Inheritance in the legal sense refers to actual property or goods received after a family member's death. Although defined from the natural sense, this definition is fairly close to the biblical perspective of an inheritance. For instance, while Jewish inheritance customs were linked to family blood lines, Greek and Roman laws also provided for the placement of family possessions through the adoption of an heir. The Scriptures transform the concept of inheritance to include the acquisition of spiritual blessings and promises from God. The Apostle Paul tells us, "In Him (Jesus Christ) also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of
Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will...who (the Holy Spirit) is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:11, 14)
From the biblical sense, to inherit means to "receive an irrevocable gift" with an emphasis on the special relationship between the benefactor, God, and the recipient, the believer. Unlike legal inheritance, where the benefactor dies then the recipients can receive, for believers, as Paul tells us, our inheritance is through Christ. The great difference is, "knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more...Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God." (Romans 6:9, 8:34) The believers benefactor is Jesus Christ who is very much alive. It is through Christ that God provides material and spiritual blessings, our inheritance, for his people, both in this life and in the life to come.
The recipients of an inheritance are also heirs. An heir is defined as, "a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another upon that person's death; a person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor." The Holy Spirit through Paul reveals another wonderful work of the Father through Jesus for the believer, "For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8:15-17) From the biblical sense, to be an heir means, "one who receives his allotted possession by right of sonship."
Notice how the Holy Spirit through Paul reveals that believers are adopted by God, in other words, believers are God's children, sons and daughters. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God..." (1 John 3:1) This in and of itself is a most wonderful inheritance, but it goes even further.
The Apostle John tells us, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16) The Apostle Paul tells us, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:9-10) The word complete means, "to make full; to fill up; to fill to the full; to cause to abound; to render full; full measure; to completely fill to the top so that nothing shall be wanting or lacking." All the grace that was manifest in Christ envelops us, surrounds us, we are completely in it. All the perfections and beauties in the character and life of Jesus are ours, we are complete in Him. The perfection of Christ was all reckoned to every believer. The Lord enables us, by His grace, to enter into our inheritance and to assume our responsibilities in His wonderful family as His sons and daughters. He won no victory nor did He win any triumph in His substitutionary work that was not for the benefit of the church, every believer. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Our inheritance, all that Jesus was and is, the believer receives as heirs from the Father, through Christ. His righteousness is ours; His love is ours; every promises is ours; as well as all the graces that embellish His beautiful life are ours. How is this possible? The writer of Hebrews tells us, "But now He (Jesus) has obtained a
more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better
covenant, which was established on better promises." (Hebrews 8:6) Believers are under a better covenant. A covenant that is greater and more fulfilling than any other covenant that God had established with man from the time of creation. Our covenant through Christ, is complete and so far reaching, the believer lacks absolutely nothing.
When, by grace through faith, we confessed Jesus as our Lord and received Him as Savior, all the wealth and riches in Christ became ours automatically. How rich we truly are. The heart can hardly take it in, but that does not change the truth, that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, "That of His Fullness have we all received and grace upon grace." May the Lord help us by the power of the Spirit to enter into the riches of our inheritance in Him.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Monday, April 17, 2017
Go, In Jesus Name
Now that Easter Sunday, or better named Resurrection Sunday, has come and gone, where do we go from here? Is it churchianity as usual or do we, "...forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead, pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?" (Philippians 3:132-14) For many in the church today, Resurrection Sunday means putting on an Easter outfit, attend a church service, have a fine meal with family, which there is nothing wrong with, and then moving on with business as usual. However, are we seeing Christ's resurrection more than simply a day of traditions or as a catalysis of greater things in Christ and His kingdom? Paul's statement, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was not for him alone, but for all believers to entertain every day of our lives.
We all have various traditions that we embrace in the natural world, but when it comes to the spiritual world, how few really know, possess, or enjoy what Jesus has provided through His death, resurrection and glorification. You remember that Jesus said as He left the disciples, "In My Name ye shall cast out demons," (Mark 16:17) and you also may recall that a large part of His ministry was filled with combating the unseen hosts of darkness. One would naturally think in reading modern religious literature written today, as well as listening to the average preacher's sermon, that demons either no longer exist or else they had been herded together in the slums of the city and were spending their entire time among that environment only.
When Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus, he told them that their combat was, "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) We see this in the prayers of Epaphras for the church at Colossi, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." (Colossians 4:12) Notice that the phrase "always laboring fervently for you in prayers," which means to wrestle, struggle, combat. Who was he wrestling, struggling and combating with? Surely, it was not with the Father, whose eternal purpose through Christ is to bless men. No, he was combating the hidden forces that were warring against the purpose of God.
So many people are held by the power of demons. They want deliverance from sin, addictions and all manner of bondage's, but they are unable to break loose from the bonds that are holding them. They do not need a program, a pill or a doctor, they need deliverance. I do not often share stories of my experiences, but, I will share one here to further my point. I remember a person that I was sharing the gospel with. He was intoxicated when I met him. I later found out that he was held by darkness to alcohol and was constantly intoxicated. As I was speaking to him about Christ, he replied, "I cannot become a Christian. I want to, but something holds me." With that, a chill struck me. My flesh was experiencing the oppression that held him. The Holy Spirit rose up inside of me, I laid a hand on him and from my mouth I spoke with authority, "In the Name of Jesus, release him and come out of him." With that, the man confessed Christ and was instantly and completely sobered by the power of vested in the Name of Jesus.
The quicker we recognize that the very air about us is filled with hostile forces, who are attempting to destroy our fellowship with the Father, and to deprive us of our usefulness in the service of our Master, the better it will be for us. There are three things necessary in ones life in order to take the victory over demons and bring deliverance to the captives; First, we must be born again children of God. Second, we must not have any unconfessed sin or unforgiveness in the heart, if we do, the demons will laugh at our prayers. Third, we must know the power of the Name of Jesus, and
know how to use it. Please take some time and read the Book of Acts carefully. Notice how the disciples used the Name of Jesus.
For instance, notice the simplicity of Peter's use of the Name of Jesus in Acts chapter three. You will notice that he does not stop to pray for the paralyzed man. All he does, is say, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) There is no hint that he attempted to exercise what we call faith. He did not worry about the situation nor did he stop to analyze what it meant. All he did was to act on the Words of Jesus, "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." (John 16:23) Peter knew that Jesus had given him and all believers (Mark 16:17-18; John 14:12) the right to use His Name to continue the works of the Father on earth. Those in the early church simply entered into the right to use the Name of Jesus with authority, but with the simplicity of a child.
It seems to me that this is the same approach that all believers need to take today, that is, bring back the simplicity of true Christianity. The Christianity of love, power, unity, grace and faith, where Jesus is Master, Lord and King and the church is a direct reflection of Him. So, if you are dealing with defeat or you feel hemmed in by the power of the adversary, I want to encourage you to rise up in the Almighty Name of Jesus, cast off the enemy, receive your deliverance and then go, and set others free in the Almighty Name of Jesus...
We all have various traditions that we embrace in the natural world, but when it comes to the spiritual world, how few really know, possess, or enjoy what Jesus has provided through His death, resurrection and glorification. You remember that Jesus said as He left the disciples, "In My Name ye shall cast out demons," (Mark 16:17) and you also may recall that a large part of His ministry was filled with combating the unseen hosts of darkness. One would naturally think in reading modern religious literature written today, as well as listening to the average preacher's sermon, that demons either no longer exist or else they had been herded together in the slums of the city and were spending their entire time among that environment only.
When Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus, he told them that their combat was, "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) We see this in the prayers of Epaphras for the church at Colossi, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." (Colossians 4:12) Notice that the phrase "always laboring fervently for you in prayers," which means to wrestle, struggle, combat. Who was he wrestling, struggling and combating with? Surely, it was not with the Father, whose eternal purpose through Christ is to bless men. No, he was combating the hidden forces that were warring against the purpose of God.
So many people are held by the power of demons. They want deliverance from sin, addictions and all manner of bondage's, but they are unable to break loose from the bonds that are holding them. They do not need a program, a pill or a doctor, they need deliverance. I do not often share stories of my experiences, but, I will share one here to further my point. I remember a person that I was sharing the gospel with. He was intoxicated when I met him. I later found out that he was held by darkness to alcohol and was constantly intoxicated. As I was speaking to him about Christ, he replied, "I cannot become a Christian. I want to, but something holds me." With that, a chill struck me. My flesh was experiencing the oppression that held him. The Holy Spirit rose up inside of me, I laid a hand on him and from my mouth I spoke with authority, "In the Name of Jesus, release him and come out of him." With that, the man confessed Christ and was instantly and completely sobered by the power of vested in the Name of Jesus.
The quicker we recognize that the very air about us is filled with hostile forces, who are attempting to destroy our fellowship with the Father, and to deprive us of our usefulness in the service of our Master, the better it will be for us. There are three things necessary in ones life in order to take the victory over demons and bring deliverance to the captives; First, we must be born again children of God. Second, we must not have any unconfessed sin or unforgiveness in the heart, if we do, the demons will laugh at our prayers. Third, we must know the power of the Name of Jesus, and
know how to use it. Please take some time and read the Book of Acts carefully. Notice how the disciples used the Name of Jesus.
For instance, notice the simplicity of Peter's use of the Name of Jesus in Acts chapter three. You will notice that he does not stop to pray for the paralyzed man. All he does, is say, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6) There is no hint that he attempted to exercise what we call faith. He did not worry about the situation nor did he stop to analyze what it meant. All he did was to act on the Words of Jesus, "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." (John 16:23) Peter knew that Jesus had given him and all believers (Mark 16:17-18; John 14:12) the right to use His Name to continue the works of the Father on earth. Those in the early church simply entered into the right to use the Name of Jesus with authority, but with the simplicity of a child.
It seems to me that this is the same approach that all believers need to take today, that is, bring back the simplicity of true Christianity. The Christianity of love, power, unity, grace and faith, where Jesus is Master, Lord and King and the church is a direct reflection of Him. So, if you are dealing with defeat or you feel hemmed in by the power of the adversary, I want to encourage you to rise up in the Almighty Name of Jesus, cast off the enemy, receive your deliverance and then go, and set others free in the Almighty Name of Jesus...
Monday, April 10, 2017
The Greater One In Me
One evening, a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to speak with Jesus. Though he was a religious leader, what Jesus tells him seemed to shock him. Jesus said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The
wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born
of the Spirit." (John 3:1-8)
This has become known as being "born again" or becoming a "new creation in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17) This deals with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which happens immediately when one confesses the Lord Jesus Christ and receives Him as Savior. Concerning the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says this, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17) I want to focus our attention on the phrase, "for He (the Holy Spirit) dwells with you and will be in you."
Being born again is not just an experience, but rather, it is being completely transformed, given a recreated spirit and receiving the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes to make His home in every one who confesses Christ as Lord and receives Him as Savior. There is no need for any believer ever to feel helpless or hopeless. Christ's purpose in sending the Holy Spirit was to come and live in us, taking the place of Jesus, who is at the right hand of the Father. The New Testament gives us three relationship levels that God sustains toward believers; God is for us; God is with us; God is in us. God being for us, guarantees our success; With God on our side, we are sure to win in life. If God is for us, and we know that He is for us, we become utterly fearless in life, no matter how difficult the situation may be and no matter how dark the clouds that hang upon the horizon of life may be, we are calmly assured that we win in every circumstance, no matter what, simply because God is for us.
The Bible tells us that we have a better covenant (the New Covenant) established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6), than the people of Israel under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Testament, God was for Israel and with Israel, but He was not in Israel, that is, in their physical bodies. However, in the New Covenant, God is for us, He is with us, but even far greater, He is in us. God is actually making His home in our bodies as His Temple. Of all the great truths in connection with our redemption, this truth is most likely the apex of the reality of our redemption. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19) No longer does God dwell in the earth-made Holy of Holies made with mans hands, but in fact He dwells in the believers body which has become His Temple. PTL
Under the Old Covenant, God's Presence was kept enclosed in the Holy of Holies or occasional given to a select number of people, such as judges, kings, priests and prophets, for a particular purpose and time. However, on the Cross just before Jesus died, He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). He was not referring to the New Covenant, but the Old Covenant being finished or completed in Him. The New Covenant wasn't instituted and ratified until Jesus was raised from the dead, ascended on High and entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood. (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12) Once Jesus obtained eternal redemption for us, as the writer of Hebrews records, then and only then were the terms of the New Covenant consummated and ratified.
Also note, that when Jesus died on the cross, Matthew records that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, (Matthew 27:21), also signifying that the Old Covenant was finished and that God's Presence would no longer be kept shut up in the man-made Holy of Holies. Notice that the curtain was not torn from the bottom to the top, as what might have happen if the curtain were torn by a person or persons. This indicates that the curtain was not torn with human effort, but through divine intervention. When that happened, God's Presence which had been kept in the Holy of Holies, moved from there to take up residence in His New Temple, the born again believer.
The Apostle John tells us, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) The Greater One, God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is in you if you are born again. All that God could possibly be to His children and do for His Children, the Holy Spirit through His indwelling Presence is to you, for you and in you. As believers become more conscious of the Greater One in us, every bit of fear, of the devil, sickness, disease, poverty or any such thing will flee. We will walk in the assured confidence that God is with us, for us and in us, that the Holy Spirit in us is everything that the Scriptures says He is and that He will do everything in and through us the Word says He will do. So, let us make a daily confession of our faith by stating with confidence, "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world."
This has become known as being "born again" or becoming a "new creation in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17) This deals with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which happens immediately when one confesses the Lord Jesus Christ and receives Him as Savior. Concerning the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says this, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17) I want to focus our attention on the phrase, "for He (the Holy Spirit) dwells with you and will be in you."
Being born again is not just an experience, but rather, it is being completely transformed, given a recreated spirit and receiving the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes to make His home in every one who confesses Christ as Lord and receives Him as Savior. There is no need for any believer ever to feel helpless or hopeless. Christ's purpose in sending the Holy Spirit was to come and live in us, taking the place of Jesus, who is at the right hand of the Father. The New Testament gives us three relationship levels that God sustains toward believers; God is for us; God is with us; God is in us. God being for us, guarantees our success; With God on our side, we are sure to win in life. If God is for us, and we know that He is for us, we become utterly fearless in life, no matter how difficult the situation may be and no matter how dark the clouds that hang upon the horizon of life may be, we are calmly assured that we win in every circumstance, no matter what, simply because God is for us.
The Bible tells us that we have a better covenant (the New Covenant) established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6), than the people of Israel under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Testament, God was for Israel and with Israel, but He was not in Israel, that is, in their physical bodies. However, in the New Covenant, God is for us, He is with us, but even far greater, He is in us. God is actually making His home in our bodies as His Temple. Of all the great truths in connection with our redemption, this truth is most likely the apex of the reality of our redemption. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19) No longer does God dwell in the earth-made Holy of Holies made with mans hands, but in fact He dwells in the believers body which has become His Temple. PTL
Under the Old Covenant, God's Presence was kept enclosed in the Holy of Holies or occasional given to a select number of people, such as judges, kings, priests and prophets, for a particular purpose and time. However, on the Cross just before Jesus died, He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). He was not referring to the New Covenant, but the Old Covenant being finished or completed in Him. The New Covenant wasn't instituted and ratified until Jesus was raised from the dead, ascended on High and entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood. (Hebrews 1:3, 10:12) Once Jesus obtained eternal redemption for us, as the writer of Hebrews records, then and only then were the terms of the New Covenant consummated and ratified.
Also note, that when Jesus died on the cross, Matthew records that the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, (Matthew 27:21), also signifying that the Old Covenant was finished and that God's Presence would no longer be kept shut up in the man-made Holy of Holies. Notice that the curtain was not torn from the bottom to the top, as what might have happen if the curtain were torn by a person or persons. This indicates that the curtain was not torn with human effort, but through divine intervention. When that happened, God's Presence which had been kept in the Holy of Holies, moved from there to take up residence in His New Temple, the born again believer.
The Apostle John tells us, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) The Greater One, God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, is in you if you are born again. All that God could possibly be to His children and do for His Children, the Holy Spirit through His indwelling Presence is to you, for you and in you. As believers become more conscious of the Greater One in us, every bit of fear, of the devil, sickness, disease, poverty or any such thing will flee. We will walk in the assured confidence that God is with us, for us and in us, that the Holy Spirit in us is everything that the Scriptures says He is and that He will do everything in and through us the Word says He will do. So, let us make a daily confession of our faith by stating with confidence, "He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world."
Monday, April 3, 2017
Our Father Has No Favorites
It should be a great comfort to our heart to know that our Heavenly Father has no favorites, (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11) and that all of His children have their own place in His heart. Let's look at the wonderful things that believers have in Christ as seen in Jesus' prayer for all who would become His disciples. "I do not pray for these (the apostles) alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:20-23)
Notice the grammar, "that they" be one with each other in the same manner the the Father and Son are One; "that they" be one with the Father and Son; "that they" all share together the same glory that the Father gave to the Son; "that they" all be made perfect in one. Finally, notice, that the Father loves all His children with the same level of love that He loved Jesus. Absolutely no favorites, but all believers are on the same level plain with the Father and Son. PTL. Due to these facts, every believer has the right to enjoy the same redemption. The work that the Father accomplished in Christ absolutely destroyed the power of the enemy, and now redeems every person who will confess Jesus Christ as Lord and receive Him as Savior into a complete, full, lacking nothing, redemption.
Everyone has the same righteousness. No one has a better righteousness, or more righteousness, but all have God's righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Righteousness comes through the new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21) When we are born again, we receive the life and nature of God, the Father. (John 10:10; 2 Peter 1:4) It is God's very nature in us that makes us righteous. Again, there is not one of His children that has more of His righteousness than another. All who receive His nature have come into His family and are recognized as the sons and daughters of the great Father, God, (1 John 3:1), and everyone has the same rights in the family.
Each one may have different gifts, callings, or ministries, but they do not make him/her any dearer to the heart of the Father. Everyone has the same love nature, the same great Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Everyone has a right to the same kind of fellowship with the Father and the Son. (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3) Everyone has a right to the use of the Name of Jesus to deliver people from the dominion of Satan, to cast out demons and to heal the sick. (Mark 16:17-18) Everyone has the right to every promise of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Our Father has no favorites. If you have not known this, I pray that you will ask the Lord for a deep revelation of this wonderful truth. This will open the door to a closer, more intimate fellowship with the Father, resulting in a sweeter and richer life. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...
Notice the grammar, "that they" be one with each other in the same manner the the Father and Son are One; "that they" be one with the Father and Son; "that they" all share together the same glory that the Father gave to the Son; "that they" all be made perfect in one. Finally, notice, that the Father loves all His children with the same level of love that He loved Jesus. Absolutely no favorites, but all believers are on the same level plain with the Father and Son. PTL. Due to these facts, every believer has the right to enjoy the same redemption. The work that the Father accomplished in Christ absolutely destroyed the power of the enemy, and now redeems every person who will confess Jesus Christ as Lord and receive Him as Savior into a complete, full, lacking nothing, redemption.
Everyone has the same righteousness. No one has a better righteousness, or more righteousness, but all have God's righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Righteousness comes through the new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21) When we are born again, we receive the life and nature of God, the Father. (John 10:10; 2 Peter 1:4) It is God's very nature in us that makes us righteous. Again, there is not one of His children that has more of His righteousness than another. All who receive His nature have come into His family and are recognized as the sons and daughters of the great Father, God, (1 John 3:1), and everyone has the same rights in the family.
Each one may have different gifts, callings, or ministries, but they do not make him/her any dearer to the heart of the Father. Everyone has the same love nature, the same great Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Everyone has a right to the same kind of fellowship with the Father and the Son. (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3) Everyone has a right to the use of the Name of Jesus to deliver people from the dominion of Satan, to cast out demons and to heal the sick. (Mark 16:17-18) Everyone has the right to every promise of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20) Our Father has no favorites. If you have not known this, I pray that you will ask the Lord for a deep revelation of this wonderful truth. This will open the door to a closer, more intimate fellowship with the Father, resulting in a sweeter and richer life. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...
Monday, March 27, 2017
Free to Live
One of the greatest passages of scripture that believers should confess daily and be encouraged, and strengthened by, was spoken by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul. He says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) Paul
was not only pressing home the point of what he was in Christ, but also
driving home the point of what all believers also are in Christ and what Christ is in them. Paul
contends that his faith in Christ and the grace of God at work in him, had freed him from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and now his identity is Christ in him, not his former identity of himself.
He goes on and says, "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:21) The phrase "set aside" is to frustrate, despise, displace, abrogate, God working in and through the believer giving them the ability and desire to obey Him and do His will. The phrase "the grace of God," here refers to the favor of God manifested in the plan of salvation by the gospel. The sense is, that Paul would not take any measures or pursue any course of life as a believer that would render the grace of God as something vain, useless. He goes on to say, if righteousness (justification) can be secured by the observance of any law, whether ceremonial or moral, then there was no need of the death of Christ as an atonement. If man can live by the law, and be declared righteous by the law, there would be no need of a Savior, because man would be able to save himself solely based on his own merit.
It is for this reason that Paul rebukes the Jewish believers in the church at Galatians. "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:1-5)
The purpose for the rebuke was not to bring condemnation upon them, but to reveal the reality that they were indeed frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating Gods grace for their so called rules of life, laws, especially when their faith in Christ was evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles. In the same way, believers today must use caution when they base their Christianity on laws and rules, which are actually parts of the Mosaic law or the man made laws that have infiltrated many sectors of the church, rather than living in the grace that God has poured out in Christ. (John 1:17) In doing so they may find themselves frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating, Gods grace.
However, the good news for all believers to be free from laws and live in the grace of God is to recognize the truth that Paul had presented, "Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." There it is! If you are born again, you are a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Christ lives in you. What great news this should be to all believers. Living by grace through faith is freedom! Living by laws as the Jewish believers in Galatia were doing and were teaching the Gentile converts to do the same , is bondage. As Paul had exposed this error to the believers in the church at Galatia, I also believe that the Holy Spirit is revealing the same to many of God's children today. Our faith in Christ should not be evidenced by laws that we live by, but our faith in Christ, living in the grace of God, which is evidenced by the Holy Spirit and the working miracles. PTL...
He goes on and says, "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:21) The phrase "set aside" is to frustrate, despise, displace, abrogate, God working in and through the believer giving them the ability and desire to obey Him and do His will. The phrase "the grace of God," here refers to the favor of God manifested in the plan of salvation by the gospel. The sense is, that Paul would not take any measures or pursue any course of life as a believer that would render the grace of God as something vain, useless. He goes on to say, if righteousness (justification) can be secured by the observance of any law, whether ceremonial or moral, then there was no need of the death of Christ as an atonement. If man can live by the law, and be declared righteous by the law, there would be no need of a Savior, because man would be able to save himself solely based on his own merit.
It is for this reason that Paul rebukes the Jewish believers in the church at Galatians. "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:1-5)
The purpose for the rebuke was not to bring condemnation upon them, but to reveal the reality that they were indeed frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating Gods grace for their so called rules of life, laws, especially when their faith in Christ was evidenced by the Holy Spirit working miracles. In the same way, believers today must use caution when they base their Christianity on laws and rules, which are actually parts of the Mosaic law or the man made laws that have infiltrated many sectors of the church, rather than living in the grace that God has poured out in Christ. (John 1:17) In doing so they may find themselves frustrating, despising, displacing, abrogating, Gods grace.
However, the good news for all believers to be free from laws and live in the grace of God is to recognize the truth that Paul had presented, "Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." There it is! If you are born again, you are a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Christ lives in you. What great news this should be to all believers. Living by grace through faith is freedom! Living by laws as the Jewish believers in Galatia were doing and were teaching the Gentile converts to do the same , is bondage. As Paul had exposed this error to the believers in the church at Galatia, I also believe that the Holy Spirit is revealing the same to many of God's children today. Our faith in Christ should not be evidenced by laws that we live by, but our faith in Christ, living in the grace of God, which is evidenced by the Holy Spirit and the working miracles. PTL...
Monday, March 20, 2017
Anointed to Go
One of the most vital points of Christianity that every believer should know and function in, was recorded in Matthew's gospel when Jesus was preparing His departure from earth to take His position at the right hand of the Father. He says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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 you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Notice, all authority had been given unto Jesus in heaven and on earth. But honestly, He did not need authority. He always had it. So, why was it given to Him now that He was leaving the earth? It was given to Him because He was the head of the church, His Body. He was the first-born from among the dead. (Colossians 1:18) He would now use that authority through the church, every believer. All the authority that had been given to Him was and is for the benefit of the church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) We see in Mark's gospel that Jesus gave the church the power of attorney to use His Name. This power of attorney gives to the believer access to all His authority. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
Notice, these things are done in "His Name." Jesus also reveals another important point concerning the use of this all authority. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14) Again, we see Jesus giving believers authority to do the great things that He did while on earth as the Son of Man. Also, note, that He tells us to use His name when asking the Father to move on our behalf for His glory. This is not prayer. It is the use of the Name of Jesus to draw on His authority. The book of Acts gives case after case where men tapped into His authority and many people were blessed by it.
That all authority is still available to those who use the Name of Jesus. That authority has never been withdrawn. Let's be honest, if one part of that great commission has been abrogated, then all of it has been set aside and becomes nothing more than an option and not a command. If one miracle has been set aside, then all miracles have been set aside, meaning, the Name of Jesus no longer has any authority. But you and I know differently. We know that the Name of Jesus was given to us for miracle work. (Mark 16:17-20) We know that everyone of the five things mentioned in Mark 16, are things that the devil works at, endlessly, to bring upon the church and the unsaved world. These five miraculous manifestations are to take place, especially today, because Satan holds men in bondage. Satan has also robbed many in the church, which can be witnessed by the lack of a testimony of the victorious life that Jesus has provided them. Many have been robbed of the ability to lay hands on the sick and see their loved ones recover. Why? Because intellectual knowledge has opened the door to faithless theology, creeds and doctrines which have gained the mastery over the ministry of Christ, preventing Him to operate through the church.
Jesus said that as soon as men believed on Him, at once these signs should accompany them. At once they begin to cast out demons; at once they begin to speak with new tongues; at once they are masters over serpents, which are typical of demons; at once if they drink anything deadly they will not be harmed and at once they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. We must understand that God's attitude toward sin and disease has never changed. (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) He was opposed to disease in the ministry of Jesus and the early church, and He is opposed to disease now. Believers must always think of Satan as the defeated one, as the one over whom every believer in Jesus' Name has dominion. In Jesus' Name every believer is the master of demons, disease and every circumstance that would try to hold them in bondage. In Jesus' Name every believer is the master of demons, disease and every circumstance that would hold the unsaved in bondage also, if they desire to be set free.
The Father in Christ has provided us with a perfect redemption, a perfect new nature, and perfect
union with Christ. (John 15:5) We have a message that brings success, health, joy and victory to every person. Every person is a failure outside of Christ, but every believer has God's solution to the human problem. The Living Word in our lips makes us victors, makes disease and poverty subservient to us in the same manner it was with Jesus. The Living Word in our lips brings God on the scene, brings victory, joy and success where defeat once ruled. So, be it known, every believer is anointed by God to go, uphold and enforce what Jesus has accomplished. PTL...
Notice, all authority had been given unto Jesus in heaven and on earth. But honestly, He did not need authority. He always had it. So, why was it given to Him now that He was leaving the earth? It was given to Him because He was the head of the church, His Body. He was the first-born from among the dead. (Colossians 1:18) He would now use that authority through the church, every believer. All the authority that had been given to Him was and is for the benefit of the church. (Ephesians 1:22-23) We see in Mark's gospel that Jesus gave the church the power of attorney to use His Name. This power of attorney gives to the believer access to all His authority. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
Notice, these things are done in "His Name." Jesus also reveals another important point concerning the use of this all authority. "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:12-14) Again, we see Jesus giving believers authority to do the great things that He did while on earth as the Son of Man. Also, note, that He tells us to use His name when asking the Father to move on our behalf for His glory. This is not prayer. It is the use of the Name of Jesus to draw on His authority. The book of Acts gives case after case where men tapped into His authority and many people were blessed by it.
That all authority is still available to those who use the Name of Jesus. That authority has never been withdrawn. Let's be honest, if one part of that great commission has been abrogated, then all of it has been set aside and becomes nothing more than an option and not a command. If one miracle has been set aside, then all miracles have been set aside, meaning, the Name of Jesus no longer has any authority. But you and I know differently. We know that the Name of Jesus was given to us for miracle work. (Mark 16:17-20) We know that everyone of the five things mentioned in Mark 16, are things that the devil works at, endlessly, to bring upon the church and the unsaved world. These five miraculous manifestations are to take place, especially today, because Satan holds men in bondage. Satan has also robbed many in the church, which can be witnessed by the lack of a testimony of the victorious life that Jesus has provided them. Many have been robbed of the ability to lay hands on the sick and see their loved ones recover. Why? Because intellectual knowledge has opened the door to faithless theology, creeds and doctrines which have gained the mastery over the ministry of Christ, preventing Him to operate through the church.
Jesus said that as soon as men believed on Him, at once these signs should accompany them. At once they begin to cast out demons; at once they begin to speak with new tongues; at once they are masters over serpents, which are typical of demons; at once if they drink anything deadly they will not be harmed and at once they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. We must understand that God's attitude toward sin and disease has never changed. (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) He was opposed to disease in the ministry of Jesus and the early church, and He is opposed to disease now. Believers must always think of Satan as the defeated one, as the one over whom every believer in Jesus' Name has dominion. In Jesus' Name every believer is the master of demons, disease and every circumstance that would try to hold them in bondage. In Jesus' Name every believer is the master of demons, disease and every circumstance that would hold the unsaved in bondage also, if they desire to be set free.
The Father in Christ has provided us with a perfect redemption, a perfect new nature, and perfect
union with Christ. (John 15:5) We have a message that brings success, health, joy and victory to every person. Every person is a failure outside of Christ, but every believer has God's solution to the human problem. The Living Word in our lips makes us victors, makes disease and poverty subservient to us in the same manner it was with Jesus. The Living Word in our lips brings God on the scene, brings victory, joy and success where defeat once ruled. So, be it known, every believer is anointed by God to go, uphold and enforce what Jesus has accomplished. PTL...
Monday, March 13, 2017
Be Healed
Following the temptation of Jesus, "...He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali... 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." (Matthew 4:12-13, 23-25)
In every contact of Jesus with the people, He healed their sick. He did not turn any away. Everyone was healed. Some would have us believe that there are some cases which are not the will of the Father to heal. Others would say, that God uses sickness and injuries for a divine purpose in a persons life. Others, God has a specific time for healing and therefore allows sickness or injury to remain for a season. Yet, those same people will quickly see a physician and or take medicine though they declare it is not the will of God to heal them. This does not mean that physicians cannot help people, but, if it is God's will not to heal, then why do believers seek other means for healing. The fact is, there aren't any cases that are not the will of the Father to heal nor is it the Father's will that any die of disease. Simply put, sickness does not belong to the body of Christ. It is not normal or natural.
When Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches," (John 15:5) He meant we are united with Him as closely and vitally as a branch in the natural realm is connected to the vine. Therefore, as Jesus Himself could not have any sickness or disease as He is the vine, then it stands to reason that the believer, the branch, should have none of these things either. In the mind of the Father, it is abnormal for believers to be in bondage to sickness or poverty which would force His children to go to the world for help. The believer is of God. (1 John 4:4) He has been Redeemed out of the hand of
the enemy. (Colossians 1:13) He is not only Redeemed out of the hand of Satan, he is also a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He has the very nature and life of God in him. (2 Peter 1:4) He is the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) These things have opened the door so that believers can stand in the Fathers presence without the sense of guilt or condemnation.
The believer has the same liberty and freedom with the Father, now, that he will have after death when he goes to heaven. He stands before the Father, now, as Jesus stood before Him. The Father's love nature has taken the place of the fallen Satanic nature that held him in fear and bondage. The believer is no longer afraid of disease or adverse circumstances, because, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment..." (1 John 4:18) He is filled with the nature and life of God, and God's nature is love. (1 John 4:7-8) There is no ground for disease, sickness or poverty in the body of Christ. These new creations, "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) are the "sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ." (Romans 8:15-17) They have God dwelling in them, the very life and nature of God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead has made His home in the believers body. (Romans 8:11)
In the three and a half years of Jesus' ministry on earth as the Son of Man, there was a perfect coordination between Himself and the Father. (John 4:34, 5:19-21, 30, 14:6-11) Jesus' attitude toward disease and sin was the Father's attitude. He lived among the Jews, God's Covenant people, and healed their diseases, breaking Satan's dominion over all who came to Him. (Acts 10:38) When He went to the cross, He became their Substitute, their Sin-Bearer, their Disease-Bearer. When He was nailed to that cross, Isaiah 53 became a reality, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) and carried our sorrows; (pains) Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)
The reality of this was also expressed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter, "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 healed." (1 Peter 2:24) Notice, "by whose stripes you were healed." Healing was purchased for all as a portion of the meritorious work of redemption through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle John reveals, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The writer of Hebrews records, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) The Apostle John also tells us, "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13)
As it was prophesied by Isaiah before Christ came to earth; confirmed by Peter after the resurrection of Christ and spoken by John and the writer of Hebrews, healing is for everyone, because as sin was dealt with through Christ, sickness too was dealt with. The Bible shows us that God does not show partiality (Romans 2:11) He and His Word have not changed (Malachi 3:6), therefore, healing is as much available today as it was throughout the history of humanity, especially since Christ has forever purchased it through His work of redemption. It simply comes to what Jesus tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11) Bless the Lord!
In every contact of Jesus with the people, He healed their sick. He did not turn any away. Everyone was healed. Some would have us believe that there are some cases which are not the will of the Father to heal. Others would say, that God uses sickness and injuries for a divine purpose in a persons life. Others, God has a specific time for healing and therefore allows sickness or injury to remain for a season. Yet, those same people will quickly see a physician and or take medicine though they declare it is not the will of God to heal them. This does not mean that physicians cannot help people, but, if it is God's will not to heal, then why do believers seek other means for healing. The fact is, there aren't any cases that are not the will of the Father to heal nor is it the Father's will that any die of disease. Simply put, sickness does not belong to the body of Christ. It is not normal or natural.
When Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches," (John 15:5) He meant we are united with Him as closely and vitally as a branch in the natural realm is connected to the vine. Therefore, as Jesus Himself could not have any sickness or disease as He is the vine, then it stands to reason that the believer, the branch, should have none of these things either. In the mind of the Father, it is abnormal for believers to be in bondage to sickness or poverty which would force His children to go to the world for help. The believer is of God. (1 John 4:4) He has been Redeemed out of the hand of
the enemy. (Colossians 1:13) He is not only Redeemed out of the hand of Satan, he is also a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He has the very nature and life of God in him. (2 Peter 1:4) He is the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) These things have opened the door so that believers can stand in the Fathers presence without the sense of guilt or condemnation.
The believer has the same liberty and freedom with the Father, now, that he will have after death when he goes to heaven. He stands before the Father, now, as Jesus stood before Him. The Father's love nature has taken the place of the fallen Satanic nature that held him in fear and bondage. The believer is no longer afraid of disease or adverse circumstances, because, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment..." (1 John 4:18) He is filled with the nature and life of God, and God's nature is love. (1 John 4:7-8) There is no ground for disease, sickness or poverty in the body of Christ. These new creations, "created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) are the "sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ." (Romans 8:15-17) They have God dwelling in them, the very life and nature of God Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead has made His home in the believers body. (Romans 8:11)
In the three and a half years of Jesus' ministry on earth as the Son of Man, there was a perfect coordination between Himself and the Father. (John 4:34, 5:19-21, 30, 14:6-11) Jesus' attitude toward disease and sin was the Father's attitude. He lived among the Jews, God's Covenant people, and healed their diseases, breaking Satan's dominion over all who came to Him. (Acts 10:38) When He went to the cross, He became their Substitute, their Sin-Bearer, their Disease-Bearer. When He was nailed to that cross, Isaiah 53 became a reality, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) and carried our sorrows; (pains) Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5)
The reality of this was also expressed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter, "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 healed." (1 Peter 2:24) Notice, "by whose stripes you were healed." Healing was purchased for all as a portion of the meritorious work of redemption through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle John reveals, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The writer of Hebrews records, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) The Apostle John also tells us, "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13)
As it was prophesied by Isaiah before Christ came to earth; confirmed by Peter after the resurrection of Christ and spoken by John and the writer of Hebrews, healing is for everyone, because as sin was dealt with through Christ, sickness too was dealt with. The Bible shows us that God does not show partiality (Romans 2:11) He and His Word have not changed (Malachi 3:6), therefore, healing is as much available today as it was throughout the history of humanity, especially since Christ has forever purchased it through His work of redemption. It simply comes to what Jesus tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11) Bless the Lord!
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