WHEN THE RESTRAINTS ARE LIFTED… Do You Really Want To Be Here?


Spiritual Blog - Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-13 – “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  NKJV

 

While these verses are sufficient in themselves to identify the need to be concerned, aware and vigilant in our present world I want to advance a couple of simple thoughts.  Paul spoke of the “mystery of lawlessness” that was already at work in his day and how can anyone deny has taken giant steps in ours?  We focus on that verse and talk about the Holy Spirit or the Church being removed so the devil will have no further restraint and then total chaos ensues on planet earth.

In this passage, the apostle warns of a time of incredible apostasy and warns that the Day of Christ would not come UNLESS there is a massive falling away and the man of sin is revealed.  He spoke of a time in which Great Deception would be prevalent in the world and even in the church or especially in the church.  He spoke of a time in which God would send or allow a strong delusion to permeate the religious world.  In his counsel and warning to Timothy Paul spoke of “perilous times” coming in which evil men would grow worse and worse.  Does that not remind you of this day?

But without getting into the debates about the Coming of the Lord, Pre, Mid or Post Millennialism let me ask this question, “When God lifts the restraints in this world do you really want to be around to witness it?”  We live in a world where there have been over 1.75 Billion Abortions during the past 40 years.  We live in a world where Islamic jihadists are brutally slaughtering Christians and anyone who will not convert to Islam at an alarming rate.  We live in a world where “lives do not matter” or so it would seem to a growing number of people.  We are seeing the ever increasing boldness of evil and watching as society has begun calling evil good and good evil.  We live in a world where some in Church leadership have adopted a ‘coexistence’ policy to the point they no longer declare the ONLY PATHWAY to salvation as Jesus Christ.  It is becoming a very dangerous world and in many parts of this planet if you are a professing Christian it is doubly dangerous.

What would it be like if there were no spiritual or moral restraints in this world?  What would the world be like if people followed the evilness in their hearts and did or took whatever they wanted whenever they wanted?  There is coming a time exactly like that and although I refuse to adopt a mentality of Escapism I am praying that God spares us that horrific world.  Knowing this world is coming is yet another reason to address the condition of our hearts.  The restraints will be and we may be witnessing the lifting of them now so I urge you to rekindle the flame of your first love with God.

God bless you as you go through this day!

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WE WANT THE POWER BUT NOT THE FELLOWSHIP AND CONFORMITY…


Spiritual Blog - Fellowship

Philippians 3:10-11 – “…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”  NKJV

 

There are two great truths presented in this passage and I focus on the second.  However, we cannot have the second without first knowing Him.  Many Christians want the Power of God in their lives but few actually pray for the fellowship of His sufferings or to be conformed to His death.  I know there are immediate protests when I say that, but do we really seek to enter the fellowship of His sufferings or the conformity to His death?  I have visited and spoken in many churches that are crying out for the Power of God but almost none that are praying to enter into that relationship that is the foundation for that power.

Fellowship in the Greek is the word ‘koinonia’ and means partnership, participation and literally becoming one with.  Many churches call themselves ‘The Fellowship’ and are anything but a fellowship in the sense of sharing, partnership, participation and becoming one with the other members of that body.  If we are The Body of Christ then each member is connected to the other members in some way but if we are to become an effective local body we must develop ‘koinonia’ rather than being a group of people who identify with a particular brand, gather for a time of celebration and then go our separate ways.  There must become a joining and sharing if we are to present Christ to our communities with the effectiveness God desires.

But ‘koinonia’ of His sufferings, do we really seek that?  Do we even understand that?  I would never suggest not does the Bible that we are to engage in some type of self-flagellation spiritually or physically.  Suffering comes but it should always come as a result of righteousness, not some misguided view that the more we can cause self to suffer the more spiritual we are.  Our objective should be Christ and as a result, we will be hated by the world for the world hates and hated Him.  If we seek to know Him to the level and degree that we can identify with and through righteousness participate in His sufferings we will see the Power of God come dynamically.

Yes, Jesus did suffer physically on the Cross but since the Bible declares in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus was tempted in all points as we but without sin, we know that He died to the world and that I believe is the heart of this prayer of Paul.  When we receive Christ as our Savior the Bible identifies that as the New Birth and clearly indicates that we become New Creations.  We have a New Self and in a real sense, our Spiritual DNA changes.  In that experience, OLD THINGS pass away and NEWNESS OF LIFE comes into our person.  If we do not allow the Holy Spirit to identify the baggage we are bringing over from the old we will not ‘die to self’ or ‘die to the flesh’ and will find it raising its ugly head time and again.  If we are to be conformed to His death we must allow God to do the spiritual work that is involved in bringing us into koinonia with His sufferings and His death to sin.

Every time I have ever talked to God about Power He always talks to me about Purity.  Preparation ALWAYS precedes blessing for if God were to give us His Power while our hearts were less than pure it would destroy us and do great damage in the Body of Christ.  We have seen people receive Power but fail to keep their hearts Pure and watched the destruction that followed.  It is no wonder that Paul spoke of a thorn in the flesh and the Bible continually instructs us to Guard our Hearts.  The disciples came back to Jesus raving about the Power that had been demonstrated in their ministries and He said, “Do not rejoice in this but that your names are in the Book of Life.”  The Heart is by far the most important part of your Christian walk, work or warfare.

Yes, we want the Power but let us also desire the Purity that comes with learning the fellowship of His sufferings and allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into conformity with His death.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

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IT IS TIME TO SOUND THE ALARM…


Spiritual Blog - Alarm

Joel 2:1-2 – “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand:  2 A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such after them, even for many successive generations.”  NKJV

             This chorus is sung in church or used to be sung in churches that came from this passage always troubled me because the song seemed to advance the idea that this army was a good army when in fact it is an army of judgment.  Joel begins his prophetic warning with SOUND THE ALARM and “… let the inhabitants of the land TREMBLE…”   That sounds like a bad day, not a good day but that depends on your view.

The described events were terrible and the army described vicious and powerful and NOTHING escaped them.  Before them, people writhe in pain.  They are fierce and provide an almost invincible force to be reckoned with.  They are disciplined and the weapons coming against them are woefully ineffective.  They overcome the cities and ravish the houses like thieves.  In fact, they are so many and powerful the whole earth trembles at their presence.  They darken the sun and the moon with their number and the stars grow dim as a result of their presence.

Are they the Army of the Lord?  Yes, the Army of God’s Judgment.  This speaks of a terrible Day of the Lord in which God brings judgment to a people.  I have many Christian friends who live with a mentality of escapism.  They live with the hope and belief that they will face nothing bad and Jesus will rescue them as the Western Cavalry arriving in the nick of time to save the day.  I believe God’s word but ask, “What if God does not take us out before some judgment occurs?”  The greatest problem I have with escapism is it provides a platform for the devil to present a like argument as he did to Adam and Eve in the Garden, “Has God said?” 

In this warning by Joel, the word of the Lord also gives a call to repentance.  There is the call to blow the trumpet in Zion and call a fast and a prayer gathering.  It is a call to brokenness and weeping before the LORD that He spare us.  It provides a hope that if we realize our condition as a people and rend our hearts before Him there is hope.  The terribleness of God’s judgment is beyond human comprehension.  No wonder Hebrews 10:31 tells us that it is a ‘terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”

Jesus is coming back for us, He said He would.  Will we face perilous times?  The Bible warns us that the Last Days are just that.  I have had people tell me they are willing to run up financial obligations because Jesus is coming and they are only taking from the devil in creating obligations they cannot and will not pay.  There is so much wrong with that view it time won’t permit me to address it but suffice it to say we must live soberly and righteously at all times.  If we are translated and allowed to avoid the judgments coming that is wonderful.  If we become martyrs and die at the hands of those who hate God and the things of God that is honorable.  If we endure to the end we will be saved.

We are, I believe, living in the beginning of the Last Days and if Jesus tarries His coming we will face persecution beyond anything we have imagined here in America.  Some of us will be martyred for Christ and some will have their hope severely tested.  Therefore, it is imperative that we hear and heed the Alarm being sounded and make 2 Chronicles 7:14 a cornerstone.  If we have run with the footmen and they have wearied us what will we do when horses come?

            God bless you as you go through this day!

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AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN???


Spiritual Blog - Heart

Colossians 2:20-23 – “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations —  21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”  NKJVtas

 

Through the years I have heard Christians express their utter shock that someone professing to be a Christian would do certain things.  I heard a story of a man in a church who was dying.  He had received Jesus only a short time before his untimely sickness and as several of the church members gathered to his bedside to pray he asked one of the ladies of the church to light a cigarette for him.  She gasped and angrily said to him, “You are going to hell if you do that.”  The pastor was there and he reached down took the cigarette lit it and placed it in the lips of the dying man.  Some in the church wanted him run out of town for committing such a horrendous sin.  He explained, “This man was dying.  He had accepted Christ a few weeks earlier and while he (the pastor) did not smoke he felt that it was demonstrating more of the heart of Christ to honor the man’s request than placing him in greater trauma by refusing and heaping guilt on him that had not come as conviction from the Holy Spirit but from man.”  He went to the above passage and then turned to Mark 7 and began to read what Jesus said.

Our Lord spoke to the Pharisees and Scribes before Him the words of Isaiah the prophet and called the hypocrites.  Honoring with the lips but failing to have what comes from the lips find lodging in the heart was not pleasing to God.  He addressed the tradition of men and compared it to washing eating and drinking utensils on the outside.  Jesus then addressed that it is not what goes in the mouth of a man that defiles but what comes out of the heart.  The dying man had come to a loving knowledge of Christ and although he was placing something that could be harmful to his physical body out of his heart flowed a genuine love for God.  Some in the congregation were expressing judgment based on their personal preference and interpretation of Scripture.  The danger is that in judging by our standards we miss God’s standards and rather than manifesting the heart of Christ we can manifest the heart of a Pharisee.

Out of the heart come evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.  Out of the thoughts which plant seeds in the heart and ultimately become words and possibly deeds is where the real problem lies not what one takes into the body by the mouth.  He attempted to address the problem of becoming so rigid in our ‘touch not, taste not, handle not’ that we lose our tender heartedness and fail to manifest the genuine love of Christ.

Hear me!  I am not endorsing taking things into the body that are harmful but I am saying that the greater issue is our hearts.  If we are IN CHRIST why are we bound by the traditions of men?  I never want to become a Pharisee and have a holiness that is only outward.  I want any holiness I have to be from within and when it is from within it will ultimately become manifest in the flesh as well as the spirit.  I am confident that God is perfectly capable of bringing conviction to any heart.  He directs me to teach His word and present His truth and in so doing the Holy Spirit speaks to hearts but ultimately it is God that brings conviction and if someone has a habit I do not condone it does not mean they are not a follower of Christ.  NO, it means we are not at the same place in our walk and level of understanding.  In fact, I’ve had the Lord bring conviction to my heart that I could not do some things and then told me that whether others did or did not do was none of my business.  He had a reason and has not always informed me as to why.  My response is that if the Holy Spirit says NO it is NO for me.  If He says YES it is YES for me.  Some things are just for me not to be imposed on everyone else.

Why I would NEVER?  No, you wouldn’t but that does not mean God has directed everyone else the same.  Some that look down their noses at people who have a habit they consider vile are guilty of seriously over-eating.  Both are usually expressions of a lack of discipline.  So before you condemn everyone not following your pathway to holiness remember that the splinter in their eye may be minor compared to the log in your own.  I have been there!

God bless you as you go through your day!

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IS PERCEPTION REALITY?


Spiritual Blog - Perception

Mark 4:35-38 – “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” NKJV

 

We have all heard the cliché, “Perception is Reality” and for many, it is or becomes their reality.  The facts are inconsequential it is perception, and perception is that which their beliefs and actions are based therefore PERCEPTION is REALITY, albeit falsely.  In American politics, we had a very real example of that in 1960 when the first ever televised debate between two political candidates for president was presented.  John F. Kennedy appeared relaxed, at ease and in control whereas Richard M. Nixon came across as nervous and uncertain.  The perception and spin that resulted were that JFK was a much stronger and capable leader and therefore the choice of millions for President based on perception, not actual fact.  That element entered and altered American politics to this day and much of our political climate is PERCEPTION and that becomes reality to many.

In our text, we find the disciples in the midst of a storm and Jesus was sleeping in the boat.  They were terrified and presumed they were going to sink and die and Jesus was sleeping!  Their perception is heard by their question when they awakened Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  It was not LORD help us!  It was LORD since you are sleeping through this storm it appears that you do not care what happens to us.  You are not doing what we expected, in the manner we expected and in the time frame or with the urgency we expected, therefore, YOU MUST NOT CARE!   Perception was becoming their reality.

Thankfully Jesus did not let the story end there but arose, calmed the storm then addressed the problem.  They were fearful because they did not trust Him or the Father.  They trusted what they could see and what they could see presented them with the choice to succumb to fear or rise up in faith and they opted for the easy way out and let fear grip their hearts and shape their perception.  That led them to accuse Jesus of being unconcerned about their welfare.

When we allow PERCEPTION to become our REALITY we dismiss faith and embrace circumstances, conditions, appearances, and even fear.  Another reason it is imperative that we get all the facts before rendering a judgment.  Oh, we will not be able to prevent the formation of an opinion but hopefully, we will keep that opinion pliable and allow it to be shaped by REALITY, not PERCEPTION. 

When God does not meet our timetables or our preconceived idea of how He should handle the situation we allow the devil to advance His lie that GOD DOES NOT CARE or that GOD HAS FORSAKEN US.  We then forget the promises of Scripture that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us and the words of the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7 that we are to CAST ALL our care upon Him, for HE CARES FOR US.  He cares!  That is reality!  Perception says, he has not responded yet or in the manner or timeframe I expected or desired, therefore, He does not care.  Reality says, He is God and operates in His timing and according to His purposes.  Delay is not denial, it is delay and even that may only be our perception not reality for, in reality, His timing is perfect.

Therefore resist the devil and his attempts to coerce you into the trap of Perception and making it your reality.  BELIEVE GOD, not circumstances.  May God be with you and allow you to walk in Truth and True Reality as you embrace this new day in the Lord!

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THE DO NOT DILEMMA OF GOD’S VISION…


Spiritual Blog - Wait

Acts 1:4-5 – “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  NASU

I challenge you to consider the fact that this instruction came AFTER Jesus’ revelation to them as to what their ministry and purpose were to be in the Great Commission.  He had also told them that they had AUTHORITY over all the POWER of the devil and drew a powerful picture of their purpose and ministry.

In Mark 16 He had informed them that they were to go into all the world and told them of the signs that would accompany them and those they won into the Kingdom.  The prospects were incredible and I am sure they were chomping at the bits to get started. In Matthew 28 the LORD brought to them the revelation that He had all authority, which I’m sure they had no difficulty believing having walked with Him.  He then told them to go into all nations and make disciples.  They had tasted this ministry and authority for in Luke 9 Jesus had called them together and gave them authority and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to perform healing of the sick.  They went and the results were incredible.  I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them to WAIT for something they had no real understanding, the Holy Spirit’s infilling.

I remember in Bible School a young man said after the first semester, “I’ve got enough Bible now, so I’m leaving school to begin the ministry God has called me to.”  He went before he was equipped and failed miserably.  That is not to say that a Bible School education alone will ensure success in ministry but the attitude of being a Master while clearly still a Novice was problematic.  I’ve challenged young people and some not so young as to the prospects and possibilities in God only to find some of them unable to WAIT until they were released but went charging into battle without being fully equipped or trained.  Most of them came back battered and it was much more difficult to get them into the battle because of their impatience.  They reminded me of the Ahimaaz and the Cushite running to King David with news of Absalom.  Joab gave the message to the Cushite but Ahimaaz was so full of zeal he begged to run even without a message and outran the Cushite only to be turned aside by David.  How many times do we get a partial vision of what God wants and want to begin immediately?

Impatience and being overly zealous has done much damage in the church and individual lives.  In life, one may have an idea and a vision of how to start a business and done in the right way and at the right time would be incredibly beneficial and lucrative.  However, if you jump into the deep before you are prepared you will either meet with disaster and failure or encounter such struggles, trials, and difficulties you give up or fail to achieve what was possible.  Patience and Timing are incredibly important in life.  I knew a young man who was praying for a wife and felt that the Lord has witnessed to his heart that a particular young lady was the ideal mate for him.  Rather than waiting on the Lord to touch her heart and pursuing her in courtship, he went to her and informed her that they were getting married.  THEY DIDN’T!  He sabotaged something that God was working on by his impatience and he appeared to her as someone that she feared would become so domineering her life would be miserable.  I can’t say that I blame her.  I remember being in prayer one morning and the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart that I was going to become pastor of a particular church.  The church has a pastor at that moment.  I shared that with my wife and she said, “We are not going to that church.”  I prayed and waited and in a few weeks, I received a call from the Board asking me to come for an interview to be considered for the church.  I could have shipwrecked God’s Plan but I waited for His timing and His Open Door.  We went to that church as served as pastor.  During the time, there I saw many things I knew were in the heart of God and in the times, I waited for God’s timing, training, preparation, and provision they were successful.  A couple of times I tried to move forward immediately we experienced chaos and failure.

Jesus said wait, tarry, don’t go forth UNTIL and the UNTIL is the most difficult thing that most of us encounter in anything.  We don’t like to wait and certainly don’t like waiting when we are waiting for something that we do not understand and are not sure we will recognize when it happens.  It becomes a matter of CONFIDENCE and TRUST in God and His Word.  Hear me!  You can trust Him.  I also feel compelled to say, “The dream or vision of your heart can and will become a reality if you allow God to guide you in the process and wait for His timing.”  I am not suggesting that you operate in timidity and hesitancy but that you listen to that “still small voice” and when He says GO, you Go with your all but until He says GO you wait.

            God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

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THREE-FOLD BENEFIT OF INSTRUCTION…


Spiritual Blog - Instruction Manual

Proverbs 6:20-22 – “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 21 Bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck.  22 When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you.”  NASU

             The Book of Proverbs says much about wisdom, knowledge, instruction, and obedience and unfortunately, we often make it a “Promise Box Book” in the Bible rather than connecting the dots and gleaning the full message and teaching.  These three verses are part of a much larger message but let me try to glean a beautiful truth from them and later we can step back and view the bigger picture.

It is interesting that the writer would use “the commandment of your father” and “the teaching or statute of your mother” in his counsel.  It appears that the idea presented is that the father’s instruction is like a line drawn in the sand or an arrow shot at a target and the instruction of the mother is like that of a schoolmaster.  One is black and white and the other deals with precepts and principles.  This, in my view, is a recognition of the difference in the methodology of men and women and the need for both for the instruction to become embedded in the heart to the point that it becomes a part of the thinking and nature of the student.  We need both the “do this and this” as well as “this is why we do this and this” for the message to resonate to the point of changing the heart and the mind.

He then says, “bind them continually on your heart; and tie them around your neck.”  That is a visual of keeping those teachings in constant view.  The heart of hearts is where our change comes and if we take those lessons, precepts, and principles taught us and keep them “in or on” our hearts they will guide our thinking as well as our emotions.  If we tie them around our necks, we keep them before us so that we cannot ignore them but be forced to step over them if we disobey.

Next, he gives the benefits derived from the first two portions of the counsel.  If you observe the commandments given and walk in obedience to the teachings received binding them to your heart and keeping them before your eyes they do something positive and powerful.

  • When You Walk About (Daily Life) They Will GUIDE YOU.

I don’t know about you but many times in life I have found myself faced with a choice and unless I had the sound teachings of the Bible and the moral moorings that came from my parents I would have erred.  Oh, there are times I erred anyway but not without kicking against the pricks and ultimate come back to that place of my roots.  The Word is my Guide and enables me to make right choices when the choice is not clear.

  • When You Sleep, They Will WATCH OVER YOU.

Imagine have a divine guard 24/7/365.  Remember the 91st Psalm’s promise that the Angels of God would watch over us and keep us in all our ways.  We are told that they will guide us.  Remember the words of Jesus that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth.  Remember the Promise of Scripture that the Word is both a Light and a Lamp illuminating our pathway so that we can walk in the right direction.  Godly instruction will provide an anchor and a spiritual GPS so that we can find the right way and walk in it.  It is a spiritual security system that alerts us to danger and pitfalls.

  • When You Awake, The Will TALK TO YOU.

They will speak to your conscience and your inner man.  I like that thought that the godly instructions rooted in the Word of God will TALK TO ME.  God’s Word, we are told is ALIVE and we read in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  THAT IS POWERFUL and when we have that Promise we can go through our daily lives in peace and find rest in the night as we sleep in the sweet slumber that His Peace affords.

Never despise godly instruction.  You may not like it at the time but if it is rooted in the Word of God and can be applied to daily life it can and will become invaluable in times of decision.  It will provide us with spiritual GPS to guide our steps, a spiritual security system to enable us to rest without fear of danger or intrusion, and will be our counselor giving us solid advice each day.  THAT IS POWERFUL!

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day that God has provided.

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LIVE WHILE YOU ARE LIVING…


SPIRITUAL BLOG - Live While Alive

Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”  NASU

             There have been movies and television productions about the “Living Dead” but what I’m talking about is the “Dead Living.”  The writer of Ecclesiastes in his nuggets of wisdom gives some incredibly good advice in this verse.  He tells us that if we opt to engage in an activity we should be totally committed to the objective.  Jesus addressed that in Revelation as He spoke to one of the churches and said, “I would that you were hot or cold but because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  We often quote the first portion of the verse listed above but fail to include the latter portion.

We are challenged to be fully committed to whatever we engage in and that is good but I ask that you read the rest of the verse and notice the “for” that is there.  For or because should get or attention and it tells us a reason to be fully committed in everything.  If we embark on a project, activity, or ministry we are to be totally committed BECAUSE it is only as we are ALIVE that we can complete the task.  Once life has ended in the natural there is no more activity (on earth), no more planning, no more earthly knowledge or wisdom.  This is our only shot at doing that which is before us whether it is accepting Christ as our Savior or completing an assignment.  We are to Live while we are Living! 

I have been around, known, and worked with people who I’d call “Dead Living” because they were never committed and simply drifted from one crisis to the next.  They were lifeless and listless in their hearts and no one could depend on them.  They went from fractured relationship to fractured relationship.  They went from one job to another.  They went from one dilemma to the next and from one uncompleted project to another.  Their lives were in constant drama and disarray.  They never found the Abundance of Life that Jesus said He came to bring.  The existed but could not be described as Living.  They had life in the natural but were not truly ALIVE!

Job said that “man that is born of woman is of few days and full of troubles.”  The Psalmist tells us that, “Many are the affliction of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  None of us are exempt from difficulties but all of us have an open invitation to enter into LIFE in Abundance in Jesus.  I like the saying, “You only go around once in life: Go for all the gusto you can.”  Someone changed that and said, “You only go around once in life, but if you do it right once is enough.”  That’s true in Jesus!  He has promised to go with us into every situation both good and bad.  He has promised to never leave or forsake us and has invited us to enter into His rest and draw from His strength.  He has given us authority and power over all the power of darkness.  He brings us ABUNDANT LIFE and in that life, we can Live while we are living on this earth.

Make life a joyous journey, not a drudgery.  Never succumb to the temptation to just drift along but rather “whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”  Learn to Live and in the process of living savor, every moment for you do not know what tomorrow holds.  Life is a vapor that appears for a little time and then it is gone in the natural.  We are not those who only live while on earth we are those who live for eternity.

God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

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TOUCHING AND TOUCHED…


Spiritual Blog - Touching Jesus

Matthew 14:35-36 – “And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.”  NASU

 

There were some interesting things said and questions asked of Jesus during His time on Earth including, “If you are willing, heal me.”  Jesus’ response was, “IF I AM WILLING???”  His response was an indication of how deeply that question troubled Him based on what He had done and taught, as well as the many passages of the Old Testament about His purpose and ministry.  We read repeatedly that He went about doing good and healing ALL that were sick and oppressed of the devil.  Healing is part of His ministry and offering to mankind, spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.  No, it has not been done away with because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But this passage in Matthew brings us face to face with a truth that we sometimes miss.  There are two things that come to mind as I read this.  The first is the power and importance of “Touching Jesus” and the second being “Touched by Jesus.”  If you recall the account in Luke 8 where the woman pressed in and touched His garment you get a glimpse of the power of “touching Jesus” in our lives.  Jesus was in a crowd where people were pressed against each other and many were touching Him but this woman TOUCHED HIM in a way that drew out from Him the Energeia or Power and He knew it and felt it when it happened.  He immediately stopped and asked, “Who touched Me?”  The disciples were flabbergasted because of the crowd and expressed the same to Jesus.  But the Lord said, “NO, somebody TOUCHED ME and in touching Me was TOUCHED by Me.”  There is a difference!  This touch was in the flesh for her and a physical action but for you and me today it is in the realm of the Spirit and often through prayer or in worship that we TOUCH Him in a way that elicits Him TOUCHING us.

In this passage, we are told that “as many” as touched His garment were cured.  Their touch was driven by faith and hope. Their touch was motivated by a belief that He could and that He had within Himself the power and authority to heal.  They believed Him to be the Christ of God and as the Christ He was God and God could do all things, therefore He could do all things and they were driven to TOUCH Him and be TOUCHED by Him as a result.  We used to use a phrase that I do not hear much anymore, “Praying Through.”  What do we mean by “Praying Through”, praying through what and to what?  In the light of this passage, it is praying through until we TOUCH Him and praying through until He TOUCHES us.

When I was a fledgling preacher I heard, a seasoned minister respond to the question, “Why are so many prayed for but not healed?”  He said with total sincerity, “Everybody expects to be prayed for but not everybody expects to be healed.”  He was not attempting to place blame on those not healed but to reveal that many go to the altar and in prayer in a religious ritual but without expectation of TOUCHING JESUS.  I have personally experienced TOUCHING JESUS and receiving direction in a time of difficulty.  I have TOUCHED HIM and known His healing power in the physical.  I have experienced the FLOOD OF PEACE that comes when, in prayer or worship, you TOUCH HIM.  In those times, nothing could shake me from my confidence that not only had I TOUCHED HIM but that He had TOUCHED ME and that what I was asking was DONE.

I pray that we return to the process of “praying through” and refuse to give up or give in until we have TOUCHED JESUS and when we do I know for certain that He will TOUCH US.  That is when the reality of 1 John 5:14-15 becomes a present reality in our lives.  Let’s never be satisfied to go through the motions and determine that when we go to our Prayer Closets we will not be satisfied until we TOUCH JESUS and then are TOUCHED by JESUS.

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

 

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POSSESSING THE PROMISE OF GOD – [Part II]


Spiritual Blog - Promises

Numbers 13:1-3; 17-33

            The Promise of God was – “The Land Is Yours.”  The Problem was – “There Were Occupants on the Land.”  Those inhabitants had controlled it for a very long time and did not honor God or His decree and had no intention of giving up the land they occupied.  THAT IS A PROBLEM.  God said, “It is yours” but the inhabitants said, “Over our dead bodies.”

Israel had to strategize and learn to fight enabling them to move into the Place of Promise and attain the Promised Victory. God had given the Promise. The inhabitants refused to honor the Promise and Covenant of God. It was up to Israel to transition into Spiritual Warfare which would be walked out in the natural and Possess the Land. They had to possess it spiritually before they could possess it naturally.  They had to BELIEVE the Promises of God and no matter what their natural eyes saw they had to be willing to act on the Promise as though it were an accomplished reality in the natural.

The Land of Canaan is a specific place but this Promise is far beyond a plot of ground in the Middle East.  That is not to diminish its importance but the Promise is THE WORLD as Romans 4:13 reveals.  This is far beyond land in the Middle East it is the opening to the Promises of God through Christ Jesus and our full victory in this walk of faith.  What took place in the Natural is to instruct us in the Spiritual.  God wants us to Possess the Land or Place of Promise.

It is important that we rehearse some things in Scripture as foundational principles and facts for us to build on. 

  • God gave Adam RULE over the Earth. (Genesis 1:26,28).
  • God repeated that Promise to Noah. (Genesis 9:1-2).
  • God gave man RULE over the Earth. (Psalm 8:6).
  • God’s Kingdom is everlasting and His Dominion endures to all generations. (Psalm 145:3).
  • God Promises to subdue people and nations under our feet. (Psalm 47:3).
  • God has given Authority (Dominion) over all the power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19).

          Those are FACTS!  They are the Promises of God but the devil does not want to honor God’s decree, therefore we have the responsibility to reclaim the land and appropriate the promises enforcing the Victory of Jesus at the Cross.  Therefore, in a very real sense Canaan is, in addition to being a specific place, the Place of Promise, Abundance, and Victory that has to be taken by force.  It is through Spiritual Warfare!!!  The question immediately comes to mind, “How Do We Do That?”  In simplistic terms, we follow the biblical pattern and revelation found in Numbers 13 as our beginning.  God has an order that He operates in.  That does not mean that one thing is more important than another, it simply means order, which keeps focus and eliminates confusion.

GOD’S STRATEGY FOR TAKING OUR PLACE OF PROMISE…

Why is it necessary to have a strategy?  If God decreed it can’t we just go and do whatever we feel needs to be done?  Why should we be concerned with the unseen realm, after all, we live in the natural don’t we?  Let me use a natural illustration that I believe will help.  How do you get rid of thistle bushes or crab grass?  Do you clip it off at the ground or do you go after the roots?  One way you get to repeat the process over and over in a never-ending struggle, the other way you achieve victory.  Which is more effective and efficient?

Likewise, Satan cannot operate unless he has legal ground or unless we are ignorant of our Provisions and Promises in the Lord.  So, we need a strategy that allows us to investigate and find out if there is “legal ground”.  If there is we must tear out the root of that authority.  We need to discover the history and see how the fruit and roots came into being and how they operate.  We need to renounce any wrong covenants we may have made and in repentance return to the Lord receiving the Blood Covering.

We commit ourselves fully and completely to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us.  We take God’s Promises to heart and see them as realities in the natural as well as in the Spiritual Realm.  We then determine that we will not be deterred from the Place of Promise and learn to use the weapons of warfare that are mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds.  We HEAR the Promise.  We then SEE the Promise.  Then we POSSESS the Promise.

God, bless you as you move onto your Place of Promise in God!

 

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