"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Eph 2:4-7)
This season is for sure a time to reflect on this victory over death on the cross. That Christ died for you and me while we were yet sinners ( i.e, D.E.A.D, dead in sins). This is what God is saying through John 3:16, that "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Many Christians do not know how to appropriate this to what they have experienced - life from the dead through Christ. This power of resurrection we have received and experienced, has made us alive once more. We now carry the new life of Christ in us by His Spirit residing in us!
He Is Waiting.
The woman at the well in John 4, experienced the power of resurrection of life from the dead, while Christ waited, she went straightaway to evangelize the whole city of Samaria with the impacted message of resurrection, bringing all to the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ (at the holy mountain, at the well !).
My question to us now is: What are we doing while the Lord waits for worship?
Once Dead.
The Scriptures said that we were once dead( i.e, sinners) before He revived us. Heb 9:27 says "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:". Hallelujah! I was once dead, but now through the power of resurrection, God has washed away all my sins though Christ blood, and has given me a new life - eternal Life! Now I can start boasting/preaching in the goodness of God for me through Christ's death on the cross, and not in my flesh. Once I was dead(spiritually), but now alive in Christ Jesus, sitting with Him in heavenly places far above principalities, powers, and so on!
Dead Men Walking.
The scriptures quoted said any without Christ is spiritually dead, and are all around us.
The unbelieving( so-called spirituals or should I say "spiritualists"?) we meet everyday at work, school, meetings, etc are the once Christ died for. What are we doing about them? Do we continue to neglect them because we are afraid of what they might say or do? This shouldn't be enough reason to not find other ways and means to reach out and stretch forth the new life flowing from within the "wells of salvation" in us. Isaiah 12:3 says that "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." It should be a thing of joy for us that have experienced the power of resurrection to carry forth the same to the dead that are thirsty and hungry.
What Do We Give?
It is the Word. The Word of God that is in us is the light they need, which is the carrier of this new life in Christ. We can never stop sharing the Word of life to all that needs it, because it's flowing deep within the wells of salvation that is in us. Go give this water to them that thirst and let us not grieve or quench the flow of the Spirit of God in us.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." John 7:37.
Christ is waiting, and He is waiting for us to move quickly and bring in all the "Samaritan's - the lost" around us. This is our reason for the season....Happy Easter!
Are you seeking for the Truth? Do you know Him that is the Truth (John 14:6)? "And ye shall know the truth, and the Truth shall make you free." John 8:32.
Eternal Stuffs.. LOVE
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1Jn 4:18).
Have you ever ponder on this verse? It says to drive out fear, we need to perfect love. But most personally thought it should have been strength, that "perfect strength casteth out fear". How far off can we be. And if this scripture is true, then how is it connected to driving out fear?
Against the fear we have concerning the "Day of Judgment", the scripture says that:"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:"..that it's only perfected love that can cast out all fears. So we need to know the "what", "how", and "why" of this love made perfect.
What is Love?
To know what love is and how it's perfected is very crucial for every believer of/in Christ, for there is a world of difference between these two:
(1) giving our lives to Christ, and
(2) giving everything to Him while we're still in control of our lives.
It's a life in total surrender, a matter of life and death."Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (verse 10) It's not so much about just giving everything, but to know who has given everything for "The Fix". Now we understand what love really is. For it is "the required" in fixing sin. It is what prompts and propel into giving/providing the solution to fix sin. Clearly, no believer that is sent can fix sin without loving first. And this love must be perfected in our missions/doings.
Not just talks and no deeds (i.e, the prompts), but both.
How do we love?
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another "(verse 11). This is what we must not miss nor overlook. The demonstration God gave to us while we were yet sinners, is what we need to do to ourselves in our own demonstration to the world. Transparency of intention/s helps in the depth of our understanding each other. For us to function as a body, we need this "openness" and unreserved love amongst ourselves. Our hearts must be made known to our brethren. No dark corners or intentions towards another believer/s.
Why should we love?
To have boldness in the "Day of Judgment", we must love for these two reasons;
Therefore, for any to be bold to stand before God in the Day of Judgment, we must be perfect in love to demonstrate we know God. Shalom.
Have you ever ponder on this verse? It says to drive out fear, we need to perfect love. But most personally thought it should have been strength, that "perfect strength casteth out fear". How far off can we be. And if this scripture is true, then how is it connected to driving out fear?
Against the fear we have concerning the "Day of Judgment", the scripture says that:"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:"..that it's only perfected love that can cast out all fears. So we need to know the "what", "how", and "why" of this love made perfect.
What is Love?
To know what love is and how it's perfected is very crucial for every believer of/in Christ, for there is a world of difference between these two:
(1) giving our lives to Christ, and
(2) giving everything to Him while we're still in control of our lives.
It's a life in total surrender, a matter of life and death."Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (verse 10) It's not so much about just giving everything, but to know who has given everything for "The Fix". Now we understand what love really is. For it is "the required" in fixing sin. It is what prompts and propel into giving/providing the solution to fix sin. Clearly, no believer that is sent can fix sin without loving first. And this love must be perfected in our missions/doings.
Not just talks and no deeds (i.e, the prompts), but both.
How do we love?
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another "(verse 11). This is what we must not miss nor overlook. The demonstration God gave to us while we were yet sinners, is what we need to do to ourselves in our own demonstration to the world. Transparency of intention/s helps in the depth of our understanding each other. For us to function as a body, we need this "openness" and unreserved love amongst ourselves. Our hearts must be made known to our brethren. No dark corners or intentions towards another believer/s.
Why should we love?
To have boldness in the "Day of Judgment", we must love for these two reasons;
- Perfection, and
- Demonstration.
Therefore, for any to be bold to stand before God in the Day of Judgment, we must be perfect in love to demonstrate we know God. Shalom.
Purpose.
Can we become whatever we want to be?
God dealt with this question in 3 phases I have identified in the life and ministry of prophet Jeremiah. And we are made to know and understand that our purpose, destiny and fulfillment in life, is in God.
Phase 1: The Purpose.
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jer 1:5
God is saying to prophet Jeremiah that;
1- He create things on purpose.
2- He thinks before creating anything.
3- there is always a plan and purpose preceding creation, and
4- everything and anything that has been created has a purpose.
But what is the world pushing our way? Are they not saying that anyone can become anything whatsoever they want to be in life? This is so untrue, subtle and very twisted!
Phase 2: The Destination.
Again, God told the same prophet Jeremiah of His thoughts and plans in Jer 29:11;
..."For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." God said His thoughts and purpose for us is of;
1- Peace, not evil, and
2- An expected end. So peace and a glorious end is what God gives to all His creation. A life without purpose will lack fulfillment in life.
Phase 3: The Authourity.
"Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Jer 1:9-10.
At this final phase, God put His words in the mouth of the prophet, and the entrance of God's words gave the the prophet power and authourity to fulfill his purpose on earth.
For us to have a life of fulfillment here on earth, we must understand God's ways and thoughts and order. Heb 13:8 says that the Word of God, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
God dealt with this question in 3 phases I have identified in the life and ministry of prophet Jeremiah. And we are made to know and understand that our purpose, destiny and fulfillment in life, is in God.
Phase 1: The Purpose.
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jer 1:5
God is saying to prophet Jeremiah that;
1- He create things on purpose.
2- He thinks before creating anything.
3- there is always a plan and purpose preceding creation, and
4- everything and anything that has been created has a purpose.
But what is the world pushing our way? Are they not saying that anyone can become anything whatsoever they want to be in life? This is so untrue, subtle and very twisted!
Phase 2: The Destination.
Again, God told the same prophet Jeremiah of His thoughts and plans in Jer 29:11;
..."For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." God said His thoughts and purpose for us is of;
1- Peace, not evil, and
2- An expected end. So peace and a glorious end is what God gives to all His creation. A life without purpose will lack fulfillment in life.
Phase 3: The Authourity.
"Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." Jer 1:9-10.
At this final phase, God put His words in the mouth of the prophet, and the entrance of God's words gave the the prophet power and authourity to fulfill his purpose on earth.
For us to have a life of fulfillment here on earth, we must understand God's ways and thoughts and order. Heb 13:8 says that the Word of God, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Faith-ing It.
When I look at the way we "act" in and during the worship of God, I am not always happy. Many of us act as thou we are spotless, while some act as thou they are ashamed of and seeing people like me knee down with my hands raised up in total surrender before the omnipresent God, Whom they feel is not present. Don't they know that "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?" Psa 94:9 Why?! Don't we believe and trust His Word/s anymore?
Dust to Dust.
Have we forgotten so quickly that our so-called body is made from the dust, and dust shall it return to? We need to ask ourselves these questions:
Faith-ing It.
Are you faith-ing it or faking it?
When we do exactly as commanded, we are faith-ing it, and when we don't,we are faking it. Our whole being(i.e, body,soul,and spirit) must be as one before God. And these(not the body,soul, and spirit, but thoughts.) are what we don't want to bring to the worship of God:
Holy Ground.
What if I tell you that worship brings holiness to bear on the place of worship, will you believe me? Do you remember the encounter Moses had with the burning bush on the mount of God in Exodus Chapter 3?
"And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."(Exo 3:4-5)...the ground you're on right then in worship is holy! I know some are saying that God now dwells in us, and that is true. Nevertheless, many infirmities are cleansed during these times because of His holy presence, and it's now "from within and without the body experience" for the saints that regularly worship God, our Father in heaven. Can you imagine the effect of worship on the unbelievers that are also present?! My conclusion is that we need to have a firm understanding of what is commanded and to do them appropriately. Hands raised up in total surrender with the knees bent at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ, shouldn't be too difficult for the saints of God.
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Php 2:10-11
It's every Knee and Tongue. Doing this in worship, is faith-ing it and pleasing to God. And remember that whenever the omnipresent God is sent an invite, He will be present and should be recognized and properly welcome. Caution: don't send Him an invite if you won't honour Him.
I know this is just a short message on this very weighty command to war/worship.
Dust to Dust.
Have we forgotten so quickly that our so-called body is made from the dust, and dust shall it return to? We need to ask ourselves these questions:
- Is it a crime for our bodies to "touch" the ground/floor in worship of God?
- When is this honour due God?
Faith-ing It.
Are you faith-ing it or faking it?
When we do exactly as commanded, we are faith-ing it, and when we don't,we are faking it. Our whole being(i.e, body,soul,and spirit) must be as one before God. And these(not the body,soul, and spirit, but thoughts.) are what we don't want to bring to the worship of God:
- You can't afford to be physically present while your soul and spirit are wondering to and fro all about the earth.
- You also don't want to be thinking of clothes, looks, money, etc when you're before God. [Note that your needs and wants are proposed and received during praise session. This is when you "talk sweet or sweet-talk" God like we do our earthly fathers. smiles :) .]
Holy Ground.
What if I tell you that worship brings holiness to bear on the place of worship, will you believe me? Do you remember the encounter Moses had with the burning bush on the mount of God in Exodus Chapter 3?
"And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."(Exo 3:4-5)...the ground you're on right then in worship is holy! I know some are saying that God now dwells in us, and that is true. Nevertheless, many infirmities are cleansed during these times because of His holy presence, and it's now "from within and without the body experience" for the saints that regularly worship God, our Father in heaven. Can you imagine the effect of worship on the unbelievers that are also present?! My conclusion is that we need to have a firm understanding of what is commanded and to do them appropriately. Hands raised up in total surrender with the knees bent at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ, shouldn't be too difficult for the saints of God.
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Php 2:10-11
It's every Knee and Tongue. Doing this in worship, is faith-ing it and pleasing to God. And remember that whenever the omnipresent God is sent an invite, He will be present and should be recognized and properly welcome. Caution: don't send Him an invite if you won't honour Him.
I know this is just a short message on this very weighty command to war/worship.
Wisdom and Strength.
Wisdom - The
right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of
the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or
practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of
the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just,
proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it
is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most
conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom in the
first sense, or practical wisdom, is nearly synonymous with discretion. I
differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is the
exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of
sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good. Prudence
then is a species, of which wisdom is the genus. Strength - Power or vigor of any kind. [Webster Dictionary]
Which of these two do you seek?
If wisdom is the "right use or exercise of knowledge", then we must first have knowledge (of God and the universe) to be wise and make right choices in "attempting good or avoiding evil" in the world of today. Strength simply means power. In physics, strength is the rate at which energy is transferred, changed or transformed. And energy is the ability to do work. Therefore, Strength=>Power=>Energy=>Work , and this is what "the world" has promised many that are seeking for the ability to effect change,without wisdom. The whole world is enticed by the promise of strength-without-wisdom. They say and have concluded that Wisdom (i.e, Christ Jesus) is too tough to understand, involves exercises, restraints and He/it takes too long when compared to strength which is easily acquired in riches, politics, occultism, cultism, etc.
What difference does it make?
What difference will a man be compared to an animal, if he lacks wisdom? Most animals needs strength and basic instinct to survive, and it seem like with their limited "mind/view" they've become wiser than men. The world today is struggling to survive just like the animals for lack of knowledge. Hos 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." When human beings that are created to be seeking and searching out the right use and exercise of knowledge(i.e, Wisdom), are themselves brought down (that is, blinded)to the level of animals, then man and his world needs Christ Jesus, our Wisdom.
To want to get rich at any cost is greatly lacking in wisdom and foolish tending only to evil. This is what the world today have forgotten about, knowing that history is about to repeat itself in that the world became blind and foolish, trusting in their own strength, cursed by God, and ultimately crucified Wisdom, that is Christ Jesus. Judas did read the scriptures but never came to the understanding that it was him that will betray Wisdom.
Many people today are about to repeat the same thing in this "get rich or die poor" world of the accursed. The saints of God must separate themselves from this curse by seeking to know Wisdom (i.e, Christ Jesus). Rev_18:4 says, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." for He, Wisdom is the ONLY way out from under this curse.
Blindness(deception) is being rolled upon the eyes of many once again, while Wisdom and Truth are crucified daily in the streets, cities and nations of the world today.
Do not trust in your own strength or that of others, it same as "trusting in flesh" and weapons. This is nothing but a curse.
Pro 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Ecc 9:16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Note that Wisdom is a Person that rubies/money and weapons can never be comparable to.
Which of these two do you seek?
If wisdom is the "right use or exercise of knowledge", then we must first have knowledge (of God and the universe) to be wise and make right choices in "attempting good or avoiding evil" in the world of today. Strength simply means power. In physics, strength is the rate at which energy is transferred, changed or transformed. And energy is the ability to do work. Therefore, Strength=>Power=>Energy=>Work , and this is what "the world" has promised many that are seeking for the ability to effect change,without wisdom. The whole world is enticed by the promise of strength-without-wisdom. They say and have concluded that Wisdom (i.e, Christ Jesus) is too tough to understand, involves exercises, restraints and He/it takes too long when compared to strength which is easily acquired in riches, politics, occultism, cultism, etc.
What difference does it make?
What difference will a man be compared to an animal, if he lacks wisdom? Most animals needs strength and basic instinct to survive, and it seem like with their limited "mind/view" they've become wiser than men. The world today is struggling to survive just like the animals for lack of knowledge. Hos 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." When human beings that are created to be seeking and searching out the right use and exercise of knowledge(i.e, Wisdom), are themselves brought down (that is, blinded)to the level of animals, then man and his world needs Christ Jesus, our Wisdom.
To want to get rich at any cost is greatly lacking in wisdom and foolish tending only to evil. This is what the world today have forgotten about, knowing that history is about to repeat itself in that the world became blind and foolish, trusting in their own strength, cursed by God, and ultimately crucified Wisdom, that is Christ Jesus. Judas did read the scriptures but never came to the understanding that it was him that will betray Wisdom.
Many people today are about to repeat the same thing in this "get rich or die poor" world of the accursed. The saints of God must separate themselves from this curse by seeking to know Wisdom (i.e, Christ Jesus). Rev_18:4 says, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." for He, Wisdom is the ONLY way out from under this curse.
Blindness(deception) is being rolled upon the eyes of many once again, while Wisdom and Truth are crucified daily in the streets, cities and nations of the world today.
Do not trust in your own strength or that of others, it same as "trusting in flesh" and weapons. This is nothing but a curse.
Pro 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Ecc 9:16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Note that Wisdom is a Person that rubies/money and weapons can never be comparable to.
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