Perfect Peace In The Finished Work Of The Cross!

"In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:1-3

When is this day to come for us who believe in Jesus Christ? Is it on the day of His return or is it for today? Mayhem, chaos, trials, wars, and tribulation surround us! The evidence of destruction in the lives of mankind is displayed on the news every day and the threat of attack on the soil of our land is reported to be at our door step. But the prophet Isaiah speaks a word from the Lord for those of us who believe! “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.”

This word is not a word given to us for the day of Christ’s return because on that day we will be transported into perfect peace for eternity! There will be no need for us to be kept in perfect peace during times of trial and tribulation for there will be no more trials or tribulation! So the word Isaiah is speaking is a word for us today! It is a present word of promise that the God of our salvation will keep us in His perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him! But with this promise there is a condition, a condition of faith to keep our minds stayed on Jesus no matter what we see or hear!

What a challenge this is for us because in our humanness it is easy to be deceived into believing the worst and filled with emotions of fear, worry, and anxiety! But in order to experience the perfect peace that is promised one has to counter the deception with the truth of God’s Word! This is why Paul said, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

It is only the Word of God, spoken or written, that has the power to overcome our carnal mind! Self-will can’t do it! Good works can’t do it! Nothing can do it except the Word of God! “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) When the Word of God is spoken the foundations of the earth tremble! The foundations of the soul trembles! The foundations of beliefs tremble! Meditating on and speaking the Word of God is the pathway to a mindset of peace!

When our minds are stayed on Him, He keeps us in perfect peace! This peace transcends doubt, worry, fear, and anxiety! It demolishes strongholds of false teaching and lies! This peace gives us an assurance of our salvation and right standing with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross! It gives us an assurance of the grace that has been given to us through faith! It gives us the assurance of all things working together for our good and His glory! It gives us the assurance of our inheritance of blessings both here on the earth and in heaven!

This peace gives us the assurance that by His stripes we were healed! It gives us the assurance that He shall supply all our need according to his riches in glory! It gives us an assurance that as He is in heaven so are we on the earth! There is nothing like this peace that passes all understanding! In this peace is where our hope is found! In this peace is where our faith is strong! In this peace is where our vision expands to see the pathway to our purpose! It is the peace that Jesus walked in when He was spit on and beaten on His way to the Cross! It kept Him securely fastened to His purpose even when He cried out and said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46b)

He was and is and will forever be our Prince of peace who securely fastens us to our purpose when we choose to stay our minds on Him and the finished work of the Cross! We never have to cry out and ask, “My God, my God why have You forsaken me?” He promises to never leave us or forsake us! He is our ever present help in our times of trouble! He is our peace and our hope! In Him we are kept in perfect peace because our lives have been hidden in Him! We no longer have to strive in our own strength to overcome for He has overcome the world!

All we have to do is stay our minds on Him and what He has already done for us! When troubles come we look to Him and speak His Word and the trouble has to leave! When wars come we look to Him and speak His Word and the wars have to cease! When sickness comes we look to Him and speak His Word and the sickness has to leave! “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” (Numbers 23:19-20)

We are blessed with the blessing of Abraham and the peace of Jesus securely fastens us to it through faith in the finished work of the Cross! The blessings of God for those who believe cannot be reversed! We have to believe it, receive it, speak it, and walk in it, if we are going to take hold of it! We have to align our minds with the truth of God’s Word and meditate on it day and night if we are going to behold the glory of it! We have to stay our minds on Him and when we do He keeps us in His perfect peace from this day forward and forevermore! Amen

The Counterfeit Is Exposed And The Truth Is Revealed!

“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place,no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:9-16

Do you believe God’s Word completely and without a shadow of doubt? Do you listen to His Spirit when He speaks to you regarding His love for you, His provision, and His protection? Do you stand up against the lies that are taught by man and proclaim the truth of God’s Word? Is your mind so consumed with the truth of God’s Word that when a counterfeit word is spoken you can detect it and reject it? So many people are conditioned to believe the lies of man and the devil that they question God’s Word and its validity in their life. They pick and choose Scriptures to justify their down trodden state of mind and reject the life giving, liberating Scriptures that speak hope, healing, and restoration.

They are powerless to overcome temptation, fight off illness, and stand strong in the day of trial and they succumb to the pressures of their circumstances. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) But people don’t believe this and they continue to be broken, busted, disgusted, and full of doubt. It is time for the ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be held accountable for the fallacies that they are teaching the people that cause them to stumble in their faith.

Our God is a good God who gives good gifts to His children! He is a loving God who pours out His love in the hearts of all who believe in Him! He is a gracious God who does not condemn us any longer for our sins! He is a merciful God whose mercies for us are new EVERY morning! He is a just God who fights on our behalf and delivers us from our oppressors! He is protective God who gives His angels charge over us to keep us in ALL our ways! He is a redemptive God who works ALL things for our good and His glory! He is a righteous God who has made us His righteousness by the blood of Jesus! He is a kind God who showers us with His loving kindness! He is a provisional God who meets ALL of our needs according to His riches in glory! He is a strong God who destroys every weapon that is formed against us! He is an active God who works on our behalf to perform His Word in our lives!

This is the God I serve! ALL other gods are false gods! Too many churches are teaching people to serve false gods and calling these gods real! They are not! There is only ONE God and He will not be mocked! It is time to rise up against religious leaders who are giving God a bad name and tell them to stop abusing God’s precious children! Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Holy Spirit convicts of our sin but it is taught every week in churches around the world. Nowhere does it say that God punishes us for our sin but it is being taught weekly. Nowhere does it say that God disciplines us in harshness but it is a regular teaching in most churches. WE ARE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE AND JESUS PAID THE PRICE ONCE AND FOR ALL FOR ALL SIN!

The Holy Spirit convicts the believer of their righteousness! (John 16:5-11) It is the KINDNESS of God that leads us to repentance! When God’s TRUE WORD is spoken it brings life! You walk away feeling empowered, healed, whole, righteous, loved, worthy, and able to overcome! It is the bondage breaker and the peace maker! Jesus NEVER one time EVER threw people’s sin in their face when they came to Him for help or healing! Not ONE TIME EVER! On the contrary He covered their sin and shame and when people tried to point it out to Him He shut them down verbally! He NEVER made them feel bad for the lifestyle they were living in! In fact He responded to them in LOVE! HIS LOVE CHANGED THEIR LIVES FOREVER! And it is HIS LOVE IN US AND GIVEN TO OTHERS THROUGH US THAT WILL CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES TOO!

It is time to make a declaration of independence from the church of religion that teaches contrary words to the Word of God and take claim to the freedom that has been given to us IN CHRIST JESUS! Rise up today and proclaim the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE LAND! JESUS CAME THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL! IT IS TIME TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST RELIGION AND WALK IN THE VICTORY THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US IN JESUS CHRIST! RECEIVE IT! BELIEVE IT! SPEAK IT! LIVE IT! PROCLAIM IT! AND WALK IN IT! Then and only then will you experience the New Covenant life that has been promised to all who believe in Jesus Christ!

Misunderstood Scripture Leads People Astray!

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

This is by far one of the most misunderstood Scriptures in the Bible and the one that trips so many people up in their faith. People quote it and use it as a way to show that we are always required to confess our sins and to get cleansed for our unrighteousness. When you take a Scripture out of context you destroy its meaning! It is so important for us to rightly divide God’s Word and understand what is being said before we make a bold confession stated as fact. This verse of Scripture is one of those times. In I John, John was writing to the leader of the leaders who were his followers. Some of the leaders had come into the fold and were teaching false doctrine and professing to be without sin.

So John addresses these teachers boldly with the truth. First he explains who Jesus is in verses one through five and in verse six and seven he says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” In other words to say one is without sin is a lie because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But what sin is he speaking of here in 1 John? It is the sin of unbelief not the daily sins that are committed in the flesh. These teachers of the day were actually making a claim that they were without sin of any kind.

We see this is true because in 1 John 1:10 John says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” The sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ is the only unpardonable sin and the only sin that can keep a person separated from God because if they do not believe in Jesus Christ they will not inherit eternal life which means they will never have fellowship with Jesus on this earth or in eternity. So John is trying to make it very clear that teaching people that they are without sin of any kind is wrong and he is rebuking them for the false teachings that are being spread throughout the congregation of his followers.

Out of his love for his followers he tells them the truth of what they need to do, “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) He IS NOT SPEAKING TO BELIEVERS HERE! HE IS SPEAKING TO THE FALSE TEACHERS WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT BELIEVERS! It is really that simple to understand when you put this verse in context. We know this is true because in 1 John 1:10 he says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” A believer never says they have not sinned because they understand that they have and they understand that it was our sin that caused Jesus to die on the Cross!

They also understand that when Jesus died on the Cross and was resurrected He paid the price for all man’s sin past, present, and future. In his letter John made this very clear when he said, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Propitiation literally means atoning sacrifice! Jesus Christ was the atoning sacrifice for not only the believer’s sins, but the entire world’s sins. John was really trying to get a message across to the leaders who were teaching falsehood to his followers.

But today people who do not understand the Bible read 1 John 1:9 and blow it way out of context as a way to show that we are to continually confess our sins and be cleansed from unrighteousness. This is nothing more than a false teaching. To say that we need to do this is to say that the blood of Jesus was insufficient and tainted because it is saying that His work on the Cross wasn’t a complete work! When Jesus died on the Cross you and your sins died with Him! And at the moment you said yes to Him you were cleansed from all unrighteousness! At that moment two thousand years ago every sin you have committed or ever will commit, were atoned for by Jesus Christ! He is NEVER going to atone for them again no matter how many times you confess them! His work is finished and He is seated on the throne at the right hand of God!

He is NEVER going to come back to earth and die for your sins again! He will only come back to earth to receive us unto Himself at the day of His Second Coming! For many this is a very hard truth to accept because they have been conditioned to believe a lie and because of it they are blinded to seeing the truth. It is easier for them to live in a comfortable lie so they turn a deaf ear to anyone who speaks the truth. But for those who do not turn a deaf ear they are liberated and set free from the binding chains of false doctrine and they walk in the fullness of the joy that John speaks of when he says, “that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:3-4)

May your joy be made full today as you accept your fellowship with the Father through your fellowship with Jesus Christ and may you come to the fullness of the knowledge of the finished work of the Cross; so that you will no longer believe the lies of false teachers who tell you that you need to continually confess your sins and be cleansed from unrighteousness! May you come to know the truth that makes you free, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever! Amen

Where Is The Jesus I Met When I Got Saved?" (Part Four)

“For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] Ephesians 2:8-9

I don’t know how you were introduced to Jesus Christ or what denomination or religion you were raised in but what I do know is that you are highly favored and dearly loved by God! An injustice has been done to the people of God through religious teachings that are contrary to God’s Word. My friend today is the day of liberation for you if you were conditioned to believe that you are responsible for your own salvation or for keeping your salvation if you have already said yes to Jesus Christ. Allow me to lift the weight of the burden that has been placed on you by telling you that it is not up to you to save yourself or to keep your salvation through good works!

Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God that is given to you the moment you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who was sent into the world to die for YOUR SINS! ALL you have to do is believe! “For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) There is no ritual you have to go through, no steps you have to follow in order to be saved! ALL you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and you are saved!

“But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.” (Romans 5:8-9) My friend Jesus paid the ultimate price for your FREE gift of salvation! He died on the Cross for you! Without the shedding of His own blood you could not receive this FREE gift! “[In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)

And here is even better news for you today; there is NOTHING you have to do in your own strength to hold onto the FREE gift of salvation! You do NOT have to adhere to manmade rules and regulations in order to keep it and if you have been taught this you have been taught a false doctrine of demons! “BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized), who forbid people to marry and [teach them] to abstain from [certain kinds of] foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have [an increasingly clear] knowledge of the truth. For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving.” (1Timothy 4:1-4)

You don’t have to adhere to ANY LAW of man in order to keep your FREE gift of salvation! JESUS LOVES AND ACCEPTS YOU AS HIS CHILD NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO OR DO NOT DO! HIS SHED BLOOD PAID THE PRICE FOR YOUR SIN AND REDEEMED YOU FROM THE RIGHTFUL PUNISHMENT THAT YOUR SIN REQUIRED! My friend Jesus has come to release you from the religious noose that has been placed around your neck by false teachers who proclaim to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus is here to restore your heart and mind to TRUTH! JESUS LOVES YOU THIS I KNOW FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO!

“And he brought them out [of the dungeon] and said, Men, what is it necessary for me to do that I may be saved? And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well. And they declared the Word of the Lord [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] to him and to all who were in his house.” (Acts 16:30-32)

My friend Jesus holds you securely in your salvation and He won’t ever let you go! What you are unable to do for yourself in that you cannot keep the law perfectly; HE WAS ABLE! Your righteous requirements to keep the laws of God in your own strength were kept by Jesus Christ and when He shed His blood on the Cross for you; HE SIGNED YOUR SALVATION CARD WITH HIS OWN BLOOD SIGNATURE! I am so sorry if you have been lied to and told anything different and I grieve for the wounds you have suffered from because of the torture you have received from religion! My heart aches for you today as I think of the mental torment that has been inflicted on you by people claiming to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! May this truth I share with you today penetrate your heart and mind and may it liberate you from the chains of religion that you have been shackled around you for years!

YOU ARE HIGHLY FAVORED AND DEARLY LOVED BY A GOD WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR YOUR FREE GIFT OF SALVATION! Today I want to give you back the Jesus you met when you got saved! Allow Him to renew your mind to the truth and to restore what has been stolen from you by religion! He is able and willing and He is faithful! Do not believe the lie anymore my friend for it is by grace you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ and it IS THE GIFT OF GOD FOR YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD!

Where Is The Jesus I Met When I Got Saved?" (Part Three)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” Matthew 11:28-30

With a blank expression on your face you continue reading the requirements of owning this new car. The list is long and detailed and you are convinced there has been some sort of mistake. This isn’t at all what was presented to you when you were on the car lot. They said this was a free gift! They said this car did everything for you, it even drove itself. As you come to the end of the list you read the last paragraph in the section.

It says, “Next week we will give you another manual. It is filled with everything you will need to know about this car. There are many things written in this manual that may not make sense but we will explain it all to you. Many people own this manual and they all have their own idea of what it means but we are the only ones who know the true meaning so don’t listen to anyone else.”

In total disgust you throw the manual on the ground and run into the house and pick up the phone. You dial the number for the car lot and when they answer you say, “I don’t want this car anymore! You lied to me! You said this was a free gift and you told me that this car would do everything for me! Now I find out that it isn’t true and I have a list of requirements that I have to complete each day in order to keep the car! This is absurd! I don’t want the car this way! Either give me the car we agreed upon or come and get this one and never contact me again! Do you understand me? I want the original car with the original agreement or I don’t want it at all!”

This is a fictional story as you know but I wrote it as a way for you to understand exactly what has happened and is happening in churches around the world who introduce people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. At first they present a relationship with Jesus Christ as a free gift and they explain that He is able to change and transform a life. They tell people that believing in Him is the only way to receive eternal life and present heaven as the ultimate destination for all who believe. Then they tell people that He doesn’t care how messed up (dirty) their life is He is able to clean them up in an instant without them doing anything except entering into a relationship with Him.

They have enticing church services with amazing music, beautiful buildings, and the environment is very welcoming. The services are so dynamic that people want to be a part of it because they are so tired of their old life and they never dreamed or imagined that there was another life possible. They gladly sign a salvation card to receive this free gift called eternal life through Jesus Christ and they completely believe the words of the pastor when he/she says this gift is completely free!

Then within a short time after salvation they are introduced to the manual (church doctrine) and they are given another manual (the Bible) and told what they need to do to keep this free gift. They are told that many churches have their own manuals but that the only real manual is the one they are given. They are told that all other denominations are false and they are warned to steer clear of people who belong to any other denomination. They are also told that the Bible will be explained to them and they are taught what to believe and how to believe. The saddest thing that happens when they receive their manuals is when they are told that there is no guarantee that they will be able to keep the free gift of salvation.

What started out as Jesus Christ as the One who does everything for them at salvation becomes a doctrine that teaches them they are now the one who has to do everything to keep salvation. Christ’s power to save is stripped away and man’s traditions become the doctrine of salvation. I leave you today with Jesus’ words to the Scribes and Pharisees so you can understand exactly what I am sharing with you. People are tired of the traditions! They want the Jesus they met when they got saved back and it is time we give them what they want!

“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Mathew 15:1-5

Where Is The Jesus I Met When I Got Saved?" (Part Two)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” Matthew 11:28-30

“By the way did the salesman tell you that this car is completely free of charge? All that we ask is that you come back to the car lot once a week and visit with the other people on the lot and listen to a car care message presented by the owner of the car lot. But don’t worry about the specifics right now just enjoy your new free gift. We will fill you in on the rest later.” With a puzzled expression on your face you look down at the paperwork and decide to take a leap of faith and sign it. There is nothing more that you want than to make this car your very own. Though his last words were confusing you push them out of your mind as he hands you the keys to your new car.

You make your way out of the building and get into the car. On the drive home you discover even more exciting features in the car. One that you didn’t expect and completely surprises you is a computer system that talks to you. When it first comes on and says hello you are startled because you have never experienced anything like this before. But the voice is so soothing and the words are so encouraging that you listen intently as it speaks. Your mind is still reeling over the event that has just taken place that you think you must be dreaming so you pinch yourself to make sure you are awake. As the reality begins to sink in you are overwhelmed with gratitude for the free gift you have just been given.

Within a few minutes you arrive at your house and pull into the driveway. You open up the garage door and pull into the garage and the car parks itself. As the garage door closes behind you, you get out of the car and stand there admiring it for a few moments. Then you make your way into the house and settle in for the night. As you climb into bed you are so overjoyed that you have a hard time falling asleep. But eventually you do and all night you dream about your new free gift. When you wake up you wonder if this really took place and you jump out of bed and head to the garage. As you open up the door the reality sinks in and you are once again filled with an incredible joy that engulfs your heart and mind.

You open up the car door and look inside. When you look in the back seat you see a car care manual that you didn’t see the day before. You pick it up and open it to see what is inside. At first it details all of the features of the car but then you see a tab entitled: What you must do to keep this free gift. You think to yourself, “Wait a minute they said there was nothing I had to do to receive this free gift and they sure didn’t tell me there were things I had to do to keep it. This must be a mistake.” Even though the title annoyed you at first you decide to open it to that chapter and read it. You are surprised by what you see and can’t believe your eyes. The list of requirements for keeping this free gift is long and detailed.

1. Attend a car care meeting each week at 10:00 a.m. either Saturday or Sunday morning.
   
   
2. Come dressed in your best outfit.
   
3. If you have any piercings or tattoos have them removed immediately.
   
   
4. The automatic cleaning system in the car has been deactivated and it is now your responsibility to make sure you are clean before you get into the car.
   
5. If you have children make sure they are quiet when you enter our building. We have a room for them where they will have their own meeting, but make sure they do not make noise in the main building.
   
6.  If you have teenagers make sure their clothes are pressed, their hair is cut short, and they do not wear anything that will give our company a bad name.
   
7. If you cuss, smoke, drink, or do anything else that may be offensive to some people, stop those behaviors immediately.
   
8. If you are used to going to the movies, bowling, swimming with the opposite sex, wearing jewelry, attending concerts, etc. cease these activities immediately. A detailed list of acceptable activities will be provided for you in the coming weeks.
   
9. You are expected to volunteer your time, give us a portion of your income that we will keep track of, sign up for weekly classes, and study this manual daily.
   
10. You have to break off all relationships with people who do not own a car like yours. If they do own a car like yours but they received it at a different car lot you need to understand that their car is a fake. Only the cars from are lot are the authentic. Don’t associate with them.

At this point you have to take a break from reading because you are overwhelmed by the requirements that come with owning this new car. You begin to get angry and you shake your head in disbelief as you think about all of the things that you once enjoyed and how good you felt about yourself before; and now to think that all of who you once were is now not acceptable makes you want to return the car to the dealer. But as you stand there confused by what you are reading curiosity trumps your feelings of anger and you continue reading the list. To be continued...

Where Is The Jesus I Met When I Got Saved?" (Part One)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.  For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”  Matthew 11:28-30


Have you ever walked onto a new car lot and been met by an overzealous salesman who eagerly wanted to sell you a car?  You try everything you can to avoid him but eventually he wins the cat and mouse game and catches up with you.  Now imagine that this scenario happens next.  At first his words seem annoying and unbelievable but as he eloquently presents the information about the car you are looking at you stop and begin to listen to him.  He tells you that this car is the best vehicle ever made and able to take you anywhere you want to go in ease and comfort.  Your mind begins to race as images of your dream vacation come to mind and you imagine yourself pulling up to the resort in your brand new car.


He tells you the windows are noise resistant so you will not be bothered by the sounds of the road and he says the seats are tailor made for comfort and can be adjusted to your body type so that you will fit securely in them.  Before he opens the door for you to get in you look down at your clothes and they are covered in dirt because you just got done working in the yard.  You hesitate to get in but he tells you not to worry because the car is equipped with a special laundering system that automatically cleans your clothes the minute you sit in the seat.  You think to yourself, “Yeah right, I have never heard of such a thing.”  But he assures you that it is true and just for curiosity sake you decide to believe him.


He opens the door and you slide into the passenger’s seat and are greeted by the fresh aroma of leather.  Your mind begins to embrace the experience as you imagine yourself driving down the road in this beautiful car.  You are so overwhelmed by the initial experience that you don’t even notice that somehow your once dirty clothes are now sparkling clean.  But as you look down you see that your clothes are no longer dirty and you picture yourself in middle of the twilight zone because this is too strange and too good to be true, but you keep silent because you don’t even know what to say.  He turns the engine on and it is so quiet you can barely hear it and then he turns on the air conditioner and you feel the coldest air you have ever felt coming through the vents.  He informs you that this car was designed with a special cooling system that emulates a home refrigeration unit.


As you sit there and enjoy the cool air he switches on the radio and the car is engulfed with the most amazing sounds of music you have ever heard.  He tells you that this car is equipped with a sound system that brings the music to life through speakers that are wired throughout the car.  You have never heard of such a thing and you begin to get excited at the thought of owning this car.  As you shut the door your seat belt automatically fastens around you and at first you are shocked by the experience but then he says that one of the greatest things about the car is that it is designed to keep you safe and there is nothing you have to physically do to keep yourself secure in the seat.


As he puts the car into drive and steps on the gas pedal you notice that his hands are not on the steering wheel.  He notices the concerned look on your face and responds to it by saying, “Oh I didn’t tell you but this car drives its self.  All you have to do is type in your desired destination in the computer and the car automatically takes you there.  It is designed with special micro chips that make it perform at the right speed, stop at lights, avoid accidents, etc. Seriously you do not have to do one thing to drive this car!  All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your ride.”  Now you begin to be very skeptical because this is over the top and there is no way he is telling you the truth.  But as the car pulls out of the car lot and onto the street his words prove to be true.  You are astonished!  Now you really want to own this car!


It is a miracle car that you never before imagined existed!  Throughout the test drive you discover one thing after another that sets this car apart from all the other cars on the road and you want to own it more than anything you have ever wanted.  As the car pulls back into the car lot and you get out he informs you that all you have to do is go into the office and sign the paperwork.  There’s a skip in your step as you make your way to the office and you have butterflies in your stomach.  But then you remember that there was no sales price on the windshield and you get very nervous at the thought of how much this car must cost.


You hesitate for a moment and actually consider leaving because in your mind it would be better to embrace the experience instead of discovering that you cannot afford to buy the car that gave you the experience.  But at that moment a man greets you at the door and ushers you into his office before you have the chance to say that you have changed your mind.  You sit in a chair and wait for him to tell you the price of the car.  He slides a sheet of paper in front of you and asks you to sign it.  As you are picking up the pen he says, “By the way did the salesman tell you that this car is completely free of charge?  All that we ask is that you come back to the car lot once a week and visit with the other people on the lot and listen to a car care message presented by the owner of the car lot.  To be continued......

Jesus Wore A Dress And Sandals To Church! (Part Two of Two)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17


In order for us to understand the Word of God we need to be in tune to the voice of the Holy Spirit so that we can discern His voice and hear Him speak.  When we do this we are able to read the Bible and rightly divide it as it pertains to us as New Covenant believers in Jesus Christ.  It also enables us to read passages of Scripture and learn from them without taking them out of context and building an entire doctrine out of them based on our personal limited understanding.


Nothing written within the pages of the Bible is worthless or unnecessary but much of what is written in the Bible was written to a specific people who were dealing with specific problems in their communities.  Trying to take the exact instructions literally and then trying to apply them to our lives today is not only foolish, it is futile!  Certain writings need to be read, prayed about, and then approached in a spirit of submission to the Holy Spirit so that He is able to teach us truth.  The clothing instructions of the Bible are a prime example of this.


Look at what Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:48 and ask yourself if this is what you see taking place in your home or church each week.  “Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man.” 1 Corinthians 11:4-8


From reading this I guess I need to run out and buy head coverings because I pray and prophesy constantly.  Can you see the absurdity in this kind of thinking?  Paul was addressing a specific people because he was dealing with a certain problem that existed in the Corinthian Church.  To take this passage literally would mean that every Christian woman needs to wear head dresses when they pray or prophesy.  That isn’t going to happen but why?  Because no one has decided to take this passage literally and make a doctrine out of it yet.  But I am sure that it is just a matter of time before someone does if they can see that it will financially profit them to do so.


Now let’s look at another passage of Scripture that addresses women’s attire.  In 1 Timothy 2:8-10 Paul says, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.” This is a Scripture that many denominations have taken literally and made a doctrine that says women cannot wear jewelry and require them to wear simple clothing that doesn’t give the appearance of wealth.


But again Paul was dealing with a specific people who were dealing with a specific problem.  When reading this passage of Scripture there are principles we can apply to our own lives without taking it out of context and building a standard of holiness out of it for women.  Principle one:  Women dress yourselves in a way that does not bring attention to your body that could make a man or another woman stumble in the area of lust.  If what you wear causes someone to stumble in the area of lust you are causing unnecessary trouble in someone else’s life.  It is not rocket science!  Just watch the show “What Not To Wear” and figure out what clothing compliments your body type.  Principle number two: Wear jewelry that compliments the outfit!  As women we know when we see a woman who is wearing a ridiculous amount of jewelry or the wrong kind of jewelry for her outfit.  It is not flattering so all you have to do is learn what jewelry goes with your outfit.  It is that simple.  But don’t discount wearing jewelry just because some man or woman has established a manmade law that says wearing jewelry is bad.  Be a sheep but follow the voice of your real Sheppard, Jesus Christ!  He has built heaven out of fine jewels and what is endorsed by Him should be accepted by us.


In 1 Peter 3:3-4 Peter writes, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” Again this is a really simple verse to understand if you allow the Holy Spirit to teach you truth.  Let your beauty come from the inside first before you express it on the outside.  A woman of strong character who has a solid identity in Christ instinctually knows why she is wearing what she is wearing and she only wears clothing and jewelry that compliment her body type or her outfit.  She doesn’t wear clothing or jewelry as a way to manipulate men and women into lusting after her.  She isn’t trying to attract the lustful eye!  People are drawn to her because they sense the Spirit of the living God inside of her!


When it comes to dress for men or women and when it comes to jewelry the Holy Spirit will teach you truth as you seek Him wholeheartedly.  He won’t ever leave you or forsake you in anything you desire to be taught.  He is faithful.  As far as what is appropriate dress for church don’t major on the minors!  I know many women who were once dancers or prostitutes and many men who were bikers or hard core rockers who went to a Christ centered church that didn’t discriminate against them for how they were dressed and guess what? Over the years they changed the way they dressed.  Not because someone told them they had to but because the more time they spent with King Jesus the more like royalty they felt and wanted to dress like royalty!  Believe me when Jesus prompts a person to change by His Spirit He produces fruit that will last.  Behavior modification dictated by man doesn’t hold a candle to life transformation prompted by God.  I want to encourage you today to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you truth!  I will leave you with a word from Jesus so you will know that as you ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom you can be assured that He will answer you. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  (Matthew 7:7-8)

Jesus Wore A Dress And Sandals To Church! (Part One of Two)

I was met by a man in the lobby of the hotel as I was heading out the door to church today.  I stopped to talk to him for a few minutes.  What he said shocked me!  He said, “Oh girl you are lucky you are not going to my church this morning because pastor would not like you wearing pants to church.” I was stunned by this comment and my response wasn’t too eloquent.  I said, “How sad to go to a church where the pastor hasn’t read the Bible.” I felt like Joyce Meyer when she shares about some of her not so eloquent responses to people's comments, so I guess I am in good company.  The man laughed and said, “He has read the whole Bible girl but women are not to be wearing men’s clothes to church.”  At that moment I knew anymore conversation on the topic would be futile because I did not have the time to address his response.  But as I left the lobby and throughout the day his comment really bothered me as I thought more about it.


As an itinerant ministers wife who gets called to speak in different churches each week the topic of clothing comes up a lot because for each church and each denomination there is a different expectation as to what clothing is and isn’t acceptable attire for church.  I also get asked the question about clothing from many people I minister to because each person has been told something different and they want to know the truth.  I know this is a sensitive topic but one that needs to be addressed because so many people are confused by the different rules and regulations about clothing in church.  So I am willing to address it so that we all can grow in wisdom and understanding together as the Holy Spirit teaches us truth.


To begin this study let’s look at what Jesus would have worn to church if he was on the earth today. His attire would be made up of a tunic which is a loose-fitting garment, sleeved or sleeveless, extending to the knees and worn by men and women especially in ancient Greece and Rome.  He would have worn a cloak over His tunic and a sash around His waist that was used to tuck the garment in if He ran. On His feet He would have worn a pair of plain leather sandals kind of like a modified thong that went between the toes like the ones we wear to the beach today.  But His sandals would have had straps that crisscrossed over the top of His foot and they would have had a strap for tightening.  Similar sandals have been found by archaeologists. So if Jesus showed up today in church He would be considered a disrespectful cross dresser who had no respect for God and He would not have been allowed to sit in the front of the church and definitely not allowed to speak from the pulpit. Sound harsh?  But that is exactly what kind of response He would get from most churches especially in America.


Now let’s discuss the topic of women’s attire in church and where the idea that it is wrong for a woman to wear pants to church came into existence.  It began with people quoting Deuteronomy 22:5 which says, “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.”  Number one this was a law for the people under the Old Covenant and it does NOT pertain to us today because we are under the New Covenant but for discussion sake we will look at this Scripture because it is the one that brings the confusion in churches today.  First of all men did NOT wear pants in Bible times so it cannot be referring to pants.  In fact there are several Scriptures that I have found that pertain to men’s clothing and not one of them refers to pants.  I have listed a few for you to look up for yourself.  They are 1 Samuel 24:4-5 & 11, 1 Samuel 15:27, Haggai 2:12, Zechariah 8:23.


For thousands of years men wore what we would consider skirts or dresses today.  Pants didn’t even come into existence until a few hundred years ago.  With this understanding it is absurd to think that Deuteronomy 22:5 was referring to pants.  If that was true then women couldn’t wear underwear, socks, t-shirts, shoes, or anything else a man wears.  Can you see the absurdity here?  So if this is the case, what is the acceptable attire for men and women in church and does God even care what you wear to church or is He concerned with something more important?  Jesus gave us the answer, though He was addressing the Pharisees who were appalled that He didn’t wash His hands before dinner.


Luke 11:37-43 says, “And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”


In other words Jesus was saying, “Quit majoring on the minors because when you do you miss what is most important!  Nothing you can do on the outside can do one thing to make you acceptable to God!  Clean up all you want and look good but that doesn’t change the condition of your heart!”  God doesn’t care what anyone wears to church on the outside!  He cares about the condition of the man or woman’s heart who attends church!  He wants the people to be naked and unashamed in their hearts before Him and ready to receive from Him!  Whether they are in pants, shorts, sandals, torn clothes, dresses, or anything else does not matter to Him.  Now tomorrow we will address what other New Testament writers meant when they spoke of dress but today I want us to understand that God is not looking at the outward appearance of any man, woman, or child when He sees them enter into worship!  He is ONLY looking at the heart!

To be continued……

Enough Lip Service! Start Living The Word!

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:22-27


People are hurting!  Families are starving! Children are crying! Men and women are fighting! Churches are closing!  Ministers are quitting!  Teenagers are lost!  Widows are suffering!  Orphans are alone!  Single parents are flailing!  Divorcees are depressed!  The homeless are ignored!  And the list goes on and on of people who are in need and the reality is that the body of Christ is failing in its call to be Christ’s hands extended to a hurting and dying world!  And this should not be but until something changes in the hearts and minds of Christians it will continue!  Jesus came to give us life to the full, abundant, and overflowing so that we could in turn give it to others.  Anything short of fulfilling our call to be His disciples in the earth is nothing more than lip service and dead works religion.


In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:13 – 20 Jesus said, “"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”


"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”


As the body of Christ we have to get the point where we accept our righteousness in God through Jesus Christ and grow up out of our religious mindsets and begin to do what He has called us to do in actions if we are going to see change take place in the world.  This is what James means when he says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  During this transition in our lives we are discovering that most of the people who call themselves Christians do not back up their profession of faith with action.  It is the most disturbing thing I have ever personally witnessed because it is completely against what we are called to do by God.  This is something other people have shared with me in the past but it hasn’t been until I experienced it for myself that I have felt the sting and effect of its venomous bite! What I have learned is that this is a real problem, its effects are painful and long lasting, and it is a very common problem in the church today.  But what I have also learned is that it is curable and the wounds people have experienced from it can be healed but we will have to walk in love one for another in order for it to happen.


Throughout the Bible God speaks about our responsibility to care for one another, strangers, widows, the poor, orphans, etc..  Jesus amplified this in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.  It is time for the body of Christ to mature out of childish mindsets and actions so that we can fulfill God’s call to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world!  1 John 3:16-20 says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”


I am calling the body of Christ into action today and praying that the body will listen and respond!  Life is not a dress rehearsal!  We get one opportunity on this earth to answer the call to be the disciples of Jesus Christ and to do the work He has called us to do in this world!  It is time we take a stand against foolishness, false doctrine, selfishness, infighting, denominational divisions, gossip, lies, and every other tactic the devil uses to deceive us and it is time we exercise our rightful authority over all the power of the enemy! (Luke 10:19)  It is time we look on each other with love in our hearts and ask what we can do to meet the needs of our fellow man.  It is time to lay aside foolish arguments and judgments and start living the Word of God in our daily lives!  Let’s make a commitment today to turn lip service into life service and make an impact in this world with the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 22)

"And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:3-6


How many times do we read Old Testament passages and skim over them because we do not see their significance or importance because we are no longer under the Old Covenant?  But when we do this we miss the beautiful life giving pictures that God is trying to show us.  There isn’t a word written in the Bible that does not have a meaningful message for us to learn from.  God speaks through His Word and His Word is alive!  That is why the writer of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)


Since I have allowed the Holy Spirit to teach me the Word I no longer skim over any passage.  I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the hidden truths that apply to me and I wait on Him to reveal them.  Sometimes it comes quickly and other times I have to wait a long time; but He is always faithful to reveal it in His time.  This passage of Scripture is one of those passages that I used to skim over but not anymore.  In order to understand this passage we have to look back at other passages of Scriptures so that we can gain a full view of the beauty within its verses.  As we know the covenant came through Abraham and then God spoke it to Isaac in Genesis 26:1-5.  Now Isaac’s son Jacob was also visited by God in a dream and God spoke the covenant promise to him.


Genesis 28:12- 15 says, “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”


Now in Exodus 19:3-6 we see God confirming His covenant once again to Moses at Mount Sinai by reminding him of what He did for the children of Israel, outlining what they need to do, and then establishing a promise of reward for their obedience.  What a beautiful image of a loving God!  As New Covenant believers this is what the Holy Spirit does for us each and every day.  He reminds us of what Christ did for us on the Cross, outlines what we need to do; which is to believe by faith in the finished work of the Cross. Then He establishes His promise: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)


But for the children of Israel and for many people today they miss the point of what God is saying.  He is saying, “I Am the One who has done it all for you and all that I ask of you is to believe.” Where people got confused then and where they continue to be confused today is in thinking that it is something they can do themselves.  They read the commandments of God and the requirements of the laws and work in their own strength to keep them perfectly.  But that was never and is not today what God asks of anyone.  He is asking us to believe by faith that what He has promised He will perform and to bring to remembrance His goodness in delivering us out of slavery and into His glorious freedom.


We see this play out in the next passage of Scripture in Exodus 19:7-9.  It says, “So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.”  Do you see it?  The people said, “We will do” but then God says, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and BELIEVE you forever.” God was looking for a people who would allow Him to speak to them and then believe His voice and that is what He is looking for today.


Now read what happens next in verses ten and eleven.  “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”  In His loving response to the people’s “do” mentality He doesn’t punish them.  No, He instructs Moses to consecrate them.  What a beautiful picture of love and grace!  Consecrate means to set apart, make holy.  Even then God was trying to convey a message to the people that He had a desire to speak to them plainly and openly and that He would make them a holy people, set apart for Him!  But they missed it then and today many believers miss it even under the New Covenant!


We have to come to the place where we understand that there is nothing anyone can do for God that God has not already done for us!  When we understand this, then everything that God asks us to do is birthed out of His Spirit giving us the desire to do it; not us striving in our own strength to obey perfectly.  Jesus Christ obeyed perfectly, even to the point of death on the Cross to amplify this truth for us!  As we will see in the next few chapters of Exodus and you can see throughout the entire Old Testament; the children of Israel missed it and they suffered grave consequences as a result.  Let’s pray that we learn from their mistakes so we do not miss it in our own lives today! God is speaking, are you listening?

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 21)

After the victory over Amalek Moses met with his father-in-law Jethro and during this interaction Jethro instructed Moses to appoint men to be judges and rulers over the people.  This must have been another exciting time for the men of Israel who had just had their manhood restored on the battlefield.  Now they were going to be given positions of authority and permission to govern the people and I can imagine that this was another time of rejoicing because after four hundred years they were being vindicated for their suffering.  I am sure this had a huge impact on them!


Here is what Jethro told Moses, “Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.” (Exodus 18:19-23)


What a beautiful image of a people a being restored and men given their rightful places of authority as the leaders of their people!  It gives me goose bumps to think about how excited the men must have been and how proud their wives and children must have been.  I love the image I get of the men who were to be chosen.  Able men who feared God; men of truth who hated covetousness and who would be the leaders over people separated into groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.   Sounds a lot like the kind of men and women God is calling today to be leaders in the body of Christ.


And the requirements for leadership have great significance!  God was and is looking for leaders who are able which means spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically capable of leadership because they know where their strength comes from and they draw on it to lead God’s people.  Men and women who fear God; though fearing God for the New Covenant leader means someone who reverences God and serves Him wholeheartedly, not double minded and unstable in his ways.  Men and women of truth who can be trusted in their leadership role and who people can rely on to deliver the truth of God’s word, not man’s interpretation of it.  Men and women who do not covet but instead have learned to be content in the position God has given them. In other words they know who they are and do not look to outside sources to give them their identity.  They rely completely on God to be their strength and they don’t abuse their position of authority in any way!  They don’t get jealous of someone else’s success, relationships, or anything else.


There was a reason God wanted these kinds of leaders back then and a reason He is looking for them today.  He has a plan and a purpose that can only be done through man and so He needs man to implement His plan.  Did you notice what Jethro says is the result if Moses does what he has instructed? He says, “If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace. (Exodus 18:23)  As we know out of the leaders who were chosen only a few were able to fulfill these requirements but for those who did, there was great reward and for those who didn’t there were grave consequences!  The same is true today.


Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23,” “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”  But the difference is that the leader today isn’t required to fulfill keeping the law and leading a people to keep the law.  They are required to keep the truth which is Jesus Christ the Son of God who is the only way to salvation.  And they are to know that they are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and know that they have been saved by grace through faith, not by works of the flesh.  And then they are to teach it to others.  For those who do there is great reward but for those who don’t there are grave consequences just like in the days of the Israelites.


Now in the third month of their journey the children of Israel came out from the land of Rephidim where they had just defeated Amalek and been restored to their rightful places of authority and they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.  I am sure that emotions were running high and they were still consumed by a victory mindset when they came into this land.  I can imagine that many glorious praises were still being given to God for His faithfulness in the battle against the Amaleks and His restoring the men to their rightful places of authority.  To end today’s study and to prepare for tomorrow let’s meditate on Exodus 19:3-6 and ask the Holy Spirit to open our understanding as we prepare to learn more about how and why the laws were given and why they are not for us today.


"And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 20)

“Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.  Exodus 17:8-13


Can you even imagine what this battle must have been like for the Israelite army?  They had been released from captivity just a few months before and are now given permission to fight against an enemy.  As I read these words it plays out in my mind like an image on the screen of an IMAX theatre.  Finally they can defend themselves and their families and fight for what is rightfully theirs!  I imagine that it was an intense battle with all the rage and anger that must have been stored up in their bloodline for over four hundred years in the generations!  God not only gave them their freedom from the Egyptians but in this act of love He was restoring their manhood and their authority!  What a day of rejoicing that must have been for the men as they returned to camp victors instead of victims, heroes instead of captives!


Think about what it must have been like as they heard the cheers from their wives and children when they returned to camp  and how in awe of God they must have been because now they knew that God was with them, for them, and willing to perform His Word to take them to the Promised Land!  How would you respond if you came to this revelation?  Wouldn’t you be committed to serve God wholeheartedly and do whatever He instructed you to do?  And how long would your adoration for God last?  Of course all of us would say that if this happened to us we would be fully committed and dedicated to serving God all the days of our lives and do whatever He told us to do; but that reality didn’t play out for the Israelites and it wouldn’t play out for us either because it can’t be done by human effort!


For the Israelites though they were about to learn what God wanted them to do (keep the laws) and we will see that it was one of the greatest acts of love that God showed His people.  But we are about to discover that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two completely different things.  We will come to understand that man adhering to the laws of God perfectly in their own strength and by their own efforts is impossible and it can’t get you saved or keep you saved!  You might ask, “Who then can be saved and how do we stay saved if it is not something we can do in our own strength and in our own efforts because didn’t God tell us to keep His laws?”


I will let Jesus answer this question for you from a conversation He had with the rich young ruler and His disciples in Matthew 19:16-30.  This is the passage I want us to meditate on.  There was only ONE good enough to keep the law perfectly and His name is Jesus Christ! If man could have done it then Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were unnecessary.  This knowledge is the passageway to understanding why the laws were given in the first place and why we are now only required to believe in Jesus Christ as the way to salvation.  When one walks through this passageway to understanding they enter into peace in knowing that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone and that Christ in us is the hope of glory; not us keeping the laws of God in our own strength or by our own efforts.


“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, 'and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."


When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”


In this passage Jesus amplifies the truth that nothing we can do and nothing we have in and of ourselves is good enough to gain access the kingdom of heaven.  And the more we value ourselves and what we have or do, the less we value the life He has called us to, which is to believe in Him wholeheartedly and follow Him.  He is asking are you willing to abandon all you have thought, all that you have, and all you know to follow Me?  It is the same thing God was asking the Israelites when He gave them the laws as we will discover over the next couple of days.

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 19)

“Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?” And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” And the LORD said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:1-6


Once again the children of Israel are moving toward the Promised Land and come to a land where there is no water.  But this time it is interesting how they respond.  Instead of bringing to remembrance God’s provision of water at  Marah and Elim they once again revert back to their captive’s mindset and complain against Moses.  This time they don’t just complain though, they make a demand; “Give us water that we may drink.”  This is another picture of an immature people who act more like children than adults.  They have seen God provide water and now instead of praising Him for past provision and making a request of Him through Moses, they command that water is provided for them right now!


And This time Moses responds differently too.  You can sense his frustration when you read his response, “Why do you contend with me?  Why do you tempt the LORD?”  I imagine his frustration is like that of a parent whose children freak out when they don’t have something and come to them making demands that they get it for them right now!  It then says that the people thirsted there for water.  I find it interesting that the other two times Moses went directly to God and made a request of Him but this time we can tell that jumping into action wasn’t Moses first response.  Then in the next verse it says, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”


This is another picture of immaturity because isn’t it just like immature children to exaggerate a story in order to get your attention?  Now they are accusing Moses and God for trying to kill them, their children, and their livestock with thirst.  I love Moses’ response because it is so real and such a vivid picture of how we react sometimes when we are frustrated.  Instead of asking God to provide he says, “What shall I do with this people?  They are almost ready to stone me!”  If it would have been me saying it I would have said, “These people are cotton picking immature and I can’t handle it!  They are so ridiculous to deal with!”  But no matter how frustrated and angry Moses was when he spoke to God I absolutely love what happens next because it is another beautiful image of God’s love and grace for His people.  God doesn’t have a knee jerk reaction to Moses’ frustration.  No He responds to the need of His people and once again gives Moses a command that will produce the provision that they need.


God knows this people and He loves them so much that He continues to provide for them over and over again; no matter how they accuse Him or how hard they speak against Him.  He knows their captive’s mindset and He deals gently with them as a loving father deals with an infant.  But their reactions to Moses and God are revealing more and more of their need for guidance and direction and their incapability of living in freedom and trusting in God wholeheartedly as their provider and protector. No matter how much they may have wanted to be free they are still held captive to the bondage of a slave’s mentality.


This is a perfect image of what happens to a Christian today who comes to the revelation understanding of salvation and grace through Jesus Christ alone but does not know how to handle their newly given freedom from slavery to a sin consciousness and religious teachings.  They want so badly to trust God wholeheartedly as their provider and protector but they just can’t seem to do it.  They are quite immature and reactionary in their flesh which causes them to continually try to serve God in their own strength and gain His approval through their own self righteous efforts.  As you will see over the next few days how God gave the laws and commandments as a loving guide for this free people who are still controlled by a captive’s mentality; you will also see how He has given the people under the New Covenant the Holy Spirit as their guide instead of a set of rules and regulations to live by.


We are no longer required to keep the laws but we are responsible for submitting ourselves to the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit.  We are responsible for accepting the truth of Christ’s sacrifice for all sin and for putting our full reliance for our salvation on the finished work of the Cross, not our own self righteous acts of obedience.  We can’t earn salvation!  We can’t move God to love us more or less based on our actions either!  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) God is telling us today to believe it, live it, and proclaim it!  He is saying that we need to stop trying to identify ourselves with the people under the Old Covenant and we need to stop living in a captives mindset to slavery to a sin consciousness and start living in the freedom of a righteousness consciousness through believing in the finished work of the Cross!  This is what I want us to meditate on as we go even deeper into our study of why the laws were given to man and why we are no longer required to keep them as a way of salvation or righteousness.

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 18)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Exodus 16:4-5


I want to know if this is the kind of response you have with your children when they blame you and complain against you?  I know it isn’t the response I would have with my children.  The last thing I would want to do for my children is give them what they are asking for if they asked for it in a complaint against me as their provider.  But that is exactly what God did for the children of Israel!  Once again He showed up in the midst of their complaining and rebellion and provided for them.  In this passage of Scripture God says that He is going to test them to see if they will walk in His law or not.


This wasn’t some cruel game God was playing with them.  It was an incredible act of love because only God knew what was before them and how they would need to be obedient to heed His voice.  He was saying do you trust Me and will you believe Me at my Word?  And this wasn’t something that wasn’t familiar to them.  For over four hundred years they heeded the voice of their Egyptian masters.  They knew their voice and they obeyed their every command.  But what I find very interesting in what happens next in chapter 16 and throughout the journey in the desert is that what the Israelites were able and willing to do for man; they were not able or willing to do it for God.  But isn’t that exactly what we see happening in the modern day church today as well?


People obey the rules and regulations of their denomination but they don’t heed the voice of the Holy Spirit!  But just like God did for the Israelites then; He does for us today.  It’s called mercy and grace when we repent (renew our minds) and when we submit ourselves to His counsel!  The greatest advantages we have that the children of Israel didn’t have is that we are not required to obey God in our own strength any longer and we have been given the Holy Spirit as our counselor and guide.  And remember that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our disobedience and rebellion and He fulfilled the requirements of keeping the law perfectly so that we do not have to.  All we are required to do today is to believe in the finished work of the Cross and labor to rest in Christ.


This is why the writer of Hebrews wrote, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:9-12)


We will look at this passage of Scripture in more detail another day but for today I want you to understand that our laboring today is not a laboring in keeping the law as the children of Israel and the other people under the Old Covenant were required to do.  We are required to believe God at His Word and His Word says, IT IS FINISHED!  This understanding will help us to comprehend why the laws were given the way they were and why we are not under the same requirements to keep them anymore because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

Now let’s return to the study so we can see what happens next.  Read Exodus 16 in its entirety and ask the Holy Spirit to open up your understanding so that you are able to comprehend what was taking place and why God did what He did when He put them to rest on the Sabbath day.  The Sabbath rest is probably one of the most misunderstood commands of God in the church today and people are continually battling over what it means.  Hopefully in the next couple of paragraphs you will come to the revelation understanding that I came to when the Holy Spirit showed me this truth.


Exodus 16:28-30 says, “And the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.”  Here God is saying why don’t you trust me and believe Me at My Word?  There is nothing you can do to produce this provision.  It comes from me!  Stop laboring to produce something that you have no ability to produce!  Believe Me!  Trust Me!  Rest in Me!  The children of Israel could not produce the manna in their own strength and by their own efforts in the same way we can’t produce righteousness in our own strength or by our own efforts!  It comes from God, given to us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

Stop laboring to produce something that you have no ability to produce!  Rest in the promise that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and believe Him at His Word!  Read Matthew 12 for further study on this subject.  For today I want us to spend time asking the Holy Spirit to reveal if we are still trying to labor to produce righteousness in our own strength and through our own efforts by trying to be right and do right from what we have been taught by man.  Give the Holy Spirit permission to teach you the truth because “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) And “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Love And Grace! The Only Anti-Venom That Works! (part 17)

“There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:25b-26


For years when I read this passage it just seemed to be another verbal interaction between God and His people and I never paid close attention to it.  I had read Exodus so many times and over the years the words began to run together and I never gave them much thought.  It was kind of like watching a movie that you have seen a dozen times and zoning out in the middle of it because your brain already knows how it is going to end; so you don’t pay much attention during it.


But when God gave me the revelation of grace and He began to undo all of the religious teaching I had been taught growing up this passage of Scripture jumped off the page when I went back and read it.  The Holy Spirit told me to stop reading and to meditate on these verses.  At first nothing came and I would read it again; waiting to hear from the Lord.  But then one day it was as if this passage became a 3D image before my eyes and I was enlightened to a truth I had never seen, heard, or been taught before.  In order to understand it I had to read the next verses of Scripture.


Exodus 15:27- 16:3 says, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.” “And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”


Why did God give the command of heeding His voice and why did He test them?  And what is the significance of these in regards to the giving of the Law and God’s love and grace for His people?  First of all remember that the Children of Israel had a mindset of captivity that knew and understood what it meant to heed their master’s voice.  The verbiage that God used was very familiar to them and they could understand it.  This is a beautiful picture of God’s love for His people and meeting His people where they were capable of understanding.  In the midst of God showing His love for them He then makes them a promise of not bringing any diseases on them like He did on the Egyptians.  Once again another image of His love because the Israelites knew that submission and commitment to their master plus diligent work equaled reward.  This was their love language so to speak and God spoke to them in it.

Immediately His words were received and they journeyed on to Elim where there were 12 wells of water (an image of abundant provision) and they camped there.  No grumbling or complaining is recorded in any of the text.  They were content with the provision of their master (God).  But then as they journeyed on to the Wilderness of Sin, “Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2-3)  They lost their contentment but unlike their commitment to their earthly masters (the Egyptians) who they would never think of crossing and complaining against; they felt justified in crossing Moses and Aaron and complaining against God which is another image of a captive’s mindset when they do not know how to handle the freedom that has been given to them.  All they would have had to do was to cry out to the Lord for provision and it would have been done for them.  But they still could not grasp the reality that they were no longer slaves of a hardened task master, but instead the children of the most loving Father who was committed to providing for their every need.


So they did what came natural.  They complained but this time the complaint was even greater!  First they said, “Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord” then they said, “when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full!  For you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”  By the first statement it is obvious that they had accepted their position as children and isn’t the second statement a perfect example of how immature children react?  They always blame the parent and over exaggerate the perceived result with an accusation of doom!  Nothing’s ever good enough and it is always the parent’s fault!  In an instant God went from provider and protector to murderer in their minds.  But even with this great act of disobedience and rebellion how did God react to the Children of Israel?  Did He strike them down and destroy them?  No!  He once again showed His love and responded to their rebellion with grace!  As we end today let us meditate on God’s response as we prepare for tomorrow’s study.


“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”  Exodus 16:4-5