Kingdom Principles (Part 4) The Kingdom Without

Kingdom Principles (Part 4)

Thy Kingdom Without

Matthew 6:9-10

9Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.

10Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Let’s discuss the natural realm of the  kingdom of heaven.  We know that the ultimate will of God is to bring the kingdom of God into the earth, until the whole earth is filled with His glory.  It is not just the physical earth, but also, we desire the kingdom to come into our earth and our bodies.  The Lord works in the principles that life emerges from a death, even as the outer kernel of a seed dies to give place and life to the sprout within.  The perfect type of the kingdom of God and His coming is seen in the life of Christ.  Here was God in a corruptible mortal body.  The outward and natural state of being is not the end in itself, as we might perceive it to be, as we identify life as being these breathing mortal organisms we call our bodies.  They are simply disposable facilitators of the much more precious life within.  The way of the cross often crushes the outer in order to release the inner life of the spirit.  Flesh must die that spirit might live.

When a diver or harvesters of clams, looking for pearls, do their work they aren’t concerned for the life of the clam itself, they are after the treasure that is within.  This is what God is most concerned for in us.  Certainly, He does care for and provide for our outer man, but we know that in a short matter of time that the outward is perishing and will pass away.  The outward body of Christ is a facilitator for the Spirit of God within.  That is why it exists, and its function is to give place to that life and carry out, in a natural world, the gospel of the kingdom and the demonstration of its life, not ours.  1 Corinthians 15:49-30 says this, “And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven. 50But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal).”  From this we can understand why Jesus told us, “He who seeks to save his life shall lose it, but he loses his life for my sake shall find it.”  True life isn’t found in the outward being of a man, it is found in his spirit.  The true life and essence of the kingdom of God is not found in the outward body of Christ, but the church is a facilitator, and thus should be an expression, of the kingdom life within.  Because corruptible can not inherit incorruptible, we know that this body in its present state cannot enter into and fully possess the kingdom of God.  What we have is the promise and the hope of this transformation and change in Christ.  The whole direction of our being in Christ is to live out of the kingdom of God within us and by His power and grace working in us bring our soul and mortal body into conformity with His will and purpose.  We are no longer instruments, facilitator of sin, but of righteousness.  We are in the midst of metamorphosis, transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and from the man of earth to the man of heaven.

Listen to what Daniel saw in a vision in Daniel 7  “These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18But the saints of the Most High [God] shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. 19Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast–which was different from all the others, exceedingly terrible and shocking, whose teeth were of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke and crushed, and trampled what was left with its feet– 20And about the ten horns [representing kings] that were on its head, and the other horn which came up later and before which three of [the horns] fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things and which looked greater than the others. 21As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them

22Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High [God], and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. 23Thus [the angel] said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it. 24And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue and put down three kings. 25And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law; and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years]. 26But the judgment shall be set [by the court of the Most High], and they shall take away his dominion to consume it [gradually] and to destroy it [suddenly] in the end. 27And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions shall serve and obey Him.” 

It is not my intent to get into eschatology and interpretation of the end times.  What we need to see here is that first, it is God’s intent that the saints inherit the kingdom of God and second; every time the enemy seeks to destroy the life of God by destroying the natural life of the saints it only serves to release the life of God in a greater measure.  When our lives become a living sacrifice or when we must even yield this natural life up, it only serves to release the fragrance of the Christ in us, it does not destroy who we are in Him.  Let us not be dismayed by persecution, peril and even death, for our lives are hid with Christ in God.

What we see today in the natural realm of the kingdom of God is a mixture of flesh and Spirit.  That is a state of being that will exist until the King fully possesses us and changes us at His coming and presence.  1 John 3:3 exhorts us, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Blessings,

#kent

Kingdom of Heaven (Part 3) A Matter of the Heart

Kingdom of Heaven  (Part 3)

A Matter of the Heart

Mathew 13:19

While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.

“Our mind must bring our mortal man into agreement with who we are as a spiritual being.”  Jesus likens the gospel of the kingdom unto a seed planted in the ground.  The type of soil that it falls into has everything to do with its success in taking root, growing up and bearing fruit.  This has to do with the condition of our hearts.  In this parable from Mathew 13 Jesus describes a number of conditions in which the seed doesn’t take root or if it does, why it doesn’t remain and become fruitful. 

Our hearts, spiritually speaking, are made up of our soul and spirit.  We have already discussed how Christ came to reside in our spirits when we asked him into our hearts.  Our souls are made up of our mind, will and emotions.  These constitute how we relate to the Lord both initially and throughout our relationship with Christ.  It is the realm of the soul wherein lies the battle for the kingdom of heaven.  A person who has received Christ and given themselves to God, has the desire to press in with their soul and possess what they already possess in the spirit.  This is what the Bible terms walking in the Spirit.  What was not possible before, is now made possible because of the power of Christ in us.  Romans 8:2-5 puts it in this perspective, “2For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death. 3For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], 4So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]. 5For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and  seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.”  Self has been dethroned and Christ has been enthroned in our hearts.  We now operate under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.  What we could not do in ourselves, Christ has done for us, so it is now a matter of bringing the soul into alignment with the law that has been written upon our hearts.  It is the law of the kingdom and the Holy Spirit is its administrator. 

               In this lower realm of heaven where the souls of natural men abide we find that there is still a war going on for our souls.  In this realm we find principalities, powers and rulers of darkness still in operation and launching assaults first to keep us from coming into the kingdom of God, but then once we have, there is still the assaults to rob it from us.  It is our soul that is caught between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.  The difference is that now that we are in Christ, we are equipped with spiritual armor, the Word of God and the power of God to do battle with this enemy of our soul.  Still there is a responsibility that lies with each of God’s children to utilize what God has provided us.  There is the need for continual vigilance to align our minds and our thinking with the mind of Christ and the Word of God.  If satan can deceive or get a hold of our mind then he can pull us down from our relationship and intimacy with Christ.  He can pervert and pollute our walk and put us again under the bondage of the flesh.  He desires to bring us back again under the mindset of the law of sin and death.  On one hand he seeks to corrupt us and on the other he seeks to condemn us when we step in his corruption.  The more condemnation we feel and give place too the less faith we have to lay hold of God’s promises and His Word.  There is a war in the heavenlies of our soul.  In this realm of the kingdom of heaven the battle is still going on.  We are in it and we must be mindful of it.  Ephesians 6:10-18 exhorts us, “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. 11Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. 13Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. 14Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, 15And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace, 16Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. 18Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).”  Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”

               The soul is the spiritual battleground where the war must be won and the kingdom of God established.  Christ has given us the victory and He has sat down at the right hand of the Father till His enemies be made His footstool.  We are the feet and the body that must carry out the victory and establish the kingdom of heaven in this earth through the power of Christ within. 

Blessing,

#kent

Kingdom Principles (Part 2) The Kingdom within You

Kingdom Principles (Part 2)

The Kingdom Within You

Luke 17:22

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

               I believe the kingdom of heaven is not so unlike the make-up of man.  God so often works in threes and we can see the kingdom of heaven much the same way.  We know for instance that there is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  In a man there is spirit, soul and body.  In God’s tabernacle and temple there are outer court, inner court or holy place and Holy of Holies.  Much of God’s structure can be seen following this pattern.  In meditating upon the scriptures that pertain to the kingdom we can see the kingdom working in three aspects.  We are all pretty much settled on the fact and truth that there is a heaven beyond this natural realm where indeed God and His heavenly host reside.  We have come to see and believe that this is a place of perfection where sin and corruption have no place.  When we’re redeemed through our faith and acceptance of Christ into our hearts and lives, the kingdom of God was brought into our spirits.  Our spirit is like the heaven of our beings.  It is the place of God’s resident presence through the Holy Spirit.  It is the one place we can presently know perfection and righteousness and it is this presence and indwelling of the Holy One that sets us apart from the world and this natural realm of being.  When the gospel of the kingdom of God or heaven is preached; it is the gospel of salvation and of Christ redeeming and saving us from our body of sin and death.  Through that gospel we live in the hope of heaven and the kingdom of God fully being manifested in our life and being. 

               As a side note I have wondered about what is the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.  It appears that in the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John where this terminology is most used that Matthew likes to use the term “kingdom of heaven”, whereas the other gospels seem to predominately us the term “kingdom of God”.  We can see these terms used in reference to the same parable in different gospels with one using one term and the other using the other term, so they would appear to be interchangeable and of the same in meaning.

               Returning to this idea of a three-part kingdom of heaven, we can relate to our spirits actually dwelling in a heavenly state.  When Christ came into our heart or our Spirit, the kingdom of God came within us.  Colossians 3:1-4 exhorts us concerning the state of salvation we have entered into and how that is to influence us outwardly.  It says, “IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, 2And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. 3For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.”  Our relationship with Christ should be bringing us into a realm of heavenly mindedness.  Our mind must bring our mortal man into agreement with who we are as a spiritual being.  Let’s look a little further into how this heavenly indwelling is to impact our former man and nature.  Ephesians 2:1- 6, “AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins 2In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. 3Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. 4But God–so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, 5Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). 6And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”  Here we see that in Christ we currently sit in heavenly places with Him.  So the seat of our spirit is in heaven.  Obviously we would love to see the rest of our being in this place also, but in this realm of the rest of our being we see a progress of salvation at work which will bring us to next realm of the kingdom.

Blessings,

#kent

Kingdom Principles (Part 1) Introduction to the Kingdom

Kingdom Principles (Part 1)

Introduction to the Kingdom

Matthew 22:2-14

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son

3And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they refused to come. 4Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my banquet; my bullocks and my fat calves are killed, and everything is prepared; come to the wedding feast.

5But they were not concerned and paid no attention [they ignored and made light of the summons, treating it with contempt] and they went away–one to his farm, another to his business,

6While the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and put them to death.

7[Hearing this] the king was infuriated; and he sent his soldiers and put those murderers to death and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, The wedding [feast] is prepared, but those invited were not worthy. 9So go to the thoroughfares where they leave the city [where the main roads and those from the country end] and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.

10And those servants went out on the crossroads and got together as many as they found, both bad and good, so [the room in which] the wedding feast [was held] was filled with guests.

11But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment. 12And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless (muzzled, gagged). 13Then the king said to the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

14For many are called (invited and summoned), but few are chosen.

               Perhaps this parable of Jesus is a good overall summary of the kingdom of heaven.   Jesus talks much about the kingdom of heaven and speaks many parables about it, but to many of us it is still somewhat of a mystery.  In this parable and illustration, we see the King as Father God, giving a wedding banquet of His Son, which we can easily see is Christ.  Now the kingdom of heaven is not represented specifically as the marriage to the bride, but rather all that are invited to come to the celebration of the union.  In this parable we see the first invitations going out to God’s people who have been invited.  They have been invited through the dispensation of God’s Word, prophecies and promises of a coming Messiah, but they miss it, they reject it, they blow it off because they are to busy with their own things.  In some cases, the servants who bring the message are even abused, persecuted and put to death.  This represents the Jewish nation as a whole.  The Light came to them, but in their darkness, they perceived it not. 

               We can look back over history at the plight of the Jewish people and we can see through the destruction of Jerusalem around 70 AD and on, the people of Israel have been a scattered and persecuted people. 

               Because of Israel’s rejection, as a whole, the invitation to the wedding banquet or to come into the kingdom was extended to gentiles and to all that would respond, both bad and good.  We then see that as the King (God) viewed the guests, that there was a protocol; people permitted to the feast had to have a wedding garment.  We can easily assess from the scriptures that these garments represented the righteousness of Christ and those who wore them needed to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.  There was none permitted to stay that had their own righteousness or garments of the flesh.  Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Now we can surmise through other parables that Jesus speaks of the kingdom that there is, for a time, a mixture of those who truly possess the wedding garments and those who don’t.  This one man that was cast out of the wedding may be representative of many who will have to answer to the King in the time of judgement.  We see it in the parable of the wheat and the tares where the two were allowed to grow together until the time of harvest.  Jesus was the kingdom come, but this coming was His first coming as the Saviour and the Redeemer of men.  Through Christ, men could receive the kingdom of heaven into their heart and be recipients of the King and his kingdom.

               Here we have an overall view of the kingdom of heaven as being the place to where we have been invited to Christ.  We see that we both, have to respond and dress appropriately to be acceptable in this kingdom.  We see that many are called, but few are chosen.  Hopefully we have all responded to the invitation and dressed appropriately through asking Christ into our hearts and are putting on Christ.

Blessings,

#kent

Spirits of Influence

Romans 13:12-14

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].

Spirits of Influence

               There are three primary wills that are operating in our lives today: the will of God, the will of man and the will of satan.  We have the right and the good on one side, the evil and the darkness on the other and we are in between.   We know that we are a spirit being, with a soul made up of mind, will and emotion.  Then we have a body that is able to physically and outwardly express that which is resident in our spirit and our soul.   We find that our souls are the battleground for that which possesses our spirit and that which manifests itself through our outward man. 

               As a Christian we have asked Christ to come in and indwell our spirits.  This is the beginning of our salvation experience.  While we have given our hearts and spirits to Christ, what we find is that there still remains spirits of influence in our outward man that continue to seek to find a place of residence and expression through our mortal man. 

               Why is it that as Christians we still display so many attributes of the flesh?  It is because there is still a mixture in our soul of flesh and Spirit.  When the Lord brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the promised Canaan land, it was filled with inhabitants already.  The inhabitants were an idolatrous and wicked people.  The absence of the presence and working of the Spirit of God in that place had left it like a fertile field overgrown with weeds, thistle and thorns.  The possession of the land was through a physical and spiritual dispossessing of the former inhabitants and the spirits that possessed them. 

               In our souls today we may well be struggling with spirits of influence that may be quite contrary to the Holy Spirit.  Each one of us has strongholds and weaknesses that the enemy seeks to infiltrate and exploit to his sinister end and purpose.  There may be areas that we are able to overcome relatively easy and have no real power or influence over us, but there are other areas that we struggle with and may feel constantly defeated in. 

               Satan feeds on flesh.  In Genesis 3:14 the Lord curses the serpent, satan and says, “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”  If we ask the question, “what dust does he eat?” we find the answer in Genesis 3:19.  “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.”  Our bodies and our flesh are the dust that the serpent and his demonic host feed upon.  When we are in Christ, satan’s only right to us is through our flesh.  Satan had nothing in Jesus, because Jesus didn’t operate out of the flesh, but out of the Spirit.  This is why Romans 13:14 exhorts us to, “put on you the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof.”  What we feed, grows.  When we give place to those areas in our lives that are our weaknesses and areas of temptation then they grow stronger and stronger the more we give them life and place.  The stronger they become the more they bind and imprison us.  This is how the enemy gains a foothold in our lives and through time is able to destroy our testimony and faith.  This is the purpose and the goal of the enemy, to rule us with condemnation, guilt and shame.  The more these strongholds gain place the more isolated and unworthy we feel of God, thus the more we are separated through lack of faith, fear, doubt and condemnation. 

               The reality is God has never stopped loving us and caring for us.  The blood of Jesus has never lost its power of forgiveness, but satan has found occasion through our sin to cause a separation between our God and us. 

               Freedom is in laying hold of the key of faith that will unlock the door to our prison.  God has already set us free in Christ. It is our minds and the deception of the enemy that holds us captive.  The Word exhorts us to denounce the works of darkness.   Romans 13:12 exhorts us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”  Our liberty is in putting on the armor of God’s Word and truth by faith.  ‘There is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  We will no longer walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit in Christ Jesus.”  By the Spirit we will put to death the deeds of the flesh and we will take back the land of our soul and mortal bodies through the authority and the power of Christ in us.  We have reckoned ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto Christ.  We will press on, overcoming in that truth.   “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)” 

               Don’t allow the spirits of influence to rob you of your destiny and your purpose in Christ,

“ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].”

Blessings,

#kent

A Prophet is without Honor in His Own House

Mark 6: 1-6

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

A Prophet is without Honor in His Own House

               The passage is such an example of how faith and power so often works or doesn’t work according to our paradigm and mindset.  Jesus had been going about doing great miracles, signs and wonders.  He went about healing all who were sick and oppressed of the devil.  Then He comes back to His hometown.  What is obviously holy and sent of God to others is perceived as common and of no reputation among the home folk.  Why?  They saw this Jesus grow up from a young boy.  They knew Him as a tradesman and carpenter.  They probably all knew He was rather different and peculiar, but they always saw Him and knew Him after the flesh, but never really perceived who He was in the Spirit.  Consequently, when He comes to His hometown they can’t receive the maturity that He has come into as the Son of God and the Messiah.  Certainly, they were amazed by what they heard from Him as He taught and that He even did miracles, but they couldn’t get away from that natural perception of Jesus before He was demonstrating in power and authority the kingdom of God among them.  Their minds couldn’t let go of the humanity of Jesus in that He was simply the son of Mary and Joseph and that His family still lived among them.  So why is He suddenly so special?  In their eyes He is an ordinary person with a flesh and blood family.  How does He make Himself out to be so holy and sent of God?  As a result, they took offense at Him and could not receive Him for who He was.   It is among the people that have known you after the flesh who will most likely fail to recognize and honor you after the Spirit.  They still want to keep you in that old fleshly box and earthly paradigm because that is what they knew and understood, but now Jesus doesn’t fit in that box anymore, so they take offense at Him and reject Him as the man of God. 

               Doubt, fear and unbelief are the opposing forces of faith.  Where they exist and are prevalent the power of faith is hindered and unable to work.  These forces were obviously prevalent in the hearts and minds of Jesus’ former neighbors and townsmen.  They deemed that common which was Holy.  We often fall into this same sin as believers.  We often come to regard as common that which holy, sacred and to be honored and highly exalted.  The Lord becomes so ordinary and everyday to us that we often lose sight of His awesome greatness and the immensity of His love and grace that He has bestowed upon us.  It is often reflected in our attitudes, in our lack of obedience and how we flippantly can take Christ or leave Him at will, depending upon our mood or desire.  When we came to Christ we didn’t just give Him part of us; we gave Him all of us.  All that we are belongs to Him because He purchased us from our sins with the price of His own sinless blood. 

               2 Corinthians 5:14-17 tells us, “14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  We can no longer regard Christ from a worldly point of view, even though we see and behold His humanity.  In the same way we can no longer regard one another as just people of the world who are simply flesh and blood.  We must see one another for who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us.  The power and anointing of the Godhead abides in your Christian friend Joe and when God begins manifesting His power through him don’t be offended or surprised.  Even if you have known Joe and even seen his weaknesses and faults, don’t judge him after the flesh.  The power and life of Christ abides in Joe and that power can manifest at anytime to bring Joe into the supernatural moving of God.  What is true for Joe is also true of you, if you are in Christ Jesus.  We can’t treat as common the Lord in our lives, nor can we count as common those who labor among us.  God will blow the lid off of this earthly covering.  It is just a matter of time, maturity and His season.  Don’t be offended when one of your brothers or sisters begins to move in the power of God, rather discern the Spirit of the Lord manifesting through them and honor them as you would the Lord.  Let us not be as the hometown people who knew Jesus the man, but missed the visitation of Jesus the Son of God.  Honor the prophet, even if He is one who has grown up among you.

Blessings,

#kent

Temptation through the Back Door

Mark 14:38

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Temptation Through the Back Door

               How often have we found ourselves in sin because we were in a place of complacency and we had let down our spiritual guard?  We all can easily get distracted with natural things, events and happenings around us.  It is so easy to slip out of that attitude and place of prayer and vigilance, and then find ourselves in a place of giving place to the devil. 

               That word “watch” means exactly that; be on the look out, give attention, be cautious, active.  Take heed lest through a letting down of your guard, laziness, sloth or apathy you give place to temptation.  Because the body and the flesh is weak, we can never be dependent upon our natural abilities to walk in righteousness and not be overcome by sin.  Our walk in the Spirit is what gives us victory over sin.  Romans 8:12-14 tells us, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”  We can plainly see here that it is not by the efforts of the flesh that you put to death the flesh.  If the flesh can find in loophole and means by which it doesn’t have to fully die, it will take it.  So much of the sin in our lives is like when we go out into the garden to pull weeds, if we just tear off the top, but don’t get the roots pulled out and we all know that it won’t be long until they come back.  The Holy Spirit can help us find the root of our sin, so that it can be permanently extracted and have no more power over us. 

               Romans teaches us that our power over sin, is by understanding that we live under a new law.  The old law of sin and death brought us into awareness of sin, but didn’t give us victory over it, it condemned us for it.   The new law that we now live under is that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.  Under that law we no longer live out of the weakness of our flesh, but out of the strength of the Spirit of God within us.  It is God’s Spirit empowering our spirit that gives us victory over sin and temptation as we walk in Him, relying upon Him and drawing from His strength. 

               As the flesh is ever present to demand its way and to seek its own, we must ever remain vigilant and watchful that we abide in the Spirit and practice the presence of Christ in our lives.  We know by His word that we are dead to the natural man and alive unto Christ, but as long we walk in these natural tabernacles the world, the flesh and sin exerts its influences and pull upon us.            

               This is why knowing your identity is so important.  You can’t be what you are, if you don’t know who you are.  We have the identity of Christ and in that identity of “Christ in us the hope of glory.”  We host His presence and honor Him by allowing Him to have the expression through our lives and no longer the former man of sin. 

               The enemy is always out to rob your identity or to try and give you another.  When he can get our eyes and our heart off of who and what we are, then he can lead us into who we are not.  Maintain that place of watchfulness, vigilance, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)” 

               Let’s end with this exhortation from Ephesians 6, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

               Somebody needs this today to overcome a temptation in your life.

Blessings,

#kent

Put Your Love where Your Mouth Is!

1 John 3:16

Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.

Put Your Love where Your Mouth is!

               John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Isn’t it ironic how John 3:16, the love of God through Christ and 1 John 3:16, the love of Christ through us, coincide so closely together?  Both of these scriptures involve the giving of a sacrifice in love.  Both of these scriptures involve the laying down of a life as the ultimate expression of love.

               My conviction today is how shallow and conditional my love is.  It is not nearly so focused on others as it is on its own agenda.  That self-love wants to preserve and cater to this life rather than sacrifice and give it.  Rather we think it out loud or not, how much of our life is motivated by, “what’s in it for me?”  What is even more convicting is how we so often treat the ones that are the closest to us and that we say that we love the greatest with the most contempt, disrespect and selfishness.  Where does all of that line up with the love of God in us?  We talk about the love of Christ, we preach it to others and we go through the motions, but is that love, that agape love, alive in action in our personal day to day relationships. 

               Husbands, why are we not bringing the love into the home?  Why do we not love our wives, like Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it?  Why do we not love our brethren, rather than using and taking advantage of them?  Should it surprise us that the world has so much contempt for us as Christians?  A good deal of the contempt and mockery of Christianity has little to do with how much we are like Christ.  Our hypocrisy betrays us.  When Christians and churches don’t pay their bills, borrow and don’t return, and only take, but never give, what does that speak about the love of Christ in our lives?   Many of us need a reality check about what the love of Christ is, because it isn’t being seen in us.   Where has the depth of God’s agape love gone?  When that love is operating, people will be drawn to Christ and they will know us by our love.  How do others perceive and know us now?  Is that self-giving, sacrificial love what we are known for? 

               Our prayer should be, “God make me a giver like You are a giver.  Make me a lover like you have loved me.  Make my life a living sacrifice daily poured out to You as I serve and love others as You have served and loved me.  Help me to experience in daily deed and reality what it is to love my neighbor as myself.  Help me to put Your love where my empty hollow words have been.  Amen.”

Blessings,

#kent

The Groan Within

The Groan Within

Romans 8:18-24

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

               As much as we can love the Lord and desire to be filled with the fullness and glory of His divine life, we find that as long as we are still of this earth we are still tethered to our body of flesh.  It is this body of flesh that poses our limitations; it is the dust to which we are bound and upon which the serpent feeds.  This flesh is ever demanding our attention and our care as it provides the earthly housing for our spirit man.  Yet it is the spirit man within us, redeemed and conformed to the image of Christ, that so groans to be set free from the limitations, the hindrances, the weakness, the sin and the failures that the flesh prompts and facilitates.   Every day must be a recommitment to crucify this flesh, hold fast our faith in Christ and walk in a manner that glorifies Him.  Yet every day it seems the enemy is at work in our lives to undermine, to seek some avenue of darkness that he might exploit in us.  Every day, it is necessary to set ourselves in array with our spiritual armor to combat our spiritual foe.  The battle is waged not so much without as it is waged within.  We battle our thoughts that are impure or out of alignment with the Word of God.  We war with our passions and our impulses to act out of our flesh rather than our spirit.  We war with the individual weaknesses that are characteristic and inherent within us.  “Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of sin and death (Romans 7:24)?”  Isn’t that our groan and cry to the Lord?  We often hate what we are still manifesting in our flesh, but we seem so powerless to gain the victory and righteousness that we so desire to see.  It is this reality that we continually face that causes us to know that we are the products of God’s grace and mercy alone and through no righteousness of our own.  It is His righteousness and life with which we now relate and identify.  The answer to our cry and groan for the deliverance from this body of death is still Jesus Christ. 

               We groan to see that full deliverance from the influence and power of our body of sin, but God in His infinite wisdom has chosen that even in salvation that we must walk in faith and trust for the in-working of righteousness and deliverance in us.  God has structured it in such a way that it is only in a holy and sustained union with Him and identification with who we now are in Christ that we walk each day in faith, working out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Our day to day victories are only accomplished as we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.  It is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set me free from the law of sin and death.  There are two laws operational in your life today.  Whichever law you make the choice to serve that is whose servant you are.  We know that, in ourselves, in this flesh, dwells no good thing.  We know that the heart is deceitfully wicked and who can know it?  This is why we need an ally to prevail over this body of sin. 

Romans 8:12-13 tells us, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”  The key to a victorious life in Christ is living and walking in the Spirit and by the power of the Spirit putting to death the passion and misdeeds of the flesh. 

               It is not often an easy walk.  Sometimes we grow weary or complacent.  Sometimes we allow the moldy corruption of our sinful desires to have place under a cloak of righteousness, but eventually the stink of our misdeeds will be revealed.  Yes, we are often weak and we can all stumble.  We need to pray for one another.  We need the ability to be transparent with one another without judgement so that we can minister grace and encouragement to each other.  We are the body and with the life of Christ within each of us we must minister and function to the good and health of the whole.  As we hold fast our faith and hope, one-day that groan will be turned to the shout of victory, as we will triumph fully in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

#kent

In My Name

John 14:13-14

13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

In My Name

               Obviously authority without responsibility can be a dangerous thing.  One might read this passage, and think, as so many have, all I have to do is say the magic words, “In the name of Jesus” and it will be done.  In reality we have not seen this to be the case.   So, is Jesus not true to His word? 

               When we ask something in the name of someone else we are asking in accordance with the will and purpose of the one whose name we use.  Jesus is true to His word, but there are principles that we need to understand.  For one, a name represents the nature and character of a person.  If I am using someone’s name then I need to be operating out of the nature and character of that name.  We can’t use authority that we are not in submission too and expect that authority to back up what we say.  We may mean well or think it is what Jesus would want or do, but are we moving by the unction and in the will of the Holy Spirit or out of what we think or feel in our natural man?

               Let us look at our pattern Jesus.  Did He go about doing good and performing miracles simply out of His will as a man?  In John 5:43 Jesus says, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”  Jesus was speaking and operating out of the authority of the Father’s name.  In John 6:38 Jesus says, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”  Here we see the authority and nature of the name that Jesus is operating out of.   Hear what Jesus says of Himself in John 5:19, “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”  Again in John 5:30 Jesus says, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”  He then confirms the conditions of the authority that He has given us in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”  It becomes evident to us here that if we are to operate in the authority of the name of Jesus we need to be in an abiding relationship that is flowing out of the vine of His divine life and nature.  Without that we cannot truly be fruitful. The reason that Jesus gives us His name and authority is so that we can be fruitful to carry out His will and purpose in the earth for His glory and not for our selfish ambitions or desires. 

               In Acts 19:12-16 we read an account of those who sought to use the name of Jesus out of the context of a life of abiding in Him.  “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15(One day) the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.”  Here we see that outside of the submission to the authority of the name that we invoke, there is no authority.  It is not simply invoking the name of Jesus that empowers us, it is operating out of submission to the authority of the name that then imparts authority through us, just as Jesus operated out of the name of the Father, because He was in the Father and the Father was in Him.   When we are in Christ and Christ is in us, our life is hid in Him and it His life that then has the authority of expression through us and whatsoever we ask in His name, He will do it.

Blessings,

#kent