“So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. Romans 8:12-14
The sons and daughters of God are to be a people led by the Spirit of God. Unlike the broad way of the flesh that leads to destruction, the “narrow way” of the Spirit leads to life-Christ. The way of the Spirit is the way of Jesus. It was how he walked, totally dependent and reliant upon His Father through the Spirit. And if this was how Jesus walked (the unique Son of God), then how much more should we walk in the same way!
When Jesus came to earth the Scriptures are clear that He laid aside His divine nature, humbled Himself by becoming a man, and became totally dependent upon the leading of the awesome Holy Spirit. That same Spirit who was in and upon Christ now lives in us. “Do we not know that we are the sanctuary of the living God and that His Spirit lives in us?” If we believe this truth to be so then why do we allow our carnal desires (the flesh) to lead us and not the Spirit of God? Perhaps it is because we do not believe God to be better then earthly pleasure and treasure. Or maybe we have not yet learned the language of the Spirit and do not know when He is speaking.
I proclaim it loud and clear, “the way of the Spirit is the better way. It is the way that leads to life.”
In part, to be led by the Spirit means to submit ourselves to the revealed Word and Will of God. But it also means something more specific, it means that we learn to discern and identify His compelling, leadings, whispers, voice, and follow. I love my neighbor simply because the love of God has given me love for them, and because His Word commands it. But I may bake my neighbor some banana bread because I feel the Spirit of God wanting to use that as a tool to open up their heart to the gospel. I promise you that if we are listening, the Holy Spirit will be speaking.
“I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh… Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16, 24-24
Let us walk by the Spirit, follow the Spirit, for our own joy and for the world to see what a son and daughter of God are really supposed to look like. May we imitate Jesus.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Why I Trust the Scriptures
In speaking with a young man who called himself a Buddhist and claimed to really admire Jesus but not trust the Bible, he asked me why I trust and believe the Bible. My answer was because through the Bible God revealed Jesus to me. I saw Jesus in and through the Bible and in return this Jesus whom I have both seen and experienced has confirmed the Bible as being not just the work of man but the work of God. The promises that are made in the Bible I have come to enjoy and realize in Jesus.
For example, Romans 10:11-13 says this, “Now the Scripture says, ‘No one who believes on Him will be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Guess what, I called upon Jesus and He answered me, He richly answered me, He saved me. When I saw Him, I believed in Him. When I believed in Him, I saw Him. The Scriptures say that He will richly answer us when we call upon Him and I can testify of this being true in my own life. I am rich with evidence and confirmation that Jesus is for real.
I cannot see how anyone could possibly say that they believe that the Word of God is truth if they have not experienced it to be true. This is why so many people lose faith in the written Word of God when they pick up a book like “Misquoting Jesus” by Bart Ehrman. Firstly, most people are not biblical scholars and so do not have the resources needed to challenge and resist the claims made by people like Ehrman. Secondly, if they have never experienced the claims and promises of the Bible to be for real then they have nothing left to stand on, and I cannot blame them for questioning and rejecting Scripture.
Not until Christians begin to believe what the Bible says, to live as it tells us, and to walk in its supernatural promises will the world have any reason to take the Bible seriously. The reality is that the modern western Church offers no supernatural confirmation. There is no demonstration of the Spirit and power of God. If there was ever a time that we needed “the Lord working with (us) and confirming the word by the accompanying signs,” it is now.
The battle for the Bible does not simply belong to the scribes and scholars but it belongs to the Church. If by sound, rational, and persuasive arguments we manage to show the Bible to be the Word of God but do not live as if it were the Word of God to us then we have still lost the debate. Most people don’t really believe what they cannot see, and if they do not see us living by the Word of God why should they believe us?
Even though Christianity is a historical religion it is also an experientially supernatural religion. We are rooted in history and presently enjoy it by experience. The Bible introduces us to one Jesus but in two different contexts. In the first context we are exposed to a Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, come down from heaven, born of a virgin, lived as a Jew in a nation under Roman occupation, and He was betrayed, crucified, and raised on the third day to reconcile all who would believe in him to Father God. The second Jesus context that Bible exposes us to is the Jesus of history in present reality as the risen savior able and desiring to save all who would call on His name. From my own testimony, as I was exposed to this Jewish man who lived two thousand years ago, by the grace of God I believed on Him as my risen Savior.
For example, Romans 10:11-13 says this, “Now the Scripture says, ‘No one who believes on Him will be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Guess what, I called upon Jesus and He answered me, He richly answered me, He saved me. When I saw Him, I believed in Him. When I believed in Him, I saw Him. The Scriptures say that He will richly answer us when we call upon Him and I can testify of this being true in my own life. I am rich with evidence and confirmation that Jesus is for real.
I cannot see how anyone could possibly say that they believe that the Word of God is truth if they have not experienced it to be true. This is why so many people lose faith in the written Word of God when they pick up a book like “Misquoting Jesus” by Bart Ehrman. Firstly, most people are not biblical scholars and so do not have the resources needed to challenge and resist the claims made by people like Ehrman. Secondly, if they have never experienced the claims and promises of the Bible to be for real then they have nothing left to stand on, and I cannot blame them for questioning and rejecting Scripture.
Not until Christians begin to believe what the Bible says, to live as it tells us, and to walk in its supernatural promises will the world have any reason to take the Bible seriously. The reality is that the modern western Church offers no supernatural confirmation. There is no demonstration of the Spirit and power of God. If there was ever a time that we needed “the Lord working with (us) and confirming the word by the accompanying signs,” it is now.
The battle for the Bible does not simply belong to the scribes and scholars but it belongs to the Church. If by sound, rational, and persuasive arguments we manage to show the Bible to be the Word of God but do not live as if it were the Word of God to us then we have still lost the debate. Most people don’t really believe what they cannot see, and if they do not see us living by the Word of God why should they believe us?
Even though Christianity is a historical religion it is also an experientially supernatural religion. We are rooted in history and presently enjoy it by experience. The Bible introduces us to one Jesus but in two different contexts. In the first context we are exposed to a Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, come down from heaven, born of a virgin, lived as a Jew in a nation under Roman occupation, and He was betrayed, crucified, and raised on the third day to reconcile all who would believe in him to Father God. The second Jesus context that Bible exposes us to is the Jesus of history in present reality as the risen savior able and desiring to save all who would call on His name. From my own testimony, as I was exposed to this Jewish man who lived two thousand years ago, by the grace of God I believed on Him as my risen Savior.
Meditating on the Word
“Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3
“So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.” Colossians 3:1-3
Meditation is the art of seeking, pondering, praying, asking, and repeating. By meditating on the Word of God we are setting our minds on what is above. The discipline of the mind is essential for the follower of Jesus. Like every other human faculty the mind must be trained and transformed by submitting itself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. An untrained mind is a playground for all kinds of demonic and fleshly activity while a renewed mind enjoys the peace and prosperity of God.
Through careful and intentional meditation on the Word of God double-mindedness must eventually pack its bags and leave. I believe this is so because godly meditation doesn’t just think or ponder over the Word of God for pondering sake but it ponders for the sake of doing or acting on the Word of God. While biblical meditation is a spiritual discipline whereby the Holy Spirit brings revelation to us it is not a transcendental one. It is practical and ultimately is meant to help change or transform our praxis.
“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8
I once heard Pastor Kerry Kirkwood say that, “if you know how to worry then you know how to meditate.” By worrying, he means that ones mind is dwelling in a place of turmoil, poverty, death, materialism. But for the mind trained in the Word of God meditation is dwelling on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praise-worthy.
Meditating on the things of God is an act of worship. In “dwelling on these things” we are fellowshipping and experiencing God. “And the God of peace will be with you.” Not the God of politics, anxiety, depression, but the God of peace
“So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.” Colossians 3:1-3
Meditation is the art of seeking, pondering, praying, asking, and repeating. By meditating on the Word of God we are setting our minds on what is above. The discipline of the mind is essential for the follower of Jesus. Like every other human faculty the mind must be trained and transformed by submitting itself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. An untrained mind is a playground for all kinds of demonic and fleshly activity while a renewed mind enjoys the peace and prosperity of God.
Through careful and intentional meditation on the Word of God double-mindedness must eventually pack its bags and leave. I believe this is so because godly meditation doesn’t just think or ponder over the Word of God for pondering sake but it ponders for the sake of doing or acting on the Word of God. While biblical meditation is a spiritual discipline whereby the Holy Spirit brings revelation to us it is not a transcendental one. It is practical and ultimately is meant to help change or transform our praxis.
“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8
I once heard Pastor Kerry Kirkwood say that, “if you know how to worry then you know how to meditate.” By worrying, he means that ones mind is dwelling in a place of turmoil, poverty, death, materialism. But for the mind trained in the Word of God meditation is dwelling on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praise-worthy.
Meditating on the things of God is an act of worship. In “dwelling on these things” we are fellowshipping and experiencing God. “And the God of peace will be with you.” Not the God of politics, anxiety, depression, but the God of peace
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
One Third Agnostic
Unbelievers are not the only agnostics out there. Plenty of us Christians are agnostic too. We are one third agnostic. We believe in God the Father, certainly in God the Son, but don’t ask us who God the Holy Spirit is because many of us just don’t know.
We are like the Ephesians in Acts 19:2, when asked about the Holy Spirit, we act as if “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” A Holy Who? The reality is, we are unbelieving Christians.
Out of sight, out of mind, is our unspoken Holy Spirit policy. He is nothing more than a seal or stamp of approval given as a gift from Father. We are like teenagers with Ipods in our ears closed for business and out of touch with the world.
If only we knew. If only we understood what a Gift we have been given. That God has come to dwell not just amongst His people but in His people.
Letter Worship
We really are worshipers of the letter, with a lust for what is purely literal. We have forgotten that the letter kills; it is only the Spirit who gives life. Thus we study and labor over the letter for hours on end with all our commentaries, systematic theologies, concordances, etc. until we have mastered and harnessed the letter into submission. What we should have learned by the leading of the Holy Spirit we were determined to learn by our own strength and intelligence. But not without consequence, for now our new found biblical truth is only information to be stored in the brain, whereas had we learned to wait upon the Holy Spirit and follow His leading, it would have come as revelation bringing transformation to our lives.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Obedience to the Spirit
I have always known this but not with the weight and revelation I know it now. When the Holy Spirit speaks to me what He is saying is of most importance. I now know that obedience to the Spirit of God is the better wine, the greater pleasure. No matter what I am doing, to obey the Holy Spirit will be better—much better—no matter how much it hurts and offends the flesh.
When walking with/in the Spirit of God there is no wasted time.
When walking with/in the Spirit of God there is no wasted time.
To be led by the Spirit of God
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.” Matthew 4:1
Have you ever thought about what it meant for Jesus to be led by the Spirit? Did the Spirit grab his hand and say, “come now, it is time to go into the wilderness”? Was it a series of signs strategically placed by the Spirit that pointed Jesus into the wilderness? Could He have taken Him to a passage of Scripture and given Jesus revelation about going into the desert? Or did Jesus hear an audible voice from heaven saying, “Son go yonder into the wilderness”?
I believe that all those possibilities are possible but inaccurate. Unlike anybody that has ever lived I believe that Jesus understood the art of fellowshipping with the Spirit of God. Jesus learned to hear, and more specifically, to identify the voice of the Holy Spirit no matter how He spoke, when He spoke, where He spoke, or by what means He spoke.
Even in my own life as Father has been teaching me the ways of His Spirit I have discovered that God doesn’t always speak the same way twice. Therefore, the real art of hearing God is the art of discerning or identifying the “still small voice” of His Spirit.
It is important that we understand that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just speak to us concerning Scripture, though He will never speak against or contrary to Scripture, but He will also speak to us and lead us to do things we would/could never do on our own. You may find yourself about to take a left at the stop light and suddenly (A suddenly moment as in Acts 2) the Holy Spirit tells you to continue driving straight. You’re not sure at first why He told you not to turn but in faith you obey only to find out that He was saving you from a car accident or leading you to share the gospel with somebody that needed to hear it at that very moment in time.
I have heard on occasions Christians mocking other Christians for saying they heard from God. Not that I am unaware of the abuses that abound in this area, but what Christians need isn’t ignorance and mocking but teaching on how to rightly and properly discern and obey the Voice of God. Some Christians live as if they hadn’t received the Spirit of God at all but a deaf and dumb spirit much like the idols worshiped by the pagans. For the sake of Christ, we have the Spirit of God Himself living on the inside of us and to act as if no-one is even there is either because no-one is there or because our minds need to be renewed by the Word of God.
You say that you have the word of God, but do you have the voice of God ringing in your ears? When you read your Bible are you simply reading about God or are you hearing God speak to you, convict you, convince you, challenge you, drawing you, sending you? I dare say that many have the Word of God but they have not heard or do not know the Voice of God. That voice that “shatters the cedars of Lebanon, that flashes flames of fire, that shakes the wilderness, and makes the deer give birth. (Psalm 29:5-9)” It is important that you know that the letter kills, but it is the Spirit who gives life.
Have you ever thought about what it meant for Jesus to be led by the Spirit? Did the Spirit grab his hand and say, “come now, it is time to go into the wilderness”? Was it a series of signs strategically placed by the Spirit that pointed Jesus into the wilderness? Could He have taken Him to a passage of Scripture and given Jesus revelation about going into the desert? Or did Jesus hear an audible voice from heaven saying, “Son go yonder into the wilderness”?
I believe that all those possibilities are possible but inaccurate. Unlike anybody that has ever lived I believe that Jesus understood the art of fellowshipping with the Spirit of God. Jesus learned to hear, and more specifically, to identify the voice of the Holy Spirit no matter how He spoke, when He spoke, where He spoke, or by what means He spoke.
Even in my own life as Father has been teaching me the ways of His Spirit I have discovered that God doesn’t always speak the same way twice. Therefore, the real art of hearing God is the art of discerning or identifying the “still small voice” of His Spirit.
It is important that we understand that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just speak to us concerning Scripture, though He will never speak against or contrary to Scripture, but He will also speak to us and lead us to do things we would/could never do on our own. You may find yourself about to take a left at the stop light and suddenly (A suddenly moment as in Acts 2) the Holy Spirit tells you to continue driving straight. You’re not sure at first why He told you not to turn but in faith you obey only to find out that He was saving you from a car accident or leading you to share the gospel with somebody that needed to hear it at that very moment in time.
I have heard on occasions Christians mocking other Christians for saying they heard from God. Not that I am unaware of the abuses that abound in this area, but what Christians need isn’t ignorance and mocking but teaching on how to rightly and properly discern and obey the Voice of God. Some Christians live as if they hadn’t received the Spirit of God at all but a deaf and dumb spirit much like the idols worshiped by the pagans. For the sake of Christ, we have the Spirit of God Himself living on the inside of us and to act as if no-one is even there is either because no-one is there or because our minds need to be renewed by the Word of God.
You say that you have the word of God, but do you have the voice of God ringing in your ears? When you read your Bible are you simply reading about God or are you hearing God speak to you, convict you, convince you, challenge you, drawing you, sending you? I dare say that many have the Word of God but they have not heard or do not know the Voice of God. That voice that “shatters the cedars of Lebanon, that flashes flames of fire, that shakes the wilderness, and makes the deer give birth. (Psalm 29:5-9)” It is important that you know that the letter kills, but it is the Spirit who gives life.
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