Learning To Live In Rest
Do you know what it means to really rest?
Throughout the world there is a common occurrence that excites those who labor during the week. It is called the weekend. It is a day or couple days off at the end of a workweek. That glorious opportunity to rest from one’s week of labor!
Scripture speaks about this idea of rest in two very different ways in the context of two very different covenants.
Under the Old Covenant Israel was commanded to observe a day of rest. It was to acknowledge that God created everything in six days and then rested on the seventh day. So Israel was commanded to remember the Sabbath Day in order to keep it separated as a stand alone from all other days. (That is what it means to keep it holy.)
Under the New Covenant we read the following: Hebrews 3:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Now any thinking person knows that this cannot mean a person never labors to provide for their family or themself. That would be absolutely absurd. So it must mean something entirely different than that.
This is speaking of a persons efforts to be made righteous, or to maintain righteousness before God. The rest that is referred to in Hebrews 3:10 is speaking of a gift that is given through Jesus. It is speaking of a continual rest from laboring to be accepted, forgiven, made right with God, or loved by Him. This rest is a free gift that comes by grace through faith in Jesus. It is not of works, otherwise you would be able to boast of how you achieved it.
We do not work to obtain, or to maintain fellowship with God, we simply put our trust in Jesus to enjoy the fruits of it. It is by believing that we receive the benefits afforded us through the obedience of Jesus at the cross.
I know our faith will produce actions in life. But we should never forget that our actions are meant to springboard off of our faith, not the other way around.
To miss this amazing promise of rest is akin to being on a gerbil wheel always running, but never really going anywhere. That my friend is not your inheritance in Christ. I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what it means to rest in Christ, and to once again enjoy belonging to Him. I promise it will not make you less productive or effective. It will enhance your view of things and make you even more productive in the long run.
This is a rest that invades your soul every day no matter what might be taking place. This is what I call leaning into Him! I encourage you today to “Learn to live in rest!”
The End Of Shame
In Christ you now have a Father in heaven who is for you!
When I was a boy in elementary school I was an honor student. But the day came as I got a little older that I became distracted by sports and I slacked ever so slightly in my effort to study. As a result I actually got a C in one subject on my report card. I was embarrassed without anyone saying anything at all.
Believe it or not, the principal of the school thought it merited public attention. I was sitting in class when the loud speaker for announcements came on. To my surprise and total shame he read my report card to the whole school and then ended by saying I hope Tim will bring that “C” back up on the next report card. I’m sure he imagined he was motivating me to return to my former honor roll ways but it wasn’t having that effect. I was devastated, and the other kids, although shocked themselves, did not waste that opportunity to tease me and make the shame even worse.
When I got home that day I told my parents what had happened and my dad was furious. The next day I was in class and the loud speaker for announcements came on again. I was nervous wondering if I would once again be targeted. It was about me, only this time the principle was making an apology and acknowledging the his actions were way out of line. I was vindicated!
I learned later that my dad had paid him a visit and was even in his office while he was making the announcement. Talk about taking the ammo away from the kids who just one day before were really laying into me. All of a sudden my shame turned to victory. It felt amazing to know that my dad had my back.
I share that to say there is an enemy out there who uses shame to imprison people in their soul. But, if you give your shame to Jesus you are able to make the confession that the blood of Jesus took care of all your sin past, present and future. When you become aware and convinced that you belong to Jesus and you do not let yourself get all caught up in caring about what this world thinks, you walk in a victory many people never realize.
You see, God as your Father has your back and He is not like that principle at my school using shame to get you to perform for Him. He has lovingly set you free so you can be who He says you are and live the abundant life Jesus died to give to you.
So tell shame to take a hike and embrace the love of God for you!Smile through the momentary embarrassment of whatever it was that sought to shame you in the first place. Learn, grow, and go be a blessing on the heels of whatever that was. Your sins have been paid for past, present and future in Jesus. He has forgiven you and He is not shaming you in the least. He is interceding for you right now to the Father and His prayers for you are not for harm and destruction. Believe that His prayers are for your success. I promise you’ll have a much better day as a result.
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.
God’s Attentiveness
Do you know how aware God really is concerning you?
My wife has some little finches and recently one of them died. It was a cute little brown and white male and his name was Butterscotch. He had such a pretty song. His passing reminded me of something Jesus said and interestingly on the night before finding her little finch I was reminded of how even one sparrow gets God’s attention. That means we get it even more because we are more valued than the sparrows.
When my wife and I settle into bed each evening we pray and chat just a bit. Now mind you, I am not educating my wife as she is well versed in the word on her own. But by speaking of these things together we are encouraged. She shares her thoughts with me concerning what the Holy Spirit shows her as well. In Scripture it says this,
Luke 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
I marvel that there has never been even one sparrow at any given time that was forgotten by God. That is attention on a whole other level. Now it doesn’t say God stops them from being sold. It is speaking of how He keeps track of them.
But it doesn’t stop there. You see something even more important to capture is stated. God watches you and me so carefully that even the hairs on our heads are numbered by Him. I must confess, I am keeping His subtraction skills well tuned. But the beauty of this statement is that it ascribes an amazing value to me, and to you. It also lets us know how attentive God is towards us.
You see we are of more value than the sparrows!
So, if God gives incredible attention to detail with sparrows and has never forgotten even one, I find it difficult to believe He would ever forget you, or me.
There is a love and compassion that runs really deep with God, and it was put on display at the cross of Jesus. Be encouraged today in knowing you are very well known by God, and take time to get to know Him better by the grace that yours in Christ Jesus. I promise it will never be a waste of your time. It can be a comfort to know that even in times when things aren’t going your way, He is aware and He never forgets you.
Never forget that you are of more value than many sparrows and not even one of them is sold without God knowing about it. I invite you to ponder that with the idea of how aware He must be as it pertains to you. You can go to Him knowing He is already aware and was hoping you would come to Him about it.
Have a great day enjoying His love and attention in your life.
Loved And Part Of
You are loved and belong because of what Jesus did
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
There is power in what I believe and say regarding my belief and experience with God in Christ. So I’d like to share my confession with you today.
Through the cross Jesus rescued me from being an enemy to God by allowing me to be identified with Him in His death signifying my old life was dead and gone. My past is no longer able to haunt me or condemn because of Jesus. “Old things have passed away.”
Jesus then allowed me to become identified with Him in His resurrection signifying that I had been given new life in Him. “Behold all things have become new.” Everything became brand new the day that I came to life in Christ.
In giving me new life Jesus declared me righteous with a righteousness that wasn't my own and I did not earn. He gave me the very righteousness of God to forever settle the matter of who I am now, and to establish my place in the family of God. God is now my Father, and I have a relationship with Him thanks to Jesus.
Because of this I can stand confident of His love, confident of His forgiveness, confident of my acceptance, and confident of the Father's love! I know that I am a new man with a righteous, everlasting love and identity in Him. I am a son now! God is for me so who can be against me! My access to God is not determined by my performance. It has been forever settled by Christ’ performance on my behalf. My place and position was not earned it is a gift and it is settled forever.
I am not a foster child or orphan hoping to earn my place in His family. I am loved, accepted, affirmed and empowered by His Spirit living within me. All glory and honor belongs to the Lamb who was slain! All praise to Jesus! He is my Savior and Lord!
If you’ve put your trust in Jesus this is your testimony as well! You are not on the outside looking in. You are loved just as I am or anyone else might be. Your love guarantee is just the same because it is all made possible through Jesus alone.
So my encouragement to you is to live loved and part of the family today and always!
Abundance
You’ve not been left on your own to survive. You’ve been given abundance to thrive!
2Peter 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.
He gave us something according to His divine power. He gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness. It’s already been done. But taking possession of it depends on our knowledge of Him.
You see He called you by glory (Intimate relationship and unity) and virtue (His own works of righteousness imputing to you) and it is because if His doing this that exceedingly great and precious promises are yours.
By receiving all the exceedingly great and precious promises promises you are made a partaker of His divine nature. It is by partaking in His divine nature through this means provided that you are empowered and liberated to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.
You see when you partake of His divine nature you develop a spiritual appetite unlike anything this world could ever offer. This is describing the new life you have in Jesus and the wonderful way in which it works in you.
Why would anyone want to live like a spiritual beggar when Scripture clearly reveals we already have what we need in abundance through Christ? I encourage you today to go live in the abundant life you have been given in Christ Jesus.
Let the overflow of the Holy Spirit flow out of you like a torrent river just as Jesus promised. You have an abundant river of life within you that flows from you. Such as you have you can give to others. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit now that you are a New Creation in Christ and that means everything that is life and health, and purpose is filling you.
You have not been left on your own to survive. You’ve been given abundance to thrive!
The Simple Things
God uses the simplest acts of obedience to bring great blessing to others
During my early 40’s I was at my office at the church. I had just gone through a very trying rough time with a lot of situations that were working overtime to challenge my gift and calling. I was just sitting there behind my desk thinking to myself and preparing for an important meeting I was about to have with someone. That’s when the phone rang.
I answered it in the usual way. The voice on the other end was very deep and simply said this is a voice from your past. I could not for the life of me figure out who it was. Then he revealed himself to me. It was the man who in my boyhood years had challenged me to play the drums and to sing. Mr Jimmy Gibbs himself. It was then that he said, “I didn’t know how to find you as I had no information to go on so I searched your name on the internet and found a Harvest Church church website.” I stopped him and said, “Jimmy we terminated that old website over three years ago, how on earth could you have possibly found that?” He said, “I don’t know, but I did and so I called the number I guess God wanted me to be able to reach you.” Then he began to speak over me words about my calling and the things I was in the middle of at the time and he prayed and I began to weep and convulse like something was being pulled out of me. It was a powerful release in my spirit. He finished praying, and we talked to catch up for a bit but then I needed to get composed before the meeting I was about to have so we hung up.
Jimmy had just gone out of his way because he had an impulse in his spirit he needed to talk to me after many years. He acted on that impulse in his spirit even though he could have been doing something else. He is way older than me and lives far from from me so what was there for him to gain from it? He simply acted on that impulse he had in his spirit and I was so glad he did. What a rich blessing that was to me in Avery timely way. He of course said he was tremendously blessed as well. That memory lives fresh with me.
God takes the simplest act of obedience and He uses it to bless someone by encouraging them. Those very simple acts turn into some of the greatest riches in life. I love how His kingdom operates. I love how He loves us. He loves you! Maybe that simple idea you had recently is much bigger than you think. What can it hurt to do something with it? I sure am glad Jimmy did.
Maxed Out
You can have a righteousness that is more Ethan you’ll ever need
It is proven that small gas engines last longer, and perform better with 100% gasoline in them. Ethanol based fuel shortens their life and it often causes carburetor issues.
I also like creamy French dressing with baby carrots as a snack. I’ve tried generic brands of French dressing but they just weren’t the same as the Kraft brand I like so much. To me Kraft Creamy French is the real French dressing. I know you do not read these posts to hear about my preferences in such matters. That’s not really what this is all about. This is about what you received when you came to Jesus.
When you came to Christ you did not receive a generic brand of righteousness in small quantity. A righteousness laced with a questionable additive that might gum up your life and cause you to perform subpar. Nor did you receive an off brand of righteousness that just isn’t as good as other types.
When you came to Christ in faith God imputed His very own righteousness to you in full measure. You were given the highest level, full measure of righteousness there is. An untainted, 100 proof, not watered down original source righteousness.
A righteousness so powerful it needs nothing added to it in order to do it's job. You will never become more righteous than you were at the start, that you are right now, or that you will be when Jesus returns and you go to be with Him.
You’re “maxed out” on righteousness at this very moment. You’re at the very peak of it, and you’ll remain there.
Now you may not outwardly be manifesting that level of righteousness at this point in your journey, but that could have a lot to do with struggling to believe you have it already and failing to fully take advantage of what it offers you.
His righteousness in you is meant to bear the fruit of wide open, full on fellowship with God! It is meant to bring you before the throne of grace with great boldness to ask for mercy to help in your times of need. You see it is why you have fellowship with God. It is not your performance that secures that for you. It is His righteousness in you. Christ in you secures your ability to be close to the Father.
So I encourage you to enjoy knowing Jesus today and share the blessing of it with someone else. In Jesus there is an overflow of life to offer to others.
Add Virtue
There’s something to be added to your faith.
2Peter 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. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue,
VIRTUE - The word virtue in the Greek is a very interesting word. It actually means “manliness in the sense of valor coupled with excellence.” In modern terms one might say it is the equivalent of saying, “Man up.” Or in the ladies case, “Pull up your big girl pants.”
Virtue is the confidence to be and to do.
Jesus walked this earth and went to the cross with virtue. There has never been a more manly man than Jesus who gave Himself for others. Jesus took on the form of a servant and humbled Himself even to death on a cross.
I've been made a divine partaker of His nature! He calls me to let my faith be activated into action in this life.
I’m not wanting to only have great thoughts, theories and ideas about what it means to belong to Jesus. I want to live my life fully aware, fully activated, and fully enjoying who He is in my life.
Jesus gives life and He gives it more abundantly. That means He gives it to be lived boldly and unapologetically. That’s why I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus. I am not ashamed of being known as belonging to Him and being one who follows Him.
I want to live fully from the place of who He says I am and do all that He says is mine to do. You have a faith to add virtue to as well. You will grow in what you know when you step out in faith on what He has shown you. Today is a new day with new opportunities and possibilities before you. Seize the day by faith and let Him reveal Himself to you in astounding ways! Walk in the power of the new you He has made you to be in Himself. Let the adventure begin!
A Willing Savior
Jesus loves you and has compassion for you
I love the way Luke captures a moment in time in the life and ministry of Jesus in chapter 5 of his gospel writing. A leprous man falls at the feet of Jesus and says to Him, “Lord if You are willing I know you can cleanse me.” Jesus responds with, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Everything we can read regarding Jesus in the Bible demonstrates an ever ready willingness to show compassion and heal and to help people who were hurting or in need. Jesus showed Himself willing every time He was approached with needs whether it was one person or many. In fact, Scripture records for us the phrase, “He healed them all.”
In every testimony found in Scripture regarding the willingness of Jesus to heal or do a miracle, there is no instance of Him putting the person through a litmus test to determine if they deserved the healing or a miracle.
Jesus did not set any performance or moral conditions on the person for receiving from Him the power to heal or to be given a miracle in their situation. He did often tell them to have faith, or to fear not, or that it will be unto to them according to their faith.
By coming to Him in the first place they were already exhibiting an act of faith on some level, and as a result Jesus was willing to meet them at the point of their need. What a loving, compassionate and generous Lord and Savior Jesus is.
Scripture tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not change, His heart and attitude have not taken a turn for the worse. He is not now in a mood to reject as opposed to showing compassion and mercy. In fact, as believers we are encouraged to come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy to help us in our time of need. Oh how I love my Jesus!
I want to encourage you today that whatever you may be going through Jesus loves you and His is willing to help you. I believe His words still ring true today, “I am willing.” Just turn to Him in faith at any level and ask Him for mercy to help and I am certain you will receive it. Be encouraged in Him today! Go to Him for His help and guidance. He is still just as compassionate and good as He was when He walked on this earth as a man. I can say with assurance that you will not be disappointed.
Kindness Made Easy
In Christ you get to live from a place of abundance that makes kindness come easy
As a young boy spending a few years in south Florida we lived in a very small town. So I could ride my bike wherever I wished. In town there was a five and dime store and they carried plastic army men and marbles for twenty five cents a bag. For a dime you could get smaller bag of less appreciated marbles.
One day while on my way to the store to get one of those less appreciated bags of marbles I walked past a distinguished older black man wearing a nice white hat. I remember being impressed by him for some reason I just couldn’t figure out. He just seemed like the kind of guy you just wanted to get to know. He was fumbling in his pocket as he walked and when he pulled out his hand I noticed he dropped some change. I picked up the change and let me tall ya to me it was like finding a fortune. Especially on my way to the five and dime store. But before the man could turn the corner I ran and caught up with him. I said, “Mister you dropped this on the sidewalk back there.” He looked at me and smiled real big and then said, “Son, here take this quarter and go buy yourself something at that five and dime place back there. It’s not often I get to run into an honest young man like yourself.” I nearly shouted, “Thank you Sir!” Now whether or not that old man did that stunt on purpose to test me I do not know, but I sure liked that man a lot. He was very friendly towards a young boy like myself. I got myself a big bag of premium marbles with it too! In fact, my most favorite shooting marble I ever had came from that bag I bought that day.
I share that story because even if the man had not given me any reward for being kind I would have still been rewarded. It felt good to return that money to the rightful owner. Kindness rightly motivated is often its own reward.
When the live life you have doesn’t feel empty to you, because you know you are highly favor and blessed, your kindness flows from the abundance of your contentment. It is kindness made easy.
When you belong to Jesus you have that type of abundance flowing in you every day because the Scripture says you are complete in Him. You lack nothing! You have been given everything in Christ! Kindness is made easy for anyone who truly believes in Jesus.
Right Living
How much do you understand about life according to the Spirit?
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
As far as heaven is concerned when someone is in Christ, they really are in Christ. His history becomes a part of their history.
For Scripture to say you are seated with Christ in the heavenly places is not figurative language. It is very real because it is speaking in spiritual terms.
So here we have Paul saying to the Galatians that he was crucified with Christ. By being placed in Christ His death on the cross becomes your death on the cross as well. All that you are now and are meant to be spiritually speaking is swallowed up in Christ!
That is why Paul could say so boldly, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” You see if we died with Christ then that means we were also raised in newness of life with Christ!
That means the life you now live in the flesh you are to live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you. You are no different than Paul because Paul is not talking about any type of special apostolic privilege in this text.
Paul is speaking of a spiritual reality, a position that he now knows he inhabits in Christ and a reality that is his because Christ lives in him. This is the real deal for every true believer in Christ!
Knowing this and believing it to be true so that it is embraced as who you are and what you are called to be is where your victory over the power of sin comes from. This moves you away from being identified with your flesh and all it’s weakness. It moves you to being identified with the truth about who you really are and where you really live your life from.
Once you get hold of this you are empowered to rise above the weaknesses of the flesh and live from a place of real faith in the finished work of Jesus. In that place of living there is no more condemnation because it is life lived according to the Spirit.
You are not the sum of your fleshly weakness. You are a heavenly being who has been placed in Christ and now Christ is living in you. This is a truth well worth meditating on again and again. I hope you will do so today, and always.
New Covenant Believing
How much do you understand about the New Covenant
Acts 15:6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up 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.”
The church was young and the main hub of it was still at Jerusalem. But it had at least began to spread due to the persecution that arose in Jerusalem. So the church at Antioch had experienced being troubled by well meaning but very wrong men from Judea who insisted Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the law. Paul contended with these men fiercely opposing their view fo the gospel. So the Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem for a verdict concerning this dispute.
After hearing Paul and Barnabas testify about how the Lord had been using them and doing miracles, signs and wonders through their ministry they worked to reach a final verdict that still remains in force to this day. In reaching that verdict and writing a letter to the Gentile churches Peter offered the line of thought I shared at the beginning of this encouragement to be considered.
“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?”
They settled that salvation is purely by grace through faith in Jesus. It is the same for everyone Jew or Gentile. This New Covenant work of Jesus that brings us such a great salvation is made real through faith in Him and nothing else. The Promise of the Holy Spirit is received in the same manner through faith. It is all built of the favor of God coming to us simply by believing in Jesus. It not any more complicated than that.
This is the wonderful beauty of the New Covenant. It does not come with unreasonable demands that the flesh is too weak to keep. It doesn’t come as a proof of how unrighteous man is. It comes with proof of how generous and righteous the Son fo God is and how freely He offers the opportunity of being made righteous through Him.
You now have a righteousness you could never earn no matter how good you might try to be. It is God’s own righteousness and it has granted you favor with God unlike anything ever experienced by mankind at anytime. You get to revel in a relationship with God as His beloved child now! I sincerely hope you are taking full advantage of such a great opportunity to daily have access to your Father who loves you and is faithful to you. Jesus did it all! He left nothing undone that needed to be done for this New Covenant to work perfectly all the time. You are brought in and kept by the same means. Isn’t Father, Son and Spirit wonderful?! Oh praise His name!
Thanksgiving
There are many reasons to be thankful when you know Jesus
Colossians 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” Very powerful words when it comes to knowing how to walk with Jesus through life.
You are to be rooted and built up in Him. They key to all this is the “in Him” part. You’re meant to live aware of being “in Christ” at all times.
In order to live in such an awareness you must first learn to walk by faith. Faith in the Son of God who loves you and gave Himself for you. Daily reminders of His sacrifice of love to bring you to Himself is a good thing that will spark an attitude of thanksgiving in you.
You see, you are meant to abound in the revelation of His love and redemptive work so complete that it is why you are kept and made secure. When the true gospel has been taught to you, and you meditate upon it and own it by faith, it will lead to you abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a way of life when you walk by faith in Jesus the way you were created to. How can you be anything but thankful for all He is, and all he has done?
Today and everyday is a good time to reflect on who Jesus is in your life and all that He has done on your behalf to make you forever in right standing with the Father.
Here in the United States we celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a way of remembering. It signifies the offering of thanks given by the pilgrims for the faithfulness of God to see them through extremely difficult times and help them become established.
I pray you will be encouraged by this eternal truth regarding being rooted and grounded in Jesus. An eternal truth that can uphold you through any storm. A reminder of His great love. Surely, as a believer in Jesus, you can take that truth to heart and render the fruit of an abounding thanksgiving.
May your today be kissed with gratitude of heart for all that Jesus has done out of love for you. May it as well be verbalized around whatever table you find yourself gathered at on this day, so that all who gather with you may know the depth of thanks you feel for the One who loved you and gave Himself for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Grace For Grace
Jesus went all out to make sure you could take advantage of something wonderful
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
According to this declaration in the gospel of John, you already have the fullness of Jesus because you were given favor to get favor.
You were given grace (unmerited favor) in order to get grace (Unmerited favor). You are the recipient of a double portion!
The One who is full of grace and truth dwells within you and you have been placed in Him.
He freely offers you the Promise of the Father which is the same Holy Spirit who helped Him when He walked this earth as a man.
Jesus lived submitted to the Holy Spirit and relied on His help as a man. Now you have the same opportunity and privilege because Jesus made it possible to receive the Holy Spirit of promise.
By giving you grace for grace He opened the way for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in you and to guide you into all truth concerning Him.
Jesus made it possible for you to be kept by the Holy Spirit as opposed to you trying to keep yourself. You have been given heavenly support for your journey!
What is fullness? In the Greek it is that which completely fills.
Basically what John is saying is that which which filled Jesus to overflowing is what you receive. You receive it because Jesus made sure you had the grace to get grace.
Jesus did it all! Jesus left no stone unturned and no deed undone!
Jesus did a complete work and guaranteed you would get to be a recipient of the same Holy Spirit that was the essence of His fullness.
Acts 19:1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
His fullness is your privilege to take advantage of if you believe these words to be true. You get to be refreshed and filled daily just for the asking. It is your New Covenant privilege in Jesus Christ to enjoy such a distinct and wonderful privilege. I encourage you to take advantage of it each and every day. Be filled!
A New Creation
Do you know what you have become since you are to Jesus?
2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I love this verse of Scripture. It has been a home base Scripture for me my many years of knowing Jesus. I love how it conveys no respect of persons here. It says, “if anyone.”
That means no matter who you are, where you came from, what race, gender, socio economic status, language or age, if you were placed in Christ by grace through faith in Him, you are a New Creation. You were made in likeness to be able now to receive the same Holy Spirit who empowered Him when He walked this earth.
I love this language because of how supernatural it is. It is by no means merely religious. It does not say I came to a particular well respected group and decided to live differently on my own just to fit in and be a part. It says I became something completely different from what I was before. It says I can have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living within me now.
I became a new creation, a brand new species, someone born from above. I am now a heaven born child of God. That’s why the old things have passed away and all things have become new. I was once spiritually dead and unaware. Now I am spiritually alive and very aware!
I remember on that day that Jesus welcomed me and changed me. The drive home was entirely different than before. The sky seemed different, the song of birds seemed even sweeter and I was appreciating things that before were never even in my view or sphere of liking. At one moment I was one way and when He finished with rescuing me and placing me in Him I was someone different. All this was a change from the inside.
This change made things awkward for me and my friends of old. The change was so apparent it made them uncomfortable around me, whereas before they greatly desired to be around me. It wasn’t that I was being religious with them in any way, it was simply my desires had suddenly shifted. The things I once enjoyed with them no longer were delights to me. It felt out of step with who I had become. The old things had passed away and all things had become new to me.
I live in the power of this verse of Scripture everyday as I walk in fellowship with Jesus. How about you? Are you aware of just how much He changed you when He rescued you from your sin and your old self? Did you experience that newness of life where everything began to be different? You see being born again is a supernatural experience that changes who we are. Supernatural New creation reality is one of the many wonders and part of the beauty of the New Covenant.
I encourage you to live today as the glorious new creation you became when you were placed in Christ at your salvation. Live as who He made you, it is what is most natural to you now because it is the power at work within you. Old things are gone, behold all things are new.
A Good Confession
Did you know that speaking what God has promised is important and powerful in your life?
There’s something powerful in knowing there’s just no possible way you can ever be defeated. How would it make you feel if you were convinced you will always win no matter what? In the Letter to the Romans in the Bible there is an undeniable truth full of promise and hope.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And having chosen them, He called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You and I are loved by God no matter what might be happening right now in the world around us, or in our own personal lives! We are loved with an everlasting love because Christ is in us, and we are in Christ by grace through faith! The times we are living in are filled with deception and strong delusion and those who can think clearly are becoming more and more uncommon. But it is a comfort to know that we are loved so greatly and cared for so attentively by the very One who created all things. The Almighty, All-Powerful, Most Holy, Most Loving, Never Changing, Always Faithful, Most Reliable, Promise Keeping God is your Father. He has promised to make sure all things work together for you are called according to His purpose for you and you love Him because He first loved you. Nothing can separate you from His love and who dares to accuse you because no one can condemn you. Stand firm in the reality of His love and promise to keep you.
I believe and because I believe I speak this good confession of faith. Why not hear yourself saying out loud what God says about you? I encourage you today to make a similar confession.
Healing, God’s Blueprint
Did you know that healing is part of the blueprint of God’s creation?
Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
After speaking of how amazing it is the God created him the Psalmist calls God’s works marvelous and claims His soul knows it very well.
In other words the Psalmist is convinced of what he has just proclaimed with regard to being fearfully and wonderfully made by God and that God’s works are marvelous. The question is am I convinced of the same?
I wish to speak to this idea of how we were made and use it to substantiate the idea that God likes it when we are well and would never wish us to be sick or diseased.
In creating us God made our human bodies capable of fighting off sickness and disease. Our bodies kick into high gear when they are invaded by a bacteria, virus or other intruder that would make us sick. Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal when a bone is broken, or we are wounded in some way.
Why would a creator build this into a body if He did not wish that we be whole?
Why create the highest form of creation itself and make it capable of fighting off such things and healing itself if there is no desire for that creation to be well?
Now I challenge you to add to that the idea that God is now a Father to those who come to Him in relationship through Jesus Christ. I further challenge you to add to that idea the testimony of Scripture time and again revealing how much He is for us and not against us. Then finally consider how there is not one single testimony in Scripture that reveals Jesus refused to heal anyone who came to Him for healing. Jesus made it clear He had come to show us the Father and said if we had seen Him we had seen the Father. The way Jesus treated people in need is how the Father wanted them treated, and it revealed the Father’s compassion and mercy.
Healing is part of God’s Blueprint as is revealed in so many ways.
God can heal you just as easily as He forgave you and made you righteous. It is by the same means, it is a gift and it works on the basis of faith. So I speak healing to you today. I declare that He is not only able to heal you, He is willing. The One who is the Divine Healer lives within you! You have been hidden with Him in God. Stand of the truth of His Healing Blueprint for your life today.
No Reluctance
How well do you know God as your Father?
Have you ever been online shopping and found something you were looking for that you knew the value of and when you noticed how ridiculously low priced it was you struggled to say yes to it?
The reluctance to “pull the trigger” so to speak, is rooted in a suspicion of it being real. It’s just too good to be true. How, or why, would anyone sell such an item at such a low price when it sells everywhere else for way more than they are saying they would take for it.
We wrestle with things in life due to suspicion much more than we might realize. Suspicion is the opposite of trust. If I trust someone I am not suspicious of them. If I lose trust I become suspicious. Whenever we are hurt, disappointed or feel let down by someone because what we expected them to be, or to do, that did not come to pass we are prone to lose a measure of trust in them.
I struggle to trust mechanics. Most people I know say they struggle to find one they can trust. I’ve been ripped off before by shops claiming to give good service at a reasonable price. It makes it hard to trust after that happens to you.
Our ability to just respond to them making their promises gets harder and harder each time our expectation fo them is not met.
This phenomenon happens to believers in the call to believe God and take Him at His word. You see whenever someone has been misled by their own desires and expectations they placed on God, as opposed to discovering more about who He truly is and what He is truly like, they wind up disappointed that things didn’t turn out as they had planned. When God does not perform according to they misguided idea of Him, they become hurt. But it is not God who hurt them, it is their reluctance to take the time to get to know the truth concerning Him as opposed to seeing Him only the way they wish to. It is misguided expectations or notions about Him that complicate things.
For instance, did you know that there is no reluctance in heaven as it pertains to God being Himself and doing all He has actually said He would do?
When our faith and expectation align with who He truly is and what He has truly promised He will do, heaven is not reluctant to see it come to pass. All the angels and other created beings of heaven trust God and take Him at His word and do whatever He says needs to be, and should be done. They do this with no reluctance. They do not question His wisdom in it, they simply immediately do whatever He has declared needs to be done. They know His motives are always perfect.
Reluctance is not a trait of the kingdom of God. It is a trait of the flesh and of those who live outside the kingdom of God. God will be who He is to you and I every time. He will also do according to what He has promised to you or I. He will be and do without any reluctance on His part. As a Father who loves us He desires that we get to know Him better so we better understand who He is and what His ways are. Our reluctance towards His will for our lives will always spring out of a lack of trust, and trust cannot go any further than the truth we’ve come to know concerning Him.
To be led by the Spirit we must grow in this way so we can trust at deeper levels and break free from our suspicions which fuel a reluctance to act. I encourage you to spend time with each day discovering more about who He truly is according to how He has revealed Himself through Jesus.
The Blessing Of Right Distraction
There’s such a thing as healthy distraction
Have you ever noticed that the more you dwell on a particular thing the more intense your awareness of it becomes?
I remember as a kid that if I hurt myself and I was bleeding that the more I focused on the bleeding and played the incident back through my mind the worse the situation became. My shock and initial yelp would evolve into a torrent of tears, sobbing and moans as though I might be dying.
Naturally I was in no danger of losing my life, just a thimble of blood and some play time were all that were at stake. But my dwelling on it often resulted in a loss of much more time than it should have. Amazingly, we can choose how we will frame any particular incident in life. The more dramatic we make it, the more time and energy it will claim by making it more difficult to overcome.
I had a coach who greatly helped me with accidents and pain. He taught me how to focus on something else so I could take my mind off what was happening and get through it much quicker. I am forever grateful to that man. He didn’t ask me to pretend it never happened, he just wanted me to not allow it to become more than it really was.
Now this correlates to our spiritual well being and progress. You see when we experience set backs, problems, or painful disappointments we can choose to play it back over and over again allowing it to grow larger, or we can focus our attention on the One who can help us.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking unto Jesus! I love that phrase in the letter to the Hebrews in the Bible.
A group of people were experiencing strong temptations, persecutions and threats of setbacks. They were being tempted to go backward, not forward. But they were encouraged to let themselves get distracted by looking at Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of their faith. There is something powerful about setting our gaze and thoughts on Jesus. It makes everything happening seem small by comparison and the temptations seem silly to us when we see His beauty before us.
Isn’t that what we all need in chaotic, painful and confusing times? I encourage you today to take a good long look at Jesus and see if it doesn’t have the power to ease the pain clear the confusion and release some joy in your soul. Such is the Benefit of Distraction when you are distracted by Him.
In My Name
Do you know what “In My Name” is really about?
Have you ever wondered what “In My Name” really means? It is widely used by multitudes in the church to end prayers and supposedly command things to happen. But is that really what it is about?
In a way, you could say that Jesus’ name has largely been treated like an incantation.
John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 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.
This has confused some over the generations who have treated “In My Name” as being a phrase to add to the end of a prayer in order to guarantee the desired outcome, or to command things to happen. But, many have used the name in that manner and nothing happened. So some became disillusioned about prayer being answered or about the believers’ authority in Christ. The Bible testifies that hope deferred makes the heart sick. So to me, it is of great importance that we better understand what this is all about.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The name of Jesus is not an incantation to be used to get a desired outcome. It is not the magic phrase that makes God want to do something He might otherwise be disinclined to do. Jesus modeled it for us.
John 17:6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
Now, to my knowledge there is no place in all of the Gospels where we find Jesus saying “In the Father’s Name.” When He is healing the sick, or raising the dead, performing miracles, or casting out demons, there’s no record of Jesus saying “in the name of the Father.” But we just read that Jesus manifested the name of the Father to the men He had been given.
The desire of the Holy Spirit is that we would be in such close fellowship with all three of the Godhead that our desires would reflect theirs just as Jesus’ desires reflected the Father’s.
That is why being unsure of God’s will cannot be overridden by adding, “In Jesus Name” to the end of a prayer or command. Adding the name does not activate our faith in Him. When Jesus said you will ask whatever you will “In My Name” and it will be done for you, He was not speaking of worldly desires being fulfilled by use of a magic phrase. Jesus was saying when you are determined to represent Me and you are asking for something rooted in what you’ve come to know about Me, it will be done for you. You see, when you know who He is, and you’re confident in knowing His ways, you have faith to speak and to act. (Acts 3:1-16) Peter and John knew Jesus well. They acted based on their knowing Him and knowing His desire. They did for the lame man what they knew Jesus would do. It resulted in a great miracle that opened a door of opportunity for them to preach the gospel.
In other words, you will be backed up when you are representing Jesus in your life! You and I are called to live in the power of “In My Name.”