The Deep Things

There are things about me that my wife knows that no other person on this planet knows. These things are reserved only for her because she loves me, and I love her. Our trust bond is very strong. We have each other’s backs.

There are things that God has done and is up to that only the Spirit of God knows about, and He reveals them to those who love God.

Understanding these deep things, which involve the things God has prepared for those who Love Him, is only possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit.  They are not known to those who have not come to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

We should be excited about the Holy Spirit because, without Him, the things of God we are meant to know cannot be known. He is the executor of the will, so to speak. He is most willing to make us aware of all that is now available to us as a result of Christ’s obedience to the Father.

But more than this, the Holy Spirit’s work is to make Christ known to us. He takes all that Jesus spoke and did and reminds us of it, not just in a literal way but in a heart-of-the-matter way.

I am not talking about some coded language that, with enough time, a natural man who understands Hebrew, Greek, and English can unearth.  I am speaking about spiritual things just as the word is speaking about the spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

Even though any man can read the Bible for himself and feel he has understood its communication, if he is reading it naturally as he would any other book, he has missed the nuance of truth and deeper things it has to communicate.  Many people read the Bible, but they do not necessarily grasp what can be understood spiritually from it.  It requires the help of the Holy Spirit to get what God wants you to get truly.

This is why I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what He knows I need to see and understand.  I do not casually read the word.  I read it with purpose and intention.  I want His help in understanding what it is I need to know spiritually so that I can grow into Christ even more and walk in what is truly mine to walk in.  For me, a transformation from seeing Jesus revealed more clearly is my desire.  Jesus and all there is about Him are the deep things of the Spirit as they open up all the opportunities that belong to me as a son of God through faith in Christ.

I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the deep things, which are truly spiritual things that pertain to you specifically, and what God has in store for you specifically based on the finished work of Christ.  There’s a lot more to this than just getting the promise of going to heaven when we die.

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Disappointment

Disappointment, a shared human experience, often arises from unmet expectations.

For instance, you go to a store expecting customer service that is friendly, smiling, and eager to help you and will listen to your needs and work hard to resolve any issues that arise. Instead, you encounter a person having a bad morning and not really desiring to be at work on that day for whatever reason.

That results in a disappointing experience.  You had an expectation based on an idea of customer service, and that expectation was not met.

Another example is when someone you desire to trust gives you their word on something but then fails to come through on it.

Another example is experiencing a dramatic change for the worse in a person you’ve come to rely on.

These are just a few examples of ordinary roots of disappointment. But unmet unrealistic expectations also fuel disappointment.

We can have expectations that are out of step with what is true about a person or situation.

When Jesus died, the disciples fled and hid and were gravely saddened and disappointed.  Even though Jesus had told them several times that He must go to Jerusalem and die, they still clung to the idea that He would lead a revolt to free Israel and establish His own kingdom.

In their minds at the time, Jesus did not fulfill their expectations, and this affected their souls for the moment. They were greatly disappointed and even disillusioned. However, Jesus did exactly what He said He would do, and things happened exactly as He said they would happen.

It might be possible that, more often than not, we are disappointed by unrealistic expectations in life rather than real ones.

When we fail to meditate on His word and listen for His still small voice in our lives, we can build our expectations, which may be based on unrealistic ideas after the flesh.  Then, when they are unfulfilled, we get in a huff about it as though God somehow let us down.  We can do the same to the people we claim to love in this life.  We can put unrealistic expectations on them, and when they fail to meet them, we claim they have wronged us somehow. It can lead to needless offenses and damaged relationships.

Jesus said something of great importance.

John 15:5   “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. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 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. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

The “ask what you will” flows from a place of abiding in both Christ and His word.  A lack of meditation on His word and listening for Him to speak leads to a life of unrealistic expectations that go unmet and result in needless offense.  I encourage you to get in His word and listen for His voice today.

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A Well Soul

What is a well soul to you?

Is it when everything goes as you planned it?

Is it when the people you want affirmation from the most affirm you no matter what?

Is the soul the same as your spirit?

Scripture communicates the importance of the soul and its distinction between Spirit and body.

1 Thessalonians 5:23  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe the soul incorporates the mind, where our thoughts and imaginations occur. It also involves the heart, where we feel things deeply and remember them easily. Yes, the heart has a memory, too.  From this place, our will is activated.

If we look to the wrong sources for the health and well-being of our souls, we are only asking for trouble, and we will end up blaming others for our lack of well-being.

Think about this for just a moment.  Jesus was misunderstood, mistreated, and persecuted by the very people He came to save, betrayed, falsely accused, and put to death on the cross.  He went through all this without suffering the loss of a well soul.

Heroes of the faith have also managed to endure difficult situations and emerge from them with well souls.

There are some very sobering words spoken in Scripture.

Romans 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

When Christ is not the source of a soul’s well-being, then that soul is playing the lottery, so to speak, with regard to any hope of a consistent sense of well-being.

Disappointments will come, and they will even come through people we love and hold dear.  Jesus is the only one who does not disappoint when we see Him correctly as He is and welcome His love into our lives.  If we put our trust in a Jesus we make up ourselves, we will be disappointed, but the true Christ will never disappoint.

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

I want my affirmation, consolation, and sense of well-being to come from my being in Christ and knowing Him and His love for me. I meditate on Him for this reason. I have experienced a lot of drama in my life, including losses of loved ones, betrayals, and people not turning out to be who they presented themselves to be.  Through all of this, the only thing that has kept my soul is Jesus.  He is faithful even when we are faithless.  I encourage you to let Him be the source of your soul’s well-being today and always.

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Mighty Ministry

It’s undeniable that the Apostle Paul was a heavyweight in the ministry. His commitment and passion have elevated him to one of the most revered apostles of Scripture.

It is interesting to note his testimony to the Corinthians regarding the validity of the ministry he and his companies were engaged in.

2Corinthians 6:3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Many of these descriptions might be discounted in our modern expressions of what qualifies someone as a valid minister of the gospel.  If nothing else, they definitely would not be sought after.

Can most ministers declare that in all things, they commend themselves as ministers of God?

What is there in this list that would cause shame or embarrassment to you as a minister or someone else who is a minister?  Why should a minister of the gospel ever be ashamed or embarrassed for going through anything on this list?

When we get the gospel right and then get the gospel in, we are enabled by the power of the Spirit to get the gospel out under any circumstance.

Mighty men and women of faith were getting the gospel out while being burned at stake, beheaded, imprisoned, and living in abject impoverish circumstances due to rejections and persecutions.  The gospel was not stopped because their circumstances did not align themselves with a particular idea of what it should look like in the natural regarding socioeconomic realities, geographic placements, ethnic hindrances, religious or political oppositions, or any other excuse that has now become common.

Paul preached the gospel in and from prison and was used by the Holy Spirit to write most of the New Testament.

2Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Maybe you are a minister having a rough time. I hope you will take some encouragement from this posting. Maybe you know a minister going through a rough time. I hope you will go out of your way to appreciate them and encourage them today.  Circumstances do not determine the might of a ministry.

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Surrender

It seems this word is becoming more and more of a buzzword within the Christian community.

The idea is that the problem with the church is a lack of surrender. Usually, that implies a list of do’s and don’ts ministers carry in their thinking that are not being met.

However, this prevailing notion of surrender often leads to a culture of accusation and condemnation within the church, which is a concern.

From my perspective, the real issue lies in the lack of surrender to the correct understanding of righteousness.

The Bible very clearly speaks about this.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

What these passages reveal to me is that a person can be very zealous for God and yet way off the mark in terms of true surrender to God.

In the minds of the ones spoken of here, surrender was a way of life. If you were to ask the Israelites Paul is speaking of whether or not they were surrendered to God, they would likely have emphatically responded absolutely.

They were engaged in a misplaced zeal! Today, many suffer the same dilemma. They try their best to surrender all the points of moral behavior only to find that they still feel something isn’t quite right.

Being ignorant of God’s righteousness leads to self-effort that is often disguised as zeal-fueled devotion.  But anytime anyone seeks to establish their own righteousness with God or maintain it with Him in a way other than what He has deemed to be the ay, they are in no place of surrender at all.

If we fail to conclude that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness and are not firmly convinced that we are the very righteousness of God now because of Christ, we have not surrendered anything to God as we ought. If we refuse to submit to God’s righteousness, it means automatically that we are trying to establish our own righteousness.

Righteousness comes to us by way of faith in Christ.  We are made righteous by faith in Christ alone.

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.  Merely agreeing without believing it will not make it so.  Someone might hear this and agree but not truly believe it.  They just know it would be difficult to argue against it, seeing it is stated so clearly in Scripture.  But the real work of it, the ability to embody it, comes when it is truly believed.   For me, this is the real place of surrender to which God is inviting all of us.

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Embracing

When we see a word such as this, we can automatically assume we already know what is being communicated based on our current understanding of the word and the particular context in which it is being used.  We may have an image of two people hugging, or we might have an image of someone accepting an idea or a challenge of some kind.

In the Bible, when this word is used in Hebrews concerning heroes of the faith, it has a little more depth to it than the descriptions we just read.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

When I read this passage, I cannot help but notice the fact that these heroes of the faith died not having received but having seen promises afar off (on their way, if you will). Despite not seeing them manifest in the natural present tense, they still believed and embraced them as though they were real.

How do we know that they embraced them?

Because they took ownership of them as possessing them, they confessed them as having them, and it produced a certain result among others when they did so.

They were misunderstood for their seemingly unrealistic approach to something promised but not yet manifested.

The result was that they became strangers and pilgrims on this earth.  In other words, they were misunderstood and rejected by what their current culture would have deemed normal.

The dictionary defines Embrace in the verb tense this way: accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.  The people described to us as heroes of the faith in Hebrews did this very thing.

Hebrews reveals this factual reality to us and then goes through a list of examples of faith in action on the part of many of the heroes who have names in Scripture and demonstrated what embracing a promise really looks like.  Then, it closes out the chapter with something amazing.

Hebrews 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Of whom the world was not worthy!  That just runs against the grain of reasoning in the natural, don’t you think?  It is when someone embraces what God spoke as a promise, even when it cannot be seen in the natural world, and confesses it as though they already have it that it manifests a person the world is not worthy of.  Someone willing to be misunderstood for their faith in Jesus and what He accomplished and how the promises of God are yes and amen in Him is someone this world is not worthy of.

Embracing what God has spoken and is still speaking to you is the separating work of God in your life. When we are set apart by faith, this is the hallmark of holiness, and it is strange to both the religious and worldly-minded. What we embrace matters. What are you embracing?  Embracing begins with believing.  Believing begins with the truth God has declared through His Son Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life.  If you do not know what you’ve been promised by God through Jesus, how will you embrace the promise that is meant to be yours?  If you believe it and embrace it, you will confess it and you will be thought of as being weird or strange.  But you will be someone this world isn’t worthy of.

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Embody

Understanding the word ‘embody’ is crucial as it carries a significant meaning in our communication.

As a verb, it means to be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling), or it can mean to provide (a spirit) with a physical form.   

In the Thesaurus as a verb, it is defined as personify, incorporate, give human form/shape to, realize, manifest, express, concretize, symbolize, represent, epitomize, stand for, encapsulate, typify, exemplify; formal reify; rare incarnate, image.

Representation with accuracy and integrity is an embodiment of a declared truth by means of a lifestyle.

In the Bible, a highly esteemed leader of the apostles was rebuked for failing to embody the gospel.

Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.  14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Peter distanced himself from uncircumcised Gentiles he had once befriended and led others to do the same because he cared a little too much for the opinion of some men who had come up to Antioch from Jerusalem. In that moment, Peter failed to embody the gospel in his behavior and instead embodied the fear of man.

Paul asked Peter, “Why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”

Peter was not preaching circumcision, but his actions may as well have been. What we align with affects our choices and decisions, which in turn inform others.  When a person caves in to fit in, they embody whatever it is they are trying to fit in with.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

I never want to be found abandoning the gospel in my words or in my behavior.  The gospel is for everyone, not just a select few who have achieved some sense of higher-level morality.

I intend to embody the gospel with a smile, loving others who are different from me, and proclaiming the truth concerning Jesus and what He did to set free anyone and everyone who comes to Him in faith.  I make it a practice to ask myself if I am living according to the gospel or slipping into a deceptive means of righteousness maintenance based on another source other than Jesus.  I want to embody the gospel!

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Christ Is Enough

As a kid growing up in South Florida, I enjoyed riding bikes. I had several bikes, but none were brand-new. My bikes were reconditioned, but I was more than thrilled to have them and to ride them. They did not have to be new to delight me. I had friends who had new bikes and were proud of their new bikes. I was happy with my older bikes that had been reconditioned.  I did not pine away for a new one.

Come to think of it, I have never owned a brand-new car in the same year as the year I was living in. All my cars have been used, but I have been fine just the same.

I realize some prefer brand-new things, and that is okay. I personally do not want to live thinking that brand-new and top-of-the-line are required for me to be happy.  I would much rather live with an attitude of contentment, having learned how to be happy in every circumstance.

It appears there was a very well-known apostle who also felt this way about life.

Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The ability to be content in Christ is of far greater value than attaining things thought to be necessary to one’s happiness.   Paul had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself.  No, he wasn’t settling as though he had given up.  He learned that one of the secrets to reigning in life involves the ability to be content.

I’ve observed often times bad decisions being made from a place of disconentment in the hopes that they would bring happiness and fulfillemnt to the person making them.  In the end, they only added to the sense of discontentment and disappointment.

When I have reached the end of myself and the many demands my flesh wishes to make in order to be pleased, I find Christ is enough.  The truth is that my flesh can never truly be satisfied.  The emotions of life are like a roller coaster ride.  If I am to journey in this life with any real consistency, I need to discover that Christ is enough.

Too many times, I have witnessed someone getting in over their heads financially or otherwise trying to scratch an itch that they have labeled a need.  An itch becomes a need when Christ is not enough.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.  If I am growing in Him as I should be, I am walking in joy in the Holy Spirit.  That joy is mine regardless of the circumstances surrounding my existence at any point and time.  It is a powerful reality of life that cannot be bought.  There is something so liberating and powerful to Christ being enough.  It can heal marriages, wounded hearts, identities of victimization, and so many other ailments that have resulted from the disappointments that life will bring our way.

Christ my King, my Savior, my Lord, my High Priest, my friend that sticks closer than a brother and so much more!  Christ is enough!  I want to be in such fellowship with HIm that all the things that would otherwise cause me grief fade into the background as I rest in the knowledge of His goodness towards me and His ability to care for me.  Christ is enough!

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Comforter

Have you ever been in a rough place, and there was that one person who showed up and made you feel like everything would be all right?

They were just able to calm your mind and soothe your heart in such a way that, despite all that was going on in your life, you felt like you could breathe again.

Did you know that God wants to do that for you in every tough circumstance?

Your Father in heaven will be the God of all comfort to you, a reliable source of solace in every circumstance, if you will only allow Him to do so.  It is a promise that is literally written in the Scriptures.

2Corinthinans 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

I love how God is described here as the God of all comfort.  A Father of mercies!

I love that it says He comforts us in all our tribulations. He does this not just for our own sake but so that we might be able to comfort those who are in trouble with the same comfort we were comforted by. It’s a beautiful cycle of comfort and connection.

Emobying God as my comforter sets me up to comfort others. But if I seek to deny the real issues for which I need His comfort, if I am one of the ones who really doesn’t want to need Jesus as others do, I will miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Jesus promised that in this world, we would have tribulation.  Trouble visits every child of God at some point or other and in some way or other.  Thankfully, Jesus also said, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  That means when He comes to comfort us, He leads us in His triumph over the things that are troubling us.

Here’s an interesting thought.  God does not comfort us with trite statements about what we should say or do.  He literally comes alongside us and joins us in the depths of our situation.  He empathizes with us and understands our struggle in the process. It is in this state of relationship awareness that He offers us His wise counsel on what to do next.  God is truly the best comforter you will ever have the privilege of experiencing when in need.

In this writing, the Apostle Paul testifies that in Asia, they were in great distress and burdened beyond measure. In other words, the things they faced were greater than the strength of their flesh to do anything about.  It was so bad that they even despaired of life.  In other words, they thought they might die.  But because of his experience of God as his comforter, he was able to write this word of comfort to the Corinthians.  The same is true of us as we journey through this life with Jesus.  The more we experience Him, the more we can embody who he is towards others.  Avoiding tough situations and complicated circumstances will not yield a revelation of His comfort.  Troubles bring that revelation to light.  Do you know your comforter?

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Value

How much would you go out of your way to communicate your love to someone you believe is of great value and most special to you?

When a man wishes to demonstrate his love for a woman he wishes to spend his life with, he goes out and buys her an expensive ring and then asks her to marry him.  This often involves elaborate planning as, for many, it means setting a special moment to do so.  The desire is to communicate to her the value he has placed on her, and the desire is not viewed as an inconvenience but rather a privilege.

Jacob’s story is a testament to the power of love and sacrifice. He labored for 14 years, enduring deceit and exploitation, all for the woman he loved, Rachel. His actions were not driven by selfish desires but by a selfless love that placed a high value on Rachel. His willingness to do whatever was necessary to have her is a powerful example of sacrificial love.

Jesus demonstrated the love of God for us when He sacrificed Himself at the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 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.

God ascribed a value to us.  A value that no created thing can alter regardless of what they might say or do.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The reason it is important to know by revelation the greatness of Jesus and His worth to the Father is that without knowing it, you cannot know how greatly loved and valued you are by the Father and by Jesus.

Ignorance of such truth leads to living a careless life, unaware of who you are and how much you are loved. It can forfeit the motivation to live as He sees you and tap into the power of being identified with Him in the knowledge of His goodness and love.

1Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The fear Peter speaks of here involves forgetting the truth of who He is and what He has done and thus becoming unfruitful and frivolous in how we live.

We are to know our worth by first knowing His worth and then seeing the price He was willing to pay in order to redeem us to Himself.  He is not interested in merely telling us He loves us.  He demonstrated it by paying the greatest price ever paid.  The One who is the greatest, most prized, powerful, beautiful, and wonderful of all went to the greatest length ever imagined to make us His own.

If we lose sight of who He is, what He did loses its wonder.  Your understanding of how valued you are begins with your knowing how amazingly wonderful and great He is.  It was not just any blood. It was the precious blood of Christ that redeemed us.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!  He is no doubt the most wonderful Savior and Lord and has no rivals or equals!

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Exceeding Riches

Usually, the idea of riches is only attributed to financial wealth.  But I am not referring to such in what I am about to share with you.  I want to speak of exceeding riches in something much greater than earthly wealth.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Here, we are told all about what God has done and how it has impacted our lives.

It speaks of the immense, boundless love God has for us.  A love He had for us even while we were dead in our trespasses.  It was His love that moved Him to make us alive together with Christ.   It was His love that raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places “In Christ Jesus.”

But why did God do all this?

So that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, and we, His beloved, are an integral part of this divine plan!

How?

In His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus!

God purposed to do this in eternity past, long before the world was created. He purposed to show us His kindness in Christ Jesus!

The only reason we know anything at all about love and kindness is because God is love.  Love and kindness would not exist without God.  God wanted to put the exceeding riches of His grace on display, and to do so, He demonstrated His love and His kindness towards us In Christ Jesus!

The greatest riches are the riches of His favor.  His grace is far more precious than all the money and wealth this world could ever offer.  The true riches that cause us to prosper are the exceeding riches of His grace we’ve been given in Christ Jesus.

James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Once we come to Christ and are made to sit with Him in the heavenly places, we are no longer poor.  We are blessed with the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us!  Unfortunately, it is possible to be an heir to such riches and never take advantage of them as we ought. It is possible to act as though such exceeding riches of grace in His kindness aren’t ours.

Such confidence is forfeited when this is not believed as it should be.  I’m writing today to tell you that In Christ you have become an heir to the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward you in Christ Jesus!  This is something I rejoice over daily!  God is kind towards me and has given me the exceeding riches of His grace!  I’m abundantly supplied with His favor!  It will never run out!

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Placement

If you’ve ever driven a nail with a hammer, you understand the idea of placement.  Miss the nail one time, and strong signals of pain shoot through your thumb up your arm and into your brain.  The thumb often will swell up and throb and remind you that your placement was off.

The truth is that placement is a big deal for many things in life. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “At the right place at the wrong time.” Or how about “the wrong place at the right time?”

In spiritual matters, placement is not just a detail; it’s a profound concept that carries significant weight and is often overlooked by many.

A very significant phrase occurs 85 times in the New Covenant Scriptures, and even though it is so often used, it is often overlooked.  What is the phrase?

In Christ!

One very popular passage is 2Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

The New Covenant Scriptures are rich with passages that contain the phrase ‘In Christ ‘. It’s a treasure trove waiting to be explored.

For instance, I am justified and have experienced redemption “In Christ,” not merely by Christ.  My experience of eternal life(Romans 6:23), justification, redemption (Romans 3:24), the love of God (Romans 8:1 &2, 39), wisdom from God and righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1Corinthians 1:30), made alive (1Corinthians 15:22), led into triumph (2Corinthians 2:14), the veil is only removed (2Corinthians 3:14), I am a new creation (2Corintinas 5:17), my reconciliation to God (2Corinthians 5:19), simplicity of (2Corinthians 11:3).

These are just a few of the 85 passages pointing us to the reality of what it means to be “in Christ.”

Our position is everything!  Where we have been placed is very important because it is through that placement that we are enabled to experience all that God has ordained for our lives.  Our placement is not beside Christ, near Christ, or on Christ.  We have been placed “In Christ!”

We have freedom because we are “in Christ.” This placement is at the core of possessing everything God has for us. It is not based on our faith in the things promised; it is based on our faith in our placement in Christ that brings us into an experience of all that God has for us.

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

This is my reality, not based on what I do or have done; it is based on who God has placed me in.  Heaven meets earth “In Christ (Ephesians 1:10).  We are seated in the heavenly places, “In Christ.”

In Christ has to become the most real thing to us if we are to experience all God has intended for us.  This matter of placement is at the core of everything pertaining to the kingdom.  God, in His goodness, wanted to place us in such a way as to guarantee that we could benefit.  Are you aware, I mean very aware, of your placement?  Is your faith in that placement the reason for expectation, or are you seeking to possess it on some other basis?

My boast is on being placed “In Christ” by God according to the riches of His grace made manifest in the giving of His beloved Son Jesus, in whom I have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. I am grateful to God, who, by His own wisdom and purpose, has made me a partaker and placed me “In Christ.”

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Jesus Gave

Out of His love for us, God sent Jesus, His Son, to die, to pay for our sins, and to offer us His righteousness. This transformative act made it possible for us to come under God’s favor and have an intimate relationship with Him as our Father.  But that was just the beginning of the journey.

Jesus did much more than just pay for our sins and make us righteous as new creations.  He did not want us to continue in ignorance and be ill-equipped as it pertains to the kingdom and its work.

Ephesian 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The plan and purpose are not hidden from us in the Scriptures.  The New Covenant way of disciple-making is not a mystery, nor is the proper care of the church.

Jesus called some, not all, to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Some are called to these functions, but not all. The ones called to these areas have a specific purpose.

These are not mere moments when a person in the church moves a certain way.  These were offices or callings carried out by those gifted by Jesus for these functions specifically.

The Scriptures do not say that Paul merely acted as an apostle at times; Paul said clearly he was an apostle called by Jesus, and the same was true of Peter and the others. There were a total of 16 apostles beyond the twelve original ones. So we also know that apostle was not just a title given to the men Jesus initially called. There were also New Covenant prophets, such as Agabas.  Philip, a deacon in the first church, was an evangelist. It is evidenced in his ministry.  Stephen was a teacher, as evidenced clearly by his clear and concise speech just before he was martyred.

The purpose of these callings is not to become famous, important, or wealthy at the expense of the saints.  In fact, they are not at the expense of the saints but rather to the blessing and benefit of the saints, and often, at times, they are at their own expense.  These are gifts from Jesus that were given to the church for her edification, not the other way around.  The church does not exist to serve these gifts.  These gifts exist to serve the church.

What stands out to me is the body of Christ’s need for these gifts from Jesus. These gifts are needed for the church to attain the maturity and ministry meant for her. They lead the church into the unity of the faith and ground the church in proper doctrine so that believers are not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.  It is not one singular gift that accomplishes this well-rounded and full-orbed development of the church.  It is the benefit of all these gifts.

The kind of growth Jesus is looking for is the growth that occurs as a result of these gifts working properly in the church for the church so that He is clearly seen as the head of the church and every member is being edified and built up in such a way as not to be taken over by pet peeves and singular issues.  Churches need more than just their pastor or elders to be fully equipped.  They need more than just a favorite prophet to be helped to fulfill all that Jesus intends.  Jesus wants them to grow up into all things, not just one singular thing.  Jesus wants His bride to have a full life filled with Him!  These gifts He gives to the church are His way of making sure that happens, and it is not good for any leadership of the church to keep them away from the bride.  Jesus gave, and what He gave is good when it is rightly valued and applied.  No one man has all there is that the church needs.  Every church needs what Jesus gave!

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Prodigal Compassion

Everyone is familiar with the story of the prodigal son that Jesus told.

The youngest son, who lost everything in his pursuit of a life of indulgence, reaches a point of self-realization. Overwhelmed by a sense of unworthiness, he decides to return home, ready to embrace a life of humility as a servant, no longer as a prodigal son.

The Father sees the son a ways off and runs to greet him. He welcomes him back as a son and throws a party, and the elder brother gets mad. I am sure we are all familiar with this story.

But it is interesting how I never hear anyone ask what the father was doing all that time the son was away.  The elder brother reveals what he had been doing. He had been faithfully working.

We know the father did not run after the son; he did not track him down and continue giving him more while he was in that state of riotous living. So what was the father doing?

The father was doing what was his to do, staying on course with his own calling and affairs. Had the father stopped doing all that was his and gone after the younger son, there would have been nothing for the son to return home to.

The father was not there to feed the son when he had gambled everything away.  He was not there to clothe the son when all he had left was one set of clothing.  He was not there to put a roof over the head of his son when the son had no place to go.  The father had to stay on course with what was his to do.

Did this mean the father lacked compassion?  Absolutely not!  The father obviously loved the son and longed for him.  He had to have been looking in the direction of the road leading home in order to see the son returning.  In other words, although he wasn’t a rescuer of the son and had to go through the heartbreak of missing him and not knowing whether he was well or in bad shape, the father loved the son dearly and longed to see him.

Sometimes, compassion has to let things play out without interference, knowing that God has a way of bringing a prodigal to the end of themselves.  Had the father gone and rescued the son prematurely, the son would never have reached the desire to come home truly.  He might never have come to his senses.

Had the father tried to keep the son at home to start with, the son in his heart would not have been home, and that would have complicated things for everyone.  Interestingly, in the story Jesus told, the only character who did everything right was the father.  The only character with the proper compassion and love was the father.  We see exhibited in that role the wisdom, patience, and love that allow time and distance to do their part in softening a heart.  In other words, the heart that suffered most was the heart of the father the entire time.  The father was willing to suffer in order for the son to realize he was loved, what his place was, and what his purpose was.

Prodigals do not need our best human attempt at rescuing them. Once they return, they need to be welcomed and loved, no doubt. Could it be possible that a premature rescue attempt can do more harm than good?  It’s not easy to behave like the father in that story and keep doing what needs to be done, which is one’s responsibility.  But real compassion does the difficult things that can be misunderstood as much as it does the ones that will make it popular.  Real compassion truly has the best interest of the other person in view at all times.

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True Compassion

All it takes to spot a chameleon is to be around a person who mimics caring but lacks the authenticity that comes with a heart of true compassion at the moment. We can train ourselves to know what to say, but feeling something with someone in a moment requires a little more effort. This ‘feeling with’ is not just about understanding but about truly experiencing the emotions of others, which can deepen our empathy.

Jesus does not want us to just know what to say; He wants us to be like Him and be capable of joining the feelings associated with the moment. This is one of the ways we can fellowship with His sufferings: by being willing to feel the heartbreak, pain, grief, and sorrow of another as opposed to just saying the right thing.

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

It’s one thing to say to someone I’m so sorry for your situation or your loss while not feeling anything at all about it, but it’s a whole other thing to say that same phrase with a deep sense of their pain and grief.

People can connect with someone who is willing to share in their moment with love and integrity.  I am not recommending that we join someone in an excessive lingering over a matter.  That is nothing more than a case of drama.  But I am suggesting that we be able to authentically join someone in their moment of trauma with sincere caring and no drama.  Drama is that which is played out falsely so as to create effect.  Drama is not real.

Drama is an act of emotion, not a real embodiment of it.  I cannot fellowship with the sufferings of Christ as an actor, but I can if I emoby the moment as though it were my own.  So when Paul speaks of weeping with those who weep, he is not following the pattern of the Jewish customs of the day and saying be like those who are hired as professional weepers for sad occasions.  He is inviting us to literally feel what the other person is feeling so we can embrace them in their moment with authenticity and integrity of heart.

Many of the miracles Jesus did came on the heels of Him seeing the plight of people and being moved with compassion on their behalf.

Matthew 14:14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Wanting to see things happen for my own name’s sake and reputation is not a good motivation.  Being moved with compassion in the moment and knowing I am in partnership with Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings can activate possibility, opportunity, and faith for some supernatural realities.  If you are struggling with forgiving someone, allow yourself an opportunity to see them through the eyes of Jesus’ compassion, and I’ll bet the farm your ability to forgive them will come easier than you ever imagined.

Matthew 18:27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

I want to be able to be moved with authentic compassion more and more.

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The Right Clothes

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

The authority of being in Christ is not based on our natural identities but on our spiritual transformation and the new identity it gives us.  Just as a policeman’s uniform gives them authority in public, when we ‘put on Christ,’ we are no longer just ordinary individuals; we are elevated to a position of authority and respect in the spiritual realm. This act of ‘putting on Christ’ is not just a change of clothes but a profound transformation that empowers us and inspires us to live based on our new identity.  It will lead us to carry ourselves differently.

Our authority is based on our uniform, so to speak. If you aren’t putting on Christ, if you’re not living in the revelation of being in Him, you will not walk in the authority He gives you.  When we truly grasp and internalize this truth about our authority and identity in Christ, it changes everything. It enlightens us about our true potential, fills us with hope, and guides our actions and decisions in a new and powerful way.  I’ve known policemen personally who carried themselves differently when in uniform than they would out of it.

Due to memory lapse regarding putting on Christ and being in Christ, I’ve seen believers forfeit their authority that is rooted in the gospel.  They’ve been deceived into thinking that a failure to push morality results in sin running rampant. So they use the law to invoke the importance of behaving right, claiming they are promoting sanctification in the believer.  But that view is not true.  The real power of sanctification for the believer resides in identity, not the moral demands of the law.  Effective sanctification is rooted in being clothed with Him!

What would happen if believers knew that every choice and action made included dragging Jesus into it with them?

What if they could see themselves clothed in Christ before making decisions and taking action?

Do you think anything would change?

The answer to real freedom and real ruling and reigning in life is knowing who you are and “Who” you’ve been clothed with.  A man doesn’t do sweaty, dirty labor in an expensive new suit. Scripture says we’ve been clothed with righteousness.  By grace through faith, you are in Christ, and Christ lives in you!  Christ Jesus is the very righteousness of God, and that is the righteousness we’ve been clothed with.  If you’ve been born again, you have a brand new suit, and the more you know it, the less you will engage in “sweaty, dirty labor.”  It’s time to realize where you are seated, why you are seated, and what works are really yours while resting in the finished work of another.

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We are seated together in the heavenly places “in Christ Jesus.”  That puts us above powers and principalities!  Hebrews 10:12 tells us that Jesus, after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, “Sat Down” at the right hand of God. Jesus finished the work!

God wants to show off the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us, “in Christ Jesus!”  His kindness and love led us to a changed mind and practice of life.

When we understand that we were created “in Christ Jesus,” good works flow out.  There are works that God foreordained for you specifically!  Do you know what they are?  You won’t begin to understand them until you experience what it means to be in Christ!

You do not even begin to imagine just how different you are from those of this world until you begin to believe the truth concerning your being in Christ and being transformed by the power of that reality.

God does not ask you to get your act together morally before approaching Him. He demands that you align your beliefs with the truth of the gospel and approach Him on the merits of Christ alone. In Christ, you are clothed with Christ, and that means you are clothed in righteousness.  Christ is your right clothes!

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Humility’s Trademark

I want to be able to put this as simply as I possibly can.

The highest form of humility does not disregard God, His Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or His written word.

The highest form of humility takes God at His word and relies on His integrity to uphold it despite the circumstances.

True humility, in its highest form, is not a mere virtue but a profound understanding and acceptance of our place in Christ and what He accomplished, and how that now applies by grace through faith to me.

False humility is that which says it gives glory to God but then announces all that it did to make God like them or move on their behalf.  It is that voice that says thank God for His amazing grace but then sets out to merit His continued favor based on works performed with the idea that God is now indebted to do them good as a result.

If I think I can do something to add to the righteousness I have already been made in Christ, a righteousness which is God’s righteousness and a gift, such thinking is arrogance on a whole other level.  It is akin to saying God’s righteousness is not quite enough and needs my help to become complete.  How does someone add to perfection and it not be an insult to the one who made it perfection to start with?

Scripture is talking about this when it speaks of someone falling from grace. They fell from grace when they went back to a system of works for righteousness, acceptance, and favor.

Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

In other words, you step out of the spotlight of His favor and into the darkness of resistance. The way to be resisted by God is through the avenue of arrogant works and performance thinking.

As soon as I say I am all that or that I can do…….. and I fail to remember that it is through Christ that I can do all things and that it is because of Christ that I am a child of God, I am moving in arrogance, and pride is the thing that God resists.

Pride in my own abilities, achievements, and the idea that I have what it takes to be good and to do good on the level God requires will always be a turn-off to God.

It is Christ in me that is my hope of glory!  I am in Christ, and Christ is in me.  In that truth spoken in the word of God and made real to me by means of a new life in Him, I make my boast!

I want to take God at His word as it applies to me under the New Covenant Jesus established with His own blood. The real trademark of humility is submitting to God’s word and His way, which is now established through Jesus in the New Covenant, turning loose of anything that contradicts the completed work of Christ, and praising Him for His perfect obedience, which is now applied to my life by grace through faith in Him.

Humility’s trademark is trust in the finished work of Christ and relying on His word of promise.

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The Influence Of Humility

The sacred text holds a profound truth, a truth that not only invites but compels us to explore the concept of humility, a concept of utmost importance.

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:  “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

We should note something about the two words, proud and humble, and it has to do with how God reacts to either one. God resists one but gives grace to the other.

In this passage, each word is attached to a person because, truthfully, every person on the planet moves in one or the other of these two attitudes of heart.

If I wish to experience the richness of God’s favor in my life, then I need to walk in a profound understanding of my great need for it and His willingness to give it to me on the merits of Christ.

If I adopt attitudes that assume God owes me something based on something I have done that He must now repay, I have discarded humility and stepped into a position of being proud.

God owes me nothing, and there is nothing that I can or will ever do that will put Him in a position to owe me anything.  He has never been and will never be indebted to me.

That means any good I receive from Him is rooted in His goodness and grace toward me, and therefore, I am very grateful for it.

Some things move God’s heart.  Humility is one.  It is a very powerful one at that.  Jesus humbled Himself.  What did Jesus’ humility look like?

Jesus held a high position as One equal with God because He was God, but He was willing to lay that aside to become a man for a purpose that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit agreed to.  Jesus even humbled Himself to the point of death as a common man so that He could accomplish the eternal purpose.  In other words, an equal subjected Himself to the others as though they were His superiors so that the purpose could be accomplished and we could all be saved.

Jesus was not moved to compete for His place of honor among the Godhead.  He was able to humble Himself and take on a lower position for the sake of others in agreement with the wisdom that determined how it should be accomplished.  Humility can surrender and submit to God’s authority and God-given authority from a place of respect.  In Hebrews, we discover that because of His humility, God exalted Jesus to the highest place of honor.

1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Comparison for the sake of feeling equal to or superior to another is not rooted in humility. God gives grace to the humble. Grace is not measured in numbers, like how many boast in social media influence or the size of gatherings. Grace is measured in His favor on a life, and God will always respond to humility with grace.  There are many examples of what humbling oneself looks like in the Scriptures.  I want to walk in the wisdom of that attitude of heart and embrace the behavior consistent with it.  I want the influence of humility to be evident in my life so that Jesus is the One magnified.

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In The Boat

Life is full of surprises.  I have discovered that there’s not a day that is 100 percent predictable.  Not only is it difficult, if not impossible, to predict the weather with 100 percent accuracy. It is just as challenging to know what will come at you in a day.  Most likely, they start their day thinking they know how it will go, and then wham!  Something unexpected comes up!

Picture this: the disciples, in the midst of Jesus’s earthly ministry, witnessing His profound influence and power with the masses and His fearless confrontation of the religious leaders. In those moments, they must have felt an exhilarating surge of joy and confidence, as if they were on top of the world. After all, they were with a consistent winner.  We all admire winners, don’t we?

But then, after these high moments, Jesus tells them to get into a boat and go to the other side, and He joins them in the boat. Once they are way out on the water, a storm comes in, and the boat is filling with water, and Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat on a pillow.  All those wonderful feelings from earlier have vanished with this unexpected situation they are now in.  So what do they do?

They do what most people do.  They fought the situation as hard as they could, and when it looked dire to them, they complained and accused the very one they were celebrating and enjoying being with earlier.  Let’s see it from the Scriptures.

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?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

I realize there are many views as to what is playing out in the minds of the disciples and Jesus in this story and why Jesus said what He did to them regarding their lack of faith. I wish to present you with mine today.

For many, the focus is on what Jesus said at the start, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  They believe that Jesus’s words should have been sufficient. So, the emphasis is on what Jesus said at the start. For me, the focus is on Jesus Himself and what seems to be a lack of comprehension about Him on the part of the disciples at this point.  They are addressing Him as Teacher.  Eventually, they will refer to Him as Master.  But for now, He is Teacher.  My perspective, I believe, is supported by the way they all, after He had spoken and calmed the storm, said, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him.”  They did not fully grasp who was in the boat with them.  Their lack of faith was not a reprimand for not believing what He initially spoke, but rather, I believe it was a call to them to ponder more deeply about who it was that was with them.

In life’s situations, you can make faith about what you say and do about the situation, or you can go one step higher and make it about who it is that is with you in your boat.  When we are unaware of who is with us, we can complain and accuse, just as the disciples did in that boat way back then.  We can find ourselves blaming God, and then we can look to see what we failed to speak or believe specifically about the circumstance itself.  But faith in what we speak or do specifically regarding the situation itself is a low level faith.

Faith in the goodness of the One who is in the boat with us is a much higher level of faith.  I can have faith in healing as an act, or I can have faith in the Healer based on growing in my knowledge of Him and His goodness and character.  It was not my faith in the act of salvation that made me born again. It was faith in Jesus.  It was believing in Him that made me a new creation because I looked to Him, and He made me alive.  It wasn’t faith in what He could do as much as it was faith in who He is! Who is in your boat?

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All Scripture

Scripture holds an undeniable importance and plays a profound role in the life of every believer in Jesus.

Scripture itself makes this truth plain.

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

Being a people of the “word” matters.

At the same time, it is also important to recognize that there can be a person of the word who misses out on knowing “The Word” (Jesus) because they have only intellectually been invested.

Jesus had to point this out during His time of ministry to the religious leaders of His day.

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

These leaders, in their zealous devotion to Scripture, overlooked the true essence of Jesus and the necessity to believe in Him as they truly needed to.

No one should ever be allowed to diminish the importance of Scripture, but neither should they diminish the importance of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The reality of intimately relating to Jesus should never take a back seat to an intellectual pursuit of Scripture.

Sadly, today, many are astute in their study of Scripture but anemic in their knowledge of Jesus and the person of the Holy Spirit. They have placed their hope and trust in Scripture and see Jesus merely as a side note. They place greater emphasis on memorization of chapter and verse than they do on knowing Jesus intimately and being yielded to the Holy Spirit.

On the flip side, some claim they only wish to know Jesus, and they neglect to study to show themselves approved unto God. They claim revelation knowledge that contradicts the truth already revealed to us in the pages of Scripture.

Interestingly, Jesus was able to use common men somewhat familiar with the Scriptures to establish His kingdom and preach the good news of the New Covenant based on their intimate knowledge of Him.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—

It was this intimacy and embodiment of the truth that proved powerful and effective for the first disciples. I could memorize volumes of Scripture and quote it chapter by chapter, but if I do not know Christ intimately and have all my hope and trust in Him, I have yet to gain what I need most.  All Scripture is profitable, especially when it points me to Jesus and His righteousness made available to me.

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