Luke 24:45-49 (KJV)
“45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ...
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Having been raised Pentecostal tarrying in the altar and praying until your encounter came as others encouraged and coached you became culture inspired by Scriptures like this. We had three specific systematic encounters calling us to tarry, the new spiritual birth, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
The coaching taught one encounter preceded another until you had encountered each one in its full expectation. Those who had bought the “T” shirt and wore it were the local members inducting you into the culture as they told their own experience in these encounters. This caused an excitement and desire for the encounters.
When we went to the altar we went there to stay until the encounter had come in full power, until the transformation manifested and was evident. This cultural induction has its benefits and in another way has had a stifling effect.
The benefit is evident in these three encounters; on the other hand, we have had no coaching beyond them taking us to fresh and new encounters. As a result, many have grown cold and have stopped coaching others. The excitement has become molded historical events.
The only way to cure this stifling is to return to the altar and once again “tarry” until there is a fresh and new encounter with God. God and His manifest presence must be cultivated and sought after; we can never exhaust the manifest presence of God. With each manifestation comes greater power and strength for the journey from earth to glory.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE
John 8:1-12 (KJV)
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The Psalmist declare “The LORD id my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The LORD is the strength
of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1)?
Salvation does not take place in
the dark it thrives in the light, therefore, light is synonymous with
salvation; actually, light brings about salvation. In contrast, Darkness and
sin are synonymous; sin thrives in darkness. Light and darkness are also
synonymous with acknowledgement and denial or blindness.
This is also why honesty is
compared to light and is why dishonesty represents the idea of hiding or
darkness. 2 Corinthian 4:2-4 declare “But
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them.”
The nature of light and darkness
is apparent, yet, in real life we do not accept in our minds at times their
presence. In other words, if we are walking in darkness we most likely have no clue
we are. The deceit, dishonesty, and denial are a part of the darkness. It has
been said, it is impossible to be deceived and know you are. If we knew we were
deceived, the honesty and the truth of the matter relinquish the deception.
It is not until we acknowledge
our need for God that we can pursue Him. It is not until His light begins to
expose our darkness that we can become honest about our sinful state.
By nature we possess the
tendency to be blind concerning our deceit. We somehow convince ourselves we
are okay and have no need to change, and if anyone tries to bring our attention
to such behavior, that person immediately becomes the enemy or a threat.
Psalm
36 gives us a little insight into this. Psalm 36:1-9 (NLT)
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.
2 In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.
9 For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.
2 In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.
4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil.
5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.
9 For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
The
fountain of life is in the ability to see ourselves when no one is watching. It
is the ability to break free from the darkness. This is what Jesus means when
He declares “I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of
life.”
John 1:1-14 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made 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.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made 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.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
THE VOICE OF TRUTH
John 18:37 (KJV)
“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
Amongst the unrest, violence, and brutal contempt there is a still small voice speaking truth and peace; the voice is the voice of a King. The love in this King manifested and proven as He tasted the contempt of brutal mindedness; massacred and killed on a cruel cross.
Lies cause consternation and civil unrest while truth brings peace and civil rest. Brutal minds are the seed bed for lies and consternation. Humans who take on the brutal mind act like animals, following neither reason nor truth but instinct, ignoring even the most basic of human values. They are guilty of profound blasphemy and live licentiously.
The King of love and peace have tasted their anger and clinched fist. Their jealousy of peace and the rest peace manifest cannot be tolerated in their minds. They are cursed with their own destruction (2Peter 2:12; Jude 1:10).
I declare with the voice of truth, the brutal will eventually destroy themselves in their own destruction. While they seek to destroy they will be destroyed.
“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
Amongst the unrest, violence, and brutal contempt there is a still small voice speaking truth and peace; the voice is the voice of a King. The love in this King manifested and proven as He tasted the contempt of brutal mindedness; massacred and killed on a cruel cross.
Lies cause consternation and civil unrest while truth brings peace and civil rest. Brutal minds are the seed bed for lies and consternation. Humans who take on the brutal mind act like animals, following neither reason nor truth but instinct, ignoring even the most basic of human values. They are guilty of profound blasphemy and live licentiously.
The King of love and peace have tasted their anger and clinched fist. Their jealousy of peace and the rest peace manifest cannot be tolerated in their minds. They are cursed with their own destruction (2Peter 2:12; Jude 1:10).
I declare with the voice of truth, the brutal will eventually destroy themselves in their own destruction. While they seek to destroy they will be destroyed.
Friday, July 25, 2014
GOSPEL SIMPLICITY
Philippians 2:12-16 (KJV)
“12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: ...
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
“Paul explains what spiritual progress will look like. Christian maturity does not come through special mystical insights available to only a few, but rather through the patient practice of the familiar virtues of love and service to others. Paul presents himself as one model for such a lifestyle.” (Introduction to Philippians ESV)
On the cutting edge, Philippi was Paul’s first church plant in Europe. His first convert with Lydia began and connected many others. The space he gave up to see Christ planted in them was not a waste. This is the simple God thing we do, “giving up our space that Christ may be planted.”
Here in America we live in such a time tight society, space has become one of our greatest value. The fear of investing ourselves relationally with others is holding back the precious Christ seed in us.
To carry His presence into the life of another is the greatest gift we can give. What are we giving in this? Everything we have received from Christ ourselves; such as, the peace, freedom, forgiveness, and acceptance. When this is imparted into the life of another who does not have these virtues is when the love of God is at work through us.
Jesus set this example in the space He gave up for His disciples, “…for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15).Jesus gave them three and half years of space. Imagine that, giving up that amount of space to plant something that is still living on and multiplying today thousands of years later.
Jesus emptied Himself and was still yet full. This is how the Gospel simplicity works, the more we give up the more we receive. To empty ourselves makes more room for us to be filled.
Gospel simplicity is not as much about our verbal message as it is our loving and giving actions. Jesus lived the Gospel and He expects us to.
“12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: ...
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”
“Paul explains what spiritual progress will look like. Christian maturity does not come through special mystical insights available to only a few, but rather through the patient practice of the familiar virtues of love and service to others. Paul presents himself as one model for such a lifestyle.” (Introduction to Philippians ESV)
On the cutting edge, Philippi was Paul’s first church plant in Europe. His first convert with Lydia began and connected many others. The space he gave up to see Christ planted in them was not a waste. This is the simple God thing we do, “giving up our space that Christ may be planted.”
Here in America we live in such a time tight society, space has become one of our greatest value. The fear of investing ourselves relationally with others is holding back the precious Christ seed in us.
To carry His presence into the life of another is the greatest gift we can give. What are we giving in this? Everything we have received from Christ ourselves; such as, the peace, freedom, forgiveness, and acceptance. When this is imparted into the life of another who does not have these virtues is when the love of God is at work through us.
Jesus set this example in the space He gave up for His disciples, “…for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15).Jesus gave them three and half years of space. Imagine that, giving up that amount of space to plant something that is still living on and multiplying today thousands of years later.
Jesus emptied Himself and was still yet full. This is how the Gospel simplicity works, the more we give up the more we receive. To empty ourselves makes more room for us to be filled.
Gospel simplicity is not as much about our verbal message as it is our loving and giving actions. Jesus lived the Gospel and He expects us to.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
Philippians 3:9 (KJV)
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”
The righteousness of God is not as much about our doing as it is our being; it is a state of being. His righteousness is simply Him at work in us.
‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God’ (1 John 3:9). Once God becomes a part of our being through spiritual birth we cannot practice (commit in the original language here means practice or ongoing) sin and be content with ourselves. When He is present it is in our being to be the righteous of God in Christ Jesus. Being in right standing with God empowers us to do what’s right; not only because it is right, because God working in us is right.
There is nothing more right than God in us. We are more prone to do what is right if God is in us than if He were not. We are more prone to feel no remorse for having done wrong when God is not in us. When He is present remorse for having done wrong is more likely to be there also.
Consequently, when Daddy God gets into our being everything we do changes. It is simple, sin put God out of us; God getting back in us will put out what put Him out. His being changes our being. If it is not in our being we cannot be; if it is in our being we cannot help but be.
This is why it is so important we are born again. Spiritual birth is necessary for us to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Being born of the flesh is us coming into being; being born of the spirit is His being coming into us.
When His being gets into us – JUMP! – He jumps up into our junk and begins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have stuff up in here we do not know about. When His being gets in here, this is what He says to our sin, “Look here, you put me out and now I am here to put you out. I have not come up in here to leave, I am here to stay and we are going to work on this being until my being gets into their being. I am here to convert, transform, dissect and re-direct, and, I am here to do this work in them until their flesh drops dead.”
Shout, dance, and speak in tongues – Have no fear Daddy is here – What sin has come to inflate God has come to deflate – This is why sin can no longer dominate - God will not deviate when He begins to whoop us into shape – We cannot help but confess our sin when the Holy Spirit revelates. God is just and won’t let us bust – He cleans it up and settles all the fuss - Only the blood of Jesus can bring this hush – just to think about it brings me a Holy rush – This is why I shout, dance, and speak in tongues – Because Daddy God is here I no longer live in fear.
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”
The righteousness of God is not as much about our doing as it is our being; it is a state of being. His righteousness is simply Him at work in us.
‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God’ (1 John 3:9). Once God becomes a part of our being through spiritual birth we cannot practice (commit in the original language here means practice or ongoing) sin and be content with ourselves. When He is present it is in our being to be the righteous of God in Christ Jesus. Being in right standing with God empowers us to do what’s right; not only because it is right, because God working in us is right.
There is nothing more right than God in us. We are more prone to do what is right if God is in us than if He were not. We are more prone to feel no remorse for having done wrong when God is not in us. When He is present remorse for having done wrong is more likely to be there also.
Consequently, when Daddy God gets into our being everything we do changes. It is simple, sin put God out of us; God getting back in us will put out what put Him out. His being changes our being. If it is not in our being we cannot be; if it is in our being we cannot help but be.
This is why it is so important we are born again. Spiritual birth is necessary for us to become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Being born of the flesh is us coming into being; being born of the spirit is His being coming into us.
When His being gets into us – JUMP! – He jumps up into our junk and begins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We have stuff up in here we do not know about. When His being gets in here, this is what He says to our sin, “Look here, you put me out and now I am here to put you out. I have not come up in here to leave, I am here to stay and we are going to work on this being until my being gets into their being. I am here to convert, transform, dissect and re-direct, and, I am here to do this work in them until their flesh drops dead.”
Shout, dance, and speak in tongues – Have no fear Daddy is here – What sin has come to inflate God has come to deflate – This is why sin can no longer dominate - God will not deviate when He begins to whoop us into shape – We cannot help but confess our sin when the Holy Spirit revelates. God is just and won’t let us bust – He cleans it up and settles all the fuss - Only the blood of Jesus can bring this hush – just to think about it brings me a Holy rush – This is why I shout, dance, and speak in tongues – Because Daddy God is here I no longer live in fear.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
PASS THE MUSTARD
Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Faith as a grain of a mustard seed can put that mountain into the sea – It’s like putting boxes in a moving van, some say you can’t and some say you can – But when you are stacking them in and it gets real thin it is faith that keeps moving to get them all in – So you grab a pick and I’ll grab a shovel before you know it this mountain will be level.
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Faith as a grain of a mustard seed can put that mountain into the sea – It’s like putting boxes in a moving van, some say you can’t and some say you can – But when you are stacking them in and it gets real thin it is faith that keeps moving to get them all in – So you grab a pick and I’ll grab a shovel before you know it this mountain will be level.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ALL UP IN HERE
1 John 4:13 (KJV)
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
His Spirit is all up in here. Cannot do wrong and He not mess with me, cannot do right and He not applaud me, His Spirit is all up in here. He has become the voice in my head, quotes scripture to me all the time and brings everything to my remembrance just when I need it most.
I am comfortable with Him in here, even when He causes me to be uncomfortable with things. When He grieves, I grieve; when He rejoices, I rejoice. Yeppers, all up in here.
When I am numb and cannot feel anything, He carries me until I can. His Spirit bear witness with mine, without Him I would be totally lost.
Because He deals with me, leads me, teaches me, counsels me, convicts me, moves in ways that make me shiver, confirms me, holds me, hugs me, and at times shoves me; gives me abilities I ask for and some I haven’t asked for. What are you talking about? I am talking about Him being all up in here. Because He is in here, Jesus has not left me and I have not left Him; it is call dwelling in Him and He in I.
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
His Spirit is all up in here. Cannot do wrong and He not mess with me, cannot do right and He not applaud me, His Spirit is all up in here. He has become the voice in my head, quotes scripture to me all the time and brings everything to my remembrance just when I need it most.
I am comfortable with Him in here, even when He causes me to be uncomfortable with things. When He grieves, I grieve; when He rejoices, I rejoice. Yeppers, all up in here.
When I am numb and cannot feel anything, He carries me until I can. His Spirit bear witness with mine, without Him I would be totally lost.
Because He deals with me, leads me, teaches me, counsels me, convicts me, moves in ways that make me shiver, confirms me, holds me, hugs me, and at times shoves me; gives me abilities I ask for and some I haven’t asked for. What are you talking about? I am talking about Him being all up in here. Because He is in here, Jesus has not left me and I have not left Him; it is call dwelling in Him and He in I.
Monday, July 21, 2014
SURPRISE
1 John 4:12-13 (KJV)
“12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
No one has seen God; nonetheless, if they see love working among us, they have come as close to seeing God as they can. The Spirit of God in us is love at work in us.
Love is not something we deserve; love transforms us and extends opportunities to be grateful. Love brings light into darkness, hope into despair, and surprise into the mundane. Love can change what seems to be permanent.
When we look around us and see things that are impossible, we must remember, love is something we give not something we keep. Surprise yourself and surprise the impossible; after all, this is what God did for us.
“12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
No one has seen God; nonetheless, if they see love working among us, they have come as close to seeing God as they can. The Spirit of God in us is love at work in us.
Love is not something we deserve; love transforms us and extends opportunities to be grateful. Love brings light into darkness, hope into despair, and surprise into the mundane. Love can change what seems to be permanent.
When we look around us and see things that are impossible, we must remember, love is something we give not something we keep. Surprise yourself and surprise the impossible; after all, this is what God did for us.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
THE NEW CREATURE
Galatians 6:14-15 (KJV)
“14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
In the mix of culture the world and its order can never give us what Jesus has given us in His cross. The new creature is after the order of heaven and cannot be tied to this world. The new creature is not born after the will of man but after the will of God.
Therefore, worldly culture cannot lay claim to the new creature in Christ Jesus and the new creature cannot lay claim to worldly culture. Our arts are not the same, our economy is not the same, and our consumption is not the same. The New Jerusalem is where we will settle; until then, we will be strangers and foreigners. This world will never make sense of us.
“14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”
In the mix of culture the world and its order can never give us what Jesus has given us in His cross. The new creature is after the order of heaven and cannot be tied to this world. The new creature is not born after the will of man but after the will of God.
Therefore, worldly culture cannot lay claim to the new creature in Christ Jesus and the new creature cannot lay claim to worldly culture. Our arts are not the same, our economy is not the same, and our consumption is not the same. The New Jerusalem is where we will settle; until then, we will be strangers and foreigners. This world will never make sense of us.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
STRAIGHT FOWARD
Ezekiel 1:12 (KJV)
“And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.”
In the spirit there are no side-ways or backing up, there is only “straight forward.” This does not mean we cannot move up, down, East, West, South, or North; whither the spirit goes is where we go and when we do it is always straight forward.
Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is... the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
By faith Peter walked on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. Consequently, the trip out to Jesus was a faith walk; the trip back was a fellowship walk. Jesus calls us to walk in faith; if our faith should fail us as it did Peter, Jesus will always extend His hand to increase our fellowship by walking us back to where we first believed.
Walking in the spirit is always obedience (straight forward). God never rebukes His children for walking in faith, and as we do He will never condemn us when we’re caught off guard. When they were back in the boat Jesus did not ask, where did you fail? He asked Peter, where did your faith fail you?
There are no detours walking in the spirit. It is straight forward regardless of what direction it takes us. This is how Ezekiel’s creature navigates and it is how we must. No alternatives, no options, and no exceptions, only straight forward.
“And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.”
In the spirit there are no side-ways or backing up, there is only “straight forward.” This does not mean we cannot move up, down, East, West, South, or North; whither the spirit goes is where we go and when we do it is always straight forward.
Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is... the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
By faith Peter walked on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. Consequently, the trip out to Jesus was a faith walk; the trip back was a fellowship walk. Jesus calls us to walk in faith; if our faith should fail us as it did Peter, Jesus will always extend His hand to increase our fellowship by walking us back to where we first believed.
Walking in the spirit is always obedience (straight forward). God never rebukes His children for walking in faith, and as we do He will never condemn us when we’re caught off guard. When they were back in the boat Jesus did not ask, where did you fail? He asked Peter, where did your faith fail you?
There are no detours walking in the spirit. It is straight forward regardless of what direction it takes us. This is how Ezekiel’s creature navigates and it is how we must. No alternatives, no options, and no exceptions, only straight forward.
Friday, July 18, 2014
HE WORKS
Matthew 5:48 (KJV)
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Functional, He works. He is my Father, He is our Father; He is Father. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). There is nothing He does not understand, this is important. He knows how everything works. He knows how sin works and He knows how righteousness works. He even knows how things that do not work, work.
When He looks at our sin He sees beyond the sin into why we sin; the why becomes the issue more than the transgression itself. It is not so much that His will is being ignored as to why we His children are dysfunctional. He is our parent – Fathers are parents and parents assume responsibility for their children and their actions.
And, we wonder why His grace is so amazing. Grace is simply understanding at work. Once again, He works, He is far from dysfunctional. His grace is amazing because He understands us.
We His children must reflect that perfect in Him, that which functions and is mature in nature. When we are able to see beyond people’s sin and focus more on the why, grace comes into play and we begin to work like Daddy works.
Find the pain, touch the hurt – reach out to the lonely soul – take them to Jesus, take them to Jesus – to be healed, delivered, and made whole – take them to Jesus.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Functional, He works. He is my Father, He is our Father; He is Father. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). There is nothing He does not understand, this is important. He knows how everything works. He knows how sin works and He knows how righteousness works. He even knows how things that do not work, work.
When He looks at our sin He sees beyond the sin into why we sin; the why becomes the issue more than the transgression itself. It is not so much that His will is being ignored as to why we His children are dysfunctional. He is our parent – Fathers are parents and parents assume responsibility for their children and their actions.
And, we wonder why His grace is so amazing. Grace is simply understanding at work. Once again, He works, He is far from dysfunctional. His grace is amazing because He understands us.
We His children must reflect that perfect in Him, that which functions and is mature in nature. When we are able to see beyond people’s sin and focus more on the why, grace comes into play and we begin to work like Daddy works.
Find the pain, touch the hurt – reach out to the lonely soul – take them to Jesus, take them to Jesus – to be healed, delivered, and made whole – take them to Jesus.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
MR. LOVE
Matthew 5:43-48 (KJV)
"43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the ...evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Jesus begins with the beatitudes and moves through at least five examples of fulfilling the law in holy character. In the midst of His deliberation He ties into His purpose for coming concerning the Law, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (vs.17).
It is through the shed blood of Jesus and His amazing grace we are able to live out the Father’s heart. As He moves through the law He repeatedly says on each issue, “…You have heard it said, But I say to you…” This teaches us God’s demands for conduct are dynamic in nature historically. This means as relations evolve so does His demands in holy character.
Think about it in family terms; here we have a heavenly Father and He is full grown and practices holy character maturely (perfect). He expects His children would grow into that same maturity. Maturation is an evolving growth and so is learning to love.
Moses developed and gave them a written law of divorcement because of the hardness of their hearts. They were putting their wives away for small trivial reasons. Working through love was not their strong practice. Therefore, the law was demanding they must have a mature reason for putting their wives away. Jesus pointed to only one of those mature reasons that developed in that Law, and that was for fornication.
In other words, outside of fornication, He would expect they would learn love on a level to where they would keep their wives by working through the issues with forgiveness and relational fortitude. And, if we want to get really technical with the Father’s maturity in love, we might remember Hosea’s story.
Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets (writings) but to fulfill them. Hosea is among them as God had Him to take His wife who was practicing fornication. Hosea was to practice love on a higher level than what the Law demanded.
This is what our text is calling for and that is to learn love on higher levels, and to understand those higher levels is found in the Father’s maturity when it comes to Love. After all, He is Mr. Love Himself.
It all boils down into this simplicity – We are His children and He is our Father and we are learning love on His level. Now, His grace will take us there; outside of His grace, it is impossible.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
FREEDOM
Galatians 5:19-25 (KJV)
"19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such t...hings shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
This is why we are not under the law. If we live in the spirit and as a result live holy, being the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus we have no need for a law (list of rules) or pending consequences.
Jesus said, “For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Living in grace does not leave us with the attitude of lawlessness; living in grace empowers us to live with no need for a law. The New Covenant does not replace the Old Covenant it is simply better and completes that which is incomplete.
Lawless mindedness cannot be a disciple of Christ; living in the spirit demands instruction, it also demands that we deny the flesh. Deny means we disallow. Allowing our flesh to do what it wants to when it wants to under the auspice of “not being under the Law,” is lawlessness and as far from grace as one could be.
Under the law, Abraham lied, so did Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. Now, taking in their story, the law sets this standard, lying is no good; it was not good for them and it is not good for us. To say “we are not under the law,” means we are not going to be caught in the same trap they were. To have this law with its story gives grace the opportunity to teach us to “deny” ungodliness. This is why the Law is our school master and cannot be placed on the shelf and done away with.
Being ate up from the floor up with the love of God is living in the spirit and living in the spirit is living in freedom. I am not scared are you scared. Being crucified to the flesh and the affections it craves is being freed up to think holy, be holy, and live holy.
Living holy is not as much about what we cannot do as it is about what we can do; living holy is simply being so overtaken by His presence in us that we cannot help but manifest it.
"19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such t...hings shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
This is why we are not under the law. If we live in the spirit and as a result live holy, being the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus we have no need for a law (list of rules) or pending consequences.
Jesus said, “For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Living in grace does not leave us with the attitude of lawlessness; living in grace empowers us to live with no need for a law. The New Covenant does not replace the Old Covenant it is simply better and completes that which is incomplete.
Lawless mindedness cannot be a disciple of Christ; living in the spirit demands instruction, it also demands that we deny the flesh. Deny means we disallow. Allowing our flesh to do what it wants to when it wants to under the auspice of “not being under the Law,” is lawlessness and as far from grace as one could be.
Under the law, Abraham lied, so did Isaac, and his grandson Jacob. Now, taking in their story, the law sets this standard, lying is no good; it was not good for them and it is not good for us. To say “we are not under the law,” means we are not going to be caught in the same trap they were. To have this law with its story gives grace the opportunity to teach us to “deny” ungodliness. This is why the Law is our school master and cannot be placed on the shelf and done away with.
Being ate up from the floor up with the love of God is living in the spirit and living in the spirit is living in freedom. I am not scared are you scared. Being crucified to the flesh and the affections it craves is being freed up to think holy, be holy, and live holy.
Living holy is not as much about what we cannot do as it is about what we can do; living holy is simply being so overtaken by His presence in us that we cannot help but manifest it.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
OUTCOME
Acts 9:32-35 (KJV)
“32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.”
Miracles make way for people’s heart to be open. “…Jesus Christ maketh thee whole…” yeppers, he tells the man to arise and make his bed. When we live like we have received, God will jump all up in it and support our efforts. Acting forward moves things forward. It is like a snow ball rolling down hill; it will grab things as it rolls and become larger collecting anything and everything willing to connect to its movement.
Faith is not seeing it, faith is believing it. Our actions play a significant role into the outcome of miracles. All well and good, but we must look beyond it all and see how the outcome promotes movement toward God.
Father God longs to increase His family, He longs to live in our hearts and He is willing to make things happen so our hearts would choose to receive His love. He loves it when people turn to Him.
“32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.”
Miracles make way for people’s heart to be open. “…Jesus Christ maketh thee whole…” yeppers, he tells the man to arise and make his bed. When we live like we have received, God will jump all up in it and support our efforts. Acting forward moves things forward. It is like a snow ball rolling down hill; it will grab things as it rolls and become larger collecting anything and everything willing to connect to its movement.
Faith is not seeing it, faith is believing it. Our actions play a significant role into the outcome of miracles. All well and good, but we must look beyond it all and see how the outcome promotes movement toward God.
Father God longs to increase His family, He longs to live in our hearts and He is willing to make things happen so our hearts would choose to receive His love. He loves it when people turn to Him.
Monday, July 14, 2014
HIS FULNESS
John 1:14-18
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John
bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who
comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the
Father's side, he has made him known.
Jesus is the full embodiment of
grace; “For from his fullness we have all
received, grace upon grace.” It has been said, grace is the unmerited favor
of God. In the Greek language it implies the divine influence upon the heart
and is noted as being a gift, acceptance, and favor.
Colossians 2:9-10 declares this, “For in him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power:” It is from this fullness our
text tells us we receive grace upon grace.
This fullness or completeness is
all tied into acceptance and favor flowing out of the relational unity between
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In other words, His fullness comes
out of His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, grace
comes to us out of their relationship with each other.
This relationship between the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been going on before time began, even before
the world as we know it came into being. This relationship is multiplied in us
through grace; grace brings us into this relationship. As a result, we find our
fullness and come into our completeness as we enter into this relationship with
them.
Just as Jesus is complete in the
Father and the Holy Spirit, we are complete in them and grace brings us into
this completeness. Entering into the fullness within Jesus we find our fullness.
Spiritually speaking, this is why He is our brother; this is how we become
children of the Father. We are spiritually born into this relationship.
We all come into this world with
this God size vacuum in our spirit needing to be filled. No matter how much we receive
from life in the way of possessions or even relationships; only what is going
on between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit can fill this void in us.
Verses 17-18 of our text tell us
this: “For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the
only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” What exactly
is this saying?
All the stories we have in the
law establishing boundaries for relationship with God given to us by Moses even
falls short of what grace and truth gives us in Christ Jesus. We can practice
the law till Jesus returns; the Law will never give us this relationship.
The
law is a schoolmaster pointing us to this relationship and teaches us what it
looks like; nonetheless, God’s grace given to us in the fullness of Christ is
the only revelation that can bring us into this relationship with Father God.
This
is why Jesus prayed this prayer, John 17:20-26 (KJV)
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them
also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have
given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be
made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast
given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast
given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known
thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and
will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and
I in them.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
WITH OUR SPIRIT
2 Timothy 4:22 (KJV)
“The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”
“The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”
Hope you know this is possible and is so. He is Emanuel –
God with us. We are not in existence alone; God is with us in Christ. He being
with us is grace overshadowing us as we live out our life. He may not be
walking along side us in flesh; nonetheless, He is with us in spirit.
Friday, July 11, 2014
STUFF
1 John 1:5-7 (KJV)
“5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
“5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
It is a great gift to walk with the
Father of lights, circumstances or objects surrounding us will not change Daddy’s
love like shifting shadows (James 1:17). His love is consistent and persistent
to transform those who refuse to hide and walk in darkness. Light and darkness
represent two things in our relational walk with God. They are transparency
(light) and denial (darkness); which also represent truth (light) and lie
(darkness).
It is sickness to walk in darkness;
mental sickness, sensory sickness, and emotional sickness. First of all, to
think God cannot see our stuff is a mental sickness, to continue in our stuff
as though He is not there is a sensory sickness, and to feel no remorse over
our stuff is emotional sickness. Now that is just straight out sick.
All liars will have their place in
the Lake of Fire. These liars are those who miss the blessing of walking in the
light. Children of the darkness do not know how to walk in the Father’s love
(truth). To walk in truth is not about
everything being right, it is simply being truthful about wrong stuff. In other
words, being right with God is giving God the right to transform our stuff. To
try and hide it and walk in denial is living a lie. There is no darkness in God
and if He is in us darkness cannot be in us and be happy.
The sickness darkness brings can be healed that
we may walk in the light and benefit from it. “Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed…” (James 5:16).
Darkness is a sickness in anybody who walks in it. Step into the light; learn
what it means to be truthful and honest and see how this cleansing us from all
sin works. Jesus’ blood has it going on, He did not shed it to shed us He shed
it to cleanse us. So, do not stuff your stuff, pull it out and let God deal
with it.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
THE STORY LIVES ON IN US
Acts 2:29-33 (KJV)
“29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in h...ell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
What a combination. Authentically an Hebrew pointing out the words of David as being prophetic since his bones were still in the grave and Jesus’ is not. Many were an eye witnesses to David’s grave and an eye witness of Christ resurrection.
It is not a wonder why New Testament believers ascribe to the fact salvation begins when we believe in our hearts the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Confessing with our mouth and believing in our hearts. If I had been standing there that day Peter delivered this sermon, I easily could have been among the 3000 souls.
This story is not farfetched for me, I can believe it and I do believe it. Pentecost after His resurrection marking the harvest blessing; the Holy Spirit sanctions those who believed that day by His presence exploding in them. The comforter came as He said He would. Now they have another comforter, another counselor, and another teacher.
He has not stopped even to this day form filling us, illuminating us, leading us, instructing us, and teaching us Jesus. He came to do exactly what the Master said He would come to do. Do I believe? Yes, I believe and I am a recipient of such wonder and greatness. The story still lives in me, does it live in you?
“29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in h...ell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
What a combination. Authentically an Hebrew pointing out the words of David as being prophetic since his bones were still in the grave and Jesus’ is not. Many were an eye witnesses to David’s grave and an eye witness of Christ resurrection.
It is not a wonder why New Testament believers ascribe to the fact salvation begins when we believe in our hearts the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Confessing with our mouth and believing in our hearts. If I had been standing there that day Peter delivered this sermon, I easily could have been among the 3000 souls.
This story is not farfetched for me, I can believe it and I do believe it. Pentecost after His resurrection marking the harvest blessing; the Holy Spirit sanctions those who believed that day by His presence exploding in them. The comforter came as He said He would. Now they have another comforter, another counselor, and another teacher.
He has not stopped even to this day form filling us, illuminating us, leading us, instructing us, and teaching us Jesus. He came to do exactly what the Master said He would come to do. Do I believe? Yes, I believe and I am a recipient of such wonder and greatness. The story still lives in me, does it live in you?
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
YEPPE KYE AYE
Acts 20:7-12
Youth camp evangelist in Wyoming, the message had been preached and we were ministering one on one throughout the sanctuary. The Spirit had moved mightily during altar call, many were lost in the presence of God as the worship team led us in worship.
Youth were sprawled out on the floor all over the house and as I moved from one youth to the other youth were crying and calling on God. As I made my way to the back of the sanctuary our night watchman for the camp was laying on the floor on his back with his eyes closed. Several youth surrounding him was praying, his position on the floor like many others in the sanctuary did not look any different than others that night.
However, as I stood over him I could sense in my spirit it was not the same; something was deathly wrong. I had been on the battle field and new what this look was in 130 degree Desert heat. I knelt beside him and did what they trained me to do in the military; I shook him and asked him if he was alright. No response, he was out cold. The others standing around was saying, he is out in the spirit. I knew better, so I ask them to get Doc Wessel.
Sure enough he was dying from heat exhaustion, Doc jumps on him and begins to slap him till hand prints were left on his face; no response. At that time all the others standing around realized this was no “out in the spirit” thing. Then he took his knuckles and begins to vigorously rub the center of his chest till the skin began to bleed slightly. At that moment he came to. We picked him up and dragged him to the showers and I held him under the water for several minutes until he was more conscious. Of course we begin to hydrate him and he recovered from then on.
This did not come close to being like Paul’s incident, nonetheless, thought I would share it anyway. This took place over 20 years ago. Years later I was that young man’s pastor, he was a diesel mechanic and a large vehicle fell on him and crushed him. They rushed him to Billings, MT emergency, after assessing his situation they did not expect him to live. We prayed a prayer of faith and he lived.
Youth camp evangelist in Wyoming, the message had been preached and we were ministering one on one throughout the sanctuary. The Spirit had moved mightily during altar call, many were lost in the presence of God as the worship team led us in worship.
Youth were sprawled out on the floor all over the house and as I moved from one youth to the other youth were crying and calling on God. As I made my way to the back of the sanctuary our night watchman for the camp was laying on the floor on his back with his eyes closed. Several youth surrounding him was praying, his position on the floor like many others in the sanctuary did not look any different than others that night.
However, as I stood over him I could sense in my spirit it was not the same; something was deathly wrong. I had been on the battle field and new what this look was in 130 degree Desert heat. I knelt beside him and did what they trained me to do in the military; I shook him and asked him if he was alright. No response, he was out cold. The others standing around was saying, he is out in the spirit. I knew better, so I ask them to get Doc Wessel.
Sure enough he was dying from heat exhaustion, Doc jumps on him and begins to slap him till hand prints were left on his face; no response. At that time all the others standing around realized this was no “out in the spirit” thing. Then he took his knuckles and begins to vigorously rub the center of his chest till the skin began to bleed slightly. At that moment he came to. We picked him up and dragged him to the showers and I held him under the water for several minutes until he was more conscious. Of course we begin to hydrate him and he recovered from then on.
This did not come close to being like Paul’s incident, nonetheless, thought I would share it anyway. This took place over 20 years ago. Years later I was that young man’s pastor, he was a diesel mechanic and a large vehicle fell on him and crushed him. They rushed him to Billings, MT emergency, after assessing his situation they did not expect him to live. We prayed a prayer of faith and he lived.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
AWESOMENESS
John 17:26 (KJV)
“26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
The unity existing in the Father and the Son is a manifestation of the love they have for each other. Jesus said, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (John 3:35) also, “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth…” (John 5:20). As a result of His love for the Son, the Son had in His hand all He needed and was given the insight as to what the Father was doing. They were able to work together as one in this relational interaction. Jesus prayed the Father would give this very same relational interaction to them.
Jesus reveals to us as to why the Father loved Him: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17). “…Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).
God and His relational love longs to take hold of us. “…and I in them,” “I in them” longs to take hold of us also. Jesus died that He might multiply Himself in us and the Father loves Him because of it. Therefore, to keep from “abiding alone” or to keep it all to themselves, they both provided the means to extend themselves in us. Pretty awesome isn’t it -
“26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
The unity existing in the Father and the Son is a manifestation of the love they have for each other. Jesus said, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (John 3:35) also, “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth…” (John 5:20). As a result of His love for the Son, the Son had in His hand all He needed and was given the insight as to what the Father was doing. They were able to work together as one in this relational interaction. Jesus prayed the Father would give this very same relational interaction to them.
Jesus reveals to us as to why the Father loved Him: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17). “…Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).
God and His relational love longs to take hold of us. “…and I in them,” “I in them” longs to take hold of us also. Jesus died that He might multiply Himself in us and the Father loves Him because of it. Therefore, to keep from “abiding alone” or to keep it all to themselves, they both provided the means to extend themselves in us. Pretty awesome isn’t it -
Monday, July 7, 2014
SUFFICENT
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (KJV)
“9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
The emphasis here is not our weakness it is His strength. Grace transforms; it is when grace changes us we are redeemed, regenerated, and justified. It is a work of faith not fate.
Our transformation is deliberate and executed by faith; got to want it, see it, believe it, and receive it. Some things we cannot change; nonetheless, if we have the mind to do so, we can change. Positioning our mind and spirit for change positions His strength in us.
Therefore, grace does not justify our sins; it works His presence so deep in us "we" become justified, and His presence becomes the work He is working in us. Justification begins the moment we surrender to His love and the strength it gives. His strength is the focus, He is our focus; God is all sufficient. God can and God will when His will become our will; in this His grace is always enough.
God is basically telling Paul no matter how much you come to know and encounter in revelation you will always need me. We are never strong enough that we do not need Him, therefore, our weakness becomes basis for relationship; needing God gives purpose to salvation and God’s desire for Paul was to keep it that way.
“9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
The emphasis here is not our weakness it is His strength. Grace transforms; it is when grace changes us we are redeemed, regenerated, and justified. It is a work of faith not fate.
Our transformation is deliberate and executed by faith; got to want it, see it, believe it, and receive it. Some things we cannot change; nonetheless, if we have the mind to do so, we can change. Positioning our mind and spirit for change positions His strength in us.
Therefore, grace does not justify our sins; it works His presence so deep in us "we" become justified, and His presence becomes the work He is working in us. Justification begins the moment we surrender to His love and the strength it gives. His strength is the focus, He is our focus; God is all sufficient. God can and God will when His will become our will; in this His grace is always enough.
God is basically telling Paul no matter how much you come to know and encounter in revelation you will always need me. We are never strong enough that we do not need Him, therefore, our weakness becomes basis for relationship; needing God gives purpose to salvation and God’s desire for Paul was to keep it that way.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
HOME
Ephesians 2:20-22 (KJV)
“20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
There are no strangers up in here; we are all made close by His blood. It is the only place we fit, no other place where we can relate and identify with each other this close. When we together become a habitation of God through the Spirit none of us are out of place; a sense of belonging brings us together in the Father’s house.
We are all necessary, all needed, all accepted in the beloved. Formational Leadership is in order for we all are moving in the same direction, all because we are coming from the same vantage point (Christ Jesus the chief corner stone).
There are no Lord’s over this heritage – only one Lord – Christ Jesus. We become ensamples to each other reflecting Him in all we do, believe, and are. No need to command, innately we manage among ourselves within the framework of His love.
It is the relational love of God flowing from the apostles and the prophets urging us to come together to become that one man Christ Jesus; So lost in who He is, He becomes our identity, we together become one building, a habitation for Father God. This is Home – no other place will do.
“20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
There are no strangers up in here; we are all made close by His blood. It is the only place we fit, no other place where we can relate and identify with each other this close. When we together become a habitation of God through the Spirit none of us are out of place; a sense of belonging brings us together in the Father’s house.
We are all necessary, all needed, all accepted in the beloved. Formational Leadership is in order for we all are moving in the same direction, all because we are coming from the same vantage point (Christ Jesus the chief corner stone).
There are no Lord’s over this heritage – only one Lord – Christ Jesus. We become ensamples to each other reflecting Him in all we do, believe, and are. No need to command, innately we manage among ourselves within the framework of His love.
It is the relational love of God flowing from the apostles and the prophets urging us to come together to become that one man Christ Jesus; So lost in who He is, He becomes our identity, we together become one building, a habitation for Father God. This is Home – no other place will do.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
COVENANT LOYALTY
Lamentations 3:21-23 (KJV)
"21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Our hope is embedded in His faithfulness. In the Hebrew “unfailing love” is used meaning “loyal love” or “covenant loyalty.” This term is used in the Old Covenant consistently to describe God’s position concerning His choice to love and His commitment to that choice.
If we can capture this truth, or should I say, if this truth should capture us, our acceptance would be realized. If we only knew how much the Father loves us, we would not struggle with the fears keeping us at a distance when shame comes to camp in our minds.
Sometimes it is much easier to live in denial than to face what needs facing; fear in relationship is the darkness we create with denial. Transparency is being unafraid and is anchored in acceptance and love. His unfailing love gives us reason to live unafraid and to live transparently, and this empowers us to adjust what needs adjusting.
"21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Our hope is embedded in His faithfulness. In the Hebrew “unfailing love” is used meaning “loyal love” or “covenant loyalty.” This term is used in the Old Covenant consistently to describe God’s position concerning His choice to love and His commitment to that choice.
If we can capture this truth, or should I say, if this truth should capture us, our acceptance would be realized. If we only knew how much the Father loves us, we would not struggle with the fears keeping us at a distance when shame comes to camp in our minds.
Sometimes it is much easier to live in denial than to face what needs facing; fear in relationship is the darkness we create with denial. Transparency is being unafraid and is anchored in acceptance and love. His unfailing love gives us reason to live unafraid and to live transparently, and this empowers us to adjust what needs adjusting.
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