In Romans 14:1-23 we examined how we choose to eat certain things and observe certain days as being holy to the new covenant believers. Many have chose not to observe such days as Christmas or Easter because they believe these originated from pagan feast days.
If a man chooses not to observe these days because of their origin, then he is honoring God by not observing them, according to Romans14:5-6. And, if another man chooses to take back that day and observe it, then he is also honoring God in it, according to Romans 14:5-6.
Every day belongs to the Lord because it is He Who has made them. I choose, as a believer, to take back what the pagans ceased for themselves and claim it as belonging to the Church. As far as I can find in the Word, no day should be left to the enemy to have as his own day.
Many look to the old covenant and choose to abstain from certain meats and foods. If that's where their faith is, then they are honoring God in it. Those of us who believe we can now partake of all things because of Jesus, are also honoring God in it. Paul addresses this account of clean and unclean things in 1Corinthians 10:23-33 (Amplified). Paul said that if we used our liberty in Christ and others don't understand it, then we should not let our liberty become an offense to others. Thus, Verses 25-26 say, "(As to meat offered to idols) eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question or investigating on the grounds of conscientious scruples. For the (whole) earth is the Lord's, and everything that is in it." Paul goes on to say why we should abstain from certain things in Verses 28-29 which say, "But if someone tells you, this has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience's sake. I mean for the sake of his conscience; not yours, I do not eat it. For why would another man's scruples apply to me and my liberty of action be determined by his conscience?" Verses 30-32 say, "If I partake (of my food) with thankfulness, why am I accused and spoken evil of because of that for which I give thanks? So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God." Paul goes on to say in the next verse that our liberty in Christ shouldn't become a stumbling block to others.
We should listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit as to how we conduct our "liberty" in Christ. If my brother in Christ refuses to eat pork out of respect for Christ, then why should I make light of him by using my liberty to partake of the the pork and offend his faith? I can easily manage to eat my breakfast without bacon rather than be an offense to him.
I do not believe I should relinquish Easter to a rabbit and let the world (and the Church) forget what resurrection Sunday is truly about. So, I celebrate Easter for what I choose to believe, the resurrection. I also celebrate Christmas, not because of a fat man who sneaks into our homes at night, but because the of the Light Who came into the darkness. I enjoy the lights and the Spirit of God Who moves on the hearts of people at Christmastime.
I keep Christ in Christmas and I don't do Xmas or snowmen. We allow the world and the devil to usurp the liberties that Jesus gave us. I am free in Him and have a knowledge of how to use my liberties in Christ.
Even the Passover Feast has been somewhat hindered because of tradition and understanding. Jesus said at the Last Supper, "Whenever you receive the bread and the wine, do it in remembrance of Me." This is the feast of Passover to the Christian. We can observe it once a year or we can break bread and partake of the cup at anytime because our Passover Lamb is a constant covering that we constantly need to remind ourselves of.
Jesus' Blood is always a covering to the believer and is the cause of our liberty. It's because of the Blood, the destroyer has to "pass over" those whom the Blood covers. When I partake of communion, I always honor God for His Gift of the Lamb. I remind myself of what His Blood has done for me and I remind the destroyer that I am off limits to him because of the Blood of Jesus.
I choose to walk in my liberty as a free man who has knowledge of my freedom. There are things I choose not to walk in, in the presence of others, because it would cause them to stumble. I am free to do things and I am free not to do these things. Which ever I choose, I am still free. This is what Paul spoke about when he said he had become "all things, to all men."
God never called me to "fence the sheep," only to "feed then sheep." I've found that lambs cannot always digest what the full grown sheep can. A we feed them accordingly, they will grow into maturity. We seem to struggle with being free for the Spirit of God to instruct us in our lives. We, mostly, gather into camps filled with others who "believe" the same way we do and do not seek outside that group.
We've made our own Laws to walk under, instead of walking in the liberty that was purchased for us. We impose our own ideas on others, based on our idea of liberty. Many have been cheated out of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by those who oppose that gift of God. And, it's the same for healing, tongues, prayer and many other gifts. We've allowed others to come in and "spy out" our liberties in Christ with their own understanding. Many are still holding God's people under the confines of the Law and not allowing their daring to trust the Holy Spirit's guiding the liberty Christ bought for them.
Many shepherds believe that if they give the people their liberty, then they will abuse it. It might be true for some, but the Lord is the One Who gave the liberty to all who will believe. If He can trust His Word and His Spirit with the liberty in us, then surely I should be able to give God's people the same consideration.
Paul wrote about this in nearly all of his Epistles; especially Galatians. Some tried putting the people back under the Law and tried doling out the inheritance of the new birth in the way an allowance is earned. What they failed to realize is, that we can never earn it, it was the gift of grace.
Some in the Body of Christ walk in more light than others and are looked upon as being "too far out." As Christian people, we are all called to hear and study God's Word. We are supposed to know, through the Holy Spirit, what is Christ and what is not. God is capable of doing everything He said He would do, whether or not we believe it.
We differ in our knowledge and faith in what Jesus has done and we've allowed the enemy to "split" the camp (that was never meant to be divided). The truth is that we all have the same inheritance and the same liberty in Christ. The only problem has been that some don't understand this liberty. And, because we don't understand it and we're unsure it is really of God, we hold back or stay away from it. This also is honoring God, because anyone who is saved wishes to do what God wants them to do.
Is it possible for me to speak in tongues and attend a church that abstains from this liberty? Of course it is. Can I walk in healing and attend a church that doesn't believe God still heals? Of course I can. I can walk in liberty, even though no one else does, but I cannot do it as a matter of pride to be offensive. What do we say about the differing levels of faith in Christ? Do I simply stop in my pursuit of Jesus and stay with everyone else? Or, do I continue in my quest while still fellowshipping with the Body?
Romans 14:22-23 (Amplified) says, "Your personal convictions (in such matters) exercise (them) as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself (striving only to know the truth and obey His will) Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves (who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do). (This does not mean things that you know are sin) but things that you have learned from the Holy Spirit concerning your liberty." Verse 23 says, "But the man who has doubts (misgivings, and uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats (perhaps because of you) stands condemned (before God) because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin (whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful)."
Paul is writing about the stumbling block we must be watchful for. Our liberty should not push other people past where their faith is. We're not to leave them without faith, but aren't called to push them past it either. We must be patient in our teaching and feeding of their faith. And, we must be certain their faith is in the right place.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Lesson 1 Holidays or Holy-days
We're approaching the time of year where we, as Christians, celebrate Holy Week (the last week of Jesus' life on earth). These days (along with the Nativity story) are where we separate our faith and beliefs from those of others. Some people say that Easter is simply a pagan holiday, but we say that Easter is a Christian Holy-day. Other overlook either idea and simply accept it as vacation days.
There are so many things separating Christians and dividing us, when we really need to spend more time fellowshipping with one another on what we agree on. We can fellowship in perfect union and agree on the Virgin birth, Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. After all, isn't this what salvation is based in? You can be saved by believing these things and asking Jesus into your life.
Now, we come to all of the other things that enter into the life of an individual heart of a believer. I believe that Jesus died in my place, for me. I believe He bore my sin and the curse of the Law so that I might be blessed. I believe that I will spend eternity with Him in heaven and will walk with Him on this earth now.
Most of us believe in these things as Christians. I believe that God is my Father and that I am righteous in His eyes because of Jesus. I believe that I was born again from spiritual death into the Life of the Spirit through Christ Jesus.
Most of us can agree on these things, but all of these things aren't all of His things. Where we mostly come into disagreement is when someone steps into a deeper walk or understanding with God than someone else has done. There are many things about Jesus that we still don't know or understand. As Christians, we've been called into a place of seeking the truth.
The Holy Spirit gave Paul a prayer for the Church in Colossians 1:8-10 (Amplified). This prayer is valid for the entire Church and is for every individual member to pray and receive in their own lives. Thus Verses 8-10 say, "Also he has informed us of your love in the (Holy) Spirit. For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make (special) request for you, (asking) that you may be filled with the full (deep, clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom (in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things-That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God (with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition)."
Each Christian is prayed for and encouraged to seek more of God in their own life. Some seek deeper than others (not to look down on others or rule them), but to "Walk worthy of Him in every good work," like the above Verse 10 says.
Now, we come to the crux of my message. Please listen with your spirit and understanding. Ephesians 4:23-27 (Amplified) says, "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude). And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God like) in True righteousness and holiness; Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another." Verses 26-27 go on, "When angry, do not sin, do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no (such) room or foothold for the devil (give no opportunity to him)."
There are many times when, because we have grown into the "garden of the Lord," we think that everything ripens or matures at the same time, but they don't. Just because one person thinks something, doesn't mean that you have to quit growing or seeking for yourself. You shouldn't drop out of church simply because you learn some new thing or have been shown something new.
The devil has been given a foothold or opportunity in the Church to steal from the Body of Christ, when we are angry with or dismissive of anyone who seeks beyond anothers' revelation. For years, we've judged others in the Body of Christ because they celebrate such holidays we believe are pagan as Easter, Christmas, New Years and even July 4th. I also know the Word says to, "Give no place to the devil."
I have no intentions of sitting back and relinquishing Christmas to a fat man or a reindeer. I won't give Easter over to a rabbit who lays chocolate eggs either. I most certainly will never give Halloween over to a pack of demons, ghosts and a lying devil. For those who choose not to observe these days, that's alright. We see the difference in the faith of certain Christians in Romans 14:1gre-6 (Amplified) which says, "As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him (into your fellowship) but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions. One (man's faith permits him to) believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one (limits his) eating to vegetables." Verses 3-4 say, "Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on and censure one another's household servants? It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he shall stand and be upheld, for the master (the Lord), is mighty to support him and make him stand." Verses 5-6 go on, "One man esteems one days as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike (sacred); Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. He who observes the days, observes it in honor of the Lord, He also eats; eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; While he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God."
I'm not certain what day Jesus rose from the dead, but I do know this...He did! So, I will take back the day from the rabbit and rededicate it to Jesus. I don't know for certain the exact day Jesus was born, but I know that He was born. Instead of arguing about the day and giving it over to a fat man and his reindeer, I will "give no such room" to the devil and take it back as a birthday part for Christ.
I honor God by observing and holding these days sacred, like someone else honoring God by dismissing and not observing them. We are both "honoring God" in faith. What is the big argument over anyway? I don't believe we are to "roll over" and give "any day" to the devil. I don't need to argue whether we should worship on Friday, Saturday or Sunday because I worship Him every day.
We don't need to allow the devil to bring division into the Church because we differ on ways we honor God. I know Christians who refuse to eat pork or seafood. And, I know other Christians who will eat anything that can't outrun them. I don't think it matters what you eat, if you pray over it and bless it by prayer and thanksgiving. The degree of growth in our faith shouldn't be a degree of separation. We have "majored on minors" and made "mountains out of molehills."
Does it mean that if someone doesn't believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, then I shouldn't speak in tongues anymore? Of course not! If one person doesn't believe in healing, then should I submit to sickness because that's where his faith is at? Of course not! Should this growth or lack thereof, be a reason for separating or dismissing one another from fellowship? No!
If you quit school at 16 years of age, then does that mean everyone else should too? Does education stop at sixteen? Some students finish high school and go onto business school or to medical school and other avenues of higher learning. One could live on this planet for 10 million years and still be learning about God. We've decided that we have God all figured out and that anyone who doesn't think that way, is wrong. This is not so. We are all in faith with Jesus, but not everyone reaches out in faith for more in Him. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into maturity and love the brethren like the Lord instructed.
This Sunday is Easter Sunday and I'm worshipping God like I always do. I am going to thank Him for my salvation and my deliverance. I'm going to glorify Him for the resurrection of Jesus and my own resurrection in Him. We will put out flowers like we do every Sunday, we will sing songs of praise like we do every Sunday and we will let the devil know that this isn't a day for rabbits, just like we do every Sunday.
If you are one who refrains from esteeming this day, then honor God in your faith and still worship with me, even though this may not have been the day God raised Him from the dead. We still honor Him because HE HAS RISEN!!!
There are so many things separating Christians and dividing us, when we really need to spend more time fellowshipping with one another on what we agree on. We can fellowship in perfect union and agree on the Virgin birth, Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. After all, isn't this what salvation is based in? You can be saved by believing these things and asking Jesus into your life.
Now, we come to all of the other things that enter into the life of an individual heart of a believer. I believe that Jesus died in my place, for me. I believe He bore my sin and the curse of the Law so that I might be blessed. I believe that I will spend eternity with Him in heaven and will walk with Him on this earth now.
Most of us believe in these things as Christians. I believe that God is my Father and that I am righteous in His eyes because of Jesus. I believe that I was born again from spiritual death into the Life of the Spirit through Christ Jesus.
Most of us can agree on these things, but all of these things aren't all of His things. Where we mostly come into disagreement is when someone steps into a deeper walk or understanding with God than someone else has done. There are many things about Jesus that we still don't know or understand. As Christians, we've been called into a place of seeking the truth.
The Holy Spirit gave Paul a prayer for the Church in Colossians 1:8-10 (Amplified). This prayer is valid for the entire Church and is for every individual member to pray and receive in their own lives. Thus Verses 8-10 say, "Also he has informed us of your love in the (Holy) Spirit. For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make (special) request for you, (asking) that you may be filled with the full (deep, clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom (in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things-That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God (with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition)."
Each Christian is prayed for and encouraged to seek more of God in their own life. Some seek deeper than others (not to look down on others or rule them), but to "Walk worthy of Him in every good work," like the above Verse 10 says.
Now, we come to the crux of my message. Please listen with your spirit and understanding. Ephesians 4:23-27 (Amplified) says, "Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude). And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God like) in True righteousness and holiness; Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another." Verses 26-27 go on, "When angry, do not sin, do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no (such) room or foothold for the devil (give no opportunity to him)."
There are many times when, because we have grown into the "garden of the Lord," we think that everything ripens or matures at the same time, but they don't. Just because one person thinks something, doesn't mean that you have to quit growing or seeking for yourself. You shouldn't drop out of church simply because you learn some new thing or have been shown something new.
The devil has been given a foothold or opportunity in the Church to steal from the Body of Christ, when we are angry with or dismissive of anyone who seeks beyond anothers' revelation. For years, we've judged others in the Body of Christ because they celebrate such holidays we believe are pagan as Easter, Christmas, New Years and even July 4th. I also know the Word says to, "Give no place to the devil."
I have no intentions of sitting back and relinquishing Christmas to a fat man or a reindeer. I won't give Easter over to a rabbit who lays chocolate eggs either. I most certainly will never give Halloween over to a pack of demons, ghosts and a lying devil. For those who choose not to observe these days, that's alright. We see the difference in the faith of certain Christians in Romans 14:1gre-6 (Amplified) which says, "As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him (into your fellowship) but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions. One (man's faith permits him to) believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one (limits his) eating to vegetables." Verses 3-4 say, "Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on and censure one another's household servants? It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he shall stand and be upheld, for the master (the Lord), is mighty to support him and make him stand." Verses 5-6 go on, "One man esteems one days as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike (sacred); Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. He who observes the days, observes it in honor of the Lord, He also eats; eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; While he who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God."
I'm not certain what day Jesus rose from the dead, but I do know this...He did! So, I will take back the day from the rabbit and rededicate it to Jesus. I don't know for certain the exact day Jesus was born, but I know that He was born. Instead of arguing about the day and giving it over to a fat man and his reindeer, I will "give no such room" to the devil and take it back as a birthday part for Christ.
I honor God by observing and holding these days sacred, like someone else honoring God by dismissing and not observing them. We are both "honoring God" in faith. What is the big argument over anyway? I don't believe we are to "roll over" and give "any day" to the devil. I don't need to argue whether we should worship on Friday, Saturday or Sunday because I worship Him every day.
We don't need to allow the devil to bring division into the Church because we differ on ways we honor God. I know Christians who refuse to eat pork or seafood. And, I know other Christians who will eat anything that can't outrun them. I don't think it matters what you eat, if you pray over it and bless it by prayer and thanksgiving. The degree of growth in our faith shouldn't be a degree of separation. We have "majored on minors" and made "mountains out of molehills."
Does it mean that if someone doesn't believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, then I shouldn't speak in tongues anymore? Of course not! If one person doesn't believe in healing, then should I submit to sickness because that's where his faith is at? Of course not! Should this growth or lack thereof, be a reason for separating or dismissing one another from fellowship? No!
If you quit school at 16 years of age, then does that mean everyone else should too? Does education stop at sixteen? Some students finish high school and go onto business school or to medical school and other avenues of higher learning. One could live on this planet for 10 million years and still be learning about God. We've decided that we have God all figured out and that anyone who doesn't think that way, is wrong. This is not so. We are all in faith with Jesus, but not everyone reaches out in faith for more in Him. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into maturity and love the brethren like the Lord instructed.
This Sunday is Easter Sunday and I'm worshipping God like I always do. I am going to thank Him for my salvation and my deliverance. I'm going to glorify Him for the resurrection of Jesus and my own resurrection in Him. We will put out flowers like we do every Sunday, we will sing songs of praise like we do every Sunday and we will let the devil know that this isn't a day for rabbits, just like we do every Sunday.
If you are one who refrains from esteeming this day, then honor God in your faith and still worship with me, even though this may not have been the day God raised Him from the dead. We still honor Him because HE HAS RISEN!!!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Lesson 7 The Garden of the Lord
Jesus cautioned, "Be careful what we hear," because words are seeds that get planted in the spirit (heart) of everyone, including Christians and non-Christians. We've allowed evolution to be taught to our children in public schools. It sowed seed in their hearts making them question the truth that God is the Creator of everything.
2Timothy 4:3-5 (Amplified) says, "For the time is coming when (people) will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but having ears itching (for something pleasing and gratifying) they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold." Verses 4-5 say, "And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry."
We live in the age that Paul spoke about, where so many different things are being sown into the airways of social media. We've all heard about the DaVinci Code and Chrislam. Some Christians have been calm and cool in the face of all these false doctrines of men that surround us, but others have been choked out by the thorns and are no longer bearing fruit in their lives.
Presently, the Church has been bombarded with more false doctrines as a whole, than any other generation. The Web has become our source of information and quoted as being the truth. Man's opinion has outweighed the Word of God. The seed of man's opinion being sown into the world isn't being judged in the Light of the Truth, for the most part. Many new believers have the good seed in very limited amounts or have unlimited amounts of the wrong seed.
Many things being sown into the world are seeds that will completely choke out the seed of the Kingdom that's also being sown. There are some Christian people who will accept Chrislam as being truth and will accept the we all serve the same God. Anyone who believes that teaching has never known the Father and we should pray for them. This teaching might speak to the emotions of man and please his sense of goodness, but it is so wrong. We've arrived at the place where it doesn't matter what you believe just as long as you believe...so they hear.
If these teachings take root in the soil of our hearts, then they will choke out and stop the fruit of the harvest. We have the teaching of universal reconciliation (everyone will get to heaven, with or without Jesus), being bandying about that gets planted into our hearts if we don't guard it. We've come to an age of majority (mob) rule being used to discern right or wrong.
God's kingdom isn't a democracy. We don't vote on what is God or what we want to "be God." His way is the only way. When we don't heed what we hear, we are open to receiving almost anything that sounds good to us. We are willing to go-along with whatever comes down rather than face confrontation.
Undermining the Word of God can only come by receiving something that chokes out the truth. We've seemed blind to the seeds constantly being sown from everywhere (including politicians the the news media). Contrary to common belief, everything we hear on television or the web isn't truth. Much of the television content now is either obscene or just plain stupidity. Common sense, proverbs and wisdom have been replaced by social media's chatter. "As for me and my house, we choose to serve the Lord."
We walk in bondage because we cannot handle the liberty we've been given. We no longer want to accept responsibility for our own lives and actions and strive to make others responsible. We hired politicians to handle our liberty as a nation and they bark their own opinions as to what we should do. We've allowed our freedom of speech to be superseded by political correctness.
We've allowed seeds or words of the world to be sown into the soil of our hearts (spirits). We've even become limited in what we are allowed to preach, so that we don't offend or convict someone of their sins. We've almost reached the point where we must say, "There is no longer any sin" or have varying opinions as to what sin is. These are "seeds" that do not belong in the Garden of the Lord. These are some of the things Jesus told us to "Heed what you hear" and be careful what you're listening to (even in Christian circles).
These are signs of the "thistles and the thorns" choking out the seed. I'm not saying that we should be judgmental of the world, but that we should "judge" our own heart and lives. If we "judge ourselves, then we will have no need to be judged."
We don't need to tell the world how bad they are, we only need to tell them how good Jesus is. We must guard ourselves from being conformed to this world. We're not competing with the world and we don't need to use the world's tricks and tools to reveal Jesus to others. We only have to tend the garden so that it produces fruit.
Hugh Smith taught a message years ago called, "Hoe Your Own Row" about how each person must take care of his own garden. He advised us to take care of our own garden and don't try taking care of the other guy's garden. I can't and won't tell you what to hear, do or say. Each of us have the Holy Spirit and the Word to do that. 1John 2:27 (Amplified) says, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides (permanently) in you, (So) then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, So you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him (being rooted in Him, knit to Him) just as (His anointing) has taught you (to do)."
There are false teachings out there denying Jesus is the Son of God. There are teachings out there denying Jesus is coming back, heaven exists, and hell is real. Some say that the cross was all a conspiracy and that Jesus never died and never rose from the dead. Others say that the tribulation isn't coming and that we will fix the earth and present it to God as our achievement.'
Many such things falsehoods are being sown. We must guard our heart with vigilance and above everything else that you guard. Don't allow such seeds of doubt as, "God no longer does these things" or "God is more your problem than your answer" or "The gifts of the Spirit have all passed away" to grow in your heart. We must be on guard constantly against the onslaught of the devil. Just because we're not being tortured here in America like in the Middle East, doesn't mean we're not under attack. The "serpent" has been more subtle here than he is in other parts of the world, but he's still the deceiver.
Judge yourself. Do you allow things in your life that you wouldn't have allowed when you first believed? Have you stopped guarding your heart? Do you watch things you wouldn't have watched when you first were saved?
The most dangerous things about these untruths is the subtlety in which they come. They always come in the disguise of good. They infer you're disagreeing with them means that you're not walking in love anymore. The Church as been accused of preaching "The Gospel of hate" because we exclude those who reject Jesus. Their idea of the Gospel is being "all inclusive" and accepting people of every faith and creed and lifestyle and worshiping other gods as Christians. This isn't what Jesus said. He said that, "If we will leave our old faith (whatever it may or may not be) and divorce ourselves from our old lifestyle and accept Him as our sin bearer and Lord, then we will be saved. We were to become "new creatures in Christ" and not the same ones on our own terms.
Whether we agree or not, the cross is still the only way and His truth is all that will stand. Guard your heart!
2Timothy 4:3-5 (Amplified) says, "For the time is coming when (people) will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but having ears itching (for something pleasing and gratifying) they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold." Verses 4-5 say, "And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry."
We live in the age that Paul spoke about, where so many different things are being sown into the airways of social media. We've all heard about the DaVinci Code and Chrislam. Some Christians have been calm and cool in the face of all these false doctrines of men that surround us, but others have been choked out by the thorns and are no longer bearing fruit in their lives.
Presently, the Church has been bombarded with more false doctrines as a whole, than any other generation. The Web has become our source of information and quoted as being the truth. Man's opinion has outweighed the Word of God. The seed of man's opinion being sown into the world isn't being judged in the Light of the Truth, for the most part. Many new believers have the good seed in very limited amounts or have unlimited amounts of the wrong seed.
Many things being sown into the world are seeds that will completely choke out the seed of the Kingdom that's also being sown. There are some Christian people who will accept Chrislam as being truth and will accept the we all serve the same God. Anyone who believes that teaching has never known the Father and we should pray for them. This teaching might speak to the emotions of man and please his sense of goodness, but it is so wrong. We've arrived at the place where it doesn't matter what you believe just as long as you believe...so they hear.
If these teachings take root in the soil of our hearts, then they will choke out and stop the fruit of the harvest. We have the teaching of universal reconciliation (everyone will get to heaven, with or without Jesus), being bandying about that gets planted into our hearts if we don't guard it. We've come to an age of majority (mob) rule being used to discern right or wrong.
God's kingdom isn't a democracy. We don't vote on what is God or what we want to "be God." His way is the only way. When we don't heed what we hear, we are open to receiving almost anything that sounds good to us. We are willing to go-along with whatever comes down rather than face confrontation.
Undermining the Word of God can only come by receiving something that chokes out the truth. We've seemed blind to the seeds constantly being sown from everywhere (including politicians the the news media). Contrary to common belief, everything we hear on television or the web isn't truth. Much of the television content now is either obscene or just plain stupidity. Common sense, proverbs and wisdom have been replaced by social media's chatter. "As for me and my house, we choose to serve the Lord."
We walk in bondage because we cannot handle the liberty we've been given. We no longer want to accept responsibility for our own lives and actions and strive to make others responsible. We hired politicians to handle our liberty as a nation and they bark their own opinions as to what we should do. We've allowed our freedom of speech to be superseded by political correctness.
We've allowed seeds or words of the world to be sown into the soil of our hearts (spirits). We've even become limited in what we are allowed to preach, so that we don't offend or convict someone of their sins. We've almost reached the point where we must say, "There is no longer any sin" or have varying opinions as to what sin is. These are "seeds" that do not belong in the Garden of the Lord. These are some of the things Jesus told us to "Heed what you hear" and be careful what you're listening to (even in Christian circles).
These are signs of the "thistles and the thorns" choking out the seed. I'm not saying that we should be judgmental of the world, but that we should "judge" our own heart and lives. If we "judge ourselves, then we will have no need to be judged."
We don't need to tell the world how bad they are, we only need to tell them how good Jesus is. We must guard ourselves from being conformed to this world. We're not competing with the world and we don't need to use the world's tricks and tools to reveal Jesus to others. We only have to tend the garden so that it produces fruit.
Hugh Smith taught a message years ago called, "Hoe Your Own Row" about how each person must take care of his own garden. He advised us to take care of our own garden and don't try taking care of the other guy's garden. I can't and won't tell you what to hear, do or say. Each of us have the Holy Spirit and the Word to do that. 1John 2:27 (Amplified) says, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides (permanently) in you, (So) then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, So you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him (being rooted in Him, knit to Him) just as (His anointing) has taught you (to do)."
There are false teachings out there denying Jesus is the Son of God. There are teachings out there denying Jesus is coming back, heaven exists, and hell is real. Some say that the cross was all a conspiracy and that Jesus never died and never rose from the dead. Others say that the tribulation isn't coming and that we will fix the earth and present it to God as our achievement.'
Many such things falsehoods are being sown. We must guard our heart with vigilance and above everything else that you guard. Don't allow such seeds of doubt as, "God no longer does these things" or "God is more your problem than your answer" or "The gifts of the Spirit have all passed away" to grow in your heart. We must be on guard constantly against the onslaught of the devil. Just because we're not being tortured here in America like in the Middle East, doesn't mean we're not under attack. The "serpent" has been more subtle here than he is in other parts of the world, but he's still the deceiver.
Judge yourself. Do you allow things in your life that you wouldn't have allowed when you first believed? Have you stopped guarding your heart? Do you watch things you wouldn't have watched when you first were saved?
The most dangerous things about these untruths is the subtlety in which they come. They always come in the disguise of good. They infer you're disagreeing with them means that you're not walking in love anymore. The Church as been accused of preaching "The Gospel of hate" because we exclude those who reject Jesus. Their idea of the Gospel is being "all inclusive" and accepting people of every faith and creed and lifestyle and worshiping other gods as Christians. This isn't what Jesus said. He said that, "If we will leave our old faith (whatever it may or may not be) and divorce ourselves from our old lifestyle and accept Him as our sin bearer and Lord, then we will be saved. We were to become "new creatures in Christ" and not the same ones on our own terms.
Whether we agree or not, the cross is still the only way and His truth is all that will stand. Guard your heart!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Lesson 6 The Garden of the Lord
God placed Adam in charge of the Garden of Eden. God planted the Garden and Adam was supposed to be in charge of everything He planted. Pertaining to our own garden of God, we're not only required to take care of it, but we're to guard what is planted there.
Proverbs 4:23(Amplified) says, "Keep and guard your heart." I believe God instructs us to guard our heart because this is your born again spirit and the place (the garden) that produces the things of God in our lives. Verse 23 goes on to say, "With all vigilance, and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."
In Mark 4:24 (Amplified) we read Jesus' saying, "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing." Being careful what you are hearing is tending or guarding our gardens.
When Jesus declared in Mark 4:14 (Amplified) that, "The sower sows the Word," He was referring to Himself and the Word of God that He was sowing in their hearts. We need to understand that all words are seeds. The Words Jesus spoke are the seeds (Words) of the Kingdom of God. Other words are the seeds of the world or the enemy. Since the entire earth and everything on it (along with the entire universe) came from words, it's crucial we "heed" or be careful what we hear.
If words are seeds (and they are), then we need to be careful what we allow into our spirit man. The power of communication in these last days has risen to a level never seen before in history. It can be used for either good or evil. There are many things in the cyber world that will not produce good fruit in people's lives.
Most of us are aware that nudity, violence and profanity are being put out there, but are we aware that the seeds of doubt, fear, anger, depression and futility being planted there? We allow our spirits to feed on things that only produce thorns and weeds that choke out the fruit of the seed of God's Kingdom. I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit was speaking in Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) about "Laboring to enter the rest," He was speaking about "tending our garden." This was the only job given to Adam and I firmly believe that the only "labor" required of us is to guard the garden.
We know we cannot obtain the grace or blessings of God by working for them because it would no longer be grace. The things we do as Christians aren't jobs we must perform, but privileges we get to do.
The only time I see that we are to labor is found in Hebrews 4:11 which says we are to labor to enter the rest or grace. People under the Law needed to produce by works, but we are to produce by grace. What we produce depends on our guarding the garden. If we sufficiently guard it, then it will produce life and blessing in our lives and the lives of those around us. This "labor" is the same responsibility given to Adam.
John 1:16 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and were all supplied with) once grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift." These are the produce of the garden of the Lord. This is what was sown in His heart and this is the "seed" Jesus sowed in Mark 4:14 when He said, "The sower sows the Word."
When satan came to Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11 and tried sowing the seeds of doubt and temptation in Jesus' heart, we see how Jesus guarded His heart using the overpowering seed (Word) of God to respond. Jesus never allowed the "seed" or word of the enemy to reach the soil of His heart.
James 3:2 (Amplified) tells us, "For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech (never says the wrong things) he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his enter nature." James goes into a whole teaching about the tongue and how it can destroy in James 3:6 (Amplified) saying, "And the tongue is a fire (the tongue is a) world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of mans nature) being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna)."
Proverbs 4:20-27 instructed us on the importance of having the Word in our hearts rather than having something else there. Jesus told us in Matthew 12:33-37 that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." Either good is produced or evil is, depending on what we allow to be sown in it. James 3:10-12 (Amplified) tells us, "Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing, these things, my brethren, ought not to be so. Does a fountain send forth (simultaneously) from the opening fresh water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine? neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water.
We only get out of the garden, what we sow into it. We've been tasked with guarding it. We get upset over Adam's failure to secure the Garden of Eden, when he allowed the enemy to enter and destroy it by sowing seeds of doubt in his and Eve's hearts. We're not responsible for every garden like Adam was, but for our own gardens and what is produced.
We can also speak forth or sow the wrong seeds or words into the lives of others. By knowing our Father and saying only what He says, we can sow seed to the kingdom and blessing into the lives of others. We are both "hearers of the Word" and "doers of the Word." We not only produce good things from the abundance of our heart, but we sow good seed into others from what's been sown in our hearts.
We cannot receive seeds of doubt, fear. unbelief and misinterpretations of the Word and then grow a crop of faith, courage and trust in our garden. We must learn how to guard our heart. We will further discuss James 3 and Proverbs 4 in our next lesson and see if we can understand more about the "cycle of life" and man's nature. We'll also learn more about receiving health and healing to our flesh, through the seeds we allow into our garden.
Proverbs 4:23(Amplified) says, "Keep and guard your heart." I believe God instructs us to guard our heart because this is your born again spirit and the place (the garden) that produces the things of God in our lives. Verse 23 goes on to say, "With all vigilance, and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."
In Mark 4:24 (Amplified) we read Jesus' saying, "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing." Being careful what you are hearing is tending or guarding our gardens.
When Jesus declared in Mark 4:14 (Amplified) that, "The sower sows the Word," He was referring to Himself and the Word of God that He was sowing in their hearts. We need to understand that all words are seeds. The Words Jesus spoke are the seeds (Words) of the Kingdom of God. Other words are the seeds of the world or the enemy. Since the entire earth and everything on it (along with the entire universe) came from words, it's crucial we "heed" or be careful what we hear.
If words are seeds (and they are), then we need to be careful what we allow into our spirit man. The power of communication in these last days has risen to a level never seen before in history. It can be used for either good or evil. There are many things in the cyber world that will not produce good fruit in people's lives.
Most of us are aware that nudity, violence and profanity are being put out there, but are we aware that the seeds of doubt, fear, anger, depression and futility being planted there? We allow our spirits to feed on things that only produce thorns and weeds that choke out the fruit of the seed of God's Kingdom. I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit was speaking in Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) about "Laboring to enter the rest," He was speaking about "tending our garden." This was the only job given to Adam and I firmly believe that the only "labor" required of us is to guard the garden.
We know we cannot obtain the grace or blessings of God by working for them because it would no longer be grace. The things we do as Christians aren't jobs we must perform, but privileges we get to do.
The only time I see that we are to labor is found in Hebrews 4:11 which says we are to labor to enter the rest or grace. People under the Law needed to produce by works, but we are to produce by grace. What we produce depends on our guarding the garden. If we sufficiently guard it, then it will produce life and blessing in our lives and the lives of those around us. This "labor" is the same responsibility given to Adam.
John 1:16 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and were all supplied with) once grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift." These are the produce of the garden of the Lord. This is what was sown in His heart and this is the "seed" Jesus sowed in Mark 4:14 when He said, "The sower sows the Word."
When satan came to Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11 and tried sowing the seeds of doubt and temptation in Jesus' heart, we see how Jesus guarded His heart using the overpowering seed (Word) of God to respond. Jesus never allowed the "seed" or word of the enemy to reach the soil of His heart.
James 3:2 (Amplified) tells us, "For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech (never says the wrong things) he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his enter nature." James goes into a whole teaching about the tongue and how it can destroy in James 3:6 (Amplified) saying, "And the tongue is a fire (the tongue is a) world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of mans nature) being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna)."
Proverbs 4:20-27 instructed us on the importance of having the Word in our hearts rather than having something else there. Jesus told us in Matthew 12:33-37 that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." Either good is produced or evil is, depending on what we allow to be sown in it. James 3:10-12 (Amplified) tells us, "Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing, these things, my brethren, ought not to be so. Does a fountain send forth (simultaneously) from the opening fresh water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine? neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water.
We only get out of the garden, what we sow into it. We've been tasked with guarding it. We get upset over Adam's failure to secure the Garden of Eden, when he allowed the enemy to enter and destroy it by sowing seeds of doubt in his and Eve's hearts. We're not responsible for every garden like Adam was, but for our own gardens and what is produced.
We can also speak forth or sow the wrong seeds or words into the lives of others. By knowing our Father and saying only what He says, we can sow seed to the kingdom and blessing into the lives of others. We are both "hearers of the Word" and "doers of the Word." We not only produce good things from the abundance of our heart, but we sow good seed into others from what's been sown in our hearts.
We cannot receive seeds of doubt, fear. unbelief and misinterpretations of the Word and then grow a crop of faith, courage and trust in our garden. We must learn how to guard our heart. We will further discuss James 3 and Proverbs 4 in our next lesson and see if we can understand more about the "cycle of life" and man's nature. We'll also learn more about receiving health and healing to our flesh, through the seeds we allow into our garden.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Lesson 5 The Garden of the Lord
In Mark 4 the Lord taught a parable about a sower. He explained the parable to the disciples and to all "who had ears to hear." The explanation the Lord gave is something we could all profit from if we paid heed to it.
Proverbs 4:20-23 (Amplified) tells us, "My son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart (spirit) For they are life to those who find them, health and healing to all their flesh." Verse 23 says, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it (your spirit) flow the springs (the forces) of life."
God's Word are life to those who find them. We know that by "finding" His Word, we were saved and given eternal life. John 6:63 (Amplified) says, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the life giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life."
God's Word doesn't only bring eternal life to our spirit, but it brings health and healing to our flesh. Proverbs 17:22 (Amplified) says, "A happy heart (spirit) is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."
Our spirit is the place God's Word is sown, bringing forth salvation, health and healing. Everything God does in our lives must begin in our spirit. Proverbs 20:27 (Amplified) says that, "The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts." We read in Proverbs 14:20 (Amplified) that, "A calm and undisturbed mined and heart (spirit) are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and wrath are like rottenness of bones."
Now we can understand why the Lord instructs us to "guard our heart (spirit) with all vigilance, and above everything that we guard." God says in Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) that, "Out of your spirit flows the forces, the issues, of life."
You cannot get something from your spirit that you don't put in it. Jesus tells the parable of the sower in Mark 4, saying the "Sower sows the Word." The Word is the seed of God sown into our spirit man. The soil Jesus speaks about is our spirit. You are spirit, the Word is Spirit and God is Spirit. God produces, reveals and deals with us in our spirits.
Jesus said that, "The life is in the spirit." Everything we desire or long for from the Father, originate from the Spirit. Even the earth came from His Word and His Spirit. Isaiah 45:18 (Amplified) says, "For thus says the Lord-Who created the heavens, God Himself, Who formed the earth and made it. Who established it and did not create it to be worthless waste; He formed it to be inhabited-I am the Lord, and there is No One Else."
These aren't simply words that we read and mentally ascend to, but these are "seeds" of life, strength and healing to our spirit and body. They are living seeds that will bring forth a harvest in our lives, but only if we sow them into the soil of our spirit. There is no garden that just grows by itself. Each one must be sown with purpose. Just because your neighbor has great tomato plants, doesn't mean that you will. You must plant tomatoes in your garden in order to have them.
2Timothy 2:6-7 (Amplified) says, "(It is) the hard working farmer (who labors to produce) who must be the first partaker of the fruits. Think over these things that I am saying (understand them and grasp their application), For the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything."
Is Timothy speaking only about a harvest in the fields? Or is he speaking about the harvest of blessings in the kingdom that He will reveal all these things to us? I believe he's saying that the Word is seed to be sown in our hearts (spirits). And, as we labor to tend the garden, we will be the first to enjoy the fruits of our labor. God Himself will reveal to us how the whole Kingdom of God works.
Jesus spoke of His crucifixion and death, referring to Himself as a Seed that must be planted in order to reproduce and bring forth more sons into the Family of God. Thus, He says in John 12:24 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one grain; it never becomes more, but lives) by itself alone. but if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Jesus spoke in Mark 4:11 (Amplified) about the parable of the sower, saying, "To you has been entrusted the mystery of the Kingdom of God (that is, the secret councils of God which are hidden from the ungodly) but for those (outside our circle) everything becomes a parables." Jesus said that the whole Kingdom of God works on this "seed" principle.
Proverbs 4:20-23 (Amplified) tells us, "My son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart (spirit) For they are life to those who find them, health and healing to all their flesh." Verse 23 says, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it (your spirit) flow the springs (the forces) of life."
God's Word are life to those who find them. We know that by "finding" His Word, we were saved and given eternal life. John 6:63 (Amplified) says, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the life giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life."
God's Word doesn't only bring eternal life to our spirit, but it brings health and healing to our flesh. Proverbs 17:22 (Amplified) says, "A happy heart (spirit) is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."
Our spirit is the place God's Word is sown, bringing forth salvation, health and healing. Everything God does in our lives must begin in our spirit. Proverbs 20:27 (Amplified) says that, "The spirit of man (that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God) is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts." We read in Proverbs 14:20 (Amplified) that, "A calm and undisturbed mined and heart (spirit) are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy and wrath are like rottenness of bones."
Now we can understand why the Lord instructs us to "guard our heart (spirit) with all vigilance, and above everything that we guard." God says in Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified) that, "Out of your spirit flows the forces, the issues, of life."
You cannot get something from your spirit that you don't put in it. Jesus tells the parable of the sower in Mark 4, saying the "Sower sows the Word." The Word is the seed of God sown into our spirit man. The soil Jesus speaks about is our spirit. You are spirit, the Word is Spirit and God is Spirit. God produces, reveals and deals with us in our spirits.
Jesus said that, "The life is in the spirit." Everything we desire or long for from the Father, originate from the Spirit. Even the earth came from His Word and His Spirit. Isaiah 45:18 (Amplified) says, "For thus says the Lord-Who created the heavens, God Himself, Who formed the earth and made it. Who established it and did not create it to be worthless waste; He formed it to be inhabited-I am the Lord, and there is No One Else."
These aren't simply words that we read and mentally ascend to, but these are "seeds" of life, strength and healing to our spirit and body. They are living seeds that will bring forth a harvest in our lives, but only if we sow them into the soil of our spirit. There is no garden that just grows by itself. Each one must be sown with purpose. Just because your neighbor has great tomato plants, doesn't mean that you will. You must plant tomatoes in your garden in order to have them.
2Timothy 2:6-7 (Amplified) says, "(It is) the hard working farmer (who labors to produce) who must be the first partaker of the fruits. Think over these things that I am saying (understand them and grasp their application), For the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything."
Is Timothy speaking only about a harvest in the fields? Or is he speaking about the harvest of blessings in the kingdom that He will reveal all these things to us? I believe he's saying that the Word is seed to be sown in our hearts (spirits). And, as we labor to tend the garden, we will be the first to enjoy the fruits of our labor. God Himself will reveal to us how the whole Kingdom of God works.
Jesus spoke of His crucifixion and death, referring to Himself as a Seed that must be planted in order to reproduce and bring forth more sons into the Family of God. Thus, He says in John 12:24 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one grain; it never becomes more, but lives) by itself alone. but if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Jesus spoke in Mark 4:11 (Amplified) about the parable of the sower, saying, "To you has been entrusted the mystery of the Kingdom of God (that is, the secret councils of God which are hidden from the ungodly) but for those (outside our circle) everything becomes a parables." Jesus said that the whole Kingdom of God works on this "seed" principle.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Lesson 4 The Garden of the Lord
The heart (spirit) of man is now the garden of the Lord. God will write His Words in our spirit and not on and in the unborn-again flesh of lost men. When they were under the Law, they weren't spiritually alive unto God and they had to be moved on by God from the "outside" dealing only by and with the flesh.
It was only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that man could be born again. Now, through the new birth and the presence of the Holy Spirit, God can deal with man in their spirit. Even those who aren't born again are not exempt from His presence. Even if someone chooses not to yield to the Holy Spirit, they are not exempt.
The parable of the sower is found in Mark 4:14-19 (Amplified) and tells us that, "The sower sows the Word and the ones along the path are those who have the Word sown (in their hearts), but when they hear, satan comes at once and (by force) takes away the message which is sown in them."
They heard the Word, but didn't tend and guard their hearts or their garden. The same serpent that beguiled Eve entered the garden and took away the seed (the Word) that was sown in their hearts.
We read about another kind of soil or hearts in Verses 16-17 (Amplified) which says, "And in the same way the ones sown upon stoney ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy." Verse 19 says, "And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away,"
Remember, we are instructed to "tend, guard and keep the garden." It's our responsibility to take care of the seed of the Word. This seed that has been sown in our hearts will produce like the Garden that Adam was to watch over produced. Mark 4:26-29 (Amplified) goes on saying, "And He said, the Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how the earth (heart) produces (acting) by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth (the reapers) and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready."
We learned from our own human experiences, that once you plant a seed, it stays hidden in the soil for a time. Then, it finally begins growing. It starts small and must be overseen and cared for. If it is taken care of it, then it will grow into maturity by itself. We will finally partake of the fruit from the seed we planted.
There are times when we get too busy or forget to tend the garden. We become offended or discouraged because the seed didn't mature quickly enough and then quit. We are no longer careful about what gets sown in the garden and allow weeds and briars to begin choking out the Word so that it doesn't bear fruit. Nothing is more discouraging than having a garden full of weeds. What could have been weed out fairly simply, not has become laboring and the fruit of our labor isn't what it should be.
Jesus warned in Mark 4:23-24 (Amplified) saying, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend, And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you-and more (besides) will be given to you who hear."
We've mostly tried viewing this spiritual Word as only being a parable and not actually pertaining to gardening. Jesus brought the wisdom of the workings of the Kingdom down to the level of a man who is planting seeds in the ground. One doesn't need a college degree to plant a garden, even a country boy like me can plant one. The simplicity of Jesus' great wisdom has been overlooked by many. This is how God's garden works. This is the garden of the Lord. As you plant a seed in your heart, that seed (word) will produce what it is. Every Word of God has the ability to produce what it is.
When we heard the Word of salvation, we believed and received it in our hearts. It then, brought forth all we hoped for and we weren't discouraged, offended or disgusted because we watched over that Word. We couldn't see the seed sown in our hearts at first, but we watched over it. Finally, it became a sprout, something we could actually witness in our lives. Then, it became the ear and fruit in the ear and we can harvest and enjoy the fruit of being saved.
Each and every Word of God is Spirit and truth. When the Word of healing is taken into the soil (heart) and watched over, then it will produce something. So too, will the seeds of every promise and Word of God. It's not that the seed doesn't produce, but we don't watch over what enters into the heart (good soil) and the weeds choke it out.
We have laid blame to many things in God's Word, but the truth is, it's all His Word and all of His Words are with power, according to Galatians 6:7-9 (Amplified) which says, "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled: God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside). (He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God), For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." Verse 9 goes on, "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."
Everything planted in the garden doesn't mature simultaneously. Some things ripen, while other things haven't even sprouted. So too, things we've received in our hearts (which are the garden of the Lord), don't come to pass simultaneously. Some seed must be watched over and cared for longer periods of time than other seed.
We hear and receive seed in our hearts from multiple and various messages. Some are weeds that we fail to see are weeds. Some are those that require more time to produce than others. We don't see results instantly and become discouraged and allow it to be choked out.
There is more room in our hearts for more of God's kingdom to produce than most of us have allowed. 2Timothy 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
It was only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that man could be born again. Now, through the new birth and the presence of the Holy Spirit, God can deal with man in their spirit. Even those who aren't born again are not exempt from His presence. Even if someone chooses not to yield to the Holy Spirit, they are not exempt.
The parable of the sower is found in Mark 4:14-19 (Amplified) and tells us that, "The sower sows the Word and the ones along the path are those who have the Word sown (in their hearts), but when they hear, satan comes at once and (by force) takes away the message which is sown in them."
They heard the Word, but didn't tend and guard their hearts or their garden. The same serpent that beguiled Eve entered the garden and took away the seed (the Word) that was sown in their hearts.
We read about another kind of soil or hearts in Verses 16-17 (Amplified) which says, "And in the same way the ones sown upon stoney ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive it with joy." Verse 19 says, "And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away,"
Remember, we are instructed to "tend, guard and keep the garden." It's our responsibility to take care of the seed of the Word. This seed that has been sown in our hearts will produce like the Garden that Adam was to watch over produced. Mark 4:26-29 (Amplified) goes on saying, "And He said, the Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how the earth (heart) produces (acting) by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth (the reapers) and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready."
We learned from our own human experiences, that once you plant a seed, it stays hidden in the soil for a time. Then, it finally begins growing. It starts small and must be overseen and cared for. If it is taken care of it, then it will grow into maturity by itself. We will finally partake of the fruit from the seed we planted.
There are times when we get too busy or forget to tend the garden. We become offended or discouraged because the seed didn't mature quickly enough and then quit. We are no longer careful about what gets sown in the garden and allow weeds and briars to begin choking out the Word so that it doesn't bear fruit. Nothing is more discouraging than having a garden full of weeds. What could have been weed out fairly simply, not has become laboring and the fruit of our labor isn't what it should be.
Jesus warned in Mark 4:23-24 (Amplified) saying, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend, And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you-and more (besides) will be given to you who hear."
We've mostly tried viewing this spiritual Word as only being a parable and not actually pertaining to gardening. Jesus brought the wisdom of the workings of the Kingdom down to the level of a man who is planting seeds in the ground. One doesn't need a college degree to plant a garden, even a country boy like me can plant one. The simplicity of Jesus' great wisdom has been overlooked by many. This is how God's garden works. This is the garden of the Lord. As you plant a seed in your heart, that seed (word) will produce what it is. Every Word of God has the ability to produce what it is.
When we heard the Word of salvation, we believed and received it in our hearts. It then, brought forth all we hoped for and we weren't discouraged, offended or disgusted because we watched over that Word. We couldn't see the seed sown in our hearts at first, but we watched over it. Finally, it became a sprout, something we could actually witness in our lives. Then, it became the ear and fruit in the ear and we can harvest and enjoy the fruit of being saved.
Each and every Word of God is Spirit and truth. When the Word of healing is taken into the soil (heart) and watched over, then it will produce something. So too, will the seeds of every promise and Word of God. It's not that the seed doesn't produce, but we don't watch over what enters into the heart (good soil) and the weeds choke it out.
We have laid blame to many things in God's Word, but the truth is, it's all His Word and all of His Words are with power, according to Galatians 6:7-9 (Amplified) which says, "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled: God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside). (He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God), For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." Verse 9 goes on, "And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."
Everything planted in the garden doesn't mature simultaneously. Some things ripen, while other things haven't even sprouted. So too, things we've received in our hearts (which are the garden of the Lord), don't come to pass simultaneously. Some seed must be watched over and cared for longer periods of time than other seed.
We hear and receive seed in our hearts from multiple and various messages. Some are weeds that we fail to see are weeds. Some are those that require more time to produce than others. We don't see results instantly and become discouraged and allow it to be choked out.
There is more room in our hearts for more of God's kingdom to produce than most of us have allowed. 2Timothy 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Lesson 3 The Garden of the Lord
The new garden the Lord has recreated is the Spirit filled life of the new creation of God. When we were born again and recreated in His Image and Likeness, God prepared our spirit to produce "in kind" like it was supposed to do the first time in the Garden of Eden.
After Adam's fall, only death and darkness could come from the "garden" or spirit of Adam. It was supposed to produce life, light, dominion and children in the Image of God. The Father's plan for His family has never changed from the beginning. And, now because of the new birth, we have within us a new and living spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is now living in and with our new spirit.
We have determined that God's Word is the "seed" that will reproduce what He has purposed it to do, according to Isaiah 55:11. Mark 4:14 says, "The sower sows the Word." And, 1Peter 1:23(Amplified) lets us know that we were, "Born again by the seed (Word of God)."
If we the study the Word of God or seed, planting it in our hearts, God will see that it prospers in what He sent it to do, according to Isaiah 55. We, however, are called to tend and guard the garden (the heart).
Jesus told the parable of the sower in Mark 4 and warned that we need be careful what we hear and guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Out of our hearts flow or spring, the forces or issues of life." So, when we determine what "seed" or word enters our heart, we are guarding the garden.
The person planting the garden determines what grows or doesn't grow in it. Some gardeners who especially like sweet corn or have a market for it, only plant corn seed. Others who can their own food or have a wider market for their crops, might plant other vegetables. Every Word of God is seed, but not all seed will produce the same thing even all of its produce is "Kingdom" fruit.
God's Word contains seeds of salvation, seeds of healing, seed or receiving the Holy Spirit, seeds that will produce speaking in other tongues, seeds of peace and faith and hope and love and seeds of righteousness, along with many other kinds of seed. All of these seeds will "Produce after kind," according to Genesis 1:12 (Amplified).
"Seeds of healing will produce healing and health," according to Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified). If we will "hear and believe" and guard and watch over it, then we can determine what it will and will not produce. Matthew 12:35 (Amplified) says, "The good man from his inner good treasure, flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."
Do you remember how the children of Israel were told to go and spy out the Promised Land in Numbers 13:22 (Amplified)? The spies returned with and "evil report" in Verse 32 which says, "So they brought the Israelites and evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy out is a land that devours it inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature."
The results of "not heeding" or not being careful of what they heard can be seen in Numbers 14:1 (Amplified). The produce of the seed (word) they allowed in their hearts is seen in Verse 1, where we see, "And all the congregation cried out with a loud voice, and (they) wept that night." Verses 2-3 say, "All the Israelites grumbled and deplored their situation, accusing Moses and Aaron, to whom the whole congregation said; Would that we had died in Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness! Why did the Lord bring us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be a prey. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?"
What God called an "evil report," was their allowing the seed of doubt, fear and unbelief to produce in their heart instead of faith in what "seed" or Word He gave Moses that the Promised Land was a "land flowing with milk and honey."
Being stewards over the garden of the Lord is the same mandate God gave Adam, "Guard the garden and tend it." As children of God, we are called to guard our hearts and be very selective about what seed (words) we allow to be sown in it.
There are too many times that we hear words (seeds) of fear and failure being sown by sowers. They often time are not meant to be "evil" seed or words, but they become like Poison Ivy and Poison Ivy is poisonous (whether we knew it to be or not). When we hear words (seeds) being sown that aren't good seed, then we must be certain they don't enter the garden of the Lord.
It doesn't mean we're evil if we speak an evil report. It simply means that we've allowed wrong or evil seed to be sown in our hearts. Every garden must be weeded periodically so the weeds don't 'choke out the seed," according to Mark 4. Simply weeding it once won't work. It must be tended on a regular basis.
The enemy is always casting seed and hoping it will produce for him and choke out the good seed! We are always hearing evil reports that contradict the Word of God. Many of these reports are being accepted just like they were in Numbers 14:1-3. These are those the Lord spoke about in Hebrews 4:1-2 (Amplified) saying, "He was displeased with them because they did not believe (or receive) the Word in faith."
We are living in a world that is mostly negative concerning the seed or Word of truth. Even in Christian circles, we've had plentiful "evil reports" be sown into the good soil of the Kingdom. We are each required to tend our own heart or garden. God said in Numbers 13 that those who allowed the evil report or seed of the enemy to produce, also reaped the harvest of the evil one. John 10:10 (Amplified) says that, "The thief has come only to steal and kill and destroy."
The harvest they brought forth destroyed an entire generation. Those who guarded their hearts like Proverbs 4:23 says, brought forth victory and blessing from the seed they allowed into their hearts. I can't determine what my neighbor sows in his garden, but I can guard my own heart against evil reports. Sometimes, we don't look at the sees long enough to see the difference between evil and good.
A counterfeiter tries making money that resembles the real thing. The more real his money appears, the easier it is to pass off. We can't always distinguish between the two because the counterfeiters keep changing and improving their money. We can, though, become so familiar with the true seed that the fake seed is easy to detect.
Much of the wrong seed has been coated with half truths. And, by doing this, the enemy has been very successful with his harvest of fear, doubt, unbelief and misery in the believer. Genesis 3:1-4 demonstrates how the enemy wrapped the seed of death in the false narrative of "God is holding out on His children."
In Matthew 4:6, the same lying devil tried this evil report on Jesus. Jesus simply guarded His heart against the evil report and only allowed the true seed to proceed out of His "inner treasure" of His heart (garden). Jesus said in both Matthew 12:35 and Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "By your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced."
Those who received the evil report in Numbers 14 were condemned and sentenced by the seed that produced in their hearts. Their own words brought forth a wrong harvest for them.
Tend your garden!
After Adam's fall, only death and darkness could come from the "garden" or spirit of Adam. It was supposed to produce life, light, dominion and children in the Image of God. The Father's plan for His family has never changed from the beginning. And, now because of the new birth, we have within us a new and living spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is now living in and with our new spirit.
We have determined that God's Word is the "seed" that will reproduce what He has purposed it to do, according to Isaiah 55:11. Mark 4:14 says, "The sower sows the Word." And, 1Peter 1:23(Amplified) lets us know that we were, "Born again by the seed (Word of God)."
If we the study the Word of God or seed, planting it in our hearts, God will see that it prospers in what He sent it to do, according to Isaiah 55. We, however, are called to tend and guard the garden (the heart).
Jesus told the parable of the sower in Mark 4 and warned that we need be careful what we hear and guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Out of our hearts flow or spring, the forces or issues of life." So, when we determine what "seed" or word enters our heart, we are guarding the garden.
The person planting the garden determines what grows or doesn't grow in it. Some gardeners who especially like sweet corn or have a market for it, only plant corn seed. Others who can their own food or have a wider market for their crops, might plant other vegetables. Every Word of God is seed, but not all seed will produce the same thing even all of its produce is "Kingdom" fruit.
God's Word contains seeds of salvation, seeds of healing, seed or receiving the Holy Spirit, seeds that will produce speaking in other tongues, seeds of peace and faith and hope and love and seeds of righteousness, along with many other kinds of seed. All of these seeds will "Produce after kind," according to Genesis 1:12 (Amplified).
"Seeds of healing will produce healing and health," according to Proverbs 4:23 (Amplified). If we will "hear and believe" and guard and watch over it, then we can determine what it will and will not produce. Matthew 12:35 (Amplified) says, "The good man from his inner good treasure, flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."
Do you remember how the children of Israel were told to go and spy out the Promised Land in Numbers 13:22 (Amplified)? The spies returned with and "evil report" in Verse 32 which says, "So they brought the Israelites and evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy out is a land that devours it inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature."
The results of "not heeding" or not being careful of what they heard can be seen in Numbers 14:1 (Amplified). The produce of the seed (word) they allowed in their hearts is seen in Verse 1, where we see, "And all the congregation cried out with a loud voice, and (they) wept that night." Verses 2-3 say, "All the Israelites grumbled and deplored their situation, accusing Moses and Aaron, to whom the whole congregation said; Would that we had died in Egypt! Or that we had died in this wilderness! Why did the Lord bring us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and little ones will be a prey. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?"
What God called an "evil report," was their allowing the seed of doubt, fear and unbelief to produce in their heart instead of faith in what "seed" or Word He gave Moses that the Promised Land was a "land flowing with milk and honey."
Being stewards over the garden of the Lord is the same mandate God gave Adam, "Guard the garden and tend it." As children of God, we are called to guard our hearts and be very selective about what seed (words) we allow to be sown in it.
There are too many times that we hear words (seeds) of fear and failure being sown by sowers. They often time are not meant to be "evil" seed or words, but they become like Poison Ivy and Poison Ivy is poisonous (whether we knew it to be or not). When we hear words (seeds) being sown that aren't good seed, then we must be certain they don't enter the garden of the Lord.
It doesn't mean we're evil if we speak an evil report. It simply means that we've allowed wrong or evil seed to be sown in our hearts. Every garden must be weeded periodically so the weeds don't 'choke out the seed," according to Mark 4. Simply weeding it once won't work. It must be tended on a regular basis.
The enemy is always casting seed and hoping it will produce for him and choke out the good seed! We are always hearing evil reports that contradict the Word of God. Many of these reports are being accepted just like they were in Numbers 14:1-3. These are those the Lord spoke about in Hebrews 4:1-2 (Amplified) saying, "He was displeased with them because they did not believe (or receive) the Word in faith."
We are living in a world that is mostly negative concerning the seed or Word of truth. Even in Christian circles, we've had plentiful "evil reports" be sown into the good soil of the Kingdom. We are each required to tend our own heart or garden. God said in Numbers 13 that those who allowed the evil report or seed of the enemy to produce, also reaped the harvest of the evil one. John 10:10 (Amplified) says that, "The thief has come only to steal and kill and destroy."
The harvest they brought forth destroyed an entire generation. Those who guarded their hearts like Proverbs 4:23 says, brought forth victory and blessing from the seed they allowed into their hearts. I can't determine what my neighbor sows in his garden, but I can guard my own heart against evil reports. Sometimes, we don't look at the sees long enough to see the difference between evil and good.
A counterfeiter tries making money that resembles the real thing. The more real his money appears, the easier it is to pass off. We can't always distinguish between the two because the counterfeiters keep changing and improving their money. We can, though, become so familiar with the true seed that the fake seed is easy to detect.
Much of the wrong seed has been coated with half truths. And, by doing this, the enemy has been very successful with his harvest of fear, doubt, unbelief and misery in the believer. Genesis 3:1-4 demonstrates how the enemy wrapped the seed of death in the false narrative of "God is holding out on His children."
In Matthew 4:6, the same lying devil tried this evil report on Jesus. Jesus simply guarded His heart against the evil report and only allowed the true seed to proceed out of His "inner treasure" of His heart (garden). Jesus said in both Matthew 12:35 and Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "By your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced."
Those who received the evil report in Numbers 14 were condemned and sentenced by the seed that produced in their hearts. Their own words brought forth a wrong harvest for them.
Tend your garden!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Lesson 2 The Garden of the Lord
Genesis 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you. In sorrow and toil shall you eat (of the fruits) of it all the days of your life." Verse 18 says, "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field."
Once sin had entered in through Adam, the Garden only produced that which the curse wrought. Until that time, God's blessings on the earth brought forth all good things. Genesis 2:9 (Amplified) says, "And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired---good (suitable, pleasant) for food, the tree of life also in the center of the Garden, and the tree of the knowledge of (the difference between) good and evil and blessing and calamity."
When God made man, He also created everything man would ever need or could want in the garden. All of the "natural" things were born of the Spirit. Once sin entered and the curse took over, it required hard work to keep, tend and guard the garden.
When we became born again by the Word of God through Jesus, we were and are redeemed from the curse of the Law so that the blessing might come upon us through Jesus Christ. One thing that occurred at our becoming born again is that the garden has been remade. We found that under the curse, the ground brought forth the "thorns and thistles," according to Genesis 3:18 (Amplified).
Let's look at Isaiah 55:13 (Amplified) where the Holy Spirit speaks about those who are of the new covenant, saying, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the Cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the Myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign (of jubilant exaltation), and memorial (to His praise) which shall not be cut off."
In the same chapter of Isaiah 55:10-11 (Amplified) God said, "For as the rain and snow came down from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My Word be that goes out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless), but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
The "Garden of the Lord" that's to produce now, isn't prospering from the that is cursed, but by the soil of the heart (spirit) belonging to the born again child of God who is blessed. The very same Word of God that spoke forth the first garden, has now spoken on behalf of His new garden which is the spirit of His children. Luke 17:21 (Amplified) says, "Nor will people say, Look! Here (it is)! or See (it is) there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you (in your hearts) and among you (surrounding you)."
This garden of the Lord in which we now have access, is the "blessed soil" or the heart and spirit of the believer. This new soil that the "seed" or the Word of God is sown, will produce like the earth's soil did before the fall. If God's Word is sown into the good soil of the born again child of God, will produce blessing like the Word was sent to do.
Jesus said in Mark 4:23-25 (Amplified) that, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend." Verse 24 goes on, "And He said to them, be careful what you are hearing, the measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you---and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." Verse 25 says, "For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing (no ears to hear); even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
If we will hear the Word and receive it in the soil of our born again spirit, then it will produce even thirty, sixty and a hundred fold if we will tend the garden. Some say that this refers only to the spiritual things and not the natural. But, I will remind you that everything we can touch or see came from the Spirit. John 1:3 (Amplified) tells us, "All things were made and came into existence through Him (the Word) and without Him (the Word) was not even one thing made that has come into being."
Let's look into Proverbs 4:20-27 (Amplified) which says, "My son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings , Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart (spirit) For they are life to those who find them; healing and health to all their flesh."
This isn't just spiritual, but for your flesh.
Verse 23 goes on, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life ."
Isn't this the same thing God instructed Adam to do in the first Garden?
God gives us one of the keys for keeping the garden in Verse 24 saying, "Put away from you all false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put from you."
Remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11 (Amplified), "So shall My Word be that goes forth out of my mouth; (the sower sows the or Word), It shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless)." Mark 4 says God's Word will produce, "30, 60, or 100 fold, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
We haven't been guarding our hearts (our gardens) against some of the seeds (words) of the enemy, just like Adam failed to do. We forget that words are seeds and they will all grow in "good" soil. Seeds of strife, anger, malice, bitterness, division, envy, deceit and many such wild seeds are constantly being sown by the world and the enemy. Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says, "And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word, then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasures and delight and false glamor and deceitfulness of riches and the cravings and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word and it becomes fruitless."
That's not tending the garden!
Once sin had entered in through Adam, the Garden only produced that which the curse wrought. Until that time, God's blessings on the earth brought forth all good things. Genesis 2:9 (Amplified) says, "And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired---good (suitable, pleasant) for food, the tree of life also in the center of the Garden, and the tree of the knowledge of (the difference between) good and evil and blessing and calamity."
When God made man, He also created everything man would ever need or could want in the garden. All of the "natural" things were born of the Spirit. Once sin entered and the curse took over, it required hard work to keep, tend and guard the garden.
When we became born again by the Word of God through Jesus, we were and are redeemed from the curse of the Law so that the blessing might come upon us through Jesus Christ. One thing that occurred at our becoming born again is that the garden has been remade. We found that under the curse, the ground brought forth the "thorns and thistles," according to Genesis 3:18 (Amplified).
Let's look at Isaiah 55:13 (Amplified) where the Holy Spirit speaks about those who are of the new covenant, saying, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the Cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the Myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name of renown, for an everlasting sign (of jubilant exaltation), and memorial (to His praise) which shall not be cut off."
In the same chapter of Isaiah 55:10-11 (Amplified) God said, "For as the rain and snow came down from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My Word be that goes out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless), but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
The "Garden of the Lord" that's to produce now, isn't prospering from the that is cursed, but by the soil of the heart (spirit) belonging to the born again child of God who is blessed. The very same Word of God that spoke forth the first garden, has now spoken on behalf of His new garden which is the spirit of His children. Luke 17:21 (Amplified) says, "Nor will people say, Look! Here (it is)! or See (it is) there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you (in your hearts) and among you (surrounding you)."
This garden of the Lord in which we now have access, is the "blessed soil" or the heart and spirit of the believer. This new soil that the "seed" or the Word of God is sown, will produce like the earth's soil did before the fall. If God's Word is sown into the good soil of the born again child of God, will produce blessing like the Word was sent to do.
Jesus said in Mark 4:23-25 (Amplified) that, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend." Verse 24 goes on, "And He said to them, be careful what you are hearing, the measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you---and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." Verse 25 says, "For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing (no ears to hear); even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
If we will hear the Word and receive it in the soil of our born again spirit, then it will produce even thirty, sixty and a hundred fold if we will tend the garden. Some say that this refers only to the spiritual things and not the natural. But, I will remind you that everything we can touch or see came from the Spirit. John 1:3 (Amplified) tells us, "All things were made and came into existence through Him (the Word) and without Him (the Word) was not even one thing made that has come into being."
Let's look into Proverbs 4:20-27 (Amplified) which says, "My son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings , Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart (spirit) For they are life to those who find them; healing and health to all their flesh."
This isn't just spiritual, but for your flesh.
Verse 23 goes on, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life ."
Isn't this the same thing God instructed Adam to do in the first Garden?
God gives us one of the keys for keeping the garden in Verse 24 saying, "Put away from you all false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put from you."
Remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11 (Amplified), "So shall My Word be that goes forth out of my mouth; (the sower sows the or Word), It shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless)." Mark 4 says God's Word will produce, "30, 60, or 100 fold, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
We haven't been guarding our hearts (our gardens) against some of the seeds (words) of the enemy, just like Adam failed to do. We forget that words are seeds and they will all grow in "good" soil. Seeds of strife, anger, malice, bitterness, division, envy, deceit and many such wild seeds are constantly being sown by the world and the enemy. Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says, "And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word, then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasures and delight and false glamor and deceitfulness of riches and the cravings and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word and it becomes fruitless."
That's not tending the garden!
Monday, March 16, 2015
Lesson 1 The Garden of the Lord
Genesis 2:15 (Amplified) says, "And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to ten and guard and keep it."
As a boy growing up, we always had a garden. And being a country boy in a family of ten kids, we all had to do our part tending it. We raised our own chickens and eggs, pork and beef and our own vegetables. Dad worked in a coal mine and Mom had all she could do to take care of us and the house, so tending the garden mostly fell to the kids. If we didn't tend the garden, then the weeds would choke out the vegetables and we would have nothing to can and put away for the winter.
When God placed Adam in the garden, he was there to tend and keep it. This was so nothing could enter the garden and destroy what the Father had placed there. Everything man would ever need on earth was to come from this garden. Adam's instructions on how to conduct his life and how to use everything in the garden to provide for his flesh, came directly from his Father God. Everything Adam's natural body would need was to come from the garden.
Today, the plan of salvation and redemption has been restored and delivered back to the Father's original plan. The garden is once again to take care of us while we're here on earth. All every believer will need to prosper is here. The garden now, is the heart (the spirit) of the born again child of God.
This could be the "laboring" to enter God's rest that Hebrews 4 sites. Matthew 6:31-33 (Amplified) says, "Therefore do not worry and be anxious saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows well that you need them all." Verse 33 says, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
Most people read this scripture as simply a parable. Others take it to mean that God will rain down these things on them like ripe apples from a tree. Both are wrong. All these things will grow out of the garden of the Lord, which is now in our recreated spirits. Everything we see and touch came from the Spirit realm to begin with and the Spirit can still produce it now. Jesus proved this when He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes.
The problem we have is that we haven't tended the garden and we've allowed more weeds to grow than fruit. We weren't guarding against mixed seed or even bad seed. We've allowed whatever seed the wind picked up and scattered to grow. Tending the garden means working it, weeding it and keeping the soil pliable. Let's read more from Jesus' parable in Mark 4:24-25 (Amplified) which says, "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing, the measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." Verse 25 says, "For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
Jesus explained to His disciples, after reciting this parable, how the seed is the Word of God, the soil is the heart (spirit) of the believer and the produce is in the garden of the Lord which is now the recreated spirit of His children. Tending the garden means we're to be careful of what seed (words) we allow to be sown in the soil of our heart (spirit). ALL WORDS ARE SEEDS!!! The seed that Jesus sowed (and us if we're preaching the kingdom) is the Word of God. "The sower sows the Word."
Your heart (spirit) is good soil because the Holy Spirit has prepared it and made it fertile. Good soil will produce poison ivy as quickly as it will produce tomatoes. The soil has no control over what it grows...the one tending the garden does. We can hear words (seeds) of doubt, unbelief, fear, false doctrine or lies.
As Christians, we are to tend, guard and watch the garden, allowing only the true seed of the Kingdom to produce in this fertile, prepared soil. When other seed falls into this soil, we are to uproot it and not allow it to grow. According to Mark 4, these other seed will bring forth things that choke out and shut down the harvest of God's garden.
We've been lazy and have been unaware concerning the "wrong" seed or words that fell into our garden. Adam should never have allowed the serpent to enter the garden of Eden. If he had taken his job of attending the Garden seriously, then sin would never have taken root.
As a boy growing up, we always had a garden. And being a country boy in a family of ten kids, we all had to do our part tending it. We raised our own chickens and eggs, pork and beef and our own vegetables. Dad worked in a coal mine and Mom had all she could do to take care of us and the house, so tending the garden mostly fell to the kids. If we didn't tend the garden, then the weeds would choke out the vegetables and we would have nothing to can and put away for the winter.
When God placed Adam in the garden, he was there to tend and keep it. This was so nothing could enter the garden and destroy what the Father had placed there. Everything man would ever need on earth was to come from this garden. Adam's instructions on how to conduct his life and how to use everything in the garden to provide for his flesh, came directly from his Father God. Everything Adam's natural body would need was to come from the garden.
Today, the plan of salvation and redemption has been restored and delivered back to the Father's original plan. The garden is once again to take care of us while we're here on earth. All every believer will need to prosper is here. The garden now, is the heart (the spirit) of the born again child of God.
This could be the "laboring" to enter God's rest that Hebrews 4 sites. Matthew 6:31-33 (Amplified) says, "Therefore do not worry and be anxious saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows well that you need them all." Verse 33 says, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
Most people read this scripture as simply a parable. Others take it to mean that God will rain down these things on them like ripe apples from a tree. Both are wrong. All these things will grow out of the garden of the Lord, which is now in our recreated spirits. Everything we see and touch came from the Spirit realm to begin with and the Spirit can still produce it now. Jesus proved this when He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes.
The problem we have is that we haven't tended the garden and we've allowed more weeds to grow than fruit. We weren't guarding against mixed seed or even bad seed. We've allowed whatever seed the wind picked up and scattered to grow. Tending the garden means working it, weeding it and keeping the soil pliable. Let's read more from Jesus' parable in Mark 4:24-25 (Amplified) which says, "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing, the measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you and more (besides) will be given to you who hear." Verse 25 says, "For to him who has (ears to hear) will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force)."
Jesus explained to His disciples, after reciting this parable, how the seed is the Word of God, the soil is the heart (spirit) of the believer and the produce is in the garden of the Lord which is now the recreated spirit of His children. Tending the garden means we're to be careful of what seed (words) we allow to be sown in the soil of our heart (spirit). ALL WORDS ARE SEEDS!!! The seed that Jesus sowed (and us if we're preaching the kingdom) is the Word of God. "The sower sows the Word."
Your heart (spirit) is good soil because the Holy Spirit has prepared it and made it fertile. Good soil will produce poison ivy as quickly as it will produce tomatoes. The soil has no control over what it grows...the one tending the garden does. We can hear words (seeds) of doubt, unbelief, fear, false doctrine or lies.
As Christians, we are to tend, guard and watch the garden, allowing only the true seed of the Kingdom to produce in this fertile, prepared soil. When other seed falls into this soil, we are to uproot it and not allow it to grow. According to Mark 4, these other seed will bring forth things that choke out and shut down the harvest of God's garden.
We've been lazy and have been unaware concerning the "wrong" seed or words that fell into our garden. Adam should never have allowed the serpent to enter the garden of Eden. If he had taken his job of attending the Garden seriously, then sin would never have taken root.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Lesson 6 Afraid To Love
Faith is simply trusting in God and what He says He will do or has already done on our behalf. The more we learn to trust God, the more we learn about Him and learn to love Him. It's difficult to fully love someone you cannot or do not trust. We can "love" people and do for them without "trusting" them with important things in our lives. God's love for us is and was different to the degree that He already knew we didn't understand the spiritual things in life.
We can love a child and still not trust their ability to know good from bad. A child will eat a bug just as quickly as he'll eat candy because he doesn't know the difference yet. He will grow with teaching and maturity to distinguish and choose good over bad. Children trust their parents to teach them without hurting them. We would never feed our children something that would hurt them, but would only feed them good things.
Our children grow to trust us to make good decisions on their behalf until they become old enough to make their own decisions. Sometimes, they go up against the things we taught them (especially during their teenage years), but they always come back to our love. Learning to trust God is learning to love God. We must learn to trust in His Word and His Spirit Who teach us. It's only when we know Him in this way that we can truly learn to love Him correctly.
When teaching the people to pray, Jesus said to pray, "Our Father." In Matthew 6:11 (Amplified) Jesus taught us to pray, "And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!"
The word for "temptation" here is also the word for "trials, tests and the evil that is around us." How many times have we been taught that God's the One Who is "trying and bringing us into testing?" How are we to know when to "submit to God" or "resist the devil" if we don;t know which one is responsible for the testing? If I can't trust in what Jesus prayed for us, then how can I trust in the trials of life in God?
Proverbs 25:28 (Amplified) says, "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." If we don't know what spirit is leading us, then we're like a defenseless city without walls to protect us. If it's true that God is the One testing us, then aren't we still being judged by works instead of grace?
If I pass one test, then am I once more in God's grace and mercy? If I fail that test, then must I continue going through it until I can pass? Whatever happened to being led by the Spirit instead of testing and hard times? This sort of teaching is no different from being under the Law. God doesn't want to teach from the "outside-in" like He had to under the Law. These people were dead in the spirits, so God had to deal with their flesh. We have been made alive in spirit so God can now deal with our very heart or spirit. We are to be led from the inside and not the outside.
Many of today's teaching still deal more with the flesh than the spirit. We never seem to know whether it's God or the devil. The Apostle Paul knew that all the trials and tribulations he faced were not from God, but were from a "messenger of satan who was sent to buffet him." In 2Corinthians 12:7 (Amplified) Paul said that the "revelation" was from God and the trials were from the enemy. And, because he knew he could trust God to deliver him instead of destroy him, he could trust Him and love Him fully.
Did you ever think how foolish it would be for God to take Paul to the third heaven, give him the revelation of the new birth or commission him to go and preach it, make him responsible for recording it and then do everything He could to stop Paul from doing these things?
We must learn that God is not our problem, but our answer. We usually get ourselves into trouble (even without the devil's help), but God still delivers us out of it all. Once we learn to distinguish whether it's God or the enemy, like John 10:10 says, then we can keep God on the right side of our faith and love. Thus it says, "The thief comes only in order to steal, and kill and destroy (this is the devil), I am come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." Having and enjoying life to the full, until it overflows is God. If it isn't life and joy and abundant life, then it isn't God's will for you.
James 1:13-18 (Amplified) says, "Let no one say when he is tempted (tried, tested) I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by (what is) evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desires (lusts, passions) then the evil desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured brings forth death." Verses 16-18 go on, "Do not be misled, my brethren, Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above: it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light in (the shining of) whom there can be no variation (rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning (as in an eclipse). And it was of His Own (free) will that He gave us birth (as sons) by (His) Word of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures (a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself)."
God doesn't need "trials, tests, hardships and disease to guide or train or correct His children. He certainly doesn't need the unholy devil to teach or make holy, those He went to the cross for. God uses the Holy Spirit, the Holy scriptures and the Ever Present gift of the new birth through Jesus to teach us. God's sheep, "know His voice and a stranger they will not follow."
Learn to love Him by trusting Him to do only good and not evil in your life. If you're going through some hard times, then look to Him to take you through them and not to put them on you. It's easy to be unafraid to love God with all your heart when you know He has only your best in His heart.
Loving Him, when you trust with all that you are, is simple. God will lead you in "Paths of righteousness for His Name's sake" because you belong to Him.
No loving parent will place their child in the middle of the road and oncoming traffic in order to teach him that cars can hurt them. No loving parent will hold their child's hand in the flames in order to teach them that fire can burn him. Yet, we're always blaming God for putting us in places of danger in order to teach us that "cars can be dangerous." Are we really better fathers than He is? If we had earthly fathers who did these things, then they would be in jail. But, we're always accusing God of doing these things.
It would be difficult for any child to totally love his father who would do these things. Still, though, we believe that our Heavenly Father does them. Does this determine our love for Him or are we misunderstanding Him? I think it determines our lack of knowledge of Who He really is.
We can love a child and still not trust their ability to know good from bad. A child will eat a bug just as quickly as he'll eat candy because he doesn't know the difference yet. He will grow with teaching and maturity to distinguish and choose good over bad. Children trust their parents to teach them without hurting them. We would never feed our children something that would hurt them, but would only feed them good things.
Our children grow to trust us to make good decisions on their behalf until they become old enough to make their own decisions. Sometimes, they go up against the things we taught them (especially during their teenage years), but they always come back to our love. Learning to trust God is learning to love God. We must learn to trust in His Word and His Spirit Who teach us. It's only when we know Him in this way that we can truly learn to love Him correctly.
When teaching the people to pray, Jesus said to pray, "Our Father." In Matthew 6:11 (Amplified) Jesus taught us to pray, "And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!"
The word for "temptation" here is also the word for "trials, tests and the evil that is around us." How many times have we been taught that God's the One Who is "trying and bringing us into testing?" How are we to know when to "submit to God" or "resist the devil" if we don;t know which one is responsible for the testing? If I can't trust in what Jesus prayed for us, then how can I trust in the trials of life in God?
Proverbs 25:28 (Amplified) says, "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." If we don't know what spirit is leading us, then we're like a defenseless city without walls to protect us. If it's true that God is the One testing us, then aren't we still being judged by works instead of grace?
If I pass one test, then am I once more in God's grace and mercy? If I fail that test, then must I continue going through it until I can pass? Whatever happened to being led by the Spirit instead of testing and hard times? This sort of teaching is no different from being under the Law. God doesn't want to teach from the "outside-in" like He had to under the Law. These people were dead in the spirits, so God had to deal with their flesh. We have been made alive in spirit so God can now deal with our very heart or spirit. We are to be led from the inside and not the outside.
Many of today's teaching still deal more with the flesh than the spirit. We never seem to know whether it's God or the devil. The Apostle Paul knew that all the trials and tribulations he faced were not from God, but were from a "messenger of satan who was sent to buffet him." In 2Corinthians 12:7 (Amplified) Paul said that the "revelation" was from God and the trials were from the enemy. And, because he knew he could trust God to deliver him instead of destroy him, he could trust Him and love Him fully.
Did you ever think how foolish it would be for God to take Paul to the third heaven, give him the revelation of the new birth or commission him to go and preach it, make him responsible for recording it and then do everything He could to stop Paul from doing these things?
We must learn that God is not our problem, but our answer. We usually get ourselves into trouble (even without the devil's help), but God still delivers us out of it all. Once we learn to distinguish whether it's God or the enemy, like John 10:10 says, then we can keep God on the right side of our faith and love. Thus it says, "The thief comes only in order to steal, and kill and destroy (this is the devil), I am come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." Having and enjoying life to the full, until it overflows is God. If it isn't life and joy and abundant life, then it isn't God's will for you.
James 1:13-18 (Amplified) says, "Let no one say when he is tempted (tried, tested) I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by (what is) evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desires (lusts, passions) then the evil desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured brings forth death." Verses 16-18 go on, "Do not be misled, my brethren, Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift is from above: it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light in (the shining of) whom there can be no variation (rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning (as in an eclipse). And it was of His Own (free) will that He gave us birth (as sons) by (His) Word of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures (a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself)."
God doesn't need "trials, tests, hardships and disease to guide or train or correct His children. He certainly doesn't need the unholy devil to teach or make holy, those He went to the cross for. God uses the Holy Spirit, the Holy scriptures and the Ever Present gift of the new birth through Jesus to teach us. God's sheep, "know His voice and a stranger they will not follow."
Learn to love Him by trusting Him to do only good and not evil in your life. If you're going through some hard times, then look to Him to take you through them and not to put them on you. It's easy to be unafraid to love God with all your heart when you know He has only your best in His heart.
Loving Him, when you trust with all that you are, is simple. God will lead you in "Paths of righteousness for His Name's sake" because you belong to Him.
No loving parent will place their child in the middle of the road and oncoming traffic in order to teach him that cars can hurt them. No loving parent will hold their child's hand in the flames in order to teach them that fire can burn him. Yet, we're always blaming God for putting us in places of danger in order to teach us that "cars can be dangerous." Are we really better fathers than He is? If we had earthly fathers who did these things, then they would be in jail. But, we're always accusing God of doing these things.
It would be difficult for any child to totally love his father who would do these things. Still, though, we believe that our Heavenly Father does them. Does this determine our love for Him or are we misunderstanding Him? I think it determines our lack of knowledge of Who He really is.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Lesson 5 Afraid To Love
John 3:16 (Amplified) says, "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His Only Begotten (unique) Son; so that whoever believes in (trusts in, cling to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."
This scripture demonstrates to us the true attitude and faith in Love. Even before anyone knew or believed in the Savior, Love did not hold anything back, but gave it all at the cross. There was no way of knowing if this great Love would work or how many (if any) would believe. Love fearlessly and openly gave all He had to deliver those who were outside of God.
There remains the chance that some will not believe, but it's not because Love didn't come, but because they won't receive love. No matter how much lobe has given itself, if we don't allow it to be received in our lives, then we will remain lost. Many of us only allow a portion of this great to be manifest in our lives. We believe that God loves us and that we will go to heaven when we die, but we don't allow heaven to manifest in our lives while we're here.
No matter how great the offer, Love must be responded to or it won't work in our lives. God didn't hold back anything when He sent Jesus. We, though, hold back and are afraid to trust this love. God didn't send only a portion of His love, but He sent all of His love in and through Jesus.
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His arrest, trial and crucifixion, in John 17:23 (Amplified) saying, "I in them and You in Me; in order that they may become one and perfectly united; that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them (even) as You have loved Me."
God's love is limitless, but we have to allow ourselves to receive and respond to this love. Unless we learn to trust in His love for us, we will never know the power of that great love on this side of heaven. God won't love us any more after we get to heaven than He does presently. He loved us like He loves Jesus even before we were saved and were at our worst.
I've wondered about whether God loves the saved person more than He does the sinner. Of course, He loves us all the same. The same great love that we enjoy now from God, is the same love that saved us.
God gave us (by His love) all we will ever need throughout eternity, but we must not be afraid to love Him back. We've held back much of His power and fellowship in our lives because we've been afraid to return His love.
Loving God or anyone else fully requires a form of selflessness to the fullest. Ephesians 5:25 (Amplified) says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." This kind of love can only come when we allow God to love and live through us. Jesus didn't hold anything back when He gave Himself for us. He didn't think about who was right or wrong and who would accept or reject Him. He gave Himself in love when there wasn't one, single Christian alive on this planet. Love wasn't afraid to give Himself first and fully.
We want to wait and see if the other person will respond to or be respective to our love before we give it. We want to see if we can trust them with our very heart before we will give it. We want to see if they are worthy of our love before we give it. And, we want to see if they are trustworthy of loving. If God had waited to see if we would return His love before He gave His love, then we'd still be lost. We've tried trusting God in small increments. We trust Him with the "easy stuff" first and fail to realize that one thing is just as "easy" for Him as another. It's not hard for God to do it, it's hard for us to trust Him for it.
We want to trust God and love Him like He loves us, yet we're more aware of our failures than we are of His love. If God loved us enough to die in our place when we were still sinners, then is it too difficult to believe He loves us now in our new born again state? 1John 4:10-11 (Amplified) says, "In this is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins." Verse 11 says, "Beloved, if God loved us so (very much); we also ought to love one another."
We should have to wait for the other person to prove himself "worthy" of our love, but by loving, prove ourselves worthy of the love that was given us and give it to them. Jesus told us to, "Love one another, as He has loved us." Before we were saved, before we believed, before we knew Him and before we were forgiven, God loved us. He didn't wait to see if we would even thank Him for it, He just loved us. Love trusted us even when we weren't trustworthy. Love always wants to believe the best in everyone. Throughout our lives, most of us have known others who will take advantage of our love or use it as a weapon against us. We've also known others who won't. Love makes us vulnerable when we open up, but we're no good at all if we don't do this. We're so afraid of being hurt or disappointed that we don't ever get to witness what love can do.
You are the only power on this earth that can stop the power of love in your life. God won't stop it and nobody else can stop it., only you can do that. God doesn't love any person more than another, but it's that one person receives more of His love than another. It's equally available to all who will believe. Some people only believe His love for their salvation and their getting to heaven one day, while others believe to a greater depth. Both persons are equally loved by God and the equality of God's gift of love is the same for both. One person is afraid to love beyond going to heaven and another person is not afraid to love to a further degree.
This love wants to manifest fully in our live so the whole world can see it. Fear prevents us from revieving love to the point of boldness and strength.
This scripture demonstrates to us the true attitude and faith in Love. Even before anyone knew or believed in the Savior, Love did not hold anything back, but gave it all at the cross. There was no way of knowing if this great Love would work or how many (if any) would believe. Love fearlessly and openly gave all He had to deliver those who were outside of God.
There remains the chance that some will not believe, but it's not because Love didn't come, but because they won't receive love. No matter how much lobe has given itself, if we don't allow it to be received in our lives, then we will remain lost. Many of us only allow a portion of this great to be manifest in our lives. We believe that God loves us and that we will go to heaven when we die, but we don't allow heaven to manifest in our lives while we're here.
No matter how great the offer, Love must be responded to or it won't work in our lives. God didn't hold back anything when He sent Jesus. We, though, hold back and are afraid to trust this love. God didn't send only a portion of His love, but He sent all of His love in and through Jesus.
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His arrest, trial and crucifixion, in John 17:23 (Amplified) saying, "I in them and You in Me; in order that they may become one and perfectly united; that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them (even) as You have loved Me."
God's love is limitless, but we have to allow ourselves to receive and respond to this love. Unless we learn to trust in His love for us, we will never know the power of that great love on this side of heaven. God won't love us any more after we get to heaven than He does presently. He loved us like He loves Jesus even before we were saved and were at our worst.
I've wondered about whether God loves the saved person more than He does the sinner. Of course, He loves us all the same. The same great love that we enjoy now from God, is the same love that saved us.
God gave us (by His love) all we will ever need throughout eternity, but we must not be afraid to love Him back. We've held back much of His power and fellowship in our lives because we've been afraid to return His love.
Loving God or anyone else fully requires a form of selflessness to the fullest. Ephesians 5:25 (Amplified) says, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." This kind of love can only come when we allow God to love and live through us. Jesus didn't hold anything back when He gave Himself for us. He didn't think about who was right or wrong and who would accept or reject Him. He gave Himself in love when there wasn't one, single Christian alive on this planet. Love wasn't afraid to give Himself first and fully.
We want to wait and see if the other person will respond to or be respective to our love before we give it. We want to see if we can trust them with our very heart before we will give it. We want to see if they are worthy of our love before we give it. And, we want to see if they are trustworthy of loving. If God had waited to see if we would return His love before He gave His love, then we'd still be lost. We've tried trusting God in small increments. We trust Him with the "easy stuff" first and fail to realize that one thing is just as "easy" for Him as another. It's not hard for God to do it, it's hard for us to trust Him for it.
We want to trust God and love Him like He loves us, yet we're more aware of our failures than we are of His love. If God loved us enough to die in our place when we were still sinners, then is it too difficult to believe He loves us now in our new born again state? 1John 4:10-11 (Amplified) says, "In this is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins." Verse 11 says, "Beloved, if God loved us so (very much); we also ought to love one another."
We should have to wait for the other person to prove himself "worthy" of our love, but by loving, prove ourselves worthy of the love that was given us and give it to them. Jesus told us to, "Love one another, as He has loved us." Before we were saved, before we believed, before we knew Him and before we were forgiven, God loved us. He didn't wait to see if we would even thank Him for it, He just loved us. Love trusted us even when we weren't trustworthy. Love always wants to believe the best in everyone. Throughout our lives, most of us have known others who will take advantage of our love or use it as a weapon against us. We've also known others who won't. Love makes us vulnerable when we open up, but we're no good at all if we don't do this. We're so afraid of being hurt or disappointed that we don't ever get to witness what love can do.
You are the only power on this earth that can stop the power of love in your life. God won't stop it and nobody else can stop it., only you can do that. God doesn't love any person more than another, but it's that one person receives more of His love than another. It's equally available to all who will believe. Some people only believe His love for their salvation and their getting to heaven one day, while others believe to a greater depth. Both persons are equally loved by God and the equality of God's gift of love is the same for both. One person is afraid to love beyond going to heaven and another person is not afraid to love to a further degree.
This love wants to manifest fully in our live so the whole world can see it. Fear prevents us from revieving love to the point of boldness and strength.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Lesson 4 Afraid To Love
We hear and read so many songs and stories about love, so one would think we've know more about it than we do. We haven't learned much about the real Love, the Love of God or about God Himself. We've measured God's love by the natural love of man, which is based more on emotions than on and in the Spirit.
And, because we've opened our hearts to allow others in and were hurt, we've closed the door to love in our lives. We might crack the door and allow just a little love to enter into our heart, but we haven't opened the door wide to love. Our Heavenly Father simply wishes for us to open the door of our heart (or spirit) and allow His fullness to enter. When all is said and done and we are with our Father in heaven, we will fully understand God's great Love.
We are fearful of those who can hurt us as long a we remain protective of our hearts against love. We won't allow others to love us and because of this, we cannot fully love anyone else. This is what the world is looking for in Christianity and what Christianity is looking for in God. We wait, but it is already done if we will trust in the truth of God's Spirit.
We've been hurt by others in the natural who say they love us. There are those we are supposed to love, but we couldn't or wouldn't love them like we should. We've been afraid to trust love from many people for various reasons. This isn't to say that love hasn't had any impact on this world, because it has. God's Love is never in short supply, but has been "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." It's not that love hasn't accomplished what He came to do, but not in its fullest.
God loves us all with everything He is and has shown His Love by His great gift of salvation, but it cannot be completed in us until we yield to its fullest form. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love's complete perfection)."
Although we read the Word and agree with it, most of us haven't reached this "full maturity" of love. We all probably know some of God's people who are still "fearful of punishment" and have "terror" concerning their walk with Him. We're still afraid He is searching for reasons to punish us for our mistakes and failures. We know we're not perfect and have made mistakes, so we're fearful of punishment. I'm not saying this to excuse our mistakes or sins, but we should realize how great His love is that it covers all. Are there times in our lives we believe we should be and deserve to be punished? The answer is, Yes! But, because we don't know the fullness of His love and power of His love, we walk in fear.
Love declares to us in Isaiah 53:4 and 11 (Amplified) saying, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment), yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken and smitten and afflicted by God (as if with leprosy)." Verse 11 says, "He shall see (the fruit) of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself (which He possesses and imparts to others) shall my (uncomprimisingly) Righteous One, My servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God) for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt (with the consequences, says the Lord)."
When I speak about being afraid to love, I speaking about letting ourselves be loved as well. When we don't trust someone enought to accept their love, we still walk in the "fear of punishment" John spoke about.
The Word says that Jesus didn't only take our sins, but our punishment too. We seem eager to accept the forgiveness of sin (to a certain extent), but not the punishment part. We keep waiting for the other shoe to fall. Do we always feel like we're righteous in Him? No. If we only walk in truth when we feel it, then we're still bound by our own uncertain love and aren't trusting in the God of Love or the Love of God!
This is the place we've been afraid to love in. We can't fully allow love into our hearts if we cannot trust the One Whom we think loves us. There are so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who still believe that punishment is part of God's love. We don't seem to trust or have faith enough in love to believe Isaiah 53 which says He bore our punishment. If we've afraid to love God to this point, then it's because we really don't know God and never did. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) tells us that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) For God is love."
This scripture simply says that when you really come to know God, He expels all fear completely from your life. When we don't trust His love in the sacrifice of Jesus to take our place, then we remain bound under the Law with the sacrifice of bulls and goats. People could live free of fear and punishment, in the full, for a year under the Law. Shouldn't the Blood of our Lamb Jesus be that powerful in our lives?
When we don;t allow His love to completely remove our fear and love us fully, how can we possibly love and live in love with one another? "As we sow...also shall we readp." If we cannot allow love and trust to be sown in our own hearts without fear, then how can we expect to be able to sow it into others?
God wants to love us with all His love and strength, but we won't allow Him to manifest the fullness of that love because of fear. Therefore, we don't know how to "Love one another, as I have loved you." We don't know "How He loved us."
We are afraid to let God into our hearts completely because of the fear of punishment. Read 1John 4:18 repeatedly until is expels all fear from your heart and you will come to know God not only as God, but as Father. We all call Him "Father," but not all of us know Him in the fullness of what that really means. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) For God is love."
And, because we've opened our hearts to allow others in and were hurt, we've closed the door to love in our lives. We might crack the door and allow just a little love to enter into our heart, but we haven't opened the door wide to love. Our Heavenly Father simply wishes for us to open the door of our heart (or spirit) and allow His fullness to enter. When all is said and done and we are with our Father in heaven, we will fully understand God's great Love.
We are fearful of those who can hurt us as long a we remain protective of our hearts against love. We won't allow others to love us and because of this, we cannot fully love anyone else. This is what the world is looking for in Christianity and what Christianity is looking for in God. We wait, but it is already done if we will trust in the truth of God's Spirit.
We've been hurt by others in the natural who say they love us. There are those we are supposed to love, but we couldn't or wouldn't love them like we should. We've been afraid to trust love from many people for various reasons. This isn't to say that love hasn't had any impact on this world, because it has. God's Love is never in short supply, but has been "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." It's not that love hasn't accomplished what He came to do, but not in its fullest.
God loves us all with everything He is and has shown His Love by His great gift of salvation, but it cannot be completed in us until we yield to its fullest form. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love's complete perfection)."
Although we read the Word and agree with it, most of us haven't reached this "full maturity" of love. We all probably know some of God's people who are still "fearful of punishment" and have "terror" concerning their walk with Him. We're still afraid He is searching for reasons to punish us for our mistakes and failures. We know we're not perfect and have made mistakes, so we're fearful of punishment. I'm not saying this to excuse our mistakes or sins, but we should realize how great His love is that it covers all. Are there times in our lives we believe we should be and deserve to be punished? The answer is, Yes! But, because we don't know the fullness of His love and power of His love, we walk in fear.
Love declares to us in Isaiah 53:4 and 11 (Amplified) saying, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment), yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken and smitten and afflicted by God (as if with leprosy)." Verse 11 says, "He shall see (the fruit) of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself (which He possesses and imparts to others) shall my (uncomprimisingly) Righteous One, My servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God) for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt (with the consequences, says the Lord)."
When I speak about being afraid to love, I speaking about letting ourselves be loved as well. When we don't trust someone enought to accept their love, we still walk in the "fear of punishment" John spoke about.
The Word says that Jesus didn't only take our sins, but our punishment too. We seem eager to accept the forgiveness of sin (to a certain extent), but not the punishment part. We keep waiting for the other shoe to fall. Do we always feel like we're righteous in Him? No. If we only walk in truth when we feel it, then we're still bound by our own uncertain love and aren't trusting in the God of Love or the Love of God!
This is the place we've been afraid to love in. We can't fully allow love into our hearts if we cannot trust the One Whom we think loves us. There are so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who still believe that punishment is part of God's love. We don't seem to trust or have faith enough in love to believe Isaiah 53 which says He bore our punishment. If we've afraid to love God to this point, then it's because we really don't know God and never did. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) tells us that, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) For God is love."
This scripture simply says that when you really come to know God, He expels all fear completely from your life. When we don't trust His love in the sacrifice of Jesus to take our place, then we remain bound under the Law with the sacrifice of bulls and goats. People could live free of fear and punishment, in the full, for a year under the Law. Shouldn't the Blood of our Lamb Jesus be that powerful in our lives?
When we don;t allow His love to completely remove our fear and love us fully, how can we possibly love and live in love with one another? "As we sow...also shall we readp." If we cannot allow love and trust to be sown in our own hearts without fear, then how can we expect to be able to sow it into others?
God wants to love us with all His love and strength, but we won't allow Him to manifest the fullness of that love because of fear. Therefore, we don't know how to "Love one another, as I have loved you." We don't know "How He loved us."
We are afraid to let God into our hearts completely because of the fear of punishment. Read 1John 4:18 repeatedly until is expels all fear from your heart and you will come to know God not only as God, but as Father. We all call Him "Father," but not all of us know Him in the fullness of what that really means. 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) For God is love."
Lesson 3 Afraid To Love
How it must grieve the Father's heart of Love to think we would accuse Him of being the source of all our heartache and grief. To think that God loved us to such a degree that He sent His Only Son to die in our place, yet we would believe that He's the source of our grief and sorrow.
We read in God's Word about the things that Love has done to set us free, but we continue to believe He is responsible for all the world's troubles. The world has all its troubles because the world is afraid to Love. If as a whole, we would trust in this Love, then there would be no trouble. We cannot make the world trust in and be unafraid to love, but we can open up our own selves, break down the walls and allow ourselves to love and be loved.
God so wishes to show His love in the fullest to all who would allow Him to come in. We're still afraid to trust Him with everything and His love cannot be fully manifested in our own lives. We strive to be like the stoic John Wayne or Rambo example seen in the movies because we would look weak if we loved.
We're afraid people might take advantage of us if we walked in Love. There are some who believe we are trying to take advantage of God because of His Love. No one can take advantage of God because He has already "Given all things liberally that pertain to live and Godliness." He isn't some elderly Man Who doesn't know any better. In His great Love, He has given everything He has for us. Romans 13:10 (Amplified) says, "Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (it never hurts anybody) therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfillment of the Law."
Once you understand the power of His love, you will never dread the "punishment of the Law." Love covers the multitude of sin. It's been extremely difficult to "love the brethren" like God's Word instructs us to do because we don't trust His love. We're afraid to love because we fear that it won't work. There are those who would take advantage of you if you walk in love, but if we walk in love, then if will work to your advantage even if their motive was wrong. Love never fails.
Love isn't what Hollywood portrays is to be or what we've always heard it to be. Love isn't just a feeling. It's true that emotions play a large part in Love, but love is supposed to control the emotions and not the emotions controlling the love.
We looked at love as an emotional thing instead of A Person. And, because we've failed to allow love to really reach its potential within us, we've never known the depths of it. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love."
We "fall in and out of love," ruled only by emotion. When the emotion changes, love changes. True Love (God) never changes according to Hebrews 13:8(Amplified) which says, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Emotions certainly play a part in our love walk, but not to rule it. When we only walk in the emotional part of love instead of the Person of Love, we always fail at some point.
Throughout the years, some have reached the point where they're afraid to love. They have been disappointed by parents, grandparents, friends, siblings and/or spouses and are now afraid to love. God is Love, but we're even afraid to walk with Him without putting up walls and without fully trusting Him. Any time you decide to walk in Love, you must be aware that there's a chance of getting hurt because you're opening up your spirit and the depths of your soul to others. Unfortunately, people aren't always trustworthy and not always in a position to love you back. We must fully trust God to fully walk in love.
Time after time, we've opened our hearts to others only to get hurt. After awhile, we begin to close off our spirits and souls to a small amount. We close off our hearts. Nobody wants to keep getting hurt and wounded over and over again, yet this is what love must endure.
Philippians 3:10 (Amplified) tells us, "(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understand the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly). And that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers) and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His Likeness even) to His death (in the hope)."
We've often wondered and thought about being sharers in "His suffering. Some think it means we're to be sick and poor, but I believe that to be "conformed to His sufferings" means being open by Love to the point where you're vulnerable. I've never found in the Word where Jesus was sick or poor or at the mercy of anyone or anything that He couldn't overcome. He wasn't only walking in Love, but He was actually Love walking. The only suffering I saw Jesus do was on the cross and He did that for us.
I tried placing myself in the position of Jesus, like Paul said,sharing in His suffering. As I watch Jesus through the Word, I find that He suffered the pain in His heart of love from being denied and betrayed. He could have closed off His heart, but if He did, then we would all have been lost. 1Corinthians 13:8 says that, "Love never fails." In order to make the new birth available to all, He had to be willing to be hurt by some.
I saw Jesus cry over Jerusalem when they rejected Him. His great heart was broken by their unbelief and rejection. I saw Jesus being betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane by a "friend" who betrayed Him with a kiss. We saw Jesus placed on trial for His life and never speak a word on His Own behalf. If He had spoken out, then we would still be lost in sin. Love never mouthed a word even when He was beaten and mocked.
This Love is God living through us in it's fullness. As mere men, we can never walk in this kind of love. Only God living through us can accomplish this. Every time we are hurt, we want to back off. It's destroyed some homes and marriages, as well as some churches. We feel like we were spoken to wrongly or treated unfairly, so we leave and speak badly of someone who wronged us.
We are called to a much higher place to walk in other than our feelings. I don't mean we should go around hurting others in the Name of Love, but that we, in love, should know and forgive the wrongdoings of others. This is walking in "faith" and in "Spirit." There are many times we offend other and are offended by others. The only way of avoiding this is to "shut down" our love walk and cease reaching out. The Bible way is to love as He loves us and walk in forgiveness.
Walking in love is the hardest part of Christianity. It means that self must take a backseat and that Jesus is in charge. When we're afraid to love, we're handicapped to the point where we're just religious instead of real. The scribes and Pharisees could walk in that without any problem at all.
We read in God's Word about the things that Love has done to set us free, but we continue to believe He is responsible for all the world's troubles. The world has all its troubles because the world is afraid to Love. If as a whole, we would trust in this Love, then there would be no trouble. We cannot make the world trust in and be unafraid to love, but we can open up our own selves, break down the walls and allow ourselves to love and be loved.
God so wishes to show His love in the fullest to all who would allow Him to come in. We're still afraid to trust Him with everything and His love cannot be fully manifested in our own lives. We strive to be like the stoic John Wayne or Rambo example seen in the movies because we would look weak if we loved.
We're afraid people might take advantage of us if we walked in Love. There are some who believe we are trying to take advantage of God because of His Love. No one can take advantage of God because He has already "Given all things liberally that pertain to live and Godliness." He isn't some elderly Man Who doesn't know any better. In His great Love, He has given everything He has for us. Romans 13:10 (Amplified) says, "Love does no wrong to one's neighbor (it never hurts anybody) therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfillment of the Law."
Once you understand the power of His love, you will never dread the "punishment of the Law." Love covers the multitude of sin. It's been extremely difficult to "love the brethren" like God's Word instructs us to do because we don't trust His love. We're afraid to love because we fear that it won't work. There are those who would take advantage of you if you walk in love, but if we walk in love, then if will work to your advantage even if their motive was wrong. Love never fails.
Love isn't what Hollywood portrays is to be or what we've always heard it to be. Love isn't just a feeling. It's true that emotions play a large part in Love, but love is supposed to control the emotions and not the emotions controlling the love.
We looked at love as an emotional thing instead of A Person. And, because we've failed to allow love to really reach its potential within us, we've never known the depths of it. 1John 4:8 (Amplified) says, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love."
We "fall in and out of love," ruled only by emotion. When the emotion changes, love changes. True Love (God) never changes according to Hebrews 13:8(Amplified) which says, "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Emotions certainly play a part in our love walk, but not to rule it. When we only walk in the emotional part of love instead of the Person of Love, we always fail at some point.
Throughout the years, some have reached the point where they're afraid to love. They have been disappointed by parents, grandparents, friends, siblings and/or spouses and are now afraid to love. God is Love, but we're even afraid to walk with Him without putting up walls and without fully trusting Him. Any time you decide to walk in Love, you must be aware that there's a chance of getting hurt because you're opening up your spirit and the depths of your soul to others. Unfortunately, people aren't always trustworthy and not always in a position to love you back. We must fully trust God to fully walk in love.
Time after time, we've opened our hearts to others only to get hurt. After awhile, we begin to close off our spirits and souls to a small amount. We close off our hearts. Nobody wants to keep getting hurt and wounded over and over again, yet this is what love must endure.
Philippians 3:10 (Amplified) tells us, "(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understand the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly). And that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers) and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed (in spirit into His Likeness even) to His death (in the hope)."
We've often wondered and thought about being sharers in "His suffering. Some think it means we're to be sick and poor, but I believe that to be "conformed to His sufferings" means being open by Love to the point where you're vulnerable. I've never found in the Word where Jesus was sick or poor or at the mercy of anyone or anything that He couldn't overcome. He wasn't only walking in Love, but He was actually Love walking. The only suffering I saw Jesus do was on the cross and He did that for us.
I tried placing myself in the position of Jesus, like Paul said,sharing in His suffering. As I watch Jesus through the Word, I find that He suffered the pain in His heart of love from being denied and betrayed. He could have closed off His heart, but if He did, then we would all have been lost. 1Corinthians 13:8 says that, "Love never fails." In order to make the new birth available to all, He had to be willing to be hurt by some.
I saw Jesus cry over Jerusalem when they rejected Him. His great heart was broken by their unbelief and rejection. I saw Jesus being betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane by a "friend" who betrayed Him with a kiss. We saw Jesus placed on trial for His life and never speak a word on His Own behalf. If He had spoken out, then we would still be lost in sin. Love never mouthed a word even when He was beaten and mocked.
This Love is God living through us in it's fullness. As mere men, we can never walk in this kind of love. Only God living through us can accomplish this. Every time we are hurt, we want to back off. It's destroyed some homes and marriages, as well as some churches. We feel like we were spoken to wrongly or treated unfairly, so we leave and speak badly of someone who wronged us.
We are called to a much higher place to walk in other than our feelings. I don't mean we should go around hurting others in the Name of Love, but that we, in love, should know and forgive the wrongdoings of others. This is walking in "faith" and in "Spirit." There are many times we offend other and are offended by others. The only way of avoiding this is to "shut down" our love walk and cease reaching out. The Bible way is to love as He loves us and walk in forgiveness.
Walking in love is the hardest part of Christianity. It means that self must take a backseat and that Jesus is in charge. When we're afraid to love, we're handicapped to the point where we're just religious instead of real. The scribes and Pharisees could walk in that without any problem at all.
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