Increasing in the Knowledge of Jesus

 Everyone knows that Christmas celebrates God's sending His Son to earth, and Jesus' death and resurrection opens the door to bring men to God, but what is God's plan or purpose for those who have received His "goodwill and peace to men."  Certainly God is not mocked and His revealed purpose will not be thwarted.  "My Word shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) 

God has much more for believers than to just endure the challenges of life and finally go to heaven. Notice the instruction in Colossians 1, "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."  What an amazing description of what our lives are meant to be! 

For what God calls, He also provides.  So He has also given us the wherewithal to accomplish this level of life.  The verse continues, "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."  In His light we become light.

The more we grow in knowing God, His purpose, and His provision, the more we will be able to please Him and bear fruit.  There is a deep desire in every man's heart to do something with our lives that matters, in other words, be fruitful.  The key to actually having this kind of life is "increasing in the knowledge of God."

Notice in 2 Peter 1:3 how incredibly much is already given to us through knowing God: "All things that pertain to life and godliness have been given through the knowledge of Him."  No wonder Paul's heart cry was "to know Him and the power of the resurrection."  Likewise, the prayer found in Ephesians 1, asking God to give "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God" is the key to hope, to realizing our eternal inheritance, and to having the power of God in our lives. 

Yet many believers don't seem to have these promises as a reality in their lives.  Why?  Hosea 4:6 suggests "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."  2 Peter 1:4 states that through the "exceedingly great and precious promises" we can escape the corruption that is in the world and "become partakers of the divine nature."  Do you sense the heart of God who desires us to be whole and to enjoy His fulness of life, as we come to know how great He is? 

The obvious question is how do we get this knowledge of Him?  Number one, Romans 1:19-20 points out that His eternal power and Godhead can be clearly seen through creation and all He has made.  However, His personality, love, and plan can only be revealed through His Word.  Jesus is the Word of God, and since He is the exact "image of the invisible God," He came to manifest or show what God is really like.  

Jesus, in a discussion with the Pharisees (John 5:39-40), declared that the Scriptures "bear witness to Me," but require that we "come to Me that you may have life."  God desires to reveal Himself to those who humbly hunger to know Him.  Furthermore, Jesus and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus, to renew our minds by leading us into all truth, and to transform our hearts to know God as "Abba Father."  2 Peter 1:21 points out that all Scripture was given by the Holy Spirit.  So go to the author, the Spirit, and ask Him to open up the Word to reveal Jesus and the nature of God.  If you continue in the Word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  Jesus is the truth. 

One more challenge: what book of the bible specifically claims to be the revelation of Jesus Christ?  Yes, the Gospels are His life on earth and the epistles give practical instruction in knowing Him and living out the Christian life, but the answer to the question is Revelation.  Most people mistakenly think this book is about what is going to happen in the end-times, but that is not what God says it is.  Since this book claims to be the revelation of Jesus Christ that God Himself wants the church to have (Revelation 1:1-2), my intention in coming posts is to look specifically at what God has revealed.  

The bottom line is that the one whose life pleases God and bears fruit, is the life that is ever increasing in the knowledge of God.  Invite the Holy Spirit to give you a deep hunger to know Jesus.  Be willing to seek and to wait on Him that He may "open your eyes that you may behold wondrous things out of His Word." He who calls you to be "increasing in the knowledge of Jesus" is Faithful, and He will do it.

   

 

Glory to God Shown!

 Isaiah 40:5 declares that the glory of God shall be revealed.  John 1:14 states "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

As the angels proclaimed, "Glory to God in the Highest." the glory of God was shown in bringing God to man.

At the death and resurrection of Jesus, the glory of God was shown in bringing man to God.

When I taught second graders, they didn't know what "Glory to God" meant, so we interpreted it for them to say, "God, You are Great!"  So Jesus coming and Jesus dying for us shows what an awesome loving God we serve, and what an awesome reason to celebrate the "God, You are Great" this Christmas! Worship and adore Him today.

Abba Father

 You have not received a spirit of fear, but you have now received the Spirit which cries "Father dear."  Abba Father, Daddy God, we receive your love.  These are the words of the chorus based on Galatians 4.  The Spirit causes us to know our primary relationship that gives us stability forever/

Abba Father suggests you are a little child.  And what is a greater blow to our pride than God stopping our head-strong actions with the words, "little children"?  But that is exactly what happened after the resurrection when the disciples decided to go back to fishing. "Little children, have you caught any fish?  God has this ability to say things like they are!

However, "Little children" may not always be a rebuke, but might be taken as an encouragement of His fatherly love.  Yes, it is true we often act foolishly or childishly, but God is reaffirming our relationship with Him, and that He is there to help you.  Our part is to honestly acknowledge that we need Him and are willing to let Him help us.  Note the necessity, unless you humble yourself as a little child.  How about Jesus' comment that the greatest in the kingdom is a little child. The Spirit crying, "Abba, Father" reassures us that no matter what happens, through Jesus, we belong to Him and are His children forever.

Yet, clearly God has put a desire in us to grow up, to no longer be  children led astray by every wind of doctrine.  We are called to grow up into Christ in every way, to let the Spirit change us from glory to glory.  This is not something we work to do, but rather an acceptance that Jesus has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him.  

We grow, as we come to know the truth about Him, His love for you, and all He has done for you. Naturally this comes by taking time and choosing to let Him reveal Himself through the truth of His Word.  The more we are transformed by renewing our mind with His thoughts and ways, the more we grow into His image.  As a man thinks, so is he.

So what is our he conclusion? Always keep a humble childlike heart that relates to God as your intimate personal father, but press in to become what God has called and provided for you to become: a mature child of God transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.  Jesus knew and honored His "Abba Father."

What Pleases God?

 One of the great challenges of Christmas shopping is finding something that will please the person you are gifting (at least for me!).  How much more when the person already HAS everything.  So what would please God?  

First, the amazing thing about God is He is not hard to please, and He has given us some really clear "hints."  We please God by receiving His love and believing what He has done for us.  It pleased the Father to see His Son bruised, because He wanted us to have a way to be cleansed of sin and enjoy the glory of being with Him forever.  Faith pleases God, so it pleases God when we receive His gift.  God delights in mercy (according to Malachi 5:12), and willingly welcomes those who come to Him with a broken and contrite heart.  Nothing pleases God more than believing Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins through His death and resurrection.  And this faith gives us the right to become children of God who are changed by the Spirit of God into new creations.  Therefore, as a new creation we share Jesus' abundant life, and He is pleased to let us enjoy His glory forever.   

It pleases God when we die to our natural fleshy ways and choose to obey the Word of God.  Romans 8 points out that flesh cannot please God.  It is the Spirit that gives life.  We live not by bread but by every Word that  proceeds from the mouth of God. Those who abide in Jesus and let His Word abide in them will please the Father and bear much fruit.  Notice how Jesus declares that whoever loves Him will keep His commandments, with the amazing promise that to him who keeps His Word, Jesus and the Father will come to him and make their home with him.    

One specific request, found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, is that we "give thanks always, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Doing His will pleases God.  Even Psalm 103 tells us to forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from the pit (hell), crowns you with lovingkindness and mercy, and fills your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.  Our natural thinking and feeling may quickly forget how good God is and all He has done for us.  Clearly God loves to give, for it is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32), but He does want us to be like the tenth leper who at least returns to give thanks.  "Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" screams Psalm 107 repeatedly. 

Jesus, according to Hebrews 12, willingly submitted to the agony and pain of the cross, "because of the joy set before Him."  Likewise, God promises joy and great blessings if you obey His command to give of yourself.  Freely you have received, freely give.  You can never "out give" God.  One of God's eternal principles is sowing and reaping, give and it will be given.  Notice this principle in these verses.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all else will be added.  It almost seems like God wants to bless us, Isaiah 30:18  states that He "will wait that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you."  When we exalt God by our obeying and giving of ourselves, we allow God to move in our behalf. 

Yet Scripture is honest to point out that "through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God."  Very few people in the Bible have had the difficulties of David, yet He desired only one thing, that He could see the beauty or glory of the Lord.  In God's presence is fullness of joy and strength.  He knew that as He saw God's greatness and kept the commitment that he gives in Psalm 34, "I will bless the Lord at all times," God would fight for Him.  Likewise, Psalm 108 instructs us to give thanks and praise to God, "Be exalted, O God, and Your glory above all the earth."  Honoring God brings us to this psalm's concluding statement of faith, "Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies."  

God promised that we will not lose our reward when we give a glass of water to a child, how much more when we are faithful "in little things" that He gives us to do.  May the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us into all truth so that we imitate the angels who "harken to the voice of His Word" and "do His pleasure." (Psalm 103) 

Root Up All the Wicked in the Land

"Morning by morning I will root up all the wicked in the land, that I may eliminate all the evildoers from the city of the Lord." (Psalm 101, AMP)  This may sound like a necessary prayer to deal with the evils of our society today, but that is not its primary application.  We know that the Old Testament presents things externally, while the New Testament calls us to adapt these truths internally.  The wicked in the land are the things in our hearts that defile the city of God that we are. 

God has made provision through the blood of Jesus to not only forgive sin, but also to cleanse all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9)  Notice He covers our sins, not our excuses.  The key is that we acknowledge sin to be sin, a deliberate wrong choice of flesh over God's way.  Paul made a bold statement that he wasn't subject to be judged by others, but then he acknowledged that he couldn't judge himself. Only God knows the heart.  Search me, O God, and see if there be any wicked way in me. (Ps 139) 

Yet God delights in showing mercy.  The Word overwhelmingly declares He is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger.  There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ.  Just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, God comes to our hearts longing to set us free and make us whole.  Ephesians 5:13 points out that in His mercy He exposes darkness to light so He can make it light.  As he exposes our hearts, we humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to change us.  Paul encourages us in showing that godly sorrow produces repentance, zeal, and a fresh eagerness to please God. 

The Holy Spirit is our sanctifier.  To sanctify means to set apart for God's use.  Since our body is meant to be the very dwelling place of God, the temple of God, it follows that our reasonable service is to present our bodies to Him for His purpose.  God calls us in 2 Corinthians 6:17 to "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.  I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters."  

Scripture tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him.  We likewise can let the Spirit search our hearts, even if it hurts to admit our failures, so that we can experience the joy of His presence and the peace of being right with Him.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit is here to help us, and according to Romans 8, by His Spirit we can put to death the flesh.  Our flesh is not boss, and He helps us pick up our cross and die to ourselves. Perhaps 2 Corinthians 4:10 says it best, "always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body."    

  

Behold Him

Our infinite, awesome beyond description, God of love, is on the throne, today and forever.  Psalm 93 reminds us that "The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is robed, He has girded Himself with strength and power; the world also is established, that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting."  Clearly all creation is His handiwork and reveals His glorious nature.  However, more than His greatness, He is also very present and desiring to meet personally with you.  Hear the words of Jesus, "Come to Me." 

Do you remember David's key to life in Psalm 27:4, one thing I have desired all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord?.   So "Behold Him."  There is an amazing transfer of God's nature when we take time to focus on Him.  Isaiah promises that God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee (Is 26:3).  David in Psalm 17 states that he will continue to behold God's face in righteousness and be fully satisfied.  Jesus, the obvious light of the world, also declared that if we believe in the light, we would become sons of light. (John 12:36)   God desires that in His light we become light, even going so far as to announce to us in the sermon on the mount, "you are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).     

May I suggest three key ways to behold Jesus, glorify the Father, and be fruitful.  As you recall, in John 15, Jesus said "if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit."  Abiding in Jesus, first of all, suggests that we talk to Him. Since He is with us always, He simply longs for us to share our heart and be open to His voice. Do this often and always. 

Secondly, we need to trust God's Word and deliberately choose to have our thoughts and emotions align with His truth.  As a man thinks, so is he, according to Proverbs.  Jesus said, "If you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  2 Corinthians 10 would have us take every thought captive to obey Christ, thus releasing divine power to overcome the enemy.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.   

Finally, the third way to behold Him, is to obey His commands.  Jesus, in John 14, points out that if you love Me you will keep My commandments.  Not only does obedience demonstrate genuine love, but Jesus further promises that He and the Father will manifest themselves to the one who keeps His Word.  Nothing will ever replace God showing Himself to you.

When we draw near to God, He draws near to us.  As we behold Him, our hearts and minds are open to hear His voice, both directly and through His Word, which transforms our mind and enlightens our heart.  Paul reminds us that "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the gory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord."  

Take time today, to be still and behold Him.  

Greatest Famine - Pass the Potatoes

What will be the greatest famine in the last days?

When I was a kid growing up in a denominational church, if someone said to me, "Isn't it great that we are saved?" I might have replied, "Yes, would you please pass the potatoes?  In my heart having my physical appetite met was just as important as my spiritual values.  My heart may have been more like Esau than I want to admit.

Jesus evaluated His generation in a very similar manner.  "They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying, 'We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we mourned to you and you did not weep.'"  In other words, they chose to be mere spectators who refused to respond to the message given to them.  Several times He addressed the crowd, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."  There must be a difference in having physical ears and choosing to hear.  

Flesh is flesh and has not changed since Adam sinned.  Romans 8 points out that flesh is at enmity with God and cannot please Him.  So sin abounds but He gives more grace.  He has given every man the measure of faith to receive His grace and be saved.  Yet we have to deliberately respond to His grace, His gift of eternal life through Jesus' death and resurrection.  The Spirit of God empowers our spirit to choose life, and reveals truth through the Word that sets us free from the flesh.  The Word accomplishes His purpose to bring us to God and change us.  Jesus said we are to abide in Him and let His Word abide in us.   

Solomon, in his wisdom, likewise gave us instruction on how to receive God's Word.  "Apply you heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge (Proverbs 23:12)   Ezekiel was told by God, "Son of man, receive into your heart all my words I speak to you, and hear with your ears."  On the other hand, Ezekiel understood that he was "in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house (Ezekiel 12:2)  When you hear and respond to God's Word, you often have to go against the stream of public opinion.

So what is this great famine coming to the earth in the last days?  Not food or drink, but according to Amos 8:11, "Famine of hearing the Word of God."  (Notice it is not the Word of God, but rather "hearing" the Word of God.)

Isaiah reminds us (50:4) that every morning God awakens us to behold His image and opens our ears to hear.  Therefore, let you ears "hear" the Word of the Lord.  Let the Word dwell in you richly.  Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed in your mind through God's truth.  In the days of this famine, you will be a light that shines in the darkness and leads many to safety. So let's obey in faith with Solomon, "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh."  Proverbs 4:20-22  Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.

Oh, that Men would Give Thanks

Truly God is absolutely good.  Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His mercy endures forever! Do you hear the heart of God, as expressed many times in Psalm 107, after God responds to our desperate need: "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"

Yet man in his fallen nature condition seems frozen in his response to all God has done.  1 Corinthians 4:7 asks us the question, "What do you have that you did not receive?"  We may be aware for the moment when God intervenes, but there is a reason Psalm 103 calls us to "forget not his benefits." He has done so much for us, forgiven us our iniquities, delivered us from the consequences of sin that we deserve, healed our diseases, filled our mouth with good things, and crowned us with loving kindness and tender mercies.  Yet our natural mind tends to only think about the negative.  So God gave us the Word of God to transform our thinking and reveal the truth of what an awesome, loving God He is!  

Let's consider three situations that demand a response.  First, there are many times when things go well and it is only reasonable and even compelling to return to the Lord Jesus to give thanks.  For example, the tenth leper was quick to return to Jesus to give thanks after he realized he was healed.  Secondly, there are times when we have to remind ourselves of how blessed we really are and we "count our blessings one by one." The truth is we are infinitely blessed.  We have been given the gift of salvation (saved and delivered from all the evil consequences of sin) with an eternal future of rejoicing in His presence with all our needs and desires perfectly met forever.  Luke 12:32 encourages us, "Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  

Perhaps the third situation is the greatest challenge, when things aren't going well.  Yet, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 instructs us to "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  In other words, God wants us to live giving thanks to Him in everything that happens.  This takes faith that God's way is perfect and that He is working all things for our good.  We show our faith by obeying the command to give thanks.  It also glorifies God to thank Him when our feelings want to complain and entertain self-pity.  The good news is that even in that situation Jesus Christ has already defeated the enemy and all his attacks and we can afford to focus instead of His victory.  Hebrews 13:15 calls us to "continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."  He is always worthy of praise and thanksgiving, and when our eyes are opened for eternity, we will be so glad that we chose to give thanks and trust Him. 

We are not in this fight of faith alone. The Holy Spirit is here to help us, to lead us into all truth and to bear witness all Jesus has done so we have a grateful heart.  Line upon line and precept upon precept, He teaches us the Word so we can know the truth that sets us free.  We then have the foundation to take every though captive to obey Christ Jesus, and use the divine-powered weapons to overcome the enemy.  When we fail He reminds us that God "delights in mercy" (Micah 7:18).  He reminds us  "Now thanks be to God who always lead us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).  He works in us "to will and to work" for His pleasure.  All that the Lord does for us is deserving of our thanks, now and always.  The Spirit empowers us and bears witness as we thank God.

So today, the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11) gives life to your mortal body and encourages you to receive the goodness of God with thanksgiving.  Hear His plea in a personal way, Oh that you would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness to you, for His wonderful works done for you.  

Taste and See that the Lord is Good!

Taste and See that the Lord is Good.  Doesn't that sound great?  However, the subtitle may also be, "He is a very present help in times of trouble."

Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). The truth is that we all go through battles.  David in Psalm 86 cries out to God to preserve his life, yet not without hope, declaring that "You are my God."  He reminds himself with this bedrock line, "For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you."

Yet there are times when we stand in the battle, wondering if and how He is going to come through. In our minds we know He is infinite and faithful, so the challenge is to trust that victory to our situation. He is a very present help in times of trouble.  I compare this to how the disciples must have felt between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, sort of a mental and emotional roller coaster challenge to believe when things look lost.  As we know, in desperate situations, David encouraged himself in the Lord.  

Draw near to God with thanksgiving and fresh consecration.  Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  This is a time to hold on to some of the powerful Scriptural promises. For example, Psalm 34:19 states that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.  Revelation 12:11 "They overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives even to death."  Or how about 1 Peter 5:10-11, "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  

Clearly, as the song "Waymaker" reminds us, "even when I don't feel it, You are working."  My point is that during the battle is not the time to doubt or quit standing on God's promises, but rather to choose to fight the good fight by speaking the Word, and trusting God to confirm it.  Nothing (or no one, especially the devil) has a right to steal your joy.  Run for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24)  What is the prize?  Giving glory to God (He is worthy).  Abraham chose to glorify God until he tasted the goodness of the Lord.  Every attack is an opportunity to be thankful that Jesus has overcome, and by our faith we overcome the world (1 John 5:4).  All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  

With Jesus in the battle, we taste and see that the Lord is good.  The Holy Spirit is here to always lead us in triumph.  So lets just receive the Romans 15:13 promise, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  In the name of Jesus, and by the power of the resurrection, may you experience His overcoming peace, joy, and victory.  Jesus reveals that "as the Father loves Me, so do I love you."  His love overcomes all.  He is with you and for you.  

 

Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever!

 What eye has not seen or ear heard, nor the mind of man conceived, what God has for those who love Him.  We have no idea of what an awesome and absolutely perfect God we serve, and how beyond description it will only get better and better forever!  A billion years from now, we will be completely overwhelmed with and "satisfied" to enjoy His glory and beauty.  Psalm 21 is right, we are the most blessed forever who know our God.

God is the master at understating His goodness and power.  He is exalted "far above" all gods.  As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy toward us.  The heavens declare the glory of God and His handiwork. This simple work of God, His handiwork, seems to man to be almost infinite when we view the heavens and consider the way the planets and stars are set and maintained in space. Likewise, take the description, God is good.  Notice Jesus wouldn't even let men call him good, saying there is only one who is good, God the Father in heaven.  In Ephesians 1, consider the adjectives necessary to describe what God does when He reveals "the knowledge of Him."  The eyes of your understanding will be enlightened so you may know "what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." Clearly God has to touch us and enable us to receive all He has for us.  What an awesome God!!!

So this final provision in the Lord's prayer opens up our imagination and allows us to express our heart appreciation for Who He is and how great His everlasting kingdom will be.  Sometimes in the daily routines of life, in the chaos of the world, and maybe in the trials of our own situation, we tend to focus on our difficulties.  But Jesus gave us a prayer with a conclusion that helps establish a correct understanding and vision of reality. Without a vision the people perish.  His kingdom and His power, and His glory are now and forever.  Amen. (That is the way it will always be!)   

Taught to Know War

 Do you know war? More important, do you know how to use the weapons of your warfare and how to make sure you overcome?  The good news is "Blessed be the Lord my Rock who trains my hands for war,  and my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144:1)  The Holy Spirit will lead us and teach us how to fight the good fight of faith, because if God is for us, who can stand against us?

We are in a war, but not with flesh and blood.  This battle may be the Lords, but He clearly waits on us to execute the authority He has given us.   It is a lot like turning on the lights--unless you flip the switch, the electricity (the abundant power of God in my analogy) will not  illuminate the lights and dispel the darkness.  In Luke 10:19 Jesus states "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."  When God uses the word "behold," it is something amazing.  We may wonder why God wants us to have this authority, but He obviously will help us learn to use it well because in Revelation 12:11 it points out that "they (meaning us believers) overcame the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."  Our testimony is receiving the Word with meekness and speaking that truth no matter what the flesh wants us to believe.  Romans 16:20 encourages us that He will "crush Satan under our feet."  

In the Old Testament, God left some of the enemy tribes in the promised land, so the young men who had not seen the miracles and deliverance of God over the Egyptians "might be taught to know war" (Judges 3:1-2).  Likewise in the New Testament, Hebrews 2:8-9 remind us that Jesus completely defeated Satan and everything is put in subjection to Him, "but now we do not yet see all things put under Him.  But we see Jesus,"  The point is that God wants us to use the authority Jesus has given us to stand against the devil wherever we see evil working. Our choice in the battle is really two fold, one) submit to God, and two) resist the devil and he will flee from you.  This same principle is found  Peter 5, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith,"  And the conclusion is that God Himself will "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  

We are equipped with supernatural weapons, His armor, the blood of the Lamb, and the name of Jesus.  It is up to each of us to put them on and resist the enemy's lies and attacks.  Faith and patience inherits the promises and so does taking a stand and refusing to submit to the yoke of slavery.  Ephesians 6 bluntly states, "take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  God is glorified when we choose to declare and trust His Word, and use the standing time as an opportunity to give thanks and praise rather than give up.  We serve a mighty God who confirms His Word. 

Overcomer or Under the Circumstances

 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4)  This reality flows from Jesus Christ, who through His death and resurrection, has overcome the world, sin, sickness, and all the works of the devil.  Romans 8:37 confirms this truth, "Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  God's eternal plan includes for us "to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren" (Romans 8:29) and that we would be a light in this world as we "walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6)  Just as Jesus overcame, through that victorious resurrection, power and authority has been released for us to also be conquerors that overcome the world.

Man does not realize how far he has fallen.  There is a reason Paul cried out, who is going to save me from this wretched man that I am? Obviously, the next verse (Romans 7:25) recognizes the answer is Jesus.  However, there is a problem.  Man thinks he is okay and can make it on his own strength, his own wisdom, his own ways.  Since all creation also fell according to Romans 8:21, into the bondage of corruption, and combined with the self-centered philosophy of the world, the result is man will have problems and trials.  Man's ways and flesh lead to death.  God has to bring man (us) to the place where we turn from man's ways to receiving help from Him.  We need Jesus to save us, change us, and show us how to live. 

There is an example in nature of a mother pigeon with her young ones which may give insight.  Pigeons make their nest on a perch usually high above the ground.  When mother pigeon thinks that her young ones can and should learn to fly, she lures them to the edge and pushes them off!  As they begin to fall the young bird quickly flaps his wings and starts to fly,  The mother dives behind them catching them (in case they fail) before they reach the ground.  What lesson is in the way this developmental step of growth happens?  We only "fly" when we have to!

Fight the good fight of faith.  The Word makes it clear that we will have battles and that we use faith to overcome them.  Psalm 34:19 points out "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."  On the other hand, do you remember God's warning to Laodicea when they were complacent in their faith and didn't need anything, instead of seeing they were "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."  The good news is, which may not seem like good news to our flesh, that trials and problems are God-designed to wake us up and cause us to seek His help.  Even Jesus went through trials as "the Spirit led him into the wilderness."  Why does James 1:2 say "to count it all joy when you fall into various trials"?  The answer given in the following two verses is that you "may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  

God knows man's frame and remembers we are dust (Psalm 103:14).  In other words, he knows exactly what we are and what works to get us to where we need to go.  We are "predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29) and He has always planned "that we should be holy and blameless before Him." (Ephesians 1:4)  It is clear that only God can cause and maintain that sharing of divine nature.  Therefore, God needs to bring us to the point where we see our need and choose to depend upon Him.  As we grow through His revelation and have faith in His promises, God allows us to partake of His nature until He becomes "all in all."  God is the master Father, who encourages, nurtures, and yes, even disciplines us, to become what He intended us to be.  God is at work in us "to will and to work" for His pleasure.  Praise God forever. 

Therefore, be of good courage. In every situation, God will make all things work for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Through the victorious life of the Lord Jesus, you are always led in triumph and by faith, overcome.  Give thanks and be patient, the Spirit will manifest that overcoming power of Jesus' resurrection in and through you.

Cancel the Debt

Forgive us our debts (or trespasses) as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

Do you remember the guy in Matthew 18 that was forgiven the two million dollar debt by the master but wouldn't forgive the $20 his fellow servant owed him?  Sounds fair enough that if he was forgiven so much, he should be more than willing to forgive so little. 

However, that is not the way the Lord's prayer reads.  It says that we establish the amount.  The way and amount we forgive is the way and amount we enable God to forgive us!  In other words, if you want to be forgiven completely, then you must forgive others completely.  

Lack of forgiveness only destroys you, not the person you are resenting.  There is a story about a man who was walking on the beach when a gull flew overhead and landed a dropping of his waste right on the man's forehead.  The man shook his fist at the fleeting bird and screamed, "You come back here and clean this up!"  I'm not cleaning this up.  So he went to work the next day with the bird dropping still on his head.  People started wondering about him.  He began to smell so they avoided him.  The point is that bitterness and unforgiveness is like a bird dropping on your head, it destroys you, and begins to negatively impact those around you.  Almost always the person responsible for the hurt is not going to come back and make it right.  He may not even be anywhere around or may not even realize the pain he caused.  Don't let others' actions destroy you! Forgiveness sets you free.

Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.  You choose to forgive, to cancel the debt, to "let it go" as the song in Frozen goes.  Your feelings may still be agitated, but as you speak to yourself, "No, I forgive and cancel the debt. That person owes me nothing" the feelings lose their force and can begin to settle down.  You may be tempted to rehearse the offence and stir your emotions up again.  Don't.  Take every thought captive to obey Christ.  You have the power to take control of your thoughts and feelings.  Notice how David in Psalm 103 speaks to his soul (thoughts, emotions, will) when he says, "Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."  You likewise can tell your soul (your thoughts, feelings, and will) that you have released that person and canceled the debt.  It is finished.  Death and life is set before you, choose life.  Do you see the sowing and reaping principle underlying God's ways?  Give and it will be given.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.  As you make this gracious decision and refuse to allow bitterness to ensnare you, you allow God's Spirit to heal you of the hurt and set you free. 

Jesus died for that sin and hurt which someone has afflicted on you.  He has paid everything for it.  God is clear in His command.  Forgive.  Even if it costs you your life.  It did cost Jesus His, and He forgave.  Romans 5 reminds us that the love and forgiveness of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Perfect love casts out all fear, and all negative strongholds.  It is the same perfect love which Jesus displayed on the cross.  As you choose to let this love enable you to forgive, God gives more grace to cancel the debt, and His peace fills your mind and heart in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6).  He became sin that you might become the righteousness of God.  Forgive and receive His gift of being whole and free forever.  Thank you, Jesus, it is finished.  

Trusting and Thanking God for His Daily Bread

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)  God is a giver.  God so loved the world that He gave...  It pleases the Father to give you the kingdom.  In Jesus' teaching about us giving our son a fish instead of a serpent, the obvious comparison is how much more will the Father give good things to those who ask Him.  

Give us our daily bread.  Two simple reflections; 1) Since God's nature is to give, it is not difficult to trust Him and give thanks for caring about your needs.  2) Daily bread refers to all that you may need today, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  In the incident where Jesus met the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15) who wanted healing for her daughter, Jesus calls healing the children's bread.  Just like the manna in the wilderness, it is the "what is it" that you need for today. 

Jesus taught us to ask, to seek, and to knock, with the assurance that your Father will cause you to receive, find, and have the door opened to you.  God waits to be gracious to you, but He won't override your free will.  He wants us to come to Him and ask.  He desires us to talk to Him about what is on our hearts and what we need.  God's purpose is always to deepen our relationship with Him until He becomes all in all.  In Philippians 4:6  the Word teaches us "in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God."  The point is we can already give thanks as we ask because we know God wants to give. 

Our Father is a good father who longs to meet our needs according to His riches in glory.  Come to Him each day trusting and thanking Him for your "daily bread."

Come, Thy Kingdom!

 The torch has been handed to you.  "I have given you authority" (Luke 11:19)  God established His kingdom with the designation that you have His authority to declare with your mouth "life and death" (Proverbs 18:21), and tells you to "Choose life" (Deut. 30:19).  Both the phrase They kingdom come and Thy will be done are actually imperatives, translated in common English to read "Come, Thy kingdom" and "Be done,Thy will."  These are declarations that we as believers are instructed to make so God's power can be released on the earth.  God confirms His Word that we speak. (Mark 16:20)

Jesus declared repeatedly in His ministry that the kingdom of God "is here" and "has come."  It refers to God establishing a whole new order of life where Jesus is Lord and all things are transformed to submit to His love and rule.  When Jesus declared, "It is Finished," Satan was defeated and all the consequences of sin were totally paid for.  However, Hebrews 2:8-9 reminds us that even though everything is now in subjection to Jesus and under His feet, we don't see this complete victory manifested yet.  God calls on us to agree with His Word, to cry out "Come, Lord Jesus!", and to "hasten the day of His coming" by our declaring this simple request, Come, Thy Kingdom!  Revelation reveals the day is coming when the kingdoms of the earth will become the kingdoms of our Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.  Every enemy of love will be removed.  Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  Amen, let it be so.

Jesus also told us that the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21)  Paul describes the kingdom in Romans 14:17 as "righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit," and in 1 Corinthians 4:20 as "not in word but in power."  Those who receive Jesus Christ, and believe in His name, have been given power  to become the sons of God (John 1:12).  Through salvation we have been made temples of the Holy Spirit and so the very presence of God dwells in us.  We speak and release the power of God to be "king" in us, that His righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit would dominate our lives.

We also call forth that His will be done.  We purpose to obey His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  By praying this phrase, we align our will with His will, and "pick up our cross daily."  The cross is where His will and our will cross.  We choose and declare to walk in the Spirit of holiness and obedience as we will forever in heaven.  

Furthermore, we can extend this prayer petition to others.  May His kingdom (righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Spirit) come upon our spouses and children, on our leaders and pastors, and on those whom the Spirit brings to mind.  It is releasing the power of God to bless and transform those whom we love.  May His will be done in their lives.  3 John 2 encourages us that He desires above all things that we prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers.  Obviously, Jesus' kingdom extends to those who accept His saving work and leadership (making Him Lord.)  We become the Lord's ambassadors who cry out for all men to be reconciled to God and choose to do His will. 

Pray that His kingdom come on the earth as it is in heaven, and that men everywhere turn from their selfish fleshly desires to choosing to do His will. 

"Pray in this manner" Jesus

 "Let God be true and every man a liar," states Romans 3:4.  This simple statement has a lot of applications, especially when we try to put human wisdom, which 1 Corinthians calls foolishness, against God's revealed truth.  Today we will apply this principle to instruct us how God tells His people to pray.

In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  He replied, "Pray in this manner," and then proceeded to give them what we often call the Lord's Prayer.  Rather than just a recognized, formal recitation, there is divine revelation in the infinite heart desires that He longs for those created in His mage to receive and to express.  Two Scriptural truths come to mind. The Father desires us to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23).  And how can two walk together unless they be agreed (Amos 3;3).  Clearly God gave us these requests so we would allow them in our hearts and declare them with our lips. There is great humbleness and strength in opening our hearts to cry out to God the very issues that are on His heart.  

What are these simple petitions?  Let's take time to consider these 7 prayer principles: 1) our relationship with God, 2) acknowledging how great He is through His name(s), 3) calling forth His kingdom to come and His will to be done, 4) trusting Him and thanking Him for our daily provision, 5) setting our hearts to walk in forgiveness in the same way we receive His forgiveness, 6) depending on God's deliverance and standing in authority over the evil one, and 7) finally, declaring His infinite and eternal praise.   "Holy Spirit, we ask You to open up to our hearts and understanding these powerful requests so we can learn to pray as Jesus taught." 

We will consider the first two petitions in this post, and continue this subject in the following. 

 First, "Our Father" suggests we know our relationship with God.  Because through Jesus we are born again into His family, we can come as His loving, grateful children (1 John 3:1) who trust their "Daddy" God.   All prayer starts and works because He is a Father who cares for His children.

Secondly, we acknowledge how great He is through His name, or through the names that God has given through His Word to describe His nature.  A name reveals the reality of what the individual actually is.  For example, several names of God share how He has dealt with sin.  Jehovah tsidkenu, the Lord is righteous, which informs me that with awesome gratitude I may  declare He is my righteousness.  Did He not become sin so I could become the righteousness of God? (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jehovah M'Kaddesh is the Lord is my sanctifier, so my only honest response is, thank you, Jesus, for sanctifying me, transforming me from fallen nature that deserves death, into a new creation that now is a temple of God and can be Your light to the world.   To be sanctified means to be set apart for a definite higher purpose.  A person might "sanctify" a nest egg savings account so that he could build that special dream house.    

Our second area of names reveal how close and intimate God is and what He always wants us to know.  Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is here.  At this point when I pray, I imagine myself bowing before the very presence of God, totally satisfied and awed by His love and glory.  A testimony of a 23 year old Atlanta man who died and came back to life was that when he was brought before the Lord Jesus, he was totally satisfied, every thought and need was completely met, and he just wanted to be there forever and give all he had to Him.  That is the attitude and awareness I choose in taking a few moments to be still before Him.  This name reminds me that even though my flesh can't see it, He is actually here and through whatever happens I can know the reality of His presence. He is with me.  Likewise in His presence, Jehovah Shalom, He is peace and wholeness.  Philippians 4:7 reminds me that when rather than be anxious, I simply am to pray with thanksgiving and He will keep my mind and heart at peace in Christ Jesus.

The next set of names demonstrate God's concern over the challenges and practical needs of life.  Clearly Jesus has overcome sin, death, and sickness, or in other words, everything that has fallen due to the sin of man.  Jehovah Rapha, the Lord is healer, reveals His taking our sickness and His nature and power to make us whole.  1 Peter 2:24 reminds us that by His stripes we were healed.  Then Jehovah Jireh, the Lord is provider, shows that He sees what we need before we even realize it and has made provision so our needs are met.  Paul reminded the Philippians that their needs were met according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Or 2 Peter 1:3-4 declares that His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our victor or banner, allows us to enter into His victory over sin, death, and the devil.  He has not only won through His death and resurrection, but He declares that all those who believe in Jesus also overcome (1 John 5:4).  This is a good place to put on the armor of God: gird your loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, above all take up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the Spirit by declaring His Word.   Having put on the armor, it is time to stand.  Take authority over abortion, deception, violence, or whatever the Spirit leads you to exercise your victory and authority over.  God's plan is to crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20).  Using the name and authority of Jesus, every knee must bow.  

Finally, Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is my shepherd, gives a beautiful picture of God taking care of us completely and forever.  It summarizes all these names.  My needs are met: I shall not want.  I fear no evil because He is with me. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness.  He sets a table before me, anoints my head with oil (the Holy Spirit), my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy will follow me.  I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Hallowed by Thy Name.   Truly, He is love, our hope, our strength, our joy, and desires to be our "all in all."  We praise Him through the specific names that reveal how great He is and allow this truth to renew our mind and to open our heart to love and adore the great I Am.  Be still and know I am God.

 

Life to the Fullest - Teach us the Fear of the Lord

"The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied." (Prov 19:23 Amp).  Therefore, consider God's invitation in Psalm 34:11-12, "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days that he may see good?" Do you see that walking in an attitude of fear of the Lord is designed to give you good, to fill you with abundant life, and cause you to rest satisfied?   Amazingly, this quality is so important to God, that He promises to teach whoever is willing to come to Him.  He has promised more blessings and powerful results from this attitude than any other in Scripture.  

Fear of the Lord is defined in Proverbs 8:13 as "to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way."  This attitude or spiritual quality is the description of Jesus in Hebrews 1:9, who loved righteousness and hated evil for which God honored Jesus by anointing Him "with the oil of gladness more than your companions "  Psalm 19:9 states that the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.  Psalm 34 assures us that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and adds that there is no want to those who fear Him  

Sometimes this term is confused with being afraid, which obviously is a negative result of anticipating evil, but the perfect love of Jesus casts out all fear.  The contrast is found in the words of Amazing Grace, "who taught my heart to fear, and by grace my fears relieved." He is truly an awesome God, all-powerful, infinitely wise and holy, the creator of the universe, so it is no wonder that Psalm 33 declares, "Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him."  We could and probably should be afraid of Him if we did not know His heart.  However, knowing the love of God, who was pleased to have His own Son beaten and brutally slaughtered just to save us, makes us realize He also is awesome in His love which takes away my fear of evil and fills me with peace.  

Learning the fear of the Lord is an awesome realization of the glorious privilege of having the living God dwell inside us.  God Himself has chosen to make His home in us.  So in response to who He is and all He has done, what else can we do but desire and choose to please Him.  Notice the intimacy of this relationship found in Psalm 25, "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He will show them His covenant."  God delights in the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:3).   

Each one of us has the most important appointment of our life still coming up.  That is the day when we stand before God and our whole life passes before us.   In Psalm 36, when the Word describes the wicked as "having no fear of God before his eyes" and that he "flatters and deceives himself in his own eyes that his iniquity will not be found out and hated.''  Wrong choices with be not only revealed but hated.  On the other hand, those who walk in fear of the Lord now, will experience the "Well done, good and faithful servant" and rejoice over every time we chose to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit, love righteousness (and hate evil), and honor God by doing His Word.    

The purpose of this word is to encourage you, put another log on your fire to be holy, and remind you that the Holy Spirit is here to guide you into all truth.  Listen to Him.  May each of us be willing to learn the fear of the Lord and have no regrets when we stand before the living God to receive our eternal reward.  In the name of Jesus, let it be so. 

 

Life on Earth - A Drop in the Ocean

How can you compare a drop of water to the entire ocean?  People have no idea, actually our finite minds can't fathom, how long eternity is.  How much more overwhelming is the thought when we consider eternal judgment!

Amazingly, Jesus describes it like this.  "This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."  Notice, His definition is not duration that it lasts forever, but rather a quality of life that comes only from knowing God.  So eternal judgment is this life's final exam, that is answered by whether one knows God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. 

When I was a dumb, little kid, I wrestled with the idea of how could we live forever, and what would we do, and how could I stand it.  So I thought it might be easier to just go to hell, burn up, and have it all over with, sort of like the mistaken idea some people have about suicide.  Then someone told me that hell is forever too.  Wow!  My unthinkable concept changed immediately!

There is a truth about God that is hard for us to handle.  Absolutely Just.  We somewhat grasp the concept of mercy, that God forgives the worst sinner, which Paul considered himself to be.  However, what do we know about Him being perfectly just?  Every sin will get perfect retribution.  It will be paid in full.  God is not mocked, what is sown shall be reaped.

There is a hint of this in the well-known John 3:16 verse, "For God so loved the world that He gave HIs only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  Notice the contrast, either perish or have eternal life.  Then in verse 18, this truth is brought home stronger, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Sin deserves death.  Man, who is sinful, is condemned already, and rightly deserve death.  

So God, in His perfect mercy and love for us, sent Jesus to pay the "condemnation" penalty because He wants us to be free and live with Him forever.  Ephesians 1:5 reveals that His eternal plan is that we would be "holy and blameless before Him."  That is why receiving what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection is so crucial.  Either you accept that Jesus, God's Son, paid the supreme price and eternal consequences for your sin, or that incredibly serious debt still remains.  You are rightly condemned for not only your sin but also for rejecting God's love in the person of Jesus who took your punishment.

Why is eternal judgment in the foundational doctrines of Hebrews 6 that needs to be settled if we are going to mature?  Eternal judgment is an awesome reality that makes the whole issue of being saved absolutely the most important step anyone and everyone must personally take.  Understanding God's justice, and then His beautiful mercy in paying everything for us, will produce a heart of gratefulness and a strong foundation upon which our life always rests.  We belong to Him and are secure forever because of what Jesus has done.  Secondly, this need for everyone to receive Jesus changes evangelism  from a nice thing to an absolutely necessary reality.  This truth sets us free from our self-consciousness of how we feel or what others think, to being unashamed as God's representative to bring this good news to all men.  We are His instrument to share and be a witness of HIs love for each one. 

No one can know their purpose in life unless they understanding how eternal judgment is the climax of sowing and reaping.  God is not mocked, what one sows he will reap.  Standing before God is the most crucial appointment we will ever have with the most awesome possibilities: everlasting joy in the Father's presence or eternal separation from all that is good.  We need to see this life as an opportunity to be a light for Him, with eternal rewards.  No one will even give a drink of cold water to a child without reaping a reward, how much more sharing Jesus with a sinner who otherwise would be lost forever.  The time on earth may be only a drop in a bucket compared to eternity, but this life is the proving ground where God is revealing who He is, and empowering us to will and work for His pleasure.  So live today with the realization that every choice will have eternal ramifications, for good reward or evil consequences.  Your choice.   

All Rise!

 He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  The early church would celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by declaring this powerful truth and the response in agreement.  One Easter morning I was sharing the Word and encouraged my audience to respond in like manner, shouting, "He is Risen!" and they would respond "He is Risen indeed!"  Unknown to me, there was present a lady who had pneumonia but was allowed to leave the hospital to attend Easter services.  As she was leaving the church, she stopped to say there was a strange warmth and presence in her chest as we declared He is Risen, and that all of a sudden she could breathe normally.  Later doctors confirmed that she was healed.

There is power in the resurrection.  Jesus Christ "was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:4).  The resurrection also establishes Jesus's complete victory over death, sin and sickness.  After the resurrection Jesus announced to His disciples "all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  No wonder then, that the Word (Acts 4:33) records that the apostles "with great power gave witness to the resurrection from the dead."  

This overcoming power and authority is available to all who believe Jesus Christ is God's Son who died and rose for them.  Romans 6:5 assures us, "If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall in the likeness of His resurrection."  Paul, even after all his preaching and miracles, had one overwhelming request, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection."  The person of the Holy Spirit makes this reality a part of our daily experience, as the Word says in Romans 8:11, "the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."    

God's eternal plan for man is past, present, and future.  The resurrection of Jesus 2000 years ago settles the fact of Jesus' love and victory for all men.  Through the Holy Spirit this released power equips us today to walk in overcoming faith and victory.  However, 1 Peter 1:3 blesses God who "according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."  This living hope is a sure future promise to rise with Him and be with Him forever.

Therefore, this foundation doctrine of the resurrection provides eternal assurance that Jesus' "It is finished" statement from the cross is confirmed.  Man sinned and lost his dominion authority over the earth to Satan.  Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, brought man back to God, and paid the supreme price to re-establish man in the righteousness and authority of God Himself.  We are now called to rise up and walk in the triumphant, overcoming power of the living God.  Believers in Jesus Christ and His resurrection have passed from death to life.  We are now to reckon ourselves dead to sin (and its consequences) and alive to God.  All rise, and give glory to God by walking in His resurrection power.      

My Cup Runneth Over!

 Dead Sea or Jordan River?  You have a choice.  The Dead Sea contains a treasure chest of rich deposits of valuable minerals that are just sitting there.  The Jordan River is where spiritual life flows, John was God's voice in the wilderness and baptized there; Jesus preached the kingdom of God has come there; Elisha sent the Syrian king to be healed there.  God paid the supreme price for your sin, raised you from the dead with Him, gave you the power of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. and gave you a great commission to go and do likewise what Jesus did.  To be a couch potato with all He has given you is an insult to what He has made you and all His great work in you.

Jesus instructed us to "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38.  1 Peter 3:9 reaffirms this principle, saying you are called to bless that you may receive the blessing.  That is essentially why the fourth Hebrews 6 foundational doctrine is laying on of hands, or in other words, give what you have got.  That is why in Psalm 23 David declares He fills your cup to overflowing, so that it can run over to those who need a drink of His goodness.

Let's take this one step further.  Jesus loves you and gave His life for you.  The  greatest love anyone can give, according to Jesus, is to lay down your life for someone else.  And to make the case even stronger, Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as He loves us.  So by giving what you have, your talents, your resources, your time, you follow the pattern of lifestyle set by Jesus, to lay His life down freely to bless us.  Part of the foundation of moving on to maturity, to becoming the kind of Christian that God intended you to be, is to have the mindset that the purpose of your life is to love God by willingly doing whatever it takes to bless.  God loves and honors a cheerful giver.   

We are blessed exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think, so lay up treasures in heaven for eternity by sharing the good news in word and deed.  Jim Elliot, missionary to the Quechua Indians of Ecuador, succinctly explained and applied this principle. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Holy Spirit, give me the power to overcome my flesh and help me choose to touch with your love the lives you have put in my life, in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

So Much More!

Hate evil and love righteousness.  Fear not, only believe.  Out of darkness, into the light.  God is the master at removing the bad and releasing the good.  He doesn't just forgive sin and its consequences; He transforms us into the very righteousness of God. The Lord's plan is beyond what we could think or ask.  Jesus' death and resurrection took care of all sin, sickness, and death; sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us allowed the very life of God to fill "all in all."  No wonder the Word declares "You are the light of the world!" 

Consider this truth in the Hebrews 6 foundation "doctrine of baptisms."  Water baptism shuts the door on the old man who is buried with Christ, and gives us the momentum as we rise out of the water to have new life toward God.  Now this new life is also powered by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told his believing disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, knowing the power of God will fill them when "you will be baptized in the Spirit."

Sometimes Christians tend to argue "I already have the Spirit when I accepted Jesus Christ." based on Scriptures like Romans 8:9.  However, did you notice that the apostles who were filled with the Spirit in Acts 2, openly prayed for the Holy Spirit in Acts 4 to give them boldness to speak Your Word and for signs and wonders to be done.  Likewise, Ephesians 5:17-18 declares that the will of the Lord is to be filled with the Spirit.  This Greek verb is a present participle, meaning "constantly be being filled with the Spirit."  This foundation truth is that man can do nothing for the Kingdom of God without the power of the Spirit.  Maybe a better question than do you have the Spirit, is the reverse, "Does the Spirit have you?"  

We were never meant to walk as Christians without the power of the Spirit.  We know that the victorious life requires overcoming the flesh and our human thinking, which Romans 8:13 strongly suggests only happens by the Spirit's power, "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."  Even Jesus relied on the Spirit to do the Father's will, "Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God." Hebrews 9:14.  You will never walk in victory over sin and the flesh without the power of the Spirit.  

However, God not only wants you to win over sin, He wants you to be His witnesses and move in His power showing His infinite love.  Jesus said we would do the works He did and greater ones!  Our lives are to be a testimony to the world that Jesus Christ is alive, that He has defeated the powers of darkness, that His name is above every name, and that He has overcome all and reigns forever.   

In Luke 11 after Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray, what we call the Lord's prayer, He reminds us that a father, even with fallen nature, will give his son bread, not a stone, fish, not a scorpion, when he asks.  "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"  God is a perfect gentleman, He does not force us, but waits for us to desire and ask.  The normal way of receiving the Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles, after the day of Pentecost, was to lay hands and invite Him in.  However, God is not servant to any method, but rather looks upon the heart. 

Jesus promised He would not leave us orphans, but would send the Holy Spirit to "teach us all things, bring to our remembrance all things He has said to us, to testify and bear witness of Jesus, guide you into all truth, and tell you things to come."  In other words, you are meant to be led by the Spirit, and the baptism of the Spirit is simply the decision to invite Him in and let Him have your heart.  God waits to be gracious to you.  A Spirit-filled life not only glorifies the Father, but also is the abundant life Jesus promised His followers would have.  

Therefore, take the steps outlined in the foundation doctrines of Hebrews 6.  Repent, believe, be water baptized, and receive the baptism of the Spirit so you can press on to maturity. 

That Settles It!

 

It is time to settle it.

A physical act is a way to show what we really mean inside.  A hug, a kiss, a gentle touch, a smile.  That is the way God made us.  Even with worship, every single time that worship is expressed in the Bible, it is shown with a physical act such as bowing down, lifting hands, kneeling down, or openly singing praise.  Similarly, partaking of bread and the cup expresses our communion with God, our literal being in Him and He being in us. God has created or given us physical acts to express and verify our inner choices. 

So it follows that in opening our heart to repent and believe, there would be physical steps to both express this decision and to be a reminder that it is settled.  It is called baptism.  The Greek word "baptizo" means to be physical dipped into something, such a dyeing a piece of clothing.  The person is immersed or brought into this new reality and is permanently changed.

Romans 6 gives us a description of what happens to a believer through baptism: "we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  It continues with a reassuring step of faith, "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection."  The physical act of going under the water shows we have "died and are buried" with Him by faith, and as we come up out of the water, we identify that the Spirit of God has raised us up to new life.  It is a reference point that helps us settle this truth of being united with what Jesus has done.  From this point on we are told (Rom 6:11) to reckon or consider yourselves to be "dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jesus instructed us to "believe and be baptized."  It is a command, which each person has to choose to obey; no one can do it for you.  You may have been dedicated to God as a baby, but when you come of age you are called on to obey the command of your own free choice.  The Word of God is always addressed to your will, such as choose life.  In 1 Peter 3:21 baptism is defined "not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  Just as Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill righteousness, we also fulfill righteousness or simply become right with God, when we choose to obey what God has asked and are baptized.

Many people, even after accepting Jesus as savior, still have struggles giving in to the desires of the flesh.  This foundation step of baptism is not just a religious act, it is a concrete act that settles in our hearts this truth of being united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection to new life.  Anytime we obey God, there is a release of new life, because God gives grace to the humble, to those who receive the Word with meekness and obey.  

If you are "trying" to make a choice, but easily are overcome by the same fleshly thought or temptation, it is time to settle the foundation.  You need the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your foundation stone, and your choice to obey the command to be baptized, releases the power of God to make that victory real in your experience.  Baptism, or obeying God in a physical act, allows your heart and mind to know it is done, and you can always depend on that truth to overcome the lies of the flesh and the devil.  So settle it and walk on to maturity in victory! 

Will Jesus Find Faith on the Earth?

 What an amazing question Jesus asks in the Luke 18 parable of the lady persistently coming to the judge for justice, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?   Obviously, God wants His people to walk by faith, not by sight or by our senses.  Yet, the implication is that faith may be rare in the last days.  My heart says, "Holy Spirit, keep me strong and increasing in faith, so that I can be like Stephen (Acts 6), a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, in these last days."  

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) Most of us believe He is, but our challenge is to believe He responds to our "faith" when we seek Him.  The goal of this second foundation doctrine is to establish this truth as bed rock, so we can move on to maturity.  Let's look at how to let God settle this once and for all.   

In the previous post, we discussed that in our hearts we can embrace the truth and love He declared because Jesus is trustworthy.  Let's establish another unshakeable fact.  Everything that can and will be done for fallen man has already been done through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Sin, sickness, death are paid for and completely defeated.  Faith is receiving what has already been done.

The greatest truth the world could ever hear, that God Himself paid the supreme price so we could be free, is done.  It sounds too good to be true.  Our unrenewed mind wants to doubt and fear that God may not really be so good.  Yet, truly everything due to the sin of man, (guilt, sickness, lack, death) has not only been removed, but replaced by the new creation made in the righteousness of God.  Those who come to Christ are a new creation, the old is gone.  The point is, we are NOT trying to believe and get God to do something, but rather God has done it all and as we know this truth, we believe it is already given.

None of us would say to the sinner, Jesus is going to die for you.  No!  We share the good news, Jesus has died for you.  It is finished.  All has been accomplished.  Notice how the Bible declares this same truth by using the past tense we "have been redeemed," and "by His stripes you were healed,"  Likewise, in 2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him."  

Did you see the key in that last verse?  Through the knowledge of Him.  The prophet Hosea said it well, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge "  Jesus (John 8) said if we continue in the Word, we will know the truth, which will set us free.  Many of us lack faith because we have not renewed our minds to know the truth.  Colossians 3:10 instructs us to put on the new man renewed in the knowledge of God.

Renewing the mind is a process.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ.  Isaiah points out that truth is, "line upon line, line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little."  Jesus explained it through the illustration of a seed becoming a fruitful plant, "For the earth yields crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head." (Mark 4:28)  The Word or faith seed grows by itself as "we receive the Word with meekness" allowing God's truth to replace our fallen nature thinking.  As a man thinks, so is he.  Paul left the Ephesian church with this word, "I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

Make the choice to live by the Word of God.  Take thoughts captive to obey Christ.  The foundation stone, faith toward God, declares we have rejected living for and thinking by selfish desires, and have chosen to let God and His Word be the direction of our lives.  The Holy Spirit, the sanctifier, has been sent to lead you and guide you into all truth so you can always stand on this Rock. 

Overcome-the-World Faith - How to Believe

Sure Hebrews 6 Foundation doctrines: Repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

Change the channel.  I was going to the library and I repented and went to the store.  Repentance is a change in the mind that changes our outward direction.  If the first foundation stone is repentance,  turning away from dead works, what is the new direction, the new channel to which we turn?  Hebrews 6:1 says "Faith toward God."  What does this entail and how do we get this? 

Faith or belief is a heart matter.  Romans 10 points out that "we believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead" and are justified.  A simple definition is a play on words: just-as-if-I'd-never sinned.  You believe that the resurrection of Jesus proves He paid it all for you and you are free.  But in the natural, you have to know something about a person's character, expertise, and wisdom before you believe  in your heart what the person says is true.  Good news:: you can trust Jesus.  Jesus  never lied (He is the truth,),  He created all things so He knows every detail, and He is love and because of His perfect love He willingly laid His life down for you. The central truth that your heart needs to embrace is that God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you, in your place since your sin deserved death.  Believe  that through His death and resurrection He completely overcame all the consequences of sin, not just in a general way, but personally in your life.  You are free of all sin's consequences such as guilt, sickness, and death.  Even though it sounds too good to be true, that He would care so much for you, you can trust Jesus and believe what He has done for you in your heart.  Will you receive His love right now, not because you deserve it, but because He is so good and merciful? 

There is a second part of faith.  Romans 10 states that we believe in our heart and are justified, we confess with our lips and are saved.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Faith is spoken,, "I believed and therefore I spoke." (2 Corinthians 4:13)  Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Speak life.

In the world our natural man says "when I see it I will believe it." This is false believing or faith.  True faith is believing before you see it.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).   How important is knowing and applying this truth about faith? Hebrews 11:6 points out "without faith it is impossible to please God."  Likewise, in Galatians 3:11, it states that "the just live by faith."  On the other hand, in Romans 14:23, the Word states that "whatever is not from faith is sin."  Therefore, faith is essential.  Our whole life, everything we do, is to be built on faith.  The good news is that according to 1 John 5:4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.?  Through faith we walk in victory.

Sometimes we know God is good and His Word is true, but we admit that we just don't have faith, or enough faith.  Let me share an illustration that I do with my high school students. First, I have one of my weight-lifting boys stand up and flex his muscles.  Then I stand up and flex my "mighty" muscles, and ask who has more muscles.  They laugh, of course.  However, I point out that we have the same number of muscles, just that his are more developed.  Transitioning this  to understanding faith, Romans 12:3 declares that "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (May I suggest even stronger that it is a measure of the God faith - a study beyond this post.)  We all have the same measure of faith. 

Two truths about growing in faith, or what Scripture calls "ever increasing faith." 1) Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ.   Since faith "comes" it is up to us to do what is necessary to get it, namely, read, meditate, hear the Word of God. 2) Faith grows as we are faithful in using what we have, faith begets faith, as mature believers have their faculties "trained by practice" (Hebrews 5:14).  Recently I heard the testimony of a lady diagnosed with lymph cancer.  Her friends encouraged her to research the subject and learn all the details about this disease.  She decided instead, to research what the Word of God says about healing.  She began a verse by verse study of what God declares about being the God who heals, about the stripes of Jesus, and studied the examples in the Word where people were healed.  Faith came and she began to declare whatever the Word said whenever the symptoms surfaced, and just like Abraham, glorified and thanked God that He was faithful to do what He said.  Today she is cancer free.  Her faith overcame the world. 

One more caution, that actually is a blessing, to consider.  Faith will be tested.  However, don't let the testing frighten you, because God's ultimate purpose is to make us complete, lacking nothing.  Notice this truth in James 1:3-4, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces [patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect  and complete, lacking nothing."   Not only will this testing cause us to mature, but the standing strong in faith during trials glorifies God, "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7)  God receives praise, glory, and honor as you stand in faith and let God overcome in you. Compare this with Jesus' words in John 15:7-8, "If you abide in Me, and My Word abides in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My father is glorified...   So be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world, and by faith, you are able to overcome. through His victory.  Therefore, just as Jesus told the man with the sick (and dying) daughter, "Fear not, only believe.", we are also instructed to stand firm on this foundation stone, faith toward God, which honors God for who He is and all He has done for us.  

Holy Spirit, strengthen my inner man with might so that I know that Christ dwells in my heart, and I am unashamed to believe in my heart and declare with my lips who He is and what He has done for me, to the glory of God. .As I dwell on Your Word, cause faith to come and be the foundation of all I am and do.  

   

Who is the Greatest? Our Big Problem

 As Jesus was explaining that He was about to be betrayed, turned over to the Romans, beaten and crucified, the disciples were disputing which of them was the greatest.  It seems we all have "eye" trouble, only seeing me, myself , and I and looking out for number one (which unfortunately is ourselves.)  

Just as Satan tempted Eve with the comment "you will become like God," our fallen nature is deceived to think everything revolves around us.  1 John 2 calls it "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life."  Pride caused Lucifer to fall, and pride is what leads human nature to strife (Proverbs 13:10) and strife opens the door to every other evil (James 3:14-16).  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

So the first step in the foundation doctrines listed in Hebrews 6 is repentance from dead works.  And Romans 8 is clear that to be carnally minded is death.  Even Paul groaned "Who is going to deliver me from this body of death (Romans 7:24)  Dead works are any thoughts, emotions, and choices that put the flesh, our self-centeredness first. 

Repent.  John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah with the message, "Repent."  Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit, declared, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."  On the day of Pentecost, Peter answered the crowd's request "what shall we do?" by revealing this key, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Repent comes from the Greek word, "metanoia" meaning meta (change) and noia (our mind, thoughts).  To repent is to turn our thinking from self first to putting God first.

In Acts 3:26 Peter informed the crowd that "God, having raised up His servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."  His first blessing is opening our eyes and heart to see how destructive and hopeless it is to have self on the throne, to live for our own pleasures.  God is good, and He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing, providing rain for the just and the unjust.  However, in Romans 2:4 the Word points out that in "the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, do you not know that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

Consider the words of Jesus, (in Luke 9:23) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."   Paul said it this way in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  God sets before us life and death, with the admonition, choose life.  Put off the old man, put on the new man created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.  So the choice is a no-brainer, live for the flesh which is death, or turn from the old man and choose the nature of Jesus Christ in you.

What is even more encouraging is that God helps us make the choice, "to will and to work for His pleasure."  Romans 8:13 suggests that if by the Holy Spirit we "put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."  See how this confirms the passage in 2 Timothy 2:19, "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'” 

So repentance from self is the first Hebrews 6 foundational doctrine.  Let God help you deny your fallen nature with its desires for prominence, and allow God to make you a new creation through the finished work of Jesus.  However, our new life in Christ is built on this foundation, and that we from this point on "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:11) 

Here is how to apply this truth.  Every believer can start the day, thanking God for His mercy, which allows us to put to death the old man through faith in the cross, and put on the new nature of Jesus.  Then in every situation and challenge that comes up that day, remember that you, your pride, your reputation are dead, so that the life of Jesus can be manifested in you.