Reign In Life

This week's message might be shocking and very challenging. For too long, Christians have had the wrong view of who we really are. I suggest you read the Book of Romans in its entirety. Today's thoughts come from the marvelous fifth chapter. The fifth chapter is only second to the eighth chapter of the same book in how it paints the picture of God's total gift of grace.

Let's start:

For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Paul begins this section with simple logic. Since "this" then "that". One broght many into sin and one brought many into righteousness.

The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgressionresulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free giftarose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

Judgment entered the world of mankind due to the single "transgression". From that single transgression the plague spread resulting in "many transgressions".

It is because of the "many transgressions" that were beyond any other remedy that God chose to give us a free gift: justification. Justification: made right!

The news is even more grandiose; hang on!

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15-17

The words "much more" are an understatement. Re-read that last sentence again.

Do you actually know any Christian who is "reigning in life"? What has happened?

We have been given the position but we have surrendered it because we choose to believe the lies of the enemy. Many of these lies are filtered through the current church! I would list a few of such teachings here but it is impossible to dissect the subtleties of the lies from the truth when a teacher uses scripture but pushes it out of the context of the whole message of grace!

Invest some time with God this week and begin by asking Him to show you what it means to "reign in life"!

When Christians return to their designed place the world will notice and the world will change! Don't expect that to happen; the message of grace has been diluted beyond recognition in most churches.

What is left, then?

What is left is for you personally to begin to reign! Time is short.

Revisit The Garden

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

God created man (in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.

Imagine this setting from the first chapter of Genesis. God had created everything for the joy and the benefit of the choicest of His creation.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16

The vast forest of trees were give to man with only one single tree being set aside as unavailable to them.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8

In addition to all of man's physical needs being met, God's presence was consistent and obviously available.

How is it that our world has ended up where is has when so much was provided to the advantage of maintaining the spiritual nature of mankind?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" Genesis 3:1

OK, so here is the real question. Adam personally knew his Creator; had an intimate relationship with his God but, nevertheless, listened to the liar!

How did this happen?

A better question perhaps is: if Adam couldn't resist what chance do I have?

It is vitally important for us to see the entire picture painted in the beginning chapters of the history of God's dealing with man.

What do you think enabled Satan to "get a word in edgewise" with one so aware of God's presence and provision?

What more could Adam have wanted if totally left by himself, with no outside influence?

Allow me to bring this home personally.

Adam had acres and acres of provision.

How often do you thank God for the things and the people he has given you? Adam had lost his gratitude for the things and the people that he had had. This left a huge opening for the enemy to present additional options.

Adam had immediate and real access to the Living God on a current basis. He grew in-sensitized to the ready presence.

When was the last time you treated your God like He was treasured and that His current presence made a difference for you?

Adam listened to the enticing discussion.

What do you listen to the most? Do you ever hear from Him? Are the enticing invitations of fame, wealth, success, happiness, security louder than the sweet, soft voice of the Great Lover of your soul?

Adam choose to try the tree!

What is your tree? God has given you acres and acres of permissible "trees" but there is always that one!

I encourage you to hear His voice, walk with Him continually and offer to Him the thanksgiving due!

Names That Mean Something

Names always meant something in the nation of Israel. Names of individuals and names of places carried a meaning of an event or a vision.

As I was reading the Word this week it occurred to me that it was not insignificant that God chose Zebulun and Naphtali as the beginning point for the earthly ministry of Jesus. As I checked the underlying name meanings of Zebulun and Naphtali I discovered something interesting.

Zebulun (dwelling) and Naphtali (wrestling) were an area of Israel that was unremarkable except for is distance from Jerusalem, the political capital of the region. With recent events regarding John the Baptist's arrest, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to this region to launch His three year ministry.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

"THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI,
BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES—
“THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT,
AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH,
UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.”

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12-17

Today we still live in a land of wrestling, wrestling with problems, with financial issues, with people issues, with decisions of every type and substance, but we have in recent years put the great light "under a bushel basket". As our world and our society spin wildly out of control heading toward the abyss the churches remain unconcerned and oblivious to their part in the morass.

Jesus said, " “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ Matthew 11:16-17

"Children who call out to other children" is a statement about "this generation" regarding their maturity and purpose. The message is of a young child who tries many things to achieve acceptance with little in the way of permanent results. Such defines today's churches as week after week they pattern their approaches toward acceptability.

The very same description could be applied to each of us individual Christians. Do we live radical lives of faith or have we been molded into an acceptable image of a dying world?

The message that Jesus brings to each of us today is a simple one: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Remaining where you are is easy. It is a giant step to accept the invitation into the Kingdom! The difference is remarkable but the world may not appreciate the new you! But then you would be in good company!

The Name of God!

This thought came to to me yesterday while I was asking God to show me what He wanted me to know:

Psalm 79 :8-10

Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us;
Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us,
For we are brought very low.

For generations, now, the "forefathers" of our faith have let us down. Once there was a bold and faithful church that, even with all of its problems, held the line against moral decline in our country. We haven't gotten here overnight.

There was a time when difficult times like we are going through would bring our society back to God. Today, we simply brace ourselves against the wind and press on with our dysfunctional lifestyles.

The psalmist realized that the current state of God's people was not simply a casual drift to worldliness but, rather, an accumulation of sins that started long ago and built one on top of the other until God was not to be found.

He also realized that the people had left God so far behind that it was not longer and option for God to restore His people. He asked, rather, that God's compassion" would be aligned to meet up with His people as they were walking their own direction.

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Here is where we find the tender heart of the psalmist. He was no longer willing to excuse the people; no longer willing to strike a bargain with God!

No, his heart was after protecting God's name! The pathetic record of the people had brought scorn upon their God and the psalmist appealed to God about protecting His name. Not for the people; not for the "church" leaders; not for restoring their relationship! Just for God's name alone!

Has God's name ever been in less regard than in our current society? Perhaps it is time that we turn our attention toward God's name and to begin asking for Him to protect and exalt His own name!

Tough Times Bring New Opportunities

Many of our friends and family members, even many of us, are dealing with some pretty difficult situations right now. Last week I was reading in the Book of James and a couple of scriptures jumped out to me:

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

The crown of life comes to those who know the deep, deep rest and security by a tested faith.

But the one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, having not been a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be bless in all that he does. James 2:25

Read this scripture a couple of times!

The "perfect" law is the law of liberty. Scripture says, "It is for freedom that Jesus you free". Galatians 5:1

Our greatest stress and our heaviest burdens come out of false expectations and self delusions. The law of rules brings its ugly results of death and drudgery. The perfect law of liberty brings life that flows from within like streams of living water.

The choice lies before you; enter His rest or logic your way into continued frustration and misery.

Promised But Seldom Entered

The story of the nation of Israel’s release from years of captivity in Egypt begins in Exodus 4. The final act that “buys” their release, the blood of the lamb, is in chapter 11.

To assure that this freed people would not lose their way to God's blessings and provision, a pillar of fire in the night and a cloud during the day wold guide them every step of the way on their journey (Exodus 13:21-22)

For several generations, God had promised a specific land to Israel. Not only did He promise the land, but He released them from their captors and guided them directly to the place of entrance into the promised land.

Israel balked. They came right up to the point of decision and they chose not to enter the land. ( Numbers 13). God’s reaction to Israel’s balking?:

Surely, all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. Numbers 14:22-23

After the "balking" generation passed away the Nation of Israel is again at the entry point of the promised land.

Deuteronomy 12:8-12 is the key section for us to understand clearly what the new terms of their entrance would be: It explicitly states that "tomorrow" everything changes. “you shall not do all that we are doing here today…” All of the do's and don'ts of the law were being left on the wilderness side to the border.

The promise is that Israel will live in rest and security provided they enter the land of promise as God intended.

Unfortunately, Hebrews 4 states that Israel NEVER entered the promised rest and security and continues on warning us that we also might miss it if we respond to God the way Israel did. The crowning statement is verse 19: ..they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

The bottom line is that the people of Israel never entered the land of security and rest because every step of the way they “Logic-ed” their way through the enemies and issues. God required that they enter the land knowing the He had given it to them and that it was He who would clear the way and fight their enemies.

The invitation to us is the same. Cross the Jordan that separates the dominion of this world from the kingdom of God; the world from the promised land; drudgery and toil from rest and security. It is only by faith that we can enter the promised land!

Values in Question

Today we take a look at a difficult issue. This comes from the book of 2 Timothy chapter 4.

Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica... (v 9&10)

So here is the tough question for you: What evidence is there that you don't love "this present world" more than Jesus?

Where do you spend your time and energy? Where is your "treasure"? Jesus said it plainly enough, it is impossible to love both God and mammon.

Look at your past week. Except for an hour or two on Sunday, how much attention did you give toward our gracious God?

(On a personal note, I am not certain if this blog makes any difference. I am thinking of discontinuing the blog and figuring our another way to communicate more effectively what God is telling me.)

Jesus talked about a church (Book of Revelation) that had "lost its first love". Has your passion for Jesus abated or diminished from the past? Do what Jesus told the church "repent" and return to the lover of your soul.