Forgiving others restores our mind, will and
emotions back to God and His ways, and it helps us to use the situation
which caused the offense to sharpen our understanding, discernment and
wisdom. This means that we learn much
from our experiences and are able to spot ‘signals’ or discern troubles
more readily in the future. However, if we try to completely forget the
situation as though it never happened, we may deal incorrectly with the
person or persons who brought it about. Forgiving means we move
forward by treating the person who sinned against us with love and
grace, and we leave the acts of ‘justice’ to God – it’s not our
responsibility to avenge a wrong done to us (Rom. 12:19)..
But if we haphazardly 'forget' along with forgiving, we may fail to set
boundaries and perceive future concerns. It's OK to let trust be slowly
built up again when a hurt has occurred - you don't have to jump in and
assume the offender is A-OK and has changed his/her stripes because you
have forgiven him. The fruit of a person’s life shows their
trustworthiness and heart of repentance (Matt. 3:8). In forgiving
someone who abused one of your children would you assume "all is good
now because I have forgiven, so I can trust that person 100% and place
my child back in his/her path?" In the same sense, would you put
yourself back into a situation where you'll be hurt or abused just
because you have forgiven? Seek God and let Him decide if and when you
are to resume relationship, and what boundaries are to be in place.
Forgiving does not necessarily bring an equal reaction on the part of
the one being forgiven – he or she may not be sorry and may not change
his/her ways. Nor does forgiveness negate the fact that we are to behave
responsibly toward one another – if we forget this we may give others
undue access into our lives, which will hurt us again and enable them to
continue their poor behaviors (Num 14:19-22). Jesus has provided
forgiveness to the world – but the action of accepting that forgiveness
(by means of repenting and living for God) has not taken place for a
vast majority of people, therefore they cannot receive the blessings of
being in relationship with God – both now and in eternity.
There are also times when we are not to continue a relationship unless
we get a go-ahead from God (Matt 18:17). This does not give us an
excuse for unforgiveness, but it gives that person some space to repent,
grow, and seek God for himself while we pray and seek God's wisdom and
timing. Some personalities are abusive - verbally, physically or
mentally - and allowing those people access to our hearts and minds
completely zaps our energy and takes our focus off of God, putting it on
self-preservation. We cannot ‘fix’ others; it’s God’s work to do so as
they submit to Him. We are to help and pray as He guides.
Forgiving and setting boundaries should never release us from loving and
being kind – but we must combine that with Godly wisdom and
discernment. Just as God extends His grace to all, we are to do the same
(Matt 5:43-46) – but in the process we are to be as wise as serpents
and as innocent as doves (Matt 10:16).
Ordinary: commonplace according to culture’s standards; typical, habitual, normal, having no distinctive features.
The word ‘ordinary’ (and its concept) recently struck me as being distasteful. There are some routine
and ordinary things in life that are completely necessary, and they are
good for us – like regular meals! However, falling into a regular
routine which expects nothing out of the ordinary, or lives life as the
rest of culture lives, is likely falling into the trap of the enemy; if
he can keep us mildly satisfied with our everyday routine, we will be
mildly effective for God!
On the other hand, living ‘out of the
ordinary’ may simply mean pursuing the talent God’s given you which
you’ve put on the back burner year after year – that may be the very
thing which places you in a position to bring a multitude of people into
the kingdom! Living ‘out of the ordinary’ may mean you have to step
out in faith and reach out to grab the Promised Land instead of merely
existing in Egypt and thinking about how things ‘could have been.’ Or
perhaps living ‘out of the ordinary’ means you are continuously
absorbing the Word of Truth as preparation for the next assignment God
gives you. But whatever your circumstance, ‘extraordinary’ living
occurs when we determinately and continuously make God the center of our
universe, and in turn His life overflows into our daily existence -
bringing unusual and uncommon results!
We are a peculiar people
– a people set aside for God’s love and purposes – meant to show His
virtue and power to the world around us. Our lives are seeds which have
been planted – but germination can only take place under the watering of
the Word, direction of the Holy Spirit and willingness to give up
earth’s ‘ordinary’ for heaven’s ‘extraordinary!’
Perhaps some
of us are waiting for God to change something in our ordinary lives –
but maybe God is waiting for us to reach out and grab that
extraordinarily unique life He’s prepared for each us! Don’t be
satisfied with ordinary – you were created to be unique!
“ But
you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's]
own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful
deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9 AMP).
Have
you ever been through a time when you are speaking to the mountain to
move - and trusting God for it to happen - when suddenly the mountain
starts speaking back to you and telling YOU to move?
The mountain
might be society and its values, a work situation, a loved one who is
rebellious or perhaps something you are personally trying to conquer
through the Spirit of God. But nothing gets your spiritual vigor up
more than having the mountain tell you what it's going to do!
In times like these determine that you will vigorously press forward,
taking the Kingdom by force through God's power packed weapons of
prayer, faith and unity!!!
"Truly I tell you, whoever says to
this mountain, 'be lifted up and thrown into the sea!' and does not
doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take
place, it will be done for him" (Mark 11:23 AMP).
In the words of Shakespeare, "parting is such
sweet sorrow." Unfortunately, it's not often sweet, just sorrowful, and
it can drag on and on, as though that parting is happening every day as we rehearse it in our minds.
This is why we have to make a determined effort, a choice, to remember
people fondly. That's not always easy - and it may be a process - but
it's necessary if we want to move forward!
At some point in our
former relationship we enjoyed the other person's company and now we
must realize that we also gained from that in many ways: we learned and
grew, we gave and were given to, we laughed and we cried together. And
since there came a time for us to part, there has to come a time when we
remember the good things from that relationship and let ourselves be
thankful for them.
There might be a period of working through
that difficult parting, but if that remains our focus we will be
experiencing that parting every time we think of that person, and that's
called bitterness.
That doesn't mean we're to be unwise and
throw out the 'education' we received from the experience; it means
we're to forgive, move forward, enjoy life without a black cloud of
bitterness, and have a willingness to (wisely and lovingly) accept new
people into our lives and form new relationships.
At the very
least, we have probably gained discernment through our experience. And
chances are, the other person has gone through the same inner pains,
growth and final conclusion to 'let it go'...and perhaps there will be a
day when we meet up again as people with a fresh look at our old
friendship.
In the end, it's up to us to make the decision to
live forward - not looking at the stagnant past constantly. Remember
the words of the Apostle Paul: "I don't look back, I press forward
because that's where my reward and final prize awaits me" (Php 3:13
paraphrased).
"As much as it depends on you, let all
bitterness, indignation, wrath, resentment, animosity, quarreling, and
slander be banished from you, as well as spite and ill will of any kind.
Become useful,helpful and kind to one another, being tenderhearted,
compassionate and understanding, forgiving one another [readily and
freely], as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph 4:31-32 AMP, adapted).
When the Apostles found it difficult to both
distribute food to the church’s widows and preach the Gospel, they asked
the congregation in Jerusalem to pick 7 members who could take over
‘waiting tables’ for them. According to
the apostles, the characteristics for a food distributor included being
filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and having a good reputation
among the saints (Acts 6).
Stephen was unheard of before he was
voted into this task, but that didn’t stop God from using him as a
conduit for the miraculous. God saw the distribution of food to widows
as important enough to appoint those who were imbued with His Spirit to
do the job, and he particularly gave Stephen the gift of miracles as an
anointing for waiting tables in the food pantry.
Stephen
wasn’t an apostle, he wasn’t a preacher, and he wasn’t a pastor! He was
a church member who immersed himself in the Word, loved the brethren
and lived to honor God. So when the job of waiting tables was offered,
he gladly stepped in to fill the void by putting on an apron and
distributing miracles!
If you say “I am willing, send me,”
you may wind up working in the food pantry or waiting tables as God’s
means of getting a miracle or a word of wisdom to someone in need.
Are you willing to take the smallest task and use it for God’s glory?
“However, we possess this precious treasure in [frail, human] vessels
of earth, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be
from God and not from ourselves” (2 Cor.4:7 AMP adapted).
Jesus chose “ignorant" and "unlearned” men to
change the world for His glory (Acts 4). They could read and write, but
they were common laborers – people who knew how to put in an honest
day’s work but had no influence or societal standing.
So it was a shock to the religious leaders of the day that Peter and
John would be bold enough to confront them on matters of religion. In
fact, Acts 4 says the leaders were practically spellbound when they
heard convincing and powerful arguments from Peter and John. But they
realized these men had been with Jesus because they spoke and acted just
like Him, preaching the Gospel and healing the sick in spite of the
resistance of the authorities who persecuted them.
Sin reigned
in the hearts of both the Jewish and Roman leaders of that day, just as
it does in many of today’s authority figures. That's why John the
Baptist was beheaded: Herod and Herodias couldn’t stand to be told the
Truth of God about their adulterous and Godless lives (Matt 14, Mark
6). These were leaders of an earthly kingdom whose actions and words
affected multitudes of people, releasing license to sin into their
sphere of influence.
When people are under this kind of
authority they are led away from God and all hell breaks loose from the
top down. The Old Testament is full of examples of this and the
resulting effects are listed in Deuteronomy 28. But in the dire straits
of Peter and John’s days, a remnant of common, “ignorant” and
“unlearned” men fearlessly proclaimed the Gospel and revealed the glory
of God. They were persecuted, tortured, and killed for His sake because
they refused to have their mouths closed and settle for a Godless and
sinful status quo which leads people to hell.
This is same
state of our world today: leaders all over the earth are working
diligently to enact laws which are against the Holy Word of God,
effectively releasing the power of satan over their kingdoms in the name
of equality and freedom. Their hearts are hardened, their minds are
darkened and they are ignorant of the fact that they are bringing the
fierce rod of judgment upon themselves and the people they lead. In the
end they will bear the consequences of their folly.
But we are
the remnant and the light, and our calling is to set self aside and
boldly proclaim the Gospel of God’s love and salvation. Now is not the
time to shrink back in fear - it’s the time to band together and boldly
go forward with the banner of the Gospel held high in our words and
actions. We cannot sit back and sip our lattes and cappuccinos while
the world is going to hell in a hand-basket! It’s time to roll up our
sleeves and completely commit ourselves to a selfless life of
proclaiming the Gospel in thought, word and deed. The eternal state of
countless multitudes may be on our hands if we are silent at this hour.
What is your part in boldly, confidently and faithfully
proclaiming this Word of life to a dying world? Are you willing to
wisely use every venue presented to bring life where sin, darkness and
death abound?
“So don't throw away your confidence and trust in
God, which has a great reward. For you need to endure until the end, so
that after you have done God's will you may receive what is promised.
In a very little while the Coming One will come and He will not delay –
His timing is perfect. But those who are righteous will faithfully and
boldly press forward, refusing to draw back in fear – this gives God
great pleasure. And you are not the kind to draw back and be destroyed
by fear from the enemy, you are those who walk in faith and bring life
to a dying world” (Heb 10:35-39 paraphrased).
Disenchantment is the feeling of disappointment over something because
it didn’t pan out to be what we expected. We might eventually become
disenchanted because we didn’t see the big picture at the start, the
segment we’ve focused on is a very small representation of the whole, or a smoke screen covered the truth of a situation or person.
But to be disenchanted we must first have been ‘enchanted.’ Being
‘enchanted,’ according to Strong’s Concordance (Ex 7:11), is to be
wrapped in a cloak of the enemy’s influence and blinded to the truth or
reality of a situation. That doesn’t mean we’re demon possessed or evil,
but that ‘wrapping’ begins as a surreal or magical feeling of warmth
and comfort, giving a person a sense of excitement and security which
lures them in deeper. The result is that the enemy keeps us shrouded
from the entire truth of a circumstance until he can turn up the flame
and slowly scorch us with frustration, distraction, disgust and a
multitude of other feelings as we begin to see the bigger picture.
We can also become disenchanted if we expect to find a ‘pot of gold’ in
every circumstance or relationship, hoping this will be the ‘thing’
which finally makes us fulfilled and happy. In this way we put
expectations on others to fulfill our desires when God instructs us to
first be fulfilled in Him, whereupon He will give us the desires of our
purified hearts.
This tells us that we are vulnerable to
enchantment/disenchantment issues because of matters of the heart.
Jumping in too quickly, jumping from place to place, jumping from job to
job – these may be symptoms of deeper wounds and strongholds that the
enemy is using to repeatedly enchant and disenchant God’s people, making
us feel like we are on a circus-like carousel of failures with up and
down feelings of excitement and disappointment.
But God is
able to stop the carousel and put us on a straight path if we are
willing to lean into the wisdom and counsel of the Holy Spirit (Acts
13:9); be careful not to jump at anyone’s prompting or enticement before
seeking God and getting His approval (Eph 5:17); and look to Him for
fulfillment in life (John 14:6). When we are content and fulfilled in
Christ we are less vulnerable to the powers of the enemy which promise
‘pie in the sky’ experiences but wind up being ‘pie in the face’
scenarios.
“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and
constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is
stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and
hopes confidently in You” (Is 26:3 AMP).
You have likely heard the term ‘the last days’ - it’s often used in
relation to events occurring in the days we live in as proof that we are
in the end times. 2 Timothy 3:1 says “difficult
times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self,
lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
ungrateful, unholy…(HCSB)” - and the list continues. Looking at this
verse, we might agree that we are in the ‘last days,’ as this list of
‘symptoms’ seems to be prevalent in our society.
2 Peter 3:3
uses the term ‘last days’ in much the same manner: “First, be aware of
this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to
their own desires, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the
beginning of creation (HCSB).’"
Acts 2 also uses the term
‘last days’ as a time frame for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit,
which began at Pentecost. Acts 2 records the events of the upper room
and the pouring out of what Jesus called the “gift” and “power from on
high (Luke 24)” as part of ‘last days’ events. Both Joel and Acts
record that this gift is for “you, your sons and daughters, and those
that are far off [into the future].” This same chapter of Acts states
that this gift of power is to be functioning and used between Pentecost
and the “Day of the Lord,” which begins at the opening of the 7th seal
in Revelation 8.
So we see that we are in the 'last days.' And
we also see that God has gifted us with power for these ‘last days’ in
the form of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, effective from the time of
Pentecost until the “Day of the Lord.” This is the time frame of the
'last days,' according to Acts 2.
This is how we allow
scripture to interpret scripture – in this case defining the term ‘last
days.’ I ask you to read and study these if you question the
involvement of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church – especially if
you have been taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit has ended.
This baptism is for the empowerment of God’s people – to be effective
witnesses for Him and to enable us to live a life of grace and power as
His representatives. If we agree that we are in the ‘last days’ then we
can be certain that this gift is still being poured out.
We
are in dire times – in the ‘last days.’ There is no time for disputes
over doctrine – we must simply read the Bible for ourselves and rightly
divide the words by His Spirit. Since we are in the ‘last days’, we
can accept the ‘last days’ gift of the Holy Spirit and be empowered as
His witnesses to the ends of the earth! All doctrinal differences aside
– these are the words of the Bible, not man’s doctrine. I implore you
to read it and then receive His empowerment as a ‘last days’ believer!
(Excerpts taken from writings on “Power for the Last Days” by Barbara Kopitzke)
In all circumstances we’re to give thanks to
God. Thanksgiving involves hindsight as well as foresight – thank You
for who You are and what You’ve done, and thank You that You will
fulfill what You have promised in Your Word and whispered into the secret places of our hearts.
1 Thess. 5:18 directs us to be thankful “in” everything – whatever
storm is going on, whomever is involved, no matter how difficult or
great things are – we thank Him IN the circumstance. We’re not directed
to thank Him FOR the circumstance – everything does not happen because
God brought it about and He does not condone every sin and grievous
situation. We know that God can take the worst situation (even one
we’ve created through our sin, errors and ignorance) and turn it around
for our good. That doesn’t mean God brought about that circumstance –
it’s just proof of His faithfulness to us even when we’re unfaithful and
fail to hear and follow Him completely. Thanking God for a situation
like this is like giving glory to the devil and the work he did in
getting us into the tight spot we’re in.
As an example,
consider a person who is destitute and can’t feed and support his
family: is he to thank God FOR that situation? Or is he to thank God
IN the situation for His unfailing faithfulness as he trusts Him to
guide and supply? We’re commanded to care for our families (1 Tim.
5:8), so thanking God that we couldn’t do so would be in disagreement
with His word. What about the person who's spouse had an affair -
should he thank God for the situation? Can you see the confusion this
type of thinking brings?
In any circumstance our place is to
trust God to give direction, reveal the reason we’re in it (if He so
chooses) and give us the power and plan to either press through or get
out of it. In sickness, danger, financial stress, relationship turmoil,
the chaos of the world….God has an answer and we can be thankful to Him
for His promises and faithfulness. Thanking God FOR a circumstance can
be the devils means of twisting our thoughts and emotions so he can
keep us bound up in that circumstance, wrapped in our sin and steeped in
defeat. How many of us have thanked God for being sick, or having a
sick child? If we truly think God brought on that circumstance, then
we’d best not try to get out of His plan!
Of course there are
circumstances that God leads us into; He will USE the sinful situations
of the world to fulfill his sharpening and refining process in us, show
us our own sin, and teach us to trust Him. But just as Jesus thanked God
IN His dire circumstances leading up to the cross, we are to do the
same. As we thank God IN our circumstances and storms, our eyes remain
focused on Him instead of on our troubles. In this way we are enabled
to view things through His eyes and believe that He can and will do the
impossible, instead of focusing on the storm and concerning ourselves
with the impossibilities!
I've been blessed to have various mentors in
my life, and I've also been a mentor to others. This is the sort of
partnership that the Gospel describes in Timothy's life: Paul mentored
Timothy while at the same time Timothy mentored others.
It's a simple pleasure in life that we grow in relationship with others
as we mentor and are mentored, discovering the things we have in common
yet respecting one another's God given differences in personality.
But it's not a necessity that we have all things in common with the one
we mentor or the one who mentors us. It's especially important that we
who mentor don't try to create 'spitting images' of ourselves and
regard differences in personalities and preferences as something that
needs to be fixed or corrected during the mentoring process.
Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). In other words,
watch me and see how I live out the Word in my life, that's what a
mentee does, in large part. But you, as a mentee, are not required to
become like me, no matter how happy I am, or successful I am or
beautiful I am - this should never be a requirement for a mentee.
Mentee's need not transform their lives to look exactly like ours, or
serve God in the same way we do, to be acceptable in our sight. Jesus
fully accepted John the Baptist in all his quirkiness and camel's hair
clothing: in fact, this was an expression of the personality God had
given him to fulfill his calling. This isn't to say that we can't help
each other with the sanctification process, but that we must be careful
not to try and recreate individuals to our liking and call it
'sanctification.'
In short, mentors (and friends, and spouses,
etc.) have to respect the God-given individuality of other people while
helping them mature in Christ by being a humble example. Part of the
mentoring process is learning to shift our attention from our own
comfortable pleasures onto the one being mentored, and in the process
our own shortcomings and weaknesses are revealed - this is God's design
to mature us as we mature others. And perhaps some of those quirks we
want to 'change' in others are part of God's plan to completely fit the
Body of Christ with a 'John the Baptist' for every situation that arises
and every task that needs to be completed in the Body.
"God,
grant me the serenity [peaceful willingness] to accept the things I
[should not try to ] change, the courage to [inspire] change [towards
greater Godliness] for the things I can, and the wisdom to know the
difference." (Serenity Prayer)
You could be doing everything according to God’s plan - and carrying
those things out with kindness, understanding, compassion and grace -
but someone might still be irritated with you. It’s just impossible to please everyone!
To “please” means to oblige, satisfy or cater to the desires of others.
In some cases, we could very well be the hand and voice of God when we
strive to please others, but in other cases we could be the hand of the
enemy as we cater to the strongholds and ungodly desires of other
people. This can actually strengthen the enemy’s hold on them and make
us ‘slaves’ to their whims. When it comes to our relationship with
other people, pleasing and serving are not the same – one comes from
the desires of man, the other from the heart of God.
More than
making man happy and striving to have man befriend us and invite us into
his inner circle, our first goal must be to please God. If pleasing or
befriending man puts the Word or will of God in 2nd place, then we have
lost our first love and become servants of man (Gal. 1:10). While
loving others needs to be a top priority for us, love has to be defined
by God, not the world. The world sees love as that which satisfies the
flesh, while God’s love is self-sacrificing and purifies the heart and
soul. God is the author of love and He Himself is the embodiment of
love – but that doesn’t mean He is loved back - and neither will we
necessarily be loved back as we become more and more Christ-like.
We are here as God’s ambassadors – sent to carry out His work and will
in His stead. An ambassador must keep his allegiances to the country
from which he was sent – that’s where his authority comes from and
that’s his home base. If he shifts his affections from his country to
the people around him, he will not be able to carry out his assignment
for trying to keep people happy. But if he keeps his affections on the
One who sent him, he will keep his authority intact, do a greater
service for the people he’s sent to, and have a powerful backing from
his homeland.
If our motives are pure and we seek first to
lovingly carry out the will of God, we can rest assured that others will
not be happy with us – it’s that simple. But if our affections shift
to pleasing others for our comfort, then we may very well find ourselves
out of God’s will. As difficult as it is, we have to come to the
understanding that not everyone will like us or say ‘nice’ things about
us. Beyond examining ourselves, living in love and grace, and
apologizing when we’ve erred, perhaps the best thing to do in these
circumstances is to shake off the dust and keep our eyes focused on God.
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me. Then I said, 'Here I am…I have come to
do your will, my God.'" (Ps 40, Heb 10)
Psalm 40 contains this prophecy about Jesus Christ, and although
the prophecy was set in motion at the death of Jesus, it was not
completely fulfilled. Prophecy is often like the opening of a well – it
takes the right circumstances to bring up the water, but once it’s
opened, it continues to flow.
While Jesus death is the opening
of this well and the ultimate subject of the prophecy, we are His Body
on earth, the Church, and the prophecy continues to be fulfilled through
us. God has prepared a Body (the entire church Body) to do His will,
but He has also prepared a body for each of us to individually do His will.
Our purpose is to follow suit and continue to be a participant in this
prophecy, offering ourselves up for the will of God – which is the
reason for our preparation. This does not mean that we’re to be martyred
or die on a cross, but that God has prepared us both physically and
spiritually to do the work He’s set aside in advance for us to do (Eph
2:10), just as He did with Jesus.
To be prepared means to be
equipped, framed, strengthened, taught, made sound, anointed and set
into place for a specific purpose. So if you’re wondering why you’ve
done some spiritual somersaults, been squeezed through some tough
circumstances, had your faith tested, and learned to press through – be
assured that your entire being has been prepared for God’s purposes and
you are equipped to carry out His will in this earth.
Our
perfect response to God's preparation is to say "Here I am, I have come
to do your will. I will follow the example of Jesus Christ and submit
myself: body, soul and spirit!"
Preconceived ideas can be detrimental to many
of life’s circumstances, but they can be toxic to our understanding of
the word of God. While we can appreciate doctrine that has been
instilled in us, it’s our responsibility
to search scripture on a continual basis throughout our lives so that
the Holy Spirit can progressively reveal His truths. How many times
have we thought we had truth only to find out later that our
interpretation had been gained from a scripture taken out of context or
someone else’s preconceived idea which was passed along to us?
This was my experience a few years back, and it dealt with not one
scripture but a great segment of doctrine in the church I attended. I
came to such an extreme point of being uncomfortable about the Jesus
that was being preached that I was compelled to re-search scripture in
its proper context. This meant no scripture stood alone – it could not
be taken out of context one line at a time, but I must read and study
greater segments to understand the circumstances and characters around
each chapter I read. This was a very difficult time for me as I lost
some friendships in this process and became a bit of an outcast in the
circle of people I had known as my church family. But this was the
choice I had to make - accept His truth or accept the the consequences
of turning away from the truth God was revealing. Slowly but surely God
began to reveal where my doctrine was erroneous – and He continues to
do the same for each of us as we humbly, diligently and persistently
take in His word through His Spirit.
When the Sadducees
challenged Jesus knowledge of scripture in order to prove their own
knowledge, he said to them “You are wrong because you know neither the
scriptures nor God's power “(Matt 22:29). God’s word and power go
together - one doesn’t exist without the other if we have real truth.
Inaccurate doctrine doesn’t produce God’s power-filled results, but we
can be so determined to make it come to pass that we’ll push it along in
the flesh to get the results we think it should bring. The truth of
God’s word comes to pass by His power, but God is not under any
obligation to bring about the fulfillment of our interpretation of His
word.
This is why we must remain teachable – and refrain from
being defensive when others bring up concerns about our doctrine. We’re
not to be ‘wishy-washy’ or ‘know it all’, but we’re supposed to be
ready to give a reason for what we believe (1 Pet 3:15). That means we
are to understand why we believe what we believe, give an explanation
that Biblically supports that belief (without stretching it to our
liking), and be willing to investigate and change our beliefs when they
don’t line up entirely with the Word of God. Breaking off wrong
interpretations of the word of God breaks off bondage and brings life.
God’s word is life to our bodies – but wrong doctrine has no power to
bring about God’s promises (Prov. 4:20-22).
If we remain fixed
in doctrine that is ‘somewhat’ correct, even if it sounds and feels
good to the flesh, we can expect that it might ‘somewhat’ have power and
‘somewhat’ come to pass. But if we are those who continually study to
understand and know our God, we will be vessels through which the truth
of His word is continually proven and overflows into the lives of
others.
Waiting for the fulfillment of a promise or prophecy is difficult - but
prompting its fulfillment through our fleshly actions is dangerous.
We can learn how to handle the promises of God by understanding
Sarah's mistake: she anticipated how God might fulfill the promise of a
son then pushed doors open to make it happen. This type of activity
generally doesn’t have good results - perhaps because God is not only
interested in the end result, but He’s interested in the journey itself.
Preparation to handle the end promise often comes on the road to the
fulfillment of that promise.
God promised a son to Abraham and
Sarah, but instead of letting the promise unfold in God’s manner and
timing, Sarah manipulated both her handmaiden and her husband to get
what she wanted. Her desire for a child (especially to take away her
shame of being barren) dominated her desire for God and she tried to
step into God’s shoes in bringing the promise to pass.
The
result of Sarah’s push to bring about God’s promise was that she found
herself living in the same house as the woman with whom her husband had
slept (Hagar) and the woman resented Sarah. Today's blended family
dynamics are often difficult, but living in the same house as the mother
of your step-children might make for a hellish atmosphere. In the end,
Sarah’s plan to obtain a child through her foreign handmaiden backfired
and brought out the worst in her, her husband, Hagar and Ishmael
(Abraham and Hagar’s son). It also made life a bit miserable for Isaac,
Abraham and Sarah’s son, who was later born in God’s manner and timing.
God later called Isaac the son who was “born of the spirit,” and
Ishmael the son who was “born of the flesh” (Gal 4:29). Isaac
represents freedom in God and Ishmael represents the bondage of fleshly
living: manipulating people and circumstances to satisfy the flesh and
its timing. True freedom comes by completely trusting God to fulfill
His words of promise and prophecy, then submitting to His will.
There is no way to 'manipulate' God (especially by manipulating others)
and get God’s desired outcome. If God has given you a promise, wait on
His timing instead of prompting others and pushing doors open to help
fulfill it in your own manner and timing. If we give the promise back
to God and cooperate with Him, He will fulfill it through the Spirit and
sanctify our hearts and minds in the process.
“ Behold, I am
the handmaiden of the Lord [fully submitted to Your Spirit]; let it be
done to me according to what you have said [your way of doing things and
your timing].” Luke 1:38
Jesus seldom applied the same method twice,
even when circumstances looked similar to one another. Concerning the
blind persons who were healed in the Gospels, one was told by Jesus
“Receive your sight,” (Luke 18:35) but
Jesus put mud and spittle on another sightless man’s eyes (John 9:6).
Matthew 15 records that Jesus healed a multitude more of blind persons,
but we are not told what ‘method’ He used for each healing. Perhaps
Jesus approach to prayer and healing, taking each circumstance
individually, is one of the reasons John said that it would take volumes
of books to record all that Jesus did (John 21:25).
Being
creatures of habit can often serve us well, however, we sometimes settle
into common methods of praying, effectively applying the same
‘medicine’ to every situation that needs a salve. Those methods may work
at times, but they are likely not the answer to every situation.
Taking some time to search the heart and mind of God may provide
powerful revelation about which salve to apply and how to apply it, both
physically and spiritually speaking.
What if, instead of
routinely using the standard methods we’ve learned to use, we went
before the throne of heaven and asked for wisdom on how to pray for each
circumstance? What if we didn’t assume there was a demon to bind or a
rebuke to be given, but we waited on God to reveal the root of the
problem then pulled it up as he directed? God is willing to give us
understanding and insight into the precise weapon that’s needed so we
can hit the prayer target with accuracy – but we must be willing to ask
Him and apply His wisdom.
We have been given a powerful
arsenal of weaponry for prayer and ministry – may God help us to choose
the one that hits the healing and deliverance target in His perfect
timing!
"Call to Me, seeking me and my understanding, and I
will answer you and show you great and mighty things which are hidden
from your sight (things you have not distinguished and recognized, nor
do you have knowledge of and understand them). I will reveal things that
you have not seen, and open your understanding to see what I see." (Jer
33:3 paraphrased)
God said "Abraham, get out of your native land!" (Gen 12:1)
– Leave the culture behind that has dictated who you are your entire
life. You are not a product of your culture: God defines who we are and
calls us to His culture and kingdom life. Getting out of the ‘native
land’ is to leave the world’s system of expectations and morals, the
value they place on things, and their cultural norms. We are no longer
of this world; we are in it to be an influence for the glory of God and
the salvation of mankind, but our native land is heaven. Paul said “our
citizenship [rights and privileges as a community member] is in
heaven.” (Php 3:20)
God said "Abraham, leave your kindred!"
-Leave your constant fellowship with unsaved people – they are not
your brothers and sisters, they are the world’s brothers and sisters.
This is not saying that we are to completely cut them off and forsake
witnessing to them, but our kindred are now the people of God. Setting
boundaries with people of the world can be one of the hardest elements
of Christianity, but Jesus said of His own family “For whoever does the
will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and
mother." (Matt 12:50). This is not telling us to dishonor our families,
but to first seek fellowship with people who are kingdom minded.
God said "Abraham, leave your father’s house!"
-Leave the idea that your DNA is earthly. We have been reborn into a
heavenly family with a Heavenly Father. The limitations of our natural
DNA have been lifted off of us and we are enabled to fulfill God's
calling! Further, we cannot truly love and honor our earthly parents
without having God’s heart of love and wisdom, and that is the crux of
His DNA. We are kingdom born children of the Living God, born not of
the flesh, but of the Spirit. John said “As many as received Him, He
gave the power to become the sons of God.” (John 1:3).
God said
“Abraham, do these things – let go of the earth and cling to Me. My
eyes have roamed the earth looking for someone on whom I can place my
blessing, someone who will live life to the fullest through Me, and
someone who will believe my Words” (Gen 12:2-3).
Then Abraham
believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness – conforming
to the will and character of God. And Abraham became a vessel of
blessing to all the people the earth! (Gal. 3:5 paraphrased).
Peace and grace – they’re like twin blessings! Peter tells us how to
obtain a continued and increasing flow of both of them: expand and
intensify your knowledge of God and fellowship with Him. Peter isn’t
telling us to know about God, but to continually become more fully
acquainted with God, intimately depend on Him, and see Him as the source
of everything that pertains to life. (2 Pet 1:1-2)
This hyper
focus on God will bring a flood of peace (exemption from havoc,
prospering of the soul, and the blessed state of security in God) and
grace (God’s holy influence and favor on your heart and in your life,
and great benefits from God).
But these twin blessings won’t
come as a little pat on the back to comfort you, there will be a
multiplication of them and a synergy that only God can bring. This
multiplication of grace and peace will continually flood your being and
astronomically shift your focus to the heart of God. Synergy is an
unexplainable multiplication – when the sum of the parts is far greater
than the effort and elements that are put into it. This supernatural
increase of peace and grace are like fast growing plants that reach to
the sky – they are unstoppable empowerments from the throne room of God.
The key to this synergy is to increasingly make God the
center of your universe. When you sit, when you rise, when you walk and
when you rest – it’s all about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. His
Word is your food and His Spirit is your breath. Criticism, negativity,
circumstances – they cannot block the peace and grace of God – they are
simply opportunities to apply it for His glory!
Are you
willing? He is able! Purposefully put aside every hindrance (thought,
word, deed, distraction) that tries to keep you from obtaining an
increasingly intimate knowledge of God. Make Him your priority, then
dive into His grace and peace!
May grace (God's favor) and
peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual
prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral
conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and
correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2Pe 1:2)
Remember
Gamaliel? He suggested to the Sanhedrin that they shouldn’t persecute
the followers of Jesus (Acts 5). He spoke truth to them so they
wouldn’t find themselves fighting against God as they pridefully protected
their religious mindsets. They were absolutely certain they had the
whole counsel of God within their select group and they immediately
crushed anyone whose opinion slightly differed from theirs.
James 4 says that God opposes those who set themselves above others, but
for those who are humble and teachable He pours out great grace – He
abundantly opens avenues to benefit us! Those avenues may very well be
the counsel and wisdom of people who we consider to be ‘less learned’
than us. In fact, the very things that we pray for over and over, those
things that seem to be vicious cycles in our lives, may be happening
because we have not been open to receiving advice or teaching that will
break the cycle.
Sometimes un-teach-ability can be a wall of
protection. In effect, if we want to protect our image or control the
outcome of circumstances, we won’t be willing to hear ideas that differ
from what we desire. For example, I greatly desired my oldest son to
live nearby us when he landed his first job. It seemed right that I
should ask others to pray and agree with me… but it wasn’t right. And
God had to show me through others that I was praying against His will.
He had other plans for my son and I was unknowingly fighting against the
blessings that God wanted to bring into my son’s life.
Paul
told Timothy to break out of his legalism and receive the freedom and
healing of God by drinking a little wine for medicinal purposes (1 Tim
5:23). Timothy was perhaps resistant to receiving any advice contrary to
what he believed to be the ‘facts’ of Old Testament law. And when the
prophet Elisha told Naaman to wash in the River Jordan, Naaman became
angry and refused – he wanted Elisha to wave his hands over him and
pronounce him healed. Naaman’s humble servants finally convinced him to
take a dip in the Jordan, whereupon he was instantly healed (2 Kings
5).
Teach-ability is rooted in humility and humility is willing
to say “I don’t really have it all, and I am willing to be instructed
by whomever God sends with His wisdom and understanding.” When we
humble ourselves we shut the door on the enemy - he is the father of
pride and exalts himself above the knowledge of God.
However,
being teachable doesn’t require us to be push-overs. It means we are
open to what others say, but at the same time we are not defensive and
protective. A teachable person listens and ponders, allowing the Holy
Spirit to reveal God’s mind and will. If what’s given as advice through
others is meant for us to receive and use, then God will show us. If
it’s not for us, then we can put it on the ‘thanks anyway’ pile and move
on in love and gentleness.
“Give instruction to a wise man
and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in
right standing with God) and he will increase in learning.” (Prov. 9:9)
Paul must have seen that the men in Ephesus were struggling to love
their wives. Perhaps they were treating them more as servants than
wives: we aren’t specifically told. On the other hand, Paul
must have also seen that the Ephesian women were struggling to be
respectful to their husbands - they may have been carrying out their
wifely duties, but it wasn’t always in a respectful manner. So Paul
encouraged each of them in the areas where they were weak: men needed
to learn to love their wives and women needed to learn to respect their
husbands. (Eph 5:22-25)
Some people have taken these
scriptures to mean that women aren’t necessarily supposed to love their
husbands, but it’s required that they show respect. However, this is
not in alignment with scripture. A close look at Titus 2 reveals a
command for older women to teach younger women to love their husbands –
which Paul calls ‘sound doctrine.’ This love is a fondness and
affection for one’s spouse, according to Strong’s Concordance.
While we may not always understand how to love in the way God loves, we
can learn it! We can watch those who have progressed in the love walk,
and listen to those who open the word and teach us how to love, and
follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in loving our spouses well!
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound
doctrine…that older women likewise… be reverent in behavior…teachers of
good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands
[with fondness and affection] and to love their children [with maternal
care and tenderness]…” (Titus 2:1-4 AMP with added definitions).
Perspective is defined as personal outlook,
point of view, take on a situation, or interpretation of something.
(Dictionary.com)
Our perspective on things is what sets our attitude. If we believe something, our perspective flows
out of that belief and our responses follow it. But personal
perspective is not necessarily Truth nor is it necessary valid – even
though an individual will generally see his or her perspective as an
absolutely correct, as though there could be no possible way of viewing
something differently (Isaiah 6:9).
Sometimes we allow our past
experiences, self-protectiveness, emotions or desire to skew our
perspective, and we veer off of Biblical thinking and reasoning. Being
skewed towards one side of an argument or situation means that we focus
on one piece of it that seems the most important to us – but God is able
to reveal Truth and get us re-focused on His divine and all
encompassing view of circumstances and events.
Isaiah 11 tells
us that Jesus’ perspective was God driven – and the Holy Spirit inspired
His thought life as He lived and walked in the natural realm. Jesus
wasn’t governed by what He saw or heard, by His past experiences, or
fear of death, and neither should we be - God calls this ‘unrighteous’
decision making. (Isaiah 11:2-3)
There are a multitude of
atrocities and violent acts going on around the world at this time. We
must be people whose perspective is inspired by the Holy Spirit - not by
the world’s actions and reactions or our past experiences - if we are
to stay focused on God and allow Him to inspire our prayers and works.
Today, I pray for each of us to have supernatural perspective - and
the resulting prayers and actions that follow it. May God help us not
to add fuel to a hellish fire, but to burn bright with the love and the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit!
I realize this may be an offensive picture to
some, and it may be a 'funny' picture to others. To me, it's
representative of an attitude that has 'surpassed' Godliness and become
it's own god in trying to right the wrongs of our nation.
There is a definite line that's been crossed in the Christian community
- that of being respectful and fighting for righteousness versus being
disrespectful and unGodly. This image was posted on the Facebook wall of
a Christian - the white wash was added before posting to this message.
Do we have to wonder why our children are disrespectful when parents
put this kind of message out for our kids and the world to see? This
does not breed educated, thinking adults; it breeds contempt and
ignorance.
If we are fighting for righteousness, it cannot be
established with an unrighteous attitude. If our goal is to bring
Godliness into our nation, name calling and degrading is not the way to
do it. Stick with the issues.
I am not a defender of the wrongs
and unGodliness being done in our country, but know that being an honor
student doesn't bring about righteousness and the ability to run a
country as a nation under God. In fact, many of our past and current leaders graduated from law school with honors - including our current president.
We are not fighting people, but principalities who
use people. Let us not become used of the principalities, but let us be
those who stand for righteousness and operate at the highest standards
of respect and wisdom.
Hindrances can be very subtle. They sometimes start out as a good thing
but are turned, ever so slightly, in the wrong direction. As an
example, consider Eve (Gen 3:6). She ate of the tree not only because
the fruit looked delicious, but because she desired to be wise. Her
thinking and decision making process was swayed by her desire for wisdom
– a desire that should have made her seek out God as the source of
wisdom rather than look outside of Him. That desire became a hindrance
to her.
Other words for hindrance are obstacle, impediment,
nuisance, constraint and encumbrance. Encumbrance is a banking term
used to mean a mortgage or debt, and the Bible tells us that whom we are
indebted to is our master (Matt. 6:24). In this instance, we are
speaking about ‘what’ or ‘who’ has become our master because we have
allowed it to take our attention and affection away from God, weighing
us down in the same way a large debt can weigh us down.
As Paul
indicated in Hebrews 12, we are to throw off every hindrance that slows
us down or distracts us from putting God first in our lives. If we
could put an image to this it might be the picture of Elijah, who tucked
his long garment under his belt before he ran to Jezreel (1 kings 18).
His garment would have tripped him up and slowed him down - leaving him
bruised, out of sync with God’s timing, and frustrated - so he removed
it from around his legs.
It’s our job to ‘throw off’ the weight
of the hindrance – others cannot do it for us. We are responsible to
recognize the weight through the help of the Holy Spirit and get rid of
it. That weight may have subtly crept up on us in the form of lack of
sleep, too much television, over eating, attitudes, Godly desires that
have turned to fleshly desires (ie: Eve’s wisdom), or hyper focus on
problems instead of God. Those things that take our affection and
attention off of God are the hindrances that God wants us to remove –
and then RUN the race at Godspeed!
“Let us strip off and throw
aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so
readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run
with patient endurance and … active persistence the appointed course of
the race that is set before us, looking away from distractions and
toward Jesus…” (Heb 12:2-3 AMP paraphrased)
Our physical actions spiritually influence the
world around us, but on the other hand, the way we physical behave is
often the result of spiritual influences.
In effect, our actions either agree with
(and increase) the spiritual realm of God, or agree with (and increase)
the spiritual realm of satan – it’s that simple. We live in physical
bodies which have the immense ability to both influence, and be
influenced, spiritually.
Why are we told to lift holy hands in
prayer (1 Tim2:8) or physically bow down and worship (Ps 95:6)? Why did
God direct the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute and name his
children “not pitied” and “you are not my children?” (Hosea 1) The
answer to all of these is that these physical bodies are avenues to
establish and carry out the spiritual kingdom of God on earth.
I can see, in my own life, where I’ve missed the mark in this physical
life. That’s not to say that I’m living under some type of law and
keeping track of every right and wrong, but I’ve lost opportunities to
be a spiritual influence by the way I’ve acted out my physical life.
The way I care for my body, my posture toward others, being willing to
physically move at God's prompting; these are things which bring
spiritual influence to the world around me.
We are holy
highways on which the desires of God are constantly brought to earth and
dispersed at His will, and our physical actions can open that highway
to spiritually impact the world around us. The physical acts of
weddings, presidential inaugurations, baptisms –these are common acts
whose spiritual influence is far greater than the words spoken at these
events. But so are the physical actions of each of us as prompted by
the Holy Spirit.
What happened when Jesus gave His physical body as an example of complete surrender to God’s will?
What if God prompts you to dance like David?
What if your next breakthrough is simply a physical motion away?
What if our physical bodies were simply another avenue for God to establish His kingdom on this earth?
“You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your body and all of its physical strength" (Deut 6:5
paraphrased).
We are seated with Christ in heavenly realms
(Eph 2:6), having entrance to the throne room of God. This is how our
days of heaven are manifested on earth – we are deeply connected to our
Source and consequently live the life of Christ on earth. Being seated
with Christ is being unified with Him in thought and purpose: we “live
by heaven’s standards and are motivated by heaven’s impulses” (Baker’s
NT Commentary).
When we were ‘saved’ and accepted Christ as our
Savior it was much more than a washing of sins and reserving of our spot
in heaven – those were the blessed beginnings. When the curtain to the
temple was torn in two, at the death of Jesus, we were given complete
access to the Holy of Holies (the throne room of heaven and the presence
of God), and opportunity to daily commune with the God of the Universe.
By the Holy Spirit we enter the Holy of Holies where we sit at His
feet and hear His voice, understand His wisdom and receive His love
(Heb. 6, 10, Is. 6). Our job is to apply that wisdom and love in the
earthly realms in God’s timing and manner.
Going into the Holy
of Holies with God gives us opportunity to seek Him for each individual
decision and circumstance in our lives. No two circumstances are the
same and we need God’s insight for each one - we are not people of
method and law as it relates to living for Him, applying the same answer
to every concern.
As we commune with God, He helps us avoid
picking up the wrong weapon for the battle or even fighting a battle
that isn’t ours to fight. As we purposely sit at His feet, God reveals
motives, hurts and roots behind both our own and other people’s conduct.
He knows the core of each problem and the target that needs to be hit
through prayer or other action: here is the place to wait on Him and
receive His answers.
We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who
became the final living sacrifice and gave His blood that we would have
access to the throne room of heaven. Therefore, we can have confidence
that God is waiting for us to commune with Him and we enter in to His
presence not solely for the purpose of receiving answers and wisdom, but
for fellowship with Him, the Blessing above all blessings. Here is
where God lavishes His love on us and frees us of the fear and turmoil
of the world (Heb 4:14-16 paraphrased).
Afraid to be Me
Our individuality is a
gift from God: we are each uniquely formed and prepared for a specific
work that is assigned to us (Eph 4:11, Jer 1:5). And though we're each
cut form a different mold and individually crafted by the Master Sculptor, we fit together in the Body of Christ like pieces of a puzzle.
As we become the sanctified individuals God has intended us to be, we
learn how to love and serve in the unique way that God has created us to
love others and serve Him. But if we allow ourselves to be conformed
to other’s norms, we may wind up walking in disobedience to God – never
fulfilling His purposes through us for His glory.
This is not
to say that any one of us should put his own interests above unity in
the Body of Christ, but that each one should allow the Holy Spirit
freedom to develop him into the person God has called him to be –
thereby becoming free to be a fully functioning member of the Body.
Developing self is not selfishness toward the Body of Christ - if each
person is a seeker of God individually and allows himself to be
transformed to God’s design for him, he will fit into the Body
perfectly.
Sadly, many of us have not become the unique
individuals God has intended us to be – and perhaps this is part of the
reason we don’t see God’s power and creativity abounding in the world
today. We feel pressured to conform – causing us to use our God given
creativity within “acceptable” boundaries which bring comfort to men’s
flesh. We must dress a certain way to fit in, behave a certain way to
be accepted, and speak with a certain lingo to communicate with the
group. This can cause us to love through the lense of other’s
expectations of us and live in fear of being rejected. This is not
mature love – perfect love casts out fear.
We miss out
considerably when we exclude people because they aren’t ‘like us.’ John
the Baptist was quite different than his contemporaries….but his
personality was necessary for the work God called him to. What
individual ‘quirks’ do you have that may be the avenue to bring God’s
power and love to others?
Being a unique individual is not
an excuse to be rude or selfish, or keep us from being an integral part
of His Body - that would be negating the purpose of individuality.
Becoming a fully mature, unique, child of God is becoming who God has
created us to be in Him so that we can love and be a witness as no other
person can be. This is not because we are better or greater, but
because we are created to minister His love through our own unique,
sanctified personalities.
Perhaps it's time to break out of the
mold that has kept you stifled and held the love of God captive inside
of you. You're not just another brick in the wall - you're a living,
breathing, life giving, master crafted, unique individual - perfectly
formed for His glory!
