Word Of Grace

Three Roots of Sin

2011-05-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

THREE ROOTS OF SIN

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

THREE ROOTS OF SIN

THE LUST OF THE FLESH

THE LUST OF THE EYES

THE PRIDE OF LIFE

Lust of the Flesh

Root Cause: Self Pity, Not taking personal responsibility for our lives, Always blaming others for our problems.

Lust of the Eyes COVETOUSNESS IDOLATRY

Root Cause: Believing things will satisfy the spiritual need inside.

Pride of life:

Root Cause: Honoring ourselves more than God or others. Using others to serve ourselves.

Sin has its power in three Roots - THE LUST OF THE FLESH, THE LUST OF THE EYES and THE PRIDE OF LIFE (I John 9:16).

This means the way we defeat it at the root is to destroy the life of each of these roots.

As sin has three roots so also does sanctification. If these three roots are empowered they destroy the power of the source of sin in our lives.

There is a one way door inside of us.

If we open our lives to the world we, at the same time close our lives to the Spirit.

If we open our lives to the Spirit we, at the same time close our lives to the world.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Galatians 5:16-18

THANKFULNESS - DEFEATS THE LUST OF THE FLESH

CONTENTMENT - DEFEATS THE LUST OF THE EYES

HUMILITY - DEFEATS THE PRIDE OF LIFE

THANKFULNESS

Root Remedy:

Thanksgiving, Worship, Gratitude and being filled with the Spirit, taking personal responsibility for our actions, ceasing blame.

in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thankfulness brings us into God’s presence

Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4

When we seek comfort from bodily pleasure or substances we are trying to fill the hole in our lives that only God can fill.

As we give thanks to God we open to His Spirit. This brings true fulfillment.

Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18

As we enter into the secret place of God’s dwelling through thanksgiving and praise we are able to receive his comfort.

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16

Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7

The comfort we are seeking in the lusts of the flesh we find as we are filled with the divine comforter.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3

And the comfort we find in God is intended to be given to others.

. . .who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:4

So Thankfulness breaks the power of self pity.

It brings us into God’s presence.

It redeems our pain to bless others as we are filled with the divine comforter.

And it opens us up to be a channel for the river of life to flow through to others.

Establishing Thankfulness

When lust of the flesh activates rather than seek expression of it, express faith in God by thanking and praising Him.

Seek the face of God in prayer. Give thanks to Him for his restrictions. Build moral freedom by exercising your will toward purity.

Make no provision for the flesh... I Timothy 5:2

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

CONTENTMENT - DEFEATS THE LUST OF THE EYES

Root Remedy: Contentment: Finding our identity not in what we possess but in a relationship with the true God.

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of covetousness; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15

Contentment is the state of mind that is perfectly happy with what God provides and what he does not provide.

. . . what He gives and what He takes away.

He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

The secret of contentment is understanding that things can never take the place of the relationships of our lives.

We love God and others and we use things.

The person bound by the lust of the eyes uses God and people and loves things.

The person who lives in the lust of the eyes is trying to fill the deepest longings of his or her soul with things instead of God.

This is the mystery of idolatry - Bowing down to a thing as if it is God.

But scripture shows us that when we find our heart’s desires filled in a deep relationship with Jesus we will not look to things to fill us.

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 (KJS)

Establishing Contentment:

Gain Financial Freedom through disciplined work and personal, initiative (taking responsibility).

Establishing Contentment: For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, Establishing Contentment: nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; Establishing Contentment: not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

Reject the false doctrine that as Christians we ought to be rich.

The truth of contentment that the world cannot see is that as we walk in contentment we find God’s full provision for us.

(Wicked men who) supposing that gain is godliness: . . . But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. I Timothy 6:5-10

Express obedience by making debt-free living your goal and by establishing diligent work habits both at home and the job (as unto the Lord).

The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave. Proverbs 22:7

Obtaining financial freedom through contentment in whatever state you are in.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4: 10-13

Express faith in God by giving to Him in your need. Rather than complain, give in secret out of your need. With the gift offer the sacrifice of Praise.

Giving - Establishing "value" through secret giving.

When the desire to obtain grows find a place to give in secret to God and others and so establish that real value is in being like God who gives His only Son for the good of others.

"But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, Colossians 3:23

SERVANTHOOD - DEFEATS THE PRIDE OF LIFE

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11

Root Remedy: Serving God and serving others.

The person who is captured by pride can never truly find the fulfillment God intends because we were created to be God and other centered.

Our destiny is to be like Jesus.

Our Spiritual DNA is to look like, act like, think like and in everything respond like Him.

Establishing Servanthood:

Humility, Relinquishment of Rights, recognizing the Lordship of Christ and serving God and others before self.

He is the picture of Humility

And humility at its heart is servanthood out of love.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. . . . . 12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. John 13:3-16

When the desire to gain power comes serve the one who you want power over and thus establish that true authority begins with humility.

In this way we come under the authority of Christ by the relinquishment of our "rights" to power.

Esteem others better than yourself by giving honor to the weaker vessel.

Allowing God to establish your authority by becoming a servant of all.

The great secret of humility is that it brings us under God’s hand of protection.

Three Roots of Sin

Hearing God Today

2011-04-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

HEARING GOD

DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TODAY?

Most who read this question will have already made up their minds whether God speaks today or not.

Agnostics will say, "No we cannot communicate with God. He/She/It is beyond us and we cannot have any personal communication with us." These would say that though God may in fact be there and have been the creator we cannot know anything of Him/Her/It. Theirs is a closed universe in which even if God is here it makes no difference.

Most Christians will say "yes God does speak in a general sort of way." They usually say that in the same way someone who is gone can leave a message to be read long after they have departed God has left messages for us even though direct communication "in the now" does not happen. They emphasize that the day of miracles has ceased with the final stroke of the New Testament and now we only hear God from Scripture. Even this communication is only on a "principle" basis. In daily life and decision making we can only apply the principles and hope for the best.

Finally a small group of believers throughout the centuries since the resurrection have believed that God has never been silent and never will be. They give testimony of how God speaks today in the same ways He did in the past. For them the visions and dreams of Ezekiel are still an expected part of Christian life. They expect God to speak and believe he does.

Obviously I fall into that last group. I could never agree with the agnostic for even before the scriptures were recorded God was speaking in His creation:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1

God has never been silent nor will he ever be. As long as the Sun and the moon give their light God will be saying something clearly to all of humanity.

This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar‑‑ the LORD Almighty is his name: 36 "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."
Jeremiah 31:35

Every time someone sees the stars they can think that God created them for a time when he would speak through them. In this specific case God is saying that His love will remain with His people as long as the sun, moon, stars and sea exist.

But even beyond the speaking in the created order God speaks today through other means:

PROPHECY, DREAMS AND VISIONS

He said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.
Numbers 12:6

For God does speak ‑‑ now one way, now another ‑‑ though man may not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, 16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, 17 to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, 18 to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.
Job 33:14

The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" 27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
Daniel 2:26

Someone may protest, "Yes it is true that God spoke in those days by dreams and visions but not today. If that is so when are the last days? Sometime in the future? they certainly could not be past! And what does God say will happen in the last days? He says He will speak - exactly as He did in the Old Testament:

"`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2:17

Even if some would say that the last days were only the days of the apostles, Revelation makes it clear the ministry of the Prophet will continue right into the time of the great tribulation. Beyond prophesy God will actually call them up to heaven by an audible voice:

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." ... 6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. 7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.... 9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
Revelation 11:3

ANGELS AND OTHER BEINGS

God has always spoke through other beings than humans. These include angels, cherubim, seraphim and even a donkey!

Now Moses was tending the flock... 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up... God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
Exodus 3:1

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him...23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road... 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" ... 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times?
Numbers 22:21

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:26

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Revelation 1:1

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
Revelation 5:11

Again all these scriptures might be said to only pertain to the time before scripture was finished. But when will the mark of the beast be placed on the foreheads of men? Did it already happen before the Bible was finished? No it will happen only seven years before Jesus returns to destroy the kingdom of the Anti-Christ. It is an angel that will communicate the truth concerning the mark of the beast.

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
Revelation 14:9

AN AUDIBLE VOICE

Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb... 12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 4:10

And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.
Deuteronomy 5:24

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:8

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Matthew 3:16

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
Matthew 17:5

Meanwhile, Saul ....neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
Acts 9:1

"I was in the city of Joppa praying... 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 8 "I replied, `Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'
Acts 11:5

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:20

In order to believe that God does not speak today we must believe that Jesus cannot or will not communicate with His followers. He himself made it clear that He would lead them and they would follow. The means of His leading was to be, today as much as then, by His voice:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:1

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
John 10:1

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
John 5:25

SCRIPTURE

For us in this time the most important aspect of God's speaking is the scriptures. Peter knew this even though he had heard God in an audible voice on the Mount of Transfiguration:

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
II Peter 1:17

HINDRANCES TO HEARING

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR?

The first question I ask when someone says they want to hear from God is "Do you really want too?" The reason for this is simple. I have learned over the years that people's motivations for hearing from God are not always proper. Several major reasons cause them to not hear or worse to hear from another source.

NOT ENOUGH DESIRE

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD,
Jeremiah 29:13

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Psalm 119:9

When we set our hearts to hear from God we must be serious. It cannot be a light thing to us. We must prepare our hearts to enter into dialogue with God by being wholehearted in our seeking Him.

LACK OF FAITH

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

If we are going to hear from God we must have faith. We must believe that we are going to hear. Many seek earnestly but in their hearts all their prayers are defeated due to unbelief.

TO HEAR SOMETHING WE WANT TO HEAR

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James 4:3

Many of our seeking of God comes from our personal needs. There is in one sense nothing wrong with this as long as we are praying as Jesus did "not my will but thine." But when we are asking for needs we must make sure that they are not "lusts."

LUST FOR THE SUPERNATURAL

Often hearing God often does not yield what people think it will. Many people want to hear from God out of what I call a "supernatural lust." They are intrigued with the "glamour" or novelty of hearing from a supernatural being. Often these people start out with a curiosity and then end up with a craving to hear from the supernatural world. Sometimes they have heard from God through others but because the others are no longer in their lives they end up desiring to hear from the supernatural so badly they will turn to witchcraft to hear. Saul was just such a person:

When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urin or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. 8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."
I Samuel 28:5

When we think about some of the wrong reasons that people want to hear from God we can see they fall into the categories of I John 2:16:

HIDDEN SIN

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
John 15:22

DON'T WANT TO SEE WHO WE REALLY ARE OR WHAT OUR TRUE MOTIVES ARE

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Another reason people might not really want to hear from God is because they don't want to who they really are. What they really want is a justification for their actions. If we are not willing to "come into the light" we will not want to really hear from God:
John 3:19

DON'T WANT TAUGHT, REBUKED, CORRECTED OR TRAINED

All Scripture is God‑breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
II Timothy 3:16

Every word from God is working to a purpose. If we really want to hear from God we must submit ourselves to those purposes. We cannot hope to hear from Him if we are not willing to let Him build His character in us. That character is formed by teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT HE SAYS

Another similar reason why we may not really want to hear from God is an unwillingness to do what He says once we hear it.

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
John 7:16

How very important it is that before we seek to hear the voice of God we settle in our hearts that our motivation will be right, that we will be willing to receive correction and that we and that upon hearing from God we will do what He asks no matter what the cost. Like an athlete who submits to a trainer in spite of the rigour of the discipline his trainer expects from him so we must submit to Gods training program if we expect to hear His instructions for us.

FEAR OF RESPONSIBILITY

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:47

In a certain perverse sense we may feel it best not to hear from God. If we don't hear we are not responsible. Yet the truth is that if we don't hear we will never achieve our potential in God. The ones who sit on the sidelines watching the Olympics don't suffer the untold hours of preparation. Nor do they suffer the potential of losing. Yet they will never know the exhilaration of winning. The fact is that life is giving to only a few things. The only ones that matter are those that are eternal. One day we will face our potential without excuses. Like the man with one talent who hid it in the ground the excuse of not wanting to take responsibility will not be enough. If we want to gain the crown we must strive for it. We must let God speak to us and we must follow - not only in action but in heart and spirit. Only then will we hope to hear the most wonderful words that will ever be spoken to us - "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord."

THREE LIGHTS

The boat was nearing the harbour. It was in the darkest part of the night after the moon had set. The wind crashed waves across the bow. The mist hung heavy over the shore line. The skipper caught the faintest glimpse of the first light. It was set on a reef which in days gone by had claimed the life of many sailors. Relief swept his brow. One sighted only two more to line up. Through his sighting scope he found the second light. It was at the entrance to the harbour itself. "Only one more light and we're on a straight course home boys" the skipper exclaimed. "There it is off to the left" shouted the first mate. "No that can't be it. It's way out of line. Follow that light and you'll end up on the bottom son. There's the third light. It comes from the tower on the hill above the harbour. Sure enough when they made it into a safe harbour the first mate realized his mistake. The other light was a ship anchored on the far side of the reef. To have followed that course would have sunk the ship and possibly have lost the lives of the crew. He asked the captain, "How did you know that was the wrong light?" He replied, "You can always tell your on course just as long as all three lights are in a straight line. If one seems out of place its not the light to follow."

THE WITNESS OF THE WORD, THE SPIRIT AND CIRCUMSTANCES

We have established that we want to hear from God and that we will seek Him with proper heart motives. We now want to understand how God speaks and more importantly how we can be sure it is God.

First of all we must understand that God intends to speak to each believer. He is pouring out his Spirit on all flesh (Acts ). Our young men will dream dreams and our old men visions (Acts ). And each one of His sheep will hear and know his voice. I can confidently say that everyone who is a believer is found somewhere in those groupings. That is not to say that God will always speak the same with each person. Nor is it to say that we have a "right" to demand that God speak to us. When we approach God we never do so on the basis of "rights." It would be an awful thing if God gave us what we really "deserve."

A UNIQUE PERSON - A UNIQUE COMMUNICATION

When God speaks to us it is a unique communication. His speaking to us involves not only His message but our unique personality, culture, sex, age, experience and life circumstances. He will speak differently with each of us. Even when we have a "word" for another we will always reflect some of our own "hearing" in giving it. That does not mean that God's message is compromised by our humanity. Quite the contrary God uses all the uniqueness He has given us to speak exactly what he wants.

For instance the Bible has many authors in the sense of people who God chose to write it for Him. Each one of them choose their materials uniquely, used unique words and has different emphasis in their theme and style. The liberal theologian laughs at our "naive assumption that God is the true author of the Bible. They point to all these differences and say if God were the author then why not a single style? Why not a single theme? Why not a consistent vocabulary. That is because they are so blind to the awesomeness of our God.

The Bible is like a beautiful stained glass window created by a single craftsman. Oh it is true that he uses all kinds of colours, shapes, textures and kinds of glass to produce His work of art. So God uses the different colours, shapes, textures and kinds of men and women to paint His meaning onto the written page. Yet the beautiful window when it is hit by the light of the sun bursts into splendour and is seen not as so many fragments of glass but as one work. So it is with the Bible. When illumined by the light of God stands not as the work of many but the work of the one skilled wordsmith. This view does not diminish the humanity of the Biblical authors but rather emphasizes how our sovereign God can use we frail dustlings to perfectly communicate His message.

This is important to emphasize because one of our foundational principles of hearing God in this era (as opposed to hearing God under Moses) is that we are to hear God for ourselves. Before we start our with a rousing chant of independence and claim that we no longer need any other members of the body of Christ since we now can each hear for ourselves let it be said that God may speak through others - and usually does - even through people we don't like or don't like us. It is for certain that we need others if we are going to hear from the Lord but.... what is meant is that God Himself will bear witness in our hearts to the truth of the communications we receive from Him through others.

Here is the balance. You don't need an intermediary between you and God. He will speak directly to you. Your have access to God's throne room on no other basis than the blood of Jesus (Hebrews ). But God will often choose to speak directly to you through others. In the scripture when Angels or prophets spoke the text often records that God spoke. Sounds like a contradiction? No it means only that God sent His Word through someone else. Our privilege is that when that word is sent we have the privilege (not right) to have God confirm it by His speaking to us again in our hearts.

OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS AND PRIESTS HEARD GOD FOR OTHERS

How do I justify this view biblically? In the Old Testament their were prophets and priests who communicated to God for the people. Moses is the best example of one who performed this task of hearing for others as a prophet:

When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. 24 And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him. 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer. 26 For what mortal man has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived? 27 Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey."
Deuteronomy 5:23

THE OLD COVENANT'S RESTRICTIONS ARE NO LONGER ENFORCED

The Old Testament priesthood's purpose was over with Jesus. While the Jewish faith continued to have priests up to the time of the destruction of the Temple (a Rabbi is not a priest)

They (i.e. priests) serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. 7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 13 By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Hebrews 8:5

NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARE ALL PRIESTS

In the New Testament era the office of Levitical priesthood was done away with. It was replaced by what theologians call "the priesthood of all believers." Protestants made much of this during the reformation. In fact it was the concept that we needed someone to go between as an priest, mediator or intercessor that remains one of the key foundations of the continuing differences between Protestant and Roman Catholic theologians today.

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
Revelation 5:9

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
I Timothy 2:5

THREE LIGHTS

In guidance we have essentially three areas which must line up before we are sure that we have God's purposes in any specific issue. These three are like the lights on a runway by which a pilot makes sure he is making his nighttime approach correctly. When he sees that the lights form a straight line he can be sure he will land on the runway correctly. If however any of the lights are askew he knows that he is not on a correct approach. If he disregards what he sees he will more than likely destroy his plane, passengers and even himself.

THE WITNESS OF THE WORD -

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT -

THE WITNESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES -

These three areas interact with one another in an unusual fashion which requires creativity and discernment. In order to look at their interaction together, we must first look at them separately to understand what each does and does not mean.

THE WITNESS OF THE WORD

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:19-20

Infallibility - This high sounding word simply means the scriptures are totally reliable as the Word of the Lord. Evangelical believers including Pentecostal generally believe that the Bible is the only infallible authority in life.

JESUS'S CLAIM FOR SCRIPTURE:

OLD TESTAMENT

Jesus claimed that the Old Testament was infallible in John 10:35 when he said it could not be broken and in Matthew 5:18 when he said that Heaven and Earth would pass away before on jot or title (the smallest marks) would pass from the Law (the five books of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy).

HIS OWN WORDS

Jesus claimed infallibility for His own words in Matthew 24:35 saying that Heaven and Earth shall pass away but his words word not. In the parable of the house on the sand and the house on the bedrock, he gives his own words first priority as the bedrock for establishing one's life (Luke 6:46-49). John 13:47-48 says that it will be Jesus's word that will judge all people. Jesus's word is found today recorded in the Gospels, one passage in Corinthians and several places in the book of Revelation.

THE APOSTLES WORD

In John 13 Jesus claimed that it would be through the Apostles teaching that people would come to faith. With the exception of Paul, Luke and James, all of the writers of the New Testament were either Apostles in the first twelve or taking directly from the teachings of the first twelve. Oral tradition from the second century tells us that John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark was actually the scribe of the Apostle Peter and that the Gospel of Mark is primarily Peter's story of Jesus.

PAUL, LUKE & JAMES

Both Paul and James were counted as Apostles and were in agreement with the teaching of the first 12 Apostles. Paul's writings were attested to as scripture in II Peter 3:15-16. Luke was the personal scribe of Paul. He drew his materials for the Gospel from Matthew and Mark. He wrote Acts from personal memory of the life of Paul and Peter. James receives his authority in scripture from his relationship with the first 12 Apostles in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-22).

SCRIPTURE, REVELATION AND CONFIRMATION

Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. To say that no one could have ever believed had the Apostles not written down their teaching would be false for people believed prior to the New Testament being written (Acts 2) or for that matter, Abraham believed God's Word before Moses wrote as single word. The scriptures however are God's Word recorded through history. An academic knowledge of them is essential before one can really hear God from them. this knowledge is spoken of in II Timothy 2:15

This "study" involves a seeking for the whole counsel of God and is not accomplished overnight or even years though it may involve a more concentrated time of preparation like Bible school. It is a lifelong commitment to a study of God's Word written.

Hebrews 11:3 Tells us that the world was created through the Word of God. The scriptures are one aspect of the Word of God, but they point to something other than themselves that existed before they did. That is the eternal Word of God that created the world and spoke the scriptures themselves into existence. We cannot perceive this eternal Word of God unless there is what theologians call "revelation." The word revelation comes from the verb "to reveal" which means to show something which had been hidden or unseen. Our academic study of scripture is meant to be a vehicle of revelation and further to be a "confirmation" of revelation that happens outside of scripture. Romans 1:91-21 says that all humanity have a measure of revelation through the created world in which God placed a witness of himself. Because God created the world revelation can come through it as naturally as us coming to understand much about an architect through his buildings. We may not be able to know his name or his family background but we can surely understand all kinds of things just by carefully observing what he created. It is the same with God and even more so.

There are many sources of revelation - miracles, dreams, visions, angels, other people, donkeys!, other people, God's audible voice, the scripture to name a few. In fact the numbers of ways that God reveals himself are probably countless but one stands at the centre of them all. That one is the revelation of God to which all other revelations point. It is the revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. God's revelation to Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and through your life and mine are partial. The revelation he gives through Jesus is full, perfect and complete. Our humanity will colour the picture of God we give but when we see Jesus we look into the face of God with not diminishing, colouring or distorting the image. To find the Word of God in nature, scripture, the Spirit, or others you must have this revelation in your heart. It does not come by academic study of the Bible, though that is very important. The scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day knew the scripture better than anyone yet they did not have God's revelation. They could not see who Jesus was. It is never enough to know scripture, you must have as a foundation of all other revelation the one they all point to. You must have a living relationship with Jesus.

You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by studying them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify of me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
John 5:39-40

Beyond this you must have a relationship with the Holy Spirit to illumine the words of God found in every place God reveals himself. Scripture tells the story of faith and presents the absolute moral law of God, but you must see it with eyes of faith in order to hear God speak through them. This revelation is the second sense of scripture and truth. It is always there, but only "he who has eyes to see and ears to hear" can perceive it. This deeper revelation of God himself is the reality to which the scriptures point. It is the revelation of God and of you.

Acts 17:11 Tells us the way to be truly noble. It points to the primacy of scripture in all areas of life. The ones in Thessalonica search the scriptures daily to confirm what was being said to them outside of the scriptures.

The two primary functions of scripture in being led of the Lord are:

1.Giving basic principles to direct our lives in decisions that do not require supernatural direction.

2.To confirm our supernaturally given direction.

This area is where most people go astray in being led of God. Far too often experience is substituted for the clear teaching of scripture or scripture is elevated to where no experience is deemed valid.

The furthest extreme of this on the experience side are those who discard the Bible as being irrelevant and choose some other authority. Liberal theology takes social science as its ultimate authority. Radical charismatic take supernatural "experiences" and words as their authority.

The furthest extreme of this on the scripture side would be radical dispensationalists who say that God does nothing supernaturally today at all and that personal communication with him is impossible. They would say that all supernatural events are inspired from satan.

The balance between the two is not a middle point between them. It is actually a new completely different understanding of the purpose of scripture in relation to the Holy Spirit's work and ministry. The scriptures are meant to confirm the revelation we receive from sources other that the scriptures. Revelation through dreams, visions, insights, inspired thoughts, voices, circumstances, nature and history are all to be confirmed through scripture. Scripture is to be our ultimate authority in life. Our attitude would be that if it is not clearly scriptural then it is not of God. The Spirit's revelation however, is given to bring the Word in scripture to life in the present circumstances and experiences of our lives. the Spirit takes the concepts of scripture and adds that revelational dimension that is spoken of in scripture as wisdom.

SUMMARY

NON-SUPERNATURAL DIRECTION BY SCRIPTURE

Each of us make decisions and act in circumstances each day without needing an unusual Word of God by the Spirit. Some of these decisions are dictated by our bodies (time to eat, what to eat, time to sleep, what to wear....) It is safe to say that the majority of our lives are made up of these kinds of activities and decisions. I call them "no-light" decisions not because they don't need the "light of the world" but simply because they do not require supernatural direction. It is very important to understand that God is what theologians call sovereign over every aspect of life. That simply means that He, like a master chess player, has the wonderful ability to let us move about freely, making decisions, without his direct communication and he is still able to control the outcome of our lives if we are submitting to his directions given in scripture. The Bible also tells us that even the wrong things that others do are not beyond his redemption. He is working all things out for good for those who love him and are following his plans for them (Romans 8). If we are applying God's truth in all areas of our lives we can be confident of his direction even when we do not hear from him supernaturally.

The other side of this is that if we fail to put scriptural principles into action in our lives we will be walking in the "flesh". We will be walking out of God's plan for us because we will be controlled by carnal desires which are all against God (Romans 8:1-9)

Psalm 37:23 tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The most important principle of any guidance (whether supernatural or not) is "It is not where you are but what you are." I am not intending to say that it is never important where you are, only that it is not the key issue. God can order your path and put you in the right place at the right time (exactly). As you apply the principles of scripture sincerely and consistently to your life you can expect that even when and how you brush your teeth will be working towards God's plan for you and others. This means that there is freedom from the kind of false concept that God must supernaturally guide every choice in your life (including whether or not you eat oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast.) Certain of the principles of scripture do involve eating and we may draw practical guidance from this area. We don't need to go beyond a basic health conscious diet unless God speaks through a physician. We can have an assurance that all of the natural functions and desires will be working for God's purpose as we train ourselves to put into practice the principles he gives us in scripture. Colossians 2:20-23 Tells us that we can live free from bondage to man-made rules that seem religious but only enslave us into a false understanding of the world, God's character and his will for our lives.

At this point there may be strong reactions by many since they know that if they were free from the self-made restrictions on their physical desires they would fall into the worst kinds of sin. This simply points to the fact that "what they are" is the real problem. The person who loves God in truth will be being transformed by that love. The person who has lost their love for God must have tremendous self-discipline to keep his or her carnal desires under control, yet God sees the heart. Not only does an outward show of religion without the reality in the heart cover one's true self from others, it can often deceive even us. When love and zeal for God are gone and the heart refuses to acknowledge the true sin, then godless religion in the form of the law must take over or the person falls into outward sin. Either case is the same to God with the exception that those who practice false works without a heart towards God are often deceived into thinking that they are perfectly right towards God. This is the woe of the Pharisees. In fact one of the best tests for a person who has let their first love and is walking in fleshly religion is self-righteousness. The truly righteous person recognizes his or her righteousness comes from God and walks in a spirit of humility. The one whose righteousness is based on their own works thinks they are dependent on nothing, have no need of God's assistance in walking free from sin and they walk in pride.

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard. 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Galatians 3:1-3

Outward works without an inward heart change is seeking to be made perfect through the flesh. To believe this is to be under the spell of witchcraft. We are to be God disciplined. God's discipline yields righteous fruit whereas fleshly discipline yields death (Hebrews 12:5-13) If we are filled with wrong desires (not temptations but actual desires that you are mediating on inwardly) which are barely contained by our own "law" even if that law is seemingly from the scripture, then we must see that our heart is the real problem. We are not truly trusting in God nor do we truly love God. We must repent of our coldness of heart toward God and our fruitless attempt to measure up to his standards without his help. If, on the other hand, we are filled with these same wrong desires and we have simply given up and are fulfilling them outwardly (whether publicly or privately) recognize that a true Christian has power to overcome them through the Spirit.

CONCLUSION

SUPERNATURAL DIRECTIONS

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man should teach you:
I John 2:27 a

There are times in our lives when scripture alone cannot give us a specific answer about a specific problem. Scripture is still the guiding principle but we need to have "a word of wisdom, knowledge or discernment." I call these "light" decisions because they need supernatural illumination by the Holy Spirit to show us the specifics that God wants us to know in a given circumstance. The witness of the Holy Spirit falls into three broad categories which I have called 1. Directional, 2. Correctional or 3. Confirmational.

The primary way the Holy Spirit leads is through peace. Other means are through the placing of desires in the heart, thoughts in the mind or convictions in the conscience of believers. Supernatural works of revelation - visions, dreams, the voice of God, prophetic messages, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, discerning of spirits to name a few - also come by the Holy Spirit.

All Spirit inspired communications will be in line with the whole counsel of God found in scripture.

IN LINE WITH SCRIPTURE

All direction from the spirit realm must be submitted to the scriptures and to the test of circumstance. I have seen many deceived when they put trust in supernatural visitations with out first "testing" them. The first principle of guidance in supernatural revelation is if it contradicts the plain sense of scripture it is not of God. Nothing is more dangerous for a Christian than to elevate his or her experiences above God's Word. The annals of time are filled with the stories of the tragedy that comes when a man or woman begin to believe that they have greater insight than the Bible.

ACCORDING TO THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD

Many offer strange twists of scripture as a basis of their "new revelation." The Mormon church began with an angelic visitor that gave its founder the "new understanding of the gospel which had been hidden for almost 19 centuries. H. W. Armstrong claims that since Jesus spoke to the first apostles no one has heard from him until the day he spoke to H.W. He claims that his preaching, which is often unscriptural, is directly inspired by God and presumably above even the scriptures. These men took "parts" of the scripture but did not keep to the whole of it. Even satan used part of the scripture to tempt Jesus. We must keep to the whole counsel of God not simply pick and choose what we like and throw out the rest.

DIRECTIONAL

Genesis 12:1 describes the call of Abraham. God does not often speak in a supernatural fashion to us. That does not mean he is not speaking just that he reserves supernatural communication to underline very important things. It was very important that Abraham knew the God wanted him to live in Palestine and when he was to move. It was also very important that he go with just the word from God and no other plan. He was not even told where he was going until he got there. This word was directional. It did not keep him on a path he was already on (correctional) but started him on a whole new journey.

We must not limit Gods directional guidance to supernatural communications alone however. Far too often people assume that any major work of God must have supernatural visions, dreams, words, and so forth at its foundation to be of God.

The Holy Spirit can and will lead through very normal ways like speaking through scripture or circumstances to give us a heart to pray, evangelize, to help others, to speak a word of encouragement, to speak a word of correction and so on. We may act on this heart without fear that we will disobey God because we have not had a supernatural revelation. God is speaking when we feel his love in our hearts.

He can also give us "inspired thoughts." These are simply the leading of the Spirit through the renewed mind. Again the tests are 1. Does it line up with Scripture? 2. Do I have peace about it? 3. Is it being confirmed by circumstances.

God created humans in his own image and gave us his creativity. This creativity is hindered by false conceptions of guidance. The false assumption that God must supernaturally command every action of our lives stifles creativity. God allows us - within the framework of scripture - to express the God given natural traits he created us with. He created us with unique personalities, gave us specific spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 9) and specific ministries (Jacob, Jeremiah, John the Baptist...) from our conception. He allows us to respond to life in these God given traits in a way that permits freedom yet remains in his plan. Two people may respond in differing ways to the exact same circumstance yet both can be remaining in God's plan. Even though they approach life differently, God will be manifested and use both of them as they are seeking his will wholeheartedly. His promise is that we have liberty to be creative with the assurance that if we get off track he will speak to us. This liberty obviously does not include the liberty to sin.

So many are convinced that they have no supernatural gift because they don't hear the lightening, earthquake and thunder. They fail to act because they have either been taught or come to believe that motivation that comes through normal channels (like a touched heart, renewed mind or an awakened conscience) are only fleshly. They are afraid that they will simply be submitting "their plans" to God for his approval if they move ahead without supernatural instructions. They believe that they must "wait" for a supernatural word from heaven before they can do anything for God. The truth is that we need not "wait" for a supernatural word but rather take the word that has already been given. All that is needed to do God's bidding is the understanding that he is speaking in the heart, mind and conscience of a believer whose heart is towards him and his word in scripture. We may need our path corrected and we can trust that he will speak to us as we are moving.

There will be times in every believer's life however when God will speak to us like he spoke to Abraham. They may be very few in number - as they were with Abraham as well - but when they come they are to be the guiding vision for our lives. When they are in line with scripture, are being fulfilled through God ordained circumstances and bearing godly fruit they are wonderful reminders that it is God who is doing this work.

CORRECTIONAL

Isaiah 30:21 speaks of the correctional Word of God. It comes only when we are not in the correct path. It comes at the point when we step out of the right way. This is a clear concept of discipline.

An example of this kind of correctional guidance through supernatural intervention is when Paul desired to go to Asia with the gospel. As he was preparing to do so he had a vision of a Macedonian asking him to go west instead (Acts 16). Paul's first desire was to preach the Gospel (i.e. What he was). God permitted him generally to preach wherever he felt right to do so. However there came a time when God had a specific place he wanted the gospel preached in. God then gave specific direction supernaturally telling him where to be.

God does not have to repeat the great commission supernaturally to every believer. It is given in the scriptures and that is enough to evangelize the world with. He will on occasion however speak to us our field but only as we are putting into reality what he has already shown us in the Bible.

Like Paul, whose passion, calling and gift was to preach the gospel, if we begin to walk in the way that God shows us in scripture, our hearts, our renewed minds and consciences we can trust we are being led by the Spirit though we do not yet have a supernatural word. Yet we can also be sure that if we need a word to keep us on the right path it will surely come.

CONFIRMATIONAL

Confirmation of the leading of the Spirit by circumstances will be dealt with later. Here we are speaking of the witness of the Spirit which confirms to the believer that a word that has been given is from God. This occurs in two primary ways 1. Prophecy and 2. Peace.

PROPHECY

We will deal more specifically with prophecy in a little while but a general principle can be offered here. Personal prophecy has been a problem in many situations because it has been assumed to be directional rather than confirmational. People have sold their possession and gone to a remote part of the world expecting spectacular events to occur only to find that they have been led astray by a misguided, though at times well meaning, prophet. Things that have been spoken in the name of the Lord and accepted by others have caused much misery and been the ruin of many Christians. I believe this is because we have elevated prophecy as being primarily directional. It should be understood that every Christian has the privilege of hearing God for him or her self. Prophecy is never intended to suspend our responsibility to hear from God internally before accepting anything external. When we understand this we see that prophecy may light the internal fire that leads to directional guidance it is never in itself to be directional but only confirmational.

Prophecy is to be subject to the Word of God in scripture (II Peter 1:16-21), to others in the church (I Corinthians 14:29) and subject to God's personal leading in your life.

PEACE

Colossians 3:12-17 describes the fruit and authority of peace in the Christian's life. It is to RULE in our hearts. Because of the strength of this scripture I believe that peace is God's primary way of giving guidance by the Holy Spirit to his people. When something rules a person it directs their actions. This is what God intends to do through the peace or lack of peace he gives by his Spirit.

If you do not have a God-given peace in your heart about any action, even if everything else seems correct, don't do it! Keep seeking God until he either gives you peace or until you understand that it is not the course of action he desires for you.

THE WITNESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES -

And Micaiah said If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.
I Kings 22:28

The issue of timing rests in this last area the witness of circumstances.

The main purposes of God that we can see in the scripture for our individual circumstances are:

1. To create character in the one being spoken to

2. To bring an end to human strength and thus give God the glory for his work.

3. To demonstrate that He is all we need

Creation and history reflect a clear revelation of God's ways and character. He "speaks" through creation and He is seen in history.

Though for the sake of clarity I speak of them separately history and creation are really speaking of the same communication from God. History is limited by the principles God laid down in creation. Each individual person that makes up the record of history has lived under the exact same limitations of creation as another.

We all are born in the same way. We die in the same way. We share a common frailty in the face of the created order. There is a limit to our knowledge and understanding. We share the same range of emotions. We live in the same world with the same sun. moon, animals, water, land, sky, earth .... In a very real way history is simply the working out of the implications of creation and the created order.

The created order and the history of human lives when understood correctly both communicate God and his ways in a clear direct and merciful fashion.

The understanding of God speaking in creation grows from two things about Him which we believe: 1. God is the creator of everything and 2. God is sovereign.

GOD IS CREATOR OF EVERYTHING

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities ‑‑ his eternal power and divine nature ‑‑ have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made...
Romans 1:20

That God is the creator of everything means that His mark is on all that he created or creates. It means that what He creates communicates something about Him or His ways. It means that we can understand things in the spiritual realm through things that God created in the physical realm. This is called communication by analogy. A big word for a simple concept. God created with a purpose. The purpose for each aspect of His creation was to communicate Him and His ways in a "language" we could understand.

WHEN GOD MEETS US TO KILL US

The passage in Exodus regarding the Lord meeting Moses on the road to "kill" him. I have a whole sermon on this particular passages as it is a very clear teaching of a principle that many forget and end up failing in their attempts to follow the Lord.

Moses had been commissioned to a work for the Lord in Egypt. He had a supernatural "word" from the Lord complete with burning bushes and the works. The Lord never said one word about his boy being circumcised or his relationship to his dominant wife. He said go to Egypt and so that's what he did! On the way the Lord literally attacks him with the intent to kill him! Has God gone nuts? Is He a little schizo? What's the scoop?

Here is where it gets so very interesting. God doesn't seem to tell Moses why He's about to do him in. Moses doesn't say anything to Zipporah. Suddenly she decides to circumcise the kid real quick and God relents. Zipporah isn't exactly nice in her speech to Moses but she seems to have saved his life.
All of this means that everyone - God, Moses and Zipporah - knew what God was about. God had given Moses a spoken word - a revelation that was beyond the "Word" already given to Abraham, Issac, Jacob ..... That word was a direction in his life but...... it didn't overule the "Word" already given. So often people really hear from God and they think that because they have a "direct" revelation that it overrides the "Word" in scripture. It does not! Moses was obeying the word he got at the bush but because he was not obeying the "Word", God could not allow him to continue moving towards his end.

Zipporah was the real problem as it is clear that she would not be a party to having her son circumcised. I am sure that Moses had warned her about this but she was your original women's libber. Not to mention the fact that she had Moses under her thumb she wanted to protect her boy from God.

Several important principles grow out of this passage. First, we can have a genuine call of God in our life and God himself will resist it if we are not willing to follow what He teaches in His word.

Once a young lady I knew became very depressed because she couldn't "hear" God's voice like so many of her friends could. I went to the Lord about this problem and He very clearly spoke to me that until we have listened and followed what he teaches in the written word then we cannot expect to hear from Him in other ways.

The reason for this is twofold. First we will not know believe it is God's voice when we have not learned to recognize Him in scripture. An example of this is how Abraham (in the story of the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16) said "if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." No present sign or "word" from God supersedes the Word already given. If they do not follow what He says in the scripture then they will not follow if a sign is given. They will chose to say it is something else.

Another problem with getting words from God is that their reason for wanting a "word" is self centred and not God centred. This was my friend's problem. She wanted a "word" to prove she was special. She wanted to convince herself, and others, that she was "spiritual." Being "spiritual has never been based on getting "words" from God. It is based on our obedience to the "words" we have already been given, first of all in scripture.

Moses was willing to obey the supernatural revelation given on the mountain of Sinai but not willing to obey the one which had been handed down to him through his parents from the patriarchs. He knew that Abraham's covenant with God demanded that every male that opens the womb had to be circumcised. His wife didn't like this particular aspect of his religion and so she stood in his way of following God. Now we can't be to hard on her because you notice that God didn't hold her responsible. God was seeking to kill Moses!

Moses should have taken a firm stand even if it meant that it offended his wife. In this way we see that the crucifixion is in the marriage covenant as well. We must die to even our marriages before God in obedience to Him. Moses had to learn the price of the ministry he was given included dying to making his wife happy where she was not happy with what God desired. God demands perfect obedience to Him even when our spouses don't agree. He will kill us if we choose to honour them and their wrong desires before honouring Him. This can be taken to be an excuse for harshness with our spouses which it is most certainly not an excuse for. It is a warning however that idolatry can even be found in the marriage vow if they mean we will honour each other above God. In fact I learned later from the Lord that I did not have to withhold myself in love for someone in order to love Him supremely.

After God had spoken to me the truth I have just shared I found I would often be aloof and try not to love that "special person" (this was before Carie) so much. One day He said to me "You don't love me more by loving them less, you love me more by loving me more." That set me free to realize that it wasn't Moses’ deep love for Zipporah that led him to be God's enemy but rather his lack of love for God.

It is only when our hearts have a vacuum in our love for God that the loves of this life can enter and take His place. In fact supremely loving God causes us to love all others even more. He is the source of love. Moses did not have to grow cold towards Zipporah to have made sure that his son was circumcised. He simply had to be willing to release her to God and follow his first love. If she would have left because of it then that would have been her responsibility. This is not unloving it is loving God supremely. Imagine what Sarah would have said to Abraham if she'd have known the mission he was on with little Isaac when they journeyed to Mt. Moriah was to kill her son. What he was to do there was not because he did not love her or Isaac or anyone else. Had it been so it would not have been an act of love towards God but an act of hatred of the worst kind. Moses should have loved God more! If he had of then his love for Zipporah would have taken its proper place automatically.

The summary of the lessons here in this passage then is:

1. If you have received a genuine "Word" from the Lord and it is not coming to pass check if you have missed following His written word while seeking to obey the supernatural "Word."

2. Honor God before all others, including those you love the most - they will most likely be the ones who can encourage your heart away into disobedience if you are not steadfast in your love towards God.

3. God never allows us to move forward in Him and His service until we have dealt with the areas He has already spoken to us about. If we do not deal with them we become unusable and His enemy. Many people don't understand why they are far from Him and yet have known His presence in the past. They feel as if He is against them. Often He is. If they have not obeyed His commands He will meet us "to kill us." This does not mean He hates us but rather that He cannot allow us to minister in His name when we have a rebellious heart. Our destruction is better than the destruction we will bring into others lives as a result of our disobedience. In this last point we see that it is even His love that motivates Him to chasten us - even to death. It is His love not only for us but for the lives we will affect.

4. Seeing that another has a greater place in our hearts is not a signal to love them less but rather that we have grown cold to the Lord. No one can ever take Care's place as a woman in my heart as long as our love burns brightly. The only time adultery can enter into a marriage is when one spouse has lost their love for the other. So it is with God. As long as we love Him completely no other "god" can take His place. When one has it is because He has been left in our hearts.

Godly Friendships - preached at London Korean Christian Church March 2011

2011-04-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have you. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 13 "You are My friends if you do what I command you. 14 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 15 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 "This I command you, that you love one another.
John 15:12-17

THREE KINDS OF LOVE:

1. AGAPE - UNMERITED LOVE

AGAPE IS THE LOVE A MOTHER HAS FOR HER NEW BORN CHILD

"Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15

It is the love that motivates God to provide for everyone on the planet no matter what their spiritual condition is.

"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 44 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:44-45

It is the love that filled God‘s heart when He sent His own Son to die for us even when we were His enemies.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10

TO BE GIVEN, AGAPE REQUIRES ONLY ONE PERSON.

EVEN IF IT IS NEVER RETURNED IT IS STILL LOVE.

AGAPE - IN ALL ITS WONDER DOES NOT CREATE A RELATIONSHIP.

AGAPE MUST BE GIVEN TO CREATE A FRIENDSHIP.

BUT AGAPE DOES NOT CAUSE A FRIENDSHIP.

THE GREEK WORD FOR FRIENDSHIP IS PHILEO.

THREE KINDS OF LOVE: 1. AGAPE - UNMERITED LOVE

2. PHILEO - THE MUTUAL LOVE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN TRUE FRIENDS

AGAPE IS THE FOUNDATION OF PHILEO THEREFORE IT IS THE GREATER LOVE.

AGAPE IS THE INVITATION TO PHILEO.

BUT AGAPE‘S DESIRED END IS PHILEO.

THE DESIRE OF GOD‘S HEART WHEN HE SENT HIS ONLY SON TO DIE FOR US WAS THAT WE WOULD RETURN HIS LOVE.

HE LOVES (AGAPE) US EVEN IF WE DON‘T LOVE HIM.

THE RETURNING OF THAT LOVE OPENS THE DOOR TO FRIENDSHIP (PHILEO) WITH HIM.

. . . AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. James 2:23

And God‘s intention is that the same love He has (Agape) would be shared and result in friendship (Phileo) between us.

"This is My commandment, that you love (agapao) one another, just as I have loved (agapao) you. John 15:12

"Greater love (agapao) has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (philos). John 15:13

"You are My friends (philos) if you do what I command you. John 15:14

"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends (philos) , . . . . John 15:15

PHILEO DESCRIBES THE LOVE OF PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY ARE THE OBJECTS OF LOVE (AGAPE) BUT RESPOND TO BEING LOVED BY LOVING IN RETURN.

WE ARE TO LOVE (AGAPE) EVERYONE - INCLUDING OUR ENEMIES.

WE MUST NOT - ACTUALLY CANNOT - LOVE (PHILEO) ANYONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE (PHILEO) US IN RETURN.

THIS IS BECAUSE PHILEO DESCRIBES A RELATIONSHIP AND NOT A CONDITION OF THE HEART.

WE PUT OURSELVES IN GREAT DANGER SPIRITUALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY WHEN WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A FRIENDSHIP (PHILEO) WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT YET SHARE THAT FRIENDSHIP (PHILEO) WITH US.

THIS IS BECAUSE PHILEO IS A CONVENANT LOVE BASED ON MUTUAL COMMITMENT.

IT REQUIRES TWO HEARTS WHO AGAPE EACH OTHER.

WHEN GOD TELLS US TO LOVE EVERYONE HE IS NOT TELLING US WE ARE TO EXTEND THE COVENANT OF FRIENDSHIP TO EVERYONE.

TO AGAPE IS NEVER WRONG. TO GIVE TO OTHERS WHAT IS TO BE ONLY GIVEN WHEN PHILEO EXISTS ALWAYS DAMAGES BOTH PEOPLE.

THREE KINDS OF LOVE: 1. AGAPE - UNMERITED LOVE 2. PHILEO - THE MUTUAL LOVE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN TRUE FRIENDS

3. EROS - THE EXCLUSIVE LOVE OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN IN THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE

EROS IS SEXUAL LOVE.

EROS IS TO BE EXPRESSED ONLY IN THE EXCLUSIVE LOVE OF ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN IN THE COVENANT OF MARRIAGE.

For Eros to find its fullest expression it must be founded on Agape for each partner must love (Agape) the other in spite of their failings.

Eros must also be based on Phileo for both must give and receive the gift of friendship to be a mutual relationship.

And Eros must be exclusive. Sexuality practiced without faithfulness is exceedingly selfish and destroys both friendship and love.

Eros is only for this life.

"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Matthew 22:30

It becomes clear what we are saying about Phileo when we look at Eros.

Like Phileo, Eros is meant to be exclusive.

When we love (eros) more than one person that love (eros) becomes defiled and perverted.

The good that God intends to grow out of Eros becomes one of the worst evils when it is not exclusively shared.

Only a person seeking to justify his or her sin would claim that because the Bible teaches to love everyone they are free to have sex with anyone.

So it is with Phileo. We are not to Phileo everyone.

God Himself loves (Agape) everyone. But He is not ³friends´ (Phileo) with everyone.

Listen to these sentences carefully and you can see how easily we can become confused or even deceived by our language:

1. We are to love everyone.

2. We must not love everyone.

3. We are to love only one person.

We are to love everyone.
We must not love everyone.
We are to love only one person.

When we put the proper definition of the word love in context we see the truth:

1. We are to love everyone.

We are to have a heart of compassion and mercy (Agape) for everyone no matter how they act towards us.

2. We must not love everyone.

We must not consider everyone as friends whom we can commit our lives in mutual care and trust.

3. We are to love only one person. We are to share sexual love only with our marriage covenant partner.

Friendships are one of the most important influencers of behaviour in our lives.

A godly friendship is really the only true friendships we are to have.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14-15

Every study regarding behaviour indicates who are friends are will be who we become.

So how do we find and maintain godly friendships?

The primary thing a godly friendship does is lead us to a deeper relationship with God.

In evaluating a friendship we need to ask, Does my relationship with this person lead me closer to God and following His desires or farther away?

Do you ever talk about God with your friend?

Do you ever pray to God with your friend?

Do you ever share the things that God is teaching you or teaching them with your friend?

Do you ever share ministry with your friend?

If not then it is not yet a godly friendship.

While this is important for our non-romantic friendships it is vital for our romantic ones.

The beauty of romance will quickly fade without friendship.

But the beauty of a godly friendship especially in marriage will grow with each new day.

The first thing we must do is to recognize what I have said before. True godly friendships are mutual relationships.

They are not based on narcissism.

Before we can have a godly friend we must be a godly friend.

We must first of all have our self-esteem needs met by God before we can ever be a true friend to others.

Until we have released others from the stranglehold of expectations to meet our needs we cannot be a godly friend.

When we find God as the one who meets all our needs and our only life giver we can then be simply kind to others without either falling into servitude or manipulation.

Then we can love like Jesus did. No narcissism. No strings attached.

I choose to not use the word love so much when talking about friendship.

The word I like to use for this love is kindness. True Friends are kind to each other. This is the foundation of a godly friendship.

If you are in a relationship with someone and you or they are not kind it is not a friendship.

Thinking that it is friendship will lead you to an abusive or codependent relationship.

I have found most people understand what kindness is. They don t mistake it for meeting their own needs from others or in the case of romantic relationships they see it as different than romantic feelings.

When I share this with those who say they "love" but mistreat their friends they often admit that they do not feel kindness toward them.

Being kind to each other is the only way to build a godly friendship.

Until there is mutual kindness we are not yet godly friends.

Until we know we have a godly friendship we are to give Agape caring without expectations or a covenant commitment.

Look for kindness to see which relationships could become or already are godly friendships.

While there are many more aspects to consider in building godly friendships the last I want to consider today is respect.

Again most people know when they are respected. They may not be as clear if they are loved or not.

Respect is crucial to all relationships but especially to friendships.

In a major study on the indicators of success or failure in marriage the researchers found a very interesting unmistakable clue to a soon coming divorce.

They found a direct correlation between people rolling their eyes in a despising gesture when they were talking with their spouse.

When one spouse exhibited this behaviour they often ended up divorcing their spouse within six months.

What does that behaviour mean? It is an act of deep disrespect.

To respect someone means we value them for more than the meeting of our ego needs.

It means we see them as uniquely valuable beyond what they can do for us or their likeness to our own identity.

I ask people to honestly answer the question, Do I respect this person?, Do they respect me?

Do I trust them?, Do they trust me?

Do I feel valued by them for more than what I give them? Do I feel the same for them?

Do they take an interest in my life as a whole? Do I do the same for them?

Do they take time to involve themselves in my life outside of their own interests? Do I do the same for them?

It is not wrong to say no to any of these questions. But it is wrong to commit ourselves in friendship when the answers are not yes.

Friendship LKCC March 20 2011

Life Giving Words - Preached at Open Door Christian Fellowship Oct 4th 2010

2010-10-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Words of Life

Speaking life giving words

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21

In many places God tells us that what we say has extreme consequences.

He tells us in this passage that there are two outcomes of our words:

LIFE or DEATH

He then tells us that which ever we love we will eat the fruit of it .. Life or Death.

Those we speak to will also eat of the fruit of our lips Life or Death.

The Apostle James seeks to press upon us how vital this area of our life is:

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
James 3:2

Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
James 3:3

Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. James 3:4

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! James 3:5

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. James 3:6

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. James 3:7

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. James 3:8

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; James 3:9

from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James 3:10

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? James 3:11

Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:12

Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. James 3:12

Jesus tells us clearly that what we say is vital to our relationship with him.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33

. . . . the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
Matthew 12:34

"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
Matthew 12:35

"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36

"For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Matthew 12:37

It is clear that our words are one of the most important aspects of our lives to bring about good or evil.

And it is also clear that we must choose which force we will let our words be a part of Life or Death.

The rest of this talk is for those who desire to give life giving words.

Go, stand in the temple and speak all the words of this life. Acts 5:20 (K JS)

There are words that are specifically related to this life.

This life is the life of God being worked out within us, and in the World.

When we speak the words of this life we give opportunities to others to receive life.

I remember perfectly a moment over thirty four years ago when I was pulling out of a driveway at my sweetheart s home.

She spoke a few words that have made me a better driver ever since.

She had watched me pulling out and noticed me looking over my shoulder on both sides of the driveway.

She said, You just looked over your shoulder both ways before you pulled out. You are a good driver. I feel safe driving with you.

Those words made me want to be the best driver I could be for her.

While the things she said were true at that moment, her saying them made me want to make them true forever.

Since that day I have been a better driver. She spoke a life giving word into my heart that remained to build me into a more responsible person.

Life giving words have power.

Life giving words are filled with hope.

Life giving words change people for good.

When I first went to Oral Roberts University I was sure I could not ever finish my course because they required you to take and pass a Phys Ed class every semester.

They also required you to do enough aerobic exercise for 30 aerobic points every week. We had to fill out a form every week telling how many points we got and how we got them.

30 aerobic points was the equivalent of running three miles every other day at eight miles an hour.

I did well to walk a block without fainting when I came to campus.

I was a true nerd with no desire or skill in physical things. I was also an asthmatic. I had spent most of my life indoors reading books.

But God intended for me to be educated as whole man body, soul and spirit so I would have to start moving.

I began to go to the track where we all did our running. Within a few weeks a guy named Charlie had noticed me and made it one of his goals to help me.

He would join me as I LOL ran! It was more like a crawl!

But every time he joined me his words were full of encouragement. He would tell me he believed I was becoming a better runner with every day and under his encouragement I did.

By the end of the year I did in fact run three miles at eight minutes a mile. It was only because of Charlie s encouragement.

He spoke life-giving words to me. Though I don t run to many eight minute miles today I still run almost every day. He also opened up to me the art of mentoring others.

Sometimes in the meanness of spirit that religion can inculcate in people we lose the very beauty of Christ s message.

We can become negative a shrill people who only relate to others in a condemning way. But that is not the way Jesus would have us be.

He tells us all of our communication is to bring grace to the hearers.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29

Before you think that I am simply saying only say nice things to people Life Giving words are always the place where Grace and Truth meet each other.

Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalm 85:10

Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalm 85:10

If our words are only mercy they end up as shallow flattery and set a snare for those who hear.

A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps.
Psalm 29:5

On the other hand words that have nothing but truth become legalistic and result in condemnation.

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:17

Life giving words reflect the truth of God and the Grace of God in full measure.

Life giving words never ultimately tear down a person though they often tear them away from wrong behaviour.

They always give grace to others without sacrificing truth.

They are the voice of Jesus through us, drawing out of others what God sees in them.

Drawing out of others what God sees in them.

The whole business of truth telling is a bit tricky.

We often see others through our own eyes and not God s.

I have learned to ask God what He wants me to see in others and speak that into them.

Sometime it is very hard to see the person God sees for all the outward stuff that blocks our vision.

Some have said that I was just lying or deceived when I have spoken words of encouragement to others.

They knew them so well that they could see clearly that my vision of who they were was false.

Unfortunately what they saw of them was their sin.

If all we look at in a person is their sin we will only have satan s view of them. He is the accuser of the saints not God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
Revelation 12:10a

"Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come,
Revelation 12:10b

for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:10c

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Revelation 12:11

I love the answer Michelangelo gave concerning his sculptures when asked how he could do such amazing work.

Michelangelo said that he didn t sculpt figures into marble: he liberated them out of it. He quarried his own marble in Carrara, seeing the figures in the living rock before driving in the first nail that would split it off the rockface.
http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11589

This is the power of life giving words. They see the person trapped inside and seek to liberate them.

This must be our goal if we are to give lifegiving words.

To give words of life our hearts must be free from the fear or self advancement that would keep us from speaking the truth.

They must also be free from envy, bitterness, criticism, judgment and other such motives that would keep us from speaking in love.

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
Ephesians 4:15

Our heart s motive must be to see others become who God sees them to be.

To do that we need to spend much prayer asking God who He sees them to be. We need to find the person God is seeking to liberate from the stone tomb of their own flawed view of themselves and from their sin lives.

I understood this when I read the story of Gideon in the Old Testament.

Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.
Judges 6:11

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.
Judges 6:12

Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian. Judges 6:13

The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"
Judges 6:14

He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.
Judges 6:15

But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.
Judges 6:15

If I had been looking at Gideon I would not have seen a mighty man of valour.

I would have seen a cowardly man who held a deep sense anger towards God.

I would have seen a man who was full of fear.

I would have seen a man who was dogged by a message of rejection of him and his family that most likely had followed him all his life.

But the angel spoke what God saw a mighty man of valour.

God saw the mighty man trapped inside and spoke the word of destiny that freed Gideon to become exactly what God saw and believed of him.

We first must let God liberate the man or woman He sees in us just like He did Gideon through His life giving word.

Then we can go about bearing that same word to liberate others.

The last thing I want to share is that a primary aspect of spiritual warfare is defeating death giving words that have lodged in our souls.

The worst thing a Christian can do is to fall into self pity because of the words of death that have been spoken over them by others or themselves.

The proper response to those words is to counter them with what God says about us.

They have no power unless we give them power. To live as if they are true, or in bitterness and self loathing because we have been given them enforces their reality on us.

To take the sword of the Spirit the Word of God and defeat them is the way we overcome them.

This is a crucial aspect of finding our purpose in God.

It is an essential and constant aspect of our warfare in the Spirit.

Life Giving Words ODCF Oct 3 2010 Web

Finding Your Purpose in God - Sept 28th Open Door Christian Fellowship

2010-10-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

Finding Your Purpose in God

Is there a plan God has for me?

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11

Does God have a specific purpose for our lives?

This question must first be answered before we can even start to consider finding our purpose.

Unless we believe that God has a specific purpose for us why would we try to find one?

The first question I ever asked about God that was sincere and ultimately led to my finding Him was, ³Do you think there is a God and if there is what does He have to do with us?

The existence of God and His relationship with us is the ultimate question of purpose.

If there is no God there is no purpose.

The Western faith in materialism has resulted in such chaos that only the relics of a once held Christian belief system has kept it from completely destroying itself.

At the core of atheism is the denial of any sense of purpose to human life.

As a very popular proabortion speaker once told me in a public forum, ³Even if we come to fully accept that the fetus is fully human, so what? We kill chickens don't we?´

Without a faith in God there is no basis for human worth or purpose. We are no more significant than the spiders we crush to rid our homes of them.

That is why the most ruthless heart is one that really believes there is no God.

I believe anyone who looks at the world as it really is will come to the conclusion that there had to have been a designer who created the world and ultimately us.

But even that knowledge does not answer the question of purpose.

Knowing that something or someone designed all of this does not tell us that there was a purpose in creating it.

The creator could have been an alien from a dying race like 2001 a Space Odyssey promotes.

In that case the purpose of humanity is non specific. There is a grand scheme but the individuals have little or no purpose themselves.

The creator could have been just filling in time. Or he/she/it might no longer exist.

The understanding that human beings were created by God with a purpose is only found in believing that God is real and has a personal relationship with us.

The more personal an interest He has in us the more profound is the sense of purpose.

We have come to understand that God is so completely interested in us that He knows even the number of hairs that we have.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows Luke 12:6-7

King David fully expresses in a song the intimacy he knew God had with him in Psalm 139.

. . . O LORD, you have searched me, and known me. 2 You know my downsitting and my uprising, you understand my thought afar off.
Psalm 139:1-2

As our Creator, God knows us perfectly. He created our Spirit, Soul and Body. He knows everything about us«..

EVERYTHING

3 You compass my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139

He is not just a far off creator that started the world and left it. He remains intimately connected to His creations. He is perfectly involved in everything we do, think, feel, believe.

EVERYTHING

5 You have beset me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from your spirit? or whither shall I flee from your presence? Psalm 139

The picture David sings to us about is so clearly the experience of his life. God is so closely tied to His creation that it goes beyond human capacity to comprehend it yet it is able to be discerned by the revelation of God. He is always with us.

8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139

11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness does not hide not from you; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to you. Psalm 139

David will not let us think for a moment that God is even slightly distant. He is totally connected to His creation. Though David did not know about atoms if he did he would have sung that God is connected to us even on a subatomic level.

Several centuries later Paul as well reaffirms that Jesus is the very force that keeps everything in life from coming apart.

For by Him all things were created, both in the visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created by Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16

The "him" that Paul speaks of is God's only son Jesus who He sent to give his life for us to bring us back to a full relationship with God.

And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17

Jesus is involved in even the sub atomic particles in our being.

We cannot possibly get a message from the Bible of a Creator that is uninvolved. The Bible tells us that our Creator continues to create in our lives.

Now David moves us from the larger experience of God's intimate connection to us to the specifics of our creation.

13 For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. Psalm 139

14 I will give thanks to you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are Your works; and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139

15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139

16 your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
Psalm 139

Jesus created us from the first cell. He created us very specifically. Each aspect of our creation has purpose. They all relate to our destiny in God.

When we understand that Jesus is our creator us we also understand that He created us, as He did everything else He created,

Purposefully

BEING CREATED PURPOSEFULLY MEANS:

WE HAVE A PURPOSE

BUT
JESUS CREATING US WITH A PURPOSE DOES NOT MEAN WE AUTOMATICALLY FULFILL THAT PURPOSE.

IT IS CONDITIONAL ON US
WHETHER WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE HE DESIGNED US FOR.

TO REJECT JESUS AS OUR CREATOR IS TO REJECT OUR PURPOSE.

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16

This is even more specifically stated in the great anthem of praise that resounded on the day John the beloved who wrote the book of Revelation received his prophetic vision.

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Revelation 4:10 (KJS)

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11 (KJS)

The NASB translates the words "for thy pleasure",

"because of Your will"

The NIV translates the words "for thy pleasure",

"by Your will"

ALL THREE TRANSLATIONS PICK UP ON ASPECTS OF THE TRUTH CONTAINED IN THE GREEK WORD CONCERNING WHY ALL THINGS WERE AND ARE CREATED.

thelema, thel'-ay-mah; from the prolonged form of Greek thelo; a determination (active) choice (special purpose, decree; abstract volition) or (passive) inclination :- desire, pleasure, will.

So then we are created:

1. By the CHOICE of God (because of His will) 2. By the DECREE of God (by His will) 3. For His PLEASURE

ALL THREE ARE REALLY A PART OF ANYTHING THAT WE CREATE AS WELL.

THE FIRST TWO (BECAUSE OF HIS WILL AND BY HIS WILL) HAVE TO DO WITH HOW WE ARE CREATED

THE LAST IS THE WHAT WE ARE CREATED FOR:

AND FOR THY PLEASURE THEY ARE CREATED

Finding Your Purpose in God Part 1 Web

In Heaven - Second in Series on the Lord's Prayer Talbotville United Church August 2010

2010-09-02T12:38:00.001-07:00

In Heaven

Classroom Management in the Christian Sunday School

2010-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

SS Classroom Management June 27 2010

Baptism

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Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

The first clear mention of Baptism in Biblical history came with John the Baptist.

Mark 1:1

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; 3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

John's baptism was a sign of repentance and forgiveness. Yet Biblically it was not JUST for these reasons. Jesus himself was baptized and he did not need to repent or be forgiven.

Matthew 3:13

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

Jesus' baptism points to the larger meaning of the act - It fulfilled righteousness.

Matthew 3:15

But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him.

It brought a unique experience with the Holy Spirit to Him.

Matthew 3:16

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,

A testimony came from the Father in heaven as to his identity and to whom he belonged.

Matthew 3:17

and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

These all point to the reality that the act of baptism has many layers of meaning. All of them relate to our relationship with God.

LET'S REVIEW:

BAPTISM IS:
THE SIGN OF REPENTANCE
THE SIGN OF FORGIVENESS
THE FULFULMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AN ENTRANCE TO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE SEAL OF OUR IDENTITY
THE COVENANT SIGN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM?

To fully understand the purpose of baptism we must first understand Salvation.

Baptism and Salvation are inextricably linked

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Peter relates baptism back to Noah. Noah and his household were saved through an experience like baptism. The world that then existed was destroyed by that same experience.

Hebrews 11:7

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

So we see that Noah's obedience growing out of faith brought about his and his family's salvation.

2 Peter 2:5

and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

The act of baptism is said to save us as in the same way as what happened to Noah.

1 Peter 3:21

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Heb 11:7

By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

But as we carefully consider this last passage we see that it was FAITH that moved Noah to obey and build the ark.

This is consistent with Jesus' command regarding baptism.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

When we look again at the passage from Peter we could easily say that the act of baptism does bring about salvation:

1 Peter 3:21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

As children of the reformation we find ourselves perplexed by these passages. We know that the Bible teaches that all that is needed for salvation is FAITH. And yet it clearly states that baptism "saves" us.

1 Peter 3:21

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--

We have been rightly taught that salvation was a free gift, and not a result of our works of righteousness.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Yet the reformers in their zeal for clarity on this issue forgot to equally emphasize the change of life that occurs in a true believer.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

They also did not see the distinction in the concept of salvation that is clear in scripture.

There are at least three ways the Bible teaches us we are "saved."

WE ARE SAVED

WE ARE BEING SAVED

WE WILL BE SAVED

WE ARE SAVED -

THE SALVATION OF OUR SPIRIT

WE ARE BEING SAVED -

THE SALVATION OF OUR SOUL

WE WILL BE SAVED -

THE SALVATION OF OUR BODIES

BAPTISM RELATES TO ALL THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION

We are saved from sin and restored to an eternal relationship with God IN OUR SPIRITS by faith when we receive Jesus as saviour. Baptism is the outward act that confirms the the inward transformation. It is the sign of our Spirit's salvation.

Acts 19:4

Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."

The Bible does not teach Baptismal regeneration - that is being born again by or in the act of baptism.

The thief on the cross was not baptized yet was promised heaven but we can be sure that the only reason he was not baptized was because there was no opportunity to do so before his death.

Luke 23:39

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Though it is the "sign" of our spirit's salvation the Bible does not teach baptism as "only" a symbol.

We have seen that the very first commanded act of obedience for a Christian after his salvation is to be baptized.

This is the key to understanding how Baptism "saves" us, as Peter said.

In everything God desires to do for us there are two parts

GOD'S PART

OUR PART

If we do our part, God will do His part.

If we do not do our part, God cannot do His part.

Both of these understanding are based on God's Character

God never lies

God cannot lie

. . . in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

Titus 1:2

When He says something He cannot go back on His Word.

Numbers 23:19
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

He honors His Word more than his own Name

Psalm 138:2 (KJS)

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

When God says, "If you do this then I will do this" If we do what he asks He will do what He says. If however, we do not do what He says, He cannot do what He says He will do either.

From our scriptures we understand that when we obey Jesus' command to be baptized His life flows from our spirit and releases salvation into our soul.

This is not eternal salvation which came into our spirit when we made a commitment to Jesus as our Saviour. It is the release of the power of God for salvation into our present life through obedience to His Word.

Baptism is our first act of obedience which releases salvation into our soul. We are "being saved." Like Noah our faith results in action which releases salvation into our present life.

1 Peter 3:21

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you

Galatians 3:27

all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The Ethiopian Eunuch sought baptism immediately upon his believing in Jesus.

Acts 8:34

The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

Peter's first instruction to those who believed on the day of Pentecost was to be baptized.

Acts 2:38

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter's first concern for the Gentile believers in Cornelius' house was that they be baptized.

Acts 10:44

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Paul was told to be baptized as soon as he had repented.

Acts 22:16

'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'

LASTLY OUR BAPTISM RELATES TO OUR BEING SAVED AS A DIRECT SYMBOL OR OUR DEATH AND RESURRECTION IN JESUS

Baptism is the declaration of our hope of resurrection

In our baptism we physically represent the day our bodies will be saved.

Romans 6:3

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

Let's review

BAPTISM IS:

THE SIGN OF REPENTANCE

THE SIGN OF FORGIVENESS

THE FULFULMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

AN ENTRANCE TO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE SEAL OF OUR IDENTITY

THE COVENANT SIGN OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.

THE FIRST COMMANDED ACT JESUS GAVE.

The Purpose of Baptism is to be:

The sign of our Spirit's salvation.

Our first act of obedience which releases salvation into our soul. We are "being saved."

The declaration of our hope of resurrection

So the question now is, "if you have never been baptized since you believed shouldn't you should be saying:"

"Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

Acts 8:36

Below is the link to download the Power Point presentation I used. If you would like to use it for a teaching tool feel free.

Baptism Rev 5

TIMES OF REFRESHING - A Biblical look at Entering God's Rest

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Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

The times of refreshing points to an experience that comes from God. The Greek word anapsuxeos means a cooling or a refreshing. It means rest.

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Yet God is calling. He wants us to lay our anxieties, cares and burdens on Him.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Is your picture of God's heart towards us one of constant care and love? Or are you like a little band of disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee?

Mark 4:37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

If we understand that God is over every circumstance in our lives then we must know His heart is good toward us in order to interpret our circumstances rightly. We all have faith of one kind or another but the disciples had no faith in God's care for them or Jesus’ power. They had faith in the things they knew about - wind, waves and boats.

Isaiah 32:1
Behold, a king will reign righteously
And princes will rule justly.
2 Each will be like a refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like streams of water in a dry country,
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.

Jesus' knowledge of wind, waves and boats did not cause him anxiety. He was in the place of refreshment in the middle of what drove others to great fear. Jesus was able to sleep in the midst of the storm because He knew who God was and he knew who he was. This was because he knew what Isaiah foresaw. He was the king who rules in righteousness He was the man who was the hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest. He himself is the river of water in the dry place he is the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

We too can enter into this great place of refreshment and rest but first we must be convinced that it is for us.

HINDRANCES TO FIND REST AND REFRESHMENT

Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; 5 and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

There are many things that keep people from entering into the rest of God. Two are found in this passage. These impact today as much as they did those to whom the letter to the Hebrews was written. These two hindrances are

1. Unbelief
2. Disobedience.

The Israelites failed to obey because they did not believe. The two go together like a hand and a glove. One without the other is not real. If the Israelites had truly believed that God was with them and would bring them into rest no matter what they saw they would have obeyed when God spoke.

THE CARES AND CRAVINGS OF THE WORLD

A third hindrance to rest is the cares and cravings of the world.

Mark 4:18 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

WRONG PRIORITIES

Many times we fail to come into the refreshment God has for us because our priorities are not right.

Luke 10:38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

WOUNDS OF OTHERS

This particular hindrance is one of the hardest to deal with since the internal heart of a person has been damaged concerning the image of God. We who are more whole must make it one of our goals to help along those who are wounded.

Luke 10:33 "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' 36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" 37 And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

A LACK OF PRAYER - A LACK OF THANKSGIVING

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

ENTERING INTO GOD'S REST

Hebrews 4:9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

TAKE A DAY OF REST

Exodus 23:12 "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

ENTER INTO GOD'S PRESENCE

Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

LOOK TO GOD TO REFRESH YOU IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE

Jeremiah 31:25 "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

WAITING ON GOD - A SHORT COURSE ON FLYING

Isaiah 40:30
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

For those who learn to wait on God three things shall happen - they will fly, they will run and they will walk, with refreshment in all of them.

FASTING

Isaiah 58:6
"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7 "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '

REFRESH OTHERS

Proverbs 11:25
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

BE A FAITHFUL MESSENGER OF THE GOOD NEWS

Proverbs 25:13
Like the coolness of snow at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

PRAYING FOR OTHERS

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

LETTING OTHERS BE USED OF GOD IN OUR LIVES

I Corinthians 16:17 I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

II Corinthians 7:13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

II Timothy 1:16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

God and Man at table are set down – Open Door Christian Fellowship’s Men’s Meeting - Saturday May 8, 2010

2010-05-08T03:50:00.001-07:00

Communion and the Body of Christ

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:26-28

Symbol, Substance and Covenant

The Orthodox/Catholics believe that Jesus is physically present in the bread and wine. They take the words of Jesus literally. They believe they are eating the actual flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood.
The Protestants usually either believe that there is a spiritual "real presence" or the bread and wine are only symbolic.

Jesus is with us in communion.

I believe any understanding of communion based only on what is seen can miss a critical point. Jesus intended this act to be covenantal.

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Jeremiah 31:31-33

God calls us in the act of communion to a covenant relationship with Him.

Everyone who first partook of this meal knew exactly what it was for.

They knew it from the communion offering of Israel.

It was a covenant meal in which God, the priest and those who brought the offering ate together.

In doing so they were committed to a covenant of protection, provision and presence.

The Semitic world understood this.

Even today among the Bedouins if you are invited to eat with them they consider it to be an act of covenant.

There are other examples of God calling humans into covenant through a shared meal.

Abraham ate with God and two angels. The end result was the covenant promise of God of a child was fulfilled.

The Passover was a covenant meal that God attended. In doing so His divine protection came to the house.

Jesus made a covenant with his disciples in the Last Supper with them.

This covenant is the New Covenant Jeremiah spoke of.

Jesus himself attends this covenant meal every time it is shared with his disciples.

He is the one who calls us to the table.

He is the one who offers His Body and Blood to us as the tokens of the promise he made to us.

We have so lost the concept of keeping promises that the solemnity of entering into a covenant is almost foreign.

Perhaps the promises made in the marriage vows are the only picture we have left but even this is fading in our culture.

Blood covenants were the strongest of all.

This is the covenant Jesus makes with his people every time they sit down at table with him.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The emphasis on the bread and wine is important but the true focus of communion is that it is Jesus restating his covenant commitment to us each time we partake of them.

The next aspect of communion we need to let go deep into our hearts is that it is more than a physical, spiritual or symbolic presence in the bread and wine that makes it what it is.

Communion is the story of Jesus remembered every time we share it.

We remember him not just from long ago, but today, in his body and what his body is doing today and what we as part of that body are to be doing today.

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:16

This story tells us because of his giving his body and shedding his blood we belong to Him.

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Revelation 5:9

This story tells us that we belong to each other.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 1 Corinthians 12:27

It is for this reason that I believe we should stay with the biblical description of one loaf of bread and one cup of wine. The body is one. The blood is one. We all share it.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12

It gives us the opportunity to see if we are getting the message.

But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 1 Corinthians 11:28

Are we being broken for him and each other? Or are we breaking the Body of Jesus for ourselves?

The way we treat the least in Jesus' body is the way we treat Him.

" The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40

We might say, "But they deserve it!" We are told to even love our enemies, how much more those we are genetically connected to. But here before us is the picture – we either let ourselves be broken or we will break others.

" Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." Luke 20:18

The way we treat our spouses, our employees, our children and our fellow believers is the way we treat Jesus. The way we treat our servants – those who serve us for no reward – is the way we treat Jesus. And this is the deep meaning of communion.

At the cross who stood with him when nothing was to be gained? His mother, A few women and John.

The women with Joseph of Arimethia and Nicodemus took his body - offered once again to us here – off the cross and buried it.

They cared for his body though they had nothing to gain and much to loose for doing so.

They disappeared again when the "important ones" who were not there to care for his body showed up again. But they did not disappear from God's heart.

We are to treasure his body both in memory and in his people today.

Before us we have the Life giving essence of Jesus.

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. John 6:53

What a beautiful reality is found in the story that is here. We bring our common life – the very natural elements of food and drink and he by his presence transforms them into life giving substance.

The story finally tells us we must suffer with him. His life comes through what we do here to strengthen us in our shared suffering.

At this table Jesus not only calls us to receive his life. He calls us to give ours to him. This is what a covenant means. It is two people giving their lives without reserve to each other.

He gave his life for us.
We give our lives for him.

He gave his life for our brothers and sisters.
We give our lives for our brothers and sisters.

He gave his life for the world.
We give our lives for the world.

In taking this bread we declare that we are willing to be broken for his body.

In taking this cup we declare that we are willing to have our blood poured out for him, for our brothers and sisters and for the world.

A song written by my chaplin at Oral Roberts University - Bob Stamps

O, welcome all ye noble saints of old,
As now before your very eyes unfold
The wonders all so long ago foretold,
God and man at table are sat down,
God and man at table are sat down

Elders, martyrs, all are falling down,
Prophets, patriarchs are gathering 'round
What angels longed to see now man has found,
God and man at table are sat down,
God and man at table are sat down

Who is this who spreads the victory feast?
Who is this who makes our warring cease?
Jesus, risen savior, prince of peace,
God and man at table are sat down,
God and man at table are sat down

Beggars, lame, and harlots also here,
Repentant publicans are drawing near,
Wayward sons come home without a fear,
God and man at table are sat down,
God and man at table are sat down

Prayer Ministry at the Altar

2010-04-28T19:46:00.001-07:00

Open Door Christian Fellowship

April 28, 2010

God does nothing... but in answer to prayer... John Wesley

You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James 4:2b-3

'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

Psalm 2:8

The Altar is not a place of shame - It is a place of meeting God

Pray! - Prayer at the Altar is meant to be primarily prayer.
We are at the place of prayer to PRAY!
It is not to be a counseling session.
It is not to be an answer session.
It is not to be a theological debate!
It is not to be a Christian séance.
It is to be a meeting with God through shared prayer.

Asking for what people are seeking in prayer is entirely appropriate. If you do not feel to ask it is okay. Just be sure it does not become anything else but a prayer ministry.

Pray with Humility.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

Humility in prayer ministry is only to be there to help people find God.

Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

Mark 9:35

If we engage in any ministry to meet our own needs we will minister death.

If, however, we die to ourselves for Jesus' sake and for others we will minister life.

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

Luke 9:23

When we present ourselves for the work of ministry we must first have our needs in our lives met by God.

Some signs that we are ministering to meet our own needs are:

Jealousy when others seem to have a greater success in the ministry. (Pride of Life)
Ministering only to those who are attractive to us. (Lust of the Eyes)
Having sensual feelings towards those we are ministering to. (Lust of the Flesh)

When we pray with others, we must constantly remember that we are there to direct people to Jesus, not ourselves. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

John 12:32

Pray with confidence.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
Hebrews 10:35

Pray scripturally.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

1 John 5:14-15

Pray until you know God has touched them.

Often there will be a release in the person. You will get to see the sign. If it takes a long time do not give up. Don't start looking around. Stay focused until released by the Lord to stop praying.

Pray positively. Say things like we are going to believe God with you that He will answer this prayer. Do not say negative things like, "You are hindering the Lord" or "You need to have more faith". Don't blame them for any apparent blockage.

Pray sensitively. If the person is weeping don't pray triumphal prayers. Pray quietly in a comforting voice. Do not look at them but pray with eyes closed. If they are rejoicing pray in a rejoicing way.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Romans 12:15

Pray with emotion. Enter into their grief or joy. Intercession often leads to us feeling the heart of God about a situation. If they are weeping and you begin to weep don't try to stop it. Let God express His heart for them through you.

Pray sensitively in rebuking a demonic force. The volume of your voice or the commanding tone of you voice does not increase your authority. Prayer and fasting will. Remember that the person is listening to you pray even when you are speaking to the demon. If the person is a child or an adult who may not have any exposure to spiritual warfare pray silently.

In order to avoid confusion or condemnation if you are feeling to pray out loud against a demon tell the person. Say you feel there may be a demonic force coming against them that you would like to pray against. Ask them if they would be comfortable to allow you to pray against it.

If they say yes then tell them you will be speaking to the demon and not to be afraid.

In situations where a demonic force manifests itself do not hold the person down. If they attempt to harm you move quickly away and let them be alone. Contact the team leader.

If anyone threatens violence or acts in a way that indicates they could be violent let the team leader know and anyone who may be in harm's way to move away from the person. Do not attempt to deal with the issue yourself.

Pray confidentially. First of all anything that is prayed about with the person should generally remain in confidence.
The confession of sin involving abuse of any kind of a minor child requires by law that it be reported by the person to whom it was told to the police and the CAS. In these cases you are not to share it with the team leader for them to contact the authorities but directly contact the CAS and Police yourself.

If you are dealing with sensitive information pray very quietly so that others cannot hear. It is not good to shout out "Praise God you will forgive our brother's committing adultery last week....."

Pray considerately. Do not pray in a shouting voice when other people are praying nearby. We want the altar to be a place of peace. There may be times when you are praying rejoicing prayers that you will be louder but just survey the surroundings and be considerate. If someone is being prayed for an obviously traumatic experience and you are near you may want to move farther away in order not to distract them or the ones praying for them.

Do not pray for people if you have sin issues active in your heart at the time of prayer. If you are not in one accord with your spouse (on your part – not theirs), are in unresolved conflict with others that you know you are not walking in grace in or if you are captive to any of the three roots of sin (Lust of the flesh, Lust of the eyes, Pride of life) then have the team pray for you.

Pray during the week. When you have prayed for people try to keep them in your prayers for the week following. When you see them again let them know that you have been continuing to pray with them. Perhaps they will want to pray with you again.

Pray believing. When a person is asking for healing pray that God will heal. Don't tell them they are healed. Don't leave any impression with them that they do not have enough faith.

While we want to always leave the results of our prayer in the Father's hands we are told to pray believing that we have received. This means we pray believing that God will give His answer. It does not mean that whatever we pray for we will get. In that light, however, unless you have a specific guidance to not pray for the needs that a person shares then pray prayers of faith.

Even if you do not have a direction, pray for the meeting of needs they ask for, unless there is something wrong with the desires that someone shares (I am praying the ______ will fall in love with me..... I'm praying that I will get the right numbers from God to win the lottery, I am praying that my spouse will die soon (when she wasn't even sick) so I can marry the person who God says I am to marry after my spouse dies..... (I have actually had people seek these actual prayers)

If they are asking for prayer about these kinds of things just do not pray for them. If they ask why you are not praying for their requests ask them to sit down with you after the prayer time to discuss the issue. Ask God to give wisdom how to share with them in they way he would have you. If they don't ask for clarification just pray generally for them. Don't pray rebuking prayers concerning their wrong thinking. Then pray during the week for them.

This brings up the point of possible confrontations at the altar. Avoid them at all costs. If you find yourself getting in a wrong emotional state with someone you are praying with excuse yourself. Do not get into arguments of any kind with people you are praying for or you are praying with.

Share words, impressions and visions with humility. Learn to submit your words, impressions or visions. We are not to ever present our revelations as the final word from God. When you have something you think is from Him communicate using words like, "I have a thought, picture, impression....." "May I share it with you?" Ask for their permission. If they say no respect it. Never say God spoke to me. You may say, "I feel that God may be saying to you....." Leave the confirmation with them.

Don't use, "Thus saith the Lord" language ever! You may ask after you share if they have a confirmation or understanding in their hearts as to what you said but only if you can handle a rejection of what you said. If they don't receive what you have said graciously respond. Do not try to force your "word" on them. Don't say, "I will pray that God will show you I am right."

Do not give the interpretation of the word unless it is a message in tongues. Then the interpretation needs to be handled that same way as a word in English. Submit it.
If there is tension or division between you and the person please do not pray with them. Let another team member pray.

Don't pray from information that you may have heard from others or deduced yourself from watching the person..... This is very important. Gossip is not a good source for prayer concerns and even well meaning people can be wrong in their interpretation of the person's life. For example don't pray, God would you separate Jane from her immoral relationship with Tom.

When people are coming to the altar, as much as possible, let the people come to you rather than approaching them. If you feel however that someone has wrong affections towards you then as much as is possible avoid them.

TRUTH AND LEADERSHIP

2010-04-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

HUMILITY IS THE WAY WE RECEIVE TRUTH:
Psalm 25:9 (KJS) The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD [are] mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

THE GROUND OF ALL TRUTH IS GOD'S WORD
John 17:17 (KJS) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

WE MUST BE WILLING TO HUMBLE OURSELVES TO RECOGNIZE TRUTH
II Timothy 3:16 (KJS) All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD
John 1:1 (KJS) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

JESUS IS THE TRUTH
John 14:6 (KJS) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

FOUR ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF GOD'S TRUTH IN OUR LIVES THAT REQUIRE HUMILITY:

1. DOCTRINE - The foundational teachings of truth. This shows us what we are to be like.
Hebrews 2:9 (KJS) But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

2. REPROOF - This shows us where we fail to live up to the ideal. It is the mirror God holds up to us -
James 1:23 (KJS) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

3. CORRECTION - This shows us how we can correct our failings
II Corinthians 3:18 (KJS) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

4. INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - this is the practice of the correction over and over again.
Hebrews 12:1 (KJS) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

THE WORD OF GOD DEALS WITH ALL OUR "BLIND SPOTS" BY TRUTH:
Psalm 19:7 (KJS) The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: [and] in keeping of them [there is] great reward. 12 Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults].

Psalm 51:6 (KJS) Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

WHEN A LEADER REJECTS TRUTH HE SET INTO MOTION THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS OWN DEFEAT:
Proverbs 29:12 (KJS) If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants [are] wicked.

THE DOCTRINE OF SUBMISSION HAS BEEN USED IN RELIGIOUS CIRCLES AS AN ESCAPE FOR THE LEADER FROM ACCOUNTABILITY OR AS A POINT OF PERSONAL DOMINION OVER OTHERS. ANY LEADER WHO WISHES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LEADERSHIP MUST BE WILLING TO BE CORRECTED:

THE DOCTRINE OF SUBMISSION IS FOR ORDER NOT FOR DOMINATION

THE LEADERS THAT REFUSED TO BE CORRECTED LOST THEIR LEADERSHIP

ELIJAH AND AHAB
I Kings 18:17 (KJS) And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, [Art] thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

NATHAN AND DAVID
II Samuel 12:7 (KJS) And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.

ABRAM AND SARAI
I Peter 3:4 (KJS) But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Genesis 16:3 (KJS) And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong [be] upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. 6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [is] in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF WISDOM TO MORAL FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP
Job 28:28 (KJS) And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.

The primary way that a proud man is taken out of leadership is through sexual infidelity.

Proverbs 22:14 (KJS) The mouth of strange women [is] a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

The way to keep far from moral failure is to cry out and walk in wisdom.

Proverbs 2:1 (KJS) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [yea], every good path. 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

THE FIRST THING THAT WE PUT ON AS A CHRISTIAN TO PROTECT US FROM THE ENEMY IS TRUTH:
Ephesians 6:13 (KJS) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, . . .

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THIS IS DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE AS WALKING IN THE LIGHT:
I John 1:5 (KJS) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

THE REJECTION OF THE LORD IN OUR LIVES COMES AS A RESULT OF NOT WALKING IN THE LIGHT:
John 3:16 (KJS) 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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

THE WORK OF CLEANSING FROM SIN IS GOD'S - THE WORK OF BRINGING OUR SINS TO THE LIGHT IS OURS. THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THIS PRINCIPLE IS CONFESSION OF FAULTS (NOT JUST SINS).

Proverbs 28:13 (KJS) He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.

James 5:16 (KJS) Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL PROMISES CONCERNING SUCCESS IN LEADERSHIP WAS GIVEN TO JOSHUA:
Joshua 1:1 (KJS) Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

THE WISE PRAYERS OF LEADERS:

MOSES
Exodus 33:13 (ASV) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

SOLOMON
1 Kings 3:5 (KJS) In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not [how] to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

WISDOM IS TRUTH REVEALED.
Deuteronomy 4:5 (KJS) Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation [is there so] great, who [hath] God [so] nigh unto them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?

THE FOUNDATION OF ALL WISDOM IS UNDERSTANDING THAT GOD ALONE IS ITS SOURCE:

Job 12:12 (KJS) With the ancient [is] wisdom; and in length of days understanding. 13 With him [is] wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

Genesis 41:15 (KJS) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and [there is] none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, [that] thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, [It is] not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Daniel 2:26 (KJS) The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name [was] Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise [men], the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;