Psalm 91:14-16 (NIV)
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
I would like to paste the whole Psalm 91 here because it is such a great Psalm of promise! This is not some poetic Psalm that we are to put to some music and think nice thoughts, but this is a Psalm of great promises that needs to be confessed over our lives with faith! Does it seem too great? Does it seem too hard? Does it seem like life will be too good if this Psalm says what it means? Are we afraid of that? If you look carefully it is specific on what the LORD will avert from our lives. What great and precious promises!
This morning however I am drawn to these three last verses. I believe that someone needs rescuing from something – maybe themselves. Someone is in trouble and needs deliverance. Someone needs the sodzo of God – His complete package of salvation which includes healing today. May I suggest, no urge – love Him with everything within you! Give Him all of you and proclaim with your heart and mouth your enduring love to the Lord of Host. If you can’t, spend time understanding His love for you until it starts to flow back to Him. After you have declared it, put all your chips in His hand – go all in! Not only begin to call on Him, but put His Word on your mouth, the Words of faith! Tell yourself and then tell everyone and then thank Him for your deliverance and your honoring, your rescue and your protection, your satisfaction with life and your healing! Pray His Word with faith in Him to bring it to pass!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
April 29
This is from yesterdays reading.
Deuteronomy 21:9 (NIV)
9 So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
This verse is amidst the instruction of the Lord for the town to remove its guilt for someone who had been killed but the killer is not known. There is a divine principle here that we have missed and need to get. Territory (places) can be taken over by an evil dominion. When things like this happen it produces guilt on a whole town! God said that if you want to remove the guilt then a sacrifice has to be made. Understand this is a spiritual principle of the spirit realm. When evil invades a place and perpetrates evil upon the people in the place, and nobody removes the guilt of that act, then evil has a right to operate in that place. If we will open our eyes, we see this all around us in parts of town and even certain cities. As I have said, it isn’t because African Americans moved into a certain section or Hispanics or any other race that it is crime ravaged– that is ridiculous and prejudice – it is because an evil realm moved in because nobody, (white, black or anyone else) took the dominion back! We lived our lives and maybe thought – oh, how tragic. It is like the story of the abandon junk car, when it is down the street we complain about it, when it is front of our neighbors house we really don’t like it, when it is front of our house we are mad about it, when it is on our front lawn we do something about it. We cannot operate like that anymore!
How do you take back that territory for God? Sacrifice! We not only pray and take it back by our authority, but we invite God to dwell there. We do that by worshipping the King! The Psalmist wrote, “you are enthroned on the praises of Your people.” We have the opportunity through worship to bring the reigning presence of God to that territory. Where God is King, no other can be.
Deuteronomy 21:9 (NIV)
9 So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
This verse is amidst the instruction of the Lord for the town to remove its guilt for someone who had been killed but the killer is not known. There is a divine principle here that we have missed and need to get. Territory (places) can be taken over by an evil dominion. When things like this happen it produces guilt on a whole town! God said that if you want to remove the guilt then a sacrifice has to be made. Understand this is a spiritual principle of the spirit realm. When evil invades a place and perpetrates evil upon the people in the place, and nobody removes the guilt of that act, then evil has a right to operate in that place. If we will open our eyes, we see this all around us in parts of town and even certain cities. As I have said, it isn’t because African Americans moved into a certain section or Hispanics or any other race that it is crime ravaged– that is ridiculous and prejudice – it is because an evil realm moved in because nobody, (white, black or anyone else) took the dominion back! We lived our lives and maybe thought – oh, how tragic. It is like the story of the abandon junk car, when it is down the street we complain about it, when it is front of our neighbors house we really don’t like it, when it is front of our house we are mad about it, when it is on our front lawn we do something about it. We cannot operate like that anymore!
How do you take back that territory for God? Sacrifice! We not only pray and take it back by our authority, but we invite God to dwell there. We do that by worshipping the King! The Psalmist wrote, “you are enthroned on the praises of Your people.” We have the opportunity through worship to bring the reigning presence of God to that territory. Where God is King, no other can be.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
April 28
2 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)
1 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
Did you know this? Did you know that you are not to receive an accusation against an elder except by two or three witnesses? Does this mean that we are to keep silent if we are the only one that saw so and so kissing so and so and they are married – not to each other? Wouldn’t that be nice! This passage means that when you tell so and so about so and so and so and so that the person who you are telling is not supposed to receive it as fact. What? You are kidding! Nope – God doesn’t kid around about this stuff.
The reality is that so and so may not have been kissing, it may have just appeared that way, they actually were crying together. One persons eyes may not been seeing correctly, but even if they are, we are not to receive the accusation! Everything and I mean everything has to be established by at least 2 witnesses! Someone may have a bone to pick with someone else and may interpret things incorrectly in order to justify their bone.
May I suggest something outlandish? We mind our own business? It should be obvious if I see someone murdering another person that it is my duty to step up and say something, but that isn’t what we accuse others of and that isn’t what we listen to and receive from others, most of the time it is petty stuff that God is dealing with already. Maybe God isn’t even dealing with it because He doesn’t want to! There is a thought! Maybe He is dealing with that person in other places in their lives and we should be content to pray for them. Whatever the case, DON’T believe it if it can’t be established and, “live in unity with one another.”
1 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
Did you know this? Did you know that you are not to receive an accusation against an elder except by two or three witnesses? Does this mean that we are to keep silent if we are the only one that saw so and so kissing so and so and they are married – not to each other? Wouldn’t that be nice! This passage means that when you tell so and so about so and so and so and so that the person who you are telling is not supposed to receive it as fact. What? You are kidding! Nope – God doesn’t kid around about this stuff.
The reality is that so and so may not have been kissing, it may have just appeared that way, they actually were crying together. One persons eyes may not been seeing correctly, but even if they are, we are not to receive the accusation! Everything and I mean everything has to be established by at least 2 witnesses! Someone may have a bone to pick with someone else and may interpret things incorrectly in order to justify their bone.
May I suggest something outlandish? We mind our own business? It should be obvious if I see someone murdering another person that it is my duty to step up and say something, but that isn’t what we accuse others of and that isn’t what we listen to and receive from others, most of the time it is petty stuff that God is dealing with already. Maybe God isn’t even dealing with it because He doesn’t want to! There is a thought! Maybe He is dealing with that person in other places in their lives and we should be content to pray for them. Whatever the case, DON’T believe it if it can’t be established and, “live in unity with one another.”
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
April 27
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I won’t comment on the context of this passage except to say that God didn’t give Paul sickness to keep Him humble. That is an erroneous interpretation to somehow validate the thought that God wants us sick. Enough said.
What the verse above does say means a great deal to me. If you are like me it is hard to ignore your weaknesses, those things you are deficient in or have a limitation. Maybe you like me are seeing one this very day! Paul recites what the Lord spoke to him which was, I don’t have to take away your insufficiency, because I am your sufficiency! I am everything you need and I will use your weakness to bring glory to myself. Paul then concludes that if that is the case, instead of being frustrated with his weakness, he will boast in it because God is going to do something spectacular and not just overcome his weakness, but shine through Paul by demonstrating the power (ability) of God!
Our weaknesses are many and we limit ourselves, and therefore we limit God because we don’t consider Jehovah Shamma, the ever present one to be able to use us because we are weak in certain areas. That is precisely where God can shine and have all the glory! Whatever you are limited in, wherever your weakness, ask Him who is able to show His power through you.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I won’t comment on the context of this passage except to say that God didn’t give Paul sickness to keep Him humble. That is an erroneous interpretation to somehow validate the thought that God wants us sick. Enough said.
What the verse above does say means a great deal to me. If you are like me it is hard to ignore your weaknesses, those things you are deficient in or have a limitation. Maybe you like me are seeing one this very day! Paul recites what the Lord spoke to him which was, I don’t have to take away your insufficiency, because I am your sufficiency! I am everything you need and I will use your weakness to bring glory to myself. Paul then concludes that if that is the case, instead of being frustrated with his weakness, he will boast in it because God is going to do something spectacular and not just overcome his weakness, but shine through Paul by demonstrating the power (ability) of God!
Our weaknesses are many and we limit ourselves, and therefore we limit God because we don’t consider Jehovah Shamma, the ever present one to be able to use us because we are weak in certain areas. That is precisely where God can shine and have all the glory! Whatever you are limited in, wherever your weakness, ask Him who is able to show His power through you.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
April 26
Deuteronomy 16:11 (NIV)
11 And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will ….
.
Deuteronomy 16:14 (NIV)
14 Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, ….
Deuteronomy 16:16 (NIV)
16 … No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed:
I get the feeling that God likes a good celebration! In fact, 3 times per year all of Israel was to make a journey to (soon to be revealed) Jerusalem for 3 feasts. Passover was a memory feast designed to bring about appreciation and obedience. The other 2 feast, (Feast of Weeks and Feast of Tabernacles) were celebrations to the Lord! The people were supposed to get happy for all the things that God has done for them, and all that material blessings they had been given. God had blessed these sojourners mightily and these feasts were a celebration of that. I included the later part of verse 16 in this devotion because I think it is significant that during these celebrations, they were to come to the Lord with an offering in proportion to how the Lord had blessed them.
We are supposed to be a celebrating people! We call our Sunday Services “Celebrations” because we celebrate not only the material blessings that we have had provided to us, but the LIFE that God has given us! God has made us rich in blessings! The love, peace and joy within me, at my disposal, even at my command as a blessing to others is incredible – and that is only 3 great blessings! If we aren’t the happiest people on earth then I don’t know what to say! I know that we go through hard and difficult times, but it seems to me that we have the opportunity to live a life of celebration! Oh but for the schemes of the devil and our biggest enemy – our flesh. Resist the devil and he WILL flee and kill your flesh so you can get happy! Is it possible to celebrate in tough times? Paul was beaten and thrown into a dungeon – and he started singing. His singing not only brought his release, but it brought salvation to a whole family! Paul not only celebrated His salvation, He brought an offering to the Lord of praise!
Church, don’t come empty handed anymore! Come to church, to a meeting, to the Lord, to a lunch with a friend with something to give. Maybe it is a financial gift – PTL – maybe it is a Word from God – maybe a revelation from that morning – maybe some love to be purposely poured out on someone. When you come before the Lord, don’t come empty handed – give while you celebrate!
11 And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will ….
.
Deuteronomy 16:14 (NIV)
14 Be joyful at your Feast—you, your sons and daughters, ….
Deuteronomy 16:16 (NIV)
16 … No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed:
I get the feeling that God likes a good celebration! In fact, 3 times per year all of Israel was to make a journey to (soon to be revealed) Jerusalem for 3 feasts. Passover was a memory feast designed to bring about appreciation and obedience. The other 2 feast, (Feast of Weeks and Feast of Tabernacles) were celebrations to the Lord! The people were supposed to get happy for all the things that God has done for them, and all that material blessings they had been given. God had blessed these sojourners mightily and these feasts were a celebration of that. I included the later part of verse 16 in this devotion because I think it is significant that during these celebrations, they were to come to the Lord with an offering in proportion to how the Lord had blessed them.
We are supposed to be a celebrating people! We call our Sunday Services “Celebrations” because we celebrate not only the material blessings that we have had provided to us, but the LIFE that God has given us! God has made us rich in blessings! The love, peace and joy within me, at my disposal, even at my command as a blessing to others is incredible – and that is only 3 great blessings! If we aren’t the happiest people on earth then I don’t know what to say! I know that we go through hard and difficult times, but it seems to me that we have the opportunity to live a life of celebration! Oh but for the schemes of the devil and our biggest enemy – our flesh. Resist the devil and he WILL flee and kill your flesh so you can get happy! Is it possible to celebrate in tough times? Paul was beaten and thrown into a dungeon – and he started singing. His singing not only brought his release, but it brought salvation to a whole family! Paul not only celebrated His salvation, He brought an offering to the Lord of praise!
Church, don’t come empty handed anymore! Come to church, to a meeting, to the Lord, to a lunch with a friend with something to give. Maybe it is a financial gift – PTL – maybe it is a Word from God – maybe a revelation from that morning – maybe some love to be purposely poured out on someone. When you come before the Lord, don’t come empty handed – give while you celebrate!
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 25
2 Corinthians 10:8 (NIV)
8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
Here lies the reason for authority. Can you see it? Some people use authority to get their own way. They like directing things the way they feel comfortable or the way they like it. For them the distinction between dominating and dominion cannot be made because they use their authority both to have dominion, (which is God given) and they use it to dominate others, (which is satanic-worldly-carnal). There is no doubt that the way of the world is to use authority to dominate others. The 7 pillars of society, (government, education, media…) have become just that. I believe it has trickled into the church as well, and has trickled all the way down to the family. Authority from the very beginning was to be used to have dominion for the good of all! Here Paul clearly says that the authority that God gave him is to be used for building people up rather than pulling them down. It is the difference between the coaching style that yells at his players and tells them what idiots they are and the coach that tells his players what they did wrong and inspires them to do it right. We must be, from mothers and husbands, to CEO’s and Senators, all about using the power and authority we have to bless and build up others.
There is one more thought about this; having the authority and not using it. That goes from motherhood, (letting your children dominate your life or household), to CEO’s who are afraid to make a move toward change. We as Christians have plenty of authority, but the question is do we use it? Do we take dominion not only where we live, but where we are? My encouragement is to walk in your authority as a believer (you have to know what authority you have first) and use it to release the Kingdom of God in your situations. You have such blessing that is waiting to be poured out! The world needs your authority – use it to build them up!
8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
Here lies the reason for authority. Can you see it? Some people use authority to get their own way. They like directing things the way they feel comfortable or the way they like it. For them the distinction between dominating and dominion cannot be made because they use their authority both to have dominion, (which is God given) and they use it to dominate others, (which is satanic-worldly-carnal). There is no doubt that the way of the world is to use authority to dominate others. The 7 pillars of society, (government, education, media…) have become just that. I believe it has trickled into the church as well, and has trickled all the way down to the family. Authority from the very beginning was to be used to have dominion for the good of all! Here Paul clearly says that the authority that God gave him is to be used for building people up rather than pulling them down. It is the difference between the coaching style that yells at his players and tells them what idiots they are and the coach that tells his players what they did wrong and inspires them to do it right. We must be, from mothers and husbands, to CEO’s and Senators, all about using the power and authority we have to bless and build up others.
There is one more thought about this; having the authority and not using it. That goes from motherhood, (letting your children dominate your life or household), to CEO’s who are afraid to make a move toward change. We as Christians have plenty of authority, but the question is do we use it? Do we take dominion not only where we live, but where we are? My encouragement is to walk in your authority as a believer (you have to know what authority you have first) and use it to release the Kingdom of God in your situations. You have such blessing that is waiting to be poured out! The world needs your authority – use it to build them up!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
April 24
Deuteronomy 12:8 (NIV)
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit,
Moses is writing the commands from God and God is saying don’t worship idols – o.k., we understand that. Next He says not worship as the world does, but to worship as I have taught you to worship. In other words they were not to worship as the “felt” or “desired” but they were to worship as God deserved! The other thing God said that they were not to worship where they wanted to, but they were to worship ONLY at the place where God instructed them to. Did you get that? We not only can’t worship HOW we want, but we can’t worship where we want! Are you getting the idea that worship is about God and not us? Today we are free to go to the place of worship that God instructs us to and we have such freedom to worship Him in many ways except when it contains no sacrifice. That could use some thought. Let me say this, it is God that plants us in a church and God who moves us on to another and not us – we are at His service for His pleasure. Look at WHY God instructs us;
Deuteronomy 12:7 (NIV)
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
That is His heart! He wants us to have MAX blessing! What a great God!
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit,
Moses is writing the commands from God and God is saying don’t worship idols – o.k., we understand that. Next He says not worship as the world does, but to worship as I have taught you to worship. In other words they were not to worship as the “felt” or “desired” but they were to worship as God deserved! The other thing God said that they were not to worship where they wanted to, but they were to worship ONLY at the place where God instructed them to. Did you get that? We not only can’t worship HOW we want, but we can’t worship where we want! Are you getting the idea that worship is about God and not us? Today we are free to go to the place of worship that God instructs us to and we have such freedom to worship Him in many ways except when it contains no sacrifice. That could use some thought. Let me say this, it is God that plants us in a church and God who moves us on to another and not us – we are at His service for His pleasure. Look at WHY God instructs us;
Deuteronomy 12:7 (NIV)
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
That is His heart! He wants us to have MAX blessing! What a great God!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
April 23
Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
In the midst of trouble David writes this great thought. When my day starts I want to think about your unfailing love. I want it to come to me like a postman would deliver me a letter and it is the first thing that I read. It says something like: Dear Son/Daughter I love you – I always will love you – my favor is on you – my affection is on you – my power and will is for you and it will never change! Now that is a good letter!
David goes on to say that he has put his trust in God. Who else is there to trust – me? Who am I supposed to trust with my life? Every time I take hold of it, it gets messed up, in debt, depressed and stressed out! My trust must be in the Lord BECAUSE He is faithful! David then says, (because he trusts God – that His ways are right) to show him the way he should go. Not, “bless my day and my plan”, but “what do you want me to do now?” The next phrase could be interpreted different ways, but here is what I get – I lift up the burden of my soul to you – I give you my life – a sweet surrender.
I pray that you have started your day the same way, with a message of love and hope, a recognition of His faithfulness, a surrender of your day and your burden, for He who holds all things together loves you.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
In the midst of trouble David writes this great thought. When my day starts I want to think about your unfailing love. I want it to come to me like a postman would deliver me a letter and it is the first thing that I read. It says something like: Dear Son/Daughter I love you – I always will love you – my favor is on you – my affection is on you – my power and will is for you and it will never change! Now that is a good letter!
David goes on to say that he has put his trust in God. Who else is there to trust – me? Who am I supposed to trust with my life? Every time I take hold of it, it gets messed up, in debt, depressed and stressed out! My trust must be in the Lord BECAUSE He is faithful! David then says, (because he trusts God – that His ways are right) to show him the way he should go. Not, “bless my day and my plan”, but “what do you want me to do now?” The next phrase could be interpreted different ways, but here is what I get – I lift up the burden of my soul to you – I give you my life – a sweet surrender.
I pray that you have started your day the same way, with a message of love and hope, a recognition of His faithfulness, a surrender of your day and your burden, for He who holds all things together loves you.
Friday, April 22, 2011
April 22
Psalm 139:17 (NIV)
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
What is God thinking? More specifically, what is He thinking about you? When He looks at you, what does He think? Have you ever asked Him that? Have you stopped to listen to what He says? Do you want to know?
Wouldn't it be an amazing thing to take a pen and pad of paper and your Bible, and just sit down and think about what God says about you. Better than that is to ASK God what He thinks about you and write it down. Ask Him what he is thinking right this moment. I think it will amaze us to know His thoughts about us. They are "precious" to us because they mean so much to us! So why not spend more time thinking about what He thinks about us instead of thinking about what He wants us to do?
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
What is God thinking? More specifically, what is He thinking about you? When He looks at you, what does He think? Have you ever asked Him that? Have you stopped to listen to what He says? Do you want to know?
Wouldn't it be an amazing thing to take a pen and pad of paper and your Bible, and just sit down and think about what God says about you. Better than that is to ASK God what He thinks about you and write it down. Ask Him what he is thinking right this moment. I think it will amaze us to know His thoughts about us. They are "precious" to us because they mean so much to us! So why not spend more time thinking about what He thinks about us instead of thinking about what He wants us to do?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
April 21
Deuteronomy 5:29 (NIV)
29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV)
33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Sometimes when we think about God and sin, we think that He doesn’t want us to sin because He is holy and just can’t stand it and will judge everyone harshly if they sin. Why does God judge? Because He can’t stand sin – He is holy. While it is VERY true that He is holy and He will judge, these verses illuminate the heart of God.
It is the heart of God that is crushed because of sin because sin crushes us! Reread the verses – can you see it? Can you hear it? The heart of God is SO for us and He is extremely desirous for us to prosper and live a great life! This life, in this world will not be without trial, trouble, hardship or suffering, yet it is God’s plan that things would go well for us, for us to live prosperously and for us to live a long life on this earth AND that we would LIVE in the inheritance that God has brought to us! It is sin that keeps us from attaining all that God has given us. It is sin that keeps us from prosperity in every area of life. (Don’t just think money). That is why God hates sin – because it ruins the objects of His love and desire – us! He hates sin because it thwarts His plan for our lives!
29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
Deuteronomy 5:33 (NIV)
33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
Sometimes when we think about God and sin, we think that He doesn’t want us to sin because He is holy and just can’t stand it and will judge everyone harshly if they sin. Why does God judge? Because He can’t stand sin – He is holy. While it is VERY true that He is holy and He will judge, these verses illuminate the heart of God.
It is the heart of God that is crushed because of sin because sin crushes us! Reread the verses – can you see it? Can you hear it? The heart of God is SO for us and He is extremely desirous for us to prosper and live a great life! This life, in this world will not be without trial, trouble, hardship or suffering, yet it is God’s plan that things would go well for us, for us to live prosperously and for us to live a long life on this earth AND that we would LIVE in the inheritance that God has brought to us! It is sin that keeps us from attaining all that God has given us. It is sin that keeps us from prosperity in every area of life. (Don’t just think money). That is why God hates sin – because it ruins the objects of His love and desire – us! He hates sin because it thwarts His plan for our lives!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 20
2 Corinthians 5:2 (NIV)
2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
It seems to me that most of the groaning in this life, at least in the west, is more about how our life is and how we want the newer, bigger, nicer… and don’t have it. That doesn’t mean we can’t want the new ___________ (fill in the blank), but if we are groaning because we don’t have it, aren’t we a little crazy – ahhh… I mean, out of perspective? Maybe there is more groaning about the things we have to do like go to work or eat right or studying, I don’t know. Ok, so my groaning has to do with the stress in my life, (most self induced) and that is exactly what Paul is talking about. Not the self induced stress that we have because we don’t know how to live simply, but the groaning or sighing that is produced by the stress of this life. Our problem is that we want to be stress free, not groaning anymore by going to Jamaica on vacation (I highly recommend it) or by winning the lotto (being rich), or having the newest whatever that will help streamline our lives – bleaackkkk!
All the stress in life, the physical maladies, the corruption all around us should be producing is our LONGING for heaven. We DO long for heaven. We long for the time that our mortality is swallowed up by life! It’s just that we have all of this “stuff” thrown at us that we forget what citizenship we truly have. Our joy isn’t in a Mediterranean cruise vacation, (although that would be nice), it is in our complete redemption! Until then, we have His manifest presence that we can enjoy. In fact, maybe if we (especially I) got in the very Presence of God more often and stayed longer, I would care less about escaping to Jamaica and long to be clothed with immortality in His face to face Presence.
2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
It seems to me that most of the groaning in this life, at least in the west, is more about how our life is and how we want the newer, bigger, nicer… and don’t have it. That doesn’t mean we can’t want the new ___________ (fill in the blank), but if we are groaning because we don’t have it, aren’t we a little crazy – ahhh… I mean, out of perspective? Maybe there is more groaning about the things we have to do like go to work or eat right or studying, I don’t know. Ok, so my groaning has to do with the stress in my life, (most self induced) and that is exactly what Paul is talking about. Not the self induced stress that we have because we don’t know how to live simply, but the groaning or sighing that is produced by the stress of this life. Our problem is that we want to be stress free, not groaning anymore by going to Jamaica on vacation (I highly recommend it) or by winning the lotto (being rich), or having the newest whatever that will help streamline our lives – bleaackkkk!
All the stress in life, the physical maladies, the corruption all around us should be producing is our LONGING for heaven. We DO long for heaven. We long for the time that our mortality is swallowed up by life! It’s just that we have all of this “stuff” thrown at us that we forget what citizenship we truly have. Our joy isn’t in a Mediterranean cruise vacation, (although that would be nice), it is in our complete redemption! Until then, we have His manifest presence that we can enjoy. In fact, maybe if we (especially I) got in the very Presence of God more often and stayed longer, I would care less about escaping to Jamaica and long to be clothed with immortality in His face to face Presence.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 19
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
We clearly see here the emphasis on the eternal. We are to look towards eternity and live for eternity, in fact Paul says that we should die to our lives (self will) so we can live for eternity and live eternally. It should be obvious by this chapter and also many other places that we must live with an eternal perspective in order to persevere the difficulties of this life. Eternity, that which God put in our heart, is our longing and if we will let ourselves, our minds, our hearts go there, we will live with a passion and perspective that few others have.
I also see in this verse that something not so obvious is being said. We need to fix (to look unto, giving ones attention to, to dwell on) on that which is unseen. In the Greek it actually says, “not looking carefully at what you can see, but what you can’t see…” Isn’t that interesting? The emphasis is not looking at what you see! Our attention, or what we are supposed to be looking at is what we can’t see. That seems like a paradox except that we CAN see it! Jesus said it clearly that there are eyes that can’t see and there are eyes that can see. Paul prayed that the eyes of our heart would be opened so we could “see” or understand our inheritance. May God give us eyes to see beyond what can be seen.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
We clearly see here the emphasis on the eternal. We are to look towards eternity and live for eternity, in fact Paul says that we should die to our lives (self will) so we can live for eternity and live eternally. It should be obvious by this chapter and also many other places that we must live with an eternal perspective in order to persevere the difficulties of this life. Eternity, that which God put in our heart, is our longing and if we will let ourselves, our minds, our hearts go there, we will live with a passion and perspective that few others have.
I also see in this verse that something not so obvious is being said. We need to fix (to look unto, giving ones attention to, to dwell on) on that which is unseen. In the Greek it actually says, “not looking carefully at what you can see, but what you can’t see…” Isn’t that interesting? The emphasis is not looking at what you see! Our attention, or what we are supposed to be looking at is what we can’t see. That seems like a paradox except that we CAN see it! Jesus said it clearly that there are eyes that can’t see and there are eyes that can see. Paul prayed that the eyes of our heart would be opened so we could “see” or understand our inheritance. May God give us eyes to see beyond what can be seen.
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 18
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Our competence comes from God! Our adequacy comes from Jesus Christ my Savior and King. Are you getting this? Quit trying to find adequacy in how you look, whether you shape or your clothes or hair or whatever, stop trying to find yourself in how well you perform this or that or how much money you have or what kind of car you drive or who you have as friends – your adequacy comes from God! Here is the trick, this word competence or adequacy connotes that you have a ministry that he makes you competent to perform and complete. If you don’t have any ministry, job, task from God, then you will never feel adequate! You have got to move out and use your gifts and talents and then you sense of adequacy will come. Praise God for this great word!
As it says further In this chapter;
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We are being changed! Believe it! You aren’t the same person you used to be! You are not looking to all those material and worldly things to gain your place in life or to find your adequacy, you are being changed into the likeness of Christ! Yea! That is so awesome – let it sink it! HE is able to do it, count Him faithful. You will have no idea of all the great things God will do to you and through you if you don’t step out and risk being inadequate – which is impossible in Christ. Step out – He is your adequacy!
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Our competence comes from God! Our adequacy comes from Jesus Christ my Savior and King. Are you getting this? Quit trying to find adequacy in how you look, whether you shape or your clothes or hair or whatever, stop trying to find yourself in how well you perform this or that or how much money you have or what kind of car you drive or who you have as friends – your adequacy comes from God! Here is the trick, this word competence or adequacy connotes that you have a ministry that he makes you competent to perform and complete. If you don’t have any ministry, job, task from God, then you will never feel adequate! You have got to move out and use your gifts and talents and then you sense of adequacy will come. Praise God for this great word!
As it says further In this chapter;
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
We are being changed! Believe it! You aren’t the same person you used to be! You are not looking to all those material and worldly things to gain your place in life or to find your adequacy, you are being changed into the likeness of Christ! Yea! That is so awesome – let it sink it! HE is able to do it, count Him faithful. You will have no idea of all the great things God will do to you and through you if you don’t step out and risk being inadequate – which is impossible in Christ. Step out – He is your adequacy!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
April 17
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NIV)
10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
It was most likely the man mentioned in 1 Cor. 5 that Paul is talking about, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that Paul is calling for the church, who did the right thing, to restore this brother, which is what the whole point of anyway. It is interesting that he is talking about forgiveness and then he mentions " in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." Think about it.
Forgiveness or the lack thereof, the lack of restoration of relationship has something to do with the schemes of the devil. I won't belabor this point, but will say - are we aware that he wants to divide people? He wants us to stay mad, to hold a grudge, to not forgive another? More than that, satan wants us to think ill of others! We say, "sure, I know that", but do we? If we aren't working towards reconciliation, restoration, continued forgiveness, we are being outwitted! Not just outwitted, but the word means to be exploited or to be taken advantage of. Do you like to be exploited? Do you want that on your gravestone - Here lies _________ she/he was exploited and taken advantage of by satan? No?! Then love everyone like Christ loves you. (I think we stand in His forgiveness.)
10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
It was most likely the man mentioned in 1 Cor. 5 that Paul is talking about, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that Paul is calling for the church, who did the right thing, to restore this brother, which is what the whole point of anyway. It is interesting that he is talking about forgiveness and then he mentions " in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." Think about it.
Forgiveness or the lack thereof, the lack of restoration of relationship has something to do with the schemes of the devil. I won't belabor this point, but will say - are we aware that he wants to divide people? He wants us to stay mad, to hold a grudge, to not forgive another? More than that, satan wants us to think ill of others! We say, "sure, I know that", but do we? If we aren't working towards reconciliation, restoration, continued forgiveness, we are being outwitted! Not just outwitted, but the word means to be exploited or to be taken advantage of. Do you like to be exploited? Do you want that on your gravestone - Here lies _________ she/he was exploited and taken advantage of by satan? No?! Then love everyone like Christ loves you. (I think we stand in His forgiveness.)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
April 16
Numbers 32:11-12 (NIV)
11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’
There are so many things that jumped out at me in today’s reading, yet I couldn’t get past these verses. They are yelling to an American church and to Hope Chapel OC and to me personally. They stand as a reminder of who will possess all of what God has meant for them. Saying that, it should be obvious that there will be people who don’t get half of what God has already apportioned them.
It is the heart that God is most concerned about. Out of the heart everything flows, evil and good, speech and every action. Our heart is where the “real” us is housed. Not in what we “believe” (which many times has no faith attached to it – it is merely intellectual knowledge). Proverbs tells us to guard our heart for out of it come the issues of life (or well springs of life). Here is an astounding fact, I have a new heart! When I gave “my heart” to Christ, the one that is desperately wicked, who could know it, he gave me a new heart from the Spirit of God. It allows me to choose to be full hearted toward God with relative ease compared to the hearts of the Israelites in this day. Thank God for that heart!
Here is a secret; you can’t be wholehearted for God if you are only doing it to possess all the many blessings that God has already decided you should have. We all have to decide to be full-hearted for God because we consider Him worthy to give our all, our best, our everything to. The benefit of being all in for God – whatever He has decided to give us, is ours to possess!
11 ‘Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— 12 not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’
There are so many things that jumped out at me in today’s reading, yet I couldn’t get past these verses. They are yelling to an American church and to Hope Chapel OC and to me personally. They stand as a reminder of who will possess all of what God has meant for them. Saying that, it should be obvious that there will be people who don’t get half of what God has already apportioned them.
It is the heart that God is most concerned about. Out of the heart everything flows, evil and good, speech and every action. Our heart is where the “real” us is housed. Not in what we “believe” (which many times has no faith attached to it – it is merely intellectual knowledge). Proverbs tells us to guard our heart for out of it come the issues of life (or well springs of life). Here is an astounding fact, I have a new heart! When I gave “my heart” to Christ, the one that is desperately wicked, who could know it, he gave me a new heart from the Spirit of God. It allows me to choose to be full hearted toward God with relative ease compared to the hearts of the Israelites in this day. Thank God for that heart!
Here is a secret; you can’t be wholehearted for God if you are only doing it to possess all the many blessings that God has already decided you should have. We all have to decide to be full-hearted for God because we consider Him worthy to give our all, our best, our everything to. The benefit of being all in for God – whatever He has decided to give us, is ours to possess!
Friday, April 15, 2011
April 15
Numbers 30:14 (NIV)
14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.
If I may have the latitude to take this out of its context and highlight a principle that I saw as I read. “He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.” This really struck me as a principle of life that the Lord has set forth. There are two things that God spoke to my heart as I am pondering this. Number one is when we hear about something and remain “neutral”, we are not neutral at all, we are in agreement. I am not saying that we have to argue with everybody, but we cannot stand by and let our mind be infected with things and not take a mental stand. I don’t argue every time people say something I disagree with, but I don’t go brain numb either. I think that is what TV does to you, but I’ll save that for another time.
Number two is that when people speak things about me or “over” me, I cannot remain neutral there either. It is my responsibility to accept it or reject it. In a negative sense it will hang on me if I don’t reject it. I would suggest to go so far as to confess the truth of the Word of God over ourselves when things are said negatively about and to us. In the positive sense there can be tremendous benefit in agreeing with the comment both in mind and with our tongue. After all the power of life and death are in the tongue.
The point the Spirit spoke to me was I wasn’t to remain silent unless I agreed. Because by saying nothing, you are in agreement with what was said.
14 But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.
If I may have the latitude to take this out of its context and highlight a principle that I saw as I read. “He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them.” This really struck me as a principle of life that the Lord has set forth. There are two things that God spoke to my heart as I am pondering this. Number one is when we hear about something and remain “neutral”, we are not neutral at all, we are in agreement. I am not saying that we have to argue with everybody, but we cannot stand by and let our mind be infected with things and not take a mental stand. I don’t argue every time people say something I disagree with, but I don’t go brain numb either. I think that is what TV does to you, but I’ll save that for another time.
Number two is that when people speak things about me or “over” me, I cannot remain neutral there either. It is my responsibility to accept it or reject it. In a negative sense it will hang on me if I don’t reject it. I would suggest to go so far as to confess the truth of the Word of God over ourselves when things are said negatively about and to us. In the positive sense there can be tremendous benefit in agreeing with the comment both in mind and with our tongue. After all the power of life and death are in the tongue.
The point the Spirit spoke to me was I wasn’t to remain silent unless I agreed. Because by saying nothing, you are in agreement with what was said.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
April 14
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Don’t stray from the truth, wander off the path or forget where you are going or what you are believing, when you hang out with people who are bad people, of immoral character, they will cause your good and moral living to become corrupt and immoral. Besides being a lesson we could share with our kids, (and ourselves), there is something about the placement of this verse that needs our attention.
Paul put this very wise and sage advice in the middle of the chapter or section that talks about the resurrection. Isn’t that interesting? Paul is arguing for the resurrection and then he says “immoral company corrupts your morality”. He is definitely talking about the corruption of our beliefs with will lead to the corruption of our way of life. There are people who act like there is no resurrection from the dead, no reckoning and no God. Paul says, don’t hang out with them, they will ruin you! The resurrection from the dead IS our hope and it is one of our great motivators to live a life for God. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get saved because I had such a great desire to become a worshipper or pastor, I got saved to be saved from hell! It was all about the afterlife and not this life.
Here is the point – don’t hang out with people who don’t believe because they will ruin your faith! That doesn’t mean we don’t talk with them, that means we don’t choose them to be within our circle of friends to “hang out” with.
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Don’t stray from the truth, wander off the path or forget where you are going or what you are believing, when you hang out with people who are bad people, of immoral character, they will cause your good and moral living to become corrupt and immoral. Besides being a lesson we could share with our kids, (and ourselves), there is something about the placement of this verse that needs our attention.
Paul put this very wise and sage advice in the middle of the chapter or section that talks about the resurrection. Isn’t that interesting? Paul is arguing for the resurrection and then he says “immoral company corrupts your morality”. He is definitely talking about the corruption of our beliefs with will lead to the corruption of our way of life. There are people who act like there is no resurrection from the dead, no reckoning and no God. Paul says, don’t hang out with them, they will ruin you! The resurrection from the dead IS our hope and it is one of our great motivators to live a life for God. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get saved because I had such a great desire to become a worshipper or pastor, I got saved to be saved from hell! It was all about the afterlife and not this life.
Here is the point – don’t hang out with people who don’t believe because they will ruin your faith! That doesn’t mean we don’t talk with them, that means we don’t choose them to be within our circle of friends to “hang out” with.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 13
1 Corinthians 14:39 (NIV)
39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
There are two distinct commands in this verse. The first one is be eager to prophesy. The therefore is there because Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has given a wonderful portion of his letter to the reason we get together as Christians – to encourage and edify one another. Prophesy accomplishes this task so it is to be sought after. That all sounds good until we begin to personalize it. The word for be eager is zeloo, we get the word zealous from this word. It means to set your heart on something or to be deeply committed to something. So let’s put that in our context – be deeply committed or set your heart to prophesy to other people when you get together. Prophesy most of the time is a forth-telling rather than a fore-telling. Church, set your heart on encouraging people by saying what God wants to say. Of course that will take investment by us to seek the Lord. Imagine a church where people go and most of them are ready to give a word of encouragement from the Lord to others – YEA!!
The other part of this verse is a missing part in the theology of many. Simply put, you are not to restrain, hinder or stop people from speaking in tongues and the context of this verse is when you are gathered together! WOW. That just blew a theological lid off of people’s philosophy of what church is supposed to be like. Although tongues should not dominate a gathering, it looks to me like it shouldn’t be missing either. Hmmm…
39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
There are two distinct commands in this verse. The first one is be eager to prophesy. The therefore is there because Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has given a wonderful portion of his letter to the reason we get together as Christians – to encourage and edify one another. Prophesy accomplishes this task so it is to be sought after. That all sounds good until we begin to personalize it. The word for be eager is zeloo, we get the word zealous from this word. It means to set your heart on something or to be deeply committed to something. So let’s put that in our context – be deeply committed or set your heart to prophesy to other people when you get together. Prophesy most of the time is a forth-telling rather than a fore-telling. Church, set your heart on encouraging people by saying what God wants to say. Of course that will take investment by us to seek the Lord. Imagine a church where people go and most of them are ready to give a word of encouragement from the Lord to others – YEA!!
The other part of this verse is a missing part in the theology of many. Simply put, you are not to restrain, hinder or stop people from speaking in tongues and the context of this verse is when you are gathered together! WOW. That just blew a theological lid off of people’s philosophy of what church is supposed to be like. Although tongues should not dominate a gathering, it looks to me like it shouldn’t be missing either. Hmmm…
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
April 12
Numbers 25:1-2 (NIV)
1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.
So the enemy couldn’t get a curse to be called down on Israel (influence toward defeat from the outside), so they caused them to sin before the Lord through immorality (influence toward defeat from the inside). If our enemy can’t get us to deny our faith he will get us to water it down. If he can’t get us to become opposed to Christ, he will try to get us to deny Christ in our lifestyle.
In the OT times, sexual immorality was closely associated with idolatry. Today we have more of a dualistic view. Sexual immorality is bad, but it’s not like you are worshipping another God. However, if we will think about it, we will see that not only is sexual immorality a type of idolatry, but it will lead us down the road to complete ineffectiveness and eventually we will walk away from God. I can think of people who have done it and still do not honor their commitment to God because they are after the opposite sex (or same) through sexual immorality. They have decided that sex is better than relationship with God. We may agree wholeheartedly with that, but let’s not think that sex is the only thing that takes us to that place. There are plenty of other “lesser” sins like gossip, slander, grumbling and cowardice that will lead down that same road toward idolatry – esteeming something more than you esteem God.
1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.
So the enemy couldn’t get a curse to be called down on Israel (influence toward defeat from the outside), so they caused them to sin before the Lord through immorality (influence toward defeat from the inside). If our enemy can’t get us to deny our faith he will get us to water it down. If he can’t get us to become opposed to Christ, he will try to get us to deny Christ in our lifestyle.
In the OT times, sexual immorality was closely associated with idolatry. Today we have more of a dualistic view. Sexual immorality is bad, but it’s not like you are worshipping another God. However, if we will think about it, we will see that not only is sexual immorality a type of idolatry, but it will lead us down the road to complete ineffectiveness and eventually we will walk away from God. I can think of people who have done it and still do not honor their commitment to God because they are after the opposite sex (or same) through sexual immorality. They have decided that sex is better than relationship with God. We may agree wholeheartedly with that, but let’s not think that sex is the only thing that takes us to that place. There are plenty of other “lesser” sins like gossip, slander, grumbling and cowardice that will lead down that same road toward idolatry – esteeming something more than you esteem God.
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 11
Numbers 23:19-20 (NIV)
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? 20 I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
Within this powerful story of Balaam is found some of the greatness Words in the Old Testament. Here are the Words of Him who is faithful and true. Here, God through Balaam declares His character and nature. He gives us a glimpse of who He is and why we should trust Him. He isn’t like humankind who breaks promises, He will fulfill whatever He has promised. That is the promise of promises! There are so many promises that we are under and God says He will fulfill them all! What about when we don’t see them being fulfilled? Stretch out in faith and speak the Word of God – it won’t return void but will accomplish its purpose!
When God blesses something or someone, we are hard pressed to do anything but bless. When God’s mouth speaks blessing, when His purpose is to bless and He has set His hand to do it, then blessing will flow! We cannot change it! His command is His command and we can only obey His command to speak what He speaks. So, we will bless and give blessings on those God has blessed – why work against God?
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? 20 I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
Within this powerful story of Balaam is found some of the greatness Words in the Old Testament. Here are the Words of Him who is faithful and true. Here, God through Balaam declares His character and nature. He gives us a glimpse of who He is and why we should trust Him. He isn’t like humankind who breaks promises, He will fulfill whatever He has promised. That is the promise of promises! There are so many promises that we are under and God says He will fulfill them all! What about when we don’t see them being fulfilled? Stretch out in faith and speak the Word of God – it won’t return void but will accomplish its purpose!
When God blesses something or someone, we are hard pressed to do anything but bless. When God’s mouth speaks blessing, when His purpose is to bless and He has set His hand to do it, then blessing will flow! We cannot change it! His command is His command and we can only obey His command to speak what He speaks. So, we will bless and give blessings on those God has blessed – why work against God?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
April 10
Psalm 84:1-2 (NIV)
1How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 84:4 (NIV)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
How awesome is this Psalm! It is so true! For those who have never basked in His Presence or don’t understand why people like myself love to worship Him, please read this Psalm! Where else is the peace and joy and love and encouragement and…? Everything is found in Him, so doesn’t it make sense that if you just dwell in His Presence that you would have everything! Ahh, but so few know how to dwell in His Presence and people are afraid of what may happen. Could strange things happen in His Presence – well it did for Peter – but let’s not talk about that.
How do I get in His Presence. First I clear my mind of everything else. In fact I have a pad of paper so when things pop into my mind, I write them down to clear them out. Second, I spend TIME with God, talking, singing, dancing, listening and being creative with God. Third, I allow enough time for His Presence to permeate my being. The wonderful “feelings” of being in His Presence don’t come all the time, but He is worth my time, my effort, my creativeness period. I never have regrets getting in His Presence. Why do people spend hours praying and worshipping the Lord everyday?
Psalm 84:10 (NIV)
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
1How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 84:4 (NIV)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
How awesome is this Psalm! It is so true! For those who have never basked in His Presence or don’t understand why people like myself love to worship Him, please read this Psalm! Where else is the peace and joy and love and encouragement and…? Everything is found in Him, so doesn’t it make sense that if you just dwell in His Presence that you would have everything! Ahh, but so few know how to dwell in His Presence and people are afraid of what may happen. Could strange things happen in His Presence – well it did for Peter – but let’s not talk about that.
How do I get in His Presence. First I clear my mind of everything else. In fact I have a pad of paper so when things pop into my mind, I write them down to clear them out. Second, I spend TIME with God, talking, singing, dancing, listening and being creative with God. Third, I allow enough time for His Presence to permeate my being. The wonderful “feelings” of being in His Presence don’t come all the time, but He is worth my time, my effort, my creativeness period. I never have regrets getting in His Presence. Why do people spend hours praying and worshipping the Lord everyday?
Psalm 84:10 (NIV)
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
April 9
1 Corinthians 10:5-6 (NIV)
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
I hope that you, like me, are thoroughly convinced that the sacrifice and blood of Jesus our complete Savior has completely removed our sins of past, present and future – forever! So the verse in Romans, “the wages of sin is death…” would not apply, in context, to my life since I am IN Christ. However, that doesn’t mean the sin doesn’t bring death. Here we see a very sobering concept that is brought right into the New Covenant. We cannot go on sinning and expect for death to stay far from our lives. Let me give you an example.
If a spouse commits adultery there is a lot of death that will follow. There will be a death (even if the marriage is resurrected) to the marital relationship, there will be a death between the children and the offending spouse, there will be a death to the ministry of the offending spouse and finally there will be a death that happens in the soul of the offender. Sin equals death and we see that in the example of the children of Israel. We cannot go on sinning and think that death will not creep in to those areas and then quickly spread throughout our lives. One of my observations is that some of the “lesser” sins caused the death of thousands. Slander and grumbling topped the list on sins that cost the people dearly. Beloved, we need not be afraid to lose our salvation, but we should fear God because He taught us that these things bring death – He paid dearly for our life – to have life – more abundant life – choose life!
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
I hope that you, like me, are thoroughly convinced that the sacrifice and blood of Jesus our complete Savior has completely removed our sins of past, present and future – forever! So the verse in Romans, “the wages of sin is death…” would not apply, in context, to my life since I am IN Christ. However, that doesn’t mean the sin doesn’t bring death. Here we see a very sobering concept that is brought right into the New Covenant. We cannot go on sinning and expect for death to stay far from our lives. Let me give you an example.
If a spouse commits adultery there is a lot of death that will follow. There will be a death (even if the marriage is resurrected) to the marital relationship, there will be a death between the children and the offending spouse, there will be a death to the ministry of the offending spouse and finally there will be a death that happens in the soul of the offender. Sin equals death and we see that in the example of the children of Israel. We cannot go on sinning and think that death will not creep in to those areas and then quickly spread throughout our lives. One of my observations is that some of the “lesser” sins caused the death of thousands. Slander and grumbling topped the list on sins that cost the people dearly. Beloved, we need not be afraid to lose our salvation, but we should fear God because He taught us that these things bring death – He paid dearly for our life – to have life – more abundant life – choose life!
Friday, April 8, 2011
April 8
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Do you see the toughness in these verses? It reminds me of the toughness that God put in man from the beginning of time and all the way through the winning of the west of America and even until the last great war – WWII. Somehow after that something has happened to America and it has become like gangrene in our churches. The toughness of God has got to come back to the American church! It may be that the only way that it happens is persecution!
However, since we have an inward helper, a powerful and mighty working that IS God, we can be changed! We can all be champions! We can compete and win with a take no prisoners attitude. It takes intentionality to be a champion. We just can’t let life take us and live from day to day to “make it”. There is a discipline that comes from God that IS the toughness that will bring our “natural” (now unnatural in the Spirit) inclination of giving in or giving up to the submission of pressing through to get all of God and to live all of the life that He has ordained us for. We can be – in fact we are people who DO beat our bodies into submission. We are people who run to get the prize, who can’t be stopped, who do not hesitate, who are in strict training! If we are not, we will not deny the new man within ourselves! Don’t deny it! You ARE a champion – do the training!
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Do you see the toughness in these verses? It reminds me of the toughness that God put in man from the beginning of time and all the way through the winning of the west of America and even until the last great war – WWII. Somehow after that something has happened to America and it has become like gangrene in our churches. The toughness of God has got to come back to the American church! It may be that the only way that it happens is persecution!
However, since we have an inward helper, a powerful and mighty working that IS God, we can be changed! We can all be champions! We can compete and win with a take no prisoners attitude. It takes intentionality to be a champion. We just can’t let life take us and live from day to day to “make it”. There is a discipline that comes from God that IS the toughness that will bring our “natural” (now unnatural in the Spirit) inclination of giving in or giving up to the submission of pressing through to get all of God and to live all of the life that He has ordained us for. We can be – in fact we are people who DO beat our bodies into submission. We are people who run to get the prize, who can’t be stopped, who do not hesitate, who are in strict training! If we are not, we will not deny the new man within ourselves! Don’t deny it! You ARE a champion – do the training!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
April 7
Psalm 73:2-3 (NIV)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Do you ever find yourself like the Psalmist, envying the rich? It is so easy to look upon the people of this world that have “made it”, that aren’t struggling right now in this economy, that still spend money on all sorts of non essentials, and think that their life is great. It is easy to envy people with means and desire to be in their shoes. But Asaph (the writer) says that when he was developing this attitude, (based on what he could see and the principles of this world), he came to his senses and saw that the end of the rich and wicked wasn’t a good one, and he compared it to his end which was good. We see Aspah looking spiritually at things and that it was keeps his foot from slipping. He almost slipped, but didn’t, because he came to an eternal perspective.
The rich and famous of our day, the Hollywood stars, the sports stars and even the business stars are no one to be envied if they don’t know Christ. What else means more than having Christ in this life and the next? We have got to turn our eyes of this world and on to the next. Do we envy a star like Charlie Sheen? We see that his arrogance has overtaken him and is bringing him to personal ruin. All the wicked and arrogant, no matter how rich will come to the same end.
Instead of envying them, how about being super thankful for your relationship with Christ. Of course we are to ask for our needs to be fulfilled and even more than that, we ask for more in order to live a life a giving, but who really cares about “those people” who are this societies “haves”. I would rather be a “have not” (which is impossible in heaven’s opinion) with Christ that a “have” without Christ. Is there a place to “have” it all? NO! Do you understand what I mean – do you agree or disagree?
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Do you ever find yourself like the Psalmist, envying the rich? It is so easy to look upon the people of this world that have “made it”, that aren’t struggling right now in this economy, that still spend money on all sorts of non essentials, and think that their life is great. It is easy to envy people with means and desire to be in their shoes. But Asaph (the writer) says that when he was developing this attitude, (based on what he could see and the principles of this world), he came to his senses and saw that the end of the rich and wicked wasn’t a good one, and he compared it to his end which was good. We see Aspah looking spiritually at things and that it was keeps his foot from slipping. He almost slipped, but didn’t, because he came to an eternal perspective.
The rich and famous of our day, the Hollywood stars, the sports stars and even the business stars are no one to be envied if they don’t know Christ. What else means more than having Christ in this life and the next? We have got to turn our eyes of this world and on to the next. Do we envy a star like Charlie Sheen? We see that his arrogance has overtaken him and is bringing him to personal ruin. All the wicked and arrogant, no matter how rich will come to the same end.
Instead of envying them, how about being super thankful for your relationship with Christ. Of course we are to ask for our needs to be fulfilled and even more than that, we ask for more in order to live a life a giving, but who really cares about “those people” who are this societies “haves”. I would rather be a “have not” (which is impossible in heaven’s opinion) with Christ that a “have” without Christ. Is there a place to “have” it all? NO! Do you understand what I mean – do you agree or disagree?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April 6
Numbers 16:3 (NIV)
3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”
We know that the people of Israel did a lot of grumbling. Here they grumble against Moses and Aaron and its a particularly awful thing because of the challenge to who the leaders of these people really were. This was a major breakdown in the line of communication of the Lord’s directive by His chosen instrument. Their questioning in the above verse was God. It is a direct insult to God when He is the one who set up the leadership in any organization and especially in the people of Israel. As we read this chapter, we can see that those leaders and their follows – and they had plenty of them – ultimately met a radical end. After that the whole community rose against Moses and Aaron and God had to send a plague to stop the rebellion. Thousands of people died as a result of this rebellion.
We can see a type of death today in people who challenge God. We don’t want to have any authority except ourselves. Even though we don’t live under a “Moses model”, there are leaders and elders that God has put in our lives to help us. When we reject that guidance and bluntly, authority, we set ourselves up to experience more pain and plagues in our lives. God’s attitude should really cause us to pause and think about how we talk about the leaders in our church and the leaders in the church. There is no way that we can have unity with one another without grumbling, complaining and rebellion against God’s ways being a thing of the past. If you think about it, God gives us people in our lives to enrich us – our mentors, our pastors, our leaders and given to us to enrich us. Why do we reject that?
3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”
We know that the people of Israel did a lot of grumbling. Here they grumble against Moses and Aaron and its a particularly awful thing because of the challenge to who the leaders of these people really were. This was a major breakdown in the line of communication of the Lord’s directive by His chosen instrument. Their questioning in the above verse was God. It is a direct insult to God when He is the one who set up the leadership in any organization and especially in the people of Israel. As we read this chapter, we can see that those leaders and their follows – and they had plenty of them – ultimately met a radical end. After that the whole community rose against Moses and Aaron and God had to send a plague to stop the rebellion. Thousands of people died as a result of this rebellion.
We can see a type of death today in people who challenge God. We don’t want to have any authority except ourselves. Even though we don’t live under a “Moses model”, there are leaders and elders that God has put in our lives to help us. When we reject that guidance and bluntly, authority, we set ourselves up to experience more pain and plagues in our lives. God’s attitude should really cause us to pause and think about how we talk about the leaders in our church and the leaders in the church. There is no way that we can have unity with one another without grumbling, complaining and rebellion against God’s ways being a thing of the past. If you think about it, God gives us people in our lives to enrich us – our mentors, our pastors, our leaders and given to us to enrich us. Why do we reject that?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April 5
Psalm 31:23-24 (NIV)
23 Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
It is our task to be strong in the conviction of God’s faithfulness. We have to be convinced and I do believe that most of the onus is on us. The tendency to degenerate and “float” in life cannot be accepted as o.k. If I want to preserver through difficult times I have got to understand God’s faithfulness. When we have a grasp of that, then we can be strong and we can take heart.
There are several ways that we can understand the faithfulness of God. First of all we can be in one difficult circumstance after another and see God come through. I don’t think that this can be totally avoided, yet I think that we could not be in so many difficult circumstances if we would learn the lessons we are suppose to get. The second way is to know God through His Word. It is an amazing thing – the Word of God. We have a great opportunity to know God through His Word which we are so richly blessed with.
God, help us not to drift away from the knowledge of your faithfulness without trouble. Keep us close to you. We desire to be strong in heart and mind.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
It is our task to be strong in the conviction of God’s faithfulness. We have to be convinced and I do believe that most of the onus is on us. The tendency to degenerate and “float” in life cannot be accepted as o.k. If I want to preserver through difficult times I have got to understand God’s faithfulness. When we have a grasp of that, then we can be strong and we can take heart.
There are several ways that we can understand the faithfulness of God. First of all we can be in one difficult circumstance after another and see God come through. I don’t think that this can be totally avoided, yet I think that we could not be in so many difficult circumstances if we would learn the lessons we are suppose to get. The second way is to know God through His Word. It is an amazing thing – the Word of God. We have a great opportunity to know God through His Word which we are so richly blessed with.
God, help us not to drift away from the knowledge of your faithfulness without trouble. Keep us close to you. We desire to be strong in heart and mind.
Monday, April 4, 2011
April 4
1 Cor. 5:11
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
At first read this may seem a little to strict. After all how about the humanity of believers? If you think this, I have some good news and some bad news. First the good news!
The good news is that this isn't talking about somebody who "slips" up or has a momentary lapse from their walk with the Lord. This is talking about people who call themselves Christians and not only don't walk the walk, but continue, without reservation, being sexually immoral, greedy... This all started (the discussion) with Paul rebuking the church for allowing a man who is having sexual relations with his step mother to continue on like nothing abnormal is happening. The point is that if we act like it is no big deal then the person who is caught in that sin will continue to ruin himself. Obviously we should not just stop talking to a person like this, but in the name of Love we should approach them, reprove them and pray for them (lovingly). Yet if that doesn't work, here is the bad news, we MUST not fellowship with them. We cannot go on acting like nothing is happening. If someone was a rapist or a murderer or a drug dealer, we would disfellowship him right away with no problem. Somehow the Spirit of God thinks that drunkards, swindlers, slanders and fornicators... deserve the same treatment. It is our task to bring the Kingdom of God into their lives - how - stop eating with them.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
At first read this may seem a little to strict. After all how about the humanity of believers? If you think this, I have some good news and some bad news. First the good news!
The good news is that this isn't talking about somebody who "slips" up or has a momentary lapse from their walk with the Lord. This is talking about people who call themselves Christians and not only don't walk the walk, but continue, without reservation, being sexually immoral, greedy... This all started (the discussion) with Paul rebuking the church for allowing a man who is having sexual relations with his step mother to continue on like nothing abnormal is happening. The point is that if we act like it is no big deal then the person who is caught in that sin will continue to ruin himself. Obviously we should not just stop talking to a person like this, but in the name of Love we should approach them, reprove them and pray for them (lovingly). Yet if that doesn't work, here is the bad news, we MUST not fellowship with them. We cannot go on acting like nothing is happening. If someone was a rapist or a murderer or a drug dealer, we would disfellowship him right away with no problem. Somehow the Spirit of God thinks that drunkards, swindlers, slanders and fornicators... deserve the same treatment. It is our task to bring the Kingdom of God into their lives - how - stop eating with them.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
April 3
1 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
I stumbled upon this during a recent study session. Isn’t it funny how you can read a book dozens or more times and miss something so wonderful as this illuminating truth?!
I want to be like Paul! I want to care very little if I am judged by people in the church or outside the church. “Water of a ducks back” would be a fitting saying to aspire to as it seems here that the Apostle has nearly mastered it. When I think about why it is difficult for me the only conclusion that I can come up with is that I care too much about what others think. What a trap! As this verse goes on it talks about Paul not judging himself either! I see the freedom in this way of life and I want it – do you? His conscience is clear because he understands what Christ died for. He has determined to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified and that has propelled him to a life that lacks judgment on him. He is aware that God judges him, but he trusts God be true and faithful. There is much more here, but suffice to say – stop judging yourself, care little about what others say, and live your life to the Lord.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
I stumbled upon this during a recent study session. Isn’t it funny how you can read a book dozens or more times and miss something so wonderful as this illuminating truth?!
I want to be like Paul! I want to care very little if I am judged by people in the church or outside the church. “Water of a ducks back” would be a fitting saying to aspire to as it seems here that the Apostle has nearly mastered it. When I think about why it is difficult for me the only conclusion that I can come up with is that I care too much about what others think. What a trap! As this verse goes on it talks about Paul not judging himself either! I see the freedom in this way of life and I want it – do you? His conscience is clear because he understands what Christ died for. He has determined to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified and that has propelled him to a life that lacks judgment on him. He is aware that God judges him, but he trusts God be true and faithful. There is much more here, but suffice to say – stop judging yourself, care little about what others say, and live your life to the Lord.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April 2
Numbers 9:23 (NIV)
23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.
Do you long to live like this like I do? My desire is to be guided by God and not by schedule, others, need, desire or anything else. When God says stay a while, then stay a while, when God says move on, then move on. Do you ever stay a while and later because of what happens in the crunch of the time of that day think, “did I stay too long with God?” Is that possible? We are people who desire to be where God wants us to be, but how do you know?
In this chapter of Numbers it was easy! If the cloud settled (yes a visible cloud by day that turned into a fireball of sorts at night), then God’s people settled and if the cloud moved out then the people moved out – simple right? Are you wishing for those days? Although I think there is something to the “seeing” in the spirit realm, we certainly have the spirit of God within us to tell us where to go and when to go there or how long to stay where we are. Our fundamental problem is that we are not tuned into the Spirit of God whose temple we are. We still decide things based on our knowledge and wisdom. First you have to believe that God wants to give you the knowledge of when are where to go or stay, and then you have to seek it. His Word says that if you seek, you will find – and certainly this applies to the direction of our daily lives that we have given to God’s rule (“Lord” our decision maker). You CAN hear the Spirit of God, you CAN know His will for you! He HAS and WILL reveal it to you. Why would He hold it back?
23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.
Do you long to live like this like I do? My desire is to be guided by God and not by schedule, others, need, desire or anything else. When God says stay a while, then stay a while, when God says move on, then move on. Do you ever stay a while and later because of what happens in the crunch of the time of that day think, “did I stay too long with God?” Is that possible? We are people who desire to be where God wants us to be, but how do you know?
In this chapter of Numbers it was easy! If the cloud settled (yes a visible cloud by day that turned into a fireball of sorts at night), then God’s people settled and if the cloud moved out then the people moved out – simple right? Are you wishing for those days? Although I think there is something to the “seeing” in the spirit realm, we certainly have the spirit of God within us to tell us where to go and when to go there or how long to stay where we are. Our fundamental problem is that we are not tuned into the Spirit of God whose temple we are. We still decide things based on our knowledge and wisdom. First you have to believe that God wants to give you the knowledge of when are where to go or stay, and then you have to seek it. His Word says that if you seek, you will find – and certainly this applies to the direction of our daily lives that we have given to God’s rule (“Lord” our decision maker). You CAN hear the Spirit of God, you CAN know His will for you! He HAS and WILL reveal it to you. Why would He hold it back?
Friday, April 1, 2011
April 1
1 Corinthians 2:4 (NIV)
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
One of the big questions that I hear often is; “why don’t we see more miracles?” Contained in this chapter is one of the reasons for that as well as a guiding principle of our way of life.
The answer is probably on the tip of your tongue right now. We don’t have the gospel preached like this anymore. The American Gospel is full of good works and morality, it is full of the love of God, but as far as power – not so much. There is a power in the preaching, a function of the Holy Spirit to empower the message and to prophetically speak to people, that is much more common, but as far as a demonstration (to show off, to prove by convincing proof), not so much. Why did this happen and when did it happen and how do we change it?
It has happened many times throughout the ages since Christ and not just in America! I believe that verse 14 is the key to why it happened. First of all people don’t understand walking (a way of life) in the Spirit. They have traded in walking in the Spirit for living a good moral life and it is NOT the same! The Spirit will empower you to live morally, obviously, but there is so much more! There is a life of miraculous power that flows from the Spirit to do much more than live right and I don’t think I have to explain it to you. Secondly, we have traded in the Spirit of God for the wisdom of this world! We want to appeal to the masses, so we have taken away anything that may offend people, like the power of the Holy Spirit. We have not wanted to appear “kooky” or “fanatical”, so we have sophisticated our church services to appeal to the world. Now of course we use all kinds of things like fog machines to appeal. In my thinking some appeal would be fine, but NEVER to the removal of the demonstration of the power of God. It is the preaching with the power that Jesus exemplified and that we seek after.
Oh God, come and visit us! Release your power on us oh Lord. We want to be a people who show you off to the world! We don’t care if it looks crazy, we are crazy for you and not ashamed to be sold out for you.
4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
One of the big questions that I hear often is; “why don’t we see more miracles?” Contained in this chapter is one of the reasons for that as well as a guiding principle of our way of life.
The answer is probably on the tip of your tongue right now. We don’t have the gospel preached like this anymore. The American Gospel is full of good works and morality, it is full of the love of God, but as far as power – not so much. There is a power in the preaching, a function of the Holy Spirit to empower the message and to prophetically speak to people, that is much more common, but as far as a demonstration (to show off, to prove by convincing proof), not so much. Why did this happen and when did it happen and how do we change it?
It has happened many times throughout the ages since Christ and not just in America! I believe that verse 14 is the key to why it happened. First of all people don’t understand walking (a way of life) in the Spirit. They have traded in walking in the Spirit for living a good moral life and it is NOT the same! The Spirit will empower you to live morally, obviously, but there is so much more! There is a life of miraculous power that flows from the Spirit to do much more than live right and I don’t think I have to explain it to you. Secondly, we have traded in the Spirit of God for the wisdom of this world! We want to appeal to the masses, so we have taken away anything that may offend people, like the power of the Holy Spirit. We have not wanted to appear “kooky” or “fanatical”, so we have sophisticated our church services to appeal to the world. Now of course we use all kinds of things like fog machines to appeal. In my thinking some appeal would be fine, but NEVER to the removal of the demonstration of the power of God. It is the preaching with the power that Jesus exemplified and that we seek after.
Oh God, come and visit us! Release your power on us oh Lord. We want to be a people who show you off to the world! We don’t care if it looks crazy, we are crazy for you and not ashamed to be sold out for you.
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