This weekend, among other amazing things, I wrote a song based on the Hebrew words Esh Oklah and El Kanna (Consuming Fire, Jealous God).
Some text is from Song of Songs, I think it beautifully reflects the loving desire God has for us, the bride, and our desire for our beloved.
Here it is :)
*****************
You call me Your own
Your voice is sweet
You tell me I'm beautiful
To me He brings, His banqueting house
His banner over me, its love
Jealous God consume me with fire
burn me whole
until Your love comes bubbling up
out of my heart
He stands behinds my wall
dying to look through a window
let me see Your glorious face
break through to me
Jealous God consume me with fire
burn me whole
until Your love comes bubbling up
out of my heart
Set me as a seal on Your heart
a seal on Your arm
Your love is stronger than death
Jealousy, more cruel than the grave
*****************
I hope this touches you :)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Problem three: Man is hostile; Solution.
Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
John 14:6 states
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Man hates one way answers. Man doesn't like to be told the way that he has been going is wrong.
Too many times I've heard Christians water down the word of God to non-believers, preaching things like the "health wealth and prosperity gospel" or the "come as you are gospel" at the expense of other important aspects of the REAL gospel, like the CROSS.
YES! Jesus died on the cross for the sinners, for the wicked, for the lost. God heals! God Saves! God provides and protects! BUT GOD DOESN'T JUST DO THOSE THINGS! God is just. God is jealous. God is loving. God wants whats best for you even if it means completely changing your life PAINFULLY from bad to good.
Man is hostile towards the gospel because we've been decapitated for too long and we forgot what its like to see, hear, taste, and smell. We'd rather crawl around on the floor feeling about, completely oblivious to our surroundings, and oblivious to how much happier we could be if we just screwed our head back on.
AMONG ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS, LOST-NESS, DECAPITATION, HOSTILITY, OUR SOLUTION IS THIS!!!
The REALIZATION that we are lost, the REPENTANCE of our sins, and the CONTINUAL walk of righteousness we have with our loving savior Jesus Christ.
This is absolutely essential. Once we realize that we are lost, and that the empty promises of a sinful world hold nothing of eternal value, we can seek the truth that the darkness has been seeking all along in vain. We can cling to the eternal truth that Jesus Christ loves us very deeply and that He died a brutal, bloody, horrible death for all of us, that we may see Him in heaven, and be with Him forever.
The alternative to this is dismal. It is eternal separation from our loving Creator. Ravi Zacharias tells a story of a man by the name of Charlie Pierce. He said if hell is true, he would walk over a nation of broken glass to tell people. This is very serious indeed, and although I did not do the story justice, the point remains the same.
Hell is the choice of man who rejects God; it is not the choice of a God who rejects man.
It is our job as the body of Christ to reattach the head of Jesus Christ, gain our senses, and start to effectively REFLECT the love of God for others, and transform and give vision to a lost and dying world.
I'll leave you with these quotes.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse... let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
-C.S. Lewis
"Jesus Christ came NOT like most moral teachers. Moral teachers came to make good people bad. Jesus Christ came to make dead people live"
-Ravi Zacharias
I love you all, I hope this moves even one person.
John 14:6 states
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Man hates one way answers. Man doesn't like to be told the way that he has been going is wrong.
Too many times I've heard Christians water down the word of God to non-believers, preaching things like the "health wealth and prosperity gospel" or the "come as you are gospel" at the expense of other important aspects of the REAL gospel, like the CROSS.
YES! Jesus died on the cross for the sinners, for the wicked, for the lost. God heals! God Saves! God provides and protects! BUT GOD DOESN'T JUST DO THOSE THINGS! God is just. God is jealous. God is loving. God wants whats best for you even if it means completely changing your life PAINFULLY from bad to good.
Man is hostile towards the gospel because we've been decapitated for too long and we forgot what its like to see, hear, taste, and smell. We'd rather crawl around on the floor feeling about, completely oblivious to our surroundings, and oblivious to how much happier we could be if we just screwed our head back on.
AMONG ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS, LOST-NESS, DECAPITATION, HOSTILITY, OUR SOLUTION IS THIS!!!
The REALIZATION that we are lost, the REPENTANCE of our sins, and the CONTINUAL walk of righteousness we have with our loving savior Jesus Christ.
This is absolutely essential. Once we realize that we are lost, and that the empty promises of a sinful world hold nothing of eternal value, we can seek the truth that the darkness has been seeking all along in vain. We can cling to the eternal truth that Jesus Christ loves us very deeply and that He died a brutal, bloody, horrible death for all of us, that we may see Him in heaven, and be with Him forever.
The alternative to this is dismal. It is eternal separation from our loving Creator. Ravi Zacharias tells a story of a man by the name of Charlie Pierce. He said if hell is true, he would walk over a nation of broken glass to tell people. This is very serious indeed, and although I did not do the story justice, the point remains the same.
Hell is the choice of man who rejects God; it is not the choice of a God who rejects man.
It is our job as the body of Christ to reattach the head of Jesus Christ, gain our senses, and start to effectively REFLECT the love of God for others, and transform and give vision to a lost and dying world.
I'll leave you with these quotes.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse... let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
-C.S. Lewis
"Jesus Christ came NOT like most moral teachers. Moral teachers came to make good people bad. Jesus Christ came to make dead people live"
-Ravi Zacharias
I love you all, I hope this moves even one person.
Point two: Man is decapitated from Christ
This point to remind you is completely new to me and it is out of the grace of God that I am able to talk about it.
The fundamental problem with humanity is that people are lost. In their lost-ness they have become decapitated from Christ, the head of the church, the head of man; coincidentally, their disconnection from Christ has made them hostile to the gospel, the only TRUE way of gaining insight, wisdom, and direction, and FINALLY their hostility to the gospel is not only because it preaches the truth, but because it is entirely EXCLUSIVE.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
Point two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ.
To understand why this is so important, we must look at Gods creation, the human being. Out of the 5 bodily senses, 4 of the senses are entirely exclusive to the head: Sight, Smell, Taste, and Hearing. The only sense shared with the others is feeling.
Feeling.
How essential are those other senses just to function as a normal person in society. If we as a people are cut off from our head, Christ, how are we supposed to function normally?
Too often I hear the phrase "I feel like..." and its usually followed by "...this is the right thing to do". Scripturally speaking, did God create man in his image just to hear man say "God I feel like you're good, but I just cant see it yet, or see it. Heck I can't even taste or smell it come to think of it"
That is ridiculous.
If that's the church acting this way, how much worse is this world?
Furthermore, government is a joke because it not only is it UN-biblical, it is a DIRECT representation of who we are as a people.
Our nations government has gone horribly wrong because its representatives are a DIRECT representation of the people who live there.
Man is sinful, lustful. Men are liars, cheats, murderers, burglars, adulterers, hateful and perverted.
Our government it full of people that perfectly represent that.
I'm not hating on the government, we begged God to give us democracy and He allowed it because of our incessant begging.
These are parts of our problem
*Main Points*
Man in its lost-ness has decapitated himself from the head of Christ leaving us blind and deaf; unable to taste or smell.
In addition to the senses being lost, we've lost our brain in Christs' head, leaving us questioning who we are, what we're doing here, what is right, and what is wrong.
Mans decapitation from Christ further harms society and merely gives way to very educated sinners finding innovative ways of harming ourselves even more.
Our nations government has gone horribly wrong because its representatives are a DIRECT representation of the people who live there. Man is sinful, lustful. Men are liars, cheats, murderers, burglars, adulterers, hateful and perverted.
Our government it full of people that perfectly represent that.
More to come.
The fundamental problem with humanity is that people are lost. In their lost-ness they have become decapitated from Christ, the head of the church, the head of man; coincidentally, their disconnection from Christ has made them hostile to the gospel, the only TRUE way of gaining insight, wisdom, and direction, and FINALLY their hostility to the gospel is not only because it preaches the truth, but because it is entirely EXCLUSIVE.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
Point two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ.
To understand why this is so important, we must look at Gods creation, the human being. Out of the 5 bodily senses, 4 of the senses are entirely exclusive to the head: Sight, Smell, Taste, and Hearing. The only sense shared with the others is feeling.
Feeling.
How essential are those other senses just to function as a normal person in society. If we as a people are cut off from our head, Christ, how are we supposed to function normally?
Too often I hear the phrase "I feel like..." and its usually followed by "...this is the right thing to do". Scripturally speaking, did God create man in his image just to hear man say "God I feel like you're good, but I just cant see it yet, or see it. Heck I can't even taste or smell it come to think of it"
That is ridiculous.
If that's the church acting this way, how much worse is this world?
Furthermore, government is a joke because it not only is it UN-biblical, it is a DIRECT representation of who we are as a people.
Our nations government has gone horribly wrong because its representatives are a DIRECT representation of the people who live there.
Man is sinful, lustful. Men are liars, cheats, murderers, burglars, adulterers, hateful and perverted.
Our government it full of people that perfectly represent that.
I'm not hating on the government, we begged God to give us democracy and He allowed it because of our incessant begging.
These are parts of our problem
*Main Points*
Man in its lost-ness has decapitated himself from the head of Christ leaving us blind and deaf; unable to taste or smell.
In addition to the senses being lost, we've lost our brain in Christs' head, leaving us questioning who we are, what we're doing here, what is right, and what is wrong.
Mans decapitation from Christ further harms society and merely gives way to very educated sinners finding innovative ways of harming ourselves even more.
Our nations government has gone horribly wrong because its representatives are a DIRECT representation of the people who live there. Man is sinful, lustful. Men are liars, cheats, murderers, burglars, adulterers, hateful and perverted.
Our government it full of people that perfectly represent that.
More to come.
Point One: Man is Lost
The fundamental problem with humanity is that people are lost. In their lost-ness they have become decapitated from Christ, the head of the church, the head of man; coincidentally, their disconnection from Christ has made them hostile to the gospel, the only TRUE way of gaining insight, wisdom, and direction, and FINALLY their hostility to the gospel is not only because it preaches the truth, but because it is entirely EXCLUSIVE.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
There are three points to this statement: Man rejects God, Man is separated from His glory, Man becomes a slave to sin, Man is condemned.
Man rejects God by his promiscuity in desiring the sins of the world. When man rejects God, he is separated from the Glory of God and therefore cast into darkness due to choice. When man is in the dark, he desires to find the light, but goes about the wrong ways making casting himself further into darkness and making himself a slave to sin. In mans attempt to be free from darkness he is ironically made a slave of it. Due to mans choice to reject God, he is condemned. The consequence of mans rejection of God is hell.
*Main Points*
Man rejects God.
Man separates himself from the glory of God.
When he does that, he lives in a shroud of darkness.
Man has made himself a slave in an attempt to be free.
Man is condemned.
Hell is the choice of man who rejects God.
Hell is an unending, physical, real separation from God.
Conclusion
* There is a way out of this darkness.
* Man is not just unethical, but lost and dead.
I hope this is coming together because all the points I'm making are key when I show the solution.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
There are three points to this statement: Man rejects God, Man is separated from His glory, Man becomes a slave to sin, Man is condemned.
Man rejects God by his promiscuity in desiring the sins of the world. When man rejects God, he is separated from the Glory of God and therefore cast into darkness due to choice. When man is in the dark, he desires to find the light, but goes about the wrong ways making casting himself further into darkness and making himself a slave to sin. In mans attempt to be free from darkness he is ironically made a slave of it. Due to mans choice to reject God, he is condemned. The consequence of mans rejection of God is hell.
*Main Points*
Man rejects God.
Man separates himself from the glory of God.
When he does that, he lives in a shroud of darkness.
Man has made himself a slave in an attempt to be free.
Man is condemned.
Hell is the choice of man who rejects God.
Hell is an unending, physical, real separation from God.
Conclusion
* There is a way out of this darkness.
* Man is not just unethical, but lost and dead.
I hope this is coming together because all the points I'm making are key when I show the solution.
The Lostness of Man (Intro) Part 1 of 4
I'm on an spiritual information overload; even though that is awesome, I still need to get some of these thoughts out onto paper :)
I was listening to Ravi Zacharias for the past few weeks and lets just say God's been using His servant to speak to me via sermons.
Let me preface what I'm saying by first verbalizing my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ. You are a manifestation of Gods love for me and its a blessing.
Now, I can start.
Habakkuk cries out to God in words that very much reflect the current state of the world.
"How, Oh Lord can you explain your sovereignty when there is such violence, injustice and evil?"
In all reverence to the scripture, the answer God gives is strange; He answers Habakkuk by telling him that He will deliver His people into the hands of the evil Babylonians.
If I seem to be hasty its only because I'm trying to move on quickly.
In a similar way, we, the children of God, have given ourselves away time and time again. Our actions reflect that of promiscuity. Our actions have told our Maker time and time again that we want nothing to do with Him. He listened to our incessant begging and allowed us to chose our path. This path which we gave ourselves into is clearly described in Romans, chapter 1, verses 24 through 32.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
I apologize for the length but not for the content of the scripture because this is pivotal in making my point.
That point is this:
The fundamental problem with humanity is that people are lost. In their lost-ness they have become decapitated from Christ, the head of the church, the head of man; coincidentally, their disconnection from Christ has made them hostile to the gospel, the only TRUE way of gaining insight, wisdom, and direction, and FINALLY their hostility to the gospel is not only because it preaches the truth, but because it is entirely EXCLUSIVE.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
The subsequent blogs will address the above stated problems, but first, a prayer.
Gracious God,
I ask that you fill me up with your word. That you give me wisdom to speak truth to my friends. I ask humbly that use me effectively as a servant. This isn't possible without You.
I love you.
In Jesus' powerful name, AMEN.
Hope you enjoy it.
I was listening to Ravi Zacharias for the past few weeks and lets just say God's been using His servant to speak to me via sermons.
Let me preface what I'm saying by first verbalizing my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ. You are a manifestation of Gods love for me and its a blessing.
Now, I can start.
Habakkuk cries out to God in words that very much reflect the current state of the world.
"How, Oh Lord can you explain your sovereignty when there is such violence, injustice and evil?"
In all reverence to the scripture, the answer God gives is strange; He answers Habakkuk by telling him that He will deliver His people into the hands of the evil Babylonians.
If I seem to be hasty its only because I'm trying to move on quickly.
In a similar way, we, the children of God, have given ourselves away time and time again. Our actions reflect that of promiscuity. Our actions have told our Maker time and time again that we want nothing to do with Him. He listened to our incessant begging and allowed us to chose our path. This path which we gave ourselves into is clearly described in Romans, chapter 1, verses 24 through 32.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
I apologize for the length but not for the content of the scripture because this is pivotal in making my point.
That point is this:
The fundamental problem with humanity is that people are lost. In their lost-ness they have become decapitated from Christ, the head of the church, the head of man; coincidentally, their disconnection from Christ has made them hostile to the gospel, the only TRUE way of gaining insight, wisdom, and direction, and FINALLY their hostility to the gospel is not only because it preaches the truth, but because it is entirely EXCLUSIVE.
The problem in case you didn't catch it is three fold: Problem one: Man is lost. Problem two: Man is cut off from the head, Christ. Problem three: Man is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is exclusive.
The subsequent blogs will address the above stated problems, but first, a prayer.
Gracious God,
I ask that you fill me up with your word. That you give me wisdom to speak truth to my friends. I ask humbly that use me effectively as a servant. This isn't possible without You.
I love you.
In Jesus' powerful name, AMEN.
Hope you enjoy it.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Word Definitions, Lyrics, and Vision
I think its necessary to note the fact that often times as Christians we don't exactly know terms commonly used in church, let alone in speaking with other believers.
Recently I have had a desire to really figure out what words, common at church, really mean. So I looked some up, and here they are.
Hosanna comes from the Hebrew word "Hoshana" which translates, from what I've read, to "save, now". When used in the new testament Greek, we see it used as a word of praise. "Hosanna, great is He who comes in the name of the lord".
Hallelujah comes from the Hebrew form, "Halleluya", meaning "praise". It can also be translated, roughly, into English as "praise the Lord".
Holy comes from the Hebrew word "Kadosh". As my studies have not given a deeper understanding of the original meaning in the Hebrew, John Bevere has defined it from his studies as being "a cut above". God is described as being a cut above everything and everyone else; exclusive. Another definition is to be "set apart". God is "set apart" from the world, on another level; a higher level.
I thought you would like to know :)
Next is just a few lyrics that have been finding their way into my prayers and have been consuming my thoughts.
Hosanna
"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to eternity
Hosanna in the highest"
Lead me to the Cross
"Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross"
The Stand
"So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours"
Beautiful
"I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful, you're beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful"
The first three have the message to me of laying down of my self, picking up my cross, and following Him, who loved me so much. Its been my prayer to align my heart with Gods, to break mine of what breaks His, to love what He loves, and to hate what He hates; He has taken me very seriously with those prayers and has shown me what it is to have a burden for those around me hurting.
The last one keeps me motivated and excited. I can't wait till I see my brothers and sisters in Christ, walking into the throne room, Jesus standing before us, the groom, and all of us, the bride, walking up, singing praises to Him. He's tearing up, and smiling, He's so happy. He loves us so much. Its all Joy. All of it. Nothing can take that from me, and its been burning in my mind. I want that so bad.
So this is whats on my heart. I love you all so much. Stay encouraged. Love one another as Christ has loved you, and this world will be a forever changed because you simply remembered that God loves you.
Recently I have had a desire to really figure out what words, common at church, really mean. So I looked some up, and here they are.
Hosanna comes from the Hebrew word "Hoshana" which translates, from what I've read, to "save, now". When used in the new testament Greek, we see it used as a word of praise. "Hosanna, great is He who comes in the name of the lord".
Hallelujah comes from the Hebrew form, "Halleluya", meaning "praise". It can also be translated, roughly, into English as "praise the Lord".
Holy comes from the Hebrew word "Kadosh". As my studies have not given a deeper understanding of the original meaning in the Hebrew, John Bevere has defined it from his studies as being "a cut above". God is described as being a cut above everything and everyone else; exclusive. Another definition is to be "set apart". God is "set apart" from the world, on another level; a higher level.
I thought you would like to know :)
Next is just a few lyrics that have been finding their way into my prayers and have been consuming my thoughts.
Hosanna
"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to eternity
Hosanna in the highest"
Lead me to the Cross
"Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross"
The Stand
"So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours"
Beautiful
"I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful, you're beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful"
The first three have the message to me of laying down of my self, picking up my cross, and following Him, who loved me so much. Its been my prayer to align my heart with Gods, to break mine of what breaks His, to love what He loves, and to hate what He hates; He has taken me very seriously with those prayers and has shown me what it is to have a burden for those around me hurting.
The last one keeps me motivated and excited. I can't wait till I see my brothers and sisters in Christ, walking into the throne room, Jesus standing before us, the groom, and all of us, the bride, walking up, singing praises to Him. He's tearing up, and smiling, He's so happy. He loves us so much. Its all Joy. All of it. Nothing can take that from me, and its been burning in my mind. I want that so bad.
So this is whats on my heart. I love you all so much. Stay encouraged. Love one another as Christ has loved you, and this world will be a forever changed because you simply remembered that God loves you.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
What you didn't know about grace.
I'd like to start by saying that until two days ago I only had a dim view of what grace is; I'd also like to say that I still have a dim view of what grace really is.
Okay
Sunday and Monday, (November 1st and 2nd), I went to Celebration Church in Fresno to listen to John Bevere speak on a newer study of his: being extraordinary Christians. I'm only going to touch base on a few things he went over in hopes you may catch fire.
He shared a statistic of what 98.1% of American Christians believe about grace: that it covers our sin, washes away our sin, that it is a free gift, and that it cleanses us.
All of these things are true.
BUT, its not what God defines His grace as. John chapter 1 verses 14-16 state:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
Two things come to mind: If Jesus was sinless, why did He need grace? and What is His fullness?
The answer to the first question lies in the answer of the second.
John talked about how grace for grace is a phrase used to represent something coming full circle. If something is coming full circle in verse 16, then it MUST be talking about HIS FULLNESS.
Jesus didn't need grace to cover His sin, He needed God's empowering grace to live in the likeness of God seeing as He was human. He was made just like all of us.
Grace isn't only just seen in this light in John tho.
2 Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 12 states that:
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
He just used grace and power interchangeably!
John used two analogies; One was of a tribe in Africa receiving the gift of a Land Rover. People in the states hear about how the tribe has to walk enormous distances to get food and supplies. So the people buy the tribe a SUV. The people giving the Land Rover get over there and tell them about all the great features: side and frontal airbags, power seats, air conditioning, DVD player, GPS, sun roof, all that jazz. They catch word years later that the tribe is still traveling by foot long distances because they haven't driven the vehicle once. The tribe was so stoked about the perks of having a FREE GIFT that they never took it out for a drive. They didn't utilize the power of the gift.
The other analogy is of a farmer. He has access to this canal, full of water, ready to provide fresh nutrients to his crops. He decides to tap into this canal to water his Corn, while neglecting his other crops of peaches, plums, nectarines and what have you. The other crops suffer while he only has one successful crop. Why tap into only one aspect of a free gift when we have ACCESS TO ALL OF IT!
The main point being is that grace in its origin was not just meant to cleanse us from sin, and to cover us and make sure we go to heaven. That's great. But in its creation, grace was meant to EMPOWER us to lead extraordinary lives.
It states in Genesis that God created man (and woman) in His own image. Now, is God ordinary?
NO! haha.
God made us godlike in our creation. We were meant, built, wired to do extraordinary things. We're called to be Holy as He is Holy. To come up to His level, can we do that? Not without Gods EMPOWERING grace in our lives.
I want to challenge you with this. I could go on for a while, but my fingers hurt, I expect God to place this in your heart:
If Jesus stated that we (the body of Christ) are going to do greater things than He did when He was on earth, does that mean we are called to be ordinary?
Does that mean that being a Christian isn't empowering?
Does that mean we shouldn't utilize the free gift of God in other areas of our life? Healing? Finances? Ingenuity? Creativity? Ruling in Life?
How do we tap into this empowering grace though? This is important: through faith.
It is by GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH!!!!
we have to have faith that God will empower us with His grace.
Lets pray.
Dear God,
I pray that you fill us up with your empowering grace. I come to Your throne of grace, not with a cup, but with my truck backed up wit a bathtub in the back God, fill me up with YOUR GRACE! I ask this in Jesus' name. I want my brothers and sisters to realize that You've called us to greatness. To be HOLY as you are HOLY. I want to be Holy as You are God. I know that without my trusting You, without faith, none of this is possible. So increase my capacity to believe you. Give me child like faith, so I just believe and don't question. Through my faith I will acquire your empowering Grace that will give me the ability to move mountains of doubt, to heal hurting, sick people. I will be able to live as Christ lived. To be HOLY as You are. God I pray that you shake the foundations of this area, and that you give people the ears to hear and a receptive heart, so that you can speak the true meaning of Grace into their lives. Father, its only by your power that I can do what You've called me to do. I ask that you give me the capacity to love dangerously for you. To be innovative, to be creative and to win SOULS to you God. I love You so so so much Father. I ask that you make me a better leader because it is YOUR will to see people fall in love with you, and I wish to do that. Use me. Speak to me and through me and let YOUR kingdom come as it already is. Let YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I declare Your authority over my life. I ask that you rule in my life, that you rule through me, and that you use this life changing experience to win people to you. To show people how BEAUTIFUL You really are.
I love You God, so much.
In Jesus' mighty,holy, gracious, perfect, amazing, loving, affectionate, powerful, majestic, glorious name-
AMEN.
p.s- I hope this ministered to you, truth be told, I didn't really think too much about this I just wanted to shut up and let the Spirit speak. I'm just glad I got to read what the Spirit had me write haha :)
Love,
-Josh
Okay
Sunday and Monday, (November 1st and 2nd), I went to Celebration Church in Fresno to listen to John Bevere speak on a newer study of his: being extraordinary Christians. I'm only going to touch base on a few things he went over in hopes you may catch fire.
He shared a statistic of what 98.1% of American Christians believe about grace: that it covers our sin, washes away our sin, that it is a free gift, and that it cleanses us.
All of these things are true.
BUT, its not what God defines His grace as. John chapter 1 verses 14-16 state:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
Two things come to mind: If Jesus was sinless, why did He need grace? and What is His fullness?
The answer to the first question lies in the answer of the second.
John talked about how grace for grace is a phrase used to represent something coming full circle. If something is coming full circle in verse 16, then it MUST be talking about HIS FULLNESS.
Jesus didn't need grace to cover His sin, He needed God's empowering grace to live in the likeness of God seeing as He was human. He was made just like all of us.
Grace isn't only just seen in this light in John tho.
2 Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 12 states that:
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
He just used grace and power interchangeably!
John used two analogies; One was of a tribe in Africa receiving the gift of a Land Rover. People in the states hear about how the tribe has to walk enormous distances to get food and supplies. So the people buy the tribe a SUV. The people giving the Land Rover get over there and tell them about all the great features: side and frontal airbags, power seats, air conditioning, DVD player, GPS, sun roof, all that jazz. They catch word years later that the tribe is still traveling by foot long distances because they haven't driven the vehicle once. The tribe was so stoked about the perks of having a FREE GIFT that they never took it out for a drive. They didn't utilize the power of the gift.
The other analogy is of a farmer. He has access to this canal, full of water, ready to provide fresh nutrients to his crops. He decides to tap into this canal to water his Corn, while neglecting his other crops of peaches, plums, nectarines and what have you. The other crops suffer while he only has one successful crop. Why tap into only one aspect of a free gift when we have ACCESS TO ALL OF IT!
The main point being is that grace in its origin was not just meant to cleanse us from sin, and to cover us and make sure we go to heaven. That's great. But in its creation, grace was meant to EMPOWER us to lead extraordinary lives.
It states in Genesis that God created man (and woman) in His own image. Now, is God ordinary?
NO! haha.
God made us godlike in our creation. We were meant, built, wired to do extraordinary things. We're called to be Holy as He is Holy. To come up to His level, can we do that? Not without Gods EMPOWERING grace in our lives.
I want to challenge you with this. I could go on for a while, but my fingers hurt, I expect God to place this in your heart:
If Jesus stated that we (the body of Christ) are going to do greater things than He did when He was on earth, does that mean we are called to be ordinary?
Does that mean that being a Christian isn't empowering?
Does that mean we shouldn't utilize the free gift of God in other areas of our life? Healing? Finances? Ingenuity? Creativity? Ruling in Life?
How do we tap into this empowering grace though? This is important: through faith.
It is by GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH!!!!
we have to have faith that God will empower us with His grace.
Lets pray.
Dear God,
I pray that you fill us up with your empowering grace. I come to Your throne of grace, not with a cup, but with my truck backed up wit a bathtub in the back God, fill me up with YOUR GRACE! I ask this in Jesus' name. I want my brothers and sisters to realize that You've called us to greatness. To be HOLY as you are HOLY. I want to be Holy as You are God. I know that without my trusting You, without faith, none of this is possible. So increase my capacity to believe you. Give me child like faith, so I just believe and don't question. Through my faith I will acquire your empowering Grace that will give me the ability to move mountains of doubt, to heal hurting, sick people. I will be able to live as Christ lived. To be HOLY as You are. God I pray that you shake the foundations of this area, and that you give people the ears to hear and a receptive heart, so that you can speak the true meaning of Grace into their lives. Father, its only by your power that I can do what You've called me to do. I ask that you give me the capacity to love dangerously for you. To be innovative, to be creative and to win SOULS to you God. I love You so so so much Father. I ask that you make me a better leader because it is YOUR will to see people fall in love with you, and I wish to do that. Use me. Speak to me and through me and let YOUR kingdom come as it already is. Let YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I declare Your authority over my life. I ask that you rule in my life, that you rule through me, and that you use this life changing experience to win people to you. To show people how BEAUTIFUL You really are.
I love You God, so much.
In Jesus' mighty,holy, gracious, perfect, amazing, loving, affectionate, powerful, majestic, glorious name-
AMEN.
p.s- I hope this ministered to you, truth be told, I didn't really think too much about this I just wanted to shut up and let the Spirit speak. I'm just glad I got to read what the Spirit had me write haha :)
Love,
-Josh
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