Murderers We?

On February 5, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 John 3: 15 – 17

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Tighten your seatbelt. The apostle John is going to take us on quite a ride today. He is teaching on love. He starts by convicting a good number of us as murderers. And no murderer, he tells us, will inherit eternal life. The life of the eternal one does not abide in us if we hate anyone because the eternal one is love. It is logical but what a revelation. Then he contrasts Jesus with those who hate in a demonstration of how love behaves. Hate kills but love lays down its life for the other. And, as if that isn’t strong enough, John goes on to say that we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren too.

If eternal life is living in me then love is abiding in me and love lays down its life for another. The eternal life in me necessarily means that even though I lay down my life, I will yet live. So, there is more here than mere mortality. There is more to this than laying down my mortal life. Let me put it in Paul’s kind of phraseology. If I go to war for my countrymen and lay down my life but have not love, then I am nothing and useless. So what is going on here? It is the love in my heart that is important not my acts of martyrdom. I could martyr myself in my family situation continually from some need to feel victimized rather than out of love. Then my actions, rather than being lovely, are repugnant. Still, there is more here because we still do not reach the difference between laying down our mortal life like Jesus did and laying down our everyday life, which he also did. You see, the laying down of one’s life is not measured in heartbeats and breath alone. There are people, you can think of some, who lay down their lives daily for the brethren, for you and me. You may have some in your own family who consistently put aside their wants, desires and plans in order to meet the needs of others. And I do not refer to people who do this in a dysfunctional, unhealthy way. We are talking here about people who have a revelation of God within them and seek to live out of his will, his love and his power. These are the true children of God. You might be one of these.

Then there are the rest of us and John addresses us in the next verse. Verse 17 says that even though we have the worlds goods we don’t part with a thing even when we have the opportunity to bless others. I heard a minister say one time that she has set a minimum tip amount. No matter how lousy the service nor how inexpensive the meal, she tips well. Now, why would she do that? She has a revelation of the love of God. She is seeking to bless people, not punish them. Your message will preach much louder from a position of love and grace than it will out of selfishness or recrimination. I had a problem right here and I will admit it. I thought a tip was a reward for having given exemplary service. This minister, though, sees it as an opportunity to bless someone. Which of us is closer to God’s heart?

But here is the thing that really amazes me about today’s passage.   John begins by declaring that people with hate in their hearts are murderers and then ends talking about giving. What is going on here? Has John just linked the love of God and His living in us with us being generous givers? I will let you answer that for yourself but I certainly am having a moment of pause (selah). I kind of want to run out and give something away. The church has gone from every one selling their possessions and meeting each other’s needs (see Acts 4) to a group of tight fisted, fear controlled counterfeits. I don’t want to be that way. I want Acts 4 kinds of moves of God so I think that must mean that I need to be an Acts 4 kind of Christian. Where has our charity gone? Why are we no longer generous? To where has our love flown?

The only thing I know to do is to get on our faces before God and ask him. He must reveal to each of us the condition of our hearts and how we can fill our proper place in Him. The one thing I am absolutely sure of is that His answer will involve love and generosity. Will we hang onto our worldly possessions and add annually to our trove at the cost of our souls? I don’t think so. I think we only need see the truth and we will all respond appropriately. And I believe that John has shown us truth.

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Divine Power

On February 4, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 13: 2        Amplified Bible

And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

Here is Paul’s understanding of the love commandment. Now I would have thought that operating in the prophetic gifts, having faith that moves mountains, and having all knowledge would be pretty good evidence that one is a foremost disciple of Christ. Many people have pursued the power and the gifts of God but God would rather we pursue His heart. He says, pursue Me and the power will come. So we each have to set our hearts to seek God with all that we are. When we seek God we will find love because He is love. Paul says that without love we are useless nobodies. Wow! That is strong language Paul! But then again, what would you say that we are without love. Again, God is love so if we are without love then we are without God. The measure of cooperation we have with God is revealed in the measure of love we exhibit. So people can know the condition of our hearts and if those hearts really are right with God by the love we express externally.

God’s love has a purpose in the earth. It is to call all people unto Himself. He does this by extending grace and mercy and by meeting the needs of His children. And He uses us, His disciples (?) to accomplish both of these. God blesses me abundantly and then I get to be his hands in the earth to meet the needs of others. He uses us to dispense grace, to show mercy. In truth, love is the real power of God. You’ve heard it said, “Love is the most powerful force in the universe.” It is true. It was love that conquered hell and the grave. It was love that gained the keys and set every captive free. Without love, Jesus would have stayed in the ground. Do you see that? There is nothing more powerful so if we really want to have the power of God flowing through our lives then we need to get a potent revelation of love. 

All we need to do is open our hearts to our beloved Father. When we open our hearts we experience the two way flow that really is our calling in the earth. God fills our hearts with himself and then out from us flows the living river of His grace. We will naturally want to bless others and show kindness of God. I understand that many of us are afraid to open our hearts for fear of getting hurt but we must learn to trust Him, even with our hearts. He has power that He wants to fill you with but He fills the heart. If you will let Him fill you there will be plenty of expression of His power flowing from you. Look at the life of Peter, John or Paul and see what love can do.

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Christ’s Disciple

On February 3, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 13: 34 – 35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

This is a familiar bit of scripture. It is called the new commandment, the one commandment, or the love commandment. It is another thing too. It is the entire discipleship class. Or let us say it is the answer to the final exam. If you love one another, if you demonstrate the Jesus kind of love for one another, then you have passed the discipleship class. 

Much is written about discipleship and many churches even offer discipleship classes. It seems to me that Jesus offered a discipleship class too; it was the observance of his life, of course, but he sums up the whole thing with one little sentence. It all boils down to love. I sure wish he had said the evidence of a true disciple is faithfulness, diligence or perseverance in the faith, but he didn’t. The only way anyone will identify me as a disciple of Christ is if they see the love of God issuing from me. The apostle Paul said that without love, anything else, everything else is meaningless (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3). He got it. He understood Jesus’ message.

Stating it a different way would simply be to say that Christianity is: “loving one another as Jesus loves us.” That’s it. You can take every book on theology ever written and boil it down to that one sentence. There is your entire thesis in one sentence. I wish it was as easy to live it as to say it. 

The Apostle John said it this way, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4: 20 NIV). In other words, if I do not love my brother, then I am not a disciple of Christ. To be more accurate though, Jesus said that we must love one another as he loves us. That is to say, if I do not love others as Jesus loves us then I am no disciple of his; not a follower of the way (Jesus); not even really a Christian which means one who follows Christ.

What kind of love is this then? “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3: 16).  It is a sacrificial love. It is others centered, putting the needs of others above my wishes. That is a tall bill to fill and I cannot do it in my own strength. In fact, it is in the surrender of my strength that I can do all things. But guess what, Jesus couldn’t do it in his own strength either. That is why he sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. None of us can do what God has called us to do in our own strength that is why God empowered us through His abiding presence living inside of us. We must live through the presence of God in our hearts. Jesus allowed the father’s compassion to flow through him. We don’t have to be super heroes. We just have to allow our abiding in Christ and his dwelling in us to be expressed. We learn to let go of our desperate grasp and to let God flow out of our inner being. It is a hard thing to do when we are still wedded to our flesh but as we learn to live out of our spirits we will find it increasingly easy and joyful. When Jesus told us to live this way it was because he had a revelation from God that we could. His early disciples did and we can too. As we are transformed through the renewing of our minds we discover a radical trust of God inside of us and that trust empowers us to let go and live beyond the means of mortal man. We will soar on wings as eagles and nothing, by any means, shall be impossible to us. It is the power of love.

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Class Notes

On February 2, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 13: 17

If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

How audacious of the Lord to tell us that knowing the things of God, even the things that he taught does not render blessing unto us. Jesus says we are only blessed when we do them. That is a little frightening, isn’t it? The most knowledgeable Biblical scholar in the world can live outside the blessing if he does not apply what he knows. Jesus was giving us words to live by rather than words to study and know. The Bible really is a how to manual. It isn’t just a collection of arbitrary rules. Think of it this way – imagine that Jesus gave a three day seminar on “Living the Successful and Blessed Life.” Can you imagine the copious notes you would take if you got to attend that seminar. Well, the Bible is the product of taking everyone’s notes and compiling them into one volume. Right there in your hand you have John’s class notes. Wow!

Here is the point that Jesus is making though; attending the seminar does you no good if you don’t take the information and apply it to your everyday life. You may have the best set of notes in the class, perhaps you even go home and rewrite them and organize them on your computer. That is awesome. You are a great student but it is the application of that knowledge that will make you successful in life rather than just in your studies. You are way ahead of those who don’t take notes, i.e. don’t read the Bible but that study should only be the precursor of the more important step – doing what you glean from your studies. You must begin with the knowledge. That is what Jesus says but after that comes the practicum. Apply what you have learned. 

What does Jesus tell us to do? Remember that the entire Bible is the Word of Jesus. When he tells us to meditate on the scriptures, are we doing it? When he tells us to love one another, then that is part of the pathway to excellence in our own lives. Live Jesus’ words. Therein lies the victory.

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To Catch a Thief

On January 30, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 6: 31

Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry, but when he is found he must repay sevenfold.

The devil is a thief. Jesus said that he comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10: 10). If he is caught, though, he also must repay seven times. That is the law by which he is bound. He is not allowed to run around stealing from you. Jesus has already defeated the devil. We are not awaiting some battle that is going to take place. It is done. Jesus went into hell and took the keys of death, hell and the grave. Everything that the devil ever had is now under Jesus’ feet and therefore under our feet. How long, then are we going to allow the devil to steal from us?

The problem that I often have is that I wait for God to do something when the power of the Almighty is alive inside me. Jesus said to speak to the mountain (Mark 11: 23); he didn’t tell us to pray about it. That’s kinda tough. I am supposed to do something about the situations of my life. I am supposed to wield this power. I would rather whine to Dad and Him do something about it but He says, “I have, I have done it all. I have given you everything you need. Now go forth and use the sword I gave you.” “Oh yeah,” I think, “I have the Word and the Word has already whipped the devil.” The Word is in my heart and now it must be in my mouth. I have to say something.

No one said there was anything comfortable about this. In fact, many of our churches don’t teach us this so we kind of look like deer in the headlights when we hear this message. Kenneth Hagin spent 50 years of ministry teaching people to speak to their mountains. I guess it is time we start talking. Speak protection over your family and belongings. Cover everything with the shed blood of Jesus. Then start telling your mountains to jump in the sea.

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Length of Days

On January 29, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 3: 1 – 2

My son, do not forget my teaching but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you.

Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible and this has long been one of my favorite proverbs. However, now that I am studying the heart I am hearing everything differently. Before when I have read or even when I have meditated on this scripture I have focused on “keeping His commandments” and the benefit that confers onto me. However, that isn’t really what this passage says. It doesn’t say for me to keep the commandments but rather for my heart to keep them. Why the distinction? Well, anything else would be a work of the flesh. Keeping the commandments might make me a good Pharisee but my heart keeping them makes me a good Christian or “friend of Christ” which is my definition of Christianity.

We can help ourselves to remember His teaching by continuing in Bible study. To keep it in our hearts requires us to spend some time with our hearts. We have learned that God has inscribed the entirety of His word on our hearts as part of the New Covenant which we have become a party to through the new birth. However, there is an uncovering or a discovery of all that is written there that must take place in order for us to actually keep His Word with our hearts. Head knowledge is not going to satisfy the condition precedent for the promise that God has given us in this passage. In order to have fullness of days and length of years we must keep the Word with our hearts. That first means falling in love with Jesus since He is the Word and then it means going into our hearts where God resides and allowing that Word to be revealed in the heart library. It must become real to our hearts and we must guard and keep it with our hearts rather than our brains for it to have power. Everything else is just, as one friend calls it, intellectual Christianity; fun for your brain and intellect but without life and power. The Holy Spirit doesn’t live in your brain.

God isn’t promising to do something for us if we will do what He says. He is teaching us that long life is the natural byproduct of keeping His statutes with our hearts. He isn’t so much giving a promise here as showing cause and effect. When you worship God through and with your heart you touch all that He is and when you do that, your life is always improved. So, open up the library vault of your heart through your discovery of the Word of God. Meditate therein until the indelible ink of God has saturated your being. Then all manner of blessing will flow from it.

You thought this was going to be a devotional on healing, didn’t you? Well, it is. To your good health ….

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The New Covenant

On January 28, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 31: 33

“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.”

Have you ever wondered what the “New Covenant” with God is? First of all, let’s understand what a covenant is. The American Heritage Dictionary defines covenant as: a binding agreement made by two or more persons or parties; a compact; contract. 2. A solemn agreement or vow made by members of a church to defend and support its faith and doctrine. 3. Theology. God’s promises to man, as recorded in the Old and New Testaments. 4. A formal sealed agreement or contract. Our covenant with God is a sacred contract, if you will, a binding agreement between humanity and God. It is a reciprocal agreement wherein each party has its obligations and benefits. Our part is to be His people. Wow, that is an obligation which actually is a benefit in itself. If there were no terms other than that, we would win. We get to be His people. However, there are other obligations upon God which confer benefit unto us. He is obligated to be our God. If I will be His, then He has no option but to be mine. He is bound. That is powerful. You have the power to bind God to you such that He has no choice but to be your God. Do you see that? But wait, there is more. He has the affirmative duty to write all of His Word, knowledge and wisdom on your heart. Again, He has no choice. He has bound Himself by His Word and He has not the power to lie or to break His Word. Therefore, when you accept Yahweh as your God He moves into your heart and inscribes all that He is there.

Everything that Jesus is or did; everything he accomplished is alive inside of you right now. In John 14: 23 Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.” And where do they live? Ephesians 3: 17 says that Christ dwells in our hearts. That is where the Word is written and Jesus is the Word. It really does all make sense. When Jesus said that He and the Father would come live in us He was echoing what the Father said in Jeremiah. Jesus knew what the New Covenant was. He heard God speak about the New Covenant and His plans for His people. Our only obligation is that we love Jesus. If we love Him, if we have a heart condition of affection for Jesus, an emotional response to who he is, then the entire trinity with all wisdom, power and grace will come live inside us and be our constant friend and helper. We give God our hearts and He gives us everything. That is the New Covenant. What a deal. No lawyer on earth has ever brokered a deal this good yet God gave it freely. What a Great and benevolent Father we have.

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