Monday, December 21, 2015

Concerning His Son Jesus Christ Our Lord

Today's blog is the third verse of Romans 1. "Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;"

1 Corinthians 1:18--NIV--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.

1 Corinthians 2:2--NIV--For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5--NIV--And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power:  5--That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Paul gives us the greatest clue to the success of his ministry. So many preachers want to flower the gospel up to make it convenient to human beliefs today. Some want to preach the "hidden" and "dark truths" in the Bible.

But, Paul kept it simple and yet oh, so powerful. Jesus Christ, a righteous God-man, suffered and died on a wooden cross to pay the sin debt of an ungodly human race. After paying the price for our sins, He rose again to show His everlasting power over death, hell and the grave.

Simply put, there is no sinner that God won't forgive. There is no sin stain so bad that the blood of Jesus cannot blot out. There is no demonic force, sickness nor ungodly action that Jesus cannot stop. There is no one bound by any addiction the the blood of Jesus cannot break. In other words, everything that the devil has ever done to mankind Jesus "un-did" on the cross.

The problem is that we pay too much attention to the problems that we face instead of keeping our eyes on the problem solver. Jesus promised in John 16:33--KJV--In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The Henry translation reads like this, "Sure you're going to have problems, all kinds of problems. But every time one jumps in your face you outa get shoutin' happy because I've already got that problem whipped. So quit your cryin' and bellyachin'. Go do something that will make you smile while I take care of your problem. And  don't worry any more about it. I got it under control."

Read Paul's letters to the churches and to the people he wrote to. He doesn't go into anything elaborate about all of the problems they were facing. He went right to the answer. And that answer centered around Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead. He got people's eyes off of the problem and got them to focus their attention on what Jesus did to bring them the victory. He taught them that Jesus didn't bring them to a defeat. Rather, Jesus brought them to an overwhelming victory.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Believe the Word of God and Not Your Circumstances

Romans 1:2--KJV--Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

Isaiah 46:9-10--KJV--Remember the former things of old: for I am God and there is none else; I am God, and there in none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do my pleasure;

How accurate is Bible prophecy any way? In my studies, I have read that there are some 2500 prophecies in the Bible. About 2000 have already been fulfilled to the letter without any error. There is no reason for me not to believe that the remaining 500 will not come to pass just like God said.

Paul knew this from what he had been taught by the religious teachers of his day. When he came face to face with Jesus Christ the promised Messiah I am sure that he spent hours remembering and pondering the Messianic prophecies he had been taught. All of that gave him a rock solid belief that the entire Word of God is true and that God would fulfill every promise He made.

To Paul the Word of God became more than just a collection of books and sweet stories. It became a lifestyle of the miraculous. When he read that God miraculously delivered His people from 400 years bondage to a heathen nation, he believed that God would deliver him also even if it took a miracle. When he remembered that God fed them with a massive supply of manna and quail every day for forty years, he believed that God would supply all of his need according to His riches in glory.

When he remembered Isaiah 53:5 "by His stripes ye were healed" he began praying for people to be healed. When he remembered Jeremiah 29:11 that God had good plans for him and that (Isaiah 55:8-9) God's ways and thoughts were higher than his, he declared (Rom 8:28) that all things would work together for his good. He also said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 for us to give thanks in everything because it was the will of God for us.

Paul stood on every promise in the Word of God because he believed that God meant what He said. If we, as Christians, want to be able to reach the lost like Paul and the early disciples did then we have to be able to say, also, that our God's Word is true no matter what it looks like at the moment.

Grab the scriptures, or better yet, let the scriptures grab you. Even if you are facing a seemingly impossible situation, hold on to what God promised. He has a way of bringing it to past that is beyond our comprehension.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Separated Unto the Gospel of God

From Romans 1:1, we've already talked about Paul being a bond servant of Jesus Christ and that he was called by God to be an apostle. Today we want to finish that verse. "separated unto the gospel of God."

The Greek word for separated means "to mark off from others by boundaries, to limit, to separate."
As the old-time Pentecostals used to say, Paul had a made up mind. Before Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, he already knew more about the Word of God (the Old Testament) than the ordinary man. He had been schooled by the best teachers of his day. But that was just it. He knew the Word of God inside and out. Obviously, he was a good debater because after his conversion, he gave the Jewish leaders fits as he proved from the Old Testament that Jesus was the Son of God. He confounded their knowledge so much that they beat him, stoned him and tried their best to kill him. But, they could not out-reason him concerning the Word of God.

The big difference in Paul's life came when he had a one-on-one meeting with the Son of God on the road to Damascus. As we mentioned in the last blog, Paul spent the next few years down in Arabia where Jesus taught him the depth of the Old Testament by revelation (Gal. 1:11-12). As Paul spent time in God's presence, the very power of God hammered into Paul's spirit and soul the Heart of God that spoke the Old Testament into existence. Re-learning the Word of God in such a manner was what 'separated' Paul unto the gospel of God.

Seminaries are good up to a point. In my early teens as I answered God's call to the ministry I was given some advice by Rev. Clyde Wingo. He said, "Son, it's good to get your theology just as long as you don't leave out the knee-ology." Sad to say, the majority of pulpits today are filled with men and women who are more full of themselves than they are the Holy Ghost. How can I say that? It's simple. If you are full of the Holy Ghost, you begin to pour out the anointed Word of God and God's Word comes alive inside of people. People get saved and healed and delivered. If you are just full of yourself (yes, you can quote a lot of scripture and expound), nothing happens. People hear a sermon, get dismissed and go home.

When Paul said that he was separated unto the gospel of God, he meant that he believed everything that came out of the mouth of God just like Jesus did. If God said that there was power in the name of Jesus, Paul said that's right and he began to preach power in His name. If God said that by the stripes of Jesus people would be healed, Paul believed it and prayed for the sick until they were healed. Paul believed that he had power over the devil just like Jesus said in Luke 10:19 and he cast out devils whether they wanted to come out or not.

When we are separated unto the gospel of God, we do not pay any attention to whatever is going on around us. Whoever was the Roman ruler at the time and whatever laws they made didn't stop him. He kept preaching the Word in power. He went into Athens all by himself.  They had never heard of Jesus before. They didn't have a church or a single believer to pray with him. BUT, he preached Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead with such power that people got saved. He was separated unto the gospel of God.

Let's get down to business with Jesus and change our city and our country like Paul did. Separate yourself unto the gospel of God. Believe every Word of it. Meditate on it day and night until it's power becomes a part of your every day life.

God didn't just throw Paul out to preaching after he was converted. Again, Paul spent three years seeking Jesus Christ for the correct understanding of the Word of God. Then he spent several years just teaching in the church at Antioch. After Paul proved himself to God that he was able to minister the Word of God, God separated him and Barnabas for a work He had for them to do (Acts 13:2).

Friday, December 18, 2015

What Has God Called You To Do?

Romans 1:1--KJV--Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE

Paul was not only a bond servant to Jesus Christ, from the moment of his conversion, God made it evident that he was going to carry God's word to the Gentiles and to kings as well as to the children of Israel.

Even though Paul immediately preached in the synagogues in Damascus, he went down to Arabia for three years.There he sought the Lord. By his own admission in Galatians 1:11-12, Paul was taught the doctrine he preached by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. That beats anything taught in theology schools today.

I don't know what God has called you to do. Maybe you don't either. And, there are times that I'm not sure that I'm doing the very thing that God wants me to do. I have pastored, taught, lead worship, evangelized and sat on the bench. Although I teach and I'm on the worship team of the church I now attend, I can't really say that this is what I am called to do. I do it heartily but is it what the heart of God really wants me to do. I'm not sure. But of this one thing I AM sure. I'll continue to do what I am doing until He tells me to do otherwise.

Even if you are actively serving God in some official capacity, it wouldn't hurt to come before the Lord several times a week and ask God to confirm your calling. There are gifts that God would like to see manifested on this earth. But, if we have our hard-headed minds set on just one thing then we might be missing the greatest journey of all. And that's living in the very middle of God's will for our lives.

Is what you're doing for the Lord right now challenging or a bore? Does it excite you to greet a new day? If you're dragging from one church service to another, you might need to check up on your calling.

Paul spent those three years in Arabia seeking hard after the Lord Jesus Christ. He already had the best theological education that could be acquired. However, knowledge without an up-to-date relationship with the Master is empty and boring. Let's seek after the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Add the power of God to His Word that is resident inside of us. Then wait on Him to put us into a ministry.

Recap: Paul spent three years seeking God in Arabia. He spent four years in his home town of Tarsus just worshiping. He spent six years at Antioch just teaching and helping out. AND THEN, God set him into the ministry. When God calls, He qualifies and trains before He sets someone into a ministry.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Romans 1:1 Be Among the Ensnared

Romans 1:1--KJV--Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ

Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, describes himself before he met Jesus as being (Phil 3:5) a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a strict Pharisee and a pure blooded citizen of Israel. Before his conversion we would say that he was a hard-nosed Jew who hated Jesus and His followers. As we read the beginning of the book of Acts it seems like he was trying to stamp out Christianity all by himself. His zealous hatred for Jesus and His followers won him the admiration of all the Jews, especially the high and mighty. And they were only too pleased to have somebody bold enough to do the dirty work they only WISHED they had the guts to do.

In Romans 1:1 and Titus 1:1 he declares himself to be a servant. There are many opinions on the internet about the meaning of the Greek word duolos. Some say that it just means 'servant' and some say that it refers to a 'bondservant' as mentioned in Exodus 21:1-6.

However, I am inclined to think Paul's intention lines up more correctly with Thayer's  Greek Lexicon of the Greek word duolos. His studies interprets the word as to ensnare or capture.

Follow my line of reasoning for a moment. By his own admission and the testimony of the writer of the Book of Acts, Paul (or Saul of Tarsus) waged his own religious war against all of the followers of Jesus Christ. He put them in prison, tore up their homes (figuratively) and voted to kill at least Stephen. He might have voted to kill others. 

I personally believe that he thought he was honestly doing God's will by stamping out the heretical movement that sought to undermine the religious customs that Jews had always followed. I get this idea from the fact that the religious big wigs of the day gave him letters of authority to put Jesus' followers in jail.

You know the story. When he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was 'captured' by Jesus' love for him. Even though he had done some despicable things to a lot of Jesus' followers, Jesus never brought the subject up. There is never any mention where Jesus jumped down Paul's throat about anything. Jesus only talked to Paul about his future and not his past. He talked to Paul about what He wanted Paul to do not what Paul had done.

This encounter and many more that Paul had with Jesus had one central theme and that was the agape love of God. The kind of love that walked in perpetual forgiveness. It was the kind of love that spoke sweetly and not sharply. It praised and not prattled. It lifted up and never tore down.

The more that Paul came into Jesus' presence, the more real God's love for him became. The more Paul prayed, the more ensnared or captured Paul became in the love of God. God took him through a lot of hard places that Paul didn't deserve to have to walk through. But God's grace and His agape love were there to walk with him.

It is my desire, as well as it should be all Christians, to develop such a love relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we too become ensnared with Jesus. Yes, it took Paul through a lot of hardships, but Paul saw thousands of people saved, healed and delivered. Churches were established that raised up the anthem of a loving God and a resurrected Jesus. Yes, obstacles were in his path at times but God used those times to help him write a great portion of the New Testament. As a matter of fact, Paul's soul-saving work is still going on in the Body of Christ today.

Join with me and allow Jesus to ensnare us by pouring His agape love through us onto this ungodly world. Let's grasp prayer hands across the world and pray for a world-wide outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God. Let's set the trap of God's love in our hearts and ensnare as many lost souls as we can.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Follow After the Higher Way

Deuteronomy 8:1-3---NIV--Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Verse 1--We should always be careful to follow the instruction in God's Word. Also, it would behoove us to live close enough to Him to hear Him when He speaks to us. The main reason we should be careful in these areas of our lives is because God fully intends to bring His promises to us to pass. And we don't need to miss on piece of instruction.

Verse 2--Even though it took God forty years, he brought the believers into the land of promise. It took that long because God let the unbelievers die off. Even so today, unbelievers will NEVER receive any of the promises of God. The promises are for the believers.

Sometimes God takes us through times of waiting and testing. He wants us to trust Him and not our own virtues. He also wants to see what is in our hearts. Are we really going to follow Him and trust Him? Are we going to walk in love and forgiveness when times are bad? Are we going to hold on to our faith in His Word when we go through long periods of time where we don't hear from Him?

Verse 3--He also waits to make you hungry for the answer. A hungry heart always gets God's attention. A hungry heart will be willing to lay aside their sins and shortcomings to obtain the promises of God. A hungry heart appreciates what God does for him.

Unlike their unbelieving parents, the younguns DID NOT want to go back into bondage in Egypt. These hungry young adults and their children had a desire for freedom and their own place to live. They longed for the abundance of God's promised land. And they were willing to tough out a small amount of hardship to reach a whole lifetime of abundance and joy.

Instead of moaning about their past, the younguns looked at the miracles around them. These miracles told them that the God of their ancestors had them at the right place at the right time. They had manna every morning and quail every night and didn't have to work for it. They just harvested it. During the day they were sheltered from the heat by a cloud. As the sun sat, they watched that cloud slowly turn into a pillar of fire. When they got up early enough, they would watch the fire turn back into a cloud.

It finally dawned on some of them that a higher power was orchestrating everything that happened to them. It dawned on them that God only had to say it once and those things happened every day for forty years. Surely a God who could just speak a word like that would bring them into their wealthy place just like He promised.

Here's what we need to take away from this short lesson. God is taking us all somewhere, too. He is taking us to what He promised us. However, we delay or completely lose out on those blessings if we continue to live in the past or even the right now. The only thing that the past and the right now means is that we don't have the promise.....YET. It NEVER means that God won't bring us into the promised land.

If we are not walking in the realm of His promises, it means that He's checking out our heart and/or He's waiting for us to get hungry enough. When our heart gets right and we're hungry enough for the things of God then He'll start leading. But it's still up to us to follow Him by faith.

I hope you're like me. I am longing for a realm of God that I have never been to yet. Like the children of God, if I already knew how to get there I would certainly be there right now. Just like them, I have to trust God every day that where ever I am and whatever is happening to me is part of the divine plan of God (Isaiah 55:8-9), God's ways and thoughts are higher than mine.

Lead on, God, I am determined to follow You.

You Were Created for this Battle

Eph. 6:12--For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, a...