1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal original (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God." 1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) Spiritual milk (the Word of God) that by it you may be nurtured and grow into (completed) salvation."
Hebrews 5:12-13 (Amplified) says, "For even though by this time you ought to be teachings others you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. 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)."
Hebrews 6:1-312,18-20 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to Spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith by which you turned to God, with teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment and punishment. These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware of long, long ago. If indeed God permits, we will now proceed to advanced teachings."
Verse 12 says, "In order that you may not grow disinterested and become spiritual sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His Power, Wisdom and Goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are now inheriting the Promises."
Verses 18-20 say, "This was so that by two unchangeable things (His Promise and His Oath), in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled to Him for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope anointed for us and set before us. (Now) we have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul (it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out on it-a hope) that reaches farther and enters into the very certainty of the Presence within the veil, Where Jesus has entered in for us (in advance) a Forerunner, having become a High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek and rank of Melchizedek."
This is the Rest that Jesus has brought to us, by the Father. God never intended to just deliver the people out of Egypt, but wished to bring them into Canaan or Rest. God fed them with milk through the Wilderness, so they would grow into a mature. When it was time for them to go from milk to meat though, they wanted to return to the world that hadn't met their needs. They didn't want to grow into mature and refused to believe that God could and would deliver on His Promise. They didn't receive responsibility of maturity, in their faith.
Hebrews 4:6-7 (Amplified) says, "Seeing then that the Promise remains over (from past times) for some to enter into the Rest, and those who formerly were given the Good News about it and the opportunity, failed to appropreate it and did not enter because of disobedience. Again He sets a definite day (a New Today) and gives another opportunity of securing that Rest, saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted. Today, if you would hear His Voice and when you hear it do not harden your hearts."
Like those of old, we've been given the opportunity to "Enter into that Rest," seize the Rest and taking the Land like Joshua and Caleb. We see our nation being taken by the enemy. We've been brought out of the bondage, which came from disobedience of former generations. Will we choose to stay in the Wilderness, refusing to eat the meat and maturity? Or, will we go forth in the Power of God's Might, breaking down the strongholds and entering into the Rest?
God has fed, clothed and nourished this generations, leading them to the gates and walls that hold our Rest. Will we retreat at what looks like a giant, or will we trust in our God to break down the walls and bring victory? Will you, as a believer, stay in the Wilderness where all the responsibility is on someone else or will you trust in God, to bring you out of the Wilderness and into the Promised Land? The walls around Washington D.C. aren't so high or strong, that our God can't bring them down and deliver the Blessing He determined to be ours, when He made covenant with our forefathers. It's time for God's Church to take back the land that God has given us, as an inheritance from our forefathers. We must pray and vote. The giants aren't so big that God cant's overcome them. Our God has no rival or equal and there's nothing He can't do.
2Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified) wasn't just a prayer and Promise of God for only His people at the time. It's for His people of all times, who have strayed from His Word and have turned their hearts from Him. Thus is says, "If My people, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek (crave and require) of necessity, My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."
God, please Bless America again!
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Lesson 35 The Church's Identity Crisis
Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age, fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight."
The Church has stopped doing many of the Super-natural things of God, that the early believers accepted as normal. Today, many Christians say, "These things have passed away." These believers are saved and live good clean lives, but have lost sight of who we were born-again to be in Christ. If we're only offering things that the world offers, then why would hurting people who are searching for change in their lives, come to us?
Those in the early Church probably wouldn't recognize what we call the Church today. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, changed everything. Many believers take the Holy Spirit for granted or don't walk in the Super-natural things of God. The Holy Spirit was and is, the mark of the new creation people, that changed everything for natural man. Without the Super-natural Power of the Holy Spirit, we're returned to natural man/woman, with the natural form of religion.
There's very little difference between what we have today and what those under the Law had. We've replaced obedience to God's Word and His Spirit, with rules and regulations of our own making. The Lord has been faithful to bring people to the new birth, but we've hindered Him, by our stand against the Super-natural move of His Spirit. God wants to propel the Church into a Body of His Power, in order to affect the world.
Many Christians aren't much different from those in the world and haven't been able to help those in need, like God desires. There are counselors to help with their problems and rehab to get them off of drugs and alcohol, but there isn't Power to free them. Jesus and the early Church simply freed people from the habits of the world, setting at liberty all who were bound. We continue to rely more on the world's way of dealing with the enemy, than on the Lord and His Word.
Some think teaching deliverance and setting people free by God's Power, is "wishful thinking." The world is faced with the greatest onslaught of the enemy and things no other generation has faced. Technology has made everyone more open to the world and God's Word, than ever before. Knowledge, both good and bad, is made abundantly available in everything we see, hear and know.
There's a twenty-four hour news cycle now too, which means that we and children are exposed to so much. Things happen so fast on a worldwide basis and the news media has massive input in our lives. The push of the world's influence is nearly overwhelming, even on the Church. Things that were black are now white and thing that were wrong are now right. The law of our Land and government, have been changed so that they control, instead of govern.
The Church has failed to take any role and say, "God is in control." We've allow the authority of the believer to be run by majority vote and have settled for that in our lives. This has led to what was a gradual flow, to become a flood of ungodly laws which strangle the Truth of God's Word. Compromise has become the standard and rule of many believers.
Many who are "old school," like me, can see the difference in the world and our own nation. The America we grew up in, has become a thing of the past and we don't recognize our country any longer. The influence of the Church and families, has changed dramatically. Not everything happening now is wrong, but when things are left unchecked, they will lead to devastation and instability in our nation and the Church.
The Lord tells us about the "Law of Truth," in Malachi 2:6 (Amplified). This isn't the Law of Moses, but the Law of Truth. God's Word is Truth and still pertains to our covenant of Grace. When we compromise Truth for traditions or any other thing, then we fall into deception. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has allowed abortion (even to term) to become law in our country, which leads to the daily murder of 4,000 innocent babies. I don't hear much of an outcry from the Church. We've also allowed same-sex marriage to become law, without much of an outcry from God's people.
Many don't believe it matters much, while others think it's being "fair" to all people. The enemy thinks it's a victory over righteousness. The enemy sees how darkness has triumphed over Light, without much of an outcry from the Redeemed of the Lord. Jesus said that we're "In the world, but not of this world." We've living here, but we don't have to live by what the unsaved world decides is right. We must live by what the Lord says is right.
Living by laws made by an ungodly vote, isn't what Jesus meant when He said, "I have given you authority over the enemy." I'm not talking about an armed overthrow of government, but we much vote in Godly people who will deliberately vote for righteousness. When we deliberately vote officials who are writing and passing ungodly and antiChrist laws, then we're as guilty as they are, for these laws.
The authority in the Name of Jesus, is the Highest Authority on this planet. The only thing politicians fear, is losing their power by the people's votes. If every Christians would put aside their denominational ties and vote for righteousness, then God would bring this nation back and heal her. If we don't take a stand, then our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live in a Godless nation. If you're Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian or Pentecostal, then you're a Christian and must stand for the same Righteousness of God, in this Land. We've been Blessed with what happens in our nation, through prayer and votes. We mustn't do what the world does and vote for a party, but we must do like the Lord says and cast seeds of righteousness into our Land, by a righteous vote for righteousness.
This sounds worldly to the ears of many, but it sounds like we're making a stand that brings God's Kingdom near us, to Jesus' ears. The leaders of our country can't stand without some authority behind them, so we must decide Who's authority we want to reside in them. Do we want the Authority of the Kingdom of Light or the kingdom of darkness? You're the one who makes the decision. God won't cast a ballot for us. I don't want an elephant or a donkey to rule our nation. I want a nation whose God is the Lord.
We're only 120 days away from a Presidential election. We must be obedient to pray that God will give us the Wisdom to make our vote count for His Kingdom. If you don't believe that your vote counts or does any good, then ask God is this is true and then do as He tells you to do. If Christians will pray and turn out to vote with God's Wisdom and not just for a political party, then we can change our nation back to the Land of the Free.
We can't allow satan to keep our eyes focused on the confusion and distractions that are constantly before our eyes, in the media and news. The Covid19 virus, the rioting and looting are distractions from the vote of our nation. I'm not speaking about Democrats or Republicans, but about Light or dark and Good or evil and Life or death. Pray for the Holy Spirit's instructions and trust God to restore our nation back to "In God we trust."
Matthew 18:18 (Amplified) says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose (allow) on earth, will be loosed in Heaven." If we allow it to go on, then God will allow it to go on. He gave us the Authority in the Name of Jesus and we're called to stand in that authority, Jesus prayed, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." I don't think the things we're seeing are how Heaven is supposed to function and are God's will. Ask yourself whether or not the things we're seeing in our nation are God's will and how Heaven operates.
It was never God's will for Adam to transgress in the Garden. God gave him authority and dominion over this earth and allowed Adam to make his own decisions. I don't believe that what were seeing now is God's will either, but He has again given us authority and dominion and will honor our choice of what to do with them.
We must do more than pray. We must cast seed into the ground of our nation, by our vote of faith. James says that, "Faith without works is dead." Proverbs 29:2 (Amplified) says, "When the uncompromising righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh." Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified) says, "Where there is no vision (no redemptive Revelation of God), the people perish, but he who keeps the Law (the Word) of God (which includes that of man), Blessed, happy fortunate and enviable is he."
The Church has stopped doing many of the Super-natural things of God, that the early believers accepted as normal. Today, many Christians say, "These things have passed away." These believers are saved and live good clean lives, but have lost sight of who we were born-again to be in Christ. If we're only offering things that the world offers, then why would hurting people who are searching for change in their lives, come to us?
Those in the early Church probably wouldn't recognize what we call the Church today. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, changed everything. Many believers take the Holy Spirit for granted or don't walk in the Super-natural things of God. The Holy Spirit was and is, the mark of the new creation people, that changed everything for natural man. Without the Super-natural Power of the Holy Spirit, we're returned to natural man/woman, with the natural form of religion.
There's very little difference between what we have today and what those under the Law had. We've replaced obedience to God's Word and His Spirit, with rules and regulations of our own making. The Lord has been faithful to bring people to the new birth, but we've hindered Him, by our stand against the Super-natural move of His Spirit. God wants to propel the Church into a Body of His Power, in order to affect the world.
Many Christians aren't much different from those in the world and haven't been able to help those in need, like God desires. There are counselors to help with their problems and rehab to get them off of drugs and alcohol, but there isn't Power to free them. Jesus and the early Church simply freed people from the habits of the world, setting at liberty all who were bound. We continue to rely more on the world's way of dealing with the enemy, than on the Lord and His Word.
Some think teaching deliverance and setting people free by God's Power, is "wishful thinking." The world is faced with the greatest onslaught of the enemy and things no other generation has faced. Technology has made everyone more open to the world and God's Word, than ever before. Knowledge, both good and bad, is made abundantly available in everything we see, hear and know.
There's a twenty-four hour news cycle now too, which means that we and children are exposed to so much. Things happen so fast on a worldwide basis and the news media has massive input in our lives. The push of the world's influence is nearly overwhelming, even on the Church. Things that were black are now white and thing that were wrong are now right. The law of our Land and government, have been changed so that they control, instead of govern.
The Church has failed to take any role and say, "God is in control." We've allow the authority of the believer to be run by majority vote and have settled for that in our lives. This has led to what was a gradual flow, to become a flood of ungodly laws which strangle the Truth of God's Word. Compromise has become the standard and rule of many believers.
Many who are "old school," like me, can see the difference in the world and our own nation. The America we grew up in, has become a thing of the past and we don't recognize our country any longer. The influence of the Church and families, has changed dramatically. Not everything happening now is wrong, but when things are left unchecked, they will lead to devastation and instability in our nation and the Church.
The Lord tells us about the "Law of Truth," in Malachi 2:6 (Amplified). This isn't the Law of Moses, but the Law of Truth. God's Word is Truth and still pertains to our covenant of Grace. When we compromise Truth for traditions or any other thing, then we fall into deception. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has allowed abortion (even to term) to become law in our country, which leads to the daily murder of 4,000 innocent babies. I don't hear much of an outcry from the Church. We've also allowed same-sex marriage to become law, without much of an outcry from God's people.
Many don't believe it matters much, while others think it's being "fair" to all people. The enemy thinks it's a victory over righteousness. The enemy sees how darkness has triumphed over Light, without much of an outcry from the Redeemed of the Lord. Jesus said that we're "In the world, but not of this world." We've living here, but we don't have to live by what the unsaved world decides is right. We must live by what the Lord says is right.
Living by laws made by an ungodly vote, isn't what Jesus meant when He said, "I have given you authority over the enemy." I'm not talking about an armed overthrow of government, but we much vote in Godly people who will deliberately vote for righteousness. When we deliberately vote officials who are writing and passing ungodly and antiChrist laws, then we're as guilty as they are, for these laws.
The authority in the Name of Jesus, is the Highest Authority on this planet. The only thing politicians fear, is losing their power by the people's votes. If every Christians would put aside their denominational ties and vote for righteousness, then God would bring this nation back and heal her. If we don't take a stand, then our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live in a Godless nation. If you're Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian or Pentecostal, then you're a Christian and must stand for the same Righteousness of God, in this Land. We've been Blessed with what happens in our nation, through prayer and votes. We mustn't do what the world does and vote for a party, but we must do like the Lord says and cast seeds of righteousness into our Land, by a righteous vote for righteousness.
This sounds worldly to the ears of many, but it sounds like we're making a stand that brings God's Kingdom near us, to Jesus' ears. The leaders of our country can't stand without some authority behind them, so we must decide Who's authority we want to reside in them. Do we want the Authority of the Kingdom of Light or the kingdom of darkness? You're the one who makes the decision. God won't cast a ballot for us. I don't want an elephant or a donkey to rule our nation. I want a nation whose God is the Lord.
We're only 120 days away from a Presidential election. We must be obedient to pray that God will give us the Wisdom to make our vote count for His Kingdom. If you don't believe that your vote counts or does any good, then ask God is this is true and then do as He tells you to do. If Christians will pray and turn out to vote with God's Wisdom and not just for a political party, then we can change our nation back to the Land of the Free.
We can't allow satan to keep our eyes focused on the confusion and distractions that are constantly before our eyes, in the media and news. The Covid19 virus, the rioting and looting are distractions from the vote of our nation. I'm not speaking about Democrats or Republicans, but about Light or dark and Good or evil and Life or death. Pray for the Holy Spirit's instructions and trust God to restore our nation back to "In God we trust."
Matthew 18:18 (Amplified) says, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose (allow) on earth, will be loosed in Heaven." If we allow it to go on, then God will allow it to go on. He gave us the Authority in the Name of Jesus and we're called to stand in that authority, Jesus prayed, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." I don't think the things we're seeing are how Heaven is supposed to function and are God's will. Ask yourself whether or not the things we're seeing in our nation are God's will and how Heaven operates.
It was never God's will for Adam to transgress in the Garden. God gave him authority and dominion over this earth and allowed Adam to make his own decisions. I don't believe that what were seeing now is God's will either, but He has again given us authority and dominion and will honor our choice of what to do with them.
We must do more than pray. We must cast seed into the ground of our nation, by our vote of faith. James says that, "Faith without works is dead." Proverbs 29:2 (Amplified) says, "When the uncompromising righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh." Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified) says, "Where there is no vision (no redemptive Revelation of God), the people perish, but he who keeps the Law (the Word) of God (which includes that of man), Blessed, happy fortunate and enviable is he."
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Lesson 34 The Church's Identity Crisis
Romans 1:5-7 (Amplified) tells us, "It is through Him that we have received Grace (God's unmerited favor), and our, Apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His Namesake among all the nations, and this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited as you are to belong to Him. To you then, all God's beloved ones (in Rome) or wherever you live, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and Spiritual Blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul wrote the above scriptures to the Church in Rome, but this Truth is for all the God's people (the Church), wherever you are. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to address you as "God's beloved ones, called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him (designated for a consecrated life." Then he writes, "Grace, peace, and Spiritual Blessing be yours, from God and Jesus." This is a direct Message from the Father and Jesus, to His Church.
In order to begin seeing our true identity in our new creation lives, we must first dare to believe what God's Word says about us, instead of what the world or religion dictates. The Holy Spirit leads Paul to tell us that, "We are invited and called to belong to the Father, called to be saints and are consecrated to this new life."
Many have been taught and are still being taught that, "You're just a sinner," even after being born-again. This makes it difficult to receive what the Holy Spirit and God's Word says we are seen in God's eyes. In God's eyes, we are truly new creations in Jesus. God sees us as new creations and not just ones that are cleaned up and painted over, like houses that are flipped. God's Word says that we are new creations altogether, in Jesus.
When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our spirit was reborn and actually created from the Same Resurrection Power of the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. We're brand new in Him. Your spirit being, the new you, has never before existed or been previously alive. Your spirit was in sin and death and was dead before you invited Jesus to be your Savior. Now, it's been raised from the dead with Jesus and is created new in Him. We still look at our soul (our mind, will, and emotions) and old physical body (the house our spirit lives in), then we judge our own identity by our natural failures.
Our new creation identity is one of the Spirit realm, which we had no knowledge of before being born-again. We must learn who we've become in this new creation man/woman, accept who we've become, and learn how to live life like God intended from the beginning. This was a mystery to us from Genesis 1:26 until now. It was so foreign to our way of thinking, that we would still have no idea of who we really are, without God's Word and His Holy Spirit.
How does a person live with God in this natural body, while still functioning like he/she is called to be in this new life? We have very few examples of how a new creation person walks in this life and does it God's way for His Kingdom. Jesus and Adam were the sample sons, who did this very thing. Adam walked this earth in a physical body, while simultaneously functioning as a Spirit-led son of God. Jesus was born of the flesh and was filled with the Holy Spirit. He walked in a physical body and still functioned in the Spirit-led Life of God.
We find such believers as Paul, Peter and John, who walked by the Spirit in a natural body. We've been taught that they were "special" and "chosen to do these things" and were heroes of The Bible. They were called to be the first examples of the new creation. We've lost our identity, by trying to distinguish the calling of an Apostle and the call God has placed on all believers. The Apostles of the early Church were new creation men of God, just like we are, who were called to take God's Word about the new creation, to a dead world. They were called, just like we are, to bring forth the Life of God, through His Word and His Spirit, to a dead people. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His Apostles God's Word, so they could in turn, teach others what they learned from Jesus.
You might not be called to be an Apostles, but you're called to be a disciple who studies God's Word and is an example of the new creation family. We've never seen ourselves like the heroes of the early Church. We should really be more able to see who we are in Christ, than they were, because they didn't have the Revelation that Paul had received from Jesus. They had a limited view of what Jesus was to reveal to Paul.
The people of the early Church preached God's Word to the world and were followed with Mighty acts of God. They were the first in the new family of God and were examples for the rest of us, on how to live in the Spirit. Jesus was the Perfect Example of how a flesh and blood Man could hear from and walk like, for the new creation family of God.
We keep saying, "Yes, but that was Jesus" or "Not everyone can do the things He did." Jesus said in John 14:12 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, IF ANYONE steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do: and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
If anyone but Jesus had said this, then I don't think I could receive it. BUT JESUS DID SAY THIS. When He was raised from the dead and Glorified, he became the First Born of many brethren. In Him, we too were raised from the dead and created new. We're like He is, in the new creation family of God. You're not the Messiah, but you are like Him in every way. We must now learn to walk like the new creation family is supposed to walk. Centuries of tradition and religious rules and customs, have clouded the Truth of how God's new creation family is to walk. We weren't taught how to rely on our new creation spirit being, who has once again been created in God's Image and Likeness.
We haven't been told the Truth that we are "born from Above," like Jesus said, so we think our salvation only includes just going to Heaven when we die. This isn't how the Father created us to be, even though it's true we'll go to be in the Fullness of His Presence when we leave this planet. God wants His Presence to be manifested in us, while we're still on earth, so we can shake the world into His salvation, like the early Church did.
Some think this is foolish and will ridicule this, while others will receive hope for a new life, not only for themselves, but for others who are suffering and are without hope. The world needs to see the ability of God working through us, like it did in the early Church. They need to see a Super-natural people, like the early Church. If Jesus is "the same yesterday, today and forever," and He is, then He hasn't changed. We've changed. We must believe who God the Father has made us to be, in Christ Jesus.
Paul wrote the above scriptures to the Church in Rome, but this Truth is for all the God's people (the Church), wherever you are. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to address you as "God's beloved ones, called of Jesus Christ to belong to Him (designated for a consecrated life." Then he writes, "Grace, peace, and Spiritual Blessing be yours, from God and Jesus." This is a direct Message from the Father and Jesus, to His Church.
In order to begin seeing our true identity in our new creation lives, we must first dare to believe what God's Word says about us, instead of what the world or religion dictates. The Holy Spirit leads Paul to tell us that, "We are invited and called to belong to the Father, called to be saints and are consecrated to this new life."
Many have been taught and are still being taught that, "You're just a sinner," even after being born-again. This makes it difficult to receive what the Holy Spirit and God's Word says we are seen in God's eyes. In God's eyes, we are truly new creations in Jesus. God sees us as new creations and not just ones that are cleaned up and painted over, like houses that are flipped. God's Word says that we are new creations altogether, in Jesus.
When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our spirit was reborn and actually created from the Same Resurrection Power of the Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. We're brand new in Him. Your spirit being, the new you, has never before existed or been previously alive. Your spirit was in sin and death and was dead before you invited Jesus to be your Savior. Now, it's been raised from the dead with Jesus and is created new in Him. We still look at our soul (our mind, will, and emotions) and old physical body (the house our spirit lives in), then we judge our own identity by our natural failures.
Our new creation identity is one of the Spirit realm, which we had no knowledge of before being born-again. We must learn who we've become in this new creation man/woman, accept who we've become, and learn how to live life like God intended from the beginning. This was a mystery to us from Genesis 1:26 until now. It was so foreign to our way of thinking, that we would still have no idea of who we really are, without God's Word and His Holy Spirit.
How does a person live with God in this natural body, while still functioning like he/she is called to be in this new life? We have very few examples of how a new creation person walks in this life and does it God's way for His Kingdom. Jesus and Adam were the sample sons, who did this very thing. Adam walked this earth in a physical body, while simultaneously functioning as a Spirit-led son of God. Jesus was born of the flesh and was filled with the Holy Spirit. He walked in a physical body and still functioned in the Spirit-led Life of God.
We find such believers as Paul, Peter and John, who walked by the Spirit in a natural body. We've been taught that they were "special" and "chosen to do these things" and were heroes of The Bible. They were called to be the first examples of the new creation. We've lost our identity, by trying to distinguish the calling of an Apostle and the call God has placed on all believers. The Apostles of the early Church were new creation men of God, just like we are, who were called to take God's Word about the new creation, to a dead world. They were called, just like we are, to bring forth the Life of God, through His Word and His Spirit, to a dead people. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His Apostles God's Word, so they could in turn, teach others what they learned from Jesus.
You might not be called to be an Apostles, but you're called to be a disciple who studies God's Word and is an example of the new creation family. We've never seen ourselves like the heroes of the early Church. We should really be more able to see who we are in Christ, than they were, because they didn't have the Revelation that Paul had received from Jesus. They had a limited view of what Jesus was to reveal to Paul.
The people of the early Church preached God's Word to the world and were followed with Mighty acts of God. They were the first in the new family of God and were examples for the rest of us, on how to live in the Spirit. Jesus was the Perfect Example of how a flesh and blood Man could hear from and walk like, for the new creation family of God.
We keep saying, "Yes, but that was Jesus" or "Not everyone can do the things He did." Jesus said in John 14:12 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, IF ANYONE steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do: and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
If anyone but Jesus had said this, then I don't think I could receive it. BUT JESUS DID SAY THIS. When He was raised from the dead and Glorified, he became the First Born of many brethren. In Him, we too were raised from the dead and created new. We're like He is, in the new creation family of God. You're not the Messiah, but you are like Him in every way. We must now learn to walk like the new creation family is supposed to walk. Centuries of tradition and religious rules and customs, have clouded the Truth of how God's new creation family is to walk. We weren't taught how to rely on our new creation spirit being, who has once again been created in God's Image and Likeness.
We haven't been told the Truth that we are "born from Above," like Jesus said, so we think our salvation only includes just going to Heaven when we die. This isn't how the Father created us to be, even though it's true we'll go to be in the Fullness of His Presence when we leave this planet. God wants His Presence to be manifested in us, while we're still on earth, so we can shake the world into His salvation, like the early Church did.
Some think this is foolish and will ridicule this, while others will receive hope for a new life, not only for themselves, but for others who are suffering and are without hope. The world needs to see the ability of God working through us, like it did in the early Church. They need to see a Super-natural people, like the early Church. If Jesus is "the same yesterday, today and forever," and He is, then He hasn't changed. We've changed. We must believe who God the Father has made us to be, in Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Lesson 33 The Church's Identity Crisis
Please take time to read the entire chapter of 2Corinthians 12:1-21, where Paul writes about the Revelation of the Church that Jesus Himself gave him. After reading the chapter, decide and think about how you identify with what you've read. Many times we hear or read a scripture, then identify with the wrong image of what is there. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the Truth behind this Word, instead of allowing tradition to dictate to you.
Paul tells us that while on the road to Damascus, he was transported into the Very Presence of the Lord. Paul doesn't know whether he was physically or spiritually there, but while there, the Lord gave him the Revelation of the Church. He saw the Jews and Gentiles living as one in this Revelation, and was shown and told what Jesus' death and Resurrection means to us, even today. Through Paul's writings about the Revelation, we know about Redemption, Righteousness, sanctification, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We learn of the authority of the believer, being made one together in Jesus, being sons/daughters of God, being made the Temple of the Holy Spirit and many other great Revelations, that no other person except Paul, knew at that time.
We also learn that a thorn of the flesh was given Paul, to buffet, harass and keep Paul from being exalted above measure. Which side of this chapter do you identify more with, in your life? Do you see yourself as the one who is being tried by God or the one being exalted by God? The side you identify with, is the side you draw your faith from, for you own life and the place you hold in God. If we study this chapter by the Holy Spirit, instead of man's opinions, then you'll see that satan was trying to stop Paul's revealing what Jesus had given him for us today. God wasn't trying to stop Paul. Most of the New Testament came from Paul's Revelation.
In spite of the hardships he endured, Paul was determined to bring this Revelation to light. Paul's life was a remarkable display of faith and a great love for the Lord. Paul asked God to stop the persecution in Verse 9, where the Lord answered, "My Grace (my favor and Loving Kindness and mercy), is enough for you, sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully; for My strength and Power are made perfect, fulfilled and completed and show themselves most effective in your weaknesses." Paul answered, "Therefore I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and my infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest, yes may pitch a tent over and dwell upon me."
Jesus made a covenant with Paul, to go forth and bring the Revelation of the Body of Christ to the world. Paul was chosen by Jesus as an Apostle to the Gentiles and Paul agreed to do this. As Gentiles, we owe the Revelation of salvation we received, to Paul's determination, faith and his love for Jesus. Some identify more with the thorn in the flesh and believe that God put this on Paul, in order to keep him humble. Some identify with the Revelation and received great insight and fellowship with the Father, from the Truth of Salvation given in it.
Many have accepted the truth that when you preach the Gospel, persecution always comes. Jesus gave the Revelation to Paul, so the world can hear the Message of salvation. Satan sent a demonic spirit to stop Paul's preaching this Revelation. Despite this, Paul never wavered to bring us Light and bring Glory to God in his mission. Like many today, Paul wondered why he was having so much trouble, when he was doing God's will and what God instructed him to do. Some believe that the troubles in their lives are, "God doing a work in us," while others know that satan is trying to discourage them into silence.
We must learn and know our true identity in Jesus Christ. While reading this chapter, we ask, "Why would God call Paul to do this, hold him accountable to it, and then try stopping Paul from doing what He Commissioned?" If we listen closely to the Holy Spirit, then we know that Paul's pride was in the Law and not in God's Grace. Paul took so much pride in his learning the Law, that he persecuted, jailed and murdered the Church. Satan didn't have a problem with Paul's doing these things. Satan didn't want Paul to preach the covenant to the Gentiles, so he tried to stop Paul from doing so.
If Paul had his way, then there wouldn't be a Gentile Church, but only the Law. He had to humble himself, in order to preach salvation to the Gentiles. In so doing, Paul found himself in direct opposition to the god of this world, who had been blinding Paul's eyes to Light of the Gospel. Paul finally found that God wouldn't allow the enemy to stop him and that when he was weak, God would show Himself to be strong on Paul's behalf and that God would deliver Paul by His Own Mighty hand.
In Verse 10, Paul says, "So for the sake of Christ, I am well-pleased and take pleasure in my infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities, and distresses; for when I am weak in human strength, then am I truly strong, able, powerful in Divine strength." Paul discovered what many of us are today, that it's not us, but like Jesus said, "It is the Father in Me, Who does the work." Our doing what the Lord tells us to do, doesn't mean that everything will go smoothly. Sometimes, the more we walk in what we're called to do, the more frustrated the enemy becomes and the more determined he'll be to stop us.
Like Paul, we then ask the Lord to, "Take this thing from me." If we listen closely, then we'll hear the same answer God gave Paul. Then, like Paul, we must ask, "Do I stop because it's hard" or "Do I continue and trust the Lord for His deliverance?" Do we bear the hardships manfully or do we give into discouragement and stop? In my weakness, God's ability to be glorified is strong. The people will know, "This must be God," because they know man's weaknesses couldn't do this.
Paul endured so much, in order to fulfill his commitment and the call Jesus gave him, which was to preach salvation to the Gentiles and not just to those who were under the Law. Paul's love for the Lord was greater than his fear of those under the Law. We're reading about the Revelation of the Church today, because of Paul's desire to fulfill what Jesus instructed. It's hard to find such faith and commitment today. We seem to think that if it's not easy, then "it's not God." Doing the will of God in our lives, with faith and commitment, will sometimes bring the enemy's wrath, so we must learn to trust God for our strength. This is the perfect place to go from faith to faith in Jesus.
Don't be discouraged and draw back from your calling in God, but draw strength from Him and "Run the race for the prize of the high calling in God." Let's not just run the race, but finish it! Let's identify ourselves with the victory, not allowing anything to disqualify or stop us. We won't do it in our weaknesses, but in His strength.
Paul tells us that while on the road to Damascus, he was transported into the Very Presence of the Lord. Paul doesn't know whether he was physically or spiritually there, but while there, the Lord gave him the Revelation of the Church. He saw the Jews and Gentiles living as one in this Revelation, and was shown and told what Jesus' death and Resurrection means to us, even today. Through Paul's writings about the Revelation, we know about Redemption, Righteousness, sanctification, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We learn of the authority of the believer, being made one together in Jesus, being sons/daughters of God, being made the Temple of the Holy Spirit and many other great Revelations, that no other person except Paul, knew at that time.
We also learn that a thorn of the flesh was given Paul, to buffet, harass and keep Paul from being exalted above measure. Which side of this chapter do you identify more with, in your life? Do you see yourself as the one who is being tried by God or the one being exalted by God? The side you identify with, is the side you draw your faith from, for you own life and the place you hold in God. If we study this chapter by the Holy Spirit, instead of man's opinions, then you'll see that satan was trying to stop Paul's revealing what Jesus had given him for us today. God wasn't trying to stop Paul. Most of the New Testament came from Paul's Revelation.
In spite of the hardships he endured, Paul was determined to bring this Revelation to light. Paul's life was a remarkable display of faith and a great love for the Lord. Paul asked God to stop the persecution in Verse 9, where the Lord answered, "My Grace (my favor and Loving Kindness and mercy), is enough for you, sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully; for My strength and Power are made perfect, fulfilled and completed and show themselves most effective in your weaknesses." Paul answered, "Therefore I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and my infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest, yes may pitch a tent over and dwell upon me."
Jesus made a covenant with Paul, to go forth and bring the Revelation of the Body of Christ to the world. Paul was chosen by Jesus as an Apostle to the Gentiles and Paul agreed to do this. As Gentiles, we owe the Revelation of salvation we received, to Paul's determination, faith and his love for Jesus. Some identify more with the thorn in the flesh and believe that God put this on Paul, in order to keep him humble. Some identify with the Revelation and received great insight and fellowship with the Father, from the Truth of Salvation given in it.
Many have accepted the truth that when you preach the Gospel, persecution always comes. Jesus gave the Revelation to Paul, so the world can hear the Message of salvation. Satan sent a demonic spirit to stop Paul's preaching this Revelation. Despite this, Paul never wavered to bring us Light and bring Glory to God in his mission. Like many today, Paul wondered why he was having so much trouble, when he was doing God's will and what God instructed him to do. Some believe that the troubles in their lives are, "God doing a work in us," while others know that satan is trying to discourage them into silence.
We must learn and know our true identity in Jesus Christ. While reading this chapter, we ask, "Why would God call Paul to do this, hold him accountable to it, and then try stopping Paul from doing what He Commissioned?" If we listen closely to the Holy Spirit, then we know that Paul's pride was in the Law and not in God's Grace. Paul took so much pride in his learning the Law, that he persecuted, jailed and murdered the Church. Satan didn't have a problem with Paul's doing these things. Satan didn't want Paul to preach the covenant to the Gentiles, so he tried to stop Paul from doing so.
If Paul had his way, then there wouldn't be a Gentile Church, but only the Law. He had to humble himself, in order to preach salvation to the Gentiles. In so doing, Paul found himself in direct opposition to the god of this world, who had been blinding Paul's eyes to Light of the Gospel. Paul finally found that God wouldn't allow the enemy to stop him and that when he was weak, God would show Himself to be strong on Paul's behalf and that God would deliver Paul by His Own Mighty hand.
In Verse 10, Paul says, "So for the sake of Christ, I am well-pleased and take pleasure in my infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities, and distresses; for when I am weak in human strength, then am I truly strong, able, powerful in Divine strength." Paul discovered what many of us are today, that it's not us, but like Jesus said, "It is the Father in Me, Who does the work." Our doing what the Lord tells us to do, doesn't mean that everything will go smoothly. Sometimes, the more we walk in what we're called to do, the more frustrated the enemy becomes and the more determined he'll be to stop us.
Like Paul, we then ask the Lord to, "Take this thing from me." If we listen closely, then we'll hear the same answer God gave Paul. Then, like Paul, we must ask, "Do I stop because it's hard" or "Do I continue and trust the Lord for His deliverance?" Do we bear the hardships manfully or do we give into discouragement and stop? In my weakness, God's ability to be glorified is strong. The people will know, "This must be God," because they know man's weaknesses couldn't do this.
Paul endured so much, in order to fulfill his commitment and the call Jesus gave him, which was to preach salvation to the Gentiles and not just to those who were under the Law. Paul's love for the Lord was greater than his fear of those under the Law. We're reading about the Revelation of the Church today, because of Paul's desire to fulfill what Jesus instructed. It's hard to find such faith and commitment today. We seem to think that if it's not easy, then "it's not God." Doing the will of God in our lives, with faith and commitment, will sometimes bring the enemy's wrath, so we must learn to trust God for our strength. This is the perfect place to go from faith to faith in Jesus.
Don't be discouraged and draw back from your calling in God, but draw strength from Him and "Run the race for the prize of the high calling in God." Let's not just run the race, but finish it! Let's identify ourselves with the victory, not allowing anything to disqualify or stop us. We won't do it in our weaknesses, but in His strength.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Lesson 31 The Church's Identity Crisis
Jesus said in John 10:10 (Amplified), "I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
Most of us have failed to receive the new life we were given, when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "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." The new creation people aren't just forgiven sinners, like most of us have been taught. Our old physical bodies didn't get saved, nor did our souls. We received the very Life of God Himself by the Seed of the Word.
We need to recognize what happened in our spirit-man who lives in our physical bodies. Our old body still looks the same and our soul (mind, will and emotions) still thinks and feels the same. We're more aware of our soulish leading, because we haven't developed our new creation spirits, by God's Word. We've failed to bring the new life that's in our spirit, into our soul and body. We continue to see, think and judge ourselves by our old, previous condition.
When we still think and feel just like we did before, we see ourselves after the flesh or carnal selves and allow that to dictate who we "feel" like we are. We're to feed our new creation man/woman on God's Word and receive guidance and counsel from the Holy Spirit. This will renew our minds, so we think and know the Truth of what God's Word says we are now in Christ Jesus. When our spirit is guided by God's Word and His Holy Spirit, then the thoughts of our new spirit will go into the soul. Then our soul will guide our brain, which tells our flesh or body, what to do.
Our body doesn't do anything, unless our brain tells it to. 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." When we train the senses and mental faculties, by learning and using God's Word, we renew our minds to think and conduct our lives by the Holy Spirit, through our new creation spirit. Before we were created new, our spirits were dead to God and had no say in what we did. 2Corinthians 10:3-5 (Amplified) says, "For though we walk live in the flesh (as mere mortal men), we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and the destruction of strongholds. In as much as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the True knowledge of God: and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
Many believers haven't renewed their minds or souls, in order to bring their flesh into subjection. Proverbs 14:8 (Amplified) says, "The Wisdom (Godly Wisdom) is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of self-confident fools is to deceive." The Wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way. This comes by renewing our mind, which is now the Mind of Christ. We must know God's Word, so we can train our senses (mind, will and emotions) to keep our bodies in subjection into God's Word and our new creation spirit, by the strength of the Holy Spirit Who will guide us into all the Truth.
Before being born-again, we were only led by our senses and a dead spirit that didn't know God. To some degree, we rebelled against the soul and didn't do everything it wanted to do, using pure willpower. Without the strength of the Holy Spirit, it would be impossible for us to give into these desires. Before being saved, many of us just accepted the hedonistic ways of the world, which says, "If it feels good, then do it." We were completely ruled by our senses and moved mostly by our feelings and emotions.
Our soul or emotions, are unstable at best, and bring anger and many other thoughts that lead to death and destruction in our lives. This is why it's so dangerous for a new creation person to not renew his/her mind by God's Word. Having an unrenewed mind, makes the daily walk of Christians to be a constant fight and struggle to stay in-line with how we should be living. This is true, even in the world. A drug addict can enter rehab for three months, so that his body (his flesh) is recovered from the drug addiction. His mind though hasn't been renewed and leads him right back into the drug scene, so he's addicted again. This is why rehab doesn't work for many.
Remember that Hebrews 5:14 tells us to "Train your senses and mental faculties to discriminate between right and wrong; evil or contrary to what is either Divine or human law." We've tried walking by human law and willpower, which are performance based, instead of the new creation person and the strength of God which lives in us. We need to hold our thought lives into subjection to the Holy Spirit and God's Word. Jesus said, "I only do what I see My Father do and I only say what I hear My Father say and I only go where My Father says to go."
This came by Jesus' renewing His mind by God's Word and training His senses and emotions by practice. We've believed that Jesus never had a bad thought or that He had to keep the emotions of His flesh, in line. Hebrews 2;18 (Amplified) says, "For because He Himself, in His humanity has suffered in being tempted, tested and tried, He is able immediately to run to the cry of assist (relieve) those who are being tempted and tried and who therefore are being exposed to suffering."
Jesus was born in the flesh and needed to keep God's Word always before His eyes and in His heart, in order to deal with a soulish, carnal nature. Jesus had to listen to the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit Who was in Him, just like we do. We've never had to endure the trials, tests and temptations that Jesus dealt with. It wasn't any easier to Him to go through them, than it would be for us to do. Jesus had to use the same Word and the Same Holy Spirit to keep Him, that we've been given to guide and keep us.
Most of us have failed to receive the new life we were given, when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "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." The new creation people aren't just forgiven sinners, like most of us have been taught. Our old physical bodies didn't get saved, nor did our souls. We received the very Life of God Himself by the Seed of the Word.
We need to recognize what happened in our spirit-man who lives in our physical bodies. Our old body still looks the same and our soul (mind, will and emotions) still thinks and feels the same. We're more aware of our soulish leading, because we haven't developed our new creation spirits, by God's Word. We've failed to bring the new life that's in our spirit, into our soul and body. We continue to see, think and judge ourselves by our old, previous condition.
When we still think and feel just like we did before, we see ourselves after the flesh or carnal selves and allow that to dictate who we "feel" like we are. We're to feed our new creation man/woman on God's Word and receive guidance and counsel from the Holy Spirit. This will renew our minds, so we think and know the Truth of what God's Word says we are now in Christ Jesus. When our spirit is guided by God's Word and His Holy Spirit, then the thoughts of our new spirit will go into the soul. Then our soul will guide our brain, which tells our flesh or body, what to do.
Our body doesn't do anything, unless our brain tells it to. 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." When we train the senses and mental faculties, by learning and using God's Word, we renew our minds to think and conduct our lives by the Holy Spirit, through our new creation spirit. Before we were created new, our spirits were dead to God and had no say in what we did. 2Corinthians 10:3-5 (Amplified) says, "For though we walk live in the flesh (as mere mortal men), we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and the destruction of strongholds. In as much as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the True knowledge of God: and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."
Many believers haven't renewed their minds or souls, in order to bring their flesh into subjection. Proverbs 14:8 (Amplified) says, "The Wisdom (Godly Wisdom) is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of self-confident fools is to deceive." The Wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way. This comes by renewing our mind, which is now the Mind of Christ. We must know God's Word, so we can train our senses (mind, will and emotions) to keep our bodies in subjection into God's Word and our new creation spirit, by the strength of the Holy Spirit Who will guide us into all the Truth.
Before being born-again, we were only led by our senses and a dead spirit that didn't know God. To some degree, we rebelled against the soul and didn't do everything it wanted to do, using pure willpower. Without the strength of the Holy Spirit, it would be impossible for us to give into these desires. Before being saved, many of us just accepted the hedonistic ways of the world, which says, "If it feels good, then do it." We were completely ruled by our senses and moved mostly by our feelings and emotions.
Our soul or emotions, are unstable at best, and bring anger and many other thoughts that lead to death and destruction in our lives. This is why it's so dangerous for a new creation person to not renew his/her mind by God's Word. Having an unrenewed mind, makes the daily walk of Christians to be a constant fight and struggle to stay in-line with how we should be living. This is true, even in the world. A drug addict can enter rehab for three months, so that his body (his flesh) is recovered from the drug addiction. His mind though hasn't been renewed and leads him right back into the drug scene, so he's addicted again. This is why rehab doesn't work for many.
Remember that Hebrews 5:14 tells us to "Train your senses and mental faculties to discriminate between right and wrong; evil or contrary to what is either Divine or human law." We've tried walking by human law and willpower, which are performance based, instead of the new creation person and the strength of God which lives in us. We need to hold our thought lives into subjection to the Holy Spirit and God's Word. Jesus said, "I only do what I see My Father do and I only say what I hear My Father say and I only go where My Father says to go."
This came by Jesus' renewing His mind by God's Word and training His senses and emotions by practice. We've believed that Jesus never had a bad thought or that He had to keep the emotions of His flesh, in line. Hebrews 2;18 (Amplified) says, "For because He Himself, in His humanity has suffered in being tempted, tested and tried, He is able immediately to run to the cry of assist (relieve) those who are being tempted and tried and who therefore are being exposed to suffering."
Jesus was born in the flesh and needed to keep God's Word always before His eyes and in His heart, in order to deal with a soulish, carnal nature. Jesus had to listen to the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit Who was in Him, just like we do. We've never had to endure the trials, tests and temptations that Jesus dealt with. It wasn't any easier to Him to go through them, than it would be for us to do. Jesus had to use the same Word and the Same Holy Spirit to keep Him, that we've been given to guide and keep us.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Lesson 30 The Church's Identity Crisis
The Church hasn't understood who we are in Christ Jesus, because we've been taught from carnal minds. We've looked at the early Church's struggles and have concluded that this is to be our new place in the world and in God. At it's inception, the early Church was small and had little knowledge of the Father and His Grace. Satan tried stamping out the Church, before it could become strong and increase.
The enemy used Saul, before becoming Paul, to throw believers into prison, persecute them, and kill them. This wasn't God's Plan for the new creation people or Saul. The Lord changed Saul's name to Paul and changed his entire nature. The Lord raised Saul up into Heaven and gave him the True Revelation of the Church. The Church only knew this Revelation, by Paul's letters and his preaching. Paul preached and wrote a letter to those in Rome, but the Church in Galatia hadn't received Paul's letter yet, so they only had a partial Truth of who they were and what they were in Christ Jesus.
Some in the early Church only knew a portion of the Revelation Jesus gave to Paul, while others didn't know any of it. The Church was almost totally ignorant of who they were and what they had in Jesus. Satan was determined to destroy the Church, while it was still in the infant stages and didn't have the complete knowledge of who God made the new creation people to be. Many believers needed to hide in caves, suffered persecution and death, but that wasn't God's Plan for His people. This was only a beginning of a mature and glorious family.
To my knowledge, Paul was the only person who had the Revelation of Grace, son-ship, redemption, the new birth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, along with the authority God had given the Church over satan and unclean spirit. That's why satan tried to kill and stop Paul from spreading the Revelation of the Risen Christ and God's Plan for the Church. Satan made Paul his primary target, in order to stop the growth and manifestation of the new covenant people.
Satan tried everything to stop Jesus and believed that if he could "get Jesus killed," then he would win, but that was the biggest mistake of his existence. After Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven, satan witnessed the Holy Spirit falling onto Jesus' followers, as tongues of fire and filling them with power. Multitudes of believers were added to the Church that day. Then, Paul was born-again and began revealing the power of who the new creation people were in Christ. This threatened satan's entire kingdom of darkness, so he tried stopping Paul. Instead of looking at and identifying with Paul's troubles, we should look at his faith and determination to fulfill what Jesus had sent him forth to do. We should look at how God's Presence took care of and delivered Paul from many trials, in spite of all of satan's efforts to stop him.
Today, we don't just have one letter, but we have the compilation of God's Word. We don't have one letter written to one church, but we have all the letters that were written to other churches. We're not in the dark about the Gifts of the Spirit, the power of prayer, the Revelation of the new creations, or how God's Grace covers us at all times. God's Church has thrived and grown, in spite of everything satan used against the early Christians. We've become what satan feared most, a Church that could come against the gates of hell and a Church that he is unable to stop. We've been deceived into believing that we're merely pawns used in a power struggle between God and satan. There is no power struggle! Jesus Christ is Lord and you are in His Name and in His Place on earth, in order to finish His earthly ministry, through the Holy Spirit. You are unstoppable in Him!!!
When we read from God's Word instead of the world, we understand that we're not underfoot, but we're raised together with Jesus and are seated in Heavenly places with Him, in the Father. We're not here to be pitied, but to take charge by the Power of His Name. The Last Adam Jesus has restored us back to a place of unity with the Father, like Adam had never fallen in the Garden. We've been made over comers and above all spiritual wickedness, principalities and demonic forces, through the Power of the Name and Person of Jesus Christ.
Satan's greatest fear is that the Body of Christ will get the Revelation of who we have come in this new creation and take our place in this world over him, in Jesus. It doesn't harm satan or his kingdom of darkness, when we're just religious. When we learn who Jesus has made us to be, by reading God's Word and listening to the Holy Spirit, then his kingdom will be destroyed. Satan knows his destruction and end is ultimate. The days of our chasing the wrong thins and wearing ourselves out are over. God's Church has come to the place of knowing who we are in Christ and understanding the Revelation of our soon returning Lord and Savior. It is time.
If a bull ever realizes that it's not the red cape, but the matador who is it's enemy, then the bullfight would be over. Let's not go after the cape of the bull fighter, but after the bull fighter himself. The enemy has set up many capes or distractions for today's Church, in order to wear us out. We can't be distracted. The real enemy is the one causing such distractions as the Covid19 pandemic. He's doing this, in order to keep us from using the Anointing on him, instead of the disease. This is a Spiritual battle and must be dealt with by the Church, so we can complete our calling and purpose in these Last Days.
We need to proclaim the Gospel and let the world see the Manifestation of God in their lives today. This is the day God's Power must be Manifested and displayed to the saved and unsaved. Some people will never step into a church, so we must display God's Anointing in the streets and marketplace of life. We're the Body of Christ and must prepare the way for the coming of our Lord, in Power and Glory, so that the world will know that He and He Alone, is God.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
The enemy used Saul, before becoming Paul, to throw believers into prison, persecute them, and kill them. This wasn't God's Plan for the new creation people or Saul. The Lord changed Saul's name to Paul and changed his entire nature. The Lord raised Saul up into Heaven and gave him the True Revelation of the Church. The Church only knew this Revelation, by Paul's letters and his preaching. Paul preached and wrote a letter to those in Rome, but the Church in Galatia hadn't received Paul's letter yet, so they only had a partial Truth of who they were and what they were in Christ Jesus.
Some in the early Church only knew a portion of the Revelation Jesus gave to Paul, while others didn't know any of it. The Church was almost totally ignorant of who they were and what they had in Jesus. Satan was determined to destroy the Church, while it was still in the infant stages and didn't have the complete knowledge of who God made the new creation people to be. Many believers needed to hide in caves, suffered persecution and death, but that wasn't God's Plan for His people. This was only a beginning of a mature and glorious family.
To my knowledge, Paul was the only person who had the Revelation of Grace, son-ship, redemption, the new birth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, along with the authority God had given the Church over satan and unclean spirit. That's why satan tried to kill and stop Paul from spreading the Revelation of the Risen Christ and God's Plan for the Church. Satan made Paul his primary target, in order to stop the growth and manifestation of the new covenant people.
Satan tried everything to stop Jesus and believed that if he could "get Jesus killed," then he would win, but that was the biggest mistake of his existence. After Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven, satan witnessed the Holy Spirit falling onto Jesus' followers, as tongues of fire and filling them with power. Multitudes of believers were added to the Church that day. Then, Paul was born-again and began revealing the power of who the new creation people were in Christ. This threatened satan's entire kingdom of darkness, so he tried stopping Paul. Instead of looking at and identifying with Paul's troubles, we should look at his faith and determination to fulfill what Jesus had sent him forth to do. We should look at how God's Presence took care of and delivered Paul from many trials, in spite of all of satan's efforts to stop him.
Today, we don't just have one letter, but we have the compilation of God's Word. We don't have one letter written to one church, but we have all the letters that were written to other churches. We're not in the dark about the Gifts of the Spirit, the power of prayer, the Revelation of the new creations, or how God's Grace covers us at all times. God's Church has thrived and grown, in spite of everything satan used against the early Christians. We've become what satan feared most, a Church that could come against the gates of hell and a Church that he is unable to stop. We've been deceived into believing that we're merely pawns used in a power struggle between God and satan. There is no power struggle! Jesus Christ is Lord and you are in His Name and in His Place on earth, in order to finish His earthly ministry, through the Holy Spirit. You are unstoppable in Him!!!
When we read from God's Word instead of the world, we understand that we're not underfoot, but we're raised together with Jesus and are seated in Heavenly places with Him, in the Father. We're not here to be pitied, but to take charge by the Power of His Name. The Last Adam Jesus has restored us back to a place of unity with the Father, like Adam had never fallen in the Garden. We've been made over comers and above all spiritual wickedness, principalities and demonic forces, through the Power of the Name and Person of Jesus Christ.
Satan's greatest fear is that the Body of Christ will get the Revelation of who we have come in this new creation and take our place in this world over him, in Jesus. It doesn't harm satan or his kingdom of darkness, when we're just religious. When we learn who Jesus has made us to be, by reading God's Word and listening to the Holy Spirit, then his kingdom will be destroyed. Satan knows his destruction and end is ultimate. The days of our chasing the wrong thins and wearing ourselves out are over. God's Church has come to the place of knowing who we are in Christ and understanding the Revelation of our soon returning Lord and Savior. It is time.
If a bull ever realizes that it's not the red cape, but the matador who is it's enemy, then the bullfight would be over. Let's not go after the cape of the bull fighter, but after the bull fighter himself. The enemy has set up many capes or distractions for today's Church, in order to wear us out. We can't be distracted. The real enemy is the one causing such distractions as the Covid19 pandemic. He's doing this, in order to keep us from using the Anointing on him, instead of the disease. This is a Spiritual battle and must be dealt with by the Church, so we can complete our calling and purpose in these Last Days.
We need to proclaim the Gospel and let the world see the Manifestation of God in their lives today. This is the day God's Power must be Manifested and displayed to the saved and unsaved. Some people will never step into a church, so we must display God's Anointing in the streets and marketplace of life. We're the Body of Christ and must prepare the way for the coming of our Lord, in Power and Glory, so that the world will know that He and He Alone, is God.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Lesson 29 The Church's Identity Crisis
We are the Body of Jesus Christ. Christ isn't Jesus' Last Name, like my last name is Hayes. The Word "Christ," means "The Anointing or The Anointed One." Jesus never referred to Himself as Anointed, until John Baptized Him in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. This Anointing is the Holy Spirit of God and is the Same Spirit of God Himself, Who lives inside every born-again believer in the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is God, as much as any part of the God-Head, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Which part of the God-Head is God and which is not? He is God in any form of the God-Head. We've looked upon certain people as being anointed, which is true, because the Holy Spirit operates through them. We see in 1Corinthians 12, that the Holy Spirit moves in different ways at different times, but what I want you to know is, that the Holy Spirit, Who is the Anointing, lives in you all the time. It's the Holy Spirit Who did the works in Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus said, "It's not Me, but the Father in Me Who does the work."
The Father Who lived in Jesus, is the Same Father, Who by the Holy Spirit, lives in you. 1Corinthians 12:7 (Amplified) says, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (the evidence, the Spiritual Illumination of the Spirit), for good and for profit." The Holy Spirit lives in you and "He gives the Gifts as He wills, for good." We must not limit Him, so as to only have one or no Gift, because we don't think we're someone who's "in a special place to receive." He's the One Who gives these Gifts as He wills, in order to do good and to profit the people.
If someone needs help, healing or anything else, then He's the One Who gives these Gifts to us, so He can meet their needs through us. We cannot limit Him, because we believe we're not anointed for the five-fold ministry. There are more people in the Body of Christ, than just those with the five-fold calling. Each of us is anointed with the Same Holy Spirit, Who gives these Gifts severally, as He wills. If you don't know that it's God's will to heal, deliver and set the captives free, then just look more closely at Jesus' earthly ministry.
The Same Holy Spirit manifested Himself in Jesus, in whatever way was needed to set the people free. He's not limited to giving believers one Gift, but He is the Gift-Giver and is able to manifest His entire ability to you, when it's needed and for whatever He's needed for.
Remember that, "The Love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who now lives in you." It was Love that sent Him and it's Love that set people free in Jesus' ministry. It's the Same Love and Holy Spirit, Who now lives in every believer, to set people free. It's this Love that activates the Gifts through the believer, to deliver God's people. The Holy Spirit inspires John to write to the Church in 1John 2:20 (Amplified), "But you have been anointed by, you hold a Sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from the Holy One, and you all know the Truth, or you know all things."
We've failed to recognize that those of us who've received the new birth, are all God's children. Those who are born into God's family, have been made in His Likeness and Image. We're like the First Born. We're all like our Father again, like He intended from the beginning. The Same Holy Spirit Who was in Jesus, Paul, Peter, or John, is the Same and Only Holy Spirit of God. You didn't get just a little toe or finger, but you received the Holy Spirit in all He is. It's only our unbelief that limits Him from doing in us as He wills, "to do good and profit the people," as He's Present to do.
We don't view ourselves as being healing Evangelists, Apostles, or any other part of the five-fold ministry, so we don't expect these Gifts to work through us. God's Word doesn't say that "man is in control of what or who these Gifts operate through," but the Holy Spirit is the One Who gives these Gifts, to whom He wills and to meet the needs of the people.
Jesus commissioned every man to "Go forth and operate in the Gifts of the Spirit," not just those in the five-fold ministry. You won't find the names of most of these people in the Word, because it wasn't them who were exalted, but the Holy Spirit and the Anointing in them Who did the good and profit. Jesus said in Mark 16:17 (Amplified), "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages."
Jesus didn't say that these signs will accompany "those in the five-fold ministry," but "those who will believe." The Holy Spirit needs us to put our faith in Him "to do the work" and not in what we think we're called to be. He already knows what you're called to be and that's a child of God, a joint heir with Jesus, and the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. We only need to believe in His ability within us, to do what He and Only He can do. We need to stop considering ourselves, but only consider Him and His ability.
We've looked at ourselves, more than looking at Him. We've considered ourselves and our weakness, more than Him and His Own ability. Jesus had to look to the One Who was in Him, more than His Own flesh. We've used the excuse, "Yes, but He was Jesus." Jesus said in Mark 4, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, He has Anointed Me." The Same Spirit of the Lord is upon you and He has also anointed you, to do the ministry through you.
When the Holy Spirit uses you to heal someone, it doesn't mean you have a healing ministry. It means that as a believer, you've allowed the Holy Spirit to move through you and to give these Gifts severally as He wills. The Holy Spirit desires to heal, deliver, and move in someone's life, but we've have been obedient to be used. You're called to minister, even though it might not be in the five-fold ministry. There are so many more people in the ministry, than just those in the pulpit. God explains the reason for the five-fold ministry in Ephesians 4:12 (Amplified), saying, "His intention was the perfecting of the saints and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), that they should do the work of ministering toward building up Christ's Body (the Church)." Those in the five-fold ministry are to train and teach the Body of Christ, how to go into all the world, preaching, teaching and doing the things the Holy Spirit has anointed us to do.
He is the One Who does the work, in and through those who will believe. He won't make you go, do or lay hands on anyone. We must allow Him to use us, by believing He will do what He says He will do. If you lay hands on the sick, then He will heal them. He won't lay your hands on them, you have to do that, but He will heal them if you lay your hands on them. He will go, if you go, but He won't go without you. You are His Body, His hands, His feet and His Anointed, to do the work of the ministering.
Which part of the God-Head is God and which is not? He is God in any form of the God-Head. We've looked upon certain people as being anointed, which is true, because the Holy Spirit operates through them. We see in 1Corinthians 12, that the Holy Spirit moves in different ways at different times, but what I want you to know is, that the Holy Spirit, Who is the Anointing, lives in you all the time. It's the Holy Spirit Who did the works in Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus said, "It's not Me, but the Father in Me Who does the work."
The Father Who lived in Jesus, is the Same Father, Who by the Holy Spirit, lives in you. 1Corinthians 12:7 (Amplified) says, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (the evidence, the Spiritual Illumination of the Spirit), for good and for profit." The Holy Spirit lives in you and "He gives the Gifts as He wills, for good." We must not limit Him, so as to only have one or no Gift, because we don't think we're someone who's "in a special place to receive." He's the One Who gives these Gifts as He wills, in order to do good and to profit the people.
If someone needs help, healing or anything else, then He's the One Who gives these Gifts to us, so He can meet their needs through us. We cannot limit Him, because we believe we're not anointed for the five-fold ministry. There are more people in the Body of Christ, than just those with the five-fold calling. Each of us is anointed with the Same Holy Spirit, Who gives these Gifts severally, as He wills. If you don't know that it's God's will to heal, deliver and set the captives free, then just look more closely at Jesus' earthly ministry.
The Same Holy Spirit manifested Himself in Jesus, in whatever way was needed to set the people free. He's not limited to giving believers one Gift, but He is the Gift-Giver and is able to manifest His entire ability to you, when it's needed and for whatever He's needed for.
Remember that, "The Love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who now lives in you." It was Love that sent Him and it's Love that set people free in Jesus' ministry. It's the Same Love and Holy Spirit, Who now lives in every believer, to set people free. It's this Love that activates the Gifts through the believer, to deliver God's people. The Holy Spirit inspires John to write to the Church in 1John 2:20 (Amplified), "But you have been anointed by, you hold a Sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from the Holy One, and you all know the Truth, or you know all things."
We've failed to recognize that those of us who've received the new birth, are all God's children. Those who are born into God's family, have been made in His Likeness and Image. We're like the First Born. We're all like our Father again, like He intended from the beginning. The Same Holy Spirit Who was in Jesus, Paul, Peter, or John, is the Same and Only Holy Spirit of God. You didn't get just a little toe or finger, but you received the Holy Spirit in all He is. It's only our unbelief that limits Him from doing in us as He wills, "to do good and profit the people," as He's Present to do.
We don't view ourselves as being healing Evangelists, Apostles, or any other part of the five-fold ministry, so we don't expect these Gifts to work through us. God's Word doesn't say that "man is in control of what or who these Gifts operate through," but the Holy Spirit is the One Who gives these Gifts, to whom He wills and to meet the needs of the people.
Jesus commissioned every man to "Go forth and operate in the Gifts of the Spirit," not just those in the five-fold ministry. You won't find the names of most of these people in the Word, because it wasn't them who were exalted, but the Holy Spirit and the Anointing in them Who did the good and profit. Jesus said in Mark 16:17 (Amplified), "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages."
Jesus didn't say that these signs will accompany "those in the five-fold ministry," but "those who will believe." The Holy Spirit needs us to put our faith in Him "to do the work" and not in what we think we're called to be. He already knows what you're called to be and that's a child of God, a joint heir with Jesus, and the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. We only need to believe in His ability within us, to do what He and Only He can do. We need to stop considering ourselves, but only consider Him and His ability.
We've looked at ourselves, more than looking at Him. We've considered ourselves and our weakness, more than Him and His Own ability. Jesus had to look to the One Who was in Him, more than His Own flesh. We've used the excuse, "Yes, but He was Jesus." Jesus said in Mark 4, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, He has Anointed Me." The Same Spirit of the Lord is upon you and He has also anointed you, to do the ministry through you.
When the Holy Spirit uses you to heal someone, it doesn't mean you have a healing ministry. It means that as a believer, you've allowed the Holy Spirit to move through you and to give these Gifts severally as He wills. The Holy Spirit desires to heal, deliver, and move in someone's life, but we've have been obedient to be used. You're called to minister, even though it might not be in the five-fold ministry. There are so many more people in the ministry, than just those in the pulpit. God explains the reason for the five-fold ministry in Ephesians 4:12 (Amplified), saying, "His intention was the perfecting of the saints and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), that they should do the work of ministering toward building up Christ's Body (the Church)." Those in the five-fold ministry are to train and teach the Body of Christ, how to go into all the world, preaching, teaching and doing the things the Holy Spirit has anointed us to do.
He is the One Who does the work, in and through those who will believe. He won't make you go, do or lay hands on anyone. We must allow Him to use us, by believing He will do what He says He will do. If you lay hands on the sick, then He will heal them. He won't lay your hands on them, you have to do that, but He will heal them if you lay your hands on them. He will go, if you go, but He won't go without you. You are His Body, His hands, His feet and His Anointed, to do the work of the ministering.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Lesson 28 The Church's Identity Crisis
God's family of believers have lost our true identity, over the years. We've gotten saved and born-again into God's Kingdom, but we continue living like we are still of this world. Most Christians don't live in the Super-natural things of God, but in the flesh, like they did before being saved. Living naturally Super-natural requires study and time in God's Word. We're still in these natural bodies, but we've been trained how to live in the natural.
After sinning in the Garden of Eden, Adam needed to learn how to walk in the natural. He had lived in a natural body, which had been controlled and operated in the Spirit realm. Before sinning, Adam didn't only work in the Garden physically, with a shovel and hoe, but he spoke things the way he wanted them to be. Adam learned from his Heavenly Father, how to operate in this earth.
The Last Adam Jesus walked in the same authority and dominion, that the First Adam walked in. Jesus said that, "He only did and said what the Father said and did." Our identity has been clouded by the natural mind and the natural teachings of natural thinking. Everything that Jesus did, is still possible to every born-again believer today. We've accepted teachings that tell us, "Only Jesus could do these things, because He was Jesus." Some believe that walking or teaching in the Light of our Last Adam, is "exalting self." Jesus was our Example of God's Original Intent, of how His children are to be. We were created in God's Image and Likeness and were born-again from the Same Seed Jesus was born of, which is the Incorruptible Word of God.
Everyone had to learn how to walk, talk, think and live in this natural realm. Why wouldn't we have to learn how to walk in the Spirit realm, from which we now belong? We were born-again and made new creations in Christ. We were as babies in the Kingdom and didn't know how to grow into mature beings. We didn't know how to function in the Spirit realm of God's Kingdom. We received some knowledge, but most of it was carnal.
Jesus wasn't only a Preachers, but He was also a Teacher, Who trained even the unsaved how to walk in the Super-natural. These people weren't born of the Spirit yet, but they healed the sick, cast out devils, and walked in the Super-natural realm of God. Even those who weren't among the twelve Apostles did these works and walking in this realm became normal in their lives. Jesus trained His disciples how to carry out His ministry, after He was gone and they did just that.
We now look back on these men believing the only reason they could do these things is, "Because they were Apostles." Apostles were all those Jesus designated to "Go into all the world and teach others about the Kingdom, restoring Life to them again." Jesus stated this several times in the Gospels, saying, "It's not Me but the Father in Me, Who does the works." If we're born-again, new creation beings, then the Same Father Who was in Jesus, is now in us. He's still able to the same things through us, that He did through Jesus, Paul, Peter and all of the new creation family who came before us. This is the natural function of the Super-natural child of God.
We've forgotten where we came from and who we are. Some would say, "Yes, but Brother Jim, the Apostles were anointed by God." My response is that, "Yes, but what is the Anointing?" Isn't it the Holy Spirit that God poured out on man? 1John 2:20,27 (Amplified) tell us, "But you have been anointed by (you have a sacred appointment from, you have been given and unction from) the Holy One and you all know the Truth (you know all things)." Verse 27 says, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction), which you have received from Him abides in you permanently so then you have no need that anyone should instruct . But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is True and is no falsehood, so you must abide in, live in, never depart from Him (the Holy Spirit Who is the Anointing) being rooted in Him just as His anointing has taught you to do."
When you're not in God's Word, you won't always hear the instructions and directions the Holy Spirit is giving. We begin losing faith in God's ability in us and leave it to those we believe are anointed, to do His works. Every new creation person in the Body of Christ, is anointed. There are prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, teachers and pastors, but these are placed in the Body, to teach those who are anointed, how to live in the anointing. Many sick people might never come to a church building, but the Church is supposed to "Go into the world," instead of waiting for the world to come to us.
The new creation people are anointed to do the things that the Holy Spirit, Who is the Anointing. tells us to do. We're to "Go into" our workplace, the grocery store, our schools, and into our neighborhood. We shouldn't wait for an Apostle to come into our town and lay hands on the sick, but we should take the Anointing into the world. The Holy Spirit or Anointing would only come upon someone for a time, in the old covenant, but in the new covenant, THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN US PERMANENTLY.
The Holy Spirit is the One Who does the work through us, just like He did through Jesus. Even Jesus depended on the Father in Him, to do the work. The Same Father, the Spirit of God Himself lives and abides in every new creation person, on this planet. We must learn to depend on Him to get the job done and not ourselves. Our faith must be established on Him Who lives in us and not in ourselves. No person can heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and do the things Jesus instructed us to do, without the Anointing and indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. This is your True identity in the Kingdom of God.
We must not be afraid to pray for the sick or lay hands on someone, because it's not us, but the Father in us, that we're depending on. Our faith isn't in ourselves, but in the Greater One within us. Some might say, "Yes, but not everyone can do heal and deliver and do these things." No one can do these things. It's the Father in us, Who does the work." We must put our faith in Him and not in ourselves. God's Word is Truth in itself. You are anointed and this Anointing abides within you permanently. The Holy Spirit of God is the Anointing. The Seed Jesus, is the Word Himself and He's The Seed that brought us forth and we know that, "The Seed produces after kind." We're just like Him, by His Own Seed.
It was only after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, that Jesus started His public ministry. Then, Jesus made His first public Announcement in Luke 4:18, saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has Anointed Me." As a Man, Jesus didn't do anything, until He was Anointed. After that, Jesus listened to the Spirit and walked in that Anointing, throughout His earthly ministry.
The Same Holy Spirit is now living in us. We must not be swayed by what others say, but only depend on Him to do the work. He will take care of the healing. We only need to lay hands on the m and the Father in us, will do the work.
After sinning in the Garden of Eden, Adam needed to learn how to walk in the natural. He had lived in a natural body, which had been controlled and operated in the Spirit realm. Before sinning, Adam didn't only work in the Garden physically, with a shovel and hoe, but he spoke things the way he wanted them to be. Adam learned from his Heavenly Father, how to operate in this earth.
The Last Adam Jesus walked in the same authority and dominion, that the First Adam walked in. Jesus said that, "He only did and said what the Father said and did." Our identity has been clouded by the natural mind and the natural teachings of natural thinking. Everything that Jesus did, is still possible to every born-again believer today. We've accepted teachings that tell us, "Only Jesus could do these things, because He was Jesus." Some believe that walking or teaching in the Light of our Last Adam, is "exalting self." Jesus was our Example of God's Original Intent, of how His children are to be. We were created in God's Image and Likeness and were born-again from the Same Seed Jesus was born of, which is the Incorruptible Word of God.
Everyone had to learn how to walk, talk, think and live in this natural realm. Why wouldn't we have to learn how to walk in the Spirit realm, from which we now belong? We were born-again and made new creations in Christ. We were as babies in the Kingdom and didn't know how to grow into mature beings. We didn't know how to function in the Spirit realm of God's Kingdom. We received some knowledge, but most of it was carnal.
Jesus wasn't only a Preachers, but He was also a Teacher, Who trained even the unsaved how to walk in the Super-natural. These people weren't born of the Spirit yet, but they healed the sick, cast out devils, and walked in the Super-natural realm of God. Even those who weren't among the twelve Apostles did these works and walking in this realm became normal in their lives. Jesus trained His disciples how to carry out His ministry, after He was gone and they did just that.
We now look back on these men believing the only reason they could do these things is, "Because they were Apostles." Apostles were all those Jesus designated to "Go into all the world and teach others about the Kingdom, restoring Life to them again." Jesus stated this several times in the Gospels, saying, "It's not Me but the Father in Me, Who does the works." If we're born-again, new creation beings, then the Same Father Who was in Jesus, is now in us. He's still able to the same things through us, that He did through Jesus, Paul, Peter and all of the new creation family who came before us. This is the natural function of the Super-natural child of God.
We've forgotten where we came from and who we are. Some would say, "Yes, but Brother Jim, the Apostles were anointed by God." My response is that, "Yes, but what is the Anointing?" Isn't it the Holy Spirit that God poured out on man? 1John 2:20,27 (Amplified) tell us, "But you have been anointed by (you have a sacred appointment from, you have been given and unction from) the Holy One and you all know the Truth (you know all things)." Verse 27 says, "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction), which you have received from Him abides in you permanently so then you have no need that anyone should instruct . But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is True and is no falsehood, so you must abide in, live in, never depart from Him (the Holy Spirit Who is the Anointing) being rooted in Him just as His anointing has taught you to do."
When you're not in God's Word, you won't always hear the instructions and directions the Holy Spirit is giving. We begin losing faith in God's ability in us and leave it to those we believe are anointed, to do His works. Every new creation person in the Body of Christ, is anointed. There are prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, teachers and pastors, but these are placed in the Body, to teach those who are anointed, how to live in the anointing. Many sick people might never come to a church building, but the Church is supposed to "Go into the world," instead of waiting for the world to come to us.
The new creation people are anointed to do the things that the Holy Spirit, Who is the Anointing. tells us to do. We're to "Go into" our workplace, the grocery store, our schools, and into our neighborhood. We shouldn't wait for an Apostle to come into our town and lay hands on the sick, but we should take the Anointing into the world. The Holy Spirit or Anointing would only come upon someone for a time, in the old covenant, but in the new covenant, THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN US PERMANENTLY.
The Holy Spirit is the One Who does the work through us, just like He did through Jesus. Even Jesus depended on the Father in Him, to do the work. The Same Father, the Spirit of God Himself lives and abides in every new creation person, on this planet. We must learn to depend on Him to get the job done and not ourselves. Our faith must be established on Him Who lives in us and not in ourselves. No person can heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and do the things Jesus instructed us to do, without the Anointing and indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. This is your True identity in the Kingdom of God.
We must not be afraid to pray for the sick or lay hands on someone, because it's not us, but the Father in us, that we're depending on. Our faith isn't in ourselves, but in the Greater One within us. Some might say, "Yes, but not everyone can do heal and deliver and do these things." No one can do these things. It's the Father in us, Who does the work." We must put our faith in Him and not in ourselves. God's Word is Truth in itself. You are anointed and this Anointing abides within you permanently. The Holy Spirit of God is the Anointing. The Seed Jesus, is the Word Himself and He's The Seed that brought us forth and we know that, "The Seed produces after kind." We're just like Him, by His Own Seed.
It was only after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, that Jesus started His public ministry. Then, Jesus made His first public Announcement in Luke 4:18, saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has Anointed Me." As a Man, Jesus didn't do anything, until He was Anointed. After that, Jesus listened to the Spirit and walked in that Anointing, throughout His earthly ministry.
The Same Holy Spirit is now living in us. We must not be swayed by what others say, but only depend on Him to do the work. He will take care of the healing. We only need to lay hands on the m and the Father in us, will do the work.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Lesson 27 The Church's Identity Crisis
The Church has lost out on our true identity, because we've been taught the things of God, by carnal minds. We were born-again and became new creations in Christ, but weren't taught how to be a new creation. I remember how such movies as, "Tarzan," were popular when I was a kid. Tarzan was a human boy, who was raised by apes in the jungle, because he was separated from his parents who died there. A mother ape found him and raised Tarzan as her own.
Being raised by apes, didn't change the truth that Tarzan was a human being. He was raised to swing from trees, speak in grunts and screeches, and ran half-naked through the jungle. Tarzan's only understanding about life, came from his adopted mother. He had lost his true identity. Tarzan knew there was something than made him different from the apes and the apes knew he was different, but that didn't change how he lived.
We have lived the way we were trained, which came from religious teachings instead of Spiritual teachings. Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified) says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and in keeping with his individual gift or bent, and when he is old he will not depart from it." In other words, "When a person doesn't know their own identity, they will become what they've been trained in." I realize that the Word is saying, "Train your children in the Lord," but the principle works in every other area too.
God's Church has been taught so many ways, by so many people, that we've lost our true identity as new creation people and have become denominational people instead. If our denomination teaches that, "These things aren't for today," then that's what we believe. All of these teachings aren't wrong, but are not complete. Tarzan lived an okay life as an ape, but not as a complete man.
Jesus said that, "I came to give you Life." Everyone who heard Him say this, was alive already, but were dead in their spirits. We still don't know how to actually live in the Spirit and only God's Word and the Holy Spirit can teach us "how to live." Even after being born-again, we still walk and live mostly by our carnal ways, because that's how we were trained to be. We lived in the world for so long, that we really don't know any other way to be. We've cleaned up our lives morally, stopping our drinking, cussing and other things, but we still don't know how to live this Life, that Jesus came to bring us.
This is the Identity Crisis I'm speaking about. The Life that came to us through Jesus, had nothing to do with the outer-man/woman, but the new creation man/woman that is now alive again to the Father. Jesus tells His followers 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 that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." Jesus went on in John 10:10 (Amplified), saying, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy Life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
Jesus said that, "The Holy Spirit is the Life-Giver" and "The Words that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." We were born-again by God's Word and must learn how to live out the rest of this new creation Life. We've read in the Gospels, about Jesus making the lame walk, the blind see, the dead raised to life and the seas and winds calmed at His command. We say, "Yeah, but that was Jesus!" This is Truth, but we can see how the principle of "Training up a child in the way they should go" worked in His Life. Jesus spent 31/2 years training up His disciples or children, "In the way they should go" and they did just that. We too are to take up this teaching and continue like they did. This is the Life of the Spirit and our real identity in the Father.
When the Life-Giver comes into our spirit man/woman, He creates a new creation. We've been created new in Jesus Christ, by the Same Life-Giver and we're to learn how to live in this new Life of God. Of course we are to clean up our act and become morally right, but by the Guidance of the Life-Giver and not just the flesh. The flesh can be trained to stop it's bad habits, but only the Spirit can produce the Life that comes through our new creation person and heal, deliver, and bring Life to the world.
Like Tarzan, we've been trained up by the flesh, which is far below that standards of the Life-Giver. Tarzan lived a life that was far below his form as a man, but it made interesting movies. We still walk and conduct ourselves like before we were born-again and were created new by the Life-Giver. This walk in the flesh is far below the standards of the new creation Life that Jesus came to deliver us into.
Every person who is born-again, has the same Life sown into his/her new creation spirit and are back into what God made His family to be, in the beginning. Paul says that, "Every child of God is to imitate God as imitators of children after their father." Every born-again person has the Very Same Spirit of God in our new creation spirit. Every born-again person has the same abilities that the First Born Son. We are not Him, but we are heirs of God and joint heirs with the First Born, Jesus Christ. And, we know that, "Everything produces after kind."
Being raised by apes, didn't change the truth that Tarzan was a human being. He was raised to swing from trees, speak in grunts and screeches, and ran half-naked through the jungle. Tarzan's only understanding about life, came from his adopted mother. He had lost his true identity. Tarzan knew there was something than made him different from the apes and the apes knew he was different, but that didn't change how he lived.
We have lived the way we were trained, which came from religious teachings instead of Spiritual teachings. Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified) says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and in keeping with his individual gift or bent, and when he is old he will not depart from it." In other words, "When a person doesn't know their own identity, they will become what they've been trained in." I realize that the Word is saying, "Train your children in the Lord," but the principle works in every other area too.
God's Church has been taught so many ways, by so many people, that we've lost our true identity as new creation people and have become denominational people instead. If our denomination teaches that, "These things aren't for today," then that's what we believe. All of these teachings aren't wrong, but are not complete. Tarzan lived an okay life as an ape, but not as a complete man.
Jesus said that, "I came to give you Life." Everyone who heard Him say this, was alive already, but were dead in their spirits. We still don't know how to actually live in the Spirit and only God's Word and the Holy Spirit can teach us "how to live." Even after being born-again, we still walk and live mostly by our carnal ways, because that's how we were trained to be. We lived in the world for so long, that we really don't know any other way to be. We've cleaned up our lives morally, stopping our drinking, cussing and other things, but we still don't know how to live this Life, that Jesus came to bring us.
This is the Identity Crisis I'm speaking about. The Life that came to us through Jesus, had nothing to do with the outer-man/woman, but the new creation man/woman that is now alive again to the Father. Jesus tells His followers 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 that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." Jesus went on in John 10:10 (Amplified), saying, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy Life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
Jesus said that, "The Holy Spirit is the Life-Giver" and "The Words that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life." We were born-again by God's Word and must learn how to live out the rest of this new creation Life. We've read in the Gospels, about Jesus making the lame walk, the blind see, the dead raised to life and the seas and winds calmed at His command. We say, "Yeah, but that was Jesus!" This is Truth, but we can see how the principle of "Training up a child in the way they should go" worked in His Life. Jesus spent 31/2 years training up His disciples or children, "In the way they should go" and they did just that. We too are to take up this teaching and continue like they did. This is the Life of the Spirit and our real identity in the Father.
When the Life-Giver comes into our spirit man/woman, He creates a new creation. We've been created new in Jesus Christ, by the Same Life-Giver and we're to learn how to live in this new Life of God. Of course we are to clean up our act and become morally right, but by the Guidance of the Life-Giver and not just the flesh. The flesh can be trained to stop it's bad habits, but only the Spirit can produce the Life that comes through our new creation person and heal, deliver, and bring Life to the world.
Like Tarzan, we've been trained up by the flesh, which is far below that standards of the Life-Giver. Tarzan lived a life that was far below his form as a man, but it made interesting movies. We still walk and conduct ourselves like before we were born-again and were created new by the Life-Giver. This walk in the flesh is far below the standards of the new creation Life that Jesus came to deliver us into.
Every person who is born-again, has the same Life sown into his/her new creation spirit and are back into what God made His family to be, in the beginning. Paul says that, "Every child of God is to imitate God as imitators of children after their father." Every born-again person has the Very Same Spirit of God in our new creation spirit. Every born-again person has the same abilities that the First Born Son. We are not Him, but we are heirs of God and joint heirs with the First Born, Jesus Christ. And, we know that, "Everything produces after kind."
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Lesson 26 The Church's Identity Crisis
I want to shed some Light on a single Bible Verse that has held God's people apathetic, for centuries. It has caused believers to give up, because we've been taught that everything that happens in our lives, is a trial that "God puts on us, in order to teach us something." This makes us believe that there's no way out of them.
Believers have tried walking in what the world's ideas dictate, because we really haven't discovered who we are in the Father's eyes. The world walks only in the flesh, because the spirit isn't in touch with the Spirit of God. The world is ruled by the enemy's lies and the things of satan's kingdom of darkness. Believers still walk under the things that govern that kingdom too, as though we haven't changed kingdoms. Our planet is fallen, because of Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave the authority that God gave to him, over to satan, so nothing works the way the Father planned it here.
The lies and accusations of the enemy weighs on our minds and emotions, which prevents us from seeing who we are in the new creation. The Father didn't create the new creation family with faults and flaws, but made it perfect to His Praise and Glory. Seeing yourself as being pleasing and perfect in God's eyes, is almost like losing the image of self. Those of us who are in Jesus, by Whom we are in Him, have become what Paul calls,"The temple of the Holy Spirit."
Do we still struggle to bring the flesh and the soulish parts of us? Yes, of course we do, but these things must come into subjection to God's will, by His Spirit and His Word. When we dismiss such things as sickness and trials as being, "God's will for our lives," it does nothing to change or improve things. Many have taken Romans 8:28 and built a doctrine from it, saying, "Whatever comes, must be God's will for our lives."
Paul is speaking of the things of the world that would distract the Church from reaching out for the Promises of God, in this scripture. Trouble comes from all sides, in order to distract us from the Promises of God, so that we're ready to quit reaching for them, saying instead, "All things are working for my good." This isn't true, unless you maintain hope and faith in God's Promises that are found in His Word. Cancer isn't working "for your good.' Being homeless isn't "working for your good. Committing suicide because you're depressed, isn't working for your good. Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11 (Amplified). He's speaking about people who hear God's Word, but, don't have a real root in the things of God in their lives. Thus, He says, "And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while, then when trouble and persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become indignant, displeased, resentful), and they stumble and fall away."
Notice that the trouble and persecution arise, "on account of the Word" and not because God's using them to "work together for your good." The Word came on account of God's Grace for our good. The trouble didn't. Romans 8:29-31 (Amplified) says, "For those whom He foreknew (of whom He was aware and Loved beforehand). He also destined from the beginning (fore-ordained) them to be molded into the Image of His Son and to share inwardly His Likeness that He might become the Firstborn of many brethren. And those He thus ordained, He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified, acquitted, made righteous, putting them in right standing with Himself. And those whom He justified, He also glorified, raising them to a Heavenly dignity and condition or state of being."
This is what is working together for your good, not the trails that come against you from the enemy and the world. Paul writes about the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:27 (Amplified), saying, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is), because the Spirit intercedes and pleads before God on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
If we hold fast to God's Word and His Promises, then the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf. He will settle The Seed of God's Word into the soil of our spirit, bringing forth that which God has ordained beforehand. When Paul says that, "All things work together for our good," he's not speaking about the trials and tests, but about God's calling, His Grace, and the Holy Spirit's interceding on our behalf. These things will bring God's will in our lives, making us into the Image of His Son. Trials come because of the Word. Faith and patience come by the Holy Spirit. If we stand fast on God's Word and don't become offended like those in Jesus' Parable, then God's Word will continue in it's work, like it did with Jesus when He was tried and tested. It will bring forth God's will for us and then, "All (even the trials) will work together for our good!"
God will never try to discourage or overload us with things that would destroy us, for our good. Satan has used this to cause many believers to lose faith and say, "God is using this for my good." The truth is that, "The devil is using this for my destruction.' He's using trials and persecutions, in order to make us forgo our walk with God and His Word. These things only work for our good, when we hold steadfast and stand on God's Word. We then become stronger, not weaker. If we quit when trouble comes, then it's not working for our good, but for our destruction. It's not what happens, but how we react and respond to it, that makes it work for good.
If we think that God's bringing the problem, then we have no way out of it. Many truly believe that the Father purposely tests us, in order to see if we measure up. He created us and declared us righteous, justified, acquitted, and glorified. What else do we need, so we can have all things working together for our good? God has already done these things that work together for our good.
Paul doesn't say that "Cancer, hardship, divorce, depressing and troubles that we can't endure, work together for our good.' Paul says that, "God will mold us into the Image of His Son, when we lean on Him during persecution. Paul tells us that if we lean on God's righteousness, His callings, His Holy Spirit, then God will deliver from the enemy's attacks. The only time Jesus ever yielded to the trial, was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Throughout the rest of His earthly ministry, Jesus stood against it and triumphed over the trial, so that what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for His good.
Believers have tried walking in what the world's ideas dictate, because we really haven't discovered who we are in the Father's eyes. The world walks only in the flesh, because the spirit isn't in touch with the Spirit of God. The world is ruled by the enemy's lies and the things of satan's kingdom of darkness. Believers still walk under the things that govern that kingdom too, as though we haven't changed kingdoms. Our planet is fallen, because of Adam's transgression in the Garden of Eden. Adam gave the authority that God gave to him, over to satan, so nothing works the way the Father planned it here.
The lies and accusations of the enemy weighs on our minds and emotions, which prevents us from seeing who we are in the new creation. The Father didn't create the new creation family with faults and flaws, but made it perfect to His Praise and Glory. Seeing yourself as being pleasing and perfect in God's eyes, is almost like losing the image of self. Those of us who are in Jesus, by Whom we are in Him, have become what Paul calls,"The temple of the Holy Spirit."
Do we still struggle to bring the flesh and the soulish parts of us? Yes, of course we do, but these things must come into subjection to God's will, by His Spirit and His Word. When we dismiss such things as sickness and trials as being, "God's will for our lives," it does nothing to change or improve things. Many have taken Romans 8:28 and built a doctrine from it, saying, "Whatever comes, must be God's will for our lives."
Paul is speaking of the things of the world that would distract the Church from reaching out for the Promises of God, in this scripture. Trouble comes from all sides, in order to distract us from the Promises of God, so that we're ready to quit reaching for them, saying instead, "All things are working for my good." This isn't true, unless you maintain hope and faith in God's Promises that are found in His Word. Cancer isn't working "for your good.' Being homeless isn't "working for your good. Committing suicide because you're depressed, isn't working for your good. Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11 (Amplified). He's speaking about people who hear God's Word, but, don't have a real root in the things of God in their lives. Thus, He says, "And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while, then when trouble and persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become indignant, displeased, resentful), and they stumble and fall away."
Notice that the trouble and persecution arise, "on account of the Word" and not because God's using them to "work together for your good." The Word came on account of God's Grace for our good. The trouble didn't. Romans 8:29-31 (Amplified) says, "For those whom He foreknew (of whom He was aware and Loved beforehand). He also destined from the beginning (fore-ordained) them to be molded into the Image of His Son and to share inwardly His Likeness that He might become the Firstborn of many brethren. And those He thus ordained, He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified, acquitted, made righteous, putting them in right standing with Himself. And those whom He justified, He also glorified, raising them to a Heavenly dignity and condition or state of being."
This is what is working together for your good, not the trails that come against you from the enemy and the world. Paul writes about the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:27 (Amplified), saying, "And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit (what His intent is), because the Spirit intercedes and pleads before God on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will."
If we hold fast to God's Word and His Promises, then the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf. He will settle The Seed of God's Word into the soil of our spirit, bringing forth that which God has ordained beforehand. When Paul says that, "All things work together for our good," he's not speaking about the trials and tests, but about God's calling, His Grace, and the Holy Spirit's interceding on our behalf. These things will bring God's will in our lives, making us into the Image of His Son. Trials come because of the Word. Faith and patience come by the Holy Spirit. If we stand fast on God's Word and don't become offended like those in Jesus' Parable, then God's Word will continue in it's work, like it did with Jesus when He was tried and tested. It will bring forth God's will for us and then, "All (even the trials) will work together for our good!"
God will never try to discourage or overload us with things that would destroy us, for our good. Satan has used this to cause many believers to lose faith and say, "God is using this for my good." The truth is that, "The devil is using this for my destruction.' He's using trials and persecutions, in order to make us forgo our walk with God and His Word. These things only work for our good, when we hold steadfast and stand on God's Word. We then become stronger, not weaker. If we quit when trouble comes, then it's not working for our good, but for our destruction. It's not what happens, but how we react and respond to it, that makes it work for good.
If we think that God's bringing the problem, then we have no way out of it. Many truly believe that the Father purposely tests us, in order to see if we measure up. He created us and declared us righteous, justified, acquitted, and glorified. What else do we need, so we can have all things working together for our good? God has already done these things that work together for our good.
Paul doesn't say that "Cancer, hardship, divorce, depressing and troubles that we can't endure, work together for our good.' Paul says that, "God will mold us into the Image of His Son, when we lean on Him during persecution. Paul tells us that if we lean on God's righteousness, His callings, His Holy Spirit, then God will deliver from the enemy's attacks. The only time Jesus ever yielded to the trial, was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Throughout the rest of His earthly ministry, Jesus stood against it and triumphed over the trial, so that what the enemy meant for evil, God turned for His good.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Lesson 25 The Church's Identity Crisis
The Law of Genesis tells us that, "Everything produces after kind" and that the, "seed is in itself." We read about our new creation identity and the Seed that produces us in 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified), which 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." Jesus is The Seed of Promise" and He is "The Word of God," according to Galatians 3:16. We must look at the Incorruptible Seed Who produced us, in order to truly identify who we are in God.
The world and it's carnal ideas of Christianity, would have us believe that we're still unworthy and are still "old sinners saved by Grace." I know they think they're being humble, when saying such things, but this is contrary to the Truth of God's Word. Saying that you're unworthy and old sinners, is saying that The Seed that produced us, is "faulty or impure." If this was true, then Jesus wasn't a pure and clean Sacrifice. If this was so, then God wouldn't and couldn't accept Him as our Sacrifice Lamb and we would still be lost and unsaved.
Peter called The Seed, "incorruptible," which means that no matter what, "Corruption can't reduce or change The Seed into something other than what God made Jesus to be. The world or the carnal minds of man, can't change The Seed either. John 1:1-5 (Amplified) tells us, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All thins were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it, put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it."
Darkness can never change or reduce the Power of the Incorruptible Seed that has produced the new creation family of God. Even in the world's fallen state, the Law of Genesis proves true. Every seed we plant in our garden, will always bring forth whatever plant the seed came from. Corn will always produce corn and peas will always produce peas. Acorns will always produce Oak trees and Jesus, The Seed of Promise will always produce the Promises He became. Jesus is the Firstborn of many brethren, according to Hebrews 10:14 (Amplified), which says, "For by a single Offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy." You are what The Seed produced, whether or not you feel like it.
We should have as much faith in The Seed Jesus, as we do in a kernel of corn we plant in our gardens. We would never think that the kernel of corn we planted in the garden, would produce a carrot. We simply plant it, cover it, place the vision packet at the end of the row (so we know which row is sweet corn), and then wait for the blade, the ear and the corn in the ear. We know exactly what will come up.
Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4. He expected that we would have at least as much faith in God's seed, as we have in natural seeds. The Seed Jesus produces God's children and cannot bring forth anything that is inferior, unworthy, useless or sinful. It can only produce after kind, whether or not we believe it. It is Truth for our new creation man/woman and will always be Truth in our spirit. We must trust more in The Seed, than in man's carnal traditions, so we can grow the Power and Image of God that came to us, through The Seed of God, Jesus.
Jesus is the Word of God and He is the One Who is The Seed that produced us into God's family. We must remember that God's Word is also The Seed. 2Corinthians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes Answer in Him (Christ)." Jesus is the Word and The Seed. The scripture continues, "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."
When we put our trust in and believe in His Seed to bring forth the Yes Promises, then it brings Glory to God. The Lord speaks to those of us in these Last Days, in Isaiah 61:11 (Amplified), saying, "For surely as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so surely the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations through the self-fulfilling Power of His Word."
The self-fulfilling Power of God's Word is The Seed that will produce exactly what it was sent forth to do. It will do exactly what is in the Word (Seed), in the earth. What we bring forth in our garden of life, depends on what seed we sow and the confidence we have in the self-fulfilling power in that seed. The Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write about the self-fulfilling Word (Seed) and our lives in Christ. Thus, 1Corinthians 3;9 (Amplified) says, "For we are fellow workmen, joint promoters, laborers together with and for God." You are God's garden and vineyard and field that are being cultivated. We are God's building.
The Self-fulfilling Seed of God, Jesus, God's Word has been sown in us and will only produce what is in The Seed. If the Seed is Righteous, then so is the fruit. If The Seed is holy, then the fruit is holy too. We must believe that The Seed of God, will produce what God's Word says. We must not allow anyone or anything to so doubt about God's Seed, in our lives. Remember, it is and has self-fulfilling power to produce what The Seed says is will do.
Don't let satan or anyone else tell you that you're not what God says you are. If someone calls an Oak tree a Palm tree, then that doesn't change that nature of the Oak tree. People might tell you that, "You're just an old sinner, who is unworthy, and unrighteous," but that doesn't change the nature of the new creation person that The Seed produced. Remember that Jesus (the Word, The Seed), has self-fulfilling power to produce exactly what is in The Seed. That Seed Jesus, is without flaw or taint and is Perfect and sinless. Jesus is The Seed and Sacrifice that is acceptable unto God and will produce exactly what the Father sent Him forth to do and produce, which is family in the Father's House, His garden and His Own building.
The world and it's carnal ideas of Christianity, would have us believe that we're still unworthy and are still "old sinners saved by Grace." I know they think they're being humble, when saying such things, but this is contrary to the Truth of God's Word. Saying that you're unworthy and old sinners, is saying that The Seed that produced us, is "faulty or impure." If this was true, then Jesus wasn't a pure and clean Sacrifice. If this was so, then God wouldn't and couldn't accept Him as our Sacrifice Lamb and we would still be lost and unsaved.
Peter called The Seed, "incorruptible," which means that no matter what, "Corruption can't reduce or change The Seed into something other than what God made Jesus to be. The world or the carnal minds of man, can't change The Seed either. John 1:1-5 (Amplified) tells us, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All thins were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it, put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it."
Darkness can never change or reduce the Power of the Incorruptible Seed that has produced the new creation family of God. Even in the world's fallen state, the Law of Genesis proves true. Every seed we plant in our garden, will always bring forth whatever plant the seed came from. Corn will always produce corn and peas will always produce peas. Acorns will always produce Oak trees and Jesus, The Seed of Promise will always produce the Promises He became. Jesus is the Firstborn of many brethren, according to Hebrews 10:14 (Amplified), which says, "For by a single Offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy." You are what The Seed produced, whether or not you feel like it.
We should have as much faith in The Seed Jesus, as we do in a kernel of corn we plant in our gardens. We would never think that the kernel of corn we planted in the garden, would produce a carrot. We simply plant it, cover it, place the vision packet at the end of the row (so we know which row is sweet corn), and then wait for the blade, the ear and the corn in the ear. We know exactly what will come up.
Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4. He expected that we would have at least as much faith in God's seed, as we have in natural seeds. The Seed Jesus produces God's children and cannot bring forth anything that is inferior, unworthy, useless or sinful. It can only produce after kind, whether or not we believe it. It is Truth for our new creation man/woman and will always be Truth in our spirit. We must trust more in The Seed, than in man's carnal traditions, so we can grow the Power and Image of God that came to us, through The Seed of God, Jesus.
Jesus is the Word of God and He is the One Who is The Seed that produced us into God's family. We must remember that God's Word is also The Seed. 2Corinthians 1:20 (Amplified) says, "For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes Answer in Him (Christ)." Jesus is the Word and The Seed. The scripture continues, "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."
When we put our trust in and believe in His Seed to bring forth the Yes Promises, then it brings Glory to God. The Lord speaks to those of us in these Last Days, in Isaiah 61:11 (Amplified), saying, "For surely as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so surely the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations through the self-fulfilling Power of His Word."
The self-fulfilling Power of God's Word is The Seed that will produce exactly what it was sent forth to do. It will do exactly what is in the Word (Seed), in the earth. What we bring forth in our garden of life, depends on what seed we sow and the confidence we have in the self-fulfilling power in that seed. The Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write about the self-fulfilling Word (Seed) and our lives in Christ. Thus, 1Corinthians 3;9 (Amplified) says, "For we are fellow workmen, joint promoters, laborers together with and for God." You are God's garden and vineyard and field that are being cultivated. We are God's building.
The Self-fulfilling Seed of God, Jesus, God's Word has been sown in us and will only produce what is in The Seed. If the Seed is Righteous, then so is the fruit. If The Seed is holy, then the fruit is holy too. We must believe that The Seed of God, will produce what God's Word says. We must not allow anyone or anything to so doubt about God's Seed, in our lives. Remember, it is and has self-fulfilling power to produce what The Seed says is will do.
Don't let satan or anyone else tell you that you're not what God says you are. If someone calls an Oak tree a Palm tree, then that doesn't change that nature of the Oak tree. People might tell you that, "You're just an old sinner, who is unworthy, and unrighteous," but that doesn't change the nature of the new creation person that The Seed produced. Remember that Jesus (the Word, The Seed), has self-fulfilling power to produce exactly what is in The Seed. That Seed Jesus, is without flaw or taint and is Perfect and sinless. Jesus is The Seed and Sacrifice that is acceptable unto God and will produce exactly what the Father sent Him forth to do and produce, which is family in the Father's House, His garden and His Own building.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Lesson 24 The Church's Identity Crisis
Jesus said in John 3:6-7 (Amplified), "What is born of, from the flesh is flesh (of the physical is physical); and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not (do not be surprised, astonished) at My telling you, You must all be born anew from above." Notice how He said, "You must all be born anew from above." Adam was born from above, when God created him in the Image and Likeness of God. At his fall from the Presence and Likeness of God in the Garden, Adam lost what he was "born with" and it was replaced by the spirit and likeness of his new father, the devil. Adam forfeited his Likeness and birthright for something he couldn't fix or change.
Adam watched the Blessing become a curse and what he had at his hand before, was given into the perverted hands of his foster father, the devil. We were born into sin by Adam's transgress and had lost all contact with God, by this transfer from Life into death. The Blessing was gone from mankind, by Adam's fall. When we were born-again, it was more than some religious experience. It was like any born being, it was Life. We had been "Dead in trespass and sin, without covenant, and without God in this world," according to Ephesians 2:12.
Most of us have never really considered the Truth of being born-again. We believed we were saved, but didn't know what we were saved from. We've understood that "being saved," meant "going the Heaven, instead of going to hell, when we die." This is True, but being saved is so much more and deeper than that. We were dead in our spirit and needed to be reborn, born anew, and born-again. We're not just forgiven sinners, but we're completely new creation children of God, like Adam was in the first creation.
We weren't recreated, but were created anew from the Incorruptible Seed or Word of God, Jesus, Who was slain on our behalf. We're to bring forth a harvest of new members into God's family. Jesus said in John 12:24 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just one grain; it never becomes more, but lives by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says, "The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind, and God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable), and He approved it." This is the Law of Genesis, "Everything produces after kind." Jesus speaks of Himself as, "A grain of wheat and the harvest is a rich harvest, in John 12:27. The harvest comes from the grain of wheat (Jesus, the Seed) and it produces after kind. 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."
Galatians 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Now the Promises (covenants, agreements), were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir)." God doesn't say, "And to his seeds, descendants, heirs," as if referring to many persons, but "And to your Seed, your Descendant, your Heir," obviously referring to One Individual, Who is none other than Christ Jesus, the Messiah.
Jesus is the Seed and called Himself "a grain of wheat," and this Seed, also produces after kind. We were created by this Seed and were created just like Him (after kind). We're not Him of course, but we're just like Him. We are children of God, the righteousness of God, the just and pure and holy creations of God, beings that didn't previously exist and holy creations of God. Jesus, the Seed produced us after kind. We're born from above by the Spirit. Everything that was in The Seed, is reproduced into the harvest and produces after kind.
A watermelon has many seeds and each will produce other watermelons that are like the original watermelon. The Church still functions as though we weren't born-again from above and continue living the way we were before, in this natural realm of flesh. Through the new creation Seed, we are like Jesus was, a living God born child of God, living in a house of flesh, but with Kingdom rights and privileges and with the ability to walk above this earth and this realm. The Seed produced after kind, like the Law of Genesis has declared it to.
We were raised in this world, without God or covenant with Him. We really knew very little about God or His ways of doing and being right. Most of what we did know about God, came from carnal knowledge and man's religion, instead of from the Revelation of Who He really is or what He has truly done through Jesus. We learned about the forgiveness of sin, but probably didn't learn why He did that. The sin was Adam's and the results were transferred to all mankind through him, because the seed produced after kind.
It was never really about what you or I had done, but about what Adam did. The wages of sin is death. Adam's sin sowed death into the spirit of everyone born of his seed, which is all of us. The only way to change this, was through our Lord Jesus. When Jesus died, we all died with Him and when He was buried, we were all buried with Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, we were raised with Him. When Jesus became the new creation, we also became new creations, who are just like Him, according to the Law of Genesis.
This is why God's Word tells the new creation persons that we were crucified with Christ, buried with Him in our baptism and raised with Him at His Resurrection. We're not just forgiven, but we're brand new creations, according to 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) which says, "Our old previous moral condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come." We are created by God through Jesus. We're brand new creations, born of God by the Seed of God, into God's Kingdom as His Own children. All God sees in you, is Jesus.
We've never learned to actually walk in the Spirit, because we've only ever known this realm of the flesh and the world. Walking in the Spirit is walking like Jesus did, above the realm that the First Adam delivered to us, by his fall from God's Presence. We inherited the Curse, bondage, death of the spirit and body, and fear, from the First Adam's sin. We also inherited a lack of understanding of what the Father's intention, when He created mankind in the beginning.
Paul instructed us to "Renew our minds." This doesn't mean we're to stop sinning in our lives, but includes learning who we've become through Jesus, so we can walk like God created us to be. We were created to lay hands on the sick, speak in tongues, enter God's Presence, take authority over satan and demonic spirits, be righteous with certainty,and inherit the Promises. These things are Spirit and Super-natural. Only those who truly know who we are in Christ Jesus, can walk in this realm with Him, in full assurance of answered prayer.
Adam watched the Blessing become a curse and what he had at his hand before, was given into the perverted hands of his foster father, the devil. We were born into sin by Adam's transgress and had lost all contact with God, by this transfer from Life into death. The Blessing was gone from mankind, by Adam's fall. When we were born-again, it was more than some religious experience. It was like any born being, it was Life. We had been "Dead in trespass and sin, without covenant, and without God in this world," according to Ephesians 2:12.
Most of us have never really considered the Truth of being born-again. We believed we were saved, but didn't know what we were saved from. We've understood that "being saved," meant "going the Heaven, instead of going to hell, when we die." This is True, but being saved is so much more and deeper than that. We were dead in our spirit and needed to be reborn, born anew, and born-again. We're not just forgiven sinners, but we're completely new creation children of God, like Adam was in the first creation.
We weren't recreated, but were created anew from the Incorruptible Seed or Word of God, Jesus, Who was slain on our behalf. We're to bring forth a harvest of new members into God's family. Jesus said in John 12:24 (Amplified), "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just one grain; it never becomes more, but lives by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says, "The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind, and God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable), and He approved it." This is the Law of Genesis, "Everything produces after kind." Jesus speaks of Himself as, "A grain of wheat and the harvest is a rich harvest, in John 12:27. The harvest comes from the grain of wheat (Jesus, the Seed) and it produces after kind. 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."
Galatians 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Now the Promises (covenants, agreements), were decreed and made to Abraham and his Seed (his Offspring, his Heir)." God doesn't say, "And to his seeds, descendants, heirs," as if referring to many persons, but "And to your Seed, your Descendant, your Heir," obviously referring to One Individual, Who is none other than Christ Jesus, the Messiah.
Jesus is the Seed and called Himself "a grain of wheat," and this Seed, also produces after kind. We were created by this Seed and were created just like Him (after kind). We're not Him of course, but we're just like Him. We are children of God, the righteousness of God, the just and pure and holy creations of God, beings that didn't previously exist and holy creations of God. Jesus, the Seed produced us after kind. We're born from above by the Spirit. Everything that was in The Seed, is reproduced into the harvest and produces after kind.
A watermelon has many seeds and each will produce other watermelons that are like the original watermelon. The Church still functions as though we weren't born-again from above and continue living the way we were before, in this natural realm of flesh. Through the new creation Seed, we are like Jesus was, a living God born child of God, living in a house of flesh, but with Kingdom rights and privileges and with the ability to walk above this earth and this realm. The Seed produced after kind, like the Law of Genesis has declared it to.
We were raised in this world, without God or covenant with Him. We really knew very little about God or His ways of doing and being right. Most of what we did know about God, came from carnal knowledge and man's religion, instead of from the Revelation of Who He really is or what He has truly done through Jesus. We learned about the forgiveness of sin, but probably didn't learn why He did that. The sin was Adam's and the results were transferred to all mankind through him, because the seed produced after kind.
It was never really about what you or I had done, but about what Adam did. The wages of sin is death. Adam's sin sowed death into the spirit of everyone born of his seed, which is all of us. The only way to change this, was through our Lord Jesus. When Jesus died, we all died with Him and when He was buried, we were all buried with Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, we were raised with Him. When Jesus became the new creation, we also became new creations, who are just like Him, according to the Law of Genesis.
This is why God's Word tells the new creation persons that we were crucified with Christ, buried with Him in our baptism and raised with Him at His Resurrection. We're not just forgiven, but we're brand new creations, according to 2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) which says, "Our old previous moral condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come." We are created by God through Jesus. We're brand new creations, born of God by the Seed of God, into God's Kingdom as His Own children. All God sees in you, is Jesus.
We've never learned to actually walk in the Spirit, because we've only ever known this realm of the flesh and the world. Walking in the Spirit is walking like Jesus did, above the realm that the First Adam delivered to us, by his fall from God's Presence. We inherited the Curse, bondage, death of the spirit and body, and fear, from the First Adam's sin. We also inherited a lack of understanding of what the Father's intention, when He created mankind in the beginning.
Paul instructed us to "Renew our minds." This doesn't mean we're to stop sinning in our lives, but includes learning who we've become through Jesus, so we can walk like God created us to be. We were created to lay hands on the sick, speak in tongues, enter God's Presence, take authority over satan and demonic spirits, be righteous with certainty,and inherit the Promises. These things are Spirit and Super-natural. Only those who truly know who we are in Christ Jesus, can walk in this realm with Him, in full assurance of answered prayer.
Friday, June 5, 2020
Lesson 23 The Church's Identity Crisis
2Corinthians 5:16-17 (Amplified) says, "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."
2Corinthians 5:1 (Amplified) says, "For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building (a house not made with hands), eternal in the heavens."
These scriptures tell us that our body, with it's outward appearance, is nothing more than a house in which the real us resides. We don't fall in love with the houses we live in, but with the one who lives in that house. It should make little difference what color our houses are painted, but the one living in the house should matter. We have houses of black, white, brown, yellow and multitudes of colors in between, living around the world today. Showing prejudice towards the color of anyone's house, shows the greatest degree of Spiritual immaturity.
The enemy has used this for thousands of years, in order to divide us and bring chaos. Paul said that, "We no longer regard any man from a purely human point of view. No, not even Jesus Himself," in 2Corinthians 5:16. 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)."
If you're a Christian and walk in racism, then you're not walking in True worship, no matter how you sing, dress, or live. Being a Christian and walking in racism, is carnality in its highest form of hypocrisy. This is hate wrapped up in a pretty ribbon and is offensive to God. Little kids don't harbor racism or prejudice, but have to be taught to hate. This comes from the parents and the culture, not from God.
As Christians today, we've seemingly lost the identity we have in Christ Jesus and have conformed to the world. God doesn't look on the outward man/woman, but on the heart. One flower might be blue, while another is red. God created both and both are beautiful in His eyes. The world is rife with political correctness and liberal laws, which now dictate how we should talk and act. The Holy Spirit has already said all of this from God's Word, if we would only listen.
God has directed us to, "Speak to one another in Love. We are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," in Galatians 3:28 (Amplified). Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) tells us, "The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our spirit assuring us that we are God's children. 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 read about some of Jesus' suffering in John 8:41 (Amplified), where Jesus says, "I've been doing the things I learned from My Father. You are doing the works of your own father. They said to Him, we are not illegitimate children and born of fornication, we have one Father, even God." This might sound like they're speaking to Jesus about their covenant through Abraham, but they're also accusing Jesus of being born from fornication. Nazareth was a small town and everyone probably knew everyone and everyone's business. They probably all knew that Mary was with child, before being married to Joseph. I'm sure the gossips were asking, "Who is Jesus' real father?" John 8:19 (Amplified) says, "Then they said to him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered them, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also."
Jesus was mocked, disdained, accused of being illegitimate and even demon possessed, by His Own kin. We think we have a problem with people talking about us. Some might not understand you and where you're walking with God, but if God is your Judge, then who cares what they think or say. We must walk where God tells us to walk and live like He tells us to live, so we can be pleasing to Him. We will never please mankind, even if we obey all their laws and statutes. Many will never understand you, if you're living for God.
The world is trying it's best, to conform the Church to it's standards. We're told we must accept anyone and anything that the world thinks and tells us to. There are times when we must take a stand for God and say, "No, this is not right and I refuse to accept it in my life." The beliefs of others should never determine how we think and act. We'll always be different to the world, when we walk with God. We're not called to conform to the world, but to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds by the Word of God." Don't be moved by the color a house is painted, but just love the one who lives there.
Jesus said in John 17:16 (Amplified), "You are in this world, but not of the world." If we allow the world's ideas and prejudices to control your thoughts, then you'll never find peace in this life. You'll be tormented by anger most of the time. The news is out to sell sensationalism and make money by doing so. If everyone turned the news off for two weeks, then then our nation would settle down. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be laws and justice in our land, but we shouldn't allow the chaos.
If you're born-again, then you're called to a higher place and a better Law of the Spirit. We can't be conformed to this world, but must be transformed by renewing our minds with God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We must think and act by the Spirit, instead of the world. Even though things here are unsettling and chaotic, God is still on the Throne and He's able to change things, if we do it by His way of doing and being right. Casting Crowns sing, "The only way we'll ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands."
2Corinthians 5:1 (Amplified) says, "For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building (a house not made with hands), eternal in the heavens."
These scriptures tell us that our body, with it's outward appearance, is nothing more than a house in which the real us resides. We don't fall in love with the houses we live in, but with the one who lives in that house. It should make little difference what color our houses are painted, but the one living in the house should matter. We have houses of black, white, brown, yellow and multitudes of colors in between, living around the world today. Showing prejudice towards the color of anyone's house, shows the greatest degree of Spiritual immaturity.
The enemy has used this for thousands of years, in order to divide us and bring chaos. Paul said that, "We no longer regard any man from a purely human point of view. No, not even Jesus Himself," in 2Corinthians 5:16. 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)."
If you're a Christian and walk in racism, then you're not walking in True worship, no matter how you sing, dress, or live. Being a Christian and walking in racism, is carnality in its highest form of hypocrisy. This is hate wrapped up in a pretty ribbon and is offensive to God. Little kids don't harbor racism or prejudice, but have to be taught to hate. This comes from the parents and the culture, not from God.
As Christians today, we've seemingly lost the identity we have in Christ Jesus and have conformed to the world. God doesn't look on the outward man/woman, but on the heart. One flower might be blue, while another is red. God created both and both are beautiful in His eyes. The world is rife with political correctness and liberal laws, which now dictate how we should talk and act. The Holy Spirit has already said all of this from God's Word, if we would only listen.
God has directed us to, "Speak to one another in Love. We are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus," in Galatians 3:28 (Amplified). Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) tells us, "The Spirit Himself thus testifies together with our spirit assuring us that we are God's children. 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 read about some of Jesus' suffering in John 8:41 (Amplified), where Jesus says, "I've been doing the things I learned from My Father. You are doing the works of your own father. They said to Him, we are not illegitimate children and born of fornication, we have one Father, even God." This might sound like they're speaking to Jesus about their covenant through Abraham, but they're also accusing Jesus of being born from fornication. Nazareth was a small town and everyone probably knew everyone and everyone's business. They probably all knew that Mary was with child, before being married to Joseph. I'm sure the gossips were asking, "Who is Jesus' real father?" John 8:19 (Amplified) says, "Then they said to him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered them, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also."
Jesus was mocked, disdained, accused of being illegitimate and even demon possessed, by His Own kin. We think we have a problem with people talking about us. Some might not understand you and where you're walking with God, but if God is your Judge, then who cares what they think or say. We must walk where God tells us to walk and live like He tells us to live, so we can be pleasing to Him. We will never please mankind, even if we obey all their laws and statutes. Many will never understand you, if you're living for God.
The world is trying it's best, to conform the Church to it's standards. We're told we must accept anyone and anything that the world thinks and tells us to. There are times when we must take a stand for God and say, "No, this is not right and I refuse to accept it in my life." The beliefs of others should never determine how we think and act. We'll always be different to the world, when we walk with God. We're not called to conform to the world, but to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds by the Word of God." Don't be moved by the color a house is painted, but just love the one who lives there.
Jesus said in John 17:16 (Amplified), "You are in this world, but not of the world." If we allow the world's ideas and prejudices to control your thoughts, then you'll never find peace in this life. You'll be tormented by anger most of the time. The news is out to sell sensationalism and make money by doing so. If everyone turned the news off for two weeks, then then our nation would settle down. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be laws and justice in our land, but we shouldn't allow the chaos.
If you're born-again, then you're called to a higher place and a better Law of the Spirit. We can't be conformed to this world, but must be transformed by renewing our minds with God's Word and the Holy Spirit. We must think and act by the Spirit, instead of the world. Even though things here are unsettling and chaotic, God is still on the Throne and He's able to change things, if we do it by His way of doing and being right. Casting Crowns sing, "The only way we'll ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands."
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Lesson 22 The Church's Identity Crisis
While we're held back by the enemy's Covid19 pandemic, along with the rioting, burning and looting, are you praying and standing in faith that God will cause you to triumph over evil, like His Word says? Many people are glued to their televisions or computers, watching the news. We listen to so many opinions given by the media and then foster our own opinions from them. I hear more blame given to our President, than the war on humanity occurring on our streets.
It's easy to sit at home and call the shots from our living room as "arm chair quarterbacks." If your house, car or business was burned, looted or destroyed though, then you'd be calling for the troops to be sent out and stop it. If one of your family members was being shot or having bricks, Molotov cocktails or bottles of urine thrown at them, then would you be critical of the calls to send the troops or anyone to stop it? The world only sees what it wants to see and accepts things as they are. The peaceful protesters are sincerely seeking justice for George Floyd, who was killed by a policeman. Others though, see it as the opportunity they've been waiting for, in order to steal, kill, and destroy.
There have been wealthy people who've hired busloads of agitators, to cause unrest and turmoil, in the cities they've been bused to. They don't have any regard or care to the innocent people, whose lives they're turning upside down. Our country is already been hit by the Covid19, which has caused so many businesses to close amid the lock down. Fifteen million people have lost their jobs, small business owners might not be able to reopen, schools are closed, and people don't have money to buy food to feed their families. And now, add the chaos of the rioting, looting and burning.
I believe that justice should be done on behalf of this man, whose life was cut short by a policeman, but not at the expense of other innocent people. We can protest the injustice through peaceful means and through prayer. The looters and rioters are paid to take advantage of the opportunity to bring our country down by lawlessness. And they've done so without consequence. Many in Hollywood are even paying their bail, when they should have given that money to George Floyd's family to cover his funeral expenses and more.
The people who are funding and supporting the criminal acts of brutality, will suffer the consequence and penalty for their conduct. There's a justice that is much higher and sees everything happening behind-the-scenes. Dr. Martin Luther King changed the face of a whole nation and he did it without rioting and looting. He did it by protest, prayer and God's help. Some today are staying in the realm of Truth and following Dr. King's pattern, but not everyone is. It's easy to be swayed by the mob, but it's wrong.
Church, this is the time to bring the power of prayer and our faith to bear upon this time of chaos. God tells us in 2Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified), "If My people, who are called by My Name will turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, I will hear from Heaven and heal their Land." God didn't say that "Everyone must pray," but He said, "If My people." If those who are called by His Name still believe this scripture, then we must pray.
God isn't responsible for all the foolishness that going on, like some would tell you. God isn't the problem, but He is the Answer to the problem. It's easy to stay sitting and say, "Well it must be God's will" or "God's in control of this mess." This is the attitude of people who don't know the Father's heart, which is full of Love for them. Jesus said in John 10:10 that, "The thief comes to steal,kill, and destroy." We can definitely see the enemy's signature on the things happening around our nation today.
It's easy for TV hosts to criticize our Commander in Chief, because they're houses are in gated communities and their families aren't being terrorized. If they were, then you'd hear their cries for him to do more to protect them. If they had worked a lifetime, struggling and sacrificing to build a business, only to watch it looted and burned down, then you wouldn't see them being so gleeful at the riots.
How would you feel, if your children were hiding and crying in fear, but you were unable to protect them? If you're a Christians and involved in these protests, then you must handle it God's way, in prayer and standing on His Promises to deliver and bring justice.
God said in 2Chronicles, that "He will heal our land." Our land is sick with unGodly laws, open defiance in the Face of God and dirty politics, that we've come to the place where chaos is abounding. The Church has accepted it as being the new normal. The Church was given charge and authority over things here on earth. We've been given charge over the demonic things happening in our government too. We have the responsibility to pray and we should have been in prayer, before the chaos began. We shouldn't wait to pray for God to fix things, when the enemy brings disaster. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and He will direct our prayers, before the enemy strikes. If the world saw the power of prayer through the Church, then they would join our prayer meetings and bring their prayer requests before the Lord.
The world sees little results of the Church's prayers. Believers don't see results from their prayers either and say, "God must be allowing it, in order to teach us something." God's Word tells us that, "Even what the enemy meant for evil, the Lord can turn it to our good." When we intercede and come before the Lord in prayer, He can and will turn this chaos into triumph, not only for the Church, but everyone involved. It's time for the Church to shine as the Light of the world and trust God to shut this thing down. We read about Elijah stopping the rain for 31/2 years, by praying. The rain began again, after he prayed again. If one righteous man could do this in prayer, then what could two-billion people who are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus do, if we prayed?
It's easy to sit at home and call the shots from our living room as "arm chair quarterbacks." If your house, car or business was burned, looted or destroyed though, then you'd be calling for the troops to be sent out and stop it. If one of your family members was being shot or having bricks, Molotov cocktails or bottles of urine thrown at them, then would you be critical of the calls to send the troops or anyone to stop it? The world only sees what it wants to see and accepts things as they are. The peaceful protesters are sincerely seeking justice for George Floyd, who was killed by a policeman. Others though, see it as the opportunity they've been waiting for, in order to steal, kill, and destroy.
There have been wealthy people who've hired busloads of agitators, to cause unrest and turmoil, in the cities they've been bused to. They don't have any regard or care to the innocent people, whose lives they're turning upside down. Our country is already been hit by the Covid19, which has caused so many businesses to close amid the lock down. Fifteen million people have lost their jobs, small business owners might not be able to reopen, schools are closed, and people don't have money to buy food to feed their families. And now, add the chaos of the rioting, looting and burning.
I believe that justice should be done on behalf of this man, whose life was cut short by a policeman, but not at the expense of other innocent people. We can protest the injustice through peaceful means and through prayer. The looters and rioters are paid to take advantage of the opportunity to bring our country down by lawlessness. And they've done so without consequence. Many in Hollywood are even paying their bail, when they should have given that money to George Floyd's family to cover his funeral expenses and more.
The people who are funding and supporting the criminal acts of brutality, will suffer the consequence and penalty for their conduct. There's a justice that is much higher and sees everything happening behind-the-scenes. Dr. Martin Luther King changed the face of a whole nation and he did it without rioting and looting. He did it by protest, prayer and God's help. Some today are staying in the realm of Truth and following Dr. King's pattern, but not everyone is. It's easy to be swayed by the mob, but it's wrong.
Church, this is the time to bring the power of prayer and our faith to bear upon this time of chaos. God tells us in 2Chronicles 7:14 (Amplified), "If My people, who are called by My Name will turn from their wicked ways, humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, I will hear from Heaven and heal their Land." God didn't say that "Everyone must pray," but He said, "If My people." If those who are called by His Name still believe this scripture, then we must pray.
God isn't responsible for all the foolishness that going on, like some would tell you. God isn't the problem, but He is the Answer to the problem. It's easy to stay sitting and say, "Well it must be God's will" or "God's in control of this mess." This is the attitude of people who don't know the Father's heart, which is full of Love for them. Jesus said in John 10:10 that, "The thief comes to steal,kill, and destroy." We can definitely see the enemy's signature on the things happening around our nation today.
It's easy for TV hosts to criticize our Commander in Chief, because they're houses are in gated communities and their families aren't being terrorized. If they were, then you'd hear their cries for him to do more to protect them. If they had worked a lifetime, struggling and sacrificing to build a business, only to watch it looted and burned down, then you wouldn't see them being so gleeful at the riots.
How would you feel, if your children were hiding and crying in fear, but you were unable to protect them? If you're a Christians and involved in these protests, then you must handle it God's way, in prayer and standing on His Promises to deliver and bring justice.
God said in 2Chronicles, that "He will heal our land." Our land is sick with unGodly laws, open defiance in the Face of God and dirty politics, that we've come to the place where chaos is abounding. The Church has accepted it as being the new normal. The Church was given charge and authority over things here on earth. We've been given charge over the demonic things happening in our government too. We have the responsibility to pray and we should have been in prayer, before the chaos began. We shouldn't wait to pray for God to fix things, when the enemy brings disaster. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and He will direct our prayers, before the enemy strikes. If the world saw the power of prayer through the Church, then they would join our prayer meetings and bring their prayer requests before the Lord.
The world sees little results of the Church's prayers. Believers don't see results from their prayers either and say, "God must be allowing it, in order to teach us something." God's Word tells us that, "Even what the enemy meant for evil, the Lord can turn it to our good." When we intercede and come before the Lord in prayer, He can and will turn this chaos into triumph, not only for the Church, but everyone involved. It's time for the Church to shine as the Light of the world and trust God to shut this thing down. We read about Elijah stopping the rain for 31/2 years, by praying. The rain began again, after he prayed again. If one righteous man could do this in prayer, then what could two-billion people who are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus do, if we prayed?
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