No Time For Cruising

Cruise control (sometimes known as speed control or auto cruise) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver. Most automobiles today come equipped with this convenient feature. When this feature is engaged at the desired speed (hopefully equal to or lower than the legal speed limit) the driver can ease back and relax a little. The driver doesn't have to watch the speedometer nor be uncomfortable due to his foot putting constant pressure on the accelerator.

For many in a local church today, cruise control has become their approach to Christianity. We press the accelerator of faith, love, obedience, service, etc., until we have brought our life up to a certain level (speed). The gauge that we use to do this is mostly based upon the standard of Christianity of those around us. We don't want to lag behind others because we want to be as spiritual as they are. However, at the same time we are not motivated enough to forge ahead of them because we wouldn't want to be different. We just want to blend in with the level of Christianity of those around us. In other words, we do not want to rock the boat.

Once we have arrived at the desired level of Christianity, we set the cruise control. Now we can sit back and relax letting our desired level of Christianity take over. We don't have to watch, as it were, the highway signs of God's Word that empowers us to exercise godliness as well as transforming us more and more into the image and likeness of Christ. This attitude is also called comfortable Christianity. It is the place where we can become satisfied with what we have and all we need in Christ. Although some may disagree, there is another term that describes the same, "Fire insurance Christianity." It's the idea that one has enough Christianity (which is based on an individuals own standard) that will keep them from going to hell.

The sad thing is, this is not the Christianity of the Bible. Our comfortable Christianity has led many in the church down the path of apathy where our concerns are focused upon our kingdom and not Gods. It has caused many to have faith in the world rather than God. What I mean by this is that we are quick to work overtime (there is nothing wrong or evil working overtime) to make ends meet at the expense of family, rather than really believing, "my God shall supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) The same attitude causes many to call a doctor before even considering calling upon the Healer, "Jesus 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) (There is certainly nothing wrong with most doctors. They help people and even save lives) Divorce among those who attend a local church is not much different than that of a lost world. This type of Christianity has also opened the door for the twisted thinking of atheists to convince many in the church that there is a separation between church and state when in fact we have the privilege of the freedom of religion not freedom from religion.

Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) He also said, "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..." (Matthew 28:18-20) We cannot seek the fullness of God's kingdom and obey the great commission if we are only seeking our kingdoms. The apostle Paul said, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..." (Philippians 3:7-9) Is this how we value our Christianity? If not, we should. This should not be the apostle Paul's desire only, but for all believers.

Next, Paul says, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." (Philippians 3:10) This also should be the aspiration of every believer. We should desire to have Christ formed in us so much, that His life working in and through us has a profound affect on all those around us. Finally, Paul goes on to say, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind..." (Philippians 3:12-15) Notice in Paul's conclusion he says, "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind..."

It's apparent that any believer who lives by cruise control, comfortable Christianity is an immature believer and needs to be brought to these truths so their life can be transformed into the image of Jesus not conformed into the image of the world that Jesus Christ has freed us from. But for the mature believer, our thinking concerning "growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) should be a never ending desire to want to be like Christ. It's not about not having enough time, money or education. I believe it comes down to one of two things.  Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) and or "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) It comes down to a heart issue or an issue of the devil's deceptions to keep Christians weak, sickly and faithless.

So, let us once again turn this world upside down by letting Jesus to be formed in us and being doers of the Word not hearers only...      

Transformed

In Paul's letter to the church at Galatia he makes an interesting statement, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you." (Galatians 4:19) Paul's desire was to see believers come to a place in their Christianity to where they were "Imitators of God." (Ephesians 5:1) His desire was not his own, but the very desire that God has for all of His children. In Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth he says the same thing in a different way, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (I Corinthians 3:18) Again, we see the Lords desire for His children. But what does it mean for the believer to have Christ formed in them or to be transformed into the Lord's image?

The word transformed is the same as the word metamorphosis which means a complete change of physical form, character and or appearance.When most think of metamorphosis, they think of the transformation of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. That is exactly what happens to a person who is born again. The transformation of a child of the devil into a child of God. It is being "delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1:13) The moment a person is born again they are immediately in Christ. Paul tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Although all of this does take place the moment one is born again, the work of transformation is a continuous process in every believer. This work is called, sanctification. In short, sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer that progressively transforms them into the image of Christ. The more the believer gives himself to the influence of the Holy Spirit, the more the glory of Christ is reflected in their life, moving them from one degree of glory to another. It’s also a work of grace. Our part in this marvelous work is our cooperation and response to the Holy Spirit. According to Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, it says,  "Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) Believers should experience a continuous filling of the Holy Spirit, that is, being transformed from glory to glory.

To be like Jesus should be the goal of every believer, but we must remember it is not about us working hard in our own strength trying to stop the old nature from having place, it simply comes down to what Jesus said,  "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34) and "Jesus said, I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (John 5:30) and also "Jesus said, For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:38) As we see, to be like Jesus is to always seek to do the will of the Father not because it is an obligation, but as the Psalmist said, "I delight to do Your will, O my God...” (Psalm 40:8) as well as "Jesus said, I always do those things the please the Father." (John 8:29) Our attitude towards doing the Fathers will should be one of delight desiring to please the Him. Simply put, it is, “…Faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:6)

According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, who is responsible for the transformation process? "...The Spirit of the Lord." The verb being transformed is passive which means that something is being done in us, not by us. Again, we come to the place of faith, depending upon and yielding to the Holy Spirit working in us transforming us. In his letter to the church at Thessalonica he tells us, "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.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) In other words not only is God Himself doing the work from the time we are born again, but He wants to complete the process of sanctification in our whole spirit, soul, and body, so it is up to the believer to let Him do the work.

In Paul's letter to the Philippians he tells us, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6 ) If we give ourselves to this good work of the Holy Spirit in us, He will continue do the work until we either leave this life for the next or Jesus returns, which ever comes first. The transformation process of the Holy Spirit in each believer comes down to the value that one places on their relationship with God and His Word. It also takes faith to believe that God wants to reproduce Himself in every believer. Paul tells us that the believer is to, "…work out your own salvation…” (Philippians 2:12 ) To “work out” is an imperative mood, which means it is a command. It is in the present tense, which means that the action is continuous. It is also in the passive voice, meaning that we have something to do, but the main action is done by the one sending the message, that is, God Himself. Being transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory is simply letting God reproduce Himself in us. So, let go of all the things that prevent you from experiencing more of God's glory and let Him complete the good work that He has started in you. 

God's Word is Full of Power

After doing a little research I found that  the "old adage," "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me" is an English language children's rhyme. It was to persuade a child who was a victim of name calling to ignore the taunt, to refrain from physical retaliation, and to remain calm. It is reported to have appeared in "The Christian Recorder" of March 1862, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Although it is excellent advice to ignore the taunt of name calling, to refrain from physical retaliation, and to remain calm the truth is, words are more powerful than sticks and stones.

Sticks and stones may break bones, but words can crush the heart, "How long will you torment my soul, and break me in pieces with words?" (Job 19:2) Few people realize that the very words that we speak can torment our soul and imprison us. It is the words that we speak that will build power or weakness in us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) We will eat the fruit of our spoken words. Our mind may cast away the unkind words that are spoken, but they are absorbed in your spirit. We confess what we believe and what we confess is what dominates our inner being. If we talk or confess sickness, it's because we believe in sickness. If we talk weakness and failure, it's because we believe weakness and failure. If we confess lack in any area of life, it's because we believe in lack. When we realize that we will never rise above what we confess, we are getting to the place where God can really begin to use us.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) Our confession is the Word of God. His Word cannot be broken because God is faithful. What He said is true. What He said, He will do, because He cannot lie, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) When we doubt His Word it simply means that we do not trust Him. Our confidence may be in our abilities. It may be in medicine. It may be in highly educated people, but whatever our confidence is in, if it contradicts the Word of God, then it neutralizes faith. It causes our prayers to be powerless. It will bring us into bondage and we may find ourselves blaming God for something that He had nothing to do with.

The Bible tells us, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) Every person who walks by faith will be tested. However, testing does not come from the Father, "Let no one say when he is tempted (Tested), I am tempted (Tested) by God; for God cannot be tempted (Tested) by evil, nor does He Himself tempt (Test) anyone." (James 1:13) Testing come from our adversary. The devil is going to test  you in every way he can for one reason. He knows the day that you become strong enough to resist all of his tests and deceptions, you become dangerous to him. When believers come to the place where they, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6) the adversary is defeated in your life.

My prayer for you is that your confidence in the integrity of God's Word be strengthened, so that you will know, "that no Word from God is without power." God told Jeremiah, "I watch over my Word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12) Your confidence in the Word of God and holding fast to your confession of faith in the face of every assault of the enemy will put him to flight, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) 

God is For Us

The Bible records, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. (Psalms 34:19) In this verse the word affliction means, adversity, calamity, displeasure, and distress. I do not know one person who desires affliction. However, affliction sometimes comes but if it does come, how will you handle it? How do you handle adversity, calamity, displeasure, and distress? What is your response when you feel as though you are ready to give up, that is, to be so overwhelmed, so troubled or worried, in severe physical pain, or even brokenhearted by something that you feel you are unable to deal with any more? These questions generally cannot be answered unless you have gone through a serious affliction or are experiencing it now. I want to share two stories with you that I believe will encourage you. The first story is found in the Bible... 

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him...And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (Acts 1:10, 16)

This next story is not found in the Bible but it did happen to one of God's children...
Some time ago a young Pentecostal evangelist found out that he was dying from tuberculosis. He had become bedridden and was hemorrhaging from both lungs. He took his family to live on his father-in-laws farm. One day his father-in-law was out in the field plowing and his wife and mother-in-law were behind the house doing laundry. So, this young evangelist begged God for enough strength to get out of bed and make it to a clump of trees and bushes about quarter of a mile down the road. He said in his heart, "I'm going to pray until I pray through and God heals me, or until they find me dead, one of the two." When he reached the place, he fell down exhausted. He couldn't cry out for help if he wanted to, plus no one knew where he was. The devil spoke to him saying, "They won't find you until the buzzards lead them to you." The evangelist responded, "Well that's all right devil. That's why I came out here. Just as soon as I can regain a little strength, I'm going to pray until I'm healed or die at this spot." As the young man lay there he began to think, "Everywhere I had been, I had turned in prayer requests for my healing. Thousands of people had prayed. Every healing evangelist in America had laid hands on me and if all the prayers were put together, it would add up to hundreds of hours of prayer."

He finally concluded where he had missed it. He thought, "I have been trying to get a bunch of people to pray for me rather than receiving what God said was already mine. The Bible says I'm healed, so, Lord, I'm going to lie here flat on my back and praise You. I'm going to praise You until my healing is manifested." At first the young evangelist gave all that he had in him which was just a whisper. He began to whisper, "Praise the Lord, Glory to God, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus." After about ten minutes of whispering, he got enough strength to lift up his arms by propping them up on the ground with his elbows. Another ten minutes or so went by and he got enough strength to lift his hands off his elbows and at the same time his voice got louder. At the end of about two hours he was up on his feet hollering, "Praise the Lord, Glory to God, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus." His praises became so loud that people heard him several miles away.

Notice what the Bible says in Psalms 34:19 concerning afflictions, "...but the LORD delivers him out of them all." This is Gods promise to His children. This is what happened in both stories shown above. If you are born again, then you are one of God's children. As one of Gods children you must always remember that our heavenly Father is millions of times greater than any human father. We must believe and receive what He has promised us through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ. So, if affliction tries to knock at your door, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)         

Faith to Move Mountains

The Abrahamic covenant is one of the most interesting covenants that God had established with man. It not only was the basis of Judaism and Christianity but it also reveals various types and symbols that are indicative of the new covenant. One of the first things to note is that when God called Abram, he did not question God but responded to the call, "So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him..." (Genesis 12:4) His action sets an example for all believers. As Abram separated himself from all that was familiar, in the same way, believers are called to separate themselves from what is familiar, that is worldliness, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15) Keep in mind, that Abram did not have a copy of the Bible that he could turn to, to confirm what God was speaking to him or to build his faith. (Romans 10:17) He flat out obeyed God without question. This is a lesson that many believers need to learn.

Another point concerning Abram's call, is that he was seventy five years of age. You may be thinking, "Well what does age have to do with anything?" According to studies, on the average, eighty five percent of all people who accept Christ do so before the age of eighteen. This does not insinuate that adults do not receive Christ, but the older a person is, the less likely they are to respond to the gospel. Why is this? Studies reveal that people get so regimented in their life styles, that is, set in their ways, they do not see the need for a change. In short, the world system has conformed them in such a way that they can only see a worldview of life. Therefore, the negative, anti-Christ picture painted by the world is what they tend to believe concerning the church and or Christianity. Simply put, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:4) So, the fact that Abram was seventy five years of age when he responded to God's call is amazing in and of itself.

Although God had called Abram, He had not yet established His covenant with him. However, look at Abram's next response to God, "And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him,"So shall your descendants be. And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:4-6).  Abram believed God, that is, he made an unqualified, irrevocable committal to God. In other words Abraham gave himself to God in utter abandonment of self. How many believers today can honestly say the same about their commitment to God after entering the New and better covenant with Him through Jesus Christ?

Up to this point, God had not established His covenant with Abram. It wasn't until Abram was one hundred years of age (twenty five year after God's initial call) that God cut a covenant with him.(Genesis 17:17) First God changed Abram's name (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude) (Genesis 17:5) and then sealed the covenant through Abraham's blood (circumcision) which bound Abraham and his descendants to God and God to Abraham and His descendants. (Genesis 17:10-11) Yet for twenty five years prior to God cutting covenant with Abraham he held fast to his commitment to God, "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:19-22) What a testimony of unwavering faith towards God.

In my years as a church leader, there are several things that greatly move me. One of these is the life of Abraham. Abraham, a man like any other man called by God, but one who did not believe what his flesh (senses) revealed, but believed God, period. A man of great faith in whom we can all learn a great deal from when it come to trusting God. However, there is another thing that also moves me but it stands opposed to what we should learn from Abraham. In the New Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible the word "faith" appears two hundred forty three time. The word "believe" appears one hundred twenty one times. The word "believed" appears one hundred fifteen times. The word "believest" eight times. The word "believeth" forth five times and the word believing eight times. However, the majority of church leaders today approach the words faith and believe as though they are obsolete or even offensive and yet "without faith it is impossible to please God." (Hebrews 11:6)

For Abraham, his faith pleased God and it is recorded, "Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1). This does not say an occasional blessing here and there, but blessed in all things. The Holy Spirit spoke this wonderful words through the apostle Paul, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32) This sounds exactly how God blessed Abraham due to His faith and yet when talking with most Christians they see Abraham as though he was more than just a man. I believe the only thing that separated Abraham from most Christians was his unwavering faith in God. I say this because Paul also tells us, "For there is no partiality with God." (Romans 2:11)

With that said, I want to challenge you to look at the accounts of Abraham's life as revealed throughout the entire Bible. Meditate on what God's Word reveals and you will see you own faith grow, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Enforcing What Jesus Did

For centuries we have created great divisions throughout both Catholicism and Protestantism that we call denomination. Many like to call this diversity and in some respect it is. However, division should not be a product of diversity. A husband and wife can have a family of six children consisting of both males and females and like most families there is diversity of individuals, but it does not necessitate division, but on the contrary, a richness that brings flavor to the entire family.

The Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Paul reveals divisions in the church as the carnal acts of men due to a lack of spiritual understanding and maturity, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)  So, it stands to reason if envy, strife, and division is in the church, and this according to Paul is being canal and acting like the people of the world, then we must come to grips with one unfortunate fact. We have let the god of the world, Satan, (2 Corinthians 4:4) to deceive us and divide us.

This may be difficult to accept, but we cannot deny the fact that in most towns and cities throughout the world there are numerous congregations that do not work together to expand the Kingdom of God. In some cases, there are congregations that were created through a congregational split due to prideful, ungodly differences. I am not trying to paint a bleak picture of the church, but to reveal why the church is falling so short of upholding and enforcing the triumph that Jesus accomplished when He destroyed Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

Jesus tells us, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house." (Mark 3:24-27) Now we know that Jesus said, "...the gates of hell shall not prevail against His church", (Matthew 16:18) but we need to see the importance of what He is saying. He is telling us that Satan's kingdom is not divided but well organized. This should cause us to wake up and see the reality of why the church today has lost its impact in society. However, we also see something very clearly, Jesus has bound the strongman (Satan) and has plundered his house, (Matthew 12:29) not for His sake, but for the church.

The Bible also reveals, "He (Jesus) having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15) and, "...Jesus Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Hebrews 2:14) Jesus tells us, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19) and "These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:17-18) and "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) It is the church's purpose and responsibility to uphold and enforce the victory that Jesus won when He defeated Satan and stripped him of his authority once for all. This is the church's legacy.

Although Satan is defeated and stripped of his authority, the church must stop acting as though he has stopped his attacks against it, that is, believers. The church must stop ignoring him and or act like he does not exist, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1Peter 5:8) The church must stop hanging on to ridiculous doctrines that teach that when bad things happen to believers such as sickness, disease or premature death, that these things come from God. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) Think about it, why would God put sin and sickness on Jesus (Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24) so that we could be free from both and then use them on His children for some mysterious purpose? Do we honestly suppose that God would contaminate Jesus' Body, the church, with such things? He doesn't! Satan does! I can also assure you that God does not use Satan, His enemy, (which is also the enemy of the church) to bring these things on His children. Satan is the murderer and liar (John 8:44) he is the thief, who steals, kills and destroys (John 10:10) a deceiver and accuser (Revelation 12:9-10), who continues to attack believers. But we must remember, he is a defeated foe and the church (believers) have the authority through Jesus Christ, to stop his attacks (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:19)

Our heavenly Father is the God of life for all through Jesus Christ,  "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) and, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life..." (1 John 5:11-12) The life the Jesus has provided for the believer is life as God has it, eternal life. But we must understand that eternal life is not a destination we find when we pass from this life to the next. The believe has the life of God in them now! "...He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (I John 4:4) and, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11)

We must understand that the church is a triumphant church, "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) and, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14) The church is the Body of Christ with the authority of Jesus, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18) and we must understand, "what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:19-23) In other words, the church is backed by the power and authority of God Himself. The church stands in triumph over Satan and his kingdom of darkness because they are under the feet of the Body of Christ, the church. The fullness of Christ is in His church and therefore the church lacks absolutely nothing!!! (Colossians 2:9-10)

Therefore, it is time for the church to become forceful, even militant (Matthew 11:12) and uphold and enforce the triumph that Jesus accomplished over Satan and his kingdom. As we do this we must remember, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) and "For we do not wrestle 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) In other words, though the forces of darkness are set against the church always remember that they are defeated! This means that all the church does to stop the attacks of darkness is exactly what Jesus did during the forty days and nights of being tempted by Satan, "It is written," we use the Word of God. The church also has been given another mighty weapon, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) We use the mighty, wonderful  "Name of Jesus,"  that's all. No one fights a defeated foe. They simply uphold and enforce their triumph over their foe. Believers have the Word of God and the Name of Jesus to do this.

The church (every believer) has been redeemed to worship God; to build one another up in love; to win souls and make disciples and to uphold and enforce Jesus' triumph over Satan and his kingdom of darkness. This is the fourfold purpose of the church's existence. It is up to us to put away our childish ways (1 Corinthians 13:11), have a united front (John 17:21), uphold and enforce what Jesus did to Satan and His kingdom of darkness (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14) and once again become the unstoppable force that gave the early church such unprecedented success (The Acts of the Apostles) Let us respond  to what the apostle Paul said, "To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever." Amen. (Ephesians 4:21) Let's get back to Jesus and let Him build His church!!!    

True Freedom

The Fourth of July in the United States it is also known as Independence Day. Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of celebrating Independence Day goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-1783). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies accessed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's oppression, one is not truly free until they confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior.

Today in the United Stated we often forget that, in declaring independence from an earthly power, our forefathers made a forthright declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The closing words of the Declaration of Independence solemnly declares, "With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." The fifty six courageous men who signed that document understood that this was not just high sounding rhetoric. They knew that if they succeeded, the best they could expect would be years of hardship in a struggling new nation. If they lost, they would face a hangman's noose as traitors. But notice, their dependence was not upon their abilities, but upon Divine Providence. They knew that without divine intervention, their desire for freedom would never happen. History reveals that all the signers of the Declaration of Independence had a Christian background; 32 Episcopalian/Anglican; 13 Congregationalist; 12 Presbyterian; 2 Quaker; 2 Unitarian or Universalist; 1 Catholic.

Of the fifty six, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes, sacked, looted, occupied by the enemy, or burned. Two lost their sons in the army. One had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six died in the war, from its hardships or from its bullets. Whatever ideas you have of the men who met that hot summer in Philadelphia, it is important that we remember certain facts about the men who made this pledge. They were not poor men, or wild-eyed pirates. They were men of means, prosperous men, wealthy landowners, substantially secure in their prosperity and respected in their communities. But they considered liberty much more important than the security they enjoyed. They pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. They fulfilled their pledge. They paid the price. And freedom was won.

Someone once said, "To be born free is a privilege. To die free is an awesome responsibility." Yet freedom is never free. It is always purchased at great price. Take a moment and ponder the greatest price ever paid for freedom. The price that was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to purchase man's freedom. In a similar way, the forefather's of this country were also ready to pay a great price for freedom not only for themselves, but for all who would come to the United States to become citizens of "One nation under God." Little did John Adams know how significant his words would be when he spoke to his wife, Abigail, on the passing of the Declaration of Independence, "I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states; yet, through all the gloom I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means."

To those who sacrificed for our freedom, the end was worth the painful means. Where would we, who are citizens of the United States of America, be today if there had not been those who counted the cost of freedom and willingly paid for it? Where will we be tomorrow if men and women of integrity do not come forward today and once again pay the price to reclaim a dying America? The only way this can be accomplished is for the church in the United States to what the Lord spoke to Solomon, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We may look at the American revolution and think that it was a struggle against natural forces, but the reality is, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." I believe the forefather's recognized this. I pray that the church in the United States would also recognize this and respond to God's call, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I believe that a great awakening is coming that will fulfill the prophecy of Habakkuk, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) I also believe God is calling every believer to change because He wants to take us into another dimension or level of glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) There are dimension of glory that exist that we do not of or have entered into. Areas of creative miracles where we will see body parts grow where there were none; Birth defects instantly healed; Dominion over the forces of nature; People raised from the dead; and more salvation's than the world has ever experienced. I believe a time is coming where we will enter into these dimensions of glory and they will be the norm. I say these things because like me, I want to stir you up to seek God and His glory.

But change is an individual choice. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace, that is, the desire and ability to do God’s will, to help us change. It may take some time, it may even be painful or difficult process for some, but it is worth the effort, because with God all things are possible. Food for thought: Change is not really change until it is genuine and lasting. So, let us do like the forefather's of this country who were willing to give up all and trust that God would bring freedom. Let us no longer be conformed to the world, remain stagnant and frustrated with life trying to please man? But, let us let God’s Word transform us into the image of Christ from glory to glory to please God? As we choose the latter, not only will we understand true freedom, but God will also use us to set the captives fre