June 26, 2010 Rated R for Spiritual Warfare

I wouldn't want to see today's passages from Kings on the big screen!  Rated R for violence!!  Even with just a mental picture, it's hard to forget the gruesome end of Jezebel.  If you think God hates evil any less than He did back then, you're wrong.  We're still in a war against wickedness-- it just looks different right now, unless you're seeing with spiritual eyes.  I'm reminded of one of Jesus' parables, and a line quoted from it: "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-- bring them here and kill them in front of me." Luke 19:27  By the time you get to the end of the Bible, your understanding of Jesus will have expanded.

Make no mistake: we still are to be grieved over evil!  "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols." Acts 17:16  And remember how he felt about the girl with the spirit of divination who was following them around?  He was irritated.  Did he kill the girl?  Of course not!  He cast the evil spirit out instead.  He knew the demon's time was coming.  God's purposes at present are to deliver all (who are willing to be delivered) from the grips of evil.  We are in the Age of Grace, and we have a different approach: mercy.  

Paul taught in one of his letters: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2  He demonstrated this in his address to the Athenians.  He talked with them, even though they had darkened minds and called him a babbler!  "Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there." Acts 17:17 NKJV  People were won to Christ through his discussions, but also he was persecuted.  It really does take longsuffering (patience).

Sometimes we forget how merciful God's ways are with us.  We get tired of hearing correction.  I'm happy to take my Father's chastening over having His fire break out against me!  I am thankful beyond words to Christ for taking my punishment-- my deserved gruesome death-- and extending God's heart of grace and mercy.  That IS God's heart, you know!  Why else did Christ die?  God's still killing off evil in me though, and in all of His Church.  The more we "reckon ourselves dead to sin" through the cross, the easier it is on us.  (see Romans 6-- this is deep and important doctrine here, and if you need help with it, please go to your pastor.)

A lot of "hellfire and brimstone" preaching has turned us off, perhaps because it was done without love.  We are to speak the truth in LOVE.  Is it truly love not to warn people that evil will finally be destroyed?  How can we truly preach the cross of salvation if we don't let people know that God hates evil!  The "world" is trying to make tolerant wimps out of all of us, trying to make us afraid of telling the truth (politically correct "tolerance" is not the same thing as God's grace and mercy!).

We are becoming, as a culture, much too concerned with our safety!  This alarms me!  If we are not willing to share the true Gospel of the Kingdom-- of the coming Righteous King and of salvation from evil, sin and death through Jesus Christ alone--because we're afraid of the "consequences," (we should be much more afraid of what God thinks) then we have already come under the influence of a Jezebel spirit (which is an anti-christ spirit).  And the future of that demonic spirit is parallel to the doom of said queen.

Today, the spiritual war is just as gruesome and bloody as it was in the Old Testament days.  I've personally witnessed what happens when a human being, given over to a Jezebel spirit, gets into a Christian assembly (church) and tries to take over.  It's ugly.  You want to get the person free if you can, but you have to get rid of the demonic infiltration.  You have to protect the sheep.  The warfare is difficult, painful and dangerous.  But Jesus Christ has already won!  Victory is assured (if we'll actually fight)! 

"The Kingdom of Christ" is the greatest epic ever!  [speaking figuratively here] I dare you to watch the Special Features and see what's happening "behind the scenes"!  I guarantee you'll take "wearing your armor" a lot more seriously.  But you will begin to realize how great it is to serve the King-- and you will never be a wimpy Christian again.

I pray that the spiritual eyes of the whole Body of Christ will be opened, and that we will seek Him for His strength and courage to do His will.  The eternal destiny of this generation is at stake.  Are we willing to lay down our lives for them?

June 24, 2010 Facing Up

Do you ever wonder why the Scriptures are so full of supernatural happenings, and yet our lives (most of them anyway) are so NOT?  I do!  Maybe having an ordinary life is all you want, so I guess if that's what you have, you should keep up doing what you're doing to have it that way.  But me, I'm not satisfied with ordinary.  I don't see anywhere in Scripture, either in the Old or New Testaments, where life with God is ordinary.  It seems that anywhere He is, there is something going on that is out-of-this-world!

When I read accounts of people in the Bible having supernatural interactions with God (and doesn't that seem to be a regular thing in our readings?) a growing hunger arises in my spirit for the things of heaven, and I wonder why my life seems so earthbound.  While I've been "on vacation," the Lord's been speaking to me about why I'm not experiencing as much of Him as I'd like, or even as much as I used to.  I have been getting too much earthly input, and not enough heavenly!  Realizing this, I decided to watch some videos from ministries I trust.  All the messages I heard seemed to say the same thing (and one of them even quoted today's passage from Kings!): we should be having greater revelation and prophetic experiences than ever, and we are going to need them; and that if we want to see heaven, then heaven is what we should put before our eyes.  I'm being reminded of what I knew before: whatever we focus on is what we eventually experience.

I had an inkling that Proverbs 17:24* was related to this, and when I ventured to look it up in the Hebrew, I was amazed at how much is missing in translation!  I'm not going to go into a long explanation, so you'll just have to look it up for yourself.  But this is the message that jumped out at me: If you face heaven, then you'll see heaven and you'll gain wisdom and understanding; but if you face earth, then all you'll see is earthly things, and you'll end up a fool. 

That seems pretty simple and straightforward, doesn't it?  Basically, we choose our experience of life by where we place our focus.  Admittedly, it's easy to get our focus off onto meaningless and temporary things, or even "earth-shattering" events.  But if we want to live the life Christ intended for us, we need to get our focus on Him and on His Kingdom.  I am making the needed adjustments.  You?



*"Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17: 24-25 NKJV

June 1, 2010 How to Light Up the King's Face

"In the light of the king’s face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain." Proverbs 16:15  The promises in this proverb are great, and they induce me to want to "light up the king's face."  So, how to do this??  I want God's life and favor.  I'm getting a picture of the glory cloud in the day of the latter rain!  I think I would like to walk in His glorious presence in this time.  Don't you?

Jesus' response to Thomas, after His resurrection, gives us a wonderful clue as to how to excel in pleasing Him: Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20: 29  When we believe His Word, even when it comes through others, we please Him.  He can work through faith.  Jesus didn't condemn Thomas for needing to have proof, He just indicated that he wasn't going to be as blessed as those who believed without seeing. 

The Apostle John was one of the disciples who believed Jesus had risen without first seeing Him in the body.  Later on in his life, he was given heavenly visions that showed Christ in His kingly glory, as well as many things about the future.  This is a kind of blessing that I would like to receive!  When we only believe what we see with our eyes, we certainly limit our spiritual vision.

When we love Jesus enough to obey Him, this is when our faith can work  (Gal. 5:6).  We don't get proofs of His Word, most of the time, until after we have carried out His Word.  We just have to obey.  If our faith doesn't operate without signs or proofs, then our love is small and we will end up being  disobedient.  This, of course, is a way to NOT please the Lord, and then we don't have the flow of favor we are hoping for.

I realize that some of what I'm saying here could be taken as if God shows favoritism: but giving favor and practicing favoritism is not the same thing.  God doesn't have "favorite children."  He gives reward and disciplines us depending on what we need at any given time.  Really, His discipline is favor, it just doesn't feel like it at the time it's happening.  All His children have His favor (and this means His "born-again" children, not just His human creation).  He still blesses everyone with His overflowing goodness, even unbelievers-- "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good." (Matthew 5:45)

Here's a verse that makes it clear that there is a way to "light up the king's face": "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." Hebrews 11:6  There's reward!  Who doesn't like reward?

In order to diligently seek the Lord, we have to believe there is more than what we can see, and that God is desiring to give it.  "Seeking" is looking for something we haven't found yet.  If I were "seeking employment" or "seeking a soulmate," that means I believe there is a job out there that I could do, or a person with whom I could  happily spend my life.  I don't seek for things I don't believe exist.

The more I know God, the more I seek for Him, because He keeps telling me about things I haven't seen yet, things that are in Him.  When I believe His Word-- whether I read it in the Bible, I hear it in a sermon, or the Holy Spirit whispers it in my heart-- I begin to "ask, seek and knock" for the thing I heard about.  This is when I can receive.  This is when I am blessed with that favor that was waiting right there in heaven with Christ.

The disciples were wonderfully blessed by having the opportunity to walk around with Jesus, see His miracles, and hear God's Word straight from His mouth.  But we are even more blessed!  Why? Since we don't have evidence of constant "seeing" and "touching," we have a greater opportunity to believe by pure faith (which is itself the "evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1).  Therefore, WE have the opportunity to "light up the king's face" with our faith in Him and His Word.  This opens the door to greater blessings and favor than you or I can even imagine.   

May 17, 2010 Seeing the King

I've long known that David was a fore-shadowing of the Kingship of Christ.  Today, the Lord pointed out a parallel in the Scriptures that I have never noticed before.  The Old and New Testaments both concur that there are two reactions to the revelation of the true King.  It seems when you are confronted with the King, you either love him or hate him.

From all that I have read about them, I have come to the conclusion that David and Jesus were both totally lovable.  Not in a "popularity contest" sort of way, but winsome because they were righteous, powerful, wise and serving.  Really, it was only the proud and envious leaders that hated them and stirred people up against them.  David was celebrated in Israel from the start, but Saul was fearful of him taking the throne from himself and his son Jonathan.  He "saw" the true king, but refused to see what he saw.  He tried to kill him instead.  It's easy to see the parallels in Jesus' life.

The Pharisees "saw" Jesus and His Kingship but willfully refused to see what they saw.  After Jesus gave the blind beggar his sight, He said:
“Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains." John 9: 35-41 NKJV

The beggar couldn't see at first, physically or spiritually, but when confronted with the King, he saw, believed what he saw, and worshipped Him.  I believe the Pharisees, like Saul, could see Who Jesus was, but refused to believe what they saw, out of fear, pride and envy.  They refused to acknowledge God.  The Pharisees' and Saul's iniquity caused them to see their savior as an evil usurper rather than the rightful King.  Once confronted with the Light, rebellious, selfish darkness will try to extinguish it.

Jonathan "saw" the kingship in David, and covenanted with him in loyal friendship.  He did not try to fight for his own "rights".  It says Jonathan loved him as his own soul.   This is the kind of love Christians should have for one another, because we see the King.  We don't worship each other, but we worship the King in one another, and we give one another the loyalty, love and honor that are due the children and vessels of the King. 

How we respond to one another really reveals our heart toward God.  If we allow ourselves to be blinded by heart-sin (iniquity), we will throw spears at our brothers and sisters (probably not actually, but verbally).  We are actually throwing them at the Lord.  If, and when, we find ourselves on the receiving end of this kind of blindness, the Holy Spirit will come along side us and defend us, as Jonathan defended David.  If we love the King, we will honor His brothers and sisters, even to the point of risking our own lives.

David escaped from the presence of the earthly king, but returned in power.  The beggar was sent out, first by Jesus to wash his eyes (he probably had to get out of the presence of the rabid unbelief in order to be able to receive his sight), and then he was expelled from the congregation by the leaders.  Perhaps he was a great witness for the Lord "outside the camp."  David's followers were "outlaws" for many years.  We too, have to follow the Lord and bear His reproach "outside the camp." (Hebrews 13:13)

If we get rejected by people-- whether our natural family, self-righteous leaders, or a particular group-- be assured that righteousness will eventually be vindicated.  Jesus was sent out of this world (by His own choice of course: He laid down His life), rejected by His own.  But He will be returning in power to claim His throne in the glory of the Father.  I wouldn't want to be one of His enemies!!  (read Revelation 19).  But His reward will be with Him for His loyal, faithful servants!

May 11, 2010 How God Deals With Rejection

There's not a lot you can do when people decide to reject God.  If He doesn't force them to accept Him, then how can we presume to do so?  In today's passages, we have two examples of people rejecting God, and how He responded to them.  Since we humans get rejected now and again, I'd say we could learn something from His example.

The people of Israel wanted a king so they could be like all the other nations (I think this indicates they were a little out-of-sync with God, as He wanted them to be different from all the other nations).  Samuel got instructions from the Lord as to what to do about this (he's one of my Bible heroes: he was so accurate in hearing, seeing and speaking God's word!), and the Lord led him to the king who was to be anointed.  Now, taking into consideration that the people got what they wanted, this is what Samuel said to them:  "But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.” 1 Samuel 10:19  This says to me right away that just because we may have gotten what we asked for doesn't mean that God was pleased with us! 

God wanted to be Israel's king Himself, and how could they have had a better one?  Even though their rejection of Him was "covert" (not direct), He identified their true condition as rejecting of Him, and He expressed His displeasure to them.  Nevertheless, I believe God's heart was to bless the people on whatever level they could accept, so He provided them a king to lead them and deliver them from their enemies.  God did not abandon them.  He even gave Saul the experience of being "possessed by God's Spirit" so that he had enough knowledge to call upon God to be empowered.  Apparently he did so, at least at first.

Now, what did Jesus do when He was rejected?  Again, people were often covert in their rejection of Him, yet He always knew what was in their hearts, and He gave them many chances to change their minds.  And again, most of the people were only looking to have their physical needs met and weren't looking at things from a heavenly (spiritual) perspective.  They wanted Jesus to give them more bread, even demanding that He prove Himself with a miracle of giving them heavenly manna.  He told them that He Himself was the "bread from heaven" that would give them eternal life, but the people got offended with Him and stopped following Him.  Jesus didn't do the rejecting, but He didn't let Himself be manipulated either.  He just told the truth and let the people make a choice.

Jesus didn't reject the people back-- He kept going to their towns preaching, teaching and healing until it was His time to lay down His life for them.  He didn't go around flailing them with "bitter diatribes", although I'm sure Jesus was grieved.  He also didn't fire Judas from being a disciple: but He did confront Him with His inward rejection.  I'm sure Judas had many chances to repent before he gave in to Satan and betrayed Jesus.  But Jesus was no dupe; He knew about it all the time.

You wonder how people can reject a God so great and glorious as He is.  How can people reject Jesus Christ who offers us forgiveness, salvation on all levels, and eternal life!?  Many reject Him outright, and many more reject Him covertly.  As a nation, it seems we have rejected God's rule over us and demanded a king.  How will that turn out, I wonder?  Most seem to reject the Lord Jesus for who He actually is and what He actually said, choosing rather to believe in a Jesus and a Christianity that they have made up themselves to suit their own preferences.   And yet, God still loves them and blesses them as much as they will allow.  This is our example of how to treat people who reject us.  Confront first, as you see God and Jesus did in both examples; do not reject back.  However, the intimacy and "top shelf" blessings are reserved for those who accept Him wholeheartedly.

How often do we do covertly reject God, and maybe don't even realize it?  I am going to ask Him if I'm doing that in any way.  I hope not, but if I am, I know He will be faithful to show me and offer me forgiveness and restoration.  Read the Psalm!  God responds to us when we repent and call out to Him.  Over and over.

April 22, 2010

The Scriptures in which Jesus talks about the end times are, to me, some of the most important ones we can study, and hear His voice in, for NOW.  He tells us these things not to frighten us, but to prepare us and comfort us.  All these "dreadful portents" are indications that the Kingdom of Heaven is soon to be Christ's reign on Earth!  How could these things be our doom?  They are only foreboding to those who reject Christ, and to the rebellious kingdoms of the earth.  If we endure, we very well could be among the generation to see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" ! 

Jesus made it clear that these terrible signs and events should give us a sense of expectation, not the fear and confusion that would be characteristic of the nations of the earth.  "Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28  Our response should be to get ready and be watchful-- keeping our eyes on heavenly things and our focus on Jesus Christ.  It is time to renew our commitment to serving the Lord, putting aside all the idols that distract us and take our attention away from Him.  It is time to lay down all the things in the past that keep us focused on ourselves and that hinder us by causing us to have a victim mentality.  

It is time to rise up and show the world that there is an unshakeable Kingdom, with a glorious King who reigns with love and wisdom, and to call people into it. We are in this Kingdom already, because we are in Christ who is the King.  We will have righteousness, peace and joy if we will actually live in the Kingdom we are part of.  We are, in truth, high above all that is happening on this earth.

I believe we have physicalized the concept of the "Rapture" because we took the things in Scripture and interpreted them the only way we knew how, naturally.  But if we can see things according to the Spirit, we will realize that we are ALREADY "seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus".  "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2: 4-7

Oh, how the Spirit of the Lord is singing over us right now, desiring with fervor for us to get a hold of this REALITY!

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" Colossians 1:13 KJV

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" NKJV

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" NIV

"For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son" NLT

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son" ESV

"el cual nos ha librado de la potestad de las tinieblas, y trasladado al reino de su amado Hijo" RVR

"He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son" RSV

"who did rescue us out of the authority of the darkness, and did translate us into the reign of the Son of His love" ASV


"who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love" HNV

It has already been done!  Can you hear the music?  Will you sing it with Him?

P.S.
The sudden switch of tone and perspective in the second half of Psalm 89 reminds me of the way we think and feel when we do not realize what God has already accomplished in Christ, for us. 

P.P.S  PLEASE READ THIS!
So you don't get the wrong idea from what I'm saying:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-2

Jesus is still returning in person to reign on Earth, and we will reign with Him!

I suggest reading this chapter, as well as chapter 1. Paul is encouraging the brethren who are enduring persecutions and tribulations. Jesus said we would have these things, and that is why we must endure. But our endurance and patient perseverance is going to be dictated by our internal outlook and perspective.

"that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. . . when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. " 2 Thessalonians 1: 5a-7,10

February 1, 2010

God, give us the eyes to see the glory cloud that goes before us and sometimes becomes our rear-guard. We have nothing to fear, and everything to praise God for. He magnificently delivers us!

From yesterday's reading: "Lord, let our eyes be opened." Matthew 20:33