Fathers

What comes to mind when you think of a father? For some, this is a foreign concept because they have never been cared for by a father. Some were abandoned by the person who was supposed to be their father.

The act of procreation can make a man a father, but his caring and character will determine whether or not he is a good one or a bad one.

The Greek word for father is Pater - literally or figuratively, near or remote; it means - father, parent.

Fathering is more than just telling those under one’s watch what they should do. Good fathering involves caring at a much deeper level, causing one to invest their time and resources to help those under one’s watch develop according to their potential. It is caring with the aim of seeing someone attain their calling and destiny. It involves loving, sacrificing, and investment and will also entail instruction along the way, but it is so much more than just instruction. Fathering sometimes requires saying and doing things that can be uncomfortable in order to challenge a son or daughter to rise and realize their potential and ability. Fathers deal with the heartache associated with watching the struggle of their children because of the level of involvement they have with them.

This is why Paul wrote the following to the Corinthians:

1Corinthians 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

A true characteristic of a real spiritual father in the faith is the idea that someone was brought into the faith by their preaching of the gospel. Spiritual sons and daughters are those begotten by the gospel preached by a father in the faith.

Paul is saying to the Corinthians that they may have given their time and attention to other instructors, but they only have one father in the faith. We observe this sort of reality playing out in normal life among the children of parents. Children cannot have multiple biological parents. They only have two, a father and a mother. As they grow up, they may start listening to peers and instructors, to whom they give their respect by embracing what they tell them. Sometimes, they can give greater respect to an instructor than they do a father. It is not that uncommon to see this happen. Today, it is sad to see some gravitate to popular social media personalities for instruction while abandoning the very ones who are present in their lives to truly care for them spiritually.

That happened at Corinth. The believers were fighting over who’s instructor was the best. The difference between fatherly instruction and the instruction of many others is the motive at hand. Fatherly instruction is for your benefit, not theirs. Meanwhile, mere instructors might want you to listen to them so they have a notch in their belt, so to speak, and can bolster their sense of importance and security at your expense. They are not as invested in the real outcome.

Galatians 6:13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

False fathers care more about their reputations for gathering a following than they do for the ones following. They are not authentically invested in your future and well-being spiritually as much as they are concerned with how they are progressing in popularity and following. Instructors do not show up when hardships hit you, and you do not know what to do to handle them. That is something a father does. Fathers appear when you need it most; instructors just spew ideas from afar.

You do not have many fathers. Do you know who your true spiritual fathers are?

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Purposeful Endurance

When we think of a word like endure, we might tend to think of a long-distance runner digging deep to finish the race and then falling across the finish line exhausted or a sports team that seems not to give up until the game is truly over.

No doubt, these can be examples of endurance. However, it is not the kind I am speaking of in this devotion.

Hebrews 6:13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

God had promised something to Abraham, and it was an amazing promise. But God made this promise by making sure it rested on God alone to bring it forth in Abraham’s life.

We’ve seen how people use sayings to emphasize the seriousness of a promise they make to someone. They might say something like, “I swear on my mother’s grave.” Or maybe they just say, “I swear to you, I will do it.”

The only problem with a mere man or woman swearing such things is that we know that if they are swearing this with regard to something absolutely wonderful and amazing, it might be difficult for them to bring it to pass. If someone you knew who earned just enough to live on came to you and swore they were going to make you rich, you might appreciate the sentiment of such a gesture on their part, but you would be waiting around for the outcome.

In Abraham’s case, it was no mere man making such bold claims. It was the Almighty God saying these things and swearing by Himself in doing so because He could swear by no one greater. For this reason, Abraham could patiently endure. In other words, Abraham held on to such a promise in his heart and mind, knowing that if God made it, it would eventually come to pass.

Abraham did not give up on it and just take off and do his own thing, forgetting what God had spoken to him. This promise shaped his existence. Purposeful endurance is the kind that allows the promise to affect the way one makes choices and impacts one’s direction in life because the promise is believed.

What promises have you become aware of that God has given you? Did you know that all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus? In Christ Jesus, we find the Holy Spirit fitting us to receive all God has for us. He prepares us to receive what God has to offer, like a tailor or seamstress measuring someone for the perfect suit or dress fit. Sometimes, this fitting process involves a little time, and that is when purposeful endurance is needed. It doesn’t negate the promise that we are enduring till it manifests. Purposeful endurance makes known that the promise is believed. Are you purposefully enduring with respect to certain promises? I encourage you today to purposefully endure just as Abraham, the father of faith, did.

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The Call To Grow

A couple of years back, I planted a rogue redbud tree in my front yard. It was questionable whether that tree would make it. But now, that tree has grown and is budding out on all of its limbs. That tree was created to grow like that. It is merely doing what it was made to do.

You and I, as new creations in Christ, are created to grow up in Him. There’s no such thing as a disciple who is meant to stay the same and never grow spiritually.

A child of God is meant to be growing up in Christ, always abounding, always increasing in their revelation knowledge of Him, and gaining ground in their walk in the Spirit, experiencing victory as a result. It doesn’t mean they will never experience challenges or potential temporary hindrances that will be used to facilitate growth and increase through the victory faith and rest produce. Tribulations, trials, and persecutions are promised to believers who truly stand in faith and grow. But in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him, who loved us and called us according to His purpose.

Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Spiritual growth is the result of intentionally pressing into Him. It is the fruit of pursuing Him with diligence. After all, He is the vine, and we are the branches. A branch cannot thrive and produce fruit unless it abides in the vine. Abiding in Him is more than just a moment set aside each day without distraction. It is a way of life for the believer to be continually aware of who He is and who they are and in a present state of mind and heart to be available and surrendered to the Holy Spirit.

It is the ability to truly know which things are of greatest value and which things to hold loosely or to let go altogether. There is an upward call for every believer in Jesus. That upward call is what will cause growth and fruit-bearing with abundance. The upward call is to walk according to the Spirit, and doing so will always bear His fruit. A spiritually growing believer in Jesus cannot hide who they are. The fruit is plain for all to see. The steady increase in their lives cannot be hidden. They will not be found in the same spiritual stature they were just last year or the year before. They are growing and increasing in Him. I want to press towards the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I pray you do as well. Press in to know Him better, meditate on His word, follow the lead of the Spirit, and enjoy fellowship with Him as you go through your day. You’re called to grow!

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Remain

Remain - stay in the place that one has been occupying.

The question is, what space have you been occupying?

In this case, I want to go to the words where Jesus spoke this very thing concerning remaining. The word abide is used, but they both imply the same thing and come from the same Greek word.

John 15:9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

Jesus invited His disciples to occupy the space of His love. His love for them was just like the love the Father had for Him.

Here, we consider the kind of love the Father had for Jesus because that is the kind of love Jesus has for us.

John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

The Father’s love for Jesus was long-standing and unrelenting. It was and is eternal love. The Father also loves us according to Jesus’ prayer.

John 17:23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

God the Father loves us with the exact same kind and level of love He has for Jesus!

How is this made possible?

John 16:27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

In this life, there will be many things that come along to challenge our confidence in His love. But His love will never fail, diminish, or turn to hate towards us. He has fixed His love upon us.

The challenge for us is to abide, remain, and stand steadfast in our revelation and acceptance of His love.

Jesus wants us to remain in His love! Remaining in His love gives us the power to recover, overcome, and not fall away. His love has an unexplainable keeping quality, which is why He encouraged us to remain in His love.

If we keep what He commanded us, we will abide in His love, but when we get out of step with Him, we fight a war in our souls that challenges our understanding, perception, and sense of having His love. Remaining in His love is one of those commandments. Are you convinced of His love for you?

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Abide

The word abide was used to translate a Greek word that means to dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry, or continue. As a verb, it means to stay in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy.

If I were to ask you to abide with me, I would likely be asking you to remain my friend and stay in relationship with me (continue, endure). Or I could be asking you to live where I live (dwell, remain).

Jesus used this word in the Gospels in John 15. It is often preached in a way that creates a misunderstanding, as many have come away thinking the only way this can be practiced is to remain in one condition. First, let’s read what it says.

John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Whenever I heard this passage preached, it was often presented in a context of intimate fellowship, in the sense of being in prayer seeking Jesus. However, the way this language is, it seems to be communicating a state of being. In other words, it is something that is continually occurring.

It is not as mystical as one might think. Nor is it implying that I spend the rest of my life as a hermit in solitude, seeking Jesus in prayer all day except when I sleep.

This is about relationship connection made possible through new creation life that will be offered in the New Covenant Jesus will establish with His own blood.

The fruit Jesus will offer is a New Covenant fruit of the Spirit, and to bear that fruit, one must be born again. That required the Jews to let go of their confidence in the Old Covenant through Moses and lay hold on what Jesus would offer by grace through faith. For Gentiles, it meant letting go of their false gods and superstitions to lay hold on eternal life in Christ by grace through faith in Him alone.

This is a continual walk of faith being led by the Spirit and given revelation by the Spirit concerning Jesus. Jesus did have time to go aside by Himself to be alone with His Father while He walked this earth. But He didn’t spend all His day there, and He did not have to return there throughout the day to hear and know what His Father was doing. He and His Father were one. Jesus, while He went through His day, said He did what He saw His Father doing and spoke what He heard His Father speaking. Jesus abided. His intimacy and union with His Father were not only attainable in the place of undistracted private prayer. They were His way of life. Jesus lived moment by moment, aware of His Father and in tune with His desires.

Jesus wanted what His Father wanted. That is the essence of abiding. That is what is described for us in John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 14:23   Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Jesus lives in the believer, and the believer lives in Jesus. In Him, we live, move, and have our being. He has become our state of being. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The more we live aware of this, the more we understand what it means to abide.

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You Were But Now!

At one time, I was characterized by my foolishness. I was known for my antics and my carelessness. But something happened. I was born again! It altered who I am and made me into a brand new person with different likes and dislikes than before.

Those who knew me prior to being born again knew me according to being someone different. Should they encounter me now and attempt to relate to me on that basis, it would be awkward for them as they would learn quickly that I am no longer the person I once was were it not for His grace.

The change is so dramatic that if they try to continue relating to me according to something that is no longer, they will be gravely disappointed and likely feel foolish for doing so. There will definitely be no joy in it for them. I do not feel the need or urge to fall back into that old way of life.

It is the difference between light and darkness. The two cannot dwell together. Where there is light, darkness cannot remain. Darkness exists where there is no light. You do not have the two occupying the same space at the same time because it is not possible. Light always expels darkness. I’ve been set free by Jesus to walk in His light!

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Did you catch that first phrase? You are light in the Lord! Walk as children of light! You get to walk as what you are now in Christ!

You were darkness without Him. But now, the light of the world has come to live within you, and you have become a child of light. That means you get to walk as a child of light—you get to walk in the fruit of the Spirit! What was once alien to you has become normal.

The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. You know the difference between darkness and light now. You are no longer stumbling around in the darkness and tripping over things for lack of sight. You can see the disaster ahead when darkness is chosen, and therefore, you are able to illuminate the dangers of it.

That’s what it means not to have fellowship with the works of darkness but rather to expose them. It’s not merely declaring that something is wrong. It is the ability to communicate the danger of the thing itself. It’s the ability to communicate that there is a better way. It is that you have discovered what is acceptable to the Lord. You have found that what is acceptable to Him is a path of blessing for you.

Remember, you were once darkness, BUT NOW, you are light in the Lord. Walk as a child of light!

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Fruit Reveals The Root

Every fruit tree bears a fruit after its kind. An apple tree bears apples, a pear tree bears pears, and so on. I’ve never looked at an apple tree and wondered why it didn’t have an orange hanging from its branch.

We expect that the fruit will match the root. For the fruit to match the root, the branch the fruit is on must be a branch from the root that is alive and healthy.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The working of the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives. It also causes hope to abound.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fruitlessness is not someone else’s fault. If we want the right fruit, we must have the right root. Jesus spoke to His disciples and said,

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

No one can have the real fruit of the Holy Spirit without being in the vine. The Vine is the root!

Isaiah 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people;

For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”

Romans 15:12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

When we are in the vine, abiding by grace through faith, we have an abundance of hope. We have that hope because the Holy Spirit is available to us by our being in the vine. When we allow Him to flow through us like a rich sap of life, He produces fruit in our lives that gives evidence to all that we are in the vine. One of the greatest evidences is our love for one another.

True believers actively abiding in the vine walk in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They flourish in an abundance of hope. When you see this fruit at work in someone’s life, you know the root they are drawing their life from.

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What Kind Of Peace?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

What kind of peace did Jesus have?

Mark 4:35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus had a peace that did not get rattled even in the midst of a storm. Some might say this story simply proves he was a sound sleeper and very tired in that boat. That, too, could be true, but the fact that all this was going on and it neither awakened nor caused Him alarm shows that He was at peace the whole time. Even when they awakened Him, it did not send Him into a panic.

Jesus had already spoken before getting in the boat, saying that they needed to go to the other side. It was part of the mission.

A big part of this kind of peace is in knowing you are in the Father’s will. Jesus had not yet accomplished the ultimate mission for which He was sent here. He had not yet gone to the cross. He could not die by drowning at sea. He knew the other side was His reality, not merely a possibility.

When opening a Sunday gathering at our home church, my wife will often say, “If you have a word from the Lord, you have all you need.” It is His word spoken to us that ministers His peace.

Jesus knew He was not alone through the fellowship He had with His Father. In John 14, He assured His disciples He would not leave them alone. He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

Another major key to experiencing this kind of peace is the presence of God expressed through the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings peace with Him because He is the very presence of God in our lives. He is the testimony that we are no longer orphans but sons, and if we are sons, then we are also heirs with Jesus. This is the New Covenant Gospel of Peace.

Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

We are to have our feet shod with the preparation of this gospel.

Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

What kind of peace are you walking in, His or yours? You are an heir of His peace if you have been born again. His peace is available to you, and you can walk in it every day if you wish.

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Peace In Uncertainty

The idea of uncertainty lies in the realm of not knowing an outcome and being caught in the middle of it due to how much you care.

There are things in this life we have no control over. We can stand in faith for a good outcome and believe God will intervene. However, we have no jurisdiction over another person’s faith and outcome. We can do our best to encourage and share the truth, but the outcome rests with them.

We need to find our peace in knowing that we are acting according to faith on our part.

For instance, I can share the good news of Jesus with people, but I cannot make them believe it. What they do with what I offer is entirely up to them and their willingness to accept the work of the Holy Spirit in it.

It is in this place of deeply longing for others to receive and act in faith on something that could be of great value to them in life here and now that often seeks to disrupt our sense of peace. Trying to base your peace on the outcome of someone else can be a dangerous prospect. Having your peace be subject to how someone else does is not a recipe for lasting peace.

John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

Jesus did not put His trust in men because He knew what was in them. Men will let you down, and even good men can sometimes let you down, although they are well-meaning when it comes to you. Jesus was discerning about who He committed Himself to.

Jesus was at one time letting His disciples know that He was sent to suffer and be crucified and, as such, would be handed over to men soon. At this news, Peter, who cared deeply for the Lord, rebuked Him and said, “Be it not so, Lord.” Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan, because you do not savor the things that are of God but rather the things that are of men.”

God’s will for His Son challenged Peter’s peace because Peter’s understanding of the matter was not yet clear. Peter’s peace was attached to the physical presence of Jesus, and he did not wish to let that go. However, God had a different plan. Uncertainty presented itself at that moment to Peter, and it rocked his sense of peace.

It was for this reason that Jesus sought to comfort His disciples with these words, knowing His time was nearing its end here on this earth.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

To have peace in times of uncertainty, you’ll need to have it anchored to the right source. What do you think you need to have peace in this present moment of your life? Your honest answer can be revealing, and it can lead you straight to Him for a more lasting peace if it is not already based on Him. Then, you’ll have peace in times of uncertainty.

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Know The Difference

Poweraid Blueberry and Glass Plus are both liquid and blue. However, one will help hydrate you, while the other is dangerous to drink.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Jesus offers a very interesting promise here: peace. However, it is not ordinary peace that He promises.

We should consider the moment Jesus was brought before the governor of Rome in Jerusalem.

John 19:10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Even when falsely accused, wrongfully treated, and then brought before Pilate to be judged, Jesus had peace. He was about to take the most difficult part of His journey to date, and He had peace about it because He knew God’s will in it.

Often, peace is equated with the path of least resistance in life. If the way is easy, the conditions ideal, and the process convenient, it is often determined that it must be the peace of God that passes all understanding. We are told in,

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Why do I need peace to guard my heart and mind? Because when I have, through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, been with God and learned of His desire for me, the enemy will no doubt wish to challenge what I have heard promised and the direction I was given.

Our enemy is most threatened when he sees that we are most committed to the Lord’s will for our lives. The path of peace for each of us is not the path of least resistance. It is the path of knowing Him intimately enough to know the destiny He has given to us in this life.

The Apostle Paul knew the will of the Lord for him. Jesus spoke it to him clearly. Thus, when the Prophet Agibas told him that if he went up to Jerusalem, he would be bound and made to suffer, Paul could say Jesus has already shown me how I am to suffer at the hands of those who oppose Him, and I am both willing and ready to go to Jerusalem. Paul was at peace with his decision based on knowing the will of the Lord for his life. Just as Jesus could peacefully face His false accusers, Paul likewise could take the path of greatest resistance as well and be at peace.

There is a false and very temporary peace that doesn’t yield the fruit of righteousness. It may feel good to us at the moment, but it is a fleeting feeling. His peace that He gives clings to us and carries us. Know the difference.

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Thriving In Peace

Have you ever known someone who seems to be at peace regardless of what might be going on?

Have you ever wanted to walk in a kind of peace that is unrattled? Does that idea seem too far-fetched for you?

Did you know that someone can be rich and yet not successful because they spend all their time worrying about the things they must do to keep what they have? That is because true, deep, lasting peace isn’t bought with money and can’t be secured by having more than enough money.

However, true peace is attainable, and the Holy Spirit wants the children of God to thrive in it.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It’s easy enough to be told to be anxious for nothing, but how does one actually do that? Well, we know this much based on what we just read, which is that the opposite of it involves prayer and supplication from a place of real faith.  You cannot give thanks for something you do not believe you have received. We offer thanks when we are given something. So when we stand in need, and we go to God in prayer and supplications with faith, we believe we have what we asked for, and we believe it as though we already have it even though we do not yet see it in natural. Praying in faith and believing something can put the mind and the heart at rest and peace. It serves to remind us of our relationship with the Father and His love for us.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Where are we most guaranteed to get the truth? The word of God comes to my mind. It is the most reliable source of truth there is. But it is not just the truth we are to think about. Noble exceeds status quo good. Just, is something fair and honest. Pure, we should all understand that concept. Surely, we grasp what a good report is. It definitely isn’t gossip and judgmentalism. Things with virtue and that are praiseworthy. All these we are to meditate upon. Do not just think about them momentarily but spend time dwelling on them and seeking a deeper and more resilient understanding of them so that we might possess them.

Philippians 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Leaders are not mere mouthpieces for our instruction. They are examples. When we see these actions manifested in a leader who teaches them verbally and lives them practically, we should know that means we, too, can do them. When we flourish in our relationship with God, engage in prayer according to faith, meditate on the right things, and then seek to take ownership of lessons as opposed to merely being hearers, peace invades our lives. We are called to thrive in peace!

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Proper Thoughts

To think properly, we must wash our minds with the water of His word. Scripture gives specific instructions on this.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Meditate on these things! Meditate on what the Holy Spirit has communicated to you. By meditating on it and allowing Him to further your revelation of it, you will thrive, grow, activate your faith, and diminish doubt in your heart and soul. Here are some words to wash your mind with today. If one of these stands out to you, please look into it further and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you more about it.

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Matthew 8:1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:7   And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

John 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.

John 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

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Everlasting

When seeing or hearing this word, some people think of an everlasting gobstopper from the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The idea that something is never-ending.

Translators used the word “everlasting” when translating from Hebrew and Greek to English to describe either a time with a beginning and an end or a never-ending reality.

The average person tends to see this word in English and deduce that it means the same thing everywhere it appears in the Scriptures. The problem is the only definition most give to it when seeing it is that it means eternal, having no end. This has complicated things sometimes.

Since God and heaven are outside the bounds of time, and Jesus is eternal in nature as well, everlasting in reference to them or to the life Jesus gives is eternal, and therefore will have no end. However, there are others things referred to as everlasting that have an end.

Consider the covenant God made with Noah.

Genesis 9:16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Will heaven need a covenant reminder about the earth being flooded when everything on earth comes to an end? Yet translators used the English word “everlasting” when describing that covenant.

Exodus 40:15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

Some think the Law Covenant is everlasting in the sense of everlasting being eternal. They misconstrue Jesus’ words.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

The phrasing, till heaven or earth pass away, is simply a way of making sure it is clearly understood that the law must be fulfilled before it is no longer needed. It is not saying that earth and heaven must pass away before the law does.  Think about it: Will heaven ever pass away? Jesus is emphasizing fulfillment. Jesus came to bring the law to completion. It must be forever satisfied in order to be no longer needed.

Jesus satisfied the law with all of its demands by fulfilling all that the law demanded and established.  Do you really think the Law will be in heaven? Will the Law be what governs the kingdom of heaven? However, the law of love that Jesus said governs His kingdom here on earth will be in heaven as well. Therefore, the law of love supercedes the law of Moses.

It was love that conquered sin and death on our behalf at the cross. Love did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Love (Jesus) made us righteous with God’s righteousness. The Law of Moses was in place for a time in order to demonstrate the unrighteousness of men and their inability to attain the righteousness of God in their own strength. It was not an everlasting covenant in the sense of being eternal, but now an eternal covenant has been given to us in Christ Jesus—the New Covenant of His blood. Jesus made us righteous with God’s righteousness by grace through faith in Him. In Jesus, we have an everlasting righteousness in the sense of it being eternal. Thus, we have inherited everlasting life!

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What Stock

In the financial market realm, owning stock is a big deal. But the really respected ones are those who know how to choose the right stock.

Stock is a step of faith. It is betting that a company will do what it claims it will do and will prove successful. Investors like to buy low and then sell when the company’s stock value goes up due to good performance.

I say all that simply to clarify what is meant when someone asks what stock are you putting your trust in. It could be another way of asking where your confidence is or what or who you are placing your faith in.

Hebrews 6:16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Did you read and notice what it said?

Two immutable things. “God made an oath” and “It is impossible for God to lie.”

Why is it important that we know this?

It is the source of our strong consolation! It assures us that our hope is not fleeting or frail. It is an anchor to our souls.

Jesus is the High Priest of our confession! He is now High Priest forever!

In other words, He is taking care of everything pertaining to us. Is there a better stock to invest your life in?

God shows us more abundantly the immutability of His counsel. His counsel was to remove our sin through Christ’s death on the cross. His counsel was to make us sons through Jesus Christ. His counsel was to make us new creations in Christ, possessing eternal life. His counsel was to make all the promises He has made, yes and amen, in Christ.

All this is in the word of God and can be plainly read by any believer, and as it is being read, it needs to be with the understanding that God cannot lie, and His counsel is immutable! This is the best stock option that has ever been offered! What have you vested your life in?

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Faith Refuses

If you were to encounter a person that you were convinced is always honest, even at their own expense, would you believe what they told you?

Would you act on something they told you could affect your life and bring a different outcome even if it seemed a little beyond your current logic?

This thought is not as far-fetched as one might imagine.

I see it all the time happening in less reliable ways than those mentioned here. I see people try untested all-natural cures, special diets, and even specific routines that promise results based on the testimony of someone whom they’ve never met and do not know, yet they trust.

A well-known celebrity gets on a commercial and testifies that something is needed, and it sells.

All these actions follow on the heels of faith. Yet, when we begin to talk of faith in spiritual matters, it becomes complicated.

What if I told you that faith is actually refusing to call God a liar?

What if the most basic element of faith meant you would heartily reject anything that would question something God has clearly revealed?

Were you aware that plenty of supposed well-meaning preachers and teachers today say things meant to convince believers to question God’s promises to His children?

Romans 3:4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”

Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

2 Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,

Here are three simple passages confirming the validity of God’s honesty and integrity, one of which testifies that all His promises are yes and amen in Christ!

Faith indeed receives, and it is also true that faith refuses. Faith refuses to accept anything contrary to what God has declared to be true. What promise of God meant for your life today is the enemy trying to call into question? Real faith will refuse his attempt no matter what vessel or circumstance he chooses to send the lie through. Real faith refuses any attempt to sully what God has said.

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The Evidence Of Fire

In the story of the great showdown between Elijah, the prophet, and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, the challenge was that whichever god answered by fire would be the true God. You might remember Elijah’s famous words when he spoke to the children of Israel on that day: “How long will you halter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.”

The prophets of Baal prepared a sacrifice, as did Elijah. We know the rest of the story. After many hours, nothing happened to the sacrifice of the prophets of Baal. Elijah took water and drenched the sacrifice and altar he had built, and the Lord consumed all of it with great fire so that even the altar was consumed.

Any story to do with Elijah would have been well known among the Israelites of Jesus’s time.

When it came to establishing a New Covenant, Jesus did not hold back anything. The proof that Jesus was God would be evidenced by the fire of the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost.

Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Amazingly, on that day, Peter stood and, much like the prophet Elijah, called Israel to their true God and the New Covenant He had established.

In explaining what everyone was witnessing from those who were in that upper room and now baptized in the Holy Spirit, Peter said the following,

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

In essence, Peter is testifying that Jesus Christ had just outpoured the Holy Spirit with fire! John the Baptist testified that the One coming after him would be the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. It was a sign of fire like that of Elijah’s time.

This would be one of many indications verifying that Jesus was the true Christ, and it would testify that Jesus is the one true God! That fire at that moment led to this exchange.

Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Evidence of fire is still important. If the church really wishes to see a harvest, it would be wise to embrace the Holy Spirit’s work and power and rely less on the eloquence of words.

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A Wrong Yoke

A yoke was a wooden instrument that was hewn out in such a shape as to lay across the necks of two animals in order to link them together. When employed, the lead animal would determine which way to go, when to pull, and when to stop.

A yoke was a connecting device that made two into one. An unequal yoke was one where they would pair a mismatch of animals so that instead of teamwork, it would wear down the stronger animal due to having to do the work and pull the other animal as well. This is why the apostle Paul warned against being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

2Corintians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

When you become committed to the wrong person, instead of teamwork, it becomes a tug of war. Not only do you have the task ahead of you, but you have also allowed yourself to be yoked with someone who does not share the same desire or see that task as their purpose. This can also be true of an idea. A person can become committed to an idea that conflicts with what they should be about. This creates confusion and an inability to make the right choice, which immobilizes them and causes them to be stuck.

It is as Peter argued in Acts 15 when Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem over the issue of the Gentiles being told they must be circumcised and subject to the law of Moses. The Gentiles had the gospel preached to them, received it, and were baptized in the Holy Spirit, but men came along teaching them something that conflicted with the true gospel. So, Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Apostles and elders at the first church at Jerusalem to get it sorted out. A wrong yoke was being put on the Gentiles.

Acts 15:4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” 6   Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

Peter saw it as testing God to put such a yoke on the neck of these new disciples. A yoke that neither they nor their fathers were able to bear. Being yoked to the law was death. None of them could ever truly keep it. The Law will always be stronger than anyone’s flesh. It will always out-pull you and wear you out to the point of giving up.

Thankfully, at the end of this deliberation, they came to the right conclusion and declared that keeping the law was not to be enforced, but rather, salvation would be by grace through faith in Jesus. They even wrote a letter to the Gentiles to break off this false yoke and free them in the gospel forever.

It is why Jesus said the following:

Matthew 12:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Which yoke are you under?

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The Power Of Choice

My late Father-in-law, Harry, used to say, “People do what they really want to do.” He firmly believed that people do what truly matters most to them and will not say no to what is most important to them.

There’s truth in that statement. If we are not renewing our minds and gaining wisdom on what should carry the most value to us, we will choose poorly.

Have you ever wondered why it seems so easy to reject an excuse to never go to work, eat out at a restaurant, enjoy a movie, have fun on the weekend, or attend a special sport or entertainment event someone you deeply love and care about is involved in?

These are things that most people place a high value on. Have you ever asked how or who set that value in place for you? How do you determine which choices will be given the highest priority in your life?

Choices can be useful tools for discernment if we take time to consider them. Not many show up for something they do not value when it is inconvenient or difficult to do so, and very few sacrifice their time, resources, and emotions for someone or something they do not value. To truly know what you value most, ask yourself, "What am I willing to be inconvenienced for?" What am I most consistent with saying yes to? What can get me to sacrifice my time, resources, talents, skills, and emotions for?

Think about this: the fall of man happened due to a choice temptation. The enemy was at work doing everything in his power to make sure that a wrong choice was made. He makes the wrong thing look appealing in the moment in order to get someone to make a poor choice that will cost them either immediately or later on. Once the enemy of your soul gets you to settle the first time for anything less than God's best, he doesn't stop. He increases his effort to lead you into a practice of settling as much and as often as he can. He will make finding excuses not to do what God says will benefit you the easiest thing there is. Have you ever noticed that once you begin to say no and skip choosing something beneficial to you, it gets easier to say no to it? The enemy uses his power and resources to make it easier for the flesh to say no to things that are spiritually beneficial to a believer.

The enemy wants to steal your wisdom to make a right choice. He wants to steal your desire to relate with God and allow God to help you establish the proper values that lead to quality choices. The enemy of your soul desires to disconnect you from the things that are good for your soul and life spiritually. He wants to isolate you in order to do as much damage in your life and your relationship with the Father as he possibly can.

The enemy has become very successful in diminishing, for some, the importance of the assembly of the saints. Meanwhile, it is still true that in the assembly, Jesus declares God's name to His brethren and sings praises to Him. It is in that context that a believer can know with certainty they are in step with Jesus in a given moment. Jesus inconvenienced Himself, and He was even willing to suffer to make it possible to call believers brothers and declare God’s name to them in the midst of the assembly.

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to You.” 13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Because of Jesus, I have fellowship with God continually. But I also get to choose to join Jesus in the assembly of the saints and partner with Him in what He's doing at that moment! I’m sad to say that in these modern times, the enemy has been quite effective at diminishing the value of this very significant opportunity each week. Some even make it their aim to contend against it. Settling for less than the perfect will of God for you allows the enemy to steal the power of choice in your life.

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A Collector

Have you ever known a collector, someone who owns things they never use or do not know how to use?

There are many useful tools for doing a job more effectively, but they are only useful if the person using them knows how they work.

A tool specific to a job is a gift to someone who knows how it works and what they are doing.

I own a car code reader. It is not as elaborate as the ones used in a mechanic’s shop, but it can tell me what code is showing up on my car. After I fix the problem, it can erase the code so I can start fresh. I recently used it on our Mustang convertible when the check engine light came on. By looking up the code, I discovered the car had an evap leak. Upon further investigation, I learned it was related to where I put in the fuel. I was able to do a couple of simple things and fix the problem.

I have tools, but I know how to use them. Therefore, they benefit me and often benefit others.

If I did not know how to use the tools I own or what tools I own, they could do nothing to benefit me or anyone else. I would merely be a collector.

Unfortunately, many in the body of Christ behave like collectors when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit—special supernatural tools given to individual members to benefit others. Many claim to have a gift, but they seldom or never truly use it for the good of others.

1Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:

If one remains ignorant concerning gifts, they are unlikely to be able to use them as a tool of the Holy Spirit for the purpose that the gift was given in the first place. For instance, a hammer is designed to pound in nails. It is a striking device. One the other hand, a crescent wrench is an adjustable tool used to loosen nuts and bolts. It is not designed to be used as a hammer. Many a crescent wrench has been ruined and many a nail bent over needlessly when the wrench was used as a hammer.

1Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

It’s one thing to know what these gifts are; it is another to know how to use them, when to use them, and how to develop a skill in using them. A collector will likely brag about owning something without ever using it. But a practical person desires it for its usefulness. Talking about the gifts and declaring one believes in them but never operates in them is like being a collector. Collectors keep things to themselves. It is time to be practical and allow these gifts to be used for the benefit of all.

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It’s Gone

Have you ever wished you could undo something that you did to hurt someone you really loved?

Men’s imaginations have allowed them to wish there was such a thing as time travel so they could go back in time and fix things that went wrong. This type of imagining reveals how desperately mankind wishes it could go back and fix mistakes and wrongdoings.

Why is this so real for people? They know the damage it does to a relationship to wrong someone you love. As human beings, we know the power of memory, both good and bad.

What might it be like if the most important person to you in the world had no memory of anything you ever did wrong to them? What if the person you care about most only had good memories of you? What if they only saw you as right with them, as one who is as they should be to them?

Would that bolster your confidence and security in your relationship with them?

There is not one person who has ever lived, except Jesus, who was born without a sinful nature and never sinned.

As Romans 1 in the Bible reports,

Romans 3:10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

This describes mankind without Christ and anyone who thinks they can be right with God in the flesh by keeping the law.

Ezekiel 33:13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.

It is common to think that making promises to do better might repair a relationship, when, in truth, what we need most in situations where we have blown it is mercy from the one we have wronged. It is even better if they are able to forget that we did anything wrong to start with. This is the good news of the New Covenant we have now in Christ! Look at what God promises!

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

How is it possible that He can promise this with such authority and clarity?

Hebrews 9:26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Once we come to Christ, we are made righteous by grace through faith in Him. We are hidden with God in Christ. God has chosen not merely to forgive our sins but to totally forget all our sins and lawless deeds. It’s gone! Our sins went with Jesus into the grave, and they did not come out with Him when He rose from the dead.  He left them in the grave! I get to choose to identify with God based on Christ’s accomplishments or based on my efforts in my flesh. One He will accept, the other is iniquity to Him. I believe my sin is gone! It’s gone because of Him!

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