For Such a Time as This

It is an extraordinary time to be living through – a mask-wearing, social-distancing, divisive time. Unity of purpose seems so elusive, a coming together for the common good appears unattainable. And while confusion and fear seem to have the upper hand in directing public consciousness, the Spirit of God directs differently. “Do not worry and be anxious” He says:

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. (Matthew 6:33)

And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. (Colossians 3:15)

Recently on Facebook quite a few friends have posted the sentiment, “I don’t know how to explain to you that you should care about other people.” A kind and thoughtful response to today’s turmoil. We reach a frustration point when what seems so correct to us, so obvious, so very much the right and compassionate thing to do, is mocked or shouted down by others as an infringement upon their personal rights and beliefs. Perhaps an even more appropriate saying during these times would be, “I don’t know how to explain to you that the Word of God is true.”

“These are the times that try men’s souls” Thomas Payne wrote during a period of great social and political upheaval at the birth of this country. And throughout the history of man on this earth there have been many such times. Our souls are tried and tempered, strengthened or compromised through our ongoing response to current challenges.
But the more significant determiner of our response to today’s challenges, the way to successfully navigate through, is not the well-being of our soul – it is the response of our spirit. For we are spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. And it is the spirit of man that communicates with God:

The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. (Proverbs 20:27)

God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). (John 4:24)

The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. (John 14:17)

Quite often, and incorrectly, soul and spirit are considered the same thing and are used interchangeably. So we look to the Word of God to correct the error. And we take a brief but important detour to “renew our minds” (our souls) on this subject (Romans 12:2). For it will profoundly inform the way we appreciate and approach and honor the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

It seems, according to Hebrews 4:12, that man’s soul and spirit are so closely linked that it takes the Word of God to divide them. It’s important to recognize the role of each and successfully discern the difference between them. The spirit of man is meant to inform the soul and the soul then directs the body. Your spirit, not your mind or emotions, is where God’s light touches your life. Through the act of rebellion against God – the sad state of most of the world – the spirit of man took a lesser role – or none at all – and the soul – man’s will, his intellect and rational thought, and his emotions – became master. When we allow our rational thought and emotions, our experiences and limited understandings, misleading and incorrect teaching concerning the things of the Spirit to try to comprehend God “and His ways of doing and being right” (Matthew 6:33 – Amplified Bible), we will never succeed. In many respects we will have created a false God to worship. For if we are not tuned in to the Holy Spirit speaking with, leading and teaching our spirit (John 14:16-17) , then we are dependent upon our own abilities to comprehend God. When He has provided the way to know and love and honor Him and we reject that path for one of our own making, then the created are determining how to receive and understand the Creator! This not only is true of the world at large, but to a great extent it is the spiritual condition of much of the church. And even though the Lord tells us that His ways and thoughts are so very far above our own:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9),

He is knowable. He has made a way for man to know Him and communicate with Him. He has, through the saving work of Jesus and the Gift of His Holy Spirit, restored us to family relationship and enabled us to walk in His ways rather than coping with the distractions of “the world, the flesh and the devil”. It is valuable at this point to write out in its entirety the text of 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, for it so beautifully explains God’s intention in this “relationship” and our ability to truly know Him.

But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny]. For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man’s thoughts except the man’s own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. {Emphasis mine}

The “soulish” Christian hinders the ministry of the Holy Spirit because their approach to God’s Word is influenced by their own thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences. It’s God’s Word diminished, God’s Word compromised. (Matthew 15:6)

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not, (Isaiah 30:15)

As believers in Jesus Christ taught and led by the Holy Spirit, let your testimony of these truths be a witness to the world. You are here for such a time as this, to help others truly know our God. For all that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection accomplished, may we never diminish God’s full message as we encourage and exhort each other.

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13 – The Message)

The Church’s Message to the World

So [as the result of the Messiah’s intervention] they shall [reverently] fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight [for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the Lord drives]. (Isaiah 59:19)

And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.(Matthew 24:14) {Emphasis mine}

We are certainly living in extraordinary times – a worldwide pandemic, civil unrest, and men’s hearts failing them, filled with uncertainty, anger, and fear. What an opportune moment this is for the Church to share God’s message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18); His answer for all of the misdirection and destruction that Satan causes in the lives of men.

In Matthew 24:3 the disciples asked Jesus concerning future events :

Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age?. (Matthew 24:3)

He spoke to them of wars and rumors of wars, lawlessness, earthquakes, famine, and rebellion against God:

And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. (Matthew 24:10)

Certainly wars and lawlessness and earthquakes and famine are not unique to this moment in time. They have been plaguing mankind throughout history. And while we cannot know exactly when the Lord will return (Matthew 24:36), {although a careful study of Scripture will give us clear signs that will precede his second coming}, what we are experiencing today could correctly be regarded as the “beginning {the early pains of}the birth pangs” (Matthew 24:8) that usher in His return.

What then is the standard spoken of in Isaiah 59:19 that the Lord raises up against all of this evil? And how is the Church to represent this standard to the lost people of the world? Notice that Isaiah speaks of “the result of the Messiah’s intervention“. Jesus, the Messiah, is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). He is the Word spoken that created all that we see ( Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2-3). The Word intervenes in the lives of men causing a reverence for God and His ways and a defeat of the enemy and his ways. And Jesus, the Word, instructs us concerning the standard we are to offer the world.

In the face of turmoil and dissension and anger we walk in peace. This is not a suggestion or a trite Hallmark card message. It is our Lord’s requirement; it is meant to be the vantage point from which we operate:

Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!] (1 Peter 3:11) {Emphasis mine}

It is the church’s message to the world. This is what life in God, trust in God, looks like. In His care nothing can rattle us; no weapon of the enemy will prosper;

But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

It is a peace that the Word says is beyond natural understanding:

And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:7),

and it is a peace God wishes for the world and a peace they sorely need.

In the face of hatred and civil unrest and conflicting views, we show love – always. We are in Christ, children of God and He is love (1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16). Jesus commanded it and taught that this is the way the world will recognize us, by our love (John 13:34-35). The most important thing the Church can do is lead others to salvation, to demonstrate the peace and the love that are meant to be our calling cards to the lost and our rebuke of the enemy’s tactics. Love effectively nullifies fear. Love is of God – fear is of the enemy.

Again I say, the most important work of the Church is to share the Good News of the kingdom of God. That’s why Jesus came – to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). That’s our mandate as well. Let us be purposeful and single-minded about this.

To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ]. (1 Corinthians 9:22) {Emphasis mine}

The Decided Life

“This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.”

It is the decided life that affects the lives around them.  It is the spirit so closely attuned to heavenly communication that powerfully reflects God’s light and life to lost ones everywhere.  Jesus certainly had that effect on people.  There was no straddling of the fence among those He came in contact with – there was awe or anger, a joyful following or indignant rejection, repentance producing profoundly changed lives and hearts or a refusal of the Gift so graciously offered (John 3:16).

The decided life never quakes when the storms of life threaten, for if what we observe does not line up with the promises in God’s Word, it is but a momentary challenge (“a light, momentary affliction” – 2 Corinthians 4:17)  inevitably remedied by an unswerving stand of faith in our God Who is always “More than Enough” (El-Shaddai) and on His Word which is “forever settled in Heaven” (Psalm 119:89), “alive, active and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12) with “self-fulfilling power” (Isaiah 61:11).

The decided life digs unceasingly into the Word – searching, mining, uncovering all the promises that we are to build our lives upon.  One will not accept illness, poverty, fear, confusion, or less than in any form when they understand that the Shalom {peace} of God (nothing mission, nothing broken) is their birth right.  Satan’s tactics fall away one by one, made of no account, overcome by the Truth of the Gospel carefully attended to, for “it is life to those who find them, healing and health to all of their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).

The decided life is a rejoicing, peace-filled witness to the world it interacts with every day.  It is a life released into God’s care, for the work is His (Ephesians 3:20, Hebrews 13:21, 1 Peter 5:7).  It is submitted to and attentive to the full guidance of the Holy Spirit, never reasserting its dominion, never retaking the throne.  It is life walking in the full blessings of God.  The decided life recognizes and operates in its God-given authority (Matthew 28:18-19, Luke 10:19), all the while submitted to God’s plans and purposes.  It is at one and the same time a life of royalty (Revelation 1:6, 5:10) and servanthood  (Matthew 10:26), and it operates effectively in both capacities.  The decided life is a powerful testimony to the world.

What God has given to us, what He has done for us – all revealed in His Word – is almost inexpressible (1 Peter 1:8).  Our Creator has made us joint heirs (Ephesians 2:6) with the Son of His love (Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 1:13).  He has given us dominion in this world (Genesis 1:28, Matthew 28:18-19).  He has made us co-creators along with Him for the advancement of His kingdom.  The King of kings and Lord of lords has proclaimed us His friends ( John 15:15,James 2:23).  And He has loved us so very dearly that while we were still in sin, rejecting Him and fully ensconced in rebellion, He died for us (Romans 5:8), and then extended to us full pardon (Colossians 3:13) and family standing (John 1:12), making us heirs to all of the blessings of the Kingdom (Galatians 4:7). The decided life knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is all true.

“I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back…no turning back.”

Excited and Delighted

Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. (Philippians 2:13)

It is always so valuable to be reading perspective changing books that exhort and encourage us to look out upon our day from the vantage point of our placement in Christ. The Lord has raised up many in the Body of Christ who write to encourage and exhort the saints. He has given strong messages of faith and life strengthening counsel to many who publish books to build us up in our faith. We need these Spirit-led works. The world we live in is constantly challenging our faith walk; it quite often very successfully chips away at our resolve to view ourselves through the lens of God’s Word. We are faith-filled children of a faithful God. When we speak forth God’s Word over any and every situation we encounter, what are our expectations for success? What does our faith look and feel like? Excited and delighted? There is a level of expectancy – joyful, peace-filled expectancy – in the prayer life of those who know and understand, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the mountain will, must, move.

And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. (Mark 11:22-24) {Emphasis mine}

When our Lord Jesus says these words, how do you receive them? How do you make room for them in your understanding of how your life in this world should work? How completely do you allow your perspective to be altered to operate within God’s expectation concerning this life of faith?

  If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind. For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides} (James 1:5-8)

How many times during my faith journey over the decades have I made requests of the Lord in prayer, only to allow worries and doubts to cloud the hoped for results! Something I have been praying about for what seems a very long season with no apparent answer or desired manifestation might find me grappling with uncertainties, entertaining negative thoughts about ever seeing the answers I’m seeking, or questioning God about my ability to hear Him clearly. In the early morning hours, how often do I permit thoughts that rise up against what God’s Word says to negatively color my outlook. That is what Scripture calls being “a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute)…unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything.” And then the more troubling aspect of these verses – “Let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything he asks for from the Lord”.

Our Father takes our trust in His Word very seriously. It defines our relationship with Him. Our faith in His character, His love and the power and Truth of His Word is the blessing receiver, the covenant prover, the key to answered prayer. We are to rely on Him as our vital necessity (Jeremiah 29:13 – Amplified). When our hearts confidently rely on His care, His favor, and His fulfilled covenant promises – they will be in a constant state of “excited and delighted”.  When those negative thoughts come, and they will because the enemy will see to it, we are to take our authority, and our trust in our Father’s Word and cast them down (2 Corinthians 10:5) so that peace is restored.

But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:38) (Emphasis mine}

It seems to be a stern warning from our Father, but in reality it is a wonderful and comforting encouragement for our faith expectations. This is our Father speaking to us of our correct approach to life in the Spirit. This is God teaching His people that He is to be trusted for every need and heart desire they place in His care (Psalm 37:4). This is us, through our faith, saying to God the Father, “In absolute trust, I take myself our of my own keeping and place myself in Your keeping” (Acts 16:31 – Amplified). This is our daily realization that He has gone ahead of us to prepare all that we need:

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].(Ephesians 2:10)

When God called Moses to go back to Egypt to bring His people out of their bondage and eventually to come into the Promised Land, Moses gave into doubts concerning his ability to successfully complete the mission:

And Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you. (Exodus 4:1)

Amplified Bible commentary on this verse speaks beautifully to our topic today:

“There need be no ‘buts’ in our relationship to God’s will. Nothing will take the Lord by surprise. The entire field has been surveyed and the preparations are complete. When the Lord says, “I will send you”, every provision has been made for the appointed task. “I will not fail you.” He Who gives the command will also give the equipment.”

Likewise, when the Lord says, “I will heal you”, “I will protect you”, “I will prosper you”, “I will guide you”, all covenant promises, every provision has already been made. Train you heart to embrace “excited and delighted”, for truly in Christ, all provision has been made, every contingency s covered.

Transferred from Kingdom to Kingdom

I share here an entry from God’s Beloved Daughters – Daily Discovering the Blessings – a yearly devotional:

God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son He loves so much, the Son Who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.  (Colossians 1:13 – The Message)

When Adam rebelled against the directives of his Creator, he set in motion a falling away that could only be righted by God Himself (Romans 5:12-19).

When God tested Abraham by requiring him to sacrifice the son of promise, Isaac, the promise he had waited 25 years to receive, Abraham’s words spoke forth both faith and prophecy:

God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.  (Genesis 22:8)

When God’s people, the nation of Israel, stepped away from his directives and guidance and looked elsewhere for fulfillment, through Isaiah our Father said:

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities, the chastisement {needful to obtain} peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes {that wounded}  Him we are healed and made whole.  (Isaiah 53:5)

God knew at the point of Adam’s rebellion, Abraham’s obedience, and Isaiah’s prophecy what He would need to do to fix the desperate situation that His creation had fallen into.  It would take divine blood, a sinless life, a perfect sacrifice to establish the covenant with which He wanted to bless His creation. And with that sacrifice mankind was offered a choice – which kingdom will you align yourself with?  Will you choose life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19)?

It is an extraordinarily gracious and loving act to give the choice to sinful man! After all that our Lord endured – the suffering, the rejection, the persecution – after all that He reached out and obtained for us, after re-establishing our right to approach God, to come boldly into His Presence (Hebrews 4:16) as greatly loved children, He has given us the freedom to choose whether that matters enough to us to cherish the Gift! We get to decide whether the peace and well-being He purchased through His shed blood is worthy of our attention!

He encourages and warns and teaches and intercedes.  He sends His Holy Spirit, His missionaries, His Word and His children into the lives of the rebellious to share the Good News.  In every way possible, after all that He has already done, our Abba seeks the lost.

“But it is unnatural for humankind to want God.  Men like the darkness of the lie rather than the exposing light that is in God, and we would stay in the darkness hiding from the burning light of truth until we perished if left to ourselves. The awareness of our need and the first flickering desire to know God is awakened in our hearts by the call of God reaching into our darkness.”      {Malcolm Smith – The Power of the Blood Covenant}

Submitting to the truth of the Gospel and the guiding hand of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) is to transfer allegiance from the darkness and slavery of Satan’s kingdom to the light, love, and freedom of God’s kingdom. To relinquish control of your life is to finally see that you were never in control in the first place.  For the light of the truth of God’s Word reveals to you that you had belonged to the kingdom of darkness (Ephesians 2:1-4) whose lord is a cruel taskmaster and that your ultimate outcome would have been eternal darkness; eternity without God.

As we progress and mature in this life in the Spirit we continue to discover all of the wonderful blessings God had provided for us because of what Jesus did for us. But the greatest of these blessings we have “in Christ” is the initial transfer of citizenship from darkness to light which brings with it a brand new – and correct – way of seeing the world; freedom from the effects and control of darkness, and the beginning of our close and intimate walk with our heavenly Father.

 

 

 

 

Contending for the Faith

It has long been a resolve of mine as I write these posts to refrain from negative or condemning words directed toward what I might perceive as aspects of the Body of Christ that seem to be in some way missing the mark. In the effort to exhort and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to walk in the fullness of all that kingdom citizenship means, accentuating the positive, teaching the fullness of what life in Christ is meant to be according to the Word, has always been my goal. When I observed others teaching in churches or writing in blogs, Facebook entries, etc., what seemed to misrepresent or compromise the Word of God, when I read other’s personal ponderings that seemed to focus on how to understand their troubling life issues in the light of their Christian faith, and when so many of their readers were responding by commiserating with their musings rather than encouraging them in the faith, I tended to veer away from pointing out the error of their thinking, but rather used my observations as a starting point to offer hope and faith and God’s Truth.

Throughout God’s Word we are encouraged – warned – that contending for the faith is our daily calling.  In this world there are a host of antagonists whose entire agenda is disproving God’s promises to His people. To receive those promises through faith involves knowledge of the Word, understanding and gratefully receiving all that Jesus accomplished on our behalf, and an attitude of “will not be denied”!

Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)

Faith that pleases God and honors our Lord Jesus is founded on the preeminence of the Word. From our vantage point of favor (Ephesians 2:6), understanding our placement in Christ, we contend:

I have to write insisting – begging! – that you fight with everything you have in you for the faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. (Jude 3 – The Message)

A recent online article entitled “Apostasy Among Young Christian Leaders” by a brother and musician named John Cooper speaks of “outspoken leaders or influencers who were once ‘faces’ of the faith…falling away and being very vocal and bold about it”. Now there is nothing new here. The Israelites in the Old Testament and some New Testament “believers” turned away from the faith, from the goodness of God, and throughout the centuries the apostasy continued.

Apostasy – an act of refusing to continue to follow, obey or recognize a religious faith; abandonment of a previous loyalty.

The Word of God itself contends with us as believers to carefully guard our hearts concerning maintaining our faithful adherence to His ways of doing and being right (Matthew 6:33 – Amplified)

Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you {deceiving you and leading you into error}. For many…will lead many astray. (Matthew 24: 4-5)

But the Holy Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach. (1 Timothy 4: 1)

“Doctrines that demons teach”. Jesus spoke of this when He addressed the work of Satan in the lives of men, paraphrased in the Message:

...He couldn’t stand the Truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies… anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening – because you’re not on God’s side. (John 8:44-47)

Satan, described in 1 Peter 5:8 as a “lion roaring {in fierce hunger}, seeking someone to seize upon and devour“, is the father of lies (John 8:44). Jesus tells us he is the thief who comes “only in order to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). That is his only intention. From the spiritual realm he works to disrupt every man’s right to the eternal blessings that God has provided and offers to all. He invades thought life; he establishes srongholds that set themselves up as reality that derail the faith walk of so many. And we then speak those thoughts and share them with many. He wants our words, for the negative word defeats us.

“Why do people act like “being real” covers a multitude of sins? As if someone is courageous simply for sharing virally every thought or dark place. That’s not courageous. It’s cavalier.” (John Cooper – “Apostasy Among Young Christian Leaders”)

We need to help each other be aware of the enemy’s devices. In his online Bible Commentary Andrew Wommack says, “No one would ever turn away from the goodness of God without demonic deception.”

“The doctrines that demons teach”. How does the church overcome his deceptions in the lives of believers. How do we help each other stand strong in faith and “receive and carry away and enjoy to the full what is promised”? (Hebrews 10:36). We teach and preach the living Word of God. Not a compromised, watered down, “palatable” version. We help each other identify evil tactics that seek to nullify God’s promises. From John Cooper’s article:

“I implore you, please, please, in your search for relevancy for the Gospel, let us not find creative ways to shape God’s Word into the image of our culture by stifling inconvenient truths. But rather let us hold on even tighter to the anchor of the living Word of God. For He changes NOT.”

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6: 13-18 – The Message)

Straighten Your Crown

Recently from one of my friends on Facebook I read the following quote:

“On the darkest days when I feel unloved, inadequate and unworthy, I remember Whose daughter I am and I straighten my crown.”

Not only did the encouragement make me smile (and although it has a “Hallmark Card quality” about itself), these words present a powerful reminder of our rightful position in Christ. They accurately express our placement – seated with Christ at the right hand of God (Ephesians 2:6):

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. (Ephesians 1:21)

The opening quote concentrates on emotions – when we are feeling weak, less than, under self-imposed condemnation, and judging ourselves as unworthy. But this act of crown straightening covers every aspect of our life in Christ. Throughout our Father’s Word – His promises to us, our covenant with Him – we are given a clear picture of how we are to see ourselves. We are to cast every care, every concern, over onto Him (1 Peter  5:7).  We are to take ourselves out of our own keeping and entrust ourselves into His keeping (Acts 16:31).  We are to be very attuned to the enemy’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) and, aware of the authority given us, respond to each attempt to derail our faith walk with the weapons of our warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4) – our Father’s Word!  The Word of God spoken out in faith defeats the enemy every time. Every one of Satan’s attempts to overcome our faith stand:

{…for by whatever anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to that [person or thing] he is enslaved. (2 Peter 2:19)}

is demolished by our understanding of our rights and privileges in Jesus. Our new creature status (2 Corinthians 5:17) comes with the extraordinary revelation of divine indwelling for every believer:

For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]. (Colossians 2:9-10)

How we understand and receive that Truth determines how we respond – every moment. When illness threatens, when lack distresses, when confusion disrupts, when anxiety attacks, our kingdom citizenship with all of its privileges is to be our focus and our standard.  We consider not (Romans 4:19 – KJV) the issue in front of us that would try to disprove the Word:

[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)  (2 Corinthians 10:5),

but rather we look to Jesus and all that He accomplished on our behalf (Hebrews 12:2). Every promise God ever made to His people is “Yes in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Knowing that to be true, may the following verses help you straighten your crown:

For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.(Psalm 21:3)

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy.  (Psalm 103:4)

She {Wisdom} shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you. (Proverbs 4:9)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

A straightened crown, a renewed mind (Romans 12:2), a maturing spirit results in that which is most pleasing to our Father:

..the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:4)

Our “full, personal, precise and correct” knowledge of God – Who He is and Who He wants to be in our lives – our understanding of all that Jesus Christ accomplished for us, and our attention to the Truth of the Word all combine to help you gratefully, and in love,  straighten your crown!

May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). (2 Peter 1:2-3)

The Process of Receiving

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

“Power, ability, efficiency, and might“. How many of us would recognize themselves in that description? Receiving anything from the Lord is a faith proposition and our faith walk is entirely informed by our knowledge of what the Word says and our understanding of Who our Father is. Look at this wonderful picture of Who the Lord wants to be in our lives:

And I thought how [gloriously and honorably] I would set you among My children and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage, the most beautiful and best [inheritance] among all nations! And I thought you would call Me My Father and would not turn away from following Me. (Jeremiah 3:19) 

What a beautiful expression of our Father’s heart toward us; His desire for each of His children to occupy the Promised Land. For so many of His children, though, their vision of what the Promised Land looks like is misinformed or diminished through lack of understanding, incorrect teaching, or an unwillingness to fully accept the wonder of it all! When we daily operate from the vantage point of, the safe place of, our Father’s love for us, we are at the receiving post of every promise that is ours through Jesus:

But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, (Ephesians 2:4)

How good is our Father! How much goodness from God will your faith accommodate today? Let the Word redirect your outlook today. Let it transform you through the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:2); let it establish new and correct attitudes concerning what this walk of faith is all about. When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are loved by God with a wonderful, great and intense love. When we receive that Truth in our hearts and let it direct and inform our daily outlook and expectation, our faith in His goodness and faithfulness receives the promises.

How does His loving-kindness manifest in our lives? He came Himself to die on our behalf, to fulfill the demands of justice, to satisfy His expectation that sin would not overcome His creation. But there was an inability in His creation to overcome the sin nature – only He could do that on our behalf. Jesus won back our redemption, our restored placement within the relationship God desires with men. And then, still knowing that even with all that Jesus accomplished we would fall short of the glory He desires for us, He equipped us with His Holy Spirit. He calls us to excellence and holiness and then provides us with the ability to accomplish that expectation by coming to live within each believer.

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). (2 Peter 1:3)

We are responsible for how much we receive from the unending supply of our Father’s love and goodness. Faith receives God’s favor, His grace (Romans 5:2). Faith in His Word, belief that what He says He also means, is how His blessings are received in a life. Faith grows. It’s a spiritual muscle to be flexed and strengthened. As born again believers we are all given “the measure of faith”(Romans 12:3 – KJV) What we do with that measure of faith determines our outcome. How we grow our faith determines our ability to accept and receive the great plans and purposes of God for each of our lives:

Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] (Ephesians 3:20)

That superlative description of life in the Spirit seems beyond the reach of so many, and yet it is God’s will for all of His children. Continuous faith in God’s Word is a powerful force that most believers seldom tap into. According to the Word of God, mustard seed sized faith moves mountains (Matthew 17:20). Jesus spoke of Peter’s inability to continue walking on water as having “little faith”(Matthew 14:31).

How good is our Father? What are you expecting and excited about today? Is He a “just-enough-to-get-by” God or a God of abundant overflowing life (John 10:10)? How big is God in your life today? Is He a help-me-get-through-this-illness-with-grace God or your Healer? Taking the faith step to believe God’s Word uncompromisingly is the path to “infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams”.

Mornings in the Garden – Those Pesky Weeds

Matthew 13:3 – Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out.

Anyone who seriously tends a garden recognizes the absolute imperative to seek out and destroy weeds! Weeds are aggravating invaders into what otherwise would be a pleasing and gratifying sight – your well-planned, carefully cultivated, and visually soothing creation. Weeds are insidious in their encroachment upon our best laid plans. For serious gardeners, weeding can be a very cathartic experience if they will let it be. If your gardens are extensive, then the weeding aspect of the gardening experience is on your daily to-do list during the growing season.

Chemical solutions – sprays, powder applications, liquid weed killers in a can – offend many gardeners who desire a kinder and gentler approach to their gardens. Pouring, spraying, and sprinkling their way to a weed free existence seems to many, and to me, a harsh and mistaken approach to nature’s challenges. Pouring poison onto your creation to eradicate unwanted visitors somehow alters your relationship with your gardens, otherwise lovingly tended. Bullying your way to beauty somehow reinterprets your garden’s purpose and compromises the effectiveness of your stewardship. The use of these “quick fixes” may seem an easy way to alleviate the problem of weeds and pests, but the potential side effects are a cause for concern in the same way that worldly solutions to life issues which ignore God’s ways of doing and being right (Matthew 6:33) are counterfeit remedies.

Some weeds relinquish their position in the garden easily while others maintain a hold that indicates their intended permanent placement within the floral landscape. Some send their root structure underground and pop up here and there throughout the flower beds, establishing a tunneling system that appears to set up squatter’s rights among the rightful inhabitants of your garden – the plants you chose for that particular plot. Left unaddressed, the presence of weeds in your garden will eventually reduce an otherwise lovely landscape to the appearance of a long neglected and discarded property – uncared for and abandoned.

Left to their own devices they flourish and “choke” the life out of your garden’s vision – they grow out and grab for themselves the benefit of sunshine – they usurp the soil’s nutrients for themselves, robbing the rightful occupants of the garden space, which must now cope with less sun and less goodness from the soil. They “deplete the soil, intercept the sun and take up room” (Luke 13:7). And where once beauty was expected, there is now the dismal and disheartening look of neglect.

It is the garden well-tended, diligently weeded, purposefully, thoughtfully and honorably cultivated that honors the gardener and shows forth the beauty and intended purpose of careful stewardship. For with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we oversee the careful weeding of our own personal plot of land – our walk before the Lord.

It is not only easy, but also instructive to draw parallels between the careful tending of our physical gardens with the careful tending of our spiritual garden. Weeds within our own lives can fall under so many categories – bad habits which have become firmly established, negative worldly attitudes which color our days and our interactions with God and others, generational dysfunction, misconceptions concerning spiritual Truths, and just plain old sin (missing the mark in terms of God’s ways of doing and being right) are but a few. For our purposes of understanding the identification and removal of spiritual weeds, we will define these weeds as anything that hinders our spiritual growth and pleasing walk before God.

The Holy Spirit is there to shine a light upon the weeds in our life’s garden. When we get purposeful about our relationship with Him we can be assured that with His help our walk before God can take on a well-manicured appearance – honoring to Him and a powerful witness to others. He will help rid our garden of the weeds that would hinder spiritual growth.  The ways of the world – the methods and philosophies that promise self-improvement, the programs listing steps to take to achieve various goals, the gurus, teachers, and groups offering the way to enlightenment and success in any area – are poor substitutes for the work of the Holy Spirit and are the spiritual equivalent of the chemical solutions we spoke of earlier! God’s ways and solutions to the weed problem are, if you will allow the extended metaphor, the organic solution. He Who knows us intimately, Who knows our end from our beginning, Who knows our correct path, our giftings and our outcome – is our Master Gardener. To trust His ways and not the world’s ways is to shun anything else that would attempt to pour its artificial sustenance into your life’s garden. The “organic” weed killers which we will be addressing in future posts,  used through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, honor the life and the beauty of God’s most beloved creation – you!

Continue…

As we set out upon this New Year in the Lord it would certainly be beneficial to establish our focus and resolve – a spiritual counterpart to the age-old practice of New Year’s resolutions.  I offer here an appropriate excerpt on the subject from my devotional God’s Beloved Daughters – Daily Discovering the Blessings. It is the epilogue of the work as it seeks to tie together a year’s worth of daily teachings and encouragements.

“If  you live in Me {abide vitally united to Me} and My words remain in you and continue to remain in your hearts, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you.  When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified and you show yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you {just} as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love {continue in His love with Me}.  If you keep My commandments {if you continue to obey My instructions} you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.  (John 15:7-10)

   Rising again to His feet from an attitude of prayer He sets out into the new day. Early morning hours spent with His Father establish His path and purpose for the day. He walks on followed closely by those He has chosen. On the dusty road, in the heat of the late morning hours, they walk through the center of a small village. The people of that place see their approach and recognize Who is in their midst. Throughout the afternoon they send word into all the surrounding country and bring to Him all who are sick.

And begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.  (Matthew 14:36 NIV)

And He looks up and out over the centuries and says, “Continue”.

He strides with purpose into the Galilean countryside, into cities and villages:

…teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  (Matthew 4:23 NIV)

The reports of His ministry spread throughout the land. Many sick are brought to Him and He heals them all.  And He looks up from His work – up and out over time – and says, “Continue”.

Continue in this good work – God’s work – and in My Name.  Continue making inroads into the enemy’s territory; destroying his intentions in the lives of men and women and demolishing his strongholds (1 John 3:8).  Continue operating out of the very same love that sent Me to the cross.  Continue in close alliance with the Holy Spirit. Continue to operate in the mountain-moving, blessing-producing faith that pleases our Father.

Continue, My dearest child, to see the reality of life through the eyes of your spirit.  Do not step away from what you know.  Do not compromise what you have already learned.  Joyfully praise…quickly obey…eagerly pursue…correctly represent…promptly forgive…Continue!”

As the Lord, through His Holy Spirit, directs you through each day of this New Year, expect the fulfillment of His promises, the miraculous, and divinely orchestrated opportunities to impact the world in His Name.