The Joy Full Life

Some think it's a hard life being a believer! Some have only gone far enough to be bothered, and not far enough to be blessed, and happy. Thinking that if we go on with God that in some way we will "miss out" on the pleasure of being alive. No one could possibly think that they know more about the future of the world than God. We don't have that kind of knowledge. Have we been brainwashed into thinking that God is out to destroy us or has a evil plan for our life? I would hope not.

Then we can joyfully accept our daily walk with gladness. We have committed our way unto the Lord. Surely He will lead us every day in the way of His chosing. He will be pleased to give us His presence and joy. Why would we chose any other way? So then we are to be a thankful people, and delight in our life in the Lord, no matter where He leads us. Or to stay put where He places us. The love of the Father is seeking to bless us, and those around us, through us. What could be better? "The kingdom of God is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit." This is a life of joy, and fruitfulness, abounding in the good things of God.

Having addressed a wrong attitude, I would like to address a limited faith. It's recorded in Heb 4:2

"For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest,"

Why would we limit God's work in us and for us by our stubborn wills? Here we have God's promise of rest by believing the fulness of the gospel. Look at Israel, God provided deliverance, then food and water, there were no sick or infirm, their cloths didn't wear out, they lived in His glory. Then they conquered the promise land, and gained houses and lands that they didn't build. And became the greatest nation on the face of the earth, and all kingdoms brought there treasures into her. Doesn't this sound like a good God. Well He not also prosper everthing that He causes us to put our hand to? Of course!

Israel is a shadow of the church, a type. We have the reality in Christ that Israel fore-shadowed. We have the greater glory of the Son of God by the Spirit in us. What we can see of the blessings to Israel is also the will of God to the Church. To bring her to reflect and show-forth the glory of the Son. This is the rest of God, that God Himself supplies our every need. And causes us to walk in the victory that was obtained for us in Christ Jesus. No worries, no trouble that God in us can't conquer. While we enjoy His presence.

Consider Jesus; he was full of wisdom, and he chose the Father's will in the crucifixion. Why? He knew that the Father's plan would develope him to his highest achievement, the Savior of all men. What a lofty goal! And for this God has exalted him to the highest place. Don't we like to be around those who bring out the very best in us? Such is the nature of God. To cause us to live life to our fullest potential, and God knows what our limit's are, and what is a realistic goal for each of us.

And how is this done exactly. By the word. And through those who take the word and combine it with faith, and bring forth fruit. "The word of God is alive and active and powerful." All that is needed is the word of faith in our hearts and in our mouths to bring to pass the things that God has given in the Son. God in us uses our mouth and hands, and feet to accomplish His purposes in the earth. But we must be yielded and willing to believe that nothing is impossible with God. And that God is pleased to show Himself strong on our behalf. "To them that believe all things are possible." So let's put aside all our reservations about the good plans of God toward us, and with faith embrace the walk into the things that God uses to develope and change us into the image of His Son. Anything else is a waste of the life that God has for us.

Credibility

In our life we make decisions based on the evidence of reliability. If we hire a electrician or plumber we look at his other works, or credientals that show us the qualifications of the person. In this way we eliminate the headaches of lost time and money. It would be foolish to hire anyone with-out checking to see what kind of work they are capable of doing. We wouldn't be so dumb as to hire someone only on there word. Seeing that it is necessary with the temporal things of life, how much more with the eternal things. Think about that with regard to the gospel.

Paul said the Gospel is not in word, but in power. Do we have a example of this? In a discussion with Jesus, he made this statement;

"The Father has sent me, and if I do not the works of God, then believe me not. But if I do the works, and you can't believe me, believe the works that you might be saved."

Wow! If I say, "the Spirit of Christ is in me, then I must do the works of Christ." Do you see that? It's not enough to speak the words, they must be accompanied by the works. Do we have the same Spirit? Do we have the same Jesus? Do we have the same gospel? Then we also must have the same manifestations! It is not an option. It is the word of God, and the work of God, being testified to by the power of God. Other-wise they have no works to judge whether or not we are from God.

What an invitation to our faith. This is to open our eyes to see the willingness and power and favor we have with our Father. That He is eager to prove that we are indeed His children. And even more, that He will glorify the name of Jesus, by who we stand in this grace. Also that the world might see the goodness of God through our preaching and testimony and Works. "If I do not the works of God, then believe me not." If Jesus said no works, no faith. Then we can see that our gospel has to be in the power of the Spirit. How can the lost be saved with-out seeing the works? They cannot, and according to this, neither should they!

This is not a word to diligent study, or to more striving. But a word to draw us into a deeper faith in God. To pray, to yield, to wait, and to earnestly seek His presence and power in our every-day lives. Would God tell us one thing that He cannot enable us for? No, a thousand times no. Every word of God is empowered by God. To those who believe. Are we not believers, yes.

Then the works that Jesus did, we shall also do, and greater works, because He ever liveth to intercede on our behalf. He is the high-priest of our confession. If we confess "the Spirit of Christ is in me, and I do the works of Christ." Then God will delight in giving us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to cause others to know that God is with us. In what ever way and form that is the chosing of the Spirit, God will be manifest before the eyes of those to whom we minister. "But if I do the works, and you can't believe me, believe the works that you might be saved." All this is the will of God. Even as Jesus pleased the Father.

So let's take off the shackles of our thinking, and allow our spirits to soar like the eagle. To go to new heights, to see things by the spirit. To bring to the earth the wonders of the power of the love that God has toward man. To exalt Christ Jesus in the working of the Spirit. "To them that believe, all things are possible."

The Word of God

A lot of activity and teaching and works of men are just a bunch of chasing after the tail. So I'm writing this to show the fallacy of all this effort. I want to eliminate all the stress and headache and discouragement. I have good news for you.

It's impossible for you to do the word of God! Jesus said; "of myself I can do nothing." Again "what is IMPOSSIBLE with man, is possible with God." From these and others we learn one lesson. There is nothing with-in the nature of man that can produce one word of God. Not one promise, not one jot or tittle. Nothing. If Jesus said he couldn't then rest assured that you cannot either!

What then does this mean. Abraham is called the father of faith, not of works, not of effort, not of understanding, but of faith. What is this faith? Only this; that what God has said He is also able to perform. Not that we can perform, or can do anything to accomplish one word of God's will. But God Himself will perform it and bring it to pass. This is what God commended Abraham for; he believed God's word and gave glory to God that He was also faithful and able to perform it.

We can read from Genesis to the last word of Revelation. In the whole record, there is not one word that we can do. It has to be God doing all His word. It doesn't matter if you are a new born, or a veteran of many years, every thing is the outcome of the working of God. Yes, we have gained victories, but those by God. Yes, we have grown in understanding and wisdom of God, but that also is by God. Yes, we have obtained calling and gifts, and everyone in these can tell you they are the working of God.

Even more we have begun in the Spirit of God, and now are we trying to perfect this in the flesh. Paul wrote about the foolishness of this. But in our age the efforts of man are placed on a pedestal, and we honor those who strive with great effort of mind and strength after the flesh. This has no place in the work of the word of God.

But there is a striving after the Spirit. A renewing of the believer by the acknowledging of every good thing that is in us in Christ. To make it simple; by honoring God and giving Him the praise and glory for working in us His word by His good pleasure. Not by works we have done or not done, but by His grace and gifts bestowed on us in Christ, for Jesus sake.

So this is the whole duty of the believer; to hear the word of God, and to believe that what He has promised and said; He also will bring it to pass in our life, and in the world, and in the ages to come. That nothing can be added to it or taken from it; and that God will not share His glory.

So let us draw near to God and praise His mighty works that He has accomplish in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us give Him the glory for the great things He has done, and continues to work in His children and in the earth. Let us acknowledge that He alone is our bread of life and we watch and listen for His every word, and yield to His Spirit as He works and moves and accomplishes the Fathers commands in us. With grateful hearts and sincere faith in the goodness and willingness and generousness of our loving Father. He said it; He'll do it. And all will give Him the glory!

The Charismatic Church

The Lord gives gifts that are freely accepted by those who are poor in sprit. The poor in spirit is the one who has come to know that there in nothing good in himself, with out any value, and so he depends on God. Men want to reason out what there minds cannot understand. God's gifts do not and will not enhance the soul of man. The soul consists of the will, mind, and emotions.

The Lord takes the spirit of man as the vessel of his choice and use. The purpose is so that man will always and forever have to draw from the life in God. "Apart from me you can do nothing." Yes man can do many things, but they have "nothing of eternal value or life". They are as nothing. There is no reasoning in the spirit, only intitution, conscience, and perception (knowing). Neither can the soul produce the life of God.

The mind may understand the meaning of the words, but lacks the ability to produce the effect. Consider; "You shall love the Lord your God". The reason understands, but only by the spirit can you do this with truth. For it is born of the spirit within and not the will of man to obey. The Lord lives in man by the spirit. "a new spirit will I give you,.. and will put my Spirit within you." God is spirit. Not mind or thought or reason; these are of the soul. When we are saved we are conscience of the Lord in our spirit.

We have our beginning in this realm, not the mental realm, or the emotional, or even in the realm of our will. It is senseless to think that we could now change directions. We will not find God in our mind. Or in the flesh. The way of God is by the spirit, only. If we want to find more revelation of Him, we will have to learn to follow the spirit. We will have to put off the soul with it's reasonings. We'll have to subdue all our strivings, and efforts, and good works. The soul must be put into subjection to the spirit where the Lord alone is the source of everything. As it says, "you shall have no other gods before me".

This simply means the way of faith, hope, and love. The invisible is not seen then believed, it is believed and then seen. God is invisible with-in us, we have not seen Him, but we can fellowship in the darkness with Him. For to Him darkness is the same as light and by our spirit we will receive the inspiration and illumination that we need in our walk.

All of the things of God will be recieved in this same way. In our darkness we will see light, and know the way that the Lord in our spirit is directing us. The gifts and calling of our life is with-in us. In God who rules and reigns in the hearts of His people. Learn to follow the still small voice with-in, and walk there-in. Cease from all our own enterprises, wheather good or bad, and be still, "and know that I am God".

So away with you scholars, and you learned and highly educated. The wise and the prudent. Do you not know, and have you not seen that the Lord has made the wisdom of this world foolishness. Will you now explain God to the ignorant? Are you so wise as to understand how one can be raised from the dead. By what theory? By what power? Explain to me the virgin birth, surely you know. Do the laws of your science and knowledge have this answer? If not, then be quiet. Learn from God. And then you will have something to say.

You despise prophesy, and tongues, and the gifts of healing, and of power. You would discourage those who through humble hearts are walking and hearing from God. You point out faults, and errors, as though you would do better! Come then and take upon you this servant yoke and see how you fare, or are you to wise for this, God knows. But these you distain will exceed you. These will grow in grace and the knowledge of God. There hearts will be the prized possession of the Lord of Glory. And if you touch them you will be rebuked by the Lord, for they are the delight of His heart. So become a fool for Christ, so that you may become wise in God.