Month: February 2017

A TRUTH I PRAY WE NOT MISS…


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Galatians 3:6-9 – “Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”  NASU

 

God told Abram, I will make you a GREAT NATION and ALL NATIONS will be blessed in you.  The Promises and Covenant made to Abraham, according to the New Testament, especially Galatians belong to the Believer in the New Testament Church.  I believe that we have missed a great truth in our view of things natural and spiritual.  The issue for many today is natural and national Israel and while that is important that is not the primary focus of the Abrahamic Blessing.  God’s focus is on WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.  We have a heritage, position, provision, power, and authority in Him and when we discover HIS PROMISE to the Church I believe we will turn the world upside down.

We tend to be divisive.  We divide everything in the bible into two distinctly separate areas.  We have the Old Testament and the New Testament. We have Natural Israel and the Church.  We have one Covenant for them and one Covenant for the Church.  What do you do with the declaration of God in Ephesians 2:14-15 where we are told that God pulled down the dividing wall between the Jew and the Believer and made of them ONE NEW MAN?  If we keep everything separate how do, we get to the UNIFIED?  What do we do with Galatians 3:7, “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are OF FAITH that are the sons of Abraham.”?  Paul even quotes the Abrahamic covenant in the next verse, “…the scriptures foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, ALL NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”  Then, in the last verse, He makes it even clearer that it is FAITH not RACE that makes one a child of Abraham and an heir to the Promise.  It is the ONE NEW MAN.  I find that glorious and encouraging for both Israel and the Church.  We are the ONE NEW MAN in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Abrahamic Covenant belongs to BELIEVERS. 

Let me remind you of three things that hopefully will encourage your hearts: 

  1. We have a defeated devil we are dealing with.
  2. We have been restored to relationship and sonship through the blood of Jesus.
  3. Everything God Promised to Abraham is Ours.

           Secondly, God said, “I will BLESS YOU.”  There is too much there to address in a short devotional.  Third, God told Abram, “I will MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT.”  Just briefly, I remind you that according to Galatians we are Abraham’s seed and we are in Christ, joined to Jesus, one with Him.  Remember?  We read in Philippians 2:9-11, “A For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Also in Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  WE ARE JOINED TO THAT NAME!  Fourth, God said, “I will MAKE YOU A BLESSING.”  He would not just be blessed but he would be a blessing.  You can only give what you have not what you hope you will have.  We HAVE BEEN blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.  If we receive the full meaning of Isaiah 61 we will BE A BLESSING.  Fifth, He said, “I will BLESS those who BLESS YOU and I will CURSE those who CURSE you.”  That is incredible.  If Abraham’s Blessing and Covenant belong to the Believer that belongs to us today just as much as it did to them then.  Then, God said, ”IN YOU all the families of the earth will BE BLESSED!”

I hope you see the Progression of the Promise and Purpose.  God moved from the Person of Abraham and his natural descendants to the Entire World. The objective of God is a manifestation of His Glory in this present world through the Faith Children of Abraham – BELIEVERS!  The declaration of Romans 4:13 is incredible, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants is that he would be HEIR of the World WAS NOT through the Law, but through the Righteousness of Faith.”  God’s focus is the ENTIRE WORLD and all the PEOPLE of that world.

In Jesus’ Finished Work we have Total Victory over the devil.  We are IN Christ, JOINED to Him as one.  When the devil, meets you, he meets Jesus.  We have been given rule and authority over all the power and authority of the devil.  We are the people through which God’s desire of BLESSING THE WORLD is to be fulfilled and realized.  We have a Covenant with God that Promises Us Blessing, Authority, and Power to accomplish the task He has set before us which is to MANIFEST HIS GLORY! 

Jesus is Coming Back and He is coming back for a people, a body, a bride, a church that is GLORIOUS!  He is coming back for a people who are walking in the fullness of COVENANT.  He is coming back for those who are Overwhelmingly Conquerors through Him and His Finished World.  We need to focus on the Vision of God, plan and prepare for that Mission, and place our total dependence on God.  We are engaged in a WON WAR and we need to learn to enforce the victory of Calvary.  IT IS FINISHED is His promise and provision to enable us to complete our assignment!

           God, bless you richly as you enjoy this day of victorious living.

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THE CHURCH’S FINEST HOUR – Part II…


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Matthew 18:18-20 – “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”  NASU

 

We have an incredible commission and provision in Christ Jesus.  We have been afforded the equipping, enabling, empowering, and authorizing of our Lord. On the basis of the Finished Work of Jesus, we have been authorized to GO and accomplish the Abrahamic Covenant.  In Luke 10:19, we read, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.”  THAT IS AMAZING!  It is almost Unbelievable and many do not.  Too often we attempt to qualify the verse rather than manifest the promise in our present world.  When you couple this Promise with the Big Picture of the Purpose and Plan of God for the Church it becomes overwhelming.

If you will recall Adam fell in the Garden through his rebellion or disobedience to God and his obeying the voice of the devil.  Adam transferred dominion into the hands of the devil through disobedience.  Adam was Vice Regent of the Planet and he gave lordship to the devil through sin.  God’s purpose and plan involve ‘restoration’ and bringing man back into Fullness and Fellowship with Him.  He purposed that man would ‘manifest’ God’s Glory and that the entire world would ‘manifest’ God’s Glory.  Adam blew it!  It was in the Garden that the devil came into ‘legal’ control over the planet and everyone born of Adam because of sin.  Satan’s rule is over our sin.  That reality necessitated a program or plan through which man and the planet could be recovered from the dominion of darkness and restored.  Restored man could then return the planet to God’s hands through Christ Jesus.  I encourage you to read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. 

The Plan of God is so involved and detailed that I would be at a loss in a brief devotional how to fully convey it, so we will focus on something simple and briefly mention the Abrahamic Covenant found in Genesis 12:1-3.  As you read this I hope you notice the progression.  Abram was a Moon Worshiper and that pagan man received a revelation from God.  The worshipper of the Light of the Moon came in contact with the Creator of the Moon!  Notice the instructions to Abram:

 

  1. Leave Your Country – – (Which involved Moon Worship.)
  2. Leave Your Relatives – – (Idolaters)
  3. Leave Your Father’s House – – (Separation, Authority, and Covering)
  4. Enter into a Land that I will Show You – – (The Place of Promise)

The LAND is where virtually all of the Middle Eastern Countries and much of the Church is focused.  Hopefully, without offending anyone, I must ask: “Is physical land the sum total of God’s focus?”  If you study Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and many other prophets you will realize that God’s focus is far more than just the land.  It is His Covenant and Ultimate Plan.  Before you turn me off, let me suggest that if we examine the Full Abrahamic Covenant we discover something incredibly interesting.  I ask that you examine this with an Open Mind and see what is actually said, not what we think is said.  In any covenant, the most important part is the last because a covenant builds to the conclusion.

  1. I Will Make You a GREAT NATION.

God called Abram out to a land or a place where He begins telling him that in that place I will do something.  That got Abram’s attention as it should.  If Israel and their experiences in the Old Testament are examples and instructions for us in the New Testament and if Jesus has removed the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile and formed ONE NEW MAN we see something.  It is always first the natural then the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46). The Great Nation in the natural was and is Israel but who is the Great Nation spiritually?

1 Peter 2:5 – “You (Believers) also, as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 

1 Peter 2:9-10 – “But you (Believers) are a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possessions… For you once were not a people, but now you are the People of God; You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy…”

             That is Incredible!  It almost sounds like God was confused, doesn’t it?  But the unmistakable understanding is that All Believers, those who are of Faith, are the People of God.  First the natural only, but now it is Faith Only!  But how do you get through the door of faith? Not by natural birth but by spiritual birth.  Hear me carefully, this is not a diminishing of the importance of the nation of Israel, but if we are not the People of God then we have no right to the Old Testament Promises because it was written to natural Israel, but now Jesus has torn down the middle wall of partition and made ONE NEW MAN. 

Galatians 6:15-16 – “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision but a NEW CREATION.  And those who walk by this rule, peace, and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” 

This is not a controversy over Israel it is an issue of us realizing WHO we are and embracing His Promise and Provision in today’s Church!  I want to address this just a bit more so we will pause here and pick up next time.  God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

 

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AGAPE LOVE…


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Romans 12:3-8 – “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”  NASU 

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 – “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.”  NIV

 

Today is Valentine’s Day and although my devotional will not be directed toward Romantic Love it will be about a great need among humans today, AGAPE LOVE.  More specifically I want to address AGAPE LOVE.  I have observed through the years of ministry and Christian service as well as through studying God’s Word that DISUNITY is the most destructive thing that the New Testament Church faces today.  I believe that even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals the UNITY is one of the greatest needs of the church and can only be realized through a manifestation of AGAPE LOVE. 

I believe it is impossible to read the New Testament without realizing that God has a unique plan for every believer.  God desires that every believer is a functioning member of the Body of Christ and in so doing be a member of the Family of God which lends itself to being a part of a local congregation.  In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4:15-16) he addressed this issue of Body Ministry and Love.  Repeatedly the New Testament writers exhorted believers to engage in specific activities to enable the Body of Christ to function the most productively and thereby grow spiritually.  Frequently they used a word that described that mutual and reciprocal process:  ALLELON – “one another”.  You find that word 58 times in the New Testament and Paul used it 40 of those times.  You find it a common thread in his letters and lists 12 significant actions that Christians are to take toward “one another” to build up the Body of Christ.

LOVE is the more excellent way according to 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 13:13. In fact, “Love one Another” occurs more frequently than all the rest.  Of the 48 references to ‘one another’, 11 times we are told to Love One Another and then if you add the direct commands of Jesus from John’s Gospel that list climbs to 15 times.  Therefore, without question LOVE is the most significant issue for the believer in the New Testament.  Colossians 3:14, “Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”  1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”  When you consider the directives of our Lord to His disciples it comes as no surprise that He would place an emphasis on LOVE.  Remember His commandment in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give you: LOVE ON ANOTHER.  As I have loved you, so you must LOVE ONE ANOTHER.  All men will now that you are my disciples if you LOVE ONE ANOTHER…” (Emphasis Mine).

In truth, all the actions we are enjoined to take toward ‘one another’ are simply LOVE IN ACTION commands.  That was the basis of Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”  I have learned and observed that when there is a sufficient flow of AGAPE LOVE in the Body, all divisive factors shrink and diminish in significance.  AGAPE drive the devil back into darkness because LOVE brings Light and the devil cannot stand the Light.  Increasing LOVE will cover all the differences concerning the nonessentials and bring oneness to the Church in a most powerful manner.  Therefore, I believe that one of the singular greatest needs of the church is AGAPE LOVE!  We are family and 1 Corinthians 12:27 declares, “Now you are the Body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.”

Let me conclude with three specific things the church needs to understand:

  1. No Individual Christian Can Function Effectively by Himself.
  2. No Member of Christ’s Body Should Feel He is More or Less Important Than Any Other Member of That Body.
  3. All Christians Should Work Diligently to Create Unity in the Body of Christ.

           There is no difficulty that enough AGAPE will not conquer.  There is no disease that enough AGAPE will not heal.  There is no door that enough AGAPE will no open.  There is no gulf that enough AGAPE will not bridge.  There is no wall that enough AGAPE will not pull down.  There is no sin that enough AGAPE will not redeem.

LOVE defeats the devil like nothing else will or can.  So, as you PUT ON LOVE and walk out into your world today, go with God and He will go with you.  Blessings abundantly are my desire and prayer!

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THE CHURCH’S FINEST HOUR…


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Ephesians 5:25-28 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”  NASU

  

I believe that this is the most critical hour in the history of the Christian Church.  This generation holds the baton to be passed to the next generation as we seek to bring forth in fullness the Glorious Church that Jesus is building.  This is a time of renewal, restoration, and release in the spiritual realm and is a time of maturation which is allowing the Church to come to a fuller realization of the Finished Work of Christ and what that means to individual believers, local congregations, and the Church universal.  This, I believe, is an HOUR OF DESTINY! 

We are followers of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God.  He is not going to be king, He is king.  He is not going to reign, He reigns.  He is not going to defeat the devil, He has defeated the devil.  The work of Jesus is a FINISHED WORK!  Romans 8:37 offers a wonderful truth that should cause rejoicing in our hearts and excitement in our minds.  “But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER through Him who loved us.”  [Emphasis mine].   I hope you allow that to sink in for a moment.  We OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER.  Then, he goes on to say that NOTHING can separate us from the Love of God.  We are possessors of God’s Love, His Lovingkindness, His Covenant.  We are fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God.  We are God’s household and members of the Family of God!  That is Covenant Language.  In Ephesians 2:19, “So then (as a result of His Finished Work), you ARE no longer strangers and aliens, but you ARE fellow citizens with the saints, and ARE of God’s Household.”

In the preceding verses, the writer declares that Jesus, through His Finished Work, has torn down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile and of the two made “one new man,” which is the Body of Christ.  That is Picture of Christ’s Church.  The Finished Work of Jesus means much more than we are SAVED and someday, somehow, someway we will get to heaven. NO, NO, NO!  It transcends that by a million miles because it has to do with WHO we are, WHAT our mission, authority, and power is and WHOSE we are.  It is descriptive of Life, Function, and Ministry not Escape from this world.  I would encourage you to read and meditate on Colossians 2:9-15.  There is an incredible truth embedded there.  Satan has been disarmed.  His forces have been rendered powerless in light of the Finished Work of Jesus.  The kingdom of darkness is no longer ruling in the air or the heavenlies – JESUS IS!  You and I are ‘in’ Christ and He ‘has made’ us to sit in the heavenly places in and with Him.  So, in a very real sense, spiritually, we are Kings in this Life in Jesus and have authority in the spirit realm.  The powers of darkness are subject to us as believers through the Finished Work of Jesus.

I want you to consider something with me if you will, something very vital.  The devil and his demons have been disarmed, right?  The only mention of weapons other than the ‘darts’ of the devil are our weapons – (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  If that is true, and it is according to Scripture, the devil is a ‘completely defeated’ and ‘disarmed’ enemy through the work of our Lord on the Cross and in the Resurrection.  Jesus, stripped the devil of His authority and exposed him to a public spectacle and rendered him subject to man, who had formerly been the devil’s slave.  All that is verifiable in Scripture BUT, a large portion of the Church is still terrified by the devil and his demons.  WHY?  I believe the only possible conclusion is:  We do not understand or realize the completeness of the Finished Work of Jesus; we believe the Lie of the devil, and we have been deceived. 

The Bible tells us that we are ‘more than conquerors’ and yet too often we live as the conquered not the conqueror.  I would never encourage anyone to be flippant regarding the devil but at the same time, Jesus is either the victor or He is not and if He is, and He is, then it is high time that we begin to LIVE as Victors in Him.

I want to pursue this thought a little further so we will pick this up in another devotional and consider our Commission and Authority in Jesus.  God, bless you richly as you embark on today’s leg of your life’s journey in Jesus!

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A MAJOR ENEMY WE ARE FIGHTING IN THE CHURCH…


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Romans 16:17 – “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”  NASU

 Philippians 3:17 – “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”  NASU

Let’s take a brief look at this enemy we are fighting in the local church today.  There are a number of things worthy of note and will help us to understand our struggle and how to defeat this defeated foe.

  1. He Wants to Cause Division in The Church.
  2. The Way He Causes Division is by Working on Us Individually.

The only people the devil can use in any local congregation or those in that congregation.  Tragically, he sometimes manipulates and uses people without them being aware of what is happening.  HOW?  By encouraging temper outburst, critical attitudes, dividing into cliques, and much more.

The devil never makes anyone an ‘outlaw’ immediately.  No, he slips in with a Bad Attitude and maybe the pastor calls for someone to pray or do a certain task and the devil suggests, “Why didn’t he call on you? He must have something against you.”  Maybe the pastor rushes down the aisle after a service and fails to shake your hand and the devil suggests, “Well, did you see that?  He didn’t shake your hand so he must be purposefully avoiding you.”  Suppose that happens two or three times and then the devil has his foot in the door and says, “SEE, He Avoided You!”

When we love each other and have confidence in each other through Christ we know that we or they would never hurt another intentionally.  So, reject a Bad Attitude.  When the devil suggests things like that REJECT IT and the Bible says that if we resist he flees.  If a brother or sister prospers twice as much as you, REJECT a spirit of jealousy and say, “Praise the Lord.”  It is well to remember the Law of Harvest and understand that if we sow, a Bad Attitude we will reap a Terrible Attitude.  Our Attitude must be right and that is another reason to have on the Helmet of Salvation and to have our minds renewed through God’s Word, Grace, Spirit, and Love.

  1. The Devil Then Moves You into Fault Finding.

Some people will love you and embrace you but gradually their attitude changes toward you.  As far as you are concerned, nothing has changed but they begin to find fault, become critical and stab you in the back and you do not know why.  The devil would like for you to ‘find fault’ with others, become ‘critical’ of them, and engage in ‘criticism’ and ‘gossip’.  I have heard people complain about everything in the local congregation such as the order of worship, song or choruses were sung, the music director, the teacher, or preacher.  I’ve heard people criticize the way the pastor or his wife dresses, what they drive, where they live, and much more.  Much of it is trivial and has nothing to do with the kingdom of God and the lost.

I had a man tell me once, “We want to attract quality people to our church.”  Quality?  What quality were you before you were saved?  I refuse to cater to anyone.  I love everyone equally and want each person to make it to heaven.  If a man wears overalls or has a $5,000 suit they are the same to me.

If you look for fault you will have an easy time finding it in me.  I’m human, I make mistakes.  I asked a church board once, as a visiting speaker, “Do you want your pastor to live in a nice house, drive a nice car, and wear nice clothes?”  They all agreed that would be good and right.  I then said, “If he cannot because of the wages he is paid, then it is not a reflection on him it is a reflection on you.”  It is not easy being a Good Shepherd.  He cannot please everyone all the time.  A preacher is somewhat like a politician in that his success often depends on public opinion.  Remember he has to walk with God and if he is pleasing God we should be pleased as well.  Not all shepherds are good defenders of the sheep but an elder who does well, according to Paul is worthy of double pay.  I never asked for nor wanted double pay, I only wanted to care for my family and be able to give to good causes that God set before me.  My heart is people and winning the lost for the Kingdom not amassing material wealth.

Briefly, I will mention but not address a few more things.  The devil then encourages people to develop an “Unforgiving Spirit” engage in “Fault Finding” and “Sow Discord.”  He then seeks to encourage people to become “Self-Centered” and participate in the “Me, Me, Me” world in which we live.  One of the deadliest things that people in a congregation can participate in is “Wearing their feelings on their sleeves and being easily offended.”  The next is “Gossip” and that destroys relationships and taints spirits like little else.  Never allow yourself to be drawn into “cliques” and refuse to participate in “secret meetings” or become one who “shifts the blame.”

Every church is in one of two categories:  A sinking ship that needs to be abandoned or a leaking ship that needs to be repaired.  Every person comes in one of two categories:  We are either part of the problem or we are part of the solution.  You can either plug the holes or make them larger and be a part of the problem or part of the solution.  WHICH ARE YOU?

God, bless you as you enjoy His love, mercy, and grace on this wonderful day!

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POWERFUL ENEMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH…


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Romans 16:17 – “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”  NASU

 Philippians 3:17 – “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”  NASU

Paul gives us two groups of people to MARK or IDENTIFY and definitive directions regarding each group.  One is an enemy of the Local Church and the other is a Powerful Witness for the LORD in the Local Community.  Both are to be noted and marked.

The first group to MARK are those “that cause division” and the second group are those who ‘set the right example’.  We are to MARK both groups.  We are to ‘avoid’ the first group but ‘cling to, immolate, and copy’ the second.  The devil wants to infiltrate the local church with the first group and diminish the influence of the second.  He does everything he can to create division in the church.  Sadly, he has been somewhat effective in many churches across America today and rendered them powerless forms but not substance and lasting impact on the community.  I wish it were not so, but in some churches so divided by the devil there is no life, vision, spirit, power, or tears and the devil has backed them into a corner where they are holding the fort but not impacting their community.  That is unfortunate and incredibly sad.  They fuss and fume and cannot have a business meeting without war and no board meeting is devoid of conflict.

I personally refuse to engage in a brawl in the church.  The work of God is too important and time is too valuable to waste it on what is often pettiness.  There are too many souls perishing and this is no time for the Body of Christ to engage in childishness and act petulant throwing temper tantrums and pouting if we don’t get our way.  If we are going to fulfill God’s Purpose and Plan for the local church we must identify the division, call it what it is, and reject it completely.  The devil cannot defeat the church from without, he can only defeat us from the inside.  Those on the outside can label us however they please, call us anything they desire, spin fabrications about us, assignation of our character, and attempt to shut us down physically but they will never truly be successful UNLESS we allow ‘division’ to rule in our midst.  If we do, we step outside the protective covering of the LORD and stand on the devil’s turf and he will make mincemeat of us if we do.  That is not God’s Plan, Purpose, or Promise and we must not settle for less than His best.

The only thing that can destroy any local church is “the people” in that church.  The devil can only defeat the local church from the inside but he can never win fighting from the outside.  In order for the devil to hinder the progress of the local church, he must get in the middle of the church and divide it.  Have you ever seen a local congregation where there was a division on the board, among the elders, or people in the pews who will not speak to each other?  Disunity and disharmony run rampant.   Then and only then can the devil hinder the church local.

We are engaged in a WAR, a Spiritual War and the first thing that we must seek to do is learn all we can about our enemy.  That was one of the areas in which we were often bogged down in Vietnam.  President Johnson often lamented that his intelligence reports were terribly inaccurate.  You have to know all you can about an enemy to fight that enemy effectively.  In WW II we had spies even one of Hitler’s inner circle was forwarding notes of Hitler’s meetings with his generals to the Allied Commanders and often we knew every move he planned.  We got information on the U-2 rocket that Germany was developing.  Had Germany perfected that rocket or the jet engine earlier there is a real possibility they could have won the war.  They had superior technology when the war broke out, superior forces and yet we won the war.  HOW?  We knew more about them than they knew about us and we had prayer backing our forces. 

We need to know our enemy and we must never forget this enemy HATES US and his prime tactic is ‘divide and conquer’.  I want to look more closely at the enemy of which I speak and will need another devotional to accomplish that task or objective.  So, I pause here and wait until the ‘morrow to delve a little deeper into God’s Eternal Love and expose the devil and his strategies.

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH…


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Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,  18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”  NASU

 

The Bible is filled with instructions as to the individual Christian life and the life of the Church of Jesus Christ.  One of the areas in which God has chosen to devote a lot of focus is UNITY.  There are several key passages that relate to that and I will list them here and hope that you will take the time to read, examine, and study them:  Proverbs 13:10, 10:12; 26:21; 29:22; 17:14; Philippians 2:3; and 2 Timothy 2:24.  These passages are direct and provide incredible understanding on this subject.  There is nothing that the Enemy of our souls would like better than to destroy the local church.  I believe that is a prime objective of the devil. He hates any local church that is impacting its community for God.  He probably sees the potential of the local church more than the local church sees itself.

Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine you have learned; avoid them.”  That is the kind of language and instruction that comes under fire from many facets of the world and the church today.  It involves Church Discipline and engages in the idea of being separate, not isolationism but separation from sin and sinful lifestyles.  Paul says, MARK THEM THAT CAUSE DIVISION AMONG YOU.  Before you say, “But Roy, that would be judgmental,” remember this is the Word of God and God never puts things in His word without purpose. This is a warning designed to preserve the unity and functionality of the local church.  I am convinced that the only way any church can truly rise to greatness is they learn to dwell together in UNITY.  They have a common vision and become Christ-centered and Others-centered.

We are told in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”  Unity does not mean compromise but having a common vision and a common set of core values.  In Acts 4:32, we read, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”  That was not a plea for a lifestyle of communism, communalism, or socialism but a plea for UNITY.  Paul instructs believers in Romans 12:16, “Be of the same mind one toward another.  Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate.  Be not wise in your own conceits.”  Then in Romans 15:16 he prayed, “That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Then in 1 Corinthians 1:10, his plea and prayer was, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

UNITY is essential if we are going to become the Church that Jesus promised to build and the Church that will shake up its world for God.  UNITY IS ESSENTIAL not just desirable.  A house divided against itself cannot stand and it is critical that we have the same judgment and vision.  We are enjoined by the apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit to “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3).  He instructed believers, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see or else be absent, I hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”  (Philippians 1:27).  A few verses later he urged them to walk by the same rule and have the same mind.

But back to the instruction to MARKING people.  Although few pastors today and fewer Churches would be willing to engage in this practice it is a biblical concept and something we have abandoned to our hurt as local congregations.  I do not mean nor suggest that we become as the Pharisees but follow the careful instructions of two passages considering the entire Bible.  In Romans 6:17 we are told to MARK a certain group of people and then in Philippians 3:17 we are told to MARK another group of people.  Both are critical if we are going to be what God wants us to be and for the local church to impact its community as God desires and has designed.

I have laid a foundation that I wish to continue in the next devotional and identify both groups that we are charged to MARK and what we are to do once we have marked them.  We want to discuss the importance and impact of this kind of action as a local church.  So, until next time, I pray that the LORD will be with you, guard you and guide you in all that you do.

 

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WHO ARE WE and WHY ARE WE???


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1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU

  

            The Law stirs up sin but Grace applies the healing balm of the Gospel.  Humanity stood steeped in sin and The Law came.  What many missed is that The Law was continually pointing to LOVE.  Man, would look at The Law and Commandments and say, “That is a wonderful idea.  I wish I could do that.”  Mankind has, in many ways, acknowledged that a Society of Love is needed but man’s heart resists and rejects that idea.  The root is that we want the rest of the world to demonstrate Love but allow us to continue in our selfishness. That produces incredible despair in the heart of man.

Let me offer something that might sound controversial, Jesus came as the first true human, who walked on this planet and lived God’s kind of Love!  That is the very reason that religion was always so angry with Him.  The political powers of that Day did not care about Jesus, He meant nothing to them.  The people who were threatened by Him, those who were violently angry with Him were the Religious.  The best that religion could produce were the Pharisees.  Tragically, they would fit in well in too many churches in our day.  They were scandalized by Jesus because the Love of God is scandalous to Good Religion because it loves the worst and the bad.  It loves people that, other human beings have given up on.  If you will recall, Jesus sat and ate with prostitutes.  Not to partake of their sin but to love them as people. He went to the sinners, the tax collectors, and those considered the dregs of society. HE LOVED EVERYONE!   It often upsets legalist, when I say, “The first miracle of Jesus was turning water into wine.”  Imagine that!  What in the world was He doing at a party where there was drinking?  He is the Messiah, shouldn’t He have been at a prayer meeting not at some worldly event?  The Religious got together in their self-righteous societies and said, “He eats & drinks with SINNERS!”   He embraces people who are not like us!   Does that sound familiar?

That happens today.  I remember back in my early years of ministry there was much ‘clothesline preaching.’  There were sayings that were meant to poke fun at the over stressing of the outward like, “I don’t drink, I don’t chew, and I don’t go with girls that do.”  Tragically, too often, we draw our circles and say, “We are other. Those not of us are less than we are.  We are holy.”  The Pharisees would not even talk to the Samaritans because a Samaritan could never be saved, nor could prostitutes or tax collectors.  It was a very exclusive society and in their minds, if a Tax Collector began to confess his sins today, he’d be dead before he could possibly finish confessing.

I find it very interesting that Jesus drew out some of His best friends from among the Tax Collectors.  He went to Samaria and even sat down in public with a woman – GOD FORBID!  The Religion of the Legalist may come disguised as Love but it does not fit or follow the rules of Love.  That religion is horrified by God’s Love because it only knows how to love like a good human being.  It wants the best people in its membership and LOVE destroys that!  Jesus was their thorn in the flesh and they crucified Him.  Little did they know that in crucifying Him, He was dying for them.  They didn’t even know enough to say, THANK YOU.

Just before Jesus died to take away the sin of the world He made some incredible statements that are critical for our understanding.  He said, “Except a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abides alone.  But if it drops into the ground and dies, it brings forth much fruit.”  What a simple but powerful illustration!  We know exactly what it means.  If you only have one grain of wheat and plant it, the Law of Harvest comes into play and it springs forth producing many, more than the original seed.  The fruit is exactly like the original.  I know you see it.  Jesus was saying, “There is only one of Me.  No one has ever lived God’s love before Me.  I am going to fall into the ground and die.  If I do not there will never be but one of Me.  BUT, if I do, then I’ll bring forth much fruit.”  There are and have been MILLIONS LIKE HIM and that is the desire of God for mankind.

Jesus came to forgive us of our sin.  That is the handle on the door of the kingdom.  He came to produce persons who LOVE like He LOVES.  In the Law of Harvest, the original brings forth after its kind.  MILLIONS JUST LIKE JESUS.  We are the New Creation that God brought forth after His kind.  He brought forth LOVERS who Love Like Jesus!  The fascinating thing is that the disciples heard things like this but did not understand UNTIL after PENTECOST when the Holy Spirit began to teach them.  They were fascinated with the POWER and missed the most important, LOVE.  But Love is the Greater Work.  It is greater than miracles.  If we can love like Jesus loved, then we won’t have to worry about keeping the Law it will become second nature to us and an outflow of Love.  If we Love like Jesus loves we won’t need a law that says, “Thou shalt not kill or steal, etc.”  Love, not only does not kill, it lays down its life for its enemies.

What the world needs now is Love, Sweet Love!   God, bless you as you embrace the Love of God being shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. 

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THE GOOD NEWS…


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1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU

  

The reality that God who is love, makes His best friends out of unholy, bad, messed up, rotten and selfish people is Good News and nothing short of Amazing!  That is the Gospel!  That is another word that often falls short in our human vocabulary and understanding in today’s world.  Many people think that the Gospel is the first four books of the New Testament.  The word gospel in the original meant, “The good, glad, merry news that makes a man fairly leap for joy!”  I hope you wrap your head around that and rejoice in the Gospel.  When we realize that God loves the messed up and less than perfect people and includes them in His family that is GOOD NEWS.  That is news that makes us leap for joy!  That is the Gospel.

If God is the God who will come to people who do not deserve His love, and He is, that produces another wonderful word, “Grace.”  Grace means that God gives to us what we did not and cannot earn.  It is the opposite of what we deserve.  That is Good because He is Love He must deal with us in Grace.  Everything that God is to people who do not deserve it He gives freely or Graces us with His love, mercy, and forgiveness.  That means that something has happened to us.  If you do not deserve something but it is given to you what do you do?  Hopefully, you say, THANK YOU!  The New Testament calls that FAITH, which is our response to the Gift that God has given or gives.

I hope that resonates in your spirit.  God gives, through nothing we have done, because of nothing in us, simply because of Who He Is.  The only thing that we can do is respond and receive saying THANK YOU!  When we do that, we discover that He means it and we can rest in that truth.  That is the Good, Glad, Merry News that makes the heart leap for joy.  THE GOSPEL!   God is Love, He acts in Grace, and we respond in Faith.  It is not trying to be better it is not trying to do good.  It is FAITH.  It is simply saying, THANK YOU and when we do that a miracle transpires and we are BORN AGAIN.

But, what happens in this New Birth experience?  We are birthed into the Family of God.  That begs the question, “What is the character of the Family of God?”  LOVE!  The Love that God is comes into us and we become new people or new creations.  THAT IS THE GOSPEL!  To demonstrate just how much mankind needs God’s Grace, God threw in an extra ingredient that has produced confusion for many.  God put it in at Mt. Sinai and took it out at the Resurrection, THE LAW!  He gave the “Ten Commandments” but I suggest that it only looks like ten but it is actually ONE.  In Leviticus God boils it down to TWO, “Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.”   That is the heart of it all.

If you love your neighbor, you won’t murder, steal, or slander him.  Love takes care of that.  The commandments are simply manifestations of God’s incredible Love.  You can get away with the first Nine without Love, but the last one is impossible outside of LOVE.  “Thou shalt not covet…”  Covet deals with motive and means that you not only do not do it, you do not want to!  To fulfill that commandment, we have to find something that will cause us to NOT want to.  That is LOVE!  When you LOVE as God loves you will not hurt your neighbor.  You will want to do the exact opposite and bless your neighbor.  That is where man has completely failed and missed the mark.

Remember Israel at Mt. Sinai?  God sent Moses down the mountain to see if they understood what they were getting into.  Israel said, “We’ve Got it and we Agree.”  They promised to do everything that God said.  Moses went back and reported to God, “They understand.”  God sent him back three times and in thirty days they had blown the whole thing.  We focus on the DO NOTS of the Commandments.  It is not simply, do not murder, steal, slander, etc.  No! No!  It is that we LOVE!  That was God’s desire from the beginning that man should walk in Love.  That is the will and purpose of God before the Law and since the Resurrection it is unchanging.  So, He gave the Law to show man just how much we needed Him to take over and enable us to LOVE!  He gave the Commandments to show us that we were unable to keep them.  Have you ever tried to not do something?  The more you determined you would not the more you were tempted to and the less successful you were.  The Law stirs up sin.  The Law was never given as a path to salvation but was given to reveal to us how hopeless and helpless we are without Him.

I pray that God will richly bless you as you enjoy His love and this wonderful day!

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THE WILL OF GOD – Man’s Problem in the Process…


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1 John 4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  NASU

 

We have considered the Big Picture in finding the Will of God for our lives and called attention to the fact that GOD IS LOVE presents a problem for man.  It is a blessing and it is a problem at the same time for the flesh.  What do we mean when we say, LOVE?  I am quite serious in asking that question.  The word “love” in the English language is often a useless word in attempting to convey true meaning.  WHY?  Because when we use the word in various contexts we often have to define how we understand love.  What we mean, often, is that we reach out to someone we deem to be in Our Class.  I would argue that it is rare for someone to have real love for someone that is not perceived to be in their class.  Don’t get self-righteous and exhibit a false humility on me here.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.  In Europe of bygone eras and still somewhat true today, if a member of Royalty falls in love with a commoner they are fired.  You did and do not marry outside your class.  When we, humans, fall in love we tend to do so within our perceived status.  We gravitate to those who are deemed to be in our tribes and we maintain our boundaries.  I know many will argue, that they do not, but if you carefully evaluate life you will see that what I saying is true more often than not.  We don’t talk about it and rarely admit it but we do it.

When we say “Love” we are saying of that person we express love toward the person who is the object of our love we are saying, that they call forth our highest admiration.  When we look at them we admire them.  We look at them and the bells begin ringing, our hearts begin racing, and our emotions scream WOW!  When we talk about that person we describe them as the cat’s meow and there is an element of worship involved.  When we love somebody, they answer to what we feel is beauty.  Beauty, we are told is in the eye of the beholder or something that happens inside our heads.  That’s what we understand love to be.

The Problem for man is that when we read, “God is Love” we tend to view God as loving the way we love.  Every religion in the world has a concept of God that is based on human love. We have equated what we define love as with God Who is Love.  Therefore, if God loves like we love then when He comes to us what does He find?  First, He finds someone that is not even remotely in His class.  That eliminates us!  If God were to get friendly with us He must fire Himself for we are not in His Class.  Second, He finds people that are not even remotely in Harmony with Him.  We do not jell with His holiness and Love.  We are selfish, like it, and have no genuine plans to change.  There is nothing in us that would cause Him to say, “That’s the best person I know!”  If God loves like humans love, we are doomed.  That is where the religions of the world find themselves.

I heard an illustration that conveys my meaning wonderfully.  A missionary went to a tribal witch doctor and said, “You preach to me now.  If I come to you with a problem, how would you tell me to contact the Most High God?”  He said, “I know you have many gods, but I want to reach the Big One, the Most High God, how do I do that?”  The witch doctor said, “First you have a big problem because the Most Hight God is not interested in you.  You are not good enough for Him.”  That is where the religions of the world and human love comes short.  You may say, “Well that’s not how I or my church views God.”  But, consider with me how we used a more sophisticated language but arrive at the same destination.  Most have the idea that they are not good enough for God and therefore He is not interested.  Some feel that they have to make themselves ‘good enough’ for God before He will accept them.  Isn’t that the same thing?  That is incredible and completely contrary to the biblical report.

I believe that once we understand the biblical definition of the Love of God we will immediately realize that our human definition and usage is worthless in describing God’s Love.  God’s love is completely other than our kind of love.  When the Bible says, “GOD IS LOVE” it does not mean that he reaches out to His class.  No! No! No!  It means that He reaches out to ALL PEOPLE or more importantly He reaches DOWN TO ALL PEOPLE and lifts us up to His level.  Human love reaches Up to those we deem the most beautiful or worthy but God’s Love reaches down to us. That makes no sense to the human mind but GOD IS LOVE and because of His Love He Gave that which would purchase our redemption and He deemed us worth the Blood of Jesus.  God loves the bad, messed up, twisted human beings, and makes us His friends and that is AMAZING!  That is GOOD NEWS or the GOSPEL.

I want to continue in this vein of thought at least one more time so until next time God bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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