HERE OR HEREAFTER???


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Joshua 1:1-9 – “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 ” Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 ” From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 ” No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 ” Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 ” This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”   NASU

 

Not to belabor the topic but “Vision is Vital” in our walk, work, and warfare.  Israel had the Vision of their Promised Land deeply embedded in their hearts and minds having heard it day after day for 40 years.  Every day they were reminded of the Promise and that Vision kept them plodding along, lap after lap around that mountain.  Vision kept them from totally staying off course and becoming lost in the wilderness.  Too many, get lost in the wilderness of life because of a lack of vision.

For any of us to ‘stay the course’ and fulfill the purpose(s) of God for our lives it is imperative that we have and maintain VISION.  The Bible warns that ‘without vision, we perish’ and could find ourselves reaching the end of our earthly journey without having fulfilled the vision.  We not only must have VISION but we must also learn to PULL DOWN STRONGHOLDS including wrong concepts about God’s Purpose and Kingdom.  My title question should inspire curiosity and what I am going to advance may be outside the box of your thinking.  I only ask that you hear the conclusion of the whole matter before rendering a judgment.

I believe that even a cursory reading of the Gospels will make it extremely clear that Jesus taught the Kingdom of God as a present reality. The New Testament, in my view, clearly teaches that believers can expect and enjoy both Present and Eternal Victory in Christ Jesus.  Many seem to be waiting for victory in heaven and view life on earth as a drudgery to endure.  Jesus and Paul both taught that we, believers, have authority and power in spirit realm in our fight against the forces of darkness.  [Mark 16 and Luke 10].  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 the apostle Paul identifies our spiritual weapons, their function, purpose, and power.  In Ephesians 6 we find a detail of our spiritual armor.  I would challenge you to consider that NONE OF IT is for heaven it is ALL for here and now.  You won’t need spiritual weapons in heaven!

The question that should be asked is, “Can we have the Promised Land or the Place of Promise here or do we have to wait for it in heaven?”  That leads to another question, “Is Canaan a type of heaven?”  This is vitally important to what I desire to present.  Paul informs us in 1 Corinthians 10 that what happened in natural Israel was for our example and was recorded to instruct us.  1 Corinthians 15:46 teaches us that it is ‘first the natural then the spiritual.’  Therefore, what God did in the Old Testament in natural Israel is a picture of what He wants to do in the Last Days in His Church or His Body on Earth.  He gave us a natural picture to reveal to us a spiritual reality.  He brought them out of bondage to bring them into victory.  He gave them the Promised Land but to enjoy it they had to dispossess the occupants and then possess and occupy the Place of Promise.

The picture of the Promised Land is exciting and encouraging when applied to Heaven in the sweet by and by but if you can somehow apply it to the here and now it becomes doubly exciting or should.   I have only laid a foundation of what I hope to challenge you with so I will pause here with a question and then address it in the next devotional.  “Can we Possess the Land or Promise and Walk Victoriously BEFORE Heaven?”  Muse on that until tomorrow but don’t toss me aside just yet.

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

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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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A MAJOR ENEMY WE ARE FIGHTING IN THE CHURCH…


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Romans 16:17 – “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”  NASU

 Philippians 3:17 – “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”  NASU

Let’s take a brief look at this enemy we are fighting in the local church today.  There are a number of things worthy of note and will help us to understand our struggle and how to defeat this defeated foe.

  1. He Wants to Cause Division in The Church.
  2. The Way He Causes Division is by Working on Us Individually.

The only people the devil can use in any local congregation or those in that congregation.  Tragically, he sometimes manipulates and uses people without them being aware of what is happening.  HOW?  By encouraging temper outburst, critical attitudes, dividing into cliques, and much more.

The devil never makes anyone an ‘outlaw’ immediately.  No, he slips in with a Bad Attitude and maybe the pastor calls for someone to pray or do a certain task and the devil suggests, “Why didn’t he call on you? He must have something against you.”  Maybe the pastor rushes down the aisle after a service and fails to shake your hand and the devil suggests, “Well, did you see that?  He didn’t shake your hand so he must be purposefully avoiding you.”  Suppose that happens two or three times and then the devil has his foot in the door and says, “SEE, He Avoided You!”

When we love each other and have confidence in each other through Christ we know that we or they would never hurt another intentionally.  So, reject a Bad Attitude.  When the devil suggests things like that REJECT IT and the Bible says that if we resist he flees.  If a brother or sister prospers twice as much as you, REJECT a spirit of jealousy and say, “Praise the Lord.”  It is well to remember the Law of Harvest and understand that if we sow, a Bad Attitude we will reap a Terrible Attitude.  Our Attitude must be right and that is another reason to have on the Helmet of Salvation and to have our minds renewed through God’s Word, Grace, Spirit, and Love.

  1. The Devil Then Moves You into Fault Finding.

Some people will love you and embrace you but gradually their attitude changes toward you.  As far as you are concerned, nothing has changed but they begin to find fault, become critical and stab you in the back and you do not know why.  The devil would like for you to ‘find fault’ with others, become ‘critical’ of them, and engage in ‘criticism’ and ‘gossip’.  I have heard people complain about everything in the local congregation such as the order of worship, song or choruses were sung, the music director, the teacher, or preacher.  I’ve heard people criticize the way the pastor or his wife dresses, what they drive, where they live, and much more.  Much of it is trivial and has nothing to do with the kingdom of God and the lost.

I had a man tell me once, “We want to attract quality people to our church.”  Quality?  What quality were you before you were saved?  I refuse to cater to anyone.  I love everyone equally and want each person to make it to heaven.  If a man wears overalls or has a $5,000 suit they are the same to me.

If you look for fault you will have an easy time finding it in me.  I’m human, I make mistakes.  I asked a church board once, as a visiting speaker, “Do you want your pastor to live in a nice house, drive a nice car, and wear nice clothes?”  They all agreed that would be good and right.  I then said, “If he cannot because of the wages he is paid, then it is not a reflection on him it is a reflection on you.”  It is not easy being a Good Shepherd.  He cannot please everyone all the time.  A preacher is somewhat like a politician in that his success often depends on public opinion.  Remember he has to walk with God and if he is pleasing God we should be pleased as well.  Not all shepherds are good defenders of the sheep but an elder who does well, according to Paul is worthy of double pay.  I never asked for nor wanted double pay, I only wanted to care for my family and be able to give to good causes that God set before me.  My heart is people and winning the lost for the Kingdom not amassing material wealth.

Briefly, I will mention but not address a few more things.  The devil then encourages people to develop an “Unforgiving Spirit” engage in “Fault Finding” and “Sow Discord.”  He then seeks to encourage people to become “Self-Centered” and participate in the “Me, Me, Me” world in which we live.  One of the deadliest things that people in a congregation can participate in is “Wearing their feelings on their sleeves and being easily offended.”  The next is “Gossip” and that destroys relationships and taints spirits like little else.  Never allow yourself to be drawn into “cliques” and refuse to participate in “secret meetings” or become one who “shifts the blame.”

Every church is in one of two categories:  A sinking ship that needs to be abandoned or a leaking ship that needs to be repaired.  Every person comes in one of two categories:  We are either part of the problem or we are part of the solution.  You can either plug the holes or make them larger and be a part of the problem or part of the solution.  WHICH ARE YOU?

God, bless you as you enjoy His love, mercy, and grace on this wonderful day!

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POWERFUL ENEMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH…


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Romans 16:17 – “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”  NASU

 Philippians 3:17 – “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”  NASU

Paul gives us two groups of people to MARK or IDENTIFY and definitive directions regarding each group.  One is an enemy of the Local Church and the other is a Powerful Witness for the LORD in the Local Community.  Both are to be noted and marked.

The first group to MARK are those “that cause division” and the second group are those who ‘set the right example’.  We are to MARK both groups.  We are to ‘avoid’ the first group but ‘cling to, immolate, and copy’ the second.  The devil wants to infiltrate the local church with the first group and diminish the influence of the second.  He does everything he can to create division in the church.  Sadly, he has been somewhat effective in many churches across America today and rendered them powerless forms but not substance and lasting impact on the community.  I wish it were not so, but in some churches so divided by the devil there is no life, vision, spirit, power, or tears and the devil has backed them into a corner where they are holding the fort but not impacting their community.  That is unfortunate and incredibly sad.  They fuss and fume and cannot have a business meeting without war and no board meeting is devoid of conflict.

I personally refuse to engage in a brawl in the church.  The work of God is too important and time is too valuable to waste it on what is often pettiness.  There are too many souls perishing and this is no time for the Body of Christ to engage in childishness and act petulant throwing temper tantrums and pouting if we don’t get our way.  If we are going to fulfill God’s Purpose and Plan for the local church we must identify the division, call it what it is, and reject it completely.  The devil cannot defeat the church from without, he can only defeat us from the inside.  Those on the outside can label us however they please, call us anything they desire, spin fabrications about us, assignation of our character, and attempt to shut us down physically but they will never truly be successful UNLESS we allow ‘division’ to rule in our midst.  If we do, we step outside the protective covering of the LORD and stand on the devil’s turf and he will make mincemeat of us if we do.  That is not God’s Plan, Purpose, or Promise and we must not settle for less than His best.

The only thing that can destroy any local church is “the people” in that church.  The devil can only defeat the local church from the inside but he can never win fighting from the outside.  In order for the devil to hinder the progress of the local church, he must get in the middle of the church and divide it.  Have you ever seen a local congregation where there was a division on the board, among the elders, or people in the pews who will not speak to each other?  Disunity and disharmony run rampant.   Then and only then can the devil hinder the church local.

We are engaged in a WAR, a Spiritual War and the first thing that we must seek to do is learn all we can about our enemy.  That was one of the areas in which we were often bogged down in Vietnam.  President Johnson often lamented that his intelligence reports were terribly inaccurate.  You have to know all you can about an enemy to fight that enemy effectively.  In WW II we had spies even one of Hitler’s inner circle was forwarding notes of Hitler’s meetings with his generals to the Allied Commanders and often we knew every move he planned.  We got information on the U-2 rocket that Germany was developing.  Had Germany perfected that rocket or the jet engine earlier there is a real possibility they could have won the war.  They had superior technology when the war broke out, superior forces and yet we won the war.  HOW?  We knew more about them than they knew about us and we had prayer backing our forces. 

We need to know our enemy and we must never forget this enemy HATES US and his prime tactic is ‘divide and conquer’.  I want to look more closely at the enemy of which I speak and will need another devotional to accomplish that task or objective.  So, I pause here and wait until the ‘morrow to delve a little deeper into God’s Eternal Love and expose the devil and his strategies.

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

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THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH…


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Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,  18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”  NASU

 

The Bible is filled with instructions as to the individual Christian life and the life of the Church of Jesus Christ.  One of the areas in which God has chosen to devote a lot of focus is UNITY.  There are several key passages that relate to that and I will list them here and hope that you will take the time to read, examine, and study them:  Proverbs 13:10, 10:12; 26:21; 29:22; 17:14; Philippians 2:3; and 2 Timothy 2:24.  These passages are direct and provide incredible understanding on this subject.  There is nothing that the Enemy of our souls would like better than to destroy the local church.  I believe that is a prime objective of the devil. He hates any local church that is impacting its community for God.  He probably sees the potential of the local church more than the local church sees itself.

Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine you have learned; avoid them.”  That is the kind of language and instruction that comes under fire from many facets of the world and the church today.  It involves Church Discipline and engages in the idea of being separate, not isolationism but separation from sin and sinful lifestyles.  Paul says, MARK THEM THAT CAUSE DIVISION AMONG YOU.  Before you say, “But Roy, that would be judgmental,” remember this is the Word of God and God never puts things in His word without purpose. This is a warning designed to preserve the unity and functionality of the local church.  I am convinced that the only way any church can truly rise to greatness is they learn to dwell together in UNITY.  They have a common vision and become Christ-centered and Others-centered.

We are told in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”  Unity does not mean compromise but having a common vision and a common set of core values.  In Acts 4:32, we read, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”  That was not a plea for a lifestyle of communism, communalism, or socialism but a plea for UNITY.  Paul instructs believers in Romans 12:16, “Be of the same mind one toward another.  Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate.  Be not wise in your own conceits.”  Then in Romans 15:16 he prayed, “That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Then in 1 Corinthians 1:10, his plea and prayer was, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

UNITY is essential if we are going to become the Church that Jesus promised to build and the Church that will shake up its world for God.  UNITY IS ESSENTIAL not just desirable.  A house divided against itself cannot stand and it is critical that we have the same judgment and vision.  We are enjoined by the apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit to “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3).  He instructed believers, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see or else be absent, I hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”  (Philippians 1:27).  A few verses later he urged them to walk by the same rule and have the same mind.

But back to the instruction to MARKING people.  Although few pastors today and fewer Churches would be willing to engage in this practice it is a biblical concept and something we have abandoned to our hurt as local congregations.  I do not mean nor suggest that we become as the Pharisees but follow the careful instructions of two passages considering the entire Bible.  In Romans 6:17 we are told to MARK a certain group of people and then in Philippians 3:17 we are told to MARK another group of people.  Both are critical if we are going to be what God wants us to be and for the local church to impact its community as God desires and has designed.

I have laid a foundation that I wish to continue in the next devotional and identify both groups that we are charged to MARK and what we are to do once we have marked them.  We want to discuss the importance and impact of this kind of action as a local church.  So, until next time, I pray that the LORD will be with you, guard you and guide you in all that you do.

 

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