Did You Meet Jesus This Easter?

Resurrection Day has come and gone and we are ... the same? I hope not. I hope that we have all received some new revelation and have drawn even closer to Jesus. I hope we were surprised by something. Maybe it wasn't at church but perhaps it was something in our personal preparation. Change is suppose to be a constant for us as we are in the midst of transformation. Every moment with Jesus is suppose to augment this transformation process because it is impossible to spend time with Jesus without being changed. Resurrection Day was not the end of it. The empty tomb was not the end of it. There is more, much more to come.


Last night Jesus met with some of his disciples. Judas was dead and Thomas was missing but all the others were there when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room. The door was locked as they cowered in fear having heard the report from Mary but not daring to believe. They dared not believe and yet he was standing there, in front of them, greeting them in peace.


Understand that these poor men were without a future. Jesus had been their future, their only future and he was stolen away from them. Without him they had no hope, no direction, no purpose; they felt completely lost. The hid away, filled with fear, anxiety and dread which paralysed them. They were really paralysed emotionally, physically, mentally. The shock was wearing off and the depression was sinking in and this is why they could not process Mary's news from that morning. She said that she had seen Jesus and he was returning to the Father. What were they to make from that?


Now here he stood in front of them. He showed them the marks in his hands, his feet and the gash in his side. There was no denying it. The sight of the marks pained them but the joy of having Jesus with them again was starting to penetrate everything else. What a shock it was to have him with them again but they were still too afraid to touch him, to embrace him, to even greet him. Three things happened that night that changed everything; three things that gave them a future, purpose, direction and hope.


Jesus said to them and to us: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21) Imagine how those words filled the void they had been left with. Consider the power of this statement: Jesus has sent us out with the same sense of rescue mission as he was sent with. He came with the purpose saving mankind:


For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)


We go with that same understanding that the world is saved through Jesus Christ. We are sent to share the good news, to put the enemy to flight and to respond to the needs of people through the compassionate heart of God. Jesus came with power and authority through the Holy Spirit and he is sending us in the same way.


The second thing that happened is Jesus promising the Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in us: "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22) He told them to go and he promised the Spirit to equip them to go. Jesus set for us an example of how it is that we can serve in these weak bodies. Although he came as man and he was equally man and equally God, he set aside his divine nature and served in the flesh. He did this through the Holy Spirit, showing us that it is possible to do exactly what he did through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:


I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)


Going to the Father was significant. He told his disciples they should be pleased he was going to the Father because in going he was able to send to them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is key to everything we are suppose to do in the going. Yet, it requires a faith that few of us have yet to tap because we have twisted Jesus' words so that we do not expect to do what he did. We convince ourselves that he meant something else. Meanwhile the world continues to cry out, "Show to us that your God is real".


The third thing that happened that night to change them is also of great significance. Jesus said to his disciples: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23) Forgiveness is key to everything we do and are involved in. We cannot minister to a suffering world if we do not understand nor experienced the power of forgiveness. Love is the foundation of the Kingdom and forgiveness is its first fruit. Jesus told many parables and gave many teachings on forgiveness, stating that if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven. He told us that we will be forgiven in the same manner in which we forgive. How can we possibly share the Good News of Jesus Christ if we are not able live the first steps of this relationship: repentance and forgiveness?


This command on forgiveness was important because the disciples had to get past what had just traumatized them. They had been betrayed by Judas, one of their own. The leaders of the land just trapped and manipulated the execution of their innocent Master. The Romans and inflicted incredible cruelty upon the innocent. They were hiding in fear. They may have even felt abandoned by God. There was a lot of forgiveness needed to heal the many wounds. Then there was the forgiveness they needed to believe they received. Peter is an example of this. If you are to minister to this fallen world the first thing you must accept is that you are forgiven. The enemy will come at you with accusations of your past, trying to rob you of God's power but you must hold on to the fact you are forgiven. Knowing and accepting your forgiveness you will in turn be able to easily forgive those who will harm you in ministry.


I look to these three things and I realize that my life is brimming with purpose, direction and hope for my future. I have received the command to "go" in the same sense that Jesus was sent by the Father. There is a world that needs to know the good news and who need to "see" Jesus. I have received the Holy Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in me. Demons must flee at my command. Diseases must let go and infirmities will be healed. I have the power and authority to speak life into dead things. I have the power, ability and responsibility to forgive in the same manner I have been forgiven. Forgiveness is what it is all about. I come away from Resurrection Day having been renewed in my understanding that it is not about me; it is about Jesus and the lost who need him.

The Mock Trial (passion week, day 6, part 3)

(re-post)

... and there he stood before Caiaphas.

What members of the Sanhedrin that could be quickly assembled were also present. There were enough at least for quorum. Of course they were the most loyal supporters of the High Priest.

Before them stood Jesus, the greatest threat that this Sanhedrin had ever faced.

It was not just his radical teaching and the crowds that followed him. Why would they follow this man who looked more like a beggar than anything else. They adored him but what about them. Did the people not realize how important they were? How hard they worked to keep this difficult nation together.

First it was the Greeks and their alluring culture with all their idols. So many people had fallen in love with this culture. It was hard to protect people from this.

Then it was the Romans, with their military might. Their authority threatened the work of the Pharisees, to keep this nation in line. What was Roman rule compared to the Mosiac law. A bunch of thugs is all they are.

But still, they must walk the line or they all might be found hanging on those blasted crosses, like common thieves and murderers. And that's why they were here. Not only did this Jesus threaten the Mosiac law and rob them of the adoration of the people, he also threatened to disturb the balance with the Romans.

After all, it was Caiaphas himself who said it was better for the one to die for the many.

Why was it so difficult to find two people to agree on what he said. Surely there must be something here to justify his arrest.

Wait what is this?

Finally two people are agreeing on something. What? They're saying that this lunatic claimed to be able to tear down the great Temple and build it again in three days? Three Days!!! Madness.

Hey, Caiaphas likes this.

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”

Silence.

Is this man a fool as well as a lunatic?

“I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

Whoa! Where did that come from? Does Caiaphas think him that great a fool that he would answer such a charge?

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

What? Blaspheme. He can't speak like this! Death!!!

Look at the chaos that he has caused. Caiaphas is tearing his tunic!!!!

“He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

Kill him!

Death!

Stone him!

A great chorus is arising.

Everyone is rushing forward. Fists and hands are reaching out to strike this blasphemer. Ha! He is being struck again and again. Spit is flying. The chorus of shouts for his death continues to rise.

Caiaphas looks very pleased.

This went better than he had hoped ...

The Arrest (passion week, day 6, part 2)

(re-post)

... and the chaos descended.

The disciples woke suddenly to the sound of voices and the noise of a crowd. People never looked for them here. How did the multitude track them down?

But as their eyes focused and they saw the Master speaking to this group of men, they could see that something was wrong. These men were armed and did not look friendly. As they rushed to their Master's side they heard their words:

“Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth.”

“I am he.”

Then suddenly this crowd of angry men fell backwards. The disciples could feel a great power of authority from their Master and they looked at him, bewildered.

That is when Judas stepped forward and greeted the Master. Where had he been? Why was he with these men? Then they heard Jesus again:

"Do what you have come to do."

Then everything went crazy.

The men quickly grabbed Jesus. Panic struck. The disciples tried to protect him. A sword appeared. An ear went flying. Cries. Screams. Fists. What was this? What had happened?

Then the Master's voice.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Don't you think for a moment that anyone trapped the Master. Don't think for an instant that any one group is responsible for what happened. Jesus knew. He knew and he submitted himself to it. It was the plan. The Father's plan. No one took his life. He voluntarily, out of obedience, laid it down.

Just as he said he would.

Jesus reached out and touched the injured man. He healed his enemy.

Out of his great love God was reaching out. He was reaching out to his enemy, to heal them of their sickness.

To the crowd.

“Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

With that the disciples of Jesus fled into the night.

Panic. Fear. Dread. Anxiety. Confusion. Numbness.

Into the unwelcoming cover of darkness.

And as they looked back over their shoulder, they saw the Master being led away...

Understanding The Existence Of Two Churches Is Vital

It is a shame that our society and culture has such a strong pull on us, but it is nothing new. For centuries the Church has been pushed, pulled, and shaped by society. Certainly the Church was a major influence on society for centuries but we have to consider who was leading the Church and what was influencing them. For centuries the Church was used and abused by people who saw her as an opportunity to have power over people. It is a wonder that she has arrived to this day with still a notion to her own identity. But then again, she was not born of man's thinking but of the Spirit of God. No matter what man might try to do with her, the Spirit will always preserve the Church.

From the very beginning the Church was different from man's society and culture. She was not born out of any ideas of the age and she was never meant to be shaped by a changing philosophies or a shifting societal value system. The Church has always meant to be a beacon of light in a darkened world. She has not been there to try to control people but to influence the "sick and dying" of this age to turn to Jesus for "healing". We are not the movers and makers of man's politics but the voice calling out of the wilderness, that Jesus is the answer for everything. The message of God remains the same, it does not change as society changes. Hell does not suddenly disappear because it is out of favour. Jesus does not suddenly become one way out of many because of a multi-cultural society. Accept it or reject it, Jesus is the only way to the Father. That is at the heart of the message of the Church.

Some people might be surprised to hear, after all these years of fighting for equal rights, that the Church held out equal rights to everyone from the very beginning. Remember I am talking about the Spirit led Church, not the abomination that some called the Church. Read the Word of God and understand the relationship within the Body of Christ:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)

There it is. We need no other argument nor any other plea. You and I are one in Jesus Christ. Neither our age, gender, height, size, colour of skin, level of education or anything else matters. The only thing that matters is our faith and because of that faith you and I are on equal footing, cherished and loved by our Father.

Now if we examine the history of the Church we will discover all kinds of things that happened that came against this very simple truth found in the Word of God. But remember, there is the Church that is shaped by the thinking of man, by the practices of our society, and then there is the true Church, led and controlled by the Holy Spirit, whose members live by every word found in the Word of God. These are those who refuse to be swayed by society and who hold out these truths as divine. I think many people would be shocked to discover the real truth if they could just get past the marketed version of the Church of this age. Many think they are living by the Word but in reality they are living by man's opinion of that truth. People need to read and study the Word for themselves.

Many of us are victims of the influence our society has on the Church and of our own selfishness. The Word says no but our society says yes. We find some arguments of why the Word doesn't really mean what it says so we can do what we want to do. I have done it. I have made major decisions, wrong decisions based on what society finds acceptable but the Word of God guides against. Most of us have. We have to stop and get back to the Word and study it for ourselves. We have to stop excusing it away and make the hard decisions. We have to stop watering down what the Church is, what she represents and the cost of being a stone in her walls. We are the Church, born of the Spirit, based on the Word, saved by our Lord and loved by our Father. Society has nothing on us as we give our hearts and minds entirely to Jesus. Be influenced by the Spirit and Word and refuse the pull of our dying society.

The Truth Concerning Money And The Kingdom Of God

Everything is precious to God; everything. People, time, talents, materials, thoughts; everything comes from him and has been given for a purpose. Money is not evil, it is just one more blessing from God with purpose. The source is God and if he has blessed you with it there is a reason for it. We treat money as if it is some evil thing. Either that or we treat it as some kind of god that we chase after. It is neither. It is a tool, a device, an instrument with purpose, just like a hammer or screw driver. What is evil is the pursuit of money at all cost:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Read that carefully. It does not say that money is the root of evil. First of all it says that the "love" of money is the problem. Second, it is "a" root of "all kinds" of evil. It is the pursuit of wealth at all cost that causes the problem. The fact is that God blesses us with all kinds of blessings which are tools to be used for the Kingdom. Paul was concerned that people needed to know this so he told Timothy to instruct the rich in how to use their wealth and what behaviours to avoid. Now pay attention because to some people in this world you are rich:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17)

First of all, if you are blessed with money, don't let it distract you from what is important. Face it, wealth is uncertain. It is here today and gone tomorrow. Most people in this world are waking up to that fact. One bad investment, one failed bank, one country too far in debt and "poof", it's all gone. Wealth is not our hope, God is. Money is not certain, God is. Money will not always be there to provide for our needs, but Jesus always will be. Jesus told us not to lay up our treasures on earth where they can be stolen or rot away. He told us to store them up in heaven where they make a great foundation. What are these riches? They are exactly what Paul told Timothy to instruct the rich to do with their wealth:

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. (1 Timothy 6:18)

No, this is not earning our way to eternity with God; that has been given to us by grace via the death of Jesus. Salvation is a thing of faith, trusting in the grace of God through Jesus. These things, good deeds, being generous and the willingness to share, are the treasures that go on ahead of us and that are stored for our arrival. They will be jewels in our crown, the foundation under our feet. They will decide who is wealthy in the presence of God:

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:19)

It is not so much an attitude as it is a way of life, part of our character that always shines through because of the priority of Jesus in our life.

Of course this character is not just for those who have an abundance of money but they are better equipped to be more generous and do larger good deeds than most of us. But then again, wealth is a matter of perspective. To someone on Wall Street we may look average or below average, but someone living on the streets or in a crumbling shack we look wealthy. Generosity and good deeds should be a natural outpouring of the Spirit of God in us. The reason Paul stresses it for the rich is because of the dangerous affect that money can have on us.

It is vital to our eternity that we do not see money as anything but a tool. It is not our salvation. It is not our provider. It is not our comfort or our dream come true. Money is nothing more than a blessing and a tool to be used for the Kingdom of God. Don't fall in love with money, fall in love with Jesus. Don't pursue money, pursue Jesus. Don't waste the blessings God has given to you but treat them like an investment in the Kingdom of God and see what Jesus produces through that investment. This is true as well for time, talents and all materials we have been given. Be rich in good deeds, be generous and be willing to share.

How Are You Doing With Sin?

How are you doing with this whole sin thing? It's not the easiest thing to avoid, considering how long we have bathed in it. Sin was as natural to us as breathing. It is not something we had to think about as we did it without a thought about what we were doing. Oh certainly there were certain sins that our parents had warned us about that we had to consciously make a decision to enter into, but most of the time they were little things, like hating someone. Even wanting what someone else had, being envious, prideful, boasting, a small lie, a lustful look, an unjust decision, all seem so little and did no real harm and yet are still held in the same category as murder according to God's law. Sin is sin and the only way that its authority becomes less is when Jesus becomes more.

First of all, Jesus died to break the hold that sin had over us. We have to accept that sacrifice, repent of our past, and declare Jesus as Lord of our lives. This means that we die with him on the cross and are raised to life with Jesus. We are dead and the only way we can live is through Jesus. Without him we are just dead. He is our life today and in the next life to come. Now, because the power and authority of sin has been broken and we are no longer slaves to it we are free to make a choice. We can choose to live according to the righteousness of Jesus, becoming a slave to it, or we can consciously decide to submit ourselves once again to sin. This is the reason the writer of Hebrews exhort us to:

... throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

I really get inspired by this passage. Throw it off, the writer tells us. Make that decision to cast it aside, not to get entangled in it any more. We can't do this by ourselves because we don't have the ability so it is a good thing we died and are now living through Jesus because he does have the power. He not only overcame sin, he empowers us through the Spirit in us to do the same. The Spirit is our source of life, the source of God's power that enables us to do all things through Jesus. It is this that the writer continues with:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Fix your eyes on Jesus who has beaten sin and has empowered us, who have died and been risen with him, to do the same thing. We have the resurrection power pumping through us by the Spirit of God in us. "None of us and all of Jesus", has to be our every waking thought. Paul also encouraged Timothy in this:

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)

Notice the action and effort in all of this. We have to actively "flee" from sin. We know what causes us to fall. We know our own weakness. We know how to "flee" from sin, so now we need to put all our effort into that and the power of God will strengthen us to overcome. Flee from everything that is not of the character of Jesus Christ and instead actively pursue right living, the character of Jesus, faith, love, the ability to go the distance with Jesus and gentleness. It is great to love Jesus and to worship him but actively pursue to live your life for his glory. Throw off the stuff that robs him of his glory, that denies his power in us, that sucks the love out of our life and instead fill your life with the pursuit of all things Jesus.

That means you may have to decide to cut certain things out of your life, things you enjoy but things that rob you of God's power and your love for Jesus. An athlete may really enjoy candy but candy will not enable him to win the race. The desire to win that race will cause that athlete to cast aside his enjoyment of candy. Perhaps for us it is certain music or bands we need to flee from, or perhaps certain TV shows that promote sin instead of righteousness. It might even be some parts of social networking like Tumblr, which has no filter for righteousness and is filled with tons of things that can destroy a man's resolve to go all the way with Jesus. I don't know what it is for you but I do know that the enemy has made sure that it is close enough to attract you. Throw it off, flee from it and make your life focused on Jesus. Paul writes:

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)

Fight! Fight the good fight of faith. It is all about faith, trusting God, trusting the promises of Jesus. He has promised that you have been set free from sin. Don't listen to your flesh, put it under the authority of your spirit. You may be weak in the flesh but you are not weak in the spirit; you are a mighty warrior. You are strong in the Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit, a child of righteousness, wholly saved and given the task to glorify Jesus before the nations. Sin is never worth it but Jesus is. Fix your eyes on him and run the race that is marked out for you with all your passion and strength. Do nor grow weary because the Spirit will enable you when you are weak. It is in your weakness that you will find God's power shining through. Go for it!

You Cannot Love Both The World And Jesus

There has to be a difference between someone with Jesus and someone without him. If there isn't a difference there is something wrong. As followers of Jesus we have been called out of the world. What is meant by this is that we have been called out of the system of the world. We have been called out of its pattern of thinking, perspective, priorities, and values. We must still live here because we have been called into Jesus' mission, to share the good news with anyone who is willing to be saved. But living here does not mean being part of the mentality here; we have been brought into something different. We are different. We are a new creation.

There are many people walking around with a badge that says Christian without realizing that they are suppose to be walking around in brand new clothes that have Jesus written all over them. We have a lot of wanna-be Christians who have their little badge but who look, talk and act exactly like the person without Jesus. Apostle Paul described these type of Christians to  Timothy:

If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

We know about the fruit of the Spirit, the character of Jesus that is produced in us by the Spirit. Well this passage in Timothy is the fruit of the wanna-be Christian. They teach wrong stuff and when shown what the Bible says, they disagree with it. They think they know more than anyone else, are better than everyone but in fact, understand nothing about God, Jesus and the Spirit. They are drawn to controversies, probably surfing the Internet, looking for someone to argue with concerning trivial things like whether it is better to use wine or grape juice in Communion, and what temperature the water should be for baptisms. Much of what they produce will be envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction. Some of these type of people will only see the Church as a means of making money.

Now contrast this with the character of a mature follower of Jesus Christ. There is a difference:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

There is a good measuring rod to look in the mirror with. A follower of Jesus is marked by a character of contentment. The reason is because we are divorced from the pattern of this world, from it's thinking and desires. Our priorities are much different, as are our values. We are no longer attached to things here and are not striving to gain more things. Jesus said not to try to store up wealth here but instead send ahead of us the treasures that are of much greater worth, which go ahead of us and are stored up in heaven. The love, kindness, good deeds, all such things done in Jesus name are our heavenly treasure. They will be the jewels in our crown, the crown we will receive but which we will lay at Jesus feet. I don't know about you but I want to lay down a crown of great value; I want what I submit to Jesus to be of great substance.

The enemy's greatest tools are deception and distraction and there are a lot of followers of Jesus who are being deceived into wearing the badge instead of the new garment. There are way too many who are being distracted by the rotting treasures of this earth. Don't be among the number. Follow Jesus and only Jesus; consume the Word of God; live by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit; fix your eyes on Jesus; get busy doing what we were saved to do. Allow the fruit of the Spirit to be produced in you by the Holy Spirit which requires a spirit, soul and body wholly filled and possessed by Jesus Christ. We are different. We belong to Jesus. God cannot be mocked, he knows who belong to him.

Is There A Burning In Your Spirit For More Of Jesus?

My friends, it is time to grow up. It is time for us to stop playing Church and to clothe ourselves in the maturity of the Spirit. It is time to set aside the uncertainty of childhood and step into the boldness that comes with the knowledge we have been given in the Word by the Spirit. It is time for us to start acting on the promises Jesus has given to us.

Face it, we might be greater in number compared to the early Church but we certainly are not greater in power, at least in North America. In other places of the world the gospel is preached in the reality of the power of God. Power is demonstrated daily as the Church walks in faith, acting on the promises Jesus gave, to overcome every obstacle in their path. In the face of suffering the Church grows in many places in this world but in North America, if it becomes an inconvenience, we quickly set it aside. We are immature, easily distracted, have no perseverance and we don't believe in the power of God. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews puts out there:

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so. (Hebrews 6:1-3)

Read that again and take note of what is considered the elementary teachings:

- repentance from acts that lead to death
- faith in God
- instructions about baptisms
- the laying on of hands
- the resurrection of the dead
- eternal judgment

No wonder we can't get any real traction going in North America, we are still teaching many of these subjects. Oh, we have mega churches and we have some vocal groups pushing a Christian agenda, but we are lacking men and women of maturity; men and women of spiritual boldness; men and women of spiritual authority. We are still a bunch of kids messing our pants and fighting in the sandbox, even arguing over the existence of hell (that's the eternal judgment part of the fundamental teaching).

Just on the issue of faith alone we can see people still struggling with taking God at his word. Most people do not believe 100% of God's promises. They pick and choose what their flesh is willing to accept and the rest they kick to the curb. Most people do not journey any further than the cross. They hang out at the bar of repentance, not understanding the fullness of the promises Jesus has given us for hear and now. We don't understand how Jesus has equipped us through the Holy Spirit with everything we need to do the work of the Father. That's okay because most of us don't know that our salvation has greater purpose than ourselves. It is sad.

It doesn't have to be this way. If we would only understand that we have to die to ourselves in order to accept Jesus we would be 50% of the way to maturity. Our problem really comes from trying to live in two worlds, in two systems, with two lords. Jesus said that it is impossible to serve two masters. He said that we will either hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. We are trying to live a duplicitous life and it is more this reason that we see a huge lack of spiritual maturity in the Church. Our lives cannot be partially given to God. If we want maturity it is all or nothing.

Is Jesus your everything? Is your life completely focused on him? Do you see his purpose in everything you do? Is his will more important to you than your own? Are his goals your goals? Do you see and understand and are you living his purpose and calling in your life? Is the Word of God coming alive to you? Is your time of prayer effective and vibrant? Do you see God at work all around you? If so, then you are well on your way to "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ". (Ephesians 4:13) If not, then you will continue to mess in your pants and experience fighting in the sandbox. It is time to grow up.

Trying To Live For Jesus Without The Spirit Messes Everything Up

There is a message that burns deep within me that I wish I could impart to everyone who calls on the name of Jesus. Too many Christians are dead to the Spirit because they fell out of fellowship with Jesus before they really even started. It's like they fell out of bed because they fell asleep too close where they got in. They didn't go far enough with Jesus. They stayed on the surface. They went no further than salvation, the cross of Christ. They did not seek the deeper things. They became satisfied too early and relied on nothing more than the baptism of repentance. But Jesus offers us more than forgiveness; he gives us life to the fullest through the Holy Spirit.

I cannot stress enough the importance of growing in our faith through the Spirit of God. Faith and the Spirit go hand in hand, and I am talking about the faith that provokes you to act on the promises of God.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Too many of us live without the power of God. The life we live in this body we are living by our flesh instead of by faith. It is like what Paul warned, that in the last days there would be a form of godliness without the power of God. Look around my friends, where do you see the power of God? Too many of us have created our own little god with our own little law. We still use the same names but the god we worship is not the Jesus we read about in the Bible. Paul asked this question:

"Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (Galatians 3:5)

The problem is that many of us have not received the baptism of the Spirit and miracles do not happen because we don't believe what we read. We are too busy limiting God with our limitations because we don't know how to live by the Spirit and try to serve God by our flesh, which is impossible. Allow me to share a little known verse:

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." (Galatians 3:14)

It's all about us receiving the Spirit so we can live a life of faith as big as our God. The blessing given to Abraham was righteousness by faith and it is by this same faith that we receive the Holy Spirit who enables us to live by God's righteousness. The Holy Spirit is the great enabler. Without him we can't see God. Without him we do not have Jesus.

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are no longer under law." (Galatians 5:16-18)

You cannot live for Jesus without being possessed by the Holy Spirit. You cannot operate in the power of God without the Holy Spirit. You cannot live a life that glorifies God without the Holy Spirit. You cannot see God without the Holy Spirit. You cannot know the will of God, the mind of Christ without the Holy Spirit. You cannot even begin to imagine the love of Christ and its power to transform without the Holy Spirit.

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25)

So in order to keep in step with the Spirit we need to first be living by the Spirit. Too many Christians know nothing about the Holy Spirit yet he is the reason Jesus left this place. Jesus said he had to go so he could send the Spirit, who would then live in us. It is a question of surrender and obedience. Will you receive, surrender to and then obey the Spirit of God to allow Jesus to live through you? The Word tells us that all we have to do is ask:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)

So, in faith, ask!

The Lies Of Our Heart Are Re-enforced By The Lies Of Our Enemy

I really hate the enemy of our soul for what he has done to mankind. I know it was Adam's choice at the beginning that threw the whole race into rebellion against God, but it is the enemy who has kept us here. Satan hates God. He hates him with a passion and he wants to hurt God by robbing God of the object of his affection, us. He hates us too because God loves us, but his real purpose in the lies he convinces us are truths is because he wants to keep us separated from God to hurt God. This is the reason he works so hard to keep us in the dark and tries to keep blinders on us so we can't see God.

In order for us to be saved from this sin nature and from the enemy we have to get to the point of understanding and accepting the truth that:

... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... (Romans 8:23)

Maybe you think there are a lot of good people out there, and, compared to some people who commit murder, they appear good, but the fact is we all sin. Paul told Timothy:

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. (1 Timothy 5:24)

In other words, some sins are obvious and the whole world can see, whereas others are hidden but will still be revealed in time.

All of us. Every single person ever born was born with this sin nature and have given into it, except the one who came to save us by defeating this sin nature, Jesus Christ. This sin nature will try to convince us of a lot of lies and the enemy is there to re-enforce them but sin still comes down to us and that is why we will be held accountable for it. God has given us enough revelation in nature itself to know there is a God, and he has given us his Word and the Holy Spirit to convict us of our need to be rescued from this sin nature. He has also sent Jesus as our rescuer, the one who can set us free. Romans 8 is a great chapter to read to give better insight into the power of this nature and the power of Jesus to break it's grip on us. Read this:

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)

When we turn our back on this sin nature by accepting the gift of freedom from Jesus and we dedicate our lives to him, he gives us another gift, the Holy Spirit, who is the power of God in us. The Spirit guides us away from sin and into all the wonderful blessings of God. He gives us the power to live godly lives to the honour and glory of God.

Jesus Christ is the only one who can save us from this nature we were born with. He is the only one who can reconcile us to God. He is the only one who can free us from our slavery. He is the only way we can come to the Father; there is no other way. We can't live a good life and earn our way. We can lie to ourselves and convince ourselves that God's love will save us even though we persist in our sins. We can convince ourselves that the Bible is outdated and God understands the current age in which we live. God understands alright, he understands that sin separates us from him. It always has and always will. We were given the Law so that sin would be defined, so that we could understand the difference between right and wrong, so that we would be convicted of our actions and the nature of our heart. Then he gave us Jesus to pay the price of our sin and set us free. Calling evil good and good evil will not save you. It is God who makes these definitions and we will be judged according to them, unless we have been set free from them by Jesus.

Do yourself a big favour today, set aside your opinions and thinking, set aside the lies of the enemy, set aside the blinders and let Jesus remove the scales from your eyes. Be willing to see the truth and then allow Jesus to rescue you from the slavery you were born in to. God created you but he did not create you to be like this. He has something better planned for you and you will find it in Jesus.

You Say You Want To Live For Jesus

Have you ever felt too young, or really too anything, to serve Jesus in boldness? You read the Word, feel a deep burning inside to live what you are reading, but then step back from it because you are afraid what people will say? You see something in Scripture that you don't see anyone in the Church doing so you back away from it even though you have a conviction to live it? Please don't do that. There are many things that Christians are not doing as we lead a life of duplicity. We are not living as we aught and if Jesus returns soon we are going to have to answer for it, but don't let that stop you from living the life of bold faith.

Paul had left his spiritual son, Timothy, in Ephesus to oversee things and to guide the saints in God's way and in solid Biblical understanding. We have no idea how old he was but he was young to be in this position. He must have been a remarkable man for Paul to put such trust in him. He told Timothy this:

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

I know many young people like to quote this verse but not many actually do anything with it. It is great to read it and to be encouraged by it but it is even better to put it into practice. The only way you can do this is by a complete, and I mean complete, surrender to Jesus. So many young people are distracted by their own false sub-culture. They get caught up in fashion, entertainment, friends, even education. They lose sight of the greater values of faith, love and family. A complete surrender is when we come to realize that there is nothing greater than Jesus; when we "sell" everything we possess to follow him. Consider what Paul wrote to his friend.

Set an example in speech. The words you choose to use say a lot about what is on your mind, in your heart and what you are allowing in through what you read, listen to and watch. Your vocabulary is often the result of your environment and your entertainment choices. When you spend the majority of your time hanging out with Jesus he will become your greatest influence. Your vocabulary, the kindness of your words, the priorities you show in your speech, will all reflect this. May I add, the stuff you blog about, that you re-blog or re-tweet is an extension of your speech. I follow a lot of Christians on Tumblr and you would be hard pressed to believe that some of them were followers of Jesus by the things they include in their re-blogging. Set an example, not for the world but for fellow believers. They need some good examples.

Set an example in life. What is life to you? What is it's purpose? What is your attitude toward it? Understanding this will impact what you do with it. We are only here for a short time and we are here as servants. Servants operate in obedience, doing what they have been instructed to do. Servant's are not here for their own pleasure and enjoyment. You must realize that our reward is in the life to come but here we must work hard and in boldness, to present Jesus to those who are lost. Acts of kindness are important but our higher calling is to testify concerning Jesus and to make disciples. This is life for us, not to be thrown away on pleasures but to be invested in the lives of the lost. Set an example for the believers.

Set an example in love. This is a big word in a teenagers life. It is a big word in an adult life. It is a word that is abused and it is an emotion that gets trampled on. The fact is Jesus has defined love as a willingness to lay down our life for someone. He then tells us to love our neighbour, to love our enemy. He also tells us that this love must be of the same quality as his love for us. Wow! Have you studied 1 Corinthians 13? Have you considered the cross? Is this how you would define love? Is this what you are living every day? As long as we allow ourselves to be injured by offenses and seek revenge for what is done against us, we know that we have not yet matured in love. Love is constant sacrifice and giving without any expectation of getting back. Love is pouring ourselves into the lives of other people, especially into those who hate us. Love is giving up everything for the benefit of other people. Set an example for the believers.

Set an example in faith. This is a big one considering that most people don't even know what faith is. Faith is beyond belief, it is actually acting on that belief. Faith is being certain of what you cannot see. Faith is stepping out into the dark, trusting that what Jesus said is true. Faith is not words alone but words that provoke us into action. Faith is doing and being. Faith is taking God at his word and living our life according to that word. Faith is leaving behind everything that makes sense in the natural and striking out on a new path that very few people can even see, where we speak to mountains to make them move, where we walk on the water, where we give sight to the blind, give hope to the hopeless, heal the sick, raise the dead, pass through the dark valleys while singing and dancing to the Lord. Go beyond belief and enter that realm of faith in action, which pleases God. I will tell you this, faith without cost is no faith at all. Set an example for the believers.

Set an example in purity. Sex is what probably jumps to mind but purity is more than a physical thing. It is a lot of what I have already written. It is a purity of spirit, soul and body. Our spirit is where God speaks with us and where we worship him. We do not want to allow anything to pollute this part of us. We do not want to introduce any idols, including self in this place. Keep it pure, for God's use alone. Our soul is really everything that makes us human. You may think of it as your personality and it includes your intellect and emotions. The Word tells us to keep our mind and heart fixed on things above. These two areas are so open to other influences, we need the Spirit's help to keep our soul pure. Being careful of what we allow in goes a long way. Stop watching movies and shows that we know do not honour God and use sin as entertainment. Then there is our body, which often follows the lead of our heart and mind. Your body is no longer yours, it was purchased at great cost. Honour God with it by keeping it pure. Sexual sin and and abuse to the body are the most devastating sins as they are done inside of us, they go in deep and are long lasting. Set an example for the believers.

You want to live your life for Jesus? Then stop sitting on the fence. Stop trying to keep a foot in both worlds. Stop living a double life. Go for it. Dive in the deep end and give to Jesus every aspect of your life, the whole thing. Set an example for believers in what it is to live a passionate life for Jesus, especially living by faith. Don't fit into the crowd of believers who are going in the wrong direction. Instead, set an example as Paul has told Timothy to do and consider this:

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (Timothy 4:16) 

You have no idea who you are influencing by the example you are setting, so make sure it is an example you can be proud of when you stand before the King of kings.

Concerning The Ministry Of Healing

The enemy has been very successful in deceiving us when it comes to the matter of God's healing. We are prepared to accept salvation for our soul but we are not prepared for the simple matter of God healing our body. We allow the enemy to convince us that God is somehow glorified in the disease of his saints. God has glorified himself in the salvation of the sinner and he does the same thing with the healing of disease. It is amazing how many Christians rise up against this message when it is brought forward. Yet Paul writes:

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

So many people are willing to come up with all kinds of scripture to support their stand against God's desire to heal the body but few are willing to seek the scripture that supports this teaching. What a terrible negative bunch we are, trying to come up with excuses to support our lack of faith. Lots of scripture is flooding to my mind right now but I am going to keep this short and limit the amount of scripture I use to make one small point about the healing authority Jesus has given to us. Let's begin with Romans 5.

People use this verse to point out God's desire to use our suffering for our benefit:

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

Sounds great and the enemy has used this to keep us blind to the truth. Because we are so weak in our faith and our responsibilities in this world, those of us in North America have no idea what it is to suffer for the Name. So we substitute this suffering for disease and financial problems. Disease is a fact of life in this world and so is financial problems due to our own fault or someone else`s. But this is not the suffering Paul is referring to here that God uses to build us up. Look over at Romans 8 now.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

So again Paul brings up the idea of suffering. Now listen to what is considered suffering for our faith:

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:34-35)

Do you see it? There is nothing about disease here. Paul is speaking of suffering for our faith, when we actually get outside of our comfortable churches and "do" the Word of God, when we actually live by our faith. Opposition comes and we must persevere and in that perseverance he builds our character and such character houses the hope in us that is Jesus Christ.

Come on now, if Jesus told us that we can speak to a mountain and see it leap into the sea, don't you think that disease is an easier thing to deal with? Do you think he gave us authority over only a few demons and maybe a couple of diseases? Jesus gave us the authority to do all things through him. For man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.

The difficult thing is to have faith to receive. Without faith we cannot receive. Jesus did not heal every illness in the land but he did heal everyone who came and asked. We do not have because we do not ask. We have no expectations so there are no results. We have to change our mind, have it renewed so we are no longer living by the patterns of this world. To God be the glory.

It's Not Always Easy Being A Pastor

To some people it looks like pastors and elders have an easy life. They get to spend all day studying God's Word, praying, writing and visiting people without any concern about anything. But the fact is pastor's and elders are possessed by a mother's heart, always caring for, praying over and tending to those who have voluntarily placed themselves under the servant-leadership of the pastor and his team. All of their days are filled with people and the desire to see them grow and mature in the Spirit.

Sometimes this means needing to correct or warn people when they are in danger or taking the wrong path. Most of these mistaken paths lead to danger and even death. But it is hard to bring correction to people who are free to come and go as they wish, who are under that servant-leader voluntarily, which means they can leave any time they want. The mature stay where they are because of their resolve and the immature tend to run away. Regardless, because of the love of Jesus, pastors must warn those who are going astray. If the person hasn't hardened their heart and is not overcome with pride, a simple warning is often enough so that the conviction of the Spirit pulls at the heart and they turn back to the Lord.

Often we forget that preventative medicine is best. Physically, if we eat well, exercise properly, and get our proper sleep we will prevent a lot of diseases. We will not need to see a doctor except for our annual check up. If pastors would occasionally spend some time on preventative care it may save many heartaches. It is what Paul was telling Timothy to do, warn people of the danger before they fall into the trap:

If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:6)

Then Paul warned Timothy about a few things as preventative care. Remember that Timothy is young compared to Paul but Paul had left him there to oversee the ministry in Asia Minor with Ephesus as the hub. That was a lot of responsibility and would be a busy life. Paul loved his friend who had shared many of his journeys and who had remained faithful to him and to the Lord. He gave him some good instruction that is also good for us to apply:

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:7)

There are a lot of godless myths and old wives' tales circling around the Church these days. A lot of practices that we are leaving off, such as prayer, Bible study, and fasting. These activities bring us into a closer relationship with Jesus but instead we fill the time with music, video teaching and fellowship. There is nothing wrong with these last three but a steady diet of it without the more important relationship building tools will leave us weak and susceptible to deception and abandonment.

Instead, Paul tells Timothy to train himself to be godly. He tells him:

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:6)

Some of us who are older understand the value of physical training. It prevents illness and disease, it keeps the body working well, it helps us remain mentally alert, it allows us to have energy, keeps us active longer, we sleep better at night, and the list goes on. Physical training is of some value but godliness is not only valuable for this life, it is something we will take with us in the life to come.

Godliness is to have the character of Jesus and we can train for it by understanding the character of Jesus and desiring that character. It is an amazing spiritual law that, as you step forward in that thing you want, God transforms you into it. If you desire to love like Jesus, even though we have no such love in us, when you start doing what he did in love, the Spirit fills you with that love. As you desire to be like Jesus, taking the first steps, allowing the Spirit to correct where you need correction, the fruit of the Spirit, which is the character of Jesus, starts being produced in you.

The training is the studying to know and then acting on what you know. What you lack the Spirit gives to you. Let me give you an example. I have been studying a lot about Jesus' love and the apostles understanding of this love so it is much in my heart to possess this love. But this love is not for us, it is a fruit of the Spirit for the benefit of other people. The other night I made some soup and salad for my family for supper. I did a kind thing and made my wife her favorite soup separate from the rest. As we sat down to eat my pregnant wife told me that she was turned off from her favorite soup and would prefer what the rest of us were having. Unfortunately, what the rest of us were having was my favorite soup. Having just finished a lengthy fast I was really looking forward to this soup. As quick as a flash the Spirit said "And this is love". I reached out and switched our bowls of soup. When my wife protested (because she loves me), I was honestly able to look into her eyes, smile a big smile and say, "I love you", which settled the matter. I was training myself to be godly. The Spirit was my coach and my enabler.

This is the thing we can never forget: we are not in this alone. It is not like Jesus gave us our assignment and then pushed us out of the airplane to fight on our own. We have the Holy Spirit, who is much more than a companion and a corrector. The Holy Spirit is our enabler. He makes it possible to do and be what, on our own, we would never be able to achieve. He is our coach, guide, helper, corrector, and enabler.

He uses godly men like Paul and Timothy to warn us away from danger, to encourage us with the Word of God, and to guide us when we feel lost. He also uses the Word of God as we study and grow. He uses our time of prayer to speak to us, to correct, to instruct and guide us. He uses worship to draw us into God's presence so we can give our offerings of love. He encourages us through the fellowship of believers. He reveals deeper things as we are instructed by men and women of God. He helps us in our godly training to become more than we could ever possibly imagine. He helps us take our pastor seriously when he has to bring us words of warning and correction so we do not continue down the path of destruction.

I don't know about you but I for one am very thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit as I continue to train myself to me godly. We also need to be thankful for the pastors and elders who God has surrounded us with; men and women who love us enough to practice preventative medicine as they warn us away from the things that could destroy us. Send them a note today to tell them how much you appreciate them.