Now that resurrection Sunday 2015 has been celebrated, let us live
everyday never forgetting where we came from and mostly let us never
forgot what Christ did for us. Due to the fall of man in the Garden, all
mankind has paid the price for Adam's act of treason, "just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men." (Romans 5:12) Man has lost his approach to God and is described by Paul as "without Christ...having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12) Think about this. Man without Christ is hopeless, Godless, and in the world where Satan has the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14)
To take this sorrow even further, man is described as having become a
partaker of Satan's nature. He is not only a subject of Satan
politically, but he is vitally united with him. Jesus pointed this out
to the Pharisees when they feverishly tried to defend their
self-righteousness, "You are of your
father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Job had a startling encounter that also reveals man's state without a mediator before God, "Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence; then I heard a voice saying: Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Job 4:12-17)
This
is the age old problem. This is the eternal problem that has confronted
the thinking man of all ages. Can mortal man be justified or acquitted
before God? Shall fallen man be pure in the presence of his Maker? Job
also paints a graphic picture of an aged man on his death-bed facing
eternity and the approach of judgment. Job continues and speaks out of
the agony within his soul. "Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. They pass by like swift ships, like an eagle swooping on its prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile, I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent. If I am condemned, why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with soap, yet You will plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes (self-righteousness) will abhor me." (Job 9:25-31)
Job
knows that he cannot face God, for God is not mortal and He is not
under the bondage and guilt of sin as Job is. Job then utters the
saddest words that ever fell from the lips of a human. "There is no mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both." (Job 9:33) In other words, there is no Mediator
between man and God who has a legal standing with God and at the same
time can sympathize, understand and represent man. This is Job's cry for
a mediator. But it is not the cry of Job alone. It is the age old cry
of man, who in vain has worked hard to sooth their guilty sin laden conscience by creating various
religions and or acts of the flesh. Some of the ways man has tried to
appease his conscience come in the form of so called Christian cults
such as Russelism, Mormonism and Christian Science. Others such as,
eastern religions of idolatry, human and animal sacrifices and the
beating of the flesh. Worshipers of Satan as well as others who go about
committing murder and mayhem in the name of Allah which are considered
good works.
All
of these twisted means are an attempt to get right with God. However,
even in all of these things, God's character has not changed and man's
fallen nature is still the same. Man today can no more approach God
without a Mediator than
he could throughout his entire history. Some men will even tell us that
if they live a good moral life, that this is all God can require of
them, and that if there is a heaven they have as much right to it as
those who trust in the merits of Jesus of Nazareth, the one and only
Mediator. Paul tells us, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6) Peter tells us, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Only the people who have welcomed Jesus Christ as Savior and have
received the life that He brings from God, have an assured confidence
that they can once again can approach God without guilt, condemnation or
inferiority. Let no one deceive you. It is only by the grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ alone that one can, "...come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) "...and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3) The writers of the Bible all teach one great truth, "Man needs a Mediator." Today, scholarship if it is scholarship, knowledge if it is real knowledge, should lead all minds to the same goal. "How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?"
(Job 25:4) As with Job, it is still the cry of the human heart, man
needs a Mediator and that Mediator is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living
God.
Please take some time to ponder the words written here. There are people that you know who need Jesus the Mediator.
He is the only one who can set people free from the guilt of sin. He is
the only one whose sinless blood has paid in full the crimes of
humanity. He is the only one who came to give life and give it
more abundantly. Never forget what He has done for you. So, now go and tell
another person the Good News, Jesus is alive and "this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life." (1 John 2:25) May the grace and peace of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all...
Monday, March 29, 2021
The Perfect Mediator
Monday, March 22, 2021
Amazing Grace
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD, ' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
God said, "I will forgive them and will remember their sin no more" that is all sin, transgression and iniquity will be blotted out and never mentioned again (Isaiah 43:25, Acts 2:38) He will take people from among the nations, because salvation is for all people (John 3:16, Romans 1:16) He will sprinkle clean water and cleanse His New Covenant people with the water of His Word. (Ephesians 5:25-28) His people will be given oneness of heart manifested through God’s love (John 13:34, John 17:21) He will put a new spirit in these New Covenant people, that is, God will transform the dead human spirit and completely recreate it (2 Corinthians 5:17) and to put the icing on the cake, He will put His Spirit within them. (John 14:16-17) What does this all mean to you and I? The New Covenant is based on pure grace and nothing else but grace. According to the Bible, grace is defined as, "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) another translations says it this way, " For it is God Himself whose power creates within you the desire to do His will and also brings about the accomplishment of the desire."
Basically, God's grace is God giving us what we do not deserve such as, forgiveness, healing, provision, long live, eternal life, His ability, etc. However, it was Him, He alone made the decision to do everything it would take to satisfy justice and completely restore humanity to what He had intended before the fall. Not only did He do what He said He would do as He spoke through the prophets, but the amazing attribute of grace is He has given the believer His ability and the desire to do His will. Well, how can we implement this wonderful, amazing grace into our daily lives? "Therefore, having been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2 )
Every believer can walk daily in the abundance of grace that God has if we are willing to "walk by faith and not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) Notice carefully to what Paul says, "walk by faith." Simply reading and meditating on God's Word is not enough to build our faith. It only creates a capacity for faith. Faith is only built when believers acts upon God's Word through their daily lives and daily speech. James says it this way, "...I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18), that is, acting on God's Word. This is the kind of faith that pleases God (Mark 11:22-24) As we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit giving us revelation of God's Word we will become completely convinced that His Word is one hundred percent true and we no longer base His Word on experiences or a manifestation. We believe and act on God's Word because God’s Word says so, period. All believers must be fully convinced of this fact, "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19) May, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Monday, March 15, 2021
Front Line Leadership
One of the greatest need that is lacking in almost every area of every society is effective leadership.
Whether governments, businesses, organizations, churches or families,
the rise or fall of them lies upon the effectiveness of those who lead
them. The life of the church today depends on leaders who fully depend
upon the builder and leader of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus
said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Although this is meant for all believers, it should be the highest priority in the life of church leaders.
There are some things that we should take note of in this verse. First,
the vine (Jesus) does not bear the fruit, nor does the Holy Spirit. The
branches (believers) bear the fruit enabled by the Holy Spirit. Next, as
a branch cannot survive without the vine, the vine needs the branch to
bear the fruit. This speaks of an incredible oneness that believers have
with Christ. With this in mind let's look at some of the
characteristics that make a good leader.
"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a
bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the
husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy
for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his
own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take
care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with
pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must
have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into
reproach and the snare of the devil." (1 Timothy 3:1-7)
Although the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul is revealing the qualifications for an Elder
in the church, the leadership (government) of the early church was
first through Christ, then the Apostles and after that through Eldership
(and deacon as the need arose). When talking of Elders I mean the
leaders of the church. Those who are called by the Lord to oversee,
lead, make decisions and build up the church. We can clearly see from
the passage above that Elders must be qualified men before being
accepted into leadership. God demands moral and spiritual qualifications
to be met before a man can lead His people. As you can also see, being a
church leader has nothing to do with vocation whether a physician,
attorney, educator, being involved in public office, etc., because these
vocations can be held by men without spiritual or moral integrity. Now
let's look at the qualifications of an Elder (church leader) as shown
above. (There are other qualification and much more scripture that I
could share concerning church leaders but for the sake of space I will
only share the contents of the above passage in a more exhaustive way)
A bishop (Elder) then must be blameless, have unquestionable integrity.
He must be the husband of one wife. This does not necessarily mean he
needs to be married, but if married it must be to one wife. He must be
temperate,
that is disciplined, exercising self-control. He must be sober-minded,
having a sound mind. He must be of good behavior, have a respectable
life-style. He must be hospitable, have a fondness and willingness to
receive people into his house. He must be able to teach, skilled in the
Word of God both in word and action. He must not be given to
wine, not addicted to alcoholic beverages or even allowing them to
impair his physiological functions in the slightest He must not be
violent, lash out with the hand or mouth. He must not be greedy for
money, work at acquiring money by any means. He must be gentle, patient,
considerate have the ability to remain calm. He must not be
quarrelsome,
contentious, argumentative or one who gets involved with fist fights. He
must not be covetous; that is not controlled by the lust of the eyes,
lust of the flesh or the pride of life. He must be one who rules his own
house well, he must preside over and manage his household in an
excellent manner. His children must be in
submission with all reverence, he must have his children under control
showing respect. He must not be a novice, that is he must not be new to
the faith but have wisdom, understanding and experience in the things of
the Spirit and the Word of God. He must have a good testimony among
those who are outside the church, neighbors, fellow employees, etc.
As you can see, God has set up qualifications for church leaders not
only for the leader himself but for the protection of the believer. As
it was in the early church we seem to be faced with the same lack in the
church today, quality, spirit filled leaders called by God to lead His
people. The apostle Paul said, "For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers..."
(1 Corinthians 4:15) A modern interpretation of this verse could be,
"For though you might have ten thousand professional clergy, yet you do
not have many who nourish, protect, uphold, and lead." Not one Bible
college or seminary can produce qualified leaders. This does not imply
that a formal education does not have its place or have any value,
but it is God Himself who truly raises up and qualifies church
leaders. (Acts 4:13). Church leaders must be men who are born again and
filled with the Holy Spirit. They must be men of godly character, divine
ability, and possess the wisdom of God "to lead His children in and out that they not be like sheep which have no shepherd." (Numbers 27: 17)
I believe that even now God is restoring true New Testament leadership
to the church. The problem that the church faces is dealing with the
many non-biblical concepts of leadership that have infiltrated the
church. God will eliminate these concepts by changing the hearts of His
people and preparing them to accept scriptural principles and patterns
of true biblical leadership. How about you? Are you one of those who God
is calling, raising up and qualifying to be a leader? If so, then keep
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and He will qualify you to lead the way.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Prevailing Through the Storms
One of the many exciting stories recorded in the gospels of the life of
Jesus is found in the three synoptic gospels. Although the following
account is very similar in detail in all three gospels I will still
share some parts from all three.
"Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His
disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of
the lake." And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And
a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water,
and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying,
"Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind
and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But
He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and
marveled, saying to one another,"Who can this be? For He commands even
the winds and water, and they obey Him!" (Luke 8:22-25)
There are many interesting aspects to this story. First, we notice "a windstorm came down on the lake."
Naturally, windstorms do happen because storms are the result of the
fall of man. However, I believe this particular windstorm had demonic
origins. Why do I say this? Before
the fall, Adam was given dominion not only over the creatures that were
on the earth, but God made him to have dominion over all of the works
of His hands. (Psalm 8:6) Also, prior to this incident Mark records, "Jesus
healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to
touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down
before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He
sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. And He went up
on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came
to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that
He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses
and to cast out demons:" (Mark 3:10-15) Think about it, at this
particular time all those on earth who either had direct authority or
delegated authority over the forces of darkness were in this boat. The
devil may have thought if he could take them out he would still have the
authority that Adam forfeited to him. (Luke 4:6)
Although the storm was filling the boat with water to the point that
they were in jeopardy, Jesus was still asleep. This is a very important
key for believers to understand if we are to walk daily in victory over
every circumstance in this life no matter how insurmountable they may
seem. We must keep in mind that Satan is defeated (Colossians 2:15,
Hebrews 2:14), that we have authority over all of the power of the enemy
(Luke 10:19), that we also have been given the power of attorney to use
the Name of Jesus which carries with it all authority (Matthew 28:18,
Mark 16:17-18, Philippians 2:5-11), that we also have God's Word that is
living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and the we are God's Children (John
1:12, Romans 8:15-16)
We all of these mighty weapons of God available to us. By using them, we
too can rest in the midst of the storm. However, do we apply to our
lives what Solomon said, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and
lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) You see, walking
in victory comes down to whose words you are going to believe, the words
of man, the words of the devil or the Word of God? (Matthew 16:13-23)
Naturally, we must believe God's Word over man's and Satan's words, but
how can we cause God's Word to work in our lives?
We must first understand that although reading the Bible and confessing
scripture is a great thing, if we are not acting upon it, then we are
not really applying faith. Simply put, this is how true Bible faith works, we believe God's Word and then act upon it. James tells us, "But
be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves...But
someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith
without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 1:22, 2:18) So how can I be a doer of the Word? How can I show my faith by my works?
First, we we must be people who abide in God's Word (John 8:32-33) To
abide in God's Word is to accept it wholeheartedly with exception, to
believe it without doubting, to stand upon it without wavering. We must
be convinced that what God has promised He is also able to perform
(Romans 4:20-21). Now we find scripture that is directly related to the
circumstance, confess it with our mouth, believe it in our heart and
then thank Him for the answer even when there is not one shred of
physical evidence. You see, by thanking God for the desired results
(which must be according to His Will which is His Word 1 John 5:14-15) I
am acting on His Word. I thank Him not because of a manifestation, but
because I agree that His Word is true and it never fails. (Isaiah 55:11)
Jesus said it this way, "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says
to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not
doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,
he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things
you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have
them." (Mark 11:23-24)
Mark 11:23-24 is one of the most controversial passage of scripture to
most in the church today. However, this is the epitome of true Bible faith.
Doubt will always neutralize faith. Peter had faith to walk on the
water, and he did, but doubt caused him to sink. The doubt was brought
on by fear. Doubt neutralized his faith!!! (Matthew 14:28-31) Jesus
tells us that we must believe that those things we say will be done.
Finally, Jesus tells us that we must believe that we receive what we
have asked for and you will have them. Believe that you receive, not
receive and then believe. True Bible faith receives what God has already
said. What God has already promised. What God has already work through
Christ, even though there is no physical evidence. "Now faith is a
well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope, and a conviction of
the reality of things which we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1)
The apostle.Thomas did not exercise faith even though Jesus told His
disciple that after His death He would rise. (Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31,
Luke 9:22) Nor did he believe even after many reported that in fact
Jesus was risen. Not only did Thomas have to see the risen Lord, but he
had to examine Him (the holes in His hands and feet, evidence seen)
before he would believe. (John 24-29) This is the greatest struggle for
most believers, believing that you have received without any physical
evidence. Why? Because most believers have been taught to be skeptical
of the supernatural. They have been trained to only accept things that
their five senses can understand. This is exactly what Thomas did and
Jesus rebuked him for it. He did not believe the Lord's Word concerning
His resurrection. If he had, once he heard that Jesus was risen, he
would have believed and acted upon it by rejoicing even though he
himself had not seen the Lord. Instead, he had to see the Lord to
believe that He was risen.
As the story winds down we see Jesus take control of the situation, He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. This
should be the response of every believer when facing the difficulties
of life. James tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various
trials (James 1:2) In other words, do not let the trial have control,
let joy rise up and then stand on God's Word remembering that God did
not bring the trial (James 1:13) Also remember, believers are not called
to fight the devil, Jesus defeated him. We are called to fight the good
fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12) It is our faith in the integrity of God's Word that puts us over, not physical manifestations.
Think about this. If you are struggling with physical pain or some sort
of sickness in your body, do not deny its existence, that would be
lying. What you do, is deny its right to exist in your body which has
been purchased by Jesus and is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 6:19-20) Why do you take this position? Because God's Word
says, "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that
we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes
you were (past tense) healed." (1 Peter 2:24 also see
Isaiah 53:4-5) You believe what Peter says, (it's God's Word) denying
the right of the physical manifestation of pain or sickness to have
place in your body. As Jesus rebuked the storm, you rebuke the devil and
the symptoms that he is trying to put upon you or has manifested in
your body.
Finally, Jesus confronts the disciples asking them, "Where is your faith?" The other accounts of this story say, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith." (Matthew 8:26) and "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40) In either case, it comes down to an issue of faith.
Will we exercise faith in God's Word or will we let fear and or doubt
have place? Will we believe only if we see a manifestation or will we
believe because the Word of God says so? For most, this can be an
arduous ordeal. Why? It is because church leaders continue to teach
believers through a somewhat subliminal message to trust in their senses
and not God's Word. The only way to reverse these faithless words of
doubt, fear and unbelief that have filled the hearts of God's beloved
children, is to renew the mind with God's Word. (Romans 12:2, Ephesians
4:23) Renewing ones mind and dealing with these stronghold takes a
process of time. It comes down to each individual and just how deep
these strongholds have captured their mind.
But be of good cheer, because God has given you a measure of faith
(Romans 12:3) Through reading, studying and most importantly meditating
on God's Word your faith will grow. (Romans 10:17) So, if you find
yourself in the midst of a storm, "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9) Don't lose heart. Don't give up "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) God is faithful. His Word never fails. "It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) and always keeping in mind, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (that is, the Word of God) (Revelation 12:11)
Monday, March 1, 2021
Let's Use Our Gifts
When most people think of gifts they tend to think of Christmas,
birthdays, anniversaries and showers to name a few. But for believers
our first though should be the "Gifts of the Spirit." Why should this
be? The apostle Paul tells us that, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." (1
Corinthians 12:7) The gifts of the Spirit although given by the Holy
Spirit to each one individually as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11) are
for the profit, gain, advantage or benefit of all believers. God does
not give gifts to an individual for His benefit, but for the benefit of
the church, His Body. Paul also tells us "to earnestly desire these
gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1) for this very purpose. Paul further
states, "Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel." (1
Corinthians 14:12) Well if these things are so, then why are the "Gifts
of the Spirit" either down played or completely rejected in most
congregation today? Why wouldn't church leaders encourage believers to
desire them and use them if all believers benefit from them?
I believe that it comes down to the following. It is another diabolical
scheme of Satan to increase the gap of division and disunity in the Body
of Christ. His schemes have not changed in the history of man, yet man
never seems to learn from history nor take serious the various warnings
seen in the Bible, such as "Now the Spirit expressly says that in
latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving
spirits and doctrines of demons." (1 Timothy 4:1). Paul also speaks of the apostasy that would happen to many in the church, "having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:5) and "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
(2 Timothy 3:7) These things are so subtle and deceptive it seems as
though church leaders would rather live with division and disunity
rather than to admit our mistakes. Let's look at the inception of this
malicious scheme of Satan into man's history.
The Bible records that Satan is cunning, crafty. (Genesis 3:1) His
scheme in the Garden of Eden was to get the woman to reason away the
truth by first challenging her with what God said, "Has God indeed said..." (Genesis 3:1) The command that came from God was, "And
the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden
you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely
die." (Genesis 2:16-17). Now look at the woman's response to Satan's questioning of God's Word, "...God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" (Genesis 3:3) First, notice the woman added to the Word of God, "nor shall you touch it." As
soon as we add to the Word of God by using our reasoning faculties
rather than exercising faith, we are heading towards the snare of the
devil. This very thing was exposed by Jesus when talking with the
religious leaders, "you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition..."And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:6, 9)
Next, we see Satan once again attacking God's Word, "Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. (Genesis
3:4) Not only does Satan attack God's Word, but he also attacks God's
character by insinuating that God is not being entirely honest with
her, "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5) The deception was now complete. The woman no longer trusted the Word of God but began to reason it away, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, (lust of the flesh) that it was pleasant to the eyes, (lust of the eyes) and a tree desirable to make one wise, (the pride of life) she took of its fruit and ate..."
(Genesis 3:6) She was not relying on her spirit to lead her, but
permitted her soul (mind, will and emotions) to make her decision. The
great deception behind this entire incident was that she was already
like God, "Then God said,"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." (Genesis 1:26)
This very scheme is the root that causes most of the division in the
church today. God has given every believer a "measure of faith." (Romans
12:3) However, when believers fail to exercise faith
in the integrity of God's Word, let our soul (reasoning faculties) make
the decision, the result is always the same, doctrine contrary to God's
Word which expands the gap of division in the Body of Christ, God's
family. This issue is not new to the church. The apostle Paul dealt with
it in the church of Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) His conclusion to the
church was, "you are still carnal...behaving like mere men." Jesus
exposes this very deception shortly after Peter's revelation and
confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew
16:16) Jesus tells His disciple of the fate that awaited Him in
Jerusalem, but Peter rebuked Him saying, "Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22) Notice Jesus' response, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
(Matthew 16:23) Now we can understand Paul's response to the men in the
church at Corinth. When believers reason away the Word of God they have
permitted Satan's lies to manipulate their decisions causing them to be
no longer "mindful of the things of God, but the things of men," acting like mere men.
So are the gifts of the Spirit for the church today? Well, think about this, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans
11:29). Although there is much more that the Bible reveals concerning
the gifts of the Spirit, it should be obvious to us that yes the gifts
of the Spirit are for the church today. There is not one verse of
scripture the states verbatim that God revoked any gift that He has
given to the church. The argument that the supernatural was only needed
in the early church because today we have the canonized scriptures and
have no need of them is strictly based upon human reasoning and not faith
in the integrity of God's Word. If we really think about it and take a
look at the world around us, we will have to admit that there is a far
greater need for the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit today
than ever before.
The good news is not only will the world be evangelized but also, Jesus will not return, "...until
the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the
mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21)
also takes place. I believe that the church is moving into a place
through the Holy Spirit to where all the things that have become bricks
in the wall of division in the church will come crumbling down. The name
of Jesus will be magnified. The Word of God will prevail mightily not
only in the church, but throughout the world and the love of God will
emanate through believers making the church the desire of the world. So,
as the apostle Paul said, "earnestly desire spiritual gifts." (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1)
Monday, February 22, 2021
Revelation Knowledge
When God created man, "He created him in His own image according His likeness." (Genesis 1:27) This has nothing to do with mans body, for it was "formed from the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7) It wasn't until God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; that man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7) The Holy Spirit reveals through the apostle Paul that man is composed of "spirit, soul (mind, will and emotions) and body." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) However, when we consider that man was made in Gods image and likeness, "God is Spirit..." (John 4:24) we then come to understand that the real man is a spirit, with a soul who lives in a physical body.
The body possesses the five senses, touch, taste, feel, hear and see and until one is "born again, born of the Spirit" (John
3:3-8) the senses are the educators and teachers of the brain. However,
if the senses are impaired then the brain cannot assimilate knowledge
properly. For instances, if a person is born without hearing, then
trying to listen to an announcer at a baseball game is meaningless. If a
person is born without sight then taking them to view the magnificence
of the Grand Canyon will have very little benefit. In other words, the
brain is totally dependent upon the five senses. Without them in full
operation, not only is knowledge limited, but the body and soul are
limited also.
Looking back at the Garden of Eden, Adam's act of treason brought death
to all mankind resulting in condemnation (Romans 5:17-18) The moment
Adam realized what he did, both he and his wife hid from God, "And
they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the LORD God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8)
Naturally, they could not really hide from God. However, the instance
that Adam fell, his spirit lost it dominion and he now had to rely on
his senses. His spiritual prowess had now become enveloped by his
flesh,"And the LORD said,"My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh..."
(Genesis 6:3). Although Adam was created with the five senses, I
believe that his senses did not play a very large part of his life prior
to the fall as they did after. Prior to the fall his spirit dominated
his body as well as his soul. His spirit governed his reasoning
faculties and was the avenue in which his mind received knowledge.
However, once he fell, he would be fully dependent on his senses to
survive because he (his spirit) had lost contact with God, his body was
now subject to death and all the knowledge that he would acquirer would
come solely through his senses.
All the knowledge that one acquires through the senses is dwarfed when
compared with the knowledge that comes through the spirit. Saul of
Tarsus, who we know as the apostle Paul was a highly educated and
intelligent religious leader, yet he said, "But what things were gain
to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count
all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord." (Philippians 3:7-8) The knowledge that he had received prior
to his conversion was through his senses. However, now he boasts in the
knowledge of Christ Jesus because it far exceeds sense knowledge, it is
spiritual. It is revelation that comes by the Holy Spirit through the
recreated (born again) spirit. Paul also tells us, "...We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up..."
(1 Corinthians 8:1) He is saying that it is sense knowledge that causes
people to become filled with pride. Now we can understand why the
natural, sense knowledge person has trouble understanding the things of
God, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
When people operate in sense knowledge only, their reaction to God
(spiritual things) becomes much like Adam and his wife. In a sense (no
pun intended) they hide from God. The sad thing is, many in the church
today, especially church leaders, depend on their senses to obtain
knowledge which directly opposes the kind of faith that
pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). If what they believe cannot be assimilated
in their mind by what they have learned through their senses, then it
must not be true, ego why we have the doctrines of man superseding the
Word of God in the church today. However, their is some wonderful news.
First, for the non-believer, simply by "confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.' (Born Again) (Romans 10:9) The moment this takes place you become, "a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
(2 Corinthians 5:17) Your recreated spirit can now give revelation
knowledge of spiritual things to your mind. Secondly, for the believer,
the apostle Paul prayed, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in
the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;"
(Ephesians 1:17-18) The believer can have revelation knowledge
which supersedes sense knowledge. However, in either case revelation
knowledge comes through a steady diet of reading, studying and most
importantly, meditating on the Word of God. This in turn builds our faith
(Romans 10:17) which will ultimately bring believers to the place where
our spirit, the real you and me, dominates the soul and body as it did
with Adam prior to the fall.
So, where are you? Are you living out your Christian life believing
because your senses make it believable, like the apostle Thomas (John
20:24-29) or do you believe because the Word of God says so, period? The
first will cause us to hide from God because we do not truly know His
will, nature, character, purposes and plan, but the latter will cause us
to walk on this earth as super people "walking by faith and not by sight"
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
Monday, February 15, 2021
Moved By Compassion
Shortly after Jesus faced Satan in open combat (Matthew 4 and Luke 4) He
began His earthly ministry. One of the first things that He did was to
call to Himself followers, that is disciples and out of them He chose
twelve that He called apostles (Matthew 4:18-22, 5: 1-11, Luke 6:12-16)
Once this was completed He began to show His disciples the Father's
will, nature, character, purposes and plan through His actions and
Words, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds
of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame
went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who
were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were
demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great
multitudes followed Him, from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem,
Judea, and beyond the Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a
mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He
opened His mouth and taught them..." (Matthew 4:23-25, 5:1-2)
Jesus had approximately three and one half years to impart Kingdom
principles into His disciples before His departure from earth to return
to His father. During that time He Himself would lead them into life
situations and circumstances that would require them to look to the
Father's abilities and not their own. They observed Him preach and teach
but moreover, they watched as the Father released the supernatural
through Him. He cleansed leapers, cast out demons, healed paralytics,
restore sight to the blind, restore speech to the mute, "Then Jesus
went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and
every disease among the people." (Matthew 9:35) and He raised the
dead (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43, Luke 7:11-15, John 11:1-44) But the disciples
saw something else about Jesus. Apart from all the teaching, preaching
and miracles, "When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep
having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)
Many Christians are compassionate, but few have compassion. What is the
difference? A person can be compassionate, feeling sympathy and concern
for others, but do nothing about it. However, to have compassion is to
have sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of
others and then do something about it. This is what the ministry of
Jesus was about. It was revealing to humanity the true nature of the
Father, compassion for humanity. Jesus had been sent by the Father (John
6:38) to do something about the fallen, oppressed state of human
suffering under the tyrannical powers of darkness. Next, we see that
His compassion for humanity is revealed to His disciples, "Then He
said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers
are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38)
Interestingly enough many in the church today will pray this prayer
because they are compassionate towards to state of humanity, but that is
as far as they go. By praying for laborers, they expect God to answer
their prayer by gathering others to go labor not thinking that they
themselves are the laborers. Immediately after Jesus spoke to His
disciples to pray in this manner, "He called His twelve disciples to
Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to
heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease." (Matthew 10:1) He commissioned them to, "Go
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach,
saying,'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons..." (Matthew 10:6-8) The
very prayer that Jesus had told His disciples to pray had now become an
answered prayer through them. They were the very laborers that they were
to pray for.
It is sad to here ministers tell believers that all they have to do is
to pray this prayer and the congregation will grow because the Lord of
the harvest will send out laborers. We don't know where these laborers
are or where they come from, but somehow the Lord will bring in the
harvest through these laborers. Jesus never meant this prayer to be a
prayer of hope, but one of faith. Faith that "God is at work in the believer to both do His will and His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13) That all believers, "are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) That all believers are to "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all things that I have commanded." (Matthew 28:19-20)
The church (all believers) is the only vessel on this planet that has
the "Good News." The good news is not limited to being saved from sin
(which is certainly enough) but that the moment one places faith
in Christ, they become New Creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) They are
declared righteous and have peace with God. (Romans 5:1-2) They become a
child of God (John 1:12) God has given them unlimited rights and
privileges as His heirs and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) (to
name a few points concerning God's Good News to humanity) Let's
remember, "That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16)
I do not believe that there is one believer that would want to see even
the most vile sinner perish without Christ. So let us keep in mind God's
incredible power to transform lives and then release upon that
transformed life all the wonderful promises that He freely gives. Let us
move on from praying to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
only and believe that we are the very laborers that God is calling to go
forth and reap a harvest of souls through His power working in us, all
for the Father's glory. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)