We Need to Get with God’s Program

(In Genesis 8:22), God told Noah that there would always be seasons on earth. I believe that in the spiritual sense as well there are seasons that we go through. It is important to understand which season we are in. You shouldn’t be planting in the winter, you are supposed to be storing before the winter. You shouldn’t be sowing in the spring, that’s the time for harvest. It’s important to recognize which season we are in. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote in (Ecclessiates 3:1):  “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” He goes on to write about how there is a time to: plant and harvest, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to give and a time to withhold, a time to speak and a time to be silent. I believe that for many of us, we are in a season of getting the Word of God deeply imbedded into us.  The Bible said that Apollos was a mighty man of God, but when he met Priscilla and Aquila, they explained the ways of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:26). I love this, because I firmly believe that, that is where we are at, the Holy Spirit is taking us into a season of explaining the ways and the Word of God more accurately to us.

When Jereme Nelson met with our church staff, he shared with us that the Lord wants us to be fully developed in every area, not just one. That is why He will take us through different seasons. In the different seasons there are different graces to do different things. For example, I believe that the Lord took us through a season of intercession and we knew how to mourn in prayer and there was a grace for it. But, that’s not the only thing the Lord wants to teach us. He wanted to teach us about the joy of the Lord, so there was a season of refreshing and the new wine, and there would be a grace for that. During the season of refreshing, you could be stubborn and insist on mourning, but there is no grace (or divine empowerment) for that anymore. During the season of refreshing you could soak for hours a day and it would be good. But, I believe that the Lord is taking many people into a season of deep study and love for the Word of God, and there will be a grace for it!

So, you can try soaking two hours a day, but there won’t be too much grace there. But, if you get in the Word for two hours a day in this season, there will be much grace. The Lord doesn’t just want people who can pray, soak, dance and worship, but people who have the Word of God deeply imbedded in their hearts. He wants us to be equipped for every good work, not just one. (2 Timothy 3:17) I used to be so strict with myself, and I’d be like: Ok, I’m fasting three days a week, I’m praying three hours a day, and I’m going to read the Bible for 1 hour, and listen to a teaching for 1 hour. I would do it religiously, and it wasn’t easy. But, I don’t think that’s what God wants from His kids.

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) Instead of us coming up with our own draining, training program, He wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit in His training program. How does the Holy Spirit want to train your right now? Is it praying? Is it interceding? Is it studying the Word? Ask God what He wants you to be doing now. The old saying goes, “Where God guides, He provides.” I do believe that if we get with His training program for our lives, and we can discern the season we are in, we will experience divine empowerment (or grace) to go through the season, and we will get the most out of every season! Do you see the difference? If you start applying this, you will definitely experience the difference. I have. I don’t pray and intercede for many hours like I have done for many years. I don’t have to condemn myself for it either. Why? There is a time for everything. Just because I don’t pray for five hours a day anymore doesn’t mean I love God less. If I’m going with the discipleship program of the Holy Spirit for my life, that’s the best thing I can be doing right now. I’m so thankful that the key to growing as a Christian is my relationship the Holy Spirit, not my own wisdom and effort.

Message of the Cross

Majoring on the Majors

When we talk about the message of the cross, we are majoring on the majors of the Scriptures, not the minors.  When Paul hung out with the Corinthian church, ministering day after day, month after month, for a year and a half, Paul taught the Corinthians the Word of God (Acts 18:11).  As he taught, many people came to the Lord (Acts 18:10).  What did he teach?  How did he teach?

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

Paul’s secret: Not eloquence or education, but Jesus and the cross.

The secret to Paul establishing a powerful church in Corinth was not because he was the most eloquent speaker, and he mastered the art of preaching.  He was simple in his teaching and simple in his delivery.  While his ministry style was simple, the effect of it was profound and impressive!  It’s sad when a preacher tries to do and be the opposite, by to be so profound, but the results are simple- and unimpressive.  Paul didn’t try to be a powerful speaker, he only tried to accurately share the testimony of God- Jesus and the cross, and that made him powerful.  You can try your best to be naturally powerful, but if you just do what God wants you to do, and say what He wants you to say, you will be supernaturally powerful.

Paul’s secret was not his skills in communication, but his simple teachings about Jesus and the cross.  Paul’s secret was not all the degrees he had and books he read, but it was that he was passionate about Jesus and the cross.

Paul’s mistake: Trying to be profound.

We learn from our mistakes don’t we?  Paul made a mistake when he was in Athens, Greece.  He went there and preached a philosophical message- which he hoped would be relatable.  Paul quoted from their poets, seemed to be very in tune with Greek Culture.  Paul sounded more like a college professor than a simple street preacher.  Ultimately, when Paul was in Athens, he tried to be profound, but his impact was simple and unimpressive.  Yes, a few souls came to Christ, but that was not normal for the early church.  Paul’s ministry was marked by him going into cities, see revival breakout like a wildfire and then, he would establish a church to keep the fire of the Spirit burning.  That fire would grow and spread even after he left.  That never happened in Athens, no church was established. Paul wasn’t going to make that mistake in Corinth.  He simply preached about Jesus and the cross.  For 18 months, Paul just talked about Jesus and the cross.

1. The Message of the Cross is for Everyone

Wait, isn’t the message of the cross for unbelievers?  I used to think that the message of the cross was just for those who weren’t saved, and it was to get them saved.  I thought preaching the message of the cross was basically showing people the door, and once they got saved, or walked through the door, there was not much need to show them the door again.  I was so wrong!  If it was just for unbelievers would Paul have preached it for 18 months to the Christians in the church?  Nope.  The message of the cross is for believers and non-believers.  It’s the message for everyone, because it is God’s testimony.  The message of the cross tells unbelievers what God did so they could go to heaven, but it also tells believers what is available for them right now on earth.   The message of the cross instead just the doorway into God’s house, it’s the menu for believers- through it we see what we can order!  The message of the cross is the will of your inheritance, and you can claim everything on that will.  The message of the cross is the title-deed to your promise land.

2. The Message of the Cross is God’s testimony

In Corinth, Paul declared the “testimony of God”.  What is a testimony?  It’s a personal and true story.  When I share my testimony, I share my true personal story.  Paul declared God’s testimony, which is God’s true personal story.  God’s story is a passionate romance novel, the object of His romance is humanity, so He created us to know His love, but man fell into sin, and God showed his love by sending His Son, who would die for the redemption of man on a bloody cross.  The only reason you and I have a beautiful testimony, is because God first had a testimony-which climaxed at the cross.

3. The Message of the Cross is foundational

For 18 months, Paul preached and taught on the cross.  Why? It is a foundational teaching, and we all know that if you want to build a big building, the foundation must be strong.  A weak foundation cause a building to crumble in the face of a disaster.  Why do so many Christians crumble in the face of adversity and calamity?  Why do some Christians get so high in their gifts and ministries, but then, they fall and fall hard?  Quite often it is a weak foundation.  Paul was a master builder (1 Corinthians 3:10).  He knew what the secret to a strong foundation was for Christians, it’s the message of Christ and the cross.  So, do you want a strong foundation?

4. The Message of the cross is powerful

The message of the cross is powerful. It’s a powerful foundation and produces powerful Christians.  “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) What actually took place on the cross and what that means for us today is God’s message, and it releases God’s power in our lives.  Are you a powerful Christian or not?  The reason why we lack God’s power, is really because we lack God’s message- or God’s Word in our hearts.   Sometimes, we think that the secret to the Spirit’s power is having hands laid on us by the hot shot evangelist, or some big named person, or getting on a plane to fly to a certain Christian Mecca.  While I’m not opposed to those things, let’s not miss what this verse is saying to us: The power is in the message, specifically, the message of the cross.

This class is designed for just that, to establish a firm foundation, and impart the power of God into your life.  As you get a greater revelation of God’s love story- which crescendos at the cross, your life’s story will become more and more powerful.  The more you understand and believe God’s story, the more powerful your story will be.

Being saved?

Let’s pay attention to the wording, “being saved”. What’s that all about?  Aren’t we saved or not?  Didn’t Jesus say you are for me or against me?  Isn’t a person a citizen of the Kingdom or not?  Yes.  All those things are true and Scripturally proven.  Why does this verse say “being saved”?

Salvation is two fold, it is something that happened, and something that is happening.  When we got born again, through faith in Jesus, the penalty of sin was broken off of our lives!  But, the power of sin, still needs to be broken off right?  Did you become Mr. Perfect the day you received Jesus Christ?  I don’t know about you, but after the penalty of sin was broken off or my life, the power of sin was still pretty active.  As Christians, we have been saved from the penalty of sin- which is an eternal hell.  However, we are being saved from the power of sin- it’s a process, the Bible calls it:  sanctification.

Sanctification comes from the combination of two Latin words: Sanctus- which means “holy”, and Facere- which means “to make”.  Sanctification is to make holy. When we got saved we have been made righteous- which means we are in right standing with God.  However, as saved people, we are being made holy- which means were are being made more and more like Jesus in our expression.  Your position changes in a moment-from sinner to righteous, and hell to heaven, from enemy of God to child of God; but, the expression of your life is being changed or saved.  Once you have had your position changed, now the Holy Spirit has come into your life to change your expression.

Some people claim that their position changed, but their expression never changes.  Quite often, that tells us that their position hasn’t changed, and they are just deceived.  If you position really changed, the Holy Spirit now comes into your life.  By the way, we can’t receive the indwelling of the Spirit without a change of position- a sinner and an enemy of God cannot have the Spirit of God, but a saved person who is not righteous and a child of God can have the Spirit of God.  When the Holy Spirit comes, He changes our expression.

As people who are being saved- or sanctified, or purified- what do we need to empower that process?  The message of the cross! “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)-NIV The more we understand and believe the message of the cross, the more we will experience the power of God that will make us more like Jesus in our everyday expression.  In the creation account, when the Holy Spirit hovered over the earth, and God spoke, “Let there be light” there was a creative power released, and the Sun was formed.  The same thing happens in the heart of every Believer- who has the Holy Spirit hovering over their hearts.  The word of God, the message of the cross will come, and creative power will be released, and Christ-the “Sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) will be formed in us (Gal. 4:19).

Believe the Message

“For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,
AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”  Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 2:19-21) The message of the cross has saving power, to save a person’s eternal position and the Christian’s earthly expression.  However, it is only powerful to the person who believes the message.

In this class, we will teach the Word of God- the message of the cross.  But, if you don’t believe what is taught, then, all you will get out of this is a brain-load of information, and it will bring very little transformation into your life.  But, if you do believe, you will experience the power of God, and you will never be the same.  I will try to accurately share God’s story about the cross.  I don’t plan to ramble my own thoughts and ideas, and if I do, I don’t expect you to believe it with your heart and respond with an Amen.  But, if you see for yourself, that what comes out of my mouth is indeed straight from the Word of God, then believe it and respond with an Amen- which is saying, “I agree.”

The following will be the 2 main questions we will seek to answer in this course: What actually happened at the cross of Christ, and what does that mean for me today?

Live from the Heart

In remembering the parable of the sower that Jesus taught, I asked the Lord to melt away the rocks in my heart.  The rocks are the what keeps the Word of God from going deep and bearing long lasting fruit.

This is what the Lord spoke to me, “Because it is the heart that I seek, it is the heart that I see.  I died on the cross, not to change the exterior of man, but to change his heart.  It is the heart of a man which will cause him to ascend or descend in my kingdom.  I am seeking the hearts that are loyal towards me.”

Not everything that we do is from the heart.  I’ve done many things grudgingly, have you?  Not everything we say is the overflow of the heart (even though often times it is), but in our culture, sarcasm has become a way of life, too many times we say things that aren’t from the heart, that there becomes a disconnect from our own hearts.  So, when we do want to speak from our hearts, we can’t.  We end up living superficial lives, being ruled by flashing thoughts in the mind, and mere impulses of the flesh, and the mimic-ing of others, without living from our hearts.  If we are disconnect from our own hearts, we cannot have intimacy with the Lord, because that intimacy is not a physical one or a mental one, but one that exists in the core of our hearts

When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, doing things for Him, and saying things to Him, which are not from the heart, doesn’t capture Him, because He is not captured by outward ceremony, actions, and sayings, but by our hearts.  He is moved by the movements of our heart, not mere lip-service, acts of obligation, or stern religiosity.  Jesus didn’t die on the cross for heartless-but-righteous robots.  Nope, He died for our hearts.  He’s not concerned with what comes out of our shell, but our core.

So, Jesus condemned the pharisees for worshipping with their lips, but having a disconnect in their hearts.  Paul talked to the Corinthian church that giving financially ought to be done with joy, not a grudge.  James warned against double mindedness, which is opposite of living from the genuineness of our hearts.  James also talked about the power of fervent prayer- which is prayer from the heart.  Jesus praised Nathaniel for being a man without deceit in his heart- there was not a disconnect between his actions, his words, and his heart; they were all in unity.  Paul talked to the Roman Church about how the key to salvation is confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart that Jesus is Lord, again, we see that there must be that pure connection, not contradiction, between the mouth and the heart.

On that day we stand before Jesus to give an account for our lives, it won’t just be our actions that are brought to the table, but our hearts.  We could have sacrificed much, but if the sacrifices weren’t packaged with a heart of love, then, there will be no eternal profit given.  Because it’s the heart that He seeks, it’s the heart that He will see.

The precious thing about children is that they will tell you what is in their heart.  Children are direct.  Children have their actions, their words, and their hearts working together without contradiction. As kids become adults, some of them will have their actions do one thing, their words say something else, and their heart being totally disconnected from what they are doing and their heart totally rejecting what they are saying.  It was about the kids that Jesus said, “such is the kingdom of God.”  Kingdom people ought to be genuine people.  Kingdom people say what the mean, mean what they say, do what they say, say what they do, and their hearts convictions are in-line with what they do and say.

Every person of faith had their actions, their words, and their heart working in harmony, not discord, when the conceived their promises from God.  David’s heart believed that the Lord would give Goliath the victory, his mouth spoke it, and his actions were in complete agreement to his heart and his lips.  Abraham believed in the promises of God, and although he wasn’t perfect, his actions supported his hearts belief, and his words were in line with his heart’s belief and actions- he was calling himself- the father of many nations, and Sarah- princess.  If we want to be people of faith, we need to get those three components in unity with each other.  If we don’t, our faith won’t work.  Jesus taught us that mountain moving faith is released when people speak without doubt- again, that means it is released by people who are genuine, not those who always speak what they don’t really mean.  People of faith are genuine people, not those who say a butt load of things that they don’t really mean and have deep convictions about.

That’s one reason why the Lord tells us to be “slow to speak” and “thou shalt not lie”, is because every time we speak something that our hearts don’t agree with, it damages our vehicle of faith- and if that vehicle breaks down- we are in trouble.  That’s the vehicle that has been chosen by God to take us to our destiny.

A person of integrity is a person who is united in their actions, words, and heart.  Are we training ourselves to be people of integrity?

Colossians 3:1-7

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

In verses one and two, when we are admonished by Paul to set our affection towards heaven, I am reminded of when Jesus taught us to store our treasures in heaven, not on the earth (Matthew 6:18-20).  I believe that where our investments are, there are affections will be.  I believe that is why parents usually have great affection for their children, because they have invested so much into them.  If I invest a great some of money into a business project, that project will capture my affections.  I believe that Jesus wants us to invest so much in heaven/eternity, that we will have such great affections for heaven. Sometimes, I have to make decisions that I know will make me unpopular, and my flesh would rather not do it, but I know that is what the Lord wants me to do, so I do it.  At these times, I know that my eternal rewards in heaven are building up. As I give my life here on earth to build up my accolades- not on earth- but in heaven, I believe that my affections for the things above will magnify.  I pray that I will not be so near-sighted, that all I could see the here and now.  Everything that I store for myself on earth will be stripped from me one day: my popularity, my prestige, and my possessions.  However, what I store up in heaven will never be taken away from me.

I love how Paul says to so plainly, “For you died.”  That is something so important to remember.  How I see myself determines how I live my life.  I am absolutely convinced that I am a man.  Therefore, I’m never tempted to wear a dress.  It never crosses my mind that I need to put on make up or mascara.  What’s easy and restful for me is to be a man.  How do I know I’m a man?  Well, let’s just say I have the evidence.  When Paul says that we have died to my old life, and that my new life has now been “hidden with Christ in God.”  I ought to be as persuaded that I am with Christ and in God, and that the sinner I was before Christ is now dead, that I’m as convinced of my identity in Christ as I am in my identity as a man; because the Word of God is my evidence.

What is so empowering about the Scriptures is that it aims to change my beliefs before my behavior.  Here Paul is calling the Colossian church to live right, but he’s not just trying to modify their behavior by telling them what to do.  The Holy Spirit is working through Paul to modify their beliefs by telling them who they are.  I love it.  I remember how when the angel appeared to Gideon, the angel of the Lord told him, “You mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12).  Gideon is speechless at such a description of himself that the angel had just given him, because it was contrary to what he had believed all his life.  The Lord changed Gideon’s self-image, and then Gideon’s lifestyle changed.  I see the same amazing grace at work in this passage, because Paul is telling them what God’s grace has made them, and then, encourages them to be who they already are.

What drains people is when they have to try to be someone they don’t believe that they are.  If I had to act like I was a woman for an entire day, it would tire me out and drain me of my emotional energies.  Why?  It’s tiring trying to be someone you don’t believe that you are.  Being a guy is the easiest thing for me, because there is ease when you are just being who you believe that you are.  I’m so thankful that God doesn’t tell us that we-Christians are dirty rotten sinners, and then scare us by screaming, “live holy or I will be angry!”  Nope.  God first changes our self-identity, and simple faith in that new self-identity becomes our launch pad or empowerment into a new blessed lifestyle.

Worship into a Prophetic Encounter

Worship Ministry in David’s Time

David was a man ahead of his time. David was a man who knew God’s heart, and God’s heart was always for worshippers (John 4:23). David was a worshipper, and he knew how much God enjoyed our worship. So, David had it in his heart to build God a house of worship, so worship would go on 24/7. He knew how God was so pleased when David would get in the backside of the hills and just sing to the Lord with his harp, so David envisioned seeing a worship team of 4,000 people playing and worshipping before the Lord 24/7. These 4,000 worshippers would be led by 288 worshippers who were trained and led by 24 worshippers, and those 24 worshippers were led and trained by 3 prophets. Huh? Why prophets?

These are the names and short profiles of the three prophets:

1. Asaph: “who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders” (1 Chronicles 25:2)
2. Jeduthun: “Who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the harp, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 25:3)
3. Heman: “the king’s seer” (1 Chronicles 25:5)

Asaph was a prophetic preacher, Jeduthun was a prophetic worshipper, and Heman was a prophetic seer. We know that Jeduthun was a prophet and a musician, but we don’t know if Asaph or Heman were. Asaph was a prophetic preacher and Heman was a prophetic seer. Asaph knew what was burning on the heart of God and he could release it at will. Heman saw what was going on in the spiritual realm, and he saw what was really happening and what was going to happen. They were all prophets.

Question: Why did God have the worshippers and musicians train under the prophets?

All three of them had the prophetic anointing- by anointing, I mean ability or unction.

What do I mean by prophetic? The root word of prophetic is prophet. Prophets were those who saw into the spirit realm, they heard the voice of God, they knew the heart of God, and they had radical experiences with God. Prophetic means prophet-like, so prophetic experiences mean: prophet like experiences. Just like chaotic- means: chaos like, or allergic- means allergy like. Now just because someone is prophetic doesn’t mean they are placed by God in the office of a prophet. However, they will have prophet like gifting and experiences. By the way, every Christian can be and should be prophetic. We should all experience God in a personal and powerful way, we should all know what’s on His heart, we should know what the Holy Spirit is saying, we ought to be able to have spiritual insight and revelation!

Something we have to know about the prophetic anointing is that: it is contagious. Remember, King Saul stepped into a company of prophets trying to kill David, but ended up prophesying for days (1 Sam. 19:24).

Worship and the prophetic is a marriage made in heaven!

I also believe that the primary purpose of music is for worship! The primary purpose of music was not to make Michael Jackson or Kanye West famous, the purpose of music was to make God famous and to declare His fame.

Music was designed for worship. Worship was designed to foster a prophetic environment where people can hear from God. David knew something about worship and music, he was a musician and a worshipper himself. David worshipped much. David prophesied much. See the correlation! Where did David learn? His mentor was Samuel, and Samuel used to have a prophetic school where they would prophesy accompanied by “lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them.” (1 Samuel 10:5) Elisha was a prophet and he would say, “Now bring me a harpist” for “while the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha” (2 Kings 3:14-16). Most of the prophetic psalms were written in the tabernacle of David, where worship was going non-stop.

At our church, we have an extended period of worship, we take at least an hour. Why? It’s not to foster an atmosphere of entertainment, but an atmosphere for a prophetic encounter! We aren’t just trying to butter up the people before the preacher, we are seeking God to encounter God.

Why do we worship? Is it just to enjoy the music and dance? No. Is it to give God the glory? Absolutely, but there’s still more to it. Worship is supposed to take us to a place where we can hear clearly from God, know what’s on His heart, and see things by the Holy Spirit! Worship is supposed to lead us into a prophetic encounter and the prophetic encounter is supposed to lead us into deeper worship.

It wasn’t scholars who trained the prophetic worshippers, because worship isn’t for education purposes, it’s for ENCOUNTER PURPOSES! It wasn’t the entertainers who trained the prophetic worshippers, because worship isn’t for entertainment purposes, but ENCOUNTER PURPOSES! The more we worship, the more prophetic encounters we will have, the more we will hear from God, know His heart, and have sharper spiritual vision!

The design of the worship department in the Tabernacle of David- the temple of God, was for the prophets to train the 14 sons, who would each train 12 others, which makes 288, and they were to lead the 4,000 and the 4,000 were to lead the nation in worship. The design was that the prophetic anointing on the three prophets would be imparted to the 14, and then to the 288, and then to the 4,000, and then to the entire nation. While the Tabernacle of David was running 24/7 worship, that is when Israel was on top of the world!

I believe that even today, the prophets should be training the worship leaders. Every Christian can prophesy or have prophetic experiences, but God has called prophets today who have a special anointing to equip and activate the body of Christ in the prophetic (Eph. 4:11). Every worship leader ought to move in a prophetic anointing- which is a special gifting to hear from God and see what He’s up to. When a worship leader gets on stage and worships and plays his/her music, that prophetic anointing ought to be released, so the people can also encounter God in a real way. The prophetic anointing is contagious. Remember, King Saul stepped into a company of prophets trying to kill David, but ended up prophesying for days (1 Sam. 19:24). May it be today! I’m convinced that worship leaders don’t just release hot-air and strums or beats, they release their anointing- or lack of anointing, they release their spirit of intimacy with God, or lack of it. Therefore, worship leaders ought to be so full of that prophetic anointing, that they release it, and the people now are enabled to have prophetic experiences with God and encounter Him in a very real way.

I have a friend- who is a preacher, and he told me once, “I don’t know why, but I feel so nervous to preach, but always during the worship, I get so charged up and I end up preaching powerfully, but I can’t do it without worshipping first.” I know why that is, because during the worship, my friend has a prophetic encounter, and from that encounter he can preach from not just his head, but God’s heart. A mentor of mine walks into a conference or a service he has to preach in without any notes. During the worship, he feels out what the Spirit is saying, and then preaches and lives are forever changed. Why? Worship is the environment for a prophetic encounter. Any preacher who is not a worshipper, can preach from his head, but that’s it. The preacher who is a worshipper, can preach from God’s heart, not just his head! You might not be a full time preacher, but we are all called to share God’s Word with those around us. Will those words come from our heads, or from God’s heart? It depends on this question: Are you a worshipper? Worship is the pipeline that sends heaven’s revelation (unveiled truth) to earth!

Most of my sermon material has not been the regurgitation of other peoples’ sermons or books, but has just come upon my spirit during a time of worship or soaking in God’s presence with my Bible open and with worship music in the background. I’ve written over 150 spiritual articles, and most of what I’ve written was received during a time of worship or soaking in God’s presence with my Bible open and worship music in the background. Now, I’m not saying this has to be the rule, it’s worked for me, and I believe it’s because worship releases revelation. Our worship is like our internet modem. When I first got internet, I had a dial-up modem. It would take fifteen minute to open NBA.com, now, I have cable modem and it takes less than a second. Our worship is the modem, the greater the worship, the faster and more frequent we receive revelation of God and His Word-His Truth.

The Dark Ages of Christianity

The Church started off with a bang on the day of Pentecost! It was a glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the Church took the message of the gospel and changed the world! Then, the church entered into the Dark Ages. During these Dark Ages, the Church became crusaders who tried to convert by the force and through war. That is just retarded! Jesus never wanted us to bring revival through hate and war, but by prayer and worship, preaching the gospel, and love! During the Dark Ages, that’s when they came up with the worship of Mary and the need to confess sins only to a priest and give money to the church to get forgiven. That’s retarded, we don’t worship angels or people, we worship God and God alone! We can confess our sins to God and to our trusted brothers and sisters, and we can’t pay for our sins, Jesus paid it in full on the cross! During the Dark Ages, church leaders used to whip themselves into a bloody pulp and brag about their holiness. That’s idiotic! Jesus didn’t get whipped and die a horrific death on the cross, so we would beat ourselves too. He died in our place! So we aren’t supposed to boast about our scares, we boast only in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, we brag about the work Jesus did on the cross! How did the church go from being a powerhouse of the Holy Spirit and love, to a retarded organization, filled with power-hungry leaders with sick political agendas, and a people who were so twisted in their theology, and so far off from the Jesus they preached and the Christianity the early church practiced? Now there was always a remnant who were living right before God, but most of the Church had drifted awfully far from the will and heart of God. I’ll tell you where I believe the downfall started…

It started with Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-220), who decided that musical, Davidic worship ought to be expelled from the church, just because idol worshippers were using music in their worship. In A.D. 190, he wrote, “Leave the pipe to the shepherd, the flute to them men who are in fear of gods and intent on their idol worshipping. Such musical instruments must be excluded from our wingless feasts, for they are more suited for beasts and for the class of men that is least capable of reason.” He attacked laughter and blatant, drunken expressions of joy in the church, and wrote a rulebook on who Christians should even smile, but merely blush. John Chrysostom, then came along in the fourth century, and further preached against the use of instruments in the church. In 354, Augustine wrote about how during his day that the church didn’t use instruments, because those exciting instruments were used in the parties, raves, and drunken orgies of idol worshippers. It just gets worse, when Pope Gregory (A.D. 540-604) got into the mix, he took congregational singing out of the church and only had paid priests do all the singing. If that’s bad enough, he also made everyone sing in Latin, so the common person couldn’t understand it! John Calvin (1509-1564) also was against music instruments, and even had pipe organs burned down.

Do you think there was a direct correlation between the Dark Ages of Retarded Christianity and the expulsion of expressive, joyous, musical, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Davidic worship? Absolutely!

If we study history, when expressive, Davidic worship returned in wide-scale to the church, it was during the Charismatic Renewal- which took place in the 60s, and as that broke out, with it, a greater revelation of the Holy Spirit exploded into the body of Christ. Because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Revelation, the more you get to know the Holy Spirit, the more you get to know everything else! Before the 60s, if you spoke in tongues, about 99% of Christians thought you were of the devil! Today, only maybe 1% of deceived Christians think that the manifestation of the spiritual gifts are manifestation of demons, because the Holy Spirit stopped working, while the demons are super active.

Is there a direct correlation between the prophetic revelation that’s in the Body of Christ today and the revival of Davidic worship? Absolutely!

Heaven is where worship is. Heaven is also where revelation is. Through worship you bring heaven’s atmosphere to earth. When it comes to earth, guess what else comes: revelation! Revelation means: unveiling of truth. Do you want more prophetic (prophet like) revelation (unveiling of truth)? Worship passionately, expressively, and, in a Davidic way.

The prophetic & worship is a marriage made in heaven. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder! If worship doesn’t bring you to a place of greater intimacy with God where you can hear Him, feel Him, and see Him and what He’s doing more clearly, than you have missed an important point of worship! May we never loose our worship! When worship goes, dark ages comes.

I took time to write all this, not so we can have our intellect tickled with new information, but so that our hearts can burn with expectancy every time we worship, and so that we would have a greater desire to worship the Lord, and awareness of the power of it! Just as the worship of the 4,000 brought the blessings of God upon the nation, I believe that as we catch and spread the fire for prophetic worship, our nation will be healed, revived, and blessed!

Why we must never judge another person with a proud heart?

“ 1″Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

What does it mean to judge?

Jesus is telling us that we must not judge others.  What does that mean?  The Amplified Bible gives a little more clarity: “Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned.” (Matthew 7:1) To judge means to not just criticize, but condemn.  To condemn means to label someone as hopeless and worthless.  It doesn’t matter how evil or stupid a person is, everyone has hope and worth.  To judge means to jump to a quick conclusion about someone based on what your 7 favorite jurors say.  Their names being:  Pride, insecurity, bitterness, religiosity, jealousy, greed, and past hurts.  All this, while pushing away the good jurors, named: love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, humility.  An immature person is one who is quick to judge another.  I remember when I was a youth pastor, it was after 9-11, one of my middle school students brought two of his friends.  He later told me that his friends try to act like Mexicans, but they were really Saudi Arabian.  He went on to tell me that they tried to hide their identity because they didn’t want to be made fun of or on the receiving end of prejudice.  This happens in middle school, why? Immaturity.  Immature people are quick to draw conclusions about others, and they aren’t afraid of expressing their judgments, which is really an expression of stupidity and immaturity.  Arab College Students weren’t faking to be Mexican.  Why?  More mature you get, the less you judge.

This judging that Jesus is warning us about is a “loveless judging” from a proud heart

Even though it might not always be obvious, there is a huge difference between someone who judges another from a loveless heart, and someone who points out something about another person from a heart of love.  It’s all about the heart isn’t it?  I remember hearing someone point things about other people all the time, and I jumped to conclusions and judged that person as being judgmental.  However, I later came to find out that this person spent hours compassionately praying for and continually thinking about how to help those people he was talking about.  This passage is strictly addressing those who judge with the wrong heart.  Mature Christians will see the issues of immature believers as clearly as an eagle will spot a snake.  However the mature Christian will attack the snake or the issue with prayer and consol, without judging or condemning the person.

Judging is a Sin and a Seed

Judging is a seed, and what you dispense, you will drink.  If you don’t want to drink in criticism and condemnation from others, don’t dispense it.  The harder you through a bouncing ball at a wall, the faster and harder it comes back at you.  The harder you through a judgment on another, the harder it will come upon you!  This isn’t my own teaching, it’s Jesus’.

He also says, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  (Luke 37:-38) Here Jesus introduces three seeds, judgment, condemnation, and forgiveness.  What you sow, you will reap of harvest thereof.  Which seeds do you like to plant?  You better like eating the fruit of it.  With the measure you give out to other people, people will give back to you.

How I treat people, effects how God treats me

“You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7) The failure to honor our spouse, results in our failure to receive from God.  This principle continues…

Jesus taught that as we sow the seeds of forgiveness towards man, we will reap forgiveness from God (Matthew 6:14).  That’s an incredible concept: how I treat people, has an impact on how God treats me.  We already covered that how we treat people is how people will treat us, but it’s not just that.  How we treat people impacts how God treats us.

I believe there was a direct correlation between how Ruth graciously treated her widowed mother in law Naomi, and how God graciously treated Ruth.  We saw the parable about how when the servant who was forgiven for his 1 million dollar debt by his master, but refused to forgive another for a 500 dollar debt, and when his master found out about this wickedness, his anger was poured upon the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23-35).  According to Jesus, that master was a type of the Heavenly Father.  I would rather sow seeds of honor, love, and grace like Ruth, and judgment and un-forgiveness like that servant.  Do you want to live a life being honored or despised?  This isn’t up to God, it’s up to the seeds we decide to sow.

The Favor on my life determines the Influence of my life

I see certain people and they have special favor in their lives.  Just like how Esther had supernatural favor, which opened to the door for her to have supernatural influence for God, some people have favor permeating from their lives.  The favor on our lives determines the influence of our lives.  You can have gifting, but if you don’t have favor, your gifting isn’t going to be very influential.  If you have a level 10 gift, but you only have level 2 favor, your influence will level off at level 2.  If you have a level 4 gift, but have level 10 favor, your influence will be at a 10.  Billy Graham wasn’t and isn’t the most talented preacher, there are sixteen year olds who can preach better than him, there are unknown ministers who can communicate better than him, there are many who pray more than him, but how has he preached to more people face to face than anyone else?  How has he had personal relationships with every president from Harry Truman?  Favor.

I would rather have favor than money, because if I have favor, money and other things will just come, ask Ruth, Boaz-the most eligible Bachelor- who had the fear of the Lord and lots of cash- not a bad combination- went after her!  He could had got with a richer girl or a prettier girl (I don’t think Ruth was pretty- the Bible usually tells us when a woman was gorgeous).  Ruth didn’t need to be super hot, she wore clothe straight from the goodwill store, she couldn’t afford makeup, but she had favor!  Girls, you can have all the nice clothes, get plastic surgery, work out seven days a week, and come from a rich family like Paris Hilton, but if you don’t have favor, you don’t have much going for you- and without favor, instead of marrying a Boaz, you might marry a Bozo.  We need favor.  I know I didn’t get to marry my wife because of my smashing good looks, it was favor!  I didn’t have bulging muscles or Prince Charming charm, but I had favor.

How do we grow in favor?

Jesus grew in favor with man and with God (Luke 2:52).  Favor is something that can grow in our lives.  I believe that one of the keys to growing in favor, is sowing honor.  Favor is essentially honor.  If you have favor, that means you have honor.  A man with favor will start working as a cashier at the super market, and in one year, he will be honored to the place of manager.  Others might have been working at the market longer, but it’s about favor!  To reap honor, we need sow honor.

Honor is not just being nice.  You can be nice without a heart of honor.  It’s called: hypocrisy or butt-kissing.  Honor is an attitude of the heart which overflows into ones life.  A person becomes honorable or favorable because he has a heart of honor and has sowed seeds of honor.

If honor is the key to favor, what’s the key to honor?

Humility.  A humble person is one who honors God and people.  (1 Peter 5:5) talks about being clothed with humility,  and it’s talking about in the context to our relationship with other people! (1 Peter 5:6) talks about humbling ourselves before God, it’s addressing our relationship with God.  A humble person is not one who only applies (1 Peter 5:6), but ignores (1 Peter 5:5).  A humble person applies both and honors God and people.   A person who claims to honor God, but fails to honor everyone, is a walking contradiction, because those who truly honor God will honor His Word which says, “honor everyone” (1 Peter 2:17).

Check this verse out: “A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit will obtain honor.”  (Proverbs 29:23) Humility is the key to receiving honor-which is favor- which determines our influence.  Pride is the key to being despised- which sucks- and while will determine your lack of influence in life.

3″Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  (Matthew 7:3-5)

Pride is a fat sin.  Pride is what brought Lucifer down and made him the devil.  God promises to oppose the proud (1 Peter 5:5)(James 4:6).  Pride is no speck, it’s a plank.  While humble people sow seeds of honor, and reap a harvest of honor or favor, proud people sow seeds of dishonor- or they are quick to despise others, and they reap a harvest of dishonor.

Proud people sow words of judgment, criticism, and condemnation in the lives of others.  They will criticize someone who has a slippage of the tongue, but according to God, that slippage of the tongue can be a speck, while their pride is a plank!  Do you see that?  So do you know when you are qualified to point out a speck in someone else’s life?  When the pride in your own heart is dealt with and replaced with humility and love.  We are called to point out things in our brothers and sisters life, but we are only qualified to do so when the prideful plank has been removed first.  If there is no pride in you, and that heart to despise someone is no longer in you, and instead there is a heart of humility, which values the person you are confronting, then you qualify, because you are walking in love!

Summary:

1) The root of a life without influence is: LACK OF FAVOR

2) The root to the lack of favor is: THE SEEDS OF DISHONOR YOU SOWED- also known as judgments.

3) The root to the seeds of judgment is PRIDE.

On the other hand:

1) The root of a life with influence is: FAVOR

2) The root to favor is: SOWING SEEDS OF HONOR

3) The root to sowing honor is: HUMILITY

Counting Score is Dumb!

Christians-especially Charismatics- have a tendency to keep score with others, to compete with others, and compare ourselves.  We become all about who has more points.  Who prays more, prophesies best, sees healings most often, had the most clearest visions and the most profound dreams, and lives holiest.  While we keep score, we become:  1) motivated by the score, 2) encouraged by our points, and 3) discouraged by the points of others.  Keeping score is stupid.  Jesus said that when we give to the poor, don’t let our left hand know what our right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3).  He didn’t say, when you give to the poor, write down how much you give and count your total at the end of the year, and brag!  Jesus was teaching us a powerful principle: when you do good, don’t count score!  When you fast, don’t count your score!  When you pray, don’t count your score!  Don’t worry about your score, focus on loving the poor, loving others, and loving God, and your score will take care of itself.  The goal is not the score (how much, how often you do, or don’t do _(blank)_, the goal is loving with a pure heart!  

The prodigal son’s older brother was keeping score with his brother.  Even in the church brothers and sisters are keeping score with each other.  Churches are keeping score with each other: whether by calculating ministry effectiveness, numbers, notoriety, or the supernatural.

 

#1 Reason Keeping Score is Dumb: Keeping score keeps us from understanding grace!

Keeping score is stupid becuase it keeps us from understanding grace because: grace keeps no score!  When I was saved, Jesus threw away my pathetic score and gave me His perfect score!  Keeping score is a grace killer!  In Galatians, Paul is begging the church to stop keeping score by incorporating Judaism- the OT law.  He warns them: (Galatians 5:4) ”If you are going to play score keeping, you’ve fallen from grace!”  

Reason #2 Keeping Score is Dumb: It will leave you offended at God!

The prodigal’s brother was keeping score and therefore was upset when his brother was given a party.  He thought that the younger brother was favored over him.  He believed that he was the one who deserved daddy’s blessings. Do you feel like God owes you something?  If you do, you are counting score!

Those with religious spirits- who keep score- will be offended at God’s grace!  Why? God will always pour out grace on someone who has less points, but more humility!  It will leave the Score-counter jealous and offended.  Why be offended at God? Being offended at God will bring two devastating things: 1) make you feel less special and less loved, and 2) kill your faith.

Why be offended?  Jesus told a story about wage workers in the field (Matthew 20:1-15).  Those who were counting score were offended at the boss.  It happens today too.  Those who count score are hurt by grace, those who forget about the score are healed by grace.  Let’s not be of hurt by grace but healed by grace.  You want to understand the healing and transforming power of grace?  Stop counting score.  The Pharisees counted score too much that they were oblivious to grace.  Let’s marvel at Jesus’ score and his grace that caused Him to give us his perfect score.  

Reason # 3 Counting Score is dumb: It will keep you from being fully able to love and obey God!

When I keep score, I will be intimated by other people’s scores and insecure about other people’s blessings. When I feel less loved and less special to God it makes Him less loved and less special to me!  The love that we reflect and return to God is the love we believe He has for us.  When you love less, you obey less! (John 14:15).  The less and you obey, the less you are blessed, the less you are blessed the more life sucks more. 

Don’t ever think your brother is special to God and you aren’t.  Don’t  believe your sister is God’s favorite and you aren’t.  Don’t limit the heart of God.  Jason Upton says that the mystery of heaven is that we are all his favorite.  

* Counting score makes you offended at grace, and doubting God’s burning love for you- which is your only fuel.

Reason # 4 Counting Score is dumb: Counting score also leads to envy and strife!  

In sports, there would be a lot less fights if no one was keeping score.  Same goes for the human heart and the church.  Envy is stupid because God is not a respecter of persons! (Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9,1 Pet 1:17)  If a brother is blessed with something you don’t have yet, be happy and either: go humble yourself to learn what they did to get what they got and do the same, or recognize that God gives different gifts not so we would envy each other, but bless each other!

We are all on the same team! By grace, we were made part of the same kingdom!  My points are your points, your points are my points!  

Reason # 5 Counting Score is Dumb: When you keep score and compete, you are no longer being controlled be God’s love, but pride and selfish ambition!

That will leave you with no rewards at the end (1 Corinthians 13): there is no reward without the motivation of love.  In fact, it will leave you burnt out and probably offended because after all your striving in the flesh, God will bless someone else who has less points, but is humble!  Humble people don’t count their score!

Never fast because you feel like you need to compete with, or catch up to, or copy someone else. Fast because the love of God constrains you! The same goes with everything else. We must do it because the love of God constrains-compels us (2 cor 5:14)!

Reason # 6 Counting Score is Dumb:  Counting Score it’s a waste of time and energy!  

We all have limited time and energy.  Why waste energy doing something that will hurt you instead of something that will help you.  What hurts you? Counting score.  What helps you?  Mediating on grace.  Thanking God for grace.  Confessing that you are His favorite one.  Confessing God is good.   Praising and worshipping Him.

The secret to great faith that overcomes the challenges of life (1 John 5:4) is simply: learning grace and believing God is good.  Read the gospels.  What separated those with great faith from those with little or no faith was that some believed in God’s goodness and grace while others didn’t.

Reason # 7 Counting Score is Dumb: Counting Score kills your faith!

Faith is how we receive from God!  The prodigal’s brother didn’t understand the grace of his dad.  He could have received a party anytime, if he had just asked!  He would have asked if he didn’t spend his energy counting score, but appreciating the grace and generosity of daddy!  So many christians don’t recieve what is available because they don’t  have great faith in prayer, they have retarded faith because they don’t understanding daddy’s grace!  

Do you need any more reasons?  

 

 

Am I Important to God?

How often have you seen kids trying to get their parents attention, while parents are ignoring the kids, so the kid starts believing from a tender age: “there are people more important than me!” 

We carry that into our relationship with God and think, there are some people more important to God than me.  God gives some people more attention because they are more important than me.  When God blesses someone or answers someone’s prayer we think: He is more important or special to God than me.  We can’t be happy for that person because their blessing makes us more insecure because we are reassured that some people are more important to God than me.

Now, tell me one good thing that does for you?  Humbles you? It’s doesn’t humble you it makes your more insecure and those with insecurity complexes have superiority complexes- also known as: Pride!  Thinking someone else is more important to God than you is a FLAWED WAY OF THINKING! 

We are all important to God!  When I call on my Abba Father- He hears and He is attentive!  He cares for me! (1 Peter 5:7)  

3 By-products of believing others are more important than me to God:

1) Thinking others are more important to God than me leaves me feeling insecure- which makes me envious of others, and in pride competing and counting score with others. 

2) Thinking others are more important than you to God leaves you offended at God an unable to love Him as you should.  

3) Thinking you aren’t important and God doesn’t care kills your faith!  The disciples were rebuked for having weak faith when they asked Jesus, “Don’t you care that we perish?”

 

How I do on Judgment Day is based on how much I understand grace today!

(Luke 18:9-14) We see the Pharisee and the tax collector.

The Pharisee was counting score. He was well aware of how much he fasted, how much money he gave into the offering, and how much he sacrificed for God. His prayer was grounded upon his score. His confidence was rooted in his score. He was comparing his score. He depended on his score.

The Tax Collector had no score to count or brag about. He had no score to depend on. He was only depending on grace. He was not comparing or competing but crying out for grace.

The Pharisee prayed to himself- His prayer didn’t reach God, it didn’t move God, but only moved him to greater pride.

The Tax Collector was heard by God and go a breakthrough! All breakthroughs start when we get our eyes off of our score and onto His grace!

After this parable, Jesus teaches on humility! Want to know a secret to humility? Depending on God’s grace instead of our score. Forgetting about our score and fixing our eyes on the grace of God!

There is a reason why (1 Peter 5:5)(James 4:8) says that God gives grace to the humble. It’s only those who can humble themselves and throw away their prideful score who can fully experience grace. How much grace you understand or experience determines your destiny- on earth and in eternity. Yes, it’s our life on earth that determines our eternity.

When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be rewarded according to our obedience right? Our rewards depend on our obedience. But, our obedience depends on our love. But, our love depends on our understanding of grace!

(Luke 7:47): “The one who is forgiven much, loves much.” Now I know people who have gotten saved when they were nine and didn’t commit a lot of sins, but has a greater love for God than a person who was saved at 40 after a lifetime of sin. How does Jesus statement work then? The person saved at nine and the person saved at 40 have both been forgiven. But the one saved at 9 has a greater understanding of forgiveness and grace. What’s more important than the amount of sin we were forgiven, is our understanding of grace!

So, how well we do on Judgment Day is determined by how much we understand grace today! How well we did on Judgment Day is not determined by how much will power we had, or how we outscored everyone else.

Do I understand grace?

If I’m bitter, I’ve fallen short of grace and simply just don’t get it (Hebrews 12:15). I could sing about grace, preach grace, but if I have roots of bitterness in my heart, grace- the language of Christ- is a foreign language to me. Do you want to know how much you’ve grown spiritually or in grace? Watch how you deal with offense!

I was a sinner, drowning in my sinful debts. I deserved the bitter wrath of God. I rebelled against Him. I was not just a sinner by nature, I was a sinner by choice and practice. But, God loved me and showed me grace by sending Jesus Christ- His Son- the man who was full of grace. Jesus died on the cross for all of my sins. He died for me. He rose again. Because I put my faith in Him and gave my life to Him, I’m forgiven, I’m justified, I’m made righteous, I have a relationship with God, I’ve received His precious Holy Spirit who changed my from the inside out, I am no longer the same person, I have so much hope, I have so much joy, and I have real purpose. I know my Creator, Satan is under my feet, victory is my inheritance,I’m free, I’m blessed, heaven is my home, Jesus is the faithful lover of my soul. All because of grace!

Now what does that do to you? That’s the simple gospel of grace. How much I am moved by that simple truth is how much I understand grace! How much I understand the beauty and romance of the gospel is how much I understand grace!

How much I understand grace, is how much I will love God, which is how much I will obey Him, which is how much I will be rewarded in eternity.

I’m in the New Covenant!

(shared on Sunday -Sept. 14. 2008)

 

Introduction:

There is an Old and New Testament in your Bible.  The Old Testament presents the Old Covenant.  The New Testament presents the New Covenant.  We are living under the NC as NT Believers.  There are so many benefits for you living under the NC!  The NC is like the I-phone it’s infinite times greater of course.  You can be give the I-Phone, but unless you learn about the cool benefits that come with it, and learn how to tap into them, all you will have is a wasted piece of medal. 

 

Eye Glasses:

It is so important to understand the difference between the OC and NC.  I wish somebody had taught me this when I first got saved.  It would have saved me a lot of confusion, frustration, and deception.  When I was able to understand the OC and NC, it was like getting glasses for the first time.  How many of you remember the first time you got glasses or contacts?  I remember I was in Korea when my parents took me to a Eye Doctor and I got my first pair of glasses.  I couldn’t believe it!  When I wore them and looked out at the world I was like:  Wow! Trees actually have leaves- because I just saw green bushes, but now I could see the detailed leaves.  I looked at myself in the mirror and thought: Wow!  You’re better looking than I thought.  I could see things so much more clearly.  I believe that’s what is going to happen to you in the next half hour- you will get new glasses!  Now, when you look at the Word of God, what used to be hard to see and blurry will become so clear.  Understanding the Old and New Covenants is like getting a pair of eyeglasses!  You will first see the Word of God clearly, and when you see the Word clearly, you see life clearly! 

 

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth:

We have to see what the OC is about and what the NC is about, because they are different! We have to rightly divide the Word!  (2 Timothy 2:15) Why?

 

There are certain things that God did in the OT that He’s not doing anymore.  In the OT, God let His servants call down fire and destroy people.  In the NT, Jesus’ disciples ask Jesus if they could and should do that too.  Jesus says, “No!  You don’t know what spirit you are of!”  Jesus was telling them, “Guys! We aren’t doing that anymore because My Father is not doing that anymore!” (Luke 9:54) Instead, Jesus says: “I’ve not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”  (Luke 9:56)  You can read things in the OC and think God is still doing that stuff to His people when He is not. 

 

Leviticus 26

l“14 ﾒHowever, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands, 15 and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, 16 I will (PUNISHMENT) you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. (SICKNESS AND POVERTY) 17 I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. (DEFEAT)  Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!  (FEAR) 18 And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins… 21 If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster (CALAMITIES) on you seven times over for your sins. 22 I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. (FAMILY CRISIS)  … 25 I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. (CURSE)

 

Same God?

Some have a hard time understanding how the God of (Leviticus 26) could be the same God as the one in (John 3:16): “For God so loved the world…” Is the OT God and the NT God really the same?  I remember I gave a speech about the Bible being about the love of God in my High School Speech Class, and my classmate came up to me afterwards with a passage from the OT asking how I could claim God as being-love.”  Is God schizophrenic- I mean He could be nice one day, and be furious the next, someone you adore one day and then tremble before the next? 

 

No, God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:10).  The Old Testament shows us a God of wrath and justice!  He is that all right.  God hates sin, and the passage in Leviticus shows us God’s wrath against sin.  We also see the justice of God and that how when someone does something wrong- punishment is due.  However!  The OT doesn’t portray the fullness of who God is- it shows bits and pieces- but not the full truth- only partial truth.

 

There were attributes of God’s true character that was hidden until the New Testament.  There were things that God kept a mystery until He chose to unveil them.  Where’s the proof of that? “25Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.” (Romans 16:25) 

 

Mystery?

What was the mystery?  The Gospel of Jesus Christ!  Might I make clear: the gospel is the gospel of grace! (Acts 20:24) No grace, no gospel.  God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ was kept a mystery in the OT.  What is a mystery?  Is it a new truth or a hidden truth?  It’s a hidden truth.  God didn’t just change and become a God of grace in the NT, He always was- it was just hidden.  Notice that we see the word “revelation” as well in (Romans 16:25).   Revelation means to unveil.  When God unveils something- or remove the curtain- what He are doing is removing the curtain to help you to see what was always there.  God was always this “God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10).

 

Thank God that what was just a mystery then, is the gospel-good news that is going to the ends of the earth today!  What’s the gospel? It’s grace!  The gospel is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24). 

 

God’s Mystery is Christ

(Colossians 2:2) tells us that the mystery of God was: Jesus Christ!  Again who is Jesus Christ?  (John 1:14) tells us that while Moses installed the law, Jesus Christ installed grace and truth.  There are two covenants: Old Covenant and the New Covenant.  The OT is about the OC and the NT is about the NC.  The Old Covenant was all about the law, but the NC is all about grace and truth.  Grace is righteousness apart from works and truth is the truth about the nature of God.  (John 1:17) tells us that Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.  (Hebrews 1:3) tells us that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father God.  What is the full truth about what God is like? God is a God-who is full of grace! 

 

Throw away the OT?

If the OT just has partial truth about who God is, then should I just throw it out?  No.  Because the OT, and the Law- by the way, Leviticus is a book about the Law and what we read in Chapter 26 share the consequences for breaking it.  The Bible says that the law- or OT writings were given to be a schoolmaster- or tutor that would ultimately lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).  Ok, let me break it down- the OT is full of bad news, but the NT is full of good news.  However, it’s the bad news of the OT that sets the stage for the good news of the NT.  A black backdrop helps you to more clearly see the white lettering on the screen.  In the same way, the OT is the dark skies-that helps us to more clearly see the fireworks of Grace- in the NT. 

 

The OT is important too.  Let me simplify it.  If somebody is obese, it’s obvious.  But, when you put them on a scale, it becomes even clearer that they are obese.  The fact that we are sinners is obvious.  However, the law was something that made that reality even clearer.  The good news is that when we got saved, we got a spiritual liposuction.  We no longer have to be boggled down by our sin.  Even better, God says we don’t need the scale anymore.  Instead we are to enjoy our freedom, and enjoy doing things that we could never do before!  

 

We Must Discern which Covenant we are under

Let me dissect and unpack what the OC and the NC are all about, and how they are different.  We have to understand this, because we are called to “rightly divide the Word of Truth” and we are living in the NC, not the OC.  Some believers living in the NC still have the OC mentality-which keeps them from enjoying the NC benefits. 

 

When did we Transition over?

Notice that (Leviticus 26) talked about covenant!  The OC of course!  When did the OC change over to the NC?  At the death of Jesus Christ on the cross the OC was no longer valid.  While Jesus was hanging on the cross, He said, “It is finished!”  The OC was now finished. “…The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,  24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)   Remember the God of wrath from (Leviticus 26) and remember God’s demands for justice all throughout the NT?  Well, at the cross, God’s wrath was poured upon Jesus as the sin of the world was placed up Him, and on the cross, God’s demands for justice were met.  Therefore, today we have entered into a new covenant where we have a new life- as NT believers. 

 

More distinctions from Galatians:

“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:10-14)There is a curse that comes to those under the Law or the OC because disobedience brings a curse.  But, thank God that we are no longer under the OC.  I am under the NC, and therefore I am not cursed, but blessed!  Do you believe that?  Jesus took my curse on the cross, so that I could live a blessed life.  Jesus said, “I’ve come that you may have life to the fullest.”  (John 10:10)  The way you work the OC is by works and human effort.  The way you work the NC is by faith.  To receive and enjoy the blessings of the NC, faith is the hook.  What’s the difference between faith and works?  Works trusts in your own ability and goodness.  Faith trusts in the ability and goodness of God.  Again, the blessing that is available to us in the NC is the Holy Spirit!  Thank you Jesus for the NC! 

 

“For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.”  (Galatians 3:21)  The Law could not impart righteousness- right standing with God.  The way to righteousness is faith, “the righteous will live by faith.” 

 

The Law Teaches:

Again, the OT or the OC or the Law is not completely useless.  It’s the bad news of the OC that highlights the good news of grace in the NT.  The OT’s revelation of the God of wrath and justice spurs us to trust Christ alone for our salvation and righteousness.  I am however, no longer under the law!  I don’t have to obey the countless laws in Leviticus of animal sacrifices, high priest visitations, ceremonies, foods to abstain, and more religion.  Yeah! I’m free!  However, there is a word of caution that Paul writes: “For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 3:13)  I’m free from the Law, does that mean I can live however I want? No.  I am encouraged to live a life of love and servant-hood.

 

Distinguishing the 2 Covenants

The Old Covenant was far from perfect; it was an incomplete covenant, but completed or fulfilled by Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the Law- but to fulfill the law.”  In a game, when you complete level one, you can go to level two.  The OC needed to be completed, before the NC could be introduced.  Again, the OC was completed at the cross.  Jesus came to complete the OC while installing the NC.  That is why it’s the gospels that sit between the OT and the NT.  The life, work, death, and resurrection of Christ were the bridge into a better covenant!

 

Jewels from (Hebrews 8):                               

“”But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.  For finding fault with them, he says, ‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord.”  (Hebrews 8:6-9)  The OC was imperfect, not because God is imperfect, but because it was dependant on the performance and perfection of the Israelites!  The Israelites were and are obviously not perfect.  However, the NC is perfect, because it is not dependant purely on the performance and perfection of all people, but the performance and perfection of Christ!

 

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.  And I will be their God, and they shall be My people and they shall not teach everyone His fellow citizen, and everyone his brothers, saying ‘know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from the least to the greatest of them.  For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.’”  (Hebrews 8:10-13)   In the NC, it’s not about following a thousands tedious laws, it’s about obeying the Holy Spirit who reveals God’s will into our mind and hearts.  The Holy Spirit gives us a new soul in the NC.  Because the Holy Spirit is our personal counselor and helper, we can have intimacy with the Lord.  The Holy Spirit reveals to us the glory of God.  In the NC, because of the cross, there is greater mercy- a person will not get his head crushed with stones because he dishonored his parents.  The amazing grace of the NC is that as new creations- our sins are forgiven and forgotten. 

 

Out with the Old, In with the New:

“When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete.  But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”(Hebrews 8:13)  Praise the Lord that the new has replaced the old.  Because the old is obsolete, we no longer need to live a life distant from God, and oblivious to the will of God, and without the joy of knowing that we are recipients of mercy and forgiveness! 

 

Old Wineskin and New Wine: Old Covenant mindset can’t handle NC Blessings.  What is NC mindset?

 

1)     I will let God’s love flow out of me resulting in holiness.

2)     I will focus on Jesus and be joyful.

3)     I will not work for God’s acceptance, but from it.

4)     I will not forget God is a good Father!

 

Jesus taught us NC Living:

Jesus came to teach us how to live in the NC.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38-48)

 

More is Required Now:

Some think that we can live like total sinners because we are under grace.  That kind of stupidity sends people to hell.  Because we are under grace, we have a better covenant- a more full revelation of who God is- we are required to be more like Him.  To whom much is given-much is required.  Because we have come to know of the grace and love of God- we are now to live a life of grace and love.  That is what the NC is about- knowing the God of grace and love- and therefore us becoming people of grace and love. For a NC believer to not live a life of grace and love is to completely miss what the NC is all about.

 

Love is Not Forced, but Flows:

Obeying the NC commandment to love is not something we have to strive for and force- like they had to force themselves to obey the commands in the OC.  In the NC, love is not forced.  Just like a forced smile is a fake smile, forced love is fake love.  Obeying the NC commandment of love isn’t done by self-effort or human force.  A real smile flows out.  Real love flows out of a heart that has been overwhelmed by the grace of God.  In the NC, we come to know of God’s grace.  That grace transforms our hearts and overflows it.  The result is love flows out.  Then, we have automatically fulfilled with law of Christ- without human striving. 

 

Understand Grace = Grow in Love:

Jesus had dinner with a Pharisee, and a sinner came in and washed His feet with her tears and hair.  The Pharisee accused Jesus of letting a sinner touch Him.  Jesus told a parable of a man who was forgiven a million dollar debt and a man who was forgiven a hundred dollar debt.  Then, He asked, “Which one will love more?”  The one who was forgiven more, the Pharisee replied.  Jesus said, “The one who is forgiven much loves much.”  Jesus was sharing a principle: the greater revelation of grace you have, the greater your love will be.  Those who do not have much love for God or people don’t have a revelation of grace.  In the OC, there was not much revelation of grace, so there was not much love.  In the NC, there is so much revelation of grace, so there must be so much love in our lives.

 

More Love than David:

David wanted to see justice come to His enemies and them to be destroyed.  He sometimes didn’t take vengeance because He knew God would take vengeance in a more violent way, if he just let go and let God.  In the NC, we are called to a higher standard.  We are to pray for our enemies.  I remember when I got saved.  I had enemies who hurt me.  I read this passage that God takes vengeance when we don’t.  By the way, that was in the OT.  I prayed, “God, I know you said that you will take vengeance, if I don’t.  Now, I’m not going to, but I pray you won’t either.  I don’t want anything bad to happen to them, I want them to get saved and be changed by your grace like me.  Please God, help them don’t hurt them.”  In the OC, they prayed, “God hurt them!”  In the NC, we pray, “God help them!”  Hallelujah!  No one forced me to pray this way, it flowed out of a transformed heart. 

 

Children of God

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:24-28)

 

More good news!  In the NC I am a child of God!  I have put my faith in Christ, and I am baptized into Him (part of the body of Christ- the Church) clothed with Him (His righteousness).  Now, I have a greater identity than my nationality, I am Christ’s.  The OC was for Jews. To be included in the OC, circumcision was mandatory. The NC doesn’t require my blood to be shed, because Christ’s blood was. 

 

“For in Christ neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”  (Galatians 5:6) The NC is for all- there is no discrimination- the whole world came put their faith in Jesus and belong to Him and each other.  I have Jewish brothers, Hispanic sisters, African brothers, and Caucasians sisters, because of the NC!  Hallelujah!

 

Commandments Simplified

Would God require saved people to keep the exact same standards as those under the OC and keep the Ten Commandments?  Do I have to get a circumcision to be accepted by God?  Nope.  I just need to put my faith in Jesus, and I will be born again, and my new life will be one of faith in Jesus and the love of Jesus- those two are inseparable.  We are a different species than those from the OC.  We are a new creation and we have the Holy Spirit living in us, why should we live up to the same standard as those who are spiritual dead men?  We should live by higher standards!  The standard of love (agape-the God-kind of love)!

 

Should I Keep the 10 Commandments? 

“A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another…by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35)  As Disciples of Christ- who is the administrator of this NC, we are to love with the God-kind of love.  What about the old commandments? Specifically the Ten Commandments, should they be kept still?  Should I take a Sabbath every Saturday?  While Jesus said that the Sabbath was made to serve man, not man the Sabbath; He did not say we had to keep it on the Friday night to Saturday as it was during the OC.  Why? We are not under the OC.  It’s not the 10 commandments, but the new commandment that we ought to be passionate about.  Under the OC, they tried to get righteous by perfect obedience- of which they were incapable.  Under the NC, we are already made righteous by the perfect obedience of Christ- so our obedience is not for God’s acceptance, but from God’s acceptance.

 

Grace Changes Hearts

In the OC, they worked for righteousness but in the NC we live from righteousness and grace.  The OC is about flapping in religion.  The NC is about soaring in grace.  Guilt and fear can’t change the heart-maybe behavior, but not heart.  Grace changes the heart.  So those under grace will not just do what is right, but their heart will be right.  So Jesus can tell his followers of the NC to not just avoid committing adultery, but to not even lust; to not just avoid murder, but hatred.  Why? Grace changes our hearts.  If our hearts still are quick to lust and hatred, we still need to experience greater grace.  Hearts full of grace will be emptied of sin, because grace is sufficient (satisfaction) (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

 

The discipline of God

Wait? Does God not discipline us in the NC?  He was sure quick to discipline them in the OC wasn’t He?  God disciplines those whom He loves- the difference however is that in the OC God disciplined as a judge, but in the NC God disciples as a loving father (Hebrews 12:7). 

 

Today, as born again Christians, we can know God as Abba.  Yes, He is the still the Judge upon the holy throne, but He is also Abba- that’s the full revelation of God.  It is foolish to think that God will discipline us in the same way as He did in the OT, because we are under the NC as sons, and He relates to us as our Abba. 

 

Faith comes from Believing in a Good Abba

Those who believe that God is a legalistic judge can never pray with faith.  Faith comes when we know God as Abba- a good, loving father.  So Jesus taught us to pray saying, “Our Father” which is accurately translated “Abba”.  That’s how Jesus prayed!  Did you know Jesus had faith to raise the dead?  That faith came from knowing the goodness and the graciousness of His Father.  So before Jesus raises Lazarus, He prays, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me…” (John 11:41-42)  Hold it!  Do you believe that?  Can you make that same confession?  If you believe in the goodness of God, you can.  You might say, “Well, I can’t have the same confidence that Jesus had in prayer…He was totally righteous!”  So are you! (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus’ secret to faith was He knew that goodness of His Father- Almighty God.  God is good.  That’s hard to believe for many. Jesus believed His Abba was good.  Jesus knew that Father better than anybody ever did or will.  If Jesus tells us that His Abba is good (Mark 10:18), you better believe that your Abba is good, because you are hearing it from the most credible source.  

 

Jesus Displayed the Full-Truth about God:

Jesus did only what He saw His Father do. Jesus knew His Father not in mystery but in perfect clarity! Notice that Jesus always worked in a redemptive way.  He made wrong things right, broken hearts whole, sick bodies healed, demonized delivered, sinners forgiven, and lepers clean.  He didn’t go to a demonized man and say, “Why did you never forgive your dad!  You opened the door wide for the demons that are tormenting you now.  It’s your fault; this is your punishment, good luck.”  No, he set the demonized free and commissioned them to serve God.  Get it, Jesus always redeemed and didn’t condemn.  When you condemn someone you are labeling it as hopeless and worthy of destruction.  Jesus brought hope and saw lives as worthy of re-construction, not destruction.  Jesus worked constructively!  Why? He is good!  Why? His Father is love, the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10).  When you see God for who He really is, and when you hear the beautiful words of Christ, faith will come.  “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  The book of Leviticus alone won’t build faith because it only reveals half-truths about God.  But, Jesus Christ reveals the fullness of God because He is the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9).  It’s revelation of the fullness of God that brings the faith to the fullness (faithfulness) to our lives. 

 

Satan always wants to take us back to OT thinking.  OC brings bondage and fear.  NC brings adoption into an Abba relationship. 

 

In the NC- He’s Doing a New Thing:

In the OT, Elijah calls down fire on those who were against him and a torch from heaven blew fire that devoured them.  Jesus’ disciples particularly liked that story.  When they were faced with opposition they asked Jesus if they too should call down fire-judgment (Luke 9:54).  Jesus rebukes them.  Why?  God was not doing that anymore.  Jesus came to put an end to the OC and install the NC. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) While condemnation by the law characterized the OC, salvation by grace characterizes the NC.  However, God still does discipline His kids.  We read about that in Hebrews-which is a master book for those who want to understand the difference between the OC and the NC.  The writer of Hebrews even writes that if God does not discipline us, then that means we are illegitimate children! 

 

God Disciples us as Abba:

God disciplines us as Abba; He does not punish His kids like a fierce Judge.  If I was a judge and a man broke the law, it is my obligation to punish.  If I was a Daddy, and my son disobeyed me, it would be my responsibility to disciple.  A judge is motivated by passion for justice.  A daddy is motivated by compassionate love.  To discipline and punish are two separate concepts.  To punish means to condemn and destroy.  To discipline means to teach and train!  God is good to His kids.  He’s a better father than our earthly fathers.  Jesus said, “If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask.” (Matthew 7:11)  Keep it simple: God is good, all the time, all the time, God is good, and because He is good, He gives good things to His children. 

 

He’s Abba not a Slave Driver:

God is so good and such a loving Father, He will not force you to abide in Him or serve Him.  Remember the Prodigal Son?  His father allows him to venture off into the world.  So he goes into the world and wastes his money, becomes broke, miserable, filthy, and is living like a bum.  Did he think or say, “Oh, my dad is punishing me!”  No!  His dad wasn’t punishing him.  His dad wanted him back home and enjoying the blessings of being a son.  So many Christians find themselves out in the world, miserable, far from the presence of God, pestered and tortured by demons, living like a bum, and they think God is not a good Father and that He is punishing them.  Not true. 

 

God is not a child-Abuser!

I remember I had a friend in high school and for a certain period of time, he went all out for God.  He would wake up and make it to 5 a.m. prayer every morning.  He felt good about himself.  Then, one day he missed Morning Prayer because he slept in.  That day was the day we decided to go fishing.  He was having a bad day.  His expensive fishing pole fell off the pier and he was miserable and mad.  I remember him saying something like, “This is what happens when I miss Morning Prayer!  God is probably punishing me!”   This friend fell away from the Lord.  I wonder why?  Why would you want to love and serve a hot-tempered God who will punish you if you make a mistake?  Even today, so many Christians have that view of God- and they think if they are going through crap in their lives- that God is punishing them.  God is not a hot-tempered child-abuser who will give you cancer or get you in a car accident or cause your family to be broken just so He could relieve His anger and teach you a lesson while doing it.  God is Abba!  God is good! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No More Keeping Score

Shared on Sunday- (OCTOBER 5, 2008) 

No More Counting Score

Christians-especially Charismatic Christians seem to have a tendency to keep score with each other, to compete with each other, and compare our selves to each other.  We tend to focus too much on who has more points.  Who prays more, who prophesies best, who knows the Bible more, who sees healings most often, who had the most clear visions and the most profound dreams, and who lives the holiest.  Keeping score with each other is something that might not be at the forefront of our minds, but more in the subconscious realm.  While we keep score, we become:  1) motivated by the score, 2) encouraged by our points, and 3) discouraged by the points of others.  Keeping score is stupid.

Jesus said that when we give to the poor; don’t let our left hand know what our right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3).  He didn’t say, when you give to the poor, to write down how much you give and count your total at the end of the year, and brag!  Jesus was teaching us a powerful principle: when you do something good, don’t count score!  When you fast, don’t count your score!  When you pray, don’t count your score!  Don’t worry about your score, focus on love: loving the poor, loving others, and loving God, and your score will take care of itself.  The goal is not building up your score; the goal is loving with a pure heart!  

(Luke 15): the Story of the Prodigal Son- the younger brother squanders his inheritance and finally returns as a beggar to his father’s house.  His dad is overjoyed, not his older brother though.  His older brother hears that his dad throw his younger brother a big, expensive party and is offended!  Why?  The older brother was keeping score.  He knew his brother messed up so much, and he did so many things right for so long (he was counting the years).  The prodigal son’s older brother was keeping score with his own brother.  Even in the church brothers and sisters are keeping score with each other- consciously and unconsciously. Churches are keeping score with each other too: whether by calculating ministry effectiveness, numbers, notoriety, or the supernatural.

(Luke 18:9-14): We see the Pharisee and the tax collector.

The Pharisee was counting score. He was well aware of how much he fasted, how much money he gave into the offering, and how much he sacrificed for God. His prayer was grounded upon his score. His confidence was rooted in his score. He was comparing his score. He depended on his score.

The Tax Collector had no score to count or brag about. He had no score to depend on. He was only depending on grace. He was not comparing or competing but crying out for grace.

The Pharisee prayed to himself- His prayer didn’t reach God, it didn’t move God, but only moved him into greater pride.

The Tax Collector was heard by God and got a breakthrough! All breakthroughs start when we get our eyes off of our score and onto His grace!

After this parable, Jesus teaches on humility! Want to know a secret to humility? Depending on God’s grace instead of our score. Forgetting about our score and fixing our eyes on the grace of God!

How much grace you understand or experience determines your destiny- on earth and in eternity. Yes, it’s our life on earth that determines our eternity.

(2 Corinthians 5:10): Judgment Seat of Christ 

When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be rewarded according to our obedience to Christ right? Our rewards depend on our obedience.  Well, I thought it depends on my faithfulness?  Faithfulness is obedience!  But, our obedience to Christ depends on our love for Christ (John 14:15). But, our love for Christ depends on our understanding of the grace of Christ!  Remember how we shared that verse, “the one who is forgiven much loves much” (Luke 7:47)  So, how well we do on Judgment Day is determined by how much we understand grace today! How well we will do on Judgment Day is not determined by how much religious willpower we had, but it will be determined by how much we understood God’s grace! 

7 Reasons why Keeping Score is Dumb

#1 Reason Keeping Score is Dumb: Keeping score keeps us from understanding grace!

Keeping score is stupid because it keeps us from understanding grace because: grace keeps no score!  When I was saved, Jesus threw away my pathetic score and gave me His perfect score!  Keeping score is a grace killer!  In Galatians, Paul is begging the church to stop keeping score by incorporating Judaism- the OT law.  He warns them in (Galatians 5:4), I’m paraphrasing: ”If you are going to play score keeping, you’ve fallen from grace!”  

 

Reason #2 Keeping Score is Dumb: It will leave you offended at God!

The prodigal’s brother was keeping score and therefore was upset when his brother was given a party.  He thought that the younger brother was favored over him.  He believed that he was the one who deserved daddy’s blessings.

Do you feel like God owes you something?  If you do, you are counting score!

Those with religious spirits- who keep score- will be offended at God’s grace!  Why? God will always pour out grace on someone who has lesser points, but more humility!  It will leave the Score-counter jealous and offended.

Why be offended?  Jesus told a story about wageworkers in the field (Matthew 20:1-15).  Some worked all day, some half the day, and some just for one hour, but they all got same pay- about 150 bucks in cash.  Those who were counting score were offended at the boss saying, “We worked for 12 hours, the scorching sun was burning our backs, we sweated gallons, you can’t give them who barely broke a sweat the same pay!”  It happens today too.  Those who count score are hurt by grace! God will always bless someone else who has less points, but more humility!  That drives the proud crazy! 

I remember I was ministering somewhere, and I was really flowing in the gifts of the Spirit: the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, and we were seeing many miracles.  After the first day of services, these older pastors- who were twice my age, pull me aside and basically tell me to stop ministering the way I was.  One pastor said, “You are so young, you can’t be laying hands on the sick.”  Well, I respectfully listened to them, but kept praying for the sick and we saw many more healings.  The truth was that those pastors had more points than me, they probably knew the Bible better, had more degrees, maybe prayed more, etc.  But, God was generous to me and was using me!  It sucks that they were offended.  Remember, God would rather use those with fewer points, but more humility; than those with more points, but more pride!  That offends those proud point-counters. 

The Pharisees counted score too much that they were oblivious to grace and full of offense! The boss asks, “Are you envious because I am gracious? The last shall be first and the first be last.” (Matthew 20:15-16) Grace is not fair, so if you are counting score, grace will drive you crazy!  Grace will offend you! 

Why be offended at God? What good does that bring?  Being offended at God will bring two devastating things: 1) make you feel less special and less loved, and 2) kill your faith.

How often have you seen kids trying to get their parents attention, while parents are ignoring the kids, so the kid starts believing from a tender age: “there are people more important than me!” 

We carry that into our relationship with God and think, there are some people more important to God than me.  God gives some people more attention because they are more important than me.  When God blesses someone or answers someone’s prayer we think: He is more important or special to God than me.  We can’t be happy for that person because their blessing makes us more insecure because we are reassured that some people are more important to God than me.

Now, tell me one good thing that does for you?  Humbles you? It’s doesn’t humble you it makes your more insecure and those with insecurity complexes always seem to have superiority complexes- also known as: Pride!  Thinking someone else is more important to God than you is a FLAWED WAY OF THINKING! 

Don’t ever think your brother is special to God and you aren’t.  Don’t believe your sister is God’s favorite and you aren’t.  Don’t limit the big heart of God.  Jason Upton says that the mystery of heaven is: that we are all- His favorite.

We are all important to God!  When I call on my Abba Father- He hears and He is attentive!  He cares for me! (1 Peter 5:7)  Thinking you aren’t important and God doesn’t care as much about you kills your faith!  The disciples were rebuked for having weak faith when they asked Jesus, “Don’t you care that we perish?” If you question your importance to God, you will be rebuked for having retarded faith. 

Reason # 3 Counting Score is dumb: It will keep you from being fully able to love God!

When I keep score, I will be intimated by other people’s scores and insecure about other people’s blessings. When I feel less loved and less special to God it makes Him less loved and less special to me!  The love that we reflect and return to God is the love we believe He has for us.  When you love less, you obey less! (John 14:15).  The less and you obey, the less you are blessed, the less you are blessed the more life sucks more. 

Do you want to know how much you love God?  You love God as much as you believe He loves You! 

(1 John 4:19): we love because He first loved us!  It starts with God’s love!  We are responders or those who return.  You can’t give more than you have.  You can only give as much as you have.  You love God exactly as much as you believe He loves you!

Reason # 4 Counting Score is dumb: Counting score also leads to envy and strife!  

In sports, there would be a lot fewer fights if no one were keeping score.  It goes for the human heart and the church.  Envy is stupid because God is not a respecter of persons! (Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9,1 Pet 1:17)  If a brother is blessed with something you don’t have yet, be happy and either: go humble yourself to learn what they did to get what they got and do the same, or recognize that God gives different gifts not so we would envy each other, but bless each other!

We are all on the same team! By grace, we were made part of the same kingdom!  My points are your points, your points are my points!  Hillsong Church’s points are Blessed’s points!  Blessed’s points are GMI’s points.  Reinhard Bonnke and Billy Graham’s points are your points.  Why? We are the body of Christ! 

The Body of Christ’s points are:

-        Christ’s points! (Christ is the head)- (Col. 1:18)

-        Christ’s points are my points (Christ is in me- the hope of glory)- (Col. 1:27)

-        My points are Christ’s Points (I no longer live, but Christ in me)- (Gal. 2:20)

-        Isn’t Christ being glorified all that matters?

Reason # 5 Counting Score is Dumb: When you keep score and compete, you are no longer being motivated by God’s love

In Civil Law, motivation is a gigantic factor.  If you murder someone intentionally and have pre-meditated it for one year how you would do it, then you will probably get the death penalty.  If you murder someone accidentally because your car broke down on the freeway, you will not face the same charges.

In God’s court, motivation is also a huge factor.  (1 Corinthians 13:1-4): you can do so many good things and even give your life for someone else, but if it was not because of love, you will have no rewards! 

The Pharisees were not motivated by the love of God, but the praises of people.  Why?  They had no capacity to understand God’s unconditional love, because they were too busy keeping score.  Paul was motivated by God’s love and grace.  He said, “I worked harder than anybody else…(motivated by what? Religious zeal: like Osama Bin Laden? No!  Motivated by grace), but not I, but the grace that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)!  Grace must be our fuel!  Not religious zeal.  Grace starts with God.  Religiosity starts with self.  Grace doesn’t keep score, religiosity does!  Grace causes us to be moved by God’s love.  Religiosity causes us to be moved by human will and selfish ambition. Human will power burns out!  God’s love never fails! 

Never fast because you feel like you need to compete with, or catch up to, or copy someone else. Fast because the love of God constrains you! The same goes with everything else. We must do it because the love of God constrains-compels us (2 Cor 5:14)!

Reason # 6 Counting Score is Dumb:  Counting Score it’s a waste of time and energy!  

We all have limited time and energy.  Our days are numbered (Job 14:5).  Why waste time and energy doing something that will hurt you instead of something that will help you.  What hurts you? Counting score.  What helps you?  Mediating on grace.  Thanking God for grace.  Confessing that you are His favorite one.  Confessing God is good.   Praising and worshipping Him!

Reason # 7 Counting Score is Dumb: Counting Score keeps you from receiving from God!

Faith is how we receive from God!  Faith is the channel that connects heaven to earth.  Some have big channels, some have a tiny channel, and some don’t have a channel at all.  The secret to great faith is understanding God’s grace.  Read the gospels and see: What separated those with great faith from those with little or no faith was that some believed in God’s grace while others didn’t.

The Prodigal son’s brother yelled to His dad, “I’ve done all this for you, look how many points I’ve earned!  You never threw me a party!” The dad says, “All that I have is yours!” 

The prodigal’s brother didn’t understand the grace of his dad.  Think about this: He could have received a party anytime, if he had just asked!  He probably would have asked if he didn’t spend his energy counting score, but appreciating the grace and generosity of daddy!  

So many Christians don’t receive what is available to them and what is already theirs because they don’t have great faith in prayer.  They have retarded faith because they don’t understanding daddy’s grace!  

Do you need any more reasons?  

It may have seemed like I had many points, but I had only one main point: Stop counting score!  Let’s stop counting our score, but fix our eyes on Jesus!  You can’t have your eyes on the scoreboard and Jesus at the same time.  Never forget it all about grace- by grace, Jesus saw our pathetic score, and replaced it with His perfect score, when we received Him as Savior and Lord.

Do I understand grace?

If I’m bitter, I’ve fallen short of grace and simply just don’t get it (Hebrews 12:15). I could sing about grace, preach grace, but if I have roots of bitterness in my heart, grace- the language of Christ- is a foreign language to me. Do you want to know how much you’ve grown spiritually or in grace? Watch how you deal with offense!

I was a sinner, drowning in my sinful debts. I deserved the bitter wrath of God. I rebelled against Him. I was not just a sinner by nature, I was a sinner by choice and practice. But, God loved me and showed me grace by sending Jesus Christ- His Son- the man who was full of grace. Jesus died on the cross for all of my sins. He died for me. He rose again. Because I put my faith in Him and gave my life to Him, I’m forgiven, I’m justified, I’m made righteous, I have a relationship with God, I’ve received His precious Holy Spirit who changed my from the inside out, I am no longer the same person, I have so much hope, I have so much joy, and I have real purpose. I know my Creator, Satan is under my feet, victory is my inheritance, I’m free, I’m blessed, heaven is my home, Jesus is the faithful lover of my soul. All because of grace!

Now what does that do to you? That’s the simple gospel of grace. How much I am moved by that simple truth is how much I understand grace! How much I understand the beauty and romance of the gospel is how much I understand grace!

 

Reaching a Post-Modern Generation

 

Introduction: God?

 

Technology has been changing rapidly in the last 10 years. We went from Discmans (portable CD players) to I-pods, from the pager to the I-Phone.  Technology is not the only thing that’s been shifting, culture has too: from Modernism to Post-modernism. In America, the word marriage is on the verge of loosing it’s original meaning.  Before, when a person heard the word marriage, one automatically thought of a man and a woman joining in holy matrimony.  These days, in a post-modern culture, marriage can mean a lot more that it did before.  In the same way, the word, “God” means so much more than it did before when Modernism ruled.  Post-moderns don’t necessarily picture the Judeo-Christian portrait of God, when they hear the buzzword: God.  Pluralism has drastically stretched out the definition of “God” from the Modern worldview.   To say, “God loves you” to a person could be a tract that leads him to Islam, Hinduism, or some new mystical fad.

 

Post-Moderns’ Core Cultural Value # 1: Seeking a tangible experience!

 

While many Moderns grew up in the Church, it’s common to find Post-moderns growing up with no church or Christian context.  The seeker-sensitive movement, spear-headed by Rick Warren and Bill Hybel has been effect in bringing moderns back to church.  The understandable “How to” sermons, cool buildings, non-church feel, excellent music, well-designed services, and multi-media savvy have been bait that has reeled in Moderns by the thousands back to church.  However, apparently, those improvements to organized church are not luring Post-moderns today.  Post-moderns are drawn by raw, authentic spirituality that will provide a tangible experience, not some wannabe Christian rock band with cool hairstyles or some other form of second-class entertainment- that is a cheap imitation of MTV.  

 

Post-Moderns’ Core Cultural Value # 2: Seeking spiritual (not rational) answers!

 

While rational conclusions were something that clicked for Moderns, Post-moderns have a culture of contradictions, and value a personal, spiritual experience more than anything.  Josh McDowell’s classic 750-page reason-based apologetic work The Evidence that Demands a Verdict might have been question-answering, thirst-quenching resource for moderns, with post-moderns the books on mysticism, new age, or some other spiritual topics, have been what they’ve been biting at.  Today, spiritual writer- Eckhart Tolle’s writings-which is a collage of world-religions and ancient/contemporary spirituality have been enthroned on the best-sellers list.  Post-moderns are more drawn to a fully loaded spiritual confrontation, than a water-down church that hides their real goodies in the backroom. 

 

Post-Moderns’ Core Cultural Value # 3: Absolute truth makes me barf!

 

While absolute truth was digest-able to Moderns, Post-moderns have barfed at the force-feeding of absolute truth.  The preacher and the force-feeder have become synonymous terms to the Post-modern.  The exclusive claims and cluttering of Christians have been looked at by Post-moderns as a group of peculiar people locked in a cage of small-mindedness, while chirping away at the world, “Join us, be saved from this wicked generation and the coming judgment!”  The chirping can annoy the Post-modern; the thought of jumping into the small cage of small-mindedness can terrify them. While moderns were more accepting of Judeo-Christian values, there is a generation of post-moderns who are generally turned-off by Christianity and how Christian’s have represented it. To Moderns, the thumping of the Bible did have some weight.  To Post-moderns, the Bible has lost its thump- or respect!

 

Post-Moderns are growing up in a world that has been unified by the Internet!  A wealth of knowledge is just a few finger-pushes away.  Curiosity for world-religions trademarks the Post-modern generation.  The curiosity is also merged with a cry for all religions to co-exist.  Religious fundamentalists-who has used religion to define enemies, have become the enemies of Post-moderns.  The dark past and the present activity of religious fanatics/fundamentalists have pushed the Post-moderns away from organized religion at a new velocity.   While Moderns would have less resistance checking out a cool church, Post-moderns have a lot more hurdles to jump and obstacles to dodge before entering into a facility of organized religion- currently known as: church.

 

Post-Moderns’ Core Cultural Value # 4: Just keep it real!

 

Moderns have culturally elected Christian celebrities- from the televangelists with bleached-white smiles, to the trendiest musicians, to the top-of-the-pyramid Mega Church Senior Pastors, and favorite tear-pulling authors.  It was the Modern church culture to put stars on stages and the congregations in their plush seats to enjoy a good show- I mean service.  Those Christian celebrities have not been exactly flooring Post-moderns.  Christian superstars have not star struck a Post-modern generation, but have instead drawn skepticism.  Post-moderns are all about relating and participating- instead of stage watching!  

 

Post-Moderns’ Core Cultural Value # 5:  Let’s be in community!

 

Moderns have not had much of a problem slipping into a church parking lot that resembles Wal-Mart.  Having a quickie service, where they get some quick-fix cute points from the pulpit, and slip out feeling content without much connecting with people.  Post-moderns are cultured in a more tribal/communal way, where they aren’t as individualistic, but desire community or connections.  Essentially, what Moderns saw as cool, the Post-Moderns are seeing as cheesy. 

 

 

PART 2:

 

 

Reaching and Gathering the Post-Moderns

 

Dan Kimball in his book “The Emerging Church” addresses how the church should conduct services and implement evangelism and discipleship in the context of today’s Post-Modern culture.  He gave helpful suggestions, such as not calling our services- services, but instead gatherings.  The word “service” implies structure, but the word  “gathering” seems more organic and less “professional.”  He suggests that the gatherings should be different from seeker-sensitive services.  While seeker-sensitive services have executed a production with perfection, professionalism, and professionals, these gatherings are to be more raw- where all can participate instead of watching the pros.  Gatherings are to be less of a production but more of a worship- where one won’t connect with a program, but with the person of God!  Kimball, an emerging pastor to Post-moderns, conveys that the fancy lights, theater seats, and quality musicians used to be quality coolness, but now, its just quality cheesiness.  Three points and a poem from a smooth preacher- who’s up on a fancy stage, doesn’t galvanize this Post-modern generation.  When preaching is concerned: an honest person-who is searching for God and willing to dialogue about this common journey towards spiritual fulfillment, now has a Post-modern audience.  However, the message from the man of God isn’t the centerpiece of a gathering.  The centerpiece is God.  The relatable messages aren’t what gets Post-moderns out of bed, it’s the holistic spiritual experience, of being in a loving community- where believers and unbelievers can “see Jesus” through the fellowship, instead of only “hearing about Jesus” in a sermon.  Regarding worship: the worship is not just an appetizer, but is a main channel to reach the main destination- experiencing God. 

 

Make Church more Catholic-looking?

 

I didn’t fully buy Kimball’s arguments for creating a more spiritual environment by using candles and ancient icons.  It may make Catholic visitors feel more at home, but it’s not necessarily important.  He talked about paying attention to the physical presentation of the gathering setting.  I’m sure Kimball saw decorations as secondary- he even saw the whole service/gathering as secondary to the primary heart of reaching Post-Moderns for Jesus.  I personally don’t believe that gothic prayer stations or hand-washing stations are necessary.  I believe that the most important thing in a gathering is the presence of God!  A fully decked out emerging church building with all the post-modern bridges, is just a piece of matter without the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I do believe that removing distracting theatre lighting and flashy graphics on LCD screens, and creating a simpler, dimmer atmosphere might help people focus on God.  However, I believe that a gathering can be in a house, with no decorations, but if the presence of God is there, it doesn’t matter if it’s dark or light, if the songs are fast or slow, lives will be transformed as they behold the glory of God. 

 I believe that the traditional pyramid structure with Senior Pastor on top is Biblical, (Moses, Apostles, etc) but I believe that to reach the post-moderns, it will be done through organic leadership, and people stepping and planting a lot of beautiful House churches that will not be a franchise or a cookie cutter replica of a “mother church.”  However, I do believe every pastor needs a pastor.  

 

 

Now, I do love our church.  We are a Charismatic church that is so dependant on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  The supernatural has become natural.  We’ve seen many- experience God in tangible ways.  Especially through our extensive worship, and ministry time (a time people can receive individual prayer).   But, I still do believe planting more churches will help us to reach more people!  I hope we will someday plant many organic churches.  

 

What should never change?

 

Some things that should never change are: the presentation of Christ and the gospel; the church not being defined as a place to attend, but the people of God; dependency on the Holy Spirit- not the physical decorations or innovative programming; and much prayer!  

 

Are we going for Culturally Condensed Christianity?

 

I loved Dan Kimball’s book- it was an eye-opener for sure.  But, another little thing I had against the thrust of the book was that there was a slight impression that: God can only work in certain culturally sensitive settings.  I believe that while it is wise to speak the language of the culture, the supernatural power of God in evangelism is something transcends cultural boundaries.  In (Acts 2), Jews reached people- who didn’t speak their language by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I believe that there are Ministers today who don’t speak the language of the culture, but the intensity of God’s power working through them allows them to win souls in droves.  Maybe, there is so much talk about being culturally relative because that raw, day-of-Pentecost-power has been missing! 

 

I believe I’m not someone who can be grouped into: Post-Modern culture, Modern culture, American or Korean Culture, because as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, I am part of my Kingdom’s culture.  A culture of: “righteousness, joy, peace in the Holy Spirit”(Romans 14:17).  A culture that is not in words, but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20)!  I do believe in speaking the language of the contemporary culture and becoming all things to all people (1 Corinthians 9:19-27).  But, I must be mindful that my primary mission is not to study Post-modernism, but to know my primary culture.  My prayer is that Post-moderns won’t experience Christianity condensed in Post-Modern culture, but Christianity in its pure Kingdom of God culture. 

 

Our Development in Evangelism and Discipleship

 

At our church, we have tried different evangelism and discipleship programs. I led a team out every Saturday Night to preach the gospel and pray for people at the Block of Orange.  It was good at times, we saw people pray “the sinner’s prayer” and we saw many receive divine healing through prayer, and many receive heart-touching words-through the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in us.  However, none of these people who were touching were ever discipled- even though discipleship is the core of our Great Commission (Matt. 28:19). Plus, I didn’t like the idea of talking to someone about Christ, only because I’m on a programmed mission.  I want to share Christ, because I have connected with people.  I totally agree with Kimball, evangelism is not a Saturday night fishing trip anymore (even though I refuse to underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit and what God can do in one conversation), but to see evangelism and discipleship successfully happen, I believe it needs to happen through relationship and in community over time- much time. So, we pulled out of this program for a while. But, now, we are starting to see that evangelism and discipleship is not a program- but our DNA.  Even today, I shared the gospel and prayed for a handicapped Buddhist just on my way to the bookstore.  Not because of a program, but because of love.  Much of our discipleship now takes place through our House churches.  I’ve seen people discipled not in a program or class, but by being in community with brothers and sisters, spiritual fathers and mothers, who naturally pour in to the spiritual babies in the context of relationship! 

 

PART 3

 

What do Post-Modern Teens need?

 

Since I was a kid I asked tough questions, “What if the Muslims have been right all along?” “What if the Buddhists’ are the right ones?”  “How can I know that Christianity it the absolute truth?”  I know that today, it’s harder than ever to absolutely conclude Christ as the only way to heaven, the Bible as the once source of pure truth, and faith in the un-seen Christ as the only means of salvation.  What won me over was not apologetics.  Even today, I suck at the apologetics stuff- defending my faith using science, reason, history, etc.  My only defense is my personal experience.  In December of 1997, I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit that left me weeping tears of repentance for three hours.  I felt electricity surging through my physical body; I felt the warmth of God’s love melting my heart as I spoke in a language I never learned.  I’ve never been the same since.  No one can convince me that what I experienced was not what the Bible talks about.  As I began to read the Bible, I found it explaining to me, what I had been experiencing.  Then, as I believed the Bible, I started seen it supernaturally manifest in my life.  My first encounter with God in 1997 has encouraged me to stay in the Bible.  Interesting enough, before I surrendered my life to Jesus, I knew He was real.  How? My mom.  She knew Him. 

 

In a Post-modern culture, I believe teenagers don’t need Church leaders as much as spiritual fathers and mothers.  Teenagers need to experience the life and example of a man or woman of God- who is absolutely in love with Jesus and leaks Jesus all the time.  We need spiritual fathers and mothers who are not interested in church attendance numbers, personal performances, offering amounts, or fame; but who know how to connect and love.  These spiritual fathers don’t have to be the greatest preachers, these spiritual mothers don’t need to be the sharpest apologists, but if they are spiritual because of their daily experience with the Holy Spirit- they will be powerful in evangelism and discipleship.  Kimball addresses the importance of connecting generations in spiritual formation, I totally agree.  Leaders must be fathers and mothers!  There must be a relational connect!  Too many times, I’ve seen pastors act presumptuously to hurt someone who is under their leadership, because they wanted to accomplish a goal.  Their bulldozer passion has run over precious people leaving them scarred.  I’ve been disgusted to see some Pastors prioritize their personal goals above their people.  It’s obvious when a leader is more interested in building a ministry than people; which is ironic because isn’t ministry all about helping people?  For teens in this Post-modern culture, trust isn’t second nature.  It’s something that needs to be rightfully won by spiritual fathers and mothers who know Jesus- not religion! 

 

I also believe that teenagers need the freedom to be themselves and express themselves.  Post-moderns celebrate individual uniqueness.  That’s not all wrong, because as God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), we are His creative expression to the world.  I believe each person can do things no one else can do.  If that’s true, why are we having everything do the same thing, the same way, at the same time?  I believe we need to give them freedom in their prayer lives, worship times, and ministry styles.  Of course, we shouldn’t encourage them to step of bounds into sin, but I long to see new incomprehensibly creative ministries being born out of this Post-modern generation! 

 

Ego-centralism is counter-productive to spiritual formation or any kind of formation for that matter.  Helping teens to be actively involved in social justice, and always being able to see the bigger picture is important.  Maturity starts when we get our eyes off ourselves and onto Jesus and thinking about how we can get the Kingdom breaking into our world!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Test: The Supernatural or God?

(Deuteronomy 13:1-5):  How does God test us?

“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 

and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 

you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 

That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.”

God tests us by testing our love for Him.  He wants to know if our love for Him is supreme or secondary.  Why would He test us?  Is it because He doesn’t know the answer.  I highly doubt it.  He sees straight through our hearts and clearly beholds every movement, every monument, and every motive, He sees it all.  Why did God questions?  Why did Jesus always ask questions?  God knew where Adam was when He asked, “Adam where are you?”  God wanted Adam to know where Adam was.  Jesus asked the question, “Who do you say that I am?”  Not because Jesus was looking for identity or affirmation, but because He wanted His disciples to discover their own conclusions and settle it in their own hearts.  Why does God test our love for Him?  He does it so that we may know where we are!  

What will He test our love with?  

1) Are we more into ministry professionals with apparent anointing, or God?

Do we give more focus to being ministered by Christian Celebrities, or God?  It’s sad when someone runs into a signpost on the freeway.  Signposts are not supposed to be run into, but are supposed to direct us to where we have to go.  Pastors and Christian leaders can make great signposts, but make terrible destinations!  I went to a Christian show- I mean service, led by a Christian Celebrity pastor with an amazing gift.  As I walked out of the service, I just overheard conversations of how awesome the “man of God” was.  Sign-crashing is a tragedy.  I’m not saying that God doesn’t raise up men and women, and choose pastors, but they are not signs to crash into, but signs that we must get past to reach out destination- intimacy with the person of God!  Not the presentation of God.  The presentation of God gets old, conferences get old, Christian television gets old, stadium gatherings, Christian concerts all get old.  God never gets old!  Elisha had to overcome the distraction of the flaming chariot to catch Elijah’s mantle.  There are so many distractions in the Church isn’t there?  Maybe God is using those distractions to test our true love for Him.  

Now, not all Christian Celebrities are false prophets like what we read about.  Some really live godly lives according to the Word!  However, some don’t.  Some start off right, but end sour.  This scenario has tragically become too common: A pastor- who is full of talent and charisma raises on the scene like a shooting star with a soaring reputation and a swelling audience.  The pastor’s marriage is on the rocks.  The pastor divorces his wife and marries a younger, hotter woman.  Many church members leave because they know this is not according to the Word.  Sadly, some stay.  Why? They value their Celebrity over the Word of God.  The Word says divorce is a sin.  The Word says that bishops should be blameless.  The Word says that we ought not to fellowship with an immoral brother, because that defilement can spread.  However, some are so drawn to the charisma of a man or woman of God, that they have put God and His Word as secondary.  

A ministry professional can have supernatural gifts- like we read about: signs and wonders, prophetic accuracy, etc.  However, we are not to judge a man by his gifts- no matter how exciting and ecstatic they are.  A man ought to be analyzed in light of the Word!  Is their theology way off?  Now, I personally believe that no one has absolutely perfect theology- we know it part while on this side of eternity.  However, their teachings should align with Scripture- especially on core issues concerning Christ!  However, what is more important that if they are teaching in line with the Word is: are they living in line with the Word?  Do they have the love of Jesus in them?  Do they live pure and holy lives?  Are they in love with the World or with Jesus?  Then, we are to be fruit inspectors.  What is coming out of their lives?  Are people falling more in love with Jesus or them?  Are people growing in love through their ministry, or just growing in pride?  Are people growing in purity or aligning to the ways of the hypocrite?  Are souls being saved- for real and not just in advertisement?  

Those who love God more than servants of God will reject the “servant” who is: not teaching in line with the Word, not living in line with the Word, and not producing fruit in line with the will of God.  

Those who love God more than servants of God will be able to discern because they love the Word of God.  Do we spend more time and attention studying the words of men of God or God?  If someone is only immersed in the teachings of a Christian Celebrity, and avoids engaging with the Word of God, something is wrong!  I love how reformer Martin Luther had a love for the Word more than a love for what was being popularly taught by the Church.  If you love someone, you will listen to what they have to say! Who do you love?  

He will test you: Do you love supernatural people more than me?  

2) Are we more into the display of supernatural gifts or living by the Word?  

As someone growing up in a Post-modern generation, the supernatural fascinates me.  I’ve sought the gifts of the Holy Spirit with great tenacity.  I’ve seen the supernatural and have many stories to tell.  However, the question I ask myself is not: How accurate was that last prophetic word I gave?  But, rather: How accurately am I living by the Word of God.  It’s not: How crazy was the last healing I was part of?  But, rather: Is the Word of God healing me of my pride and sin?   Teaching and preaching are supernatural gifts too.  However, something God spoke to me years ago was:  Your passion for preaching the Word must never surpass your passion to live the Word!  Our passion must be to live according to the Words of our Lover!  These prophets in the passage had a genuine gift from God, but they put the gifts before the Giver!  They even bit the hand that fed them.  Using the weapons they were graciously given, they shot at the heart of the Giver. 

He will test you: Do you love the supernatural gifts more than me?

Encouragement verses Compliments

I want to address a couple issues: How do we humbly handle compliments?  Is there a difference between compliments and encouragement?  I’ll start with the second question and as I answer the second, I’ll have already answered the first.  

Encouragement: Affirms who you are in Christ!  Compliments: Affirms what you do or what you have.  Who you are in Christ is changeless.  What you do and what you have changes.  Sometimes you do well, other times you don’t.  Sometimes you have a lot of money, that money can go down the tube with the falling economy.  

Here are some examples of compliments:

1. You “have” a nice car 
2. You “have” a good brain
3. You “did” a good job leading worship
4. You “have” the best sermon illustrations
5. You are funny (which really means- you “have” humor)
6. You “have” a real prophetic gift
7. You “know” the Bible really well (which really means- you “have” much knowledge)
8. You’re getting good at the guitar
9. I like your hair
10. You “have” beautiful eyes
11. Wow, you did a great job!

Now, let’s stop there for now.  Compliments have to do with affirming what a person does or has!  Should we give each other compliments?  Sure!  Why not?  It’s better than telling them what’s wrong with them and what they don’t have and what they can’t do.  

But, the Bible doesn’t say, “Compliment each other day after day, as long as it is called today, so you may not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin?”  Nope.  It says, “Encourage one other day after day…”  I could give compliments, but I must give encouragement.  What’s the difference?  Compliments tell people that they “did” a good job!  Encouragement tells people that they “are” a good job!  Compliments tell people that they “have” something special.  Encouragement tells people that they “are” something special.  I’m supposed to remind you of who you “are” in Christ!  One of the greatest things you can do for a person is to help them to see themselves as God sees them.  

When I’m really encouraged: I am affirmed in who I am.  When I am complimented: I am affirmed in what I do.  Here is a huge deception: WHAT I DO MAKES ME WHO I AM!  No.  That’s religiosity- which is all about doing so you can be.  Grace- is about being so you can do.  The way to think as a Christian is: WHAT I AM MAKES ME DO WHAT I DO!

God raised up a young pastor in the late 80s who was used greatly to pastor a rapidly growing mega church, write bestselling books, fill stadiums for prayer meetings, and preach through the airwaves.  He was on the top of the “American Christian” world.  His influence was amazing!  God did use him powerfully.  Then, the media started lying about him.  Diane Sawyer from ABC was out to destroy him.  Sure enough, his following started believing the lies of the media.  He quickly saw his ministry dissinigrate in influence and support.  He fell into deep depression.  Could it be that he was more focused on what he had, then who He had?  Could it be that he was more secure in what He did and was doing, then who He was in Jesus? 

I like compliments!  But, I don’t take them too seriously.  Dr. David Yonggi Cho- who pastors the world’s largest church once likened compliments as bubble gum.  You chew it and graciously receive it- take what might be good- but don’t swallow it!  If someone told me I am really smart and creative, I’ll be appreciative for their honest and accuracy.  But, I won’t chew on it all day!  I will not swallow it and define who I am by “what” I have (creativity and intelligence).  I define myself by “who” I have, and who has me- Jesus Christ!  

Again, the way we are to think and live is: I am and therefore I do.  Not: I do, therefore I am.  I am dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ- therefore I do practice holiness.  I am a new creation in Christ, the old has passed away and new things have come- therefore I don’t return to my past sins.  I am a friend of God through Christ, and therefore I live a life of prayer.  It’s not that because I live a life of prayer, I earned my rights to being a friend of God.  

I remember when someone gave me a compliment after I preached a sermon on grace.  The exact words I got were “good job.”   I remember how that really didn’t sit well with me.  In fact, although I received it with gratitude I was bothered.  Why? Well, my sermon wasn’t a production, it was me.  My sermon wasn’t something I did to impress people, my sermon was the overflow of who I was.  Speaking on grace wasn’t a project for me, it was the extension of my heart.  It was out of who I was, that I had just done what I did (preach a sermon on grace).  Another time, I preached on God’s love, and someone came up to me after and said, “God has really won your heart!”  He was telling me: “You are one crazy lover of God!”  I appreciated the second so much more than the first because he told me who I was, not just about what I did.  We should go past just telling people that they did a good job to encouraging them that they are a good job in Christ.  

I could live on encouragement, I can’t live on compliments.  Why?  Compliments affirm someone for what they did and what they have.  Therefore, if I live off of compliments, I will affirm myself for how I did and what I have.  That’s what the Pharisees did.  They loved compliments.  They defined themselves by what they did.  Their mindset was: I do (religious stuff), therefore I am (holy).  Paul’s mindset was: I am who I am by the grace of God, but that grace to me was not in vain, I worked harder (I do)…”  (1 Corinthians 15:10) I’m a recipient of the grace of God.  I therefore live from grace, not for it.  

When I sin, I don’t hate on myself.  I just say, “Whoa, that was so not me!  God forgive me! I remind myself of who I am, and allow God’s grace to grant me victory over that sin, and strength to be who the grace in Christ has called me.”  

Do you know who you are?  If we don’t, we will always try to become someone.  If we don’t, Satan and stupid people will tell us who we are.   We need to be affirmed!  A person without affirmation is insecure.  Insecure people are the most proud and arrogant people you will ever met.  Where does affirmation come from?  Compliments or encouragement.  I will make it my mission to encourage my brothers and sisters, and not just compliment them.  If no one is around to encourage me, I’ll be like David and encourage myself in the Lord.  

So then, what encouragement looks like: Remember it affirms a person in who they are in Christ!  

I remember after I got saved, my youth pastor greatly encouraged me.  He helped me to know who I was in Christ.  He continually told me and others that I was a “man of God.”  That’s true, I don’t belong to Satan anymore I belong to God and He’s called me for His service.  I believed I was a man of God and become what I believed.  The Word says that in Christ I’m a man of God.  I need to remind myself and my brothers and sisters who they are- so they can live out who they are.

Here are ways I encourage myself in the Lord:

1) You are Holy!  I don’t believe we should have a holier than thou attitude, but an awareness of who we are as temples of the Holy Spirit.  I used to hate when people called me “the holy man.”  It made me feel like I was trying to act super holy.  But, I wasn’t trying to act anything.  I was just being who I am- a Christian.  As a Christian, I am a sacred vessel!  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  Christians who take crummy care of their bodies, or even throw their bodies into immorality have no idea of who they are and what they carry- We are temples of the Holy Spirit that carry the presence of God.  I don’t believe that church sanctuaries are any more holier than my body.  When I am tempted by immorality, I encourage myself of who I am: “You are holy!”  I will follow the teaching of Jesus and not give what is holy to the dogs.  (Matthew 7:6)  I will honor the presence of God within in, and remind myself of who I really am.  I don’t care if people make fun of me as the holy man anymore.  That is who I am. 

2) I am a servant of God.  

“…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)  Because of the blood of Jesus and the work of the Spirit in my life, I am free to serve the living God!

“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols toserve a living and true God,” (1 Thess. 1:9) That’s me!  I no longer serve idols, I’m no longer a slave to sin, but a servant of God!  Not just a servant, but a bond-servant!  I wasn’t forced to serve Jesus, I chose to.  A bond-servant was very close with his/her master, that’s me.  Forever, I will be close to him and serve Him (Revelation 22:3).  I’m not just a servant, I’m a friend.

3) I am a friend of God.  Jesus said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant doesn’t know what His master is doing. I call you friends…” (John 15:15) Amazing!  I see myself as a friend of God.  I don’t relate to him in a dictating monologue, but an intimate dialogue.  Christians are supposed to live out their identity as a friend of God.  Hearing God or being prophetic should be no reason for boasting- because it’s supposed to be normal!  A police officer doesn’t say: “Oh, you won’t believe it, I’m so amazing, I pulled someone over and gave the speeder a ticket!  Praise me!”  I’d look at him and say, “Well, good for you, but that’s your job!” I think what’s more encouraging that telling someone that they have a great prophetic gift, is rather encouraging them that they are a friend of God!  I don’t want to see myself as a super prophetic person who “has” so many spiritual gifts!  I want to see myself as a friend of God.  

4) I’m a world changer!  As a Christian, I’m not going to live my life being changed by the world, but being changed by God to change the world.  I am powerful in Christ.  The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in me (Romans 8:11).  I am to be the salt and light of the world!  When I’m promoted, or if success comes, I have nothing to boast of.  Christians are supposed to be lights raised up.  I’m just being who I already am.  Billy Graham was just being a Christian.  Mother Teresa was just being a Christian.  C.S. Lewis was just being a Christian.

Gracious verses Religious

Gracious people are those who understand grace.  Religious people are those who understand religion. What’s the difference between grace and religion?  Religion starts with Humans.  Religion is about humans trying to reach God through their works and ability.  Grace starts with God.  Grace is about God trying to reach humans through His work and His ability.  Are you gracious or religious?  

Do you depend on the power of the Holy Spirit?  Or, do you depend on the strength of your flesh?  If you depend on the power of the Holy Spirit you will have rest.  If you depend on your own strength you will have stress- which is a candy coated word for fear.  Stress causes people to burn out.  Rest refreshes people.  (Isaiah 40) talks about how our lives are supposed to be like the eagle.  Trusting in the Lord, hoping in the Lord, waiting on the Lord, and having renewing strength and soaring like the eagle!  Our strength is something that is supposed to be renewed (it should re-charge itself like a Hybrid car’s battery).  Our strength isn’t something that is supposed to be drained and empty.  How can I have renewed/renewing strength?  Trust in the Lord, Hope in the Lord, Wait on the Lord (different translations)- not yourself!  We are supposed to be soaring, resting in the air, being carried higher and higher.  We aren’t supposed to be like a 8-beats-a-second, wing-beating, huffing and puffing, humming bird who just burns out and dies in three years of striving.  Jesus didn’t come to give you stress, but rest!  ”Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I remember when I went with some friends to visit this one very large church.  After the sermon, the pastor gave an invitation for those who wanted to get right with God.  My friend George went forward.  After he and others went forward, they took all those people to a little room where they would get individual counseling.  He had this one older guy who looked like Santa Claus giving him some- post-conversion counseling.  This guy kept repeating something like: “Being a Christian, it’s hard…it’s so difficult…, don’t think everything is going to change and be perfect…no man, it’s hard…there is a big bad devil out there and now he’s after you man!  It’s not easy.”  I remember I was thinking, “Uh, why are you a Christian then?”  Jesus didn’t say, “Following me is going to be miserable and an uphill battle and you will have to use all your strength and find more stress for your soul!”  NO!  Jesus said, “You will find rest for you soul”  Being a Christian is restful, not stressful!  You know why?  Grace.

Some think that grace is only given as bookends to your life:  Grace to get saved, grace to go to heaven, but in between it’s all hard work!  No.  Yes there is grace when you got saved and there is grace to go to heaven.  But, there is grace in between to help you, change you, preserve you, and give you rest!  Between the bookends: I don’t grow in stress, but grow in grace!  

Stress is a candy coated word for fear! I don’t have fear or insecurity.  I know of God’s unconditional perfect love and that love casts out all fear!  Jesus’ word to all His disciples was “Do not fear.”  The Bible says, “Do not fear/or do not be afraid” 365 times.  Instead of insecurity, the Christian life is about security.  Security in God’s unwavering love and ridiculous grace.  Paul’s prayer was that Christians, be rooted and grounded (or secure) in God’s love!  (Eph. 3)

Are you secure in God’s love?  Do you know enjoy God?  Now, God is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10).  God is not the God of all religion.  So, if we really have a relationship with the true and living God we will be gracious and enjoy God.  

Here’s what my problem was: did I enjoy God?  Yes!  I absolutely knew what it was like to enjoy God.  I had times where I’d be so caught up in His presence, everything in the world looked black and white, there were times I was so filled with joy in God’s presence I couldn’t stop laughing and smiles for hours!  But, I this week, I realize that I didn’t know how to enjoy God.  You know how I know?  I only enjoyed Him when I was doing good spiritually!  I have never really been able to enjoy God when I was in weakness.  Now, all of us have times we are doing good, and times we are weak, right?  Do you know how to enjoy the God of grace even in your weakness?  If you say no, maybe it’s because you know the wrong God.  If you can only enjoy God in times after an excellent spiritual, emotional, mental performance, maybe the God you are enjoying is the false God of religion, rather than the true God of grace.  Even when we have slipped or at a point of weakness we gave in, we should enjoy grace.  Last time, I shared how grace is a launch pad.  Every time, we feel like we failed, giving in, and giving up, we need to come to the God of grace- and grace is our launch pad to getting up!  As those who serve the living God, we must never forget that God is the God of grace, not religion.  So if we get religious, maybe we are following the wrong God.

Remember, being a Christian is easy because of God’s grace!  When Paul was stressed out because of the thorn in his life, he cried out to God, but God assured him that His grace was enough for Him.  No matter what we are going through, we can be victorious because of God’s grace!  

Here is the panorama of the Christian’s life: 

It starts before time: By grace, before you were born, God knew you. (Romans 8:29)  Before you did one good thing, God chose you to be His son! (Ephesians 1:5) Before your birthday, by grace, God already custom designed a destiny for you- prepared good works for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).  So I’m born!  The by grace, God draws me to Jesus the Savior of my soul.  By grace, I answer that call.  By grace, I’m justified.  By grace, I’m my spirit comes alive and I get a new heart.  I’m supposed to grow in revelation of grace (2 Peter 3:18).  As I grow in grace, I grow stronger.  As I grow in grace, I want to serve God passionately.  By grace, I’m given all the tools I need for my destiny. I share grace with everyone, blessing those who curse me, praying for those who despitefully use me.  By grace, I can survive all the tough times.  By grace, I will be glorified and get a new heavenly body, and be with my God of grace for all eternity!  It’s all about grace from start to finish.  

This life doesn’t seem wickedly hard does it?  This life doesn’t seem like a stressful life does it?  It’s a restful life- it’s the abundant life that Jesus came, lived, and died to give (John 10:10).  That’s the gospel (good news) of Grace- that a sinner can enjoy such a restful life- (good life).  This life of growing in grace is so good, we want to share it with others!  Is worship hard?  Without grace it’s impossible, dragging, and just a musical performance!  With grace, it’s romantic, priceless, refreshing, and amazing!  Worship isn’t a time at church before the message, worship is our lives!  Our lives are to be a worship unto God.  If that’s true, with grace, our lives with be a romantic, refreshing walk with God!  It’s not hard!  Every day is so exciting, it’s another day to grow in grace- and God’s love!  Today is another opportunity for God to show off His grace to me.

Something is terribly wrong if this is the panorama of a Christian’s life:

Being stressed out: saying, “I got saved 20 years ago, that was good.  I cried and had a new desire to love and serve God.  But, today, I really don’t want to go to church, sucks, I can’t do the fun stuff the world does, I’m so bitter, I don’t want to pray, read the Bible, or evangelize, but I’m obligated to.  I don’t want to serve God, but dang, I have to because I’m a Christian.  Ah!  I feel into sin again, I’m a shameful hypocrite.  I wonder if God wants me to quit being a Christian.  I’ll try harder this time.  Ah, I’m stressed by of school, family, and on top of all that my hypocrisy throbs my heart.  I hope I could just die and go to heaven- that is if I make it…I probably will, I did get saved 20 years ago.”  A religious person’s heart confession is “I have to…”  A gracious person’s heart confession is “I want to…I’d love to….I get to…”  What is your heart’s confession? 

In (Rev. 2), Jesus writes a letter to the Church in Ephesus and commends all their work, but rebukes them for loosing their first love.  They were doing a lot of work with a “I have to…” heart.  They forget how much they were forgiven so they lost their love.  Jesus gave this principle in (Luke 7:47): He who is forgiven much, loves much.  The secret to much love, is understanding our forgiveness- which is God’s grace.  The Ephesus Church had missed grace.  Jesus said that unless they repented, He was going to remove that church.  That’s not too graceful huh? Mean Jesus?  Well think about it like this- at the rate they were going- they would probably remove themselves because people with a “I have to…” heart burn out!  They were getting religious and religiosity leads to pride and God must oppose the proud (1 Peter 5:5).  But, in grace, Jesus didn’t cut them off, but was reaching out in love to correct them- it’s those He loves that He corrects.  

I remember when I was a young youth pastor, I tried to force my students to worship.  I forced them to raise their hands and stand up and kneel.  I made a terrible mistake!  I made them less attracted to worship and made worship more of a “I have to…” thing.  God is seeking “I want to…I get to…I’d love to…” worshippers because it’s those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”  The Pharisees were “I have to…” worshippers.  Jesus said, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.” 

A religious person does something good then feels good.  A gracious person feels good and then does good.  A religious person will do something “religious” then pat himself on the back and be proud of it.  A gracious person doesn’t need to do something good to feel good about himself- because grace has torn down his pride and raised up his joy.  Grace has expelled discouragement and has invited faith!  The gracious person is living the blessed life.  

Religion always brings stress!  Grace brings rests.  Jesus came not to bring a religion, but grace (John 1:17).  Jesus brings rest (Matthew 11:28-30).  Does your relationship with God stress you out?  That probably means you are religious.  Does your relationship with God bring rest? That probably means you are gracious and you understand God’s grace.  

Man-made religion brings stress- and stress is fear- and fear is insecurity.  Jesus-brought grace brings rest- rest is security.  Two things every healthy, satisfying relationship has is: security and enjoyment.  Those come together- you can’t truly enjoy a relationship you don’t feel safe in.  Every non-satisfying relationship has: insecurity and not much enjoyment.   Those two are a pair too.  A religious person is insecure in his/her relationship with God- especially after a failure.  So the religious person cannot really enjoy his relationship with God- he has no joy in God- so finds joy and rest in sin.  The religious person doesn’t compassionately weep for others to know they same God he knows- because the God he knows is stressful.  Eventually, I believe most religious people will fall away from God.  On the other hand, a gracious person is secure in his relationship with his faithful and gracious God.  Because he is secure, he enjoys God.  In his strengths and weaknesses he enjoys God.  He so longs for souls to come to know this joy that he has.  

(Psalm 51): David cries out for the restoration of the “joy of thy salvation.”  He says, “Then, I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to you.”  Want to see souls get saved through your life and church? Get the joy back! Enjoy God! You have permission to because you are secure in His grace.  Some people think that if I preach security in God’s grace Christians will sin like pagans.  Christians sin because they aren’t satisfied in their relationship with God, and they aren’t satisfied because they aren’t secure, and they aren’t secure because they don’t understand grace- but are too religious!  

Now, you might just be making the transition from being religious to gracious, I want to say, “congratulation!  I’m so excited for you!”  However, you might fall and still fall into sin and be sorrowful.  You might feel powerless.  At that time, do confess your sin, but don’t try to strengthen yourself through religion- tempting as it may be, but remember that the Word says, “…it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.” (Hebrews 13:9)  Don’t pray, “God, I’ll try harder to fix myself! Please, love me!”  Pray, “God, I trust You to fix me!  Thank you for loving me!”  

As a gracious person- My life’s declaration is: I am, therefore I do.  A religious person’s life declaration is: I do, therefore I am.  Grace gives us a new identity in Christ- and we work from that identity!  As a Christian, who I am causes me to do what I do.  Who I am is the locomotive and what I do are the train carts that follow.  To a religious person, what they do is the locomotive, and who they are is the box car at the end of the train.  Who I am by the grace of God, must be the driving force of my life, not what I do.  By the way, if I find who I am by grace, there will be a long train of good works, following me!

Thoughts on the Holy Spirit

4.13.08

 I have a burden in my heart for our church and myself: we must come to a greater awareness of, appreciation for, and intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

 

Every week, when I share something, I share something I have this burning hope.  It’s this: first, that God would stir up your heart, and second: that you would seriously contend for whatever I talked about.  So last week, we talked about a pure heart, my burning hope is that through the message time, the Holy Spirit will stir your heart for a pure heart, and you would contend for it relentlessly. Or when I shared on getting the negativity out, that our hearts be stirred, and we would contend for it with all our might!    Or when I shared on eternity and how it’s all about being great on that Day when we stand before our Judge, that our hearts be stirred and that we’d contend for that.

 

Today, I’m going to be sharing on getting to know the Holy Spirit.  I so hope that our hearts be stirred and that we would contend for it.  

 

One Relationship:

A relationship with the Holy Spirit can change everything.  Do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit?  He’s a real person.  No He’s not human, but He is a person. He’s so real.  RAISED.  If you belong to Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is living in you.  (Romans 8:9)  In (Genesis 28:16), Jacob awakes from a deep sleep with an epiphany: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”  He had that revelation about a place called Bethel.  I believe God wants us to awake from a spiritual slumber and have a revelation that Jacob had, not about Bethel, but about our own bodies.  I had that epiphany this week: “Oh my goodness.  The Holy Spirit is living in me and I didn’t know it- I didn’t realize it-I wasn’t aware.”  We must have a greater awareness that the Holy Spirit is living in us!  Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:19): “Or do you not know that your body is atemple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”  We must keep this temple pure!

 

If you do not belong to Jesus, and you’ve not turned your life over to God, and you are still your own- you do not have the Holy Spirit.  But, if you turn away from your sins and make Jesus Lord, and you will receive the precious Holy Spirit.  (Acts 2:38)  After Peter preached to the people, the Holy Spirit was convicting those who needed to be saved, and the people asked, “What must we do to be saved?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) EXPLAIN: BAPTISM.

 

The Greatest Gift from Jesus:

The greatest gift that the Father has ever given to you was His Son.  The greatest gift that Jesus has ever given was the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “It is to you advantage that I leave, because I can send the Holy Spirit to you.”  Jesus knew that the gift of the Holy Spirit was the most advantageous gift we would ever receive!” Now you might think, “Wait, isn’t salvation the greatest gift Jesus has ever given me?” No, the greatest gift He has ever given you is the Holy Spirit, because apart from the Holy Spirit, you could not even receive salvation.  

 

The Holy Spirit convicted us of our sins.  (John 16:8) The Holy Spirit makes the story of Jesus to penetrate into the depths of our being and transform our life and our eternal destination.  Salvation is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. “With man it is impossible but not with God.” (Mark 10:27)  Salvation comes when a person truly confesses Jesus as Lord.  (1 Corinthians 12:3): “No one can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.”

 

Knowing the Father and Son:

Here’s the truth: We cannot know the Father, except through the Son. “Jesus said..’ He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)  Jesus said, “No man can know the Father, unless the Son wills to reveal Him.”  (Luke 10:22) But, we cannot know the Son except through the Holy Spirit. Do you really want to know Jesus? You must know the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is always bringing glory to Jesus, and revealing Jesus. Holy Spirit reveals Jesus: “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” (John 16:14) Do you see how important it is to know the Holy Spirit?  When you get to know the Holy Spirit better, you automatically get to know Jesus better.  When we know Jesus better, we automatically get to know the Father better.  

 

Just because He lives in Your House Doesn’t Mean You Know Him:

A few years ago, we opened up our house and had someone living here.  He lived in my house, but I didn’t know much about him besides his name and a few general things.  We seldom talked, and even though he was living in my house, I didn’t have a real relationship with him.  I might have been too busy or too involved in other things, which I didn’t really get to know him.  Just because the Holy Spirit is living in us doesn’t mean we automatically have a real relationship with Him.  We could ignore Him.  We could get so busy; we never have time for Him.  The Holy Spirit could be living in us and all we know about Him is just His name and a few general facts.  We must get to know the Holy Spirit.  We must not ignore Him.  We must talk to Him, listen to Him, and make time for Him.  A real relationship with the Holy Spirit will change everything!  

 

Bella:

Any of you watch the movie Bella.  New York Times top rated film and won the people’s choice award in Toronto. It’s a beautiful movie about a woman named Nina.  She’s made some mistakes and is pregnant, and stressed out of her mind.  She plans to get an abortion, but then she meets a friend named Jose.  Jose and Nina develop a very pure relationship-not something we see often in Hollywood anymore.  Jose is so passionate to see Nina keep her baby.  How does Jose keep her from getting an abortion? He doesn’t threaten her, call her names like: Baby killer, or bring his Pro-life committee to bombard her apartment.  He gently shows his love and care for her.  It was because of His friendship and His love that Nina ends up making the best decision of her life-which is to have the baby- whose name is Bella- a beautiful girl whose life is priceless.  Jose didn’t just keep Nina from aborting Bella; he even took on the role to father Bella.  Nina at the end of it is in tears, because when she holds her daughter, she realizes what she almost missed out on.  

 

Picture of the Holy Spirit:

What a picture Jose is of the Holy Spirit.  Now, Jose’s just a limited man, and the Holy Spirit is Almighty God.  Peter told Ananias: “You’ve lied to the Holy Spirit, you’ve not lied to man, but to God.” (Acts 5:4) Here are some similarities:

-    The Holy Spirit is so pure.  He is the “holy” Spirit.

-    The Holy Spirit is not going to force you to do anything, but He will love you and reach out to you, and if you have an ear to hear, he will impart life-changing wisdom to you.  Holy Spirit is gentle like a dove.

-    The Holy Spirit is so passionate to see you receive all the blessings that God wants to give you. The Holy Spirit is so committed to see you not miss out on your God given destiny.

-    

-    The Holy Spirit is so jealousy, to see even your mistakes become your ministry to the world.  

 

So we must listen to Him.  We must open up to Him.  We must get to know Him.  A relationship with Him will change everything!  If we choose to refuse friendship with the Holy Spirit, we will make a lot of stupid mistakes.  We will miss out on everything that good that God had prepared for you.  Our mistakes will snowball into greater mistakes.  Our sins will snowball into greater sin!  

 

God wants to birth a ministry out of us:

As Nina gave birth by the help of Jose, the Holy Spirit wants to help us give birth.  Give birth to what? Your ministry!  God wants to birth a ministry out of all of us.  Now not all will be Pastors, but every believer ought to do be doing the “work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:11).  In fact, Pastors aren’t the only ones who are to be doing the “work of the ministry.”  Pastors are to equip the believers to do the “work of the ministry.” What’s ministry? Ministry is serving God through serving people.  God has a unique ministry that He created you for.  We all have unique ministries.  I remember when the Holy Spirit showed Eunice a vision of how He saw us like these Jelly Beans, and we were so unique in our flavor and color, but God cherishes every single on of us.  We aren’t all the same- and thank God-we aren’t. We all have unique ministries in us.

 

It’s only through a relationship with the Holy Spirit that you can birth your ministry.  When you do, He will be the one to father and mentor your ministry, and you will be successful.  

 

When Nina sees her daughter Bella, she probably won’t forget that if it weren’t for Jose, she would have aborted Bella.  In the same way, whenever we see amazing things that God births through us, we must never forget that apart from the person of the Holy Spirit, we would have aborted this.  

 

I don’t think God can birth through me:

Maybe some of you think, “I don’t think God can birth a great ministry through me?”  That’s one of the greatest lies of Satan.  I heard a story from a San Diego police department Chaplin, who was on a ride along.  The officer pulled over a prostitute and arrested her, and took her to the Police Station.  The officer left the car and just left the Chaplin with the Prostitute.  The Chaplin turned to the Prostitute and asked, “Do you know God?” The Prostitute said, “No! I don’t give a rip about God.  He’s never done anything for me.”  That was the end of the conversation, and after about 5 minutes of awkward silence, the Prostitute speaks again, with a softer voice, “Actually, I think I do know God.  When I was a young girl, I loved God so much that I wanted to give my whole life to Him as a nun.”  So I went to tell my mom.  I can’t forget what she told me.  She said, “What? You can’t be a nun.  You are just a nobody.”  I believe it was her mother’s words that contributed to her becoming a prostitute.  

 

If we think we are a “nobody”, we will become spiritual prostitutes.  Those who don’t know their spiritual worth, sell themselves cheap to sin.  

 

Spiritual Fathers and Mothers:

God’s will is not for us to be spiritual prostitutes, but spiritual fathers and mothers!  I believe and pray that all of you will become spiritual fathers and mothers, and God will use you to make disciples of all nations.   I don’t care where you are now.  You might be a spiritual infant right now and be always pooping in your pants.  You might be a spiritual toddler, and be crying all the time.  You might be a spiritual kid, and getting in trouble all the time.  You might be a spiritual teenager, and think you know everything, when you don’t.  But, God wants us to become mature spiritual fathers and mothers.

 

I believe what will happen is that we will grow so close to the Holy Spirit, that our lives will be filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.” (Galatians 5) We will live it!  We will become spiritual fathers and mothers who will be used by God to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.  

 

You will find so much joy in being a “spiritual father or mother.”  John the Apostle, the one who wrote the book of John and the book of Revelation said in his letter called (3 John), that he had “no greater joy that watching my children walking in truth.” (3 John 1:4)   There is such a fulfillment, ask Pastor Ryan and Joanne, to see your spiritual children walking with God and walking in truth.  

 

How? The Holy Spirit:

An angel came to Mary one day and said, “Fear not, you are favored among women, you will bare a child and His name will be Jesus- He will deliver men from their sins.”  She asked, “How can this be? I do not know a man?” The Angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come over you!”  She asked, “How can I give birth do something so great? I don’t know a man?” The answer to Mary’s “How?” was “the Holy Spirit.”  God wants to birth something amazing through us- it’s beyond us- it’s beyond what we can ask or think.  But, if we ask “How?” His answer is “Holy Spirit!” How are we, going to be spiritual fathers and mothers, even though we’ve made so many mistakes? “Holy Spirit.”   How are those crazy dreams that God put in our hearts going to come to pass? “Holy Spirit.”

 

Notice, Mary was thinking, “Don’t I need a man?”  Don’t depend on a person to do for you, what only the Holy Spirit can do for you!  We must not depend on people, but we must be completely dependant on the Holy Spirit.  

 

It’s not about Your Strength, but your Cooperation with the Holy Spirit:

The success of our Christian life doesn’t depend on our strength, but our cooperation and relationship with the Holy Spirit.  Isaiah 40 talks about how our lives ought to look like Eagles.  We ought to be soaring above the storm.  Reaching incredible heights.  Eagles do not depend on their own strength to fly.  They depend on the strength of the wind.  Eagles develop a close relationship with the wind, and learn to cooperate with the wind. They reach these incredible altitudes. Eagles live for about 30 years.  Hummingbirds depend on their own strength. They flap like crazy (8-10 beats a second), and then they die.  They only like about 3 years.  If we try to live for God on our own strength, we will burn out and die.  We will not reach high heights.  We will stay on really low levels of true holiness, low levels in intimacy with God, and low levels in ministry.  We will burn out.  

 

Hummingbirds are trying to do it alone.  Jesus never planned for us to live Christian life on our own.  He said, “I will not leave you orphans…I will send the Holy Spirit to you.” (John 14:18&26) The Holy Spirit came like wind in (Acts 2).  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is like wind in (John 3:8).  It’s not about our strength, but the strength of the wind! “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6).  We must learn to cooperate with the wind; our success as Christians depends on it.  

 

How does an eagle become so well acquainted with the Wind and get so good at cooperating with the wind? Practice.  He spends much time waiting on the wind.  Soaring with the wind.  As he does, he becomes more familiar with the ways of the wind.  In the same way, (Isaiah 40) is about waiting on the Lord.  How can we get more acquainted with the Holy Spirit?  Practice.  How? We must wait on the Lord. Get alone, spend time just waiting on the Holy Spirit.  Spend time seeking Him.  You will begin to soar.  We will learn to cooperate better.  

 

An eagle was created to soar with the wind.  Every Christian was created in Christ Jesus to soar with the Holy Spirit.  

 

Because of that: we must come to greater awareness of the person of the Holy Spirit, we must come to greater appreciation for the Holy Spirit, and greater intimacy with the Holy Spirit. I’m praying that that will happen for all of us in the next few weeks.

 

Conclusion:

The Holy Spirit is our teacher.  Jesus said, “He will teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10): “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” (John 16:13): “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

 

The more aware you are of Him, the more He can teach you.  The more appreciative you are of Him, the more He can teach you.  The more intimate you are with Him, the more He will teach you.  

 

The fact of the matter is that there are so many different spirits in the world. (1 Timothy 4:1): The Holy Spirit says: “in the last days, many will fall away, because they will pay attention to deceiving spirits.”  There are many spirits- evil spirits, deceiving spirits, anti-Christ spirits- many spirits that aren’t holy- and they all have something to teach.  We must spend time with the Holy Spirit-let’s let him be our teacher, because He is the Spirit of Truth, and He will lead us into truth.  We are spiritual beings and there is a spiritual world, and there are many spirits that want to lead us astray. So we must cling to the Holy Spirit of truth.  He is our teacher!  I believe He teaches us through the Word of God.  The Spirit behind the Word of God is the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “My words are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)

 

I used to have a bad habit-which was to take everything a person said really seriously.  I’d meditate on pretty much anything a person said.  However, not everything that comes out of the mouth of people you know has the Holy Spirit behind it.  Many times, what people say have another spirit behind it: maybe a spirit of pride, spirit of fear, a spirit of jealousy, a spirit of greed, a spirit of perversion, or a spirit of division.  Because I would listen to them and meditation on what they were saying, I was opening doors for these spirits to harass my mind.  We must not pay attention to deceiving spirits.  We must not meditate on or take very seriously everything that everyone says.  We must pay attention to the Word of God and take the Word of God seriously, because the Holy Spirit- the Spirit of Truth is behind it.  

 

Now I don’t take what everyone says as seriously. I have a greater commitment to take the Word of God seriously.  

 

In light of eternity…

2.24.08 

 

How many of you have seen restaurants with grades on them: grade A, B, C?  By law, every restaurant must publicly post their grade.  How do they get their grade? They are examined by these food inspectors.  The food inspectors have an evaluation sheet- it’s a list of about a hundred.  Such as: Is there hot water? How do they prepare and store their food?  How clean are their restrooms? How’s the integrity: if they claim to have fresh fish- do they really?  If the restaurant owner was smart, he’d get a hold of the evaluation list and self-examine his own restaurant.  He ought to be prepared, because how he does at his evaluation will stick with him- and limit his business.  

 

We too must be prepared:

We too must prepare, because what we are graded in our evaluation stays with us forever, we must“examine ourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5)!   We too must not have hypocrisy in our lives- or we will be the least in the Kingdom- get the lowest grade (Matthew 5:19).  It would suck to get stuck with a C or D your whole eternity! Don’t you want to be great for eternity? So many times, I’ve set my focus on being great on earth.  But, my life on earth is a vapor (James 4:14).

There is an evaluation day coming- it’s called the Judgment Seat of Christ, and every Christian will stand before Jesus Christ- the Judge- and give an account before God.  We must be prepared for that day.  (Amos 4:12): “Prepare to meet your God.” We must be prepared to meet the Our Judge- our Inspector.  Based on what will we be evaluated? The Bible is our Inspection Guide- and it clearly tells us what we will be evaluated on and rewarded for, I’ll share in more specifics next week.  But this week I wanted to focus on eternity- and preparing to meet our Judge.  But, open up your Bibles to (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 & 11)

 

(2 Corinthians 5:6-11) Breakdown:

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home with the body we are absent from the Lord- for we walk by faith, and not by sight- we are of good courage, I say and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  Therefore we also have as our ambition whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…”  

 

Christians will be Judged-or Evaluated and give an Account:

Paul is writing to Christians here.  He is saying, “…We will all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.”  Did you know that even Christians, will be judged by Jesus?  Some Christians think, “Oh, only non-believers will be judged for their sins.  We are just going to die and having a wedding party with Jesus our Bridegroom, we are going to have hugs and kisses and enjoy all eternity.”  Yes, there is truth to that, but we too will be judged!  There are two eternal judgments that the Bible talks about: the Great White Throne Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The Great White Throne Judgment is going to be for those who are not saved.  They will be judged for every sin they committed (Revelation 20:11-15).  True believers won’t be condemned for their sins, but we will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ- and give an account for their lives.  Works do not save us, only the cross of Jesus and faith in Christ does- we’ve been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8).  But, our works determines how we will spend eternity.  

 

The fear of the Lord:

Paul, after talking about the judgment seat of Christ talks about having the fear of the Lord.  With the fear of the Lord, he goes about persuading men.  What Paul was talking about was winning souls.  When we lead souls to Christ, we are making a difference for all eternity.  

But Paul’s soul winning business was motivated by the fear of the Lord.  Interesting.  Fear of the Lord came from what? The fact that he would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that brought the fear of the Lord.  The fear of the Lord is something that is not that much emphasized today, even though it is mentioned 370 times in the Bible.  Fear of the Lord is this reverential awe and deep respect; it’s not the same fear as we have of spiders or snakes.  “Perfecting holiness in the Fear of the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 7:1) I love this because it shows us that holiness is a process- it’s something we grow in- and are in the process of perfecting.  

 

Holiness is not an option:

Holiness is not an option for a Christian.  It’s the call of God that says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)  Holiness is perfected in us by the fear of the Lord.  Holiness- comes from the word: whole. God wants us to be “whole” not broken or sick, but whole.  How does wholeness or holiness come? The fear of the Lord!  Where those the fear of the Lord come from? We see it in this passage; it comes from the revelation of Jesus as Judge!

 

Lack of Emphasis of Jesus as Lord, Judge, and King:

We talk about Jesus as the Savior, the Bridegroom, the Friend, the Co-laborer (co-pilot), and Loving Father, but there is not as much emphasis on Jesus being Lord, King, and Judge.  Could it be that we are imbalanced?  The Bible takes about God being the Lord 7000 times in Scripture; it talks about God as Savior about 37 times.  

 

Savior:

There was a time I got this revelation of Jesus as Savior- and every Saturday night I was preaching on the streets telling people that Jesus was the Savior- the way to heaven- the one who can take their fears and emptiness away.  I named my first ministry: Jesus Saves Cell Group.  I jumped off the bungee at Six Flags and preached on the top of my lungs to thousands: Jesus Saves!  Knowing Jesus as Savior brought a lot of hope into my life, and thankfulness, Jesus saved me from a lot of stuff, but did it bring the fear of the Lord? Not really.      

 

Friend:

Then there was a time I got this revelation that Jesus was my best friend. I felt like I found someone I could trust.  It was awesome, I just wanted to talk to him all day and spend time with Him.  I’ve never been bored since this revelation.  I no longer had a problem being alone after this revelation. Did that revelation bring the fear of the Lord?

 

Bridegroom:

Then there was a time I got this revelation that Jesus was the Bridegroom, and He was passionate about me.  It really strengthened my walk with God.  It made me want to worship Him.  Soak in His presence.  Cry out for more of His love.  I got caught up into His presence and experience the ecstasy of His presence- it was better than any high.  He was peeling away my shame, and my heart was being impassionate-d, and I would fast because I was so lovesick.  Did it bring a greater fear of the Lord? Not quite.  

 

Co-worker:

Then I got this revelation that Jesus was my Co-worker.  I work with Him.  So, I would go to emergency rooms, and get words of knowledge and heal the sick.  I’d go on mission trips and wait on the Lord, see what He was doing, and heal the sick and preach the gospel. Did it bring the fear of the Lord? Not quite.

 

Father:

Then I had this revelation that God was a loving Father. It helped me to understand that I didn’t have to earn his love, that his love was un-conditional, like it was to the prodigal son.  It helped me never to give up even when I failed.  But, did it bring the fear of the Lord? Not quite.  

 

Kindness verses Fear of the Lord:

The Savior, Friend, Bridegroom, Co-Worker, and Father attributes of Jesus are so real and powerful.  They demonstrate His kindness, and His kindness leads to repentance (Romans 2:4). But here’s the thing: When I was wrapped up in this view of God, it left me very limited and even very short!  I was sucking in my Christian life.  I was struggling in my behavior because of my beliefs were limited!  I believed strongly in these 5 attributes without emphasis on the other side.  The thing was that it was my focus on these beliefs that led my to subconsciously believe that because God was so kind: Obedience was optional and subjected to my feelings.  

 

Come on: Do you obey everything:

Come on, when you think of a friend do you think: I have to obey everything he or she tells me to do.  No.  If they ask you to go out to watch a movie with them, and you don’t feel like it, you say, “I don’t feel like it.” Do we obey everything our boyfriends or girlfriends tell us to do?  Yes, we might have feeling for them, and make great sacrifices for them, but do we necessarily obey them out of fearful reverence?  I make great sacrifices for Meg.  I do it because I feel like it.  I don’t obey everything she tells me to do.  She said, “Don’t pick me up, I’ll drive, but I pick her up anyways because I want to make the sacrifices for her.”  Do you obey everything your co-worker tells you to do? I don’t, not if I think I’m smarter and can do things better.  Do I obey everything my loving, laidback dad tells me to do? No, I still have to watch the Rich Dad, Poor Dad Video he told me to watch.  

 

When focus too much on the Kindness side of God:

When we put God in this Category of Savior, Friend, Bridegroom, Co-Worker, and Father.  We subconsciously think obedience to God is optional.  Oh, if we have this view of God, and these beliefs about God, we will make great sacrifices for Him here and there when you feel like it- but that’s the thing it’s only when you feel like it.  You will pray three hours a day, but only when you feel like it.  What if you don’t feel like it? Yes, these people will repent of their sins because they feel bad.  But, when I was in this category, I felt at times I was on a Farris Wheel- down in my sin, and up in making tremendous sacrifices for God.  Then, down again.  When we see God as only these things: we will probably not be perfecting in holiness because that comes from the fear of the Lord.  

 

He’s more than our Buddy:

The Fear of the Lord comes when we have revelation that Jesus is Lord- He is our Master.  He’s more than our buddy, but He’s master!  He owns us! (1 Corinthians 6:20) We are His servants!  Do we have that revelation that He is Lord?  We call Him Lord but do we have that revelation?  Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?”  They had the lingo, but they didn’t have the revelation of the Lordship of Christ.  Do we really believe that He is Lord-Master-Boss? If we did, we would behave accordingly.  We are not greater than our master.  We must obey our master!  Everything our master gives us responsibility over; we must be good stewards of it!  We must have the same confession Jesus had when he was a 12-year-old boy, “I must be about my Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) What God has called us to do, must not be games to us, but serious business- because our Boss is the Lord.  

He is also a Judge! He is coming to judge the living and the dead.  We will stand before Jesus one day, our Lord, and our Judge (Romans 2:16)(John 5:27).  He will evaluate us.  He will reward us accordingly.  He will determine based on our faithfulness to him “how” we will spend eternity- not “where” but “how.”  

He is the coming King and He will set up His kingdom forever- and whether we will be great or least in His eternal kingdom will be based on how faithful we were, and how we obeyed Him and honor Him on earth!  

 

There must be both:

    We must have a balance!  Yes the feelings side is important.  The Ephesus Church in (Revelation 2) had these strong beliefs that Jesus was Lord, King, and Judge- so they were working their butts off for their Lord.  However Jesus says, “You’re doing everything so well, but return to your first love.”  Yes, we ought to make amazing sacrifices for our God.  However, we must remember: Obedience is not an option. In fact, God told King Saul, “Obedience is greater than sacrifice.” Yes, He’s a beautiful wonderful Savior, but He’s Lord.  He must be Lord over our lives.  Obedience is not optional.  Yes, He’s a passionate bridegroom, but He’s the coming Judge- and we must fear the Lord.  Yes, He’s our friend and our co-worker, but He’s the King of Kings, and we must honor Him!  Because there has been an over-emphasis on the kindness side of God I have been sharing more on the Fear of the Lord side of God- and how He’s a king who must be honored- as I did last week, and this week and next week I want to share on how He is Lord and the Judge!  

 

Imagine that, we will stand before Him?

    Imagine that, we will stand before Jesus.  When we step into eternity, there will not be just a wedding celebration.  We will stand before Jesus.  (Hebrews 9:27): “It is appointed for every person, once to die, and after this comes the judgment.” We will stand before God in judgment and this is an “eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:2): so the verdict from this evaluation will stick with us for eternity!  

 

What will we be evaluated on? Is there a checklist?

    We will be evaluated on our works, our words, our thoughts, and our motives.  We will be evaluated on what we did with the gifts He’s given us, and the callings He’s placed on each of our lives!  We will be evaluated on our faithfulness and obedience.  There are so many specific things as well: as how we spent our money, did we give to the Lord’s work. There will be “eternal rewards” given for things done in secret like: prayer and fasting and charity.  There will be “eternal rewards” given for all the times we were persecuted for Jesus and we were gracious to our enemies. We will get rewards based on how much we sacrificed for the Lord.  We will even get rewards for giving a little child a glass of water.  That’s awesome! God is a reward-er!  I stay up late nights and give hours preparing to teach on Sunday- I don’t grow weary because I know my work is not in vain- I am collecting rewards in heaven.  I’ll talk more about this next week.  

 

Conclusion:

I want to remind you.  I don’t want you to discount anything regarding the kindness of the Lord.  It’s so important.  You will dry up without it!  We are so thankful for His kindness.  But, we must not forget that He’s a great King- and so honoring Him is not an option.  We must remember He’s Lord- and obeying Him and serving Him is not an option for us.  We must remember that He’s Judge- we will stand before Him one day.  

I’ll have to stand before God one day, and He will judge me- he will examine every motivation; I will have to give an account for how I pastored this church and how I taught the people.  I will have to give an account for if I really lived what I preached.  The Bible says in (James 3:1), “Don’t let many of you become teacher for they will face a stricter judgment.”

Just this week, it struck me so hard.  I’ll give an account of my life before God.  It’s scary being a teacher, but I have to do it, because that’s what God’s called me to- I must be faithful to it whether I feel it or not.  Paul said “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16)  He was called to preach, and He feared the Lord too much to refuse his call.  What’s God called you to?  Have you even taken time to search it out?  Are you being faithful to do what he’s called you to do? You will give an account before Him one day.  

This truth, that I will stand before my Judge brings the fear of the Lord- it’s sobering.  Daniel means: God is my Judge.  God is, not people.  I could fake it before people, but when I stand before Him, I won’t be able to fake or hide anything.  I just want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  I want to hear those words for you too.  I’ll do my best to teach.  You must do your best to do what God’s called you to do?

We will talk about discovering and developing our gifts and calling next week. Don’t miss it.  Every one of you has a gift and a calling from God. But, man, get this into your heart: We will stand before Jesus alone- and give an account for our lives.  Let that stir up the fear of the Lord.  The Fear of the Lord perfects holiness- God wants you to be whole- not broken and sick in sin. Let the fear of the Lord cause you to step out and do what you are gifted and called to do- when you do- you will take part in leading souls into the Kingdom.  

I do not want to be least in the Kingdom of God, what is it if I’m great on earth, but for eternity I’ll be the least?  

I rather live a life of humble obedience to my Lord now, and be great for eternity!  Being great for 70 years is nothing compared to eternity!  Hell has greater levels of suffering based on what a person has done, and heaven has greater levels of joy based on how a person spent his/her life on earth.  I have wasted my time thinking too much about attaining greatness on earth, I want to think about how I can be great on that day- the Judgment Seat of Christ-which determines my eternity.  I want the “crown of glory” it’s a crown that Jesus will give to faithful shepherds who taught and exemplified the Word of God (1 Peter 5:1-4). Heaven is not an equal place, there are different rankings, roles, grades- determined by how we did at our inspection called: the Judgment Seat of Christ.

 

(2 Corinthians 5:9-)

“Therefore we also have as our ambition whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ (What is your ambition in life? Because we will stand before Him on that Day, we must prepare for it by being ambitious to please the Lord today), so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to prepare for Eternity?

3.2.08

We’ve been talking about eternity.  (Ecclesiastes 3:11) tells us that God’s put eternity in our hearts.  Deep inside, we know there is more to life than this.  We crave for eternity- we could try to ignore that craving or suppress that craving, but it’s there.  Because eternity is in our hearts, our hearts will live on for eternity.  Our souls will live on for eternity.  The truth is that eternity is a reality.  The Bible has a lot to say about eternity!  

Where and how we spend eternity will be determined on our Judgment Day.  (Hebrews 9:27): We all have a coming appointment with Jesus the judge.  (John 5:22): Jesus is the Judge.  (Hebrews 6:2) tell us that it’s at that Judgment which determine our eternity.

 

There are two eternal judgments:

The Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) and the Judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)  

 

Not many are heading to the Judgment Seat of Christ, many are headed to the Great White Throne Judgment- the road is very wide.

 

Who will get the greater punishment? Who will get the lesser punishment? It might be surprising to some of you what the Bible says about that:

 

1. Those who knew God’s grace but refused to repent will store judgment

(Romans 2:1-6): The person who thinks lightly of God’s kindness and patience.  The person who comes face to face with the grace of God but still refuses to repent.  (Hebrews 10:29): A more severe punishment for those who insult the Spirit of Grace.  

 

The more someone does these things-the more wrath they are storing up! If someone didn’t do have as much revelation of grace, but still were not saved, they would be in the Yellow zone- they will be better off than the person in the Red zone.    

 

2. Those who knew God’s power, but refused His Lordship

(Matthew 11:20-24): Jesus said that it would be worse for Bethesda and Chorazin on the day of judgment than for Tyre and Sidon.  It would be more tolerable for Sodom than for Capernaum- a religious city.   It’s not about the degree of ones sin and perversion, but of ones rebellion in the light of God’s grace, power, and Word

 

Seeing God’s Power brings Responsibility, how much more experiencing:

Judas was used in the power of God but didn’t make it to heaven because He refused Lordship- Better if He wasn’t born.  King Saul & Prophet Balaam.  

 

Many who think they are saved aren’t:

There will be people who even were moving in the power of God and doing miracles who will not be saved. (Matthew 7:21-22): “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

 

1)    They call Jesus Lord- they identify themselves with him.  Many who call themselves Christians, will be in for the shock of their life.  Calling Jesus Lord and saying “I’m a Christian will not save us.”  It’s not calling Him Lord, saying a little prayer, getting baptized, or being part of a Church that guarantees our salvation.  Jesus doesn’t want to be called Lord.  He wants to be Lord.  He said, “Why do you call me Lord, but don’t do what I tell you to do?”  (Luke 6:46)

2)    They have had many supernatural experiences.  They have supernatural experiences, they experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, but experiencing God does not guarantee salvation.  King Saul had supernatural experiences and prophesied when he was with the Prophet Samuel, but that didn’t mean he was saved.  There are people in Church who just happened to in a spiritual environment so they even have spiritual experiences, they could have real spiritual experiences but that doesn’t mean they are saved.    

3)    They have done good works for God.  Good works cannot save us- working for God doesn’t guarantee salvation.  Some people who were prophetic will not be saved.  Some people who have saved souls will not be saved themselves.  Why? They only called Jesus Lord, but they didn’t make Jesus Lord.  

a.    Jim Baker: “My prison experience was not God’s judgment, but God’s mercy, because if I kept living the way I was living, I would have ended up in hell for eternity.”  Another statement that Jim Baker made that shocked me was, “I always loved Jesus deep within, but He wasn’t the Supreme Authority (or Lord) over my life.”  Then, Jim Baker went on to say, “There are millions of Christians just like that all over America- who love Jesus as Savior, but reject Him as their Lord.”  

 

3.  Those who knew God’s will but refused His Lordship will receive greater judgment:

The Lord answered, (Luke 12: 40-48): “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”    

- Notice: He thought obedience was optional

 

(2 Peter 2:21): “For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them.”

 

    This is what will determine the degree of ones eternal punishment: to whom much is given, much will be required. It’s not the degree of sin, but the degree of rebellion in the face of God’s grace, power, and Word.  

    Therefore Judas will get the greatest punishment: He knew of God’s grace, power, and Word, but refused to repent.  

 

Something about Judas:

Knew God’s grace, knew of God’s power, knew of God’s will and Word.  Something about Judas was: He was following Jesus for the wrong reasons.  He wanted wealth and power from Jesus.  His God was the “things” of this world, and He wanted to use Jesus to get worldly things.  We must follow Jesus because we love Him and He’s worthy to be our Lord.  

 

Judgment Seat of Christ is very different from the Great White Throne Judgment:

The Great White Throne is a judgment of condemnation-where they are judged for their sin, but the Judgment seat of Christ is a judgment of evaluation-where we are judged for our good works.  

But, we who are saved- because Jesus is our Lord and Savior, we will not be condemned: (Romans 8:1): “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but the Spirit.”

            

It’s called the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The word Judgment Seat in the original Greek is “Bema.”  The Olympics started in Greece- BEMA: A place you get your PRIZE AND RANKING.  

 

1. Passion and Self-Discipline: (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

How do can we win the prize- the greater rewards? Passion and self-discipline!  How passionately a runner runs determines what kind of rank he will end up with, and how the judge will judge him.  How passionately we run for God and how much self-discipline we applied will determine how we do before the “BEMA” and our rewards.

 

2. Servant of All:

    The disciples of Jesus were fighting over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus said, “Do you really want to be great? Be a servant of all.” Value people and help people.  

 

3. Sacrifice:

Jesus demanded sacrifice from His followers.  He said, “If any man wish to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”  (Mark 8:34)  Let me clarify: You want to follow Jesus- there must be sacrifice!  Jesus demanded sacrifice!

 

What Jesus demanded was for people to even sacrifice their families for His sake.  Yes, many Christians have been disowned by their families- because they decided to follow Jesus- it happens all the time even today.  Jesus said, (Matthew 19:29) “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life…” For every sacrifice we make for Jesus’ sake, there will be rewards in heaven! Those who sacrificed much will have many rewards.  

 

I thought to myself yesterday: “What have I sacrificed for Jesus’ sake?”

 

I’m going to ask you what I asked myself, “What have you given up for Jesus’ sake?” “What are you willing to give up for Jesus’ sake?”

 

Sacrificing for the Poor:  

Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler: (Matthew 19:21)...”Give your possessions to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven.”  

 

Sacrificing for Ministry:

(Phil 4:17): Paul talks about a heavenly account. How do you add to that account? Give to the ministry (financially and service)

 

Sacrificing time for prayer and fasting: (Matthew 5:6 & 18)…”Pray…fast in secret, and your Father will reward you openly…”  

 

4. Being persecuted for Jesus’ sake: (Matthew 5:11-12)

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great…” I believe enduring spiritual warfare…

 

5. Faithful Stewardship: Managing what God’s given you charge over.  

(Matthew 25:14-31): The Bible says he gave them, “Each according to their abilities.”

 

Talents represent gifts:

We have a lot of gifted people, but with more gifting/or ability comes more responsibility.  If God’s given you a level 5 gift to impact millions, but you are lazy, not very disciplined, not willing to serve and make sacrifices, still because of the gifting on you, you can still impact thousands.  But, if you only impact thousands, you will be judged.  You might even look down on someone with level 2 gifting because they are only impacting hundreds.  But, if God’s only given that level 2 gifted man the ability to reach hundreds, and he’s been faithful to reach hundreds, he will receive a greater reward than the man with a level 5 gifting who fell short of his potential.  

 

How do we find and develop our gifting:

1)    Be planted in the local church. (Psalm 92:13) If not planted.  Part of the body-if disconnected.  Join and then you can find where you fit.

2)    Conquer the spirit of fear!  (2 Timothy 1) Timothy was planted and so located he gifts and got an impartation of more gifts from God.  But, his gifts went dormant because of the spirit of fear or timidity or intimidation.  Fear and intimidation will keep us from developing our gifts.  

3)    Invest time.

 

(1 Peter 4:10):  “God has given to each of us a special gift” for us to be stewards over.  

 

Talents represent callings:  We might have similar callings, but not similar gifting level.   Don’t be proud.  

 

How do we know what God has uniquely called us to do?

1)    See where your gifting is? God will equip us for our God-given purpose/calling..

2)    See what God’s put in your heart: Moses, Nehemiah.  

3)    Earnestly seek God for revelation. “Seek and you shall find.” (Hebrews 11)

 

We will be judged based on how faithful we were with our gifts and callings.  

 

6. How real were you?

(Matthew 5:19): If you teach others and don’t live it you will be least.  If you share God’s word and live it, you will be great in the Kingdom.  It’s a test of: Authenticity.  You don ‘t have to be a hypocrite hunter, hypocrites will get it one day.  

 

7. Motives: 

(1 Corinthians 4:5): “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

 

We aren’t to judge other people’s motives, let Jesus do it, examine your own. Just love people!  

 

(Matthew 6:1): “Be careful that you do not do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”  

 

 (1 Corinthians 13:1-3): You can do all these great things like give everything to the poor and be burned up, but if the motivation was not love than there will be no rewards.  

 

The purity of our hearts determines the praise we will receive on Judgment Day

 

 

 

 

 

Negativity (uno)

3.10.08

Do you consider yourself a negative person?  Is your outlook on life negative and pessimistic?  Since I was a child, I was a pretty negative person.  I was always frowning and my parents would always say, “Stop frowning.”  But, I was always frowning because I was a negative thinker.

 

A Negative Person and a Christian is an oxymoron:  

    As I was praying, I felt the Lord wanted me to get the negativity out of us. For a lot of years, I was a negative person.  I thought that I could be a Christian but still hold on to being a negative person.  The Holy Spirit taught me that I was super wrong!

 

Negative people can never please God:

    Negative people can never please God because they have no faith.  Negative people abort faith.  Negative people are faith repellents. (Hebrews 11:6): “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  Negative people cannot please God.

 

    Positive people, on the other hand, can please God because positive people are always cultivating faith.  Positive people are very fertile soils where faith can grow.  

 

Negative people make useless Christians:

    I didn’t say worthless, but useless.  A negative person is a useless Christian, because negative people cannot make a positive change in the world.  Christians are called to make a positive change in the negative world around us.  Jesus said that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Darkness cannot change darkness.  In the same way, negative people cannot change negative situations.  Only positive people can change negative situations.  

 

Negative people verses Positive people.  

    Negative people want the world around them to determine world within them.  What do I mean by that?  Negative people need to have all their circumstances to be just right, so we could feel right on the inside.  (Romans 12:2) says, “Do not be conformed to this world…” The Phillips translation says, “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold.”  Our outer world is not to change our shape our inner world.   That verse goes on to say, “…but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.”   Positive people have their minds transformed- or their inner world transformed- because when their inner world is transformed, then their outer world will be transformed.

 

    Negative people: walk by sight.  They are controlled by what they see in their outer world. Positive people walk by faith.  “We ought to walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

 

    In (Mark 11:24): Jesus reveals that He wants us to move mountains with our faith- move mountains means shake the world- we are to shake the world around us by the faith that’s in us.  The world within us is to determine the world around us.  Not the world around us determining the world within us.  In (John 7:38), He talks about his believers and says, “He who believes in me, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” (This He spoke of the Holy Spirit).  We are not to have out external world change our interior world, but our inner world ought to be so full of faith that we move mountains, and so full of the Holy Spirit that the Spirit overflows out of us like a river and changes the geography of the world around us.

 

    Negative people: their inner world is a chameleon- changing with the environment.  Positive people: their inner world is a rushing river that changes everything around them.  The later is the will of God for us.  God wants you to change the world!  He wants us to say at the end of our lives: I changed the world by the power of God.  Not: The world changed me by the power of the enemy.  If we want to bring positive change to this world: we must become positive people.  Negative people cannot bring positive change to this world.

 

    We want to have our inner world determined by what we see around us in our outer world.  But God wants the world within you to determine the world around you.  He wants you to be changed on the inside first, and as the result of your inner world being changed, your outer world is changed.  For this to happen it takes faith!  Faith pleases God.

 

POSITIVE PERSON                                         NEGATIVE PERSON

PLEASES GOD (Hebrews 11:6)                   CANNOT PLEASE GOD    

     USEFUL                                                   USELESS

“WALKS BY FAITH”                                 “WALKS BY SIGHT”

 

 

Credit empowers Transactions:

    For Christmas, my dad gave me a gift card to Target.  It had 100 dollars worth of credit on it.  That is a lot of credit!  I was able to make big transactions with that card; I bought a whole bunch of stuff.  Good thing it wasn’t a 20-dollar gift card, because I wouldn’t be able to make as many transactions.  I wish the owner of Target would just come up to me and say, “I’ll give you a 5,000 dollars of credit on your card.”  I could make a lot of transactions with 5,000 dollars; I could buy some IPODS, three LCD T.V. sets, I could buy all this food, furniture, you get the point.   If Target gives me more credit, target is giving me more power, to make more transactions.

 

CREDIT -> POWER -> TRANSACTIONS

 

Negative people give credit to:  

    Negative people give Satan so much credit, so they give Him so much power, to make negative transactions in their lives.  Negative people give the issues so much credit.  Do you have any issues?  They may be interior issues or exterior issues.   If you keep giving your issues credit, you are giving your issues power to make more transactions in your life.  Negative people give their sin so much credit, so they are giving their sin more power to make more transactions.  I believe we ought to give Satan, our issues, and sin no credit- so they have no more power to make any transactions!  

 

    Positive people give God more credit and more credit, and by doing so they give God more power, to make more transactions in their lives.  When God makes transactions in our lives, He takes out the bad: He takes out our fears, our pain, our confusion, etc.  When Satan makes transactions: he always takes out the good.  He takes out: our faith, our courage, and our passion.  Where are we giving our credit? Are we giving Satan too much credit? Are we giving our issues too much credit? Are we giving our sin too much credit? Or are we giving God “The Holy Spirit” the credit He deserves?

 

How do we give Satan, our issues, and sin credit?

    Complaining. When I was a youth pastor there was a lot of negative stuff going on.  My students were not getting on fire for God.  They were not showing up to church.  Our youth group wasn’t growing but shrinking.  They weren’t changing even though I was preaching my heart out.  I was in a negative situation.  Christians ought to “walk by faith and not by sight.”  There are sight-controlled people and there are faith-controlled people.  I was a sight-controlled person.  Negative people walk by sight, not faith.  So I saw negativity so I became negative.  I would talk to my friends and complain about my church.  Every Sunday, I met with my friend James, and I feel so sorry for him, because he had to just hear me complain for an hour- I was fluent in complaining.   Did my negativity change anything for the better?  No!  Negative people cannot change negative situations.  

 

Negative people complain

    Negative people rather complain to people than cry out to God.  Do you know what I was doing when I was complaining? I was giving the devil credit.  I was giving my issues credit! I was giving sin credit!  Give Satan, your issues, and sin more credit, you are giving them more power to make more transactions!  

 

When we complain we are giving the destroyer more credit:

    (Numbers 21): The people of Israel are on their Exodus, and they are having some problems, some issues. They were complaining because they were in the wilderness.  They were complaining because they weren’t in the Promise land.  They are just complaining endlessly about their problems.  Then, these fiery serpents were sent and they bit the people and “many people of Israel died there.”  Serpents always represent demons. When we are negative, and we complain- we are giving Satan more credit- and he is then empowered to make more transactions of destruction in our lives.  Snakes represent demons.  Negative people attract demons.  

 

    I was complaining about my youth group because I was focused more on the work of Satan than the work of God that was going on.  What we focus more on what the enemy is doing in our lives, we complain.  When we focus on what God is doing in our lives, we express thanksgiving and speak words of faith.  

 

    Did you know that positive people who are filled with thanksgiving and faith give God credit? And that allows God to make more transactions in their lives.  Positive people bring the power of God into their lives and situations.  I love being around people like that.  I used to listen to a lot of people at Blessed who were so negative- always talking about what the devil’s doing- “oh all the passion is gone now” “oh, our church is so confused” “oh, I miss the good old days.”  Those negative complainers didn’t do one positive thing for our church- but they only made things worse.  Negative people can’t bring positive change.  Only positive people can change negative situations.  Negative people will see more negative transactions take place because they are giving more credit to the negative work of a negative devil.  Positive people will see more positive transactions take place because they giving more credit to the positive work of a positive God.

 

People can plug up the power of God?

Did you know that people could plug up the power of God.  (Matthew 13), Jesus is ministering in Nazareth.  Jesus was God in the flesh!  He had all power!  He could have brought so many transactions into the lives of those people.  However, Jesus couldn’t, not wouldn’t but couldn’t, because the people in Nazareth were not giving Him any credit!  They were labeling him as the carpenter’s son.  No credit, no power, no transactions.  

 

     POSITIVE PERSON                          NEGATIVE PERSON  

 

 

David verse Goliath:

(Turn to 1 Samuel 16:8-11): “He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, ‘Why do you come out to draw up in battle array?  Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul?  Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become our servants, but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.’ Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.’ When Saul and all Israel heard these words they weredismayed and greatly afraid.”  

 

Goliath loved striking fear in the people.  Satan loves striking fear in people.   Let me say two very important things about fear:

 

#1: We fear what we have not surrendered to God:

 

This week there was some fear creeping up in my heart again.  It was over a certain issue in my life.  I was wondering: Why am I fearing again? I thought I overcame this already.  I realized, that I needed to surrender it to Jesus again- so I did in prayer, I said, “Lord, I give this to You, let Your will be done, I surrender it to you” and the fears subsided.  If you ever see fear in an area of your life, that’s a clear indication that there is an area that needs to be surrendered to the Lord!

 

We are scared about what we care too much about.  If we surrender those cares we are surrendering those scares.  If we “cast all our cares” on the Lord as (1 Peter 5:17) commands, we are casting all our fears on the Lord too.  In other words, when we are completely surrendered, there will be no fear.

 

Jesus said radical statements like, “Do not worry!” “Do not fear.”  In the Bible, God says, “Do not be afraid” or “Do not fear” 365 times.  Is that even possible?  How can we live a life without fear or worry?  We must die to self.  We must loose our lives for His sake.  We must surrender all!  We cannot obey Jesus command to not worry and fear, if we do not obey His command to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him (Mark 8:35).  We cannot obey His command to not worry or fear if we have not obeyed His command to loose our lives for His sake (Mark 8:35).  

 

The person who can say, “Jesus is my everything.  He is my all.  I surrendered everything to God.”  That person can say, “I have no fear!”

 

If there is fear in your life, if there is something that brings a scare, it’s because we haven’t surrendered every care to Jesus.  You don’t want to give fear any room.

 

# 2: Fear will cause your cause your God given gifts to die:

 

Something I briefly shared last week was how fear causes our God-given gifts to die.  Timothy had a gift of God.  But, it had gone dormant- it fell asleep.  Why? The spirit of fear!  The spirit of fear is the spirit of negativity- because fear is from negativity.  Negativity will cause our God given gifts to die out.  Paul told Timothy to fan into flame because God did not give Timothy the spirit of fear.  The spirit of fear is from Satan.  Paul doesn’t say, “God hasn’t given you a spirit of fear, but I know it’s hard, fear is such a powerful enemy, you’ve struggled with it your whole life, I understand!”  No! Paul did not give any credit to the spirit of fear-which is a demon- he just let Timothy know that it was not of God.  Then, Paul talks about the Holy Spirit, saying God has given you the Holy Spirit- who is full of love, power, and a sound mind!  Paul gives credit to the Holy Spirit.  

 

We must not let fear keep us from using our God given gifts.  Here is Timothy who is a timid man, and Paul reminds him of whom the Holy Spirit is.  That reminds him that the Holy Spirit is living in him.  I’ll do the same.  Do you know who the Holy Spirit is? He’s the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and He is living in you!

 

(Romans 8:11): “The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.”

Think about that?  We ought to give the Holy Spirit credit!!! Talk to the Holy Spirit say, “Holy Spirit, you are in me, you are powerful!”  

 

Back to the Story:

 

“32        David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

33        Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”

34        But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine….”

 

(verse 36): David didn’t give Goliath any credit: “this uncircumcised Philistine.”

Goliath represents: Satan, Issues, and Sin.  How did David deal with Goliath? He didn’t give Goliath any credit.  Goliath was a big issue, but David didn’t give Goliath any credit- David just called him an “uncircumcised Philistine”, so Goliath could make no transactions in David’s life.  David gave God much credit saying that God was the “living God.” Saul gave Goliath so much credit.  Saul was saying (verse 33), “You can’t fight him.  You’re a youth and he’s been a warrior from his youth.” Saul gave Goliath so much credit, so Goliath was making transactions on Saul every day.  Everyday Goliath was sucking out the courage out of Saul.  So Saul couldn’t kill Goliath.  Negative people can’t defeat Satan, their issues, and their sin.  Only those like David can!  

 

(verse 37): David focused on the Works of God: “The Lord delivered me…”

We must never be more wrapped up in what Satan has done and is doing, and will do, than what God has done and is doing, and will do.  

Samuel said: “Consider the great things the Lord has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24)

    Focus on what God has done

Job said: “God…is doing great things we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:5)

    Focus on what God is doing

Jeremiah: “He has plans to prosper us.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  

    Focus on what God will do

When we do, we are giving God more credit!   He can then make more transactions in our lives.

 

(verse 33) How to deal with issues from childhood: “He’s been a warrior from his youth.”

Saul points out that Goliath was a warrior who was developing since he was a youth- a kid.  Goliath was an issue that’s been developing since he was young.  Do you have any issues that you’ve developed since you were young?  I do.  Do we ignore those issues? Pretend they are not there? No.  David didn’t ignore Goliath.  We cannot conquer what we don’t confront.  However, we cannot conquer what we give so much credit to.  David gave Goliath- a childhood issue- no credit.  David only gave God credit!  

 

A Pastor I deeply respect:

There is a pastor I deeply respect and have learned a great deal from.  I’ll have the privilege of taking him to the airport in a week.  He’s a pastor of a very large church and speaks to thousands of youth and young adults every year.  He had some childhood issues.  His mom died giving birth to him.  He grew up with great resentment from his father.  His father never spoke an encouraging Word to him.  Never said, “I love you.  I’m proud of you.”  His father was really strict, and even beat him if he did anything wrong.  One time, his dad tied him to a tree and whipped him with a branch and left him out there in the cold bleeding.  So he grew up with some issues.  His step mom passed away in a car accident when He was 9.  His dad passed away when he was 12.  His only nearby family members were his aunt and uncle.  But, one day, when he was in high school, his uncle killed his aunt and took his own life.  So he didn’t have the greatest childhood.  How many of you know he might have had some childhood issues?

 

But, he got saved and God raised him up to become one of the greatest men of God that I know of.  This man so believes in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I remember hearing him preach on the Holy Spirit one night.  And he said, “If you ever find out that I’m in some kind of serious sin, don’t come up to me and say, ‘oh, you had a tough childhood.  You didn’t have a dad and that’s why you have these issues.’  He said, ‘No, just look me in the eye and say, ‘Hey, you are a man of God, the Holy Spirit is in you, so go and crucify that sin!’”  He didn’t want someone to come and give all this credit to his issues, but someone to come and give credit to the Holy Spirit!  We must give the Holy Spirit the credit He deserves!  He’s the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and He is living in us!  Let’s knock off our stupid excuses for not living right; let’s stop giving credit to Satan, our issues, and our sin! Give credit to the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead!

 

New Counseling Method:

After I heard him say that, I decided to drastically change my counseling strategies.  There were times I’d counsel people and they would share their problems.  And I’d try to be sympathetic and say, “Yeah, it’s tough.  Yeah, I’ve been there I know it’s hard.  Yeah, I can’t even imagine going through what you went through.”  Never again will I do counseling like that again.  What I was doing was giving that issue credit!  When you give your issues credit you are empowering it to make more transactions!  If anyone comes to me and shares a struggle, if they are not born again, “I’ll tell them to get born again” if they are born again I’ll not give any credit to their issue, but to the Holy Spirit who is living in them!  Even this week someone was sharing to me about his anger issues.  And I said, “You will overcome that issue.  That little issue is nothing compared to God!”  

 

Again, I’m not saying ignore:

I’m not saying we should ignore the enemy, our issues, and our sins.  David did not ignore Goliath he confronted Goliath.  We cannot conquer what we do not confront.  David didn’t ignore Goliath, but he didn’t give Goliath any credit either.  We ought not to give too much credit to demons, our issues, and our sin either.  I love what David did.  David gave Goliath no credit, so Goliath couldn’t make any transactions in David’s life.  David gave God so much credit.

 

Some of us:

Some of us might have had a lust problem since we were kids, some of us might have had rejection issues since we were kids-deep insecurities and pride, some of us might have had anger issues since we were kid, some of us might have had some real bitterness issues growing up, some of us might have had some other serious issues.

 

The stupidest thing we could do is giving our demons, our issues, our sins all this credit.  Thinking and saying, “I had this my whole life.  I don’t know if I could every get over it.”  

 

Give credit to God, and speak words of Faith:

(1 Samuel 17:45): “Then David said to the Philistine…” David didn’t say, “Hi Mr. Goliath, you look really big today, I think I will defeat you, I hope I will cut off your enormous head…”  No! He spoke with so much faith! He spoke positive words. He gave God all the credit, and God was going to make a powerful transaction of His power in David’s life.  David killed Goliath.  It was not his sling and stone that took down the 9 foot 9 giant.  It was the transaction of God!  Why did God make such a powerful transaction through David, but not through Saul- David gave God the credit, Saul gave Goliath the credit. David was a faith person and Saul was a sight person.  David was a positive person and Saul was a negative person.  Negative people cannot change negative situations!  

 

I struggle:

I struggle with pride.  I have these pride issues.  I war against pride everyday.  I feel it attacking my heart and I have to wrestle with it.  Even last night, after I looked at the mirror, I felt such warfare against pride.  Just kidding!  I actually wrestle with pride because of insecurities from childhood.  However, when I come face to face with my pride I’m not going to say, “It’s so hard to be humble.  It’s so hard to be a Christian.  Oh, we just all get beat up by pride.  Pride, please don’t hurt me.”  I’m not doing to give pride credit.  I’m not going to say, “Pride, I hope to get rid of you.  I would like to cut off your head if that’s ok with you.  Um, pride, I’d like to feed you to the birds.” No!  I recognize the Holy Spirit who is living in me! Then, I say, “Pride, I will destroy you in the name of Jesus!  You will have no hold over my life in the name of Jesus!”  

 

I struggle with lust.  It’s been an issue I’ve had to deal with since I hit puberty.  I’ve fought it everyday!  It’s come like Goliath and tried to taunt me and control me.  I don’t say to lust, “You are so strong.  Please don’t eat me today.  Please leave me alone.  I hope to beat you up one day when I’m more mature in the Lord.”  No!  I say, “Lust, you will be defeated!  Lust, I will cut off your head in the name of Jesus!  Lust, you will have no hold over my life!”  I speak words of faith!  Get the point! Give pride and lust, and whatever issues you deal with no credit!  Don’t speak words of fear, speak words of faith!  

 

David won the battle in his mouth before on the field.

We must win the war in our mouth first. Before David defeated Goliath with his sling, he defeated Goliath with his confession. We ought to confess like David that we will be victorious, that we will get the victory- not we might, we hope, but we will!  No complaining!  We must not let negative words come out of our mouths!  

 

The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is in you!  There is no room for negativity!  Get the spirit of fear the spirit of negativity out!  Surrender completely to God, so the enemy will have no room to torment you with fear.  Give God all the credit, give demons, give your issues, give your sins no credit, breakthrough is inevitable.  

 

How do we grow in faith?

Pray, worship, read the Word.  What do you do when you pray? What do you do when you worship?  Do you look at yourself?  You ought to look to Jesus.  “Fix your eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of your faith.”  (Hebrews 12:2)  When you look to Jesus, and give Him credit, He begins to write faith in your heart!  When there is faith there is victory.  “This is the victory that overcomes the world- our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Take the next few moments to look to Jesus.  As your faith arises!  Speak those words of faith over your issues!  Victory is ours!  

Passionate commentary from Andrew Murray’s book…

“Our obedience and holiness are possible only by the unceasing faith in His power ever working in us.”  -Andrew Murray, “Covenants and Blessings.” p. 41

With the uprising of impurity in our world and even churches today, there is a cry for greater holiness!  Many times, how the topic of holiness is approached is: TRY HARDER!  WORK MORE!  JUST DO IT!  However, the true key to holiness and obedience is not JUST DO IT, but JUST BELIEVE!  Believe in what?  Believe in His power- the work of the Holy Spirit to change your heart from the inside out.  Don’t trust in the strength of the flesh, but in the power of God.  In Jesus’ kingdom, the way up is down.  The way to greatness is servant-hood.  The way to exaltation is humility.  The way to true power is weakness- childlike dependance and trust in God.

“Man’s nature may be very willing and diligent in God’s service for a time.  It may devise numerous observances for making his worship pleasing and attractive.  yet this may be only making a fair show in the flesh, glorying in the flesh and in man’s will and man’s efforts.  The power of the religious flesh is one of the great marks of the Old Covenant religion.  It misses the deep humility and spirituality of the true worship of God- a heart and life entirely dependent on Him.”- Andrew Murray “Covenants and Blessings” p. 42

Oh my goodness.  This sums up my Christian life for the first 10 years.  I grew up and was mentored in a religious church- that was very much ignorant of the truth of the Word- regarding New Covenant living.  I was taught to strive in my flesh to see spiritual results.  I prayed at the top of my lungs for two hours a day for five years- because I believed in that deceptive philosophy.  I thought that only salvation was free, and everything else came through striving, huffing and puffing, and stress!  I had strong zeal- and did have a true heart after God- I wanted God- and hoped He would want me.  I outdid everyone in the church when it came to striving- prayed more- worked harder- reached out more- read more- and did everything I could do in the flesh to please God.  But, my flesh eventually burned out.  I was drowning in condemnation, my relationship with God was a major cause of stress- so I turned to more sin/compromises to medicate the stress.  I was empty inside- felt God was quickly disappointed with me, and even though I gave up everything for Him in my zeal- I felt like I didn’t even have Him- so I lost out big time.  

When, a building falls, many times it is because the foundation was not strong.  When a Christian falls, or a church has a massive backsliding, I don’t give all that credit to the devil.  ”Greater is He who is in me, than He that is in the world.” (1 John 5:5)   Usually when someone falls, it’s because their spiritual formation wasn’t built up correctly.  Joseph and Daniel were two people in the Bible who lived the most consistent and solid lives in the face of adversity.  Then, in the New Testament there was Paul- who was exceptional in faithfulness and holiness.  Them three had strong, healthy spiritual formation.  Sadly, many don’t.

Churches train their people and build buildings that have too thin of a foundation.  Now, that building can go high- if you ever played Zanga- you know you can build high on a weak foundation, but in a matter of time, it will fall.  I went high- I got myself into preaching ministry- lead souls to Christ- had a great knowledge of Scripture- prayed many hours- however, because the foundation was weak, I fell.  I remember being depressed, heavy, compromising, wanting to quit Jesus, more and more fascinated by the world, not because Satan was so powerful, but because my foundation was weak!  

My foundation was: depending on the flesh rather than just trusting in the enabling grace of God.  My foundation was: being insecure in my relationship with God rather than secure in His love and grace towards me.  My foundation was:  God saved me, now I had to make sure to bring my success and glorious destiny to come to pass, instead of just trusting that God by His love and grace would fuel me to bring my destiny to pass and to have good success!  My foundation was: I had to suffer and suffer and suffer and maybe God will feel sorry for me and bless me and use me, instead of believing Jesus suffered so I can enjoy an abundant life that’s a romantic relationship with my Savior and before I know it I’m swimming in blessings and I have ministry fruit that remains from simply abiding in His grace (Matthew 15)

When I came to a greater understanding of grace- which gives me the confidence or faith to depend on God’s enabling grace- and just live life joyful because of God’s unconditional love- I found that this joy brings me supernatural strength (Nehemiah 8:10).  Holiness isn’t the product of manual labor.  Holiness is the product of a romantic relationship with God and growing in the understanding of grace.  Paul talked about grace more than anyone in the Bible.  He opened and closed his letters with “grace.”  That was the secret to His strong foundation.  

Christian life isn’t the stress life- it’s the good life.  It’s this surreal romance of unending worship- flowing from a heart that’s been changed by the changeless love of God.  That doesn’t mean I just lay on the couch all day and soak in the glory- It’s God’s grace and love that fuels me to face every challenge, finish every duty, graciously relate with people, and change this world through the greatest weapon of love.

“We may be seeking growth in a more diligent use of the means of grace and a more earnest striving to live in accordance with God’s will and yet fail.  The reason is that there is a secret root of evil that must be removed.  That root is the spirit of bondage, the legal spirit of self-effort, which hinders the humble faith that knows that God will work out all and yields to Him to do it.  That spirit (of religious bondage) can be found amid great zeal for God’s service and very earnest prayer for his grace.  It does not enjoy the rest of faith and cannot overcome sin because it does not stand in the liberty which which Christ has made us free.  It does not know that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” Andrew Murray “Covenants and Blessings” p. 45

Wow!  That was so me.  I would not be able to overcome certain sins- such as pride and more.  It grieved me.  I prayed for humility and holiness everyday, I fasted for humility and holiness all the time (I thought I had to fast to understand and finally earn these jewels), and I even studied every verse on those topics.  However, there was a spirit of religious bondage that was mixed in with my sincere desires to please God.  In my religious zeal, and self-effort for humility- I was operating in pride: which depends more on self-effort that God’s effort, and the goodness of me rather than the goodness of God.  So here was I, destroying my stomach, ripping apart my digestive system, being so tired and down, all because I thought that was the only way I could get humility and holiness.  Here’s the irony, after 250 days of fasting, after countless hours of prayer, I wasn’t any more humble or holy!  Imagine that!!!!!  I’d sin, and whip myself and tell God, “I was wrong (confessing sin), I’m sorry, have mercy (Begging for Mercy), I promise I won’t do it again (Depending on the flesh again- the trap that got me into this sin in the first place).  Side note: When you sin, you only need to confess sin, the other two are religious idiocy!  But, imagine that, all that effort, all those tears, all that stress and sorrow, all that time, and all that self-afflicted suffering, but why no breakthrough?

I was using the wrong key!  I was trying to force in a key, and thought it would work, tried and tried to turn open the door for years, thinking my persistent contending was a sign of faith in God, but looking back, it was the sign of the lack of faith in God- but faith in myself- which gets me nowhere.  The key to opening the door of humility which is the entrance way to holiness, is simply faith in God- His ability, His relentless love, and who He’s made me to be in Christ- a man free from religion and free to trust Him!  

God, thank you for showing me this.  It was wrong of me to be trusting in my flesh like that.  It wasn’t my flesh that got me into the Kingdom and it’s not my flesh that will enable me to enjoy the Kingdom- it’s faith- childlike trust in Your grace and power.  I know that my flesh is weak, and in my flesh is no good thing.  I can’t do it on my own, I never could, never really did, and never will.  So, I just want to HUMBLE MYSELF RIGHT NOW and trust You!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Some thoughts on the church

Stage 1) TRUE BELIEVERS WHO ARE UNITED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:

“They were joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14)  “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4)

 

Stage 2) COMMUNITY AND CULTURE:

The church was a community and they formed a new culture, they reflected the culture of their kingdom- the Kingdom of God.  They were so loving and generous to each other.  They were merciful.  “All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47) “All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.  With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:32-33) “How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…oil, dew, blessing…” (Psalm 133)

 

Stage 3) CHURCH DISCIPLINE TO KEEP CHURCH PURITY:

(Acts 5:1-11): God took the lead and gave the church an example- that they were to keep the church pure.  Hypocrisy- loves sin and struggles with God and wants to trick people and God.  Immature Christian- loves God but struggles with sin and wants to be real because people and God.  Grace to the immature, judgment to the hypocrite!  (1 Corinthians 5:1-10): Paul talks about church disciple how we need to remove those people who are living in flat out hypocrisy because they would poison the whole church!  I find it’s interesting that church discipline came after there was established community!  We can’t execute church discipline until we are living in community.  Paul said that he would send that hypocrite to Satan.  How? We are protected in community!  

 

Stage 4) INVITE WORLD TO COME AND SEE:

“Day after day, in the temple court and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”  (Acts 5:42)  They were preaching Jesus in the homes.  I’m sure they were inviting people into their homes and people would come and experience not just a sermon- even though there was that, they experienced a culture!  They saw how they were so generous and good to each other.  They saw the unity! They were convinced of Jesus, and became believers, because they saw signs and wonders yet, but the greatest sign and wonder was love.  (John 17:20-21): “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  I’ve tried every evangelism method out there!  If we are one and have this community and culture, people will believe.  When they become believers then what?

 

Stage 5) DISCIPLESHIP AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN COMMUNITY:

They will be taught and will grow spiritually, not necessarily in a classroom but in a family.  They will be immersed in a culture, and they will share what God is teaching them in the Word with each other and grow 7 times a loner.  They will grow so much and when people ask, “How did you grow so much spiritually?” They will not say, “Oh it’s because of my pastor’s sermons on Sundays, they will say my family!”  It was those conversations, those discussions I had with my brothers and sisters because would hang out and talk about God.  My pastor taught me some stuff, but he was more like a spiritual father and brother.  (Acts 6:1-6) They are raising up and releasing new leaders from Seminary.  No way! They were raising up leaders who were discipled and trained in community in these homes!  Those leaders went out and changed the world!  Now, the church wasn’t adding members, but multiplying! (Acts 12:24)

 

 

 

 

The book of Galatians in a nutshell…

The Book of Galatians is about the battle between our flesh and our Spirit. Especially by chapter 5- it goes into specifics and tells of the fruit of the flesh verses the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is of course: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, and self control (Gal. 5:22-23). I’ve studied Chapter 5 very in-depth and have taught much on that chapter. However, I’m seeing the bigger picture now, instead of zeroing in on Chapter 5, I’m seeing the whole book of Galatians and realize that there is one main message that holds the whole book together: The flesh sucks- so stop trusting in it, feeding it, and letting it rule your life!

I was taught that the flesh is the sinful nature, and still do believe it. But, when I thought of sinful nature, I thought of greed and lust, and mostly those things- for John in his epistle does address “…the lusts of the flesh…”. However, pride is very much part of the flesh! And pride is not just looking down on others- which I had thought and taught. One of the greatest facets of pride is: SELF DEPENDANCE! To be self-dependent is very fleshly/carnal before the eyes of God.

When we operate in self dependance, we are taking the place of God! Eve’s sin was that she wanted to be God- that pride is still prevalent today- even in the Church! Paul was writing to the Galatian Christians, not to pagans who loved orgies. These Christians were very much getting fleshly- not from watching porn or stuffing their face- but from listening to these legalistic “false brethren” who were pretending to be Christian and trying to pollute pure Christianity- by tempting the Believers by saying, “You can be God.” Of course, they didn’t say it like that, but when they were telling Christians that the way to a real walk with God was striving in self-effort and radical works such as circumcision, they were essentially telling them: you can do God’s job.

You see, God’s job is salvation and sanctification by His Spirit. So, Paul in hopes to purify the church from the fleshly pride, asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by works or by hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2) You see, the way the Galatians got saved, was not working, but hearing and believing! That’s how they got the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, that’s how they got the baptized with the Spirit. Again, these people were saved and Spirit-filled. Not just that, they were a signs and wonders church! Many of them were prophetic, were healing the sick, seeing supernatural miracles, casting out demons, etc. So Paul asks, “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:5) Again, Paul is making it clear that they got saved by faith. They’ve moved in the power of the Spirit by faith, God’s worked miracles among them by faith, not because of their perfection in keeping all the rules and regulations of the OT.

By the way, that explains why those God has used in signs and wonders have lived far from holy lives- because the gifts work by faith. They had faith without love- so their faith was not working through love as it should be (Galatians 5:6). You can have faith without love, and that will get you nothing in the end (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Nevertheless, what releases the movement and ministry of the Holy Spirit is not works, but faith! Works is centered on you, but faith is centered on God. Works is the currency of religiosity. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. So some of these fallen healing evangelists, had currency for healings, but didn’t use it for holiness. By that does not mean that the currency for holiness is self-dependence and religious works! It’s not! The currency for holiness is faith!

Faith releases the presence and power of the Spirit! It’s the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, that enables us to live holy lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. These fruit begin on the inside- and make their way out. I can try to force myself to be more kind or more faithful- more holy, but if it’s not there on the inside- I’ll fail! It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s the Holy Spirit who can make us holy. However, the what releases the Holy Spirit in our lives- is not over-working for Him- it’s hearing and believing and trusting God! Religious people are supposed to work for God. Christians are supposed to work from God- from the power of the Holy Spirit that works in them/through them by simple trust in Him.

Those who are fleshly- in their self-dependence- might think they are holy -just because they weren’t sleeping around like dogs, and stealing like pirates, or murdering like the Roman soldiers. They thought they were spiritual, all neatly circumcised- trying to do everything right- and so holy- but they were still FLESHLY! The Holy Spirit cannot move in a fleshly mindset- just as the new wine cannot be held in old wineskins. They were no longer living by faith, but by sight. They believed that they were saved when they “saw” themselves doing good. They were no longer had “faith” that they were saved because of the simple gospel that they’d once put “faith” in. The focus was off of God’s word, and now the focus was on their works. They no longer trusted in God to save and sanctify them, they were trusting in themselves. So, as these false teachers “be-witched” them out of simple trust and into sinful self-dependance, the Holy Spirit was no longer given room to move. Since He didn’t have room to move- they didn’t have much of the fruit of the Spirit in their church.

Here’s what happened to their church:

1) Sincerely saved by faith in Jesus!

2) Got Spirit filled by faith in Jesus!

3) Were moving in the Supernatural power of God by faith in Jesus!

4) These false teachers came in and preached fleshly legalism- turning them to put their faith in their own ability rather in Jesus!

5) They were deceived and started depending on their fleshly efforts rather than just trusting and believing.

6) They were not giving the Holy Spirit the same room He once had

7) Their church was devoid of the fruit of the Spirit and full of the fruit of the flesh

- Paul beckons them to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh in Chapters 5, but in the previous chapters- he makes it clear that’s not by self-effort, but by simple faith! He tells them to stop trying to keep the law and trusting in your own ability and trying to reach God by your flesh’s power. He tells them that the law was not given to justify you or make you proud once you perfectly kept it. No, you can’t keep the law, it was given to humble you! One you humble yourself, you can now stop putting faith in self to be good and do good, but you can put faith in Jesus- which was why the law was given in the first place.

I love the order Paul wrote in:

Chapters 1-4) Stop trusting in yourself- put your faith in Jesus!

Chapter 5) Live Holy- Live Spirit-filled- Restore others.

If we are preaching to others to live holy, be Spirit-filled, and do ministry- but we are not laying the foundation of: DON’T TRUST IN YOUR ABILITY, BUT GOD’S- PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS, we are not laying a strong foundation- and they can try to live holy and minister, but they will burn out and fail! The higher they go- the harder they will fall.

Believe it or not, there are modern day “false brethren.” There are religious spirits invading the church, tempting Christians to depend on their own strength rather the just simply believing. The religious spirits are saying, “You might have got saved by faith, but it’s all works from here!” I’ve even heard this dangerous teaching that brainwashed me as a young believer: “Salvation is free, but everything else you have to work for it…” I don’t work for things, I believe for things- I’m not in a good fight of good works, I’m in the good fight of faith! It was faith in Jesus that brought salvation, it will be faith in Jesus that will bring sanctification (purification), and it will be faith in Jesus that will bring power. So my job is to: hear the word of God and receive it by faith- and trust in the Word of God more than myself. It’s not an effort issue as much as it is a trust issue. Your effort brings forth your power. Your trust brings forth God’s power. Which would you rather have working for you? The secret to spiritual power is not will power, but surrender. We need to be dead to our own self-dependance and self-effort, because ““Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5) As Christians, we are “crucified with Christ that we no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) I now live everyday, not by trusting in myself, for I’m dead to my self, I trust in Jesus, for He’s alive in me, and I live by faith (Forsaking All I’m Trusting Him).

Religion is like a bicycle- you get forward by pushing with personal power.  When we got saved, we have changed vehicles. I’m no longer on a bicycle, I’m in a car! You can’t operate a car the same way you operated a bike- by peddling. Some people want to succeed in the Christian life- the same way they succeeded in religion- by trying harder and harder. It’s as foolish as peddling in a car. I’m in a new vehicle- under a new covenant- with a license from another Kingdom- how does it operate, how do you push the pedal? BY FAITH! Not by self effort, but by simple trust in Jesus! Of course, a car can do so much more than a bike- it can get so much further. Why? Fuel. Riding a bike will burn you out- so will religion. Riding a car- or being saved- will take you so much further in holiness, purity, and ministry than religion because of the fuel which is grace. There is more than enough fuel- and it’s free- paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross! When a biker sees a huge hill- he has to pedal harder and might fail if it’s too high. When a religious person sees a crisis or temptation- he will try harder and harder to not fall backwards- but in his limited strength he will break down. When a person under grace sees a hill- he just needs to push the pedal a little more and there is so much power available! In other words, when a Christian is tempted, he/she just needs to trust Jesus more/ trust grace more- and His grace is more than sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9)- and we will find grace in time of need (Hebrews 4;16)

Ok then…

Should we, in the name of:  ”trusting” the Lord and putting “faith” in His ability instead of our own, do nothing, be lazy, and just pray here and there?  NO!  Prayer is huge, but we can’t pray in place of obedience.  Prayer ought to empower our obedience, not replace it.  Trust in the Lord means that you will obey Him.  You can say you trust me, but if you never listen to me and obey me, I have no evidence in the true integrity of your heart.  Faith is not a feeling!  Faith is action!  ”Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1).  Faith is not an idea, or a thought, it is something that is evident!  A person of faith is one whose obedience to God is evident.  Professing faith without corresponding action is hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy doesn’t move mountains, faith does!  Yes, it’s given, I don’t trust in my ability to make myself holy.  I do pray and cry out to God.  But, I must also trust and obey Him when He speaks to me!  When we hear the Lord, and obey- faith is evident in my life!  That’s why Abraham was the Father of Faith (Romans 4:6).  Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) the spoken word of God-the Rhema-of what God is saying to me personally now.  

I really want to live a holy life!  No joke.  Holiness is only possible with God.  However, He will not make you holy without your cooperation and participation.  From Day 1, God didn’t want robots whom He controlled, but He wanted partners to cooperate with.  Since Day 6, God gave Adam responsibilities!  God wants to be your partner.  Do you know what that means? God has a part to play, and you have a part to play.  Without God’s part you are hopeless.  Without your part, you are fruitless!  Don’t try to do God’s part, but don’t neglect your part.  Some retards (I saw that with love) want to do God’s part -they huff and puff to be holy without prayer, but don’t they do their part -trust and obey the Lord when He speaks. What is God’s part? To supply the grace to change and impart the beauty of holiness and to speak to you His wisdom.  What is my part?  To pray, to study the Word, to position ourselves in humility before God, to obey the Lord when He speaks to us.  When both partners are doing their part, there is an explosion of faith! 

Speaking of explosion…

Faith is like an explosion!

When we hear from God, there is a great potential for faith, a window of opportunity for faith.  This is what I’m trying to say.  When we hear from God, it’s like there is gun power has been graciously deposited into your heart.  But, gun powder will stay powder without the fire.  When God created you, He gave you a free will; in other words, He put the lighter in your hand.  When God’s spoken Word and your obedience to it come together, there is an EXPLOSION OF FAITH!  That explosion really catches God’s attention and affections!  ”Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).  God is only pleased when He cooperates in partnership with us.  He’s not pleased when it’s a one person show!  He wants a partnership.  

So faith is like an explosion!  That explosion is however, not automatic.  You can be drenched in gun powder and even drown in it.  You can be so full of Words from God, but there will be no explosive fire to your life if you don’t obey.  Many people hear from God and do not obey him, remember the Rich Young Ruler?  (Luke 18:18-23)  When we hear from God and don’t obey, it leads to a greater hardness of heart- and increases unbelief. Unbelief will cause a person to die in the wilderness, without ever stepping into what God had for them.  ”And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest (the promise land), but to those who were disobedient?  And we see they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”  (Hebrews 3:18-19)  Disobedience and unbelief are two sides of a coin (they always come together, but have a different face, but are one of the same).  A person who claims faith in God, but is disobedient, is living a lie.  

A person who is full of faith, is faithful to God- or consistently obedient to God.  Faithfulness if something you can test right, it’s evidenced through a person’s behavior.  ”Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1)  Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Fruit grows over long periods of time.  The character of faithfulness is not instantaneous, it’s a product of time and diligent obedience.  A fruitful tree started as a simple seed.  

Speaking of seed…

Faith is like an Orchard!

I’ll never forget when I heard a Bible Teacher say, “Every deed is a seed.”  When we hear from God and obey Him, we planted a seed!  If we are diligently dwelling in the sunshine of God’s presence and the light of His word and the rain of His Spirit, that seed will grow into a beautiful orchard of faithfulness.  If we hear from God and don’t obey, we planted a seed of unfaithfulness.  Unfaithfulness grows like weeds.  Weeds destroy the fruit of the Spirit.  If we allow seeds of disobedience to come into our lives, we will see our love crippled, our joy drying up, our self-control suffocated, and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit struggling for life.  

You don’t get a harvest of a fruitful orchard overnight.  It starts with seeds!  Those seeds must be nurtured in the right environment.  It’s one thing to hear from and obey God once, but if we aren’t in His nurturing presence, we will not grow into a faithful person, only a fallen one.  If I want to be an orchard full of the fruit of faithfulness, I must continually sow the seeds of obedience, and keep myself in God’s presence.  I must not sow disobedience into my life, because weeds are counter productive to God’s will for my life- which is that I bear much fruit (John 15:8).  Some people think they can sin without any consequences.  That’s a deception.  Every decision- good or bad, in obedience or disobedience, has a domino effect.  Do we want our hearts to be a fruitful field or a land full of weeds.  The weed seed is known for it’s stubbornness.  Weeds aren’t easy to pull.   

Faith is like a Muscle!

Every time we hear and obey God, our faith grows like a muscle!  Those with unshakeable faith didn’t get there overnight!  They built that muscle with diligence.  Unbelief works like a muscle too, the more we act in disobedience, the more our unbelief grows.  Do we want more power in our faith, or in our unbelief?  By faith we walk into the promises of God, but by unbelief we die in the wilderness!  The Bible says that the Father of Fait- Abraham “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith…” (Romans 4:20) Abraham heard from God.  But, instead of despising the Word (gun powder), he respected it, he honored it, so he obeyed it (lit it)! Abraham continued following the Lord and obeying him.  As he did, his faith grew like a muscle.  

When Abraham obeyed God to leave Ur, an explosion of faith caught the attention and affections of God!  While Abraham was packing his bags, his faith was growing.  When Abraham took steps towards the mysterious new land, his faith grew even more.  So, when it was time to sacrifice Isaac in response to the Word of God, he was strong enough to obey.  With that act of obedience, His faith grew even stronger.  Abraham wasn’t perfect, but He went down in the books as a righteous friend of God (James 2:23).  Do you want that kind of holiness and intimacy with God?  Start by obeying God today.  Maybe your faith isn’t strong enough to hear God tell you to empty your bank account now.  But, your faith probably is strong enough to obey God in not watching T.V. if that is what He is saying to you.  You might not have the faith or strength to overcome a life long addiction.  But, maybe while you were praying about that addiction, God spoke to your heart about sleeping earlier and waking up earlier to pray.  You probably have the faith or strength to make that little step.  That little step of obedience builds your faith muscles, and next thing you know, you killed that addiction like David killed Goliath- by faith.  

 

 

 

 

God, I trust you. Your Word is yes and amen! Give me a greater hunger for Your Word and a tender heart to believe what it says. It’s Your Word that are seeds to a fruitful life. I want the fruit of the Spirit dominating my life. Holy Spirit, I’m sorry for not giving you much room in my life because of my religiosity and old-wineskin thinking of self-dependance and self-effort. I depend on You God. I surrender to you! I’ve tried in my own ability and failed miserably- now I decided to lay down my own sinful, fleshly pride, I don’t want to keep trying to do Your job Lord. I’ll let you do Your Job, and I’ll do my job: trust and surrender. Thank you for showing me this. It’s been setting me free and setting me straight. I felt like a tree that has grown out bent out of shape, and miraculously by the creative power of Your Word- you’ve been fixing me. I love this! I repent of all religiosity. I embrace grace. Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Righteousness- It’s so simple

                         

The topic that will be addressed is life-changing to say the least.  It has transformed the way I view God, view self, and view the world.  It is so simple that it might come across as foolish.  But, God uses the “foolish things of this world, to confound the wise.”  Paradoxically, the topic of righteousness is one of the most profound and confounding teachings in all of Scripture.  Righteousness is: right-standing with God.  What Scripture says about righteousness is very elementary, but that’s why it is so important.  If you don’t have a strong foundation, you have nothing. 

 

Righteousness is a gift

 

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

 

Righteousness is a gift.  A gift can’t be earned, only received.  This gift of righteousness could not be purchased. A man in debt cannot purchase pricey things.  The Bible shares that we could not purchase righteousness because we were in debt.  What kind of debt?  The debt of sin: “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is debt.  That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts…” (Matthew 6:12)

 

Jesus purchased the gift for debtors

“There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10).

 

Because of all the debt, Jesus had to purchase righteousness on the cross for us. Our debts were paid on the cross because Jesus “canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). (1 Peter 2:24) affirms: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness…”

 

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

I heard a beautiful story from a Pastor from Korea who read this first hand from the newspaper.  This is a true story that took place in Korea a few decades back.  A missionary couple from America was evacuating their village because of a terrible snowstorm that was getting ready to wipe the village out.  The loaded their belongings, and were driving off to their own safety.  The wife suddenly nudges her husband and says, “Wait! Pull over and stop, I think I hear a baby crying.”  In utter disbelief the husband said, “No, there can’t be a baby crying, it’s freezing cold out there.”  But, he gave in to her passionate persistence and pulled over.  Sure enough, there was a baby crying, underneath a tree.  The only reason the baby was still breathing was his own mother had wrapped him with her clothes.  So around the baby was cotton, but around the cotton, was the frozen dead body of the mother. 

 

They rescued the child, raised him as their own.  But, when the child came of age, he came to his senses and asked, “Mom and Dad, I don’t think you are really my parents.  Your blonde hair and blue eyes down match up with my black hair and brown eyes.  Tell me the truth.”  They unpacked the heavy news to him, “It was a cold winter day, we were driving off and we heard you crying and found you underneath a tree.  The only reason you are alive is your mother stripped her clothes for you and wrapped it around you.  Then, she wrapped her self around you; it was the warmth of her love that kept you alive.  She didn’t save herself to save you.” 

 

What a powerful picture of what Jesus Christ did for us on a tree called Calvary.  On the cross, Jesus took off his robes of righteousness.  Why? So He could clothe us.  He took our sin upon Himself, and He wrapped his righteousness around us, and not just that but He wrapped Himself around us.  So today, you could wear that priceless robe and you can be “in Christ.”  While the mother lay dead, Jesus Christ overcame the grave and rose again on the third day, and today- we are not in a dead Christ, but in a resurrected Christ!

 

The Lord spoke to my heart not long ago and said, “Take a good look at Jesus, because when you can really see Him, you see you, because you are ‘in Him’.”  Read the gospels carefully, see the purity, holiness, and perfection of Christ, again, when you see Him, you see you- if you are “in Christ.”

 

How is the gift of Righteousness received?

 

A gift is not earned, but received.  How do we unwrap this gift that God has sent His only begotten son to purchase for us on the cross?  Before I answer, I must warn you; the answer from Scripture has caused many to say, “No way, it’s too good to be true.” 

 

The first place the word righteousness appears in Scripture is in (Genesis 15:6) and it reads: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”  How do we receive this gift of righteousness?  Believe. 

 

The book of Romans adds strokes to this painting of true righteousness: 

(Romans 4:5): “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

 

(Romans 10:4): “For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to everyone who believes.”

 

(Romans 10:10): “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

 

Why is it so simple?

 

Well first, God wants all men to receive this gift and be saved, not just those with brilliant minds who can understand fancy religious concepts. 

 

The truth is that even those with brilliant minds need to humble themselves to be like little children, if they want to receive this gift and entrance into the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3).  Only believe? Yes, it’s so simple.  Let’s not complicate things. 

 

A few weeks back, we had a couple at our house that had brought their five-year-old son.  The son’s father was asking his boy all these Bible questions, such as: “How many ways are there to heaven.”  The boy would quickly answer, “One.”  And question after question was followed by an amazing answer from this little kid.  I was getting a little skeptical, was this kid just being brainwashed at Sunday school?  Did he really believe?  So I asked him, “Do you believe all that?”  His father seconded my question, “Do you believe that?”  The boy responded with a confident “yes.”  The truth is that the gospel of Jesus, this gift of righteousness, is so simple, that even a child can understand, believe, and unwrap.

 

Secondly, God doesn’t want us to be puffed up in pride. 

 

Pride took Satan down, and it is always taking people down today.  God hates pride.  He knows what pride does to people.  Unfortunately, some of the most religious people are some of the most proud people you will ever meet. Proud people always lack compassion, mercy, and understanding of grace.  Religion is all about working for righteousness.  Christianity is working from righteousness!  A prideful Christian is an oxymoron.

 

The truth is: when we work for something, we have to right to boast over that.  Don’t you feel powerful and productive when you worked for something?  There was a time in my life when I had a hard time receiving from people.  I always had to be the one paying; I always had to be the one driving everybody, why?  There is something about just receiving that makes you feel helpless.  The truth is that if we want to receive this gift from God- we must first humble ourselves and declare that we are helpless!  That’s where it starts.

 

(Romans 5:6): “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

 

We were helpless.  We couldn’t earn righteousness, so pride is only deception.  “For by grace, we’ve been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourself, not the result of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

 

Now, if I ever boast, I must boast underneath that tree where I was saved.  We can only boast in the cross: (Gal. 6:14): “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The King James Version reads, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” 

 

I remember eating at one of my favorite restaurants with some friends.  As I stepped into the restaurant, some long time family friends spotted me.  We exchanged greetings, and I got in my seat ready to do business.  We ordered, and when the food finally came out, the gentleman who we greeted earlier leaned over on his way out and told us, “Don’t worry about the bill, I took care of it.”  Did I feel helpless? A bit.  Did we stop eating? No.  I enjoyed every bite!  At the cross, Jesus took care of the bill for every spiritual blessing!  Do we refrain from enjoying because we didn’t pay? No!  Some have a hard time enjoying blessings- especially forgiveness because it wasn’t earned.  Another observation: I didn’t go pay for the bill after, because it was paid. 

 

Some Christians do not understand that.  I had a hard time understanding that for so long.  I used to always categorize my sins: small sins, medium sins, and big sins.  After a small sin, I fasted half the day.  After a medium size sin, I fasted a whole day.  After a big sin, I always fasted three days.   Now I fasted for more than one reason, I wanted to break the back of that sin with passionate prayer and fasting- we should all do that.  But, I also fasted because I felt I needed to somehow pay for what I had done- especially before Sunday when I’d be preaching.  How foolish is that?  It’s been paid for, so enjoy the feast! I couldn’t pay for it, even if I wanted to. 

 

What does all this mean today for us who are born again?

 

One: No pride!

 

When I got saved in December of 1997, I didn’t do much good!  I was up at a Church youth camp, but at camp I just missed out on all the seminars and teachings because I was sleeping in my cabin.  I’d brought my stuff, so I was smoking out all the time with some other people.  At night, while others were worshipping, I was playing “bad games”- needless to mention.  Before those three days, were three years of sin!  My testimony is that I didn’t earn anything, by no other reason than grace- I felt God drawing me to Jesus.  Jesus said, “no one can come to Me, unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44).  I felt the Lord tugging at my heart.  I said, “Yes, Lord!  I believe in you! I trust you! I need you!” Then, wondrously, He changed me from the inside out.  He gave me a new nature!  He made me the righteousness of God in Christ!  My spirit came alive! 

 

(Romans 8:10) says, “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

 

My spirit came alive.  When your spirit comes alive, you can see things you never saw before.  Feel things you never felt before.  Hear things you never heard before.  Know things you never knew before.  Do things you never did before!  Sure enough that all happened to me!  Even today, I find it difficult to explain my relationship with God to someone whose spirit is dead, because a dead spirit can’t experience what I experience! 

 

Maybe you can remember a time, when you felt so alive on the inside, and you experienced such unexplainable grace!  But, now you feel dead as ever and you wonder why.  Maybe you’re spirit is sleeping.  A sleeping spirit is pretty much as good as dead.  So, “Wake Up!”

 

Two: No Shame!

 

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

 

There is an on-going trial in our hearts.  Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelations 12:10).  He’s firing away as the prosecutor of our souls!  Jesus is our defense attorney (1 John 2:1).  He’s speaking righteousness over us!  Who are you listening to?  In this trial, the jury is your mind.  The jury is very powerful!  A jury can sentence you to a lifetime in prison, or a jury can set you free to enjoy life.  Who is winning over the jury of your mind?  Are you shame-minded or are you righteousness minded?

 

When a person is born again- He is like a soccer player who has just switched teams.  We’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col 1:13).  So as one born again, you have switched jerseys.  Your Jersey sports “righteousness.”  Your previous jersey sported “sinner.”  Satan will lie to you that you are still on your old team.  Now what happens when you forget what team your on in the heat of the game?  You will start shooting in the wrong goals and start tripping up what your team wants to do.  Do you see how important it is to know what team you are one and what jersey you are wearing?

 

Butterflies and Caterpillars

 

“If any man be in Christ, He is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold new things have come.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17) A person is born into this world as a sinner (Psalm 51:5).  A person is born again in the Kingdom of God as righteous.  I am a new creation! That verse is a picture of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.  As I studied this metamorphosis that the butterfly undertakes, I found interesting parallels.  Let me share three things about caterpillars: caterpillars don’t have a defense system- they are fairly helpless against their prey, caterpillars poop every second, and caterpillars eat each other.  Here are three things about butterflies: butterflies have a defense system- it’s called wings, butterflies don’t poop much because they are burning off what they eat with their flutters, and butterflies do not eat each other. 

 

Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44).  He’s always telling butterflies that they are caterpillars and caterpillars that they are butterflies.  The truth is: if we are really born again, to think we are sinful and therefore act sinful is as stupid as a butterfly thinking and acting as if he is still a caterpillar.  No, we don’t have to always fall prey to Satan- we can shamelessly fly into the presence of God with the wings of worship and prayer.  No, we don’t have to poop every second- we can live holy lives “not by might, nor by power, but by My (the Holy) Spirit.”  No, we don’t need to be bitter and bickering, we can be peacemakers as sons of God (Matt. 5:9).  Before, a butterfly can function appropriately, he must know who he is! 

 

Question:  If you are born again can you grow in Righteousness?

 

The answer is “Yes” and “No.”  Why? Because righteousness can be divided into two sides: there is conditional righteousness (speaking of your current condition) and there is positional righteousness (speaking of your current position).  Conditional righteous is something you can grow in- it’s called holiness. We are to be “perfecting holiness” (2 Corinthians 7:10).  However, can you grow in positional righteousness?  No! The truth is that you will no be more positional-ly righteous when you are in heaven later, than on earth now.  What a thought! 

 

Wait, why the dichotomy?   Why am I so imperfect in conditional righteousness, but so perfect in my positional righteousness?  How do I align my condition to my position?  I’ll share two keys to growing in conditional righteousness.  The first key is the same as the third application of this righteousness. 

 

Three: Believe and See!

 

To the world, seeing is- believing!  “I’ll believe it when I see it!” they say.  In the Kingdom of God, it’s backwards, believing is seeing.  Jesus said, “Believe and you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40).

 

“Awake to righteousness, and sin not” (1 Corinthians 15:34).  When we awake to the reality of our position, our condition will change and we will sin not.  An awakened revelation of our righteousness in Christ is vital to holiness.  Another huge key to growing in holiness is: confessing sin.

 

Confess your sins

 

“If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

 

This verse was written to those who were born again believers.  If we are already righteous, why do we have to confess sin? Because conditionally we aren’t!  There is a cleansing that takes place when we confess our sins!  Recently, the Holy Spirit has been downloading fresh revelation on the importance of confessing sin. 

 

To confess our sins to God means: to say the same thing about sin as God is saying.  When we confess our sins we are doing more than saying sorry, we are coming into agreement with God.  Agreement brings access and authority.  If you agree with God you give the Spirit of God access into your life and greater authority in your life.  If you come into agreement with the lies of Satan, you give him access and authority.

 

When you confess your sins, you give God access and authority to cleanse you!  Confess every known sin!  When you sin, confess it immediately.  If you catch yourself in the act of sin, confess it in the act.  If I dwell on a wrong thought for two seconds I say, “Lord, that was sin! I sinned against you! Forgive me! Cleanse me!” 

 

Do you know why people have reoccurring sins in their lives?  Often, it is because they think subconsciously that it is ok.  By their compromise they are coming into agreement with Satan and Satan has access and authority in their lives.  No wonder they can’t get free.  But, when someone confesses sin, he or she is coming breaking that agreement with Satan and coming back into the agreement with God, and by doing so the door Satan once had access to is closed, and Satan is evacuated from the room that he once had authority in.  Confess your sins! Confess your sins! Confess your sins! 

 

To those who are born again: God has given you this gift of righteousness!  He paid for it!  He put it in you.  Now, let’s work out what God has worked in. 

 

To those who aren’t born again: When you are born into this world- you are born a sinner.  When you are born again- you are born as righteous.  This gift is something available to you.  Will you humble yourself to receive it?  Just say, “Jesus, I believe in you, I trust you, I need you!”  When your spirit comes alive, you will know.  Some good next steps are: pray every day, be part of a Spirit-filled church, read your Bible daily, and start confessing your sins. 

 

 

Revival: the anointing of man or the grace of God?

“But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.  And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.  Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.  When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.” (Acts 11:20-23)

 

            A revival broke out in Antioch!  Barnabas interprets and describes the revival as the grace of God- nothing more and nothing less.  In revivals of the past, there has been to much credit given to individuals- instead of simply declaring revival to be the grace of God and giving God all the glory for it.  Even when God’s hand is upon us, and God uses us to spark revival, we must know that it is the grace of God! I know there is a temptation to think that it was “our anointing” that brought the revival.  While I won’t say it’s not true, I don’t believe it’s wise to attribute revivals to our anointing or another’s anointing. 

 

There was a man who was greatly used by God a few decades ago.  God’s hand was on him, and people credit him for sparking two of the largest denominations/movements in the World.  I heard a recording of this man’s message he delivered at a church in Colorado, just a few years before would die of AIDS.  He was not very humble.  One thing he said with a big smirk on his face was, “It was my anointing that birthed the _________.” (He named the movements he was used to birth, but was at the time of the recording, he was embittered against both of them for not giving him the honor he felt he deserved.)  Many, especially eyewitnesses of this man’s ministry- would agree with him and attribute the revivals that sparked the movements to him. 

 

There are Wiser and Humble Interpretations for Revival:

 

All I would say is that: one, anybody’s anointing is not their own, but it is Jesus’, just like any Christians life is not his/her own; two, it’s not wise to attribute revivals to your own anointing.  I love how Barnabas and the early church didn’t attribute the revival that broke out in Antioch to any one person or church and put those “anointed” vessels on a huge pedestal that only Jesus could live up to. It was so humble and wise of them to attribute the revival to simply and solely to the grace of God!   Possibly it was that “wise interpretation or explanation of revival” that kept the revival fires burning: “And a great many people were added to the Church.” (Acts 11:24b) Antioch quickly became a powerful ministry and a base for revival and missions.  

Grace: the language of God

Jan. 2007

 

Grace is a Language:

 

Grace is a language: Just like any language, there are those who will understand it, and there are those who won’t.  Only those who begin to understand it, will be able to speak it.  “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) Why doesn’t God give grace to the proud?  I believe it’s because the proud cannot understand the language of grace, they just can’t pick it up, and it will always be a foreign language to them.  It’s one thing to hear a language being spoken, it’s another thing to understand it: the proud may hear about grace, but they won’t understand.  Only the humble, will be able to learn and communicate the language of grace.

     

 Jesus ministered grace to the sinners, but why did he never minister grace or grant revelation of grace to the Pharisees?  He just called them hypocrites, serpents, brood of vipers, and white washed tombs that were full of dead men’s bones. (Matthew 23:27-32) Jesus never bothered to minister grace to the proud Pharisees because they wouldn’t understand- and they didn’t, that’s why miss out on speaking the language of grace with God, and they wouldn’t bother speaking it with others- that’s why stoning people was their hobby.  If we take the language of grace out of the Christian experience, we are left with a religious spirit. 

 

(Luke 15): Again I tell Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son, the rebellious and wayward son comes home after wasting his inheritance and his very soul.  The gracious Father has a grand party for Him.  Everyone is having a blast except the older brother!  The older brother is boiling with jealousy, envy, and offense.  He cannot enjoy the party and his joy has been sucked right out of him. 

 

 The reason why he was in such a miserable state that he was in was because he could not understand why the Father was throwing a grace party for his brother and not for him.  He looked back at his life and saw how much time he spent with the Father, how faithful he had been to the Father, how obedient he had been.  Then, he saw his younger brother who had been the exact opposite, but his brother was getting a grace party. 

 

He couldn’t understand because he was so proud, he the epitome of a religious spirit.  A religious spirit: hides behind what he/she does.  A religious spirit: feels that he deserves something from God. A religious spirit: is in the comparing business and the complaining business and arrogantly takes offense at God.  A religious spirit: misses out on the “joy of salvation” and the joy that comes from understanding the language of grace.  Grace will always be a foreign language to the proud and to the religious spirit. 

 

David wrote, “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.” (Psalm 34:2)  How people respond when we tell them about how God is blessing us or using us, tells us a great deal about their humility or there pride.  If you ever find yourself offended when you hear the news of God blessing someone who you think if far less deserving of that blessing than you, then you are not humble.  If you ever find yourself offended that God is doing extraordinary things through people you think don’t deserve it- you’re in the same category as the Pharisees.  The Pharisees always missed out on the grace parties that God wanted to throw! 

 

Don’t Miss Out on the Party:

 

Throughout history, many have missed out on parties God was throwing because: they took offense at why God would choose the person He did to throw the party to or through. 

 

When Jesus went to Nazareth in (Matthew 13:54-58), the people who knew this carpenter’s son took offense at Jesus.  They couldn’t believe that he was moving in such wisdom and miracle working power, so they were offended.  They couldn’t shallow the fact that little Jesus who had grew up among them in the ghettos, could be used by God in these extraordinary ways.  They would miss out on the party that God wanted them to be apart of because their pride caused them to take offense at the person God was sending the party through!     

 

During the first century church, The Pharisees and unbelieving Jews took offense to the un-educated men who were turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6).  Thus, they missed out on the party of salvation- the joy of salvation!  (Just a side note, God is in the business of turning the world upside down with revival.  When something is turned upside down, what was once on top ends up on the bottom, and what was on the bottom is exalted to the top.  “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)  As revival comes, the humble will be raised up.)

 

 When the Azusa Street Revival broke out in 1906, and God threw a grace party in Los Angeles, California that would spread Pentecostalism to the whole world.  Some Christians rejected the belief in the Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Spirit – an experience subsequent to salvation that was evidenced by speaking tongues.  Some religious leaders just could not accept the fact that God would use a poor, black preacher named William Seymour to usher in a true move of God. 

 

Through studying the history of the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement I’ve read of such amazing revivals that were headed by men and women who were so deficient in the character of Christ and would have crash landings.  Did God know that they had such character flaws? Yes.  Did God foreknow that they would have crash landings and tarnish the name of God and the Charismatic / Pentecostal movement?  Yes.  Why did God choose them then?  One word: Grace- something the religious spirit and the proud will never understand.   

 

Gifts are Graces:

 

Gifts are simply graces. Spiritual gifts: (Romans 12:6), Vocational Ministry gifts: (Ephesians 3:7), and Natural Talents and Abilities (1 Peter 4:10) all fall under the category of grace.  Sometimes the faithful and obedient don’t receive the grace party of different gifts.  Sometimes those returning prodigals who have major character defects receive the grace party of gifts.  Why? You have to know the language of grace to understand.

 

There are a few with good Christ-like character and who live faithful and obedient lives, but many of the few with Christ-like Character, are proud that they are faithful and obedient, so if God uses them, they will think it was because of their faithfulness and obedience instead of His divine grace!  That pride becomes an obstacle to receiving the grace. Gifts are graces. In (Acts 8), Simon the sorcerer sees Peter and John moving in special gifts of the Holy Spirit.  He offers to buy it from them. “But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.’” (vs. 20-21)  We don’t buy grace or gifts with our good works, hard work, or money.  Gifts aren’t paid for; they are received.  When we think that we need to pay for grace and gifts, we will have no part or portion in them.  Why?  If we got them, we would fall into pride thinking, “Look what I paid for!  I worked so hard for them!  I well deserved them!” 

 

God is looking for people who will never forget that gifts are the result of His grace; people who will constantly see their desperation for Him, and will know in their heart of hearts that it is God’s grace that defines and destines them.  God is looking for a humble people who are free from self-righteous pride.  Why?  He wants to throw a party for them and even through them. 

 

God wants to throw a party, not just the Holy Spirit and the gifts, but of salvation, deliverance, joy, and intimacy, don’t miss out by falling into legalism and pride.  If you do, while others are having a blast, you will be offended, sad, and mad.  The Father wants you to join in on the party and experience the joy. 

 

The Most Beautiful Language:

 

Grace is the most beautiful language in the world, because it’s God’s language- it originates with Him who is the God of grace- the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29).  I believe God’s been trying to teach us the language of grace.  So He gave us the Bible: where the topic of “God’s grace” reoccurs over 60 times.  He’s given us the gospel of Jesus Christ, which according to (Acts 20:24) is the “gospel of the grace of God.” He’s given us the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Grace, who wants to be our private tutor in the language of grace. 

 

After probably one of the most depressing and defeated weeks of my walk with Christ, I came to God in prayer.  I knew I failed Him, a part of me wanted to avoid God, but the longing of my soul for God drove me back to the place of prayer.  After a few hours of seemingly stagnant prayer, I had a vision.   By faith, I began see a rose that was so beautiful, but full of wicked thorns. I felt God telling me that I was the rose, and how beautiful and precious I am to Him.  Now, I became aware of my thorns and felt so ashamed.  Then, I felt the Lord speak to me, “I know your thorns, but I love you so much, and I wanted to touch you so badly that I reached out to you; I knew reaching out to touch you would mean my blood would be shed, but you are so beautiful to me that I just had to touch you, even though it would cost me pain, I just had to touch you.” His touch makes us whole, it heals us, and it restores and renews us!  He touched me that night with a revelation of His grace.  That night, the Spirit of Grace took me a deeper into the language of grace. 

 

God wants to Teach Us:

 

God so longs to teach us the language of grace because He wants to speak that language with us.  He wants to speak to us the language of love and grace over you, and wants you to respond and speak the language of love and grace back to Him.  That’s what Christian life is about: being loved by God and loving Him in return. 

 

It’s tough listening to people with thick accents, you could understand bits and pieces, but basically it’s difficult and bothersome.  Usually those who have accents are relatively new to the country.  Quite often, those who are new to the Kingdom of God might have a thick accent, and they can’t quite communicate the language of grace clearly yet. It’s amazing how some people have lived in the U.S. for so many years still do not speak English well at all.  It’s usually because they’ve not been in contact with native language speakers.  Many Christians have been saved a long time, but they still carry a thick accent and can’t really speak the language of grace, because they’ve not spent much time with God-the author of the language, and even with others who really know the language of God and the God of the language. 

 

Dialogue with God:

 

As we dialogue with God, we will grow in understanding and fluency.

We want to grow in greater revelation and understanding of grace don’t we?  The language of grace will only be learned by the humble.  “God gives grace to the humble.”  The humble will learn the language of grace. As long as we stay free from the proud religious spirit, we will grow in understanding and fluency as we draw near to God of Grace and spend time with Him. 

 

It’s So much Fun:

 

We will have so much fun speaking the language of grace with God.  If we are dumb to the language of grace, we will miss out on so much joy!  Who is your best friend?  Who do you enjoy being with the most?  Who are you the closest to?  If you’re married, to whom are you married to?  Ok, now does the person who fits as the answer to those questions happen to speak your language?  Most likely!  God wants us to learn His language of grace because he desires to be our best friend, our joy, our closest companion, and our intimate romance!  

 

The Joyful Overflow:

 

As the joyful overflow of learning and growing in the language of Grace, God wants us to speak that language to others and to help others to understand, and pick it up too.  I want to grow in revelation of His grace, so that I could communicate it to effectively to others.  I pray that the religious spirit and the spirit of pride would have no place in us!  That we would have humble hearts so that we would learn and grow in the language of grace, so that we could effectively and clearly communicate it to our generation and help the people of the world to also pick up the language of grace- which is the most beautiful language in the world- because it’s the language of God. 

the humbling sovereignty of God

Remember the story of Job. The story starts with God bragging about Job before the sons of God saying, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8) We quickly find out that Job was not just the most righteous, but the most blessed as well! Some have thought: “The more God blesses me (materially, physically, relationally, in ministry, in influence), the more righteous and pleasing I am to him.” I think we grow up programmed into thinking: The better we behave- the more toys we get; the better we perform- the bigger prizes we win; and the more we do- the more we get. I think there is some truth to the fact that God will bless us if we live righteous and do good deeds. (Deuteronomy 30:19) Yet, that is not the whole truth… 

Back to the story of Job: Satan and Job make a deal about Job, and suddenly, everything changes for Job. Hell storms into Job’s life. Suffering and Job become synonyms. Job’s life is so ironic: Being the most righteous man, he was living the most cursed life. Job understandably wailed in his pain, but never blatantly sin against God. Job’s friends are accused him, saying, “you have to have done something wrong!” Job’s friends were in the popular “school of thought” that taught: “Good deeds make God happy; when you make God happy, he makes you happy with blessings! If you do bad deeds, you make God mad; and when God is mad He will gives you truckload of curses!” Again there is some truth to that school of thought, for God does bless obedience and curse disobedience. (Read the OT) Yet, that is not the whole truth…

The whole truth is that the blessings we receive have more to do with the sovereignty and grace of God than our own obedience and good deeds. After Job’s tribulation period came to an end, God came to answer Job’s questions. God made it clear to Job that the accusations from Job’s friends were wrong (Job 42:7). The school of thought that Job’s friends were enrolled in, is not perfect. Then, God questioned Job with eighty-some questions! Through those eighty questions God was essentially saying: “I’m God and you’re not.” God is the Sovereign, and He cannot be controlled by human deeds. He cannot be figured out completely and He cannot be manipulated. 

Job’s tribulation had nothing to do with his performance before God, but something that was going on in heaven, something between God and Satan, which God never explained to Job. God didn’t have to, and God doesn’t need to defend His actions before us either. Job very much pleased the Lord. In righteousness, Job was in his own league! Ironically: Job was in his own league when it came to suffering and misfortunes as well. When you see someone whose life is boggled with suffering and misfortunes, you might be tempted to conclude that it’s because they infuriated God. In light of the story of Job, we cannot make that assumption. If someone is getting all the breaks at work, and is smothered being in money and promoted to higher heights, we still cannot make a sure conclusion that they are pleasing to the Lord. The only thing we could surely conclude is that God is “the only Sovereign” (1 Timothy 6:15), and “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalm 145:8-9)

I wrote all that to say this: When you see blessing coming to your life, don’t attribute those blessings to your obedience and great little deeds. Again, I’m not saying that obedience and little good deeds don’t draw blessings, they do. What I am saying is that ultimately, God is Sovereign and in His sovereign grace, He blesses us. The blessings we receive have “more” to do with the sovereignty and grace of God than our own little deeds. If your blessings are purely the result of your own obedience and little deeds, then who should get the glory and the praise for the blessings? I think “you” should. If that’s true, then you also have the right to look down on others- who don’t have as much blessings as you, and think, “Why can’t those idiots just be like me?” If you brainwash others into thinking you are blessed because of what you did, then the people will look to you and think, “Wow, he/she’s so great, so wonderful, and so good!” But, Jesus said, “No one is good, but God alone.” (Mark 10:18) Our purpose in life is not to get others to be in awe of who we are, but to be in awe of who God is. 

We must attribute our blessings to the sovereign grace of God! There is a humility that comes when we understand the great sovereignty of God. When we truly come to understand that our blessings ultimately come from the grace and sovereignty of God, it will leave us in humble awe of God. There is no more room for us to take glory for ourselves. 

I know of two men whom God used in mighty ways in the last half-century. They were from other parts of the world, but both had tremendous influence worldwide. Their ministries were obviously blessed. They were both asked, “Why do you think God used you like he did?” One man responded, “I pray and I obey.” The other man responded, “The way God used me has nothing to do with me praying more than other men, but it has to do completely with the sovereignty of God.” The man who said, “I pray and I obey” makes himself look great. The man who said, “It doesn’t have to do with what I did or didn’t, but God’s sovereign grace” makes God look great! 

Both men spoke out of the abundance of their hearts. The first man of God had some truth in what he said (Read footnote). The second man of God had the greater truth. Greater truth brings greater freedom from pride. Next time you see God blessing your life, ask yourself, “Why?” I hope your answer points to God’s sovereign grace and not your own little deeds. This is the wiser and humbler interpretation for the blessings that come in your life. 

No matter how fruitful our ministries become, remember the sovereign grace of God. Yes, there is some truth to the fact that our obedience, our prayer, our fasting, and our passion were instrumental in the fruitfulness of our ministries. Yet, there is a greater truth- the sovereign grace of God that transcends us. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain…” (John 15:16) How could we not give Him all the glory? He’s the one who chose us to do great things for Him! No matter how holy of lives we live, it was ultimately God who “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy ad blameless before Him.” (Ephesians 1:4) It’s a humbling reality.

The key to spiritual power

The Key to Spiritual Power is: Pay the price! Fast 40 days! That is what I used to think. I would look around at Christians and make judgments: “She really paid the price, I’ll listen to her!” “He didn’t even pay the price, I won’t listen to him!” By price, I thought about fasting- because I do know somewhat about the price of fasting, because I too wanted to “pay the price” for spiritual power.

What’s interesting is this: when we start depending on what we do, and are so full of ourselves and what we are doing, we don’t move God with our prayer and fasting, but we just move ourselves into spiritual pride. The (Luke 18) Pharisee didn’t move God with his elaborate, fleshly prayer that was just bragging about his goody points. The Pharisee moved himself, but the Tax Collector- who had his hopes dependent on God’s grace and mercy, actually moved God. The Tax Collector’s prayer got him answers from God, the Pharisees prayer got him arrogance from Satan. How can you make sure you receive answers from God? Never make your work- or paying the price- your trust. Make God’s work of Grace- and the man Christ Jesus- your trust.

Pharisees will pray and will only get more religious- they will grow colder and colder toward others. Do you know how I know that I was praying like a Pharisee- and trusting in my “paying the price” more than Jesus? My heart was not growing in love and compassion, I was getting colder and colder towards others because I was getting harder and harder on myself. The harder you get on yourself, the colder you will get towards others. The more pressure you put on yourself the more callous you will become- just like when you are trying to first learn the guitar, the more pressure your fingers put on the strings and the strings on your tender fingers, the more calloused they become. The more pressure religiosity puts on your heart, the more calloused your heart will become. Jesus didn’t come to bring pressure and callous to our hearts, Jesus came to bring rest to our souls, and a new tender love in our hearts.

If you feel obligated to fork out a certain amount of price-paying, and you can’t really meet your religious ideal price, you will be hard on yourself, and cold toward others. Do you know why I claim that I used to have it all wrong thinking that I got spiritual power by paying the price for it? My focus was on myself and my work, rather than My Savior and His work!

Think about this: If the key to spiritual power was paying the price, how do you explain the orphans in Mozambique, Africa who are raising the dead through prayer? They are only children, they haven’t fasted 40 days yet? They haven’t read the Bible fifty times- they can’t even read yet? The secret to spiritual power is not human striving, but surrender. It’s simple trust in the Word of God, not the works of man.

The man who I believe has demonstrated the greatest healing anointing of my lifetime started as just a young man hungry to please God. He saw a general in the faith that he so deeply respected and stopped to ask him, “How can I please God?” The general looked at him with piercing eyes, and extended a piecing finger to the young man’s chest and said, “You can’t! Don’t try!” The principle is: Spiritual power comes when we realize we can’t, and don’t try hard in our flesh, but to simply surrender, trust, and believe.

You know what’s interesting though? I’m not going to get another Holy Spirit to live in me, a more powerful Holy Spirit. I don’t have a condensed version of the Holy Spirit in me right now. The orphans in Africa don’t have a Holy Spirit deluxe. I have the full-on, one and only, resurrection power Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11) living in me. How does He come forth out of our lives? Do we have to pay the price, and pump Him out with violent prayer and fasting and then we can get Him out? My point is: the key to spiritual power is not as much “paying the price” as it is “surrendering to the Lord.” Maybe the key to spiritual power is not stacking up goody points, but it’s believing and receiving what Jesus paid the price for on the cross.

In the book of Galatians, Paul asks the church that was seeing great demonstrations of spiritual power,

“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or byhearing with faith?” (Gal. 3:5)

In other words, “Did you pay the price for the power?” Or, did you just “Get the Word of God and believe it and receive it?” I’d go with the later. However, it’s so tempting to go with the first. We in our flesh like to think, “I fasted 40 days on water only, that is how I got the power I got! I paid the price!” I could summarize what he is really saying, “I’ve worked so hard for this, respect me, honor me, awe at what I’ve done, are you going to work hard like me? If not, you are inferior!”

In contrast, how self-glorying is this, “Well, I just started hearing about the truth of Jesus, and just believed like a child, and WHOA all this cool stuff started happening: I got born again- and got a new heart, I got the Holy Spirit who lives in me, and I got supernatural power to do stuff I don’t deserve to do and that I can’t do apart from Him. I don’t know why but my heart’s been changing, what I loved to do before- is pretty dry, boring, and just feels wrong. What I really want to do is just get closer to Jesus. Why is He is good to me”?

Do you want spiritual power? Go pay the price by fasting 40 days! Just Kidding. Go read about how Jesus paid the price on the cross, focus on the man of grace- Jesus Christ, and as a child would, simply surrender, humble yourself, and believe. “Did I not say believe and you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40)

Here’s the picture: It’s not that you dig and dig and dig until you pull little pieces of spiritual power out. The truth is that there is a river of spiritual power within you (John 7:37) and the reality is that the river will flow out of you, if you just wouldn’t damn it up with your pride, self-dependance, and religious attitudes that say, “I’m going to pay the price for it.”

If a key is working for you, don’t use another one. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The key of simple faith in Jesus and His work is what got you saved and got you the indwelling Holy Spirit! In the Kingdom of God, faith is the only key. The key of self-effort and works never got you anything from the Kingdom, it never did and it never will. The Spiritual power im talkung about is not from the kingdom of Satan, nor the kingdom of this world, but it’s from the Kingdom of God. What is the key to spiritual power? Faith.

Am I saying that we don’t ever fast and pray, but just lie on the couch all day and say, “Jesus, I trust you!” No. However, we must not see fasting and prayer as “paying the price”. Fasting is not a power generating station, fasting is a surrender station. Fasting is not a hunger strike to twist God’s arm, when we fast our stomachs are emptied- but not just our stomachs, fasting helps us to have our hearts and minds emptied of worldly things, so we can surrender more to Jesus, and even in our weakness we are more dependent on Him. We fast not for grace and love, but from grace and love. We are so lovesick that food sometimes is so lame in comparison to Him. Prayer is a love dialogue, not a stressful task. Prayer is the place of refreshing and pleasure, not obligation. Prayer is not work we clock in and out of, prayer is what we live in, walk in, breath every single day. When we set aside time to pray, it’s like a date with God. Now, by date I’m not talking about the contemporary definition of dating which is something shallow or a mere job interview. God is not going to dump you, He’s already chosen to accept you for who you are as His child. Now, who would want to go on a date with someone who is just talking about how great or how stupid they are, and not even paying attention to you but immersed in self? In prayer, we take our eyes off of ourselves, and unto our great romance, and we worship, we listen, we enjoy, and we share our hearts. You know what prayer is easy- it’s graceful, not stressful.

We are under grace- our life should be graceful. A graceful dancer is one who dances with ease. A graceful preacher is one who preaches with ease. A graceful artist is one who draws with ease. Kobe Bryant is a graceful basketball player, he makes the hard look easy. Now if a dancer, preacher, artist, or basketball player looks awkward- he/she is not graceful. As Christians under grace, we are supposed to make life look graceful- even the hard things such as prayer, worship, loving others, forgiving, serving, helping, or overcoming, we will make look easy to the world because Jesus’ yoke is easy and burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

LEGALISM SUCKS: The law is perfect but counter-productive

The Law of God was given to Moses to reveal the holiness and perfection of God. The Law of God is perfect, but it does not make people perfect. The Law demanded, but couldn’t enable. The Law is counter-productive. Legalism is always counter-productive! Are you legalistic towards others or yourself?

There are legalistic churches, where Pastors think they are preaching the Gospel by just telling people what they cannot do! That’s not much gospel or good news (gospel means good news) to me. Pastors and Christians shouldn’t spend all their time telling others and themselves what they can’t do, but what they can do! They can live with a good conscience! They can live free from bitterness! They can forgive those who hurt them! They can live with hope! They can have unexplainable peace in the midst of tough times! They can love! They can live pure! They can impact the world! They can glorify God! They can live with purpose! They can have a real relationship with God! They can hear the voice of God! They can come to Jesus! They can believe in Jesus!

You can be healed! You can be forgiven! You can get up from your ugly fall! You can see life change for the better! You can see your family transformed by God’s love! You can! “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13) Satan’s been disarmed! (Col 2:14-15) You have been armed (Eph. 6)! You can be who you really want to be! Every Christian have God’s Law in their hearts- so what we really want more than anything is Jesus and His character of love to be formed in us! Good news! We can!

Jesus came to bring good news of what we can do, have, see! You can have answers to prayers! You can go to heaven! You can have heaven on earth!

What is legalism?

“strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code <the institutionalized legalism that restricts free choice>”- Merriam-Webster.com

Being a Christian is not about loosing my freedom to enjoy life and just being God’s slave! Being a Christian is about gaining my freedom to enjoy life without beings sin’s slave. Being a Christian isn’t about always saying “I have to live holy!” It’s about “I get to live holy! I want to live right! I love to live pure!” Christianity that makes people feel bound is not true Christianity, it’s polluted Christianity. Christians who feel like “Oh, I have to go to church, pray, and read the Bible!” “Dang, I can’t party anymore, I can’t do all the fun stuff anymore!’ are retarded Christians- if even Christians at all. Christians should never ever be saying, “I HAVE TO” but because of God’s liberating grace we saw “I GET TO! I’D LOVE TO! I WANT TO!”

“Legalism, in Christian theology, is a pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on law or codes of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigor, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of law over the spirit. Legalism is alleged against any view that obedience to law, not faith in God’s grace, is the pre-eminent principle of redemption. Its opposite error is antinomianism, which is alleged against a view that moral laws are not binding.” – Wikipedia

Here’s a break down a few verses from (Romans 7):

Rom 7:7: What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

Again, point proven, the Law is perfect. The Law also had a purpose, to expose sin all the more.

Rom. 7:8 “But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.”

It would seem like the Law would make you more holy, but it did the opposite. Even today, legalistic sermons that demand, “Do this!” “Don’t do this!” “You better not even dare to do…!” are counter-productive. Here’s the picture, the Law was so demanding that it made people feel trapped instead of free. Yesterday, my fiances cat was trapped in her roommates room. Even cats hate the feeling of being trapped, because of their independent nature. We heard the cat scratching against the door, meowing for his very life, and begging to get out. That’s the picture of the Law, it puts demands on you, and makes you feel trapped. Therefore, it arouses in you a desire to get free or rebel!

Another reason the law arouses the sinfulness in all of us, is that all of us cannot keep the law in our flesh. You might argue, “Well, Paul said that he kept the Mosaic Law to the nitty gritty while He was a Pharisee!” (Phil 3:6) While that may have been true before the eyes of the Pharisees and people, it wasn’t before the eyes of God, Paul broke the first commandment: “Thou shall not murder!” He persecuted God’s people and shed innocent blood (Acts 7:58). He also had self-righteousness which is like smoke to God’s nostrils (Isaiah 65:5). There are some people more disciplined than others right? There are some people more zealous than others right? Paul was hyper disciplined and extremely zealous that he was able to stay away from orgies, drunkenness, and theft; but, the law that he thought he was more committed to than anyone else, aroused lovelessness and pride! Then, the people who were less disciplined and zealous, they felt condemned by the law, they felt miserable, and every miserable person seeks comfort like we do oxygen. Where does a miserable, self-rejected, condemned person find comfort if he/she feels so unworthy to come to God? More sin. Because, sin brings pleasure for a season (Heb. 11:25). That was the case of the Samaritan woman, she had some knowledge of the Word of God, a part of her was desiring God (we see that in the questions she asked Jesus in (John 4)), but she was living her life in shame and therefore in sin.

So, there were two kind of people the Law or legalism created: loveless and self-righteous people, then condemned people sinning all the more. Out of the two types of people, God loves both (John 3:16), but He can more easily work with the second. The Law was not given to make people self-righteous, the law was given to make people surrender to Jesus- who came to bring grace (Gal. 3:24).

Even today, when a church preaches legalism and is just saying, “Don’t do this!” “Do that…” It makes people feel trapped and arouses sinfulness in them. I had a friend- who when he was in high school, a youth pastor came to their Christian Club and at lunch time gave weekly half-hour talks all about “DON’T HAVE SEX!” If I keep hearing someone tell me what I can’t do, I think I’ll just want to do it more. I never heard my youth pastor preach “DON’T HAVE SEX!” “DON’T LOOK AT PORN!” He preached about the reality and power of the Holy Spirit and living a life of love. You know what, I never didn’t struggle at all with sex and porn in high school. My pastor wasn’t telling me what I couldn’t do, but what I was free to do in Christ! As those who are free in Christ, we need to get the legalistic preaching out of here! Even the world has come to know Christians for what we are against rather than what we are for. The world sees Christians as those who are trapped by rules and regulations rather than free by reason of relationship to Christ that frees us to live an abundant life of true love!

Rom. 7:9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

Before legalism came into Paul’s picture, he was doing alright. Before legalism or the Law came to Israel they were doing well. Israel was under the Abrahamic Covenant. All they knew was the Covenant that God made with Abraham- where God promised success and blessings out of His goodness (Gen. 12:2-3). While they were under the Abrahamic Covenant, none of them died and none of them were sick!

Then, the made a change from the blessed Abrahamic Covenant which was Abraham of grace enjoyed by faith, and they transferred schools to the Mosaic Covenant of the Law enjoyed by works! There were many blessings available in the Mosaic Covenant, but the problems was that they were all conditional blessings! What was the condition? Absolute obedience. What happened when the condition wasn’t met? CURSE (Gal. 3:13) Could they keep the Law? No. 1) It made them all feel trapped! 2) It made the disciplined and zealous proud and loveless! 3) It made the less disciplined and zealous feel condemned and turn to more sin!

Wait? If your previous school was treating you so well, why did they change schools? The Israelites requested the transfer! They thought that they were ready for it, when they weren’t. (Exodus 24:3): “When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”

Why would God give something that was so counter-productive? Just like in the days of the Garden of Eden, God honored their free-choice.

Rom. 7:10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

Nobody died before this covenant that was made in (Exodus 24:3). Remember, all were healthy and even though they were not perfect and grumbled in unbelief. However, after the Law, we see sickness and death come upon them immediately. Why? Because the law only brings life to those who can keep it perfectly, but it brings death to those who disobey it. The pressure of the Law, brought greater disobedience in the people. We see that in (Exodus 32), just 8 Chapters after they joined their new school, the people couldn’t keep up with the pressure, they felt trapped and wanted to escape! They knew what they couldn’t do, but their independent sinful nature, wanted to do what they couldn’t do. They snapped! If you put so much pressure on your kids and keep telling them what they can and can’t do, most likely eventually they will snap! The Israelites rebelled and they made a golden calf, and danced like pagans around it, participating in wild sex. They even got Aaron to jump on board, by giving an excuse like “We don’t know what happened to Moses, he’s been gone too long!” (Ex. 32:1) They didn’t sin because Moses ran out, that was just an excuse. They sinned because their human zeal to obey ran out . By the way, human zeal to obey God always runs out sooner or later.

Rom. 7:11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

The next thing we see is that when Moses gets back from the Mountain, people died! The wrath of God had to come on the people who broke his commandments. It’s like this, just say you joined a Medical School! It’s tough. But, you get so burnt out by the course work, you decide you won’t do the homework. You will bear the punishment. The Israelites joined a school a million times more difficult than Med School, it’s the school of the Law. They couldn’t keep up, the punishment came! 3,000 people died because of this sin (Ex. 32:28)

Rom. 7:12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

My sister is in Med School, it’s a good school. They teach valid things. It will be helpful to go through it. However, it’s not good for me. I couldn’t stay in there for a month. The Law was good, but it was not good for Israel! The Law is good today, but legalism is not good for the Church!

Rom. 7:13 ¶ Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

The Law didn’t kill them, their own self-righteousness and self-confidence that brought in the Law, and their own sinfulness that kept them from keeping the Law is what killed them. Some Harvard Grad-School student might say, “Homework is killing me!” No, homework isn’t killing you, your pride that caused you to join a school you can’t keep up with, combined with your laziness and bad brain is what’s killing you; don’t blame the school!

Rom. 7:14 ¶ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual (fleshly), sold as a slave to sin.

The Law demanded that a person be spiritual, but that’s light telling a man without legs to jump! But, the man without legs insisted that he join the jumping contest. Then, he looses! So he blames the judge for letting him join. The judge says, “Hey, you’re the one who insisted that you could jump!”

Even today, the stupidest thing I could do is tell someone without legs to jump! I can’t demand holiness and purity from a sinner! The more I preach the more I arouse carnality in that person. When a person gets saved, He becomes a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Figuratively speaking, he now has legs! As Christians, we can live holy by the power of the Holy Spirit who is living in us (Romans 8:11). But, there are many crippled Christians. They can’t jump any higher than a person without legs. Why? Too many reasons: maybe not enough nourishment from the Word, etc. However, I think it’s common to see Christians not being able to jump as they can, because Satan has broken their legs with the bat of condemnation (Rev 12:11). That’s why Paul will talk about in a few verses down, how “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ…” (Romans 8:1) Christians can get nourished by the Word of Truth! Christians can block the bat of Satan by the truth! The Law that Moses brought demanded much, but enabled little. It said, “Jump!” to a person with no legs. The Grace of Jesus enables much, then demands some.

God, I pray that we could be totally free from that legalism that brings frustration, self-righteousness, and condemnation. Help us to see that we aren’t under the Law of Moses, but the Grace of Christ (John 1:17). I love you so much! Thank for you enabling me by Your Spirit, and calling me not to obey a million laws, but calling me to obey one: that as You have loved me, for me to love! (Jn 13:34)

A spiritual friend is more valuable than a small group or mentor

Willow Creek Community Church invested much time and effort to put together an excellent survey on what is actually helping people to grow spiritually. They interviewed believers, many churches, and church members. They found out astonishing truths. What stood out to me was the answer to this question:

“What was the most effective tool for your spiritual growth: small group, a spiritual friend, or a spiritual mentor?”

Here were the results from four different types of churched people and Christians:

1) Explorer- a pre Christian: A spiritual friend was 7% more effective than a small group, and 20% more than a mentor

2) Growing- a new Christian: A spiritual friend was 5% more than a small group, and 28% more than a mentor

3) Close to Christ- a growing Christian: A spiritual friend was 11% more than a small group, and 31% more than a mentor

4) Christ-Centered-a mature Christian: A spiritual friend was 14% more than small group, and 29% more than a mentor

 

Why do you think that is?

Maybe, it’s just the relational realness!  Could it be that for the next generation, most ministry will be done not from a pulpit or classroom, but over lunch or dinner? 

 

God, make us to be good spiritual friends

Christianity is trapping or freeing?

More than 80% of Americans would describe Christian life as “trying hard to do what God commands.”  - Kinnaman, David.  ”Un-Christian” page 51

Many would think the Christianity suffocates a person, and only those with incredible self-discipline can live up to the extravagant pressures.  Churches have been so concerned about their people doing right that 2/3 of “churchgoers said, ‘Rigid rules and strict standards are an important part of the life and teaching of my church.’”- (Kinnaman, David. “Un-Christian” page 51) That’s not what Christianity is about!  The gospel is not the gospel of strict rules and standards, but the “gospel of Grace.” (Acts 20:24)

Christianity’s goal is not to trap a person into a small room of laws by legalism, but Christianity’s goal is to free a person to enjoy a new world of love by grace!  

Christianity isn’t a jail cell

Christianity is not a jail cell, it’s an airplane! It doesn’t trap you so you can’t enjoy life, but it enhances life and enables you to do what you couldn’t do on your own and go where you couldn’t go on your own!

When I got saved and stepped into Christ, everything changed.  I was able to do incredible things- such as get free from: demons, bitterness, depression, hopelessness, fear of man, anger, laziness, and other bondages. I was now able to fly into the presence of God, get filled with the Spirit, hear the voice of God, find my God given destiny, live with passion, have peace in crisis, see signs and wonders, minister hope and fredom to others, experience God’s faithfulness and love for me, and share God with others, and go around the world to spread the gospel.  By the way, the gospel isn’t just a sad list of what you can’t do, but about the perfect love of God that doesn’t trap you, but free you!

I’m living the blessed abundant life because of Jesus. I wonder often, “my God, my God why have you so accepted me and blessed me?!”. But, to find the answer to that question I have to go back 2000 years about when Jesus asked another question on the cross, when sinless Jesus took all my sin on the cross and was punished for me and He said, “my God, my God why have you forsaken me!?” There, Jesus was cursed on the tree, so I could be accepted and blessed!

I “can be” blessed!!!!

Submersion in grace

Christian life is only hard if all Jesus does for you is saves you, then leaves you, and then comes back to get you after you die. If that’s the case, I don’t think I could survive! But that’s not the truth!  He saves us, and is always with us. He’s given us His Holy Spirit to help us, and He’s going to keep us, and take me home to be with Him forever! Because this is the case, I will survive and not just that, but I can thrive and reign in life, because my God is for me and not against me!

God’s grace is not just these two markers in my life: marking me at salvation and marking me my death to get me to heaven. No.  My life is immersed in God’s grace: before I was born, by grace I was chosen and predestined; by grace, I was drawn to Jesus and saved; by grace, I will live an overcoming life; by grace, I will walk out the destiny God prepared for me; and by grace, I will spend all eternity soaking in grace.

That doesn’t mean I do nothing and expect grace to take are of it all. Grace enables me to do something with my life, not waste my life!

Grace isn’t an excuse for laziness, but an engine for fruitfulness.

You need the medicine, more than the whip

When you sin that means you are sick and need a doctor. Jesus is the Doctor- we need to turn to. He’s not the Punisher- we are should avoid. Jesus referred to himself the Physician for the sick (Matt. 9:12).  Why would Jesus punish you for your sick heart and sin, when He was punished on the cross for sin and sicknesses. Let us never forget that Jesus wants to fix us, so if there is weakness, brokeness, or sinfulness in your life go to Him. Guilt and condemnation can’t fix you, Jesus can!

(Hebrews 4) talks about how we are to come to Jesus to find help in time of need. Some of you might have a hard time asking others for help. But, this verse was written because God knew we would need help. God knew we would have needs. Don’t be ashamed that you need help have needs. Come to that throne of grace and enjoy healing and freedom from love through Jesus.

Do you need to be cured from unfaithfulness to the Lord? The cure isn’t trying even harder! The cure to my unfaithfulness is encountering and experiencing Jesus Christ’s faithfulness! That’s the cure. Trying really hard is like a tylenol, it might temporarily remove your pain as you feel good about trying really hard, but t will eventually wear off and the problem remain, you don’t need a pain killer, but a cure. The doctor is Jesus, the cure is drinking in His relentless love and faithfulness. “though you are faithless, he remains faithful for He cannot deny himself.”

Permission

God’s unconditional love and grace is not permission to sin, but permission to love God, permission to trust God, permission to desire holiness, permission to be courageous in waring against sin, and it’s permission to never give up! I have permission!

Perfection doesn’t work

Rahab was a prostitute who was commended for having great faith. Not just that, but she was chosen to be in the selective list of Hebrews 11, known as the Hall of Faith. Her name is there with Moses, Noah, and other greats. Interesting enough, none of greats were perfect, but they were people of faith. Perfection disqualifies everyone, but faith qualifies the disqualified.

Rahab still stands out though because she not only lived a life of sin that affected her and others, but she lied in faith? Hm… The only thing she did good was hear, believe, and respond according to her belief. That simple act saved her life and she would be an honorary Gentile member of the messianic line! Something to think about.  That’s grace! God is holy and perfect! However, it’s not perfection that qualifies us, but it’s faith!

Now, I haven’t lived perfect, and I can’t guarentee a flawless future, but I can hear the Word and believe! If I do believe, I will act accordingly. Belief + Corresponding Action = the equation of faith.

God, thank you for not qualifying us for salvation an blessing through our perfection, but our simple trust in you. It gives me so much comfort. If I am proud, I will be opposed by You, but if I am humble you will give grace. I renounce my pride of perfectionism, and I simply want to trust you with childlike faith, by doing so I’ll be qualified to experience your amazing grace in my life.

When we humble ourselves and realize being a Christian is not as much about being perfect as it is humbly trusting, we will tap into the blessings of God and the grace of God. By the way, grace is divine enablement. When we trust, He enables! When I have faith, it’s the key to God’s warehouse of grace! If perfection a key to the warehouse too? Yes, but no one has this key, for “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (rom 3:15).

Sin, temptation, breaking free, and Jesus

We are all connected

God demanded that when the Israelites conquered the city of Jericho that nothing of gold, silver, and other precious items were to be taken because they all belonged to the “treasury of the Lord.”  (Josh 6:19)  Failure to obey would bring about a sure curse upon Israel.  Even today, when a person in the church is living a life of secret sin, it affects the whole church because we are all connected as the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12), and a little “leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” (1 Cor. 5:6)  That was an analogy to bread, and how adding a little bit of an ingredient called leaven, to the whole lump of dough, would infest and effect the entire lump. By the way, those are both New Testament references.  Even in the New Testament, a person’s sin in the body of Christ effects the body.  The body of Christ’s victories are my victories!  However, the body of Christ’s defeats are also my defeats.  Why? We are all connected. 

How did Achan sin? 

After he was confronted by Joshua, he admits his sin, and shares the process of his sin, “when I saw…then I coveted…and took them.” (Josh. 8:21)  Aren’t those the three steps to sin?  Seeing, coveting, and taking.  It starts in your eyes, then it moves into your heart, than it moves your hands and feet.  How can our hands and feet sin less?  Covet less.  How do we covet less? See less things that would make you covet!  

The Power of the Eyes

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23) 

My eyes will determine whether I live in the light or whether I live in darkness.  But, in our world today, I don’t have to go looking for lust-arousing images because they come looking for me.  In our sex-saturated, materialistic, greed invoking, jealousy arousing, and heart pulling culture, we are surrounded by things that pop in front of our eyes.  It starts in the eyes, then it goes to the level of desire, then it goes even deeper to the level of covetousness, then it goes to take possession on his mind, and when the mind is won, so is the man or woman.  Although desire and covetousness seems like the same thing, I have drawn the distinction.  Why?  The initial desire is not the same as the indwelling covetousness.  

 

If we had no desire response to an external stimuli- or something we saw with our eyes, then we would never be tempted!  However, the truth is that not all of our desires are sanctified, because we carry with us a sinful nature that has desires of it’s own.  Of course, we are supposed to “walk in the Spirit, so you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh (sinful nature)…” (Gal. 5:16)  However, I do have desires in my flesh.  Then, naturally we have certain innate and physical desires that God put in us.  That is why we are tempted!  

 

Temptation

 

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

 

Temptation is commonly universal.  Temptation does not have greater ability than me.  Giving into temptation is not your only option.  Temptation is something I have to endure in this life.  

 

So here’s something that everyone must understand: It is not a sin to be tempted!

 

However, if what you saw with your eyes, not just arouse a desire, but that desire is fed by mediation and not crucified in humble prayer (prayer that depends on, asks for, and releases God’s power), and it grows to the possession of your mind, you have committed the sin of covetousness.

 

Guarding Thoughts

 

Guarding your thoughts and crucifying them is something we have ability to do by the Holy Spirit.  If you think you cannot crucify a thought you are giving too much credit to sin and not enough to the Holy Spirit, and Satan has already deceived you.  Your deception will lead to your defeat.

 

Guarding the thoughts is so important, because you can be filled with the Spirit and walk with God and have lived a pure life, but one unguarded thought can lead to the lust that leads to destruction.

 

Think about this: Why do people sin?  I used to think that people sinned because they were empty inside and were void of God’s love and presence in their lives- so they have settled for a cheap alternative.  Then, I although thought that people sinned, because they didn’t get healed of baggage from their past.  Then, I thought, we sin because we are sinners- we have a sin nature.  Then, I thought people sinned because they don’t believe in the reality of God.  While all four are absolutely true assessments, those are not the only reason people sin! Have you ever thought about this?  If those are the only reasons people sin, what about Adam and Eve?

 

Adam and Eve walked with God, they knew His presence and His glory, they didn’t have any emotional, developmental baggage, they believed in the God they walked with daily, they didn’t even have a sin nature, but how in the world did they sin? They didn’t guard their minds and filter out the bad thoughts, but rather entertained them.  If Adam and Eve could fall because of an unguarded, undisciplined mind, how much more us who have a sinful nature and past baggage.  Don’t ever think you’ve come to a place beyond having to rebuke evil thoughts!  The thought that kept swimming in the pool of Eve’s mind was: the idea of self-sufficiency!  The serpent told her: You can be like God and be as wise as Him.  If Eve was as wise as God she wouldn’t need God.  You know what Satan still uses that same bait: You can be self-sufficient, like God, you don’t need Him anymore, you can do what He does.  Please, let’s not fall for that trap!  The key to true sufficiency is awareness of personal inadequacy!  The key to true independence is dependence.  

 

Before Peter ever fell into the temptation to deny Jesus three times, He fell into the temptation of self-sufficiency.  He blurted to Jesus: “Though they all betray you, I will not betray you!”  That was not a statement of faith, but pride!  Pride puts trust in man.  

 

Did you ever fall into a big temptation?  I believe many times we fall into bigger temptations, when we fall into this sly temptation of believing in self-sufficiency!  Satan is not that creative- he’s still using the same tricks.  Don’t let them work anymore.  The sad reality is that people can’t break out of the cycle of falling into temptation, because after they sin the first thing they say pray is: “God, though everyone does that sin, I will never do it again!”  The words are propelled by the same arrogance that Peter had, and that arrogance leads to destruction.  

 

If we would only resist the seduction of self-dependancy and belief in self-sufficiency,  and we would humble ourselves and let God’s “strength be made perfect in (our) weakness.”  Want to be free from sin?  Want to be independent?  Learn and practice dependance upon the Lord. Let all trust in self, but exchanged with trust in God.  

 God’s wrath against sin:

When Achan stole the accursed item, God’s wrath came upon the people.  Then, Joshua failed to pray and inquire of God and made a haste decision to fight the people of Ai.  They got cocky and only sent a few thousand of men, thinking it was a piece of cake.  Watch out for Ai after your conquests of Jericho!  Watch out for the little foxes.  

God’s wrath was lifted after it was fully unleashed on Achan and his family.  At the command of the Lord, stones were chugged at Achan and his family, until their skulls were crushed.  Then, they were burned with fire.  Why would God initiate such a charge?  God is a murderer?  God is a Righteous Judge who hates sin, and does execute judgment on sins.  God executed His wrath until there was no more wrath.  

 

If I mess up once, does that mean God will have my church members stone me to death and then burn my family and I with fire?  Should I shiver at the wrath of God each time I fall short?  The answer is no.  If I was living four thousand years ago, the answer would be yes.  But, I live on the other side of the cross.  At the cross, God poured out His wrath against the sins of the world upon Jesus Christ- His Son.  Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross for my sins.  So why would God punish me like that if He punished Jesus for me?  He won’t.  ”Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus…” (Romans That reality of Christ as my substitute doesn’t motivate me to sin, but to love.  A life of love is a life of holiness.  

My life is a worshipful response

I used to think that it was me who initiated and God who responded.  My mentality was: “I do…, then God does…”, “I pray and God moves”, “I give money and God gives back,” “I worship, God gives His presence!”, “I sacrifice, and then God gives blessings!”. However, now I realize that is an incomplete picture and a false illusion!

Here is the complete picture: God initiates, I respond, God responds all the more.  This is reality: God does, so I do, and God does more! It starts with Him! Before I was born, God was.   While I was a sinner, God did send His Son! So then, because of all that God did, I did something in response! I received and responded to His Son!  Christianity is a response to God’s grace! When we respond to God’s grace, He then gives more grace! When He gives more than we respond in greater graciousness! Responders to God’s grace have the heart that says, “I get to respond! I’d love to respond!” It’s never, “ah, I have to…”. Again, Christian life isn’t me acting and God responding!

Worship is a willful response! Worship that is not a true response from the heart is just butt-kissing hypocrisy. My life is: a response of worship. Worship is not spiritual manipulation! My works for God must be a worshipful response, not religious manipulation!  If I was the initiator- I’d be a manipulator!  But, because I am the responder- I am a worshipper!  I worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23), because that is what He is looking for.  No one wants to be an obligation, even God.  But, I don’t serve God out of obligation, but out of a response to grace, when I respond, He responds with “more grace.”  (James 4:5) I’m sandwiched in grace!  God gives grace, I respond, then He gives more! Incredible.

Dependancy

We must pray and admit out lack of strength and ask God for His strength.  Every person who depends on God’s strength will do great things for God without pride, because a rational person does not self-glory in borrowed goods.

We borrow God’s strength while on earth while we still carry our sinful nature. In heaven, we don’t ask God for strength, we live in it. There is no flesh to battle, only victory to celebrate.

Value!

What do you value in others?  What makes someone valuable to you?

Personality: Don’t people generally value those with good personalities over those with no personality or a bad personality?

Talent: Don’t people generally value those who are really good at something over those who suck?

Character: Don’t we value those with noble character than those with sick character?

Good looks:  Don’t people generally give a bit more value to those with with good looks- especially of the opposite sex?  

Success: Don’t we tend to value those who have been really successful in ministry, business, or family? 

1. What do you value in others?  Make a list.

2. What makes someone valuable to you, that’s probably what makes you valuable to yourself.  

3.  Chances are you will fail in these things or these things will fail you, and you will find yourself devaluing yourself.  

The outcome will be: You will not be able to love or honor yourself.  

4.  What you find your value in is what you find your devalue in.  What you devalue in yourself, you usually devalue in others.  

The outcome: You will not be able to love or honor others.  

I remember I read a book about the importance of honoring others and valuing people.  Oh, I was so convicted and so stirred up to the bone.  So I decided, I would honor everybody from the In N Out cashier, to the Professor, to the leaders at the church, and to my brothers and sisters in the Lord.  I tried so hard!  I found myself being nicer on the outside, but I didn’t truly honor them more on the inside.  That’s something Meg pointed out to me.  She said, “after you got the urgency to honor people I noticed you were acting different, but it was kind of forced sometimes.”  She was right on.  Here’s the thing, we can try to honor and love people, but if we don’t honor and love ourselves, it is an impossibility.  I was finding my value in so many things apart from God, that I devalued myself and others in those same things.  What’s the remedy?  

We must find our value in God’s love and grace alone!  Only then can we live a life of honor and love.  

Let’s go over those four points from this perspective:

1. What do you value in others?  

That they are created in the image of God, and God by His grace loves them so much He sent His son for them.  

2. What makes someone valuable to you, that’s probably what makes you valuable to yourself. 

I find my value in the changeless truth, that by grace God loves me.  You see when we find our value in other things, those things come and go, by Jesus Christ is the same “Yesterday, Today, and Forever.”  

You see how much value something has by what your willing to give for it. My friends Ivan and Yuree recently had their friends from Puerto Rico pay for their plane tickets to come see them. I’m sure Yuree and Ivan felt valued! How much does God value us? He wanted to be with us so much, He gave the best he had, His only Son. God in His love values me.

What do you devalue people based on?  Just say it’s…lack of intelligence

Now I know what you find you value in: Intelligence.

What you devalue others shows what you value yourself in.   

They are all related!

3.  Chances are you will fail in these things or these things will fail you sometime or another, and you will find yourself devaluing yourself.  You will not be able to love or honor yourself.  

When you find value in other things, you will fail or they will fail.  When you find your value in God’s love, you will never devalue yourself, because God’s “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13)  You can fail to believe God’s love, but God’s love is by grace extended to you- whether you are a Christian or not.   Regardless of religious affiliation, sexual orientation, personal history, or race: You are created in the image of God, and nothing can change that.  You are valuable to God- and nothing will never change that.  

I fail in my love for God, but God never fails in His love for me.  I told God many times, “If I were You, I’d fire me long time ago!”  I’ve made a ton of mistakes, and had my faithless seasons.  But, the Bible says, “Though we be faithless, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself.”  (2 Tim 2:13)  Who is God? God is love.  I thank God so much, that despite my shortcomings, God never stops valuing me.  

4.  What you find your value in is what you find your devalue in.  What you devalue in yourself, you usually devalue in others.  

I do not devalue myself anymore.  I don’t find my value from changing realities, fickle people, or slippery possessions.  I find my value in an unchanging reality, and a faithful God, and in the truth that God not only loves me, but as a Christian who believes in His love expressed through Christ, Jesus is my eternal possession and I am His!

Therefore, I honor and love not just myself, but “all people” (1 Peter 2:17) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Changing Preaching

 

                                    

 Introduction

“Stop preaching at me mom!”  Although preaching has in recent years lost it’s once held esteem, and has been related to unpleasant, relentless nagging; the historical truth is: preaching has transformed the lives of countless people of all ages and backgrounds.  Historically, preaching and Christianity have been inseparable.  John Stott reports, “That preaching is central and distinctive to Christianity has been recognized throughout the Church’s long and colorful story, even from the beginning” (Stott, 1982, p. 16).  Since day one of the church, through preaching, many have come to experience: the blessed life, the transformed life, and eternal life in Jesus Christ.  Paul spoke of the soul-saving power of preaching in (Romans 10:13b-14): “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Preaching is packed with saving and delivering potential.  German Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke  (2002) strongly conveys the liberating power of preaching: 

“What people want from the pulpit is more than neat pulpit essays.  We are not called to deliver sermons, but deliver people.  People are His (God’s) concern.  He (Jesus) came to set the captives free, not to renovate prison cells or to make them more comfortable, with nice beds and color television.  He (God) wants people out.  The Gospel is neither renovation, decoration nor reformation; but LIBERATION!  Praise God, it still works! Hundreds of millions all over the world are witnesses.”  (pp.99-100)

People of all ages and nationalities have been liberated through this simple tool called preaching.  I know I’m a witness to that reality. 

                                                  What is Preaching?

What is preaching?   There are three Greek words for preaching (Kimball 2003, p.173):  The first is Kerugma, which means: “to proclaim.” The second is Euangelizo, which means: “to bring or show good tidings or news”.  The third is Kerusso, which means: “to be a herald”.   The Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education tells of how preaching, in the New Testament Greek, is also at times described as: “to teach” (Preaching, 2001, p. 551).

Preaching is Supernatural

Preaching has been one of the most powerful instrument in teaching men and women about Christ.  Peter stood up and preached under the power of the Holy Spirit in the second chapter of the book of Acts; and in one day, three thousand people learned about the reality of Christ!  Preaching is simple, but supernatural!  The supernatural element of preaching cannot be overlooked.  Preaching the Word of God has an element, that Bill Cosby’s stand-up comedy, Richard Dawkin’s lecture advocating Atheism, and Barak Obama’s presidential speech do not have.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “My message and preaching were not in persuasive words of the wisdom of men, but the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith would not rely on the wisdom of man, but the power of God.”  (2 Corinthians 2:4-5)  The effectiveness of preaching does not rely on quick wit, deep philosophy, or a charismatic personality. The effectiveness of preaching relies on the power of the Holy Spirit- working through the simple words of a simple person. Paul wrote about his supernatural preaching ministry by saying, “…because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” (1 Thess. 1:5)  Reinhard Bonnke chimes in along these lines by writing, “If you take the truth of Jesus and preach it with the power of the Spirit, you are using God’s formula.  Such a formula produces results.  When the Holy Spirit and Gospel preaching come together, there is an explosion of power” (Bonnke, 2002, p. 98).  

God ordained Preaching

Why is preaching so powerful and supernatural?  For one, God- not Billy Graham- ordained that He would work through something like preaching to bring eternal salvation to souls.  Paul wrote, “God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” (1 Cor. 1:21)  We will unwrap this weapon called preaching- that is so well pleasing to God, and full of incredible potential.   We will address: one, the purpose of preaching; two, the preparation for preaching; and three, the practice of preaching. 

1. The Purpose of Preaching:

              To Share the Gospel that bring Hope

Gospel means: good news (wikipedia). Bad news leaves people feeling hopeless.  Preaching the gospel is not supposed to leave people feeling hopeless, but is to impart hope to the hearers though communicating the possibilities in Jesus Christ! Preaching must not point people to themselves as the solution, but Jesus Christ as the solution.  The book of Acts records that Phillip joined the Ethiopian Eunuch’s chariot and “preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). When we put the truth of Jesus Christ on the center-stage of our preaching, we have preached the good news- and the good news brings hope to people! Sinners don’t deserve hope anymore than they deserve grace.  But, because the gospel is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), there is hope for all.  But, without the clear preaching of the gospel of grace there is “little hope” (Chapell, 1994, p.40)

                               To Free People from Condemnation

The point of preaching the gospel is never to leave a person feeling condemned, but leave a person with hope. David Cho (2003)-a pastor from Korea, honestly told his story of making the transition from preaching condemnation to preaching hope:

“In 1958, I began to pioneer a church.  In those days, I was very ill equipped in preparing sermons.  My seminary professors continually taught their students how to put a feeling of guilt on the hearts of people in order to make them good Christians.  Furthermore, they taught how to destroy the self-image and self-respect of people.  Therefore, through my weekly sermons to people in the slum area, I was tearing them down, lambasting them, condemning them, and telling them what bad people they were…People would come to my church smiling and shaking hands, but after hearing my sermon, they were very depressed and dejected.  They all agreed with my preaching, but there was no healing…During that time, not one soul was won to Jesus Christ.  People came to church, but they left condemned…When I began to preach encouraging sermons in the latter stage of my pioneering days, my church began to grow.  All the poverty-stricken slum people began to swarm to church and smile.  They stopped drinking and gambling and acted like good people…the whole sum area was changed.  Through positive sermons, God helped me build my tent church from five members to six hundred.”  (p. 30-33) 

It is evident that Jesus came to redeem the world, not to damn it (John 3:17).  Jesus came to make: sinners into saints, broken people into whole individuals, sick hearts into healed hearts, the fearful into the courageous, the faithless into the faithful, and the hopeless into the hopeful.  Our purpose in preaching is to do the works of Jesus-which is the ministry of restoration and redemption. 

    To Preach Justification rather than Condemnation

The purpose of preaching is not to convey condemnation, but we need to convey justification! We must do more than just address the problem, but the share the answer.  John Piper writes, “During the Great Awakening of the 1730s and 40s, it was the preaching of justification on both sides of the Atlantic that grounded the strength of the movement of God.” (Piper 2002, p. 24)  Joseph Prince (2007), a preacher from the other side of the globe adds to the power of preaching justification over condemnation:

“Knowing that you are forgiven of all your sins will give you the power to reign over every destructive habit and live a life of victory…Condemnation robs you of intimacy with God…Unfortunately, many believers do not rely on the power of the cross to eradicate condemnation from their lives…Jesus believed that when someone really has a revelation that God does not condemn them, they would have the power to get out of the vicious circle of sin.”   (p.100 & 109 & 165) 

We want to preach justification rather than condemnation.  Condemnation leaves people feeling hopeless.  But, when a person is given hope because of the preaching of: justification through Christ, the power of Christ’s work on the cross, the freedom from condemnation that is available through Jesus Christ, and the good news of God’s grace, then something redemptive happens first in the hearts of people. What happens within makes it’s way out. 

To Reveal the Heart of Jesus to Redeem

Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save the world (John 3:17).  The purpose of preaching isn’t to leave people feeling condemned by the law, but hopeful because of grace.  Preaching is supposed to point people to the compassionate heart of Jesus, not just the wicked heart of man.  Charles Spurgeon wrote: “A sermon without Christ is an awful, a horrible thing.  It is an empty well” (Wiersbe, 1999, p. 40).  When we preach the heart of Jesus, there is a well of hope and life that people can draw from. 

We see the heart of Jesus in (John 8:1-11): A woman was caught in the act of adultery. She couldn’t even look up to face anybody.  Everyone thought she was a worthless whore, and she probably believed the same.  As she was dragged by her hair, her face skidded against the dirt. She had fear surging through her veins, knowing that she was to be stoned.  The religious people were about to stone her, but they first wanted to test what Jesus would do. So they said to Jesus, “the law says we should stone her and crush her head with these rock, what do you say?”  Jesus writes on the floor.  What did He write?  Commentators say it was most likely the sins of the religious people (Courson p. 506); so being convicted, one by one the religious people dropped their stones and walked away.  The woman heard the tender voice of Jesus that asked her, “Do any of these condemn you?” She said, “No, Lord.” Jesus responded, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more” (John 8:11).  We must reveal the heart of Jesus to redeem, rather than the heart of the Pharisee to condemn.

To Teach about the Excellencies of God

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).  The preaching of the Word of God is supposed to proclaim the excellencies of God.  When a person hears a sermon preached, he/she is supposed to leave in awe of God, not the preacher. It’s sad when someone runs into a signpost on the freeway.  Signposts are not supposed to be run into, but rather are supposed to direct us to where we have to go.  Preachers make great signposts, but make terrible destinations!  Sign crashing is a tragedy. 

Does our preaching glorify God?  Does it leave people in awe over the excellencies of Jesus?  If so, the purpose of our preaching was fulfilled. Joe Stowell (2005) shared his heart for Christ-exalting preaching as he wrote:

“When people hear me preach on a regular basis, my prayer is that they heart more about Jesus than they used to.  I want their hearts and minds drawn to him, his character, his call, and the beauty of his holiness in a life-transforming way.  At the end of the day in my sermons and ministry, I hope people forget who I am and see Jesus Christ” (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 314).   

John Piper (2002) writing to pastors penned:

“There is the fact: God is above. We are beneath.  We are not worthy to untie His shoes.  The distance between God and us is infinite.  His greatness, His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth, His holiness, His mercy and grace are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth.  Besides the fact that God is above and we are beneath, there is a heartfelt sense of the fact.  Besides truth there is the sinking in and the feeling of the truth.  That is as crucial here as knowing the truth, do we feel this distance between God above and us beneath” (Piper, 2002, p. 162) 

As we preach, the purpose is to magnify God high above man, so we not just know He is awesome, but we feel it from the depth of our hearts. 

                                               To Teach the Abundant Life available in Christ

         The purpose of preaching is not to just inform people of what they can’t do.  But, more so, it’s communicating to the people what they can do through Christ!  Paul declared,  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)  David Kinnaman reports, “More than 80% of Americans would describe Christian life as ‘trying hard to do what God commands.’…and (two third) of churchgoers said, ‘Rigid rules and strict standards are an important part of the life and teaching of my church.’” (Kinnaman 2007, p. 51)                       Many think that Christianity suffocates a person, and only those with incredible self-discipline can live up to the extravagant pressures.  Yes, there are things that we can’t be doing as believers and things that are plainly against the will of God.  However, the goal of preaching is not to just give people a laundry list of things they can’t do, but sharing with them what they can do through Christ. Jesus didn’t come so we could have life sucked out of us by legalism, but Jesus came so we could experience “life and life more than abundant” (John 10:10). 

             Through preaching, Christianity should be properly represented: it’s not merely a religion that prohibits, but a relationship that gives permission for abundant living. We must keep in mind that Christianity’s goal is not to trap a person into a small room of laws by legalism, but Christianity’s goal is to free a person to enjoy a new world of love by grace!  Christianity is not a jail cell, but it’s more like an airplane! It doesn’t trap you so you can’t enjoy life, but it enhances life and enables you to do what you couldn’t do on your own and go where you couldn’t go on your own!  To teach people to grow in the Lord through preaching, we are not to introduce Christianity as a jail cell of legalism, but an airplane of grace.   Chapell writes, “Grace keeps…our messages true to Scripture” (Chapell, 1994, p. 40)

To Teach against Lethal Legalism

When all preaching does is pile religious demands of a person, it puts so much emphasis on the person, and could lead a person think he has to meet the demands by his own ability.  The result is lethal legalism, which is an enemy of grace.  John Piper (2002) sheds light on this sly, sinister ploy of Satan called legalism:

“Legalism means treating Biblical standards of conduct as regulations to be kept by our own power in order to earn God’s favor.  On the other hand, it means erecting specific requirements of conduct beyond the teaching of Scripture and making adherence to them the means by which a person is qualified for local church membership.  In the first case, we use our own power to make ourselves more.  In the second case, we use our own power to make the church moral.  In the first case, we fail to rely on the power of God for our own sanctification.  In the second case, we fail to rely on the power of God for the sanctification of others.”  (p.154) 

Legalistic preaching only produces two children: self-righteousness and/or shame.  Both, do not enable a person to be more loving, but instead cripples compassion and agape love. The goal of preaching is showing people that Christianity is a love relationship with Jesus, not just a legalistic religion. So then, shouldn’t our preaching have the same goal that Paul had: “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart…”  (1 Timothy 1:5) 

Love and legalism can’t fit in the same boat.  Through our preaching, we keep one in the church and loose the other.  God’s remedy for legalism is His grace.  Preaching grace doesn’t give the congregation permission to sin, but power to overcome sin.  Brian Chapell (1994) writes:

“Preaching without a grace focus concentrates on means of earning divine acceptance, proofs of personal righteousness, and contrasts with those less holy.  Preaching with a grace focus concentrates on responding to God’s mercy with loving thankfulness, joyful worship, humble service, and a caring witness to the Savior’s love.” (pp. 39-40)

To Change the Negative Beliefs that Cause Negative Behaviors

Preaching is not supposed to just demand change in behavior, but minister change in one’s beliefs.  In the Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education, Robert Choun (1990) defines preaching as “Proclaiming the Word of God in order to inspire belief.”  (Preaching, 551) We are supposed to do more than attack external behavior, but minister deliverance to the heart.  William Yount sheds light on how this was the emphasis of Jesus: “Certainly Jesus emphasized the heart (that is, the mind, the emotions, the will) as the source of good and bad behavior)” (Yount, 1996, p. 176) Preaching is supposed to lead people to transformation, by the “renewing of their minds” (Roman 12:2).  Right thinking leads to right living.  Churches have been so concerned about their people not engaging in wrong living.  Although, we should not advocate sinful or destructive behavior, preaching must do more than target behavior modification by nit picking and nagging.  Preaching must target the root of the problem, which has to do with the erroneous beliefs of a person. 

Often, condemned people who feel powerless and disconnected from God, have their negative beliefs translate into negative behavior.  When we preach the good news about the hope that’s available in Christ and give them a new vision of what they “can do” in Christ, then the negative beliefs become replaced with positive ones, and the change of beliefs brings about the change of behavior.  Jesus did more than demand new behavior from the adulteress (John 8:1-11), but He gave her new beliefs.  Vernon Blackwood (2001) writes in the Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education, “Jesus touched people in their deepest hearts and souls.” (Teachings of Jesus, p. 686) May our preaching do the same!

2. The Preparation for Preaching

Preparation is More about the Heart

Before preaching, preparation is needed. Yes, sermon preparation is a must. In fact, “John Calvin said he would as soon go to the pulpit undressed as unprepared.” (Kendall p. 138) However, more than the preparation of the manuscript or outline, I believe that the preparation of the heart is more vital.  The former Westminster Chapel’s Pastor- R.T. Kendall share about how important his preparation time was “…my method is to experience the anointing as much in my preparation as I do in my actual preaching.  For this reason, I am ‘dead’ if there is anger or bitterness in my heart when I expect to get any insights.” (Kendall 2004, p.147)  The preacher must prepare more than just his notes, but his heart.  Lest, in the act of preaching we just honor God with our lips, but our hearts be far from God (Mark 7:6). Notice, Peter didn’t have ten hours to craft his sermon outlines and manuscripts before he was up in front of thousands on the day of Pentecost.  But, He did spend three years, training His heart under Jesus’ discipleship, and the last ten days in heart-felt prayer.

Prayer is the Priority

One of the greatest ways to prepare to preach is to pray. Prayer is the greater priority.  John Piper shares that, “Apart from prayer, all our scurrying about, all our talking, all our study amounts to ‘nothing.’ For most of us the voice of self-reliance is ten times louder than the bell that tolls for the hours of prayer.” (Piper 2002, p. 55) The classic Christian author, E.M. Bounds wrote:

“The preacher must pre-eminently be a man of prayer.  His heart must graduate in the school of prayer.  In the school of prayer only can the heart learn to preach.  No learning can make up for the failure to pray.  NO earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack.” (Bounds, 1946 p.26)

What makes preaching so different than just giving a lecture on Physics is: preaching has to do with God’s Word and therefore the speaker for God, must be connected to His God in prayer.  The sermon is a spiritual sword, not an intellectual exercise; therefore, it needs to be sharpened in the closet of spiritual prayer, not just in an intellectual library. E.M Bounds also adds: “The character of our praying will determine the character of our preaching.  Light praying makes light preaching…talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is a greater skill…” (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 541)

In Prayer we Hear

In prayer, we can hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church right now, instead of just what the Commentary writer said three hundred years ago.  Through prayer, we can learn from the Author Himself, and experience what His hearts intentions were behind the Biblical text.  C.H. Spurgeon- the prince of preachers- taught his students saying, “Texts will often refuse to reveal their treasures till you open them with the key of prayer.”- (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 548)  Reinhard Bonnke further illuminates the need for intimacy with God in prayer before the delivery of a sermon, “The Gospel preacher is not an errand boy bringing a sealed letter, but one who has spoken to the King and understands the King’s mind” (Bonnke, 2002, p. 104).  

                                          In Prayer we Collaborate with God

The battling for a sermon doesn’t just take place on a notebook, but on our knees. Therefore, when we are preparing a message, it’s important to respond to the Lord, if He is leading you to pray, even if you are in your study. Martin Lloyd Jones (1972) shared:

“Above all- and this I regard as most important of all- always respond to every impulse to pray.  The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text.  I would make an absolute law of this- always obey such an impulse.  Where does it come from? It is the work of the Holy Spirit.” (p. 548)

Our study must be prayerful.  When we kneel before God, we are opening the door for greater participation from God.  I think it’s a good idea for the man of God to invite the participation of God in the preaching of the Word of God, to the people of God.  Pastor Lee Eclov adds:

“I find that in prayer, God the Creator collaborates with me!  Often it is only when I’m praying that my mind makes imaginative connections.  A fragment of conversation, an article I read somewhere, another passage of Scripture, something I saw on TV- the Lord connects two different ideas, and I see what I would have surely missed.” (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 549)

                                                   Faith and Expectation

Another import aspect for preparing to preach- other than study, mediation, and prayer, is: great faith and expectation that your preaching will do more than inform the mind, but transform the heart. To teach with great effectiveness, there must first be great expectations within the heart of the preacher.  Jesus taught us…“It shall be done according to your faith” (Matt. 9:29). In fishing, a general rule is that small bait catches small fish, and big bait catches big fish.  I think the same goes with faith, if we only have faith that our sermons will entertain, that’s all we might get.  However, if we have faith that our sermons will ignite revival, then that’s what we will get. When asked what he thought about dramas in the pulpit, John MacArthur said, “You have to believe that the power of God’s Word will be more effective than any human drama or communication gimmick.  Nothing is as dramatic as the explosion of truth on the mind of a believer through powerful preaching”- (MacArthur, 1992, p. 345).  Here is a man who firmly believes in the power of preaching! Mike Graves adds, “Of course, preaching more often means that we passionately believe in the power of communicating God’s word, in the Scriptures that fuel these sermons, and in the God to whom preaching testifies.”  (Graves, 2007, p. 37) 

The author of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)  The Word of God is not dead, but living and active, therefore, as preachers and teachers of the Word of God, we ought to expect that as we unleash the Word of God, transformation will take place in people’s hearts, and satanic strongholds will be cut down.

Prepare Reasons that Persuade

When preparing a sermon, something to keep in mind is that our job is to persuade men and women to buy into truths.  I don’t believe that we should just preach to people what they ought to do.  But, including some “why’s” behind the “what” is what people might really need to apply the knowledge they have.  Don Sunukjian writes, “In fact, our people probably know 90 percent of any biblical instruction we plan to give them.  The reason they’re not yet obeying biblical truth is not because they don’t know it, but because they don’t yet buy it….”  (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 340)  Many times, Jesus gave the reasons behind the commands.  For example: “”Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38). Jesus didn’t just preach, “Give.”  He gave reasons why they should give; particularly, that giving was the key to receiving.  Jesus didn’t just preach, “Be a servant.”  He shared how being a servant was the secret to greatness (Mark 9:35).  Jesus didn’t just preach, “Loss your life!” But, explained that loosing life was the key to finding life (Matt 10:39).  We shouldn’t just preach “Forgive” but we should give reasons why forgiveness is the best decision.  We shouldn’t just preach “Abstain from sexual immorality” but we should give wisdom-filled reasons from the Scriptures.  We shouldn’t just preach, “Honor your parents and all people” but we should tell of the blessings that are promised.

Peter admonished, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).  We don’t just have commands as Christians, but we have reasons.  Preachers must communicate that Christians are to live a life of hope- that is not apart from reasons, but supported by reasons.  We must help them buy into the Scriptural truths, our catalog is the Bible, our co-salesman is the Holy Spirit, and together we prepare a petition that will help people buy into the truths and wisdom from God that’s revealed in His Word. 

Going to the Source

While gleaning from others can be helpful, and there is “wisdom in a multitude of counselors” (Prov. 15:22), we must know where our True Source is; it’s not the televangelists, the best-selling authors, the heroes of the faith, but it’s the Lord. Charles Spurgeon had so many who did and still do glean from his supernatural writings and brilliant sermons.  But, he wrote, “If each teacher of others went himself to the school of our one only Master, a thousand errors might be avoided.” (Spurgeon, 1962, p. 234) 

 

3. The Practice of Preaching

                                                       Fear and Nervousness

When in the act of preaching, fear or nervousness must be overcome.  “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind.”  (2 Tim. 1:7)  If a preacher is nervous in the practice of preaching, I believe that he has not been adequately equipped during the preparation for the preaching.  The early church didn’t let anything scare them, when persecution arose, they were praying until they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and then they spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31).  A Spirit-filled, prayerful preacher is not self-absorbed, but passionate about God’s glory and compassionate about God’s people, so there is not much room for self-centered nervousness. John MacArthur writes, “I think nervousness is sort of an ego-defense mechanism because one is afraid he will be embarrassed or fall on his face.  To be honest, I do not feel involved personally in what I do.  I don’t even think about myself.  I only want to honor the Lord and avoid embarrassing Him in any way.”- (MacArthur, 2003, p. 347) To add to that, Martin Lloyd Jones (1972) wrote to preachers:

“…forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you’re doing and in the realization of the presence of God, and in the glory and the greatness of the Truth that you are preaching…that you forget yourself completely…self is the greatest enemy of the preacher, more so than in the case of any other man in society.  And the only way to deal with self is to be so taken up with, and so enraptured by, the glory of what you are doing, that you forget yourself altogether.” (p. 264)

             Speak the Language

Now, there are some important reminders when it comes to techniques in preaching.  Preaching still is a form of communication.  We do want to speak the language of the people while preaching.  Maybe that is why God even released tongues upon the one hundred and twenty so that they could speak the language of the people.  Speaking the language of the people is important. Now, by that, I mean more than just speaking English to an English speaker.  We need to speak the cultural language of the people.  Paul talked about becoming “all things to all men, so that I may win some…” (1 Cor 9:22) 

                                                  Creativity

In our emerging postmodern culture, creativity is an understood language.   Charles Denison writes, “…in our postmodern world, preachers need to use more imagination and imagery in their sermons, instead of relying on older preaching methods of doctrinal analysis and appeals to reason…the ‘left-brained’ exegetical approach is no longer as persuasive or effective as it once was.  While exegesis and scholarship are important, they need to be presented in a way that connects with the congregation’s hearts and experiences”-  (Denison 2007). 

While creativity is a plus, it is not a must.  The Word of God is powerful even if the delivery is plain and simple.  But, Jesus used creativity in His preaching, Vernon Blackwood reports, “Jesus often uses biting satire, polemical word pictures, barbed questions, symbolic actions, and other methods to awaken the apathetic, unnerve the self righteous…” (Teachings of Jesus Christ, p.686) Nathan’s creative delivery of the Word of God to David also proved to be effective in bringing change (2 Sam. 12).  I am constantly amazed at Paul’s creativity in illustrating spiritual truths: how poetically he illustrated love in (1 Corinthians 13), how metaphorically he illustrated the church in (1 Corinthians 12), and how vividly he illustrated the reality of our spiritual warfare in (Ephesians 6).  For a preacher to use his/her God-given creativity, he/she will be found in good company.  When preaching, let’s practice our God-given creativity. 

   Understandability

I do believe that preaching must be understandable.  When I’m listening to a preacher, but I can’t figure out what he is trying to say, I feel stupid, and at the end I’m not edified.  Paul said, “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Cor. 14:26) Don Sunukjian writes, “A speaker must make an important adjustment for the message to remain clear for a hearer.  The greatest skill of oral clarity is to restate something you just said.  Immediately say the same thing in different words.” (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 337)  My mentor used to always drive home the point, that when we preach, we must drive the point home.

In today’s Bible illiterate culture, we need to explain terms that we’ve become too familiar with.  When I hear people talking passionately about the Matrix, and talking about the characters, I have no clue because I haven’t watched the movies.  I’d need someone to explain the characters and terms. 

Should we stay away from using the Bible because this emerging generation is so Bible illiterate, no! I think we need to use the Scriptures all the more- but make it understandable, drive points home and explain terms and people!  Dan Kimball writes, “In a culture void of truth and lacking understanding of the scriptural story, we need to proclaim, herald, and preach all the more.  But, the way we do this needs to change because the audience has changed.” (Kimball, 2003, p.173)  

Relatable

Sermons ought to be relatable.  An effective preacher can take these spiritual truths, and explain them in natural terms, for natural people to understand.  Rick Warren once looked out at a crowd of three thousand pastors and boldly said, “How many of you have these old sermon illustration books?” As multitudes of eager pastors raised their hands, Warren added, “Do yourself and your church a favor, throw them away, they are outdated!”  Preachers must not dress abstract spiritual concepts in outdated clothes.  Don Sunukjian writes, “Unless listeners have a mental picture- a video running in their minds- of some real-life situation, the biblical truth remains an abstraction, vague, and unhelpful.” (Larson & Robinson, 2005 p. 347)

Authenticity

The practice of preaching cannot be separated from the integrity and authenticity of the person behind the preaching.  The language of this emerging culture is authenticity.  Preachers must not be in the imitation business, because then they are just Hollywood actors.  A sermon is not a stage production; it is an extension of the preacher’s life.  It is the overflow of his heart. I believe when the preacher is authentic, then it could be very effective.  Dan Kimball writes:

“The fact that our hearts are broken over those who don’t know Jesus will preach far more loudly than our words.  Our admissions for our failures and joys as disciples of Jesus will carry much eight.  People in emerging generations look at our hearts more than at the words we speak.  Never underestimate this.” (Kimball, 2003, p.195) 

In his comments about (1 Peter 5:3), William Yount wrote, “Peter warns pastors not to be authoritarian rulers but to be examples-models worthy of imitation by believers” (Yount, 1996, p. 187).   It’s one thing for a preacher to give strong messages from the pulpit, but it is another thing to be a strong message in lifestyle.  The saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  If the preacher becomes a good example or a picture of Christ, he’s already said a lot.  Maybe that’s what St. Francis of Assisi meant when he said, “Preach the gospel at all times.  If necessary, use words.”  Preachers want to see change in the people they are teaching.  They want to see people be saved, liberated, hope-filled, worship-full, faith-filled, etc.  However, what might do more than countless words is a picture- an example they can see.  William Yount wrote, “Many of our most persistent habits and attitudes result from simply watching and thinking about the actions of others” (Yount, 1996, p.180). 

The preacher’s number one passion should not be: How can I preach the Word better? But, instead: How can I live the Word better?  If a preacher’s messages aren’t working in His own life, it’s probably not worth using on others.  Spurgeon shared a classic antidote to his students, “We have all heard the story of the man who preached so well and lived so badly, that when he was in the pulpit everybody said he ought never to come out again, and when he was out of it they all declared he never ought to enter it again” (Spurgeon, 1977, pp. 12-13).  I conclude with this gut-wrenching exhortation from William Baxter to preachers:

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine, and lest you lay such stumbling-blocks before the blind, as may be the occasion of their ruin; lest you unsay with your lives, what you say with your tongues; and be the greatest hinderers of the success of your own labors.”-

                                               

 

 

 

References

Anthony, M. (Ed.). (2001). Preaching. In Evangelical Dictionary of Christian Education (1st ed., Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

 

Baxter, R (1979) The reformed pastor. Edinburgh, TX: Banner of Truth

 

Bonnke, R (2002) Evangelism by fire. Frankfurt, Germany: Full Flame

 

Bounds, E (1946). Preacher and prayer. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Chapell, B (1994). Christ centered preaching.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker

 

Cho, D (2003) Church growth stories. Seoul, Korea: Logos

 

Courson, J (2004). Jon Courson: application commentary new testament. Nashville, TN: Nelson.

Denison, C. (2007) The Artist’s Way of Preaching.  Interpretation 61 no4 O

 

Graves, M (2007).Courage to preach. Christian Century. 124, 18.

 

Kendall, R (2004). In pursuit of his glory. Lake Mary, FL: Strang Communications.

 

Kimball, Daniel (2003). Emerging church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations. Grand Rapids, MI: Zonderfan.

 

Kinnaman, D (2007). UnChristian: what a new generation thinks about Christianity…and why it matters. Ada, MI: Baker Books.

 

Larson , C, & Robinson, H (Eds.). (2005). The art and craft of biblical preaching. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Lloyd Jones, M (1972). Preaching and preachers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

MacArthur, J (1992). Rediscovering expository preaching. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

 

Piper, J (2002). Brothers we are not professionals . Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.

 

Prince, J (2007). Destined to reign. Tulsa, OK: Harrison House.

 

Ratliff, S (2002).The strategic role of prayer in preaching. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School .

 

Spurgeon, C (1962) Spurgeon Autobiography Volume 1: The early Years, 1834-1859, Banner of Truth: Edinberg. 

 

Stott, J (1982) Between two worlds: the art of preaching in the twentieth century, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

 

Wiersebe, W (1999) The dynamics of preaching, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker

 

Yount, W (1996) Created to learn. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel

 

 

 

 

(Phil. 4:13)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

Jesus, if you strengthen, I can.  

Jesus, if you don’t strengthen, I can’t.  

Jesus, I ask you to strengthen me.

Because I trust that you have answered my prayer, I will not put limits on myself, I will not put myself in a box, I am free to dream, I am free to dare, and I am free to do the impossible.  

Jesus, You are my source of strength.  You never get burnt out.  So, if I’m getting burnt out, maybe I’m disconnected from my source?  Maybe, I’m running on my human strength.  

“…through Him who strengthens me.”  My strength comes from a person, not a force, not from food, not from books.  My strength comes from being connected with a person- Jesus Christ.  Jesus, I long to be connected to You.  

If I accomplish “all things” I accomplish, by “Christ’s strength”, where is the boasting?  Where is the reason behind self-glory? Where is the excuse behind looking-down on others?  

I had to rely on Christ’s sacrifice for my salvation.  Then, after salvation, I must rely on Christ’s strength every day and moment of my life.  Those two realities leave a prideful Christian an oxymoron.  Our salvation and strength comes from being aware of our bankruptcy.

Why are you happy?

I remember when I just got into college, I just finished preaching to and praying for a group of senior citizens at an assisted living facility.  That week, I was fortunate, because I was able to drag a friend out with me to lead worship. (I usually went alone)  After our ministry, we debriefed about our ministry time.  I remember saying something like, “I feel really good after ministering to those people.  I feel like I’m reaching people nobody wants to reach.  I feel happy inside.”  He nodded, and shared the same feelings.  That “happy” feeling was something I knew so well.  I’d get the same feeling after successfully fasting, after praying early in the morning, after evangelizing at the risk of my own discomfort, after preaching the gospel in a hostile setting, ministering to the homeless, etc.  I thought those feelings were my spirit picking up “God delighting in me, and me feeling His pleasure over me.”  Looking back, that wasn’t quite it.  The “happy” feeling was from MY FLESH (the sinful nature of man)! Let me explain. 

The flesh rejoices at it’s accomplishments.  The flesh loves to boast.  The flesh is proud.  That is why the fruit of the flesh is: strife, jealousy, disputes, and divisions (Gal. 5).  All four of those things are out workings of pride aren’t they? The flesh and pride are a married couple.  

Do you know anyone who doesn’t do much to help, but when things go well, wants to take all the credit?  That is the way the flesh is.  Even if it was by the power of the Holy Spirit you accomplished something, the flesh wants to step in and take credit and convince you to think, “Look at the great work ‘I’ did!  I feel great!!!”  When a Christian does something good by the Spirit, but then, by the influence of the flesh, takes credit for what he did, he will be very happy about what he did. When a Christian does something good by the strength of His flesh, not the Spirit, again he will probably take credit for what he did- and feel happy in himself.    

THE POINT: What makes me happy should not be what I do, but what God’s done for me.  In other words, my joy should not rest on my religion, but God’s grace.  

Jesus disciples were empowered by Jesus and did great works for God, and were happy!  They came to Jesus and bragged about all the ministry they did.  However, Jesus redirects their joy, saying: 

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

As Christians, yes we do things for God.  However, our obsession, our identity, and our joy is not in what we do for God, but what He did and does for us.  He’s done so much for us hasn’t He?  I look back on my life and tell God, “You’ve been nothing but good to me!  You’ve done nothing but good for me.”  Therefore, my joy must be sure and stable!  My name is written in the book of life! Heaven is my home!  Jesus is my Savior!  God is my Daddy!  That’s PURE GRACE!  That ought to bring me PURE JOY.  

Am I joyful? If so, then why? When? 

Is it because of what I’ve done, what I’m doing, how I’ve been doing?  Or, is it because of what He’s done, what He’s doing, and who He is.  

Satan wants us to find joy in our works.  After something amazing you do, he’ll be the first to pat you on the back, and will working harmoniously with your flesh, to get you to be happy in you.  He wants Christians to be Me-ians- whose focus is not on Christ but on self.  Because He knows that Christ is the source of strength and Christ is the solid rock, so if he can push people away from Christ, they are left with not more strength or stability.  Then, when a Christian begins to fail, because of his lack of: strength, stability, and humility, Satan has stripped the Christian of his joy.  If I find my joy in my works, Satan is in reach to steal it.  But, if my joy is in my Lord, no one can take it from me. 

Yes, I have to admit, there is deep fulfillment that comes when we are doing what God created and gifted us to do.  However, our joy, our excitement, our pleasure, is not in what we have done for God, nearly as much as it is in what He has done for us!  

Here’s what Jesus said and is saying today:“…in this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer (be happy) for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Be happy, in the the good times and bad, because of WHAT I’VE DONE! Don’t let your joy be rooted in what you have overcome and how you’ve overcome!  Let your joy be root in this reality: I HAVE OVERCOME!  I’VE OVERCOME THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS!  I’VE OVERCOME SIN AND DEATH!  I’VE OVERCOME!  By the way: Because Jesus overcame, I can too, when I’m in Him!  Point being: Be of good cheer, not because you’ve been such an overcomer, but because your Jesus is the Overcomer!  Be of good cheer, for what He has done!

When someone can dance and shout right after a victorious mission trip, but won’t dance and shout in awe of God’s grace revealed at the cross!  Something is terribly wrong. 

When someone can get happy after ministering to a bunch of senior citizens, but won’t get happy when he reads (John 3:16), something is terribly wrong- I’ve been there.  

“Jesus, I pray that our tears of joy flow from Your matchless cross, and that the delight of our hearts come from Your gracious blood!” Amen.

Feeling overwhelmed? Good.

We live in a fallen world.  We are standing in the middle of intense spiritual warfare over our souls.  We have a flesh (a sinful nature) that punches like Mike Tyson.  Then, there are all the people close to you, who are furthest from lovely or perfect.  If that’s not enough, there are the burdensome expectations that people have of you.  EVER FEEL OVERWHELMED?  good.  

The Lord never wanted His people to depend on their own strength.  Therefore, it pleased Him to choose tiny Israel, the ultimate underdog.  Israel- under the leadership of Joshua- conquered everything and everyone that came against them.  The bigger their opposition stood before them, the harder those oppositions fell before them.  Here’s the thing: When Joshua’s troops went out to battle, they couldn’t rely on their own strength, but they had to rely on the miraculous, supernatural intervention of God.  Because it wasn’t their strength by which they conquered, they couldn’t boast, but only worship.  God doesn’t want boasters, He wants worshippers!  (John 4:23) 

The Lord chooses Gideon, a man who doesn’t have much to boast about, but a lot to be ashamed of.  Gideon has nothing to depend on except God.  God tells Gideon to raise up an army of three hundred, to fight against tens of thousands.  Why would God do something like that?  Again, He wants to be the object of our trust!  He wants to be the center of our worship!  He wants to be our reason for boasting!  

The Lord chooses David- a boy with golf ball biceps- to take on the nine foot giant named Goliath.  Why would God set up something like that?  God knows that David’s source of confidence was not in his own strength, but the Lord’s.  

 

Is the kingdom of darkness camping out on your inheritance?  Are demonic strongholds occupying your mind?  Do you have any giants that are taunting you?  Do you feel like just being a Christian is an uphill battle?   

Do you feel like you are so weak?  Do you feel like your God given assignment is so big and your ability so small?  Do you feel like temptations are so strong?  Do you feel like your sinful nature is gigantic and intimidating?  Overwhelmed? 

Don’t worry.  God designed it that way.  He wanted us to feel like the underdog, so we would not even try to defeat sin, Satan, and our issues, by the strength of our flesh.  But, that we would depend on the power of God.  Trust Him.  Rely on His power!  

What does that look like?  Maybe instead of praying, “God, I’m going to do better next time! I promise!” our prayers should be, “God, I can’t do it without you, help!!!!!”  Maybe instead of reading all the books about the ministry you are contending for or the sins you are trying to conquer, we just need to push the plate away, and get on our face before God, and say, “God, help!”  

Then watch out!!! God’s miraculous, supernatural intervention is ON THE WAY!

When it comes, you won’t be a boaster, but a worshipper!   

By the way, God loves helping underdogs!  It’s the top dog arrogance, that He can’t get near.  

If living life was a walk in the park, we wouldn’t have to turn to a greater power!  God is the greater power. If we don’t turn to Him in this life, we missed the point of life.  Feeling overwhelmed?  Good.  Now turn to God, and discover the purpose of your existence- we were created to worship the Greater Power!

4 Keys to Breakthrough Faith

(Mark 5:25-34)

25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,  28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”  29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.  30   At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”  31   “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  32   But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.  34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

 

Woman with an Issue

Here is a woman who had an issue.  It’s an issue in her blood.  In the culture that she was living in, a lot of ridicule and discrimination inevitably came her way.  In her culture, when someone had a sickness, it was commonly attributed to sin.  So it was common that people thought of her to be an immoral woman and that God was punishing her for her sin.  Jesus’ disciples thought like this too for a while, so when they saw a blind man they asked Jesus, “Who sinned? This man or his parents?”  Because of her issue, according to her religious restraints, she could not have sexual relations with her husband.  Who knows, maybe her husband even divorced her because of this.  Anyhow, here was this woman who had a major problem for 12 years.  When you had something for that long, it’s tempting to get hopeless.  But, when she encounters Jesus everything changes in one day.  Even today, one encounter with Jesus Christ- can change everything! 

 

However, when you read carefully, how did she get free and healed?  How was her issue resolved?  Faith.  Faith is so powerful.  Faith is what enables us to breakthrough.  I want to share with you about “Breakthrough faith.” 

 

Faith = Breakthrough

Faith is what brings the breakthrough.  It’s through faith that we can overcome anything in our lives.  “This is the victory that overcomes the world- our faith.”  (1 John 5:4)  People who have great faith inevitably have great victories- private victories and public victories.  If someone is always being overcome and living defeated, it’s because of the lack of faith. 

 

Well, how can we obtain this breakthrough faith? 

 

I will share 4 keys to breakthrough faith:

 

1)    Receive the Words of Christ

 

We see how this woman’s faith started by hearing about Jesus.  After twelve years of doing everything, going everywhere for help and coming up empty, she hears about Jesus and faith begins to grow in her heart. 

 

Faith Comes by Words of Christ

“…Faith comes from hearing and hearing the Words of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  Some Bibles like the KJV and the NKJV says, “Word of God” but that is not an accurate translation, because the original Greek says, “rhema…Cristos.”  That’s important to note because the truth is: not every passage in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation brings faith.  I know that might sound a like heresy- but I’ll get myself out of the heresy hole.  If someone only read the book of Leviticus day after day- that person would probably not have that much faith.  For example, here’s a passage from (Leviticus 26)

 

“14 ﾒHowever, if you do not listen to me or obey all these commands, 15 and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, 16 I will punish you. I will bring sudden terrors upon you wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your enemies will eat them. 17 I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is chasing you!18 And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins. 19 I will break your proud spirit by making the skies as unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze. 20 All your work will be for nothing, for your land will yield no crops, and your trees will bear no fruit. 21 If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins. 22 I will send wild animals that will rob you of your children and destroy your livestock. Your numbers will dwindle, and your roads will be deserted.23 And if you fail to learn the lesson and continue your hostility toward me, 24 then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins. 25 I will send armies against you to carry out the curse of the covenant you have broken. When you run to your towns for safety, I will send a plague to destroy you there, and you will be handed over to your enemies.”

 

After reading that, don’t you feel like you can now just overcome every issue in your life and totally change the world for the glory of God!  Don’t you feel so energized with hope and faith after reading that?  Probably not!

 

Not Every Passage Builds Faith

Not every passage in the Word of God builds faith.  It’s the Words of Christ that builds faith!  What is the Words of Christ? It’s Words Christ said and accurate words about who Christ is.  Notice, that where the Word of Christ is, faith comes.  Faith just comes.  Faith isn’t something you can cook up and muster up from human effort.  It’s not, “Oh, I better really concentrate and then maybe faith will be created in my mind- and it will be mind over matter- yeah!”  No.  Faith is something that we can’t create- but it simply comes to our hearts.  From whom does it come? The Lord.  How does it come? When you get connected to the Words of Christ.  

2) Dream!  

Key # 1 prepares you for Key # 2.  It’s the words of Christ, or the revelation of grace, that enables us to dream.  ”she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’” She was dreaming, picturing her breakthrough.  

I dream of the day my life will be fully pleasing to the Lord

I dream of the day my life with clearly reflect the love of Jesus to the world

I dream of the day I will lead souls to Christ all over the world

I dream of the day I will clearly hear the voice of God, and so intimately know Him

I tear up thinking about these dreams.  I want it so bad.  

Do you know what gives me permission to dream? Grace.  The words of Christ.  

Child of God, Dream, dream, dream!  The cross of Christ, has qualified us to be dreamers!  The grace of God, is our invitation to dream!  Dream of what can be!  Dream of what should be!  Take the words of Christ, let them be your paint that you dip the brush of your prayers and desires in, and paint on the canvas of your imagination!  Dreaming is key to breakthrough faith!

3) Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Her eyes were not on the distractions!  Her eyes were not on her issue!  Her eyes were on Jesus!

“Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)  There is something powerful that takes place when we get our eyes off ourselves and unto Jesus.  Jesus Himself-the masterful author- begins to write faith on our hearts.  I believe this shifting of focus, to fixate on Jesus takes place is Spirit-empowered worship.

Corrie Ten Boom the holocaust surviver said: “Look around and be distressed, look within and be depressed, look to Jesus and be at rest.”  Rest comes from faith. By faith we enter into His rest.

4) Reach out to touch Jesus!

She got the words, she started to dream, those dreams incubated ravishing desires!  Talk about desire:  She pushed her way through the crowds, she crawled her way in the dirt, to touch Jesus!  Passivity comes from lack of the Words of Christ in you, the absence of a dream in you, the confusion of your focus!  When you get the first three steps: PASSIVITY cannot remain!  Passive people don’t get breakthroughs.  

How do we touch Jesus?  How do we press through the distractions to touch Him?

I believe this takes place in worship!  

Have you ever been in that place where worship is so difficult!  You feel so far from Jesus.  Your mind is cluttered with thoughts about people.  You are so in the flesh!  You feel crusty.  

But, there is such desire in your heart for Him, that you continue to worship anyways.  You feel like demons are pushing you, pulling you, and mocking you.  But, you’re eyes are still laser focused!  The Words are in your heart, the Dream is on your mind, the Focus is in your eyes!  You keep pressing!  You keep drawing near to Him (James 4:8).  

Then it happens…  

YOU TOUCH HIM!  THE POWER OF GOD SURGES THROUGH YOU!  THE PRESENCE OF GOD OVERTAKES YOU!  THEN, EVERYTHING CHANGES!  CHANGE HAPPENS FIRST IN YOU, THEN AROUND YOU!  ISSUES ARE RESOLVED!  PROBLEMS ARE OVERCOME!  BREAKTHROUGH TAKES PLACE!  

Jesus tells this woman, “Your faith has made you whole.”  

 

Oh my goodness, prayers against abortion are being answered supernaturally!

Renowned Abortionist Becomes Pro-life Advocate

Former European abortionist Stojan Adasevic has performed tens of thousands of abortions and now credits a heavenly dream for his conversion to a pro-life “apostle.”

 

[11.25.08] Once known as the best abortionist in Belgrade, Serbia, having performed at least 48,000 abortions, Stojan Adasevic now says abortion is “satanic” and has become one of the nation’s most active pro-life advocates.

 

Adasevic says that though his mother tried to abort him, he’d never thought of abortion as murder until he began having daily reoccurring dreams about the children that he aborted. 

 

“It was a long time before I grasped the fact that a child in the mother’s womb is a living person, not from the time it draws its first breath, as the communist professors taught us, but from the instant the human embryo is formed,” he toldLove One Another magazine.  

 

For months he envisioned himself watching young people between the ages of 3 and 20 running and playing in a heaven-like utopia. Though he said the oasis was serene, he said he’d routinely feel anxious and would awake each night screaming with horror.

 

He sought both medical and psychological treatment to try to stop the dreams, but they continued nonstop for months. He soon realized that not only were these the children he terminated, but that the 20-year-old was his son, whom he aborted when his wife was three months pregnant.

 

“I saw without seeing,” he said to the magazine. “Everything changed after I started having the dreams.”

 

After a botched abortion in which Adasevic removed the beating heart of an aborted baby, he decided to never terminate another pregnancy.

 

Since his last abortion Adasevic has been instrumental in the nation’s anti-abortion movement. He succeeded twice in having state television air “The Silent Scream,” a harrowing recording of an actual abortion.

 

Abortion is legal in Serbia up until the baby takes its first breath. Gynecological students are taught that aborting a baby is no different than removing an appendix.

 

Adasevic also travels across his country lecturing on the detriments of abortion and fighting to pass laws to protect the unborn. 

 

“This is a real war, waged by the born upon the unborn,” he told Love One Another. “In this war I have crossed the front several times: first as an unborn child condemned to die, then as abortionist myself, and now as a pro-life apostle.”

http://charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/112508.php

What a testimony to the power of prayer and the grace of God.  I’m so blown away!

Professionalism before People replacing Intimacy with God

Many of these “fallen leaders” have started as sincere Christians- who experienced God’s transforming grace, and fell in love with Jesus.  Then, they lost their first love, and found a new love- ministry.  They gradually made the transition from being passionate worshippers to ministry machines. 

A high school student gets radically saved from a life of drugs and immorality.  He falls in love with Jesus Christ, and can’t help but to tell his friends about Christ.  He wakes up extra early every morning because he wants to spend time with his Lord.  He weeps every time he worships or testifies of God’s grace.  He spends the nights on his bed, dreaming of being used by God.  He goes to College then to Seminary, all while serving in leadership positions at his church.  He sees so much coldness in his Senior Pastor- who has become a church running machine, a CEO more than a lovesick worshipper of God.  He despises his Senior Pastor- whose selfish ambition oozes out of him.  Bitterness and resentment creeps in this Seminary student’s heart.  Now in his conversations, he speaks not out of a compassionate heart, but a critical spirit. 

He’s so busy with ministry obligations; he pushes out his personal time with the Lord.  In Seminary, his mind is being pumped with knowledge as never before!  His head is getting bigger, while his heart is getting smaller.  He gets frustrated with the high school students he is leading, wondering why they can’t be more like how he was during his high school days.  After graduation from Seminary is his ordination.  He is hired as a Senior Pastor.  His sermons are being analyzed by the sermon-coinsurers- also known as the elder board.  People in the congregation are talking negatively about him behind his back; he returns the favor.  His friend from Seminary has just gotten the pastorate across town, and that cross-town church is exploding in church growth.  For some reason, he can’t be happy for his colleague, but instead is thinking of the new church growth strategies to keep up.  His church grows, so does his pride, and sure enough- he’s become a tearless professional, and no longer a burning prophet.  The pressures of ministry are overwhelming, and the salvation of souls is no longer exciting.  Sadly, he finds his peace and thrill in an adulterous affair- that would cost him his ministry.  How did this high school kid-who was contagiously, furiously in love with Jesus, turn into a stone-cold CEO who brings shame to the name of Jesus Christ?

Many, ministers of the gospel fail morally, when they are no longer in intimate connection with the heart of God.  Professionalism is a jealous genius in the deceptive business of replacing intimacy with God.  Professionalism in the minister doesn’t happen over night, however, when it’s happened- it fossilizes his or her heart.  John Piper writes in his book to pastors titled, “Brothers’, We are not Professionals”:

 

“We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry.  Them mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet.  It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ.  Professionalism has noting to do with the essence and heart of Christian ministry.  The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake.  For there is no professional childlikeness (Matt. 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Psalm 42:1).”  (Piper, 2002, p.1-2)

           

 Pastors must endlessly war against professionalism, and keep guard against its sinister schemes.  As Samson’s hair was the secret of his strength, intimacy with God is the secret to the strength and sustaining of today’s Christian leader.  Today’s Delilah is professionalism.  Falling in love with being a “pro” is falling into the lap of Delilah.  John Piper, in fear of this Satanic ploy prays on behalf of fellow pastors’: “Banish professionalism from our midst, Oh God, and in its place put passionate prayer, poverty of spirit, hunger for Go, rigorous study of holy things, white-hot devotion to Jesus Christ, utter indifference to all material gain, and unremitting labor to rescue the perishing, perfect the said, and glorify our sovereign Lord.”  (Piper, 2002, p. 4)

Christian Stardom verses the Priesthood of ALL Believers

Why are so many Christian stars falling?  The bigger the get, the harder the seem to fall.  

The common denominator to the fallen Christian stars is that they were stars.  We wouldn’t pay much attention or even have been able to read about these superstars unless they were elevated to celebrity status.  Is the Church supposed to have celebrities?  Scripture does give us clues that some have been entrusted by God with more than others (Matthew 25), and that not everyone is going to be used to the same degree (Eph 4:11; 2 Tim. 2:20: 1 Cor. 12:23).  However, the Bible also teaches us the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9).  Every believer is to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11), and use their spiritual gifts as their means of ministry (1 Peter 4:10).

 George Barna, in his book “Pagan Christianity?”, argues that the wide gap between “clergy” and “laity” goes from Pagan traditions and influence, rather than God’s will:

 

“By the third century, the clery/laity gap widened to the point of no return.  Clergymen were trained leaders of the church- the guardians of orthodoxy- the rulers and teachers of the people.  They possessed gifts and graces not available to lesser mortals.  The laity were the second-class, untrained Christians.  The great theologian Karl Barth rightly said, ‘The term ‘laity’ is one of the worst in the vocabulary of religion and ought to be banished from the Christian conversation.’” (Barna, 2008, p.122)

 

Barna goes on to say “Tremendous psychological factors make laypeople feel that ministry is the responsibility of the pastor.  It’s his job.  He’s the expert is often their thinking.” (Barna, 2008, p. 135)  Sadly, this kind of thinking in the church, has elevated the minister to a position he should not be in.  There is much pressure upon the pastor to do so much of the ministry work, as his congregation engages in spectator Christianity.  Could that be why 81 percent of pastors feel they have insufficient time with their spouses, why 80 percent of pastors deal with depression, and 33 percent of pastors have seriously considered leaving their position in the last year? (Barna, 2008, p. 138)

 

Christian television and Christian Celebrities have not contributed to the priesthood of all believers; but have contributed in further making Christianity and Church a spectator sport.  Being in awe of another’s great gifts, we have hid our own.  While Christian television has also done some good for the Kingdom, and Christian celebrities have edified Christians, it has not been all edifying.  Alistair McGrath writes:

 

“The rise of televangelism and preaching ministries has led to a growing cult of personality…That is true not only of media ministries but also of those rounds that Christian celebrities regularly make to their appointed megachurch destinations.  It is not what the Scripture teach that really matters, but what this celebrity has to share with me about his or her experience or insights.” (ed. Horton, 1992, p. 310)

 

      Instead of putting all the burden and responsibility of ministry on the poor pastor, or electing superstars and celebrities, the Church- especially those in the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement- must be engaged in own responsibilities to steward their God-given gifts and ministries.  Christianity must move from being a spectator sport, to an all Saints movement, from fans to an army.  The Great Commission to make all disciples of all nations was not just given to professional clergymen, but to all disciples’ of Christ.  Could it be that in our pre-occupation with Christian entertainment, we will miss our own destinies? 

Those leaders in the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement, who fell into strange practices, scandal, and marriage failures, were in such high positions, with unending demands.  Many of these great leaders have ended up neglecting their God, spouses, and families because of these demands.  

Feeling warfare lately?

 ”Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” (Judges 3:1-4)

Have you ever asked God:

“Why the trials?  Why the temptations?  Why the confusions? Why the people who bug? Why sickness?  Why poverty? Why calamities?  Why sin? Why demonizations? Why the warfare within?” 

Answers:

God is teaching us how to fight, how to war!  

God is a mighty warrior! “The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is His Name.” (Exodus 15:3) God wants His children to be like Him.  ”As He is so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:7) How can you learn to fight if there is no opposition?  

Some people think if you are more like God, you become passive, gentle, and more chill.  However, according to this revelation, if we are become more godly, we ought to become more violent, fiery, and crazy! (Not towards people of course, because our warfare is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6)) The Holy Spirit did come like a dove, but He also came as a violent rushing wind (Acts 2:1).  Jesus is not just like a lamb (John 1:29), but also like a lion (Rev 5:5).  If we are only a dove, without an inner violence toward sin and the kingdom of Satan; if we are just like a lamb, and don’t have a lion in us, then maybe we aren’t really becoming more godly- but lopsided and lazy.  

 

 

How can our faith grow then there is no resistance?  Faith is like a muscle.  You have more of it, you can do more.  It’s given by God, but is developed through our use of what we have.

Faith grows through opposition- or warfare. Faith is tested in the furnace of opposition and warfare.  James writes that the testing of our faith, brings the perfecting of our character (James 1:2-4).  When our faith is challenged or tested, it’s then that our character is purified.  It’s been said that God is more interested in our character, than our comfort.  Character doesn’t grow on the bed of comfort; but, in the heat of warfare.  Our character is our hearts.  God’s focus is our hearts.  

(Hebrews 11) gives a list of the great men and women of faith, all of them came face to face with the forces of hell and overcame.  Our faith is what “overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4), and therefore, if we have nothing to overcome, our faith is jobless.  

 

 

God loves faith! A sinful person craves sin and takes joy in it.  A faithful person craves faith and takes joy in it.  God is faithful.  Faith is what pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6).  “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) If someone is missing out on faith, then in God’s eyes, He’s missed the mark. Sin means to miss the mark God’s intended.  If we never grew in faith, we’ve missed out on the “mark” or the “bull’s eye” or the “goal” of God’s intention for our existence.  We were created for God’s pleasure (Rev.4:11b), and if we are without the very thing that pleases Him- faith, we missed our purpose for living.  

 

Why the warfare?

1) For Godliness sake

2) For Faith sake

3) For God’s pleasure sake

 

Feeling the warfare lately? Good. 

 

 

I need You God to Carry me

Written 2006

“Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, ‘The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven.  And besides we saw the sons of Anakim there.’ Then I said to you, ’Do not be shocked, nor fear them.  The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as a man carries his son…” (Deut. 1:29-31)

In the midst of giants…remember that God has carried you

In the midst of the wilderness…remember that God has carried you

Do you ever feel like you’re in the midst of giants about to be devoured?

1.     Devoured by giants of depression

2.     Devoured by giants of sin

3.     Devoured by giants of fear

When I feel surrounded by giants…and feel like I’m going to be devoured I pray, “God if you don’t carry me, I’m going to fall…if you don’t keep me I won’t be kept.  I’m trusting you to carry me.” 

(Jude 24): God is able to “keep you from falling.”

(Isaiah 46:4) “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you!  I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry you, and will deliver you.”

 Do you ever feel like you’re going through a wilderness?

Where it seems so dry and dead, where the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit is just a memory of the past.  In the wilderness, prayer seems impossible; the Bible is too boring to bear, it’s a place where you feel so lonely and lost.  Every great man or woman of God has gone through times of wilderness…but through it their Father has carried them, and He can do the same for you.  Every great man or woman of God has not given up; they continued to seek after God.  They trusted and surrendered to the strong arms of the God and He carried them through.

I remember this picture from when I was only a few month old- I was a cute, bald baby.  In this picture my dad is carrying me in the Pacific Ocean.  He’s about 20 feet out in the water and about 4 feet deep.  And there are some waves rolling.  The only reason I was able to survive there in the ocean was because my dad was carrying me.  If he wasn’t carrying me, the waves would have devoured me and I would have drowned.

Speaking of waves! After being a Christian I’ve had waves of temptation, waves of deception, waves of discouragement, waves of doubts, waves of fear, waves of demonic attacks come my way; and the only reason I am still standing and serving God today is because my Heavenly Father has carried me just as a man carries his son. 

Back to that picture.  Now even though I was a baby, say I somehow squired, broke loose, and decided to jump out of his arms.  I would have not just hurt myself from the fall, but I would have drowned.  The safest place for me was surrendering to be in the arms of the Father. The devil is out like a prowling lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8); the safest place to be is in the arms of God- the presence of God.  According to (Psalm 91)- It’s in the presence of God that we find totally protection. We must live a life of prayer and in the Word of God.  We must live a surrendered life.  If we squirm in rebellion and ever leave intentionally slip out of the arm of God- we will be devoured. 

 

This is something I learned early on when I was in 8^th grade (Recently, I’ve had to re-learn this):  I learned that I was so weak in my own ability.  I knew anytime, I would drown in an ocean of sin, an ocean of anger, and an ocean of depression.  I knew what my flesh was capable of. So I lived a life of prayer.  I would start every day in prayer, surrender myself to his arms again, because I knew He had to carry me.  

Prayer and Fasting

PRAYER:  ”Keep watching and praying lest you fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41)

We have a choice:  

Fall on your knees and pray to God or fall  prey to Satan.  Fall on your face or fall into disgrace. 

From this verse, the Spirit of God says to me:

If you really know how to fall on your face before God, you will NEVER fall into disgrace before people.  

Something I’d rather die than do is: bring disgrace to the name of Jesus.  I believe the Lord is saying to me: 

If you learn how to be on your face “before” Me, you will NEVER bring disgrace “to” me. 

FASTING: “When you fast…” (Matthew 6:17)

Fasting is not a “hunger strike” against a stingy God.  God’s not stingy, but generous (Matt. 20:15)!  It’s a “strike” against the Kingdom of Darkness (Isaiah 58).  It’s coming to the place of weakness, so that God’s power can be perfected in our lives (2 Corinthians 12:9), and with that power, we “strike” in prayer, and break strongholds of Satan!

 

God’s purifying fire redeems my destiny!

Isaiah, after beholding the glory of God responds in this way: (Isaiah 6:5-6)

 5 ”Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah’s greatest weakness was his mouth.  

What’s your greatest weakness?  

After the fiery coal from the altar touched his mouth, his greatest weakness became his greatest strength.  His greatest weakness became his greatest weapon against the work of the devil.  

What’s your greatest weakness?

 

I believe Satan has a clue about everyone’s destiny.  

Therefore, he tries to kill all the babies in the time of Moses and Jesus- he had a sense.  I believe Satan had a sense that Isaiah’s destiny was to be a speaker of God’s word- an anointed prophet.  So, Satan tries to contaminate him in that way, to prevent him from living out his predestined purpose.  

Even today, I believe that there are so many young men who have the destiny to be a seer- to be a end-time prophetic messenger for God- who will have eyes to see into the spiritual realm- discerning times and seasons.  

I believe that there is a generation who are called to be end-time worshippers who will see the beauty of God.  Worshipping God starts from seeing God.  The destiny of this generation is to be a worship generation who sees God so clearly, worships Him so passionately, that they change the spiritual climate of nations!  

 However, because of the destiny of the enemy has come and slimed the eyes of this generation with pornography, filth in the media, video games, etc.  

There are so many young people who love God, and have tasted of His glory like Isaiah, and they are crying out, “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean eyes!  I live among a people with unclean eyes!”  

God’s destiny for this generation is that they would be “dreamers for God”.  They will dream big, ridiculous, supernatural dreams and see them come to pass.  They will dream of raising the dead, and it will happen.  They will dream of healing the sick and casting out demons, and it will happen.  They will dream of orphanages and see them built.  They will dream of writing, and see books written.  They will dream of revival, and see it!  

Therefore, Satan has attacked the imaginations of this generation.  The filthy images from evil spirits were sent to abort the faith-building images from the Holy Spirit.  

But, just as God turned out victorious in the days of Moses and Jesus, God’s will and purpose will still come forth!  He will hear the prayers of the young people- of this generation, and He will release His purifying fire!  When the fire comes, our greatest weaknesses becomes our greatest strengths.  

A generation will arise:

 Who has such discernment in their eyes, their eyes carry a purity, and have seen God, and their eyes have seen visions and dreams from the Spirit of God.  

Those who had the weakness of Hugh Hefner’s LUST, will have the strength of Jesus Christ’s pure LOVE.  Those who had the weakness of Sodom and Gomorrah’s PERVERSION, will have the strength of Heaven’s PURITY.  Those who had the weakness of Judas’ GREED, will have the strength of Mother Teresa’s GENEROSITY.  Those who had Jimmy Swaggart’s HYPOCRISY, will have Billy Graham’s INTEGRITY!  

Those weaknesses that gave them the most sorrow, will bring them the most souls for the Kingdom of God, when they touch the fire of God!

WHY?  THE PURIFYING FIRE OF GOD. 

Peter’s greatest weakness was his cowardliness, he wept bitterly after he denied the Lord.   His weakness of cowardliness brought so much sorrow that he even wanted to quit the ministry because of it!  Is there a weakness in your life that makes you just want to quit serving God?  

But, we know what happened to Peter after the fire of the Holy Spirit came upon him, he had his weakness replaced with supernatural boldness!  (Acts 2)  The weakness that brought Peter the most pain, was redeemed into the weapon that brought Peter the most gain.  

What’s your weakness that brings you the most pain?  When we get the fire of God, it will turn into our greatest gain.  Our number one weakness will become our number one weapon!   

God is not a respecter of persons.  He did it for Isaiah and Peter, what about you and me? 

What is your greatest weakness?

That might just become your greatest strength, your main weapon in spiritual warfare, and your divine purpose.

How do we get that transforming/redeeming fire?

Before, Isaiah got it: he acknowledged his weakness and cried out to God on behalf of it!  We must acknowledge and admit our weaknesses, and cry out to God regarding it like Isaiah.   “Whoa is me for I am a man  of _____?”  ”Whoa is me, for I am a woman of ________?”  What is it?

Let’s not hide our skeletons in our closets, but bring them before the Lord, and see God’s fire resurrect our destinies, our gifts, and our purpose.

God’s purifying fire redeems our destinies!  

Which will you give more credit to?

• Satan’s slime or God’s fire?

• Your past mistakes or God’s present grace?

God didn’t use Isaiah because he was perfect.  

Perfection isn’t a pre-requisite to being used by God.  But, being purified in God’s fire is.  Perfection isn’t the currency to purchase God’s fire.  Humble, passionate prayer is.  Isn’t that all that Isaiah did? Engage in a humble, passionate prayer?

I can’t be perfect, but I can be hungry like Isaiah.  This brings me incredible hope.  What about you?

Can you be perfect? Probably not.

Can you engage in humble, passionate prayer? Of Course! 

Therefore: Can you be purified in God’s fire and be used by God? 

ABSOLUTELY!

When was Isaiah Qualified for Ministry?

Isaiah first encountered God’s reality.  But, that didn’t qualify him for ministry.  He needed to encounter God’s fire!  There are many people who have encountered God’s reality.  They know He is real.  But, they have not been purged in the fire yet.  Yet.

 

You can only be too big for God

PART 1: BE SMALL IN YOUR OWN EYES

“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’” (Judges 7:2)

 

I CAN NEVER BE TOO SMALL FOR GOD TO USE, ONLY TOO BIG.  MY WEAKNESS DOESN’T DISQUALIFY ME, IT ACTUALLY QUALIFIES ME TO BE USED BY GOD.  IT’S MY STRENGTHS THAT DISQUALIFY ME…

BECAUSE: WHATEVER I DO ON MY OWN STRENGTH IS BOASTING MATERIAL. (see article on ‘Dependancy’) WHATEVER I DO ON HIS STRENGTH, IS PRAISE MATERIAL.  

DO YOU EVER FEEL SO SMALL AND WEAK IN YOURSELF?  You’ve now been qualified to be used by God!  

When the corporations of the world are hiring employees, they look for self-confidence.  When the kingdom of God hires employes, they look for utter-dependence!  

 

PART 2: BUT, DO NOT BE AFRAID!

“Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him depart from Mount Gilead.’ So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.’” (Judges 7:3)

ANOTHER PRINCIPLE:  FEAR DISQUALIFIES, but FAITH QUALIFIES!

Yes, we must be well aware of our smallness and weakness, but if it stops there, we will not be used by God, but will self-disqualify ourselves.  

I recognize my frailty and limitations, but my focus is not on me, because if it was I’d be left with: Fear!  But, because my focus in on the Lord- the Mighty God – the Limitless One- I’m left with: FAITH!  God uses people with faith (Hebrews 11).  

Faith doesn’t deny fact, but changes it.  

As people of faith, we don’t deny the fact that we are weak and small.  Yet, as we focus on the Lord, and humbly draw from His strength, our condition changes- from helpless to helpful, from powerless to powerful, from changed-by-world people to changing the world people, and from fearful to faithful. 

Jesus- My Standard

When I was in Hawaii, a man of God shared with me a prophetic Word that he had for me.  He shared with me that I needed for focus not on pastors, or authors, but on Jesus.  He went on to say, “You want to be like this missionary, and that evangelist.  But, Jesus must be your standard!” 

It sounds elementary doesn’t it?  But, I sure needed that word.  I was writing so many research papers for my classes.  Occupied with reading, hearing, studying what this person and that person was saying, I was missing Jesus.  It’s so sad that we can miss Jesus!  He must be our prime focus.  Not: Church, Conferences, Books, Movements, Pastors, Prophets, etc.  It may seem like these things are more tangible and relatable than an invisible Savior, but if we miss Jesus, we missed Christianity- we missed the Prize!

So I went through the book of Mark, to just focus on Jesus!  To see the standard to He set, and follow through.  I am a follower of Christ, so must pay heart-felt attention to His example.  I found about 150 + things about Jesus that I can follow.  Given, I won’t follow everything, such as claiming to be the Messiah, etc.  But, Jesus operated as a man- empowered by the Spirit.  I can walk as He walked.  I can do what He did!

“…as He is, so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17) 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12) 

(MARK 1-4):

1.   Empowered by the Spirit (Mark 1:10)

2.   Knew Father’s delight in Him (Mark 1:11)

3.   Led by the Spirit (Mark 1:12)

4.   Fasted (Mark 1:12)

5.   Angelic Visitations (Mark 1:12)

6.   Overcame Temptation (Mark 1:13)

7.   Called Evangelists (Mark 1:17)

8.   Taught with authority and boldness (Mark 1:22)

9.   Brought havoc to demons (Mark 1:23)

10.                 Had a deliverance ministry (Mark 1:25)

11.                 Healed through a touch (Mark 1:31)

12.                 Healed various diseases (Mark 1:34)

13.                 Casted out many demons (Mark 1:34)

14.                 Early Morning Prayer (Mark 1:35)

15.                 Preached and Casted out Demons (Mark 1:39)

16.                 Moved with Compassion (Mark 1:41)

17.                 Reached out to heal (Mark 1:42)

18.                 Had Spiritual Perception (Mark 2:8)

19.                 Spoke boldly and creatively (Mark 2:10-11)

20.                 Lead all to Glorify God (Mark 2:12)

21.                 Friend of sinners (Mark 2:15)

22.                 Gave words of wisdom in response (Mark 2:17)

23.                 Knew the Scriptures (Mark 2:25)

24.                 Had holy anger (Mark 3:5)

25.                 Spoke commands in faith (Mark 3:5): “Stretch out your hand”

26.                 Offended the Religious Pharisees (Mark 3:6)

27.                 Pulled away to rest (Mark 3:7)

28.                 Commanded Demons to Shut Up (Mark 3:12)

29.                 Discipled and Released them to move in Power (Mark 3:14-15)

30.                 Was Accused of being Crazy (Mark 3:21): “He had lost His senses”

31.                 Protective of the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29)

32.                 Was accused of being Possessed (Mark 3:30)

33.                 Knew who His Spiritual Family was (Mark 3:34-35)

34.                 Taught truth profoundly (Mark 4:1-10)

35.                 Taught hungry people about the Kingdom (Mark 4:11)

36.                 Knew about Stewardship (Mark 4:25): Understood faithfulness

37.                 Knew Evangelism: (Mark 4:22): Understood the harvest

38.                 Understood the Kingdom of God (Mark 4:30)

39.                 Left Crowds (Mark 4:36)

40.                 Rebuked Nature with Powerful Creative Words (Mark 4:36)

41.                 Encouraged Faith

 

(MARK 5-9)

 

42.                 Make Demons Miserable (Mark 5:10)

43.                 Cast of the spirit of death from people (Mark 5:13)

44.                 Be Hated by selfish and Greedy People (Mark 5:17): those who are more interested in money than people

45.                 Send people away with peace and healing (Mark 5:25-34): seeing the healing anointing flow from my clothe

46.                 Destroy fear and stir up faith in people (Mark 5:36)

47.                 Speak forth in faith what you see in the Spirit (Mark 5:39): “The child is asleep”

48.                 Be laughed at by logical people (Mark 5:40)

49.                 Call people out of death and comas (Mark 5:41)

50.                 To astonish people by teaching with wisdom and miracles (Mark 6:2)

51.                 To offend those who think you’re only human (Mark 6:3)

52.                 Lay hands on the sick and heal (Mark 6:6)

53.                 Commission others to move in the power of God (Mark 6:7)

54.                 Knowing when to rest (Mark 6:31)

55.                 Feel compassion because of seeing the real spiritual needs of people (Mark 6:34)

56.                 Teach out of compassion many things (Mark 6:34)

57.                 To challenge others to come up higher (Mark 6:37): “You give them something to eat”

58.                 To have faith for multiplication (Mark 6:41): “Looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food”  

59.                 Go pray alone in the afternoon, right after ministry and victories (Mark 6:46)

60.                 Have power over nature, when God allows (Mark 6:48)

61.                 To encourage people not to be afraid, but to take courage (Mark 6:50)

62.                 Being so permeated with the anointing, that it lingers on my clothes (Mark 6:56)

63.                 To discern what is religious, true worship, true Word of God, and tradition (Mark 7:8)

64.                 Understand the Power of Words (Mark 7:20)

65.                 Knew how to minister uniquely to each person (Mark 7:24-37)

66.                 Look up to heaven, groan in the Spirit, and command healing (Mark 7:34)

67.                 Feeling Compassion (Mark 8:2)

68.                 Give thanks in impossible situations (Mark 8:6)

69.                 Multiplication by faith (Mark 8:6)

70.                 Not be wasteful (Mark 8:8)

71.                 Sighing at what is evil and of unbelief (Mark 8:12)

72.                 Warn people of dangers (Mark 8:15): The Pharisee’s leaven.  

73.                 Reminding others of Truth (Mark 8:18)

74.                 Ministering uniquely (Mark 8:23): Spit on a blind man

75.                 Lay hands on the blind (Mark 8:23)

76.                 Ask for feedback after prayer (Mark 8:23)

77.                 Contend for healing by praying again (Mark 8:25)

78.                 Discern the spirit behind the words (Mark 8:33): “get behind me Satan”

79.                 Preach radical discipleship (Mark 8:34-38)

80.                 Speak Prophetically (Mark 9:1)

81.                 Have Heavenly Encounters (Mark 9:2-3)

82.                 Know the Glory Cloud (Mark 9:7)

83.                 Hear the voice of God (Mark 9:7): Lead others to that experience 

84.                 Have answers to seeker’s questions (Mark 9:12)

85.                 Call for the demon possessed (Mark 9:19)

86.                 Encourage others to believer (Mark 9:23)

87.                 Command demons to come out and stay out (Mark 9:25)

88.                 Encourage others to pray for breakthrough and spiritual power (Mark 9:29)

89.                 Teach on being a Servant (Mark 9:35)

90.                 Protect the little ones (Mark 9:42)

91.                 Call for radical devotion and craziness for purity (Mark 9:43-47): “cut it off”

92.                 Encourage people to stay fresh (Mark 9:50): “If the salt becomes unsalty…”

93.                 Encourage people to live at peace with others (Mark 9:50)

 

(MARK 10-14)

94.                 Understand the Value of Marriage (Mark 10:9)

95.                 Be Clear on Adultery (Mark 10:12)

96.                 Loving Children (Mark 10:13)

97.                 Embrace Kids and Bless Them (Mark 10:16)

98.                 Understand and Preach on the Goodness of God (Mark 10:18)

99.                 Feeling Love for the Lost (Mark 10:21)

100.             Calling People to Radical Devotion (Mark 10:21)

101.             Understand the trap of wealth (Mark 10:23)

102.             Understand and Preach that with God all is Possible (Mark 10:27)

103.             Understand and Preach about the glories of heaven (Mark 10:30)

104.             Understand and Preach true Kingdom Greatness (Mark 10:43): Servanthood

105.             Being a servant and giving (Mark 10:45)

106.             Speak healings (Mark 10:52)

107.             Have supernatural knowledge of what will happen (Mark 11:3)

108.             Be physically hungry (Mark 11:12)

109.             Speak words of authority (Mark 11:14)

110.             Passion for purity in the House of God (Mark 11:15-17)

111.             Understand and Teach on Faith and Prayer (Mark 11:22-24)

112.             Understand and Teach on Forgiveness (Mark 11:25-26)

113.             Stump critics and haters with wisdom (Mark 11:27-33)

114.             Understood rejection and promotion (Mark 11:10)

115.             Wasn’t afraid to speak against people (Mark 12:12)

116.             Had insight into hearts’ motivations (Mark 12:15)

117.             Got out of tough situations with wisdom (Mark 12:17)

118.             Honored government (Mark 12:17) 

119.             Insight into Eternity (Mark 12:25)

120.             Knew the Old Testament (Mark 12:26)

121.             Knew the Priority of love (Mark 12:29)

122.             Knew where people were at spiritually (Mark 12:34)

123.             Warned against the proud, posers, greed (Mark 12:38)

124.             Knew about greater condemnation (Mark 12:40)

125.             Knew the value of giving (Mark 12:44)

126.             Had prophetic insight into the future (Mark 13:2)

127.             Understood the end times (Mark 13:5)

128.             Discerned the times (Mark 13:28)

129.             Called people to stay alert (Mark 13:34)

130.             Knew of windows of opportunity (Mark 14:7)

131.             Had a vision, and saw what needed to be done (Mark 14:12-16): saved time!

132.             Blessed and gave thanks for food (Mark 14:22-23)

133.             Took time to pray under pressure (Mark 14:32)

134.             Had real emotions (Mark 14:34): He knew He’d be separated from the Father

135.             Knew the importance of prayer (Mark 14:38): encouraged others to pray

136.             Know the spiritual purpose behind certain crisis (Mark 14:49)

137.             Have a clean slate, be without reproach (Mark 14:55)

138.             Be misquoted (Mark 14:57-58)

139.             Know when not to defend yourself (Mark 14:61)

140.             Know who you are, and stand for truth no matter what (Mark 14:62)

141.             Be beaten and humiliated for following God’s will (Mark 14:65)

142.             Words that will come back and haunt you (Mark 14:72)

143.             Sticking with the truth (Mark 15:2)

144.             Resist the temptation of defensiveness (Mark 15:5)

145.             My innocence be obvious to Pagans (Mark 15:10)

146.             To pay the price for the healing ministry (Mark 15:14)

147.             To pay the price to see salvation come to many (Mark 15:25)

148.             Be misunderstood (Mark 15:29-30)

149.             Being sensitive to the presence of God (Mark 15:34)

150.             Have my prayers mocked (Mark 15:35-36)

151.             Empowered women (Mark 15:41)

152.             Preached on the accompanying signs and wonders (Mark 16:17-18)

 

Jesus- my standard and model (book of Luke) pt. 1

Luke 1-5

1. Jesus listened to others (Luke 2:46)
2. Jesus asked questions (Luke 2:46)
3. Jesus answered questions and had an incredible understanding of truth (Luke 2:47)
4. Jesus loved being in His Father’s house (Luke 2:49)
5. Jesus was misunderstood by His parents (Luke 2:50)
6. Jesus was submission to His parents, but put His Heavenly Father first (Luke 2:51)
7. Jesus increased in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
8. Jesus increased in stature (Luke 2:52)
9. Jesus grew in favor with God (Luke 2:52)
10. Jesus grew socially (Luke 2:52)
11. Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:21)
12. Jesus prayed and heaven opened and the Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:21)
13. Jesus heard and experienced that He was the Beloved One of His Father (Luke 3:22)
14. Jesus was filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1)
15. Jesus went into the wilderness (Luke 4:1)
16. Jesus was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:2): I can’t be like Jesus if I’m not tempted.
17. Jesus fasted for forty days (Luke 4:2)
18. Jesus knew how to use the Word of God in the fire of temptation (Luke 4:4)
19. Jesus knew that it wasn’t all about food (Luke 4:4)
20. Jesus knew that worship and service was reserved for God alone (Luke 4:8)
21. Jesus had visions from Satan (Luke 4:5)
22. Jesus knew when the Scripture was being twisted (Luke 4:12)
23. Jesus had the power of the Spirit after the temptations (Luke 4:14)
24. Jesus taught publicly (Luke 4:14)
25. Jesus knew His mission and the purpose of the power (Luke 4:18-19)
26. Jesus knew the prophetic significance of the Living Word (Luke 4:21)
27. His words caused people to marvel (Luke 4:22)
28. Jesus knew of how honor and acceptance was a huge factor in His ministry (Luke 4:23-26)
29. Jesus wasn’t afraid to offend (Luke 4:28)
30. He taught with confident words of authority (Luke 4:32)
31. Jesus brought power encounters when He preached, demons couldn’t hide (Luke 4:33)
32. Jesus didn’t let demons make a scene (Luke 4:35)
33. Jesus had growing reputation (Luke 4:37)
34. Jesus rebuked fevers (Luke 4:39)
35. Jesus healed by laying on of hands (Luke 4:40)
36. Jesus didn’t allow demons to speak but rebuked them (Luke 4:41)
37. Jesus knew his purpose was to preach (Luke 4:43)
38. Jesus knew supernaturally even how to fish (Luke 5:6)
39. Jesus set people free from fear (Luke 5:10)
40. Jesus released people to catch men -to evangelize (Luke 5:10)
41. Jesus was willing to stretch out and heal (Luke 5:13)
42. Jesus Jesus drew people to hear Him and be healed by Him (Luke 5:15)
43. Jesus withdrew to pray (Luke 5:16)
44. Jesus had the power to heal come upon him (Luke 5:17)
45. Jesus saw faith in people (Luke 5:20)
46. Jesus perceived people’s thoughts (Luke 5:22)
47. Jesus exposed secrets in people’s hearts (Luke 5:23)
48. Jesus spoke commands in faith (Luke 5:24)
49. Jesus had people do what they couldn’t do before (Luke 5:24)
50. Jesus attracted sinners (Luke 5:27)
51. Jesus hung out with sinners (Luke 5:29)
52. Jesus was criticized for being with worldly people (Luke 5:30)
53. Jesus knew He was the solution (Luke 5:31)
54. Jesus saw sinners and those who were not valueless, but “sick” valuables who needed healing (Luke 5:31)
55. Jesus knew His purpose was to reach sinners (Luke 5:32)
56. Jesus did things for a reason- like not fast (Luke 5:33)
57. Jesus talked about His disciples fasting because of lovesickness (Luke 5:35)
58. Jesus knew what was fitting and what wasn’t based on time (Luke 5:38-39)

The Book of Romans

“In the Gospels we see what He (Jesus) did, but it is in the Book of Romans that we come to understand the implications of what He did.”- Noel Jones, “The Battle for the Mind” p. 28

Submit to Authority and be Faithful, or doing whatever the hell I want, when I want, how I want!

I live in the Ipod generation. Why are Ipods so popular? I could listen to what I want, when I want, and how I want. I have control! I have total freedom!

I was so awesome and almost perfect in honoring and submitting to Church authority, the first few years I was a Christian. I loved and honored my pastors and leaders. I did everything I was told and sometimes more. I put them on pedestals so high, but in 2002, through a series of events, I lost all respect and trust for them. Since then, submitting to Church authority and being faithful to a Church ministry have been very unnatural for me. The next three or four years after that, I served at a couple churches, but didn’t really establish myself anywhere. I became a youth pastor at a small church for a little over a year. I didn’t like being under authority. I had a hard time trusting church leaders- especially if I sensed that they were driven by ego, and wanted to use me as a stepping stone to get to their destination. Ironically, we are quick to judge things in others that really reside in our own hearts.

But, by grace, I’ve been outgrowing childish ways of thinking and living.

When it comes to submitting to church authority, here are some things I learned:

First, if a church leader who is over me is asking me to do something contrary to the will of God for my life, I must violently disagree.

“We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:19) I think it’s the worst when a congregation is passionately exhorted to obey and submit to a Pastor, without the disclaimer- that we must obey God first and only follow the leader only if he/she is following Christ. Paul said, “follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). I’ve heard a few leaders say this, “I’m going to follow my leader, even if he is wrong, I’m going to be faithful to him. I’m would risk being heretic, for the sake of my spiritual leader.” Believe it or not, I heard two pastors I was serving under say such things (I don’t even want to go into the motives of why they would say that to someone under them). This is BULL! I’ll only follow a Church leader if he/she is following Christ. If they aren’t following Christ, they are no longer going in the same direction as me, so we PART WAYS IMMEDIATELY! I’m not going to be a heretic for anyone! When Paul saw that Peter- a respected spiritual leader was wrong- he rebuked him to his face (Galatians 2:12-14). There must not be blind following in the Church! I believe in submitting to God-established authority, but blind following is SATANIC.  The book of Proverbs is always differentiating the blessings of being prudent and the curses of being simple.  Being a simple follower is dangerous.  

Please, guard against a critical spirit.  Critical people are loveless, negative, useless people who gossip more than pray, and complain rather than help.  We shouldn’t be like a Pharisee and be judging every little action of our spiritual leaders, while being oblivious to the monumental issues in our own lives.  But, as a person who walks with the Spirit, if something a leader does or is doing doesn’t sit right with you, pray about it, and see what the Bible has to say, “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;” (1 Thess. 5:21)

Second, God establishes Church Authority.

There are different officers that God establishes over the Church: Pastor, Teacher, Apostle, Prophet, and Evangelist (Eph. 4:11). They equip the Church. Every member in the church ought to submit to the equipping and empowering ministry of a God-appointed officer! Otherwise, they will be ill-equipped. God raises up people to take you to the next level. They are like elevators who can take you to the next level. Some Christians try to avoid these elevators. No wonder they are on level one.

Paul was appointed an apostle, by the will of God (Eph. 1:1). These officers whose ministries we must submit to, aren’t self-appointed. Paul ministered to Timothy and imparted spiritual gifts to him (2 Timothy 1:6). Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father (1 Timothy 1:2). Father’s pass on inheritances to their kids, when it’s time. Timothy reaped the benefits of Paul’s labors. Paul’s ceiling was Timothy’s floor. Did Timothy to call Paul “father?”

Jesus said that we are all brothers, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” (Matthew 23:9). Timothy’s one true Father was God. However, Paul was like a father to him. Lower-case “f”. Here’s the point: We must never put a spiritual father in the same category as God! (This is back to point one)

How do you get a spiritual father? Divine connections. I believe God brings people together. God leads His sheep to the right flock. His sheep ought to be sensitive to His leading. This might not be a good answer to some super practical people, but it’s an answer that all praying people will agree with.

God establishes His chosen leaders through chosen leaders. It was the other apostles who recognized the “grace” upon Paul’s life to be an apostle (Gal. 2:9). Here’s the thing: If Paul was isolated and never submitted to God established leaders, he would have never been recognized and released as a God established leader. Some people want God to raise them up, but if they aren’t submitting to other respected leaders, they don’t deserve have credibility. In most denominations, for a minister to be ordained, there must be other ordained leaders who recognize the “grace” on the ordination candidate, and be willing to recommend him. That’s biblical.

Third, We must serve God under our God-established Authority.

In the Kingdom of God, you serve your way to promotion. Samuel served Eli- his divine connection. Eli wasn’t perfect, he had real issues- he didn’t discipline his sons. But Samuel served him the best he could. Wait, was Samuel a blind follower? No. When the Lord spoke to Samuel a word of rebuke for Eli, Samuel delivered it. Samuel wasn’t afraid to rebuke Eli (1 Sam. 3). This stood out to me: “The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli” (1 Samuel 3:1). When, we serve under our divine connection, we aren’t serving the minister/pastor/leader, we are serving the Lord. Hallelujah! We must work as if we are serving the Lord! (Col. 3:22-23): “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…”

Samuel and Eli

Interesting enough: Samuel served faithfully and humbly! Then, God raised Samuel up to be the revivalist and prophet to the nation. I know I’ve had dreams of being a REVIVALIST and a PROPHET to the NATIONS. I want to be used by God- so my life can count for time and eternity! However, could it be that if we aren’t not willing to serve under Eli (the Divine Connection), that, we might as well kiss those dreams goodbye? Could it be that if we aren’t willing to humbly and faithfully serve under our Eli, we are no better than Eli’s sons, and our destiny could be as short and tragic as those two undisciplined, fornicating, blaspheming, greedy, disgraces! I’ve been praying, “God, please make me like Samuel, not like Eli’s sons!”

Eli’s aren’t perfect, they like most people have issues and areas of weakness. If they don’t repent, they will have to deal with the consequences. Sadly, Eli had to. The Eli that God brings into our lives aren’t going to be perfect. But, Eli did have a heart for God. Eli served God and was following God. If Eli went to serve Baal, than I doubt Samuel would have been working in Baal’s temple. Your Eli will have issues and weaknesses like everyone else. When led by the Lord, don’t be afraid to confront them like Samuel- no matter how young you are. But, if your Eli is serving God, serve under him (you aren’t serving him) even though it’s not always easy.  Don’t just serve under him, but love him/her.  This is what the Word says, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” (1 Thess. 5:12-13)  Whoa!  Did you know that God puts some people in charge over you!  We aren’t supposed to live our Christian lives without a pastor or spiritual father/mother.  God has people whom he’s put in charge over you.  They will answer to God for what kind of job they did.  To experience the Kingdom life, the abundant life in Christ to the fullest- we need to have God’s appointed person/people in charge over us, and we must love and honor them- not just because your obligated to because of their position, but because everyone is a precious person- deserving of love and respect. Amen? 

Should I serve under a pastor who divorcing his wife to go with another woman? No. He’s no longer following Christ, but following his own lusts, and Satan probably has him by the collar.  We must love fallen leaders, but we don’t have to follow them and must not emulate them.  

Should I serve under a pastor who has some rough edges, some fear of man like Eli, but really loves God? Yes, as long as God has you there.

Ruth and Boaz:

Do you know why Boaz trusted Ruth and raised her up as his bride? He heard of Ruth’s faithfulness to her mother in law Naomi. Boaz is a picture of Christ Jesus and Ruth is a picture of the Bride of Christ. Boaz was spoiling Ruth, and Ruth asked, bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed,

“Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10).

then…

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:11-12)

Let’s talk about Faithfulness:

So many Christians want Jesus to bless them, but they won’t be faithful to their Naomi. Naomi can represent a church, a pastor, a spiritual father, even earthly parents. Naomi went through her tough times. Her husband died, and her children died. When a Christian serves in a ministry, a precious spouse, a brother or sister in the Lord, that ministry might seem pleasant, but will you be faithful when the ministry goes through the bitter times. Naomi -means “pleasant”, but she wanted her name to be changed to “bitter.” Naomi’s other daughter-in-law was Orpah. Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye during the tough times. Ruth clung to Naomi during the storm.

Is there a Naomi whom God has brought into your life? It might be a little church. It might be a ministry. It might be a pastor. It is probably not a jerk monkey boyfriend or jezebel girlfriend. Naomi was to Ruth a divine connection.

Next question: Are you a kisser or a cleaver? Jesus Christ has many kissers, but few cleavers. Every person has many friends who are kissers, but much fewer, faithful cleavers. I heard a very powerful minister once say, “If you’re not going to help me push my little red wagon up the hill, don’t jump on when I’m flying down!” Ruth was not just looking for a free-ride to blessing land, anointing village, or glory city. She was willing to push with her divine connection Naomi- even when no one else was willing. She was had the virtue of faithfulness, something many claim, but few actually have. Many claim loyalty, but few are. “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,But who can find a trustworthy man?” (Proverbs 20:6)

Again, here’s the disclaimer: being loyal to your divine connection is not the same as being a blind follower of a spiritual leader.

If I wanted to sum up the book of Ruth, it’s this: Being faithful to the right people will bring INCREDIBLE BLESSINGS into your life. Ruth was also the great grandmother of King David, and distant granny of Jesus Christ. Butt-kissers don’t leave legacies. Band-wagon hoppers don’t leave legacies. It’s only the faithful cleavers who leave honorable legacies in the Kingdom of God.

Jim and Billy:

Billy Graham is a living legend for the Kingdom. But, he while Christians were gossiping about the fallen televangelist Jim Bakker- whose sex-scandal kicked him out of the respect of the church and whose fraud charges kicked him into a prison- Graham was there to show his love and support. While others were calling Bakker the “cancer to the Body of Christ” Billy took time to minister to and restore Jim Bakker. It’s those kind of people who leave a legacy. By the way, the famous preacher- who called Jim Bakker the “cancer to the Body of Christ” was caught with prostitutes and left himself a legacy as a hypocrite.

POINT of all this: God establishes authority. We must see who God is divinely connecting us to. We submit to authority- not as blind guides, but being “shrewd as serpents but innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16). We need to learn the virtue of faithfulness and loyalty, which is proven through the bitter times, not the sweet times. Let’s not stomp on the fallen, but in faithfulness restore them. Let’s leave a legacy for the Kingdom. We are not the Ipod Generation.

There is No Christianity without the Cross

(Matthew 16:21-27):

“21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

 23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

No such thing as a Cross-less Christianity! 

Without the cross there is no Christianity.  If Jesus didn’t take up the cross, Christianity would be non-existent.  Jesus was the example.  According to the passage we read, Christ’s followers must take up the cross too.  If a Christian doesn’t take up his/her cross, how authentic is his/her Christianity.  Again: there is no true Christianity without the cross.  

What is the Cross? What does is mean for me as a Christian to take up the cross?  

Does it mean that I have to fly to Israel, and go up on Mount Calvary, and hire Roman Soldiers to nail me onto a massive piece of wood?  No.

The Cross was Jesus’ purpose, destiny, and assignment from God.  It was Christ’s greatest ministry.  Wait, wasn’t casting out demons and raising the dead Jesus’ greatest ministry?  No.  Salvation of souls- deliverance from an eternal hell was Christ’s greatest ministry.  Opening the way for filthy, professional, life-long sinners to be cleansed of their sins, given a new heart, a new life, and a living relationship with God that begins on earth but will continue throughout eternity in the glories of heaven, is Christ’s greatest ministry.  What did that ministry look like?  What did fulfilling that assignment look like? It looked like an irreconcilable man, smeared with blood, enduring pain and shame, hanging on a tree.  However, after the cross, came the resurrection.  After His resurrection came insurmountable rewards (Philippians 2) of which possible the most precious is the salvation of many lives:  ”It was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross, despising it’s shame” (Hebrews 12:2).  The cross doesn’t come without indescribable joy following. 

Now, what is my cross?  

My cross is God’s purpose, destiny, and assignment for me.  I could go to Israel and hire Romans to crucify me, but that won’t have nearly the same affect as Christ’s crucifixion had.  But, God has something unique for me.  He has something that He put me on this earth to do.  It’s my greatest ministry- which will lead to the greatest help for mankind.  Everyone’s cross (by that I’m speaking of purpose, destiny, and assignment) is unique.  Like Jesus, the my cross might not always be feeling-friendly and full of comfort.  However, my cross, if I ever take it up, will bring insurmountable rewards and indescribable joy. 

Why many “Christians” don’t take up their cross?

1. Ignorance.  When a Christian only hears about how God wants him to be healthy and wealthy, he might miss the cross.  When a Christian only hears that Christianity is a badge that you sport instead of a cross that you carry, he/she might miss his/her cross.  When a Christian hears that God just wants everyone to be happy, and He exists to make people feel good, he will probably never take up the cross.  This passage in (Matthew 16), must not be ignored, it’s essential.  Christianity and the cross aren’t separable.  
2. Not willing to deny himself.  Jesus said, “If any man desires to come after Me, he must first deny himself, take up the cross and follow Me.”  First means first.  People can’t take up the cross if they aren’t willing to deny themselves.  If a man is not willing to deny himself, he will never take up the cross: his greatest ministry- which will bring the greatest rewards and joy.  It’s super sad when a Christian goes through life, but misses His cross.  What if Jesus missed His cross?  

Deny yourself or Stuff yourself? 

Being a Christian is about denying self -their own feelings, comforts, sinful desires, and worldly pleasures, not stuffing self.  When professed Christian (Christian means “follower of Christ”) misses self-denial, they are missing essential Christianity.  

Self-denial?  Yuck! Isn’t that what Buddhist monks do?  Isn’t that what religious fundamentalists and radicals do?   Yeah.  But here’s the difference between Christian self-denial and other religious self-denial:

Christian self-denial is in a class of it’s own.  It might look similar to self-denial of other religious orientations, but it’s very unique.  Christian holiness is different!  

Counterfeit Holiness verse Christian Holiness:

Counterfeit money looks like real money.  Counterfeit holiness looks just like real holiness.  Counterfeit holy people passionately do the right things, and viciously abstain from the wrong things.  They have passion, but no true compassion.  They have much discipline, but no love!  Their motivation for holiness or self-denial is essentially selfish and self-centered.  They see their hard-earned holiness as a means to look down on other people and judge them.  They may not be filled with pornography, but they are filled with pride.  They may not commit adultery, but they are full of arrogance.  So ironically, they think that they are living a life of self-denial, but in actually, they are full of themselves.  A person without love and humility is not authentically holy- I don’t care what they do or don’t do!  

Christian self denial or holiness is all about self-denial motivated by sincere love and humbled gratitude.  We deny ourself not to prove ourselves to anybody, but because our hearts have been transformed by the power of love and faith in that love.  Christianity is NOT ABOUT SELF-DENIAL, BUT ABOUT LOVE. LOVE IS THE ROOT WHICH THE FRUIT OF SELF-DENIAL STEMS FROM.  I love, so I deny myself, so I take up the cross, and so I follow Jesus.  

Authentic Christianity:

 My generation prizes authenticity.  So much.  Too much.  ”I just want to be real” they say.  ”I love him because he’s so real” they’ll say.  

So they bring this value system into their Christian lives with conversion.  So professing Christians want to be real to themselves, but really they want to be real to their feelings.  They will say, “I don’t want to pray today, so I won’t, I just don’t feel like it.”  ”I don’t want to worship, I’m not feeling it.”  ”I don’t want to go to Church today, I don’t feel like going, why should I go when I’m not even feeling it, I just want to be real.”  ”I’m not going to live holy today, I felt like it last month, but I not this week. I just gotta be real right?”  

HERE’S THE IRONIC TRUTH:

In the name of being authentic, my generation has become hypocrites!

“I just want to be real”, they say.  So what happens is: While being real to their fickle feelings, they are being hypocrites to faithful Father.  They think they are authentic, but really they are being hypocrites- calling themselves Christians, but unwilling to deny themselves and take up the cross and follow Jesus.   

What scares me is that our generation will miss the glorious cross that God has for us, because we don’t know how to deny ourselves for the sake of our Love and Savior.  In the name of being “real people” we are being “fake Christians” who miss the essence of Christianity.  By the way, someone who calls himself/herself a Christian but isn’t willing to do the basic Christian duty- deny self and follow Jesus- is not being a real person, but a posers! 

I’m all for authenticity.  But, true authenticity is calling myself a Christian, and then “denying myself, taking up the cross, and following Jesus!”  That’s authenticity.  

A Christian might say, “I don’t feel like praying today, so I won’t pray, because I just want to be real.” He is not being real or authentic, but a hypocrite- claiming to follow Christ, but unwilling to deny his fickle feelings, and follow Jesus’ command to keep watching and praying.  

A Christian might say, “I’m just going to be real, ‘That guy pisses me off!  You will not believe what I heard about him.  Did you know that he actually tried to…?’”  This “Christian” might think he’s being real and letting his feelings out, but he’s actually being a hypocrite- calling himself a Christian, but unwilling to deny his fleshly urges to gossip and not following Jesus way of grace and mercy.   

A Christian might say, “I feel like watching TV instead of reading the Word today!  I’m just going to be real and go with my feelings.”  For a week straight, she’s sucked into the garbage on television, and her Bible is out of sight and out of mind!  While being true to her fickle feelings, she’s being fake to her faithful Savior.  She’s claiming to be a Christian- but unwilling to deny her fleshly urges, and follow Jesus in his call to not live by bread alone but every Word that comes from God.  She might think she’s just being a real person, but she’s being a real poser!  She might think she’s so authentic, but she’s being a hypocrite.  Am I wrong?  She might say, “I’m just being real!”  I’d say, “Real fickle!”  Fickle people aren’t the real deal, faithful people are!  Fickle people are faithful to their fickle emotions.  Faithful people are faithful to their faithful Savior.  

My Cross will be attacked!

In the passage we just read, we see how Satan worked through Peter to try to attack Jesus’ cross.  Satan does not want us to take up our cross.  Satan is afraid of the cross.  It’s because Jesus took up His cross that Satan’s head was crushed!  When we take up our cross, Satan’s stronghold of lives, families, cities, and nations are broken.  Thank God Reinhard Bonnke took up his cross.  Thank God Billy Graham took up his cross.  Thank God that Susanna Wesley took up her cross.  

Satan will always send people to try to keep you from your cross- purpose, destiny, calling, assignment, and ministry.  

Just as Jesus rebuked Peter to his face and said “get behind me Satan” we must violently tell Satan to get behind us and not allow Satan to steal our cross.  Jesus wasn’t ignorant of Satan, but He wasn’t afraid either.  Some people are so afraid of Satan, that they never cast Satan behind, and take up their cross. 

Summary:

Christianity comes with a cross.  Jesus took up His cross and asks us to do the same.  My cross wasn’t dying for the sins of the world.  But, I do have a cross.  A genuine believer is a Christian who is denying himself, taking up the cross, and following Jesus.

Being humble is easy compared to staying humble

Being humble is easy compared to staying humble.   Few have been humble, much fewer have stayed humble.  King Saul was humble, but like many he didn’t stay humble.  

The way you can test humility is through seeing how someone responds to offense.  Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth, and his humility was proven in how selflessly and compassionately responded to the offense of his family members- Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12).

How do I know Saul started off a humble man?  I see how he handled offense.  When the Prophet Samuel announced the new king, many loved him, but there were men who despised him:

“And Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.’ And all the people shouted ‘Long live the king’….Saul also went to his home at Gibesh, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched.  But some worthless fellows said, ‘How can this man save us?’ And they despised him and brought him no presents.  But he held his peace.” (1 Samuel 10:24&26-27)

Side note: Anointed people attract anointed people.  Anointed people are drawn to anointed ministries, because they can discern the anointing.  Anointed people- those whose hearts God has touched- recognize anointed people and submit to the authority that God has ordained.  Humble people submit to and work with those who they recognize God has anointed and appointed.  If someone doesn’t know how to submit to a God appointed authority structure, maybe they aren’t men or women of value and their hearts still need to be touched by God.  There are proud people who cannot discern God-appointed authority/leadership.  These people only criticize and mock God’s anointed.  Their influence and work for the Kingdom will be pretty much “worthless.”

Do you see how Saul responds to those who despise him?  With peace.  Saul wasn’t over-protective of his reputation because he didn’t have one to protect yet.    It’s easy to be humble when you have nothing.  Here are some more evidences of Saul’s humility.  God’s anointed upon Saul’s life is proven by his victories.  (the anointing is proven not by self-propaganda, but by the fruit and victories in your life)  When Saul starts kicking Philistine butt, the people say to Samuel,

“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?  Bring the men, that we may put them to death.’ But Saul said, ‘Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel.”  (1 Samuel 11:12-13)  

Saul was humble because he attributed victories not to his anointing, but to the good Lord’s good work.  Satan will tell us that the victories happened in our lives because we are so good.  If you believe Satan, you will be proud.  The truth is: we experience victories in our lives, not because we were/are so good, but because God is so good.  Focus on the goodness of man empowers pride in man.  Focus on the goodness of God empowers humility in man.  But, don’t you see how Saul didn’t take revenge on those men who despised him!  Saul let God build his reputation.  Saul didn’t take it into his own hands to build and protect his reputation!  If he did, he’d kill off all his critics.  He trusted God.  He was a man on a mission to be used by God, not a man on a mission to prove himself.  So, God continued to bless him and use him.  God won Saul a reputation- a good one.  

Here’s were Saul went wrong: Saul used to be focused on God’s work and the by-product was that God built him a reputation.  By when Saul’s focus became building and protecting his reputation, he lost it!   When you try to build yourself a reputation and protect it, you are telling God, “Get out of the way, I can do Your job better that You!” Then God steps aside, and you screw everything up!  Never focus on building and protecting your reputation/influence/ministry/praise of man/favor, focus on serving God and giving Him the glory for His goodness!  The first is not our responsibility, the second is.  

Here’s the big question: Will you be over-protective of your reputation when you have so much to protect?  

Let me explain.  There was an apostle of God whom God used to launch a worldwide movement.  This man didn’t care about his reputation at first.  He stood unstained by his critics, like Saul in this passage.  So God honored his faith- his fearlessness to risk his reputation.  Then, this man had a reputation that was legendary.  Then, something changed in this man.  In the movement he was leading, a genuine move of the Holy Spirit broke out!  He promoted it at first, but then, because of all the controversy and criticism from all directions, he tried to separate this move of the Spirit from his movement.  It wasn’t a good move.  While on his death bed, he repented and told his prophet friend named John Paul Jackson, “When I was younger I knew how to take risks, but when I got more established and successful it was so much harder for me to take risks. I started caring more about what the critics were saying and protecting my reputation.”  

Saul had no problem being humble and not going overboard to protect his reputation when he had nothing.  But, when He became the man in power, power corrupted him.  He got addicted to his power/his position/his praise.  We must only be addicted to the presence of God, addiction to our power, a position, or the praises of people is idolatry.  

There is a pastor from the Ukraine named Sunday Adelaja.  Every time he’d plant a church, God would have him give it up to someone else.  That was very difficult for him, like giving up a child.  But, he said that God was testing him and training him, so he would never be addicted to his position as Senior Pastor, and the authority he has over a certain group of people, and the praises he receives from certain groups of people.  Today, he pastors the largest church in Europe, and knows that if God ever asked him to give up the church, he could do it in a heartbeat.  

King Saul couldn’t do that though.  Saul was addicted to all the blessings that came as the result of his humility.  In fact, the blessings from God became his god.  The apple of his eye went from HIS PURPOSE from God, to HIS PRESS from people.  

Then, a new shooting star came on the scene.  A young teenager named David- who had nothing to loose-stepped up, and killed Goliath!  There was a new song that was being sung,

‘Saul kills his thousands, but David his ten thousands.’ Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” (1 Samuel 18:7-8)

Saul’s reputation was being attacked!  Saul’s position was being threatened!  Saul’s power was being challenged!  Wait, this wasn’t new to Saul.  Worthless people had done it to him before, and it was no big deal for him.  Why the change in Saul’s reaction?  Saul seemed un-offended before, but now he’s jealous to boiling point.  Saul didn’t want his persecutors dead, but now he wants David dead.  Why the change?  

1. Being humble is so much easier than staying much.  It’s easier for a person to be humble when he has nothing, but it’s harder when he has everything.  Here’s the lesson: Seek not just to be humble, but stay humble.  The greater battle is to stay humble when you are loaded.  The question isn’t: Was I humble then? But it’s: Am I humble now?
2. Saul lost focus.  He got caught up doing God’s job- building him a name and giving him favor and honor, that he forgot to do his- serve God whole-heartedly.  That’s why you see Saul doing a half-hearted, half-obedient-job in serving God.  Saul was always trying to do other people’s jobs!  Not just God’s, but even Samuel’s.  So, he shot himself in the process.  Here’s the lesson: Focus on serving God and giving Him the glory for His goodness.  

The secret to staying humble is staying focused!  Discern what is your job, and what is God’s job.  Don’t worry about God’s job, just stay focused on doing yours wholeheartedly.  Remember, when victories come, don’t attribute them to your goodness, but God’s goodness.  

Discipline is good, but not for discipline’s sake

Discipline is good, but not for its own sake.  Without discipline, there will come inevitable poverty and shame (Proverbs 13:18).  The motivation for discipline is not wealth and honor (The opposites of poverty and shame).  The motivation for being disciplined ought to be love. 

Being disciplined as a Christian means he/she will engage in spiritual disciplines- devoted prayer, daily study of Scripture, and diligent service to God.

But, discipline for the sake of discipline makes Martha- a woman who worked for Jesus without joy in herself, grace for others, and adoration for the Lord.  Discipline for the sake of discipline creates hard workers and hard hearts.  Discipline for the sake of discipline creates a proud person- and proud people criticize others- like Martha criticized Mary.   

Discipline for the sake of love creates hard workers and tender hearts.  Discipline for the sake of love makes Mary- a woman who worshiped Jesus with joy in her heart, grace, and adoration.  Discipline for the sake of love- causes a person to forget about self- therefore, forgetting pride in the process, for self and pride are soul mates.  Discipline for the sake of love- leaves a person caring less about what everybody else is doing or isn’t doing.  True worshippers aren’t critical people.  When a worshippers hearts energy has been spent on loving Jesus, there is not much energy left to criticize.  

The spiritual disciplines are not primarily intended to fix the self, to produce change or to build character but are a means to love and relationship- which is what the Great Commandment is all about.” – John Coe, Instructions for Solitude, 2000

Coe talks about three main things: 1) SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES, 2) CHANGED LIFE, and 3) LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP with God.  All three are good!!!! 

Is the following correct?  

Engage in Spiritual Discipline for the sake of seeing change in your life?  No.  Because you might miss the love for God and relationship with God in the process. Spiritual disciplines -> Changed Life = Loose Love and Relationship.  (At best you can get two out of the three)

Is this correct?  

Engage in Spiritual Discipline for the sake of your love and relationship with God? Yes.  Why? Then a changed life is the result.  Spiritual disciplines -> Love and Relationship = Gain a Changed Life. (You got all three)  

I believe in spiritual disciplines.  They will save our lives! Prayer, daily Bible reading, meditation, fasting, holiness, solitude, and praise will save our lives from many failures, much poverty, and hideous shame!  Some may accuse those who strictly engage in spiritual disciplines and passionately preach spiritual disciplines as LEGALISTIC.  It’s not legalism, but wisdom!  Let’s stop stamping wisdom as legalism.  Let’s stop casting out wisdom in the name of legalism.  Proverbs is a book of wisdom, and again (Proverbs 13:18) says that a lack of wisdom will bring “poverty and shame.”  

I listened to a message by Pastor David Hocking, given at a Calvary Chapel Pastor’s Conference, a good while back.  He preached on message on the “Lust of the Flesh” – he was uniquely qualified for that message because he had experienced great shame and pain because of a moral failure that took place in his life while he was at the peak of his ministry.  As a man broken by failure but restored by the Spirit, as a humbled servant of God, he preached with an honest urgency, warning pastors not to live sloppy.  He preached with strong conviction, unable to hold back his own tears, warning pastors that the potential for moral failure is great in all of us, so we must have no compromises, no arrogance, and put up safeguards.  In the message, after preaching his heart out on the need and way to keeping oneself pure, he said:

It’s not legalism, it’s wisdom!

I believe in the wisdom of Spiritual disciplines.  But, without the “love and relationship” motivation and focus, at best you have a person with counterfeit holiness- having the form, but not the true power.  This person looks pretty disciplined and holy, but lacks love.  There is no such thing as holiness without love.

Counterfeit Holiness:

Holiness – Love = Self-centered, self-righteous Pride.    

Self-centered, self-righteous Pride = Sin!

on the other hand, 

Christian Holiness:

Holiness = Love.  

Love = Holiness.

Discipline must never be for it’s own sake, but for love’s sake.  How can you tell if someone is disciplined for discipline’s sake verse someone who is disciplined for love’s sake?  That’s easy: Does he boast? Does she boast? If the person boasts over and take pride in their discipline, they have missed love- apage- the God-kind of love, because “LOVE…DOES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD” (1 Corinthians 13: 4).

I don’t need a new heart, I need more POWER!

 In the past, I’ve succumbed to different temptations and compromises, not because I didn’t have a heart that wanted to do right.  I did have the right heart.  The Holy Spirit resides in my heart.  The Holy Spirit gave me a new heart at conversion.  So, I didn’t lack the right heart, I just lacked the power to overcome the flesh and obey the cry of my new heart. 

 

Looking back, I realize that I lacked the power, because I lacked prayer. I got so sucked into the business of things- church, school, etc that I compromised my times of prayer and devotion to the Scriptures.  I prayed and studied in spurts, but that killed me.  God rewards those who diligently seek Him, not those who seek Him in only spurts.

 

Jesus said, “Keep watching and praying, lest you fall into temptation, because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Watching and prayer must be done diligently!  I remember asking Bayless Conley-a pastor I deeply respected about his prayer life.  He said that it has changed over the years, as his church grew, and demands piled.  But he said what I needed to do, was:

find something that works for you, find times that work for you, and do it everyday!  Do it everyday!  He then said, “Don’t get religious or legalistic about it, but do it every day!  The key is doing it everyday.  If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up over it, just get back to it, and do it everyday!” 

I’m getting back to this wise advice that I received years ago.  It’s been awesome!  Being disciplined in my spiritual disciplines is not legalism, but it’s wisdom!

 

“Keep watching and praying, lest you fall into temptation, because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  The problem is not that you don’t have a willing spirit.  The problem is that you lack spiritual power to overcome your sin nature that’s in the flesh.

 

Sometimes, I think we don’t need to pray for a new heart, because if we are born again, we have a new heart.  It’s not a heart issue, as much as it is a power issue.  True Christians have the right heart.  A true Christian has a new heart that wants to please God.  (Ezekiel 36:26) tells us, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”  I believe this is a picture of the regeneration (Titus 3:5) that takes place in a Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit.  So, I don’t need a new heart. 

 

Yes, I do need to keep my mind renewed (Romans 12:2) (Ephesians 4:23), so we should read the Word of God daily, and keep the crap out of our minds.  But, my heart of hearts has been changed at conversion.  The deepest/realest part of me, my spirit is reborn!  My spirit desires to please God and do right. That is why I’m miserable when I sin.  That is why when there is temptation in my life, there is a war between my willing spirit and my weak flesh. 

 

My question is, “If I have a new heart, a reborn spirit, why do I still sin?”  We still have a sin nature that follows us (Romans 7), and that sin nature needs to be overpowered by our re-born spirit.  But, here’s the point: More than a new heart, what a Christian needs is MORE POWER so that their willing spirit could destroy their weak, vile flesh.  Do you want consistent power?  There must be consistent prayer!  That’s wisdom.   

Not being authentic, only hypocritical!

Definition of Christian: Follower of Christ.  

Definition of Follower of Christ: “If any man desire to come after Me, he must first deny himself and pick up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)  

Authenticity?

My generation prizes authenticity.  So much.  Too much.  ”I just want to be real” they say.  ”I love him because he’s so real” they’ll say.  

So they bring this value system into their Christian lives.  So professing Christians want to be real to themselves, but really they want to be real to their feelings.  This is important:  My feeling are a part of me, but they aren’t me. I do have feelings, but I am not my feelings. I am who God says I am, not who I feel I am.  Because I’m a Christian whose been born again, God says, I have been bought with a price! I am no longer my own once I surrendered my life to Him!  I am His servant, He is Lord.  That is who I am.  When I call myself a Christian, I’m reminding myself of who I really am.  Now, to “deny” oneself, in the original Greek implies DISOWNING oneself.  Who am I? I’m a Christian- one who has disowned self, and I have a new Lord or Owner.  When I “deny” myself, I’m being true to who I am. If I’m living contrary to who I am, makes me a phony.  

Charismatics especially, are too feeling-centered!  I say this in love, because I’ve been in the Charismatic Movement the last 11-12 years.  Charismatics have felt the powerful presence of God, they know what it’s like to enjoy God not just in the minds, but in the emotions!  We love the goose bumps, the tears, the laughter, etc.  But, I’ve noticed that Charismatics can be so emotional in their disposition, that some live more led by their emotions that the Spirit.  Charismatics will pray when they feel like it.  When I got really into the Charismatic movement, I turned very feeling-driven.  I’d pray when I felt like it.  But, this is what I’ve concluded:

Feeling Driven Christianity leads to SPORADIC PRAYER, and SPORADIC PRAYER LEADS TO SPORADIC SPIRITUAL POWER, SPORADIC SPIRITUAL POWER LEADS TO SPORATIC VICTORIES, SPORADIC VICTORIES MEAN SPORADIC DEFEATS!!!  AND SPORADIC DEFEATS ARE UN-ACCEPTABLE, THEY ARE SINS BEFORE OUR HOLY GOD!  

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable in all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  (1 Timothy 4:7b-8)

1) We are to discipline ourselves.  As a mother disciplines her rebellious kid, we need to discipline our kiddish emotions.  

2) Being disciplined when it comes to your body is wise.  Many Americans have mocked this wisdom, and are suffering major health problems.  A person who is disciplined when it comes to health, sets times aside for exercise and watch what they eat.  

3)  Being disciplined when it comes to your holiness/godliness is even wiser- it’s a greater wisdom!  Why? It brings a greater profit- you will be more fulfilled in this life and in eternity.  Being disciplined when it come to our spiritual house keeping means we will set aside time to engage in spiritual exercises EVERYDAY!  We will refrain from what will make us spiritually fat and unhealthy.  No, it’s not legalism, it’s WISDOM! 

When we are intentionally disciplined and resiliently diligent in our prayer and other spiritual exercises, we are simply being real Christians!  Real Christians or followers of Christ: “deny themselves” of their feelings and bodily desires which are getting in the way of their commitment to Christ.   I WILL LIVE DISCIPLINED BECAUSE I LOVE JESUS.  

DISCIPLINE + LOVE = WISDOM

DISCIPLINE – LOVE = LEGALISM- which is like the Pharisee- full of discipline, but full of pride too.

Here is what I’m seeing in the professed Christians.  I’ve seen it in myself more clearly than in anyone else.  We say, “I don’t want to pray today, so I won’t, I just don’t feel like it.”  ”I don’t want to worship, I’m not feeling it.”  ”I don’t want to go to Church today, I don’t feel like going, why should I go when I’m not even feeling it, I just want to be real.”  ”I’m not going to live holy today, I felt like it last month, but I not this week. I just gotta be real right?”  

HERE’S THE IRONIC TRUTH:

In the name of being authentic, we have become hypocrites!

“I just want to be real”, they say.  So what happens is: While being real to their fickle feelings, they are being hypocrites to faithful Father.  They think they are authentic, but really they are being hypocrites- calling themselves Christians, but unwilling to “deny themselves and take up the cross and follow” Jesus.   

In the name of being “real people” we are being “fake Christians” who miss the essence of Christianity.  By the way, someone who calls himself/herself a Christian but contracting Christianity’s trademark- “denying self, taking up the cross, and  following Jesus” is not a real person, but a real poser.  

I’m all for authenticity.  But, true authenticity is calling myself a Christian, and then “denying myself, taking up the cross, and following Jesus!”  That’s authenticity.  

A Christian might say, “I don’t feel like praying today, so I won’t pray, because I just want to be real.” He is not being real or authentic, but a hypocrite- claiming to follow Christ, but unwilling to deny his fickle feelings, and follow Jesus’ command to keep watching and praying.  

A Christian might say, “I’m just going to be real, ‘That guy pisses me off!  You will not believe what I heard about him.  Did you know that he actually tried to…?’”  Well, this “Christian” might think he’s being real and letting his feelings out, but he’s actually being a hypocrite- calling himself a Christian, but unwilling to deny his fleshly urges to gossip and not following Jesus way of grace and mercy.   

A Christian might say, “I feel like watching TV instead of reading the Word today!  I’m just going to be real and go with my feelings.”  For a week straight, she’s sucked into the garbage on television, and her Bible is out of sight and out of mind!  While being true to her fickle feelings, she’s being fake to her faithful Savior.  She’s claiming to be a Christian- but unwilling to deny her fleshly urges, and follow Jesus in his call to not live by bread alone but every Word that comes from God.  She might think she’s just being a real person, but she’s being a real poser!  She might think she’s so authentic, but she’s being a hypocrite.  Am I wrong?  

She might say, “I’m just being real!”  I’d say, “Real fickle!”  Fickle people aren’t the real deal, faithful people are!  Fickle people are faithful to their fickle emotions despite what Jesus says.  Faithful people are faithful to their faithful Savior despite what their feelings say.

If we want to be so authentic and real, let’s not just take on the name Christian, but actually, “Deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.”  Sometimes, we want Jesus to follow us, it’s the other way around, we are to follow Him.  We are to talk and walk as He did.  We are to say, “Not my will, but Your will be done” as He did.  We are to separate ourselves to pray as He did.  Jesus lived a life of CONSISTENT PRAYER, and HAD CONSISTENT POWER, and HAD CONSISTENT VICTORIES, so His life was CONSISTENT TO THE WILL OF GOD.  Let’s do the same- let’s follow Him.  

For real.

“In the name of Jesus, I cast out my fat cells!”

When was the last time you saw people in church laying hands and praying for each others bellies and saying, “In the name of Jesus, I cast out the fat cells!”  I wonder if anyone has every anointed their thunder thighs with oil and made a faith declaration saying, “Thunder thighs, the Lord rebukes thee!”  I wonder if a Pastor ever had an altar call for deliverance from fat, and when the people came forward, he extended his hands and prayed, “I bind blubber in the name of Jesus!  You’re assignment is now cancelled!”  I just wonder.

It might sound silly, but I think it might be more common than we think.  What do I mean by that?  We want someone to cast out of us, or pray deliverance over something that will be resolved if we would obey the Word and live spiritual disciplined lifestyles with diligent spiritual exercises.  I’m all for casting out demons, but sometimes I think we want a quick spiritual liposuction, when God wants us to “deny ourselves” (Matthew 16:24), and be “disciplined in godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7).  

What’s my point? 

Just like the solution for fat, is disciplined and diligent exercise- a changed lifestyle.  If Christians want to see some of their hang-ups loosed, their spirit of heaviness gone, their spirits detoxified, and live a healthier, holier life, maybe instead of just seeking “deliverance prayer” what they need is to set aside an hour every morning to pray, and be Christians who “deny” their desires not to pray, and pray regardless of whether it’s bliss or boring, regardless of whether they are seeing heaven open or heaven closed, to make a commitment and keep it EVERYDAY!  Then, set aside times at night to read the Bible instead of surf the web, instead of watch TV, or waste time on the phone, and do it whether they feel like it or not!  

Maybe God is saying, “Stop seeking a spiritual liposuction!  Change your habits.  I gave you My Spirit, I gave you My Word, now obey my command to, ‘Deny yourself’ and live a life a discipline!  If you get a liposuction, but never learn discipline, the fat might go one day, but it will come back the next!”  Being an undisciplined Christian is an oxymoron- a living contraction.  Why?  Being a Christian is about “denying yourself” taking up the cross and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24).  

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable in all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”  (1 Timothy 4:7b-8)

Wait, it says, “Discipline yourself.”  Hmmm… interesting. We want others and God to do a liposuction on us, but maybe God is saying, “discipline yourself.”  We want to cast out our fat demons, but maybe God is saying, “Discipline yourself!”  A Christian might say, “I can’t discipline myself. I can’t set aside time to pray and keep it!”  That is only a lie from Satan.  God’s given us His Spirit, and greater is He (the Spirit) in me, than He who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  When a Christian chooses to live lazy when it comes to self-discipline, it’s not because his flesh is so powerful.  It’s that either he is deceived into thinking he can’t be free from laziness or has simply chosen to be lazy.  

If we love God, love is not proven in words, but in actions (1 John 4).  A person who really loves God will be active in living a disciplined life.  No, living strictly disciplined is not legalism, it’s love- authentic love.

The F.E.A.R of man causes loneliness and isolation

“The fear of man brings a snare…”  (Proverbs 29:25) 

What does the “fear of man” look like? 

The fear of man is expressed in many different ways, not just one.

 Sometimes we think that someone who has the fear of man is a brown-noser, a suck-up, a people-pleaser, a push over.  That’s very probable!  

Sometimes we think that someone who is always afraid of what other people think, and all about protecting his reputation has the fear of man. Yeah, why not?

But, here’s a totally different expression of the same poisonous bondage- the fear of man:

Isolation from and removal of: family and friends. 

“Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.  So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand.”  (1 Samuel 18:12-13) 

Saul used to love David.  David was a dear friend to Saul, and even like another son.  But, when Saul got caught in the web called the fear of man, he removed David out of his life.  There was a time I removed myself from people I cared about.  Why? The fear of man.  Yes, it’s true: the fear of man is a snare!  It gets you caught in loneliness and isolation, and you go through life unable to have fulfilling relationships because you are afraid of people.  Those who have this fear of man issue, can be nice and even friendly on the outside, but they will make sure you stay on the outside.  When they sense that someone is coming a little too close, they will- like Saul- remove that person from their presence/ their lives.  David was probably the best friend Saul had, he was the most loyal, the most anointed person in Saul’s life, and only David had the anointing to help Saul fight his demons.  Why did he push David away like that?  Fear.

I want to ask myself today: Is their a David in my life that I sort of push away because of my fears?  

Fear is not a good motivation for anything.  Fear is the opposite of faith and will bring the opposite results.  Faith causes you to do smart things that bring a surplus of blessings and victories into your life.  Fear causes you to do stupid things that bring a surplus of curses and defeats into your life.  Why should we continue to live with the fear of man?  

There are many people who have removed loved ones from their lives, and who have isolated themselves, why? Fear.  Here’s a popular acronym for fear I heard from a man named Larry Lea, “FEAR is False Expectations Appearing Real.”  Why do people isolate themselves?  Fear of man.  Why the fear? They have false expectations: they think they will be betrayed again, they think they will be hurt again, they think they will be misused and mistreated again, and they let Satan play these tapes in their head of “false expectations appearing real.”  The possibility of betrayal appears so real.  The possibility of being replaced appears so real.  But, Satan is a liar, and those expectations are FALSE.  To believe false expectations means to have fear of man, and the fear of man is a snare!  

What good is it to let the fear of man poison our relationships?  Why should the fear of man paralyze our social lives?  I find it interesting that Jesus wasn’t socially retarded, but grew socially- in favor with man (Luke 2:52).  Why should we let these false expectations fueled by hurts in the past, to deprive our present, and destroy our future?  Why should we keep pushing away the Davids that God is sending into our lives?  Why should we keep these tapes of false expectations playing in our head, let’s stomp on those tapes!  Why should we live life without having fulfilling, enriching, priceless relationships?  

Why should we keep ourselves too far to be a blessing and to closed to share our blessing?  Let’s let people into our lives and our hearts, let’s share our lives with especially our brothers and sisters in Christ- like Paul (1 Thess 2:8).  ”But, I can’t, I have too many scars from past churches, past relationships!”  That’s a lie.  Speaking of Paul, his best friends he grew up with tried to kill him after his conversion.  Paul knew what it was like to be hurt by people, he had stones crush him bones, he had dear ministry buddies desert him, he saw first hand how hurtful and fickle people could be.  But, he never stopped loving, he never stopped making himself vulnerable, he never stopped getting close to people and letting people get close to him- therefore he was an affectionate spiritual father, not an isolated victim.  Why? Paul knew that fear was not of God, and “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7)  ”Love” needs to be expressed to loved ones you are in community with, and a “sound mind” doesn’t hallucinate with false expectations.

 ”Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18:1)  People might isolate themselves out of fear, but also out of selfishness and greed.  Maybe I’ll write on that another time, but isolation makes a person break out against all sound judgment.  In other words, isolated people turn wacko- their minds get very twisted very fast!  Let’s pray for God to send Davids into our life.  When He does, don’t remove them from your presence.

The FULL TRUTH of Grace!

Are the following statements true?

1. I give, so then God gives 
2. I do something good for God, so then God does something good for me
3. I draw near to God, so then God draws near to me.

The answer: Yes, but only partially.

1. Yes, when I give, God gives (Luke 6:36)- “give and it shall be given to you…”
2. Yes, if I do something good for God, I will be rewarded in this life and the life to come (1 Cor. 1:3)- “each man will receive a reward for his labor….”  ”I am coming soon, My (Jesus) reward is with me.” (Rev. 22:12)  If I DISCIPLINE myself and live godly, God promises to bless me in this life and the following life (1 Tim. 4:7-8).  
3. Yes, the Bible says, “Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)  

Wait, why are they only partially true?  What’s the full truth?

1. God gave, so I give, so then God gives:  Before I gave God anything, the Bible says in (John 3:16), that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”  Before I gave anything, God gave us a beautiful earth as a gift!  God gave me the breath of life!  God gave, so I give, but when I give He gives more!  Wait, how do you explain this verse?  ”God loves a cheerful giver…”  (2 Cor. 9:7) This verse might make me think, “God only loves cheerful givers?”  ”Do we have to qualify for God to love us?”  ”If I don’t give anything to God, does He not love me?”  ”Wait, I thought God loved me unconditionally, this seems pretty conditional to me?”  I asked all those questions.  Here’s the full truth: God loves you and expressed His love for you on the cross (Romans 5:8): God demonstrates/expresses His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us, when you love Him back and express that love through giving to God, then God expresses more love to you through giving you more stuff!”  That verse (1 Cor. 9:7): “God loves a cheerful giver, is true, but only 2/3 of the truth, it’s not the full truth.  Full truth is, God loves on you, then you love Him on Him, then He loves on you more!  You life is full of love, but it all started with God…”He first loved us” (1 John 4:19)
2. God was good to me, so I do something good for Him, so then He does more good to me.    God was good to me.  God’s been nothing but good.  I can look back on my life and what I conclude in light of all my mistakes is: I’m not that good, but God is so good!  He’s been good!  He’s given me His good Holy Spirit!  He out of His good heart has given me good gifts!  Whatever good I have in my heart or life has come from Him.  I ran into an old friend whose far from God and as I was sharing with him about God’s mercy he got very interested and asked me a bunch of questions.  I said, “God is so good, even though I’m not, and when I think about how good He’s been to me, that makes me more good inside.  When I see how good He is, I become more good- like Him.  Here’s the full picture: God is so good, when you see that, you become more good inside, and when you become more good- you do more good.  When you do more good to God and others, God does more good to you!  And your life is filled with goodness, but it all started with God!
3. God drew near, so I draw near, so then God draws near: God is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27)- when God sent Jesus, He drew near to mankind, He reached down His merciful hand from heaven, and He’s not far from us!  He drew so near that God transcendent, became a man, because He wanted to draw near!   So, I draw near to Him!  I can draw near because Jesus tore the curtain of separation on the cross.  When I draw near, He draws more near to me.  Here’s the full picture: God drew near, so I draw near, then He draws more near!  My life can be as one prophet said, “as close to God as I want to be” but it all started with God.  

Christianity is not nearly as much about what you do, than what God does!  God does most of the work, God is the star, and God deserves the most recognition and praise!  

That’s the full truth!  Do you see the difference?

The full truth starts with God, not I!  I believe that the Bible is the full truth, so the Bible starts with “In the beginning, God…”  Full truth, starts with God, not man.  

When you have partial truth, man is a manipulator who is trying to twist God’s arm.  Man is a worker, who is clocking in his hours, for his deserved pay.  Those who only see two-third of the picture (partial truth of “I do” so then “God does”) are workers at best and manipulators at worst- and they can’t understand grace.  

But, when you can see the whole picture, you can understand grace!  You realize: God gives grace, so I respond to His grace, and God give “greater grace” (James 4:6).  When you see the whole picture you aren’t a manipulator, but a responder.  When you see the full truth, you are not a worker, you are a worshipper.  Worship is simply a response to God.  

I said all that to say:

Remember, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  (John 8:32)

But, if you only have partial truth, you will only have partial freedom from PRIDE!  Pride is the mother Sin- and it’s always laying eggs.  Partial truth starts with “I” not “God”.

When you have the full truth, you will have full freedom from PRIDE!  When you kill the mother, there will be no more babies!  Full truth starts with God.  God is the “God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10).  Full truth starts with grace.

Grace is: undeserved favor, ridiculous kindness, and absurd blessing.  Grace is God.  

Paul’s epistles or letters, always began with “grace to you” and ended with “grace to you”.   In the middle, there are commandments that must be obeyed.  Here’s the catch! Paul says that I’m an epistle or a letter (2 Cor. 3:3), and that I will be read by all men.  I pray that when someone reads my life, they  will see it starts with God’s grace, then I respond to God’s grace by obeying God’s commandments, then He gives more grace- and my life is a graceful testimony.  I hope when someone tries to pick your brain or figure your mind out, they will see that how you think is: “My life starts with grace, I respond to that grace with obedience, then God gives me more grace!  All glory to God.”  That’s the full picture.  The full picture is that God is the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8)- which means the beginning and the end.  My life began with God’s grace and will end with God’s grace.  

May we never loose sight of the full picture!  Some people only focus on “I give” “I do good” “I draw near” and they are so self-centered, that they can’t see the big picture- the full truth!  Some only see 2/3 of the truth, and they are in better shape than the person who only sees “I”, but they are still missing it!  

Do you see only 2/3 of the truth or do you see the whole truth?

There were two men whom God anointed mightily and used powerfully in the last century.  Both have had international impact for the Kingdom of God.  They are in the history books of Christianity.  Both were asked, “How come you were able to be used by God in such a huge global scale?”  

The first man of God said, “I pray and I obey.”  Those five words caused jaws to drop.  

In a totally separate interview, the second man of God said, “It’s not that I prayed more than other men, it’s just  the sovereign grace of God.”  

The first man, makes him look great.  The second man, makes God look great.  The first man had the partial truth.  The second man had the full truth!  

I was recently in another country, preaching at a youth conference.  It was powerful!  The Holy Spirit came in a mighty way, much like on the day of Pentecost.  The teenagers came to the conference too shy to even sing during worship time, then they left the conference speaking in other tongues and baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire.  At the end of the conference, one of the hosting pastors got up the the pulpit and shared some closing remarks saying, “We had such a powerful retreat, the Holy Spirit came powerfully, and it was because the leaders of my church prayed and did a 21-day chain fast.”  As those words came out of his mouth, I was grieved in my heart.  Now, I believe in prayer and fasting, and practice it myself, but, I hated what he was saying.  Was there truth in what he was saying? Yes.  Prayer and fasting brings breakthrough.  But, it was the partial truth!  The full truth is: Grace! The full truth is: God is so good.  Why do we always have to take credit for something good happening?  I know it’s human nature- but it’s sinful nature, and it must be crucified!  I was thinking to myself, “Why can’t you just say, ‘do you know why we were so blessed at this retreat? It’s because: God loves you, and God is so good, He’s so gracious!’”  That’s the full truth- full truth brings full freedom from the mother of sins- pride!  When people only see partial truth, they steal glory from God and squander it to people!  

A revival broke out in Antioch, and people were getting saved by the droves (Acts 11:19-30):  Heaven invaded earth!  The Holy Spirit was performing the greatest miracle- the salvation of souls.  Luke wrote the book of Acts.  Here’s how this revival goes down in the history books: Men of Cyprus and Cyrene were preaching, and all these people were getting saved, and so they asked Barnabas to come and help out, and Barnabas arrived he witness the “grace of God”.    How did the early church define a revival? The grace of God.  

I love what Luke did here.  He doesn’t even give names of the revivalists- those preachers.  Then he says that Barnabas came and saw the “Benny Hinn show” the “Billy Graham revival” the “T.D. Jakes revival conference”, no…he said Barnabas came and saw the “grace of God”- nothing more and nothing less.  

Two revival lessons from Luke and the early church:  

1) Don’t give too much attention and credit to people!  Yes, we honor people God’s anointed and using- and God does work through people.  But, anointed men and women are just signs.  We must see them, get past them and get to our destination- Jesus Christ!  Prophets, worship leaders, and preachers make great signs, but horrible destinations- it’s a freak accident.  If revival starts with us, let’s give all attention and credit to Jesus Christ- It all started with Him.

Peter and John heal a guy whose been crippled since birth and begging all his life by the gate (Acts 3).  They heal the guy in the name of Jesus.  People are asking them about what just happened!  They say, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety (holiness) we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus…”  (Acts 3:12b-13a)   They didn’t say, “We pray and we obey, so this man is healed!”  No, they didn’t brag about their prayer life- they were men of prayer and even on the way to pray when they healed this guy.  They say, “It’s not by our own power or holiness- it’s not because we are these super holy men, but God…”  I love it!  It’s not us, but God. Then, they point them to Jesus- who is the personification of grace.  I hope when people see the supernatural fruits of our ministry, that we would not take credit, but say, “It’s not me, but God”- and point them to Jesus- point them to grace.  

2) Let’s define revival as “the grace of God.”  

Antioch would be a powerful mission center, and a powerful church, and the believers in Antioch were the first to be called Christians.  It was a healthy church, un-like Corinth- who were all about the fancy spiritual gifts and groupies of the anointed people- Paul, Apollos, or Peter (1 Corinthians 1:13).  

Full truth of Grace:

To have full freedom from pride, we need the full truth in our lives!  The full truth is: 

1. God gave, so I give, so then God gives more
2. God loves, so I love, so then God loves more
3. God was good to me, so I do something good for Him, so then He does more good to me.   
4. God drew near, so I draw near, so then God draws near

The full truth is: “In the beginning, God…”  before the foundations of the earth were laid, God knew me, loved me, and chose me.  

Do you know why I’m a pastor today?  It’s because when I was a new Christian, I prayed my voice out, fasted my heart out, and witnessed about Jesus all the time.  Is there truth to that?  Some.  It’s true that when I was faithful with a little, God entrusted me with more.  ”To him who has, more will be given” (Matthew 13:12).  Paul said the the Lord counted him faithful, and put him into service (1 Timothy 1:12).  However, that is not the whole truth, because that equation starts with man.  When it starts with man- you miss grace.  Here’s the full picture, the whole truth:

The reason I’m a pastor today, was that before I was ever born, before I did one righteous thing, before I even said the name Jesus, the Lord chose me to be His servant and serve as a preacher to my generation (Jeremiah 1:5). Why?  I don’t know- it’s just grace!  Paul said in (Galatians 1:14-15), that he was set apart even from his mother’s womb, and it pleased the Lord to make Paul a friend of God and a preacher for God.  Why did God have such a calling for Paul? “Grace.”  (Gal. 1:14)

Some say: I chose God.  That’s only the partial truth.  Really, God chose you before the foundations of the earth (Eph. 1:4).  He chose you, and so you chose Him, so then He chose You to be saved.  That’s grace.  

Manipulation and work starts with man.  Grace starts with God.  See the full picture!

It all starts from God:

 ”In the beginning, God…”  (Gen. 1:1)

“In the beginning, was the Word…the Word was God…” (John 1:1)

Jesus is the “author of…salvation.” (Hebrews 2:10)

Because He started it, He deserves all the praise and the glory!  

All glory belongs to Him who sits upon the throne! (Rev. 5:14)

If you don’t have a relationship with God:

Before you were ever born, God first gave His Son- Jesus Christ for you, God first loved you, so God gave you beautiful world so you would wonder about the beautiful Creator, God gave you a spirit so you would have spiritual cravings and ask spiritual questions that would ultimately lead you to Him, and God drew near to every person when Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for the sins of humanity and rise from the dead.  If you would just draw near to Him and surrender your life to the Savior and Son of God- Jesus Christ- then God will draw even nearer to You, so you can know Him in a very real way.  I pray that God would open your eyes to His goodness and His grace.

Interesting Greek words- “undisciplined” and “doubting”

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you.” (2 Thess. 3:7)

Undisciplined: atakteo- To be irregular. To be out of order or to break ranks. To neglect ones duties

As leaders we must be consistent and never be irregular in our: prayer lives, study of the Word, and service to people.

As leaders we must know when it’s time to lead and when it’s time to submit.  We submit to the Lord and never break ranks in rebellion.  Even with the spiritual authority that the Lord has put over us, we don’t try to steal other people’s positions or roles.  We have duties as leaders to be a good example as Paul wrote about in the verse above.  As good examples we must not be: irregular in our duties and disciplines, and we must not break ranks.   

Soul-ties: Idols in the form of people

Idols can be in the form of many different things: hobbies, activities, statues, religiosity, and even people.   I want to talk about idols in the form of people- also known as soul-ties.  

How did the king come about in Israel?

Israel wanted a person to look to instead of God.  That’s idolatry.  While demanding a king, Israel rejected God from being their king.  So God warned them about the negative aspects that come with a king, but at the peoples’ unwillingness to budge, God gave them over to their desires and allowed them to have King Saul.  God warns us about having idols in the form of people, but if we are unwilling to heed His warnings, then He will allow us to to have our own way and get literally tied up in destructive relationships.  

Again: Idols can come in the form of people- it’s known as a soul-tie.  We either kill them, or they will have us kill ourselves.  What do I mean?  Let’s make this clear:  I don’t mean literally kill them.  Let me break it down…

 King Saul was injured by a piercing arrow in war and was about to die- his body was about to fail completely (See 1 Samuel 31).  Let’s say Saul represents a person in our lives who is an idol.  That person will one day fall and fail.  When Saul fell, he cried out to his assistant to take his life for him, so that he wouldn’t have to go through torture from his enemies.  The assistant couldn’t.  So Saul took his own life.  Saul self-destructed.  Idols self-destruct. 

What did the assistant of Saul do?  Well, Saul was his idol.  Saul was his purpose for living.  He didn’t have a life, only a soul-tie to the King.  He couldn’t kill Saul because of fear.  Fear is the number one reason people can’t give up their idols or break their soul-ties. They think to themselves:  ”I know I should be terminating my boyfriend because we are un-equally yoked…But, if I give up my boyfriend who is poisonous to me, I’m AFRAID I’ll be all alone…un-loved and un-wanted.”  ”I know that God wants me to kill my relationship with the wrong friends.  But, if I give up my group of friends, then I’m AFRAID I’ll have no one there for me.”  ”If I give up my drugs, I’m AFRAID I’ll be empty inside!” “If I give up television, I’m AFRAID I’ll have nothing to do.” 

Satan is always trying to use fear to keep us bound to our idols.  Fear is Satan’s hand-cuffs.  He cuffs you to your idol.  Faith in the goodness and faithfulness of God is the key to breaking out.  Don’t ignore the key, it’s actually right in front of you.  God is good and faithful, if you give up your idols, He will give you something better, guaranteed!  

Satan will use fear and play movies in your mind.  F.E.A.R is false expectations appearing real.  These false visions, Satan plays like a movie- showing you the horrible things that will happen if you give up your idol.  I must say, “Satan is the father of lies” and that movie he is showing you is from the pit of hell!  Take Satan’s dvd out of your mind, and step on it.  Play God’s dvd- the Word of God in your mind, and start seeing visions of a better life without your idol- a life of freedom, joy, hope, and greater fulfillment and effectiveness for the kingdom of God.  

Saul’s assistant couldn’t kill Saul.  So, Saul killed himself.  Terminate your idol.  Why? It’s going to terminate anyways.  You cannot take it into eternity.  There is no guarantee it will always be there for you.  Jesus is coming soon, and idols will be terminated.  Idols are from Satan.  What is from Satan is going to be killed sooner or later when heaven comes to earth.  Sooner is better than later!  Because the longer we hold on to an idol, the harder it is to kill it.  

Saul’s assistant sees Saul dead and then kill himself.  Why? His life’s purpose and sense of worth was found in that man with the crown.  Once, he was gone, the assistant found no more reason for living.  Every person who has committed suicide was probably an idolater.  Many people have taken their lives because of a soul-tie.  A man found out that his wife was going to leave him with the kids, so he got his rifle and was getting ready to kill her, the kids, and himself.  Why? Soul-tie.

The worst thing about an idol, it refuses to go down alone.  It wants to take you with it!  

Is there an idol in your life in the form of a person?  Is there a Saul in your life?  A person who has taken the place of God.   People make mistakes, are fickle, and all eventually die.  I want to let you know that he’s/she’s about to fall, fail, and be terminated! 

Don’t let fear keep you cuffed to your idol!  Take authority over fear- stop letting Satan put his deceptive movies play in your mind.  Get into the Word!  

Idols must die!  Idols will die!  But, they don’t want to die alone, they want to make you so attached and dependent or soul-tied that when they die, you will kill yourself like Saul’s assistant.

Who is the Saul in your life?  

Kill him!  Not literally, but spiritually.  How? The sword of the Word which you have.  Remember Saul’s assistant had a sword, he just didn’t use it.  Don’t be afraid of Saul!  He’s already been defeated.  On the cross, Jesus disarmed principalities and powers, and therefore, victory is not impossible, but probable if we would start using the sword!  Saul was injured and about to die because an arrow had pierced him.  When Jesus was pierced on the cross, and died, He rose victoriously from the dead, and Satan was the one who was pierced!  Satan’s scheme to pierce Christ backfired.  (By the way, may Satan’s attacks and plans all backfire in our lives).  Satan is about to die.  He’s the power behind the idols.  He’s the puppeteer behind the soul ties, and he’s a defeated foe.  Don’t be afraid, pick up the sword, kill the idols from your life and chop off the head of that demonic force behind the soul-tie, remove that person who needs to go!  If you don’t kill that soul-tie, that soul-tie will kill you.  

God, break off all soul-ties of Your precious people.  Let our souls be tied to You, and You be our God, and let there be no idols in the form of people.

In Jesus Name. Amen.

Things to Consider before Sinning

Things to consider before you sin:

1. Sin hardens and deceives our hearts.  “ But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)  Some might think:  

 ”who cares if I sin, because I’m already “saved” all I have to do is ask for forgiveness.  So the only thing I will loose, is one minute of confessional prayer asking Jesus to forgive me and the blood of Jesus will cleanse me of all my sins according to (1 John 1:9).”  

Not so fast!  There is a much heavier price than having to spend a minute in a short confessional prayer and drop a tear or two to seal the deal.  There is a heavy price for every sin a Christian commits!  It might not be hell fire for eternity, but it is: living with a hard heart and a deceived mind.    Each time we sin, something happens to our hearts and our minds.  

• Our hearts get a little bit harder.  A little less sensitive to the voice and presence of God.  Our hearts become harder so we can’t feel the love of God.  Our hearts become so stone-cold that God’s grace means nothing.  We can sing praise songs all we want, but our hearts are unmoved.  We can read the most precious words from Scripture and the most powerful prophetic words from a man or woman of God, but our hearts are unresponsive. Our minds might still be stimulated by theology, but our hearts are as good as dead.  Love comes from the heart.  If the heart is as good as dead, how can God’s love come forth?  It can’t.  The result is a populated head, but a powerless heart; a wealth of knowledge, but a bankruptcy in love; and the person can complain, “God, why have You changed?  Why aren’t you showering Your presence, Your joy, Your peace, and Your love on me like before?”  God is saying, “I haven’t changed! (Malachi 3:6)  You’re the one who changed!  You allowed sin to harden your heart!”  Having a tender heart before God is more fulfilling than a billion dollars!  Having a tender heart that is sensitized the the God’s love, voice, and presence is more pleasurable than life itself.  David wrote, “Your loving-kindness is better than life.”  Why compromise a tender heart?  Why allow sin to harden us even a little?  Why allow sin to paralyze our spiritual taste buds to a point where we can’t taste of God’s goodness anymore?”  Why live with a dead, stone-cold heart?  Why be alive on the outside, but as good as dead on the inside?? IT’S NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!  
• “deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).  One little sin, brings some deceitfulness with it.  Huh? This is what the Lord showed me: the opposite of deceitfulness is discerning.  You can’t deceive a discerning person.  A deceived person can no longer discern.  What is the test to prove someone is a mature Christian? “mature, who because of practice their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)  Maturity is proved by discernment.  If I practice righteousness, my discerning is sharpened.  If I practice sin, my discerning is dulled.  I want to be sharp in my spiritual discerning.  I want to be watchful, alert, and discerning like the Word of God tells us to be.  Jesus was so spiritually sharp, He quickly discerned what He was to do, where He was to go, what He was to say, what was in the people He was with, what was wrong, what was right, and what was better.  One little act of sin, is an exchange: of a little bit of discernment for a little bit of deceitfulness.  

 

2.  One sin makes you a little more comfortable in darkness

“And this is the judgment: ”the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”  (John 3:19-21)   This is a principle that we all understand.  If we have been in a dark room for a long time, when the lights shoot up, the uncomfortable effect causes us to shut our eyes again. As a Christian, God is my home.  God is light.  Light is my home.  Light speaks of truth, purity, and holiness.  Truth, purity, and holiness is my inheritance.  Yet, so many back-slid Christians are so uncomfortable in their home that they are living in the pig pen of darkness.  They’ve been there so long, it’s more comfortable.  They are living in the mud, eating trash, soaking in stench, all while there is a beautiful mansion, full of the beauty, love, and glory of God, which Jesus purchased for them by His death on the cross.   The more you sin, the more comfortable sin becomes and the less comfortable God’s presence becomes.  Therefore, it becomes harder to come out of the darkness.  Before you know it, they are judged. The inverse is true too: the more we live a life of holiness, the more comfortable we become it it, and we rest in it.  The less comfortable and appealing darkness becomes and before we know it, we are rewarded for our holiness.  One sin, big or small, makes a person’s soul more comfortable in sin, and less comfortable in God’s presence.  People don’t stay in places that are uncomfortable and gravitate to the places of comfort.  That is why one sin, can cause us to gravitate away from God and into darkness.  

3. One sin pulls you down deeper into emptiness. 

Here is a revelation the Lord gave me a while back.  He asked me, “Do you know why people get deeper and deeper into sin?”  I asked, “Why, Lord?”  He said, “They all start at level one sin, but level one sin brings a level two emptiness into their hearts.  Because they have a level two emptiness, they turn to a level two sin.  But a level two sin brings with it a level three emptiness.  Therefore, the person turns to a level three sin…and before he knows it, he’s fallen into a deep pit of level twenty sin.  As Proverbs 7 teaches us, the way of sin or immorality is the way going down to the chambers of death.

The inverse is also true.  A level one encounter with God, brings level two hunger.  Level two hunger attracts a level two encounter with God.  But, a level two encounter with God, brings a level three hunger with it.  Sooner than you know it, you are living at a level 10 hunger with a level 11 encounter with God’s Spirit.  

Point being: There is a heavier price that we pay for each sin, than just owing God one minute of a prayer of confession and squeezing out a tear or two.  It’s a heavy price!  It’s not worth it!!!!

Forerunners

John the Baptist was a forerunner.  He was called to prepare the way for what God wanted to do next.  Of course, that next thing was Jesus Christ.  Other words for forerunner are: pioneer or predecessors.

God’s raising up forerunners.  People will will be on the cutting edge of what He is doing.  They will prepare the way for what God wants to do next on the earth.

Forerunners are like the first batch of toilet paper, they go through the most crap!

Proof: John the Baptist was imprisoned and then beheaded. Pretty crappy!  

What took a forerunner 10 years to break free from and break into, they will help those coming after them to break free from and break into in 1 year, instead of 10.  

Being a forerunner isn’t the cleanest/easiest job.  But, if God has put us on the earth to be it, let’s be it!  Will we make mistakes? Yes.  Will we go through stinky situations? Literally.  Will we pay a heavy price? Definitely. 

But, it will be all worth it!  Because forerunners don’t just prepare the way for the next generation, but for the second coming of Jesus Christ.  When Jesus comes… (I’m wordless)…

The Poor among Us in America

Taken from the book Ministries of Mercy, by Timothy Keller

The poor are really getting poorer

The reasons being:

1. Rent is increasing.  Families need to earn double minimum wage and have the parents work full time jobs just to pay rent for the average 2-bedroom apartment.
2. Jobs are requiring more high skills in technology 
3. Cheap housing is being remodeled to expensive housing for working professionals
4. There are less jobs available because the job market is now worldwide- for example Verizon, an American company, can higher workers from India for less money.  It’s the internet that has enlarged the job pool.  
5. There are less public benefits available. 

 

I missed my morning prayer time, why don’t I feel bad?

I missed my morning devotions, why don’t I feel bad?

I didn’t get to read the Bible yesterday, why don’t I feel horrible like I used to?

2 possibilities: 

It may be because your faith is weak than before…

 

• spiritual things are not important to you anymore, the love of the world has crowded out your love for the things of God.  Your hunger for possessions, pleasure, and prestige have crowded out your hunger for God.

 

It may be because our faith is stronger than before…

 

• You trust in God’s unconditional love and your secure position in Christ.  

I believe in reading the Bible everyday and I believe in praying every morning.  It’s one of the wisest thing we could do.  However, even though we miss a day, don’t stab yourself in the heart, but keep the joy of the Lord- because the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).  The reason you can be joyful in the midst of your short comings is God’s unconditional love and acceptance of us in Christ Jesus (Romans 8)(Eph.1:6).  

Is that an escape to spiritual laziness or further backsliding?  No

Is that energy to stay joyful and go hard for God again? Yes.

Trying or dying

The way to a powerful spiritual life is not trying, but dying.

Huh?

I believe that Christians should not be lazy, and we should pursue God with all of our might.  But, I’m saying trying alone is limited!

When I am trying, my limited, sinful flesh is making it’s impossible attempts at holiness. How can sinful flesh attain sinless perfection? That’s like a monkey trying to attain a PH.D from Harvard! Impossible.

On the other hand, when I am dying to myself, “I am crucified with Christ that I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20). When I am dying to self that mean: total dependency upon the Lord and total abandonment to the flesh. Dying means surrender! Dying means self cancelation, and that is when we qualify for the installation of the power of Christ.

Trying is pride
Dying is humility

Just say a Christian is a car. The gasoline is the Holy Spirit. The engine is our recreated, reborn human spirit. The wheels are our faith. The brake is: trying. The exceralator is: dying. The more we die, the more our faith will turn and our spirit will be generated with the Holy Spirit. You will move forward in the road to your God given destiny.

Paul writes to the Galatians saying, “Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?…Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now trying to be perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 1&3). Do you know what’s foolish? When you are speeding down your road of destiny, and all of a sudden you slam the brakes and you shreeeeek your car and you are no longer going forward. That’s what the Galatians did. Don’t push the brake, but the excelerator!

In other words,
Let’s stop trying and start dying.

I’m not saying that we ought to be lazy now and just lay on our belly’s and say, “help God” without fighting for holiness with everything in us.  I’m saying, let’s stop depending on our trying, and start dying.  A surrendered life is powerful.  I only have strength in the areas I have surrendered to God.  I have slavery in the areas I have not surrendered!  God’s calling us to surrender and die to self.  

Since Jesus died for us, can’t we die for Him? I’m not saying we should put a gun to our head, but I’m saying we need to surrender all, and be totally dependant on the Lord. When we do this, we will start going forward because our faith will be released! We go forward by faith, we walk by faith.

“Jesus, forgive us for foolishly putting the brakes on Your Spirit. We humble ourselves now. My righteous works in the flesh is are like used toilet paper before You. Teach me to deny myself everyday, and die to self, so You can live through me!”

3 Camps Christians live in

Which is the best camp?

• Camp 1: Doing a lot of good works, avoiding a lot of bad works, but being self-righteous and proud about it?  
• Camp 2: Being a struggling Christian, who really loves God, but gets caught in temptation traps all the time, but cries a bucket full after?
• Camp 3: A Christian who lives a life of obedience and thus abides in Christ and is full of the Holy Spirit?

I’ve been members of all three categories.  Sadly to say, I’ve spent most of my Christian life in camp 1 and 2, but by grace I’m taking more and more ground into camp 3.  

Camp 1 

Camp 1 is the worst place to be.  Why? At this place, there is much knowledge, but little love.  Much talk about God and even much passion for God, but very little presence of God.  God does oppose the proud.  In this category, there is sporadic happiness- happiness only when a person’s done something worthwhile for the Lord.  At other times, the person feels empty- real empty.  He wonders, “I’m so passionate about God, I got saved five years ago, why am I so empty inside?”  The answer: that person forgot grace and has positioned himself outside of zone of God’s presence.  It’s in God’s presence we catch revelation. Revelation is heart knowledge.  Information is head knowledge.  Those in Camp 1 do not grow in revelation, but information.  The knowledge will “puff them up” (1 Cor. 8:1).”A haughty spirit goes before the fall.” (Prov. 16:18) They will go from pride to pride, but will ultimately fall or backslide into Camp 2.  

Camp 2.  

Even though Camp 2 is somewhere that Camp 1 members backslide into, it’s actually a better place. It’s a humiliating place (which sucks), but it’s also a humbling place (which is good- I’ll explain).  The person in Camp 1 is only positioned for humiliation.  The person in Camp 2 is positioned for grace.  ”God gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)  Those in Camp 2 are far from perfect, and have areas of serious immaturity, but their humility attracts revelation (heart knowledge) from God.  Humility attracts the wisdom of God- and it’s wisdom gained in Camp 2 that will carry them into Camp 3.  ”He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

In Camp 2, they are finally in the Kingdom of God’s course called Grace 101.  In Camp 1, students got into the Kingdom of God University by passing the grace test (which is putting their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord).  However, students in Camp 1 flunk Grace 101.  In Camp 2, they pass Grace 101, and are ready for higher levels in the school of God’s grace.  By the way, there is a class called Grace 100000001- which is a lower level Kingdom class. 

In Camp 2, self-confidence is being peel off.  A sweet orange is surrounded by a tough crust that is inedible. In Camp 2, that sour, bitter peel of self-confidence comes off, and that is left at the end is a sweet peel of a man who “walks humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

In Camp 2, many tears are shed.  Tears from my own failures, yet tears from God’s faithfulness and unconditional love.  

Those in Camp 2 have a greater sense of God’s presence than those in Camp 1.  

Here’s the danger…

Those in Camp 2, might think that because this is the “better” camp, that this is the “best” camp!  So many Christians camp out in Camp 2 and tragically die there.  They might have an A is Grace 101, but they’ve not gone to a higher level.  They can give a sermon on grace, they can tell of their failures and what they’ve learned, share the wisdom that they gained, but they are living on a low plain! 

If you are in Camp 2, remember Camp 3 is your destiny! Let’s keep moving forward, and refuse to be content and settle in Camp 2.  

Camp 3.  

“Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him.”  (1 John 3:24)  In Camp 3, the person lives a life of obedience to the Lord, and abides in the presence of God.  In the presence of God, there is constant revelation.  While revelation is added to a person in Camp 2, revelation is multiplied to a person in Camp 3. 

You do not have to struggle with sin, to grow in the revelation of grace.  Who will have a greater understanding of grace? The person who is struggling with sin and is in Grace 101, or the person who is intimate with the “Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29) and is full of the “Spirit of grace” (Eph. 5:18) and constantly walking in the “Spirit of grace” (Gal. 5:25)? 

You don’t have to struggle with sin to have a brokenness in your life!  Our brokenness doesn’t need to come from our failures, but it should come from God’s faithfulness.  I shouldn’t be crying tears over my grossness, but God’s greatness!  

I don’t need to struggle with sin to be humble.  I need to grow more intimate with Jesus who is the most “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:29).  When I am intimate with Jesus, and abiding in Him, then I will live a life a of obedience.  

This is life in Camp 3: “He who has My commandments and keep them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and disclose myself to him.” (John 14:21)  A life a obedience to Christ because of love for Christ results in a life that is: smothered in the love of God and full of first hand revelation or discloser into the person, presence, and power of Christ!  Is anything better than that? No!  

 

I shouldn’t be spending all my time fighting condemnation as those in Camp 2. I should be spending my time fighting for souls, which is a trademark of Camp 3.  By the way, those in Camp 1 are fighting or competing with other Christians for God’s affections- which is like fighting each other for food in a 5 star buffet.

The Youth in America need a Kingdom Revolution

 

During the next 24 hours in America:

 

• 1,439 teens will attempt suicide
• 2,795 teenage girls will become pregnant
• 15,006 teens will use drugs for the first time
• 3,506 teens will run away
• 16 kids and teens will be killed by firearms
• 3,000 children and teens will see their parents’ marriage end in divorce

We need to pray for the youth in America!  

Experts say there are 4 revolutions among the youth today:

• A sexual revolution
• A drug and alcohol revolution
• A low self-esteem revolution
• A technological 

WE NEED A KINGDOM REVOLUTION!

• What can I do to reach teenagers? Give us Your power and love to reach teens! Give us Your strategies to reach teenagers!

Love always trusts

 ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

I love (1 Corinthians 13)!  I’ve meditated upon it, and probably read it 50-1oo times.  There is one thing that really bothered me about this passage.  I mean, I could say “Amen” to every stanza except for one.  There is a part to this verse that I just could not swallow until today. That stanza is: “love…always trusts.”

• Why should I trust someone who has hurt me before?
• Why should I disclose myself to everyone in the name of love?
• Should a wife whose husband has cheated on her be trusted again?

Is that what this passage “love…always trusts” is implying?

No.

We must see Scripture in light of Scripture.  Taking one Scripture and separating it from the rest of Scripture is how cults and heresies start.  If the only passage I knew and preached was “Jesus wept” I could really misrepresent Jesus to my hearers.  We must see every individual Scriptural passage in relation to the whole counsel of God.  

• Jesus didn’t throw himself into everyones arms:  ”Jesus…was no entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men…for He Himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)  
• A person whose spouse has broken the marriage covenant by infidelity, is no longer required to trust or be married to the adulterous.  (Matthew 19:9)

We have all had relationships where TRUST was broken!

• Do we jump right back into the relationship? Love “always trusts” right?  Psychologist Eric Erikson wrote extensively of how trust is the foundation of all relationships.   Anyhow.  If that foundation is broken, in the name of (1 Corinthians 13), are we obligated to quickly rebuild the foundations?  

Here is another Scripture: “Don’t throw your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6).  I should trust a pig with something valuable to me.  My heart and emotions are valuable, should I throw them before a person who I know will use and abuse and misuse me? 

We need to see Scripture in light of Scripture.  

Before Jesus commissioned his ministers, he said, “Be shrewd as serpents.”  (Matthew 10:16)  

So here is the point: Don’t be stupid in the name of love or (1 Corinthians 13)!  I believe that forgiveness for a Christian is not an option.  However, trust is.

The question: What does it mean then to obey (1 Corinthians 13:7): “Love…always trusts…”

Here it is:

• When we meet someone for the first time, let’s believe the best about that person.  Now, if the Spirit gives you a supernatural discernment about the potential danger of this person, then take heed to the Spirit.  That’s what Jesus did right? He had the supernatural insight, and therefore protected Himself from them.  However, being a cynical person is being in direct opposition to the love that always trusts.  
• A person who is afraid of being rejected all the time, lacks the love- that trusts.  
• A person who is always thinking negatively about people lacks the love that trusts.  
• If we are always expecting the worst in every relationship, we are missing the love of (1 Corinthians 13).  
• If we are seeing every new relationship through the lenses of the betrayals and the broken trust, we are not walking in the (1 Corinthians 13) love- which is the love of God- and the love we must walk in.  

Paul had so many bad relationships.  His best friends who he grew up with wanted to kill him after he became converted.  Paul had bad church relationships.  The church who loved him and praised him, wanted to kill him after he converted to Christ.  But, Paul’s past pains did not chain him down.  Paul had the most amazing relationships with his brothers and sisters.  Paul was a man of love.  In fact, he’s the one who God used to pen, “Love…always trusts.”  There were times he used wisdom and wouldn’t take certain people along after they bailed out on him, like John Mark.  But, after John Mark proved to mature, Paul trusted him again.  Let’s give people grace to mature.

Why would a prince wear bloody rags?

Two Trees

When mankind sinned against God, Adam used a tree to disconnect himself with God (he covered himself with leaves).  The way God re-connected himself with mankind was through a tree- the cross.  Now, I don’t have to get behind a fig tree and be shameful, instead I can get behind the cross and be proud of it.    

Huh? Proud. 

Yeah. 

The only place I can rightly boast, is in the cross.  

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14).

I ought to be so boastful about being in the cross that I tell everyone else about it.  

Here’s the question: Which tree am I hiding behind? 

The fig tree of insecurity, rejection, and fear. The cross of total security, acceptance, and confidence. 

Now, we talked about two trees.  Now let’s talk about two articles of clothing. 

Two Articles of Clothing

(Isaiah 64:6) talks about human righteousness as filthy rags.  The more accurate picture is: used menstrual cloths.  The picture is something bloody, smelling, and disgusting.  The term: “I’m on my rag!” in reference to a woman’s cycle is taken because back in Bible days, they didn’t have nicely manufactured compressed padding, they used these fat rags.  

When I try to cover my shame through my works of righteousness, I’m wearing these bloody rags.  Imagine coming before the presence of God, wearing something so disgusting.  When I come to the throne of God, I should be wearing clean robes.  That’s fitting. 

That’s where the second article of clothing comes in. 

The Bible talks about being clothed in God’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).  I cannot purchase these robes.  I could purchase, bloody rags, but not these pure, royal robes.  Jesus went to the cross to purchase these priceless robes.  It’s when I put my faith in Him, that I am given these robes by grace.  

Those who settle for bloody rags, stay with them.  Those who are ignorant of these royal robes, will not receive them. Therefore, we must share the good news of what Jesus did on the cross.

“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3)

Here is the point: 

Many come to faith in Jesus and they position themselves behind the cross.  So, they are clothed in these glamorous robes the princes and princesses wear.  In fact, those who put their faith in Christ become children of the King!  We are children of God!  (Romans 8:16)

Here is a gross picture, but it happens all the time. 

Here are King’s kids, clothed in the most expensive garments of God’s righteousness.  However, on top of their beautiful robes, they put stinky, bloody rags.

Some Christians are working for right standing with God, when they already have it.

Why would a prince wear bloody rags?

• Maybe he thinks he’s still naked?
• Maybe he thinks his clothes aren’t enough?
• Maybe he is forgetting that he is behind the second tree?

A man who knows who he is in Christ- by the cross, will never be crushed by the waves of condemnation, but will rise about them.  A man who knows that he is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3), will have a constant joy- which equal constant strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and will never compartmentalize his life- spiritual mode, social mode, study mode, school mode, work mode, etc; but will have Jesus oozing out of him in everything he does/everywhere he goes.  

I am a child of the King.  My Father is the Father of lights (James 1:17), I am a child of light (Eph. 5:8), I live in a world that is under the domain of darkness (Col 1:13)- this represents the kingdom of Satan that is out to kill, steal, and destroy the original intent of God for mankind to live whole and blessed.  But, “the darkness is passing away” (1 John 2:8), because I am in the world, and light drives out darkness; not by effort, but by nature.  

“for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8)   

Robes of Light

One more thing about my robes: they are bright and shining. The bloody rags will cover the light that is to emanate from my life.  A person living in shame or self-righteousness, which are the products of the rags, cannot shine forth what God has put on him. I must know who I am, if I am to be who I am.  

I am in the cross.  I must boast about my righteousness that came from God by grace.  I must see the robes of righteousness on me, and that I am a King’s kid.  Therefore, I need to live with unshakable joy.  

As a king’s kid, my righteous works must not be bloody rags, but my trophies for eternity.  The good works I do to validate myself, are rags.  The good works I do from understanding that I’ve been validated by the grace of the cross, are my eternal rewards. .

Don’t kill your Divine Connections

Introduction

There are people who we just come across each day. This American Psychologist named Rollo May, estimates that Americans have from 500-2,500 acquaintances each year. Out of those people we cross paths with, there are people whom Satan brings into our lives. Then, there are people whom God brings into our lives- also known as divine connections.

When Satan wants to destroy your life, he sends the wrong people into our lives. When God wants to bless us, He sends the right people into our lives. God is a good God, who gives good gifts to His children. Some of the best gifts we can receive from God are divine connections.

God has and will continue to bless us with divine connections. The question is not: will He? The question is: will you recognize them? Will you honor them? Will you kill them?

The term: divine connection is not in the Bible. However, concept is everywhere in Scripture.

The Lord opened my eyes to three particular divine connections in the Bible. Each divine connection comes from a picture in the Old Testament and teaches a principle from the New Testament. It’s amazing how often New Testament Principles have Old Testament Pictures. In other words, New Testament Teachings seem to have Old Testament Examples that support those teachings.

The first Old Testament picture that shows us how important divine connections are is the story of Samuel and Eli

Samuel was a church kid. His mom dedicated him to God at a young age, so Samuel was the janitor of the church since he was a kid. The Bible says, “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.” (1 Samuel 3:1). Eli the priest was like the Pastor of the church. He was the man God had established in that place of authority.

Samuel served and assisted Eli, but the Bible says that Samuel served the Lord. As staff members or volunteers of a local church, we might think that we are serving the church or the Pastor, but we are really serving the Lord! Yes, we are here to assist God’s leaders, but we aren’t really serving the leaders, we are serving the Lord. That is something we need to get straight.

Samuel served his divine connection- Eli! Soon, God raised up Samuel to be a prophet and a revivalist to his nation.

Samuel carried the presence of God and it was undeniable. The reputation of his prophetic anointing spread like wildfire.

“The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.” (1 Samuel 3:19).

When Samuel preached, the nation repented and cast down their idols (1 Samuel 7). He was the catalyst for revival in his nation.

Here’s what the Lord showed:

There are so many young people with the potential of Samuel, and they have big dreams to be my prophets and revivalists, but they aren’t willing to serve under their divine connections. They get so easily offended they jump from one pastor to another, the hop from one ministry to another, and they don’t know every learn to submit to a ministry, assist a ministry, or serve under a Pastor.

Who is your Eli?

I can’t answer that for you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal that to you?

It maybe a Pastor, it maybe a church/ministry, it maybe your parents.

Here is what I can tell you: Before God can promote us and really use us, He trains us in the school of submission. At this school, humble pie is served every day. We learn humility, we learn servant-hood, and our character is matured.

Here’s something you need to know about Eli: He was not perfect! He had some flaws- he didn’t discipline his sons, and he didn’t discipline himself- and was obese. Do you think Samuel always agreed with Eli? No way. Do you think Samuel always approved of Eli’s decisions? I don’t think so. Do you think Samuel ever got frustrated with Eli? Yeah. However, Samuel still served the Lord under Eli.

The ministry God has connected you with will not be perfect! The Pastor you are serving under will have some areas of weakness or deficiency! The Church you are called to serve under will not do things according to your will all the time!

Please, don’t kill your divine connection! The one who will be missing out is you.

Now, if Eli decided that he was going to stop serving God and decided that he would go serve Baal, would Samuel still be required to serve under Eli? No. “We must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).

However, Eli was not a servant of Baal. He was a servant of God, called by God, and had a heart for God. He just was not perfect. Your Eli will not be perfect! Your church will not be perfect!

There are three ways we grow by serving under a ministry: Impartation, Encouragement, and Irritation! We like the first two, but the third will do more for developing our character!

You might think I’m saying: “If you leave your current church and pastor, God will not raise you up to do great things!”

No. I’m not saying that. Some of you have been faithful at your current church, but now God’s connecting you somewhere else to open up the next chapter in your life. This is what I am saying:

“If you leave your divine connection before appointed time because you are easily offended, and you leave with a heart of dishonor for a ministry or a servant of God, you are probably checking out of Submission School and your character will not be as developed as it should, and because you weren’t faithful in serving under a ministry, you probably will not be entrusted with a greater ministry in the future!”

Another thing I’m saying is: “Church hoppers and Pastor swappers, anointing connoisseurs- who have a lot to say about this church and pastor, but never submit and serve will probably not fulfill their great potential in God.”

Who is your Eli?

Who are you supposed to be serving under?

Which ministry are you supposed to be assisting?

By sharing the Old Testament story of Samuel and Eli, we saw a picture of how important submitting to and assisting our divine connections can be.

Now here are the principle or teaching from from the New Testament that correlates with this picture or story from the OT:

“Obey your (spiritual) leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

Samuel never judged Eli! Samuel never dishonored him. If you read on in 1 Samuel, we see that God dealt with Eli. My job is not to judge and condemn and criticize my leaders, but, my job is to love them and serve them. In fact, that with everyone. My job is not to criticize, but to love and serve.

If your pastor asks you to go on a drive by shooting with him, say “no” and respectfully leave the church.

If your pastor asks you to help pick up trash, just do it. In fact, even if he doesn’t ask you, still do it. Because, the way up in the Kingdom of God is being a servant (Matthew 23:11).

If you want what Samuel had, you have to be willing to do what Samuel did. Samuel served the Lord under his divine connection.

The second Old Testament picture that shows us how important divine connections is the story of Ruth and Naomi

Naomi had two married sons and a husband. First, her husband dies, Then both of her sons died. So, both her daughters in law became widows. One was named Orpah, the other was named Ruth. Naomi basically told her daughters in law, “my life stinks, if you stay with me, your life will stink too, please go away, get re-married, have a happy life! It’s too late for me, but not for you.”

Orpah kissed Naomi, and ditched her. Ruth cleaved to Naomi. A preacher once said, “There are kissers and cleavers in the church! Which are you?”

Ruth followed Naomi back to her hometown. Ruth took care of Naomi. During the day, Ruth would go into the field of a rich guy named Boaz and would collect all the left of food. Basically, she and Naomi was living off of government cheese and food stamps.

Then, one day, Boaz took notice of Ruth. He asked on of his servants, “Who is she?” He heard that the young woman was named Ruth, and he heard of how faithful Ruth had been to Naomi. When he meets Ruth this is what he said,

“I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:11-12)

To make a long story short, Boaz- this man who had a heart for God and a lots of money pursues Ruth, and the two get married! Ruth marries the man of her dreams. Then, everyone lives happily ever after! They have some kids, and grandkids, and great grand kids- and King David pops out, then after a few dozen more descendants- Jesus Christ comes! Ruth leaves a legacy.

Here is what we need to catch: Butt-kissers don’t leave legacies. Those who are faithful and loyal to their divine connections do. Naomi was Ruth’s divine connection.

I want to ask you, “Who or what is your Naomi?” Again, I can’t answer that for you. The Holy Spirit has to show you. Naomi could be a church, a ministry, a family member!

Here is what I could tell you: So many people want their Boaz. They want their big dreams to be fulfilled. They want prosperity in their lives! However, if they are not faithful to their Naomi, their Boaz will stay in their dreams and never come into their reality.

• First question: Do you have any big dreams? We serve a big God. That God is in you! Nothing is impossible for Him!
• Second question: Are you being faithful to your Naomi?

• We can ask God: “God, I want my Boaz!!!! When????”
• God is asking: “How are you doing with your Naomi?”

Now here are the principle or teaching from from the New Testament that correlates with this picture or story from the OT:

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much” (Luke 16:10).

Boaz knew this principle: He knew that because Ruth was so faithful to Naomi, Ruth would be faithful to him.

Jesus Christ knows this principle too: Before He can bless us with Boaz, he tests us with Naomi.

Let me explain

I had a friend who is probably one of the most gifted worship leaders that I know. He’s a young guy, but has written many songs. Song writing is like second nature to him. I always knew there was a grace for worship on his life. In high school, we used to dream big dreams and share them with each other: I dreamed of preaching to multitudes on the mission fields, and he dreamed of leading multitudes into the presence of God through pure worship. When he was in High School, his dad started a church, and my friend had to serve under his dad. He had to leave the church he loved, to go help his dad. He was serving there for about four years, and it wasn’t easy for him. He led worship for five people every Friday and Sunday. He cried out to God to give him a heart that was submissive and obedient, because he lacked it. He was faithful to that little church and served under his dad, and one day out of nowhere: He met his Boaz! Boaz- was the Youth Pastor of a brand new church plant. My friend’s father was a praying man, and knew it was time for his gifted son to switch ships. That new church plant become of one of the fastest growing churches in Orange County, and my friend became one of their worship leaders and has released three/four CDs already full of anointed songs the Lord’s given him. I’m so happy my friend is being used by God to leave a legacy.

Your Naomi isn’t a Jerk Boyfriend or a Jezebel girlfriend- you should cut them out of your life. Your Naomi could be working in the Nursery at church, it could be the Children’s ministry, it could be serving in the Worship Ministry faithfully, it could be being faithful with our House of Prayer, it’s different for everyone.

About five years ago, I was driving down Vermont in South Central Los Angeles, and saw a bunch of middle school kids streaming out of school. The compassion of God came upon me, and I wept and interceded for them. I remembered my life in Junior High without Christ. A few weeks later, I felt God wanted me to not just pray for those kids, but preach to them. I drove from a hour each way couple times a week while I was still in College. I preached to the kids, saw many come to Christ, and we started a youth group. For about a year, I faithful served those kids. Then, I got some friends involved, and then they got their pastor to come- He was Pastor Ryan. Pastor Ryan ministered to the L.A. kids here and there. Then, out of nowhere, He asked me to be on the Pastoral Staff at Blessed International Fellowship. I was faithful with my South Central Naomi and walked into my Blessed Boaz.

Who is your Naomi?

Here’s the thing: Naomi’s name meant “Pleasant”. But, when things got tough for Naomi, she changed her name to Mara- which means “Bitter”. At first, your Naomi’s might be “pleasant” but then, they will become “bitter.”

• The question is not: Will my Naomi go through bitter times?
• The question is: Will I be faithful!

1. Naomi can be “praying for the sick”. Will we pray for the sick when it gets bitter?
2. Naomi can be “sharing the gospel”. Will we share Jesus when we just get bitter responses?
3. Naomi can be “intercession”. Will we still pray when the situations are getting more bitter?

Here’s the prophetic Word: If you are faithful with Naomi, Boaz is coming sooner than you think!

At my church- Blessed International Fellowship, we started off so “pleasant”. Everything we touched prospered and everything was so anointed. Then, we went through our “bitter” season, when we couldn’t get any volunteers to do anything. We call a prayer meeting, 2 people showed up. We decide to do an outreach, 3 people show up. I remember preaching on a Friday night to 6 people! Then, we had some bitter meetings too. In fact, we used to have a lot of bitter people here. But, by God’s goodness, like He did for Ruth and Naomi, He turned it all around!

I’m sure many people at our church wanted to leave during the bitter times, and kiss Blessed goodbye. In fact many did. But, for those who stayed, aren’t you so glad you did- Boaz is here! Our Church is seeing our dreams come to pass right before our eyes! All glory to God! Thank you Jesus!

You might think I’m saying: “If you leave this church, you will miss out on your destiny!”

I’m not saying that. What I am saying is this: “God rewards faithfulness, God rewards loyalty, and therefore, when it comes to your divine connections- your Naomi, be faithful and loyal, not just it the pleasant times, but in the bitter times, and you will marry prosperity and leave a legacy! Butt-kissers don’t leave legacies. Only, those who are faithful and loyal do. When you are faithful with little, God will trust you with more.

The third Old Testament picture that shows us how important divine connections are is the story of Saul and David

Saul was the first King of Israel. David was a shepherd boy who was anointed by God. Saul had a lot of demons, and David was the only one who had the anointing to help Saul. David would play his harp, and the demons would leave. There was a time Saul loved David and David loved Saul. However, Saul’s heart towards David took a one-eighty turn, and he began to hate David. Why? David did nothing wrong. David honored Saul. David was (1 Samuel 22:18) the most faithful person Saul had. David had the greatest anointing to help Saul. David had no hidden agenda, he just wanted to see Saul succeed, and David was the greatest asset Saul had. David was Saul’s divine connection.

But, Saul hated David, because he feared David.

“Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. SoSaul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand.” (1 Samuel 18:12-13)

Saul used to love David. David was like another son to Saul. Why would he remove David from his life? Fear.

“The fear of man brings a snare…” (Proverbs 29:25)

Saul got caught in the web called the fear of man, and so he removed David out of his life. The fear of man is a snare! It gets you caught in snare of isolation and loneliness, and you go through life unable to have fulfilling relationships because you are afraid of people.

Those who have this fear of man issue, can be nice and even friendly on the outside, but they will make sure you stay on the outside. When they sense that someone is coming a little too close, they will- like Saul- remove that person from their presence/ their lives.

David was probably the best friend Saul had, he was the most loyal, the most anointed person in Saul’s life, and only David had the anointing to help Saul fight his demons. Why did he push David away like that? Fear.

Who is your David?

Ask yourself: Is their a David who God is connecting me to, but I push away because of my fears?

What was Saul afraid of? Saul was afraid that David would betray him, and that David would use his popularity to dethrone Saul. Saul’s fears caused him to assume things.

Fear will cause us to do a lot of stupid things- assuming is on top of the list.

What is fear?

I heard one acronym that said, FEAR is: False Expectations Appearing Real.

That was Saul’s problem. He had these false expectations. He had these assumptions. I tell you that there are so many people who are pushing away the Davids that God is sending their way because of fear!

I don’t know who your David is. I pray that the Holy Spirit will show you. Your David could be a ministry God’s connecting you to, a pastor, anointed brothers or sisters, a spiritual mother, a spiritual father, etc. What I do know is that God is good enough to send Davids your way, even when you are backslidden and demonized.

I’ve pushed away a lot of Davids in my life, because of my fears, and unresolved hurts. Maybe you felt really used in your last church, so you are afraid to get involved in this church, and you keep this church far from your presence, because of false expectations. But, this church might just be the David God has sent into your life to deliver you, bless you, raise you up, and be faithful to you. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with a pastor or church leader (I sure have), and you want to keep yourself from the pastors of this church, when they might be the Davids God has sent into your life.

But, here’s the thing: God wants to get fear out of you and love into you!

He wants to give us His perfect love that casts out fear (so we will no loner walk with these false expectations and demonic assumptions) (1 John 4:18).

Now here are the principle or teaching from from the New Testament that correlates with this picture or story from the OT:

(1 Corinthians 13:7) tells us that “Love always trusts.”

What does that mean? Do I trust my children into the hands of a registered sex offender? No, don’t be stupid! The Bible says, “Be shrewd” (Matthew 10:16).

Don’t take one verse and live by it, we need to see each verse in context to the whole Bible. If all I read and preached was “Jesus wept” then how limited, lopsided, and wrong will be my view of Jesus. So balance “Love always trusts” with “Be shrewd”.

However, love is the law we must live by as Christians (Romans 13). ” Love always trusts”. How do I apply that in my life?

That word “Trusts” in Greek is: Pisteuei. That word implies: Believing for the best in a situation! Believing the best about a person! Love believes the best about a person!

A Christian woman who walks in love will not marry a Satanist man. That’s stupid. But, the woman should not condemn the Satanist man, but will believe for the best for that person- that he would get saved by grace!

Saul was believing for the worst to happen, therefore Saul was not walking in love. He separated himself from David.

• A person who is afraid of being rejected all the time, lacks the love- that trusts.
• A person who is always thinking negatively about people lacks the love that trusts.
• If we are always expecting the worst in every relationship, in every church, in every pastor, we are missing the love of (1 Corinthians 13).

Yes, there is a place to be discerning about people, and discerning is one of the gifts of the Spirit. But, the greatest gift is love! And love is not critical and negative, but believes the best!

When we walk in love, and cast out of fears, we will embrace the Davids God wants to send our way.

In fact, if we walk in love, we will be faithful to our Naomi’s in the good time and the bitter times.

If we are walking in love, we will be submissive towards our Eli’s and assist them in the work God’s called them to do.

God is a good God, and He is sending good people- God-people into your life. He is sending divine connections into your life. Do you recognize them? Don’t kill them, love them. You will then walk into the best that God has in store for you.

The Greatest Power, The Truest Message

Here is a revelation the Lord gave me last week:

“THE GREATEST POWER IN THE UNIVERSE IS IN ME, and THE TRUEST MESSAGE IN THE UNIVERSE IS IN ME.”

 

Wow!

I better change the world.

I used to walk into Walmart to shop.

Then I walked into Walmart afraid God would tell me to witness to someone or pray for someone.

Then I walked into Walmart hoping that maybe someone would get healed or that I’d get some prophetic words.  

Now, I walk into Walmart and think: “Ut oh! Watch out Walmart!  You have no idea who just walked in.  Attention Walmart! You have no idea what can happen in the next few minutes, because a Kingdom Ambassador has just entered the building!”  

Am I arrogant?

Or, am I aware? (aware of who I really am in Christ and what I really carry)

I carry the greatest power in the universe- the Holy Spirit.  I carry the truest message in the universe- the good news of Jesus Christ.  The gospel of Jesus is not true because I think it’s true or prefer it to be true.  It’s true because it’s true!  I am not double minded about that!  For the supernatural to break in wherever I am, for heaven to come down wherever I walk, is an obvious occurrence.  

I pray that we -the people of God- would be more aware of who we are and what we carry.  In Jesus name, amen.  

Hell.

As surely as God loves me, people will be punished for their sins in an eternity called hell, if they reject Jesus Christ.  This hit me in a fresh way this week. I think about how God loves me.  But, as true as His love for me is,  the truth of a literal hell is as true.  

Jesus made the way so sinners wouldn’t have to be punished. How?  Through His cross and resurrection.  Through His gospel, delivered by His Spirit, through His people.

Compulsion to Preach

For if I preach the gospel. I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion, for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Paul preached because he was under compulsion!  

What does compulsion mean in the original Greek?

ANAGKE:

• (By implication) Unavoidable distress.
• Spoken of as the result of an influential relationship with a person.
• Arising from a person’s disposition (which means natural inclinations).

Ok, what does this mean:

The reason Paul preached the gospel was:  

• He had inner turmoil which was unavoidable, every time he saw souls that were Christ-less and hell-bound.  
• He was heavily influenced by a person- this person was the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was giving Paul the passion to preach and the compassion for souls.  
• Paul had a new nature, he was seated in heavenly places, he was a new creation, and therefore, because he was now dead to sin, but alive to God, the most natural thing for his new nature to do was to share Jesus Christ!  

Paul was torn inside for lost souls. 

Every preacher has had some major influences in their preaching ministries, Paul was influenced primarily by the Spirit.

Preaching was literally second nature to Paul. 

What about us today?

• Do we feel this holy distress over lost souls?
• Am I walking under the heavy influence of the Holy Spirit?
• Am I living out by faith my new nature?  

May this be our confession at the end of our lives:

“When I got saved, I got this new nature and as I grew in faith, I grew in realization of who I really was in Christ, and I realize that I have nothing to be afraid of, I have a treasure that I am a steward over.  Then, I got really close to the Holy Spirit, and He became like my best friend, and He started really influencing me everyday as we spent time together.  I started feeling what He was feeling- love for people.  He helped me realize all this stuff: that hell was real, sin was to be furiously punished, and Jesus was the only way out of condemnation and into heaven.  So I was under this compulsion to preach the gospel.  I preached, and some people thought I was dumb, then others started believing, and their lives took a one-eighty degree turn, and they got a new nature, a new friend- the Holy Spirit, and got distress over the lost souls too…I really have nothing to boast of because God gave me the new nature, the Holy Spirit, and the distress.  What was the result?  The compulsion to preach the gospel.”

Excellence

Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit.”- Aristotle

 

The Best Way to Learn

It’s been said that, “The best way to learn is from your mistakes.”  That’s retarded. The best way for me to learn is not from my mistakes, it’s from the mistakes of others.  There is a heavy price you pay when you make a mistake- people get hurt and you get hurt.  If the mistake is in a form of a sin, Satan takes ground on your soul.  You don’t want this.  You would rather learn from someone else’s mistake because it’s free information.  

If the Prophet Samuel fell short in one thing in his powerful and faithful ministry, it was that he repeated the mistake of his spiritual father Eli, and also failed to discipline his kids.  Samuel should have learned from Eli’s mistakes.  

It’s  a blessing to serve under spiritual fathers and mothers, because we can learn from their mistakes.  Some lone-ranger Christians have the attitude that they will figure things out on their own.  They will pay a heavy price of many mistakes.  I rather be part of a church community and humbly submit under some church leaders and receive an impartation of blessing and anointing from them like Elisha received from Elijah, endure the irritation of disagreements and let that be the sandpaper that smoothes out the rough edges of my character, and learn from the mistakes of my spiritual leaders. 

The ceiling of the spiritual fathers ought to be the floor of the spiritual children.  How is this practically done? By learning from mistakes.  I believe that forerunners and like the first batch of toilet paper, they go through the most crap.  So, the second batch ought to go through less crap right?  Whenever I minister, I pray and believe that what took me 11 years to learn would be imparted as revelation in 45 minutes.  Why? Those I’m ministering to have no time to waste.  None of us do.  The time is too short!  

What’s my point:

1) Submit to spiritual leaders “who watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17).  

One of the ways they watch over your soul is by recounting their mistakes and warning you of them.

2) Read a lot of books, especially biographies.  

The reason I’m an avid reader is not because I want to boast of my wealth of knowledge.  I’m always reading because I want to learn from the author’s mistakes!  I read through a book yesterday from a man named Wayne Cordiero.  He’s been a pastor for 20-30 years and has planted one of the most powerful soul-winning churches in the world in Hawaii.  His book is called “Leading on Empty” and he recounts how and why he burned out in ministry.  He had a section in the book like: If I could do it all over again.  He grabbed my attention 100%.  He went on in his book to give a good number of warning signs.  I decided to learn from his mistakes!  What he learned in 30 years, I was able to learn in 30 minutes. 

3) Read the Bible.  

“Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.” (1 Cor. 10:6)

“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Cor. 10:11)  These passages are commentating on some Old Testament stories. The stories in the Bible are examples!  Examples that would warn us and instruct us.  Stories from the Bible will inspire us of things not to do, and will instruct us of things to do.  For example, you read about a rich man who lived a godless life and had no compassion for the poor, but now he’s burning in hell and begging for a cup of water which is denied him.  I’d read that and say, “I think I’ll learn from his mistake”

Which Bride are You? Leah or Rachel?

 

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.

33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also. And she called his name Simeon.

34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi.

35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said; This time I will praise the LORD. Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

(Genesis 29:31-35)

Jacob- whose mean was Israel-which means Prince, had two wives. Rachel and Leah had two different mentalities. Even now, there are two different mentalities in the Church- the Bride of Christ.  Jesus-the Prince of peace has a Bride with a Rachel mentality and a Bride with a Leah mentality.  There are those who are insecure and those who aren’t.  Those who feel like they need to labor and labor again for love.

Leah is a picture of the religious Christian- who is working so hard for the Lord of God.  Feeling like she needs to do, to be.  She is insecure.  She is comparing herself to those who she feels like have more favor in their lives.  When we see someone with the favor of God on his or her lives, do we get jealous?  Or, do we get excited because we are expecting that we are next?  Leahs get jealous.  Leahs count score.  Leahs work hard. 

Leahs are prayer warriors.  They do give birth.  Leah had children, but she didn’t have confidence.   As the Bride of Christ, we can have birthed a lot of ministries for the Kingdom, but if we do not have confidence in our identity before the Lord, we have missed out on the essence of the Gospel of grace.  Leah didn’t have joy.  Religious Christians have children- in other words, they have works; but they don’t have confidence and joy.

The Religious Christian- like Leah has cross-eyes.  Their worldview is distorted.  They are not seeing clearly with the revelation of the Holy Spirit.  Just because you are a prayer warrior and a work horse for God, doesn’t mean you are seeing God and life correctly.  In fact, zeal doesn’t impress God, love does.  Zeal isn’t the epitome of Christianity, the revelation of love is.  Muslim fundamentalists and Satanists have  zeal-but lack love.  Leahs lack love too.  Anyways, Cross-eyes aren’t the most attractive.  Insecure Christians are not attractive to the world.  The Pharisees had to go half way around the world to find a convert.  Jesus was swarmed by the kids.  Do you see the difference?  Religious Christians aren’t attractive to the world.  It’s those who understand their identity as the beloved of the Lord, and have full confidence and joy in the grace of God who are attractive to the world. 

After Leah’s third child, she named him Judah-which means “Praise.” Leah began to praise after what she had done.   Some people feel like praising God when they do something good.  Why? Maybe they feel confident only after they feel like they accomplished something.  By the way, it takes confidence to praise.  Shame doesn’t lead to humble praise; it leads to crippled praise. There is one thing I must get clear: I don’t worship God for what I have done.  I worship God for what He has done.  I was at a place when I worshipped God half-heartedly when they feel like they produced just a little for God that week.  When I felt like I produced much, there was a new confidence to my praise, and I would worship more extravagantly.  But, when I felt like a vile sinner that week, my praise looked more like a puppy with its tail between its legs.  Again, I worship God for what He has done!  What He has done gives me the confidence to praise!  Yes, praise is a very God-centered activity. Who’s the object of our praise?  We praise God and not ourselves.  What the motive of our praise? What God’s done, not what I’ve done.

Leah, stopped bearing children after Judah.  When we start praising God on the basis of our production for God, we will no longer be fruitful like before.  God is not a proud God.  So for us to be connected to Him, we have to be where He is, the place of humility.  He is a humble God.  

Lord, my God, who am I that You should forsake me? The Child of your Love — and now become as the most hated one — the one — You have thrown away as unwanted — unloved. I call, I cling, I want — and there is no One to answer — no One on Whom I can cling — no, No One. — Alone … Where is my Faith — even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness & darkness — My God — how painful is this unknown pain — I have no Faith — I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart — & make me suffer untold agony.

There is a quote which came out in TIME magazine.  It’s support to the fact that just because we are producing for God, doesn’t mean we have come to know our identity as the Beloved bride of the Lord.  

Here are quotes from one of the most productive brides of Christ of all time- Mother Teresa.  

Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear. (Mother Teresa to Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, September 1979)

 

So many unanswered questions live within me afraid to uncover them — because of the blasphemy — If there be God — please forgive me — When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven — there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives & hurt my very soul. — I am told God loves me — and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart?” — addressed to Jesus, at the suggestion of a confessor, undated (I don’t know how true this is, but it’s from Time Magazine (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415-3,00.html)

Torment, anger, and darkness are not the inheritance for the bride of Christ.  Rest, confidence, peace, and joy is!  (Matthew 11:28)(Hebrews 4:16)(Romans 14:17).  The Leah mentality leaves us striving, but unfulfilled.  The Leah mentality leaves us chasing after the wind.  The Leah mentality must be broken. 

How to go from a Representative of God to a Worshipper of Demons?

1. Solomon started with the Sacrifice of Praise!

Solomon was a worshipper.  He offered 1000 sacrifices to the Lord.  Imagine that?  He killed many animals and spent much time and energy offering a sacrifice to God.  Today, we don’t make God a BBQ lamb, but we still offer sacrifices.  We offer the sacrifice of praise.  (Hebrews 13:15).  It was after the sacrifices of Solomon which the Lord encountered Solomon and asked him what he wanted.  Imagine God showing up with that question.  Anyways, that represents the intimacy Solomon had.  I want that intimacy.  If I want what he had, I should do what he did.  By the way, so many people want, but never do anything, so they never get anything.  I will offer up sacrifices of praise!  It’s through radical, persistant praise, where my intimacy with the Lord is discovered.  

2. The Blessings flowed to Solomon!

When Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom, the Lord blessed him with the gift of wisdom and ridiculous prosperity.  Why?  That’s just God’s heart.  He loves to bless his kids.  In (2 Samuel 12:7-8), God speaks to David through Nathan, and gives a heavy rebuke for his sin of murder and adultery, but pay close attention to God’s heart: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.  I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.”  God’s will for my life is: anointing, deliverance, promotion, and even more.  God says, “If all my blessings were too little for you David, I would have even given you more.”  The Lord is a God of more!  He loves to bless, and is willing to give more if you would ask.  Anyways, Solomon becomes super prosperous!  God is good.  When we are aligned to Him, and when we are intimate with Him, His blessings flow.  When our lives our surrendered to Him, the anointing, deliverance, promotion, and prosperity comes.  

3. Solomon’s reputation spread like wildfire

God’s will for Israel was that they would be so blessed, that they would be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6&49:6).  Solomon was a light to the nations for sure!  Kings and Queens would show up at his door, to learn from Him and be awestruck.  However, Solomon was so in love with the Lord, that when His fame grew, God’s fame grew.  In (1 Kings 10:1), we read, “When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.”  Solomon’s fame brought honor to God.  God wants to raise us up, so His name would be raise up.  God wants to and will raise up people like Solomon, who are praisers, who have intimacy with Him, and He will bless their socks off, and promote them beyond all stretches of anyones imagination.  Why? For His name’s sake. 

4.  People were drawn to Solomon. 

When the Lord’s blessing is on our lives because we are intimate with Him and obedient to Him, people will be drawn to us.  Pagans will be curious about us.  Sheba was drawn to Solomon’s outer reputation, but when she came to look into the Kingdom herself, and got to know him more personally, she was even more impressed.  Have you every been disappointed by hype?  I have.  Sheba wasn’t.  In fact, Sheba said that Solomon’s wisdom was two times more awesome than she expected.  “Then she said to the king, ‘It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard’.” (1 Kings 10:6-7) People are initially drawn to us by our outer reputation, but if they travel into the inner walls of our character, what will they find?  May they be even more impressed at our integrity, purity, and excellence.  We must not hide behind our public reputation.  We must let people into our lives, and let them see that it’s two times better inside than that’s rumored outside.   I’d rather be underestimated than overestimated.  I guess that’s good to remember, because in life, a lot of people will underestimate us- even look down on our age, look, personality, etc. 

Sheba points out: “ How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!”  (1 Kings 10:8) Solomon was such a great boss, that his employees loved him.  That’s a powerful statement.  Employees usually don’t always get along with their CEOs.  I heard about a Megachurch in California bringing in secular consultants to help resolve internal conflict.  That’s not right!  The church shouldn’t be turning to the world to learn how to be a leader and apply organizational and interpersonal skills, it should be the other way around.  I love what John Maxwell is doing.  As a former pastor and current servant of the Lord, he has conferences on Leadership which tens of thousands of business people of all faiths attend.  Afterwards, he has an optional session for those who want to hear about the greatest leader- Jesus Christ.  Maxwell shares the gospel and sees many people in the business world come to the Lord.  I love that!  Maxwell loves that!  Jesus loves that!  The world is coming to him to learn about leadership and management! 

For the church to be the light that attracts the nations, we need to be praisers!  We need intimacy with the Lord!  We need the real anointing and blessing of the Lord!  We need real wisdom from the Lord!  One more thing: We need to do our work with excellence!  Excellence means: above average!  It was the magnificence of Solomon’s work that made him a magnet!  God wants His church to be a light to the nations.  So many people have been in darkness all their lives, if they see a light at the end of the tunnel, they will be running towards it.  The church must be “it”.  I am so proud of the book “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren.  It has been attacked by Christian Fundamentalists, but too bad for them.  That’s a great book.  The best part is, so many non-Christians read it!  The wisdom that the Lord has given Rick has caught the attention of a world full of people living purposeless lives without Christ.

The Bible reminds us over an over again, especially in the book of Proverbs to: not envy sinner.  You know why that’s such a strong command, because sinners should be envying us.  When we get it backwards, it’s displeasing to God!  The world should be envying our quality, our prosperity, our passion, our joy, and our excellence!  

Ok, how do you become a representative of God?  It starts with praise!  We praise God for what He has done!  Through praise we begin to encounter the Lord.  As we encounter the Lord, we develop intimacy with the Lord.  You get close to an evil man, you will get hurt.  You get close to a good God, you will get blessed!  With blessings and gifting come promotion and favor.  With promotion and favor comes influence.  

Now, how does a representative of God become a worshipper of demons?  

Sadly, that was Solomon’s fate.  

5.  Solomon stopped praising God!  

He no longer offered the sacrifices like he used to.  After he got the blessings, he lost the worship!  When Solomon had nothing, he worshipped God with everything.  When he had everything, he worshipped God with nothing close to what he had done before.  

When you are blessed, will you love the blessings more of the Blesser?  When we are blessed, will we be distracted, or will we remain worshippers?  

There are thousands of great men and women of God, who were generals in the Body of Christ, who started off as worshippers, and when their blessing came, their anointing came, their favor came, their promotion and prosperity came, their worship left!  

Prosperity is blinding.

Prestige is distracting.

Power is corrupting.

But…

Praise is protecting.

Some would ask: If God knew how dangerous prosperity and promotion could be to, why did He give it to Solomon?  That’s like giving a mouse trap to a baby!  Wrong illustration!

Solomon didn’t have to be blinded, distracted, and corrupted.  It was his choice.  God doesn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to handle, but provides for us the way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). The way to escape is to continue to praise God as hard as we did when we had nothing!  

One of the most dangerous signs in our lives is when our WORSHIP IS GROWING COLD!  

How has your worship changed?  If your answer is: I used to be more passionate.  Then, something is wrong.

By the way, I go to church to praise God!  I don’t go primarily to fellowship, or to check out the preacher, or even to preach myself!  I go to offer my sacrifice of praise!   When a person starts missing church for other priorities, he or she is on their way to becoming a demon worshipper.  By Demon worshippers, I’m not talking about bowing down the statues or ghosts, I’m talking about idols.  I’m talking about being like Solomon and not wholly following the Lord.  

6. Solomon got into soul ties with the wrong people

Solomon started falling for these other lovers and let his lusts carry him into soul ties with demon worshipping, hot women!  He built every one of them a shrine and worshipped demons with them.  By the way, he had 700 wives.  

Solomon didn’t become a demon worshipper overnight!  It happened gradually.  Don’t let it happen to you.  Never loose your fervent worship!  

Solomon goes down in the books as being a man who did not “wholly follow the Lord.”  Again, it didn’t happen overnight. 

7. Solomon started worshipping idols

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.” (1 Kings 11:4-6)

8. Solomon angered the Lord

God hates sin!  That’s not changed.

9. Solomon says bye to God, and hello to warfare!

Solomon was tormented by Hadad, Rezon, and Jereboam for the rest of his life!  Not cool.  Not necessary!  

Some spiritual warfare is because we are taking new ground, and God is teaching us how to fight.  Some spiritual warfare is because we are out of the safety zone because have backslid right out of our hedge of protection in the presence of God.  By the way, it’s praise that gets us and keeps us in the protective presence of God (Psalm 91).  

Some spiritual warfare is present because you are going forward, other spiritual warfare is present because you are going backwards. 

So, some spiritual warfare is the result of training. 

Other spiritual warfare is the result of disobedience.

Spiritual warfare from training brings TRAINING.  Leads to our destiny! 

Spiritual warfare from disobediences brings TORMENT.  Leads to destruction!

Some people are in heavy warfare because of disobedience, and think God is training them.  But, God is not in it.  They think it’s necessary to their training, but it’s not!  Not all spiritual warfare is necessary.  Not all spiritual warfare is taking us to our destiny.  

10. Solomon lost all that he worked so hard for!

“for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you (Jeroboam) ten tribes (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David)…because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is righ tin my sign and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did.’” (1 Kings 11:31-33)  

God is not a liar, and His word came to pass.  Solomon lost everything that he worked so hard for.  He spent years, and put in the time, the blood, sweat, and tears to build up Israel, but all of it would be torn from him.  The only reason he was able to keep something was because of who He was related to- David.  When a Christian begins as a worshipper, but ends poorly because he looses his first love and worship, he can loose his rewards, but he will still have the reward of salvation because of who he is related to- the son of David- Jesus Christ.  If I don’t finish strong, I will not get my full reward, but will squander what I sacrificed so much for.  That is why the Apostle John writes, “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.” (2 John

 

What’s the moral of this story?

Never loose your heart for worship!  Our praise must be intense.  Why? Is God blind and deaf?  No.  But, the perversion in our world is so intense, that our praise must be more intense.  Half hearted praisers will get devoured by the violent force of perversion!  Only wholehearted worshippers whose passion for Jesus is: hotter than Hollywood’s greed for money, stronger than the world’s seduction of sexual immorality, and more violent than the demons plea for bitterness, drunkenness, and selfish ambition, will overcome!  Our love for God must exceed Satan’s lust for our souls.  There is a war over our souls.  Want to win? Be a worshipper! Stay a worshipper!  

Diligence and Fervor

“Not lacking behind in diligence, fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11)

Diligence refers to consistent discipline.

Fervent refers to being passionate. 

What the Lord showed me this morning is that those two always go together.

Fervor brings Diligence

A real passionate person will have consistent discipline. A person who is really fervent in their spirit for God will soon figure out that the only way to stay on fire, is to stay diligent.  

Diligence keeps Fervor

The key to staying passionate, is to have consistent discipline.  The way to continue to burn in your heart for God is to not to go to a fiery conference every other month.  The key to burning for God is not even going on emotionally charged fasting spurts.  The key to keep burning for God is not to get slain in the Spirit by the newest star.  The key is to be consistent everyday in our spiritual disciplines.  

Some wanna-be passionate people who think they are fervent in Spirit but are really just emotional Christians will think diligent people are boring.  They will look at a church that doesn’t have any huge events full of fireworks, and think that is a boring church.  However, if that church is diligent in what they are doing, they are the ones with the real fervor. 

Being diligent is not being boring or mechanic.  Diligence is what real passion looks like.  It takes a real passionate person to get up in the morning to pray when he doesn’t feel like it.  It takes a real passionate person to study the Word even when he’s reading through Leviticus.  It takes a real passionate person to live holy when the goosebumps are gone.  

In hyper-Charismatic churches, I’ve noticed a lot of fervor, but not a lot of diligence.  In more Bible-teaching churches, I’ve noticed a lot of diligence, but not as much fervor- like people running around the church, or weeping for ten hours while chewing the carpet.  It might seem like you have to pick one or the other, but diligence and fervor are inseparable.  True fervor is expressed in diligence, and true diligence is the key to maintaining fervor.  

Again, true diligence and spiritual fervor are inseparable.  But, diligence and emotionalism are mutually exclusive- you only have one or the other.  Sadly, some hyper-emotional people think they are the ones who are fervent in Spirit, when they really aren’t. 

The definition of diligent is: Being careful and persevering in carrying out tasks or duties.  

A diligent person takes care of his/her duties even outside of the “super spiritual” stuff.  

A diligent person is careful to do a good job in all of his/her responsibilities. 

A diligent person is not feeling driven, but obedience driven.  

I used to be a wanna-be fervent person, and I was a Charismatic Emotionalist.  I had my spurts.  I’d go on my long fasts!  I’d have my all night prayer sessions!  I’d sleep my three/four hours!  I had my mind obsessed about different church related outreaches.  But, I’d notice that I was quick to burn out.  My health was poor.  My relationships were shallow.  My emotions were hyper.  My mind was undisciplined.  My grades in school were tragic.  My work ethic at the job was embarrassing.  With all this, do you think I was a fulfilled person?  I’d be winning souls here and there, and I’d get into ecstatic divine encounters here and there, I’d be in an exciting conference every so often, but I was not fulfilled- in other words, my heart was empty.  An empty heart is a sin magnet, and it has a huge invitation sign that says, “We Welcome Demons!”  If I had any spiritual fervor to start with, it eventually died out.  Again, the way to maintain true spiritual fervor is not pushing the accelerator as hard as you can, but it’s diligence.  

Why hyper Christians don’t live diligent lives?

One reason why I was the way I was, was because I thought there was such a chasm between the “Spiritual” and “Non-Spiritual”.  I had a compartmentalization mentality.  So, I heavily valued the spiritual- prayer, Bible meditations, the glory, the next conference, getting an impartation, etc.  I then had no attention or affections for what I thought was non-spiritual, such as: school, work, friends, family, health, etc.  

But, here’s the thing, as a spiritual being, everything I do is spiritual.  Taking a shower is spiritual.  Sleeping is spiritual.  Resting is spiritual.  Laughing is spiritual.  Studying for school is spiritual.  Working for a boss is spiritual.  Going to the market is spiritual.  

Why is everything I do spiritual?

The Holy Spirit is with me everywhere I go.  I can live in His presence all day long.  I can like Brother Lawrence, practice the presence of God all the time, not just when I’m praying or at church.  People from everywhere would come to find Brother Lawrence just to look at his face, he had such a glow!  The abundant life that Jesus came for me to live (John 10:10), is not that of just fasting and praying on the mountain top (even though there can be seasons or times for that).  The life that Jesus came and died for me to live was a life glowing everywhere I am and in everything I am doing (not sin of course).  Glowing with joy, peace, love, and thankfulness!  The reason why everything I do is spiritual is because that’s my calling: to abide in Jesus all the time (John 15), to walk in the Spirit(Gal 5:25), to glow in this dark world (Matt.5:16), and to do EVERYTHING for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)!  

Because everything I do is spiritual, I ought not to feel like I’m doing an inferior thing when I’m cleaning the house.  The world’s most influential Bible teacher today received her calling to teach the Word to the nations while she was making her bed.  Is making her bed spiritual?  Yes, she was living in close proximity to the Lord and had open ears. 

We ought to be more diligent in our duties in life because we enjoy life more!

If I had kids, I wouldn’t want them to just be begging me to love them.  I’d want them to enjoy their lives.  God doesn’t want slaves who don’t know how to enjoy life, He wants sons who enjoy life.  That doesn’t sound very religious.  It’s not.  But it is spiritual.  ”God,who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).  

What does the diligent and fervent life of (Romans 12:11) look like?  What does the abundant life of (John 10:10) look like? 

When we get saved, does God paralyze our hearts’ taste buds so we can’t enjoy anything or anyone. Or, does God enhance our taste buds, so we can enjoy the things He created for us even more?

What does the spiritual and abundant life look like?

Is the spiritual life God has for us to live loosing all affections for our spouse, because we are obsessed only with Bible Study?  Or, does God enhance our relationship with our spouse in every way?  

Does God want to empower us so we can praise Him at church so much that we neglect our own kids?  Or, does God want to empower us to be loving, wise, and strong parents, who will raise kids who love to praise the God their parents not only preached, but reflected?

Is the abundant life one of hating school, or so that we would enjoy it even more because we love people like He does, and we feel a meaningful sense of purpose that transcends good grades?

 Is it God’s will that we be so into fasting and praying that we cannot enjoy exercise?   Or, is His will that we fast and pray as He leads, but enjoy exercise even more because we know that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and we exercise from a joyful heart, not from an empty one that’s seeking value in a good looking body?

Is God’s will that we have authority over unclean spirits, but have no pleasure and authority over dirty laundry?  Or, is it God’s will that we can have authority over our dirty laundry and do laundry with a thankful, praising heart, knowing that God delights in us, even when we are doing what most people wouldn’t call spiritual?  

 

Everything I do is suppose to be spiritual

Because everything I do is spiritual, I ought to do it with excellence and diligence.  

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

God doesn’t want us to be those who “do” a lot of spiritual activities with passion (fervor).  

God wants us to “be” a spiritual person and live life with passion (fervor) + Diligence! 

Does God want insecure slaves who do wild sprints for God and burn out?

Or, does God want secure sons- who don’t just praise Him for an hour at church three times a week with windmill hands and a pogo stick jump, but live a praiseworthy life of fervor and diligence?

I don’t know what you think about all this.  But, what I want to say is: Do whatever God tells you to do.  I know that there are Annas’ (Luke 1-2) who will be praying in the temple all day!  If that’s your calling pursue it.  You might be called to a celibate life like John the Baptist.  I know I’m not.  

I’m not saying we just watch TV in the mornings and neglect prayer in the name of “Everything is spiritual” 

Daniel- a man with an excellent spirit

Daniel was a man diligent in prayer.  He prayed three times a day.  God needs Daniels’s today, those who will be excellent in their work in the secular world, yet diligent in prayer as well.  His boss King Neb. looked at him and said, “You’re the best I’ve ever had!”  That’s bringing glory to God.  He brought glory to God in Babylon!  My fiance Meg recently told her boss she is quitting her job, and he was almost in tears and said, “You’re the best I’ve ever had!”  That’s the way Christians should live their lives with diligence.  Meg might keep up with some pentecostals in a praise session, but she is passionate for God, so much so that she is diligent in everything because it’s all for Him.  

Do you think Christians should be retarded, flunk in school, out of touch, socially dysfunctional, have sucky marriages, be stupid parents, have a messy house, be obese, get fired from every job, all because they are only interested in what’s spiritual?  I don’t think that’s the John 10:10 life.  Jesus didn’t come so we can have tunnel vision and the only thing we see at the tunnel is: RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES.  He wanted to give us high definition glasses so we enjoy life all the more!  So we can see as He sees!  Jesus enjoyed life, so the children were drawn to Him.  The most spiritual person I know is the most easily amused person I know.  She gets amused at computers, at nice homes, at nature!  She doesn’t damn those things!  She has new eyes that enjoys life all the more.  When my fiance goes jogging, she’s praising and singing to God with a thankful heart.  Now, only a saved person can do that.  When was the last time you saw someone on the treadmill or on the bench press smiling?  

“The diligent hand will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor” (Proverbs 12:24) 

My inheritance is to “reign in life” not be an unsuccessful, unfulfilled slave (Romans 5:17).  

Let’s not just be spiritual at church, but everywhere!

Jason Westerfield was preaching and he said, “Some people are always trying to get in the glory, my question is, ‘Why did you ever get out?’”  I believe in having set times of prayer, and being diligent in that. But, our inheritance is that we be a prayer- always in connection with a God who is smiling down at us.  Because He’s smiling down on me, I can have a smile in my heart, and with a heart of thankfulness and praise I can live with diligence and excellence.

Faith is like…

In the name of:  ”trusting” the Lord and putting “faith” in His ability instead of our own, should we: do nothing, be lazy, and just pray here and there?  NO!  Prayer is huge, but we can’t pray in place of obedience.  Prayer ought to empower our obedience, not replace it.  Trust in the Lord means that you will obey Him.  You can say you trust me, but if you never listen to me and obey me, I have no evidence of the integrity of your heart.  Faith is not a feeling!  Faith is action!  

“Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1).  Faith is not an idea, or a thought, it is something that is evident!  A person of faith is one whose obedience to God is evident.  Professing faith without corresponding action is hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy doesn’t move mountains, faith does! (Matt 21:21)  Yes, it’s given, I don’t trust in my ability to make myself holy.  I do pray and cry out to God.  But, I must also trust and obey Him when He speaks to me!  When we hear the Lord, and obey- faith is evident in my life!  That’s why Abraham was the Father of Faith (Romans 4:6). He not only heard, but acted in obedience to the Word spoken to him by God.   Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) the spoken word of God-or the Rhema (greek word)-which speaks of: what God is saying to me personally now.  

I really want to live a holy life!  No joke.  

Holiness is only possible with God.  However, He will not make us holy without our cooperation and participation.  From Day 1, God didn’t want robots whom He controlled, but He wanted partners to cooperate with.  Since Day 6, God gave Adam responsibilities!  God wants to be your partner.  Do you know what that means? God has a part to play, and you have a part to play.  Without God’s part you are hopeless.  Without your part, you are fruitless!  Don’t try to do God’s part, but don’t neglect your part.  Some retards (I say that with love) want to do God’s part -they huff and puff to be holy without prayer, but don’t they do their part -trust and obey the Lord when He speaks.

What is God’s part? To supply the grace to change, and impart the beauty of His holiness, and to speak to you His wisdom.  

What is our part?  To pray, to study the Word, to position ourselves in humility before God, and to obey the Lord when He speaks to us.  

When both partners are doing their part, there is an explosion of faith! 

Speaking of explosion…

 

Faith is like an explosion!

When we hear from God, there is a great potential for faith, a window of opportunity for faith.  This is what I’m trying to say.  When we hear from God, it’s like there is gun power has been graciously deposited into your heart.  But, gun powder will stay powder without the fire.  When God created you, He gave you a free will; in other words, He put the lighter in your hand.  When God’s spoken Word and your obedience to it come together, there is an EXPLOSION OF FAITH!  That explosion really catches God’s attention and affections!  ”Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).  God is only pleased when He cooperates in partnership with us.  He’s not pleased when it’s a one person show!  He wants a partnership.  

So faith is like an explosion!  That explosion is however, not automatic.  You can be drenched in gun powder and even drown in it.  You can be so full of Words from God, but there will be no explosive fire to your life if you don’t obey.  Many people hear from God and do not obey him, remember the Rich Young Ruler?  (Luke 18:18-23)  When we hear from God and don’t obey, it leads to a greater hardness of heart- and increases unbelief. Unbelief will cause a person to die in the wilderness, without ever stepping into what God had for them.  ”And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest (the promise land), but to those who were disobedient?  And we see they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”  (Hebrews 3:18-19)  Disobedience and unbelief are two sides of a coin (they always come together, but have a different face, but are one of the same).  A person who claims faith in God, but is disobedient, is living a lie.  

A person who is full of faith, is faithful to God- or consistently obedient to God.  Faithfulness if something you can test right, it’s evidenced through a person’s behavior.  ”Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1)  Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Fruit grows over long periods of time.  The character of faithfulness is not instantaneous, it’s a product of time and diligent obedience.  A fruitful tree started as a simple seed.  

Speaking of seed…

 

Faith is like an Orchard!

I’ll never forget when I heard a Bible Teacher say, “Every deed is a seed.”  When we hear from God and obey Him, we planted a seed!  If we are diligently dwelling in the sunshine of God’s presence and the light of His word and the rain of His Spirit, that seed will grow into a beautiful orchard of faithfulness.  If we hear from God and don’t obey, we planted a seed of unfaithfulness.  Unfaithfulness grows like weeds.  Weeds destroy the fruit of the Spirit.  If we allow seeds of disobedience to come into our lives, we will see our love crippled, our joy drying up, our self-control suffocated, and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit struggling for life.  

You don’t get a harvest of a fruitful orchard overnight.  It starts with seeds!  Those seeds must be nurtured in the right environment.  It’s one thing to hear from and obey God once, but if we aren’t in His nurturing presence, we will not grow into a faithful person, only a fallen one.  If I want to be an orchard full of the fruit of faithfulness, I must continually sow the seeds of obedience, and keep myself in God’s presence.  I must not sow disobedience into my life, because weeds are counter productive to God’s will for my life- which is that I bear much fruit (John 15:8).  Some people think they can sin without any consequences.  That’s a deception.  Every decision- good or bad, in obedience or disobedience, has a domino effect.  Do we want our hearts to be a fruitful field or a land full of weeds.  The weed seed is known for it’s stubbornness.  Weeds aren’t easy to pull.   

Trees are planted strong and stand sturdy (Psalm 1), weeds are flimsy.  Do we want to be strong or weak?

Speaking of strong…

 

Faith is like a Muscle!

Every time we hear and obey God, our faith grows like a muscle!  Those with unshakeable faith didn’t get there overnight!  They built that muscle with diligence.  Unbelief works like a muscle too, the more we act in disobedience, the more our unbelief grows.  Do we want more power in our faith, or in our unbelief?  By faith we walk into the promises of God, but by unbelief we die in the wilderness!  The Bible says that the Father of Fait- Abraham “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith…” (Romans 4:20) Abraham heard from God.  But, instead of despising the Word (gun powder), he respected it, he honored it, so he obeyed it (lit it)! Abraham continued following the Lord and obeying him.  As he did, his faith grew like a muscle.  

When Abraham obeyed God to leave Ur, an explosion of faith caught the attention and affections of God!  While Abraham was packing his bags, his faith was growing.  When Abraham took steps towards the mysterious new land, his faith grew even more.  So, when it was time to sacrifice Isaac in response to the Word of God, he was strong enough to obey.  With that act of obedience, His faith grew even stronger.  Abraham wasn’t perfect, but He went down in the books as a righteous friend of God (James 2:23).  Do you want that kind of holiness and intimacy with God?  Start by obeying God today.  Maybe your faith isn’t strong enough to hear God tell you to empty your bank account now.  But, your faith probably is strong enough to obey God in not watching T.V. if that is what He is saying to you.  You might not have the faith or strength to overcome a life long addiction.  But, maybe while you were praying about that addiction, God spoke to your heart about sleeping earlier and waking up earlier to pray.  You probably have the faith or strength to make that little step.  That little step of obedience builds your faith muscles, and next thing you know, you killed that addiction like David killed Goliath- by faith.  But remember, no one becomes a body builder by lifting one little barbell.  Muscles grow with continual use, not one time use.  It’s good to obey God once.  But, if we would diligently obey God day after day, month after month, year after year, that’s when we will see true change and results.

3 things to learn from Daniel: Purity, Diligence, and Excellence!

Daniel was a man of PURITY!

Unwilling to be contaminated 

Daniel was unwilling to defile himself with the defiled things of the world (Daniel 1:8).  Some might think Daniel was so religious and uptight that he didn’t enjoy life, and he only enjoyed his prayer sessions.  Did Daniel enjoy the filth of the world? No.  Did Daniel enjoy life?  I’m sure.  People usually enjoy what they are excel in.  Daniel excelled at life more than anyone!  

Enjoying life, not sin

As a Christian I am to enjoy life!  (John 10:10), Jesus came that we might have abundant life!  Enjoying life is not the same as enjoying sin!  Enjoying life is not a sin!  I used to think it was.  Some Christians do think it is, and they think they have to be crying in the prayer closet and starving themselves continually, while enduring life rather than enjoying it.  I did.  Here’s the thing:  When Christians enjoy life less, they start enjoying sin more!  Christians ought to enjoy life more than anyone!  (We have the presence of God as our inheritance, and we live for a greater cause!)  Therefore, we should enjoy sin less than everyone!  

Daniel wasn’t proud of his purity

Yes, Daniel lived a pure life, but Daniel wasn’t an arrogant religious punk about it!  Daniel wasn’t like, “Dude! You stupid, uncircumcised king, I ain’t going to eat your food.  You eat it and get more fat, I’m just going to eat my holy carrots, it’s healthier you know!”  That wasn’t Daniel’s attitude.  He didn’t just live pure, but he wasn’t proud about it.  He wasn’t judgmental and arrogant, but he was diligent and excellent.  He never talked smack, but showed people up with his actions!  If Daniel was proud, he wouldn’t have been pure!  

Do you want supernatural favor?

Daniel had supernatural favor on his life.  Everywhere he went, he was promoted.  In everything he did, he succeeded.  He went all the way to the top!  You know what’s crazy: When Daniel was in the Lion’s Den, the world’s most powerful man- King Darius fasted for him, and couldn’t even sleep, because he loved and needed Daniel so much.  Imagine having Barak Obama or Bill Gates fasting for you?  Do you want that kind of supernatural favor that opens doors for you and causes you to rise like Daniel?  The Lord showed me that many people want the favor Daniel had on his life, but they don’t really want the purity that Daniel had.   

 

Daniel lived beyond accusation

The other government leaders were jealous over Daniel, because he was so much more favored than them.  So they wanted to accuse him of something, but they couldn’t find anything!  “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.” (Daniel 6:4)  Daniel did not have any questionable behavior in his life.  He was trustworthy, he was not corrupt, and he was not negligent- which means he was diligent!  

People want the purity but they neglect character of diligence.  Negligent people don’t live pure lives, it’s those who have a character of diligence.

DILIGENCE -> PURITY -> FAVOR  

 

Daniel was a man of DILIGENCE!

Diligent in prayer

Daniel was a man who lived a life of diligent prayer and fasting.  Daniel prayed three times a day, and fasted consistently.  God is looking to raise up people like Daniel, who are diligent in their prayer lives and fast, but will not defile themselves by entertaining the filth of the world.  

Diligent prayer and diligent purity

Do you think there was a connection between Daniel’s diligent prayer and diligent purity?  Yes!  If Daniel was a man of sporadic  (inconsistent) prayer, he would have been a man of sporadic (inconsistent) purity- purity in only some seasons of his life, and his life would have been spotted and checkered with defilement!  However, Daniel lived consistently pure, because He was a man of consistent prayer!  I don’t care if you can pray all night on an emotional spur!  I don’t care if you can dance with the best of them at the anointed conferences.  What matters is: Diligent Prayer! What’s more important than: how loud you pray, how much you cry when you pray, how many goose bumps you get while you pray, how many visions you see while you pray, how many times you get slain in the Spirit when you pray, is: how diligent you are in your prayer life!  Diligent prayer is the key to a life of purity.

Not lacking behind in diligence

“Not lacking behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. ” (Romans 12:11)  Traditionally, and from my observations of different churches in the last 10 years, Charismatics have been known to be fervent in spirit- or super passionate (they can pray all night in tongues, and worship for 3 hours a Sunday).  Then, more conservative Christians have been known to be more diligent (diligent in prayer, in Bible study, etc.).  So sometimes, it makes us think that we have to choose between one or the other.  But, what the Lord showed me was that we cannot separate being fervent and being diligent, because the one who is truly fervent is the one who is diligent!  The crazy Charismatic who can fast for five days on water and evangelize and prophesy for five days, but will neglect prayer and act like a devil after those five days are up, is not fervent in spirit.  They are just emotionalists!  The one who is truly fervent in spirit is the one who is diligent in life!   

One crazy man of God

There was a man who started off prayer 4-12 hours a day for three months.  By the end of the three months, he was seeing visions, having angelic visitations, and ministering with an incredible anointing.  That anointing launched him into international ministry and he traveled the world, casting out demons, prophesying, healing the sick, and preaching the gospel.  As I listened to this man’s testimony, he told how while he was traveling the world and ministering to multitudes, he lost his diligent prayer life.  Embarrassing enough, he admitted that the only time he prayed was when he laid hands on people in his crusades and conferences.  He said that all the gifts were still operating in his life, but his intimacy with God was gone.  He had to take an emergency sabbatical because his lack of diligent exercise and rest left his young man in an emergency room with a stroke, and his lack of diligent prayer left him with compromises and impurities in his life, and his lack of diligent investment into his family left his marriage on the rocks.  This man might seem as fervent as a person can be.  But, the only way to keep our fervor is by diligence.  This man testified that he needed the sabbatical because all his passion for ministry and souls was gone.  This person seemed to be the most fervent person you would ever meet, I sure thought he was, but this person was far from diligent. The only way to keep your fervor is to be diligent.  

This man of God reminds me of Samson.  Samson was fervent at times, but he wasn’t diligent.  Imagine if He had both!  Samson had his moments, his spurts, his crazy stories, but he didn’t have a pure life.  

This miracle working man who was once blazing for God and lighting fires around the world, is currently out of the ministry and is no longer married to the same woman.  

Diligence is the key to surviving the Lion’s Den

The Lord showed me that the reason why Daniel was able to stay so strong in the face of crisis (being thrown in a den with hungry lions), was because of his long track record of diligence in his prayer life.  If Daniel was had an emotional, sporadic prayer life.  He would have been an emotional basket-case and have fainted in the Lion’s Den.  In this world, we will face crisis.  Jesus promised us that, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the Lord.”  (John 16:33)  How the heck do we do that?  How can we be stable in unstable times?  How can be calm in the face of crisis?  A life of diligent prayer!  A lot of people break in the face of temptation or trials.  There were times in my life that when I faced a crisis, I responded with anxiety, and my anxiety brought impurity!  Why?  I wasn’t diligent in my prayer life.  There is a reason Jesus said, “Keep watch and pray lest you fall…”  (Mark 14:28)

The well-oiled machine

If we want to have a productive prayer life, our prayer life needs to be a well-oiled machine.  The oil is the intimacy.  The machine is the diligence. If you diligently go through the motions without that lovesick heart, your machine will squeak and be annoying.  But you don’t want to have no machine, and only oil, because you will not produce much for the Kingdom.  

Daniel was a man of purity because he was a man of diligence.  Not just in his prayer life, but in everything!  Daniel was not just pure in everything, not just diligent in everything, but excellent in everything!  

 

Daniel was a man of  EXCELLENCE!

Ten times better

Daniel was promoted to one of the 120 governors over Babylon: “Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him.  And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”   (Dan. 6:3)

Daniel and his friends were a cut above everyone else in their skills, literature, and wisdom.  When it came to wisdom and understanding, we read that Daniel and his friends were 10x better than the rest (Daniel 1:20).  Why? God was for them!  As Believers isn’t God for us too?  ”…God is for us…” (Romans 8:31) In fact, aren’t we under a better covenant and have better promises?  (Hebrews 8:6)  If God empowered Daniel and his friends to be excellent and high in understanding, can’t He do it again with us?  

We are called to confound the wise

Well, you might say, “Doesn’t God use the foolish things of the world to shame/confound the wise?” (1 Corinthians 1:27).  Yes! But, the way we as Christians shame the wise is not by being a lazy idiot- who can’t do anything well and faithfully.  We shame the wise by being more wise, more anointed, more blessed, and more successful than them!  We don’t confound the wise by being a retard. 

I was a fool B.C. (Before Christ)

I thought I had to be foolish to be used by God.  I thought, “I’ll just be uneducated, I’ll just be slow, and when God uses me, I’ll give Him the glory!”  But, the point of that verse is not that we stay fools.  The point of that passage is that we were fools, but God came in and blessed us!  Stephen in the Bible was a fool before Christ, but after his conversion, no one could resist the wisdom and Spirit on His life (Acts 6:10).  When Peter and John were arrested, the religious leaders of the day thought they were fools, but realized that they were wrong because they had been with Jesus! (Acts 4:13)  Peter and John were dumb-uneducated men!  But, after they got saved, they dumbfounded people!  If you aren’t saved, then stay a fool.  But, because you are saved: Be like Daniel, be excellent in what you do!  I’m not saying we go out in human zeal, but we ought to ask God to help us to be excellent, and we ought to be 10x better than those who don’t know the Lord!  

The Spiritual verses the Un-Spiritual or Mundane

Do you think the high school teachers are CONFOUNDED if they see a student who is a druggie who ditches all the time and gets straight Fs convert to Christianity and still get Fs and ditches class because he’s partying in the Holy Ghost at a conference all night?  If I was the teacher, I’d think, “This punk found a new drug, but is still the same person!”  But, if the student starts honoring the teacher and pays attention and participates in class with a joyful heart, and is being diligent and excellent in his school work, that would puzzle me!  

Daniel didn’t confound King Nebuchadnezzer with his fanaticism, but with his excellence.  Excellence means: Above average!  Above requirement! Excellence speaks of commitment and is the product of diligence!

The Spiritual verses the Un-Spiritual or Mundane

We tend to think that the spiritual things are: Prayer, Fasting, Abstaining from defilement, Preaching, Prophesying, Praising at Church, etc.

Then, we think that the unspiritual things are: our secular jobs, our relationships, our health, our studies, etc. 

But, that is a flawed way of thinking.  

I used to think like that.  So, I was pretty diligent in my prayer, my fasting, and tried my best in keeping my eyes, ears, and mouth pure, I was passionate about prophesying, I never missed church.  But, I was sloppy and unmotivated in my jobs, in my relationships with family and friends, in my health, and especially in my studies at school.  I was only excellent in really only one thing, preparing sermons- why? I thought that was crazy spiritual.  

Me verses Daniel

So, by the time I was 21 years old.  I was praying 3 hours a day and fasting 3 days a week, but I was hating my jobs (those who do a half hearted job always hate their jobs), struggling in my relationships, suffering in my health- having heart problems and tooth aches and fatigue, and barely getting by at school, and having a hard time enjoying life!

Here is what separated me from him: Daniel was excellent in everything!  Yes, he was a man of prayer, yet, he was a good friend, he was getting promoted at his job, he was better in appearance and health than the rest, and he was smarter than the rest, and he was changing a nation!  

When I was 21, I was not a real fulfilled person, I was pretty empty inside.  An empty heart is an open invitation for sin.  My life wasn’t too pure.  Daniel was living a fulfilled life!   A fulfilled heart sees sin as unnecessary.  Daniel’s life was pure! 

I thought that the only way I could please and praise God was through: Bible study, prayer, fasting, occasional personal retreats, and preaching.  

Daniel thought that He could please and praise God in: Everything- not just the prayer and fasting, but also in his health, his relationships, his studies, and his job!  

I was more religious than Daniel.  But, Daniel is more biblical than me.  Because the Bible says: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Eating a burrito doesn’t seem like something spiritual!  But, it should be for the Christian!  Doing the dishes doesn’t seem spiritual, but it should be for the Christian.  Exercising doesn’t seem spiritual, but it should be for the Christian, because we do all those things in fellowship with the Spirit and with a heart of worship, and we are the sanctuary of God.  

Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence, was not a pastor, but a cook who worked with incredible diligence and excellence, and joy.  He was so full of the Spirit and intimate with Jesus that people came from everywhere to watch him do dishes, because he was glowing.  The reason why Brother Lawrence was glowing was that His heart was connected to God, and He knew that God was smiling down upon him, even while he was doing what people would think was not too spiritual.  As a child of God, do you believe that God smiles down on you?  If so, then when?  When you are worshipping him?  When you are praying passionately?    When you are feeling nauseous on a water fast?  I used to think that only when I was doing “spiritual” things, God was smiling on me, so I was happy when I was doing spiritual things.  But, when I was doing more mundane things, like homework, shower, with less spiritual people, etc, I looked dull because I believed God’s face towards me was dull.  But is that true?  I don’t think so.  God smiled down on Brother Lawrence as he was going through his responsibilities during the day, and He smiles down on us as well as we go through our responsibilities, therefore we ought to take care of our responsibilities with diligent, excellence, and joy.  That includes driving.  Did you know we can glow and smile while driving because God is smiling down on us?  Did you know we can have a smiling heart on the treadmill or while lifting weights, because God is smiling down on us?  

Brother Lawrence said nothing was mundane to him because his motivation was His love for God.  There is a guy named Don-who is teaching dance at our homeless youth outreach, and he’s an amazing break dancer.  To him, teaching break dancing is not mundane or un-spiritual, but it’s his worship to God, because that’s the motive of his heart.  At his church, they have break dancing on stage on Sunday mornings.  Some might accuse that church as saying, “They are just all about performance or show!”  But, to Don, it’s not a show, it’s his heartfelt worship!  In fact, it was a group of Christian break dancers whom God sent to helped him get his life back together after hitting rock bottom.  

Brother Lawrence said that he would never even pick up a straw or bake a cake, without being aware of His love for God and God’s love for him.  To Brother Lawrence, everything he did was spiritual, not just taking communion or going to church!  Because everything was spiritual, he did everything with diligence and excellence.  That is something that is available to us as Believers, that is our inheritance!  If we aren’t aware of it, we will not walk in it.  

I used to be late all the time to everything, and a good number of the time, it was because I dragged and lagged in my prayer closet, I’d want to press in prayer a few more minutes, and would be so rushed to my next appointment, and often late.  What I should of known was: I could take my prayer closet with me.  Brother Lawrence did, he had a prayer closet on wheels.  Brother Lawrence prayed “without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).  Why?  How?  Brother Lawrence didn’t do prayer, he was prayer!  He was always in connection to God and in the presence.  He said, that kind of life helped him to sin less, that makes sense.  Compartmentalization thinking is not fertile group for developing holiness.  

Lifestyle evangelism 

The Bible says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”  (Eccl. 9:10)  Why? Everything we do is spiritual, is to be a worship unto God, so must be done with diligence, excellence, and joy! I’m not saying we dumb down our worship in the four walls of church, we should be as fervent as now and even more, but I believe the Lord is calling us to intensify our worship out in the world by how we live! 

Did you know that the most influential Bible teacher today was called to the ministry while she was making her bed?  What!  That’s not very spiritual.  It was for her, she was being diligent as a mom and wife, and was continually walking in the Spirit, so she heard clearly from God while being diligent.  

Jesus didn’t die on the cross and raise from the dead, so we can just be spiritual at church.  No!  We are to be spiritual 24/7, because we are to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).  Jesus didn’t take the cross just so I could praise at church, He took the cross so my life could be a praise to His name everywhere I go.  Jesus didn’t shed His precious blood and suffer unimaginable humiliation just so I could preach anointed messages behind the pulpit, He washed away my sin so my lifestyle can be an anointed message!  Jesus died and rose so I could live for the glory of God in everything I do.  

Daniel’s life was a spiritual one, his life was a praise to God in Babylon,  his lifestyle was an anointed message, so much so that He got two of the most powerful men in the world-the King Neb. and the King Darius- saved and fearing God.  That’s called lifestyle evangelism.  Interesting enough, the reason that the wise men from the Persia came to worship baby Jesus in Bethlehem bringing three gifts, was because a man named Daniel heavily influenced their great, great ancestors in Babylon/Persia!  Daniel’s influence for the Kingdom of God touched two of the world’s most powerful empires: the Babylonian (Daniel 1-5) and the Medo-Persian (Daniel 6-11).  After his death, his influence touched the whole world for generations to come.  Remember these three words: Purity, Diligence, and Excellence.  

The Un-Church

Will the Un-Church win the world to Christ?  What do I mean by the Un-Church?  I mean: Un-educated (the F church), un-healthy (the Fat church), the un-successful, and un-diligent, un-organized, and un-skilled, the un-faithful.  I don’t think so.  Do you think Christians who are mentally handicap, socially retarded, financially lazy, physically a tragedy, emotionally unstable, and are unreliable in everything, will disciple nations?  I think not.  

You might think, “I’m just so prophetic, and prophetic people are just not good at other areas of life.”  I have one question for you: Was Daniel prophetic?  

Closing remarks

Like Daniel, let’s not undermine the things that seem “less spiritual”, like our job, our education, our health, our relationships, etc. Let’s be diligent in our responsibilities and be excellent in life.  The more diligent and excellent we are in life, we will enjoy life more.  The more you enjoy life, the less you enjoy sin.  The less you enjoy sin, you sin less and less.  That means you live more and more pure.  That means you can reflect God more clearly to the world.  That means your life will be more powerful and fulfilling!

Some of you this message has pierced your heart. Do you know why? God wants to use you like Daniel, so He’s preparing you.  

Now, I have to make a disclaimer.  There are some of you reading this who are called to be like Anna- a widow who prayed, interceded, fasted, and prophesied in the temple 24/7.  Annas will not be happy and fulfilled running a business or being active in the marketplace like Daniel.  If Anna tried to be like Daniel, she would have miss out on God’s will for her life and had been frustrated.  At the same time, if Daniels- who are to be movers and shakers and leaders in the world, try to be an Anna, and just fast and pray all day, instead of going out into the real world and conquering, succeeding, etc., they will be unfulfilled.   Do whatever God wants you do to.  Ultimately, we will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ, based on how faithful we were with what God’s called us to do.  

Do you know what God’s called you to do?

If not, you can start by diligently praying about it.

When you hear from Him, do it with excellence and diligence.  Let’s keep a life of humble purity, and see the favor come.  Don’t write off the mundane as un-spiritual and un-important, but be diligent and responsible in your duties.  ”Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  

What do you think about Pyramid Structures in Church Leadership?

In many churches there are pyramid structures- with the man up top, and then those with more power and those with less.  

This is what the pyramid structure says, “The harder you work, the higher you will go!”  In other words, “The harder you work, the more power you will get.”  Because of this pyramid structure in the church and the minds of church people, some people might work harder because they want to climb the pyramid.  Some people strive to be faithful and even suck up the guy up top to get more power.  I hate that!  That’s pretty shallow, it tells of the impure motives.  We aren’t suppose to work harder or be faithful to climb a ladder, but because we love God period.  

Do I believe in the pyramid structure in the church?  

Yes and No!  I don’t believe in the pyramid structure of power, but a pyramid structure of responsbility!  

I believe the church should never promote promotions!  This is what many churches tell their sheep: “If you work hard and work faithfully, you will get promoted!”  I know that promotion is a kingdom reality and is promised to the faithful.  However, in this context, I’d like to see the word “PROMOTION” kicked out and replaced with “GIVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES”.  The word “Promotion” promotes the pyramid structure of power!  I believe with all my heart that the church should say, “If you work hard and serve faithfully, you will be given more responsibilities!”  I’ll explain…

If we believe in the pyramid structure of power, what does that tell you about the Senior Pastor?  He’s the guy on a power high!  He’s the boss!  But did Jesus want his servants to be Lords?  No!  Jesus taught that it’s the world’s culture that prizes lording over, but His kingdom prizes and practices SERVANTHOOD!  (Matthew 20:25-28)

Now, if we see the pyramid structure as one of responsibility instead of power, what does that tell you about the Senior Pastor?  He’s not the guy on a power trip, but he’s been given weightier responsibilities.  Therefore, the Senior Pastor will not revel in his power, but will be on his face before God because of the weight of responsibility!  People will respect the Senior Pastor even more, because they see him as not the guy who they need to fear or suck up to, but they see him as the servant who is responsible before God to serve you faithfully, lovingly, and with integrity!  

You see, in the Kingdom, which the church is a part of, the pyramid structure is upside down!  If you are faithful and serve joyously in your current position at church, you will not be promoted to greater power, but you will be given more responsibility, and that is something that should not make you proud, but humble you!  Being given more responsibility is scary, it’s humbling, not head bloating.  

The Senior Pastor has the most responsibility.  He will be evaluated before the judgment seat of Christ in a stricter way.  The teachers of the church will go through stricture judgment.  That’s not a pedestal!  That’s no reason to gloat!  It’s more reason to get on our knees and cry out to God in the fear of the Lord!  

• In the Worldly Pyramid Structure: Promotion means: The higher you go, the more you are served and the more proud you will be.
• In the Kingdom Pyramid Structure: Promotion means: The lower you go, and you be served less and will have to serve more, and will be more humble.

 

• Why would you want to work for promotion in a Worldly Pyramid Structure? The Flesh (Sin nature)
• Why would you want to work for more responsibility in a Kingdom Pyramid Structure? The Love of God in our hearts.  

Do I believe in the Pyramid Structure?

Yes, but it’s an upside down Pyramid Structure that I believe in. That Pyramid Structure is not one of power, but responsibility.  When God gives you more responsibility- That’s not food for a bigger head, but bigger humility.

If someone gets promoted in the church and gets a big head.  That church has created the wrong, worldly culture of a power Pyramid Structure.  If someone gets promoted in the church and is deeply humbled, that church has created a Kingdom of God culture. 

When there is a Kingdom Culture, church members don’t work hard just to climb the ladder.  They work hard because they love the Lord and people.  The harder they work, the more responsibilities they will be given, and the more humble they will become.  That’s the way God wants it in His Church.

Seek Humility.

 

(Zephaniah 2:3): “Seek humility” 

4 reasons to seek humility:

1) Humility determines how much the Lord can promote us (1 Peter 5:6): “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up in due time.”  There isn’t just promotion in the secular world, their is promotions in the Kingdom of God.  

“I don’t know if I want to be promoted.  Doesn’t promotion puff us up?”  

When God promotes you, remember, He’s giving you more responsibility, He’s not giving you power trip food.  Getting promoted is not things to be proud about or get a power trip over, it’s something to cause fear and trembling.  Promotion from God means that He’s entrusting us with greater responsibility!  Greater responsibility is something that is not pride building, but humbling if you really think about it.  Having increased responsibility before people and God is something that must humble us.  Promotions from God must not have us get a big head or ego, but get on our faces before God, because we recognize it for what it is: the increase of responsibility.  

2) Humility determines how grace will come upon our lives (James 4:6): “God gives grace to the humble…”  That word grace is the word Charis in the Greek and it speaks of favor and empowerment.  Can you use some more favor and power in your life?  I can.  Well, we need a great humility in our lives.  God wants to pour out His favor and empowerment upon His kids.  God wants to pour out his grace like a river upon our lives.  His generous/Father’s heart is the source of that river (1 Peter 5:10), but it’s our pride that damns up that river that God wants to send to us. 

While promotion in the Kingdom and the increase of favor and power are great rewards for humility, the greatest reward for humility is not personal greatness.  I remember preaching on humility and this guy came up to me and said, “I was really moved by what you shared.  I want to be humble.  But, really I want to be great!  But, if I just want to be humble because I want to be great, isn’t that a contradiction? In my pride, I want to be humble because my pride craves greatness!”  I totally understood what he was wrestling with, because I had the same question and conflict.  But everything was resolved when I read (Isaiah 57:15), “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in a high and holy place, also with him who is humble in heart…”  I got it!  The Lord spoke to me saying, “Yes, I will exalt you if you are humble before me, but the greatest reward is not being exalted above other people, but it’s been exalted to the place of greater closeness and intimacy with the Exalted One.”  

3) Humility determines how intimate I am with the Lord (Isaiah 57:15).  (Numbers 12) talks about how Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth.  So, He was promoted/given the most responsibility, but He had such intimacy with God, that when Miriam and Aaron dishonored him, God immediately got on their case and punished them- Miriam becomes leprous!  To paraphrase what God said to Miriam and Aaron was, “You have no idea who you just dishonored.  He’s not just a prophet who I toss a vision to and pass a dream to once in a while, I speak to him face to face, as a man talks to a friend.”  The greatest reward for humility is not having your enemies struck with leprosy, but it’s walking in this kind of friendship with God.

4) Humility determines the level of revelation we can live in (Psalm 25:9): “The humble He teaches His ways…”  

I want to write about how we can grow in humility!  

My personal pursuit:

Humility is something I’ve thought much about, prayed much for, meditated much about for about 4 years now.  I remember writing about 250 pages of revelation that the Lord was giving me about humility.  I thought I had some idea of humility.  I was praying and fasting often, so I thought I was getting it.  But then it hit me: I had no idea of what humility was about, because I had no idea about what honor was about and you cannot separate the two.  A humble person is one who: Honors God and honors people.  As Believers, we are to honor God and honor people.  

The connection between humility and honor:

Some people think that they are humble because they pray a lot!  Not always true!  I don’t care if someone prays five hours a day and fasts five days a week, if that person doesn’t know how to treat their parents right, and honor the people around them, they are not humble people.  

Honoring God is common sense!  We old radio preacher Vernon McGee once said, “You say, ‘If I were God, I’d have better ideas about how to run the universe.  You might have better ideas, but you don’t have a universe!”  It’s common sense to honor the God of the universe, and be humble before him.  But, what’s more difficult is honoring fellow sinners- fellow human beings!  That’s a harder humility.  But, if we don’t honor people, we are not humble at all.  (1 Peter 2:17) says, “honor everyone”.  That’s what I want to talk about. 

1) GET A NEW VALUE SYSTEM!

It’s about the wiring in our minds:

I remember when I got a revelation about how important it was to honor people.  I tried my best to honor everyone.  Why? I wanted to be humble.  I preached many sermons on honor.  Then, after a few months, my fiance told me, “I know you are really trying to honor people and stuff, but sometimes, it just seems like you are forcing it.”  She cut me to heart, because it was true.  A forced smile is a fake smile, forced honor is fake honor.  In a humble person’s heart, honor flows.  

We had some work done on our house and these construction workers we hammering away at one of our walls and while doing so, one of our electric wires got disconnected.  So, no matter how much I flipped the switch, our front door light wouldn’t turn on, it wouldn’t work.  The switch represents our will.  The light represents humility.  You can try to flip on humility all you want, but if the wires are disconnected, humility will not light up in your life no matter how hard you try.  The wires represent our mindsets/ our value systems!(Romans 12:2)  I wanted to honor, I wanted humility, but because my wires were all messed up in my mindset/my value system, things weren’t exactly working.  

Who I value?	My value system	Who I devalue?
Attractive people	Appearance	Ugly people
Intelligence/Deep people	Intellect	Slow/dumb people
Good performers	Performance	Bad performers
Anointed people	Spiritual power	Un-anointed people
Wealthy people	Status	Poor people
People with good personalities	Personality	People with bad personalities
Disciplined people	Discipline	Un-disciplined people
Moral people	Morality	Immoral people
Agreeable people	Ideas	Disagreeable people
Successful people     -       In ministry or business	Success	Unsuccessful people     - In ministry or business

 

Whatever you find your value in, you will value those who thrive in that area and you will devalue those who suck in that area.  You will never be able to honor everyone, you will never be able to value everyone!  We are not called to be best friends with everyone or agree with everyone, but we are called to honor everybody!  

If we find our value in our appearance we are shallow.   If we find ourselves valuing a pastor of 5,000 but devaluing a pastor of 50, what does that tell us about ourselves?  It says that success is then our value system.  In fact, if we find our value in any of the above, we are shallow people!  Paul used to find his value in his education, his discipline, his morality, his ideas, his success as a religious leader, but then he says, “All those things are like dung compared to knowing Jesus!”  (Phil 3:8)  Preachers who cut themselves after a lousy sermon find their value in their performance!  They are no different than most olympic athletes then.  If we find our value in our morality and our discipline we are no different than the pharisees who were quick to stoning people and praising themselves.  Simon the Sorcerer found his value in his spiritual power, so when he met those (Peter and John) who had more spiritual power than him, he was willing to follow them and even pay them (Acts 8).  If we find our value in our spiritual power we are no different than the Sorcerer!  In the early church, they devalued those who were poor and esteemed church members who rolled up in the Rolls Royce, so James rebukes them saying, “do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” (James 2:1) James was saying, “Change your value system!”  Stop giving people favor because of shallow things!  Stop devaluing people/dishonoring people because of shallow things.  

 

This is what God wants our value systems to look like.  This is one verse will straighten out the bad wires, and connect the disconnected ones.  

“I am who I am by the grace of God.”  (1 Corinthians 10:31)  

Who I value?	My value system	Who I devalue?
Everyone	Grace	Nobody

Grace devalues no one.  God’s grace is extended to everyone: Christian and not.  Christians have inherited special grace, but non-Christians are recipients of God’s common grace!  God’s grace discriminates not!  

If we get this, humility/honor will light up in our lives!  Amen!  

I remember when I was in India, they brought a short, skinny man to me and told me to pray for him.  He wouldn’t even look me in the eye and what everyone kept saying about him was, “He’s such a humble man!”  I don’t think so.  A humble person is a happy person.  

(1 Thess. 5:16) says, “Rejoice always” 

The reason the humble can rejoice always is because they find their value in grace, and grace is always there for us!  

As we find our value in grace, we can rejoice always!  

Remember, when the disciples were successful in their deliverance ministry and they performed well, they were rejoicing!  Then, Jesus rebukes them.  He says, “Don’t rejoice that demons are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in the book of life.”  Rejoice in grace! Let’s find our value in grace.  

Let’s get a new value system/ a new mindset/ and see our hearts transformed from proud to humble.  

2) See the Bigger Picture 

 

How to reach your destiny?

(Ephesians 2:10): “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

That word: “workmanship” means “work of art”  The Greek word is: poema, from where we get our word- Poem. 

We are God’s poem.  Every poem is an artistic expression of it’s author.  Every poem is full of creativity.  Every poem has a message!  I am convinced that God has put us here on the earth, because He wants each of us to be His creative expression to our world, and He wants to communicate a message through us.  Not everyone is called to be a preacher necessarily, but everyone who is in Christ Jesus is designed by God to carry a message!  What’s your life’s message?  It might be more than one!  Just like a poem can have more than one message.   Through our life’s tests, trials, and tribulations, a message is being formed in us.  This dying world desperately needs to hear God’s poem!  Maybe your message will be: Jesus is the Healer! Or, Jesus is the Savior! Or, Jesus is King and His Kingdom is here!  Or, God delights in the prosperity of His servants!  Or, God’s given us the Spirit of Adoption!  Or, what the enemy meant for evil, God turned it around for good.  Or, God is the God of miracles!  Or, the God of forgiveness!  Or, God is our faithful provider!  We have a message, we have a testimony, parts have been written, more is being written, but everyone of us have something to say!  We are God’s poetic expression on the earth.  It’s the most amazing thing, when we discover our life message, and what God put us on this earth to communicate! 

Certain local churches and ministries will have different life messages than another church/ministries, but God is the author of them, and He is doing something creatively and uniquely in each one, to get His message across! 

We don’t worship the poem, we worship the author!  We don’t worship the Bible, we worship the Author!  We don’t worship fellow poems or ourselves, we worship the author!  As fellow poems, our praise is to our author and we say, “Not to us, but to Your name be the glory.” (Psalm 115:1)

We are “created for good works” which God has “prepared beforehand”

Before, I was ever born, God prepared stuff for me to do!  He fashioned an amazing destiny for everyone who is in Christ Jesus!  That’s exciting!  I’ll tell you why. 

• Whose more creative, you or God?  Just see how every snow flake is different, how there are so millions of kinds of animals and plants, and the how every one of the seven billion people on earth as so unique, and get a sample of the creativity of God. 
• Who thinks bigger, you or God?  Just think that our planet is a tiny speck, in our Milky Way galaxy- which is a tiny speck in the universe!  It’s like a grain of sand in the ocean, and get a sample of how big God thinks.
• Whose more brilliant, you or God?  Just think about how God knows how many hairs are on the heads of each of the 7 billion people on the universe,  and get a sample of the brilliance of God. 

Now, who prepared the good works for you to walk in?  Who is the one who crafted your destiny?  (Ephesians 3:20): “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we can ask of think…”  You have no clue what God has prepared for you before you were even born!  But this is what we do know, the Lord says to us, “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a hope and a future.”

So, before, I was ever born, the God who sees all time in one time, because He is beyond time, has fashioned a destiny for me.  He’s prepared good works for you to do.  God’s job was to prepare them, now our job is to walk into them! 

How do we walk into them?  How do we walk into our God given destiny? It’s simple, follow the Lord. 

I used to think that if I wanted to have a great future, that meant I had to pray three hours a day, fast like a crazy man, and try to butt kiss God so much so that He will be gracious enough to prepare a great future for me. 

Now, I don’t think that’s quite it!  God in His love and grace, has already prepared a great future for me!  All, I have to do is follow the loving a gentle lead of His Spirit!  The Father designed your destiny!  The Son, purchased your God-given destiny on the cross!  The Spirit, lovingly leads us into our destiny. 

We don’t have to figure out our destiny on our own!  We just need to follow Him!  You don’t have to be stress full and think you have to figure it all out and make your destiny come to pass and make yourself great!  You just have to be thankful, that the Spirit is leading you each step of the way. 

When it comes to walking in our destiny, I realize that it’s not ROCKET SCIENCE- something so difficult that only brilliant maniacs can do.  It’s RELATIONSHIP, something all of us were created for. 

I thought I had to do all these things legalistic things to walk into my destiny, like pray a certain amount of time, evangelize to a certain amount of people, read a certain number of chapters, etc.  So, I always told myself, “I have to…pray, study, evangelize…”  But, it’s not legalistic endevours that will get me to my destiny (in fact, it can get you off course!)  It’s simply being lovesick and not being religious but in relationship with the Spirit, and following His lead! 

We back into the future.  If I was walking backwards, I could only see the past and the present (my feet, when I look down).  The cool thing is that the Holy Spirit, who sees the destiny that the Father has designed for me, is leading me step by step.  That is why we are told in (Galatians 5:16) to “walk by the Spirit” which means to “walk in step with the Spirit.”  He’s doing the leading, and we just follow Him. 

Sometimes, we get tempted and we get off track, but the Holy Spirit steers us back onto the right path.  I know that feeling so well, the Holy Spirit gently pulls me out of the sin that so easily entangles me.  I know when I’m off track.  Why? I get really frustrated!  I feel sick inside!  I have the absence of peace!  I’m unfulfilled!  I feel guilt and shame!  On the other hand, when I’m on track, I’m walking the will of God for my life, I feel so fulfilled inside. 

Jesus was led by the Spirit.  He was a disciplined person, but He didn’t live a routine life.  Sometimes, He was out with people.  Sometimes, He was ministering.  Sometimes, He was praying.  Sometimes, He was going to weddings.  One time, Jesus was chilling at the well in Samaria at noon.  The Pharisees probably thought, “That Jesus, if he was a real prophet, he’d be studying to Scriptures like us at noon!” Or, “That Jesus, if he was really from God, He’d be praying out in public like us!”  Jesus wasn’t led to pray or study at that time, He was led to just sit and relax!  Then, He runs into the Samaritan woman, and ministers to her, and she ministers to the whole town, and Jesus gets a bunch of people saved!  Was that Rocket Science or relationship with the Spirit?  After that Jesus told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of the Father who sent me.” (John 4)  I know that when I’m in the will of God, I feel fulfilled inside.  When I’m walking in my destiny, I’m so fulfilled! 

My wife and I were talking about when we feel the most fulfilled.  Besides, the times we spend time together, I said that I’m most fulfilled when I am used by God to start Holy Spirit fires among the youth.  I told her how fulfilled I was when I ministered to the youth in Dominican Republic last winter.  Here is what I know by experience: When we seek the Holy Spirit, He will give us snapshots of our destinies.  He will even give other people snapshots of our destinies and they will prophetically confirm, what the Lord has already showed us.  What I witnessed while ministering to the youth in the Dominican Republic was something I was 10 years before, by the Spirit in dreams and visions!  (1 Corinthians 2)

Some of you might feel like you’ve been rebellious so long, and you feel so lost, and you don’t know how to get back on track, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly where you are, and the destiny that God has destined, and He will get  you back on track!  Something I have to say, is that when we continue to resist the Holy Spirit, we can miss our destinies, while the good works prepare for you are still there, you won’t be, because we don’t live forever, and we run out of gas.  Many people live and die, without ever walking into what God prepared, and without being the message that God wanted them to be, because they did not cooperate with the Holy Spirit! 

Following the Lord, means we will take up the cross!  There is no Christianity without the cross, but no cross without joy (Hebrews 12:2)

Fulfilling your destiny is not hard! Jesus said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11) (1 John 5:3)

Just enjoy the Lord.  Be lovesick.  Follow.

Lookers verses Eaters

Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.  The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!”  But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”

When I read that passage, the Lord showed me that there are lookers and eaters in the Church.  Some will hear the powerful and prophetic word of God, and will see it come to pass.  But, there are others who will eat of it.  There is a big difference between the two!  In other words, there are spectators and then are partakers.  There are those who will witness God’s power and glory in third person, then there are those who will experience it or eat of it in first person.  

What is the difference between a spectator verses a partaker?  What distinguishes the one who eats or experiences the reality of the Word of God in his/her life over the one who just looks on from a distance?  Why do millions of Christians just read about or watch on T.V. the miracles that God is doing through Reinhardt Bonnke and Benny Hinn, when Reinhardt Bonnke and Benny Hinn don’t have a Holy Spirit on steroids, but the exact same Holy Spirit we all have?  Why do many listen to the stories of great men and women of God, when there are others who have stories to tell?  

Answer: Do we hear the Word of God and believe it or doubt it?  

The officer in the passage above heard the Word, but questioned it.  Therefore, while he was able to see the reality of the Word, He didn’t experience it for himself.  The Word of God that the officer heard was good news.  However, he thought the news was too good to be true.  That Word proved to be true, but not in or through His life.  He ended up dying without being able to eat of the Word.  The Word of God is full of good news, if we think it is too good to be true, that’s what it will be in our lives, and we will die without feasting on the blessings of God.  

How to be an Eater of the Glory of God?

“Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40)  God’s glory has to do with His manifest presence, the essence of His character- which is the epitome of goodness.  Those who refuse to believe the Word of God can see the glory of God manifested in and through others, but it will never be manifested in their own lives.  They will witness others who are feasting in it, but they will not eat of it.  

How to be an Eater of the Works of God? 

“Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’” (John 6:28-29).  Those who will work the works of God are not those who have a doubtful and skeptical heart, but those who believe in the real Jesus- who is the Word of God made flesh, the will of God revealed, and the exact representation of the nature of God.  

According to the Word of God, the greatest power in the universe resides in the Born Again Believer- in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Also, the truest word in the universes resides in the Born Again Believer- in the Word of God.  With that kind of power and truth, I ought to make some kind of impact on this earth!  Agree?  Many Believers believe that in their heads, but in their hearts, they think it’s too good to be true.  They think that healing to the sick is too good to be true.  They think that walking in the glory of God is too good to be true.  They think that hearing the voice of God is too good to be true.  They think that having authority over all unclean spirits is too good to be true.  They think that resurrection power in their hearts is too good to be true.  They believe that freedom from sin and deliverance is too good to be true.  They believe that a life of love is too good to be true.  Unfortunately, it becomes too good to be true in their lives.  It other words, it becomes false in their experience.  

This thought cuts to my heart: I can just see the power of the Word of God without truly eating of it, because of my unbelief!  Remember that the Word of God is a seed, that seed when falls on fertile soil, produces fruit, and in our lives we can partake of that fruit.  However, our unbelief will abort that seed, and we can see other people’s fruit, but we will never have our own to partake of.  

May the Lord deliver us from unbelief, and may we believe that His Word is true!  May we discern His voice through the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the servants of God, and when we hear it, we believe it, so we can eat of it.

How I often forget…

How I often forget…

Jesus doesn’t want to give me a religion, but a relationship.  

Jesus doesn’t want slaves, but friends

Jesus is not drawn to beggars, but brides

Jesus came to find lovers, not workers

Being a Christian is not about being on a religious high, it’s not slavery, it’s not about begging God, it’s not about working for God until burn out.  Being a Christian is about a two way relationship, it’s about a friendship with God, it’s about rejoicing in the beautiful white garments of righteousness- which was purchased by the groom for His bride, and it’s about simply loving a Person, not a system, not a book, not an organization, not a counter culture, not activities, but a Person.  God is a personal God because He is a person.  Therefore Christianity is not an art, a science, a contest, a platform, or a religion, but a relationship.  That’s all so basic, but how I often forget that. 

How I often forget…

God is not searching for scholars, but worshippers

God is not raising up professional speakers, but pastoral shepherds

How I often forget…

How it’s not so much about what I do for God, than what He has done for me!  (The Cross of Christ is something that He has done for me)

My focus ought not to even be on regretting what I’ve not done for God because of my humanity; but thankfully focusing on what He has not done for me because of His humility (which is not pouring at His Wrath on me for all of my sins).  

But, I want to be reminded today… God is personal, Christianity is a relationship, and it’s all about Jesus!

God doesn’t have to get ready, I do.

God doesn’t need to get Himself ready for intimacy with us.  He doesn’t have to talk Himself into giving us His glorious presence.  He doesn’t have to psych Himself into blessing us.  He doesn’t even need to be buttered up or butt kissed.  

He definitely loves us.  He’s made provision for real intimacy with us through the cross.  He’s chosen us, and His love for us never fades or fails.  

Therefore…If I’m not intimate with God, the deficiency is on my end. 

What I have to ask myself is not: “How can I talk God into drawing near to me?  How can I pump up His affections for me?”

What I need to ask myself is: 

• “Have I been fooled by the enemy and talked out of my inheritance purchased at the cross?”
• “Am I self-inflicting separation from God because of unnecessary condemnation?”  
• “Has my heart been cluttered with crud?”

Invest in Eternity

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-31)

Jesus is telling us, “don’t invest so much here on earth, because you will be disappointed!”  Jesus is letting us know that investing so much of our treasure and heart in the things of this momentary life will surely backfire and burn you.  Why? We live in a fallen world where:

Nature is fallen (evidenced by moth and rust), and people are fallen (evidenced by thieves).  This world is like quick sand, whatever we invest here, we will see it for a short while, but it will sink and disappear forever.  

People invest into their face, their finances, their flesh, and their fame. 

Our fallen nature will not allow us to eternally enjoy those fallen things.  

Either we will die or those things will die, but either way, all of our stuff, our success, and even our body are decaying as we speak.  Everyday, we take a step closer to death in this short life, and entrance into our eternity.  Another reason we aren’t able to enjoy the things on this earth is that there are fallen people who are out to take from us.  Greedy people surround us like piranas and are out to take our money.  Jealous and ambitious people want to suck out your position and reputation like leeches.  Gossipers and slanders want to snatch away your friends.  We live in a fallen world with fallen people. Why invest so much in this world?  When there is another world that awaits us.  For those in Christ Jesus, we already have our citizenship there- in heaven.  For those who know the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit, we already had a taste of the air in heaven.  For those who have experienced the joy, love, and kindness of the Lord, we already had a taste of the culture in heaven.  For those who have come to know wonderful Jesus personally, we already have had a taste of the King of Heaven. But, we’ve only had a foretaste!  

Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, your heart is.”  In other words, “Where your investment is, your affections are.”  

A pastor who has invested so much blood, sweat, and tears into the life of his/her church members, have their affections with the church members.  God the Father invested so much in us, He gave us His own Son- the best He had, therefore, His affections burn for us.  Jesus invested so much in us, and therefore Paul says to the Church that he’s invested his life in, “For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”  (Phil. 1:8).  Two things to note from that verse: One, Paul had his affections where his investments were.  Two, Jesus has affections for us.  That touches me.  Jesus isn’t just obligated to be with me.  He’s affectionate towards me.  Why wouldn’t He be?  He invested 33 years, in humble flesh, enduring humiliation, suffered on the cross, had His back torn, had His hands and feet pierced, had His skull tormented, and endured the unspeakable pain of being forsaken by His Father on the cross, to invest in a fallen man like me. 

What are we investing our lives in?  This world or heaven?  

What are we investing our time in? This life or the next?

Where our investments are, our affections will be!

Jesus wants our affections to be for the things above, for the world to come, for Him, not this fallen world.  

Do you want to have greater affections for heaven and the King of Heaven, and less affections for the fallen things of this fallen world?

Start investing into heaven. 

Invest into heavenly rewards by being a servant here on earth. 

Invest into heavenly rewards by prayer and fasting in secret. 

Invest in heavenly rewards by making sacrifices for the cause of Christ! 

Paul invested so much in heaven by His service to Christ, He wanted to go to heaven so badly. 

Some of us aren’t looking forward to heaven too much, because we haven’t invested much into heaven.  

May we invest into heaven from today, because heaven is not fallen and fading away, but our heaven is our eternity.  

We can enter heaven because our King invested in us. 

Can’t we invest in our King and His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)?

Intimacy with God

Being a Christian is about being intimate with God.  Christianity is not rocket-science.  Rocket-science is only for a small minority of people with incredible brain power and discipline.  Christianity is a relationship.  A relationship is something every human being has capacity for because we were made in the image of God- who is relational.  Jesus didn’t say my yoke is rocket-science.  Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).  Again, that’s because we are relational beings, we all have capacity for relationship.  

Sometimes, I think I have to figure out everything.  I think I have to learn all the keys, all the principles, all the doctrines, and beat myself silly unto holiness.  However, Christianity isn’t Med. School and it isn’t the Military.  Now, there is a place for studying and discipline, however, Christianity cannot be reduced to those things.  However, Christianity can be summed up in a love relationship with Jesus Christ.  

I don’t know if we all have the brains for Med. School or what it takes for the Military, but as relational beings- we all have a longing to love and loved, and being a Christian is about just that.  That is why Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden is light.  However, if we forget that as Christians our primary pursuit is growing in relationship, that’s when Christianity gets tough.  The moment I forget that it’s all about a relationship with Jesus, we have tossed aside the yoke of Christianity and taken on the yoke of religion.  If we whip ourselves for being so stupid, so shortcoming, and so sinful, we have made ourselves the focus.

Religion is about humans reaching God, but humanity is the centrality- or the focus.  Christianity is about God reaching humanity, so His divinity is the centrality-the focus.  That’s why we are told to “(fix) our eyes on Jesus-the Author and Finisher of our faith”  (Hebrews 12:2).  When Peter shifted focus from Jesus to himself, he began to sink in the waves.  When we get so introspective and self-centered, in place of being worshipful and Christ-centered, we begin to sink in the ocean of religion.  When we focus on Jesus, rather than our performance, perfection, and mistakes, we will walk supernaturally. 

Christianity is not a morality club.  Should Christians live moral? Absolutely.  But, morality is not our Savior, so it shouldn’t be our Lord.  If it’s not our Lord it shouldn’t be our obsession.  The truth is that because we all fell short of God’s moral standard, Jesus is our Savior; therefore, He ought to be our Lord; and moreover, our obsession.  Christians aren’t morality club members.  We are to be lovers of Jesus, morality is just the by-product.  

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) The focus of this passage is: LOVE JESUS! It’s not: KEEP the COMMANDMENTS!  Why? One follows the other.  If we just do the first part, the second part gets automatically taken care of.  Keeping all that Jesus commanded and taught seems burdensome and intimidating.  But, loving my Savior seems so easy, so light.  Exactly.  How often we get the cart before the horse.  

For too long, I’ve spent so much time focusing on me in the name of Christianity.  I’ve spent more time pondering on the question, “What have I done for God?” Rather than, “What has He done for me?” I’ve spent more time depressed over all that I didn’t do for God, rather than rejoicing over what He didn’t do for me (which is that He didn’t punish me for my sins).  I’ve spent so much time, worrying about my sins, rather than just worshipping Jesus for who He has been to me.

Wait, did Jesus die on the cross so that we would worry about sin more or less?  Less!  Than why are Christians more worried and stressed out about their sin than non-believers?  As Christians, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).  Jesus took care of the sin issue on the cross!  Now, we don’t have to waste our emotional,mental, and spiritual energies stressing about our sins, but loving on Jesus and worshipping God.  

It’s like this: A secretary serves the Pastor, so he could focus on fulfilling the call of God and in communion with God.  Thank God for secretaries who answer phone calls, and take care of paper work, and stuff, so that pastors can be more efficient!  But, what if the Pastor had some real trust issues, so he ended up trying to do the secretary’s work for her!  First, that’s an insult to the secretary.  It shows a lack of trust!  Ultimately, He will not be efficient or effective in his life and ministry.  

Like the secretary, Jesus also came so serve us (Mark 10:45).  He is saying to us, “Man of God/Woman of God, I’m going to take care of the sin issue, so you don’t have to worry about it, but you can focus on fulfilling the call of God and being in communion with God! Trust me! You are in good hands!”  However, if we are spending so much time worrying about sin, listening to the accusations of the enemy, swimming in condemnation, than we are not only insulting Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross, we are also lacking trust in the Word of God, and we will not be nearly as efficient and effective as we can be!  Like the secretary, Jesus came to free us up!  (John 8:36).  Let Jesus do His job! Trust Him!  He took care of our sins!  Now, we are forgiven (Col 1:14) and dead to sin (Romans 6:11) Now, we don’t have to focus on our sins and ourselves.  We can focus on doing the work of God and more importantly, loving Him!  I’m freed up by Jesus, so I can be a more effective and efficient lover of God!  Which is what Christianity is all about!

Am I Lukewarm?

Is God quick to spit?

“So because you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”  (Revelation 3:16)

The lukewarm in the church will be spit out of the mouth of God.  Some of you might be thinking, “Wow, God is so mean!” Others of you might be thinking, “God is vicious and unloving!” “God is quick to spit!”  “God has an anger problem!”  In my high school speech class, I gave a speech on how God is love according to the Bible.  A classmate came and showed me a verse similar to “I will spit you out” and challenged me saying, “How can you say God is love, read this!”  It’s possible for us to question God’s love and goodness after reading this verse (Revelation 3:16).

But, that is why we have to read the Bible in context of the Bible.  If you keep reading this whole section of Scripture, you will see that Jesus is writing this letter, in hopes that they would repent and He wouldn’t have to spit them out.  Yes, Jesus is rebuking them and giving them a disciplinary word, but at the end He says, “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline!’ 

 God’s heart is not to punish His people.  His heart is to restore and bless His people.  “His anger lasts a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5).  How long is a lifetime?  Maybe 80 years?  How long is a moment? Maybe 80 seconds?  Get the picture?  Just as a year is so much greater than a second, so much more so is God’s desire to favor us with blessings than spit us out with anger.  (2 Peter 3:9): “God wills that none perish, but that all come to repentance…”  If you read just the verse about angry God wanting to spit out lukewarm humanity, you will get the wrong idea, and an innaccurate picture of God. 

The greatest picture of that is shown at the cross, when God the Father punished His only begotten Son on the cross, so our sins could be paid for, so that the punishment we deserved could be made void, and that those who put their faith in the Son of God could live BLESSED in time and for eternity. 

If we think that God is trigger happy, and quick tempered, and always out to pound us upon every mistake, we will never come to know the reality of God’s love.  We will only become worker bees who have lukewarm hearts.  How can we have a passionate love for a being- who is quick to punish based upon our performance?  In Iraq, the olympic atheletes rejoiced the day Saddam Hussein was removed from power, because he would be quick to punish them based upon their performance.  Some Christians subconsciously think that God is the same way, and think if they blow it once, that God just wants to spit them out!  But, ironically they keep blowing it, and never live in victory, because they don’t know the God who has unrelenting love, they only know a God who is quick to spit! 

I had a friend who started coming out to early morning prayer with me.  He can for about two weeks straight.  Then, one Saturday, he missed a day- he couldn’t wake up.  That was the day we decided to go fishing on the pier.  So a group of us were fishing, and his fishing pole get pulled into the ocean by a fish, and he was upset!  This is what he said, “It’s because I missed morning prayer today that this happened!  God’s punishing me!”  Was God really punishing him, or was it that he happened not to be paying attention to his rod when the fish bit- and that fish happened to be a bigger one?  I don’t think God was trying to punish him and play a mean trick, but he was just not paying attention to the pole!  God gets blamed for way too much!  That friend started falling away from the Lord, he became a lukewarm Christian, then fell away from the faith.  We can’t stay on fire for a God who we think is quick to spit, out to punish, and has a short fuse.  Remember: God is good always!

God is not quick to spit!  God’s heart to bless and restore is so much greater than His desire to punish!  God punished His Son on the cross, and Jesus took on our curse on the cross, so God could restore mankind to a relationship with Him and so we could be blessed!  He is a good God! 

Yes, God is all good and all love, but there are consequences for sin

Something we have to recognize from this passage is that there are consequences for sin.  I paid 350 dollars recently for a traffic ticket, which reminded me, there are consequences for breaking the rules.  In like manner, there are consequences for breaking God’s commands. 

Being lukewarm is a sin, and there are consequences for it.  The consequence for being and staying lukewarm is that you will be spit out of the mouth of God.  What does that mean?  I share one thing that it means through this illustration.  Just say I had a gummy bear in my mouth.  Because it was lukewarm, I spit it out of my mouth.  I could spit pretty far, imagine what God can do.  Anyhow, what happened to the gummy bear, it went from being so close to me, to being far from me.  Here’s the point: A church that is living in the sin of being lukewarm, will suffer the consequence of being far from God- living without the intimacy with God- that we were created for and our souls long for. We can’t expect to be intimate with God and have a lukewarm heart.  If we aren’t intimate with God, our lives will always be unfruitful and unfulfilled. 

History tells us that the church in Laodecia failed to answer the beckoning call of Jesus in (Revelation 3), and the church eventually died out- unfruitful and unfulfilled.  There are consequences for sin. 

Am I lukewarm when it comes to my relationship with God? 

That is an easy question to answer.

Jesus says, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

It’s easy to know whether or not we are lukewarm: our works.  Jesus didn’t say, “I know your words and your feelings: you are neither cold nor hot.”  No, Jesus said, “I know your works.” The way we can see whether we are hot, cold, or lukewarm, is by what we actually do, not our intents, not our emotions, not our claims, but our deeds.

Intentions are important, and emotions are a beautiful part of our relationship with God, but what we do is what is important.  We will be rewarded for what we have done (2 Corinthians 5:10).

We can see whether we are lukewarm by seeing what we are doing or not doing.  If a person is hot for God, their actions will prove it, their lifestyles will confirm it, their bank accounts will endorse it, their schedules will support it, and what comes out of their mouths will overflow it.

Now, a person can be full of religious activities, but still have a cold heart.  The Pharisees were passionate about doing religious activities, but they were the furthest from God than anyone.  Just because we do a lot of good things, doesn’t mean we have a deep relationship with God.  What’s more important than living morally, is being in relationship with God.  Christianity is not a morality club, it’s a relationship with God.  As we grow in this relationship with God, holiness, righteousness, morality comes as the overflow.  There was a time, I focused more on living righteously, than really loving God and growing in relationship with Him.  That only made me proud and religous.  I had it all backwards.  When focus on loving God and growing in our relationship with Him, and then everything about us changes! 

So good moral works doesn’t guarentee that we having burning love for God (even some athiests pull off some morality).  However, a person cannot be full of the burning love of God, and not have it permeate in what they do- in their works.

Remember, it’s what we do for God which will translate into our rewards from God (2 Corinthians 5:10).  I want to have good works that I take with me to eternity.  I want to have done something significant with my life.  The key to having a lot of good works, is cultivating a burning heart- because  a burning heart will always translate into radical works for God.  Remember, if we have a burning heart for God, it will show in our schedules, our bank accounts, our actions, our words, our lifestyle, our “works”. 

I’ve been convicted of the lukewarm state of my heart, which is seen in my lack of radical works for God.  So what do I do know?

Let’s see that the Root Causes of a Lukewarm Heart really is:

According to Jesus, this is the confession of the lukewarm, “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing’…” (Revelation 3:17a)

To be delivered from a lukewarm lifestyle, I must be delivered from that confession.  This apathetic attitude must go!  This arrogance must be crucified. If I start thinking I have attained it, I’ve arrived, I’ve maxed out, and get self-sufficient, and loose my hunger and desperation for God, I’m in big trouble!

We ought to always be crying out to God for more!  Paul was probably the boldest man for God in the history of the world, but He still coveted prayers for boldness towards the end of his life (Ephesians 6:19).  To no longer contend for more is telling God, “I don’t think you have more to offer!  I don’t think you have made any more available at the cross!”  Because so much was made available at the cross, and we have a God who is able to do exceedingly above all we can ask or think, we must be praying and contending always for more.

I know that there is a temptation for young men and women who were once so desperate for God, to arrive at a place of ministry, and loose that hunger and desperation for God because they now think they arrived.  Then, they start seeing compromises in their lives, and some of them fall into more blatant sins.   

If I ever have the attitude “I arrived” that means I’ve fallen so far away from where God wants me.  If I ever have the attitude “I know a lot” that means I’ve become a lot stupider than I realize.  I’m at a place right now where I feel more strongly than ever, “GOD, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING! I’M DESPERATE FOR YOU TO COME TEACH ME!  MAKE YOUR WORD ALIVE AND MANIFESTED IN ME! I KNOW THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT YOU MADE AVAILABLE THAT I WANT TO WALK IN!”

The lukewarm man says, “I have need of nothing.” That attitude will keep a man from praying, because he’s thinking he’s got it all; it will keep a woman from studying the Word- thinking she understands it all.  If we stop praying and studying the Word, in essence, what we are telling God is, “I have need of nothing.” Scary thought.

That attitude of “I have need of nothing” will cause a person to have a spiritual life that can be described in these five words: “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Revelation 3:17)

What is worse than having cancer, is not knowing you have it. What is worse than being spiritually wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked?  I’ll tell you what’s worse.  It’s being those things, but not realizing it.   Jesus says in His letter, “You say, ‘I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”  (Revelation 3:17)

People in the church are lukewarm because they do not realize their true spiritual condition.  May our prayer be: Lord, open my eyes to see the true condition of my heart. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:33-34)

Now What? Buy!

 

Jesus goes on to say, ” I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see.” (Revelation 3:18)

What is it to buy?  

To buy means you will give up something you have, and you will get something in return.  You would rather have that which you would get in return, than keep the thing you have to give up.  For example, if you would rather have a new laptop than the 1000 dollars in your bank account, than you will probably make a transaction!  Here is the message to the lukewarm: Jesus wants to make a transaction with you!  Thoughout all the Bible here is one of the clearest principles: Jesus asks us to give up things for him, because He wants to give us something better in exchange! I know without a shadow of a doubt that what I just said is true. 

Notice the three things that Jesus wants to give to the lukewarm: 

He wants to give you true riches, true confidence, and true vision!  Jesus has a lot of great things to offer.  His supply is endless as well!  What do you have to give Him in exchange for the goods that he’s offering?

I’ll dare to say this: He doesn’t want your money, He doesn’t want your time, He doesn’t want your talents, He wants your heart.  He wants your love!  He wants your worship! (John 4:23)  (By the way, if you give Him your heart and your love, your money/time/talents will all be used for His glory).  If you give Him your love and your heart, He will give you precious gold refined in the fire, beautiful white garments which deliver you from shame, and eye salve so you can see life clearly.

Jesus wants to give us true RICHES:  Jesus wants us to give Him our greed over cheap success and worldy riches, so He can give us true success and real prosperity.

Jesus wants to give us true CONFIDENCE: Jesus wants us to give Him our shame and our idols we find security in, so He can give us true security in His unrelenting love.

Jesus wants to give us true VISION:  Jesus wants us to give Him our deceptions, and all those lustful images and lame fantasies that keep us from seeing, so He can give us true spiritual wisdom and revelation to see.

I think everyone wants true riches (beyond what money can buy), true confidence (which doesn’t teeter totter), and true vision (understanding beyond their years).  Do you want those thing?  I know who is offering those things.

We need to come to Jesus!

In this passage, Jesus is the vendor.  If you want to make a transaction you have to come to the vendor!  Which vendor doesn’t want to give His goods away?  God wants to give His goods away to us so badly.  Jesus is saying, “come to Me!”-“Buy from me.”  The place you receive deliverance from a lukewarm heart is at the feet of Jesus. 

Only when we come to the feet of Jesus do things change!  Starring at our sins won’t change anything, soaking in our failures won’t do too much, swimming in regret won’t get us anywhere, complaining about our issues and doing the blame game will only make us more depressed and angry, but it’s when we come to the feet of Jesus that everything changes!  When we come to Him, and surrender our lives, and in exchange He gives us something better- He gives us the God-kind of life- the blessed life- because He loves us so much!

Why don’t people go there? Some avoid Him because they think He’s upset with them and just wanting to punish them, which is not the case as we already established. 

One more thing about buying from God:

The Lord wants to give us what is pure! 

Gold refined in the fire, speaks of something that is pure! 

God is the vendor of purity!  He wants us to come to Him and make an exchange/ make a transaction/ “buy”! His goods are PURE- like gold refined in the fire.

He wants to give us a pure heart, pure relationships, a pure sex life, a pure thought life, pure joy, pure peace, pure love, and He wants to give us purity!  Does He offer those things? Absolutely.  Is He willing to give us those things? More than we know.  The real question is: Will you come to Him to buy?  Will you come to Jesus? 

Closing thoughts

Jesus wrote this letter to the Church in Laodicea.  They were lukewarm, but Jesus’ heart was still burning hot for them.  That is why He says, “Those who I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent” (Revelation 3:19) Who is Jesus rebuking in this passage?  The lukewarm.  Who does Jesus rebuke?  Those He loves.  Who does He love? The lukewarm.  

Jesus loves those in every condition, He loves the filthy sinners, He loves the godly and holy saints, but He also loves those who have divided/lukewarm hearts, and will continue to speak to them, and beckon them to come to Him and make transactions.  We must never forget that, because from experience I know that one of the fastest ways to go from an on fire Christian to a lukewarm one, is to despise the lukewarm in pride.  Jesus loves the lukewarm, and so should we. 

 ^“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21-22) 

 It’s all about relationship isn’t it!  Jesus doesn’t want religous robots who are programmed to do good and say good.  Jesus wants friends whom he can have fellowship with.  Christianity is a relationship, it’s not rocket science.  Only a small minority can handle rocket science, but everyone can participate in a relationship because are relational beings- created in the image of a relational God- with desires to love and be loved.  Because we are relational beings, the greatest form of torture in the prison system is solitary confinement- where the inmate is isolated completely from every person.  Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, so I believe therefore it is for everyone!  If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, He’s knocking on your heart, would you invite Him into your life today.  If you do know Jesus, but you are lukewarm, come to Jesus the vendor- and make some transactions today.

 

 

 

  

What’s more important than being Moral

What is more important than being a good moral person is being in relationship with God.  Christianity cannot be reduced to a morality club- even though a lot of people think that Christianity is nothing more than a list of dos and don’t.  Christianity can however be reduced to a relationship with Christ.  I’m not saying that morality isn’t important.  It is.  However, what’s more important is a relationship with God- and from that relationship with God comes morality, righteousness, and holiness as the overflow.  There was a time, I was more focused on being a holy person, than really just loving and growing in my relationship with God.  Therefore, holiness/morality/righteousness became idols in my life!  During that time, I was passionate and determined, I was not very happy.  In fact, I was not very holy either, because holiness doesn’t come from chasing it.  Holiness comes as the byproduct of chasing God!  Let’s get the order right: It’s not chase holiness and God comes!  It’s chase God and holiness comes!  It’s about a relationship!  As we grow in relationship with Jesus, we learn to love- and then we grow in love, and love is holiness! 

To God, me being in relationship with Him is even more important than me being perfectly moral.  That might sound weird.  I’ll prove it from the Bible however.  Think about this with me: 

David was a murderer and an adulterer.  The average pharisee never committed those sins.  However, David goes down an anointed man of God who served the purposes of God in His generation- and God blesses the decendants of David and even has the Messiah come from David’s branch- so one of Jesus’ names is the son of David!  The good moral pharisee dies fruitless and unfulfilled, but here’s this murderer/this horn dog who dies fruitful and fulfilled! Interesting.

What about Abraham.  The guy lies!  Lying is not very moral.  However, he gets chicken and tells the king that his wife is his sister, to protect his own life.  He does this twice!  The average Pharisee didn’t lie.  But, Abraham is the one who is the father of nations, and Abraham dies fruitful and fulfilled.  However, the pharisee, who never lied dies unfruitful and unfulfilled! 

What’s my point?

What’s more important to God than morality is relationship.  David was far from moral, but David had a relationship with God.  Yes, he backslid and got into a mess and paid heavy consequences for his sins, but his life was one of a worshipper of God- he had a deep love relationship with God.  You know what: That meant the world to God.  God blessed David incredibly, not because He was perfect, but David had a relationship with Him.  If God blessed only on the basis of moral track record- the pharisee should of had the blessings- but nope.  Let’s talk about Abraham- he made some mistakes here and there, but at the end of the day- he was a friend of God and he trusted the God he had a deep relationship with.  Abraham experienced a downpour of blessing upon his life.  The Pharisee who never lied didn’t get a drop.  What’s my point: What’s more important to God than moral perfection is relationship.  God wants relationship!  He sent His Son to die on a bloody cross and suffer the greatest humilation in human history, not because He wanted perfectly moral religious robots- He wanted friends!  He wanted kids!   When I have kids- I know already that they won’t be perfect, but I know that I will have a loving relationship with them.   

The ultimate proof of my statement: What’s more important to God than morality is relationship, comes from the Bible’s teaching on salvation.  How is a person saved from an eternal hell and a life separated from God?  Is it by getting perfect?  Or, is it by trusting/believing in Jesus?  The first is a moral thing.  The second is a relational thing.  It’s the second that gets people saved and into heaven.  We aren’t saved because we did something moral, but we did something relational. 

I must re-state this: I’m not saying morality is not important!  I’m not saying that all of us start lying like Abraham and murder and sleep around like David!  No! No! No!  However, I’m saying that having the focus of our lives be: not lying, not killing/hating/law breaking, and being sexually pure, is putting the cart before the horse.  The focus of our lives as Christians must be a relationship with Jesus.  We must focus on growing in that relationship: to love and worship like David and trust like Abraham.  Then, from the relationship will come purity as the overflow- or the beautiful byproduct!  If our passion in life is living moral, morality will be an idol in our lives, and we will be a Pharisee who will experience barely a sprinkle of God’s blessings- and die unfruitful and unfulfilled. 

God is moral, righteous, and holy!  These things are important to Him.  However, He doesn’t want us to focus on those things, but to focus on Him.  He doesn’t want us to love these things more than Him. 

If you happen to sin as a Christian, it’s not the end of the world.  Don’t spend all your energies regretting and all your time soaking in shame.  Some Christians feel so bad about their sin, they ditch their relationship with Jesus.  Never do that!  God is more concerned about your relationship with Him than your moral track record.  Just come to the God you love, worship, and trust, and confess that sin, and from where you are at- just continue to focus on Jesus, and with all your heart seek Him.  Not holiness.  Seek Him.  Holiness comes when you seek Him.  However, He doesn’t come just because you seek holiness (that’s why the Pharisees never got to know Him). 

It’s about a relationship.  It’s been said: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  The main thing is: a love relationship with Jesus! You can simplify Christianity to that!  It’s from that abiding relationship where much fruit comes (John 15), you will leave an impact on this earth like David and Abraham- and die fruitful and fulfilled.  Oh, one of the fruits is holiness/or righteousness/or morality.  One more thing: this holiness is not a miserable holiness, but a happy holiness born out of a happy relationship with a happy God.

Why would God tell His Servants to Kill People in the Old Testament?

The following is from an e-mail response I wrote to a friend who had a question asking me: Why God would command the kings in the Old Testament to murder so many people?

Regarding the kings in the Old Testament, we have to see it in the context of the Old Testament.  Reading the first half of a novel will give you a limited understanding of the main characters in the novel.  Often in novels, you don’t find out everything about a character right away.  Similar to the Bible.

The Old Testament reveals a God of justice and a God who hates sin. The New Testament reveals a God of grace and love.  Are there two Gods?  No. But, this is so important to catch: The Bible speaks of the New Testament gospel as a mystery unveiled and a revelation. (I attached the supporting verses below)

A mystery is not new information but hidden information.  A revelation is not new information, but information that was always there.  Revelation means: unveiling.  So, it’s not that God was mean in the Old Testament, but He got born again, and got a new nature and became merciful and gracious.  No, He always was merciful and gracious, but it was veiled until He could reveal it through His Son.  Why was it veiled until the time of Christ? God couldn’t reveal His love and grace more perfectly than in the flesh of His own Son.

The Old Testament is very significant though.  It reveals a side of God!  He is still a God of justice and He hates sin.  There were sinful people and God raised up kings to execute His judgment upon them.  God is a God of judgment.  However, because He is a God of love and mercy as well, He sent His Son to be punished and judged for our sins.  Seeing the bloody cross reminds us of how much God hates sin, yet how He loves us so much.

I’m thankful for the Old Testament, because it becomes the dark backdrop that causes the fireworks of God’s love and grace in the New Testament to stand out even more.  (We just celebrated the fourth of july here).  Through the cross, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the world has a medicine for the SIN PROBLEM.  Before the cross, there was no real medicine.  Those Jews who got circumcisions and tried to obey the law were putting bandages on a cancerous tumor, but they needed more than that.  Anyways, so the only way to combat evil was to kill off evil!

But now in the New Testament, our battle is no longer against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12).  Now, the way we combat evil in the world is by the Gospel of the Jesus Christ, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and the Love of God.  Before, there were no weapons against evil but the weapons of war.  Now, “the weapons of our warfare are not of this world, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds.”  (2 Cor. 10:4). Before in the Old Testament, the kings killed people to lessen the evil in the world.  For example, Jehu was used by God to kill Jezebel.  That was a day of great victory against evil.  But as you could see, Jehu couldn’t do spiritual warfare, because he had no spiritual authority or weapons.  Satan had spiritual authority over the earth, because he had stolen it from Adam.  But, Jesus took it back and gave it to the church (Matthew 28:18): “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations….”  God couldn’t just take the authority back, because He gave it to a man named Adam.  The earth was given to mankind.  Therefore, it was the man Christ Jesus who took back the authority, and then gave it to us because we are one with Him (Eph 2:15).

Now, we don’t have to settle for killing Jezebel.  We can intercede for Jezebel and bind the spirits that have bound her.  We have authority and the weapons to do that.  We can show Jezebel the love of God and the power of the Spirit.  We can preach the Jezebel the good news.  And if Jezebel turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be totally free and a woman who used to be a stronghold of Satan’s kingdom will become an embassy of the Kingdom of God.

In the Old Testament, they combated evil by killing people off.  In the New Testament, we combat the kingdom of darkness and the evil in the world, by spiritual weapons of: the Spirit, the Word, and love, and we can actually pull down strongholds instead of just killing off an evil person or wiping out an evil nation.

Before, in the Old Testament, and evil person was like an infected finger that needed to be cut off or humanity would be in even worse shape.  But, now, and evil person is still like an infected finger, but we don’t need to amputate them (even though I sometimes think that Kim Jung Ill being cut off from the land of the living would be a good thing), but now our primary mission is to share the good news in the power of the Spirit and the love of God, and if they would believe and receive Christ, they become a brand new finger- or “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We don’t have to put on religious bandages anymore, but we have the cancer of sin crucified with Christ, and we are now ambassadors of the Kingdom of God- which is a spiritual kingdom- and we engage in spiritual warfare w/ spiritual weapons and the spiritual authority that we have received in Christ.  We don’t have to war in the physical realm, but in the spiritual realm.  Good news: What we do in the spirit realm shows up here in the physical realm.  Thank God we are no longer living in the Old Testament.  We have a greater revelation of who God is, and we have greater methods of destroying the evil in the world.

1. Romans 16:25
   Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
   Romans 16:24-26 (in Context) Romans 16 (Whole Chapter)
2. 1 Corinthians 15:51
   Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
   1 Corinthians 15:50-52 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 15 (Whole Chapter)
3. Ephesians 1:9
   And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
   Ephesians 1:8-10 (in Context) Ephesians 1 (Whole Chapter)
4. Ephesians 3:3
   that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
   Ephesians 3:2-4 (in Context) Ephesians 3 (Whole Chapter)
5. Ephesians 3:4
   In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mysteryof Christ,
   Ephesians 3:3-5 (in Context) Ephesians 3 (Whole Chapter)
6. Ephesians 3:6
   This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
   Ephesians 3:5-7 (in Context) Ephesians 3 (Whole Chapter)
7. Ephesians 3:9
   and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
   Ephesians 3:8-10 (in Context) Ephesians 3 (Whole Chapter)
8. Ephesians 5:32
   This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
   Ephesians 5:31-33 (in Context) Ephesians 5 (Whole Chapter)
9. Ephesians 6:19
   Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
   Ephesians 6:18-20 (in Context) Ephesians 6 (Whole Chapter)
10. Colossians 1:26
    the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
    Colossians 1:25-27 (in Context) Colossians 1 (Whole Chapter)
11. Colossians 1:27
    To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
    Colossians 1:26-28 (in Context) Colossians 1 (Whole Chapter)
12. Colossians 2:2
    My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
    Colossians 2:1-3 (in Context) Colossians 2 (Whole Chapter)
13. Colossians 4:3
    And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
    Colossians 4:2-4 (in Context) Colossians 4 (Whole Chapter)

Dealing w/ the Differences in the Body of Christ

There is so much diversity in the body of Christ.  Some are avid practicers of the gifts of the Spirit, while others shy from them, then some are in between.  Some worship very expressively in dance while others are stiff and stoic, and of course, there are those in between.  Some pastors preach only expository sermons- which is an in-depth study verse by verse and usually chapter by chapter.  Other pastors- use videos, dramas, stories, and only use a few Scripture references.  Some churches promote abundant and prosperous living, while other churches believe that Christians ought to be so occupied with the pouring into the poor, that living in a big house with fancy cars are considered un-Christlike. Some churches take communion every meeting.  Some churches are gigantic and they are building larger buildings, while other churches are meeting in homes and believing that the House Church- not the Mega Church is authentic Christianity of the book of Acts.  Oh yeah, then there are the Amish.  I’ve met believers and pastors of all the previous persuasions.  There are genuine, sincere believers in the different categories of Christian denominations, persuasions of Scripture, and philosophies of ministry.

There are believers who love the Lord so much, and they fast very often.  There are other believers who never fast.  There are believers who pray an hour a day.  There are other believers who pray conversationally.  There are believers who pray loudly!  There are believers who pray silently.

There is much diversity in the body of Christ.  Now, just as a disclaimer, I must say:  I don’t consider cults- who deny the deity of Christ, and self-proclaimed “Christian” groups- who deny the very fundamental doctrines of Scriptures, as part of the body of Christ.  I do not consider them teammates, but those who need the love, the ministry, and the witness of the body of Christ.  However, among the body of Christ, we have a variety of teammates.  What are we to make of all this?

I’ve heard Charismatic Christians bash the Conservative Baptists, and vise-versa.  I’ve heard the prosperity preachers bash those who believe in living poor, and vise-versa.  I’ve heard those who believe sickness is a gift from God for the pious purpose of purifying character, bash those who preach and practice healing, and vise-versa.  I’ve heard those who preach expository sermons bash those other pastors who sound more like motivational speakers. I’ve heard one nationally known church pastor who has 10,000 members in his church, boldly say, “Small churches are where small people with small visions come together to accomplish small things!”   Then, I’ve heard those advocates of the house church model talk about why the Mega Church movement is not of God. What are we to make of all this?

This is nothing new.  Even in Paul’s time, the church was divided among their differences.  Some believed they could eat anything, but others believed that they had to abstain from certain foods, because those foods were sacrificed to idols.  Some who were under influence of the Mosaic law, avoided pork, while others, had their pork ribs and hot dogs. Paul addresses these issues clearly in (Romans 14).  Remember, what was dividing them was not views of fundamental Christian doctrine or issues of permitting sin or gay bishops, but regarding something that wasn’t too clear to them at the time- eating certain foods or abstaining, and about certain holy days.  Paul had a clear message to bring to them.  I believe the same message applies to those in the Body of Christ- who differ in Church denominations, Scriptural persuasions, and philosophies of ministry.

(Romans 14:1-6):

¹AS FOR the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions.

²One [man's faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables.

³Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him.

⁴Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another’s household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand.

⁵One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind.

⁶He who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. He also who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Many Charismatic churches that practice the gifts of the Spirit every Sunday in their services are doing it to honor the Lord and use the gifts with a thankful heart.  Then, there are those who don’t practice the gifts in the public worship settings, but they do it with the motive to honor the Lord and have thankful hearts.  For example, I know Calvary Chapel believes in the gifts of the Spirit, but are persuaded that it is not God’s will that they practice the gifts of the Spirit in the main Sunday Services, but in another setting with only believers, and in the large gatherings, they teach the Word.  Calvary Chapel’s motive it to honor the Lord.

Now, it would be lame if Calvary Chapel criticizes and despises the Charismatic churches and judge them saying, “They practice the gifts to show off!”  It would be equally wrong if the Charismatic churches criticized and despised Calvary Chapel and judged them saying, “Calvary Chapel is full of the fear of man!”  The Charismatic pastor and the Calvary pastor are both servants of the Lord, and God knows if their motive is to really honor Him.

“Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon or despise your brother?  For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.” (Romans 14:10)

“Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:13)

Paul then talks about how what is important is edifying one another and “walking in love” (Romans 14:15).

^“15But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died!

If a Charismatic Pastor of a large church-who believed in prosperity and health, was invited to speak in a small, conservative, Baptist church that believed in giving all their money to the poor, and took the pulpit and starting speaking in tongues, blinding the small audience with His diamond rings and rolex watch, and starting preaching saying, “Small churches are where small people with small visions gather around to do small things.”  That would pain and hurt the feelings of the Baptist congregation member.  That guest speaker is no longer walking in love.  If he was walking in love, he’d be more sensitive.

If you are from a Spirit-filled church that always dances and shouts, but you are visiting your Mom’s church- where they practice a less expressive worship, and they discourage people from dancing, because they believe it draws too much attention to individuals and distracts from the worship, then should you still do your cartwheels and shout in the front of the church?  No.  That is not walking in love.

¹⁶Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]“

Should the Charismatic Pastor have  no longer believe and practice spiritual gifts, prosperity, healing, and church growth?  No.  If those things seem good to him, he is still living by faith as long as it is his motive to honor God.

Should the dancing worshipper stop expressing himself/herself whole-heartedly to God?  No.

Here is the breakdown:

Regarding the revelation that God has given you:

1) Don’t criticize or despise others in the body of Christ (Romans 14:13)

“Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:13)

2) Don’t purposefully try to offend those who are in the body of Christ (Romans 14:15)(Romans 14:21)

^“But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died!” (Romans 14:15)

“The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine (at all), or (do anything else) if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him.”  (Romans 14:21)

3) Don’t compromise your personal convictions either because of the differences of opinion. (Romans 14:16)(Romans 4:22)(Romans 4:23)

“Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.]” (Romans 14:16)

“Your personal convictions (on such matters)- exercise (them) as in God’s presence, keeping them to yourself (striving only to know the truth and obey His will).  Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves (who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do).” (Romans 14:22)

²³But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. (Romans 4:23)

4) Work towards unity  and in the body (Romans 14:19)

“So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (Edificaion and development) of one another.” (Romans 14:19)

Regarding which church to join, which denomination to be a part of, which persuasions of Scripture to hold regarding debatable issues, and which philosophy of ministry to work from, search the Scriptures and pray about them, until they are clear to you and you have strong convictions.  Then, go for it!  However, remember to walk in love and don’t despise those who might not have the same convictions and revelation as you.  If you really believe that your way is true, then pray for the others to see what God showed you, instead of preying on them.

What are we ATTRACTING in the SPIRIT WORLD?

As sure as there is an earthly realm, there is a spirit realm. Those two realms influence each other. What happens in one realm has its affects in the other:

1) Demon possessions happened in the spirit realm, but they showed in the natural realm. Remember the man who lived naked among the tombs, screaming and cutting himself, because he was the host of 2,000 demons? (Mark 5:1-11). Those demons in the spirit realm were affecting his behavior in the natural realm.

2) When Jesus casted out demons which were in the Spirit realm, people’s behaviors and conditions changed in the natural or earthly realm. The man who hosted a legion of demons was in his right mind for the first time in a long time after Jesus set him free.

3) Jesus talked to His disciples about binding and loosing on earth and in heaven. “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18) What we decide to do on earth influences what happens in the spirit realm either to restrain or release.

4) Faith of a person living in the natural realm, released the power in the spirit realm. The woman with the issue of blood pulled the power of God out of Jesus’ clothe and she was healed. The power of God is not something earthly, but heavenly and spiritual. Yes, it can be manifested and demonstrated here on earth, but it is from another kingdom- another realm. (Mark 5:25-34)

5) The spiritual forces of evil keep people from believing and seeing the truth in the earthly realm. “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

6) Daniel’s prayer in the natural realm caused angels to move in the Spirit realm. In (Daniel 10), Daniel’s prayers released angels in the spirit realm, but there was warfare in the spirit realm as evil principalities (prince demons) were trying to keep the angels from bringing Daniel the message which could potentially smash their kingdom, but after 21 days, the angels broke through.

7) Giving our finances in the natural realm causes heavens to be opened in the spiritual realm. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Malachi 3:10)

Those are just a few examples of how the spirit realm and the natural realm affect each other. As we can see from the following points, the two realms aren’t far from each other. I said all that to set the stage for this next statement: WHAT WE DO AND SAY IN THE NATURAL REALM ATTRACTS THINGS IN THE SPIRIT REALM, AND WHAT WE ATTRACT IN THE SPIRIT REALM WILL HAVE POWERFUL EFFECTS IN THE NATURAL REALM. In other words, what we do in the natural world, causes a shift in the spiritual world, and that shift has repercussions in the natural.

1) What we do and say in the natural realm attracts things in the spirit realm.

Some people think they can do and say whatever they want, and it not be a big deal. However, what they are blind to see is that what we “do and say “attracts either evil spirits or the Holy Spirit, the power of darkness or the power of God, the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God.

• I know from experience, that whenever we preach or teach on the Holy Spirit, He is attracted to that place.
• Whenever, we preach or teach the Word of God or evangelize to someone about Jesus, the Holy Spirit is attracted to that context. Sometimes when I’m preaching or teaching, I could sense Him moving powerful through me and through the people. When I sharing about Jesus with someone the Lord led me to, many times, I sense the Holy Spirit’s presence being drawn there.
• I remember being on the mission fields, and how when I preached or spoke about how Jesus is the Healer, how the Spirit of life would be attracted to that situation and cancel out the spirit of death that was trying to afflict people with sickness and disease. When the Apostles preached the gospel of King and the Kingdom and the message of grace, the Holy Spirit was so attracted to that place that signs and wonders broke out! (Acts 14:3)(Acts 15:12)(Romans 15:19)(Hebrews 2:4) “Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” (Acts 14:3) As they spoke and testified of the grace of Jesus, the Spirit of grace was attracted to that place!
• We can all think of times we would just worship the Lord, and speak of how great our God is and how the presence of Spirit of God would start hovering over the congregation. When Solomon led the people in worship, the glory cloud came and no one could stay standing (1 Kings 8:1).
• I can definitely remember listening to an anointed sermon or teaching, and the Spirit of burning would come upon me.
• When the early disciples gathered to pray for boldness and signs and wonders, they attracted the Holy Spirit of boldness and were filled by Him! (Acts 4) I was first filled with the Holy Spirit in a prayer meeting where young people gathered and prayed passionately. They attracted the Holy Spirit, and a hardhearted sinner got hit with the power of God.
• When Jesus obeyed His Father to go to the river Jordan and to be baptized by John, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit was attracted to that place of obedience. (Matthew 3:16)
• Paul prayed often for the different churches for wisdom, revelation, and strength, because he knew that targeting prayers towards a certain group of people can attract the Spirit to those people.
• The woman with the issue of blood started speaking of her breakthrough “For she said, ‘If I may but touch His clothes, I shall be made whole” (Mark 5:28), and the pulled the power of the Spirit out of Jesus. She wasn’t speaking words of fantasy, but words of faith. Filthy fantasy invites the kingdom of darkness, but faith invites the Kingdom of God.

We addressed ways of how what we say and do can attract the Holy Spirit. Now, there are ways we can actually quench the Holy Spirit instead of attracting His presence:

(1 Thess. 5:12-22)- NIV:

¹²Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. ¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Do not put out the Spirit’s fire (do not quench the Holy Spirit -NAS); ²⁰do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹Test everything. Hold on to the good.²²Avoid every kind of evil.”

How do we quench the Holy Spirit? I suggest we read the verses that comes before and after that verse 19 and apply them.

1) Lack of honor, love, and respect for spiritual leaders

2) Lack of peace and harmony among the brethren

3) Being lazy

4) Being timid

5) Not helping the weak or being patient with people

6) Getting revenge

7) Not being kind and loving towards people

Failing to rejoice

9) Neglecting prayer

10) Having an unthankful heart and mouth

11) Despising the prophetic

12) Not being discerning

If you think I’m stretching the teaching of Scripture by suggesting that we look around verse 19 to find out how we quench the Spirit, then please tell me that you’ve met a self-proclaimed Christian who really attracts the Holy Spirit while being: rebellious towards spiritual leaders, bashes his/her pastor, is too lazy to do anything for others, too timid to try anything for God, makes fun of weak people instead of helping them, has a short fuse, is always needing to have the last word and get someone back, is rude, is depressed and depressing, never prays, is always complaining, calls the gifts of the Spirit the New Age, and doesn’t have the willingness to discern situations by studying the Scripture.

But, just as we can attract the Holy Spirit with what we do and say, we can also attract evil spirits through our choice of actions and words!

Just as sharks are attracted to blood in the water, there are certain actions that people do, which can quickly attract evil spirits. Just like how flies are attracted to a fresh pile of dog poop, there are fresh words that come out of people’s lips which attracts demons like flies.

• A person who is always telling dirty jokes, can attract spirits of perversion (Proverbs 14:2). I’m not saying one dirty joke will get you demon possessed, but I am saying that those words in the natural realm can attract spirits in the spirit realm.
• A person who is engaging in pornography and masturbation, also attract the spirit of perversion (Isaiah 19:14).
• When a person is putting someone else down in the presence of others, they are attracting the spirit of jealousy.
• When a person starts talking about how they were so wronged, they can attract the spirit of anger (Ezekiel 12:24).
• When a person visits psychics or reads books on witchcraft, they attract familiar spirits (1 Samuel 28:7).
• When a person is always talking negatively and like a victim, they attract a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).
• When a person engages in pre-marital sex and promiscuity, they attract spirits of whoredom. (Isaiah 14:12)
• When we defame another person in a subtle way, it attracts the spirits of jealousy.
• When a person is always worrying and anxious, they attracts spirits of infirmity (Luke 13:11). Medical Science backs up the reality that stress and sickness have a strong connection. Science finally caught up to the reality depicted in the Word of God.
• When we speak out again our spiritual leaders- God’s anointed, we attract the anti-Christ spirit.  Anti-Christ means anti-anointed.
• Speaking arrogantly in a serious way, and always talking about how your ministry/church/gift is exclusively superior, can attract a spirit of pride (Proverbs 16:18)
• Bragging about all the great things you’ve done for God and the sacrifices you made for God can also attract a spirit of pride (Proverbs 16:18)
• Always talking about how you are a looser and a failure will attract the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7)
• Saying critical things about other people will attract a critical spirit.
• Speaking things which are flat out opposing the Word and will of God will attract an anti-Christ spirit. Don’t think that only athiests are prone to that. Even Peter, a committed disciple of Jesus, fell into this when he told Jesus, “You can’t be crucified!” Then, Jesus replied to him, “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:33) Peter’s selfish remarks attracted Satan onto the scene, so Jesus rebuked the satanic spirit that came as the result of Peter’s words. We are either speaking in line with God’s Word and will or we aren’t.
• I believe that those who get into gambling attract a spirit of greed. I’m not saying you plan a game of poker and you will be possessed, I’m just saying what we do and say in the earthly realm attracts spirits in the spirit realm.
• When I speak about and mediate on the lusts of the flesh, pride of life, and lusts of the eyes, I will attract the spirit of this world.
• Speaking lies attracts lying spirits. (2 Chronicles 18:22) talks about false prophets with lying spirits. How did they collect these lying spirits? I think by lying. Some people keep lying to themselves to ease their conscience. For example, they lie to themselves saying, ‘It’s OK for me have sex with other partners even though I’m married, as long as my spouse doesn’t find out.’ Their conscience puts up a fight, and they feel bad the first time they do it, but they just keep lying to themselves. Their conscious eventually gets knocked out by their punching lies, and soon, they are totally deceived.
• Remember when Moses sent out the 12 spies to spy out the land of Cannan, and out of the 12 only 2- Joshua and Caleb had a “different spirit” (Numbers 14:24) and therefore only the two of them passed the test and were able to enter the Promised Land. 12 were tested, only 2 passed the test. Here is what the Lord showed me: the reason why the 10 couldn’t pass the test is because they had spend 30 years complaining and murmuring in the wilderness. They spoke so many negative words about their church/ministry/pastor/destiny. Their words attracted a spirit of doubt and unbelief! Caleb and Joshua had spent 30 years, refusing to join the negative talk and complaining of the others. Caleb and Joshua spoke positive words of hope, and therefore, they attracted the spirit of faith. Only those with the spirit of faith will walk into their Promised Land- their God-given destiny! Those who have the spirit of doubt and unbelief will die in the wilderness- unfruitful and unfulfilled. Which spirit do you have? A better question: Which Spirit or spirits are you attracting with your words and deeds?

2) What I’ve attracted in the spirit realm, will affect my natural realm

If you attract spirits, it’s like attracting a bad disease. It will affect you every single day until it’s casted out. A flu affect you every single day until it’s broken off by a superior reality- the white blood cells. However, until you are delivered, you will have symptoms every single day. Those who have caught bad spirits will show symptoms! Just like a bad disease, having bad spirits means you are carrying something contagious. Evil spirits affect thought patterns, behaviors, relationships, and destinies. Evil spirits are commissioned by Satan to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

Our words and deeds are so important because they affects the spirit world! The spirits will keep us from our destiny, the Spirit will lead us to our destiny. James talked about how our tongues were a like a rudder to a ship. The rudder determines the destiny or destination or the entire ship (James 3:4). Our tongues attract spirits that will stir us in the right way or the wrong way. Some people get shipwrecked in life, and they blame God, when they have practiced no control over their rudder, and have attracted evil spirits- who set them up for the wreck.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) By our words, we can either attract the spirit of death or the Spirit of life. Something we have to remember is that demon spirits are “seeking rest” (Matthew 12:43) Same with the Spirit of the Lord, He too is looking for a place to rest (Isaiah 66:1). Who are we attracting? You might ask, “Why do I have to attract the Holy Spirit? I already have Him living in me.” Yes, the Holy Spirit indwells all believers, but He doesn’t overshadow or come upon all believers. He only overshadows those who attract Him. Jesus was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, because Jesus attracted Him. Jesus said, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED…” Only when the Spirit comes upon us and overshadows us, can we live a life of power.

Hearing God

1. TO HEAR FROM GOD, WE MUST HAVE FAITH THAT IT WILL HAPPEN

One of the greatest deceptions that Satan is spreading among God’s children is that they are not worthy enough to hear from God.  Many Christians can probably name one person that they believe hears from God.  However, when it comes to them personally hearing from God, they aren’t too confident.  If asked about whether Christians hear from God today or not, most Christians will say, “yes.”  However, deep in their hearts, they don’t believe that they can.  Because they don’t believe they can, they don’t even try, and they go through life making decisions based upon the opinions of others, or their emotions, or what they call an “open door”.  Not everything people say is from God to you.  Not everything you feel or think is directly from God.  Contrary to popular opinion, not every open door is from God.  That is why the Lord says, “Incline your hearts to the Words of My mouth.”  (Psalm 78:1)

Many people don’t take the time to incline their hearts to hear from God, because they don’t have faith in their hearts that God wants to speak to them.  For a long time, I didn’t have faith to believe that I could hear God’s voice in a personal way.  I thought that was for only super holy people, which made me unqualified.  So, as I listened to the condemnation of the Devil, I labeled myself as someone who couldn’t hear clearly, specifically, and often from God.  So, I would make personal decisions based on what I thought was best.  I was a youth pastor at the time, and I would make all my ministry decisions based on what worked for others, and I was trying to recreate the youth group that I was touched in, instead of hearing from the Boss, what He specifically wanted to do with the youth group.

Then, I started getting around these prophetic ministries and prophetic people.  What I mean by that is: people who really and clearly hear from God!  Then, I put myself in a tiny box by saying something so foolish and anti-Bible: “I’m not very prophetic!”  I was talking out of the overflow of the unbelief that was in my heart.  But, what I was really doing was saying, “Jesus!  You are a liar!”  Why? Well this is what Jesus said:

“He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47)

What God made available through grace, we enter in through our faith.  For example, by grace, God made salvation available!  But, it’s by our faith that we enter into salvation.  God made heaven available for us by His grace, but it’s by our faith we enter it.  God made abundant life available through His Son, but it’s by our faith that we enter it.  God made the promise land available by His grace for Israel, but those without faith couldn’t tap into that grace, but only Joshua and Caleb used their faith to enter into that grace.  Hearing God is such a grace!  We enter into that grace by faith!  Faith believes with the heart and confesses with the mouth (Romans 10:7-10).  Please say this out loud and loudly: “I am God’s, so I hear His voice!”  Don’t say something as stupid as “I’m not prophetic.”  You may have not experienced hearing God’s voice in time past, but our aim is not to lower God’s Word to the place of our experiences or lack of, but our aim is to raise our experiences to the the standard of God’s Word through faith in God’s Word.

2. TO HEAR FROM GOD, WE MUST HAVE DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD

What is the right heart? It’s the heart that longs to hear Him because they love Him and desire His Words!  Jesus repeatedly said in (Revelation 2-3), “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying…” What does that mean when Jesus says, “He who has an ear”?   Don’t most people have ears?  Jesus isn’t talking about physical ears, but He’s addressing the condition of people’s hearts.  Not everyone has a heart that is desiring to hear and obey the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is saying that if someone has a desire to hear, let that person hear.

3. TO HEAR FROM GOD, WE HAVE TO TREASURE HIS WORD

“And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing.  The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you- and more (besides) will be given to you who hear. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing even what he was will be taken away (by force)”  (Mark 4:24-25)- amplified Bible

Two people can hear the same sermon, read the same  Christian book, and study the same Bible but one will receive so much wisdom, revelation, power, and anointing from it, while another will receive very little.  It always depends on the heart of the listener, not the power of the Word.  The Word is powerful no matter what, but how powerful it will be in your life is dependent on your heart towards the Word.

Those who love the Word of God enough to study it and meditate on it, will receive more virtue and knowledge.  Those who love God will love His Word, and those who love His Word will put much thought and study into it.  Speed reading the Bible is not the key to great revelation.  I honestly don’t think speed reading the Bible is good for anything expect bragging rights of how many times you read the Bible.  What’s more important than how many times we read the Bible, is how much time have we spent praying through, meditating on, and wrestling with the Word.  Those who really dig in the Word with a heart that is in love with God and hungry to know His ways, will receive more virtue and knowledge from the Holy Spirit than the speed reader.  Again, it’s always about the heart.

Those people who treasure God’s written Word, preached Word, and taught Word, end up getting more of God’s spoken Word to them.  According to the verse above, if I have a heart that really treasures God’s Word, He will unfold more Word to me.  So many people want to hear God, but the real question is: how was your heart towards the last time He spoke to you?  So many people want God to speak to them audibly, but the real question is: how is your heart towards the written Word- the Bible?  So many people want a new revelation from God’s Word, but the real question is: how was your heart towards the last revelation you received?  Some want God to speak new prophetic Words or give more Words of knowledge and wisdom, but the real question is: How did your heart respond the last time you heard from God?

When God sees His Word alive and well in you, He will give you more.  “To him who has more will be given” (Mark 4:25) Again, if you look at the context of this verse, Jesus is talking about the man who has the Word treasured in him, will get more!  Let’s ask ourselves: Am I being a good steward of His Word?  The man who has the Word of God treasured in Him will have more Word given to him.  The Lord can see if His Word is in you or not.  If He sees that it is: He will invest more and more.  If He sees that you squandered the Word of God, He will not give more revelation, and even if that man goes to church and hears a sermon, the sermon will have no effect in his life, because Satan will always take the Word away by force.  Why? The man gave Satan access, by not guarding the Word.  Satan hates the Word, and will attack the Word, but He cannot steal the Word from a man who treasures the Word.  Satan can’t