Month: July 2016

OUR COMMISSION FROM CHRIST…


Spiritual Blog - Commimssion

Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.   NKJV

 

As we consider our Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ there are several factors important to entertain.  Our text is the basis for the Commission and is based on the Authority of Jesus.  We are informed in Ephesians 1:7 that we have been redeemed through His blood and therefore candidates for the Commission.  In Colossians 1:13 we discover we have experienced a transfer of kingdoms.  Our citizenship has shifted from the kingdom of darkness to God’s kingdom of light.  Then in Colossians 2:11-17 we find that Jesus “legally” owns us, has “legal” standing to seek for us and His authority is backed by the full force and authority of Heaven’s Power.

Why are those things important?  It shows that our Commission is not just a directive to go search for whoever might be interested, but is a RESCUE MISSION for all those who Jesus bought and paid for with His blood on the Cross.  In a very real sense, we are “plucking them as brands from the burning.”  In Matthew 16:18 our Lord makes us aware of a powerful encouragement that even the powers of hell are powerless against us saying that, the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church.  I want you to catch the truth and powerful encouragement that we are sent or commissioned on the basis of God’s Supreme Redemptive Authority to RESCUE THE PERISHING!  We are empowered and sent as Representatives of Heaven.  In a very genuine sense, His Power is now our power because we are His commissioned representatives.

Mark 16:15-18 has a direct connection to this overall commission.  We are to go IN HIS NAME which means we are representing all He is, does, and will do.  We have been given legal standing and authority over all the powers of darkness, including demons, dangers, and diseases.  Therefore, in the light of our commission to go, we go in His Stead and in His Power.  We have been given biblical and legal authority to bind demons, defeat danger, and destroy disease.  We may or may not be doing that but it is the biblical commission.  That is an incredible Weapon if we can believe it and learn to use it.  In the biblical record, it is first “bind the strong man” then “spoil his house.”  The devil’s claim on man has been revoked by Jesus’ sacrificial work on the Cross.

If we link the statements of Mark 16 with Evangelism we can see the incredible power afforded to the followers or disciples of our Lord.  When a person is free from the satanic bondage they are more readily able to hear the message of the Gospel.  We have been promised divine protection and have the promise that the sick will be healed as an expression and demonstration of the Love of God, which also opens new doors to proclaim the message of the Cross.  We have also been afforded the Spiritual power and authority to pray in the Spirit and even when we do not know how to pray as we should the Holy Spirit does and prays through us.  These thoughts make my heart rejoice and increases my anticipation daily.

  • The Commission is GO.

This is clearly the soul winning part of the commission and the starting point.  Until we actually launch out we have no hope of filling our nets with fish (souls).

  • The Commission is MAKE DISCIPLES.

This the grounding and anchoring of the new convert.  It is not enough to win converts we need to equip them for walking the walk and living the life.  We are to disciple and that means investment in individual lives imparting to them the Word and Wisdom of God.  It means an investment of TIME! 

  • The Commission is to BAPTIZE THEM.

Some have overlooked that this is the responsibility of the Evangelist or Soul Winner.  We do not just win them and leave them floundering on the shore.  We invest time or ensure that time is invested in making disciples of them and we lead them in the public declaration that is evidenced in baptism.

  • The Commission carries PROMISE.

Jesus said, “I am with you all the time and until the end of your earthly journey.”  What a Promise!  We take the message of John 3:16 with the knowledge that those who come to Christ will have their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life and can look forward to eternity with God, but also that in the interim they can go in total confidence that HE IS WITH THEM.  Our love for others and the lost should be easily demonstrated because of His Love for us.  I suppose that we could say that if love can be measured at all it can be measured in our desire and willingness to please and obey Him.

I pray that you are never hesitant or timid about sharing the reason for the hope that is in you and demonstrating the Love of God in today’s world.   God bless you as you embark on this leg of your journey in Christ.

0 CommentsLeave a comment

WE NEED TO LEARN TO HARNESS OUR HARVEST…


Spiritual Blog - Harvest Law

Galatians 6:7-10 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  NKJV

 

In talking to some I have discovered they do not believe we can have or should expect a harvest in this life.  They relegate all blessings to the next life or eternity.  I am totally convinced there is not one person among us who does not need, want or desire a harvest in some area in their life.  That may be financial, in matters of faith, regarding family or relationships, and even direction in life.  If we are honest, all of us have some area in our lives where the outcome of the harvest is a major factor in the present as well as the future.  I would also suggest that A HARVEST IS COMING because we have all been sowing seeds of some kind.  That harvest may be good or bad depending on the seed we have sown.

I believe it is tremendously important that we understand harvest.  In the natural, there are laws that operate on every principle.  Therefore, it stands to reason that there must be laws with regard to harvest in the spiritual and directly impacts believers.  I have learned that these Laws of Harvest are universal and affect believers and unbelievers alike.  Yet, the believer has even greater promise and hope.  In fact, the Bible declares that for the heirs, the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22).  So, I would like to take a little time and highlight some of the principles of God’s Laws of Harvest and how they affect you and me.  Hopefully, the brief mention of them will inspire in your heart a desire and hunger to dig more deeply and discover the truths therein for you.

  • Seed Must Be Sown Before You Can Have A Harvest.

John 12:24, “…except a grain of wheat falls into the ground… it abides alone…”  The seed [act, deed, money, etc.] has to be placed in the ground [sown or planted] in the ground before there can be any prospect or hope of Harvest.  No Sowing, No Reaping!

  • The Sown Seed Must Be Rendered Useless.

John 12:24 applies here as well.  The seed [act, deed, money, etc.] enters into a state of uselessness to the sower.  He cannot eat it or otherwise use it.  That seed DIES and once it dies the process of multiplication begins but it only begins once it leaves your control.

  • The Seed Must Be Sown To Determine The Type Of Harvest.

Genesis 1:12, “…herb yield seed after his kind.”  What you plant determines what you harvest.  You don’t plant peas and get corn.

  • The Size Of The Harvest Is Determined At The Time Of Planting.

2 Corinthians 9:6 TLB, “…a farmer who plants just a few seed will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.”  You do not wait until the Day of Harvest to determine what the harvest will be, that is done at the time of planting.  I would suggest that abundance is preferred to a shortage in a good harvest so that should be our rule of sowing.  Psalm 35:27, “…let the Lord be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants.”

  • The Seed Must Be Sown In Good Soil.

Matthew 13:8, “…other (seed) fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.”  It is only Good Ground that produces the good harvest naturally, therefore only Good Ground will produce a good harvest spiritually.  A passage that has lived with me for years is Luke 6:38, “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.”  The key is IT.  Whatever you give you harvest it is the IT Factor of Harvest.

  • Harvest Is Always AFTER or LATER Than Sowing.

Mark 4:26-27 addresses this and virtually the only instant harvest in life is sowing a Big Smile which often produces an immediate harvest.  Virtually all other harvests take time.  Patience is an absolute requirement.  You can dig up the seed to see what is happening with it.  You plant it and leave it planted.  It is in DUE SEASON we reap.

  • The Crop Must Be Cared For To Have A Full Harvest.

Matthew 13:7 addresses this identifying the possibility of thorns choking out the good seed or plants and destroying the harvest.  You can’t leave your seed unprotected in a hostile environment and expect a harvest.  The insects, birds, weeds, drought, etc. will attempt to destroy your harvest.  Matthew 6:33 gives us a pathway to harvest in instructing us to SEEK FIRST God and His Kingdom.

  • The Sowing Must Always Be To The Harvest Size Rather Than From The Harvest Size.

You sow to your desired harvest!

  1. Expenses Are Always Greatest At Harvest Time.
  2. A Portion Of Every Harvest Is For Future Sowing Not Eating. [You never want a one-time harvest of good things.]
  3. A Portion of Every Harvest Is For Eating Or Personal Consumption.
  4. Every Harvest Is A Miracle. 

2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Let me conclude in this long devotional with these thoughts.  The type of Harvest is determined by the type of Seed.  The size of the Harvest is determined by the amount of Seed sown. The fullness of the Harvest is determined by the care of the Crop in the growing process.  We Reap WHAT we Sow.  We Reap LATER than we Sow.  We Reap MORE than we Sow.  Rest assured  there is a Harvest coming and what you sow determines the type of harvest.  God bless you as you go through this beautiful day in Him.

0 CommentsLeave a comment

FOR GOD SO LOVED…


Spiritual Blog - Love

John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  18 “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.”  NKJV

 

I hear a lot about LOVE not only in church but from various sources and sometimes it is difficult to fully determine exactly what is meant by the term.  Sometimes the word love is used for lust, covetousness or passionate desire.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, needs LOVE and everyone desires to love and be loved.  There is something in the human makeup which craves love.  I would venture to say that, without love we perish.  Jesus was and is our example in all things and especially in love.  Jesus provides for us through the Inspired Record (Bible), a pattern for life and living.  He demonstrates His truth by His life and when He speaks of LOVE, He demonstrates and illustrates love by His life.

LOVE can only be known or is shown by the actions it prompts.  God’s love is seen in the Gift of His Son.  1 John 4:9-10, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  BUT, this Love is not the result of any excellence in us or due to any intrinsic worth on our part.  Romans 5:8, “But God commanded His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  This Love is an exercise in the Divine Will in deliberate choice, based on the very nature of God.  Deuteronomy 7:7-8 – “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”   Also, 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 

There are several points to which I feel the need to draw attention as revealed in our text passage.  Consider with me:

FOR GOD SO LOVED…

Probably every Sunday school child could quote John 3:16.  It is, without a doubt, the most popular and most used verse in the Bible.  It is also one of the most meaningful and powerful verses in the Bible… GOD LOVED!  Those are not empty words but a statement filled with depth and meaning far beyond human ability to fully understand.  “For God So Loved…”  He not only loved but loves, but He LOVES UNLIMITEDLY.  God SO LOVED!  He loves and loved in an almost incomprehensible measure.

  • God Is Love.

1 John 4:8b, “God is love…”

1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter illustrates the vastness of Love.  When we consider the Love of God we realize that He saw man’s condition yet loved. He saw man’s rebellion but yet He loved!  Our Lord, the Bible declares, is moved with compassion toward His creation.  I have often said that God is far more willing to pardon than judge.  He desires to restore rather than destroy.  He wants to bless not condemn.

  • God’s Love Is Everlasting.

Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”    Our love is often fickle, flexible, and changeable.  Our love, for the most part, is conditional and rises or falls, increases or decreases based on conditional circumstance.  God loves us without condition and loves us regardless of our response.

I may not know all the right words to say or things to do.  I may not know much scripture or have the proper interpretation.  I may even be wrong in many of my theological and philosophical views.  I may stumble and transgress.  I may become fearful and fretting.  BUT, even in all that HE STILL LOVES ME!  That is not to say that God winks at or excuses sin, nor does He overlook rebellion!  He does love the world (people) enough to FORGIVE FOREVER!

  • God’s Love Is A Holy Love.

Agape is the word to describe God’s Love and His love demands that He be merciful, but just and His love is extended to WHOSOEVER WILL.

  • God’s Love Is Complete.

There is nothing lacking in the Love of God.  It sees the need for redemption and acts.  It lovingly leads to truth and life.  It satisfied the void and longing in the heart of hearts.  It is impossible to outrun God’s Love and we cannot refuse to be loved. We may reject God, but He will continue to love us.  It is as we understand the Love of God that we comprehend the impact of the statement, “For God so loved the world that He gave…”  That passage includes each of us and is God’s continual call for us to COME!

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

0 CommentsLeave a comment

TYPES and SHADOWS – First the Natural, then the Spiritual…


Spiritual Blog - Types and Shadows

Exodus 19:3-6 – “And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”  NKJV

 

As I have studied this passage I found it to be fascinating.  We know in studying the Bible that the things that happened and were taught and demonstrated in Israel through Moses were types and shadows of heavenly things to come.  They were examples and to serve as tutors for us to help us understand from a spiritual perspective what was being demonstrated in the natural.  A good rule to always remember is “first the natural, then the spiritual.”  It is also wise to remember that the spiritual is virtually always a “progressive revelation.”  There are a number of things to be gleaned from this passage that can benefit us in our understanding of God’s Kingdom and our Purpose and Promise today.

  • GOD WANTED THEM TO BE A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS.

I ask that you examine some pertinent facts in these verses.  First, He (God) bore them on EAGLES WINGS.  He would carry them to their destination rather than them getting there on their own strength. All their victories would be as a result of His hand, not their might, wisdom, power, or ability.  That is something we need to always keep in the forefront of our minds regarding the things and purposes of God.  It is not us, it is Him.

Second, there was a condition attached to His Promise.  They had to “obey His voice, and keep His covenant.”  That is a condition that God places on virtually every Promise in the Bible.  Deuteronomy 11:26-28, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing IF you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse IF you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.”  So many other passages that you are familiar with leaving us with only one conclusion that to have God’s Promises there is a Condition.

Third, we come to the Promise.  They would be God’s SPECIAL TREASURE and they were to become a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS.  Both are powerfully important as are all God’s Promises but if we understand that the things that happened to them were to be examples for us and point to our promises in a New Covenant established on better promises.

Consider what this means to the nation of Israel and then relate that to us today in the Body of Christ.  The Covenant of God contained some incredible provisions and promises, not the least of which was they would be GOD’S POSSESSION, His TREASURED TREASURE.  Think about being God’s Treasure for a moment.  We protect our treasures, do we not?  We guard our treasures and keep it safe, so we can walk in the confidence that IF we meet the conditions we can receive the promises and walk in the protection of the Almighty as HIS TREASURE.  That should put a spring in your step.

But He did not stop there, He also said they were to become a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS or that is what they were supposed to become and a Holy Nation.  So long as they walked in His Covenant and met His conditions (not that they earned anything) but in their obedience. they could expect His Provision, Protection and fulfill His Purpose.  No enemy could stand before them so long as they walked in that condition.  What does the New Testament declare of us?  We are a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood, a Chosen Generation and that we are more than conquerors through Jesus. 

  • THEIR REACTION TO GOD SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THEM.

When Moses gave them this word they unanimously and in unison declared, “We will do it!” Then God came and talked to them directly and they panicked and told Moses, “You speak to God and tell us what He says, but don’t let God talk to us directly.” [Exodus 20:19]. That was a problem then and is a problem now when the Kingdom of Priests do not hear from the LORD but want to get the message second hand.

We need to take personal responsibility for HEARING GOD for ourselves.  Today, many are terrified of a speaking God and have relegated God’s speaking to times past.  They want God to work in their lives but do not want to come near enough to HEAR HIS VOICE because that is too frightening and dangerous.  Coming into the Holy of Holies requires purity of heart, proper order, obedience and holds great responsibility and accountability.  We’d rather someone else enter in and then tell us what God says and if anything goes wrong we can blame them.

God is a speaking God and still speaks to men’s hearts today.  It is now time that we come out of the shadows and press into His presence and HEAR GOD today.  Our world is in dire need of the Voice of God to overcome the evil being demonstrated.  In the types and shadows concerning Israel, we see much of God’s purpose for the Church and each believer.

God bless you as you go through this beautiful and wonderful day!

Spiritual Blog - Types

0 CommentsLeave a comment

PRAYING THE PROMISES OF GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Promises and Prayer

Matthew 16:19 – “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  NKJV

 

My text verse is probably not one that you have used regarding PRAYER but I believe it is soundly rooted in prayer’s purpose and power.  I do not believe that any student of the Bible can conclude that prayer is unimportant to God or in the life of a believer.  The Bible is filled with passages that call people or encourage people to pray and the life of Jesus was marked with the time He spent in prayer.  A passage we should never forget is found in Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man that He should lie nor a son of man that He should change His mind.  Does He speak and then not act?  Does He promise and not fulfill?”  Clearly, the message is that HE DOES NOT fail to do that which He has declared.  If God’s will and desire are to GIVE US THE KINGDOM and FULFILL HIS PROMISES then some of us may need to change our attitudes about prayer.  We need, I believe, to learn to PRAY THE PROMISES and even PLEAD THE PROMISES in our prayers.

D.L. Moody is credited with the quote, “Each word or promise of God can be traced back to a form of kneeling.  If you tarry at a promise God will meet you there.”  That is powerful.  Moody related an incident which changed his attitude and approach to prayer that transpired when he was a young minister.  He believed God had called him to ‘plant churches’ and one of his first acts was to initiate prayer meetings.  He related that one of the first he attended was attended by an elderly Methodist minister.  When that minister prayed, Moody instantly knew there was something different about his praying and that this man was tapping into heaven when he prayed.  Moody said, “As I prayed, God was way out there, listening in the distance and the answer was also far off in the distance.  This preacher prayed as though God were there with them in person and the answers were current realities.”  The preacher’s name was Ambrose Whaley, a retired blacksmith and Methodist lay preacher.  Moody, asked if he could pray with Whaley.  The old minister took him to a barn, up a ladder to a haystack where two large Bibles lay and one was open.  Moody wondered what this meant but did not ask and he prayed first and poured out his heart, needs, burdens, aspirations, and ambitions before God, then the old minister prayed and it was totally different.  Moody, inquired as to his secret of prayer for the old minister seemed to literally touch heaven with his prayers.  Ambrose Whaley looked him in the eyes and said, “You man, learn to plead the promises of God!”  Moody, as many of us, prayed with fervency, zeal, urgency, and ambition but one thing was missing.  The missing ingredient was FAITH. 

Where does faith come from?  The Word of God.  Moody, listened to this elderly preacher plead the promises like a lawyer would present a case in court.  He would remind God of Promise after Promise not so much to change God’s mind but to bring to the fore in his own heart and mind the truth and reality of the Promises of God.  It was producing and building FAITH as he PLED THE PROMISES.  As he prayed, Moody could hear the Holy Spirit pouring in His assurances of the validity and reality of the Promises and FAITH soared in the words of this preacher.

Find the Promises of God and PRAY THE PROMISES.  Find the Promises of God and PLEAD THEM.  Find the Promises of God and meditate upon them.  Find the Promises of God and remind yourself of the truth and reality that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  PRAY THE PROMISES with confidence that the Promises of God are meant to be realized in our lives here on earth!

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

0 CommentsLeave a comment

PRAYER – PROMISE – PROPHECY…


Spiritual Blog - Promises

2 Corinthians 1:20 – “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”  NKJV

1 Timothy 1:18-20 – “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”  NKJV

 

In my years of ministry, I have sometimes asked questions that I do not have the complete answer for and was chastened by an attorney for that.  He said, “Roy, no good lawyer would ever ask a question, in court, which he did not know the answer.”  He was telling me that I should never ask a question for which I had no definitive answer or one that I was still studying.  My attitude is that if my question opens the further discussion, causes more prayer, and facilitates deeper study in the pursuit of godliness and the advancement of the kingdom, I believe it good.

I have asked, in preaching and teaching, “What is the purpose of prayer?”  I’m not sure that anyone can exhaustively answer that and sometimes the attempts become exhausting, but if we are to “pray without ceasing”, as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5, there must be a benefit and reason for the practice.  The oft quoted and much-needed passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a definitive call to prayer for nations and peoples and is a call to prayer with promise.  So, my question is, “What is the purpose of prayer?”  Maybe I should ask, “What happens when we pray?”  Are we changing God’s mind in our prayer?  Most would say, NO!  Our Lord Jesus made a powerful statement and often troubling one when He responded to the disciples’ request to teach them to pray.  He said, “…For your, Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”  Well, if He knows what I need then why am I praying?  Why doesn’t He just take care of my needs without me having to pray?  If prayer is not informative for Him or a tool to change His mind, what is the purpose?

Jesus was a man of prayer and in Luke 18 He began a parable about a widow’s persistence in petitioning a judge by saying, “…men ought always to pray and not lose heart.”  In the case of the unjust judge, the persistence wearied him and he changed his mind or agreed to consider the case.  God is not an unjust or uncaring judge, so what would prayer’s purpose be, for us, in this example?  I believe that prayer’s greatest power is two-fold in human lives and human events.

PRAYER is a means of changing or transforming our hearts. That is where PRAYING THE PROMISES comes to the fore, in my mind.  We are reminding ourselves of the Promises of God and as Paul instructed Timothy, as we pray the Prophecies and Promises we do warfare spiritually.  We plant seeds of faith in the fertile ground of our hearts.  If the Promises of God are all YES in Jesus that means, to me, if God promised it, His desire is to bring it to fruition in our lives.  If they are AMEN, in Him, I believe that indicates our involvement in the process.  Amen means “so be it”.  It could be defined as “acknowledgment of a things truth and certainty.”  A Promise, a Blessing or a Prophecy is not complete until it is received and in Prayer, we are saying AMEN to the Promises of God.  In that process we are allowing the truth and reality of the Promise to stay in the forefront of our minds, dwell richly and deeply in our hearts, and as we pray the Promise that Truth transforms our hearts and causes us to gravitate toward the Heart and Purpose of God.  It is a Seed of Faith which continual prayer waters allowing germination and ultimately the producing of the Fruit of Promise.

PRAYER is an act of submission on our part and an open invitation to God to come into our lives and do that which is needed to produce the Promise, Blessing or Prophecy in our lives.  If God made a Promise there can be no doubt of His desire or willingness to bring it to pass in our lives and 1 John 5:14-15 reads, “Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”  THAT IS POWERFUL!  Someone said there are 7,959 Promises in Scripture that God made directed toward man.  If we were to pray one Promise each day it would take 22 years to pray them all.  Caleb lived 40 years on one promise.  He prayed the promise, proclaimed it, and lived his life reaching for it.  How much more faith-filled and purpose driven would our lives be if we PRAYED THE PROMISES of God daily in our lives?

Prayer, therefore, has more to do with the human heart than the heart of God but the Bible is filled with directives, from God, for a man to pray.  I would suggest that without prayer we will not move into or onto the Promised Land or the Promises of God for our lives.  The Promises will largely remain, wishful thoughts and hopes but not visible realities and through Prayer, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in keeping the Promises and Prophecies before us and as we gaze on them we are transformed by them.  It is as we pray that our hearts are turned to the Purposes of God and the Transformation takes place, thus opening the door for the fulfillment.

I have not fully answered my original question but I hope that I have given you something that will encourage you to PRAY.  Rather than attempting to convince God to change His mind let’s allow the Holy Spirit to change ours and realize that it is true, “the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom.”  If God promised it, He wants to bring it to pass in our lives.

            God bless you as you embark on this day’s journey in Christ!

0 CommentsLeave a comment

ARE WE AFRAID OF THE WILL OF GOD? [Continued]…


Spiritual Blog - Will of God

Proverbs 3:5-8 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.  8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”  NKJV

 

When we KNOW the Will of God for our lives and are convinced of that will we can GIVE THANKS in all things!  That is a powerful place spiritually and affords us such peace that people will often wonder about us and possibly seek to know our secret.

In Colossians 1:12-13, the apostle Paul speaks of “giving thanks unto the Father who has… made us FIT [capable] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.”  Paul is not saying MAYBE, he is saying God has ALREADY made us capable or fit, in Jesus, to be partakers of our inheritance.  That is not a promise to be realized after we die and go to heaven IT IS NOW!  In Colossians 4:12, Paul instructed, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ salutes you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand PERFECT and COMPLETE in ALL the Will of God.”  [Emphasis mine].  Paul’s prayer was for them and us to KNOW and DO the Will of God for our lives.  Clearly, it is possible to KNOW the Will of God else why pray such a prayer?

In Romans 12:1-2, an often quoted passage we read, “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”   TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our minds is a powerful image and is the same word used to describe what happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  God remolds our minds from within.

When God TRANSFORMS us in our minds we think differently than we have every thought.  I heard an illustration that fits in illustrating this truth and reality.  Imagine a little boy looking through a knothole in a fence at a parade going by on the street. He can see only a small portion of the parade at any given time.  If he sees a clown he is full of laughter and joy but if he sees a lion he is filled with trepidation and fear.  If there is a space between the band and the acrobats he may think the parade is over.  It would or could be a very frustrating experience attempting to evaluate a parade only on the basis of what he can or cannot see at any given moment.  Then suppose his big brother invites him to the top of the fence where he can see the entire parade, not just small segments, his view would be completely different.  Sadly, too often we are viewing life through a knothole and our elder brother Jesus is inviting us to rise to the top of the fence and see what He sees.  Ephesians 2:6, “And (He) has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” 

Someone said to me, “Keep looking up” and I said, “No, I need to keep looking down because I am sitting with Jesus in heavenly places and am not under the circumstances but looking down on them from God’s perspective.”   Isaiah 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

             Sometimes we see a promise in Scripture and claim it only to find that those we love and respect do not respond positively.  Then, over time, we lose heart and begin to complain, “Ever since I began to claim God’s Promise, things have gotten worse.”  Well, PRAISE THE LORD!  I had a preacher tell me once, “The man who is angry is nearer to God than the man who is indifferent.”  Romans 12:2 gives a practical outline for mind renewal.  Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold and embrace the changing of your mind by the Spirit of God.  Romans 12:1, tells us exactly how to do that.  We do so by deliberately giving our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, we open the door for God’s transformation to sweep through our entire beings.

We can fear the Will of God or embrace it and in embracing it we will find that it requires a COMPLETE OVERHAUL or TRANSFORMATION of us from the inside out.  God bless you as you embark on the rest of life’s journey beginning with this beautiful day in Jesus!

1 CommentLeave a comment

ARE WE AFRAID OF THE WILL OF GOD?


Spiritual Blog - Will of God

Proverbs 3:5-8 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.  8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.”  NKJV

 

Let me make a bold statement and hopefully not lose anyone before we begin.  Most Christians major in minors.  We pray: “Lord, help me make this payment, find a new job, get a new car, etc.”  Those should be minor concerns but often are at the top of our lists.  Before you reject my statement and challenge me I suggest we consider how the apostle Paul viewed and approached daily life.  I find this revealed in a powerful way in his prayer for the new church at Colossae in Colossians 1:9, “…we…do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”  [Emphasis mine].

I believe that the basic underlying premise for all Divine Guidance is that it is possible to KNOW the will of God.  If it is possible to KNOW God’s will then that knowing should be at the top of our list of prayer list.  Remember the prayer when Jesus responded to the disciple’s request, “Lord teach us to pray.”  Do the words, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” resonate in your spirit.  THY WILL BE DONE…  We are not likely to do the will of God unless we know the will of God, therefore the pursuit of knowing should be a top priority.

Man was made to have communion and fellowship with God.  God created man with the ability to KNOW God and in KNOWING God man would also know the WILL OF GOD.  Rebellion broke the lines of communication in the Garden but through the Last Adam, Jesus, those lines have been restored affording us the intimacy of fellowship with God.  If we are to KNOW the Will of God we must learn to walk in intimate fellowship with Him.  Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”  The FIRST must be God, His kingdom, and righteousness in which we find the will of God and then those things we put at the top of our prayer lists become secondary items because they fall within the “AND SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU.”

The apostle Paul understood what transpired in a person’s life when that individual came to KNOW the Will of God.  In Colossians 1:10-12 he lists seven (7) expected results and I will highlight them in the passage for your consideration.

Colossians 1:10-12 – “That you might WALK WORTHY of the Lord UNTO ALL PLEASING, being FRUITFUL in every good work, and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE of God; STRENGTHENED with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all PATIENCE and LONGSUFFERING with JOYFULNESS; giving thanks unto the Father, who has made us FIT TO BE PARTAKERS of the inheritance of the saints in light…”  [Emphasis mine].

If we are to WALK WORTHY of the Lord we must KNOW what He wants from us, right?  Jesus walked UNTO ALL PLEASING.  He was a FATHER PLEASER!  That should be our daily prayer, “Father, I want to be a son/daughter who pleases you.”  However, many people are SELF-PLEASERS, others are MAN-PLEASERS but until we mature and come to the place that the overwhelming drive and desire in our heart are to be GOD-PLEASERS we will NEVER fully understand the will of God in our lives.  Let me insert, it is only by DOING the will of God that our lives truly become FRUITFUL.  Imagine an apple tree praying, “Lord, please bring forth apples from my life.”  NO!  An apple tree would not pray to bear apples because bearing apples what it was made for and what it does.  It has to bring forth the LIFE that is in it, that is what it was created for.  It does not have to strain or struggle to bear apples, fruit should come naturally as a result of the life that is in the apple tree.  The same is true of our lives!

As we KNOW the Will of God we increase in the knowledge of God and are strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.  That is the real strength!  Too often we focus on our weaknesses rather than God’s strength and I have had people on numerous occasions ask me to pray that they would have more strength, joy, victory, etc.  That is not necessarily bad or wrong but I would suggest that as we seek to know the Will of God for our lives we should remember that one of Paul’s requests was that they are strengthened with all might according to God’s glorious power UNTO all patience and longsuffering with joy.  What does that tell you?  It should convey the understanding that in the Will of God and our walk therein we will face times where those are needed. That means it will not always be smooth sailing and instant answers.  The biblical promise is that when we KNOW we are in the Will of God we can withstand any hardship and do so with a quiet confidence and joy!  It is when we do not know for certain that confusion comes through the front door and patience heads out the back door.  Patience (hupomone) means to remain standing when everyone else has collapsed.  It is when you know that you know that you know you can give THANKS IN ALL THINGS!

I cannot simply end here for there is another thought or two that I feel needs to be inserted so I will pause and pray that God grant you KNOWLEDGE of His will in all things and at all times in your journey.  God bless you richly is my prayer!

0 CommentsLeave a comment

THE “IS”-NESS OF GOD…


Spiritual Blog - God Is

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God…”  NKJV

In taking only a portion of a verse I am always concerned with missing the context but in this case, I believe it appropriate to do so.  Read the verse with me and notice it speaks of the “beginning” or the starting point or origination and then it offers the most captivating thought one could encounter, GOD.  In the beginning God.  That leaps off the page when I read it for it speaks of the “IS”-NESS” of God.  God IS not simply WAS or WILL BE but HE IS.

Have you considered how many times the Bible says, “God IS” and then conveys a truth that is life changing?  I will not attempt to exhaust the references but they are numerous but could we consider some of them in hopes of building your faith and confidence in Him.

GOD IS TRUTH…

He is present truth not simply past truth or future truth but PRESENT TRUTH.  Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…”  Numbers 23:19 declares, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent (change His mind).  Has He not said, and will He not do?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”  He is TRUTH and we know from John 8:32 that TRUTH liberates and makes free.  That freedom is Salvation and the New Birth.  The “IS”-NESS” of God inspires our hearts and gives us a complete contrast to the devil whom Jesus said in John 8:44, is a liar, the father of lies, and the truth is not in him.  It is in the “IS”-NESS of GOD that we find the freedom and revelation of TRUTH.

GOD IS LOVE…

He is NOW LOVE not simply God has love but He IS love.  That is the “IS”-NESS” of God coming to light again.  In 1 John 4, there are numerous references to this truth as John declares GOD is LOVE.  The apostle Paul highlighted a truth that should encourage our hearts in Hebrews 13:8 declaring that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Taking from that revelation we can anchor in our hearts the reality that God was love in the past, will be love in the future and is love in the present.  Then when we view the extent of that love in John 3:16 we should be brought to our knees in humble adoration, appreciation, and awe.  God loved us enough that Jesus would die on the Cross for our sin.  God’s Love is found in His “IS”-NESS.

GOD IS LIGHT…

When darkness covered the world God spoke and called forth light for that is what He is and light dispels darkness.  1 John 1:5 tells us that, “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”  He is completely devoid of darkness and light is more than truth it is a revelation and affords guidance.  The Psalmist declared in 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Jesus, the Bible declares in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

God is the truth, love, light, life and the whole of the IS-NESS of GOD can be found in God’s declaration to Moses at the burning bush when Moses insisted on knowing God’s name.  God declared in Exodus 3:14, “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.'”   I “AM” not simply was or will be but I AM.  The “IS”-NESS of God declares to us the NOW REALITY of Who God is, what God does, and what God has for His children.

He is love.  He is power.  He is truth.  He is light.  He is life.  He is a consuming fire.  He is mercy.  He is longsuffering.  He is THE LIVING GOD.  Some want to declare in the thinking of the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche that “God is dead” but I’m here to declare that GOD’S NOT DEAD.  No, No, No HE IS so rejoice in the “IS”-NESS of GOD.  I encourage you to grasp the “IS”-NESS of God and as you discover the powerful revelations of His word and experience the awesomeness of His person you will find a new boldness and confidence in the face of the world’s darkness.

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

0 CommentsLeave a comment

IS DIVINE GUIDANCE POSSIBLE? – – [Continued]


Spiritual Blog - Guidance

Isaiah 35:8 – “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.  Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”  NKJV

 

Once you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, received the Holy Spirit, and have committed yourself to reading and studying the Bible more, accepting it as truth, do those facts mean that you have become exempted from the “wisdom from below”?  Does it mean that we have automatically become attuned to the “Wisdom from Above”?  Does that mean you will automatically HEAR GOD and receive DIVINE GUIDANCE?  You already know the answer is NO!

One of the problems is we do not always realize that we are constantly being exposed to the counterfeit wisdom birthed and belched out of hell.  We have a clear promise in Scripture that we can KNOW the mind and will of God in any matter, there is also a warning to “beware the false guidance and false sources.”  I have, over the years, realize and been disturbed by the reality that some well-meaning believers have turned to dangerous sources and methods of guidance that are anti-biblical.  I am specifically referring to “Familiar Spirits.”

Deuteronomy 18:10-13 – “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God.”  NKJV 

Let me list some sources that are contrary to Truth and Light and should be avoided:

Divination – – Fortune Tellers.   Observers of the Times – – Astrologers.   Enchanters – – Genuine Magicians.  Witches – – Sorcerers.   Charmers – – Hypnotist.   Consulters of Familiar Spirits – – Mediums with a spirit guide.   Wizards – – Clairvoyant, psychics.   Necromancer – – One who consults with the dead. 

             I realize that some will question some of those but if you examine the record of God’s Word you will find that they are sources that are not conducive to truth and light.  They are supernatural, but not the Spirit of God.  They may sound good and even be accurate on points and because they are supernatural some accept them as being from God.  I caution you to remember the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “…for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

Another real problem in receiving Divine Guidance is the trickery of our mixed-up human emotions, impure motives, prejudices, habits, and patterns of thought and action.  I have been made aware that because of some well-known failures in this area, entire churches have turned their backs on Divine Guidance declaring:  “We have the Bible, that’s all we need.  God no longer speaks to people today other than in His written word.”  Others take almost an opposite approach declaring, “I hear God, so I don’t need the Bible.”  BOTH ARE WRONG!  We need to HEAR GOD and we need GOD’S WORD, the Bible.  How else can we evaluate the “word” we heard if not by the Bible?

I believe that if we desire to honestly be led by the Spirit of God we need to learn four basic principles.

  • Divine Guidance Does Not Come Automatically – – [You cannot push a button, flip a switch, open a Bible randomly, or listen for voices and be safe in HEARING GOD.]
  • Receiving Divine Guidance is a Skill to be Learned – – [Often we learn through trial and error and often this journey will require some spiritual adventure and exercise of faith on our parts.]
  • Receiving Divine Guidance is Not Relegate to a Formula or a Set of Methods – – But it is obedience to a Set of Principles.]
  • Divine Guidance is Intensely Personal – – [It comes through Relationship with God.]

Additionally, God’s Divine Guidance requires a CLEAN BREAK from all other forms of guidance.

James 3:15 – “This [superficial] wisdom is not such as come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, even devilish or demonic.”

James 3:17 – “But the wisdom from above is first of all Pure (undefiled); then it is Peace Loving, Courteous (considerate, gentle).  (It is willing to) Yield to Reason, full of Compassion and Good Fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned.”  It is FREE FROM DOUBT, WAVERING, and INSINCERITY.

If any so-called revelation does not agree with God’s Word as revealed in the Bible and pass the test of James 3, then our source of wisdom is not from above and must be rejected.  Romans 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” 

We need to commit ourselves to being disciplined and trained by the leading of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God and when we do so we are demonstrating spiritual maturity and open our hearts to purity which will lead to DIVINE GUIDANCE.

            God bless you as you embark on your day’s journey and find the path for your life. 

0 CommentsLeave a comment