Thursday, October 31, 2013
Suffering and God's Will
This morning I am reading through Peter's first letter. He brings up suffering, and I think its important to understand his context, and more important to understand the Father's heart. Here are some verses:
1 Peter 3:14, 17 NIV
[14]"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.”
[17] For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."
1 Peter 4:13-16, 19 NIV
[13] "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. [14] If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. [15] If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. [16] However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
[19] So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."
In all of these verses, Peter is speaking of suffering under persecution, not sickness or disease. There is a mindset, which wrongly applies these verses as pointing to God somehow desiring us to suffer sickness and pain or difficult times as a part of His will. If we look every closely at verse 19, from the 4th chapter, we see that they are not suffering because its God's will that they suffer, but rather they are suffering persecution for doing God's will. The context of the suffering is persecution and hardship for obedience to God, which is why Jesus suffered. God knows that by obedience we will endure hardships, trials, persecutions, and the like, and those will come upon us, as they came upon Jesus.
It might be helpful to look at the original Greek of verse 19.
The word translated 'according to' is Kata - Definition 1. down from, through out 2. according to, toward, along.
The word translated 'will' is Thelema - Definition 1. what one wishes or has determined shall be done a. of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ b. of what God wishes to be done by us 1. commands, precepts 2. will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure
The structure of Greek is different as well - literally is would be written - therefore those who suffer Kata Thelma Theos - suffer because of or according to what we are commanded to do by God.
So we could write verse 19 this way - therefore, since Christ suffered persecutions and hardships, as you pursue God's will for You, which comes down from heaven and bears His blessings in obedience to His Word, you will experience suffering as Christ suffered, (persecutions and hardship) but in the face of this you should commit yourselves to God, who is faithful, and choose to continue to do good.
The point Peter is making is that we will suffer persecution for doing good, we will suffer hardship for obedience to God, not that God afflicts us with suffering just because He wants us to suffer. I like Bill Johnson's comments concerning this, he says that if he were to treat his own kids the way some people think the Father treats us (willing us to suffer, or causing us to suffer) he would be charged with child-abuse. God does not take pleasure in our suffering, or desire us to suffer, any more than any normal dad takes pleasure in his child's suffering or wants to see his child suffer for their own good. Jesus came as a perfect representation of the Father, and he did not afflict people with sickness or hardship, rather He healed them and set them free.
Hopefully this is helpful.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Of Sin and Sickness
This morning I am reading from Matthew 9:2-8 NIV:
[2] "Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
[3] At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
[4] Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? [5] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [6] But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” [7] Then the man got up and went home. [8] When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man."
And contrasting this verse with John 9:1-7 NIV:
[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
As I read these two sections, the question of whether sin causes sickness rises up. In both texts, we do not see this correlation. It was a common thought among the Jews that sin caused sickness, hence the questions from the disciples in John 9. Jesus clearly states that in this situation, that is not the case, neither the man, nor his parents had sin that caused his blindness.
In the first story from Matthew, we often times assume that the forgiveness of sins was tied directly to the healing, but all the commentators I have read make a point of saying this is not the case. Rather, the healing proved the validity of the earlier statement of Jesus, that He had authority to forgive sins. This situation had nothing to do with a correlation between the man's sin and sickness, but was rather a point of Jesus authority, given Him by the Father, to do both, forgive sins and heal and work miracles. The focus of this section was not the man, but rather Jesus.
In neither section is there a clear statement that sin causes sickness, or the opposite. There is clearly a case for sin causing sickness, for example in the case of sexual immorality being the cause of a sexually transmitted disease, or of the sin of gluttony being a potential cause of type 2 diabetes, or the case where persistent drunkenness causes liver failure, but this is not the rule by any means.
The truth that sin opened the door for sickness and disease to enter the world is conveyed to us in the book of Genesis, and as such it is proper to draw some correlation, but not of the personal level of responsibility, that many are quick to draw. If you were to read the teachings of men who had great healing ministries, like John G. Lake or Smith Wigglesworth, you would find that both of them believed the majority of sickness had to do with the work of the evil one and not people's sinfulness. We find ample scriptural basis for this perspective, and their experiences gave them reason to believe this was the case. We also have plenty of scriptural examples of healing that mention nothing other than the healing of the person or people who are sick. Developing a theological perspective that is heavily weighted around sin as the cause of sickness would be very short sighted and unbalanced.
Rather than trying to afix blame, let us instead pursue the glorification of God in healing and miracles, and let Him be the judge of people hearts and lives. Let us point to, and run to Jesus who has authority to forgive sins and bring healing of all diseases.
[2] "Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
[3] At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
[4] Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? [5] Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? [6] But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” [7] Then the man got up and went home. [8] When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man."
And contrasting this verse with John 9:1-7 NIV:
[1] "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
[3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
[6] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. [7] “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."
As I read these two sections, the question of whether sin causes sickness rises up. In both texts, we do not see this correlation. It was a common thought among the Jews that sin caused sickness, hence the questions from the disciples in John 9. Jesus clearly states that in this situation, that is not the case, neither the man, nor his parents had sin that caused his blindness.
In the first story from Matthew, we often times assume that the forgiveness of sins was tied directly to the healing, but all the commentators I have read make a point of saying this is not the case. Rather, the healing proved the validity of the earlier statement of Jesus, that He had authority to forgive sins. This situation had nothing to do with a correlation between the man's sin and sickness, but was rather a point of Jesus authority, given Him by the Father, to do both, forgive sins and heal and work miracles. The focus of this section was not the man, but rather Jesus.
In neither section is there a clear statement that sin causes sickness, or the opposite. There is clearly a case for sin causing sickness, for example in the case of sexual immorality being the cause of a sexually transmitted disease, or of the sin of gluttony being a potential cause of type 2 diabetes, or the case where persistent drunkenness causes liver failure, but this is not the rule by any means.
The truth that sin opened the door for sickness and disease to enter the world is conveyed to us in the book of Genesis, and as such it is proper to draw some correlation, but not of the personal level of responsibility, that many are quick to draw. If you were to read the teachings of men who had great healing ministries, like John G. Lake or Smith Wigglesworth, you would find that both of them believed the majority of sickness had to do with the work of the evil one and not people's sinfulness. We find ample scriptural basis for this perspective, and their experiences gave them reason to believe this was the case. We also have plenty of scriptural examples of healing that mention nothing other than the healing of the person or people who are sick. Developing a theological perspective that is heavily weighted around sin as the cause of sickness would be very short sighted and unbalanced.
Rather than trying to afix blame, let us instead pursue the glorification of God in healing and miracles, and let Him be the judge of people hearts and lives. Let us point to, and run to Jesus who has authority to forgive sins and bring healing of all diseases.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Love and Forgiveness
I was reading through the Gospel of Matthew this morning and two sections stood out to me.
Matthew 5:44-48 NIV
[44] "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. [46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? [47] And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 6:14-15 NIV:
[14] "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
I was thinking about how challenging these two sections of verses are to live out. The call is to go beyond our normal human nature and treat others, all others, the way we have been treated by the Lord. These really challenge our thinking about the way God deals with us as well. The picture of the Father, as it was often understood in the Old Testament, was that He was vengeful, unforgiving, and punished sinners. Here Jesus is laying out a different picture of the Father as someone who blesses both the righteous and unrighteous, who loves those who don't love Him, who is perfect in His love and mercy. All the challenges He makes to our ways of thinking are originating in the Father.
Secondly, there is an expectation that we understand forgiveness and extend it toward others. This is one of the few places that I know of where there is a direct command to do something to get something in return. There is much to be said about forgiveness towards others, but I think of primary importance, it opens us up to forgiveness by the Father. Jesus focuses on forgiveness several times in His discourses, so we should not read this as the only word on forgiveness.
Forgiveness speaks much about the nature of our heart, and our willingness to love in spite of hurt, rejection, slights, etc. Have we understood the incredible gift of forgiveness we have been given by Jesus taking all our sins to the cross? Have we embraced Him, and received His love into our hearts, and as such become a fount of love and life? Are we holding onto to unforgiveness so that we can extract some sort of payment from the offending party? Let us look to the Lord, who requires no payment for cancelling or sins, but who invites us into relationship.
Let us extend to others that which has been extended to us, namely God's mercy, love and forgiveness. Let us treat all as the Lord treats us. Let us learn to love as the Father loves
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Amazing Realities
Last night I was reading from Paul's letters to the Colossians 2:9-15 NIV:
[10] "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."
[13] "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
As I am reading these verses I am aware of several things. I am amazed at the reality of verse 10, that Jesus came to earth and took on bodily form, becoming a man.
I am amazed that in Christ, every one of my sins is forgiven.
I am amazed that in Christ, He did everything required for me, and I only have to have faith in Him, and accept His sacrifice. There is nothing I can add, nothing required of me, except to accept Him and believe.
Finally, I am amazed at the power and authority we are invited into, in Christ, for we were raised with Him, through our faith. He is now seated in power, and we with Him, for we are hidden in Christ. Colossians 3:3 NIV: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Lord, help me to more fully grasp these truths. I want to understand and be brought to fullness in Jesus. I want to walk in that fullness, authority and power that are available to me. I want to live a life of thankfulness and appreciation, and bring You glory through my life.
[10] "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead."
[13] "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
As I am reading these verses I am aware of several things. I am amazed at the reality of verse 10, that Jesus came to earth and took on bodily form, becoming a man.
I am amazed that in Christ, every one of my sins is forgiven.
I am amazed that in Christ, He did everything required for me, and I only have to have faith in Him, and accept His sacrifice. There is nothing I can add, nothing required of me, except to accept Him and believe.
Finally, I am amazed at the power and authority we are invited into, in Christ, for we were raised with Him, through our faith. He is now seated in power, and we with Him, for we are hidden in Christ. Colossians 3:3 NIV: "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Lord, help me to more fully grasp these truths. I want to understand and be brought to fullness in Jesus. I want to walk in that fullness, authority and power that are available to me. I want to live a life of thankfulness and appreciation, and bring You glory through my life.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
God's Heart for the Lonely and Bound-up
This morning I was reading Psalm 68, which a grand psalm about the greatness of God. I was caught by one verse in particular though... Psalm 68:6 NIV:"God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."
Young's Literal Translation says it slightly differently, which is more in line with the original Hebrew: "God -- causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only --the 'rebellious' have inhabited a dry place." They actually use refractory instead of rebellious, but the word means the same.
Anyway, breaking it down, God cares for the lonely. He desires to place them in families, in a home, where they are no longer lonely.
As I read the first part of the verse, I thought of all the troubled children, foster children, the orphans, especially the older children who are looking for a home, and I see God's heart for them. I thought of all the people who are single, not of their choice, who long for husbands or wives, for children, and I see God's heart for them. God is all about relationships, and we are meant to be in them and have a place of belonging and purpose. Lord, I cry out to you for all the people who are lonely, that You would cause them to dwell in a home of love and significance.
The second part, on first read in the NIV, doesn't seem to get to the real point. The original language, again more clear in YLT, is speaking of those who are bound, who are captive to something. God sets them free, He redeems them, and leads them out. Whether its financial burdens, emotional chains, scars and wounds from one's past, God is capable of setting all free, and bringing them to a place of prosperity, promise or plenty. In this context, the picture of the prisoners being led out with singing does say it all, they are free and their hearts must sing. Lord, I pray that You might set people free and release them from their captivity, that they might be led to a place of promise, plenty and prosperity.
Finally the verse ends with an admonition to heed the Lord, to listen to His direction and follow it. Those that don't, those that rebel against the Lord, end up living in a barren waste land, of self imposed lack. God's desire for us is blessing and relationship, and He is not the cause of their presence-less existence. When we do not trust the Lord, we choose a path that does not lead to life, for that is always the direction He leads us along.
Finishing these thoughts with Psalm 23 - this is how the Lord desires to operate in our lives!
Psalm 23:1-6 NIV
[1] The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
[3] he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
[4] Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
[6] Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen!
Young's Literal Translation says it slightly differently, which is more in line with the original Hebrew: "God -- causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only --the 'rebellious' have inhabited a dry place." They actually use refractory instead of rebellious, but the word means the same.
Anyway, breaking it down, God cares for the lonely. He desires to place them in families, in a home, where they are no longer lonely.
As I read the first part of the verse, I thought of all the troubled children, foster children, the orphans, especially the older children who are looking for a home, and I see God's heart for them. I thought of all the people who are single, not of their choice, who long for husbands or wives, for children, and I see God's heart for them. God is all about relationships, and we are meant to be in them and have a place of belonging and purpose. Lord, I cry out to you for all the people who are lonely, that You would cause them to dwell in a home of love and significance.
The second part, on first read in the NIV, doesn't seem to get to the real point. The original language, again more clear in YLT, is speaking of those who are bound, who are captive to something. God sets them free, He redeems them, and leads them out. Whether its financial burdens, emotional chains, scars and wounds from one's past, God is capable of setting all free, and bringing them to a place of prosperity, promise or plenty. In this context, the picture of the prisoners being led out with singing does say it all, they are free and their hearts must sing. Lord, I pray that You might set people free and release them from their captivity, that they might be led to a place of promise, plenty and prosperity.
Finally the verse ends with an admonition to heed the Lord, to listen to His direction and follow it. Those that don't, those that rebel against the Lord, end up living in a barren waste land, of self imposed lack. God's desire for us is blessing and relationship, and He is not the cause of their presence-less existence. When we do not trust the Lord, we choose a path that does not lead to life, for that is always the direction He leads us along.
Finishing these thoughts with Psalm 23 - this is how the Lord desires to operate in our lives!
Psalm 23:1-6 NIV
[1] The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
[3] he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
[4] Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
[6] Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Work AND Minister
This morning I read through both of Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. I don't think I have ever read through both of them at the same time. I thought it would be interesting to see what his follow-up letter was like, and whether he addressed similar issues, acknowledged growth, etc. The one message that was clear in both was Paul's encouragement to the people to follow his model of working hard to provide for himself and his companions. He brings this up early in the first letter with this and ends the second with the same admonition. Here are the two sections:
1 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NIV
We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. [7] Instead, we were like young children among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, [8] so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. [9] Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. [10] You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [11] For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, [12] encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NIV
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
The second letter is clearly a follow up to the first in this regard, as Paul makes sure to point out that his lifestyle was meant as an example, one they could imitate. I don't know anything about Thessoloniaka at that time, but Paul is definitely calling them to a similar model of working while sharing the Gospel. I think of the modern day ministries that focus in marketplace ministry and see here a similar model, one that is very effective and easy to replicate.
The interesting thing is that in so many of our minds the call to ministry would require us leaving the marketplace, or our jobs, to focus solely on ministry, yet Paul, arguably the most effective evangelist and apostle, called people to a model of ministry and proclamation of the gospel woven into a life in the marketplace. I think of all such people who feel in some was that their call to ministry is in some way inferior, and I would point them to Paul.
It is funny because even in Paul's time, he had to defend his ministry and its effectiveness because he did not require the churches to support him. In both his second letter to the Corinthians and his letter to the Galatians, he was defending his calling, partly due to the fact that he ministered to the gentiles and worked while doing so. Granted the Jewish faith had full-time priests, and the worship in the temple was setup with rules to provide for the Levites, and others who ministered there, but Paul was working with the gentiles. He was having to defend his ministry, as many thought because he worked to support himself, he was in some way inferior to the other apostles. How mistaken they were, and history certainly proves Paul's case.
His model of ministry was easy to copy and at the end of the day one that provided for a growing church that could support itself. One of the little know issues of the church in Jerusalem is that part of the reason it did not survive was that it could not support itself, and we see plenty of scriptures where Paul and others are raising support for that church, and bringing back the offerings.
So my encouragement today is to view my call to ministry, as is true for the vast majority of us all, to minister in the place of our employment, as every bit equal to the call of any minister who is working in full-time ministry. We ARE the church, and we share responsibility for ministry in our sphere of influence, those we work with, interact with, and see daily. We are called to live lives that are examples that can be imitated, as people find the Lord, and step into a life of following Him. They must understand they are capable of following after the Lord and making a significant difference in the lives of those around them, and they need real world examples of others whom are following Christ, and breathing life to those around them.
1 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NIV
We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. [7] Instead, we were like young children among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, [8] so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. [9] Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. [10] You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [11] For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, [12] encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NIV
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. [10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
The second letter is clearly a follow up to the first in this regard, as Paul makes sure to point out that his lifestyle was meant as an example, one they could imitate. I don't know anything about Thessoloniaka at that time, but Paul is definitely calling them to a similar model of working while sharing the Gospel. I think of the modern day ministries that focus in marketplace ministry and see here a similar model, one that is very effective and easy to replicate.
The interesting thing is that in so many of our minds the call to ministry would require us leaving the marketplace, or our jobs, to focus solely on ministry, yet Paul, arguably the most effective evangelist and apostle, called people to a model of ministry and proclamation of the gospel woven into a life in the marketplace. I think of all such people who feel in some was that their call to ministry is in some way inferior, and I would point them to Paul.
It is funny because even in Paul's time, he had to defend his ministry and its effectiveness because he did not require the churches to support him. In both his second letter to the Corinthians and his letter to the Galatians, he was defending his calling, partly due to the fact that he ministered to the gentiles and worked while doing so. Granted the Jewish faith had full-time priests, and the worship in the temple was setup with rules to provide for the Levites, and others who ministered there, but Paul was working with the gentiles. He was having to defend his ministry, as many thought because he worked to support himself, he was in some way inferior to the other apostles. How mistaken they were, and history certainly proves Paul's case.
His model of ministry was easy to copy and at the end of the day one that provided for a growing church that could support itself. One of the little know issues of the church in Jerusalem is that part of the reason it did not survive was that it could not support itself, and we see plenty of scriptures where Paul and others are raising support for that church, and bringing back the offerings.
So my encouragement today is to view my call to ministry, as is true for the vast majority of us all, to minister in the place of our employment, as every bit equal to the call of any minister who is working in full-time ministry. We ARE the church, and we share responsibility for ministry in our sphere of influence, those we work with, interact with, and see daily. We are called to live lives that are examples that can be imitated, as people find the Lord, and step into a life of following Him. They must understand they are capable of following after the Lord and making a significant difference in the lives of those around them, and they need real world examples of others whom are following Christ, and breathing life to those around them.
Friday, October 18, 2013
A Day of Judgement and Eternal Destiny
This morning besides taking some time in worship, I felt I should read from Paul's second letter to the church in Thessoloniaka.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 NIV:
[5] "All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. [6] God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you [7] and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. [8] He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might [10] on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
Sometimes we forget that there is an eternal destiny waiting for each of us, for all of us. Paul is quite clear in his understanding that there will be a day of judgement, a day of reckoning, when the Lord will come and judge rightly. God is full of compassion, mercy and grace. He desires that no one should be lost (2 Peter 3:9) and no one perish, but that is not the reality. There will be those who have chosen to not know God, nor to put their faith in Jesus. They may not be the ones we expect, but judgement will be given. Jesus first spoke of this reality, (Matt 25:31-46) and Paul continues that theme here.
My friend was talking about the importance of knowing there is an eternal destiny, heaven, and that this should fill us with hope and encouragement as believers. It is one of the truths that was very present in the minds of the early church, and something that helped them to endure difficult times and struggles. Paul directs their thoughts in this direction in these verses, and we should spend some time thinking about this well. We, or I should say I, spend very little time thinking about eternal destiny, as our society is so focused on the here and now. We have difficulty thinking beyond tomorrow, or next week, let alone our eternal destiny, yet this something that Jesus came to tell us about. Jesus comforted His apostles by saying He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them (John 14:2-3). We should heed His words, considering this reality of eternal destiny, and allow our lives to be impacted, and changed. Viewing life from an eternal perspective should give us a new appreciation for that which is important and that that which will pass away.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
A Faith Question
Recently I was listening to a couple of gentlemen, that I don't agree with, who were speaking about the heretical messages coming out of Bill Johnson and Mike Bickle regarding miracles, and the nature of Jesus. Without getting into the whole thing, they are talking about how these two teachers were teaching wrongly about Christ's divinity. They said they (Bill and Mike) were misinterpreting the passage from Philippians where Paul speaks about Jesus emptying himself to become like man. The speakers indicted that they (Bill and Mike) were wrong in how they said that passage relates to our lives as Christians, being called to do the same things as Jesus, because He was ministering not out of his divinity, but as a man, filled with the Holy Spirit. Quoting the verses here:
Philippians 2:5-11 NIV
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The NASB reads a bit different:
Philippians 2:5-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
5 Have this attitude [a] in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [b] grasped, 7 but [c] emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death [d] on a cross.
As one reads all the commentaries, and looks at so much of the scriptural foundation that relies on an understanding that these verses do clearly mean exactly what Bill and Mike say, there can be no other way of translating this that makes sense to the greater witness of our faith. Christ had to come as a man, to fulfill the requirements of the law, as a man. To do so as God, would have not satisfied the requirements set in place by God. To do all the things He did by relying on His own divine nature would have made it impossible for the apostles to do the same things, for they possessed no divine nature, yet they healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and cured lepers, as Jesus commanded them to do.
Paul, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, wrote that Jesus emptied Himself, speaking of His existing in the form of God. It was this form of God that He emptied himself of, not His divinity. He became a man, which required that He take on a new lesser nature than His form as God. This was a choice that Jesus made and the Father allowed. Paul speaks of Jesus being obedient, and that also requires the nature of a man, for Jesus in His Godly form, is an equal in the Trinity, and thus never subservient, but in unity with the Father. Obedience requires a higher entity or authority. In this case Paul says He was obedient unto death, which we know was under God, so Jesus was clearly operating as a man, in His obedience.
Finally, I believe that Jesus spoke quite clearly on the manner and called us do what He did, and even greater still. John 14:10-12 NIV:"Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."
I always find it interesting to see how the Word gets interpreted by others. Other are so many who believe they have the truth, and yet are in significant disagreement with others. I know I don't know the truth fully, nor would I ever say I did, but I do know what I believe and what makes sense to me. I think it is healthy for us to be challenged in our believes, for this causes us to think things through, and hopefully understand why we believe as we do.
Lord we pray for clarity and unity to be poured out to Your Body here on earth. Let the truth of who You are be known to the whole world, for we know that one day every knee in Heaven and Earth will bow to Your name.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
God Speaks, Are We Hearing?
This morning I fumbled around a bit in the scriptures, and finally settled on reading from Ezekiel 12:21-28 NIV:
[21] "The word of the Lord came to me: [22] “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? [23] Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. [24] For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. [25] But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord. ’ ” [26] The word of the Lord came to me: [27] “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ [28] “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
I find this warning of the Lord to the people of Israel very interesting. In essence they had stopped listening to the Word of the Lord, given to them through prophetic visions, because they said it was always for some future date, and didn't really concern them. The Lord then promised a day when visions and prophecy would be fulfilled without delay. I believe Ezekiel was seeing the last days and the new dispensation that we are all living under. Peter said that we entered the last days on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41). Later in the book of Acts we see the Word come forth from Peter concerning Ananias and Sapphira and it is fulfilled immediately (Acts 5) and both fall dead at his feet. There is clearly a prophetic quickening and new effectiveness that was demonstrated in the early church, and the same holds true for us today, as we are still in those "last days" and the Lord is constantly speaking to those that will hear.
That being said, I think there is still a common thought among people, that the Word of the Lord is not for them, or not concerned with them. Many of us do not believe the Lord would speak to us individually, or concern Himself with our lives. We think that the Lord might speak to those holy special people, but not to us. We live our lives unconcerned and unaware of the Word of the Lord going forth to all in His Body. The truth is that the Lord wants to speak to each of us, wants to communicate with us all. An author I am reading presently, Kris Vallaton, says that God is always speaking, but His first language is not English. He continues on saying that we need to learn to hear how the Lord speaks in our lives. Citing scripture, Kris speaks of dreams, visions, words of knowledge, prophecy, discernment and trances as some of the ways the Lord speaks, in addition to using His Word - the scriptures. What we need to cultivate in our own lives is a desire to hear God and a sensitivity to His speaking. We need to learn to expect that He will speak to us individually, for He promised that His sheep (we are all His flock) hear and know His voice (John 10:1-18).
Finally Jesus speaks about our hearing in Mark 4:23-25, "If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” [24] “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you---and even more. [25] Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
Jesus is speaking of hearing, active listening in the last two verses. It could be rewritten as follows - With the measure we use to listen, His word will be spoken to us. Whoever has heard, has listened attentively, will be given more to hear....
Lord, help us to hear Your voice in our lives, believing that You will speak, and act. You desire to impart more and more to us, but require a people willing to listen and obey. Help us to be such a people!
[21] "The word of the Lord came to me: [22] “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? [23] Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. [24] For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. [25] But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord. ’ ” [26] The word of the Lord came to me: [27] “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ [28] “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
I find this warning of the Lord to the people of Israel very interesting. In essence they had stopped listening to the Word of the Lord, given to them through prophetic visions, because they said it was always for some future date, and didn't really concern them. The Lord then promised a day when visions and prophecy would be fulfilled without delay. I believe Ezekiel was seeing the last days and the new dispensation that we are all living under. Peter said that we entered the last days on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41). Later in the book of Acts we see the Word come forth from Peter concerning Ananias and Sapphira and it is fulfilled immediately (Acts 5) and both fall dead at his feet. There is clearly a prophetic quickening and new effectiveness that was demonstrated in the early church, and the same holds true for us today, as we are still in those "last days" and the Lord is constantly speaking to those that will hear.
That being said, I think there is still a common thought among people, that the Word of the Lord is not for them, or not concerned with them. Many of us do not believe the Lord would speak to us individually, or concern Himself with our lives. We think that the Lord might speak to those holy special people, but not to us. We live our lives unconcerned and unaware of the Word of the Lord going forth to all in His Body. The truth is that the Lord wants to speak to each of us, wants to communicate with us all. An author I am reading presently, Kris Vallaton, says that God is always speaking, but His first language is not English. He continues on saying that we need to learn to hear how the Lord speaks in our lives. Citing scripture, Kris speaks of dreams, visions, words of knowledge, prophecy, discernment and trances as some of the ways the Lord speaks, in addition to using His Word - the scriptures. What we need to cultivate in our own lives is a desire to hear God and a sensitivity to His speaking. We need to learn to expect that He will speak to us individually, for He promised that His sheep (we are all His flock) hear and know His voice (John 10:1-18).
Finally Jesus speaks about our hearing in Mark 4:23-25, "If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” [24] “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you---and even more. [25] Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
Jesus is speaking of hearing, active listening in the last two verses. It could be rewritten as follows - With the measure we use to listen, His word will be spoken to us. Whoever has heard, has listened attentively, will be given more to hear....
Lord, help us to hear Your voice in our lives, believing that You will speak, and act. You desire to impart more and more to us, but require a people willing to listen and obey. Help us to be such a people!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Faith and Love, Not Works
This morning I am continuing my reading of Paul's letter to the Galatians 5:1-6 NIV:
[1] "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. [2] Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [5] For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
As I read through these verses, verse 4 really stood out as a significant truth. Those who are trying to be justified by the law, is the same as having a works mentality. It has to do with adhering to set of rules that are supposed to make us righteous and justified to stand before God. This is such an attractive message to us, because we like things in black and white. We like a simple plan with a list of do's and don'ts. If you do this its wrong and sinning, but if you do this then you are righteous. It is simple for us to track our own progress against a set of rules, and easy to judge others as well.
Paul says that if we give ourselves over to that (justified by our own works) mindset, we have been alienated from Christ! That is a hugely significant message! The word Paul uses, that is translated in the NIV as alienated, actually has a much more significant meaning. Alienated, speaks to me of a separation in relationship, but the Greek word is Katargeo and the definition follows:
1. to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative
a. to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency
b. to deprive of force, influence, power
2. to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish
a. to cease, to pass away, be done away
b. to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one
c. to terminate all communication with one
Pretty much any of the definitions or sub-definitions above seems to me to be more significant and permanent than alienated. We must look very closely at the message we follow and the way it is worked out in our lives, as we want to remain in loving relationship with Jesus.
Paul goes on to say that these people, who are pursuing righteousness through there own works, have fallen away from Grace, which certainly makes sense. Grace is not necessary, if works can attain the same result, for it is the Grace of God that is applied through faith, that brings us to salvation. It is the works of Jesus, His sacrifice alone that makes us righteous. Nothing we do, nothing we say, can justify us enough to enter into relationship with God or our own, nor keep us in that place. It is the unmerited favor of God - His grace that brings us to Him. Unmerited means that there are no actions we can do to earn this favor.
Paul speaks of all this in his letter to the Romans 3:21-25, 28 NIV:
[21] "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. [22] This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. [25] God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood---to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, ...
[28] For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."
Paul is clearly speaking about the very same issue in these verses. It is not our works, not our activity, not our purity that brings us to salvation, but rather the grace of God. As Paul says at the end of the verses I quoted from Galatians, " The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." We are called to relationship wit God, and there is no simple list of things to do, or not to do that will enable us to grow in relationship and love. We are called to interact, to spend time, to get to know, to listen, to embrace the Lord. For each of us, this can look different, for we are al unique and treasured by the Lord. God doesn't want us to be pursuing works apart from relationship, for that is what can happen when we create our list of actions and behaviors that will justify us, we can accomplish them in a relationship vacuum. However, we will, out of affection and interaction with Jesus, desire to please Him and become more like Him, but that comes after relationship is established and is not the way to get into relationship wth the Lord.
Let us examine our lives, and live a life of faith expressing itself through love. We want to remain connected with the Lord, fully receiving all the grace that He has for us.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Spiritual Fruit Stands
This morning I am reading from Galatians 5:22-26 NIV:
[22] "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
I love these verses, as they are so rich in meaning and encouragement. I realty like what David Guzick writes about the first two verses here:
5. (22-23) Examples of the fruit of the Spirit that walking in the Spirit produces in our lives.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
a. But the fruit of the Spirit: The works of the flesh seem overwhelming – both in us and around us. God is good enough, and big enough, to change everything with but (only) the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit can always conquer the works of the flesh.
i. Significantly, it is the fruit of the Spirit set across from the works of the flesh. Works are works, and fruit is fruit. Fruit has several important characteristics.
· Fruit isn't achieved by working, but is birthed by abiding.
· Fruit is fragile.
· Fruit reproduces itself.
· Fruit is attractive.
· Fruit nourishes.
b. Fruit of the Spirit: Paul used the plural is describing life after the flesh (works of the flesh), but he uses the singular (fruit, not fruits, of the Spirit). In the big picture, the Spirit has one work to do in all of us. These aren't the gifts of the Spirit, which are distributed on an individual basis by the will of the Spirit; this is something for every Christian.
i. "It may be significant that the word fruit is singular; Paul is not speaking of a series of fruits that would be shared around, so that one believer has one, another another. Rather he is referring to a cluster, such that all the qualities are to be manifested in each believer." (Morris)
As Paul continues the discourse, he speaks of those who walk in the Spirit as having crucified the flesh. That is a very severe image, but in reality it is true, as we have been crucified with Christ, our old man and sin, nailed to the cross with Jesus (Romans 6:6). On this side of the cross, we are set free from those things, becoming a new creation.
Paul then encourages us to stay in step with the Spirit, to walk in unison with Him. Walking this way requires a continual connection and listening and seeing. When I used to march with a marching band, we were supposed to stay in step with our line, and one did this by adapting ones walk to match the steps of the others. We listened to the cadence, and watched the line making sure our steps matched the steps of others. In the same way, we need to stay in step, listening, looking at what the Spirit is doing and adjusting our steps, our walk to stay in step with Him.
Finally we should not become conceited if we have fruit present in our lives. We all should have fruit, as it comes from abiding in Him. We are not the source, we merely reflect externally what He is establishing internally. We are not to be envious of other's fruit, but rather encouraged that other levels of fruitfulness are available.
Let us learn to abide in the Spirit, allowing our lives to resonate with what the Spirit brings, namely, His fruit. As David Guzick says, fruit is attractive, and meant to be one of things that draw others to Christ. As I was thinking about that, I had the image of a road-side fruit stand pop into my mind. What a great image, we are supposed to live in such a way that the Spirit's fruit in us is visible to all, and attracts people to him. We are called to be Spiritual Fruit Stands.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Unity and Dying to Ourselves
Last evening I was reading from Philippians 2:1-5 NIV:
[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:.."
As I was rereading through these same verses this morning I was immediately struck by how counter-cultural these encouragements are for those that live in this western culture. We value independence, individualism, pride, and pursuing the American dream. At first blush these encouragements from Paul seem the opposite - be like-minded, humble, putting others first, etc. I believe Paul is talking about one of the great challenges for any Christian, namely the dying to oneself.
The idea that we become a new creation in Christ, have an old self that we must put-off and a new-self, that we must choose to put on, is quite radical. This is not just another club we join with some new rules, but a literal transformation of our whole being. Our thought process, how we see ourselves, the value of our relationships, how e interact with others are all supposed to be changing, as we become more and more like Christ, and join ourselves to the Body of Christ.
Living our lives for the purpose of fulfilling someone else's (the Lord Jesus) will, is counter to our normal mode of thought and perspective. Understanding the importance and value of unity within the Body of Christ, and how unity trumps individualism without taking away the unique value we all have, is a fine balance. We really are part of something new, and each of us are absolutely essential, but we cannot attain our destiny as a spotless Bride of Christ, if we can't learn to think and act as one.
Learning to look st someone else's interests before our own, seems self-defeating, and that is the point. There is room for each of us, and who we are is of supreme value to the Lord, but He calls to lay down our will (our self interest), and find our place within His. He loves us and created each of us uniquely, and is not asking for a bunch of vanilla Christians, who all look and act alike, but rather a rich and diverse people who willingly lay down their will, not their personality, to join themselves to His Body.
As I was thinking about this, I had two images pop into my mind, the first being blended wine, the second a rich and awesome mix of spices. In both scenarios, the flavors and uniqueness of each is added to the whole, and affect the flavor of the whole mixture. It seems that there would be a loss of value for the individual flavor, but in reality, when blended, the other flavors enhance each other, as they work together in unison. When you sip a great blended wine, you can still pick out all the original flavors, if you pay attention, but the experience of this great blended wine is far better than any one wine that is used in the blend. In the same way, when you taste a spice mixture, you can pick out the individual spices, but it is the mixture that brings greater experience.
In the same way, we are all great and unique, but without the uniqueness of all the other members of the Body of Christ, we are just a single person, a single good flavor. The Lord calls us to learn how to join ourselves to others in a way that enhances everyone, seeing the value is each other and calling it forth. Allowing someone else to be the 'flavor of the month' requires us to be willing to put them before ourselves. He is the master blender and is calling us to join ourselves to Him, to allow Him to exert His will in our lives, to call out the uniqueness in each of us, at just the right moment to enhance all. As an example, as much as like garlic, there are just times that I need to leave the garlic in the spice rack - banana-cream pie would be ruined by garlic.
Lord, help us to learn to become this new creation, dying to our own will and joining ourselves to You and allowing Your will to become our's. We desire to fulfill our purpose as critical members in the Body of Christ.
Friday, October 11, 2013
A Song of Restoration - Zeph 3
This morning I am reading from the prophet Zephaniah, not one of my normal choices. However at the end of the book is this great set of verses, where the Lord promises restoration to Israel:
Zephaniah 3:14-20 NIV
[14] "Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
[15] The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. [16] On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.
[17] The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
[18] “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.
[19] At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.
[20] At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.
-
These are awesome promises for some day in the future for Israel, but the reality is that we live in that day now.
He has taken away our punishment, by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Jesus rose from the dead and is alive and present to those that believe. The Holy Spirit lives within us.
Fear is driven away by perfect love, and the Lord has expressed that perfect love in our lives.
The Lord is present and able to save all that come to Him.
The Lord rejoices over us!
He sings over us - His Body, His Bride, His sons, His daughters.
As I wrote that sentence I saw a picture of a father singing lullabies over his baby, that he was holding in His arms. That is how the Lord feels about us, totally in love, totally protective!
He does fight for us, as He has already destroyed the power of the enemy, sin and death.
He does gather us! He calls us by our names!
He is releasing healing and restoration in our midst!
He is restoring His Glory to us, His presence which is our real fortune, our real treasure!
Amen Lord, open my eyes to Your working all around me, and that which You are already doing in my life!
Zephaniah 3:14-20 NIV
[14] "Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
[15] The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. [16] On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.
[17] The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
[18] “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.
[19] At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.
[20] At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.
-
These are awesome promises for some day in the future for Israel, but the reality is that we live in that day now.
He has taken away our punishment, by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Jesus rose from the dead and is alive and present to those that believe. The Holy Spirit lives within us.
Fear is driven away by perfect love, and the Lord has expressed that perfect love in our lives.
The Lord is present and able to save all that come to Him.
The Lord rejoices over us!
He sings over us - His Body, His Bride, His sons, His daughters.
As I wrote that sentence I saw a picture of a father singing lullabies over his baby, that he was holding in His arms. That is how the Lord feels about us, totally in love, totally protective!
He does fight for us, as He has already destroyed the power of the enemy, sin and death.
He does gather us! He calls us by our names!
He is releasing healing and restoration in our midst!
He is restoring His Glory to us, His presence which is our real fortune, our real treasure!
Amen Lord, open my eyes to Your working all around me, and that which You are already doing in my life!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
A Prophetic Dream and Related Word - Restoration and Acceleration
Yesterday I had a dream, which seemed to last much of the night, it was a multiple phase dream that had to do with renovating a building and then we were preparing for a wedding there. Everything went faster than we planned and grew bigger than we planned. In one day all the major work on this building, which was an old service station was completed, including reworking plumbing, sewer, electricity, cement, etc. The guy I was working with was amazingly fast. I would be looking at something, talking about it, turn around and come back and he had finished it already, better than I would have imagined. As we built the building we decided to have a small wedding there. We gathered the people for a rehearsal, and there were at least twice as many people as I anticipated. Next we gathered for the final planning session and we separated out the children, so the adults could talk about the final plans. When I went to the back room where we were gathering, what should have been 1/3 full was completely full, and there were several young people, as in 10-11 year old, but after thinking about it, I thought it was appropriate to have them there too. We bought some BBQ for food and by the time we got back the numbers had at least tripled. We went to the back room to finish preparations, and someone said the wedding was starting. We went back to the main area, and it had grown in size to a giant auditorium that was packed with people, and a huge stage where the whole wedding party was gathered and they were just about to start. The funny thing was that I knew I was supposed to officiate, so I was running hard to get ready, and that is when I woke up.
I think in general this has to do with times of increase and acceleration happening all around us. There will be a quickening in the Spirit, where things that should take days and weeks are taking hours, deep works, and restorative works almost immediately. The thoughts we have about how big, or what our role will be are not big enough, we need to expand our visions, expand our thinking. The will be plenty for us to do, and we will be working with the Lord, for our efforts will have far more effectiveness than planned - we will be filled with grace, the power of God
Word:
This morning I woke up at 4:02 wide awake, thinking my alarm had just gone off. I was all ready to roll out of bed when I looked at the clock - and realized my mistake. I was able to go back to sleep. However, after I woke up for the day, I realized that the Lord might have been speaking to me and gave me 402 as a number to guide me in His word.
A quick survey of my Bible for page 402 and chapter 40:2 has some awesome things.
Page 402 is Ezra 5:2 where Zerrubabel and Jeshua start to work on rebuilding the house of God in Jerusalem!
Ezra 5:2 NIV
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
Exodus 40:1-5, 33-35 NIV
'Then the Lord said to Moses: [2] “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. [3] Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. [4] Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. [5] Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
[33] Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. [34] Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
Psalm 40 has the following verses:
Psalm 40:1-11 NIV
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. [2] He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. [3] He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. [4] Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. [5] Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. [6] Sacrifice and offering you did not desire---but my ears you have opened---burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [7] Then I said, “Here I am, I have come---it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” [9] I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know. [10] I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. [11] Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
Isaiah 40:1-5 NIV
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. [3] A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. [5] And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Jeremiah 40:2-4 NIV
"When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. [3] And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. [4] But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”
Ezekiel 40:1-4 NIV
"In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city---on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there. [2] In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. [3] He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. [4] The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see. ”
So if I fit these verses together - there is a prophetic theme of restoration and building of the temple starting. The first set of verses from Exodus 40, are the setting up of the tabernacle, the very first place God chose to inhabit. The verses from Ezra are the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel is the vision of the future temple. If we look at the verses from Jeremiah and Ps 40 and Isaiah, we are being released, given a new song, and we are to prepare for the coming of the Glory of the Lord.
I feel that we are being invited to join with the Lord in rebuilding, restoring and renewing His House - the Body of Christ, the Church. If I combine this with my recent dream, I would say it will happen much faster than we can imagine, and with much greater effect, and better results than we could ever imagine.
Amen Lord! Let this future begin!
I think in general this has to do with times of increase and acceleration happening all around us. There will be a quickening in the Spirit, where things that should take days and weeks are taking hours, deep works, and restorative works almost immediately. The thoughts we have about how big, or what our role will be are not big enough, we need to expand our visions, expand our thinking. The will be plenty for us to do, and we will be working with the Lord, for our efforts will have far more effectiveness than planned - we will be filled with grace, the power of God
Word:
This morning I woke up at 4:02 wide awake, thinking my alarm had just gone off. I was all ready to roll out of bed when I looked at the clock - and realized my mistake. I was able to go back to sleep. However, after I woke up for the day, I realized that the Lord might have been speaking to me and gave me 402 as a number to guide me in His word.
A quick survey of my Bible for page 402 and chapter 40:2 has some awesome things.
Page 402 is Ezra 5:2 where Zerrubabel and Jeshua start to work on rebuilding the house of God in Jerusalem!
Ezra 5:2 NIV
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
Exodus 40:1-5, 33-35 NIV
'Then the Lord said to Moses: [2] “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. [3] Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. [4] Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. [5] Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
[33] Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. [34] Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. [35] Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
Psalm 40 has the following verses:
Psalm 40:1-11 NIV
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. [2] He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. [3] He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. [4] Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. [5] Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. [6] Sacrifice and offering you did not desire---but my ears you have opened---burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [7] Then I said, “Here I am, I have come---it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” [9] I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know. [10] I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly. [11] Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
Isaiah 40:1-5 NIV
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. [3] A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. [5] And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Jeremiah 40:2-4 NIV
"When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. [3] And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. [4] But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”
Ezekiel 40:1-4 NIV
"In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city---on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there. [2] In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. [3] He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. [4] The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see. ”
So if I fit these verses together - there is a prophetic theme of restoration and building of the temple starting. The first set of verses from Exodus 40, are the setting up of the tabernacle, the very first place God chose to inhabit. The verses from Ezra are the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel is the vision of the future temple. If we look at the verses from Jeremiah and Ps 40 and Isaiah, we are being released, given a new song, and we are to prepare for the coming of the Glory of the Lord.
I feel that we are being invited to join with the Lord in rebuilding, restoring and renewing His House - the Body of Christ, the Church. If I combine this with my recent dream, I would say it will happen much faster than we can imagine, and with much greater effect, and better results than we could ever imagine.
Amen Lord! Let this future begin!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The War In Our Minds
Last night I was reading through Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth, and ran across these verses, which are directly related to what the Lord has been speaking in my life lately:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV:
[3] "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
The context of these verses, is a conversation Paul is having with the Corinthians because they are judging his ministry by outward appearances, and his unwillingness to appear to them as one of the "super-apostles". He was talking about the way we can establish in our minds and communities, strongholds of thought and ideas that are wrong. His statement about waging war not as the world wages war, appears to relate to his unwillingness to attack other ministries and ministers openly, criticizing them, their methods, or any such thing, which is so different than the norm.
That being said, what He is also talking about is the internal struggle of our thought life. Taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ is absolutely a critical skill we must learn, in our life with Christ. In Revelations 12:10, it speaks of the enemy as the accuser of our brothers and sisters. Jesus calls satan "a liar and the father of all lies." (John 8:44). God does not accuse us, does not condemn us, does not think negatively about us, those are all from the enemy. We all must learn to distinguish our thought origins, and identify those that are in alignment with what God says about us, and those that do not, and reject those that are not from God.
Pastor Bill Johnson says that he can't afford to have any thought in His mind that is not in God's mind first. He is expressing this idea of owning one's thoughts, discerning their origin and rejecting any that do not originate with God, or are in line with His will. This is the same thing Paul is speaking about - taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ.
The issue for many of us is that we have strongholds of belief and thought about ourselves, about others and about God. How we think about ourselves, others and God will significantly impact who we are and what we do with our lives. A common saying these days is that "you are what you eat", but its even more true that "we are what we think".
Here is an excerpt from a sports journal speaking about self-thought: ( http://www.theextragear.com/self-talk-and-thought-control-strategies )
What we think has an effect on how we feel, which, in turn, has an effect on what we do. In sports, negative thinking has been shown to have a negative effect on performance. When self-talk is negative, it produces both negative feelings, like anxiety, as well as physical tension, which leads to decreased motor coordination and speed. It also takes your focus away from what you should be doing, which makes it more likely that you will miss something important or make a mistake. So, when we talk negatively to ourselves, it affects other important mental skills such as intensity regulation, confidence, and concentration. When these mental skills deteriorate, performance is likely to suffer, which serves to reinforce the self-talk, (e.g., you prove to yourself that, “I really do stink at this”) creating a vicious cycle.
Many times we are unaware of our self-talk; therefore, it can sabotage our performance without our even realizing it. At its worst, our self-fulfilling prophesies of poor performances in certain situations lead us to label ourselves negatively (e.g., “loser”) which makes it even more difficult to break the negative cycle.
What I find amazing is that many of us, apply these types of techniques to other areas of our life, but not to our walk with Christ. There are many voices out there that influence what we think, and how we think. Companies spend Billions of dollars marketing, which is all about gaining mind-share, or getting people to think about their products. The media works ever day to try and influence the way we think, spinning stories to reflect their opinions, while ignoring other opinions or stories that would provide an alternative perspective. There is a stronghold of thought developing in America these days that is against Christianity, and that stronghold has been carefully nurtured and cultivated by the media over many years.
In the same way, the enemy is constantly bombarding us with thoughts and ideas that are against the will of God. They are thoughts related to temptation and sin, thoughts related to those we are in relationship with, trying to cause distrust, division and separation. The enemy is trying to undermine our identity in God, for we are God's adopted Sons and Daughters, whom He loved so much that He sent His Son to save, but the enemy wants us to think that God is angry with us, thinks we are sinners and is just waiting to punish us. The enemy has been at work in all our lives for many years trying to develop strongholds of thought about ourselves and others and especially God.
Make no mistake, there is a war being waged, and this is what Paul was speaking about in his letter. We MUST learn to hear God! We must learn to listen to our thoughts and reject those that are not from God. We must learn to hear and believe what God says about us, what He thinks about us. We must learn what God thinks about others too. As we learn to listen to God, we will find that He will destroy the strongholds of thought and ideas in our lives, that do not line up with His word and will. As we start to speak the thoughts that are from God, we will help those around us do the same, destroying the strongholds and arguments that set themselves against God. As we learn to do all this we will see a transformation of our lives. Paul speaks about this in Romans 12:2 NIV: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will.". We must allow our minds to be renewed, and our lives transformed. This how we fight this war!
In John 10:3-4, Jesus says that we know and can follow His voice. We need to learn to hear it. For many of us that means stopping the noise around us, and learning to listen to God. That is one of the reasons I take time to sit quietly before Him in the mornings, I am actively listening. I read my Bible, listen to Christian teachers through the day, listen to Christian music, anything that helps me to sensitize myself to God's voice. I read scripture and identify areas where how I think does not line up with God's revelation in His Word, and change the way I think. I am learning to take my thoughts captive throughout the day and rejecting those that are not from Him. As I do so, I find myself thinking differently about myself and others. My heart is filled with compassion and mercy for the downtrodden and poor, rather than judgement. I find myself thinking more positively about those around me, at home and at work, seeing them as God sees them, and recognizing the gift that they are in my life.
Lord help me to continue to wage war in my mind, and see myself transformed as my mind is renewed and I listen to Your voice.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV:
[3] "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
The context of these verses, is a conversation Paul is having with the Corinthians because they are judging his ministry by outward appearances, and his unwillingness to appear to them as one of the "super-apostles". He was talking about the way we can establish in our minds and communities, strongholds of thought and ideas that are wrong. His statement about waging war not as the world wages war, appears to relate to his unwillingness to attack other ministries and ministers openly, criticizing them, their methods, or any such thing, which is so different than the norm.
That being said, what He is also talking about is the internal struggle of our thought life. Taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ is absolutely a critical skill we must learn, in our life with Christ. In Revelations 12:10, it speaks of the enemy as the accuser of our brothers and sisters. Jesus calls satan "a liar and the father of all lies." (John 8:44). God does not accuse us, does not condemn us, does not think negatively about us, those are all from the enemy. We all must learn to distinguish our thought origins, and identify those that are in alignment with what God says about us, and those that do not, and reject those that are not from God.
Pastor Bill Johnson says that he can't afford to have any thought in His mind that is not in God's mind first. He is expressing this idea of owning one's thoughts, discerning their origin and rejecting any that do not originate with God, or are in line with His will. This is the same thing Paul is speaking about - taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ.
The issue for many of us is that we have strongholds of belief and thought about ourselves, about others and about God. How we think about ourselves, others and God will significantly impact who we are and what we do with our lives. A common saying these days is that "you are what you eat", but its even more true that "we are what we think".
Here is an excerpt from a sports journal speaking about self-thought: ( http://www.theextragear.com/self-talk-and-thought-control-strategies )
What we think has an effect on how we feel, which, in turn, has an effect on what we do. In sports, negative thinking has been shown to have a negative effect on performance. When self-talk is negative, it produces both negative feelings, like anxiety, as well as physical tension, which leads to decreased motor coordination and speed. It also takes your focus away from what you should be doing, which makes it more likely that you will miss something important or make a mistake. So, when we talk negatively to ourselves, it affects other important mental skills such as intensity regulation, confidence, and concentration. When these mental skills deteriorate, performance is likely to suffer, which serves to reinforce the self-talk, (e.g., you prove to yourself that, “I really do stink at this”) creating a vicious cycle.
Many times we are unaware of our self-talk; therefore, it can sabotage our performance without our even realizing it. At its worst, our self-fulfilling prophesies of poor performances in certain situations lead us to label ourselves negatively (e.g., “loser”) which makes it even more difficult to break the negative cycle.
What I find amazing is that many of us, apply these types of techniques to other areas of our life, but not to our walk with Christ. There are many voices out there that influence what we think, and how we think. Companies spend Billions of dollars marketing, which is all about gaining mind-share, or getting people to think about their products. The media works ever day to try and influence the way we think, spinning stories to reflect their opinions, while ignoring other opinions or stories that would provide an alternative perspective. There is a stronghold of thought developing in America these days that is against Christianity, and that stronghold has been carefully nurtured and cultivated by the media over many years.
In the same way, the enemy is constantly bombarding us with thoughts and ideas that are against the will of God. They are thoughts related to temptation and sin, thoughts related to those we are in relationship with, trying to cause distrust, division and separation. The enemy is trying to undermine our identity in God, for we are God's adopted Sons and Daughters, whom He loved so much that He sent His Son to save, but the enemy wants us to think that God is angry with us, thinks we are sinners and is just waiting to punish us. The enemy has been at work in all our lives for many years trying to develop strongholds of thought about ourselves and others and especially God.
Make no mistake, there is a war being waged, and this is what Paul was speaking about in his letter. We MUST learn to hear God! We must learn to listen to our thoughts and reject those that are not from God. We must learn to hear and believe what God says about us, what He thinks about us. We must learn what God thinks about others too. As we learn to listen to God, we will find that He will destroy the strongholds of thought and ideas in our lives, that do not line up with His word and will. As we start to speak the thoughts that are from God, we will help those around us do the same, destroying the strongholds and arguments that set themselves against God. As we learn to do all this we will see a transformation of our lives. Paul speaks about this in Romans 12:2 NIV: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will.". We must allow our minds to be renewed, and our lives transformed. This how we fight this war!
In John 10:3-4, Jesus says that we know and can follow His voice. We need to learn to hear it. For many of us that means stopping the noise around us, and learning to listen to God. That is one of the reasons I take time to sit quietly before Him in the mornings, I am actively listening. I read my Bible, listen to Christian teachers through the day, listen to Christian music, anything that helps me to sensitize myself to God's voice. I read scripture and identify areas where how I think does not line up with God's revelation in His Word, and change the way I think. I am learning to take my thoughts captive throughout the day and rejecting those that are not from Him. As I do so, I find myself thinking differently about myself and others. My heart is filled with compassion and mercy for the downtrodden and poor, rather than judgement. I find myself thinking more positively about those around me, at home and at work, seeing them as God sees them, and recognizing the gift that they are in my life.
Lord help me to continue to wage war in my mind, and see myself transformed as my mind is renewed and I listen to Your voice.
Monday, October 7, 2013
We Are Foreigners Whose Citizenship Is In Heaven!
This morning I have been reading Peter's first letter. A couple of related verses caught my eye, here they are:
1 Peter 1:17 NIV
'Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear."
1 Peter 2:11-12 NIV
[11] "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. [12] Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
This idea that Peter expresses in these two verses, is that as Christians, we are foreigners on the earth. The reason this is the case is that our home, our nation is not found on earth, but rather in Heaven. As Peter says, [9] "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Pete 2:9-10
Paul says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,..." Phil 3:20
This is such an interesting concept and idea, and something we must embrace. So many of us just want to fit in, be like everyone else, but we are encouraged to consider ourselves foreigners, understanding we have a different home, a different culture, a different nation. We are not supposed to embrace the culture of those around us, but rather the culture of our home. We should think and act differently than those around us who are in the world, not in pride, but as Peter says, "...in reverent fear". We should "live such good lives among the pagans", that our lives become a light that guides them to the Lord. As Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt 5:16
Yes Lord, help us to embrace our citizenship in Heaven, and live our lives here based on this fact.
1 Peter 1:17 NIV
'Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear."
1 Peter 2:11-12 NIV
[11] "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. [12] Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
This idea that Peter expresses in these two verses, is that as Christians, we are foreigners on the earth. The reason this is the case is that our home, our nation is not found on earth, but rather in Heaven. As Peter says, [9] "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Pete 2:9-10
Paul says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,..." Phil 3:20
This is such an interesting concept and idea, and something we must embrace. So many of us just want to fit in, be like everyone else, but we are encouraged to consider ourselves foreigners, understanding we have a different home, a different culture, a different nation. We are not supposed to embrace the culture of those around us, but rather the culture of our home. We should think and act differently than those around us who are in the world, not in pride, but as Peter says, "...in reverent fear". We should "live such good lives among the pagans", that our lives become a light that guides them to the Lord. As Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt 5:16
Yes Lord, help us to embrace our citizenship in Heaven, and live our lives here based on this fact.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Feasting On Romans 12
I opened up my Bible this morning and started reading from Romans 12:1-16 NIV:
[[1] "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God---this is your true and proper worship. [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is---his good, pleasing and perfect will."
[3] "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. [4] For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; [7] if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; [8] if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."
[9] "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [10] Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. [11] Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [13] Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. [14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. [16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."
What a good word for this day!
A reminder to worship, with our lives,
Called to be renewed in the way we think,
Encouraged to fulfill our calling within the Body of Christ,
Finally a quick checklist of actions and attitudes we should cultivate:
Love people sincerely
Hate evil
Cling to goodness
Love and honor others
Be zealous in your pursuit of the Lord
Be joyful
Be patient
Pray faithfully
Be hospitable
Be there for one another
Rid yourself of pride and conceit
Love and accept all
That is some serious spiritual food, and encouragement. Lord, help me to feast on Your word this day, enjoying and meditating on what You are saying to me with this word.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
He Rended The Heavens And Came Down
This morning I am reading out of a couple of places, that at first blush don't seem connected, but there seems to be some parallels. The first set of verses is from
Isaiah 64:1-5 NIV
[1] "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! [2] As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! [3] For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. [4] Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?"
- And -
Jeremiah 5:30-31 NIV:
[30] “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: [31] The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"
- And finally -
John 3:16-17 NIV:
[16] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
I was meditating on the first two verses - seemingly unrelated but they both have to do with the number 643 in my bible - for the first verse that is the chapter and verse and for the second verse it is the page number. I asked the Lord where I should read this morning and I thought I heard 643 - this is one of the ways the Lord directs me. Anyway, as I was meditating it was apparent to me that both verses have to do with a falling away from God, a leaving of God's ways and embracing something other than Him, in spite of God's awesome works on Israel's behalf.
Both verses end with a question of God - what will You do in the end? How then can we be saved? It would seem from reading the old testament that God's answer is continued judgment and punishment of Israel, and although they reap the consequences of their infidelity, God's ultimate answer to these questions and to the nation of Israel was seen in the person of Jesus Christ! It was never God's desire to smite His people, rather to save them, love them and bless them. God did rend the heavens and come down, in the form of a man, and did mighty things. His enemies were defeated and despoiled. He has established an everlasting Kingdom that is both present here and now and in the age to come. Our choice in all this is whether or not we will live in agreement with God, and under His Kingdom, or reject Him and operate in our own power, listening to empty words of empty men.
Make no mistake, God will not allow His name to be maligned and rejected. However, He is also present to save, redeem and forgive. He chooses to extend mercy, postponing His judgements that all might be saved (2 Peter 3:9). His judgments will be perfect, and He will have a day where He judges all, according to Jesus - Matt 25:31-46.
Let us pray that the Lord would call all, show His Glory to all and win all to Him, for that is His desire. Let us examine our lives, and throw off false teaching or false gods, and pursue Him, the only God who has loved us, given Himself for us, and made a way for us all to be in relationship with Him. “He himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." 1 Peter 2:24-25.
Amen!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Eternity And Doing Good
This morning I am reading from Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 6:7-10, 14-16 NIV
[7] "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
[14] May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [15] Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. [16] Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule---to the Israel of God.
Two very different themes from the final chapter, the first set of verses having to do with the consequences of our actions. Sowing and reaping is the simplest way to explain how our actions result in consequences. The ultimate end to the two different paths, the flesh or the Spirit, are the opposite with one leading ultimately to destruction the other to eternal life.
In a very real way, those two results are easily discerned, for flesh is of this world, and will pass away with our death. Anything that is Spiritual will benefit us in eternity. This is the perspective that the early church lived under, and one we would be well served to cultivate in our own lives. This focus would help us prioritize our actions and what we were sowing into with our lives. Do we want to invest in things that will pass away, or things that benefit us eternally? Those of us in the western church have limited understanding or focus on things eternal, yet that is what should have the most importance in our lives. We have a hard time looking past the here and now, and so much of the culture all around us is hyper-focused on that as well. We need to cultivate a culture that puts value on eternal life, and those Spiritual things that benefit us in this eternal reality.
The second set of verses also address similar things, but from a slightly different angle - namely external versus internal conversion. Paul is once again talking about the new creation - this being the understanding that in Christ we are born again into a new creation. This is an internal work at present, which will have eternal expression, but which is for more important than any external change. Paul speaks of being crucified to the world through the Cross, and that is precisely the idea - when we unite ourselves to Christ, our old man is put to death with Him, and a new man is created. It is this new man that must be seen and embraced by us. This requires us to sow into this new life, feeding and nourishing ourselves with Spiritual food, which brings us back to the first verses. If we are sowing into the Spiritual, or in other words our new creation in Christ, we will reap eternal benefits.
Finally, we are encouraged to do good to those around us, especially those who are members of the Body of Christ. This also flies in the face of the prevalent culture which is focused on ourselves and what we get. Rather than worrying about ourselves, let us not grow weary in blessing, building up, encouraging, supporting, and helping all those around us. As Jesus said, we are to love one another, and by this over set ourselves apart (John 13:343-35). If we follow the logic of Paul's writing this "doing good" is exactly the type of sowing into the Spiritual which has eternal rewards. Let us learn to love and do good, and see our lives as much more than this temporary existence.
Amen, Lord. Help us to change the way we think, and see things from Your perspective. Help us to value the eternal, the Spiritual, and doing good.
Galatians 6:7-10, 14-16 NIV
[7] "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. [8] Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
[14] May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. [15] Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. [16] Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule---to the Israel of God.
Two very different themes from the final chapter, the first set of verses having to do with the consequences of our actions. Sowing and reaping is the simplest way to explain how our actions result in consequences. The ultimate end to the two different paths, the flesh or the Spirit, are the opposite with one leading ultimately to destruction the other to eternal life.
In a very real way, those two results are easily discerned, for flesh is of this world, and will pass away with our death. Anything that is Spiritual will benefit us in eternity. This is the perspective that the early church lived under, and one we would be well served to cultivate in our own lives. This focus would help us prioritize our actions and what we were sowing into with our lives. Do we want to invest in things that will pass away, or things that benefit us eternally? Those of us in the western church have limited understanding or focus on things eternal, yet that is what should have the most importance in our lives. We have a hard time looking past the here and now, and so much of the culture all around us is hyper-focused on that as well. We need to cultivate a culture that puts value on eternal life, and those Spiritual things that benefit us in this eternal reality.
The second set of verses also address similar things, but from a slightly different angle - namely external versus internal conversion. Paul is once again talking about the new creation - this being the understanding that in Christ we are born again into a new creation. This is an internal work at present, which will have eternal expression, but which is for more important than any external change. Paul speaks of being crucified to the world through the Cross, and that is precisely the idea - when we unite ourselves to Christ, our old man is put to death with Him, and a new man is created. It is this new man that must be seen and embraced by us. This requires us to sow into this new life, feeding and nourishing ourselves with Spiritual food, which brings us back to the first verses. If we are sowing into the Spiritual, or in other words our new creation in Christ, we will reap eternal benefits.
Finally, we are encouraged to do good to those around us, especially those who are members of the Body of Christ. This also flies in the face of the prevalent culture which is focused on ourselves and what we get. Rather than worrying about ourselves, let us not grow weary in blessing, building up, encouraging, supporting, and helping all those around us. As Jesus said, we are to love one another, and by this over set ourselves apart (John 13:343-35). If we follow the logic of Paul's writing this "doing good" is exactly the type of sowing into the Spiritual which has eternal rewards. Let us learn to love and do good, and see our lives as much more than this temporary existence.
Amen, Lord. Help us to change the way we think, and see things from Your perspective. Help us to value the eternal, the Spiritual, and doing good.
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