As Christians, we enjoy a much better covenant with God than the children of Israel. The covenant they have requires them to find and render a suitable sacrifice, and the sacrifice they make only covers their sins for a certain period of time. We enjoy the privileges brought by the PERFECT sacrifice, the blood of Jesus. Our sins are not covered, our sins are erased. This is just one of the ways our New Covenant is far superior to the Old Covenant. Another great advantage we enjoy under this new covenant is the right to face our accuser. We have the right to defend ourselves against Satan and his attacks.
The Israelites of the Old Testament had no concept or awareness of Satan. Satan makes an appearance in Genesis and that's the last time we see him interacting with the people of the Old Testament. We see him again in the book of Job, but Satan's not interacting with Job and Job is not even aware of Satan's activities. Job thinks it's God doing all this to him. This ability to see who is attacking us is a great advantage. We know (or should know) that when hard times afflict us, it is not God attacking us, but Satan. We know better than to blame God for things Satan is doing. We know it is Satan that is accusing us. Unlike the Jews of the OT, we know who are accuser is.
This is a privilege in our society that we sometimes take for granted. In our rule of law, we have a right to face our accuser. Not everyone enjoys this privilege. In the military for instance, charges can be brought against you and you can be tried without ever hearing the charges much less facing your accuser. The charges can be classified and the person bringing the charges does not have to present himself at your trial. That puts the accused at quite the disadvantage. In that system, to be accused is to be convicted. So one of the privileges we enjoy as citizens of this country is the right to hear the accusations against us and know who is making the accusation. Additionally, if we are falsely accused, we have the right to sue the accuser and seek damages. These are great privileges that I hope none of us ever need to use. The great news is, we enjoy those same privileges in God.
Unlike the Israelites of the OT, we know who is accusing us and we have the right to defend ourselves against his attacks. This is a privilege so few of us are taking advantage of. It's one thing to not know about a right and fail to use it, it's another thing altogether to just neglect to use a right that's been bought and paid for and laid at your feet. Jesus went to the Cross, and then to grave and then to Hell to win this privilege for us. To just refuse to use it is inexcusable. The only thing you can call that is laziness or fear. We have a right to defend ourselves against our accusers. And to have the right is to have the duty. We are shirking our duty as Sons of God to allow our accuser to lay any charges he wants against us without consequence.
It is negligence in our duty because we are not supposed to spend our days scratching and clawing away at our maintenance expenses. Jesus didn't put this sword and shield in our hand just to get the cable bill and car payment made. We are supposed to be using our resources to advance the Kingdom. If we are so preoccupied with dealing with the damage we've allowed the enemy to ravage upon our lives, then we don't have the time, energy or resources to do the real work of the Kingdom. We were not left here to fight the battle of the phone bill. We are put here to fight the good fight for men's souls. It is our right, privilege and duty to put the devil under our feet and never let him up!!
If he tries to plant a thought of fear or despair in our mind, don't waste time wailing and crying to God about what are we gonna do. Take that thought captive, banish it with the Word of God and then set your mind back on things above.
If he tries to steal $500 from you for a new transmission, don't wail and cry to God about how every time you save up ten dollars you get a bill for twenty. Don't waste any time blaming God or getting mad at God about how things never work out for you. Do your duty as a soldier, use the weapons you've been given. What's our weapon in the battle of lack? Tithing and giving. If the enemy tries to steal from us, we are to continue to tithe faithfully, find someone we can sow into and believe God to honor that act of faith by meeting that need. Satan's intent is for us to not tithe and give him more entry into our finances. But here's what people of faith do in that situation. Not only do we continue to tithe but we also find a single mother whose drowning in diaper and daycare debt and get her car tuned up for the winter. We may not have the $500 for a new transmission but we've got $100 to make sure her car has a new battery, spark plugs and wipers. We didn't get our transmission fixed, but we made sure that her car will start for her every morning when she needs it as she driving to one of her three jobs. So now our enemy has not only failed to defeat us, now he's on the run because the single mom is telling everybody she sees about God fixing her car for her! How do you think God feels about things like that? Is God pleased with that? Like I heard someone say one time, I bet he punches lone of the elders in the arm and says "Did you see that? That's my boy!" This is how we win this fight. We win it just by fighting it. That gives God all the license He needs to move into our broken transmission situation and fix it in His abundant way. Don't blame God for your broken transmission. Don't take money away from Kingdom work. Show the devil that when he attacks your finances, that just inspires you to put more of it into the Kingdom. This is our great privilege. Not only can we defend ourselves against our attacker, we can make him pay a penalty for picking on us.
The really great news is we are guaranteed the victory. If we will just stand up to this bully and face him, we'll win! But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph! All we have to do is not shrink from it. Just do our duty, exercise this great privilege of fighting along side the King of Kings and face the enemy. This is all that is required of us. Let's just resolve in our hearts and minds that when the enemy picks a fight with us, we'll fight him. Let's promise ourselves that we won't bring reproach to the crown and cower in front of our enemy. Let's not be the ones who lets Satan take anything away from the Kingdom without a fight. If he decides to reach his hand into the Kingdom and try to steal something from it on our watch, let's make sure he regrets it. This is our great privilege, and to have the privilege is to have the duty.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Are you sure you're saved?
Did anything REALLY happen when you prayed that prayer? You're still the same person. There's nothing new about you. All this talk about being a new creation is false and you know it. You still look the same, you have the same name and despite the fact that you have changed some of your habits, you are the same person you were before you started praying.
This probably sounds familiar to all of us. This is Satan's fall back defense when all else fails. When he can't tempt us enough to fail, he rolls this lie out to make us feel like we are unnecessarily missing out on some fun. When we are disappointed by some lack or setback, he whispers this in our ears to make us doubt our own resolve. When we are frightened or tempted to be frightened, he uses this lie make us doubt the promises we are clinging to. This is something he uses on all of us because it is so effective at making us doubt our authority or get confused about our rights.
Doubt and confusion can stifle our walk. It can completely cripple us. We must be totally convinced that something REALLY happened when we got saved. We need to be fully persuaded that we are a new creation; that we are different from the person who got saved. We need to be convinced of this because we need to know we have the authority of Christ if we are going to wield it. If we aren't convinced we have His authority, we won't wield it effectively.
The truth is something REALLY did happen when we got saved. Some of us can remember a flood of peace flowing over us like nothing we've ever felt before. There have been many nights that I've had to relive that moment just to encourage myself. At the moment we honestly surrendered our lives, Heaven became our eternal destiny. The old man we once were was erased from the annals of time and all of Heaven recognized us as Children of the King. At that very moment, we became so much more than Satan ever was and he knows it. And now that we no longer serve his purpose, he must eliminate or neutralize us. He can't slay us without us giving him an opening and we enjoy a cordon of protection so elimination is unlikely. The only thing left to do with us is neutralizing us.
Convincing us that we are not really saved serves nicely as good reason to not get too carried away with this new-found fervor for God. Convincing us that this new fascination with Jesus is just another fad does a fine job of stealing our zeal. This lie creates doubt and confusion which makes us hesitant about walking boldly in our authority. This has the effect of neutralizing us. If we are not walking confidently in our authority as Sons of the Most High, then we are not advancing the Kingdom. We essentially become a non-factor. That's what Satan calls "mission accomplished." He can't steal our eternal salvation from us but he has greatly diminished our ability to reach other who have not laid hold of their eternal salvation yet. Worse than that, he's planted the seeds of condemnation and will be beating us up with accusations of being "luke-warm" in a very short time. Given enough time and opportunity to execute this plan, and he'll have us depressed and desperate. Not long after that, we become a cliche, yet another Christian that's started off with Jesus and is now some boring, religious, judgmental jerk that no one wants to be around. Let's not be fooled into thinking it's coincidental how frequently this pattern gets repeated. And it all starts with making us doubt the validity of our salvation.
This should be the first thing we set out to teach new Christians. We need to know that according to God, we really are a new creation and we have rights and privileges as believers that we didn't have before. Imagine how different our lives would be if we started off good but got progressively better instead of what typically happens. The typical cycle starts with a huge upheaval of our lives fueled by new-found joy for all things concerning Jesus. Then with time, the fervor weakens and eventually abates completely. Now all of our friends who were watching us to see something genuinely miraculous see us waxing lame. Now we've lost our credibility too and have made Satan's job easier. Imagine if instead of that scenario playing out repeatedly, we knew right away how much power and authority was at our disposal?!What if we were more acquainted with our authority. We'd waste a lot less time stumbling around ineffectively in the fight for souls. This is an easy fix. We need to change the initiation process.
The popular and trendy way to introduce new believers to their new life places an unhealthy emphasis on what Jesus is going to do for them. I think the emphasis needs to be on what God can now do through them. If a proper amount of training went into adjusting this, I think we'd see a whole new kind of revival. If each new crop was made aware of the fact that they now possess Heaven's gun, badge and credit card, we'd see a lot fewer Christians falling back into old habits. We'd see a lot fewer moral failures and repeated cycles of straying and returning. We'd see a lot fewer new believers struggling with the debate about whether they are really saved or not. They'd be too busy watching the enemy flee from the lives of their loved ones. They'd be too preoccupied with winning battles to be wasting time wondering about how saved they are. They'd me manufacturing all the evidence they need to be convinced of their new life and station.
It's pretty hard to convince someone they're not a soldier when they're holding a weapon and winning a battle. What can settle the debate once and for all in our minds about being saved? How about looking across the battlefield and seeing Jesus lead the charge in the same direction we're marching. As for me, if you were to ask me if I'm sure I'm saved, my response is this: I'm pretty sure I am but maybe you should ask that shrieking and shriveled up demon in front of me what he thinks. I'm as saved as I'm gonna get and now it's time to start acting like it.
This probably sounds familiar to all of us. This is Satan's fall back defense when all else fails. When he can't tempt us enough to fail, he rolls this lie out to make us feel like we are unnecessarily missing out on some fun. When we are disappointed by some lack or setback, he whispers this in our ears to make us doubt our own resolve. When we are frightened or tempted to be frightened, he uses this lie make us doubt the promises we are clinging to. This is something he uses on all of us because it is so effective at making us doubt our authority or get confused about our rights.
Doubt and confusion can stifle our walk. It can completely cripple us. We must be totally convinced that something REALLY happened when we got saved. We need to be fully persuaded that we are a new creation; that we are different from the person who got saved. We need to be convinced of this because we need to know we have the authority of Christ if we are going to wield it. If we aren't convinced we have His authority, we won't wield it effectively.
The truth is something REALLY did happen when we got saved. Some of us can remember a flood of peace flowing over us like nothing we've ever felt before. There have been many nights that I've had to relive that moment just to encourage myself. At the moment we honestly surrendered our lives, Heaven became our eternal destiny. The old man we once were was erased from the annals of time and all of Heaven recognized us as Children of the King. At that very moment, we became so much more than Satan ever was and he knows it. And now that we no longer serve his purpose, he must eliminate or neutralize us. He can't slay us without us giving him an opening and we enjoy a cordon of protection so elimination is unlikely. The only thing left to do with us is neutralizing us.
Convincing us that we are not really saved serves nicely as good reason to not get too carried away with this new-found fervor for God. Convincing us that this new fascination with Jesus is just another fad does a fine job of stealing our zeal. This lie creates doubt and confusion which makes us hesitant about walking boldly in our authority. This has the effect of neutralizing us. If we are not walking confidently in our authority as Sons of the Most High, then we are not advancing the Kingdom. We essentially become a non-factor. That's what Satan calls "mission accomplished." He can't steal our eternal salvation from us but he has greatly diminished our ability to reach other who have not laid hold of their eternal salvation yet. Worse than that, he's planted the seeds of condemnation and will be beating us up with accusations of being "luke-warm" in a very short time. Given enough time and opportunity to execute this plan, and he'll have us depressed and desperate. Not long after that, we become a cliche, yet another Christian that's started off with Jesus and is now some boring, religious, judgmental jerk that no one wants to be around. Let's not be fooled into thinking it's coincidental how frequently this pattern gets repeated. And it all starts with making us doubt the validity of our salvation.
This should be the first thing we set out to teach new Christians. We need to know that according to God, we really are a new creation and we have rights and privileges as believers that we didn't have before. Imagine how different our lives would be if we started off good but got progressively better instead of what typically happens. The typical cycle starts with a huge upheaval of our lives fueled by new-found joy for all things concerning Jesus. Then with time, the fervor weakens and eventually abates completely. Now all of our friends who were watching us to see something genuinely miraculous see us waxing lame. Now we've lost our credibility too and have made Satan's job easier. Imagine if instead of that scenario playing out repeatedly, we knew right away how much power and authority was at our disposal?!What if we were more acquainted with our authority. We'd waste a lot less time stumbling around ineffectively in the fight for souls. This is an easy fix. We need to change the initiation process.
The popular and trendy way to introduce new believers to their new life places an unhealthy emphasis on what Jesus is going to do for them. I think the emphasis needs to be on what God can now do through them. If a proper amount of training went into adjusting this, I think we'd see a whole new kind of revival. If each new crop was made aware of the fact that they now possess Heaven's gun, badge and credit card, we'd see a lot fewer Christians falling back into old habits. We'd see a lot fewer moral failures and repeated cycles of straying and returning. We'd see a lot fewer new believers struggling with the debate about whether they are really saved or not. They'd be too busy watching the enemy flee from the lives of their loved ones. They'd be too preoccupied with winning battles to be wasting time wondering about how saved they are. They'd me manufacturing all the evidence they need to be convinced of their new life and station.
It's pretty hard to convince someone they're not a soldier when they're holding a weapon and winning a battle. What can settle the debate once and for all in our minds about being saved? How about looking across the battlefield and seeing Jesus lead the charge in the same direction we're marching. As for me, if you were to ask me if I'm sure I'm saved, my response is this: I'm pretty sure I am but maybe you should ask that shrieking and shriveled up demon in front of me what he thinks. I'm as saved as I'm gonna get and now it's time to start acting like it.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
What's the real mission
Behavior modification is easy. Any animal trainer can teach us how to get people to behave in a certain way. This is the business of con men and wardens. God's goal in our life is much higher than that. God is on a mission to change hearts.
God's mission is accomplished when we change our behaviors for the sole purpose of drawing closer to Him. It's what happens when we stage a revolt against our flesh and purposely do the opposite of what it craves for the good of the Kingdom that shapes us into His ideal for us. When our flesh wants to lash out at someone whose hurt our feelings but we restrain ourselves and put the concerns of the Gospel ahead of our own, we honor God. This is God's mission in our life. To shape us into the person we'd be if Adam had never allowed that serpent to deceive him and his wife. God has no interest in watching us sit like a poodle wanting a biscuit. He's not amused by us going through ritualistic calisthenics. It doesn't delight God to see us go through the motions of a church service. We do those things for our benefit. We do those things to keep our flesh in its proper place so we can govern it.
Prayer and daily scripture reading serves to remind our flesh that we serve God. It's in the daily practice of studying scripture and diligently seeking God that our minds are renewed. We don't do these things as if we're doing God a favor. We do these things, if we are doing them properly, for the sole purpose of reminding our flesh of who's boss. Outside of that, the daily routine has little value. If we set out to do these things just to appease Santa God and hopefully curry favor with him, we soon lose our energy for it. We just don't have enough resolve to do these things for the wrong reasons for very long. But if we focus on the real mission, we eagerly fall into a happy routine.
Doing the right thing for the wrong reason takes all the value out of doing the right thing. The value of the sacrifice is crucial because that's what attracts the grace of God. Behaving as a model Christian for the wrong reasons is just as damaging as improper behavior. Behaving for the purpose of currying favor is not a sacrifice. It is duplicitous and unholy. Behaving well for the wrong reasons is actually self-worship and God sees right through it. God can tell when our motives are selfish, He wouldn't be much of a God if He couldn't.
So if God's real mission in our life is not to get us to quit cussing and drinking, but restore us to person we'd be if sin never entered the world, then what's our real mission? Our real mission is to please God. Our mission is to weigh every decision and action on this scale: Does this please the Lord? If it doesn't, we shouldn't do it. If it does, we should do it quickly, courageously and lovingly.
Our mission tomorrow morning is not to read x number of verses or say a specific number of prayers. It would be in our best interest to do these things because that behavior will help us achieve our actual goal but it's not our actual goal. Our actual mission tomorrow morning is to please the Lord. Our mission is to please God with every step we take and decision we make. This should set us free. This should clean up our to-do lists. If we eliminate every behavior in our live's that fails this test, we'd replace clutter with abundance. Where there was once noise and activity, there would be music and purpose.
It will take courage to do this. There will be some habits and some associations that need to be broken. But take heart, God is delighted when we do things for the sole purpose of pleasing Him. I guarantee you that you will be delighted with the way He rewards you for it. James 4:8 says "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." His real mission is to mold us into someone we should have been all along. Our real mission is to happily join Him in this.
God's mission is accomplished when we change our behaviors for the sole purpose of drawing closer to Him. It's what happens when we stage a revolt against our flesh and purposely do the opposite of what it craves for the good of the Kingdom that shapes us into His ideal for us. When our flesh wants to lash out at someone whose hurt our feelings but we restrain ourselves and put the concerns of the Gospel ahead of our own, we honor God. This is God's mission in our life. To shape us into the person we'd be if Adam had never allowed that serpent to deceive him and his wife. God has no interest in watching us sit like a poodle wanting a biscuit. He's not amused by us going through ritualistic calisthenics. It doesn't delight God to see us go through the motions of a church service. We do those things for our benefit. We do those things to keep our flesh in its proper place so we can govern it.
Prayer and daily scripture reading serves to remind our flesh that we serve God. It's in the daily practice of studying scripture and diligently seeking God that our minds are renewed. We don't do these things as if we're doing God a favor. We do these things, if we are doing them properly, for the sole purpose of reminding our flesh of who's boss. Outside of that, the daily routine has little value. If we set out to do these things just to appease Santa God and hopefully curry favor with him, we soon lose our energy for it. We just don't have enough resolve to do these things for the wrong reasons for very long. But if we focus on the real mission, we eagerly fall into a happy routine.
Doing the right thing for the wrong reason takes all the value out of doing the right thing. The value of the sacrifice is crucial because that's what attracts the grace of God. Behaving as a model Christian for the wrong reasons is just as damaging as improper behavior. Behaving for the purpose of currying favor is not a sacrifice. It is duplicitous and unholy. Behaving well for the wrong reasons is actually self-worship and God sees right through it. God can tell when our motives are selfish, He wouldn't be much of a God if He couldn't.
So if God's real mission in our life is not to get us to quit cussing and drinking, but restore us to person we'd be if sin never entered the world, then what's our real mission? Our real mission is to please God. Our mission is to weigh every decision and action on this scale: Does this please the Lord? If it doesn't, we shouldn't do it. If it does, we should do it quickly, courageously and lovingly.
Our mission tomorrow morning is not to read x number of verses or say a specific number of prayers. It would be in our best interest to do these things because that behavior will help us achieve our actual goal but it's not our actual goal. Our actual mission tomorrow morning is to please the Lord. Our mission is to please God with every step we take and decision we make. This should set us free. This should clean up our to-do lists. If we eliminate every behavior in our live's that fails this test, we'd replace clutter with abundance. Where there was once noise and activity, there would be music and purpose.
It will take courage to do this. There will be some habits and some associations that need to be broken. But take heart, God is delighted when we do things for the sole purpose of pleasing Him. I guarantee you that you will be delighted with the way He rewards you for it. James 4:8 says "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." His real mission is to mold us into someone we should have been all along. Our real mission is to happily join Him in this.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Bible is also a dictionary
One of the most important skills we will develop as we grow in our faith is rightly dividing the Word of God. So many of us, myself included, have spent years living less of a life than God intended because our understanding of His word was flawed. For instance, years ago, I heard a preacher discuss this frequently quoted phrase from scripture:
"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."
I have heard that phrase my entire life and always right after something disappointing. This is what people say when they are trying to deal with a loss or a set back. They don't know why it happened and they salve their fears by saying this. This gives us the feeling that God had good reason for taking something precious away and ultimately we just need to trust Him because it's for our own good. Well, if the truth be told.....
It is true this phrase is in scripture. The Bible does say "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." You can find that phrase in the Bible but that doesn't mean it's the truth. In fact if you think about it, there are a lot of things said in scripture that are not truth. The Devil is quoted several times throughout scripture and nothing of what he said is true. Evil kings, sorcerers, and various others are quoted and what they have to say is not true. I've actually toyed with the idea of titling this post "The Bible is full of lies" just to see the reaction I'd get. Of course I won't do that, that Bible is not to be toyed with but you get my point. Not everything that everyone says in the Bible is truth. One of the things that falls into this category is this phrase from Job. It is true that Job said it, it is also true that Job was wrong when he said it. The Bible is very clear about who did the taking away.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
The Bible is very clear on this. Satan did the destroying and the killing and the taking away. Not God. Job had no understanding of Satan. Job wasn't even aware of him, so in his ignorance, he did what many of us do today, he blamed God for something Satan had done.
I said all that to say this. The Lord showed me another phrase that I've heard since my youth. Mercifully He also showed me where to find the explanation. Since my earliest days, I have heard the phrase "David was a man after God's own heart." I never knew where that phrase came from until this morning. It can be found at Acts13:22.
'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart;...
What I find most exciting about this is the second part of the phrase defines the first part. In the first part is the common phrase "David was a man after God's own heart" and throughout my life, people have felt free to interpret that however they saw fit. I have heard people say it was because David was such a devout worshipper. I have heard people say it meant that David was so zealous for the things of God. I have heard people tell me it means many other things that suited their particular sermon topic. BUT...the very next phrase tells us what it means. The next phrase says:
...he will do everything I want him to do.'
This is how the Bible defines being a man after God's own heart. According to God's own words, a man after His own heart is a man that will do everything He wants him to do! That's it. That's what it means. We would be distorting scripture to try to say it means something else. It would be an improper use of scripture to use the first part of the phrase without using the second part of the phrase. If we let someone tell us it means something else, we are allowing them to distort scripture. This is very dangerous and should be avoided at all times.
Here is another example of the Bible explaining its own terms:
24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
25 Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
This is an example of the Bible defining it's own terms. According to these verses, one of the ways in which we serve is to be constantly concerned about a thing. This is from the Amplified Bible so it puts in sharper focus but verse 25 commands us to stop being perpetually uneasy about our life. Therefore according to the Bible, being constantly preoccupied in our thoughts about something is a form of serving that master.
These are just two examples of the Bible acting as its own dictionary. Learning to see these definitions is vital to our growth in the faith. We must learn to let scripture tell us the meaning of its terms and phrases. If we leave it up to preachers and so-called scholars, then we are limiting ourselves and potentially being led to destruction. David Koresh was burned alive with dozens of people who allowed him to tell them what the Bible says. Jim Jones convinced hundreds to drink poisoned kool-aid in an African jungle because they allowed him to define scripture for them. This is one of our duties. This is one of privileges.
It is a great honor for us to have the Creator and Ruler of the Universe come and tutor us in His word. This is a major part of seeking first the Kingdom of God. This is how we will be led into the abundant life Jesus bought for us. This is a skill we must diligently strive to acquire. We must learn to see the Bible as its own dictionary.
"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."
I have heard that phrase my entire life and always right after something disappointing. This is what people say when they are trying to deal with a loss or a set back. They don't know why it happened and they salve their fears by saying this. This gives us the feeling that God had good reason for taking something precious away and ultimately we just need to trust Him because it's for our own good. Well, if the truth be told.....
It is true this phrase is in scripture. The Bible does say "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." You can find that phrase in the Bible but that doesn't mean it's the truth. In fact if you think about it, there are a lot of things said in scripture that are not truth. The Devil is quoted several times throughout scripture and nothing of what he said is true. Evil kings, sorcerers, and various others are quoted and what they have to say is not true. I've actually toyed with the idea of titling this post "The Bible is full of lies" just to see the reaction I'd get. Of course I won't do that, that Bible is not to be toyed with but you get my point. Not everything that everyone says in the Bible is truth. One of the things that falls into this category is this phrase from Job. It is true that Job said it, it is also true that Job was wrong when he said it. The Bible is very clear about who did the taking away.
So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
The Bible is very clear on this. Satan did the destroying and the killing and the taking away. Not God. Job had no understanding of Satan. Job wasn't even aware of him, so in his ignorance, he did what many of us do today, he blamed God for something Satan had done.
I said all that to say this. The Lord showed me another phrase that I've heard since my youth. Mercifully He also showed me where to find the explanation. Since my earliest days, I have heard the phrase "David was a man after God's own heart." I never knew where that phrase came from until this morning. It can be found at Acts13:22.
'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart;...
What I find most exciting about this is the second part of the phrase defines the first part. In the first part is the common phrase "David was a man after God's own heart" and throughout my life, people have felt free to interpret that however they saw fit. I have heard people say it was because David was such a devout worshipper. I have heard people say it meant that David was so zealous for the things of God. I have heard people tell me it means many other things that suited their particular sermon topic. BUT...the very next phrase tells us what it means. The next phrase says:
...he will do everything I want him to do.'
This is how the Bible defines being a man after God's own heart. According to God's own words, a man after His own heart is a man that will do everything He wants him to do! That's it. That's what it means. We would be distorting scripture to try to say it means something else. It would be an improper use of scripture to use the first part of the phrase without using the second part of the phrase. If we let someone tell us it means something else, we are allowing them to distort scripture. This is very dangerous and should be avoided at all times.
Here is another example of the Bible explaining its own terms:
24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
25 Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?
This is an example of the Bible defining it's own terms. According to these verses, one of the ways in which we serve is to be constantly concerned about a thing. This is from the Amplified Bible so it puts in sharper focus but verse 25 commands us to stop being perpetually uneasy about our life. Therefore according to the Bible, being constantly preoccupied in our thoughts about something is a form of serving that master.
These are just two examples of the Bible acting as its own dictionary. Learning to see these definitions is vital to our growth in the faith. We must learn to let scripture tell us the meaning of its terms and phrases. If we leave it up to preachers and so-called scholars, then we are limiting ourselves and potentially being led to destruction. David Koresh was burned alive with dozens of people who allowed him to tell them what the Bible says. Jim Jones convinced hundreds to drink poisoned kool-aid in an African jungle because they allowed him to define scripture for them. This is one of our duties. This is one of privileges.
It is a great honor for us to have the Creator and Ruler of the Universe come and tutor us in His word. This is a major part of seeking first the Kingdom of God. This is how we will be led into the abundant life Jesus bought for us. This is a skill we must diligently strive to acquire. We must learn to see the Bible as its own dictionary.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Map!
Long before there was Google maps and Yahoo maps and GPS, people were given driving directions in chapter form. Step-by-step or turn-by-turn instructions were given to guide people to their proper destination. This is the same method we find in scripture. In 1 Timothy 6:11 and 2 Peter 1:5. In these two passages we have step-by-step directions to our destination.
1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self‑control; and to self‑control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
This serves as our guidance system. Following this path will always lead us into closer fellowship with God and out of the troubles of this world. If we find ourselves lost in the woods of worldly drama, we can always find our way out by pursuing righteousness. Pursuing righteousness, will cause us to act in godly manner, which will strengthen our faith. The renewed vigor of our faith will result in more love which will provide us with the strength we need to endure with brotherly kindness until we see the salvation of the Lord.
Because it's not the surviving or enduring the trial that's key. One way or another, we will survive the trial. The truly important thing about a trial is HOW we endure it. Do we endure the trial like a child being spanked; kicking and screaming. Or do we endure the trial with dignity and faith. Suffering the blows with praises to our King. This is the way we honor God and grow up quickly in our faith.
It's very easy to lose sight of the ultimate objective in the midst of a trial, that's why it pays to memorize the instructions. We start at any point by pursuing righteousness, as we pursue righteousness, we find godliness. This godliness will build our faith and then it's off to the races! Once we get renewed in our faith, there's no stopping us. We will surely find ourselves at our destination.
1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self‑control; and to self‑control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
This serves as our guidance system. Following this path will always lead us into closer fellowship with God and out of the troubles of this world. If we find ourselves lost in the woods of worldly drama, we can always find our way out by pursuing righteousness. Pursuing righteousness, will cause us to act in godly manner, which will strengthen our faith. The renewed vigor of our faith will result in more love which will provide us with the strength we need to endure with brotherly kindness until we see the salvation of the Lord.
Because it's not the surviving or enduring the trial that's key. One way or another, we will survive the trial. The truly important thing about a trial is HOW we endure it. Do we endure the trial like a child being spanked; kicking and screaming. Or do we endure the trial with dignity and faith. Suffering the blows with praises to our King. This is the way we honor God and grow up quickly in our faith.
It's very easy to lose sight of the ultimate objective in the midst of a trial, that's why it pays to memorize the instructions. We start at any point by pursuing righteousness, as we pursue righteousness, we find godliness. This godliness will build our faith and then it's off to the races! Once we get renewed in our faith, there's no stopping us. We will surely find ourselves at our destination.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What else besides Faith?
Let's look at this from God's point of view. We would not be abusing our privileges as co-heirs with Christ to view living by Faith from His perspective. We are after-all, sons of God. We are made in His image, His Spirit lives within us, and we have the mind of Christ. Surely, we are well within our rights to look at something as if we were sitting on the throne. Not usurping the throne, just looking at something from there.
From God's throne, Faith, looks like the only viable method for accomplishing His goal. What's His goal? Well, to save us all from hell. To bring us all into eternal and splendid fellowship. To set us free from the curse of sin and death. To undo the tragedy that happened in the Garden of Eden. The most expedient and painless path to that destination would be for God to just suspend all justice. If God's only goal is to ensure all of His children receive Heaven, He could easily forget the sin debt altogether for everyone without condition. He is God after all, He is bound by nothing. He could eradicate His own laws and allow everyone entry into Heaven without exception. If that is what He decided to do, there is no power anywhere that could successfully rebel against Him. However, that would not suffice. That would essentially grant Satan the throne he tried to usurp. That would be letting Satan decide who gets to go to Heaven. Think about that for a moment.
Think about an eternity where Satan sits on the throne. This brief vapor we call "life" is hard enough with just his influence being felt. Can you imagine how horrifying an eternity would be if he actually had power?! That would NOT be Heaven. That would be Hell, in fact, worse than Hell. So, just forgetting the laws of Righteousness and granting everyone amnesty is not a viable solution. But God has devised a way for any of His children to lay hold of the life He intended for them. But that way is the ONLY way and no amount of negotiating, or tinkering, or bargaining on our part is going to work the same. We must embrace this method. We must live a life of Faith to achieve the life He has made available to us.
Only a person who has lived the life of faith will be fit for eternal life in Heaven. Only living by faith will equip us to endure an eternity in God's presence. If you are a person of faith, you will be courageous from all those trials that you endured. You'll be loving because of the Nature of God will abide in you, savvy because the Wisdom that taught Solomon would rest on you. You'll also be diligent because of all the time you spent studying and memorizing scriptures. All these attributes are necessary for people to have if they are going to rule and reign throughout eternity. Likewise, only people like this will draw more people into fellowship with God.
Can God use such a person as this? Can He use brave, loving, smart, hard-working people? Does He have any use for their opposite? Is there a purpose of the Kingdom that can be served by cowardly, self-centered, flaky, bums? Not a one. Living a life of Faith is the only method that will transform us from the people we were when we got saved to the people we need to be. Only living a life of Faith will perform the transformation and develop the kind of people God can use.
This should help us have the right attitude about the next trial we face. Notice I said "the next trial we WILL face." Without a doubt, there is another trial coming our way. It will either build our character or reveal it. And unless we want to face it more than once, we should make up our minds ahead of time to pass it by enduring it with Faith.
We need to keep the larger goal in mind. Let us be ever mindful of the fact that "Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body." Let us be prepared for every trial with understanding that we are subjecting ourselves to God's rule and keeping our promise to SERVE Him. In His perfect wisdom, He has declared that living a life of Faith is how we will become the people He desires us to be. So, as life unfolds before us, let's be ever mindful to let every decision be directed by a willingness to allow Faith to do it's work in us.
This is the process described in 2 Peter.
2Pe 1:4 In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.
2Pe 1:5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness;
2Pe 1:7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.
2Pe 1:8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the life we signed up for when we accepted his free gift of salvation. Let's embrace it and enjoy every minute of it.
From God's throne, Faith, looks like the only viable method for accomplishing His goal. What's His goal? Well, to save us all from hell. To bring us all into eternal and splendid fellowship. To set us free from the curse of sin and death. To undo the tragedy that happened in the Garden of Eden. The most expedient and painless path to that destination would be for God to just suspend all justice. If God's only goal is to ensure all of His children receive Heaven, He could easily forget the sin debt altogether for everyone without condition. He is God after all, He is bound by nothing. He could eradicate His own laws and allow everyone entry into Heaven without exception. If that is what He decided to do, there is no power anywhere that could successfully rebel against Him. However, that would not suffice. That would essentially grant Satan the throne he tried to usurp. That would be letting Satan decide who gets to go to Heaven. Think about that for a moment.
Think about an eternity where Satan sits on the throne. This brief vapor we call "life" is hard enough with just his influence being felt. Can you imagine how horrifying an eternity would be if he actually had power?! That would NOT be Heaven. That would be Hell, in fact, worse than Hell. So, just forgetting the laws of Righteousness and granting everyone amnesty is not a viable solution. But God has devised a way for any of His children to lay hold of the life He intended for them. But that way is the ONLY way and no amount of negotiating, or tinkering, or bargaining on our part is going to work the same. We must embrace this method. We must live a life of Faith to achieve the life He has made available to us.
Only a person who has lived the life of faith will be fit for eternal life in Heaven. Only living by faith will equip us to endure an eternity in God's presence. If you are a person of faith, you will be courageous from all those trials that you endured. You'll be loving because of the Nature of God will abide in you, savvy because the Wisdom that taught Solomon would rest on you. You'll also be diligent because of all the time you spent studying and memorizing scriptures. All these attributes are necessary for people to have if they are going to rule and reign throughout eternity. Likewise, only people like this will draw more people into fellowship with God.
Can God use such a person as this? Can He use brave, loving, smart, hard-working people? Does He have any use for their opposite? Is there a purpose of the Kingdom that can be served by cowardly, self-centered, flaky, bums? Not a one. Living a life of Faith is the only method that will transform us from the people we were when we got saved to the people we need to be. Only living a life of Faith will perform the transformation and develop the kind of people God can use.
This should help us have the right attitude about the next trial we face. Notice I said "the next trial we WILL face." Without a doubt, there is another trial coming our way. It will either build our character or reveal it. And unless we want to face it more than once, we should make up our minds ahead of time to pass it by enduring it with Faith.
We need to keep the larger goal in mind. Let us be ever mindful of the fact that "Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body." Let us be prepared for every trial with understanding that we are subjecting ourselves to God's rule and keeping our promise to SERVE Him. In His perfect wisdom, He has declared that living a life of Faith is how we will become the people He desires us to be. So, as life unfolds before us, let's be ever mindful to let every decision be directed by a willingness to allow Faith to do it's work in us.
This is the process described in 2 Peter.
2Pe 1:4 In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.
2Pe 1:5 For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness;
2Pe 1:7 to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love.
2Pe 1:8 These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the life we signed up for when we accepted his free gift of salvation. Let's embrace it and enjoy every minute of it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
I am laying hold of the abundant life Jesus bought for me!
I just love saying that. I repeat it out loud multiple times during the day. Whenever I think of it, I just say out loud "I am laying hold of the abundant life Jesus bought for me." This has already begun to make a difference. My mind is being blessed with new revelation into God's word. My spirit is being invigorated with new found courage and resolve. I am actually starting to believe that I can walk in the exceeding joy and abundance that Jesus bought for me on Calvary. This is a huge turning point in life.
For as long as I can remember, life has been a never ceasing game of survival against the constant onslaught of lack. Lack and the fear of greater lack has prompted me to make some bad decisions in life. Lack has given me license to yield to my carnal impulses. Lack and my focus on it has led to feelings of desperation. Lack has not served one good purpose and yet I have tolerated for it so long. It has suddenly occurred to me that if Lack was a person, I wouldn't allow them in my house. If Lack were a person, I wouldn't associate with him. If Lack were a person, I'd put as much distance between us as I could. Think about it for a moment. If Lack were a person, would you let them come into your garage and steal the transmission out of your car? Would you let him take a baseball bat to your plumbing and cause leaks? Would you let him steal the motor out of your washing machine? If Lack were a person, I'd fight him. And I am just realizing that I haven't been fighting him with the right weapons.
Lack has more ammo than my flesh can defeat. Lack can assault my finances on so many different fronts. It is impossible to effectively shield myself from his attacks with just my paycheck. If you look at anybody's life, you'll see they have the same limitations. No matter how much someone makes, Lack can still rob them. There never seems to be enough.
But I have more than enough ammo to fight him in one arena. I have my words! I can fight Lack and beat him back into the dark hell-hole he crawled out of. I can use my words and my faith to defeat him. My words are imbued with power from the Most High. I have His authority to proclaim a thing and demand its obedience. My faith filled words, the same tools that can move mountains, can defeat Lack. If I try to fight Lack on his terms, I will lose every time (I have the scars to prove it.) But if I fight Lack on God's terms, exercising my authority as a Son of God, Lack must obey my commands. So, I command Lack to depart from me. Stay away from me and my house. Take your hands of my life. I am talking to Lack just like I'd talk to a person and he must obey me for God has placed all things under the authority of Jesus. Jesus has given me permission to exercise His authority. So by the authority of Jesus, I command you Lack to get out of my life and take your cohort Debt with you.
We'll pick up here tomorrow.
For as long as I can remember, life has been a never ceasing game of survival against the constant onslaught of lack. Lack and the fear of greater lack has prompted me to make some bad decisions in life. Lack has given me license to yield to my carnal impulses. Lack and my focus on it has led to feelings of desperation. Lack has not served one good purpose and yet I have tolerated for it so long. It has suddenly occurred to me that if Lack was a person, I wouldn't allow them in my house. If Lack were a person, I wouldn't associate with him. If Lack were a person, I'd put as much distance between us as I could. Think about it for a moment. If Lack were a person, would you let them come into your garage and steal the transmission out of your car? Would you let him take a baseball bat to your plumbing and cause leaks? Would you let him steal the motor out of your washing machine? If Lack were a person, I'd fight him. And I am just realizing that I haven't been fighting him with the right weapons.
Lack has more ammo than my flesh can defeat. Lack can assault my finances on so many different fronts. It is impossible to effectively shield myself from his attacks with just my paycheck. If you look at anybody's life, you'll see they have the same limitations. No matter how much someone makes, Lack can still rob them. There never seems to be enough.
But I have more than enough ammo to fight him in one arena. I have my words! I can fight Lack and beat him back into the dark hell-hole he crawled out of. I can use my words and my faith to defeat him. My words are imbued with power from the Most High. I have His authority to proclaim a thing and demand its obedience. My faith filled words, the same tools that can move mountains, can defeat Lack. If I try to fight Lack on his terms, I will lose every time (I have the scars to prove it.) But if I fight Lack on God's terms, exercising my authority as a Son of God, Lack must obey my commands. So, I command Lack to depart from me. Stay away from me and my house. Take your hands of my life. I am talking to Lack just like I'd talk to a person and he must obey me for God has placed all things under the authority of Jesus. Jesus has given me permission to exercise His authority. So by the authority of Jesus, I command you Lack to get out of my life and take your cohort Debt with you.
We'll pick up here tomorrow.
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