As you begin to claim your mind back from the enemy, he will not want to give up the place that he has had. You will have to do battle with his lies and confusion.
Your first step is to declare out loud that you will not allow any outside force to do your thinking–no man and no spirit. There are spiritual laws that demons must obey. They cannot stay where a man wills them not to stay. Your power is in the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, and the Word of God. Ask God to give you discernment of the lies of the devil.
Think about what you are thinking about. As you recognize a lie to your mind, always defend yourself out loud. That means speaking to Satan and the evil forces out loud, binding them in the Name of Jesus, and forbidding them to lie to you and to use your mind.
When you catch a lie to your mind, use this prescription regularly–and you will regain peace, your memory, restful nights, and the ability to concentrate and comprehend.
You are in a battle–you are not alone–for all of God’s people fight this same fight (Ephesians 6:12). Make up your mind not to give up! According to Colossians 3:2, set your mind on things above and keep it set! As you begin this battle, it will seem worse than ever. The reason is that the demonic powers are fighting to keep their place in your mind (and in your thinking). Call upon God’s grace in the Name of Jesus, and He will give you the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome every evil tendency fully.
Remember, regaining your mind is a process. We all fail at one time or another. God knows our weakness; that is why He gave us 1 John 1:9. Just ask for forgiveness and see the Blood of Jesus washing away your sin. Don’t give up! Continue claiming what belongs to you (your mind and your thinking belong to you), and Jesus will help you overcome.
Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind!”
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Detecting Unforgiveness
Most all of us like getting promoted, and there's nothing wrong with that. But sometimes we fail tests in certain areas that keep us from getting promoted. Areas like forgiveness.
If someone has hurt you, don't spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, that other person isn't even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.
You see, when you forgive someone, you are helping yourself.
To help you understand the importance of forgiveness, here are six ways to detect unforgiveness in your own heart. Once exposed, you'll be one step closer to your personal promotion from God.
1) Unforgiveness always keeps score.
In Luke 15:29, the elder brother of the prodigal son said, "Look! These many years I have served you." Peter wanted to know how many times he had to forgive someone. Unforgiveness is always looking at the score. But 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, Love takes no account…. It doesn't count up the evil done to it.
2) Unforgiveness always boasts of its own record.
In Luke 15:29, the older brother of the prodigal son says "These many years I have never done wrong." Judgment always says that I always do good and others do bad. An unforgiving spirit keeps us from God's best for us.
3) Unforgiveness always complains.
"You never do anything for me." Ever catch yourself thinking that about someone? This attitude only sees what others aren't doing and doesn't see what they are doing. God's Word clearly shows that we're not supposed to complain. And if you're continuously using your mouth to complain about some incident of offense, you won't get past it. Don't waste time by complaining.
4) Unforgiveness has a martyr syndrome.
"I do all the work." Workaholics are particularly susceptible to this one. Sometimes people who work all the time and don't know how to enjoy their life get jealous when other people are enjoying life. Is there someone who aggravates you when you see them having a good time? If yes, you could have unforgiveness toward them.
5) Unforgiveness always alienates, divides and separates.
When the kids are acting up, we say "my husband's kids" or maybe something like, "What are you going to do about your son?" Those are divisive statements. Maybe you have a coworker who you stay away from as much as possible or a sibling you don't talk to much…why do you separate yourself from them? Maybe you need to forgive that person.
6) Unforgiveness is always envious and jealous when angry at someone who gets blessed.
If someone who has hurt you gets a blessing, it grates on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive. Forgiveness is a decision—not a feeling.
When you pray for people who have hurt you, it's a choice. But there's healing in that for you. Bless and do not curse them means to speak well and not evil of them when that person is not around. And be good to them in various ways as wisdom allows.
Improve Your Life I want to encourage you today to make a decision to start living a lifestyle of forgiveness and refuse to be offended.
A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to practice forgiving others, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the promotions God has planned for you.
If someone has hurt you, don't spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, that other person isn't even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.
You see, when you forgive someone, you are helping yourself.
To help you understand the importance of forgiveness, here are six ways to detect unforgiveness in your own heart. Once exposed, you'll be one step closer to your personal promotion from God.
1) Unforgiveness always keeps score.
In Luke 15:29, the elder brother of the prodigal son said, "Look! These many years I have served you." Peter wanted to know how many times he had to forgive someone. Unforgiveness is always looking at the score. But 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, Love takes no account…. It doesn't count up the evil done to it.
2) Unforgiveness always boasts of its own record.
In Luke 15:29, the older brother of the prodigal son says "These many years I have never done wrong." Judgment always says that I always do good and others do bad. An unforgiving spirit keeps us from God's best for us.
3) Unforgiveness always complains.
"You never do anything for me." Ever catch yourself thinking that about someone? This attitude only sees what others aren't doing and doesn't see what they are doing. God's Word clearly shows that we're not supposed to complain. And if you're continuously using your mouth to complain about some incident of offense, you won't get past it. Don't waste time by complaining.
4) Unforgiveness has a martyr syndrome.
"I do all the work." Workaholics are particularly susceptible to this one. Sometimes people who work all the time and don't know how to enjoy their life get jealous when other people are enjoying life. Is there someone who aggravates you when you see them having a good time? If yes, you could have unforgiveness toward them.
5) Unforgiveness always alienates, divides and separates.
When the kids are acting up, we say "my husband's kids" or maybe something like, "What are you going to do about your son?" Those are divisive statements. Maybe you have a coworker who you stay away from as much as possible or a sibling you don't talk to much…why do you separate yourself from them? Maybe you need to forgive that person.
6) Unforgiveness is always envious and jealous when angry at someone who gets blessed.
If someone who has hurt you gets a blessing, it grates on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive. Forgiveness is a decision—not a feeling.
When you pray for people who have hurt you, it's a choice. But there's healing in that for you. Bless and do not curse them means to speak well and not evil of them when that person is not around. And be good to them in various ways as wisdom allows.
Improve Your Life I want to encourage you today to make a decision to start living a lifestyle of forgiveness and refuse to be offended.
A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to practice forgiving others, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the promotions God has planned for you.
Think About What You're Thinking About
Thoughts are powerful, and according to the writer of the book of Proverbs, they have creative ability. See Proverbs 23:7.
In fact, you cannot have a positive, exciting life and a negative mind.
Maybe you've spent years thinking wrong thoughts based on a warped, dysfunctional past, but that can change today. If you struggle with negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does.
The Bible says that God loves us, but have you ever struggled to believe this? I have learned that if we never meditate on God's Word, we will never experience the depth of His love for us. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.
The Bible presents a lot of detailed instruction on what kinds of things we should think about. Philippians 4:8 alone tells us to think about things that build us up, not tear us down.
If you're a believer, you probably think some Scripture-based thoughts throughout each day, but think about this. Are you mixing them with negative thoughts or just any random thoughts that come into your mind? For most of my life, I simply thought whatever fell into my head. Much of what was in my head was either lies Satan was telling me or just plain nonsense. The devil was controlling my life because he was controlling my thoughts.
Read Mark 4:24. It tells us the more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. It also says the more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it.
In the flesh we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that's not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it. I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God's Word every day because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God.
In fact, you cannot have a positive, exciting life and a negative mind.
Maybe you've spent years thinking wrong thoughts based on a warped, dysfunctional past, but that can change today. If you struggle with negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does.
The Bible says that God loves us, but have you ever struggled to believe this? I have learned that if we never meditate on God's Word, we will never experience the depth of His love for us. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.
The Bible presents a lot of detailed instruction on what kinds of things we should think about. Philippians 4:8 alone tells us to think about things that build us up, not tear us down.
If you're a believer, you probably think some Scripture-based thoughts throughout each day, but think about this. Are you mixing them with negative thoughts or just any random thoughts that come into your mind? For most of my life, I simply thought whatever fell into my head. Much of what was in my head was either lies Satan was telling me or just plain nonsense. The devil was controlling my life because he was controlling my thoughts.
Read Mark 4:24. It tells us the more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. It also says the more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it.
In the flesh we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that's not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it. I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God's Word every day because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God.
Waiting On God
Have you been praying about a situation in your life and found yourself waiting for a breakthrough? Are you wondering why the answer hasn't come yet? Do you feel as though victory is passing you by?
Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. Our situation can change suddenly—quickly without warning!
But one thing is certain: Before God moves suddenly, we will wait. Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we’ll wait. And I believe how will determine how long.
All of us will wait passively, or we'll wait expectantly. A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, "That’s it! I've waited and waited and nothing's happened." The passive person has a lot of wishbone but not much backbone!
The expectant person, on the other hand, is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for happens.
It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it's said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it's there. The moment she learns of her pregnancy, she begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She starts collecting items she'll need and busily gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. She is expectant and she'll wait as long as it takes.
We know the word wait means "to expect" or "to look for." But remember, it also means "to serve" — just like a waiter waits on your table at a restaurant. Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon.
Once we've asked God to answer a question or solve a problem, we need to be eagerly awaiting His answer. We need to be serving actively, aggressively and expectantly. When our hearts are eager to hear from God, He loves to rush in suddenly with His solution. In many cases this waiting period actually serves as a time of preparation for the answer. If God answered right away, many of us would be ill-prepared to handle His solution.
Sometimes we find ourselves in such horrible messes that it's hard to imagine waiting one more second. But we need to keep waiting on God and trusting Him with a sweet and simple faith. Then, in a way we never could've figured out—God moves suddenly!
In the Bible Paul and Silas knew about waiting, and they waited well. Acts 16 tells the story of how they were attacked by a crowd, beaten and thrown in jail. Verse 24 says the jailer put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. He was making sure they couldn't escape. But about midnight, God showed up. Now it would have been nice if He'd come a little earlier, but Paul and Silas didn’t seem to mind—they just decided to start singing and began to worship the Lord. They began to wait on God.
Verses 25 & 26 say, "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened." God answered them suddenly!
When people patiently and expectantly wait on God in the midst of horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through. So don't give up! Don’t stop believing! Stay full of hope and expectation. God's power is limitless, and He'll break through for you.
Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. Our situation can change suddenly—quickly without warning!
But one thing is certain: Before God moves suddenly, we will wait. Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we’ll wait. And I believe how will determine how long.
All of us will wait passively, or we'll wait expectantly. A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, "That’s it! I've waited and waited and nothing's happened." The passive person has a lot of wishbone but not much backbone!
The expectant person, on the other hand, is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for happens.
It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it's said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it's there. The moment she learns of her pregnancy, she begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She starts collecting items she'll need and busily gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. She is expectant and she'll wait as long as it takes.
We know the word wait means "to expect" or "to look for." But remember, it also means "to serve" — just like a waiter waits on your table at a restaurant. Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon.
Once we've asked God to answer a question or solve a problem, we need to be eagerly awaiting His answer. We need to be serving actively, aggressively and expectantly. When our hearts are eager to hear from God, He loves to rush in suddenly with His solution. In many cases this waiting period actually serves as a time of preparation for the answer. If God answered right away, many of us would be ill-prepared to handle His solution.
Sometimes we find ourselves in such horrible messes that it's hard to imagine waiting one more second. But we need to keep waiting on God and trusting Him with a sweet and simple faith. Then, in a way we never could've figured out—God moves suddenly!
In the Bible Paul and Silas knew about waiting, and they waited well. Acts 16 tells the story of how they were attacked by a crowd, beaten and thrown in jail. Verse 24 says the jailer put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. He was making sure they couldn't escape. But about midnight, God showed up. Now it would have been nice if He'd come a little earlier, but Paul and Silas didn’t seem to mind—they just decided to start singing and began to worship the Lord. They began to wait on God.
Verses 25 & 26 say, "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened." God answered them suddenly!
When people patiently and expectantly wait on God in the midst of horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through. So don't give up! Don’t stop believing! Stay full of hope and expectation. God's power is limitless, and He'll break through for you.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Reconciliation: The Disciple and His Relationship With Others
When we offend others, or when they perceive that we have wronged them, a destructive fire is kindled in them. The heat of their anger feeds the fire. The longer we allow it to burn, the more damage it will do in their lives and in the lives of others to whom the fire spreads. Because of this, God commands:
“If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23–24).
God is so concerned about reconciliation that He wants us to interrupt our worship of Him in order to restore fellowship with an offended brother. Actually, reconciliation is true worship, because whatever we do to others, we do to Christ. (See Matthew 25:40.)
There is another reason why this is so vital. Jesus introduces it with the warning that if we attack a person’s character by calling him a fool, we will be in danger of hell fire. This is certainly not referring to eternal hell, because we do not go to hell for calling a person a fool but for rejecting the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word hell in this passage is the Greek word geenna. Hell is the place of future punishment called “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire.” This originally referred to the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned. Spiritually, it is a symbol of the state of torment that will be suffered by those who are condemned to hell. James used the same word when he explained that the “tongue is a fire … set on fire of hell” (James 3:6). Fires spread quickly and can turn into disastrous infernos. Therefore, as soon as a fire is detected, every effort should be made to put it out.
The altar was a place for burning sacrifices as a sweet savor to God. Reconciliation is putting out the stench of bitter fires so God can enjoy the aroma of our worship.
By not seeking to make things right, how many fires have we left burning in the hearts of those whom we have offended? Family feuds often begin with one offense, last for generations, and affect hundreds of people. As we meditate on the command to be reconciled, we can expect God to bring to our remembrance those who are holding things against us. As He does, let’s purpose to go and make things right as an expression of our worship to the Lord.
“If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23–24).
God is so concerned about reconciliation that He wants us to interrupt our worship of Him in order to restore fellowship with an offended brother. Actually, reconciliation is true worship, because whatever we do to others, we do to Christ. (See Matthew 25:40.)
There is another reason why this is so vital. Jesus introduces it with the warning that if we attack a person’s character by calling him a fool, we will be in danger of hell fire. This is certainly not referring to eternal hell, because we do not go to hell for calling a person a fool but for rejecting the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word hell in this passage is the Greek word geenna. Hell is the place of future punishment called “Gehenna” or “Gehenna of fire.” This originally referred to the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned. Spiritually, it is a symbol of the state of torment that will be suffered by those who are condemned to hell. James used the same word when he explained that the “tongue is a fire … set on fire of hell” (James 3:6). Fires spread quickly and can turn into disastrous infernos. Therefore, as soon as a fire is detected, every effort should be made to put it out.
The altar was a place for burning sacrifices as a sweet savor to God. Reconciliation is putting out the stench of bitter fires so God can enjoy the aroma of our worship.
By not seeking to make things right, how many fires have we left burning in the hearts of those whom we have offended? Family feuds often begin with one offense, last for generations, and affect hundreds of people. As we meditate on the command to be reconciled, we can expect God to bring to our remembrance those who are holding things against us. As He does, let’s purpose to go and make things right as an expression of our worship to the Lord.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Walking In The Light And Conquering The Works of Darkness
Satan is the prince of the kingdom of darkness. (See Revelation 16:10.) He wins his battles in the dark. It was when the simple young man was lured by his lust to the harlot’s house “in the black and dark night” that she accosted him and led him as an ox to his slaughter (see Proverbs 7:6–10). Paul warns us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). On the other hand, God promises that:
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin [including lust]” (I John 1:7).
The most powerful way to conquer lust with light is to expose our deeds to the light as explained in the following testimony given by a man named Paul.
“At the age of 8 I was introduced to pornography. By age 18, I was controlled by lust. Two weeks before marriage I shared all my past failures with my fiancée, except for a recent defeat. This set me up for years of failure.
“I knew it was wrong to hide my periodic defeat, but guilt, fear, and shame kept me bound. The more I hid the more I failed. No longer was it once a year, but many, many times. I was also having huge financial problems. I could not lead my family in any way. I was disconnecting from my wife, and our home life was in shambles. Yet, I wouldn’t believe it had anything to do with my secret lust.
“After several years, I purposed to confess my hidden sins. My wife was shocked and devastated. We set out to bring everything to light with no minimizing. For the next week, we slept very little and allowed the Lord to reveal every sin. We would confess it as sin to the Lord and each other and ask for forgiveness. Then we would renounce it and ask God to take back the ground we had given to the enemy.
“During these seven days, I also went to my children and confessed my sin and asked for their forgiveness. At that time I broke emotionally and wept like a baby. It was then that I learned that each of my children was also struggling with sexual temptations. We went through the same steps with them and there is now incredible freedom.”
The reason a man must tell his wife about his sins is that at marriage she is given authority over his body. (See I Corinthians 7:4.)
Paul’s testimony is one of many similar reports of how God is releasing men from deep-seated lust when they openly confess it. Scripture promises, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Let’s purpose now to conquer lust with light and ask God for grace, wisdom, and courage to do it.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin [including lust]” (I John 1:7).
The most powerful way to conquer lust with light is to expose our deeds to the light as explained in the following testimony given by a man named Paul.
“At the age of 8 I was introduced to pornography. By age 18, I was controlled by lust. Two weeks before marriage I shared all my past failures with my fiancée, except for a recent defeat. This set me up for years of failure.
“I knew it was wrong to hide my periodic defeat, but guilt, fear, and shame kept me bound. The more I hid the more I failed. No longer was it once a year, but many, many times. I was also having huge financial problems. I could not lead my family in any way. I was disconnecting from my wife, and our home life was in shambles. Yet, I wouldn’t believe it had anything to do with my secret lust.
“After several years, I purposed to confess my hidden sins. My wife was shocked and devastated. We set out to bring everything to light with no minimizing. For the next week, we slept very little and allowed the Lord to reveal every sin. We would confess it as sin to the Lord and each other and ask for forgiveness. Then we would renounce it and ask God to take back the ground we had given to the enemy.
“During these seven days, I also went to my children and confessed my sin and asked for their forgiveness. At that time I broke emotionally and wept like a baby. It was then that I learned that each of my children was also struggling with sexual temptations. We went through the same steps with them and there is now incredible freedom.”
The reason a man must tell his wife about his sins is that at marriage she is given authority over his body. (See I Corinthians 7:4.)
Paul’s testimony is one of many similar reports of how God is releasing men from deep-seated lust when they openly confess it. Scripture promises, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Let’s purpose now to conquer lust with light and ask God for grace, wisdom, and courage to do it.
Conquering Lust
Conquering lust is one of the most serious matters a man will undertake. The wisest man who ever lived was defeated by lust. The world’s strongest man was also defeated by lust, as well as David, who was a “man after God’s own heart.” (See I Kings 11:1–4, Judges 16:1–4, and II Samuel 11:1–5.)
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
The Disciple And His Attitude Toward Lust
The story is told of an ancient wrestling match that was particularly gruesome. Adrenaline flowed, because each man knew that if he lost the contest, his opponent would put his foot on his neck and call for a sword. He would then poke that sharpened sword into the eyes of his conquered foe.
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Miracle Of Reconciliation
When a flight attendant remembered how she had offended an acquaintance months earlier, she purposed to attempt reconciliation. However, she had no idea how to make contact, because that acquaintance lived in another country. The very next afternoon she received a phone call from that person!
The same thing happened to a young man who remembered how he had wronged a former teacher. He decided to contact the teacher, but did not know where to start. Five minutes later he stooped over to take a drink from a water fountain. When he straightened up and turned around, who should he see but that former teacher! Not all reconciliation encounters are this dramatic. However:
When we are prepared to make reconciliation, God will do whatever is necessary to make it happen.
The same thing happened to a young man who remembered how he had wronged a former teacher. He decided to contact the teacher, but did not know where to start. Five minutes later he stooped over to take a drink from a water fountain. When he straightened up and turned around, who should he see but that former teacher! Not all reconciliation encounters are this dramatic. However:
When we are prepared to make reconciliation, God will do whatever is necessary to make it happen.
Staying In Right Relationships
True reconciliation requires that we be genuinely repentant, humble, transparent, and sincere before God and before the one whom we have offended. These qualities must be expressed in the attitudes, actions, and words that we use to ask for his forgiveness.
Reconciliation involves a spirit-to-spirit communication in which our sincerity is instantly discerned.
Since few offenses are 100% our fault, and since we instinctively look for ways to justify our actions, our biggest challenge in reconciliation will be to focus on our part of the offense and be sincerely grieved over it. Any lack of true repentance will come out in statements such as these: “If I was wrong, will you forgive me?” or “I know that I was partly to blame; please forgive me,” or “I understand you were offended by what I did, and I apologize.”
Jacob knew that his life and the lives of his family members depended on his making reconciliation the right way. Esau was approaching with 400 men! Jacob wisely sent gifts to Esau before he even saw Esau face to face. Scripture states, “A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath” (Proverbs 21:14). Jacob referred to himself as Esau’s servant, and Jacob referred to Esau as his lord. He wrestled with the Lord for a blessing and bowed down seven times as he approached his offended brother.
When Esau saw evidences of sincere repentance, he ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. Jacob further demonstrated his sincerity by saying, “… I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God” (Genesis 33:10).
The prodigal son carefully chose his words of reconciliation: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19).
A request for forgiveness should be as brief as possible since it is one’s spirit that will be doing the real communicating. You should explain that God has convicted you of how wrong you were in offending him and that you have come to ask for his forgiveness. Explain how your offense must have deeply hurt him. The more you understand and “feel” his hurt, the easier it will be for him to forgive you. Be ready to make financial restitution if the damages were tangible.
Before you go, ask a friend to pray for you. This will strengthen and motivate you to follow through in the act of “dying to self” so that you can have a deeper experience of true life!
Reconciliation involves a spirit-to-spirit communication in which our sincerity is instantly discerned.
Since few offenses are 100% our fault, and since we instinctively look for ways to justify our actions, our biggest challenge in reconciliation will be to focus on our part of the offense and be sincerely grieved over it. Any lack of true repentance will come out in statements such as these: “If I was wrong, will you forgive me?” or “I know that I was partly to blame; please forgive me,” or “I understand you were offended by what I did, and I apologize.”
Jacob knew that his life and the lives of his family members depended on his making reconciliation the right way. Esau was approaching with 400 men! Jacob wisely sent gifts to Esau before he even saw Esau face to face. Scripture states, “A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath” (Proverbs 21:14). Jacob referred to himself as Esau’s servant, and Jacob referred to Esau as his lord. He wrestled with the Lord for a blessing and bowed down seven times as he approached his offended brother.
When Esau saw evidences of sincere repentance, he ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. Jacob further demonstrated his sincerity by saying, “… I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God” (Genesis 33:10).
The prodigal son carefully chose his words of reconciliation: “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19).
A request for forgiveness should be as brief as possible since it is one’s spirit that will be doing the real communicating. You should explain that God has convicted you of how wrong you were in offending him and that you have come to ask for his forgiveness. Explain how your offense must have deeply hurt him. The more you understand and “feel” his hurt, the easier it will be for him to forgive you. Be ready to make financial restitution if the damages were tangible.
Before you go, ask a friend to pray for you. This will strengthen and motivate you to follow through in the act of “dying to self” so that you can have a deeper experience of true life!
Restoring Relationships
Restoring a relationship with those whom we have offended is not easy. It requires that we set aside all the reasons we have been using to justify our offensive words, attitudes, or actions and seriously consider the offense from their perspectives. When tangible loss has been suffered, it is vital that we make full restitution in order to gain a clear conscience.
The cost of restitution is incidental compared to the cost of shipwrecking our faith with the lack of a clear conscience.
Paul sent Timothy into spiritual warfare with only two weapons: his faith and a clear conscience. He warned Timothy that those who fail to maintain a clear conscience will make shipwreck of their faith. (See I Timothy 1:19.) Paul himself affirmed the importance of a clear conscience when he stated, “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence [sic] toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). Purposing to make restitution demonstrates an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a willingness to do whatever is possible to restore the relationship.
When a businessman returned to a former employer to ask forgiveness for taking some funds out of the cash register, he brought with him the amount of money he had taken, plus interest. This was an especially difficult sacrifice to make, because the businessman was out of a job. The former employer was amazed by his action and accepted the check. Can you imagine the businessman’s surprise when this former employer then said, “I don’t know what you are doing now, but we are looking for an honest man to fill an important position in our company, and you have just qualified yourself as one by what you have done”!
We should not always expect such a good response when we make restitution, however. After a certain woman heard about the importance of making restitution, she went to authorities and confessed that she had killed a person. To make restitution, she had to serve a prison term. While she was in prison, she experienced God’s grace and had a rich ministry to fellow prisoners.
Most offenses involve wrongdoing by both parties, but the one who is more spiritual will initiate reconciliation.
Let’s ask the Lord to bring to our remembrance people whom we have damaged and discern what restitution would be appropriate.
The cost of restitution is incidental compared to the cost of shipwrecking our faith with the lack of a clear conscience.
Paul sent Timothy into spiritual warfare with only two weapons: his faith and a clear conscience. He warned Timothy that those who fail to maintain a clear conscience will make shipwreck of their faith. (See I Timothy 1:19.) Paul himself affirmed the importance of a clear conscience when he stated, “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence [sic] toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). Purposing to make restitution demonstrates an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and a willingness to do whatever is possible to restore the relationship.
When a businessman returned to a former employer to ask forgiveness for taking some funds out of the cash register, he brought with him the amount of money he had taken, plus interest. This was an especially difficult sacrifice to make, because the businessman was out of a job. The former employer was amazed by his action and accepted the check. Can you imagine the businessman’s surprise when this former employer then said, “I don’t know what you are doing now, but we are looking for an honest man to fill an important position in our company, and you have just qualified yourself as one by what you have done”!
We should not always expect such a good response when we make restitution, however. After a certain woman heard about the importance of making restitution, she went to authorities and confessed that she had killed a person. To make restitution, she had to serve a prison term. While she was in prison, she experienced God’s grace and had a rich ministry to fellow prisoners.
Most offenses involve wrongdoing by both parties, but the one who is more spiritual will initiate reconciliation.
Let’s ask the Lord to bring to our remembrance people whom we have damaged and discern what restitution would be appropriate.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Disciple Who Lacks Wisdom
We live in a day when the Law of God has been ruled out of legal systems, rejected by many churches, and reacted to by many Christians. The result is that every man does what is right in his own eyes, and the great riches and rewards that God wants to show the world are lost.
Now is the time for us to realize that there are rich treasures of wisdom and power in God’s Law. When we realize this, God will glorify Himself through our lives, and the world will know that the Lord of hosts rules and reigns through His Law.
“It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold … . I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:126–128).
Any person, family, city, or nation that discovers and uses the treasures of God’s wisdom will become a marvel to the world. This is the promise that God gave to the nation of Israel regarding His commandments: “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall … say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people … . What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law…” (Deuteronomy 4:6–8).
So how do we discover the hidden treasure of God’s wisdom? James gives us the starting point:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally … and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gives this instruction: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee … yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1–5).
The key to wisdom is having a proper fear of God, because “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Let’s take the first step by crying out to God for wisdom and lifting up our voices for understanding!
Now is the time for us to realize that there are rich treasures of wisdom and power in God’s Law. When we realize this, God will glorify Himself through our lives, and the world will know that the Lord of hosts rules and reigns through His Law.
“It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold … . I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:126–128).
Any person, family, city, or nation that discovers and uses the treasures of God’s wisdom will become a marvel to the world. This is the promise that God gave to the nation of Israel regarding His commandments: “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall … say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people … . What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law…” (Deuteronomy 4:6–8).
So how do we discover the hidden treasure of God’s wisdom? James gives us the starting point:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally … and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gives this instruction: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee … yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1–5).
The key to wisdom is having a proper fear of God, because “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Let’s take the first step by crying out to God for wisdom and lifting up our voices for understanding!
SOUL Salvation
David begins his praise of God’s Law with a profound statement in Psalm 19:7: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” One of the functions of God’s Law is to convert the mind, will, and emotions so that they are in harmony with God’s ways and thoughts. This is necessary because of God’s assessment recorded in Isaiah 55:8:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In Psalm 19:7, the Hebrew word translated converting is shuwb. It means to “return … come back to; to turn around (figuratively); to turn to Jehovah … to cease from … to restore (Lexical Aids to the Old Testament, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible). This same goal for the soul is given to us in James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
So, how does the Law of God convert the soul? Note the sequence in Psalm 19:
1. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The Law reveals the holy nature of God, which is in direct contrast to the sinful nature.
2. “The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Testimonies are the stories of God’s dealings with individuals and His nation. They reveal His ways, which often involve the birth, death, and fulfillment of a vision.
3. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.” Statutes are Biblical principles applied to specific situations. The heart affirms their wisdom.
4. “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to us truths that we would not otherwise understand and brings us to conclusions that we would not reach using our own reasoning.
5. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” When we are aware that God is watching and evaluating every one of our words, thoughts, and actions, we begin to understand wisdom, which is an essential tool for every converted soul.
6. “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” The formal decrees of God are just and right because they are expressions of His holy nature.
Until the soul is converted, we will not understand the ways of God and will often be frustrated by things that happen.
God’s Law can convert our souls, but only as we read it. When was the last time you read the five books of Moses?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
In Psalm 19:7, the Hebrew word translated converting is shuwb. It means to “return … come back to; to turn around (figuratively); to turn to Jehovah … to cease from … to restore (Lexical Aids to the Old Testament, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible). This same goal for the soul is given to us in James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
So, how does the Law of God convert the soul? Note the sequence in Psalm 19:
1. “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The Law reveals the holy nature of God, which is in direct contrast to the sinful nature.
2. “The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Testimonies are the stories of God’s dealings with individuals and His nation. They reveal His ways, which often involve the birth, death, and fulfillment of a vision.
3. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart.” Statutes are Biblical principles applied to specific situations. The heart affirms their wisdom.
4. “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” As we read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals to us truths that we would not otherwise understand and brings us to conclusions that we would not reach using our own reasoning.
5. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever.” When we are aware that God is watching and evaluating every one of our words, thoughts, and actions, we begin to understand wisdom, which is an essential tool for every converted soul.
6. “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.” The formal decrees of God are just and right because they are expressions of His holy nature.
Until the soul is converted, we will not understand the ways of God and will often be frustrated by things that happen.
God’s Law can convert our souls, but only as we read it. When was the last time you read the five books of Moses?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The Disciples Ability To Forget His Past
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.There are two things I want you to notice about this passage Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi: "forgetting those things which are behind," and "reaching forth unto those things which are before."
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(Phil. 3:12-14)
Before you can go on with God, you must forget about the past. Paul, once known as Saul of Tarsus, had to forget about his past as a persecutor of Christians in order to minister effectively.
Let's notice something Paul said about himself in writing to Timothy:
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;The Word of God tells us that Saul was present at the stoning of Stephen:
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
(1 Tim. 1:11-16)
And cast him (Stephen) out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.And Saul consented to Stephen's death:
(Acts 7:58)
And Saul was consenting unto his death....Turning further in the Acts of the Apostles, you can read an account that Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote about Paul:
(Acts 8:1)
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.But thank God, God's great mercy reached Paul! That's one thing he was talking about when he said, "Forgetting those things which are behind...I press toward the mark."
(Acts 9:1-2)
It would have been a terrible thing for Paul to continually remember the havoc he had wrought in the Church by consenting to the death of Stephen and persecuting believers.
Dear friends, if we are to be successful in our Christian life and ministry, there is one thing we must do—and it's a lesson Paul learned: We must learn to forget. If we don't learn this lesson, we'll be handicapped the rest of our life in living for God.
Remember this: The Lord Himself said in Isaiah, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions...and will not remember thy sins [iniquities]" (Isa. 43:25). If He doesn't remember them, why should you?
God didn't say He wouldn't remember yours sins or iniquities for your sake (although you get the benefit of it); He said it was for His sake He'll not remember your sins.
Why? So He can bless you. So He can help you. So He can demonstrate His great mercy and love on your behalf.
Learning To Forget
Looking further at that 26th verse, we realize it is an invitation from God to come before Him and state your case. It's talking about prayer: "Put me in remembrance: let us PLEAD together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified."
A marginal note in some Bibles says, "Set forth your case." And you can do that only when you learn to forget.
Coming over to the New Testament, we see a similar verse in Hebrews 8:12:
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.You can see that Paul had to forget his past in order to walk on with God and to stand in the full potential of the office and ministry God had called him to.
Seek First: The Disciples Priorities
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:31–33
Matthew 6:31–33
As a child of God, know that it is your Father’s pleasure to meet all your needs. Jesus Himself tells us, “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But God does not want you to seek after things. He wants you to seek first His kingdom. And when you do that, all the things that you need will be added to you!
So your first priority every day is to seek His kingdom. The word “first” in verse 33 is the Greek word proton, which means “first in order or importance, holding the highest place in all our affections.” My friend, God wants us to seek first His kingdom, and all things will fall gloriously in place.
We are not to seek after things the way Gentiles do. The word “seek” in “the Gentiles seek” (verse 32) is the Greek word epizeteo. It means “to seek with all their might with much sweat or with much stress”. However, the way God wants us to “seek” in “seek first the kingdom of God” is the Greek word zeteo, which means “to hunger, to desire to worship.” It is simply a hungering, a desiring for the kingdom of God, without any labor or toil.
But what is the kingdom of God? Romans 14:17 tells us that it is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And the kingdom of God dwells within you because the Holy Spirit indwells you. So the kingdom of God is His righteousness, peace and joy in you.
Beloved, if you want to have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit flowing inside you, then seek every day to be conscious of your righteousness in Christ, not your own righteousness, but His righteousness given to you as a gift. Pursue Jesus first. Spend time with Him and listen to His Word. And when you do these things, you are seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the things that you need will be added to you!
Kingdom Greatness
After commanding us not to think that He had come to destroy the Law, Jesus gave the following instruction: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:18–19).
Why would Jesus issue such strong penalties or rewards for breaking or obeying the least of the commandments? To understand this command, we must remember Jesus’ response to the lawyer who asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus declared:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength … . And … Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30–31).
If this is the greatest commandment, then why is so much importance placed on the least commandments? Jesus explained the relationship between the two when He stated, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40).
Therefore, every law, great or small, is a practical expression of how to love God and how to love others. Failing in any area and teaching others to fail in that same area is a major concern to God.
Jesus gave further warning about this matter in the next verse: “… Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
The scribes and the Pharisees focused on the letter of the Law and missed the spirit of the Law. Because they missed the point of loving others, they actually negated the laws of God. For example, the Law tells us to honor our parents. However, the Pharisees worked out a clever plan whereby they could dedicate their money to the Temple, while still using it, but tell their parents they had no money to give them. Jesus condemned this by saying:
“… Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Matthew 15:6).
So, to be great in God’s kingdom, let’s begin to look at the Law through the eyes of Jesus. Let’s meditate on each command until we understand how it teaches us to love God and love others.
Why would Jesus issue such strong penalties or rewards for breaking or obeying the least of the commandments? To understand this command, we must remember Jesus’ response to the lawyer who asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus declared:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength … . And … Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30–31).
If this is the greatest commandment, then why is so much importance placed on the least commandments? Jesus explained the relationship between the two when He stated, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40).
Therefore, every law, great or small, is a practical expression of how to love God and how to love others. Failing in any area and teaching others to fail in that same area is a major concern to God.
Jesus gave further warning about this matter in the next verse: “… Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
The scribes and the Pharisees focused on the letter of the Law and missed the spirit of the Law. Because they missed the point of loving others, they actually negated the laws of God. For example, the Law tells us to honor our parents. However, the Pharisees worked out a clever plan whereby they could dedicate their money to the Temple, while still using it, but tell their parents they had no money to give them. Jesus condemned this by saying:
“… Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition” (Matthew 15:6).
So, to be great in God’s kingdom, let’s begin to look at the Law through the eyes of Jesus. Let’s meditate on each command until we understand how it teaches us to love God and love others.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Overcoming The Fear Of Man by Kate McVeigh
After I went to Bible School, I began to receive invitations to minister. Speaking in front of people was a strong area of intimidation for me as a schoolgirl. Well, I started to preach. I shook, quivered, and trembled, but remained determined to overcome the intimidation of people and hold on tightly to God's hand.
I confessed over and over, "...I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isa. 41:13).
I was especially intimidated in certain meetings where other ministers were gathered. I remember praying, "Lord, deliver me from being intimidated around my peers, and help me to overcome fear and to be bold!" And then I confessed, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and I am as bold as a lion!"
Then I learned a very important lesson: we should be careful what we pray for!
Suddenly, well-known preachers and teachers were in almost every meeting I attended. When I prayed for God to deliver me, He sent me right into that situation! If I allowed the devil to get the best of me by taking over my thoughts, I would just fold up—and I couldn't do that!
Rev. Kenneth Hagin hosted a series of Holy Ghost meetings about that time, and I attended as many of those meetings as I could. One particular evening, after a day off that had turned into a entire day of shopping, I decided to slip into the meeting to hear some good preaching.
I hadn't spent a lot of time in prayer that day. I hadn't even washed my hair! I thought, "This is my day off. I'm not going to have to do anything there. I'm just going to go over there and receive the Word of the Lord."
I grabbed a Bible on my way out the door and found a seat in the auditorium just as Brother Hagin stepped to the podium. He said, "The Lord is using women in ministry today...." I praised the Lord and thought, "I'm glad he said that. That's good news for me!"
Brother Hagin continued, "As a matter of fact, we're going to have a woman preach tonight." I thought, "Wow! Cool! I wonder who it is. This is going to be good." He said, "Kate...." And my heart went...whomp!
Then I thought, "Maybe there's another Kate out hear somewhere. I sure hope so." But Brother Hagin said, "Kate McVeigh, come on up here and preach." Talk about intimidation trying to get a stronghold!
Once I recovered from the shock and finally stood to my feet, I started walking toward the front of the auditorium when someone reminded me that I didn't have my Bible, so I went back to my seat, grabbed my Bible, and took off.
You can imagine what went through my mind when I got to the podium and realized that the Bible I had picked up as I ran out of the house was one of those daily devotional Bibles laid out with selected passage of Scripture from the Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs. It isn't really designed as a reference book. It's a method of reading through the Bible in a year.
I knew I couldn't preach from that Bible! I wouldn't be able to locate scriptures quickly enough, so I didn't read them, I quoted them.
Praise the Lord! He moved powerfully that evening, and after the first few minutes of crippling fear, I became very bold. I learned that God can do anything...through anyone...in spite of all kinds of uncomfortable circumstances.
I confessed over and over, "...I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isa. 41:13).
I was especially intimidated in certain meetings where other ministers were gathered. I remember praying, "Lord, deliver me from being intimidated around my peers, and help me to overcome fear and to be bold!" And then I confessed, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and I am as bold as a lion!"
Then I learned a very important lesson: we should be careful what we pray for!
Suddenly, well-known preachers and teachers were in almost every meeting I attended. When I prayed for God to deliver me, He sent me right into that situation! If I allowed the devil to get the best of me by taking over my thoughts, I would just fold up—and I couldn't do that!
Rev. Kenneth Hagin hosted a series of Holy Ghost meetings about that time, and I attended as many of those meetings as I could. One particular evening, after a day off that had turned into a entire day of shopping, I decided to slip into the meeting to hear some good preaching.
I hadn't spent a lot of time in prayer that day. I hadn't even washed my hair! I thought, "This is my day off. I'm not going to have to do anything there. I'm just going to go over there and receive the Word of the Lord."
I grabbed a Bible on my way out the door and found a seat in the auditorium just as Brother Hagin stepped to the podium. He said, "The Lord is using women in ministry today...." I praised the Lord and thought, "I'm glad he said that. That's good news for me!"
Brother Hagin continued, "As a matter of fact, we're going to have a woman preach tonight." I thought, "Wow! Cool! I wonder who it is. This is going to be good." He said, "Kate...." And my heart went...whomp!
Then I thought, "Maybe there's another Kate out hear somewhere. I sure hope so." But Brother Hagin said, "Kate McVeigh, come on up here and preach." Talk about intimidation trying to get a stronghold!
Once I recovered from the shock and finally stood to my feet, I started walking toward the front of the auditorium when someone reminded me that I didn't have my Bible, so I went back to my seat, grabbed my Bible, and took off.
You can imagine what went through my mind when I got to the podium and realized that the Bible I had picked up as I ran out of the house was one of those daily devotional Bibles laid out with selected passage of Scripture from the Old and New Testaments, Psalms, and Proverbs. It isn't really designed as a reference book. It's a method of reading through the Bible in a year.
I knew I couldn't preach from that Bible! I wouldn't be able to locate scriptures quickly enough, so I didn't read them, I quoted them.
Praise the Lord! He moved powerfully that evening, and after the first few minutes of crippling fear, I became very bold. I learned that God can do anything...through anyone...in spite of all kinds of uncomfortable circumstances.
No Regrets
Imagine your life is over and you’re standing in front of a big DVD player. God inserts a disc with your name on it labeled, “What might have been.” It details everything He wanted to accomplish through you: How He wanted to bless you financially, but you were afraid to sow into His kingdom and be generous with others. How He wanted to use your gifts, but you lacked the discipline to develop them and the courage to use them. How He gave you great relationships, but you weren’t truthful and loving enough to maintain them. How He longed to reproduce in you the character of Christ, but you refused to deal with your sin, resist temptation, and pursue spiritual growth.
The poet said, “Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these—it might have been.” But there’s a bright side. As long as you’re still breathing, you can close the gap between what is and what can be. So stop and ask yourself, “What can I do now to live without regrets later?” Here’s what: Start renewing your mind each day with God’s Word instead of filling it with junk. Use your talents and your treasures to build His kingdom instead of your own.
If you do, you’ll discover that God gives “seed to the sower” (2 Cor. 9:10 NIV). The more seed you sow, the more seed God will give you. And how about making time to disciple somebody? That way your legacy will be greater than your lifespan. It’s not too late to become the person you might have been—if you’re willing to start today.
The poet said, “Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these—it might have been.” But there’s a bright side. As long as you’re still breathing, you can close the gap between what is and what can be. So stop and ask yourself, “What can I do now to live without regrets later?” Here’s what: Start renewing your mind each day with God’s Word instead of filling it with junk. Use your talents and your treasures to build His kingdom instead of your own.
If you do, you’ll discover that God gives “seed to the sower” (2 Cor. 9:10 NIV). The more seed you sow, the more seed God will give you. And how about making time to disciple somebody? That way your legacy will be greater than your lifespan. It’s not too late to become the person you might have been—if you’re willing to start today.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Obedient Disciple
Obedience brings the blessing to your life. Deuteronomy 28:15 says: But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee....
Obedience opens the door to the blessings. Disobedience blocks the blessings and opens the door to a curse. I want to share with you four possible areas where you might have been disobedient, or four ways to get out of this rut.
1. Put God's Word First
Ask yourself, "Am I putting God first place in my life or have I let things become more important to me?" Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
God is not against us having things; He is against things having us. God wants to bless you beyond your wildest imaginations. But is your primary pursuit to know Him, to be more like Him? If God plays a secondary role in your life, then a door has been opened for Satan to come in and block God's blessings. If you are putting God first, then the door has been shut. Satan does not have the right to block your blessings.
2. Live a Godly Lifestyle
Are you living a godly lifestyle or have you accepted the world's standards for moral conduct? The Bible says, "...be holy, for I am holy" (Lev. 11:45). How is your lifestyle? Is it pleasing to God? Is the Holy Spirit comfortable in your home, in your car, among your friends?
Our disregard for God's standards for moral behavior has everything to do with our blessings being blocked. You can't compromise God's standards and expect the blessings to flow. We must examine the shows we watch, the words of our mouth, the influences around us if we want to get out of the rut we're in. God will bless those who respect His guidelines for moral living.
3. Walk in Love
Are you walking in love or is there strife and unforgiveness in your heart? Jesus said in John 13:34:A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Blessings are blocked when we refuse to walk in love. No matter how difficult it might seem, no matter how many layers of flesh it may peel off of you: forgive. Stay out of strife. Get rid of bitterness. It is a blessing blocker. It will keep your life in a deep rut if you don't dig it out by faith and daily choose to forgive. It's never too late to begin the process of walking in love.
4. Honor God With Your Tithes
Are you honoring God with your tithes and your offerings, or are you robbing Him? Malachi 3:8,9 says: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse...
In other words, because you don't honor God with your tithes and offerings, your blessings have been blocked.
Are you in a financial rut? If so, then let's look at your giving. Are you giving God what belongs to Him? The proper attitude for tithing is to set it aside first. Don't pay everybody else and then if there is anything left over, bring it to God. Your money will go a lot further on ninety percent and giving God His ten percent than you keeping 100 percent for yourself. Trust me.
If you've discovered your life is in a rut, it's time to make the changes to get out. We have to take an inventory of our lives. Is God still first place in your life? Are you pursuing God with your whole heart, your whole strength, your whole being or have things and people become more important to you?
Are you walking in love or are you harboring strife and unforgiveness and bitterness? Are you living a lifestyle pleasing to God? Are you honoring God with your tithes and offerings? Go through the checklist of these four different things and be honest with yourself. It could be where disobedience lies. It could be the cause of the rut you've found yourself in.
Make whatever corrections you need to make. Ask God to forgive you. Say what David said in Psalm 67:1: "God be merciful unto us, and bless us...." We can ask God for forgiveness in these areas of disobedience and He will forgive us. The barriers will be removed. The cause for the curse will be removed and the blessings will flow. But we have to be consistent. You can do it.
Obedience opens the door to the blessings. Disobedience blocks the blessings and opens the door to a curse. I want to share with you four possible areas where you might have been disobedient, or four ways to get out of this rut.
1. Put God's Word First
Ask yourself, "Am I putting God first place in my life or have I let things become more important to me?" Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
God is not against us having things; He is against things having us. God wants to bless you beyond your wildest imaginations. But is your primary pursuit to know Him, to be more like Him? If God plays a secondary role in your life, then a door has been opened for Satan to come in and block God's blessings. If you are putting God first, then the door has been shut. Satan does not have the right to block your blessings.
2. Live a Godly Lifestyle
Are you living a godly lifestyle or have you accepted the world's standards for moral conduct? The Bible says, "...be holy, for I am holy" (Lev. 11:45). How is your lifestyle? Is it pleasing to God? Is the Holy Spirit comfortable in your home, in your car, among your friends?
Our disregard for God's standards for moral behavior has everything to do with our blessings being blocked. You can't compromise God's standards and expect the blessings to flow. We must examine the shows we watch, the words of our mouth, the influences around us if we want to get out of the rut we're in. God will bless those who respect His guidelines for moral living.
3. Walk in Love
Are you walking in love or is there strife and unforgiveness in your heart? Jesus said in John 13:34:A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Blessings are blocked when we refuse to walk in love. No matter how difficult it might seem, no matter how many layers of flesh it may peel off of you: forgive. Stay out of strife. Get rid of bitterness. It is a blessing blocker. It will keep your life in a deep rut if you don't dig it out by faith and daily choose to forgive. It's never too late to begin the process of walking in love.
4. Honor God With Your Tithes
Are you honoring God with your tithes and your offerings, or are you robbing Him? Malachi 3:8,9 says: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse...
In other words, because you don't honor God with your tithes and offerings, your blessings have been blocked.
Are you in a financial rut? If so, then let's look at your giving. Are you giving God what belongs to Him? The proper attitude for tithing is to set it aside first. Don't pay everybody else and then if there is anything left over, bring it to God. Your money will go a lot further on ninety percent and giving God His ten percent than you keeping 100 percent for yourself. Trust me.
If you've discovered your life is in a rut, it's time to make the changes to get out. We have to take an inventory of our lives. Is God still first place in your life? Are you pursuing God with your whole heart, your whole strength, your whole being or have things and people become more important to you?
Are you walking in love or are you harboring strife and unforgiveness and bitterness? Are you living a lifestyle pleasing to God? Are you honoring God with your tithes and offerings? Go through the checklist of these four different things and be honest with yourself. It could be where disobedience lies. It could be the cause of the rut you've found yourself in.
Make whatever corrections you need to make. Ask God to forgive you. Say what David said in Psalm 67:1: "God be merciful unto us, and bless us...." We can ask God for forgiveness in these areas of disobedience and He will forgive us. The barriers will be removed. The cause for the curse will be removed and the blessings will flow. But we have to be consistent. You can do it.
The Blessing vs. The Curse
One of the myths floating around the body of Christ is the myth concerning curses. There are those who believe that curses are so powerful that they can destroy the life of the believer; however one must remember that the devil uses fear to manipulate and control the life of anyone who will give place to it. How does a curse affect a believer? Should we be afraid of curses? What about generational curses?
When we are born again we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. When we are in the kingdom of light, the devil has no more authority over us other than the authority that we give him.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
We have been bought with a price and redeemed and no longer belong to the power of darkness; we belong to the kingdom of God. We are children of the living God. We are children of the light. There is not enough darkness to put out the smallest light.
Some might argue, "Well, the devil this and the devil that." However, the devil cannot touch us when we are walking in the light. The only time that he can touch us is when we open the door to him by not walking according to the Word of God.
The fact of the matter is that when God blessed you nothing can be done to reverse it.
In Christ we have these blessings and the curse cannot touch us. We have been blessed with all of heaven's blessings. This is not something that needs to happen, this is something that has already taken place. We need to walk as believers in the finished work of the cross.
When we as believers believe that the curse is powerful, we underestimate the power of the cross, the power of the Blood and the power of the resurrection, thus making weak the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary and broke the power of the curse. (Col. 2:15)
The reasons why many believers are affected by curses I believe is:
1. Fear
2. The lack of knowledge of the Word of God
3. Not understanding the Father's love in relationship to the new covenant.
Fear is a terrible thing, gripping at the minds and hearts of anyone who will open the door. It is so in Africa and other parts of the world where people practice witchcraft and fear is a common factor that gives the witch doctor the power over them.
In Africa and Australia for example, if the witch doctor arrives in a village and sings and chants and throws bones, then everyone knows in that village that someone is going to die. The next morning...sure enough someone will have died. This is common. What killed those people? Simply this—Fear.
The reason that I say this is because if you are a child of God Almighty, then you have to realize that the devil has very limited power over you. The only power that he has over you is the power you give him.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6 KJV)
The reason they are destroyed is because of their lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
We must find out what God's Word says and then appropriate the promises in our lives. Remember this, the devil knows the scripture because he quoted it to Eve as well as Jesus.
He loves to twist the scripture and to get you as the believer to think that God is not for you and that He is against you. As a new believer, we must realize that we are new creations in Christ Jesus—old things have past away, all things are new.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)
The reason why this verse is so important is because the scripture says to rightly divide the Word. That happen can only as we study God's Word. Rightly divide—what does that mean? You will be amazed how many of God's children don't know the difference between the Old and the New Testaments (covenants).
What happens is that they take a little of the old and mix it with the new and come up with their own covenant. One minute they are under the law, the next they are under grace and they become double-minded and have no clue—they remind me of a Canadian goose lost in a thunderstorm trying to find its way.
They end up going from bondage back to freedom and then back to bondage. They don't understand the heart of the Father God and His great Love for His children. Jesus came to pay the price for our complete redemption.
God loves us so much and wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed. He has made every provision for our blessing. This was made manifest at the cross of Calvary.
As children of the living God, we have absolutely nothing to fear from the curse because Jesus has come to bring us into the blessing.
The Curse is not Greater than the Blessing!
The choice is ours—what will it be? Blessing or cursing, it's up to you.
Things that you need to do to walk in God's blessings daily:
1. Realize that God is for you and not against you.
2. Walk in His Word and obey Him completely.
3. The choice is yours; blessing or cursing...it's up to you.
4. The curse will be far from you, because Christ hath redeemed you from the curse of the law. He has paid it in full.
5. The blessings are to a thousand generations of them who fear God.
6. The curse is to the third and forth generation of them who hate God.
When we are born again we are translated out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light. When we are in the kingdom of light, the devil has no more authority over us other than the authority that we give him.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
We have been bought with a price and redeemed and no longer belong to the power of darkness; we belong to the kingdom of God. We are children of the living God. We are children of the light. There is not enough darkness to put out the smallest light.
Some might argue, "Well, the devil this and the devil that." However, the devil cannot touch us when we are walking in the light. The only time that he can touch us is when we open the door to him by not walking according to the Word of God.
The fact of the matter is that when God blessed you nothing can be done to reverse it.
In Christ we have these blessings and the curse cannot touch us. We have been blessed with all of heaven's blessings. This is not something that needs to happen, this is something that has already taken place. We need to walk as believers in the finished work of the cross.
When we as believers believe that the curse is powerful, we underestimate the power of the cross, the power of the Blood and the power of the resurrection, thus making weak the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Jesus defeated the devil at Calvary and broke the power of the curse. (Col. 2:15)
The reasons why many believers are affected by curses I believe is:
1. Fear
2. The lack of knowledge of the Word of God
3. Not understanding the Father's love in relationship to the new covenant.
Fear is a terrible thing, gripping at the minds and hearts of anyone who will open the door. It is so in Africa and other parts of the world where people practice witchcraft and fear is a common factor that gives the witch doctor the power over them.
In Africa and Australia for example, if the witch doctor arrives in a village and sings and chants and throws bones, then everyone knows in that village that someone is going to die. The next morning...sure enough someone will have died. This is common. What killed those people? Simply this—Fear.
The reason that I say this is because if you are a child of God Almighty, then you have to realize that the devil has very limited power over you. The only power that he has over you is the power you give him.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6 KJV)
The reason they are destroyed is because of their lack of knowledge of the Word of God.
We must find out what God's Word says and then appropriate the promises in our lives. Remember this, the devil knows the scripture because he quoted it to Eve as well as Jesus.
He loves to twist the scripture and to get you as the believer to think that God is not for you and that He is against you. As a new believer, we must realize that we are new creations in Christ Jesus—old things have past away, all things are new.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)
The reason why this verse is so important is because the scripture says to rightly divide the Word. That happen can only as we study God's Word. Rightly divide—what does that mean? You will be amazed how many of God's children don't know the difference between the Old and the New Testaments (covenants).
What happens is that they take a little of the old and mix it with the new and come up with their own covenant. One minute they are under the law, the next they are under grace and they become double-minded and have no clue—they remind me of a Canadian goose lost in a thunderstorm trying to find its way.
They end up going from bondage back to freedom and then back to bondage. They don't understand the heart of the Father God and His great Love for His children. Jesus came to pay the price for our complete redemption.
God loves us so much and wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed. He has made every provision for our blessing. This was made manifest at the cross of Calvary.
As children of the living God, we have absolutely nothing to fear from the curse because Jesus has come to bring us into the blessing.
The Curse is not Greater than the Blessing!
The choice is ours—what will it be? Blessing or cursing, it's up to you.
Things that you need to do to walk in God's blessings daily:
1. Realize that God is for you and not against you.
2. Walk in His Word and obey Him completely.
3. The choice is yours; blessing or cursing...it's up to you.
4. The curse will be far from you, because Christ hath redeemed you from the curse of the law. He has paid it in full.
5. The blessings are to a thousand generations of them who fear God.
6. The curse is to the third and forth generation of them who hate God.
The Authority Of The Disciple
As Believers, we are involved in spiritual warfare on a daily basis. Now, you may be thinking, “Brother Murphy, I am not fighting anything.” But the reason many of us do not realize that we are in battle is because we are only seeing things from a natural perspective.
However, I want to challenge your thinking regarding this matter. Even if we think the topic of spiritual warfare is too “deep,” that type of thinking will not stop our enemy from attacking us. Just as Heaven and Hell are real places, Satan, demons, and God’s angels also exist. Therefore, it is time that we recognize these facts and begin to gird ourselves up with the armor and weapons that we receive from the Word of God so that we can effectively fight— and win— the battle of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10).
The battles we fight against evil manifest through things we can see and feel in this natural realm. For instance, spiritual warfare shows up in the form of frustrations that we deal with in life, as well as through conversations with people whose negative words affect our thoughts.
The secret battles we fight may come in the form of addictive behaviors, causing uncontrolled emotional responses such as anger, or other negative emotions. Whatever the battle is, we should recognize that we are not really fighting against people. We are fighting against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, New Living Translation).
The good news is, we can always win these battles when we know who we are, whom we are fighting, and how to fight.
Satanic and demonic forces have a primary goal — to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). But Jesus came to this Earth and died for us so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Although we experience spiritual attacks, Jesus has given us authority over all the power and ability of Satan (Luke 10:19). However the problem is that many times we try to deal with the onslaughts of the enemy through natural means only.
This type of thinking opens the door to defeat. We cannot fight spiritual battles using our natural abilities. Although there are things we must do in the natural, we must also do the spiritual things, like spending time in prayer, and reading, studying, and confessing the Word of God.
We do not have to tolerate the attacks of the enemy because we have been given authority over the works of Satan in our lives. It is because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we have been given the authority.
Therefore, as Believers, we can open our mouths and declare our authority by faith. We can boldly say, By the authority of Jesus Christ, and through and by His blood, I command you Satan to stop this attack! I command you to stop your maneuvers through this person or this situation.
When we know and use our authority, we are acknowledging and establishing our faith in who we are in Christ. You do not have to tolerate trouble. Choose, instead, to exercise your authority by speaking faith-filled words. When you boldly declare what you have a right to, demons and satanic forces will flee. This is the way we fight and win.
However, I want to challenge your thinking regarding this matter. Even if we think the topic of spiritual warfare is too “deep,” that type of thinking will not stop our enemy from attacking us. Just as Heaven and Hell are real places, Satan, demons, and God’s angels also exist. Therefore, it is time that we recognize these facts and begin to gird ourselves up with the armor and weapons that we receive from the Word of God so that we can effectively fight— and win— the battle of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10).
The battles we fight against evil manifest through things we can see and feel in this natural realm. For instance, spiritual warfare shows up in the form of frustrations that we deal with in life, as well as through conversations with people whose negative words affect our thoughts.
The secret battles we fight may come in the form of addictive behaviors, causing uncontrolled emotional responses such as anger, or other negative emotions. Whatever the battle is, we should recognize that we are not really fighting against people. We are fighting against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, New Living Translation).
The good news is, we can always win these battles when we know who we are, whom we are fighting, and how to fight.
Satanic and demonic forces have a primary goal — to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). But Jesus came to this Earth and died for us so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Although we experience spiritual attacks, Jesus has given us authority over all the power and ability of Satan (Luke 10:19). However the problem is that many times we try to deal with the onslaughts of the enemy through natural means only.
This type of thinking opens the door to defeat. We cannot fight spiritual battles using our natural abilities. Although there are things we must do in the natural, we must also do the spiritual things, like spending time in prayer, and reading, studying, and confessing the Word of God.
We do not have to tolerate the attacks of the enemy because we have been given authority over the works of Satan in our lives. It is because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we have been given the authority.
Therefore, as Believers, we can open our mouths and declare our authority by faith. We can boldly say, By the authority of Jesus Christ, and through and by His blood, I command you Satan to stop this attack! I command you to stop your maneuvers through this person or this situation.
When we know and use our authority, we are acknowledging and establishing our faith in who we are in Christ. You do not have to tolerate trouble. Choose, instead, to exercise your authority by speaking faith-filled words. When you boldly declare what you have a right to, demons and satanic forces will flee. This is the way we fight and win.
Faith and Vision: Building Your House On The Refrigerator
A minister said he was looking at some beautiful houses in a magazine one day and noticed that in one of them, there was a study that He really liked. So He cut out the picture. He said He's building a house on his refrigerator with cutouts from the magazine.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Other translations say, "Where there is no vision, the people go wild," or "go out of their minds." Also, when you read the word "law," the word "commandment," or the word "precept" in Scripture, it is referring to the Word of God. So without changing its meaning, turn this verse around and it can very easily be translated to read, "Where there is vision, the people prosper, and he that keeps the Word of God will walk in joy."
The one thing God has given us to help maintain an enthusiasm of faith is to be able to look toward the future and see the vision. And everyone must have a vision. The vision you need is found in the Word of God because the Word lays out our potential for us: What God's Word says we can do, we can do. What it says we can have, we can have. What it says we can be, we can be.
Our potential is built in the Word of God. And that's where you begin with your vision. If you don't yet have a vision, you start where God has told you who you are in Him.
I thank God that it doesn't matter who we are in ourselves. It only matters who we are in Him. That's the difference between being self-conscious and being God-conscious. God always gives you a choice. You can choose to be aware of God and what He wants you to do, or you can choose to be aware of yourself and do your own thing. Personally, I'd rather be doing God's thing.
But to do God's thing, you must realize that your vision is found in the Word of God. And the details of that vision come by setting aside time every day to be in His presence, in intimate fellowship with the Father. The vision is conceived in those times. The vision is nurtured in those times. And also, the vision is birthed in those times.
When you never take time for intimate fellowship with the Father, you'll never get the details. It's hard to get details on the run. You have to have a face-to-face relationship to do that. And guess what? He wants you to have vision. He wants to give you details. Not only that, but He also wants to enlarge the vision so that you are filled with it. God likes big vision.
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." All things are possible to anyone who believes. You have to be willing to not listen to anyone who wants to speak doubt and unbelief to you. You have to take the word "doubt" out of your vocabulary. Instead, align your vocabulary with heaven's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to faith's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to the Word of God.
Your vision, the vision that God has given you, the vision that God is building in your heart, is possible. Why? Because you believe. Even when you can't see it, you believe it. Even when you can't touch it, you believe it. And the highest kind of faith is faith that believes on the authority of the Word of God alone, and does not demand evidence to know that it's true. That's the centurion kind of faith.
Remember the centurion who came to Jesus and said, "My servant lieth at home sick"? When Jesus answered him saying, "I will come and heal him," the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt. 8:6-8).
The Word of God says when Jesus heard that statement, He marveled at this man's faith. This man was operating in the highest realm of faith - the faith that does not demand evidence. Jesus called it "so great faith" (v. 10). Sometimes I say to myself, "I believe. I'm a believer. I believe the Word of God. I believe it in the Name of Jesus." You have to say those words to yourself every now and then. You have to say them over and over again because sometimes the circumstances around you just don't look like they agree with the vision.
Remember, the vision in your heart is possible to those who believe. Your faith is inseparable from your vision. Whatever vision you have on the inside, whether it's a small, medium or large vision, your faith is going to work to produce that vision.
The spiritual force of the faith which is on the inside of you will take those pictures and those images from deep within your heart and begin to produce the vision and bring it to pass. Your vision is the blueprint of whatever your faith wants to build. And the builder works from that blueprint. "Faith is the substance [the ground, the title deed] of things hoped for, [the things I have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation and a vision for]" (Heb. 11:1 AMP).
That scripture says my faith is the evidence of my vision, and your faith is the evidence of your vision. It's the evidence of things that you have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation for. Your faith wants to build your vision. Your faith is just as determined as the kid on the football team who is sitting on the bench saying, "Coach, let me in. Let me play. Let me get in there."
Do you have a vision? Can you see it? What are you doing to supplement and supply the vision that you have on the inside of you? Because whatever it is, that's what you will eventually achieve. That's what you will become.
Just as you learn to walk by taking one step at a time, you also have to take steps in your faith. And there is nothing wrong with enlarging your vision. God wants you to think big.
You have to keep the vision alive and before you. We could take a clue from how the world uses this principle in their marketing and advertising. They use the print media (billboards, the sides of buses and signs in airports) and television. These are things the public sees. They use radio; this is what the public hears. We are surrounded with people who are trying to convince us to think the way they think and tell us to go buy what they are selling.
This is the idea: If you see it enough, you'll buy it. And then you'll like it. This same principle works in the Word of God. If you're putting the world in front of you, you are going to become like the world. If you put the Word in front of you, you'll become like the Word. We must be extremely selective in what we put in front of our eyes. The enemy tries to deceive us by building images and visions before us, even from the time we are children. He'll show us visions and pictures of our parents or our grandparents who are in lack or are poor and doing without.
Since that image is constantly before us, we think we should live that way. The devil puts images of failure, defeat, worry, and fear before us. But the Word of God gives us an image of success, victory, abundance and peace. What are you going to keep before you? What you behold, what you look at, what you meditate on and what you think about are what you are going to become.
Second Corinthians 3:12-13 says, "Since we have such [glorious] hope, such (joyful and confident) expectation, we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. Nor (do we act) like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing (splendor which had been upon it)" (AMP).
In other words, Moses would go up into the mountain to talk with the Lord. Then he would put a veil over his face, come down the mountain and then talk to the people. But he would keep the veil over his face, and the glory began to wane and diminish.
"In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused, they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding, for until this present day, when the Old Testament is being read, that same veil still lies on their hearts, not being lifted to reveal that in Christ it is made void and done away. Yes, down to this very day whenever Moses is read a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. But whenever a person turns (in repentance) to the Lord the veil is stripped off and taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage and freedom. And all of us, as with unveiled faces, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured" (vv. 14-18, AMP).
If there are some things that you know you should not be exposing yourself to, cut them out of your life - for the sake of the anointing, for the sake of the glory of God, for the sake of the vision. Get rid of them. The force of faith is working within you to conform you to whatever image you are seeing. It is working to bring your vision to pass. And as you behold the Word of God, and you behold the glory of the Word, you will, in increasing splendor, go from glory to glory. You will become what you behold.
Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Other translations say, "Where there is no vision, the people go wild," or "go out of their minds." Also, when you read the word "law," the word "commandment," or the word "precept" in Scripture, it is referring to the Word of God. So without changing its meaning, turn this verse around and it can very easily be translated to read, "Where there is vision, the people prosper, and he that keeps the Word of God will walk in joy."
The one thing God has given us to help maintain an enthusiasm of faith is to be able to look toward the future and see the vision. And everyone must have a vision. The vision you need is found in the Word of God because the Word lays out our potential for us: What God's Word says we can do, we can do. What it says we can have, we can have. What it says we can be, we can be.
Our potential is built in the Word of God. And that's where you begin with your vision. If you don't yet have a vision, you start where God has told you who you are in Him.
I thank God that it doesn't matter who we are in ourselves. It only matters who we are in Him. That's the difference between being self-conscious and being God-conscious. God always gives you a choice. You can choose to be aware of God and what He wants you to do, or you can choose to be aware of yourself and do your own thing. Personally, I'd rather be doing God's thing.
But to do God's thing, you must realize that your vision is found in the Word of God. And the details of that vision come by setting aside time every day to be in His presence, in intimate fellowship with the Father. The vision is conceived in those times. The vision is nurtured in those times. And also, the vision is birthed in those times.
When you never take time for intimate fellowship with the Father, you'll never get the details. It's hard to get details on the run. You have to have a face-to-face relationship to do that. And guess what? He wants you to have vision. He wants to give you details. Not only that, but He also wants to enlarge the vision so that you are filled with it. God likes big vision.
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." All things are possible to anyone who believes. You have to be willing to not listen to anyone who wants to speak doubt and unbelief to you. You have to take the word "doubt" out of your vocabulary. Instead, align your vocabulary with heaven's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to faith's vocabulary, align your vocabulary to the Word of God.
Your vision, the vision that God has given you, the vision that God is building in your heart, is possible. Why? Because you believe. Even when you can't see it, you believe it. Even when you can't touch it, you believe it. And the highest kind of faith is faith that believes on the authority of the Word of God alone, and does not demand evidence to know that it's true. That's the centurion kind of faith.
Remember the centurion who came to Jesus and said, "My servant lieth at home sick"? When Jesus answered him saying, "I will come and heal him," the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matt. 8:6-8).
The Word of God says when Jesus heard that statement, He marveled at this man's faith. This man was operating in the highest realm of faith - the faith that does not demand evidence. Jesus called it "so great faith" (v. 10). Sometimes I say to myself, "I believe. I'm a believer. I believe the Word of God. I believe it in the Name of Jesus." You have to say those words to yourself every now and then. You have to say them over and over again because sometimes the circumstances around you just don't look like they agree with the vision.
Remember, the vision in your heart is possible to those who believe. Your faith is inseparable from your vision. Whatever vision you have on the inside, whether it's a small, medium or large vision, your faith is going to work to produce that vision.
The spiritual force of the faith which is on the inside of you will take those pictures and those images from deep within your heart and begin to produce the vision and bring it to pass. Your vision is the blueprint of whatever your faith wants to build. And the builder works from that blueprint. "Faith is the substance [the ground, the title deed] of things hoped for, [the things I have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation and a vision for]" (Heb. 11:1 AMP).
That scripture says my faith is the evidence of my vision, and your faith is the evidence of your vision. It's the evidence of things that you have a red-hot, burning, earnest expectation for. Your faith wants to build your vision. Your faith is just as determined as the kid on the football team who is sitting on the bench saying, "Coach, let me in. Let me play. Let me get in there."
Do you have a vision? Can you see it? What are you doing to supplement and supply the vision that you have on the inside of you? Because whatever it is, that's what you will eventually achieve. That's what you will become.
Just as you learn to walk by taking one step at a time, you also have to take steps in your faith. And there is nothing wrong with enlarging your vision. God wants you to think big.
You have to keep the vision alive and before you. We could take a clue from how the world uses this principle in their marketing and advertising. They use the print media (billboards, the sides of buses and signs in airports) and television. These are things the public sees. They use radio; this is what the public hears. We are surrounded with people who are trying to convince us to think the way they think and tell us to go buy what they are selling.
This is the idea: If you see it enough, you'll buy it. And then you'll like it. This same principle works in the Word of God. If you're putting the world in front of you, you are going to become like the world. If you put the Word in front of you, you'll become like the Word. We must be extremely selective in what we put in front of our eyes. The enemy tries to deceive us by building images and visions before us, even from the time we are children. He'll show us visions and pictures of our parents or our grandparents who are in lack or are poor and doing without.
Since that image is constantly before us, we think we should live that way. The devil puts images of failure, defeat, worry, and fear before us. But the Word of God gives us an image of success, victory, abundance and peace. What are you going to keep before you? What you behold, what you look at, what you meditate on and what you think about are what you are going to become.
Second Corinthians 3:12-13 says, "Since we have such [glorious] hope, such (joyful and confident) expectation, we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. Nor (do we act) like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing (splendor which had been upon it)" (AMP).
In other words, Moses would go up into the mountain to talk with the Lord. Then he would put a veil over his face, come down the mountain and then talk to the people. But he would keep the veil over his face, and the glory began to wane and diminish.
"In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused, they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding, for until this present day, when the Old Testament is being read, that same veil still lies on their hearts, not being lifted to reveal that in Christ it is made void and done away. Yes, down to this very day whenever Moses is read a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. But whenever a person turns (in repentance) to the Lord the veil is stripped off and taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage and freedom. And all of us, as with unveiled faces, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured" (vv. 14-18, AMP).
If there are some things that you know you should not be exposing yourself to, cut them out of your life - for the sake of the anointing, for the sake of the glory of God, for the sake of the vision. Get rid of them. The force of faith is working within you to conform you to whatever image you are seeing. It is working to bring your vision to pass. And as you behold the Word of God, and you behold the glory of the Word, you will, in increasing splendor, go from glory to glory. You will become what you behold.
Simplifying Your Life: The Disciple And Time Management Part I
Do any of these testimonials sound familiar?
"My life is hectic! I'm running all day meetings, phone calls, paperwork, appointments. I push to the limit, fall into bed exhausted, and get up early the next morning to do it all again."
"I don't feel in control of my life. I try to figure out what's important and set goals to do it, but other people such as my boss, my associates, my spouse continually throw wrenches into the works. For every one thing I get done, I can think of ten things that didn't get done. And it makes me feel guilty."
"The hours in my day just slip away. Sometimes I finish a full and busy day and still end up with nothing crossed off of my 'To Do' list."
There is no question about it. We are living in fast-paced, complex times. Christians and non-Christians alike are facing heavier workloads, greater demands and higher stress levels than ever before. Not a week goes by that I don't talk to some harried, frazzled believer who laments his ability to spend time in the Word or get more involved in church because his schedule doesn't permit it.
Most Christians who are living this way know, deep down inside, that something isn't right. They know that something must change. They sense that living this way is costing them something, they're just not sure what and how much.
The hard truth is, having an overly-complex life will cost you more than you can imagine. I want to show you what God's Word has to say about this subject, show you the benefits of simplifying your life, and then give you some keys to doing it.
God has entrusted every person on earth with three primary resources: time, money, and relationships. And if you are to fulfill God's wonderful plan for your life, these three resources must be properly managed. Furthermore, it is the mismanagement of these resources that makes life so complicated.
Think about it for a moment. Mismanage the resource of money and your life can become very complicated, very quickly. Bill collectors, late charges, credit card debt along with the stress and worry that accompany these things is a prescription for complexity.
Manage the resource of time poorly and, once again, your life becomes unnecessarily complex. And nothing else in the world can complicate your life more completely than being a poor manager of relationships. (Ask anyone who has been unfaithful to a spouse how complicated their life got as soon as they started violating God's law of fidelity.)
Yes, it is nothing more than being a poor manager of the three resources with which we've all been entrusted that is making our lives more complicated. If the goal is a simpler life (and it should be) then we're going to have to become better stewards of these resources.
Managing Your Time
FDR once said, "Nine-tenths of wisdom consists of being wise in time," and it's true. Time is the most valuable resource a person can spend, and maximizing the use of it is critical to successful living. Look at what the Lord says in Ephesians 5:15: "See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the times because the days are evil."
I like the way the Amplified paraphrases that verse: "Look carefully then how you walk. Live purposefully worthily and accurately not as the unwise and witless but as wise sensible intelligent people making the very most of the time. Buying up each opportunity."
Now to "redeem" means to buy back something that is lost. So God is saying this: Time is a precious resource. But, because "the days are evil," your time is lost and virtually unproductive unless you make an investment to buy it back.
We need to "purposefully, worthily and accurately" manage our time. We need to "buy up" as much as possible. Otherwise, it will be lost on something evil, something that doesn't line up with God's plan and purpose for our lives. We need to approach time management from this perspective.
Now, let me get very practical here. I divide time management into two phases (1) the planning phase and (2) the implementation phase. There are three components to the planning phase: meditation, selectivity and delegation.
Meditation
The first is meditation. Don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about the Eastern mystical, New-Age type of meditation. I'm talking about Bible meditation, the ability of the human brain to build imagery in the mind. "To mentally image." That's what meditate means.
The purpose of meditation is to give God time to impart to you the ability to functionally arrange the events of your day. The psalmist said, "I have more understanding (organizational ability) than all my teachers. Why? For thy testimonies are my meditation" (Ps. 119:99).
So as you plan, incorporate God's testimonies, the principles and concepts of His Word into the arrangement of your activities. Mentally build a picture of your day based on the goals and objectives God has for your life. When you do this, you will redeem, or buy back, time that would have otherwise been lost to evil.
Selectivity
The second major contributor to successful planning is something I call "selectivity." It's a fact of life that there will never be enough hours in the day to do every good and needful thing that presents itself. So you're going to have to become selective.
If you recall, Martha discovered that although serving Jesus was a good thing, it wasn't the best thing she could have done with her time at that particular moment (Luke 10:38-42). Her decision to serve cost her an opportunity to spend time at the master's feet.
The end result was that Martha began to lose her peace and joy. Her life started to get complicated. Had she employed the principle of selectivity, she would have made a good choice like Mary did. She would have been seated at the feet of Jesus enjoying the presence of God.
It has been said, "The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." When planning your day, week or month, it's important that you keep God's priorities at the forefront of your mind. When you do, your plan will focus on the activities necessary to accomplish what God has for your life.
Delegation
The third essential element to a successful planning stage is "delegation." To delegate means to appoint or assign responsibility to another individual on your behalf. The best time manager will be the individual who can best delegate time-consuming tasks to other individuals.
In so doing, you are accomplishing two things.
First, you are training others to grow and accept more responsibility.
Second, you are freeing up your time to address issues of higher priority. The worst thing you can do is try to do everything yourself. Your life will get very complicated, very fast.
Remember what Jethro told Moses when he found out Moses was spending all his time judging over the people? "This thing that you do is not good" (Ex. 18:17). His instruction to Moses was for him to delegate to others those matters of lower priority, and reserve himself for issues of greater importance. I'll say it again: the best managers are the best delegators.
So, the three essential elements to successful planning in time management are (1) meditation building a clear, accurate picture of your day; (2) selectivity prioritizing your schedule based on God's plan for your life; and (3) delegation learning to assign lower-priority tasks to others.
"My life is hectic! I'm running all day meetings, phone calls, paperwork, appointments. I push to the limit, fall into bed exhausted, and get up early the next morning to do it all again."
"I don't feel in control of my life. I try to figure out what's important and set goals to do it, but other people such as my boss, my associates, my spouse continually throw wrenches into the works. For every one thing I get done, I can think of ten things that didn't get done. And it makes me feel guilty."
"The hours in my day just slip away. Sometimes I finish a full and busy day and still end up with nothing crossed off of my 'To Do' list."
There is no question about it. We are living in fast-paced, complex times. Christians and non-Christians alike are facing heavier workloads, greater demands and higher stress levels than ever before. Not a week goes by that I don't talk to some harried, frazzled believer who laments his ability to spend time in the Word or get more involved in church because his schedule doesn't permit it.
Most Christians who are living this way know, deep down inside, that something isn't right. They know that something must change. They sense that living this way is costing them something, they're just not sure what and how much.
The hard truth is, having an overly-complex life will cost you more than you can imagine. I want to show you what God's Word has to say about this subject, show you the benefits of simplifying your life, and then give you some keys to doing it.
God has entrusted every person on earth with three primary resources: time, money, and relationships. And if you are to fulfill God's wonderful plan for your life, these three resources must be properly managed. Furthermore, it is the mismanagement of these resources that makes life so complicated.
Think about it for a moment. Mismanage the resource of money and your life can become very complicated, very quickly. Bill collectors, late charges, credit card debt along with the stress and worry that accompany these things is a prescription for complexity.
Manage the resource of time poorly and, once again, your life becomes unnecessarily complex. And nothing else in the world can complicate your life more completely than being a poor manager of relationships. (Ask anyone who has been unfaithful to a spouse how complicated their life got as soon as they started violating God's law of fidelity.)
Yes, it is nothing more than being a poor manager of the three resources with which we've all been entrusted that is making our lives more complicated. If the goal is a simpler life (and it should be) then we're going to have to become better stewards of these resources.
Managing Your Time
FDR once said, "Nine-tenths of wisdom consists of being wise in time," and it's true. Time is the most valuable resource a person can spend, and maximizing the use of it is critical to successful living. Look at what the Lord says in Ephesians 5:15: "See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the times because the days are evil."
I like the way the Amplified paraphrases that verse: "Look carefully then how you walk. Live purposefully worthily and accurately not as the unwise and witless but as wise sensible intelligent people making the very most of the time. Buying up each opportunity."
Now to "redeem" means to buy back something that is lost. So God is saying this: Time is a precious resource. But, because "the days are evil," your time is lost and virtually unproductive unless you make an investment to buy it back.
We need to "purposefully, worthily and accurately" manage our time. We need to "buy up" as much as possible. Otherwise, it will be lost on something evil, something that doesn't line up with God's plan and purpose for our lives. We need to approach time management from this perspective.
Now, let me get very practical here. I divide time management into two phases (1) the planning phase and (2) the implementation phase. There are three components to the planning phase: meditation, selectivity and delegation.
Meditation
The first is meditation. Don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about the Eastern mystical, New-Age type of meditation. I'm talking about Bible meditation, the ability of the human brain to build imagery in the mind. "To mentally image." That's what meditate means.
The purpose of meditation is to give God time to impart to you the ability to functionally arrange the events of your day. The psalmist said, "I have more understanding (organizational ability) than all my teachers. Why? For thy testimonies are my meditation" (Ps. 119:99).
So as you plan, incorporate God's testimonies, the principles and concepts of His Word into the arrangement of your activities. Mentally build a picture of your day based on the goals and objectives God has for your life. When you do this, you will redeem, or buy back, time that would have otherwise been lost to evil.
Selectivity
The second major contributor to successful planning is something I call "selectivity." It's a fact of life that there will never be enough hours in the day to do every good and needful thing that presents itself. So you're going to have to become selective.
If you recall, Martha discovered that although serving Jesus was a good thing, it wasn't the best thing she could have done with her time at that particular moment (Luke 10:38-42). Her decision to serve cost her an opportunity to spend time at the master's feet.
The end result was that Martha began to lose her peace and joy. Her life started to get complicated. Had she employed the principle of selectivity, she would have made a good choice like Mary did. She would have been seated at the feet of Jesus enjoying the presence of God.
It has been said, "The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." When planning your day, week or month, it's important that you keep God's priorities at the forefront of your mind. When you do, your plan will focus on the activities necessary to accomplish what God has for your life.
Delegation
The third essential element to a successful planning stage is "delegation." To delegate means to appoint or assign responsibility to another individual on your behalf. The best time manager will be the individual who can best delegate time-consuming tasks to other individuals.
In so doing, you are accomplishing two things.
First, you are training others to grow and accept more responsibility.
Second, you are freeing up your time to address issues of higher priority. The worst thing you can do is try to do everything yourself. Your life will get very complicated, very fast.
Remember what Jethro told Moses when he found out Moses was spending all his time judging over the people? "This thing that you do is not good" (Ex. 18:17). His instruction to Moses was for him to delegate to others those matters of lower priority, and reserve himself for issues of greater importance. I'll say it again: the best managers are the best delegators.
So, the three essential elements to successful planning in time management are (1) meditation building a clear, accurate picture of your day; (2) selectivity prioritizing your schedule based on God's plan for your life; and (3) delegation learning to assign lower-priority tasks to others.
Would The Real God Please Stand Up
How many times have you asked yourself questions about God? Who is God? What is He like? How can we expect Him to act?
These are questions people have been asking for thousands of years. You've probably asked them yourself. The answers you come up with will profoundly affect your relationship with God and the quality of your life.
As I talk to believers around the country, it's clear that many have only vague and often contradictory notions of who God is. Perhaps you feel that way from time to time.
Maybe you've heard at times that God is gentle and kind, and at other times that He's fierce and angry. Perhaps you've heard someone say that God took their baby from them in order to test them or make them a better person.
If you're confused about who God really is, or if you'd just like to know Him better, I have good news for you today. God tells you exactly who He is and what He's like - in the Bible.
When forming opinions of someone, it's very easy to be influenced by what other people say about them.
I remember one occasion in which I heard several negative reports about a person and I let those reports color my view of him. Later, when I got to know him, I discovered he was not at all the person I thought he was.
I learned something from that experience. One of the best ways to learn who someone is, is to discover who they are not. And as we search the scriptures, we find a significant number of places in which God reveals Himself by telling us who He isn't.
Who God is Not
One of the most important things that you can ever know about God is found in Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that he should lie…."
Did you catch that? God cannot and will not lie. Everything He has ever said or ever will say is the truth. That's why you can trust the Bible.
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, all scripture is inspired by God (literally, God-breathed). You can stake your life on God's Word being true.
Until you consider the Bible to be absolute truth, you can never really know God. Until you make it the final authority in your life, you will never experience the fullness of life that He wants to bring to you. A full, personal relationship with God begins with recognizing the Bible as a true revelation of who He is and how we relate to Him.
I frequently hear sincere, but misguided Christians say, "Well, Brother Murphy, I believe Jesus was the Son of God, but I don't really believe some of that other stuff. For example, I don't think miracles are for today."
You can't pick and choose what parts of the Bible you're going to believe. When you try, you invalidate the very basis of the faith you profess. Furthermore, if you are believing something that did not originate in the Bible, and there's only one other possible source for that concept - the mind of some person.
Don't hang your eternal destiny on what some man thinks.
The Truth of Christianity
One important difference between Christianity and all other world religions and philosophies is that they invariably originated with a single individual.
The Bible, on the other hand, came by the Holy Spirit through dozens of different writers over the span of thousands of years. And yet the Bible speaks with a single voice, delivers a consistent message and paints a perfect picture of God's plan for man.
The Bible is not the product of man. That's why it must be considered absolute, foundational truth for your life. Until you receive it as such and make it final authority in your life, you will never truly know God. You will never experience the fullness of life He wants to bring you.
Most of us understand the need for truth in the physical or natural realm. No one wants to make decisions that are based on false information. How would you like to cross a bridge designed by an engineer who believed two plus two equals five? How would you like to be treated by a doctor that believed germs were good for you?
When it comes to natural things, we want to make sure we are basing our decisions on accurate assumptions and truth. We should demand no less when it comes to the eternal things of the spirit. The only way to do that is to accept the Bible for what it claims to be - a supernaturally written, divinely inspired, 100 percent accurate revelation of God's character and will.
Second Timothy 3:16 says it this way: All scripture is given by inspiration of God [lit. God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Knowing God begins with believing, accepting, and basing your life on the truth of His Word. That's easy to do once you understand that "God is not a man that He should lie."
These are questions people have been asking for thousands of years. You've probably asked them yourself. The answers you come up with will profoundly affect your relationship with God and the quality of your life.
As I talk to believers around the country, it's clear that many have only vague and often contradictory notions of who God is. Perhaps you feel that way from time to time.
Maybe you've heard at times that God is gentle and kind, and at other times that He's fierce and angry. Perhaps you've heard someone say that God took their baby from them in order to test them or make them a better person.
If you're confused about who God really is, or if you'd just like to know Him better, I have good news for you today. God tells you exactly who He is and what He's like - in the Bible.
When forming opinions of someone, it's very easy to be influenced by what other people say about them.
I remember one occasion in which I heard several negative reports about a person and I let those reports color my view of him. Later, when I got to know him, I discovered he was not at all the person I thought he was.
I learned something from that experience. One of the best ways to learn who someone is, is to discover who they are not. And as we search the scriptures, we find a significant number of places in which God reveals Himself by telling us who He isn't.
Who God is Not
One of the most important things that you can ever know about God is found in Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that he should lie…."
Did you catch that? God cannot and will not lie. Everything He has ever said or ever will say is the truth. That's why you can trust the Bible.
According to 2 Timothy 3:16, all scripture is inspired by God (literally, God-breathed). You can stake your life on God's Word being true.
Until you consider the Bible to be absolute truth, you can never really know God. Until you make it the final authority in your life, you will never experience the fullness of life that He wants to bring to you. A full, personal relationship with God begins with recognizing the Bible as a true revelation of who He is and how we relate to Him.
I frequently hear sincere, but misguided Christians say, "Well, Brother Murphy, I believe Jesus was the Son of God, but I don't really believe some of that other stuff. For example, I don't think miracles are for today."
You can't pick and choose what parts of the Bible you're going to believe. When you try, you invalidate the very basis of the faith you profess. Furthermore, if you are believing something that did not originate in the Bible, and there's only one other possible source for that concept - the mind of some person.
Don't hang your eternal destiny on what some man thinks.
The Truth of Christianity
One important difference between Christianity and all other world religions and philosophies is that they invariably originated with a single individual.
The Bible, on the other hand, came by the Holy Spirit through dozens of different writers over the span of thousands of years. And yet the Bible speaks with a single voice, delivers a consistent message and paints a perfect picture of God's plan for man.
The Bible is not the product of man. That's why it must be considered absolute, foundational truth for your life. Until you receive it as such and make it final authority in your life, you will never truly know God. You will never experience the fullness of life He wants to bring you.
Most of us understand the need for truth in the physical or natural realm. No one wants to make decisions that are based on false information. How would you like to cross a bridge designed by an engineer who believed two plus two equals five? How would you like to be treated by a doctor that believed germs were good for you?
When it comes to natural things, we want to make sure we are basing our decisions on accurate assumptions and truth. We should demand no less when it comes to the eternal things of the spirit. The only way to do that is to accept the Bible for what it claims to be - a supernaturally written, divinely inspired, 100 percent accurate revelation of God's character and will.
Second Timothy 3:16 says it this way: All scripture is given by inspiration of God [lit. God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Knowing God begins with believing, accepting, and basing your life on the truth of His Word. That's easy to do once you understand that "God is not a man that He should lie."
Monday, June 6, 2011
FULL STEAM AHEAD: No Turning Back
I have found, in times of pressure and persecution, that it is easy to see where Christians really stand with the Lord. I want to encourage you that whatever might come in the days ahead, to make the decision that you're in this to stay! You have to decide that there is NO TURNING BACK!
You're not in this just as long as everybody loves you. In fact, if the world loves you, you've got problems. Jesus said, "If you love me the world will hate you." If everybody in town is in love with you, then you're COMPROMISING somewhere.
Once you make Jesus the Lord of your life, there's nothing back there for you. Everything you desire is ahead of you, not behind you. The world does not have what you're looking for. If it did, you would never have come to Jesus.
You and I are living in a time when things are getting very sticky. Satan realizes that his days are numbered. He realizes that Jesus will return soon, which means he doesn't have much time to work.
It's time for the Body of Christ to grow up. It's time for us to become mature and make up our minds once and for all, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" If you have made the decision to put God first place in your life, to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then Jesus says you can't look back. You can't keep one eye on the world and one eye on God. You can't straddle the fence. In fact, the Bible says that God is a jealous God. He will not accept a divided heart from His people.
The closer we get to the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more intense the attacks will become. At the same time, if we have our eyes on Jesus, and our hearts full of God's Word, then we're not going to grow weaker as the attacks intensify, but stronger. MAJOR ATTACKS WILL BRING MAJOR VICTORIES!
Jesus is not coming for a Church that is beat up, worn out, and half-dead. He's coming for a glorious and powerful Church. It will be a Church that is devastating Satan's camp and taking back what he has stolen from us. If the persecution is increasing, then rejoice! That just means the day is getting closer!
Notice what Jesus said about Paul, at the beginning of his ministry to Ananias: Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me... For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name's sake (Acts 9:15,16). The suffering Jesus was talking about was persecution. Even though Paul knew he would suffer from the very beginning, he put his hand to the plow and didn't look back.
At the end of his ministry, he could say: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Paul is not boasting here but is simply saying, "I've been through many things for Jesus, but I've finished the course. I've kept the faith." You can sum all that up in four little words, "I HAVE NO REGRETS!"
You may not be at the end of your journey as Paul was, but you still may experience pressure and persecution. Don't consider looking back, but keep your hand to the plow. Make up your mind that you are going to go forward, no matter what comes against you. Then you'll be able to say, "I DIDN'T TURN BACK. I HAVE NO REGRETS!!"
Read: Luke 9:57-62; 2 Tim. 4:1-4
You're not in this just as long as everybody loves you. In fact, if the world loves you, you've got problems. Jesus said, "If you love me the world will hate you." If everybody in town is in love with you, then you're COMPROMISING somewhere.
Once you make Jesus the Lord of your life, there's nothing back there for you. Everything you desire is ahead of you, not behind you. The world does not have what you're looking for. If it did, you would never have come to Jesus.
You and I are living in a time when things are getting very sticky. Satan realizes that his days are numbered. He realizes that Jesus will return soon, which means he doesn't have much time to work.
It's time for the Body of Christ to grow up. It's time for us to become mature and make up our minds once and for all, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" If you have made the decision to put God first place in your life, to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then Jesus says you can't look back. You can't keep one eye on the world and one eye on God. You can't straddle the fence. In fact, the Bible says that God is a jealous God. He will not accept a divided heart from His people.
The closer we get to the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more intense the attacks will become. At the same time, if we have our eyes on Jesus, and our hearts full of God's Word, then we're not going to grow weaker as the attacks intensify, but stronger. MAJOR ATTACKS WILL BRING MAJOR VICTORIES!
Jesus is not coming for a Church that is beat up, worn out, and half-dead. He's coming for a glorious and powerful Church. It will be a Church that is devastating Satan's camp and taking back what he has stolen from us. If the persecution is increasing, then rejoice! That just means the day is getting closer!
Notice what Jesus said about Paul, at the beginning of his ministry to Ananias: Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me... For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name's sake (Acts 9:15,16). The suffering Jesus was talking about was persecution. Even though Paul knew he would suffer from the very beginning, he put his hand to the plow and didn't look back.
At the end of his ministry, he could say: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Paul is not boasting here but is simply saying, "I've been through many things for Jesus, but I've finished the course. I've kept the faith." You can sum all that up in four little words, "I HAVE NO REGRETS!"
You may not be at the end of your journey as Paul was, but you still may experience pressure and persecution. Don't consider looking back, but keep your hand to the plow. Make up your mind that you are going to go forward, no matter what comes against you. Then you'll be able to say, "I DIDN'T TURN BACK. I HAVE NO REGRETS!!"
Read: Luke 9:57-62; 2 Tim. 4:1-4
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