Author: Billy Conrad

July 4

Behold the Lamb of God! — John 1:36

Scripture reading: John 1:6–36

John the Baptist‘s clothing was camel‘s hair, his belt leather, his food locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). No angels, shepherds, wise men, or stars heralded John‘s birth. But the heavenly messenger Gabriel, who had spoken to Daniel and to Mary, also spoke to John‘s father, Zacharias.

In the wilderness, John was without the food and clothing of his earthly father‘s priestly home. He had only a groan, a cry—the cry of the Spirit. Yet from John‘s place in the wilderness, he moved the whole land. God cried through him. It was the cry of the Spirit—oh, that awful cry. All the land was moved by that piercing cry.

God spoke to John and told him about a new thing—water
baptism. It was a clean cut; it was a new way. He had been with those of the circumcision; now he was an outcast. It was the breaking down of the old plan.

The people heard his cry—oh, that cry, the awful cry of the
Spirit—and the message that he gave: “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ (v. 2). Make straight paths—no treading down of others or exacting undue rights. ‘Make straight paths for your feet’ (Hebrews 12:13).” All were startled! All were awakened! They thought the Messiah had come. The searching was tremendous! Is this He? Who can it be? John said, “I am a voice, crying, crying, making a way for the Messiah to come” (John 1:23).

Individuals were purged; they found purpose. God pressed life through John. Through him, God moved multitudes and changed the situation. The banks of the Jordan were covered with people. The conviction was tremendous. They cried out. The prophet Isaiah had predicted, “The rough ways [will be made] smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:5–6). The people, the multitude, cried out and were baptized by John in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Oh, to be alone with God. God‘s Word came to John when he was alone: “The word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Luke 3:2–3).

Alone! Alone!
Jesus bore it all alone!
He gave Himself to save His own.
He suffered—bled and died alone—alone.

Oh, to be alone with God, to get His mind, His thoughts, and His impression and revelation of the need of the people.

There was nothing ordinary about John—all was extraordinary. Herod was reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip‘s wife, and for all the evils that Herod had done. Herodias‘s daughter danced before Herod, who promised her up to half his kingdom. She asked for John the Baptist‘s head. (See Matthew 14:3–11.)

This holy man was alone. God had John in such a way that he could express that cry—the burden for the whole land. He could cry for the sins of the people. God is holy. We are the children of Abraham—the children of faith. Awful judgment is coming. Cry! Cry!

John could not help but cry because of the people‘s sin. John had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother‘s womb (Luke 1:15). He had the burden. He was stern, but through his work, the land was open to Jesus. Jesus walked in the way; He came a new way.

“John came neither eating nor drinking” (Matthew11:18) —John came crying. John‘s father and mother were left behind. His heart bled at the altar. He bore the burden, the cry, the need of the people. The only place he could breathe and be free was in the wilderness—the atmosphere of heaven—until he turned with a message to declare the preparation needed. Before Jesus came, repentance came to open up the place of redemption.

Like John, there must be a working of the Spirit in you; then
God will work through you for others.

Thought for today: God is with a person who has only a cry.

July 3

To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ‟s gift. — Ephesians 4:7

Scripture reading: Ephesians 4:1–16

The apostle Paul spoke about the grace and the gifts of Christ—not the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but the gifts of Christ. You are joined to Christ‘s body the moment you believe. For instance, some of you may have children, and they have different names, but the moment they appeared in the world, they were in your family. The moment they were born, they became a part of your family.

The moment you are born of God, you are in the family, and
you are in the body, as He is in the body, and you are in the body collectively and particularly. After you come into the body, then the body has to receive the sealing of the promise, or the fulfillment of promise, that Christ will be in you, reigning in you mightily. The Holy Spirit will come to unveil the King in all His glory so that He might reign as King there, the Holy Spirit serving in every way to make Him King.

You are in the body. The Holy Spirit gives gifts in the body.
Living in this holy order, you may find that revelation comes to you and makes you a prophet. Some of you may have a clear understanding that you have been called into apostleship. Some of you may have perfect knowledge that you are to be pastors. When you come to be sealed with the Spirit of promise, then you find out that Jesus is pleased and gives gifts in order that the church might come into a perfect position of being so blended together that there could be no division. Jesus wants His church to be a perfect body perfect in stature, perfect in oneness in Him.

I have been speaking to this end: that you may see the calling that Paul was speaking about—humility of mind, meekness of spirit, knowing that God is in you and through you, knowing that the power of the Spirit is mightily bringing you to the place where not only the gifts of the Spirit but also the gifts of Christ have been given to you, making you eligible for the great work you have to do.

My purpose is not to tell what God has for you in the future.
Press in now, and claim your rights. Let the Lord Jesus be so glorified that He will make you fruit-bearers—strong in power, giving glory to God, having “no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3) but being separated from natural things, now in the Spirit, living fully in the will of God.

Thought for today: Let your whole soul reach out unto God; dare to breathe in heaven; dare to be awakened to all God‘s mind; listen to the language of the Holy Spirit.

July 2

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. — Ephesians 4:6

Scripture reading: Psalm 95

Think of it! It does not matter what the Enemy brings to you, or tries to bring; the Father, who is above all, is over you. The God of power, majesty, and glory can bring you to a place of dethroning everything else! Do you dare to believe it?

Remember, God our Father is so intensely desirous to have all the fullness of the manifestation of His power that we do not have to have one thing that His Son did not come to bring. We have to have perfect redemption; we have to know all the powers of righteousness; we have to understand perfectly that we are brought to the place where He is with us in all power, dethroning the power of the Enemy.

God over you—that is real. The God who is over you is more
than a million times greater than the Devil, than the powers of evil, than the powers of darkness. How do I know? Hear what the Devil said to God about Job: “Have You not made a hedge around him?” (Job 1:10). The Devil was unable to get near Job because there was a hedge. What was the hedge? It was the almighty power of God. It was not a thorny hedge; it was not a hedge of thistles. It was the presence of the Lord all around Job. And the presence of the Lord Almighty is so around us that the Devil cannot break through that wonderful covering.

The Devil is against the living Christ and wants to destroy Him; if you are filled with the living Christ, the Devil is eager to get you out of the way in order to destroy Christ‘s power. Say this to the Lord: “Now, Lord, look after this property of Yours.” Then the Devil cannot get near you. When does he get near? When you dethrone Christ, ignoring His rightful position over you, in you, and through you.

Thought for today: You will be strong if you believe this truth: faith is the victory—always. Glory to Jesus!

July 1

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. — Ephesians 4:3

Scripture reading: Psalm 133

You are bound forever out of loyalty to God to see that no division comes into the church body, to see that nothing comes into the assembly, as it came into David‘s flock, to tear and rend the body. You have to be careful. If a person comes along with a prophecy and you find that it is tearing down and bringing trouble, denounce it accordingly; judge it by the Word. You will find that all true prophecy will be perfectly full of hopefulness. It will have compassion; it will have comfort; it will have edification. So if anything comes into the church that you know is hurting the flock and disturbing the assembly, you must see to it that you begin to pray so that this thing is put to death.

Bring unity in the bonds of perfection so that the church of
God will receive edification. Then the church will begin to be built up in the faith and the establishing of truth, and believers will be one. There is one body. Recognize that fact. When schism comes into the body, believers always act as though there were more than one body.

Do not forget that God means for us to be very faithful to the church so that we do not allow anything to come into the church to break up the body. You cannot find anything in the body in its relation to Christ that has schism in it. Christ‘s life in the body—there is no schism in that. When Christ‘s life comes into the church, there will be no discord; there will be a perfect blending of heart and hand, and it will be lovely. Endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Thought for today: When we think that the church is poor and needy, we forget that the spirit of intercession can unlock every safe in the world.

June 30

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 2:5

Scripture reading: Romans 6:1–14

Have you been to the place of illumination? Illumination means that your very mind, which was depraved, is now the mind of Christ; the very nature that was bound now has a resurrection touch; your very body has come in contact with the life of God until you who were lost are found, and you who were dead are alive again by the resurrection power of the Word of the life of Christ. What a glorious inheritance in the Spirit!

Believer, if you have not reached all this, the ladder extends
from heaven to earth to take you from earth to heaven. Do not be afraid of taking the steps. You will not slip back. Have faith in God. Experience divine resurrection life—more divine in thought, more wonderful in revelation. Resurrection life means living in the Spirit, wakened into all likeness, made alive by the same Spirit!

Are you lowly and meek in your mind? It is the divine plan of
the Savior. You must be like Him. Do you desire to be like Him? There is nothing but yourself that can hinder you in this. You are the one who stops the current. You are the one who stops the life.

While ministering in one place, we had a banquet for people who were distressed—people who were lame and weary, blind and diseased in every way. A dear man got hold of a boy who was encased in iron from top to bottom, lifted him up, and placed him onto the platform. Hands were laid on him in the name of Jesus. “Papa! Papa! Papa!” the boy said. “It‘s going all over me! Oh, Papa, come and take these irons off!” I do like to hear children speak; they say such wonderful things. The father took the irons off, and the life of God had gone all over the boy!

Don‘t you know this is the resurrection touch? This is the divine life; this is what God has brought us into. Let it go over us, Lord—the power of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection of heaven, the sweetness of Your blessing, the joy of the Lord!

Thought for today: God rejoices when we manifest a faith that holds Him to His Word.

June 29

The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. — Hebrews 4:12

Scripture reading: Philippians 2:1–22

We have yet to see the forcefulness of the Word of God. The Word, the life, the presence, the power is in your body, in the very marrow of your bones, and absolutely everything else must be discharged. Sometimes we do not fully reflect on this wonderful truth: the Word, the life, the Christ who is the Word divides you from soul affection, from human weakness, from all depravity. The blood of Jesus can cleanse you until your soul is purified and your nature is destroyed by the nature of the living Christ.

In Christ, we have encountered divine resurrection touches. In the greatest work God ever did on the face of the earth, Christ was raised from the dead by the operation of the power of God. As the resurrection of Christ operates in our hearts, it will dethrone wrong things and will build right things. Callousness will have to change; hardness will have to disappear; all evil thoughts will have to go. In the place of these will be lowliness of mind.

What beautiful cooperation with God in thought and power
and holiness! The Master “made Himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7). He absolutely left the glory of heaven, with all its wonder. He left it and submitted Himself to humiliation. He went down, down, down into death for one purpose only: that He might destroy the power of death, even the Devil, and deliver those people who all their lifetime have been subject to fear—deliver them from the fear of death and the Devil (Hebrews 2:14–15).

How will this wonderful plan come to pass? By transformation, resurrection, thoughts of holiness, intense zeal, desire for all of God, until we live and move in the atmosphere of holiness.

Thought for today: If you will let go, God will take hold and keep you up.

June 28

I am among you as the One who serves. — Luke 22:27

Scripture reading: John 15:9–27

Jesus emphasized this new commandment when He left us: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). To the extent that we miss this instruction, we miss all the Master‘s instruction. If we miss that commandment, we miss everything. All the future summits of glory are yours in that you have been recreated in a deeper order by this commandment to love.

When we reach this attitude of love, then we make no mistake about lowliness. We will submit ourselves in the future in order that we may be useful to one another. And when we come to a place where we serve for pure love‘s sake, because it is the divine hand of the Master upon us, we will find out that we will never fail. Love never fails when it is divinely appointed in us. However, the so-called love in our human nature does fail and has failed from the beginning.

Suppose a man corresponds with me, seeking to learn more about me and to establish a relationship. The only thing I would have to say in answering his letters is, “Brother, all that I know about Wigglesworth is bad.” There is no good thing in human nature. However, all that I know about the new creation in Wigglesworth is good. The important thing is whether we are living in the old creation or the new creation.

So I implore you to see that there is a lowliness, a humbleness, that leads you to meekness, that leads you to separate yourself from the world, that puts you so in touch with the Master that you know you are touching God. The blood of Jesus cleanses you from sin and all pollution (1 John 1:7). There is something in this holy position that makes you know you are free from the power of the Enemy.

Thought for today: The greatest plan that Jesus ever presented in His ministry was the ministry of service.

June 27

Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. — Ephesians 4:1

Scripture reading: Galatians 6:1–10

We are privileged to be able to gather together to worship
the Lord. The very thought of Jesus will confirm truth and righteousness and power in your mortal body. There is something very remarkable about Him. When John saw Him, the impression that he had was that He was the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). When revelation comes, it says, “In Him dwells all the fullness” (Colossians 2:9).

His character is beautiful. His display of meekness is lovely. His compassion is greater than that of anyone in all of humanity. He felt infirmities. He helps those who pass through trials. And it is to be said about Him what is not said about anyone else: “[He] was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

I want you, as the author of Hebrews wonderfully said, to
“consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:3). When you are weary and tempted and tried and all men are against you, consider Him who has passed through it all, so that He might be able to help you in the trial as you are passing through it. He will sustain you in the strife. When all things seem to indicate that you have failed, the Lord of Hosts, the God of Jacob, the salvation of our Christ will so reinforce you that you will be stronger than any concrete building that was ever made.

Paul was an example for the church. He was filled with the
loveliness of the character of the Master through the Spirit‘s power. He was zealous that we may walk worthy. This is the day of calling that he spoke about; this is the opportunity of our lifetime. This is the place where God increases strength or opens the door of a new way of ministry.

Thought for today: If there is anything in your life that in any way resists the power of the Holy Spirit and the entrance of His Word into your heart and life, drop on your knees and cry aloud for mercy.