“To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.’ No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another.” (Ps 75:4-7).
Because men have boasted about their positions of power, the Lord is bringing a lesson to them. Here is the Word I received this morning;
“I see men jockeying for positions and men appointing men to positions, promising them great things. The first thing I will teach them is that I lift up. It is I alone who appoint men to their positions, and it is I alone who bestow power upon men. All their bragging will cease, those who are proud and greedy for power, when I lift up the humble. They will learn that all their efforts are for nothing, and they are like the spinning wheels of the chariots that suddenly jammed (Ex 14:25).
Some do not know they have been on the wrong side, opposing God’s ways. They have been an oppressing hand on the humble. But My hand is greater, and it will deliver.”
Let us obey God’s word today and receive one another, not oppressing those who are humble. (Rom 15:7 & also see Mt 10:40-42). Amen.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
God works for good
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rm 8:28)
If we want to see God’s nature and what things He would likely be doing in our lives, this verse shows that He is an ever-creating God, forming good things despite the bad. If things had to be perfect for God to create us into His image, then he wouldn’t have made us clay vessels which hold the treasure of His Spirit, His very nature (2 Cor 4:7). However, for us to be less than God doesn’t bother God as much as it bothers us. When we are near Him, we sense our “less-than”-ness. We are made of dust, and our weaknesses, mistakes, and sins are unlovely compared to the nature of God that lives within us.
If God’s business is to continually create good out of the life we live, then satan’s business is to create bad. Satan does not offer forgiveness when we repent, nor restoration when we hold out the olive branch to reconcile a relationship. He plants weeds in the Master’s garden (Mt 13:24-30). And so it takes faith to believe for the “good” God is working towards.
The struggle is not to have faith that we are good or perfect, but that God is. When times are not going well, our faith rests on His nature. Satan will accuse God of being “less-than” and urge us to take matters into our own hands, as if the Lord cannot be trusted. But quiet trust in the nature of God, and what His Word tells us about Him, is actually a mighty shield against satan’s fiery darts (Eph 6:16). Our enemy wants us to look inside our vessel and see ourselves, stripped of any goodness of God. God wants us to look at Him, within and without. Looking within at our own nature will eventually make us feel abandoned, or worse, that God has not been doing His job making us a better person . . . and that making our life work out for the good is not in His nature after all! Our enemy’s job is to get us to disbelieve scripture, and to break up our relationship with the Lord. God’s job is to fulfill His Word and to nurture our relationship, and yes, our very life.
Today, we must choose whom we will serve. If we believe that the Lord is working our life out for the good, then let us trust in His work and believe that He is good. All thoughts that are contrary to this are the seeds of weeds, planted by our enemy.
If we want to see God’s nature and what things He would likely be doing in our lives, this verse shows that He is an ever-creating God, forming good things despite the bad. If things had to be perfect for God to create us into His image, then he wouldn’t have made us clay vessels which hold the treasure of His Spirit, His very nature (2 Cor 4:7). However, for us to be less than God doesn’t bother God as much as it bothers us. When we are near Him, we sense our “less-than”-ness. We are made of dust, and our weaknesses, mistakes, and sins are unlovely compared to the nature of God that lives within us.
If God’s business is to continually create good out of the life we live, then satan’s business is to create bad. Satan does not offer forgiveness when we repent, nor restoration when we hold out the olive branch to reconcile a relationship. He plants weeds in the Master’s garden (Mt 13:24-30). And so it takes faith to believe for the “good” God is working towards.
The struggle is not to have faith that we are good or perfect, but that God is. When times are not going well, our faith rests on His nature. Satan will accuse God of being “less-than” and urge us to take matters into our own hands, as if the Lord cannot be trusted. But quiet trust in the nature of God, and what His Word tells us about Him, is actually a mighty shield against satan’s fiery darts (Eph 6:16). Our enemy wants us to look inside our vessel and see ourselves, stripped of any goodness of God. God wants us to look at Him, within and without. Looking within at our own nature will eventually make us feel abandoned, or worse, that God has not been doing His job making us a better person . . . and that making our life work out for the good is not in His nature after all! Our enemy’s job is to get us to disbelieve scripture, and to break up our relationship with the Lord. God’s job is to fulfill His Word and to nurture our relationship, and yes, our very life.
Today, we must choose whom we will serve. If we believe that the Lord is working our life out for the good, then let us trust in His work and believe that He is good. All thoughts that are contrary to this are the seeds of weeds, planted by our enemy.
validation and love
Sometimes Christians become addicted to God’s validation. They live their lives unplanned so that through favorable circumstances they might feel God’s approval and blessing. When all effort could have only been from God, then surely the right outcome was His doing.
These are simple-minded people, never learning wisdom because they lack understanding of the role of responsibility. Child-like, they depend on God and others, while the mature carry their own burdens and other’s also (Gal 6:2-5).
Though God’s blessings are tireless, He sees when we try to force His hand. God is not ignorant of the effort we put into our lives. His intent is that we know the fullness of His love and appreciation for us. It would be a shallow existence for us to only experience validation from God, and foolishness on our part to believe that every good outcome is the only expression of His love for us.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:18-19)
God’s ultimate purpose then is that, knowing His love, we also would love others, not seeing our need only but our brother’s also. Amen.
These are simple-minded people, never learning wisdom because they lack understanding of the role of responsibility. Child-like, they depend on God and others, while the mature carry their own burdens and other’s also (Gal 6:2-5).
Though God’s blessings are tireless, He sees when we try to force His hand. God is not ignorant of the effort we put into our lives. His intent is that we know the fullness of His love and appreciation for us. It would be a shallow existence for us to only experience validation from God, and foolishness on our part to believe that every good outcome is the only expression of His love for us.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:18-19)
God’s ultimate purpose then is that, knowing His love, we also would love others, not seeing our need only but our brother’s also. Amen.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
spiritual inbreeding
We are the body of Christ. Paul’s symbolism of the body of Christ is one illustration of how we work together and with Christ. We are to function as a body in which each member supplies what is needed for the entire body according to his or her gifting. We get our Life from Christ, who is our Head (Eph 4:14-16).
What happens to our churches, the individual bodies of Christ which we personally belong to, when things become stale . . . or when our services take on the tone of the world and of error? Today I will be sharing on inbreeding, the cause of spiritual staleness, or lack of variation within our churches. Because this concept has to do with the physical body and our genetic make-up, it is a term the Lord chose to illustrate the spiritual composition of some of our churches.
Inbreeding. Inbreeding is the mating of men and women closely related. This harms what we call the “gene pool” because it increases the chances for genetic mutation. Another practice also harms the gene pool, and that is called the “Founder Principle”. When the gene pool comes from only a few people, such as the founders of a colony, there is a greater chance for a loss in genetic variation, and recessive traits become stronger, more dominant. For instance, this results in a greater chance of deafness, if one of the founders has a recessive gene for deafness. It can also result in other genetic mutations, especially if there is inbreeding between people closely related to one another.
God’s design is to refresh the “gene pool” of our spiritual life by having more than one person speak or teach in the church. He raises up men and women whom He has put gifts in that will edify and build the body. When many share, the variety of messages will meet the variety of needs within the body, and it will be strong.
Yet the opposite can be true as well. When only a few speak, and the rest are spectators, there is very little variety in the spiritual make-up of the body. The in-dwelling beliefs of the few who teach and preach will become the dominant beliefs of the church, eventually. This is the spiritual “founder principle.”
Just as inbreeding with close family members can result in retardation and genetic mutations, groups who closely follow only one man can become cults . Spiritually, our reasoning is eschewed when we only receive sermons and lessons from one source. If our churches become closed to outside ministry, the members will be formed into the image of the founder or minister. But if we receive one another, as Jesus asks (Mt 10:40-42), then we will be formed by the wide variety of lessons and sermons attributed to many who represent Him.
I feel led to caution against closed systems of preaching and teaching, wherein a few approved people are the only ones allowed to minister. Let us receive one another and the variety that exists in Christ. The strength of our spiritual composition will grow, for there will be less chance of personal beliefs being dominant. Amen.
What happens to our churches, the individual bodies of Christ which we personally belong to, when things become stale . . . or when our services take on the tone of the world and of error? Today I will be sharing on inbreeding, the cause of spiritual staleness, or lack of variation within our churches. Because this concept has to do with the physical body and our genetic make-up, it is a term the Lord chose to illustrate the spiritual composition of some of our churches.
Inbreeding. Inbreeding is the mating of men and women closely related. This harms what we call the “gene pool” because it increases the chances for genetic mutation. Another practice also harms the gene pool, and that is called the “Founder Principle”. When the gene pool comes from only a few people, such as the founders of a colony, there is a greater chance for a loss in genetic variation, and recessive traits become stronger, more dominant. For instance, this results in a greater chance of deafness, if one of the founders has a recessive gene for deafness. It can also result in other genetic mutations, especially if there is inbreeding between people closely related to one another.
God’s design is to refresh the “gene pool” of our spiritual life by having more than one person speak or teach in the church. He raises up men and women whom He has put gifts in that will edify and build the body. When many share, the variety of messages will meet the variety of needs within the body, and it will be strong.
Yet the opposite can be true as well. When only a few speak, and the rest are spectators, there is very little variety in the spiritual make-up of the body. The in-dwelling beliefs of the few who teach and preach will become the dominant beliefs of the church, eventually. This is the spiritual “founder principle.”
Just as inbreeding with close family members can result in retardation and genetic mutations, groups who closely follow only one man can become cults . Spiritually, our reasoning is eschewed when we only receive sermons and lessons from one source. If our churches become closed to outside ministry, the members will be formed into the image of the founder or minister. But if we receive one another, as Jesus asks (Mt 10:40-42), then we will be formed by the wide variety of lessons and sermons attributed to many who represent Him.
I feel led to caution against closed systems of preaching and teaching, wherein a few approved people are the only ones allowed to minister. Let us receive one another and the variety that exists in Christ. The strength of our spiritual composition will grow, for there will be less chance of personal beliefs being dominant. Amen.
Restoration
Restoration of Man by God is His creative work, and not our own. The Lord creates in us newness of Life, so much so that we are changed people. Crazy thinking gives way to sound thinking, phobias give way to peacefulness, and a soul that once refused to be ruled over becomes submissive to discipline (2 Tim 1:7). All that keeps one imprisoned and in darkness is exchanged for true liberty and light. The inner heart begins to know true healing and, yes, favor from the Lord.
Jesus spoke these words through the Spirit of Prophecy to the prophet Isaiah; “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God . . . “ (Is 61:1-2). Truly the “good news” Jesus proclaimed was more than mere words; the gospel is the creative power of God to change lives.
What is to become of those lives, once imprisoned in darkness but now free? Are they to live the rest of their lives in shame? No, for God has no purpose in the life lived in shame. If shame would work God’s purposes He would let us feel His disgust over our sins. But shame keeps men from walking into the Life God has created for them. Instead of shame and disgrace, our Father gives us a great inheritance.
“Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Is 61:7).
If God can forgive, create in us new Life, and put our feet on the course for our destiny, why do we stop short of walking that course? The discouragement of past sins and errors needs to be laid to rest behind us. Though men or angels try to turn us back by convincing us we are not qualified for our walk’s destiny, yet the Blood of God’s Son continues to speak of better things for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:38-39).
Jesus spoke these words through the Spirit of Prophecy to the prophet Isaiah; “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God . . . “ (Is 61:1-2). Truly the “good news” Jesus proclaimed was more than mere words; the gospel is the creative power of God to change lives.
What is to become of those lives, once imprisoned in darkness but now free? Are they to live the rest of their lives in shame? No, for God has no purpose in the life lived in shame. If shame would work God’s purposes He would let us feel His disgust over our sins. But shame keeps men from walking into the Life God has created for them. Instead of shame and disgrace, our Father gives us a great inheritance.
“Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Is 61:7).
If God can forgive, create in us new Life, and put our feet on the course for our destiny, why do we stop short of walking that course? The discouragement of past sins and errors needs to be laid to rest behind us. Though men or angels try to turn us back by convincing us we are not qualified for our walk’s destiny, yet the Blood of God’s Son continues to speak of better things for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:38-39).
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Prophecy for 2012
Christiandom seems to think I am only concerned with the poor unsaved. Some hold contempt for the wealthy or the middle-class unsaved. Men lack vision for the foundation I have labored to build in America.
I have laid My Word here, and My Spirit. I have built with the faithfulness of prophets, evangelists, teachers and preachers here. It has come to this generation to do the finish-work, for My walls are standing.
A carpenter does not do finish-work with the same skills he does rough carpentry. Many of his tools are different. The broad strokes are refined. The large heads on his nails are replaced by the small heads on his finish nails. The exterior paint protects from fierce weather and the interior paint reflects the beauty of the design of its creator.
Man does not see America’s calling. The rough carpenters want to build elsewhere. They think their work here is done. They are not following their Creator but want to create. Let the rough carpenters place their skills in My hands for refinement, and I will use them once again.
The Word I have laid in this country has Life. Let the finish workers bring the Life forth. Seek Me for the skills to minister Life to the sons and daughters of the great pioneers of this land. Do not compare them with the destitute of far away lands. If you forsake the lost of your own country you forsake the house I have been building here through your forefathers. Now is not the time to turn your hearts to distant shores: now is the time to finish.
I have laid My Word here, and My Spirit. I have built with the faithfulness of prophets, evangelists, teachers and preachers here. It has come to this generation to do the finish-work, for My walls are standing.
A carpenter does not do finish-work with the same skills he does rough carpentry. Many of his tools are different. The broad strokes are refined. The large heads on his nails are replaced by the small heads on his finish nails. The exterior paint protects from fierce weather and the interior paint reflects the beauty of the design of its creator.
Man does not see America’s calling. The rough carpenters want to build elsewhere. They think their work here is done. They are not following their Creator but want to create. Let the rough carpenters place their skills in My hands for refinement, and I will use them once again.
The Word I have laid in this country has Life. Let the finish workers bring the Life forth. Seek Me for the skills to minister Life to the sons and daughters of the great pioneers of this land. Do not compare them with the destitute of far away lands. If you forsake the lost of your own country you forsake the house I have been building here through your forefathers. Now is not the time to turn your hearts to distant shores: now is the time to finish.
Restoration
Restoration of Man by God is His creative work, and not our own. The Lord creates in us newness of Life, so much so that we are changed people. Crazy thinking gives way to sound thinking, phobias give way to peacefulness, and a soul that once refused to be ruled over becomes submissive to discipline (2 Tim 1:7). All that keeps one imprisoned and in darkness is exchanged for true liberty and light. The inner heart begins to know true healing and, yes, favor from the Lord.
Jesus spoke these words through the Spirit of Prophecy to the prophet Isaiah; “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God . . . “ (Is 61:1-2). Truly the “good news” Jesus proclaimed was more than mere words; the gospel is the creative power of God to change lives.
What is to become of those lives, once imprisoned in darkness but now free? Are they to live the rest of their lives in shame? No, for God has no purpose in the life lived in shame. If shame would work God’s purposes He would let us feel His disgust over our sins. But shame keeps men from walking into the Life God has created for them. Instead of shame and disgrace, our Father gives us a great inheritance.
“Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Is 61:7).
If God can forgive, create in us new Life, and put our feet on the course for our destiny, why do we stop short of walking that course? The discouragement of past sins and errors needs to be laid to rest behind us. Though men or angels try to turn us back by convincing us we are not qualified for our walk’s destiny, yet the Blood of God’s Son continues to speak of better things for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:38-39).
Jesus spoke these words through the Spirit of Prophecy to the prophet Isaiah; “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God . . . “ (Is 61:1-2). Truly the “good news” Jesus proclaimed was more than mere words; the gospel is the creative power of God to change lives.
What is to become of those lives, once imprisoned in darkness but now free? Are they to live the rest of their lives in shame? No, for God has no purpose in the life lived in shame. If shame would work God’s purposes He would let us feel His disgust over our sins. But shame keeps men from walking into the Life God has created for them. Instead of shame and disgrace, our Father gives us a great inheritance.
“Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” (Is 61:7).
If God can forgive, create in us new Life, and put our feet on the course for our destiny, why do we stop short of walking that course? The discouragement of past sins and errors needs to be laid to rest behind us. Though men or angels try to turn us back by convincing us we are not qualified for our walk’s destiny, yet the Blood of God’s Son continues to speak of better things for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Rm 8:38-39).
Doubt & Faith
Some people like unbelief because it allows them to do their own thing, and truth requires accountability. All men who hear the truth do not keep it; only those who obey the word of truth will retain it. Therefore, we see that our enemy satan seeks to plant seeds of doubt after God’s word comes to us. Our enemy makes doubt attractive, reminding us that it will ensure we can do what we want. Truth, on the other hand, requires a change of behavior on our part, and if we follow it, an eventual change in our character.
The great dividing line between Christians as far a character goes is not sin as much as it is doubt. Those who have followed doubt long enough remain the same. Though they listen to God’s word, it does not work a change in their character, and their behavior is what it always has been. Because their doubt doesn’t require obedience to what they hear, they enjoy a covert rebellion. People who doubt really want their own way and not God’s way.
Eventually, it is seen of doubters that they have no fear of God. They may believe He exists, but they do not take seriously what He has said and do not obey His words. Now, the Lord is gracious to us all and gives time for men to go from doubt to faith. Joel writes about a Valley of Decision where those who lack faith will eventually be judged, yet states “But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold . . . (Joel 3:14-16). We see this juxtaposition also between God’s priests who complained against Him, and those servants who feared Him and honored His name. Of the latter the Lord said “They will be Mine . . . in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.” (Mal 3:17).
Fear of God results in taking God and His word seriously. It is a healthy respect for Who God is and the Authority with which He speaks. Our human fleshly nature does not want God to rule over it. When Jesus told the parable about giving talents to His people, He said “But His citizens hated Him and sent a message after Him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’” (Lk 19:14). Like our fleshly nature, the citizens did not want their lives disturbed. When Jesus rules over us, it disturbs, or changes our lives.
Though the citizens in Jesus’ parable did not want Him, the opposite is true of those who welcome His rule. Their faith will be set on the foundation of obedience to His words, which has prepared them to receive Him as their Lord and King. Those of faith will say “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” (Rev 22:17). But those who have loved their doubt and have not obeyed His words, will love and practice “falsehood,” and will be outside God’s presence in the end (Rev 22:15). Doubt will prevent a man from being formed by obedience to the truth into the image of Jesus, and will cause him to refuse His lordship while they are living. Today, let us decide to obey God’s words and live a life of faith. Amen.
The great dividing line between Christians as far a character goes is not sin as much as it is doubt. Those who have followed doubt long enough remain the same. Though they listen to God’s word, it does not work a change in their character, and their behavior is what it always has been. Because their doubt doesn’t require obedience to what they hear, they enjoy a covert rebellion. People who doubt really want their own way and not God’s way.
Eventually, it is seen of doubters that they have no fear of God. They may believe He exists, but they do not take seriously what He has said and do not obey His words. Now, the Lord is gracious to us all and gives time for men to go from doubt to faith. Joel writes about a Valley of Decision where those who lack faith will eventually be judged, yet states “But the Lord will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold . . . (Joel 3:14-16). We see this juxtaposition also between God’s priests who complained against Him, and those servants who feared Him and honored His name. Of the latter the Lord said “They will be Mine . . . in the day when I make up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.” (Mal 3:17).
Fear of God results in taking God and His word seriously. It is a healthy respect for Who God is and the Authority with which He speaks. Our human fleshly nature does not want God to rule over it. When Jesus told the parable about giving talents to His people, He said “But His citizens hated Him and sent a message after Him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’” (Lk 19:14). Like our fleshly nature, the citizens did not want their lives disturbed. When Jesus rules over us, it disturbs, or changes our lives.
Though the citizens in Jesus’ parable did not want Him, the opposite is true of those who welcome His rule. Their faith will be set on the foundation of obedience to His words, which has prepared them to receive Him as their Lord and King. Those of faith will say “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” (Rev 22:17). But those who have loved their doubt and have not obeyed His words, will love and practice “falsehood,” and will be outside God’s presence in the end (Rev 22:15). Doubt will prevent a man from being formed by obedience to the truth into the image of Jesus, and will cause him to refuse His lordship while they are living. Today, let us decide to obey God’s words and live a life of faith. Amen.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Strange Fire
It is our human nature to want our own way. Observing children reminds us of this. If we do not train them to be patient, and follow good examples, they increasingly become more impatient and set on having what they want. After all, from their perspective, what they want is what they also understand to be “good.” In like manner, man’s perception of good is based on his understanding of what he wants and perceives as good. And our performance of good stems from desiring either our way, or God’s way.
We find examples of people following their own understanding in the scriptures. Concerning watchmen, Isaiah prophesied that they had become “shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” (Is 56:10-11). These men had ceased caring for God’s flock and their concerns were about their own benefit. They lacked God’s understanding of what good was, and sought after what they thought was good. Spiritually, they were in darkness.
As Christians, though we walk in the light of God’s Spirit within us (and the light of His living Word), at times we find ourselves to also be struggling with a lack of understanding. This is through no fault of our own. God directs us, then steps back (to allow our growth in His Words as we follow that direction). At these times we naturally seek further understanding on how to follow Him when we have gone as far as we know how.
This period of time in which we lack understanding is called “darkness”. It is the in-between stage; in-between the light of understanding and the next light of understanding. Just as we have day, followed by night, and then followed by the next day again, so we have understanding, lack of understanding, and then understanding again. Peter describes this process in speaking about God’s word; “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.” (2 Peter 1:19). The light is shining somewhere, but not until dawn will it shine on us. Likewise, an understanding of what puzzles us lies somewhere, but we won’t have that understanding until the Lord causes it to “dawn” on us, thus bringing His true understanding by His Spirit when the morning star rises in our hearts.
Being in darkness tests the best of us. We want to know what is a good way to follow, but find ourselves temporarily without the light of understanding. It is a test every true believer finds himself in. Isaiah writes about this test also. “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” (Is 50:10). So we see it is a test of trusting in God, and that He will cause the understanding to dawn on us.
Isaiah continues by writing about those who fail this test of reliance on the Lord for their understanding. “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand; you will lie down in torment.” (Is 50:11). Another translation uses the word “sorrow” for torment, and if we look at the Hebrew root of the word we find “anguish, grieve, worry, hurt”. Lighting the fires of our own understanding will not bring us to the true understanding from the Lord.
In having God’s understanding, we can proceed with wisdom. Wisdom proceeds from understanding. We can discern understanding by looking at the fruit of what follows our understanding. James writes that earthly wisdom harbors envy and “selfish ambition” within it (Jms 3:14). The fruit of God’s understanding manifests itself in wisdom that is “pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.” (Jms 3:17).
Ambition for oneself has caused God’s displeasure on many occasions. Substituting the fire of our own understanding for the fire of God’s understanding will give us light so that we can go in the way we think is good . . . but it is the wrong way, and we will be grieved in the end. It is as if we put “strange fire” on the altar of our hearts. This strange, or alien fire, has its consequences. Here, Dave will write about the consequences of lighting the fires of our own understanding;
In Leviticus 10:1-2, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each offered the Lord inappropriate fire with incense on it which the Lord had not enjoined upon them. As a result, the Lord consumed their lives and they died. In Acts 5:1-11 a similar incident is repeated to show (that with the tabernacle of God residing in each person’s heart) each person is also held accountable as a priest offering spiritual incense within one’s own heart. Therefore, for the same reason that inappropriate action brought death to Nadab and Abihu, so inappropriate action in their hearts (out of their hearts came lies – see Matthew 15:18; Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45; Eph. 4:29; James 3:14; 1 Sam. 24:13; Is. 32:6) also brought death to Ananias and Sapphira. Paul, in 1st Corinthians 11:28-32, also warns about God’s judgment for inappropriate actions in following the directions of the Lord’s Supper.
In Leviticus 10:3, Moses explains God’s position regarding our obligations as priests. “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people, I must be glorified.” As God’s priests, we are to follow what the Lord “has enjoined upon us”…nothing more or nothing less. Using our own understanding does not bring glory to God, but to oneself. In times of darkness, it is tempting to use our own understanding (especially if we lack patience or are unable to subdue our own ambition to humbly wait upon the Lord for His direction). His Holy Spirit will consume (Ex. 24:17; De 4:24; Heb.12:28-29) anything that does not bring glory to God. It is futile, then, to believe that acting in a manner that rewards our perspective of good will bring us into a good standing with God. Obedience is far more important to God than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22; Eccl. 5:1; Hosea 6:6; Matt. 5:24; 9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33).
Thank you , Dave. Today, let us put self-ambition and impatience away from us and rely on and trust in the Lord for all that we do not understand. Then our lives will bear the fruit that glorifies Him as His light comes and understanding dawns on us. Amen.
We find examples of people following their own understanding in the scriptures. Concerning watchmen, Isaiah prophesied that they had become “shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” (Is 56:10-11). These men had ceased caring for God’s flock and their concerns were about their own benefit. They lacked God’s understanding of what good was, and sought after what they thought was good. Spiritually, they were in darkness.
As Christians, though we walk in the light of God’s Spirit within us (and the light of His living Word), at times we find ourselves to also be struggling with a lack of understanding. This is through no fault of our own. God directs us, then steps back (to allow our growth in His Words as we follow that direction). At these times we naturally seek further understanding on how to follow Him when we have gone as far as we know how.
This period of time in which we lack understanding is called “darkness”. It is the in-between stage; in-between the light of understanding and the next light of understanding. Just as we have day, followed by night, and then followed by the next day again, so we have understanding, lack of understanding, and then understanding again. Peter describes this process in speaking about God’s word; “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.” (2 Peter 1:19). The light is shining somewhere, but not until dawn will it shine on us. Likewise, an understanding of what puzzles us lies somewhere, but we won’t have that understanding until the Lord causes it to “dawn” on us, thus bringing His true understanding by His Spirit when the morning star rises in our hearts.
Being in darkness tests the best of us. We want to know what is a good way to follow, but find ourselves temporarily without the light of understanding. It is a test every true believer finds himself in. Isaiah writes about this test also. “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” (Is 50:10). So we see it is a test of trusting in God, and that He will cause the understanding to dawn on us.
Isaiah continues by writing about those who fail this test of reliance on the Lord for their understanding. “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand; you will lie down in torment.” (Is 50:11). Another translation uses the word “sorrow” for torment, and if we look at the Hebrew root of the word we find “anguish, grieve, worry, hurt”. Lighting the fires of our own understanding will not bring us to the true understanding from the Lord.
In having God’s understanding, we can proceed with wisdom. Wisdom proceeds from understanding. We can discern understanding by looking at the fruit of what follows our understanding. James writes that earthly wisdom harbors envy and “selfish ambition” within it (Jms 3:14). The fruit of God’s understanding manifests itself in wisdom that is “pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.” (Jms 3:17).
Ambition for oneself has caused God’s displeasure on many occasions. Substituting the fire of our own understanding for the fire of God’s understanding will give us light so that we can go in the way we think is good . . . but it is the wrong way, and we will be grieved in the end. It is as if we put “strange fire” on the altar of our hearts. This strange, or alien fire, has its consequences. Here, Dave will write about the consequences of lighting the fires of our own understanding;
In Leviticus 10:1-2, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each offered the Lord inappropriate fire with incense on it which the Lord had not enjoined upon them. As a result, the Lord consumed their lives and they died. In Acts 5:1-11 a similar incident is repeated to show (that with the tabernacle of God residing in each person’s heart) each person is also held accountable as a priest offering spiritual incense within one’s own heart. Therefore, for the same reason that inappropriate action brought death to Nadab and Abihu, so inappropriate action in their hearts (out of their hearts came lies – see Matthew 15:18; Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45; Eph. 4:29; James 3:14; 1 Sam. 24:13; Is. 32:6) also brought death to Ananias and Sapphira. Paul, in 1st Corinthians 11:28-32, also warns about God’s judgment for inappropriate actions in following the directions of the Lord’s Supper.
In Leviticus 10:3, Moses explains God’s position regarding our obligations as priests. “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people, I must be glorified.” As God’s priests, we are to follow what the Lord “has enjoined upon us”…nothing more or nothing less. Using our own understanding does not bring glory to God, but to oneself. In times of darkness, it is tempting to use our own understanding (especially if we lack patience or are unable to subdue our own ambition to humbly wait upon the Lord for His direction). His Holy Spirit will consume (Ex. 24:17; De 4:24; Heb.12:28-29) anything that does not bring glory to God. It is futile, then, to believe that acting in a manner that rewards our perspective of good will bring us into a good standing with God. Obedience is far more important to God than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22; Eccl. 5:1; Hosea 6:6; Matt. 5:24; 9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33).
Thank you , Dave. Today, let us put self-ambition and impatience away from us and rely on and trust in the Lord for all that we do not understand. Then our lives will bear the fruit that glorifies Him as His light comes and understanding dawns on us. Amen.
condemnation and confidence
Sometimes when we seek God for answers our prayers seem to go nowhere. And we lack confidence in our efforts. Slowly, if we have not sought the Lord, our hearts condemn us. It takes discernment to know where this condemnation comes from, for though we have an accuser, satan, we also err and stumble at times. Today’s lesson is about condemnation and confidence.
"Dear friends, let us not love with words or in tongue but with actions and in truth. This is then how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."( 1 John 3:18-21).
If we were robotic Christians and could just point to scriptures and say "See, this is the one I'm obeying." it would be much easier. But John is saying that we should obey God’s commands and do what pleases Him. That makes it more complicated. Knowing the truth and doing the truth are partly the same thing, and partly not, for the doing goes much farther than the knowing. If we want to be sure we're doing the truth and obeying the scriptures, we have to seek to please God. And then, we have confidence and neither our hearts nor God condemns us.
The foundation for feeling condemned is having truth and not letting God’s nature in us do something with the truth. The truth should not condemn you; it should set you free. Inner condemnation is a sign that there is incongruity between our heart and mind. The mind that knows the Word can reason its application separate from the nature of God held in our hearts. Our mind can also override the counsel of God that we hear. What you do with God’s counsel will help you gain confidence before God and you'll have your prayers answered. But if you do nothing, you will feel condemned because you did nothing with the truth. Confidence is a sign that you are carrying the Word properly, and that you and your heart are not in disagreement about what to say and do concerning the truth. (When our heart has sought to know God’s heart we will carry the truth nobly). Being confident is a sign that a man’s heart and mind agree.
A man can be wrongly confident if his truth is not truth, but falsehood. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt 6:22-23). Paul prayed that the “eyes of (our) heart” would be open, so that we would have understanding (Eph 1:18). We will be full of light if our hearts are full of the understanding of God’s Word, yet have darkness if we have no understanding. If we try to bring understanding through our own counsel and not God’s, we will have a misunderstanding of the truth and its application in our lives.
We only need to ask God for His wisdom and counsel and He will give it. Then our light will truly be light. There are a myriad of ways to go with and one thing. Therefore, doing what we do with the truth should come from asking God for both wisdom (James 1:5) and seeking Him for His heart.
Both wisdom and love dwell together in our hearts. God has put it within the heart of the believer to know what love is. At times, our hearts condemn us for carrying out the Word without giving love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16). We can be modern-day Pharisees and obey the letter of the Word, or we can be followers of Jesus, the incarnate Word from God, bringing the life of the Word alive through the way we live. Our hearts will be full of confidence, and we will have our prayers answered by God, when we obey the scriptures and seek to please God. Today, if you feel condemnation, realize that the Lord is ready to give discernment and wisdom to you. He will help sort through the matter, finding the source of your condemnation, and building you up with His wisdom. Then you will have confidence in all you ask for you are not only in agreement with yourself, but also with the Lord. Amen.
"Dear friends, let us not love with words or in tongue but with actions and in truth. This is then how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."( 1 John 3:18-21).
If we were robotic Christians and could just point to scriptures and say "See, this is the one I'm obeying." it would be much easier. But John is saying that we should obey God’s commands and do what pleases Him. That makes it more complicated. Knowing the truth and doing the truth are partly the same thing, and partly not, for the doing goes much farther than the knowing. If we want to be sure we're doing the truth and obeying the scriptures, we have to seek to please God. And then, we have confidence and neither our hearts nor God condemns us.
The foundation for feeling condemned is having truth and not letting God’s nature in us do something with the truth. The truth should not condemn you; it should set you free. Inner condemnation is a sign that there is incongruity between our heart and mind. The mind that knows the Word can reason its application separate from the nature of God held in our hearts. Our mind can also override the counsel of God that we hear. What you do with God’s counsel will help you gain confidence before God and you'll have your prayers answered. But if you do nothing, you will feel condemned because you did nothing with the truth. Confidence is a sign that you are carrying the Word properly, and that you and your heart are not in disagreement about what to say and do concerning the truth. (When our heart has sought to know God’s heart we will carry the truth nobly). Being confident is a sign that a man’s heart and mind agree.
A man can be wrongly confident if his truth is not truth, but falsehood. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt 6:22-23). Paul prayed that the “eyes of (our) heart” would be open, so that we would have understanding (Eph 1:18). We will be full of light if our hearts are full of the understanding of God’s Word, yet have darkness if we have no understanding. If we try to bring understanding through our own counsel and not God’s, we will have a misunderstanding of the truth and its application in our lives.
We only need to ask God for His wisdom and counsel and He will give it. Then our light will truly be light. There are a myriad of ways to go with and one thing. Therefore, doing what we do with the truth should come from asking God for both wisdom (James 1:5) and seeking Him for His heart.
Both wisdom and love dwell together in our hearts. God has put it within the heart of the believer to know what love is. At times, our hearts condemn us for carrying out the Word without giving love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16). We can be modern-day Pharisees and obey the letter of the Word, or we can be followers of Jesus, the incarnate Word from God, bringing the life of the Word alive through the way we live. Our hearts will be full of confidence, and we will have our prayers answered by God, when we obey the scriptures and seek to please God. Today, if you feel condemnation, realize that the Lord is ready to give discernment and wisdom to you. He will help sort through the matter, finding the source of your condemnation, and building you up with His wisdom. Then you will have confidence in all you ask for you are not only in agreement with yourself, but also with the Lord. Amen.
Monday, December 26, 2011
do not add nor take away from the Word of the Lord
From of old, God has given His prophets instructions on how to handle what He says. Some of these instructions are repeated, and today I will be talking about one that we have from Moses, through to John in Revelation.
When God was dispensing His covenant to Moses, He asked him to tell the people not to add to nor take away from His commands (Deut 4:2 & 12:32). God’s words are important and stand alone, independent from our own thoughts. His words reveal His nature to us, and if we add to or subtract from them, we do not pass God’s nature along to the hearers.
In the Proverbs we read “Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar,” (Prov 30:6). Sometimes it is hard for a man who has had the Lord’s word to be silent during the times when the Lord is silent. It takes great discipline. There was a time in my life of great outpouring of prophetic dreams and visitations from the Lord. One dream, however, showed me walking with the Lord into a whiteout. He was showing me a time of information sequestration, or a literal information whiteout. The years that ensued were difficult. I kept comparing how the Lord used to give me so much information to the current desert experience, information-wise. However, He did not leave me alone in my desert experience. I learned to trust Him when He is silent, and obey Him when He speaks. I also learned that it is pride that makes us want to speak when He is silent.
Paul writes to the Corinthians that they should not go beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6). We should not add our surmisings to what God is saying. If we want to appear to have secret knowledge, or additional information on something the Lord is saying, and we do not in truth have more from the Lord, we are seeking to have men look up to us as someone special.
In Revelation we have the same instructions from the Lord; do not add to or take away from the words of the prophecy (Rev 22:18-19). It is pride that causes us to add to the Word of God, and fear of men, or man-pleasing, that causes us to take away from what God says. If we want to be received by men, we will be tested to see if we will be true to deliver God’s message, for it may make us unpopular with men.
There are many teachers of the prophetic who instruct their students to speak only what is nice. These students are learning to take away from the Word of God, should God be revealing what they consider “not nice.” They exchange the bitter for sweet, and the truth which could save the listener for a falsehood which abandons his soul to his own understanding. Let everyone who has the Word of the Lord be true to God, the giver of the Word. Let not the listeners become hardened in their hearts against prophecy due to the careless additions of the words of men. In this time, more than ever before, prophecy will lead God’s people. Amen.
When God was dispensing His covenant to Moses, He asked him to tell the people not to add to nor take away from His commands (Deut 4:2 & 12:32). God’s words are important and stand alone, independent from our own thoughts. His words reveal His nature to us, and if we add to or subtract from them, we do not pass God’s nature along to the hearers.
In the Proverbs we read “Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar,” (Prov 30:6). Sometimes it is hard for a man who has had the Lord’s word to be silent during the times when the Lord is silent. It takes great discipline. There was a time in my life of great outpouring of prophetic dreams and visitations from the Lord. One dream, however, showed me walking with the Lord into a whiteout. He was showing me a time of information sequestration, or a literal information whiteout. The years that ensued were difficult. I kept comparing how the Lord used to give me so much information to the current desert experience, information-wise. However, He did not leave me alone in my desert experience. I learned to trust Him when He is silent, and obey Him when He speaks. I also learned that it is pride that makes us want to speak when He is silent.
Paul writes to the Corinthians that they should not go beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6). We should not add our surmisings to what God is saying. If we want to appear to have secret knowledge, or additional information on something the Lord is saying, and we do not in truth have more from the Lord, we are seeking to have men look up to us as someone special.
In Revelation we have the same instructions from the Lord; do not add to or take away from the words of the prophecy (Rev 22:18-19). It is pride that causes us to add to the Word of God, and fear of men, or man-pleasing, that causes us to take away from what God says. If we want to be received by men, we will be tested to see if we will be true to deliver God’s message, for it may make us unpopular with men.
There are many teachers of the prophetic who instruct their students to speak only what is nice. These students are learning to take away from the Word of God, should God be revealing what they consider “not nice.” They exchange the bitter for sweet, and the truth which could save the listener for a falsehood which abandons his soul to his own understanding. Let everyone who has the Word of the Lord be true to God, the giver of the Word. Let not the listeners become hardened in their hearts against prophecy due to the careless additions of the words of men. In this time, more than ever before, prophecy will lead God’s people. Amen.
God tests the hearts
I found this and several other unposted lessons on my computer. I had unknowingly set up a parallel account to Sea of Glass. I will begin posting the lessons from there to this account today. This lesson is from 2/24/11;
Have you ever wondered about God’s justice? We know He is just and want Him to answer our petitions. But sometimes those answers are a long time in coming! Today the Lord chose this topic. Many scriptures popped into mind while writing and are inserted throughout the lesson. Here it is;
It is My nature to test the heart (Gen 18:20-21 & Ps 26:2). I listen to the complaints of men and seek to bring them justice. So I test them, to see if they themselves are just and fair, or deceitful and unfair ((Lk 13:6).
Certainly the heart can be deceitful (Jer 17:9). Yet My Holy Spirit works with men to bring them to a love of the truth, even concerning their own motives (Heb 4:12-13). A man gains favor amongst men and God when he walks in his integrity, and a man loses favor when he walks in self-deceit.
I care about injustices. Yet, if I were to avenge one of My own children of wrong done to him, only to find that he behaves no better than the one who wronged him, My recourse would be to punish my own child also (Heb 12:10-12). Therefore, before I bring punishment on the wrong-doer, I test the heart of the one who was wronged. If he was robbed, I give him the opportunity to forgive a debt, and thereby acquit himself of love of money. Forgiving a debt will stand as a righteous deed in defense of the character of the victim (Mt 18:23-34).
If a man feels abandoned and carries a great amount of responsibility I will give him fellow servants to care for. This tests whether he is laboring just for reward, or if he truly cares for His master’s servants (Lk 12:42-48). If he cares for his fellow servants, that stands to his credit when someone questions his work, and no one will successfully remove him from his position before his master. I can bring him help, and promotion, for he will not abuse it.
If a man asks for a home for his family and regrets that his parents left him no inheritance, I will see if he is hospitable to others. When he houses and feeds others, and goes into homes not his own to care for them, and when he labors to repair and maintain houses, this stands as godliness and is in his favor (Mt 25:31-45). He asks not for the home for his own selfish use, for when he met the needy, he took them in. And when their homes needed care, he cared and labored for no personal gain. But if a man bitterly complains about receiving no inheritance and cannot buy a home, and sends away the needy persons I send to him, shall I judge in his favor? For the needy have less than he has.
I work with the hearts of men to get them to the place of integrity, godliness, and righteousness so that I can show them favor. If I am delayed in returning an answer it may be because the testing of the heart did not yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness Eph 5:8-10 & Heb 12:11). I give more time . . . if one more test would prove the victim to be honorable, I will wait, because I would rather show mercy than having to punish my own. (James 5:7 & Lk 13:6).
Have you ever wondered about God’s justice? We know He is just and want Him to answer our petitions. But sometimes those answers are a long time in coming! Today the Lord chose this topic. Many scriptures popped into mind while writing and are inserted throughout the lesson. Here it is;
It is My nature to test the heart (Gen 18:20-21 & Ps 26:2). I listen to the complaints of men and seek to bring them justice. So I test them, to see if they themselves are just and fair, or deceitful and unfair ((Lk 13:6).
Certainly the heart can be deceitful (Jer 17:9). Yet My Holy Spirit works with men to bring them to a love of the truth, even concerning their own motives (Heb 4:12-13). A man gains favor amongst men and God when he walks in his integrity, and a man loses favor when he walks in self-deceit.
I care about injustices. Yet, if I were to avenge one of My own children of wrong done to him, only to find that he behaves no better than the one who wronged him, My recourse would be to punish my own child also (Heb 12:10-12). Therefore, before I bring punishment on the wrong-doer, I test the heart of the one who was wronged. If he was robbed, I give him the opportunity to forgive a debt, and thereby acquit himself of love of money. Forgiving a debt will stand as a righteous deed in defense of the character of the victim (Mt 18:23-34).
If a man feels abandoned and carries a great amount of responsibility I will give him fellow servants to care for. This tests whether he is laboring just for reward, or if he truly cares for His master’s servants (Lk 12:42-48). If he cares for his fellow servants, that stands to his credit when someone questions his work, and no one will successfully remove him from his position before his master. I can bring him help, and promotion, for he will not abuse it.
If a man asks for a home for his family and regrets that his parents left him no inheritance, I will see if he is hospitable to others. When he houses and feeds others, and goes into homes not his own to care for them, and when he labors to repair and maintain houses, this stands as godliness and is in his favor (Mt 25:31-45). He asks not for the home for his own selfish use, for when he met the needy, he took them in. And when their homes needed care, he cared and labored for no personal gain. But if a man bitterly complains about receiving no inheritance and cannot buy a home, and sends away the needy persons I send to him, shall I judge in his favor? For the needy have less than he has.
I work with the hearts of men to get them to the place of integrity, godliness, and righteousness so that I can show them favor. If I am delayed in returning an answer it may be because the testing of the heart did not yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness Eph 5:8-10 & Heb 12:11). I give more time . . . if one more test would prove the victim to be honorable, I will wait, because I would rather show mercy than having to punish my own. (James 5:7 & Lk 13:6).
God's dwelling place
I am creating a place inside my people where I may dwell. It is a place where they each will know me. Little-by-little I carve out more space for Myself in each man and woman.
I share Myself with Man according to his tolerance. Some are like the Israelites and say that they can’t bear to hear me themselves (Ex 20:19). Many hear My voice, and their minds whirl with ideas. They go off and do their ideas and are satisfied. But they come back to listen again when they are out of ideas. Some men listen frequently, and a few carry on conversations with Me. But they can only be filled so much, and then they are full.
What causes a man to never tire of Me? It is the same thing that causes a man to never fall out of love with his wife; desire to be in her presence. Men often desire My word, My love, My healing, My protection . . . but not many can bear to be near Me for the sole reason just to know Me.
When a man begins to know Me he sees a contrast. He sees that he is different from Me, and is acutely aware that I am holy. Because of the difference, he understands that he is not holy. It is a fragile place for our relationship to proceed from. Yet from the beginning I have wanted to dwell with Man (Ex 25:8). Adam and Eve did not know sin. They were content to dwell with Me, and walk and talk with Me. When they ate the forbidden fruit they became aware of good and evil. This made them afraid to stand in My presence (Gen 3:5-8).
Jesus is the second Adam. By His sacrifice all your sins are forgiven, that after repentance, you should not look on those sins anymore. Because your sins are forgiven you can come boldly to the throne (Heb 4:16). You should not have fear if you believe I will receive you in love. Fear has to do with punishment (1 Jn 4:18).
In order for a man to stand in My presence, get to know Me, and walk with Me, he must be transparent, and washed from his sins daily. Otherwise he will be fearful of the difference between us. But those who are washed daily are awed by My difference and want to be like Me. They have a thirst that only I can satisfy (Rev 21:6).
In the end, I will dwell with My people (Rev 21:3), for this has always been My desire.
I share Myself with Man according to his tolerance. Some are like the Israelites and say that they can’t bear to hear me themselves (Ex 20:19). Many hear My voice, and their minds whirl with ideas. They go off and do their ideas and are satisfied. But they come back to listen again when they are out of ideas. Some men listen frequently, and a few carry on conversations with Me. But they can only be filled so much, and then they are full.
What causes a man to never tire of Me? It is the same thing that causes a man to never fall out of love with his wife; desire to be in her presence. Men often desire My word, My love, My healing, My protection . . . but not many can bear to be near Me for the sole reason just to know Me.
When a man begins to know Me he sees a contrast. He sees that he is different from Me, and is acutely aware that I am holy. Because of the difference, he understands that he is not holy. It is a fragile place for our relationship to proceed from. Yet from the beginning I have wanted to dwell with Man (Ex 25:8). Adam and Eve did not know sin. They were content to dwell with Me, and walk and talk with Me. When they ate the forbidden fruit they became aware of good and evil. This made them afraid to stand in My presence (Gen 3:5-8).
Jesus is the second Adam. By His sacrifice all your sins are forgiven, that after repentance, you should not look on those sins anymore. Because your sins are forgiven you can come boldly to the throne (Heb 4:16). You should not have fear if you believe I will receive you in love. Fear has to do with punishment (1 Jn 4:18).
In order for a man to stand in My presence, get to know Me, and walk with Me, he must be transparent, and washed from his sins daily. Otherwise he will be fearful of the difference between us. But those who are washed daily are awed by My difference and want to be like Me. They have a thirst that only I can satisfy (Rev 21:6).
In the end, I will dwell with My people (Rev 21:3), for this has always been My desire.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Becoming a bridge
We are all familiar with Jesus’ admonition not to judge (Mt 7:1). It seems that the beginning of our Christianity is training on the boundaries between good and bad, light and darkness, evil and holiness. Along with this we learn what the “world” and “flesh” are so that we can eschew them, following after the Spirit of God. Somewhere along the way we realize that, though we are on the right side of our boundaries, we notice that some other people are not. We become offended at pan-handlers, or teens who dress improperly. If a brother borrows our tools and does not return them, we label him as “not a nice man.” And so the battle begins, to judge or not judge others.
When we look at Jesus’ life, it is full of love. It is also full of truth. If fact, one of the things love does is rejoice at the truth (1 Cor 13:6). But if we do not want to judge, what do we do with the truth?
Religions have sprung forth from men wanting to ignore the truth of what others do wrong in order that good men might love them. That is not the example we see in Jesus. He was a bridge. He recognized which side of the boundary a person was on, and became a bridge for them to travel to His side.
I have a friend that is a coffee barista. At the coffee shop people of all walks of life come in the door. She is a recent convert to Christianity, one who loves the Lord, and people, intensely. She used to tell me how badly she felt when she corrected people for swearing or being rude. Yet, she was realizing the boundary between how she herself used to act, and her new life in Christ. Yesterday she told me that it entered her heart to return kindness to her rude, swearing customer, and she did. It filled her heart with joy.
Where did the kindness come from? It came from God’s grace; His enabling power in us to do what we cannot do ourselves. God loves to give us grace for hard things, if we will take it. In fact, if we will ask the Lord for His grace, our offence at others will melt away. Then we become a bridge for the offensive person to cross over to where Jesus stands, and he will experience the Love of God.
God prefers that we ask Him for grace. Sometimes we get stuck on our side of the boundary. Today, let us mature into His grace, desiring to be like Him more than correcting others. Then we bring His Love into the hearts of many. Amen.
When we look at Jesus’ life, it is full of love. It is also full of truth. If fact, one of the things love does is rejoice at the truth (1 Cor 13:6). But if we do not want to judge, what do we do with the truth?
Religions have sprung forth from men wanting to ignore the truth of what others do wrong in order that good men might love them. That is not the example we see in Jesus. He was a bridge. He recognized which side of the boundary a person was on, and became a bridge for them to travel to His side.
I have a friend that is a coffee barista. At the coffee shop people of all walks of life come in the door. She is a recent convert to Christianity, one who loves the Lord, and people, intensely. She used to tell me how badly she felt when she corrected people for swearing or being rude. Yet, she was realizing the boundary between how she herself used to act, and her new life in Christ. Yesterday she told me that it entered her heart to return kindness to her rude, swearing customer, and she did. It filled her heart with joy.
Where did the kindness come from? It came from God’s grace; His enabling power in us to do what we cannot do ourselves. God loves to give us grace for hard things, if we will take it. In fact, if we will ask the Lord for His grace, our offence at others will melt away. Then we become a bridge for the offensive person to cross over to where Jesus stands, and he will experience the Love of God.
God prefers that we ask Him for grace. Sometimes we get stuck on our side of the boundary. Today, let us mature into His grace, desiring to be like Him more than correcting others. Then we bring His Love into the hearts of many. Amen.
time
This morning when I awoke I had projects on my mind. I felt these things needed priority status in order for our Christmas to run smoothly, and was going to set my quiet time aside for them. However, the Lord countered me in my thinking, saying that my priorities were oppressing me. Hmmm. He was right. I was beginning my day with stress instead of with the Holy Spirit. Here is the Word the Lord shared with me after I got up;
“Man is pressured by his sense of time ending. But time ending is a culmination of things I have set in place and is not a series of events Man must do.
For instance, “Salvation is from God.” (Rev 19:1) Salvation has been in the earth many centuries and does not wait for Man to rush in his attempts to evangelize the world. I planted the seeds of salvation long ago. Each generation waters them, yet I am the patient farmer who waits for the final culmination of the obedience of mankind (Jms 5:7). The works of men each stand on those who have gone before them. None are insignificant, yet no one’s works stand alone. The final harvest could never be accomplished by just one generation.
But Man is in a hurry. In his frenzied attempts to do something for God, he doesn’t see that all he does is for himself. And as I foretold, he neglects to love.
Why have men’s hearts grown cold? Because love takes time . . . time away from accomplishing great things. If men spent time the way I spend time their works would be eternal. They would clothe Me, feed Me, and shelter Me, not knowing it was Me (Mt 25:31-40). They would give Me my portion in due time (Mt 24:45-46). If I asked them to walk with Me a mile, they would spend 2 miles-worth of time with Me . . . all in the face of the unlovely (Mt 5:41). For men seldom spend time with those who seem unworthy to them. Yet I come as rejected and needy; as their elderly mother or their errant teenager. Spend your time as I do, loving, nurturing seeds unto the harvest. What you do for those who are needing your love and time is what you do for Me and My harvest." Amen
“Man is pressured by his sense of time ending. But time ending is a culmination of things I have set in place and is not a series of events Man must do.
For instance, “Salvation is from God.” (Rev 19:1) Salvation has been in the earth many centuries and does not wait for Man to rush in his attempts to evangelize the world. I planted the seeds of salvation long ago. Each generation waters them, yet I am the patient farmer who waits for the final culmination of the obedience of mankind (Jms 5:7). The works of men each stand on those who have gone before them. None are insignificant, yet no one’s works stand alone. The final harvest could never be accomplished by just one generation.
But Man is in a hurry. In his frenzied attempts to do something for God, he doesn’t see that all he does is for himself. And as I foretold, he neglects to love.
Why have men’s hearts grown cold? Because love takes time . . . time away from accomplishing great things. If men spent time the way I spend time their works would be eternal. They would clothe Me, feed Me, and shelter Me, not knowing it was Me (Mt 25:31-40). They would give Me my portion in due time (Mt 24:45-46). If I asked them to walk with Me a mile, they would spend 2 miles-worth of time with Me . . . all in the face of the unlovely (Mt 5:41). For men seldom spend time with those who seem unworthy to them. Yet I come as rejected and needy; as their elderly mother or their errant teenager. Spend your time as I do, loving, nurturing seeds unto the harvest. What you do for those who are needing your love and time is what you do for Me and My harvest." Amen
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
fear of the Lord and wisdom
This morning the Lord talked about wisdom, and the fear of the Lord. God’s goal is that He would show the earth His wisdom, through His people.
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11)
Here is the Word of the Lord;
“Men do not see My hand in the events around them. They do not see judgment, for they do not want to believe it can happen. If Man believes in Me at all, it is that I accept him the way he is, love everything about him, and will give him all he wants.
Do you see any other created being that has everything it wants? Even those animals that are domesticated and cared for do not have their freedom, nor can they decide how to care for themselves should they become free. And those animals who are wild and free, who care for themselves, are not protected as the domesticated animals are. The wild animals suffer lack and starve, or are eaten by their predators. They labor intensely and travel great distances to find their food.
But Man is vain in his thoughts, thinking he is a god to be served by God. He has invented lessons to sooth his jittery nerves and counsel to puff his errant mind . . . to think he is a god to be served.
If fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) then the foolishness of Man rules the earth. Where is there one who fears God?
Those who are My bride are those who fear My name and honor Me with their lives (Mal 3:16). Through them wisdom will come forth. For I will show My wisdom through My people, and it will be a stark contrast as night is to day between the thoughts of Man and the words of wisdom. Let My servants speak and not hold back My words, for Man, thinking He is wise, has become foolish. It is the contrast, the light shining out of my vessels of clay, that will cause men to take notice that surely God is different than their own thoughts about their own lives. And then, when wisdom is manifest, some men will desire Me.” Amen
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:10-11)
Here is the Word of the Lord;
“Men do not see My hand in the events around them. They do not see judgment, for they do not want to believe it can happen. If Man believes in Me at all, it is that I accept him the way he is, love everything about him, and will give him all he wants.
Do you see any other created being that has everything it wants? Even those animals that are domesticated and cared for do not have their freedom, nor can they decide how to care for themselves should they become free. And those animals who are wild and free, who care for themselves, are not protected as the domesticated animals are. The wild animals suffer lack and starve, or are eaten by their predators. They labor intensely and travel great distances to find their food.
But Man is vain in his thoughts, thinking he is a god to be served by God. He has invented lessons to sooth his jittery nerves and counsel to puff his errant mind . . . to think he is a god to be served.
If fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) then the foolishness of Man rules the earth. Where is there one who fears God?
Those who are My bride are those who fear My name and honor Me with their lives (Mal 3:16). Through them wisdom will come forth. For I will show My wisdom through My people, and it will be a stark contrast as night is to day between the thoughts of Man and the words of wisdom. Let My servants speak and not hold back My words, for Man, thinking He is wise, has become foolish. It is the contrast, the light shining out of my vessels of clay, that will cause men to take notice that surely God is different than their own thoughts about their own lives. And then, when wisdom is manifest, some men will desire Me.” Amen
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The big picture
Yesterday things had not turned out right. What seemed to make matters worse was that the Lord had given me a prophetic dream in October that the event would turn out just as it did yesterday. Sure, I had prayed. I waged spiritual warfare and enlisted others to pray with me. As the date approached I reminded the strongest prayer warrior I knew that the time was present for God to win the victory, and there was more agreement in prayer about the situation. And yet, it still turned out wrong.
This morning as I reviewed all the effort of prayer and faith that went in to the situation, I couldn’t help but admit to God that I was baffled. How was I to have faith that He would answer prayer in the future? Did I need to learn more about prayer? I felt so vulnerable to the enemy too. The picture I had in my mind seemed to tell me that satan won the victory after all.
The Lord was not silent to my musings over this matter. Quickly He brought to mind 2 separate prophecies in Isaiah where it states that the Lord was “appalled” that there was no one to help Him (59:16 & 63:5). “Helen,” He said, “If people do not obey Me, how is it surprising that they will not do the right thing for you? I do not blame you for being disappointed in Man, but do not be disappointed in Me. Trust my intentions, for they are good and not evil.” I immediately sensed that God’s justice would settle the right and wrong of the situation that took place yesterday, but the trial was also a test of trust on my part.
Once I agreed that God’s intentions were good my view of things began to change. The Lord talked to me about Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers. God did not deliver him from the pit, nor from Potiphar’s wife. Yet God was shaping Joseph’s life into something far more valuable than the life he led back home. I was getting a glimpse of the bigger picture; God moves us in our trials, positioning us for our destiny. The small details that seem like set-backs are not obstacles to God’s will. However, our lack of trust in the goodness of God can cause us to grumble.
If you too believe that God will do according to your prayers you may have been surprised by some that seem unanswered. If things do not go well, you too may be tempted to doubt that God heard you, and that He cares about the outcome in your life. I want to encourage you that God is looking at the big picture. Take your eyes off the details and trust in Him to work all things out well. He cares very much about each one of us, so much that He will rearrange the lives of others, and our own, just to position us for our destiny. Amen
This morning as I reviewed all the effort of prayer and faith that went in to the situation, I couldn’t help but admit to God that I was baffled. How was I to have faith that He would answer prayer in the future? Did I need to learn more about prayer? I felt so vulnerable to the enemy too. The picture I had in my mind seemed to tell me that satan won the victory after all.
The Lord was not silent to my musings over this matter. Quickly He brought to mind 2 separate prophecies in Isaiah where it states that the Lord was “appalled” that there was no one to help Him (59:16 & 63:5). “Helen,” He said, “If people do not obey Me, how is it surprising that they will not do the right thing for you? I do not blame you for being disappointed in Man, but do not be disappointed in Me. Trust my intentions, for they are good and not evil.” I immediately sensed that God’s justice would settle the right and wrong of the situation that took place yesterday, but the trial was also a test of trust on my part.
Once I agreed that God’s intentions were good my view of things began to change. The Lord talked to me about Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers. God did not deliver him from the pit, nor from Potiphar’s wife. Yet God was shaping Joseph’s life into something far more valuable than the life he led back home. I was getting a glimpse of the bigger picture; God moves us in our trials, positioning us for our destiny. The small details that seem like set-backs are not obstacles to God’s will. However, our lack of trust in the goodness of God can cause us to grumble.
If you too believe that God will do according to your prayers you may have been surprised by some that seem unanswered. If things do not go well, you too may be tempted to doubt that God heard you, and that He cares about the outcome in your life. I want to encourage you that God is looking at the big picture. Take your eyes off the details and trust in Him to work all things out well. He cares very much about each one of us, so much that He will rearrange the lives of others, and our own, just to position us for our destiny. Amen
Monday, December 12, 2011
Trust is the yoke of Jesus
Have you ever wondered where God is? Sometimes He seems too far away to be living inside of us. When feeling out of touch with God, we find our evidence of His nearness in the scriptures and in memories of our relationship during closer times. It is not uncommon to have seasons of distance in our lives, yet God is still very near us, teaching us to trust Him, His Word, and yes, His love for us.
My husband and I had a season of intense glued-to-the-Lord ministry for five years. He was constantly speaking to us in dreams and while awake. We walked with the Lord and felt secure because of His constant involvement in our lives. Then came a different and much harder season. It was a season of application of all that He had shown us. We were like stumbling students, groping for our way in the darkness. And yet, God was very near us then, as before.
Last night Dave and I were talking about the second (and least favored) season. By contrast, it left us feeling abandoned and rejected. Yet by reason of the scriptures and our experience with the Lord, we knew He would never do that. We were seeing things from the perspective of the world. In the world, if a friend changes their involvement with you, you begin to suspect that something’s gone wrong, and wonder what you did to offend them. Yet God’s love for us and His purposes for our lives are ever-lasting. He was not trying to make things harder for us; He is teaching us that trusting Him will make life easier. When we trust, we feel secure.
As I settled in to pray, the Lord began to speak about our nature being like His. We are created in the image of God. I love giving gifts at Christmas, so this is what the Lord brought up. He also loves giving gifts. I felt once again His residing presence inside as He talked about how we, His children, are much like Him. And yet, He is more. We do not need to depend on our own efforts to bless people for God has put His own gifts under the Tree to bless those we love.
The Lord spoke of the gifts He gives and His motive for giving. Though Jesus loves to make people happy, that is not His motivation for giving. His gifts develop people into who they are called to be and cause them to eventually act like He does. When we look at the long-term effects of the gifts of God residing in a person we see that each person is molded by their gifts into a certain aspect of God’s nature. Prophets speak for God, Teachers teach like Jesus, Shepherds care for people like Jesus . . . and on and on it goes. The gift of eternal life causes us to embrace others with forgiveness and encouragement, just as God forgives and encourages us daily.
Besides giving Christmas gifts, we are hosts to our family’s celebration of Christmas. Often it seems like my husband and I are the glue that holds our family and its traditions together. This morning the Lord resumed our conversation about His children being created in God’s image. He showed me that holding things together is part of His image and led me to read Col 1:17;
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
The Lord asserted that, in truth, it is He who holds our lives and our family together, and it does not rely on our efforts alone. He brought back wonderful memories of other people joining together to accomplish things I had never thought of. It was Christ at work in them, and He was holding things together. I just needed to trust Him. Trust is the yoke that ties us to Jesus and makes our load lighter. He said;
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:29-30)
After our conversation I felt comforted. I leaned on my trust of God like relaxing in a lazy-boy chair. Yes, we will be busy this season, giving gifts and hosting Christmas day. But we are doing the least of the work, and my Lord is doing the greater. And I like that arrangement. God indeed resides within us, and the evidence of that is seen in His nature expressing itself through our lives (2 Cor 4:7). There is a security in knowing that, as we are, He is greater, and that He is holding our lives together, and not we ourselves. We just need to trust Him.
My husband and I had a season of intense glued-to-the-Lord ministry for five years. He was constantly speaking to us in dreams and while awake. We walked with the Lord and felt secure because of His constant involvement in our lives. Then came a different and much harder season. It was a season of application of all that He had shown us. We were like stumbling students, groping for our way in the darkness. And yet, God was very near us then, as before.
Last night Dave and I were talking about the second (and least favored) season. By contrast, it left us feeling abandoned and rejected. Yet by reason of the scriptures and our experience with the Lord, we knew He would never do that. We were seeing things from the perspective of the world. In the world, if a friend changes their involvement with you, you begin to suspect that something’s gone wrong, and wonder what you did to offend them. Yet God’s love for us and His purposes for our lives are ever-lasting. He was not trying to make things harder for us; He is teaching us that trusting Him will make life easier. When we trust, we feel secure.
As I settled in to pray, the Lord began to speak about our nature being like His. We are created in the image of God. I love giving gifts at Christmas, so this is what the Lord brought up. He also loves giving gifts. I felt once again His residing presence inside as He talked about how we, His children, are much like Him. And yet, He is more. We do not need to depend on our own efforts to bless people for God has put His own gifts under the Tree to bless those we love.
The Lord spoke of the gifts He gives and His motive for giving. Though Jesus loves to make people happy, that is not His motivation for giving. His gifts develop people into who they are called to be and cause them to eventually act like He does. When we look at the long-term effects of the gifts of God residing in a person we see that each person is molded by their gifts into a certain aspect of God’s nature. Prophets speak for God, Teachers teach like Jesus, Shepherds care for people like Jesus . . . and on and on it goes. The gift of eternal life causes us to embrace others with forgiveness and encouragement, just as God forgives and encourages us daily.
Besides giving Christmas gifts, we are hosts to our family’s celebration of Christmas. Often it seems like my husband and I are the glue that holds our family and its traditions together. This morning the Lord resumed our conversation about His children being created in God’s image. He showed me that holding things together is part of His image and led me to read Col 1:17;
“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
The Lord asserted that, in truth, it is He who holds our lives and our family together, and it does not rely on our efforts alone. He brought back wonderful memories of other people joining together to accomplish things I had never thought of. It was Christ at work in them, and He was holding things together. I just needed to trust Him. Trust is the yoke that ties us to Jesus and makes our load lighter. He said;
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:29-30)
After our conversation I felt comforted. I leaned on my trust of God like relaxing in a lazy-boy chair. Yes, we will be busy this season, giving gifts and hosting Christmas day. But we are doing the least of the work, and my Lord is doing the greater. And I like that arrangement. God indeed resides within us, and the evidence of that is seen in His nature expressing itself through our lives (2 Cor 4:7). There is a security in knowing that, as we are, He is greater, and that He is holding our lives together, and not we ourselves. We just need to trust Him.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
memories of good
The Christmas holidays are a time for friends and families to come together. We like to share with people whom we have a history with, reminiscing over good times, times when we had fun, and even hard times. Our memories take on a gift-like quality as we pull them out of the treasure chest of our hearts.
If memories were not important, we would not be so drawn to share them with people who have also had the same memories. The events we recall are like a bridge we walk on, going back to better days and re-living decisions and events that made us happy.
The bridge-like nature of memories allows travel both ways. When we remember the good things a person did, sharing it with that person affirms the good in them and brings validation to their present day life. In remembering talents, virtues, and even courage, we become encouraged to continue being virtuous, sharing our talents for the benefit of others, and being strong. What a person once saw in themselves comes into reality again.
In the calendar of Jewish feasts and holy days outlined in Leviticus there is a time called Jubilee, wherein every 50 years those who were slaves were to receive their freedom. During this year people who had sold their land to repay debts would receive their land back again, debt-free. In fact, during this year all debts were cancelled. It was a time of rejoicing and receiving back again lands, freedom and family heritage, for each person was to return to their family property and it would be given back to them (see Lev 25).
Jubilee is symbolic for us today and represents the fact that God remembers people for good and will put behind them the failures and sins of their past. When God remembers us for good, it brings good back into our lives. When He gives us freedom, and reinstates us with our families, we receive a sense of worth. And when He returns property to us, we have a heritage and can pass on to our own children what we ourselves have received back from the Lord. Though all we had may have been lost, receiving it back again validates us in the present day. All this is possible because God remembers our past for good, and asks us to remember each other’s past for good also.
Though we could choose to remember the bad things a family member or friend has done, we can also remember the good. We can build a bridge for them, and validate their worth, just as God taught His people to do on Jubilee. He was not punitive regarding those who suffered failure in their lives. God was and is generous with His affirmations and encouragements. This Christmas season as we meet with friends and family let us do the same. In remembering the good, we are bringing people across the bridge, away from the side of lack and discouragement and over to the side of the abundance and great possibilities for their lives. Amen.
If memories were not important, we would not be so drawn to share them with people who have also had the same memories. The events we recall are like a bridge we walk on, going back to better days and re-living decisions and events that made us happy.
The bridge-like nature of memories allows travel both ways. When we remember the good things a person did, sharing it with that person affirms the good in them and brings validation to their present day life. In remembering talents, virtues, and even courage, we become encouraged to continue being virtuous, sharing our talents for the benefit of others, and being strong. What a person once saw in themselves comes into reality again.
In the calendar of Jewish feasts and holy days outlined in Leviticus there is a time called Jubilee, wherein every 50 years those who were slaves were to receive their freedom. During this year people who had sold their land to repay debts would receive their land back again, debt-free. In fact, during this year all debts were cancelled. It was a time of rejoicing and receiving back again lands, freedom and family heritage, for each person was to return to their family property and it would be given back to them (see Lev 25).
Jubilee is symbolic for us today and represents the fact that God remembers people for good and will put behind them the failures and sins of their past. When God remembers us for good, it brings good back into our lives. When He gives us freedom, and reinstates us with our families, we receive a sense of worth. And when He returns property to us, we have a heritage and can pass on to our own children what we ourselves have received back from the Lord. Though all we had may have been lost, receiving it back again validates us in the present day. All this is possible because God remembers our past for good, and asks us to remember each other’s past for good also.
Though we could choose to remember the bad things a family member or friend has done, we can also remember the good. We can build a bridge for them, and validate their worth, just as God taught His people to do on Jubilee. He was not punitive regarding those who suffered failure in their lives. God was and is generous with His affirmations and encouragements. This Christmas season as we meet with friends and family let us do the same. In remembering the good, we are bringing people across the bridge, away from the side of lack and discouragement and over to the side of the abundance and great possibilities for their lives. Amen.
Friday, December 9, 2011
holding back
Sometimes we hold back. We have the word of the Lord, yet our uncertainty about how things will come to be causes us to wait . . . to wait and see what God will do. And in our waiting, we do nothing. This is not born of faith.
When we wait, and do nothing, our life has a void in it. Where there should be participation and partnership with God, there is an ever-widening emptiness. In this emptiness, bitterness grows. Bitterness is like mold that grows in the dark hidden places. If we do not walk in the light of faith, we walk in the guess-work of our own counsel and in the error of our own wisdom.
Walking in faith is walking in the light because faith is based on the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The Word gives Life and Light.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that been made. In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.” (Jn 1:1-4).
Because God has spoken the Word, we get to know Him better when we read, think and act upon it, and our faith grows. However, walking in the darkness will not give us the opportunity to know God better. Let us once again remember those words spoken to us by our Lord, and serve Him, actively pursuing the accomplishment of that which God has spoken. Then we will be walking in faith and no root of bitterness will remain in us. Amen.
When we wait, and do nothing, our life has a void in it. Where there should be participation and partnership with God, there is an ever-widening emptiness. In this emptiness, bitterness grows. Bitterness is like mold that grows in the dark hidden places. If we do not walk in the light of faith, we walk in the guess-work of our own counsel and in the error of our own wisdom.
Walking in faith is walking in the light because faith is based on the Word of God (Rom 10:17). The Word gives Life and Light.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that been made. In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.” (Jn 1:1-4).
Because God has spoken the Word, we get to know Him better when we read, think and act upon it, and our faith grows. However, walking in the darkness will not give us the opportunity to know God better. Let us once again remember those words spoken to us by our Lord, and serve Him, actively pursuing the accomplishment of that which God has spoken. Then we will be walking in faith and no root of bitterness will remain in us. Amen.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The faithful and wise servant
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the Master puts in charge of His servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?” (Lk 12:42)
The Lord gives to us so that, not only will we be built up, but we will build others up as well. We individually cannot become the total image of Jesus Christ our Lord, but the Church conglomerately will, if each member shares. You see, the Church is the sum total of its parts.
“From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4:16).
It is frustrating to focus only on our own personal growth because we never see the end of our need for it. But if we focus on the purpose for which Jesus shares with us, we will feed others from the spiritual food we were entrusted with. They need what we have. And, in sharing with others, we are being like the One Who shared with us.
The Lord gives to us so that, not only will we be built up, but we will build others up as well. We individually cannot become the total image of Jesus Christ our Lord, but the Church conglomerately will, if each member shares. You see, the Church is the sum total of its parts.
“From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4:16).
It is frustrating to focus only on our own personal growth because we never see the end of our need for it. But if we focus on the purpose for which Jesus shares with us, we will feed others from the spiritual food we were entrusted with. They need what we have. And, in sharing with others, we are being like the One Who shared with us.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
for those who prophesy
Today the Lord spoke about some of those who prophesy. Here is what He said;
“This the people do: they declare a thing I have not said and they enact a symbol to give it power before others. This is not faith. Faith does not create truth. Let the prophet follow and not lead. Let the one who speaks for Me stand in My presence first. This is an error of these prophets, for they speak when I have not spoken.
If a prophet speaks presumptuously he assumes I will back him and that some good will come from his words. But the power to create and do good comes from Me (1Jn 1:1-5) and is not from the will of Man. Still the definition remains and is sound, that ‘prophecy never had its origin in the will of Man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’ (2 Pet 1:21).” Amen.
“This the people do: they declare a thing I have not said and they enact a symbol to give it power before others. This is not faith. Faith does not create truth. Let the prophet follow and not lead. Let the one who speaks for Me stand in My presence first. This is an error of these prophets, for they speak when I have not spoken.
If a prophet speaks presumptuously he assumes I will back him and that some good will come from his words. But the power to create and do good comes from Me (1Jn 1:1-5) and is not from the will of Man. Still the definition remains and is sound, that ‘prophecy never had its origin in the will of Man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’ (2 Pet 1:21).” Amen.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Honor and Respect
God asks us to honor and respect Him. He also asks us to honor and respect one another. In a marriage, honor and respect preserve the union. Otherwise the ups and downs of life would tear marriages apart. God sees His people as His bride and asks for honor and respect from her as well.
What is remarkable is that God also honors us, and respects us. We are not respected for our reputation, for God does not need someone else to speak about us to Him. He knows us. God carries the knowledge of us around with Him. He knows our history, and He knows our potential. God sees the experience we have, both good and bad. In order to see our future potential God knows what we must do to bring out the best in our own lives.
God believes in us, for He knows His investment in us. God does not build with wood, hay, or stubble; God builds people with good materials. He knows all that our life is made up of and looks towards our future with expectations for good.
Wow, what a God! He is not ignorant of our short-comings nor our failures, yet He chooses to look forward to sharing great things with us.
If this is God’s respect of and honor towards us, then what should ours be towards each other? We should believe for our brother to do the great things he has done in the past, and grow in confidence that God will perfect His work in him. Those failings that make up our brother’s history with us should be seen as his stepping stones and not our stumbling blocks. In a marriage a man and woman know each other far better than anyone else could know either one of them. They should encourage each other to press forward into the highest calling of God, not remembering past disappointments but praying for future victories.
I believe that God wants us to be willing to see the future as a good place for our brothers and sisters. Then we will think upon and even envision them in their destiny. And that is how God thinks about us. Amen.
What is remarkable is that God also honors us, and respects us. We are not respected for our reputation, for God does not need someone else to speak about us to Him. He knows us. God carries the knowledge of us around with Him. He knows our history, and He knows our potential. God sees the experience we have, both good and bad. In order to see our future potential God knows what we must do to bring out the best in our own lives.
God believes in us, for He knows His investment in us. God does not build with wood, hay, or stubble; God builds people with good materials. He knows all that our life is made up of and looks towards our future with expectations for good.
Wow, what a God! He is not ignorant of our short-comings nor our failures, yet He chooses to look forward to sharing great things with us.
If this is God’s respect of and honor towards us, then what should ours be towards each other? We should believe for our brother to do the great things he has done in the past, and grow in confidence that God will perfect His work in him. Those failings that make up our brother’s history with us should be seen as his stepping stones and not our stumbling blocks. In a marriage a man and woman know each other far better than anyone else could know either one of them. They should encourage each other to press forward into the highest calling of God, not remembering past disappointments but praying for future victories.
I believe that God wants us to be willing to see the future as a good place for our brothers and sisters. Then we will think upon and even envision them in their destiny. And that is how God thinks about us. Amen.
futility and restoration
Man cannot control his behavior. Though we as humans have been created in the image of God, we are unable to feel, think, or act like God apart from His help. Many have said that God’s kingdom will be a restoration of Man to the state of Adam, before the fall in the garden of Eden. In this state, Adam had perfect communion with God and was without sin. Adam and Eve walked in the cool of the night with God, unhindered. As far as we know, their lives were fulfilling and had purpose. A yearning wells up in us to return to that same close walk with our Creator and Father.
Adam and Eve had perfect communion with God until they disobeyed Him. Disobedience comes from willing to do wrong, or not willing to do right. It does not seem apparent to us that we will disobey until God tests our wills. The choices we make during our time of testing set in motion either our obedience, or our disobedience. Because the will of the first man resulted in disobedience, all creation has been subjected to futility from that point on. The fulfillment of our lives and the purposes for which we live are now hid in Christ in God, and we cannot find them without His help. God saw it necessary to subject us, and all creation to futility until a time when we would be glorified as His sons. The necessity of this futility was to make apparent to Man that he was the created, and not the Creator. It is God who is in control, and it is He who creates and sets changes into motion.
After Adam, men did not have an awareness that they made mistakes, and in fact, each man thought that what he did was good. To open men’s eyes to their nature, God gave Man the law, and apart from the law, the concept of sin was unknown. The law brought knowledge o f sin (Rm 3:20 & 7:7-8). By teaching men right from wrong a standard was set, and as a man’s conscience developed, guilt became a governor over his actions. Guilt was the warning sign that the standard had been violated by a person’s will.
Because of knowledge of sin, Man learned early on that his nature needed to be under control. And yet, the law did not enable him to perfectly control his nature, and he did not permanently change by keeping the law. So men, being in the image of God, came to know they were less than God. No matter how powerful men were, they could not change or recreate their selves to restore their relationship to what Adam had with God. This represents the futility Man, and all creation, was and is subjected to (Rm 8:18-21).
The power to re-create man’s nature came with the victory of Christ. God sent His Spirit into us who believed so that we could know His desires (Rm 8:5). Instead of feeling dead inside or guilty because of the knowledge of our shortcomings, we feel the Life of Christ inside. Our spirits literally touche the Holy Spirit inside of us, and we become acquainted with His righteousness. In fact, Paul wrote that he did not want to have a righteousness of his own by keeping the law, but one founded in faith in God (Phil 3:9).
When we receive the Holy Spirit, He then gives us new and better things to think about, thereby taking our focus off the desire to sin. Our communication with God is restored. If we prefer our new Life with God, we will neglect and eventually clean up the disobedience to righteousness that we call our fleshly nature, or our “flesh”. (Rm 8:11). This new Life living in us gives us the power to change, from our will being in agreement with God’s heart. But we will change only if we choose the new Life over our old ways of death (see also Eph 4:20-24).
What happens if a man partakes of the Life in the Spirit and then changes his mind, preferring the old ways of his flesh instead? He will eventually become mastered by his sins. In other words, it is worse than losing the new Life of the Spirit inside; he will also lose his sense of right and wrong. He will not feel guilty when he sins. To forsake God and enter back into sin and the flesh, a man must harden his heart against the Holy Spirit and sear his conscience.
When a Christian returns to his former way of living, without a governor over his thoughts to tell him right from wrong, justification will rise up. In the absence of guilt, or because of the abhorrence of guilt, a man will justify wrong and neglect doing right, and so his heart will become hardened to the counsel of God and his conscience.
Men who forsake the truth they have known may also establish their own set of religious thoughts that enable them to do as they please. Though they once heard what pleased the Holy Spirit, they have rebelled against serving Him and now want to be served. He who fools himself into believing that he is like God will create his own truth. Yet the man that allows his will to fall under subjection to the desires of the Holy Spirit will hear God’s truth and walk with Him.
Love of the truth will keep a man from creating an erroneous religious thought-life (2 Thess 2:10). And love of God’s righteousness will keep a man from returning to sin. Today let us walk in the Spirit and in love of the truth. Amen.
Adam and Eve had perfect communion with God until they disobeyed Him. Disobedience comes from willing to do wrong, or not willing to do right. It does not seem apparent to us that we will disobey until God tests our wills. The choices we make during our time of testing set in motion either our obedience, or our disobedience. Because the will of the first man resulted in disobedience, all creation has been subjected to futility from that point on. The fulfillment of our lives and the purposes for which we live are now hid in Christ in God, and we cannot find them without His help. God saw it necessary to subject us, and all creation to futility until a time when we would be glorified as His sons. The necessity of this futility was to make apparent to Man that he was the created, and not the Creator. It is God who is in control, and it is He who creates and sets changes into motion.
After Adam, men did not have an awareness that they made mistakes, and in fact, each man thought that what he did was good. To open men’s eyes to their nature, God gave Man the law, and apart from the law, the concept of sin was unknown. The law brought knowledge o f sin (Rm 3:20 & 7:7-8). By teaching men right from wrong a standard was set, and as a man’s conscience developed, guilt became a governor over his actions. Guilt was the warning sign that the standard had been violated by a person’s will.
Because of knowledge of sin, Man learned early on that his nature needed to be under control. And yet, the law did not enable him to perfectly control his nature, and he did not permanently change by keeping the law. So men, being in the image of God, came to know they were less than God. No matter how powerful men were, they could not change or recreate their selves to restore their relationship to what Adam had with God. This represents the futility Man, and all creation, was and is subjected to (Rm 8:18-21).
The power to re-create man’s nature came with the victory of Christ. God sent His Spirit into us who believed so that we could know His desires (Rm 8:5). Instead of feeling dead inside or guilty because of the knowledge of our shortcomings, we feel the Life of Christ inside. Our spirits literally touche the Holy Spirit inside of us, and we become acquainted with His righteousness. In fact, Paul wrote that he did not want to have a righteousness of his own by keeping the law, but one founded in faith in God (Phil 3:9).
When we receive the Holy Spirit, He then gives us new and better things to think about, thereby taking our focus off the desire to sin. Our communication with God is restored. If we prefer our new Life with God, we will neglect and eventually clean up the disobedience to righteousness that we call our fleshly nature, or our “flesh”. (Rm 8:11). This new Life living in us gives us the power to change, from our will being in agreement with God’s heart. But we will change only if we choose the new Life over our old ways of death (see also Eph 4:20-24).
What happens if a man partakes of the Life in the Spirit and then changes his mind, preferring the old ways of his flesh instead? He will eventually become mastered by his sins. In other words, it is worse than losing the new Life of the Spirit inside; he will also lose his sense of right and wrong. He will not feel guilty when he sins. To forsake God and enter back into sin and the flesh, a man must harden his heart against the Holy Spirit and sear his conscience.
When a Christian returns to his former way of living, without a governor over his thoughts to tell him right from wrong, justification will rise up. In the absence of guilt, or because of the abhorrence of guilt, a man will justify wrong and neglect doing right, and so his heart will become hardened to the counsel of God and his conscience.
Men who forsake the truth they have known may also establish their own set of religious thoughts that enable them to do as they please. Though they once heard what pleased the Holy Spirit, they have rebelled against serving Him and now want to be served. He who fools himself into believing that he is like God will create his own truth. Yet the man that allows his will to fall under subjection to the desires of the Holy Spirit will hear God’s truth and walk with Him.
Love of the truth will keep a man from creating an erroneous religious thought-life (2 Thess 2:10). And love of God’s righteousness will keep a man from returning to sin. Today let us walk in the Spirit and in love of the truth. Amen.
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