There are certain principles of Christianity that we know, understand and speak about a lot, but we don't necessarily understand them enough to put them into practice. I am not saying that Christianity is a matter of practicing certain behaviours. Instead it is a knowledge that certain behaviours belong to rebellion and others please Father. With this knowledge we desire to live in a way that pleases and honours Father even if we are powerless to do it. That desire is then empowered by the Spirit in us because we were made a new creation through Jesus, so we are changed bit by bit to be more like Jesus.
When I first started out with Jesus I was a very critical and judgmental person, as I find many new Christians are. It takes us a while to get our footing and to understand that how Father sees things is different then how we see it. We tend to see all the things people do wrong according to the Law. Father sees a creation he loves lost in rebellion against him. He sees a creation he wants to come back to him, to become his children. He sees with love. He would rather forgive than condemn and that is what we need to remember, for ourselves and others.
The struggle for Christians is the tension between forgiveness and justice. It sounds simple enough. If we have been forgiven we should forgive, which is what Jesus instructs us to do. He told some very powerful parables on the danger of accepting forgiveness but not offering forgiveness. Our problem is our sense of justice, wanting people who do wrong things against us to pay for those wrong things. It can take us a while to fully understand from our heart and not just our head how important it is to forgive as we have been forgiven but once the Spirit has made this a part of our character, we see everything differently.
As far as judgement is concerned, when we keep pushing in with Jesus, our perspective changes. We begin to realize that every person is susceptible to the rebellious nature of sin and we all mess up. Each of us is accountable to Jesus and what Jesus thinks is so much more important than anyone else. He knows our struggle and it is the reason that salvation is a gift of grace and not something that we earn. Because it is a gift based on Jesus' actions, the only way I cannot possess it is if I refuse it. This is true for me any everyone else.
With the truth of this accountability we need to apply this simple Scripture:
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
With this shifting of perspective we become cheerleaders for our brothers and sisters instead of judge and jury. When we realize the greatness of Father's love for those who belong to him and even for those who don't, we tread with respect in the lives of others.
No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. We are all at different levels of maturity, knowledge and understanding. We are all wrong in some part of our understanding but we are all growing. I try to keep in mind what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:
Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. (Philippians 3:15)
We all belong to Jesus and where we are wrong Jesus will bring correction and we are not to judge those who belong to Jesus because Jesus is going to bring them into victory. And we are glad for it. Our great desire, along with the salvation of everyone, is that everyone who is saved will be victorious over everything in their lives. If this is not yet your desire it will be as you grow into it.
Showing posts with label principles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label principles. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
You Seriously Want To Live Like Jesus?
How much do you seriously know about what Jesus taught? What is governing your life? What principles do you live by? How are you following Jesus if you don't even watch him? Do you realize that we live by a completely different standard than this world? If we know that, why are we living by the patterns of the world instead of the principles of the Kingdom?
The Kingdom of Jesus is much different than anything we find on this earth and, although there are many benefits we will not receive until the world to come, some things can be lived here and now. There are principles that have been put in place that, if acted upon, will improve our living, but they come at a cost. We have to let go of what we see and trust what Jesus told us.
One of the Kingdom principles could be considered the original anti-bullying policy. During Jesus' ministry, society was greatly divided. There were Jews and Samaritans, Pharisees and Sadducees, Herodians and common folk. They hated on each other. Each thought they knew better but they were focused only on their own interest. There was a great deal of judgment; hurtful, adversarial, causing damage to leading a good spiritual life. Jesus made it clear that we do not adhere to such patterns but instead live by a new governance:
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
People who think they are in a better position than others, with better knowledge, better revelation, better standing with Father, better conduct, often bully those they think are in a lesser position. This blocks any further spiritual growth and maturity in these people because it doesn't work this way in the Kingdom. Such hearts cannot grow.
It seems a bit odd that we get to decide what measure we receive but there it is. "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you." If you don't want to be judged by people, stop judging them. If you don't want to be condemned, don't go around condemning others. If you want to receive forgiveness for all the stupid things you do, forgive others for their stupidity. What measure of this you receive from others will depend on what measure you live by. Jesus said to make it a generous measure:
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (v. 38)
People often use this in a financial sense but in context it has to do with our liberal generosity in not judging, not condemning and forgiving. Give forgiveness in a generous measure and it will be given back to you in the same measure. This is where we discover the incredible generosity of our Lord. That is the nature of the Kingdom, generosity in all things. It will be a good measure.
When measured out, it won't be fluffy, you won't be short changed or cheated in the matter. It will be packed down, like flour and sugar, so that as much as possible will be fit in. It will be shaken, like grain, so that it will settle together and as much as possible will be fit in. It will run over, wine and oil, so that it will be full capacity. That is generosity. But if that is what you want measured out to you, you need to be sure that is exactly how you are measuring it out to others; pressed down, shaken, and running over. Many will gladly do this with finances but will be scrooges in the things that matter most.
Each of us should have a great desire to be known as a generous people because Jesus has been incredibly generous to us. Any of us who think we have deserved his love, mercy, grace or forgiveness, are sadly lacking in a correct understanding and perspective. When we realize how generously it has been poured into us we will want to see the same being poured into the people we influence. Father will supernaturally touch their hearts and we will receive the same back from these people.
Considering this and playing back the events of last week, most of us will feel shame in the way we have treated others. We have not acted properly as citizens of the Kingdom of Jesus. Ask for forgiveness and consider this a new day to begin to live with a better understanding of how the principles of the Kingdom work. Give generously to others. Invest in them, because it is an investment. Throw away judgment and condemnation, which divide, and measure out a generous portion of love and forgiveness. Do it and be amazed how people change and your relations improve. Watch how many people will want to know more about Jesus.
The Kingdom of Jesus is much different than anything we find on this earth and, although there are many benefits we will not receive until the world to come, some things can be lived here and now. There are principles that have been put in place that, if acted upon, will improve our living, but they come at a cost. We have to let go of what we see and trust what Jesus told us.
One of the Kingdom principles could be considered the original anti-bullying policy. During Jesus' ministry, society was greatly divided. There were Jews and Samaritans, Pharisees and Sadducees, Herodians and common folk. They hated on each other. Each thought they knew better but they were focused only on their own interest. There was a great deal of judgment; hurtful, adversarial, causing damage to leading a good spiritual life. Jesus made it clear that we do not adhere to such patterns but instead live by a new governance:
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
People who think they are in a better position than others, with better knowledge, better revelation, better standing with Father, better conduct, often bully those they think are in a lesser position. This blocks any further spiritual growth and maturity in these people because it doesn't work this way in the Kingdom. Such hearts cannot grow.
It seems a bit odd that we get to decide what measure we receive but there it is. "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you." If you don't want to be judged by people, stop judging them. If you don't want to be condemned, don't go around condemning others. If you want to receive forgiveness for all the stupid things you do, forgive others for their stupidity. What measure of this you receive from others will depend on what measure you live by. Jesus said to make it a generous measure:
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (v. 38)
People often use this in a financial sense but in context it has to do with our liberal generosity in not judging, not condemning and forgiving. Give forgiveness in a generous measure and it will be given back to you in the same measure. This is where we discover the incredible generosity of our Lord. That is the nature of the Kingdom, generosity in all things. It will be a good measure.
When measured out, it won't be fluffy, you won't be short changed or cheated in the matter. It will be packed down, like flour and sugar, so that as much as possible will be fit in. It will be shaken, like grain, so that it will settle together and as much as possible will be fit in. It will run over, wine and oil, so that it will be full capacity. That is generosity. But if that is what you want measured out to you, you need to be sure that is exactly how you are measuring it out to others; pressed down, shaken, and running over. Many will gladly do this with finances but will be scrooges in the things that matter most.
Each of us should have a great desire to be known as a generous people because Jesus has been incredibly generous to us. Any of us who think we have deserved his love, mercy, grace or forgiveness, are sadly lacking in a correct understanding and perspective. When we realize how generously it has been poured into us we will want to see the same being poured into the people we influence. Father will supernaturally touch their hearts and we will receive the same back from these people.
Considering this and playing back the events of last week, most of us will feel shame in the way we have treated others. We have not acted properly as citizens of the Kingdom of Jesus. Ask for forgiveness and consider this a new day to begin to live with a better understanding of how the principles of the Kingdom work. Give generously to others. Invest in them, because it is an investment. Throw away judgment and condemnation, which divide, and measure out a generous portion of love and forgiveness. Do it and be amazed how people change and your relations improve. Watch how many people will want to know more about Jesus.
Monday, March 24, 2014
How To Know Good Advice From Bad
It is tough being in the midst of trials. Sometimes it is really hard to know where to turn, who to trust, who really has your best interest at heart. Sometimes we simply turn to whoever appears to be the most available, the person who readily offers their opinion. Often that is the very last person to whom we should listen. Often this person is filled with nothing but the counsel of the world and has no understanding of the spiritual realm to which we belong. Their advice works perfectly well for someone of this world but misses the mark for the citizens of the Kingdom. That is something we should always keep in mind.
People whose roots are in this world cannot see what we see; they do not know what we know; they cannot understand what we understand. A great example of this is when king Sennacherib, the great king of Assyria, tried to frighten king Hezekiah and Jerusalem into surrender. Why fight a battle when you can frighten your enemy into submission? Is that not the tactic of the enemy of our soul? He says to Hezekiah:
“What confidence is this in which you trust? I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him." (Isaiah 36:4-6)
This king could not figure out why Hezekiah was resisting him so he looked around for the obvious. He guessed wrong that Hezekiah was hoping Egypt would come to his rescue but Hezekiah's only plan was to trust Yahweh. This king saw Hezekiah's confidence and assumed it was according to the plans of the world. But he didn't leave Hezekiah's faith alone either:
“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” (Isaiah 36:7)
He had heard of Hezekiah's reforms but misinterpreted them. Hezekiah had inherited a messed up kingdom that worshiped every god of every neighbour and then some. He brought in revival with his reign because he loved the Lord our God with his entire being. He did a cleansing of the land and threw out every idol, teaching the people the Law and having them return to the proper worship at the Temple. This was a good thing that provoked the love and protection of Yahweh.
Yet the world look on this and did not understand. They misinterpreted his actions of love and devotion. They figured Hezekiah had blown it and was now at the mercy of the gods he had offended. Hezekiah stuck to his trust in Yahweh and Yahweh himself delivered them from the king of Assyria.
People without Jesus can only evaluate your situation from their experience, from what they know, and what they know is the wisdom of man. It will sound reasonable because it is, for those who are without Jesus. They are only following the rules and habits that they know. However, we belong to another set of principles established by Father. We belong to another place, the Kingdom of Jesus. We have a different ruler than the false prince of this world and he is the true King of creation. We are no longer governed by the patterns of this world and so cannot receive counsel based on it. We need wise counsel and direction from those planted firmly in Jesus.
Be very careful because since we live in this place temporarily we can become accustomed to its rules. We can be tricked by the sound arguments of this place. Everything we hear makes sense by what we see, but we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith in Jesus, in the Word, by the Spirit, according to the principles of the Kingdom. More than any other book ever produced by man we should be in love and know the one book produced by the Holy Spirit. Above all else, allow it to be your guide as taught to you by the Spirit. He will never fail you, even in the face of the kings of this world.
People whose roots are in this world cannot see what we see; they do not know what we know; they cannot understand what we understand. A great example of this is when king Sennacherib, the great king of Assyria, tried to frighten king Hezekiah and Jerusalem into surrender. Why fight a battle when you can frighten your enemy into submission? Is that not the tactic of the enemy of our soul? He says to Hezekiah:
“What confidence is this in which you trust? I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him." (Isaiah 36:4-6)
This king could not figure out why Hezekiah was resisting him so he looked around for the obvious. He guessed wrong that Hezekiah was hoping Egypt would come to his rescue but Hezekiah's only plan was to trust Yahweh. This king saw Hezekiah's confidence and assumed it was according to the plans of the world. But he didn't leave Hezekiah's faith alone either:
“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” (Isaiah 36:7)
He had heard of Hezekiah's reforms but misinterpreted them. Hezekiah had inherited a messed up kingdom that worshiped every god of every neighbour and then some. He brought in revival with his reign because he loved the Lord our God with his entire being. He did a cleansing of the land and threw out every idol, teaching the people the Law and having them return to the proper worship at the Temple. This was a good thing that provoked the love and protection of Yahweh.
Yet the world look on this and did not understand. They misinterpreted his actions of love and devotion. They figured Hezekiah had blown it and was now at the mercy of the gods he had offended. Hezekiah stuck to his trust in Yahweh and Yahweh himself delivered them from the king of Assyria.
People without Jesus can only evaluate your situation from their experience, from what they know, and what they know is the wisdom of man. It will sound reasonable because it is, for those who are without Jesus. They are only following the rules and habits that they know. However, we belong to another set of principles established by Father. We belong to another place, the Kingdom of Jesus. We have a different ruler than the false prince of this world and he is the true King of creation. We are no longer governed by the patterns of this world and so cannot receive counsel based on it. We need wise counsel and direction from those planted firmly in Jesus.
Be very careful because since we live in this place temporarily we can become accustomed to its rules. We can be tricked by the sound arguments of this place. Everything we hear makes sense by what we see, but we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith in Jesus, in the Word, by the Spirit, according to the principles of the Kingdom. More than any other book ever produced by man we should be in love and know the one book produced by the Holy Spirit. Above all else, allow it to be your guide as taught to you by the Spirit. He will never fail you, even in the face of the kings of this world.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
It Is Suppose To Be Way Different Than This
It only makes sense, doesn't it?
Always trust God.
And we think we do.
But we don't.
We trust him with certain things which makes us feel like we are trusting him with everything because we seldom actually examine ourselves. We seldom ask ourselves the hard questions and when we do we are always able to justify ourselves. "Well, God gave us intelligence to think for ourselves." But that's not what the Lord said through Solomon:
With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment. (Proverbs 3:5)
Do not trust your own judgment. The reason is because God's ways are not our ways and God's thoughts are so much higher than our own. Our mind, our perspective, even our system of thinking has been crafted by the sinful nature of man. It is not natural for us to know God's ways. It is not normal for us to know his mind. However, through Jesus he has made it possible for us to know his mind, to know his ways, to know what we are to do, but it requires us to be centered on him, to be alive in Jesus, to be one with Jesus.
This is important because we think we are living according to God's will when we are actually following our own. We think we are being directed by him but we are being directed by the "common sense" (common sin) of this world. If we would really open ourselves to God's direction it would blow our mind. But we restrain ourselves by the knowledge of this world instead of living life in abundance through the promises of God. Even though God directs us, we walk according to the wisdom of this world. Instead of believing all things are possible through him who gives us strength, we walk away from God's anointing because the wisdom of the world says it is impossible.
I don't know; are we all reading the same Bible? Can't we read the testimony of those who walked before us? Can we state that we trust in the same way they did? I mean with your family, finances, job, health, education, friends, love? Who is going to plan the size of your family? The wisdom of this world or God? Who is going to decide the work of your hands? The wisdom of this world or God? Who is going to provide for you and your family? The wisdom of this world or God? If God is not directing in these simple things then you will also not allow him to direct your place in the Body of Christ, in ministry. Trust is trust. It is not a partial thing but the whole. And when we trust, God will direct:
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow. (v. 6)
Always let him lead you. That is a direct and honest question to ask yourself today: Who is leading me? Can you, with confidence, declare that you are not directing your own path but have laid down all your will and are walking in the Father's? Most of us can't because we have not been trained. We have had no one come along side us and question us on this. We have had no one challenge us in our perspective and decisions because most of us think our wisdom is the Lord's:
Don’t ever think that you
are wise enough,
but respect the Lord
and stay away from evil. (v. 7)
Respect means obedience. Not when we feel like it but because love compels to lay it all down before our King. We need to become radical in our desire for the Father's will. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to break down our old way of understanding and allow our minds to be renewed:
I don't know about you but I am tired of the facade. I want to see as God sees and I want to see what he wants me to see. I want to stop being governed by the rules of this world and start submitting myself to God's promises and principles. I want to stop listening to those who tell me something is impossible when God has told me that through Jesus all things are possible. Too often I have been back and forth in my thinking, but no more. It's the Kingdom of God or it's nothing. It's God's way or no way. Change the way I think Lord and give me eyes to see your design and a willing spirit to accept it.
I trust you.
Always trust God.
And we think we do.
But we don't.
We trust him with certain things which makes us feel like we are trusting him with everything because we seldom actually examine ourselves. We seldom ask ourselves the hard questions and when we do we are always able to justify ourselves. "Well, God gave us intelligence to think for ourselves." But that's not what the Lord said through Solomon:
With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment. (Proverbs 3:5)
Do not trust your own judgment. The reason is because God's ways are not our ways and God's thoughts are so much higher than our own. Our mind, our perspective, even our system of thinking has been crafted by the sinful nature of man. It is not natural for us to know God's ways. It is not normal for us to know his mind. However, through Jesus he has made it possible for us to know his mind, to know his ways, to know what we are to do, but it requires us to be centered on him, to be alive in Jesus, to be one with Jesus.
This is important because we think we are living according to God's will when we are actually following our own. We think we are being directed by him but we are being directed by the "common sense" (common sin) of this world. If we would really open ourselves to God's direction it would blow our mind. But we restrain ourselves by the knowledge of this world instead of living life in abundance through the promises of God. Even though God directs us, we walk according to the wisdom of this world. Instead of believing all things are possible through him who gives us strength, we walk away from God's anointing because the wisdom of the world says it is impossible.
I don't know; are we all reading the same Bible? Can't we read the testimony of those who walked before us? Can we state that we trust in the same way they did? I mean with your family, finances, job, health, education, friends, love? Who is going to plan the size of your family? The wisdom of this world or God? Who is going to decide the work of your hands? The wisdom of this world or God? Who is going to provide for you and your family? The wisdom of this world or God? If God is not directing in these simple things then you will also not allow him to direct your place in the Body of Christ, in ministry. Trust is trust. It is not a partial thing but the whole. And when we trust, God will direct:
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow. (v. 6)
Always let him lead you. That is a direct and honest question to ask yourself today: Who is leading me? Can you, with confidence, declare that you are not directing your own path but have laid down all your will and are walking in the Father's? Most of us can't because we have not been trained. We have had no one come along side us and question us on this. We have had no one challenge us in our perspective and decisions because most of us think our wisdom is the Lord's:
Don’t ever think that you
are wise enough,
but respect the Lord
and stay away from evil. (v. 7)
Respect means obedience. Not when we feel like it but because love compels to lay it all down before our King. We need to become radical in our desire for the Father's will. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to break down our old way of understanding and allow our minds to be renewed:
- Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. (Romans 12:2)
I don't know about you but I am tired of the facade. I want to see as God sees and I want to see what he wants me to see. I want to stop being governed by the rules of this world and start submitting myself to God's promises and principles. I want to stop listening to those who tell me something is impossible when God has told me that through Jesus all things are possible. Too often I have been back and forth in my thinking, but no more. It's the Kingdom of God or it's nothing. It's God's way or no way. Change the way I think Lord and give me eyes to see your design and a willing spirit to accept it.
I trust you.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Let's Get Serious
Enough playing around. Let's get serious. We are not here for a long time and there is a lot to do. Perhaps not in the same sense that some would value work but it is work nonetheless. Our work is to tell as many people about Jesus as we can and to teach those who decide to become followers of Jesus. It is not a joyless work but one that gives us the sense of completion as we work in the Spirit in the will of God. But just because it is a labour of love does not mean it is not the most serious labour there is on the planet because it is a labour that has an eternal outcome.
Now we are not rogue agents. We don't get to do whatever we feel like. We get to do according to the direction of the Spirit. We are not the General calling the shots but the soldiers who carry out the orders. There are rules and principles at play in this fight for the souls of this world and we need to learn them if we are to be effective warriors in service to the King. The mighty warrior Paul wrote to his fellow warrior and friend Timothy:
Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2:5)
Do you know, understand, live by and operate in the rules of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? All citizens, especially all warriors, must know and live by the rules of the Kingdom. The first rule is a simple one: love God with your entire being, so much so that nothing else even comes as a remote second. It is not a whimsical love, up one day and down another, but it is a love so strong that it dictates obedience to our flesh. It is a love that gives birth to obedience, faithfulness and a desire for God's righteousness. It is a love that spurns sin and pledges allegiance, not matter the cost, to the King of kings.
This love is such that rules like "love your neighbour", forgiveness, mercy, compassion, become our nature. These are not things we must think about but what we are. Just as the knights of old lived by the code of chivalry, we modern day knights live by the code of God's righteousness. But there is more to the principles of the Kingdom than just these; there are actual spiritual laws that are in place.
There are simple things to understand but we fail to operate in. There is the law of authority.The authority of Jesus Christ lives in you. When you speak to the things you are coming against you do it in Jesus'authority. Demons must flee from you, they have no choice because of the authority of Jesus. Disease must obey. Spiritual principles must come into play. You are an incredible spiritual powerhouse, a mighty warrior in service to the King, in the authority of the King. And as such a warrior you have the responsibility to fight against the dark realm according to the rules; you have the responsibility to defend the weak according to the governing spiritual principles.
Yes, the battle belongs to the Lord and the victory is ours but we have been left here to fight in service to the King. We are not here to be pampered but to seek the things of the Kingdom. We are doers of the Word. We are agents, warriors, knights, soldiers and we are here to fight. We fight on our knees. We fight with the equipment we have been given. We fight in the full authority of Jesus Christ. We are not weak. We are not defeated. We are not sick. We are not complainers. We are not fearful. We are not doubters. We are not worriers. We are not gossips. We are not destroyers of people. We are not haters. We are not list keepers.
We are warriors!
We are warrior servants, and Jesus is our King. Now walk as Jesus has called you to walk. Walk like Jesus did when he walked in the fullness of the Spirit in obedience to his Father. We are to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, in obedience to our King.
Now we are not rogue agents. We don't get to do whatever we feel like. We get to do according to the direction of the Spirit. We are not the General calling the shots but the soldiers who carry out the orders. There are rules and principles at play in this fight for the souls of this world and we need to learn them if we are to be effective warriors in service to the King. The mighty warrior Paul wrote to his fellow warrior and friend Timothy:
Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2:5)
Do you know, understand, live by and operate in the rules of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? All citizens, especially all warriors, must know and live by the rules of the Kingdom. The first rule is a simple one: love God with your entire being, so much so that nothing else even comes as a remote second. It is not a whimsical love, up one day and down another, but it is a love so strong that it dictates obedience to our flesh. It is a love that gives birth to obedience, faithfulness and a desire for God's righteousness. It is a love that spurns sin and pledges allegiance, not matter the cost, to the King of kings.
This love is such that rules like "love your neighbour", forgiveness, mercy, compassion, become our nature. These are not things we must think about but what we are. Just as the knights of old lived by the code of chivalry, we modern day knights live by the code of God's righteousness. But there is more to the principles of the Kingdom than just these; there are actual spiritual laws that are in place.
There are simple things to understand but we fail to operate in. There is the law of authority.The authority of Jesus Christ lives in you. When you speak to the things you are coming against you do it in Jesus'authority. Demons must flee from you, they have no choice because of the authority of Jesus. Disease must obey. Spiritual principles must come into play. You are an incredible spiritual powerhouse, a mighty warrior in service to the King, in the authority of the King. And as such a warrior you have the responsibility to fight against the dark realm according to the rules; you have the responsibility to defend the weak according to the governing spiritual principles.
Yes, the battle belongs to the Lord and the victory is ours but we have been left here to fight in service to the King. We are not here to be pampered but to seek the things of the Kingdom. We are doers of the Word. We are agents, warriors, knights, soldiers and we are here to fight. We fight on our knees. We fight with the equipment we have been given. We fight in the full authority of Jesus Christ. We are not weak. We are not defeated. We are not sick. We are not complainers. We are not fearful. We are not doubters. We are not worriers. We are not gossips. We are not destroyers of people. We are not haters. We are not list keepers.
We are warriors!
We are warrior servants, and Jesus is our King. Now walk as Jesus has called you to walk. Walk like Jesus did when he walked in the fullness of the Spirit in obedience to his Father. We are to walk in the fullness of the Spirit, in obedience to our King.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
We Need Jesus
We need a real shaking up!
When I say "we" I mean everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and as such a member of the Body of Christ.
We need this shaking up because the world has so successfully seduced us that we aren't even aware of it. We are so entrenched in the patterns of this world that we can't bring ourselves to imagine the pattern, system, perspective and direction of Jesus Christ. Everything is from a "me" perspective and rarely a "them" or even an "us".
It's about what I think, how I feel, what I am experiencing, how it affects me, what it will cost me. The supposed American Dream is about my freedom, my wealth, my prosperity, my rights. That is so much part of our psyche, how could we possible understand Jesus when he tells us that everything is about God and others?
And because we can't understand this very simple fundamental truth of life in this place, we try to do what we can with what we have. We make rules, formulas, and methodology the focus and as long as we stick to these we are fine. We are aghast at how people in the Bible could fall for idols and yet we worship a dozen idols every day. Just ask yourself what stuff comes ahead of Jesus and others in your life? What can't you live without? What would fill you with fear if it was suddenly taken away?
Apostle Paul asked a very good question as he wrote to the Colossians concerning the authority of Jesus. He asked:
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? (Colossians 2:20-21)
I think that's the problem: Most of us haven't died with Christ. We haven't died to the basic principles of this world. We still allow it to have authority over us. We still follow its pattern of thinking. We still define things by what we see, hear, taste and touch. We may hold to some vague understanding of the theory of Jesus but the theory is seldom applied.
We talk about faith but we still allow fear to paralyse us. We allow worry to disturb us. We allow the opinions of others to shape us. We still panic and do our own thing to save our own skin. We still measure right and wrong by the standards of our society. We still treat God like the Genie in the Bottle, bringing him out only for emergencies, or believing only when we can't figure out stuff on our own. Instead of being our first thought he becomes our last resort.
We figure as long as we are following the Ten Commandments or are giving it our best effort we are okay but we aren't. We aren't okay. We are far from okay. Unless an encounter with Jesus Christ makes a radical change in everything we know we are nowhere near being okay. The world and everything in it cannot remain the same to us after being possessed by the Holy Spirit. It is impossible.
We go from being a citizen of this world, following the patterns and principles of this world, thinking, acting, living like everyone else. It is only natural being from this world. But after being possessed by the Spirit we cease to be citizens of this world and we become born of a different place, of the Kingdom of Jesus. Everything shifts. Different pattern, different rules, different purpose, different attitude, different perspective, different thinking, feeling, doing. We no longer submit to the rules of this place.
I don't know, are you getting this at all?
Without the Spirit we can't. We can't get it.
Without the Spirit we can't understand. Without the Spirit we remain dead to the ways of God. Without the Spirit there is no mind of Christ and we stick to what we are familiar with: the principles and pattern of this world.
We need a real shaking up!
We need the Father to touch the hearts of his children again. We need the Spirit, in his great power and passion, to provoke our hearts to seek the Face of God once more. In truth, we need Jesus.
When I say "we" I mean everyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and as such a member of the Body of Christ.
We need this shaking up because the world has so successfully seduced us that we aren't even aware of it. We are so entrenched in the patterns of this world that we can't bring ourselves to imagine the pattern, system, perspective and direction of Jesus Christ. Everything is from a "me" perspective and rarely a "them" or even an "us".
It's about what I think, how I feel, what I am experiencing, how it affects me, what it will cost me. The supposed American Dream is about my freedom, my wealth, my prosperity, my rights. That is so much part of our psyche, how could we possible understand Jesus when he tells us that everything is about God and others?
And because we can't understand this very simple fundamental truth of life in this place, we try to do what we can with what we have. We make rules, formulas, and methodology the focus and as long as we stick to these we are fine. We are aghast at how people in the Bible could fall for idols and yet we worship a dozen idols every day. Just ask yourself what stuff comes ahead of Jesus and others in your life? What can't you live without? What would fill you with fear if it was suddenly taken away?
Apostle Paul asked a very good question as he wrote to the Colossians concerning the authority of Jesus. He asked:
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? (Colossians 2:20-21)
I think that's the problem: Most of us haven't died with Christ. We haven't died to the basic principles of this world. We still allow it to have authority over us. We still follow its pattern of thinking. We still define things by what we see, hear, taste and touch. We may hold to some vague understanding of the theory of Jesus but the theory is seldom applied.
We talk about faith but we still allow fear to paralyse us. We allow worry to disturb us. We allow the opinions of others to shape us. We still panic and do our own thing to save our own skin. We still measure right and wrong by the standards of our society. We still treat God like the Genie in the Bottle, bringing him out only for emergencies, or believing only when we can't figure out stuff on our own. Instead of being our first thought he becomes our last resort.
We figure as long as we are following the Ten Commandments or are giving it our best effort we are okay but we aren't. We aren't okay. We are far from okay. Unless an encounter with Jesus Christ makes a radical change in everything we know we are nowhere near being okay. The world and everything in it cannot remain the same to us after being possessed by the Holy Spirit. It is impossible.
We go from being a citizen of this world, following the patterns and principles of this world, thinking, acting, living like everyone else. It is only natural being from this world. But after being possessed by the Spirit we cease to be citizens of this world and we become born of a different place, of the Kingdom of Jesus. Everything shifts. Different pattern, different rules, different purpose, different attitude, different perspective, different thinking, feeling, doing. We no longer submit to the rules of this place.
I don't know, are you getting this at all?
Without the Spirit we can't. We can't get it.
Without the Spirit we can't understand. Without the Spirit we remain dead to the ways of God. Without the Spirit there is no mind of Christ and we stick to what we are familiar with: the principles and pattern of this world.
We need a real shaking up!
We need the Father to touch the hearts of his children again. We need the Spirit, in his great power and passion, to provoke our hearts to seek the Face of God once more. In truth, we need Jesus.
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