John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Abraham was Blessed, because of his faith in God's Word. Abraham trusted God's Word to him and because of this, the Seed that God Promised came into this world and brought about our own deliverance. Galatians 3:14 (Amplified) says, "To the end that through their receiving Christ Jesus, the Blessing Promised to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might all receive the realization of the Promise of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 4:18-19,21 (Amplified) says, "For Abraham, human reason for hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations as he had been Promised, so numberless shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the utter impotence of his own body which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's deadened womb." Verse 21 says, "Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His Word and do what He had Promised."
God used this one man's faith, to bring forth the Promise of Jesus and restore the Blessing back into the earth and all His Seed. Galatians 3:29 (Amplified) says, "And if you belong to Christ, are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed, then you are Abraham's offspring and Spiritual heirs according to the Promise."
2Corinthians 1:19-20 (Amplified) says, "For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who has been preached among you by us (by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy), was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always the Divine Yes. For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes Answer in Him (Christ), For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to god through Him, in His Person and by His Agency, to the Glory of God."
God speaks forth the Promise of the virgin birth of Jesus, that was to become the Promise to Abraham and us, through Jesus, in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified), which says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring. He will bruise and read your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel."
This was the beginning of the Promise that is ours by faith in Jesus. God spoke the virgin birth and the death of Jesus to satan that day, saying, "You will lie in wait and bruise His heel." God began speaking forth the Promise of the Seed (Jesus), in every book of The Bible. The things we read about in the old covenant, are Promises of the Seed. As God spoke these Promises into His Word, He formed Jesus, from His birth to His death and to His rise in All authority and power, both in Heaven and in earth." Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) says, "Jesus approached and breaking the silence, said to them, All authority, all power of rule, in Heaven and earth has been given to Me."
This isn't a Promise any longer, but is now Grace and Truth, because of Jesus' Resurrection. It was a Promise for centuries, but it's now Truth. One might ask, "What's the difference?" Once a promise is fulfilled, it's no longer future. Paul writes in Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified), "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed), of things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality. Faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
The faith Abraham had in God's Promises, wasn't revealed to his senses. He was 100 years old and Sarah was in her nineties. Sarah had never bore a child, even during her youth. Abraham had to stand in faith for God's Promise, believing God could and would do what He said. Sarah didn't believe it could be done through her and encouraged Abraham to accomplish this Promise by himself, through another woman named Haggar.
If we stagger at God's Promise to us through Jesus, then we're still not trained in our senses. God is able and Mighty to keep His Word and do what He Promised. Genesis 3:22 (Amplified) says, "God said, Behold, the man has become like Us, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, to know how to distinguish between good and evil and Blessing and calamity." Before eating from the forbidden Tree, Adam and Even knew only Blessing and good. God never intended for mankind to know death, sorrow, disease, sickness, failure or any other such things. Man only needed to know what the Father taught him, before the fall.
Today, we're taught that "God uses these things to teach us," because we've failed to appropriate the Truth of His Promises. Jesus didn't "learn" how to walk with His Father by suffering all these things in His life. Jesus simply allowed the Father to direct Him. Jesus only suffered these things on the cross, so we could walk in the same Promise He walked in and brought to pass for us. This is Grace and Truth.
We've seemingly lost sight of the fullness of this Truth and Grace and have accepted a lie that, "The Curse is our teacher," instead of walking in the Blessing Jesus came to fulfill. Jesus is the Promise made Truth. It's no longer a Promise to those who are born-again, but it's Truth. A promise is future, a Truth is now. Paul said that, "Now faith is the assurance, the title deed, the confirmation of things we hope for (Promise)." This Promise is Truth. It's the title deed, assurance and confirmation and it's now ours by faith, just like it was with Abraham.
We read about the Law of Truth in Malachi 2:5-6 (Amplified), where God says, "My covenant, on My Part with Levi, was to given him life and peace, because on his part of the reverent and worshipful fear (awe and respect) with which the priests would revere Me and stand in awe of My Name The Law of Truth was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity."
Notice that this Law of Truth was in the mouth of Levi and unrighteousness wasn't found in him.. We've been made righteous and God finds no unrighteousness in us, because of Jesus. We must put this Law of Truth in our mouths and speak as the Redeemed of the Lord. John 8:31-32 (Amplified) tells us, "So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My Word, hold fast to My Teachings and live in accordance with them, you are truly My disciples (students). And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." Jesus tells His followers in John 6:33 (Amplified), "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 Words are Truth, not what the flesh says. We've heard many carnal sermons preaches about "the flesh," throughout the years. We've now become like God said about Adam, knowing the difference between good and evil, Blessing and calamity. We can now distinguish between good and evil, Blessing and calamity, and walk in the Law of Truth, by God's Word. Paul writes about training the senses by the Word of Truth in Hebrews 5:14 (Amplified) saying, "But solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary to Divine or human Law." Without training, your senses or untamed flesh, will not distinguish between what is contrary to Divine or human Law.
Paul writes about renewing your mind, by God's Word in Romans 8:7 (Amplified). He says we have to train our senses by the Law of Truth, so like Levi, it is what we speak. Today's Church has spent so much time trying to correct our senses, instead of training them. The senses will rebel against Truth, like they did before being born-again, unless we train them and renew our minds with God's Word. Thus, Paul writes, "The mind of the flesh (senses) with its carnal thoughts and purposes, is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot." Our senses won't just go along with the new creation Life, but must be trained by the Law of Truth.
The things of the flesh aren't all sin, but they're not Truth. Your flesh knows nothing about the things of God, but your spirit does. Your flesh or senses will continue life in the only way it knows how. Your flesh has long since forgotten that God put healing inside it, instead it resigns itself to sickness and disease as being part of normal life. We've allowed the senses to rule the spirit and have reaped the consequences of it, which are death and disease.
I'm not talking about staying out of sin, because most Christians do this upon being saved. I'm talking about training the flesh and senses, so that they now oppose anything that goes against the Law of Truth and they line-up with the Law of Truth. Our flesh responds to the things we think and say. We can train parrots, dogs and other animals to respond to the commands we speak, so why don't we believe we can train our senses to respond to the words we speak? We must speak Blessing over and to ourselves and not speak the Curse.
Let's dare to be like Abraham, who was fully satisfied and assured that God is able and mighty to keep His Word and do what He had Promised. This Promise is now Truth, because Jesus fulfilled it. God backs His Promise, by His Name and Integrity. God's Word is Truth. Jesus tells us that, "The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth," in John 14:17. Let's learn to listen to Him about the Blessing of Abraham and how it's been restored to us, in Jesus. This is the same Blessing that God pronounced on the first Adam and has brought to pass, in the Last Adam Jesus. There was no Curse pronounced on God's children at the beginning in the Garden of Eden. We've been returned to Eden, by Jesus.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
Lesson 186 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
During His "Parable of the Sower," Jesus didn't say that the "Seed failed," but that "it didn't bear fruit in all that heard it." The Word is called the "incorruptible, immortal, Ever Living, Ever Lasting Seed," in 1Peter 1:18 (Amplified), saying, "You must know (recognize), that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless, fruitless way of living inherited by tradition from your forefathers, not with corruptible things as silver and gold. But you were purchased with the Precious Blood of Christ (the Messiah)."
The Truth is that the Law of Truth, is forever settled in Heaven. The Seed (God's Word) is incorruptible and it will produce sons and daughters every time it's sown in someone's heart. The fruit it bears in this life, is determined by the Truth they accept and hear. Jesus admonished in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "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 (fruit), and more besides will be given to you who hear."
God's Word is a Seed, according to John 12:24 (Amplified), where Jesus says, "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 lies by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest." Jesus Christ is the Seed and Truth and He has brought forth a harvest of many billions of children for God. Truth never fails to produces what it says. We've sown seed that isn't Truth, which is enmity against God, by our own carnal thinking. Only Truth will prevail in the Kingdom and only Truth will prevail in our lives here on earth.
When we pray Truth, then that prayer will always bring forth results. When we pray in any other way, then we can't expect God to honor it, because it's not Truth. We must find out what God says and then pray according to that. John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us, "God is a Spirit (a Spirit Being) and those who worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." Worship is more than singing a hymn. Worship is a way of Life and Truth.
Denying what God's Word says about us, is tradition and not Truth. We're to follow God's Word as it's spoken to us in Truth and by the Spirit of Truth. We've learned many things throughout the years, that aren't Truth, but are man's carnal ideas about what Truth is. None would say that, "God lied to me," but we continually make excuses for why His Word doesn't work. It's pride that won't allow us to believe we're wrong and that God doesn't lie and in that pride, we device excuses for why God's Word doesn't work in our lives.
God has provided everything we'll ever need while on earth and for eternity, in our salvation. Get a Concordance to look up the True meaning of "salvation" and then walk and be led in the Law of Truth. We can choose to walk in Truth, despite what others think and/or do.
Today, we mostly preach about being born-again, when proclaiming the Gospel. This is certainly Good News (the best news ever), but it's not the full meaning of salvation. God provided healing, peace, son ship, the Holy Spirit, Wisdom, understanding, prayer and the ability to pray, and the Truth of answered prayer, in His provision of salvation. We're now heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Himself, having a place at God's table. We have the Power of His Name, the ability of speaking in tongues and fellowship with Him, the Indwelling of God's Love and a place at His right hand in His Throne Room of Grace. All of God's Promises are now Yes and Amen to His Praise for us, both here and when we go to Heaven.
Salvation is God meeting our every need, for both here and hereafter, by His abundance. The Law of Truth holds the universe in place and keeps the earth turning. God's Word is Truth and His Word is Jesus, they're both One and the Same. Knowing Jesus is knowing Truth and knowing Truth is knowing the Father. John 8:19 (Amplified) says, "Then they said to [Jesus], Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me, if you knew Me you would know My Father also."
Most of us have this scripture memorized, but continue to accuse the Father of allowing, applying, and sending sickness, calamity and trouble on us, in order to discipline us. We've never accuse Jesus of doing such a thing. Jesus said though, "If you know Me, then you would also know the Father." Could it be that we don't know Him? We might know about Him from multiply sources, but have we truly tried knowing Him for ourselves? Salvation is a personal thing with God and should be personal with us. It's not that "He so Loved the world," but "We so Loved Him." When loving someone, you wish to spend time with that person, in order to know their every need and heartbeat.
Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified) tells us how Paul received Revelation knowledge directly from Jesus and was translated into God's Own Presence. Paul's determined prayer and quest was, "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 understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the Power out flowing from Him Resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share in His sufferings as to be continually transformed in Spirit into His Likeness, even to his death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the Spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body."
Jesus said this, saying, "Those who worship the Father must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." The only way to worship Him in truth, is to intimately know Him for ourselves. We come to know Him from understanding and experiencing in Spirit and Truth. Paul compares this relationship to that of a husband and wife relationship in Ephesians. Marriage is an intimate relationship that two people in love, share. The two become one, in marriage. Your neighbor can't tell you about your spouse, only you know the deepest desires of your spouses' heart. Not even family members can know your spouse, the way you do.
This intimate relationship with the Father, comes by seeking Him and the Secret Councils of His heart. Religion can tell you what others think they know about the Father, but you can know Him on a One-to-one basis. You'll never doubt or question God's will of Grace and Truth for you life, once you know the Law of Truth for yourself.
Do you know Him like that? If you don't, then spend time in His Presence, seeking His heart and not just His hands. Seek the Giver more than the giving. Seek the Healer, more than the healing. Learn to know Him and make Him the Love of your life, because that's what He truly is. Jesus speaks to the Church in Revelations 2:4 (Amplified) which tells us, "But I have this one charge to make against you; that you have left (abandoned) the Love that you had at first, you have deserted Me, your First Love."
We must never replace Who we know, for what we know. Jesus is the Law of Truth and we must draw from Him for ourselves and not rely on others to do so for us. We'll never fully experience God's Grace and Truth, until we experience it for ourselves. The unclaimed riches of God's Grace await you. Seek them out. Your faith has never yet seen God's full Grace and His Love for you.
The Truth is that the Law of Truth, is forever settled in Heaven. The Seed (God's Word) is incorruptible and it will produce sons and daughters every time it's sown in someone's heart. The fruit it bears in this life, is determined by the Truth they accept and hear. Jesus admonished in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "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 (fruit), and more besides will be given to you who hear."
God's Word is a Seed, according to John 12:24 (Amplified), where Jesus says, "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 lies by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest." Jesus Christ is the Seed and Truth and He has brought forth a harvest of many billions of children for God. Truth never fails to produces what it says. We've sown seed that isn't Truth, which is enmity against God, by our own carnal thinking. Only Truth will prevail in the Kingdom and only Truth will prevail in our lives here on earth.
When we pray Truth, then that prayer will always bring forth results. When we pray in any other way, then we can't expect God to honor it, because it's not Truth. We must find out what God says and then pray according to that. John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us, "God is a Spirit (a Spirit Being) and those who worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)." Worship is more than singing a hymn. Worship is a way of Life and Truth.
Denying what God's Word says about us, is tradition and not Truth. We're to follow God's Word as it's spoken to us in Truth and by the Spirit of Truth. We've learned many things throughout the years, that aren't Truth, but are man's carnal ideas about what Truth is. None would say that, "God lied to me," but we continually make excuses for why His Word doesn't work. It's pride that won't allow us to believe we're wrong and that God doesn't lie and in that pride, we device excuses for why God's Word doesn't work in our lives.
God has provided everything we'll ever need while on earth and for eternity, in our salvation. Get a Concordance to look up the True meaning of "salvation" and then walk and be led in the Law of Truth. We can choose to walk in Truth, despite what others think and/or do.
Today, we mostly preach about being born-again, when proclaiming the Gospel. This is certainly Good News (the best news ever), but it's not the full meaning of salvation. God provided healing, peace, son ship, the Holy Spirit, Wisdom, understanding, prayer and the ability to pray, and the Truth of answered prayer, in His provision of salvation. We're now heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Himself, having a place at God's table. We have the Power of His Name, the ability of speaking in tongues and fellowship with Him, the Indwelling of God's Love and a place at His right hand in His Throne Room of Grace. All of God's Promises are now Yes and Amen to His Praise for us, both here and when we go to Heaven.
Salvation is God meeting our every need, for both here and hereafter, by His abundance. The Law of Truth holds the universe in place and keeps the earth turning. God's Word is Truth and His Word is Jesus, they're both One and the Same. Knowing Jesus is knowing Truth and knowing Truth is knowing the Father. John 8:19 (Amplified) says, "Then they said to [Jesus], Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me, if you knew Me you would know My Father also."
Most of us have this scripture memorized, but continue to accuse the Father of allowing, applying, and sending sickness, calamity and trouble on us, in order to discipline us. We've never accuse Jesus of doing such a thing. Jesus said though, "If you know Me, then you would also know the Father." Could it be that we don't know Him? We might know about Him from multiply sources, but have we truly tried knowing Him for ourselves? Salvation is a personal thing with God and should be personal with us. It's not that "He so Loved the world," but "We so Loved Him." When loving someone, you wish to spend time with that person, in order to know their every need and heartbeat.
Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified) tells us how Paul received Revelation knowledge directly from Jesus and was translated into God's Own Presence. Paul's determined prayer and quest was, "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 understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the Power out flowing from Him Resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share in His sufferings as to be continually transformed in Spirit into His Likeness, even to his death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the Spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body."
Jesus said this, saying, "Those who worship the Father must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." The only way to worship Him in truth, is to intimately know Him for ourselves. We come to know Him from understanding and experiencing in Spirit and Truth. Paul compares this relationship to that of a husband and wife relationship in Ephesians. Marriage is an intimate relationship that two people in love, share. The two become one, in marriage. Your neighbor can't tell you about your spouse, only you know the deepest desires of your spouses' heart. Not even family members can know your spouse, the way you do.
This intimate relationship with the Father, comes by seeking Him and the Secret Councils of His heart. Religion can tell you what others think they know about the Father, but you can know Him on a One-to-one basis. You'll never doubt or question God's will of Grace and Truth for you life, once you know the Law of Truth for yourself.
Do you know Him like that? If you don't, then spend time in His Presence, seeking His heart and not just His hands. Seek the Giver more than the giving. Seek the Healer, more than the healing. Learn to know Him and make Him the Love of your life, because that's what He truly is. Jesus speaks to the Church in Revelations 2:4 (Amplified) which tells us, "But I have this one charge to make against you; that you have left (abandoned) the Love that you had at first, you have deserted Me, your First Love."
We must never replace Who we know, for what we know. Jesus is the Law of Truth and we must draw from Him for ourselves and not rely on others to do so for us. We'll never fully experience God's Grace and Truth, until we experience it for ourselves. The unclaimed riches of God's Grace await you. Seek them out. Your faith has never yet seen God's full Grace and His Love for you.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Lesson 185 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
John 8:31-32 (Amplified) says, "So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My Word (hold fast to My teachings) and live in accordance with the, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Jesus tells us that, "The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-Giving Spirit)," in John 16:13 (Amplified). Jesus prayed this in John 17:17 (Amplified), "Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate) them for Yourself, make them holy by the Truth, for Your Word is Truth."
We sometimes wonder why prayer and God's Word "don't work like we see in The Bible." We rely on our own way of doing these things and make them work in our lives. We say, "God knows what I mean" and/or "If it be His will." The above scripture tells us that, "Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ." JESUS IS TRUTH.
Many say, "God puts things on us, in order to teach us things," but Jesus said, "The Father and I are One." I can't remember hearing anyone say, "Jesus made me sick, in order to teach me something." Jesus and the Father are One, though. These words are not Truth and they don't carry any weight in God's Kingdom. In Malachi 2:6 (Amplified) God says, "The Law of Truth was in (Levi's) mouth and unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity."
We are to observe the Law of Truth, in our walk with God. Most Christians believe that God's Word is Truth, but they exchange Truth for tradition. Most have been taught that God uses sickness, which is the very thing Jesus bore on behalf while on the cross, instead of being taught that God teaches and chastises His people with His Word. It would be a miscarriage of Justice, if God put sickness and hard times, on us. Listen carefully to what Jesus tells His disciples, remembering that we are His disciples too, saying in John 15:1-3 (Amplified), "I am the Vine, and My Father is the Vine Dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing), He cuts away (trims off takes away), and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the Teachings I have discussed with You)."
Jesus tells us that, "He will never leave you or forsake you," so what does He mean when He says that "He trims off, takes away, and repeatedly prunes those who aren't bearing fruit" and how does He get more and better fruit? By His Word and His teachings, which are His Truth.
Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4:14-15,25 (Amplified) saying, "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." When there is no Revelation of Truth, the branches need pruned back and have Revelation applied to them, in order to bring forth more fruit. The King James Version says, "He stakes up or ties up those branches that are not bearing fruit, so that they get more sunlight and will bear fruit." I stake up the tomato plants in my garden, so the branches can withstand the weight of the tomatoes and make them able to receive sunlight.
Jesus talks about seeds that have produced in the thorns and weeds, which He says are "The distraction of the age, cares and anxieties, which creep in to choke out the fruit." The vine and branches are fine, but the fruit was diminished by other things. Those who haven't been bearing fruit, will become bearers of fruit by His Truth and His Teachings, according to Verse 25, where Jesus says, "For to him who has, will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force."
When God's Truth (His Word) has been planted and takes root in your heart, then you will become bearers of much fruit. Many require pruning away and taking off the branch suckers (small branches that are taking life from the branch), in order to bear fruit. The branch suckers are the religious traditions and the trials and cares of the world, which prevent the Light and Truth of God's Word from bearing more and better fruits, in our lives.
Have you ever noticed how fruit trees in an orchid, have no branches below a certain level on the tree? Those lower branches are would-be suckers that don't bear fruit, but suck life (nutrients, water) away from the branches that would bear fruit. The orchard owner prunes and cuts these branches away, in order to grow more fruit. We've heard so many things that aren't Truth over the years, which might have been taught with the right spirit, but took away from the good branches. These teachings drew away the Life of God's Word, making it unproductive in the people's lives.
Paul writes in 1Corinthians 3:9 (Amplified), "For we are fellow workmen (joint-promoters, laborers) together with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, you are God's building." We've spoken against the Truth of God's Word, because of the traditions and religious things we've learned. Paul admonishes, "Lie not against the Truth." Many have read God's Word as Truth, but haven't received it as "Truth." Many Christians deny the Truth that "We've been made to be the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." We've replaced the Truth of God's Word, with our own idea of truth and continue to see ourselves as being "old sinners in God's eyes." This thinking diminishes our ability to pray, because of the Law of Truth that says, "You can't have faith God will hear, if you're still a sinner and have no place in Him, as His child."
When we deny that we're made righteous in Christ Jesus, then we're denying the Law of Truth and diminishing the Truth that we have access to God's Throne Room of Grace and are able to obtain His mercy and Grace when we need it. Only those who have been made righteous in His Own Righteousness, can have the right to come before Him. This is Truth and when we don't accept it as Truth, it holds us back from having faith in your prayers being heard and answered. Truth never changes, even though some doubt it.
Faith is rooted, grounded and based on Truth. When doubt enters in, faith drains out and Truth is shadowed in the believer's heart. Can someone be righteous in God's eyes and not accept His Righteousness as Truth? Yes. God's Word is Truth, even thought the world and religion says it's no so. If you've received Jesus as your Lord and savior, then you're now made righteous, with His Righteousness. THIS IS TRUTH! It is the Law of Truth and always works. You might not understand or accept it as being Truth, because of traditional teachings, but in Him, you're still righteous before God.
This is a lot of the pruning, that the Holy Spirit is cutting from the branches today. He does this by God's Word and teachings of Truth, according to Romans 8:7-8,9 (Amplified) which says, "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please of satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him." Paul continues writing about "Faith," to the people in the Church of Rome, saying in Verse 9, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the Life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells in you, directs and controls you." Romans 3:3-4 (Amplified) says, "What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity to His Word? By no means, Let God be found True though every human being is false and a liar." The Law of Truth prevails, even when we refuse to accept it as Truth.
The carnal appetites and impulses of the carnal nature, with its carnal mind, are suckers that the Holy Spirit and God's Word will prune, trim and remove. Jesus said in John 8:32 (Amplified), "And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." Notice it says, "Will set you free." I thought that, "Whomsoever the Son sets free is free indeed." You are free, but when Truth isn't accepted as Truth, we find ourselves brought back into the bondage of man's religion and the doctrines of devils. Only the Truth will set you free. Once you're free, you must stay free
God's people had been in bondage for 400 years and were on their way to being freed in Exodus 14:12. They had to be totally dependent on God, for the first time in 400 years, because the Egyptians clothed and fed them as their slaves. When Moses led them out of Egypt, the Israelites had to cast aside the provisions of the Egyptians and wholly rely and have faith that God would provide for them. When the enemy came down upon them, they forgot the Truth, which was the covenant God had made with Abraham. They didn't believe God would or could fulfill His Promise to them, through the Abraham covenant.
Exodus 2:24 (Amplified) tells us, "And God heard their sighing and groaning and earnestly remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." God remembered His part of the Law of Truth, but they forgot their part, which was believing in His Truth. Exodus 14:14 (Amplified) says, "And they said to Moses, Did we not tell you in Egypt, Let us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the Wilderness."
We maintain our freedom in God, based on His Truth, because "His Truth will set us free." We've been made free by His Truth and only His Truth can keep us free. The enemy constantly tries to hold back Truth from us, by religious rituals and creeds. He tries using these things to overshadow the Truth, in order to bring us back under his bondage. These are the branches that God's Word prunes and cuts off. These are the suckers.
John 8:31-32 (Amplified) says, "So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My Word (hold fast to My teachings) and live in accordance with the, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Jesus tells us that, "The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-Giving Spirit)," in John 16:13 (Amplified). Jesus prayed this in John 17:17 (Amplified), "Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate) them for Yourself, make them holy by the Truth, for Your Word is Truth."
We sometimes wonder why prayer and God's Word "don't work like we see in The Bible." We rely on our own way of doing these things and make them work in our lives. We say, "God knows what I mean" and/or "If it be His will." The above scripture tells us that, "Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ." JESUS IS TRUTH.
Many say, "God puts things on us, in order to teach us things," but Jesus said, "The Father and I are One." I can't remember hearing anyone say, "Jesus made me sick, in order to teach me something." Jesus and the Father are One, though. These words are not Truth and they don't carry any weight in God's Kingdom. In Malachi 2:6 (Amplified) God says, "The Law of Truth was in (Levi's) mouth and unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity."
We are to observe the Law of Truth, in our walk with God. Most Christians believe that God's Word is Truth, but they exchange Truth for tradition. Most have been taught that God uses sickness, which is the very thing Jesus bore on behalf while on the cross, instead of being taught that God teaches and chastises His people with His Word. It would be a miscarriage of Justice, if God put sickness and hard times, on us. Listen carefully to what Jesus tells His disciples, remembering that we are His disciples too, saying in John 15:1-3 (Amplified), "I am the Vine, and My Father is the Vine Dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing), He cuts away (trims off takes away), and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the Teachings I have discussed with You)."
Jesus tells us that, "He will never leave you or forsake you," so what does He mean when He says that "He trims off, takes away, and repeatedly prunes those who aren't bearing fruit" and how does He get more and better fruit? By His Word and His teachings, which are His Truth.
Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4:14-15,25 (Amplified) saying, "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." When there is no Revelation of Truth, the branches need pruned back and have Revelation applied to them, in order to bring forth more fruit. The King James Version says, "He stakes up or ties up those branches that are not bearing fruit, so that they get more sunlight and will bear fruit." I stake up the tomato plants in my garden, so the branches can withstand the weight of the tomatoes and make them able to receive sunlight.
Jesus talks about seeds that have produced in the thorns and weeds, which He says are "The distraction of the age, cares and anxieties, which creep in to choke out the fruit." The vine and branches are fine, but the fruit was diminished by other things. Those who haven't been bearing fruit, will become bearers of fruit by His Truth and His Teachings, according to Verse 25, where Jesus says, "For to him who has, will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force."
When God's Truth (His Word) has been planted and takes root in your heart, then you will become bearers of much fruit. Many require pruning away and taking off the branch suckers (small branches that are taking life from the branch), in order to bear fruit. The branch suckers are the religious traditions and the trials and cares of the world, which prevent the Light and Truth of God's Word from bearing more and better fruits, in our lives.
Have you ever noticed how fruit trees in an orchid, have no branches below a certain level on the tree? Those lower branches are would-be suckers that don't bear fruit, but suck life (nutrients, water) away from the branches that would bear fruit. The orchard owner prunes and cuts these branches away, in order to grow more fruit. We've heard so many things that aren't Truth over the years, which might have been taught with the right spirit, but took away from the good branches. These teachings drew away the Life of God's Word, making it unproductive in the people's lives.
Paul writes in 1Corinthians 3:9 (Amplified), "For we are fellow workmen (joint-promoters, laborers) together with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, you are God's building." We've spoken against the Truth of God's Word, because of the traditions and religious things we've learned. Paul admonishes, "Lie not against the Truth." Many have read God's Word as Truth, but haven't received it as "Truth." Many Christians deny the Truth that "We've been made to be the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." We've replaced the Truth of God's Word, with our own idea of truth and continue to see ourselves as being "old sinners in God's eyes." This thinking diminishes our ability to pray, because of the Law of Truth that says, "You can't have faith God will hear, if you're still a sinner and have no place in Him, as His child."
When we deny that we're made righteous in Christ Jesus, then we're denying the Law of Truth and diminishing the Truth that we have access to God's Throne Room of Grace and are able to obtain His mercy and Grace when we need it. Only those who have been made righteous in His Own Righteousness, can have the right to come before Him. This is Truth and when we don't accept it as Truth, it holds us back from having faith in your prayers being heard and answered. Truth never changes, even though some doubt it.
Faith is rooted, grounded and based on Truth. When doubt enters in, faith drains out and Truth is shadowed in the believer's heart. Can someone be righteous in God's eyes and not accept His Righteousness as Truth? Yes. God's Word is Truth, even thought the world and religion says it's no so. If you've received Jesus as your Lord and savior, then you're now made righteous, with His Righteousness. THIS IS TRUTH! It is the Law of Truth and always works. You might not understand or accept it as being Truth, because of traditional teachings, but in Him, you're still righteous before God.
This is a lot of the pruning, that the Holy Spirit is cutting from the branches today. He does this by God's Word and teachings of Truth, according to Romans 8:7-8,9 (Amplified) which says, "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please of satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him." Paul continues writing about "Faith," to the people in the Church of Rome, saying in Verse 9, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the Life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells in you, directs and controls you." Romans 3:3-4 (Amplified) says, "What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity to His Word? By no means, Let God be found True though every human being is false and a liar." The Law of Truth prevails, even when we refuse to accept it as Truth.
The carnal appetites and impulses of the carnal nature, with its carnal mind, are suckers that the Holy Spirit and God's Word will prune, trim and remove. Jesus said in John 8:32 (Amplified), "And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." Notice it says, "Will set you free." I thought that, "Whomsoever the Son sets free is free indeed." You are free, but when Truth isn't accepted as Truth, we find ourselves brought back into the bondage of man's religion and the doctrines of devils. Only the Truth will set you free. Once you're free, you must stay free
God's people had been in bondage for 400 years and were on their way to being freed in Exodus 14:12. They had to be totally dependent on God, for the first time in 400 years, because the Egyptians clothed and fed them as their slaves. When Moses led them out of Egypt, the Israelites had to cast aside the provisions of the Egyptians and wholly rely and have faith that God would provide for them. When the enemy came down upon them, they forgot the Truth, which was the covenant God had made with Abraham. They didn't believe God would or could fulfill His Promise to them, through the Abraham covenant.
Exodus 2:24 (Amplified) tells us, "And God heard their sighing and groaning and earnestly remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." God remembered His part of the Law of Truth, but they forgot their part, which was believing in His Truth. Exodus 14:14 (Amplified) says, "And they said to Moses, Did we not tell you in Egypt, Let us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the Wilderness."
We maintain our freedom in God, based on His Truth, because "His Truth will set us free." We've been made free by His Truth and only His Truth can keep us free. The enemy constantly tries to hold back Truth from us, by religious rituals and creeds. He tries using these things to overshadow the Truth, in order to bring us back under his bondage. These are the branches that God's Word prunes and cuts off. These are the suckers.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Lesson 184 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
We're joint heirs with Jesus and everything that's His inheritance, is shared equally with us, according to the above scripture which says, "We have ALL received, ALL had a share, and were ALL supplied with these things." God doesn't have favorites, but He shares equally with His children. We see in today's Church, that some have accepted their portion and others haven't, even though we've all equally inherited.
We've failed to understand what the Gospel has revealed to us and continue seeing ourselves as who we used to be, instead of who God has made us to be in the new creation. Our new creation spirit man has been created righteous and clean, but we haven't renewed our soul, emotions or senses by God's Word. Hebrews 5:14 (Amplified) says, "But solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to Divine or human law."
Every individual must train by practice, for him/herself. No one cane train your senses, except you. Jesus spoke of this same training in Mark 4:13,30-32 (Amplified), where He gave "The Parable of the Sower." Thus, we read, "And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this Parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the Parables?"
This is the Seed Principle which directs us to sow, care for and watch over the words we hear and allow to be sown in our hearts. This is the same Law or Principle that governs God's entire Kingdom. Verses 30-32 says, "With what can we compare the Kingdom of God, or what Parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown upon the ground is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth. Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade."
God's entire Kingdom works by this Law of the Seed Principle. Jesus said, "Whosoever will either sow or allow the seed to be sown in their hearts, will always receive a harvest of whatever seed is sown." The individual is to train their senses by practice and then watch over the seed, so it won't be stolen or choked out by weeds. This is training the senses or the soul of the believer.
When the Word speaks of the "flesh,' it almost always indicates the senses. The flesh (body) can only do what the senses will allow it to do. Our body doesn't just stand up or walk somewhere by itself, without first receiving instructions from our senses. Your brain will only move by instruction from your senses. When a person is comatose, the body is immobile, because the brain doesn't receive direction from the senses. This leaves the body inactive, because the body responds to orders when the brain receives instruction.
Training the senses, like Hebrews 5 says, is the ability to allow your senses to have control when you decide, instead of when the senses decide. We have the ability to allow or stop wrong emotions to dictate to our body or brain. We can either act upon these emotions or senses, or not. Your sense can't drive you into something that you don't permit yourself. This is why Paul instructs us to "Train your senses, to only do what we allow by practice."
Depression is an outside force of pressure that can or cannot move, until the senses do. There is and always will be, pressure from the world to move us in a certain direction. The world will always pressure us to move away from God, but if we train our senses or emotions to obey our spirit man, then we won't be driven by the world. We will be led by the Spirit of God instead of our emotions.
Psalm 23:3 (Amplified) tells us, He restores my soul, and He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name sake." When you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were born-again and your spirit was given Life. You were made righteous, by the Righteousness of Jesus. Your body (flesh) doesn't do anything without commands or suggestion. Your soul (emotions, senses) is where the problem is, in our new creation life.
The way we lived before knowing Jesus, is the way our senses or emotions had always been trained to react. This was either positive or negative, depending on the circumstances. Our spirit was dead in trespass and sin, before being saved. We had very little help from our spirit man, because he was led by the spirit of disobedience and the prince of darkness. Our senses (soul, emotions) led our body about, with very little effort. We've fight with our spouse, over minute things that disturbed our emotions and we had very little control. When things happened at work, our soul or emotions carried these things back home, where we vented on the family or even went to a bar to do so.
Now that we're born-again and have been made alive in our spirit by the Holy Spirit, we can train our spirit man by God's Word and His Spirit. Our senses then obey our spirit, instead of our spirit being dominated by the senses. Paul instructed that we train our spirits, "by practice." This means that we must practice the training and be diligent about what seeds are planted in our spirit, so that things won't choke out the Seed of God's Word and cause it to be unfruitful in our lives. If you have no control over your senses, as a born-again child of God, then you'll always be under condemnation for things the senses dictate.
Paul writes about the senses or emotions guiding our fleshly body and lives in Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit." Our senses or emotions will try dictating your life and without training the senses, they will keep you under condemnation and bondage, for your entire Christian walk. We must decide to either listen to the dictates of the flesh or senses, or listen to the dictates of the Spirit.
Both will try leading and dictating to you, for as long as you remain on earth. It's up to the individual believer, who we will listen to and who will direct our paths. If we depend on outward pressure to lead us, then we place ourselves in jeopardy and peril, because Jesus said, "The thief will come to take away or steal the Word, bringing sickness, disease, and death." We must not allow our flesh or senses or emotions to dictate our lives for us.
We're joint heirs with Jesus and everything that's His inheritance, is shared equally with us, according to the above scripture which says, "We have ALL received, ALL had a share, and were ALL supplied with these things." God doesn't have favorites, but He shares equally with His children. We see in today's Church, that some have accepted their portion and others haven't, even though we've all equally inherited.
We've failed to understand what the Gospel has revealed to us and continue seeing ourselves as who we used to be, instead of who God has made us to be in the new creation. Our new creation spirit man has been created righteous and clean, but we haven't renewed our soul, emotions or senses by God's Word. Hebrews 5:14 (Amplified) says, "But solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to Divine or human law."
Every individual must train by practice, for him/herself. No one cane train your senses, except you. Jesus spoke of this same training in Mark 4:13,30-32 (Amplified), where He gave "The Parable of the Sower." Thus, we read, "And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this Parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the Parables?"
This is the Seed Principle which directs us to sow, care for and watch over the words we hear and allow to be sown in our hearts. This is the same Law or Principle that governs God's entire Kingdom. Verses 30-32 says, "With what can we compare the Kingdom of God, or what Parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown upon the ground is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth. Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade."
God's entire Kingdom works by this Law of the Seed Principle. Jesus said, "Whosoever will either sow or allow the seed to be sown in their hearts, will always receive a harvest of whatever seed is sown." The individual is to train their senses by practice and then watch over the seed, so it won't be stolen or choked out by weeds. This is training the senses or the soul of the believer.
When the Word speaks of the "flesh,' it almost always indicates the senses. The flesh (body) can only do what the senses will allow it to do. Our body doesn't just stand up or walk somewhere by itself, without first receiving instructions from our senses. Your brain will only move by instruction from your senses. When a person is comatose, the body is immobile, because the brain doesn't receive direction from the senses. This leaves the body inactive, because the body responds to orders when the brain receives instruction.
Training the senses, like Hebrews 5 says, is the ability to allow your senses to have control when you decide, instead of when the senses decide. We have the ability to allow or stop wrong emotions to dictate to our body or brain. We can either act upon these emotions or senses, or not. Your sense can't drive you into something that you don't permit yourself. This is why Paul instructs us to "Train your senses, to only do what we allow by practice."
Depression is an outside force of pressure that can or cannot move, until the senses do. There is and always will be, pressure from the world to move us in a certain direction. The world will always pressure us to move away from God, but if we train our senses or emotions to obey our spirit man, then we won't be driven by the world. We will be led by the Spirit of God instead of our emotions.
Psalm 23:3 (Amplified) tells us, He restores my soul, and He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name sake." When you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were born-again and your spirit was given Life. You were made righteous, by the Righteousness of Jesus. Your body (flesh) doesn't do anything without commands or suggestion. Your soul (emotions, senses) is where the problem is, in our new creation life.
The way we lived before knowing Jesus, is the way our senses or emotions had always been trained to react. This was either positive or negative, depending on the circumstances. Our spirit was dead in trespass and sin, before being saved. We had very little help from our spirit man, because he was led by the spirit of disobedience and the prince of darkness. Our senses (soul, emotions) led our body about, with very little effort. We've fight with our spouse, over minute things that disturbed our emotions and we had very little control. When things happened at work, our soul or emotions carried these things back home, where we vented on the family or even went to a bar to do so.
Now that we're born-again and have been made alive in our spirit by the Holy Spirit, we can train our spirit man by God's Word and His Spirit. Our senses then obey our spirit, instead of our spirit being dominated by the senses. Paul instructed that we train our spirits, "by practice." This means that we must practice the training and be diligent about what seeds are planted in our spirit, so that things won't choke out the Seed of God's Word and cause it to be unfruitful in our lives. If you have no control over your senses, as a born-again child of God, then you'll always be under condemnation for things the senses dictate.
Paul writes about the senses or emotions guiding our fleshly body and lives in Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit." Our senses or emotions will try dictating your life and without training the senses, they will keep you under condemnation and bondage, for your entire Christian walk. We must decide to either listen to the dictates of the flesh or senses, or listen to the dictates of the Spirit.
Both will try leading and dictating to you, for as long as you remain on earth. It's up to the individual believer, who we will listen to and who will direct our paths. If we depend on outward pressure to lead us, then we place ourselves in jeopardy and peril, because Jesus said, "The thief will come to take away or steal the Word, bringing sickness, disease, and death." We must not allow our flesh or senses or emotions to dictate our lives for us.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Lesson 183 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
For many years, Christians have tried understanding God's will. God never had a Plan B, but only a Plan A, when He created His family in His Image and Likeness. God's will for His children has never changed from the first Adam to the Last Adam Jesus. God's will for the first Adam was Blessing, Life and dominion and He will the same Blessing for the Last Adam. God's will for us, was the exact same of Blessing, Life, dominion, family fellowship and being joint heirs with Jesus. What God willed for the first Adam, was the same thing He willed for the Last Adam and what God willed for the Last Adam, is the same thing He wills for all who are in the Last Adam.
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they came out under Grace and not Law. God's Grace met their every need and they lacked nothing. When they didn't accept His Grace by faith, they sinned against God and limited Him. God established the Law, so that He could put His will and Blessing to work in their lives. It's true that it was based on their works or obedience, but the Law was still the Grace and Truth of His Word working to Bless and keep them.
God made tithing under Law in Malachi 3, which was intended tot bring the people to a place, where God could Bless them. God told them, "You have robbed Me in tithe and offerings," because they didn't pay their tithe, robbing God in His attempt to Bless them. God told them that, "If you will bring all the tithe into My storehouse to prove Me, then I will open the windows of Heaven and pour out a Blessing upon you, more than you can even receive."
God's will never changes from Genesis 1 to Revelations 22:21 (Amplified) which says, "The Grace, Blessing and favor of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), be with all the saints (God's holy people, those set apart for God), to be as it were, exclusively His. Amen (So be it)."
The above scripture tells us that God's Blessing for us has never changed. Even though the Blessing is ours already, we can stop it from functioning like God intended, through our own actions. This doesn't mean that God's Blessing isn't His will, but that we do things that cause the Blessing to not work like it should. We've devised many excuses as to "why it doesn't work for us," but the real reason it doesn't work, is that our actions are preventing it from producing in our lives.
Galatians 6:5-8 (Amplified) says, "For every person will have to bear, be equal to understand and calmly receive his own little load of oppressive faults. Let him who receives instructions in the Word of God, share all good things with his teacher, contributing to his support. 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 invariably deludes himself who attempts to delude God, For whatever a man sows, that and only that 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. 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."
The above scripture tells us why some things aren't working for some people. Some have sown to the Spirit, while others have sown to the flesh. Both receive a harvest, but the harvest isn't the same. Working the Word in everyday life, is sowing to the Spirit, while being carnal in our walk with God, is sowing to the flesh. Everyone reaps the harvest of what we sow.
Operating in the Blessing is doing what we know is right in God's eyes. Many things that we don't think about, hinder the Blessing. Most of us don't realize that when we follow "The Golden Rule" of loving your neighbors as yourself and doing unto others as we would have them do to us, is sowing seed and brings harvest in our lives. Many of us reap harvests that we don't wish to have. God says, "For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap."
We know this is Truth, even in the natural realm. One can't sow Poison Ivy and reap roses. We can't sow corn and reap wheat or oats. We can't sow acorns and grow Palm trees. Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4, which is Heavenly Truth and can't be changed. If you sow to the Word or truth of the Blessing, then you will receive Blessing. If you sow into opinion or tradition, then you'll reap only opinions and traditions, which will stop the flow of Life and Blessing in your life.
We've all heard teachings on, "The words of your mouth." Some have disregarded this teaching and continue sowing words to the flesh and corruption. Jesus likened words to seeds. James writes about the tongue or words we speak in James 3:5-6 (Amplified), saying, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things; See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! 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 man's nature), being ignited by hell (Gehenna)."
God's Wisdom tells us above that, "Words can deprave, contaminate, and change the wheel of birth and the cycle of man's nature." God placed natural healing in our bodies, when He created us. We can set on fire or revers this cycle, by our tongue or the words we sow. Jesus said, "Whatever a man sows, that and only that, is what he will reap."
We can't speak, sow, and cultivate seeds of sickness, doubt, fear, and unbelief in our lives, and then expect the Words of Blessing to grow into a harvest. God told us that, "He will not be mocked." This Spiritual Law is even stronger in the Kingdom, than it is here on earth. You can't speak words of the Curse of the Law into your heart and then continue reaping the Blessing, in your life. This isn't some "half-baked, man-made theory," but is the Principle or Law of God's Kingdom.
You can do what you wish to, but you can't change this Law of Sowing and Reaping, because it's a Law. There are several Laws that Christians are to abide by, which don't include the Law of Moses, but Laws that govern Heaven, like the Law of Physics now govern earth. Paul writes in Romans 3:27 (KJV), "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what Law, of works? Nay, but by the Law of faith." Faith is a Law of the Kingdom and functions by itself as seed.
We see two more Laws of the Kingdom, which we're to observe, in Romans 8:2 (KJV). One is the Law of Sin and Death and the other is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. When one is sown, it will grow up and cancel the other, when it's sown in our hearts. When we're in the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and continually sow seeds of sin and death, "then we can set on fire the cycle of a man's nature and the wheel of birth," according to James 3:6. If we continually sow words (seeds) of our own destruction, then we will continually grow destruction, in our lives, because we reap what we sow.
Born-again people can sow corn and reap corn, but just because we're born-again, doesn't mean we can sow green beans and still reap corn. We cannot change the nature of the seed. In Malachi 2:6 (Amplified) God says, "The Law of Truth was in Levi's mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity." We have a Law of Love that we're supposed to sow, because it will produce God's Love when it's obeyed and grows in our hearts. If we don't sow it, then we won't harvest it. When someone talks about Law, don't assume they're talking about the Law of Moses. They might be speaking about the Laws that govern God's Kingdom of love.
1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal, by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." When God's Word is sown in man's heart, it will always bring forth born-again children of God. When it's not sown in someone's heart, then it won't bring forth a harvest. God's Word (Seed) is Ever Living and Lasting and can only be reaped, when it's sown. God's entire Kingdom works on this same Law or principle of Seed time and harvest time. We only reap what we sow, including salvation, healing and Blessing.
For many years, Christians have tried understanding God's will. God never had a Plan B, but only a Plan A, when He created His family in His Image and Likeness. God's will for His children has never changed from the first Adam to the Last Adam Jesus. God's will for the first Adam was Blessing, Life and dominion and He will the same Blessing for the Last Adam. God's will for us, was the exact same of Blessing, Life, dominion, family fellowship and being joint heirs with Jesus. What God willed for the first Adam, was the same thing He willed for the Last Adam and what God willed for the Last Adam, is the same thing He wills for all who are in the Last Adam.
When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they came out under Grace and not Law. God's Grace met their every need and they lacked nothing. When they didn't accept His Grace by faith, they sinned against God and limited Him. God established the Law, so that He could put His will and Blessing to work in their lives. It's true that it was based on their works or obedience, but the Law was still the Grace and Truth of His Word working to Bless and keep them.
God made tithing under Law in Malachi 3, which was intended tot bring the people to a place, where God could Bless them. God told them, "You have robbed Me in tithe and offerings," because they didn't pay their tithe, robbing God in His attempt to Bless them. God told them that, "If you will bring all the tithe into My storehouse to prove Me, then I will open the windows of Heaven and pour out a Blessing upon you, more than you can even receive."
God's will never changes from Genesis 1 to Revelations 22:21 (Amplified) which says, "The Grace, Blessing and favor of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), be with all the saints (God's holy people, those set apart for God), to be as it were, exclusively His. Amen (So be it)."
The above scripture tells us that God's Blessing for us has never changed. Even though the Blessing is ours already, we can stop it from functioning like God intended, through our own actions. This doesn't mean that God's Blessing isn't His will, but that we do things that cause the Blessing to not work like it should. We've devised many excuses as to "why it doesn't work for us," but the real reason it doesn't work, is that our actions are preventing it from producing in our lives.
Galatians 6:5-8 (Amplified) says, "For every person will have to bear, be equal to understand and calmly receive his own little load of oppressive faults. Let him who receives instructions in the Word of God, share all good things with his teacher, contributing to his support. 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 invariably deludes himself who attempts to delude God, For whatever a man sows, that and only that 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. 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."
The above scripture tells us why some things aren't working for some people. Some have sown to the Spirit, while others have sown to the flesh. Both receive a harvest, but the harvest isn't the same. Working the Word in everyday life, is sowing to the Spirit, while being carnal in our walk with God, is sowing to the flesh. Everyone reaps the harvest of what we sow.
Operating in the Blessing is doing what we know is right in God's eyes. Many things that we don't think about, hinder the Blessing. Most of us don't realize that when we follow "The Golden Rule" of loving your neighbors as yourself and doing unto others as we would have them do to us, is sowing seed and brings harvest in our lives. Many of us reap harvests that we don't wish to have. God says, "For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap."
We know this is Truth, even in the natural realm. One can't sow Poison Ivy and reap roses. We can't sow corn and reap wheat or oats. We can't sow acorns and grow Palm trees. Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4, which is Heavenly Truth and can't be changed. If you sow to the Word or truth of the Blessing, then you will receive Blessing. If you sow into opinion or tradition, then you'll reap only opinions and traditions, which will stop the flow of Life and Blessing in your life.
We've all heard teachings on, "The words of your mouth." Some have disregarded this teaching and continue sowing words to the flesh and corruption. Jesus likened words to seeds. James writes about the tongue or words we speak in James 3:5-6 (Amplified), saying, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things; See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! 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 man's nature), being ignited by hell (Gehenna)."
God's Wisdom tells us above that, "Words can deprave, contaminate, and change the wheel of birth and the cycle of man's nature." God placed natural healing in our bodies, when He created us. We can set on fire or revers this cycle, by our tongue or the words we sow. Jesus said, "Whatever a man sows, that and only that, is what he will reap."
We can't speak, sow, and cultivate seeds of sickness, doubt, fear, and unbelief in our lives, and then expect the Words of Blessing to grow into a harvest. God told us that, "He will not be mocked." This Spiritual Law is even stronger in the Kingdom, than it is here on earth. You can't speak words of the Curse of the Law into your heart and then continue reaping the Blessing, in your life. This isn't some "half-baked, man-made theory," but is the Principle or Law of God's Kingdom.
You can do what you wish to, but you can't change this Law of Sowing and Reaping, because it's a Law. There are several Laws that Christians are to abide by, which don't include the Law of Moses, but Laws that govern Heaven, like the Law of Physics now govern earth. Paul writes in Romans 3:27 (KJV), "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what Law, of works? Nay, but by the Law of faith." Faith is a Law of the Kingdom and functions by itself as seed.
We see two more Laws of the Kingdom, which we're to observe, in Romans 8:2 (KJV). One is the Law of Sin and Death and the other is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. When one is sown, it will grow up and cancel the other, when it's sown in our hearts. When we're in the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and continually sow seeds of sin and death, "then we can set on fire the cycle of a man's nature and the wheel of birth," according to James 3:6. If we continually sow words (seeds) of our own destruction, then we will continually grow destruction, in our lives, because we reap what we sow.
Born-again people can sow corn and reap corn, but just because we're born-again, doesn't mean we can sow green beans and still reap corn. We cannot change the nature of the seed. In Malachi 2:6 (Amplified) God says, "The Law of Truth was in Levi's mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity." We have a Law of Love that we're supposed to sow, because it will produce God's Love when it's obeyed and grows in our hearts. If we don't sow it, then we won't harvest it. When someone talks about Law, don't assume they're talking about the Law of Moses. They might be speaking about the Laws that govern God's Kingdom of love.
1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal, by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." When God's Word is sown in man's heart, it will always bring forth born-again children of God. When it's not sown in someone's heart, then it won't bring forth a harvest. God's Word (Seed) is Ever Living and Lasting and can only be reaped, when it's sown. God's entire Kingdom works on this same Law or principle of Seed time and harvest time. We only reap what we sow, including salvation, healing and Blessing.
Monday, April 22, 2019
Lesson 182 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
According to our calendar, Easter has come and gone for this year and we sort of forget that every day is Resurrection Day for all those in Christ Jesus. We read about the trial of Jesus in the Heavenly Court of Justice, in Zechariah 3. The Name "Joshua," is pronounced "Yeshua" in Hebrew and is Jesus in English.
Jesus was pronounced "guilty," by the mock trial of Herod and Pilate, but the True Court of Justice in Heaven, had a defense lawyer called, "the Angel of God." When Jesus was brought back from the pit of punishment, He was brought back first in the spirit, according to 1Timothy 3:16 (Amplified), which says, "And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden Truth (the Mystic secret of Godliness). He, God was made visible in Human Flesh, justified and vindicated in the Holy Spirit, was seen by angels preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in Glory." Before Jesus' physical Body was raised from the dead, His Spiritual Body was brought forth into the Court of Justice, in the heavenlies.
Satan was the prosecutor in Zechariah 3, bringing accusations against Jesus and the Angel of the Lord was appointed by God, presenting the Truth on Jesus' behalf. Jesus was without sin and the charges brought against Him were only circumstantial. The charges were therefore dropped, the case dismissed and Jesus was acquitted by the Courts of Justice. Satan's railing false charges were brought about by man's court, adjudicated by Herod and Pilate and not by a Just judge.
The charges were false, so death and separation couldn't hold Jesus any longer and His Body was raised with His innocent Spirit and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was found innocent of violating the Law of Sin and of Death, and death couldn't hold Him. Jesus was clothed in our filthy rags of our own righteousness, which were removed and He was given the garments of His High Priestly garments. The miter that was placed on His head was the crown of Righteousness on our behalf. He paid our debt, for all who will believe.
We've failed to see the legal aspect of our salvation and accepted our own righteousness in Him. we still use the same scriptures about our righteousness "is filthy rags," but this is what He was clothed in before the Courts found Him innocent of any unrighteous doing. Jesus had already paid the Price for sin and unrighteousness and was found innocent, so it would be "Double Jeopardy" and a miscarriage of justice, to punish those in Him.
The legal grounds of our salvation, is based on the power of security in Jesus Christ. God didn't leave any loop holes for the prosecuting attorney (satan), to open up and hold over all who are in Christ Jesus. Satan can't return to his old ways and bring any accusations which will hold-up in the Court of Justice. We've fallen under the courts of man, which are the same courts that wrongly judged Jesus. We've allowed the Sanhedrin to judge us, instead of the Righteous Judge in Heaven's Court. We now have a Defense Attorney Who will present our case to the Judge, for us.
1John 2:1 (Amplified) says, "My little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's Law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have and Advocate, One who will intercede for us [our Defense Attorney] with the Father [the Judge]. It is Jesus Christ (the all Righteous, Upright, Just) Who conforms to the Father's will in every purpose, thought and action."
We've observed religious motions and have missed the legal aspects of our Redemption. God has Laws by which Heaven functions. These Laws are more firm, than the laws governing earth and the earthly realm. The Laws of Heaven are unchangeable and forever settled in Heaven. This is the purpose and reason for going to God's Word and finding His way of doing and being right. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek, aim at, 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."
God's Laws govern the entire universe, including the earth, and not just the Heavens. When we apply His Laws to this earthly realm, the things around us must change to conform to His Laws. Jesus proved this time and again, in His earthly ministry. He defied the earthly laws, when He walked on water. Death and sickness had to give way to His laws of health and healing and Life. All Jesus' Power was in His Words and His Words were God's Law for mankind.
Much has been lost to us over the years, because we've allowed man's courts to govern the Court of Justice. Man's laws and courts find us to be guilty still and subject to man's justice, which is the justice of the god of this world, who is the same judge that judged Jesus in Pilate's court. Take your place in the Court of Justice, which is God's way of doing and being right, because it's the only place where Truth and Justice is the way it should be. Don't allow the prosecuting attorney (the accuser of the brethren, satan) to state your case with circumstantial evidence, when we have our Advocate Jesus Christ as our Defense Attorney.
You'll never receive a fair trial, in the courts and laws of the adversary. God's Courts are not fair, they are Just. Justice and fairness aren't the same thing. Fairness is based on what we think, Justice is based on Mercy and Grace, according to Psalm 85:10-11 (Amplified), which says, "Mercy and Loving Kindness and Truth have met together; Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring up from the earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven." We have Someone Who is looking out for us from the Heavens and has come to lift up Truth, from the earth. The Word of our Judge is Truth and is what our lives are based on. We must lift up His Word from the earth and give our Advocate something to work with on our defense. Don't always agree with the prosecuting attorney and plead "guilty," until you speak with your Lawyer. God's Word says, "Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the enemy."
According to our calendar, Easter has come and gone for this year and we sort of forget that every day is Resurrection Day for all those in Christ Jesus. We read about the trial of Jesus in the Heavenly Court of Justice, in Zechariah 3. The Name "Joshua," is pronounced "Yeshua" in Hebrew and is Jesus in English.
Jesus was pronounced "guilty," by the mock trial of Herod and Pilate, but the True Court of Justice in Heaven, had a defense lawyer called, "the Angel of God." When Jesus was brought back from the pit of punishment, He was brought back first in the spirit, according to 1Timothy 3:16 (Amplified), which says, "And great and important and weighty, we confess, is the hidden Truth (the Mystic secret of Godliness). He, God was made visible in Human Flesh, justified and vindicated in the Holy Spirit, was seen by angels preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in Glory." Before Jesus' physical Body was raised from the dead, His Spiritual Body was brought forth into the Court of Justice, in the heavenlies.
Satan was the prosecutor in Zechariah 3, bringing accusations against Jesus and the Angel of the Lord was appointed by God, presenting the Truth on Jesus' behalf. Jesus was without sin and the charges brought against Him were only circumstantial. The charges were therefore dropped, the case dismissed and Jesus was acquitted by the Courts of Justice. Satan's railing false charges were brought about by man's court, adjudicated by Herod and Pilate and not by a Just judge.
The charges were false, so death and separation couldn't hold Jesus any longer and His Body was raised with His innocent Spirit and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was found innocent of violating the Law of Sin and of Death, and death couldn't hold Him. Jesus was clothed in our filthy rags of our own righteousness, which were removed and He was given the garments of His High Priestly garments. The miter that was placed on His head was the crown of Righteousness on our behalf. He paid our debt, for all who will believe.
We've failed to see the legal aspect of our salvation and accepted our own righteousness in Him. we still use the same scriptures about our righteousness "is filthy rags," but this is what He was clothed in before the Courts found Him innocent of any unrighteous doing. Jesus had already paid the Price for sin and unrighteousness and was found innocent, so it would be "Double Jeopardy" and a miscarriage of justice, to punish those in Him.
The legal grounds of our salvation, is based on the power of security in Jesus Christ. God didn't leave any loop holes for the prosecuting attorney (satan), to open up and hold over all who are in Christ Jesus. Satan can't return to his old ways and bring any accusations which will hold-up in the Court of Justice. We've fallen under the courts of man, which are the same courts that wrongly judged Jesus. We've allowed the Sanhedrin to judge us, instead of the Righteous Judge in Heaven's Court. We now have a Defense Attorney Who will present our case to the Judge, for us.
1John 2:1 (Amplified) says, "My little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God's Law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have and Advocate, One who will intercede for us [our Defense Attorney] with the Father [the Judge]. It is Jesus Christ (the all Righteous, Upright, Just) Who conforms to the Father's will in every purpose, thought and action."
We've observed religious motions and have missed the legal aspects of our Redemption. God has Laws by which Heaven functions. These Laws are more firm, than the laws governing earth and the earthly realm. The Laws of Heaven are unchangeable and forever settled in Heaven. This is the purpose and reason for going to God's Word and finding His way of doing and being right. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek, aim at, 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."
God's Laws govern the entire universe, including the earth, and not just the Heavens. When we apply His Laws to this earthly realm, the things around us must change to conform to His Laws. Jesus proved this time and again, in His earthly ministry. He defied the earthly laws, when He walked on water. Death and sickness had to give way to His laws of health and healing and Life. All Jesus' Power was in His Words and His Words were God's Law for mankind.
Much has been lost to us over the years, because we've allowed man's courts to govern the Court of Justice. Man's laws and courts find us to be guilty still and subject to man's justice, which is the justice of the god of this world, who is the same judge that judged Jesus in Pilate's court. Take your place in the Court of Justice, which is God's way of doing and being right, because it's the only place where Truth and Justice is the way it should be. Don't allow the prosecuting attorney (the accuser of the brethren, satan) to state your case with circumstantial evidence, when we have our Advocate Jesus Christ as our Defense Attorney.
You'll never receive a fair trial, in the courts and laws of the adversary. God's Courts are not fair, they are Just. Justice and fairness aren't the same thing. Fairness is based on what we think, Justice is based on Mercy and Grace, according to Psalm 85:10-11 (Amplified), which says, "Mercy and Loving Kindness and Truth have met together; Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring up from the earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven." We have Someone Who is looking out for us from the Heavens and has come to lift up Truth, from the earth. The Word of our Judge is Truth and is what our lives are based on. We must lift up His Word from the earth and give our Advocate something to work with on our defense. Don't always agree with the prosecuting attorney and plead "guilty," until you speak with your Lawyer. God's Word says, "Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the enemy."
Friday, April 19, 2019
Lesson 181 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you think I am," in Matthew 16:16-19 (Amplified) where, "Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ (the Son of the Living God). Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate) and to be envied are you, Simon Barjonah. For flesh and blood, men, have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter (Greek-"Petros"-"a large piece of rock") and on this rock, (Greek-"Petros"-"a huge rock like Gilbraltar"), I will build My Church, and the gates of hades (the powers of the infernal regions, shall not overpower it (or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it). I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful on earth), must be what is already bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful on earth) must be what is already loosed in Heaven."
Jesus didn't say that Peter was "the foundation or rock," that He would build His Church on, but He revealed the knowledge of God. God was the One Who gave the Revelation, that Jesus was the Son of God. This Revelation knowledge is the Keys of the Kingdom. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 18:20 (Amplified) saying, "For wherever two or three are gathered together, drawn together as My followers in (into) My Name; There I Am in the midst of them."
These Keys of the Kingdom, open every and all the doors of the Kingdom. Jesus didn't say "the Key to the Kingdom, which would open the door to the Kingdom," but He said, "the Keys of the Kingdom which opens all the doors or secret places in the Kingdom." Jesus Himself is the "Door," according to John 10:9 (Amplified) where He said, "I Am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out freely and find pasture."
"Coming in and going out," indicates our seeing the different places of the Kingdom. By faith in Jesus, we have Revelation of the entire Kingdom and not just the foyer. Many have entered in, but have simply stood just inside the door or the foyer, never seeking out what the other Keys of Revelation offer God's children. Many have never dared to come to the Throne of Grace, fearing they didn't belong. The Keys of Revelation unlock the other Graces that God offers to us. Jesus didn't only give the key to the front door, but He gave the Keys to every door in the Kingdom.
The Keys of Revelation are where the Mysteries and Secret things of God, have been hidden for us and not from us. They are ours, by the Door Himself. There is the Revelation of the Door to Redemption, which many have failed to open. There is the Door of the Blessing, that remains unopened to many, even though it belongs to them. These Revelations of the Kingdom, are things that Jesus (the Door), gave His Life for us to have.
We're approaching the Day we've set aside as "Resurrection Sunday." Without this Day, the birth of Jesus would have meant nothing to Christianity. It was only by His Resurrection, that made the Promises and Truth a reality in this entire universe. This is the Day that sets our God, apart from all the other gods, that others worship. Jesus' rising from the dead has done away with all other religions of the world and has brought something religion couldn't do. His Resurrection brought Life to the dead and a family to God, in Him.
Many have come to the cross and received the Keys of the Kingdom, but haven't gone beyond the cross into the Kingdom that has now been opened to them. Beyond the cross is where we Live and at the cross, is where we died. To Live in God by the Blood of Christ, is entering into the Kingdom and God's Throne Room. It's receiving our places as His ambassadors, to be sent by our King into the world. This is our assignment, from our King.
God has anointed us, by His Spirit and has given the Keys of Life and Blessing, so we can present the Kingdom to the world. We must understand that these Keys, give us insight into "binding and loosing" on this earthly kingdom. Our King has equipped us as His ambassadors, with the ability to bind everything on this earth, that is bound or unlawful in Heaven. We have the authority to loose or declare, whatever is declared lawful in Heaven, too.
Do you think that sickness or disease are lawful in the Kingdom? If it's not lawful there, then it shouldn't be lawful here. We've been given this Key, to bind sickness and disease here, just like Jesus did with the Keys of the Kingdom. Jesus sent His disciples in Luke 10 to the homes of the city. He directed them as Ambassadors or servants of His Authority, to "Set free and heal in every house they entered." Jesus could do this, because He knew the Power of what was lawful or unlawful in the Kingdom. If it was unlawful in the Kingdom, Jesus declared the right to not allow it to function here, as One sent from Heaven.
We've been unsure in our salvation, as what is lawful or unlawful in the Kingdom, so the Keys don't always work in the lock and Revelation is still not Light in our spirits. Most Christians would and could, walk in these things, if we only knew it was "the will of the Kingdom, from which we're sent." We don't operate, because we don't know what God's will is. The Keys of Revelation open the Doors, to knowing what God's will is for both here and in Heaven.
We certainly don't think they are sick and diseased people in Heaven, who remain like that for eternity. Do we? How could we believe it's God will for them here then, after Jesus has come and returned to God's Kingdom? Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 (Amplified), "All authority, all power of rule, in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. God then and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I Am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the very close of and consummation of the age, Amen (So let it be)."
Don't get hung up on Baptism and dogma and religion. Jesus has been given a Name which is above every name. This Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has been condensed into One Name, and that Name is "Jesus." People aren't saved, in the Name of the Holy Spirit and they're not saved in the Name of the Father. Acts 4:12 (Amplified) says, "There is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved." When we're in Christ Jesus, we're in the Father and the Holy Spirit. We sometimes "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel," with our ideas, instead of using the Keys of Revelation. Didn't Jesus say, "ALL power and authority has been given in Me, both in Heaven and earth?"
This Resurrection Sunday, let's stay in Him and His Power of Truth and Grace. Let's allow Him to open God's good treasure to us, with Keys of Revelation.
"Maranatha, even so quickly come, Lord Jesus." Happy Easter, Cowboy Jim
Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you think I am," in Matthew 16:16-19 (Amplified) where, "Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ (the Son of the Living God). Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate) and to be envied are you, Simon Barjonah. For flesh and blood, men, have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter (Greek-"Petros"-"a large piece of rock") and on this rock, (Greek-"Petros"-"a huge rock like Gilbraltar"), I will build My Church, and the gates of hades (the powers of the infernal regions, shall not overpower it (or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it). I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful on earth), must be what is already bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful on earth) must be what is already loosed in Heaven."
Jesus didn't say that Peter was "the foundation or rock," that He would build His Church on, but He revealed the knowledge of God. God was the One Who gave the Revelation, that Jesus was the Son of God. This Revelation knowledge is the Keys of the Kingdom. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 18:20 (Amplified) saying, "For wherever two or three are gathered together, drawn together as My followers in (into) My Name; There I Am in the midst of them."
These Keys of the Kingdom, open every and all the doors of the Kingdom. Jesus didn't say "the Key to the Kingdom, which would open the door to the Kingdom," but He said, "the Keys of the Kingdom which opens all the doors or secret places in the Kingdom." Jesus Himself is the "Door," according to John 10:9 (Amplified) where He said, "I Am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out freely and find pasture."
"Coming in and going out," indicates our seeing the different places of the Kingdom. By faith in Jesus, we have Revelation of the entire Kingdom and not just the foyer. Many have entered in, but have simply stood just inside the door or the foyer, never seeking out what the other Keys of Revelation offer God's children. Many have never dared to come to the Throne of Grace, fearing they didn't belong. The Keys of Revelation unlock the other Graces that God offers to us. Jesus didn't only give the key to the front door, but He gave the Keys to every door in the Kingdom.
The Keys of Revelation are where the Mysteries and Secret things of God, have been hidden for us and not from us. They are ours, by the Door Himself. There is the Revelation of the Door to Redemption, which many have failed to open. There is the Door of the Blessing, that remains unopened to many, even though it belongs to them. These Revelations of the Kingdom, are things that Jesus (the Door), gave His Life for us to have.
We're approaching the Day we've set aside as "Resurrection Sunday." Without this Day, the birth of Jesus would have meant nothing to Christianity. It was only by His Resurrection, that made the Promises and Truth a reality in this entire universe. This is the Day that sets our God, apart from all the other gods, that others worship. Jesus' rising from the dead has done away with all other religions of the world and has brought something religion couldn't do. His Resurrection brought Life to the dead and a family to God, in Him.
Many have come to the cross and received the Keys of the Kingdom, but haven't gone beyond the cross into the Kingdom that has now been opened to them. Beyond the cross is where we Live and at the cross, is where we died. To Live in God by the Blood of Christ, is entering into the Kingdom and God's Throne Room. It's receiving our places as His ambassadors, to be sent by our King into the world. This is our assignment, from our King.
God has anointed us, by His Spirit and has given the Keys of Life and Blessing, so we can present the Kingdom to the world. We must understand that these Keys, give us insight into "binding and loosing" on this earthly kingdom. Our King has equipped us as His ambassadors, with the ability to bind everything on this earth, that is bound or unlawful in Heaven. We have the authority to loose or declare, whatever is declared lawful in Heaven, too.
Do you think that sickness or disease are lawful in the Kingdom? If it's not lawful there, then it shouldn't be lawful here. We've been given this Key, to bind sickness and disease here, just like Jesus did with the Keys of the Kingdom. Jesus sent His disciples in Luke 10 to the homes of the city. He directed them as Ambassadors or servants of His Authority, to "Set free and heal in every house they entered." Jesus could do this, because He knew the Power of what was lawful or unlawful in the Kingdom. If it was unlawful in the Kingdom, Jesus declared the right to not allow it to function here, as One sent from Heaven.
We've been unsure in our salvation, as what is lawful or unlawful in the Kingdom, so the Keys don't always work in the lock and Revelation is still not Light in our spirits. Most Christians would and could, walk in these things, if we only knew it was "the will of the Kingdom, from which we're sent." We don't operate, because we don't know what God's will is. The Keys of Revelation open the Doors, to knowing what God's will is for both here and in Heaven.
We certainly don't think they are sick and diseased people in Heaven, who remain like that for eternity. Do we? How could we believe it's God will for them here then, after Jesus has come and returned to God's Kingdom? Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 (Amplified), "All authority, all power of rule, in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. God then and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I Am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the very close of and consummation of the age, Amen (So let it be)."
Don't get hung up on Baptism and dogma and religion. Jesus has been given a Name which is above every name. This Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has been condensed into One Name, and that Name is "Jesus." People aren't saved, in the Name of the Holy Spirit and they're not saved in the Name of the Father. Acts 4:12 (Amplified) says, "There is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved." When we're in Christ Jesus, we're in the Father and the Holy Spirit. We sometimes "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel," with our ideas, instead of using the Keys of Revelation. Didn't Jesus say, "ALL power and authority has been given in Me, both in Heaven and earth?"
This Resurrection Sunday, let's stay in Him and His Power of Truth and Grace. Let's allow Him to open God's good treasure to us, with Keys of Revelation.
"Maranatha, even so quickly come, Lord Jesus." Happy Easter, Cowboy Jim
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Lesson 180 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
In John 3:5-6 (Amplified) Jesus says,"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and even the Spirit, he cannot ever enter the Kingdom of God. What is born from the flesh is flesh (of the physical is physical); and what is born of the Spirit is spirit."
One must be born of the physical, in order to become physical and must be born of the Spirit, in order to become spirit. We've had a difficult time accepting the Truth that we are Spirit beings, in God's Own Image. Many Christians put off the spirit part, for when they get to Heaven. We've had a difficult time distinguishing the difference between becoming a spirit and actually being a spirit. We continue seeing ourselves as more flesh than spirit. You don't have a spirit. YOU ARE A SPIRIT. Your spirit is what and is, in God's Image. Your body isn't made in His Image. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)."
God's Word tells us that Jesus came in the likeness of men (in the flesh), but His Spirit was in the Image of God, to the place where Jesus said, "It is the Father in Me Who does the work." If it was true that our flesh is in God's Image, then how would God look? Would He be brown, black, yellow, red or white? Would He a man or a woman, short or tall, fat or thin? Your flesh isn't in His Image, but your spirit is. We try making our body in His Image and fail by our own efforts. Your spirit is to control your flesh and not the other way around.
We've all probably what Paul wrote in 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amplified), but haven't understood it. Thus, he writes, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value). No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh. Therefore, if any person is ingrafted in Christ (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold! the fresh and new has come."
Paul says that we know Jesus in such a way, that "we no longer know Him after His flesh." This is unthinkable to many of us, because we still see Jesus as the Man from Bethlehem and Mary's Son. Jesus has put aside His mortal Body and is now clothed in His Heavenly Body, in the very Kingdom of God. He has a Body, but it's unlike the one that died and was buried. It's now Glorified and no longer subject to death. His Own Spirit is now the Life Source of His Glorified Body.
This is how we will be, when we leave this earth. We will have a body, but it will no longer be subject to the physical, but the spirit. You are a spirit! You won't "become a spirit," but you NOW ARE A SPIRIT. The reason it's so important we're in God's Word on a daily basis, is because God now deals with us as Spirit family. He doesn't correct and discipline our body, but our spirit.
God doesn't train your body, but your spirit. When your spirit yields to Him and receives correction, then it will train your body to walk not in the fleshly appetites of the world. Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "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."
We've tried speaking life, to a dead flesh, hoping it will respond to Spiritual things. Jesus said that, "The flesh conveys no benefit whatever, there is no profit in it." The flesh was crucified and died with Jesus on the cross, it is dead. Your spirit was made alive on the other side of the cross, at Jesus' resurrection. God now deals with Spiritual people on a Spiritual scale.
The struggle with our flesh is overcome by the Life of our new creation spirit, as children of God. When the spirit is made strong by God's Word (which is Spirit and Life), the flesh will line-up with your spirit. If we don't understand and read the Truth about who we really are, then our flesh will dominate us and continue in it's old ways. Even though it's dead unto God, it will continue it's old ways out of habit and take your spirit with it.
Your body is only clothing for your spirit. Its the vehicle that takes your spirit from place to place. You drive the vehicle, the vehicle doesn't drive you. We don't stay on this earth without a body. That's how we function here on earth. When we leave this earth, then our body stops functioning. Our spirit is now the only life your body has, in order to operate in this earth. It's important to God, only as a means of delivering Him to world. We can't lay hands on the sick, preach the Gospel, cast out demons, or feed the poor and hungry, without a body. God needs your body to be strong and well, so that we can be ambassadors of His Kingdom, to the world.
We're Spiritual children of God and we're to allow His Word (which is Spirit and Life), to feed our spirit with the strength of His Word and the Power of His Might, so we can do His work. If God made you sick or disabled in your body, then He would be hindering Himself from doing what He left us here to do. Paul said, "We're no longer to be seen anymore after the flesh and by the natural man only, but by the spirit."
Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower, in Mark 4, telling us that God's Word is Seed. 1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." So, we know that God's Word, which is the Seed Jesus spoke about, is ever living and lasting. The King James Version calls it, "The incorruptible Seed." God's Word is Seed and our spirits are the soil for the Seed to produce in. It's important that we don' see ourselves after the flesh any longer, like Paul said in 2Corinthians 5:16-17.
So long as we see ourselves after the flesh our hearts aren't tilled to receive this Seed (Word) and bring forth the harvest, into the Spirit Kingdom. Jesus says in Mark 4:14-15 (Amplified), "The sower sows the Word. 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."
The soil must be prepared to receive the Seed. No one plants seed along the path, where people have continuously walked. The path's soil is hard-packed and seed will not take root in hard-packed soil. The first thing a farmer does in the spring, is prepare the soil. He turns it over, in order to kill any weeds and then he discs it to smooth out any hard places. Then the farmer harrows it to make it smooth and plants the seeds. After the seed is sown, he will cultivate between the rows, to discourage any weeds from growing and killing his harvest. After the crops have matured, he will go in and harvest the crop.
Many have tried sowing seed on the path, where people have walked for centuries. Most of them have never had a crop sprout up, because the path is hard-packed soil. The Seed (God's Word) has been sown on the path that religion has walked and trampled hard. In order to bring forth a harvest, we must first allow the Holy Spirit to prepare our heart to receive the Seed. Jesus told us that, "You can't put new wine in an old wine skin, because it will break the old wine skin and spill the new wine, so that both are lost." For anyone who has made homemade wine, you know that it builds a gas that must be allowed to expand. Many put a balloon over the top, to allow it to breath and the gas to expand. Then, it will settle down into the container without breaking it, but it must have room to expand first. If you make new wine or allow your spirit to receive the Word (Seed) or if you don't prepare your heart and stay by the path of hard-packed soil, then you'll lose the new wine and break the wine skin.
We can't walk the same path and stifle the Seed by putting it on hard-packed soil, because the enemy will take the Seed from you by force and you'll lose it all. We must keep our hearts pliable to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to til the soil of our hearts. Many have heard the Word or received the Seed in our hearts. We received it gladly at first, but then we stayed by the path or hard-packed soil of tradition and now we don't accept the Truth of God's Word. Many have been talked out of what the Seed would've produced years ago, because we didn't til the soil. Tradition took over the garden and now only weeds of man's ideas grow there.
2Timothy 2:5-6 (Amplified) says, "If anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). It is the hard working farmer who labors to produce, who must be the first partaker of the fruits."
No one can receive the crown from a marathon race, unless he/she stays on the lawful course. One can't cut across the field and place first, but must stay on the track. We can't make the Word work like it's supposed to, unless we do it the prescribed way. The farmer who works to keep his crops secure, won't only raise a good crop, but will be the first to partake of and enjoy the fruits of his labor. If we do it God's way, then we won't only receive the crown, but we'll also enjoy the fruit the Seed produces in our lives. Just because tradition says, "It won't work," doesn't mean the Seed has become corrupt. We must continue sowing and caring for the Seed, in order to walk in the fruit of it, like God's Word says.
Some have tried eating and enjoying fruit, from a crop they didn't plant. America's hardworking family farms are being phased out and we're becoming dependent o the grocery store, for our food. Without the farmer, we'll go hungry. In today's Church, we see people who run from one place to another, partaking of what other farmers have sown and reaped, instead of sowing for ourselves. We go from meeting to meeting, seeking men and women of God and the harvest of their labors. The hungry are still out there and most of them are still on the path, with it's hard-packed soil. This soil is hard-packed from the many feet and years of an unproductive tradition.
You're the only one who can determine your heart and know whether the Seed will grow there. You can turn a deaf ear or blind eye, deciding you don't need the Seed of God's Word. You can remain dependent on some other "farmer" to supply fruit for you or you can prepare your heart to hear and allow the Seed to produce in your life. The Year of Understanding has come to all who will allow their hearts to be pliable and receptive to the Seed of God's Word. Just because the Seed is sown or broadcast, doesn't mean it will produce where it has no place to take root.
Jesus described four different types of soil or people's hearts in His Parable. Only one kind of soil produced and even then it was limited. Some heard the Word and got excited about it, but then after awhile, they went back to the pathway they had always walked, which choked out the harvest. I've heard some say, "You mean we have to go back to watching what we say?" I answer, "You should never have stopped watching what you say."
They ask, "You mean I have to go back to praying in tongues?" Why would you ever stop praying in tongues? We forget what the rules of the competition are and what we're to play by. We start taking shortcuts to get a harvest, but no farmer ever receives a harvest, unless he plants seed. When was the last time you spent time in God's Word, learning and growing? Or, are you satisfied with where you are? Speaking God's Word forth from only memory won't feed your own spirit, anymore than the memory of a steak will feed your body. This is why Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day, our daily bread." We need to feed on God's Word daily.
The manna God sent those in the Wilderness, was only good for one day at a time. Each day, the people had to seek God for provision and food. God wasn't trying those in the Wilderness, they were trying and limiting Him. They tried competing by their rules, instead of just complying with the rules laid down. This is an individual walk with the Master. It's not based on how everyone else is doing, but how you are doing. Others might be satisfied with someone else's fruit, but I want to grow my own fruit and be able to feed the hungry from God's abundance.
In John 3:5-6 (Amplified) Jesus says,"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and even the Spirit, he cannot ever enter the Kingdom of God. What is born from the flesh is flesh (of the physical is physical); and what is born of the Spirit is spirit."
One must be born of the physical, in order to become physical and must be born of the Spirit, in order to become spirit. We've had a difficult time accepting the Truth that we are Spirit beings, in God's Own Image. Many Christians put off the spirit part, for when they get to Heaven. We've had a difficult time distinguishing the difference between becoming a spirit and actually being a spirit. We continue seeing ourselves as more flesh than spirit. You don't have a spirit. YOU ARE A SPIRIT. Your spirit is what and is, in God's Image. Your body isn't made in His Image. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)."
God's Word tells us that Jesus came in the likeness of men (in the flesh), but His Spirit was in the Image of God, to the place where Jesus said, "It is the Father in Me Who does the work." If it was true that our flesh is in God's Image, then how would God look? Would He be brown, black, yellow, red or white? Would He a man or a woman, short or tall, fat or thin? Your flesh isn't in His Image, but your spirit is. We try making our body in His Image and fail by our own efforts. Your spirit is to control your flesh and not the other way around.
We've all probably what Paul wrote in 2Corinthians 5:16 (Amplified), but haven't understood it. Thus, he writes, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a purely human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value). No, even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now we have such knowledge of Him that we know Him no longer in terms of the flesh. Therefore, if any person is ingrafted in Christ (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold! the fresh and new has come."
Paul says that we know Jesus in such a way, that "we no longer know Him after His flesh." This is unthinkable to many of us, because we still see Jesus as the Man from Bethlehem and Mary's Son. Jesus has put aside His mortal Body and is now clothed in His Heavenly Body, in the very Kingdom of God. He has a Body, but it's unlike the one that died and was buried. It's now Glorified and no longer subject to death. His Own Spirit is now the Life Source of His Glorified Body.
This is how we will be, when we leave this earth. We will have a body, but it will no longer be subject to the physical, but the spirit. You are a spirit! You won't "become a spirit," but you NOW ARE A SPIRIT. The reason it's so important we're in God's Word on a daily basis, is because God now deals with us as Spirit family. He doesn't correct and discipline our body, but our spirit.
God doesn't train your body, but your spirit. When your spirit yields to Him and receives correction, then it will train your body to walk not in the fleshly appetites of the world. Jesus said in John 6:63 (Amplified), "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."
We've tried speaking life, to a dead flesh, hoping it will respond to Spiritual things. Jesus said that, "The flesh conveys no benefit whatever, there is no profit in it." The flesh was crucified and died with Jesus on the cross, it is dead. Your spirit was made alive on the other side of the cross, at Jesus' resurrection. God now deals with Spiritual people on a Spiritual scale.
The struggle with our flesh is overcome by the Life of our new creation spirit, as children of God. When the spirit is made strong by God's Word (which is Spirit and Life), the flesh will line-up with your spirit. If we don't understand and read the Truth about who we really are, then our flesh will dominate us and continue in it's old ways. Even though it's dead unto God, it will continue it's old ways out of habit and take your spirit with it.
Your body is only clothing for your spirit. Its the vehicle that takes your spirit from place to place. You drive the vehicle, the vehicle doesn't drive you. We don't stay on this earth without a body. That's how we function here on earth. When we leave this earth, then our body stops functioning. Our spirit is now the only life your body has, in order to operate in this earth. It's important to God, only as a means of delivering Him to world. We can't lay hands on the sick, preach the Gospel, cast out demons, or feed the poor and hungry, without a body. God needs your body to be strong and well, so that we can be ambassadors of His Kingdom, to the world.
We're Spiritual children of God and we're to allow His Word (which is Spirit and Life), to feed our spirit with the strength of His Word and the Power of His Might, so we can do His work. If God made you sick or disabled in your body, then He would be hindering Himself from doing what He left us here to do. Paul said, "We're no longer to be seen anymore after the flesh and by the natural man only, but by the spirit."
Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower, in Mark 4, telling us that God's Word is Seed. 1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." So, we know that God's Word, which is the Seed Jesus spoke about, is ever living and lasting. The King James Version calls it, "The incorruptible Seed." God's Word is Seed and our spirits are the soil for the Seed to produce in. It's important that we don' see ourselves after the flesh any longer, like Paul said in 2Corinthians 5:16-17.
So long as we see ourselves after the flesh our hearts aren't tilled to receive this Seed (Word) and bring forth the harvest, into the Spirit Kingdom. Jesus says in Mark 4:14-15 (Amplified), "The sower sows the Word. 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."
The soil must be prepared to receive the Seed. No one plants seed along the path, where people have continuously walked. The path's soil is hard-packed and seed will not take root in hard-packed soil. The first thing a farmer does in the spring, is prepare the soil. He turns it over, in order to kill any weeds and then he discs it to smooth out any hard places. Then the farmer harrows it to make it smooth and plants the seeds. After the seed is sown, he will cultivate between the rows, to discourage any weeds from growing and killing his harvest. After the crops have matured, he will go in and harvest the crop.
Many have tried sowing seed on the path, where people have walked for centuries. Most of them have never had a crop sprout up, because the path is hard-packed soil. The Seed (God's Word) has been sown on the path that religion has walked and trampled hard. In order to bring forth a harvest, we must first allow the Holy Spirit to prepare our heart to receive the Seed. Jesus told us that, "You can't put new wine in an old wine skin, because it will break the old wine skin and spill the new wine, so that both are lost." For anyone who has made homemade wine, you know that it builds a gas that must be allowed to expand. Many put a balloon over the top, to allow it to breath and the gas to expand. Then, it will settle down into the container without breaking it, but it must have room to expand first. If you make new wine or allow your spirit to receive the Word (Seed) or if you don't prepare your heart and stay by the path of hard-packed soil, then you'll lose the new wine and break the wine skin.
We can't walk the same path and stifle the Seed by putting it on hard-packed soil, because the enemy will take the Seed from you by force and you'll lose it all. We must keep our hearts pliable to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to til the soil of our hearts. Many have heard the Word or received the Seed in our hearts. We received it gladly at first, but then we stayed by the path or hard-packed soil of tradition and now we don't accept the Truth of God's Word. Many have been talked out of what the Seed would've produced years ago, because we didn't til the soil. Tradition took over the garden and now only weeds of man's ideas grow there.
2Timothy 2:5-6 (Amplified) says, "If anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down). It is the hard working farmer who labors to produce, who must be the first partaker of the fruits."
No one can receive the crown from a marathon race, unless he/she stays on the lawful course. One can't cut across the field and place first, but must stay on the track. We can't make the Word work like it's supposed to, unless we do it the prescribed way. The farmer who works to keep his crops secure, won't only raise a good crop, but will be the first to partake of and enjoy the fruits of his labor. If we do it God's way, then we won't only receive the crown, but we'll also enjoy the fruit the Seed produces in our lives. Just because tradition says, "It won't work," doesn't mean the Seed has become corrupt. We must continue sowing and caring for the Seed, in order to walk in the fruit of it, like God's Word says.
Some have tried eating and enjoying fruit, from a crop they didn't plant. America's hardworking family farms are being phased out and we're becoming dependent o the grocery store, for our food. Without the farmer, we'll go hungry. In today's Church, we see people who run from one place to another, partaking of what other farmers have sown and reaped, instead of sowing for ourselves. We go from meeting to meeting, seeking men and women of God and the harvest of their labors. The hungry are still out there and most of them are still on the path, with it's hard-packed soil. This soil is hard-packed from the many feet and years of an unproductive tradition.
You're the only one who can determine your heart and know whether the Seed will grow there. You can turn a deaf ear or blind eye, deciding you don't need the Seed of God's Word. You can remain dependent on some other "farmer" to supply fruit for you or you can prepare your heart to hear and allow the Seed to produce in your life. The Year of Understanding has come to all who will allow their hearts to be pliable and receptive to the Seed of God's Word. Just because the Seed is sown or broadcast, doesn't mean it will produce where it has no place to take root.
Jesus described four different types of soil or people's hearts in His Parable. Only one kind of soil produced and even then it was limited. Some heard the Word and got excited about it, but then after awhile, they went back to the pathway they had always walked, which choked out the harvest. I've heard some say, "You mean we have to go back to watching what we say?" I answer, "You should never have stopped watching what you say."
They ask, "You mean I have to go back to praying in tongues?" Why would you ever stop praying in tongues? We forget what the rules of the competition are and what we're to play by. We start taking shortcuts to get a harvest, but no farmer ever receives a harvest, unless he plants seed. When was the last time you spent time in God's Word, learning and growing? Or, are you satisfied with where you are? Speaking God's Word forth from only memory won't feed your own spirit, anymore than the memory of a steak will feed your body. This is why Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day, our daily bread." We need to feed on God's Word daily.
The manna God sent those in the Wilderness, was only good for one day at a time. Each day, the people had to seek God for provision and food. God wasn't trying those in the Wilderness, they were trying and limiting Him. They tried competing by their rules, instead of just complying with the rules laid down. This is an individual walk with the Master. It's not based on how everyone else is doing, but how you are doing. Others might be satisfied with someone else's fruit, but I want to grow my own fruit and be able to feed the hungry from God's abundance.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Lesson 179 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the Throne of Grace (the Throne of God's unmerited favor) that we may receive mercy for our failures and find Grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help coming just when we need it)."
Faith in Jesus activates Grace for our needs, as well as the needs of others. Grace has made it possible by faith, to actually be in the Presence of our Heavenly Father. We don't appropriate the Grace that came through Jesus, like we should. God's Grace will allow us to actually know our Father, on a one on One basis. I can talk to Him, learn from Him, be directed by Him and learn to love Him, as the One Who Love me enough to die for me.
Many feel that learning to walk with Him, by His Word and His Spirit, is "bondage." Many believe it's "bondage," for us to watch what we say, read His Word and fellowship with Him, pray and listen to His Spirit. If you're doing all these things because "you have too," then it is bondage and only religious ritual. These aren't things we have to do, but things we're privileged to do. It's a privilege to come into God's Throne Room by Grace and learn in His Presence. It's a privilege to pray and work together with Him, concerning the things of my own life and the lives of others, including our nation and world. It's a privilege to understand the Father's heart and carry out His Plan for mankind. This is Grace.
We've forgotten the privilege we have through Grace and have lost our own identity to religious rituals and teachings. When someone is told to do certain things, in order to be right with God, then it becomes bondage, because it's not done from a right heart and motive. Prayer is the greatest privilege mankind has ever received. The ability to stand in His Presence, by the Blood bought privilege of being righteous in His Presence and conversing with Him Face-to-face, is the greatest thing salvation has provided us. When you were born-again, you became His family and He became your Father. This isn't something we believe when reciting "The Lord's Prayer," but it's a Truth that only those who know Him can be privileged with. I can come to God at any time and all the time and He will always take the time to hear me, talk with me, instruct me, and fellowship with me. Prayer isn't always done in time of need, but in the privilege of knowing Him.
You already have favor with Him, without having to earn it, BECAUSE OF JESUS. How much time do you spend in His Word, learning from and getting to know Him? Is it something you "have to do?" The Law was established, because it was the only way God could keep the people in a place of being able to Bless them. Under Grace, we shouldn't need any laws, in order to make us spend time with Him. It should be a privilege for us to do so.
Many believe it's bondage to learn how to walk with the Father. Many believe any sermon or teaching that goes beyond fifteen minutes, is bondage. The Law was placed on the old covenant people, to make them walk in a place where God can Bless them, because very few of them would simply trust Him and lean on Him. We've viewed the Spirit Realm as being "Casper the Ghost's world." The Realm of the Spirit, God's Kingdom, is the most orderly Realm known to anyone, here or there. There are Spiritual Laws that govern God's Kingdom, are much more sure than the laws governing earth. When we seek God and His Kingdom, we learn the Spiritual Laws that govern and faith is no longer like playing the Lottery, hoping we can win.
By faith, accept Grace. By Grace, accept your place in God's Kingdom and by being in the family, accept your inheritance. By accepting your inheritance, accept the Truth that you have been favored and are God's Own child and walk with Him on this earth. We didn't become righteous, because we were good. We were made righteous, because He is good. We didn't earn favor, but we were granted favor, because of Grace that we didn't deserve. We've been trying to achieve these things after we're born-again, but they're already ours to enjoy, when they're received by faith in Jesus.
How can we not want to learn how to please and love a Father, Who has done so much for us? How can it be a bondage, to have to want to learn how to return His Love? Most of us don't even know Him. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (reality)." Is God real to you? Does He talk with you, guide you, live not only in you, but with you? Is He Lord in your home, at your job, in your school and your daily life? Do you love to spend time with Him, in your daily life? Or, do you just spend Sundays with Him?
Many have told me, "It's hard to walk with God and be a Christian" and to those who only know religion instead of reality, that might be. Walking with God has been the easiest thing I've ever done, in my entire life. If I don't know something, then I ask Him and He tells me the answer. If I need Wisdom, then He guides me. He keeps me from all harm, by His Word and His Spirit. I was driving to Watertown, when I approached the single traffic light in Limerick. The light was green, but God told me to "Stop." Jesus asked His followers, "Why do you call Me Lord and not do what I say?" So, because He is my Lord and I try to do what He says, I stopped. A vehicle didn't stop, when approaching the light, from the perpendicular side of the highway. I recognized God's Voice and listened to His commands, which saved my life and perhaps the life/lives of those in the other car.
Some might think it sounds extreme, to actually walk in these things, but God thinks this is how His children walk with their Father. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "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." We don't change God's Word, to meet our lives. We change our lives, to meet His Word. We spend most of our Christian walk, trying to stay out of sin and doing right. I've found that when I spend time in His way of doing and being right, sin no longer has dominion over me and I can keep my mind and heart on Him.
Don't spend time fellow-shipping with the world, trying to win them over. They're not impressed with our being nice to them, they need to see God manifested in our lives. They're not impressed when we lower the standards of God's Word, that's not what they're looking for. Before being saved, I believed the only difference between Christians and me, was that they went to Church and I stayed home nursing a hangover. I didn't really see much difference between them and myself. When I was born-again, I saw God as He is and not how they portrayed Him to be.
I didn't find a hard and stern God, but a kind, patient, loving Father, Who was eager to teach me His ways, so I could walk closer with Him. Most men dream of having a son he can teach and watch grow into a man. I wanted a son, I could teach to ride horses, hunt, fish and camp out. I wanted a son who respected his elders and was a good man. I wanted to raise him right, so he could grow into a father, who was able to teach his children the right things. I didn't just dream of a son, but I wanted a son who was obedient and who would follow me out of love and respect, and not fear. Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) says, "For this shall be like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My Love and Kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My Covenant of Peace and Completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you."
The Lord spoke to me earlier this year, saying this was to be "The Year of Understanding." I was initially confused, but then He began showing me how He spoke to us many times, but we had no understanding of His Word. He was preventing hardship and calamity from befalling us, but many times He was stopped from doing so, because we believed, "That's how God is teaching me." The hardship and calamity came, when we wouldn't turn and obey, at His reproof. I then began understanding where we've invented excuses for the calamity and hardship in our lives.
Proverbs 17:10 (Amplified) says, "A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding, than a hundred lashes into a self-confident fool." 2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) explains, saying, "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 training for 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."
We can only be what God calls us to be, by understanding His Word. God is Spirit, God's Word is Spirit, and we are spirit. The only way to teach and understand Spiritual things, is by Spiritual matters. Your body can't train your spirit, only the spirit trains the body. Abstaining from fleshly things and bringing our bodies into line, will not work when our spirits aren't strong and in charge, because of God's Word. When trials comes, our body will return to its old ways, if we don't strengthen our spirit by His Word. This is why so many Christians lose fire after awhile and become carnal again.
The Holy Ghost and Fire will keep us seeking God. If we don't understand His Word, then the Fire goes out, frustration sets in, and we go back to the carnal way of thinking. We say, "It must not be for everyone" or "This must be God's will for me." We're only educating our senses without Revelation, when we read God's Word without understanding. Jesus told us that, "The Words I speak unto you are Spirit and Life."
Your intellect (head) might be able to read the Word, but it cannot bring Revelation of the Spiritual reality it holds. God directed Joshua to, "Meditate on My Word day and night." He was transferring Spiritual understanding, beyond his intellect and building faith on what he was meditating on. God say that, "He would make his ways prosperous and he would have great success." All of them heard the Word, but only a few of those in the Wilderness understood. The Word guides our lives and gives success.
We must not rely on someone else to seek God for us. We have the privilege of entering into God's Presence for ourselves. We need teachers in our lives, but every good teacher will say, "Don't take my word for it, go to the original source for yourself." Teachers instructed me how to do something, and then left it to me to do. A teacher doesn't do the work for us, but shows us how to do it. Studying is left to every individual. Listen and seek for yourself, what God is saying to you.
Grace gives us the opportunity to come into His Presence for ourselves. Don't neglect God's Throne of Grace for understanding, but go as often as you need and stay there, if you must. The most important things on this planet for you, is God's Word. It's Life to you, it's health and healing to all your flesh, it is correction and obedience, and it's the Father speaking to you as His child. Don't deny Him the instruction of a Father, by doing it your way. Do it His way.
Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the Throne of Grace (the Throne of God's unmerited favor) that we may receive mercy for our failures and find Grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help coming just when we need it)."
Faith in Jesus activates Grace for our needs, as well as the needs of others. Grace has made it possible by faith, to actually be in the Presence of our Heavenly Father. We don't appropriate the Grace that came through Jesus, like we should. God's Grace will allow us to actually know our Father, on a one on One basis. I can talk to Him, learn from Him, be directed by Him and learn to love Him, as the One Who Love me enough to die for me.
Many feel that learning to walk with Him, by His Word and His Spirit, is "bondage." Many believe it's "bondage," for us to watch what we say, read His Word and fellowship with Him, pray and listen to His Spirit. If you're doing all these things because "you have too," then it is bondage and only religious ritual. These aren't things we have to do, but things we're privileged to do. It's a privilege to come into God's Throne Room by Grace and learn in His Presence. It's a privilege to pray and work together with Him, concerning the things of my own life and the lives of others, including our nation and world. It's a privilege to understand the Father's heart and carry out His Plan for mankind. This is Grace.
We've forgotten the privilege we have through Grace and have lost our own identity to religious rituals and teachings. When someone is told to do certain things, in order to be right with God, then it becomes bondage, because it's not done from a right heart and motive. Prayer is the greatest privilege mankind has ever received. The ability to stand in His Presence, by the Blood bought privilege of being righteous in His Presence and conversing with Him Face-to-face, is the greatest thing salvation has provided us. When you were born-again, you became His family and He became your Father. This isn't something we believe when reciting "The Lord's Prayer," but it's a Truth that only those who know Him can be privileged with. I can come to God at any time and all the time and He will always take the time to hear me, talk with me, instruct me, and fellowship with me. Prayer isn't always done in time of need, but in the privilege of knowing Him.
You already have favor with Him, without having to earn it, BECAUSE OF JESUS. How much time do you spend in His Word, learning from and getting to know Him? Is it something you "have to do?" The Law was established, because it was the only way God could keep the people in a place of being able to Bless them. Under Grace, we shouldn't need any laws, in order to make us spend time with Him. It should be a privilege for us to do so.
Many believe it's bondage to learn how to walk with the Father. Many believe any sermon or teaching that goes beyond fifteen minutes, is bondage. The Law was placed on the old covenant people, to make them walk in a place where God can Bless them, because very few of them would simply trust Him and lean on Him. We've viewed the Spirit Realm as being "Casper the Ghost's world." The Realm of the Spirit, God's Kingdom, is the most orderly Realm known to anyone, here or there. There are Spiritual Laws that govern God's Kingdom, are much more sure than the laws governing earth. When we seek God and His Kingdom, we learn the Spiritual Laws that govern and faith is no longer like playing the Lottery, hoping we can win.
By faith, accept Grace. By Grace, accept your place in God's Kingdom and by being in the family, accept your inheritance. By accepting your inheritance, accept the Truth that you have been favored and are God's Own child and walk with Him on this earth. We didn't become righteous, because we were good. We were made righteous, because He is good. We didn't earn favor, but we were granted favor, because of Grace that we didn't deserve. We've been trying to achieve these things after we're born-again, but they're already ours to enjoy, when they're received by faith in Jesus.
How can we not want to learn how to please and love a Father, Who has done so much for us? How can it be a bondage, to have to want to learn how to return His Love? Most of us don't even know Him. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (reality)." Is God real to you? Does He talk with you, guide you, live not only in you, but with you? Is He Lord in your home, at your job, in your school and your daily life? Do you love to spend time with Him, in your daily life? Or, do you just spend Sundays with Him?
Many have told me, "It's hard to walk with God and be a Christian" and to those who only know religion instead of reality, that might be. Walking with God has been the easiest thing I've ever done, in my entire life. If I don't know something, then I ask Him and He tells me the answer. If I need Wisdom, then He guides me. He keeps me from all harm, by His Word and His Spirit. I was driving to Watertown, when I approached the single traffic light in Limerick. The light was green, but God told me to "Stop." Jesus asked His followers, "Why do you call Me Lord and not do what I say?" So, because He is my Lord and I try to do what He says, I stopped. A vehicle didn't stop, when approaching the light, from the perpendicular side of the highway. I recognized God's Voice and listened to His commands, which saved my life and perhaps the life/lives of those in the other car.
Some might think it sounds extreme, to actually walk in these things, but God thinks this is how His children walk with their Father. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "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." We don't change God's Word, to meet our lives. We change our lives, to meet His Word. We spend most of our Christian walk, trying to stay out of sin and doing right. I've found that when I spend time in His way of doing and being right, sin no longer has dominion over me and I can keep my mind and heart on Him.
Don't spend time fellow-shipping with the world, trying to win them over. They're not impressed with our being nice to them, they need to see God manifested in our lives. They're not impressed when we lower the standards of God's Word, that's not what they're looking for. Before being saved, I believed the only difference between Christians and me, was that they went to Church and I stayed home nursing a hangover. I didn't really see much difference between them and myself. When I was born-again, I saw God as He is and not how they portrayed Him to be.
I didn't find a hard and stern God, but a kind, patient, loving Father, Who was eager to teach me His ways, so I could walk closer with Him. Most men dream of having a son he can teach and watch grow into a man. I wanted a son, I could teach to ride horses, hunt, fish and camp out. I wanted a son who respected his elders and was a good man. I wanted to raise him right, so he could grow into a father, who was able to teach his children the right things. I didn't just dream of a son, but I wanted a son who was obedient and who would follow me out of love and respect, and not fear. Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) says, "For this shall be like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My Love and Kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My Covenant of Peace and Completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you."
The Lord spoke to me earlier this year, saying this was to be "The Year of Understanding." I was initially confused, but then He began showing me how He spoke to us many times, but we had no understanding of His Word. He was preventing hardship and calamity from befalling us, but many times He was stopped from doing so, because we believed, "That's how God is teaching me." The hardship and calamity came, when we wouldn't turn and obey, at His reproof. I then began understanding where we've invented excuses for the calamity and hardship in our lives.
Proverbs 17:10 (Amplified) says, "A reproof enters deeper into a man of understanding, than a hundred lashes into a self-confident fool." 2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) explains, saying, "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 training for 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."
We can only be what God calls us to be, by understanding His Word. God is Spirit, God's Word is Spirit, and we are spirit. The only way to teach and understand Spiritual things, is by Spiritual matters. Your body can't train your spirit, only the spirit trains the body. Abstaining from fleshly things and bringing our bodies into line, will not work when our spirits aren't strong and in charge, because of God's Word. When trials comes, our body will return to its old ways, if we don't strengthen our spirit by His Word. This is why so many Christians lose fire after awhile and become carnal again.
The Holy Ghost and Fire will keep us seeking God. If we don't understand His Word, then the Fire goes out, frustration sets in, and we go back to the carnal way of thinking. We say, "It must not be for everyone" or "This must be God's will for me." We're only educating our senses without Revelation, when we read God's Word without understanding. Jesus told us that, "The Words I speak unto you are Spirit and Life."
Your intellect (head) might be able to read the Word, but it cannot bring Revelation of the Spiritual reality it holds. God directed Joshua to, "Meditate on My Word day and night." He was transferring Spiritual understanding, beyond his intellect and building faith on what he was meditating on. God say that, "He would make his ways prosperous and he would have great success." All of them heard the Word, but only a few of those in the Wilderness understood. The Word guides our lives and gives success.
We must not rely on someone else to seek God for us. We have the privilege of entering into God's Presence for ourselves. We need teachers in our lives, but every good teacher will say, "Don't take my word for it, go to the original source for yourself." Teachers instructed me how to do something, and then left it to me to do. A teacher doesn't do the work for us, but shows us how to do it. Studying is left to every individual. Listen and seek for yourself, what God is saying to you.
Grace gives us the opportunity to come into His Presence for ourselves. Don't neglect God's Throne of Grace for understanding, but go as often as you need and stay there, if you must. The most important things on this planet for you, is God's Word. It's Life to you, it's health and healing to all your flesh, it is correction and obedience, and it's the Father speaking to you as His child. Don't deny Him the instruction of a Father, by doing it your way. Do it His way.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Lesson 178 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) says, "The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God. And if we are His children, then we are His Heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His Glory."
We've been taught that sharing in His suffering, means being sick and diseased. Jesus bore all of that for us, so we don't have to. What then did "His suffering" include? Jesus took a stand against the traditional way things were done and brought forth the Blessing instead of the Curse, so those in charge came against Him. Jesus never suffered anything by the hand of God, except when He did it for us. Jesus's suffering was brought about by His Own people.
You will suffer persecution in this age or any other age, when you step out in your walk with God. The last thing the enemy wants is another Jesus, Paul or Peter on his hands. Jesus didn't come just simply preaching and teaching the Blessing, but He actually walked in the Blessing. Jesus demonstrated what God had said all along, by His actions. Those who were raised and taught at that time, were astonished at the Words of Grace that Jesus taught.
Those who walked under the burden of traditional teachings, began to see the Light in Acts 4:16-17 (Amplified), "Saying, What are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been perform by (through) them, is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may not spread further among the people and the nation, let us warn and forbid them with a stern threat to speak anymore to anyone in this Name or about this Person [Jesus]."
Most Christians aren't experiencing this type of suffering. Most Christians are still on good terms with religious customs and teachings. We have all been Blessed with all the same Blessings of Grace, favor, and Gifts. We are all fellow joint-heirs with Jesus and we're all children of God. Touting traditions, we've denied these things as "Not being for everyone today," excusing ourselves from seeking or receiving from Grace. These things don't come upon you, just because you're a Christian. In order to receive the Blessing that is already yours. you must believe in it. We've seemingly accepted and put faith in everything, except God's Word.
We can only know and understand His Truth, by His Word. John 1:17 tells us that, "Jesus came with Grace and Truth. Sadly, much of what we hear today, is not Truth, but are traditional and religious teachings that stop us from going into Truth. Many Christians believe that we don't need to walk according to and live by, God's Word. Most Christian churches aren't teaching God's children how to walk in the Blessing and refuse the Curse. Redemption is just a word, like any other word, to many.
Jesus spoke about sowing and reaping in the Gospels. He taught that God's Word is Seed and the hearts or spirits of the people, is soil, in Mark 4. Many have had the seed sown that should have been received and have reaped a harvest that God never intended. Seed doesn't care why you plant it, it just grows. Soil has no way of determining whether you truly want to grow the seed you planted or not. It just grows the seed.
Many of us have not only sown, but have allowed others to sow seeds we didn't want, into the soil of our spirit, which produced an unwanted harvest. Some haven't sown at all and then wondered why they didn't receive a harvest, like other have. Then they say, "It must not be God's will for me to have it." It's difficult to reap the Blessing, when we continually sow seeds of the Curse. We don't take the time and make the effort to listen and learn God's Word and instead decide it's unnecessary to do these things as Christians.
Being a farmer, doesn't mean you'll have a crop. Holding a bag of seed, doesn't lead to a harvest. You must plant and watch over that seed, in order to receive a harvest. We've spoken such words that are in complete contrast to God's Word, that only Grace has kept us from reaping only misery. Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced." In other words, "The words believers speak will either bring God's Plan into play in our lives or the adversary will take the power of our words and use them against us."
We've mostly looked at Spiritual things as being "Super-natural," and they are, however, we mostly think of Super-natural things as being the dumb things we're seeing advertised on TV or the web. The Spiritual things of God aren't spooky, weird, or unknown, because god has made them known to us, by His Spirit. It's not a matter of being unknown, but unlearned. We steer away from the Super-natural, out of fear of the unknown. We're much more aware of the Super-natural work of witchcraft and demonic forces, so we stay away from them. The things God has for us in the Spirit or in the Super-natural, are so much higher than the spooky things that bring fear, so there's no need to fear.
The adversary uses "things that go bump in the night," against the carnal minded people who have no understanding. They are real, but by not understanding these things, we stay away from them in fear. The Super-natural or Spiritual things of God, are where we're called to walk in and be raised up in. We are a Super-natural people, born of a Super-natural Father and are governed by a Super-natural Word.
God isn't a natural Man. His ways are Spirit and Truth. Much of what we see around us, isn't Truth, but a traditional pretext of Truth. Many believers view those who live by faith in God and His Word, as being "foolish." We've come to depend on God's Grace for our lives and should, but Grace doesn't mean we live anyway we want and be alright with God. Romans 5:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing) with God through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the Peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have our access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this Grace, (state of God's favor) in which we firmly and safely stand. And let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the Glory of God."
We can rejoice, exalt, and enjoy the Glory of God, when we put faith in His Grace. Grace, to me, means the ability to actually come into the Father's Presence at any time and talk with, learn from and fellowship with the God of all creation! Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the Throne of Grace (the Throne of God's unmerited favor) that we may receive mercy for our failures and find Grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help coming just when we need it)."
Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) says, "The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God. And if we are His children, then we are His Heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His Glory."
We've been taught that sharing in His suffering, means being sick and diseased. Jesus bore all of that for us, so we don't have to. What then did "His suffering" include? Jesus took a stand against the traditional way things were done and brought forth the Blessing instead of the Curse, so those in charge came against Him. Jesus never suffered anything by the hand of God, except when He did it for us. Jesus's suffering was brought about by His Own people.
You will suffer persecution in this age or any other age, when you step out in your walk with God. The last thing the enemy wants is another Jesus, Paul or Peter on his hands. Jesus didn't come just simply preaching and teaching the Blessing, but He actually walked in the Blessing. Jesus demonstrated what God had said all along, by His actions. Those who were raised and taught at that time, were astonished at the Words of Grace that Jesus taught.
Those who walked under the burden of traditional teachings, began to see the Light in Acts 4:16-17 (Amplified), "Saying, What are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been perform by (through) them, is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may not spread further among the people and the nation, let us warn and forbid them with a stern threat to speak anymore to anyone in this Name or about this Person [Jesus]."
Most Christians aren't experiencing this type of suffering. Most Christians are still on good terms with religious customs and teachings. We have all been Blessed with all the same Blessings of Grace, favor, and Gifts. We are all fellow joint-heirs with Jesus and we're all children of God. Touting traditions, we've denied these things as "Not being for everyone today," excusing ourselves from seeking or receiving from Grace. These things don't come upon you, just because you're a Christian. In order to receive the Blessing that is already yours. you must believe in it. We've seemingly accepted and put faith in everything, except God's Word.
We can only know and understand His Truth, by His Word. John 1:17 tells us that, "Jesus came with Grace and Truth. Sadly, much of what we hear today, is not Truth, but are traditional and religious teachings that stop us from going into Truth. Many Christians believe that we don't need to walk according to and live by, God's Word. Most Christian churches aren't teaching God's children how to walk in the Blessing and refuse the Curse. Redemption is just a word, like any other word, to many.
Jesus spoke about sowing and reaping in the Gospels. He taught that God's Word is Seed and the hearts or spirits of the people, is soil, in Mark 4. Many have had the seed sown that should have been received and have reaped a harvest that God never intended. Seed doesn't care why you plant it, it just grows. Soil has no way of determining whether you truly want to grow the seed you planted or not. It just grows the seed.
Many of us have not only sown, but have allowed others to sow seeds we didn't want, into the soil of our spirit, which produced an unwanted harvest. Some haven't sown at all and then wondered why they didn't receive a harvest, like other have. Then they say, "It must not be God's will for me to have it." It's difficult to reap the Blessing, when we continually sow seeds of the Curse. We don't take the time and make the effort to listen and learn God's Word and instead decide it's unnecessary to do these things as Christians.
Being a farmer, doesn't mean you'll have a crop. Holding a bag of seed, doesn't lead to a harvest. You must plant and watch over that seed, in order to receive a harvest. We've spoken such words that are in complete contrast to God's Word, that only Grace has kept us from reaping only misery. Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 (Amplified), "For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced." In other words, "The words believers speak will either bring God's Plan into play in our lives or the adversary will take the power of our words and use them against us."
We've mostly looked at Spiritual things as being "Super-natural," and they are, however, we mostly think of Super-natural things as being the dumb things we're seeing advertised on TV or the web. The Spiritual things of God aren't spooky, weird, or unknown, because god has made them known to us, by His Spirit. It's not a matter of being unknown, but unlearned. We steer away from the Super-natural, out of fear of the unknown. We're much more aware of the Super-natural work of witchcraft and demonic forces, so we stay away from them. The things God has for us in the Spirit or in the Super-natural, are so much higher than the spooky things that bring fear, so there's no need to fear.
The adversary uses "things that go bump in the night," against the carnal minded people who have no understanding. They are real, but by not understanding these things, we stay away from them in fear. The Super-natural or Spiritual things of God, are where we're called to walk in and be raised up in. We are a Super-natural people, born of a Super-natural Father and are governed by a Super-natural Word.
God isn't a natural Man. His ways are Spirit and Truth. Much of what we see around us, isn't Truth, but a traditional pretext of Truth. Many believers view those who live by faith in God and His Word, as being "foolish." We've come to depend on God's Grace for our lives and should, but Grace doesn't mean we live anyway we want and be alright with God. Romans 5:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing) with God through faith, let us grasp the fact that we have the Peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have our access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this Grace, (state of God's favor) in which we firmly and safely stand. And let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the Glory of God."
We can rejoice, exalt, and enjoy the Glory of God, when we put faith in His Grace. Grace, to me, means the ability to actually come into the Father's Presence at any time and talk with, learn from and fellowship with the God of all creation! Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the Throne of Grace (the Throne of God's unmerited favor) that we may receive mercy for our failures and find Grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help coming just when we need it)."
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