Most Recent Blog Posts
-
Post 101 – The Christian Spiritual Life
“And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12)
A study of the inter-relationship between God’s Word, the Leading of the Holy Spirit and Faith.
The words Faith and confidence are often used interchangeably, but they are two different words in the Bible. Confidence is natural; Faith is supernatural or spiritual.
Faith is spiritual.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
Faith looks to Jesus and His Holy Spirit for empowerment or anointing.Faith – g4102. Pistis; persuasion, moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation.Confidence is natural
Confidence is of the soul and looks to self for empowerment. Confidence – g3954. Parrēsia; all outspokenness, i.e., frankness, bluntness, publicity; Boldness.
When a person displays confidence as a result of Faith, you have a potential leader. When that leader understands that he or she is a spiritual leader and as a spiritual leader, that person has come to serve and not be served!
God is moved by Faith; people are moved by confidence.
A person may be a man or woman of Faith and still not be confident because they know the truth but are unwilling to act upon that truth. On the other hand, a person may be a man or woman of Faith and will boldly (confidently) be a doer of the Word. People will follow that kind of person, a person of Faith and confidence.
Mature Christians are called to walk confidently in their Faith. The natural confidence aligning with supernatural Faith. In other words, when Faith and confidence become one.
A good illustration of this progression in building confidence is found in 1 Samuel 17, the well-known account of David and Goliath. Young David did not just appear on the battlefield to confront Goliath the Philistine. There was a history of finding God faithful that ultimately led David to a very public victory. Before every public victory there must be a series of private victories.
- How was David, a simple shepherd boy, able to defeat the giant Goliath a warrior from his youth? It started with David’s personal relationship with God, “Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).
- Then followed the faith-building episodes of defeating the lion and the bear while protecting his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
- Finally came the confidence to defeat the giant Goliath, who was a warrior from his youth. This total defeat of Goliath in turn, inspired the armies of Israel to defeat the Philistine army (1 Samuel 17:45-54). David did not waver or doubt; his confidence was in his God!
You see, David allowed God to prepare him in the private times for the great public battle with Goliath. David’s confidence started when he decided to pursue his relationship with God. Leaders don’t neglect your personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; it is the cornerstone of your life and ministry.
“Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Heb 10:35,36).
Christian leaders have a great responsibility – they must effectively lead those whom the Lord has given them the responsibility to lead. In a very true sense, the destinies of those they are leading are in the hands of those leaders. Therefore, the leader’s responsibility should never be taken lightly.
As ministry leaders, we have a responsibility to those we lead. But we have an even greater responsibility to the One who has called us into the ministry. The One who has called us is God the Father!
Think of your responsibility in this way. The body of Christian believers is often referred to as the “Bride of Christ.” We are given the stewardship or responsibility to care for the “Bride of Christ.” How great a responsibility we have! Jesus will one day return for His Bride, the Church. Our hope is that in that day He will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
How, then, shall we mature to become effective leaders to whom such a great trust is given? To be effective requires that we become confident in three areas, and in this order:
- (1) We must first have confidence in our relationship with God.
- (2) Then we must have confidence in our calling.
- (3) Finally, we must have confidence in our ministry.
It must also be understood that each one of these three areas is spiritual in nature. While we are clothed in a shell of flesh and blood, we must learn how to see, hear, and understand the spiritual realm in which God lives. For God is Spirit, and it is from His Spirit that His enabling power flows.
He Who Calls Us Is Faithful
There is a major difference between a spiritual leader, such as a pastor, and other types of leaders who are in business, education, or politics. The difference is the calling. The pastor’s calling is not of man, nor of personal ambition – it is of God. The ministry is not a profession or a job, but a calling.
But how can we best define a “calling”? The calling is an invitation from God, to an individual to co-labor with Him in the fulfillment of His purpose and plan. Along with this call comes enablement or equipping for the task. God never fails to equip those He calls. Paul the apostle tells us, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (1Tim 1:12).
The call from God is not based on our talents, abilities, or gifts. It is based on a potential that God sees in us called faithfulness. The particular faithfulness described here is not to a denomination, an organization, or an individual. It is faithfulness towards God and His call upon your life. We can be faithful because God is always faithful to us: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1Thess 5:24).
Our Source of Confidence (confidence is the outward appearance of Faith!)
Confidence is the key to effective ministry. Confidence comes from an understanding of one important thing: the heart of our heavenly Father. Knowing what is in the heart of the Father toward us is what gives our life meaning and purpose as Christians.
-
Post 100 – Faith is the key to the overcoming life!
Someone recently asked me, “How do you know that it is the Lord speaking to you?” This is a question that is common to all Believers in Jesus Christ. To answer that question, let’s establish some fundamental truths.
Faith is the key
Everything that God provides through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit is received by faith! Faith is the key to the Kingdom of God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith doesn’t mean that it makes sense in the natural, but faith believes and trusts that what God says is true no matter the circumstances or conditions. It is always easy to have faith when all is going well in life; the real challenge is to have faith when there is chaos. Remember 2 Corinthians 2:7, “We walk by faith not by sight.” And don’t forget Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Faith is not about feelings. Faith is about doing what God has said to you through the logos of the Bible or the Holy Spirit’s rhema word. Faith is about action, and sometimes that action means to “stand and wait.”
Faith Issues
To find God’s best for you, you have to have absolute faith in these seven things; that is, you believe and act on these truths no matter what your emotions or mind tells you.
- As a Born-again believer, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.
- You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
- Jesus ascended so that His Holy Spirit would descend into every believer. John 14: 15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
- Jesus promised that He would not leave us as orphans. John 14: 18, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
- God has a purpose and plan for your life. God’s purpose is called His destiny.
- He knows the thoughts and plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
- God will use His Holy Spirit to communicate His love and purpose for you.
- The mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Read all of 1 Corinthians 2)
- The Bible is inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.
- All scripture is inspired by God. 2Timothey 3: 16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- Everything that is available to Jesus is available to you.
- Greater things than this you will do in my name. John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
- The more time you spend in the Word of God, the more clearly the Holy Spirit will speak to you through the Scriptures.
- The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
- The Holy Spirit speaks both through the Logos of the Bible and the Rhema of the Bible.
- The more of the Word in you, the more you will hear from God.
The final step in our faith walk
If you believe these seven points of faith, then the only thing you need to do is OBEY! The greatest hindrance to hearing from God is not taking a step of faith, and doing whatever the Lord is prompting you to do or say. Remember, “small beginnings lead to great exploits.” Daniel 11:32b, “But the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.”
Being faithful in the little is the surest way to build the character needed to handle the greater, to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 19:17, “And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”
In the coming week, press into your relationship with God. Take the time to read the Word of God and think about what the Bible is saying to you. Take the time to be still and listen for “the quite voice of the Lord.” Once you believe you have heard something and it aligns with scriptures… do it!
Only as you continue to trust the Lord will your faith grow.
- As a Born-again believer, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you.
-
Post 99 – When God whispers in your ear! Part 2
Today’s message is a continuation of our last post entitled, “When God whispers in your ear.” The Holy Spirit of God can speak through the Logos Word found in the Bible and the Rhema Word when the Lord speaks to your mind when you need direction or facing a decision.
Rhema (utterance) vs Logos (written)
Remember Logos is objective. That means that the Bible applies to all Believers. You would think that the Bible would be difficult to misinterpret, although some do.
The best way to be sure you are correct in your interpretation of the scriptures is to look at the “preponderance of scripture”. In other words, looking at multiple scriptures that speak to the same truth.
Never base a doctrine or faith issue on one verse of scripture. “Line upon line, precept upon precept.” Isaiah 28:10 & 13
The three stages of learning:
- Knowledge- the accumulation of information, facts of data.
- Understanding- making connections that help all of the information makes spiritual sense.
- Wisdom- is when your understanding helps you apply what you have learned in practical ways to your life.
When the Holy Spirit speaks the Rhema word to you it is usually to build your character. That you would become more like Jesus.
To become more like Jesus, what does that mean?
- In Matthew 20:20 James and John’s mother asks Jesus to reserve seats of honor for her sons. Jesus rebukes their request and then makes clear why He came to earth. In verse 28 Jesus says, “I came to serve not to be served!”
The work of the Holy Spirit
Being transformed into the image of Jesus is a work of the Holy Spirit as He brings the words of the Bible to memory in important decisions about righteousness.
As Believers in Jesus Christ, we have His imputed righteousness. We did not earn it or deserve it. Our faith in Jesus has made us righteous in the eyes of God.
We are righteous in the realm of the spirit, as believers we are expected to walk in righteousness in our daily lives. That means we are to do what Jesus would
Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Your character is changed as you are led by the Holy Spirit, to be conformed to Jesus.
Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Learn to recognize the voice of God’s Holy Spirit
The 3 voices you have to be able to identify- Self, Satan, and God.
- The voice of self-interest is the hardest voice to ignore…
- Never interpret Scripture on self-interest (What benefits you if it is at someone else’s expense. Remember James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
The Word applied to your life is Rhema
Rhema is subjective and open to interpretation. Like visions and dreams, there are 3 stages…
- The revelation – is how God speaks to us. Dreams and visions are only valid when supported by the Bible. Other ways that God speaks- in our minds we see images or pictures, in our minds we hear the Lord speaking what we have learned from the Bible.
- The interpretation – always ask the question… is this about me?
- The application – is this something I want or is the Lord challenging me to change. Very often the Lord will ask you to do something you don’t want to do!
Personal examples (testimonies)
- Anger issues I dealt with. James 1:19, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
- Integrity in giving my word
- Integrity in being an honest worker for others
- Realizing that it is not about me, but it is all about Jesus and pleasing Him.
Seek first the Kingdom of the King! Not your own kingdom!
Practice makes perfect. Determine to be faithful in the little… Luke 19:11 The Parable of the coins.
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
-
Post 98 – When God whispers in your ear!
When Jesus whispers in your ear… Part 1
I am sure you are familiar with the Gospel of John, chapter 10. Jesus makes it clear that those who belong to Him hear His voice. He is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. His sheep not only hear His voice, but they recognize His voice as well and will follow Him. Those who are not His cannot recognize His voice.
What is this Darkness?
When the Bible speaks of Darkness, it can mean two things. First, of course, is the spiritual realm of Satan and evil. However, many times darkness is talking about “ignorance” or not being able to see the truth- which is light. Look at the next two verses:
- 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: (not knowing truth, in darkness)
Jesus speaks to us through the Holy Spirit…
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
- The Bible or the Word– the author, is the Holy Spirit of God.
- Through teaching and preaching of the Word
- Through the circumstances of life, that line up with the Word.
Notice that I have emphasized the term- Word! We understand that the Word in this sense, means the Word of God- the scriptures. However, did you realize that Word, while used about 230 times in the New Testament, can mean two things. The Greek language uses two different, but related definitions for the term “Word”.
- Logos– objective, it applies to all believers, the Bible.
- Rhema– subjective, an utterance, a word spoken for a certain time or circumstance, supported by the Spirit of the scriptures.
Power of the Holy Spirit, even in our human weakness…
1 Corinthians 2:1… Paul’s testimony of his reliance upon the Holy Spirit to guide his words and actions.
“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
The Father has opened communication with His children.
1 Corinthians 2:9… God has given us the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to discern, understand, and act upon His Word! By Word, meaning that which is read or heard from the Bible, and the Word as the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance or, speaks to us in our daily lives.
“9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (Not by our physical senses of seeing, hearing or the mind, but by personal revelation.)
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
All of this means that when we are born-again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, we are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit is the evidence that we are born-again! Because our spirit-man has been made alive in Jesus Christ we are able to communicate, Spirit to Spirit, with God!
That is why Jesus could say in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”
Jesus loves you and has equipped you with mighty power, the power of the Holy Spirit! Learn to hear and be led by His Spirit!
Blessings [
-
Post 97 – Exchanging what you can’t keep for what you can’t lose!
Missionary Jim Elliot who was martyred at age 29 in 1956 said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
- Exchanging the natural life of the flesh for the supernatural life of the Spirit!
- Giving up the life controlled by the flesh in order to accept the life controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Your faith must be in the fact that you are not a human being having a spiritual experience, but a spiritual being having a human experience called life on earth.
A Christian is one who has been “born-again” or “born from above”. This is very different from the natural birth through your mother. Listen to what Jesus said in John 3.
John 3:1 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Why is this born-again event so important? It opens the door to spiritual Communication with God.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
13 “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
The Holy Spirit reveals what Jesus said and is saying…
John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
How Jesus speaks to us through the Holy Spirit…
The Bible or the Word
Through teaching and preaching of the Word
Through circumstances of life
All of these ways have one thing in common, they all bring to memory the Word, and then we must act!
