As we prepare to enter the season of the Kingdom Movement, we must be cautious of the attacks of the Enemy. Satan has one primary aim, that is to steal, to kill and to destroy (John 10). However, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1John 4). For this reason we must be mindful of what can be described as The Source of Seduction.
We must remember that Satan is extremely subtle (Genesis 3). Generally when he attacks, he's trying to come at us in a way that we won't easily suspect. If we understand how he operates, then we can prepare for his attacks and by God's grace, govern ourselves accordingly. His tactics are not new, but unfortunately, still very effective. If we look at the Satanic attack that he contrived in the Garden of Eden, and the attack that he placed upon Jesus, we should be able to ascertain rather sufficiently the means by which Satan will come at us and try to undermine the execution of God's Divine will for our lives.
The first thing Satan likes to appeal to is the Appetite. When he came at Eve, he presented her with the "forbidden fruit" (Genesis 3), something to eat. When he came at Jesus, his initial temptation was turning stone to bread, once again, appealing to the appetite (Luke 4). Take inventory on where your appetites lie. Some people have an appetite for pleasure. Some have an appetite for companionship. Some people have an appetite for recognition; others have an appetite for attention. The list goes on and on. But the point is that all of us have an appetite for something, and it's not always "sinful". But Satan will attempt to identify your appetite and what you have a personal taste for and manipulate it so that he can get you off of the path that God has ordained for your life. And by the way, it doesn't help when your appetite isn't being "fulfilled". Be prayerful about these areas in your life.
Then the Devil starts to attack your vision, what you "see". This is indeed the Source of Seduction, because this is what Satan uses to "draw you in". The book of Genesis says, "when the woman saw that the tree was good for food". Before she tasted, she looked at it. Be careful at what you choose to "observe" and "focus" on. If Satan can get you looking at something that God has not ordained for you, then he's suckering you into his seduction. And let me say very quickly that this is not always "pornography" or some type of sex-sin. When you "look" at a situation from a perspective that is not of God, this is Satan trying to seduce you into his position and out of God's will. I'm sure many of us have had to say, "oh, I didn't look at it that way". Satan tried the same thing with Jesus when he took Him up into a high mountain and "showed unto Him" all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4). Be careful what you choose to look at and what you're focused on.
Lastly saints, Satan's completion of his Source of Seduction is to get you wrapped up into Self-Inflation and Self-Entitlement. When you start talking about what you "need" and what you "deserve" and what you "should have", then Satan's got you. That's how he closed the deal with Adam and Eve. When he told them they'd "be like gods", he was boosting their ego and appealing to their self-esteem and self-image. That's why we have to remember what Jesus said; in order to follow Him we must deny ourselves (Matthew 16). We never want to be self-centered, we always want to be Christ-centered. This is how we escape Satan's Source of Seduction.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
The Materialization for The Manifestation
Have you ever wondered what Jesus did for 30 years prior to the beginning of His public ministry? Of course we have the scripture that shows Him in the Temple at 12 years old (Luke 2), but outside of that, we don't read much about Jesus (biblically speaking) until He turns 30 years old and is baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3). Obviously, the Spirit didn't find it significant to have those 18 years of Jesus's Life recorded in Holy Scripture. But that doesn't mean that those years of His Life weren't important. After all, we are talking about Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God. So what do you think was going on with the Lord during that time frame? I believe He was experiencing the Materialization for the Manifestation.
In order for something to Manifest, the substance thereof has to first Materialize. A lot of people think that Jesus just busted out of the womb and was "ready" to be the Savior of the world. I don't believe that. There was a process that Jesus had to go through that produced the substance and character necessary for Him to fulfill the Call that the Father sent Him to this earth to execute. Let's look at some possible ingredients that facilitated Jesus's Materialization for Manifestation.
One of the first things we look at is that Jesus was subject to His parents (Luke 2). Why is this important? If you can't be subject to God-ordained authority, you won't be subject to the authority of God. Jesus had to learn to submit to the Order that God had placed Him under. And so do we. I can assure you, if you haven't learned to obey, respect and honor your parents, if you don't know how to submit to your pastor or other spiritual authority that God has placed you under; if you have challenges honoring and respecting your teachers or supervisors at work, then you don't have the necessary character Materialized in you to Manifest the son or daughter of God that the Father is calling you to be.
The next thing we see about Jesus was that He was a Student. In the episode at 12 years old, He was "hearing them and asking them questions" (Luke 2). Did Jesus really need to ask them questions? That's what you do when you're a Student. The posture of a Student is that there's always something for Me to learn. Jesus had never been a human being before (at least not that we know of). Even though He might have known the information that the doctors were discussing, His posture of Learning was essential to the Materialization of His Messianic Manifestation.
Lastly, Jesus was committed to growth. The scripture says He "increased in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2). Something's wrong when you feel that you have arrived. Jesus, even as the Son of God, never reached that point. He was always growing. Many believers, particularly preachers and pastors, have grown stagnant in our relationship with God because we have forgotten that there is still areas for which we can grow, develop and increase in wisdom and Christian character. So many believers never maximize their Divine potential because they don't follow through with reaching to become ALL that God has called them to be. Jesus didn't do this. He was always committed, even up to the Cross, to the Materialization for the Manifestation of Him being God in the flesh.
In order for something to Manifest, the substance thereof has to first Materialize. A lot of people think that Jesus just busted out of the womb and was "ready" to be the Savior of the world. I don't believe that. There was a process that Jesus had to go through that produced the substance and character necessary for Him to fulfill the Call that the Father sent Him to this earth to execute. Let's look at some possible ingredients that facilitated Jesus's Materialization for Manifestation.
One of the first things we look at is that Jesus was subject to His parents (Luke 2). Why is this important? If you can't be subject to God-ordained authority, you won't be subject to the authority of God. Jesus had to learn to submit to the Order that God had placed Him under. And so do we. I can assure you, if you haven't learned to obey, respect and honor your parents, if you don't know how to submit to your pastor or other spiritual authority that God has placed you under; if you have challenges honoring and respecting your teachers or supervisors at work, then you don't have the necessary character Materialized in you to Manifest the son or daughter of God that the Father is calling you to be.
The next thing we see about Jesus was that He was a Student. In the episode at 12 years old, He was "hearing them and asking them questions" (Luke 2). Did Jesus really need to ask them questions? That's what you do when you're a Student. The posture of a Student is that there's always something for Me to learn. Jesus had never been a human being before (at least not that we know of). Even though He might have known the information that the doctors were discussing, His posture of Learning was essential to the Materialization of His Messianic Manifestation.
Lastly, Jesus was committed to growth. The scripture says He "increased in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2). Something's wrong when you feel that you have arrived. Jesus, even as the Son of God, never reached that point. He was always growing. Many believers, particularly preachers and pastors, have grown stagnant in our relationship with God because we have forgotten that there is still areas for which we can grow, develop and increase in wisdom and Christian character. So many believers never maximize their Divine potential because they don't follow through with reaching to become ALL that God has called them to be. Jesus didn't do this. He was always committed, even up to the Cross, to the Materialization for the Manifestation of Him being God in the flesh.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Don't Picket, Just Pray
Recently we've had several incidents occur that have raised issues concerning race in our country. We've had the incident at the University of Missouri where Administrators lost their jobs. At the University of Illinois there are students talking about a "white student union" in retaliation of demonstrations by the group "Black Lives Matter". And let's not mention the countless questions raised regarding the activities of police and the slaying of young African-American males (can anyone say Michael Ferguson?). So issues of race have been of concern in our nation as of late.
I would be the last person to say that race-relations and the issues thereof are not still a major concern that needs to be addressed in America. The shooting that transpired in the A.M.E church in South Carolina this past summer proves that. My concern is the approach and the methodology that people are using to address the concerns of injustice in our society. I am not convinced that picketing and protesting is any longer the answer. The question that has to be raised is, what does it resolve? I cannot answer that question definitively, but I don't think it resolves much. In the sixties, during the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., marches and protests were a staple strategy of addressing prejudice and discrimination because it was designed to draw attention and raise awareness to the plight of African-Americans in this nation. Well, with the level of technology we have today with i-phones and smart phones and the internet, universal awareness is pervasive and ubiquitous. Plus, you have 24-hour news channels that report these issues around the clock. So the purpose for constant protest and demonstration is no longer needed from a strategic standpoint.
What has not been utilized, I believe, on a mass scale is Prayer. What people need to do now, if they want to see significant and sustained social change, is Pray. The bible says very clearly, "if my people, who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray..then I (God) will hear from heaven..and heal the land" (2Chronicles 7). We don't need another march, we don't need another demonstration, we need a Prayer Meeting! I know I'm saying it right. In Acts chapter 12, when King Herod was prepared to execute the apostle Peter, the church didn't protest, they didn't rebel against Roman rule, they prayed. And as a result, God sent an angel and set Peter free. Then later sent judgment to deal with King Herod.
The times we live in saints require more than just social reaction and outrage. We need Divine Intervention. The chaos and division that has spilled over in this nation is going to take God to rectify and resolve. Once we realize this and humble ourselves; once we get serious about getting "permanent results". Once we're ready to really see the problems of race and injustice "fixed", we'll embrace the belief that says: Don't Picket, Just Pray.
I would be the last person to say that race-relations and the issues thereof are not still a major concern that needs to be addressed in America. The shooting that transpired in the A.M.E church in South Carolina this past summer proves that. My concern is the approach and the methodology that people are using to address the concerns of injustice in our society. I am not convinced that picketing and protesting is any longer the answer. The question that has to be raised is, what does it resolve? I cannot answer that question definitively, but I don't think it resolves much. In the sixties, during the Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., marches and protests were a staple strategy of addressing prejudice and discrimination because it was designed to draw attention and raise awareness to the plight of African-Americans in this nation. Well, with the level of technology we have today with i-phones and smart phones and the internet, universal awareness is pervasive and ubiquitous. Plus, you have 24-hour news channels that report these issues around the clock. So the purpose for constant protest and demonstration is no longer needed from a strategic standpoint.
What has not been utilized, I believe, on a mass scale is Prayer. What people need to do now, if they want to see significant and sustained social change, is Pray. The bible says very clearly, "if my people, who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray..then I (God) will hear from heaven..and heal the land" (2Chronicles 7). We don't need another march, we don't need another demonstration, we need a Prayer Meeting! I know I'm saying it right. In Acts chapter 12, when King Herod was prepared to execute the apostle Peter, the church didn't protest, they didn't rebel against Roman rule, they prayed. And as a result, God sent an angel and set Peter free. Then later sent judgment to deal with King Herod.
The times we live in saints require more than just social reaction and outrage. We need Divine Intervention. The chaos and division that has spilled over in this nation is going to take God to rectify and resolve. Once we realize this and humble ourselves; once we get serious about getting "permanent results". Once we're ready to really see the problems of race and injustice "fixed", we'll embrace the belief that says: Don't Picket, Just Pray.
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Pride of Life
One of the areas that a lot of men (and women) never quite overcome in the Battle of Life is the spirit described as The Pride of Life. This spirit of pride is very sinister and insidious because it lurks in the hidden parts of our personality and weaves its way seamlessly into the fabric of our character. Many people don't even realize that they are operating in a spirit of pride. But the reason it is so significant is because this spirit of pride is an anti-Christ spirit and can actually serve to undermine your Christian witness and your personal relationship with God.
In the first epistle of John the second chapter, the scripture says, "for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father". We often talk about the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5), as well we should. The lusts of the flesh and the affections thereof are still a major issue for many believers in Christ. But the dangerous thing about the Pride of Life is that you can be cleansed from the filth of the flesh through the sanctification process (Colossians 3) and still be vulnerable to the Pride of Life. This is why you can't simply measure where you are in your relationship with God based upon your outward behavior. You have to measure your walk with Christ based upon the condition of your heart (Proverbs 4).
Sin is not the key to falling victim to the Pride of Life. Sin is the by-product of Pride, not the root thereof. We know this because two of the biggest victims of Pride were sinless creatures: Lucifer and Adam. Lucifer (now called Satan, the Devil) was once an angel in Heaven. He was in the very Presence of God (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28). So how did a perfectly created being who was in the very Presence and Glory of God, end up falling out of Heaven? It was pride. He began to mistake the glory that God had bestowed upon Him with his own. This is why I say, and it sounds un-spiritual, you have to be careful how close you get to God. Not everyone is fit to dwell in the Presence of the Most High.
The same thing happened to Adam. Adam was created in a state of innocence. He knew no sin, was not created with a sinful nature (like we are today, Psalm 51). Yet, at some point in his time in Eden, he decided to rebel against God (disobedience to God is rebellion, no matter how "small" the sin may be). Why? Because of Pride. Satan (at that point already a fallen creature) used Adam's wife to subtly suggest that he compete with God (that strategy itself is a whole 'nother lesson). Instead of submitting to the Divine and Eternal Rule of God, His Maker and Sustainer, Adam proceeds to try to be "self-sufficient" and as a result, lost the Paradise that God had created for him and his family. Yet once again, originally, Adam was not a sinner.
Why is all of this important? Because saints, there are some of us that God is getting ready to transport into a whole new Spiritual Realm and Dimension that we couldn't even possibly imagine. When God, in His Grace, performs this supernatural miracle in our lives, you better believe, Satan is going to be right there, waiting to bait us with the spirit of Pride to sponsor our Fall. We don't have to fall victim to this. If we allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us now a spirit of lowliness, meekness, humility, humbleness of mind, selflessness and long-suffering; we can be strategically and spiritually positioned to side-step the attack of Satan and overcome The Pride of Life.
In the first epistle of John the second chapter, the scripture says, "for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father". We often talk about the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5), as well we should. The lusts of the flesh and the affections thereof are still a major issue for many believers in Christ. But the dangerous thing about the Pride of Life is that you can be cleansed from the filth of the flesh through the sanctification process (Colossians 3) and still be vulnerable to the Pride of Life. This is why you can't simply measure where you are in your relationship with God based upon your outward behavior. You have to measure your walk with Christ based upon the condition of your heart (Proverbs 4).
Sin is not the key to falling victim to the Pride of Life. Sin is the by-product of Pride, not the root thereof. We know this because two of the biggest victims of Pride were sinless creatures: Lucifer and Adam. Lucifer (now called Satan, the Devil) was once an angel in Heaven. He was in the very Presence of God (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28). So how did a perfectly created being who was in the very Presence and Glory of God, end up falling out of Heaven? It was pride. He began to mistake the glory that God had bestowed upon Him with his own. This is why I say, and it sounds un-spiritual, you have to be careful how close you get to God. Not everyone is fit to dwell in the Presence of the Most High.
The same thing happened to Adam. Adam was created in a state of innocence. He knew no sin, was not created with a sinful nature (like we are today, Psalm 51). Yet, at some point in his time in Eden, he decided to rebel against God (disobedience to God is rebellion, no matter how "small" the sin may be). Why? Because of Pride. Satan (at that point already a fallen creature) used Adam's wife to subtly suggest that he compete with God (that strategy itself is a whole 'nother lesson). Instead of submitting to the Divine and Eternal Rule of God, His Maker and Sustainer, Adam proceeds to try to be "self-sufficient" and as a result, lost the Paradise that God had created for him and his family. Yet once again, originally, Adam was not a sinner.
Why is all of this important? Because saints, there are some of us that God is getting ready to transport into a whole new Spiritual Realm and Dimension that we couldn't even possibly imagine. When God, in His Grace, performs this supernatural miracle in our lives, you better believe, Satan is going to be right there, waiting to bait us with the spirit of Pride to sponsor our Fall. We don't have to fall victim to this. If we allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us now a spirit of lowliness, meekness, humility, humbleness of mind, selflessness and long-suffering; we can be strategically and spiritually positioned to side-step the attack of Satan and overcome The Pride of Life.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
A Proper Foundation
One of the things that's going to be most needed as we proceed into this Season of Judgment is to have a Proper Foundation. Jesus made it clear in the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew that it is imperative to build the foundation of your house on a rock, not sand. If the church is going to stand during this very trying hour that's about to knock on the doors of this nation, we must make sure that we're standing on a Proper Foundation.
The bible says in the 11th Psalm, "if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?". There must be re-laying in the church of a Proper Foundation. The first area we must examine is the foundation of our faith. Number one, is our faith rooted and grounded in the Word of God. The Bible is the unadulterated, divinely inspired, Living Word of God (2Timothy 3). We can't put our faith in tradition, we can't put our faith in philosophy, we can't put our faith in a man or woman; we must put our faith in the Word of God. God's Word never fails (Jeremiah 1). Therefore, if we are standing on the Word of God, then we have a solid foundation.
The other area of faith that we need to examine in regards to having a Proper Foundation is the basis of our faith. Is our faith Grace-based or Works-based. There are still too many believers that are basing the foundation of their relationship with God upon what they do behaviorally instead of what Jesus has already done through dying for our sins on the Cross. The bible says, "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2). If you're still thinking that your going to heaven is contingent upon your works, what you do and don't do, then your Foundation of Faith is not solid. Now mind you, the bible also states, "what shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6). Grace is not a license to sin, it's a provision for the sin that we inevitably commit (1John 1). However, your status and standing with God is not based on your works, it's based upon the Saving Grace of God manifested through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ. This is the basis for a Proper Foundation of faith.
Lastly (and of course there is so much more), the area we want to examine for a Proper Foundation is our commitment to Sanctification. The word Sanctification means to set apart. God wants His people to be Holy (1Peter 1). No you may not be sinless, no you may not be perfect, but you can be holy. It is the sanctification process that produces holiness in the character of the child of God. The Holy Spirit engineers this process through our devotion to Christ. Part of that devotion is our Prayer Life and reading the Word of God (Ephesians 5). We must be committed to developing a relationship with God, not trying to be spiritually religious. We're going to make mistakes, we're going to do things outside of the Divine Will of God. But what The Father wants to know is do we love Him enough to open up our hearts and open up our minds to allow the Holy Spirit to renew us in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4). If we let the Holy Spirit minister within us the divine work of Sanctification, we will indeed have laid a Proper Foundation.
The bible says in the 11th Psalm, "if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?". There must be re-laying in the church of a Proper Foundation. The first area we must examine is the foundation of our faith. Number one, is our faith rooted and grounded in the Word of God. The Bible is the unadulterated, divinely inspired, Living Word of God (2Timothy 3). We can't put our faith in tradition, we can't put our faith in philosophy, we can't put our faith in a man or woman; we must put our faith in the Word of God. God's Word never fails (Jeremiah 1). Therefore, if we are standing on the Word of God, then we have a solid foundation.
The other area of faith that we need to examine in regards to having a Proper Foundation is the basis of our faith. Is our faith Grace-based or Works-based. There are still too many believers that are basing the foundation of their relationship with God upon what they do behaviorally instead of what Jesus has already done through dying for our sins on the Cross. The bible says, "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2). If you're still thinking that your going to heaven is contingent upon your works, what you do and don't do, then your Foundation of Faith is not solid. Now mind you, the bible also states, "what shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6). Grace is not a license to sin, it's a provision for the sin that we inevitably commit (1John 1). However, your status and standing with God is not based on your works, it's based upon the Saving Grace of God manifested through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ. This is the basis for a Proper Foundation of faith.
Lastly (and of course there is so much more), the area we want to examine for a Proper Foundation is our commitment to Sanctification. The word Sanctification means to set apart. God wants His people to be Holy (1Peter 1). No you may not be sinless, no you may not be perfect, but you can be holy. It is the sanctification process that produces holiness in the character of the child of God. The Holy Spirit engineers this process through our devotion to Christ. Part of that devotion is our Prayer Life and reading the Word of God (Ephesians 5). We must be committed to developing a relationship with God, not trying to be spiritually religious. We're going to make mistakes, we're going to do things outside of the Divine Will of God. But what The Father wants to know is do we love Him enough to open up our hearts and open up our minds to allow the Holy Spirit to renew us in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4). If we let the Holy Spirit minister within us the divine work of Sanctification, we will indeed have laid a Proper Foundation.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
A Living Sacrifice
There's another level that The Father is calling His children to. This level is not one that every born-again believer can sustain. Very shortly, there's going to be a major distinction between the Christians who simply go to church on Sunday mornings and the believers who have sold out for Christ. You may not be able to witness the difference right now, but very soon, there will be no question in terms of who the elect of God are. With that being said, before we cross over into the next dimension of the Kingdom of God, there is one more area of faith we must make sure we exercise.
God is now calling for Sacrifice. I'm sure many of you feel you've sacrificed enough, and I would be the last one to argue with you. But the Father is calling for a special sacrifice, a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12). When I reference this term "Living Sacrifice", I'm not just referring to sexual abstinence or fasting. I'm talking about the willingness to literally lay one's life down for the cause of Christ. A lot of times we think of this in the context of some sort of "martyr sydrome", but it's deeper than that. Yes, if we are called to physically die for the cause of Christ we should be willing to do that. However, the Plan that God has for us isn't restricted to that.
The Plan that God has always had for humanity is for Christ to live through us (Colossians 1). Somewhere along the way the Covenant Community got lost in the obsession of trying to keep the law, but this was never the Will of God (Hebrews 10). The Law was designed to serve as a template for how God wanted His Kingdom structured, but not how He wanted the hearts and minds of His people to be regulated (Hebrews 8). The Plan has always been the Manifestation of the Divine Image of God through the lives of God's people (Genesis 1). But here's the catch that Adam didn't receive and that Abraham did: in order for the Divine Image of God to be manifested in and through human vessels, humanity has to die. Man cannot remain self-contained and operate in the Divine Image of God. That's why very few human beings truly actualize their Divine Potential; they're not willing to Die for it. This is part of the reason why Jehovah allowed His Son to take on human flesh. Not just for the purpose of Salvation, but to also demonstrate the method and means of fulfilling the original human design that God made for humanity. I hope saints that we love God enough and are grateful and appreciative enough of the Sacrifice of His Son, to be willing to Honor the Father with the submission of our bodies, souls and spirits to serve as A Living Sacrifice.
God is now calling for Sacrifice. I'm sure many of you feel you've sacrificed enough, and I would be the last one to argue with you. But the Father is calling for a special sacrifice, a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12). When I reference this term "Living Sacrifice", I'm not just referring to sexual abstinence or fasting. I'm talking about the willingness to literally lay one's life down for the cause of Christ. A lot of times we think of this in the context of some sort of "martyr sydrome", but it's deeper than that. Yes, if we are called to physically die for the cause of Christ we should be willing to do that. However, the Plan that God has for us isn't restricted to that.
The Plan that God has always had for humanity is for Christ to live through us (Colossians 1). Somewhere along the way the Covenant Community got lost in the obsession of trying to keep the law, but this was never the Will of God (Hebrews 10). The Law was designed to serve as a template for how God wanted His Kingdom structured, but not how He wanted the hearts and minds of His people to be regulated (Hebrews 8). The Plan has always been the Manifestation of the Divine Image of God through the lives of God's people (Genesis 1). But here's the catch that Adam didn't receive and that Abraham did: in order for the Divine Image of God to be manifested in and through human vessels, humanity has to die. Man cannot remain self-contained and operate in the Divine Image of God. That's why very few human beings truly actualize their Divine Potential; they're not willing to Die for it. This is part of the reason why Jehovah allowed His Son to take on human flesh. Not just for the purpose of Salvation, but to also demonstrate the method and means of fulfilling the original human design that God made for humanity. I hope saints that we love God enough and are grateful and appreciative enough of the Sacrifice of His Son, to be willing to Honor the Father with the submission of our bodies, souls and spirits to serve as A Living Sacrifice.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
The Wisdom of Self-Examination
We are approaching a Season where the Judgment of God is going to be released. It needs to be established that before The Father judges the world, He will first judge His church (1Peter 4). The blessing with this is that when the Judgment of God hits the world, for those who have submitted to the Judgment of God for themselves, will not have to endure the Judgment that God has reserved for the world. Yes, we will all have to go through it, but that doesn't mean that we have to be adversely affected by it. However, the only way to insure that we are not "victims" if you will, of the coming Judgment of God is to embrace the Wisdom of Self-Examination.
The bible says that we should "examine ourselves" (1Corinthians 11). Now is the time to let the Holy Spirit lead us in the ministry of self-inspection. There are areas in our lives that we need to "check", in order to be rightly aligned with The Father. It's time out for playing. Time out for "getting away" with things. The bible says in Acts 17 that God is not "winking" anymore. The Call for Repentance has been sounded, and the people of God are commanded to turn from our wicked ways and repent unto The Father (Acts 20). Let me clarify as well that the areas for which we need to examine and inspect don't always have to be "areas of sin". Yes, if there's an area in your life that is blatantly outside of the Divine Will of God, take it to God and repent. He will give you the Grace to move beyond it. But for some of us, the issue is not sin, the issue is focus. God wants us to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6). For many of us, God is still not our top priority. This is an attitude from which we must repent. God is not settling for a luke-warm church (Revelation 3). He's ready for a church that's on fire for Him! If you've been passive and laid-back in regards to your relationship with God, you need to examine that and repent.
For the Season we're about to enter, please understand, everyone is going to be Judged (2Corinthians 5). And as I've stated before, Judgment is not necessarily a "bad thing". If I get an "A" in a course, then my Judgment is good. If I get an "F" in a course, then my Judgment is bad. So either way, the Judgment is set. The question is, which side of the Judgment will you be standing when God brings into accountability the creation that He has made and the church that He has saved. Don't wait until the last minute to find out the answer to this question. Exercise now the Wisdom of Self-Examination.
The bible says that we should "examine ourselves" (1Corinthians 11). Now is the time to let the Holy Spirit lead us in the ministry of self-inspection. There are areas in our lives that we need to "check", in order to be rightly aligned with The Father. It's time out for playing. Time out for "getting away" with things. The bible says in Acts 17 that God is not "winking" anymore. The Call for Repentance has been sounded, and the people of God are commanded to turn from our wicked ways and repent unto The Father (Acts 20). Let me clarify as well that the areas for which we need to examine and inspect don't always have to be "areas of sin". Yes, if there's an area in your life that is blatantly outside of the Divine Will of God, take it to God and repent. He will give you the Grace to move beyond it. But for some of us, the issue is not sin, the issue is focus. God wants us to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6). For many of us, God is still not our top priority. This is an attitude from which we must repent. God is not settling for a luke-warm church (Revelation 3). He's ready for a church that's on fire for Him! If you've been passive and laid-back in regards to your relationship with God, you need to examine that and repent.
For the Season we're about to enter, please understand, everyone is going to be Judged (2Corinthians 5). And as I've stated before, Judgment is not necessarily a "bad thing". If I get an "A" in a course, then my Judgment is good. If I get an "F" in a course, then my Judgment is bad. So either way, the Judgment is set. The question is, which side of the Judgment will you be standing when God brings into accountability the creation that He has made and the church that He has saved. Don't wait until the last minute to find out the answer to this question. Exercise now the Wisdom of Self-Examination.
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