"For God’s purpose through Jesus Christ is to deify the nature of men..."
I read this in a John G. Lake book that my wonderful Aunt and Uncle let me borrow. :) I thought the language was pretty striking -- not only here, but throughout much of the book. It got me thinking, is this true? Why is it true?
The Trinity spoke words of love and said, "Let Us make man in our own image" (Genesis 1:26). Adam and Eve were in the element of God, yet they forgot who they were and then blew it.
So also it has been written: "The first man Adam became into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving spirit." ~1 Corinthians 15:45
Jesus made up for what Adam lost. He overcompensated for it! He inhabits those who love Him and pull them up to an otherwise unapproachable God. God chose to make Himself available. He chose to open us up to His love.
Yes, one of God's purposes has been to "deify the nature of men" (in my opinion, at least). But the fruit of this truth does not lead us to self; it leads us to God! He's been so merciful. He's been so good. He's called us to this elevated life, not because of anything we've done, but because of His faithfulness (Romans 9:12).
Having ourselves been redeemed in nature means we can fellowship with God. It's all about Him, and He's all about us. Hopefully we're all about Him in response! Sometimes with great revelation comes the need for great thankfulness. We'll see. It's been an interesting and electrifiying book so far.
Showing posts with label Spirit of Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirit of Love. Show all posts
Monday, February 29, 2016
Friday, April 3, 2015
What It Means To Be Long-suffering
"He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:3-5
Jesus was long-suffering. He moved and lived and walked among the lost, and He felt their pain--He was acquainted with their pain! He felt the Father's heart towards the lost--He understood their hopelessness as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus groaned under the intensity of His love for creation, His longing for all of them to see redemption. In many way, it was a burden for Him.
"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
We need to realize that there is a spiritual need to "suffereth long". That's what Jesus does, and that's what love does. We need to hurt for the hurting, die for the dying, and feel for the unfeeling. We need to long for the salvation of others. We need to bear their burdens--and be burdened by their problems. This long-suffering is what fulfills the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."
So to continue on in this kind of love, we need to patiently endure. Endure in what? Endure in hope. Endure in Jesus, who is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) We need to bear within us the only hope of the lost. We need to carry within us the long--suffering of Christ for others. We need to carry within us the unstifled passion of the Holy Spirit.
Are we bearing all things? Believing all things? Hoping all things? Enduring all things? If the answer to such questions is 'yes', then we have entered into a godly idealism. If yes, then we are fulfilling the law of Christ. And it will be painful! It can and will be painful to hope for others and believe for others what they cannot yet believe for themselves.
To see someone, and know they need Jesus, and to hope and pray and believe that they will find Him, that's long-suffering. We continue groaning on their behalf--we patiently endure their pain. We hope for their salvation; we hope for their redemption. We long to see just one come to know Him, to see just one come to see Him for who He really is. This is what ministry is all about--what life is all about! This is what it means to be love.
"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"
Romans 8:19-25
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:3-5
Jesus was long-suffering. He moved and lived and walked among the lost, and He felt their pain--He was acquainted with their pain! He felt the Father's heart towards the lost--He understood their hopelessness as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus groaned under the intensity of His love for creation, His longing for all of them to see redemption. In many way, it was a burden for Him.
"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
We need to realize that there is a spiritual need to "suffereth long". That's what Jesus does, and that's what love does. We need to hurt for the hurting, die for the dying, and feel for the unfeeling. We need to long for the salvation of others. We need to bear their burdens--and be burdened by their problems. This long-suffering is what fulfills the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."
So to continue on in this kind of love, we need to patiently endure. Endure in what? Endure in hope. Endure in Jesus, who is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) We need to bear within us the only hope of the lost. We need to carry within us the long--suffering of Christ for others. We need to carry within us the unstifled passion of the Holy Spirit.
Are we bearing all things? Believing all things? Hoping all things? Enduring all things? If the answer to such questions is 'yes', then we have entered into a godly idealism. If yes, then we are fulfilling the law of Christ. And it will be painful! It can and will be painful to hope for others and believe for others what they cannot yet believe for themselves.
To see someone, and know they need Jesus, and to hope and pray and believe that they will find Him, that's long-suffering. We continue groaning on their behalf--we patiently endure their pain. We hope for their salvation; we hope for their redemption. We long to see just one come to know Him, to see just one come to see Him for who He really is. This is what ministry is all about--what life is all about! This is what it means to be love.
"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"
Romans 8:19-25
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Snapshot: Spiritual Communion
I remember once the Lord showed me a vision where He was breaking bread. He was breaking the bread, and He told me--He told me to eat His flesh.
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
John 6:53-57
This is what happens during communion, when we get together as a church or alone and eat in remembrance of the Lord. And it also happens when we commune with Him spiritually. That's when we are nourished. That's when the Father gives us our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). Jesus mediates this, and in the vision He gave, the Lord Jesus tore that loaf right open.
After this experience, I was instructed to get to the online Hebrew/Greek lexicon. I find God likes to confirm Himself that way. And I felt Him tell me to plug in the number 1234, into Hebrew. So I did.
Strong's 1234- baqa
--to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear
Wow! That's communion. That's when God through His Son rightly divides the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). He comes along with the Spirit of love and the Spirit of revelation (Ephesians 1:17). He divides the fresh bread of the Word for us, so that we can then do it for others! He gives us nourishment that leaves us empowered, not ashamed.
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19
Let's break bread with Him before we break it with anyone else. Let's come to Him. Those who seek Him find Him. Let's feast on His holiness. Let's come to Him and never hunger again!
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
John 6:53-57
This is what happens during communion, when we get together as a church or alone and eat in remembrance of the Lord. And it also happens when we commune with Him spiritually. That's when we are nourished. That's when the Father gives us our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). Jesus mediates this, and in the vision He gave, the Lord Jesus tore that loaf right open.
After this experience, I was instructed to get to the online Hebrew/Greek lexicon. I find God likes to confirm Himself that way. And I felt Him tell me to plug in the number 1234, into Hebrew. So I did.
Strong's 1234- baqa
--to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear
Wow! That's communion. That's when God through His Son rightly divides the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). He comes along with the Spirit of love and the Spirit of revelation (Ephesians 1:17). He divides the fresh bread of the Word for us, so that we can then do it for others! He gives us nourishment that leaves us empowered, not ashamed.
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19
Let's break bread with Him before we break it with anyone else. Let's come to Him. Those who seek Him find Him. Let's feast on His holiness. Let's come to Him and never hunger again!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Double Grace and Beyond the Law
For some time now, I've been seeing the number 55 so often--and I'm not talking about speed limit signs! No, it's mostly been coming up in a time on the clock or in verse numbers in the Word. 55's even been coming up through TV shows and phone numbers. I've been seeing it pretty regularly. So I really felt the Lord was unearthing something. But what does this all mean?
In Christian symbolism, 55 is associated with "double grace". Praise God! And that's what it's been recently--His grace has been a major encouragement. Grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy--that's what the Lord gives us. The mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and the grace allows us to get through the day and persevere.
Now, God gives grace to all without finding fault (James 1:5). Praise God! But I feel like grace is not rightly conceptualized by much of the American Church today. Grace is for gifting, not for sinning. Let me elaborate--we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and it is indeed grace that allows us to be redeemed from sin. But more than that, grace is also meant to allow holy gifts to rest in impure vessels. Grace is meant to have the gifting rest in us!
"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
Great power calls for great grace! Otherwise, the Lord's power would be too much for us to contain. We have His treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), and grace is what allows us to experience the gifts nonetheless. We need the grace to accommodate the gifting. We need God's grace to operate in power while staying in purity. (For more on purity and power, see this post.)
If we have double grace, good! That means we'll need it to attain to the gift of God. There must be a big gifting, a big mission, and a big mandate ahead of us. We have all been called to mighty things, and between us and that attainment, there is a reservoir of grace awaiting our use. And there is some distance between where we are now, and the fullest extent of what God wants us attaining! We have some catching up to do. The gift needs to be fanned into flames (2 Timothy 1:6), and our character has to be brought up to a higher standard, also.
And we also have this grace to allow us to fulfill the law. It's not easy to fulfill the law! It takes grace. It takes grace and God's goodness that leads us to repentance. Now in the Old Testament, the Israelites had all those things. But they didn't have within them He who is greater than the sin of the world (1 John 4:4).
But Jesus came so that we could fulfill. With the Holy Spirit, we can do more than fulfill the law--we can transcend it. In a sense, we are above it. Keep in mind that we do follow the law--that's important. But now, we have a list of "do's", not a list of "do nots". Now we can live out the law in an expression of love--a new commandment. We can embrace the Spirit of the law, not just the letter. We can have the law of liberty written into our spirits (James 1:25), and we can receive a double portion of grace in getting there. Hallelujah!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
In Christian symbolism, 55 is associated with "double grace". Praise God! And that's what it's been recently--His grace has been a major encouragement. Grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy--that's what the Lord gives us. The mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and the grace allows us to get through the day and persevere.
Now, God gives grace to all without finding fault (James 1:5). Praise God! But I feel like grace is not rightly conceptualized by much of the American Church today. Grace is for gifting, not for sinning. Let me elaborate--we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and it is indeed grace that allows us to be redeemed from sin. But more than that, grace is also meant to allow holy gifts to rest in impure vessels. Grace is meant to have the gifting rest in us!
"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
Great power calls for great grace! Otherwise, the Lord's power would be too much for us to contain. We have His treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), and grace is what allows us to experience the gifts nonetheless. We need the grace to accommodate the gifting. We need God's grace to operate in power while staying in purity. (For more on purity and power, see this post.)
If we have double grace, good! That means we'll need it to attain to the gift of God. There must be a big gifting, a big mission, and a big mandate ahead of us. We have all been called to mighty things, and between us and that attainment, there is a reservoir of grace awaiting our use. And there is some distance between where we are now, and the fullest extent of what God wants us attaining! We have some catching up to do. The gift needs to be fanned into flames (2 Timothy 1:6), and our character has to be brought up to a higher standard, also.
And we also have this grace to allow us to fulfill the law. It's not easy to fulfill the law! It takes grace. It takes grace and God's goodness that leads us to repentance. Now in the Old Testament, the Israelites had all those things. But they didn't have within them He who is greater than the sin of the world (1 John 4:4).
But Jesus came so that we could fulfill. With the Holy Spirit, we can do more than fulfill the law--we can transcend it. In a sense, we are above it. Keep in mind that we do follow the law--that's important. But now, we have a list of "do's", not a list of "do nots". Now we can live out the law in an expression of love--a new commandment. We can embrace the Spirit of the law, not just the letter. We can have the law of liberty written into our spirits (James 1:25), and we can receive a double portion of grace in getting there. Hallelujah!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Uriel, God is My Light
"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous." Psalm 112:4
"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6
As followers of Jesus, we share in His light and His life. We should have our lives modeled after Him. We should in our lives display the light of the world. People should look right through us and see Jesus in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)--the light that saves the world.
"Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation..." Psalm 27:1
God is our light and our salvation. And we are the light and the salvation of those who do not yet believe. Until one comes to know God, the best thing they could have is you and I. People should look at us and see love. They should look in us and see something otherworldly. They should recognize us by good fruit. And what is this fruit? That we love one another.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
Do we have Love? It's possible to not have it. If we don't have God, we won't have Love. If we know Him and belong to Him, then we will have His Love. If we have His Love, then others will know it. This is how we are supposed to be recognized!
God's Love is also His light. Heaven is full of God; it is also full of light (Revelation 22:5). And we can be full of His light too! We can be built up from the inside out and shine brighter and brighter and brighter. We need to realize that the light within us is greater than the darkness in the world (1 John 4:4). We need to go from Glory to Glory--to let Him be our light and clothe us with His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We need to let His light shine on our faces and even change our countenance. This is how we should minister. This is how we should shine out into the world.
Confirmed: Last Friday we were doing street ministry, and we stopped in at a Christian bookstore. There was a biblical name book on sale, and we 'happened' to open it up to the name Uriel: Hebrew- "God is my light". We all thought that was a fitting message for our street ministry. We felt God was looking down and approving us--approving that we were ministering His light.
Later the next day, I oversaw a story on the news about a boy named Uriel. I do not know the last time that I heard this name...God is so good with His confirmations.
Confirmed: I was reading an excerpt on the Elijah List about Bob Jones. It was all about God's light, His glory, and the importance of shining for Him in ministry. It expanded on being the light of the world. Bob also had a unique revelation on the presence of God's glory on this earth, which is worth a read if you have the time. Below is a segment of this article; I bolded parts for emphasis.
Back in the early 70's wherever you walked, people would see you shining. I'm talking about those that were unsaved. They would see you shining. Sometimes they would just want to draw up close to you because they would say, "I've been so depressed. Can I sort of stand by you because when I stand by you I'm not depressed anymore? I don't know what it is but whatever you got I need."
Evangelism was that easy. It's God's glory! I don't see how you could do really good power evangelism without God's glory. And every one of these things is first and foremost in the name of the Son as He came to glorify the Father. So in the name of Jesus as we begin to move in these latter times we will see some of the greatest signs and wonders you ever seen. It's to glorify the Father.
So be excited in these times and get aboard the glory train. For that's the invitation of this. Get aboard that glory train and let's ride with Him in His glory as we glorify the Father. So in Jesus name these things I spoke, let it enter into your conscience, your spirit man to where you shine; an inner shining and inner glory that will shine in the darkest night that will never let darkness come in.
For you see; when light shines, darkness hides and you're the shining light. And this is what He's saying, "Shine! That's your glory! Don't put a bushel over your glory, but let your glory so shine so that man may see the glory and come to the knowledge and to salvation." In Jesus name. Amen.
"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday." Psalm 37:5-6
As followers of Jesus, we share in His light and His life. We should have our lives modeled after Him. We should in our lives display the light of the world. People should look right through us and see Jesus in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)--the light that saves the world.
"Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation..." Psalm 27:1
God is our light and our salvation. And we are the light and the salvation of those who do not yet believe. Until one comes to know God, the best thing they could have is you and I. People should look at us and see love. They should look in us and see something otherworldly. They should recognize us by good fruit. And what is this fruit? That we love one another.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
Do we have Love? It's possible to not have it. If we don't have God, we won't have Love. If we know Him and belong to Him, then we will have His Love. If we have His Love, then others will know it. This is how we are supposed to be recognized!
God's Love is also His light. Heaven is full of God; it is also full of light (Revelation 22:5). And we can be full of His light too! We can be built up from the inside out and shine brighter and brighter and brighter. We need to realize that the light within us is greater than the darkness in the world (1 John 4:4). We need to go from Glory to Glory--to let Him be our light and clothe us with His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We need to let His light shine on our faces and even change our countenance. This is how we should minister. This is how we should shine out into the world.
Confirmed: Last Friday we were doing street ministry, and we stopped in at a Christian bookstore. There was a biblical name book on sale, and we 'happened' to open it up to the name Uriel: Hebrew- "God is my light". We all thought that was a fitting message for our street ministry. We felt God was looking down and approving us--approving that we were ministering His light.
Later the next day, I oversaw a story on the news about a boy named Uriel. I do not know the last time that I heard this name...God is so good with His confirmations.
Confirmed: I was reading an excerpt on the Elijah List about Bob Jones. It was all about God's light, His glory, and the importance of shining for Him in ministry. It expanded on being the light of the world. Bob also had a unique revelation on the presence of God's glory on this earth, which is worth a read if you have the time. Below is a segment of this article; I bolded parts for emphasis.
Back in the early 70's wherever you walked, people would see you shining. I'm talking about those that were unsaved. They would see you shining. Sometimes they would just want to draw up close to you because they would say, "I've been so depressed. Can I sort of stand by you because when I stand by you I'm not depressed anymore? I don't know what it is but whatever you got I need."
Evangelism was that easy. It's God's glory! I don't see how you could do really good power evangelism without God's glory. And every one of these things is first and foremost in the name of the Son as He came to glorify the Father. So in the name of Jesus as we begin to move in these latter times we will see some of the greatest signs and wonders you ever seen. It's to glorify the Father.
So be excited in these times and get aboard the glory train. For that's the invitation of this. Get aboard that glory train and let's ride with Him in His glory as we glorify the Father. So in Jesus name these things I spoke, let it enter into your conscience, your spirit man to where you shine; an inner shining and inner glory that will shine in the darkest night that will never let darkness come in.
For you see; when light shines, darkness hides and you're the shining light. And this is what He's saying, "Shine! That's your glory! Don't put a bushel over your glory, but let your glory so shine so that man may see the glory and come to the knowledge and to salvation." In Jesus name. Amen.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Living in Intercession
Like I said in the last blog, compassion will lead us to be emotional. Compassion ought to move us to tears. Do you want people to know that you are constantly being filled with Love? Then act accordingly and yield yourself to God's emotions. And God's emotions may just require some tears! Let's be like our Savior and not be afraid of crying.
If we come to feel what God feels, then we can walk in a place of almost constant intercession. To use a KJB term, we can be "longsuffering" (see this link for more info) on behalf of others as God shows us His heart for them. We can bear the burdens of others as the Spirit leads. Glory to God! If we have softened hearts, then God can and will take us to His watchtower (Habakkuk 2:1) and subject us to His emotions.
"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies." Romans 8:23
If we are walking in the Spirit we will be subjected and transformed by His character. We will feel a deep groaning as we are called to carry out our salvation, and the groaning of His Spirit will only get stronger as we do the Lord's work on behalf of others. Feeling God's heart towards His creation is the peak of intercession. There's something wrong if you can't cry about that.
"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:22
We see this kind of intercession in all of the Old Testament prophets. They cried out on behalf of Israel, God's chosen. They cried out for forgiveness for the sins of their nation--sins they themselves had already been separated from. They bore the burdens of others. They loved because He loved them first. They were grieved about the sins of their nation because He was grieved first. These prophets were taught by God to live in intercession.
"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD on me." Ezekiel 3:14
Sometimes the Spirit leads you to a hard place. Sometimes exposure to God's feelings is hard to bear. Let's commit to Him regardless. Let's submit to His will. Ezekiel saw God's heart towards the idolatry that was happening in Israel in that time. And it didn't bring joy! It didn't bring upliftment! It took the STRENGTH of God's hand to steer Ezekiel into such a thankless call to intercede.
But Love endures all things. God will not give us more than we can handle, and He will not expose us to more sorrow than we can bear. God's love makes life worth living, and it makes things worth doing. If we are taken captive by the Holy Ghost then we can be restful even in the hardest of situations. We can be living to intercede for anyone who God's Spirit lays on our hearts.
"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25
This is what Jesus does for us. Is it too much that we should pray in the same way for others? Jesus LIVES to intercede. Can we be prompted by the same Holy Spirit to do the same thing? Let's obey the Word and pray for others (see Ephesians 6:18). But it starts with Love. It starts with taking up another's burden and being moved with compassion.
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40
When we see someone in the grocery store, we should see Jesus in them. And we should love the thought of Jesus being in them. We should look at them and say, "look at that precious person". We should be consumed with, and then moved by, His passion stirring up within us. Then we should have faith that God will specifically instruct us on how to best pray for them, talk to them, or minister to them. After all, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through Love (Galatians 5:6).
If we are not living this way and having this Love for others, we are not being fully captivated by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will give us more and more love for the rest of God's creation. We will see what groaning talked about in Romans 8 really means. Yielding to His Love is critical! I think that's why Jesus uses our treatment of others as a means of judgement in Matthew 25. All those who God calls are given the Holy Spirit. But if we do not yield to this beautiful gift living inside us, what final reward can we expect from our Lord?
The reality is that few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). Few are willing to say, "Yes!" to any leading of the Holy Spirit, but these are the ones who will pass the test. These are the ones who are judged worthy of the gift that many more have received. This may all sound pretty stern, and I think it is, too. But the good news is that it's not too late! It's not too late to change! Let's surrender! We have already received EVERY spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)! We already have access to the Kingdom.
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21
This is the truth. Will we stand firm? Love, strength, joy, peace and resurrection power are already within us. Let's allow them to shine through. Let's not stifle the Spirit. Instead, let's commit to being a light on a hill. It all begins with humility and an overflow of God's Love. This Love is divine, it is perfect, and it goes completely against the matrix set up by this world. Let's become filled up with His Glory. Let's become anointed to show others the character of Jesus. Let's live to be used by Him.
A Time for Weeping
In our culture today, crying is often looked down upon. I've been thinking about this recently. Is this view biblical? Tearing up is considered a sign of weakness by many people, men in particular. Crying is viewed as too emotional, too feminine, and too vulnerable for most men. Men are supposed to be unfeeling and tough, right? Being "soft" has become a derogatory term for emotional actions. Men shouldn't be soft! This is the view of the world that we live in today, in America, at least. And it's in direct opposition with the Word of God.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Isaiah 36:26
So when we were first saved, we received the Holy Spirit. We also received a soft heart that allowed us to yield ourselves to Him! This is a wonderful thing! Lord, please keep our hearts soft. Lord, please save us from ourselves. Keep us focused on you, because you are our ONLY hope!
Back to the subject of crying. Speaking from my own personal experience, the closer I get to God, the more easily I cry. Nowadays, it only takes watching a nice movie for my eyes to tear up. And if I see people oppressed and stuck in their suffering, sometimes it's hard not to cry. I probably cry every day at this point in my walk with the Lord, especially in worship. Praise Jesus for keeping our hearts soft.
The reverse is also true. When I've become distracted off of thoughts of God and His Love, I don't cry very much at all. I don't have as much of a range of emotion. I become hard and unfeeling. People don't bring me great joy, nor do they bring me much sadness. I am too obsessed with myself to care much about others, and I don't even value my own life enough to be emotional about it.
So for me, I'm in a terrible place if I can't cry. If God is abiding in my heart and keeping it softened, I will cry to Him. I will shout to Him. I will sing to Him (where nobody can hear me, of course). And I will worship Him while going through the full range of human emotion. This is biblical--Jesus came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). The fullness of our emotions is seen when they are being used to glorify God.
"Jesus wept." John 11:35
This is biblical. This is God's perfect Way. Jesus was the perfect man, and He cried all the time. See, if we are filled with Love, anything that opposes Love will hurt us. It will cause us to feel sorrowful. It will often cause us to cry. If we are walking with God, full of the Spirit, we can live in His Love. We can be an empty vessel for His emotion. If we allow Him to keep our hearts soft, we will become moved with compassion just like Jesus was.
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." Matthew 14:14
Compassion will lead us to be emotional. Compassion ought to move us to tears. Do you want people to know that you are constantly being filled with Love? Then act accordingly and yield yourself to God's emotions. Romans 12:15 tells us to weep with those who weep. The Holy Spirit wants to equip us with enough love for all those in need. And if you respond to one, just one, you will find God faithful to cause your Love to overflow to many others, as well. God's emotions may just require some crying to fully express! Let's be like our Savior and show our love through sorrow and tears.
"...Then the man of God began to weep" 2 Kings 8:11
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Isaiah 36:26
So when we were first saved, we received the Holy Spirit. We also received a soft heart that allowed us to yield ourselves to Him! This is a wonderful thing! Lord, please keep our hearts soft. Lord, please save us from ourselves. Keep us focused on you, because you are our ONLY hope!
Back to the subject of crying. Speaking from my own personal experience, the closer I get to God, the more easily I cry. Nowadays, it only takes watching a nice movie for my eyes to tear up. And if I see people oppressed and stuck in their suffering, sometimes it's hard not to cry. I probably cry every day at this point in my walk with the Lord, especially in worship. Praise Jesus for keeping our hearts soft.
The reverse is also true. When I've become distracted off of thoughts of God and His Love, I don't cry very much at all. I don't have as much of a range of emotion. I become hard and unfeeling. People don't bring me great joy, nor do they bring me much sadness. I am too obsessed with myself to care much about others, and I don't even value my own life enough to be emotional about it.
So for me, I'm in a terrible place if I can't cry. If God is abiding in my heart and keeping it softened, I will cry to Him. I will shout to Him. I will sing to Him (where nobody can hear me, of course). And I will worship Him while going through the full range of human emotion. This is biblical--Jesus came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). The fullness of our emotions is seen when they are being used to glorify God.
"Jesus wept." John 11:35
This is biblical. This is God's perfect Way. Jesus was the perfect man, and He cried all the time. See, if we are filled with Love, anything that opposes Love will hurt us. It will cause us to feel sorrowful. It will often cause us to cry. If we are walking with God, full of the Spirit, we can live in His Love. We can be an empty vessel for His emotion. If we allow Him to keep our hearts soft, we will become moved with compassion just like Jesus was.
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." Matthew 14:14
Compassion will lead us to be emotional. Compassion ought to move us to tears. Do you want people to know that you are constantly being filled with Love? Then act accordingly and yield yourself to God's emotions. Romans 12:15 tells us to weep with those who weep. The Holy Spirit wants to equip us with enough love for all those in need. And if you respond to one, just one, you will find God faithful to cause your Love to overflow to many others, as well. God's emotions may just require some crying to fully express! Let's be like our Savior and show our love through sorrow and tears.
"...Then the man of God began to weep" 2 Kings 8:11
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Snapshot: The Promised Land
Yesterday I began reading about the Israelites and their journey to the promised land. Today, I was listening to Christian radio and there was a segment on the topic.
I was directed to think on the topic. What has God promised to me? So many things...He will be with us always, and He is not slow to fulfill what He's spoken. He gives us promises, and our response is to be carried into them. Our response needs to be love. God's demand is simple. He gave us a new commandment, that we love one another. This love, for others but especially for Him, is required if we want to see the Word dwell in us. If we want to be sure of the validity of His promises, then we need to be filled with His love.
We can enter the promised land every moment. Let's remember God, and His mighty power. Let's abide in His Love. Let's act like children of the light and acknowledge that His light is all we need.
God had me realize today that what He requires is enough. Knowing that I can please Him is enough. If I please Him, I have accomplished everything important. If I know He is pleased with me, I can ask Him and believe, I can return to His promises. I can enter into the Promised Land. His requirements become simple as we get to know Him. He doesn't give us only commands; that wouldn't be right. He gives us a desire to walk with Him. Let's do what He's shown us is good, and walk humbly with our God. He can always be trusted to cause us to break through.
I was directed to think on the topic. What has God promised to me? So many things...He will be with us always, and He is not slow to fulfill what He's spoken. He gives us promises, and our response is to be carried into them. Our response needs to be love. God's demand is simple. He gave us a new commandment, that we love one another. This love, for others but especially for Him, is required if we want to see the Word dwell in us. If we want to be sure of the validity of His promises, then we need to be filled with His love.
We can enter the promised land every moment. Let's remember God, and His mighty power. Let's abide in His Love. Let's act like children of the light and acknowledge that His light is all we need.
God had me realize today that what He requires is enough. Knowing that I can please Him is enough. If I please Him, I have accomplished everything important. If I know He is pleased with me, I can ask Him and believe, I can return to His promises. I can enter into the Promised Land. His requirements become simple as we get to know Him. He doesn't give us only commands; that wouldn't be right. He gives us a desire to walk with Him. Let's do what He's shown us is good, and walk humbly with our God. He can always be trusted to cause us to break through.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Snapshot: Do you Have His LOVE??
A few days ago, God gave me a vision that made me better understand His Love. I saw cups filled to overflowing with liquid love, like you would fill up styrofoam cups with slushees or something. These cups grew in number, and were set down and arrayed in an orderly circular pattern.
His Love is everything we require. It's all we need. It's stimulating and quickening. The fullness of His Word is seen in His Love. Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10).
"I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to me..." Psalm 119:102-103
I was led to this scripture yesterday. God Himself is the only One who can give us His Love. Only He is the One who can reveal it. And only He can put in us this same love. He Himself teaches us! The teaching of His Love can and does guide us into all truth.
We need to know that we've learned from Him. We need to know that we've received His Word. We must be sure that His love is abiding in us, whatever we do.
His Love is everything we require. It's all we need. It's stimulating and quickening. The fullness of His Word is seen in His Love. Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10).
"I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to me..." Psalm 119:102-103
I was led to this scripture yesterday. God Himself is the only One who can give us His Love. Only He is the One who can reveal it. And only He can put in us this same love. He Himself teaches us! The teaching of His Love can and does guide us into all truth.
We need to know that we've learned from Him. We need to know that we've received His Word. We must be sure that His love is abiding in us, whatever we do.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Truth Brings Deliverance
The first part of yesterday was rough. I had fallen into doubt, and the truth was being pushed out by lies. We were in Church, and parts of worship were great, but others were not. I intermittently fell in and out of confusion. God often gives me prophetic visions, but during worship, I kept seeing a bunch of visions that just didn't make any sense. These visions were apparently random and did not bring upliftment nor directly point to God. Worship didn't do what it usually does for me--I didn't feel any better afterwards than I did beforehand. I still felt oppressed, and now I was feeling a lot of confusion because I felt like God was not in my mind.
I should also mention that a few days ago, God began speaking to me about deliverance. I sometimes struggle with doubt, and for me, this doubt dilutes and distorts God's voice. This oppression began when God first started to train me to hear from Him accurately, and since then I've struggled through lesson after lesson on the importance of receiving God. I've learned that fear can make us falsely prophetic. Doubt, too, is also a dangerous thing. If unchecked, it can even make me believe that God has refused to bring me to a safe place, salvation. In referring to my own future deliverance, I heard God put it this way: "No more will you hear the voice of the enemy and believe it". That's a promise. His sheep hear His voice, and they follow it.
Anyways, He told me, promised me, that my own deliverance from oppression and doubt would come soon. This was two days prior to Sunday. After the worship section ended, I began pleading with God that He would deliver me, and do so today!
Praise God that if our minds condemn us, even if our hearts condemn us, He knows whose seed we are of (1 John 3:20). I was wrestling with God--or trying to--after worship ended, and He let me. Suddenly I came our of the spiritual attack and my mind felt clear and renewed. He began speaking to me, which I documented in my notebook as well as I could:
"Amidst a sea of doubt and confusion, set your eyes on Me. Set your affection on Me. Set your hope on Me."
He continued into more personal stuff, and the message was clear. I got into trouble because I was not fixated on God! Worship can be a very spiritual thing, and not every spiritual thing is good or worth thinking about. The more the Lord shows me how to worship in His fullness, the more spiritual worship feels and becomes. The deeper God takes me through worship,"in Spirit and in truth", the more boldly I need to focus on Him. It's not enough to just worship in Spirit. It's not entering into the fullness of God if we just worship in truth. The combination of both brings in God's touch.
What God spoke to me after worship was the truth, His truth, and it set me free. I was delivered from all my fears! God is so good. The Word he spoke to me was then confirmed as a lady went up to the front and shared a testimony. She said several things that so validated what God had spoken to me, and my heart was truly set at rest. Below are a few phrases that were so synchronistic to what I'd just received. Most are rephrased because all this was very in the moment.
-Things that aren't truthful can't be figured out.
The visions I received during worship weren't truth. As a result, I just couldn't figure them out! God is a God of order, and the things He gives are meant to help us be set free. Wow...this was a big learning lesson because it applied directly to all those seemingly spiritual, dark or random visions that were oppressing me.
-Jesus is the only answer, and we need to focus on Him
We need to focus on Him. Look at what happened to Peter when he stepped out onto the sea, in faith, but later lost his focus. Just like God told me right after worship! Any other thing besides Him does not give us an answer. Any other thing does not reply with the truth.
-No truth only "leads to confusion"
The wording this lady used was so synchronistic with how God initially answered me. Praise Jesus! Confused is exactly how I felt when I was spiritually attacked. I had many spiritual things blocking out the truth, and I became pretty confused in trying to make sense of them.
The same Holy Spirit that gave me deliverance after worship prompted this lady to share testimony later in the service, and this same Spirit gave her and I similar human words and phrases to conceptualize spiritual truths. The truth set me free, and by His grace God gave me confirmations so that I could continue in the faith.
How does God deliver us? He gives us the Truth. He gives us the revelation. He gives us free gifts, and He accompanies these good things with faith to expand on them. He allows us to go through oppressions so that we can call on Him. We call on Him, and He answers us! He answers us with deliverance. Glory to God! He gives us the truth and saves us from the enemy. He gives us truth and saves us from all our fears.
"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
I should also mention that a few days ago, God began speaking to me about deliverance. I sometimes struggle with doubt, and for me, this doubt dilutes and distorts God's voice. This oppression began when God first started to train me to hear from Him accurately, and since then I've struggled through lesson after lesson on the importance of receiving God. I've learned that fear can make us falsely prophetic. Doubt, too, is also a dangerous thing. If unchecked, it can even make me believe that God has refused to bring me to a safe place, salvation. In referring to my own future deliverance, I heard God put it this way: "No more will you hear the voice of the enemy and believe it". That's a promise. His sheep hear His voice, and they follow it.
Anyways, He told me, promised me, that my own deliverance from oppression and doubt would come soon. This was two days prior to Sunday. After the worship section ended, I began pleading with God that He would deliver me, and do so today!
Praise God that if our minds condemn us, even if our hearts condemn us, He knows whose seed we are of (1 John 3:20). I was wrestling with God--or trying to--after worship ended, and He let me. Suddenly I came our of the spiritual attack and my mind felt clear and renewed. He began speaking to me, which I documented in my notebook as well as I could:
"Amidst a sea of doubt and confusion, set your eyes on Me. Set your affection on Me. Set your hope on Me."
He continued into more personal stuff, and the message was clear. I got into trouble because I was not fixated on God! Worship can be a very spiritual thing, and not every spiritual thing is good or worth thinking about. The more the Lord shows me how to worship in His fullness, the more spiritual worship feels and becomes. The deeper God takes me through worship,"in Spirit and in truth", the more boldly I need to focus on Him. It's not enough to just worship in Spirit. It's not entering into the fullness of God if we just worship in truth. The combination of both brings in God's touch.
What God spoke to me after worship was the truth, His truth, and it set me free. I was delivered from all my fears! God is so good. The Word he spoke to me was then confirmed as a lady went up to the front and shared a testimony. She said several things that so validated what God had spoken to me, and my heart was truly set at rest. Below are a few phrases that were so synchronistic to what I'd just received. Most are rephrased because all this was very in the moment.
-Things that aren't truthful can't be figured out.
The visions I received during worship weren't truth. As a result, I just couldn't figure them out! God is a God of order, and the things He gives are meant to help us be set free. Wow...this was a big learning lesson because it applied directly to all those seemingly spiritual, dark or random visions that were oppressing me.
-Jesus is the only answer, and we need to focus on Him
We need to focus on Him. Look at what happened to Peter when he stepped out onto the sea, in faith, but later lost his focus. Just like God told me right after worship! Any other thing besides Him does not give us an answer. Any other thing does not reply with the truth.
-No truth only "leads to confusion"
The wording this lady used was so synchronistic with how God initially answered me. Praise Jesus! Confused is exactly how I felt when I was spiritually attacked. I had many spiritual things blocking out the truth, and I became pretty confused in trying to make sense of them.
The same Holy Spirit that gave me deliverance after worship prompted this lady to share testimony later in the service, and this same Spirit gave her and I similar human words and phrases to conceptualize spiritual truths. The truth set me free, and by His grace God gave me confirmations so that I could continue in the faith.
How does God deliver us? He gives us the Truth. He gives us the revelation. He gives us free gifts, and He accompanies these good things with faith to expand on them. He allows us to go through oppressions so that we can call on Him. We call on Him, and He answers us! He answers us with deliverance. Glory to God! He gives us the truth and saves us from the enemy. He gives us truth and saves us from all our fears.
"I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Comfort: The Seesaw among Believers
God wants to comfort us. He does it through many things, the main one being the peace He gives us. He gives us peace and blessed assurance. He gives us a presence from Himself that reassures us.
Often God does try to comfort us, but our fear and sin block Him out. Fear is sin, and sin separates us from God. If we get to a point where we are not feeling God's comfort, praise Him for the extra measures He takes on our behalf.
"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself" 2 Timothy 2:13
How does God demonstrate faithfulness when we are too fearful to receive it? He extends His Hand through others, usually other believers. When one is down, another will rise up. We can comfort eachother and show the fallen one the longing of God. When a group is together and with God, His Spirit is there with Him, and it is the Spirit of Jesus that looks after the sheep and ensures their well-being as a whole. God will always apportion enough belief to protect all.
Two are better than one, and a cord of three is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When working for the Lord, two have a better return for their labors than one alone. When He is there with them, the enemy has a harder time getting a stronghold. This is how believers can comfort eachother. When together, the stronger members can support the weaker ones. God will always raise one up on behalf of another, and the faith of the body can be ensured. He will not disown Jesus's bride; He cannot disown Himself.
Note that each part of the body requires support. We need to humbly accept help, and in doing so, allow God to work through another believer. There are times that the parts that appear more important may be going through a trial or losing faith, and the "lesser" members of His body need to rise up and comfort. Those more prominent within the body of Christ cannot discount those who are not in the limelight. One day these stronger members will no longer have "no need" for supporting members (1 Corinthians 12:23). Everybody has a trial or persecution from which they cannot escape alone, and everyone, at some point, will have to take on the humbling aspects of really, truly needing help. On the contrary, God gives honorable tasks to the humble, and raises up those who were once considered lesser and foolish.
Vanessa and I were taught about our own falls, and God's faithfulness to rise up, from our beginning together. He is the third part of the cord mentioned in Ecclesiastes--actually, He is the entire cord, the entire lifeline, and He has brought us into Himself. So, we learned that between the two of us, God keeps a minimum level of cumulative faith. Whenever one of us is down, the other is always very uplifted and in the Spirit, and vice versa. God allows a downswing in my faith, but keeps me going by raising up my counterpart's. With Him as our lifeline, we can stay equally yoked, as He decides when to shift the burdens to the one who can carry them. It's kind of like a seesaw--if Vanessa is falling, you can be sure that God will equip me with an upswing. He will faithfully give the comforter the right Spirit and the right words to sustain the weary (Isaiah 50:4).
This same pattern can be seen in larger groups, too. There is a cumulative effect of upliftment among believers. When one is down, more than one other becomes raised up by God for the task at hand, which is then the comfort of the one who is oppressed. Even through Satan's oppression, God gets the victory. God allows one of many to wander or stumble, and He then sends in a larger portion of love to the other members present. The enemy's plans backfire on him! The "seesaw effect" where God gives power of encouragement to the comforter is magnified in larger groups. The bigger a group of believers, the more obvious it becomes that God really triumphs over evil.
Let's comfort each other through trials. Let's become filled up, so we can be moved with compassion and bring life to those on the downswing. And when we stumble, we can be sure we won't fall (Psalms 37:24). Instead, we can humble ourselves, confess our doubts, and be healed as God provides upliftment to others, who then demonstrate His love to us. We can bear the burdens of others until we do everything of one accord.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Often God does try to comfort us, but our fear and sin block Him out. Fear is sin, and sin separates us from God. If we get to a point where we are not feeling God's comfort, praise Him for the extra measures He takes on our behalf.
"If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself" 2 Timothy 2:13
How does God demonstrate faithfulness when we are too fearful to receive it? He extends His Hand through others, usually other believers. When one is down, another will rise up. We can comfort eachother and show the fallen one the longing of God. When a group is together and with God, His Spirit is there with Him, and it is the Spirit of Jesus that looks after the sheep and ensures their well-being as a whole. God will always apportion enough belief to protect all.
Two are better than one, and a cord of three is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When working for the Lord, two have a better return for their labors than one alone. When He is there with them, the enemy has a harder time getting a stronghold. This is how believers can comfort eachother. When together, the stronger members can support the weaker ones. God will always raise one up on behalf of another, and the faith of the body can be ensured. He will not disown Jesus's bride; He cannot disown Himself.
Note that each part of the body requires support. We need to humbly accept help, and in doing so, allow God to work through another believer. There are times that the parts that appear more important may be going through a trial or losing faith, and the "lesser" members of His body need to rise up and comfort. Those more prominent within the body of Christ cannot discount those who are not in the limelight. One day these stronger members will no longer have "no need" for supporting members (1 Corinthians 12:23). Everybody has a trial or persecution from which they cannot escape alone, and everyone, at some point, will have to take on the humbling aspects of really, truly needing help. On the contrary, God gives honorable tasks to the humble, and raises up those who were once considered lesser and foolish.
Vanessa and I were taught about our own falls, and God's faithfulness to rise up, from our beginning together. He is the third part of the cord mentioned in Ecclesiastes--actually, He is the entire cord, the entire lifeline, and He has brought us into Himself. So, we learned that between the two of us, God keeps a minimum level of cumulative faith. Whenever one of us is down, the other is always very uplifted and in the Spirit, and vice versa. God allows a downswing in my faith, but keeps me going by raising up my counterpart's. With Him as our lifeline, we can stay equally yoked, as He decides when to shift the burdens to the one who can carry them. It's kind of like a seesaw--if Vanessa is falling, you can be sure that God will equip me with an upswing. He will faithfully give the comforter the right Spirit and the right words to sustain the weary (Isaiah 50:4).
This same pattern can be seen in larger groups, too. There is a cumulative effect of upliftment among believers. When one is down, more than one other becomes raised up by God for the task at hand, which is then the comfort of the one who is oppressed. Even through Satan's oppression, God gets the victory. God allows one of many to wander or stumble, and He then sends in a larger portion of love to the other members present. The enemy's plans backfire on him! The "seesaw effect" where God gives power of encouragement to the comforter is magnified in larger groups. The bigger a group of believers, the more obvious it becomes that God really triumphs over evil.
Let's comfort each other through trials. Let's become filled up, so we can be moved with compassion and bring life to those on the downswing. And when we stumble, we can be sure we won't fall (Psalms 37:24). Instead, we can humble ourselves, confess our doubts, and be healed as God provides upliftment to others, who then demonstrate His love to us. We can bear the burdens of others until we do everything of one accord.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Our calling: Compassion
The past few days I've been reminded by the Lord about my purpose in life. The Holy Spirit brought 3 verses to remembrance:
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8
"Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Matthew 22:37
"And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"Matthew 22:39
And I realized how simple everything really should be. I realized again that no worldly achievements can impress God. This world in its present form is "passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). That makes our purpose much more simple, if we meditate and then act on this perspective.
How did Jesus act? He saw the people and He was moved with compassion. Not just human compassion, but the compassion of God. He responded with powerful demonstrations of His Father's love. He walked humbly with the Father, even though He was God Himself. He came "not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many". Let's commit to focusing on God, and focusing on His heart. Let's love what He loves and hate what He hates.
Confirmed: When talking about different callings in the car today, my eyes were directed to a license plate that said, "CMPSSHN". The timing as perfect. I didn't say it...my calling is to show people God's compassion!
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8
"Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Matthew 22:37
"And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"Matthew 22:39
And I realized how simple everything really should be. I realized again that no worldly achievements can impress God. This world in its present form is "passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). That makes our purpose much more simple, if we meditate and then act on this perspective.
How did Jesus act? He saw the people and He was moved with compassion. Not just human compassion, but the compassion of God. He responded with powerful demonstrations of His Father's love. He walked humbly with the Father, even though He was God Himself. He came "not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many". Let's commit to focusing on God, and focusing on His heart. Let's love what He loves and hate what He hates.
Confirmed: When talking about different callings in the car today, my eyes were directed to a license plate that said, "CMPSSHN". The timing as perfect. I didn't say it...my calling is to show people God's compassion!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Snapshot: Fear...Why are you so Afraid?
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline". 2nd Timothy 1:7
A major reason for fear is doubting God. As long as we repent, we can be sure He is still keeping us in His WORD. We need to turn away from the voice of the enemy, and ask God for spiritual purity, so that we can focus on Him and not doubts or worries. We need to be pure in heart to receive His love, because His perfect love will cast out fear.
On Thursday we visited my Aunt. Her dogs were barking excitedly, and she explained that the dogs were "just fearful". This struck me as important, though I wasn't sure why. Just a couple minutes later I felt God prompting me to open up a devotional I had found in the house, and I opened up to a page entitled, 'Why are you so afraid?'. It hit me that I had just been hearing about the dangers of fear...
Sometimes God allows us exposure to fear so that we run back to Him. He wants us to dwell safely in His presence. We don't have to be of little faith! The response to fear is to cling to God, not to run from Him. Take faith in God and His promises...even if we are faithless, He is faithful. Pray for forgiveness and a right standing with God, then accept it by faith. Fear is a force that can and will be used for the good, if we yield our hearts to God and trust in His ability to save.
A major reason for fear is doubting God. As long as we repent, we can be sure He is still keeping us in His WORD. We need to turn away from the voice of the enemy, and ask God for spiritual purity, so that we can focus on Him and not doubts or worries. We need to be pure in heart to receive His love, because His perfect love will cast out fear.
On Thursday we visited my Aunt. Her dogs were barking excitedly, and she explained that the dogs were "just fearful". This struck me as important, though I wasn't sure why. Just a couple minutes later I felt God prompting me to open up a devotional I had found in the house, and I opened up to a page entitled, 'Why are you so afraid?'. It hit me that I had just been hearing about the dangers of fear...
Sometimes God allows us exposure to fear so that we run back to Him. He wants us to dwell safely in His presence. We don't have to be of little faith! The response to fear is to cling to God, not to run from Him. Take faith in God and His promises...even if we are faithless, He is faithful. Pray for forgiveness and a right standing with God, then accept it by faith. Fear is a force that can and will be used for the good, if we yield our hearts to God and trust in His ability to save.
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