by David Scott Robertson
DEDICATION: Today's thought is dedicated to anyone reading this who is in discouragement, in distress, in sickness, or in big trouble.
Here I am, Lord.
Standing at the very border between the land of impossibility and the land of miracles.
My people, my race, my nationality of humankind says I can't cross over.
Many say I'm not authorized. I don't have the proper identification and paperwork (i.e., a death certificate) to cross over from the realm of the natural to the supernatural.
I disagree.
I've got family on the other side.
I have a Father in the land of miracles.
I have an Elder Brother in the region of the miraculous.
My Mentor and Teacher resides in the domain of the living God and He bids me come.
No earthly agency can issue a border permit or boarding pass to transport me over to the other side.
No, it's a paperless trail I follow and a ticket-less flight whose cost is free.
I don't have to pay because the burden of the price has been born by the One who has invited me over to the other side.
To cross I will need a passport. Fortunately, that detail has been provided as well. My passport is called faith and God has given me the necessary measure of it. My faith is small and compact and fits easily inside the shell of a mustard seed. But it is enough.
Enough to get me from here to there…
From the land of impossibility to the land of miracles -
From the place of hopeless despair to the place of boundless joy -
From the place of captivity to the place of freedom -
From the place of crippling sickness to the place of healing and wholeness.
Faith is the rapid transportation that I need to cross over.
Once I've crossed the border, I will change my citizenship permanently. I will become an inhabitant living in God's country. I have sought political asylum there it has been granted by the government of God. I have sought sanctuary and a haven of rest from my labors has been granted.
So I've got a made up mind, I'm going over; I'm crossing. I'm not going to tolerate or compromise with low living any longer.
My ticket, by the way, is transferable and re-usable. Would you like to have it once I've crossed over? It's made out to "whosoever will let him come."
Would you like to join me? Would you like to cross over to the other side of your problem? Cross over to the other side of your crisis? Your sickness?
Then, in the name of Jesus Christ, let's go now!
DSR
8/20/03
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
WWJD IHWM?
by David Scott Robertson
What would Jesus do (WWJD) if He were me (IHWM)?
That Jesus Christ walked the earth is a historical and theological fact.
There is far more real, conclusive, court-admissible proof that He existed than any other man.
I don’t, however, need to review the evidence, I’ll take it on faith.
But I am curious as to what Jesus would have done if He were me given that presently my physical body doesn’t work right.
WWJD IHWM?
How long would he have tolerated this situation?
Do you suppose He would have said something like “Oh well, I guess it’s just God’s will” that I’m handicapped, disabled, dysfunctional, etc.
Ever wonder if the Boy Jesus had a cold growing up? The flu? Did He ever have the chicken pox? A fever? A fever blister?
I wonder if He ever smashed His thumb with a hammer growing up in Joseph’s carpentry shop? In all those years of working with wood did the young man Jesus ever bleed from a splinter? If so, wouldn’t that blood be as holy as the blood to be shed on the cross?
I’ve had a cold. I’ve had the flu. I had chicken pox when I was a kid complete with a fever. I’ve had a fever blister and blisters on my hands from working with wood and I’ve smashed my thumbs and probably all my fingers besides. I’ve bled like a stuck hog as my mother dug out with a sewing needle wooden splinters buried in the palm of my hands.
WWJD IHWM?
Knowing what He knew – or more importantly, knowing Who He knew – my thought is that Jesus were in my shoes would have taken the need to His Father right away.
And whatever Father said about the matter was the way it would be.
If it had pleased the Father to subject Jesus to all sorts of childhood diseases, accidents, bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes, then that’s what would have happened.
If Jesus were like me, He would have suffered through it and made it to adulthood anyway.
But Jesus was unlike me and the rest of us.
It pleased the Father to have Jesus be…
Born of a virgin,
Born a male Jew,
Born into a culture that would by an large ignore and reject Him,
Born to die to redeem a lost race,
Born to die in the worst way possible in the era of history – brutally and cursed on a cross.
It pleased the Father to strike Him,
To turn His back on Him as Jesus became sin for a people who without Him would die in their sins without hope.
WWJD IHWM?
Good thing He wasn’t.
DSR
8/20/03
What would Jesus do (WWJD) if He were me (IHWM)?
That Jesus Christ walked the earth is a historical and theological fact.
There is far more real, conclusive, court-admissible proof that He existed than any other man.
I don’t, however, need to review the evidence, I’ll take it on faith.
But I am curious as to what Jesus would have done if He were me given that presently my physical body doesn’t work right.
WWJD IHWM?
How long would he have tolerated this situation?
Do you suppose He would have said something like “Oh well, I guess it’s just God’s will” that I’m handicapped, disabled, dysfunctional, etc.
Ever wonder if the Boy Jesus had a cold growing up? The flu? Did He ever have the chicken pox? A fever? A fever blister?
I wonder if He ever smashed His thumb with a hammer growing up in Joseph’s carpentry shop? In all those years of working with wood did the young man Jesus ever bleed from a splinter? If so, wouldn’t that blood be as holy as the blood to be shed on the cross?
I’ve had a cold. I’ve had the flu. I had chicken pox when I was a kid complete with a fever. I’ve had a fever blister and blisters on my hands from working with wood and I’ve smashed my thumbs and probably all my fingers besides. I’ve bled like a stuck hog as my mother dug out with a sewing needle wooden splinters buried in the palm of my hands.
WWJD IHWM?
Knowing what He knew – or more importantly, knowing Who He knew – my thought is that Jesus were in my shoes would have taken the need to His Father right away.
And whatever Father said about the matter was the way it would be.
If it had pleased the Father to subject Jesus to all sorts of childhood diseases, accidents, bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes, then that’s what would have happened.
If Jesus were like me, He would have suffered through it and made it to adulthood anyway.
But Jesus was unlike me and the rest of us.
It pleased the Father to have Jesus be…
Born of a virgin,
Born a male Jew,
Born into a culture that would by an large ignore and reject Him,
Born to die to redeem a lost race,
Born to die in the worst way possible in the era of history – brutally and cursed on a cross.
It pleased the Father to strike Him,
To turn His back on Him as Jesus became sin for a people who without Him would die in their sins without hope.
WWJD IHWM?
Good thing He wasn’t.
DSR
8/20/03
Receiving Your Miracle
by David Scott Robertson
Anybody out there like me?
You’re in a jam! You’re in such a pickle that nobody, but nobody, can help you!
Like me, your situation requires either a medical breakthrough or a divine miracle - one or the other and either is fine by us!
We're what the medical community calls “untreatable, incurable, and inoperable.”
They don’t call us “terminal” because whatever physical disorder we’re dealing with won’t kill us. They just tell us, “I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to learn to live with it.”
Anybody out there ever heard a negative, pessimistic report like that? Well, don’t you buy it! It ain’t over yet! You and I may be having “technical difficulties” with our bodies but I wouldn’t count us down and out just yet.
Now for me, my deal is a pesky little problem called Retinitis Pigmentosa (R.P. for short). Total night blindness, tunnel vision, that sort of thing. (You’re deal is probably worse than mine but we each have our own cross to bear, right?)
Well, I wrote all that to set the stage for where I’m at and what’s going on right now.
As I write this, I’m in a cabin, alone, on top of a mountain. I’ve come up here to seek the Lord about this very matter.
I’ve only been here a couple a days and boy oh boy have I run the gamut in emotions..
I’ve cried out loud and I've cried in silence.I’ve shouted bold declarations of healing and I’ve prayed quietly to myself. I’ve danced, I’ve worshipped, I’ve lifted my hands to the Lord, and I’ve laid prostrate before Him. I’ve tried to be humble and contrite;
I’ve tried to be courageous and bold; I’ve told the devil where he can go and I’ve asked God to do what only He can do. I’ve read the Word, prayed the scriptures and fasted and feasted before the Lord.
I laid down on the couch one afternoon and closed my eyes and asked the Lord to either call me up to heaven where He was or come down here to when I am so I can talk to Him directly about this issue (I wasn't trying to be beligerant, I was just desperate!)
I asked Him to show me what I have done (or not done) that was standing in the way of me receiving the manifestation of my healing (I know that according to the Bible I’m already healed by faith through grace by the stripes of Jesus - 1 Peter 2:24).
Well, I did all that and guess what? I woke up this morning with R.P. in my eyeballs.
What do you think about that?
Can we conclude, then, that God does not heal?
No. He’s a Healer whether you or I ever receive our healing.
Can we conclude, then, that God’s Word is not true (or just a little bit off)?
No. Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4). His Word is so true that all truth is judged by it.
Can we conclude, then, that it is not God’s will to heal me?
No. It’s not over yet. Just because God won’t do a “dog and pony show” for me when I kick up and scream and holler and bellow out the way I think spiritual folks should do to get some mighty miracle from God doesn’t mean that it’s not His will to heal me.
You want to know what I think? (Well, it’s my thought and I’m going to tell you what I think whether you like it or not! After all, you don’t have to read it!) Here’s what I think…
I think there is a very, very, very strong possibility that I will receive a complete manifestation of my healing very, very, very soon.
I also think there is a very, very, very remote possibility that I may have to wait a while to receive a complete manifestation of my healing.
Aha! That’s where Christians from the “faith camp” may have a problem with me! They may say I’m just trying to “save face” by saying it or believing it in such a way that it could work out either way.
You know what? I’m not going to argue the point with anybody. All is know is that I’m not going to “lose the victory” and give up on God and discount His holy Word just because I don’t get what I want when I want it.
You know what I discovered in my time with Christ? God has given me nearly every single thing I ever needed (even wanted) but rarely has He given it to me WHEN I wanted it!
I choose to think that the manifestation of my healing is kind of the same way. I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can doing kingdom work and be about my "Father's business” of winning souls and making disciples until Jesus returns. My hope is that He catches me in the very act of serving Him when He returns to rapture the church away.
In the meantime, I’m going to walk by faith and not by sight until the day that I walk by sight and not by faith.
My encouragement to you who are reading this today and suffering through some awful something is to continue on, press on toward the high call of God on your life and don’t let anything stop you no matter what.
Don’t let disease, sickness, a handicap, or any other disability prevent you from doing all that you can, to whomever you can, whenever you can with the help of God for the glory of God.
I assure you, therein you will find little time to feel sorry for yourself and who knows when God will slip up on you and surprise you with the manifestation of your healing while you’re busily at work for Him?
Ralph Waldo Emerson was quoted as saying: “The Moravian symbol was a bull, standing in between an altar and a plow, below which were the words: ‘Ready for either.’”
How about you and I, who are waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the manifestation of our miracle, be ready for either as well?
DSR
8/20/03
Anybody out there like me?
You’re in a jam! You’re in such a pickle that nobody, but nobody, can help you!
Like me, your situation requires either a medical breakthrough or a divine miracle - one or the other and either is fine by us!
We're what the medical community calls “untreatable, incurable, and inoperable.”
They don’t call us “terminal” because whatever physical disorder we’re dealing with won’t kill us. They just tell us, “I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to learn to live with it.”
Anybody out there ever heard a negative, pessimistic report like that? Well, don’t you buy it! It ain’t over yet! You and I may be having “technical difficulties” with our bodies but I wouldn’t count us down and out just yet.
Now for me, my deal is a pesky little problem called Retinitis Pigmentosa (R.P. for short). Total night blindness, tunnel vision, that sort of thing. (You’re deal is probably worse than mine but we each have our own cross to bear, right?)
Well, I wrote all that to set the stage for where I’m at and what’s going on right now.
As I write this, I’m in a cabin, alone, on top of a mountain. I’ve come up here to seek the Lord about this very matter.
I’ve only been here a couple a days and boy oh boy have I run the gamut in emotions..
I’ve cried out loud and I've cried in silence.I’ve shouted bold declarations of healing and I’ve prayed quietly to myself. I’ve danced, I’ve worshipped, I’ve lifted my hands to the Lord, and I’ve laid prostrate before Him. I’ve tried to be humble and contrite;
I’ve tried to be courageous and bold; I’ve told the devil where he can go and I’ve asked God to do what only He can do. I’ve read the Word, prayed the scriptures and fasted and feasted before the Lord.
I laid down on the couch one afternoon and closed my eyes and asked the Lord to either call me up to heaven where He was or come down here to when I am so I can talk to Him directly about this issue (I wasn't trying to be beligerant, I was just desperate!)
I asked Him to show me what I have done (or not done) that was standing in the way of me receiving the manifestation of my healing (I know that according to the Bible I’m already healed by faith through grace by the stripes of Jesus - 1 Peter 2:24).
Well, I did all that and guess what? I woke up this morning with R.P. in my eyeballs.
What do you think about that?
Can we conclude, then, that God does not heal?
No. He’s a Healer whether you or I ever receive our healing.
Can we conclude, then, that God’s Word is not true (or just a little bit off)?
No. Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4). His Word is so true that all truth is judged by it.
Can we conclude, then, that it is not God’s will to heal me?
No. It’s not over yet. Just because God won’t do a “dog and pony show” for me when I kick up and scream and holler and bellow out the way I think spiritual folks should do to get some mighty miracle from God doesn’t mean that it’s not His will to heal me.
You want to know what I think? (Well, it’s my thought and I’m going to tell you what I think whether you like it or not! After all, you don’t have to read it!) Here’s what I think…
I think there is a very, very, very strong possibility that I will receive a complete manifestation of my healing very, very, very soon.
I also think there is a very, very, very remote possibility that I may have to wait a while to receive a complete manifestation of my healing.
Aha! That’s where Christians from the “faith camp” may have a problem with me! They may say I’m just trying to “save face” by saying it or believing it in such a way that it could work out either way.
You know what? I’m not going to argue the point with anybody. All is know is that I’m not going to “lose the victory” and give up on God and discount His holy Word just because I don’t get what I want when I want it.
You know what I discovered in my time with Christ? God has given me nearly every single thing I ever needed (even wanted) but rarely has He given it to me WHEN I wanted it!
I choose to think that the manifestation of my healing is kind of the same way. I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can doing kingdom work and be about my "Father's business” of winning souls and making disciples until Jesus returns. My hope is that He catches me in the very act of serving Him when He returns to rapture the church away.
In the meantime, I’m going to walk by faith and not by sight until the day that I walk by sight and not by faith.
My encouragement to you who are reading this today and suffering through some awful something is to continue on, press on toward the high call of God on your life and don’t let anything stop you no matter what.
Don’t let disease, sickness, a handicap, or any other disability prevent you from doing all that you can, to whomever you can, whenever you can with the help of God for the glory of God.
I assure you, therein you will find little time to feel sorry for yourself and who knows when God will slip up on you and surprise you with the manifestation of your healing while you’re busily at work for Him?
Ralph Waldo Emerson was quoted as saying: “The Moravian symbol was a bull, standing in between an altar and a plow, below which were the words: ‘Ready for either.’”
How about you and I, who are waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the manifestation of our miracle, be ready for either as well?
DSR
8/20/03
Monday, August 11, 2003
The Well Dressed Christian
by David Scott Robertson
Are you a well-dressed Christian? Do you dress properly before going out into the world? Have you “put on” the right outfit before leaving the house dressed as as disciple of Christ?
What you wear as a believer in Jesus does make a difference. It makes a HUGE difference in your effectiveness as a Christian.
Now don’t worry, I’m not going to meddle in your business about dress length for ladies and length of hair for men. I’m fishing for a deeper truth than preference. In my view, to be a “well-dressed Christian” you must follow the Bible’s dress code for believers found in Ephesians 6:10-17:
[11] “Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. [12] For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
[13] Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (New Living Translation).
The armor of God is so important that we must “put it on” every day of our lives. This may sound silly, but my daily habit after I take a shower each morning is to verbally (yes, I say it out loud) to put on the full armor of God as specified in the passage of scripture above.
I especially love the “helmet of salvation”. I envision this helmet to be a full-face helmet like the ones the Knights of the Round Table might have worn. You know, the kind that covers the entire head so that you cannot see who is wearing it.
As I put on my helmet, I say words to this effect: “I put on the helmet of salvation to guard my mind in Christ Jesus today, to shield me from the stormy blast of sexual lust and sin, to keep my mind in perfect peace, and to prevent me from fearing man which is a snare.
Thank you for the helmet covering my ears – to prevent me from hearing faith-crushing words that can discourage me, especially words from my own mouth.
Thank you for the helmet covering my eyes – help me, Lord, to make a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman or gaze at things I should not be meditating on.
Thank you for the helmet covering my mouth – set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips.”
And from that point, I put on the rest of the armor of God piece by piece as is described in Ephesians. Then and only then do I consider myself dressed for the day; dressed for the work of a Christian; dressed for battle.
Are you of a mind to take some advice today?
How about each morning, when you put on your blue jeans, your shirt, your make up, whatever you do to get ready for work, school, or life – try putting on the full armor of God at that time when you’re getting ready. Commit to memory the passage in Ephesians describing what God has made available to you for your own protection as you walk out each day into spiritual warfare with the devil.
And finally, once you have adorned yourself with the full armor of God, don’t neglect to do what the Apostle Paul admonishes us to do once we have “suited up”:
“Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT).
When you’ve done all that, now you are a well-dressed Christian!
DSR
8/11/03
Are you a well-dressed Christian? Do you dress properly before going out into the world? Have you “put on” the right outfit before leaving the house dressed as as disciple of Christ?
What you wear as a believer in Jesus does make a difference. It makes a HUGE difference in your effectiveness as a Christian.
Now don’t worry, I’m not going to meddle in your business about dress length for ladies and length of hair for men. I’m fishing for a deeper truth than preference. In my view, to be a “well-dressed Christian” you must follow the Bible’s dress code for believers found in Ephesians 6:10-17:
[11] “Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. [12] For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
[13] Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (New Living Translation).
The armor of God is so important that we must “put it on” every day of our lives. This may sound silly, but my daily habit after I take a shower each morning is to verbally (yes, I say it out loud) to put on the full armor of God as specified in the passage of scripture above.
I especially love the “helmet of salvation”. I envision this helmet to be a full-face helmet like the ones the Knights of the Round Table might have worn. You know, the kind that covers the entire head so that you cannot see who is wearing it.
As I put on my helmet, I say words to this effect: “I put on the helmet of salvation to guard my mind in Christ Jesus today, to shield me from the stormy blast of sexual lust and sin, to keep my mind in perfect peace, and to prevent me from fearing man which is a snare.
Thank you for the helmet covering my ears – to prevent me from hearing faith-crushing words that can discourage me, especially words from my own mouth.
Thank you for the helmet covering my eyes – help me, Lord, to make a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a woman or gaze at things I should not be meditating on.
Thank you for the helmet covering my mouth – set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips.”
And from that point, I put on the rest of the armor of God piece by piece as is described in Ephesians. Then and only then do I consider myself dressed for the day; dressed for the work of a Christian; dressed for battle.
Are you of a mind to take some advice today?
How about each morning, when you put on your blue jeans, your shirt, your make up, whatever you do to get ready for work, school, or life – try putting on the full armor of God at that time when you’re getting ready. Commit to memory the passage in Ephesians describing what God has made available to you for your own protection as you walk out each day into spiritual warfare with the devil.
And finally, once you have adorned yourself with the full armor of God, don’t neglect to do what the Apostle Paul admonishes us to do once we have “suited up”:
“Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT).
When you’ve done all that, now you are a well-dressed Christian!
DSR
8/11/03
Monday, August 4, 2003
Reach Out for the Cross
by David Scott Robertson
Have you ever awakened from a deep sleep and found yourself disoriented in your own bedroom? You’re still a little groggy as you get up out of the bed trying to stumble your way through the pitch black darkness to the bathroom (stubbing your toe along the way) running into furniture?
I’ve had that experience before where I’ve found myself standing in my very own bedroom in the darkness with zero visibility not knowing which way was up. As a matter of fact, I have had that happen on more than one occasion. But I want to tell you that even in that awkward situation God has taught me a great lesson.
You see, on the end of our bed there are tall wooden poles. The decorative poles complement the headboard and make for a lovely bed. But the wooden poles on the end of the bed serve another purpose for me.
Whenever I can’t see anything at all in the darkness of the room, I reach out for a wooden pole at the end of my bed. And the moment my fingers locate the pole, instantly I know where every single piece of furniture is in the room. I can’t see it with my eyes, but I can now see it in my mind’s eye. I’ve memorized where everything is in relation to the bed and now I can safely navigate my way through the darkness because the wooden pole on my bed has suddenly put everything into perspective.
And the thought that the Holy Spirit etched in my heart was that this is how the cross works. As we stumble our way through a world darkened by sin, often disoriented (even afraid) because we don’t exactly know which way to go to find relief, we can reach out for the cross of Jesus Christ.
And the moment we come in contact with the cross, instantly we know the way home. Although we can’t see the cross of Christ with our natural eyes, through the eyes of faith we can experience His sin-forgiving sacrifice, and the illumination of the truth of God’s love drives away the darkness. Suddenly, the cross has put everything in perspective.
Today if you are having difficulty navigating your way through a specific problem or through life in general, reach out for the cross. Touch it and be touched by it and you’ll see life in a whole new light.
DSR
8/4/03
Have you ever awakened from a deep sleep and found yourself disoriented in your own bedroom? You’re still a little groggy as you get up out of the bed trying to stumble your way through the pitch black darkness to the bathroom (stubbing your toe along the way) running into furniture?
I’ve had that experience before where I’ve found myself standing in my very own bedroom in the darkness with zero visibility not knowing which way was up. As a matter of fact, I have had that happen on more than one occasion. But I want to tell you that even in that awkward situation God has taught me a great lesson.
You see, on the end of our bed there are tall wooden poles. The decorative poles complement the headboard and make for a lovely bed. But the wooden poles on the end of the bed serve another purpose for me.
Whenever I can’t see anything at all in the darkness of the room, I reach out for a wooden pole at the end of my bed. And the moment my fingers locate the pole, instantly I know where every single piece of furniture is in the room. I can’t see it with my eyes, but I can now see it in my mind’s eye. I’ve memorized where everything is in relation to the bed and now I can safely navigate my way through the darkness because the wooden pole on my bed has suddenly put everything into perspective.
And the thought that the Holy Spirit etched in my heart was that this is how the cross works. As we stumble our way through a world darkened by sin, often disoriented (even afraid) because we don’t exactly know which way to go to find relief, we can reach out for the cross of Jesus Christ.
And the moment we come in contact with the cross, instantly we know the way home. Although we can’t see the cross of Christ with our natural eyes, through the eyes of faith we can experience His sin-forgiving sacrifice, and the illumination of the truth of God’s love drives away the darkness. Suddenly, the cross has put everything in perspective.
Today if you are having difficulty navigating your way through a specific problem or through life in general, reach out for the cross. Touch it and be touched by it and you’ll see life in a whole new light.
DSR
8/4/03
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