Raymond (not his real name) has been a Christian for more than two decades and he is an active Church leader. He is a regular song leader, Holy Communion steward, usher in a Local AOG Church for the last five years. He is a faithful churchgoer, but familiar routine of his Church and his pastor have left him feeling stale and cold. Raymond listens to"dynamic" sermons about Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom, but he feels empty. He listens to the messages on faith and answers the altar-call, but he feels untouched. He hears wonderful testimonies of his fellow churchgoers and yet he is - well, bored!
Now, Raymond isn't happy about this situation. In fact, he is having a rough struggle with it. He knows something has gone wrong, and he is afraid his heart is drifting away from the Lord. Although Raymond longs for a fresh awareness of God, he is at a loss as to what he must do to find it.
What has happened to Raymond? He has run into one of the worst barriers any Christian can face in his walk with God - habituation. Habituation is the experience of growing accustomed to something by the process of being continually exposed to it. In other words, it is the act of becoming so familiar with some circumstance or event that the experience of it requires only a second-nature, mechanical response on the individual's part.
Let me illustrate. Imagine yourself walking into a large factory for the first time. You probably would be greatly annoyed by the clamor of the machines around you. Yet, the factory workers, engrossed in the work they are doing, seem oblivious to the extreme noise of their environment. The workers have obviously become "habituated" to the sound of the machines; that is, they have become so accustomed to the noise level of the machines that, for all practical purposes, they are able to shut out the noise and not let it effect them. On the other hand, an outsider to the factory routine would be greatly bothered by it.
Here is another illustration. Whenever Kelly get into trouble as a youngster, her mum would usually begin her lecture with one of the following two statements - "Kelly, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times ..." Or "Kelly, a smart girl only takes one time to learn." By the time Kelly was a teenager, her mum's point of view had become quite familiar with to her, and as a result, her attention often wandered while her mum was speaking. Mum would begin one of her "sermons" and Kelly would look at her and nod her head, while proceeding to shut out her mum's words from the moment she began her introductory remarks. Since Kelly assumed that she knew what her mum was going to say before she even spoke, Kelly missed many opportunities to really listen and learn from her mum.
We tune out noise, we tune out voices; in fact, our tendency is to tune out just about anything we've heard over and over again. It shouldn't surprise us then to realize that, in much the same way, we tune out God!
Habituation in Church Service/Activities
In general, Church services/activities consist of weekly worship service, prayer meeting, and cell-group meeting. I wonder how many of our worship services, personal prayer times, prayer meetings and cell-group meetings have been hampered because of the repetitious nature of our petitions and our lack of a flexible, creative response to God.
Worship Service
Some Local Churches foster an atmosphere that caters to those who, for one reason or another, are not interested in growing closer to God. The congregation is never challenged to make anything more than a passive response in Scriptural truth. Ofter the order of worship is repetitive each week, allowing the people to become so accustomed to responding the same way at the same time that their hearts and minds are scarcely involved at all!
In these Churches, the words we say and the songs we sing have little impact on our lives because we have learned to do them routinely. Since we feel we know what is expected of us, we can tune out words and truths that once might have deeply affected us. The result? We become more like professional churchgoers than devoted worshipers. Although we attend Church, we never allow our hearts to experience closeness to God. All the while we deceive ourselves that He is happy with or effort. But the truth is, He is not.
The Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me. And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men. Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among these people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 29:13, 14).
Although the people of Isaiah's day had given lip service to the the Lord, their reverence fear for Him was taught by the commandment of men - retual carried out without understanding, or mechanically done. In other words, performance of their traditions had blinded them to what was really important - having their hearts sold out to God. The sad fact is that, they were unaware of how far they had strayed from God's purposes. Isaiah was called by God to warn them of this unfortunate course.
Someone once said, "The seven most destructive words in Church history are - 'We've always done it this way before,'" The people of God like to "camp out" in situations that are familiar to them. Contemplating change and opening the door to what is new and unforeseen can create a real challenge to our faith and be very threatening. But there is a danger in keeping the Church rigidly structured, thereby cutting off the sponteneous moving of the Holy Spirit. The resulting habituation will be negative influence on the spiritual lives of the people.
A pastor of a Local Church seems to understand the above problem. As soon as the singing is completed he asks the congregation to change their sitting positions - right to the left, left to the centre/right, centre/right to the left and so on. He did this before the preaching. By doing so he makes the situation even worse. He quenches the Holy Spirit! He fails to understand that worship (singing) and preaching of Gods Word must be "integrated" in order to let the Holy Spirit to move freely in the Worship Service.
It is important to understand that we can become unresponsive to the sermon if it is given by the same person each and every week. As we become familiar with our pastor's main points of emphasis and his overall preaching style, we may be able to anticipate what he is going to say even before he makes his point. Since we assume that we know what his message is going to be, we easily tune out his words and then complain that we are not getting anything out of what he is saying! As a result, thousands of Christians aren't getting spiritually fed in their Churches, not because the pastor is not speaking God's Word, but because the congregation has grown "dull of hearing" (Heb. 5:11).
Prayer Meeting
Most prayer meetings are somewhat structured and predictable - sing 7 or 8 worship songs, time of testimonies, prayer items and followed by a very short time of prayer. People seem to prefer to give testimonies than praying. Most of the songs are repetitive. When people first learned the songs, they were fresh, alive, and full of meaning. Yet, it eventually became little more that a mere repetition of words because people had grown so used to singing it. The beautiful lyrics, once so inspiring to them, could no longer stimulate their spiritual growth because habituation had occurred.
We become habituated not only by what we continually hear, but by what we constantly do. Whether we stand or sit as we worship, lift our hands, clap our hands, say a prayer, even with a "special and artificial" tone of voice, kneel or bend backward, sooner or later these experiences can lose their freshness and vitality. They then become automatic, devoid of genuine heart involvement.
Cell-group Meeting
Cell-group meeting is just the same. We choose a few familiar songs - it can take some time because not everyone liks the same songs. Someone (usually the host) says the opening prayer. Depending on the Cell leaders, some emphasize on singing, some emphasize on praying for one another's needs and some emphasize on serving much food and drinks. But whatever the emphasis, everything is predictable and automatic, week after week and habituation soon becomes apparent.
In all the above activities, after some time, our times together lost their freshness, giving way to spiritual staleness. Gone was the anticipation that God would intervene our meetings. We sang some good songs, prayed some good prayers, and be ministered to by timely good sermons. Even so, something was missing. Habituation had set in and our activities had become more mechanical than spiritual. Our routines came more from our minds than our hearts and, as a result, we missed out on some potential opportunities for growth.
Recognizing the Danger of Habituation
Practicing empty routines and traditions won't please the Lord and won't do much for your Christian growth, either. Nevertheless, thousands of individuals, and oftentimes entire Churches, have bee stifled by their reliance on religious habits - repeating the some words, the same songs, and the same patterns - instead of allowing God to move them in creative, new directions and bring back the sparkle to their walk with Him. This is when habituation cripples us the most. It causes us to lose our flexibility in being led by the Spirit, since we find it more comfortable to settle back in habit patterns that have worked well in the past, even if they lack the ability to keep us interested now.
Enjoying the Lord
The psalmist said: "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps. 16:11).
"Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing" (Ps. 100:2).
No matter what our circumstance in life, God invites us to live closely with Him and bask in the joy of His presence. He wants us, not only to dwell in His presence, but also to enjoy Him.
If you are a preacher and you are invited to speak in a particular congregation of believers. It is likely that you have prayed, sweated, and agonized over the sermon God wanted you to share. If, after spending hours seeking the Lord for a "mighty message" you still had no direction, no inspiration and leading of the Holy Spirit, it is time for you to "be still" (Ps. 46:10) and enjoy the Lord. You must allow your heart to be at rest before Him so that He could lead you. God wants you to speak a word for Him, but this word would flow naturally into your heart if your desire wasn't just to "get the correct message," but to enjoy Him as well.
How easy it is for activities that once were meaningful in our Christian lives to degenerate into mere ritualistic excercise. Whether it be studying the Bible, having a daily prayer time, attending Chuch services or functions (all of which are good), it is possible to perform them mechanically without experiencing the joy of the Lord. Remember the Bible says: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
Being a Christian is not mindlessly responding to a set of religious rituals; it is not simple "doing the do's" and "avoiding the don'ts." It is a relatioship to enjoyed - expressing our heart with freedom, laughing and having fun together, showing warmth, love, and acceptance, and sharing an oneness of purpose. But many believers don't picture their walk with God in these terms. To them, relating to God isn't joyful experience. It's work, it's drudgery - it could hardly be described as fun!
A Vision beyond ourselves
A good way in overcoming habituation is to maintian a vision of how God can use our lives to further His eternal purposes.
Solomon said: "Where ther is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law" (Prob. 29:18, NAS).
The word "vision" can also be translated "revelation," - God unfolding Himself and His purpose to the human race. Without this vision we become unrestrained, or literally "out of control." The context suggest that people without vision will cast off all restraints and, as a result, fail to keep God's Word. They become undisciplined and cease to follow the Lord's direction for their lives and their happiness departs.
Many believers begin their spiritual journeys with the realization that God has a plan for their lives, only to lose sight of this truth after a time. To them, the only plan that unfolds the "exciting" and "abundant life" of gutting our daily quiet times and pushing themselves to attend a few Church meetings/services/activities each week. There is a whole lot more to our walk with Christ than this! God's purpose is for us to joyfully fulfill a place of Christian service. He is committed to extending His Kingdom throughout the earth and He wants us to be His vessels to bring men and women under the Lordship of Christ. This awareness should capture our hearts and inspire us to prepare for the task ahead!
Embracing this wider vision stretches us to be all that we can be for God. It stimulates growth, it rallies us to prepare, it challenges us to let Him use us beyond our wisdom and capabilities. It causes us to trust Him, for unless we do, we run the risk of failing miserably.
Someone once said, "If your vision isn't bigger than yourself (i.e. what you can accomplish by your own efforts), it probably isn't from God." He loves to place before us certain opportunities or tasks that can only be accomplished by His provision.
Moses was asked to do something quite impossible for him to do in his own strength - lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Joshua was asked to conquer the Canaanites with a group of people who had little military experience. Gideon was asked to defeat the Midianites with just three hundred men by his side. We could go on and on with such Biblical examples. Like these men, we too will be called by God to expand our faith and do things beyond our own capabilities.
By His grace, God imparts an ongoing vision for our lives - a vision that motivates us to persevere and inspires us to overcome the crippling disease of habituation whenever it appears. This vision must grip our attention and captivate our hearts! Its fulfillment does not rest upon what we can do in our natural ability. God alone can bring it to pass and He delights in using us as His vessels to reach the world.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Your First Love
Jesus said to the Church of Ephesus, the loveless Church: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place - unless you repent" (Rev. 2:2 - 5, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Most Bible teachers believe the Church today has many areas of resemblance to the Church in Ephesus.
2. The phrase, "your first love" can mean three things -First, your love for the Lord Jesus; second, your love for fellow believers; and third, your love for the whole of mankind. I believe that this passage refers to all three.
3. Although we cannot separate loving God from genuinely loving His people, Jesus clearly articulated what our highest concern should be - to love God supremely.
4. Our Lord Jesus was asked by Jewish scribe, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment" (Mark 12:28 - 30).
5. The phrase, "Repent and do the first work" means, "Repent and do the work that was done when the Church was first established." In other words, manifest the zeal and love which were formerly evinced in opposing error, and in doing good. This is the true counsel to be given to those who have backslidden, and have "left their first love," now.
6. The Lord would come as a Judge, at not distant period, to inflect punishment in removing the lampstand (or candle-stick) out of its place.
7. Unless we repent the Lord would remove the light of the Church. In effect, when the light is removed, the Church would cease to exist. In other words, the church would be wholly extinct.
Your personal walk with the Lord today
The Bible clearly shows us that our ultimate and loyalty belong to God. Loving people is indeed critical to our Christian lives, but it can never be a substitute for making Him our first love. No one should be more important to us than the Lord.
Jesus Himself said it this way: "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37).
Our Lord could not have spoken in more graphic terms to describe the importance of our relationship with Him. He assumes we do love the members of our family, but He requires us to love Him even more.
The beautiful thing is that, the more we love Jesus, the more love we will have to give. He is the author of love (1 John 4:8) and shares it freely with us so that we might pass it on to those who cross our path. If, however, something short-circuits our relationship with the Lord, our capacity to love other people is diminished, and we fail to treat them as He intended.
This is evidently what happened to the Church in Ephesus and to our Church today as well. They were diligent in doing good deeds and enduring in their Christian faith, yet God was not satisfied. Their original love was gone. Just being busy didn't impress Him. He wanted their hearts, and they presented Him with their lips and labor. He asked for their thoughts and mind, they gave Him banners and vestments and candles!
Has your life become a set of routines? Have you become overwhelmed with Christian activities - prayer meeting one evening, Cell-group meeting on another. Bible study on another, plus a worship service on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, and a few committee meetings squeezed in here and there? What about your privte devotional life? Are you experiencing quality time with God in worship, prayer and Bible study?
Although our spiritual walk may have gotten off a good start, God is concerned about how we are doing today. We may be involved in essentially the activities as we were when we were born-again by the Spirit of God, yet find that they have lost their joy and meaning for us. Never stopping to question ourselves, we simply keep on working, clinging to the memory of how fruitful our works once were. Or, we may even begin to grow apathetic and uninterested in spiritual things, gradually pulling away from God and any meaningful Church involvement. Anger, exhaustion, and exasperation then start to show up in our attitudes. The desire to draw close to God diminishes. Our first love begins to fade.
Even though there are many people who are struggling just to maintain the love for Jesus they once had, God's perspective is that we should grow in love for Him daily. If we are focusing all our efforts on simply hanging on, we are bound to make little progress. Like the Church in Ephesus, we will present to the Lord a second-class devotion, which satisfies neither Him nor ourselves.
Had your personal walk with the Lord been on the decline? Are you merely going through the motions of worship and prayer, with no genuine satisfaction in you heart? Does God seem remote from your life, a distant voice that no longer seems to apply to you? do you think He has stopped speaking to you, leading you onward, and caring about your needs? Do your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling?
Let us take a look at some of the reasons why so many Christians lose their former enthusiasm and become spiritually stale. Let us also consider God's solutions for each one of these reasons. Our Lord is in the business of renewal. He can reach out and touch the burned-out Christian, filling him all over again with fresh, exciting revelation. He can restore the old zeal and recreate the former vision. He can explode in our hearts with a powerful, sustaining love. One of the most wonderful things about God is that He wants to. He wants to make our love for Him new again.
Our conversion (born-again) experience
How can we be sure that our conversion experience is more than just mental assent to certain Gospel truths? Here are some statements of truth for your guidance:
1. A genuine conversion involves turning to God with our whole heart and allowing His Spirit to change us.
In 2 Corinthians 3:14 - 18, Paul was contrasting the Old Covenant of the Law with the New Covenant initiated by Christ. He concluded that whereas the hearts and minds of the unbelieving world were hardened to the message of Jesus, those who came to Him would experience a significant transformation.
2. A genuine conversion occurs when the reality of the living Christ is birthed within us.
A genuine convert is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to him through the Word, prayer, other Christians, and circumstances.
3. A genuine conversion has enduring value
We can see in the life of Paul that a victorious Christian walk requires more than just one encounter with Jesus. We must have an ongoing relationship with Him! The only reason Paul could endure such intense suffering for the sake of the Gospel was that he kept his eyes on Christ and remained in intimate contact with Him. Consequently, no matter what difficulties came his way, he was able to stand firm, his faith unwavering (2 Cor. 4:7 - 18).
Excuses and complaints
It is not uncommon to hear these excuses and complaints from Church members:
"I'd like to get closer to the Lord, but my job demands a lot from me and doesn't leave me with much time."
"I want to grow in my Christian walk, but I can't get the support I need from the Church. Nobody has been reaching out to me!'
"I just can't seem to get a handle on God's will for my life. He's sure keeping it secret from me!"
The above three different "defense mechanisms" often conveniently used to protect ourselves from other people. Oddly enough, we also use these same devices to protect ourselves from God. Now, why would any Christian want to protect himself from God? The reason being, God is the greatest possible threat to our lifestyles. He is interested in changing hearts, changing habits, and indeed, changing lives. But we can't hide ourselves from the eyes of an all-knowing God!
The writer of Hebrews said: "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13).
Rather than open ourselves up to the change process that God brings into our lives (to make us more like Christ), we often erect barriers. Or, we scramble to protect ourselves, seeking to avoid any pain that might be involved in conforming to God's will. When our overall orientation is to "play it safe," our relationship with Him will inevitably suffer.
Spiritual Old Age
Many Christians who are relatively young in the Lord, but already showing the characteristics of what can be called "spiritual old age." The resulting symptoms closely parallel the same conditions we often observe in those old people who have become set in their ways: unteachableness, loss of flexibility, a focus on past events, and an inward orientation to life.
Unteachableness
The longer a person lives, the more opportunities he or she will have to learn. And yet, the older we become, the more likely we are to assume we know all we need to know on a given subject. We then cut ourselves off from additional learning and refuse to accept the opinions, advice, or correction of other people.
Similarly, the older we are in the Lord, the more stubborn and less teachable we often become. It is unfortunate when older Christians compare themselves to others and decide they have arrived at a sufficient level of spirituality. They may then develop judgmental attitudes towards other believers who are not as knowledgeable.
A loss of flexibility
As we become older, we often prefer to have the events of our lives conform to a consistent routine. It isn't easy for us to adapt to rapid, dramatic changes. By structuring our lives in a predictable manner, we avoid the threat of uncertainty and maintain a sense of control.
In much the same way, when we lose our spiritual youthfulness, we are only comfortable with a Christianity that does not cause us to deal with the insecurity of unexpected changes. We begin to "require" God to act within the narrow confines of our human understanding and to fit into our expectations of what He will and will not do. But, in doing so, we become satisfied with a mere mechanical performance of our traditions, since these activities can take place with little or no dependance upon God.
Focus on past events
During the latter years of life, it is common to focus on memories of the past. But, preoccupation with the past can block out the enjoyment of the present. Many Christians begin with a powerful revelation of God's love and grace, but do not continue to stay in touch with Him. They try to live off the strength of their initial experience. Because of this, they stopped growing, changing, accepting challenges, and learning. Consequently, their spiritual walk was leading them nowhere!
An inward orientation
Very often, in the early years of our spiritual life, we were eager to serve others and focused on their welfare, but now we feel that it is time to "retire" and see to our own selfish needs. By tuning into ourselves and our own interests, we consequently tuned out the needs of others. We become self-centered in our Christian life.
We need to be remineded that we can never justify failing to devote any of our time to helping others find Christ. Have we lost our compassion and forgotten our calling as Christians to minister to the hurting people around us?
Renewal and Restoration
It is important to examing your life in the light of the above four characteristics of spiritual old age. If any or all of these qualities are currently a part of your Christian experience, you can receive encouragement from Isaiah:
"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:30, 31).
Isaiah was referring to the ability of eagles to glide with ease on the strength of an existing air current. While other birds seem to fly by flapping their wings and exerting a lot of their own energy, the eagles calmly perches on the edge of a cliff and waits for a gust of the air before launching out. The blowing wind provides the impetus forward; the eagle patiently waits for it and begins its flight accordingly. By moving ahead on the strength of the air current, the eagle can soar at high altitudes seemingly without effort or restraint.
Perhaps you are a person whose life evidences spiritual old age. If so, God wants to restore your your youthfulness! He will refresh you in His presence and renew you in His love. And He will teach you to soar like an eagle in the rushing, mighty wind of His Spirit (Acts 2). But you must learn to wait for the Lord, for "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29).
We cannot move ahead in the Christian life by wildly flapping our wings - we must learn to move ahead in the power of His Spirit. In other words, our hope for spiritual progress must be anchored in God alone.
Have you lost your hope today that God will renew the days of your youthful zeal and vitality? Do you feel that you have wasted a lot of time and have been a failure in the Lord's eyes? It is time to turn back to Him with your whole heart! He will renew your strength and rejuvenate you. As the Psalmist aptly put it: ".... Who (God) satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:5).
If you have received God's power of renewal and restoration, you will never leave "Your First Love!"
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Most Bible teachers believe the Church today has many areas of resemblance to the Church in Ephesus.
2. The phrase, "your first love" can mean three things -First, your love for the Lord Jesus; second, your love for fellow believers; and third, your love for the whole of mankind. I believe that this passage refers to all three.
3. Although we cannot separate loving God from genuinely loving His people, Jesus clearly articulated what our highest concern should be - to love God supremely.
4. Our Lord Jesus was asked by Jewish scribe, "Which is the first commandment of all?" Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment" (Mark 12:28 - 30).
5. The phrase, "Repent and do the first work" means, "Repent and do the work that was done when the Church was first established." In other words, manifest the zeal and love which were formerly evinced in opposing error, and in doing good. This is the true counsel to be given to those who have backslidden, and have "left their first love," now.
6. The Lord would come as a Judge, at not distant period, to inflect punishment in removing the lampstand (or candle-stick) out of its place.
7. Unless we repent the Lord would remove the light of the Church. In effect, when the light is removed, the Church would cease to exist. In other words, the church would be wholly extinct.
Your personal walk with the Lord today
The Bible clearly shows us that our ultimate and loyalty belong to God. Loving people is indeed critical to our Christian lives, but it can never be a substitute for making Him our first love. No one should be more important to us than the Lord.
Jesus Himself said it this way: "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37).
Our Lord could not have spoken in more graphic terms to describe the importance of our relationship with Him. He assumes we do love the members of our family, but He requires us to love Him even more.
The beautiful thing is that, the more we love Jesus, the more love we will have to give. He is the author of love (1 John 4:8) and shares it freely with us so that we might pass it on to those who cross our path. If, however, something short-circuits our relationship with the Lord, our capacity to love other people is diminished, and we fail to treat them as He intended.
This is evidently what happened to the Church in Ephesus and to our Church today as well. They were diligent in doing good deeds and enduring in their Christian faith, yet God was not satisfied. Their original love was gone. Just being busy didn't impress Him. He wanted their hearts, and they presented Him with their lips and labor. He asked for their thoughts and mind, they gave Him banners and vestments and candles!
Has your life become a set of routines? Have you become overwhelmed with Christian activities - prayer meeting one evening, Cell-group meeting on another. Bible study on another, plus a worship service on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, and a few committee meetings squeezed in here and there? What about your privte devotional life? Are you experiencing quality time with God in worship, prayer and Bible study?
Although our spiritual walk may have gotten off a good start, God is concerned about how we are doing today. We may be involved in essentially the activities as we were when we were born-again by the Spirit of God, yet find that they have lost their joy and meaning for us. Never stopping to question ourselves, we simply keep on working, clinging to the memory of how fruitful our works once were. Or, we may even begin to grow apathetic and uninterested in spiritual things, gradually pulling away from God and any meaningful Church involvement. Anger, exhaustion, and exasperation then start to show up in our attitudes. The desire to draw close to God diminishes. Our first love begins to fade.
Even though there are many people who are struggling just to maintain the love for Jesus they once had, God's perspective is that we should grow in love for Him daily. If we are focusing all our efforts on simply hanging on, we are bound to make little progress. Like the Church in Ephesus, we will present to the Lord a second-class devotion, which satisfies neither Him nor ourselves.
Had your personal walk with the Lord been on the decline? Are you merely going through the motions of worship and prayer, with no genuine satisfaction in you heart? Does God seem remote from your life, a distant voice that no longer seems to apply to you? do you think He has stopped speaking to you, leading you onward, and caring about your needs? Do your prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling?
Let us take a look at some of the reasons why so many Christians lose their former enthusiasm and become spiritually stale. Let us also consider God's solutions for each one of these reasons. Our Lord is in the business of renewal. He can reach out and touch the burned-out Christian, filling him all over again with fresh, exciting revelation. He can restore the old zeal and recreate the former vision. He can explode in our hearts with a powerful, sustaining love. One of the most wonderful things about God is that He wants to. He wants to make our love for Him new again.
Our conversion (born-again) experience
How can we be sure that our conversion experience is more than just mental assent to certain Gospel truths? Here are some statements of truth for your guidance:
1. A genuine conversion involves turning to God with our whole heart and allowing His Spirit to change us.
In 2 Corinthians 3:14 - 18, Paul was contrasting the Old Covenant of the Law with the New Covenant initiated by Christ. He concluded that whereas the hearts and minds of the unbelieving world were hardened to the message of Jesus, those who came to Him would experience a significant transformation.
2. A genuine conversion occurs when the reality of the living Christ is birthed within us.
A genuine convert is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks to him through the Word, prayer, other Christians, and circumstances.
3. A genuine conversion has enduring value
We can see in the life of Paul that a victorious Christian walk requires more than just one encounter with Jesus. We must have an ongoing relationship with Him! The only reason Paul could endure such intense suffering for the sake of the Gospel was that he kept his eyes on Christ and remained in intimate contact with Him. Consequently, no matter what difficulties came his way, he was able to stand firm, his faith unwavering (2 Cor. 4:7 - 18).
Excuses and complaints
It is not uncommon to hear these excuses and complaints from Church members:
"I'd like to get closer to the Lord, but my job demands a lot from me and doesn't leave me with much time."
"I want to grow in my Christian walk, but I can't get the support I need from the Church. Nobody has been reaching out to me!'
"I just can't seem to get a handle on God's will for my life. He's sure keeping it secret from me!"
The above three different "defense mechanisms" often conveniently used to protect ourselves from other people. Oddly enough, we also use these same devices to protect ourselves from God. Now, why would any Christian want to protect himself from God? The reason being, God is the greatest possible threat to our lifestyles. He is interested in changing hearts, changing habits, and indeed, changing lives. But we can't hide ourselves from the eyes of an all-knowing God!
The writer of Hebrews said: "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13).
Rather than open ourselves up to the change process that God brings into our lives (to make us more like Christ), we often erect barriers. Or, we scramble to protect ourselves, seeking to avoid any pain that might be involved in conforming to God's will. When our overall orientation is to "play it safe," our relationship with Him will inevitably suffer.
Spiritual Old Age
Many Christians who are relatively young in the Lord, but already showing the characteristics of what can be called "spiritual old age." The resulting symptoms closely parallel the same conditions we often observe in those old people who have become set in their ways: unteachableness, loss of flexibility, a focus on past events, and an inward orientation to life.
Unteachableness
The longer a person lives, the more opportunities he or she will have to learn. And yet, the older we become, the more likely we are to assume we know all we need to know on a given subject. We then cut ourselves off from additional learning and refuse to accept the opinions, advice, or correction of other people.
Similarly, the older we are in the Lord, the more stubborn and less teachable we often become. It is unfortunate when older Christians compare themselves to others and decide they have arrived at a sufficient level of spirituality. They may then develop judgmental attitudes towards other believers who are not as knowledgeable.
A loss of flexibility
As we become older, we often prefer to have the events of our lives conform to a consistent routine. It isn't easy for us to adapt to rapid, dramatic changes. By structuring our lives in a predictable manner, we avoid the threat of uncertainty and maintain a sense of control.
In much the same way, when we lose our spiritual youthfulness, we are only comfortable with a Christianity that does not cause us to deal with the insecurity of unexpected changes. We begin to "require" God to act within the narrow confines of our human understanding and to fit into our expectations of what He will and will not do. But, in doing so, we become satisfied with a mere mechanical performance of our traditions, since these activities can take place with little or no dependance upon God.
Focus on past events
During the latter years of life, it is common to focus on memories of the past. But, preoccupation with the past can block out the enjoyment of the present. Many Christians begin with a powerful revelation of God's love and grace, but do not continue to stay in touch with Him. They try to live off the strength of their initial experience. Because of this, they stopped growing, changing, accepting challenges, and learning. Consequently, their spiritual walk was leading them nowhere!
An inward orientation
Very often, in the early years of our spiritual life, we were eager to serve others and focused on their welfare, but now we feel that it is time to "retire" and see to our own selfish needs. By tuning into ourselves and our own interests, we consequently tuned out the needs of others. We become self-centered in our Christian life.
We need to be remineded that we can never justify failing to devote any of our time to helping others find Christ. Have we lost our compassion and forgotten our calling as Christians to minister to the hurting people around us?
Renewal and Restoration
It is important to examing your life in the light of the above four characteristics of spiritual old age. If any or all of these qualities are currently a part of your Christian experience, you can receive encouragement from Isaiah:
"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:30, 31).
Isaiah was referring to the ability of eagles to glide with ease on the strength of an existing air current. While other birds seem to fly by flapping their wings and exerting a lot of their own energy, the eagles calmly perches on the edge of a cliff and waits for a gust of the air before launching out. The blowing wind provides the impetus forward; the eagle patiently waits for it and begins its flight accordingly. By moving ahead on the strength of the air current, the eagle can soar at high altitudes seemingly without effort or restraint.
Perhaps you are a person whose life evidences spiritual old age. If so, God wants to restore your your youthfulness! He will refresh you in His presence and renew you in His love. And He will teach you to soar like an eagle in the rushing, mighty wind of His Spirit (Acts 2). But you must learn to wait for the Lord, for "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29).
We cannot move ahead in the Christian life by wildly flapping our wings - we must learn to move ahead in the power of His Spirit. In other words, our hope for spiritual progress must be anchored in God alone.
Have you lost your hope today that God will renew the days of your youthful zeal and vitality? Do you feel that you have wasted a lot of time and have been a failure in the Lord's eyes? It is time to turn back to Him with your whole heart! He will renew your strength and rejuvenate you. As the Psalmist aptly put it: ".... Who (God) satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:5).
If you have received God's power of renewal and restoration, you will never leave "Your First Love!"
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The three Forces in the Human Race
There are three forces in the human race - One force is the unconverted Jews, the second force is the unconverted Gentiles and the third force is the Body of Christ, the Church. The converted Jews and Gentiles are brought into the Body of Christ as the result of the preaching of the Gospel. Satan works through the first two forces, the unconverted Jews and Gentiles, trying to bring pressure and defeat upon the third force.
Peter said: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, NKJV).
The Holy Spirit works through the last force, the Church which is a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation" to bring life to the first two forces. Thus the Church, the Body of Christ, the believers with the new nature, becomes the avenue of expression to the world, of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The Bride of Christ
You cannot "join" this group of people (the Church) who will be the Bride. You cannot "earn" a position in the Bride, nor can you "buy" your way into the Bride. You do not choose to become a part; you must be born into the Bride of Christ by a spiritual birth. But this is only the first step. Just by attending Church Services and listening to entertaining sermons that make you feel good, even everyday, will not qualify you as part of the Bride. You need the cleansing and sanctifying process of God's Word.
Paul said: ".... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with washing of water by the word by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25 - 27, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Christ loved His Church and gave Himself for her.
2. The Word of God has the power to cleanse and sanctify the Church. Notice that the two processes of cleansing and sanctifying are closely related, but they are not identical. The distinction between them is this - that which is truly sanctified must of necessarily be absolutely pure and clean; but that which is pure and clean need not necessarily be in the fullest sense sanctified. In other word, it is possible to have purity, or cleanness, without sanctification, but it is not possible to have sanctification without purity, or cleanness.
3. The Bride is being prepared "with the washing of the Word." Therefore, without upholding the truth of God's Word, the Church will not be cleansed and so is not fit to be the Bride. The Church cannot be cleansed by any other means - like observing Church doctrine, Church custom, Church tradition and doctrine of man because more often than not, these are contrary to the Word of God and therefore tarnish the Church! The Church that is not cleansed by the Word will not be holy; she is full of spot or wrinkle and full of blemishes and therefore fails to be the Bride.
4. The Bride of Christ is a glorious Church.
The Call of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said: "And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).
You are a Christian because the Holy Spirit called you and you are convicted of your sin and you came to Him in repentance. The world is filled with lost people who are walking the streets of their cities and towns. They will never be a part of the Bride of Christ because they turned away from the calling of the Holy Spirit and refused His invitation.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servents to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come" (Matt. 22:2, 3).
Here we see the Father, speaking about the wedding of His son, the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those who heard the invitation to the wedding were too busy. They made light of the invitation and gave excuses (Matt. 22:5). They spitefully abused those who brought the invitation (Matt. 22:6), even killing some of them.
The king, the Father, became very angry and destroyed them and then sent His servants out into the highways and bid the people there to the wedding. All around the world today, in simply Gospel services in Churches large and small, in every type of circumstance, the message is still going forth. Yet many people refuse to respond to the invitation to become part of the Bride of Christ.
He who comes without a wedding garment
In the above parable, there also come one into the wedding without a wedding garment. This speaks of the tragedy of someone who does not understand the dispensation of grace and the working of the Holy Spirit today. The Gospel is being preached to the end of the world in these last days, and multitudes are being born again. But, there are still untold thousands who have heard and are convinced but not converted. You cannot have a wedding garment to put on without conversion. Believing and being convinced will not be good enough.
The Wedding guests
I do not believe that all who are washed in the blood of Christ are going to be a part of the Bride. Search the Scriptures and you will find that there are those who will enter into heaven as by fire. There will be those who are only wedding "guests" who will be present also.
Paul said: "... each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work in burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13 - 15).
Clearly, there are many who are cleansed, washed in the blood and saved who will just make it inside the doors of heaven to watch the wedding procession as Jesus takes His Bride unto Himself.
The Bride consists of vessels of gold and vessels of honor
You can be saved, but your works shall reveal what you are in Christ, how much of Jesus has been revealed in you and the depth of your commitment to Him and how much of His life has been able flow out through you.
Paul also said: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of Gos stands, having this seal; 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and , 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:19 - 21).
Paul was speaking of vessels of common use as compared to those who have entered into a greater manifestation of God to become surrendered vessels that project God by the life they live. This passage of Scripture should be of real encouragement to every Christian as it explains the possibilities in this great house called the Church. In the Body of Chirst, there are vessels of gold and of silver. In contrast, there are also some of wood and clay. Some vessels are for honor and some are for dishonor, or for "common use." Each one has the opportunity to be separated from the old patterns and ways that would hinder them so that they could be of greater use to the Master. God is constantly trying to lift us out of the ordinary into the extraordinary by His continual working upon us, in us and through us. Anything short of the vessel of honor will not be useful for God.
The Holy Spirit is at work in all Christians, pursuing and pushing, convicting and cleansing, drawing them into refinement for we are the workmanship of the master potter, the most high God Himself (Eph. 2:10). He takes us out of the world by the new birth and then turns us over to the Holy Spirit that Christ might be revealed within us. Then God fills us with Himself that we would have the unction of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the power to become adorned for marriage to the Lamb. No loving and adoring bride would ever come to her wedding day until she was properly cleansed, sanctified, wearing beautiful garments and adorned to be pleasing and desireable to her groom (Eph. 5:26, 27).
The fragrance of the Bride
The Song of Solomon is very descriptive in illustrating the reality of the relationship of the Church's love for Christ and Christ's love for the Church. The Holy Spirit is working constantly to heal the Church's deformities, purify its motives and bring its actions into the many deep expressions of love - not only from the Church to Jesus, but from one to another.
Solomon said, "Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you" (Song of Solomon 1:13).
When the adorning of the bride reaches a certain point that she truly knows exactly who she is, the Name of Jesus becomes as sweet smelling oil poured forth to her. His Name becomes the only source of satisfation to her cry for her bridgroom, it becomes a fountain of fragrance in the world we live in.
Jesus is adorning His bride and He is dealing with all of us through blessings and through testings as He brings us to decisions of complete obedience and surrender. He is bringing us to a place where we will trust Him in every circumstance. He is fashioning us into the likeness and image of His Son.
The end-time Chruch - the Church of Laodicea
Jesus said: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to by from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:17 - 20).
Jesus is speaking to the Church, to the believers who have heard the Gospel year in and year out but has not pursued the adorning of their inner man. He is telling them that that they are spiritually naked, blind and poor because they have been leaning upon natural (worldly) things. Many so-called christians even shut the Lord out of their heart! But Jesus remains "gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (Ps. 145:8). He still anxiously waits for them to open their hearts to Him again.
The "Rapture" of the Church
After the preparation of the Bride (the glorious Church), Jesus' ultimate purpose for His Church is to bring her to the Father's house for the marriage of the Lamb:
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2, 3, emphasis added).
1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 give a picture of what will happen. A day will come when all true Christians will be caught up bodily and alive to meet the Lord in the air. The souls and spirits of those who had previously died believing in Christ, having been consciously with Him in the interim, will come with their Lord from heaven to rejoin their glorious resurrected bodies. Those alive at the time of His return, their bodies instantly transformed as well, will be caught up together with the saints of all ages to meet Christ somewhere above the earth and bring them to the Father's house of may mansions. This is what most Bible teachers called the "Rapture." This is what John 14:3 means, "I will come again and receive you to Myself."
The "Rapture" is a word to which some critics object because they say it itsn't in the Bible. In fact, it is in the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Latin word, "rapturous" means, "an ecstatic catching away" as does the English word.
The Great Tribulation
In Christ's days the Jewish bride was taken to the father's house where the two were in seclusion for seven days (one week). Christ must have had that in mind when He promised to take His Bride to His Father's house. During these seven years (the 70th week of year in Daniel's prophecy - Daniel 9:24 - 27) the earth is going through the Great Tribulation period under the reign of the Antichrist! But, at precisely the same time in heaven the marriage supper the Lamb is being prepared (Revelation 19:7, 8)! The Bride of Christ escapes the wrath of the Antichrist. That is the way God protects His true Church, fulfilling what Jesus said to Peter, "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). He brings His Church to Himslf! On the other hand, the gates of Hades shall prevail against the so-called church that is left behind under the reign of Antichrist. In fact the Antichrist together with his false prophets and his "elders" and "pastors" and those deceived so-called christians will be sitting at the gates - the gates of Hades!
Peter said: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, NKJV).
The Holy Spirit works through the last force, the Church which is a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy nation" to bring life to the first two forces. Thus the Church, the Body of Christ, the believers with the new nature, becomes the avenue of expression to the world, of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The Bride of Christ
You cannot "join" this group of people (the Church) who will be the Bride. You cannot "earn" a position in the Bride, nor can you "buy" your way into the Bride. You do not choose to become a part; you must be born into the Bride of Christ by a spiritual birth. But this is only the first step. Just by attending Church Services and listening to entertaining sermons that make you feel good, even everyday, will not qualify you as part of the Bride. You need the cleansing and sanctifying process of God's Word.
Paul said: ".... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with washing of water by the word by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25 - 27, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Christ loved His Church and gave Himself for her.
2. The Word of God has the power to cleanse and sanctify the Church. Notice that the two processes of cleansing and sanctifying are closely related, but they are not identical. The distinction between them is this - that which is truly sanctified must of necessarily be absolutely pure and clean; but that which is pure and clean need not necessarily be in the fullest sense sanctified. In other word, it is possible to have purity, or cleanness, without sanctification, but it is not possible to have sanctification without purity, or cleanness.
3. The Bride is being prepared "with the washing of the Word." Therefore, without upholding the truth of God's Word, the Church will not be cleansed and so is not fit to be the Bride. The Church cannot be cleansed by any other means - like observing Church doctrine, Church custom, Church tradition and doctrine of man because more often than not, these are contrary to the Word of God and therefore tarnish the Church! The Church that is not cleansed by the Word will not be holy; she is full of spot or wrinkle and full of blemishes and therefore fails to be the Bride.
4. The Bride of Christ is a glorious Church.
The Call of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said: "And when He (the Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).
You are a Christian because the Holy Spirit called you and you are convicted of your sin and you came to Him in repentance. The world is filled with lost people who are walking the streets of their cities and towns. They will never be a part of the Bride of Christ because they turned away from the calling of the Holy Spirit and refused His invitation.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servents to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come" (Matt. 22:2, 3).
Here we see the Father, speaking about the wedding of His son, the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those who heard the invitation to the wedding were too busy. They made light of the invitation and gave excuses (Matt. 22:5). They spitefully abused those who brought the invitation (Matt. 22:6), even killing some of them.
The king, the Father, became very angry and destroyed them and then sent His servants out into the highways and bid the people there to the wedding. All around the world today, in simply Gospel services in Churches large and small, in every type of circumstance, the message is still going forth. Yet many people refuse to respond to the invitation to become part of the Bride of Christ.
He who comes without a wedding garment
In the above parable, there also come one into the wedding without a wedding garment. This speaks of the tragedy of someone who does not understand the dispensation of grace and the working of the Holy Spirit today. The Gospel is being preached to the end of the world in these last days, and multitudes are being born again. But, there are still untold thousands who have heard and are convinced but not converted. You cannot have a wedding garment to put on without conversion. Believing and being convinced will not be good enough.
The Wedding guests
I do not believe that all who are washed in the blood of Christ are going to be a part of the Bride. Search the Scriptures and you will find that there are those who will enter into heaven as by fire. There will be those who are only wedding "guests" who will be present also.
Paul said: "... each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work in burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13 - 15).
Clearly, there are many who are cleansed, washed in the blood and saved who will just make it inside the doors of heaven to watch the wedding procession as Jesus takes His Bride unto Himself.
The Bride consists of vessels of gold and vessels of honor
You can be saved, but your works shall reveal what you are in Christ, how much of Jesus has been revealed in you and the depth of your commitment to Him and how much of His life has been able flow out through you.
Paul also said: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of Gos stands, having this seal; 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and , 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:19 - 21).
Paul was speaking of vessels of common use as compared to those who have entered into a greater manifestation of God to become surrendered vessels that project God by the life they live. This passage of Scripture should be of real encouragement to every Christian as it explains the possibilities in this great house called the Church. In the Body of Chirst, there are vessels of gold and of silver. In contrast, there are also some of wood and clay. Some vessels are for honor and some are for dishonor, or for "common use." Each one has the opportunity to be separated from the old patterns and ways that would hinder them so that they could be of greater use to the Master. God is constantly trying to lift us out of the ordinary into the extraordinary by His continual working upon us, in us and through us. Anything short of the vessel of honor will not be useful for God.
The Holy Spirit is at work in all Christians, pursuing and pushing, convicting and cleansing, drawing them into refinement for we are the workmanship of the master potter, the most high God Himself (Eph. 2:10). He takes us out of the world by the new birth and then turns us over to the Holy Spirit that Christ might be revealed within us. Then God fills us with Himself that we would have the unction of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the power to become adorned for marriage to the Lamb. No loving and adoring bride would ever come to her wedding day until she was properly cleansed, sanctified, wearing beautiful garments and adorned to be pleasing and desireable to her groom (Eph. 5:26, 27).
The fragrance of the Bride
The Song of Solomon is very descriptive in illustrating the reality of the relationship of the Church's love for Christ and Christ's love for the Church. The Holy Spirit is working constantly to heal the Church's deformities, purify its motives and bring its actions into the many deep expressions of love - not only from the Church to Jesus, but from one to another.
Solomon said, "Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you" (Song of Solomon 1:13).
When the adorning of the bride reaches a certain point that she truly knows exactly who she is, the Name of Jesus becomes as sweet smelling oil poured forth to her. His Name becomes the only source of satisfation to her cry for her bridgroom, it becomes a fountain of fragrance in the world we live in.
Jesus is adorning His bride and He is dealing with all of us through blessings and through testings as He brings us to decisions of complete obedience and surrender. He is bringing us to a place where we will trust Him in every circumstance. He is fashioning us into the likeness and image of His Son.
The end-time Chruch - the Church of Laodicea
Jesus said: "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked - I counsel you to by from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:17 - 20).
Jesus is speaking to the Church, to the believers who have heard the Gospel year in and year out but has not pursued the adorning of their inner man. He is telling them that that they are spiritually naked, blind and poor because they have been leaning upon natural (worldly) things. Many so-called christians even shut the Lord out of their heart! But Jesus remains "gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy" (Ps. 145:8). He still anxiously waits for them to open their hearts to Him again.
The "Rapture" of the Church
After the preparation of the Bride (the glorious Church), Jesus' ultimate purpose for His Church is to bring her to the Father's house for the marriage of the Lamb:
"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2, 3, emphasis added).
1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 give a picture of what will happen. A day will come when all true Christians will be caught up bodily and alive to meet the Lord in the air. The souls and spirits of those who had previously died believing in Christ, having been consciously with Him in the interim, will come with their Lord from heaven to rejoin their glorious resurrected bodies. Those alive at the time of His return, their bodies instantly transformed as well, will be caught up together with the saints of all ages to meet Christ somewhere above the earth and bring them to the Father's house of may mansions. This is what most Bible teachers called the "Rapture." This is what John 14:3 means, "I will come again and receive you to Myself."
The "Rapture" is a word to which some critics object because they say it itsn't in the Bible. In fact, it is in the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Latin word, "rapturous" means, "an ecstatic catching away" as does the English word.
The Great Tribulation
In Christ's days the Jewish bride was taken to the father's house where the two were in seclusion for seven days (one week). Christ must have had that in mind when He promised to take His Bride to His Father's house. During these seven years (the 70th week of year in Daniel's prophecy - Daniel 9:24 - 27) the earth is going through the Great Tribulation period under the reign of the Antichrist! But, at precisely the same time in heaven the marriage supper the Lamb is being prepared (Revelation 19:7, 8)! The Bride of Christ escapes the wrath of the Antichrist. That is the way God protects His true Church, fulfilling what Jesus said to Peter, "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). He brings His Church to Himslf! On the other hand, the gates of Hades shall prevail against the so-called church that is left behind under the reign of Antichrist. In fact the Antichrist together with his false prophets and his "elders" and "pastors" and those deceived so-called christians will be sitting at the gates - the gates of Hades!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
The Unction of the Holy One
Too often we settle for substitutes in our Christian lives rather than what God wants to bring forth inside of each one of us. We settle for just meeting together in Sunday/Saturday night Church Service, in Cell-group meeting and in prayer meeting. At the same time many of us take pride in what we are doing - put in our predetermined, daily allotment of time to read the Word and have a set time for personal prayer. This seems to be a good Christian practice. But many Christians don't even do that. For those of us who do that, it is not really enough. Instead of just being willing to spend the accepted amount of time necessary in order to survive spiritually, each one of us should be heading straight into the eye of the very storm, itself. We should be aggressively heading into human needs, into breakthroughs in the spirit world and into reclaiming the very things that people have lost in God.
It is impossible to just maintain a status quo as a Christian. Satan will never let you and neither will the Holy Spirit. You must either move forwards in God or slide backwards in Satan, there is no standing still. As Christians, we must be on the move for there is an anointing from heaven, the unction of the Holy One, that must be carried forward to those in need. If you try to stand still with it, you will either lose it through carelessness or Satan will knock it from your hands.
Every Christian needs the Unction of God
Every one of us is expected to carry the unction of God to the world around us. This unction of God comes as the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This unction will bring miracles, heal sickness, dissolve burdens, mend broken hearts, heal marriages and restore families and relationships. The unction of God represents Jesus in our midst and it will do all that Jesus had done and would do. But there is a price to be paid to participate in the ministry of this divine unction. The religious "pew-warmers" calling spiritual plays from the sideline will never have it. No one will have it unless they get on their knees in faith, armed with a full knowledge of the Word that is strengthened daily through studying the Bible, and diligently seek God for it.
We are not part of this world; we are only enduring it as we are on our way home from earth to heaven. Evey step that we move closer to Jesus and every time we press in until we recieve the Unction of God, we have just cut another rope tied to the moorings of this earth and we are released to be a little freer from the limitation of our flesh.
One Spirit, one Body and one Spiritual force
As the unction of God heals the breaches that are between men and women in the body of Christ, we will become one Spirit, one Body and on Spiritual force moving upon the face of the earth to bring forth the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. A true Body of believers that knows how to move with the Spirit of God is the only answer to the dilemma of world today and aches of the human heart.
John said: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, you know all things" (1 John 2:20, NKJV).
Paul said: "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor. 1:21, 22, NIV, emphasis added).
If you are a born-again believer, God did three things for you - He anointed you; He put His ownership seal on you and He put His Spirit in your heart as a deposit. This deposit is a guarantee that He will provide you a place in eternity with Him, as well as with Him on earth here as a child of God. This anointing of the Holy Spirit (or unction of God) has been commissioned to be constantly with you wherever you go. If you seem to be having a lot of trouble in your life, perhaps you need to check your obedience to the Holy Spirit within you as He guides and checks your "goings."
Spiritual Breakthroughs
We live in two worlds - the natural world that we taste, touch, smell, see and hear every day; and the spiritual world. These two worlds parallel each other in certain ways. Whenever there are great strides forward in the natural world, we can expect an increase in the spirit world as well. But, just as it takes sacrifice and pain to bring about breakthroughs in the natural world, it takes the same to bring about breakthroughs in the spirit world. In any quest to conquer new territory in the spirit world, we know that there will be things to overcome. And to overcome the work of the evil one, we need to carry the unction of God with us in spiritual warfare. We must remember that only through Christ we have consistent victory.
Taking the Unction to the people
We, as Christians need to take the unction of God to the hurting people of our generation. We hold the keys to the destiny of the lives of this generation. The wounded spirits, the drunkenness of the world, the broken homes, the alienated children, the alcoholism, the drug and unnatural affection can basically all be laid right on the doorstep of Christianity. Why? Because too many Christians in the Church have not gone far enough! The majority of the Church has stopped halfway through its purpose and failed the rest of the world.
You can make the choice of stopping halfway or of going on all the way. You can be stopped by somebody's criticism. You can be stopped by another's philosophy. You can be hindered by someone's thinking or doctrine. You can be stopped by a bad experience in a Church or with a pastor or a Church leader. Or, you can get into the real life stream of God for yourself and walk straight into the face of the storm, fully able to stand stolid and firm under any circumstance, any misunderstanding, any attack or any problem. When you have the unction of the Holy One, you have enough faith and authority on the Name of Jesus Christ to break every bondage and every obstacle tha tries to get in your way.
We, as Christian are not here to build an "organization" or a "private club." We are here to build lives that can stand up to the challenge of these last days. We are here to meet the tragedies of the hour and the heartbreaks of the day that are holding our generation in bondage.
Regardless of the seemingly impossible state of the world today, God is still totally in control. Your present state and your future are determined by what you do with God and His Word, not by circumstances of the world around you.
There is no substitute for the unction when you are communication the Gospel. The unction is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not enthusiasm, it is not zeal, it is not thunderous voice and it is not excitement. Although those characteristics may be present when the unction of God is flowing, don't mistake them for the unction. You need spiritual discernment to fully understand the unction of God. In general, unction brings tears to the eyes of the hearers. It brings changes in ideologies and breaks through the shells of tradition and deadness. It rejuvenates the Christians.
The Unction of God in Christian ministry
In Chrsitian ministry, the unction is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Unction separates the ministry unto God and qualifies it as His work. It is the one divine enablement by which the ministry can accomplish the peculiar and saving effects of preaching. Without unction, there are no spiritual results accomplished. Without unction, the results and the power in preaching do not rise above the results unsanctified speech making. In other words, without unction, a Gospel or evangelical service has no more lasting effect than a political rally!
An accomplished preacher or teacher can give you new thoughts, bring positive thinking and intrigue and entertain you. But, if the unction is not present and operating, then nothing will bring what God wants for you. Many preachers only feed the natural (old or carnal) man and not the Spirit man. The old man must not be fed; it must be mortified by the power and the work of the Word and the Spirit within us.
The unction can slice like a knife. It is like a two-edged sword, cutting on both sides, but healing and restoring as it cuts. It divides asunder soul and spirit, penetrating the deepest thoughts of our inner self.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividion of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discermer of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
The unction brings conviction to the point that men and women either surrender to God or react passionately against the Word of God and quite often against the one who is bringing it as well.
How does the Unction come?
The divine truths of God that come forth under the unction of the Holy Spirit are of great value and importance, individually and collectively (the Church). This divine unction is generated through the Word by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual results flow through the Gospel as it is ministered, preached and spread under the unction of God.
There are many things that may appear as unction. Sometimes we think it is zeal or emotion or empathy and compassion. Sometimes we think it is present because there is great exitement or loudness. These things may occur when the unction is working, but they are no guarantee of its presence. These are emotional reactions that can be duplicated by Satan through carnality. The unction is totally unique and cannot be counterfeited by the enemy. Those who are carnal or in the flesh can be deceived into thinking the unction of God is working in a certain situation because of various characteristics that attempt ot counterfeit the moving of God. But, when you are walking within the light of the Holy Spirit and with a level of spiritual discernment, you will know whether the unction of God is present or not in a Church service.
A service without the unction of God may have emotional appeal, enthusiasm and different other manifestations, but there will be no spiritual breakthroughs. Those who came into the service will walk out with the same hurts and sorrows and needs they came in with.
When the unction of God is at work, everyone either walks out happier of angrier. They walk out with cleansing or with guilt. They walk out with anointing or with bitterness. But there will be a change when the unction has been operating; they will not remain the same as they come in. Either they will surrender to the anointing or they will refuse to come under it and they will reject what God is doing. You can never ignore the unction and the anointing. Something will change, either for the better or for the worse!
The Unction of God and the Gospel Message
The divine unction is a distinguishing feature that separates true Gospel preaching from any other method of presenting truth. It is what makes truth alive and penetrating; it illuminates and quickens the Word. It quickens the human intellect and enables it to better apprehend the Word.
Without the unction, the Gospel has no more power to propagate itself than any other system of teaching. Unction is the seal of divinity; it puts the power of God into the Gospel. Without unction, the Gospel is left to human intelligence to enforce doctrine and religious principles through natural means and concepts instead of bringing forth of life through the supernatural power of God.
Without the unction, man tries to build God's Kingdom with bondage by bringing men and women into a semblance of truth through legalism. This is what happens when the unction is lost. Legalism and bondage are the only ways left to try to control and direct the carnal nature of mankind. When legalism and bondage fail, then man tries to use the entertainment system to hold people. When that fail, we see the religious movements begin to move into areas of meditation, mind control and actual forms of occult teachings to hold their people. Every natural source of control and persuasion is used. This is the basis of the New Age Movement!
It is important to understand that unction cannot be produced by man's intellect and knowledge. It is something that can only come and flow through the spirit of a man or woman as the Spirit of God dwells deep within them. This is the "rivers of living water" Jesus spoke about (John 7:38).
When a man or woman of God begins to speak under that unction, there is something in their words that is living and able to give life. Just sitting down next to someone with the unction from God can bring an awareness of the presence of God that is indefinable. Conviction comes, healing comes, and salvation comes. Every Christian should be seeking to minister under the unction of God.
Conclusion
Many of our problems exist because we haven't taken authority over the enemy who is constantly working to invade our lives, our homes and our fimilies. You can go to Church every day, respond to every "altar call," counseled over and over, be taught by the greatest Bible teacher and be very spiritual; but until you begin to exercise the unction in your life, you will never enter into an overcoming Christian life with full victory.
It is impossible to just maintain a status quo as a Christian. Satan will never let you and neither will the Holy Spirit. You must either move forwards in God or slide backwards in Satan, there is no standing still. As Christians, we must be on the move for there is an anointing from heaven, the unction of the Holy One, that must be carried forward to those in need. If you try to stand still with it, you will either lose it through carelessness or Satan will knock it from your hands.
Every Christian needs the Unction of God
Every one of us is expected to carry the unction of God to the world around us. This unction of God comes as the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This unction will bring miracles, heal sickness, dissolve burdens, mend broken hearts, heal marriages and restore families and relationships. The unction of God represents Jesus in our midst and it will do all that Jesus had done and would do. But there is a price to be paid to participate in the ministry of this divine unction. The religious "pew-warmers" calling spiritual plays from the sideline will never have it. No one will have it unless they get on their knees in faith, armed with a full knowledge of the Word that is strengthened daily through studying the Bible, and diligently seek God for it.
We are not part of this world; we are only enduring it as we are on our way home from earth to heaven. Evey step that we move closer to Jesus and every time we press in until we recieve the Unction of God, we have just cut another rope tied to the moorings of this earth and we are released to be a little freer from the limitation of our flesh.
One Spirit, one Body and one Spiritual force
As the unction of God heals the breaches that are between men and women in the body of Christ, we will become one Spirit, one Body and on Spiritual force moving upon the face of the earth to bring forth the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ. A true Body of believers that knows how to move with the Spirit of God is the only answer to the dilemma of world today and aches of the human heart.
John said: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, you know all things" (1 John 2:20, NKJV).
Paul said: "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor. 1:21, 22, NIV, emphasis added).
If you are a born-again believer, God did three things for you - He anointed you; He put His ownership seal on you and He put His Spirit in your heart as a deposit. This deposit is a guarantee that He will provide you a place in eternity with Him, as well as with Him on earth here as a child of God. This anointing of the Holy Spirit (or unction of God) has been commissioned to be constantly with you wherever you go. If you seem to be having a lot of trouble in your life, perhaps you need to check your obedience to the Holy Spirit within you as He guides and checks your "goings."
Spiritual Breakthroughs
We live in two worlds - the natural world that we taste, touch, smell, see and hear every day; and the spiritual world. These two worlds parallel each other in certain ways. Whenever there are great strides forward in the natural world, we can expect an increase in the spirit world as well. But, just as it takes sacrifice and pain to bring about breakthroughs in the natural world, it takes the same to bring about breakthroughs in the spirit world. In any quest to conquer new territory in the spirit world, we know that there will be things to overcome. And to overcome the work of the evil one, we need to carry the unction of God with us in spiritual warfare. We must remember that only through Christ we have consistent victory.
Taking the Unction to the people
We, as Christians need to take the unction of God to the hurting people of our generation. We hold the keys to the destiny of the lives of this generation. The wounded spirits, the drunkenness of the world, the broken homes, the alienated children, the alcoholism, the drug and unnatural affection can basically all be laid right on the doorstep of Christianity. Why? Because too many Christians in the Church have not gone far enough! The majority of the Church has stopped halfway through its purpose and failed the rest of the world.
You can make the choice of stopping halfway or of going on all the way. You can be stopped by somebody's criticism. You can be stopped by another's philosophy. You can be hindered by someone's thinking or doctrine. You can be stopped by a bad experience in a Church or with a pastor or a Church leader. Or, you can get into the real life stream of God for yourself and walk straight into the face of the storm, fully able to stand stolid and firm under any circumstance, any misunderstanding, any attack or any problem. When you have the unction of the Holy One, you have enough faith and authority on the Name of Jesus Christ to break every bondage and every obstacle tha tries to get in your way.
We, as Christian are not here to build an "organization" or a "private club." We are here to build lives that can stand up to the challenge of these last days. We are here to meet the tragedies of the hour and the heartbreaks of the day that are holding our generation in bondage.
Regardless of the seemingly impossible state of the world today, God is still totally in control. Your present state and your future are determined by what you do with God and His Word, not by circumstances of the world around you.
There is no substitute for the unction when you are communication the Gospel. The unction is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not enthusiasm, it is not zeal, it is not thunderous voice and it is not excitement. Although those characteristics may be present when the unction of God is flowing, don't mistake them for the unction. You need spiritual discernment to fully understand the unction of God. In general, unction brings tears to the eyes of the hearers. It brings changes in ideologies and breaks through the shells of tradition and deadness. It rejuvenates the Christians.
The Unction of God in Christian ministry
In Chrsitian ministry, the unction is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Unction separates the ministry unto God and qualifies it as His work. It is the one divine enablement by which the ministry can accomplish the peculiar and saving effects of preaching. Without unction, there are no spiritual results accomplished. Without unction, the results and the power in preaching do not rise above the results unsanctified speech making. In other words, without unction, a Gospel or evangelical service has no more lasting effect than a political rally!
An accomplished preacher or teacher can give you new thoughts, bring positive thinking and intrigue and entertain you. But, if the unction is not present and operating, then nothing will bring what God wants for you. Many preachers only feed the natural (old or carnal) man and not the Spirit man. The old man must not be fed; it must be mortified by the power and the work of the Word and the Spirit within us.
The unction can slice like a knife. It is like a two-edged sword, cutting on both sides, but healing and restoring as it cuts. It divides asunder soul and spirit, penetrating the deepest thoughts of our inner self.
The writer of Hebrews said: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper that any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividion of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discermer of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
The unction brings conviction to the point that men and women either surrender to God or react passionately against the Word of God and quite often against the one who is bringing it as well.
How does the Unction come?
The divine truths of God that come forth under the unction of the Holy Spirit are of great value and importance, individually and collectively (the Church). This divine unction is generated through the Word by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual results flow through the Gospel as it is ministered, preached and spread under the unction of God.
There are many things that may appear as unction. Sometimes we think it is zeal or emotion or empathy and compassion. Sometimes we think it is present because there is great exitement or loudness. These things may occur when the unction is working, but they are no guarantee of its presence. These are emotional reactions that can be duplicated by Satan through carnality. The unction is totally unique and cannot be counterfeited by the enemy. Those who are carnal or in the flesh can be deceived into thinking the unction of God is working in a certain situation because of various characteristics that attempt ot counterfeit the moving of God. But, when you are walking within the light of the Holy Spirit and with a level of spiritual discernment, you will know whether the unction of God is present or not in a Church service.
A service without the unction of God may have emotional appeal, enthusiasm and different other manifestations, but there will be no spiritual breakthroughs. Those who came into the service will walk out with the same hurts and sorrows and needs they came in with.
When the unction of God is at work, everyone either walks out happier of angrier. They walk out with cleansing or with guilt. They walk out with anointing or with bitterness. But there will be a change when the unction has been operating; they will not remain the same as they come in. Either they will surrender to the anointing or they will refuse to come under it and they will reject what God is doing. You can never ignore the unction and the anointing. Something will change, either for the better or for the worse!
The Unction of God and the Gospel Message
The divine unction is a distinguishing feature that separates true Gospel preaching from any other method of presenting truth. It is what makes truth alive and penetrating; it illuminates and quickens the Word. It quickens the human intellect and enables it to better apprehend the Word.
Without the unction, the Gospel has no more power to propagate itself than any other system of teaching. Unction is the seal of divinity; it puts the power of God into the Gospel. Without unction, the Gospel is left to human intelligence to enforce doctrine and religious principles through natural means and concepts instead of bringing forth of life through the supernatural power of God.
Without the unction, man tries to build God's Kingdom with bondage by bringing men and women into a semblance of truth through legalism. This is what happens when the unction is lost. Legalism and bondage are the only ways left to try to control and direct the carnal nature of mankind. When legalism and bondage fail, then man tries to use the entertainment system to hold people. When that fail, we see the religious movements begin to move into areas of meditation, mind control and actual forms of occult teachings to hold their people. Every natural source of control and persuasion is used. This is the basis of the New Age Movement!
It is important to understand that unction cannot be produced by man's intellect and knowledge. It is something that can only come and flow through the spirit of a man or woman as the Spirit of God dwells deep within them. This is the "rivers of living water" Jesus spoke about (John 7:38).
When a man or woman of God begins to speak under that unction, there is something in their words that is living and able to give life. Just sitting down next to someone with the unction from God can bring an awareness of the presence of God that is indefinable. Conviction comes, healing comes, and salvation comes. Every Christian should be seeking to minister under the unction of God.
Conclusion
Many of our problems exist because we haven't taken authority over the enemy who is constantly working to invade our lives, our homes and our fimilies. You can go to Church every day, respond to every "altar call," counseled over and over, be taught by the greatest Bible teacher and be very spiritual; but until you begin to exercise the unction in your life, you will never enter into an overcoming Christian life with full victory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)