THE VALUE OF VISION – – (Conclusion)

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].” Amplified

It is an indisputable reality that everybody has a vision. No, everyone cannot see in the natural but in life, we all have a vision. We either have a Kingdom Vision or a Survival Vision spiritually. It is either a God-directed vision or a self-centered vision. Where there is no clear corporate vision, people are unrestrained, cast off restraint, become demoralized, and run wild. It becomes like a stampede of horses running wildly in all directions. The result is discouragement and disagreement. It is an invitation to discord and disunity. Without Vision, we cannot stay on course.

In Matthew 6:33 we are instructed to “seek first the Kingdom…” That requires and demands Vision. I must see the Kingdom, have an understanding of the Purpose of the Kingdom, be Planted in the Kingdom, and allow the Master Builders to ‘fitly frame’ me into place for function. That is Vision!

At that point, it is no longer me but Him. It is not longer, what can you do for me but what does the Kingdom need? I am convinced that no person will ever rise above the level of their Vision. With Vision, you can throw your hook over a higher ledge and climb to new heights in life. It will bind you to your destiny!

Please hear me carefully: Without an understanding of God’s Overall Purpose, His end-time agenda, His eternal purpose, and how we fit into it the pressures of life will overcome us. We will move in circles and cycles of going from depression and dejection to victory and back again. We will make laps around the mountain time and again, learning the same lessons repeatedly. A victory will be followed by a sense of frustration, lack of direction and purpose. Vision is Vital if we are going to move forward and upward into His Purposes and become Who He says we are!

It is vital that we catch and embrace God’s vision for the Church and His Kingdom. That enables us to become a House, a Building, a Habitation for God, fitly framed together not just a pile of lumber or bricks.

Vision links us together. I heard an illustration long ago that has never left me. It is reported that one horse could pull 9,000 pounds. It was assumed that two horses would then be able to pull double that or 18,000 pounds. However, when two horses were joined together in tandem, they pulled 27,000 pounds. The two linked together gained the strength and benefit of a third invisible horse. Unity provides that and as we join together in vision and work together in tandem, we have the added strength of another we do not see.

I hope you are hearing this and understand that no matter how good, noble, right, or worthwhile your vision is, if it is not linked to the Vision of the Whole it will become a source of frustration and counterproductive. Proverbs 24:10 warns, “If we faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”

Vision keeps us moving forward in the face of incredible difficulties and seemingly impossible odds. Vision links us together with others of like precious faith in a larger purpose than us and our limited vision.

Pastors, it is your God-given responsibility to follow the directive of Habakkuk 2:2 – “Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.”

We need Vision, God’s Vision and as we join in the pursuit of that vision, we will see the Restoration of that which was lost to the Church and we will pull down strongholds of the devil.

God bless you as you learn to walk in His Vision!

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THE VALUE OF VISION – – Part Three…

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].” Amplified

As we continue our consideration of The Value of Vision, we have discussed Who God says we are not what we manifest now. It is a contrast of His reality and ours. It is an embracing of His declaration rather than relegating ourselves to man’s view of reality.

The Bible identifies the Church as a “House” which is a “Body”, which is an “Army” made up of “People.” It is a many-membered body, and I believe that God is Restoring or Reestablishing a Glorious House in the world today.

Natural Israel had a natural house, the Temple. Peter declares that we, believers are a ‘spiritual house.’ (1 Peter 2:5). We are the Lord’s House or His Habitation. We know in 1 Corinthians 15:46 that God’s method is ‘first the natural, then the spiritual.’ The Psalmist gives a powerful revelation in Psalms 92:13-14 – That those who are “planted in the House of the LORD, will flourish in the Courts of our God. They will yield fruit in old age; they will be full of sap and very green.” They will flourish and produce fruit abundantly!

Tragically, the Church has too frequently become nothing more than a lumberyard or a brick pile filled with unconnected and unassembled pieces of lumber or bricks (living stones). We have not been a House or the Building of the Lord. Paul addressed that in Ephesians 2:21-22 – “In whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Can I ask a silly question? Have you ever seen a building in the natural grow? We have seen extensions or additions but the building itself did not grow, right? Yet, the Bible tells us that this Building of the Lord will grow spiritually. Can you imagine an Army where each soldier did his own thing? Can you imagine the chaos in a family where every member did his or her own thing? What about a business or a corporation? That also applies to a society and a nation. There must be order, direction, and purpose or failure is guaranteed. Disorder produces chaos and failure.

Acts Chapter Two is germane and important to this discussion. It not only tells us about salvation but gives instructions as to how believers are to relate to each other and how God’s House is going to be constructed. It teaches us how we come together to form God’s House.

After Peter preached, they asked, “What must we do?” Great question. He told them to repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. That was the beginning, not the full revelation. In verse 40 we discover, “and with many other words he did testify and exhort.” He went on to show them how to be saved from the crooked generation in which they were living. If we truly desire to avoid becoming nothing more than a solidarity piece of twisted lumber that is of no value, we need to hear Peter’s message.

That brings us to the Purpose of Vision. Vision links and gives direction. Nothing is ever accomplished without definitive vision. NOTHING! In our text verse Proverbs 29:19, we can read it from numerous translations and possibly gain an even greater understanding.

In the KJV – “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”

In the NASB – “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained…”

In the CSB – “Where there is no vision, the people run wild…”

In the ESV – “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint…”

Another – “Where there is no vision, the people are demoralized…”

Those are just a few of the ways this reality is translated. Each of those renderings has an element of truth, but when linked together they give a clear picture of the Importance of Vision. In simplicity – Vision is the Ability to See!

We will consider Vision more time in the next devotional but until then we will pause and allow you to prayerfully meditate upon what has been presented. Hopefully, you will take each session and link them together as you ponder the Word.

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

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THE VALUE OF VISION – – Part Two…

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].” Amplified

Let’s continue in our pursuit of the unveiling of The Value of Vision in the Body of Christ and our individual lives. I suggest that few would argue that the Church in the Book of Acts was not a powerful, dynamic, living organism that impacted its world in a very real way. It was not a ritualistic religious organization, as the Sanhedrin had become. It was a living organism that was leading people of the bondage of darkness and liberating them from the control of the devil, freeing them from legalism.

The Early Church, as it is called, was impacting its world with its message, ministry, and life. It was a visible manifestation of the Life, Power, Purpose, and Ministry of Jesus. Although its message was not embraced by all it was, Feared (Acts 5), Respected (Acts 17:6), Triumphant and had experienced the Authority and Power Jesus Promised. (Luke 19:10; Mark 16). It had vision, revelation, and understanding. They were able to see what needed to be done, where to go, and the power to do the works Jesus did.

It does not take great theological insight to know that that picture has not been the picture of the modern church for a very long time. Far too much of the Church World has been little more than a fort holding, retreating, and often a frightened entity. Too often churches and believers have, in their fragmentation lived in trepidation, not victory. There has been the ritual, program, and form, but too often little power to truly overcome and pull-down strongholds. That may offend some, but it is what I see and believe that God has more for His Glorious Church that Jesus declared He was building.

What does all that have to do with vision? Everything! We are instructed in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first, the Kingdom…” We are also instructed to pray for the Kingdom to come on earth.

Let me ask some pertinent questions and hopefully, you will get on board this train as we pursue His purposes. What good does it do to seek the Kingdom if we do not know what it is? That would make us blind leaders of the blind. (Matthew 15:14). How would we know if we have found the Kingdom if we don’t know what the Kingdom looks like, or how it operates?

Those questions are a significant part of my foundational basis for seeking to better understand Spiritual Vision. In order for us to have Vision and have that Vision plugged into God’s Purposes enabling us to impact our world, we must open our hearts to the Big Picture and realize that Vision is mandatory. Vision requires divine revelation!

We are directed in Scripture to Possess the Land. The Land represents the Promise of Place of Promise. I ask, “How can we accomplish that objective if we are in the dark as to – What the Promise is. What the Purpose is. What our Place is?”

The First Adam lost our inheritance and dominion, but the Last Adam (Jesus) won it back at the Cross. The Bible reveals that our Victory, Power, Purpose, and Position was lost by man (Adam), regained by the man Jesus, and is to be enforced by man (The Church).

Christ in us is the Hope of Glory. We are told that “as He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17). We are informed that “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” (John 14:12). The Bible speaks of our Spiritual Weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4) and reminds us that we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) and that we are ‘seated with Him in heavenly places.’ (Ephesians 2:6). That is Who God says we are. We must allow that Vision to explode in our hearts and minds if we are to become what He says we are!

I have only scratched the surface of what is in my heart and ask that you take the thoughts I have presented, study them, meditate upon them, and prayerfully join me again tomorrow as we continue this journey.

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

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THE VALUE OF VISION…

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained; But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].” Amplified

It is one of my passions to talk about spiritual vision, but an even greater passion to see it become a reality in individuals and churches. As I begin this journey, I have many things on and in my heart and hopefully we can capture and capsulize them coherently. I desire to offer something that is applicable and can be applied in our daily lives.

I am convinced, more and more, that God, our wonderful God, is up to something intriguing, exciting, liberating, revolutionary, and powerful. I believe He is actively Restoring to the Church that which has been lost over the centuries and is Preparing His Bride for that ultimate union to be consummated throughout eternity. That thought draws my heart as few things could.

In Ezekiel 37 we have the Vision of Dry Bones. It is wonderfully interesting and many still wonder what the actual or full meaning of that vision is. Some have questioned whether the Israel identified is natural national Israel or is the meaning spiritual. Others suggest that it is likely both.

At this juncture, I suggest that no matter which interpretation you ascribe to, you surely cannot miss some incredibly significant pictures portrayed in the prophecy.

These bones once lived and were a part of real bodies.
These bones are now scattered and divided without order, ability, or power. They are not only dead but scattered over the landscape.
They are being sovereignly and supernaturally pulled together by the Holy Spirit and joined or fitted together. Each bone has its place. (Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 5)
They are being restored to a former state or condition supernaturally.
As they come together and live, they have purpose, direction, and significance. Although they are many, they are “one” in a ‘compound unity.’

I have no desire to be exhaustive on the matter, but I believe that is, in a very significant measure, exactly what is happening in the Body of Christ today. God’s Spirit has been crossing man-made barriers, divisions, sects, schisms, and denominational and doctrinal walls. He is calling His remnant to come out and follow His voice unhindered by the man-made barriers, dogmas, and doctrinal differences man has erected. That is exciting, to this believer and preacher!

What I am seeing is movement in areas of the Church that has been somewhat lifeless, drifted into ritualism rather than a demonstration of power and purpose. I am seeing a transformation shaping up in which there is a transformation that will produce a dynamic, authoritative organism and army in the arena of spiritual conflict. The Bones are beginning to Live Again!

I began this devotional talking about “The Value of Vision” and shifted to talking about the Vision of Dry Bones. Those are not unconnected or unrelated topics and one is simply a springboard into a more complete discussion of the other. I want to continue this a bit more, so I pause here and ask that you prayerfully consider where you are spiritually and where God’s Word declares we are to be.

Have a fantastic day and we will embark on this journey again tomorrow!

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THE KEY TO SERVICE IS THE HEART…

2 Timothy 2:1-2 – “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” NASB

In considering Spiritual Warfare’ and the preparation and the establishing of leaders in the Church we must look at the Heart. In this passage especially if you take the full context you will find some incredibly powerful truths regarding leadership, service, and life.

It has been my observation that one of the best ways to test someone’s character and determine if they are truly a servant having Jesus’ Heart is to let them know you recognize the call of God on their lives and then give them a task such as Janitor, Chair set-up detail, Greeter, Usher, or something of the like. Let him who would be the greatest among you be a servant of all. Then watch them and listen to them.

THE KEY IS THE HEART:

Qualification is not enough! Faithfulness is the critical element! This message and ministry are to be committed to ‘faithful men’ who shall be able…. The word Able – [he-ka-nos] speaks of sufficiency. ‘Who is sufficient…’ Simply, those faithful people who may not be qualified right now but because of their heart will become Sufficient. Whatever God has called you to do He will make you sufficient if you are faithful!

God does not come looking at our Qualifications, after all, they come from Him anyway! He comes looking at our Hearts! Ministry (real ministry) does not being in the pulpit or on the platform – – it begins in Service! Faithful Service!

In truth, none of us are really qualified. God does not call us because of our natural talents. He calls us because of our Hearts! If a person’s heart is right and willing to be taught, this ‘faithful’ person can become More Than He Now Is!

All of us have been burned or hurt in life. All of us have a call on our lives. All of us need a close covenant of committed friends. All of us need to be a part of a covenant community. All of Us! For you and me to stand in our commitment to Christ We Need, no We Must establish a Covenant Relationship with God. For our families to stand and not become fragmented and destroyed we need to develop a Covenant Relationship in that family order. For the Fellowship or local Church to stand and possess the land, there must be committed covenant relationships established within that body.

We are facing a Spiritual War and to be prepared we much be Committed and Faithful! We have God’s Promises. Now as we more fully understand His purposes and receive His power, we must be united in a Covenant Family and always stand Faithful!

God bless you as you go through your day!

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CAN THIS BE THE WILL OF GOD? – – Part Three…

James 1:2-4 – “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” NASB

It is powerful and troubling that James constantly instructs us to Rejoice (vv 1-2;8-9). That gives us a good barometer as to how we are doing in the midst of all. Are we having a Blue Monday (depressed), totally despondent on Tuesday wanting to give up and throw in the towel? Are we ready to kick down the walls and throw something in rage? If we are following what the Holy Spirit is directing, we are Rejoicing and filled with Joy. Ouch!

The question becomes, “How is this even possible?” Look at verse three and he says, “Knowing this…” How is it possible? It is possible, only when we know that the trial of our faith is working something in us for God and good! That produces Hope!

What is the evidence that this is transpiring in us? Consider verses 3-4 and we realize that there is Endurance in Testing. We either grow to the place in our confidence and trust of God that we rejoice and are filled with joy or we cave in, to the pressure and depression reigns. We either relax and trust Him or we become despondent, angry, jealous, etc. Those are carnal reactions and reactions that these tests and trials are seeking to help us overcome.

There is a Key Word that we dare not miss and it is used 7 times in the Book of James. (1:3-4; 5:7,8,10,11). That demands we define this word “Patience.” The Greek conveys the idea of enduring rather than giving in. It is more than a calm resignation to what seems inevitable. It does not mean to sit back with a bowed head and let things descend upon us and say, “I’ll just tough it out.” It is not sitting passively until the storm passes over. It is not adopting a “Trying to hang on mentality.” That is ‘toleration’ not ‘patience’ as used here. There is a dramatic difference and we are talking about having Divine Patience not Coping or Caving.

I hear Christians ask, “How are you coping?” My response is, “I am not simply trying to cope. I am not simply trying to hang on.” That is a worldly mentality, not a biblical one. I believe we can live above all that. Patience is not grimly waiting for the end. Patience (Hoop-o-mo-nay) is an active aggressive working in us. It is a spirit that bears all things with a blazing hope and a flaming joy. It is enduring with a victorious spirit that has Joy as its chief characteristic. That is far more than coping!

The word Patience is illustrated as the ability of a small plant to survive, flourish, and come to fruitfulness under unfavorable circumstances barraged by the tempest and storm. We are tender plants planted in the House of our Lord. His purpose is never to blow over us and destroy us but to bring us to fruitfulness and enable us to develop endurance that does not fail and never gives up. He is bringing us to fruitfulness not defeat.

It is in that condition that we can do the works of genuine faith so that people will be drawn to the Living God. We can demonstrate our faith, even in the face of severe tests and trials. It is here that we manifest an active faith and people see Jesus in our character and our works.

Then, he says, “Wanting nothing” (v 4). If you find yourself filled with frustration and unfulfilled desires and expectations and you are striving for this or that, then there is an area in which God needs and wants to work to bring you to victory. He wants us to reach a state of Divine Contentment. Remember the words of Paul in Timothy, “Contentment with godliness is great gain”?

His purpose is to bring us to a place of security in our relationship with Him and bolster our trust and confidence in Him and His promises. In that condition, no storm will overcome us because we know Who He is and Who We Are in Him. We grasp the reality of His Blood Covenant and His inability to fail. Therefore, the Goal is Perfected Character, enabling us to Rejoice in the times of trial and bring us to full maturity where we lack nothing.

The question is, “Where Are We?” I suggest these closing thoughts for our meditation:

Acknowledge – Your lack and need.

Repent – For being offended.

Realize – You cannot, in your own strength, do this, it requires the Holy Spirit.

Request – The Holy Spirit to come and help.

Renew – Your covenant commitment to God.

Honesty is an absolute requirement. Allow the Holy Spirit the total freedom to fully expose any deficiency in your thinking or character. Allow Him to point you in the right direction and as you do, you will discover the ability, through inner strength, to rejoice and become like a little lamb skipping and dancing in the face of trials. As He reveals what He wants, do it. If you fail don’t quit but get up and try again. This is a process not a one-time infusion of His strength into your life. You Grow in Grace!

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

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CAN THIS BE THE WILL OF GOD? – – Part Two…

Let’s look at James and the message in a little more detail. I feel directed by the Holy Spirit to embark on a journey through the Book of James to learn how to ‘Rejoice’ in times of trial and testing. I want to discover how to come to full maturity in Christ and thereby be the of the greatest use to Him and His Kingdom that I can become. Are you with me?

In verse one we find a very interesting and necessary word to unwrap before we proceed. It is the world ‘bond-servant’ or the Greek (dulos). He is self-identifying as a willing servant of God and thereby as a servant to the rest of the Body of Christ.

This James, in the natural, is the half-brother of Jesus. He is the son of Mary and Joseph, the eldest natural son, as in the listing seen in Matthew 13:55. In Galatians 1:19, we know that he was apparently a leading figure among the apostolic leadership in Jerusalem. It appears from everything that we can discern that he may not have been a believer until after the death and resurrection of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:7). History and scripture reveal that James was a man of devout character and a man of prayer. Some have suggested that James prayed so much that his knees became hard and calloused like camel’s knees.

He is a bond-servant (dulos). He is a natural relative in the eyes of man and yet he calls himself a ‘dulos’. That means, “I have nothing for myself, I am totally His and I joy exquisitely in carrying His name.” He spoke to the twelve tribes scattered. He was not writing to natural Israel within the confines of the geographic boundary but to all people everywhere. In verse two he speaks to ‘brethren’. This is not a corrective message to the world, but a message to believers.

Let me offer this thought, “The Character of the Believer is perfected through testing.” Before you reject that consider verses 2-4. Then, in that context verse 5 and we discover that God desires to make us fully cognizant of what and why. It not only touches us but those we minister to as we go forward in life.

None of us like times of testing and trial. But God allows us to have times when our faith is tested and our resolved exposed. This is designed to help us be steadfast and confident in Him and His provisions. He works on us bringing us to the place that we are spiritually mature, lacking nothing. (vv 3-4).

I believe that God wants us to know that the trying of our faith is working something specific and wonderful in us. It is not designed to frustrate or anger us, which is of no value. It is designed to bring us to maturity and enable us to help others as they face tests, trials, and difficulties hard to explain. The word in the KJV is ‘temptation’ and in its usage does not mean temptation to sin but carries the idea of testing directed toward an end. What is the end? The end is that we will become stronger, purer, more mature, and if you will, perfected.

The word in verse two in the KJV ‘divers’ or ‘many-colored’ means we are going to have trials of all shapes, sizes, duration, and appearance. How we respond will determine if we take another lap around the mountain as did Israel in the wilderness or if we move on to the next level of maturity and victory.

Let me illustrate it this way:

You may have some Blue Mondays when you are discouraged. You may get depressed and things don’t seem to work out exactly as you wanted or expected or think they should. At that point you get offended.

You may have some Black Tuesdays. You thought Monday was hard, but Tuesday is even worse and all you see are the dark clouds and no relief in sight.

Then, those Tuesdays turn into Red Wednesdays and you see ‘red’ all day long in anger, frustration, and disappointment. Everything that can go wrong goes wrong and you are like a volcano ready to explode. Things are bad and you are mad at everything and everyone including God.

Next comes Green Thursday, where you are filled with envy. You are jealous of the seeming ease and success of others who do not seem to be as devoted as you. They get blessed and you struggle. It is just not fair.

You transition to the Golden Sunday where you discover that sometimes even the good days are a time of testing. When things are going bad you are diligently pressing in, seeking God’s presence, but when things are going well you say, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good day, I don’t know how to handle it.”

God shows us through the message of James, how we will act in our natural carnal man when tests and trials come. We will have those days, in the flesh, but God’s purpose is to bring us to a new dimension spiritually and enable us to mature and lack nothing. He wants to move us out of a flesh view to a heavenly view of life.

Time and space demand that we tap the brakes and pick this up in the next devotional.

God bless you richly as you press in and enter His presence on this beautiful day!

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CAN THIS BE THE WILL OF GOD?

I strongly suggest that you read the first twelve verses of James 1 as you consider this discussion. I ask that after you have done that you look at verse two with me. This is an amazing and almost incredulous declaration, “Consider it all joy…” The word is ‘chara’ which means exuberant joy. Wow! “…when you encounter various trials.” The KJV uses the word ‘divers’ which means many colored and the word ‘trials’ is tests.

I suggest that for impact, you read that one more time very slowly. If you are like me, your initial reaction was, “Hold it just a cotton-pickin’ minute, James, how can this be the will of God or what God wants me to do?” There have been times, when I would read this that I would think, “James, are you seriously telling me that in my Christian walk, development, and maturity I am supposed to express ‘exuberant joy’ when I face trials, tests, and difficulties?” My next thought was, “How in the name of sanity am I supposed to do that?” Can we all acknowledge that most do not like trouble? Some seem to enjoy causing it, but virtually nobody likes to experience it, right?

Let’s put the rubber on the road and lay this straight. According to these verses we are expected to, and it is the desire of our heavenly Father that we come to the place that we can express joy, exuberant joy in our times of testing and trial. I discussed this with a Bible college professor and said, “Then, there must be something I have missed in my study of scripture and my walk in Christ, thus far.”

I’m sure that some can relate to the trepidation, I had and expressed. When was the last time you danced for joy over your problems? In verse one, the word, “greetings” is not simply a salutation, a ‘Hi, how are you?’ It is imperative! The word ‘chario’ means rejoice. The idea conveyed is that Joy is the direct result of God’s Grace and the picture painted here is that of a young lamb skipping and jumping around for joy or dancing!

Let’s take this one step at a time and see if we can reach a reasonable conclusion. We have the injunction to ‘Rejoice’ in our trials and tests. We also must realize that God asks nothing of us that He does not enable us to do. (1 Thessalonians 5:24). If James, through the Holy Spirit, gives this injunction, he must also tell us how to achieve this and enable us to realize why we are not successful now, if we are not.

With that in mind, James (The Book) becomes a very important study for all who want to progress in the Lord and come to full maturity and victory. In Romans 12:1-2 we are encouraged to give our entire selves to God. We are instructed to not become conformed or pressed into the mold of the world but to be transformed (metamorphized) into Christ’s image by having our thought processes renewed or reprogrammed. We are to have the mind of Christ in us and walk in total submission and obedience to the will of God.

The question then is, “Does God allow and even ordain times of testing in the lives of believers?” If so, why? I believe that God has a divine purpose for each of our lives and in that process of testing, He is working on our character enabling us to progressively come or be transformed into the Image of Christ.

That does not mean that we look for, long for, or hope for trouble, trials, and tests. That would be sadistic, and God is certainly not sadistic. That does not mean that when trouble comes, we passively accept it and not aggressively seek to defeat it or get out of it. However, it does mean that we look to see and listen to hear what God is saying to us.

Hopefully, I have inspired a bit of interest in digging deeper into this subject and we will investigate it a bit more in the next devotional.

Until then, may the rich and bountiful blessings of our Lord be upon you!

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BINDING AND LOOSING – Part Four…

Matthew 16:13-20 – “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.” NASB

I believe that God’s Revival, Renewal, and Restoration are in full progress today. I believe that He is still building His Church and that the Gates of Hell are unable to stand against it. I do not believe that the Church is simply a fort holder waiting for Jesus to come on a rescue mission and save us from the devil. I believe we are ‘more than conquerors’ through Jesus and we have ‘authority over all the power of the devil.’

Revival is a world word, but Renewal is a Church Word. However, the world cannot be revived until the church is renewed. We, Christians, are in a Covenant Partnership with God. If God is going to manifest Himself as the Bible promises the church MUST realize that we have dominion over the devil. If God is going to come into our world, He is going to come through us. The world will go to hell if the church does not get renewed and restored. Therefore, God is working on His church today and in a sense waiting on us!

One of the things God is doing, is restoring order. We have allowed people to become shoe-horned into wrong offices, ministries, and positions. We have assigned to them, duties and positions that demand a gift they do not have. I believe that one of today’s move of the Holy Spirit is to redo much we have done. He is seeking to set things in order so that He can move and manifest His presence in power.

We read in Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Also, in Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” We cannot command the devil, bind or loose without knowledge of God’s promises and provisions. It is as we KNOW that we are able to progress toward the goal and learn to effectively apply that knowledge. Binding and Loosing are directly connected to the Cross and the Victory of Jesus there. We must LEARN what He did, how it affects us, and our Authority.

The ministry of the Local Church must include recognizing Gifts, Callings, and Abilities. It must then raise them up, equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4), and release those ministries in the proper time and the proper place. God is doing that in every congregation that will allow the (Zaw-kan) to function. In a very real sense, Jesus is saying (my paraphrase): “I have overcome the enemy for your sakes, so whatever you bind on earth shall be as having been bound in the heavens.” (Matthew 18:18 – Original). It says, ‘heavens’ plural ‘pois-quinois’.

Therefore, whatever you bind on earth is bound in the heavens and whatever you loose on earth is loosed in the heavens. You bind and loose based on God’s word and the authority of Calvary. It is the authority Jesus gave us. It is from our position in Christ that we can ‘bind’ and ‘loose.’ When you and I, from our position in Christ, speak God’s Covenant, the angels of heaven go to work in heaven, and the Holy Spirit makes it a reality on earth.

You have power and authority over all the power of the devil, not some of the power of the devil. Therefore, I call on all believers and say, it is time that we become who God said we are and begin to ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ in the name of Jesus and for the cause of the Kingdom. Our binding and our loosing must be with restoration and redemption in mind never personal power, prominence or prestige. It is all about Him and not about us! He must increase but we must decrease.

God bless you as you enjoy this walk in Him!

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BINDING AND LOOSING – Part III…

God is doing a work in the church today and there is going to be a whole lot of shaking in the near future. One of the things that God is doing is called a ‘merismos’, a separating of the soul and spirit, joint and marrow, thought and intent of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Let me venture out on thin ice and say that some of what took place in the movements of the 60s and 70s was purely flesh. It was, too frequently, more about the psychic man than the spirit man. It was, too often, deeply rooted in emotionalism and idealism rather than the life-changing power of the Spirit of God and reality. Some drifted into intellectualism rather than into the depths of the Spirit of God. I believe that God has been correcting that and bringing the Body of Christ to a new awareness of His Person and Power and conditioning us to receive His Release in a new and powerful way.

What I see, is the Holy Spirit taking strands of truth from various movements and groups and putting them together in a new way. In that, He is taking truth from the mainline denominations, restoration, Pentecostal, charismatic, and evangelical churches and blending them into a more full revelation of Him and His Purpose. God is moving us from our self-imposed identifications, as was the problem and hindrance of the Church in Corinthians. He is moving us away from sects, schism, camps, and tags and forming us into His Body, the Body of Christ. You may disagree, but that is what I see.

One of the problems God is overcoming and correcting is, what has happened over the past 100-150 years. In that time-frame pastors have often been culprits, unwittingly at times, in promoting and allowing error and disorder in the churches. Some have given in and are controlled by boards rather than the Spirit and Word of God. Through this system and process, we have watched the church, in many ways, become fouled up and powerless.

I know what it is to have a program that needs a body to lead it and nobody has a burden for that program. Tragically, too often we sought to find somebody willing to fill the gap. We even coerced, pressured, or collared somebody to do the job. We would say, “Just do it for Jesus.” We didn’t concern ourselves with the Gifts or Calling of that individual only that the program needed someone to lead it. We allowed things to be called “offices in the Church” that were not offices of the Church but the Organization. What we need is to have God establish the eyes, ears, hands, feet, noses, etc. of the Body and put them where they need to be.

But what does this have to do with Binding and Loosing? We will get there, just bear with me. God is restructuring His church in terms of biblical gifts and offices, therefore, someone who has been a Sunday School teacher for 30 years might truly be an intercessor. God is seeking to change positions and put people into the ministry and function He has called and anointed them for rather than simply to perpetuate a program. He is seeking to put the ear back on the head where it belongs in the position the foot has been occupying. That is not without disruption and some pain and difficulty.

If we are going to be able to “Bind and Loose” in God’s order and according to His purpose we must allow the Holy Spirit to help us discover our Gifts, His Grace upon us, and His Call for us. As we know what He desires we can be trained and developed and released to function in our Gift and Call. If we are a toe. we cannot be an ear or vice versa. Toes cannot hear but they are vital for the function of the body.

I realize that I am taking the long way around to get to the heart of the matter, but in a sense, this is the heart of the matter. We pray for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done but fail to understand that we might need to be reordered to get in His order so His Kingdom can come, and His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven.

God bless you as we await tomorrow!

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