Life

TALK TO YOUR MOUNTAIN…(Continued…)


Spiritual Blog - Mountains

Mark 11:12-14; 19-24 – “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response, Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” 

And His disciples heard it. 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  NKJV 

Let’s consider some rules or instructions for MOVING A MOUNTAIN in our lives.

  • Be Careful Not to Build the Mountain in the First Place.

Overly simplistic?  Possibly but I would suggest that it might be presumptive to expect God to allow us to be Mountain Movers when we are Mountain Builders.  Praying for a mountain to move would likely prove difficult and unlikely if we are responsible for it being there and continuing to add rocks to its height.  I have discovered that in some cases there is a hindrance to:

Healing because of the presence of a root of bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, etc.  Finances because of disregard for frugality, jealousy, envy, and greed is in the heart.  Right Living because we continue to pursue bad associations.

If we know we are doing things to create and sustain the mountain don’t you think it might be wise to deal with those issues before trying to speak to that mountain and move it by faith?  Just a thought.

  • Be Sure That What You Are Saying Is In Harmony With God’s Word.

Jesus was not, in my opinion, talking about prayer in this passage.  He did not ask the Father to move the mountain.  In verse 22 Jesus refers to having “Faith”, faith in God.  He did not say, “Pray that the Father will move the mountain.” He taught that IF we believe and expect the mountain to move it will move.  An addendum to my comments about us building the mountain, does it not make sense that if we can build a mountain we can also remove one?

Jesus taught his followers that they could move the mountain by “speaking to it.”  I know some will find that problematic but it is what He said.  The first time Jesus used the word “say” in verse 23 the Greek word was [lego] and the second time was [epo] and is used in Mark 1:44.  The implication or message could be rendered, “You have said or you have been saying.”  It means issuing a command with your own voice and being adamantly firm.  It would be saying to the mountain, “Go throw yourself into the sea.”  The idea is that this is not simply a one-time occurrence but something you say and say and say and say UNTIL it happens.  Again, I am cautious in this and do not want to suggest that if you repeat something over and over you can make it happen.  The key is speaking to what God is speaking to or firmly lodged in His will and word and doing so with anticipatory faith, refusing to give up or give in.

  • Be Sure Your Heart Is In Line With Your Tongue.

I am convinced that you can talk until you are blue in the face and command whatever you please but if your heart is not firmly rooted in the pursuit of God and His Kingdom and your heart aligned with His will and purpose it will be nothing more than words.  Hear the words of Jesus, “…and does not doubt in his heart…”  This is not necessarily an evidence of a weakness of faith but uncertainty of heart and mind.

We have God’s promise and may well believe God’s word but if we speak that promise to the mountain and in our hearts we are uncertain, then we are at odds with ourselves and fit the classification of “double-mindedness” and that, we are told, opens no doors.  Doubt is a breach that excludes God’s help. Doubt is located in the heart and that means we can change it or conquer it.  I have had pilots tell me that the biggest thing they had to overcome in learning to fly was fear.  But as they learn to trust their equipment fear departed.  Knowledge dispelled and replaced fear with confidence and certainty.

  • Be Sure That You Believe What You Are Commanding.

I believe that this is where Grace plays a significant role in faith.  Grace is far more than God’s unmerited favor it is God’s divine enablement.  In a very real sense, it is God’s Power in operation. Again, I remind you we are not talking about prayer but stepping forth on God’s Promise and appropriating the promise.  There are times in our lives when financial burdens, sickness, relational problems, etc. become so large and imposing they hinder all forward progress and MUST BE MOVED. What do we do?

Prepare Our Hearts and remove all the things that created the mountain in our lives. We remove the ground or foundation upon which it is built.  Then, we address the issue calling it by name, standing on the authority of Scripture and speak with confidence free of doubt, because if God said it we know it is true and persist.

Pray this prayer with me:  “Heavenly Father, I believe I am who You say I am and that I will become all that You say I can become.  Through Your help, I will stop building mountains and will become a mountain mover, not a mountain builder.  I will set a guard at my mouth and carefully watch my words so they do not contradict my heart and I will speak GRACE to the mountain that is before me hindering my path.  It will move and give way to the Power and Will of God.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen!”

 God bless you as you continue your journey through today’s opportunities and victories.

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TALK TO YOUR MOUNTAIN…


Spiritual Blog - Mountains

Mark 11:12-14; 19-24 – “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

 And His disciples heard it.

 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  NKJV

 

An aside to what I hope to say is something that stands out in this passage powerfully to me is found in verse 14.  It was after Jesus cursed the fig tree, we find these word, “And His disciples heard it.”  How powerful it is to HEAR what Jesus says or has said.  That is a life changing experience.  But back to what I desire to address in what I consider a perplexing passage of Scripture and one that many believers have attempted to make a reality in their lives and failed.  Who among us does not have or has not faced MOUNTAINS in our lives?  We all want to know how to remove those barriers that hinder our progress.  Therefore, this scripture is powerfully challenging and wonderfully intriguing.

The people of Judah, in Jesus’ day, considered a mountain any hindrance to their progress, as should we.  Therefore, when Jesus told them they could have whatever they said, and even told them they could MOVE MOUNTAINS, they could readily identify with His message.  How many of the actually believed His words are quite another story, but then how many in Churches today believe God’s words literally when He says what He does in vv. 23-24?

I recall a story of a woman who had to walk around a mountain every day to get to work in town and she heard this message preached so she went home that night and spoke to the mountain, “Be Gone and be cast into the sea.”  She then went to bed, got up the next morning, looked out the window and said, “Just as I expected, still there!”  I believe the words of Jesus that we can MOVE MOUNTAINS whether literally or figuratively in our lives but there are some rules for mountain moving and unless we understand the process and principle we will find failure a more constant companion that we would like, in this regard.  I believe it is incredibly important that we understand HOW the hindrance or mountain came to be.

Let me offer this picture I hope will resonate.  If we create a financial mountain by the lack of wisdom and mishandling finances or lack of discipline, we will not be able to speak to it and move it.  We built it and we will have to tear it down stone by stone.  If our mountain is physical illness, and we are aware of our failure to eating properly, exercise regularly as we should and are guilty of abusing our bodies thus jeopardizing our health, there will likely be no moving of that mountain UNTIL we correct the problem that produced it.  I am not saying that if anyone is sick it is because they did something wrong but I am saying if we know you brought about whatever the mountain is, we will have to take steps to correct that behavior first.

I apologize that I spent too much time introducing what I wanted to discuss and now realize that brevity might be wisdom and will pause until the next devotional to address some rules for MOVING A MOUNTAIN in your life.

            God bless you as you enjoy the wonders of this day God has given us!

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IT IS NOT “If” I TRUST IT IS “Who” I TRUST… [Part Two]


Spiritual Blog - Trust

Jeremiah 17:5-8 – “Thus says the LORD:

 “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.

 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”  NKJV

 

When we TRUST THE FLESH rather than God the natural result is LEGALISM and that is an attempt to achieve righteousness with God by keeping a set of rules.  Romans 3:20 rules that out as a viable option. The Law shows us that we do not measure up, that we have sinned, missed the mark, and come short, but it cannot transform us.  James 2:10 warns of attempting to follow that pathway.  Legalism is the attempt to impose extra conditions for achieving righteousness beyond what God has declared in Scripture.

Romans 4:24-25 gives insight as to the simplicity of God’s Plan and the sufficiency of His Grace.  The requirement of Grace is that we “Trust ourselves to Him, believing that what He has and is doing is sufficient.”  Jesus died to atone for our sins and rose again that we might be reckoned righteous.  THAT’S IT!  There is nothing that has to be added.  It is not the Cross, the Finished Work of Christ AND…  It is Grace and His work is finished.  It is completely complete!  Paul’s question in Galatians 3:3 is powerful, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?”  In Galatians 5:19-21 the apostle lists works of the flesh and makes it clear that not one of them is acceptable to God.  In Galatians 3:10 Paul calls the culmination of this A CURSE, the same thought as found in Jeremiah 17:5.

Most believers would never knowingly participate in WITCHCRAFT but sadly some fall prey through Legalism or the Works of the Flesh where they make flesh their strength. They adopt a philosophy that they can EARN IT and it becomes the Cross Plus.  John 19:30, as Jesus hung on the Cross He said, “IT IS FINISHED.”  What does finished mean?  Hebrews 10 teaches us that none of the efforts of man can redeem Him and that Jesus came and gave Himself once for all to REDEEM MAN.  Nothing more is required.  IT IS FINISHED!

He is Lord!  We are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to Promise.  We are heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Jesus.  We are blessed with ALL Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God.  We have been given power and authority over all the power of the devil and we are IN HIM and He is IN US and His Promises are great and precious.  We are SAVED by the Blood of Jesus by Grace through Faith!  All we need to do is say THANK YOU!

Therefore, I encourage you as a child of God to know your inheritance and realize:

  • Trust the Flesh and you are limited and defeated.
  • Trust Christ’s Finished Work and All things are possible to you.
  • Trust the Flesh and you will experience frustration, discouragement, and disappointment.
  • Trust the Finished Work of Christ and you will have peace that passes human understanding.
  • Trust Your Feelings and deception will be your constant companion.
  • Trust His Finished Work and His Word will guide you and the Holy Spirit will give you Discernment.

           We are IN HIM, we are WITH HIM, and we have all things BY HIM.  It is the New Covenant.  We have a choice today to walk in the Blessings of God or live under the Curse of the Arm of Flesh. What is your choice?

          God bless you as you walk into the wonderful world of today in Jesus!

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IT IS NOT “If” I TRUST IT IS “Who” I TRUST…


Spiritual Blog - Trust

Jeremiah 17:5-8 – “Thus says the LORD: 

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. 

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”  NKJV

 

At the risk of being identified as one who focuses on the negative, I feel that I must address the Curse first.  I believe that the Curst pronounced by God can be seen in the Church of 2016.  What am I talking about?  TRUSTING FLESH.  Flesh, here, is not the physical body it is the nature in us, received by inheritance from our father Adam through the fall in the Garden of Eden.  If you will remember that Adam did not produce offspring until after he had transgressed God’s command.

Let me state emphatically that the essential motivation of Adam’s transgression was not the desire to do evil, but the desire to be independent of God.  That desire is found in all of Adam’s descendants.  It is THE FLESH – doing what we want, when we ant and how we want.  In Religion it “performs” and seeks approval by doing “righteous acts” without depending on the Supernatural Power of the Holy Spirit and Grace of God.  No matter how good the intentions, the final product will always be an Ishmael, not an Isaac.  It will be FLESH, not FAITH.

The Flesh of Man is corrupt!  Hebrews 6:1 identifies it as “dead works.”  Back to our text and topic, this person in Jeremiah 17:5 is not a stranger to the grace of God.  It calls him one “whose heart departs from the LORD.”  You can’t depart from what you have never known!  So, the one who has experienced  or known God’s Grace and turns back is trusting his own ability and thereby TRUSTING THE FLESH.  Jeremiah 17:6 gives a picture of the outworking of the curse in this individual’s life.  He lives in PARCHED PLACES and in a SALT LAND.  All that surrounds him is barren and dreary.  Others around him may be refreshed but it always eludes him and he lives in barrenness and frustration.  That is a terrible place!  He is like a bush in the desert having potential but no water needed to make it flourish.  He is in stony places where the soil is dry and shallow and not conducive for producing.  He will not see prosperity when it comes because he is spiritually blind and fruitless.  He lives in an uninhabited salt land where there is no reproduction and fruitlessness is the norm. That is a terrible condition!

THERE IS A DANGER we must note.  Every move of God of any significance in Christendom began with a powerful supernatural work of the Grace and Spirit of God.  God’s presence gave prominence not what they did but WHAT HE DID and WHO HE IS.  Over time, history reveals, they begin to rely on their natural abilities and do the best they can in their own abilities.  They MADE FLESH THEIR STRENGTH.  I will not charge that it was or is  malicious, but in reality, the hearts departed from God.  They may and many do gain religious and intellectual respectability but forfeit God’s Power and Presence.  What happens is the exaltation of the Carnal over the Spiritual. That is manifested in numerous ways some are:

  • Theology becomes exalted over Revelation.
  • Education is placed above Character.
  • Psychology overshadows Spiritual Discernment.
  • Program supersedes the Leading of the Spirit of God.
  • Eloquence desired above the Supernatural Power.
  • Reason replaces Faith.
  • Laws have more prominence than Love.

            The Lifeblood of any person or church is Relationship with God and the continual revelation of God’s person to His people.  If you shut that off, all you have is a study about God not the Living Presence of the LIVING GOD HIMSELF.  All those find their root in one basic error.  Putting man in a place God has reserved solely for Himself, through Christ’s finished work on the Cross.  In Galatians 3:1-10, Paul traces the problem from its source to its culmination and calls it WITCHCRAFT.  I know that will be troubling for some but read verse 1 and you will follow what I’m saying.  What has blinded the spiritual eyes and clouded the mind? What has covered the Cross so that whereas we could see God (Jeremiah 17:5) but now we cannot – – WHAT HAPPENED?  If we lose sight of the Grace of God in its fullness the inevitable result is returning or turning to a System of Religious Laws where we Trust the Flesh to Perform.

I will say more on this subject but pause here and pray that God grant you a new vision of Him and enable you to see any areas in which you are trusting flesh rather than God and run to the altar and receive His Presence today. 

           God bless you as you enjoy this day He has made and be overflowing with rejoicing and thanksgiving!

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WHO DECIDES WHAT IS AND IS NOT FOR TODAY BIBLICALLY?


Spiritual Blog - Pickiing

Mark 16:14-18 – “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  NKJV

 

My title question is a valid one and one that I have received more and varying answers than I could have imagined.  Some take this passage and relegate parts of it to bygone eras, the disciples, and the 1st Century Church and yet include other portions as valid for today.  Who makes that decision?  At what point in this passage did Jesus say, “This part is for now and this part will continue from generation to generation?”  I have had some use or attempt to use 1 Corinthians 13:10 as their argument against anything miraculous or the operation of the gifts of the spirit today.  It reads: “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part will be done away.”  The assertion is that the recognized Bible fulfills that which is perfect and therefore many things are no longer valid or appropriate for today.

Hold on Nellie!  Let’s back up a few verses to 1 Corinthians 13:8 and begin evaluating what the apostle said in its fullness.  He said, “Love never fails…”  Okay, I get that God is love and God is eternal therefore if we are to experience, operate in and demonstrate God we will have love present always.  So far so good, right?  Then he says, “But whether there are prophecies, the will fail…”  So we toss prophecy out the window under this interpretation.  Next, he says, “Whether there are tongues, they will cease…”  The assertion is that tongues are not for today but what tongues are we talking about?  Then we come to a major problem where the apostle says, “Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away…”  Now, who is going to argue that KNOWLEDGE has vanished and wouldn’t that be counterintuitive because the Bible dispenses knowledge and is filled with instructions to seek knowledge, but if we are to follow the interpretation to its logical conclusion we toss knowledge out the window too.  What are we left with?  LOVE.  Now, I would never argue that we’d be better off with love as the driving force for our world but how can we conclude that is what God was talking about?

What do we do with James 5:13-18?  “Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.  Is anyone cheerful?  Let him sing psalms.  Is anyone among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. AND…”  The and… is important because the next words declare, “AND the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”    The remainder of that passage we take when it suits our doctrinal view and interpretation but reject when it touches things we have relegated to bygone eras.  Who decides which we can pick and choose? 

The writer of Hebrews makes a powerful statement and one that is difficult to square with the view that we are to take some of God’s promises and directives as valid for today and relegate others to history.  It says in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  If He is and then we come to 1 John 4:17 which speaks about perfected love and its power and then adds something spectacular, “…because as He is, so are we in this world.”  As He IS not was and not will be but AS HE IS, so are we in this, not the just next world.

I question why God would tell us to do something if He did not mean for us to do it.  Virtually all believers embrace, “Go into all the world and preach…”  However, many have declared that only the 1st-century church had miracles because they needed miracles to establish the church.  Let me ask, “If miracles got people’s attention back then, why do we think they would do less today?  If miracles opened doors for preaching the gospel then why would it do less today?”  I confess, I do not want to pick up snakes and have no intention of doing so.  However, I fully believe that were I, as happened to Paul, accidently encounter one I could expect God to perform a miracle for me.  Also, knowing that there is a literal side to this I am convinced there is also a spiritual aspect to the serpents and while the slithering critter is definitely in the scope interpretation I believe demonic powers are as well and that old serpent, the devil, and his crowd are also rendered powerless when we go in Jesus name.

Someone asked me if I believe in divine healing and I quickly answer yes.  I have personally experienced it in my own body.  Once was when I broke the radial head in my right arm playing softball in a church league.  I saw the X-rays and heard the reports of the doctors declaring that it was broken and depressed almost enough to require surgery.  Ten days later, at my insistence X-rays were taken and the diagnosis was a perfectly healthy right arm was in the film.  Bones do not heal in ten days but God healed mine.  Also, I had parathyroid cancer and my doctor declared that what had transpired was a miracle and beyond medical possibility.  I saw God heal my mother of a broken back where she was paralyzed.  I have seen other miracles of healing.  Then they asked, “Why is it that everyone doesn’t get healed?”  That is a perplexing question.  Some believe it is simply the lack of faith, but if I believed that a person was not healed because I did not manifest enough faith or faith, I would go into such depression or become so calloused that I would say, as I’ve heard said, “Well, they just didn’t have enough faith.”  The speaker excused themselves and blamed the person needing healing.  I can’t square that with James 5 nor can I square it with many other passages of scripture.  The real answer is I DON’T KNOW.  I believe in every promise God has given and understand that faith or the lack thereof is definitely a part of any equation but I also know that I am not God and some things I wrestle with and am not casually willing to just say, “Oh well, the providence of God” and absolve myself from responsibility.  No, I want to continually seek God to be and become a person that walks in the fullness of His promises and follows His directives fully.

So, I choose to believe that if God says it He means it and if He is, and He is, the same yesterday, today, and forever then what He declared to the apostles He speaks to me today.  You can agree or disagree and that I will leave to you and God to sort out.  But, if you are sick I will lay on of hands, anoint with oil, and pray and believe that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much.

            God bless you as you enjoy all His blessings on this wonderful day!

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LET’S TALK ABOUT “Faith Gates”… [Part Two]


Spiritual Blog - Faith

1 John 5:4-5 – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  NKJV

 

I hope that what we said yesterday did not leave the impression that everything is entirely dependent upon you alone.  God has HELPERS or HELPS to lead us on the right path.

Consider some examples:

  • THOMAS the Doubter.

God initiated the experience where Thomas’ faith was ignited and God is no respecter of persons as Acts 10:34 declares.  If He did it for Thomas, He will do it for you and me.

  • THE DISCIPLES on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24.

Imagine, those two disciples who had seen Jesus perform miracles.  They had seen the dead raised, the 5,000 fed, the water turned into wine, and much more.  Those disciples were walking to Emmaus weak in faith.  Their faith had degenerated to the point that it was little more than a whimsical wish.  Their words in verse 21 illustrated that reality, “We trusted (past tense) that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.”

You have to grasp the reality that they were not anchoring their Faith in the redemption or resurrection of the Lord.  Jesus had spent three years with them and now He heard them speaking incredible doubt and unbelief.  How could they be rescued?  In verse 25, Jesus said, “O foolish ones, and slow heart to believe…”  Then in verse 27 He began at Moses and all the Prophets and walked them through the truth of God’s Word and Promises.  They still struggled and their faith floundered but when He appeared to them in verses 30-31 their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.  When they saw His hands their faith soared.  God has Faith Amplifiers that He will use to encourage us.

  • GIDEON in Judges 6 the Mighty Man of Valor.

Gideon exhibited some signs of cowardice at the time the angel appeared to him.  What happened to transform him into a Might Man of Valor?  God gave him a Word (Rhema). That word got into his ears, flowed through his mind and as he meditated on it that word got into his heart and FAITH soared.  His faith was transformed from the theoretical to the experiential and became realized reality.  I believe that is exactly what Paul was referring to in Romans 4:17, saying that God calls those things that be not as though they were.  In Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for (that which you actively anticipate), the evidence of things not seen.”  Evidence of the unseen?  That is where your imagination must become an active part of the process.  You see it in your mind through the spirit and then you reach for it.

  • ABRAHAM.

God told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the grains of sands on the seashore.  Those were constant reminders of the Promise.  Biblically there were two Israel’s – Sand = Natural or the Earthly and Stars = Spiritual or Faith.

The Holy Spirit will not only teach us the words of Jesus but use Faith Amplifiers to cause our faith to explode and soar moving us from the theoretical to the experiential or realized.  If we want to become that which God has designed and desired we must carefully guard the Gates of our Lives.

God bless you as you go through this day in Jesus!

 

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LET’S TALK ABOUT “Faith Gates”


Spiritual Blog - Gates

1 John 5:4-5 – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  NKJV

 

It is my genuine desire that I, my family, and the Body of Christ rise above the theoretical into the realized experience of the Victorious Plateau of KNOWING who we are in Christ and fully enjoy, embrace, and experience our FULL INHERITANCE in Christ.  I would suggest a number of passages for you to read as you consider this topic:  [1 John 5:4-5; Hebrews 11:6; Mark 11:22; Galatians 2:20; Romans 10:17; Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23] 

I believe it is obvious that FAITH is an absolutely essential quality or characteristic in the life of the Child of God. I also believe that DOUBT and UNBELIEF are incredible enemies of the life-walk of faith.  FAITH and DOUBT, to be active in a life must come out of the HEART.  Therefore, if I am to KNOW who I am in Christ and move from the theoretical to the experiential reality, there are some things that must happen in our lives.

  • We must be Born-Again – – [1 Corinthians 2:14; John 3:3; John 10:27]
  • We must apply ourselves to Discovering our Inheritance – – [2 Timothy 2:15]
  • We must discipline ourselves to Do what He Directs – – [Romans 10:17; Luke 8:21; Matthew 21:29; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Psalm 119:11]

For Faith to become a reality in my life it must move from the theoretical (mental) into the experiential (heart) producing a settle confidence of knowing.  The ultimate result is that we must become one with Christ.  Therefore, there are a few obvious thing that must come into focus.  I believe there a number of Gates we should consider and be aware of beneficial to our understanding and spiritual progress.

There is the EYE GATE – – The Visual or what I see or allow myself to view.

There is the EAR GATE – – The audio, what I hear, listen to or allow myself to hear.

There is the MIND GATE – – The Imagination, that upon which I meditate and evaluate.

There is the WILL GATE – – This is my choices, that which I choose.

Everything that comes through the Gate of my eyes and ears enters into my mind affects my will or willing.  The Bible speaks to our response regarding what we allow, in Ephesians 4:27 we are instructed to give no place to the devil and in Matthew 5:29; 18:9 and Mark 9:47 give clear direction as to what we allow entrance through the Gates of Life.  In fact Philippians 4:8 gives an extensive list of things to allow in our minds for meditation and ultimate entry into our hearts.  If we think, meditate, study or ponder these things they will get into our hearts and then Proverbs 23:7 becomes reality and we become what we focus on or become transformed by those things.

When anything stands before my Eye Gate, Ear Gate or Mind Gate I can choose its disposition, but when it gets into my heart I may find that I need to be rescued from its destructive impact.  Remember it got there by an exercise of choice or My Will.  The Eyes and Ears can only report. The Mind meditates, contemplates, associates, connects and rationalizes.  The Will chooses according to its strongest foundation either the flesh or the spirit, the world or the word of God.  I would offer a word of caution, that you do not try to avoid the use of the various Gates but you allow the Holy Spirit to utilize them to build a strong foundation of the Will where we recognize, discern and properly respond to all things that come to us and through us.

The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”  And in Psalm 101:3 declared, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes…”  Job spoke of making a covenant with his eyes and that is a promise I made to my wife when we married.  What we SEE, HEAR, and THINK have the potential to increase and strengthen our Faith or deter it.  If I see, hear, and think speaking fear, doubt, and question THEN I will choose that and DOUBT will reign in my heart.  But, if I address it when it is in my mind I can, by the help of the Holy Spirit, I can bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

I want to say more but will pause here for this devotional and ask that you digest what has been presented as the Holy Spirit moves you toward a strong condition of faith.  God bless you richly is my prayer!

 

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OUR COMMISSION FROM CHRIST…


Spiritual Blog - Commimssion

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

 

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

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

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

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

  • The Commission is GO.

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

  • The Commission is MAKE DISCIPLES.

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

  • The Commission is to BAPTIZE THEM.

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

  • The Commission carries PROMISE.

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

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

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WE NEED TO LEARN TO HARNESS OUR HARVEST…


Spiritual Blog - Harvest Law

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

 

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

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

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

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

  • The Sown Seed Must Be Rendered Useless.

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

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

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

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

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

  • The Seed Must Be Sown In Good Soil.

Matthew 13:8, “…other (seed) fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.”  It is only Good Ground that produces the good harvest naturally, therefore only Good Ground will produce a good harvest spiritually.  A passage that has lived with me for years is Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  The key is IT.  Whatever you give you harvest it is the IT Factor of Harvest.

  • Harvest Is Always AFTER or LATER Than Sowing.

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

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

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

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

You sow to your desired harvest!

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

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

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

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FOR GOD SO LOVED…


Spiritual Blog - Love

John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  NKJV

 

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

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

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

FOR GOD SO LOVED…

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

  • God Is Love.

1 John 4:8b, “God is love…”

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

  • God’s Love Is Everlasting.

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

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

  • God’s Love Is A Holy Love.

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

  • God’s Love Is Complete.

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

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

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