Month: March 2017

IF I DIDN’T BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER…


Spiritual Blog - Prayer Power

            I wouldn’t pray!  It’s that simple!  There are times when we want to keep everything close to the vest and not allow anyone to know what we are going through, the struggles, battles, or attacks upon us and that may be appropriate.  However, there are some things that scream loudly in my spirit when I think of battles in this life and how to respond.  Most of them trump any desire to remain in the shadows and GO IT ALONE!

            OBEDIENCE, the Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, “…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”  I have, on more occasions that I’d like to acknowledge, either been slow in responding to the direction of the Holy Spirit or failed to properly respond.  In those cases, the difficulty that could have been avoided and victory that could have been realized was either delayed or denied.  It was not because of God’s reluctance or willingness to perform the needed action but my failure to swiftly obey and do what He directed.  I have had times when I felt prompted to go see, call, or talk to someone and delayed and when I did respond I felt almost like Mary and Martha when Jesus finally arrived after their call to come to their brother’s aid.  I refuse to live my life in “what if” but failure to obey and sometimes instantly obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit can and does give the devil a needless advantage and room to do his dirt.  We need to RESIST the devil and one of the best ways I know is to PRAY and enlist the prayer support of a virtual army of believers who will pray in agreement and faith.

            THE POWER OF PRAYER, according to the Bible, is incredible and if we truly believe the words of James 5:16-18, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”  If we believe those words, we will be diligent in Prayer and Pray Effectually, Fervently, Persistently, and Consistently.   Our Lord instructed us to Pray and Paul urged us to pray without ceasing.  WHY?  So, that we could engage in a religious activity and appear pious?  HEAVENS NO!  It was because PRAYER HAS POWER and is a vital part of our SPIRITUAL ARSENAL.  Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 10 that we have weapons but they are not the weapons of this world, they are SPIRITUAL WEAPONS.  No weapon is of any use if not used!  We are informed in Ephesians 6 to Pray in the Spirit, on all occasion, regarding every matter, with all kinds of prayers and do so without fail and without ceasing.  WHY?  Because of the recognized and realized POWER OF PRAYER. 

            THE PROMISE OF JESUS, as revealed in 1 John 5:14-15, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”  If Prayer is something that can be delayed for a convenient time and not an act of Spiritual Warfare, then carrying the burden alone might be appropriate.  However, if Prayer brings us into the Promise and brings about the Realized Victory of our Lord, then immediate and incessant Prayer is not only desirable but imperative.  Consider what John said through the Holy Spirit.  He spoke of CONFIDENCE or SETTLE ASSURANCE in Jesus’ Promises.  What is that confidence?  IF and I emphasize that word IF, we ask ANYTHING.  I must ask, what does ANYTHING cover?  If anything does not mean anything it means nothing!  If we ask anything according to His will.  It is not just that He Promised it but also that we act in obedience to His directive and demonstrate confidence in His Process and Ways.  That means we PRAY.  If we ask anything according to His will HE HEARS US.  That is important especially considering the next word AND.  And what?  If we are asking according to His will, His biblical revelation and promise, He hears us, AND if we KNOW that He Hears us.  Knowing that we know that we have gained an audience in the Throne Room of heaven is an incredible source of confidence and a faith builder and booster.  The result of asking according to His will that involves obedience is that He hears us and IF He hears us whatever we are praying, WE KNOW.  There is that word of confidence and settled assurance again.  We know that we have the petitions we have asked of Him.  IF we PRAY and do that according to His Will, we know that HE HEARS us and if He hears us we know that HE GRANTS OUR REQUEST.  That is incredible. 

With that in mind, I must ask, “Why would we ever give the devil ONE SECOND of opportunity when we can combat Him with God’s Word and Will in Prayer?”  Thus, my calling as a Watchman on the Wall demands that WHEN I see danger I SOUND THE ALARM.  That is who and what I am.  My confidence in God and the Power of Prayer demands that when I see danger I not only pray personally but I urge the intercessors to move into action.  If I believe that the prayer of the righteous is both effective and powerful I MUST PRAY and URGE, the Army of Intercessors to move onto the Front Line and PRAY.

No matter what the battle or the situation, if the Holy Spirit has made His will clear and most of the time He has through God’s Word, IMMEDIATE ACTION in Prayer should be our first response.  We are not islands and none of us live or die to ourselves. We are part of the BODY OF CHRIST, not individual members and if the hand needs help the head cannot ignore that need.  If one member of the Body is facing a crisis the rest of the Body needs to be mobilized to come to that part’s aide IMMEDIATELY.  If you saw a perp about to harm a child would you delay until you had notified everyone connected to that child BEFORE calling for help and moving into action?  NO!  Likewise, if we believe in God and the Power of Prayer dare we give the devil an advantage by not enlisting the Prayer Warriors?  I CANNOT DO THAT with a clear conscience. 

This is my call to action in prayer.  Our nation needs prayer.  Our churches need prayer.  Our ministers need prayer.  Those facing dire situations in life need our prayer.  If you believe in God and believe in prayer I ask that you join me in praying for every need that we become aware of, when we become aware of it, and determine to persist UNTIL the answer comes!

            God, bless you is my desire!

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PRAISE CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED… (Continued)


Spiritual Blog - Praise

Psalm 138:1-3 – “I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”  NKJV

  

Another dimension of Praise is that it opens a channel for God to speak to us and be heard.  I find that awesome and encouraging!  I do believe that God is a Speaking God and if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever then if He ever spoke He speaks today and wants to communicate with His people personally and individually.  It is one thing to say, “My praise brings God pleasure” but that does not necessarily bring change to my situation.  Psalm 29:1-2, “Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array.”  As we take note of the verses 3-9 we find THE VOICE OF THE LORD being mentioned.  In Psalm 68:32-3, “Sing to God… Sing praises to the Lord… Behold He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice…”

Sometimes in Prayer, we do not hear God because we’ve locked the ‘talk button’ in the on position.  We are in the ‘transmit mode’ and that is okay, but in Praise when coupled with Prayer we release the ‘talk button’ and bridge the gap giving access and opportunity for God to speak to us.  Proverbs 27:21, “As the refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold: so is a man for praise.”  It is normal, in times of Praise to have our spirits heated as we are touched by His Presence and ‘hidden thoughts, motives, and desires’ rise to the surface.  As we become broken in His Presence those foreign impure elements are separated from the precious metal of our spirits.  THEN, we are able to take them to the Cross and be cleansed, washed, purified, and delivered.  Hallelujah! 

God wants to skim away all that defiles so that we can see His Face in the molten metal of our hearts.  Psalm 29:4 – The voice of the Lord is Powerful and full of majesty.  Psalm 29:5 – The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars (Royal Trees).  Psalm 29:7 – The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire (Fiery darts).  Psalm 29:8 – The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. (Place of testing).  Psalm 29:9 – The voice of the Lord makes hinds to calve (life) and in His temple, everyone speaks of HIS GLORY!  Praise!

Isaiah 30:31 tells us that the Voice of the Lord defeats enemies.  In Isaiah 66:6 we find that the Voice of the Lord brings recompense to our enemies.  I encourage you to read the powerful declaration of Jeremiah 33:11-14 and then Joel 2:11 we find that the Lord utters His voice before His army and 3:16, “The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble…”  In Psalm 46:6 we discover that the Voice of the Lord causes kingdoms to be moved.  Praise releases the Voice of God and opens the door for God to tabernacle in the midst of His people.  Hallelujah!

Psalm 22:3 declares that God is enthroned upon the Praise of His People.  In Psalm 148:14, we find that through Praise God exalts the Horn (Authority) of His People.  Psalm 8:2 gives us the revelation that “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God has ordained strength” and Matthew 21:16 renders that as Perfected Praise.  In Psalm 149 we are told to sing to the LORD a “new song.”  I hope this is resonating with you that Praise is not just expressing words, songs, dance, etc.  It is when we offer up Praise from the heart and our spirits get heated up in His Presence that His voice is released and He tabernacles in us!  It is there that we experience His Presence.  It is there that His Person comes into full view.  It is there that His voice can be heard.  It is there that His power is manifest.  I encourage you to read and recall the account in 2 Chronicles 20 of Jehoshaphat and Israel.  They were under siege from much more powerful and numerous enemies.  We learn that Jehoshaphat was serving and walking with God as 17:3 reveals that “God was with him.”  Three powerful enemies were attacking and Jehoshaphat reacted as most humans would, “Fear gripped his heart.”  Then in 2 Chronicles 20:3 the key came into focus, “He set himself to seek the Lord.”  Notice that his prayer is not one of question and desperation but of victory and praise.

Consider his prayer. 

  • Are you not God in heaven! (An affirmation not a question)
  • Do you not rule over the kingdoms of the heathen! (Affirmation not question).
  • Is not power and might in your hand so that none can stand against you! (Affirmation not question).
  • Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of the land and gave it to the Seed of Abraham, Your friend, FOREVER! (Affirmation not question).
  • If evil comes upon us and we stand before this house IN YOUR PRESENCE and cry to you, You hear and help! (Affirmation not question).
  • NOW, we don’t know what to do, BUT our eyes are upon you! (That opens the door).

The prophecy that came forth in v.20 gave instruction, “Trust God and be established.  Trust His prophets and succeed.”  Jehoshaphat took action and in v.21 he appointed singers and praisers and set them in front of the army.  (The Lord utters His voice before His army).  In v.22, WHEN they began singing and praising God set an ambush and defeated the enemy. Confusion fell on the enemy camp and they turned on each other and it took three days to gather the spoils.  They returned with JOY and God gave them PEACE.  It could not and would not have happened had they not been obedient and Praised God in the midst of danger and potential disaster.  Praise released the Power of God in their midst!

If you are battling an impossible situation in your life – TAKE TIME TO PRAISE GOD!  May the Lord bless your richly is my prayer and desire!

 

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PRAISE CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED…


Spiritual Blog - Praise

Psalm 138:1-3 – “I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”  NKJV

 

I have long believed that Praise is a practice that is invaluable for the Church and for the individual believer.  I recognize that Praise is like many other things in life, everybody responds differently and engages in the practice differently.  Praise can be effected by singing Scripture Choruses and it can also be achieved by simply lifting our voices to God and expressing our love, respect, and appreciation.  One Chorus that I dearly love is “We Worship and Adore You.” 

 

“We worship and adore you, bowing before you, Songs of Praise singing, 

              Hallelujahs ringing, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Amen.

              We worship and adore You, bowing down before you, Songs of Praise singing,

              Hallelujahs ringing, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Amen.

              Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!  Amen.”

             Praise is both a natural and normal part of life and is experienced and practiced beyond Church.  Some seem to think that the only place that praise is abnormal or needing restriction is in religious gatherings.  How can that be?  If you think about the advertisements, we are bombarded with we find that Manufacturers praise their products.  If you are around doting parents long you realize that parents praise their children.  Men will praise their automobiles and women will praise hairdressers, wardrobes, etc.  Children praise, sportswriters and coaches praise, politicians praise, and preachers praise.  Life is filled with praise and it is normal, natural, and proper praise is healthy.

It is ingrained in our nature to ‘spontaneously’ give praise to whatever we deem of value.  Therefore, if God is among those things we value, it is normal to release our inner being in Praise to Him.  Please understand, God does not need our praise, but we need to offer it.  We need to hear it from our lips because in Praise there is a ‘release’ that is incredibly powerful and liberating.

If you have gone to a sporting event, you have observed and possibly participated in the virtual insanity and eruption of praise and expression as your team scores or prevents the other team from scoring.  The team did not need the praise in order to score, they scored BEFORE the crowd began praising.  It was the spectators who were benefitted by the clapping, yelling, standing, waving their hands, hats, and banners, and going berserk.

Have you ever noticed that it is often the humblest and yet most balanced and open minded that Praise the most and those who are cranky, cynical malcontented and angry Praise the least?  Praise could be viewed as “Inner Health made Audible.”  There is a genuine tragedy in religious circles that teaches people to ‘repress’ praise.  I held a revival years ago, and a crowd of young people came forward for salvation.  Some of them began to get excited when the experienced Salvation and the burden of sin being lifted.  They began to become demonstrative and the pastor went to them and said, “We leave the shouting at the football game, this is church.”  WHAT?  Are we supposed to get more excited and demonstrative over a football game than over God?  Praise cries for release.!

The word Hallelujah broken down is ‘Hallel’ – praise.  “Oou’ – Our.  ‘Jah’ – God.  Thus, the word means Praise our God!  Praise, in my understanding and belief, is an expression of INNER HEALTH, but it wasn’t inner health alone that caused the crowd to praise at the ball game.  There was an ‘external stimulus’ that invoked it.  The response of the crowd was in direct proportion to the stimuli.  That is why the more we talk about Jesus, focus on Him, His person and work the easier it is to engage in the activity of Praise!

Praise for many, if not most, does not just flow naturally and spontaneously.  It is something that many have to press into. WHY?  Most people who come to church do so from an Outer Court condition.  The temporal is so large in our lives, thinking, and living it requires an act of the will to move beyond it into Praise unto God.  When we determine that we are going to Praise God we are virtually telling the flesh, “Come to attention, we are going to Praise God.”  We have to bridge the gap between the heavenly and earthly realms and this is accomplished through Praise.  Praise affects the thinking and according to the Bible brings pleasure to the heart of God.  Psalm 149:4,” For the Lord takes pleasure in His people.”  Psalm 104:1, “Bless the Lord, O my soul…”  Bless Who?  Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory, and honor, and power: For thou hast created all things, AND for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Ephesians 1:12 tell us that we are to be the Praise of His Glory!

God derives pleasure, gratification, and enjoyment in our Praises.  Imagine that!  You and I can engage in an activity that brings genuine pleasure to God.  Hallelujah!  I want to say more about Praise, it’s purpose and power but will wait for the next devotional.  God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

 

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THE POWER OF PEACE…


Spiritual Blog - Peace

Proverbs 14:30 – “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”  NIV

Depending on the translation we find this rendered, “sound, peaceful, and tranquil”.  We can look at it in the natural and the spiritual and glean benefit from both views.  In the natural, a ‘sound, tranquil, and peaceful’ heart identifies a heart that is functioning properly circulating blood throughout the body which is essential for life, health, and healing in the natural.  A heart that is not stressed with labor or worry is a strong benefit in natural longevity but if the heart is diseased and weak life will not be long experienced and the life experienced, in the natural, will be limited and restricted.

But when we consider the entire sentence we realize that although this can be applied to the natural heart it goes far beyond that to the spiritual condition or core of man identified as THE HEART.  I have long been convinced that if our spiritual hearts are not whole and healthy resting in the Peace of God that passes human comprehension the natural man suffers as well.  I find the correlation between natural health and spiritual health taught in the Bible unmistakable and powerful both as a caution and a promise or hope.

A “heart at peace” gives life to the body.  The Shalom of God strips the devil of his power to cause us to ‘fret’ and ‘worry’ over circumstances of life and helps us to ‘rest’ confidently in the Lord.  It enables us to become people who not only can but actually WAIT on the LORD. Paul identifies this kind of heart when he declared, Philippians 4:11-13, “…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  This is the heart that is not in turmoil but is content and confident that God is God and He WILL NOT FAIL.  That heart pumps life into the body both naturally and spiritually.

The contrast to a heart of peace is the heart filled with ENVY which leads to COVETOUSNESS and rots the bones.  I have been told that there are two kinds of ENVY the benign and malicious.  I am not sure that I can ascribe to that but they argued that “Benign Envy” was healthy and productive for it motivated the individual to perform at a higher level and seek the coveted position desired.  On the other hand, they contended that “Malicious Envy” was destructive for it prompted and prodded the one envying to attempt to ‘destroy’ the one they envy.  It seeks to level the playing field by ‘tearing down’ rather than building up self.  It is cancerous in its nature and spreads not only throughout the body with destructive chemical releases in the brain and body but infects others and becomes a root that defiles.

The Bible offers several passages about the malignancy or rotting effect of iniquity and the absence of peace in a heart.  Leviticus 26:39 speaks of “rotting because of iniquity.” Proverbs 10:7 reveals that “The memory of the righteous will be blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”  ENVY is rooted in COVETOUSNESS and Covetousness is the root of virtually every sin man commits.  The Ten Commandments can be understood in the last commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Covet.”  Adam and Eve, actually COVETED God’s Position based on the inference and lies of the serpent.  They wanted to “be as God” and in their disobedience, they “Fired God” or “Voted Him Out” as the Sovereign of the Universe and installed self as the center of their universe.  That separated them from God and resulted in the decay of their flesh and they began the process of decay.

Rottenness in the bones and as Psalm 112:10 identifies that when the Righteous Prosper the Wicked see it and become envious or grieved in their hearts and it causes such anxiety of heart that they waste away physically and spiritually.  Let me ask the question that Paul asked that, in my view, ties this up in a neat package and affords freedom powerfully.  He asked in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “…What do you have that you did not receive?”  Every Good and Perfect Gift comes from God and if we have nothing that we did not receive of Him, why are we envious of others?  Envy is misplaced angry toward God.  We are jealous and envious of others which are an expression that we believe God either blew it or is not just and either produces rottenness in our hearts and bones and eats away at our peace leaving us destitute and hopeless.

God, bless you richly as you enjoy what He has placed in your hands and I urge you to be faithful in a few things and He will, in His time, grant you many things.  Blessings!

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THE FRUIT OF YOUR MOUTH…


Spiritual Blog - Words

Proverbs 12:14 – “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.”  NKJV

As I read and study the words of Proverbs 12 I find some wonderfully exciting thoughts and some troubling declarations that are not always easily reconciled in our lives.  We all have opinions, convictions, and fixed beliefs about God’s Truth or our understanding of our little facet of His incalculable truth.  Truly His ways are beyond our finding out and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.  We, as Paul taught, “know in part and see through the glass dimly.”  We have not attained perfect knowledge and that may never be a possibility even in our glorified state in eternity.  God is God and we are and will ever be the creature or the created.

The writer or writers of Proverbs offers incredible insight into life, and human nature as well as giving prescriptions for advancing in the Kingdom of God or in our personal relationships with Him Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  In this Chapter, the emphasis is RIGHTEOUSNESS and offers insight into why we do not have it and how we can have it.  If we understand RIGHTEOUSNESS as “Right Standing” rather than simply acts or activities, we will benefit greatly in consideration of many truths in God’s word.  I find it interesting that he begins his comments with “knowledge” and “correction”.  When I consider the second part of that first sentence I am immediately drawn to the idea that “loving instruction and knowledge” indicates a willingness to receive correction, rebuke, and/or chastisement because we understand the purpose of those in our lives.  If we reject correction, the writer says we are ‘stupid.’  I am always cautious about using that term because of the offense it conveys but when we consider the ways and words of God we must remember the words of Psalm 14:1, “…the fool says in His heart, there is no God.”  Therefore, using that term in this context is not only appropriate but necessary.

When the writer speaks of a “good man” the words of Jesus immediately come to mind when He asked in Mark 10:18, “Why do you call me good?… there is none good but one, that is, God.”  I consider how any man becomes ‘good’ and that is through God for as we know from Romans 3:10, “As it is written:  There is no one righteous, not even one…”  We also know that our righteousness is as filthy rags before God.  It is HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS that makes us Righteous and His Grace that enables us to walk in Right Standing with Him.

In v.3 we discover an incredible truth, simple but powerful.  Wickedness will fail but righteousness will help us become like trees planted by refreshing water and like houses built on a firm foundation.  If we ‘seek first God and His kingdom’ we will find that we are able to ‘think the thoughts of Christ’ and bring every thought ‘captive’ to the obedience of Christ thus making our thought right, wholesome, and productive.  Deceit is in the heart and mind of the wicked and they are devious and treacherous in their interpersonal dealings with others.  What happens to them?  According to v.7 they are overthrown and cease to exist contrasted to those so ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness’ and walk uprightly before God.  The wicked’s house falls but the house of the righteous is firmly fixed in God’s truth and stands against all storms.

Then we skip down to vv.13-14 and the message there is, in my view, not only powerful but desperately needed in our daily lives.  We need to not only hear but heed this truth and incorporate it into our lives.  We are told that the ‘wicked’ are ensnared by the transgression of their lips.  As a friend in East Texas used to say, “They let their elephant mouths overload their peanut behinds.”  Their mouths write checks they cannot cover and thus they are ‘ensnared’ and God holds us accountable for every word that we speak.  The contrast is that the Righteous will ‘come through trouble’.  The Bible never teaches that there will not be difficult for godly people but that ‘through it all’ we will come forth and as Job, we need to be careful to ‘not sin or charge God foolishly’.  We need to seek for the Holy Spirit to set a guard at our lips and our minds so that we SAY the right things and AGREE with God’s declaration and assessment of any and every situation.  Isaiah 57:19 speaks of God creating the ‘fruit of the lips’ and Hebrews 13:15 brings that into our lives, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.”

The writer declares that the FRUIT OF OUR MOUTH  will bring satisfaction.  Remember what Jesus did when He endured the Temptation in the Wilderness with the devil?  He continually said and I emphasize SAID, “It is written…”  He quoted Scripture.  He rehearsed what God had said.  He declared God’s truth with His mouth and it defeated the devil.  If our words match our works, we will enjoy the fruit of v.14 and not only be SATISFIED we will have the RECOMPENSE of God for our labors. We will demonstrate Faith and Works and the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts will be acceptable in His sight.

May the Lord help each of us carefully guard our words and have our words match our walk, work, and warfare.  We can AGREE with God and realize the harvest of the fruit of His Promises in our lives.  God, bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

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WE ARE DEBTORS…


Spiritual Blog - Debtors

Romans 8:12 – “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”  NKJV

We often blame Adam for our sin but I want to suggest to you that it is not Adams’ sin but ours that separates us from God.  Adam opened the door for human depravity and the dominion of the devil but no person will go to hell for Adams’ sin.  Only Adam will be judged for what he did and we will be judged for what we do.  This was addressed in Exodus 18:20, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.  The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”  You won’t go to heaven or hell based on what your parents or anyone else have done.  You will be responsible for your life and actions.

In Romans 8:1 we read, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”  When we come to Jesus we are governed by a new law, Spirit not Flesh.  We are governed by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and that liberates and trumps the Law of Sin and Death.  The Spirit triumphs over the flesh.  Paul continues reminding them and us that IN CHRIST we do not have to be governed by carnal passions or evil desires but we have access to the Spirit of Life in Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  He identifies that this is a faith choice and involves self-discipline and even an element of will-power but we are not to be and do not have to walk according to the flesh.  We have a new dimension open to us and the plea is for us to walk after the Spirit rather than the flesh.

Notice Romans 8:9-11, “But you are not in the flesh, IF indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  NOW if anyone does not have Christ, he is not His. AND if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. BUT if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead gives life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  AMAZING!  You are living in a body, a tabernacle of clay but the FLESH is dead because of sin but in your SPIRIT, you are alive because of Christ.  Hallelujah!  The Spirit of Christ is what is sustaining your mortal body and giving you life naturally and spiritually.  You are indwelt by deity and alive by the Spirit.  That makes you a debtor.

You are in debt because of sin.  Jesus paid the purchase price for your redemption, a price you could never pay so you are indebted to Him for your salvation.  The flesh did not give us life even though we were born and breathed the breath of the oxygen of the earthly atmosphere and called that life.  The flesh cannot save our eternal souls. The flesh leads us away from God and life not toward and into it.  We are debtors but not to the flesh and therefore are under no obligation to live according to the lusts of the flesh or the dictates of the flesh.  Our debt is to GOD.  Our debt is to Jesus.  Our debt is to the Spirit and if we commit ourselves to God and determine to Walk after the Spirit of God we find that He enables us to ‘bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.’  He enables us to have the ‘mind of Christ’ in our daily living.  He enables us to live free of sin and walk in righteousness.  No, we are not perfect but we are forgiven and in our state of forgiveness we are able to reject the flesh and embrace the Spirit.

Live FREE, knowing that in Bondage you do not have to remain!  Jesus lives in me and I am set free.  May we all learn to you live by the Spirit not by the Flesh.  You are a DEBTOR and will ever be for you can never pay the debt you owe.  It is by Grace you are saved, not of works.  It cannot be earned, bought, or even deserved it is GIVEN out of God’s Great Love!  God, bless you as you learn to LIVE FREE in Jesus!

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GOD’S REAL RESCUE MISSION…


Spiritual Blog - Redeemed

Colossians 1:13-14 – “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  NASU

 

The NKJV renders this, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His Love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”  I like both renderings and consider them both incredibly accurate and revealing.  I know believers for whom the picture of their spiritual life is found in the old song, “Hold the Fort.”  They are waiting on Jesus to come on the Grand Rescue Mission and take them out of this troubled world where the devil is on the loose and they are barely hanging on.  Not, all feel that way but some do.

Therefore, I want to address what I believe is God’s Real Rescue Mission and it is described in the text above.  Whether you identify Salvation as being ‘rescued’ or ‘delivered’ it is clearly a divine act of the Holy Spirit to bring us into a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Grace and Faith, we are BORN AGAIN and that experience ‘transfers’ or ‘conveys’ us out of the devil’s dominion, authority, or power into God’s kingdom.  It is through the NEW BIRTH that we are transferred, transformed, or translated from one kingdom and rule to another.  Redemption through the forgiveness of sin.

From the time of Adam in the Garden until Jesus Christ man was under the dominion of the devil who had legal standing to dominate the lives of men.  Adam’s sin, the one who had been given dominion over the earth, transferred that authority or dominion to the devil.  Adam and Eve’s disobedience, their choice to disobey God brought about the depravity of the race and UNTIL Jesus and His work on the Cross we were subject to the devil.  But, at the Cross Jesus cried, IT IS FINISHED and that signified that He had broken the power of the devil and in a great sense completed His True Rescue Mission for mankind.  He purchased our salvation with His own blood and truly ‘bought us back’ allowing Him to legally transfer us from one kingdom to another.  HE RESCUED US!

Later in Colossians Paul gives us a clear description of what Jesus did and what happens in our redemption experience.  In Jesus, we are MADE ALIVE together with Him through the forgiveness of our sin.  His work on the Cross took God’s divine eraser and wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us.  He dismissed all the charges.  He expunged the record through His blood.  At the Cross, He took all that away and nailed it to the Cross.  His sacrificial death ‘disarmed’ the devil, his principalities, and powers.  But, it goes beyond that, as Paul uses the imagery of a Roman General being awarded a TRIUMPH!  He would be placed in a special chariot and parade through the city with the spoils of his victory on display and his conquered enemies in chains walking behind him.  They were made a public spectacle as he triumphed over them.  THAT IS WHAT JESUS HAS DONE TO THE DEVIL and we must get that image in our minds.  He fully defeated the devil, broke his claim over man, and rescued us.  If we understand the VICTORY OF CALVARY we will quickly realize the power of the words, “We are more than conquerors through Jesus.”  We will quickly realize that it is now incumbent on us to ENFORCE the Victory of Calvary.  The devil can only intimidate he has no authority over us.  WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED.

In that light, why are we simply “holding the fort?”  Why are we simply trying to ‘endure to the end?’  Why are we not living RESCUED and DELIVERED?  Why are we not enjoying the fullness of His Promises?  Why are we allowing the devil to continue to operate as though he were still in charge?  WHY?  You have to answer that for yourself, but I pray that each of us determines in our heart that since we have been RESCUED and TRANSFERRED we will now live DELIVERED and FREE!

            God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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LIVING SACRIFICES…


Spiritual Blog - Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-3 – “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.”  NKJV

  

I have often wondered and discussed with believers the idea of “Living Sacrifices” and some of the thoughts I have heard and hear amaze me.  I have heard from some well-meaning believers that this means intentional suffering.  They have the idea that ‘suffering’ is God’s desire and that somehow suffering produces spirituality.  What I hear in those instances is almost the idea of flagellation.  They would never go that far but they almost pray for ‘suffering’ and ‘difficulty.’ 

The Bible speaks of us a bricks or stones in God’s building and calls us “living stones.”  The problem with living stones as contrasted to natural stones is living stones have a mind, will, and emotion and sometimes don’t stay where they are inserted into the building.  Likewise, living sacrifices do not always stay on the altar and thereby do not remain sacrifices or that which is committed and dedicated to God.  If you take a sacrifice in the natural it does not get up and walk away from the altar it dies there and remains there.

Paul’s plea for the believers to give themselves to God as “living sacrifices” and makes it wonderfully clear this is not simply an act of the individual’s will or self-discipline, it is by the mercies of God.  It is by God’s enablement, His grace that we are able to do this.  It is an act of dedication and commitment but it is also a supernatural work.  Paul goes further and calls this a “reasonable service” not an extraordinary act of piousness.  It is simply the expected and should be a normal and natural result of our commitment to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  The life that we commit is to be holy or set apart.  He is talking less about the natural body than the entire man but includes the natural body and that is a reason for us to take heed to our physical person as well as our spiritual person.

But, he does not stop there, he identifies some results of our becoming ‘Living Sacrifices’ to God that resonates powerfully in my spirit.  If our reasonable service is to be a Living Sacrifice to God and in that condition and position, we can experience and achieve the full objective identified by Paul.  He said, “And…”  That connector immediately shouts, “Here it comes!”  Read it with me, “And do not be conformed to this world…”  That should be a top priority for every child of God that we ‘come out from among them and separate ourselves unto God.’  Not, that we become isolationist and isolate and insulate ourselves from the world so that we have not contact and no impact on them.  It is that we are not influenced and shaped by the world and worldview.  “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”  That identifies the importance of the mind in salvation.  Remember the words of Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior – one who manipulates].”  As the NKJV renders it, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”   We are charged to ‘bring every thought captive to the Lord’ and to ‘have the mind of Christ.’  The mind is a powerful and wonderful part of our makeup and is deeply involved in our salvation. As our minds are renewed or reprogrammed we find that we experience TRANSFORMATION rather than CONFORMATION.

The apostle then makes a powerful declaration that this process enables us to determine and demonstrate as well as experience the Will of God which is good, acceptable, and perfect.  I won’t deal with the trifecta that is often taught in that portion of that scripture only that as a RENEWED MIND TRANSFORMS us we are able to prove or establish then walk in the will of God.  That, in my view, is powerful and desirable.  Would you not like to be able to prove or establish the Will of God in your life with such clarity and certainty that it is unquestioned?  Would you not like to experience a relationship with God where you are in a continual state of renewal and transformation moving from glory to glory and revelation to revelation in Him?  How do you get there?  First, allow the Holy Spirit and Grace of God to place you on the altar as a Living Sacrifice and STAY THERE.  Then, begin the process of renewing and reprograming our mind through the Word and Prayer.  This will TRANSFORM you and guard against your being CONFORMED to the world and as you enter that state you will discover the Will of God.

God, bless you as you step out in faith and commitment!

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THE SECRET PLACE OF GOD…


Spiritual Blog - Secret Place

Psalm 91:1 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”  NKJV

 

The Secret Place of the Most High is clearly a place of safety and it obviously very near to Him for the Psalmist said that if we dwell there we also abide under the shadow of God.  I do believe that in order to be the shadow of someone you have to be near them.  I was teaching from this passage and the question arose, “What is the Secret Place of God?”  The inquiry was genuine because of the obviousness of the Provision and Protection it affords.  The inquiry was a sincere desire to draw so near to God that they could walk in His shadow.

In Psalm 27:5 we read, “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”  Here the Psalmist identifies the Secret Place of God as being in His Presence and is a place of protection in His tabernacle.  This provides an image of one being in the Holy of Holies legitimately and the one there was covered with the Shekinah Glory of God and His Presence ministered to and protected them.  In Psalm 31:20 we read, “You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”  The secret place is the Presence of God and in that place, there is protection from wagging tongues and those that desire to harm.  Then in Psalm 32:7 we find, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”  The Psalmist identifies God as our Hiding Place and in that place, we have preservation from trouble and enter an attitude and experience of Praise and Worship.

If you could live your life always covered with the Shadow of God would you fear the devil?  If you knew you had a place to run and hide if the flood waters of life were overflowing you would you allow anxiety to steal your faith or dreams?  If you knew that you could have permanent residence in the presence of God would you not seek to change your address to that location?  That is the place that the Psalmist identifies as being his abode and place of promise in God.  That produced a faith declaration and a life determination that you and I need to learn and reach for.  He said as a result of dwelling the Secret Place of God and abiding under the Shadow of the Almighty, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” That is a place of confidence and commitment.  That is a place of blessing and victory. That is a place of rejoicing and worship. That is the Place that Jesus said He came to provide for us on this earth.

The Psalmist, looking out from under the Shadow of God in his position in God’s Secret Place expressed confidence that God would deliver from the traps of the devil.  He expressed confidence that the pestilence and destruction the devil seeks to send upon us would not penetrate our abode.  He identified a place of living that was so close to God it was literally under the Strong Right Hand of God.  It was a place in Truth and that Truth protected from all enemies regardless of what they were.  No enemy could succeed in bringing destruction and although there may be casualties in life, you will not be one because of your Place of Residence in the Secret Place of God.  He declared that because God is our refuge and dwelling place we are spared from evil and have an angelic guard watching over us and even lifting us in their hands to keep us from bruising our feet on the rocks of the road of life.  We discover that from this position and condition even the ravenous spirits that would devour and destroy are tamed.  Because of our commitment and dwelling in the Secret Place of God we have the promise of deliverance in all things and at all times.  THAT IS INCREDIBLE and a Promise that too few believe, receive, or seek.

Look at the last statement, “With long life, I will satisfy him, and show him My Salvation.”  No wonder the Psalmist could declare in Psalm 118:17, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”  God has an assignment for us and has given us Promise and Provision including Long Life or Time to fulfill His Purposes and complete our mission in this life.

Rejoice in your promise, move into your place of provision, and become that which He declared you to be.  God, bless you richly is my prayer!

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YOU ARE DEAD – But Not Dead as In Dead…


Spiritual Blog - Dead But Alive

Romans 6:11 – “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  NKJV

Romans 6 is a fun but difficult Chapter for most believers.  The apostle Paul spent a great deal of time dealing with the matter of Law vs Grace and explaining the purpose of the Law and the beauty of Grace.  He must have had a wonderful sense of humor, although he may have been stoically serious when he wrote and spoke the words of the first two verses of this chapter.  “What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”  Everybody that I know, who has received Jesus as Savior, has struggled with sin even after salvation.  Some to a greater degree than others and some wouldn’t admit it if caught red-handed but everybody I know has experienced struggle.

Paul goes through a lengthy and detailed explanation of the condition of our position in Christ through Grace and the focal point is YOU ARE DEAD.  You have been Crucified.  You are no longer bound by sin but you have been liberated and released from the power of darkness.  We died with Jesus in our Old Man.  The thought of death could be morbid but Paul says, take heart saints.  “If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…”  We are Dead but not Dead as in Dead physically but Dead as in dead to Sina and Alive in Freedom from Sin!  Death and Sin no longer have any legal authority over you, if you are IN CHRIST through Grace.  Jesus died once that we might live forever!  Hallelujah!

Paul brings us to v.11 and reminds them of the Life and Death and Resurrection of Jesus and says, “Likewise…”  Just like He did it.  “Likewise, you also…”  This is after, the work of grace in your heart and your part in the process.  This is not to get you into grace but because you are in grace.  “…you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  If you are trying to get saved every day you have not reckoned yourself dead to sin.  You are recognizing and giving validity to sin and acknowledging its power in your life.  Jesus paid the price for our salvation and IF we have repented of our sins, called up His name and received His Grace WE ARE SAVED.  That’s what the Bible declares.  If we are saved we are “New Creations, Dead to Sin, and Alive to God.”  We have been BORN AGAIN and in that state, we are DEAD but ALIVE.  Dead to Sin, but Alive to God. That is a determination that we must make.  We, by our faith declaration and commitment of mind, determine that based on what God’s Word has declared and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we are DEAD to Sin…  Dead to Unrighteousness.  Dead to the Old Man.  But, we are ALIVE to God and in God.  You cannot be Dead to Sin and give place to it at the same time.

            Sin either has authority over you or no authority over you.  The devil knows that you have been saved and in God’s eyes you are no longer bound by sin, YOU ARE DEAD.  However, he knows that if you either do not know it or do not fully believe it he can manipulate, influence and deceive you.  He loves it when you struggle every day to believe that you HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.  He delights in reminding you of every wrong thought, word, or deed and chides you with, “A good Christian would not do that, think that, or be like that.”  Remind him of the Cross. Remind him of the grave. Remind him of the resurrection.  Remind him that he is a defeated foe and no longer has any legal claim on you for you are DEAD TO SIN through Jesus Christ and ALIVE unto God.  You are DEAD but not Dead as in Dead but Dead as in Alive!

Stop allowing the devil to intimidate you and RECKON (determine, judge, esteem) yourself to be DEAD to Sin and ALIVE unto God through Jesus Christ.  That’s what God says about you so why not agree with God for a change instead of agreeing with the devil?

            Blessings abundantly as you enjoy this wonderful day in Jesus!

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