As an apostolic generation emerges, we should see in them a people who are driven to recover and release the destiny of others. They will look past obvious weaknesses in those they discover to find priceless treasures.The apostolic man or woman tirelessly searches through the refuse of the devil to discover those the enemy has abused and entangled in sin, the hidden treasures awaiting him. He possesses the heart and mind of Christ and views people through the eyes of redemption. He is a treasure hunter and he views the world quite differently than most. He does not look for his treasure in the storehouses of palaces, but in those who have been discarded and abandoned by the enemy.
Fields of Treasure
True treasure, in his eyes, is that which is discovered in the forgotten fields, where the unkempt grass has grown and masks the treasures hidden in it. Others, who were more concerned with getting to their destination than helping their brothers, have passed by this forgotten field without giving it a second glance. They have inevitably missed some of the greatest treasures God could have bestowed upon the body of Christ.Seeking to become the embodiment of Christ, the treasure hunter looks for the great among the lowly and meek. It is the greatness of Christ in him that enables him to recognize the greatness in others. With patience unmatched, he listens to one heart-wrenching story of neglect and abuse after another, each more disparaging than the last. With the precision of a diamond cutter, he dissolves the wounds of the past with the compassion of the cross.One after another these forgotten treasures are restored, given dignity and a position in the family of God. The treasure hunter's esteem for them, gives them a sense of value that they have not know before. Able now, through the esteem of the treasure hunter, to receive the love and forgiveness of a heavenly Father they had not known, they gladly become loyal servants to the Lamb. Through his gift of appreciation, the treasure hunter has revealed their value. Now others, who before did not understand them, give way to the estimation of the treasure hunter. They open their hearts and receive the hunter's newly found treasure and welcome them into their trust, as they themselves were once the object of his search.With his God-given authority, the treasure hunter has raised the value of his brother. This once forgotten treasure can now take up his rightful position in the army of the Lamb.
The Army of the Lamb
A deeper look into the life of the treasure hunter shows us he has surrounded himself with treasures that others have deemed unworthy. Yet, these unworthy, broken people have banded together under the guidance of the hunter to form a powerful army.What a frightful sight they have suddenly become to the enemy. Those he has beaten and abused - those he has thrown out and treated with contempt - have come back to haunt him. Before him he sees an unstoppable force made up of his discarded refuse.He thought he had destroyed them, reducing their value through bondage to sin. But now he sees them standing before him, bold and stouthearted, undergirded by the evaluation of the treasure hunter and the love of heaven.This army is consumed by their goal: to alight upon their enemy and dismantle the kingdoms of darkness, to retrieve those caught in his webs of delusion.
Familiar Faces
This great army is outfitted with weapons made from Satan's own handiwork. Every bondage and bruise he has inflicted on them, every episode of painful rejection and humiliation, has been turned into a powerful weapon aimed at his chest. The enemy anguishes when he realizes what he has done. He has not reduced this treasure to trash, but he himself, through his evil efforts to rob, kill and destroy, has created his own worst nightmare - redeemed souls bent on his destruction.One by one he looks at their familiar faces and he sees the broken marriages, the deaths, the lost dreams, the defeats of sexual immorality. The weapons he used to inflict pain on them in an attempt to destroy their destiny have been turned on him (Rom 8:28). These weapons are even more powerful than before, because they have become a part of their destiny and have been enveloped by the mercy of the Lamb. He knows that these "enemy seeking warriors" are not naive as they once were, but now they know how he operates. They have learned a lot from their failures and he knows they will use that knowledge to destroy him.These great warriors will not be beguiled by selfish ambition and pride. They have walked through the fire of affliction and shine with the radiance of heaven. Their strength lies not in themselves, but in their love for one another. They esteem their brothers as better than themselves and would surrender their lives for them if necessary.They are fearless, because they have suffered all that hell has thrown at them, yet they have endured it. Furthermore, they live not for themselves, but for the kingdom of heaven and the Lamb. They are passionately devoted to their King and will give their all to build up His kingdom. In one glance, Satan has seen that those he had tried to destroy...will destroy him.He cannot convince them to hate themselves anymore as he once did, because they have received their righteousness through the life-giving blood of the Lamb. He has nothing left to throw at them, because these warriors have become familiar with his ways and will use that knowledge against him...he is terrified.He recognizes that his time is close - that these whom he has tried to destroy have now been raised up and given a higher level of authority in the spirit, because of the abuse they have endured. By his own enticement he has trained them. With his own destruction and rejection he has armed them.He knows better than anyone else, as he looks into an endless sea of faces of people he has tried to devour that, as he sought to dethrone the beloved of the Father from their place in His heart - as he sought, with hateful jealousy, the destruction of the apple of God's eye - he has sealed his own fate. The souls he yearned to destroy have now become unstoppable warriors!
United in Christ
This mighty army of warriors is the united body of Christ. Armored in selfless love for one another, they no longer stumble over each other as they once did - they refuse to "break rank." They esteem the leadership of the treasure hunter and wait for instructions from him. They look to him in anticipation for the command to attack - to be released to fulfill their destiny. As the treasure hunter leads an army of unwanted, unvalued, yet priceless treasure rescued from the rubble, he lowers his sword and points it directly at the enemy and unleashes what hell has feared. With one word they are dispatched to plunder the kingdoms of darkness. As they invade the realms of darkness, they retrieve countless souls once deemed as useless and as hopeless as they themselves were once thought to be. They trample the enemy under foot, overwhelming him. He can give little defense. The enemy of the Lamb crumbles in defeat; the work of his life is stolen in a moment. The kingdom of darkness is raided and more hidden treasure is recovered and sent to the fields of grace...heaven on earth...the church, where newly trained treasure hunters await their arrival.Having defeated their fallen foe, they stand and look towards heaven and in unison they cry, "FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND THE LAMB!"
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
An Awakening to the Church by Lou Engle
An excerpt from "The Call Nashville" http://www.thecall.com/vision.php
Revelation 2:18-23 and 26 says, "And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the Churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works."
Verse 26, "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations". It is only when the Church is found faithful in moral purity to her bridegroom, God, that she can gain spiritual authority over nations.
In a season of personal temptation, when God was searching my own heart and mind for inward toleration of Jezebel's influence, and during the time of Bill Clinton's moral failure, I received a dream from God. In this dream, a pastor I know was a high-ranking senator. He had gathered major governmental leaders together to deliver a message. Bill Clinton was in the meeting but was sleeping in bed. I was in the meeting but was clothed only in my underwear and I was lying in the same bed as Bill Clinton. The pastor's message was weak and carried no authority. Then he asked me to pray for Bill Clinton, who was still asleep. I prayed a pitiful token prayer and then suddenly threw off the covers and ran to get clothed.
I awoke from the dream in shock! The Holy Spirit spoke clearly to my heart, saying, "Neither you nor the Church of America has any power to awaken this nation or Bill Clinton because it sleeps in the same bed!"
The dream and the Scripture confirm each other. The Church cannot bind the spirit of Jezebel dominating the nation if the spirit of Jezebel binds the Church. Only to those who have overcome this spirit, the Scripture says, will be given authority over the nations.
This truth makes the present moment with fallen leaders more profound and pronounced. I am not pointing the finger at a fallen brother. I mourn for any of them and for my generation that has been assaulted with the spirit of Jezebel and lives under the shame of their bondage, which defiles imaginations and causes nightmarish inward moral battles. Maybe all our leaders who have fallen are a sign and a symbol of the whole Church of the nation. From the head to the feet we are sick, bruised, and beaten up, and we are being exposed publicly.
Hosea 2:10 says, "Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers..." We are like eunuchs in Jezebel's palace whimpering our prayers, and even with our great churches and powerful spiritual programs, the nation remains unchanged. More than all this, we have crushed the Lord's heart with our spiritual adultery, we have left our first Love, and have gone after our Baals as in the time of Jezebel. But I believe that God wants to allure us into the wilderness and speak tenderly to us and make this Valley of Achor (the place of exposure of hidden sin) a door of hope. "In that day...you will call Me 'My Husband,' and no longer call Me, 'My Master'" (see Hosea 2:14-16).
I believe that in this moment in time, if we respond in repentance, we could release the greatest revival of confession of sin and a cleansing by the blood of Jesus that could draw us back into marital faithfulness with our Bridegroom, God. I believe a great spiritual awakening could be at hand which could even affect the elections of 2008 and overthrow Jezebel's death-march in this nation.
Revelation 2:18-23 and 26 says, "And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the Churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works."
Verse 26, "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations". It is only when the Church is found faithful in moral purity to her bridegroom, God, that she can gain spiritual authority over nations.
In a season of personal temptation, when God was searching my own heart and mind for inward toleration of Jezebel's influence, and during the time of Bill Clinton's moral failure, I received a dream from God. In this dream, a pastor I know was a high-ranking senator. He had gathered major governmental leaders together to deliver a message. Bill Clinton was in the meeting but was sleeping in bed. I was in the meeting but was clothed only in my underwear and I was lying in the same bed as Bill Clinton. The pastor's message was weak and carried no authority. Then he asked me to pray for Bill Clinton, who was still asleep. I prayed a pitiful token prayer and then suddenly threw off the covers and ran to get clothed.
I awoke from the dream in shock! The Holy Spirit spoke clearly to my heart, saying, "Neither you nor the Church of America has any power to awaken this nation or Bill Clinton because it sleeps in the same bed!"
The dream and the Scripture confirm each other. The Church cannot bind the spirit of Jezebel dominating the nation if the spirit of Jezebel binds the Church. Only to those who have overcome this spirit, the Scripture says, will be given authority over the nations.
This truth makes the present moment with fallen leaders more profound and pronounced. I am not pointing the finger at a fallen brother. I mourn for any of them and for my generation that has been assaulted with the spirit of Jezebel and lives under the shame of their bondage, which defiles imaginations and causes nightmarish inward moral battles. Maybe all our leaders who have fallen are a sign and a symbol of the whole Church of the nation. From the head to the feet we are sick, bruised, and beaten up, and we are being exposed publicly.
Hosea 2:10 says, "Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers..." We are like eunuchs in Jezebel's palace whimpering our prayers, and even with our great churches and powerful spiritual programs, the nation remains unchanged. More than all this, we have crushed the Lord's heart with our spiritual adultery, we have left our first Love, and have gone after our Baals as in the time of Jezebel. But I believe that God wants to allure us into the wilderness and speak tenderly to us and make this Valley of Achor (the place of exposure of hidden sin) a door of hope. "In that day...you will call Me 'My Husband,' and no longer call Me, 'My Master'" (see Hosea 2:14-16).
I believe that in this moment in time, if we respond in repentance, we could release the greatest revival of confession of sin and a cleansing by the blood of Jesus that could draw us back into marital faithfulness with our Bridegroom, God. I believe a great spiritual awakening could be at hand which could even affect the elections of 2008 and overthrow Jezebel's death-march in this nation.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Making Disciples
And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach… Mark 3:13
Called to Be With Him – Jesus method was personal involvement. He called his disciples to be with him. Jesus disciples were distinguished by one thing, and that was being with Jesus. Jesus disciples were with him on trips, prayer retreats, times of worship, eating, sailing, and fishing expeditions. They were together in the desserts, cities, synagogues, homes, wedding feasts and funerals. They were with him more as a group than alone.
The Few To Reach the Many - Jesus concentrated on a few at a time so he could have greater effect on their lives. Jesus concern was not programs, but people, people who would be fathers and mothers to the multitudes. Though he had a vision for the whole world, he started by investing his life in a few men and women. We cannot accomplish the mission of Jesus or live the life of Jesus apart from the example of Jesus to select and disciple a few people.
Total Surrender – Jesus expected his disciples to obey him. They were not required to be the best educated or wealthiest, or most prominent, but they had to be obedient. They were not selected based on their age or education or gender but their willingness to forsake everything for him. Jesus did not have the time to scatter himself around with those who wanted to follow him on their own terms. Jesus spoke often about the cross. At least 16 times prior to his arrest he spoke about suffering and death.
Gave Himself – Jesus gave from his heart. He didn’t hold back sharing personally he deepest challenges and temptations. He brought his disciples close to him in friendship. He told them they were not his servants but his friends. Paul did the same. He told the Thessalonians that he gave them not just the gospel but his own heart. Programs don’t disciple people, people disciple people.
Setting an Example – Jesus showed his disciples how to live. Jesus invited them to participate in his doctrine, not to study it in theoretical isolation. He proved the relevance of what he taught by doing truth. Class was always in session. Discipleship was a way of life. Jewish disciples were expected to observe their teachers/rabbis and to learn by asking questions and then applying to their own lives what they observed. People do what they see and hear. First came heart connection then ministry responsibility.
Sharing the Load – Jesus involved his disciples in the work. He gave the church back to them, rather than leaving it in the hands of a few priests. Jesus accomplished the work of ministry by giving opportunity and responsibility to as many who would help carry the load. Delegation was more than a nice gesture to include a few people. The great commission to go and make disciples was God’s way to accomplish his plan of redemption. We are men and women who have been delegated a responsibility. The question is: will you fulfill your part? Practically it started with small, manual responsibilities, but it grew from there.
He Assessed Them and Gave Them Feedback – He supervised them. He gave responsibility with accountability. Experience is not the best teacher, evaluated experience is. There was no failure to Jesus, just opportunities to learn. He heard their reports, rejoiced with them, and moved forward from there.
Reproduction in Every Sphere of Life – Jesus expected his disciples to reproduce his life in others in everything he did. Marriage and family. Work and sports. One on one, family on family, cell on cell, house church to house church, congregation to congregation, business to business. We must evaluate the faithfulness of our lives by whether we are reproducing what God has given us in the lives of others. Through intentional relationships.
Conclusion: Personal disciple making is the Jesus way of influencing people, launching a movement, doing ministry and engaging the culture. No one is exempt from doing it his way. We cannot improve on how Jesus modeled ministry for us in the word. Though he came to reach the whole world he did it one person at a time.
Called to Be With Him – Jesus method was personal involvement. He called his disciples to be with him. Jesus disciples were distinguished by one thing, and that was being with Jesus. Jesus disciples were with him on trips, prayer retreats, times of worship, eating, sailing, and fishing expeditions. They were together in the desserts, cities, synagogues, homes, wedding feasts and funerals. They were with him more as a group than alone.
The Few To Reach the Many - Jesus concentrated on a few at a time so he could have greater effect on their lives. Jesus concern was not programs, but people, people who would be fathers and mothers to the multitudes. Though he had a vision for the whole world, he started by investing his life in a few men and women. We cannot accomplish the mission of Jesus or live the life of Jesus apart from the example of Jesus to select and disciple a few people.
Total Surrender – Jesus expected his disciples to obey him. They were not required to be the best educated or wealthiest, or most prominent, but they had to be obedient. They were not selected based on their age or education or gender but their willingness to forsake everything for him. Jesus did not have the time to scatter himself around with those who wanted to follow him on their own terms. Jesus spoke often about the cross. At least 16 times prior to his arrest he spoke about suffering and death.
Gave Himself – Jesus gave from his heart. He didn’t hold back sharing personally he deepest challenges and temptations. He brought his disciples close to him in friendship. He told them they were not his servants but his friends. Paul did the same. He told the Thessalonians that he gave them not just the gospel but his own heart. Programs don’t disciple people, people disciple people.
Setting an Example – Jesus showed his disciples how to live. Jesus invited them to participate in his doctrine, not to study it in theoretical isolation. He proved the relevance of what he taught by doing truth. Class was always in session. Discipleship was a way of life. Jewish disciples were expected to observe their teachers/rabbis and to learn by asking questions and then applying to their own lives what they observed. People do what they see and hear. First came heart connection then ministry responsibility.
Sharing the Load – Jesus involved his disciples in the work. He gave the church back to them, rather than leaving it in the hands of a few priests. Jesus accomplished the work of ministry by giving opportunity and responsibility to as many who would help carry the load. Delegation was more than a nice gesture to include a few people. The great commission to go and make disciples was God’s way to accomplish his plan of redemption. We are men and women who have been delegated a responsibility. The question is: will you fulfill your part? Practically it started with small, manual responsibilities, but it grew from there.
He Assessed Them and Gave Them Feedback – He supervised them. He gave responsibility with accountability. Experience is not the best teacher, evaluated experience is. There was no failure to Jesus, just opportunities to learn. He heard their reports, rejoiced with them, and moved forward from there.
Reproduction in Every Sphere of Life – Jesus expected his disciples to reproduce his life in others in everything he did. Marriage and family. Work and sports. One on one, family on family, cell on cell, house church to house church, congregation to congregation, business to business. We must evaluate the faithfulness of our lives by whether we are reproducing what God has given us in the lives of others. Through intentional relationships.
Conclusion: Personal disciple making is the Jesus way of influencing people, launching a movement, doing ministry and engaging the culture. No one is exempt from doing it his way. We cannot improve on how Jesus modeled ministry for us in the word. Though he came to reach the whole world he did it one person at a time.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
BESET BY INVISIBLE POWERS
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:12
We are not up against flesh and blood these days. The devil is the prince of the power of the air, and he is assisted by legions of wicked spirits and evil angels. Never mind these wiseacres who talk of outmoded ideas from ancient demonology. And do not turn all this over to psychiatrists. Any Christian who gets down to business in spiritual warfare soon finds himself against dark and sinister powers. Our Lord contended with that world during the days of His flesh and delivered men and women from it.
Satan and his legions are out to disable the body, deceive the mind, and discourage the spirit. Some he devours as a roaring lion. Some he leads astray as an angel of light. Others he besets as the accuser. He attacks through morals, through the mind, through moods.
Truly our souls need to be on their guard, for "ten thousand foes arise, the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw us from the skies."
Ephesians 6:12
We are not up against flesh and blood these days. The devil is the prince of the power of the air, and he is assisted by legions of wicked spirits and evil angels. Never mind these wiseacres who talk of outmoded ideas from ancient demonology. And do not turn all this over to psychiatrists. Any Christian who gets down to business in spiritual warfare soon finds himself against dark and sinister powers. Our Lord contended with that world during the days of His flesh and delivered men and women from it.
Satan and his legions are out to disable the body, deceive the mind, and discourage the spirit. Some he devours as a roaring lion. Some he leads astray as an angel of light. Others he besets as the accuser. He attacks through morals, through the mind, through moods.
Truly our souls need to be on their guard, for "ten thousand foes arise, the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw us from the skies."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Dedicated to the 20's generation..
Rush Of Fools "Undo" Music Video
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I’ve been here before
Now, here I am again
Standing at the door
Praying You’ll let me back in
To label me
A prodigal would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become
I focused on the score
But I could never win
Trying to ignore
A life of hiding my sin
To label me
A hypocrite would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become
Make every step lead me back to
The sovereign way that You
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
You are the only one who can undo
You’re the only one who can undo
What I’ve become
Add to My Profile | More Videos
I’ve been here before
Now, here I am again
Standing at the door
Praying You’ll let me back in
To label me
A prodigal would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become
I focused on the score
But I could never win
Trying to ignore
A life of hiding my sin
To label me
A hypocrite would be
Only scratching the surface
Of who I’ve been known to be
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one
Who can undo what I’ve become
Make every step lead me back to
The sovereign way that You
Turn me around, pick me up
Undo what I’ve become
Bring me back to the place
Of forgiveness and grace
I need You, I need Your help
I can’t do this myself
You’re the only one who can undo
You are the only one who can undo
You’re the only one who can undo
What I’ve become
Monday, April 16, 2007
Psalm 7:12-16 (The Message)
Nobody gets by with anything. God is already in action— Sword honed on his whetstone, bow strung, arrow on the string, Lethal weapons in hand, each arrow a flaming missile. Look at that guy! He had sex with sin, he's pregnant with evil. Oh, look! He's having the baby—a Lie-Baby! See that man shoveling day after day, digging, then concealing, his man-trap down that lonely stretch of road? Go back and look again—you'll see him in it headfirst, legs waving in the breeze. That's what happens: mischief backfires; violence boomerangs.
David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The man is described as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. (Matthew Henry's)
David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The man is described as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. (Matthew Henry's)
Galatians 6:7-8 (Amplified Bible)
Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God. For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
TAKING BACK THE PLUNDER
Based largely on Joshua, Deut., Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.
Taking back the plunder
We're taking back the land
We're taking back the plunder
And we're taking back the land
Cause Jesus set us free
From our enemies
By His awesome might
He has won the fight
Jesus our King!
Taking back the plunder
We're taking back the land
We're taking back the plunder
And we're taking back the land
We'll be strong in Him
As we seek His face
As we follow Him
We will win this race
Jesus is King!
He said to go and take the land
He said would be with us
Every place we set our feet
He said that He would give us
So let us not give in
But put our faith in Him
Let us hear His voice
And obey his words
Jesus our King!
He prepares for us a table
Before our enemies (Psalm 23)
He's restoring to us EVERYTHING
That was stolen from our lives (see story of Ziglag in 2 Sam)
As we follow Him
Into the battleground
And reclaim the goods
That He redeemed for us!
Jesus our King!
We're taking back our families
We're taking back our health
We're taking back relationships
And we're taking back our wealth
We're taking back His justice
And we're taking back His Truth
We're taking back His Promised Land
And we're taking back our lives
With Jesus our King!
With Jesus our King!
JESUS IS KING!!
Taking back the plunder
We're taking back the land…
We're taking back the plunder
And we're taking back the land…
Friday, April 13, 2007
Grace
It does not take Grace long, when it is once in the soul, to overturn the reigning power and the active energy of sin, even when these, for a while, appear to get the upper hand. Brothers and Sisters, I hope you know this. I hope that the Spirit of God, which is in you, and the love of Christ, which reigns in you, have destroyed the power which sin once had in your souls. If it is not so, then question yourselves whether the Spirit of God is in you at all! It is not possible that the Ark should be in the temple and that Dagon should be standing there unbroken! Not till the morrow morning shall evil remain unchallenged and unmoved upon the throne!
It is not possible that you, dear Friend, could live and delight in sin, and yet be a child of God! If your heart is set upon iniquity, where your heart is, there your treasure is—and if sin is your treasure—you are no heir of Heaven! That which governs your heart is your Lord and your God—what your heart loves, by that you shall be judged—and if you love evil, you shall be condemned! We may sin—ah, would God we did not!—but to love sin is not in the Believer!
There is a deadly antagonism between Grace and sin—and where the gracious life comes, the evil life must fall. There cannot be an alliance between Dagon and the Ark, between God and the world, or between Christ and sin!
It is not possible that you, dear Friend, could live and delight in sin, and yet be a child of God! If your heart is set upon iniquity, where your heart is, there your treasure is—and if sin is your treasure—you are no heir of Heaven! That which governs your heart is your Lord and your God—what your heart loves, by that you shall be judged—and if you love evil, you shall be condemned! We may sin—ah, would God we did not!—but to love sin is not in the Believer!
There is a deadly antagonism between Grace and sin—and where the gracious life comes, the evil life must fall. There cannot be an alliance between Dagon and the Ark, between God and the world, or between Christ and sin!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
"A Divine Confrontation" by Graham Cooke
You know I think Ive mentioned this before, but I picked up this book again today and its really amazing. The caption reads: "Birth Pangs of the New Church" and wow, some amazing stuff in here, that I'm actually walking through right now. No idea what I'm doing or why sometimes, but just trying to follow the Master on this ever narrowing road. So much of what I read today is confirmation to me, and wow, do I need confirmation! Tranformation is happening, and the storm is raging..the clash between two kingdoms - the kingdom of man (self) and the Kingdom of God - a beautful collision of sorts. Broken and beautiful at the same time. Only God can bring beauty out of brokenness.Also, here's a snippet from another book my pastor is reading and he sent me this comment:
I just happened on Mark Galli's words again from "Jesus Mean and Wild"
"As Jesus draws near, so rises the storm. The reasons for the rising storm are many. When Jesus draws near, he draws near as Lord, and he implicitly challenges all other lords. These lords - greed, lust, ambition, pride and so forth - do not care to be toppled from their pedestals, (remember our discussion about Dagon) and during a crisis, when their lordship is challenged, they will demand ever greater devotion. This, in turn, only aggravates our dis-ease, and we sink deeper than ever into loneliness, guilt, shame, and despair. The closer Jesus gets, the more violent the storm within. It gets to the point that either we must die or Jesus must die, and our souls fight ferociously for self-preservation."
But, his kingdom must come, so let the storm rise.
How to Become an Overcomer: the Case of Gideon
(1) Recognize one's own littleness-that is, know oneself. It is relatively easy to be humble before God; but to be humble before men or to esteem others as more excellent than oneself is extremely difficult. To say I am the least is comparatively easy, but to confess that I am the least in my father's house is not easy. To acknowledge that my father's house is the poorest is not too hard, yet to admit that my father's house is the poorest in Manasseh is most humiliating. He whose face shines and is unconscious of it, though others can see the light of his countenance, is an overcomer. All who look at mirrors in an attempt to see the light on their faces are definitely not overcomers. Although David was anointed, he looked upon himself as a dead dog (1 Sam. 24.14). Overcomers are those who have the reality of, yet not the name of, overcomers.
(2) See the heavenly vision-that is, see the Lord. No one without vision is able to serve. With vision, one can press on to reach the goal even though he is beset by difficulties. Having the word of the Lord, one may with certainty sail on to the other shore. The feet of a worker are steadied by the vision he has seen.
(3) Be not disobedient to the vision-but respond to the calling of the Lord with sacrifice. One should offer his insignificant self to God and leave himself in God's hand. Judging one's own self as being either great or small without committing all in God's hand is equally useless. All the living sacrifices according to God's will are accepted by God. Overcomers are called of God. Have you heard the call for overcomers that is found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3? And have you answered the call?
(4) Break down idols-which is to say, maintain an outward testimony. A heart already consecrated needs to break down the idols without, in order to bear the testimony. One should pay attention to his own person, his family, and his contacts. Whatever strives to be equal with God must be broken down. He who sees God knows what an idol is. Having seen the angel of the Lord-that is to say, the Lord himself, one discerns the things outside the Lord as idols. A sight of the angel of the Lord reveals the wood (the Asherah) as not being God (Judges 6.22-27). The sacrifice on the rock is for a personal purpose, whereas the sacrifice on the altar is for corporate use.
After these four steps have been taken, the Holy Spirit will fall on the person. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not the result of asking for power; when one stands on the right ground, he shall receive the outpoured Spirit.
A blowing of the trumpet is a calling the people to join in as overcomers. Independent action is not appropriate to an overcomer. We should purify ourselves from those who have been overcome, but must not be separated from the other overcomers.
How to Select Overcomers: the Case of the 300
(1) The first selection-the result of which 22,000 left. Why? Because (a) they intended to glorify themselves. Sometimes we are willing to sacrifice life but not glory. We must overcome ourselves as well as Satan. God seeks people who will work for Him without bragging about their work. After we have labored we should say, "I am an unprofitable servant"(see Luke 17.10). We need to forget how many fields we have ploughed and how many sheep we have watched. God cannot share His glory with us. If we secretly expect something for ourselves we will be among the eliminated.
And (b) they were fearful and trembling. Whoever is fearful and trembling may as well go home. It is essential that we do not love ourselves and are ready to endure sufferings. The greatest afflictions are not material in nature but spiritual. All who seek to glorify themselves and are fearful and trembling will be eliminated. Victory lies not in number but in knowing God.
(2) The second selection-the test for which lay in the tiny matter of drinking water. Small things frequently reveal our real situation. In those days both the Jews and Arabs travelled with their baggage on their backs. There were therefore two different ways to drink water while on the road: (a) by unloading the baggage and bowing down upon their knees to drink, or (b) by lapping water from their hands for the sake of hurrying up their journey on the road and of guarding against plunderers. Of the ten thousand men left, 9,700 knelt down to drink; only 300 lapped up the water from their hands. All those who bowed to drink were eliminated by God. Only those who drank from their hands were chosen. Whoever has opportunity to indulge and yet refrains from doing so has known the dealing of the cross. Such persons will be used of God. Ever ready to let the cross work in his life, this is the man whom God will use.
Hence the three qualifications in God's selection of overcomers are: (1) they must be wholly for the glory of God; (2) they must be fearful of nothing, and (3) they must allow the cross to deal with self. We ourselves may decide whether or not we will be overcomers. When God tests us, our real selves will be revealed-thus telling us if we are overcomers. He who knows the victory of the cross in his life is able to maintain the victory of the cross continuously.
The Victory of the Overcomers
God gave 300 men to Gideon and caused them to be one body. It is highly irregular to overcome unrelatedly. Gideon and the 300 acted in concert. This was possible since their flesh had been cut off. This is the unity of the Holy Spirit and life in the body. The records in the New Testament relate especially to meetings, not to works.
The Outcome
The 300 fought the battle, and all the children of Israel came out to chase the enemies. The 300 labored, and the whole nation reaped. We overcome, and the whole body revives. Standing in the bottom of the river is not for ourselves but is for the entire church: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Col. 1.24). Overcomers will be upbraided by others just as Gideon was chided by the men of Ephraim. Gideon defeated not only the Midianites on the outside but also the Midianites on the inside! Only such could continue to overcome, just as the record indicates: "Faint, yet pursuing" (Judges 8.4).
(2) See the heavenly vision-that is, see the Lord. No one without vision is able to serve. With vision, one can press on to reach the goal even though he is beset by difficulties. Having the word of the Lord, one may with certainty sail on to the other shore. The feet of a worker are steadied by the vision he has seen.
(3) Be not disobedient to the vision-but respond to the calling of the Lord with sacrifice. One should offer his insignificant self to God and leave himself in God's hand. Judging one's own self as being either great or small without committing all in God's hand is equally useless. All the living sacrifices according to God's will are accepted by God. Overcomers are called of God. Have you heard the call for overcomers that is found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3? And have you answered the call?
(4) Break down idols-which is to say, maintain an outward testimony. A heart already consecrated needs to break down the idols without, in order to bear the testimony. One should pay attention to his own person, his family, and his contacts. Whatever strives to be equal with God must be broken down. He who sees God knows what an idol is. Having seen the angel of the Lord-that is to say, the Lord himself, one discerns the things outside the Lord as idols. A sight of the angel of the Lord reveals the wood (the Asherah) as not being God (Judges 6.22-27). The sacrifice on the rock is for a personal purpose, whereas the sacrifice on the altar is for corporate use.
After these four steps have been taken, the Holy Spirit will fall on the person. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not the result of asking for power; when one stands on the right ground, he shall receive the outpoured Spirit.
A blowing of the trumpet is a calling the people to join in as overcomers. Independent action is not appropriate to an overcomer. We should purify ourselves from those who have been overcome, but must not be separated from the other overcomers.
How to Select Overcomers: the Case of the 300
(1) The first selection-the result of which 22,000 left. Why? Because (a) they intended to glorify themselves. Sometimes we are willing to sacrifice life but not glory. We must overcome ourselves as well as Satan. God seeks people who will work for Him without bragging about their work. After we have labored we should say, "I am an unprofitable servant"(see Luke 17.10). We need to forget how many fields we have ploughed and how many sheep we have watched. God cannot share His glory with us. If we secretly expect something for ourselves we will be among the eliminated.
And (b) they were fearful and trembling. Whoever is fearful and trembling may as well go home. It is essential that we do not love ourselves and are ready to endure sufferings. The greatest afflictions are not material in nature but spiritual. All who seek to glorify themselves and are fearful and trembling will be eliminated. Victory lies not in number but in knowing God.
(2) The second selection-the test for which lay in the tiny matter of drinking water. Small things frequently reveal our real situation. In those days both the Jews and Arabs travelled with their baggage on their backs. There were therefore two different ways to drink water while on the road: (a) by unloading the baggage and bowing down upon their knees to drink, or (b) by lapping water from their hands for the sake of hurrying up their journey on the road and of guarding against plunderers. Of the ten thousand men left, 9,700 knelt down to drink; only 300 lapped up the water from their hands. All those who bowed to drink were eliminated by God. Only those who drank from their hands were chosen. Whoever has opportunity to indulge and yet refrains from doing so has known the dealing of the cross. Such persons will be used of God. Ever ready to let the cross work in his life, this is the man whom God will use.
Hence the three qualifications in God's selection of overcomers are: (1) they must be wholly for the glory of God; (2) they must be fearful of nothing, and (3) they must allow the cross to deal with self. We ourselves may decide whether or not we will be overcomers. When God tests us, our real selves will be revealed-thus telling us if we are overcomers. He who knows the victory of the cross in his life is able to maintain the victory of the cross continuously.
The Victory of the Overcomers
God gave 300 men to Gideon and caused them to be one body. It is highly irregular to overcome unrelatedly. Gideon and the 300 acted in concert. This was possible since their flesh had been cut off. This is the unity of the Holy Spirit and life in the body. The records in the New Testament relate especially to meetings, not to works.
The Outcome
The 300 fought the battle, and all the children of Israel came out to chase the enemies. The 300 labored, and the whole nation reaped. We overcome, and the whole body revives. Standing in the bottom of the river is not for ourselves but is for the entire church: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Col. 1.24). Overcomers will be upbraided by others just as Gideon was chided by the men of Ephraim. Gideon defeated not only the Midianites on the outside but also the Midianites on the inside! Only such could continue to overcome, just as the record indicates: "Faint, yet pursuing" (Judges 8.4).
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
This beatitude, like all the others, has both a present and future fulfillment. Paul says in I Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." To "see" God is to be brought close to Him. In this instance the sense is that what we are far from cannot be clearly distinguished. That, as sinners, we are far from God is proclaimed in Isaiah 59:2: "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." Thus James 4:8 admonishes us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
The pure in heart are those who with all their being seek to remain free of every form of the defilement of sin. The fruit of this is the blessing of spiritual discernment. With spiritual understanding, they have clear views of God's character, will, and attributes. A pure heart is synonymous with what Jesus calls a "single" (KJV) or "clear" (NKJV margin) eye in Matthew 6:22. When a person has this mind, the whole body is full of light. Where there is light, one can see clearly.
The sense of this beatitude's promise to see God carries over into the Kingdom of God. In one sense, all will see God, as Revelation 1:7 prophesies: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they also who pierced Him. And all the tribes of earth will mourn because of Him." They will see Him as Judge.
Jesus' promise, though, is stated as a blessing, a favor. Revelation 22:4 says of those who will be born into God's Kingdom, "They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." I John 3:2 reads, "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." To see someone's face is to be so near as to be in his presence. In this case, the term indicated the highest of honors: to stand in the presence of the King of kings. Certainly David understood the greatness of this: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness" (Psalm 17:15).
God places great value on being clean, especially in terms of purity of heart. Also, we can easily become defiled, whereas remaining clean requires constant vigilance, a determined discipline, and a clear vision of what lies before us to serve as a prod to keep us on track. Since it is sin that defiles, this beatitude demands from us the most exacting self-examination. Are our work and service done from selfless motives or from a desire for self-display? Is our church-going a sincere attempt to meet God or merely fulfilling a respectable habit? Are our prayers and Bible study a heartfelt desire to commune with God, or do we pursue them because they make us feel pleasantly superior? Is our life lived with a conscious need of God, or are we merely seeking comfort in our piety?
To examine our motives honestly can be a daunting and shaming but very necessary discipline, but considering Christ's promise in this beatitude, it is well worth whatever effort and humbling of self it takes. It is good for us to keep Paul's admonishment found in II Corinthians 7:1 fresh in mind: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
This beatitude, like all the others, has both a present and future fulfillment. Paul says in I Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." To "see" God is to be brought close to Him. In this instance the sense is that what we are far from cannot be clearly distinguished. That, as sinners, we are far from God is proclaimed in Isaiah 59:2: "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." Thus James 4:8 admonishes us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
The pure in heart are those who with all their being seek to remain free of every form of the defilement of sin. The fruit of this is the blessing of spiritual discernment. With spiritual understanding, they have clear views of God's character, will, and attributes. A pure heart is synonymous with what Jesus calls a "single" (KJV) or "clear" (NKJV margin) eye in Matthew 6:22. When a person has this mind, the whole body is full of light. Where there is light, one can see clearly.
The sense of this beatitude's promise to see God carries over into the Kingdom of God. In one sense, all will see God, as Revelation 1:7 prophesies: "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they also who pierced Him. And all the tribes of earth will mourn because of Him." They will see Him as Judge.
Jesus' promise, though, is stated as a blessing, a favor. Revelation 22:4 says of those who will be born into God's Kingdom, "They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads." I John 3:2 reads, "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." To see someone's face is to be so near as to be in his presence. In this case, the term indicated the highest of honors: to stand in the presence of the King of kings. Certainly David understood the greatness of this: "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness" (Psalm 17:15).
God places great value on being clean, especially in terms of purity of heart. Also, we can easily become defiled, whereas remaining clean requires constant vigilance, a determined discipline, and a clear vision of what lies before us to serve as a prod to keep us on track. Since it is sin that defiles, this beatitude demands from us the most exacting self-examination. Are our work and service done from selfless motives or from a desire for self-display? Is our church-going a sincere attempt to meet God or merely fulfilling a respectable habit? Are our prayers and Bible study a heartfelt desire to commune with God, or do we pursue them because they make us feel pleasantly superior? Is our life lived with a conscious need of God, or are we merely seeking comfort in our piety?
To examine our motives honestly can be a daunting and shaming but very necessary discipline, but considering Christ's promise in this beatitude, it is well worth whatever effort and humbling of self it takes. It is good for us to keep Paul's admonishment found in II Corinthians 7:1 fresh in mind: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Being Double-Minded
In the first chapter of James we find a fascinating perspective concerning the trials and tribulations of life. We are told to "count it all joy when we fall into various trials". Why? Because they test us to see wether or not our faith is genuine. They test us to see wether or not we are really vitally connected with the Lord Jesus Christ. They test us to see whether or not we are Christians who are completely focused on Christ or if we are doubting, unstable and double minded.
The epistle of James lists at least 8 types of double mindedness that can plague the professed Christian.
First, there is the double minded prayer life (1:5-8). This is the prayer life that is driven by doubt.
Second, there is double minded worship (1:19-24). This is worship that is characterized by hearing but not doing.
Third, there is double minded relationshps that look on the outward appearance rather than the heart (2:1-8).
Fourth, there is double minded religion that only partially accepts God's revealed will(2:9-12).
Fifth, there is double minded religion that disconnects faith from works (2:14-26). It is a religion of proclaimation but no produce.
Sixth, there is double minded communication (3:1-11). The same mouth that blesses also curses or pronounces unbelief instead of faith and trust.
Seventh, there is the double minded believer who attempts to be friends with God and the world at the same time (4:1-4).
The summary statement for all double minded belief is found in chapter 4:17 that says "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
James 1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
A double-minded person is someone who doubts God and His promises. He may ask God for help, but he is unsure if God will come through for him or not. He does not realize that his own doubts about God hinder the fulfillment of his prayers. "That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord!"
Double-mindedness maligns God's character..
The epistle of James lists at least 8 types of double mindedness that can plague the professed Christian.
First, there is the double minded prayer life (1:5-8). This is the prayer life that is driven by doubt.
Second, there is double minded worship (1:19-24). This is worship that is characterized by hearing but not doing.
Third, there is double minded relationshps that look on the outward appearance rather than the heart (2:1-8).
Fourth, there is double minded religion that only partially accepts God's revealed will(2:9-12).
Fifth, there is double minded religion that disconnects faith from works (2:14-26). It is a religion of proclaimation but no produce.
Sixth, there is double minded communication (3:1-11). The same mouth that blesses also curses or pronounces unbelief instead of faith and trust.
Seventh, there is the double minded believer who attempts to be friends with God and the world at the same time (4:1-4).
The summary statement for all double minded belief is found in chapter 4:17 that says "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
James 1:5-8 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
A double-minded person is someone who doubts God and His promises. He may ask God for help, but he is unsure if God will come through for him or not. He does not realize that his own doubts about God hinder the fulfillment of his prayers. "That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord!"
Double-mindedness maligns God's character..
Monday, April 09, 2007
“Doubt and Unbelief”
Romans 4:20,21
DOUBT
Diakrino (dee-ak-ree’-no) to separate thoroughly; to withdraw from; or by implication to oppose
Dia - through; the channel
Krino - to distinguish; to decide; to try; to judge, TO HESITATE, to pause, be uncertain, be unsure; TRANSLATED:
to stagger - Romans 4:20
to waver - James 1:6
to doubt - Mark 11:23
“To DIAKRINO is to be unsure which causes one to hesitate which causes one to withdraw from.”
DOUBT
Distazo (dis-tad’-zo) to duplicate; to think twice, have a second thought; to reconsider; to question
Matthew 14:22-33 (found in vs. 31)
Matthew 28:17
DOUBLE-MINDED - James1:5-8
TWO OPINIONS - 1 Kings 18:21
“Diakrino is one who starts with two directives. He is at the CROSSROADS or “Y”. Distazo is one who starts with one direction but later reconsiders.”
Opposite is Leg’o which means: to lay forth, by the words of your mouth, the intended course of action which you mean or purpose, from your heart, to follow through and receive.
UNBELIEF:
APISTIA (ap-is-tee’-ah) a want of faith; lacking trust or confidence in the informer
Matthew 13:58 - Because Of Their Unbelief
Mark 6:6; 9:24; 16:14 - Help My unbelief
Romans 3:3; 4:20 - Diakrino Through Apistia
Hebrews 3:12,19 - Could Not Enter In
“The remedy for apistia is more Word. Faith cometh by hearing YHWH'S living Word which removes apistia.”
SEE but NOT ENTER - John 3:3,5
TO SEE: is to know what is yours - to have revelation of inheritance
TO ENTER: is to possess what is yours - to experience or receive inheritance
“TO SEE precedes TO ENTER, but TO SEE does not guarantee TO ENTER.”
UNBELIEF:
apeitheia (ap-i’-thi-ah) to disbelieve, unpersuadable: disobedient, rebellious
1 Peter 2:7,8 - Disobedient, unpersuadable
Romans 11:30,32 - All Were Concluded To Be
Hebrews 4:6,11; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6; Colossians 3:6 - To Adhere To an Opinion, View, Statement, Purpose, or Course of Action In Spite of Reasons, Proof or Persuasions
This is called “The Spirit of Disobedience”
DOUBT
Diakrino (dee-ak-ree’-no) to separate thoroughly; to withdraw from; or by implication to oppose
Dia - through; the channel
Krino - to distinguish; to decide; to try; to judge, TO HESITATE, to pause, be uncertain, be unsure; TRANSLATED:
to stagger - Romans 4:20
to waver - James 1:6
to doubt - Mark 11:23
“To DIAKRINO is to be unsure which causes one to hesitate which causes one to withdraw from.”
DOUBT
Distazo (dis-tad’-zo) to duplicate; to think twice, have a second thought; to reconsider; to question
Matthew 14:22-33 (found in vs. 31)
Matthew 28:17
DOUBLE-MINDED - James1:5-8
TWO OPINIONS - 1 Kings 18:21
“Diakrino is one who starts with two directives. He is at the CROSSROADS or “Y”. Distazo is one who starts with one direction but later reconsiders.”
Opposite is Leg’o which means: to lay forth, by the words of your mouth, the intended course of action which you mean or purpose, from your heart, to follow through and receive.
UNBELIEF:
APISTIA (ap-is-tee’-ah) a want of faith; lacking trust or confidence in the informer
Matthew 13:58 - Because Of Their Unbelief
Mark 6:6; 9:24; 16:14 - Help My unbelief
Romans 3:3; 4:20 - Diakrino Through Apistia
Hebrews 3:12,19 - Could Not Enter In
“The remedy for apistia is more Word. Faith cometh by hearing YHWH'S living Word which removes apistia.”
SEE but NOT ENTER - John 3:3,5
TO SEE: is to know what is yours - to have revelation of inheritance
TO ENTER: is to possess what is yours - to experience or receive inheritance
“TO SEE precedes TO ENTER, but TO SEE does not guarantee TO ENTER.”
UNBELIEF:
apeitheia (ap-i’-thi-ah) to disbelieve, unpersuadable: disobedient, rebellious
1 Peter 2:7,8 - Disobedient, unpersuadable
Romans 11:30,32 - All Were Concluded To Be
Hebrews 4:6,11; Ephesians 2:2; 5:6; Colossians 3:6 - To Adhere To an Opinion, View, Statement, Purpose, or Course of Action In Spite of Reasons, Proof or Persuasions
This is called “The Spirit of Disobedience”
Sunday, April 08, 2007
A Soulish or Carnal Christian
Man does not know what soul life is. Simply put, it is what we customarily term self life. It is a serious mistake not to distinguish between sin and self. Many of the Lord’s people view these two as one and the same entity. What they do not recognize is that both in Biblical teaching and in spiritual experience they are distinctive. Sin is what defiles, is against God and is totally wicked; self may not necessarily be so. On the contrary, it can at times be very respectable, helpful and lovely. Take, for example, the soul in relation to Bible reading, certainly a most commendable activity. Attempting to understand the Holy Bible with one’s native talent or ability is not considered sinful; yet approaching the Bible in this way is undeniably the work of self. Soul-winning, too, if accompanied by methods that accord merely with one’s own thought, will be full of self. And how often pursuit after spiritual growth originates in the natural self perhaps only because we cannot bear the thought of falling behind or because we seek some personal gain. Bluntly stated, the doing of good is not sin but the manner, methods, or motive in such good-doing may be surfeited with our self. Its source is man’s natural goodness, not that supernatural kind given by the Holy Spirit through regeneration. Many are innately merciful, patient, and tender. Now for these to show mercy or patience or tenderness is not committing sin; but because these “good” traits belong to their natural life and are the work of the self they cannot be accepted by God as something spiritual. These acts are performed not by complete reliance upon God’s Spirit but by trusting in self-strength.
These few examples illustrate how sin and self do differ from each other. As we proceed in our spiritual walk we shall discover many more instances of how sin may be absent but self fully present. It almost seems inevitable that self will creep into the most holy work and the noblest spiritual walk.
Having long been bound by sin the child of God easily construes freedom from its power to be life par excellence. Just here lurks the greatest danger in the days ahead for this one who now concludes that all pernicious elements within him have been rooted out. He is unaware that even if the old man has died to sin and the body of sin is withered, “sin” nevertheless has not died. It merely has become an unseated sovereign which if given the opportunity will put forth its best effort to regain its throne. The believer’s experience of being delivered from sin may even continue but he is not thereby rendered perfect. He has yet to deal unremittingly with his “self.”
How deplorable it is should Christians look upon themselves as wholly sanctified when, having sought sanctification, they experienced deliverance. They are ignorant of the truth that liberation from sin is only the first step in overcoming life. It is but the initial victory given by God as an assurance to them of the many more victories that are to follow. Triumph over sin is like a door: one step taken and you are in; triumph over self is like a pathway: you walk and walk for the rest of your days. Upon overthrowing sin we are called next to overcome ourselves—even the best of self, the zealous and religious self—daily.
If one knows only emancipation from sin but has had no experience of self-denial or loss of soul life, he places himself inescapably in the position of resorting to his natural soulical strength to accomplish God’s will in his walk. He does not realize that, sin apart, two other powers reside within him, spirit power and soul power. Spirit power is God’s power received spiritually at regeneration, while soul power is his own granted him naturally at birth.
Whether one is to be a spiritual man or not largely hinges upon how he handles these two forces within him. The believer enters the ranks of the spiritual by drawing upon the spiritual power to the exclusion of that of his soul. Should he use his soul power or even a combination of the two, the result inevitably shall be a soulish or carnal Christian. God’s way is plain. We must deny everything originating in ourselves—what we are, what we have, what we can do—and move entirely by Him, daily apprehending the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Failure to understand or to obey leaves us no other alternative but to live hereafter by the power of the soul. A spiritual Christian therefore is one whose spirit is led by God’s Spirit. He draws the power for his daily walk from the life given by the Holy Spirit Who indwells his spirit. He does not abide on earth seeking his own will but the will of God. He does not trust in his cleverness to plan and to perform service towards God. The rule of his walk is to dwell quietly in the spirit, no further influenced or controlled by the outer man.
The soulish Christian is eminently different. Though he is in possession of a spirit power he does not draw upon it for his life. In his daily experience he persists in making the soul his life and continues to lean upon his self power. He follows the dictates of his pleasure and delight because he has failed to learn to obey God. To God’s work he brings his natural wisdom, devising many ingenious arrangements. His everyday existence is governed and affected by the outer man.
To recapitulate what has been said, the problem of the two natures has been answered but the problem of the two lives remains unsolved. The spirit life and the soul life coexist within us. While the first is in itself exceedingly strong, the second manages to control the entire being because it is so deeply rooted in man. Unless one is disposed to deny his soul life and permit his spirit life to grasp the reins, the latter has little chance to develop. This is abhorrent to the Father for the child of God deprives himself of spiritual growth. He must be instructed that overcoming sin, blessed though it surely is, is but the bare minimum of a believer’s experience. There is nothing astonishing in it. Not to overcome sin is what ought to astonish us. Does not the Scripture legitimately ask: “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6.2) For to believe that the Lord Jesus died for us as our substitute is inseparable from believing that we have died with Him (Rom. 6.6). What should amaze us then is not the cessation of sinning in those who have died to sin but the continuance of that phenomenon in them as though yet alive. The first condition is quite normal; the second, altogether abnormal.
To be freed from sin is not a difficult task when viewed in the light of the finished, perfect and complete salvation of God. A believer must proceed to learn the more advanced and perhaps more formidable and deeper lesson of abhorring his life. Not only must we hate the sinful nature which comes from Adam but also the natural vitality upon which we now rely for our living. We must be willing to deny the good which is produced by the flesh as well as the evil of the flesh. Do not merely forsake all sins; in addition, deliver up this life of sin to death. A walk in the Holy Spirit is not only not committing sin but also not allowing self to abide. The Holy Spirit can manifest His power solely in those who live by Him. Whoever walks by his natural strength cannot expect to witness the mighty realities of the Holy Spirit. We need to be released from everything natural as well as from everything sinful. If we insist upon walking according to man—not just the sinful, but the all-inclusive natural, man—we reject the rule of the Holy Spirit in our lives. How can He exhibit His power if we are set free from sin and yet continue to think as “men” think, desire as “men” desire, live and work as “men” do? We are not leaning entirely upon the Holy Spirit of God to work in us. If we genuinely desire His fullness we first must break the all-pervasive influence of the soul.
These few examples illustrate how sin and self do differ from each other. As we proceed in our spiritual walk we shall discover many more instances of how sin may be absent but self fully present. It almost seems inevitable that self will creep into the most holy work and the noblest spiritual walk.
Having long been bound by sin the child of God easily construes freedom from its power to be life par excellence. Just here lurks the greatest danger in the days ahead for this one who now concludes that all pernicious elements within him have been rooted out. He is unaware that even if the old man has died to sin and the body of sin is withered, “sin” nevertheless has not died. It merely has become an unseated sovereign which if given the opportunity will put forth its best effort to regain its throne. The believer’s experience of being delivered from sin may even continue but he is not thereby rendered perfect. He has yet to deal unremittingly with his “self.”
How deplorable it is should Christians look upon themselves as wholly sanctified when, having sought sanctification, they experienced deliverance. They are ignorant of the truth that liberation from sin is only the first step in overcoming life. It is but the initial victory given by God as an assurance to them of the many more victories that are to follow. Triumph over sin is like a door: one step taken and you are in; triumph over self is like a pathway: you walk and walk for the rest of your days. Upon overthrowing sin we are called next to overcome ourselves—even the best of self, the zealous and religious self—daily.
If one knows only emancipation from sin but has had no experience of self-denial or loss of soul life, he places himself inescapably in the position of resorting to his natural soulical strength to accomplish God’s will in his walk. He does not realize that, sin apart, two other powers reside within him, spirit power and soul power. Spirit power is God’s power received spiritually at regeneration, while soul power is his own granted him naturally at birth.
Whether one is to be a spiritual man or not largely hinges upon how he handles these two forces within him. The believer enters the ranks of the spiritual by drawing upon the spiritual power to the exclusion of that of his soul. Should he use his soul power or even a combination of the two, the result inevitably shall be a soulish or carnal Christian. God’s way is plain. We must deny everything originating in ourselves—what we are, what we have, what we can do—and move entirely by Him, daily apprehending the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Failure to understand or to obey leaves us no other alternative but to live hereafter by the power of the soul. A spiritual Christian therefore is one whose spirit is led by God’s Spirit. He draws the power for his daily walk from the life given by the Holy Spirit Who indwells his spirit. He does not abide on earth seeking his own will but the will of God. He does not trust in his cleverness to plan and to perform service towards God. The rule of his walk is to dwell quietly in the spirit, no further influenced or controlled by the outer man.
The soulish Christian is eminently different. Though he is in possession of a spirit power he does not draw upon it for his life. In his daily experience he persists in making the soul his life and continues to lean upon his self power. He follows the dictates of his pleasure and delight because he has failed to learn to obey God. To God’s work he brings his natural wisdom, devising many ingenious arrangements. His everyday existence is governed and affected by the outer man.
To recapitulate what has been said, the problem of the two natures has been answered but the problem of the two lives remains unsolved. The spirit life and the soul life coexist within us. While the first is in itself exceedingly strong, the second manages to control the entire being because it is so deeply rooted in man. Unless one is disposed to deny his soul life and permit his spirit life to grasp the reins, the latter has little chance to develop. This is abhorrent to the Father for the child of God deprives himself of spiritual growth. He must be instructed that overcoming sin, blessed though it surely is, is but the bare minimum of a believer’s experience. There is nothing astonishing in it. Not to overcome sin is what ought to astonish us. Does not the Scripture legitimately ask: “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6.2) For to believe that the Lord Jesus died for us as our substitute is inseparable from believing that we have died with Him (Rom. 6.6). What should amaze us then is not the cessation of sinning in those who have died to sin but the continuance of that phenomenon in them as though yet alive. The first condition is quite normal; the second, altogether abnormal.
To be freed from sin is not a difficult task when viewed in the light of the finished, perfect and complete salvation of God. A believer must proceed to learn the more advanced and perhaps more formidable and deeper lesson of abhorring his life. Not only must we hate the sinful nature which comes from Adam but also the natural vitality upon which we now rely for our living. We must be willing to deny the good which is produced by the flesh as well as the evil of the flesh. Do not merely forsake all sins; in addition, deliver up this life of sin to death. A walk in the Holy Spirit is not only not committing sin but also not allowing self to abide. The Holy Spirit can manifest His power solely in those who live by Him. Whoever walks by his natural strength cannot expect to witness the mighty realities of the Holy Spirit. We need to be released from everything natural as well as from everything sinful. If we insist upon walking according to man—not just the sinful, but the all-inclusive natural, man—we reject the rule of the Holy Spirit in our lives. How can He exhibit His power if we are set free from sin and yet continue to think as “men” think, desire as “men” desire, live and work as “men” do? We are not leaning entirely upon the Holy Spirit of God to work in us. If we genuinely desire His fullness we first must break the all-pervasive influence of the soul.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Luke 6:46
"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord' when you don't do what I say?"
One of the greatest delusions today is the idea that you can accept Jesus as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. In other words, you can be assured of going to heaven when you die without having to actually live like a disciple of Jesus here and now.
Confessing Jesus as the LORD of your life means you are no longer free to live any way you please and "do your own thing". If you refuse Him as Lord NOW, you cannot claim Him as Savior THEN.
"Why do you call Me LORD if you aren't going to do what I say?" Either He is Lord OF all, or He's not Lord AT all.
One of the greatest delusions today is the idea that you can accept Jesus as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. In other words, you can be assured of going to heaven when you die without having to actually live like a disciple of Jesus here and now.
Confessing Jesus as the LORD of your life means you are no longer free to live any way you please and "do your own thing". If you refuse Him as Lord NOW, you cannot claim Him as Savior THEN.
"Why do you call Me LORD if you aren't going to do what I say?" Either He is Lord OF all, or He's not Lord AT all.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
God's Ways vs My Ways..
Many things in God's kingdom are backward from the world's way of doing things. Jesus said in Matthew 18:4, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'"
Let us ask the Lord to lead us through the wilderness of death to self.
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off [died to] the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:9-10).
The deeds of the old man are his hypocrisies. He covers himself with fig leaves, pretending he is something or someone he is not. He has all kinds of reasons to justify his coverups. Though many of these coverups seem quite spiritual, there is no justification for the hypocrisy.
The word"Jordan" means "descending." The words "put off," as in "putting off the old man," have a similar meaning. They are both from a root word that means "to sink down." Three Hebrew words that mean "to humble," also mean to sink down. So crossing the Jordan is humbling ourselves.
Yes, the Jordan is the beginning of true humility in our lives. The new man, renewed in knowledge of the image of God, begins to be revealed. He is exactly who he appears to be, warts and all. He is comfortable with who he is—someone in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. He is not self-conscious about who he is, only intent upon and grateful to be growing in grace through faith in Christ and making disciples of the same heart and mind.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8).
If we want to go on with the Lord, there is no way to escape the work of the cross in our lives. Jesus said emphatically, "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27). In spite of this, many Christians unknowingly reject the trials and tribulations of the humbling work of the cross in their lives. In doing so, they are wrestling with God.
I have heard ridiculous statements by people whose entire lives are committed to the things of God—except for the cross. One friend once said, "I'm sick of hearing about the cross. I want to get on with living!" The irony of this statement is that there is absolutely no way to attain the ongoing ongrowing fruit of the resurrection life except through the cross. And there is definitely no way to avoid it when we commit ourselves fully to Christ. I am happy to say that my friend has finally gotten her arms wrapped tightly around the cross and adoring it.
I once heard a minister say, "We do NOT have to go through the wilderness to get to the promised land." What he was saying is we do not have to come to the cross to inherit the promises, to which I reply, "Apostasy!"
The choice is clear. We can have counterfeit religion, settle for the traditions of men, or we can have Jesus. In the Word of God, there is too much said about suffering to be denied. The choice is clear. We can have counterfeit religion, settle for the traditions of men, or we can have Jesus. It's a choice that is before every believer each day of our lives.
Let us ask the Lord to lead us through the wilderness of death to self.
"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off [died to] the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:9-10).
The deeds of the old man are his hypocrisies. He covers himself with fig leaves, pretending he is something or someone he is not. He has all kinds of reasons to justify his coverups. Though many of these coverups seem quite spiritual, there is no justification for the hypocrisy.
The word"Jordan" means "descending." The words "put off," as in "putting off the old man," have a similar meaning. They are both from a root word that means "to sink down." Three Hebrew words that mean "to humble," also mean to sink down. So crossing the Jordan is humbling ourselves.
Yes, the Jordan is the beginning of true humility in our lives. The new man, renewed in knowledge of the image of God, begins to be revealed. He is exactly who he appears to be, warts and all. He is comfortable with who he is—someone in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ. He is not self-conscious about who he is, only intent upon and grateful to be growing in grace through faith in Christ and making disciples of the same heart and mind.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8).
If we want to go on with the Lord, there is no way to escape the work of the cross in our lives. Jesus said emphatically, "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27). In spite of this, many Christians unknowingly reject the trials and tribulations of the humbling work of the cross in their lives. In doing so, they are wrestling with God.
I have heard ridiculous statements by people whose entire lives are committed to the things of God—except for the cross. One friend once said, "I'm sick of hearing about the cross. I want to get on with living!" The irony of this statement is that there is absolutely no way to attain the ongoing ongrowing fruit of the resurrection life except through the cross. And there is definitely no way to avoid it when we commit ourselves fully to Christ. I am happy to say that my friend has finally gotten her arms wrapped tightly around the cross and adoring it.
I once heard a minister say, "We do NOT have to go through the wilderness to get to the promised land." What he was saying is we do not have to come to the cross to inherit the promises, to which I reply, "Apostasy!"
The choice is clear. We can have counterfeit religion, settle for the traditions of men, or we can have Jesus. In the Word of God, there is too much said about suffering to be denied. The choice is clear. We can have counterfeit religion, settle for the traditions of men, or we can have Jesus. It's a choice that is before every believer each day of our lives.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
In the time of Samuel the people, the people wanted a king. God gave them a king with the name of Saul. He was anointed, gifted and a head taller than the rest, good looking ,etc. The result of this king was disaster for Israel.
Let’s look at your life. Who have you chased after? The gifted? The Anointed? The talented? The pulpiteers? Who have you given money to, supported, who have you put in power?
When we have an orphan spirit, we reject people who have a father heart and we receive those who tickle our ears. We, as immature children, have valued leaders with gifts, talents and charisma more than character. Just like Israel we said, “Give us someone of anointing and power and giftings”. There must be a revelation and a return of fathers to the land – BUT we will not be fathers until we are sons.
We must start to value character above gifts. Character must be our message – not our words, or our ability to handle the gifts and the power.
Prayer:Father, forgive me for valuing a man’s gift more than I valued his character. Father, give us men that have the heart like David – those that are broken, humble and with servant hearts. Forgive us for looking for the gift and not the Godly character. Forgive us for being drawn to those with the power + gifts and not drawn to the fathers that would mature and discipline us according to Your word. Here our cry, Father we want to be sons and daughters!In Jesus Name, AMEN.
With the lack of fathers comes lack of identity. We need so desperately to belong, to have boundaries, etc. An orphan will seek for many years information to try and find where he belongs. You do not know yourself if you do not know where you come from. We have gathered under banners of certain teachings or organizations, or some sort of identity or we use our particular gifting as a source of personhood and identity in the Kingdom. This perverts the very purpose of why God gave gifts to man. The result of this is a sick infantile church, unable to walk in the Spirit – she totters and sways, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
We need a REVIVAL and RENEWAL of relational patterns. We must rediscover the impartation of the relationship between father and son.
Aspect of displacing the Orphan Heart
You must forgive spiritual and governmental authorities that misrepresented the Father’s love to you. People will disappoint you! They will get task orientated, not see your need or meet it, etc, etc. That is life!
Rom 13:1 “1 LET EVERY person be loyally subject to the governing (civil)authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God’s appointment.” Paul was talking to Christians in Rome.
The leaders were murderers, immoral, unjust. Paul is telling the Christians to submit to these leaders!(They did not acknowledge Caesar as lord and that is why many were killed). We do not submit to anything that is against God’s Word. Rom 13:2 “2 Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty due them].”
Not honoring authority is not honoring God. Those that oppose the authority placed over them bring judgment on themselves. When we oppose authority, are come into agreement with the chief spiritual orphan. We use the character flaws that we see in our leaders lives as a justification for rejecting them. Rom 13:3 “For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation.”
An unreasonable boss helps you see what you’re full of!! No inheritance without suffering! We want instant maturity but it does not work that way! Rom 13:4-5 “4 For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience.”
Principle:
When you reject spiritual and earthly authorities – you reject a spirit of sonship.
Let’s look at your life. Who have you chased after? The gifted? The Anointed? The talented? The pulpiteers? Who have you given money to, supported, who have you put in power?
When we have an orphan spirit, we reject people who have a father heart and we receive those who tickle our ears. We, as immature children, have valued leaders with gifts, talents and charisma more than character. Just like Israel we said, “Give us someone of anointing and power and giftings”. There must be a revelation and a return of fathers to the land – BUT we will not be fathers until we are sons.
We must start to value character above gifts. Character must be our message – not our words, or our ability to handle the gifts and the power.
Prayer:Father, forgive me for valuing a man’s gift more than I valued his character. Father, give us men that have the heart like David – those that are broken, humble and with servant hearts. Forgive us for looking for the gift and not the Godly character. Forgive us for being drawn to those with the power + gifts and not drawn to the fathers that would mature and discipline us according to Your word. Here our cry, Father we want to be sons and daughters!In Jesus Name, AMEN.
With the lack of fathers comes lack of identity. We need so desperately to belong, to have boundaries, etc. An orphan will seek for many years information to try and find where he belongs. You do not know yourself if you do not know where you come from. We have gathered under banners of certain teachings or organizations, or some sort of identity or we use our particular gifting as a source of personhood and identity in the Kingdom. This perverts the very purpose of why God gave gifts to man. The result of this is a sick infantile church, unable to walk in the Spirit – she totters and sways, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
We need a REVIVAL and RENEWAL of relational patterns. We must rediscover the impartation of the relationship between father and son.
Aspect of displacing the Orphan Heart
You must forgive spiritual and governmental authorities that misrepresented the Father’s love to you. People will disappoint you! They will get task orientated, not see your need or meet it, etc, etc. That is life!
Rom 13:1 “1 LET EVERY person be loyally subject to the governing (civil)authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God’s appointment.” Paul was talking to Christians in Rome.
The leaders were murderers, immoral, unjust. Paul is telling the Christians to submit to these leaders!(They did not acknowledge Caesar as lord and that is why many were killed). We do not submit to anything that is against God’s Word. Rom 13:2 “2 Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty due them].”
Not honoring authority is not honoring God. Those that oppose the authority placed over them bring judgment on themselves. When we oppose authority, are come into agreement with the chief spiritual orphan. We use the character flaws that we see in our leaders lives as a justification for rejecting them. Rom 13:3 “For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation.”
An unreasonable boss helps you see what you’re full of!! No inheritance without suffering! We want instant maturity but it does not work that way! Rom 13:4-5 “4 For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience.”
Principle:
When you reject spiritual and earthly authorities – you reject a spirit of sonship.
Monday, April 02, 2007
"The fruit of the Spirit is... meekness"
Galatians 5:22,23
God's power is not revealed to us when we are proud, but when we are humble. Any demonstration of "power" manifesting itself through aproud man or a proud woman is, quite simply, not from God and cannot be trusted. Spiritual gifts may be counterfeited, but spiritual fruit cannot be faked. We will know the false from the true by their fruit, not their gifts (Matthew 7:20). Meekness is an essential quality ofspiritual fruit. Gifts may accompany fruit, but gifts may never substitute for fruit.
God's power is not revealed to us when we are proud, but when we are humble. Any demonstration of "power" manifesting itself through aproud man or a proud woman is, quite simply, not from God and cannot be trusted. Spiritual gifts may be counterfeited, but spiritual fruit cannot be faked. We will know the false from the true by their fruit, not their gifts (Matthew 7:20). Meekness is an essential quality ofspiritual fruit. Gifts may accompany fruit, but gifts may never substitute for fruit.
The DNA of Sin
The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Like it or not, we are all born sinners, which means we are all born unbroken. Yes, our DNA is infected with the sin of our forefather Adam. The word that best describes this condition of unbrokenness is pride. The word that best describes brokenness is humility.
We are all—every last one of us—more or less unbroken. The Christian journey is one of God bringing us out of tree of knowledge trash such as sinful, rule-based, self-righteous, self-sufficient, prideful dependence upon our own strength, wisdom and knowledge into the tree of life treasures of brokenness, humility, worship of and dependence upon Him. These are God’s highest desires for all of His children, and His desires are always what is best for us. They are highly prized by Him, and once we begin to understand and bear the fruit of them, we will prize them highly too.
“For Thou does not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise”(Psalm 51:16-17).
The word “broken” used in Psalm 51:17 translates “crushed, broken in pieces, torn, and brought to birth!” The word “contrite” means “collapsed physically or mentally”. These two words describe a soul in devastated brokenness. From an eternal perspective, these are the sacrifices of God. This is not exactly something the fittest, the toughest and the slickest want to hear, but it truly is good news. Like freshly tilled soil, a broken and surrendered heart is the perfect environment for God to bring it to birth.
It is a narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). The word “narrow” means “to suffer tribulation” and “pressure”. Like a baby coming through the narrow way of the birth canal, the pressures of our sorrows are actually meant to bring our hearts to birth, to life, by the power of God’s grace.
Paul’s writings bring light to the phenomenon of a heart brought to birth. In Galatians 4, he wrote that he was “once again in labor that Christ might be formed” in us (v. 11). This word “labor” is from the root word meaning “to lament and mourn”. Jesus used the metaphor of laboring in childbirth to describe the weeping and lamentation His disciples would endure upon His death (John 16:20-21).
The seasons of crushing brokenness we all endure are like birth pangs. They bring our hearts to birth as we surrender to God in the midst of them. Great or small, our brokenness is the incubator of God’s overshadowing grace as He forms the tangible reality of the character of Christ within us. This is one of the most important and misunderstood spiritual dynamics in the Word of God.
The Book of Psalms is the holy of holies of the Bible. Much of it is an intimate glimpse into the journal of and memorial to the tearful prayers of the broken- hearted. It stands as a testimony to God’s love and faithfulness to those who cry out to Him for help.
We are all—every last one of us—more or less unbroken. The Christian journey is one of God bringing us out of tree of knowledge trash such as sinful, rule-based, self-righteous, self-sufficient, prideful dependence upon our own strength, wisdom and knowledge into the tree of life treasures of brokenness, humility, worship of and dependence upon Him. These are God’s highest desires for all of His children, and His desires are always what is best for us. They are highly prized by Him, and once we begin to understand and bear the fruit of them, we will prize them highly too.
“For Thou does not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise”(Psalm 51:16-17).
The word “broken” used in Psalm 51:17 translates “crushed, broken in pieces, torn, and brought to birth!” The word “contrite” means “collapsed physically or mentally”. These two words describe a soul in devastated brokenness. From an eternal perspective, these are the sacrifices of God. This is not exactly something the fittest, the toughest and the slickest want to hear, but it truly is good news. Like freshly tilled soil, a broken and surrendered heart is the perfect environment for God to bring it to birth.
It is a narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). The word “narrow” means “to suffer tribulation” and “pressure”. Like a baby coming through the narrow way of the birth canal, the pressures of our sorrows are actually meant to bring our hearts to birth, to life, by the power of God’s grace.
Paul’s writings bring light to the phenomenon of a heart brought to birth. In Galatians 4, he wrote that he was “once again in labor that Christ might be formed” in us (v. 11). This word “labor” is from the root word meaning “to lament and mourn”. Jesus used the metaphor of laboring in childbirth to describe the weeping and lamentation His disciples would endure upon His death (John 16:20-21).
The seasons of crushing brokenness we all endure are like birth pangs. They bring our hearts to birth as we surrender to God in the midst of them. Great or small, our brokenness is the incubator of God’s overshadowing grace as He forms the tangible reality of the character of Christ within us. This is one of the most important and misunderstood spiritual dynamics in the Word of God.
The Book of Psalms is the holy of holies of the Bible. Much of it is an intimate glimpse into the journal of and memorial to the tearful prayers of the broken- hearted. It stands as a testimony to God’s love and faithfulness to those who cry out to Him for help.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
"Of His fullness have all we received" (John 1:16).
If there is a seeming difference in the "level" of anointing or power or spirituality among believers it is definitely not because some have more of the Lord than others. Let this be an encouragement to you. Indeed, Christ is not divided, and of His fullness we all share.
We are all baptized into the same Spirit. The difference is some saints are more broken than others. Some have passed through many seasons of tearing down and building up, while some after many years of experience are still resisting the Lord and refusing to lay down their lives. Some have recognized God's dealings and have submitted to them, while others have misunderstood or been totally ignorant of God's dealings with them.
The ones who have been sufficiently broken eventually manifest very little of their self, and very much of Christ. God must work long and hard with us to bring us to this place, but what a glorious day it is when we are able to bow our heads and finally surrender everything.
What joy it is to look back over all that the Lord has led us through and realize His purpose in both the good times and the bad times, to behold the goodness and the severity of God in His dealings with us.
We are all baptized into the same Spirit. The difference is some saints are more broken than others. Some have passed through many seasons of tearing down and building up, while some after many years of experience are still resisting the Lord and refusing to lay down their lives. Some have recognized God's dealings and have submitted to them, while others have misunderstood or been totally ignorant of God's dealings with them.
The ones who have been sufficiently broken eventually manifest very little of their self, and very much of Christ. God must work long and hard with us to bring us to this place, but what a glorious day it is when we are able to bow our heads and finally surrender everything.
What joy it is to look back over all that the Lord has led us through and realize His purpose in both the good times and the bad times, to behold the goodness and the severity of God in His dealings with us.
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