Archive for September, 2018

Being Fully Led By THE SPIRIT

Friday, September 21st, 2018

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Galatians chapter 5:

16  But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].

17  For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

18  But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.  AMPL

We are able to constantly walk and be led by THE SPIRIT else the above Word would not have been given to us by THE SPIRIT.  Therefore let us expect to do so and let us rest in this reality.  As we do, we will truly enter into HIS rest on a daily basis and we will not be subject to the law.  We all know that the old man opposes this walk and would try to convince us that we are unable to be constantly led by THE SPIRIT, but Paul urges us to embrace the Truth that we can and should walk and be led by THE SPIRIT.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  NKJV

We are provided an extensive list of the fruit of walking according to the flesh so that there is no question of which path we are currently on.  The old man wants to pull us away from FATHER and walk in opposition to HIM in some facet of our life.  Let us scrutinize each fruit listed to see if we are still caught up in producing such fruit.  If so, repent and focus on the Word in that area in order to be cleansed and purified.

Paul then provides a list of good fruit in contrast:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Notice that Love is listed as the first good fruit and it is not by accident.  If we walk in Love, the other fruit will come forth as a result of Love.  This is why I continue to emphasize the need to pursue the revelation of Love.  If we walk in Love, we have fulfilled the Law thus we are not subject to it.  As we pursue walking in and being led by THE SPIRIT, we will receive a deeper understanding of Agape Love which in turn will strengthen our walk.  The old man will ultimately die and we will no longer be plagued by the desires and tendencies of the flesh.  We will be able to perceive a greater purity of our heart as never before.  With that reality, we will develop a righteous boldness to speak the Truth in Love when given the opportunity.  We will lose any timidity we once had when confronted by worldly opposition for we will have the confidence of being led by THE SPIRIT.  Let us embrace this reality of our ability to be fully led by THE SPIRIT.

Cease The Distractions

Thursday, September 20th, 2018

Luke wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 10:

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Our relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ should never lose its vitality and importance in our daily lives.  He should be our “first Love” and remain the center of attention as we go about doing.  Martha was focused on doing which caused her to worry and to be troubled about many things.  Mary, on the other hand, desired to simply be in Jesus’ presence and hear His Voice.  We can allow the distractions of doing to overtake the priority of simply being.  In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Beloved Disciple wrote what he saw and heard in THE SPIRIT in chapter 2:

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

You can be a doer of The Word and be out of communion with FATHER.  It is all about Love.  Many churches thrive on putting programs together in order to spread the Gospel but spend no time directing the people toward a deeper Love relationship with Our Lord.  They are producing a multitude of Martha’s and no Mary’s.  Jesus alerted us to hear what the Spirit is saying.  We must overcome any and all distractions that redirect our priorities away from the emphasis of Love toward Our Lord.  Look at the result of keeping our first Love as the highest priority- “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

I personally find that beginning the day in a quiet time before FATHER keeps my priorities aligned with HIS.  If I will focus on Agape Love and my adoration for Jesus who willingly giving His life for me, this first Love will remain alive and well.  Spending time in HIS presence should be our first priority.  The more time we spend in HIS presence, the greater the change in our lives.  We become like HIM as truly mature Sons and Daughters.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Love is the foundation of maturity and we must not allow distractions to chip away at this foundation.  It can happen or Jesus would not have warned the church in Ephesus.  Let us reset our priorities and make sure we keep our first Love at the top of the list.  We must cease the distractions.

Reality Check

Wednesday, September 19th, 2018

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 2:

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;

3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

— George Warnock — April 17, 2001 – wrote:

As I read and reread the seven letters to the seven churches, I cannot help but know that here in the free world at least, our Lord is calling His Church to repentance — and for the same reasons He called five of the seven churches of Asia to repentance. He even threatened He would remove the Lampstand from one church that had so much going for them .. for a reason we would hardly consider to be valid. After all they were doing good works, laboring in the work of the Lord, were patient in trial, could not tolerate those who were evil, had keen understanding to try those who claimed to have apostolic ministry, and proved them to be false, carried faithfully the burdens that God put upon them, without fainting and dropping out of the race .. Surely a church of this caliber would receive top marks from the Lord. But this is the church, to whom the Lord said He would remove their Lampstand, if they did not repent. What was their problem? They had forsaken FIRST LOVE. What will it take to cause us to know how greatly we have fallen, and to come back to the simplicity and purity of our Love for God, and for His people? I do not have the answer, but I know the Lord of the Church is the Answer, and that He walks among the Lampstands fully qualified and prepared to deal with every problem in the Church.

A few days ago I was thinking of Peter. He loved his Master, but when everything went to pieces he was suddenly frustrated, disillusioned, angry, offended — and ready to throw it all up. He even went so far as to openly deny his Master three times in a row. Then something happened that Jesus had predicted. Suddenly the cock crowed, and Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and caught his eye. That one timely look at Peter, brought him to sudden, devastating repentance .. and he went outside and wept bitterly. It was the beginning of the restoration of his faith and hope in the One who said: "Peter, I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not".

I know this is our total answer. And my hope is that this writing may be a timely cock-crowing to many who are troubled and perplexed, perhaps even disillusioned and offended with God’s people, or with their Lord. Or, just plain Laodicean — neither cold, nor hot — and not realizing our Lord requires one or the other, and cannot tolerate the mixture. Whatever our problem may be, I trust we too may be caught by the eye of Jesus as He turns, and looks at us. For I know those eyes of the bleeding Lamb will bring us to irreversible repentance, where there is no turning back, no looking back.

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
Throughout the whole earth,
To show Himself strong in the behalf of them
Whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Chron. 16:9)

Resolving The Dispute

Tuesday, September 18th, 2018

Mark wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 9:

14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.

15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.

16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.

18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

People will debate the Scriptures with us until observable fruit is produced which testifies of the power in The Word.  This was the case when the disciples could not cast out the demonic spirit afflicting the boy.  It was clear that the disciples attempted to heal the boy by casting out the spirit but failed.  This failure promoted the dispute with the multitude.  The disciples were not yet prepared to take on this spirit.

19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Belief, or unbelief, was the issue with the disciples.  There must have been doubt by what their sense knowledge was telling them.  Sense knowledge will challenge our belief in the preeminence of the Spiritual.  Consider what happened when the boy was brought before Jesus.  He immediately convulsed, fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth in order to get Jesus to consider his sense knowledge.  However, Jesus was not moved by what He saw and heard.  He knew that FATHER’S Word and Its inherent power and authority were sufficient to cast out the demon and heal the boy.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Unbelief was the issue with the disciples and Jesus gave them the solution to their problem- prayer (knowing our relationship with FATHER and the power and authority which comes with that relationship) and fasting (denying sense knowledge to have its way).  These writings are meant to move us all closer to FATHER and remove unbelief from our midst.  Belief in FATHER’S Word is meant to become first nature in us.  It should immediately rise up when confronted with adversity of any kind.  If it doesn’t , then we still have work to do in order to overcome our unbelief.  We still need to change by the cleansing and purifying of The Word.  We must focus on our communion with FATHER and HIS unfathomable Love.  When we are fully mature Sons and Daughters, we will not be moved by any spirit and we will set the captives free and heal all who are oppressed by the devil.  The disputing will cease.

Resist

Monday, September 17th, 2018

Peter wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Peter chapter 5:

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

7 casting all your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Peter clearly states the devil is still active even though he was defeated by Jesus in the wilderness and at the cross.  Though defeated, he and his demons seek to devour those who are ignorant of their rights to overcome any and all attempts to afflict them in any manner.  If evil did not exist, FATHER’S Love and goodness could not be appreciated in comparison.

James wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 4:

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Both disciples were led by THE SPIRIT to write these commands well after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ Our Lord.  We are urged to draw near and submit to FATHER so that we are equipped to actively resist the devil.  He knows that as we position ourselves close to FATHER, he has no opportunity to overcome us with any of his devices.  In both passages we are urged to draw near and humble ourselves before FATHER thus we must not let pride enter in which causes separation from FATHER.

Even when Jesus resisted the devil in the wilderness, it was not a one time permanent departure for Luke 4:13 says “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”  This is why we must remain vigilant and sober, keeping FATHER’S Word before us on a daily basis.

The word “resist” is an active verb so we are to actively keep ourselves cleansed and purified as we draw nearer and nearer to Our Heavenly Father.  The closer we are to FATHER, the less issues and greater is the peace in our lives.  Why settle for less?

There is nothing you and I are dealing with that others haven’t dealt with in the past.  As Peter reminds us “knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world.”  Neither you nor I suffer alone.  As we draw near to FATHER with cleansed and purified hearts, we will be perfected, established, strengthened, and settled thus we will be a waste of time for the adversary to afflict us.  There will no longer be an “opportune” time for him.  Now is the time to resist the devil.

Two Types Of Knowledge

Sunday, September 16th, 2018

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in John chapter 1:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The Spiritual Word created everything physical without exception.  The creativeness found in the physical world results and is derived from the Spiritual, its origin.  Therefore, the Spiritual is superior and preeminent over the physical.  Once we grasp this Truth, we can begin to understand why it is important to seek FATHER and gain understanding from HIM rather than rely on knowledge gained by the five senses.  Most people have accepted sense knowledge as their final argument when confronted with any situation thus they walk in fundamental error and some form of confusion.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 1:

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written:

​​​“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, ​​And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

​20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Now that I have lived and observed mankind for several decades, this passage is clearly seen and confirmed throughout the world.  Without FATHER and HIS Wisdom, mankind has followed a path of death and destruction thus they walk in an inferior wisdom based on their trust in sense knowledge.  This only leads to constantly changing values and beliefs and never results in anything permanent.  They like to call it evolution, but I call it foolishness.  Fear and greed rule the sense-based world because they can only observe scarcity.  In contrast, FATHER’S Kingdom is one of abundance and peace.

The greatest impediment to walking in the fullness of FATHER’S Will is unbelief in HIS Word, the Spiritual.  Our minds were trained to trust sense knowledge from a young age thus we must overcome this orientation  if we are to fully mature as Sons and Daughters.  We must place our trust and expectation in FATHER’S Word which is superior to anything derived from sense knowledge.  We must renew our minds to this Trust until it become first nature with us.  This is not something we consider on occasion but it must become a priority with us on a daily basis.  We are urged to meditate on The Word day and night therefore let us take this urging to heart.  We are going to base our lives on one of two types of knowledge: Spiritual or sensual.  That decision will determine whether we pursue life or death and it is our choice.

Five Questions

Saturday, September 15th, 2018

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 4:

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

What should be the end result of the five-fold ministry’s mandate?

How long should one remain under their teaching as “students”?

Are their ministries meant to be “perpetual”?

What should be their primary motivation toward the saints?

Who should be kept at the forefront as being preeminent?

We Are Sent

Friday, September 14th, 2018

One aspect of FATHER having me write daily it to encourage the reader to renew his or her mind.  What does that entail?  Our minds must be cleansed of past teachings of man which conflict with FATHER’S Word and Divine Intent.  Additionally, we must be enlightened in areas where we received no teaching or revelation in order to understand who we are in Christ.  A man who has been empowered but is not aware of his state will simply remain dormant and unnecessarily struggle.  Let us remove erroneous past conclusions based on our sense knowledge.

FATHER knew us before HE formed us in the womb thus we were sent at this time in history to impact the world according to HIS purpose which works in us.  No other person has your unique qualities and calling so you should not remain passive in this hurting world.  You and I have been sent for such a time as this.  Let us embrace this Truth and fulfill our walk of Love as personal representatives of Our Heavenly Father.

If we are serious about renewing our mind, reading and quoting aloud the following Scriptures will solidify our belief of being sent by FATHER just as Jesus was sent.  How appropriate that Jesus’ Words declaring He was sent by FATHER are found in nearly every chapter of the Gospel of Love, i.e., the Gospel of John.  As you read each verse below, quote it aloud and dwell on it.  This is one way to renew your mind and fully embrace the importance Jesus placed on “being sent”.  As we dwell on this Truth, we will begin to embrace the reality that we too are sent by FATHER.  We will then “know that we know” we have been sent just as our Elder Brother was sent.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in the Gospel of John:

1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

3:28  “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’

3:34  “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”

4:34  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

5:23  that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Life and Judgment Are Through the Son

5:24  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life”

5:30  I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

5:36  But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

5:37  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.

5:38  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.

6:29  Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

6:38  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

6:39  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

6:40  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

6:44  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

6:57  “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.”

7:16  Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”

7:18  “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

7:28  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.

7:29  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

8:16  “And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

8:26  “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

8:29   “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

8:42  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.”

9: 4  “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

10:36  “Do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.”

11:41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

12:44  Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”

12:49  “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

13:20  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

14:24  “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

15:21  “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

16:5  “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’”

17:1  Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

17:8  “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

17:17  Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one”

17:25  “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

20:21  So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

The FATHER of Love sends you and me into this hurting world to minister life and Love on HIS behalf.  Let us shed any reluctance to go forth in HIS Name for HE is with us.

The Big Picture

Thursday, September 13th, 2018

Every now and then, we should take a few steps back and consider the big picture.  Jesus came to minister Love to a dying world and so should we.  Isaiah wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 61:

1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, ​​Because the LORD has anointed Me

​​To preach good tidings to the poor; ​​He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

​​To proclaim liberty to the captives, ​​And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 ​​To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, ​​And the day of vengeance of our God;

​​To comfort all who mourn,

3 ​​To console those who mourn in Zion, ​​To give them beauty for ashes,

​​The oil of joy for mourning, ​​The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

​​That they may be called trees of righteousness, ​​The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Our Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Most Holy Spirit are in the restoration business, motivated by pure Love.  The mature Sons and Daughters are embracing this intent as well.  The mind would like to spend time and energy on the less important in order to divert our focus from the big picture.  Shouldn’t we look for the opportunity to minister Love on a daily basis?  Shouldn’t our focus be on acts of kindness?  Shouldn’t we seek out the opportunity to minister Love to this dying world?

Matthew wrote by THE SPIRIT in chapter 4:

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

25 Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Jesus is the ultimate example of walking out the big picture.  Each of us is uniquely qualified to minister to a specific group of hurting people, even if it is only one hurting person.  We don’t have to be amazing public speakers to minister one on one.  We simply are to express FATHER’S Love and HIS Word to those who are ready to hear some great news.

We need not be Biblical experts in order to share FATHER’S Love.  If we simply focus on the Words of Jesus, we can minister life contained in those Words.  He came not to condemn the world and all those past sinful acts, He came to redeem us and transform us into FATHER’S Kingdom.  As we spend more time focused on His ministry, we will receive greater empowerment to minister.  Our boldness will even surprise us!  Let us not forget the big picture as we go about our daily affairs.  There may be a person with whom we will cross paths today who needs our ministry.  Be ready!

The Two-Fold Mandate

Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 10:

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

Jesus imparted power and authority to the disciples went He sent them forth to minister to the lost sheep of Israel.  This particular passage contains much revelation in its simplicity.  Their message went far beyond “repent” but also included the fullness of restoration in the physical sense as well.  They were to heal the sick just as Jesus was healing the sick.  They were to cleanse the lepers and raise the dead.  Is there any record of unbelief among the disciples?  No, not at all.

Jesus also told the disciples to cast out demons.  Yes, demons existed then and they exist now.  We should not attempt to dilute Jesus’ own Words by using man’s logic and reasoning in this area of the spiritual realm.  They are legally defeated but that doesn’t mean they won’t attempt to create havoc in those who are ignorant of their devices.  We must admit that until we fully understand the spiritual realm, we must not allow ourselves to have our understanding darkened.  Throughout history, man’s logic and carnal mind have diluted The Word and made it of none effect in their lives.  Yet FATHER has always kept a remnant who have sought the deeper spiritual aspects of HIM and HIS Love resulting in the revelations contained in the Word to remain alive and effective on earth.

“Freely you have received, freely give” was a command to not monetize the power and authority given to them.  I suspect that there will be a notable level of judgment experienced by the various ministries of this generation in this regard.  The disciples were not to coerce the people for money.  However, Jesus knew that those receiving the blessings from the disciples would be quick to support them.

Those who rejected the Gospel because of their unbelief would be subject to a correction tied to the fiery Word in a later restoration.  The same is true today.  In Luke chapter 9:6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Jesus made it clear that salvation and healing go hand in hand.  Most ministries of today no longer have this understanding and so they only focus on preaching salvation and exclude the healing of the body.  They have separated this two-fold aspect of the cross at the expense of those who are in need of healing.  Let us press in and allow this part of the cross to become alive and first nature within us as we minister life to those around us.  For some of us, there is much to “unlearn” and remove from our consciousness.  Let us not dilute the Words of Jesus simply because we have been taught an incomplete Gospel in the past.