tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59093165942606648252024-03-12T18:42:11.453-07:00The Drenched DesertThis world is a desert. Water is available.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-50991482947168701292016-12-09T03:42:00.000-08:002016-12-09T03:42:00.359-08:00Promised LandGod freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but they asked to go
back when things got tough. It's a scary thing when slavery becomes more
familiar than freedom. We decline the Lord's dinner invitation by the
lake for the predictability of three rations per day.<br />
<br />
Sometimes
we choose the predictability of slavery only because it's all we know.
Sadly, the routine of life in prison becomes a comfort to us. Fear
becomes normal. Depression. Lust. Addiction. Anger. Opinions of peo<span class="text_exposed_show">ple. All these things can start to become normal and routine. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
But deliverance only comes after leaving the false comforts of slavery.
We must get fed up - at some point we must wake up to the truth of our
calling - the truth of who we are - the truth of who we were created to
be - the truth of how much we are loved. At some point our desire for
freedom must overshadow the false comforts of slavery - even when the
road to freedom seems a little unpredictable. If we don't trust that God
is able to part the Red Sea we will never arrive in the Promised Land.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-4985938926699284712016-12-09T03:40:00.003-08:002016-12-09T03:40:40.757-08:00UniquelyEach of my children are made in my image yet they have unique needs
and personalities. One is prone to fear and negativity. One is prone to
unkind words and distractions. The other is very sensitive and prone to
poor nutrition. Likewise, each of them have unique talents and giftings.<br />
Because of their unique needs and different personalities I parent them
each differently. One requires a firm voice and learns best through the
stories I tell. One requires lots of hugs and encou<span class="text_exposed_show">ragement. The other requires a gentle voice and buckets of creativity.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Sometimes one of my children will become jealous when they notice the
different ways I parent their siblings. They will see me giving more
hugs to one, a gift to another and yet an encouragement to the other and
wonder why they do not receive those same things in equal proportion.
At times they will lose sight of the special, unique relationship we
share and instead compare themselves with how I interact with the
others.<br />
<br />
During those moments I need to remind them who they are
and the special, unique ways in which they are different from the
others. I remind them of the ways in which they are wired, what sets
them apart from the others and why I love them uniquely.<br />
<br />
But
unless they come to me with their concerns I can't deal with it. They
need to tell me how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way
so I can remind them who they are and get them back on track. Unless
they come to me they tend to become bitter - hard - and lose sight of my
incredible love for them.<br />
<br />
As children of God we each possess
amazing, unique differences which serve to highlight the brilliant,
colorful mind of an infinite Creator.<br />
<br />
But comparison robs us of
our identity. We begin to focus on and celebrate certain giftings over
the others. We see the other ways in which our Father is parenting His
other children and we become jealous. Distracted. Insecure. We forget
about the special moments we have shared with our Father, the words He
has spoken to us and why He loves us so much.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we can go
days, weeks, months, years without bringing these concerns to our
Father. We get caught in cycles of distractions, jealousy, insecurity -
all without ever letting Him know how we are feeling so He can alleviate
our concerns, so He can tell us who we are and get us back on track.<br />
He's always there though. He meets us in that place. Blessed are the
brokenhearted. Blessed are the meek. Something powerful happens when we
open up to our Father. A divine transfer takes place. <br />
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."<br />
<br />
May we learn to rest in the the unique ways in which our Father has
wired us. May we learn to cherish the unique rhythms of grace He
breathes into each of us. May we rest and trust in the many ways He
loves each of us uniquely.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-30943028071469716132016-12-09T03:39:00.002-08:002016-12-09T03:39:42.764-08:00All Things NewGod's not calling us to do what He says. He's calling us to be who He
says. He doesn't offer us a new set of behaviors, He offers us a new
nature. He doesn't offer us new branches, He offers us new roots. He
doesn't offer us more will power, He offers us new hearts.<br />
<br />
He
doesn't loligag around with rehab, support groups or the occasional
feel-good Sunday sermon. If that was the case Jesus could have stayed in
heaven. He kills us and starts over. We have been crucified with Chr<span class="text_exposed_show">ist (Gal. 2:20) and born again (John 3) into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). </span><br />
<br />
There is no short cut. There is no starter package. Your old self is not a fixer-upper, it's a tear down.<br />
You want to live? Then die. You want to save your life? Lose it. Take
up your cross. Sink into the baptismal waters as a slave and rise up as a
son.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-90590662974038901132016-12-09T03:38:00.002-08:002016-12-09T03:38:40.301-08:00IntimacyGod offered direct relationship - intimacy - with the people on Mount
Sinai, but they refused and instead Moses descended the mountain with a
heavy list of commands.<br />
<br />
Rules and commands are never needed when
there is intimacy. Intimacy, a true inner knowing of someone,
eliminates the need for externals - eliminates all the distrust of legal
contracts and commands. Good marriages don't need a list of do's and
don'ts, they are based on mutual love. A formal marriage contract is <span class="text_exposed_show">unneeded,
irrelevant. It's of the heart, not the pen. I don't know any couples
who need to hang marriage contracts on the wall of their home as a
reminder of what they are supposed to do as husband and wife. Likewise,
divorce papers - externals - are never drafted until after love -
intimacy - is lost.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Today,
3500 years later, people still debate the validity of Old Covenant law -
ancient externals - in light of Jesus Christ breathing His Spirit -
present day internals - into our hearts. The answer is simple.<br />
<br />
Have you accepted God's offer of intimacy, or not? If not, you will
always feel condemned by the externals. If yes, then get out from under
the slavery of those heavy stone tablets and descend the mountain as a
son.<br />
<br />
"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that
we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God
sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,
“Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since
you are his child, God has made you also an heir." - Gal. 4:4-7</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-32233042149424869702016-11-18T13:08:00.001-08:002016-11-18T13:08:18.146-08:00According to the Bible?<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_1w">
I
often hear Christians say we need to live our lives according to the
Bible. Although they have good intentions I believe it's actually really
confusing, and at times damaging, to non-believers and those unfamiliar
with the Bible. See, a lot of people have tried reading the Bible,
starting at Genesis 1, and they typically make it to Leviticus before
throwing up their arms in frustration. Therefore when we say "according
to the Bible" they think we're talking about laws, commands, incest,
killing, plagues and animal sacrifices.<br />
<br />
We as Christians need to do a much better job explaining what the Bible is.<br />
<br />
The Bible isn't a book, it's a collection of 66 interconnected books
written over a period of 1500 years. Inside you will find historical
narrative, poetry, songs, love letters, wise sayings, prophecy,
apocalyptic literature, letters to specific churches, letters to
specific people, etc. These books are NOT arranged in chronological
order.<br />
<br />
When we say "according to the Bible" or "Biblical values"
which book are we referring to? Which story? Which proverb? Most
importantly, which covenant?<br />
<br />
All of the Bible is *for* us. But not all of it was written *to* us.<br />
<br />
We can't just say "the Bible". Much of the content - and even the
covenants themselves - contradict each other. No wonder the world is
confused! If the church is the light of the world we better start
shining some truth.<br />
<br />
The Bible is the historical record of God's
covenant journey with mankind. Throughout history God has chosen to
interact with humanity through the ratification of five major covenants
(promises). There were different types of covenants in the ancient
world. Sometimes God's promises were conditional upon the people living
up to their side of the bargain (much like a marriage covenant today),
and sometimes God's promises were completely unconditional. Sometimes
they were for specific people, sometimes they were for all people. The
way God started that initial journey with Abraham is much different than
the journey we are on today.<br />
<br />
The confusion (and subsequent
damage) comes when we read the Bible as a "flat" book - as if every word
and every covenant is equally valid - rather than as a collection of
covenants, each with its own supporting documents. Much confusion also
comes when we put validity on the older, outdated covenants.<br />
<br />
There is only one valid covenant today. It's the one Jesus made with His
Father. It's called the New Covenant and it's really good news for us
because it's completely unconditional. We're not even involved, it's
between Jesus and the Father. The only question is if you want to be
born into their family. That's why it's good news - the covenant itself
is not dependent on us keeping up our side of the bargain. Let that sink
into your soul for a moment. Sit back and put your feet up. Take a deep
breath.<br />
<br />
Seriously. It's not about what you do, it's about what He did. God's no longer interested in your sin, He's interested in YOU.<br />
<br />
This New Covenant fulfilled every preceding covenant before it. God's
prior covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David are all fulfilled.
Complete. Outdated. The New Covenant trumps them all.<br />
<br />
We are now
running God 2.0 and there will be no further releases, this version is
amazing. Unshakable. Unbreakable. Unchangeable. Plump full of features
and benefits.<br />
While reading about older covenants may be helpful
in that they help us more fully understand the reality of what we now
have under the New Covenant, in no way are we to apply "obsolete" (Heb.
8:13) stipulations to the freedom we now have in Christ. For further
reading, see the entire book of Galatians.<br />
<br />
Of course, read your
Bible - all of it. Again and again. It's like an onion. You keep peeling
the onion and one layer of meaning leads to another layer of meaning.
It's amazing. God will meet you between the pages. The old interprets
the new. Just remember where you are in the story, and most importantly,
that you're running God 2.0. The old drivers and software are no longer
compatible.<br />
"But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as
superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior
to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better
promises." - Heb. 8:6</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-37002832063848715562016-11-18T13:07:00.000-08:002016-11-18T13:07:10.716-08:00SlaveryGod freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but they asked to go
back when things got tough. It's a scary thing when slavery becomes more
familiar than freedom. We decline the Lord's dinner invitation by the
lake for the predictability of three rations per day.<br />
<br />
Sometimes
we choose the predictability of slavery only because it's all we know.
Sadly, the routine of life in prison becomes a comfort to us. Fear
becomes normal. Depression. Lust. Addiction. Anger. Opinions of peo<span class="text_exposed_show">ple. All these things can start to become normal and routine. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
But deliverance only comes after leaving the false comforts of slavery.
We must get fed up - at some point we must wake up to the truth of our
calling - the truth of who we are - the truth of who we were created to
be - the truth of how much we are loved. At some point our desire for
freedom must overshadow the false comforts of slavery - even when the
road to freedom seems a little unpredictable. If we don't trust that God
is able to part the Red Sea we will never arrive in the Promised Land.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-68121672600603310632016-11-18T13:05:00.002-08:002016-11-18T13:05:32.202-08:00D A D D Y, W A T C H !Anyone who has kids understands the
challenge of staying attentive to what they are saying and doing. We get
so caught up in the hustle & bustle of all the household tasks we
need to do such as washing dishes, laundry, floors, counter tops and
those kinds of things that we sometimes fail to slow down and take it
all in.<br />
<br />
Yesterday my boys were playing Legos and doing what boys
do - making sound effects, having an interstellar space ship race
throughout<span class="text_exposed_show"> the house, etc. At one point
they stopped because they discovered something "cool" about how one of
the spaceships can shoot the Lego bullets. I was washing the dishes
after dinner and I was in the zone as I often am when trying to get
stuff done. My boys were yelling, "Daddy watch! Daddy watch!" over and
over again. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Now, when I am
"in the zone" it's often difficult for me to snap out of it. I was so
focused on finishing - cleaning that last dish - that I didn't even
notice my boys were desperately trying to show me something - something
they seemed to be very proud of.<br />
<br />
When I finally snapped out of
it they proceeded to show me how their Lego spaceship can shoot bullets
from a hidden location on the bottom. I pretended to be impressed but
that wasn't good enough - they really wanted me to understand how
incredibly cool this was. They wanted me to see how it worked, what
button to press, the distance it shot - everything. As they showed me
they would stare at my face until they could tell I was sufficiently
impressed - until they were satisfied that I understood how amazingly
cool this was. After displaying an appropriate amount of shock and awe,
they ran off and continued playing.<br />
<br />
I have been thinking about this a lot since then.<br />
<br />
This wasn't really about Legos, this was about our relationship. A
shared experience. See, I had helped them put that spaceship together.
When they got stuck I would provide them with direction, find the right
pieces, etc. All of us had been together as it was built. They wanted -
they needed - to share their joy with me, the one who had helped them
put it all together.<br />
<br />
I think our Father also likes to share in
those experiences with us. I think He likes to share in the excitement
with us. He loves to see us discover new things about how He put it all
together.<br />
<br />
May we always include Him, not only in our discoveries
but also when we're stuck - when we need help finding that next piece.
May we seek Him like my boys did - loud and persistent. May we stare at
His face until we know we have His full attention. May we always call
out for Him and say, "Daddy, watch!"</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-46690865325801377922016-11-09T13:48:00.002-08:002016-11-09T13:48:17.634-08:00New Roots New FruitImagine you are an apple tree but no one likes apples. Everyone,
including God Himself, only likes oranges. In fact, God Himself is made
of orange juice. You try and try to grow oranges on your branches - you
come close a couple times by growing orange-colored apples, but inside
they are still just apples.<br />
<br />
Then one day God offers to chop you
down and replant you as an orange tree. You ask instead if He can just
cause your branches to grow oranges but He says that's not possib<span class="text_exposed_show">le
because of your roots. He says it's not the branches that determine the
fruit, it's the roots. The only way is to be chopped down, uprooted,
and replanted with a new seed.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Getting chopped down and replanted seems scary. All you know is the apple orchard, you're not sure what to do.<br />
<br />
As an apple tree would you:<br />
<br />
1. Pretend oranges don't exist<br /> 2. Continue trying to grow oranges on your apple tree<br /> 3. Allow God to replant you as an orange tree</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-88860851060152253472016-11-09T13:47:00.002-08:002016-11-09T13:47:22.306-08:00Body of ChristI often hear Christians say, especially during election season, that
God is in control. We are encouraged to vote through the lens of our
Biblical worldview but then we're reminded that no matter what happens
"God is in control."<br />
<br />
As a standalone statement I don't believe that is helpful.<br />
<br />
Throughout Scripture we see that God's control and manipulation of
situations was dependent upon the cooperation of people. Noah had to
build a boat. Abraham had to move to a different count<span class="text_exposed_show">ry.
Moses had to face Pharaoh. David had to kill Goliath. Even God Himself,
when we couldn't save ourselves, had to enter into our physical realm
in Christ to do so. It is the reason the incarnation was necessary. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
"The heavens are the LORD'S heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of men."<br />
- Psalm 115:16<br />
<br />
The Church is the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). That is, His physical
presence on Earth. WE are now the incarnation of Christ (God) on Earth.
WE are now the Spirit of God wrapped in flesh. His hands, His feet, His
arms, His legs.<br />
<br />
If His hands are not helping, God's hands are tied. If His feet are not moving, God's feet are bound.<br />
<br />
God is only "in control" to the degree His sons & daughters are
stepping into their identity as the Body of Christ on Earth. Is the Body
moving? Is the Body working in unity? Is the Body advancing the
Kingdom? If yes, then God's control is manifesting on Earth. If the Body
is paralyzed by fear, division, the evening news, distractions or
elections, then no, God's control is not manifesting on Earth and He
remains imprisoned inside unbelieving believers.<br />
<br />
"Christ in YOU is the hope of glory." - Col. 1:27<br />
<br />
"YOU are the light of the world." - Matt. 5:14<br />
<br />
"YOU are Christ's ambassadors." - 2 Cor. 5:20<br />
<br />
"I confer upon YOU a Kingdom." - Luke 22:29<br />
<br />
"All creation waits in eager expectation for the CHILDREN OF GOD to be revealed." - Rom. 8:19</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-86675223711921712242016-10-10T19:01:00.000-07:002016-10-10T19:15:54.092-07:00Cannot Be Shaken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7jJnrySBw4k/V_xLKqY3LjI/AAAAAAAAAiU/usPfcYvfRxckw0ZF0arKXpjDr1Ii_sv_QCLcB/s1600/Shaken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7jJnrySBw4k/V_xLKqY3LjI/AAAAAAAAAiU/usPfcYvfRxckw0ZF0arKXpjDr1Ii_sv_QCLcB/s320/Shaken.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The Israelites wanted a king so they chose Saul according to his
outward appearance. But the Lord had a different plan - the shepherd boy
David because of his heart. So, the Lord anointed David as king yet
David had to wait over 20 years to begin his rule. TWENTY years. During
this time Saul's *obsolete* rule continued (and caused David quite a bit
of grief). David and the people looked forward with anticipation to the
*last days* of Saul's reign, for he was a terrible king - a king chosen
by the people, not by the Lord.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was a shadow of things to come.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
About
1000 years later, Jesus Christ, from the line of David, was anointed
King after His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to the right hand
of the Father, where He sits on the eternal throne of David (2 Sam.
7:12-16). At that time, the Old Covenant law of Moses was rendered
obsolete (Heb. 8:13), yet it continued day after day for another 40
years. FORTY years (and caused the Christians quite a bit of grief). Day
after day bulls and goats continued to be sacrificed, in spite of the
fact the perfect once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus had already been
offered. This 40 year period was the period during which the entire New
Testament was written. The writers of the New Testament looked forward
with anticipation to the *last days* of the obsolete Mosaic covenant,
for it was a terrible covenant - a covenant chosen by the people, not by
the Lord (Deut. 5:27). It was a covenant concerning outward
appearances, rather than heart. The prayers of the first Christians were
finally answered in AD 70, with the destruction of Jerusalem and the
entire Temple sacrificial system, including the Levitical priesthood and
genealogical records which ensured the temple sacrificial system could
never legitimately rise again.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the Lord
Jesus may have wonderful future events planned for us, the "last days"
which the New Testament speaks of are behind us.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It
was the period from 30AD to 70AD, when the New Testament was written,
right before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. It was exactly 40
years, which happened to be considered one Jewish generation. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Interestingly,
in Matthew chapter 24 Jesus prophesied all of this would happen. In
fact, He said, "This generation will not pass away until all these
things have been fulfilled." The generation He was talking about was
THAT generation - those living at 30AD when He spoke those words to
them. Essentially He was saying to the people living in 30AD, "some of
you standing here will see all this happen before you die."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And they did - in 70AD.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do not fear. Jesus is on the throne, the New Covenant is an eternal covenant and "we live in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div id="yiv6201003520yMail_cursorElementTracker_1476150711881" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>"By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."</i> - Hebrews 8:13 (written in 65AD)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-22902074928053706202016-10-01T07:37:00.001-07:002016-10-01T07:37:26.041-07:00One in SpiritA lot of people today look at the Spirit of God the way we used to
look at the old scuba diving tanks. They had two tanks on the back, and
they had to get the mixture perfect between the two, but they always had
two tanks. Most people still look at that interaction the same way
today. 'Well, here I am, and there is the Holy Spirit. I am over here,
and the Holy Spirit is over there.' They think of it just like the two
tanks on the scuba divers.<br />
<br /> Then they figured out, 'We could<span class="text_exposed_show">
mix these two gases and get a perfect mixture so that nobody would have
to mess with the mixture. It would be perfect, and we could just put
them together in one tank.' Now, when you see the scuba divers, instead
of having two tanks, they have one tank because the mixture is perfect,
and they don’t have to mess with it. Why is it that in the church they
still talk about the Spirit of God as being separate from us?</span><br />
<br />
"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." - 1 Cor. 6:17Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-73988841680339717272016-10-01T06:08:00.001-07:002016-10-01T06:08:46.377-07:00We're WinningToday for every baby born into the world, four people are spiritually
born again. In spite of all the tragedy the media tells us about, the
Kingdom of God is steadily advancing. Thirty three percent of the
world's population is now ruled by this King who arrived in a manger
like a little mustard seed and is now seated on the throne as the Tree
of Life. He waits patiently until His Body the Church makes His
remaining enemies a "footstool for His feet." He waits until His will is
done "on Earth as it is in Heaven."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-20725889868751112022016-10-01T06:05:00.001-07:002016-10-01T06:05:08.283-07:00HelperAll of the Bible was written 'for' us, but not all of the Bible is written 'to' us.<br />
<br />
What we call the Bible is a collection of 66 books written over a
period of 1500 years. It was organized into its present form during the
Council of Carthage in AD 397. The Bible has many other names such as
the Scriptures, the Good Book, the Holy Canon and the Word of God. It
can be described a historical record of God's covenantal dealings with
mankind through the ratification of five major <span class="text_exposed_show">covenants between God and 1) Noah, 2) Abraham, 3) Moses, 4) David and 5) Jesus.</span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
Much confusion results when we take verses out of their historical
context and apply them to ourselves in the present day. For example,
what we know as "the Law" (10 commandments + hundreds of other rules)
was given to Moses and was something God employed as a part of His
covenant specifically with Moses and the covenant people who at that
time was only the Israelites. <br />
<br />
God employed these rules because
He hadn't yet filled them with His Holy Spirit (Greek "paraclete" =
Helper). Because God hadn't yet filled His people with Himself, they
needed what Scripture calls a "tutor" - much in the same way our
children need rules until they "come of age" and can start making wise
choices on their own. The Bible also says that the Law was only a
"shadow of things to come" (Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1) and not the reality of
what we now have - the "Helper" who now lives inside of us as a result
of the Father's new covenant with His Son Jesus. <br />
<br />
While reading
about older covenants may be helpful in that they help us more fully
understand the reality of what we now have under the New Covenant, in no
way are we apply those "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13) rules to the freedom we
now have in Christ. For further reading, see the entire book of
Galatians.<br />
<br />
This is what the apostle Paul means when he exhorts us
to "live by the Spirit" and not under the Law. For the Christian, to
use rules is equivalent to putting training wheels back on our bicycle
or like a mother telling her 40 year old son not to run out onto a
freeway. <br />
<br />
To the degree we feel the need to keep making &
enforcing rules is the exact degree to which we are not trusting what
Jesus has done for us - or the Spirit He has given us.<br />
<br />
"It is for
freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let
yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-63742848601745666262016-10-01T06:02:00.002-07:002016-10-01T06:02:59.119-07:00Our Ways<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_jh">
Under
the old covenant God's ways were higher than our ways (Isa. 55:9) but
then He came and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) in order to make
our humanity compatible with His divinity (Phil. 2:7) after which He
got so excited He jumped right inside of us (Rom. 8:11).<br />
<br />
Now God's ways are our ways.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-1598984337527487972016-10-01T06:01:00.001-07:002016-10-01T06:01:19.018-07:00GospelGod is Love (1John 4:8) and Love is patient, kind, not easily angered
& keeps no record of wrongs (1Cor. 13:4-5) because God the Son
[Jesus Christ] put on flesh and died for the sins of the whole world
(1John 2:2) reconciling us to Himself (Rom. 5:10; 2Cor. 5:19) through
the new blood covenant [binding unbreakable contract] of eternal
forgiveness which He made with the Father (Matt. 26:28) whereby He is no
longer counting our sins against us (2Cor. 5:19) because He broke down<span class="text_exposed_show">
the wall of separation (Eph. 2:14) between us and God so therefore
there is now nothing in all the universe that can separate us from His
love (Rom. 8:39).</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
Now that
we stand blameless before Him (Col. 1:22) with no reason to hide (Gen.
3:8-9) He offers us a new resurrected and victorious life (Eph. 2:5;
Rom. 5:10) today (2Cor. 6:2) through the giving of a new heart (Ezek.
36:26) which is His Spirit (Ezek. 11:19; John 20:22) breathing into us
new identities as sons and daughters of the living God (1John 3:1; Hosea
1:10) by which we cry out, "Abba [Daddy] Father" (Rom. 8:15) with power
and authority (Luke 10:19) as His royal priests (1Pet. 2:9),
ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation (2Cor. 5:18) as though God
was making His appeal to the world through us (2Cor. 5:20) who possess
full ownership and inheritance (Eph. 1:14) in our Father's Kingdom
[domain of the King] (Luke 22:29) along with the keys to the doors of
this Kingdom (Matt. 16:19) which is characterized by righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).<br />
<br />
Now strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10) we put on the full armor
of God (Eph. 6:11) and pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God (Eph. 6:17) in order to drive out the remaining vestiges of
darkness by enforcing the victory of our King (Col. 2:15), for it was
for this very purpose that the Son of God was made manifest – to destroy
the works of the devil (1John 3:8) by making him a footstool for His
feet (Acts 2:35) via His Bride the Church (2Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:24) until
the body of Christ is built up and reaches unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God and becomes mature, attaining to the whole
measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-13), for He will not be
unequally yoked with her (2Cor. 6:14) upon His return from the right
hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1) where He waits until His will is done
on earth as it is in Heaven (Matt. 6:10).</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-29674171243494473812016-10-01T05:58:00.004-07:002016-10-01T05:58:48.193-07:00He Just Wants You Back Anyone who has lost track of their child, even for a few seconds,
knows what it feels like to have waves of panic well up from within the
deepest parts of their soul. At that point it doesn't matter what your
child did to get lost - it doesn't matter - you just want your child
back and you will do ANYTHING to find them. You will lose all composure
and YELL and SCREAM for them. You will run around the block, you will
approach complete strangers and <span class="text_exposed_show">ask for
help - you will do anything. You just want them back in your presence.
You just want to make sure they are safe. No one knows them like you do.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
When you finally find them you run to them with open arms - you throw
your arms around them and squeeze them tight saying, "Where did you go!
Why did you leave me!" Nothing is stronger than the parent-child bond.<br />
<br />
God is like that too.<br />
<br />
You are God's child. He loves you so much. It really doesn't matter
where you ran off to or what you have been doing. Seriously. It doesn't
matter.<br />
<br />
He just wants you back.<br />
<br />
Did you know He will hug and kiss you before you even say sorry?<br />
<br />
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was
filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him." - Jesus describing His Father in Luke 15:20<br />
<br />
God is no longer interested in your sin.<br />
<br />
He is interested in YOU.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-88315730933834940112016-10-01T05:56:00.002-07:002016-10-01T05:56:21.186-07:00Do Not Fear<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_c1">
Jesus
didn't say you will recognize false teachers by you or your pastor's
interpretation of the Bible. He said you will recognize them by their
fruit. What is being produced on the tree of their teaching? Fear?
Worry? Panic? Confusion? Guilt? Shame? Passivity? Insecurity? Criticism?
Division? Take a step back so you can see. You need not have a Bible
degree to recognize false teaching. Just look at the fruit of their
lives and the lives of their followers. Even children can do this. Jesus
made it easy.<br />
Jesus' #1 commands to us were "do not fear" and
"do not worry". Therefore if anyone's teaching causes you to fear or
worry, consider it false.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-2275073839423982372016-10-01T05:54:00.002-07:002016-10-01T05:54:55.631-07:00Nature & Nurture Children are like sponges. They literally soak up all we give them -
good or bad. Their memory is amazing. They imitate, they illustrate and
they reflect back to us everything we are to them as their parents.
Much can be learned about me by spending some time with my kids
(scary!). And, likewise, much can be learned about my kids by spending
some time with me.<br />
<br />
My kids are made in my image and likeness. Not
only do they look like me, but they are literally "like" me. My DNA is
in every cell of their body and is flowing through their veins. I guess
you could say the blueprint for their life is to be "like" me. Their
destiny as my children - all they need to "grow up into me" - is
contained within them. It is in their very nature to be like me. They
are predestined to be conformed to my image.<br />
<br />
But, unless they "like" me they will never be like me.<br />
<br />
If they don't want to be like me - if they don't enjoy me - if for some
reason they feel I have betrayed them or hurt them or done something to
violate their trust - they will do one of two things. They will either
run away and never talk to me again or they will run away and only come
back during the holidays. Our relationship may be cordial from that
point forward, but never of the heart. They will literally buck against
the very DNA inside them. They will act contrary to their nature because
of their perceived nurture, all because they no longer trust in my
character, in my goodness. Their nature and my nurture must be aligned,
reconciled.<br />
<br />
Our relationship with God is like that too. Our
family relationships are a shadow of something much deeper - something
much more real.<br />
<br />
If for some reason we have come to believe that
God has somehow hurt us or abandoned us or "taken" a loved one or
betrayed our trust in any way, then a lie has taken root in our heart.
This lie starts to grow and creates a wedge between us and God. We no
longer trust Him. We no longer trust in His goodness. We are no longer
sure about His nature - no longer sure about His "good will" toward us.
We take a step back. Our nature and His perceived nurture are no longer
aligned in our hearts and minds.<br />
<br />
I'm convinced this is Satan's #1
goal. He "kills, steals and destroys" and then tells us it was our
Father who did it. We see these lies wrapped cleverly in sheep's
clothing - in statements such as "God works in mysterious ways" or "God
needed them in Heaven" or "God is controlling everything" or "God gives
and takes away".<br />
<br />
Do you see it?<br />
<br />
It's interesting to me that Jesus actually referred to Satan as a father. He called him the "father of lies."<br />
<br />
Don't confuse the father of lies with the Father of Lights! Align your
nature with His good nurture. You can trust Him. Seriously, you can. He
really does love you no matter what. Go be a sponge and imitate,
illustrate and reflect your Father of grace. He is watching, with a
smile on His face.<br />
<br />
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift
is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there
is no variation or shifting shadow." - James 1:17Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-15658027465960739772016-10-01T05:53:00.003-07:002016-10-01T05:53:26.773-07:00Out of Sight, Out of Mind Anyone who has children knows about the power of redirection. We
have all seen it - one of our kids will be throwing a tantrum or in a
funk of some sort and we try to "redirect" them by changing the subject
or giving them something else to look at. Essentially we try to change
what they are focusing on. It works pretty well - I've been able to
develop my redirecting skills quite a bit over the past few years.<br />
<br />
A few days ago we were driving in the car and the kids were all
fighting and bickering with one another. I could have just told them to
cut it out and stop, but I knew those commands would just cause them to
focus on their fighting even more. I've seen it a million times,
especially with my youngest who is 3. The minute I show her a line which
shouldn't be crossed, she focuses on the line and wants to cross it.
So, I pointed out a farm we were driving by, which had cows in a field. I
said, "Look at all the cows! Do you think those are the milk kind of
cows?" It worked. The subject quickly changed from fighting to farms.<br />
<br />
"But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of evil desires within
me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power." - Rom. 7:8<br />
<br />
Like a moth to a flame, laws and commands cause children to focus on
the commands themselves and it "arouses all kinds of evil desires within
them".<br />
<br />
We as adults like to think we are more mature than that,
but we're not. A speed limit of 55 makes me want to go 65. A speed
limit of 65 makes me want to go 80. Having a "limit" on my speed makes
me think about how much I can get away with rather than the reason for
the law in the first place - safety. <br />
God knows this, which is
why He removed the old covenant laws and "redirected" us to something
else entirely - our righteousness in Christ. Jesus doesn't remove our
ability to sin, He removes our fascination with it. He changes our focus
because He knows we walk toward that which we are focused on. A
powerful truth about the Christian life is that we literally become what
we focus on. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7).
That's why it's so important to focus on our new righteous identity and
freedom in Christ versus our old identity and slavery to law.<br />
<br />
"For where there is no law there is no transgression." - Rom. 4:15<br />
<br />
Religion is dangerous because it often gets confused regarding this.
Because there is a fear of new believers continuing in sin, religion
keeps all or portions of the law in order to "protect" people from
sinning. Essentially religion doesn't trust the Holy Spirit to do His
job, so religion tries to do it for Him. It's kind of like
over-protective parents letting their teenagers go out alone for the
first time. It's sometimes hard to "let go and let God..."<br />
<br />
But we
must. We must empower and trust our children [and fellow believers] to
make good decisions. When they see that we trust them and that they have
been empowered to make wise decisions, they typically do. Even when
they stumble, they feel empowered to change and keep moving forward
rather than getting stuck in a cycle of shame and guilt.<br />
<br />
Invoking old covenant law, or any rules for that matter, in order to
"protect" our brothers & sisters essentially denies what Jesus did
for us - and the Spirit He has given us. It keeps people in a cycle of
sin because they continue to focus on it. Like moths continuing to go
back to the flame, they remain hypnotized by the allure of sin.<br />
<br />
May we learn to "let go and let God" when it comes to our desires to
change people. May we learn to simply scatter the seeds of love and
truth while trusting God to prepare the soil and make it grow. May we
say, "Look! there is something else outside I want you to see."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-37061126037558690422016-09-30T20:03:00.005-07:002016-09-30T20:03:53.663-07:00Antichrist? We in the 21st century Church often look back on the first century
church as if it was "the good ole days". We read about the early church
in the books of Acts and the letters of Paul and assume it was this
loving, problem-free community of believers who "had everything in
common, selling property and possessions to give to anyone who had need"
(Acts 2:44-45). We imagine them huddled around a fire together holding
hands and singing "Kum Ba Yah."<br />
<br />
But the early church was wrought
with challenges, some of the most notable being the dangerous sects and
cults which developed. One of these cults in particular, the "Gnostics",
began teaching that Jesus didn't actually come to earth in bodily form,
but only as a spirit, or ghost. The reasoning behind this was that they
believed everything physical that we can see with our eyes is evil
(such as the human body), and everything invisible that we cannot see is
good (such as the human spirit & soul). Therefore, they thought
Jesus couldn't have actually had a real body because that would have
made Him evil, and He certainly wasn't evil.<br />
<br />
This teaching was
particularly dangerous because if Jesus didn't have a real human body,
He couldn't have actually spilled His blood on the cross, and it's only
by His shed blood that we are forgiven, for "without the shedding of
blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). As crazy as this teaching
sounds, it was a major deception in the early church and led many people
astray.<br />
<br />
Those in the cult of gnosticism were known as being
"antichrist" because they were "against" Christ or "ANTI" Jesus coming
in the flesh.<br />
<br />
The disciple John was very close with Jesus. In his
gospel, John referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John
was also the disciple who laid his head upon Jesus' chest at the last
supper, and the disciple who stood at the foot of the cross while Jesus
was being crucified, watching his blood being spilled out. Before His
death Jesus even told John to watch over his mother Mary. It's safe to
say that John was probably closer to Jesus than anyone. And, John
definitely knew that Jesus had a physical body. He laid his head on
Jesus' chest for crying out loud.<br />
<br />
So, John addressed this heresy
head on. John wrote four books in the New Testament: the gospel of John
along with three letters. In the first two of his letters, we read about
this false teaching called "antichrist." These short two letters are
the only places in the Bible which refer to "antichrist."<br />
<br />
"For
many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." - 2
John 1:7<br />
<br />
"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from
God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and
even now is already in the world." - 1 John 4:2-3 [Note that
"antichrist" was already in the world in the first century]<br />
<br />
"Dear
children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the
antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how
we know it is the last hour.." - 1 John 2:18 [Also note that according
to John, the "last hour" was in the first century]<br />
<br />
"Who is a liar
but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that
denies the Father and the Son." - 1 John 2:22<br />
<br />
The above verses
from the letters of John are the ONLY places the word "antichrist" is
used in the Bible and each time he is addressing the false teaching of
gnosticism. Interestingly, the word "antichrist" is nowhere in the book
of Revelation.<br />
<br />
"Antichrist" is nothing more than the first
century cult of gnosticism along with those to taught it. In spite of
what we might read in the fictional book series "Left Behind", Hollywood
movies and many well-intentioned pastors today, gnosticism (antichrist)
is 2000 years behind us.<br />
<br />
What a tangled web we have weaved since
then. Because we have distanced ourselves so far from the historical
context, we have made the first century cult of antichrist about a
future Satan-inspired one world ruler. It's not exactly what John had in
mind.<br />
<br />
There is often a big difference between popular
Christianity and historical Christianity. We need not fear a future
world leader named "antichrist". When Jesus said He now has all
authority in heaven and on earth, He meant it.<br />
<br />
"That which was
from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN with our
eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have TOUCHED—this we
proclaim concerning the Word of life." - 1 John 1:1Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-32862578861303376852016-09-30T20:01:00.004-07:002016-09-30T20:01:36.152-07:00Will You Marry Me? In the ancient world when two kings from distant lands came together
and wanted to form a covenant, such as a covenant of peace or a
covenant of trade, they would write the terms of the covenant on two
copies of stone tablets, which were essentially their "rules of
engagement". Each side of the tablets would contain writing. So, for
example, tablet #1 would have rules 1-5 written on the front, and rules
6-10 written on the back. Then, an identical copy of this was made on
another tablet.<br />
<br />
Each king would take their copy of the covenant
and place it in a wooden box, which was referred to as an "ark". This
was their "Ark of the Covenant".<br />
<br />
Now, each king would typically
have their own god who they worshiped. So, king #1 would take his ark
back to the temple of his god, and king #2 would take his ark back to
the temple of his god. So, there was a copy of the covenant in each of
their temples. The idea was that their respective gods would punish them
if they violated the rules of the covenant. King #1 would essentially
say, "If I violate any of the rules of our covenant, my god will punish
me", and King #2 would do the same.<br />
<br />
In the case of the ancient
Israelites, the Lord first offered them a direct relationship with no
rules, asking them to be "a kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:6). This was
God's "Plan A". However, because they were afraid of direct relationship
they asked for a rule-based covenant like the Egyptians and all the
other pagan people around them (Deut. 5:27), after all, they had just
spent 400 years in Egyptian slavery and it was all they knew. Because of
their fear they asked to be servants instead of children - they asked
for religion instead of relationship. "We don't want to be that close to
you. Just tell us what to do." This was the "Plan B" chosen by the
people.<br />
<br />
This put the Lord in a very uncomfortable position.<br />
<br />
Now, because Love must honor the human will, He was forced to be both
their covenant partner AND the God who would punish them if they broke
any of the covenant rules. So, God wrote two copies of His ten
commandments, which were the terms of the covenant. Because the Lord
doesn't have a "god" over Him, both copies were given to the people and
placed in their Ark of the Covenant and then into the Jewish temple.
These were easy commandments which could be summarized as "love the Lord
with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself". It was the
bare minimum, God made it easy, for He did not want to be forced to
punish them. Nevertheless, by the time Moses descended the mountain the
people were already worshiping a false god.<br />
<br />
As their covenant
partner, the Lord was very grieved. As their God, He was forced to
punish them as their God. This roller coaster of blessing and punishment
continued for about 1500 years. It was terrible. Both God and the
people looked forward to the day when they might get the opportunity to
get back to "Plan A" - when they could be a "kingdom of priests" with
direct relationship with the Lord.<br />
<br />
There was only one way back to Plan A.<br />
<br />
See, covenants are only in force as long as both parties are alive.
"For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the
one who made it" (Heb. 9:16). So, for this rule based covenant of death
to be abolished, one of the covenant partners had to die - similar to
what we see in a marriage covenant today, "Till death do us part". It
was either going to be the people or God. So, God had a choice to make.
Who was going to die?<br />
<br />
God took on flesh and became a human being
in order to die and put an end to the old covenant and establish a new
covenant of life. Jesus said, "I came that they might have LIFE." We
often say that Jesus died for our sins which is true in a sense, but
what He really died for was what sin was doing to us. "The wages of sin
is death." Sin was killing us. It's not about punishment, it's about
restoration. God doesn't punish the record of our wrongdoing, He cancels
it (Col. 2:14).<br />
<br />
Jesus didn't die to appease the "wrath" of an
angry Father, He died to appease the "wrath" of sin. Jesus died to "set
us free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). He died to abolish
the old covenant and create a new one.<br />
<br />
Back to "Plan A".<br />
<br />
God's no longer interested in you not keeping the rules, because that
covenant is abolished. God died, the covenant ended. It is now
completely "obsolete" (Heb. 8:13). We are now free to re-marry Him all
over again, under far better terms. Marriage only has one law. LOVE.
"Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).<br />
<br />
And someone is proposing right now.<br />
<br />
The New Covenant is a unique covenant, in that it is between God and
God (the Father and Jesus). We have nothing to do with it. Thankfully,
it's not based on our performance. We can "rest" in the finished work of
Jesus Christ - our new groom.<br />
<br />
The only question remaining is,
Will you marry into the family or not? If you do, everything that is His
is yours, and everything that is yours is His.<br />
<br />
"Will you marry me"? is the question He is asking the world.<br />
<br />
What is your answer?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-13079059603648992242016-09-30T19:58:00.002-07:002016-09-30T19:58:53.655-07:00Cross Over the Jordan The LORD led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, through the Red
Sea and into the freedom of His presence and provision. For 40 years
they wandered aimlessly through the desert learning to trust His
guidance as they followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by
night. The cloud shaded them from the daytime heat, the fire warmed them
during the nighttime cold. "Manna" appeared on the ground every morning
- bread crumbs from heaven to satisfy their hunger. Water flowed from
rocks for their thirst. Throughout the 40 years their "clothes did not
wear out, nor did the sandals on their feet" (Deut. 29:5). They were
cared for just as we care for our children today with shelter, food,
drink, clothing and the security of our presence. This was their
"childhood". The people looked forward to inheriting what was promised
to them - the Promised Land - which was a land which was exceedingly
beautiful - "a land flowing with milk and honey". After the 40 years
they were told to pass over the waters of the Jordan River and enter the
land.<br />
<br />
When they did, they experienced a complete shift and change.<br />
<br />
Adolescence.<br />
<br />
Instead of passively living in the LORD's mercy and grace and being
sustained by Him with food and provisions, they now had to partner with
Him in all that they did. They had to actually *occupy* and *take* the
land, which required action on their part. They had to cross over the
Jordan and shed one way of thinking (passive slaves) for another
(proactive sons) because the wilderness paradigm no longer applied. They
were "growing up into Him". They were to change their thinking
[repent=rethink] by taking hold of their promised possession by
*occupying* and *taking* their rightful inheritance, driving out the
squatters - the trespassers - the enemy - by force.<br />
<br />
This was a shadow of things to come.<br />
<br />
Just as the Israelites were delivered from slavery by following the
LORD through the Red Sea, we are first delivered by following Him
through the waters of baptism. This is what it means to be "born of
water."<br />
<br />
"Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." - Jesus<br />
<br />
But Jesus said we also must be "born of the Spirit". This is the second
body of water to cross - the Jordan River - for the Jordan is what
transforms slaves into sons. From "takers" into "makers". The Jordan is
what separates wilderness wandering from the Kingdom of God. From
renters to owners. This is what it means to be "born of the Spirit".
Following the Spirit of God away from the perceived safety and security
of today's wilderness toward the hope and future of tomorrow's promise.
Toward a land "flowing with milk and honey". Toward your own personal
Promised Land. First, through the still waters of the sea. Then, through
the rushing waters of the river.<br />
<br />
Are you a child of God who
feels as if you are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness? Do you love
the Lord yet feel like there must be more than water and manna? You may
need to cross over the Jordan. Ask God to lead you through the second
baptism in rivers of living water. Cross over the Jordan and into your
inheritance. Be filled with the "Spirit of sonship". You may need to
risk the manna of today in order to receive the honey of tomorrow. New
wine requires new wineskins.<br />
<br />
May we grow up into Him in all that
we are. May we leave the bread crumbs of our childhood for the steak of
tomorrow. May we be born of water *and* the Spirit.<br />
<br />
"The Spirit
you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." - Romans 8:15Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-35177459601034683272016-09-30T19:55:00.003-07:002016-09-30T19:55:34.657-07:00FruitNo person or denomination has perfect theology. Not me, not you, not
anyone. Ironically, the quicker we let go of the illusion of knowledge
the quicker we stumble into the Truth. There were two trees in the
Garden - Knowledge and LIFE. One caused death, one brought life. One
does stuff. One is stuff.<br />
<br />
Human beings have this insatiable
desire to side with those who believe the same way they do - the same
way their parents did - their grandparents did, etc. It starts as
cliques <span class="text_exposed_show">in grade school and ends with
what we call religion. Our desire to feel included and "right" far
outweighs an honest, childlike curiosity for the Truth. The real Truth.
Even if the bridge to the other side is a little shakey. Even if we have
to go alone. Regardless of the implications. Like orphans searching
their whole lives for their birth parents, regardless of what they might
find out about them. Faith is the essence of things hoped for.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
I have talked with many people - Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists,
Presbyterians, Charismatics, Baptists - who are simply showing up on
Sunday mornings because their parents did, and their parents did, etc.
They believe in God, they're pretty sure He's Jesus and they are simply
"doing" the only thing they know to do.<br />
<br />
Go to church.<br />
<br />
But
it needs to be a Lutheran church. A Catholic church. A Methodist
church. Because I would never betray the dead faith of my grandparents.
That is, if it works out schedule-wise. For sure on Christmas and Easter
though.<br />
<br />
Theology is important but Jesus didn't say we will
recognize good doctrine by how it aligns with our statement of faith, He
said we will recognize it by its fruit. That is, it's result. Is the
teaching causing real life change and pointing people to the King of
kings? If so, eat and be filled. If no one in your church pew is
dramatically changing for the better, throw it out and leave.<br />
<br />
Seriously. If you're not excited about God you haven't been properly introduced.<br />
<br />
We must not judge. We must not be offended. Look at the fruit. A person
could have been transformed from a drug-addicted prostitute into a
missionary in Africa. If their doctrine seems a little "off" to us, we
need to take a good look at our own. Take God out of your denominational
box. He was never there anyway.<br />
<br />
You cannot cage a Lion like this.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian
denominations? Can’t God write an easier to understand book? If the Bible is
the authoritative, inerrant and inspired Word of God how on earth do we all
arrive at so many interpretations? What’s worse is that the people within each
denomination each believe they have the “correct” interpretation, so we all
separate ourselves from the others in order to not let any “false” doctrine creep
in. We each believe we have it all figured out (or at least we believe our
pastor does and we really “like” him) so we box ourselves into a building and
label it “Lutheran” or “Catholic” or “Baptist” or “Methodist”. Or, if we don’t
want our particular label to hinder any newcomers we will get ‘seeker friendly’
and swap out our “Baptist Church” sign with a “Community Church” sign while
holding to the same doctrinal exclusivity. </span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But if we really believe we built our tree-fort on the
correct branch, what are we so afraid of? Do we really need to agree on
everything in order to get along? If two people who confess Jesus Christ as
Lord disagree on the meaning of God’s sovereignty is it really time to build a
separate building? What happened to us? What happened to <i>“<span class="text">Love
is not jealous or boastful or proud</span> </i><span class="text"><span id="en-NLT-28631"><i>or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable,
and it keeps no record of being wronged”</i> (1 Cor. 13:4-5)? Somewhere along the
line we started believing that salvation is about correct doctrine rather than being
reconciled and restored to the God of love. Somewhere along the line we started
worshiping the “Father, Son & Holy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bible</i>"
(my interpretation, of course) instead of worshipping the “Father, Son &
Holy Spirit.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There’s a peculiar story in the book of Genesis about Jacob
working for his deceitful father-in-law, Laban. Jacob had worked for Laban for
many years and had been cheated by him over and over again. Jacob wanted to get
away from him and start his own family somewhere else, so he made a deal with Laban
for a portion of the flocks to be given to him for his many years of work. This
would allow him to leave and start a new life with something of his own. They
agreed that Jacob would take all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats as
his wages. Laban agreed to the terms, knowing that spotted and speckled lambs
were considered flawed. This is when the story gets really weird:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span class="text">Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar,
almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on
them.</span> <span class="text"><span id="en-NLT-869">Then he placed these
peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for
that was where they mated.</span></span> <span class="text"><span id="en-NLT-870">And
when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to
young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.</span>” – Genesis 30:37-39</span></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="text">As the animals came to drink, they would
see spotted, speckled and streaked branches at their watering holes, which also
happened to be their breeding ground. As they came to the water, drank and
bred, they did so while looking upon the spotted branches. The result was that
they reproduced spotted and speckled offspring. And it was all because of what
they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">saw</i> when they came to the water.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="text">We read that the Word of God is referred to
as “water” in the Bible (see Eph. 5:25-27; </span>Heb. 10:22)<span class="text">.
Not only that, but the Word of God is also referred to as a “mirror” (see James
1:23). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s even more interesting is
that way back in the book of Exodus the Israelites were commanded to make the
washbasin for the Temple out of “</span>bronze mirrors donated by the women who
served at the entrance of the Tabernacle” (Ex. 38:8). The Word of God cleanses
us in much the same way as the washbasin made of mirrors cleansed the Old
Testament priests before they went into the presence of the Lord. They were to examine themselves in the mirro<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">r and then cleanse themselves of what they "brough<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t along".</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, we see that the Word of God is like cleansing water
which reflects and reproduces what we bring to it. When we come to the watering
trough of God’s Word, we will reproduce what we see. Not only that, but
whatever our heart is set on when we come to the Bible is what we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i> in the Bible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects
man. – Proverbs 27:19</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do
flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Bible will reproduce whatever is in our hearts when we
come to it. Are we coming to the watering trough with too much "baggage" - with our minds made up about a
particular doctrine<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> or way of thinking?</span> If so, the Bible will reflect it back to us and reproduce
more of what we see. This will do nothing more than convince us to continue
justifying our own “interpretation” – to draw even deeper lines of separation
between us and others. This is the “knowledge which puffs up instead of builds
up” (1 Cor. 8:1). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Or, are we coming to the watering trough with a humble, open
and hungry heart? If so, we are a soft piece of clay in the hands of the Potter
– a blank canvas for the Holy Spirit to splash with revelatory color and a kind
of “knowing” which isn’t about doctrine, but about a Person. Love Himself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="text">So, getting back to this issue of all the
denominations. I believe the story about the spotted & speckled sheep
teaches us that we should concern ourselves less with bringing interpretive
methods and doctrines to the Bible and concern ourselves more with the attitude
of our hearts when we come to the Bible – the watering trough made of mirrors. What
we bring to the Bible determines much of what we see in the Bible – good or
bad. The Word of God is a “mirror” which is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12). Jesus
never told us to “be right” about the Bible (which is a book). He told us to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">become</i> the Word of God (who is a
Person). What we<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> "know" often ke<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">eps us from who we need to know.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">May we set aside all the labels we have for each other and
come to the pure water of the Word. May we set down <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">what we think we "know" </span>and come to the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">watering trough</span> with <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">humble</span> and hungry hearts. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Like<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> little </span>children m</span></span>ay we bend our knees, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">open</span>
our hearts and be filled with the love and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rev<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">elation</span></span> of the Word
Himself, Jesus Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” –
Matthew 5:8 </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5909316594260664825.post-2977483743224271702016-07-01T09:42:00.004-07:002016-07-01T09:42:38.861-07:00He Just Wants You BackAnyone who has lost track of their child, even for a few seconds,
knows what it feels like to have waves of panic well up from within the
deepest parts of their soul. At that point it doesn't matter what your
child did to get lost - it doesn't matter - you just want your child
back and you will do ANYTHING to find them. You will lose all composure
and YELL and SCREAM for them. You will run around the block, you will
approach complete strangers and ask for help - you will do a<span class="text_exposed_show">nything. You just want them back in your presence. You just want to make sure they are safe. No one knows them like you do.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
When you finally find them you run to them with open arms - you throw
your arms around them and squeeze them tight saying, "Where did you go!
Why did you leave me!" Nothing is stronger than the parent-child bond.<br />
<br />
God is like that too.<br />
<br />
You are God's child. He loves you so much. It really doesn't matter
where you ran off to or what you have been doing. Seriously. It doesn't
matter.<br />
<br />
He just wants you back.<br />
<br />
Did you know He will hug and kiss you before you even say sorry?<br />
<br />
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was
filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around
him and kissed him." - Jesus describing His Father in Luke 15:20<br />
<br />
God is no longer interested in your sin.<br />
<br />
He is interested in YOU.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07493342715250531889noreply@blogger.com0