Realities

Realities

Psalms 19:7-11
The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD [are] right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD [is] pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true [and] righteous altogether. More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb Moreover by them is thy servant warned: [and] in keeping of them [there is] great reward.

The natural man builds his life on the realities of his understanding of this natural world and how it works. Those things that are real to his sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell are the reality of his world. They are truth to him. When he looks out and sees the mountains, when he touches the soft skin of his wife, when he hears his children playing and smells the lilacs in spring, these are reality to him. When talking or relating to that which is beyond the natural realm, what is reality? What are the things that are as sure and reliable to the spiritual man, who is relating to those realities which are outside of the sense realm? For the Christian, who embraces the Word of God as His reality, the Word of God stands as the cornerstone and foundation of spiritual truth and reality.
This scripture in Psalms 19 gives us some very fundamental and foundational truths to build our house of faith and trust upon. Because spiritual realities are not always evidenced in the natural world, except in type and shadow; we must have a resource that puts all believers in God on the same page. That resource is the Word and the law of God. It is the source of input that feeds spiritual truths and realities into our natural mind. When we read and try to understand the Word of God with only a natural mind and understanding, many things don’t make sense to us and are conflicting.
I once heard it put in such a way that it made a lot of sense. If God is Spirit as it says in John 4:24, then it only stands to reason that He would write a spiritual book. As we know, the content of our Bibles is the compilation of numerous authors down through the ages that have written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God’s spiritual book. It only stands to reason that if we are reading a spiritual book, we need a spiritual mind to receive and understand it. This is why it is essential when reading God’s Word that we ask the Holy Spirit, the author of the book, for understanding and revelation to comprehend, assimilate and put into practice the truths of His divine counsel. In John 16:13 Jesus tells His disciples, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” The one sure promise that each believer has is that he or she can possess the Holy Spirit that is able to lead and guide you into truth. Peter speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaks this truth to us in Acts 2:38-39: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
While it is encouraging, edifying and instructional that we can glean much spiritual understanding from words and books of men, this should never become a substitute for our seeking God through His Word and the instruction we can receive from the Holy Spirit personally. The Lord doesn’t want second hand children; He wants each one of us to be in relationship with Him so that we are hearing and receiving personal truth and revelation from Him. What He reveals and shows us will not contradict the rest of His Word but will only further verify and confirm it. The Lord desires to further teach each of us the spiritual realities of His truth that will make us rich partakers of His divine life and blessing. His precepts and instruction are what leads us and helps us to grow in the path that leads to life and godliness. There is nothing sweeter or more precious than His Word quickened by the Holy Spirit that leads us into the reality, presence and revelation of who He is.

Blessings,
#kent

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You are the Luminary of God’s Life

You are the Luminary of God’s Life

Genesis 1:14-15
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

Did you know that God’s redeemed and called out ones are the lights of heaven that divide the day and night of earth? We are God’s sign for the days and seasons of His plan and we are the lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. God has forever had a presence in this world since it turned to sin and darkness. His presence has been revealed unto and through the people that He has shown and made Himself known too. They in turn became the light of revelation and the truth of God to the world of the darkness around them. If any of you ever wanted to be a star, then know that you are one of the stars of God’s heavens. He has set you as a luminary, a diadem of light, in the midst of a dark world.
Luke 12:34-36 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” Lights burn with varying intensity. The intensity of our spiritual lights are directly proportional to our relationship with the Son of God who is the great light of the world and to His spirit living through us. John 1:4-5 tells us of Jesus, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” We comprehend it because the Spirit of God has quickened our hearts to receive the truth. Truth known is not truth revealed. For truth to be revealed is has to have expression through action. It has to have an embodiment to express itself through. As Jesus was the daystar that was the light of the world and expressed through His life the life and love of God, we, as believers are the embodiment of His truth and life. We have received light and truth that we in turn might become the transmitters of that light and truth to a world still lost in darkness and ignorance of who God really is. In John 8:12 Jesus says, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Again in John 12:46 He says, ” I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” We can now not only walk in the light, but we can be light, because of the Spirit of Truth that abides within us is the oil and the Word of Truth is the lampstand upon which we rest. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The light that this world has is revealed through you, His people, as you are faithful to let that light shine before men. It is revealed not only by what we say but also by what we live. It says, “that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The world has too long heard Christians saying one thing and living another. We have all been guilty of that, but that it is not what brings God glory. Hypocrisy is like polluted water, it holds the promise of quenching our thirst, but then sickens us when we go to drink. We all have a sphere and circle of influence through which the people in darkness walk through. What effect will the light of your life have upon them?
We often murmur and complain about the difficulties and trials in our lives. We must realize that these are but opportunities for the application of God’s truth and the opportunity to see our faith in that truth produce substance in our lives and consequentially in the lives of others as well. Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 25 of ten virgins representing His church, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” A lamp without the oil is useless for producing light, so are our lives if we do not allow the Spirit of God to live through us as we exercise ourselves by reason of the Word of God and faith in that Word. You and I must be workable, functioning lamps that can and are producing the light of God’s truth through our lives. The wise virgin, accepted by the Lord, is seen in her diligence and preparation. Our lives, daily lived out in faith and relationship with Christ, by the power of the Spirit is producing in us the oil that will make our lamps acceptable to Him. In the mean time they will provide a light by which others may find their way to Him. You are the light of God, set in heavenly places, be faithful to be the life giving light of your solar system and realm of influence.

Blessings,
kent

Live for Life

Live for Life

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When God breathed into man the breath of life He gave man something that no other living creature had, an eternal spirit and soul. As there are three forms of expression in God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; so there are three expressions of man: spirit, soul and body. This is brought out plainly in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” While animals are organisms that have the breath of life, this form of life only exists as long as the organism is living. We have that same form of life working in our bodies. We also have another form of life; it is spirit life that God breathed into us. It is what connects us to the spiritual world. We wear this physical body to give expression to the soul which is made up of the mind, will and emotions of man. Your soul is your distinct personality and person. The physical body is the temporary residence that houses and allows this soul its expression. The spirit is the inter-most entity contained within the soul. It is the Holy of Holies, if you will, of a man. The spirit is where we connect with forces beyond the natural realm. The soul is the processing center of both the natural and the spiritual realm. It becomes the battleground in which all the dramas of natural and spiritual life are played out.
Adam and Eve fell from a state of spiritual life and living when they disobeyed God and sinned in the Garden. With them fell all of mankind back into a state of natural life and living. While man still possessed a spirit it was dead to the life of God in its natural state. In this state, darkness and spiritual ignorance hid the face of God from man. While man may have given up on God, thank God, He has never given up on man. God’s whole plan of the ages has been to bring us back to the place of restoration of that which was lost. His desire is to set us again in heavenly places in right relationship with Him. Ephesians 2: 1-6 says, “And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus.” Satan, the perpetrator of death has come to rob, steal and destroy. But God has sent His Son to redeem that, which was lost, because He is the author and perpetrator of Life, Spiritual Life. He has come to quicken these dead spirits of ours that we might begin again to enter into the spiritual life we had lost. In this knowledge and the quickening of His grace and life in us, we no longer live and operate out of the natural man. We understand that this man of the natural is soon to pass away, but it is the spiritual man within and his condition that determines our spiritual destiny of life or death.
Romans 8: 1-2 says, “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Herein is stated the two laws under which a man can live, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus or the law of sin and death.” As believers we have chosen the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ. As such it is important to us that we maintain within our souls the reality and gravity of whom we now are in Christ. It is in living in this life principle in Christ that we truly live and move and have our being in Him. It is in this law of life that we come into the knowledge and revelation of who God really is and His relationship with us. It is in this law of life that we begin to live out the purpose for which we were created and exist. There is now a paradigm shift in our thinking and our living that moved the center of our universe from us to Him. Now everything revolves around our God, because we realize and embrace the fact and the truth that we are first spiritual creatures, quicken in these mortal bodies to live lives to the glory of our Creator. We have and are coming out of the place of self expression to the place of God expression where now it is the life principle of Christ in us that is expressing the life of God to a world that is still in darkness and ignorance of Him. We are His lights and His instruments of God expression. So each day as we live in this natural life in these natural bodies, let us live out the higher principle of the eternal life in Christ that resides now within our spirit and soul. May our bodies become the expression of His Spirit and righteousness as we live by the Spirit out of the law of LIFE.

Blessings,
kent

Life in the Spirit

Life in the Spirit

John 6:63
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.”

We know all about that life in the Spirit. We have heard it all before. Then why do we spend so much time still in the flesh, operating out of fleshly mindsets, thinking and behavior? What we have heard with our ears and received with our minds has it become revelation and truth to our hearts? Are we going through the motions, but not experiencing and living out the reality of Spirit Life. John 6:63 says, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.” The Word of the Lord must become a quickening fire within us. It must burn up the chaff and refuse, while at the same time replacing it with Kingdom principles for divine living. Life change is brought about within us not just by a written word, but by a quickening word, one that brings about change of mind, thinking and doing.
“God, speak into our hearts change from the mundane, the ordinary, the routine and the way we have always done it.” We need the fire of the Holy Spirit within our bellies; we need joy in our hearts and purpose in our walk. We need God’s Word for our life and His Spirit power at work in us to bring it to pass. We are like little ships floating about in the ocean. They need a captain, they need direction and they need purpose. Some of us feel rather aimless in our lives because we are lacking some of these elements. We may have prayed about them, but we may feel we are rather clueless as far as where God wants to take us and what He wants to do with us. Don’t feel bad, that ship doesn’t know where it is going either, but if it has a good Captain, then He knows the destination. The ship merely has to respond to the Captain’s direction and course. Our functions and focus in life might change, but our purpose is always to be whatever and go wherever our Captain directs for His purpose. Where our ship gets in trouble is when mutiny or rebellion arises in our heart and we decide we want to determine our direction and purpose. Because we have a will and the right to exercise it, we can do that, but then we go off course from where our Captain would take us and how He would use us. He is the Captain for a reason, because His wisdom and purpose and abilities far exceed our own.
The only way that we can know the direction of the Captain is by being sensitive when He turns the wheel and redirects the rudder or when He increases or decreases our speed. We have to be in tune with the Spirit, because that is where those directions come from. God’s Word must be continually before us and the meditation of our hearts, because that is often the medium He uses to put His finger on a certain areas He wants to refine or where He wants to increase our understanding or bring new direction into our lives.
Romans 8:10 says, “And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness” Our ship has lost if it’s former purpose which was only self-serving. It now sails in the fleet of the Almighty, under the flag of righteousness and the blood of the Lamb. The one thing we do know is our purpose is about Him and no longer about us. “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:8)”
If we don’t fully know where we are going today, that is okay. The important thing is that we have the right Captain running the ship. He tells us in Proverbs 3:5-14, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth. Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” The vessels of the Lord are destined to carry His merchandise and experience His gain. Keep the vessel clean, keep it seaworthy and keep it yielded to the Captain of our salvation.

Blessings,
kent