Give Out Love

Image courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroo/freedigitalphotos.net

Doesn't love exist so that it can be given away?  One of the "jobs" of born-again disciples of Jesus is to spend time with him, experience his love, then give it out.  People around us then experience his love through us and the world is changed.  Pretty simple.

Yet we all know it isn't that simple.  Things happen.  Things distract us.  Things bother us.  Things hurt us.  We get disconnected from Jesus and miss out on experiencing his love.  Then we aren't filled up with it to give out.

The beautiful thing is that He's always ready and waiting to reconnect with us.  We come to him, experience his ocean of love that cannot be measured and have more than enough to give.

The part I sometimes find difficult is giving out his love to the ones who need it most.  Sometimes the people who need it most are the very ones I see everyday around the dinner table.

The fact is whether people deserve it or not, we all need the love of God.  And we all know that sometimes we need God's love through people.  I've discovered (and re-discovered) what a joy it is to pour out God's love.  Even when I'm broken and hurting, I can go to God and be satisfied in his presence.  I'm then able to bless my family with God's love even when I'm hurting....it's awesome!

Faith and Action

"Friends helping to cross the stream"
by adamr - freedigitalphotos.net

In its simplest form, faith is believing.  Faith in God is believing God and his word. Faith in God ultimately originates with God.  Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).  But I've noticed some confusion in the area of using or acting on our faith.  James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:20).  When we truly believe something in our heart (have faith), we act on that belief.  Faith is not a stand alone intellectual belief.  It is a heart belief that leads to action.

I came across an old devotional book I've had for many years, entitled "Come Away My Beloved"  by Frances J. Roberts, in which he shares his thoughts on faith and action:

"My promises are of no avail to you except as you apply and appropriate them by faith.  In your daily walk, you shall be victorious only to the degree that you trust Me.  I can help you only as you ask.   I shall meet you at every point where you put action alongside your prayers.  Only as you WALK shall the waters of adversity be parted before you.  Overburdened as the world is with trouble and sickness, I need those who have proved My sufficiency in everyday, personal experience to lead the suffering to the fountains of life.  I need those who have found Me as burden-bearer to help bring deliverance to the oppressed.

Never begrudge time given to chronic complainers, but recognize in each encounter the opportunity to speak a word that may lead to their liberation.  No case is too hard for Me.  Never be taken by surprise when I use you to change a pattern.  Do not judge a man by what he appears to be, but see him as what he CAN be if he give himself unreservedly to Me."

As we believe and stand on the word of God and see victory in our lives (obviously its a process - doesn't happen overnight), we are walking by faith and not by sight.  We're also able to see others through eyes of faith - we can see them as God sees them.  We can then bless them and be used by God to bring them to Him!

Biblical Prosperity

Prosperity has become a hot issue in the church today.  There is polarization happening on both sides, and I find it sad.  It seems that Christians equate prosperity with the balance in their bank account.  But I believe the real meaning of biblical prosperity has nothing to do with how much money you have or don't have.

The bible has lots to say about prosperity.  But I think it's best summed up like this:  prosperity is a heart belief in the grace of God through Jesus, no matter what your physical circumstances are.  That's why I can say that I am prosperous, even though my bank account may not be much.  I believe 2 Corinithians 9:8 which says that God is able to make all grace abound toward me, that I always have all sufficiency in all things to abound to every good work!  Prosperity means I can give where and when the Lord puts it on my heart, even if there isn't much money in my bank account.

While the bible is full of examples of men of God who were financially blessed (Abraham, Lot, David, Solomon to name a few), its also full of examples of men of God who didn't have much money (Jesus and the apostles).  But even Jesus and the apostles had the means to travel and preach the gospel.  They gave themselves fully to the work of the Lord and their needs were met, and they freely gave!  They were prosperous because they had an understanding that God makes us prosperous.  

An excellent illustration of biblical prosperity is Joseph.  Here is an excerpt from an article written by Andrew Wommack entitled "Lessons From Joseph":

God’s Word declares that Joseph was “a prosperous man.” This was at a time in his life when He was serving as a slave! His own brothers had sold him into slavery and told his father he was dead. No longer the wealthy, well-dressed, favorite son, Joseph found himself on an auction block in a foreign land, stripped of everything—including his clothes. His rich Egyptian master stood beside him with all of the extravagance that came with abundant wealth, but the Bible forever records Joseph as being the truly prosperous one. That’s awesome!

God views prosperity much differently than we do! Material things are not indicative of prosperity. True prosperity is knowing that God is with you. True prosperity is keeping His vision alive in your heart. True prosperity is not wealth itself but God’s favor, anointing, and power that work in your life to obtain it. Deuteronomy 8:18 says,

“Thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant.”

Joseph believed he was prosperous because he knew prosperity came from God, not man. He had an image on the inside that was not affected by circumstance, and it enabled Joseph to operate in faith. Instead of licking his wounds and complaining, Joseph served others and ministered wholeheartedly to their needs. As he diligently labored, God blessed the work of his hands.

If Joseph could do it, so can you. You have the same power dwelling on the inside of you that raised Jesus from the dead. Joseph didn’t have that. Begin to see yourself as God sees you, a prosperous person, regardless of your physical circumstances. Recognize and acknowledge the fact that God is with you, that you are anointed and highly favored. Serve others with all your heart as unto the Lord. Eliminate murmuring and complaining, and replace them with praise and thankfulness, knowing God will complete what He has begun in your life.

That article says it better than I ever could!  I know this is a hot topic, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Paul's Thorn in the Flesh - by Andrew Wommack

Cactus by ponsulak

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor. 12:7-10) 

This thorn in the flesh that Paul mentioned has been used and misused by Christians to justify submitting to nearly any problem that comes along. Satan has twisted this passage of Scripture to deceive many, many people into believing that God would not heal Paul, so how can they expect to be healed? Let us examine this closely and find out exactly what Paul's thorn in the flesh was. 

First of all, this "thorn" came because of the abundance of revelations Paul had received. Until a person has an abundance of revelations, similar to what Paul had, he is not going to have a "thorn." That would disqualify just about all of those who have been hiding behind Paul's thorn. 

Then, verse 7 says it came lest Paul should be exalted above measure. Traditionally, that has been interpreted to say the thorn was to keep Paul humble. Therefore, God had to be the author of it, because only God would want Paul to be humble. But there is a godly way of being exalted. First Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." Those who submit (humble) themselves to God will be exalted by God. Paul was not speaking of exalting himself above measure through pride, but rather, the thorn came from Satan to keep Paul from being exalted by God in the eyes of the people. Many more people would have received what Paul preached if everything was always "rosy" for him. But there was this messenger of Satan who always buffeted Paul and scared away the faint-hearted from committing themselves to Jesus, whom Paul preached. 

God magnified, or exalted, Joshua in the sight of his people (Josh. 3:7). He continued to do that with the people He used on into the new covenant (Acts 5:13). So, we see that the exalting spoken of is not a negative kind but a godly kind. That just further strengthens the fact that the thorn was not God's doing. 

In verse 7, right after the thorn in the flesh is mentioned, there is a phrase set off by commas which says, "The messenger of Satan to buffet me." This is an explanation of what the thorn was. It was not a thing but rather a demonic messenger. The word used as "messenger" here is always translated as angel or messenger and refers to a created being. So, Paul's thorn was literally a demon sent from Satan to buffet him. The word "buffet" means to strike repeatedly as waves would buffet the shore. 

How did this demonic force continually strike Paul? Traditionally it has been taught that it was with sickness, and the thing that made many accept that is the use of the words "weakness" and "infirmity" in verses 9 and 10. Infirmity definitely does mean sickness and is used that way in 1 Timothy 5:23, but that is not the only meaning of the word. The number two definition is any lack or inadequacy. For instance, Romans 8:26 says, "the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities." In this case, the context makes it clear that it is not speaking of sicknesses but rather not knowing what to pray for. Our finite minds are an infirmity, or an inadequacy. 

If we look at the context of Paul's thorn in the flesh, we find that infirmity does not mean sickness in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and 10. In 2 Corinthians 11:30, Paul uses the exact terminology of "glorying in infirmities" that is used just a few verses later in speaking about this thorn. In the eleventh chapter he had just finished listing what those infirmities were. In verses 23-29, he lists such things as imprisonment, stripes, shipwrecks, and stonings; none of these speak of sickness. Verse 27 mentions weakness and painfulness, which some have tried to make mean sickness, but it is just as possible he could have been weary and suffered painfulness from such things as being stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). All these things listed in 2 Corinthians 11 refer to persecutions as infirmities. So, in context, Paul's thorn was a demonic angel or messenger sent by Satan which continually stirred up persecution against him. This is also verified by three Old Testament references (Num. 33:55; Josh. 23:13 and Judg. 2:3), where people are spoken of as being "thorns in your sides" and "thorns in your eyes." 

Paul asked the Lord to remove persecution from him, not sickness, and the Lord told him His grace was sufficient. We are not redeemed from persecution, and Paul later stated that when he said in 2 Timothy 3:12, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Most gladly, therefore, he gloried in persecutions, reproaches, necessities, and distresses that the power of Christ might rest upon him (2 Cor. 12:9). The word "glory" is an old English word which means to have dominion over or command. It is used in Exodus 8:9 where Moses told Pharaoh to glory over him, or command him, when to destroy the frogs. So when Paul spoke of glorying in these infirmities or persecutions, he was speaking of victory even in the midst of continual harassment. 

In Acts 14:19, Paul was stoned and left for dead, but God raised him up, and the next day he walked at least twenty miles into the next town and started preaching again. The Lord did not stop the persecution, but God's strength was certainly made perfect in Paul's weakness (verse 9). Can you imagine what those that stoned him must have thought? They could see Paul's humanity in the cuts and bruises, but they could also see the supernatural strength of God flowing through him. "For when I am weak, then am I strong" (verse 10). 

There are two other passages of Scripture that those who believe Paul's thorn in the flesh was sickness have tried to use to verify that. One is Galatians 4:13-15. Here Paul says that he preached the Gospel to these Galatians through an infirmity of the flesh, and in verse 15, he makes reference to these people being willing to poke out their own eyes and give them to him. From this, I have heard ministers preach that Paul's thorn was a rare, ancient disease which was characterized by runny, puffy eyes. But let us look at whom Paul was speaking to when he said this. He was writing to the people who lived in the region known as Galatia, which had as its major cities, Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. The instance we mentioned earlier, where Paul was stoned and left for dead, happened in Lystra, a city of Galatia. The next day Paul walked to Derbe, another city of Galatia, and began preaching unto them. I'm sure he had runny, puffy eyes, along with multiple cuts and bruises, but they were not the result of some disease. They were the result of having just been stoned. He also says in verse 13 that his infirmity was "at the first," which leaves the impression it was only a temporary thing that he recovered from. 

The next scripture used to say Paul's thorn was bad eyes is also in Galatians, chapter 6, verse 11. It says, "Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand." People have said Paul's eyes were so bad that he had to write in large letters, and this is what he was making reference to. That is only a supposition and not a very good one at that. It is a lot more credible to believe that he was simply referring to the long letter he had written to the Galatians. 

The reason it is so important to realize that the thorn in the flesh was not something which Jesus died to redeem us from, such as sickness, is so that we won't submit ourselves to these things. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We have to resist, or actively fight against, the devil and the things he brings, to see them flee. Satan has used traditional teaching about Paul's thorn to bring many Christians to a place of submitting to him. But, praise God, you shall know the truth and the truth, shall set you free.

As I Have Loved You by Andrew Wommack

Imagine the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. He has communion with His disciples and washes their feet. He reveals that Judas is the one who will betray Him. He tells the disciples that He is leaving and they can’t come. Then, He speaks these words:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

By virtue of the fact that this would be, in part, His final words to the disciples, they had to be very important. And notice that what He said to them was in the form of a command, not a suggestion.

I am sure that everyone reading this letter has read or heard this passage many times. But in reality, most do not think that this is something they can actually do. It’s a goal that they may strive to reach with gritted teeth, but usually with little success.

It begs the question—would Jesus give His disciples a command He knew they couldn’t keep? The answer is obviously no, so why is it so hard for us today to love other people? Could it be this simple—we can’t give what we don’t have?

The majority of churches are teaching that God’s love for us is conditional. They are misrepresenting His love, and it is one of the main reasons that we as Christians are so judgmental and harsh toward other people. Consciously or not, we tend to treat people the way we believe God is treating us.

We must understand that God does not love us because we are lovely. He does not love us because we read the Bible, go to church, pay our tithes, or do our best to keep the command to love others as He loved us. The truth is that He loves us without conditions. That’s huge!

I grew up in a Baptist church where all that was preached was the message of evangelism. They made me feel like I had to pay God back for saving me by leading others to Jesus. It became such a part of me that I used to say this: “The sole purpose for our existence here on this earth is to lead somebody else to Jesus.”

Then the Lord spoke this to me—“If evangelism is the sole purpose for your existence, then what about Adam and Eve? They had no one to lead to the Lord, no Sunday school class to teach, no one to pray for, and no physical need of any kind.” The answer can be found in Revelation 4:11—

Thou artworthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The original purpose of all creation was to give God pleasure. And that is still God’s purpose. Adam and Eve were created for fellowship with God. He wanted someone to love and for them to voluntarily love Him back.

God’s purpose for creating human beings was all about relationship. But religion has succeeded at turning us from “human beings” into “human doings.” When that becomes the focus, we begin to tie God’s love for us to something that we do for Him. I did! But that was never His plan.

Over the years, I have prayed for thousands of people. The vast majority of those who come forward begin by telling me about their spiritual lives: “I’ve been praying, fasting, reading the Bible, and attending church, but I’m still not healed.” They don’t realize it, but they just told me why they weren’t healed. They’re pointing to what they are doing instead of what Jesus has done.

The same is true about our relationship with the Lord and with other people. We have come to believe that God loves us and acts on our behalf based on our performance. Therefore, we hold others to the same standard—our love for them is in direct proportion to their works, or how they treat us.

Romans 5:8 says,But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love has never been or ever will be conditional. He loved you at your worst, and most Christian churches would agree with that initially. They believe you are saved by grace through faith, no matter your history, but that is often where grace stops and religion starts. And religion always puts the emphasis on the external.

Once you’re saved, religion says you must live holy, and the evidence of your holiness will likely be judged by the standards of your church: Do you dress the right way, do you say the right things, are you leading people to Jesus, and most important, are you tithing—just to give a few examples.

That is not how God sees us. God looks on the heart. First Samuel 16:6-7 says this:

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Samuel was going to choose Eliab to replace King Saul because of the outward appearances. But God was not looking on the outside. The church today is judging believers in the same way. You might carouse in secret on Saturday night, but as long as you come to church the next morning well kempt and well dressed with a check in your hand, you’re accepted because you have the appearance of holiness.

Under the New Covenant, God is still concerned about your actions and behavior. It’s not okay to lie, to steal, to commit adultery, or any other sin. However, He knows that those are nothing more than the byproduct of a relationship—or the lack of one—with Him. So, He is focused on your heart.

As long as you believe God is judging you according to your performance, you will never fully receive His love. Love is a decision, and God decided to love you even though you didn’t deserve it. There is nothing you can do to earn it or deserve it, so just receive it as a free gift.

When you understand how much God loves you, it becomes easy to love others. And when you love others as He has loved you, your behavior will change toward them. If you loved your mate the way that Christ loves you—unconditionally—you would never commit adultery. If you loved your neighbor as Christ loves you, you would never steal from them or bear false witness against them.

How does the world know that we are disciples of Christ? John 13:35 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Did you know that the first-century church evangelized the known world in thirty years? They didn’t have television, the internet, smart phones, or texting. But they loved one another, and that love was so evident; it attracted people like honey attracts bees.

A Pharisee who was a lawyer asked Jesus this question: “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered this in Matthew 22:37-40.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Pharisees wanted Jesus to name the most important “Thou shalt not,” and instead, Jesus spoke “Thou shalt.” Many believers are still living under the Old Testament Law mentality. They are trying to earn the love of a God who already made the decision to love them unconditionally.

Once you begin to understand how much God loves you, love will flow out of you toward others like rivers of living water.

Failure or Success?

Have you ever felt like you just can’t get it right?  Despite your best efforts, you fail.  Maybe at times you feel like a failure as a parent, provider, spouse or friend.  Maybe you feel like you can’t seem to get victory over that old habit that keeps pulling you back in.


The enemy of your soul would love nothing more than to keep you in the place of feeling like a failure.  But I’ve got good news for those of you who are born again:  the Lord is pleased with you!  “How can that be?”, you think.  The truth is this: you are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).  God sees you as you are in your spirit, which is the part of you that has been made new.  God sees you as he sees Jesus, spotless and blameless! In fact, you have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (2  Cor 5:21).  


If you stumble or fail in some way, don’t look at how sad and sorry you are.  Rather, look up and see how awesome, wonderful and perfect Jesus is!  Because as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).


Colossians chapter three teaches us to put off the old man and put on the new man.  When we choose to obey and put on the new man the grace of God enables us to walk out that choice.  Col 3:10 says that our new man is renewed in knowledge after the image of our creator.  I firmly believe we become what we behold.  As we behold Jesus (his word, work and person) our new man is renewed into the image of Jesus.  Then our focus isn’t on ourself (our perceived failures or successes).  It’s on Jesus, and he never fails!


So take heart and take courage.  Say “no” to failure and discouragement.  It’s just a distraction from the enemy.  Keep your focus on Jesus and you’re a winner every time.


www.freedigitalphotos.net

Personal Apostasy by Don Krow

stock photos
freedigitalphotos.net

The reason I have decided to include an article on this subject is because after studying so many of the 
apostolic letters in the New Testament, I have come to see that this is a major theme in the New 
Testament (Hebrews, 1 & 2 Timothy, James, 2 Peter, etc.)  It is not limited to a few verses of Scripture.

Apostasy (Gk. apostasia) appears twice in the New Testament as a noun (Acts 21:21; 2Thess. 2:3) and in Hebrews 3:12 as a verb (Gk. aphistemi, translated “depart”).  The Greek term is defined as a falling away, defection, withdrawal, or turning from what one 
has formerly turned to.


To apostatize means to sever one’s relationship with Christ or to withdraw from true faith in Him.  Apostasy may involve two separate, though related, aspects:  (a) theological apostasy, that is, a rejection of all or some of the original teachings of Christ and the apostles (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:3) and (b) moral apostasy (See Titus 1:16).  In the Vine’s Greek Lexicon under the word “Error” it states, “Plane, a wandering, a forsaking of the right path (See James 5:20), whether in doctrine, or in morals.  In Scripture, doctrine and morals are never divided by any sharp line.  “Error” in doctrine are not infrequently the effect of relaxed morality and vice versa” (p. 369). 


The Bible issues urgent warnings concerning the possibility of apostasy, designed both to alert us to the deadly peril of abandoning faith in Christ and to motivate us to persevere in faith and obedience.  The divine purpose of these warning passages must not be weakened by the view that states, “the warnings are real, but the possibility of actual apostasy is not.”  Rather, we should regard them with sincere alarm.  A few of the many New Testament warning passages are:  Matthew 24:4-5, 11-13; John 15:1-6; Acts 11:21-23; 14:21-22; 1 Cor. 15:1-2; Col. 1:21-23; 1 Tim. 4:1, 16; 6:10-12; 1 Tim. 4:2-5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:6-8, 12-14; 6:4-6; James 5:19-20; 2 Pet. 1:8-11; 1 John 2:23-25.



Example of actual apostasy can be found in Isaiah 1:2-4; Jeremiah 2:1-9; Acts 1:25;Galatians 5:4; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2 Peter 2:1, 15, 20-22; Jude 4, 11-13.The steps which lead to apostasy are as follows:  (a) The believer, through unbelief, fails to take the truths, exhortations, warnings, promises, and teachings of God’s Word with utmost seriousness (Luke 8:13; John 5:44, 47; 8:46).

• As the realities of the world become greater than the realities of God’s heavenly kingdom, he gradually ceases to draw near to God through Christ (Heb. 4:16; 7:19, 25;11:6).

• Through the deceitfulness of sin, he becomes increasingly tolerant of sin in his own life(1 Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:5; Heb. 3:13).  He no longer loves righteousness and hates iniquity (Heb. 1:9).

• Through hardness of heart (Heb. 3:8, 13) and rejecting God’s way (Heb. 3:10), he ignores the repeated voice of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19-22; Heb. 3:7-11).

• The Holy Spirit is grieved (Eph. 4:30; Heb. 3:7-8) and quenched (1 Thess 5:19), and he eventually departs from his former faith (Col. 1:22-23; Heb. 3:14).

If apostasy continues on its course unchecked, an individual may eventually reach the point when no repentance is possible (Heb. 6:4-6; 12:17).  That is, a person may continually harden his heart to the Holy Spirit’s voice (Heb. 3:7-19), continues to sin willfully (Heb. 10:26), and refuses to repent towards God (Acts 20:21), he may reach a point of no return where repentance and salvation is no longer possible (Heb. 6:4-6). This point of no return cannot be defined in advance.  Hence, the only safeguard against the peril of ultimate apostasy is found in the admonition:  “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:7-8, 15; 4:7).



It must be emphasized that while apostasy is a danger for all who drift from the faith (Heb. 2:1-3) and fall away from God (Heb. 6:6), it is not made complete without constant and willful sinning against the voice of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31).  Because of the 
possibility of self-deception, Paul exhorts all those claiming salvation to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Cor. 13:5).  Any person who becomes sincerely concerned about his own spiritual condition and finds in his heart the desire to return to God in repentance, has sure evidence he has not committed unpardonable apostasy.  The Scriptures clearly affirm that God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 1:18-19; 55:6-7) and declares that God will receive all who come to Him in faith (2 Cor. 2:5-11; Luke 15:11-24; Rom. 11:23; James 5:19-20; Rev. 3:21).  (The Full Life Study Bible, pgs. 524-525).

The GIFT of Righteousness

It seems to me that when most people hear about righteousness/being righteous they immediately think about their actions or behavior.  The truth is that righteousness is a GIFT from God through believing in the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the cross (Romans 5:17).  So, righteousness is not a matter of what you do (or don't do); rather, righteousness is a matter of what you believe.


For example, if you think that you somehow become less righteous when you commit a sin, then you don't understand the free gift of righteousness that Jesus offers you.  When your heart belief becomes established in righteousness, you will KNOW that you are righteous apart from your actions.  This in turn affects your behavior and you choose to do right things and live rightly, empowered by God's grace in your life.


But so often, we get it backward, thinking that our actions affect our righteousness when the truth is our righteousness affects our actions!  


Read Romans chapter five and see for yourself!

Emily's Powerful Testimony

Today's post is written by Emily Effler, whom I am honored to call friend.  She shines brightly because of the love of God and Spirit of God inside of her.  Her testimony is a powerful story of God's redemptive grace.  To contact Emily or visit her marriage website click here.

I never gave much thought to grace when I was a kid. I was born and raised in the church and heard it spoken of a bazillion times, and I grew sort of bored with it. I knew the definition. I wanted to hear about something else, like the stuff about all the bad things we weren't supposed to do. I liked hearing that because I knew I wasn't doing any of it, and I guess it made me feel superior. I didn't do drugs, drink, have sex, steal, or any of that. I felt pretty good about being on God's “good” list. The only sins I committed were really little ones, like occasionally disobeying my parents, or telling a small lie, but everybody did that, and it was no big deal. By 19, I thought I was pretty awesome. I started actually reading my Bible daily, and I felt really good about that. I felt very religious, and figured God must really be happy with me, unlike all those foolish people who wouldn't listen to him and were out living wild lives. I not only read the Bible, but I knew a whole lot about it, and I felt good about that too. I knew more than most other 19 year olds, I thought. I should probably teach some sort of class.

When I turned 20 I married my high school sweetheart, Jordan. Jordan was not super excited about church. In fact, I had to nag him incessantly to get him to go at all, and then he always sat and scowled through the service because he'd rather be sleeping in. I wanted him to do a devotion with me, but he wouldn't. I wanted him to pray with me, but he wouldn't. I was feeling very superior to him by this point, as he clearly was a godless heathen. I began feeling like a martyr having to put up with him and his grouchy godlessness. And that felt pretty good too.

After a while, we became friends with another couple, and we hung out all the time. The guy paid a lot of attention to me. He said a lot of nice things to me. He was not grouchy. He seemed kind and loving. We all started drinking together a lot. After about a year, we started having an affair. I knew God wasn't happy. I knew verse after verse about how evil adultery was, but I was angry with God and blamed him. Clearly he had screwed up by putting me with Jordan. He should have put me with the other guy, who was clearly my soul mate. Now our entire lives were screwed up, and it was all God's fault. My soul was tortured. I went from feeling angry with God, to disgusted with myself the day I held their newborn baby. I knew I was no longer on God's “good” list.

Jordan and I divorced, and so did the other couple. The guy stopped talking to me. There were times I honestly longed to die, but had no stomach for suicide. I remember having the thought that I'd done more harm in my life than good. I hated myself and what I had become, but I knew I deserved it. I knew God wanted nothing to do with me til I cleaned up my act. I tried going to church for a while, but it was sporadic at best. Most Sunday mornings I was hung over and slept in. When I did go, my soul hurt every time they sang about peace. I would have given anything for peace rather than the stress, anxiety, and self-loathing I constantly felt. I did not understand why I couldn't get it. I did not understand why I couldn't stop drinking. I did not understand why I couldn't just DO what God said to do. I knew it all. I just couldn't do it.

Finally in my bedroom one day, I hit my knees, bawling. I read Romans 12:2, and learned that God could transform me by changing the way I think. I had no idea God could make me think differently. That was exactly what I needed. For the first time in my life I actually “grieved, mourned, and wailed” over my sin. I confessed all I'd done and all I still wanted to do and begged Him to change the way I thought. I begged Him to make me different, and I confessed I was totally hopeless to change myself. After 25 years of calling myself a Christian, that was the “aha” moment. It's the first time I really understood just how bad I was. That's the day I understood grace.

The grace he showed me looked like this: When I was a disgusting mess, He forgave me AND He gave me his Spirit. He kept his word, and he did change the way I thought. Gradually I liked drinking less and less, until I totally quit getting drunk. I cut off inappropriate relationships and stopped dating altogether. I wanted my God. I didn't need a man to validate me anymore. I acquired a hunger for his Word I'd never had before-- a genuine one, born of complete helplessness and trust in Him. I knew doing things my way ruined my life, and I was desperate for his way. I felt peace. And even joy. The shame melted away over time. I finally felt, deep within my soul, that I was finally legitimately His daughter and that He loved me, and that assurance still thrills my soul today.  He led me to call my ex-husband to apologize. My ex-husband had also experienced God's grace in the two years since I'd seen him last. He’d forgiven me and prayed for me before I even called.  With God's leading, we remarried. I have never been happier!  I adore him, and our two children.  This is the happy family I always dreamed of. I know what I deserve, and it's not this.  Praise God for his mercy and grace!


images: freedigitalphotos.net/Graur Codrin

The Gospel

Jesus died for SO MUCH MORE than your forgiveness of sins!  This is a powerful 11 minute video portraying all the Christ has done for us!

Prison Break

For many years I was confused about what Paul wrote in Romans chapter six. Verse two says, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”  I couldn’t understand this, because I knew I was a born-again child of God, yet I still committed sin (and still do).

I have come to understand that in all but one instance, every time the word sin was used in the original text, it is the noun form of the word. (The only time the verb form was used is in verse 15.) This means that we have died to the condemnation that comes from sin!

Although Jesus never sinned, the condemnation of sin was imputed to Him at the cross.  So also we who are born-again children of God, do not and will not receive the condemnation that comes from sin, rather Jesus’ righteousness is imputed to us. Only when you realize that you will never come under the condemnation of sin, will sin lose its power in your life!

In John chapter eight Jesus demonstrates this with the woman caught in adultery.  When, one by one, the accusers left, Jesus asked the woman where her accusers were and if anyone condemned her.  With her own mouth she voiced the answer, “No one Lord.” Jesus answered, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  First, she was free from the condemnation of sin, then she could “go and sin no more”! 

Once upon a time we were all in a prison called sin (noun).  We have Adam to thank for that (Roman 5:19). But when we accepted Christ’s finished work by believing it in our heart (obeying from the heart), we received a prison break!  We are no longer slaves to sin but to righteousness (Romans 6:18)!

Now even when you doubt, complain, lose your temper, etc. (commit sin) God sees you as nothing but righteous (if you're in Christ).  In this security of righteousness you can overcome those sins!

This is what is meant by Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”  Although grace and the gift of righteousness that comes with it are free to us, it’s not cheap.  It cost Jesus a dear, dear price – to the point that he sweat blood just thinking about the cross. 

Let’s not cheapen grace by believing anything less about ourselves than God declares over us!

Listen in the Quietness by Helen Steiner Rice

To try to run away from life is impossible to do,
For no matter where you chance to go, your troubles will follow you-
For though the scenery is different, when you look deep inside you'll find
The same deep, restless longings that you thought you left behind...
So when life becomes a problem much too great for us to bear,
Instead of trying to escape, let us withdraw in prayer-
For withdrawal means renewal if we withdraw to pray
And listen in the quietness to hear what God will say.
image: Arvind Balaraman/freedigitalphotos.net

Have You Fallen From Grace?

So many people seem to think the title question means, "Have you sinned so bad that there is no more grace for you?"  Well, that could not be further from the truth.  Galatians 5:1-4 explains that those who attempt to be justified by the law have fallen from grace.  So basically that means if you're relying on anything other than the finished work of Jesus at the cross, you've fallen from grace.   God's grace to us through Jesus encompasses so much more than forgiveness of sin.  His grace provides for our physical healing and financial prosperity as well.  If you don't believe me read Isaiah 53:5 and 2 Corinthians 8:9.

To flesh this out a bit, I will list some typical thoughts a person might have who is not fully established in the grace of God:

I'm praying for God to heal so-and-so.  They're so devout, I hope God will heal them.  If anyone deserves it, they do.  Wrong!  The truth is that God provided for everyone's healing through Jesus' stripes. (1 Peter 2:24)

Gee, I haven't prayed or read my bible in awhile.  I wonder if I've lost favor in my relationship with God.  Wrong again!  God relates to you and sees you as He sees His son Jesus.  You are the righteousness of God in Christ.  You are not becoming more righteous.  As Jesus is, so are you in this world in your spirit.  (2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 John 4:17)  I should note that reading your bible and praying do benefit you, but they certainly don't make you righteous or make you a favorite with Father God.

I try so hard to do the right thing!  But I just seem to keep messing up and making the same mistakes over again.  Can I ever get victory?  Is God still pleased with me?  Yes and Yes.  You can get victory and God is still pleased with you.  When we try in our own self-effort to overcome a problem, often the results are less than stellar.  But I have found that when I admit my weakness, thus humbling myself before the Lord, I receive His grace (ability) to overcome the problem.  (See James 4:6)  And if I do stumble and fall again, there is no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

I hope this helps you start seeing yourself as God sees you.  Embrace the truth that He is pleased with you if you're in Christ Jesus.

Image: Maggie Smith/freedigitalphotos.net

Spirit, Soul and Body

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement needful to obtain peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole. –Isaiah 53:5 (AMP)

This whole section of Scripture is a prophecy about what Jesus would provide for the whole world on the cross.  Jesus’ work on the cross was complete.  With it, Jesus provided for every person’s soundness in spirit, soul and body.  It’s our choice to receive what He offers.

Let me point out that we are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body.  The real you is your spirit.  When we become born-again, we become new creations in our spirit (1 Cor 5:17).  As we renew our minds in truth through the Word, we become transformed in our soul realm and it spills over into our bodies.  It’s true change from the inside out, not behavior modification.

Let’s look at Isaiah 53:5 as it relates to each portion of our being:

Spirit

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities;

The first part of the verse speaks about Jesus’ atonement for our sin – which deals with our spirit realm.  When we are born-again, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ in our spirit (1 Cor 5:21).  Our spirits are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God as a guarantee (Eph 1:13).

•  Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Soul

The chastisement needful to obtain peace and well-being for us was upon Him

The second phrase speaks about the chastisement Jesus took so that we could have peace.  Peace relates to our soul – our mind, will and emotions.  We experience peace (or the lack thereof) in our mind and emotions.  So many people in the body of Christ suffer needlessly with inner torment and grief.  Jesus came to bring you peace, and he paid a dear price for it!

•  Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul…”

Body

And with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole.

The last section of this verse deals with our physical bodies.  By Jesus’ wounds we are healed and made whole.  This is stated again in 1 Peter 2:24 “…by His wounds you have been healed.”

•  Psalm 107:20 “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Not only has the sin problem been solved, but Christ’s atoning work provided emotional peace and physical wholeness.  I pray every believer’s mind will be renewed to the truth from God’s word, and receive all Jesus paid to give you!

image: Luigi Diamante / freedigitalphotos.net

You're Not A Leaky Vessel!

He who believes in Me as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow continuously springs and rivers of living water. –John 7:38

Take a moment and mentally picture a spring bubbling up and flowing out into a river or stream.  That is a picture of the Holy Spirit in you, if you are a disciple of Christ.  Throughout the Bible, water is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit.  This is confirmed in John 7:39 which clearly states that Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit.

In the past I’ve had the visual reference that I’m like a cup that pours out and needs to be refilled with the Spirit.  But this is not Scriptural according to the New Covenant.  We do not pour out the Holy Spirit in us (in the sense that we have to go get more), nor does He leak out over time, as we live our lives in this messy world.  No, the Holy Spirit is a spring within us that is waiting to be released from our innermost being!

But we can block Him.  Through our hardness of heart, unbelief, fear, and living only by our five senses (otherwise known as being carnal).  The Holy Spirit is there, but we have to participate with Him.  He doesn’t take over our physical bodies and make us automatons.  We always have a choice in whether to go the way of the Spirit or the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

The Word instructs us not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).  This verse is telling a born-again believer of Christ to let the Holy Spirit within you continually be full and flowing in your life.  The fruit of this will be evident to those around you.  (One way I know how to let the Holy Spirit flow is keeping my mind renewed through the Word of God.  John 6:63 says that the Word is spirit and life – so as I meditate on the Word it brings the Spirit to the forefront.)

The New Testament is full of references about the Holy Spirit’s place and role in your life.  This article is by no means exhaustive.  I hope it sparks you to evaluate your perspective and position in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

If you’re not yet a disciple of Christ or have questions about the Holy Spirit’s work in your life, please post in the comments section or email me directly at eliseklepatz@hotmail.com.

photo by Keattikorn/freedigitalphotos.net

Stillness

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Who has time to be still?  Perhaps upon waking you're in a dash to get everybody fed, dressed, and out the door for school and work.  Back at home, there is laundry to fold, meals to cook, floors to wash.  Let's not forgot your volunteer positions and children's schoolwork and events.  The list goes on.  We all know it’s easy to be busy and challenging to be still.

Stillness is defined as little or no commotion or agitation; tranquility; calmness; serenity.  Let's face it:  life that lends itself to stillness isn't the norm.  I submit that one must be intentional about being still and recognize its benefits.   Some of these benefits are:

• Increased ability to connect and know God
• Increased sensitivity in hearing His voice
• Increased ability to navigate life's challenges and minister to others
• Experiencing a greater measure of peace
• Experiencing a greater measure of physical energy

When doing some research for this article I learned that the words still and distill come from the same root.  In the distillation process, the more volatile parts are separated from the less volatile parts, eventually resulting in a more pure and refined substance.  I think that's a great way to look at what happens to us as we become still before the Lord.

I've also realized that we can train ourselves (and our kids) in our ability to be still.  We can start small and take incremental steps in everyday life to make this happen.  I'll throw out some ideas of my own.  But don't stop there.  Get creative in your pursuit of stillness.

• Carve out a special place and time at home designated for the purpose of being still.  Be sure to have your electronic device (or pen and paper for old-school people like me) handy to jot down distracting thoughts that will undoubtedly arise.
• Turn off all noise and phones while driving.  If you have kids with you, make being quiet into a game or contest.  Whoever keeps quiet longest gets a prize!
• Turn off the television.
• Go for a break during your workday, sit outside, and center your thoughts on God.
• Fast a meal or two and spend that time in stillness before your Maker.
• Have listening prayer with your kids.  Turn off the lights, light a candle and sit still before the Lord for a few minutes.  Then let each one take a turn sharing what he heard the Lord speaking to him.

And by the off chance you've got the stillness thing down, make sure you're getting off your duff and giving out.  A pond with no outlet becomes stagnant and so can we.

Sometimes life is hard...but I'm blessed!

Have you ever had those days/weeks/months/years where life is just hard?  It's easy for me to start drowning in my own pity party o f tears over how "unfair" life is, blah blah blah.  Self-centeredness sets in and then things really get bad!  The Lord's peace and joy elude me and I find myself easily irritated.  Husband and kids get on my nerves, the dog is always underfoot, and I stubbed my toe - OUCH!

And then thankfully comes the gift of perspective.  Ah, what a refreshing slap in the face it is!  I'm reminded of just how hard life is for others around the world. Like persecuted Christians in eastern and middle eastern countries.  Like children sold into the sex-slave market.  And then my heart breaks all over again for my own selfishness and for the injustice I see all around me.

And then I think about God.  He sees it all and His heart breaks too.  Yet He is patient.  He is merciful. I think of Joseph from the Old Testament.  He got a bad deal, being sold into slavery, falsely accused and imprisoned year after year.  If anyone had a reason to feel sorry for himself it was Joseph.  But Scripture never records anything negative about him.  Eventually Joseph was released from prison and rose to the top as Pharoah's right-hand man in all of Egypt.  And I remember my God is a God of justice.  And then I return to a place of gratitude in my heart for just how blessed I really am, also having the assurance that God sees the injustice and will take care of it in His time.

In closing, I'd like to leave you with Psalm 121:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.  The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

image:Ambro/freedigitalphotos.net

Thankful for God's Grace

Down in the human heart,

crushed by the tempter,

feelings lie buried,

that Grace can restore;

Touched by a loving heart,

wakened by kindness,

chords that were broken,

will vibrate once more.

-Fanny Crosby 1869

This says it all.  God's grace brings us back to life again and keeps us there!  Thank you Jesus!!!

image: Graur Cordin/freedigitalphotos.net

The Power of Words

I’ve been thinking about words lately.  Words communicate ideas, information, truth, and lies.  Words can build up.  Words can tear down.  God’s words created the physical world.  Jesus’ words brought healing and wholeness.  Satan’s words brought lies.

My words are important.  Your words are important.  Proverbs 18:21 states that death and life are in the power of the tongue.  The wise word brings healing (Proverbs 12:18).  The gentle word is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4).

When facing a challenging situation we have three choices: 1) speak words of fear and doubt .  2) say nothing.  3) speak words of truth and life.

Choice Number One

Speaking words of doubt and fear brings bad results.  One example of this is found in Numbers 13.  Moses sent out 12 people to spy on the promise land.  Ten out of the 12 spies spoke a report of doubt, unbelief and fear.  This resulted in that entire generation of Israelites not being able to enter into the promise land (except for Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who believed God and spoke a good report).

Choice Number Two

Keeping silent brings better results.  The Israelites were instructed to say nothing for six days as they marched around Jericho. (Joshua 6:10)  Nada.  Silence.  On the seventh time of marching on the seventh day, they were to shout.  Then Lord brought down the walls of Jericho and the Israelites conquered the entire city.

Luke 1:20 states that Zechariah was silenced by the angel of the Lord because of his unbelief about having a son.  The angel came to Zechariah and declared that his prayers had been heard, he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son.  And not just any son, but one that would turn many people of Israel to the Lord and go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah.  From the moment the angel declared this until after John the Baptist was born, Zechariah could not utter one single word.  That’s at least nine months of not speaking.

God knows that our words matter.  He knows our tendency toward giving a voice to our unbelief and fear.  It’s better to say nothing at all than to give voice to doubt and unbelief, which poison our faith and our ability to receive the promises of God.

Choice Number Three

Best yet is speaking by faith the promises of God’s word about our situation.  This blesses the heart of God.  Jesus marveled and complimented the centurion who believed in Jesus so much that he said “just speak the word Jesus and my servant will be healed.”  (Matthew 8 )

This is not just “being positive”.  Rather, when we read the truth in God’s word and believe it in our heart, we speak out that belief.  Matthew 12:34 states that our mouth speaks what is already in our heart.  Our words show what we believe.

We all face many challenges.  When we do, it’s our choice to speak the truth by faith.  Don’t default to the natural, carnal way of thinking.  What this looks like for me:

When I’m tempted to be fearful about finances:

Jeremiah 29:11 (I personalize it)  God knows the thoughts he thinks toward me, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give me a future and a hope.

Deuteronomy 8:18  I remember the Lord my God, it is He who gives me the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I’m tempted to get discouraged about my ability to homeschool:

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Ephesians 2:10  I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God prepared for me in advance and I walk in them.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I’m tempted to doubt that I can hear God’s voice:

I Corinthians 2:16  I have the mind of Christ.

John 10:3 I am Your sheep and I know Your voice; I do not follow the voice of a stranger.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope this encourages you to take note of your words about your life situations.  Does what you’re saying line up with God’s word?

image: Paul/freedigitalphotos.net