Myth-Busting Moment: The Sabbath

Many people get confused when it comes to the Sabbath Day. The primary question is rather simple: "Do we still have to honor the Sabbath Day?" The answer is not so simple: "no, but yes". That is to say we do not have to observe the literal day any longer, but the principle of sabbath (or rest) is still something we must obey.

Now, there are about 60 instances in the New Testament where the word sabbath is used. However, there is NEVER a command given, either directly or implicitly, to continue in the Old Testament tradition of observing the Sabbath Day. For those who don't know, the Sabbath is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. It was intended as a day of rest (Exodus 31:15), and was instituted for the benefit of man.

Jesus came to fulfill the old law, and in so doing, let the Pharisees and Sadducees know that He was Lord of the Sabbath and that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mt 12:8, Mk 2:27-28, Lk 6:5). Jesus gave us a more excellent rest through the Holy Ghost.

The Sabbath was intended as a rest for the people of God, and Hebrews 4:1-11 lets us know that the rest we now have is no longer relegated to a specific day, but rather, is a place we can enter into. Isaiah 28:11-12 records the prophecy of the Holy Ghost and makes reference to it in two ways: "this is the rest" and "with stammering lips and another tongue." So, this stammering lips and another tongue is the rest and refreshing promised, according to Isaiah.

Then we see in Mk 16:16-17, Jesus (Lord of the Sabbath) tells us that believers will speak with new tongues. Acts 2:4, 10:46, and 19:6 all record people speaking with new tongues when they received the Holy Ghost.

So, Hebrews lets us know it is not simply a particular day, Isaiah prophesied that the rest would be stammering lips and another tongue, Jesus said those new tongues would be a sign of the believers, and the evidence of the Holy Ghost is speaking with other tongues. You do the math. Our rest is no longer a specific day, but rather, the infilling of the Holy Ghost, something we can experience all the time!!!


Some Q&A:

Question: But wait, wasn't the sabbath part of the Ten Commandments?

Answer: Yes, it was part of the Mosaic law, but as mentioned earlier, Jesus came to fulfill and make perfect that old law. Each of the Ten Commandments was reestablished in the New Testament, save one: the keeping of the Sabbath Day.

Question: Did the early church keep the Sabbath?

Answer: There were times the apostles and even Jesus met on the Sabbath. Of course they would. If you were trying to convert and save a bunch of Jews, what better time than on the Sabbath in the synagogue where there were many gathered together. But the early church gathered together on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK (I Cor 16:1-2).

Some try to say that the first day was really the Sabbath, but that's a misconception. Look at Acts 20:7-11. Paul intended to leave on the following day (verse 7). Then in verse 11, it says he left at daybreak. So, the NEW DAY was brought about by daylight, not sunset. This lets us know that Luke was writing Acts according to the Roman calendar which uses midnight to midnight as each new day rather than the Jewish calender's sunset to sunset. Thus, the first day of the week was Sunday, not Saturday.

Question: Is keeping of the Sabbath mentioned anywhere in the Epistles?

Answer: Yes, in Colossians 2:16-17 it says not to let people judge in keeping of sabbaths, or any other holy day for that matter. This word sabbath is the exact same as those elsewhere in the New Testament, so it's not differentiating it as some special sabbath or feast. Also, Galatians 4:8-11 warns against those who desire to serve the old law and keep special days, months, & years. Finally, Romans 14:5-6 says that people can either choose to observe special days or choose not to, but that they both do it to the Lord. Where the Sabbath is mentioned in the Epistles, it generally warns against those who taught it must still be observed as a special day.

Summary

In short, we do have to keep the Sabbath in a spiritual sense, as the infilling of the Holy Ghost is that rest we now have in God, and it is essential for salvation. The keeping of the Old Testament Sabbath Day is not a salvation issue. If people wish to keep it, there's nothing wrong with doing so, but it's no longer a command from God.

Slow & Steady Wins the Race

Remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare? The hare, a much faster and somewhat cocky character, is challenged to a race by the tortoise. In the end, the winner is the tortoise. Though the hare was much faster and had the tools one would think necessary to win, he neglected to keep focused on what he was doing, he started out in a blaze of glory and ended with nothing but a puff of smoke.

There are just too many people who's walk with God is little more than a flash in the pan. You see, we really are in a race:

I Corinthians 9:24-25 - Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

The race for the souls of men is not a sprint, but a marathon, it's a long distance test of endurance and stamina. The real kicker is that only the finish counts. We can all obtain a crown for our race, but we must finish. Jesus said that only those who endure to the end will be saved (Mark 13:13).

There are a lot of shooting stars starting out in God's kingdom, but shooting stars, though they're flashy and awe-inspiring, are generally inconsistent, unstable, short-term. In fact, they're really just falling stars, spinning out of control until they burn up or crash.

There are a lot of cheetahs starting out in God's kingdom, but cheetahs, though they're sleek and fast, generally have a tough time adapting to new environments, are only able to handle short bursts of speed, and often need to rest. Typically, they'll give up on a chase if they don't catch the prey in about a minute or so.

Nobody starts out in God intending to be a shooting star or cheetah. No one says, "I think I'll start gloriously and then fizzle out after about a month or a year." Yet, many people do just that. Let me encourage anyone and everyone to push for endurance and stamina. We need to plug in and have a slow and steady walk with God. We need to "run with patience" (Heb 12:1) this great race for the salvation of our souls.

Let's get a hold on God like never before. Let's develop some tenacity and get a little never-give-up in our spirits. A good start won't suffice; we must finish strong. According to Hebrews 12:2 Jesus is both the Author and Finisher of our faith!!!

Fair Trading

God's grace and mercy are so incredible!!! Here we are, we come to God with what? Troubles and addictions? Broken homes, lives, and dreams? Maybe we're fortunate enough to "have it all together" when we come to God or perhaps we were raised in a Christian or church atmosphere. No matter where we start out in life, we really don't have much to offer God. After all, He's the Creator (and Owner) of all that's known and unknown.

Yet we see how God looks at his blessings and what He gives us in exchange for what we can offer Him:

Isaiah 1:18 - Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Wow!!! We bring Him our sin and he washes us in salvation...So why would anyone turn from God? Or better asked by Jesus Himself: "what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (see Mt 16:26).

Actually, there are very, very few people who would actually sell their soul to some ghostly figure who offered them whatever they wanted in exchange, even if they were offered the entirety of the world. Most would gladly stand firm and say, "No". But rather, in our everyday decisions, many, many people "sell" out their salvation for much less.

Friends and family pressure us just a little too much. We don't want to "give up" some vice or habit or pleasure. Maybe we're comfortable feeling some Holy Ghost goose bumps every now and then, but in the end we don't know how to truly commit to God.

So what's the price for you? What's the price for me? Would we exchange our souls because we just didn't have time to fit church, prayer, Bible study, and a relationship with Jesus into our busy schedule? Will we trade our relationship with God and our salvation for the "freedom" to go out with friends we shouldn't be hanging with, doing things we know we shouldn't be involved in? Shall we barter for the almighty dollar or because our family doesn't understand why we'd want to change our lives so drastically?

I say NO!!! I say no matter the opportunity that affords itself, we need to hold on to Jesus Christ. Paul said he counted the cost and everything added up amounted to a pile of dung compared to knowing Christ (Phil 3:8). Was he mad or using Enron-onomics? I think not. I believe he understood that knowing and having a relationship with Jesus is worth it all...We have a treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor 4:7) and nothing, NOTHING, is worth trading for that treasure...

Take this whole world but give me Jesus!!! Is that your attitude?

Men At Work

There is so much confusion today over the alleged conflict between faith and works. Too many Christians see them as mutually exclusive concepts and divide into schools of adherence: those that believe in works as a means to salvation, and those who believe it's all in God alone without any effort on the part of man (or woman, of course).

The fallacy is in trying to separate faith and works. They work together, in stride, in unity.

The Bible says we are saved through faith (Eph 2:8), and without faith, we can't please God (Heb 11:6). So one may jump to a conclusion and say, "Aha, faith is all we need since salvation is a God thing anyway."

But not so fast, in the same Bible we're told to save ourselves (Acts 2:40) and work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12). And just in case the "works crowd" gets too excited, please reread the previous paragraph.

Jesus and John the Baptist both advocated works. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (Jn 14:15) and John said to "Prove by the way you live that you have repented" (Mt 3:8 NLT). This is how we prove ourselves to God, how we show God our love, through our actions, deeds, WORKS...After all, didn't God so love the world that he GAVE (as in action or works) according to John 3:16?

So we see that in salvation, both faith and works are present. We repent of our sins (works/man) and God forgives us (faith/God), we get baptized in Jesus name (works/man) and God washes us in His wonderful blood, cleansing us from our sin (faith/God), finally we seek after the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues when filled (works/man) while it's God who actually fills us with His Spirit and gives us the utterance to speak in tongues (faith/God).

Three times in James chapter two we're told that faith without works is dead (see Jas 2:17, 20, 26). So put your money where your mouth is, step up to the plate and show God your faith through the works that you do. Faith and works must operate in unison to have the affect that God intended in our lives!!!

Resistance Is Futile

Most people know that God has our best interest at heart. Just look at what He said through the prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

When we resist God and His will for our lives, we literally turn our back on a more fruitful life, not to mention life eternal. Yet, even when we do turn away, God is always right there, waiting for our return. Remember the parable of the lost son in Luke 15? What about this scripture:

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

God wishes nothing but the best for our lives, so why resist Him? On the other hand the Bible tells us to resist the devil:

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We must fight four our souls with everything we have, but again, our resistance to the devil is futile if we don't first submit to God. Without God's help, strength, and direction, we don't have the capacity to truly resist the wiles of the devil. Why? Because our flesh naturally veers toward the things of sin, the things the devil would entice us with....

Don't resist God in your life. As He calls, draw nearer and nearer, then you'll have what it takes to make your resistance to the devil effective...

Perfect Is As Perfect Does

There are many instances in the Bible that speak to the perfection of the saints. Let's look at just a few:

Mt 5:48 - Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Eph 4:11-12 - And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

II Tim 3:16-17 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Obviously, God does not intend for us to be perfect in the absolute sense of the word, Mt 5:48 says to be perfect even as God is perfect. To take that literally would cause frustration because none of us can be as perfect as God.

So what's the deal? Perfection, in the sense that we can attain it, pertains to completion or maturity. Those things we can obtain. First, we are complete in Christ, according to Colossians 2:10, and perfection can come through study of scripture and through the teaching, instruction and guidance offered to us by elders, leaders, and ministers within the body of Christ.

In I Corinthians 9:24-26, Paul talks about striving for the mastery. That's what being "perfect" in God is all about. Through study, prayer, relationship with Jesus, guidance from those leaders in our lives, and perseverance, we can continue on the pathway of perfection to obtain a completeness and maturity in God.

So keep it up, hang in there, be diligent in God and He'll lead you into Biblical perfection. Establish a daily prayer life, a regular time of study and meditation of God's word, and be faithful to those gatherings of believers (church, fellowship, Bible study, etc...) where you can both impact and be impacted by others.

Remember, perfect is as perfect does!!!

Follow the Leaders

Many Christians forget that we are the light of the world, according to Matthew 5:14. This world, our families, our fellow believers, they all look to us as an example. We DO NOT live in a box or a vacuum, so we need to make sure our lives exhibit the life of Christ so that we are good example to follow.

I Corinthians 11:1 - Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

I Peter 2:9 - But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

This scripture says it all: we are to show forth. Be the Book of Acts example that you're supposed to be. That means we need to have the fruit of the spirit flourishing in our lives. We are Jesus Christ's hands and feet in this world, like it or not, so we have to pray, study, and live close to Him.

Why? Because somebody is watching you. You may not like it, but they are watching. The "do as I say, not as I do" mentality doesn't cut it. We have to be the Book of Acts church, not only when we're at church, but while were at home, at school, at work, etc...

Be the church, fellow believers, and we'll impact this world like never before. Be the leaders that you need to be. Remember, someone is watching you...

The Breadbreakers Breakdown

What is Breadbreakers? Why does it exist? Who can get involved? How can people get in touch? Where are the meetings? When should people come?

There are a lot of questions surrounding the ministry called Breadbreakers, a small group ministry of Souls' Harbor FPC, so this blog posting is meant to answer...

First, let's list what Breadbreakers IS NOT:
1) BB is not a ministry for ONLY new converts
2) BB is not a Bible study ONLY
3) BB is not the ministry of a single person

Now, let's see what Breadbreakers IS:
1) BB is for anyone and everyone
2) BB is seeing the infilling of the Holy Ghost, healings, & miracles at the meetings
2) BB is includes youth, adults, new converts, seasoned saints, couples, & singles
3) BB is a ministry of Souls' Harbor FPC that has been thriving for over 3 years
4) BB is a group for Bible study, fellowship, prayer, outreach, & ministry
5) BB is meeting on Wed nights at 7:30pm in various locations
6) BB is meeting on Fri nights at 7:30pm at my house for fellowship, prayer, & Bible study
7) BB is available online at www.breadbreakers.com where you can watch & interact online, via Facebook, and via MySpace

We have a phenomenal group of people with dynamic fellowship, sweeping works & moves of the Spirit, incredible discussion/study of God's Word, and a place for all, whether new to the Lord or those who've served him for years...

And what do we need? We need more people to catch onto our Bishop's and Pastor's vision for the future for our church and get involved!!!

Warning in Watching the Wicked

We know the Bible says the Father makes it rain on the just & the unjust (Matthew 5:45) and in the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock, the storm battered both homes (Matthew 7:24-27). Yet, so often we look to those who are prosperous, though they may be of the world, and wonder how it is that God allows blessing to flow their way when so many of His people are suffering.

The psalmist had this same issue in Psalm 73. "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped." (Ps 73:2). This is a very popular passage of scripture, and yet many people don't know the reason why he was having so much trouble:

Ps 73:3 - For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

This very next verse shows us that the issue was looking around and seeing the prosperity of the wicked. He goes so far as to say "I have cleansed my hands in vain" in verse 13. He was having serious doubts trying to reconcile how the wicked could flourish.

However, the key to overcoming this battle of the mind is in verse 17:

"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."

Getting into the presence of God, maintaining our relationship with Jesus Christ is the antidote for a mindset that veers away from keeping the main thing the main thing. Good and bad times come to us all, but as Christians we have that "Rock that is higher than I" (Ps 61:2) and that "refuge from the storm" (Isa 25:4).

Let's keep our focus on Jesus Christ--His mind, His passion, His will--in both the good and bad times. Let's put our trust in Him...

Pencil & Ink

Far too often we allow our plans, our desires, our will to get in the way of what God wants to do in our lives. Just ask Jonah what the consequences can be if we decide to run from His plan for our lives, or inquire of Jacob what the results may be if we try to accomplish God's plan by doing it our way and on our timetable. I think you'll find they would agree, we need to write down our plans in pencil, but allow God to write them in ink.

Jer 29:11-12 - For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. (NIV)

Lk 22:42 - ...not my will, but thine, be done.

Jas 4:14-15 - Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

We don't need to sit around on our bums just hoping that God's will is done, rather we need to make prayerful decisions for our lives: what career will I choose, who will I marry, what will be my place in the kingdom? However, these plans need to written not in ink, not as a permanent, uncompromising position, but rather they should be written in pencil. Set, but ready to be erased and changed as God sees fit. We need to hand over the pen of our lives to the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ, and let His will be done in our lives...

The Search for Truth

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (Jn 16:13)

Many people are under the mistaken impression that either all truth becomes evident immediately when the Holy Ghost is received or that somehow the Holy Ghost will always speak and tell or reveal things they need to know. Both of these belief systems are appealing, but dangerously misleading. They each fail to recognize that the Holy Ghost leads us to truth; it doesn’t always just tell us. There's a leading and guiding involved, but we have to accept it, no matter whether truth comes from a person God sends our way, the Word of God revealing truth to us, or some other means.

Let’s put on our thinking caps for a bit and look at this logically. If the Spirit of God just revealed everything to us that we need to know to please God and walk with Him, why in the world do we need the epistles? The epistles make up 21 of the 27 books of the New Testament. These are letters written to saved people to tell them how to live and act in order to please God, take care of the body of Christ (the church), and endure in the world. Why exactly would these folks need this if the Holy Ghost just revealed all truth to everyone who received it? Answer, the Holy Ghost guides people to truth. When Paul, or Peter, or John wrote to a church and said “do this” or “don’t do that”, the Holy Ghost inside those people was saying, “There, I put you into contact with them so they could tell you what you’re supposed to do to be pleasing to God.”

Now before any righteous indignation flames up, let me say that the Holy Ghost does sometimes completely reveal truth to people. I know people who knew certain things were displeasing to God long before they read it in scripture, and I’m not talking rape and murder here, I’m referring to things that most people don’t even realize displease God. How is that possible? Because the Holy Ghost can speak to us and reveal things to us, but generally, it guides us into truth rather than openly reveals truth.

When Light Touches Darkness

In the very beginning, God established the principle that light is greater than darkenss. Genesis 1:16 says, "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night:"

Here we see that light, is given the preeminence. Darkness, by very nature, is secondary to light. Think about it. In the blackest of midnights, all you need to do is light a simple candle and it will push back the darkness, illuminating outward, and can be seen from a great distance...

Ecclesiastes 2:13 - Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness

Isaiah 9:2 - The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

We are the light, the people of light, those who walk in God's light. Just read scriptures like I Peter 2:9, Ephesians 5:8, and I Thessalonians 5:5. We should never be afraid to do as Jesus said and let our light shine in this dark world (Matthew 5:16).

When light steps on the scene, darkness has to give way, roll back, and submit to its power. As long as that light shines, the darkness can't overcome it. Remember, greater is He that lives in us than he that is in the world (I John 4:4).

So get out there and let your light shine in this dark world. They need to see the light!!!

Emulating Excellence

In a world so saturated with icons, stars, and idols, Christians must make every effort to portray the right picture to others and follow after men and women of God who exhibit solid Biblical principles and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. In our walk with God we should strive to both emulate those who have gone before us and be an example for those who would follow us. Both of these concepts are set forth in scripture.

God wants us to follow the right example:
John 13:15 - For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

I Corinthians 11:1 - Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

I Peter 2:21 - For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

God wants us to be a good example to others:
I Timothy 4:12 - Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

I Peter 5:3 - Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

God expects us to learn from others--both the good and bad:

I Corinthians 10:11 - Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

James 5:10 - Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Jude 1:7 - Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Let's be the light we need to be for this lost and desperate generation. We need to follow after those who are doing the right things, emulating excellence and walking in the Spirit to impact our world with apostolic revival!!!

Leaving the Leaven for Leftovers

All too often, we allow little things to creep into our lives that hinder or even prevent us from getting all that we need from God and being all we need to be for the Kingdom.

Hebrews 12:1 challenges us to lay aside the sin and the weights that hinder us. Likewise, Galatians 5:9 let's us know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. For those who don't know what leaven is, here's the basic Wikipedia breakdown:

Leaven or leavening agents such as yeast are often used in baking/cooking. The chemical compound of such agents creates gas, usually carbon dioxide that gets trapped as bubbles in the dough, causing the dough to "rise." Generally, very little of such agents is necessary to permeate throughout a batch of dough to affect the entirety.

What this translates into for us, is that we need to watch out and guard ourselves from not only those big nasty sins that might tempt us, but also from those little things that inhibit our prayer lives, personal devotion, Biblical study, and general relationship building with Jesus Christ. Why? Because those "little" things can be difficult to spot and sometimes even appear harmless when and if we are able to identify them. However, the Bible lets us know that the little things can cause us to stumble and fall just as much as the big things.

If it's the little foxes that spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15) then we need to pay close attention to those seemingly insignificant habits, activities, etc...that may be preventing us from being all we need to be in God. The tricky part about it is that what may be a hindrance for me may have no affect on you and vice versa. So it's up to us to search ourselves and weed out those things that might be the "leaven" in our lives so we can impact this world with red hot REVIVAL!!!

Keep the Change Part III

In this final installment of Keep the Change, we’ll be looking at the most difficult adversaries of our soul—the world and our flesh. With the devil, we can resist him and he’ll flee, but with the world, and to a greater extent our flesh, it’s not quite so easy to ward them off. However, through the power of the Holy Ghost we can tell even these formidable foes to keep the change!!!

Telling the world to keep the change:

I John 4:4 reads, “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Through scriptures like this one we understand that we have power over the temptations of this world through the power of the Holy Ghost. Just look at these verses:

and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand (John 10:29)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13)

This world throws a lot at us in the way of temptation. The spirit of the world would do anything and everything possible to get us to give up, throw in the towel, and change (for the worse). However, through the power of God and the blood of Jesus Christ we are able to tell this world to keep the change!!!

Telling the flesh to keep the change:

Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)

This verse written by the apostle Paul is the key to overcoming our sinful nature. There is no shortcut to being able to deny our flesh; we must walk in the spirit through prayer, fasting, the Word, holiness, godly fellowship, and assembling together.

Notice what Paul says in II Corinthians:

let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (II Corinthians 7:1)

We must cleanse ourselves. This is not saying that we do the cleansing per se; obviously it’s the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. However, we must nail ourselves down to the cross and deny ourselves when temptation arises. We must perfect holiness, as said in this verse…

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

Our flesh doesn’t like to be denied. But by doing so, we mortify or kill those deeds through the Spirit. It’s not always an easy thing to do though, just read Paul’s discussion in Romans 7:18-25. Yet, when we submit to God and walk in the Spirit, the rewards are greater than anything we can imagine.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (I John 2:25)

Our flesh constantly tries to change us in ways that would be displeasing to God, but what better reward could there be to deny and crucify that flesh than abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world afterwards? What better reason to tell our flesh to keep the change?

Keep the Change Part II

In Keep the Change Part I, we spoke of the necessity of cultivating, and keeping the intial change that God makes in our lives when He washes us and cleanses us through His blood and when He gives us power through the infilling of the Holy Ghost (see I Corinthians 6:11).

In this second installment, the focus is on telling others to keep the change when they would try to distort, detract, or destroy what God has built up in us. The focus in Part II will be on keeping the change against the spiritual attacks in our lives.

Isaiah 59:19 says, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."

We have no need to fear when our enemy, be it our flesh, opposition from humanity, or spiritual resistance swoops in to try and steal the things we received from God. Jesus said in John 10:10 that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but that He (Jesus) came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Likewise, in Luke 22:31-32 Jesus warned Peter that the enemy desired to sift him as wheat, but Jesus said that He prayed for Peter. Such power in the fact that we have a covering in Jesus!!!The devil and his minions will no doubt try to attack us and try to get us to turn back from the change God worked in us. Indeed the Bible says in I Peter 5:7-8 that the devil goes around like a "roaring lion" seeking those he can devour. But this passage also says we can cast all our cares on Jesus because he cares for us. Remember, Jesus always gives us the opportunity for victory, no matter how dark the storm. Actually, we have much more power than the devil:

Ephesians 4:27 says not to give place to the devil.
Ephesians 6:11 says to put on the armour of God to stand against the devil's whiles.
James 4:7 says to submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee.
Isaiah 14:12-19 says those who see the devil in his true light will “narrowly” look at him and scoff at him.

We have complete authority and dominion over the devil and all the forces of hell through the power of Jesus name!!! Listen to the awesome words of Jesus Christ:

"...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

Gates are not designed or built to be an offensive weapon, they are defensive. Jesus is telling Peter and the apostles that the church will be on the front lines, attacking the gates of hell itself, and that hell.......................doesn't stand a chance.....

Keep the Change Part I

Matthew 25:1-13 gives us the parable of the ten virgins, five wise and five foolish. Here Jesus reveals to us the scenario where ten individuals start off with oil. We know from the scriptures that oil signifies the anointing, so these ten virgins all had a great starting point.

However, only five of the ten actually made it all the way to the wedding. Five of the virgins, whom we refer to now as the foolish virgins, didn't prepare and store up enough of the oil to last. Though they all ten started off with lamps burning, only five "endured 'til the end."

This treasure we have in earthen vessels (II Corinthians 4:7) must be nourished, cultivated, protected. We can't allow the cares of this world (Mark 4:19) to choke out the precious change that God worked in us when we were saved and received His wonderful Spirit.

We are new in Christ according to the following scriptures, having put off our old man, our former self, and put on the new man, the one that seeks God and follows the Spirit:

II Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 4:22-24
Colossians 3:9-10

The things of God and a walk with God truly come as a gradual process. Jesus asked, in what we refer to as "The Lord's Prayer," for daily bread (or sustenance), and in II Corinthians 4:16 Paul said our inward man is renewed "day by day." Finally, II Corinthians 3:18 says we are changed from glory to glory.

Jesus said in Mark 13:13 that only they which endure until the end will be saved. Our initial change, out with the old and in with the new, must be kept. We must fight to keep the change that God has made in our lives.....

Power in the Name

There is awesome power in the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:17-18 lets us know that the believers can do many incredible things when they invoke the name of Jesus.

The important thing to remember is that we must be people of the name and in order to truly do that, we must have a relationship with the original owner of the name. Both John 5:43 and Hebrews 1:4 make it clear that Jesus received His name by inheritance. When we read Ephesians 1:10-11 we understand that we also receive an inheritence through Christ.

So be encouraged to walk in the name of Jesus, pray in the name of Jesus, believe in the name of Jesus. In fact, accordng to Colossians 3:17 we should do all in the name of Jesus.

What are some examples of the power in that name? I'm glad you asked:
Acts 3:6-healing
Accts 4:12-salvation
Acts 16:18-deliverance
Philippians 2:10-11-dominion
Philippians 4:19-financial blessing

Let's Rock Our World

I've heard it said that wherever the apostles went there was either revival or a riot, and it's true. It’s amazing when you read through the book of Acts and see the kind of persecution the apostles suffered for the name of Jesus and for preaching the gospel. A closer look at several particular instances also reveals something quite interesting about the source of the opposition—they typically only resisted the new doctrine because of their own human shortcomings…

Just look at Acts 16:16-19. Here’s where Paul is in Philippi and heals a girl by casting a demon out of her. Now, you’d think there would be rejoicing for such a miracle, but unfortunately, the human spirit got in the way in the form of greed. Instead of rejoicing, they through Paul and Silas into prison as it reads in verse 19:

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers

A similar situation occurred in Ephesus in Acts 19:23-28. Here a man named Demetrius stirred up the crowds against Paul, again because of greed.

24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

It doesn’t seem they were too worried about the great Diana until they realized they’d lose money in their trade of selling idols because of Paul’s teaching…

All throughout the book of Acts, we see this common theme—people attached the gospel and the messengers of the gospel because of pride, greed, jealousy, politics, and many other selfish reasons. Very rarely was the opposition sincere in their attacks, but typically had ulterior motives for not believing the gospel (i.e. they would lose their wealth, position, or status).

So we shouldn’t be discouraged when people don’t seem to want to hear about the salvation message today. We should pray and seek God’s direction in finding those who are hungry and willing to accept the gospel, just as they did in the book of Acts. After all, in the midst of all the turmoil, they had some of the most incredible revivals on record.

So let’s get out there and rock our world just like the apostles did, for even some of the naysayers recognized the power of the gospel in Acts 17:6 where they said, “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.”

A Time To Pray

II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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."

I don't think there's anyone who can debate the fact that we are in troubling times. Recession, depression, economic downturn, or whatever other colorful phrase we've been hearing over the last couple of years, it really makes no difference. The point is this country needs to turn back to its roots, the Judeo-Christian principles on which it was founded.

It's been the blessing of God that has allowed our prosperity over our history, and the implementation of Biblical principles that has made our nation strong. Ideals like freedom, individual responsibility, a good work ethic, and people working together for the common good are not newfangled or contemporary concepts, but tried and proven pillars on which a society can be built. And no surprise, each of these basic values, and additional ones, can be found in the Bible.

So what we need is a spiritual renaissance. As one of my former high school teachers used to say, "America needs a moral rebirth." At the time, I thought it was a funny little saying he always mentioned in our morning devotion, but now I see the magnitude of the need. Indeed, America and Americans need to turn back to God...

So who leads the charge? Should we look to our new President, Barack Obama, to start us down a path toward the revival across the land? Somehow I doubt it. What about our elected representatives in Congress? No, for some reason I believe they're just as lacking. So who can lead this country onto the right path?

The answer is the same as when the words were penned in II Chronicles. It's the people of God who must take up the banner and lead this country on the right course. "If my people," is what the Bible says. So we need to lead the way in prayer, in seeking after God, in humility, and in repentance. We can't expect the world around us to jump out there and steer us to the healing of our land. Indeed, the policies and "stimuli" that this world offers are simply more of the same old useless ideas that got us here, and will exasperate the problem further.

No, fellow people of the most High, those called by Jesus name and purchased by His precious blood. We must stand up and attend to the problem. We must begin to pray in humility. We must seek relationship with God and find His will. We must repent, for ourselves, our leaders, our nation. We must turn from our wicked ways (let's say our lackadaisical, stagnant, mediocre, ways). It's time to start praying, walking with God, and being on-fire, Apostolic (book of Acts) Christians...

I think if we will start doing this en masse, along with doing the human things we know to do like voting, getting involved with our communities, etc..., we can watch God turn these hard times around....

Going Deep (Part 2)

As a follow up to Going Deep Part 1, let's look at some folks who chose not to go deep and contrast them with those who chose to go deep...

Mark 10:17-22 tells us that the rich young ruler had gone to a certain depth, after all, he said he had "observed [the commandments] from my youth up." The Bible even says Jesus looked at him and loved him, but he also told him he needed to go deeper by selling his riches and following Jesus to have treasure in Heaven. The rest, as they say, is history. The young man chose to remain at that depth and go no further.

II Timothy 4:10 speaks of Demas. An apparent traveler/companion of Paul, hence, there was a level of depth. However, this verse lets us know that Demas forsook Paul, "having loved this present world." The digging, searching, growing stopped, and Demas turned back.

Acts 24:25 tells us that Felix trembled (probably from feeling the power of the Holy Ghost as Paul spoke) when Paul testified to him, but told Paul to come back when it was convenient. Again, he came to a point where he said 'I'm fine with this and I think I'll just stay here.'

On the other hand there were many people that went deeper in God:

• Acts 13:22 speaks of David as "a man after mine [God's] own heart."
• James 2:23 says Abraham was "called the friend of God."
• Acts 10:1-6, 44-48, 11:13-14 tells of Cornelius, a man that had apparently gone to some depth in God, but still needed to be saved.
• Acts 18:24-26 records a similar situation for Appollos. He was a mighty man of God, yet didn't have the fullness of the truth.
• Acts 19:1-7 records the account of believers who'd been baptized, but still didn't know about Jesus name baptism or the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

Each situation shows us people who were just as human as you and me, yet when the call came for them to move deeper, to go further in God, they rose to the occasion.

Let's purpose in our hearts and minds that we aren't going to be satisfied with a shallow walk with God. Let's go deep, and when we arrive at the next level, let's push to go to the next....

Going Deep (Part 1)

As Christians, it's important that we continually grow and seek after more of God. It can be very dangerous to grow lackadaisical in our walk with God as this often leads to complacency and stagnation...

Ezekiel 47:3-6 illustrates the point very nicely:

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

Here we see three different levels of depth-ankles, knees, loins, and waters to swim in. After the vision the prophet is taken back to the brink (the shore). Here we see that though the vision allowed him to see how deep he could go, he still had to be the one to walk it off.

So it is with our walk with God. Even the initial revelation of the kingdom of God and salvation is something that must be sought after. Matthew 13:44 is where Jesus likens the kingdom to a treasure hid in a field. Also, if you read Isaiah 28:10-13 you see that God's Word is line upon line, precept upon precept.

So God doesn't hand us a manual with a nice glossary and index, rather, He expects us to search the scriptures out for ourselves (as Jesus told the religious leaders to do in John 5:39).

Isaiah 55:9 tells us that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours and Romans 11:33 tells us his ways are past finding out.

So how can we go deep and really know God? The beauty is that God allows us to know his mind, his Word, and His ways. I Corinthians 2:9-12 reads:

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

So through God's Spirit, we can get to that deep place in God where He can reveal to us the things that were before unknowable and unattainable. THANK YOU JESUS!!!

So the onus, the obligation, is on us to go deep. How do we go deep? Two of the greatest ways to go deeper in God are through prayer (see Romans 8:26 and Jude 1:20) and Bible reading (see Psalm 119:11 and II Timothy 2:15).

Thank you wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the gift of your Spirit, for the opportunity to dig deep, find you, and know you...