Spiritual

CHRIST’S ASCENSION GIFTS…


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Ephesians 4:4-8 – “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”  NASU

             We will get to verses 9-16 momentarily but this lays the foundation for our consideration of the “Gifts” He gave to men.  I believe it is obvious from a study of God’s Word that the Plan of God was and is for His followers to ‘have’ spiritual gifts and to ‘operate’ in them in today’s world both inside and outside the four walls of the church meeting place.  The Plan has not changed although the participants change from generation to generation.  This Plan involves and includes the Church and by that, I mean the “Ecclesia” the Body of Called out Ones.  I mean the Body of Christ which embodies All Believers who have received Jesus. It is not Jewish nor is it Gentile it is Christ’s Body.  The Church began with Jews by natural birth and by a sovereign and supernatural act of the Holy Spirit became Universal.

The Early Church had and recognized all the “Ascension Gifts” of Jesus.  They recognized that there was ONE BODY, not multiplied thousands of small body parts scattered over the face of the globe.  Christ Jesus was the recognized head, not some human potentate or overseer, and from His headship, He gave many and varied gifts and ministries to the Church to help fulfill its mission and mission and to develop into MATURE SPIRITUAL PERSONS.

In John 17, Jesus prayed for the UNITY of the Body and here in Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul brings that same thought to the forefront of our minds.  He unequivocally affirms that there is ONE BODY.  That is a needed reminder in our divided world of Christendom where, too often, we allow ourselves to be fragmented and splinter into groups, sects, cliques, or camps.  We tend to forget that no group, sect, clique, or camp has a corner on truth and holds ALL TRUTH.  We tend to forget that we see through a darkened glass and see “in part” thus needing the other parts to complete our view and understanding.  The analogy of the Body in 1 Corinthians 12 is powerful and appropriate and something we should regularly remind ourselves of.  Each part of the Body is important, has function and purpose.

In the Church or Religious World, we seem to have gravitated toward and evolved into a structure or mode of operation the Holy Spirit has little direct control.  We have man-made rules, doctrines, by-laws, and job descriptions that are arbitrary rules rather than tools or vehicles to help us move into the fullness of God’s Purposes.  Too many have relegated to history, the ministries, gifts, and functions that Jesus gave, and have moved into democratic or papal systems that have no true foundation in scripture and often severely hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in today’s church and the world.

I believe that if we, with ‘honest and open heart’ really read and study the Book of Acts we will realize that The Church of Acts and the Church of today can only be described as remotely resembling each other.  We are not the same in structure, mode of operation, manifestation, ministry, or government to name a few differences.  This cannot be explained by arguing that they lived nearer the time of Christ’s physical presence on earth or to get the church established.  I must ask, “Does the Power of Christ grow weaker the farther we get (in time) from when He walked this earth?”  NO?  Then the lapse or passage of time cannot be the reason we do not have what they had and do not operate as they operated.  What is preventing us from being THAT CHURCH today?

I find it worthy of note that the apostle Paul was concerned enough that he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to include a most interesting statement in v.7 which follows the discussion of unity and oneness in the preceding verses.  God has ‘graced’ us with gifts and ‘graced’ us for unity.  GRACE is not simply ‘unmerited favor’ it is ‘divine enablement.’  Through God’s Grace we receive the Gifts and through His Divine Enablement, we function in them for the Glory of God.

That leads us to the Ascension Gifts of our Lord Jesus, that He gave to the Church and is still giving to the Church today because His Purpose and Mission has not changed.  According to the Bible, the Church is to operate according to GIFTS, not by-laws or the man-made job descriptions of traditional views.  In v.10 we notice that Jesus ascended to heaven for a specific purpose, “That He might fill (complete) all things.”  A part of this is found in v.11, where we find that He gave (He is the same yesterday, today, and forever) to the Church certain Gifts.  The word GAVE means gave, is giving, and will continue to give.  The remaining verses validate this as a continuing happening.  He gave, is giving, and will continue to give GIFTS to His Church for Purpose.

That lays the foundation for a further discussion on the Gifts He Gave and Is Giving to the church.  We will examine them more closely in the next devotional.  May the Lord richly bless you as you embark on His purposes this day!

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THE BREAD OF LIFE…


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John 6:30-35 – “So they said to Him, ” What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31 ” Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, ” I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”  NASU

Our Lord had just performed the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes feeding the multitude.  The formula, if you need one is 5+2 = 5,000.  He took 5 loaves and 2 fish and feed 5,000 people.  They had followed Him from Capernaum to seem more miracles and signs.  I am convinced that, at this point, they were curiosity seekers rather than true believers.  They were following for the loaves and fished not because the recognized Him as the Son of God.  I contend that based on v.30 where they asked, what sign He would show them that they might believe and v.31 where they referenced the manna in the wilderness.  Jesus’ response is worthy of note in v.33.  He informed them that Moses did not give them bread, it was from God and that the Father gives the True Bread from heaven which gives life.  That elicited a powerful response from the crowd in v.34, “Lord, give us this bread.”  Jesus connected the dots in v.35, “I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes in me shall never thirst.”  JESUS is the True Bread of Life.

The fact that Jesus declared Himself to be the Bread of Life probably does not mean as much to us in America as it would to those of that day and many of the Middle East and the Far East.  BREAD is the principal food of 75% of the people of the world as they live either entirely upon bread or that which is made from wheat or barley flour.  It is the chief food of the East.  In the Bible, the expression, “Eating Bread” is like us saying, “Eating a Meal.”  BREAD to them has a certain sacredness.  Many in the region of Palestine are brought up to believe that bread has mystic and sacred powers.  In some regions bread is so revered they will not rise to salute a guest if they are in the midst of breaking bread together, they wait until they are finished eating.  The attitude of many of those people toward bread is religious or spiritual.  Everything from the sowing of the seed to the baking of the loaves is done in the name of God.  The Prayer of Matthew 6 conveys a powerful image to them in the words, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  It was to these people that Jesus first said, “I am the Bread of Life.” Another interesting note is that the Bread was always broken but never cut.   These people viewed bread as a principal source of life and without bread, they could not expect to live long.

I would like to focus on three things about this Bread from Heaven and hope to inspire and encourage your heart.

  1. Jesus is the Bread of God – v.33. He meets the need or demand of God on our behalf as our substitute.
  2. Jesus is the Living Bread – v.33. He meets the need of the world dead in sin as He is the Life-Giving
  3. Jesus is the Bread of Life – v.35. He meets and sustains the needs of His people our daily bread or life.

Jesus GAVE Himself as a sacrifice for us.  Jesus GAVE His Love to sustain us.  Jesus GAVE His life to redeem us.  He is our substitute.  As we have received we are to GIVE.  Our giving is to be free without coercion.  Our giving is to be with compassion, generous, and a regular occurrence.  The Bread of Communion represents Christ’s broken body our substitute.  In and through Him we live and move and have our being.

           God, bless you richly as you enjoy this day in Him!

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CAN WE POSSESS THE LAND AND WALK VICTORIOUSLY BEFORE HEAVEN? – Part II…


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Joshua 1:1-9

             Back to our discussion of Canaan and the Here or Hereafter and ask that you join me in walking through some considerations regarding the typology used to determine what each of the factors represents in our Christian walk.  I believe we can all agree that Egypt represents SIN and Passover represents the Covering of the Blood of Jesus and Salvation.  But what about the Wilderness, Jordan, and Canaan?  In my mind, this is where we face a problem in our standard typology.  Again, you may find this does not resonate with you but hear me out, please.  My objective is to bring us to a place of Total Victory here on this earth so that we can be even more powerful warriors for God.

What about Canaan?  Let’s compare it to Heaven.  Canaan has walled cities, giants, hostile inhabitants and much more.  Does that sound like heaven?  If you said yes, I must ask, “Do you believe that in order for you and me to get to heaven we are going to have to dispossess the devil in that Bright City to enter in?  Are you telling me that when I die I have to then engage in war to evict hostile squatters in heaven to occupy that eternal reward?”  Canaan, as seen in Scripture, is a Place of Warfare.  It must be possessed by dispossession and it must be occupied through warfare to keep the enemies out.  IS THAT A PICTURE OF HEAVEN?

Let’s keep moving forward in this comparison.  Canaan is truly a land of milk and honey or provision and prosperity.  It is a Place of Victory where the Kingdom Rule of God is experienced and enjoyed BUT since it has ‘non-heaven elements’ it must be here, right?  I contend that it represents “The Place of the Manifest Presence and Victory of God, HERE and NOW!”  It is a place to be attained by the believer walking in the fullness of Christ on this earth.  It is the place of victory and authority the believer can live in as we do the works of Jesus and the greater works He declared we would do.  I believe that Canaan is truly “Life behind the Veil” and is attainable and to be enjoyed and experienced BEFORE heaven.  We have enemies that we must evict but we encounter them and defeat them through the Full Armor of God, the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of our Testimony.  We have been equipped, have the proper weapons, and have the Divine Promise of Victory!  Thus, I believe that the picture of Israel, in the natural, is the picture of where God wants us to be spiritually.  He wants us to experience life in the ‘manifest presence’ of God.  He wants us to live out the Lord’s Prayer where He Reigns Fully, we Possess the Land, the enemies are evicted and God is exalted.  That excites me!

But, how do we get there?  We need information so that we are not ignorant of the schemes of the devil and are fully persuaded of the Promises of God.  We need Faith.  We need Divine Order in our lives and local congregations where we are doing what God says when God says it and the way God says it.  First, there is Passover where we experience the New Birth and become members of the Family of God. Then, we experience the Wilderness where we are trained and have the roots of Egypt removed from our lives.  Next, we Cross Jordan.  A side note:  Too many are worried about their gift, their call, or their ministry.  God first removes Egypt from us THEN we Cross Jordan.  You don’t have to reform, just grow where you are planted in His place of planting and His timing.  If He has called us, He will provide and in His timing, you will reach your Jordan and enter your Canaan (Place of Promise and Victory).

Paul, identified as the apostle to the Gentiles, was first a Jewish teacher and even after he was converted it was years before he was released into his full ministry.  Abraham’s impatience produced Ishmael and Moses’s impatience killed an Egyptian and cost 40 years in the desert as a fugitive.  You are CALLED and I pray that God will instill in your heart the vision of your Canaan.  I pray that it will burn hot within your heart and that you never become religious as the Pharisees and feel you must perform but that you will walk in the quiet confidence that you only DO what He says DO!  God always makes the man then the ministry.  We each have a Call, a Promise, and if we will be faithful we will Possess the Land.  There is a Place of Powerful Victory to be enjoyed and experienced in this Life and one day we will enter that Eternal Promised Land and there will be no enemies to fight, no squatters to evict, and no weapons of war needed.

            God, bless you as you move from faith to faith and victory to victory in Jesus!

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CAN WE POSSESS THE LAND AND WALK IN FULL VICTORY BEFORE HEAVEN?


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Joshua 1:1-9

Back to the question of yesterday and that of my title, Can We?  Let me ask you to walk through a few pictures in Scripture as we negotiate our way through this question. I will offer a Scriptural Picture and Truth and then ask the question, “Here or Heaven?”

John 14:12 – – The Works of Jesus and Greater Works.  Here or Heaven?

Isaiah 61 – – This is clearly incredibly anointed minister, authority, and power.  Here or Heaven?

Mark 16 – – This is addressed to Every Believer.  Here or Heaven?

2 Corinthians 10 – – Spiritual Warfare and Weapons.  Here or Heaven?

1 John 4:17 – “As He is, so are we…”  Here or Heaven?  (The passage says, IN THIS WORLD).

1 John 4:4 – – If we are IN Him, and overcome the enemy.   Here or heaven?

Those are only a few of the myriad of scripture passages that identify a tremendous truth the Church needs to grasp and walk in in today’s world.  Let me identify the Kingdom of God in very simplistic terms, “It is the Rule of God.”  Therefore, I believe that God’s Rule is present in our lives and in this world and as members of His Body we can expect to enjoy Victory now not just hope for Victory someday, someway in that eternal world of Heaven.  The question is, “Are we enjoying it now?”  How much and if not why not?

I believe there are several reasons people do not enjoy Total Victory now.  Among those is a lack of information, revelation, or knowledge.  Each of those can and will prevent a person from entering into that place of victory God desires and has designed.  A simple fact is that what people do not know they can have they will not have.  Another reason is unbelief or disbelief for the Bible tells us that ‘without faith, it is impossible to please God’ and that ‘with faith, all things are possible to those who believe.’  Another that I won’t delve into very deeply here is we are out of Divine Order.  But, the most imposing question is, “Is this for us today?”  Can we expect the Promises of Jesus, the Covenant of Abraham, and the many Promises of the Bible to be fulfilled in us personally today?  I believe the answer is YES, but only if grasp the possibility that Canaan is a Type of Victorious Life Here not simply a Picture of Future Heaven.

Let’s go to the source for understanding and begin in Book of Joshua.  This Book gives a beautiful picture and understanding in this matter and makes it clear if we can receive it.  We must move beyond tradition and preconceived ideas but if we can move past that we will see a light of hope that will liberate and empower.  If we give only a casual reading of the Book of Joshua, using only the natural mind and reason we will miss the insight that can be mined from its pages.  This is a Story of Warfare, Possession, and Occupation.  Why is that important to our discussion?  It is a Picture or a Type and Shadow pointing to a Biblical Truth.  It points to something.  Israel is in bondage in Egypt and their bondage in Egypt is a type of what?  SIN.  God, through Moses, delivered them from bondage to take them into their inheritance – Canaan, the Place of Promise. 

I believe that is where we have often veered off course, through our hymnology.  Many of our hymns identify Canaan as Heaven.  That sounds good and there is truth in it but it is not the full picture and if we make it so we miss a powerful promise and truth.  If we follow that view it can and does place us in a place of limited victory and robs us of the fullness of God’s Promises in the Here and Now.

Let’s consider some types and shadows to help us in this consideration:  Egypt is a type of the world and sin.  Passover is a type of the Blood Sacrifice and Salvation.  So far, we are secure in our interpretation.  What about The Wilderness?  Most interpret it as a type of Life on Earth after Salvation and that would make Jordan natural death and Canaan, the Promised Land must naturally be a type of Heaven.  But, what if we are wrong in that interpretation?

Please forgive me but due to space and time I am going to pause here and next time we will review the typology and ask a few pertinent questions and come to the conclusion of the whole matter and you can agree, disagree, partially agree, or totally disagree.  That will be a decision you have to make in your heart.  My purpose is not controversy but victory.

God, bless you richly on this wonderful day in Jesus!

 

 

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NATURALLY SIGHTED BUT SPIRITUALLY BLIND…


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Numbers 13:17-20 – “When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 “See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. 19 “How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? 20 ” How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.”  NASU

 

In Numbers 13 we find that Israel has made their exodus from Egypt and under the leadership of Moses reached the edge of the Promised Land.  This is the Place of Promise that God had led and they were instructed that they would have to invade and fight but the victory was guaranteed.  God instructed Moses to send spies in order Plan and Intelligent Strategy for Possessing the Land so in the verses above we read of those spies being sent forth.

If you notice you will discover that Moses DID NOT instruct them to come back and advise on the feasibility of invading but to do recon on the land and report what they saw.  They were gone 40 days and returned in vv. 21-27.  Their report was an impressive and glowing report as well as the bounty they returned with.  The Land was all God had said it was. HOWEVER, 10 of the spies reported that although the land was wonderful the inhabitants were TOO POWERFUL for Israel.  They said, “We are like grasshoppers in their eyes.”  WHAT A REPORT OF FAITH.  You must remember that was not part of their assignment.  They were not told to report back on the feasibility of invading on the land.  God had already addressed the feasibility in His Promise of Victory and they went beyond their assignment.  Sadly, their report produced fear in the hearts of the people and drove a wedge and negativism and defeatism flooded in.  WE CANNOT was their cry and that is NEVER God’s command.  They said, “The obstacle is greater than we are.”  OF COURSE, IT IS, DUMMY…  God didn’t say you were to go in your strength but His.  If God is who the Bible declares Him to be, and He is, then HE CAN DO ALL THINGS.

Thankfully, two of the twelve were men of faith.  They spoke up and agreed with the ten about the bounty of the land and even about the massive obstacles in their way but stepped out in faith and rehearsed the Promise of God.  “God said the land is ours THEREFORE we are more than capable of taking the land.”  It was a matter of What God Said Not What They Saw.  That’s the secret, GOD SAID.  They received the visual cells of the eagle from what God said.  They saw what the ten missed because they were looking through the eyes of faith.  With Vision, there is no room for Fear.  With Vision, there is no room for Intimidation.  With Vision, there is Confidence that goes far beyond the natural ability.  LOOK AT THEIR STORY!  In Numbers 14:10 wanted to ‘stone them with stones.’  FEAR WAS RAMPANT.

The world will always encourage you to give up or give in. The giants are too large, too many, or too powerful.  BUT, God Promised the Land who which do you believe, what you see in the natural or what God said in the spiritual.  What is your Canaan or your Place of Promise which is on the other side of a challenge?  What giants are you facing that makes you feel like a grasshopper?  You must have VISION beyond the natural.  Vision is the ability to see God’s Presence.  Vision is the ability to perceive God’s Power.  Vision is the ability to focus on God’s Plan despite Obstacles.  We need to KNOW that God is in the situation and become enthused.

The word Enthusiasm is from the Greek (Entheos) which means “God In.”  It is the ability to see God in a situation and that makes it exciting.  GOD IS WATCHING!  Something happens in our vision and we become convinced that God is involved in our activities and applauding them.  Not to be long but I want to relate a story that illustrates this truth in a powerful manner.

There was a goof-off who played around with a football.  He was somewhere between the bench and the team.  If there was mischief, he was involved.  He was never serious, practiced but half-heartedly.  He had a uniform but never played with any enthusiasm.  He liked to hear the cheers, but not to charge the line.  He liked to wear the uniform but not practice.  He would never put himself out and invest himself with commitment.   The players ran 50 laps and he ran his usual 5.  The coach came to him and said, “Hey, kid, here’s a telegram for you.”  The boy said, “Coach, just read it to me.”  The coach opened the telegram and read, “Dear Son, Your father has died, come home immediately.”  The coach swallowed hard and said, “Take the rest of the week off and go home.”  The coach secretly hoped he take the year off or quit completely.

The next Friday night came and the boy showed up at the game. As soon as the game began he came to the coach begging to play. This continued into the second half and the game was getting out of control as the other team was trampling on them.  The boy kept begging, “Coach please let me play.”  The coach finally looked at the scoreboard and said, in frustration, “Okay, get in there, you can’t hurt us now.”  No sooner had the boy entered the game, the team exploded, he ran, blocked, and tackled like a star.  The electricity and enthusiasm spread through the entire team and the score became tied.  In the closing seconds of the game, he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a winning touchdown.  The stands erupted and the team was elated. The kid was a hero.  The coach finally reached him and said, “Son, I never saw anything like that.  What happened to you?”  The young man looked at the coach and said, “Coach, you know that my dad died last week.”  The coach acknowledged that sad reality saying, “Yes, I read you the telegram.”  The boy said, “Well Coach, my dad was blind, and today was the first time he ever saw me play.” 

Today may be the first time that you realized that your Heavenly Father is watching your life.  He is watching and He cares!

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

 

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SIGHTED BUT BLIND…


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Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.”  NASU

 

I am totally persuaded that one of the most need abilities for being a Spiritual Overcomer, Defeating Defeatism, and rising to the place that God desires for us as individuals, local congregations, and nations is VISION.  I did not say having sight but having a vision.  Please know that I do not think that the Vision is the only ingredient needed but is an important and vital ingredient.  With Vision comes Determination and Faith.  It is as we have Vision we sense the need for establishing priorities (first things first) and we accept personal responsibility.  I am fully persuaded that without an infusion of Spiritual Vision we will become nothing more than notches on the devil’s gun and live in bondage to defeatism.

Matthew 6 gives us a sample and insight into the great difference between the way people live naturally (filled with worry and anxiety) and the way Jesus has purposed and prepared for us to live (FREE).  We do not have to live in bondage to the world’s system we can be Free.  That must become more than a cliché it must become a focal reality and pursuit in our lives.  Let me ask you to engage in a simple activity and see if you can identify any areas that resemble your life.  Look around at the world in which you live and see if you can see any areas in which you have been stymied or trapped.  What are you willing to accept and tolerate?  What is your burning desire?

The World in which we live is both Negative and Positive.  That is not a bold revelation but a simple fact.  Sadly, many tend to focus on the negative.  They look for what is wrong rather than what is right.  They look for what is missing rather than what is present.  They look at what is ugly rather than what is beautiful.  They look at what is destructive rather than what is constructive.  We talk about what cannot be done rather than what is being done or can be done.  They talk about what hurts rather than what helps and what they lack rather than what they have.  You see that in the Newspapers, on television, and in conversations.  That tends to produce doubt, fear, resentment, and even bitterness and the result is defeat.

We are Engulfed by the Status Quo and Attitudes of Cynicism.  Former President, Barack Obama declared there was no American Exceptionalism and largely that kind of attitude is reflected in the ‘participation trophy society’ we now live.  There is encouragement, for the masses to be average rather than exceptional.  I am convinced that without Spiritual Vision to motivate us, we tend to become part of the Status Quo with nowhere to go.  Average not Exceptional.  One of the things the Bible noted about Daniel was that he had an ‘excellent spirit’.  We live in a world where Indifference is the norm not the exception and that leads to defeat.

The Majority Accept Indifference as the Norm and Choose to Live in Mediocrity.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been encouraged to ‘go with the flow, don’t rock the boat, and don’t make waves.’  I’ve heard more times that I find comfortable, “Who Cares?”  I don’t know about you but that kind of living looks a lot like Bondage and incredibly Boring to me.  I want to adopt the Army’s motto and “Be All I Can Be.”  I want to rise as HIGH as God will take me. I want to mount up with wings like the eagle and soar to the pinnacle of the mountain.  I want to be FREE and a Partaker of and Participant in God’s Abundant Life and Living.

I have read that an eagle has 8 times as many visual cells per cubic centimeter as a human being.  An eagle flying at 600 feet can spot an object the size of a dime in six inches of grass.  He can see a 3-inch fish jumping in a lake five miles away.  He sees what most miss.  For us to be all that we can be in God VISION is imperative and we must develop DETERMINATION and become totally COMMITTED.  We can be sighted naturally and blind spiritually or we can SEE in both realms.  What do you desire?

I want to address this just a bit more so we will pause here and pick up next time considering the matter of VISION and BLINDNESS.  God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

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A TRUTH I PRAY WE NOT MISS…


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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE CHURCH’S FINEST HOUR – Part II…


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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

  1. I Will Make You a GREAT NATION.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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AGAPE LOVE…


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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE CHURCH’S FINEST HOUR…


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

  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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