Ever heard, "God only gives us what we need, not what we want?" It is my pleasure to tell you that He not only gives us what we want, He gives us an abundance of it. When you delight yourself in the Lord He gives you the desires of your heart, Psalm 37:4. The basis of who He is, is that He is love and He is 100% good 100% of the time.
Picture a father of a child here on earth that only gave his kid the bare minimum, when he had the entire universe and all its riches and resources at his disposal. That doesn't sound like a father that is love and is 100% good, 100% of the time. It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom, Luke 12:32, and the Kingdom is loaded with His unlimited goodness.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. (NASB) So Jesus displayed the Father in His exact nature. John 5:19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. (Amplified) Jesus didn't do a single thing that was not in complete alignment with the heart of God, He came to reveal the Father in perfect detail.
Lets take a look at Jesus' first public miracle. In verse 3 of John 2 it says, When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." (NASB) And this is the response from the Prince of Peace from the Message bible, Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother-yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me."
Now if the wine is gone it simply means that everyone drank it, and if they drank all the wine that was supplied for an entire wedding then let's face the facts, they were drunk. Yet Mary persisted, after waiting 30yrs for the unveiling of the Messiah (who she also carried in her belly for 9 months) you can understand how she might have been getting a little impatient.
She goes ahead and tells the disciples, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Think through this now, a want from mankind moved the ministry of the King of Glory to earlier start date. More wine once you are already drunk is a want, not a need. The persistence of a woman that was pregnant with the expectation of the presentation of heaven on earth pushed the Messiah into party pleasing, its true. Jesus had to have been given the OK from the Father, obviously, or He wouldn't have supplied the drunk wedding guests with an outrageous amount of the finest wine.
So God says, ok, you want to see my exact nature displayed here you go! Then Jesus turned 6 jars that held 20-30 gallons a piece into top shelf wine. And Jesus honored the host first, (Message bible) verse 8- "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did. The hosts response, "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"
The first public miracle in the ministry of Jesus supplied a want, at a party, and in fine fashion. It's as if God was making a statement about what the New Covenant is like. Jesus told us to pray, (NIV) Matthew 6:10 "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Apparently they like to party in heaven. Message bible verse 11 from John 2, "This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him." I would also believe if I was partaking in that blissful environment!
Many of us have misunderstood Philippians 4:19, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory. (NASB) Did you notice that? God supplies according to His riches in Glory, not our circumstances or needs. Here is a little context of this amazing word though. In Philippians 4:15-18 Paul shares how the Church of Phillippi was the only church that shared financial gifts with Him for his ministry and living. The book of Philippians also has a constant theme of joy and gratitude. A life of joy, thanksgiving, and generously giving compels the heart of God to supply our needs according to His riches in glory. He is so good, think of this. We give what He freely gives us towards His kingdom, and in return He rewards us? That's an amazing deal right their!
God is so pleased with us, He is so in love with us that He wants our desires on all fronts of life fulfilled. He delights in you, Proverbs 8:31...And my delight was with the sons of men. Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (NKJV)
Enjoy the new wine of joy that was poured out at the cross. Delight in the fact that He delights in you, and drink Him in!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Secular and Sanctified
Our ability to effectively allow Jesus to expand His kingdom through us is fully dependent upon our perception of who He is, what He accomplished on behalf the entire world, and what His kingdom truly is. Our ability to turn earth into heaven rests in how well we know Him, not what gifting or calling we have. The gifts and callings take flight when we allow His wind to fuel them.
Categorizing everything when it comes to following Jesus hasn't helped us as much as we think it has. When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit and the Five Fold ministry, many seek what their role and gifting is and settle into that identity. But we are called settle into the identity of a Son or Daughter of the King that is fully equipped to re-present Him and His kingdom with any gifting or role that the situation presents. Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (NLT)
It's how we see Him and who He is that fuels us. The bible never says to behold ourselves, it says behold Him. Because we become what we focus on, so we behold Him and we become like Him in our everyday life.
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (NASB) Your ability to transform the sphere of influence He has put you in to look like heaven, fully revolves around how you see Him, not how you see your gifting or calling. In Matthew 6:22 notice how it says, "eye" not eyes. Jesus is talking about your perception or spiritual vision. The literally meaning of the word in the Greek means, your minds eye.
When your at work and a coworker is in need of healing, your vision of whether you think Jesus is capable of healing is the question, not whether or not your have the gift of healing. Or say your children or a family member are in need of a hope filled prophetic word. Do you really think Jesus doesn't want to speak through you to the children He bleed for because you don't have a certain gift?
Your workplace has just as much God in it as anywhere. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (ESV) His glory is everywhere, us not knowing it is what limits us. His glory is already at your workplace, our mind being renewed so we can percieve this Truth is the issue. God already has an authority resting on you to have your work be your ministry, and He wants to turn our workplace into heaven on earth far more then we want Him to. The line of secular and sanctified was erased when we became sanctified in Him, not by our doing but by the grace to see the Truth that existed long before we had the ability to see it.
In Matthew 6:22 the word for "clear" in the Greek means this, without folds, referring to a single (undivided) focus without a secret double agenda which prevents an over-complicated life. When our vision is that His kingdom is everywhere we are (because His kingdom is within me), and His purpose through my life is my reason to live, my vision becomes clear and the line so many have created between secular and sanctified evaporates in His glory being revealed through us as a life style.
His perfect Kingdom is just as Holy and perfect in the sin riddled Red Light District of Tijuana, where I have seen Jesus regularly heal, save, and deliver His beloved children in abundant fashion, as it is in the church you attend on Sunday morning. Psalm 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (NASB) The issue is our perception of who we think Jesus really is, and our understanding of what was actually accomplished on that lovely cross of Calvary.
Jesus lived this lifestyle of extending God's Kingdom as He was reclining at a pharisee's table and a prostitute broke a expensive alabaster vial of perfume and wiped His feet with Her tears as she kissed His them. He was living the same way as He made a spectle of healing the man with the withered hand in front of the phairsees that were trying to trick Him in the synagogue in Mark 3:1-6. He never saw a difference in what was holy and what wasn't because of His enviroment or circumstances, His vision was Holy and He knew His identity so it made the situation Holy.
We carry the authority and empowering presence of Christ Himself, therefore we have the green light to turn any where our foot steps into heaven on earth. In the realm of business, education, religion, enteratainment, and the list could go on. If you are a school teacher you have been placed in an amazing place to release His power and love, God knows we need it there. The school teacher or business man, etc, is just as much if not more important to His Kingdom as any of us. One of us can't get into all the places where Jesus desires to dwell, but as Living Stones that embody Him we can invade all spheres of society with His power and love when we know who He is in us and who we are in Him.
Categorizing everything when it comes to following Jesus hasn't helped us as much as we think it has. When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit and the Five Fold ministry, many seek what their role and gifting is and settle into that identity. But we are called settle into the identity of a Son or Daughter of the King that is fully equipped to re-present Him and His kingdom with any gifting or role that the situation presents. Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (NLT)
It's how we see Him and who He is that fuels us. The bible never says to behold ourselves, it says behold Him. Because we become what we focus on, so we behold Him and we become like Him in our everyday life.
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (NASB) Your ability to transform the sphere of influence He has put you in to look like heaven, fully revolves around how you see Him, not how you see your gifting or calling. In Matthew 6:22 notice how it says, "eye" not eyes. Jesus is talking about your perception or spiritual vision. The literally meaning of the word in the Greek means, your minds eye.
When your at work and a coworker is in need of healing, your vision of whether you think Jesus is capable of healing is the question, not whether or not your have the gift of healing. Or say your children or a family member are in need of a hope filled prophetic word. Do you really think Jesus doesn't want to speak through you to the children He bleed for because you don't have a certain gift?
Your workplace has just as much God in it as anywhere. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (ESV) His glory is everywhere, us not knowing it is what limits us. His glory is already at your workplace, our mind being renewed so we can percieve this Truth is the issue. God already has an authority resting on you to have your work be your ministry, and He wants to turn our workplace into heaven on earth far more then we want Him to. The line of secular and sanctified was erased when we became sanctified in Him, not by our doing but by the grace to see the Truth that existed long before we had the ability to see it.
In Matthew 6:22 the word for "clear" in the Greek means this, without folds, referring to a single (undivided) focus without a secret double agenda which prevents an over-complicated life. When our vision is that His kingdom is everywhere we are (because His kingdom is within me), and His purpose through my life is my reason to live, my vision becomes clear and the line so many have created between secular and sanctified evaporates in His glory being revealed through us as a life style.
His perfect Kingdom is just as Holy and perfect in the sin riddled Red Light District of Tijuana, where I have seen Jesus regularly heal, save, and deliver His beloved children in abundant fashion, as it is in the church you attend on Sunday morning. Psalm 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (NASB) The issue is our perception of who we think Jesus really is, and our understanding of what was actually accomplished on that lovely cross of Calvary.
Jesus lived this lifestyle of extending God's Kingdom as He was reclining at a pharisee's table and a prostitute broke a expensive alabaster vial of perfume and wiped His feet with Her tears as she kissed His them. He was living the same way as He made a spectle of healing the man with the withered hand in front of the phairsees that were trying to trick Him in the synagogue in Mark 3:1-6. He never saw a difference in what was holy and what wasn't because of His enviroment or circumstances, His vision was Holy and He knew His identity so it made the situation Holy.
We carry the authority and empowering presence of Christ Himself, therefore we have the green light to turn any where our foot steps into heaven on earth. In the realm of business, education, religion, enteratainment, and the list could go on. If you are a school teacher you have been placed in an amazing place to release His power and love, God knows we need it there. The school teacher or business man, etc, is just as much if not more important to His Kingdom as any of us. One of us can't get into all the places where Jesus desires to dwell, but as Living Stones that embody Him we can invade all spheres of society with His power and love when we know who He is in us and who we are in Him.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
God wants your junk!
The world has sadly distorted what and who Love truly is. It seems that when many think of love they have to navigate the idea of love having to be romantic and or sexual in some way. Since that view of love has been so twisted, what happens to so many is that they unravel how to do relationship through a lens of what the world screams that love is and then filter it through a misunderstood biblical lens. Love is always God and His unselfish goodness flowing through us, the worlds view of what they think love is only has able to effect how we interact with people if we let it.
When we fall in love romance and sex are definitely good, but that's for a covenant relationship of marriage and another topic for another day. Feel free to read the exact definition of love in my blog, Be Perfected in Love, where I elaborate on the Greek definitions of the entire passage of 1 Cor. 13 and the second half of Romans 12. Love is always pure, glorious, and life changing for all who encounter Him.
But what does love look like in the sense of laying down your life for the sake of the world? Think of what Jesus did. Jesus literally paid the price for all your junk. All you issues, all your sin no matter how big or small, all your sickness, all your guilt and shame, all your depression and everything negative and dogmatic. He went through the worst torture the world has ever seen, and paid to take all of your issues away for good.
Who do you know that would even pay money for all your junk, or even take it off your hands for for free? Let alone endure the most torturous process the world has ever unleashed on a human (Isaiah 52:14). He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), the joy set before Him was living inside you. We are His reward, and He is so pleased with us! Not only did God forgive us for everything, which if that was it that would be amazing, but it goes way further than that. He not only paid for and forgave us of everything, but He took it and gave His life and His stuff in exchange.
All of the benefits of walking in perfection and provision are our inheritance through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Once you give your life to Jesus in exchange for His, you don't have the right to carry all your junk around anymore. It's His, He paid for it because He loves us and our true identity is His identity. He knew your true destiny, identity, and purpose when you only knew depression and lies about your worth and value. He knows who He created you to be, and then He paid to take any and all hurtful things away from you so you could live in that place of your true identity and purpose.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (NASB) The Greek word for 'lay down' is tithémi - set, fix, or establish. Love allows it's life to be established on behalf of benefiting and blessing others as the message of their life. Jesus did the hard part, take all the trash of the world and in exchange freely gave us all His treasure. Our joyous task is to establish our lives in a way that shows people this way to life (Ephesians 3:16-17).
We get to use our gifts and talents to introduce people to the Author of Life (1 Peter 4:10). We model the Truth of real life in love and it ushers people into the Divine exchange (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives get used to reveal how Jesus has taken all of our junk that isn't our true identity anyways, in exchange for all His treasure and benefits (Psalm 103:2-4). We are heavenly ambassadors that have the privilege of being the living epistle of the King and a Kingdom that is so out of this world glorious that it almost seems like a fairy tale!
When we fall in love romance and sex are definitely good, but that's for a covenant relationship of marriage and another topic for another day. Feel free to read the exact definition of love in my blog, Be Perfected in Love, where I elaborate on the Greek definitions of the entire passage of 1 Cor. 13 and the second half of Romans 12. Love is always pure, glorious, and life changing for all who encounter Him.
But what does love look like in the sense of laying down your life for the sake of the world? Think of what Jesus did. Jesus literally paid the price for all your junk. All you issues, all your sin no matter how big or small, all your sickness, all your guilt and shame, all your depression and everything negative and dogmatic. He went through the worst torture the world has ever seen, and paid to take all of your issues away for good.
Who do you know that would even pay money for all your junk, or even take it off your hands for for free? Let alone endure the most torturous process the world has ever unleashed on a human (Isaiah 52:14). He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), the joy set before Him was living inside you. We are His reward, and He is so pleased with us! Not only did God forgive us for everything, which if that was it that would be amazing, but it goes way further than that. He not only paid for and forgave us of everything, but He took it and gave His life and His stuff in exchange.
All of the benefits of walking in perfection and provision are our inheritance through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Once you give your life to Jesus in exchange for His, you don't have the right to carry all your junk around anymore. It's His, He paid for it because He loves us and our true identity is His identity. He knew your true destiny, identity, and purpose when you only knew depression and lies about your worth and value. He knows who He created you to be, and then He paid to take any and all hurtful things away from you so you could live in that place of your true identity and purpose.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (NASB) The Greek word for 'lay down' is tithémi - set, fix, or establish. Love allows it's life to be established on behalf of benefiting and blessing others as the message of their life. Jesus did the hard part, take all the trash of the world and in exchange freely gave us all His treasure. Our joyous task is to establish our lives in a way that shows people this way to life (Ephesians 3:16-17).
We get to use our gifts and talents to introduce people to the Author of Life (1 Peter 4:10). We model the Truth of real life in love and it ushers people into the Divine exchange (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives get used to reveal how Jesus has taken all of our junk that isn't our true identity anyways, in exchange for all His treasure and benefits (Psalm 103:2-4). We are heavenly ambassadors that have the privilege of being the living epistle of the King and a Kingdom that is so out of this world glorious that it almost seems like a fairy tale!
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