God and His Word are One

Throughout history, especially today, many believers question and or struggle with why bad things seem to happen. Is it God's will for His children, that is, believers, to suffer under the wait of sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances and or even the premature loss of a loved one? To answer this question, we first need to see what the Bible says about the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God. Naturally, this is an extensive topic, so we will only look briefly at some of these five attributes of God. First, we must see that God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan all hang on His most potent characteristic, God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, and is revealed to us in all that Jesus said and did as shown in the four gospels. It is in the four gospels, through the life of Jesus, where we find the specifics concerning God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan. This does not exclude the rest of the scriptures, but for now, we will only focus on the ministry of Jesus on earth as the Son of man. Hebrews reveals, "He (Jesus) is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature." (Hebrews 1:3 AMP)

Jesus tells His disciples, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also..." (John 14:7) "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9) "Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will." (John 5:19-21; also see, John 4:34, 5:30, 5:36-37, 6:38, 9:4, 10:37-38) So, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see the Father's will, nature, character, purpose and plan perfectly revealed. 

Another thing that we must keep in mind is, “For I am the Lord, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6) This means exactly what it says, God is unchanging! He is not a different God in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. We see this also in Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Remember, Jesus is God and man, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13)  

So, if God is unchangeable, which He is, and Jesus is the same past, present and future, which He is, and if Jesus was God the Word incarnate, which He was, then we have to agree that God's will, nature, character, purpose and plan have also not changed. Look at the following scriptures to substantiate these facts. "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips." (Psalm 89:34) "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:98) "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) "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) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Mark 13:31)     

Now that we see that God and His Word are one and that neither He nor His Word ever change, but are the same yesterday, today and forever, then we can also conclude that His will, nature, character, purpose and plan has not changed, but simply have been revealed with greater revelation. Another fact that we can look at, is that God is not only love, that He and His Word are the same and never change, but also that He is and does good. "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." (Psalm 86:5) "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100:5) "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalm 107:8-9) "You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:68) "The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works." (Psalm 145:9)  

Now, let us look at one more wonderful attribute of our God. God is life! "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4) "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11) "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light." (Psalm m36:9) "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) "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 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) 

The above does not show us every scripture that reveals who God truly is, but simply enough to remove the doubt and unbelief concerning His never changing will, nature, character, purpose and plan. So, scripture reveals the following truths concerning God. Jesus came to earth as God the Word in flesh; God is love; God is unchanging; He and His Word are one, and therefore His Word is also unchanging; God is good and only does good; God is life, not death. With these things in mind, it should be completely known, that God takes no pleasure in, nor is it His will, nature, character, purpose and plan for His children, that is, believers, to suffer under the wait of sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances and or even the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing. If sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing is God's will for His children, then we have to conclude that love, good and life as revealed in the scripture must be redefined to mean, hate, evil and death.    

Honestly, the love, goodness and life that comes forth from God's true will, nature, character, purpose and plan, have absolutely nothing to do with sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing. Please take note to what Jesus said concerning life and death, "The thief (Satan) 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) It is not God who puts sickness, disease, a constant lack of finances, the premature loss of a loved one or any such thing on believers, but our ancient enemy, Satan. God, permits these things to happen to His children, simply because His children have bought into the lie that these dreadful things are God's will for them because He has some mysterious, divine, benevolent purpose and or hidden blessing in such things. 

The Old testament teaches that sickness is a part of the curse of the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68. The curse was the result of disobedience and wickedness. It was never for the righteous! Believers are totally forgiven and made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24) Believers are also free from the curse of the law through Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:13) We also note, that sickness is not listed among the blessings of God anywhere in Scripture. Intellectual reasoning, justified by experiences of failing to heal or be healed is used to teach sickness, disease, injuries and the like, are blessings. Jesus' teaching and commands to His disciples do not reveal sickness of any sort as a divine purpose or blessing from God. (Matthew 10:1-8; Luke 9:1-2; 10:1-9)

The gospels reveals Jesus healing all who came to Him without a second's hesitation, a prayer or any consideration of a possible divine purpose for sickness, disease, injury or any such thing.  (Matthew 4:23-24; 12:15; Luke 6:19) Again, Jesus and His disciples in the New Testament treat sickness, disease and injury as an enemy and never as a friend. They never act as if sickness, disease or injury might have a good or godly purpose. Instead of God causing sickness, disease or injury, the New Testament reveals several times that demons are the real hidden cause. (Mark 9:25; Luke 13:10-16) Note, that casting out demons produced over one-quarter of the healings in the ministry of Jesus. Sadly, many believers today, have concluded that there is a divine purpose or blessing in sickness, disease and or injuries. Due to this belief, they have mistaken the work of demons as the work or will of God for them.

Also, scripture does not teach anywhere that God wants to use sickness, disease, injury or any such suffering to transform a person's character, produce repentance or that it is a mysterious, divine, benevolent purpose and or hidden blessing. Scripture does reveal that God is able to produce good things from the bad things that may happen in a person's life. However, this is a long way from saying that God wants His children to be sick, diseased, injured or suffer at all, to help them. God, as any good Father, wants the best for His children even when they are in situations that are not His will for them. 

Finally, let us consider these scriptures, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) "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) "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 7:11) "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)

If you are struggling with doubt, fear or unbelief, the following scripture is also for you, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..." (Psalm 37:3-7) In other words, look to our heavenly Father, in Jesus' Name, not the circumstances that are contrary to His Word. Exercise your faith and do not lose heart, because, “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) The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all...      

Name Above All Names

Some men are born into a great name. This occurs when a child is born into a royal family. Others make their name great by achievements or have a great name conferred upon them, by a king or queen. However, Jesus is great because He inherited a great Name. His Name is great due to His tremendous achievements and because a great Name was conferred upon Him. He inherited a greater Name than any angelic being or hosts of heaven (Hebrews 1:5). He is heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2) because He is the Son of Almighty God (Matthew 3:17). According to Hebrews, Jesus is, "the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence." (Hebrews 1:3 AMP) 

The Apostle Paul tells us, "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 (beings) in heaven, and of those (beings) on earth, and of those (beings) 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) Jesus' Name comes to Him as an inheritance. What it must have been to have inherited this Name from His great Father-God. The writer of Hebrews declares, "For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (Hebrews 1:5) This tells us that He inherited a greater Name than the angels, but in Philippians we saw that it declares God gave to Him the Name which is above every name. The inference is that there was a Name known in heaven, unknown elsewhere, and this Name was kept to be conferred upon someone who would be worthy of it. The only one worthy is the Lord Jesus.

In His prayer for the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul prays, "the eyes of your (our) understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." (Ephesians 1:18) Paul continues to pray, "and 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) Jesus not only inherited a more excellent Name than any other being in the universe; The Father not only gave Him a Name above all other names in which every being in the three worlds shall bow and confess His Lordship; but here, God has seated Him in the highest place, and has made Him Head over all things. For what purpose?

For the benefit of the church, every believer! God has made this deposit on which the Church has a right to draw from, for Her every need. He has given to Jesus the Name that has within it the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). Therefore, the church has the right to use His Name over all the powers of darkness. We have the right to use His Name in our prayers. We have the right to use His Name in our praises and worship. His Name has been given to us to use in His place. It carries the same power and authority as though He were still physically here on earth as He was nearly two thousand years ago, saying and doing what is revealed in the four gospels. Praise the Lord! However, this is only the beginning of the wonders and the value of the greatness of His Name. The Apostle Paul tells us, "When He (Jesus) had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them." (Colossians 2:15 AMP) 

The picture here is of Christ in hell engaged in awful combat with the hosts of darkness (also see Psalm 88). It gives us a glimpse of the tremendous battle and victory that Jesus won before He rose from the dead. The margin reads, "Having put off from Himself, the principalities and powers." It is evident that the whole demon host, when they saw Jesus in hell, simply intended to swamp Him and overwhelm Him. However, after three days and nights, the verdict was spoken from the throne of God, that Jesus had met the demands of justice, the issue of sin was settled and man's redemption was now complete. At that moment, Jesus was justified in spirit (1 Timothy 3:16); He was made alive in spirit (1 Peter 3:18); hurled back the hosts of darkness (Colossians 2:15); struck a paralyzing blow upon Satan, (Hebrews 2:14) and took from him, his spoils (Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22; Revelation 1:18) He then rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4) and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus not only had taken from Satan the keys of death and of hell, but He had also taken from him the very armor in which Satan trusted (Luke 11:21-22). He defeated the devil, He has defeated death, He defeated hell, and He stands before the three worlds, heaven, earth and hell as the undisputed victor over man's enemy and ancient destroyer, the devil. He stands as the Master and the Ruler of the Universe. His Name is above every name, and at His Name we can understand how every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The authority and power in His mighty Name has been given to His church, that is, every believer. All He was, is in His Name. All He is today, is in His Name and His Name is ours. He gave His Name to us that we might carry out the will of the Father (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:17-20)

If only our eyes were opened and our souls would dare rise up now, today, into the realm of power and authority where the Name of Jesus would mean to us all that the Father has vested in it. That all believers would act upon our great, unlimited promises, privileges and inheritance in Christ Jesus. If only our minds could grasp the fact that Satan is paralyzed, destroyed, stripped of his armor by the Lord Jesus, condemnation, guilt, unworthiness, disease, sickness, poverty, and all that Satan and sin has lorded over humanity, would simply be seen as being subservient to all believers in the Great Name of Jesus. Then it would become quite easy to live in the abundant life that Jesus has purchased for us, His Church.

These things are not mere fantasy, high and lofty thinking, unobtainable or only for a select few believers, but for all who believe. Jesus said,  "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it. (John 14:12-14 AMP) Notice, that the only condition to do the things that Jesus did and even greater is to believe. Do you truly believe? If so, know this, Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)

Choices

When Adam took from the woman and ate that which was from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that God had commanded him not to eat, one of the most damaging actions entered into the human race. We see this played out immediately after Adam and the woman ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8) We see that God approached Adam and the woman, but they tried to cover up their sin with fig leaves and then, tried to hide from God. God confronts them with their actions and Adam and the woman respond, "Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13)

Notice, what happened. Adam blamed God for giving him the woman and the woman blamed the serpent, but neither Adam or the woman took the blame for their actions. From the fall of man, sin has opened the door for humanity to place the blame on someone or something, rather than accepting responsibility for their own sinful actions. However, on the other side of the coin, anything that a person does that they deem good in their own eyes, or the eyes of others, they are willing to be responsible for. In other words, they are quick to take the credit for what is good, but, like Adam and the woman, will almost always look to blame someone or something for their sinful or unlawful actions. Again, placing the blame on someone or something for wrongful actions is embedded in the sinful nature of man since the fall. However, it does not excuse us from being responsible for our choices that lead us into sinful actions, especially in God's eyes. That's right! It is our choices, just like Adam and the woman, that are reflected in our actions, but does not remove us from being responsible.

Looking at the situation that we find humanity in today, we see that numerous addictions. Addictions are not tied to drugs or alcohol only, but any substance, thing, activity and or habit that enslaves and seems difficult, even impossible to break free from. Addictions have taken hold of many lives which leave nothing in its path but hurt, destruction and death. Addictions have no bounds and unfortunately, many believers have never been delivered from and continue to struggle with addictions, especially addictions that they had before confessing Jesus as Lord and receiving Him as Savior. However, some believers struggle with addictions that have found their way into their lives even after receiving Christ. No matter what addictions people may have, it should move those of us who are not enslaved in such, to compassion. It should grieve us, to see so many hurting soles, causing us to reach out and help in any way we can. But what is behind addictions? What causes so many people to be held, even controlled, enslaved, by addictions? The Apostle James tells us, "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:13-15) 

Though these words may be hard to receive, the truth is, additions are the result of being "drawn away by ones own desires and enticed." Eventually, if left unchecked, if not stopped, the very things that enticed, "gives birth to sin" which opens the door to the devil. What was once a seemingly simple choice, like Adam and the woman, has now become a "full-grown" addiction. Therefore, addictions are not a disease. This is what the world would have everyone come to believe, but, by agreeing with the world, we disagree with God's Word. Saying that addictions are a disease is simply a way to put the blame on something other than ones choice. Addictions may be generational to some respect, but we are still dealing with sin (Numbers 14:18) which addictions are. 

All addictions start out as a choice through ones own desires, in the same manner that the woman chose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil rather than the tree of life. (Genesis 2:9) Adam also made a choice. His choice was to obey God and not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or to disobey God by choosing to take from the woman and eat. No one forced either one of them to eat, it was simply their choice. Once the choice to sin was made, it opened the door for Satan to do what he does, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..." (John 10:10) Though Adam and the woman blamed someone else for their decision, their action, it did not remove the fact that they made a choice and were now under the influence of Satan. They gave themselves over to their own desires, and like James said, "when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."         

The Apostle Paul tells us, "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) The world does not believe this and unfortunately, many believers do not want to face this fact either, thereby, buying into to the excuses of the world. Let's face it. If one can say, it's not my fault, then they no longer have to be responsible for their choices, because, someone or something else is the blame. Paul warns us, "that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) and "nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) 

When one begins to entertain a sinful action, no matter what it is, if not stopped and repented of quickly, it opens the door, it gives place, for evil spirits and or demons. Depending on what the sin is, it can lead into an addiction. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Now the works of the flesh are evident..." and then he proceeds to reveal some of the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) One of these is, "drunkenness." It is defined as anything that is an intoxicant, which includes alcohol and drugs.

 If you are born again, and are struggling with an addiction, know that God loves you and wants you to be free. (Galatians 5:1) First thing to do is simply, "confess our sins, (to God) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) I am not saying the road ahead will be easy, but, confessing sin closes the door to Satan, evil spirits and or demon from having place. Depending on the addiction and the length of time that one has been struggling, you also may require some additional help or support to get you through, but first and foremost, ask the Lord for His help. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) God is abundant in mercy and grace. His grace gives us the desire as well as His ability, His strength, His power to do His will. No longer focus on the addiction, on failure or defeat but on the victory that we have in Jesus Christ. Calling out to the Lord for His mercy and grace is not a one time event, but should be a continuous action for all believers.  

If you are not a believer, simply cry out to the Lord to save you (Romans 10:9-10), then continue to cry out to Him as stated above and seek additional support if needed. I am not saying these things to bring guilt or condemnation upon anyone who is struggling with an addiction. What I am saying is, demons are real and sin opens the door in ones life for them to deceive and enslave. We also need to understand, that when one accepts the responsibility of their sinful choices and actions, and confesses such, it opens the door for the Lord to intervene and deliver them. It is the devil, evil spirits and demons that are set out to, "steal and to kill, and to destroy" but Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)      

For every believer who is not struggling with an addiction, let us go be witnesses of God's Kingdom, Power and Glory to those who struggle. Let us be fishers of men. Jesus said, "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) "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) "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." (John 14:12) So, let us go forth and do what Jesus did, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) "...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8) 

So, let us go in the Name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit in the grace of God and set the captives free! Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:3

Completely Restored

Many believers are under the influence that the main reason they have received Christ as Lord and Savior is to escape the wrath to come (which is true) and escape hell and go to heaven (which is also true) but, these things are not the sole purposes behind God's brilliant plan of redemption. When looking at the account of Adam's act of treason in the Garden, we find the first thing that happened was fellowship with God was broken, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8)  

 Notice that "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God." Keep in mind, prior to this they were tending the Garden together, naked, "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25), and they had no shame. The act of treason had brought shame upon them both. The fig leaves they covered themselves with was not to hid their nudity, but an attempt to cover their shame. The shame then cause them, in a feeble attempt, to hide themselves from God. Adam's act of treason had caused such a painful feeling of humiliation, the consequences resulted in broken fellowship with his Creator, the Lord God, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The death that Adam immediately experienced was "spiritual death." His physical death came 930 years later, which was the consequences of spiritual death, separation from God.

The number one purpose for man's redemption in the mind of God was to restore man back to fellowship with Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:18) Everything else is an outcrop of restored fellowship. The Apostle Paul tells us, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9) The Apostle John tells us, "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:3-4) Fellowship means, sharing together, joint participation, therefore, God has called us into a two sided relationship with Him, where we share and participate together. Our fellowship with the father is a love relationship, "We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)  

The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Boldly means freedom. God has given His children the freedom to meet with Him, to fellowship with Him, any time, any place. We come to Him because of His mercy, knowing that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9), because, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2) Praise the Lord, we have a family attorney, a "Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5)  who goes to bat for us, so we can have this wonderful, loved filled fellowship with the Father. 

Once we have obtained God's wonderful mercy, we now ask Him for "grace to help in time of need." We ask Him for His favor; His strength; His help; His counsel; His direction; and His support. The reason we ask God for these things, is we recognize our utter dependence on Him and the desperate need for His grace. Jesus tells us, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Every believer must realize the without Jesus, we can do nothing. Every talent and or ability that we have is solely from God. The very breathe that we take can stop if not for God's grace. 

Having fellowship with God is not limited to prayer. The fact is, we have an unlimited fellowship with Him, meaning, we need to acknowledge Him every waking moment that we have, whether on the job, in a store, in an automobile, wherever, due to His desire for us to fellowship continuously with Him. The writer of Hebrews tells us we are to "offer God a sacrifice of praise, continuously." (Hebrews 13:15) Solomon tells us to, "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 Psalmist wrote, "In his presence is fullness of joy." (Psalm 16:11) "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms." (Psalm 95:2) "Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing." (Psalm 100:2) Do we see our Heavenly Father's desire for His children to fellowship with Him continuously?

I want to encourage you to fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit all the time. Honestly, this will take some practice, some getting used to, because most believers are often caught up in the distractions of life. This does not mean that we should quit our jobs or just stay home, but to remember that the Holy Spirit is in us and we are always in God's presence, though we may not recognize this fact. Once we get used to having fellowship with God at all times, we will find ourselves living in His peace, the kind that passes all understanding, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. We see this in the life of Jesus. Though He was God, He was still a man. Due to His constant fellowship with the Father He was able to be fast asleep in a boat, though waves were filling the boat with water and His disciple were in panic mode. (Mark 4:35-38)    

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever." Amen. (Jude 24-25)

His Grace Is Freedom

The Fourth of July in the United States is 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 of those days, 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/religious 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, ransacked, 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 live 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 this "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 do two things. First, we must humble ouselves and do the very thing that 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) Secondly, what Jesus spoke to the apostles (and for all believers) before departing His earthly ministry as the Son Of Man to return to the Father, "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 19-20)

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 and Matthew 28:19-20. 

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 know 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, but we also must work at bring 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 free...