into the Kingdom or give unto every good work?

Jesus died to provide you with prosperity and abundance.

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that you have provided for my prosperity through the finished work of Jesus Christ”.

2 Corinthians 8 v 9….For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

DIG for Saturday the 8th of April…..prosperity is a gift as much as healing is…..3 John 2

There is a verse in the Psalms that reminds us not to forget all the benefits that the Lord has provided for us (Psalm 103 v 2).

One of the benefits that many seem to forget and even actually teach against is prosperity.

The Lord was speaking to me about prosperity and abundance as I was driving south in the car today.

I am now hoping to prepare and deliver a teaching seminar on prosperity, but until then I will write about it in DIG!

In the mind of God prosperity is in the same mould as healing, in that above all things He wants us to live in these two states (3 John 2).

He wants us to live in health and He wants us to live in prosperity; that is what He is saying in that verse in 3 John 2.

Jesus came to bring us life in abundance (John 10 v 10).

Abundance does not include sickness and disease and it also does not include lack and poverty.

Prosperity is not a selfish attitude if we know what prosperity is for.

Yes, it is to help us live a life of abundance but it is not for a life of greed.

Prosperity allows us to sow into the Kingdom and to give unto every good work (2 Corinthians 9 v 8).

It takes money to spread the Gospel, so send missionaries to all the corners of the earth, to produce tracts and booklets for example.

The way God provides for these works is through the prosperity of His people!

To speak out against prosperity and to teach that poverty should be the life of the believer is a very selfish attitude to have!

Speak this out today…..”Thank you Lord that through the finished work of Jesus we can live a life of abundance, a life of prosperity”.

3 John 2…..Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth