Monday, April 30, 2018

Why Should We Care

There seems to be many people today who have a constant problem with worrying. In fact almost everyone has it. It even seems to be contagious. It also can lead to all kinds of physical and mental disorders. People who worry excessively throughout their life, look at most everything from a negative perspective, that something bad is going to happen to them, someone they know or even just things in general. But the people who worry so much are forgetting some very important life lessons, the most important being, worrying doesn't change a single thing, it does not help one bit. In the "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus speaks to us concerning worry. He says...

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?...For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-27, 32-34)

Let's be honest. There are many uncertainties that we face on a daily bases, but Jesus tells us pretty much was was stated above. Worrying doesn't change a single thing, it does not help one bit. However, Jesus gives us the greatest advice that we need to apply if we want to move away from worrying. First, we need to know without doubt that our Heavenly Father knows everything that we need, period! Next, we are to focus on this very important thing, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (and as we do, believe that) all these things (things pertaining to life) shall be added to you.  

Worry leads to the waste of vital energy and can disturbs our health systems, impairing our ability, and if severe enough, can lead to mental disorders. The fact is, worrying comes when we think of negative "future" possibilities, that is, thinking about negative things that could happen although they may never happen at all. The bottom line is this, worry is a reflection of a lack of faith. It is steeped in doubt, fear and unbelief. It is a lack of trusting in God's ability and willingness to take care of His children no matter what circumstances or situations they may face. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter tells, us, "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

When believers learn to cast their every care on the Lord and trust Him, they will come to find, that there aren't enough enemies in all the world to defeat them. The person(s) who trusts absolutely in the wisdom of God the Father and does not lean upon his own understanding, can face the world knowing that he who, "Trusts 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). There it is. The Lord will direct our path.

Jesus tells us, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:27-30) What wonderful news, "our Father is greater than all." How we need this precious, wonderful fact to sink down into our heart and fill our mind. The Father loves us, knows us, and cares for us. He is greater than any problem that confronts us and any circumstance that tries to imprison us. 

Jesus said, "for the Father Himself loves you..." (John 16:27) "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23) God's love for His children and our response to it make us one. Say out loud right now, "My Heavenly Father loves me; He is going to see to it that I do not have needs that will embarrass me; He will help me carry my load; My Father loves me and gave His Son up for me; Although His love is for multitudes, His love is specifically for me; I no longer have to be afraid of life with a Lover like Him; I know that He will enable me to make good; He will enable me to make a success of life; He will give me the strength to overcome every day; He lives in me and makes His home in me; My Father is greater than all!!!

The Holy Spirit also speaks to us through the Apostle Paul revealing for us another golden nugget of truth to rid ourselves of worry. Of course this comes back to trusting in the Lord. He says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:6-9)  

Folks, we are in good hands. Our Heavenly Father has given every one of His children the same rights in His family. Though a person may have a different gift than another, he is not any dearer to the heart of the Father than any other of His children. The Father has no favorites. (Romans 2:11) The closer that our fellowship is with the Father and Son, the sweeter and richer our life will be. So, let us cast all of our cares on Him for He cares for us affectionately and cares about us watchfully. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...

Monday, April 23, 2018

Words That Prosper

The Holy Spirit spoke through Solomon some exceedingly great words of wisdom that all believers should embrace and apply to life. One of these nuggets of wisdom concerns the words that we speak. Now, if the words that we speak have no impact, then the Holy Spirit would not have given us these words of wisdom that are recorded in Proverbs. Due to believers not being mindful of this, many find themselves always struggling or are living in defeat and failure, because they speak or confess the wrong things. In fact, whether blatantly or out of ignorance they have spoken the words of the devil, of darkness, and those words hold them in bondage. Solomon tells us, "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth." (Proverbs 6:2) 

As we can see, this is not theory, but a fact. In other words, it is a spiritual law. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) The Word of God is spirit and life. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it." (Ephesians 4:29 AMP)

This Scripture is a strong, direct command to every believer. Polluted language, corrupt communication out of ones mouth are things such as, gossiping, griping, murmuring, complaining, faultfinding, cursing, speaking vulgarities or any speech that is unprofitable, that is, speaking words which do not build up, edify. Simply put, our words are to minister grace to the hearers which includes ministering grace to own hearts as we ourselves speak. That's why we should say what God says about every detail of our lives. For instance, our speech is corrupt if we were to say such things as, "It seems as though everyone is sick, therefore I will probably be sick also." God's Word tells us, "And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick..." (Isaiah 33:24)

Another example of this comes from doubting God's Word. You may find yourself saying, "God is withholding something from me," when God's Word says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold f
rom those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) Jesus said, "...Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34) Therefore, whatever is in the heart will come forth through the mouth. This is one of the reasons why believers must be filled with God's Word. It needs to be in our heart, so it comes to the forefront in every situation, in every conversation. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter says, "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever." (1 Peter 4:11)  

As believers let the Word of God take hold of their lives, the Holy Spirit will inspire your words. He
will lead you to speak words of health, prosperity, and power, instead of sickness, financial struggles and weakness. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:16-17) When God's Word dwells in you richly, you will speak His Word in the face of all circumstances and or situations. 

With that said, here are a few things to consider removing from our speech... 
  • "I can't." For God's Word says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) 
  • "I have lack." For God's Word says, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) 
  • "I am fearful." For God's Word says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) 
  • "I do not have faith." For God's Word says, "...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)  
  • "I am weak." For God's Word says, "...The Lord is the strength of my life..." (Psalm 27:1)  
  • "I am defeated." For God's word says, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14) 
  • "I lack of wisdom." For God's Word says, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God..." (1 Corinthians 1:30) 
  • "I am sick." For God's Word says, "...by His stripes I am healed." (1 Peter 2:24) 
  • "I am worried." For God's Word says, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) 
  • I am unworthy." For God's Word says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1) 
  • "I am just a sinner saved by grace." For God's Word says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21
Solomon also tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) Therefore, because words are so powerful, the very words we speak program our spirit, that is, our heart, either to success or failure, victory or defeat. Our words carry either faith, or fear, and, like it was in creation, our words will produce after their kind. (Genesis 1:11-12, 20-25) With Jesus as our greatest example, believers can, like Him, overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. How? Here is something that we can take away and apply to our daily lives as we consider the life of Jesus on earth as the Son of Man. He never prayed or spoke the problem. He prayed and spoke the desired result, the solution, what God said or it is written. (Matthew 4:1-11; John 5:19, 8:28, 12:49)     

So, let us train ourselves to imitate our Lord (Ephesians 5:1) and speak His Word in every circumstance or situation that we may face. In doing so, we impart grace to the hearer and also to ourselves. The Holy Spirit through the Prophet tells us, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; 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) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...

Monday, April 16, 2018

Who Am I

When Moses encountered "the Angel of the Lord who appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush" (Exodus 3:2), he was given instructions concerning the mission that the Lord had called him to. Before Moses departed, he asked, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, what is His name?’ what shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you...This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations." (Exodus 3:13-15) 

I AM that I AM is the common English translation of the response that God revealed to Moses when he asked for His name. I AM in the Hebrew language is usually translated in English Bibles as "I AM...I WILL BE...I SHALL BE." Some translations render this name as "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE." The King James version of the Bible reveals God saying "I am" 508 times in the Old Testament and 211 times in the New Testament. Although they may be repeated, such as, "I am the Lord" or "I am God," nevertheless God reveals Himself as I AM throughout His Word. Other examples of this are, "I am the Lord who heals you." (Exodus 15:26) "I am Almighty God." (Genesis 17:1) 

Taking this a step further, we also see, "For I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6) from the Old Testament, and "Jesus Christ (God in flesh) is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) from the New Testament. So, why are these things so very important for believers to fully comprehend? Simply put, because far to many of God's children, who love Him and serve Him are living under the weight of a Christianity that has been and is still being taught that God is no longer "I AM" but is now, I was or I may. What is meant by this statement? I am not trying to be  condescending or condemning, but the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

Although Paul says, "we are not ignorant of his devices" this does not insinuate that every believer is not ignorant of Satan's devices. Unfortunately, many believers are ignorant of his plans and schemes. Paul also tells us, "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) What are deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons? Deceiving spirits are evil spirits that cause someone to accept as true or valid that which is false or invalid. Those who fall prey to such deceptions, obviously do not know it. The doctrines of demons are doctrines blatantly contrary to Scripture. Again, because these doctrines are deceptive, they are easily accepted. 

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul is speaking to us emphatically, not to be ignorant of Satan's deceptive plans, which purpose is to bring apostasy, departing from the faith, through doctrines that are contrary to God's Word. Some good examples of these erroneous doctrines that have been accepted in many sectors of the church, come from teachers that say the age of miracles has past; that God is able to heal, but it may not be His will in certain circumstances; that sickness is God's will for His children. What a deceptive scheme. Satan has worked quite hard to hide the truth from all people, especially believers, concerning these things. Satan has broadcasted these unscriptural, deceptive and illogical doctrines so much, that it has almost succeeded in reducing Almighty God from I AM to I was or I may.

Let us now look at how this plays out in the lives of believers by looking at some Scriptures concerning Israel's condition under Egyptian rule. "And the Lord said, (to Moses) I have surely seen the oppression (affliction; shatter; troubles; misery; poverty; illness; depression) of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows (great pains and suffering)" (Exodus 3:7) Although this was prior to the giving of the Law, Israel was in covenant with God through the covenant that God established with Abraham. For the sake of time, let's skip forward to God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt and see what took place. Keep in mind their condition mentioned above. "He (I AM- God) also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble (lacking physical and mental strength as a result of age or illness) among His tribes." (Psalms 105:37) Under the Abrahamic covenant, Israel went from poverty to wealth, and from lacking physical and mental strength as a result of age or illness, to health as they exited Egypt. God also promised Israel, "...I will fulfill the number of your days." (Exodus 23:26)  

Next, look at what David also recognized under the same covenant concerning I AM, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." (Psalm 103:1-5) "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)  

Now let's look at the Scriptures concerning what God the Father worked in Christ for all, especially for believers. "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) Notice that Jesus is the, "Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Question? How is it that those under a lesser covenant could have so much available or given to them by I AM than those under "a better covenant, which was established on better promises" by the same I AM? The reality is, Old Testament prophets and kings as well as angels have desired to look into this age of grace. What strange doctrines confront believers who are under this better covenant established on better promises that have absolutely no Scriptural evidence that the age of miracles have past and that the sick are not to look for better promises than those under a lesser covenant. 

We know, according to Scriptures, God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) But, is God more willing to show the mercy of forgiveness to the devil's children, the lost, than He is to His own children? Is He willing to show more mercy and provide better promises to those under a lesser covenant than He is to His own Children who through the meritorious work of Christ are under a better covenant with better promises? Absolutely not! The fact is, our Heavenly Father loves His own children even more than He loves the sinner and His promises to all believers are greater than those under the old covenant. Not only is He able, but He is completely willing in all circumstances to heal, deliver, preserve, rescue, save, provide, make whole and give long life His children. So, let us shed ourselves from all doubts as to who God is and know without doubt that  He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. For He is and will ever be, I AM!!!

Monday, April 9, 2018

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150) Can we possible imagine what would happen in every community, city, state and even the entire world if believers would take this Psalm at face value and praise the Lord this way? It says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." We must conclude that the only exception to praising the Lord as revealed in this Psalm would be if one had no breath, which means they would not be alive. 

So, what is praise? Praising the Lord has two aspects. First, praise is proclamation, which means to announce, declare or broadcast publicly. Therefore, praise is a public declaration. A public declaration of what? It is the public declaration of the great and powerful works of God. It is expressed by singing, playing musical instruments, and giving shouts of joy, as well as by different postures of the body, including clapping, raising the hands, and dancing. We see this in the life of David the king and Israel, as they brought the Ark of the Covenant of God to the city of David, "And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.  Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet." (2 Samuel 6:13-15) "Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed instruments and harps." (1 Chronicles 15:28)

What a sight this must have been. How they were honoring the Lord with exuberant music, dance and shouting. Sadly though, "Davids wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart." (1 Chronicles 15:29) It was sad because David was not dancing with all his might to draw attention to himself but, it was before the Lord who had chosen him to be ruler over Israel. (2 Samuel 6:21) Due to Michal accusing David of being undignified in his exuberant praise before the Lord, "Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death." (2 Samuel 6:21) This is also sad, because many in the church today consider those who shout, dance, clap, etc., in a church service is carnal, out-of-order and even disrespectful to the Lord, when in fact they are making a public declaration of the great and powerful works of God. The fact is, when it comes to praise among believers today, I believe that we have not been exuberant enough over the wonderful, powerful works of God.

The second aspect of praise is sacrifice. "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (Hebrews 13:15) The Greek word for sacrifice refers to a victim, a killing. Every sacrifice implies death. In this case, the victim for the sacrifice is the flesh. Therefore, praising God requires a sacrifice because it is something that goes beyond our strength, convenience, desire, and comfort. To praise God, something of ourselves, something ungodly must die, must be killed, such as apathy, pride, selfishness, worry, fear, bad thoughts, bad attitudes or anything else that keeps us from wholeheartedly expressing His greatness, His great works. Our praises to the Lord are not simply during a church service, this is implied, but our praise is to be continuous, a life style.

Our sacrifice releases the Holy Spirit to move among us, coming to our aid bringing us to the place where once something in us has died, praising ceases to be a sacrifice, as it was in the beginning and now becomes the fruit of our lips, meaning, our praise becomes natural, spontaneous and heartfelt. Praise to the Lord was so important to David, He set up a system of continuous praise in the tabernacle David had erected for the Ark of God. (1 Chronicles 16:1), "And David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel." (1 Chronicles 16:4) I believe that praise and worship will be the catalyst that will usher the last major outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

During the beginnings of the early church, the Jewish converts were insisting that the Gentiles observe the Law of Moses as part of their conversion to Christianity. It had come to the place where, "the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter." (Acts 15:6) Through all the debate, dispute and witness of the situation, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle James speaks, "After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins,and I will set it up." (Acts 15:16) James is giving a paraphrase of Amos 9:11 plus some things spoken by the Prophet Hosea. 

The point being made is this; that some time after the Messiah (who is the seed and the Son of David) has come into the world, and following a great shaking up of Israel and the nations, there’s going to be a great revival and a return to the days as they were in King David’s time. It will be a time of great expansion of the kingdom of God. In those last days the tabernacle of David will be rebuilt and this tabernacle will be a refuge and a place of deliverance and salvation not just for the Jewish people, but will include Gentile's also. Together, Jew and Gentile would celebrate, praise the wonderful works of King Jesus. 

When we experience difficult periods in our lives, when life seems full of setbacks, financial troubles, or sickness, we may not have the desire to praise God, and yet, this is precisely the time when God will ask us to present the sacrifice of praise with the fruit of lips giving Him thanks. So, if we want to live at the forefront of what God is saying and doing, if we desire to live in constant blessings and to be permanently on fire for Him, then continuous praise should become the forefront part of our lives.

Monday, April 2, 2018

From Glory to Glory

The Lord desires to manifest Himself among His children. Jesus said, "...he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21) To manifest is to show, to make appear, to place before the eyes so that an object may be seen. Again, Jesus desires to manifest Himself among His people, to show himself to them that they should see and know that he is their Lord and Savior. He continues, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14:23) God will manifest himself to believers as a Father and again, Jesus will manifest himself as Lord and Savior. To make their home in believers is a figurative expression implying that the Father and Jesus would manifest themselves in no temporary way, but that believers are to enjoy their presence continually.

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul reveals, "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..." (1 Corinthians 6:19); "...For you are the temple of the living God..." (2 Corinthians 6:16) As we see, believers can enjoy God's presence continuously because He has set up residence in us. But this goes even further. Jesus reveals to us in His prayer to the Father in John gospel chapter seventeen, a very exciting things for all who would believe in Him  through the preaching of the gospel. He prays, "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one...Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:22, 24) 

The very glory that the Father gave Jesus would also be given to every believer. What does this mean to the believer? "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light." (Matthew 17:1-2) This is the glory of the Father in Christ being reflected on the outside of Jesus that these three disciples got to see in which all future disciples would come to participate in. Jesus says it this way, "that they may behold My glory which You have given Me." The word behold means, to be a spectator; look at; to view attentively; to see; to perceive with the eyes; to enjoy the presence of. The very glory that the three disciples saw, is the very same glory that Jesus said believers could view attentively, perceive with the eyes and or enjoy the presence of.

For many this may be difficult to believe, that believers can enjoy the very presence of God beyond Him living inside, but to physically see His glory, His presence, manifest among us. This is a part of the tremendous redemption that the Father restored to man through Christ, that Adam had forfeited. It is not difficult to believe if believers will accept the truth without doctrinal prejudices and then learn how to create and atmosphere where God can manifest His glory. In other words, God does not manifest Himself where people tend to carry out an agenda, a predetermined program, or where He is simply tolerated due to poor attitudes during a church service. He will always manifest Himself where people have an insatiable desire to reverence, celebrated and honored Him with their whole heart.

You might ask, "Is it possible for us to be in the same place where the glory of God is present and not realize it? Look at the situation the Jacob encountered, "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:16) As we can see, yes it is possible for believers to be in the same place where the glory of God is present and not realize it. There are many reasons for this, such as a lack of knowledge of such things, teaching that opposes this or not being willing to accept change from the same old order of a church service that we have grown use to. However, most often, it is sin. It could be bitterness, resentment, a lack of forgiveness, poor attitudes, or it may be that we are totally absorbed in our own problems, so that our spiritual perception is completely turned off.  If any of these things are the case, they must be dealt with so that we can be sensitive to how the Spirit of God is moving. 

Although we may be creating an atmosphere for God's glory to manifest, we need to keep in mind, that God alone takes the initiative, to manifest Himself among us. We must learn not to rush or be in a hurry, but to rest in His sovereignty, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and permit Him to have His way in our midst. Our priority should always be to a1low His glory to manifest. Sure, it may be difficult to break free from the same old way of doing a church service, change usually is. It simply comes down to whether we desire continuing in religious rituals or desire the presence of God which is able to transform lives in an instance. In our day, I believe that God is raising up a new generation of people of all ages who will know how to respond to His presence. This generation will thirst for His glory to manifest not only in our church services, but also over the entire earth. 

Although darkness in the world seems denser each day, and wickedness seems to be multiplying, the manifestation of God on earth will also become more powerful with each passing moment. I believe that this new generation of people who hunger for God's presence will impact the world and gather the greatest harvest of souls ever seen. Entire cities and nations will be shaken by His glory and will recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior. I believe that we will see the most remarkable manifestations of His presence through miracles, signs, and wonders that will take place around the world. So, let us be this new generation being assured that God will take care of everything because He does not want us to waste our time following religious norms. He wants us to enjoy the highest dimension of His glory. As Jesus said, "...that they may behold (to perceive with the eyes; to enjoy the presence of) My glory which You have given Me..."

Monday, March 26, 2018

The Greatest Plan

The purpose for the incarnation was that man might be given the right to become a child of God (John 1:12). Man could only become a child of God by receiving the nature of God. Therefore, Christ came that man might receive eternal life (John 10:10), that is, life as God has it. Man could receive eternal life only after he had been legally redeemed from Satan's authority (Colossians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul the revelation of the finished work of Christ concerning man's redemption.

The Apostle Paul tells us, "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith, to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27) and "But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12) 

Though Paul says in Romans "my gospel," we see that it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, not from man but from God. It is a revelation that had been kept silent but now has been made known. This is also revealed in Ephesians 3:1-12. In Ephesians, Paul reveals that his understanding in the mystery of Christ, that had not been known to other generations, was given to him by revelation. However, prior to the revelation given by the Holy Spirit concerning Christ, was only on the level of the sense, that is, they were only able to comprehend Jesus in the physical realm, through their senses. We see this as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life." (1 John 1:1) Though the Apostle John had received a greater revelation of Christ by this time, he is revealing Christ in the natural sense in order that the reader can understand that Jesus came bodily form, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1, 14)

Therefore, we see that the knowledge, the understanding that man possessed of Christ during His life on earth was purely by his physical senses. However, we see Jesus with His disciples and He asks, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (Matthew 16:13) We see the disciples response, but then Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Jesus tells him, 
"Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:17) Jesus proceeds "to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." (Matthew 16:21) Although Peter had received this wonderful revelation of Christ from the Father, it was not enough for the disciples faith to rise up and stand on this revelation. We see this in Peter's response when Jesus revealed what would happen to Him in Jerusalem, "Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22)

They could not comprehend the greatness of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. They could only understand what their senses could assimilate. Even when the time came where they saw the beating of Christ; the nails driven into His hands and feet; when they heard the words, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46); when they saw and handled His body in the process of embalming it, and placing it in the tomb, they did not understand. Not only did they not understand these things in the physical realm, but they knew nothing of the spiritual suffering of Christ, as His spirit was made sin, sickness and a curse. (Isaiah 53:4-6, Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24).

They knew nothing as to what was taking place in the spiritual realm. Then, the third day had arrived. They saw that the stone rolled away from the tomb; they saw the empty tomb and grave clothes; the disciples were told of these things and yet they still could not comprehend, they could not believe. All they knew was the reality of what there senses could comprehend. Finally, Jesus appears to them and "as the eleven sat at the table, Jesus rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." (Mark 16:14)

Jesus had told the disciples before His death, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13) It appears that the reality of what had taken place had only became known, had only become real to the disciple after they had received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)  Now they could see with their spiritual eyes. They understood the judgment, that was upon man, fell on Jesus; they understood that Jesus died under our judgment; they understood that Jesus paid our penalty in hell and suffered there until God could justify the human race.

The great news for us today is, Christ has died for all; He had become identified with our spiritual
death as our substitute; in hell He was justified in spirit (1 Timothy 3:16); He was born of
God (Acts 13:33); He conquered Satan (Colossians 2:15; Revelation 1:18); He was raised from the dead by God's almighty power (Ephesians 1:19-20); He carried His blood into heaven (Hebrews 9:12); He is seated at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:20-21); where He continuously intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25); and has given everything, every promise, every blessing for the benefit of His Body the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) This is the greatest plan that has even been freely given to man. Now through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ, redemption has been made eternal, perfect, comprehensive and available to every man, woman and Child.

So, as we move towards what we call Easter Sunday, let us truly celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord. Let us do as David did, "I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,And I will declare Your greatness." (Psalm 145:1-6) Let us rejoice and celebrate the wondrous works of God...

Monday, March 19, 2018

Abundant Life

There are four Greek words in the New Testament, translated life. One of these means manner of life; another means human life; another behavior; but there is another Greek word for the kind of life that Jesus brought to the world. Jesus tells us, "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) The word "life" here mean, life in the absolute sense; life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, which has been given to all who confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior. That they may have it (life) more abundantly literally means, that they may have abundance, or that which abounds. Therefore, Jesus tells us that in Him believers have, life as God has it, the very life of God, eternal life, and we have it now. 

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19) This shows that this new life, the life of God, can fulfill in us any promise of any requirement in the Bible. This means that the life of God in us, can fulfill all that the Bible requires or promises and it is precisely what the life of God in us was or is to accomplish. The life of God in us, will make us more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) in spirit, soul and body; it transforms us from glory to glory into the image of Christ; it turns belief into knowledge; it is the source of all the divine graces; it gives God's wisdom; it overcomes the world, the flesh and he devil; it works in us that which is well pleasing in his sight. By filling us with His own life, God Himself becomes our life, our peace, our righteousness, our purity, our strength and our health. God wants to do in us, all that he did in Christ for us. The life of God in us should move us to proclaim as King David, "God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26)  

Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches..." (John 15:5) The Vine's life is in the branches. The life of the branches is a part of the life of the vine. It is Christ's will that all the branches shall be full of His own life. When one is full of the life of God, they are one with God just as the bay is one with the ocean. Paul tells us, "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17) In other words, our recreated spirit and His Spirit are blended into one. Believers need to get this in their heart because the Holy Spirit wants to be unhindered in His wonderful and continuous work of releasing the life of God throughout our whole spirit, soul and body. Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) The Apostle Paul tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2) 

All life is due to the direct action of the Holy Spirit. It is His work to impart to us continually the actual Life of Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6) Jesus is the true source of life for our spirit, soul and body. His work of increasing the divine life in our spirit, soul and body is hindered or limited when we do not apply faith to these realities. When Jesus said, "that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly," He, in essence was saying, we cannot have His life in the measure that He desires unless we are filled with the Spirit. David says, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word." (Psalm 119:25 KJV)

Notice that the quickening as David said, is, "according to thy (God's) word." The Holy Spirit inspired these words and it is His blueprint from which He works while carrying on His great work of quickening. To be quickened according to God's Word, means to be full of His life in our spirit, soul and body. Paul tells us, "For in Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him..." (Colossians 2:9-10) Therefore, in Christ believers can be full of everything that the Vine contains. The abiding branch not only has life, but is full of life all the time. It is by the
Holy Spirit's fullness, as Paul says, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:11) that all believers by faith can enjoy now.

Therefore, let us pray every day, as David said "Quicken thou me (give me more life) according to thy word." Let this prayer be our first prayer every day. It is God's way of "...fulfilling all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power" (2 Thessalonians 1:11) in and through us. The Holy Spirit wants to release an abundance of the life of God in us to the extent that everything He has revealed concerning us in God's Word shall be fulfilled in us. We must keep in mind, that the measure of the life of God in us, only becomes a reality according to our trust in God's Word.  When we pray, "give me more life according to your Word" we know that we are praying according to His will. The Apostle John tells us, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) We can, therefore, obtain the answer, according to His Will which is His Word. This includes every promise and blessing that we find in God's Word.

What a glorious privilege it is that whenever we feel the greatest lack, we can pray to the Giver of Life, "give me more life according to your Word." Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, (His Word) as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38) The Apostle John tells us, "...Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17) Our Heavenly Father wants to be an inexhaustible fountain of life within us springing up and flowing out in "rivers of living water." So, let us exercise our faith and let these truths "transform us into the image of Christ, from glory to glory by the Holy Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...