Most of us have asked God for wisdom and knowledge at one time or another. We have also been asked for them by someone needing help. Whatever the circumstances, God's wisdom & knowledge...never deviates from Christ's character and His actions when He was here on earth. Like anything else...anything...God wants our faith and gaze to always end up back on Christ Jesus. Why?
Col. 2: 1I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself. 3In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.6And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. 7Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powersa of this world, rather than from Christ. 9For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.b 10So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the Head over every ruler and authority.
We want to obey God...to emulate Christ...yet, we'll fail...or we'll be trying and trying in our own flesh...unless we learn to do it a different way. Not too long ago in our recent history the WWJD movement began. However, it faded, but why? This article has an idea about that....
We cannot do anything 'God derived' in our flesh, so as to bear the kind of fruit that accomplishes His purposes. This is why it behooves us to stand back for a time and ask God to teach us to be fruit bearers, instead of 'trying' and exerting ourselves to bear fruit.
Then even when we do bear fruit by own efforts, what comes of it? Is it lasting fruit? This is the question that the believers before us perhaps did not understand...which is why the movement that had good intentions, sunk into near nothingness ~ like a house built on sand...or wine skin that burst ~ because it had old wine put into it.
Evil wars against the human body that is already weak, then fights to sway our mind away from Christ so it can't cooperate with the things of the Spirit. ~ Who will give us the victory over these things...so our body and mind can be used for God, instead of against Him?
1 John 5:4 For
everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome
the world, even our faith.
Faith in what or whom? In ourselves? In our own abilities? In our own actions? In our own common sense? In our own knowledge and wisdom? In our own feelings? In our own ways? In our own talents? In our own intellect? In our own interpersonal skills?
OR
Faith in Christ Jesus? In His abilities? In His actions? In His common sense? In His knowledge and wisdom? In His feelings? In His ways? In His talents? In His intellect? and In His interpersonal skills?
Which source do you have faith in so as to be a 'happy tree'? A fruit bearer who is living it's purpose and shares in the blessings??
You who have been born of God...so you have been planted IN Him...and your roots have complete access to the Source...to Christ Jesus. He has given you a new nature, He is inside and with and around you....as well as His written word is before you...He has hemed you in on everyside! Psalm 139:5 "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand of blessing upon
me". Jesus is your everything...including your teacher.
John 13: 12When he had finished
washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
13“You call me ‘Teacher’
and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14Now that I, your Lord
and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet. 15I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth,
no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one
who sent him. 17Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
He wants to be our example. He desires to teach us, and then His Holy Spirit remind us, how to live. Our spirit, which has been made new, is very willing, ready and able! However, our body is weak, and is used to doing things the old way. Jesus said in Matt. 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Then Paul, who emulated Christ, is saying the same thing Jesus said here in Rom. 7: "21So I find this law at
work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For
in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law
at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and
making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What
a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to
God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
The disciples walked with Jesus and learned from Him...so we can also walk with Christ through the gospels and learn from Him there as well. John 2: 20“What!” they exclaimed.
“It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in
three days?” 21But when Jesus said
“this temple,” he meant his own body. 22After he was raised
from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both
the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.
Paul also learned from and emulated Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1), and so when we go there and read his letters and learn from him...this is also learning from Christ. Phil. 4:9 'Keep putting into practice all you learned and received
from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace
will be with you."
We must remember as we are in this process, that God has not left us clueless at all!! He has shown us in His written word all the specifics...so you and I can become more familiar with what comes from His Spirit and what doesn't. Perhaps the WWJD movement didn't last because the fruit trees were expected to keep on growing and producing God's fruit even when the things not of God began coming out of the same trees?
James 3: 9-18 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Light and dark can not exist together...and even a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Or perhaps Christ grew into a mere idea, instead of a real Person who was God in the flesh and Who's every word and every action represented God exactly.
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of impartiality and hypocrisy. 18Peacemakers who sow seeds of peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
Gal. 5: 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I think it gets hard for Christians because we are living in two worlds - two Kingdoms. We are used to living in one of the worlds...namely this one...so we are pretty sure about how things work here for most people. For instance...what kinds of things do human beings like to do and what gives us joy and creates memories?
OK, better yet, what in your life have given you great memories and real joy in this world? While you are thinking about it, here are some of mine --
*Teaching and helping children
*Creating various kinds of fine art
*When my book was published
*Making a difference
somewhere, anywhere
*Going to the mountains
*When I know I've helped
someone grow in Christ
*Going to an Emmaus weekend
*Having and caring for animals
*When I've had very close friends
*Antiquing in a little town unhurriedly
*When I recieve good news
and surprises
*When someone gives me
something from their heart
I am confident that God also wants us to begin having many joyful experiences in God's world too. But, how does this happen? We can see and touch this human kingdom, but God's kingdom is not so easily seen or touched. Yes, there is a way! But how?
Well, as you know, there were obstacles that kept us out of the Kingdom of God before Christ. The law made it about impossible to experience the joys of living in God's kingdom, because of our own inabilities to meet the requirements of the law.
But now, because of Christ we have a clear path to God and full access to His kingdom...even tho we have not experienced the physical heaven yet, the kingdom of God is within us.
So, now isn't it time to begin thinking about what memorable and joyful things there are to do here in God's kingdom? It IS as real as this world, yes!? God wants to help us add many experiences to our list!
Ok, then....how does this happen?
Romans 1 :17 "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "The righteous shall live by faith"
In God's kingdom anything and everything is done by faith...
Here in the USA at least, it is quite normal to say excuse me when we bump into someone, as we have come to expect it will makes things ok. However, I know for me anyway, I do it by faith as well, especially if I don't know the person and how they would react to being bumped!
There are many things we automatically do at home or in our society because they are just things one does! My sister-in-law came from a country that hugging was not done very often...it is something she said that she had to get used to doing and it being done to her...and at the beginning she merely did it by faith after learning it was a typical thing to do here. Then in time it became much more natural to her...
To us, doing the things in God's Kingdom is like this...we are in a Kingdom that does things differently...so we start out at least doing things that God wants us to do merely out of faith. Out of believing that God knows what He is doing and knows how things work in His invisable Kingdom.
For instance, the primary thing God wants us to do is love. To believe what God has said about his love, and then be a part of expressing it. In whatever measure...in whatever way...where ever we are...to imitate God in this world that needs Him...and in so doing be blessed ourselves! Like a sweet perfume...when sharing it with others, one can't help but getting it on yourselves!
Galatians 5:6 "For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only
thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
1 Corinthians 9:23 "I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings."
God is love. He is not just a God who loves...He IS love. Love is to Him an essential part of being. This is why He commands that we love...and likewise that we emulate Him as His dear children...because He wants us to identify with Him and participate in His likeness.
He does not do this so as to put another law on us...He does so because He knows what will make us complete and give us joy!! We already know what gives us joy in this earthly world...now God wants to teach us what will bring us joy in His world. Can you trust Him?
Love is not hard or burdensome...which is why it is more than compatable with grace. It is a joy and a blessing! The Pharisees and Experts in the Law of long ago and those of today want to have some religious control and in so doing are keeping many from the knowledge of God's love and grace that would set us free -- therefore, they are misrepresenting God!
Luke 11:46 "Yes," said Jesus, "what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden."
Luke 11:52 "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in."
The command to love can be likened to a loving Father who brings home some very precious and personal gifts for each of his beloved children...then commands that they not just hold onto them....but open and experience them! Live them, share them and enjoy them. Now, how would this be burdensome or difficult?? This is just like God insisting that I be blessed!
Luke 12; 32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Now, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Acts 20:35 “And I have shown you everything, that it is necessary to labor and to take care of those who are weak and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, who said, 'He who gives is more blessed than he who receives.'”
1 Cor. 9:23 "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
1 John 5:3 "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome".
Matthew 11:30 'Jesus said, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The command to love in not under the law. A law can be measured, therefore we can tell when a law hasn't been obeyed. But love is not and cannot be under the law -- since love cannot be measured like a rule can!
So, where ever you are in your loving efforts, is wonderful and acceptable to God!! Because when we share God's love in any measure, it has the same power to perfect God's love in us, as well as rid us of any fears we still have of condemnation. A little leaven (or love), leavens the whole lump!
Col. 1 "10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. 11Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. 12No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13We know that we live in him and he lives in us because he has given us his Spirit.
14We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. 16We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them.
17God's love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him [with regard to love]. 18No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn't have perfect love. 19We love because God loved us first.
20Whoever says, "I love God," but hates another believer is a liar. People who don't love other believers, whom they have seen, can't love God, whom they have not seen. 21Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers."
Living in love does so much...and most of all creates intimacy with God.
John 14:21 "Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father's love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them."
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It is impossible to please God without some measure of faith. But the prospect of living life entirely by it, is viewed as impractical, unnecessary, and foolish by many. After several years of learning to be a bit more foolish, I remain unconvinced as to which is more difficult: being willing to do anything for the Lord or willing to believe He would do anything for me.
Willingness to be foolish
Sunday morning at 10:15 the words “Stand up and sing” formed in my mind...and lingered there like those of an unforgettable friend. And ten minutes before the sermon would end I heard them again and again. “Stand up and sing… sing Jesus loves me!” I looked around at a thousand quiet souls and wondered who it might have been that said it. Some craning their necks toward the pulpit to catch every corporate word, others with arms outstretched and nodding agreeably at what they’d already heard. But not one, including the speaker, had requested a song or singer to interrupt with something completely absurd…like “Stand up Kevin and sing Jesus loves me”.
I looked at my watch then down at my feet until clarity wrapped around my dignity and began to sink its teeth. Either God has a plan and had taken time to speak or I was about to be crowned church idiot and king of all freaks. If God indeed has a plan then He surely has a voice but sometimes He just hauls off and forces us to make a choice….
Faith comes by the hearing of God’s word but only with rigorous testing will its measure increase. To that end, any David willing to dance before God with all his might must first count the cost of being despised by others in exchange for his Father’s delight. If you consider yourself a sheep in the fold of Jesus, one that hears His voice and follows, then I have a question: What would you do if He asked you to raise your hands and worship Him on the front porch or in the supermarket? Or maybe while in the mall or jogging with your iPod? The question is not whether we think it’s unnecessary or even senseless but instead whether we know the sound of His voice and are consumed by obedience to it.
So my moment of truth came down to this: Avoid the entire charade and risk offending God’s Spirit or move forward obediently and risk offending the minds of men. With legs a prickling and every ounce of blood attempting escape through my face, I two handed the back of the chair in front of me and began pulling myself into place – a standing position. And inching into my periphery was the nauseating blur of faces who were about to be embarrassed…for me.
Willingness to believe foolishly
By late summer we’d been awarded a substantial work contract which held the promise of meeting our financial needs for another year. But as the project began with great hope, so it began with a series of hopelessly unexpected interruptions. Three months and twice as many postponements later our summer of great expectation had given way to another November of desperation. After all, without the benefit of this income we’d literally lose every inch of ground that was gained the entire previous year, and more.
Yet throughout this journey the Lord without fail has sustained our every need by His abundant provision. And all the more generous at times, He has grown our faith by withholding that provision until all seemed lost. So with Christmas only weeks away, a delinquent mortgage and every resource exhausted, we waited patiently for the good news to come, until finally…with no time to spare…it came. We rejoiced that the project delays were over – hallelujah! On the other hand, the project was also over, cut from the budget at the eleventh hour without warning.
I’m not a pastor, theologian or teacher. I don’t have a church, a fan club or a flock. I’m just a regular guy with a testimony who would rather tear away empty pockets than fill them with empty promises. Before any of us can stand on the banks of the Red Sea and believe that it will open, we’ve got to learn the sound of God’s voice, like Moses at the burning bush. And then be consumed by obedience to it in spite of the doubting opinions of others, like Israel, who would rather remain safely in bondage.
Finally, we must become unshakable before the Godless kingdoms of this world, like Egypt, who will stop at nothing to keep us enslaved. Or mammon, the spirit that makes us cringe when we ask if the Good Samaritan would help the same man twice or three times...as long as needed, or stop when it begins to reduce his own storehouse.
It was no accident that every time Moses stepped out in faith God turned up the heat. From the unwinnable assignment, to Pharaoh’s hardened heart, to making bricks without straw, to being ridiculed by his own people, Moses was well prepared to face the impossible when it arrived. And right on time, after years of preparation, our very own Red Sea moment has arrived to daunt the natural eyes and remind us that God, not man, is our deliverer and God, not mammon, is our place of rest.
Willing to stand up and sing…or not.
By now, halfheartedly standing in church, like the lone awkward applauder at a social event or the guy who tried and failed to start the wave in a stadium, I would become the gladiatorial fool who disrupted the entire service to stand up and sing Jesus loves me…loudly. With a brief glance at the auditorium door to weigh my last options for avoiding embarrassment, having easily stood to make a simple dash for the bathroom, the other half of my heart with great unction joined rank against my flesh and laid itself on the altar.
Just as the hymn whispered up from my spirit, these words…“do not offend the speaker” settled on my shoulders like the insisting hands of a remarkably strong grandfather. My posture recognized the escape long before my understanding and slumped without hesitation into a deep sigh of thanksgiving – praise the Lord! Then…with only a minute left, the speaker led the congregation in prayer before making a strange request:
“You know what folks? This is going to seem cheesy but before we dismiss…let’s all stand up and sing Jesus loves me”
And without hesitation I knew…I knew that the Lord had just restored what the thief of my struggle had stolen. Jesus loves me…He really, really does. Three days later I shared my experience with the pastor. After a momentary pause, he looked at me with conviction and said:
“Wow Kevin… it wasn’t until the closing prayer that God gave me that song for the congregation. It wasn’t planned or even thought of until I prayed.”
We both smiled and pondered the love of a God who reminds us He’s there by testing the limits of our willingness. And I knew for sure that a God who would captivate me audibly and confirm it, is a God who would never allow the needs of my family to go unmet…ever.
Willing to believe in the foolish things
In an upside down it’s the foolish things, not the practical, that glorify the King. When the fool has a need…he meets the needs of another. When his hands are empty…he offers his hands instead. When his storehouse overflows he remembers that life is a vapor and counts giving as a much greater privilege than making his future a little safer.
When he is maligned he is kind and when he is about to faint from depression, he offers high praise to the Lord and for others he makes petition. When the fool is counted by men as foolish in faith, lazy when things look tough and lucky when things seem great, he rejoices.
'When others would vigorously interrupt to increase the importance of their confident ideas...the fool is always humble and slow to speak. Why? Because he knows and is continually trusting that it is God Who is truly in charge anyway, and His Holy Spirit the faithful teacher...and because He continually wants to make sure that it is not he himself that is increasing...but it is Christ!'
The fool also gives thanks and reflects on these one-time foolish things: God made a way for Noah to escape, Sarah to conceive, Isaac to leave the altar and Abraham to father nations, Jacob to prosper over Laban, Joseph to feed the nations, Moses to deliver a nation, Joshua to win the promised land, Gideon’s three hundred over more than a hundred thousand. And God gave David the favor for an everlasting throne, Elijah the speed to outrun a chariot and power to feed a widow for months from a single meal, Jeremiah the zeal to stand alone, Daniel the conviction to pray out loud and face death, Esther the favor at just the right hour, Nehemiah the vision to rebuild...and ultimately He made a way for the birth, sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord, Savior and King of everything to exchange Himself for a bride.
If the prospect of living entirely by faith (in the One crucified entirely for us) is academically risky, impractical and even foolish…then our fork in the road is clear:
To one side, these bold men and women of scripture are like wonderful cartoon characters that we quote on occasion for practical wisdom. To the other, they are real people with blood and gut testimonies that have become the victories of our inheritance. To one side, we see a Savior pointing to our bootstraps who is willing to help if we’re willing to grab them first. To the other, we see that only momentary affliction is able to burn away such a Christian centered veneer. To one side, we see that practical wisdom aims to make life safe by storing up treasure for later and avoiding risky mistakes. To the other, we see that wise decisions are not even possible when made by the spirit of fear. To one side, we see the more sensible answers from the minds of men. To the other, we see the truth as it rings sincere through the veil of Christian ease:
Only when God becomes all that we want do we truly see that He is all we need.
Final Note:
My wife and I began learning to trust the Lord for our every need about four years ago. Within that time He has met them all abundantly and in His generosity, increased our lives exponentially – teaching us the sound of His voice, freedom from fear, and how to step into our identity. He has set our children are on fire, unified our marriage, and prepared our hearts with zeal for service. But none of our growth came without testing – testing that teaches us to rest in the Father’s arms like happy children, no matter how ugly the circumstance or radically foolish His instructions appear before men. In short, God has used the struggle set before our eyes in 2008 to remove a thousand struggles from within our hearts along the way.
Today, having our last resource stripped away at the eleventh hour, when all is lost without it, the most difficult test we’ve faced since the journey began has arrived. And honestly… we are worn out, having no taste or patience for the superficial. Never the less, we do well to remember that living by faith is the only way to know who we really are – any of us. The more we are willing to courageously trust Him with our life, the more willing He is to trust us with His plan.
Through the continued encouragement of publishers and others, I’ve been working diligently on my writing project and remain excited. Good things are just around the corner. Until then, please pray that we might endure gracefully. And please take courage in your own testing that you are not alone in the fight of faith – affliction is momentary, rewards are overwhelming.
Lord, today, when all seems lost, as we face our own Red Sea moment, we boast in your mighty works and offer thanks for your good plans. We lift up our praise and declare that the same God who delivered Moses from Egypt and delivered us these past four years will deliver us again for the sake of His glory. 'Vindicate us before all men that our testimony would prove us weak and helpless, so that it is You alone that is shown to be our strength and salvation'.
For all who are tired of relying, even a little, on something other than God, today you can rest in His arms like a happy child. But if you need living proof then come along and see what He does next.
For prayer or encouragement please contact me by email: wakeupmyfaith@att.net Or connect on
About Kevin Adams
As a student of God's word, photographer and writer, my chief aim is to help followers of Christ apprehend a real and passionate faith through the study of His word, by simple illustration, and regular encouragement. And by this faith they might catch a vision of who God shaped them to become. This blog is an account of my own journey toward that real and passionate faith, starting at ground zero. I hope it will offer some encouragement to any who've set their mind on seeking God's face, whatever the cost.
Our Salvation-
When God saves someone...they are saved. They are not halfway saved...no, completely saved! It would take very specific and rare circumstances for someone to lose their salvation! Yes, rare. God invested so much into our salvation...so do you think He would change His mind or let someone go so easily?? NO! We get shaken by happenstance, He does not. We change our mind on a whim, He does not. His mercies are new every morning...and this was spoken even before the New Covenant!
Lamentations 3:22-24
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never
ceases;b
his
mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is
your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my
soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Rom. 8: 1 Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 Cor. 3:9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious,
how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!
Romans 3:21 But now
a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law
and the Prophets testify.
2 Corinthians
5:21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we
might become the righteousness of God.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
New converts-
Some people however will either come forward at an alter call or pray a prayer to be saved under very emotional circumstances, and not truly receive Christ...not unlike someone who would say almost anything under feelings of compulsion or hopelessness. So, in the following verses, when he was giving instructions about choosing Overseers, this is what he had in mind concerning new converts.
As God knows if someone has truly accepted Him, but we do not, so it is important for us to take these precautions. Then the scriptures after that is the parable Jesus told about the same issue....that there will be some that have not received Christ even though they appeared to have done so at the beginning.
This is my personal belief -- since I believe God meets us where we are, I also think some people are still teetering when they pray...meaning they are still in the process of being saved...and any slight wind can cause them to be swept away.
1 Tim.3: 6Must not be a new convert, so that he will not
become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7And he must have a good reputation with those
outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare
of the devil.
Luke 8: 4While a large crowd was
gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this
parable: 5“A farmer went out to sow
his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was
trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.
6Some fell on rock, and
when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
8Still other seed fell on
good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was
sown.”
11“This is the meaning of
the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path
are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from
their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those
on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but
they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they
fall away.
14The seed that fell
among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are
choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
15But the seed on good
soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it,
and by persevering produce a crop.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The one unforgivable sin-
Luke 12: 8"I tell you, everyone
who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the
angels of God; 9but he who denies me in
the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
10Everyone who speaks a
word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against
the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11When they bring you
before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or
what you will answer, or what you will say; 12for the Holy Spirit
will teach you in that same hour what you must say."
Against - eis (a preposition) – properly,
into (unto) – literally, "motion into which" implying
penetration ("unto," "union") to a particular purpose or
result.
God in the flesh died for us and therefore paid an extremely heavy price...therefore He does not take it lightly when His Holy Spirit makes His home inside our heart and life. It would be compared to setting something priceless and sacred inside the finest gold...therefore a union He never, ever planned would ever be touched or removed!! Can you picture it?!
We can get mad at God and even allow our human nature to run at the mouth or have temper tantrums! However, blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is very different...it is essentially tampering with that one union that God deems as the most sacred....because it is that one thing...the union between God and man...that He died for!! It is deliberately taking action against the Holy Spirit...like, trying to extract something highly sacred and priceless from pure and fine gold -- and in so doing causing irrepairable damage.
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We are saved, and God is faithful to keep us that way. If we ever get even close (which is still far) to being close to the edge of losing our salvation...God is more than faithful then too.
1 Cor. 11:32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being
disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Hebrews 12:7
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father?
Rejoice!!
As you are going about your day, you get a knock on the door. When you open it, there are three people standing there. You know who they are, as they've visited before several times...and lately you've been a bit more curious too. There are also a couple families on your block who have joined what they've offered and there is something so different about them, not weird different, but a good and peaceful different. However, life has been so busy, and even difficult, that you haven't ever taken the time to really find out what they offer other than a ticket to what they say is a special place.
They were very nice and asked if you knew or had ever heard about what they offered before? You said you knew of them as they had visited before...but you didn't remember what they said, except that their caring demeanor left an impression. So they proceeded to tell you that it was a travel package to a very special place. It was amazing, because as they spoke your heart was about to jump out of your chest, kind of like it already knew what this was all about before you did!
They told you that it's a place that will make you feel like you are finally home, even before you even get there! That statement rings true, yet, how can that be, you think? Anyway, you ask what day would you have to plan on leaving? They tell you that is still to be determined...but that you will receive upon acceptance a personal hallmark from the Sovereign Himself, so you need not worry about being forgotten when the day comes!
Then you ask them about what one does while they are waiting for that day? One of the men standing there chimes in and says, "Nothing, if you don't want to!" Then he proceeds to tell you that you'll receive a letter written by the Sovereign Himself. A treasured message with many nuggets of His truths, His ways and His love contained within it...all to get you ready for the trip!
But, the words that one said keeps ringing in your ears, "Nothing - nothing -no-thing??" 'Hmmm. I don't have to do anything', you think?? Oh, that's right you think...you didn't ask how much the membership and the trip cost!? Well, no wonder he said NOTHING!... because the whole package is probably SO expensive that there is no way they'd dare ask you to do anymore than what you've already done!! Ha!!
Then before you even open your mouth another one of the men standing there says, "Oh, I'll bet you are wondering the cost!?" You nod whole-heartedly, and then begin to compute in your head how much you've saved up and what you could sell, and how you probably don't have enough to pay your way because of some debts you have...and then if they knew the times you were not honest with your money and....oh, my!...especially since you heard one of them say that all members must have a clean slate before they are accepted!
So, you begin to tell him these things, and with each word you get more and more red as you feel your face become so flushed...and your stomach SO sick! But then he says the strangest, and most unexpected thing - it's free, because it has been totally paid for by the Sovereign Himself. Huh?!? "Naww...there has got to be a catch", you say! Then he continues and says, "It's not only free to you, but your slate will be counted as completely clean...so this means that there is nothing that can keep you out!"
Then another fellow speaks up and says, "Well then, we will be on our way...and when you need us we can always come back"...and then moves closer and looks deep into your eyes, then continues..."after you accept this membership, there will be one very important thing that He'll want you to know as you enter this new life.".
Then without another word, one of them hands you a very lovely box with a card attached, then they turn and begin walking away. You look down at the box, then look up to ask what that thing is...and to say good-bye...but they are gone! You look this way and that...and don't even see any tail lights. Hmmm...
As you turn to go back in the house you about trip on the stoop, as your mind is just going round and round. However, you make it to the couch and sit there looking at the box and thinking about the prospects. You think about what they told you...He invites YOU, and has already shouldered the cost Himself and is getting everything ready there for YOU...and then He Himself sends you a personal invitation to join Him! Wow, you think! Is this really true? Hmmm. But then you remember what one of them said before they left. There is something else He wants me to know!
So, you take a big breath and open the card...as you read the invitation you feel a tug on your heart. Then you pick up the box and shake it alittle bit and look at it from all sides...and begin to carefully open it...but as you begin unfolding the top it seems to open all by itself. Then as you look inside you sense a slight whisper...in fact it is something you know you've heard before.
Very distinctive. Nothing you ever hear on a regular basis. Then the still small voice instructs you to reach into the box. As you do your hand lands on a small feather-light dove...and you just know what to do with it...as if you've known all along! So you enthusiatically press it into your chest and it vanishes. You know something has happened...
In minutes you are pouring out your heart and you know the Sovereign hears you. Then you remember bumping up against a couple of other things in the box too...so you reach in and find two scrolls. Written on the outside of one of them it says, 'Your journey has just begun'. You open that one first, very carefully...inside (URL), they read:
Absolutely Everything!!
A re-posting to encourage your walk...
Please revisit as often as you need to, as there is much to take in...
Truth is precious and priceless...it is your treasure. Handing truth over to just anyone is more than unwise...it is foolish. Well, it could be God's truths that He has shared with you...you know, as you go about your day, or inside your prayer closet...those mysteries and that hearty meat of the word that is only for the mature! Oh...or a nugget of truth that falls from the sky and hits you squarely in the middle of your noggin! (Well, it feels like it anyway!:)
Then you walk around for a few hours thinking, "Wow, God has really shared something with ME! AND I actually was able to hear it this time! Then I was reading scripture, and a WHOLE chapter about jumped off the page...and I knew it was a message for me!! Hurray!!"
Or while you are visiting a friend they say something, and maybe just casually...yet, you know it is for you!
God can tell you anything, anywhere, by any means!
In this chapter in Acts 11, notice the many ways God shares His truth with people: http://nlt.scripturetext.com/acts/11.htm
Truth is the most precious thing in the world...which is why God at times would block some people from knowing it! I think of it as a vase that you inherited. What would you do with it? You never even knew the relative...or the person that passed it to you. But you were told it was a priceless antique...so before you make room for it in your life and handle it which such value so it can be passed to your children, would you go and have it appraised to make sure it is the real thing?
Then, how would you handle it? Give it to your young children to play with? Put water in it with a bouquet of daisies...then place it in the middle of your kitchen table? Or safely put it up on the top shelf in your locking china cabinet for all to see? Handling it with the care it deserves still means it can be a blessing for anyone who visits...that is, anyone who values exceptional pieces such as that!
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The truth of the gospel and the Person of Christ are the most wonderful of truths...and one that not all would comprehend. Think about it! Why would God send a King? Wouldn't it be to sit on a throne and rule...and pronounce death on wretched wrong doers?? BUT sending a Ruler to DIE on a CROSS FOR wretched wrong doers?? Yeah, right!!
Luke 18: 31Jesus took the twelve
apostles aside and said to them, "We're going to Jerusalem. Everything that the
prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. 32He will be handed over
to foreigners. They will make fun of him, insult him, spit on him, 33whip
him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life." 34But
they didn't understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they
didn't know what he meant.
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified
beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, (1Pe 1:11). The
disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these
things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of
Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings...human thinking, self-focus, and a
desire of worldly objects, close our understandings. http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/luke/18.htm
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Luke 8:10 He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
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However, those in Berea, were treating truth as valuable...which is why they made sure that it was the real thing they were taking for themselves!
Acts 17:11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those
in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the
Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Once, as a young Christian, when I was with a group of others from church...we went downtown Mpls to do street witnessing. One person we came upon was a man that literally had a large cockroach crawling in and out of his shirt. We, of course were taken back by it, but we persisted. The man had a lot of demonic influence and not loudly, but nevertheless did heckle us and our message...so, needless to say, we were kind, but we didn't stay very long. This, we felt, was not because we were afraid of him...but because he was not ready at all to handle even a portion of the truth. Moreover, we didn't want the enemy to keep us there, which would keep us from those who would be open and ready.
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Your own story...your truth. Be careful, as you would with any truth!
Quite a while ago I got a chance to hear Jan Frank, who had written quite extensively about incest and sexual abuse. When she was growing up she was regularly molested by family members. Then as an adult when she was able to get enough healing under her belt, she decided to confront some of them. Well, as you can imagine, they totally rejected her accusations and became angry whenever she brought it up.
She knew that she never wanted to live apart from the truth again, as it was too important...and she didn't want to live as tho it never happened either, yet she also didn't want to be confronted with how her family handled it! So what she shared about this is that she learned that even tho she did not usually talk about it with her family, or even with others, however, she said that 'whatever she does, no matter where she goes, she will always carry at least a measure of truth with her.' I like this!
Matthew 7: 6 "Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you".
Give not that which is holy - Το αγιον, the holy or sacred thing; i.e. any thing, especially, of the sacrificial kind, which had been consecrated to God. The members of this sentence should be transposed thus: - http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/matthew/7.htm
On the other hand, God does not want you to be so apprehensive that you don't share it, as it can do wondrous things! Furthermore, we need to keep in mind that God entrusted you with it, so you would use it...to further His Kingdom! Matthew 25: 14-29 -- http://nasb.scripturetext.com/matthew/25.htm
This is the story of Shirley Anne...this is her truth. I am sharing it with her permission. It is lengthy, and does contain content that may be too sensitive or difficult for some people to take-in: http://minkyweasel.com/d-my-journey/
Those of us that are very open-hearted may need to be careful IF we share certain truths...as there are some things that the other would treat as trivial. Not because they are a stranger to you...however, they would be a stranger to how much they know what is in your soul...as compared to you and God. Therefore, as the following verse states:
Proverbs 14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not
share these with a stranger.
The heart knoweth his own bitterness - מרת נפשו morrath naphsho, "The
bitterness of its soul." The stranger does not
understand them: indeed they may be even foolishness to him...so there are some things we ought not share with anyone but God. http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/proverbs/14.htm
Blessings to you....
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