Posts Tagged ‘grace’

Excerpt Chapter 4 Out of the Darkness

Posted: January 4, 2015 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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Chapter 4

My Father as a Rolling Stone: God’s Purpose in Salvation

 

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
– Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you
to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
– Ezekiel 36:26–27

 

 

In chapter 3, we talked about God’s plan of salvation. Redemption is a divine act by God to deliver the soul of man from sin, death, and Satan. Salvation is God’s divine plan of love, expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from remaining eternally separated from God, condemned to spend eternity in hell. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s command and ate the fruit from the tree in the garden of Eden, sin entered into the world, for Satan had deceived man to disobey God.

            According to 1 John 3:4–5, sin is lawlessness, and it was for this reason that Jesus came into the world. “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”

In Romans 5:12–19, the scriptures explain the origin of sin, sin’s effects from the beginning of time to today, and the relevance of Adam’s life in comparison and contrast to the life of Jesus.

‘Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ (Romans 5:12–19 NIV)

            As an educator, I often use the illustration of a boulder, a steep hill, and a little village in a valley to explain to my students what can be the result of their poor choices and actions in the course of a school day and how they relate to life in general. “Imagine being at the top of a steep hill,” I say to them. “Standing before you is a huge boulder, and off to the side is a sign that says, ‘Danger! Please do not push!’ Intrigued by the sign and curious about the unknown danger surrounding this rock, you want to investigate. What possible danger could there be in pushing the boulder? you wonder, and the idea of pushing the boulder becomes even more enticing. You choose to push it. It is only after you have set the stone in motion and watched it disappear from view that you look beyond the steep hill where you stand. You notice a little village in the valley below, directly in the path of the boulder you just pushed over.

          “Immediately you are gripped with horror, anxiety, and guilt for the actions that you now recognize as foolish. You ignored the sign, not realizing the significance of your action until it was too late. As your heart pounds and races, the boulder momentarily appears to be moving in slow motion. You think about what you could do to change the outcome of your actions. I could run ahead of the boulder and try to stop it! Before you can even finish this thought, you realize how impossible it would be, and how foolish it sounds. You then think to yourself, I could outrun the boulder to warn everyone in the village below about the devastation that is fast approaching! You inevitably realize that nothing can be done to stop the boulder from rolling until it comes to a place of rest. The village in the valley is now destined to experience and suffer the consequences of your decision to push the boulder. You watch in agony, guilt, and shame, as you see the devastation and destruction left behind by your actions.”

This is a simple story with a simple message. We must accept the responsibility and the consequences that come with making poor choices. We should learn from our mistakes and recognize when our actions or behavior injure others, ready to be accountable and to make amends for the harm caused to others. Oh, and it may not hurt to heed the warning signs around us. This may be a simple story, but how many of us have ignored obvious warning signs, choosing destructive behavior and actions that have devastated the lives of others, including our own?

            My father made a choice to abandon his family and divorce my mother, leaving in his wake a family that was fractured, displaced, and devastated by the rolling stone that bowled us over. Poppa was truly a rolling stone! To this day, I would not be able to identify my father if he stood right in front of me. His actions and his absence, however, left an impression that our family felt for years after his departure.

            In the same way, Adam made a choice to disobey God, and the effects of his action have been felt for centuries down through the generations until today. Like Adam’s choice, my father’s actions became a curse that affected my mother and his children. Thank God for Jesus Christ! We do not have to languish forever and live our lives under the curse of Adam and the sins of our fathers. God’s purpose for salvation was to destroy the curse of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and to restore our lives from the devastation and destruction caused by the effects of sin that bowl us over like a rolling stone.

            Jesus Christ is God’s divine act of love to redeem man’s fallen nature and to save his soul from death and destruction. This redemption restores man to a right relationship that allows him to enjoy fellowship with God. After Adam committed the sin of eating the fruit from the tree, God began to demonstrate His love, concern, compassion, and justice for man’s fallen state.

              Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:7–11, 21 NIV)

            Do you see how God responded to Adam and Eve? Notice how He came to them in the garden after Adam expressed his fears to God and acknowledged his attempt to try to hide from God because of his nakedness. Do you see that God did not condemn them for what they had done? Did you notice that God did not chastise them for the obvious wrong they had committed? Instead, God responded with mercy, kindness, and grace. God made garments of skin, and He himself clothed them. God initiated an act of redemption by providing them with a covering to cover their nakedness, their shame, and their guilt. God provided Adam and Eve comfort, reassurance of His love, and care for them. He dealt with their immediate need, even though they had committed a sin. Although there were immediate and eternal consequences for their actions (Genesis 3:16–19), God provided an immediate and eternal solution to overcome Satan’s destructive influence and power.

            “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NIV).

            The plan of salvation is God’s promise to redeem the fallen nature of man. God’s purpose in salvation is to restore man to God’s original likeness and image. He does this through the power of His love, His Son, and His Spirit at work in the hearts and minds of everyone who sincerely believes in what Christ accomplished on the cross.

            “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26a–27 NIV). Every man in existence is created in the likeness of the Creator of heaven and earth. Every man has a spirit and a soul, which is housed in his physical body.

            “The Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7 KJV). “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4 NIV).

God is a Spirit, and He has a soul as well. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38a, emphasis added). “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38 NIV, emphasis added).

The soul of God and man is made up of the mind (intellect), the heart (emotions), and the will (ability to choose). Collectively, these make up our human nature. With the freedom she had been given, Eve was influenced by Satan and chose to disobey God. At first, Adam chose to obey God by ignoring the tree, but he was later influenced and chose to disobey God by taking the fruit from Eve. Since Eve came from Adam, and every man has come from them, we are all born with the capacity to choose the opposite of what God desires for us. Sin distorts the image and likeness of God in man. This is what is referred to as the sinful nature. What we call human nature, the ability and freedom to choose, is also condemned and regarded as the sinful nature. When man’s choices are in rebellion against God’s intentions for man, or they contradict His word, God regards these choices as sinful.

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5 NIV).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).

            “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21).

            It was never God’s intention for man to choose the opposite of what He desired for man. Rather, he desires that men choose Him over the influence of evil and Satan. We can only be tempted and influenced by the devil through the desires that are within us, so when we are tempted, God wants us to turn to Him instead of giving in to our temptation. God knew beforehand that man’s fallen nature would make it impossible for us to follow through with the choice to live for Him. This is why He provided Jesus Christ. Even in the beginning, in the garden, God saw our need for His divine help and provided us with an eternal solution for an eternal problem. Since the beginning of time, it has been God’s plan and desire to restore man to His own image and likeness.

By the power of God, Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we may experience God’s love in redemption. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Spirit takes residence and lives within us to restore our souls and transform us back into the original image and likeness of our Creator. God’s word is the source of power that provides the knowledge and inspiration that moves us to respond to God and allows Him to work in and through us to accomplish this great work.

Out of the Darkness: A Journey into the Marvelous Light is available now on-line to purchase today! Use the link on my blogroll to Tate Publishing on-line bookstore, or amazon.com! You can purchase an autographed copy by contacting me directly authorcjones@yahoo.com

OutOfTheDarkness

FAITH SAYS, ‘GOD CAN DO IT!’

Posted: February 23, 2013 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

– John 11:22 NIV

It’s one thing to believe that God is able. It’s another thing altogether to believe God is able after time has passed, He has yet to respond and things have gotten worse! This is the predicament Martha and Mary found themselves in and countless others have encountered in their personal faith walk with God that challenges all of us who believe in Jesus Christ to remain faithful, hopeful and prayerful despite the reality of the current condition of our circumstances. Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that their brother, whom they acknowledged that Jesus loved, was sick and they wanted Him to come and respond to their request (prayer) for help.

How difficult it is to hear, understand and believe that the One who loves me would allow time to pass and permit my circumstances to worsen without responding to my plea for help and assistance. When life opposes faith, it becomes even more difficult to endure and persevere when I have to wrestle with my thoughts and feelings about God’s love and His concern for me. I believe this is exactly what happened to Mary when Jesus arrived on the scene after delaying His response to her request to come and see about her, her sister and their brother. Mary knew Lazarus was someone Jesus loved. Surely, Jesus would respond. I am certain Martha and Mary heard the testimony about the Roman centurion who acknowledged that Jesus did not even need to come to his home, but just speak healing and because of His authority and power, Jesus would make his servant whole and well. Yet, after 3 days, Lazarus died and Jesus never came to see about him in response to Mary and Martha’s request. When Jesus did arrive, 4 days later, Mary didn’t come to meet Jesus as Martha did initially.

When she did go out to meet Jesus, after Jesus called for her, you can hear and feel the disappointment, discouragement, grief and pain in Mary’s words when she spoke to Jesus. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:32b NIV The bible describes this scene by adding that Mary fell at Jesus’ feet. I interpret that as Mary being overcome with grief over Lazarus’ death and the great feeling of disappointment that Jesus did not respond when she called for Him to come. The irony of this dialogue between Mary and Jesus is that Martha started her conversation with Jesus the same way, but she added what she believed in spite of the condition of the reality of her current plight! “‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'” – 11:21-22 NIV Faith challenges us to believe God is able in every and all circumstances to bring life from death and make things better and new!

May God bless you and help you to believe beyond how you feel despite the reality of your current plight so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

BELIEVE ANYHOW

Posted: January 30, 2013 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”

– Job 42:2 NIV

Since the beginning of 2013 I have encountered this verse in a variety ways. Whether it was through the process of my private devotion time, through the devotional Our Daily Bread, or through a sermon, Job 42:2 has been a consistent source of encouragement and inspiration as 2012 transitioned into 2013. When I initially read it, what resonated within me was the reminder that what God has proclaimed in His word and whispered to me in my heart about what His plans are for me will not be deterred from becoming a reality!

When I take a moment to consider the source from which this passage was declared, I am reminded that Job was staring misfortune, injustice and grief in the face having lost all he possessed and was currently riddled with sores from head to toe. Somehow, despite the reality of his circumstances demanding of him to give up hope and give up on believing in God for something better; somewhere within him, deep within his soul, Job had the audacity to express his belief in God to do something on his behalf!

God has a plan of restoration, healing, renewal and deliverance for those who still hold out believing in His promise to do what He proclaims in His word. God’s plans are to make things new, better, whole and well! Despite what the reality of my circumstances may say, what the current condition of the challenges I face may declare, I must believe anyhow! Faith begins when things look bleak, when times are difficult and I am in the deepest darkness of my midnight hour! I was also reminded in the time I reflected on this verse from the book of Job that Job had no idea God had determined to give him double for all that he had endured and persevered through! God wants to reward those who are willing to remain confident in Him and continue to do His will!

May God bless you and help you to continue to do His will and remain confident He will keep His promise so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

EMBRACE GOD’S PROMISES

Posted: December 28, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'”

– Genesis 12:1-3 NIV

At the beginning of the 2012 calendar year, I listened to a sermon preached on TBN with the title Excel in 2012. It resonated with me and I encouraged my sister and mother to embrace it as the new theme for our ongoing bible study (5 years running). Our theme became Excel in 2012 and Beyond! As the 2012 year comes to a close, I rejoice in knowing God has exceeded our expectations and extended us beyond ourselves to experience change in real, relevant ways that confirm for us God’s person, presence and power at work in us and through us for His glory! Though it was not always easy, the journey has been well worth the encounter!

Before Abram could experience the fulfillment of the promise God spoke to him in Genesis 12, Abram had to embrace and accept the commandment for change God required. Abram had to be willing to leave a place of familiarity and comfort in order to experience the fullness of blessing God had in store for him. Faith requires change and a transition from something old into something new. Change requires a transition, or paradigm shift, from the way things were to the way things God intends in order to encounter fulfillment, success and prosperity.

God wants to make us new and experience a new life that includes an intimate personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Careful inspection of the promise God speaks to Abram reveals that what God intends to do for us is not intended to be solely beneficial exclusively to the recipient of the promise, but also to everyone who comes into contact with the recipient. The world becomes a better place for the one who embraces and accepts what God requires in association with the promise of being a follower of Christ.

May God bless you and help you to embrace and accept His promises so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE POWER FOR CHANGE

Posted: December 15, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“If my people, who are called by my name, will 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. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

– 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 NIV

The power for change begins when I am willing to embrace enacting the principles required in association with the promise. For Abraham, it began by being willing to follow God’s word by leaving his family and place of comfort for a better place God had planned for him, but Abraham did not know where he was going. In the same way, change in our circumstances begins when we are willing to operate within the divine plan of God to do what He requires in order to experience the fulfillment of His promises.

God promised Solomon that His eyes and ears would be open and attentive to the prayers offered by His people and His heart would always be with them in the book of 2 Chronicles, but God proclaimed a requirement by which His people’s prayers would be answered. God promises to always listen, but if our desire is for Him to respond to our prayers, to experience the power for change in our circumstances, we must apply the principles associated with the promise.

Healing, restoration, revival, and change begins with emulating the posture of a sincere seeker. The posture of a sincere seeker is fueled by their faith in the One who promises power for change for the one who comes believing He can and will act on their behalf. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah and Lott’s life was spared. God may not act in the way or time we desire, but it does not mean that God is not listening and will not act. Through faith in Christ, we are God’s temple, and God promised that the temple He chose and consecrated for His name to be there forever, His eyes and heart will always be there too! (see 2 Chronicles 7:16) Continue to believe and pray to experience God’s power for change!

May God help you and bless you to continue to believe and pray to experience His promises and encounter His power for change and the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE PROMISE

Posted: December 1, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.'”

– Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV

The significance of this promise and proclamation written in the book of Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of God by the prophet Jeremiah is the timing of when the message was preached. God explained to Moses way back in the book of Exodus that the rebellious acts of the children of Israel would bring certain calamity when they entered the Promised Land and the result of their rebellion would be being driven out of the very place God promised He would give to them.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11-14 is proclaimed to the Israelites while they are in the very place God said they would be for rebelling against Him while they lived in the place of promise He brought them to when He led them out of bondage from Egypt. It is a message of comfort, encouragement and hope and it is as relevant today as it was proclaimed back then. It is also a reminder of how great, powerful and faithful God is to care for those He loves, even when we fall short, turn away and go our own way. God promises to restore, deliver and bless those who turn their hearts towards Him, no matter how long its been since they’ve followed sincerely, or how great the distance in their intimacy with Him.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The proclamation of this promise also challenges the believer to turn to God and trust Him believing in His great promise of deliverance and restoration! In the face of injustice, misfortune and grief God wants us to capture His promise believing He is holy, faithful and trustworthy to bring us out of a place of darkness, despair and defeat into the miraculous wonder of His light, love and abundance! Take hold of God’s promise to deliver and restore so you can transcend your circumstances and live victoriously regardless of your circumstances!

May God bless you and help you to capture His promises in your heart so you may come to Him, call upon His name and watch Him perform the miraculous work of deliverance and restoration in and through you to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE PROMISE & THE POWER FOR CHANGE

Posted: November 24, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

– Ephesians 3:20a NIV

The simplistic message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s promise of power for change in the life of the one who believes, accepts and embraces Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Faith in Christ positions me, with a posture of humility, to allow God to accomplish what He promises in His word, in and through me, to authenticate the truth of His existence and the validity of His word. My personal encounter with God, through the application of my faith in obedience to His word, inspires within me a desire to make known to others what has been revealed to me!

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” – John 14:21 NIV God desires to reveal, manifest and make Himself known to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as their Lord and Savior. Experiencing the promise of power for change begins by acknowledging the means by which God chooses to reveal His power for change through the life of His Son Jesus Christ. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” – Romans 10-9-10 NIV

Experiencing the promise of the power for change, no matter how grave my circumstances, begins with taking God at His word, believing His word is true, and then applying the principles of what His word teaches, obeying His word, so that you may receive power for change. God’s power is His word and the presence of His Holy Spirit at work in the one who believes. The immeasurably more God promises begins when we allow His power to work within us!

May God bless you and help you to experience His power at work within you to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

ABIDING AFFECTS CHANGE IN, THROUGH & AROUND ME

Posted: November 3, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. Under his direction the altar of the Baals were torn down.”

– 2 Chronicles 34:3b-4a NIV

As I sincerely seek to pursue Christ, in my faith walk with God, and adhere to God’s counsel by applying the principles and teachings of Christ, the direct result is spiritual transformation, change and fulfillment. With all that I can receive from being in this world, one thing the world cannot give me is a growing relationship with God the Father, through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. In all of my pursuits, ambitions and aspirations, where is becoming more like Christ in how I think, act, speak and live on my list of priorities? In all of my effort to obtain knowledge to achieve success, is the Bible part of my daily ritual/routine in learning strategies of success to incorporate in my various roles and responsibilities?

According to scripture, 4 years into his personal, intimate pursuit of God led Josiah to affect positive change in the world around him in his role as king. By the authority and anointing of God at work in him and through him, Josiah was effective and productive in his knowledge of God that allowed him to influence others to live in a way that would give God glory! Christ proclaimed that those who believe are the light of the world and the salt of the earth in Matthew’s gospel. God declared in 2 Chronicles 7 that healing of the land would be the result of the humility of His people to repent and pray. The President of the United States of America does not have the authority, power and influence God has, and regardless of who is president, there are certain changes that will never occur until God’s people apply His principles of abiding.

The Christian was given direct authority by God to have the impact in this world due to the nature of our intimate, personal relationship we share with Him through faith in Christ. When I stand before the Father, to be judged for what I did with what He provided me, and He asks me what I did with the power of prayer, will my response be, “I prayed for you to give me a house, car, mate and money.’ Will I say something like this, ‘I prayed for you to help the homeless and uproot the President.’ In the time I have journeyed with God, have I sought to be the change I wanted to see and allowed God to anoint me with His power and authority to affect change as change is wrought in me? Begin with prayer and be the change you want to see in the world around you!

May God bless you and help you to abide in Him and allow His words to abide in you so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for you to have that affects change in you and the world around you.

ABIDING STIMULATES INCREASE

Posted: October 20, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

– 2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV

The challenge of sincerely seeking to live the Christian lifestyle is remaining tempered and balanced in understanding the true meaning of fulfillment and prosperity from the perspective of scripture in contrast to the world’s perspective. God told the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16) that man looks on the outward appearance, but He looks at the heart. Most often, then, success (fulfillment) and prosperity, from the world’s perspective, is usually measured by position, power, prestige, wealth, property, possessions, etc.

If God looks at the heart of a man, fulfillment and prosperity may very well begin with measuring the progress one makes in becoming more like God, in conduct, actions and speech that reflects the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. Jesus reiterated this concept through His teaching of the vine and the branches to His disciples in the gospel of John 15. We see this concept illustrated another way in 2 Peter, written by one of Christ’s disciples, Peter. Verse 5 of 2 Peter 1 begins with a statement (For this very reason) that supports the imperative of the information preceding verse 5. “Through these (God’s divine power of  His glory and goodness mentioned in verse 3) he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” – 2 Peter 1:4 NIV

Because of God’s divine power (glory and goodness), the provision of His word (great and precious promises) and Holy Spirit (divine nature), it is for this reason we should add to our faith, in increasing measure, the qualities Peter outlines in verses 5-8 of 2 Peter. Meaning, what impresses God more: a) an abundance of material possessions, wealth and worldly acclaim that He permitted, or b) a person who allows the fullness of the Deity to work in and through them for His glory that helps them to experience the fulfillment of being an image bearer? “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4 NIV

May God bless you and help you to abide in His word and participate in His divine nature to be effective and productive in your knowledge of Christ and experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

 

A SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTER BEGINS WITH ABIDING

Posted: October 19, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

– John 15:5, 7 NIV

The significance of what Ephesians 3:20 proclaims with regard to God doing immeasurably more than what we can ask or imagine is it refers to the power we allow to work within us. God doesn’t need us to do anything miraculous outside of us, because God is greater than us. But in order to encounter what God proclaims and promises in His word, in relation to experiencing the fullness of life Christ came for us to have, we must let His power work within us. In order to allow God’s power to work within me to encounter the immeasurably more He proclaims and promises, I must be willing to invest quality quiet time with Him in His word.

What would be the greater manifestation of God’s miraculous power: a) something God does around/outside of me, or b) something God does within me that transforms me and increases the intimacy between myself and Him? People who have no faith see the former every day, but those who desire the latter have an intimate, personal encounter with God that others will never know without faith in Christ. The blessed man in Psalm 1 delighted in God’s law and meditated on it and we can see in John 15 Jesus is reiterating the significance of the intimate relationship in association with God’s word. Jesus repeats the refrain of remaining in Him and in His word in verses 4-5 and 7 and 9 of John 15 that tells me He is trying to emphasize the priority and process by which real prosperity is achieved in a faith relationship with God.

In the beginning (see Genesis 1:25-27) God declared that being made in His image and likeness required us to be fruitful and we were given authority to do so. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul reveals the fruit of the Spirit, the character of Jesus Christ and nature of God’s person. Apart from Jesus Christ, we are incapable of producing these qualities (love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience, self-control, meekness and faithfulness), or develop them in increasing measure. God’s grace is His supernatural empowerment that equips, enables and empowers the believer to be progressive, productive and prosperous in living to the fullest potential of who they have been ordained to be in Jesus Christ while displaying the quality of Christ’s character to influence and inspire others to receive Christ. This is accomplished by God’s power (His word and His Spirit) at work within us according to Ephesians 3:20.

May God bless you and help you to experience His supernatural power to help you walk in the authority and anointing of His word and Spirit to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

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