Psalm 100
“1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
There are many different ways we can make noise; in physics noise is a disturbance, it is a presence that demands attention. Therefore, noise does not have to be a sound to determine its presence. We are to make a joyful noise unto the Lord; whether it is with sound or it is with our actions of determination, God desires that we cause a joyful disturbance. We are to make our presence known. We are here God; we acknowledge you and desire that you acknowledge us.
There are those that make their presence known by their disposition of anger and dissatisfaction. They do not have to make a sound for you to know they are there; you can feel their disposition as they make a clear sound in the atmosphere that they are an unhappy camper. This is a negative disturbance.
God is not interested in such disturbances; He desires that we make a joyful noise; a joyful disturbance, He desires that we serve Him with gladness and that we come before presence with singing. “This is my story; this is my song praising my savior all the day long.” My story is my statement and my song is the emotion expressing my statement. What are we trying to say to God and how are we trying to say it? God wants a joyful noise; He wants our presence to disturb the darkness and exhilarate the light, disturb the devil and his lies as we magnify the Lord God Almighty.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
HOW TO RECIEVE
1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Before we can impact our world with God’s Kingdom trough prayer we must have first been impacted ourselves by God’s kingdom through prayer. Prayer is the vehicle of the Spirit that transports divine revelation; prayer is what connects God’s Word and His Spirit to our spirit. His Words being Spirit and life must be handled in reverent prayer. Logic alone cannot handle the revelation or the understanding found in God’s Word, it takes a hungry spirit burning with the desire to understand.
Consequently, our spirit must be positioned in prayer that we may connect to God’s Word and His Spirit or that His Word and His Spirit may connect to us. Prayer is a position of mind and spirit; prayer is not just verbal discharge in and of itself. Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).
Productive prayer begins with time spent with God and it is time spent in His Word or in what He has said or has to say. It is not until our spirit has wallowed around and around in His Word and until His Word has wallowed around and around in our spirit; and besides, it is not until we have wallowed around and around in His presence through intimate worship that we are ready to pray prayers that avail, prayers that give us the understanding we need to face the things that are facing us.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Before we can impact our world with God’s Kingdom trough prayer we must have first been impacted ourselves by God’s kingdom through prayer. Prayer is the vehicle of the Spirit that transports divine revelation; prayer is what connects God’s Word and His Spirit to our spirit. His Words being Spirit and life must be handled in reverent prayer. Logic alone cannot handle the revelation or the understanding found in God’s Word, it takes a hungry spirit burning with the desire to understand.
Consequently, our spirit must be positioned in prayer that we may connect to God’s Word and His Spirit or that His Word and His Spirit may connect to us. Prayer is a position of mind and spirit; prayer is not just verbal discharge in and of itself. Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).
Productive prayer begins with time spent with God and it is time spent in His Word or in what He has said or has to say. It is not until our spirit has wallowed around and around in His Word and until His Word has wallowed around and around in our spirit; and besides, it is not until we have wallowed around and around in His presence through intimate worship that we are ready to pray prayers that avail, prayers that give us the understanding we need to face the things that are facing us.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
TRANSFORMING GRACE
John 20:19-21 (KJV)
"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
Although Jesus had been seen by a selected few after His resurrection, this was the first time He pays a corporate visit to His disciples (apostles of the Lamb). Before he had been taken from them to be crucified; He had spoken these words to them as a corporate group before His re-appearance to them: “…Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone…” (John 16:32), and that they did.
How would we respond to a group of folks we have spent time with, and in that time, we have opened ourselves to them and them to us, only to have them disband and go their own way when troubles come? What would we say to them after we were reunited for the first time after the troubles had come and gone? Perhaps we might scold them, or maybe we would expect that they own up to the reasons to why they separated themselves from us. Perhaps we might cite each one’s offense. At least, we might shame them for their lack of faithfulness and courage.
These are the first words Jesus spoke to the men He had spent much time with, “Peace be with you” The word grace means “unmerited favor.” When someone loves us unconditionally, without regard to our behavior in return, it becomes a powerful force in their lives. Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. They could have expected reprimand. Instead they received unconditional love and acceptance. He was overjoyed to see them. They were equally overjoyed to see Him.
Jesus with grace understood the disciples needed to fail Him as a part of their training. He also understood that it would be this failure that became their greatest motivation for service. Therefore, failure in the relationship allowed them to experience incredible grace for the very first time. Grace transformed them as human beings, and grace is still transforming humans today.
"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
Although Jesus had been seen by a selected few after His resurrection, this was the first time He pays a corporate visit to His disciples (apostles of the Lamb). Before he had been taken from them to be crucified; He had spoken these words to them as a corporate group before His re-appearance to them: “…Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone…” (John 16:32), and that they did.
How would we respond to a group of folks we have spent time with, and in that time, we have opened ourselves to them and them to us, only to have them disband and go their own way when troubles come? What would we say to them after we were reunited for the first time after the troubles had come and gone? Perhaps we might scold them, or maybe we would expect that they own up to the reasons to why they separated themselves from us. Perhaps we might cite each one’s offense. At least, we might shame them for their lack of faithfulness and courage.
These are the first words Jesus spoke to the men He had spent much time with, “Peace be with you” The word grace means “unmerited favor.” When someone loves us unconditionally, without regard to our behavior in return, it becomes a powerful force in their lives. Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. They could have expected reprimand. Instead they received unconditional love and acceptance. He was overjoyed to see them. They were equally overjoyed to see Him.
Jesus with grace understood the disciples needed to fail Him as a part of their training. He also understood that it would be this failure that became their greatest motivation for service. Therefore, failure in the relationship allowed them to experience incredible grace for the very first time. Grace transformed them as human beings, and grace is still transforming humans today.
PURE RELIGION
Romans 15:1-3
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
Love is not truly love until we love another for their sake and their sake alone. This is the kind of love Jesus requires in the relationships He chooses to be engaged with. For instance, Jesus said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24).
It is not until we lose our lives for His sake we have truly manifested our love and passion for Jesus. We gain much when our passion for Christ is about Him rather than benefitting ourselves in the equation. The gain we get from our loss is His commitment to us and all that He has to give in the relationship.
Consequently, when our religious acts are politically correct for the sake of our own image, then the praise of those we have sought approval from is all we have in the religious effort. The scripture teaches us “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). This kind of religion is not reserved for just pastors; it is for anyone with a desire to do "pure religion" for the sake of others than for themselves.
Therefore, keeping ourselves unspotted from the world is when we do religion for others rather than to promote our image. This is doing religion from Kingdom perspectives opposed to world perspectives. This kind of living can only be deliberate when it happens in us naturally; when it becomes as the air we breathe. To lose our lives for His sake is the only gain we can get out of life and it be a gain that is unspoiled and eternal or everlasting.
We should love people for their sake not for ours; we should forgive people for their sake, help them for their sake, bare them for their sake, and care about them for their sake. This may not be politically correct to a religious spirit that seeks to build their own image in the eyes of those that are watching. These are those that become lost and bored in a conversation when the conversation is no longer about them or their agenda. Once again, a selfless life can only be deliberate when it happens naturally with no agenda for selfish gain.
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
Love is not truly love until we love another for their sake and their sake alone. This is the kind of love Jesus requires in the relationships He chooses to be engaged with. For instance, Jesus said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24).
It is not until we lose our lives for His sake we have truly manifested our love and passion for Jesus. We gain much when our passion for Christ is about Him rather than benefitting ourselves in the equation. The gain we get from our loss is His commitment to us and all that He has to give in the relationship.
Consequently, when our religious acts are politically correct for the sake of our own image, then the praise of those we have sought approval from is all we have in the religious effort. The scripture teaches us “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). This kind of religion is not reserved for just pastors; it is for anyone with a desire to do "pure religion" for the sake of others than for themselves.
Therefore, keeping ourselves unspotted from the world is when we do religion for others rather than to promote our image. This is doing religion from Kingdom perspectives opposed to world perspectives. This kind of living can only be deliberate when it happens in us naturally; when it becomes as the air we breathe. To lose our lives for His sake is the only gain we can get out of life and it be a gain that is unspoiled and eternal or everlasting.
We should love people for their sake not for ours; we should forgive people for their sake, help them for their sake, bare them for their sake, and care about them for their sake. This may not be politically correct to a religious spirit that seeks to build their own image in the eyes of those that are watching. These are those that become lost and bored in a conversation when the conversation is no longer about them or their agenda. Once again, a selfless life can only be deliberate when it happens naturally with no agenda for selfish gain.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
WITNESSES
Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Witnesses: “One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced. b. One who furnishes evidence. 2. Something that serves as evidence; a sign” (American Heritage Dictionary).
After which the Holy Ghost has come upon us we receive power to become a living evidence or a sign Jesus is real; our living and how we do life becomes a sign pointing others to Christ – The anointed one.
As a result of His presence in us we become evidence Jesus is real – Present in our actions and reactions, present in the way we think and in the way we do life. 1 Corinthians 1:24 declare this of Christ, “…Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Christ in the original language of scripture means “anointed one.” Therefore, the anointed one is the power of God, and He is the wisdom of God. This simply means He is our ability; He is the answer as to how we should conduct ourselves for He is the wisdom of God.
Jesus is the power (anointing/ability) the Holy Ghost puts on us and in us; this is how He becomes the anointing in our lives, He smears Jesus all over us. Anointing in the original language of scripture is Chrisma in the noun form; it signifies an unguent, or anointing. Unguent is a salve or ointment used for healing or soothing.
Christians: “little Christ or little anointed ones;” folks who have Jesus smeared all over them is a work of the Holy Ghost. Being healed in our actions and reactions becomes a sign Jesus has been smeared upon us by the Holy Ghost; this is His work and this is the anointing.
Witnesses: “One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced. b. One who furnishes evidence. 2. Something that serves as evidence; a sign” (American Heritage Dictionary).
After which the Holy Ghost has come upon us we receive power to become a living evidence or a sign Jesus is real; our living and how we do life becomes a sign pointing others to Christ – The anointed one.
As a result of His presence in us we become evidence Jesus is real – Present in our actions and reactions, present in the way we think and in the way we do life. 1 Corinthians 1:24 declare this of Christ, “…Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” Christ in the original language of scripture means “anointed one.” Therefore, the anointed one is the power of God, and He is the wisdom of God. This simply means He is our ability; He is the answer as to how we should conduct ourselves for He is the wisdom of God.
Jesus is the power (anointing/ability) the Holy Ghost puts on us and in us; this is how He becomes the anointing in our lives, He smears Jesus all over us. Anointing in the original language of scripture is Chrisma in the noun form; it signifies an unguent, or anointing. Unguent is a salve or ointment used for healing or soothing.
Christians: “little Christ or little anointed ones;” folks who have Jesus smeared all over them is a work of the Holy Ghost. Being healed in our actions and reactions becomes a sign Jesus has been smeared upon us by the Holy Ghost; this is His work and this is the anointing.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
PENTECOST
Genesis 26:22 (KJV)
"And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
Pentecost means “fiftieth.” Pentecost is fifty days from Passover; a celebration of the “first fruits of the grain.” Seven Sunday’s from the day Jesus gave His life, the seed of eternal life planted into the earth ; “…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).
It is not just that the Spirit filled us; it is that the seed of life was planted. The Spirit filled us to celebrate that life; God has made room for us, and we shall fruitful in the land. He is “Emanuel – God with us;” He refused to leave us alone or to be alone; He chose to be planted in the earth that we may multiply all He has given. Jesus came to heal all our aloneness issues, this is Pentecostal, this is Pentecost, Him with us and us with Him can bear much fruit. Be filled with His Spirit and celebrate the "first fruits." (Romans 8:23)
"And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
Pentecost means “fiftieth.” Pentecost is fifty days from Passover; a celebration of the “first fruits of the grain.” Seven Sunday’s from the day Jesus gave His life, the seed of eternal life planted into the earth ; “…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).
It is not just that the Spirit filled us; it is that the seed of life was planted. The Spirit filled us to celebrate that life; God has made room for us, and we shall fruitful in the land. He is “Emanuel – God with us;” He refused to leave us alone or to be alone; He chose to be planted in the earth that we may multiply all He has given. Jesus came to heal all our aloneness issues, this is Pentecostal, this is Pentecost, Him with us and us with Him can bear much fruit. Be filled with His Spirit and celebrate the "first fruits." (Romans 8:23)
Friday, May 22, 2015
WHAT ARE WE SINGING
Psalm 57:7 (KJV)
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.”
Songs and praise comes out of a heart that is fixed.
Have you ever had your heart set on something; this means you long for something to take place. You dream about it, you talk about it, you meditate on it; then you go about planning for it. This is not the kind of fix we do when something is broken; this is the kind of thing we do to see something come about.
Well, whatever it is we are working up to do becomes our song. Our movement towards our desired outcome becomes the melody, and as things begin to come together as all these things are working together to bring it about, this becomes our harmony.
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.”
Songs and praise comes out of a heart that is fixed.
Have you ever had your heart set on something; this means you long for something to take place. You dream about it, you talk about it, you meditate on it; then you go about planning for it. This is not the kind of fix we do when something is broken; this is the kind of thing we do to see something come about.
Well, whatever it is we are working up to do becomes our song. Our movement towards our desired outcome becomes the melody, and as things begin to come together as all these things are working together to bring it about, this becomes our harmony.
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
VISION
Faith is not about what’s not there; faith is about what is there and cannot be seen, and when one is convinced of it, it is all the evidence they need.
Habakkuk 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
KIND
Luke 6:35 (KJV)
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
I know this to be true, He has been kind to me.
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
I know this to be true, He has been kind to me.
Friday, May 15, 2015
PROPHETIC COURTESY
John 20:21-23 (KJV)
“21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
We cannot go as He went without this anointing he had and imparted to them that day. “…Receive ye the Holy Ghost…” Jesus wanted them to know this anointing being imparted was from the Holy Ghost. It was a smearing upon their mind and spirit, an anointing to see where people are; and in our own self-awareness, treat them with the same grace we were treated with.
It is an ability to see where they are in the process of where the Father is taking them. Some needs to be held accountable to how they gotten to where they are so they can move on; and others, need to be coached in letting go of where they have been and where they are that they may move on. Therefore, some sins must be retained and dealt with while others need to be simply released that healing may take place. It is called prophetic courtesy.
Sin needing to be retained is sin present in action and reaction, and must be dealt with. Sin needing remittance is no longer present in action and reaction, the brokenness left behind needs healing that the dysfunction can become functional (reconciliation).
“21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
We cannot go as He went without this anointing he had and imparted to them that day. “…Receive ye the Holy Ghost…” Jesus wanted them to know this anointing being imparted was from the Holy Ghost. It was a smearing upon their mind and spirit, an anointing to see where people are; and in our own self-awareness, treat them with the same grace we were treated with.
It is an ability to see where they are in the process of where the Father is taking them. Some needs to be held accountable to how they gotten to where they are so they can move on; and others, need to be coached in letting go of where they have been and where they are that they may move on. Therefore, some sins must be retained and dealt with while others need to be simply released that healing may take place. It is called prophetic courtesy.
Sin needing to be retained is sin present in action and reaction, and must be dealt with. Sin needing remittance is no longer present in action and reaction, the brokenness left behind needs healing that the dysfunction can become functional (reconciliation).
Saturday, May 9, 2015
INCORRUPTIBLE SEED
1 Peter 1:23-25 (KJV)
“23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Everything that is born of God is born of an incorruptible seed the Word of God; it lives and it abides forever. The corruptible seed is fleshy and is as grass, and the glory mankind has in it, is as the flower of grass. The flower of grass is what carries the seeds; it is in the glory of mankind these seeds are scattered and produces all that is corruptible.
Therefore, if we are born of God or of the Word of God it will last forever; if we are born of the glory of man it will only last as long as the man birthing it. The apostle Paul tells us, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Corinthians 4:18).
The Word of God being the incorruptible seed that brings birth to all that is spiritual is the only thing that is of eternal value. The Kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink; the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). The Kingdom of God is invisible and eternal; the kingdoms of man are visible and perishable.
The inner strength and the inner power we receive from the Word of God will overcome the world. The incorruptible seed of the Word of God is the DNA birthed of God and is what overcomes the world and all that is corruptible and destructive to us.
“23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Everything that is born of God is born of an incorruptible seed the Word of God; it lives and it abides forever. The corruptible seed is fleshy and is as grass, and the glory mankind has in it, is as the flower of grass. The flower of grass is what carries the seeds; it is in the glory of mankind these seeds are scattered and produces all that is corruptible.
Therefore, if we are born of God or of the Word of God it will last forever; if we are born of the glory of man it will only last as long as the man birthing it. The apostle Paul tells us, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2Corinthians 4:18).
The Word of God being the incorruptible seed that brings birth to all that is spiritual is the only thing that is of eternal value. The Kingdom of God is neither meat nor drink; the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). The Kingdom of God is invisible and eternal; the kingdoms of man are visible and perishable.
The inner strength and the inner power we receive from the Word of God will overcome the world. The incorruptible seed of the Word of God is the DNA birthed of God and is what overcomes the world and all that is corruptible and destructive to us.
Friday, May 8, 2015
FORGED 1
7/27/2008
Proverbs 10:9 (NKJV)
"He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known."
First of all, let us define the word integrity. The first thing that pops in most people’s mind concerning integrity is honesty. Although honesty may be an important ingredient when it comes to integrity; honesty is not integrity in and of itself.
For instance, we can be honest with our opinion, yet if our attitude stinks concerning our opinion; our integrity can stink as bad as our opinion. According to the American Heritage Dictionary integrity is:
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
Our first definition here, a “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code,” sets the standard that integrity is making our choices based upon that which we have determined as being our core values concerning what we believe is ethical and right. However, if our values are twisted then our integrity can be twisted concerning biblical truth.
Our next definition, “the state of being unimpaired; soundness,” once again, if our values are twisted; no matter how unimpaired we may be to act out our values, our integrity can also be twisted concerning biblical truth.
Our last definition, “the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness;” likewise, if we can make decisions with sure soundness; yet, if our values are twisted, our integrity can be twisted concerning biblical truth.
As with honesty, integrity in and of itself cannot determine our righteousness; integrity can be as evil as evil itself if not aliened with scriptural truth. Therefore, undefiled integrity is the ability to change our course when enlightened with biblical truth; spiritual integrity undefiled is the ability to make paradigm shifts based upon truth revealed.
The strength of steel is determined by its integrity and that integrity is measured by its freedom of impurities and ingredients that compromise its strength. In the melting pot where steel is made; the ability to endure the extreme heat determines its integrity. Likewise, our integrity is only as strong as our purity, and our purity is as strong as our ability to endure the extreme heat of the sanctifying source producing that purity.
I need more integrity; LORD continue to burn in me.
Proverbs 10:9 (NKJV)
"He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known."
First of all, let us define the word integrity. The first thing that pops in most people’s mind concerning integrity is honesty. Although honesty may be an important ingredient when it comes to integrity; honesty is not integrity in and of itself.
For instance, we can be honest with our opinion, yet if our attitude stinks concerning our opinion; our integrity can stink as bad as our opinion. According to the American Heritage Dictionary integrity is:
1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.
3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
Our first definition here, a “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code,” sets the standard that integrity is making our choices based upon that which we have determined as being our core values concerning what we believe is ethical and right. However, if our values are twisted then our integrity can be twisted concerning biblical truth.
Our next definition, “the state of being unimpaired; soundness,” once again, if our values are twisted; no matter how unimpaired we may be to act out our values, our integrity can also be twisted concerning biblical truth.
Our last definition, “the quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness;” likewise, if we can make decisions with sure soundness; yet, if our values are twisted, our integrity can be twisted concerning biblical truth.
As with honesty, integrity in and of itself cannot determine our righteousness; integrity can be as evil as evil itself if not aliened with scriptural truth. Therefore, undefiled integrity is the ability to change our course when enlightened with biblical truth; spiritual integrity undefiled is the ability to make paradigm shifts based upon truth revealed.
The strength of steel is determined by its integrity and that integrity is measured by its freedom of impurities and ingredients that compromise its strength. In the melting pot where steel is made; the ability to endure the extreme heat determines its integrity. Likewise, our integrity is only as strong as our purity, and our purity is as strong as our ability to endure the extreme heat of the sanctifying source producing that purity.
I need more integrity; LORD continue to burn in me.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
BODY
Matthew 10:40
He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.
First of all, we are not talking about receiving "nuts" we are talking about receiving those who are in Christ. God has developed certain inter-dependence throughout the Body of Christ. In other words, we have to rely on each other. No one person has all the anointing, all the revelation, all the gifts, or all the power; so, in order for us to get all that is available to us, we have to be able to receive from somebody else and accept somebody else's ministry, call, and anointing. Only then can we experience the totality of all that Jesus has made available for us in His Body.
Now, Jesus is the head of the entire Body, which means, Jesus and the Body are one. If we decide we are not going to receive from a specific part of the Body, then we are not receiving Jesus - because they are part of His Body.
In Matthew 10:40, Jesus explains it this way: He said if they receive you, then they have received Me, and Him who sent me. In other words, whatever part of the body we decide not to receive, then we are not receiving Jesus, nor the Heavenly Father for that matter.
It is important for us to understand how to receive the Body. Verse 41 says, "He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive the reward or pay, prize, gifts, and results of a prophet." Notice it says he who receives a prophet, it didn't say he who receives the prophet's ministry. In other words, we have to receive the person first before we can receive the benefit of their gift. The same is true in receiving from a pastor, a teacher or even from a righteous man. We get the reward or anointing of that person when we accept the person first.
So, learning to accept other members of the body regardless of who they are and where they come from is key to getting all that God has for us. We cannot afford to shut off any part of the Body. In so doing, we would be shutting off fullness of His Body.
I Corinthians 12:27, says that God has set some in the church, first apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, and so on. Now everybody is not an apostle, or teacher, or worker of miracles. Why not? It's because we all have a particular call and place in the Body. So, to get the full benefits from the Body of Christ and to receive the effectual working of every part; we must receive the whole Body.
He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.
First of all, we are not talking about receiving "nuts" we are talking about receiving those who are in Christ. God has developed certain inter-dependence throughout the Body of Christ. In other words, we have to rely on each other. No one person has all the anointing, all the revelation, all the gifts, or all the power; so, in order for us to get all that is available to us, we have to be able to receive from somebody else and accept somebody else's ministry, call, and anointing. Only then can we experience the totality of all that Jesus has made available for us in His Body.
Now, Jesus is the head of the entire Body, which means, Jesus and the Body are one. If we decide we are not going to receive from a specific part of the Body, then we are not receiving Jesus - because they are part of His Body.
In Matthew 10:40, Jesus explains it this way: He said if they receive you, then they have received Me, and Him who sent me. In other words, whatever part of the body we decide not to receive, then we are not receiving Jesus, nor the Heavenly Father for that matter.
It is important for us to understand how to receive the Body. Verse 41 says, "He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive the reward or pay, prize, gifts, and results of a prophet." Notice it says he who receives a prophet, it didn't say he who receives the prophet's ministry. In other words, we have to receive the person first before we can receive the benefit of their gift. The same is true in receiving from a pastor, a teacher or even from a righteous man. We get the reward or anointing of that person when we accept the person first.
So, learning to accept other members of the body regardless of who they are and where they come from is key to getting all that God has for us. We cannot afford to shut off any part of the Body. In so doing, we would be shutting off fullness of His Body.
I Corinthians 12:27, says that God has set some in the church, first apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, and so on. Now everybody is not an apostle, or teacher, or worker of miracles. Why not? It's because we all have a particular call and place in the Body. So, to get the full benefits from the Body of Christ and to receive the effectual working of every part; we must receive the whole Body.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
DISCIPLE
John 15:7-8
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Do we really want to learn Jesus? To learn Christ is more intense than just attending church or making a onetime trip to the altar. To learn Jesus, we must become His disciples; one that is a learner, a pupil.
Learning Jesus is an inexhaustible journey; we must have the ability to linger, the ability to abide, to stay on course. Abiding in Jesus causes Him to linger in us, and His lingering in us provides His presence in us; Jesus cannot be all up into us unless we are all up into Him. Therefore, abiding in Jesus is an action feeding an action. Bearing fruit as Disciples of Christ is that our lives reflect the learning we have learned in Christ. When Jesus is present in us and is reflected in our actions, then truly, we are learning Him.
Learning Jesus establishes principles in us that set the standards to our fate in life. Fate is the supposed force or power that predetermines the events in our lives; therefore, principles have everything to do with the outcome facing us. Principle sets the tone to action; principle is the author to action. This is why Jesus calls us to learn Him; learning Jesus is not us asking Jesus into our hearts, it is Jesus asking us into His heart. As we learn Jesus He becomes the principles driving us in all that we face in life.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
Do we really want to learn Jesus? To learn Christ is more intense than just attending church or making a onetime trip to the altar. To learn Jesus, we must become His disciples; one that is a learner, a pupil.
Learning Jesus is an inexhaustible journey; we must have the ability to linger, the ability to abide, to stay on course. Abiding in Jesus causes Him to linger in us, and His lingering in us provides His presence in us; Jesus cannot be all up into us unless we are all up into Him. Therefore, abiding in Jesus is an action feeding an action. Bearing fruit as Disciples of Christ is that our lives reflect the learning we have learned in Christ. When Jesus is present in us and is reflected in our actions, then truly, we are learning Him.
Learning Jesus establishes principles in us that set the standards to our fate in life. Fate is the supposed force or power that predetermines the events in our lives; therefore, principles have everything to do with the outcome facing us. Principle sets the tone to action; principle is the author to action. This is why Jesus calls us to learn Him; learning Jesus is not us asking Jesus into our hearts, it is Jesus asking us into His heart. As we learn Jesus He becomes the principles driving us in all that we face in life.
Friday, May 1, 2015
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
It is true; we have a tendency to see things as we are. The only way we can be faithful to repentance (change/transformation) is to see things as they really are. This t...akes the heart to see things beyond ourselves. This is one of the reasons why the Trinity is holy. The Father defers to the Son and the Holy Spirit, The Son to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. They are interdependent upon each other and refuse to be otherwise (John 5:30).
Sometimes it is easier for others to recognize our struggles before we do. It takes different views to see all angles. Denial is simply refusing to see things beyond our position and our certainties. This is why we need fellowship with Jesus. He can see all angles and He can reveal them to us.
To continue in fellowship with Him is to simply acknowledge what He hands to us. He is faithful and He is just; we must trust that He is (Vs.9). Can we imagine we may have missed an angle; the only way His Word can be present (“…and His Word is not in us”) to deliver and to heal us is when we trust Him enough to see things as He sees them.
“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
It is true; we have a tendency to see things as we are. The only way we can be faithful to repentance (change/transformation) is to see things as they really are. This t...akes the heart to see things beyond ourselves. This is one of the reasons why the Trinity is holy. The Father defers to the Son and the Holy Spirit, The Son to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son. They are interdependent upon each other and refuse to be otherwise (John 5:30).
Sometimes it is easier for others to recognize our struggles before we do. It takes different views to see all angles. Denial is simply refusing to see things beyond our position and our certainties. This is why we need fellowship with Jesus. He can see all angles and He can reveal them to us.
To continue in fellowship with Him is to simply acknowledge what He hands to us. He is faithful and He is just; we must trust that He is (Vs.9). Can we imagine we may have missed an angle; the only way His Word can be present (“…and His Word is not in us”) to deliver and to heal us is when we trust Him enough to see things as He sees them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)